ã€ŠKuro no Maouã€‹


 Prologue

    Prologue

    There was a pure white space.

    It was a room of 4 walls painted with seamless white. In the middle there was an altar that looks like a clump of hardened pure white snow and the light brightening the room was also white.

    ¡°Bring in the offering.¡±

    A voice came out of nowhere filled up the room.

    The door started to open and from over the dark passage, a line of people came into the room. Like the white room, those people were also wearing full-white clothes. Wearing clean white robe, they covered their faces with white mask and were not exposing any skin parts at all.

    In their hands were white boxes with various size, in total of 6 boxes. They put the boxes or ¡®the offering¡¯ to their designated ce and quickly left the room. Therge door slowly closed and a lock sound echoed in the silence of the white room.

    ¡°The preparation isplete.¡±

    A man muttered as he was satisfied after watching the preparation from another room. The man was also wearing all-white clothes like those people earlier although he was not wearing a mask. One could see deep wrinkles on his face showing his old age.

    ¡°Let us begin.¡±

    Hearing the old man, men-in-white behind him nodded understanding it as a sign to begin.

    ¡°¡º?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????¡»¨D¨D Chantingplete, opening gate now¨D¨D¡±

    The old man closed his eyes, as he heard the voice from behind him from the silence.

    At that moment, strong light overflowed from the white altar in the room, probably strong enough to make one turns blind. As if to protect his eyes from the strong light, old man¡¯s eyes behind his eyelids were reflecting dark-pitch darkness.

    Then, quietness began to return to the noisy white room.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sess.¡±

    After hearing the old man¡¯s words, voices of joy and relief could be heard among the men-in white.

    ¡°Get in position.¡±

    Men-in-white then lined themselves up along the passage to the room with the white altar and moved toward the room.

    In their ears, they could hear the old man¡¯s voice as if they were hearing it directly in their head, without missing a single word.

    ¡°Male, 17 year-old, a student¨D¨D¡±

    The mysterious person¡¯s personal data came from the old man¡¯s mouth. It was not known whether those men know the meaning of the words but none of them were making perplexed expression.

    ¡°His name is¨D¨DFuu..Ku..Hahaha..¡±

    As the old man were about to say the name, a suddenughter echoed.

    ¡°Fuhahahahaha!¡±

    As the old man continued tough at the unforeseen name, although they kept on walking toward the room, the men were beginning to flinch.

    The men finally reached the room, arriving at its door and began to open its lock.

    ¡°Forgive me for the impoliteness. I really did not see this kind of nameing.¡±

    The old moved his sight towards the inside of the altar room as he said that.

    Unchanged, the room was still purely white without stains.

    The boxes that were brought earlier had disappeared but inside the white shrine there was a man. A naked man who was lying on his side had appeared.

    A man with ck hair with appearance matched of what the old man had told.

    Then the old man once again told the name of the man.

    ¡°His name is, ck Demon King!¡±

    A feeling of soft light touched my eyelids, it slowly lit the consciousness in my head.

    Calling back my mind that had fallen deep into slumber andter I awakened to the warmth of the nket covering my body.

    A thought of waking up dide into my mind but the magic-like warmness from the bed kept me from walking out of it.

    Just, just a bit more.. 5 more minutes..

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

    An angry voice followed by a sudden cold mercilessly attacked my body. The attack was too sudden, I almost jumped out of surprise.

    ¡°Uoooo! Enemy attack?!¡±

    ¡°Who on earth are you fighting with... ¡±

    Upon hearing a slightly cold voice, I saw the face of someone I am most familiar with in the world. Realizing that, the sleepiness that had been fogging my head vanished in an instant.

    Goodbye dreand, hello reality.

    In that a bit messy of my room, stood in front of me a woman who just stripped the nket of me and my bed.

    A woman with glossy long ck hair, fair white skin, high nose with fine body outline, lush lips pulled tight forming a straight line shape and beautifully thin but frowned eyebrows showing a sign of anger.

    If one was to look at her piercing sharp eyes, one would be confused whether to call them frightening or beautiful. Nheless, one without a doubt would agree that she has very attractive face shape.

    To add to her beauty, she is almost 180 cm in height. Slender and long legs with constricted waist line, and her chest underneath the apron she was wearing was like giving pressures ofing out from her apron.

    With such cherry picked model-or-gravure-idol-like style of a woman, unless he is a severe pedophile, homosexual or impotent, she would surely captivate the eyes of any man.

    Even so, such beauty and nice body never tug at my heartstrings. If I were to give a reason,

    ¡°Morning, mom.¡±

    it is because she is my mother.

    ¡°Morning. Hurry up and get up, everyone is already at the table for breakfast.¡±

    After saying that, Mom left my room leaving the door opened.

    ¡°At least close the door... it¡¯s so cold.¡±

    Looking at the watch on my wrist, it was 6:50 in the morning. As a high-school student with no morning club practice, I could say it is quite an early time to wake up.

    Anyway, since Mom had awakened me up, it was not like I could go back to sleep again.

    ¡°Oh well, let¡¯s get up and get prepared.¡±

    And so, my unchanging, dull but peaceful life as Kurono Mao today, begins.

    I put on my school uniform and went out of my room on the second floor.

    After washing my face and brushing my teeth as usual morning grooming, I went to the living room for breakfast.

    Like what Mom said, two figures already seated at the dining table.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    Upon my greeting, both of them paid their attention to me.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    One of them is my father.

    He is about to enter his 30s but still looked young. In addition to his beautiful wife, his young appearance never fails to surprise his friends and acquaintances.

    If he said he is only in his 20s, no one would doubt him at all. Moreover, because of his small and slight figure and baby-face, one might even mistaken him for a teenager.

    Looking at my father¡¯s figure, I sometimes think that he never ages or his time is stopped or something.

    I think by the time I graduated from high school, if we were to stand next to each other I would surely look older than him.

    Oh by the way, I am somewhat tall, nothing like my short-figured father so I could say I look more like my mother.

    While I splendidly inherited my mom¡¯s tall height and her sharp-looking eyes, having a height of 183 cm with viinous eyes, I look like a frightening demon.

    Although I am d for being tall, but I also feel kind of sad for having nothing close to my father¡¯s pretty face.

    Thanks to my viinous face, even though I do not do anything wrong, people seem to be afraid of me...

    ¡°Morning, Mao.¡±

    The other person at the dining table was my sister, Mana.

    Completely the opposite of me, my sister took after my father; cute, petite, lovely, vulnerability-over-9000, the one-that-makes-you-feel-you-have-to-protect-her-from-any-danger type of pretty girls.

    A college student with twin-tailed ck hair that suits her very much; my lovely sister.

    ¡°Are you making bento today too?¡±

    ¡°Ah... yea.¡±

    Seeing the cute response of my sister with faintly red-dyed cheeks, I think my heart skipped a beat.

    //TN: The actual sentence sounds like the bento is for MC but her sister is actually making it for her boyfriend, not him. I thought it was weird for her sister blushed when making bento for his brother //

    However, the secretly-blooming affection within her small-chest was clearly not towards me, but to her boyfriend she got recently.

    //TN: MC used the word ÐØ(mune) for chest which also can be read as heart, but I keep it as chest since MC also wanted to tell us that her sister has small-chest//

    Simr to my dad, my sister is usually expressionless, and now she was making such lovely and easy-to-read face. The reason is mainly because she just made her first boyfriend.

    Oh well I guess she is that happy. Although I have no slightest idea about boys-and-girls rtionship.

    It is fine. Someday the day I would get a girlfriend wille too, maybe, most likely, probably, I hopefully wish so.

    While trying to let go of anxiety in my heart, I stood up from my chair and cleaned my dishes after finishing my breakfast; rice with miso soup added with something in it.

    ¡°Are you going now?¡±

    While putting on my coat, I answered her.

    ¡°It¡¯s raining, so I¡¯m taking bus today.¡±

    ¡°I see. Since the bus stop is quite far.¡±

    My sister who went to the same high school untilst year knows that it takes quite a time to get to the bus stop from our house.

    I can afford to take it easy if I rode my bicycle, but since it was raining heavily, I gave up on that thought.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget this bento.¡±

    ¡°Oh thanks.¡±

    I took the bento from my mom¡¯s hand, put it carefully in my bag so it would not get turned over and headed for the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    Sent off by my families, I could feel the chill in the air outside and started walking.

    I was going to get off at the bus-stop in front of my school, however I still need to cross this one crossroad with a traffic-light to reach my school.

    Holding a big opened umbre under this heavy rain, there were a few other students like me, waiting for the traffic-light to turn green at the crossroad.

    More students wereing in my way and since the traffic-light was still red, the number of students waiting to cross the road slowly increased.

    Among them, I noticed a particr girl.

    Because of her slim and slender figure, the dark blue umbre in her hand looked big on her. With such small girl standing among the crowds of student, one usually will not notice her but her xen-long hair made her stands out, giving her a strong presence.

    There was a girl who I think is her ssmate beside her, as they were chatting while walking but then came to a stop when something was blocking them, which was me waiting for the traffic-light. Although I felt somewhat awkward to greet her as I were the reason their conversation stopped.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡±

    Casually, my eyes met hers.

    Her long eyshes edged her adorable rounded-eyes. Her eyes could stir a desire of wanting go out with her, they are truly deadly eyes to any man who saw them.

    She has fair white skin and sharp body line, plus her straight nose bridge and small lush lips,pleted with a beautiful face without any w to spoil it.

    Her smooth-looking-xen-long hair was flowing down long her slim and feminine body line. The girl uniform she was wearing is the very definition of neat-and-clean and made her looked like a finedy.

    If ideal beautiful girls of most men were to be reality, one of them would definitely be her, a perfect beauty with no w toin about.

    Since my eyes met hers and I could not pretend like I do not know her; surely not because she is a perfect beauty that everyone knows about, it was simply because I really do know her and she really does know me.

    ¡°Good Morning, Shirazaki-san.¡±

    I prepared my heart, and greeted my same-year club member in the Literature Club, Shirazaki Yuriko.

    ¡°Ah, good... Good morning, Kurono-kun...¡±

    Our Literature Club does not have that many members, and of course I know her name, she knows my name and we had conversations a few times before. If I were to say it, we are acquaintances but not yet ¡®friends¡¯.

    With that said, I already greeted her as my part of courtesy, all she needed to do now is to turn her sight back to her friend who is currently giving me a very suspicious look and return to their lively talks and we both should be fine. Problem solved.

    However.

    ¡°......¡±

    As if she had something else to say, she just stood there in front of me.

    But, in the end, she did not say a thing and the awkwardness and the silence continued between the two of us.

    The difference in height between us is about 30 cm. As a result, I was in a situation where I ,naturally and literally, am looking down to her, which I think is a very bad situation.

    Perhaps, and I really hope it is not, from other people¡¯s view it might look like I am close questioning Shirazaki.

    ¡°Uh,um... Today¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Yuriko!¡±

    Shirazaki was about to say something but as the traffic-light turned green her friend had dragged her away by her arm and soon disappeared within crowds of students passing the crossroad.

    ¡°...What, are we gonna do something different for today¡¯s club activity?

    There is no way Shirazaki would go out of her way to make small talks with me. If anything else, it would be about our club activity. Maybe today there is no club activity?

    ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll know when I goter.¡±

    But, that friend of Shirazaki was really, really giving me a look filled with hostility that made my heart of ss cracked a little.

    Above all, Shirazaki herself did not even try to make eye contact with me, only an awkward greeting which made me slowly realized.

    ¡°I guess, she really does hate me... ¡°

    Today¡¯s lesson was not as boring as one would think, or at least I think so. If one can properly learn and understand the lessons to a certain level, it should be no problem to keep up with the lessons overall. Maybe one can even somehow or other, wait for and enjoy the uing tests.

    Even so, when one is too tired, any word thates out from teacher¡¯s mouth would have hypnotism effect that would put one to sleep, is what I think.

    ¡°Hey Kurono, lend me you notes.¡±

    However, this time it was not me who got hypnotized and fell asleep, it was my friend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind but, you know you shouldn¡¯t be sleeping all the way till the 4th period.¡±

    I said with half-amazed tone while handing him my notes that I copied exactly as it was on the ckboard during ssical literature lesson.

    ¡°Thanks! But you know, I kinda stayed uptest night so I couldn¡¯t help but to fall asleep.¡±

    This guy with not-so-graceful ¡®ahahaha¡¯ugh is one of my few friends, Saika Youta.

    Right after 4th period is afternoon break. Saika whose seat is behind me was already into lunchtime-mode.

    ¡°So, did you get to finish itst night?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kinda hard to get into the heroines¡¯ route. At first, I thought I can just get any one of them and raise her affection level, but it seems I also need to care about other heroines too, so they won¡¯t get jealous¨D¨D.¡±

    By listening to a part of Saika¡¯s talks, one could already guess what was he talking about. Yes, he was talking about dating simtion games that are not supposed to be avable to someone under 18.

    ¡°¨D¨DSo yeah, because of that, I had to spend more times that I¡¯d think, and I also stopped to watchte-night anime. I spent like one hour watching too.¡±

    Saika is not particrly tall or short, he is not slim nor fat neither. He is not wearing a sses like an otaku usually does, but he likes those kind of stuffs.

    Although he is not at a level where people would call him an otaku, but his level is not low neither, he is just fond of such stuffs.

    Me too although not as much as Saika, but if I were to say it, I also belong to the same category of otaku as him.

    The kind of writings I have been doing for my club activity, are not pure literature or mystery kind. It is more to light novel kind of things.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine if you just record thosete-night animes instead?¡±

    ¡°No no, You need to watch them on-air! Watch and feel the story with them real-time!¡±

    ¡®Really? I see¡¯ was what I appropriately replied as I took out my bento.

    ¡°Oh yeah, by the way I heard about this morning, you came to school today with Shirazaki.¡±

    ¡°No, it was definitely not like that¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kurono. You don¡¯t have to keep that ¡®thick character¡¯ act with me.¡±

    Who the hell is acting. I am not that kind of guy who spends every day polishing his own character.

    ¡°I saw it. The scene where you and her looking at each other in front of the traffic-light. I¡¯m so jelly. Such eroge-like kind of events, I wanna experience them in real life too!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Shirazaki and I are just happens to be in the same club. No way it would turn out to be like those eroge-scenes.

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    Wow this guy is giving me a look of no trust at all, saying it right from the depth of his heart. I could even imagine a ck-vortex-from-his-back effect from his overreaction.

    ¡°That is what MC always says, all of them! They¡¯d be like ¡°I am just a regr high school student, unpopr, I don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship with her¡±¨D¨DNo matter how you see it, isn¡¯t it for goddamn-sure the heroine¡¯s affection level is 100%!¡±

    ¡°I already told you, calm down. Don¡¯t mix reality with fantasy. I¡¯ll tell you this; I am not her childhood friend, I never make any kind of important promise with her, she does note to my house everyday to wake me up, we do not meet for lunch at rooftop everyday at noon-break. Such eroge-like scenes aren¡¯t happening at all.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut up, you got to do a two-shot scene ofing to school together with a beauty like Shirazaki. Isn¡¯t that would be the best thing ever happens to people like us?! If you tell me you feel nothing thing about that, can you even call yourself a man? A random high school guy would never get such eroge-event-like scene with girls!¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s... ¡°

    Now that he had said it, it might be true.

    It does not really matter whether she is afraid of me or hates me, I am in a position where I can exchange greetings with Shirazaki every morning. That fact alone can already be considered a blessed chance.

    If I was not in the Literature Club, I would probably ended up having no interaction with girls. As for my ssmates, I think its fine even if I fairly remember their names. Besides, I do not want to be satisfied with just be able to exchange greetings with girls.

    ¡°Hang on. If you put it that way, you too got your chance to talk with girls, right? Aren¡¯t you in the Ser club? That cute manager of your club, didn¡¯t you sometimes chat with her too?¡±

    ¡°You fool! That girl is dating the club captain. Not to mention, the third boyfriend since she entered high school! Nooo©` I don¡¯t wanna hear about real girl¡¯s love story!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so picky, isn¡¯t it fine as long as she¡¯s a cute one?¡±

    ¡°Fool! There¡¯s no way such girl who¡¯s on her third boyfriend is a heroine! Only in brutal-genre eroge or noon-drama they should be allowed to exist!¡±

    ¡°Okay! I get it, I get it! I understand what you¡¯re trying to say so calm down. First, sit down.¡±

    While making ¡®Okay, fine!¡¯-face, Saika sat back on his chair.

    If we continued this heated-up conversation, it would attract the attention of our ssmates, and that is not a good thing, not with this kind of topics.

    ¡°Hmm if you say a girl already with boyfriend is a NG, then Shirazaki should be one too.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is that so?¡±

    I put my chin on my hand, throwing my gaze to the outside window.

    ¡°Shirazaki is a good and kind girl who wouldn¡¯t show unpleasant face even a guy like me talks to her.¡±

    Although she did not make eye contact with me, she did not suddenly run away whenever she sees me, which was good enough for me.

    ¡°Well, you look scary, and big.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m a bit sensitive about that so, stop it right there.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then, what about it?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think such good girl don¡¯t have a boyfriend at all?¡±

    It sounds logical to me. There is no way she is only being kind to me, as if such convenience thing would ever happen to me. In the first ce, since she is a really kind girl, it would mean that she would treat everyone just the same, no special treatment.

    ¡°Hmm it¡¯s true that I do hear some Ikemen-type stories around her.¡±

    ¡°See? I¡¯m just one of those people she knows at school. There are plenty of other people who on better terms with her than me.¡±

    ¡°Huh I know right. Reality is such a sad fact for people like us. Pretty girls are humans too. If there was a nice guy next to them, it¡¯s not strange they¡¯d fall for him.¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right. People like Shirazaki will probably have a boyfriend or two already¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No I don¡¯t.¡±

    The one who interrupted me is not Saika. Now that I think of it, I do not have any friend with such cute and cool voice.

    Oh no I think I have heard this voice before. It can not be...

    ¡°I really don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°Shi, Shirazaki-san...¡±

    Why did, with this kind of timing, the real person suddenly appeared here?

    Like I told Saika before, we do not eat lunch together at the rooftop or anything, this is the first time she personally came to my ss to see me.

    What is this feeling of guilty I am feeling right now? I think I can hear my heartbeats too. Not to mention the cold sweat running on my face.

    Wait a second, I need to calm down. It¡¯s not like we were badmouthing her behind her.

    ¡°Uh um... You know, sorry about that. We kinda talked about you and stuffs.¡±

    Even so, I feel bad and apologized to her.

    Well, talking about other people¡¯s rtionship and adding your own guess and spection, is not something that you would want the real person to hear. So I had no options but to apologize.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m mad or anything. I¡¯m sorry too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Then I guess it¡¯s fine...¡±

    Like hell it is fine. There is nothing fine at all with this atmosphere right now. Saika already turned into a stone statue and making it¡¯s-none-of-my-concern face, basically saying he will not lend me a hand.

    It does not look she is raging, maybe she really did mean it when she said that. Even so, now that she had said so, I can not just let the conversation flow stops here.

    ¡°Okay. So, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, I wanted to tell you this morning.¡±

    I tried to change the focus of the conversation, instead of trying to figure out what she thinks about my talks with Saika earlier. As usual, her face was looking down, ever since she came. ording to person herself, it was about something she wanted to tell me this morning.

    ¡°Today there will be an important club meeting.¡±

    ¡°Meeting? Okay I got it.¡±

    I did not hear anything about a meeting at yesterday¡¯s club activity. Well I guess it is really an important meeting since she went out personally to tell me.

    Although, I was nning to go anyway, so it did not change a thing.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you at there.¡±

    ¡°Ok, thanks by the way.¡±

    Just like that our short non-idle talks ended and Shirazaki went back to her ss. It is the same topic I talk to her with all the times, however.

    ¡°Wew pretty girls are really something!¡±

    Saika, who went into aplete silence and statue state, started to breathe again.

    ¡°Saika, how could you? You should¡¯ve helped me earlier.¡±

    ¡°No no there¡¯s no way, man. She doesn¡¯t even know me. Well, it ended up just fine, isn¡¯t that good?¡±

    There is no way it ended up just fine. I am pretty sure her impression of me had became even worse.

    ¡°She said she don¡¯t have any boyfriend. Isn¡¯t that a good news? You still got a chance now, Kurono!!¡±

    ¡°Really? we¡¯re gonna start this over again?¡±

    ¡°High school life is all about the love events!¡±

    ¡°Huh didn¡¯t you just said you have no interest in real girls?¡±

    ¡°Ok, I think the motivation came to me just now. Kurono, introduce Shirazaki to me next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°Are you gonna support me or you wanted to date her yourself? Make up your mind!¡±

    Although this, I can say it for sure. Someone like me, who is only an acquaintance to Shirazaki, can not really introduce Saika to her. It is just out of my power.

    ¡°Enough of these, let¡¯s just eat.¡±

    ¡°Yea I know but afternoon-break is too short. I wish we got 2 hours for it.¡±

    I reached for the bento box I left out on the desk ever since the conversation with Shirazaki.

    My thought was, when I open the lid, usual and normal food that does not take too much time to prepare should be inside but,

    ¡°What the hell is this...¡±

    On top of the white rice, there were mysterious pink colored kes, forming a heart-shape entered my vision.

    ¡°Oh what¡¯s this? Your bento? Kurono, what¡¯s up this love-filled bento that only supposed to exist in games!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get it now...¡±

    There was no way Mom would make a bento filled with this wholeheartedly love feeling.

    ¡°Mom gave me the wrong bento box...¡±

    This bento box is with no doubt, the one that my sister made for her boyfriend.

    Although I felt a little uneasy, I bet her boyfriend right now is eating my cold and short bento made by mom.

    ¡°Wow this is amazing! It¡¯s a heart shape! A heart shape! Ahaha! So epic!! ¡°

    I decided to ignore this one friend of mine, and started to dig in my sister¡¯s hand-made bento, while leaving a weird feeling in my heart.

    My dear sister, this kind of love, isn¡¯t it too much?

    After forcing myself to finish that bento, ss continued for another 2 hours and the after-school time came.

    I without any trouble, finished my cleaning duty and headed straight for my club room.

    As I opened the door to the club room, it made the same sound as when my ssroom door. I then walked into the room I was very familiar with.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I reflexively let out a voice, since I saw there was only one single person in that room at that very moment.

    The Literature Club does not has that many members. Although we do have ghost members and there is also going to be an important meeting, the fact that when I, who is already a littlete due to my cleaning duty, came in to see only one person inside was really strange.

    I would imagine the club president along with other upperssmen are chatting to each other while waiting for people toe, but it was not the reality in front of me right now.

    On top of that, it nevere to my wildest imagination that the only one who came would be Shirazaki.

    Sitting on the chair with her back facing the door was, a girl with xen-long hair.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono-kun.¡±

    ¡°Shirazaki-san, alone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    End of conversation.

    I did not think I have anything else to talk to this cute girl with expressionless white face.

    While worrying about whether I should continue to chat or not, I sat on one of the chairs.

    Although I was thinking about things to talk about, nothing actually came out of my mouth. The girl had said nothing at all too.

    In her hand, was a book with cute cover. Consequently, I too took out from my bag a light novel that I made myself.

    A booklet of A4 size with a title of ¡°The Legend of Hero Abel¡± written on it. A straight kind of titles that no RPG nowadays would ever consider to use.

    This was the first story I wrote back when I was in middle school. Concerning the contents, one might already have guessed it from the title, is about a hero named Abel defeating a demon king. It has absolutely no feel of originality. Although with clumsy style of writing, I think it was good enough for an amateur work. And I did my best to finish it.

    I was thinking about to read it again today, or maybe writing a sequel to it or something simr but...

    In the silence clubroom, the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of Shirazaki and me flipping the page of our books, apart from the sounds came from students doing club activities at the school ground.

    Because of the awkward silence, the light novel that I had been trying to read since a while ago did not enter my brain.

    Come on, why is it no oneing? I thought there is supposed to be an important meeting today. I do not care who it is so please anyone juste! It is already awkward concerning the stuffs happened during noon-break. Help, I can not stand this awkwardness any longer.

    In the first ce, I was never alone with Shirazaki before. There was always someone else joining the conversation.

    I can not stand this silence any longer, although it feels a little weird but I guess I will start the conversations.

    It is alright. She and I are both members of a literature club. We may read different genres but there are still plenty other things about books that we can talk about. It is not entirely impossible. I can do this.

    I bet the other members are heading to this room at this very moment and soon will be here. Until then, I only need to make this silence go away. Ok I can do this¨D¨D

    ¡° Um...¡± ¡°Uh...¡±

    Damn, our voices mixed.

    //TN: Both MC and shirazaki are trying to say something at the same time. The word ±»¤ë(kaburu) is used frequently when one sees someone else is doing the exact same thing but I shorten it as ¡°mixed¡±//

    ¡°Ah.. sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine...¡±

    Still the same awkwardness, although this time it was because we both were trying to say something at the same time.

    ¡°Please, go ahead¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Kurono-kun can say it first.¡±

    Even if you said so, I do not actually have anything to talk about.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Just wondering why the others are sote.¡±

    I just muttered the most unreasonably nd thing I could talk of, and starting to see myself as a boring guy.

    ¡°Yeah I also...¡±

    It looks like she was also thinking about the same¨D¨D

    ¡°...Well, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The truth is, that is not what I¡¯ve wanted to say.¡±

    It appeared to me that she was being more talkative than usual.

    She sounded like this something she wanted to talk is about me.

    ¡°The truth is¨D¨D¡±

    The determined Shirazaki stood up from her seat.

    The standing up Shirazaki, who had never looked me in the eyes, was now gazing at me with both of her eyes.

    That adorable round eyes were glittering with determination.

    I was surprised with the sudden change of her altitude but I remained calm.

    ¡°It was... a lie.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what was a lie?¡±

    ¡°The meeting I told you earlier. It was a lie.¡±

    I could notprehend immediately what she said. I get what her words mean but at the same time I think I do not.

    ¡°Oh, really? Is that so?¡±

    That was the only think I could think of to say. I am not particrly mad and the lie she told me did not bring any harm to me. As I could not think of the reason she did it, so I focused on keeping the flow of conversation.

    ¡°Well, that is because, you see...... ¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    She suddenly went quiet and the conversation stopped.

    I wanted to say something but I feel like I should not interrupt her at this point so I just waited patiently.

    ¡°You know, I¨D¨D¡±

    She atst started to talk again.

    ¡°About Kurono-kun¨D¨D!!¡±

    It was clear as crystal to me Shirazaki was saying something.

    ¡°......?¡±

    But, for unknown reason I did not hear anything. Not even Shirazaki¡¯s voice, not even sound from outside the room. I could not hear a sound.

    Why? Why could not I hear a thing? Is something wrong with my ears?

    ¡°¨D¨Dugh!?¡±

    In that silent world, suddenly I felt a sharp pain running in my head.

    Comparing it to the headaches I often got during a cold, this one I am having right now is clearly on a different level. In fact, I had never had this kind of heavy headache.

    I felt that this headache was not just an ordinary headache, it felt like a life-threatening one¨D¨D

    ¡°!?¡±

    My vision went upside-down, and a sudden pain ran throughout my whole body.

    A few secondter, I realized that I had fallen of my chair.

    The pain worsen every passing second and I could not get myself up from the floor.

    The only thing I could do was just lying on the floor holding my head with my both hands.

    I think I let out voices of pain, but still I could not hear them in my ears.

    ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D!¡±

    With tears hanging at the edge of her eyes, I saw the figure of desperate Shirazaki which I have never seen, clinging on me.

    Instead ofining about the pain, instead of trying to call for ambnce, my head was currently thinking about Shirazaki who had a sorrowful look because of me.

    As the vision of her crying face still reflected in my eyes, it slowly became something like flickering ck sands.

    This looks bad. My vision is bing strange.

    The ck sands, like a sandstorm, quickly blocked my vision and the face of a crying pretty girl who was supposed to be in front of me slowly faded.

    I could not hear anything, I could not see anything and before I knew it, me who was lying on the floor already lost my sense of touch. I did not even know whether I was still breathing or not.

    All that left was, the pain that overran my head.

    Am I going to die?

    My five senses were lost in the darkness, and I finally unable to tell my own consciousness.

    I do not want to die¨D¨D

    That was myst thought.

 Chapter 1 First awakening

    Episode 1 First awakening

    When I opened my eyes, it was inside a dark room.

    What, it¡¯s still night?

    It doesn¡¯t feel like a nightmare either.

    Oh well if it¡¯s still dark, I¡¯ll go back to sleep then. I got school tomorrow too.

    As I was thinking about going back to sleep, a feeling of difort wrapped my body.

    For some reasons, my body felt sore.

    No that was not the case. The bed I was lying on was hard that every time I roll over I feel sore.

    No way I¡¯d be sleeping on something hard. What, did I fall off my bed or something? If so, then this is the first time in my life...

    I was thinking about returning back into the bed and tried to get up¨D¨D my body would not moved. I realized that my whole body was paralyzed and I could not even lift the tip of my finger. Is this what people called a sleep paralysis?

    First time experiencing such condition, I wish it happened when I was still in my bed instead. Reason is because since I can not moved my body at all, I can only feel the cold floor.

    As I was puzzled of my own situation, my eyes were getting used to the darkness and slowly noticed my surrounding.

    ...where am I?

    I realized I was not in my room for the first time.

    I was still in sleep paralysis state, so I could not even move my neck but I could move my eyes so I surveyed around me.

    It was a room with no organic matters.

    I think I was sleeping on a table in the middle of the room. The room was 6-tatamirge, without nothing else inside. As far as I could see, there was no door. Maybe I am trapped inside a space without a single gap; such vague fear crossed my mind.

    What is this? Seriously where am I? And why is this happening to me?

    ¡®I¡¯m inside a nightmare¡¯ was what I wanted to believe but I was already wide-awake and the feeling of unable to move my own body was strong that I had no choice but to ept the reality.

    Ok let¡¯s try to remember¨D¨D I wasn¡¯t supposed to be sleeping in my room, I¡¯m sure I was at school, right, I was in my club room after my ss ended. The big and viinous-looking me that belong to the literature club. In that club room of a club that doesn¡¯t has that many members, I was working on my ¡®chuu-ni¡¯-type light novel, no that wasn¡¯t right, I was alone with Shirazaki in that room with awkward atmosphere.

    I think that was about that time I got that serious headache... andter lost consciousness.

    The memory of myself suffering the pain in my head and fallen of my chair slowly returned back to me.

    That was one hell of pains I suffered. I surely made the Shirazaki in front of me worried. Now that I think of it, did they call my home about this?

    That said, if I passed out inside the club room then here should be a hospital? No, I don¡¯t think the hospital would put patient on this hard table. Not even a field hospital has this kind of table.

    Then, did they think I¡¯m dead and put me inside a morgue?

    Even so, I think they would at least put me on a mattress, wait a sec, my imagination is running out of control here. No way such thing would happen.

    No way such thing would happen, but in reality this is my condition right now. Seriously, under what circumstances am I sleeping in a ce like this?

    Maybe, I got kidnapped?

    Of course, my family is just a normal family you can find anywhere else, my dad is a public worker and my mom is a housewife. I do not think that maybe my parents were actually from a distinguished family or some kind of royalties from certain country. They are just normal parent without such grand background.

    Maybe this is some kind of mistake¨D¨D my thought went into a sudden stop.

    Whoa, it¡¯s bright!!

    Bright light suddenly filled the room. With such sudden change in brightness, my eyes stopped functioning for an instant. However, as my eyes were gradually getting used to the brightness, I did not see any change within the room itself.

    I felt a human presence. Not just presence, the sounds of people walking on a hard floor entered my ears. The fact that someone ising proving that I was not trapped in some space of no gap.

    But, that sense of relief vanished in a matter of seconds. Figures of people entered my sight and I was shocked by their erratic appearance.

    They were wearing white mantle and covering with hood. It was still fine if it stopped right there. But, they were also wearing white mask, and with one look at them my heart¡¯s alertness level went up to maximum.

    It was not a mask made of ss, but more like a mask that a mysterious phantom of opera would used, a simple but abnormal-looking mask that covered up the whole face.

    Oh no. I¡¯m pretty damn sure they are not good guys.

    I could see 3 figures in front of me, all wearing the same white mask.

    Are they followers of some kind of weird cult?

    However the paralyzed me who could not even lift a finger, let alone letting out voice, could only move my eyeballs around watching.

    Cold sweat was running on my cheeks. I felt like I am in a life-or-death situation.

    ¡°????? ?? ??????¡±

    Suddenly, one of the masked men had spoken.

    ¡°?? ???? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?????¡±

    The other one replied.

    I who was on the brink of despair, had fallen down into further despair.

    I could not understand a single word that the masked men were saying.

    At least, they were not English or Chinese or any other foreignnguage that I had heard of.

    Maybe, it was only me, who only scored an average mark in English test, unable to keep on with a strong ent English.

    At least, I did not think that they understand Japanese.

    The masked men continued to talk among themselves, without paying attention to me who was already in a state of panic and confusion.

    Their conversation then came to a stop, one of the masked men pulled out white ring out of nowhere. It looked like a round fluorescentmp but I did not think that it is a fluorescentmp. However, the fact that I have no idea what that standing out thing is remained unchanged.

    As I was wondering about what they were going to use that object I have never seen before for, a few tiny needles came out from the inner side of the ring.

    7 needles in total, came out with a sharp sound.

    ¡®Such a dangerous thing¡¯ is what came into my mind and at the same time I had a very bad feeling about it.

    Then, the needles suddenly went back inside the ring and it became like a normal ring again. The masked man who was holding the ring walked towards the direction of my head¨D¨D

    Whoa hold it, hold it right there! Don¡¯t put such dangerous looking thing on people¡¯s head, no, stop, nooooooooo!!!

    My body would not move, my voice would note out, All I could do was only watching them without any reaction against it.

    The masked man without any trouble, put on the ring-shaped object around my head.

    Seriously stop it, please. What if the needles suddenly came out? Considering the length, they will surely reach and poke my brain. Not mentioning, seven of them. I¡¯d die. I¡¯d die for real.

    A sudden fear of dying struck me, but I could not do anything to resist, not even helplessly crying or screaming.

    After a few seconds, the ring-shaped object was set around my head.

    Stop, please stop¨D¨D

    Words did note out from my mouth but the ring on my head made a cruel-kashun-sound.

    //TN: That was the sound of the needles popping out. Yes, the needles pierced his head. Ouch//

    After that, I ckened out.

 Chapter 2 Submission

    Chapter 2 Submission

    ¡°......I¡¯m alive.¡±

    I muttered within my faint consciousness. As I awoke, I was again lying on the hard floor. Soon, my memories before I lost consciousness came back to me.

    ¡°guh......¡±

    I feel like vomiting but somehow resist.

    With the paralysis now not in effect, I became able to make groaning sounds like this, and somehow, also able to move my body.

    On putting my hand on my head, a hard sensation came to my fingers. Without a doubt, that evil, needle spewing ring is currentlypletely attached to my head.

    ¡°Shit......this is the worst....¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t painful, receiving something like that torture-like treatment out of nowhere, anyone would curse once or twice. But, with this my freedom of body has returned. First, I should confirm the situation I¡¯m in.

    I¡¯m currently in same type of empty room where I was first kept. There is no pedestal in the centre anymore. Seriously, it¡¯s nothing but walls. Even the ceiling is also white.

    In the front, there is a simr white door but, I doubt it would be unlocked. Seriously, without any windows I¡¯m starting to feel depressed. Huh? Wait, if there are no windows does that mean I¡¯m in the basement?

    Well if it¡¯s meant to act as a jail, it¡¯s a valid arrangement alright.

    My attire has also be simr to those masked men i.e white clothes.

    Though there is no mantle or mask, it is quite a simple one piece robe-like cloth. By the way, I am also wearing underwear.

    Is this a prison uniform? No, it¡¯s not certain that I am in a prison yet. But still, no matter how I look at it I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in Japan anymore.

    Those guys were speaking in a weird foreignnguage; even these clothes are weird. Nowadays even people in developing countries wear western styled clothes. These bare handmade clothes are definitely unusual.

    No, wait a second, if those guys are a super dangerous evil religious creed, then that mysteriousnguage, which could make even a chuunibyou patient run, might be their originalnguage. These clothes might also be some kind of handmade cosy clothes with deep meaning behind it.

    If I think like that, then it¡¯s not necessary that I¡¯m in some faraway foreign country. I could be in some kind of religious facility hidden deep inside the mountains of Japan.

    But, why did I have to get dragged into something like this..........

    For the time being, the fact that I am alive and in one piece means that I¡¯m not going to be immediately killed. Wait, even if I don¡¯t die, am I going to be subjected to tortures like that ring from now on? That would be the worst. If it¡¯s going to be like that, I might as well bite my tongue and face a peaceful death instead. I refuse to die in a situation where I am killed while begging for my life.

    Anyway, whether this some foreign country or Japan, I must think of a way to escape this ce. It¡¯s best to take as much distance as possible from dangerous people like these who can calmly put things like this torture tool on someone¡¯s head. Or so I say, but for now all I can do is check whether the door in front of me is locked or not.

    As I stood up and took a step towards the door, with a *gachari* sound, the door started opening.

    ¡°.....¡±

    Automatic door? That¡¯s not possible. Then that means someone from the other side has opened it.

    And the one who had opened the door was, as expected, the same masked men.

    ¡¸???? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ???¡¹

    As usual I can¡¯t understand anything of what the masked man is saying in his original lingo. On hearing it again, it does give somewhat of an English-like feel but.........No, before that I should pay attention their movement.

    I put myself on guard, but the masked seemed to worry more about whatever was behind him than me. It seems there are other masked men behind him too. 2 masked men entered the room and I moved towards the wall trying to take some distance from them.

    And then another one came in, or so thought, but I became unable to look away from his face. That is because he was not wearing a mask and showing his bare face.

    Realizing that he wasn¡¯t Japanese in a single nce, he was a white-skinned old man with a finely chiselled face. His hair was hidden inside his hood but most probably it waspletely white and his eyes were blue. His age was easily above 60. And he also had a proud white beard to top it off.

    Could it be that this old man was the leader of those masked men? Wait, they aren¡¯t going to start calling him a living god or something, right?

    As I was sending a doubtful gaze, the geezer( he made me face such hardships, so I¡¯ll call him geezer) looked at me with suspicious eyes.

    At that moment, I was attacked by an intense headache.

    ¡°gyaaaaaahhhhh!!!¡±

    To have your head break must be something like this, no, I really thought it might break.

    Pain strong enough to think you are about to die, but what was actually giving me pain was the ¡®will¡¯ of somebody else that kept on resounding inside of my head.

    It hurts¡ª¨Churts¡ª¡ª-pain¡ª¡ª¨Cdeath¡ª¡ª

    Inside of my head, a different thought started rampaging on its own.

    The cause of the pain was, without a doubt, this thought, and I understood that the source was this geezer in front of me intuitively.

    As I fell on the hard floor I looked towards the geezer with teary eyes. With not anger, but purely as if begging in an unsightly manner.

    ¡ª¡ª-non-resistance¡ª¡ª¡ª-submission

    Before fainting, the ache stopped, and at that moment I realized that I could not against this geezer, no all the masked men. Or rather I was forced to be like that.

    ¡ª¨CStand

    The effect of the headache still remaining, I was unable to stand immediately when the thought came into my head.

    ¡ª¨CStand

    Again, the headache slowly starteding back. I forced myself and unsteadily stood up. It was a feeling worse than vomiting, but it was better than being attacked by that headache again.

    With a rough breath, I stood up and faced the geezer.

    ¡¸?????? ???? ?????¡¹

    The geezer, simr to the masked men, said words I was unable to understand.

    ¡°.....¡±

    I just stood there unable to give any sort of reaction.

    The geezer could send me thoughts, but it was a vague image that could not be put in words.

    I was unable to understand the purpose.

    But then, I don¡¯t think I would be able to have a smoothmunication with them even if words could be said.

    ¡ª¨CWalk

    As the thought was ryed, the geezer turned back and started walking.

    Unable to resist, with staggering steps, all I could do was follow the back on which an emblem of a cross was painted.

    As I crossed the door, I saw the tunnel continuing in darkness. As if ominously predicting thatpared to the hell thaty in my future, it might be much better to justmit suicide right now.

 Chapter 3 Hell

    Chapter 3 Hell

    Waking up at 7 a.m. in the morning, leaving home at 8 for school, attending sses seriously without sleeping or talking, go to clubroom after school, and then, at 7 p.m. go back home and sleep before the day changes.

    Such a wholesome and healthy school life is what I, Kurono Maou, have been leading. Or rather, I had been leading. One day I was suddenly attacked by a headache in my clubroom and fainted. When I woke up, I was in a weird room.

    There, a fearsome ring with protruding needles was attached to my head, and from then on I began an unimaginable everyday life in hell.

    I don¡¯t know how much time has passed from the day I woke up in this facility. At least, I think it has not been a month but I can¡¯t tell the exact number of days.

    Even then there are a few things that I came to know. First of all I, with that geezer as the chief, have been subjected to human experimentation by this group with the Christian-like cross symbol.

    Through the white ring still attached to my brain physically, my actions are beingpletely controlled. With just a mere thought, that geezer or masked men can give me pain strong enough to make me wish for my own death.

    On top of that, they can alsopletely paralyze my body making me unable to do anything. Externally manipting my mind, they haveplete control.

    Thanks to this, they have kept me as a prisoner without using anything like handcuffs even once. Even during the painful experiments there is no need to hold my body down. Resistance to pain itself can also be controlled by them after all. As for the experiments conducted on me, they are not something simple like testing side effects of a new medicine.

    From the top of the head till the knees, my body is beingpletely restructured by them; something simr to an evil secret organisation is being done here. And above all else the biggest problem is that these restructuring experiments are not done through some kind of high technology but instead are based on [Magic].

    The first experiment done on me included making my bodypatible to hold magical force inside body.

    Would it be better to call it pulled out? I don¡¯t know the details but, as a result, now inside me I can definitely perceive a different energy. With just that, it might sound nice to have awakened to a new power. But that experiment was the most painful out of all the ones done on me.

    It was as if melted iron was being made to flow inside my veins moreover due to the ring my consciousness was kept forcefully awake and even fainting was not allowed.

    Now that I think about it, it¡¯s amazing I didn¡¯t die from the pain. Even after the experiment, it took some time for the remaining hot sensation inside my body to lessen. Due to this experience, I was able to understand the craft know as [magic] brought about by magical power, without any problems. But, understanding and actually using it is a different thing. What kind of magic I can use is still unknown, since I have not tried it even once.

    But since the control ring on my head is made of magic craft, then simrly, I am certain I should be able to prevent its effect with magic too.

    Thus, I who had now clearly be able to use magic had to undergo many other experiments after that. What kind meaning or result each and every experiment held; I had no way of knowing.

    Various liquids with gaudy colours were many a time injected into me. One time, my head was also drowned in a murky liquid which stank worse than the gutter. Even though I¡¯m not an alien, they even embedded various metal pieces and gem like stones inside my body.

    And then, with every experiment came pain inducing secondary effects in session like headaches, stomach aches, nausea, high fever, and then starting with dizziness, loss of eyesight, full body paralysis, hallucinations, necrosis, breathing suspension and many other fatal symptoms, that made maintenance of life activity doubtful, started appearing regrly as well.

    But, no matter how lethal a symptom may appear, at the end I was always able to regain my healthy body.

    During the endless cycles of destruction and regeneration of my body, I started hallucinating; maybe, I have already died many times and brought back to life each time.

    After all there is something like magic. It won¡¯t be surprising no matter what they do.

    Just how has my body been modified under these experiments, I barely knew. The only visible results to me were that I became able to feel magical power and that the words spoken by the geezer and masked men started sounding like Japanese to me.

    That and the fact that times like these where my self-consciousness was clear was slowly bing shorter and shorter. Not because my sleeping time was gettingrger. This is the time where I am in a half-dreamy state and my body starts moving on my own.

    My sleeping hours in a day was not even 2 hours. In the first ce, I was too unsteady to know whether I woke up in the morning or at night.

    Aftering here, I have not seen anything other than white walls. Maybe in this world, the shining sun and sky, the lush green earth didn¡¯t exist.

    I, only now, finally came to realize that this was not the world I was previously in but a [Different world] ruled by the concept known as Magic.

    Just how many times have I fallen in despair?

    I can only hazily remember the faces of my family, of my friends at school.

    Still, inside this empty prison room of mine, as long as I kept on remembering those peaceful school days of the distant past, I¡¯ll keep on being resurrected by the needles in my mind.

    Today, my condition is pretty good.

    Neither head nor body hurts anywhere, the sensation of the tears flowing on my cheek can also be felt clearly.

    Aah, I want to go back, I want go back home¡ª¡ª¨C

    ¡°No.49,e out.¡±

    Opening the door, the masked man called me.

    No.49. That is my name here. What does that mean? I don¡¯t really have a reason to think on it.

    ¡°Hurry up.¡±

    Stand¡ª¨CCome¡ª¨CWalk¡ª¨C

    Before the headache bes worse, quickly standing up, today once again I continue walking beyond the dark tunnel.

 Chapter 4 Black Magic

    Chapter 4 ck Magic

    The first thing beyond the passage was, obviously, the first ce I came to.

    It was a circr hall. Up till now all the ces, whether it be the prison, passage or theb, gave of a very cramped feeling, so the hall gave of off an overly spacious and open impression.

    On looking around I realized that the masked man that led me here had already exited the room.

    Well then, I wonder what kind of pain is waiting for me here. It would be nice if they hold a dance party in this spacious hall instead.

    Good grief, it seems if I don¡¯t keep thinking up boring jokes I¡¯ll go insane.

    Wait, will it be more peaceful if I went insane instead?

    As I thought this, from a door other than the one I came through, while making a *gachagacha* sound, I realized that someone wasing.

    The one who came was the usual white masked man. But his outfit was different from the ones up till now. What covered his whole body was not a mantle but a dully shining protector.

    Armour might be a better word.

    ¡°With this we shall initiate No.49¡¯s manoeuvring experiments. No.49, use ck Magic to destroy the doll in front of you.¡±

    For the first time I got an exnation of the experiment. Does that mean that the results depend that much on what I do? The experiment was, I could understand with even the short exnation, to basically for me to use magic. To go through all the trouble to restructuring my whole body just to make me able to use magic, I had no idea what were their reasons, but at least, I knew that these guys weren¡¯t kind enough to give me enough free time to slowly learn magic by myself.

    The armoured man who came in front of me, here should I call him a doll as per the exnation? Well anyhow, I don¡¯t know what kind logic is behind it but they seem to be moving like a human due to the effect of some weird magic.

    And so, that weirdly moving doll seems to be moving towards with the same *gachagacha* noisy sound. Basically, I need to use my magic to destroy it quickly otherwise I¡¯ll be beaten to a pulp by those steel gauntlets covering its both hands!!

    ¡°Ohh shit!?¡±

    The doll raised its fist overhead and began its strike.

    Once when I was in elementary school I punched the ssmate in anger who had destroyed my handicraft I had made painstakingly during the summer holidays. Other than that, I have absolutely no experience in fighting.

    Obviously, I don¡¯t possess something like skill in martial arts or a hidden talent in fighting. I¡¯m just an amateur with a big body. Still I was somehow able dodge that punch thrown without any feints.

    It should be obvious but the attack wasn¡¯t going to stop after dodging just one punch. The doll kept on releasing consecutive punches.

    ¡°Sh,Shit¡ª-¡°

    Timidly I ran away towards the back but I would soon reach the wall. Use magic, is what they said, but even if I want to I just can¡¯t use it suddenly.

    Certainly, I could sense the presence of magical power in my body but to use it I need more time to concentrate¡ª-

    ¡°Guh, Aagh!¡±

    The iron fist of the doll connects with the top of my shoulder. Due to the hardness and shock of the fist, I thought my bones would break with just one attack, but after actually getting hit once, it wasn¡¯t that bad.

    Of course, it still hurts. Could it be that the doll¡¯s power is less than I thought? Or like a morphing hero who had undergone secret modifications, I had be sturdy?

    Eeh, whatever, either is fine with me.

    ¡°Oraa!!¡±

    As revenge, I send a straight right punch with all of my might towards the doll.

    The doll without even trying to dodge, my fist hit the white mask as if being sucked towards it. I feel an impact on my fists, and with a dull shock, the doll was blow off behind.

    ¡°Ho,How¡¯s that....¡±

    It felt like there was quite some response, but someone like me who has never experienced hitting someone, I had no idea of knowing how much damage I might have done. Still, it was enough to blow it away. It¡¯ll be nice if he stays that¡ª¨C

    ¡°Damn it, looks like it won¡¯t go down that easy.¡±

    The doll easily stood back up. But the mask that took my punch had a crack like a spider web on it.

    It enough strength to crack that solid mask yet the doll stood up easily means I have no choice but use magic to destroy it.

    It won¡¯t end no matter how much I exchange blows with doll this way. Meaning I¡¯ll have to get serious and try to use magic.

    Those guys exined me with the condition that I should use ck magic, that means there must be some way to use it. What kind of thing was ck magic was unknown but for the time being I¡¯ll try moving the magical power inside my body. For that, I need to highly concentrate.......

    ¡°¡ª-guha!!¡±

    In front of the doll who had resumed punching again, there is no way I could calmly concentrate. Even if I try to make it quiet by punching and kicking him away, it¡¯ll get up quickly anyway.

    On actually trying it, all my attacks dented the armour but the doll itself seems to be unaffected. But to concentrate I can¡¯t keep on taking punches and there is no ce to hide in this hall either. To create a situation where I don¡¯t take attacks¡ª-

    ¡°No choice but to grapple it, huh?¡±

    If I stick to the opponent, at least I won¡¯t be punched. I don¡¯t know whether my amateurish thinking would work or not but I don¡¯t have any other choice right now.

    Luckily, this doll has only been using punches with arge swing, which means, it won¡¯t use different types of techniques probably. Then, if I grapple it from the back it won¡¯t use a technique to magnificently counter it like martial artists do and only struggle to tear me off him.

    ¡°deyaaa!¡±

    I quickly ran around to the back of the doll that has strangely dull reflexes. Before it could turn around, I kicked his back. Before it could get back up, I climbed on his back. With this my n was a sess. Although I cant keep himpletely down like judo specialists, I simply made it unable to get back up from its upper body.

    As expected the doll only tried to get up with brute strength. My and the doll¡¯s strength is almost equal, if I can keep him down for another 10 seconds at least..........

    ¡°gu,u,uooo.....¡±

    Magical power starts circting within the body, then its flow started elerating and its volume also increased. I could feel the objects embedded inside my body during experiments reacting to the flowing magical power. I can feel it, magic is strength in itself. If I can release it with this force, I would definitely be able to destroy this doll. I noticed that from my body, instead of sweat, ck smoke-like thing wasing out.

    I don¡¯t feel anything ufortable about it. That¡¯s because it is surging out from my magical power.

    *Gigigigi* The sound of the doll¡¯s creaking starteding, and the resistance became stronger. At the same time I also seem to be unable to hold back any longer.

    With this, it¡¯s over.

    ¡°Daaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    The moment the doll tried push me aside, the magical powerpressed in my right hand was released. At the same time my right fist hit the doll¡¯s back, the torrent of ck magical power pierced through the hard armour like a drill, and prated the dollpletely.

    Probably, even the floor beneath the doll must have been gouged out with my one attack, or so I got the feeling.

    ¡°.......¡±

    Not sensing anymore strength from the doll, I threw myself down on the floor just like that.

    ¡°I, I did it......¡±

    What was that magic just now?

    I don¡¯t really understand but, I just punched with the flowing magical power. Well it¡¯s fine. The doll haspletely stopped working, it¡¯s a relief for now.

    ¡ª¨C*kashan*

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The sound hard metal armour along with movement of a doll came to my ears.

    I definitely defeated that doll just now; even now it¡¯s still lying there on the ground without moving a bit.

    ¡ª¨C*kashan**kashan**kashan*

    But, I definitely hear the sound. That¡¯s right; there is nothing weird about it. After all that sound ising from beyond the gate through which this doll came.

    It¡¯s very simple. There wasn¡¯t just a single doll, that¡¯s all there is to it.

    ¡°.......haha¡±

    Atst the door opened.

    And a row of dolls rushed into the hall. A total of 10 of them, and each of them lined up and looked at me still lying on the ground.

    All of them were simr to the one I just defeated except one thing. All 10 of them had a double-edged sword in their hands.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±

    Up till now, under the effect of the various experiments I had resolved for death countless times, but never as much as I did now.

    With shaky movements the dolls took up their swords. And, almost together and at the same time, all of them started to charge towards me.

    ¡°........Fuck.¡±

 Chapter 5 No.49

    Chapter 5 No.49

    Some time has passed from the day I first used ck magic.

    From ¡®that day¡¯, where I faced the 10 puppets and barely survived on the verge of death even with my modified body, there was a change from my daily life till then. Obviously, in a bad direction.

    Still, my low sleeping time or the shit-like porridge or soup or some other weird liquid that was given to me had absolutely no change.

    And my main duty of being a part of restructuring and modification magic was now changed to daily monster hunting in the name of maneuvering experiments.

    I came to knowter, but the ¡®doll¡¯ I faced on the first day was a type of golem. It seems there were other types of golems other than the ones made of rocks and earth. Well, in this period I faced those too.

    Anyway, I was forced into fighting various kinds of monsters.

    Dolls equipped with various armaments aka light golems, a group of goblins, one-eyed giant, werewolf, double-headed chimaera, a dinosaur-like dragon, a real fire-breathing dragon etc, etc....

    I was almost eaten more than once, also got arge hole in my stomach once, got my limbs torn off as well. But still, as long as I won, those masked guys would give me minimum level of healing, and I somehow was able to live up till now.

    But, I can¡¯t help but feel that if I fail even once, all they would do is throw off my corpse.

    After all I¡¯m just No.49. Without even a name, I am just a single experiment. If I be unable to give results, there would be no reason to let me live.

    Even so, I refuse to die.

    Every day may be worse than death, but still I don¡¯t want to die. One day, one day I will definitely leave this ce, and return to my previous peaceful life¡ª¡ª- It is nothing but a pipe dream now. Even I am not sure as to how long will I be able to continue this happy delusion of mine. I might even die today

    From that day, another one of the change is that the time of me being conscious is gradually decreasing. Now, even when my body is awake, the time when I am not self conscious is bigger.

    At that time, I know what I do or what I did but actual feeling of doing it by myself doesn¡¯t exist at all.

    It¡¯s like I¡¯m controlling the character of a game. Due to which I neither feel pain nor does it hurt. It is quitefortable.

    But, if the continues forever I am confident I will stop being me. Not Kurono Maou, but I¡¯ll end up as only No.49. the fact that this is not far away from reality is extremely frightening¡ª¡ª

    ¡°No.49,e out.¡±

    A line I am used to listening.

    Quickly getting up, I went towards the door. Well then, I wonder what kind of monster I will have to kill today......

    I have also gotten used to this circr hall. I have started calling it the arena.

    After all, what I am doing is pretty simr.

    And today¡¯s opponent is-

    ¡°A single light golem?¡±

    As if re-enacting the battle on the first day. Just one wearing a mask covered in steel armour and unarmed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s different.............is it a new model?¡±

    Light golems usually use weapons. Although there hasn¡¯t been a one who could use magic up till now, but I can clearly feel magical power from it.

    On top of it, the magical power¡¯s nature feels very simr. A user of ck magic simr to me huh?

    ¡°........¡±

    There does not seem to be any exnation from the masked guys this time meaning I can start anytime.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say this towards my opponent. A small muttering meant to cheer myself up again today.

    I¡¯ll take the first shot¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°Buckshot!!¡±

    Simplypressing magic together and moulding it into the form of a bullet and shooting it at high speed. Although I call it buckshot, it¡¯s nothing but making many small bullets and shooting them together. But it actually became something like a real shotgun.

    As such, without any gun barrel or anything, it¡¯s fired out of thin air. But this is what magic is; even without a gun you can fire a bullet.

    Also, an image is important for using magic. Therefore, shouting the skill name is to help make that image clearer. Although the monsters who used magic didn¡¯t do so when fighting me.

    Above that what¡¯s important is the trajectory of the [buckshot]. It¡¯s an attack magic meant to quickly cover a wide range, so the power is a bitcking but it¡¯ll still hurt to take it directly on.

    Against small-fry like goblins, you can finish them with just this though.........

    But the opponent did not take any impact.

    ¡°So it really has a shield........¡±

    And to make it worse he¡¯s better at making it than me. To block an opponent¡¯s attack with a wall made of magic, I started calling it a shield. When I saw even non-humanoid monsters that could use magic make such shields, I realized that it might be a standard to use such shields.

    Of course even I can make a ck shield with my magic but, it was able to make such a strong shield in that instant. I thought it would atleast crack on getting hit by my [buckshot] but damn, he ispletely unhurt.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cn¡±

    I was to use my next attack but my opponent moved first.

    Without any sound, a ck me magic was released.

    ¡°uooh, he can even do something like this?¡±

    It¡¯s an attack method I have not tried yet.

    A ck flickering mepletely covered my surroundings in an instant. But if the opponent is a ck magician, I am also one. Resistance towards ck magic is not a property of other elements.

    ¡°Weak!¡±

    My body is covered in ck mes. It¡¯s not as weak as I said, but not enough to leave any fatal burns.

    After all, it¡¯s over once I defeat my opponent. The me disappeared without any damage¡ª

    ¡°Shit!?¡±

    From beyond the me, a jet ck mass came flying.

    Due to having the same ck magic, even though I waste to see it I still somehow manage to evade it.

    ¡°That was dangerous. So it was just a diversion ¡ª¡ª¡°

    The true identity of the ck mass was a ck magic version of a fireball made bypressing those mes together.

    As it flew by me I realized that with that density of magical power, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten away with just a little pain or burns if it hit. But it is still literally insufficient to defeat me.

    ¡°Anti-Material!!¡±

    An image of a bullet with much more power packed inside it than [buckshot]. That is [Anti-material Rifle].

    It is a high calibre rifle which is not meant to be used against humans.

    Imagining the strength to turn a man into minced-meat with one shot and then producing it as magic. Image must be detailed and precise as possible. Inside my brain is the image once shown to me by my military otaku friend. And with a rifling pose, I shoot the materialized ck bullet while making it rotate at high speed high speed.

    *bang*!! [T/L note: the sound effect isn¡¯t strong enough I know lol]

    Instead of gunpowder, ck magical power exploded and crashing sound was produced. Whether predicting my counter attack, the opponent had already deployed a strong shield.

    But this time it¡¯s a bullet focused on strength. As expected my anti-material rifle bullet drilled into the shield but was unable topletely pierce through. Immediately, the shield starts regenerating but¡ª

    ¡°One more shot!!¡±

    For the start I didn¡¯t think that one bullet would suffice. With another crashing sound, the bullet is released aiming for the exact same point again. With a *bagin* sound the shield was smashed apart.

    I shot the exact same ce which had be weak with the first shot. With this there was no way it wouldn¡¯t break. A control of this level was already learnt by me when prating the scales of a dragon.

    And the moment the shield breaks, a moment of opportunity will definitelye.

    And as expected, due to shock of the shield breaking, the opponent is stumbling a bit.

    Here, another round of anti-material would suffice but at this distance it is more efficient to attack him directly than making another bullet.

    On the battlefield, fast decisions are necessary. Before the opponent does anything I¡¯ll destroy it first!

    ¡°Pile Bunker!!!¡±

    The first magic I ever used. The one that pierced through the back of that doll. The activation is simple and thus activation speed is also the fastest.

    Before it can fix his posture, I directly aim the chest.

    With apressed density even above [anti-material], the steel armour without any magic is nothing but paper in front of my sure-kill ck pile focused in my right hand.

    And without any resistance, my fist drilled into the body.

    At that moment, a blood ssh danced in the air.

    ¡°Eh.........¡±

    Red blood spread throughout my vision.

    My opponent is a light golem. I have defeated them countless times. They don¡¯t have red blood inside them.

    When force is applied on them, they just break apart like porcin.

    Then, whose blood is this?

    ¡°...........¡±

    I don¡¯t have a single injury. It¡¯s my body so I know that the best.

    But the blood is still flowing out even now.

    That¡¯s right, from the chest of the light golem I pierced with my Pile bunker.

    ¡°It, It couldn¡¯t be..........¡±

    I get a bad premonition.

    Calm down, there¡¯s no way; if this is not a light golem then it must be some other humanoid monster. That¡¯s right, many monsters had red blood after all. This guy must also be one of them.

    ¡°..........¡±

    Assuming that, I should have just returned to my prison.

    But, before I realized, I reached close to the mask of this guy with blood still flowing out of his chest.

    ¡°.........no way.¡±

    Removing the mask, what appeared was ck hair and ck eyes simr to me, a Japanese guy.

    ¡°NO!!!¡±

    I killed him? A human? From my own homnd?

    No way, that¡¯s not it. I didn¡¯t mean to do it.

    After all this was a monster, If I didn¡¯t defeat him I would have been killed. I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know my opponent was a human.

    ........but if I think about it, wasn¡¯t this within my expectations?

    If I¡¯m called no.49, then another 48 like me should exist. That¡¯s it. This guy was also brought here suddenly, modified, and was ¡®built¡¯ like me to use ck magic.

    ¡°Sorry.......¡±

    No matter how much pain I took, tears, that had stoppeding out anymore, came back again.

    Crying I crouched down there.

    As I said a single word of apology, before I knew it, my consciousness had started disappearing.

    That day, by self-consciousness didn¡¯te back even once.

    I refused to be the ¡®murderer¡¯ Kurono Maou anymore andpletely became experiment no.49.

 Chapter 6 White Sacrament

    Chapter 6 White Sacrament

    ¡°Wee to the White Sacrament Third Laboratory your highness Cardinal Ars, 7th apostle Lord Sariel.¡°

    With a hurried greeting they passed through the gate of theboratory.

    ¡°Is Bishop Judas not here?¡±

    While walking inside the usual gloomy passage, Ars asked the man in the white mantle leading them.

    ¡°I am very sorry but a summon from the Holy City came in just yesterday. It seems he will not be returning for atleast half a year it seems.¡±

    ¡°Just missed him huh? Well this was an unexpected visit, although it can¡¯t be helped, it is a bit regretful.¡±

    The man sighed with relief on seeing Ars not being too displeased.

    The man leading the 2 of them is currently the highest position holder as the proxy of Judas.

    Although a proxy, he was the head of a 100 man giant facility, a senior priest. But even he was filled with tension in front of the man who was next to the Pope, a cardinal and an apostle.

    Without minding the man¡¯s behaviour, the 2 people calmly continued walking. Along the way, Ars asked the Priest about various things rting to the facility. Soon they had reached their destination, which was the conference room.

    ¡°¡±Wee, your highness Cardinal Ars, 7th Apostle Lord Sariel¡ª¡°¡±

    Inside the room, many other researchers in white mantles simr to the Priest came to meet them.

    The Priest and the others were all elder in age to the Cardinal and the Apostle, but all of them were bowing their heads in respect in front of those 2.

    ¡°Please,e and have a seat here.¡±

    The Cardinal Ars who sat on the white chair was only 30 years in age but he already possessed a presence fitting for his position. Wearing a special made robe made out of Mithril, he possessed rich blonde hair and sharp forward looking blue eyes. With a face that looked like the heroes of ancient times, that figure of him sitting on the giant armchair was indeed looking appropriate.

    Ars who was a Cardinal at the age of mere 30 was certainly worthy of admiration but the woman known as the 7th Apostle Sariel was even more so. Long silver-hair and brilliant red eyes, possessing soft white skin that seemed to assimte with her white robe was Sariel.

    That appearance that looked like a doll was young, very young.

    Currently, sitting on the same type of seat as Ars, her feet did not touch the ground. That was how small and delicate bodied she was. Here, she looked the most out of ce but, as one those who held the special position of an Apostle, she showed no tension or difort at all.

    ¡°Well then, please give me exnation regarding the project.¡±

    After both of them sat down and received the documents, the Priest started to speak.

    ¡°¡ª-this Holy Soldier project is meant to aplish the holy war without sacrificing any of the Holy citizens living in the Republic, an extremely humane and ideal project. As you already know, the east side of the Arc continent and in the Pandora continent, heresy is prevalent and the area ruled by the evil god extends very extensively. The most effective method to counter this is our church¡¯s very own holy magic also known as white magic, but the number of Priests able to use this miraculous technique and white magicians is absolutely insufficient currently.

    The users of white magic arepletely used up in the maintenance of the Republic along with the current areas under the control of the church. We have no personnel to send to the East side or the remote Pandora continent.

    But still, several clergymen burning with the will toplete their mission crossed to Pandora and are making efforts in subjugation operations but it cannot be said that they have enough people toplete it. So, to counter their evil ck magic we shall also use ck magic.

    Of course, to teach evil ck magic to the Holy citizens would be felony against the White God. As such we shall acquire ck magic users from heretics, demons, and foreigners.

    Fellow non-humans, with same evil power will destroy each other. Fighting poison with poison, if I say so myself. With this methodology in mind, what resulted was the Holy Soldier project.

    Currently, the progress of the project can be said to have been going very favourably. Especially, the foreigner summoned 3 months back; experiment no.49 is endowed with high powers enough to be called the culmination of all our research up till now.

    His ability will definitely be able to satisfy your highness as well. From here on, with no.49 as main, although ability might fall a little, we n continue research to make some adjustments in order to mass produce ck magic warriors. Today, we have ns to perform the final baptism on no.49, and by this year, no, end of this month, we shall unveil its ability in the Holy City¡ª¡°

    The priest who was passionately talking was suddenly interrupted by the one who had been without speaking a single word up till now, Sariel.

    ¡°Your highness Cardinal.¡±

    It was a delicate and quiet call, but it clearly reached Ars¡¯ ears.

    ¡°What is it, Lord Sariel?¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be a question. Ars who knew Sariel¡¯s not-speaking habit wondered in his head.

    ¡°Hide.¡±

    With the next word, the doubt in Ars head only deepened further. Without paying any attention to it, Sariel starts taking action and says one more time.

    ¡°Hide.¡±

    Sariel stood up from her seat and crawled underneath the giant table. Looking at the weird scene, voices of bewilderment started rising.

    ¡°......Understood.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Your highness Cardinal!?¡±

    Towards the mysterious words of Sariel, Ars decided to obey them.

    The 2 with the second highest authority suddenly crawled underneath the table. There was no one who could understand the meaning behind it. For a moment, a dumfounded atmospherees inside the room. But the one who brought this atmosphere Sariel along with Ars paid no attention to it. This was because for Ars, the words of an Apostle were always meant to be trusted in.

    And as a result of that trust, Ars realized that he had made the right decision.

    *zuzun¡ª¨C*

    Vibrations as ifing from the depths of the earth, the sound of the building creaking, and vibrations strong enough to jolt the whole body.

    ¡°It, It¡¯s an earthquake!?¡±

    Someone¡¯s shout, clearly expressed the current situation.

    At this moment, an earthquake of magnitude reaching 6 had just urred here.

    ¡°uu, uwaaaaa!!¡±

    Screams wereing from everywhere. A bookshelf kept inside the room toppled over and fell on the chairs.

    Within the cries of people Ars , ¡®so that¡¯s what it was all about¡¯, looked at Sariel with an understanding gaze.

    Even during an earthquake which was rare in the Republic, looking at Sariel who showed no change even in such a situation, Ars did not feel the need to even pray to god for his safety.

    And soon the earthquake that caused shaking inside theboratory calmed down after a few seconds.

    Both of them came out from underneath the table. On the floory all the of the researchers without any exception.

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±

    Fortunately, nobody had fainted due to the bookshelf falling over and getting hit. While groaning, one by one all of them unsteadily stood up on their feet.

    ¡° Qui, Quickly we must get out of here.....¡±

    ¡°Please calm down. Is thisb not built using ancient historic ruins? If so then there is no way it¡¯ll copse with just this.¡±

    ¡°Ye, yes......It is as you say.¡±

    ¡°Still, this is an emergency. Just to be safe we should evacuate. Priest-dono please take evacuation measures without causing any mass panic.¡±

    Regaining their calm with Ars¡¯ words, the priest and the researchers started taking action. If the organisations top is giving out orders, even if some casualties do appear, the situation should be able to be resolved properly.

    Without taking much shock from the sudden earthquake, led by a researcher, Ars and Sariel started to leave the conference room.

    ¡°Priest-sama! We have trouble!!¡±

    At that moment, a man in white mantle, probably one of the researchers came running in.

    Even with Ars and Sariel in his view he did not seem to notice them meaning he must be very impatient right now.

    ¡°Calm down. You are in the presence of the Cardinal and Lord Sariel, also the earthquake has calmed down as well.¡±

    The priest warned him for intruding in such a rude manner.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! During the earthquake¡ª¨C¡°

    As soon as he said that, from below vibrations resounded with a thundering sound.

    ¡°Wh, What? Is it another earthquake?¡±

    Towards the Priest who got cold sweat, the researcher shouted the continuation of his previous sentence.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªNo.49 has escaped!!¡±

 Chapter 7 Freedom

    Chapter 7 Freedom

    From the time I came to this hellish magical world, this was my first experience of sleeping so deeply. After killing a boy simr to me during the maneuvering experiment, I indifferently kept watching without returning to my self-consciousness as my body faced various experiments daily.

    That is why I didn¡¯t feel anything even when many other experimented boys and girls were done in by these hands. But this faint overlooking consciousness would soon disappear as my deep sleep continued, and I thought my memories of Kurono Maou would also disappear.

    Still, the pain, the agony and killing of simr humans was beyond my limit of tolerance. Slowly disappearing like this was in fact what I wished for.

    I have had enough. I cannot return to where I was once. I can¡¯t even remember the faces of my parents anymore. All thates in my mind are the faces of that geezer and the masked men wearing that cross and the monsters and other experiments I had killed.

    That is why it¡¯s fine now. If I disappear now I¡¯ll be at ease. There is no need to further cling to this any longer¡ª-

    And, it was the moment I had given it all up inside my faint consciousness.

    *zuzun¡ª-*

    With a thunderous sound, and shocks as if the heaven and the earth were overturned, my consciousness rapidly came back.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªha!?¡±

    The moment I woke up, I was on the usual hard floor.

    But, my head was clearer than ever before, the usual haziness inside my brain and consciousness hadpletely disappeared. ¡®Feeling refreshed¡¯ maybe felt like this?

    My self-consciousness returned after a long time, my head is clear, blood and magic both were circting smoothly, and strength filled my whole body.

    ¡°This is.......theb?¡±

    I must have fallen down from the pedestal in the centre. How did it happen was unknown, but the other 2 masked men had also fallen to the floor.

    Did they have an ident during an experiment?

    I obviously don¡¯t have any obligation to help these guys at all. As I looked around the room while wondering what to do, a certain thing caught my eyes.

    I had only seen it once but I soon understood what it was.

    ¡°The white...ring......¡±

    The item with 7 needles which had forced me into absolute submission. The item which once attached, can never be removed was lying in front of me.

    I slowly touched my head with my hand. No matter how much I carefully felt around, all that I could feel was my hair and my scalp.

    ¡°Not here..........the ring, it¡¯s not here.¡±

    Naturally, the ring in front of me was the one that had been attached to my head up till now.

    ¡°Ha, hahahaha¨C ¨C¡°

    The ring was not connected to my head.

    The one thing restraining me didn¡¯t exist anymore. Before I realized, the ring in my hand had already been crushed by my hand.

    ¡°ahahahahaha! I am free!!¡±

    That¡¯s right, if I am free, I don¡¯t have to obediently die anymore!

    Maybe due to my excited shouting, the 2 masked men had started getting up using the wall as support.

    I approached the masked man near me,

    ¡°What, no.49¡ª-¡°

    Whether realizing the situation or not, he raised his voice towards me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that name.¡±

    With my left I grabbed his cor and lifted him up.

    ¡°guha,ha, st, stop it.......no.49........¡±

    ¡°My name is¡ª-¡°

    I raised my right hand.

    My condition is perfect. ck magical power instantly focused in my right hand.

    ¡°¡ªKurono Maou!!!¡±

    With all my might I released my Pile Bunker on that annoying white mask.

    Without even raising a single voice, his head was smashed to pieces and he became a headless corpse.

    ¡°What are you doing no.49?!¡±

    The other mask came running towards me.

    Even if he didn¡¯t raise his voice, I could clearly feel his presence. Dealing with him was not a problem.

    The masked man tried to stab me with a syringe made of ss as I caught it with my left arm.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    Stealing the syringe just like that, I held it in a reverse grip and took a stance.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¨C¡°

    Aiming the nape of the neck I mmed the syringe there.

    Maybe I hit a blood vessel, but the poisonous looking liquid inside the syringe waspletely injected inside him.

    ¡°guhhooooooo.........¡±

    Holding his neck, the man groaned and fell back on the floor again.

    ¡°Rifle.¡±

    Already materialized near my finger, I fire the ck bullet on his forehead. With a ssh, blood and brains spread all over the floor and the masked man was dead. Since I didn¡¯t know what that liquid was, I would have been troubled if he revived after getting stronger like me after all.

    ¡°Well then¡ª- I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on but this is a chance for me.¡±

    The absolute restraints of ring don¡¯t exist anymore. On top it, thanks to the experiments they did on me I have be strong enough to kill even a dragon.

    Also, the taboo of murder, though unknowingly, I have alreadymitted. I have absolutely no hesitation while killing these white masked bastards. I was easily able to kill these 2. Just researchers alone would never be able to stop me.

    You reap what you sow. The ones who made me into such a monster was them after all. Now that I am free, there is nothing that can stop me from getting out of here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!!¡±

    Shouting my usual words to cheer up, I broke through the door¡ª-

    ¡°¡ª¡ªEven though I told you to be careful during the baptism so many times!!¡±

    An angry roar resounds in the conference room.

    ¡°Bu, but, the restraint measures were taken as prescribed. He should have beenpletely powerless.¡±

    ¡°Could the drug resistance be higher than we thought............?¡±

    ¡°Due to the earthquake, he must have regained his consciousness while the baptism was interrupted.¡±

    ¡°Then call all the guards and capture him!!¡±

    The one who shouted that was the Priest. He came to the conclusion that all the guards must be used to capture no.49 who held a high amount of ck magic.

    ¡°My humble apologies your highness, the situation is critical, please proceed to evacuation¡ª¡°

    ¡°Calm down Priest-dono, did you not realize why a Cardinal like me came without even a single guard?¡±

    Ars himself knew that the experiment no.49, who had gone out of control, held a high amount of power able to defeat many monsters. But still, he was not worried about a power of ¡®that level¡¯.

    ¡°Bu,but......¡±

    The Senior Priest looked towards Sariel who was standing beside Ars. He realized the intention behind Ars¡¯ words.

    ¡°But this all due to our mismanagement. We cannot cause trouble for Lord Sariel¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Your worries are unneeded. Lord Sariel, can I leave this to you?¡±

    Sariel gave a small nod.

    ¡°It seems it is a dangerous one, there is no need to capture him alive.¡±

    Giving another nod, Sariel left with small steps.

    ¡°Well shall we go then? There is no need to panic. Soon Lord Sariel will return with the head of this no.49.¡±

 Chapter 8 The Fear of the White

    Chapter 8 The Fear of the White (T/n:the actual title was a bit different but this sounded cooler and the actual trantion sounded weird and stupid in English, though this one doesn¡¯t make much sense either lol)

    ¡°Shit! Where is the exit...?¡±

    Although I kind of knew it, but this facility is really excessively big. On top it, everything looks the same. There is no way I could not get lost.

    Earlier, I kicked apart a white-coloured light armour wearing group but now I am regretting not letting one of them live and getting the info about the exit. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. They came out of nowhere at me while brandishing their swords after all!

    Counter attacking instantly and killing them all is kind of a habit from those maneuvering experiments.

    Incidentally, I also took 2 of those double-edged swords from them as well. I don¡¯t really have any experience in using swords but my use for them is a bit different. The next time I find someone I¡¯ll use the sword to threaten them into telling me the location of the exit.

    As I ran through the passage while thinking this, I arrived at a spacious room.

    ¡°Stairs!¡±

    Stairsy on the opposite side of the room leading to the upper floor.

    Finally finding a thread of hope in getting out of this ce, I ran towards the stairs but stopped as I sensed somethinging down those stairs. Under the various experiments, along with the 5 senses, even my 6th sense had been strengthened so this wasn¡¯t just my imagination.

    As I took a fighting stance, the sound of footsteps resounded.

    Soon, the owner of the footsteps came to into view from beyond the dark stairs.

    ¡°A girl?¡±

    My expectation of it being masked men or armoured ones was instantly betrayed.

    The one who appeared was apletely white girl except for her burning red eyes. She had a young yet beautiful face. And the overly white skin made me think for a moment that she might be another light golem, but the girl in front of me clearly possessed a life force.

    Not a doll, but a real albino.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Although she doesn¡¯t match this ce, the white clothes and the cross emblem clearly means that she is rted to those masked men.

    Without letting down my guard, I first tried to speak words to stop her.

    ¡°......¡±

    The girl stopped moving.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Maybe because I didn¡¯t expect it to suddenly turn into a battle, as I hesitated over what I should say, I ended up asking about her identity.

    Although as I was sure that she wasn¡¯t an ally I didn¡¯t really expect her to answer but.

    ¡°7th Apostle, Sariel.¡±

    Strangely, she properly answered.

    Although I had no idea what kind of meaning the title of an Apostle meant, I came to know that her name was Sariel.

    ¡°My name is Kurono Maou, I want to leave this ce so can you tell me where the exit is?¡±

    ¡°I cannot.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡ª-¡°

    Well, I didn¡¯t really expect her to tell me. Although I was a bit curious as to who this girl was, but I didn¡¯t really have the time to care or inquire about it.

    If I was against a masked man I would have kicked till he told me but I can¡¯t really do that to a girl against whom I don¡¯t have any grudges. Although I may have lost my humanity, I still haven¡¯t gone that mad.

    Therefore, I decide to ignore her and move forward.

    Instantly focusing magic in my legs and strengthening them, I take a rocket start towards the stairs.

    An ordinary man or a weak monster would barely be able to keep up with such speed. For that it might have been like I instantly disappeared¡ª¨C

    ¡°ugaah!?!¡±

    The moment I suddenly elerated, a shock ran through my left leg.

    Losing control over my left leg momentarily, I fell to the hard floor at high speed.

    ¡°Wh..at......¡±

    I found that on my left thigh, a white stake was sticking in very deep.

    ¡°You will stop here.¡±

    As I heard Sariel¡¯s muttering voice, a chill ran down my spine.

    ¡°Are you kidding me..........¡±

    From that girl, I felt an intense magical power, at a level iparable to any monster, surge from within her. The silver aura enveloping her body, even in a gas-like state, had more density than my pile bunker.

    Even if I didn¡¯t have any 6th sense I would have realized that she was an unbelievable monster.

    ¡°Buckshot!!¡±

    Pulling out the white stake, I fired a buckshot towards her.

    The scattering ck bullets rush towards the defenceless girl.

    Without even a slight reaction, Sariel took on the hail of bullets with her body directly without any problems.

    ¡°Shit, without even a shield?!¡±

    The bullets disappeared the moment they touched the white aura.

    Her aura is far stronger than the shield used by me or any other experiments. For her it was nothing more than releasing magical energy and was not even actual magic.

    Even I have magical energy that is released like that as a part of regeneration, but it holds nowhere near the ability to block a bullet made of ck magical energy.

    If she can ck without doing anything, buckshot cannot be used as a method of restraining the opponent either. It would be a waste of magical energy.

    Still, the white magical energy that is the source of the aura ispletely different from the one I know.

    If using ck magical energy results in ck magic, then is that white magic?

    Frankly, I really don¡¯t want to fight something that dangerous but my body has already started moving towards the direction of fighting.

    ¡°ckening.¡±

    In my both hands I have the 2 swords I took earlier. The simple longswords were wrapped by my ck magical energy and turnedpletely ck from the grip to the tip of the sword. I simply named this condition as [ckening].

    The weapons that undergo ckening don¡¯t just get stronger but also be able to be used without even moving my hands.

    ¡°Automatic Fencing(sword fighting lit.).¡±

    The two ckened swords leave my hand and start floating in the air. The tip of the swords automatically turns towards my opponent.

    Fighting while controlling from afar, that is Automatic Fencing.

    When using existing weapons as the base for this, the strength is higher than bullets made purely of magical energy. If it¡¯s this, it should be able to surpass that aura.

    ¡°Pierce through!!¡±

    With my voice, the swords fly like arrows.

    Sariel stood there as usual but in front of her white magic started concentrating. And what appeared was a white shield in the shape of an inverted triangle.

    ¡° Rifle!¡±

    I fired the pseudo full metal jacket bullet, and at the same time the swords struck Sariel¡¯s shield.

    Both of the swords were easily deflected without even scratching the shield. But without minding it, I kept firing the Rifle. The strength was lower than Anti-material but instead rapid-fire was possible.

    But, it¡¯s a shield that didn¡¯t take a scratch from the ckened swords, it wouldn¡¯t have any effect no matter how many bullets I fire.

    Even when the point of impact was exactly the same, no effect could be seen. Zero plus zero will always be zero after all.

    But, I didn¡¯t mind that.

    The Rifle was just a diversion to keep her focus her. The main intention lied in the two previously deflected swords.

    Sariel put up a shield to counter those swords meant that it would have dangerous for her without it. Buckshot could be stopped with just the aura but the swords could not be.

    I start controlling the swords that had fallen behind her again.

    Aim is obviously the currently undefended Sariel¡¯s back.

    The attack power is enough to cause instant death but she is also a magician, she might be able to get out alive. Apologising inside my thoughts, I make the swords fly at her at maximum speed.

    Sariel doesn¡¯t turn back¡ª¨Ca certain hit.

    ¡°¡ª-Wha?¡±

    The moment the swords were about to pierce through that small back of hers, Sariel didn¡¯t move at all.

    But, right now Sariel somehow held the two swords between the fingers of her right hand.

    With just her bare hands?

    Just how?

    ¡°..........¡±

    Stuck between Sariel¡¯s thin fingers, the ck swords instantly turned white and disappeared like ash.

    ¡°u,a......¡±

    Can¡¯t win.

    Instinct, intuition, reasoning, logic, all of them are giving the same conclusion- I cannot win.

    I made the wrong choice. I should have never challenged her to a fight.

    I should turned and run away at full speed the moment I felt that insane magical energy.

    In actuality, there was no need for her to use a shield. No matter how much magic I used, she could have easily overwhelmed it with just her body.

    The moment I had entered her line of sight, I could have been killed anytime. I was just left alive because of a simple whim of hers.

    In my mind, I had a vision of disappearing like ash simr to the ckened swords.

    ¡°........¡±

    Sariel deactivated her shield.

    ¡ª¨CRun, my instincts called.

    ¡ª¨CRun, I can still make it, my reasoning tried to encourage me.

    Don¡¯t give up just yet! There should be a way to get out of here alive. First of all, I should run. I have to get away from that insane monster no matter how otherwise I don¡¯t have a free tomorrow.

    ¡°ck smoke¡ª-guah!?¡±

    I tried to use a concealment technique derived from the ck mes used by the experiment I fought before.

    By spraying out the ck magic I could activate the magic without any gaps, but finding that small gap, my right shoulder and abdomen were pierced by white stakes.

    Still, the magic itself was activated, and the surroundings were instantly covered in ck smoke. Inside the ck smoke I run back towards the way I came from. It¡¯s regretful, but the stairs are too far away.

    The first wound I took on my leg was covered with jelly like magical energy. For the time being the bleeding can be stopped, and by body is weak enough to be bothered by pain of this level.

    Once again strengthening my legs, I decide to run as far away from her as possible.

    The stakes stuck in my shoulder and abdomenester.

    ¡°Anti-material.¡±

    Without turning around I consecutively fired three high calibre bullets towards her. I am well aware that it won¡¯t work but at least it could help gain me some time. The moment the third bullet was fired, 5 stakes instantly pierced my back. I had actually deployed a shield just in case but the stakespletely passed through it.

    ¡°Guhoooo!?¡±

    I almost fell over but was somehow able to manage to continue running through the passage.

    The ones that struck my back were thinner than the previous ones so I was able to handle the shock. And, without looking back, crazily running, I rolled inside a random room.

    ¡°haa.....haa...¡±

    For the time being I think I was able to run away from her. The sound of footsteps or the feeling of her presence is noting.

    I don¡¯t think I was able topletely run away from her, so in this time I should treat my wounds as much as possible.

    ¡°Guu,ugh, it hurts......¡±

    Can¡¯t say I have gotten used to pain, only my ability to handle it has increased. What¡¯s painful will always be painful.

    I pulled out the stakes in my shoulder and abdomen and although it was difficult to reach I was somehow able to pull out the stakes in my back as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as my internal organs have not been damaged as well...¡±

    The jelly like magic covering the wounds, if given enough time, will assimte with the flesh and heal. I wondered whether I needed to disinfect it, but since it makes aplete recovery, it¡¯s fine I guess? Thanks to this magic, I was able to treat most of my wounds by myself.

    But internal organs withplex functions were unable to be perfectly healed.

    Once, when my stomach waspletely torn apart by a dinosaur like thing, I was unable to perfectly regenerate my intestines and in the end had to depend on the masked men¡®s magic forplete recovery.

    Just how much can be aplished through magic is still a doubt but I don¡¯t have the methods necessary to find out. For now I should think about what I should do from here.

    That super dangerous magician girl called Sariel wouldn¡¯t let me get away that easily after all.

    Sariel¡¯s five senses should be much better than mine so she could find me simply through scent. In the worst case she might just ¡®somehow¡¯ figure it out through her sixth sense.

    So, I can¡¯t really hide here for too long. The risk is too high.

    *¡ª-kotsun*

    I heard the slight sound of footsteps.

    Simr to the time she first came, she is walking calmly and slowly.

    Still, the fact that there is no carelessness in her was clearly seen in the previous fight.

    Gradually the sound of footsteps is increasing; she is definitelying straight towards this room.

    ¡°Sh, shit! What should I do......?¡±

    This is not at a level like those previous monsters where I could win if I tried hard.

    In front of an absolute gap in ability, it¡¯s hard to say that I am able to keepposure.

    But I still realized that there was another door in this room different from the one I came in from.

    Can¡¯t say that I had any n, I just felt that rather than going outside, it might be better to go further inside.

    Although it will be checkmate there and then if it was a simple room beyond that door,.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cthis is!!¡±

    The moment I opened the door, I felt that I was too lucky today.

    What lied beyond the door was not another white room, but a long spiral staircase leading downwards.

    On looking, it was pitch ck there. I didn¡¯t know where it would connect to but if I am able to take even a little distance from Sariel, it felt extremely attractive. Without any hesitation, I ran down at full speed.

    Sariel was walking through the passage at her usual speed.

    She was not walking like this just to induce fear in the weak magician known as No.49¡ª-no, Kurono Maou, a foreigner who had a name simr to the Devil King. (T/N: In case you didn¡¯t know Maou is the pronunciation for Devil King in Japanese.)

    To sense and perfectly track a user of ck magic, this was the suitable speed. That is why she did not run. And also because she was clearly showing sympathy towards Kurono.

    If she was serious she could have put all those 8 stakes inside of his head instead. Of course, even before Kurono could start attacking.

    But she let the opponent, who she could kill in an instant, run away from her.

    From here if she were to end up cornering him and he surrendered, she was ready to take that surrender. Although her true feelings were that it would be good if he could run away from her.

    ¡°........¡±

    Still, Sariel thought. Kurono¡¯s ck magic was not at the level as she had assumed.

    Under the effect of many experiments, his body had surpassed the level of ordinary man even without strengthening, but he did not possess the basic fundamental skill or basis required for magic.

    At the current stage of the project, the main objective was to create a body holding high aptitude for magic. And the practical and technical knowledge ofbat and magic was to be taught from here on. So it was only natural that it was so.

    The amount of magical energy is high but cirction,pression, emission and other magical energy control techniques are all rough. The releasing ofpressed magic one shot at a time with a single action in itself wasted a lot of magical energy.

    The weapon enchantment was extremely irregr, but the precision of remote control and concealment of presence was good. To be able to perceive things outside the view was also done easily. But, to be able to give off attack power equal to an ordinary magician without the minimum required fundamental skill was due to the benefits of body modifications after all.

    But, what actually surprised Sariel was not the strength attained due to the experiments but the scheme behind the fired magic.

    [Buckshot], [Rifle], [Anti-material] magic fired by chanting it, all had substance in the shape of clear, streamlined cones, and were rotating at high speed as it approached.

    Magic is made through images so all magicians, when performing single action, take the shape of orbs, arrows, sword, throwing spear. In Sariel¡¯s case it is Stakes.

    But in terms of piercing power, Sariel had never seen anything like that rotating cone ever before.

    Once properly understood, it can be done by anyone, but where did the idea behind such structure came from?

    If her opinion, it might be because he was a natural genius.

    But he was a ¡®foreigner¡¯ brought from a different world where magic does not exist. The Church treats those unable to use magic on the same level as monsters.

    But don¡¯t ¡®foreigners¡¯ also have knowledge as per their own foreign world? No, they definitely possess it.

    And, if that cone was created by that foreigner, then Kurono had applied it into his magic aware of the fact that it possessed high piercing power.

    Sariel thought that her theory was probably correct. And if it is correct, then they should possess knowledge not known to us as well.

    She was a bit curious about it, and if he were to be caught again, he would not be allowed to live, in the worst case she would have to kill him here. She felt it was a bit regrettable.

    ¡°.........¡±

    Sariel suddenly stopped moving.

    She had no doubt that the door in front of her was passed by Kurono. For a second, Sariel hesitates over whether she should enter or not.

    But, now that she was here, she felt would have to make sure and defencelessly opened the door.

    There was no ambush or signs of a trap.

    Well he didn¡¯t really have time to set something like this up so it¡¯s only obvious. She thought as she moved towards the different exit inside the room.

    Opening the door, what entered her view was a dim spiral staircase leading downwards.

    Without descending through the stairs, Sariel threw her body in the space in the centre of the stairs and fell straight towards the unseen hell below.

    *dozunn!!*

    Without strengthening her body with magic shended just like that.

    She stood up as she felt almost no shock onnding, but the tiles near her foot had been smashed to pieces.

    ¡°.......Ran away.¡±

    She verified in a single look that he was not here. That is because, at the end of the staircasey a small well directly connected to an underground water channel. And the remains of ck magic could be seen continuing inside that well.

    This ce is meant for the clergy to cleanse themselves and the only ce leading out of theboratory aside from the main entrance.

    It must have been a coincidence that he entered the room leading here but thanks to it he was able to get away from here.

    ¡°......that¡¯s good.¡±

    Moving towards the well, Sariel quietly said.

    From the perspective of a girl who was indifferent towards humans andpletely expressionless, it was remark that can be considered extremely rare.

    As to why she showed such sympathy towards Kurono, that was because his circumstances were extremely simr to hers in the past.

 Chapter 9 Port Town

    Chapter 9 Port Town

    *kotsun**kotsun*

    Footsteps can be heard far away.

    A small white figure with shining red eyes starteding closer¡ª¡ª

    ¡°.......uooh!?¡±

    Shit! Did I just lose consciousness for a moment!?

    I quickly stand up and scan the surroundings. I can¡¯t feel any other presence. What came to my ears was not the footsteps of the white girl but the sound of the river flowing close by.

    ¡°Wh, what the hell happened....?¡±

    I had unhesitatingly jumped into the well that was in the ce where the spiral staircase ended. I could hear the sound of water flowing below the well, and hoped that there might me an underground channel that might connect outside.

    That n was brilliantly sessful, and now I was standing on ground.

    However, I was afraid that it might continue infinitely underground, and when I jumped it waspletely dark as well, the water was very cold too. As I flowed I almost lost heart due to fear and anxiety.

    But luckily, the dark underground waterway (maybe I should call it a cave) finally opened up somewhere sunlight could reach, and fainted after barely making to the riverbank.

    ¡°Aah, I¡¯m outside.¡±

    The sun was shining right above me in the sky, a river flowed beside me, and the surroundings were covered with thick trees and beyond them towering mountains could be seen. I ampletely between nature and greenery.

    ¡°I did it. I am finally free¡ª-¡°

    With a rustling sound the thicket nearby shook.

    For a second, my heartbeat became faster and I started sweating unpleasantly.

    What came into my mind was the indifferent white face of Sariel.

    ¡°.......¡±

    What appeared was an animal very simr to a deer. It probably came to drink water at the river. On looking closely, in that direction many other bodies were also there.

    By the way, the reason I intentionally used the expression ¡®simr to a deer¡¯ was because I was certain that it was not a deer. This deer-like animal had 3 brilliant horns which were green in colour. A fantastic animal like that didn¡¯t exist in my world.

    Well, if they evolved in this world, maybe such deer might be born as well. After all, this is a world of magic where even a fire breathing dragon exists. In the first ce, does Darwin¡¯s theory of evolution even apply in this world?

    ¡°Wait wait, before that, I should run far away from here first.¡±

    I am somewhat tired but the wounds give by Sariel have more or less healed, so moving around is not a problem. At times like these, I was thankful for this modified overly sturdy body.

    But still, even with a body like this there a beings above monsters against whom I can do nothing.

    Maybe, guys like that might exist all over the world. If that is so, then it will be dangerous to overestimate my abilities. If a bunch of simr guyse to search for me, I am finished.

    Where is safe? Where should I go? That is still unknown but at least I need to go as far as possible from that facility.

    ¡°Time to leave.¡±

    Without any guide or directions, I decided to go downstream from here.

    The fear of the fact that I might be still chased after by Sariel, kept my legs moving even when my stamina had run out.

    I kept walking for 3 days and 3 nights straight through mountains and forests. I only stopped for toilet and to drink water from the river.

    I thought I might upset my stomach like this, but to me who had been living on shit-like soup, the clear water of the river was way too delicious. In the end I did not upset my stomach. Though, it did be a bit bby because I drank too much. And at times when I was attacked by dog or wolf like monster, I chased them away with buckshot and rifle, but didn¡¯t chase them too far.

    And on the evening of the fourth day,

    ¡°.......lights.¡±

    In front, I saw lights of people living. As I saw it I started running with joy. But, in the middle I thought.

    ¡°Wait, it could be people connected to those masked men.¡±

    Maybe researchers, in the worst case, Sariel herself could be there.

    I don¡¯t know anything about this world except that it has monsters and magic. On top of not havingmon sense, this ragged look would definitely catch attention.

    Catching attention meant standing out in public, as a runaway I want to avoid that at all costs.

    And this might be negative thinking, but there is a chance that I have already been put on the wanted list.

    As an experimental subject, I didn¡¯t know how much value I held for those masked men. If this was a country widerge scale project, they would go through any lengths to search for me. Basically, it was dangerous for me to carelesslye in contact with the people of this world.

    As I thought that, the town hade into my view. Enduring my want to see other people, I held my breath and decided to infiltrate the town.

    This was a port town surrounded by a stone wall. A salty breeze floated in the air.

    I came to this conclusion after watching the peoplee and go through the gate and going all around without getting noticed by any soldiers.

    And, I confirmed that this world¡¯s civilisation level was at the Middle-ages level.

    The stone wall might have been left due to cultural reasons but it was actively being used. The roads were not made of asphalt, people in armour withnces, the light at night was due to firemps, etc. There was not even a single modernistic thing familiar to me.

    From the time I was in that experiment facility, I had expected that it might be so as there was no electritown, and monsters were equipped with swords and bows. But after seeing this typical town, my expectations were right it seems.

    ¡°It really is a different world.........¡±

    I felt a bit of despair creeping in, but right now I didn¡¯t have the time to be worried due to the anxiety in my heart.

    I¡¯ll look for a way to get back to my world after I have settled somewhere far away from here. Once again, I return my thoughts to the town in front of me. The fact that this is a port town might be favourable for me.

    Rather than going bynd, I could go farther and faster through the sea. At least, in a world where aerones don¡¯t probably exist, ships are the fastest means for moving.

    Of course, that¡¯s only if there is no magic device through which you could warp or teleport.

    Anyway, for me who has no other objective other than going as far away as possible, a ship is an attractive existence. Here, by any means possible, I want to board the ship that is going the farthest from here.

    Of course, I, who can¡¯te into contact with other people and without any money, have no will to properly board a ship.

    Basically, I¡¯ll smuggle myself.

    ¡°Alright, now that I have decided my objective, I should go to the town now.¡±

    Making sure that there are no people in the vicinity, I put my hand on the wall.

    On the precisely crated vertical wall there is no ce to ce my legs. That means it¡¯s the turn for the reliable ck magic. I convert the ck magical energy into sharp material in front of my hands and legs.

    If I try hard I can even cut through the scales of a dragon, cutting through a stone wall is a piece of cake.

    And thus began my first ever wall climbing challenge.

    The strong ws unified with my fingertips cut through the stone wall as if cardboard was cut with a knife. Simrly, my legs also pierce through, and easily fix into the wall.

    The height of the wall is about 5 meters. It¡¯s not really a wall climb with the life on the line but if it¡¯s my body, I¡¯ll probably be unscathed even if I fall from the top. The ground is pretty soft as well. And, thus while grasping the essentials of wall climbing, I steadily quickly climbed the wall.

    ¡°ooh, I¡¯m like a ninja, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    And thus, while feeling like those who melt into the night, I finished the climb.

    If is stood up on the wall to make a pose, I felt that I would be seen after all, so while crouching I viewed the interior of the town.

    ¡°ooh, although I had expected, it really is amazing......¡±

    There, the townscape simr to that of ancient Europe only seen in movies and anime could be seen.

    Along with stronger eyesight, I had also be able to clearly see at night. So, I could perfectly see the town even in this dark night.

    Rows of white coloured houses, the biggest main road was made of stone, and stores withmps releasing light could be seen. During the day, the roads must be filled with carriages with goods moving around.

    And at the centre of the town stood a church with the tallest roof. Moving further down the main street, you would arrive at the port where many ships were currently anchored.

    It¡¯s currently night, so not many people can be seen other than on the main street. The residential area has already be quite after putting out the lights.

    ¡°Moving towards the port along the wall sounds good.¡±

    After memorizing the panoramic view of the town and deciding a rough route to the port, jumped down from the stone wall.

    Height like the spiral staircase would be dangerous but a height of around 5 meters isn¡¯t much of a problem.

    With a *dotto* dull sound, Inded on the ground and quickly moved away from there. While at maximum attention, I quickly ran through the alleys of the residential area.

 Chapter 10 Pandora Continent

    Chapter 10 Pandora Continent

    Due to residential area being asleep at this time, I was able to reach the port safely without being seen by anyone.

    I couldn¡¯t exactly risk creeping into any random ship, so I hid myself in a warehouse like ce where goods meant to be loaded or maybe taken from the ships were kept, and carefully looked at the surroundings.

    Although I call it a warehouse, giant containers like in the present world don¡¯t exist, so they were only buildings at the height of 2 stories max.

    Maybe because it was night, there was no one going in and out of the warehouses, and only the biggest warehouse seemed to have lights burning indicating that people were working there.

    I attentively approached that warehouse and peeked inside. It seems they were hurriedly loading the goods here in a certain ship.

    I tried to listen carefully to the talk of the men working inside and was able to catch some of it.

    ¡°Why sote¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Seriously, we didn¡¯t even have had time to drink after returning.¡±

    Men with very sailor-like big and darkish bodies were carrying goods whileining about something. Especially big cargo was put on the carriage stopped near the entrance.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cbut, is there any need to sail out in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hurried re-supply of goods, or something like that.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by hurried re-supply? It¡¯s not like we are at war.¡±

    Resupply goods meant that the ship belonged to the army of this world, no, country it seems. The country doesn¡¯t seem to be at war, but it¡¯s a world filled with monsters after all. There is an opponent to fight daily for them.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s pioneering or further colonisation, but the actual ce seems to be in quite a mess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why they are always recruiting mercenaries? It was a good decision to not go.¡±

    They said something about [Pioneering] and [Colonisation]? What? Is this world still in the Age of exploration and discovery?

    But to so smoothly talk about [mercenaries] like this really gives of a fantasy feel.

    Anyway, this might be a chance for me. If this is like the colonial ruling done by the western countries as taught in our world history, then this [colony] would be a far awaynd from this country beyond the sea.

    ¡°What the hell do they mean by ¡®Pandora continent is heaven filled with riches¡¯? It¡¯s just a hell filled with demons and monsters.¡±

    Hmm [Pandora Continent]..

    I don¡¯t know whether it has any connection with the Pandora¡¯s Box, but by their way of speaking, it seems it is a totally different continent not connected bynd.

    Running away to that far away Pandora Continent sounds ideal. And by the sounds of it, the colonisation doesn¡¯t seem to be moving smoothly as well. Then it would be impossible for them to do wide search for me there.

    Living a survival based life far away from home in an unexplored region simr to the old Japan war is not something I cannot do. Sure, it won¡¯t be veryfortable, butpared to living in that experiment facility, it was simr to heaven.

    Maybe, I could even take shelter with these [Demons]. I don¡¯t know whether this [Demons] literally means a demonic race or is meant as a derogatory word for the ones originally living there, but as long as they are kept on the same level as monsters, it means they would have no connection to those masked men.

    At least the geezer and the masked seem to be of the same race as the ones carrying the goods, basically humans. That means they are not of the same race as the ones living on the Pandora continent.

    To run away from those masked men, my maximum priority is to get on this ship going towards the Pandora continent. I have decided I¡¯ll cross over to the Pandora continent!

    ¡°Well then, how should I board it¡ª-¡°

    Worshiping the White light God and carrying crosses, the ones who controlled the west-side of the Arc continent was the Syncrea republic.

    The Holy City Elysion, ¡®the city which has received the divine protection of light¡¯, is the capital of the Republic and also the sacred ground for the church.

    Inside one of the many churches that existed in Elysion, the chief of the White Sacrament Third Laboratory, Bishop Judas was meeting with the 7th Apostle Sariel.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªthen you fought while in sealed state?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The two sat on one the benches beside each other with some distance between them.

    Although they didn¡¯t look at each other while talking, Judas suddenly moved his line of sight towards Sariel.

    ¡°......Come.¡±

    With a single word, on top of Sariel¡¯s head, a ring giving off white light appeared.

    It was a different one from the one put on experiment No.49, but it was definitely the same type attached to human experiments for thought control.

    Judas stretched his hand towards the ring and lightly moved his finger.

    ¡°Magical energy restriction limit at 80%, technique chaining in freeze state, armaments not allowed¡ª¡ªmaximum sealed state huh?¡¯

    On the ring, the health and actions of the person are recorded as well, and the supervisor/controller has the right to read it. Judas was reading the records of the battle with No.49.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there was no time to get release authorization.¡±

    ¡°Even though the Cardinal was right beside you?.....It seems he really has a habit of overestimating the powers of the Apostles.¡±

    As his(Ars¡¯) tough face came to his mind, he also remembered that Ars was also unusually attached to Sariel.

    Even though he is known for his cleverness and cool-headedness, to feel obligated just because his life was once saved in the past, it seems Ars has a strange honest part in him as well.

    ¡°There was insufficiency in facing experiment no.49. Cardinal Ars¡¯ decision was not wrong.¡±

    ¡°But you cannot call it correct either.¡±

    ¡°.........¡±

    Just in case, he should have given release authority at that time.

    Even an Apostle, under the biggest seal, cannot show power more than first ss magicians.

    ¡°There is no one here other than me. No matter what you say, it won¡¯t reach anyone else¡¯s ears.¡±

    ¡°No, even if I was not sealed, I could not have stopped the escape of no.49.¡±

    ¡°That may be so. You let him go intentionally after all. The amount of power used was not a factor.¡±

    Judas didn¡¯t realize, but Sariel was slightly frowning right now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going start ming now. The moment he was out of our control, it was all our responsibility.¡±

    The ones who summoned the foreigner known as [Kurono Maou] to this world and turned his body into ck magic user experiment no.49 were Bishop Judas himself and his subordinate researchers after all. Sariel only happened to be there and pursued him out of ¡®good will¡¯ towards the co-operators. Even if she failed, she was in position to be criticized.

    Although, the only one in the Syncrea Republic who had the authority to reprimand an Apostle was the top the church i.e. the Pope only.

    ¡°Rather than that, what surprised me more is that you took an action based on emotions. I had long forgotten that you also once used to be human.¡±

    Sariel this time showed absolutely no reaction at all.

    Even if Judas¡¯ words held sarcasm or contempt, she had long lost the emotional ability to mind such things.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s alright; let¡¯s end this as per schedule. Living in the Holy City is boring but that doesn¡¯t mean I have free time.¡±

    Judas once again touched the ring still shining above Sariel¡¯s head.

    ¡°......Disappear.¡±

    The moment he said that, the ring scattered after getting smashed to pieces and vanished after bing grains of light.

    ¡°With this, there is nothing to left to restrain you, you can even kill me right here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but you¡¯re taking the joke too far Bishop.¡±

    ¡°All those who had their seal removed would straight away aim for my life you know. Of course, you are only the second to have the sealpletely removed though.¡±

    The first one without the seal, no.49, if he appeared, Judas was sure he would try to kill him(Judas) without any exception.

    But, he doubted no.49, whose whereabouts were still unknown, would go through all the risk just for revenge.

    After all he was made to life through days where dying would be better. If for some reason he got caught, the risk of returning to those days was too high. He wouldn¡¯t throw away his valuable freedom just for the sake of revenge.

    Even if he was an irrational fool, then he would be too scared and will instinctually not decide on revenge.

    Judas was that aware of the gravity of the acts he did, but still he felt neither regret nor guilt.

    ¡°Well, with this I¡¯m done with my business here. You also have some work to do right? Who and how many do you have to kill next?¡±

    ¡°Demons and monsters. I¡¯ll kill as many as required till the whole continent can be imed.¡±

    ¡°Remation huh? Then the next ce you¡¯ll be dispatched to is..¡±

    ¡°Yes, Pandora Continent.¡±

 Chapter 11 Meeting with a fairy

    Chapter 11 Meeting with a fairy

    With a vibration shaking the whole body, my consciousness woke up a little from deep sleep.

    ¡°nn........uunn.......just 5 more minutes mom.....¡±

    Is what I say but, my mom who would never allow her son to indulge inziness would soon pull away my futon and kick me awake.

    But, it has been a long time since I slept so soundly. Even if this heaven-like moment would end in the next ten seconds, till thest moment, I want to¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    *bashan*

    ¡°uuoh! Cold!?¡±

    Due to the sudden attack of cold water on my face, my consciousness that was drifting in between dream and reality waspletely brought back to the cruel reality.

    ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t waking up, sshing water on my face is too cruel mom¡ª¡ª¡°

    I soon realized that the figure of my mother was nowhere to be seen, in the first ce, this isn¡¯t even my room.

    Clear blue sky, lush green trees, in the surroundingsid pieces of wood splinters and red apples, and near my legs was a white body crouching and shivering while shaking its head.

    ¡°Wh, what......¡±

    No wait, calm down. That¡¯s right I sneaked into a cargo meant to cross to the Pandora continent. And that cargo was a wooden box filled with a red fruit simr to an apple. So that means the wood and the fruits around me are the remains of that box.

    Also, I have no recollection of this forest. During my sleep did something happen due to which I was smashed here along with the box?

    I didn¡¯t know exactly what happened but, probably an ident or something happened during transport.

    But, leaving my situation behind, no matter how I think about it what I can¡¯t understand is the white body in front of me.

    ¡°Seriously, what is this.......?¡±

    At first I thought, it was a humanoid stuffed toy or something.

    A big head and small limbs, looks simr to 3-4yr old child.

    But, what¡¯s weird is that this child¡¯s (assumption) body is faintly glittering, and on its small back 4 wings of light were growing out. The wings of light aren¡¯t really making me feel ufortable but this child ispletely nude.

    ¡°.........Is, is it a fairy?¡±

    When I looked at such a figure, I could only think of that.

    But, to think that I am seeing fairies now, I must be pretty damn tired.

    Well I was suddenly thrown into living a daily life filled with torturous experiments; the level of despair would make anyone tired.

    Wait, wait, calm down and think. This is a world filled with magic and monsters; it¡¯s not strange for fairies to exist either.

    It¡¯s not strange but why is it shivering while crouching in front of me? If I keep seeing it like this I¡¯ll start feeling pity, so I should try to talk.

    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    Oh it just jumped in response.

    ¡°What happened, does it hurt somewhere?¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    After a full 30 second silence, the fairy timidly turned her face towards me.

    Literally shining tinum blonde long hair and transparent emerald green eyes. Underneath those round and cute eyes, tears can be seen.

    Wha, what is this cute creature!?.......

    I am definitely not a lolicon, but I can¡¯t deny that I just had love at first sight level of heart beating.

    ¡°.......¡±

    Under my hot gaze, the fairy timidly stood up and quickly ran away and hid herself in the shadow of a tree. Shit, she was too cute and I ended up staring at her. Did I make her too cautious of me?

    ¡°.......uu¡±

    Did she run away, or so I thought, but from the shadow of the tree she peeked while showing only her face and asked with a small voice.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    For a second I could not understand the meaning of that bell-like beautiful voice.

    Isn¡¯t that my line? Why is Ms. Fairy worried for me?

    ¡°Came falling.¡±

    Huh? As I wondered what she was talking about, I realized that her gaze was indicating behind me.

    As I looked back, a steep cliff was there. Did I fall from there?

    ¡°ohh.¡±

    I look at the wood splinters and apples again. The box in which I was must have fallen from the top of that steep cliff and fallen inside this forest along with me.

    Then, the one who sshed water at me and woke me up was Ms. Fairy over there?

    ¡°Were you trying to help me?¡±

    While shaking her neck she gave a deep nod.

    ¡°Is that so? Thanks. I¡¯m fine. Not a single injury.¡±

    To be uninjured even after falling from such a height is thanks to my modified body. I¡¯m happy I didn¡¯t cause the cute little fairy any useless worry.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Seeing her gentle smile, I realized I received kindness in this world for the first time. That¡¯s right; there are people even in this world that may worry for me.

    ¡°Aah, really, thanks a lot¡ª¡°

    As I was immersed in delight, I noticed another important fact.

    I was able tomunicate with the fairy. I was talking as if it was natural, but isn¡¯t that actually amazing?

    ¡°aah, umm, you can understand my words right?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    As I calmed down from her figure tilting her head to one side like a little bird, I regretted asking a weird question out of nowhere.

    Considering her reactions up till now, her intelligence might also be at the same level as her appearance. Then maybe it would be better to interact with her as I would with a child.

    Well, I don¡¯t really have any experience dealing with children other than with that cheeky brat of our rtives though.

    ¡°My name is Kurono Maou, you are?¡±

    I tried to be as gentle as possible but, normally the child would run away after seeing my viinous face at this timing. But, Ms. Fairy was a fairy after all, she clearly answered me.

    ¡°.........Li, Lily.¡±

    ¡°Lily?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    With another small nod, she hid half of her face behind the tree in embarrassment.

    Every action is really cute!

    ¡°So, Lily do you know where this is?¡±

    ¡°This is Fairy Garden, a ce where fairies live.¡±

    A forest where fairies live, I see.

    Lily helped me, so I don¡¯t think they hold any strong hostility against humans¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°aaaaah!!¡±

    ¡°Who is it!?¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    A voice other than mine or Lily¡¯ses from behind.

    As I turned to see, a ball of light floating in the air came into my sight.

    Before I realized, many other simr balls of light appeared and are flying in the surroundings.

    ¡°Why is there a human here?!¡±

    The ball of light that previously shouted, said whileing close to my face.

    On looking closely, it was a body of around 15cm and had wings simr to Lily¡¯s

    ¡°Could it be, you are a fairy?¡±

    ¡°Obviously! Can¡¯t you see?!¡±

    As if I would know. I am seeing this for the first time.

    But rather than rebutting her, I should get some info by talking to this fairy.

    ¡°I am¡ª-¡°

    ¡°This is a holy forest where we fairies live! Humans should leave immediately!!¡±

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    Before I could even name myself, I was instantly asked to get out instead.

    What the hell? Aren¡¯t fairies supposed to be a race more friendly with humans? No, that might be my own impression only.

    At least Lily tried to help me, and even showed bashful cute reactions too!

    ¡°Also Lily, you were here too?¡±

    Ignoring me, it flew towards Lily.

    ¡°It¡¯s not gooding to such interior parts by yourself.¡±

    ¡°uu........I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Along with that human, a pseudo-fairy is also not allowed toe in here. You know that right?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know the circumstances of the Fairy Garden but I realize that Lily is being treated differently than by the other small fairies.

    Without knowing anything, I don¡¯t really have any right to speak but I can¡¯t shut up and let the first person in this whole world who showed me kindness make such a sad face.

    ¡°Oi, you don¡¯t really have to put it that way, do you? Lily came to help me.¡±

    ¡°What you really don¡¯t know anything? The fountain of light inside Fairy Garden must not be approached by anyone other than fairies. That is why a human like you and a pseudo-fairy like Lily must note this inside the forest!¡±

    ¡°I am certainly a human but what¡¯s this about Lily being a Pseudo-fairy? No matter how I see it, she is a fairy isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so foolish. Where have you seen such a big fairy? She is a Half-human half-fairy possessing the magical energy of a fairy along with a flesh body. Neither a proper human nor a fairy, a Halfling. Seriously, something like this could be known at first nce. ¡±

    Like I said, I won¡¯t know something like that. In the first ce I have no idea about the biology of this world.

    But during the maneuvering experiments, there were monsters that had magical energy but didn¡¯t possess life force. Something you could only call as a ghost or spirit.

    This small fairy was definitely the same. Only magical energy can be sensed though the quality is different.

    Probably, fairies were madepletely of magical energy.

    Aspared to that, I could clearly sense magical energy simr to the other fairies from Lily but could also feel a life force as well. I finally understood what this fairy was saying.

    ¡°If you understand then leave now. I¡¯ll overlook this so be thankful human.¡±

    ¡°ku.....¡±

    The fairy¡¯s manner of speaking was a bit irritating but I had no reason to damage this ¡®fountain of light¡¯. And I want to avoid quarrels with the beings of this world as well.

    I should control my anger, and leave quietly as the fairy said.

    But my heart really pained to see Lily¡¯s sad face on being called a pseudo-fairy.

    ¡° ah, that¡¯s right, goblins seem to have settled down in the west cave so quickly take care of that as well Lily.¡±

    ¡°un, I understand.¡±

    ¡°woah woah wait a minute? You¡¯re going to make Lily fight against monsters?!¡±

    I was surprised at the fairy ordering something like that as if it was natural, though Lily epting it so readily was also surprising.

    ¡°ughh you¡¯re irritating! It has nothing to do with an outsider stupid human like you.¡±

    ¡°Stupid was unnecessary! Or rather, isn¡¯t it dangerous?!!¡±

    ¡°Monster extermination is a usual thing. Even a pseudo-fairy won¡¯t lose to low level monsters who can¡¯t even use magic.¡±

    ¡°Is, is that so?¡±

    As I looked towards Lily with an uneasy expression, I really can¡¯t imagine her fighting monsters. But by her way of speaking, it meant she could use magic.

    If she could attack with magic, then the size of the body was unrted to strength. Even I could defeat a dragon after all.

    ¡°if you understand then both of you hurry up and leave! How long do you intend to remain here? Do you want me to use strength?!¡±

    The ball of light started flickering strongly. Was she trying to intimidate me?

    ¡°I get it! Fine! I¡¯ll go so don¡¯t start firing magic from behind.¡±

    And so, I and Lily left this ce.

    Lily enviously looked at the fairies taking the scattered apple like fruits with them deep inside the forest.

    ¡°Did you want to eat that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll bring someter.¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    I¡¯ll do itter. We¡¯ll eat together okay?¡±

    ¡°Th, Thank you!¡±

    Looking at the smiling Lily, I somehow felt healed.

 Chapter 12 Fairy

    Chapter 12 Fairy

    A fairy is a life-form made purely out of magical energy and does not possess a flesh body.

    It might sound unbelievable, but fairies are born directly with a proper ego/personality and knowledge. On top of it, they are not born from a mother but, with the magical energy of the earth and the divine protection of the fairy queen they are born simr to the blooming of a flower bud. A real life setting simr to ¨C a stork bringing babies or babiesing from cabbage fields. Until you don¡¯t see one born in front of your own eyes, it¡¯s an unbelievable fantasy life-form.

    So, these fairies can make contact with material substances, but since they don¡¯t possess an actual body they don¡¯t really have an animal¡¯s survival instincts.

    Life-forms made out magical energy don¡¯t possess the 3 basic desires i.e. sleep, appetite, and sexual desires.

    In case of fairies, even if they can sleep for resting their minds, food is absolutely unnecessary, and so neither is excretion required. On top of it, they don¡¯t have men either. They are a life-form simr to an ideal entertainment idol.

    Again, they are all born in the form of a young girl and will remain the same until they disappear. Even though they are all females, the reason the species doesn¡¯t go extinct is because there is no need for reproduction. And they don¡¯t age probably because they don¡¯t really have an actual body.

    For them to keep on living, what¡¯s required is an environment simr to the forest of fairies which has a dense magical energy. As long as they can replenish their magic, fairies can keep on living.

    Even though they have the same level of intellect as humans, due to not having any instinctual desires, there are no disputes among them, again for the same reason they don¡¯t possess any kind of culture either. They are one the few races that have remained the same from the ancient times.

    Since there is no other requirement for survival they don¡¯t have any work and spend 24 hours talking and ying around.

    From the start, fairies were a race who loves freedom and chattering it seems. Somehow they are very simr to children.

    Even though they don¡¯t require it, they enjoy sleeping under the warm sun and eating delicious food as a source of pleasure.

    That was why they carried away the apple-like fruits. And so, they eat, sleep, and y in rotation every day.

    On listening this, I wanted to be a fairy myself but fairies are a very exclusive race. Shouting hysterically and driving me away showed that part of them.

    And thus, the half-human half-fairy Lily was also affected by it. Even though she was born as a fairy she was subjected to ostracism.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª-I see it must have been hard. Shit, I feel like crying.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Kurono.¡±

    I listened to Lily¡¯s life story as we ate the apples (well it¡¯s not exactly an apple but I¡¯m going to call it that.). It really was a heart wrenching story.

    I¡¯m already emotionally attached to Lily, and Lily too has started calling me without any honorific; we are not at the level of acquaintance anymore.

    That¡¯s right, we are already friends! We should be...it would be nice if we are.

    Well leaving the fact whether we are friends or not aside, we were talking about Lily.

    ¡°To have been alone from the time you were born is too damn sad.........¡±

    Since Lily possessed a proper body she also had survival instincts that meant that she had to eat to survive. She had to sleep to remove fatigue as well. Basically she had to work to find food and also secure a ce to sleep, that too within this forest all by herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a proper house as well.¡±

    The home she talks about is a small hut currently in front of us right now.

    This extremely aged hut built like a log house was once used by a magician a long time ago it seems. When that magician died, his body was carried to the graveyard by the neighbouring vigers but his house was left as is.

    And when Lily was born, she was driven out of the fountain of light so she started living in this hut near the forest.

    ¡°What do you do about food?¡±

    ¡°I pick up fruits and mushrooms. Also, I buy bread from the vige.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You can do shopping!? What about money?¡±

    ¡°I pick up medicinal herbs and make medicines out of it.¡±

    ¡°And you sell it in the vige for earnings?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Only asionally though.¡±

    ¡°Amazing! That¡¯s really brilliant!¡±

    She is able to earn her livelihood even though she is so small. Compared to a modern child like me who has to do nothing but go to school, she is certainly amazing.

    ¡°ehehe.....¡±

    Maybe because she was embarrassed on beingplimented, Lily was started squirming with her face down.

    You should be more proud of yourself!

    ¡°If you¡¯re living alone, can¡¯t you leave this forest and live in the vige?¡±

    ¡°No.....Fairies can only live in ces which have received the divine protection of the Queen.¡±

    I don¡¯t know whether it was a rule or not, but still Lily didn¡¯t want to be separated from this forest even though she was not a full fairy.

    Even if there was no rule, this ce is her birth ce after all. I can understand the feeling of not wanting to leave this ce.

    ¡°But, aren¡¯t you being forced to do dangerous things like fighting monsters by those fairies?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have been doing this from a long time. This is the only thing Lily can do for them.¡±

    ¡°Lily wants to protect the fountain of light even though you were driven out of there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There¡¯s no way it wasn¡¯t painful for her yet there was strength in her reply. I shouldn¡¯t make anymore unnecessary conversation regarding this.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I won¡¯t stop you. But this time I¡¯ll do the goblin extermination in exchange.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? No! It¡¯s Dangerous!?¡±

    Lily was aware that it was dangerous for a human to fight monsters even if they were low grade monsters.

    But unfortunately, wait, here I should call it fortunately right? I was no longer a normal human.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Even though I look like this, I¡¯m a magician!¡±

    ¡°Magician?¡±

    Lily stared at me absentmindedly with her mouth open. Looking at my own figure reflected in those big eyes of her I realized.

    ¡°Sorry but Lily is there something I can wear? Also tell me if there is a river nearby where I can wash my body.¡±

    My outfit is still the same in white clothes given to me in that facility. On top of that it has 8 big holes I got during by fight with Sariel. Also, after escaping, I crossed the mountains for 3 days in the same outfit. It had be dirty as well as worn-out. Simrly, I haven¡¯t washed my body for that many days as well. Although I might not realize it myself, but my body definitely smells bad....

    No matter how I look at it, I look like a vagrant with a bad nature. I don¡¯t look like a magician from any angle.

    ¡°Umm, River is that way, as for clothes......¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have any. For the time being I¡¯ll first go and wash¡ª¡ª wait, maybe I should first kill off those goblins, it feels like I¡¯ll get dirty again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to go now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll wash my clothes after returning. Well then, Lily, guide me to this west cave where the goblins are.¡±

    ¡°ye, yes.¡±

    Maybe because she is still worried, she is making a troubled face.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Just leave it to me. If it gets dangerous I¡¯ll run. I have some confidence in running away.¡±

    After all, I was able to run away from that crazy evil experiment facility after facing that monster ss albino girl. An encirclement of goblins is nothing.

    ¡°un, follow me!¡±

    Led by my enthusiasm (?), lily began guiding me there.

    All right! I¡¯ll show my strong point to the first person who showed me kindness!

    I braced myself and started following Lily.

 Chapter 13 Goblin Extermination (1)

    Chapter 13 Goblin Extermination (1)

    ¡°¡ª¡ªthere.¡±

    While hiding in the shade of a tree, Lily pointed towards a part on the rocky cliff.

    ¡°ooh, there are definitely goblins there.¡±

    The main entrance seemed to be a cave of around 3m and around it were three more small entrances of about 1m. Neither of them is very big, but for goblins who are at most 1m in height, it is sufficient.

    The goblins here seem to be the same type as the ones I faced during the maneuvering experiments.

    The ones at that time were equipped with sturdy armour and sharp des but the ones here are wearing just old rags and are equipped with what looks like weak handmade weapons.

    The level of equipment was definitely low, but they seemed to be more than used to these weapons.

    ¡°I¡¯m confirming this just in case but, it¡¯s fine to kill all of them right?¡±

    I had long lost any hesitation in killing living things including humans, but I didn¡¯t feel like showing Lily a blood-filled scenery either.

    Although I doubt Lily would have any reluctance towards killing considering she has been doing this for a long time, but still I decided to ask just in case.

    If she got scared due to me over-killing the goblins, I would be pretty sad.

    ¡°Yes, if you leave even one goblin then another 30 woulde, so you must properly exterminate them all.¡±

    ¡°Is, is that so? I see.¡±

    I felt a really big gap seeing her say things like [extermination] as if they were cockroaches. (T/N: I think here Kurono is talking about Gap Moe probably. Google gap moe if you don¡¯t know what it is.)

    Is the pure cruelty special to only children, I wonder?

    Well whatever. That¡¯s one thing out of my mind at least. As asked, I¡¯ll leave not a single one alive.

    ¡°All right. Well then I¡¯m off!¡±

    Without really trying to hide myself, I directly move towards the cave.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªLoad.¡±

    This technique of creating multiple bullets before the start of battle so that I can fire consecutively was developed while I was crammed in that box while crossing to the Pandora continent. I had lots of free time after all.

    The amount of bullets I can stock isn¡¯t very big, but for now being able to concentrate 3 times my usual firepower on the first turn is enough.

    ¡°ckening.¡±

    I use it on the 1m long 4 wooden branches that I collected whileing here. I had carrying it underneath my armpits till now, now I can control them without touching them. I make the 4 ck sticks stay behind me.

    ¡°¡ª¨Calright.¡±

    As I stand on top of arge boulder, I can clearly see the entrance of the cave. From here, I won¡¯t miss any goblins either.

    Roughly, 20 goblins can be seen out of which around 13 of them are armed. There are probably more of them hiding in the cave. And as I saw the goblins, at the same time the goblins near the entrance were also able to clearly see me.

    Not wanting to wee the human who suddenly appeared, the faces of those goblins that looked like a mix of frog and monkey quickly distorted and looked at me with hostilty.

    ¡°gyoaahhhh!!¡±

    I don¡¯t know whether it was a signal for itspanions or just a war cry but with the the shout the goblin entered a fighting stance.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Come at me¡ª¡ª-wait Lily!? Why are you here!?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    The moment I was about to fire my magic, I became aware of the white shadow flickering near my legs. I was sure she was in the forest waiting patiently, so why is she so nonchntlying to the front lines!?

    But, now I can¡¯t just run away while holding Lily either.

    Lily has some experience in fighting monsters so it¡¯s probably unnecessary to worry about her.

    Aaagh! I¡¯m still extremely worried!!

    ¡°Lily don¡¯t leave my side. It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Did she understand or not? Lily looks at me with a puzzled face.

    I¡¯m seriously worried but I don¡¯t have time worry about it for now.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!!¡±

    Once again motivating myself, I face the goblins. Out of the 13 armed ones, 2 were equipped with bows. Maybe due to the noise, 4 more goblins with bows and 10 others also jumped out of the cave. The rest, all equipped with spears and swords, charge towards me.

    ¡°Rifle.¡±

    First I¡¯ll take out the long ranged ones. Before the six bow users could release even a single arrow, the fake full metal jacket bullets pierce through their heads.

    Since I had them loaded in advance, I could fire all of them at the same time rather than one by one.

    ¡°Buckshot.¡±

    The next aim was towards the ones charging straight towards me.

    I had defeated the bow users in the time required for a single shot so the attack group had not yet reached close enough to me. That distance was approximately 10 meters. Perfect to finish with Buckshot.

    The already loaded 4 buckshot were fired and immediately covered the whole area in front of me in the form of a barrage. Having neither shields nor the time to evade, it pierced through the bodies of the goblins.

    The goblins in the front werepletely annihted on a level that it was impossible to know which of the bullets had been the fatal one. There were even some whose thin arms and legs had been blown away.

    ¡°gih, gieaaha!!¡±

    Goblins who had avoided a fatal blow due to theirpanions bing a shield for them raised a cry of anger and anguish and continued to charge towards me. Behind them were the ones who still unhurt, and again, more reinforcements appeared from the cave.

    It seems they won¡¯t retreat with just this, or maybe they don¡¯t possess the intelligence to n a retreat; either way, if they areing then it¡¯ll only help me save time so I¡¯m d actually.

    ¡°Gatling.¡±

    Sticking out my right hand, I start using Gatling for sweeping fire.

    Gatling automatically does the process of firing bullets so I am able to focus solely on creating bullets. This results in rapid firing faster than rifle.

    But, using my right hand as a barrel, I can only fire in a straight direction from it with some slight aiming only. Thus it is effective against groups charging straight from the front. The opponent will indirectly get inside my range after all.

    And so, without any means to defend against or avoid the bullets on the same level as Rifle, the goblins charging here one by one turned to minced meat.

    This was not a battle but looked more like a one-sided massacre.

    Nevertheless, the goblins kept on charging inside the kill zone of the ck bullets.

    Due to dead bodies of theirpanions slowing them down and my bullets flying all over, the distance between me and the goblins remained the same. When I thought that it was about time that I started moving towards the cave as well, it was at that moment.

    ¡°uoooooh!!!¡±

    A load roar shook the surroundings. While firing the Gatling, I looked towards the source of that roar.

    It was probably a part of the reinforcementsing out of the cave and had no difference in lookspared to other goblins. But the big hatchet held in its hand strangely stood out.

    The goblins here mainly used handmade bows and spears which was definitely poor. asionally, there were some who held swords but those were also chipped and rusted without any signs of proper maintenance.

    But that big hatchet alone still held sharpness and was releasing a shine even an amateur could see.

    What it released was not just shine but also a darkish aura simr to my ck magical energy.

    The moment I thought that a troublesome one appeared, the goblin with the hatchet suddenly attacked itspanions beside him with its weapon. With a short death cry, the neck of that goblin fell, clearly as if butter had been sliced with a knife.

    ¡°Oioi, that really is a dangerous guy.¡±

    Even goblins noticed the abnormality and stopped their charge to look towards him.

    In that short moment, the goblins near it one by one fell under the attack of that big hatchet and had their heads cut off.

    ¡°Kurono, that¡¯s a cursed weapon! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Cursed weapon?¡±

    Now that I remember, during the Maneuvering experiments, there were strange weapons which raised strength or allowed the use of magic without actually learning them, just by holding that weapon. Simr to how I used ckening on weapons, I thought weapons could also be attached with various magical effects.

    But, there may be times when the magic attached may not always be a merit for the user as well. That must be the so called [Cursed Weapon].

    Attacking all without discrimination of ally or enemy, it¡¯s quite a simple to understand curse.

    As I somewhat carelessly thought, I shot my Rifle towards the Goblin still swinging around that hatchet.

    I had stopped Gatling, so the aim was perfect, and pierced through the head brilliantly, or that was how it was supposed to be.

    ¡°guaau!!¡±

    With a slight swing, the bullet was deflected by the hatchet.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? What kind of reaction speed is that!?¡±

    With its eyespletely gone white, the already ugly face became worse and turned to look towards me.

    Ah, this is, it¡¯spletely aiming for me now.

    On top of it, its breathing became wilder than the time it appeared, it¡¯s drooling continuously, and its white eyes are now starting to be bloodshot. Did my single shot irritate it that much; the goblin¡¯s anger was clearly heating up.

    This might be a little troublesome opponent.........

 Chapter 14 Goblin Extermination (2)

    Chapter 14 Goblin Extermination (2)

    ¡°Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Lily, it¡¯s dangerous so get back a little.¡±

    Goblins were already an agile race like monkeys but that one jumped threateningly towards me surpassing it.

    ¡°Rifle!¡±

    I rapid-fired my Rifle towards the goblin in the air but with unnatural movements it deflected most of them with that big hatchet.

    Even though some hit its body, as if it didn¡¯t feel pain, it kept on swinging the hatchet with unchanged speed.

    This is the type that¡¯ll keep oning until Ipletely destroy it. The distance between me and thended goblin was about 3 meters.

    Now that it was in front of me, I could clearly sense an ominous energy what could only be described as the [curse].

    ¡°Automatic Fencing¡±

    To block the approaching enemy I controlled the ckened sticks that were behind me. If my opponent was a normal weapon I could have blocked it with just these wooden sticks.

    ¡°gyoaah!!!¡±

    In front of the cursed hatched, they were easily split in two.

    The 4 sticks were somehow able to attack the goblin but it didn¡¯t seem like it was taking any damage. While it was fighting with the sticks, I fired Rifle towards it but with superhuman reactions it either deflected or evaded it. In 10 seconds it had cut the sticks apart and then rushed towards me in a straight line.

    ¡°Kuh, shield!!¡±

    The deployed shield somehow prevented my head from being split apart like a bamboo.

    Even my strongest shield that wouldn¡¯t crack with my own Anti-material attack was cut till halfway. This will definitely break in the next attack.

    ¡°Buckshot.¡±

    But, I¡¯m not going to let that happen.

    Taking my Buckshot at close range, the goblin was blown away. Many bullets should have pierced through him but maybe due to the weapon strengthening the body as well; it was still in good health.

    In mid air, it fixed its posture like a cat, and the blood stained goblin lightlynded on the ground.

    The moment it took a step towards me to try and cut me again, the pieces of the broken ck stick started coiling around its leg.

    ¡°gii!?¡±

    It must have thought that the sticks have be useless after being cut apart, but Automatic Fencing won¡¯t be stopped just by being split into 2 or 3 pieces.

    It didn¡¯t really have any effect against Sariel, but against the goblin corrupted by the weapon, it was effective.

    With its leg caught, the goblin fell face first but it still didn¡¯t let go of the weapon in its hand.

    ¡°Anti-material.¡±

    Up till now the goblin had been jumping around, but due to it falling, I could precisely aim this time. And in that position it was impossible to swing that hatchet either, even a cursed weapon could not ignore the structure of its body. The fired bullet pierced through its strengthened arm and blew it awaypletely. The hand along with the weapon fell to the ground.

    ¡°Rifle.¡±

    At the same moment, the Rifle fired hit directly at its forehead and blood and brains burst out.

    ¡°phew, man closebat really is scary.......¡±

    Without a user, the cursed weapon could no longer show its effects.

    Wait, it won¡¯t fly by itself and try cutting me right? Is what I thought, but the ckish auraing from that hatchet seems to have finally calmed down.

    ¡°For the time being I should recover it.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to fight another goblin who picked it up and went mad again.

    ¡°Kurono stop! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    Lily who was standing quietly behind me as I asked raised her voice when she saw meing close to the hatchet. Well, I am trying to touch a cursed weapon, it¡¯s normal to try and stop me.

    ¡°aa, it¡¯ll probably be fine Lily.

    I without any hesitation touched the handle, at that moment.

    ¡ª-hate¡ª¡ªkill¡ª¡ª¡ªlove¡ª¡ª¡ªdie¡ª¨C

    ¡°ooh, well this is a nostalgic feeling.....¡±

    It was simr to thoughts being forcefully put in my mind as done by the ring of restraint. The thoughts of love and hate entered my mind giving me a chill.

    ¡°You¡¯re being noisy, be quiet!¡ª-ckening!!¡±

    Simr to when the goblin held it, ckish aura started toe out of the hatchet but my much darker magical energy overcame it.

    AS I thought, this big hatchet has ck magical energy inside of it simr to mine but the quantity inside me is far above it.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of malice it possesses but against an overwhelming difference of magical energy, it won¡¯t be able to make me go mad and control me as the goblin. Basically, mypatibility with the hatchet was good.

    ¡°Ku, Kurono?¡±

    ¡°See, I told you it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Hahahaha whileughing I yed and swung it around my hand like a pen.

    I didn¡¯t have such technique in me but due to probably the effect ofing in contact with the weapon, I felt as if the weapon was like a part of me and use it with maximum skill.

    ¡°The curse?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t hear the hateful voices anymore. But, Lily shouldn¡¯t touch it. The only reason I can is because mypatibility was high.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    With the cursed hatchet in my hand, after making sure that I showed no change in presence, Lily finally showed a smile. But, isn¡¯t this scene of us smiling like this while surrounded by a mountain of goblin corpses a bit too surreal?

    ¡°Oh I almost forgot! There were goblins remaining.¡±

    Before I realized, the goblins that hadn¡¯t lost their fighting spirit were slowly surrounding me.

    It seems they have finally be a bit more vignt, they have shifted their strategy to slowly close the distance while moving on all sides. I can easily fight without any problems but it¡¯ll be dangerous to let Lily also be surrounded along with me.

    ¡°Lily, quickly¡ª¡ª¡°

    Move back, as I tried to say that, I heard the sound of something flying towards us.

    Shit, they fired a bow.

    As I looked up, numerous arrows wereing down towards us as if raining.

    Will I be able to deflect them all with buckshot? Even if not, then with the help of the hatchet I will be able to defend my own body mostly.

    In any case, due to the shield being partially destroyed previously I won¡¯t be able to reconstruct the shield in time.

    For now, I should hold Lily and protect her from¡ª-

    ¡°nn!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The moment I thought of holding Lily who was standing on the ground, I realized she was already on my shoulder. Sticking both her hands towards the front, with a ¡°nn¡± Lily sound closed her eyes and groaned.

    ¡°eeei!!!¡±

    With Lily¡¯s cute shout, her faintly glittering white body started shining more strongly than ever.

    ¡°Uooh, too bright!?¡±

    The next moment, numerous beams of light were released from Lily¡¯s hands.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s a beam!? Is that a beam!?¡±

    The numerous beams of light released by Lily flew towards the iing arrows while leaving a trail behind it. With a speed much faster than the arrows, one beam of Lily¡¯s light destroyed multiple arrows.

    ¡°Could it be that it¡¯s automatically tracking them?¡±

    Moreover, the targets are arrows which are pretty fast too.

    As I muttered that, the rain of arrows had beenpletely destroyed in mid-air. The light that had counter-attacked had also disappeared.

    ¡°.......amazing.¡±

    It¡¯s a highly efficient magic that makes my Rifle or buckshot look like toys. Amazing, can fairies all use such level of magic? Then it makes sense that goblins won¡¯t be much of an opponent.

    ¡°ehehe¡±

    Receiving my respectful gaze, Lily became shy while sitting on my shoulder. Her face is close, her cuteness is also 3 times greater!

    ¡°ha!¡±

    I can¡¯t calm down just yet; I¡¯m still in a battle. The goblins havee close enough to be able to sh at me after one step.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to also show my cool part it seems.¡±

    I gently lowered Lily back to the ground. Holding the hatchet in my right hand, I start loading in my left hand.

    ¡°Lily, I won¡¯t let the spear userse any closer but they might shoot the arrows again so can I leave that to you?¡±

    I have no reason to doubt Lily¡¯s abilities any longer and at this point it would be better to cooperate as well.

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    While raising her thin eyebrows, Lily¡¯s face is filled with confidence.

    ¡°Alright! Then I leave it to you!!¡±

    At the same time, I start running towards the goblins in front of me.

    Since my basis for ck magic was a gun, my usual strategy was to fight from long range but that doesn¡¯t mean that I cannot fight at close quarters.

    To allow me to fight from long range at all times, those maneuvering experiments were not that easy. Well, fighting in close range with an opponent so much that my body was drenched with blood was still scary no matter though.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªBuckshot!¡±

    I deal with the goblins in front of me with buckshot. Each of them held spear, knife, and a rusted sword. First I pick up the rusted sword.

    ¡°ckening¡ª¡ª-Automatic Fencing.¡±

    I control the ckened sword and throw it. In the same way I did the same with the knife then the spear as well.

    ¡°Pierce through.¡±

    The ckened 3 weapons turned around andunched towards the goblins approaching towards my back.

    Meanwhile, without even turning around, I sh apart the 2 goblins that came at me from the front.

    ¡°oooh, what amazing sharpness!!¡±

    The weapon in goblin¡¯s hand, the leather armor, flesh and bone, all were cut apart without any resistance at all. This might even cut an iron te like paper. Due to ckening, its power must have risen as well, but I have never seen any weapon with such an amazing cutting ability. Cursed weapons are pretty amazing!

    ¡°deyaa!¡±

    I split apart the iing goblins into two one by one with the big hatchet. I had absolutely no knowledge of using swords but due to my body strengthening and the technique knowledge of the hatchet itself, I became able of using the magnificent sword dance as done by the samurai shown in historical ys.

    ¡°dodon!!¡±

    Behind me, along with this beautiful scene of carnage, a unexpected extremely cute scream could be heard. Probably, Lily just used magic. At the same time as the head of the goblin in front of me flew, the scene of the goblin archers deployed around the entrance of the cave being enveloped by a pir of light came into my view. Seriously, Lily¡¯s fairy magic is amazing. Will I also be someday be able to shoot beams?

    ¡°¡ª¡ªYou¡¯re thest one!¡±

    After splitting it from head to toe, the goblins around me had all been annihted.

    In my surroundingsy an innumerable amount of goblin corpses.

    Every corpsecked a hand, leg, head or some other part of the body. As such the amount blood was also amazing. The whole ground had turned into a hellish pool of blood and I myself was also drenched in blood as well.

    The originally white clothes had already had already be ckish due to dirt. With the blood it had now be darkish brown, an even worse coloring than before.

    Thinking that I matched with this ce of massacre, my own thoughts may have be a bit twisted, but seeing Lilye towards even the current me with full of smiles, well I thought that it might not be that bad.

    ¡°Thanks for taking care of the archers for me.¡±

    ¡°I worked hard!¡±

    ¡°aa, it was one-shot kill too! Lily¡¯s really amazing!¡±

    ¡°ehehe¡±

    Lily seemed proud yet embaressed.

    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s done more or less. There should be more of them inside the cave right? What should we do? Should we take care of it now as well?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine already.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yup¡ª¡°

    And then, Lily shined for the third time today. The same pir of light that purged the archers appeared near the entrance of the cave and just like that shot at the cliff itself.

    I didn¡¯t know how much power that pir had but, the slope of the cliff exploded and started burying the entrance to the cave with a crash.

    The goblins that had been inside the cave starteding out due to panic but were crushed by the falling rocks and buried there and then.

    ¡°.......waa.¡±

    As thendslide stopped, the entrance to the cave had been blocked and the goblins that might have been there had been buried alive. With a single shot, the extermination wasplete.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Kurono.¡±

    I was in a bit of a daze but came back to my senses when Lily pulled my cuff.

    ¡°Ye, Yeah, that¡¯s right, let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Looking at that small back walking through the forest in a good mood, I swore in my heart to never ever anger Lily no matter what.

 Chapter 15 Cleansing of Heart and Body

    Chapter 15 Cleansing of Heart and Body

    Near Lily¡¯s hut, there was small stream that was extremely clear maybe due to the fact that came from the fountain of light.

    Having be even dirtier after finishing the goblin extermination, I decided to directlye here.

    Obviously I had no soap and only cold water was avable for washing the clothes, but I felt as if I had washed both my mind and body and had be more refreshed than ever before.

    Although, the clothes soaked in blood had no way of returning to same level of whiteness as before.

    ¡°During that time I had no way to wash it properly after all.¡±

    Even in the facility, I was allowed to wash my body somewhat.

    Or rather, I was thrown into a room smaller than the stalls in a public toilet and was washed through water jet streams blowing out from the walls along with my clothes. It felt more like being thrown inside a washing machine. I actually did almost drown a few times as well.

    So now I am satisfied with just being able to wash myself at my once pace with clean water.

    But still, I¡¯m currentlypletely nude in the middle of a forest. I feel like pervert........it¡¯s fine, after all the fairy Lily is also always like that too.

    Well, a fairy who looked like a cute little girl and a guy of over 180cm height, even if both are nude, it¡¯spletely different after all.

    Well leaving that aside, now that I think about it, does this world even have proper baths? As I thought that I sat on a convenient rock and began to eat another apple.

    ¡°un, it¡¯s delicious.¡±

    The first thing I ate after escaping that facility is this fruit which I have nicknamed as apple. The water of the river was also delicious but this fresh sour yet sweet vour having red fruit is on apletely different level.

    Due to it being so delicious, it took me 5 fruits to realize that the taste was slightly different from a normal apple. The box I sneaked in was luckily filled with lots of these fruits so I had no need to be worried about the quantity either.

    While inside the box, I would either sleep or eat these apples, and inside my mind I¡¯ll focus on developing my magic. One of the magic I developed was [gatling]. After that, I fell into a deep sleep due to which I have no memory of being unloaded at the port of Pandora continent and then being transported through thend. While crossing that cliff, the carriage must have unluckily dropped this box down the cliff.

    Actually, even if that carriage was actually attacked by goblins or something it was of no concern to me anymore, so it¡¯s useless to think about it anymore as well.

    ¡°But it¡¯s good that I learnt how to use [Shadow space].¡±

    After eating the apple, I throw the central part that was left. The remains disappeared after being sucked into the shadow extending from me.

    [Shadow Space] was a magic that created a room/space inside my own shadow. Of course, I named it myself and I don¡¯t know what its official name was. While fighting with the other human experiments, I saw many of them use this. At first ¡°He brought out a sword out of nowhere!?¡± was all I could think, but after seeing it many times I finally realized the true identity of that magic.

    By using your own shadow as a door, weapons or items can be stored inside it. Without having a fundamental image, I worked hard to get that 4th dimensional pocket likeability. (T/N: Reference to Doraemon.)

    As a result, with an [image of gathering ck magical energy inside my own shadow], I was sessful up to some extent in creating a space inside my shadow.

    The space was of about 2 meter in radius but others have obviously been able to store bigger objects so it seems I am still at an elementary level.

    When I master this magic, I really might be able to create a 4th dimensional pocket. Leaving that aside, without feeling any weight I can carry anything anywhere. Once the space is built (that took an insane amount of magic), no magic is required for maintaining it. Open and closing the space does require a little amount of magic but still this is a very convenient magic.

    Even now, 24 apples are still stored inside my shadow. Even if I give Lily half of it, there is still 12 of them for me.

    And the biggest loot from the goblin extermination, the cursed hatchet, is also stored inside. A weapon with that much strength should be rare even in this world. I think I have been charmed by its cutting ability.

    Ah, I¡¯m not being charmed due to the effect of the curse of the weapon right?

    Well whatever. I also have other knives, swords ckened and stored inside as well. It¡¯s not worth more than trash but even if rusted, they are at least actual weapons. The attack power would be more than wooden branches after all.

    I don¡¯t really have anything else to keep anyway. Also, the remains of the apple that I threw inside are disintegrated by my magic and absorbed inside the shadow. This is also something I copied from another human experiment.

    During battle, that guy caught my ckened sword with his magic and instantly disintegrated and absorbed it to add it to his own attack power.

    At my current level, the disintegration and absorption process is slow. On top of it, my efficiency is so bad that the magical energy used in the process is more than the magical energy gained. It seems it is still impossible for me to absorb magic without any loss like that human experiment. If I could do that, I would have been able to absorb that rain of arrows, use ckening on it, and return fire with them instantly. In any case, it is still impossible for me.

    But even if I am unable to use it in battle, it¡¯s convenient like this for throwing away trash. Even that guy wouldn¡¯t think of such an ecological use of this ability.

    ¡°.........Sorry, for escaping alone.¡±

    I should stop this. I am not strong enough to take care of other¡¯s well being and neither do I have the time for it.

    Just being able to defeat numerous goblins is not a strength I can be proud of.

    People stronger than me, like that Sariel, must exist as well.

    In the end, being able to run away by myself was the best I could do. I didn¡¯t even think of trying to save other experiments with me.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time I return back to Lily¡¯s ce.¡±

    Stopping my useless thoughts, I left the stream thinking about whether my body and clothes could also be dried through magic.

 Chapter 16 First Friend

    Chapter 16 First Friend

    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±

    ¡°Please do!¡±

    As I opened the door to the hut, Lily greeted me with a smile. With just that, I felt healed. But I¡¯m currently wearing nothing but wet underpants; it¡¯s not the time to be lost in thoughts.

    ¡°Kurono, take this.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Lily gave me a rectangr piece of soft cloth. Is this a towel?

    ¡°Is it fine to use it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    For now, with this I didn¡¯t have any need to wear those wet underpants till they dried. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I took of my pants and hung it beside the rest of my clothes on the branch of a tree outside. Drying my head with the towel, I thought.

    ¡°Well, first I should get some clothes from somewhere.¡±

    Lily doesn¡¯t wear anything, she won¡¯t know much about it anyway. If I go to the vige where she sells the medicines, I should be able to get some clothes for myself.

    ¡°Say Lily, does the nearby vige have any shops selling clothes? If there are, how many are there?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    She looks at me nkly. Was it too much to ask two questions at the same time?

    ¡°Well, I think the second hand shop was selling some.¡±

    ¡°Huh what do they sell usually?¡±

    ¡°Well anything! I don¡¯t know about clothes but they did have armour!¡±

    ¡°Even armour? Wow, they really do sell anything.¡±

    I thought it might have been something like a convenience store, but this is a world where monsters are a daily urrence. Weapons are more important here than in my world. Even viges have shops dealing in them it seems.

    ¡°Kurono,e in!¡±

    ¡°ah, it¡¯s weird to talk while standing at the entrance after all. Then I¡¯ll ept your offer ande in.¡±

    Well this is a western style house so there is no space for removing shoes before entering the house. I have never gone abroad, but never did I think that my first experience of moving with shoes in someone¡¯s house would be in a different world.

    Just in case, I wiped the dirt off my feet and then stepped inside. Lily is also walking inside the house with bare feet.

    For Lily who barely came up to my knee, this must feel like a huge house but for me who had grown into a uselessly big body, it still felt a bit cramped.

    The house itself feels pretty big but, due to huge bookshelves lined beside each other along with boxes and mysterious sacks lying around, I felt a little oppressed.

    The bed and the small table were the only things that made it feel that someone lived here. Even though only Lily lives here, there seem to be a lot of useless things. Although, it might be too much for her to remove those big bookshelves by herself.

    ¡°Come sit!¡±

    As I was looking around the house, Lily called out to me.

    Lily had jumped upon her bed and was patting the white mattress with both her hands. Since there seems to be no chairs, certainly that is the only ce to sit.

    As I sat down on the bed, I was instantly entranced by the fluffy sensation of the mattress. Since I had been sleeping on nothing but the hard floor up till now, this softness was an extreme luxury.

    As I was immersed in that,

    ¡°I¡¯ll go make some tea!¡±

    I was about to ask her not to trouble herself, but as soon as her motivated glittering figure came into my view,

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    That was all I could say in the end.

    I had already taken her towel. If I keep sitting here I feel that my debt towards Lily would keep on elerating starting with that tea. Sorry Lily, at this time I only have my body and my ck magic with me but one day I¡¯ll return this favour to you tenfold! I promise!

    As I strongly swore this inside my heart, I looked towards Lily.

    ¡°fuuuu!!!¡±

    Lily was breathing fire.

    Are you a dragon!? I almost stood up and tsukkomi-ed. Calm down, it¡¯s just magic.

    As I said, Lily was currently blowing out fire towards the big kettle (?) from that small mouth of hers. There were many who could use fire type magic, but this is my first time seeing a humanoid person breathing fire literally. Is that also fairy magic?

    I had many doubts, but looking at Lily working so hard just to make tea, I was unable to call out to her.

    I¡¯ll just quietly wait here¡ª-

    ¡°It¡¯s done!!¡±

    With that voice, I was pulled back to reality from the shallow sleep called thinking.

    On the table stood Lily with a daunting pose, and beside her a teapot and cup giving off a sweet fragrance were lined up.

    ¡°oo, Thanks a lot!¡±

    I was bit worried whether Lily who looked like a small child would be able to make tea properly, but is seems my worries were useless.

    The cup was filled with ck tea? It should be something close to it going by its colour.

    ¡°Drink, Kurono!¡±

    I received a gaze full of expectation from Lily¡ª

    ¡°Ou, Itadakimasu¡ª-¡°

    As I reached towards the cup, I suddenly realized.

    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Lily¡¯s share?¡±

    On the table, beside the cup, there was only the teapot. Did she forget about herself, the owner?

    ¡°There is only one.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what?¡±

    ¡°Cup.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Why¡ª-¡°

    Could it be that she had no money? If that was so, I regretted that I ended up asking something so stupid.

    ¡°Because nobody everes. But Kurono came, for the first time ever. Lily is very happy.¡± (T/L: Lily talks in third person. Instead of ¡®I¡¯ she uses her own name.)

    I regretted even more now. I see, so this is what it means to be expelled from the fountain of light.

    If she lived in the vige it wouldn¡¯t have been like this, but since she is a fairy, she didn¡¯t want to leave the forest either.

    That is why, if she had not been expelled, then like a normal fairy, she could have had fun everyday with her friends. She would have been able to live without any sadness or pain¡ª-but this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m supposed to say right now.

    epting the fact that she was expelled and also living here rather than in the vige, was both done by Lily herself. I have no right to deny it.

    ¡°That means I am the first friend to have ever been invited to your house? I¡¯m honoured.¡±

    ¡°Friend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. After all we fought against the goblin army together entrusting our backs to each other. We are already more than just some normal friends!¡±

    That is why I will be the first person to give a helping hand to Lily who had always been alone till now. In this different world, I may be ignorant andckingmonsense, I am not even that strong. Still I can at least fight monsters.

    ¡°Yeah, Lily is Kurono¡¯s friend!¡±

    This day I saw Lily¡¯s best smile. But in this world full with nothing but my enemies, I was the one who was actually happier to have finally gotten my first friend.

    That¡¯s right, just by meeting her, I felt d to havee here.

 Chapter 17 Black Magician Kurono

    Chapter 17 ck Magician Kurono

    The next day, I woke up at sunrise.

    Aftering to this different world, I woke up feeling refreshed for the first time. A bed is definitely a great thing. On the fluffy bed Iypletely naked except for the towel around my waist along with Lily who was nude from the very start.

    Huh? Hearing up till this point, doesn¡¯t it sound like a suspicious situation?

    It¡¯s alright. I didn¡¯t do anything to feel guilty about. That¡¯s because I am a gentleman. YES for Lolita but NO touching. I really am not a lolicon, seriously. Lily asked me to stay at the hut so I decided to ept her kind offer. Maybe because she was an extremely soft hearted person, Lily didn¡¯t seem to mind mepletely depending on her.

    Of course, I have no intention to only be on the receiving side. I have already resolved to return this favour definitely. But, is it fine to give so much to a man who has barely anything? What if I was just some parasitic bastard?

    Oh no, am I getting conceited thinking I that must protect this angel, no, this fairy? It¡¯s fine. I am going to stay with Lily treating her with gratitude and honour.

    ¡°Well then, time to change into my clothes.¡±

    Without waking Lily who was still sleeping, I got of the bed and left the hut.

    ¡°un, it¡¯s a bit better I guess.......¡±

    Bur I can¡¯t say it¡¯s up to my expectations.

    Although I knew while washing, the clothes that had be dark brownish colour due to dirt and blood, has be lighter but it¡¯s nowhere near its original whiteness.

    Basically it¡¯s still dirty. It even has holes to top it off. If I went around wearing that in my previous world, I would have been reported instantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have any choice though.....¡±

    I had nned to go to the nearby vige today, but I would at least need some clothes to get there.

    Lily doesn¡¯t care whether I am in just under pants or just a towel, but that¡¯s an exception among exceptions.

    The people of this world wear normal clothes. I saw that at the port town. As such, I will also have to wear at least something. Though, I feel that wearing nothing might be better than wearing this.

    But no matter how much Iin the clothes won¡¯t get cleaner. Reluctantly, I wear the ragged robe-like clothes I had be used to wear.

    ¡°Now then, how should I get some clothes¡ª¡ª¡°

    While enjoying the gentle breeze blowing in the morning, I sat down on one of the boxes kept behind the hut and thought while taking Rodin¡¯s pose. (T/L: he is referencing Auguste Rodin who made the sculpture The Thinker. For more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinker)

    As I sat and thought in an artistic pose,

    ¡°Ah, Kurono, Good Morning.¡±

    Lily came.

    ¡°Yeah, Good Morning.¡±

    I¡¯ll keep it a secret that I was almost about to say [good morning, princess].

    ¡°What are you doing sitting on the treasure box?¡±

    ¡°Treasure box?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t this just another box?

    Getting up, I examined the box closely. I see, it does have a keyhole.

    ¡°What¡¯s inside it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±

    As I saw Lily tilt her head in doubt, I became a bit excited inside.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t a mysterious treasure box sound interesting? On top of it, the owner was a magician. To think something like this would happen in reality, this really is a magic world!¡±

    Everything in this, except for the few things of Lily, all belonged to the magician who had once lived here.

    ¡°Are you going to open it!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t it make you curious? Ah, is it bad to open it?¡±

    ¡°Open it!!¡±

    Lily suddenly looked at me with a gaze full of expectations. Being looked at like that by Lily, I was suddenly filled with motivation.

    ¡°Alright! Leave it to me!¡±

    Full of motivation, I faced the magical mysterious box.

    No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s made of wood. It would be easy to just destroy it but at times like these you should act smart. I think it should be better to destroy just the part with the keyhole.

    ¡°fuun!!¡±

    So, I first try to open it with just physical strength. This box is like those that appear in RPGs, the ones that open upwards. As such, there isn¡¯t any ce to put my hands at but with my current strength¡ª¡ª

    ¡°tsk!?¡±

    The moment I put some strength, an electric current ran through the ce I was touching. Reflexively, I pulled back my hand but the damage done is not very big.

    ¡°Trap, no, it seems to be protected by magic.¡±

    ¡°Kurono, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Aah, it¡¯s not strong enough to cause damage. But as expected of a magicians treasure box huh?¡±

    If it is protected that strongly, means it contains a treasure better than I had imagined.

    My 1st hope = lots of gold and silver. 2nd hope = strong magic item. 3rd hope = clothes (male size XL).

    ¡°Could it be a mimic?¡ª¨C¡° (T/L: reference to a D&D monster)

    As I unintentionally muttered, I suddenly had a bad premonition.

    ¡°Say Lily, It won¡¯t be containing some dangerous never to be released monster right?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t contain any monster.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask once more, its fine to open it, right?¡±

    ¡°Open it!!¡±

    Again those sparkling eyes filled with expectations. I can¡¯t leave this forter now. Well, even I didn¡¯t feel like leaving it just because of getting a bit scared.

    ¡°If it¡¯s protected by magic then I¡¯ll use magic too¡ª¨Cckening!¡±

    Touching the box with both hands, I release the ck magical energy at full strength.

    Up till now I have only used it on weapons, cylindrical bars etc. but if ckening is sessful, it will definitely cancel the electric shock like damage.

    I can control without touching, throw it etc. with the help of ckening but I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be able to do something like opening a lock since I have never controlled anything which had a ¡®mechanism¡¯ of a key lock.

    ¡°Alright, ckening was sessful¡ª¨Cbut I can¡¯t manipte the lock.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand the structure of the lock or maybe the image is not sufficient, in any case I understood that I am unable to control the lock and open it.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to directly tamper with it.¡±

    Since the electrical trap was not there anymore, I could try using physical strength again but it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯ll be sessful since the box seems to be strengthened above normal.

    So I¡¯ll use the only recovery (?) type magic I possess. The one which converts my ck magical energy into jelly-like substance to close wounds.

    Using the same thing, I¡¯ll pour magical energy inside the lock, harden it there, and then turn it.

    I am not informed about the structure of a lock, but I can¡¯t just harden everything inside. I¡¯ll search for the responsive part while delicately controlling my magic¡ª¨C

    ¡°How does it look?¡±

    Since I was ttering for a while, Lily asked anxiously.

    ¡°Yeah, a little bit more and¡ª-ohh!!¡±

    I got a response! At the same time, with a *kachiri* sound, the box unlocked sessfully.

    ¡°¡±It opened!!¡±¡±

    Our voices perfectly ovepped, no well, in this situation it¡¯s kind of obvious to say the same thing.

    ¡°Alright! Open it Lily!¡±

    ¡°yeah!¡±

    The two of us open it with feelings full of excitement.

    ¡°Th, this is!?¡±

    Is what I say, but I couldn¡¯t exactly understand what it was at a single nce. That¡¯s because, it was just a ck piece of cloth wrapping something up.

    Well, I¡¯m d it¡¯s not a mimic at least.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    For the time being, I pulled out the ck cloth. It was a pretty thick and well made cloth, pretty big, and above all, a slight magical energy could be felt from it.

    ¡°This is.........Could it be that this is a magician¡¯s robe!?¡±

    As I spread it, I realized this is definitely a robe. And it¡¯spletely ck in colour. Even someone with no prior knowledge woulde to the same conclusion that this was a magician¡¯s robe.

    ¡°Kurono, try wearing it!¡±

    ¡°oh, is it fine, oh well I might as well wear it!¡±

    It¡¯s my long awaited proper clothes. On top of it, knowing that it¡¯s a magician¡¯s robe increased my tension as well.

    As I wore it, the length was perfect as if it was measured in advance. And it felt excellent as well. Although it was quite thick, surprisingly it didn¡¯t feel sultry. The magical energy wrapping the whole body was alsofortable probably because it was the same ck magical energy.

    ¡°So? How does it look?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It looks cool Kurono!¡±

    ¡°hahahaha this is embarrassing. But with this I could call myself a real magician now, right?¡±

    I can¡¯t fly with a broom, but I can definitely use real magic.

    ¡°Yeah! Kurono is a magician!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Since Lily has said so, from now on I am a magician, no, a ck magician!¡±

    Maybe I got too caught up in the moment, but still, I decided to name myself as ck magician from here onwards.

 Chapter 18 To the Village of Irz (1)

    Chapter 18 To the Vige of Irz (1)

    The treasure box not only contained the robe but also contained a baton and a knife as well. They must have been the favourites of the magician as all of them were first-ss items it seems.

    During the experiments, I had also faced an orthodox magician wearing a robe and equipped with a baton as well.

    The robe had the effect of defending against magic. Maybe because I had also used the baton after stealing it during the battle which had the effect of enhancing the magic or had aplete magic hidden inside it, I could somewhatpare the quality with the one in my hand right now.

    Obviously, after the battle ended, the masked men confiscated the items from me.

    Leaving that bitter memory aside, I realized that this robe was of a better quality than the others on touching it. The baton seems to be built with using ck magic as a premise, so even I should be able to use it well.

    The knife is probably a magic weapon. Whether it had a trick or spell behind it, I didn¡¯t know how to use it. I¡¯ll need to examine it more thoroughlyter. As for the baton, well, not everyone can use the staff or book of a magician even if the other person is also a magician. Every magician has a different speciality like fire or water, so the element should also bepatible.

    By the way, mine is ck magic and Sariel had white magic but fire, water, wind, lightning element magicians have their magical energy of colours red, blue etc. respectively. These together are called the primary magical energies.

    I knew this as a fact as some basic knowledge regarding magic was present faintly inside my head. Probably this was also an effect of the various experiments done on me. But thanks to that, I was able to grasp and understand things rted to magic quickly.

    I digressed a bit but, this baton was apparently built for the exclusive use of ck magical energy and I instantly understood how to use it the moment I touched it.

    It felt as if someone had prepared this intentionally for my personal use but the actual reason is probably that the magician who lived here was also a ck magician like me.

    Anyway, the fact that I didn¡¯t have to be in an embarrassing outfit while going to the vige was an extreme blessing for me. Somehow, my luck seems to be getting better nowadays.

    But underneath this fine quality robe I am only wearing trunks. I¡¯ll have to make sure that the insides are not seen by mistake. This is my long awaited vige debut after all. I don¡¯t want to be taken in by the police due to obscenity. Obtaining clothes is still the top priority.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s go then! I¡¯ll be counting on you to show me the way Lily!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    With expectations filled in my heart, we started walking.

    The ce where we are heading to is known as the Irz vige.

    I had an image of it being a remote countryside vige in the mountains but considering that it¡¯s located on a pretty wide highway, it should not be a very small vige.

    But still, the Pandora continent is also at the level of Middle Ages it seems. Even though I called it a highway, it¡¯s not even made with stones let alone proper asphalt. Though it still seems wide enough to let 2 carriages stand side by side. Although it doesn¡¯t have a width of a normal road, no wait, this might be the main highway here.

    ¡°If you go that way, you¡¯ll reach the vige of Kuar.¡±

    ¡°I see. The viges are connected by this road.¡±

    Away from the fairy garden, the vige closest to Lily¡¯s hut is the Irz vige. After that is the vige of Kuar. It seems it¡¯ll take a few days to reach Kuar even if Lily were to fly there. To find the actual time to be taken, I¡¯ll have try walking there.

    ¡°If we keep walking like this, we¡¯ll reach Irz vige before afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There¡¯s no need to hurry so let¡¯s walk leisurely. And thus, while holding Lily¡¯s hand or carrying her on my shoulder, we kept walking on the single road under the clear sky.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, we didn¡¯te across anybody.¡±

    It has been 2 hours since we started and there have been no signs of anyone up till now.

    Is going across viges is not popr here? No, we have cars in the present age but maybe in this era only merchants or travellers would leave their viges. Well I¡¯lle to know sooner orter what the actual situation is.

    As I kept thinking about these things, in front of me, finally the shadow of a building came into view.

    ¡°Oh, is it the vige!?¡±

    Excited I start running. By the way, Lily is currently on my shoulder.

    That building is a small house made of wood. The signs of people living can be clearly seen but no matter how I look at it, the scaling of this house is weird.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too small?¡±

    The door is at most at the height of my neck, and the roof is small enough that it could be reached if I tried to stretch my hands a bit. It closely resembles the houses of the hobbits that appeared in that famous epic fantasy trilogy. (T/N: Lord of the Rings in case you didn¡¯t know. Are there people who actually have not watched the LotR?)

    ¡°Kurono, this is¡ª-¡°

    The moment Lily was about to say something, I became aware of a presence near me.

    From the shadow of the house, a goblin with a sickle in its hands appeared.

    ¡°Are they survivors from yesterday?¡±

    Although, its outfit was a bit different from those of yesterday. Instead of wearing rags or pieces of leather, this one was wearing matching clothes on both top and bottom. Well, the green skin of a goblin is still the same though. Leaving that aside, to think that monsters would appear here. Could it be that the residents of this house were attacked?

    Already prepared to fight, the moment I readied myself to shoot [Buckshot] at any time¡ª¡ª

    ¡°What is itd (T/N: He use An-chan), an acquaintance of Lily?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The goblin suddenly spoke in fluent Japanese.

    Well, he must have been talking in the originalnguage of this world but I was able to understand due to the various modifications done on me, but that¡¯s not what the problem is here!

    ¡°Hello!¡±

    ¡°Hello, it doesn¡¯t look like you came to sell medicines today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, today you see¡ª¨C¡°

    Suddenly she starts chatting with the goblin. What the hell is this? Just yesterday you weremitting genocide against them so why are you suddenly so friendly with them now?

    ¡°Um, err..¡±

    For the time being it doesn¡¯t look like an atmosphere of a fight, I¡¯ll also resolve myself and try talking.

    ¡°oo, that¡¯s right I didn¡¯t hear who thed was. Well, since you are Lily¡¯spanion you don¡¯t seem to be a bad guy.¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Kurono Maou.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why I was greeting a goblin, but I ended up introducing myself politely. (T/N: This is a bit weird to trante but Kurono basically uses very polite and formal speech while introducing himself.)

    ¡°Oh my how polite! I am called Vats. So since you have a surname, are you perhaps a noble?¡±

    ¡°Noble?¡±

    ¡°Kurono is a magician!¡±(lily)

    ¡°A magician? Now that you say it, he does look like that.¡±(Vats)

    ¡°Yesterday he also helped me exterminate the goblins together.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Is that so? They had been appearing recently so there had been a talk about a mountain hunt but I guess it¡¯s alright now. Sorry for the trouble as usual.¡±(Vats)

    A goblin is happy that goblins were exterminated? What the hell is this?

    ¡°Say Lily, is this person (?) not a goblin?¡±(kurono)

    To avoid letting the person himself to hear it, I asked Lily in a small voice.

    ¡°He is a goblin. Why?¡±

    With a face as if wondering why I asked something like that, Lily instantly answered like it was nothing.

    ¡°Ahd, could it be that you don¡¯t know much about monsters?¡±

    ¡°Ye, yes, if possible I¡¯ll be happy if you could exin.¡±

    ¡°Sure. You see, from my point of view, even same goblins arepletely different from me. Though from the point of view of other races, the difference can¡¯t be seen properly.¡±

    ¡°Even though you are the same goblins, does that mean that the goblins that we exterminated and Vats-san are different from each other?¡±

    ¡°As expected of a magician, you instantly understood.¡±

    Vats-san who wasughing with a cackling sound looked simr to the ones I killed but now that I properly talked to him, his presence/atmosphere ispletely different.

    The looks are the same, but inside he is like a human simr to me.

    ¡°That means you are a viger of the Irz vige?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am here in the outskirts growing vegetables and making medicines.¡±

    Is that why he was holding that sickle? It only looks like a ded weapon to me, but someday maybe I¡¯ll get used to it as well.

    ¡°Is the vige of Irz a vige of goblins then?¡±

    ¡°No, there are also humans and beastmen as well. Lad, are you going to a ce like that for the first time?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I havee to this region for the first time so there are a lot of things that I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Yeah, that wasn¡¯t a lie.

    ¡°Is that so? Around here most viges are like this filled with many races living together. Although I have never done so but there are people whoe here after living in viges with only people of their race. They usually do get surprised like you.¡±

    I see, so there are viges with just one race and viges with mixed as well. I thought that only humans lived here, but it seems monsters with intelligence are also treated the same as humans. If multiple races living together is the norm here the they should ept even an outsider like me too.

    Even now, Vats-san has been friendly towards me, though it might be due to Lily being with me.

    ¡°Well, everyone is good natured so you¡¯ll soon get used to it. Humans liked are also there as well. If continue from here you¡¯ll soon be in the centre of the vige. They¡¯ll easily let you in since you are Lily¡¯spanion.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Thank you for everything!¡±(Kurono)

    I don¡¯t want to keep him busy any longer. Although I had a few more things to ask, I¡¯ll talk to some other person there.

    ¡°Sure. Well then Lily, I¡¯ll be counting on you for the medicines.¡±(Vats)

    ¡°Yes! Bye-bye!¡±

    And thus, after separating from the first viger, Vats-san the goblin, we move towards centre of the vige.

 Chapter 19 To the Village of Irz (2)

    Chapter 19 To the Vige of Irz (2)

    After some time, a fence of height around 2 meters came into my view. Simr to the port town I had first visited, the vige was covered from all sides. But, this wooden fence and the buildings of the vige are very smallpared to those of that port town.

    Also not the entire vige was covered inside the fence. Simr to Vats-san, there were many families here and there, probably farmers, who were outside. So it seems that the fence only covered the centre of the vige.

    At first the vige was only inside the fence, but due to increase in poption the area of the vige kept increasing. But they have been unable to build another fence as of yet. All of this was inferred from my long talk with Lily whileing here.

    ¡°Is that the main entrance?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    In front of me was a in wooden door that was currently open. Beside it stood the gatekeeper with a long spear in his hands.

    ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s Lily-san.¡±

    Lightly armoured and holding a long spear, he looked simr to the one at the port town except his whole body was covered in blue scales and the head was that of a lizard.

    Is this what they call a Lizardman?

    ¡°Hello!¡±(lily)

    So he really was an acquaintance, he greets Lily as well.

    ¡°This the first time I have seen the one with Lily-san.¡±

    ¡°Hello there! I am known as the ck magician Kurono.¡±

    It seems having a surname is notmon so I only gave my given name. Also calling yourself a magician is also not umon in this world.

    ¡°Hello hello. I am Grint, just a gatekeeper. But a magician, eh? Lily-san sure knows rare people.¡±

    ¡°I have just met Lily but we are already friends.¡±

    ¡°ehehe¡±

    It¡¯s fine that Lily is getting embarrassed on top of my shoulder but it¡¯s a bit too bright if she starts shining like that at such a close distance.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? If you are friends with the fairy Lily-san then you can¡¯t be a bad person. You¡¯re going inside right? You can pass.¡±

    ¡°Is it fine letting me pass that easily?¡±

    ¡°Getting along with a fairy is a sign of being a good person. Fairies would never get attached to a bad person; after all they can read the minds of people.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Lily can read minds!?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    What? As if asking that, Lily looks at me.

    ¡°Lily, try guessing what I am thinking right now.¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    Actually, I was a member of the literature club in my previous world where I liked writing novels which had a bit painful content. (T/N: He is talking about writing Chuunibyou type novels.)

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°.......I see.¡±

    It seems she can¡¯t read my thoughts word to word. In the first ce, is she actually reading my mind?

    ¡°ahhahha, you guys really are close. Come on, don¡¯t just stand there all day, go in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    Thus, I entered the vige of Irz.

    Irz is very small whenpared to the port town, but I quickly understood the moment I entered that this was a quiet and peaceful vige.

    In the central square of the vige, probably because it was lunch time, a lot of people had gathered and could be seen eating. As the goblin Vats-san had said, many races seem to be mixed in this vige.

    Just looking in this square, along with the previously seen humans, goblins and lizardmen, Elves with long ears, dwarves with brilliant beards, beastmen with dog and cat ears, etc. all can be seen.

    Uptill now I had seen all beings that looked different than humans as monsters and enemies, but looking at this scene I realized that outer appearance was a trivial thing. By the way, Elf or Dwarf is the official name as well is what I was taught by Lily. But since the words I hear or speak are tranted automatically due to the various modifications in my body, so the actual pronunciation might be somethingpletely different.

    Well, whatever I say gets automatically corrected for the other party so I don¡¯t really have anything to worry about.

    ¡°Now then, the vige head¡¯s house is¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°That way!¡±

    I had already decided to first greet the vige¡¯s head the moment Ie here.

    ording to Lily, it¡¯s not rare for an outsider to meet the vige head when theye here for the first time. He will even meet a suspicious magician like me without any appointment. If this was Japan, there would have been no such thing, but meeting the vige head sure gives off an RPG-like feel. No, maybe in the olden times it might not be so rare.

    But as expected, you can¡¯t meet someone like a king or someone who runs a country. It would be as difficult as meeting the Prime Minister of Japan, I think.

    Anyway, I am hoping to ask a lot of things from the vige head about this world. Lily who is like a small child, has difficulty in exining things logically, so if I need proper info I should ask an adult; After all the vige head should be informed about a lot of things.

    But, it would be good if I don¡¯t get suspected......

    ¡°I guess it won¡¯t help worrying about it.¡±

    With a mind ready to take all sorts of risks, I am led by Lily towards the vige head¡¯s house.

 Chapter 20 The Head of the Irz Village

    Chapter 20 The Head of the Irz Vige

    My meeting with the head of the vige, an old-aged female elf known as Shione-san, was quickly allowed.

    Sitting on the seat offered to me, I met her who was sitting across the table.

    ¡°Wee to Irz vige Kurono-san, as a friend of Lily-san, we all shall dly wee you here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    Even here I could feel the extent of Lily¡¯s reputation. Everyone is even using the ¡®-san¡¯ suffix. Seriously you¡¯re amazing Lily-san!

    It became clear that Lily was clearly known in this vige and was trusted very much as well. Even if she had no friends back at home, I was happy that she was so dly epted by the vigers.

    ¡°Actually I have something to discuss with you, could I have some of your time?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind at all so take your time.¡±(shione)

    I worried about her job as the head but since she is listening with a smile then I¡¯ll ept her offer. But talking so formally all the time sure is difficult. I haven¡¯t talked this way since my interview for that part time job I had taken.

    Still, as long as the other party is an adult, I need to be polite otherwise even things that should go smoothly would go bad. It¡¯s necessary for smoothmunication.

    I¡¯m trying my best here, so overlook it if my use of formal speech sounds weird.

    ¡°Due to some circumstances, I left my faraway hometown and came to thisnd. During the trip I met with an ident and got stranded in this foreignnd.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Oh my, I thought you were a travelling magician but it seems you have someplicated circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as to how I ended up here even I¡¯m not very sure of it so I cannot exin in detail. I¡¯m sure you might be curious but I¡¯ll be happy if you don¡¯t ask about it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Very well, then I shall not pry any further in this matter. Please continue your story.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Not exining the most important part was quite selfish of me but it seems that she is a person with great generosity. I really am thankful for that.

    ¡°I had absolutely no knowledge about this area but I met Lily by chance and ended up receiving many favours from her.¡±

    ¡°Kurono had fallen inside the forest.¡±(lily)

    ¡°You had fainted inside the fairy garden? It must have been difficult for you.¡±(shione)

    ¡°No, I met Lily soon so I didn¡¯t face any problems. Though I was threatened by the fairies to not approach the fountain of light.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Oh so you even met with the fairies of the fountain? They didn¡¯t y any pranks on you, right?¡±

    It seems those who meet the fairies inside the forest get tricked and end up losing their food and items.

    They really are outrageous creatures.

    Since I didn¡¯t hold anything, they were more focused on the apples lying around me and so I was ignored by them except by the one that threatened me.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªI stayed one night at Lily¡¯s house but I can¡¯t stay like that without doing anything. Also, I didn¡¯t have any money whileing here, so I won¡¯t be able to pay any charge if there is one. And so, I first want to be able to live by myself but Ickmon knowledge about the vige and its surrounding as well. What jobs are avable, where to live, I need to understand all these from you.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll dly do so. It must be difficult to be by yourself at such a young age. Taking in a single human boy is not a problem for this vige.¡±

    ¡°Ku, Kurono.........you¡¯ll live in Irz vige?¡±(lily)

    ¡°If possible, yes. I can¡¯t live with Lily all the time after all.¡±

    ¡°Why!? Stay with Lily! It¡¯s lonely!¡±

    ¡°Li, Lily.......¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect her to cling on me with tears!

    Why? Did I say something bad!?

    ¡°Kurono-san, fairies don¡¯t say anything due to politeness. If Lily-san is insisting so much then you should ept her offer in my opinion.¡±(Shione)

    ¡°Is it fine for me to live together with you, Lily? I¡¯m pretty big so the small hut might feel cramped and I don¡¯t know what kind of troubles I might cause.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s not cramped, It¡¯s fine to give troubles! Lily wants to be with Kurono!!¡±(lily)

    ¡°o,o,o, Lily.....if you go that far......I also want to stay with Lily!!¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Really!? You¡¯ll live together?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if Lily so wishes, I live anywhere!¡±

    ¡°Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Lily!¡±

    I tightly hugged Lily who jumped to my chest. Shit! She is way too cute!

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you d Kurono-san? It seems the problem of residence has been settled.¡±(shione)

    ¡°Yes, simr to the magician that once lived there, I¡¯ll live in that hut with Lily.¡±(kurono)

    In an unexpected way, my housing problem was settled. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t think of living there but, I thought it might be too impudent of me to ask for it.........but, once again I¡¯m thankful for Lily¡¯s kindness.

    ¡°Oh? Were you aware of the magician that lived in the forest?¡±(shione)

    ¡°Yes, this robe was also inside the hut, so I believe it was also used by the magician.¡±

    ¡°Now that you say it, I thought it looked familiar. Yes, he also wore the same kind of robe.¡±

    Ooh, so this really was the magicians robe. Or rather, as expected of an elf, she has met the magician when he was alive.

    ¡°The magician of the forest helped this vige in a lot of ways. If Kurono-san is also a magician, then I¡¯ll be happy if you could also help us with your magic.¡±(shione)

    ¡°That magician, how did he help?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, putting up a barrier around the vige, orpounding rare medicines to cure strong diseases, once he also prayed and made it rain as well.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but all of them are impossible for me.........¡±

    Damn those masked men! They didn¡¯t teach me any other useful magic exceptbat ones! They really are the worst!

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but I can only exterminate monsters.¡±

    ¡°Kurono is very strong! He exterminated the goblins!¡±(lily)

    Thanks Lily, for the excellent follow.

    ¡°Ara, is that so? Quite a lot of them were there so it might have taken some time even if we did a mountain hunt. So Kurono-san exterminated them?¡±(shione)

    ¡°Lily was also a big help but yes, the goblins in the cave have beenpletely annihted.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°In just one day?¡±(shione)

    ¡°Yes, yesterday.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. If you are that strong then you could earn a lot as an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Adventurer?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? I was sure they existed in all countries.¡±

    ¡°Is it a job that exterminates monsters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it also includes guarding the viges, escorting merchants, retrieving rare items from dangerous ces; oh that¡¯s right, for an adventurer their job first and foremost is to search for treasures in a dungeon.¡±

    Did she just say du, dungeon!?

    That facility was also very much like a dungeon but does this world really have a real dungeon with treasures sleeping inside it?!

    Uoh! Somehow I can feel my tension rising!!

    ¡°I see so there are dungeons. Can you please exin a bit more in detail?¡±(kurono)

    Calming the excitement in my heart, I pretend to be calm and ask.

    ¡°The closest from here would be Fairy Garden I believe.¡±(shione)

    Eh, that forest is also treated as a dungeon!?

    ¡°But, even adventurers don¡¯t approach the fountain of light, not because it¡¯s dangerous, but because they don¡¯t want to worsen the rtionship with fairies. A dungeon that adventurers can explore around here would be the famous Media ruins in the Kuar vige caves.¡±(shione)

    So a cave dungeon is present near the Kuar vige..........a historical ruin dungeon, damn I¡¯m getting too excited.

    ¡°Um, can anyone be an adventurer?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, there is no need to even have any identity proof either. As long as you canplete requests, anyone is fine.¡± We also have an Adventurer Guild here. If you are interested then please visit there.¡±

    A guild is a ce to collect and give requests to the adventurers.

    It seems that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild is a very big organization, so adventurers are wee in every vige or town. Also, a request received from the guild means that remuneration is certain. They also provide various other kinds of support facilities as well. Basically, an adventurer will definitely register there.

    ¡°Thank you, as an adventurer, even I who can do nothing but fight monsters will also be able to earn there.¡±

    ¡°Good. I also frequently put up requests at the guild so I¡¯ll be counting on you at that time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I look forward to it.¡±

    Well then, with the existence of the upation known as Adventurer, my vision seems to have opened and expanded a bit more.

    After asking some more things about the vige, let¡¯s go to the Guild at once.

 Chapter 21 Welcome to the Adventurer Guild (1)

    Chapter 21 Wee to the Adventurer Guild (1)

    Let¡¯s get registered at the guild immediately! Is what I said, but the smell of food inside the Guild¡¯s lobby cause both our stomachs to rumble together.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Like that, leaving the registration forter, we decide to eat out for lunch for the first time. But then as expected of the ce, the lobby was filled with adventurers dressed in dangerous looking armour and holding weapons.

    ¡°Which would be good?¡±

    ¡°Which would be good?¡± (T/N: yes Lily echoes what Kurono was saying albeit a bit differently but that¡¯s not trantable in English.)

    Thanks to the modifications, I became able to even read the letters as well so it was not difficult to read the menu but since it was filled with names of dishes I didn¡¯t know, I couldn¡¯t decide properly.

    It seems it¡¯s also a first for Lily since she was also unaware of the dishes. We both sat and racked our brains together.

    But it seems that the ordering system is still the same so if I can¡¯t decide, I¡¯ll ask the attendant for advice. Ah, what about the tip?

    ¡°Excuse me, can you please take our order?¡±

    ¡°Yes Yes,ing!¡±

    Saying that a cat-eared waitress came running, or rather, the waitress is a cat itself. Completely covered in a calico cat like fur, the face is also simr to an actual cat, however she¡¯s walking on two legs and the body structure is also simr to a human. Basically, she is a member of the so called beastman race. But she has hair like an actual human so her face, even though that of a cat, looks a bit human-like. That¡¯s what I felt like on seeing her shoulder length light brown hair.

    ¡°umm¡ª¨C¡°

    For the time being its rude to stare like that so I should order first. And soon after I ce the order,

    ¡°That will be 520 silver.¡±(catgirl)

    They use the advance payment system so money is demanded first.

    From my pocket, I take out a shining gold coin.

    ¡°Sorry but I only have a gold coin right now. Will it be fine?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Nnya! 1 gold right! It¡¯s fine!¡±(catgirl)

    ¡°Then with this.¡±

    I put the gold coin of the size of a 500yen coin on her paw like hands.

    ¡°Thank you. The change will be 9480 silver.¡±

    With a jingling sound of the pocket she returned me 9 big silver coins, 4 small silver coin and 8 copper coins that looked exactly like 10yen coins.

    ¡°Please wait for the order.¡±(catgirl)

    While shaking her ears and tail she returned behind the counter.

    Fuu, it seems I was able to order and make payment without any problems. Thank god.

    ¡°But still, I really got a lot of money. Well, it¡¯s good for the penniless me though.¡±

    As to why I had something amazing like a gold coin, I received it from vige head Shione as a reward for the goblin extermination.

    A total of 20 gold coins. Converting to Japanese yen, it was about 200,000 yen.

    Since both me and Lily had no purses with us, the gold coins were kept inside my shadow. Well, in terms of safety, it is the best ce.

    I also learnt about this country¡¯s money system from her.

    I was afraid that they might still use barter system so I was relieved when I was told that a proper currency was used. Without it I would have difficulty in shopping above all I am not used to it.

    Also the currency here is divided into gold, silver and copper types. The denomination isn¡¯t very strict but forrge amounts gold is used. Below it silver and so on.

    The gold I gave was basically equal to 10,000yen. The change I received was 1 big silver = 1000 yen and small silver was 100yen and copper was 10yen.

    1 gold = 10000 silver is the exchange rate so silver became the value proportionate to Japanese yen. For denominations below 10yen both copper and small silver(T/N: this is different from the previous silver coins) are used. The guild uses copper for this.

    I also learnt a bit about the prices of things but the actual market prices can¡¯t be known till I actually start shopping once.

    The prices of meals at the guild seem to bemon at all the guilds so it bes the standard price for food and meals.

    If the cost of lunch for two is 520yen, no, 520 silvers then the prices are approx. half aspared to Japan.

    Also, 20 gold coins seems to be more than what an average farmer of the vige earns in a month. I was a bit perplexed due to suddenly getting enough money to y around for a month but it seems that a goblin extermination if requested from the guild would have taken much more money than this.

    The talk was settled since both the parties had profited from it.

    Incidentally, as the proof for exterminating the goblins, Lily¡¯s testimony was enough. Apparently, fairies don¡¯t speak bad lies so their testimony is considered credible. Of course, another reason would be that Lily is trusted by these vigers.

    As I was thinking this, our order finally came.

    The difficult talk about money disappeared in front of the steaming delicious food. With an [Itadakimasu], I and Lily bite into the food in front of us.

    That¡¯s right, the culture of saying [Itadakimasu] and [Gochisousama(Thanks for the meal)] before eating is apparentlymon in both Japan and Pandora.

    ¡°Delicious! This mysterious meat called Dortoth is way too delicious!¡±

    ¡°Tasty!¡±

    Eating this dish made from unknown ingredients and again drinking tea of unknown tea leaves without any hesitation, I finally take a breather.

    ¡°fuuu, that was tasty¡ª¨C¡°

    Lily¡¯s tea felt like ck tea but this one felt like barley tea so they must be totally different. I almost forgot but after resting a bit more, I should go register as an adventurer.

    ¡°Lily, when we return home, I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Kurono has something to tell?¡±

    ¡°Although I dodged the vige head¡¯s question somehow by saying that I came from far away, I¡¯ll tell only Lily the actual truth.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Ok!¡±

    ¡°Thanks! We will be together for a long time from now after all. Now then, I¡¯ll go and get myself registered as adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Take care!¡±

    Sent off by Lily¡¯s smile, I stood from my seat.

 Chapter 22 Welcome to the Adventurer Guild (2)

    Chapter 22 Wee to the Adventurer Guild (2)

    When I reached the reception counter of the guild, the one who was standing there was,

    ¡°Ah, miss waitress from just now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mr. customer from just now!¡±

    The cat waitress was standing at the reception. Are they perhaps short on workers?

    ¡°Are you looking for a request?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m here to register as an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you were a neer!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just a novice who doesn¡¯t know anything so I¡¯ll be counting on you to guide me.¡±

    ¡°..........You are a quite polite person.¡±

    ¡° Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The only who talks so politely with an underling like me is just the vige¡¯s head only. Most of the others are rude adventurers after all.¡±

    Now that I think about it, the vige head was kind enough towards a suspicious youngster like me too. Is she like that with everyone?

    Also, the adventurers being rough and rude is as expected from their appearance. The one group sitting in the lobby are all people with big bodies. Even I who stood out as a big guy in high school would look normal among those guys.

    ¡°So, ah, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet. I am Nyarko.¡±

    ¡°Nyanko?¡± (T/N: Nyanko also means little cat/kitty in jap.)

    ¡°It¡¯s Nyarko! You are also rude it seems!¡±

    ¡°eh, sorry, um, Nyan.....no, Nyarko-san, my name is Kurono.¡±

    It seems that cat-humans find it rude to be treated as normal cats. I learned a new thing.

    ¡°Yes yes, so Kurono-san, ah, there is no need to be so formal with me. You¡¯ll get tired, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you realized?¡±

    ¡°Yes it shows. Still, to use formal speech with other people, it seems Kurono-san has received some proper education. Which school did you go to?¡±

    ¡°ahaha, I¡¯ll be d if you didn¡¯t ask too much about my circumstances. I came here because I heard that anyone could be an adventurer without any identity proof.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you have some special circumstances.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Then neither I nor this guild will ask any further. Now then, please enter the details in the application form.¡±

    I was presented with a paper and pen.

    ¡°Ah, if you can¡¯t write then I can write for you for 200 silver.¡±

    I see. Since education and schools are not prevalent, the literacy rate would also be low. So it¡¯s normal to also provide such support services.

    Fortunately, it¡¯s not necessary for me.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I have never written these alphabets like characters that are used in this world but the knowledge already exists within my head. So writing is also possible.

    Although, I can¡¯t write very smoothly or fast. I need to think and write at my own pace.

    Thinking that I need practice, I fill up the details in the form.

    Well the only things I have to write is name, age and sex but¡ª¡ª

    ¡°What is this ¡®ss¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That is where you write whether you are swordsman or a magic warrior, basically you mention your fighting style. This will be one of the criteria while making a party, also your elementalpatibility against monsters etc. will be required for making other important decisions as well. Of course, adventurers are not like an army so they are not separated by proper sses. So everyone writes whatever they feel like. The ss name should be as close as possible to their fighting style. If you can¡¯t think of something, just use your specialty weapon as a ss.¡±

    ¡°I see, so it is self-styled names, then¡ª¨C¡°

    I think up the characters in my head and write with the pen.

    ¡°ck Magician, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I couldn¡¯t think of anything that sounded cooler. Are ck magical energy users rare?¡±

    ¡°Yes they are. ck magic has too many old secrets. So there is no user who could be an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Magicians, or rather, are most of the magic warriors users of primary colour magical energy like fire, ice etc.?¡±

    ¡°Rather than saying most, pretty much everyone who uses magic is like that. Even users of Summon magic and Healing magic possess at least one primary colour magic.¡±

    ¡°I see. I can¡¯t use primary colour magic; in the first ce I¡¯m not well-acquainted with magic itself.¡±

    ¡°If you were to go to towns you could attend lectures on magic, but here we only do the basic exnation for adventurers.¡±

    Lectures on magic, if I get I chance I¡¯ll try attending some. I should at least be aware of what I¡¯m using.

    ¡°Will you give the basic exnations for adventurers now?¡± (kurono)

    ¡°Yes, only the simple rules have to be exined right now. If there is anything else, you can file a form to listen to it.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°I see, ah, mypanion is waiting so if it¡¯s going to take some time, can I have her listen together with me?¡±

    ¡°Bypanion, you mean Lily-san?¡±

    ¡°You know her? Lily really is famous.¡±

    ¡°There is no one who doesn¡¯t know. After all she has been selling the miracle medicine of fairies super cheap for the past 30 years.¡±

    ¡°ooh, Lily¡¯s medicines are that amazing¡ª¡ª¨Cwait, did you just say 30 years?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Lily-san will be 32 this year if I¡¯m correct.¡±

    ¡°eh.......eeeeeeh!?¡±

    I ended up screaming.

    The people around me look towards me wondering what happened but that¡¯s irrelevant to me who just heard an absolutely shocking truth.

    ¡°32 years old!? Seriously!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±

    Up till now, I had thought that she was only 5-6 years old. No, normally my thinking wasn¡¯t wrong.

    What the hell, 32 years old, that means, I mean, what the actual hell.......

    ¡°No need to be that surprised. Fairies live very long after all. And their appearance doesn¡¯t change either. Age doesn¡¯t hold the same meaning as us for them.¡±

    ¡°I, I see.....basically she has been of the same mental age from the time she was born?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, but they have good memory so they know a lot of things. Especially Lily-san, who came to human habitation from the fountain of light, knows a lot about this area. She is also familiar with the head of the Kuar vige as well.¡±

    ¡°Is, is that so....?¡±

    As I timidly turned around, I saw Lily sitting in the lobby.

    Realizing that I was looking, she waved towards me.

    Th,that cute little creature is 32 years old.......

    I can¡¯t believe this......no, this is a fantasy magical world, something like this is not impossible.

    ¡°Well, whatever the age, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she is Lily.¡±

    ¡°ah, so you¡¯ll be taking the elementary level lecture with Lily-san? By the way the price is 1000 silver coins. I¡¯ll not take Lily-san¡¯s share of price.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Taking out a big silver coin from my purse (to be urate, it was from my shadow), I gave it to Nyarko-san.

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll do some preparations, so Kurono-san, please wait in the lobby with Lily-san.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    And so I returned to the seat where the 32 yr old Lily was waiting for me.

    Am I caring too much about her age......?

 Chapter 23 Quest and Rank (1)

    Chapter 23 Quest and Rank (1)

    ¡°Well then, newbie adventurers Kurono-san & Lily-san, I¡¯ll be teaching you the fundamentals about the guild and adventurers!¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°Ah, Nyarko-san will be giving the lecture?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°hehe actually this is my first time doing this.¡±

    ¡°Is Nyarko-san a new employee in the guild?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Though it hasn¡¯t been even a full year since I started working, I am already the poster girl of the Irz Vige adventurer guild!¡±

    ¡°Poster girl? Is that your self-proimed ss?¡±

    ¡°I am the Poster girl in reality as well!! Kurono-san really is rude!?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I got it. Nyarko-san is the guild¡¯s poster cat-girl.¡±

    ¡°As long as you understand. Well, enough with the greetings, let¡¯s start the lecture.¡±

    We¡¯ll be counting on you! ¨C is what both I and Lily said but Lily is still making an expression that she doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going to start.

    Well, I¡¯m the one who is bing an adventurer; Lily isn¡¯t really concerned with it.

    ¡°Umm, then firstly.....umm......let¡¯s start with the rules & important points used by the guild!¡±(nyarko)

    She just forgot, didn¡¯t she?

    ¡°Ah, Kurono-san, will you be taking notes?¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°Thanks, that¡¯ll help.¡±(kurono)

    I was given a nk paper and pen simr to the one I used just now.

    Considering their level civilisation, I thought they might use parchments but this is a clean sheet almostparable with those in modern Japan.

    I wonder if they have established the technology to process pulp or are they using some mysterious magic for this as well.

    ¡°Then first of all, regarding the request made to adventurers. Kurono-san knows that the guild is an organisation to provide various requests to the adventurers?¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that from the vige head.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Then this¡¯ll be fast. The guild epts requests from big towns and viges as well as single individuals. The details and rewards of the quest introduced by the guild are usually trusted and correct. In case investigation of the quest details is insufficient or impossible, the same is written on the quest form as well. Then, it is upto the adventurer to decide whether he takes the quest or not. Again, there are times in case of emergencies where the guild will orderpulsory quests to the adventurers.¡±

    ¡°What kind ofpulsory quests?¡±

    ¡°The mostmon example would be rescue missions in case of cmities and times when a dragon or a simr level of disaster appears. That¡¯s why they are also called emergency quests. Both are very rare cases so you don¡¯t have to worry that much. By the way, in case you refuse an emergency quest then you¡¯ll have to pay a cancetion charge as well. If you don¡¯t pay it, then in worst case, you might be removed from the guild so please be careful.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯ll happen if you are removed from a guild?¡±

    ¡°Of course you shall be unable to use the guild facilities. Also, if you take requests directly without the mediation of the guild then the chances of discrepancies in the quest details and reward amount will be much higher. Just by not being able to use the guild, you¡¯ll be unable to work as an adventurer, so please abide by the rules.¡±

    ¡°I see. Is there any other way that might lead to removal from guild?¡±

    ¡°First, regarding the rewards. The guild takes 10% of the reward money from the client asmission. This amount is already deducted from the amount shown on the request form. The guild takes full responsibility for the requests introduced by them, therefore in case the client suddenly went missing or died and trouble regarding the payment of reward appears, in no case will the adventurer be left unrewarded so you can be relived. But, in case of failing the quest, or bing unable to continue it, a cancetion charge as per the situation or the money required to transfer the quest to another adventurer will be taken from you so please understand.¡±

    ¡°As long as the adventurerpletes the quest, reward is certain but in case of failure, a charge to be paid may appear so don¡¯tin at that time, right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, it is quite a basic thing but still in every guild there is adventurer who is stuck with a im. Kurono-san looks intelligent so there isn¡¯t worry of that though.¡±

    ¡°Complimenting me won¡¯t get you anything.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. There are very few who understand everything uptill now. Unable to even do simple plus minus, there are over-emotional people as well after all. But I think that Kurono-san is the type that can properly use his head.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll at least not get stuck with a im from the guild as long as there is a chance of getting removed and penalised.¡±

    I was thought as someone educated just by my manners, in this world amon Japanese man should be considered as an over-educated person probably.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m amazing but it¡¯s the surrounding education standards that are poor. Well it can¡¯t be helped since there is no system to make people go to school.

    ¡°Also, regarding the quests, I¡¯ll exin about their ranks.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Difficult or easy quest, or something like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your own adventurer rank as well as quest rank and also monster rank, all arepared to choose the most optimal quest. Even the guild doesn¡¯t want to raise the failure percentage of quests due to some reckless adventurer taking on too difficult quests, so an adventurer cannot take on quests above his own rank.¡±

    ¡°How are ranks divided?¡±

    ¡°All ranks are divided into ranks 1-5, rank 1 being lowest and 5 the highest. Quest rank is decided as per the monster to be defeated or the danger of the dungeon. Adventurer rank starts at 1 and after the aplishments and achievements are recognised, the rank will be raised. In special cases where knights or soldiers who have aplishments in wars decide to be adventurers, they can take an examination to start directly from rank 3. Well, this can¡¯t be done in the Irz vige though.¡±

    ¡°Then that means that I¡¯ll start at rank 1.¡±

    5 grades is a pretty simple method for differentiating. There would quite a lot of differences even inside the same rank. So, they are also divided into first half and second half it seems.

    Poorly ssifying the numerous quests will troublesome after all, it can¡¯t be helped though. Guessing the difficulty of the quest from the details given will also depend on the experience of the adventurer.

    ¡°That¡¯s all regarding quests. Also, please be careful to not get civilians injured, don¡¯t trespass private properties and avoid causing damage to their items and things. Just because you are on a quest doesn¡¯t mean that guild will take responsibility for your criminal actions. Also, the guild will not be concerned with disputes with other adventurer parties. You are responsible for your own actions¡±

    ¡°I see, basically act withinmon sense, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the guild doesn¡¯t restrict an adventurer¡¯s actions; the adventurer canplete the quest however he wants.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Then I¡¯ll like to see the rank 1 quest I can take right away.¡±

    ¡°Feel free and choose! Is what I¡¯d like to say but at this time there aren¡¯t many quest that can be taken though.¡±

    Nyarko-san kept a bunch of requests forms on the table.

    For the time being, let¡¯s see¡ª¡ª¨C

 Chapter 24 Quest and Rank (2)

    Chapter 24 Quest and Rank (2)

    Quest: Collection of Rixei grass

    Reward: 5000 silvers per bag

    Deadline: first week of the month of distant thunder (Enrai)

    Client: Irz vige Item shop shopkeeper Kisshu(T/N: ¥­¥Ã¥·¥å suggest a better name if you can think)

    Details: Required to enter Fairy Garden and collect a prescribed amount of Rixei grass in bags. A party who brings more than 3 bags will receive one potion setpounded from Rixei grass as well.

    Quest: Recruiting Escorts for Peddler group (From Kuar to Daidalos)

    Reward: daily wage of 7500 silver + battle allowances

    Deadline: 20th of the month of Early-summer breeze (Ryokufuu), departure on 22nd

    Client: Peddler representative Morty

    Details: Recruiting escorts for a group of peddlers from Kuar to Daidalos. Free three meals per day. It¡¯ll be a month long journey but the route is the north-west highway with almost no dangers.

    Quest: Recruiting luggage carrier for [Irz der]

    Reward: 3000 silver per day

    Deadline: n till the end of the month of early-summer breeze (Ryokufuu)

    Client: Leader of [Irz der] ¨C Nino

    Details: We need a luggage carrier for the party. The quest is a level 2 monster extermination but we¡¯ll protect you properly so don¡¯t worry!

    Quest: Night sentry at Irz Vige

    Reward: 4000 silver per day

    Deadline: Recruiting till the month of new sun (Shinyou)

    Client: Irz vige vignte corps leader Grint

    Details: Recently goblin and raptor type monsters have been increasing. So we need to reinforce the night time security of the vige. You cane whenever you are avable and can take the reward for the day on that day as well.

    ¡°Hmm, there are some words that I can¡¯t understand.........¡±(kurono)

    Turning the 10 page documents I read the various quests avable.

    The major details I can understand since I can understand the letters but I can¡¯t understand many things like calendar or ce names, names of monsters etc. I can¡¯t decide quickly like this.

    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t understand well, most of the rank 1 quests here can bepleted without much trouble, there is barely any fighting involved after all.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°No, before that I need to understand the calendar and names of ces; do you sell a calendar and a map?¡±

    ¡°mumu, to think that someone cultured like Kurono-san doesn¡¯t know the calendar, this is very unexpected. Could it be you¡¯re a prince of a far away country!?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you dreaming a bit too much?¡±

    ¡°Oops sorry. I wasn¡¯t supposed to talk about this right? Um, both calendar and maps are sold at the item shop.¡±

    ¡°The shop of the one mentioned in the quests?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since it¡¯s the only item shop in the vige, all adventurers get their potions and other items from there.¡±

    ¡°The vigers also use it but the main customers are definitely the adventurers. If Kurono-san is going to be an adventurer at the vige then you¡¯ll definitely have to go there someday. After leaving here take a right and you¡¯ll soon see its board.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go there after this.¡±

    ¡°Also Kurono-san, this is a bit unrted to adventurer job, but if you want to learn about the calendar, geography and the nts and animals as well as monsters around here, you can ask to see the books stored in the vige head¡¯s house. Kurono-san can read after all, and you also seem to have a good understanding ability as well as memory so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I like reading as well as writing.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Kurono-san is a writer!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no........as a hobby.......¡±

    Shit, if she asks what type of books I write I¡¯ll be in trouble.

    ¡°oops, this will alsoe under over-inquiry, I won¡¯t ask anything else.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    It seems she thinks that there might be some secret since I was hesitating right now, but let¡¯s just let her think that way. It¡¯ll be easier for me as well.

    She probably won¡¯t understand even if I told her about a supernatural battle-story set in modern Japan after all. And there is also a chance of me being treated as a mentally ill guy as well.

    ¡°Anyway, can anyone freely read in the library at vige head¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something as amazing as a library but if you talk about a ce where books are kept then it¡¯s either there or here (guild) only.¡±

    I see, collection of books isn¡¯tmon in houses even in modern Japan as well after all.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll try going there tomorrow.¡±

    For the time being I should be able to learn a lot about this world from those books.

    ¡°Well then Kurono-san, will you be epting any quests?¡±

    ¡°No, I need to gather information and make some preparations so I won¡¯t be taking any today.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Other than quests, we also reward for collecting raw materials and killing monsters as a frence as well so please make use of that too. The details about it are put up on the bulletin board there. The sale price of materials and rewards on subjugating monsters changes with season so please keep on checking regrly. Ah, by the way, the current rmendation is goblin subjugation! It seems a big group has settled near here so the price is quite high right now. Soon an extermination quest might appear as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the ones living in the cave west of Fairy Garden?¡±

    ¡°You are well aware; did you hear it from Lily-san? But even if you are with Lily-san please be careful, if you get to close them they¡¯ll attack inrge numbers. In case of goblin extermination, it is advised to split them in small groups and attack them!¡±

    ¡°Sorry but the goblins there have already been already annihted.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, I and Lily exterminated them.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh!? Really!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also received the reward from the Vige head as well. The gold coin I paid during lunch was out of that. Well the fairies of the fountain had pushed the work on Lily so I just decided to do it and help her though.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday? In just one day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we attacked the cave directly and finished it up.¡±

    ¡°Ku, Kurono-san did?¡±

    ¡°More or less, though Lily destroyed the cave itself in the end so I might lose in terms of number defeated though.¡±

    ¡°No, No way..........just who are you Kurono-san?¡±

    ¡°You promised not to ask right? Well I did say that I am ck magician.¡±

    ¡°I see.......right, it doesn¡¯t matter who Kurono-san is as long as you can contribute to the vige and the guild bypleting quests. If you are strong enough to single-handedly take on such arge group of goblins then all the more so! I look forward to working with you!¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    ¡°Umm, if you are that strong then was there any reason to even hear such an elementary level lecture? Also are you fine to be at rank 1?¡±

    ¡°That is, well, my knowledge is quite one-sided you see. I need to hear the rules at least. Although, there really isn¡¯t any meaning in hearing the methods to defeat goblins.¡±

    ¡°I understand. If you have anything you need to know about the vige or guild, please ask me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Also, umm¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Is Lily-san really that strong?¡±

    On her question there was no change in Lily because,

    ¡°Ah, she fell asleep.¡±

    She was sleepingfortably lying on myp.

    After eating so much and listening to such boring lecture she might have be sleepy after all. For the time being, she seems to be resistant to waking up so I¡¯ll let her sleep.

    ¡°Are the people of the vige aware of Lily¡¯s strength? From her words, the vige head was also aware that Lily had been constantly exterminating monsters.¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°To protect the fountain of light it is said that she has been fighting the monsters in Fairy Garden for a long time now. It¡¯s a quite famous story. But, whenever I see her like that I just can¡¯t seem to believe it......¡±(Nyarko)

    That overly innocent sleeping face. No matter how you look at it, it doesn¡¯t look like the face of someone who fights.

    ¡°No, well, even I thought the same thing at first. But, Lily is definitely strong. At least she can use stronger magic than me.¡±

    The beams of light that repelled the rain of arrows and the pir of light that smashed the cave, I don¡¯t think I can defend against either of them.

    ¡°Is, is that so? Amazing.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t sound believable until you see it for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Somehow, you guys are an amazingbination. This definitely raises my expectations! First-ss adventurer might not be a dream!¡±

    ¡°Hm, well I don¡¯t really want to rise to such heights. I only became an adventurer to take care of my livelihood.¡±

    In the first ce, Lily isn¡¯t even an adventurer.

    ¡°Not at all. You will also start to aim for greater heights when you startpleting quests.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That is what it means to be an adventurer!¡±

    Without any basis, Nyarko-san proims this with confidence.

    I can¡¯t really think of that but maybe I will also one day be an adventurer who pursues his dream and romance?

    At least, as long as I am living with Lily, at least the future looks bright.

    {T/N:the view changes to third person here}

    Even in this world, there exist things that are a proof of a person¡¯s status.

    If you are an adventurer, it is the certificate issued by the guild, i.e. the Guild card.

    As long as you have it, you can get verified in any guild and receiving quests and rewards bes smooth. It was a small dark grey te made of metal. If Kurono saw it he might feel it¡¯s simr to [Dog tags].

    ¡°Ah, Nyarko, is that for the person in the ck mantle who just came?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The senior staff member of the Avian harpy race ¨C Pine, looked at the guild card with interest.

    ¡°ck magician? Another weird one came it seems.¡±(Pine)

    On the guild card, the name, rank and ss is written.

    ¡°Yeah, he is apletely mysterious person!¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Well that isn¡¯t really rare though. But he seems to be apanion of Lily-san so he shouldn¡¯t be just some hoodlum or viin.¡±(Pine)

    Since you can be an adventurer without giving any info about yourself, shady group of thieves and criminals also tend to gather here as well. Especially muscle-headed hoodlums and thugs who are proud of their strength.

    Of course, adventurers aren¡¯t just these guys but then again it¡¯s also true that there are quite a lot of them like these guys.

    ¡°Kurono-san has a scary face but it seems he is properly educated. He seems to be skilled at magic as well. He might be some noble or the apprentice of a famous magician.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°fuun, skill at magic? Did you see his ck magic?¡±(Pine)

    ¡°No but he exterminated the goblins who had appeared along with Lily-san. He also got rewarded by the Vige head so he doesn¡¯t seem to be lying as well.¡±

    ¡°Well looks like an amazing one has appeared......this rookie has high expectations on him.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m excited as well!¡±

    ¡°But, this ce doesn¡¯t have many high ranked quests.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    But still, the presence of a strong adventurer in a vige is always a good thing.

    Although it costs money, they can take action quickly in case of monster attacks. They also exterminate monsters near the area as quests so the safety of the vige is also guaranteed.

    Other than that, if a variety of quests are properlypleted, the client is able to perform his business smoothly.

    ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll go and deliver the guild card.¡±

    And thus, Kurono received the guild card and officially became a guild affiliated adventurer.

 Chapter 25 Irz Village Toolmaker

    Chapter 25 Irz Vige Toolmaker

    ¡°Wee¡±

    I heard the voice of a man from inside the chaotic shop when I opened the door.

    Sitting at the counter was a portly middle-aged man. It seems like he is the toolmaker ¡®Kische¡¯ of Irz vige.

    ¡°Hello, I am a rookie adventurer who just finished the guild registration, and I¡¯m here to purchase the necessary items.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes yes, we keep all things you¡¯ll need in the store. My name is Kische and I hope you continue to favor my store with your patronage in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am called Kurono, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    The shopkeeper shows a kindhearted smile. It seems that even in a different world the business-smile is a basic skill for a merchant.

    ¡°By the way Kurono-san, the thing you¡¯re carrying on your shoulder is perhaps......¡±

    ¡°Lily is having a little nap, I¡¯d like us to speak as calmly as possible.¡±

    Lily whopleted the basic course as a sleeping tutorial, is still on a journey in dreand, even after leaving the guild.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, so I came over to the store carrying her on my back.

    ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, would you like toy her on this chair?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I appreciate it.¡±

    With the owner¡¯s kind permission I gentlyy Lily on the couch. Lily is lighter than she appears, I wonder if it¡¯s because she is a fairy. It will inconvenient to move around the shop carrying her, and she seems to have bad dreams if I move around too much.

    ¡°Well, I was surprised. Do you and Lily know each other?¡±

    As expected of Lily-san. She¡¯s even famous here

    Yes, we are friends, from now onwards I¡¯ll be living with her.

    ¡°Is that so? Why are you livi¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°There are various circumstances and I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t pry too much.¡±

    ¡°However, I¡¯m thinking of working as an adventurer in Irz for a while, so please take care of me from now on.¡±

    ¡°That is a grateful offer even to us, because supporting an adventurer is not only the work of the guild. So then, then you want to prepare to work as an adventurer, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s my first time doing this and I don¡¯t know what I will need to prepare. Can you assist me in choosing properly?¡±

    I honestly ask for help without putting on airs. Even if I was made to buy too much there¡¯s no way it would cost over 20 gold.

    ¡°Of course I can. But you see there is an adventurer set for rookies.¡±

    ¡°That...... sounds like a very convenient thing.¡±

    ¡°It ismon for a lot of neers to miss what is important, so it would be much better to sell the necessary things in a set.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it sounds like there would be quite a demand for such a kit.¡±

    ¡°Nh? Kurono-san, to know a word like ¡®demand¡¯, are you a son of some shopkeeper? Your way of speaking is also very polit¨D¨D Whoa, I did say I won¡¯t pry into your affairs. From my side Kurono-san is an adventurer, and will be shopping at our shop, that¡¯s the important thing, right?¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare your rookie set so please wait for a moment.¡±

    It is called ¡®adventurer set¡¯,huh? Pretty straightforward item name it has, but for the current me it is a necessary thing, I honestly appreciate it. It seems I¡¯ll be able to carry out my shopping smoothly.

    ¡°Yes, it is indeed 2 gold. Thank you for your purchase.¡±

    The rookie set I bought, was the most expensive one.

    It¡¯s not like I am being taken advantage of, this set contains a tent for sleeping outdoors, so it was expensive. In the first ce, it was a thing I didn¡¯t have, and by adding various things to my purchase it came to this price.

    The thing that impressed me most in this shopping was the recovery potion. I read about collecting the ingredients for a potion in a quest description, but seeing the real thing in front of me, it really is impressive.

    The potionse as a liquid contained in a thin vial, much like what you¡¯d see in an RPG. The liquid inside isn¡¯t a primary color like red or green, but rather it is a shade of greyish white. Potions are a liquid medicine, in addition to it, there are ointments for healing wounds too.

    For external injuries like bleeding, the ointment is used and during abat it might be much faster to close the wounds,pared to the potion.

    In any case, I purchased a rookie set plus various things for 2 gold. It somehow makes me happy thinking this is now all my property.

    ¡°Kurono-san, that is quite a lot of luggage, are you sure you can carry it back?¡±

    That reminds me, I don¡¯t have a bag let alone a horse drawn carriage. While holding some of the luggage with one arm I realise it is too much for one person, but luckily I¡¯m a ck mage!

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it all goes in-¡±

    The shadow extends from my feet and takes in the rookie set inside like a quagmire.

    ¡°This is... Well, I am surprised that you have learned spatial magic too.¡±

    Even though he knew I was a ck magician from looking at my guild card, he is surprised because he thought a rookie wouldn¡¯t have such a level of skill? So this is called spatial magic.

    For now I¡¯ve learned it¡¯s unusual for someone to know this magic at a low rank.

    ¡°Kurono you seem to have a lot of skill in magic. Come to think of it, do you have a weapon prepared?¡±

    ¡°A weapon, well, more or less.¡±

    I have arge cursed hatchet.

    ¡°Is that so, for weapons there is a workshop for them on the outskirts of vige. It¡¯ll be good if you head there, they repair everything except magical weapons. They don¡¯t specialise in canes or grimoires, but you can more or less see them in our workshop. They also appraise goods and weapons, if you find anything like that in a dungeon, by all means go there to have it appraised.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®appraisal¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Did you know there is such a thing as a magical weapon?¡±

    ¡°Yes I¡¯ve seen them several times and also used them here and there.¡±

    ¡°If you have some experience, then that¡¯s good. Our appraiser can exin what sort of power the magical weapon has, how to use it and many other things.¡±

    ¡°The appraisal of the sharpness of the de, or which skills or spells it has are outside their area of expertise, you can go to workshop if it¡¯s okay with you.¡±

    ¡°I see... Can cursed weapons also be appraised?¡±

    ¡°Cu-,Cursed weapons is it ? It is dangerous and it cannot be appraised if we don¡¯t know the curse. Well, we more or less can appraise it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¨C¡±

    I¡¯m secretly excited while I take the cursed hatchet out of my shadow.

    ¡°Can you appraise this?¡±

    I ce the big hatched on the counter. It is solid ck from the handle to the de.

    Is it my magic or the malice of the hatchet, a sinister aura starts flowing out from the de.

    ¡°T-,This is... You also have such a ridiculous thing?¡±

    The shopkeeper pulls his face back, maybe this is what happens when a normal person has a cursed weapon put in front of them. No, maybe because he is a tradesman, that he is only reacting this much..

    ¡°Kurono-san......, by any chance, did you dispel... No, you overwrote the curse with ck magic?¡±

    ¡°It is called overwrite? I don¡¯t know. So that I can use it, I wrapped it in ck magic.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? You did a great job, it is suppressing almost all the malice of the curse, to ¡®overwrite¡¯ the process in itself is simple, but it consumes arge amount of magical power. Kurono-san you have a great talent.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, it is something I can¡¯t know by myself. It¡¯s just that, I think because my ck magic has goodpatibility with the curse that it can be done easily.¡±

    ¡°Splendid! Kurono-san you¡¯re the very rare type which can use a cursed weapon, without making any changes in it. If it¡¯s alright with you, I can sell the cursed weapons we have here on cheap prices to you.¡±

    ¡°Wha-, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°The cursed weapons are naturally difficult to use, but even storing them safely is a hassle. Unless there is an anplete seal on the curse, the weapon can¡¯t be used easily, even if it does have a seal if not taken care periodically, who knows what cmity may befall on the user. After all, they are apanied by bad luck.¡±

    ¡°I see, but when used normally, it has a great power.¡±

    ¡°No matter how powerful it is, if you make a mistake in using it, you cannote back to life after then. So how about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really curious about it, but for today I¡¯ll be going back.¡±

    The sun is still up and shining, but if we leave the vige during sunset, we will have to walk on the road in pitch ck darkness.

    ¡°I see, so the appraisal results will be given tomorrow. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Okay, well then I¡¯ll being tomorrow, it would be good if you can show me the cursed weapons. Ah, along with that I would like you to see my other weapons too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    I take out the small knife and the ck baton out from my shadow. They were inside the treasure box along with the robe, I can¡¯t understand how to use the knife and I more or less understand the how to use the baton. There is no harm in having them appraised.

    ¡°The cost of appraisal per weapons is 2000 silver, is it alright with you?¡±

    It seems like to appraise the weapons, a special practical magic is needed, along with the materials required for invocation of ¡°Catalyst¡± magic. It seems like this price is not very expensive and ismon here.

    ¡°Yes, please do so.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, then see you tomorrow.¡±

    I entrust the weapon with the shopkeeper and leave the shop¨D¨D then stopped walking.

    Ipletely forgot it, the me right now is only wearing an underwear under the robe. I have the same level of equipments like the perverts that sometimes appear on the school route.

    The thing most important to me is, neither the magic weapon nor items, but normal clothes.

    ¡°Excuse me, where can I buy the clothes and underwears.¡±

    Without saying unnecessary things, I calmly ask the shopkeeper pretending to be wearing eptable clothes.

    ¡°Yes, in that case¨D¨D¡±

    I gather the information about the most important shopping, and this time leave in the shop in a ¡®cool way¡¯. By the way Lily was still sleeping.

 Chapter 26 Story of a Normal High School Student.

    Chapter 26 ¨C Story of a Normal High School Student.

    Kurono Mao was a 17 year old high school student.

    He never dyed his hair, neither smoked nor quarreled, there was also no one in his surroundings who would do such things, he was living a truly peaceful high school life.

    His family background was also normal, he had two parents and one older sister.

    The only worries he had were the exams next year and the deadline for the literature club¡¯s anthology.

    A regr and peaceful daily life, I had all of these things. [ET: Author changed from third person perspective to first person perspective]

    ¡°But, without understanding a thing, I was in a ce I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    The first time I opened my eyes in this world was in aboratory where a ring was being installed into me.

    Shit, even just by remembering it worsens my mood. For the rest of my life I doubt that I will ever face a morning wake up worse than that.

    ¡°The freedom of my body was stolen, and I became an experimental subject in the facility with only white rooms. As a result, I am now able to use ck magic, my body has be a lot sturdier, I am able to understand thenguage of this world and am able to write and read the characters of this world as well.¡±

    Though I did not ask for it, I was forcibly given this power.

    The power I have right now cannot be gained without training in this world.

    I got this power in less than one year, thepensation for it was the immense pain inflicted on my mind and body.

    ¡°After I gained power to some extent, I was forced to fight in what was called ¡®mobility experiments¡¯.¡±

    It started off with an empty-handed light golem, and gradually the opponents kept bing stronger.

    Along with that, I also certainly got stronger.

    ¡°And once my opponent was......a human from the same world as me, but I only discovered that after I had killed him.¡±

    From then on, Ipletely relinquished my own will to them.

    Nevertheless, the experiment was not going to stop, just, I started to feel I needed to escape from there.

    Even though my sense of awareness was fading away, the experience I gained with my body became my own.

    ¡°Even after that, I was forced to fight in the same experiment. I can¡¯t count how many people I had killed, but I was the one killed them. And each time I killed a person I gradually became stronger¨D¨Dlet¡¯s see, I gained the power which can defeat a fire breathing dragon.¡±

    In those days, I had no time to regain my sense of awareness.

    It was at that moment, when my sense of awareness and ego were about to disappear.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand the circumstances in which it urred, by the time I regained my sense of awareness, my ring was lying on the floor of the experiment room. Now that I think about it, the reason my sense of awareness was fading might be an effect of the ring. Anyway, the main source of restraining me the ¡®ring¡¯ was now removed. I killed all the masked men and escaped from theboratory facility without hesitation.¡±

    In the end, thanks to the power given to me by them, I was able to escape from the facility. After that, without eating or drinking anything I was able to reach here.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Sariel, escaping from theboratory wouldn¡¯t have been as dangerous.

    ¡°After escaping the facility, I thought of running to a ce where they won¡¯te looking for me, and so I boarded a ship bound to the Pandora Continent. Then, when I woke up, Lily was there.¡±

    I narrated the circumstances I had to Lily, who was sitting on top of my leg.

    I don¡¯t know the important things, such as how I came to this world and true identity of the masked men.

    ¡°Kurono......¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright now Lily, it was certainly painful, but it¡¯s all past now.¡±

    Even if Lily didn¡¯t know everything in detail, she still understood the feelings I lived with inside theboratory.

    After such a long time, I don¡¯t want words of constion, I just wanted Lily to know about me.

    Although, Lily being by my side was a sufficient amount of constion for me.

    ¡°Hey Lily, do you know magic to summon a person from another world?¡±

    ¡°Another world? I don¡¯t know, but there is summoning magic ¡®summon¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The one to call monsters?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are most of the summoning magics like that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, most can call out monsters or familiars. Other than that I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I see......¡±

    I have seen monster or familiar summoning magic sometimes during the ¡®mobility experiments¡¯.

    I wonder if I was also summoned from a big illuminated magic square like them.

    However, the summoning magic Lily and I know are for calling someone from a different ce in this world, not for calling someone from another world.

    ¡°Kurono, do you want to go home? When will you go back?¡±

    ¡°Aah, I want to go home. I left everything I have attained in my life entirely, when I came here¨D¨D¡±

    I wonder, what is happening right now in my previous world.

    Am I being treated as a ¡®missing person¡¯ over there? Either way, there is no doubt that I¡¯ve caused my family trouble.

    At the very least, it will be much better if I could send a single letter.

    ¡°However, I don¡¯t know much about magic, and the outrageous magic for traversing between worlds will not be discovered easily. That¡¯s why, I will live here for a while, or else for my whole life in this world. Well, if ites to that, I request you keep on having a evesting friendship with me.¡±

    ¡°Un! Lily will always live with Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Lily.¡±

    I thought if I can live with Lily, then maybe living in this another world will also be interesting.

 Chapter 27 First Quest!

    Chapter 27 ¨C First Quest!

    Quest: Collection of Rixei grass.

    Reward: 5000 silver per bag.

    Deadline: the first week of the month of Distant Thunder.

    Client: Irz Vige tool shop owner Kische.

    Details: Required to enter the Fairy Garden and collect a prescribed amount of Rixei grass in bags. The party which brings more than three bags will receive one potion setpounded from Rixei grass.

    ¡°And so, here I am in the fairy garden!¡±

    Wearing the clothes and carrying the items bought yesterday I havee to the location of my first quest.

    Our current location is in front of Lily¡¯s home.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like an adventure.¡±

    It can¡¯t be helped because the herbs I need grow in the Fairy Garden.

    I left the hut in the early morning, went to vige, epted the quest, and returned back. Truly a splendid double effort it is.

    Well, I decided to take the quest knowing I had to take the trip. Alright then, lets go and collect the rixei grass.

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    The one who responded to my voice is of course my reliable buddy Lily.

    For her to apany with me on this quest, Ipleted her adventurer registration.

    I thought of doing this while talking to her yesterday, well, let¡¯s put this talk aside.

    And thus the rookie adventurer team of a human and a fairy pushed their way into the the Fairy Garden!

    A few hours ago, I came to Irz vige wasting two hours to ept a quest.

    There is a reason I decided to ept the collection quest to ¡°Harvest Rixei Grass¡° used to make potions.

    The nt is also used by Lily to make her effective medicine, so getting paid to collect the raw material and also collect the raw material for the medicine was killing two birds with one stone.

    It¡¯s different from the other quests because Lily and I can handle it easily on our own, and the Fairy Garden is also close to home.

    I thought of this as an opportunity to be familiar with the geography of Fairy Garden, which also happens to be my neighborhood, and as for the quest to harvest the medicinal nt, we can easily look while walking.

    ¡°Where does the Rixei grass grow?¡±

    ¡°Umm......, over there!¡±

    I leave guiding uspletely in Lily¡¯s hands.

    Well, it is good to have someone who knows the ce, but it feels weird that I was doing nothing, just apanying Lily......If a monster appears I will fight it.

    I walked following the steps of the fairy in a forest with various green trees, through which the sunlight shined on the ground...... it feels like a very much fantastical situation.

    The forest has a rxing effect, and it also makes the mood peaceful.

    ¡°At this rate, it feels like this quest will turn into a pleasant hiking trip.¡±

    ¡°There is something......¡±

    The mood that makes me feel like singing is blown away in an instant due to a suspicious presence.

    Lily also seems to have noticed and her catches her breath.

    However holding your breath is not going to stop you from being easily discovered with such a shining body.

    There are various suspicious presences in our surroundings. I try to look out from the bushes and there was a monster.

    ¡°I have seen that dinosaur somewhere.¡±

    In front of my eyes was a small dinosaur with sharp ws and was walking on two legs.

    I say small, but it is taller than a person. It was obvious by looking at its heinous fangs which can bite a person¡¯s head like a fruit, that it is a carnivore.

    It¡¯s appearance is just like a deinonychus I once saw in a book as a child. [TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinonychus%5D

    ¡°It¡¯s a dagger raptor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s called?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I remember seeing that name in the monster subjugation list at the guild. I see......so it¡¯s this fellow.

    If I am not mistaken it has the strength of rank 1, the same as a goblin. But individually, this guys strength is overwhelmingly superior.

    Even within the same rank the difference in strength can be quite a lot.

    The raptors in this world have dinosaur-istic names, have long ws and sharp fangs that remind me of knives and daggers. From what I see it looks like a dinosaur from my imagination.

    The single dagger raptor has not sensed us yet, and restlessly moves his head right and left.

    At first nce it appears full of openings...

    ¡°He¡¯s inviting us.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    I have a body that fought desperately through many mobility experiments. Though I can¡¯t understand a monster¡¯s words I can understand their intentions. That experience through the hell was not just for show.

    Lily has also noticed that this raptor is a decoy.

    They are waiting for the moment our attention changes toward him, so the other raptors in the surroundings can start attacking.

    But now that we know that much we have no intention to keep on ring at it.

    ¡°Lily, you shoot at him. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    We leap out of bushes with Lily in front.

    The raptor decoy immediately turns towards us taking and takes an offensive posture, but...

    ¡°Eeiii!¡±

    Contrary to that cute shout, Lily¡¯sser beam pierces through the middle of the raptor¡¯s forehead.

    The raptor dies instantly in a sh without having the time to swing its ws.

    Lily¡¯s work is only till here, now the rest is¨D¨D

    ¡°My turn!¡±

    The moment we leapt out in offensive, the raptors hiding in the surroundings start to attack at once.

    Two rush at me from my each side, one from my back, it might have thought about capturing me from behind, but if I know their moves, it¡¯s easy to exterminate them. I quickly turn around and raise the ck baton in my hand.

    ¡°Buckshot.¡±

    The magic I supplied is amplified by the baton, due to it the bullets formed have more density than normal.

    Firing buckshot only takes a moment, and the ck curtain of bullets intercepts four raptors at once.

    If I had fired the buckshot without the use of baton, it wouldn¡¯t have be a sure kill with one shot.

    Although small, the raptors have the appearance of a dinosaur and were being protected by their hard scales and skins. They disy iparable defensive power whenpared to goblins.

    The bullets were higher power than normal, smashed the scales, and mercilessly drilled through the skin.

    However due to using the baton I got from the magician¡¯s treasure box, officially named ¡±ck Barista?Replica¡± my power has doubled. The bullets fired on my both sides at the same time, driving the raptors near the verge of death and eventually killing them.

    There is one left, a single raptor now in front of me as I have turned back.

    During the gap when I fired the bullets, it took the shortest distance and ran up to me. It is still trying to attack me with its ws but I¡¯m out of their range.

    ¡°Pierce ¡®Cursed Hatchet ¨C ¡°Tsujigiri¡± ¡¯ .¡±

    The ck hatchetes out from my shadow in an instant. I take in in my hands and dash out forward to finish the raptor.

    Though a raptor has hard solid scales and skin, in front of this cursed hatchet, it gets split in two halves without any resistance.

    The body of the raptor falls on the ground with a thud.

    ¡°Nh, the rest retreated, huh?¡±

    When they saw their six friends go down in an instant, they concluded that they were no match for me and I felt the surrounding presences of raptors fade rapidly.

    It won¡¯t be a problem to fight them, but I don¡¯t like to take the initiative and I won¡¯t pursue them.

    In the first ce our purpose foring here was to harvest the medicinal herbs. If I fight with the monsters, there would be no end.

    ¡°Now then, we have already repelled them sessfully, shall we move forward? Ah wait, let¡¯s take back the proof of killing them.¡±

    I don¡¯t remember how much reward is given for a single raptor, but it might be able to reward me with gold.

    The report of a suppression can be proved by taking a part of that particr monster as an identifier.

    For a goblin the ears are popr and for the raptors it is the ws and fangs.

    For proof you require a symmetrical pair of therge left and right ws or fangs.

    I chose to collect the ws because they would be faster to cut off with the cursed hatchet.

 Chapter 28 Curse, Replica and Multipurpose Knife

    Chapter 28 Curse, Replica and Multipurpose Knife

    A long, long time ago, a beautiful girl used to live in a small remote vige.

    The girl wasn¡¯t just beautiful, but also smart, knowledgeable in sciences, and also had talent in swordy. And yet, she had a calm and gentle personality. Being the single daughter of the vige head, she was loved by all. She was truly the very picture of an ideal girl.

    The girl herself was satisfied with her life till now and held no dissatisfaction towards her betrothal with the strongest man in the vige.

    But, on the day the vige was visited by a certain magic warrior, her fate had started to go out of order.

    The youth hade to exterminate a strong monster that had started appearing near the vige. The youth was just a newbie as a magic warrior but was filled with young enthusiasm and a sense of justice. That is why he took this request, which others felt was too dangerous aspared to the reward, as a mission for himself.

    And thus the youth, along with the soldiers of the vige, entered the mountains to exterminate the monster.

    But this monster wasn¡¯t just strong but also cunning as well. And itmanded a swarm of small monsters and led a surprise attack on the youth and the soldiers.

    Due to the surprise attack, the soldiers were scattered, and the small monsters obstructed the youth¡¯s chanting and made him unable to attack. He was somehow able to barely make it back to the vige alive. He who returned with serious injuries was treated by the girl who had learnt about medicinal sciences. But, her heart was in a pitiful condition, the same as every other viger.

    His wounds had healed but he had already lost the faith of the vigers.

    But the youth did not give up.

    The youth¡¯s abilities were weak but the sense of justice he held in his heart was the same as the magic warriors that appeared in fairy tales. It wouldn¡¯t break with just one loss.

    Even though he received no help from the vigers, he once again left to face the monster and entered the mountain alone.

    Of course, unable to fight against the strong monster that led a big swarm of monsters, he once again returned wounded. The girl once again healed the youth and the vigers once again scorned him.

    But still, not giving up on defeating the monster and saving the vige, he once again entered the mountain.

    Lose again, healed by the girl again, challenge the monster again. This same cycle was repeated countless times.

    The youth started getting stronger gradually with every battle and the number of small monsters was slowly yet steadily cutting down.

    But still, the main boss remained undamaged and from the point of view of the vigers he was getting no sess and their faith in him was yet to be restored. But the girl who healed him every time he returned injured started to get a better opinion of this magic warrior who was unable to give up.

    Looking at that serious and earnest figure of the youth all the time, it did not take long for her feelings to grow deeper.

    ¡°Thank you as usual.¡±

    Thanking the girl who had healed him, he was about to yet again go and fight the monster, at that moment,

    ¡°Can you please take me as well?¡±

    Swinging the big hatchet with one hand, the girl asked the youth.

    Naturally, the boy refused.

    But, the girl was obstinate in following him.

    I want to help you who has been fighting for this vige. I also want to fight for saving this vige. I have confidence in my skills with the sword. I brought the hatchet and not the sword so the vige head will not find out.¡ªetc etc. The girl kept on objecting the youth¡¯s words of refusal.

    ¡°You will take me as well, right?¡±

    Atst the youth yielded to the girl¡¯s strong enthusiasm. But, the girl was simply attracted to the youth and in actuality, she just wanted to help him in any way possible. The vige was simply an afterthought.

    Or maybe, the girl had be weird due to falling in love for the first time.

    ¡°Yes! This time the result was much better!¡±(youth)

    Due to the girl joining, the fighting potential was greatly increased.

    To release strong magic, chanting was necessary, so a swordsman or a soldier was necessary to protect the caster during that time.

    After getting stronger due to the countless battles with the monsters alone, with the addition of just one swordsman, it was natural that he was able to disy strength multiple times than usual.

    Also, the girl was able to protect the youth perfectly while he was chanting.

    Even though it was big, it was still a mere hatchet after all, yet she was able to slice the small monsters in a single sh. Her skills were definitely above those soldiers in the vige.

    The two of them, after that, entered the mountain together and clearly started driving the monsters into a corner.

    ¡°Today definitely, I¡¯ll end this¡ª¡ª-¡°

    In thest battle, the swarm of monsters was almost annihted, and even the boss monster was injured.

    With his words, the youth made a firm resolution and together with the girl headed towards thest battle.

    ¡°I, I did it¡ª-¡°

    After fighting for the whole day, the youth and the girl finally defeated the monster. The youth, after a long struggle, was happy to have finally saved the vige. But the girl was happy only due to the fact that the youth was happy.

    By this time, the girl had be unable to think of anything else other than the youth to the extent where everything else seemed worthless. She was harbouring a twisted love in her heart.

    Fighting with the youth together, without telling the vigers, it was the happiest moment for the girl in her whole life.

    Returning to the vige together, the youth let the vigers know that the monster had finally been defeated.

    In the centre of the vige with the vige head, soldiers and others, the youth lifted and showed the head of the monster, and revealed that their fight like a heroic tale.

    With a great apuse, the vigers apologised to the youth for their impoliteness up till now and the vige head gave his daughter¡¯s hand to the youth who had aplished such a great feat¡ª¨Cor so the girl stupidly thought by herself.

    ¡°I see, since you have defeated the monster we shall reward you. But it is unforgivable that you involved my daughter in such danger. I ask you to leave this vige at once.¡±(Vige head)

    For a second, the girl was unable to understand her father¡¯s words.

    From the point of view of the vigers, the youth was scorned beyond any recovery, and even if he finally defeated the monster and brought peace to the vige, it was [toote now], or so theyined.

    Even the vige head felt that giving the reward was an extraordinary treatment towards the youth. And above all, not just the vige head but even the vigers found it unforgivable that the youth involved their precious girl in such danger.

    ¡°No way¡ª¡ª¡°

    Why? Was what the girl was about to speak, but she was intelligent and soon realized the mind of the vigers. At the end, the girl just didn¡¯t want to believe it.

    But the seeing the youth bowing deeply and apologising,

    ¡°Thank you up till now. Farewell¡±(youth)

    And the moment these sad words reached her ears, the girl¡¯s world took a total turn. The vige who was supposed to bless him and her, her vige where she grew up, had hurt the youth¡¯s heart. They were an unforgivable enemy worse than monsters.

    ¡°I will not forgive¡ª¨C¡°(girl)

    Firstly, she severed the head of her father. Then she split open the belly of the man who was supposed to be her fianc¨¦e and was speaking some useless things. At the end, each and every viger had the appearance of a ¡®monster¡¯ in her eyes.

    ¡°I will never forgive you!!!¡±

    The big hatchet that had been enhanced by the youth¡¯s magic and had cut through countless monsters; had now be slightly covered in magical energy and showed strength far above a normal sword.

    Using the now cursed hatchet, there was no one in the vige who could stop the girl who was cutting everyone with a violent passion.

    The girl shed everyone that entered her view.

    At the end all that was left was, the youth who had fallen and had be unable to move in front of the abrupt tragedy and the girl who was smiling while drenched in blood.

    ¡°Wh, Why did you........¡±(youth)

    Sitting on the ground, clenching his favourite staff, he asked the girl with a shivering voice.

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it obvious¡ª-¡°(girl)

    The girl answered with a mesmerizing and charming smile.

    ¡°Because I love you, that¡¯s why.¡±

    And thus, the big hatchet filled with hate and love was born.

    For the girl, the world to protect consisted of only the youth and herself and everything else was the enemy. Whether it be human or monster, there was no distinction. Thus it held the curse of attacking everything indiscriminately.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªthis is the super dangerous story behind this big hatchet.¡±

    The cursed weapon I got from those goblins. The appraisal result hade at the item shop, and I came to know about this overly blood-reeking old story of this different world which would have been better if I didn¡¯t know. Or rather, does an appraisal reveal the whole story behind how the weapon was born as well ?........Magic really is amazing. By the way, its official name is [Cursed Hatchet ¨C Tsujigiri (lit. intersecting beheading)]. If you let the de absorb blood and enhance it further, it will change its name as well as its shape.

    Seriously, it¡¯s a dangerous level up system. At least it could have been something softer like exp points, but instead it¡¯s -let the de absorb blood..........

    ¡°And the ck baton here is a replica version of a legendary weapon with hidden magic known as ck Barrister.¡±

    The original is said to be able to fire an arrow made of ck magic that could pierce through even castle walls. Though I don¡¯t know what it actually was like, but it should be simr to how I fire my magic bullets since I am able to bring out much more strength when using Rifle or Buckshot with this baton. SO this item must bepatible with me.

    ¡°The knife is called [Efreet¡¯s Thumb], it is meant to use fire type magic it seems.¡±

    The item inside the treasure box along with the baton was knife with fire magic. Well that sounds good but the only type of fire magic I can use is......

    ¡°umm, spewing small fire and putting up a me barrier that can ward off small insects, and that¡¯s it.¡±

    Even though I called it fire magic, it¡¯s just a recement for a lighter or a bug-repellent.

    Well it¡¯s practical but it still is a bit sad.

    ¡°Also, there is also a cursed weapon that I bought at the item shop, but, yeah, it¡¯s quite difficult to use in an actual battle.¡±

    It would have been great if it was something straight like a sword but instead it¡¯s a [Needle]. I wonder if it can even be called a weapon.

    Well, it was cheap so I ended up buying it in the end....

    ¡°nee,nee, Kurono.¡±(Lily)

    ¡°Hm?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°What happened to the youth and the girl after that?¡±

    Looks like Lily found that cruel tale interesting.

    ¡°Hm Let¡¯s see¡ª¨Cthe two of them lived together happily ever after.¡±

    After that, we were not attacked by any other monsters like that Dagger Raptor and safely reached the ce where the Rixei grass grew.

    ¡°ooh, looks like a lot of it is growing. We should be easily able to fill the bags.¡±

    Rixei grass was so in looking that you wouldn¡¯t even realize that it was there if I didn¡¯t particrly know about it.

    The only characteristic was probably the jagged leaves like dandelions but other than that it was simr to weeds.

    But, it cannot grow in any ce other than Fairy Garden since it needed an environment with dense magical energy to grow.

    Not just people or monsters but to think that magical energy affected even nts, for someone modern like me, it was very difficult to understand.

    ¡°Can this really be made into a medicine?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be used directly though.¡±(Lily)

    ¡°yeah, Nyarko-san also said something like that. Although I thought that the grass itself might also recover something like 10 HP.¡±

    ¡°Echpii?¡±

    I exined the concept of HP to Lily. Although it¡¯s called a medicinal nt, ording to Nyarko-san, it won¡¯t show any effect until you properly boil it and process it into a proper medicine.

    As Lily said, Rixei grass has no effect on the body if used directly. Even without studying about medicine professionally, it seems it is a widely known fact among even the rural people. But it seems there are younger people that think that any ingredients of the potion will have the same effect as well.

    I was clearly in thetter category. I¡¯m embarrassed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll learn from here onwards, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I cut the Rixei grass with the Efreet¡¯s knife from the roots. Obviously I don¡¯t release fire. What would I do if I caused a forest fire?

    ¡°Tobine a knife and a lighter, this is basically like a multipurpose Swiss-knife.¡±

    I can¡¯t really feel the value of the fire magic, but it¡¯s still useful so I¡¯ll leave it at that.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, how is Lily removing the grass?¡±

    Even I who has a magically reinforced body can do it faster since I have a knife. Lily using bare hands would definitely be inefficient, and she doesn¡¯t wear clothes so I¡¯m pretty sure she doesn¡¯t have a sickle or a knife as well.

    Curious, I looked towards Lily who looked like a kindergartener working very hard. The moment Lily held the roots of the grass in her hand, small lights shed near her hand and the grass ispletely separated and then Lily throws the grass inside the bag.

    ¡°Usingser to burn it off........she is a scary child.¡±

    It was thanks to magic that she was able to do it so well. I should also work to find more applications for my magic!

    Looking at Lily¡¯s use of magic I resolved to raise my skill as a magician as well.

    By the way, looking at the bag where Lily was putting all her grass and then looking at the [Shadow Space] made by me, I felt depressed again. I thought my space magic was unique........

    After this, we cleared the quest without any trouble.

    Since we got exactly three bags, we received one set of Rixei grass extract 1000mg potion from the owner of the item shop.

    But there is barely any danger in rank 1 quests so I don¡¯t really have any timing to try this potion. Well I¡¯ll keep it but doesn¡¯t this thing have any expiry date?

 Chapter 29 Return to Ordinary Life

    Chapter 29 Return to Ordinary Life

    A month had quickly passed after meeting Lily.

    Even in this world the terms like a week, a month, and a year, is correct. Because even though the naming is different, this world also follows the same sr calendar as earth.

    I met Lily during the first week of the [month of Ryokufuu (lit. Early-summer breeze)] which would correspond to April.

    Right now it¡¯s May or [month of Enrai (lit. distant thunder)]. The second week will start from tomorrow.

    Even in this calendar, the month of February [month of Hyoushou (lit. ice crystals)] is made up of 28 days and has 29 days in every 4 years.

    Thanks to this, I was quickly able to learn the calendar. The day is also of the same length i.e around 24 hrs. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a watch so I can¡¯t be sure though.

    Also, I learnt about the surroundings of the vige as well. The vige of Irz and other surrounding viges are agricultural viges with wheat production as the focus.

    But in this world, a danger known as monsters exists so even the smallest of the viges have a pretty big poption and they also have a wooden fence as a bare minimum defence.

    So, people aren¡¯t spread all over the ce in small groups. And thus the various viges are clearly marked and known even though it is like the middle ages here.

    I also saw a rough map of the surrounding area at the vige head¡¯s home so I now roughly know the locations of the neighbouring Kuar vige, the forest of fairies, Kuar caves, Media ruins, and other mountains and rivers in the area.

    The surroundings of the Irz vige are located in a country that was recently raised by Gavinar of the dragon tribe. The capital Daidalos, that was also taken as the country name as well, is the territory where the dragon king resides.

    Gavinar is apparently a young one even among the dragon tribe but holding strength and high ambitions, he became the king himself and built a country.

    Aah, by the way, the Pandora continent is currently under attack by humans.

    I did hear things like pioneering and colonisation at the port town, but it was true apparently. Also, the ce where the facility was located is known as the Arc continent.

    In my world, it¡¯s already recorded in history as to how those who crossed seas conquered the various countries. In Africa and India, the natives were subjected to very and ruled and were allowed to trade with their home country only.

    In South America, the countries that had ruled from a long time like Inca and Aztecs were both destroyed and the people faced annihtion.

    Then, will this Pandora continent also head towards very or annihtion some day? Well, it doesn¡¯t seem that way.

    The colonisers in my world were able to do this because they held overwhelming difference in power. A simple logic even a child can understand, i.e. the strong shall rule the weak.

    But the elves, dwarves, goblins, and other beastmen races possess strength enough to repel the invaders. In this magical world, guns are not the ultimate weapon; even a small dagger raptor could easily face gunfire. Of course, considering the weapons I saw in the facility, it seems guns haven¡¯t been even invented here.

    Incidentally, during this one month, I have understood how much strength a normal human in this world possesses.

    When I was escaping, I could kill those masked men and those in light armour in a single attack not because they were weak, but because that is the average strength of a normal human.

    I don¡¯t think they can create an army of 10,000 or 100,000 of people with strength like that of Sariel.

    I guess Sariel really was an exception. The humans in this world are basically simr to the ones in my world.

    Although they may have magical energy, and army of humans does not have any advantage over a group of monsters. In fact, in individual strength, humans will lose.

    And if they have Sariel, then there should be someone with the same level of strength on this side as well. An example would be the dragon king Gavinar who governs Daidalos.

    Thending of the people from the Arc continent was unfortunately, no I should say fortunately, in front of Daidalos. As such, they had to face the fearsome army of Daidalos led by the dragon king. Due to this, they have been unable to continue their conquest further inside the Pandora continent.

    The Daidalos army has currentlypletely trapped the people of the Arc continent and are threatening them to return back in the name of negotiating.

    All this was heard from the vige head, but considering what I had heard from the conversation in the port town, it¡¯s probably true that the conquest of Pandora continent is not going well.

    It seems, I was pointlessly worried that I¡¯ll be dragged into a war. I¡¯ll be able to continue my peaceful life as adventurer here.

    Once again, another normal day of my life in the different world began.

    ¡°Ah, Vats-san. Good Morning.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yo, good morning. Oh? Lily-san is not together with you today? That¡¯s rare.¡±(Vats)

    ¡°She is going stay in the house and make medicines. I don¡¯t have anything to help there either.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? She is usually together with you all the time so you must be lonely. But, I see, the day of selling medicines ising closer.¡±

    ¡°This time she¡¯ll be making more than usual so pleasee and get some. Though we¡¯ll charge for it.¡±

    ¡°Ahhahha you¡¯re bing more like a merchant.¡±

    ¡°Well our livelihood depends on it after all.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you earning as an adventurer as well? I heard you were quite talented too.¡±

    ¡°No way, it¡¯s just that my ck magic is rare.¡±

    ¡°As long as you can exterminate monsters, anything¡¯s fine. You¡¯re going to the guild again today right? Work hard!¡±

    ¡°Yes, see you then.¡±

    Greeting Vats-san early morning everyday while going to the vige had also be something like a habit.

    Even though I was surprised seeing a goblin like him at first.......it¡¯s amazing how you can get used to things. The figure of Vats-san working in field along with his wife and children really looks just like a group of monsters from afar, but still they are splendid members of the Irz vige.

    ¡°Grint-san, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Morning, huh, Lily-san is¡ª¡ª¡°

    I¡¯m being asked that by everyone, well I certainly am usually seen with Lily. Exining shortly, I go through the gate as usual.

    ¡°Oh right, many people have noticed Wind wolfs, so it looks like a pack of them has appeared.¡±

    Wind wolfs are monsters like wolves that can use wind magic. They are the lowest rank 1 monsters that hunt in packs simr to dagger raptors but for the vigers they possess enough danger.

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll exterminate them if I see them.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±(Grint)

    Listening to the movement of monsters has also be a part of my life.

    Grint-san is the leader of the vignte corps of the vige so it has be his duty to also be the gatekeeper as well.

    Still, he is well aware of the information and news regarding the area from talking with other vigers; especially regarding monsters.

    Although humans have been invading, the only direct danger to the vige is from the monsters only.

    ¡°Good morning. What book are you going to look for today?¡±(shione)

    Coming to the vige head¡¯s house for reading books has also be my daily routine.

    Shione-san always receives me who keeps hanging in her library everyday pleasantly. No, seriously, thank you for giving me tea and stuff everyday......

    ¡°Is there any book rted to transfer or summoning magic or any info about ruins with ritual equipments of the same type?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Though there are no grimoires, let¡¯s see, there should be logs and records of adventurers who have gone into historic ruin type dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Then that please.¡±

    I have obviously not given up returning to my own world.

    But, I have no idea what I should do about it, so I can only research about summoning magic written in the books.

    ¡°Books specialising in magic or dungeons can only be found in the Daidalos library, I think.¡±(shione)

    ¡°So it really is like that. I¡¯ll try travelling there someday.¡±(kurono)

    Well its fine, no need to be impatient, I¡¯ll solve this problem slowly.

 Chapter 30 Adventurer Party

    Chapter 30 Adventurer Party

    Spend the morning reading at the vige head¡¯s house, eat lunch at the guild in the afternoon, and then look for quests; is what my schedule on days I don¡¯t have any quest looks like.

    ¡°And then senpai said ¡®you do the rest¡¯! And left all the work to me! Isn¡¯t it cruel!?¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s certainly cruel. So Nyarko can you please let me eat in peace?¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°Listen to me properly Kurono-san!!¡±

    I think I have gotten quite close to this Guild¡¯s newbie employee Nyanko (T/N: kitty cat), no wait, Nyarko.

    Even I have started calling her without any honorific. Nyarko uses polite speech as default since she is an employee but now she talks about work less and more idle talk. By the way,ints are also included in idle talks.

    As usual I am just a listener; once again she was barging my meal with her machine gun talk. How should I say this, don¡¯t you have some work?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be eating this, delicious!¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°ah, oi!? Don¡¯t eat so much!¡±(kurono)

    Two pieces of meat disappeared from my te and in her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, one or two bites ..¡±

    ¡°Your one bite is too big! Look, the proportion of bread with the dish has beenpletely destroyed!¡±

    ¡°How rude.. You talk as if I eat too much¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°Stop idling around, Nyarko!¡±(pine)

    And with an angry shout, the one who was the subject of Nyarko¡¯sints, Pine-san appeared while raising her fists.

    ¡°Ouch!? Senpai you are so cruel¡ª- I was only trying to help a serious adventurer like Kurono-san who wanted to hear about jobs even during meals¡ª-¡°(nyarko)

    ¡°No, this was all one-sided from you.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Wait Kurono-san!? You betrayed me!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember being your ally though?¡±

    ¡°Well then Kurono-san, I¡¯ll have this girl return to troublesome filing of documents, so call me if you want to take on a quest.¡±(Pine)

    ¡°Got it. Bye Nyarko, work hard.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°gurono-zaaann!! You¡¯re heartlezz¨C!! (Nyarko)

    With a pitiful cry resounding in the lobby, Pine-san dragged Nyarko away by her weakness that was her tail.

    With this, my peaceful lunchtime returned again.

    In the quiet lobby, I peacefully drank tea¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Oi, you¡¯re Kurono right?¡±

    Suddenly, some random guy came and sat on the chair in front of me where Nyarko was sitting till now. Just when I thought I could finally eat calmly...........

    ¡°Yes, I am Kurono but¡ª¡°

    The person who sat in front of me was also a cat-human (werecat) like Nyarko.

    Wearing light armour and a sword, he was clearly an adventurer. Behind him stood 3 people who were probably members of his party.

    The werecat in front of me was a swordsman, a lizardman who had a spear, a harpy with a bow and amia with a long staff.

    I could easily guess their races from their different bodies.

    The werecat, simr to Nyarko, also had human-like hair on his head and also walked on two legs.

    Lizardmen possessed more of their animal traits, so they had no hair and gave off a monster like feel.

    Harpies have an upper body of a human and lower body of a bird. And the most special feature was that both their arms were wings but they still possessed hands as well.

    Lamias have the upper body of a human and lower body of a snake. If not for thetter, they looked pretty much like normal humans. But, the long and narrow pupils and the tongue split at the end that appeared now and then gave off a more snake-like feeling.

    I have never conversed with the people of this diverse party but, I have seen them a lot of times in the guild. I think there name was.......

    ¡°Rank 2 adventurer Party [Irz der] needs something from me?¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°Oh, so you know about us? Looks like we¡¯ve be a bit famous.¡±mia)

    ¡°Stupid, don¡¯t say useless things Aten!¡±(catguy)

    The cat swordsman suddenly shouted at themia magic warrior.

    ¡°So, what business do you have with me?¡±(kurono)

    It looked like they¡¯ll start getting noisy among themselves, so I quickly asked their purpose.

    ¡°You, don¡¯t hit on Nyarko-san while she is working! You¡¯re bothering her!¡±(catguy)

    ¡°.......?¡±

    For a second, I couldn¡¯t understand what the hell he was talking about.

    ¡°That was Nyarko-san¡ª¡°(kurono)

    ¡°Don¡¯t give excuses-nya!!¡±(catguy)

    Did he just shout with a ¡®nyaa¡¯ at me?

    ¡°It¡¯s not an excuse. Besides saying that I was hitting on her is just groundless¡ª¡ª¡°(kurono)

    ¡°Agh irritating. Stop talking in such a roundabout manner! Adventurers aren¡¯t guys that talk in such a refined manner anyway!¡±

    I was again faced with an amazingint.

    But if he is saying to stop talking politely then fine

    ¡°Sure, this suits me better anyway. You may know my name, but I don¡¯t know yours so how about you start with introducing yourselves first?¡±

    Trying to act cool I might have been a bit too rude but I can¡¯t treat adventurers simr to normal people. It¡¯s necessary to show some attitude to not be underestimated by the other party.

    ¡°.......¡±(catguy)

    ¡°I am Aten, a fellow magic warrior. Nice to meet you.¡± mia/aten)

    Ignoring the cat swordsman¡¯s serious silence, themia girl quickly introduced herself.

    ¡°Aten!? Again you are doing things by yourself¡ª¡ª¡°(catguy)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine leader. At least tell your name. Rude guys aren¡¯t popr.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°guh...¡±

    ¡°I am Harry.¡±

    ¡°My name is ydor.¡±

    After her, the Harpy and lizardman also named themselves respectively.

    ¡°.......I am Nino, leader of Irz der.¡±(catguy)

    ¡°Nice to meet you as well, you already know but I¡¯m Kurono, a ck magician who is also a new adventurer.¡±

    A weird atmosphere hanged in the air.

    I got their names, but I still don¡¯t understand what they need from me.

    ¡°So, what were you saying about Nyarko?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re acting too familiar with her! And don¡¯t call her without any honorific!!¡±

    ¡°If I had to say, it was Nyarko who is acting over familiar.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, stop making excuses¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°What is it? Do like Nyarko or what?¡±

    ¡°Wha......Why do you know that!?¡±

    Ah, shit, I just said that randomly. Didn¡¯t think it was actually correct. So that¡¯s why he has been shouting Nyarko this and Nyarko that.....

    Even the other members are making a ¡®so it was obvious¡¯ expression.

    ¡°Ah, well,......sorry.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Having said that, he fell t on the table.

    ¡°Anyway, I like human women so I have no intention to make a pass at Nyarko. You can be relieved.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I knew it. We also said that a lot of times but this idiot just didn¡¯t listen to us.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t say anymore than that.¡±

    Nino who was still lying without any energy was somehow able to object Aten who had a teasing sadistic smile.

    ¡°Well leaving Nino aside, Kurono-san, could you cooperate with us?¡±

    ¡°Meaning? Aah, sit down first. No need to keep on standing.¡±(Kurono)

    Harry asked with a serious face. So this was the main topic.

    Anyway, I got to sit together with another adventurer party for the first time.

    ¡°You do know about the luggage carrying quest we have given out, right?¡±

    ¡°Aah, right, there was that quest as well. You want me to take that quest?¡±

    ¡°Basically, yes.¡±

    ¡°neee please Kurono¡«please carry our luggage¡«¡±(Aten)

    ¡°Aten, I¡¯m trying to seriously trying to negotiate here. What¡¯s with your asking style¡ª¡°(harry)

    ¡°Alright.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I was also thinking of teaming up with another party. Also, I wanted to see how an actual party functions as well.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then please, we look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    I firmly shake hands with Harry. With this the contract is sealed.

    ¡°Wait, Kurono¡¯s a human. Wouldn¡¯t a beastman or an orc be a better choice?¡±(nino)

    Finally revived, Nino interjected after all this time, but his logic wasn¡¯t wrong.

    No matter how much of a good body build I had, as a human my physical power would becking inparison to other races. Of course, under the effect of the experiments, I could disy beast-like strength even without magic but only Lily is aware of that.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that leader. Kurono-san can use spatial magic.¡± (harry)

    ¡°You¡¯re well aware. Did you hear it from old man Kische?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As expected, after all I used it frequently only in the item shop. Calling him old man, I think I have gotten quite unreserved with him now.

    But still, that old man is definitely a sly fox, as expected of a merchant.

    I¡¯ll try selling him something like a suspicious item one day.

    ¡°Really?¡±(Nino)

    Nino looked at me doubtfully. Does this guy hate me?

    Maybe he still thinks I am a rival in love. Beastmen, whether for good or bad, have usually simple and straightforward personalities.

    ¡°Look at my feet¡ª¨C¡°(kurono)

    At times like these, it¡¯s best to show directly.

    From near my feet, Shadow space opened, and I randomly brought out a potion.

    ¡°¡±ooh!!¡±¡±

    The shadow swayed like water and the bottle of potion came out.

    ¡°I saw spatial magic for the first time¡«¡±(Aten)

    Maybe because she was also a magic warrior, Aten¡¯s eyes were shining with curiosity and interest.

    ¡°How much can it hold?

    Harry coolly questioned.

    ¡°Weight is irrelevant, as for size¡ª-enough to hold all of 5 you inside.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°Convenient, right?¡±

    Fufun, I boast a little.

    Probably because she could also use it Lily wasn¡¯t that surprised. These reactions really make me happy.

    ¡°With this even leader can¡¯tin right?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t reallyining in the first ce, if he can do it then it¡¯s fine.¡±(nino)

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go and take the quest then.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes sure. We will wait here so we¡¯ll exin the details afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Closing the shadow space, I left my seat and went towards the reception where Pine-san was.

 Chapter 31 Irz Blader and Luggage Carrying (1)

    Chapter 31 Irz der and Luggage Carrying (1)

    Quest rank 2: Dortoth hunting

    Reward: 3-5 gold per head

    Deadline: 1 month from the date of eptance of quest

    Client: Daidalos trader guild

    Details: We request you to hunt Dortoths which are used for their fur and meat. We also deal and trade with ingredients all the year round so please hunt freely as much as you can.

    ¡°ooh, so this is the true identity of that mysterious meat.......¡±(kurono) (T/N:reference to Ch 21)

    That was the first thing that came in my mind regarding our quest.

    Well, correctly speaking, my quest is to be a luggage carrier for Irz der and hunting for Dortoths is the quest for Irz der.

    By the way, when monsters are killed for fur or meat, they call it ¡®hunting¡¯ and not ¡®subjugation/extermination¡¯.

    Defeating the monster is not the priority; at the very least they also have to peel off the useable materials from the monster and at times they are even required to catch them alive or catch without wounding them etc., it can be very difficult at times.

    The difficulty of hunting quests depends more on the details of the quest and less on the monster that has to be hunted.

    By the way, the quests where the main requirement is to kill a monster are called as subjugation quests.

    ¡°Listen Kurono, although our objective is hunting Dortoths, we have been asked to hunt freely so we¡¯ll also hunt Windwolfs that have been increasingtely. We are party that focuses on monster subjugation quests after all, since safety of the vige was actually our original goal. But to function as an adventurer, money is required. So along with the required material we will also need to gain money from defeating monsters as frencing as well.¡±

    This was the full exnation Nino had given me yesterday afternoon.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave the vige at dawn tomorrow! That¡¯s why stay at the vige tonight!¡±

    I was also suddenly told this.

    Although I feel bad for Lily, this is also part of my work so I decided to send her a letter that I won¡¯t be returning for around a week. Thank god the postal system exists even in the different world. Of course it isn¡¯t at a level where they could deliver mails anywhere in the country at the same rate and with certainty, but there shouldn¡¯t be a problem if it is to Lily¡¯s house or the neighbouring vige.

    Aah, I am going to be lonely not being able to see Lily¡¯s face for one whole week. I started feeling sentimental. Looks like I have be quite attached to her. I wonder if it¡¯s the same for Lily.

    No use thinking about it. I¡¯ll bring lots of souvenirs whileing back. Deciding that, I slept in the lodge provided by the guild.

    The dortoths live in a mountain region known as Gahad. It was located west of the Fairy Garden, past the cave where the goblins had lived.

    Even arriving there would take at least the whole day. Though, we might make it a bit faster since I put their entire luggage in shadow space.

    Defeating the small monsters around the vige and fairy garden is also one of the objectives but, before that thepletion of quest had more priority. So we decided to directly go there first.

    Since we didn¡¯t enter the Fairy garden, our journey had rarely been interrupted by monsters.

    It felt a bit like hiking. We talked to each other about ourselves.

    For example, Harry was Pine-san¡¯s younger brother and ydor was Grint-san¡¯s son.

    Pine-san¡¯s face does look simr to Harry. Although I can¡¯t really find differences in the faces of lizardmen, ydor also has blue scales like Grint-san. His spearmanship was also simr to his father.

    After talking for some time, I more or less understood their personalities as well.

    The leader Nino is a straightforward and frank type of person. But he¡¯s also the most talented among them and has also learnt [martial arts].

    [Martial Arts] is a technique used by swordsmen and warriors who cannot use magic, to invoke magical energy inside their body to bring out special effects and abilities. It is something like a special move.

    During the maneuvering experiments, I was hit by a thin sword that struck with an impossibly heavy blow, cut by a sword d in mes, pierced by a spear d in lightning, and experienced many other such martial arts.

    Although both magic and martial arts use magical energy, they are differentiated clearly since they follow different set of rules.

    Well regardless of what the actual theory behind it was, it is still an amazing skill that can disy attack power or defensive power simr to Magic.

    To have learnt multiple arts meant that you were a veteran in using weapons and fighting; on apletely different level from beginners.

    But seeing him teased by Aten and remonstrated by Harry, I can¡¯t really call it amazing..........well looks like he is properly trusted by hisrades so it¡¯s OK.

    Harry was, I had already guessed by his tone and atmosphere, the intellectual member of the party. He uses ¡¯ ¨Csan¡¯ honorific for everyone except the party members. Everything except battle has been left on to him.

    He is the rearguard with a bow but since he is also meant to protect the magic user Aten, he is also able to fight with a short sword.

    ydor is a silent person, and usually doesn¡¯t participate in the conversation. Yeah, there are guys like him even in a different world. I had a friend like him so I somehow understood. In battle, he is the vanguard along with Nino. Possessing high defensive abilities due to his hard skin and scales, in emergencies, he can even protect hisrades with his body directly.

    Aten is the lone woman in the group. But, it seems that people are only attracted to those of their own race, so even if it was someone as beautiful as her, only amia would be attracted to her. It seems there is no danger of internal disputes due to a love affair.

    A magic user like her is the weakest on her own but with the support of the vanguards she can release wide ranged intermediate level attack magic. She is the attack pir of the party.

    She can also use healing magic somewhat, but she is not expert enough to use it while in battle. So recovery of the party relies on items.

    Like this I basically got their personal data.

    Rest I¡¯ll understand when I¡¯ll see them in actual battle.

    ¡°So what about Kurono?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±(kurono)

    Aten suddenly asked about me.

    ¡°What magic you use, fighting style, things like that? We talked about ourselves but we haven¡¯t heard anything about you.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you became an adventurer then you should have confidence in your skills right?¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Oh, well I have neverpared myself with other adventurers so I can¡¯t really say but at least I¡¯m not stronger at magic than Lily. I can¡¯t really chant and only depend on single action and defensive shield magic.¡±

    Single action refers to magic like [Rifle] or [buckshot].

    Solidifying your own magical energy and shooting it out without utilising any other spell or technique. It is fired after a single process, thus it¡¯s called single action.

    Which reminds me, my shield is also made in the same way so that will alsoe under single action.

    Anyway, it¡¯s the basic among the basics for a magic user. If you can¡¯t use single action you cannot be called a magician.

    ¡°Eeh since you knew spatial magic, I was sure that you would know some amazing magic. Or rather, it¡¯s amazing you decided to be an adventurer even though you could only use single action and shield.¡±(Aten)

    Am I being looked at with a pitiful gaze right now?

    It¡¯s true that I can¡¯t utiliseplex chants and effects but I can still shoot bullets infinitely, small monsters won¡¯t be any trouble for me.

    ¡°Kurono-san is still rank 1 after all and won¡¯t be taking part inbat this time so there¡¯s no need to worry. He¡¯ll learn various magic from here onwards, why don¡¯t you teach him something as well Aten?¡±

    Huh? Could it be that I¡¯m being treated as a super beginner right now?

    Well whatever. My job isn¡¯t fighting right now so there is no need to uselessly open my mouth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about ck magic though?¡±(Aten)

    ¡°No, well, I never learned magic from an actual magic user so it would be fine if you could just teach me the basics.¡±(kurono)

    That¡¯s actually true.

    Lily is also amazing at magic, but it¡¯s a type of race specific magic that can be used from the time they are born which is known as Extra.

    If I had to say, it is something simr to how dragons breathe fire. Even if someone of another race wants to learn, it is impossible on the structural level.

    So, I had basically no idea what was the thing known as magic that existed in this world.

    Chants or rituals, they are all unknown things to me.

    ¡°Is that so? But my guidance will be strict you know?¡±(Aten)

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a high level magician that is about to take a disciple though?¡±(Nino)

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll bite you!!¡± (Aten)

    ¡°Stupid!? Stop, aren¡¯t your fangs poisonous!?¡±

    I and the other guys looked at the scene of Aten attacking Nino with a lukewarm gaze. Looking at this stupidly noisy fight, I was slightly reminded of the time I was in my previous world.

 Chapter 32 Irz Blader and Luggage Carrying (2)

    Chapter 32 Irz der and Luggage Carrying (2)

    It has been one month since I started my life as an adventurer. I have be ustomed to sleeping outdoors as well.

    Well, my body won¡¯t get fatigued even if I went 3 days without sleeping though. And my body has be so sturdy that I can pretty much take rest just by lying down on the bare ground.

    But, just because I can do so doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯sfortable. Humans are meant to lead a healthy and cultured life.

    So I learned the basic minimum things like putting a tent or methods to start a fire and other required camp skills.

    Of course, I have the all purpose magic Swiss knife Efreet¡¯s thumb, so I¡¯m pretty rxed about things rted to fire.

    ¡°What are you doing Kurono-san?¡±

    I thrust the knife in the ground at the centre of the camp and answered Harry.

    ¡°Aah, this is an insect repellent.¡±

    ¡°Insect repellent?¡ª¨CWait, could it be that knife, is it a magic weapon!?¡±(harry)

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right........is it really that surprising?¡±

    Overhearing Harry¡¯s talk about a magic weapon, Aten also came.

    ¡°So nice....I also want a magic weapon!¡±(Aten)

    It feels as if she would pick up the knife right now and take it home with her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡±(kurono)

    I should make sure, just in case.

    ¡°What kind of item is this? You have appraised it right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s called Efreet¡¯s thumb and¡ª¡ª¡°

    I exined the knife to them.

    I told them that it didn¡¯t have any attack power and at most could be used to put a barrier against insects, but yet the magical weapon seems fascinating to them.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cbut, is it really that rare?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that rare but, even the cheapest magical weapon would be at least 10 gold.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t really have that much capital with us. And a magic weapon as cheap as 10 gold would often turn out to be a cheap fake or a cursed weapon. If you go to the city, they sell a lot of them like those so be careful.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    It was something with such a high price? Maybe I should value it a bit more?

    Sorry to have always treated you like a convenient tool, Efreet.

    ¡°But still, which dungeon did you get it from?¡±

    ¡°I got this from a treasure box at Lily¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°So, from the magician¡¯s hut in the forest?¡±

    The magician had contributed a lot to the Irz vige and could also use lots of amazing magic, so he is still popr.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°If it was a magician¡¯s treasure box, didn¡¯t it have some seal or protection casted on it?¡±

    ¡°It was reinforced and also had an electric trap but I did my best and opened it.¡±

    ¡°As if it¡¯s that easy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Kurono-san is more suited to be a thief than a magician?¡±

    ¡°Thief you say.........¡±(kurono)

    ¡°For the adventurers who venture into the dungeons, people with the thief ss, who can disengage traps and open locked chests and doors are indispensible after all.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°People with such skills have been called thieves from a long time so even if they don¡¯t actually rob people, they are still called as thieves.¡±(harry)

    ¡°Oh I see, so it¡¯s a normal ss.¡±

    Mymon sense as an adventurer learnt something new again.

    Also, Aten has been constantly looking at my knife with envy. She won¡¯t suddenly change into a thief ss that actuallymits crime/robbery right?

    The ce where we had set up our camp was at the foot of Gahad mountains, a bit away from the highway. Near the highway, there was a clearing where monsters usually don¡¯te.

    Adventurers that climb the mountain range usually make a base around here. I haven¡¯t confirmed it but, there¡¯s another adventurer party¡¯s camp somewhere nearby.

    It¡¯s quite a safe ce but lowering your guard meant failure for an adventurer. At the very least, we need to keep watch during night time.

    ¡°n, is it Kurono?¡± (ydor)

    The one who is keeping watch right now is the silent lizardman, ydor.

    The bronze guild card indicating a rank 2 adventurer shone due to the campfire around his neck.

    Since I am a rank 1, I had an iron te. I wonder when will it turn into a bronze te?

    ¡°Is it fine to stay up for so long?¡±

    After this, Nino, Harry will change shifts by rotation.

    Aten does not have any shift, not because of a stupid reason like she was a woman, but because for magic users concentration is important so it¡¯s better to avoid fatigue as much as possible.

    One can swing a sword even when tired, but the danger of misfiring magic due to tiredness was of a different level.

    So, night watch in Irz der was done by the men only.

    ¡°I thought I¡¯ll also keep guard with you but am I in the way?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°No, but are you sure you want to do something not asked in the quest?¡±(ydor)

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this out of my own volition, so don¡¯t worry. Well I wanted to experience something adventurer-like too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only tedious and boring though.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s better to do it together right?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    It¡¯s good that I was able to talk properly. I was afraid that I might not be liked very much.

    Lizardmen have literally the head of a lizard so it¡¯s difficult to read their expressions, at least it¡¯s not possible for me right now.

    I was slightly worried, but after talking with him I realized that he seemed like a normal good guy.

    Even if only slight, we are going together to do a dangerous job so I want to build good human rtions with them, ah, I guess I¡¯m the only human here though. Well whatever.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cydol, why did you be an adventurer?¡±

    I decided to talk with him while sitting beside the fire under the quiet night sky.

    ¡°I wanted to protect the vige like dad does in the vignte corps. But, only adventurers can experience fighting a lot of monsters.¡±

    ¡°I see. So you want to get as strong as you can get.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, dad was also an adventurer when he was young so I¡¯m just imitating him though.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s prettymendable. It¡¯s a much better reason to be an adventurer than someone who became one only to earn lots of money.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I thought I was an irregr as an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Maybe because the value system here is much different from where I came, rather than having big dreams, I find working towards a realistic future-oriented goal more valuable and better.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I see.......people think like that as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a fine guy. It¡¯s okay to be proud and confident¡ª¡ª¡°

    Compared to him, my reason is ¨C to live huh............It¡¯s a bit pathetic but it can¡¯t be helped since I¡¯m trying to survive in an unknownnd after all.

    ¡°Why did you be an adventurer?¡ª¡ª- it¡¯s fine not to talk if you have any special circumstances.¡±(ydor)

    ¡°I became one for my livelihood¡ª-......no, I¡¯m searching for a type of magic. It¡¯s a special summoning magic that can¡¯t be done without equipment found in ancient historic ruins or temples.¡±

    ¡°Is Kurono¡¯s speciality summoning magic?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not searching it to master it. I need it to return to my home.¡±

    ¡°I had heard that you hade from a faraway country.........so it¡¯s that far away.¡±

    ¡°Something like that, well, I¡¯m interested in living here as well so I¡¯m taking it easily.¡±

    ¡°I see¡ª¨Chm?¡±

    Probably because he sensed something, ydor stood up with the spear in his hand.

    ¡°What happened? I can¡¯t sense any monster though.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s not a monster, it¡¯s a¡ª¨Cmonkey.¡±

    As he swinged the spear lightly in the bushes, with a rustling sound a small shadow jumped out.

    ¡°ooh........it really is a monkey.¡±

    Two figures of monkeys of height same as Lily shone from the light of the campfire.

    Yellow shining eyes, they had a greyish coloured body.

    ¡°Kaa!!¡±

    ydor gave a roar and the monkeys panicked and ran away back into the darkness.

    ¡°Those monkeys don¡¯t attack but they steal food. If left alone, they¡¯ll call their friends andpletely take away everything. But if you threaten them once like this, they¡¯ll recognise it as danger and won¡¯te closer again.¡±(ydor)

    ¡°I see.....¡±(kurono)

    I can sense monsters with bloodlust and humans but animals like that are difficult to sense for me.

    I see, enemies that could attack were not just monsters.

    ydor had immediately sensed the approaching monkey, and I was shown the difference in experience.

    ¡°Yareyare, looks the road to a first ss adventurer is going to be a long one¡ª¨C¡°(kurono)

 Chapter 33 Rampaging Beast Dortoth(or Doltos/Dortos)

    Chapter 33 Rampaging Beast Dortoth(or Doltos/Dortos)

    It was a pretty wide open space even though it was among the mountains.

    About 10 minutes ago, as we continued cautiously, Nino who was in the vanguard was suddenly attacked by a giant green amoeba-like creature and then, around 10 more simr creatures also appeared from our surroundings.

    ¡°They¡¯re just slimes! Deal with them as you see fit!¡±

    Ooh, this is the famous slime monster? As I nonchntly thought that, the members of Irz der took up their respective weapons and started fighting the group of slimes.

    Nino shed the slimes left and right and behind him, ydor swung his spear to cover him.

    At the moment where the slimes were about rush towards the two of them,

    ¡¸?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????¨D¨D Ice st!!¡¹

    Aten released the magic afterpleting her chant.

    The slimes that were closing in on the vanguards had their liquid bodies frozen up in a matter of few seconds and finally stopped moving. Just with a slight poke from a spear or sword, the frozen slimes scattered in pieces.

    All this happened in the past 10 minutes, and now we are back to present.

    ¡°It¡¯s such stable and calm way of fighting¡ª¨C¡°(kurono)

    It felt like I was watching a recorded scene of bnced RPG party taking out the representative of small fry monsters aka slimes.

    Also, I was just a luggage carrier; I don¡¯t need to take part in battle either so nobody is going toin even if I just leisurely spectate like this.

    So, as I had nned, I could observe how an actual adventurer party does battle.

    Although I don¡¯t want to brag but I am well aware that I am also no amateur when ites to battles. But that¡¯s only in the case of solo battles. I won¡¯t be able to cooperate and coordinate like them.

    Even monsters attack by forming groups and teams, but as expected, it doesn¡¯t evenpare to the team y showed by people with intelligence.

    I understood that although individually the members of Irz der are only as strong as a normal level 2, as a team they can disy a much greater strength.

    ¡°Alright. Looks like they ran away.¡±

    As I wondered whether slimes had the ability to understand and feel danger, the slimes ran away in all directions.

    ¡°Although it won¡¯t earn us much but, since we have a luggage carrier, might as well collect the cores¡ª-¡°

    Nino picked up the proof of defeating slimes that was the core, at that moment,

    *zuzun*¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Is it an earthquake?.......¡±

    What is it? It seems I was the only one who was in doubt. Rest all were looking with serious faces towards the direction where the source might be.

    ¡°To think it woulde to us. That saves us the trouble.¡±

    Nino unsheathed his sword again and lined up along with ydor.

    ¡°Kurono, you should get away a bit.¡±

    Aten says that to me and then starts chanting with her staff.

    Harry nocked 3 arrows together on his bow and stood in front of her.

    Everyone was inplete battle mode.

    I felt the sound and vibrationsing closer.

    This situation is definitely ¡ª¨C

    ¡°BAOOOOON!!¡±

    With a shrill roar, a grey figure jumped out as it toppled the trees.

    It was simr to the giant elephant I had seen once at the zoo but, its figure charging madly towards us looked more like a wild boar to me.

    The most simr features were its long nose and the fur and tusks that looked like that of a mammoth.

    But the shape of those tusks was more simr to the horns of a reindeer that spread out greatly.

    This is the main target monster of the quest. The source of the mysterious meat. The rampaging beast Dortoth.

    *hiyuu*¡ª*bang*!

    The first attack made on the rushing Dortoth was by Harry¡¯s arrows.

    All the three arrows were fired together and stuck on the beast¡¯s head but its charge didn¡¯t slow one bit.

    It approached Nino and ydor like a 10 ton truck.

    ¡°Aten!¡±

    ¡¸???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????¨D¨D Ice armour shield!!¡¹

    Since she had been chanting from a long time already, Aten¡¯s magic was instantly activated. The moment the Dortoth and the two of them were about to collide, a shield of ice appeared between them.

    The Dortoth had no way to dodge the suddenly appearing ice wall but it didn¡¯t intend to do so either.

    And it collided head-on at full speed with the ice wall.

    Due to the overwhelming speed and power of the charge, the ice wall shattered apart.

    But, although it destroyed the wall, its charge had been stopped and it fell down due to the shock from the impact

    ¡°Now!!¡±

    Stepping over the broken ice wall, Nino and ydor attacked the downed Dortoth.

    Aiming for the head, they shed it twice, thrice but they were unable to deal a fatal blow due to its stiff fur and thick skull.

    With a groan, the Dortoth stood back up.

    Swinging its giant tusks, it drove the two attacking its head away.

    Maybe due to the magical energy inside those tusks, they were wrapped in winds and created a whirlwind.

    ¡°Uooh¡ª-¡°

    The tusks wrapped in winds lightly grazed Nino and his body was blown away.

    It tried to chase Nino who was in mid air but was blocked by ydor¡¯s spear and Harry¡¯s covering fire.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªtoh.¡±

    In mid air, truly like a cat Nino fixed his posture and lightlynded on the ground. He raised his sword once more and charged towards the rampaging Dortoth.

    ¡°This one is a big prey after a long time. We¡¯ll defeat it definitely!¡±

    ¡°¡±Ooh!!¡±¡±

    Seeing the members of Irz der enjoying fiercely fighting the beast with an energetic shout, I felt a bit envious.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    After the long fight, I, the only one with energy, called out to the dead tired members.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m tired....we leave the rest to you Kurono.¡±

    Saying that, Nino sprawled on the ground. Beside him was the giant body of the Dortoth. Nino had had used a martial art and pierced the forehead which became the fatal wound. Other than that, the various wounds created by the other members were also left all over its body.

    Monsters have a stronger vitality than normal animals so they have to be damaged at least this much or they won¡¯t die. If it¡¯s a big monster, then all the more so.

    Although damaging the outside too much might not be a good method for hunting quests, but here only the meat is important so it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Even if you say that, I don¡¯t know how to dissemble animals you know.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Then just put it all inside with Spatial Magic.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so easy Aten. Something as big as this will just barely fit inside.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Barely? You mean you really can store all of it!?¡±

    ¡°Probably, yeah.¡±

    Ooh! Everyone raised their voices in admiration and astonishment. Oi, I said probably. I might have to leave a leg or something behind.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! If you can, just do it already!¡±(Aten)

    ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you Kurono-san. Well, normally one would dissemble it here but other monsters might be attracted to the smell of blood ande here.¡±(harry)

    ¡°I see. If we can move it then we should do it quickly, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please. If you want we can increase the reward too.¡±

    ¡°If you are willing to go that far, fine, I might as well try it¡ª¡ª-Shadow Space.¡±

    Even without the additional increase in reward, I was going to do it anyway but since you said so, I might as well take it!

    The shadow stretched out from me and reached the beast¡¯s body.

    Then I opened the shadow space at max limit and started to take it inside slowly.

    ¡°Kuh, it¡¯s a bit of a pain when the object is very heavy and big........¡±

    Still, I¡¯ll somehow settle it inside. Once the space is closed then weight and size don¡¯t matter anymore. I have to endure a bit more.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°oooh Amazing Kurono!!¡±

    Aten¡¯s tail slithered and entwined around my body. She might want to show some skinship but being entwined by arge snake is a bit scary.

    ¡°Guh, let me go Aten.....¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed¡«¡±(aten)

    ¡°No, I¡¯m actually scared.¡±

    ¡°What!?!¡±

    Anyway, we somehowpleted the objective of the quest.

    ¡°Now then, for thepletion of the quest¡ª-¡°

    ¡°¡±Cheers¡±¡±

    In the Irz vige guild, the voices of Irz der + a luggage carrier resounded.

    5 days after leaving the vige, we had returned after safelypleting our quest.

    We returned by the afternoon but taking the reward andpleting other formalities took time and it was now evening, and we were now sitting together with sake in our hands.

    I¡¯ll drink as well of course. After all, there is now limiting minors to not drink alcohol in this world.

    But, maybe due to the effect of the various body modifications (?), no matter how much I drink, I only get a bit tipsy but not more than that.

    ¡°ohh, are you drinking kuronoo¡«¡± (Aten)

    Aten, whose face had already be red, slithered towards me.

    ¡°This time we were able toplete the quest easily thanks to Kurono¡¯s help so you have my thanks.¡±(aten)

    ¡°Yes, we want to ask for your help again.¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Yeah, you really helped a lot.¡±(ydor)

    ¡°Well, he worked perfectly as per his reward.¡±(Nino)

    I got a bit embarrassed on beingplimented by everyone.

    ¡°Everyone, Thank You!!¡± (kurono)

    But it¡¯s true that I¡¯m also happy.

    Even if it was a different world, beingplimented for your hard work is always nice.

    I felt that I was once again slightly epted by this world.

    Definitely, from hereon I will meet many more people, and deepen my bonds with them.

    But, the one that came in my mind at this moment was my first friend in this different world, my partner, her small face.

    ¡°Ah, I want to meet Lily¡ª¡°

 Chapter 34 Night of the Full Moon

    Chapter 34 Night of the Full Moon

    I escaped from the banquet of the party members and made my way back.

    In truth, it might have been okay to drink all night and return tomorrow (in fact, I was told to do so), but I wanted to see Lily¡¯s face by today no matter what, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    It has been five days since I had sent the letter, did she miss me? I¡¯ve missed her.

    But this time I have used nearly half of the reward I got and bought a heap of candies and fruit for Lily.

    Lily¡¯s happy face came to my mind. While being restless in the reunion after sometime, I opened the door of the hut.

    ¡°I¡¯m home©`¡±

    After opening the door, what entered my sight was the already familiar room.

    Now that I have started living here, the room is organised and gives a fresh feeling.

    Interrupting those thoughts,

    ¡°Kurono!¡±

    A voice came from a beautiful girl calling out my name.

    That¡¯s right, the speaker of this voice is Lily¨D¨DNo wait, wasn¡¯t Lily¡¯s voice more childish?

    Without having the time to think about the uneasiness, my view is blocked by a white light.

    ¡°Ugh... so bright!¡±

    ¡°Kuronoooo©`©`£¡¡±

    At the same time, I felt an impact on my body from something.

    Somehow I stand firm and avoid falling down. I felt the soft sensation of someone embracing my body.

    What is it, for Lily to be this, isn¡¯t it too big?

    However, I can¡¯t think of anyone else who can call my name and lives in this house.

    ¡°Li, Lily, is that you?¡±

    The view that was obscured by that white sh gradually returns to normal.

    And then, I supposedly see the person who is embracing me.

    ¡°......Are you Lily?¡±

    I once again say the same words.

    ¡°Un, I¡¯m Lily?¡±

    While embracing me the girl answers. The naked body with a white radiance, long tinum hair and the two wings with seven colors like a prism were without a doubt Lily¡¯s traits.

    However this form is fundamentally different. The little girl who has these traits was changed into a young girl with the same traits.

    ¡°Lily has be bigger!?¡±

    In other words, it¡¯s that.

    If we think of the figure of the little Lily as a human child, then the Lily in front of me has grown 10 years and looks a middle schooler.

    What, just what the hell does this mean? Lily is 32 years old, during that time she was a small girl, so why the hell did she suddenly grow bigger?

    During the five days I was away from the home, just what the hell happened to Lily¡¯s body!

    ¡°I was lonely Kurono, I don¡¯t want you to go somewhere alone anymore.¡±

    ¡°Y,Yeah, sorry......¡±

    Rather than the young Lily, I can¡¯t hide my surprise on hearing her speak in clear tone.

    ¡°......For the time being can you get off of me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    *shock* The Lily that used to so obedient to my words is......Is it the rebellious age?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t step back, I can¡¯t enter the house.¡±

    ¡°Then, take me to bed like this.¡±

    The young Lily smoothly speaks a line that might cause various misunderstandings.

    She stares at me with moist and upturned eyes, and at that moment, for the first time I look straight into young Lily¡¯s face.

    ¡°Uu¨D¨D¡±

    She¡¯s so much beautiful, it sends shiver down my spine.

    It seems like I¡¯ll be sucked up in her green eyes, which eclipse the glow of an emerald.

    Her long eyshes, along with lightly shining body and hair are increasing her glow even more.

    ¡°......¡±

    I close my eyes for a moment, and calm down my heart.

    I was dangerously near to being fascinated by her charm.

    In this world, the beautiful things contain the magic to captivate the hearts of a person with just that.

    Just as the statue of a god contains powers, it is said that the beautiful things have the power to captivate the hearts of anyone with just seeing in it¡¯s eyes, with just its smile and by just exchanging some words.

    This is called a ¡®Fascination Charm¡¯, it is counted as a sort of bad status.

    Inside this magic filled other world, I thought the story was a fake when I first heard it. I never thought I would be able to experience it by myself.

    ¡°Lily¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Please~¡±

    It can¡¯t be helped, it looks like Lily has not will to surrender.

    Anyhow, right now the first priority is to learn what happened to Lily¡¯s body.

    Reluctantly, I carry Lily to bed like a princess in my arms.

    Even though she¡¯s turned into a young girl, she still gives a mysterious feeling when held in arms that is neither soft nor heavy.

    ¡°Ufufu, thank you Kurono.¡±

    To me who is still a virgin high school boy, the scene of a naked young girl lying on the bed is too much stimting.

    Whether or not her body is shining in white light, naked is naked. When Lily was in the little girl¡¯s form there was not much resistance, but now in the young girl¡¯s form there are various ces that are bothering me.

    The scene in front of me is on the level, that if it was a picture, one would keep staring at it without caring about public gazes. But the person in front of me is my most trusted partner, therefore I won¡¯t tolerate any insolence regarding her.

    ¡°Can you wear a nket?¡±

    ¡°No~¡±

    It really is the rebellious stage!?

    I sit on the bed and straighten up my back, while Lily grabs my hand.

    If she asks in a small child form to be spoiled, I can easily ept it, but I¡¯m not a stoic adult who can remain calm while being clinged on by a naked young girl.

    ¡°Then at least wear this.¡±

    I take off the ck robe with a straightforward official name : ¡°Demon¡¯s Embrace ¡®Baphomet Embrace¡¯ ¡± which has already be my favorite and put it on Lily.

    ¡°nfufun, It smells of Kurono.¡±

    ¡°A, Sorry, because I¡¯ve been wearing it all the time it smells¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright like this, it settles me down.¡±

    Lily with an expression of being entranced closes her eyes. I bear with it to not be someone to keep on looking at her silently. I decide to cut right to the point.

    ¡°Lily, what is happening with you? Before you were so small, I still find it hard to believe you¡¯re the same person.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re terrible Kurono, we lived together and you don¡¯t recognise me?¡±

    She hugs my hand and pushes her body forward. On that reaction my heart beat gets faster.

    Calm down me, calm down and just concentrate on the conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know, but your appearance is so different, I got confused.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll only tell Kurono my secret.¡±

    Lily gently strokes my cheeks with her slender fingers and grips them while bringing her face toward me.

    It¡¯s a little pushy, but I don¡¯t resist and keep on staring into Lily¡¯s eyes.

    A cold sweat flows down my cheek, what the hell is with this feeling of tension? Little Lily, pleaseeback!

    ¡°Those of the fairy tribe have a growth in power on the nights of a full moon like today. It is said that the fairy queene to this world to y from the moon.¡±

    Wha, what is with this Maerchen (lit: fairy tale) type of back story, so is the address of fairy queen on the moon¡¯s surface full of craters, huh?

    ¡°Ufufu, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the truth or not, but if it¡¯s truth then maybe we can meet with fairy queen on the night of fullmoon.¡±

    ¡°I see. just like an allegorical tradition.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but no matter what, it is a fact that the power of the fairy tribe increases. And it seems like it¡¯s influence is more powerful towards me, who is half human and half magic beast. That¡¯s why I can return to my original form on nights of full moon.¡±

    ¡°......Original form?¡±

    In that case, who is the small Lily with whom I lived.

    ¡°That is a temporary form. If I¡¯m away from the light of the fountain, my magic and intelligence have a drastic fall and I change into the child form.¡±

    ¡°Is that so......¡±

    ¡°Un, that is so. The current me retains the memory of the small me, and when I turn small I will retain the memories of this time too. But that child has low thinking capabilities so it won¡¯t understand many things.¡±

    It¡¯s hard to ept it suddenly, but the way she exins things, I can sense the intelligence in her.

    Different from the usual small Lily, she feels like someone who has lived many years.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that Kurono came back tonight. I¡¯ve thought a lot about wanting to talk to you properly. If I missed today, I would have had to wait another month.¡±

    I¡¯m getting caught up being fascinated by the smiling Lily and can¡¯t have a proper conversation.

    ¡°Nee~ Kurono, I understandpletely that you came to this world alone. You were treated badly by evil people, but still you don¡¯t give up and try to live your life. And that I treasure about you very much.¡±

    ¡°Lily¨D¨D¡±

    At that moment, from the bottom of my heart, I waspletely convinced that this girl is Lily.

    I also understood that Lilyprehended the circumstances I am in and what I told her.

    The first person person who understood me is without a doubt, Lily.

    ¡°¨D¨DThank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Same to you Kurono, thank you for staying with me.¡±

    ¡°I will always live with you together from now on.¡±

    ¡°Aa~, if Lily stays with me, I can live in this world. I won¡¯t be lonely.¡±

    ¡°Un! If Kurono stays with me, I also won¡¯t get lonely. But I want to talk to Kurono in this form, I have a lot to tell you and a lot to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll listen to everything.¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, I won¡¯t let you sleep tonight?¡±

    And so , Lily and I start talking on the bed with each other. The things that had happened so far and the things that will ur from now on¨D¨D

 Chapter 35 The Prologue of the 7th

    Chapter 35 The Prologue of the 7th

    ¡°Wee to the [White Sacrament] 1stboratory, Priest Head Ars, no, you are now Senior Priest if I am correct? Congrattions on your promotion.¡±

    ¡°.......No need for sarcasm Bishop Judas.¡±

    Why am I here?

    ¡°It¡¯s true that you have be a senior priest, but then again, I guess that was only due to the death of the previous superior.¡±(judas)

    ¡° You should understand; it is a very cruel condition where someone so young like myself had no choice but to be a senior priest.¡±(ars)

    The two men are talking about something. I know one of them. He is Bishop Judas-sama, a very influential and big person.

    I don¡¯t know about the other, but probably, he is also the same.

    ¡°This parish does not have the military force to stop another invasion anymore. We need to urgently call reinforcements from the church¡ª-¡°(ars)

    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t say anymore. You are not stupid enough to not understand that the parish governed by you has been already abandoned by the church, right?¡±(Judas)

    I wonder what they are talking about.

    I cannot understand what they are saying.

    ¡°..........are they telling us to die? To be ravaged and killed by that heretic army, is that what they mean!?¡±(ars)

    ¡°So you do understand. Well then, let me ask, why did youe to meet me now?¡±(judas)

    It¡¯s somewhat scary.

    To die, to kill, I don¡¯t really understand, but I think it is very scary.

    ¡°Bishop Judas, you have stayed here even when all the other priests have run away. You are not going to tell me that you are staying in this dangerous ce which could be overrun at anytime, just for you research, right?¡±(ars)

    ¡°I see, I see, and?¡±(judas)

    Heretics.........those who don¡¯t believe in god. I have never seen them. Just what kind fearsome creatures are they?

    ¡°You are a bishop, a rank higher than my own. And on top of it, even the Pope himself has visited this facility. You have many connections in Elysion, no, if I have to say it frankly, you should have the means to maintain the peace of thisnd, don¡¯t you?¡±(ars)

    It was the first time I heard that the Pope has visited here. It¡¯s amazing, but, what is it that¡¯s amazing? I don¡¯t really understand.

    ¡°I see. If you use me, you could call for enforcements from the church, is that what you¡¯re expecting?¡±(judas)

    ¡°I understand how unreasonable it is, but please. If I am able to drive those heretics away, and a day where this parish once again regains its peace and blessing of god, I will you pay you back with no matter what you ask for. I swear in the name of God.¡±(ars)

    The man bowed his head. He had a big body but somehow he looked pitiable.

    ¡°......umu, alright.¡± (judas)

    ¡°o, ohh, really¡ª-¡°

    The man thanked a lot of times. He looks happy, no this is different, this is probably ¡®being saved¡¯.

    ¡°Sariel.¡± (judas)

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I was surprised to be suddenly called by Bishop Judas-sama.

    But, nobody probably realized that I was surprised, after all, everyone says that my face is like that of a doll/puppet.

    Rather thanughing, or crying, I have been good at just being silent, yes, from a long time.

    ¡°Bishop Judas, that girl is?¡±(ars)

    ¡°The ¡®reinforcement¡¯ you wished for. Now, take her with you.¡±(judas)

    The man looked at me with a surprise.

    I stared back into his blue eyes.

    ¡°......this is not a funny joke, Bishop Judas.¡±(ars)

    ¡°Sariel, he is Senior Priest Ars, how about you introduce yourself?¡±(judas)

    ¡°Yes, I am¡ª¡ª¡°

    I thought for a bit.

    My name is not¡ª¡ª¨C anymore, it¡¯s Sariel now.

    One who has received the divine protection of God, one of the special 12.

    ¡°7th Apostle Sariel.¡±

    I introduced myself with this name for the first time.

    ¡°Impossible!? The 7th apostle is Lord Ariel of the [silver judgement]! It is unforgivable to use that name¨C¡°(ars)

    ¡°Ah ¡®that¡¯ is already dead. From now on this Sariel is the new 7th apostle. She has not yet been appointed officially so she has yet to be awarded a court rank. So no need to put ¡®Lord¡¯ in front of her name when calling her.¡±(judas)

    ¡°An apostle died............and on top of it, such a young child received the divine protection...........¡±(Ars)

    ¡°Now then, your task is finished right? I still have a lot of research to do.¡±

    As Bishop Judas-sama stood up, he faced me and said.

    ¡°Sariel, what is your duty?¡±(judas)

    ¡°Yes, it is to kill the enemies of God.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is all you need to understand. For everything else, obey Senior Priest Ars¡¯mands.¡±(judas)

    ¡°Understood, Bishop Judas-sama.¡±

    ¡°fu, I guess this would be thest time to be called with a ¡®-sama¡¯ by you.¡±(judas)

    It seems when I¡¯ll be the 7th apostle, I¡¯ll be even above Bishop Judas-sama.

    Although I don¡¯t understand what will happen then.

    ¡°Then, I shall take my leave now. Senior Priest Ars, may you have the protection of God.¡±

    And thus, my first ¡®duty¡¯ began.

    Will I be able to do it? Who are the enemies of God? Why am I here? And why am I the only one alive?

    I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything anymore.

    But I know just this.

    God will not save me¡ª¨C.

 Chapter 36 Formation of the Crusaders

    Chapter 36 Formation of the Crusaders

    The west-half of the Arc continent was controlled by the Syncrea Republic. In the port town that was the 5th biggest even among the various huge dominions under the republic, the new Magic Battleship [Gargantia] was anchored.

    Built throughbining thetest magic techniques, this battleship had scared the spectators, which hade to look at it during its unveiling, through the sheer size of the ship.

    Size was always linked with strength. Especially in this different world where ferocious monsters lived, ¡®hugeness¡¯ was the easiest proof of strength.

    But, not a single emotion could be seen in the eyes of Sariel who was looking at [Gargantia] through the window of a certain room.

    For someone who held the strength of an apostle, it was not impossible to sink such a state-of-the-art giant battleship by herself.

    No, those shining ruby eyes would not waver no matter what she faced.

    That was what the Archbishop known as Liuchrome thought silently in his heart.

    ¡°Lord Sariel, how is it? The pride of the navy ¨C magic battleship [Gargantia]?¡±

    Sariel moved her sight away from the window and looked towards Liuchrome.

    A tall, slender figure of a handsome young man reflected in her red eyes.

    White skin, blonde hair and blue eyes; he possessed the typical features of a resident of the Republic but, every part of his body that made him seemed more perfect than others. Loose wavy blonde hair along with the marine blue eyes and a sharp nose made him look so beautiful that he might be mistaken for a woman

    And when he wore the gorgeously decorated white clothes befitting of an archbishop, anyone who believed in the church would not doubt that he was divine being of god.

    That beauty truly held an unparalleled charm.It was on a level where any woman who saw him on the street would instantly be a prisoner of his beauty, but,

    ¡°Very big.¡±(sariel)

    What came out of Sariel¡¯s mouth was a very simple thought.

    As he himself thought that as expected, even when Sariel was faced with a beauty of his level, there was not even a single trace of emotions in those eyes. In the first ce, for Sariel, outer appearance of a person was nothing more than a means to differentiate between people. She had no feelings that could make her judge a person¡¯s beauty or ugliness.

    Liuchrome didn¡¯t know whether this was the [Equality] that was preached by the church or that she simply didn¡¯t possess any emotions at all.

    ¡°Is that so? I shall convey it to the officers that Lord Sariel hadplimented it.¡±

    Sariel once again returned her gaze outside the window.

    Whether those eyes were looking at the battleship, or the port, or maybe the sea, no, it could be that she was looking even beyond the horizon.

    (¡°Thisdy really never changes. It¡¯s as if the time in her body is not moving. But due to the ¡®restraint tool ring¡¯ removed, I can feel an even immense divinity from her..........It seems I¡¯ll end up being ¡®charmed¡¯ by her instead.¡±)

    Although have been acquainted in the past, the reason they were both here together was because a new title was added to their existing [7th Apostle] and [Archbishop].

    They were [Crusaders Supreme Commander] and [Crusaders Vice Commander].

    The [Crusaders] were an army organised to deal with threats and to realize the will of their god. They were different from the army stationed inside the country.

    200 years ago, the Crusaders were set after arge army of heretics had invaded the holy city Elysion.

    (Anyone would think that they were stuck with an unpleasant duty.)

    The objective this time to ¡®conquer the Pandora continent¡¯ is being currently dissented inside the republic.

    The reason is definitely something not humane as ¡®opposition against plundering of other people¡¯snd¡¯ but very simple economic reasons.

    To make the Pandora continent and for humans, they first had to exterminate the demons living there. Just how much money and lives would be required to fulfil that task? At the very least, evenmoners were aware of the cost that would be incurred just in crossing the sea for arge expedition.

    (But, His Highness Cardinal Ars saw this formation of the Crusaders as a chance. Even I think that it¡¯s a disadvantageous gamble but¡ª¡ª)

    What came into Liuchrome¡¯s minds were the words spoken by the most trusted man, that is, Cardinal Ars.

    ¡°He nominated the 7th Apostle Sariel as the suprememander of the Crusaders. If acknowledged, the conquest of the Pandora continent is almost certain.¡±

    And the Pope approved of it, and also acknowledged by the Republic¡¯s parliament, Lord Sariel was officially appointed as the Supreme Commander.

    (¡°Being told that much, I had no objections anymore.¡±)

    epting Ars¡¯ idea, Liuchrome announced candidacy for the post of Vice Commander. There would be no rival candidates that way.

    The final total count of the Crusaders stood at 15,000. Historically speaking, it was probably the smallest amount of Crusaders ever.

    What that fact meant, Liuchrome didn¡¯t even have to think about it as he spoke to Sariel.

    ¡°It will take about 1 week from here to get to Virginia it seems.¡±

    As Sariel looked back, she followed Liuchrome line of sight towards the map spread upon the table.

    Thanks to the help of magic it was possible to make a map as urate as the ones in present times but the one in front of them was a simple one made with drawn lines.

    That implied that urate distance and details were not avable. That was none other than a map of the yet unexplored Pandora continent.

    On that Pandora continent, the only ce upied by the Republic was the port town of [Virginia].

    The rias coastline that had developed on the east side of the continent made for a natural good harbour, and was thus ideal terrain to be used as a base for travelling between the 2 continents.

    ¡°It will take about 1 month toplete the preparations for transporting the 15,000 man army and all other goods.¡±

    During the time when the settlement and establishment of Virginia was started, the invasion of the Pandora continent had already started and the catchphrase ¨C¡®Pandora is a paradise filled with riches¡¯ made a lot of dreamers cross the sea to settle there.

    Also receiving funds from the country and the church, the establishment of Virginia was proceeding smoothely.

    With the development of the port and residential area, in just a half-year Virginia developed from just a fishing vige to a proper Port town. And thus after creating a proper base, they finally began the invasion with military strength.

    As per the information, the army that departed from Virginia at that time had about 2000 soldiers, and their aim was a fortress city called [Daidalos].

    As to why they attacked [Daidalos] which boasted strong defence with just 2000 men, it cannot be known anymore. Because themander of that army who was also a high ranking knight with a court rank, acted as a part of the vanguard and was tragically annihted along with his whole unit.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be good if Virginia is not destroyed by Daidalos until the preparations here arepleted, no, at least till I and Lord Sariel arrive there in 1 week by the Gargantia.¡±

    And the war made by those 2000 men on Daidalos was the reason the Republic was in the state of war at present.

    Basically, due to underestimating the ¡®army of demons¡¯ of Daidalos, the army took over 1200 casualities which was a crushing defeat in the history of the Republic.

    ording to the report of the survivors, the Daidalos army had the king, a ck dragon, at its head, and included races like Orcs, Werewolfs, golems, Cyclops, and others that held much more power than humans. Furthermore, their army was more than 10 times in number. In front of overwhelming strength and numbers, there was nothing that could be done.

    After that, Daidalos had put Virginia under a siege but they did not break into the city itself and in few weeks returned back.

    Virginia was built as a strong fort thanks to the supply of funds that was still continuing, so the Daidalos army must have found it dangerous to uselesslye close to it.

    From then up till now, Daidalos has sent various messengers to Virginia asking to leave their country, and have deployed scouts to observe the situation.

    Virginia has given no response for the past half year. It¡¯s only a matter of time before Daidalos resorts to use of strength. That is why Daidalos could march into Virginia before Sariel and Liuchrome reach 5there in 1 week.

    ¡°Virginia will not fall.¡±

    Sariel said that in a small voice as if she was speaking to herself but it held clear confidence.

    ¡°The conquest of Pandora continent is wished by the White God, it shall be aplished without fail.¡±(Sariel)

    ¡°Yes, it is as you say Lord Sariel.¡±

    That was neither a joke nor fa?ade. As she had said, the conquest of the Pandora Continent was wished by God.

    Was the reason why she could say that with such confidence was because she was an Apostle? Or maybe do you reach such a state of mind when you sacrifice yourself to piety?

    It was not a problem of faith. It was much simpler. Anyone of the church could understand Sariel¡¯s words.

    After all, it was literally ¡®told by the god himself¡¯.

    And it was called an [Oracle].

    The oracle that came to the church one year ago was,

    ¡°Conquer Pandora continent as a sacrifice.¡±

    And thus the Republic crossed the sea,nded on the Pandora continent and built Virginia.

    The Syncrea Republic who has taken the Church as the state religion, the oracle is not something they can ignore. No matter how disadvantageous it may be, they have to fulfil it with the best of their efforts.

    The church has been following the oracles no matter how much difficulty it may bring, without even considering whether it was right or wrong from the very start. And now they had be a faithrge enough to possess the whole west half of the Arc continent.

    This time, due to the giant army of Daidalos, the conquest of Pandora continent was interrupted and when it seemed that it might stay like that indefinitely, they received the oracle again.

    ¡°Conquer Pandora continent as a sacrifice.¡±

    Exactly the same as before, no change in even the words.

    Having received the same oracle twice, they could not give up like this anymore. They needed to put in even greater efforts.

    If they were to use the whole nation¡¯s power, they would be able to conquer the Pandora continent.

    But, to the Syncrea republic and the church, rather than a savage backwardsnd, the Arc continent where they have been living was more important.

    They could not just leave the Republic which held half the continent just like that for that would result the decline of the country, and fall in the power of their God.

    Due to this thought process, the conquering of the Pandora continent was to be done with force without losing the authority in the Arc continent, was what the church decided as the official opinion towards the [oracle].

    (¡°Will be be the sacrifice for gods, or will we get a miraculous victory and be heroes¡ª¨C¡°)

    No one could predict the result of this oracle.

    These 15,000 Crusaders were nothing but proof that the will of the God has been followed, that is, they were simply sacrifices, the maximum amount of soldiers the Republic could afford to lose.

    But still, if the Crusaders led by Sariel break through the Daidalos army, the whole situation would be reversed.

    The whole 15,000 man army including Liuchrome himself were relying on the words of Ars. If they were able to conquer Daidalos, and take the one big step on the Pandora continent, the profits and advantages that will be earned by the top of the Crusaders aka Ars are uparable.

    The Crusaders have almost no chance of winning, but in exchange, if they won, the returns are amazing.

    For Ars it is a big gamble with his life on the line, but only Liuchrome and the people around him realize this. Ars himself was already assured of victory the moment he put Sariel on the seat of themander.

    (¡°¡ª¡ªthe die has been cast already. All I have to do is just give my all to lead the Crusaders to victory.¡±)

    Rychrom did not have any regrets. No matter how difficult the situation was, under Ars, he was protected and served him and as a result he became an archbishop today.

    It¡¯s the same even now. All I have to do is execute Ars¡¯mands, and,

    (¡°Lord Sariel, for the Cardinal Ars that has faith in you, I shall put my faith in you as well.¡±)

    Rychrom swore to dedicate all his faith towards Sariel.

    And thus, leading the 15,000 Crusaders, 7th Apostle Sariel crossed the seas towards the Pandora continent.

    This day, the 4th day of the month of Ryokufuu(Early-summer breeze), was also the fateful day when Kurono met Lily for the first time.

 Chapter 37 The Charisma of an Apostle

    Chapter 37 The Charisma of an Apostle

    In front of the state-of-the-art Magic Battleship [Gargantia] that arrived at the Virginia port, Priest Head Maxwell breathed a sigh.

    ¡°An Apostle........¡±

    One year ago, he was one of the first members to havended on the Pandora continent.

    Being a devout believer of the church, even though he was a Priest Head, he still chose to realize god¡¯s will by participating in the conquest of Pandora continent.

    Reaching an unknown continent, he was even attacked by wild monsters, after many hardships established this Virginia, and half year ago even took part in the invasion of Daidalos.

    He was presently the person who had contributed the most in the establishment of Virginia. After the death of the Knight Commander, all other high ranking members ran back to the republic and Maxwell ended up bing the highest ranked church official here.

    And being a representative of church meant that he stood at the top of all the people here who were believers of the church as they were the people of the Republic.

    And thus, as the representative of Virginia, he was waiting to greet the Apostle Commander of the Crusaders.

    On both of his sides stood his young Priest disciples and behind them along with other members of the church were the numerous citizens who were here to catch a glimpse of the messiah-like Apostle.

    They were still cheering with joy and were waving their hands towards the giant Battleship.

    It was not that Maxwell did not understand their feelings. In front of the fearsome army of demons where they could be attacked any time, a reinforcement of a 15,000 man army had arrived.

    Themander of that army was nothing less than a messiah for them.

    But, Maxwell was holding a doubt in his mind. Just what kind of person was the Apostle?

    The Apostleing here known as Sariel, was the 7th apostle and a young girl. But that was all he knew.

    No matter how young, an Apostle was loved by the god; there was no doubt that they held incredible strength. But that did not imply that they directly control men.

    What they possessed was simplybat and fighting strength.

    Probably the young Apostle was just an emblem, and the truemand will be taken by the second-inmand who would be a high ranking official.

    And Maxwell did not believe in ¡®high-ranking priests and officials¡¯.

    In the first ce, the ones who abandoned Virginia and ran away were these people. Just that was enough to garner distrust in the higher ups of the church but, Maxwell did not believe in them even before that.

    He was also someone who had be a Priest Head. Senior Priests or Bishops who worked in Elysion were what kind of people, he had known from the time he was a child.

    In his words, the church¡¯s organization was corrupt. Each and every one of them were fools blinded by promotions and sess and could only think about using and kicking others down. Bribes were prevalent, and what could be attained only by priest through devotion, faith and practice was now bought with money.

    In such a world, Maxwell had already be unable to bear it by the time he earned the title of Priest Head.

    He closed his paths to sess by himself and threw himself in countless battlefields for the sake of serving God.

    And, epting the precise [oracle] that was received, he unhesitatingly decided to take part in the operations to conquer Pandora continent. There was no way he would ever regret that decision.

    The experiences here were painful simr to all other battlefields, but that is the trial set by God. To work towards the will of god as a proper believer was the only job worth doing, or so Maxwell truly believed in his heart.

    That is why he held unpleasant feelings thinking that priests drowned in greed had once again arrived in this Virginia, a ce for ¡®true believers¡¯.

    He did not know what were the people who hade were like, but he seriously thought that if they were to use this god¡¯snd for their own selfish desires, then he would erase them.

    There is no surveince in this far awaynd either so you could kill as many by calling it an ident.

    Having resolved that much, Maxwell was standing here to greet themander.

    (¡°I shall make sure whether you are suitable enough for thisnd¡ª-¡°)

    The wrinkled face that had gone beyond the middle age, grimly warped.

    But in that trained body there were no signs of wearing down due to age. Due to the strong keenness of Maxwell, the two disciples also shivered with nervousness.

    At that moment, atst, the doors of the Battleship opened. What appeared was a tall and slender youth.

    Wavy blond hair and beauty like that of a woman, he could be mistaken for a delicate man but the white robe on his body stole away all attention.

    (¡°An Archbishop.......at such a young age.........¡±)

    Maxwell could understand that in a single nce. An Archbishop was a rank high enough to be a candidate to be the next Cardinal. It was in a levelpletely different from a Priest head.

    (¡°Then that means he is themander, no wait, themander was supposed to be an Apostle......)

    The strongest of the church were the Apostles. And an Archbishop was the 3rd highest position if you exclude the Apostles. He could understand one of them but for both to have appeared, Maxwell could not hide his surprise.

    His assumption that the aide would be a Senior Priest or a bishop at max waspletely overturned.

    With the appearance of someone who looked he was so close to heaven, a bead of sweat flowed down Maxwell¡¯s forehead. He was envious of his disciples who had yet not realized that the other man was an Archbishop. With elegant actions, the youth who was an Archbishop took the hand of someone behind him and started toe down the ramp.

    The one who was lead by him was, yes, none other than the 7th Apostle Sariel.

    The pure white majestic appearance was finally exposed in the light.

    ¡°Aah¡ª¡ª¡°

    At that moment, the port that was filled with cheers and shouts suddenly becamepletely silent.

    White clothes, white skin, white hair, and radiant ruby eyes.

    That appearance was something, which could not be painted by any artist, could not be sculpted by any sculptor; it was something truly only a god could create, that shining white beauty.

    ¡°¡ª¨CSo, beautiful.¡±

    Tears appeared unknowingly in the eyes, just by being captivated by this divine beauty.

    Led by the Archbishop, slowly, she came closer.

    A feeling that was not attained even when meeting the Pope himself was suddenly born inside, as if he was blessed by the real god himself. A sense of peace, and sufficiency came inside his heart.

    Maxwell, kneeled down naturally, put both his hands in front of his chest, and took the stance of praying.

    ¡°Priest Head Maxwell, right?¡±

    Sariel who hade directly in front of him called out. Even though he had never experienced it, he felt as if he just heard the words of God.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You did well protecting Virginia till now. From here onwards, together with the Crusaders, let us fulfil the divine will of God.¡±

    Sariel¡¯s small white hand gently caressed Maxwell¡¯s bowing face.

    ¡°Yes! This Maxwell will dedicate his everything in assisting 7th Apostle Lord Sariel!!¡±

    Unable to hold back his tears, still Maxwell strongly replied.

    As he had said, he swore in his heart to devote everything for Sariel.

    ¡°¡ª-¡°

    Sariel was, expressionless, still silent, and then slowly gave a small wave towards the still silent crowd.

    At that moment, cheers and cries of joy broke out, and enthusiasm at a fanatical level wrapped the whole of Virginia.

    Seeing such a situation, Sariel¡¯s eyes still showed no emotion.

    After the ring of restraint had been removed, and released from the limiting of powers, simr to ¡®other Apostles¡¯, divine protection filled her body and she held true ¡®divinity¡¯.

    Simr to how objects made after god held power, the beauty of the girl who was loved by God held the power topletely charm any who was a believer of the church.

    The stronger the faith then even more so. At this moment, Maxwell had been touched by the power of a real god.

 Chapter 38 Story of a Certain Witch.

    Chapter 38 ¨C Story of a Certain Witch.

    On the main gates of Virginia stronghold, stood a girl.

    The beautiful girl had faint light blue hair like a spring water flowing and had shining gold eyes which were more than enough to charm a person, but her expression looked like absentminded sleepy expression.

    The girl wore a tri-cornered hat, and was d in ck clothes. She held a long staff in her hands.

    Even if a person from arc continent or pandora continent saw her, they would call her a ¡°witch¡±.

    They are not any different from magicians in terms of ss, but the girl¡¯s three-set equipment of a ck three-cornered hat, ck robe along with a long staff ismonly called as ¡°witch¡±.

    The stories about witches are too much famous, everyone will at least know one fairy-tale that is rted to witches.

    That girl didn¡¯t had any business at the stronghold, rather she was going away from the stronghold.

    The gatekeeper of the main gate called out to the leaving girl.

    ¡°Young Miss, the long-awaited crusaders finally came here, and you¡¯re going to step down here?¡±

    The girl stops, and nods towards the gatekeeper.

    ¡°Speaking of ¡°Apostle¡±, it is the strongest soldier that the church boasts of, along with that the archbishop who is also takingmand of the 15,000 elite forces. The mercenaries will go along the flow of victory and win this war, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He did not participate in the previous Daidalos invasion, so he probably did not know the fearsomeness of the demon army.

    But, the girl had no interest in pointing it out because the words said by him were plenty enough to be agreeable.

    The consequence of the previous invasion was due to them underestimating the demon army, they were all in a terrible state though the girl didn¡¯t bear a single scratch.

    But this time, they had arranged plenty of good military forces for counter attacking tactics.

    It took nearly one month, but finally the reinforcements of 15000 soldiers and the provisions along with various other things assembled in Virginia.

    The oue of war couldn¡¯t be predicted even by the girl, but they would certainly be able to fight a lot better than the previous war.

    The people who came to pandora continent as mercenaries, will get desperate to disy their powers to receive a huge amount of reward.

    If the mercenaries ran away during the defeat in previous invasion then it was fine, but for them to run away during the time of winning streak is difficult to think of due to their personalities.

    At least, the gatekeeper did not think that the girl was running away from here due to her fear of battle.

    That is because, if she wanted to escape, she could¡¯ve gone to the harbour to board the ship bound to her country as the priests did half a year ago, but going towards the pandorand is not the way of thinking of a person trying to run away.

    ¡°Are you really going out?¡±

    The girl once again nods.

    The gatekeeper thought, though the girl has half-opened sleepy eyes, her decision was rather solid.

    ¡°Is that so, where are are you going? do you have a ce in mind?¡±

    The girl replies with constant expression.

    ¡°A ce where food is more delicious.¡±

    The gatekeeper sees off the girl while thinking ¡°as expected the witches are different from normal people.¡±

    The next day, was the day the 15000 crusaders lead by Sariel departed towards Daidalos.

 Chapter 39 The Dragon King

    Chapter 39 ¨C The Dragon King

    The king stood up from the throne, upon hearing the report of 15000 mercenaries departing from Virginia.

    The name of the king is Gaevinal, at a nce he looks like a strong build human in his prime having 2 metres of body height, but in truth he is a genuine dragon.

    The dragon are a race havingrge amount of Physical strength magical energy, and arepletely different from other races. Among them the dragons with strongest strength called as ¡°ck dragons¡± is the tribe of Gaevinal.

    Even among the dragons who are fundamentally individualists, Gaevinal had the ambition to rule over everything just like the ancient emperor who had once made the great empire that had governed pandora continent in his generation.

    In the midst of implementing his ambition, the thing concerning him the most is the city-state ¡°Spada¡± that extends after crossing the ¡°Gahad mountain range¡± which is governed by the sword king ¡°Leonhart¡± who has the equal strength as him. [ET: the author is a copycat in names. Should go to school.]

    He had not even thought of the human armying to invade by crossing all the way over the seas.

    However,

    ¡°Despite of giving them the warnings to that extent, they still send out the soldiers......they are more foolish than what I had thought.¡±

    ¡°It is too much of a hassle, let¡¯s send them out of Pandora continent but not to their hometown, but to hell.¡±

    Now that they have once again risen against Daidalos, Gaevinal was not going to just be happy with making them leave the country anymore, he decided topletely annihte Virginia.

    But soon things would turn out like this, was even predicted by the top brass of Daidalos along with Gaevinal.

    That is because of the report ofrge shipsing in and out, consisting ofrge amounts of humans and goods.

    It was obvious that in near future, humans would not ept the demand for evacuation ande with counter offensive tactics.

    The reason, why they didn¡¯t obstruct the arrival of ships to Virginia was because Daidalos doesn¡¯t have a navy force. Even without it, if the humans gather many number of people and start attacking first, it will be easy to kick them around or so Gaevinal was thinking.

    Starting from dragon, the daidalos army was being organised with the beast men who were simr to monsters as the main force.

    The assault by the means of strong offensive ability and mobility were the strong forte of the Daidalos Army. The humans cannot defeat it with even with tens of thousands of soldiers on in fields.

    Therefore, no matter how much military force Virginia has, as long as they strike first, daidalos can intercept it as many times.

    Normally, their base point Virginia would also be destroyed, but as it is a stronghold which boasts a solid defence, they need to have determination to suffer some losses.

    The Daidalos army was unparalleled on the field but if they are unable to show their mobility to full extent, it would be difficult to end a castle siege war in short time and would be a weakness.

    As a result, Virginia¡¯s base has great defensive ability but no offensive ability, in the current situation to reduce the loss the most good idea would be to intercept them through a blockade and stop their advance.

    To Gaevinal the enemies were not the humans from Virginia but the city-state army of Spada.

    Considering the invasion by Spada in near future, Gaevinal wanted to avoid dissipation of war potential.

    Gaevinal thought that the defense corps of Daidalos are more than enough for intercepting the humans, though it will leave the anxiety about future.

    But in the end, before I went ahead leading the army to Spada, the humans had started to invade.[ET: This author can¡¯t seem to maintain a single tense or perspective. right now its first-person perspective.]

    If I was not here, the humans might have fought a bit better, but for them to strike at such a timing, the bad luck of humans is hrious .

    Either way, it is impossible for the likes of human to defeat Daidalos.

    ¡°So the, shall we go.¡±

    Gaevinal headed towards the main gate of imperial pce.

    Below him, 20000 soldiers in ck armor and helmet had already been gathered and were waiting to get the order for departure.

    ¡°From now, we will head to defeat the foolish humans, don¡¯t let a single one return back alive¨D¨D¡±

    Gaevinal transformed from the temporary human form to his original dragon form.

    ¡°¨D¨DAdvance Forward!¡±

    Along with the roar, the advance order is given, the 20000 daidalos soldiers start marching like an avnche.

    Gaevinal who has transformed into a giant dragon with jet ck scales, ps both his wings, while creating a sudden gust of winds soars up in the sky.

    The subordinate flying dragons that were already in the air, started following Gaevinal and flew away with him.

    The ce they were heading for is, the halfway point between Daidalos and Virginia, the Goldran hilly area.

    The dragons swore for a certain victory and roared which echoed in the whole Daidalos and headed towards the territory of the decisive battle.

 Chapter 40 Decisive Battle?Goldran Hill

    Chapter 40 ¨C Decisive Battle?Goldran Hill

    The crusaders, finallypleting the invasion strategy departed on the seventh day of the month Distant Thunder.

    The elite corps of 15000 men selected by Cardinal Ars, being lead by Sariel.

    The crusaders camped in Goldran Hills near guard point with good visibility.

    During the previous invasion they suffered defeat by the hands of Daidalos here and the ce has some shady history in itself, but there is no better ce than this to march forward in full power along with 15000-strong corps.

    The Daidalos will also decide this ce for the decisive battle like the previous time, as in this hilly region they can disy their maximum mobility war potential.

    Thus, both the Crusaders and Daidalos army would meet each other at Goldran Hills.

    Both parties arrange their battle formation, and it bes apetition of ring at each other.

    ¡°¨D¨DI¡¯m entrustingmand authority to you, Archbishop Liuchrome.¡±

    Sariel gives amand while sitting on top of pure white pegasus.

    ¡°Yes, acknowledged.¡±

    Liuchrome bows down his head. On his beautiful face there is no tension frommanding an army of 15000 men or the fear of the uing battle, a kind expression floats on his face.

    ¡°I will the rest to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please leave it to me.¡±

    With just that much of conversation, Sariel moves her pegasus with an aim towards the front lines.

    The pegasus stands up like a long spear lining up, and calmly takes off.

    The soldiers look at the lovely girl not fit to be on battlefield while catching their breaths.

    Soon after, the soldiers start moving towards the frontlines.

    Some steps behind was Maxwell armed with arge mace following them.

    On his back, is arge white coffinrger than his back itself.

    But as if not caring about its weight, Maxwell starts walking after Sariel in an intimidating manner.

    Several steps in front of the front line, Sariel and Maxwell see the ck demon race army standing in a line seeming like castle walls.

    Looking at that scene, Sariel speaks in her normal manner without any hesitation.

    ¡°An army of demons...¡±

    The voice of the slender Sariel is heard by both parties consisting of more than 35000 men cleary word by word.

    ¡°Our white God is generous.

    However, the Evil Demon Dragon King must be condemned with death.

    We will take the head of evil dragon. If you all swear to obey God, he will forgive you even if you¡¯re the demon races.¡±

    As soon as she stopped speaking, a sudden of wind blew through the Goldran Hills.

    ¡°I am the Daidalos Dragon King. Gaeevinal.¡±

    A jet ck dragon leading a swarm of flying dragons flies down from midair.

    From between the the dragons, a dragon extending to 40 metres in stature flies down on his two legs in an intimidating manner.

    Behind him spreads two dark wings seeming like a night sky with crescent moon, and his fat tail which looks like arge serpent strikes the ground.

    Upon looking at his majestic appearance, the soldiers of the Crusaders gasped. The people who participated in the previous invasion are reminded of their unpleasant defeat and start to tremble.

    ¡°For the pitiful humans who worship the white God to taunt us, it really is unforgivable.¡±

    The atmosphere begins trembling, and inside Gaevinal¡¯s mouth arge amount of magical power starts concentrating.

    ¡°Perish, humans.¡±

    The inherent magic ¡°Dragon Breath¡± that the dragons are so proud of and hides great destructive power.

    An ominous dark red torrent of light is directed straight at Sariel.

    ¡°Light wing God¡¯s Shield ¨C Arulks.Aegis.¡±

    The moment when they¡¯re engulfed by the atrocious light, Maxwell sees the figure of Sariel being wrapped up in wings of an angel.

    *Zuzunn*

    Along with a thundering roar, a dense ck smoke rises and covers the surrounding area.

    Immediately a gust of wind blows away the smoke.

    Beyond that stood Sariel in the same position from before with shining white body

    ¡°......I¡¯ll go.¡±

    She speaks in small voice as always, Maxwell standing beside Sariel after seeing her defence magic block the attack. He replies in a strong voice while putting down therge coffin from his back.

    ¡°Your Excellency, may the fortune of war favor you!¡±

    Sariel nods, and holds the coffin.

    ¡°¡®Armed scriptures¡¯ ¨C Release.¡±

    At that moment the the coffin is wrapped in a white light and scatters.

    From within a long white spear in the imitation of the cross which is the symbol of God appears.¡±

    ¡°Holy Cross spear ¡®Grand Cross¡¯.¡±

    The one of the two magical weapons only apostles can use are called ¡°armed scriptures¡±.

    The fact that the armed scripture is a spear proves that rather than a magician, Sariel¡¯s true ss is a Holy Knight Pdin.

    The 7th Apostle Sariel takes the long pure white spear ¡®The Holy Cross spear¡¯ in her hands and storms towards Gaevinal on her pegasus

    ¡°oOOOO¡±

    The roar of Gaevinal which trembles heaven and earth, signals the start of war.

    Sariel cuts through the vanguard and storms, the 15000 Crusaders also march forward.

    In contrast, the Daidalos army hailing Geavinal¡¯s roar, also starts the assault.

    Here, the head on collision between the Daidalos army and the Crusaders opens its curtains.

 Chapter 41 Human and Demon

    Chapter 41 Human and Demon

    In the Pandora continent, other than Elf or Dwarf, Goblins, Orcs, Golems and other races simr to monsters also coexisted with the humans. But with the same appearance, those that lived ording to their instincts like the stray goblins were categorized as monsters.

    For the residents of Pandora, rather than appearance, the ability to understand others, intelligence, and reasoning was more important. But in the Arc continent ruled by humans, especially the region ruled by the church, ¡®whether you are human or not¡¯ was more important.

    In the first ce, even if it was the same human race, but their God was different, they would call each other heretics and start killing each other. If they didn¡¯t allow a different faith, permitting a totally different race waspletely impossible for the current Church at least.

    And thus the word [Demons] was born, a word that put monsters and different races together without any distinction.

    For those who believed in the church, [Demons] were the same as monsters and had no problems in killing them. In fact they were happy to have killed the ¡®enemies of god¡¯.

    So, with this over discriminatory ideology, the Daidalos invasion was done half a year ago.

    Officially, that was the first time the humans of Syncrea Republic fought with the demons of Daidalos.

    But the battle between the 2000 knights and Daidalos defensive forces was not something that could be called a ¡®battle¡¯. They were knights in name only. All they could think of was to cross the walls of Daidalos and take their gold for themselves. Truly a bandit-like thinking. Thus they underestimated the demons and therefore their attacking style was also simr to bandits.

    But it was different this time.

    With the Apostle and the Archbishop at the head, there was a proper chain ofmand and the soldiers under them were not people who had crossed the seas to earn riches but they were devout believers who were here to offer thisnd to their God as their duty.

    Here onwards, the true strength of the army of the Syncrea Republic that controlled half of the Arc Continent was shown while fighting the demons.

    In the sky, the 7th Apostle Sariel and the Dragon King Gaevinal faced each other, and on the ground, the 15,000 Crusaders shed with the 20,000 man army of Daidalos.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¨CHold your formations!! Hold them until Her Excellency kills the evil dragon no matter what!!¡±(T/N:- Her excellency is used for Sariel here by Maxwell.)

    Handing over the Armament Scripture and seeing off Sariel, Maxwell was fighting in the front row of the army.

    The [Formation] the he spoke of was the tactics humans came up with to surpass the Demons.

    Humans and Demons both used the samenguage, and fought wearing armour and swords in their hands.

    But there was a clear distinction in the fighting style of the two.

    The most striking distinction was seen during massive group battles like this time.

    Demons who were fundamentally stronger in terms of physical ability as well as magical energy, put emphasis on individual strengths. During team battles that involved few number of people, some level of coordination was possible but in a group that had more than 100 people, they had no way to lead andmand such a big army easily.

    No, in the first ce, fighting in such big groups was already beyond their way of thinking.

    That is why, even Gaevinal who had built up a country, without trying tomand his 20,000 subordinates, challenged Sariel to a one-on-one battle. Gaevinal who did not know humans other than those already living in the Pandora continent, thought that even humans would not find it abnormal.

    That is because it was normal for the strongest to be king and during wars it was also normal for the Commanders to face-off each other in a one-on-one battle.

    That is why he did not doubt the fact that Sariel was facing him alone.

    But, in the world of humans where it was not necessary for the strongest to be the king, one-on-one battles were nothing more than a source of entertainment.

    After all, for themander who is meant to control the army to go and face the enemymander alone was in no way logical. Because in human wars, the one who bes themander of the army is not the strongest but the one with the highestmanding abilities.

    Of course, there are many generals who themselves are also strong but then they also have brilliantmanding capabilities as well.

    Thus, though Sariel was the Supreme Commander of the Crusaders, for her to fight with the enemymander after giving allmanding authority to the vicemander Liuchrome, was simply a clever strategy.

    Whereas, the only directions the 20,000 man army had were ¨C attack, defend and retreat, just those three.

    Simr to this time, as long as the king gave the order to attack, all they had to do was just assault with full strength, and even though it¡¯s called assault, all they did was that every individual just charged towards the enemy.

    The only time they will withdraw would be when either their king dies or they clearly be disadvantageous.

    Basically, the battles done by demons depended on the individual strength of each soldier and that¡¯s it.

    But, humans were not the same.

    In this different world, magic existed, and beings like Sariel with overwhelming strength also existed.

    But the rest was fundamentally simr to how things were in Kurono¡¯s original world.

    Alone, humans had lesser strength than wild animals, but with wisdom and working in groups, they reached the top of the food chain.

    Here, the culture may be at the level of Middle-ages, but the humans were simr to Kurono¡¯s original world. Strategy and tactics were used always.

    So, the best one to battle huge numbers was to use [formations].

    In the current battle, the reason why the Crusaders were able to deal with the attack of the Dem9ons who were stronger as well as had 5000 more soldiers, was due to the use and deployment of [formations] developed through heavy training and uratemands.

    ¡°?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ????¨D¨D Chantingplete, firing!¡±

    ¡°Now, do it!! me spear ¨C Ignis Crisagita!!¡±

    Standing in a single straight line, the troop of magicians wields their staffs and fire magic.

    To buy time for them toplete the chants, they were protected by the soldiers wielding long spears.

    The army of Daidalos was burnt with the simultaneous firing of the fire magic ¨C me spear ¨C Ignis Crisagita. On top of it, a rain of arrows wasunched as a finishing blow.

    ¡°Shit! They are still alive! Those damned monsters!!¡±

    Burnt with fire, stabbed with arrows, yet they swung their swords but they were finally killed after being pierced by the long-spear wielding soldiers.

    Their incredible life force was clearly made visible, but still that was not enough to break through the solid defence of the united Crusaders.

    In these front lines of the war, the Daidalos army was being suppressed by the [Square formation].

    No matter which direction they are attacked from, they would be able to deal with it. Although itcked mobility, it made up with the overwhelming defensive ability.

    This square formation was made of spear troops, bow troops and the magic troops, these 3.

    The spears used were Pikes that were 6m long pole type weapons which were used in the Arc continent as the Anti-cavalry weapon.

    It was currently ying a major role in intercepting the Daidalos army infantry that showed assault strength simr to an actual heavy cavalry.

    These spear troops were densely packed in the square along with Long Bow and cross bow users as well as long range magic users.

    If Kurono had seen this deployed square, he would have thought that it was simr to the Spain Square. If these magic warriors were reced with musketeers, it will be exactly same as the Spain square.

    Of course, in a world where magic existed, magicians did not just rece musketeers with same strength but also possessed ability enhancing Boost magic and restorative Heal magic, truly an all-purpose support unit.

    But still, even though the soldiers and magicians of the Crusaders were able to draw out their maximum strength and were fighting hard, they were still one-sidedly defending against the extremely powerful Daidalos army.

    Even if demons were unaware of formations, against their individual strength and theirrger numbers, even with the defensive strength of the square formation, holding them back temporarily was the most they could do.

    ¡°Lord Sariel, please grant upon us a miracle........¡±

    The Archbishop and the vicemander of the Crusaders, Liuchrome looked towards the sky where Sariel was in fight to the death with the Dragon King and quietly whispered.

    Both Ars and Liuchrome had liberated an area at the border of the Syncrea Republic where Heretics had run rampant once. That achievement was recognised, and Ars became Cardinal and he became an Archbishop at a very young age.

    The experience of attaining victory against heretics of Liuchrome was clearly seen in this battle against these demons as well. But even with experience and brilliantmanding skills along with the elite 15,000 Crusaders, Liuchrome was still did not have the strength to win against the immense strengthof the Daidalos army.

    To lead the Crusaders to victory, it was necessary to y themander of Daidalos, the Dragon King Gaevinal.

    The Crusaders were currently struggling, no, they were inferior. The one able to overturn this condition was only Sariel, and again the only one who could face the dragon king alone was only the 7th Apostle Sariel.

    Will the Crusaders achieve glorious victory or will they face a tragic loss, what will be their fate, all had been entrusted to the small white girl called Sariel.

 Chapter 42 Apostle vs. Dragon

    Chapter 42 Apostle vs. Dragon

    At the hill of Goldran currently, the Crusaders were barely holding against the Daidalos army by deploying square formations at the ground, and in the air the Pegasus knights were holding down the flying dragon troops.

    And even above the sky where the Pegasus knights were fighting dragons, far above the clouds, the 7th Apostle and the Dragon King were facing off against each other.

    Under the sunlight existed the clear blue sky but only above Goldran hill, the sky was burning in ck and white.

    ¡°oooooo!!!¡±

    Dark red, sinister light of destruction, Gaevinal¡¯s Dragon Breath burnt the air.

    ¡°[Light wing god¡¯s shield ¨C rux Aegis]¡±

    The wings of angel holding white shine covered Sariel and stopped the nth breath once again.

    The Heaven-ss secret skill that surpassed the highest advance magic rank ¨C [God¡¯s shield ¨C Aegis] was able to take on almost any magic used by humans without getting damaged at all.

    But taking the breath of the giant ck dragon head-on countless times, it was finally destroyed.

    ¡°[Sonic Walker]¡±

    Before the breath could reach her, Sariel jumped above from the Pegasus she was riding.

    Even though she should have started free falling, she clearly stepped on the air.

    Sariel ran in the sky. Closing on to the dragon king while releasing the silver aura at full strength, she looked like a meteor.

    This speed that could not be even seen by normal eyes and advancing threateningly in mid air was the effect of Sage-ss martial art [Sonic Walker].

    But Gaevinal¡¯s burning red eyes could clearly catch her figure that was closing in.

    He swung is giant tail towards her. Although it was a simple movement, but that tail was simr to a moving castle wall.

    The tail that was covered with scales, that were considered the hardest among all living things, was harder than an actual rampart.

    If that tail was swung like a whip at the speed of sound, how many magicians would it take to cast enough defensive magic to stop something like that?

    Moving at high-speed in mid-air, Sariel focused all her magical energy and concentration on theing attack. Using the [God¡¯s shield Aegis] again was not possible. So she decided to make use of her speed to evade it.

    The iing hard attack was seen through with the help of over enhanced dynamic vision and sixth-sense that had be closer to foresight.

    The storm-like destructive tail passed through the ce where Sariel¡¯s lower body was before she moved.

    As her silver hair fluttered she evaded the attack and then shortened the distance between them. In response, Gaevinal had already moved to his next attack.

    Large ws that were bigger than any sword attacked Sariel.

    Holding unbelievable sharpness that could rip apart the body with the touch of his fingertips, those ws were not only hard and sharp but were clearly also infused with an Extra magic that increased the attack range. But, Sariel dodged it with a paper thin difference. Gaevinal had clearly ended up allowing her toe close to his bosom. Atst, he hade in range of Sariel¡¯s holy cross spear ¨C Grand Cross.

    ¡°[Moonlight ¨C Lunalux]¡±

    Physical strength, magical energy, concentration power, enhancing every ability to the highest with [Faust Berserk], and then enhancing them even further with [Lunalux].

    Invocation time is a mere 1 second but it uses up energy even more than 10 normal magiciansbined instantly. And, in the instant the magical energy is used, Sariel released her attack that could be literally said to be her sure-kill move, a move only those who could use a part of ¡®God¡¯ can utilise, the ultimate martial art.

    ¡°¡ª¨C[God¡¯s Spear ¨C Brionac.]¡±

    From the point of the Grand Cross, dazzling white light overflowed.

    That light was divine and beautiful, yet it had the same level of destruction quality as the dragon breath.

    The [Brionac] released by Sariel with her full strength, its edge that was shining with white light aim was the heart of the dragon.

    Uptill now, no matter which shield or wall it was faced with, the God¡¯s spear had pierced through but at this moment, it lost the title of ¡®sure-kill move¡¯.

    (¡°Hard¡ª¨Ccan¡¯t pierce through any further¡ª¡ª-¡°)

    The scales that were called the hardest, the steel like flesh, and the carious divine protections as the Dragon King; the [Brionac] pierced through it all yet at the end it could not reach the heart.

    Pulling out the spear, before blood could burst through that wound,

    ¡°Gooaaaah!!!¡±

    ¡°nn¡ª¨C¡°

    Due to Gaevinal¡¯s giant roar, Sariel¡¯s small body was blown away like a leaf.

    Thrown away in mid air, Sariel quickly corrected her stance and as if she was already waiting for it, shended on the Pegasus.

    Sariel rode on her Pegasus and Gaevinal had blood flowing from his chest. Both took distance from each other again.

    ¡°To have been able to inflict an injury upon me...........human girl, name yourself.¡±

    With just Gaevinal¡¯s words, the air trembled. Any feeble person would have instantly fainted with just that.

    Sariel, even under that pressure, remained expressionless and answered.

    ¡°7th Apostle Sariel.¡±

    Simr to how she had once named herself in front of Kurono.

    ¡°Hou, the same name as the ancient angel of god? You have a strong light as your name suggests as well¡ª¨C¡°

    Taking a deep breath, and at the same time, the bleeding from the chest stopped, and the wound quickly closed up.

    ¡°Sariel, you are someone worthy of being my opponent in a long time. From here onwards, I shall also use my full strength¡ª-¡°

    Acknowledging Sariel as someone worthy of fighting against with all his strength, Gaevinal released a tremendous roar.

    And then, on the scales as ck as the night itself, red lines started to appear. His dark body was coloured with sinister red lines and Gaevinal released magical energy, vitality, fighting spirit, and thirst for blood ¡ª¡ª-Powers that could be felt directly with the body, everything had been doubled and be thicker.

    Even Sariel, faced with that enormous presence, her beautiful thin eyebrows turned into a scowl.

    (¡°I might die.........¡±)

    How many years has it been, Sariel thought to herself.

    From the moment she started taking experiments to be an ¡®Apostle¡¯, she had lost the feeling of death.

    But, numerous modifications, enhancements, at the end of experiments, she had finally be an Apostle worthy of having the divine protection of the White God, and from that moment onwards, she had be an existence like a ¡®dragon¡¯, far away from death.

    As the 7th Apostle, Sariel had participated in numerous wars, disputes, rebellions in the Arc continent.

    But as the strongest existence of the church, an [Apostle], Sariel faced no opponent that could actually threaten her life.

    When she was ambushed, made to retreat, betrayed by allies, surrounded by enemies on all sides, in every setting where the army would resolve for death, Sariel never thought that she would die.

    An Apostle was such a transcendental existence.

    But right now, at this moment, Sariel felt death. The ck-red dragon king in front of her was stronger than any enemy she had ever faced.

    Even if she won, how many wounds would she take? Maybe she might be unable to fight ever again.

    But still, without any fear, she set up her spear.

    For her, death was not the absolute fear.

    After all, she had abandoned something like survival instincts a long time ago. She had no attachments to this world. All she had was the ¡®duty¡¯ toplete as an Apostle.

    That was her raison d¡¯¨ºtre.

    Thus even if she was ughtered by the dragon king here, even if she didn¡¯t have enough strength, she did not care about anything else.

    As long as she was alive, she would fulfil her duty as an Apostle.

    ¡°........En Garde.¡±

    Hardening her resolve, Sariel faced Gaevinal in his true form¡ª¨C

    ¡°Come, human with the name of an Angel!¡±

    And thus the battle between the two strongest existences had begun.

 Chapter 43 The Dragon Slaying Angel

    Chapter 43 The Dragon ying Angel

    ¡ª¡ªThis is it.

    Liuchrome who wasmanding the battle instinctually realized.

    Although the front line had yet to copse, Liuchrome had already received reports that many square formations had been destroyed.

    Up till now, before a square formation got destroyed, Liuchrome would send reserve soldiers that were waiting in the rear to prevent it from happening. But now even that reserve had be empty. Only the heavy cavalry unit required in the ¡®final push¡¯ was left to him.

    Liuchrome was not stupid enough to haphazardly send the cavalry. If it was for assault he would have considered but it was defence. Using cavalry for retreating was basically using the troops in exactly opposite of their actual forte.

    Heavy cavalry who are d in full te armour are an extremely powerful troop. On top of it they were the elites of the Temple Knights. Their ability was not to be doubted.

    But, cavalry¡¯s biggest strong point is mobility and offensive ability. For example, when the opponent is at a disadvantageous position, if they have to intercept a charge from the nk by the cavalry as well, the enemy would be definitely ughtered. Basically, if you use Cavalry with urate timing, you could achieve victory instantly.

    But, if the timing is messed up instead, the losses will not beughable.

    And if they were destroyed once, they didn¡¯t have any reserves for them either.

    The horses they use along with their armour,pared to a soldier, the cost and time incurred to raise one cannot be evenpared with each other.

    Neither are they useful only in certain situations but they are also too valuable to use recklessly.

    Thus, every famousmander in the history of the Arc continent read the flow of the battlefield first and then used these troops to disy their maximum strength.

    Liuchrome was not as talented as those famousmanders, but he knew the usability of each troop and did not lose calm when faced with a disadvantageous situation.

    His outer appearance was certainly unique, but inside he was rational, and someone who could take calm and reliable decisions. That is why Ars chose him from among all his subordinates because he believed that Liuchrome could deliver the desired result.

    And now, Liuchrome had realized faster than anyone else that if the current flow continued, the Crusaders would be definitely annihted.

    Therefore, before he has to face the worst situation, he decided it would be better to retreat for now.

    To order the Crusaders, who are here to fulfil the will of god, was not an easy task for a mediocremander at all.

    They cannot step back, neither they had any ns, thus there was no choice but sacrifice the Crusaders while wishing the God for a miracle. A mediocremander could only take the above action.

    And then God will grant a miracle to such a fool with a heart full ofpassion; Liuchrome understood that such a thing would never happen.

    A miracle is called a miracle because it is not meant to happen. Depending on such things was the same as epting defeat from the start, Liuchrome thought so from the very bottom of his heart. That is why the ones who lead an army to victory were none other than the humans themselves that were fighting there.

    And in such a position where they were about to lose, it was his duty to save as many soldiers as possible. Liuchrome was about to order the retreat, at that very moment,

    *GUOOOOOOOO*¡ª¡ª

    With a roar able to shake the heavens, a giant ck object fell from the skies.

    It was crashing directly near the front lines where both the armies were shing.

    At this moment both armies stopped their hands and quickly ran in all directions in order to save themselves.

    The thing that was falling finally crashed on the Goldran hill that was already painted with blood.

    It¡¯s identity was known by everyone here, but they did not realize it until it had actually fallen to the ground.

    It was a giant ck dragon.

    The wings that could create a storm with just pping were torn to pieces, the feet that made the earth tremble and the hands which had ws that could cut through anything had beenpletely severed from the body and incredible wounds could be seen.

    The tail that was like the wall of a castle had also been severed and was nowhere to be found, the fortress like body itself was filled with ces where the scales had been destroyed or torn off and the whole body was stained with blood.

    And the burning fire-like eyes had less shine than a worn out ruby. Everyone there understood that the life of this giant body was running out.

    The thing that had fallen from the skies was none other than the corpse of Dragon King Gaevinal.

    Nobody noticed that on the forehead of this giant dragon king¡¯s body, a single shadow was there.

    A cross spear that had prated deeply into the forehead, and the one who held it was a girl wearing a bloodstained robe.

    It had be so dark red in colour that it was unknown whether it was due to blood spurts or was it her own blood. Her beautiful silver hair was also covered in red and had lost its original splendour. She was missing her right arm and maybe because her right eye had been crushed, it was closed as tears of blood flowed down.

    But, she was clearly standing while sticking the spear in the corpse of the dragon king. The open left eye held a brilliant red shine and showed that she was still alive.

    The girl was Sariel.

    Each every one that fought here witnessed the legend of a single human defeating a dragon born in front of them.

    ¡°¡ª¨CIt¡¯s an Angel.¡±

    Someone muttered.

    ¡°The Angel defeated the dragon.¡±

    Angel, there were various exnations about their identity but the words that had been raised here was themon belief of everyone standing here.

    ¡°Aah, how beautiful.¡±

    Wet with blood and entrails, having lost the right arm and right eye, even then, the figure of the girl firmly holding the spear in her hands was to each and every soldier of the Crusaders, the most beautiful thing that they had ever seen.

    A scene so vivid, that they would never ever forget it in their whole lives.

    But, for the Daidalos army what did the girl look like, at least, it was not the same as the Crusaders.

    Sariel defeated Gaevinal, that incredibly unbelievable fact was understood by each and every one on the Goldran hill.

    But the feeling they held in their hearts was not excitement of being able to see a legend; it was the shock of the death of the unparalled dragon.

    In either case, it was big enough to make all of them forget to even move.

    And the one who recovered the fastest among them was Liuchrome.

    Facing the dazed subordinates standing there, he raised his voice and proimed thus,

    ¡°Behold! The great 7th Apostle Her Exclellency Sariel has in the evil Dragon King! Now is the time, when we shall annihte the evil army of demons! All troops attack!!¡±

    The order of attack made by Liuchrome clearly resounded. Confident of their victory, the Crusaders picked up their weapons, shouted, and charged. They faced the Daidalos army that hadpletely lost their fighting spirit in front of the fact that the undefeatable dragon king had been killed.

    ¡°Hurry, rescue Her Excellency Sariel. Also, give the first heavy cavalry unit to attack¡ª¡°

    Atst the moment of reversal hade. This was the only time when their less numbered army could annihte the strong Daidalos army. With this in his mind, Liuchrome quickly gave out orders one after another.

    Currently, the difference between the numbers of soldiers between the two armies on the Goldran hill,pared to the start, was in the same ratio. In fact, due to maintaining the formations, the Crusaders were at a disadvantage.

    Although the enemy had lost theirmander, if they instantly counter attacked, it will turn into a battle of attrition and in the end, the Crusaders would lose.

    But, at this moment, it was a situation where the difference in morale would decide the oue.

    The Crusaders who were about to lose their front line, regained their spirit and confidence in victory with Sariel¡¯s aplishment, andunched a counter attack.

    And what Liuchrome was aiming for was the realisation of the tactic, known in the warring states period as [Norikiri]. (T/N: Norikiri is a tactic where units of five to ten horsemen rode into the enemy to stir confusion)

    Launching the cavalry against the restless enemy, it was a tactic meant to quickly destroy them, the easiest to use as well as the most reliable tactic.

    And this was the only time where the much awaited [Norikiri] could be used.

    Against this, the Daidalos army who had been unable to regain their fighting spirit had fallen into confusion.

    Losing their king, whether to fight, to run, or to retreat; they were unable to take any of those decisions were faced with the Crusaders that were in the best form now.

    And finally, the silver heavy cavalry troop that had received enhancement support from the magicians began theirnce charge to decide the oue of this battle.

    In front of the white army, unable to do nothing more than individually try and defend themselves, the fate of the Daidalos army had been decided.

    This battle that would beter known as the Battle of Goldran, ended with the magnificent victory of the Crusaders.

    Three dayster, on the 10th day of the month of Enrai (Distant Thunder), the Crusaderspletely captured the capital Daidalos.

 Chapter 44 Meeting of Apostles

    Chapter 44 Meeting of Apostles

    The church headquarters, [Holy Elysion Cathedral], was located in the holy city Elysion. In its deepest part, where a conference room exclusively for high ranking clergymen was made, out of 12, 6 Apostles had gathered.

    There were Apostles that stayed and served in Elysion as well as those that were deployed to far away fronts like Sariel. Thus it was rare for all 12 to assemble at the same time. At the same time, that also implied that war never ended on this Arc continent.

    The Apostles that had gathered today were the 2nd and 5th,that resided in Elysion, as well as the the 3rd, 4th, 11th, and 12th, who had just returned.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª-The conquest of Pandora continent, will be continued to be entrusted to the 7th Apostle Sariel.¡±

    The one who was acting as the speaker of this meeting, the 2nd Apostle Abel, dered this.

    With the magnificent victory of the Crusaders at Goldran, every noble and church had started sending reinforcements there. Still, Abel dered that they will not be sending another Apostle there.

    ¡°You seem displeased, 11th Apostle Lord Misa.¡±

    Sensing everyone¡¯s reactions, Abel spoke to Misa who clearly seemed dissatisfird.

    ¡°Sariel was seriously injured while fighting that dragon called Gaevinal right? And it will take time to restore the destroyed parts, not to mention that it¡¯ll take at least one month if she sleeps in the [coffin].¡±

    Out of all the apostles gathered here, Abel and 3 others were dressed in clothes that hid their faces and barely showed any skin. But Misa¡¯s attire, let alone the face, even the shoulders and legs were clearly exposed from the modified robe that she wore.

    Misa had a cute face which still retained its youthfulness, a face that would suit a 17yr old bishoujo. From the point of view of the strict clergy, the high exposure level of her body would have been rage inducing, and the modified robe further highlighted her beautiful feminine body line to top it off.

    From the tiara worn on her light pink hair, her whole body was decorated with shining ornaments, but rather than making her look overly dressed up, they only supported her sublime beauty. In fact, the shine of the numerous jewels seemed to be overshadowed in front her.

    ¡°I agree. Being unable to move for 1 month would be dangerous for both Lord Sariel and the Crusaders as well.¡±

    After Misa¡¯s words, 12th Apostle Mariabelle also spoke.

    She was also not wearing dresses that hid the face like Misa. With blonde hair and blue eyes simr to his older brother Archbishop Liuchrome, he possessed beauty that could make someone mistake him for a young girl. However, his long straight hair different from his brother¡¯s natural wavy hair was worth mentioning as well.

    ¡°Certainly, if another army possessing strength equal to that of Gaevinal¡¯s were to attack, the Crusaders would definitely be annihted. But, such level of opposition has not yet been confirmed. Also we are talking about the cautious Archbishop Liuchrome here; he won¡¯t try something stupid asunching another attack without proper ns from Daidalos. And above all, currently reinforcements are being sent one after the other to Pandora, the military would soon be restored to its full strength.¡±

    ¡°Reinforcements, is it? Are you not perhaps mistaking thirsty hyenas for reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°You are taking your words too far, 11th Apostle Lord Misa.¡±(abel)

    Abel warned her a little, but, Misa didn¡¯t show any signs of remorse.

    ¡°You should also know that they are nothing more than a group of thieves who are blinded by greed; they are simply scum who take pleasure in looting and massacring. They won¡¯t make up for a good fighting force.¡±

    Although Misa scorned the reinforcements from the church and the nobles that had been given the name of Crusaders as well, Abel also understood her opinion so decided not to object it anymore.

    ¡°Lord Misa, although I can¡¯t fully ept your opinion, even I don¡¯t think that these reinforcements would obediently listen to our orders. My brother is a brilliantmander on top of being a clergyman but, to keep such arge number of people in control, the power of an Apostle is necessary.¡±(mariabelle)

    Even though these two had been clearly against the decision, Abel showed no signs of changing his decision.

    ¡°Both of your opinions have truth in them, but I still cannot authorize the deployment of an Apostle. Currently, the power required to conquer the whole Pandora continent has been secured. Certainly, the ones going to Pandora are the private armies of nobles and the church, and looting will also ur obviously, there would be even many fights among themselves over fortunes as well. But still, the numbers umted are more than enough to conquer Pandora. The only problem left is how to ¡®divide the cake¡¯. Such pointless battles are not something us Apostles need to take part in.¡±

    An Apostle is given power to destroy the enemies of god.

    Thus, there was no meaning in obtaining fame and wealth. Simply destroying the enemy was their raison d¡¯¨ºtre. If there is no enemy to defeat, then there is no meaning for an Apostle to be there.

    The Pandora continent did not have any more areas with strength that might require the intervention of more Apostles.

    Even if they were like robbers, both the parliament and the church believe that they should just conquer it with overwhelming numbers.

    In fact, the number of applicants was big enough to make the strength in Arc continent to be insufficient.

    If there is going to be a shortage in the Republic due to the army driven by greed, then the Apostles will have to protect the peace here.

    ¡°The wounded Lord Sariel will certainly take about 1 month to recuperate but, since there are no threats there is no need for her to take any hardships either. All she has to do is just stay there as the suprememander of the Crusaders. There would be no problem even if she doesn¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª-¡°

    Before Misa could raise her voice in objection again, the sound of hands striking with a *pan* sound interrupted her.

    ¡°ufufu, if you are that worried about Sariel-chan then how about we go and meet her.¡±

    As if suggesting visiting a friend, the one who spoke in this gentle voice was the 3rd Apostle Mikael.

    With wavy tinum-blonde super long hair, just looking at her gentle gaze with amethyst like eyes, gave a sense of relief and calmness.

    She had an overwhelmingly huge chest, slender neck, round hips and long plump legs. A voluptuous body line, which could be clearly seen even from above the pure white habit that she wore.

    Her figure overflowed with loveliness, and everyone who saw her felt that she gave off the divine feeling simr to the goddess of harvest of ancient times or the mother earth herself.

    Mikael, thinking that she just gave a great idea, with a smiling face, looked beautiful and neat worthy of being called the [Holy woman].

    ¡°Wait, I wasn¡¯t particrly worried about Sariel but¡ª¡ª¡°(misa)

    ¡°I approve. If you are not worried then Lord Misa can stay here. It will be less noisy so I¡¯m actually happy about it.¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°Wh, Who said I was not going!? I was just worried as her eternal rival whether her skills had fallen or not! That¡¯s it!¡±(misa)

    Battles and fights between Apostles were forbidden but looking at Misa it only felt like a children¡¯s fight, so Abel decided not to say anything.

    ¡°In the first ce, Mariabelle doesn¡¯t have any significant rtionship with Sariel right?¡±(misa)

    ¡°Don¡¯t say my name so familiarly, and what do you mean by I don¡¯t have any rtionship, huh!?¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°I am her rival; you¡¯re just a fellow Apostle.¡±(misa)

    ¡°Are you kidding me, that¡¯s not¡ª-¡°(mariabelle)

    True, was something he couldn¡¯t say in the end. He held abnormal feelings for Sariel but, that doesn¡¯t mean he had any special rtionship with her.

    Once, he had entered a battle led by Ars, who had yet to be a Cardinal, along with his brother Liuchrome to fight against heretics.

    In that battle, the Apostle dispatched by the church was Sariel.

    No matter how you looked at it she was just arade-in-arms. In the first ce, if you can call her arade just by fighting together once, then all 15,000 Crusaders were also herrades.

    ¡°No way.......I am........¡±(T/N: Mariabelle uses boku to refer to himself.)

    ¡°fufun¡± (misa)

    Mariabelle was worried about his one-sided feelings, and for some reason Misa looked as if she had won something.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m going to the Pandora continent. I wonder what kind of ce it is?¡±

    Mikael was in her own pace, already in a travelling mood.

    Looking at these three, Abel made tired face. Although his face couldn¡¯t really be seen since he was wearing the hood.

    ¡°¡ª-Anyway, I won¡¯t forbid personally going to meet Lord Sariel, all of you act as per your own judgement. With this the discussion is over. Disperse.¡±

    After giving the dispersal order, Abel stood up from his seat.

    Since he had said what he wanted to say, he had no reason to stay here anymore. Mikael, Misa, and Mariabelle can do whatever they want.

    The 4th and the 5th Apostle who had been quiet from the start till end, also stood up. The silver knight dressed in armor from head to toe was the 5th Apostle Johann

    He was themander of the [Temple Knights] to which the 1st cavalry unit, that dealt the finishing blow to the Daidalos army during the skirmish at Goldran, were affiliated to.

    The 2m tall body covered in full body armour sitting on the chair looked like a piece of art.

    The other, wearing a robe simr to Abel and a hood that was even thicker through which no expression could be seen, was 4th Apostle Judah.

    Nobody knew what his work was, and Apostles below the number 5, let alone his powers, did not even know how he actually looked like. He was an extremely mysterious person.

    The 2nd, 4th, and 5th Apostle whose faces could not be seen soon left, and the three who wanted to meet Sariel were left.

    The scene of Mikael looking at Misa and Mariabelle, who were quarrelling, with saint like smile, was like a teacher looking at her troublesome pupils.

    The Daidalos royal castle that was even enormous than the Virginia fort, in one section of this castle was a special room.

    Originally, it was a giant basement warehouse, but currently arge magic circle was drawn on the cold stone ground, and priest in white robes stood at the four corners. And in the centre was pure white coffin.

    One month after this room was created after the upation of Daidalos. The light of the light illuminating the inside of the room slowly flickered. Other than the asional tired sighs of the priests that were using magic continuously in rotation, there was no other sound inside the room. But at this moment, the change they were waiting for finally urred.

    ¡ª¨C*bashari*

    The sound of water came from inside the coffin.

    *basha* *basha* the sound of water striking and moving came twice, thrice. The 4 priests made sure than they were not hallucinating due to overworking themselves.

    Quickly as the priests left the room, 2 sisters entered the room to rece them.

    One of them held a towel, and the other held a robe. Both things were pure white without a single stain.

    As the two of them came closer, the door of the coffin was opened.

    Two white arms came out. The hands gripped the coffin and slowly raised the body.

    The naked body of the girl wet with the holy water kept in the coffin appeared.

    Drops of water fell from the long silver hair; the two red eyes opened, and looked at the 2 sisters in front of her.

    The 2 sisters were supposed to call out to the girl who came out of the coffin first, but this was the first time the two of them had ever seen the girl directly and forgot their own duty due to the beauty that was loved by God and had their breath taken away.

    What they saw was the unwounded naked body of the white girl.

    After the fight with Gaevinal, the 7th Apostle Sariel had supposedly lost an arm and had sustained major wounds, but there was not even a single scar on her body right now. In this one month, inside the coffin filled with holy water, Sariel¡¯s wounds had beenpletely healed.

    ¡°......How long was I passed out?¡±

    Sariel asked.

    It was her usual small voice, but that was enough for the two sisters to regain theirposure.

    ¡°Today is the 12th day of the month of New Sun (Shinyou). It has been 36 days since you slept.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She listened to the current state of affairs from the sister with the robe as her body was dried by the sister with the towel.

    ¡°It seems a bit troublesome situation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, not long ago, the prime minister of Daidalosmitted suicide in the throne room¡ª-¡°

    Listening to the sister, she wore the robe and became the usual pure white figure.

    ¡°Now then, Archbishop Liuchrome is waiting for you, pleasee this way.¡±

    The sister starts leading her there.

    And Sariel¡¯s footsteps, which were following the sister, were steady enough that no one would think that she was asleep for a month.¡±

    (¡°My body is stiff.......right arm cannot be used for atleast one week in battle.¡±)

    As she felt the inconsistencies in her body, she decided to go outside the castle for rehabilitation and inspection.

 Chapter 45 Prologue of the Moonlit Night

    Chapter 45 Prologue of the Moonlit Night

    15th of the month of spring water (Shimizu). Once again I gaze at the full moon in the sky all alone.

    I had been alone till now, and I will stay alone forever.

    That¡¯s fine. If I can stay as a child, I won¡¯t feel pain, I won¡¯t feel bitter, I won¡¯t feel lonely, nobody would resent me, I¡¯ll forget everything and live on.

    But, that was thest time I saw the full moon alone.

    I will never forget, on the 4th of the month of early-summer breeze (Ryokufuu), I had a fateful encounter.

    ¡°My name is Kurono Maou, you are?¡±

    I won¡¯t be alone ever again.

    If I stayed like a child it won¡¯t be painful? It won¡¯t hurt? It won¡¯t be lonely? It won¡¯t be sad?

    It was all a lie.

    It was simply just a deception, fooling myself, deceiving myself, acting like I didn¡¯t notice........

    But, all that doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    The past doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Everything doesn¡¯t matter anymore.

    Because¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Aah, as long as I have Lily, I can keep living in this world, I won¡¯t be lonely.¡±

    The same feelings as myself.

    You, as long as you are by my side, I can keep on living, I won¡¯t be lonely.

    I won¡¯t return to the past again, I won¡¯t return to being lonely again, because you are with me.

    Yes, that¡¯s why, all the world needs is just you and me.

    Everything else is, now, not needed.

 Chapter 46 The Secret of the Apple Box

    Chapter 46 The Secret of the Apple Box

    I always had a doubt from the time I started living in Irz Vige as an adventurer.

    That doubt goes back to the day I met Lily for the first time.

    Thanks to Lily throwing water on my face, I woke up and found myself in the middle of the forest. After that is all as we know it but, what¡¯s important is the part before this. Just how did I end up in Fairy Garden?

    I had smuggled myself inside a box filled with apples (actually a simr fruit) at the port town of the Arc continent. The box that I had sneaked in was, along with the other goods, crammed into the ship¡¯s hatch and left on a 1 week long voyage.

    Inside the cramped box, all I could do was sleep, eat the fruits and develop my ck magic.

    During this development time, I came up with [load] and [shadow space] like convenient magics.

    But, inside the swaying ship, closed inside a small box, unable to move even a bit, was not going to be afortable trip.

    The only reason I was fine was of course, thanks to the super body gained with the modifications that allowed me to easily live for 1 month without eating or drinking.

    I wasn¡¯t hungry much and had too much free time, and the just fact that I was not in that facility anymore, made it feel like a much better environment.

    And thest thing I remember inside the apple box was about 7 days after departure.

    Bing sleepy, I immersed my own body inside the already perfected shadow space except the face. The shadow space contains magic but no air so I had to keep at least my face outside to avoid suffocating.

    If someone looked from the side they¡¯ll see only the eerie sight of a single face floating, but to sleep while spreading my legs inside that small box, it was the easiest method.

    In fact, it felt neither cold nor hot, and did not even feel the swaying of the ship either so it was reallyfortable. Moreover, if I submerged my ears as well then it also became sound proof since sound did not pass through it.

    Thinking back now, disconnecting almost my whole body from the outside through the use of Shadow space might be the biggest reason I had no idea whatever happened to me after that.

    And before I realized it I was inside the forest.

    Yes, the doubt I had was to know just what happened that led to me ending up there.

    At first I thought that it went something like this- The ship reached the port normally, goods unloaded, transport bynd route, and in the middle, fallen from a cliff and inside the forest.

    But that ship belonged to Arc continent, no, to be precise, it belonged to the Syncrea Republic, a country of humans.

    The destination of the ship should have been the base built for invasion of the Pandora Continent, i.e. Virginia.

    But, Virginia was being pushed back by the Daidalos army. So just how did a human bring the box this ind.

    That box should have been a part of the resupply goods meant for Virginia. It should have been consumed in Virginia and should have no reason to go any further.

    In the first ce, even if someone could carry it till here, humans were not even allowed to get of Virginia currently.

    A contradiction originated here. A box meant to be in Virginia was currently in Fairy Garden, far east of Virginia.

    The owner of the box, i.e. humans, cannot have carried it till here, then, who was the one that carried it till here?

    It might seem like question that could make someone lose his sleep from anxiety, but the answer, the identity of the being that carried it cleared it easily.

    ¡°A garuda, was it the one behind it?¡±

    On one of the hills making up the Gahad mountain range, at its summit existed a garuda nest.

    I am currently, toplete a special quest, in the middle of infiltrating this nest along with Lily.

    If at the top most point, a suspiciously big cave exists, then it would be a garuda¡¯s nest. Was that cave naturally made or was it dug by the garuda, I didn¡¯t know. But it was definitely an amazing cave with a height of around 10m.

    Inside that giant cave, within the stash of shining items and prey collected by the Garuda like a crow, I had found a thing simr to the apple box I had snuck in.

    Within my range, I can see two apple boxes. In the surroundings there are also broken simr boxes as well.

    Looking at all these things, I thought and inferred.

    A Garuda that can fly long distances with ease, discovered a ship of the Republic on the sea.

    Whether it was simply on a whim or it had nned all along, Garuda attacked the transport ship and tookrge amounts of apple boxes with it.

    And among those boxes was the one I was in.

    To think that I didn¡¯t realise anything even when this monster bird attacked the whole ship. The istion abilities of shadow space are really fearsome.

    I flew along with the Garuda in skies of Pandora while in deep sleep.

    And, by chance, the box I was in fell andnded in Fairy Garden, the ce I met Lily.

    ¡°aah, I feel a bit refreshed now¡ª-¡°

    Oops! Now¡¯s not the time to be relieved by solving my doubts.

    We came here for a specific reason. Work, I need to work.

    ¡°Lily, go search there, I¡¯ll search that way.¡±

    ¡°Ye¡«s¡±

    I and Lily were adventurers as a pair.

    At first, we did only the quest of collecting medicinal herbs together, and actually Lily thought that we could make do with just the money received from the sales. But, now she apanied me in every quest and we were now making a living out of adventurer work.

    Although I didn¡¯t want to make Lily take part in the dangerous adventurer life style, that full moon night, the girl-form Lily wanted to be an adventurer along with me and didn¡¯t listen to me at all, so now we worked as a pair.

    Talking with her all night, that was not the only thing we decided upon. The other important decision was ¡ª-

    ¡°Kurono¡«found it¡«¡±

    ¡°ooh, nice Lily!¡±

    Decorated with various shining jewels, Lily held up one shining sword.

    But that treasured sword was also overshadowed in front of the fully dressed up fairy Lily.

    Yes, the other important decision was to make Lily wear clothes.

    It was not because of me that she stayed always naked, it was normal for a fairy after all, but the girl Lily needed them so it became like this.

    The ck one piece that covered her body was a great match with her radiant white skin.

    No, well, I think Lily would look cute in t-shirt and jeans as well though.

    By the way, for adventurers, clothes were meant as an important type protection for the body. But, Lily¡¯s current clothes were simply meant to be cute.

    In the first ce, Lily whose default appearance was being fully nude, possessed an extremely strong defensive shield type Extra magic called [fairy barrier ¨C Oracle Shield]. So unless it was something truly amazing, armour would be a hindrance to her instead.

    By the way, the sphere of light that covered the original fairies during the time I met Lily was Oracle Shield.

    But, even for a beginner adventurer, armour or protective armaments were something they needed to be particr about.

    So, I searched for a suitable item for Lily to wear.

    And the thing that caught my eye was a fabric called [Ancient Velvet] being sold by a certain merchant. The touch and polish, both were splendid and on top of it, it was infused with a strong defensive magic as well. It was really a high-ss magic item.

    Speaking of its cost, it was much higher than all my savings I had diligently umted till now.

    Well, it¡¯s obvious that it was out of reach for a newbie adventurer like me.

    Normally, it was enough to make me give up, but this merchant had some certain circumstances.

    ¡°The treasured sword passed down from generation to generation in our family was stolen away by a garuda!¡±

    That¡¯s what it was.

    The request for recovery was filed in the guild but nobody seemed to ept it. Even private contractors, would not go face a monster that had been ssed at rank 4.

    He wanted to recover it as fast as possible but there was nothing he could do.

    Although I felt bad for the misfortunate merchant, this was a chance for me. If I couldplete the request, I could receive the high ss good Ancient Velvet as reward.

    As a result I epted the request on the condition that there will be no advance payment, no payment for losses, and the reward will be given only when the request ispleted.

    Although he didn¡¯t really believe a rank 1 adventurer like me, but from his point of view he was at zero disadvantage since there was no advance nor need to cover for losses. So he had no reason to refuse me either.

    Thus, I took one my very first private request not affiliated with the guild.

    ¡°Anyway, with this, the request isplete.¡±

    Well, we were attacked along the way here by monsters but thanks to Lily finding it quickly, we were able to finish it without having to face the garuda.

    Uptill now, with the exception of Sariel, the strongest opponent I had faced during the experiments was a [Firedrake ¨C Smander].

    I got my whole body burned as well as had my left arm and stomach torn and eaten but I was somehow able to defeat it in the end. It was a rank 4 monster as well.

    Compared to then, my control over ck magic has gotten much better, and now I also have good equipment, so if I faced it now, although I might take serious injuries, I should be able to defeat it without dying.

    Therefore, a garuda of the same rank 4, even if I ended up fighting it, even in the worst case I should be able to defeat it by relying on Lily¡¯s support.

    But that¡¯s only something I could do. Since, the request does not require me to kill the garuda I¡¯ll avoid confrontation no matter what.

    Above all else, I don¡¯t want Lily to get injured.

    ¡°Now then, before the master of this ce returns¡ª¨C¡°

    We should return. The moment I was about to say that, a shrill cry resounded.

    Outside the cave, in the sky spreading beyond it, a small ck spot appeared.

    As that ck spot came closer this way, it clearly became a bird like silhouette. The whole body was ck, with ornamental feathers sticking on its head and tail, it had a figure that reminded of an eagle.

    But, it was too big for a normal eagle.

    ¡°oh shit.......¡±

    Of course, that giant shadow was the monster bird garuda.

    And this was the garuda¡¯s nest. It even had eggs bigger than Lily here.

    From the garuda¡¯s point of view, we were nothing more than egg stealers.

    ¡°KYOEEEEE!!!¡±

    While releasing terrific anger, the Garuda approached us at ultra high speed.

    Shit! Even though I thought we finished it without any problems.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

    I threw the objective treasured sword inside the shadow space; At least I won¡¯t lose it or drop it now.

    Before the garuda can reach here, I grabbed Lily and threw myself directly in the air from the cave.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you Lily!¡±

    I joined hands with Lily, and I dangled in mid air.

    ¡°eeeeei!!¡±

    Lily released her usual cute shout and at the same time my body felt like it was floating a bit.

    ¡°nn¡«¡«!¡±

    Lily¡¯s shining wings spread out even more than usual.

    She is able to fly even while holding me. Lily¡¯s wings aren¡¯t just for show after all. Aah I can experience flying like this at least once.

    But, Lily who was not a full fairy, doesn¡¯t have the ability to fly all day long, neither can she fly at high speeds.

    ¡°Lily, hang on for just a little bit more!¡±

    ¡°un!¡±

    It was an iplete flying ability, yet Lily persistently kept flying while holding me.

    No, rather flying, it should be called gently falling, but still I can understand her brave efforts.

    The lush green forest below, little by little came closer.

    The cave where the garuda¡¯s nest was, had now be far above us, as we had fallen quite a lot of distance.

    At this height, I should be fine probably¡ª¨C

    ¡°Thanks Lily, it¡¯s fine now.¡±

    ¡°Kurono¡ª¡°

    I released Lily¡¯s hands and started to free fall.

    Lily looked at the falling me with a worried face but I was instead worried about her.

    In the worst case, even if both my arms broke from the fall, if it¡¯s this body, it¡¯ll fix up somehow.

    ¡°But, maybe it was bit too high.....¡±

    In the middle of the few seconds, I felt a bit of regret, and I crashed into the green trees.

    ¡°Ouch¡ª¨C¡°

    While breaking branches one after the other, I fell towards the ground.

    I thought that the fall would be broken a bit by the trees, but is there even any effect?

    In a matter of seconds, a lot useless thoughts go through my head, and I finally crashed to the ground.

    ¡°Guh!!¡±

    Somehow fixing my posture, Ind with my feet. The shock ran through my body to my head.

    ¡°ma, made it somehow......¡±

    My feet sank into the ground a bit though. But that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t feel any abnormality in my feet. I once again thanked my over sturdy body and sprawled down on the ground

    ¡°Kurono¡«¡±

    From the skies an angel, no, Lily¡¯s voice came to me.

    With her wings shining, she leaped onto my chest.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. No problem. Is the Garudaing after us?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    Thank god. Since we didn¡¯ty our hands on the eggs, I figured it won¡¯t chase us if ran away quickly. As expected, it let us go.

    ¡°Alright, since the request has beenpleted, let¡¯s return quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    While holding Lily in my arms, I quickly got up, and left the foot of Gahad mountain range.

    The sky resounded with the garuda¡¯s cry, a howl of a windwolf could be heard far away, and maybe a dortoth is rampaging again somewhere, since the ground is shaking a bit.

    Having be used to such an environment, the 5th month quickly passed away as I settled in my life as an adventurer. The 6th month started and summer hade.

    Today on the 4th day of the month of new sun (Shinyou), exactly 2 months after I had met Lily.

 Chapter 47 Start of Summer

    Chapter 47 Start of Summer

    In the eastern region of the Pandora continent, including Irz Vige, a festival known as the [Festival of Natsugoshi (lit. beyond summer/keeping summer)] on the 30th of the month of new sun (Shinyou).

    The word ¡®Natsugoshi¡¯ might seem like an unfamiliar word, but every Japanese should have heard of ¡®End of the year/New year¡¯s eve¡¯.

    ¡®End of the year¡¯ is a time for doing major cleanups, meant to wash away the impurities and wee the New Year.

    This ¡®Natsugoshi¡¯ was also simr to that. In the same meaning, the vigers start doing major cleanups and then wee the summer.

    Originally, it was meant to maintain hygienic conditions and surroundings by doing major cleanups during the start of summer and end of year.

    Although medicines and pharmaceutics had also developed in this world along with restoration and healing magic, but they are still not on the same level as modern japan in terms of medical facilities. So it was extremely necessary to improve the hygienic conditions through events and also prevent any outbreak of diseases or epidemics.

    Though it possessed such an important and serious objective, in the end, a festival was a festival. Whether it was this world or my original world, it was normal for people to get excited during festivals.

    Finishing the cleanup by the 30th, on that day a festival is held with all the effort of the vigers.

    This was what I heard from Nyarko inside the guild¡¯s lobby as I ate my lunch.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay silent if we¡¯re talking about festivals!¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°I have also enjoyed them every year.¡± (Nyarko)

    My first festival event in the different world! I am of course excited but it seems Nyarko is excited as well.

    In this different world where there are few sources of enjoyment and pleasure, a festival would definitely be one important andrge event.

    ¡°Lily-san alsoes every year. She treats people who get injured.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s unexpectedly mature of her.....¡±

    Just like her age, no wait, just like her outer appearance suggests, I thought she would go around frolicking in high spirits, but to think she would be a part of the management staff.

    That mature Lily was currently in a corner of the lobby ying around with a round fat cat.

    If you y around too much then your valuable Ancient Velvet one piece dress would get covered with fur you know?

    ¡°This year Kurono-san is also there, so this year Lily-san can also be carefree and go around enjoying the stalls.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the two of us can¡ª¨Coh, are you saying that there will be stalls too?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying Kurono-san? If you talk about a festival, then the first thing you think about is the numerous food stalls, isn¡¯t it? Ah, could it be that it wasn¡¯t like that in Kurono-san¡¯s hometown?¡±

    ¡°No, we had them in my hometown as well. Guess they would be selling eatables that can be easily consume while walking right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are a lot of shops selling skewered grilled meat, and sake¡«. During festivals, people loosen their strings on their purses it seems, so it¡¯s easier to make more money. Even though I know this, I still end up buying lots of things after all¡«especially on that mysterious lottery done near the item shop.¡±

    ¡°Ah, old man Kische seems like he would do a lot of things........¡±

    ¡°But, it really is fun to walk around the various stalls even if the feet get sore¡«. This year I am lifting my ban on high spending!¡±

    ¡°It really was fun to but as much as you could from the little pocket money I was given as a kid...¡±

    Well, in my original world, I would have still been officially a child though.

    I went to the literature club, and didn¡¯t have any part time jobs either. But to think that my first ever manualbour would be as an adventurer in a different world, really, no one can tell what life has in store for you.

    ¡°When I was a child I dreamt of conquering over all the types of sweets being sold in the stalls, but this year I¡¯ll make sure to actually realise that dream¡«fufu¡«.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°It might not feel that amazing when you actually do it, you know?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ohe on¡«Don¡¯t say such realistic things now¡«¡±

    Today also, I kept on chatting idly with Nyarko. This will probably continue until Pine-sanes, I guess.

    Although Nyarko doesn¡¯t stop no matter what, but I guess I¡¯m also the same since I never stop her either. Maybe what Nino said about me interfering in her job might be actually true.

    ¡°But still, doesn¡¯t it feel like summer has already started before the festival? It¡¯s be much hotter in the past few days.¡±(Kurono)

    Probably, Irz vige is on a lowertitude than Japan. I can already expect that the days would be extremely hot for a long timeter on.

    Will I be fine wearing my favourite [Demon¡¯s embrace] under that scorching sun?

    ¡°Yes that is so..makes you want to drink something cold, right?¡±(nyarko)

    In this world ruled by magic, ice isn¡¯t something high priced.

    Even a rank 1 magician can create a lot of ice. If I used Aten¡¯s Ice Armour Shield, just how much shaved ice could be made out of that?

    ¡°Yeah, I really want to eat shaved ice, also ice creams¡ª¡°(kurono)

    As I remembered about such captivating ice items,

    ¡°What¡¯s shaved ice or ice cream?¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°Eh, you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Never heard of it. Is it a food from Kurono-san¡¯s hometown?¡±

    The Irz vige had all sorts of eatables except junk food, so I thought they would have had ice cream. But, I see, in this world, at least near this vige, Ice cream hasn¡¯t been created yet.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a pretty much staple item to be eaten during summers. But, alright, if you don¡¯t have ice cream, then no choice but to create some!¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ooh, a local dish from Kurono-san¡¯s hometown!? This should be exciting!¡±

    Well, I wonder if it¡¯s fine to call shaved ice or ice cream a local dish.......

    ¡°Alright, tomorrow also looks like it¡¯ll be hot as well, so I won¡¯t take any quests today and try making some.¡±

 Chapter 48 Popsicle

    Chapter 48 ¨C Popsicle

    I who was thinking of making ice-cream, in particr popsicles, began collecting materials at once.

    ¡°Wee, did you finally run out of potions Kurono?¡±

    ¡°Regrettably I¡¯ve only used one so far.¡±

    I¡¯vee to the adventurer¡¯s purveyor, the Irz vige item shop.

    Now that I have be a regr customer over here, we don¡¯t talk to each other using honorifics.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for wooden sticks.¡±

    The thing I¡¯m searching here is definitely not the raw materials for ice-cream but the t stick which will be the handle of the popsicle.

    ¡°A wooden stick, then how about this white wooden stake? When stabbed into their heart, the vampire race who takes pride in their immortality will be killed with a single blow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t make my request clear, I¡¯m not here to buy a weapon today.¡±

    Putting aside the foolish imaginations of a delicious frozen treat that can also be used to murder vampires, I exin the circumstances and what I¡¯m looking for.

    ¡°Well the most suitable thing I have is grilled chicken skewers.¡± [TN: yakitori]

    ¡°That will do.¡±

    In addition, I purchase a container to act as a mold when I solidify the ice. After promising to give him the popsicle if it turns out good, I leave the item shop.

    After purchasing the ingredients which will be the raw materials for popsicle, I leave the Irz vige and return back home.

    After returning home I start making popsicles with Lily, or rather, without Lily making popsicles would not be possible.

    ¡°Now that it hase to this, let¡¯s make popsicles.¡±

    ¡°Popsickle?¡±

    Lily nky tilts her heads in confusion, it¡¯s a normal reaction as she doesn¡¯t know the existence of ice-cream.

    ¡°It is a dessert from my hometown which is cold, sweet, and delicious... at least when it is made sessfully.¡±

    I haven¡¯t made popsicles since childhood.

    But this time the materials and ingredients I have are different from modern Japan. If I fail then in the worst case I¡¯ll end up with juice.

    I¡¯m a little anxious while I start making it but there is not a lot of work.

    I smash an orange and grapes (which are genuinely like those on Earth unlike the false apple) which I bought to remove the juice. To each I add sugar and water to make an undiluted solution (it can almost be said to be juice).

    I¡¯m lucky that white sugar is circting in this another world due to luck. Looking from the history, the making of sweets started when modern era started, after all the sweet items are luxury items.

    However, here spices and salt are also avable, so getting sugar was rtively easy. It seems like there will be no problems in making other sweets too.

    In any case, I pour the undiluted solutions into the metal molds and add the skewer sticks to let it cool down.

    As for the most important task, I ask Lily.

    ¡°Okay Lily, please freeze this with a little bit of ice magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Without knowing how it will help, Lily uses her freezing magic.

    For this thing, my ck magic is totally useless.

    My ck color magic consists of materialization of substances, adding enchantments, and making dimensional spaces for now. I cannot use themon color magic elements like Ice or Fire, or rather, there is no color magic inside my body, so it is impossible for me to learn it.

    Therefore, I asked Lily who can use color magic to some extent other than her inherent magic Extra.

    Simr to when Lily boils tea, a chill gushes out in the same way she breathes fire.

    ¡°Fuuu! Fuuu!¡±

    The effect of the magic is powerful, in an instant the juice solution is frozen solid from Lily¡¯s hard work.

    To eat the ice candies right from the shell, just freezing it slowly won¡¯t work. The freezing ingredient (a three to one ratio by weight of ice to salt) is used to freeze it in a few minutes.

    But I can instantly freeze things without such a thing if I use magic.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough now Lily.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I stop Lily¡¯s ice magic and reach out a hand to one of the containers.

    While taking into consideration, if pulling it forcibly, it would uproot the skewer, I form an de near the sides of the container using the ck magic.

    In front of the de sticking out of the wall of rock of the container, the hardness of popsicle is as same as non-existent. I lighty open up the lid of the container.

    And then, I smoothly pull the popsicle out of it.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    While receiving the gaze of curious Lily, I face the popsicle with seriousness that I¡¯ve never shown.

    As expected, there are no vouring or coloring agents in it like the goods in the market, there is not much color in the popsicle and of course there is no scent.

    But the taste should not be bad, while believing in that I put the popsicle inside my mouth.

    The taste of the orange¡¯s sourness and the sugar¡¯s sweetness spreads inside the mouth along with the feeling of ice cubes crunching.

    Yeah, this is without a doubt an orange voured popsicle!

    ¡°Yay, I made it just fine! Here, Lily you also eat it.¡±

    I take out the popsicle using the same trick as before, and hand it to Lily.

    She takes the popsicle while full of anticipation, and without hesitation bites into it.

    ¡°Chomp Chomp¡ª¨C!¡±

    ¡°How is it, is it tasty?¡±

    ¡°Tasty!?¡±

    Seeing Lily eating it like crazy, I can get the idea of how tasty it is.

    Even in another world, the kids love popsicles, as expected.

    ¡°Well, will you also eat the grape voured one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    In this way, I remember about the nostalgic feeling of Japan, Lily also ate the frozen dessert while being happy, and so Ipleted the making of popsicles.

    The next day, I came to guild for a midday meal today like yesterday.

    ¡°Oh, Nyarko-san, I made the ice-cream I mentioned yesterday, will you taste it?¡±

    I hand over my best made popsicle to Nyarko, who came to me as always.

    Besides me is Lily who has be a prisoner of the popsicle and is eating a grape voured one with relish.

    ¡°You really made it! Is it the one that Lily-san is eating?¡±

    Seeing Lily who is eating it with relish, Nyarko¡¯s eyes shine with anticipation.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a popsicle made by freezing fruit juice¨D¨Dlet¡¯s skip over the tedious talks, try eating it. Ah, orange or grape, which one would you like?¡±

    Then with orange, Nyarko answers. I take out the container stored inside the shadow space and hand over the popsicle to her.

    WIth the same movements as Lily from yesterday, Nyarko bites into the popsicle.

    ¡°Chomp! Chomp!?¡±

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°Thi, this is¨D¨D¡±

    Nyarko eyes open wide in surprise, it seems like an lighting effect could appear behind her.

    ¡°What is this©`! *Licking*¡±

    Nyarko licks it wholeheartedly, as if licking a soft cream, and it is finished off very fast in front of my eyes.

    Now that I think about it, the cat¡¯s tongue is rough as it is made for ripping off the meat sticking to bones and Nyarko who is a cat beastman might also have it, but still, will the popsicle be shaved off just by licking it?

    While thinking about these trivial thoughts, the popsicle disappears.

    ¡°So was it good?¡±

    ¡°Can I get the grape voured one too?¡±

    I hand over the grape voured popsicle without speaking a word to Nyarko who has the eyes of a predator looking at its prey.

    ¡°Thank you very much¨D¨D *Licking*¡±

    But well, from the looks of it it looks I don¡¯t even need to ask about its taste.

    ¡°This popsicle thing is really great! It¡¯s my first time eating such a tasty thing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it tastes even better when eaten on hot days.¡±

    ¡°That might be right! This is a great invention Kurono-san!¡±

    ¡°Though it¡¯s not me who created it.¡±

    ¡°No, no. this is an item which can bring a revolution in the food industry of Irz vige. If put for sale, this will be really popr, no objections asked!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Is that so, it will be a hot summer after all¨D¨D¡±

    Somehow, it feels like it¡¯ll be more peaceful if I sell popsicle with Lilly, rather than doing dangerous adventurer work.

    No, I must at all costs find a device, altar, or magic circle inside a dungeon to go back to my own world.

    It¡¯s not the time to think about selling ice cream all the time.

    ¡°It is easy to make it, if I told it someone they might start selling it.¡±

    Naturally, I¡¯m not so good of a person to tell it for free. Though it is not a franchise, but let¡¯s try selling it out to merchant guild at price equivalent to it.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono-san you have a bad face right now.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha, If I make a profit, I will let you eat as many popsicles as you want.¡±

    ¡°Really! It is a promise then!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but if you eat too much it¡¯ll ruin your stomach, so keep it in control.¡±

    For proving that popsicle is an innovative sweet, I thought to let other people try it as samples.

    At the right moment the members of Irz-der came inside the guild. First of all, let¡¯s make you guys the prisoners of popsicle.

    ¡°Oi Kurono! You gave something to Nyarko just now, right! Trying to win her through presents huh, you bastard!¡±

    Before I can call out to them, as usual the personal knight of Nyarko, Ninoes rushing forward. [TN: Real trantion would not sound cool. So i modified it a little. Though the meaning is not changed at all.]

    ¡°Calm down, I will also give it to you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here! In the first ce, you after all are eating midday meals here with Nyarko everyday, what do you want!¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask me what I want... Anyways, how about you invite her for midday meals and dinner if you don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°Du, du, dumbass, I can¡¯t do something so darin¨D¨D¡±

    I don¡¯t understand whether Nino is just pure or just ipetent. If you like her that much keep on attacking/approaching her.

    Well, I can¡¯t say something so grand, as I have no experience in approaching any girl I like.

    ¡°An, and if i get refused......, I might never be able to cope up with it......¡±

    This guy¡¯s lost it, Ipetent alert!

    ¡°So what is it you will give us Kurono?¡±

    Ignoring the already dead leader, Aten steps forward to me.

    ¡°Aa, I made a sweet from my hometown called a popsicle, so I thought of letting everybody eat it.¡±

    ¡°Popsicle? Never heard of it, but making sweets, Kurono you surprisingly have a girly hobby.¡±

    ¡°When it¡¯s hot everyone yearns for it, well you¡¯ll understand it once you eat it.¡±

    ¡°Ho~, pretty confident aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Lily, Vige Head, Nyarko, all three praised it saying it¡¯s tasty.¡±

    I presented it to Vige Head beforeing to the guild, when I went for my daily routine of reading there.

    ¡°For the time being, try to eat it, the vors are¨D¨D¡±

    I distributed the popsicles of the vour the guys wanted.

    Everyone eats it together, the impressions are, well the same as till now¨D¨D

    ¡°¡±Tasty!!¡±¡±

    And then, Aten also asks for the other popsicle vor like Nyarko.

    Even in the real world, It is this time of day one yearns for eating an ice cream.

 Chapter 49 The Hungry Witch

    Chapter 49 The Hungry Witch

    That day, after distributing popsicles to many vigers, I made my way back to home. Of course, I didn¡¯t take any quests like yesterday.

    Well it¡¯s not like I have to do quests everyday for my livelihood, one way or another it will be okay.

    I give Lily a piggyback. While thinking how to sell the popsicle recipe to the merchant guild, I advance on the highway.

    I¡¯ve also gotten way more familiar with this highway having a dark background during the time the sun sets.

    Normally, peddlers pass by this highway sometimes, but today I discovered a person that I have never seen.

    That person was lying on her back without moving a twitch......It was a witch.

    ¡°No matter how I look at her......she¡¯s a witch right?¡±

    She has a three-cornered hat covering her face, which I¡¯ve only seen in picture books.

    She is wearing a simr jet ck robe like me, but near the bottom of her neck it is decorated with feathers. I can tell that it is an superior-ss quality item.

    Her weapon the long cane staff is leaning on her.

    The more I look at her, the more of a perfect witch vibe she gives. It feels like I¡¯ve just slipped into a fairy-tale world.

    Well, this is a different world, so it might not be a peculiar thing here, but more importantly,

    ¡°......What should I do in this situation?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    I don¡¯t know how to deal with such a delicate situation, Lily also looks puzzled.

    It seems like she¡¯s asleep, but this is not the ce to take an afternoon nap (It¡¯s already evening though!).

    However, if it¡¯s an sudden illness only I can save her right now. There is almost never a person crossing the bridge at night.

    Even so, she doesn¡¯t look like a person sick from illness.

    Let¡¯s assess the situation, maybe a witch sleeping at evening on the highway might be natural in this other world, right? It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know about it, right?

    No matter how much I rack my brain, I can¡¯t think of a single reason why this witch is sleeping on the highway.

    Should I call out to her? Or shall I ignore her?

    After various simtions, the moment I thought of calling out to the witch,

    ¡°¨D¨DThat person over there, you¡¯re carrying something tasty, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The witch suddenly speaks out, and what¡¯s more, very rude words for someone she¡¯s meeting for first time.

    ¡°So, you were awake after all?¡±

    At the Witch¡¯s abrupt statement, the beaten down me reflexively forget my polite speech and speak in the normal tone.

    ¡°Right now I¡¯m very hungry, I want to eat something tasty.¡±

    The witch takes off the three cornered hat that was her on her face and sluggishly puts in on her head.

    And her hidden face is revealed.

    Her expression is terribly sleepy with eyes half-opened, but still it¡¯s so cute that one could take her for a noble person just by judging her face.

    Her skin is white, has bluish short hair, and golden eyes, though the colouring pattern is different she is definitely human.

    The magical power sometimes affects the appearance of the user. The colors that are impossible to be found in my previous world are not particrly unusual in this world.

    Now that I think about it, she said ¡°I want to eat something tasty¡± in a clear tone, so she¡¯s not sleepy, contradictory to her appearance.

    ¡°Ah I want to eat delicious things. Ah, I wanna eat~¡±

    ¡°I got it, I will give you something to eat, so listen to me.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thank you.¡±

    There is not not much change in her expression. But I did notice a slight happy expression swelling up from her.

    My sister was a thoroughly expressionless person. Thus I have developed a skill to read through an expressionless person and I¡¯m quite confident about it.

    There are those expressionless types which have a wealth of hidden feelings and there are those like my sister who is the type whose feelings are all neutral.

    Looks like she is the former type, I instinctively thought.

    ¡°Ah, sweet things if possible please.¡±

    ¡°......Got it.¡±

    In addition, looks like she a person who goes at her own pace.

    ¡®I got stuck with a pain in the ass type of person¡¯ while thinking that, I take out popsicle from the shadow.

    ¡°aiskyandi!¡± (Lily) [TN: Lily speaks in hiragana, so it¡¯s not really the word for popsicle.]

    ¡°You¡¯ve already ate three of them, now wait till tomorrow.¡±

    It¡¯s not good to pamper Lily too much, thus I forged my heart into stone and decided to give her just three popsicles per day at most.

    That¡¯s why I will not give it to you even if you make a face like you¡¯re dying for it.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°It called a popsicle, it¡¯s made from freezing fruit juice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing it, thanks for the unusual thing.¡±

    The witch¡¯s eyesight is already pinned on the popsicle, though her face is expressionless her eyes are like of a predator looking at its prey. [ET: Nyarko¡¯s disciple?]

    I shake my hand right and left, and the witch¡¯s face chases after it while swinging her head.

    ¡°......Meanie?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, unintentionally.¡±

    She was looking at popsicle so seriously that I unintentionally yed with her.

    While trying really hard not tough, I hand over the popsicle to the witch.

    ¡°Chomp Chomp¨D¨D!?¡±

    ¡°Is it tasty?¡±

    ¡°¨D¨DIt¡¯s ridiculously tasty.¡±

    The popsicle vanishes almost instantly in her mouth. Even among the vigers who ate it today she the fastest of them all.

    ¡°You had a sweet and delicious thing after all, just like I thought.¡±

    ¡°What is that, witch¡¯s intuition?¡±

    From the popsicle container that is inside the shadow space, no smell should leak out, and of course no one should be able to see it.

    ¡°I can somehow know that you¡¯re hiding tasty something even if it¡¯s in the shadow space.¡±

    ¡°......Really?¡±

    ¡°I just know, but it¡¯s only that much.¡±

    Do witches just somehow know that sort of thing? I always thought the concealment nature of the shadow was perfect, or is there a skill present in this world to see through such things.

    By chance, is she a great witch? Or is she just a roadside glutton with tremendous talent?

    I have many things to ask about, but first of all,

    ¡°Why are you sleeping in this ce?¡±

    Unless I ask this, the talk won¡¯t go anywhere.

    ¡°Because I was hungry.¡±

    ¡°Did you copse?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Despite in the situation where her life is in danger slightly, she still nonchntly answers.

    ¡°Then you should eat something that fills up your stomach, not just a popsicle.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like anything other than sweet things.¡±

    ¡°This is not the time to be picky, walk a little and buy something in the Irz vige up front. Do you even have money?¡±

    ¡°I have gold ¨D¨D see here.¡±

    Saying that, she puts her hand inside the hat and takes out arge-sized golden coin.

    On one side is a portrait on a woman and on the other side is a never before seen magic circle drawn near the border of coin.

    It might have been used for a long time as currency. The sides are chipped off a little.

    But even those ces which are chipped off are showing the luster of gold, looks like it¡¯s not ted with gold but rather made from gold itself.

    I can¡¯t tell it¡¯s exact value without weighing it, but it easily surpasses the value of a normal 1 gold coin.

    Ah wait, it¡¯s already surprising about the big gold coin but she took it out of her hat, most likely she¡¯s using a simr sort of magic as my shadow magic.

    If she learnt it through the proper way unlike me, then among adventurers her rank even in the lowest would be 3.

    She doesn¡¯t seem like the person she appears to be.

    ¡°If you have such a good gold coin, you can buy anything.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? The with this gold coin, let me buy those popsicles from just now.¡±

    ¡°Too bad, the previous one was thest. and hey! Didn¡¯t I say to go and buy something that will fill your stomach?¡±

    ¡°I only like sweet things.¡±

    I heard it before!

    Hey is thisss normally this unenergetic?

    ¡°Can you walk to Irz Vige? It will take 1 hour at most to reach there from here.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that much then It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°I see, well it looks like you¡¯re a traveller witch too.¡±

    There are many travellers in this world like adventurers, merchants and troubadours.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now that you have given me something delicious. Are you also a traveller?¡±

    ¡°No, I am¨D¨D ah, I have not yet told you my name, I am Kurono, and this is-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lily.¡±

    ¡°Are you both adventurers?¡±

    In order to easily tell her, I show her my guild card.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°It is a guild card, do you not know?¡±

    ¡°I saw the guild card from here for the first time¡±

    ¡®From here¡¯ you say, is she from a different country?

    No wait, if I remember correctly this guild card ismon through the whole Pandora continent.

    In that case, she might havee from the western great desert or maybe from a very remote region.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to register as an adventurer if you¡¯re confident in your magic? When your travelling funds run out you can earn them soon enough through it.¡±

    However, if she has a lot of those big gold coins it¡¯s a story of years from now for them to be exhausted.

    ¡°I am also thinking of bing an adventurer soon. I thought to register when I reach the city of Spada.¡±

    Spada is from what I know, the city state in the middle of continent adjacent to Daedalus¡¯s territory. [TN: Daidalos from now is changed to Daedalus.]

    I¡¯ve never been there, but it is pretty famous even among the numerous city-states in the Pandora continent.. Even a countryside adventurer like me knows about it after all.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have that guild card, so let me show you mine¨D¨D¡±

    Saying so she once again rummages in her hat and takes out the card.

    That waspletely different from my metal te guild card seeming like a dog tag, it was a real card seeming like a trading card made of cardboard.

    The characters written on it are this world¡¯s peculiar alphabet.

    ¡ºFiona Soleil¡»

    Looks like this is her name.

    The fact that she has a surname means that she is a noble having special circumstances to havee here.

    Well it¡¯s the courtesy of an adventurer to not pry in that area, I should ignore it.

    Her ss is also magician, the rank is also written but it¡¯s different from this guild¡¯s splitting method, so I don¡¯t know her rank exactly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re an adventurer you can live anywhere, but try to refrain from falling on the street to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also think if I have my stomach full all the time I will be happy.¡±

    No, that¡¯s not the damn problem here......well whatever.

    ¡°Well then, we are going out of here, Fiona-san you should also go to vige before it gets dark.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s meet again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if an opportunity arises.¡±

    And then, I bid farewell to Fiona-san and once again start my way back.

    But why do the vigers and Fiona-san also pronounce the popsicle as ¡°eye scan ¡®de¡¯¡± [TN: popsicle is said as ice candy in japanese so they are speaking it as eye scan ¡®de¡¯]

 Chapter 50 Media Ruins

    Chapter 50 Media Ruins

    Currently I¡¯m sitting in the guild lobby, staring at a certain request.

    As I was pondering, once again today, Lily was ying with that fat cat in the corner of the room happily.

    ¡°You seem to be in deep thought Kurono-san.¡±

    As I turned to look back, the brains of the Irz der, Harry was standing there. Since he didn¡¯t have his bow with him, he probably came to either see some quests or to have lunch.

    The other members might have gone to the item shop or cksmith for other preparations probably.

    ¡°Yeah, this quest caught my eye so I¡¯m thinking whether to take it or not.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°¡ª¨CInvestigation of the new area in Media ruins, is it?¡±(harry)

    Sitting opposite of me, Harry read through the document.

    ¡°I did hear about a new area that had been discovered aroundst month.¡±(harry)

    There¡¯s barely anything left of the Media ruins above the earth except a cliff, but its true worth lies underneath it, in the underground centre.

    The underground centre was not made by using a cave or cavity but a geofront made through the sole work people.

    In this different world, an ancient civilisation that possessed super technology once existed.

    The current Pandora continent does not have the capabilities to create such a geofront, but it did exist in the ancient times. By the way, this ancient civilisation wasn¡¯t an advanced one in the science field like making flying cars etc. but was advanced in the field of magic.

    And thus, only in the ruins of such a magically advanced civilisation will I find a magic big enough to send me back to my home.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Kurono-san was searching for ancient transfer and summoning magics, right?¡±(harry)

    ¡°Yeah, I was thinking maybe I could find my objective there.¡±(kurono)

    Such items haven¡¯t been discovered in the Media ruins yet, but, nobody knows what¡¯s there in the unexplored new area, so the probability isn¡¯t zero.

    ¡°Then, isn¡¯t it fine to ept this?¡±

    ¡°That may be so but, the fact that even rank 1 adventurers are allowed is kind of bugging me.¡±

    The danger rank of Media ruins is rank 4. The highest dungeon I have ever entered is at rank 4.

    Although, if I am together with Lily, then we could even defeat a smander so danger level is not really a problem, but.........

    ¡°Well, it certainly is suspicious.¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Right?¡±(kurono)

    It¡¯s a rank 4 dungeon, and an unexplored area to top it off (Though, it has been 1 month since it was discovered so I¡¯m not going to be the first one.), so the danger would be even higher. Normally speaking, even a luggage carrier would have to be at least rank 2. But instead, they are basically saying anyone is fine, so it feels a bit unnatural.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved in troublesome things after all.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°ahaha, Kurono-san is unexpectedly a cautious person.¡±(harry)

    ¡°What do you mean by unexpected? Do you really see me as an idiot?¡±

    I¡¯m still a magician you know! Shouldn¡¯t that give me a naturally intelligent image?

    ¡°At the very least, you don¡¯t seem like an actual magician. After all Kurono-san, you have a pretty big and sturdy body. People with body like yours would usually be a swordsman or warrior.¡±(harry)

    As I looked around, I see lots of well built warriors drinking tea with other adventurers wildly.

    ¡°Even though, I¡¯m not really training my body specially either.¡±( kurono)

    In fact I¡¯m working hard in studying magic.

    ¡°But, looks really do matter, yeah.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°No need toment so much about it, hey, at least you won¡¯t be made fun of with that aggressive face of yours.¡±(harry)

    ¡°Nah, I would¡¯ve preferred to be slender like Harry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a harpy so this the standard type of body though.¡±

    Maybe because they are meant to fly, Harpies usually have slender bodies.

    Compared to humans, they certainly have less muscle and fat. Differences in races can be seen in other things other than outer appearance as well it seems.

    Incidentally, Harry¡¯s magic speciality is wind magic. With the assist of wind magic, Harry¡¯s bow can rapid fire and strengthen arrows.

    ¡°Returning back to the topic, what do you think about this quest?¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°Hm, I think it would be fine if it¡¯s Kurono-san. And if Lily-san is also together, then there¡¯s no fear of getting tricked either.¡±(harry)

    Apparently Fairies don¡¯t associate with a bad person. That¡¯s not just a legend but actually somewhat true. They are able to read the opponents heart and feelings and can also use telepathy, so they can see through a person by meeting just once.

    ¡°I guess. In the worst case, if the client runs away, the guild will deal with it so I¡¯ll get the reward at least.¡±

    Even if a dangerous monster appeared, I¡¯ll be able to run away at least. Although, I¡¯ll be helpless if something like a cave-in urred. But over thinking is not a trait of an adventurer.

    Holding a little hope, I decided to ept the quest.

    ¡°Ah, but Kurono-san, you have to worry not just about the quest.¡±

    ¡°Nn?¡±

    ¡°Do you know about the location of Media ruins?¡±

    ¡°Although it¡¯s my first time actually going there but¡ª-¡°

    ording to the map, it¡¯s quite near the capital Daedalus.

    ¡°About that, it seems,ing and going out of Daedalus is being restricted now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details but, the human army from the Arc continent is currently fighting with them.¡±

    ¡°What? Weren¡¯t they blockaded inside Virginia?¡±

    ¡°That was how it was supposed to be but, I wonder what happened?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that the situation has changed?¡±

    ¡°Yes apparently. The elites of the army have been practising and the dragon king is also the there. To fight against a dragon they must have brought something of equal strength to a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Dragon........¡±

    My strength is a bit more than a rank 4 smander. If it is a dragon that could be a king, it would be atleast rank 5, that too among the strongest even in that rank.

    Although I don¡¯t know exactly how strong that is, but maybe at least 100 of me would be needed to face something like that.

    ¡°Probably, they are undergoing some negotiations is the general rumour.¡±(Harry)

    Negotiations can be done only among those of equal stature.

    If the rumour is correct, then does that mean that the human army possesses the same level of strength as Daedalus army?

    Did they put the military strength in their own nation at lower priority? No if that was the case, then it would have ended when they attacked half-year ago.

    That means, in that half year, there was a change in the situation of Virginia or of Daedalus.

    What kind of change was it? I won¡¯t be able to understand considering it hasn¡¯t been long since I myself came here.

    ¡°Anyway, the atmosphere around Daedalus isn¡¯t very good right now. Although I don¡¯t know what exactly is happening, but you should be cautious of this more than the quest.¡±(harry)

    ¡°I see, Thanks for the warning. If I learn something on the way, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    Having decided to ept the quest, I made my preparations during rest of the day, and left the Irz vige the next day.

    ¡°¡ª¨CYes, well then, please work hard Kurono-san.¡±

    Having epted the quest officially, Nyarko who was standing behind the counter, epted the certificate.

    When you ept a quest of a far awaynd, such a certificate is issued.

    Something like this is a first time for me, but since I¡¯ll put the certificate in the shadow space anyway, it doesn¡¯t really matter much.

    ¡°But Media ruins are pretty far away¡«You won¡¯t be returning to the vige for quite a while, right?¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°Yeah, if I¡¯m unlucky, I might not return until next month.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Please be back by the festival!¡±

    ¡°n, yeah, I want to take part in the festival as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! We are aiming to finish theplete menu of all the stalls after all!¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to sponge off me?¡±

    ¡°How rude! I¡¯m a woman that can totally pay half the bill! But if you treat me a few times you will raise your favourable impression, don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    What will I do after raising something like that? Will she be able to y ¡®hand¡¯ with me?(T/N: I couldn¡¯t exin this better but Kurono is basically joking about how owners teach their pets to raise their hands and shake with them. Those who own dogs or cats should understand better.)

    ¡°If this quest goes well, I¡¯ll treat you to drink one time.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°As expected of Kurono-san! It¡¯s a promise alright!¡±

    ¡°Only if it goes well, alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Kurono-san can do investigations quests easily!¡±

    ¡°I hope so. Now then, I¡¯ll go now since Lily is waiting for me as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, take care Kurono-san.¡±

    Once again with Nyarko¡¯s energetic voice behind me, I leave the guild.

    As I opened the door, the members of Irz der wereing here.

    ¡°Leaving for the quest, Kurono?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, to Media ruins.¡±

    ¡°This time it¡¯s to an unusually faraway ce, did something happen?¡±

    If it¡¯s a good quest then tell me, implied Nino with his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a personal search. On top of it, the quest itself seems suspicious. If I didn¡¯t have my own reasons I would have ignored it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then be careful. Will you be able toe back by the festival?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the n. I ended up promising Nyarko to treat her once as well after all.¡±

    ¡°I see¡ª¨Cwait a second, that means you¡¯ll be together with Nyarko during the festival!?¡±

    ¡°Ah........sorry.¡±

    I realized it now. Crap, it¡¯s as if I stole a march on Nino and invited her.

    ¡°You IDIOT!!!¡±

    Nino, who had started crying, threw his cat punch which I decided to take head on.

    ¡°Sorry, about Nyarko, well, try to invite her yourself with all you have got.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°You just made it even more difficult!¡±

    ¡°If she refuses, then I¡¯ll help you on that day somehow.¡±

    ¡°.....really?¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    We shake hands. I¡¯m still rooting for your love you know.

    ¡°haah, as usual he bes pathetic when ites to Nyarko. Well leaving that ipetent aside, Kurono treat me to something too¡«¡±(aten)

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me an ipetent, Aten.¡±(nino)

    ¡°Kurono please¡«¡±(aten)

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!!¡±(nino)

    Aten pushes Nino away with her staff and looks at me with upturned eyes. Those eyes seem quite serious.

    ¡°.....just once, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s a promise alright!¡±

    She gives a wide smile. But I can¡¯t get fooled, Aten is definitely looking for the costliest sake in the vige in her mind right now.

    Maybe I was rash........

    ¡°Kurono-san, you¡¯re going on that quest, right?¡±(harry)

    ¡°Hm, yeah.¡±

    Different from the ipetent leader and the money-minded woman, Harry asks with a serious face.

    ¡°Media ruins are filled with high ranked monsters not found near here. Be careful.¡±(ydor)

    ydor advised with a serious face.

    Probably because these 2 are both serious type, Nino and Aten are usually like this other than during battles. Maybe this is also a kind of bnce.........probably. Right, let¡¯s leave it at that.

    ¡°Well then, see ya.¡±

    ¡°Ou, work hard!¡±

    ¡°Kurono! Don¡¯t forget the promise!¡±

    ¡°Yes yes.¡±

    Waving my hand without looking back, I walked towards the vige gate where Lily was waiting for me.

 Chapter 51 Dead End

    Chapter 51 Dead End

    The territory of Daedalus begins from the eastern coastline of the continent and extends westwards till the Gahad mountain range.

    On the map of the Pandora continent, the Gahad mountain range is ced slightly east of the centre of the continent. It extends towards the north and south in the form of an arc. A little further east from the centre of the mountains is our Irz Vige.

    Irz vige is located on the western region inside the territory, and Daedalus is on the extreme eastern side. To go there, it will take about 1 week even with my legs.

    And the destination this time, the Medea ruins, are located near that Daedalus. Travelling long distances is certainly difficult, but this is also something an adventurer cannot avoid. It¡¯s a good thing I have body that won¡¯t get tired even after walking continuously for 3 days and nights.

    Adventurers that explore in the Medea ruins use a vige known as Riol as the base camp, so I¡¯m also aiming to go there.

    Riol is also one of the viges located west of Daedalus.

    Daedalus is the starting point of the five major highways. Among them, the biggest is the one leading to the port town in the south east (Virginia is located north-east), and the north-west one that goes through the Gahad mountain range and leads to the city-state of Spada.

    The former is to connect Daedalus to the port town flourishing with maritime trade andmerce, and thetter is made wide for the army to march through easily.

    It was made wider to act as a route for the army when they eventually start a campaign in the centre of the continent, but the campaign hasn¡¯t started yet, so it is currently being used by big carriages to travel between viges.

    But the route I¡¯m currently taking is the much smaller south-west highway. The neighbouring vige of Kuar acts as key point of transport as both the north-west and south west highways connect there.

    The road between Irz-Kuar is a part of the north-west highway but it¡¯s the south-west highway that is directly connected to Riol vige.

    To enter the south-west highway from Irz, it was necessary to go to the adjoining Kuar vige. It was a bit of a detour, butparing the two highways, the south-west highway was a shorter route to Riol.

    If I had a big carriage then I might have taken the north-west path, but all my items were inside my shadow space, and the only thing in my hands was the sleeping Lily, so it was obvious that I would chose the shortest one.

    And so, without facing any problems, as I continued down the highway, I reached thest vige before Riol. The name of the vige was Enkul. It was a small peaceful vige simr to Irz. Here I face an unexpected problem.

    ¡°Dead end? What do you mean by that?¡±

    There was no problem in entering the Enkul vige itself but the other gate leading to Riol was sealed shut. I had heard from Harry that entry and exit had been restricted but to think it had beenpletely stopped.

    ¡°There had been an order to seal all pathways leading to Daedalus. Even we don¡¯t know when the release order wille.¡±

    The gatekeeper told me.

    He was an Orc dressed in ck full armour. He had a face that would scare the shit out of anyone if someone sees him walking at night but he told me the situation quite politely surprisingly.

    By the way I am not talking politely because I¡¯m scared or anything, I made it a rule to talk like this with anyone when meeting them for the first time.

    ¡°Currently, Daedalus is in negotiations with the humans of Arc continent but its details arepletely unknown.¡±(orc)

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s true that Daedalus is currently negotiating with humans?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yeah, no doubt about it. Before the blockading order came, both armies battled it out on the Goldran hill. They are currently talking about post-war treatments probably.¡±

    ¡°Was it such arge scale battle?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what those humans were like but, the Daedalus army had the Dragon king leading 20,000 men after all. That and the oue of the battle, who won or lost, is still unclear means that the humans must have at least arge army of 100,000.¡±

    ¡°The oue is unclear........Daedalus army didn¡¯t win?¡±

    ¡°Yes, although I didn¡¯t hear that they lost either. It must have been close enough to be called a draw, that¡¯s why it has be so troublesome now.¡±

    Then that means that the higher ups of Daedalus decided not to dere anything to the public until the negotiations with humans are fully settled because the result of the war wasn¡¯t very good.

    It¡¯s not impossible. After all, the Daedalus army that has been making light of the human army was made to face a draw, so they can¡¯t just dere that to the public so easily either.

    At least, the Orc gatekeeper and other vigers are of the same opinion.

    But, for a moment, the worst situation possible situation came into my mind.

    Could it be that the Daedalus army actually lost to them?

    ¡°You were going to the Medea Ruins right? Too bad but this also part of my job so I can¡¯t allow you to go any further. Shouldn¡¯t it be better to just abandon the quest and return back to your vige?¡±(orc)

    ¡°.......I guess so. It¡¯s a pity but I¡¯ll go back.¡±(kurono)

    As I looked for the Enkul vige guild, I moved away from the gate.

    Right now, I should just listen to the gate keeper and finish the formalities to abandon the quest.

    ¡°Kurono......¡±

    Maybe because she read the anxiety in my heart or maybe it was shown on my face, Lily looked at me worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Is what I want to say but I just can¡¯t help but get this bad feeling¡ª-¡°(kurono)

    The Daedalus army tied with the Human army and this information has not yet been made official was the opinion of every vige surrounding Daedalus including Enkul.

    Well they were right in thinking that the government had decided not to dere the oue of the war, but they werepletely wrong about the details of that oue.

    Daedalus army had not tied with the Human army but had beenpletely defeated by them. Moreover, the dragon king Gaevinal had been killed as well.

    Also, it was rumoured that they were in negotiations with the Human army but in fact Daedalus had already beenpletely upied by the Crusaders that won on the Goldran hill.

    Well then why did the human army, even after killing the dragon king and upying Daedalus, had decided to seal all routes and information?

    There are a few reasons.

    Firstly, the representative of the victor Crusaders, Archbishop Liuchrome had demanded this from the Daedalus side. After the battle of Goldran, the Crusaders had just enough numbers to upy Daedalus. He didn¡¯t want this information aboutck of forces to leak outside.

    In case, they announced the upation of Daedalus grandly then other units of the army located throught the territory or the armies of other city-states might invade Daedalus.

    The remnants of Daedalus army might try to take revenge for the death of their dragon king and charge with the resolve to die an honourable death, and other city-states might see this as a chance to expand their territory by capturing Daedalus that was in the middle of chaos.

    If the info about theck of forces in the Crusaders were revealed, then the chances of both the parties attacking would be even higher.

    Liuchrome thus decided to conceal information and instead gave away vague info like [Daedalus is negotiating with the Crusaders] to buy time for the reinforcements toe from their homnd. This was the truth behind the sealing and blockade of Daedalus, on surface the reason was to avoid confusion among the citizens.

    Again, even the Daedalus side were resistant to dere that the dragon king had been killed in action.

    It could be said that they were also wishing for this so as a result they quickly epted Liuchrome¡¯s demands, and the blockade was quickly applied.

    Currently, approximately 1 month had passed after Daedalus had been upied.

    Everything went ording to n, no armies tried invading Daedalus, and the homnd sent reinforcements to Virginia one by one.

    That¡¯s not all. In this 1 month, Liuchrome took over all controlling rights, and along with the info maniption, also kept the Crusades in check. Daedalus was in control without any chaos or revolts.

    The church believers were all of the opinion that demons were meant to be exterminated, but Liuchrome who took calm and rational judgements did not rashly oppress all the other races that lived here and did not allow his subordinates to do so either.

    He, even if the other party were enemies, did not enjoy ruthlessly massacring people. Indulging in such things will only satisfy the greed of the worthless scum and will also stimte opposition from the citizens. From the point of view of a ruler, it had zero merits.

    In controlling a defeated country, Liuchrome was truly humane as well as understanding, truly an ideal ruler.

    But, the people of the church and republic were not all like him. In fact, people like Liuchrome were very rare existences, but the people of Daedalus did not know that.

    He, who was here, was also the same.

    ¡°aah.......my lord, my king.........why........¡±

    That voice echoed inside the empty throne room.

    1 month ago, on that decorated throne, sat a man who had an overwhelming presence, truly a king.

    The king¡¯s name was Gaevinal, a ck dragon with incredible abilities.

    And the man who was here was a human who had been serving that dragon king even before Daedalus was founded.

    As Gaevinal¡¯s right hand man, he had be the Prime minister now.

    ¡°Why.........why did this........¡±

    As the Prime minister who manages the country, he could not show his emotions in public, but right now that fa?ade had beenpletely broken and tears were falling out of his eyes.

    ¡°uuu..........¡±

    Till this day, he had directly negotiated with Liuchrome, as the representative of Daedalus.

    Negotiation, were in name only. Daedalus that had lost had no other choice but to give everything away to the victors, that is the Crusaders.

    All he could do was to ask for proper treatment of the citizens that had followed his respected and beloved dragon king.

    ¡°No more.......I have nothing else I can do.......¡±

    Tomorrow, the blockades will be lifted, and finally the Crusaders would begin their genuine rule.

    The death of the dragon king will be announced to all of the citizens and the country known as Daedalus would copse and would be annexed into the Syncrea Republic.

    Hereafter, he would either be executed after being charged with some crime or made to cooperate with the Republic.

    In any case, he has onest duty to fulfil.

    Today, on thest day of the Daedalus, he had finally reached his limits.

    ¡°My king.......¡±

    In the first ce, he had sworn to be with Gaevinal in life and death.

    These were his true feelings.

    To him, Gaevinal was an absolute existence, and he truly believed that he should have followed him the moment he heard of his death.

    As a result, finishing all his duties, now that the country Gaevinal created was finally copsing, he had lost all reason to live.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side........¡±

    In this empty throne room, there was no one who could stop him.

    In his left arm, he held a Gaevinal¡¯s scale and in his right he held a container.

    A brilliant red liquid was filled inside that container.

    And, without any hesitation, he drank the red poison in a single breath.

    ¡°Gah¡ª¡ª¡°

    Instantly falling on his knees, he fell face front on the ground.

    The poison quickly circted inside his body, and in a matter of seconds, he passed away.

    ¡°All hail........Dragon king............¡±

    Anyone who saw his current appearance would feel pity for him.

    But the fact that he did not have to witness the gruesome trampling of the Daedalus territory that was going to start from here onwards, he might have been the most fortunate person.

 Chapter 52 Fear Revived

    Chapter 52 ¨C Fear Revived

    It¡¯s 12th day of Shinyou month, the sky is already dyed red and soon the night woulde.

    While thinking that I rush along the highway.

    The destination is not Irz Vige, but Daedalus.

    ¡°I thought I would reach it before sun sets, but it looks like it¡¯s still far.¡±

    I feel bad for Lily who is clinging on my neck while inside the hood of robe. But no matter what, I want to know about the situation of Daedalus.

    Ignoring the orders for no public crossing, I am heading towards Daedalus. If the worst case happens and I¡¯m spotted by any of the Daedalus soldiers it can¡¯t be helped if I¡¯m thrown in jail.

    The biggest reason for taking such a big risk for going to Daedalus is the uneasy feeling swirling inside my heart.

    I¡¯m not convinced about the groundless uneasy feeling, but I still couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    If Daedalus was defeated by the human army, then the whole Pandora continent will be engulfed in war.

    Surely, many people willugh at my thinking, regarding it as delusion.

    However, I know the what actions an ¡®invader¡¯ takes due to my knowledge in previous world. Furthermore, I know the cruelty of the people wearing cross uniforms through this body.

    This world with magic is not some sort of fairytale story. I was summoned here against my will and was set up in experiments equivalent to torture and was also forced to fight against fellow experimental subjects too.

    If those bastards invade in great numbers, then the Pandora continent will go through the path that I¡¯ve learned from history lessons.

    In brief, the peaceful life I have built in Irz Vige is in danger.

    In the first ce, I came to Pandora Continent to run away from the cross uniform bastards, even if they are not here following me their searching range will be expanded eventually.

    Therefore, to prevent the danger to me, my livelihood, and Pandora too, I came to the conclusion to go to Daedalus.

    I really am feeling bad for taking Lily, more than half the reason she¡¯s here is for my own self-protection.

    Of course, I tried sending her to Irz Vige when we left the Enkul Vige, but Lily being stubborn didn¡¯t nod at my words.

    Definitely, Lily got a feeling that I¡¯m in going to a dangerous ce, so she might have chose to follow me.

    I¡¯ve made a decision already, to let Lily escape if we both get caught in a dire situation.

    ¡°£­£­That is Daedalus, huh?¡±

    Though the surroundings are dark, my reinforced eyes catch a glimpse of the rumoured big castle walls of Daedalus far in the distance.

    And so, I left the highway and started crossing through the forest.

    I¡¯m most likely to be discovered if I keep on walking on the highway, so it¡¯s better to continue until Daedalus while sneaking.

    The Riol Vige I passed some hours ago had its doorspletely shut and was quiet.

    But, what about Daedalus?

    From what I can see, there are no signs of destroyed castle walls.

    Was it not a big scale castle siege war? Or is the opposite side of the castle wall broken?

    I rush through the forest while holding my breath with my thoughts in a confusion.

    ¡°Great, It so big©`©`¡±

    Finally I came close to the Daedalus castle walls.

    The wall standing majestically in front me can make someone think about a precipitous cliff.

    The trees of forest are stopped where I¡¯m standing. There is nothing to hide myself in between the walls and me.

    If there was a tall tree I can invade by climbing it, or if there were big bushes I can approach while being unnoticed. It is natural to have those ideas when there is nothing in front of castle walls.

    The problem is, how to reach the walls without being noticed.

    Come to think of it, the first ce I infiltrated the port town had low security that¡¯s why I was transported easily.

    I had already been predicted that it won¡¯t be as easy as the previous time but......

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a single person.¡±

    From the looks of it, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a single soldier present here.

    Thirty metres above there is a passage present on the top of wall, but there is no sign of patrolling soldiers, of course the same can be said for the outside circumference of walls.

    Perhaps even though they are patrolling it¡¯s not like they can monitor each and every section of outer wall.

    If it¡¯s like that it¡¯s not much of a big deal to approach the walls, and to climb the 30 metres walls is an easy feat for this body along with ck magic.

    Now the problem left is,

    ¡°The barrier, huh. It¡¯s my first time seeing a genuine one.¡±

    Unlike the shield, a barrier is a defensive magic thatpletely covers the target and can be maintained 24¡Á7 hours a day.

    It blocks all the attacks from outside and monitors the presence the of intruders within a fixed region and various other functions...

    The only barrier I have and know of is Efreet, aka¡ºMosquito Repellent¡», which deploys a barrier of me to keep mosquitoes away.

    And at the present time, there is arge scale barrier standing with Daedalus as its origin.

    It¡¯s not a shining bright light, rather it¡¯s colorless and transparent, but even me who is standing 500 metres away from it can feel the strong magical pressure it exerts.

    The difference in defensive ability with that ¡ºMosquito Repellent¡»is like that of heaven and earth.

    Due to this powerful barrier there are no other soldiers except for at the main gate, probably.

    The magic used by this barrier is white magic. It seems impossible to invade through just brute strength as my ck magic has extremely badpatibility with the white magic

    But however, the current me is not alone, I have a reliable partner!

    ¡°Lily can you open a hole in that barrier?¡±

    ¡°Un©`©`I can!¡±

    The white magic used by Sariel and the light magic used by Lily havepletely different origins.

    The light magic also acts a counter for my ck magic like the white magic, whereas it is also ssified as a color magic.

    But still, they are both different. If it¡¯s Lily who has goodpatibility with her magic and excels at controlling it too she can pierce a hole through the powerful barrier.

    ¡°Well the, Let¡¯s go©`©`¡±

    I grab Lily under one arm and run the 500 metres at full speed.

    Being coupled with the ck clothes I doubt I will be found out. Please God don¡¯t let me found out.

    I don¡¯t know whether my prayer was heard or it was inevitable but I safely reached the walls.

    And though it can¡¯t be seen through naked eyes, there is a barrier standing.

    It might be a barrier that restricts physical intrusion, or it can be like the one ce on the treasure box which gives out electric shocks.

    Until I know it¡¯s nature, It¡¯s a bad idea to touch it.

    Even though I know letting Lily touch such a thing is SO SINFUL, but here I can¡¯t do anything other than relying on her powers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Lily touches the invisible barrier with her both hands.

    From the point of contact, the white light ripples as if a rock has been thrown onto water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Nh©`©`¡±

    Lily¡¯s two pairs of seven coloured wings sometimes p and her white lit body fickers.

    I feel for Lily who is seriously trying to pierce through the barrier, but this glittering light is unreasonably standing out.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if there are no soldiers here, but in this dark night the shining Lily can be spotted from 100 metres away rather easily.

    The only thing I can do to help her not be spotted is just covering her with my robe.

    It¡¯s pretty nerve-wracking, but I still wait in silence for itspletion.

    How much time had passed? Maybe not even 3 minutes have passed but due to nervousness it¡¯s feeling twice the length, then suddenly Lily speaks.

    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡±

    Not the meaning of ¡¸It¡¯s painful¡¹but rather¡¸it¡¯s open¡¹she said. [TN: In Japanese ¡°Aita¡± means it¡¯s open and ¡°Ah itta¡± means painful. Both sound simr that¡¯s why author is deliberately exining it.]

    Upon looking in front of Lily, there is an faintly shining circle drawn in empty air.

    The circle is big enough for me pass easily, When I pass my hand through it I don¡¯t feel anything out of ce.

    Looks like she¡¯s seeded in piercing the barrier.

    ¡°You did well, Leave the rest to me.¡±

    I pat at Lily¡¯s head, while she rejoices like a puppy.

    I would also want to leave everything and keep on patting her, but there¡¯s not time for that.

    Putting Lily once again in the hood, I jump through the circle in the castle ward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in one shot.¡±

    Compared from the time Iboriously climbed the walls of the port city, my magic skills have also improved.

    After all, I conquered a cliff of 100 metres to just invade the nest of a Garuda, If I use the rock climbing magic skill I used at that time, this 30 metre stone wall is just a child asking to be climbed.

    To look cool in front of Lily who worked hard to open a hole in wall, I activate the magic while doing a signature pose.

    ¡°Anchor release!¡±

    From the palms of both hands, a ck wire flies out along the wall.

    The wire with a harpoon like object at its tip sinks deep at the top of the wall.

    At that time the rear of the wire starts to coil around the hand, hips, thighs, and the sole of my feet.

    It¡¯s alright with just coiling around hands, but it¡¯ll help in more bnce while climbing if there is a back support.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After listening Lily¡¯s reply, I retract the wire at once.

    While being pulled by wire, I rushed up the vertical wall in one spurt.

    This ¡°anchor¡± is the same famous wire action that sometimes appears in action games. It is also called as ¡®hookshot¡¯ or ¡¯grappling beam¡¯. In short it is using a wire to move on a vertical surface like ¡®TARZAN¡¯. [TN: AIYAIYAIYAIAYIA. pfft]

    My ck magic can materialize simple objects like bullets and much more, and also excels at controlling them. If there is a really good imagination, then making a retractable wire is easy.

    Using this ¡°anchor¡± climbing a wall of 30 metres is as same as running on t ground.

    In several seconds I climbed the wall andnd near the passage.

    ¡°No one is he......re?¡±

    There really is not person near the passage.

    While paying utmost attention, I looked towards the Daedalus city below the walls.

    Below is a very vast street of houses and shops. It¡¯s so big that many Irz viges can fit in it.

    And the walls are covering it whole. It¡¯s a tremendously big city.

    If it¡¯s a normal person they would have gone to bed by this time of night. In the corner of what is apparently a residential area are some houses with lights on whereas as red-light district seeming area is full of bright lights.

    Even among them, the most noticeably shining is the castle of Daedulus.

    The castle is covered by walls. From here the ground and the first floor of castle cannot be seen.

    Even so, there is light glittering from there which is shining on the veryrge castle in the dark night.

    Looking at that, I start to heave a sigh at its majestess .

    But, the moment I saw the g hanging from the castle, I gulped down the sigh I was going to release.

    ¡°That is the......the cruciform symbol......¡±

    The g there was not the national g of Daedalus with the dark emblem imitating King Gaevinal but it was the g with an emblem of cruciform symbol which seemed to me like annoying madness.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie, right......That means the human army, are them.¡±

    If I look closely, inside the city there are various sizes of the same g hanging.

    This scene was frankly saying the fact that Daedalus has been upied by the Crusaders.

    ¡°Tsk, Damn It©`©`¡±

    It¡¯s the worst, it¡¯s a nightmare, the worst case scenario I thought has turned into a reality.

    I found out that the cruciform symboled g is not hoisted by a cult of humans, but is the national g of Syncrea Republic.

    Slowly, depairs starts spreading inside my heart.

    Those bastards, Those damn bastards really did came to Pandora Continent in great numbers.

    The fact that they have upied Daedalus can only mean that there is no other force that can oppose them.

    A big country like Daedalus is easily captured in a blink of an eye.

    These bastards are nning to conquer the whole Pandora Continent, and do that not so far in future.

    What should I do? Should I fight? Or escape?

    ¡°Damn......¡±

    The Dragon King who is more powerful than me was defeated even when he was leading an army. They¡¯re not the enemy I can fight against. Even in the world of magic it¡¯s impossible for an individual to win against a whole country.

    So should I really run? But to where? Is there anyce these bastards won¡¯te?

    Damn it, shit, no matter how much I think nothing goodes to mind.

    No matter what I think, I can only imagine these bastardsing towards me with their cross in their hands.

    What should I do©`©`

    Kurono!!¡±

    ¡°©`©`!?¡±

    Lily jumps at my chest and tightly hugs me.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lily will save Kurono. Even if bad guyse, I will protect you!¡±

    Lily spurts some tremendous lines. Even though I didn¡¯t say any words, Lily who can read a person¡¯s mind feels my uneasy feeling.

    ¡°......¡±

    I cuddle Lily who is clinging onto me.

    The faint warmth I feel at my hands and chest brings me back to my sanity and removes the uneasy feeling.

    Argh, damn It, I showed an uncool side of me to Lily.

    ¡°Lily, I¡¯m alright.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Now I¡¯m not alone and I can¡¯t only think about myself only from now on.

    Just like Lily said she¡¯d protect me, I will also have to protect Lily.

    I definitely won¡¯t let those bastards take away my peaceful life once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous being here, let¡¯s leave.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Due to the restriction on information spreading, the news of Daedalus upation is still not reached to any other vige.

    If I don¡¯t do anything, these bastards will attack all the viges within Daedalus territory.

    It¡¯s impossible for me to resist until the bitter end, but I can escape from here.

    If it¡¯s no good to run within Daedalus territory, I can only run to other countries.

    Well, the problem is whether the enemy nation Spada¡¯s city state army will let me in or not. If they don¡¯t I¡¯ve got no choice but to do an illegal immigration.

    First I need to tell this info to the nearest vige, No, I don¡¯t even know if they will hear my story who is only a rank 1 adventurer. The only route for me here is to talk to Vige Head of Irz vige to exert influence on other viges.

    I once again start racking my mind for what to do from now on. Just as soon I started to make an anchor for going down the wall.

    ¡°©`©`What might you be doing here?¡±

    I heard a voice!... Spidey sixth sense alert!!!!

    A voice of refreshing and beautiful little girl.

    Before even thinking that the voice is familiar, a face of certain person rose up in my mind in an instant.

    When I turn back to look, there stood the girl not any different from what I imagined.

    A beautiful girl with tinum long hair, along with a pair of two big red eyes, wearing a vestment with cruciform symbol.

    The girl, who showed me overwhelming power and the origin of my overwhelming fear is....

    ¡°......Sariel.¡±

    There stood the strongest person I know of, 7th Apostle Sariel.

 Chapter 53 Crusadeâ€™s Supreme Commander

    Chapter 53 ¨C Crusade¡¯s Supreme Commander

    Under the starry sky, Sariel and Kurono are standing facing each other.

    Kurono forgets about his cold sweat flowing, and faces head on with Sariel as if to hide Lily.

    ¡°Kurono Maou.¡±

    He hasn¡¯t been called that in a long time, no for Kurono, it was for the first time to be called by his full name in this world.

    To a devotee of the cross religion, it might seem as god¡¯s words to them but to Kurono, it only seemed as the whisper of grim reaper.

    The uneasy feeling of his was settled down by Lily, but immediately after seeing a danger in front of his eyes, the fear torments Kurono¡¯s heart once again.

    But still, due to Lily behind his back, he breaks free of fear¡¯s grasp and various trains of thoughtse to his mind.

    Kurono thinks, the fact that his name was called means that this isn¡¯t a situation he will be killed with no questions asked.

    ¡°What are you been doing here?¡±

    He is once again questioned.

    ¡®If I don¡¯t answer would I be instantly killed, If I answer would I be killed even so¡¯. Kurono who can¡¯t think of any situation favorable to him, speaks in in half despair.

    ¡°It¡¯s Tourism. The walls of Daedalus are famous, right?¡±

    ¡°I see. However it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t do it right now.¡±

    Kurono was surprised at the fact that Sariel took his joke to be real. He was luckythat he didn¡¯t get a white stake which can pierce the shield easily in return , and didn¡¯t think any further.

    ¡°Sorry for that, I would be grateful if you let me return back quietly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can go.¡±

    WIth an tremendous answer in return, even Kurono who had been keeping his poker face opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Is it really alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Kurono tries to examine through Sariel¡¯s expression, it is simr to the first he met her.

    Kurono thinks that if he just gets away like this, he won¡¯t we pierced.

    He also thinks that Sariel might have no intention to kill them on that ce.

    ¡¸......Do you mind if I ask you something?¡¹

    Kurono thought that if Sariel has no intention to kill him even if he doesn¡¯t run from here, then he can use this opportunity to gather some information.

    Kurono doesn¡¯t know anything about Crusaders. In the first ce, He doesn¡¯t know that the one leading the army of people called as ¡°Crusaders¡± is Sariel.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    As expected, Sariel replied.

    ¡°Why did youe to Pandora continent?¡±

    ¡°Our lord¡ºWhite God¡»desires thisnd. Therefore, we ¡°Crusaders¡± came to thisnd to offer it to him.¡±

    ¡°Is it for propagating the cross wielding religion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, It will eventually turn out to change the religion of every person on Pandora continent to that of Cross.¡±

    The Crusaders and then Cross religion, they more or less seem like the Christianity religion. Perhaps, the Cross religion and Syncrea Republic have deep rtion between them. Long story short, it is a religious country or so Kurono guessed.

    And thought that it starts as the propagation of Christianity and leads to colonization pattern.

    ¡°Do you guys know, what result will your actions cause?¡±

    ¡°Yes, A lot of blood has been spilled by now, it will also keep on from now on.¡±

    ¡°Do you have no intention for retreat?¡±

    ¡°Until our lord desires it.¡±

    Kurono exhales a single breath.

    He had predicted the answers without needing for Sariel to answer.

    In short, they have no intention to retreat and will cruelly kill anyone who opposes to them.

    ¡°The King of Daidalos, is he dead?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I killed him.¡±

    Kurono was not shocked at the fact that the Dragon King was killed, rather he was shocked to learn that Sariel had the power to kill an existence everyone said ¡°can¡¯t be killed¡±.

    ¡°So, what will happen to Daedalus from now on?¡±

    ¡°I will be getting everything within Daedalus territory.¡±

    ¡°You will?¡±

    Sariel didn¡¯t say ¡¸We will¡¹but ¡¸I will¡¹.

    Kurono always thought that no matter how great she is, she is only a soldier in the end.

    However, from her way of speaking, it only seems that his thoughts were wrong.

    And Sariel says the words that confirm it,

    ¡°I¡¯m the Supreme Commander of Crusader after all.¡±

    Kurono suddenly understood, that she is the one who leads the crusaders, the top brass.

    ¡°I see......¡±

    Kurono turns back and face his back towards Sariel. He takes Lily from the hood, who didn¡¯t budge even a little and took her out.

    While feeling Sariel¡¯s gaze at his back, Kurono crouches and embraces Lily.

    ¡°Fue!?¡±

    Lily raises her voice due to suddenly being hugged, Kurono without minding it, whispered in her ears.

    ¡°Lily, tell everything to Shione ¨C san everything you will hear now.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    While hearing Kurono¡¯s words Lily, felt within his heart was a great fear and sorrow and the ¡®courage¡¯ which is pushing them back.

    ¡°Kurono©`©`¡±

    Kurono guessed that Lily has read his true motives already, he grabs her in his arms once again.

    ¡°©`©`Nooo!!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for being with me till now, It¡¯s goodbye.¡±

    Kurono while holding Lily with his left hand, throwed her with his full strength towards the forest.

    ¡°Kuronoo©`©`¡±

    Lily is thrown with a terrible speed. Sensing danger to her automatic defense ¡°shield¡± activates which covers her whole body. Leaving a trail of white light, she flies away.

    ¡°Sorry, Lily.¡±

    Kurono who murmured those words was already holding the ¡®ck Ballista Replica¡¯ in his right hand.

    Facing towards Sariel, who was staring him, he wielded his baton.

 Chapter 54 Assassination Plan

    Chapter 54 Assassination n

    ¡°......What are you nning to do?¡±

    The full metal jacket bullet I fired was stopped by the inverted triangr white shield just like that time.

    This time, the only difference is that a small crack appeared.

    I can do this.

    ¡°Magic bullet ¨C Bullet Arts.¡±

    As I lightly swung the baton like a conductor, ck bullets appeared in a spiral formation around my body.

    The thousands of bullets that appeared around me are all made by the highest level ofposition of ck magic. Moreover, due to the baton¡¯s abilities, every bullet holds more power than a normal [anti material].

    ¡°Fire all bullets ¨C Full Burst.¡±

    I released all the bullets towards Sariel at once.

    ck muzzle sh and firing sound, along with the sound of destruction of castle wall on which Sariel stood, resounded in the silent night.

    Instantly, dust rose up and the visibility got blocked, but I already know even without seeing that Sariel is not there anymore.

    Just before I fired, I saw her jump away from the castle wall.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let her get away¡ª¨C¡°

    Shooting Anchor from beneath my legs, I chased Sariel and jumped down from the wall.

    ¡°¡ª¨CI can¡¯t let her get away!!¡±

    As I threw myself in mid-air, I saw the grasnd that I had been running on just some time ago.

    Without any where to hide, also without any reason to hide, Sariel stood there in her white dress like a ghost.

    ¡°Magic sword ¨C Sword Arts.¡±

    I grabbed the wire with my left arm and raise the baton with my right.

    As my robe fluttered in mid-air, I opened my shadow space and brought out 3 ckened long swords.

    I bought these from the cksmith shop at the Irz Vige.

    ¡°Pierce through!!¡±

    Before my body reached the ground, Iunched the 3 swords towards Sariel.

    One made an arc and approached from the left, simrly one approached from the right, and one charged directly towards her and attacked her.

    ¡°¡ª-¡°

    I didn¡¯t hear, but I saw her lips moving, and at the same time Inded on the ground. A small shock ran through my legs.

    Since I used the wire to decelerate myself, Inded without giving any chance to attack¡ª-

    *Bagin*!!

    ¡°!?¡±

    A sound resounded near my legs. The 4 white stakes, Sariel used, had pierced through hem of my robe and sewn it to the castle wall.

    But none of them had pierced through my body so it must be to stop my movement.

    But when were these stakes fired? I couldn¡¯t see them at all.

    As I moved my eyes to confirm it, I once again looked back towards Sariel. She had a slender spear of the same colour as her stakes in her left hand. On its spearhead, as if catching fish with a spear, my three swords were lined up together with their centres pierced.

    And, just as I had once seen before, the three ckened swords were instantly invaded by her white magical energy and scattered to dust.

    ¡°Goddamn monster...........¡±

    Whether it be the speed of the stakes or the way to destroy my swords, I was once again made to realize the difference in our powers.

    Slowly, regret and fear spread inside me, and I had a sudden impulse to start crying and beg for my life.

    Sarier slowly came towards me and spoke.

    ¡°Will you stop resisting?¡±

    I almost gave an affirmation to her words, but somehow stopped myself by grinding my teeth.

    ¡°I have no intention to hurt you.¡±

    I hate myself to have felt relieved from those words.

    ¡°Will you retreat quietly?¡±

    Running faraway with Lily was an extremely charming offer, but I use my full strength to reject it.

    ¡°haha.....¡±

    Iughed with a shaky, pathetic voice.

    ¡°Who will miss this chance¡ª¡ª¡°

    I raised my voice, and cheered myself up.

    I forcibly escaped the stakes while tearing the pierced parts of the robe.

    I swung my baton and materialised bullets and at the same time brought out 10 long swords this time.

    Moreover, I hold the cursed hatchet [Tsujigiri] in my left hand.

    ¡°Sariel! I¡¯ll kill you here and stop the crusaders!!¡±

    ¡°Is that so......¡±

    Facing my full magical energy as well as bloodlust head, there was not a single change in her sculpture like face. She didn¡¯t even take a stance with her spear.

    That¡¯s fine, thatposure of yours will be my chance of winning¡ª-

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the suprememander of the Crusaders.¡±

    Sariel definitely said that.

    If not for those words, right now I would have been running along with Lily on the highway.

    But, I recklessly challenged Sariel, no, that¡¯s not it, lives are on line here. This is an assassination.

    [Assassination] is to kill by using a gap in the opponent¡¯s defence. If going by those words, then this moment is Sariel¡¯s ¡®gap¡¯.

    As the top of the Crusaders, to have appeared without any guards; if there was an assassin, there was not any better situation than this.

    Even now, not a single soldier hase to assist Sariel and it¡¯s still one-on-one. Conveniently, for some reason, Sariel is not trying to kill me.

    If she wanted, she could pierce through my heart any time no doubt about it. But to have tried to pin me to the wall is a proof.

    This robe is a high ss good with defensive ability higher than a steel te mail. For a second I was worried that the robe had lost its magic and be a normal cloth.

    Basically, my life is in danger. This is the only chance for me to defeat her.

    But why did I have to take this chance with my life on the line?

    If it was the me 2 months earlier, I had nothing more important than my own life. I would never put it in danger.

    But, now I have things I want to protect even at the cost of my life.

    Lily and Irz vige, even though it hasn¡¯t been very long, I still can¡¯t let the Crusaders do whatever they want.

    I will never trust these bastards who wear crosses. I don¡¯t care if it was something wished by God, but that¡¯s nothing more than using a god¡¯s name to kill, steal and destroy.

    In the end, the Crusaders are big enough to have invaded and upied Daidalos.

    If the Daidalos army fell to them means that the Crusaders are very strong. I don¡¯t know if even other countries would be able to win against them.

    But what will happen if the top of the Crusaders is killed here? I don¡¯t know how the chain ofmand of Crusaders work but if themander dies then an organisation shouldn¡¯t be able to sustain itself.

    I don¡¯t know how much authority Sariel herself possesses, but I do know that she is a major part of their military force.

    If the top loses, the invasion n would definitely bergely affected, or maybe, it might end all together. At least the effect would be much better than fighting the whole Crusaders head on.

    But, that¡¯s only if I am able to sessfullyplete this assassination.

    I am well aware of how strong Sariel is. In terms of level, it¡¯s a gap between 1 and 100.

    But, even if this is a magic world, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a game world. There are always ways if you want to ¡®just kill¡¯ someone.

    It doesn¡¯t matter how hard I have to try if I can just kill her, I¡¯m fine even if I am able to take her down together with me.

    If that can save Lily and the vigers, then I¡¯ll bet my life as many times as I can!!

 Chapter 55 Black Magician Vs. Apostle

    Chapter 55 ck Magician Vs. Apostle

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡±

    Swinging my baton, I once again release a storm of bullets towards Sariel.

    ¡°Shield.¡±

    As Sariel whispered, a white inverted triangr shield appeared in front of her.

    [Shield] is one of the most basic defensive magic, a normal magician would never be able to block my bullet storm with just a shield.

    But, Sariel¡¯s shield blocked all the bullets and sustained only a few bullet marks.

    Even the same magic would bepletely different if the magician is different, wait, this isn¡¯t the time to be impressed.

    ¡°Not yet!!¡±

    From behind the bullets, a ck sword stuck right at the point where the shield had a little crack due to the bullets.

    Finally the shields were pierced and broke with the sound of breaking ss.

    ¡°With this¡ª-¡°

    I attacked with more ck swords, one from the same path as earlier and 3 from above.

    All them came flying towards Sariel in the very moment the shield broke.

    But, she had already moved away from there to evade them.

    Although I was unable to catch when she actually moved, I had already predicted that she would evade.

    The remaining 5 swords were already flying from the back of where Sariel was standing before.

    Sariel who had jumped backwards was attacked by the 5 ck swords from further behind.

    ¡°¡ª¨Chow¡¯s that!¡±

    ¡°Stakes ¨C Sagita.¡±

    This time, Sariel used a basic attack magic.

    The moment that voice reached my ears, I lost the sensation of all 10 swords.

    Why? I don¡¯t even have to think about it. The answer is in front of me.

    The swords that were stuck in the ground as well those that were flying were all crushed by the stakes, no, bullets fired by Sariel.

    ¡°Will you stop attacking?¡±(sariel)

    ¡°hah, is that the first thing you say after stealing someone¡¯s magic?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°......¡±

    Sariel lifted her index finger of her right hand as if pointing towards me. In front of it, a white bullet simr to my Anti Material took form.

    Although, its size was the same as the stakes, i.e. 30cm, rather than bullet this was big enough to be called a cannon shell.

    ¡°Your original magic is certainly unique and powerful¡ª-¡°

    The white bullet in front of her started rotating.

    At the pointed end, white magical energy started revolving in a helix.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cbut it cannot kill me.¡±

    ¡°Shield!?!¡±(kurono)

    As I constructed the shield in front of me, at the same time Sariel fired the shell.

    That shell that was even faster than my bullets, simr to that time, pierced through even my improved and stronger shield easily.

    ¡°Kuh¡ª¨C¡°

    Instantly my left hand reacted and the de of the cursed hatchet crossed with the shell.

    *Gagin!!*

    With a high pitched metallic sound, I somehow deflected the shell.

    Due to the shock, my stance got copsed, and stumbled two-three steps behind and managed not to fall down somehow.

    As I returned my sight in front of me, Sariel had disappeared from there.

    ¡°Where¡ª¨C¡°

    Before my eyes, I sensed her location instinctively¡ª¡ª-above me.

    As I looked up, with the crescent moon as background, Sariel was flying towards me with the spear in her left hand.

    I don¡¯t have time to recreate a shield; even if I had it¡¯ll get pierced through anyway.

    ¡°oooohh!!!¡±

    I met the spearing from the sky with my cursed hatchet.

    The sh of the edges gave off sparks.

    ¡°.......hard.¡±(Sariel)

    Maybe she was nning to destroy the hatchet with a single attack, Sarielnded as she said that.

    Even though both of us are in each other¡¯s cutting range, we remain still.

    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡±(Kurono)

    Uptil now this cursed hatchet had been able to slice through anything. This was the first time its de was stopped.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cursed weapon, it¡¯s impossible to destroy it with that lump of magical energy.¡±(kurono)

    Sariel¡¯s spear was, in a way, simr to the white stakes. It was simply materialised by pressing your own magical energy together.

    It¡¯s the same as her using her hand as a sword and I was using a knife.

    ¡°If that broke, will you leave this ce?¡±(Sariel)

    Just a little, I felt that Sariel¡¯s gaze got sharper.

    Even now, she is allowing me to run away.

    ¡°If you want to stop me¡ª¡ª¡ª¡°(kurono)

    I took stance with the hatchet in my left hand and loaded bullets in the baton in my right.

    Furthermore, from my shadow, I brought out 10 ckened swords and deployed them around in a circle.

    ¡°thene with the intent to kill!!¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±(sariel)

    As she said that, at the same time, a silver aura burst out of Sariel.

    I have seen that aura before as well. Now that I have learnt a bit more about magic, I can confirm that it¡¯s not any enhancement magic but simply magical energy leaking out.

    In short, she has gotten a bit serious, but that¡¯s it.

    Although I still don¡¯t know the extent of her powers, I instinctively as well as rationally understand that she is revealing more than enough power to kill me.

    I won¡¯tst long against Sariel d in her aura, no, I might fall in a single sh.

    There is a 5m of distance between us. The time between the moment when Sariel leaps towards me and pierces my body with that spear is thest chance I will have.

    ¡°I¡¯ming¡ª-¡°(Sariel)

    At the same time Sariel said that, I release the bullets from my baton. It heads directly for the forehead of Sariel that was approaching me.

    Direct hit, but it is unable to pierce through the silver aura and vanished like the mist without dealing any damage.

    Maybe even the ckened swords will not be able to pierce through, I thought that, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I need to use all 10 swords to intercept Sariel.

    From the front, I aimed for the forehead, neck, chest, stomach, and groin with 5 swords in a straight vertical line, and the crown of the head and the limbs were attacked by the remaining five.

    ¡°Stakes.¡±

    Simr to before, white bullets urately shot down the 5 swordsing from above, left and right. The 5ing from the front were cleanly destroyed with one swing of the spear.

    But, the distance between us is currently 3m.

    If I take one step, I could cut her. To take it on, she will have to bring back the spear used to destroy the swords. But, in this close range, that will be a fatal mistake.

    ¡°haa!!!¡±

    Dropping the baton, I held the hatchet with both hands and I stepped in to deliver a powerful sh.

    Even though I have never learned swordfighting, but together with my enhanced body and the abilities of the hatchet itself, I can produce strength enough to cut through her aura along with her body.

    The hatchet that was swung sideways, its de certainly cut through her aura, but the moment it was about to reach her thin body,

    *Gakin!!*

    It was blocked with the spear that had somehow returned back to ce.

    ¡°¡ª-¡°

    Our gazes crossed.

    Even though expressionless, her eyes appealing to end this fight.

    The fact that my attack, that was made while she had already swung her spear, was stopped means that she can make two swings with her weapon in the same time I swing once. That¡¯s how high her attack speed is.

    If she is that fast, by the time I attack next, she could freely choose any part of body and pierce through it.

    I can¡¯t attack with the cursed hatchet anymore, bullets didn¡¯t work in the first ce, I used up all my swords with thest 10, and I have no way to counter-attack between the time her spear swings and attacks me.

    Probably, Sariel is thinking the same thing.

    And that will be my only chance at victory.

    ¡°¡ª-now.¡±

    From the shadow space I opened near my legs, I fire a single ck needle from the darkness.

    That needle is [Basilisk¡¯s bone needle], a ¡®cursed weapon¡¯ I never got to use after buying it at Irz Vige.

    The moment it stabs, it starts corroding the body, a simple yet dreadfully effective poison needle.

    If the wielder himself touches it he¡¯ll also get poisoned so it is treated as ¡®curse¡¯.

    But, this needle can pierce through Sariel¡¯s aura, if I can hit her once more then I can deal a fatal blow.

    And in actuality, the poison needle came into contact with the silver aura, started corroding it and flew directly towards the heart.

    ¡°Is this your trump card?¡±(Sariel)

    And sure enough, the needle was unable to reach her heart.

    ¡°Kuh.........¡±

    The needle was fired at the same speed as that of a bullet but, Sariel moved faster than that, and that¡¯s all it took.

    The right hand that had not yet moved uptil now, before I realized it, had moved over her right chest to protect her and her palm had blocked the needle.

    The needle that had pierced through her palmpletely only reached her robe and stopped there.

    Sariel who had taken it with her bare hands, the corrosion of the poison began to spread.

    But still, Sariel without seeming even a little bit agitated, took a step back and used her spear to pierce through her whole palm along with the needle.

    The needle was smashed, and the poisoned flesh was instantly shaved off, thus stopping the corrosion.

    As blood gushed out, a painful looking hole could be seen on Sariel¡¯s palm.

    All I could do was be dumbfounded as I looked at this chain of events.

    *Dotsu*

    Suddenly, a shock ran through my left arm.

    I realized that Sariel had attacked with her spear when I saw that the cursed hatchet had fallen to the ground.

    ¡°Guh........¡±

    Probably, my left wrist is broken.

    It¡¯ll heal by itself sooner orter but it won¡¯t do so instantly, I don¡¯t even have the time to pick up the cursed hatchet either.

    All ns were broken through, and I don¡¯t even have a weapon in my hands now.

    I still have magical energy left, but I don¡¯t have any magic that could be activated faster than Sariel attacking with her spear.

    It was checkmate. In this situation where I had nothing left to help me win, the regret and fear that I had subdued instantly spread within me.

    I should have run away. Should I beg for mercy? Someone save me.

    ¡ª¡ª-I can¡¯t think of anything better.

    I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m currently sweating like crazy with a pathetically pale face. Probably due to pity, Sariel¡¯s spear had not yet pierced through me.

    ¡°.......wait a second.¡±

    As my mind was in chaos, I remembered one thing. A magic that could pierce through her aura and was also faster than her spear.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate even a second to use it. My right fist had already be tight.

    ¡°Pile¡ª¨C¡°

    I raised my fist overhead and stepped in.

    The activation process is simple. Simply gather magic in my fist and release it.

    Already, magical energy of density much stronger than the time I had first used it, gathered in my arm and swirled around.

    The image is a drill, rotating at high-speed, I concentrate all the destructive power on the pointed end.

    Eat this! My final useless struggle.

    ¡°BUNKEEEEEEERRRR!!!¡±

    The swirling ck fist was intercepted by white magical energy.

    The first thing I felt was the sensation of that magical energy, next my brain recognised what I was seeing. It was the sight of Sariel blocking my pile bunker with her bloody right hand alone.

    From the hand that had blocked me, white magical energy was rotating in the reverse direction of my own.

    Both the magical energies were nullifying each other out at the point where they touched. And soon, my destructive ck magical energy disappeared without any trace.

    ¡°.......so, it really was useless.¡±

    As I finally felt a sense ofplete defeat, a strong shock attacked my head.

    Thest thing I saw was the usual expressionless figure swinging the spear horizontally.

    Sorry Lily, it seems I won¡¯t be able to protect your vige¡ª¡ª¡ª

    While thinking that, my consciousness was broken off.

 Chapter 56 Fairy Vs. Apostle

    Chapter 56 Fairy Vs. Apostle

    The fainted Kurono had copsed on the ground.

    ¡°........¡±

    As Sariel looked over him, she started to rack her brains a bit.

    Her first worry was what she should do with Kurono. The second was that she had once again ruined her regenerated right hand.

    Thetter could be solved as it would heal with the passage of time, but she couldn¡¯te up with what she should do with Kurono instantly.

    In the first ce, no matter how much Kurono tried to kill her, Sariel was not going to kill him. Sariel was fine if he would just live happily somewhere far away.

    There might be experimental bodies that might curse Kurono because he was the only one who had gotten free.

    But Sariel found some sort of salvation in Kurono who had attained freedom that none other experimental body including herself could attain.

    She wanted him to live the share of every experiment that had died as well.

    That is why she let him run when she met him in the 3rdboratory and was also going to let him go this time as well.

    A ¡®normal¡¯ life away from fighting. He had definitely achieved half of it at least. But,

    ¡°You have got something to protect as well right?¡±

    The fairy girl that Kurono let go of before attacking, he met her in this world and she became precious enough for him, to put his own life on the line to protect her.

    Sariel met countless men on the battlefield that fought to protect something, and, she did not let even a single one of them return back alive.

    Kurono¡¯s figure waspletely ovepping with those brave heroes that came to fight only to face a tragic death.

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±

    In a way, this was only to fulfil her own ego. She started thinking of a way to get him out of here.

    ¡°......¡±

    As themander of the Crusaders, she couldn¡¯t just let someone who attacked her to go freely intentionally.

    Kurono¡¯s true identity was a modified [Foreigner], not a general or a noble of Daedalus, even lower importance than a normal civilian, so they won¡¯t follow him to the ends of the earth to kill him at least.

    But, if the Crusaders caught him, then he¡¯ll be definitely executed for trying to assassinate the suprememander.

    So, she can¡¯t call the army here.

    But she can¡¯t leave it as it is either.

    If he woke up now, it¡¯ll be good if he just ran away, but there¡¯s a chance that he might start attacking again as well. In the first ce, there¡¯s a high chance that the guards patrolling would find him first.

    In every case, the result isn¡¯t very appealing.

    Then, maybe she could make someone carry Kurono to a far away town.

    But, Sariel didn¡¯t have anyone to whom she could entrust such a personal task. And even if she is the suprememander, she can¡¯t give such a weird order either.

    ¡°......What should I do?¡±

    After bing an Apostle,she had done nothing but destroy the enemies so this was the first time she was thinking a bit in a human-like way.

    Fortunately, she already informed the subordinates that she was going out for a bit so at least she had time to think.

    Originally, she hade here because she had sensed the barrier breaking. The barrier was not the type to inform of intruders so nobody else hade here other than Sariel.

    Sariel was standing there looking at Kurono and had not even remembered to erase her spear.

    As she was thinking inside her head, she suddenly looked towards the forest.

    (¡°Something is....ing¡±)

    At first, she only sensed it as an indescribable atmosphere but it soon turned into a clear ¡®abnormality¡¯.

    Inside the dark forest, a green light could be seen.

    That light was approaching this ce and was getting stronger and bigger.

    And, at the same time she saw the light, she realized that the trees in the forest were losing their colour.

    As the light came closer and closer, the trees in visibility that had thick trunks instantly started to wither and the fresh leaves started to dry up and fall away.

    ¡°This is........Life Drain.¡±

    Sariel confirmed, the light in the forest was stealing the life force of the trees in the forest and collecting it. Life force is an energy included in magical energy required to sustain life.

    Magicians would never use life force unless they were using suicide magic ¨C Apoptosis. And a magic that could steal the life force of others was a taboo among taboos, an extremely dangerous thing.

    Sariel felt that it was fortunate that normal soldiers were not here.

    If a drain of this level was activated, people with no training in using magic, and those that have low resistance would all have been in fatal danger right now.

    Facing the green light, Sariel realized that even though she could not see it, life force was being drained like a storm right now.

    All the trees in the forest had be dried, and it had be a forest of death where not a shred of life force could be sensed.

    And, the reason of this abnormality, the emerald light finally came in front of Sariel.

    ¡°Get away from Kurono.¡±

    It was a girl with a presence somewhat simr to Sariel.

    Literally shining tinum blonde long hair and white skin.

    Eyes that were same colour as the emerald green sphere of light surrounding her.

    Wearing a frilly ck one piece dress, on her back were 2 pair of rainbow coloured wings.

    It truly matched the image of the fairy princess that had appeared once in a book Sariel had read a long time ago.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±(sariel)

    But that girl with the unparalleled beauty, twisted her beautiful expression in rage, and released bloodlust that could be seen with naked eyes.

    ¡°I said¡ª¨C¡°

    In response to Sariel¡¯s question, the girl,

    ¡°¡ªGet away from him!!¡±

    Attacked with an immense beam of magical energy.

    (¡°A chantless [shing white arrows ¨C Fortius Sagita]¡ª¨Cno, a type of [Extra magic] or [Original Magic]¡±)

    As Sariel thought that, she took evasive manoeuvres but as the name suggested, the speed of those beam was at light speed.

    Unable topletely dodge, the beam burned away the hem of Sariel¡¯s priest vestment.

    *Dodonn!!*

    The beam that passed Sariel, struck the barrier and without almost any resistance, pierced through it and hit the castle walls.

    The wall that got destroyed with a loud boom raised a cloud of dust reached even till where Kurono was lying.

    ¡°Kurono!!¡±

    Sariel heard the voice of the girl beyond the cloud of dust.

    As soon as the cloud of dust disappeared, Sariel saw the girl lifting Kurono in her arms.

    ¡°Kurono¡ª¡°

    The expression on the girl right now as she called Kurono¡¯s name while crying was so ephemeral and sweet that it made the expression she showed to Sariel feel like a lie.

    The girl hugged Kurono¡¯s body as she brought him to a sitting like state.

    Sariel couldn¡¯t hear what the girl was whispering but she should have realized that Kurono was only unconscious.

    The girl, then, easily picked up Kurono in her arms even though she was half his size.

    ¡°Are you the girl that Kurono let go of earlier?¡±(Sariel)

    ¡°Don¡¯t call his name so lightly!¡±

    Once again a killing gaze pierced through Sariel.

    Even the emotionless and detached Sariel understood that the girl was angry, and she understood the reason behind the anger as well.

    Just how Kurono had protected her, she was also protecting him. And if someone so precious to her got hurt, she would either get sad or angry obviously.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to take him with you, then I won¡¯t chase you.¡±(Sariel)

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Just saying that, she turned away from Sariel while embracing Kurono.

    ¡°Now then, please go die.¡±

    The wings on the girl¡¯s back flickered.

    As Sariel sensed the fluctuations in magical energy, the next moment, 10-odd balls of light shot out from her rainbow wings.

    It¡¯s not a beam so they were not at light speed, but they were still many times faster than Kurono¡¯s bullets. Sariel, realizing the high speed, moved her body to dodge them, at that moment, she saw the trajectory of the balls of light get slightly changed.

    (¡°Automatic-tracking ability.¡±)

    Even when she kicked the ground to fly in the air, the balls of light clearly captured her motion and bent instantly at a right angle and corrected their trajectory.

    (¡°Very high level, no choice but to shoot them down.¡±)

    Sariel whonded on ground gripped the spear handle with her blood stained right hand.

    It was already at a much lower condition than normal and furthermore, it was even damaged fatally by Kurono¡¯s poison.

    Although she didn¡¯t want to use this since she wanted to avoid putting stress on her right wrist, but the only way to intercept those light balls was to use both her hands.

    ¡°Fast¡ª¡°

    Releasing a small voice, she stuck out her white spear with speed even higher than the approaching light balls that were in front of her.

    The instant the spear pierced through the balls of light.

    Thepressed light magical energy released pure destructive energy.

    A blinding sh and a shockwave strong enough to rip off limbs attacked Sariel, but without swaying even a single bit, she kept on destroying the balls of light.

    ¡°nn...¡±

    When she pierced through thest ball, the spear in her hand was also smashed to pieces and disappeared.

    As the storm of shes and destruction finally settled down, the grasswn that she was supposed to be standing on had been gouged out and bare earth could be seen.

    The only ce where grass remained was where the sole of her feet were standing on.

    ¡°........ran away.¡±

    As she looked, the figure of the girl was nowhere to be seen.

    She was seriously trying to kill Sariel, but she must have prioritized Kurono¡¯s safety and left this ce.

    The moment she thought that, a chill ran down her spine simr to when she had faced the Dragon King.

    ¡°!?!¡±

    Above her, a magic circle drawn with white lines of diameter 10m, suddenly appeared.

    Letters of the Ancients or age of gods were drawn along with an unknown figure in the centre of the circle, but Sariel currently did not have the leisure to calmly analyze it.

    ¡°¡ª¨CLight wing God shield ¨C Aralux Aegis¡±

    Sariel used her strongest defensive spell and wings of light spread out and covered her whole body.

    At the same time, a mass of light with the same diameter as the magic circle came down from above.

    A seven-coloured torrent of light, having the same strength as that of a Dragon¡¯s Breath, swallowed Sariel.

 Chapter 57 The Last Return

    Chapter 57 ¨C The Last Return

    It¡¯s been 3 months since I have be an adventurer, the quests I have taken were Rank 1, therefore weren¡¯t dangerous. Even so, I studied my ck Magic every day and night.

    To me, ck magic is my most reliable power to live in this world. Furthermore, the research and development for the study of magic became a hobby for me.

    The imagination is crucial to activate magic.

    There are various categories within magic like the magic I use use can only be used by the person himself ¡®Original¡¯ , the magic used by Lily which can be used by people from same race ¡®Extra¡¯ and the magic used by Aten and other many magicians known as ¡®Model¡¯. They all can¡¯t be activated unless a clear imagination is made in mind.

    A countryside person and on top of it a rookie adventurer like me, the only thing I can do towards the research on my magic is to just deepen my imagination and understanding of magic.

    By the way, the Model magic can be used by anyone with magic power present in them. It is originated from theories close to that of science and maths after all.

    I gave up on learning the ¡®model magic¡¯, because to learn the model magic with the power equivalent to that of my ¡°anti matter¡± , it takes at the least 2 years of training to learn it.

    In the first ce, this world¡¯s the chanting for it and it¡¯s original pronunciation

    ¡°???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????¡±

    ispletely non-understandable to me

    Most probably, I came to understand this world¡¯snguage thanks to remodelling, but from the rules of automatic trantion that urs inside my brain the chants have been left out.

    On the contrary, the normal conversations and characters are 24¡Á7 all year long being automatically tranted, so it¡¯s impossible to learn thenguage.

    If, I had talent in primary color magic, I can use it without even chanting, but seems like there was no talent inside me except for ck magic. [ET: SOme~ pfft.]

    Therefore, I stopped learning about the Model magic and decided to use my Original magic as my only weapon.

    ANd so I invented the ¡°Magic Bullet ¡°Bullet Art¡±¡± and ¡°Magic Sword¡±Sword Art¡±¡±. [ET: SAO anyone... and MAO anyone>>>??<<<]

    There is no effect like dramatical increase in power or any new effects were made but by using it in battles, I can feel ¡°It¡¯s gotten easier to use it¡± effect like the improvement in ¡°Activation sequence¡± ¡°uracy Management¡± and ¡°Magical energy Requirement ¡±

    The ¡®magic bullet¡¯ is just a general term for the attack magic I¡¯ve made taking ¡®buckshot¡¯ and ¡®anti matter¡¯ as center. the ¡°magic sword¡± is the improved version for ¡°automatic fencing¡± which can, at will, use ckened swords without using my hands.

    In addition if I use the ¡°magic bullet¡± with ¡°ck ballista¡± and the ¡®magic sword¡¯ with cursed weapons, then the offensive power will rise exponentially.

    Other than that, I¡¯ve made defensive magic before like ¡®Shield¡¯ and ¡®Baphomet¡¯s Embrace¡¯ which by wearing it, my defence has gradually gotten better.

    Compared to the first fight with Sariel, this time I had a lot of useful equipments and my offensive power had risen too,

    But, even with all that I was still no match for her.

    Holding onto a rope of hope, I on my own will entered the fight, but still Sariel went easy on me so as to not kill me.

    The model magic¡¯s offensive magic and defensive magic ismonly used as ¡°Ignis Sagita¡± and ¡°Ice Shield¡±.

    But, Sariel activated the ¡°Sagita¡± and ¡°Shield¡± separately which meant that it¡¯s power was reduced to half.

    Sariel must have analised that her half power of her normal would be enough to take the fully equipped me head on.

    There¡¯s no way I can win against her. No matter with how much I attack her with the will to do or die, she can just y with me like a child.

    Weak, Yeah, I was weak.

    It¡¯s still fine for me to fight to protect myself but when Sariel and Crusaders came to Pandora continent, the power to protect the Irz Vige along with Lily was just too insufficient in me.

    To protect other people too, more power is needed. If you say it¡¯s obvious, then yes it is.

    But, I understood that obvious thing just now.

    I want to be stronger, I want more power, when I think that, i regret for not crave for power from start. Now that i think about it, it¡¯s my first time ever to think like this.

    ¡°¨CKurono!¡±

    With my name called, I woke up from my dream to see the face of Lily.

    ¡°Lily......Good Morning¡±

    ¡°Good Morning, it¡¯s night although.¡±

    When I look around, it¡¯s inside some forest. In the sky, a moon much bigger than earth¡¯s version is brilliantly shining,

    I also realise that I¡¯m sleeping on Lily¡¯sp.

    Moreover, Lily was in her little girl form so it will look like her embracing my head only.

    ¡°Am I alive?¡±

    I rise up and murmur.

    I recall everything till the moment I fell unconscious

    ¡°I carried you and escaped to here.¡±

    ¡°I see, Thank you¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve also retrieved all the weapons too¡±

    When I closely look, the cursed hatched ¡®Tsujigiri¡¯(lit. Serial Killer) is leaning against a tree.

    To think that she even had the time to retrieve weapons with her opponent being Sariel. But now it¡¯s not the time to think about it.

    ¡°I thought to protect you, but ended up being protected by you, I¡¯m so uncool.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you tried to protect me, but from now on don¡¯t fight alone with opponents you can¡¯t win against. Whenever there is danger for your life, I will be by your side. After all, I¡¯m your partner, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sorry, now I won¡¯t do something so reckless¨C¡±

    That¡¯s right, Lily is not someone I have to protect one sidedly but she is my partner whom I can leave my back to.

    On my own will I go away from her to protect her, and in the end I get protected, there is no other thing more pitiable than this.

    And I have unlimited words to thank to Lily.

    ¡°¨Cby the way, Lily¡¯s way of speaking is different, right?¡±

    I once again look seriously at Lily, she looks like a small girl, but the words flowing out of her mouth are really fluent.

    As if, I¡¯m talking with the young girl form of Lily.

    ¡°Un, right now my consciousness returned to the same way it is at the time of full moon nights¡±

    ¡°Only consciousness?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, because I have something to tell to you as soon as you wake up. I can¡¯t exin information too with the mentality of a child, right?¡±

    ¡°Is, is that how it is......¡±

    Having said that, I feel an extraordinary uneasy feeling from Lily.

    I almost carelessly thought of asking her whether her usual behaviour was just an act?

    ¡°Muu, I doesn¡¯t feel like you are epting it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, and tell me what you want to tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡®Kay, I don¡¯t have much time so I¡¯ll start first.¡±

    ¡°First, It¡¯s already been 1 day since you fainted.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I used all my magic power, and still was out cold for 1 whole day, looks like I was really hit with great force on my head

    ¡°And here is between the woods at the foot of Riol ridge. I don¡¯t know whether they are chasing us or not, but on the outskirts of Riol vige there are many humans in white uniforms roaming around. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t try to go to highway or the vige.¡±

    ¡°I see, looks like it¡¯ll be a detour for the way back to home.¡±

    Even though Sariel was letting us leave, but even she can¡¯t help it if soldier find out about the fact that a fight broke out there.

    ¡°Still, how did you carry me till here¡±

    ¡°When I saved Kurono from in front of her, I was in my original form.¡±

    ¡°her you say , are you talking about Sariel?¡±

    ¡°Un. that idiot woman¡±

    Lily you¡¯re face is scary, don¡¯t make such angry face in the little form.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s true she killed the Dragon King. Anyway, there is no doubt she is ridiculously strong, so kurono must not fight people like her from now on, I also don¡¯t want to get involved with likes of her.¡±

    ¡°Aa, I got it, and looks like there will be no ¡®next¡¯ too.¡±

    I doubt there will be another chance to fight with Sariel anymore.

    After all my Assassination n was ruined, I now need to think about what to do from now on.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s return to Irz vige fast.¡±

    After telling the news about the death of Dragon King and the possession of Daedalus, I need to prepare for running to another country.

    Around this area there is no more hope, but if it¡¯s Irz vige near the western end, they still have time to run.

    ¡°nee, Kurono¡±

    ¡°Nh?¡±

    ¡°The magic I used to return to my original form, I had saved it as an emergency measure. The one that can use it is only the child form of mine and it¡¯splete coincidence that it seeded and it also takes time. It¡¯s mostly due to luck that I¡¯m able to talk to you, that¡¯s why don¡¯t do something like this ever again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it, Sorr¨C¡±

    Lily jumps into my chest.

    ¡°I was really worried.¡±

    ¡°¨CSorry, Lily¡±

    For a little while, i embraced Lily while patting her head.

    Putting Lily in my hood, I run up the highway in full speed.

    The capital city is overflowing with soldiers, so I had to take a detour through the forest which took me a lot of days toplete.

    Using that I came near the center of Daedalus territory and soldiers were also not visible so I went ahead to use the south-west highway.

    I keep on running except for time to eat. Not stopping for any vige that passes by and even cutting the sleeping time.

    Still it¡¯s impossible for Lily to cut her sleeping hours, and was sleeping on my back just a while ago.

    Even so, I want to give her afortable sleep at bed, but I need to go to Irz vige as soon as I can , and this thing even Lily understands.

    And atst, we came to Kuar Vige.

    Naturally, I had thought of passing through here without stopping, but there a lot ofmotioning from there.

    ¡°Did something happen over there?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Along with Lily who also didn¡¯t know about what was happening, i decided to move towards the centre of uproar.

    The za was full of people.

    If it was just that, I would¡¯ve agreed that they are getting prepared for the summer festival but, the people in za were holding up luggage and were having tired expressions.

    They are getting water from the vigntes of Kuar vige and getting first-aid for their injuries.

    ¡°Excuse, did something happen here?¡±

    I asked one kuar viger in the za

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but they have escaped from Irz vige.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°They have beening here one by one and by the morning it was a really big deal. The vignte corps are also patrolling here and there, just doesn¡¯t feel right around here.¡±

    Now that I think about it, the faces of people in the za are known to me.

    The moment I confirmed it, I rushed up to the za and shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kurono, an adventurer from Irz Vige, what happened in the vige tell me please!¡±

    ¡°Kurono......Yeah, i have seen you¡±(random viger)

    ¡°Oo, Lily-san is also here.¡±

    After giving responses like that, some werecats stand in front of me.

    ¡°Irz vige was attacked by human¡¯s army.¡±

    The moment I heard those words, though I didn¡¯t want to believe it, I understood the situation.

    ¡°We also don¡¯t know about the details, butst night a human army attacked us and the escape order was given out, so we in a hurried and ran up to Kuar vige. Near the north-west highway many mes were present and explosions were also heard, most probably the vignte corps have been fighting there.¡±

    ¡°Last night......¡±

    ¡°The only ones here are the ones who lived near the south-west gate, most of the vigers are still not here. Hey! you are an adventurer right, can you go and save vigers, no you can just go to see what is happening there, it will take more time for Kuar vige¡¯s vignte corps to move¡ª¡±

    The surrounding people too look at us with eyes full of expectations.

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to us, we will definitely save the vigers!¡±

    Please, please everyone be safe! [ET: 2 times please is not a typo.]

    With expectations, I run with my all power towards the north ¨C west highway to reach to Irz Vige.

 Chapter 58 March of Greed

    Chapter 58 ¨C March of Greed

    The time goes back to several days back to the time Kurono has his reunion with Sariel. The Crusaders had departed to upy the viges.

    The centre of the army was the the private army of either the church or a nobility departed from the home country.

    The already upied Daedalus, at the time of upation, tried to skillfully tell about the situation to vige heads of other viges.

    And the Crusaders stationed troops, they would be able to get the viges both in name purpose and their real purpose. If the remnants of defeated army won¡¯t start a rebellion, then blood won¡¯t be spilled.

    But everything doesn¡¯t work so easy in real life. The Crusadersposed of many purposes individually, acted just as Kurono suspected.

    Stealing, Destroying, Killing, the Crusaders did the cruel acts under the name of divine punishment and continued doing it without any remorse and hesitation.

    From now on numerous viges within Daedalus territory will be massacred and looted and in the end destroyed. Furthermore the one vige walking on the cruel path of fate with those viges was Irz vige which Kurono loved.

    Along with the sunset in the Gahad mountain range, the army of people wearing white costumes start marching.

    Wearing cross around their necks, wearing chainmail under their long white surcoats, donning broadswords and spears in hand is the infantry equipment of Crusaders.

    They formed a line and marched, the one leading them is a young priest sitting on a conspicuous ck horse named Kievan.

    The appearance with white skin, blond hair and blue eyes, is verymon in Syncrea Republic.

    As he is a white magician, his robe is decorated with various magic items and it¡¯s appearance stands out.

    ¡°It has gotten considerably dark.¡±

    Running parallel to Kievan¡¯s horse, his aide Corvus speaks.

    ¡°What is it? Are you scared about marching at night time?¡±

    ¡°No, the highway is also maintained well, I doubt there will be problems.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nicely done even though they are demon races.¡±

    Inside Kievan¡¯s speech there is obviously scorn included.

    There are many countries in Pandora continent and they without exception call humans along with other races collectively as ¡®people/person¡¯.

    But however, in Syncrea Republic it ismon for all races to be denominated differently, and the believers of cross discriminate others with their ideals of ¡®human have the supremacy¡¯.

    It was natural for Kievan a fundamentalist of Cross Religion to have hostility and evil intention towards all those living within Pandora continent. [ET: wut is he, huh? Doesn¡¯t he know that people like him always get their ass beaten]

    ¡°ording to n, we will reach Irz vige soon.¡±

    ¡°No need to rush, just to gain control of a small vige in the countryside, we have plenty of time of 1 whole night.¡±

    The mission given to Kievan¡¯s force was to seize control of Irz Vige, but it wasn¡¯t something important that it was to be done fast.

    Because, this mission of Crusaders going along the north-west highway seizing control of various other viges was not a job for being conspicuous neither the results were important. On this Kievan said ¡°Please leave it to me!¡± and that¡¯s how this missions was forcefully established.

    A normal priest won¡¯t burden himself with such a needless job, but Kievan who made it to the priest¡¯s position in young age the so-called ¡®elite¡¯, couldn¡¯t remain patient and wait for an opportunity for him to show his deeds.

    In short, he was eager to do good deeds. [ET: Good deed here mean the deeds that seem on good to him.]

    The Crusaders current situation was to to possess all of therge Daedalus territory. When he thought that the soldiers and clergymen will take away all the good opportunity for aplishments, it couldn¡¯t be helped that he panicked.

    ¡°With this, I can now stand with the priests with one aplishment. If I can get a much bigger aplishment, then Cardinal Mercedes will also remember me, isn¡¯t that right?

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°By the time this expedition is concluded, I would at the very least be promoted to a High Priest. Naturally, I would grant you, my right hand, a suitable position too... In addition after that, depending on my aplishments the seat of Archbishop , no, the Cardinal will also not be a dream anymore. This mission will be a great stepping stone towards my big goal¨C¡± [ET: Police! Psychopath escaped & Spotted in Pandora Continent !]

    Kievan expresses a daring smile. At the same time, in the front of highway faint lights of Irz vige was present.

    17th day of Shinyou Month, Late at Night.

    ¡°Uue, did I drink too much.¡±(ipetent)

    The members of Irz der as usual don¡¯t speak a words towards him due to sympathy.

    ¡°Nyarko-san is looking at you Nino.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie Aten, today is an off day so she hasn¡¯te to Guild today¡±(ipetent)

    ¡°Why do you even know that?¡±(Aten)

    ¡°It¡¯s because I heard it the previous time we talked!¡±(ipetent)

    ¡°Ah, that time when you tried to ask her out for date, but in the end, you got scared and couldn¡¯t ask her¨C¡±(aten)

    ¡°Don¡¯t REMIND ME!¡±(really REALLY big ipetent)

    ¡°Well it¡¯s good, we were worried that Nino had changed to the rumoured ¡®STALKER¡¯ ss.¡±(aten)

    ¡°What the hell is a stalker.¡±(Ipetent stalker)

    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s used for the creepy ass males who chase after a girl without being noticed and observe them the whole day and night¡±(Harry)

    ¡°That is neither a ss nor a job¡±(ipetent creepy ass stalker)

    ¡°They even say that those creepy asses, even scavenge through the girl¡¯s garbage. It¡¯s really creepy ah scary~~¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Eeh, that really is creepy and sick¡±(Aten)

    Aten and Harry look with worried eyes towards Nino

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes! I haven¡¯t done it yet!¡±(........[I don¡¯t have words to name this ¡®person?¡¯])

    ¡°What do you mean by not yet!?¡±(Aten)

    ¡°AH no, right now, just left the mouth, it¡¯s that, erm¡ª¡±(:|)

    Aten and Harry get away from Nino, even the always cool ydor also left his seat.

    ¡°If you do perverted deeds towards guild receptionist, the party will also be dissolved.¡±(Aten)

    ¡°Worst case, we will be banned from entering the guild and have to take collective responsibility¡±(Harry)

    ¡°That will be a problem¡±(Aten)

    ¡°You bastards what are you worrying about!! I won¡¯t do something like that!!¡± (:| :|) [ET: will he remain convicted on his statement yes or no, find out more by scrolling down.]

    Nino stomps the table with *bam* and stands up in anger.

    ¡°Calm down Nino, It¡¯ll be bad if we get seen by Nyarko-san¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Like I¡¯m saying Nyarko ain¡¯t here!¡±( :|:|:|:|)

    ¡°Is there something about with me?¡± (Nyarko) {ET: sorry for many of my notes, but O.O. this idk wut species got doomed}

    The moment the voice entered Nino¡¯s ears, his tail and ear get started and stand up

    That was the reaction when a werecat is Surprised!!

    ¡°Wh,Why, are you here?¡±(:|)

    ¡°¡®Why you say, isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s my work.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°I know that much!¡± Nino couldn¡¯t say that.

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, my sister said to change her shift with Nyarko-san as she was ill.¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Harry! Tell me that thing first.¡±(let¡¯s go back to ipetent ass hole)

    ¡°Do tell senpai, to get better soon~¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell her¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Now, Nino-san¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Y,Yeah!? what is it!¡± (Nino)

    Aten quietly stares at the Nino who looks really pitiable with his voice quavering.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright to make noise at thepletion of quest, but please try to refrain from being too excited that you would unsheathe a sword.¡±(Nyarko)

    ¡°Ha,Hahi......¡±(..................)

    Looking at Nino dejected and lowering his tail and ears, even members decided to follow him up.

    ¡°Well, Nyarko-san we both drank too much ,It¡¯s not NIno¡¯s fault can¡¯t you forgive him¡±(Harry)

    ¡°Ah, sorry, I was going with the flow and¡ª¡±

    Somehow fixing up the situation, Nyarko left towards the counter.

    But Nino¡¯s high spirits were falling down to death, as he showed his uncool side to Nyarko. [ET: was he even cool to begin with!?]

    ¡°It¡¯s over. Let¡¯s head back for today.¡±(................)

    Nino speaks after drinking a cup of alcohol.

    HIs mood and face color both are not good looking.

    ¡°Nn, well, Don¡¯t worry about it too much¡±(Harry)

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you would have forgotten it by tomorrow, right?¡±(Aten)

    Nino left his seat while staggering.

    ¡°Shall I send you home?¡±(ydor)

    In contrast to Nino, ydor stands up firmly and steadily.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry for all the troubles.¡±(Nino [I felt bad for him.])

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±(ydor)

    Both left a lot of silver coins on the table and left the guild.

    ¡°Fuu~, the night wind feels good.¡±

    While saying such words, Nino and ydor walk.

    It¡¯s not unusual for them to be going back home together , it¡¯s normal in their everyday life.

    It was supposed to be like that, but ydor notices something different from usual first.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little noisy ?¡±

    ¡°An?¡±

    Now that he said, there definitely are voices of people.

    Once they know that something is happening they can easily find it¡¯s source. With curiosity they both walked towards the source of noises.

    That was the door of the vige where they had justpleted the quest.

    ¡°What happened here? Did some monstere here?¡±(Nino)

    In the vicinity of the gate, the vignte corps were running with torch in one hand.

    Nino gets that something bad is urring here, and loses his intoxication and looks towards the vige with the same seriousness that he shows in dungeon.

    ydor who also felt the same as Nino, finds his father¡¯s figure between the vigntes and calls out to him.

    ¡°Pops, what happened here?¡±(ydore)

    ¡°Oo, ydor and Nino are here too.¡±( ydor¡¯s pops)

    ¡°Uncles, it feels dangerous around here¡±(Nino)

    If they both were kids, they would¡¯ve been sent home in this situation but, right now they both are fine adult who contribute for the peace of the vige.

    Grint as a vignte corp leader, as a father, looks towards his son and his best friend , and told about the current situation without any deceit.

    ¡°Some unknown army is approaching the vige through the north-west highway.¡±(grint)

    ¡°What!?¡±(....)

    ¡°Are they bandits?¡±(ydor)

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know, we have send out the fast runners for scouting but they have yet to return.¡±(Glint)

    Shivers run down both their spines.

    Even though they are rank 2 adventurers, they have passed the stage of a rookie and their instinct of sniffing out danger can¡¯t bepared to a normal person.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and inform Harry and Aten. ydor, you stare here with uncle and guard the gate.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°I request you Nino, there is no time for giving a request to the guild right now, so appeal to as many adventurers you can for cooperating in this case of emergency.¡±(Glint)

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±(NINO!)

    Nino like a gust of wind runs through the road he was just walking yfully.

    ¡°Damn it! I can only feel something bad¡¯s gonna ur goddamnit!!¡±(Nino)

 Chapter 59 Irz in flames (1)

    Chapter 59 Irz in mes (1)

    Head Shione had already lied down on her bed but the moment one of the vigntes knocked on the door, she jumped back to her feet.

    The vige itself had not faced any incident for several decades now, but she had experienced emergency calling incidents countless times in her long life.

    The vige head called the person inside and heard the situation in her usualposed manner.

    ¡°......I see. Then I¡¯ll leave towards the gate at once.¡±(shione)

    Even after hearing something shocking like a mysterious army marching towards here, she did not show any signs of astonishment or bewilderment on her face.

    She hadn¡¯t been living for so long just for show after all. She understood that even in emergencies, the head should always stay calm andposed first.

    But still, just because no emotions were shown outside, didn¡¯t mean that her heart was also calm.

    As she prayed that no blood of the vigers be spilled, she put on her aged dark green robe and left the house with her long staff that had an emerald coloured stone embedded on its tip.

    That robe and staff were battle equipment that she hadn¡¯t used in a long time.

    ¡°Eh........What does that mean?¡±

    Nino, who should have returned with ydor, suddenly returned back with a changed expression which surprised Nyarko and others, but without paying that any attention, he briefly yet precisely exined the situation to them, or rather, shouted in a loud voice so that every guild member could hear it.

    Nyarko remained dumbfounded but Aten and Harry, and all other adventurers that were sitting and drinking, immediately started moving.

    ¡°Nyarko, hurry up and contact the Guild Leader and round up every adventurer here in Irz vige guild!¡±

    ¡°I, I¡¯m on it!!¡±

    On Nino¡¯s words, Nyarko ran towards the counter.

    ¡°Ah, maybe I should have asked her to run away.¡±(nino)

    ¡°What are you saying? Nyarko-san is also a member of the Guild. During evacuation, she would be secondst to do so.¡±(harry)

    ¡®And thest ones would be us¡¯. Nino understood that without even saying.

    ¡°But, this time I¡¯m really getting a bad¡ª¡ª¡°

    *DODON!!*

    At that moment, a load thunderous sound resounded in the guild, no, in the whole vige.

    ¡°This certainly feels dangerous.¡±

    ¡°The sound came from the direction of the gate, right?¡±

    ¡°Shit! Hurry up and let¡¯s go! Aten, Harry!!¡±

    Each and everyone picked up their weapons and started running towards the gate.

    ¡°Anathema Hammer ¨C Destruction Hammer.¡±

    A Union magic used by 10 magicians together in cooperation, as its name suggested, smashed the Irz vige gate into smithereens.

    The vigntes standing near the gate were blown away and instantly killed.

    The vige head who wasing towards the gate to talk with the mysterious army was protected from the st by the vignte corps leader by using his own body as a shield and somehow escaped being heavily injured.

    Cries of pain and agony of the injured resounded in the dark night.

    Even before the dust of the st settled, the Crusaders dressed in white and with the man on a horse as its leader, boldly entered the Irz Vige.

    ¡°Hm, there are quite a lot of demons here.¡±

    Atop his horse, Kievan said as he looked towards the Vignte corps with a scowl.

    Among them, he saw an old elf woman with a long staffe towards him along with a giant lizardman.

    He stopped the soldiers behind him, who were about to fire arrows, with a single wave of his hand. Along with his aide, Corvus, Kievan took a step towards them.

    The surroundings were still noisy, but Irz vige representative Shione along with vignte corps leader Grint and Crusaders representative Priest Kievan and Deacon Corvus were still silent.

    But, one side was due to fear and anxiety, and the other due to contempt and scorn. There was clear difference in their mental states.

    ¡°Are you the head of this vige?¡± (Kievan)

    The first to speak was Kievan, impolitely while looking down on Shione from the horse.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Irz vige¡¯s¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk anymore. I¡¯ll get corrupted if I talk to demons any more. What I¡¯m about to say are the words of God. I¡¯ll say only once so listen carefully.

    We, the holy Crusaders have killed the evil dragon Gaevinal and have liberated thisnd of Daedalus. And as per the wishes of our great Lord, thisnd will be offered to him.¡±

    At those words, the Vige head could only stiffen while widening her eyes.

    Basically, the Dragon King Gaevinal had been killed by the human army called Crusaders and have captured Daedalus.

    She knew they were fighting humans, but it was hard to believe that the powerful Daedalus army led by the Dragon King himself had been defeated.

    ¡°Oh my, it seems you don¡¯t even understand what you have to do. It can¡¯t be helped so I¡¯ll exin in words you low-witted demons can also understand.

    Quickly bring all gold, silver, weapons, provisions, everything in the vige and give it to us Crusaders.

    Also, if there are any humans then bring them as well, I¡¯ll specially treat them as salves and let them live.¡±

    A chill ran down Shione¡¯s spine.

    If they were thieves, then their eyes would be shining with greed right now. But in his eyes, Shione could only see a clear contempt. This man does not even have the guilt of ¡®stealing¡¯ things from others. He is already certain that everything here is his possession.

    And it seems her instincts were unfortunately correct as well.

    In other words, there was no scope for negotiations.

    Shione decided, while apologizing to the Irz vige that was about to be destroyed and to the people who were about to die.

    ¡°.......Grint, ring the bell.¡±

    Grint clearly heard those simple words. At the same time, she shouted towards the sky.

    ¡°Ring the bell!!!¡±

    *GOONG!* *GOONG!!*

    The bell resounded throughout the vige. It¡¯s meaning was known by everyone in the Irz vige.

    Emergency situation and evacuate. That was the meaning behind the bell.

    ¡°Tch, don¡¯t cause us trouble.¡±

    Kievan said as he brought down his raised hand.

    The moment the bell rang, he took it as a show of resistance and instantly ordered to attack.

    Behind him, arrows were nocked, spears were taken in stance, chants of magic began, and the signal of battle was given.

    And, a battle had started in the ce Kievan stood as well. In front of him, stood Grint whose body had been pierced with numerous arrows.

    ¡°Fuun!¡±

    Grint removed the arrows in his body forcefully with his bare hands.

    The arrows had pierced even through the gaps in the scales but he defended against mot with steel like scales and flesh.

    Grint who belonged to one of the sturdiest race and was also a trained soldier, his life would not be in danger just because of some arrows.

    ¡°Demons really are uselessly sturdy. Truly repulsive.¡±

    Kievan said with a bored expression. And with a shout Grint jumped towards him.

    A lizardman who was much powerful than a human, could disy charging strength equal to that of a whole human troop with his own body. And, currently, he was using it to its fullest.

    ¡°oooooo¡ª- Charge!!¡±

    With the activation of a martial art skill, an attack that could already pierce steel was powered up even further. And the spear that was going in a straight line to pierce Kievan was,

    ¡°sh.¡±

    It was reflected by the swing of a long sword.

    To defend Kievan, Corvus had stepped in between.

    ¡°Is physical strength enhancement ¨C Full Burst necessary?¡±(Kievan)

    ¡°No, something of that level, I can deal with my martial arts alone.¡±(Corvus)

    Even after taking the powerful blow of the lizardman warrior Grint, Corvus replied calmly.

    ¡°I see, ????? ?????? ???? ??? ¡ª Lux Shield.¡±

    The moment Kievan deployed his defensive magic, the shield of light was struck with a de of wind.

    ¡°To think that even that old hag could fight. These demons really are troublesome.¡±

    In front him, Shione stood who had fired the Wind de ¨C Air Sagita.

    ¡°Too dangerous. I¡¯ve decided Corvus, the demons of this vige¡ª¨C¡°

    Kievanughed. Rather than getting gold, rather than making women into his ves, killing evil demons was a much happier thing for pious follower of the church.

    ¡°¡ª-Annihte them all.¡±

    ¡°Shit, Shiiiitt!!!¡±

    Drenched in sweat and blood, with his de that had started losing its sharpness, he stabbed his sword once more in another one of the soldiers dressed in white.

    Nino had already cut apart 10 of them. But their numbers were only increasing instead of decreasing. And to top it off, everything was in mes now.

    There was not a single soldier who could use a single martial art, but the difference in numbers was too big to cover with just his skills.

    If it goes on like this, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he will be surrounded by mes and enemies.

    Nino, after the bell had been rung, was now running towards the gate that led to the north-west highway while defeating enemies that wereing up one by one.

    But, maybe because the gate had been blown away, soldiers were appearing from beyond the darkness of the night.

    ¡°Nino! We can¡¯t go on like this! Let¡¯s return to the guild!¡±

    You don¡¯t even have to tell me that, but,

    ¡°Idiot! ydor is still near the gate!¡±

    ¡°Calm down Nino. The vigntes are also there near the gate, then we don¡¯t have to go to reinforce them unnecessarily¡ª¨C¡±

    I know that as well. The vignte corps, that is the strongest force of the vige, is already at the gate. It¡¯s not like much would change even if just we joined them.

    No, maybe, attacked by such a big number, they might have been annihted already.

    ¡°......let¡¯s go back to the guild.¡±

    If we can¡¯t go to the gate then, the next thing we should do is regroup and coborate with other adventurers and help in the evacuation of civilians.

    Like that he could save people like Nyarko or anyone else.

    ¡°Sorry, ydor.......¡±

    Looking back towards the burning gate onest time, Nino and the others started to go back the way they came.

 Chapter 60 Irz in Flames (2)

    Chapter 60 Irz in mes (2)

    The gate towards the north-west highway was currently filled with the highest amount of people since the establishment of Irz Vige.

    In front of the overwhelming numbers of Crusaders, there¡¯s only a limit to how much time 50-some vigntes could buy for them.

    There hasn¡¯t been much time since the gate was destroyed, nevertheless, the most any vignte could do was just keep on standing somehow.

    People who were alive, that is Shione, Grint, and his son ydor and some more vigntes were fighting while protecting each other¡¯s blind spot. But, there was no way something like that could stop the Crusaders from entering the vige. And steadily, many Crusaders had already reached the centre of the vige.

    Already, most of the vige was on fire but the ones fighting here did not even have the time to even notice that.

    ¡°Oi, how long are you going to take to take care of that demon?¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡ªha, I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    In front of Corvus who had just answered, a goblin, who had been cut together with his leather armor from the shoulder, had fallen.

    As Corvus stood on the frontlines while fighting, he also gave out orders to avoid as many casualties of his soldiers as possible.

    Whenever a soldier got injured or fatigued, he instantly made him switch with another one in the back. That way, he had reduced the number of casualties greatly even against the physically stronger demons.

    Of course, for the vigntes, it was situation where they felt that none of their attacks were working and the enemy soldiers were unhurt.

    If the battle continues for 10 more minutes, sooner orter, a casualty will arise and then it¡¯ll be easier to annihte them.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡±(Kievan)

    But, not even wanting to wait for that little time, Kievan decided to remove this resistance with his own hands.

    ¡°Get back.¡±(Kievan)

    The moment Kievan said that, the soldiers that were shing swords, instantly retreated, and the circle of soldiers surrounding the vigers grew bigger.

    ¡°Evil demons, receive God¡¯s judgement under my holy radiance.¡±(Kievan)

    He spoke some pompous and exaggerated words but he is seriously thinking of killing the evil demons in ce of God.

    The Elf, Lizardman, and people of other beastmen races that were continuing to resist in front of him, just what kind of difference did they have from humans? What was supposed to be their sin?

    But the believers of the church believed, that any other race other than humans was nothing but a sin in front of their God.

    ¡°?????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ¡ª Concentration enhancement ¨C Conses Boost.¡±

    ¡°???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ¡ª elemental enhancement ¨C Element Boost.¡±

    The magicians serving Kievan invoked enhancement magics. Under the effect concentration enhancement, the chant was shortened and more amount of magical energy could bepressed. And element enhancement turned the ¡®light¡¯ of the magic about to be activated much stronger.

    ¡°???? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????¡±

    After just of a few seconds of chanting, the ¡®holy light¡¯ was finally released.

    ¡°Giant sh cannon ¨C Lux Force st!¡±

    Under the current Model Magic ssified as an advanced level magic, it was a ranged attack magic of the light primary colour magical energy.

    A magic that could have normally killed even a rank 3 monster, under the effects of the enhancements, became an even stronger torrent of light and attacked the vignte corps.

    ¡°???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ¨C strong wind protective wall ¨C Air Wall Defence!!¡±

    The vige head mobilised the magical energy that had started to wither away, and deployed a shield covering everyone to protect them from the deadly light magic.

    But she knew that it was impossible to defend against a advance level magic with an intermediate level magic. In the first ce, a shield of air was at disadvantage against a light based attack magic in terms of elemental affinity as well.

    As a result, the vige head¡¯s shield, and the reflexive action to defend themselves taken by the vignte corps members, was not even able to half the damage released by Kievan¡¯s magic.

    ¡°¡±GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAA¡ª-¡°¡±

    Kievan had already turned away as the cries of death rose and without a change in emotions asked.

    ¡°Oi, there seems to be another ce where resistance is taking ce, right?¡±(Kievan)

    Having burned the vignte corps to cinders with a single attack, he had already forgotten about them and moved to the next problem that required his attention.

    The soldiers around him also seemed either happy or relieved that the demons¡¯ resistance had been ended.

    ¡°Corvus, it seems some adventurers are cooped up in the guild to defend themselves. Let¡¯s go and quickly crush them.¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±

    On Kievan¡¯s words, Corvus finally looked away from the corpse of the lizardman he had been fighting till now. He was the only one that was still thinking about the deaths of the demons.

    (¡°Why did that lizardman warrior tried to protect that other lizardman? Do mere demons even have the will to abandon themselves to protect another?¡±)

    The figure of the burnt corpse that lied on each other had been etched in his mind. But Corvus had no way of knowing that those two had been actually father and son.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking joke with me! As if I¡¯ll ept something like surrendering to them!¡±

    Nino¡¯s angry voice resounded inside the Guild.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who is joking around, look at your surroundings¡ª¨C¡°

    Currently, the guild¡¯s building had beenpletely surrounded by the Crusaders.

    ¡°¡ª-Even being thrown inside a goblin¡¯s nest naked would have been much better.

    So, how are we supposed to fight against them?!¡±

    Another adventurer who was in the guild shouted back.

    In the guild, adventurers that belonged to Irz vige and those who just happened to be here were currently of different opinions.

    The former were ready to resist till they die and thetter were insisting on surrendering.

    Nino and the others who had a skirmish with the vanguard of the Crusaders had been suppressed through numbers making them retreat back inside the guild and then encircled them to trap them there.

    Thus, a little time to argue had been given to them.

    ¡°You bastards can go fight with your life on the line because this your home vige, but it¡¯s not the same for us, we have no obligation to get ourselves killed here!¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you just say!!?¡±

    ¡°Pl, Please stop!!¡±

    Nino who had grabbed the human adventurer was stopped by Nyarko.

    Soon other adventurers also moved in to pull them apart.

    The human adventurer then looked at Nyarko and said.

    ¡°Oi, the guild leader here is already dead isn¡¯t he? Then there¡¯s no order for apulsory quest either so we have no obligation to fight.

    Well even if there was an order, rather than fighting such a battle, I would pay 100 gold or even 1000 gold to cancel it though.¡±

    ¡°uu.....ye.., yes.........¡±

    Nyarko had gone towards the guild leader¡¯s house as per Nino¡¯s instruction before the bell for evacuation had rung.

    But in the middle of bringing the guild leader here, they were found by the Crusaders who had already started appearing here and there, and only Nyarko, who was fast due to being from a beast race, could safely make it back to the guild.

    Although it couldn¡¯t be helped considering the situation, Nyarko had beenmenting the fact that she had abandoned the guild leader in between.

    ¡°Do you understand? We don¡¯t have a reason to fight, don¡¯t try and stop us.¡±

    ¡°.......Shit.¡±

    Nino was also an adventurer. He could understand the man¡¯s logic.

    ¡°Then go, I¡¯ll stay here and fight.¡±

    ¡°No need for you to tell me, I¡¯ll go.¡±

    The human adventurer threw his sword on the table since he was about to surrender.

    Along with him, almost half of the adventurers in the guild threw away their weapons and moved towards the entrance of the guild.

    ¡°Wait.¡±(nino)

    ¡°What, still got any problem?¡±

    ¡°.....take Nyarko with you.¡±(nino)

    Nyarko was about to say something but was stopped by Nino¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°We¡¯re the only ones that need to fight and die.¡±(nino)

    ¡°Nino-san....¡±(nyarko)

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If you obediently surrender, they won¡¯t kill you. Also, even if you are caught, Kurono¡¯ll probablye to save you.¡±

    That¡¯s not the ce where you take the name of another man¡ªAten, who was standing beside him, thought but did not actually speak.

    But, if it was Kurono, he¡¯d probably fight together with us, she thought.

    ¡°Re, really, all of us should surrender together¡ª-¡°

    To Nyarko¡¯s appeal, Nino smiled wryly and answered.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve already killed 10 of their men, they won¡¯t let me live anyway.¡±

    When she looked towards Aten and Harry she again received wry smiles.

    ¡°Bu, but¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Come on, hurry up and get going, you don¡¯t know when the enemy will burst in!¡±

    This situation will obviously not continue forever. If the group outside decided to start their assault, they will lose their chance to surrender as well.

    ¡°See ya, Nyarko.¡±

    ¡°.......yes, Nino-san, everyone,.......may the fortunes of war be with you.¡±

    With big tears flowing from those eyes, Nyarko left with that group of adventurers.

    And, Nino will soon realize and regret that this was the worst decision ever.

    Kievan moved through the group of white soldiers as if going through a white colored wave.

    In front of him was the biggest building in this vige, the adventurer guild.

    ¡°What happened, why are you not attacking it already?¡±

    Kievan asked themanding officer of the troops standing in front of the entrance with a slight irritation in his voice.

    ¡°Yes, the enemy has multiple magicians who can use mid level magic and there were many soldiers with high skill as well, so attacking with just soldiers would be reckless and danger¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Basically, you got scared, is it?¡±(Kievan)

    On being red from above, themanding officer hanged his head with a ¨C ¡°I¡¯m extremely sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well whatever. The adventurers of the demons are strong people who possess brutal strength that they can hunt monsters with only a few people, or so I have heard¡ª¡°

    As he remembered the figure of the elf or the lizardman that he had sent to oblivion, he understood that if that sturdy body of the demons was further supplemented by strong magic, they could show abilities stronger than humans.

    ¡°Well even I want to avoid useless deaths in my army. I¡¯ll value your decision to wait for the reinforcement of magicians.¡±

    Thank you very much ¨C as he said that themanding officer finally breathed a sigh in relief thankful that he had avoided the anger of a Priest. But soon he saw Kievan¡¯s look filled with anger again as he(Kievan) noticed something.

    ¡°What is that?¡±(Kievan)

    In his line of sight were a few people that were slightly armoured but without weapons and were raising their hands and shouting something.

    They were currently standing exactly in the middle of the space between the Crusaders and the entrance of the guild.

    Kievan was had asked, but even without listening the answer, he was well aware of what it meant.

    ¡°Yes, they are ones that just came out of the guild saying that they are surrendering¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°You fool! I can see that as well!! Why haven¡¯t you killed them yet?!¡±(Kievan)

    ¡°Th, th, that¡¯s .......because among them there are a few that look like humans so.¡±

    ¡°Kill them.¡±

    ¡°bu, but, the headquarters had ordered to take humans as prisoners.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! They are demons! And heretics that live along with demons! Their existence itself is sphemy towards god! They must be dealt with immediately!!¡±

    For Kievan, the very fact that there was a human mixed with them was unforgivable.

    The humans living in Pandora and the humans living in Arc continent, he might have imed them to be another type to demons if they had looked different just like Asians looked different from Western people in Kurono¡¯s world.

    But in truth there was no difference in the appearance of humans in this world. One could tell that someone was a human in a single nce.

    Therefore, humans who were the supreme creation of god, to have lived along with demons, that fact alone was diforting for Kievan.

    As themanding officer had said, if he were to follow the orders of HQ, the humans who had surrendered were to be taken as at least prisoners of war.

    But, for Kievan it was more important to adhere to the teachings of his god rather than follow the orders of HQ. Thus, he took the decision without even a single hesitation.

    ¡°Ready your aim¡ª-¡°

    Kievan moved even further as he gave the order.

    Under the orders of the highest position in this ce, the soldiers quickly took action.

    Bowmen nocked their arrows, magicians started chants for attack magics.

    And in front of the Crusaders who were clearly taking offensive measures, the group that had left the guild to surrender were ovee with fright.

    ¡°O, Oi!? Please wait¡ª-¡°

    The adventurer spoke which sounded more like screaming but, Kievan only wanted to kill these defenceless people instantly. He would never listen to their pleas.

    ¡°Fire.¡±

 Chapter 61 Irz in Flames (3)

    Chapter 61 Irz in mes (3)

    The scene that urred in front of him, Nino, no every adventurer of Irz vige that had remained in the guild, were unable to understand what happened for a second.

    The moment a man on a horse, probably themander, came, every one suddenly lifted and readied their weapons.

    Without even trying to listen to their pleas, the army fired me magic and arrows upon them.

    Arrows pierced their bodies, and the moment they fell on their knees, innumerable fire arrows ¨C Ignis Sagita rushed in and burnt them all to smithereens.

    That included Nino¡¯s crush, who he just talked to, Nyarko as well.

    The always cheerful poster girl of the Guild, her lovable figure was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°A a¡ª¡ª¨C¡°

    Surprise, sadness, anger, all sorts of emotions swirled inside their heads, and nobody was able to say a single word.

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!¡±

    All that left the throat was a violent and furious scream.

    The adventurers here finally realized that the opponents neither had anypassion nor did they leave any scope for negotiation, they were simply murdering demons.

    And we will also be killed by those demons, but,

    (¡°that guy¡±)

    Themander that ordered to attack those defenceless people who had surrendered.

    (¡°just that guy¡±)

    ¡°¡±¡±¡±I¡¯ll kill him!!¡±¡±¡±¡±

    Adventurers twisted with anger and madness, picked their weapons and jumped outside.

    Without thinking even a single bit about what would happen next, about their own deaths, they simply swore in their hearts to kill thatmander of the demons.

    It was daybreak.

    The light of the sun shined on the Irz vige but the ck smoke covering it had not yet cleared away.

    Underneath that cloud of smoke, was a painting of hell filled with the stench of corpses created in just a single night. In the burnt down houses, piles of corpses had been created, butpared to a few hours ago during midnight, it had be a mountain of corpses.

    A mountain of corpses was created, meaning not a single death cry resounded in the vige anymore.

    Currently the army was hurriedly collecting the valuables and also searching for demons that might have hidden till now.

    This situation was seen by Priest Kievan, who was also themander of this force, with a somewhat satisfied look from the window of the conference room on the top floor of the guild.

    ¡°And, what did you want to talk about?¡±

    Kievan looked back at his aide, Corvus, who was standing in attention.

    ¡°Yes. Near this vige there exists a ce called as Fairy Garden.¡±

    ¡°Fairy is it?.......Then¡±

    ¡°It is as you think. Most probably there is a fountain of holy water there.¡±

    Holy water was a famous item that every follower of the church was aware of.

    Water that holds the power of god. Strictly speaking, it was fresh water that heldrge quantities of white magical energy.

    Normally, it is a magic item made my white magicians for Priest and above rank, but asionally, ces where it naturally exists also appear.

    In the Arc continent, ces where holy water ¡®naturally¡¯ appears is treated with extreme importance.

    White magic was equal to the power of god but a ce where it is naturally appearing meant that a power other than the god¡¯s was also working there. Basically it was a holy ce.

    But, the religious reasons aside, being able to collectrge amount of holy water had many benefits.

    Holy water was required in rituals, if used with white magic, it could disy various effects as well.

    From a magician to a simple believer, everyone had many uses for it.

    Thus, a ce where holy water naturally came was equal to finding a gold vein for the church.

    Kievan who was seeking achievements in the conquest of Pandora continent, he had no reason to leave it alone.

    ¡°It seems to be called the fountain of light around here, and is located in the deepest portions of the forest, also it seems any race other than fairies are not allowed to enter.¡±(Corvus)

    ¡°hmm, then there is no doubt.¡±(Kievan)

    ces where holy wateres forth is a ce fairies live is a legend even the children in Arc continent know about.

    And, that it was not just a legend but an actual fact, Kievan had once read it somewhere.

    ¡°I believe we should quickly depart to secure it.¡±(Corvus)

    ¡°Corvus, I¡¯ll leave this case to you. Take those necessary for the search party from among the force.¡±(Kievan)

    ¡°Thank you very much, but, I¡¯ll end up taking most of the magicians. Would that be fine?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Swords won¡¯t work much against fairies after all. Most of them have healed up too. As long as my two disciples are here, it¡¯ll be more than enough. I don¡¯t care if you take all the rest of them. It¡¯s an important matter after all.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I shall definitely gain control over that ce.¡±

    Both Kievan and Corvus knew that they would need to fight the fairies living there.

    In the Republic,pared to other demons, the feelings of contempt towards fairies was stillmon even though they looked pretty. But the fairies held much more magical energy than humans.

    If you underestimate them, you would be attacked by magics of various elements and will be pathetically blown to pieces.

    But if they were to use trained magicians, and gather a big force as well, humans would not lose to fairies who are not used to fighting.

    And, Kievan judged that the numbers required could be obtained from the force he had.

    ¡°Oh right, who did you hear this info from¡ª¨C¡°(Kievan)

    ¡°A man named Kische, he used to have an item shop in the vige.¡±(Corvus)

    ¡°Ah, deal with him as required, alright?¡±

    ¡°.....but he is a human, is that fine?¡±

    ¡°Nobody will buy a man in his middle-ages, right? He is of no use. Above all, I can¡¯t let a fiendish heretic who interacted with dwarfs to stay alive. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is as you say.¡±

    ¡°Oh well. I¡¯ll give the orders to deal with the man and his family. You should start towards the securing of the holy water.¡±

    Acknowledging, Corvus left the ce. Kievan looked outside the window again and smiled faintly.

    Beneath him, in the centre of the vige, a line of wooden crosses were standing.

    On the crosses, foolish ¡®demons¡¯ who went against god, that is Nino and the other Irz vige adventurers¡¯ corpses were crucified as an example and warning.

    The mountain of corpses was tragic already, but they were ones to have been burned and buried. It was much better that being stuck on a cross as an example.

    It was truly the death filled painting of hell itself, but Kievan it was nothing more than the first step towards his bright shining future.

    The subjugation of Irz vige, although a few causalities were taken, had beenpleted sessfully and on top of it, finding holy water was an extremely big bonus.

    Things were moving so well that he truly believed that he had been blessed by God.

    Thus a smile, a smile had naturallye on his face.

    Kievan, with a satisfied mood, made the sign of cross in front of his chest, and gave a prayer.

    ¡°Let my faith be seen by the heavens¡ª-¡°

 Chapter 62 Madness/Berserk

    Chapter 62 Madness/Berserk

    Halfway on the highway to Irz vige, I saw a ck cloud rising in front of me.

    ¡°Shit, they set the vige on fire!¡±(kurono)

    Although I couldn¡¯t actually see whether the vige was really burning or not, but there was no other reason for such a ck cloud that I could think of.

    Seeing that abnormality, I put more strength in my legs to run even faster.

    At that time, I heard the sound of flock of birds flying away from within the forest on my left.

    Lots of birds lived in the forest and it was very natural for a flock to fly together but, the number of birds I was currently seeing was a bit too big to be natural.

    ¡°Kurono!¡±(lily)

    Lily who was in my hood, pulled on my robe.

    ¡°What happened, Lily?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s trouble, the fountain is¡ª¡ª¡°

    Stopping my legs, I tried to listen carefully to what she was saying.

    Before I could hear what she was trying to say, I instantly understood it the moment I saw a cloud of smoke rise from the forest as well.

    ¡°Shit, have the Crusaders approached the fountain of light as well!?¡±

    Why would they go there? Are they thinking that ce has some treasure?

    Lily jumped out from the hood, and starts running towards the forest.

    ¡°Ah, wait!!¡±

    Even if Lily had been banished from the fountain of light, I know she still treasures it.

    I don¡¯t exactly know what does the words ¡®Divine protection of the Queen¡¯ means for the fairies except that it makes thend dense with magical energy. But considering that fairies had disallowed any other race toe in, I can somewhat understand it.

    The fountain of light, if it any other racees in there or destroys it, the magical effect of the ¡®Divine protection of the Queen¡¯ would most likely disappear from thatnd.

    Anyway, it¡¯s true that Lily and other fairies have to somehow prevent the invasion in some way or the other.

    The Crusaders must have invaded the fountain of light with some objective and must have battled with fairies there. That should be the reason behind that smoke.

    I don¡¯t have any reason to stop Lily from going; in fact I want to go assist her instead.

    But, the smoke of battle is rising not just from the fountain of light but also from the vige as well. I can¡¯t just leave that either.

    ¡°Lily will go to the fountain of light. Kurono should go towards the vige.¡±(lily)

    ¡°......is that fine?¡±(kurono)

    The most important thing for me is the safety of Lily after all.

    I realized just now, but I was pushing myself due to anger and impatience from the fact that the vige was under attack but in the process I was exposing not just myself but also Lily to danger.

    Of course, I¡¯m not going to step back now, I¡¯ll definitely protect Lily.

    But, letting Lily face the Crusaders alone is¡ª¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! Believe in Lily!¡±(lily)

    Lily is my partner, not someone I have to one-sidedly protect.

    If she is asking me to believe in her, then I¡¯ll do what she says.

    ¡°Got it. But don¡¯t do anything rash.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, Kurono too.¡±(lily)

    ¡°n......yeah, I know.¡±(kurono)

    That¡¯s right, I promised Lily that I won¡¯t do something reckless like challenging Sariel again after all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many Crusaders are there but considering they are moving as an army, it won¡¯t be a number we can deal with alone. The moment we are done with our work, retreat quickly and we¡¯ll regroup at Kuar vige¡¯s guild.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Without exchanging anymore words, we ran towards our objectives.

    Just what kind of hell was waiting for me, at that time I didn¡¯t even have theposure to think about it.

    All the houses built a bit separated from the vige were either burnt down to ashes or were still being swallowed by fire.

    On the highway, arge amount of blood was sshed here and there but not a single body could be seen. ¡®The people who had bled so much had been carried away and were being treated right now¡¯¡ªI tried to cling on such wishful thinking.

    But, the putrid smell of corpses in the surrounding utterly destroyed my wish.

    The smell of corpses wasing from beyond the gate, from the centre of the vige.

    It proved to me that what was waiting for me beyond that fence was an unchangeable fact that a lot of lives had been taken.

    ¡°hah.........hah.........¡±

    My legs finally stopped running at full speed, and I was walking unsteadily like a feeble patient on the highway.

    Until now, I had seen a lot of deaths, in fact, I myself had killed many.

    In front of the dragon, in front of Sariel, my legs would shiver with fear always. But then what is this that I feel in front of this scenery of the vige painted in blood and mes? What kind of fear is this?

    ¡°What, the hell.......¡±

    This vige, this Irz vige was, my only ce of rest not connected to any fighting.

    Why has that turned into this blood reeking ce now?

    I can¡¯t think. Something like this, I won¡¯t acknowledge, I won¡¯t believe it¡ª¡ª- as I stood there dumbfounded, I wonder how much time had passed.

    Suddenly, seeing a certain scene, my legs stopped. It was a white soldiering out of a house that had miraculously not caught fire.

    That soldier was happily humming while holding something shining, probably silver coins, in his left hand.

    After him, 2 more soldiers carrying a filled box also came out, again with happy faces.

    The soldiers ced the box in the carriage like vehicle that was standing in front of the house. At that moment, a weirdly big *dosun* sound resounded from it.

    The three soldiers were saying something to each other about the small door of the house which couldn¡¯t be entered without bending, and the 3 of them entered the house once again.

    And the moment they came out again, inside my head that was dumbfounded and could not recognize reality, I felt something break and something snapped.

    I finally became aware of the scene in front of me.

    The three soldiers were carrying the corpses of goblins that were wearing in clothes.

    My ears caught some fragments of what the soldiers were saying.

    ¡°This was a miss¡ª- only the child of a filthy goblin is here.¡±

    ¡°¡ª¨Cif it was an elf woman then at least I could have enjoyed more.¡±

    ¡°We got money so whatever¡ª¡ª-¡°

    And, even roughly than the box, they threw the corpses on the wagon.

    Those corpses belonged to Vats-san who greeted me every morning and his family.

    ¡°aaa.....¡±

    The Irz vige I wanted to protect, seeing the deaths of the people living there,

    ¡°uooooaoaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±

    I went into a mad rage.

    Yes, I wentpletely mad.

    After all, I finally realized that I had been toote.

    In my left hand, the cursed hatchet [tsujigiri] had already appeared.

    The feelings of hatred that I had suppressed with my ckening were flowing inside my head like a surging wave.

    Normally, I would have reflexively resisted against that torrent of twisted feelings, but surprisingly it feltfortable right now instead.

    I couldn¡¯t differentiate whether this was my hatred or the hatchet¡¯s curse anymore.

    But it ordered my body to move.

    To kill every ¡®enemy¡¯ within my sight.

    .

    .

    .

    Lily sprinted towards the fountain of light located in the depths of fairy garden.

    The term sprinting might be a little incorrect though. After all Lily who had the body like that of an infant, even if she enhanced her legs with magic like Kurono, she still would not be able to produce an effect like him.

    Currently, Lily¡¯s body was covered with a sphere of light. With Fairy barrier ¨C Oracle Shield activated, Lily was jumping like a grasshopper in high speed.

    Jumping and crossing obstacles like fallen trees and rocks with ease, Lily looked like a white ball bouncing around.

    And with a speed much faster than any human, Lily could feel the magical energy around her body getting denser with her body as she moved closer towards the fountain of light.

    Normally, sensing Lilye this close, the other fairies woulde to stop her but right now the figure of those shining small girls was nowhere to be seen.

    Just a while back, the distant thunder like sound generated due to the use of an attack magic was the reason behind this.

    The Crusaders that were advancing towards the fountain had been intercepted by the fairies.

    In case, humans are allowed to invade to the ¡®centre¡¯ of the fountain, as Kurono had expected, the forest would lose the [Divine Protection of the Fairy Queen].

    In that case, fairies will no longer be born here, and it would be simr to lose their hometown for fairies.

    They must protect their home, the ce where they were born, and the sacrednd that has the divine protection of the queen.

    Thus Lily ran, flew, hurriedly.

    Quickly run towards her fellow fairies, and use her Extra magic, that was even stronger than normal fairies, and drive the humans away to protect this ce.¡ª¡ªLily was thinking only about that.

    But, the moment the density of magical energy crossed a certain level, that is, when Lily stepped into the ce where the queen¡¯s divine protection was strongest, a change urred in Lily.

    ¡°Protect........¡±

    Lily who had been moving like a bullet instantly decelerated.

    ¡°...........this ce?¡±

    Lily who was now only walking, the fairy barrier around her had already disappeared. Instead her body itself began to shine stronger.

    ¡°fufu......how foolish.¡±

    With every step she took, she literally became ¡®bigger¡¯.

    Her limbs became longer, her chest swelled and became bigger, from the baby like body, it turned into a slender, curved, feminine body.

    From a ¡®cute¡¯ child, she turned, no, grew into a ¡®beautiful¡¯ girl.

    But, rather than her body, what changed more was her mind.

    Lily took another step, her body growth had stopped but the change in her mind continued.

    Her thoughts became clearer, but became moreplex and at the same time her emotions, present situation, its advantages and disadvantages, what she could do, what she couldn¡¯t, what should she do and what she shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡ª- When she finally stopped walking, the changes in Lily had all finally ended.

    That was the true body of the girl that possessed wless and absolute beauty as well as overwhelming magical energy and knowledge about her Extra magic.

    An environment so rich with magical energy, that it allowed Lily to attain this form. This was also a part of the [Divine Protection of the Fairy Queen] that the fountain of light possessed.

    As long as she was inside this ¡®divine protection¡¯, Lily could stay in this form forever.

    ¡°fufufu¡ª¡ª-¡°

    Outside she could only attain this body once during every full moon. Beauty that could make any man¡¯s breath away. She had only shown her pretty expression to even Kurono as well but,

    ¡°ahahahaha!!¡±

    The current Lily had an extremely violent smile.

    ¡°What kind of idiot would protect this ce and those little bastards!?¡±

    Something cruel like this could never be thought by the child like Lily but the current her definitely would.

    The baby Lily, as her appearance, only had a pure heart, but returning to her original form, having the emotions, heart and thinking ability returned back to her, she had a cunning brain like that of a human and even had her own greed and desires unlike a fairy.

    ¡°ahaha, this is the best chance. With this opportunity, ¡ª¨C¡°

    Kurono had not realized that the most fearsome thing about Lily in her adult form was not her use of incredible magic but her heart that possessed both good and evil.

    ¡°¨Clet the fountain of light bepletely destroyed.¡±

 Chapter 63 Fountain of Light (1)

    Chapter 63 ¨C Fountain of Light (1)

    That moment, the fight against the human army and the fairies stopped for a moment and the fairies return hurriedly towards the center of fountain of light.

    ¡°Lily......what is that sham-fairy creature doing?¡±

    The leader of the fairies of the fountain of light takes the lead of other fairies and flies off.

    Unlike Lily those fairies are from the real fairy tribe and can fly with the two pair of wings on their back.

    The sight of the light orbs flying through the trees and flowers of forest is so beautiful that even the people from this world with magic will also be deeply moved.

    However, the true feelings of the the fairies themselves are worrying due to an emergency situation and their chest is about to burst from fright and anxiety.

    ¡°Just a little more¡ª¡±

    After passing through the forest, the fairies rush out towards the small fountain present in front of them.

    This small fountain is the so-called ¡°Fountain of Light¡±

    Although the name has ¡°Of Light¡±, in truth it is not radiating due to some effect from magic.

    It is only sparkling due to the sunlight from the sky shining on the water surface. Too natural for such a majestic name.

    But, in the vicinity of the fountain is thick density of magical power, so much that even a non-magician can sense it.

    Due to that, this ce that is located in the inner side of forest with a small fountain; it is truly a holy ce with mystical feeling that can be felt through the mind and body.

    And, standing in the middle of that fountain was ¡®her¡¯.

    ¡°Lily!¡±

    In a really hateful voice, the leader of fairies called her name.

    Lily has a body unbing of a fairy, in addition to it she is wearing clothes like a person, the ck dress Kurono gave her, looking at her like that she gets angry.

    ¡°What are you doing here! You should know the situation right now!?¡±

    Normally, she should have been fighting against the humans who were trying to invade here. She without a doubt emits hostility towards Lily floating elegantly in the center of fountain.

    That is definitely not something to point towards the person she will fight together with.

    Even though Lily is half magic beast, she also possess the fairies Telepathy ability, therefore Lily must have felt the animosity flowing from her and the surrounding fairies.

    But Lily answers with a nonchnt face.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s tough, the human bastards came attacking her in groups. I wonder will happen if theye her¡ª-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak anymore than that! There are somethings you can say and you can¡¯t say!¡±

    ¡°Thisnds divine protection would be lost¡± even for fairies it was hard to forgive her for saying such a thing.

    ¡°Really, well whatever. Can you turn those humans back with just your forces?¡±

    ¡°Th, That is¡ª¡±

    ¡°They have considerable amount of magicians prepared, and it doesn¡¯t seem like the other party is not ustomed to fights. You can¡¯t send them back in fear with just single shots, can you?¡±

    ¡°I know that much!¡±

    ¡°Un, you know right without me you will ¡®LOSE¡¯¡±

    Lily words hit right at spot.

    Though the fairies are blessed low in the mind department and they only y all the time, but even they have the intellect to judge to that degree.

    ¡°Tha, That¡¯s right¡ªLily, I admit that we don¡¯t stand a chance against those numbers of humans without you.¡±

    ¡°Un, so what?¡±

    Lily grins, though it was without any ill intention, it¡¯s enough to get the leader in a rage.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®so what¡¯!? The fountain of light is in danger! So hurry up and fight against those annoying human bastards!¡±

    ¡°Eeeh~ what is with that sort of speaking? I doubt it¡¯s the way to request to someone? That¡¯s why you can¡¯t make a living out of township shrine meeting.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª-¡±

    The fairies are at a loss of words.

    ¡°What the hell are ya sayin!? You an idiot to speak such sick jokes at a time like this! Hurry and fight, protect this ce!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re annoying, shut up for a bit. Calm down and think how you fairies expelled me out of here when I was born. This might be a birthce and holy ground to you but it ain¡¯t of much importance to me.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, isn¡¯t the holy ground an absolute thing for fairies, are you really thinking about it!?¡±

    ¡°¡®for the fairies¡¯ right. The ones who expelled me saying ¡®You¡¯re no damn fairy¡¯ are you guys, right?¡±

    ¡°That is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aa, well I don¡¯t give a shit about it. It¡¯s not like I have aplex for not being a pure fairy and I¡¯m not even thinking about bing one. It¡¯s just that the half-human half-demon race me has different sense of values than you fairies......¡±

    Lily once again smiles.

    ¡°And don¡¯t you think that when asking people you have say ¡®PLEASE¡¯ with your whole heart?¡±

    ¡°Wha, What are......¡¯please¡¯ you say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t that important, I also don¡¯t want to fight for you guys like it¡¯s natural. Look, it will be better if you bow your head fast, the humans are near, right? ¡±

    The current Lily is in an advantage position and can sense the magical power of the Crusader in a considerable scope.

    Even though it can¡¯t be seen with naked eyes, but Lily can sense them shortening their distance towards the spring while being precautious.

    Though the fairies don¡¯t have the sensing ability on par with Lily but given the current situation they can¡¯t say that her words are lies.

    Normally, the fairies who don¡¯t do much thinking, start racking their brains.

    They are racking their brains between the choices of not bowing before a sham-fairy due to their ego or bow their head and save their birthce, the fountain of light.

    It¡¯s obvious what is more important here, but the problem was bowing their heads to someone who was neither human nor fairy.

    After a moment of silence, the fairies finally speak.

    ¡°......ase¡±

    ¡°Eh, Wha~t?¡±

    Lily without changing her smiling face speaks in a lively voice.

    ¡°Please¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear clearly.¡±

    ¡°¡°I request you. ¡®please¡¯ save the fountain of light!¡±¡±

    The sadness-filled voice of fairies, echoes within the fountain of light.

    Lily after hearing that, replies with a bigger smile from before.

    ¡°Ufufu, Don¡¯t want to?¡±

    In an instant, silence spreads as if the the time has frozen.

    The leader of fairies, speaks with her face down and shoulder quivering.

    ¡°H,Ho, How can......¡±

    ¡°I just said it, that this ce ain¡¯t of importance to me.¡±

    ¡°Tha, That¡¯s why we requested you, properly¡±

    ¡°Un, but I never said I would fight even if you requested me.¡±

    Lily didn¡¯t break her smile, in her eyes the happiness was overflowing.

    ¡°I will definitely not fight to protect this ce, that¡¯s why, give up already~¡±

    Upon the colds words by Lily, the fairies finally understood her true nature.

    ¡°Wa, wait, how can you......¡±

    ¡°¡®I don¡¯t care even if we wipe out we will fight¡¯ or so if you¡¯re thinking you free to do so, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    ¡°Wait!? Please, I¡¯m sorry for everything! Please fight, PLEASE!!¡±

    Without any shame and honor, the crying fairy pped her hands as if to kill some insect.

    The fairies of the fountain of light gathered here can only choose between either asking Lily for help or break down while crying.

    After watching such expressions for some time, Lily speaks.

    ¡°Ah, right, you¡¯re gonna be destroyed at any rate, so I¡¯m gonna take the ¡®Red Crystal Sphere Queen Beryl¡¯ for myself as well, ¡®kay?¡±

    The moment after hearing those words, the time for fairies once again stopped.

    The ¡°Queen Beryl¡± Lily dered to take, is the reason the fountain of light is full of magical power and it¡¯s the source of divine protection deployed on thisnd by ¡®Fairy Queen¡¯s divine protection.¡¯ It is a magic item, no, an artifact.

    The ¡®Queen Beryl¡¯¡¯ is enshrined at the bottom of fountain in an altar.

    That¡¯s why, from that center the protection spreads in concentric circles and there is abundance of magical power in the surrounding area.

    However, it¡¯s not like if you ce this Queen Beryl anywhere, it will make that ce into a holy ground where fairies are born.

    Unless there is ¡®Ley Line¡¯ filled with magical power flowing under the ground along with other magic-like conditions in union, the holy ground won¡¯t be made, and without theplicated magic equation used by ¡®God¡¯ the effect of holy ground won¡¯t be started.

    In short, whether it be human or fairy, if they take the Queen Beryl from the altar, theplicated magic casted will stop and the holy ground will be destroyed.

    If that happens, the magical power in the surroundings will eventually vanish and the fountain will turn into a natural fountain found at any ce.

    In other words, the fact she dered to take the Queen Beryl for herself, meant that she was going to destroy the holy ground by her hands, like throwing off the request from before.

    ¡°Lily! Have you gone mad!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak such rude things. The Queen Beryl is the perfect artifact for me to draw out magical power, isn¡¯t it normal for me to take it if it¡¯s gonna help me in future?¡±

    Queen Beryl is not naturally the main item needed for the development of holy ground, but it¡¯s just the key item that is needed.

    If just the fairy queen hadn¡¯t used it in creation of holy ground, it worth is only for it¡¯s vast amount of magical power that resides in it.

    Naturally, just because of that it is named as artifact, but it is something very important within this world.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that!¡±

    All the fairies at once deploy the Oracle Shield and emit bloodlust towards Lily.

    On the order of the leader, the several hundred elementary level Sagita will attack the slender Lily.

    Naturally, Lily doesn¡¯t even twitch while knowing it and speaks to the the fairies easily.

    ¡°Do you guys think you can win against me?¡±

    Lily¡¯s two pair of wings on her back start flickering, and she deploys her oracle shield.

    Her barrier is more powerful and more bright than the barrier deployed by any other fairy, the difference in levels is obvious.

    ¡°Do you guys really think, you can stop me?¡±

    Just like when Kurono uses the Bullet Arts, Lily suspends many white bullets in her surroundings.

    These each white bullets, have the explosion power to st off the fairies along with their shields.

    Lily makes the exact number of white bullets as of the number of fairies present here.

    ¡°You see, I hate this ce, I hate you all too. That¡¯s why I will try to wipe out everything using this opportunity. But if you try to escape from here throwing away your pride and self-respect, I won¡¯t chase you and won¡¯t even shoot you from the back. Because you all also didn¡¯t meddle with me when I left here, so I will also give you all that much of mercy.¡±

    All the fairies start trembling.

    Lily is serious, they can¡¯t persuade her here, and have no means of stopping the humansing after them.

    They cannot protect the holy ground anymore.

    All that left is, whether they will live or die.

    ¡°The reason I have been honestly protecting this ce from monsters and letting you all live was because I wanted it.¡±

    When Lily is away from the fountain she changes to the little girl form, and the resentment she had felt in her original form is vanished, even if it is not, the little Lily¡¯s brain is not capable of thinking suchplex emotions, otherwise she would be afraid of the cruel end the revenge would bring and had never gotten revenge on them.

    However, if she had gone to fountain of light on the night of full moon, she could¡¯ve massacred the fairies and destroyed the holy ground. In the end, she never did such thing and never thought to do it.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get wrong ideas, I¡¯m just penting out my frustration of being expelled out of here. There isn¡¯t any deep meaning behind the act itself and will neither have any in my lifetime. The only times I thought to protect this ce and protect you people is only when I¡¯m a child. The point is, that instead of making problems with you guys it was whole lot easier to not make any problems for you. But you see¡ª-¡±

    While speaking such, the fairies who couldn¡¯t who couldn¡¯t read Lily¡¯s emotions till now due to a strong Mind Protect casted on her, suddenly broke and the emotions flowed into the fairies.

    ¡°I, have got a person I love now.¡± [ET: NOOOO~~~ my Lily!!!!]

    That feeling had the image something hot, passionate and adhesion like.

    Those emotions were like a slimey hotva like feeling pouring inside the fairies.

    Sure enough, the fairies gave thought to these feelings, and neither one of them thought that it was a pure hearted love struck heart feeling

    ¡°Since that person came, my sense of values changed, priorities changed, my world changed. You know my everyday became fun¡ª-¡±

    ¡°........That human¡±

    The leader of fairies standing in front of Lily mutters.

    When she recalls, she remember a filthy looking man stuffed inside an apple box fell from the sky inside the forest.

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, you were also there when I met Kurono. Ufufu, you now know the person I love, au, I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡±

    The appearance of Lily, hiding her blushed face and swinging her head, can¡¯t look anything other than a love struck young girl.

    And it is not the appearance the one would show who is trying to wipe out the fairies life and birthce.

    Due to the really out-of-ce actions, the fairies can only feel weird.

    ¡°I and Kurono, will live forever and ever with each other. That was the n but looks like some bugs interfered. You fairies who live away from the the society probably won¡¯t know, that the human bastards that areing here are the invaders known as ¡°Crusaders¡± and havee from different continent. Being chased to the ce I live, I also have the same feeling as you people. And, Kurono hates those human bastards in white uniform to death, he will definitely kill many of them. Ufufufu so coool~~.¡±

    ¡°Lily......what are you trying to say.¡±

    Mixing up serious matter and the matter of the person she loves,the topic of Lily¡¯s talk is derailed.

    The fairies understand it without even wanting to, that, the Lily who has be in the young girl form can do logical reasoning but is not able to because she is infatuated with the man named as Kurono to a hell lot of extent.

    ¡°Ah, ehm, In short, the reason I¡¯m taking the Queen Beryl is because it will help me in future, that is something I¡¯ve decided by thinking about the future of Kurono and mine. First of all, by the hands of Crusaders the Irz vige, no, the whole territory of Daedalus will be upied. But the Crusaders won¡¯t be satisfied with that, and will try to conquer the whole Pandora continent. Those bastards havee here to offer the Pandora continent to their so-called god ¡°White God¡± just because he wanted it. From now on, no matter where we run, we will eventually run into them , at that time the thing called ¡®my power¡¯ is important, right? You see I will protect Kurono with this power until he massacres the Crusaders, only I will protect him!¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    The fairies gave up speaking even a word now.

    ¡°I wish for Queen Beryl because I need power. Though due it your ¡°Divine Protection¡± will be lost, at any rate it will be destroyed by the hands of crusaders, so you won¡¯t reject my idea, right? On the contrary, I will am relieved that the thing I hate the most will be destroyed. Now then, my talk is over, so what will you people do?¡±

    She bluntly asks, as the fairies by now must have decided their actions.

    ¡°I have told you this much, everyone will silently move out of my way, right?¡±

    The only thing Lily told them was purely her feelings, she didn¡¯t persuade the fairies at all.

    But Lily, didn¡¯t have any splendid determination, she only had the a twisted love bearing inside her, it was obvious there is no chance to persuade her by the fairies¡¯ side.

    From the start, the fairies can¡¯t win against a serious Lily, that is something they understood instinctively, they didn¡¯t have any choice in the first ce at all.

    Either escape from here, or ¡®needlessly¡¯ fight against Lily and die here.

    They have already decided on their answer.

    The fairies grieve and while crying, leaving the ce one by one.

    ¡°That is good, you know, it¡¯s not like you will die if the holy ground is destroyed. It¡¯s all good if the fairies keep ying around the hills and fields around the area, like dimwitted brats, Ahaha ¡±

    ¡°¡ª-Lily¡±

    ¡°Nh, you were still here?¡±

    Many fairies have already escaped towards the horizon while Lily was seeing them off, but the leader of fairies was still standing in front of her.

    There are 9 fairies surrounding the leader.

    ¡°Do you wanna die?¡±(lily)

    Lily¡¯s tone of voice grows deep, while, the fairies present are assaulted by bloodlust by Lily for the first time.

    The fairies freeze in fear and don¡¯t even try to budge a bit.

    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you! DIEEeeEEE¡±(fairy leader)

    The fairies, at once release the attack magic towards Lily.

    ¡°¡°Lux Sagita¡±¡±

    The chant-less lower grade attack magic of fairies, is their Extra magic.

    Each fairy deploys 5 arrows, total of 50 light arrows deployed by the 10 fairies fly towards Lily.

    DoDoDoN!

    Great sh and Explosions ur.

    The Lux Sagita does not deals damage with the explosions, but it melts the target with it¡¯s high heat and drills into the target.

    Even so the reason Explosions ur because the arrows collide with the Oracle Shield of Lily which causes the two magical powers to sh and explode.

    They also don¡¯t think they will be able to defeat Lily with this, while predicting Lily¡¯s attack, the fairies spread out on themand of Leader.

    However, those actions are of totally no use.

    The fairies do know that Lily is strong, but they don¡¯t the know exactly how strong she is and what sort of magic she uses.

    After all, they have never fought against Lily even once.

    Even though they understand thatunching 10 Lux Sagita at the same time is totally easy for Lily, but they don¡¯t know that they all have automatic tracking that even Sariel couldn¡¯t dodge.

    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±

    The Lux Sagitaunched by Lily fly in separate directions and easily follows all the fairies and pierces them.

    Unlike the time she shot at Sariel, Lily lowers the power to the level that even if it hits the fairies it only smashes their barrier.

    The fairies are blown off due to the impact and fall down towards the fountain one by one.

    Lily while floating looked down on them as they fell and created sshes like frogs jumping in a pond.

    ¡°UUuu......¡±

    The fairies only had their body wet due to water, but no one suffered even an injury.

    They stand up from the water, and the moment they try to attack Lily

    ¡°GyAAAAAaaa!¡±

    A sorrowful cryes out.

    Lily pierces the right palm of the leader at pin point with her extremely small arrow.

    The fairy with the appearance of an antique doll and the size of her palm is just some centimetres.

    The arrow pierces in a straight line, meaning there is no tracking ability added in it.

    ¡°Aaaaa, It hurts! It damn hurts!!¡±

    The fairiese back to their senses, and run towards the leader writhing in pain.

    Their aim is naturally, to use healing magic.

    The fairies thought, that luckily the injury was not big enough to st off the arm so it can be easily healed.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad for all of you to not pay attention to the enemy, you know?¡±

    Lily¡¯s second arrow hits the fairy in the lead running towards the leader to cast healing magic.

    The point the arrow hit, was the same as the leader the right hand palm.

    The number of people crying and struggling on the water¡¯s surface increases to two.

    The fairies split in two groups due to an increase in the injured person.

    ¡°Total failures, even a rank 1 adventurer has better movementspared to you.¡±

    Lily piercing at the same point two times meant that the speed at which the fairies were flying was enough for her to hit them at any spot without even using the automatic tracking ability.

    Lily, with a disgusted face, shoots down the right palm of each fairy approaching the two injured people.

    There were 10 fairies writhing in pain on the water¡¯s surface even before they knew it.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a child¡¯s y, did you people really think of fighting me with that level? Hey, did you guys really think about killing me?¡±

    Lily approaches the still crying leader and sits in a crouching position while floating.

    ¡°The next shots will be directed to your left palm, then your right leg, and then your left leg¡±

    ¡°Uuuuguuuu~~¡±

    ¡°Do you still intend to fight? If you want me too, I¡¯ll shoot them all at once¡±

    ¡°Guuuu, I-I will kill yoooouuuu!¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll shoot.¡±

    A small sh of light flickered.

    During the moment, just as Lily dered, a hole opened inside her left hand.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Do you still intend to fight?¡±

    ¡°Uaaaaa, Wai¨C¡±

    ¡°Time to shoot again¡±

    A sh of light flickered again.

    A hole opened up on the back of her right leg.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡° ¡° Please stop !! ¡° ¡°

    Other fairies who floated in the surroundings, cried all at once.

    ¡°Did you guys really think I¡¯ll let you guys die without tasting any pain?¡±

    However, the light had already beenunched from Lily.

    ¡°.......¡±

    When the back of both her hands and legs were shot through, she leaked a voice of agony that didn¡¯t seem to be her voice anymore.

    As Lily heard the cries and shouts of the fairies telling her to stop, she remarked with an indifferent tone.

    ¡°When you can¡¯t even use healing magic just due to the pain inflicted from the bullets, don¡¯t even think of fighting, because of you people it took me needless time.¡±

    Lily stands up as she stretched out her knees in the air.

    And, turns her back on the fairies.

    ¡°You can fly, am I right? Then, go away quickly. Or, do you want to see the moment when the ¡°divine protection¡± of this ground disappear?¡±

    The fairies somehow carried the leader who was suffering more pain than them and took her way while leaking out a faint light.

    ¡°From the beginning, if she did what she had been told to, it wouldn¡¯t have lead to this painful selection. Still, with this, my grudge against her for driving me out of here has been cleared up.¡±

    Though it was not directed to anyone, Lily muttered something, then, she was wrapped in a fairy barrier as it became a dazzling globe of light. Following this, she began to slowly sink into the fountain.

    She sunk inside the fountain to take the Queen Beryl enshrined inside it.

 Chapter 64 The Fountain of Light (2)

    Chapter 64 The Fountain of Light (2)

    After some time, silence returned to the forest.

    ¡°They have stopped attacking.¡±

    ¡°......So it seems.¡±

    To the words spoken by the magician beside him, Corvus replied.

    The search party led by Corvus to the Fairy garden to find the fountain of light had, as expected, entered into a fight with fairies.

    Till just now, both sides were attacking each other with magic and the sounds and shes of explosions had been shaking the forest.

    But, for some reason, the fairies suddenly retreated back inside the forest.

    The fairies had run while showing their backs, but their flying speed was not something humans could keep up with especially in this forest where the footing was bad.

    ¡°Could it be a trap?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to think that fairies can set up a trap. It might be simply a way rebuild their attack force by pulling back for now.¡±

    Corvus himself had no experience of fighting against fairies, but he had some knowledge.

    Comparing the knowledge in his head with the current situation, he guessed their actions and behaviours.

    ¡°As we go deeper inside, the thick magical energy would make them stronger, so they might be waiting to ambush us deep inside. It¡¯s hard to think that they¡¯ll use a trap or surprise attack though. We¡¯ll advance in as nned, but don¡¯t drop your guard and keep a check on the surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡±

    The soldiers spread out give their assent to Corvus¡¯s order.

    The many magicians and the few soldiers here were the elites chosen from the subjugation army led by Kievan.

    Even in this forest with bad footing, under Corvus¡¯s instructions and orders, they maintained a perfect file without any disorder and kept moving forward. Their abilities were also shown when they came out of the battle with the fairies with only slight injuries.

    Of course, the rain of magic attacks by fairies will only get stronger and harsher from here onwards, and even they will not be able to finish this without a few causalities.

    But, there was not a single one who showed fear on his face. They simply moved towards the centre in silence while keeping the surroundings in check as ordered.

    And as they continued moving, deep inside the forest a huge sh was seen apanied with a loud sound of an explosion, and suddenly the soldiers were filled with tension.

    But in the end, the attack did note from anywhere.

    While in doubt, they finally passed the forest and reached the fountain of light.

    ¡°oo, this is the fountain of light!¡±

    ¡°Yes, no doubt about it.¡±

    In front of the mystical scene in front of them, all of the soldiers gulped.

    The fountain was round in shape, and was so clear that it waspletely transparent.

    And, wondrously, there were no trees around it. Instead, multi coloured flowers were blooming.

    Certainly, it was the living ce of the fairies only seen in fairy tales.

    But rather than the scenery, considering that all the water there was holy water, for a believer of the church it was nothing less than gold itself.

    A quantity that was invaluable for a single soldier or magician.

    ¡°.....This is strange.¡±

    But rather than relief on finding it, Corvus was having an extremely ufortable feeling right now.

    Strange, when he spoke so, the magician beside him also realized it.

    ¡°We are not being attacked.¡±

    Could it be, that they were surrounding us without us even realizing? Or so they suspected but they could not sense any presence from the surroundings no matter what.

    Just where did those fairies disappear to?

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, check the surroundings¡ª¨C¡°

    The moment Corvus said that, the centre of the fountain suddenly started shining red.

    Due to the sudden change, they all entered battle positions, and put all their concentration towards it.

    The red light seemed to be ascending towards the surface of the water.

    A feeling of something with an immense magical energy was rising to the surface could be sensed by not only the magicians but even Corvus as well.

    With ripples, and shining brilliantly, finally that ¡®something¡¯ appeared.

    That moment, the Crusaders forgot everything and had been captivated by the person in front of them.

    ¡°¡±¡±Beautiful.¡±¡±¡±

    Someone, no, everyone spoke so.

    Yes, the person that appeared from theke was beautiful.

    A bishoujo with shining tinum blonde hair and emerald green eyes.

    The 2 pair of wings on her back shone in 7 colours, and every time it flickered, a rich wave of magical energy was spread out.

    Her faintly shining white body was covered with a cloth that was as ck as the night itself. The contrast between the ck and white further supported that existence and its beauty.

    And on her chest was a red gem that was giving a off a deep crimson shine.

    ¡°It¡¯s a goddess.¡±

    There was no better word to describe her.

    The goddess appearing from theke was something that appeared quite a lot of times in the culture of Arc continent.

    A lost traveller, a hero seeking a holy sword to defeat demons, a pair of brother and sister abandoned by their parents, inside the fairy tale, they would meet her.

    And the goddess that appears in any fairy tale or story, the mostmon feature was her unparalleled beauty.

    At this moment, it was only obvious that they would associate her to the goddess that appeared in their stories.

    ¡°You people are the Crusaders¡ª¡ª-¡°

    The girl spoke towards the dumbfounded soldiers.

    It was a voice so transparent that it reached the depths of the heart but,

    ¡°Greed filled filthy humans, ufufu, you¡¯ll make a good opponent for a trial run.¡±

    Different from the stories, she will not bepassionate towards them,

    ¡°Die without leaving even a single piece.¡±

    She simply cruelly sentenced them all to death.

    ¡°All members, take defensive measures!!!¡±

    Corvus shouted while raising his sword.

    Sensing the immense magical energy and bloodlust from her, he prepared for battle.

    ¡°fufu, too slow.¡±

    As the girl elegantly dropped the hem of her one piece ck dress, 2 white lights flickered.

    *DON!!*

    As Corvus thought that the sh had passed him, a ssh blood spread behind him.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡ª-¡°

    As he looked back, the two magicians that were about to use defensive magic on his orders had their heads cleanly disappear and their robes had been dyed in blood.

    While he was surprised, the 3rd one, then 4th, one by one, the white light pierced the heads of the magicians and in an instant turned into headless corpses.

    Before he realized, 1/3rd of the magicians had be corpses.

    He had never seen someone who could use an attack magic as strong as this used without even a single reaction, chant or any other preparation.

    Although young, Corvus could be said to have had a high amount of experience and skills, but this girl¡¯s attack magic waspletely outside of his knowledge andmon sense regarding battles.

    Thatmon sense was that a magic required some sort of chant or preparation before using it and a magic that could instantly kill a human could be consecutively used only once or twice.

    If magicians could all use one hit kill magics consecutively, there would be no use for soldiers or swordsmen.

    ¡°Weak. Humans really are of this low level.¡±

    As the girl said so, defensive magic was finally activated, and the barrier deployed around Corvus and the others.

    The white magicians deployed Holy mind protective wall ¨C Lux Wall Defence and the other magicians casted Water stream protective wall ¨C Aqua Wall Defence and Stone protective wall ¨C Terra Wall Defence. A 3 level Tri Shield made bybining 3 defensive magics.

    By using different elements, they covered the weakness of the elemental shields and also increased the strength and the defensive ability by 3 times.

    On top of it, at the same time as the activation of the Tri Shield, the soldiers along with Corvus had been enchanted with Protect Boost. A magic that increased the physical defence of the person.

    As long as the opponent could use insta kill level magic, defensive ability was the highest priority.

    Quickly, or so it should have been, the defensive measures of Corvus and others had been used but in that little gap, the opponent had killed 1/3rd of the magicians.

    While thinking about even retreating now, Corvus thought of his next move.

    (¡°With this much defensive strength, we won¡¯t get killed in a single attack at least, but the problem is whether we can attain attacking strength enough to kill that girl, no, that monster in the form of that girl.......to have lost so many magicians instantly has made it even difficult.¡±)

    If she could use such high level attacks, then obviously she could also use high level defensive magics as well. And, to destroy a high level defensive magic, they need to use magic and not swords.

    Thus, they were currently short on attack power due to losing the magicians so quickly.

    ¡°Oh, could it be that you are actually thinking of defeating me?¡±

    But, Corvus had not yet realized that it was an extremely stupid thought.

    Or maybe he simply didn¡¯t want to realize and ept that fact.

    ¡°To not even understand the difference in strength, you are lower than even animals¡ª¡°

    The girl, as if reciting death itself, started to chant.

    ¡°???? ???? ???? ????¡±

    She had used one hit kill magic without a chant, now, if she was also using a chant as well then just what level of destructive power must be hidden in the attack, they could not evenprehend.

    ¡°Obstruct and stop the chanting!!¡±

    On Corvus¡¯s shouting order to attack, and the magicians as well as bow users began firing.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªfufu, like I said, too slow.¡±

    The arrows, magic, before they could even reach, the girl hadpleted her chant decided to first take care of the attacksing towards her rather than instantly attacking them.

    Although, all she did was wait as the attacks were blocked simply by the fairy barrier ¨C Oracle Shield that she had already deployed.

    The girl only watched as the mes or the arrows of light extinguished in front of her.

    As the attacks finally ended, the girl opened her mouth to end this battle that couldn¡¯t really be called a battle in the first ce.

    ¡°Bye Bye humans, die while regretting the fact that you obstructed ¡®us¡¯.¡±

    The girl raised her right arm and above the soldiers, a magic circle drawn with light appeared.

    Aplex design with a circle as the base, that the magicians below had never seen, appeared in the sky.

    They did not know that it was a magic with strength simr to that of a dragon breath that had made even Sariel use her strongest defensive magic.

    ¡°¡ª-Meteor Strike.¡±

    The girl¡¯s right hand swung downwards.

    From the magic circle, a 7 coloured giant mass was released and fell on the squirming humans below to crush them.

    The reinforced defensive magic, that will never break¡ª-

    Yes, everyone thought that, but at this moment there was no one who tried to insist on it again.

    ¡°aa, oh God.......¡±

    They could only pray, for the lives that would never be saved, towards God.

    And their greed, wishes, shouts, and pain were all swallowed by the 7 coloured light¡ª

    *DODON!!!*

    Annihted, without leaving even a single trace.

    ¡°un, nice shot ?!¡±

    With wide smile, the girl felt neither guilt nor regret in killing the men there.

    It was truly a fairy like, charming smile.

    ¡°Now then, I¡¯m worried about Kurono as well. Let¡¯s go and help him. It seems it was toote for Irz vige but whatever, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    And thus, after leaving a crater of diameter 50m, the girl left the fountain of light to meet her beloved man.

 Chapter 65 Devil

    Chapter 65 ¨C Devil

    Kurono first killed the 3 crusaders acting away from the vige.

    He lopped off the heads of the two soldier from the rear with the ¡°Tsujigiri¡± in his hand and they instantly die.

    Just when the third soldier catches the figure of Kurono inplete ck attire, he was bisected from the crown of head to the sr plexus in one go.

    Kurono takes the oil, the soldiers were going to use to burn the house down and poured it onto the corpses of the goblin family and burned them along with the house.

    He couldn¡¯te up with any other better way for their funeral.

    Naturally, he didn¡¯t dispose of the corpses of the three soldiers and rushed towards the centre of the vige, in a straight line without hiding himself.

    From then to the time he reached the gate, Kurono thoroughly killed every soldier that came assaulting him.

    He chopped off the head of the people who attacked him with the hatchet and blew off the heads of those who try to escape.

    The chainmail worn by soldiers is of no use to either of the attacks, they are all annihted even before they could understand what happened to them.

    And by the time Kurono reached the gates, the main force stationed in the centre of the vige finally noticed that they were being attacked by someone.

    At the same time a messenger ran to Kievan, and even before he could give orders, themanding officer immediately starts moving to intercept the assant.

    However, without even a magician¡¯s support and them only being some infantrymen taking Kurono as an opponent was theirst mistake.

    After all, the Original Magic used by Kurono, especially the ¡°Magic Bullet¡± can instantly kill normal a infantryman and it can also be fired rapidly with tremendous speed.

    It is exactly just like a machinegun strafing.

    The moment the soldiers rush in front of Kurono holding spears in their hands, the true value of ¡°Magic Bullet¡± is revealed.

    ¡°Bullet Art ¨C Full Burst¡± [ET: Atleast he is too OP for normal people.]

    The thousand bullets fired by Kurono rush at once towards the Crusaders.

    By the time they realised the difference in power and the bad affinity against the magician in ck clothes, there were already many corpses scattered on the road.

    ¡°wha, wha. What the hell is that guy!?¡±

    Themanding officer upon looking a ck clothed magician suddenly appearing at the gates of vige and killing all of the the soldier under hismand, he unintentionally speaks out aint in a withering voice.

    ¡°God Damn it, we didn¡¯t hear anything about a monster like that living here¡ª¨Chiii!¡±

    The mysterious ck attack magic that killed his men, passes through him with a distance of paper breadth.

    ¡°Co, Commander! Please give the instructions!¡±

    Hearing the voice of his men waiting for order which seemed like screams, a little bit of calmness returns to themander.

    True enough, seeing the scene of an entire group of infantrymen holding spears massacred before they could even reach the only enemy, themanding officer and every other person present at the ce was struck with fear and shock.

    ¡°B, Bows! Use the bows!¡±

    Themanding officer who now feared attacking once again with spears, inevitably takes the measures for attacking the opponent without approaching him.

    The opponent is still standing in the middle of the of the road, without any shield as if asking for them to shoot him to death.

    Furthermore, they still have several tens of soldiers left, the difference in numbers is great.

    ¡°Thats right, calm down, that bastard is, no matter how you look at it, a magician, without a vanguard he can¡¯t concentrate on his magic.¡±[ET: Duh, he just used the damn bullets with just the keywords no damn long chants. Otaku world logic]

    The magician attacks while being on the rear, that is the same with adventurers and soldiers too.

    ording to this theory, if a magician appears out of nowhere without even a tank (aggro based sses of MMORPG) he would be able attack first but when we start attacking, he won¡¯t be able to counterattack.

    Even if he blocks the attack with defense magic, he can only buy a little more time.

    ¡°Alright, Firee!¡±

    On the order, the arrows fly at full speed towards the ck clothed magician.

    Just before the arrows reach the enemy, a jet ck rectangle like object, that seemed like the night sky had been frozen inside of it, appeared and it intercepted the first barrage of arrows.

    But that action is just as they expected, if it¡¯s a magician he would definitely use the defense magic Guard. [ET: umm where did this guard go when he was fighting sariel][SK: Kurono¡¯s shield doesn¡¯t do shit against Sariel¡¯s attacks so he decided not to waste magical energy on shields.]

    The arrows are all reflected back due to the hardness of the jet ck square.

    ¡°Don¡¯t Falter! Keep on firing!¡±

    Without being shaken, the soldiers fire the arrows rapidly.

    They soon realized that the jet ck square is very hard as even after getting struck from all the arrows, it is not getting even a scratch.

    But it is amon knowledge for soldiers that the defense magic doesn¡¯tst for eternity, on the contrary it onlysts for a very little time.

    The moment the magic effect appears, the magical power also starts gradually dispersing in the surrounding air.

    Unless the magic with preservation effects like ¡°Eternity¡± is casted, the phenomenon created by the magic won¡¯tst for a long time.

    Therefore, no matter how much hard a defense magic is, at the most it will start disintegrating in several minutes.

    Without waiting for it, the arrows continuously barraging his defense will pierce through it when the magical power decreases and hardness declines.

    (That¡¯s right, what is there to be afraid, the things a single magician can do are limited. Die! while regretting that you came attacking us even as a joke!)[ET: does he know that line is a definite death-g for person who says it. source: Wisdom!]

    With his victory convinced in front of the frightening enemy, themander¡¯s face expresses a distorted smile due to arousement and nervousness.

    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s going good, just like this¡ª¡±

    The moment he was going to say the ck clothed magician moved.

    ¡°A. a frontal assault!?¡±

    That¡¯s right the enemy started a frontal assault while deploying the Shield.

    Furthermore, his speed is not that of a normal person.

    It has surpassed the level of speed of a normal person just like the support magic ¡®Speed Burst¡¯ or enhancement martial art ¡®Air Walker¡¯.

    ¡°A magician doing a frontal assault without any aid, it¡¯s so foolish¡ª¡±

    Seeing an unforeseen opponent in front of him themander cannot make ns to deal with the enemy closing up the distance with tremendous speed.

    As a result, the soldier keep on firing the arrows at him.

    But with the hardness still effective on the shield, not even one arrow passes through it.

    ¡°oOAAAAAAaa!!¡±

    With not more than 10 metres remaining between them, the magician roars in a loud voice which even vibrates the eardrums like an electric shock.

    When faced by the roar, strength and the bloodlust gushing out, the soldiers falter for a moment.

    Immediately the opponent retracts back his shield and swings his baton in his left hand.

    DoDoNn!

    Something shing ck apanied with loud consecutive sounds came flying.

    That is the bullet made from the ck magic, it is futile to count the numerous bullets.

    ¡°¡°Gyaaaaa¡±¡±

    The front row soldiers shooting arrows, in front of the storm of bullets, are pierced with holes in their body at the point of impact as if the chainmail and surcoats were just for show.

    ¡°D, Draw out your swords!¡±

    It was pitiable voice trembling with fear, in the current situation enemy hade close in that the bows are now meaningless. It was a precise order.

    The soldiers throw away the bow, and pull out the broadswords hanging on their waists.

    The enemy was already in the position that the swords will reach him.

    Killing their fear, the soldiers rush out to assault with a do or die determination with their strife instinct at full throttle.

    But the singing swords never reach anyone.

    ¡°He flew!?¡±

    The enemy that should have been running on the ground, jumps just beforeing in their range.

    Along with the strong pressure that even earth¡¯s surface is dented, he turned over the ck robe and flies above the soldiers.

    ¡°A,AAa¡ª-¡±

    Themander realises, that the enemy fluttering in the air, intends tond on the ce where he is standing.

    ¡°????? ??? ??????¡ª-Ice Shield!¡±

    The ice defense magic he has deployed is the fastest and smoothest ever in his whole lifetime,

    DoDoNn!

    Saved him from the once again fired ck bullets.

    ¡°¡±GuHaaAA!¡±¡±

    However, the surrounding soldier all fall down to their knees, due to the rain of bullets falling down on them.

    Half died instantly, the rest half are seriously injured, they are in no position to swing a sword and challenge him.

    At the current moment, there was not even 1 soldiers within 3 m radius of themander.

    ¡°HaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    When he passes through the disintegrating ice shield, the demon in the form of man enters his vision.

    He raises a sinister looking hatchet, from his whole body a red aura gushes out.

    The red eyes of the man pierces through him, it is impossible for him to be sane at the moment.

    ¡°A,A,Ua¡±

    The ck hatchet swing downwards from the sky, clearly cuts the ice shield into two.

    The thick and heavy ice shield falls onto the the ground, and shatters.

    Seeing the scene, the already fear struckmanding officer loses the power in his waist and falls down on ground facing upwards.

    And, in front of him the magician who cut through his ice shield in single strike was standing.

    ¡°H......e......y you, don¡¯t kill me.... we are the same human beings, right!?¡±

    ¡°Die¡± [ET: Love you Kurono saying the perfect line at the perfect opportunity.]

    The man swings the hatchet and chops off the right arm of themander easily.

    Along with the blood spurting out, a scream made up of agony and fear echoes.

    ¡°Die¡±

    He chops of the left arm too with the returning sword.

    On top of chainmail, he had put equipments, but the attacking power of the de far surpasses its defense power and both are are disconnected.

    ¡°Diee!¡±

    In one swoop sideways, the hatchet severs the legs from below the knees.

    Themanding officer who got his limbs cut off cruelly; his eyes turned white due to shock, and the foam of blood flows out from his mouth. The man looks towards the already dyingmander and swings one more strike.

    ¡°DIEEeeEEEEEEE!!¡±

    The hatchet shes downwards from the crown of head and cuts the steel armor easily, the skull is split in two halves, trampling down the brain, passes through the throat, and keeps on cutting in one strike to the chest area.

    The one strike swinged with all of his power, certainly and ghastly takes the life of one person.

    ¡°It, It¡¯s a Devil......¡±

    Someone among the soldier muttered so,

    The figure of the man surrounded by many soldiers, was that of a ¡®devil¡¯ who in a gruesome way killed theirmander. There was not even one left who couldugh at this remark.

    ¡°E, Escape!¡±

    ¡°A devil¡¯s here! Run away!¡±

    While whining theints, the soldiers all run at full speed striving to be the first to escape.

    In the current situation, themander of soldier is dead, the aide who is meant to be the nextmander after him is also running while showing his back, there is no one to check on the soldiers in the current ce.

    ¡°......Wait right there.¡±

    Nay, there is one person who wanted to stop them.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t try to escape, you bastards.¡±

    The ck magician ovee with anger and holding a hatchet in his hand.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t kill each and everyone of you, it won¡¯t called a proper revenge, right?¡±

    The blood colored eyes re at the running soldiers just like a person who has gone mad.

    For not letting even a single person leave from here alive, the demon, Kurono once again started walking towards the blood-scented Irz Vige¡¯s centre.

 Chapter 66 Devil Vs. Priest (1)

    Chapter 66 Devil Vs. Priest (1)

    As the pale faced messenger finally entered the Guild, Kievan quickly picked his favourite long staff and left the room.

    Listening to the report of a ck dressed magician that had infiltrated the vige, rather than reprimanding the security to have allowed such a thing, he decided to head there himself and take action. It could be said that Kievan was a cool headedmander that could assess the situation well.

    ¡°To havee here alone, either he is very confident of his abilities or maybe he is just mad.¡±

    Apanied by his two disciples on his side, he opened the gate of the guild.

    In front of the guild was the central area of the vige. A ce that had been lively with vigers till yesterday was no just an execution area for the crucifixion of pitiful adventurers.

    Currently, the Crusader soldiers had gathered here to form a line of defence.

    Behind the line of the soldiers with spears, those who had injured their limbs or just had thempletely blown away were receiving treatment and the ce was filled with the smell of fresh blood.

    ¡°Has he approached this close already?¡±

    Kievan asked the messenger who was kneeling in front of him.

    That voice was filled with anger on letting a single man approach this close.

    ¡°Yes, the enemy magician was using an unknown magic that was extremely powerful, so without the assistance of our own magicians¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Tch, just when our magicians had gone out.¡±(Kievan)

    He unknowingly cursed but decided not to continue and instead think of how to deal with the current situation.

    ¡°You said it was a never before seen magic, right? What kind of magic was it?¡±(Kievan)

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see it clearly but, ck, small balls flew around and pierced through even armour and flesh alike.¡±

    It sounded like the low-level dark element magic [ck ball ¨C Death Sagita] but its effect and power were not matching.

    In the first ce, [death sagita] was not a magic that could pierce through even chain mail. It was a more shock inducing strike type magic.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if it was just a simple Boost, but if it¡¯ll be troublesome if it is an Original or Extra magic. Oi, deploy Dual Shield on the whole force.¡±

    Receiving the order, the 2 disciple magicians started their chants.

    ¡°¡±??????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ????¡±¡±

    The magic invoked was the intermediate level wide range defensive magic [Lux Wall Defense]. The whole file of soldiers was covered with a barrier of light.

    With this, they can defend against that long range magic but for the soldiers to attack, they¡¯ll have to leave the barrier.

    If the enemy can rapid fire sure-kill magic, then making the soldiers charge him would only increase the victims. Thus,

    ¡°The soldiers concentrate only on providing covering fire. We¡¯ll face the enemy magician by ourselves.¡±(Kievan)

    Kievan concluded that if it was not a magician that could deploy defensive barriers individually, he will not be able to face the enemy magician.

    Normally, if all the magicians were here, they could put barriers on all the soldiers individually while providing support from the back at the same time, but since they weren¡¯t here, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    If, Kievan was just a Priest and not a white magician as well, there would have been no other means for the army to fight back but he was confident in his ability and skill as a magician.

    That is why, even when facing the vige¡¯s Vignte corps, and this time as well, he felt neither hesitation nor fear to stand on the front lines.

    In fact he believed that it was trial of God to test his faith and so his fighting spirit rose even further.

    ¡°A,Ah, he¡¯s here!!!¡±

    Someone screamed from among the soldiers.

    In the middle of the main street, a single figure was walking calmly as if he was walking in an uninhabited wastnd.

    ¡°It¡¯s the devil!¡±

    ¡°The devil hase......¡±

    The soldiers became noisy.

    After all they just saw more than 100 of their fellow soldiers killed in front of them, it would be weird to not be scared.

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Kievan had not directly seen the tragedy that had urred down the street so he could only think of the soldiers as ¡®cowards¡¯.

    ¡°You bastards can just fire arrows from behind the barrier. The one who¡¯ll directly face that is me.¡±(kievan)

    The soldiers quieted from the Priest¡¯s strong words and silently nocked their arrows on the bows.

    ¡°And I will definitely kill that evil magician.¡±

    Kievan red at the enemy who was still far away.

    At that moment, as if he had noticed the re, he raised his face.

    Their eyes met.

    Even from this distance, Kievan could see his gleaming red eyes.

    ¡°Berserk state?.......¡±(kievan)

    As he murmured that, cold sweat appeared on his face.

    (¡°To think I would really have to face a ¡®Mad¡¯ guy...¡±)

    Berserk was one of the ¡®bad statuses¡¯ of magic.

    In the first ce, bad statuses were ¨C ¡®Poison¡¯ that slowly scrapped away the stamina and vitality, ¡®Paralyze¡¯ that took away the freedom of the body and ¡®Siesta¡¯ that took away consciousness. They did not damage directly as attack but were abnormalities that slowly affected the body itself.

    Berserk is also one of them. Its effect was to turn a person into a brutal killer that did not distinguish between allies and enemies.

    On top of that, rise in physical abilities, istion of pain, and such fearsome effects were also provided.

    If a person fell into a berserk state, it attacks even allies along with the increase in strength, so it was highly difficult to stop it.

    But, in such a situation where he was alone, the demerit of attacking his own allies was not present, and only the enhanced body strength is received.

    Kievan had once faced a person who had fallen into the Berserk state.

    He was just a soldier but showed immense toughness and had no choice but to kill him to stop him.

    (¡°This is a troublesome opponent, but¡ª-¡°)

    Kievan walked in front of the soldiers with the bright white long staff in his hand.

    ¡°Evil magician who stands against God! You will also die like these demons by crucifixion by my hands!!¡±

    He showed the highest level of fighting spirit with his shout.

    (¡°In the end, Berserk only enhances the physical strength of the person. I won¡¯t lose to an animal that has lost even the ability to talk and understand words!!¡±)

    Knowing the weakness of the Berserk state, Kievan became confidence of his victory.

    But,

    ¡°I see, so you were the one who did it........¡±

    Kurono¡¯s muttering in a small voice did not reach Kievan¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 67 Devil Vs Priest (2)

    Chapter 67 Devil Vs Priest (2)

    ¡°Evil magician who stands against God! You will also die like these demons by crucifixion by my hands!!¡±

    Behind themander of the Crusaders here, several crosses were lined up. Pierced by countless arrows, without limbs, bloody tortured corpses had been crucified on them.

    The corpse had been brutally damaged, but, I don¡¯t move my gaze away, no I can¡¯t move it away.

    That¡¯s because I knew the identity of the corpses very well.

    Nino, Harry, Aten.......if ydor is not here means his body didn¡¯t even exist anymore probably.

    Other than them, many other people I had always seen in the guild, and even the civilian Nyarko was there, her corpse to be exact¡ª¡ª-

    ¡°I see, so you were the one who did it.........¡±

    My hand holding the hatchet shivered.

    From my hand, magical energy flowed, and in return, bloodlust and hatred flowed back inside me.

    ¡°You...aaa..aaaaaaaagghaaaaaaaa!!!!!¡±

    I howl. Only a shout without any meaning leaks from my throat.

    I cry. Endless tears flowed from my eyes.

    ¡°aaaaaaaaaa¡ª¨C¡°

    I won¡¯t forgive, I won¡¯t forgive, I will never forgive this.

    How dare they do something so cruel.

    They were my precious friends.

    They were all good guys. A suspicious guy like me, they, the whole vige epted me.

    Do you know? How precious were they to me? To protect them I would fight with my life, that¡¯s right, I even fought against Sariel for them.

    Even then, despite all that........if, if everyone died then, I, I won¡¯t be able to fight to protect them anymore.

    I, I will¡ª¨C

    ¡°aa.....aaaaaa.......¡±

    In front of the over atrocious deaths of my friends, the hatchet¡¯s thoughts increased even more from my emotions unstable from sadness.

    If you are sad, if it hurts, if it¡¯s painful, if you hate then¡ª¡ªKill.

    ¡°aa......¡±

    Kill, kill your enemies, without mercy, hesitation orpassion, just cruelly, and gruesomely, keep on killing them all.

    ¡°aa that¡¯s right¡ª¡ª¡°

    Look carefully, my enemies are in front of me.

    Then, what I have to do is decided. Definitely, surely, I have decided.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª-I¡¯ll avenge all of you.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    .

    (the POV changes here)

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¨Caaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±

    A howl, of an incredible volume, was released by the ck magician.

    That shivering sound that resounded from inside the stomach, even while inside the barrier, the soldiers were ovee with fear.

    But, even in front of that raging enemy, Kievan did not flinch.

    That¡¯s because the enemy is in a berserk state. It was easily possible to raise a voice that could crush the throat. That reaction was still inside his expectations. There was no need to be surprised.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Match with me.¡±

    On Kievan¡¯s words, the 2 disciples started their chants and it didn¡¯t take much time to activate it.

    ¡°Concentration enhancement ¨C Conses Boost.¡±

    ¡°Element Boost.¡±

    This was their favourite tactic that they had used even when annihting the Vignte Corps.

    (¡°If it¡¯s a wide range magic, then even if he¡¯s in berserk state, he won¡¯t be able to get out of the attack range with one leap.¡±)

    Rather than trying to kill in a single strike, Kievan put more importance on hitting the enemy urately first.

    A person in Berserk state, even if his limb is torn off, or his stomach explodes, as long as it is not a fatal damage, he will not stop moving.

    But, even if he didn¡¯t die, if he lost his legs, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to move either. If he loses his arm, then he won¡¯t be able to swing his weapon. Basically it was fine as long as he could make him powerless.

    Kievan who had received double enhancements was about to use his [Lux Force st], the same magic that had killed the whole Vignte Corps in a single blow.

    On top of it, although Berserk state increased physical strength, it did not increase the defensive abilities. As long as he is unable to evade, he would have no way to defend himself against Kievan¡¯s attack.

    (¡°Hm, a sane magician might have been able to put up a barrier but he won¡¯t be able to make rational decisions with that mad head of his.¡±)

    Kievan became confident of his victory, thus, he did not feel like letting him die with just the rain of arrows of the soldiers.

    Kievan started a chant only a few seconds long¡ª-but before that, the enemy ck magician, Kurono moved first.

    ¡°¡ª-!!¡±

    The voice had not reached his ears, but suddenly, ck smoke spread all over the ce.

    ¡°A smoke screen is useless!!¡±

    Kievan who hadpleted his chant, just as he said, he believed that it was useless no matter how the enemy struggles.

    But, Kievan held a doubt considering the fact that a person in Berserk state took an action except attacking.

    That means, the enemy had not yet lost his ability to think yet.

    ¡°Lux Force st!!¡±

    But, even if he had thought that, there was no reason to cancel his attack now.

    Kievan fired his strongest attack in front of him aiming for the invisible enemy hidden inside the thick ck smoke.

    An extremely hot light spread over the area as if lighting inside the darkness.

    In front of that dazzling light, the soldiers turned their faces away and even Kievan himself shut his eyes for a moment.

    (¡°It¡¯s over.¡±)

    As he spoke that inside his mind, an unbelievable sight was in front of him when he opened his eyes.

    ¡°haaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Beneath the ck clothes, not just his eyes but his whole body was releasing the red aura of Berserk. The mad magician d in that aura was standing there.

    (¡°What? Uninjured? That¡¯s impossible¡ª¡ª¡°)

    In this different world where science has not advanced, the properties of [light] were not yet known.

    In the first ce, the effects of light were diminished just by being in the atmosphere. Only in a true void where there are no ¡®obstacles¡¯ can the light show its max effectiveness.

    Thus, inside water, mist, steam etc. are able to reduce the effects of light even more than normal atmosphere.

    Kurono, by releasing ¡®ck smoke¡¯ that possessed particles of ¡®darkness¡¯ that could absorb light, he halved the power of Lux Force st, that was basically aser beam.

    And, even if it was an advanced magic, at half of its strength it will not be able to pierce through Kurono¡¯s shield.

    This was how Kurono remained unharmed. However, Kievan had no way of knowing all this.

    But Kievan was an experienced magician who won¡¯t be shaken from just this.

    Bracing himself, he quickly entered a defensive stance.

    ¡°¡ª-Lux Argalea Shield!¡±

    Kievan realized that the lumps of ck magical energy materializing around Kurono were the ones that pierced through even chain mail.

    The distance between them was just a few meters. He was clearly inside his attacking range. And Kievan who just attacked could not attack again so quickly either. So he had no choice but to defend against the enemy¡¯s attack.

    ¡°¡±¡±Lux Armour Shield¡±¡±

    The 2 disciples beside him also came to the same conclusion.

    ¡°haaaa!!!¡±

    Kurono jumped towards Kievan and at the same time fired his magic bullets.

    Its aim was, the 2 magicians supporting Kievan.

    *BAGIN!!*

    The ck full metal jacket bullet struck the barrier of light but did not pierce through.

    The moment the 2 thought that they had sessfully defended, their heads burst open.

    The hands that were raised to the front to use the barrier went limp and fell down face up.

    They had no idea how the bullets, they had supposedly defended against, pierce through.

    No, maybe they didn¡¯t even realize that had already died.

    As to why the two had died, only Kurono and Kievan knew.

    (¡°He hit the exact same point again........how can his aim be so urate even under Berserk state?.....¡±

    Kievan clearly saw Kurono fire another bullet on the exact same point where the first bullet had hit to break through the barrier.

    If it was just once then he might have considered it a coincidence, but to have it two at the same time in the same way, he had no choice but to believe that this ck magician possessed immacte aim that he retained even under Berserk state.

    Kievan had started losing hisposure from this chain of unbelievable events.

    But he couldn¡¯t just retreat now.

    ¡°Dieeeeeeeeeee!!!¡±

    In front of the enemy that was shouting curses and swinging a giant hatchet, he couldn¡¯t retreat even if he wanted to.

    (¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t fall back here. Against this, this evil magician that is a devil incarnate, I, a priest of God must not lose, I cannot lose!!¡±)

    In front of the approaching evil de, Kievan put all his magical energy in the barrier and fervently prayed.

    ¡°Oh God, grant me the strength to destroy this evil!!¡±

    The ck cursed de, finally swung down on the holy shining white shield.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Dieeeeeeeeee!!!¡±

    Holding the cursed hatchet with my both hands, I swing it with full strength.

    ¡°Of God¡ª¨C¡°

    The priest was screaming something.

    *GAGIIIIINNNN!!!*

    But his voice was drowned by the loud noise of the de striking the shield.

    (¡°Shit, it¡¯s hard!!¡±)

    The ck de only pierced inside the shield of light slightly and doesn¡¯t seem to move any further.

    This priest, although nowhere near Sariel¡¯s level, but he is still a strong white magic user. I guess he wasn¡¯t themander just for show.

    But, no matter how strong he is, I must kill him here no matter what.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, more, give me more powweeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!!!¡±

    And so, the cursed hatchet [Tsujigiri] responded to my wish.

    [oooooooo]

    The ck de clearly raised a ¡®voice¡¯.

    At the same time, from my hands, an iparable amount of magical energy was sucked.

    I started to lose the sensation of my fingers but rather getting weaker, the strength behind the swing of the hatchet got stronger.

    Whether it was blood or magical energy, I don¡¯t know, but inside my vision that was filled with red mist, I clearly saw the shape of the ck de changing.

    (¡°I see, this is¡ª-¡°)

    After sucking the blood of the numerous Crusaders and eating my ck magical energy and hatred, the cursed hatchet [Tsujigiri] was,

    (¡°Evolving!¡±)

    It evolved into Grudge Hatchet ¨C [Hararetsu/Harakiri].(T/N: not sure how to trante ¸¹ÁÑ lit. means stomach cutter/ripper)

    ¡°haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    Having changed into an even more sinister form, the ck de began cutting the barrier.

    ¡°Impossible!? This is¡ª¨C¡°

    The priest looked with fright as the power of the de increased with the change in shape.

    The hatchet¡¯s evolution not only increased the sharpness of the de but also increased the amount of physical enhancement provided.

    And that¡¯s not all. Uptil now, using the hatchet became easier naturally just by holding it, but now it even allowed the activation of a [Martial art] skill.

    ¡°Kuronagiiiiiiiiiii!!¡± (T/N: lit. ck calm)

    Leaving a ck trace, it was a single horizontal sh.

    The martial art [Kuronagi] that struck with immense shing power, easily cut through the Priest¡¯s body along with his shield in two.

    Ripping his stomach open, the Priest¡¯s upper half flew in the air.

    Without even trying to dodge, as I bathed in the shower of blood, I heard the voice of the priest that had been put to death.

    ¡°Oh God.....Why have you...........forsaken me..........¡±

 Chapter 68 Release Curse

    Chapter 68 Release Curse

    The Crusaders froze on the spot.

    ¡°aaa.....Priest-sama was.....¡±

    Someone muttered. The soldiers, even in confusion, clearly understood what happened in front of them.

    Everyone had seen Kievan use the advance level light magic the moment the ck smoke spread all over.

    The soldiers had also believed that attack to have ended it along with the caster himself.

    But, before they could even raise the cheer for victory, that devil jumped out of that smoke while releasing a howl that sent shivers down the spine.

    The battle was truly concluded in the next few seconds.

    The devil used the ck bullets that had killed countless of theirrades and shot the heads of the 2 magicians.

    By the time those two magicians fell to the ground, the devil had already swung is sinister looking ck de towards the Priest.

    The devil¡¯s roar, the Priest¡¯s prayer and the sound of the de cutting the barrier of light away, all came at the same time.

    And the next moment, the Priest¡¯s body was ripped into 2 pieces and the blood stained upper body flew in the air.

    ¡°The Priest-sama died........¡±

    ¡°The devil killed him.......¡±

    Unrest spread among the soldiers.

    Kievan, even though young, was extremely skilled as amander and not to mention that he was also a skilled white magician that did not fear fighting on the front lines himself. Thus he had gained much trust from his subordinate soldiers.

    And a mind that idolized God and his confident personality, allbined with his skills gave a special kind of charisma.

    And that trusted superior was easily killed in front of them.

    Losing their fighting spirit, the soldiers would soon start panicking and running away.

    ¡°Calm down!!¡±

    But, due to one squadmander¡¯s shout, the soldiers stopped.

    ¡°Look, after fighting Priest-sama, the devil is exhausted!!¡±

    Sure enough, the ck figure currently had his one kneel on the ground.

    ¡°We can kill him now! Avenge the Priest-sama!!¡±

    Strength returned in the arms of the soldiers holding the weapons.

    ¡°The effect of the barrier is still there, we shall shoot that devil to death!!¡±

    Even if the caster dies, the effect of magic doesn¡¯t disappear instantly.

    Currently, as long as the magical energy of the barrier deployed doesn¡¯t exhaust, it¡¯s effect won¡¯t disappear.

    ¡°¡±¡±Kill the devil!¡±¡±

    As if trying to shake of their fear, the soldiers shouted in chorus.

    ¡°¡±Kill the devil! Kill the devil!!¡±¡±

    Nocking their arrows, the strings were pulled to the max.

    ¡°Ready your aim!¡±

    The long bows and crossbows aimed towards the target.

    The devil had not yet moved.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°haa....haa.......¡±

    After cutting apart the priest with [Kuronagi], I was struck with extreme tiredness.

    This is due to over exhaustion of magical energy used during the evolution of the hatchet rather than the bacsh of using the martial art.

    I faced this condition numerous times during those manoeuvring experiments so I didn¡¯t faint instantly due to experience, but to be like this in the current situation is a bit troublesome.

    No, facing a priest that could use advance level magic, there was chance that I would have even sustained injuries as well. It¡¯s thanks to the hatchet evolving that I was able to win easily.

    But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the condition is getting worse.

    Those soldiers are still ready to fight even after seeing their superior killed.

    They are shouting [Kill the devil]. Fucking bastards! The devils here are you bastards!

    No matter how much I curse, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that countless arrows are going to be shot at me any moment.

    ¡°haa.......shit!¡±

    Even though I said to Lily that we shouldn¡¯t be reckless, but look at me now.

    My magical energy ispletely empty. Well at least my body is still unscratched.

    ¡°Sorry Lily, it looks like I¡¯ll break my promise........¡±

    Although I promised that I won¡¯t be reckless after fighting Sariel, to have broken the promise this quickly, I really am a pathetic guy.

    ¡°But, these guys¡ª-¡°

    The sensation returned to my fingers and I once again gripped the handle of the de tightly.

    ¡°Just these guys, I can¡¯t let any of them get away.¡±

    I don¡¯t know whether I would be able to kill all those soldiers without any magical energy.

    No matter how sturdy this body is, if I lose too much blood, I will die. If my head was cut, of course I will die. But still, I won¡¯t step back.

    I¡¯ll keep on killing.

    Even if it¡¯s just one more, I¡¯ll drag these bastards to hell!!

    ¡°Uooooooooohhh!!!!¡±

    From the evolved hatchet, the torrent of hatred and bloodlust started flowing inside me again.

    Forcibly putting strength in this body that¡¯s screaming for rest, I jump back to my feet.

    A countless amount of arrows rush towards me.

    I don¡¯t have enough energy to deploy my shield again. I can only defend by swinging my hatchet.

    Resolving myself to get hit many times, I swing the hatchet to at least deflect as many as I can. At that moment,

    *DODODOO!!!*

    In front of me, a bright red me burst out.

    What the hell is this? Enemy¡¯s attack magic? Did something explode?

    But in front of the spreading crimson mes, when I thought I would die,

    ¡°.......this is, defensive magic?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t taking any damage from this magic. On looking closely, the me isn¡¯t randomly rising from the ground, it¡¯s shaped like a proper wall.

    To create a wall of me this big, it must be the advance level wide range defensive magic [Ignis Rampart Defence].

    Anyway, whatever magic it may be, the wall of me devoured all the arrows that wereing towards me and protected me.

    But, just who was it that used such an advanced magic¡ª¡ª the only one I could think of was my only ally and partner Lily.

    ¡°That was close.¡±

    The voice that came from behind me was a transparent voice of a woman, but I instantly knew that it was not Lily¡¯s.

    ¡°Wh,Who is it......?¡±

    As I looked back, a ck shadow was walking towards me with light steps.

    No, that isn¡¯t a shadow but clothes that are ck from head to toe simr to me.

    A three-cornered hat like those in fairy-tales, a jet ck robe adorned with soft feathers, a weirdly shaped long staff, and light blue hair and golden shining eyes.

    I had met only once, but the name of the person in that unforgettable unique dress is,

    ¡°Fiona Soleil!?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to meet you, Mr. Icecandy.¡±

    ¡°Ic, Ice......?¡±

    Due to her sudden appearance, I forgot the situation I was in after looking at her usual semi-closed expressionless eyes and her weird words.

    ¡°Ah, before I forget I¡¯ll release your curse alright?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    What the hell is she even saying? As I doubted, Fiona began moving her lips and small chant was heard.

    ¡°??? ?????? ???? ?????¡ª[Release Curse ¨C Dispel]¡±

    ¡°!?!¡±

    The moment the words of release curse came to my ears, I suddenly dropped the hatchet that had felt like a part of my own hand till now.

    The moment the hatchet fell on the ground, I fell to my knees like a puppet that had its strings cut.

    With the enhancement provided by the hatchet, I was able to keep on standing even without having any magical energy left inside me. So it was the natural what would happen if I lost it.

    I thought that I would fall to the hard ground but I was taken in and embraced by the soft arms of a person instead.

    Hugged by the witch¡¯s chest, my vision was filled with the dark robe and I was unable to see her face. In the first ce, I didn¡¯t even have the energy to even move my head.

    ¡°You sure like to use dangerous things. It was a light Berserk state.¡±

    ¡°.......thanks to it I was able to kill the Priest.¡±

    I can¡¯t move my body, but was somehow able to speak.

    ¡°Are you here to save me?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Thanks, but this ce is dangerous. Fiona-san should run away quickly. I won¡¯t resent you even if you leave me here.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll lose our meaning toe here.¡±

    ¡®We¡¯? Who else is¡ª¨C

    ¡°Look, adventurers havee to save the vige.¡±

    As Fiona-san lifted me, the ce where the wall of fire was now,

    ¡°a,aa........¡±

    A group of strong adventurers of different races were standing there.

    ¡°1 gold for 1 kill!!¡±

    ¡°hyaaa ha, I¡¯ll hunt all these bastards!!!¡±

    The adventurers roared and attacked the remaining Crusaders.

    Having lost theirmander as well as all the magicians, the group of humans, no matter what the number, can never win against these adventurers.

    They were pushed this far just by me alone. Having realized that it had be hopeless for them now that reinforcements hade, the soldiers began running away while showing their backs.

    ¡°......Fiona-san.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I leave the rest, to you.......¡±

    With the scene of victory in sight, I finally felt relief and fell asleep.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°I leave the rest, to you.......¡±

    Having left those words, Kurono lost his consciousness in Fiona¡¯s arms.

    Fiona firmly held Kurono¡¯srge and heavy body with her slender arms.

    In the surroundings, the sounds of cries raised by the running Crusaders and the chasing adventurers resounded.

    Within that carnage, the figure of Fiona gently holding Kurono looked like some famous painting.

    But, there was one single person that did not approve of it.

    ¡°Get away from Kurono.¡±

    Pretty yet somewhat cold voice of a girl reached Fiona¡¯s ears.

    When she raised her head, out of nowhere, a girl with rainbow coloured wings was standing there.

    Lily who had left the fountain of light, had reached Irz vige, or rather, to the ce where Kurono was.

    ¡°.......who are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. So hurry up and get away from him.¡±

    Lily wasn¡¯t directing clear bloodlust, but even the air-headed Fiona understood that her words contained a thorny nuance.

    But, even if it was any another woman than Fiona, she would not have understood that it was due to a simple personal reason like ¨C ¡®I will not let any woman other than me embrace Kurono¡¯.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±(Fiona)

    In any case, Fiona quietly handed Kurono back to Lily who hadnded in front of her.

    Lily, just like the time when fighting Sariel, easily carried Kurono.

    And finally now that Kurono waspletely handed over to Lily did she show her usual fairy like smile to Fiona.

    ¡°You were quicker than expected, that really helped, Thank you.¡±(Lily)

    ¡°It¡¯s our job after all.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true for the Vignte corps and the adventurers of Kuar vige, but is it the same for you who came from Arc continent as well?¡±

    ¡°.......so you knew?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t really try to hide it either right? After all, the guild card you showed to Kurono was not of this continent.¡±

    ¡°Ah, could it be, that you are the fairy that was with Kurono-san back then?¡±

    ¡°You realized that just now?¡±

    ¡°You really are pretty.¡±

    Lily took a deep sigh. Now that she thought about it, she was out of sync even back then while talking with Kurono.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough about me. More importantly, are you an enemy? Or an ally?¡±(Lily)

    ¡°Lily let out a slight killing intent, but Fiona normally replied with her usual expressionless face.

    ¡°I¡¯m a rank 1 adventurer now.¡±(Fiona)

    And just like that time, from beneath her hat, she took out a te and gave it to Lily.

    That was without a doubt a guild card of Pandora continent.

    ¡°Are you a traitor towards humans?¡±(lily)

    ¡°I just came to Pandora continent as a mercenary. But the food wasn¡¯t good so I resigned.¡±

    ¡°.......I see.¡±

    Lily felt stupid to have been alert and cautious against this half asleep witch.

    Lily who could read minds knew that her reactions and responses weren¡¯t an act.

    At this moment too, Fiona is still thinking about Ice candy. Lily, due to her telepathic powers, understood that even if she didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll let you eat as much icecandy as you want as long as you don¡¯t betray us.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s a promise then.¡±

    Seeing Fiona bend forward and stick her face closer, Lily regretted making a hasty decision for a second.

    (¡° But, turning this woman into an enemy will be troublesome. If she is going to stay as an adventurer the it¡¯s better to leave it like that.¡±)(lily)

    Lily had seen the wall of fire that saved Kurono.

    And the true identity of that magic, neither Kurono nor the adventurers had realized, except Lily who had been watching from above.

    It was not [Ignis Rampart] that Kurono thought. In the first ce, it was neither a wide range magic nor an advance level magic.

    It was just a simple lower level defensive magic [Ignis Shield].

    (¡°It¡¯s obvious that even the same magic will be different when used by different people, but, to disy that much strength with just a low level magic, this wasn¡¯t just a matter of talent.¡±)

    Whether it was a talent of inhumane level, or was it a special technique or maybe she was born with some special constitution. But whatever it was, Lily realized that this witch called Fiona possessed a fearsome level of magic ability.

    It¡¯s fortunate that Fiona didn¡¯t possess an evil mind like an actual ¡®witch¡¯ and instead was just a glutton.

    ¡°For such a weird witch to exist, this world really is a vast ce.¡±(lily)

    As Lily breathed a sigh out of exhaustion, she moved towards the nearby guild to let Kurono rest easily.

    Behind her, the ck witch who was thinking of the sweet taste of Ice candy also followed.

 Chapter 69 The 4 Apostles (1)

    Chapter 69 The 4 Apostles (1)

    The Daedalus royal castle¡¯s throne room was the same as it was, elegantly made by Dwarf artisans, but just the ck dragon emblem had been reced by God¡¯s cross emblem.

    In that throne room that emphasised on its new ruler, 4 people were sitting in armchairs.

    ¡°Wee to Daedalus.¡±

    The one who spoke the words of wee in a soft voice the Supreme Commander of the Crusaders as well as the one who single-handedly defeated the Dragon King Gaevinal and earned the title of [Dragon yer], the 7th Apostle Sariel.

    ¡°We came especially for the sake of seeing you so better be thankful, Sariel!¡±

    The one calling Sariel by name in a girly high-pitched voice was the 11th Apostle Misa.

    As usual, wearing a high exposure modified robe, Misa crossed her seductive bare legs and reclined on the chair arrogantly.

    ¡°It, It has been a long time, Lord Sariel.......¡±

    A boy so beautiful that if a believer saw him they would get a nosebleed looking at that cute, blushing face showing restlessness and nervousness. It was the 12th Apostle Mariabelle.

    He had thought up various smart lines but when he came in front of Sariel, he could only use the safe words of greeting only.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you are in good health Sariel-chan, but¡ª-¡°

    And, with a gentle smile truly worthy of being called the [Holy woman], the 3rd Apostle Mikael stood up from her seat and walked towards Sariel.

    Sariel who possessed an elegant and ephemeral presence and Mikael who had a voluptuous body and the charm of an adult; the scene of these 2 together having 2 extreme types of beauty looked somewhat simr to seeing a mother and her child.

    ¡°It seems your injuries have not yet healed.¡±

    Mikael gently held Sariel¡¯s right palm that was still in bandages.

    ¡°Oh my how terrible! Such a big hole has opened here.¡±

    Mikael somehow guessed the extent and type of injury just by caressing Sariel¡¯s palm.

    The palm that was struck with Kurono¡¯s poison needle, Sariel had pierced her own palm with her spear to remove the poisoned portions, that wound had not yet healed up.

    ¡°[Pain, Pain go away?]¡±

    At Mikael¡¯s carefree words, not a single one here felt that she was joking around.

    ¡°......Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°No need. It¡¯s my duty after all.¡±

    As Mikael let go of her hand, the bandage automatically starteding off.

    On Sariel¡¯s hand, the painful wound that should have been there was now nowhere to be seen, as if there wasn¡¯t a wound in the first ce. Sariel¡¯s clean white hand could be seen.

    To have healed the wound, that would have normally taken some time even with treatment, instantly, was one part of the 3rd Apostle Mikael¡¯s abilities.

    With a satisfied smile, Mikael returned back to her seat.

    ¡°That wound earlier, how did you get it? Did a dragon appear again?¡±

    Misa asked in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Yes, it seemed different from the wounds gotten from facing the Dragon king.¡±(mariabelle)

    Those two were simply worried about Sariel, or rather, they were curious about this existence that could damage Sariel who was an apostle even after the Daedalus army had been annihted.

    ¡°.........¡±

    Sariel answered with silence.

    Anybody else could have just lied, but for the extremely awkward/tactless Sariel, lying was almost impossible. Thus silence.

    ¡°fuuun, so you won¡¯t answer.¡±

    Seeing Sariel stay quiet, Misa¡¯s eyes shed.

    Sariel thought for a second, that maybe she realized that she(sariel) had let an enemy get away but,

    ¡°fufun, you, stupidly got into an ident and injured yourself, right?!¡±(misa)

    ¡°.....¡±

    [Thank god she¡¯s an idiot] anybody would have thought that on seeing Misa misunderstanding splendidly by herself.

    ¡°You must have carelessly touched the de of the armament scripture and got that wound, right?¡±(misa)

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you did a while back?¡±

    While sighing, Mariabelle recalled that embarrassing event where Misa, ¡®Can armament scriptures cut even Apostles?¡¯ thought that and grabbed the de that was not just at a level of being extremely sharp, and gotten her wrist severed!

    ¡°Oh shaddup! If I can mess up then Sariel can too, right?!?!¡±(misa)

    ¡°Just who, other than yourself, would make such a mistake?¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°I just know that¡¯s how Sariel messed up as well!!¡±

    Demonstrating her convenient skill of not listening to inconvenient things about her, Misa approached Sariel while ignoring Mariabelle.

    Against that Misa, Sariel,

    ¡°......nn.¡±

    Slightly nodded and epted.

    She can¡¯t lie, but there¡¯s no need to correct the misunderstanding of the opposite side either.

    If she agreed here, there would no pursuit for Kurono, even Sariel could make such a judgement.

    ¡°See! It really was an ident!!¡±(Misa)

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes of course.¡±(mariabelle)

    Mariabelle made a perfect 180? turn in a few seconds. (T/N : Wow this guy.)

    ¡°Mariabelle, you........¡±

    That¡¯spletely different from what you were saying till now, said Misa with her eyes.

    But he showed no signs of wavering because,

    ¡°I am Lord Sariel¡¯s ally.¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°fun, yes-man aren¡¯t really popr though.¡±

    ¡°!?!¡±

    Misa¡¯s one line, disrupted the boy¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Of course, even Sariel doesn¡¯t like guys with no individuality, right?¡±(misa)

    ¡°I.......¡±(sariel)

    ¡°See!! Even Sariel doesn¡¯t like guys like you!!¡±(misa)

    I haven¡¯t said anything, or so she thought but Sariel had already lost the timing to interpose between the rapid fast talking.

    ¡°uu.......Lord Sariel, I........I am........¡±

    Heartbroken, Mariabelle¡¯s shoulder dropped down disappointed.

    Misa looked down on him with a triumphant pose.

    Sariel remained expressionless but was thinking hard to at least say something.

    An idioticposition that can never be shown to a devout believer of the cross religion, was taking ce currently inside the throne room.

    ¡°ufufu, it was the right decision toe for a visit. Everyone seems so happy.¡±

    Mikael, who was much older, looked at the three Apostles with a warm gaze.

    But she was supposed to control this meeting and not let it go like this as the eldest Apostle here, anyone would think that, but there was no one here who could point that out to her.

    And thus, the first meeting between the 4 Apostles on the Pandora Continent kept on going with a ¡®pleasant¡¯ atmosphere like this and not a single topic rting to politics or the religion was raised.

 Chapter 70 The 4 Apostles (2)

    Chapter 70 The 4 Apostles (2)

    Late at night, 2 figures were standing on the balcony of the Daedalus royal castle.

    ¡°The conversation during the day sure heated up quickly. Lord Sariel¡¯s expression also seemed brighter than usual.¡±

    While gazing at the nightscape of Daedalus spreading below, Archbishop Liuchrome spoke these words.

    Beside him stood his younger brother Mariabelle who had the same beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl¡¯s.

    The two of them were real brothers of the Ignosis family.

    ¡°fufu, I¡¯ll be happy if that really is true.¡±

    Mariabelle closed his eyes thought of the face of his crush. Since he was alone with his brother right now, he had reverted to a normal tone instead of his usual stiff and formal speaking way.

    ¡°Though, I would have been happier if Lord Misa wasn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°She must have been also worried about Lord Sariel after all. As expected of her self-proimed ¡®eternal rival¡¯, fufufu, how charming.¡±(Liuchrome)

    Maybe because they are of the same age and gender, the one-sided rivalry Misa had towards Sariel was so famous that there was no one in Elysion that didn¡¯t know about it.

    Liuchrome who has had the chance to directlye in contact with the apostles actually had seen Misa shouting ¡°Wait a second Sariel!!¡± and trying to pick a fight, so he knows that it isn¡¯t just a rumour.

    ¡°Haah, it¡¯s really sad that I had to be the kouhai (T/N:junior) of such a childish person. If I could have awakened as an Apostle a bit more earlier¡ª-¡°(mariabelle)

    Apostles are numbered ording to the order in which they ¡®awaken¡¯ and that also decides their hierarchy as well.

    Misa was older in age than Mariabelle so it was only natural to have awakened as an Apostle earlier as well.

    But still, every time Misa said something, he onlymented the fact further.

    ¡°She will also be a great Apostle like the previous ones, surely. From my point of view, Lord Misa seems to possess sensitiveness andmon sense befitting a girl of her age.¡±(Liuchrome)

    ¡°......I really wonder about that.¡±(Mariabelle)

    ¡°That¡¯s what it is.¡±

    Liuchrome smiled meaningfully while Mariabelle still showed an expression of not epting it.

    The two brothers continued conversing underneath the starry night sky.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªBy the way, what did Cardinal Ars say?¡±

    The moment Liuchrome asked that, Mariabelle¡¯s expression tightened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble with the subordinates of Mercedes.¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Liuchrome¡¯s gaze looked past the castle walls of Daedalus.

    ¡®Subordinates of Mercedes¡¯, i.e., the forces that came as reinforcements after the battle of Goldran, that were currently capturing the viges outside in the territory of Daedalus.

    ¡°The firstnd Virginia, Capital Daedalus, and the keystone for sea trade, Eidon. With these three important points already in our hands, I don¡¯t really see the need to fight more just to increase our territory, though.¡±

    It was the Crusaders that won at Goldran and captured Daedalus but on if one would see the internal circumstances, they would realize that the army was totally of the Cardinal Ars faction inside the Republic.

    Starting from the fact that the vicemander was Ars¡¯ right-hand man, the 15 thousand soldiers were all men that he himself had gathered. The only person not clearly attached to any faction was only the Apostle Sariel.

    Originally, everyone had refrained from sending their own troops in a losing battle.

    But, now that the Crusaders had won, the ¡®owner¡¯ of the army, that is Cardinal Ars would also have the wholend under his control naturally.

    Thus, all three important points mentioned before would alsoe under Ars¡¯ control as well.

    But after the battle of Goldran, the new reinforcements that came were publicly a part of the same Crusaders but it was a fact that they were all a part of various factions of the church and nobles.

    Among those was the especially influential faction belonging to the man name Mercedes, one of the 3 Cardinals.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome, if some part of the territory is not given to them.¡±(liuchrome)

    Starting with Mercedes, if they tried to suppress all others trying gain benefits from Pandora and keep everything under Ars¡¯ control, then a revolt will break out sooner orter.

    Currently, the Pandora continent was extremely attractive for them. That is why there a high chance of an inquisition being conducted through assassinations and false usations, and break up the Crusaders internally.

    But conversely, if they were given some ¡®share¡¯ as Liuchrome suggested, then there would be no revolt, at least publicly.

    If the Ars¡¯ side dered that the rights to the territories in Daedalus as ¡®firste first serve¡¯, then the reinforcements will startpeting among themselves.

    As long as they didn¡¯t interfere, it didn¡¯t matter how much the others go around destroying things. The Ars faction has already acquired enoughnd for themselves and is already in a winning position.

    ¡°But that¡¯s only till the right to control over the Daedalus territory is officially decided.¡±(mariabelle)

    ¡°Yes, we simply controlled one part of the eastern area of the continent only.¡±(liuchrome)

    The Pandora continent is extremely vast. Even if they are controlling the important areas of Daedalus currently, if they cannot get right to control over other areas, the current advantage will be zero or maybe even be a minus for them.

    ¡°But, it¡¯ll be some time before we cross the Gahad mountain range and invade the city-state located in the central region.¡±(Liu)

    ¡°That¡¯s why, ¡®brother and others¡¯ should increase their military strength as much as possible while you have the time.¡±(MB)

    ¡°Well we did lose quite a lot of soldiers at Goldran after all. It¡¯ll take some time before we can once again gather a trusted army.¡±

    ¡°Conversely speaking, even if those nobles get impertinent and start attacking the central region,¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice but to overlook them. But even if that happens, there¡¯s only a 1 in a thousand chance that they¡¯ll be able to cross the mountain.¡±

    There were many reasons behind why Liuchrome was able to say that with a daring smile.

    Firstly, the ultimate strength of their army, Apostle Sariel, basically will not be taking part in any further battles from now onwards.

    The Apostle that can take sure victory cannot be stopped if they desire more territory. And to take a territory for their own self, there was a need to capture it by themselves to im right to control, but there is a restriction on them that they can only take part in battle when an enemy of an equal power level appears.

    Thus, no faction can im for the aid of Sariel until a situation where [they cannot win by themselves or they will take huge losses] appears.

    Even if she is the suprememander, if she ignored the ideas of other and moved by her own, then the rule of dividing the profits will copse and could lead to the breakup of the Crusaders.

    Thus, now that the first and the biggest threat towards the conquering of Pandora, that is the conquest of Daedalus has been done, there were many who stated that there is no need for Sariel to move any more. Also, the Apostles themselves have also nominated Sariel to ¡®watch over¡¯ the conquest of the continent.

    And Sariel herself, understood the duty required from her, and will not interfere uselessly in the Crusaders.

    ¡°In the first ce, the strength of the private armies of the nobles and churches is limited. If there affiliation is different, then they won¡¯t cooperate with each other either.¡±(MB)

    ¡°Exactly. But the main reason why they cannot cross the mountain is [Spada].¡±(Liu)

    ¡°Spada?¡±(MB)

    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the city-state adjacent to the territory of Daedalus. That Spada is currently protecting the border along the Gahad mountain ranges.¡±

    ¡°So, are they strong?¡±

    ¡°All the demon armies are strong in the first ce. But Spada that is known as the ¡®diator city¡¯, has soldiers that are considered elite even among the demons.¡±

    ¡°¡¯diator ¡® is it? The demons really have savage customs still prevailing here.¡±

    ¡°But, thanks to that custom, the most elite of the warriors have been gathered in Spada. There is also a n to add mercenaries to the defence forces of Spada it seems. On top of that, the Gahad mountain ranges provide a natural protection to Spada as a fort. It¡¯s truly a terrain fit to fight a defensive battle. To invade properly, we might need a force even bigger than the one used at Goldran.¡± (Liu)

    It has been a little over one month after the capture of Daedalus. Liuchrome has already started gathering info about the next target of the Crusaders, which is the city state located in the central region, Spada and also other neighbouring central region city-states.

    And the info that Liuchrome had gathered, he had no intention of sharing with the rest of the Crusaders.

    ¡°I see. But those people will still try and invade Spada, I think.¡±(MB)

    ¡°fufufu, till the time theye back crying to Her Excellency Sariel after bing unable to cross the mountains, we¡¯ll leisurely spend time right here in Daedalus.¡±

    Expecting ¡®them¡¯ to face a harsh defeat against the ¡®inferior demons¡¯, Liuchrome did not tell others the true strength of Spada. It was on the level of full info concealment actually.

    Even if they belong to the same Crusaders, as long as the factions arepeting against each other, even Ars wanted the other armies to get hurt.

    ¡°As usual, Nii-san is malicious......¡±(MB)

    Looking at the amused face of his older brother, Mariabelle said so.

    .

    .

    .

    While the Ignosis brothers were spending their time together, the 11th Apostle Misa waszily sprawled on her magnificently giant bed with a canopy, in her underwear.

    There was not a single fragment of modesty in her behaviour. Even her underwear was a gaudy one famous among thedies of the republic.

    She did not wear the in white ones provided by the sisters even once unlike Sariel.

    For her, it was a matter of her own fashion sense but for others it only looked like selfishness.

    But still, she was someone who had the title of an Apostle. There weren¡¯t few who depended on her strength.

    ¡°fufufu.......to depend on me rather Sariel, it looks like there are a few with a good eye even among the Crusaders.¡±

    In her hands were some official documents. The letter containing them had been roughly torn and thrown away somewhere.

    ¡°I came to Pandora continent, it would have been boring to just see Sariel¡¯s face and just go back after saying goodbye after all.¡±

    Misa made a smile like that of a child that just came up with a prank and threw away the documents after rolling and crumpling them up.

    The paper that flew in the air let out a faint light just before falling on the ground.

    Soon after, the light vanished and only the ashes remained.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether they are demons or foreigners, I, 11th Apostle Misa, will personally pass judgement on all those who go against god!!¡±

    Ahhahha, Misaughed loudly.

    That voice reached even the 3rd Apostle Mikael in the next room but the woman, who was like a mass of only love and motherhood, just loosened her cheeks and smile on hearing her over energetic neighbour.

 Chapter 71 Aftermath

    Chapter 71 ¨C Aftermath

    When I woke up, it was in a room I have seen several times.

    A truly lonely room with nothing except the in bed of wood that I am sleeping on.

    Looks like this is the guest room inside the adventurer guild.

    ¡°Goodmorning Kurono-san¡±

    The moment I recognised the ce I was, a familiar voice reached my ears, when I changed my line of sight there were two golden eyes.

    ¡°......Fiona-san?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am Fiona¡±

    Her face was saying ¡°What about it?¡±. Even though I say that her face was expressionless with eyes staring at me, it¡¯s just that I thought so through the atmosphere around here.

    A moment of silence appears between me and Fiona-san sitting on a chair just sideways to the bed.

    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±

    ¡°Around 2 hours I think.¡±

    I somewhat understand the situation.

    The remaining adventurer¡¯s lead by Fiona-san must have driven out the other Crusaders.

    So it means, after exhausting the magic, I was carried to the Guild for resting.

    I am really happy that it didn¡¯t be like I fainted for 1 whole day like the previous time with Sariel.

    I¡¯ve got a lot to think about and do from now on.

    ¡°How is it the situation?¡±

    ¡°I got hungry and came here¡±

    ¡°No, not about Fiona-san but what is the situation of vige?¡±

    Why the hell would I have to ask about Fiona-san¡¯s situation right now?

    As expected this person is dislocated in the mental department.

    ¡°The vignte corps have freed the captured vigers, and have started the evacuation towards Kuar Vige.¡±

    ¡°Captured? So, everyone is alright?¡±

    ¡°It is hard to say that all vigers are alright, the Crusader that came here have already killed most of the vigers. If it was after they have been dragged as ves, then I doubt there would have been any survivors in this vige.¡±

    ¡°very? Ha, it really came to this, something that is only written in history textbooks Damn it!¡±

    The moment I saw the scene of those bastards upying Daedalus, I predicted something like very would ur. They will take the young men forbour and the old people and sick people along with rebellious people would be massacred.

    But, this prediction really became a reality , huh

    ¡°Bullshit!¡ª Those son of bitches......¡±

    And, I was not able to save this vige not even my friends.

    After all this time, really, at thiste regret and sadness swallows my heart.

    Right now in my hand is neither the cursed weapon that lets me forget everything due to anger, and neither the enemies in front on whom I can release all the anger.

    An impulse to burst out crying and shout out grows inside of me.

    ¡°......I will cryter.¡±

    I close my eyes, and concentrate the time I use magic and calm down all the trembling emotions swelling inside me.

    I have something I must do.

    If there are vigers, then I have to evacuate them safely.

    And, the Crusaders who will definitelye once again, I will have them taste the ground.

    ¡°Furthermore, I can¡¯t always show uncool side of me.¡±

    Pushing aside the white sheet covering my body, I rise up.

    Besides me, is the figure of a small fairy lying down and holding me tight.

    ¡°Hey, Lily¡±

    I gently brush the golden long hair of Lily, who is sleeping with a cute face.

    I rise up from the bed without waking up Lily and wear the ck robe folded and put near the bed.

    My body feels fine, and there is not even a scratch on my ck robe , the ¡®Baphomet¡¯s Embrace¡¯.

    The holes pierced during the time with Sariel and the burns from the Priest¡¯s magic have all been restored, as if there really is a real devil dwelling inside.

    ¡°But, why is Lily also sleeping here?¡±

    ¡°After you fainted, she came ¡®flying¡¯ till here. Afterying you here, she was moving around and healing the injured vigers. After most of the healing was done, she dived into the bed naked shouting ¡®KuronoOO!!¡¯. She might have gotten tired due to using healing magic a lot.¡±

    ¡°Shepleted healing already? As expected of Lily, no one can match her. By the way, was it needed for you to exin that she dived into the bed naked.¡±

    ¡°She looked very excited¡±

    ¡°Is that so, Lily is a small child so don¡¯t mind her being in her high spirits.¡±

    The dress Lily was wearing had been thrown at the end of the bed.

    ¡°I see, my heart was really beating fast thinking what would start happening, I will try not to pay attention to both of you in bed from now on.¡±

    ¡°Nh? un. well it¡¯s fine if you understand.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t seem like a good answer, but looks like Fiona-san is alright with it so let¡¯s leave it there.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going out for a while.¡±

    ¡°Going to help?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I also have to do the memorial service for friends.¡±

    ¡°......I see¡±

    ¡°What will Fiona-san do?¡±

    ¡°I have an important promise with Lily-san, so I will wait here till she wakes up.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a really really important promise. And I must not be a secondte to fulfill it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is it, but I¡¯ll leave Lily to you for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°Ah, you said you were hungry, right? I will bring food the while returning.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a grateful offer, then please bring it fast, must be sweet and a lot of it.¡±

    After being requested in a very greedy way, I left the house.

    It was officially announced that the vignte corps along with adventurers and reinforcements repelled the Crusaders inside Irz Vige.

    But, if Kurono and Lily were not present, the Crusaders wouldn¡¯t have backed down so easily. [ET: The author is a retard, he changed the perspective.]

    Kurono alone killed near 100 Crusaders along with the Priest Kievan. Due to him the morale and number of soldier were reduced.

    On top of that, even more bad luck to the soldiers was the fact that Corvus and all the magicians were dispatched for gaining control of fountain of light.

    If the suppression unit sensed something unusual and returned to Irz Vige, there is no doubt that Kurono would have had tables turned onto him.

    However, that suppression unit waspletely wiped out from the face of earth by the hands of Lily.

    After losing themander and most of the military force, the soldiers took the decision to escape.

    Anyhow, the Crusaders who threw the Irz Vigers into the bottom of hell with fear have retreated and the vigers are evacuating to Kuar Vige for refuge.

    The evacuations was held without any problems.

    The Irz right now, doesn¡¯t have any military force to block the invasion from a big dragon or a swarm of monsters.

    Hence during emergencies the vigers should escape, That is something told in every vige.

    Let it be being eaten by dragon, or being killed by Crusaders, the important people die, in spite of that the vigers face with reality and immediately try to evacuate.

    There are cries here and there, some had mournful expressions and some had hollow eyes but still for survival they were moving their bodies.

    Kurono desperately suppresses his overflowing emotions and helped the determined vigers in evacuation, he has already ¡®taken care¡¯ of the corpses of people.

    There is an formal traditional funeral process in Irz, but there is not enough time for it as they Crusaders maye back anytime soon.

    As there were a lot of corpses, in the end they were all burned as a substitute for funeral.

    Without the satisfied number of coffins nor the gravesites, most of the corpses were put together and buried.

    There was no other way than this to dispose of the corpses so there was no one who opposed these methods either.

    There is nothing they can do other than apologising and crying for not giving them a proper funeral.

    Kurono thought why did these people have to suffer this much while watching the corpses turn to ashes in the fire.

    (If I had returned even 1 day earlier, I might have repelled the Crusaders

    At the very least, the number of corpses would have been lower.

    Thinking about a ¡®what if¡¯ situation when it has already urred may be meaningless.

    But, by reflecting on that fact for not being able to make it, the next time he might be able to do something when an emergency appears.

    This time, towards the conclusion he wanted.

    (¡°The Crusader bastards will definitelye back, this time to Kuar and they will keep oning. ¡°)

    Daedalus is defeated and dragon king is dead, it¡¯s better to think that this whole territory is now in the hands of Crusaders. That exins why an expedition group was dispatched to a countryside.

    WIth no sufficient forces for repelling Crusaders, it¡¯s just a matter of time the territory is conquered. There is no safe ce within this territory anymore.)

    Kurono recalls the map of the whole eastern part of Daedalus continent, that he saw in Vige head¡¯s home.

    (Distance and terrain, no matter how one looks at it Spada is the only escape route left.)

    From the west of the Irz Vige that is located on the western edge in the territory of Daedalus, exists the Gahad Mountain range and after crossing them is the City State Spada.

    (The Spada has prepared an army for the invasion in Daedalus, I don¡¯t know what it is like, but it is the only ce with a military force that can repel the Crusaders. The only problem is whether they will let an inhabitant from the enemy country Daedalus to take refuge on their side......no, the refugee problems aren¡¯t something that would be even solved like modern times. No matter what I think, it won¡¯t help me.)

    The problems whether they will take in a person from enemy nation or even if they aren¡¯t enemies will they take an refugee from a foreign country. The answers to these political like problems is impossible for Kurono to solve who was an High schooler and is an adventurer for 3 months.

    Hence, Kurono concludes, to think when the timees.

    (More than that, one more problem is whether those bastards let us run off easily. It is a good if the evacuation ends before an expedition groupes, but what if we don¡¯t make it before them? What if they send a pursuit unit after the refugees? Will we be able to run off to Spada without any obstacles?)

    Kurono exhaled a sigh and muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, will we be able to, but we definitely will!¡±

    Kurono once again realizes the thing he should be doing right now.

    (If those bastardse after us I will stop them, I will protect them this time! For sure!)

 Chapter 72 Evacuation Start (1)

    Chapter 72 Evacuation Start (1)

    ¡°ooh, thank god our ce was safe!¡±

    After approximately 1 week, we returned back to our home inside the forest.

    I was afraid that it might have been found by the Crusaders while going to the fountain of light and put to fire, but it looks like it was safe.

    The evacuation of Irz vige is almost over and currently the vigers are moving to the Kuar vige with their belongings.

    Since there was nothing left for me to help with, this time we came back to prepare for our own moving out.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    (T/N: kurono and lily said ¡®Tadaima¡¯ which is usually said by Japanese whening back home.)

    My and Lily¡¯s energetic voice resounded inside the small room.

    ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡±

    And behind us came the voice of a girl. She was the mysterious witch Fiona Soleil.

    Why is she here? I wondered that but somehow she came with the flow and there really wasn¡¯t any reason to refuse her either.

    ¡°Come to think of it, she is the second person to havee here as a guest, right?¡±

    That guest no. 2 sat down on the bed where Lily was rolling on and looked at me with serious eyes.

    ¡°Kurono-san, I have something very important to talk about.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°With me?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes. Since Lily-san returned to her child form, only you canplete it now.¡±

    Aa, now that I think about it, Fiona-san was telling me about some promise with Lily earlier as well.

    After I had returned to the guild, she started quietly eating the bread and soup I brought so I din¡¯t hear the details yet.

    But what¡¯s making me more curious is what she said about Lily¡¯s ¡®child form¡¯.

    ¡°Did you perhaps meet with the older Lily?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t think that girl could turn back into such a pure looking child.¡±(Fiona)

    What? Isn¡¯t the older Lily also super cute and even more beautiful than the current Lily? Maybe she was surprised due to suddenly seeing her mature form?

    Well whatever. What¡¯s important is the promise that Lily made with Fiona-san.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this promise?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡ª¡°

    For a second I was worried if the promise was to pay the reward, enough to bankrupt me, for saving me.

    What kind of promise did you make Lily!?!

    By the Lily is currently ying on the bed while using a Frankensteiner on a big pillow and is unaware of my worries. (T/N: Frankensteiner is a wrestling move. Google it.)

    ¡°That is?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That is to let me eat as much ice candy as I want.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°.......What?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°To let me eat ice candy ¡®as much as I want¡¯.¡±

    With emphasis on the ¡®as much as I want¡¯ part, Fiona-san repeated it once more.

    ¡°You¡¯ll let me eat, right?¡±(Fiona)

    She looked at me with a gaze that implied that she would burn down this hut if I said no.

    Well, she did help me after all. I don¡¯t really mind making some ice candy for her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much ingredients so I want be able to make a lot of them though.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s fine. Then please start.¡±

    And thus, before we started packing to move out, I first made some ice candy for her.

    .

    .

    .

    From the 4th of the month of Ryokufuu till the 20th of the month of Shinyou, it wasn¡¯t long but we vacated the hut where I had a lot of unforgettable memories and finally reached the Kuar vige by the evening.

    After I had Fiona-san eat a lot of ice candy¡¯s made from various ingredients, she returned sleepily back to the Kuar vige guild.

    Lily and my lodging would also be the same as adventurers but before that there is something we must do.

    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if they properly listen to us though.¡±

    I wanted to let as many people I can know about the [death of the dragon king] and [fall of Daidalos]. So I first came to the house of Kuar vige¡¯s head.

    The house which was used as the ce for solving the problems of the vigers was currently filled with the refugees.

    They must be also troubled since they did not know about the situation.

    But from my point of view who knew about the Crusaders, the best decision that can be taken right now was to evacuate to Spada as quickly as possible. If we don¡¯t take action soon, it¡¯ll already be toote.

    But the problem is, since I wasn¡¯t even acquainted with the Kuar vige¡¯s head, I wonder if they would believe a rank 1 adventurer like me.

    Although I am a bit anxious, nothing would start unless I actually talk.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go Lily!¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Hardening my resolve, I stepped into the vige head¡¯s house.

 Chapter 73 Evacuation Start (2)

    Chapter 73 Evacuation Start (2)

    Kuar vige was a very important point for transport as it was connected to both the north-west and south-west highways. Thus, it was much bigger than Irz vige and proportionately, the house of the Vige head was also a magnificent one.

    It is a three storey building in which the first floor (or ground floor for some guys) was used as a public space for meetings etc., and the 2nd and 3rd floor was used as the residence.

    Currently on the first floor, numerous troubled vigers are standing who are being consulted by the vige head, vignte corps leader and the guild master of Kuar, in the centre of the area.

    ¡°An army made of numbers is no trouble! Those bastards ran away after just looking at our brave vignte corps! Cowards like those will be no trouble no matter how manye!!¡±

    The person giving this fervent speech was the leader of the vignte corps and son of the vige head, a man named Nachim.

    After hearing the report that rescue team sent to Irz vige had easily driven the enemy army away, he was suggesting resisting while staying in the Kuar vige.

    During the morning, when refugees started appearing, everyone was suggesting to evacuate since they only knew that the enemy was an army of humans.

    And so, the vigers of Kuar were ready to evacuate whenever required.

    But, after learning that the rescue team had easily won, and the enemy army wasn¡¯t very tough, at least Nachim came to this decision.

    The vigers could evacuate quickly, but that didn¡¯t mean that they had no problems in leaving their homes and living the lives of refugees.

    Nachim, while emphasizing that ¡®he will lead¡¯, was against the evacuation while shouting about how the rescue team brilliantly won as if he himself had done it.

    But in fact, most of the rescue team was made of adventurers and there were few members of vignte corps.

    Obviously, Nachim himself didn¡¯t even take part in the rescue team and stayed in Kuar vige to ¡®watch over the changes in the situation¡¯.

    ¡°Is there any need to run away against a band of thieves?!¡±(nachim)

    ¡°uuu~hm.....¡±

    The vige head, Nahad, pondered over it with a bitter face. He was reluctant to ept his son¡¯s decision to stay and fight and was unsure of victory.

    Although he was youngpared to Shione who was an elf, Nahad was still a 60 yr old human and was much more experienced. He probably will not take a rash decision.

    But Nachim could only think of his father as someone who has be a coward with age.

    ¡°Hmm, what does the Guild Master think? After hearing the reports, is there a threat from the enemy army?¡±(Nahad)

    ¡°From just the reports, there were 3 magicians and soldiers with spears and bows. A hundred man army is certainly formidable but with just humans who have neither special strength nor any Extra magic, and no one who could use martial arts even, we¡¯ll be fine even if they attack us with twice the numbers.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. We even defeated the three magicians. An army of just humans are the same as goblins no matter what the number.¡±

    The three magicians, Kievan and the others, who must have been recognised as magicians from their clothes were not even defeated by the rescue team either.

    But, since it was unclear as to who did it, they decided to make it their own achievement.

    ¡°The Kuar vige has much more adventurers and vignte corps than Irz. We drove off an army of more than 100 with just a rescue squad, this Kuar vige that is protected by a stone wall will not fall even if a thousande!!¡±

    Due to his over confident speech, the people here are changing their minds from evacuating to resisting.

    Even the vige head was shifting towards that idea.

    ¡°Vige head, an adventurer of Irz vige named Kurono would like to talk.¡±

    A viger spoke to the Head.

    ¡°I thought the adventurers of Irz had all perished?¡±

    ¡°It seems he was away on a different quest. He came to Kuar this morning and instantly ran towars Irz after hearing the situation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I did hear something like that. I see, so he survived and returned. It seems the rescue team made it in time.¡±

    It was about an unknown adventurer yet he seemed relived on hearing that.

    ¡°So, what should we do?¡±(viger)

    ¡°Yes, let him through. I want to hear from someone who actually saw what happened.¡±(Head)

    Acknowledging, the messenger left the room.

    ¡°Everyone, it seems an adventurer from Irz wants to talk so let¡¯s hear more about what happened at the actual ce.¡±(Head)

    The room became a bit noisy but no one openly opposed it.

    ¡°Adventurer of Irz, Kurono,e inside.¡±

    With the Head¡¯s words, the doors opened, and Kurono who was dressed in full ck along with Lily came in.

    ¡°Pardon the intrusion. I am a rank 1 adventurer from Irz vige, Kurono.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°fu, rank 1? A total newbie?¡±

    It was just a vige meeting, but Nachim was acting like some feudal lord.

    Kurono clearly heard those discriminatory words but without even reacting he cut straight to the point.

    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll tell what I have seen in Daedalus directly.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Daedalus? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be sealed right now?¡±

    The Head asked.

    ¡°I felt unrest so I decided to enter illegally.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I see. I can¡¯t find faults in your actions right now either. So, what did you see?¡±

    Kurono spoke in a single breath.

    ¡°The Dragon King Gaevinal is dead and Daedalus has been captured.¡±

    ¡°Impossible?!?¡±

    Nachim shouted in surprise. But everyone else here were also surprised. Even the Head and the Guild master had widened their eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go around saying something so improper!! Do you even understand the current situation¡ª¡ª¡°

    Nachim angrily drew his sword from his waist towards Kurono but,

    ¡°Calm down Nachim, everyone else as well. First let us hear the details.¡±

    The Head somehow calmed the surroundings and urged Kurono to continue.

    ¡°The ones who have captured Daedalus is an army of humans that came from the Arc continent called the Crusaders. They are the same people that had built up Virginia on the cost around a year back.¡±(kurono)

    The Head was of course aware of the town called Virginia.

    But he had also heard that it was a worthless existence whenpared to the army of Daedalus and the Dragon King.

    ¡°As you say, the army of Daedalus hadpletely stopped the humans of Virginia, but a few months back arge scale reinforcement army was dispatched. I don¡¯t know the exact numbers but the Crusaders certainly defeated the army of Daedalus and the Dragon King Gaevinal was killed in battle. The order to seal off highways was probably sent soon after they had captured Daedalus.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°umumu, to think something like that had happened is truly unbelievable.......¡±

    Even if they can¡¯t reject it clearly but they can¡¯t ept it easily as well.

    ¡°But, the Crusaders came to Irz Vige. It was only a minor part of their true army. Even if we drove them back now, they¡¯ll soone back with a new force to capture the vige.

    It¡¯ll be toote if you don¡¯t start evacuating now, please.¡±

    Kurono pleaded them seriously but the fact that the dragon king had died and daedalus had been captured was not something these people, who lived under the dragon king and sang his praises, could easily ept.

    Even the Vige Head could not ept this type of fact so suddenly.

    So would the short tempered Nachim ept something said by a rank 1 adventurer?

    ¡°It¡¯s a lie. It¡¯s definitely a lie! All this talk is just bullshit. This man has gone mad due to his home being attacked!! He is thinking the band of thieves is a part of an army!!¡±

    Even Kurono got pissed on being treated as a mad man, but he somehow bared with it, and spoke the truth.

    ¡°I clearly saw the g of Cross emblem in Daedalus royal castle.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°You just saw weong! That dragon king was killed? Daedalus has fallen? That¡¯s impossible until and unless the old Demon King has appeared!!!¡±

    Kurono also replied while raising his voice.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it then try interrogating one of the captured soldiers!¡±

    ¡°fun, truly a pitiful guy, but be relieved. We will protect this vige. You can go sleep on the bed of the guild while shivering and praying to your god.¡±

    In front of Nachim who was clearly scorning him, rather than getting angry, Kurono instead became impatient.

    If they don¡¯t believe him here, then the evacuation to Spada will not start.

    And to top it off, this guys is actually thinking of fighting by themselves.

    Certainly, Kuar has many times the number of vigntes and adventurers whenpared to Irz but no way can they stop the Crusaders who number in ten thousands.

    If they are surrounded, all the vigers will definitely be massacred.

    Kurono started sweating from his forehead. He had to start evacuation by any means possible.

    ¡°Believe me! It¡¯s all true!! It¡¯ll be toote if we don¡¯t start evacuating now!!¡±

    ¡°ugh silence you madman! We have no time to go along with tour farce! Oi, someone throw this man out!!¡±

    It can¡¯t be helped that the vigers could not decide who was right without proper information.

    Even the vige head, was doubting Kurono¡¯s words.

    The room was filled with noise. Did the dragon king really die? What about Daedalus? Is it all a lie? Isn¡¯t he just a mad adventurer?

    And inside that noise,

    ¡°Filthy pig who made fun of my Kurono, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Lily who quietly murmured was not heard but anyone, even Kurono.

    As Kurono was thinking hard how to convince the vigers, Lily pulled Kurono¡¯s robe.

    ¡°What is it Lily? Right now¡ª¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Kurono, leave this ce to me.¡±

    As Lily gave a smile, Kurono realized that an intelligent light was shining in her eyes.

    ¡°Lily¡ª-¡°

    He called, but Lily left from near his feet and moved towards the seat where the Head and others were.

    And with the pping of the 7-coloured wings she rose in mid air and floated in front of the Head.

    ¡°It has been a long time, Vige Head Nahad.¡±(lily)

    The Head raised a voice in surprise on seeing her.

    ¡°Li, Lily-san, why are you here........¡±

    ¡°ufufu, it¡¯s a good thing to see you in high spirits. You won¡¯t need the miracle drug for some time like this.¡±

    In his head, the small figure of the fairy that appeared near his pillow when he had fallen ill and resolved for death a few decades ago, appeared.

    After that, he took Lily¡¯s miracle drug once in a year and had been fit ever since.

    But, the lily who had an attitude as per her appearance and was always naked like a normal fairy, was currently showing fluent speech as well as was dressed in a ck dress, this made the Head feel very unusual.

    Lily quickly sensed the unease in his emotions.

    ¡°aa, this is the true me, so don¡¯t worry too much about it Head-san.¡±

    ¡°So, what could be the matter? As you can see we are currently in an extremelyplicated situation¨C¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand everything. And I am also saying that whatever Kurono is saying is also true.¡±

    ¡°True, you say?¡±

    Looking at Lily who was serious for the first time, the Head gulped in.

    ¡°Ee, the dragon king is dead, Daedalus has been captured, and the ones who did it were truly the fearsome army of humans called Crusaders. It¡¯s all true.¡±

    ¡°No, no way.......¡±

    ¡°You should know as well, fairies can never lie.¡±

    The room had gottenpletely silent.

    The vigers, even Nachim, could only believe it if Lily who was a fairy said ¡®it is true¡¯.

    That¡¯s because fairies ¡®cannot lie¡¯, thus they can only ept it even without any proof.

    In actuality, Lily who was a half-fairy, especially now where she had her intelligence as well, could easily lie if she wanted to but the people here didn¡¯t know that.

    Thus, no one doubted that Lily¡¯s words were true or not.

    ¡°I had gone with Kurono to Daedalus myself and I clearly saw it with my own eyes. The g that flew in the royal castle as well as the monster human that has the power to kill the dragon king.¡±

    ¡°oh..oo......how can this be.......¡±

    This time the vige head was truly grieving from the truth thrusted in front of him by Lily.

    ¡°Hear me. The country known as Daedalus has fallen. The territory will be ruled by the Crusaders. If you don¡¯t run away now, you will face the same end as Irz. It¡¯s impossible to negotiate with them. The human believers of the Cross call us as demons and are truly trying to kill us all. There is only one way to live, quickly start evacuating towards Spada.¡±

    ¡°Sp, to Spada?!?!¡±

    The one who raised his voice was not the Head but Nachim.

    The two countries saw each other as enemies. Nachim had been dreaming of entering the army when the time to attack Spada came.

    To evacuate to there was somewhat difficult to ept even for the vigers as well.

    ¡°You have been loud from the start. Will you shut up already!?¡± (lily)

    On being looked upon as trash by the small girl Lily, Nachim got angry,

    ¡°o,oooo.........ii.......¡±

    Or he was about to but Nachim somehow felt a sense of pleasure. He got ¡®charmed¡¯ by Lily¡¯s cold expression.

    The magic of charming existed in beautiful beings of this world. It activated at a pretty amazing timing, but anyway Nachim who had been [charmed], looked at Lily like a girl smitten in love and didn¡¯t raise any voice.

    As if forgetting his existence altogether, Lily looked back towards the Head.

    ¡°Head-san, I understand that it¡¯ll be tough but you have no choice but to abandon the Kuar vige. Even we fairies have already abandoned our home¡ª¡°

    And Lily brought out the Artifact, Queen Beryl.

    ¡°This, this is, no way.........¡±

    In front of the dense magical energy, even vige head who had no real knowledge of magic, understood what it was.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the jewel that brought about the divine protection in the fountain of light. But due to theing of Crusaders, the divine protection of the fairy queen has been lost. ¡®We¡¯ fought hard against them but the fountain of light will never return to what it was.¡±

    With Lily¡¯s sad words, the vige head could understand what might have happened to that sacred ce.

    At the same time, Kurono also heard about this for the first time but didn¡¯t show much surprise since he probably might have guessed it already.

    ¡°Now you understand right? What you people are supposed to do now?¡±

    Saying that, Lily returned to Kurono¡¯s side and left while pulling his arm with her.

    ¡°.......Let¡¯s run away. To Spada.¡±(nahad)

    And thus, the bell of evacuation of Kuar vige rang inside the vige.

 Chapter 74 Detestable Woman (1)

    Chapter 74 Detestable Woman (1)

    With Irz as centre, in the opposite direction of Kuar vige was a vige which was currently being used as a base by the Crusaders. This unit was the same unit to which Kievan once belonged to.

    After the messenger had left after giving the report, only themander of the unit and his aide were remaining.

    ¡°To think that Kievan¡¯s squad was annihted, was there a dragon or something in the Irz vige?¡±

    The one who frowned as he said that was themander, Priest Head Norz.

    On his waist hung a steel mace. He looked like a warrior Monk and was a man in his middle ages.

    ¡°Not a dragon but a ¡®devil¡¯. Were you not listening?¡±

    It was definitely not a way to talk to a superior, but the one who had said that with a cold gaze was the aide, Sister Sylvia.

    With red me like hair and afortable habit that showed her bodyline, it was a truly stylish look.

    Norz looked at her giant breasts that were lifted as she folded her arms beneath them, but he only sighed in irritation rather than getting aroused.

    (¡°This damned redhead! She only speaks irritating things everytime she opens her damned mouth!!¡±)

    The only reason he didn¡¯t say this out loud was not because he was a feminist but because the one who selected her as his aide specially was Cardinal Mercedes himself.

    No matter how charming she was, he was not an idiot enough toy his hands on the woman of his superior.

    Of course, the Cardinal could not protect her in this faraway Pandora continent and Norz could kill her whenever he wanted.

    But, if she didn¡¯t return alive, it¡¯ll only lead to a drop in his own reputation as amander and not to mention that he might incur the Cardinal¡¯s personal enmity as well.

    Although not as outspoken as Kievan, even he had his own aspirations and so having Sylvia return alive safely had be an important part to get his promotion.

    For his own bright future he somehow held himself back.

    ¡°I know. In actuality, it must have been a ck magician adventurer with high skill.¡±(Norz)

    ¡°I am more interested in the existence that annihted the force that went to gain control of the sanctuary (T/N: she¡¯s talking about the fountain).¡±(Sylvia)

    ¡°They might have been attacked by just monsters though. They call the forest a dungeon after all.¡±

    They might have encountered an unexpectedly strong monster and might have gotten themselves annihted.

    But still, if that was not so, then it meant that there was an enemy army among the enemy demons that has the power to destroy a whole squad.

    Along with the ¡®devil¡¯ that destroyed Kievan¡¯s party, there was also an ¡®army of demons¡¯ that could annihte the whole suppression squad. That meant that the enemies would be much more troublesome than he thought.

    ¡°In any case, we should quickly dispatch a scouting squad.¡±(Sylvia)

    To Sylvia¡¯s opinion, Norz replied,

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave info gathering to you. Do as you wish.¡±(Norz)

    ¡°I would do so even if you didn¡¯t say that.¡±(Sylvia)

    Tch, while clicking his tongue, Norz continued his words.

    ¡°We¡¯llplete the controlling of this vige by tomorrow. After that we¡¯ll move the main force towards Irz. In the end, there¡¯s no change to that.¡±

    There was no need to panic; they won¡¯t let a capturablend get away.

    Within this one month, Norz thought to finish his work without any dys.

    ¡°But still, to have lost the whole of Kievan¡¯s squad is a bit severe.¡±(Sylvia)

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if that pretentious brat dies.¡±(Norz)

    ¡°At least he was a better warrior than you.¡±

    A vein popped out on Norz¡¯s temple, but as if not even noticing her superior¡¯s reaction, Sylvia continued speaking.

    ¡°Kievan¡¯s squad had quite a lot of magicians, and the soldiers weren¡¯t some newbies either. Counting the number¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Aa~Aa~ I get it, I get it, it was my fault!¡±(Norz)

    If he kept on hearing this quietly, Norz felt that he¡¯ll end up punching this beautiful woman in her face and so decided to yield first.

    ¡°As long as you understand. If you can¡¯t even grasp the abilities of your soldiers properly, you fail as amander. Nobody will entrust their lives to you. Also, the demons have resisted at much bigger level than ever before. Try not be so careless, Priest Head Norz. Now then, I need to select the members for the scout team so I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡±

    Sylvia left without sparing even a single nce towards Norz, left the house.

    ¡°Shit, she really is a nasty woman!!¡±

 Chapter 75 Nasty Woman

    Chapter 75 ¨C Nasty Woman

    ¡°What are you nning to do from now on, Kurono?¡±

    When I returned to Kuar Vige¡¯s adventurer guild, I questioned Kurono.

    I can keep my conscience of the adult me by borrowing the power from Queen Beryl, though my appearance doesn¡¯t change.

    That¡¯s why I can talk with Kurono about serious matters. I did a good job in bringing this.

    ¡°It¡¯s already decided to escape to Spada. Naturally, I will guard the evacuation as an adventurer. The emergency quest will also be soon posted.¡±

    What Kurono is saying is right. I have persuaded vige head Nahad and the emergency warning bell has already rung.

    For abandoning the vige, every viger will soon start evacuating as a form of mass mobilization. Furthermore, the non-vigers in other words the adventurers will also have to cooperate under the name of emergency quest.

    The Adventurer Guild are spread all over the Pandora continent. Even if Daedalus has copsed, we can still get the reward for emergency quest in Spada.

    It is a dangerous quest when we don¡¯t even know the war potential of the enemy, but there is no reason to refuse when we can get an equivalent reward.

    ¡°I won¡¯t know how things will end up unless I don¡¯t work.¡±

    Kurono is saying the right thing as an rank 1 adventurer, but

    ¡°It is bad then Kurono. Try to think what will happen from now on.¡±

    Kurono makes a surprised face for a moment as if he thought he won¡¯t be said something like or that thing from the child me and then speaks

    ¡°The biggest problem is whether Spada will ept us or not, isn¡¯t it? I also don¡¯t know whether they will ept the petition which we sent along with the messenger. The second is how to act when the pursuit squad of the Crusaderse after us. It will be really good if Spada deploy soldiers for the safety of refugees but even that might be futile due to us being from Daedalus. So in the end us adventurers and vignte corps should make countermeasures, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Un, You¡¯re right.

    Without any hope of getting reinforcements from outside, we have to make our way somehow using the war potential at hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless to think about the entry in Spada right now, it will work one way or another if we make racket near the national border. The problem right now is how the adventurering along with us will act.¡±(Lily)

    The head of the vignte corps is that person, that pig, a man without any distinction. A smooth undisturbed cooperation is most likely a hope.

    Without any hope there it¡¯s best to leave that matter alone. For the time being it¡¯s to think about the adventurers.

    ¡°After this many adventurers will meet us. Kuar has more adventurers than irz, and along the way to Spada there are many viges, so the adventurers will keep on adding. First we have to decide who will stand on top, though they might work on equal terms too.¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s what I wanted to say¡±

    ¡°Who will stand on top?¡±

    He returns an understanding phrase with a big smile, then Kurono sighs with a painful expression. Ufufu he has good perceptiveness.

    ¡°By any chance, you saying I should stand on top?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Work hard Kurono!¡±

    ¡°No, no way in hell, it is impossible, after all I¡¯m a rank 1 adventurer? In these situations only the one with the top rank does the job. I heard here is a party of rank 4, shouldn¡¯t they fit the job.¡±

    If there are quests requiring multiple parties cooperation, then it is natural for the person with the most top rank to lead them.

    It¡¯s not like the rank is everything, that is only for exception within the the top rankers which is full of those who are not popr or are only strong.

    Having a big rank is the proof of experience and strength. With just that much of career a person¡¯s name can be well known within other parties.

    Even a person with somewhat low rank can be a leader if he has a lot of connections with many people and is well-known.

    At this point, the people knowing Kurono the adventurers from Irz are all annihted, it¡¯s impossible for a Rank 1 person to be a leader.

    ¡°But Kurono you¡¯re forgetting the basic of the basics, the constantw of nature.¡±

    ¡°Haa?¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, the strongest person stands at the top.¡±

    It might not be understandable to Kurono who came from a peaceful world, but the survival of fittest is the most basic principle and theory in this world.

    That is something even the monsters know, there are no flocks of them with a weak person as their boss.

    That is even applied in the our society, furthermore within the adventurer who are apanied with some problems all the time. The strength cannot be changed and is the most valued thing here.

    Poprity? Virtue? Things like that don¡¯t matter, there is no adventurer here who objects for the most strong person to lead them.

    ¡°Oh, Then isn¡¯t Lily the most strong her¡ª-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me!!¡±

    ¡°I, I see......¡±

    It is good if Kurono understood me.

    ¡°But that isn¡¯t the only reason for why should you be leading the adventurers. Only Kurono knows the strength of Crusaders within the adventurers here. And if someone from that rescue unit was to lead, they will make a big mistake at the start by underestimating them.¡±

    At the very least, that pig iming to be the leader of the unit will definitely make a mistake.

    First of all, they don¡¯t have analysed their war potential at all. They are just muscle-brained idiots who are contempt with them dying on the front lines in a shy manner.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t think they will not underestimate the crusader.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, the enemy¡¯s war potential is overwhelming, we will be wiped out if we make even one mistake. I don¡¯t want to fight under someone I cannot trust. Ah, maybe I should say I won¡¯t fight unless Kurono is the leader.¡±

    Kurono shows a surprised expression on hearing those words.

    But I have to clearly say these things.

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to do something that will massacre all the refugees but you see the most thing for me is that I and Kurono survive. You are giving of the vibe that you will fight even if you have to throw your life away. I¡¯m really worried.¡±

    The half of the speech was aplete lie, I don¡¯t give a shit about abandoning the lives of others.

    I don¡¯t even have topare the value of Kurono and other people. This won¡¯t change even ifpared to hundred of people or thousands of people.

    But I don¡¯t want Kurono to know about all of this. It¡¯s fine if he understands only the good parts like I¡¯m concerned about his well being for now.

    ¡°Sorry......It¡¯s just as you say. Furthermore Lily even healed the vigers and is being more helpful than me.¡±

    Ah, I only did that thinking it would improve your mental health, don¡¯t worry about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re worried about me, but, just because of something like that I can¡¯t stop fighting. Fighting is all I can do.¡±

    ¡°er well..., I¡¯m not stopping you from doing even that. But you know right, that when fighting with life on line you have to fight with all the cards you have.¡±

    ¡°Aa, the danger level ispletely different from the rank 1 quests, I can¡¯t just leave it to others. Okay, I will be the leader of adventurers.¡±

    Kurono deres boldly. As expected his face full of vigor is really awesome.

    Go for it! While passing on the ale to him, I¡¯m secretly make my heart flutter.

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t have even a pinch of experience in leading. So you will be my support.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    But even I don¡¯t have an experience of that sort.

    Not like it matters. I will use each and every other adventurer for my and Kurono¡¯s sake.

    Worst case, only we both reach Spada. Well, they should do their best by at least bing the baits or something for us.

 Chapter 76 With the seat of Leader on the line

    Chapter 76 With the seat of Leader on the line

    Inside the lobby of the Kuar vige guild, numerous adventurers could be seen.

    Currently, every adventurer of Kuar as well as those that were currently here coincidentally had gathered here, so it was only natural that it would be crowded.

    Usually, adventurers are on their quests and wouldn¡¯t be together like this but¡ª¨C

    Emergency Quest ¨C Escorting the evacuees

    Reward ¨C Undecided

    Deadline ¨C Undecided

    Client ¨C Daedalus Adventurer Guild

    Quest details ¨C it has been decided that all vigers will be evacuated to Spada. The escort along the journey will be done by the Vignte corps of the respective viges. The adventurers are required to act as the rear guard and protect the vigers from the enemy. Details regarding the enemy are only that it is an army of humans. It is a quest of danger level exceeding any of those till now but the lives of all the vigers are riding on you people. Brave adventurers please take part.

    .

    And thus, each and every adventurer here waspulsorily made to ept the emergency quest.

    Every adventurer here knew what an emergency quest meant of course but their concern was regarding how toplete this quest.

    And currently the 9 parties and 10-odd solo adventurers, a total of 50 adventurers, were talking to decide who will be the one in lead right now.

    ¡°Ha! A small-fry who isn¡¯t even rank 4 should stay out of this!!¡±

    No, to be exact, they were fighting with each other.

    The light armoured adventurer was blown away with a dull sound.

    Where he felly many other who couldn¡¯t move any more.

    ¡°I will be the one to lead you bastards!! Anybody who gotta a problem with dat step forward!!¡± (T/N: he speaks roughly so that was the best I could do. Sounds like a wannabe tho lol)

    The one who howled that was a 2 meter tall werewolf.

    But he wasn¡¯t just huge, trained muscles could be seen behind his grey fur, and numerous old scars all over his body disyed his amazing experience as well.

    ¡°What happened?! Is there no one who can take on this immortal Vulcan-sama!? (T/N:yeah he calls himself with a ¡®sama¡¯)

    The fight for the position of the leader had been overwhelmed by this werewolf called Vulcan.

    The shining gold guild card hanging around his neck was a proof of his rank.

    Among the few rank 4 adventurers in Kuar vige, he was clearly above in power.

    The rank 4 party Kurono was talking about was his [Vulcan Powered].

    All the adventurers understood that to have his own name in the party name so grandly meant that he was the strongest even in his team and it was a stereotypical one-man team.

    And in fact, everyone except Vulcan were rank 3 adventurers.

    Party rank was not raised due to a single member¡¯s rank, but to have a rank 4 party even with everyone else at rank 3 meant that the guild had acknowledged that he alone gave the whole party the strength of a rank 4 party.

    ¡°fun, if there¡¯s no one left then it¡¯s decided.¡±

    Vulcan looked at the surrounding adventurers with a sharp eye so as to overpower them.

    Although it had be a fight in the end, Vulcan¡¯s power was acknowledged by everyone and besides he even had the experience as the leader of a party so the adventurers weren¡¯t really dissatisfied. Either.

    With the words [It¡¯s decided], silence finally came to the lobby.

    The moment he smiled while seeing that there were no objections,

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    A single man came in front of him.

    ¡°HUUH?¡±

    A man dressed inplete ck with ck hair and ck eyes.

    Although he was tall for a human, but from Vulcan¡¯s point of view, everyone was small.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the leader after defeating you.¡±

    ¡°Ohho?¡±

    To have said that straight like him, there was no one among those he had blown away just now.

    And in actuality, someone who was dissatisfied with Vulcan hade to hit him.

    ¡°Alright. Come at me boy. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll hold back just ¡®cause you¡¯re a weak little human magician, alright?¡±

    Cracking his fists, Vulcan released a beast-like bloodlust.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a boy, my name is Kurono.¡±

    Kurono who showed no signs of getting scared, Vulcan wondered whether he had confidence in his skills or was he just an idiot.

    ¡°Alright Kurono, I¡¯ll say this just in case but no use of weapons is allowed. If you try and defeat me with a hidden weapon, no one¡¯s gonna follow ya.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll fight bare handed.¡±

    Vulcan became sure of his victory.

    (¡°A magician bare handed could never defeat me. I¡¯m not called immortal for nothing boy. Well, I ain¡¯t gonna lose even if he used weapons though.¡±)

    Magicians can use magic even without staffs or grimoires but the power would clearly fall a lot.

    It¡¯s not like a magician can¡¯t use a strong magic even without them, he could use one after a long chant, but in such a situation where the distance between them was less than 10m, a magician could only fight back with a single action magic.

    If the magician can defeat with his single action then he can surely win, but if it fails to defeat then obviously he will definitely lose. Even a magician could try punching back at least once though.

    Vulcan who was called the immortal, had confidence in his physical strength, but that¡¯s not all. He also had the Extra magic of the werewolves [Auto Heal] as well.

    As the name implies, it had the effect of healing any part that got damaged.

    But since it takes time for the healing toplete, if a damage like getting his heart pierced, or head chopped off, or a simr attack, was taken, he would still die instantly.

    Except those, he could reduce any other damage to almost null, especially in a fist fight like this where only small attacks are allowed.

    Thus, whether it be a magician¡¯s punch or single action, he could take them on ten times and still be standing normally.

    From themon sense of an Adventurer, a single action could only be used once or twice consecutively which was the limit for a magician.

    (¡°No matter what, he won¡¯t be able to fire more than 4 times. Even if this boy¡¯s power of a single shot was many times stronger than a normal magician, he still would never be able to defeat me.¡±)

    Vulcan took his stance, it didn¡¯t matter if fire came or thunder came, he decided to charge straight forward and punch this impudent magician directly on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait till you fire, after all, it¡¯ll be boring if you fall without getting to fire even once right?¡±

    ¡°Why thank you¡ª-here Ie.¡±

    ¡°Come at me!¡±

    *DON!!* A sound resounded twice at the same time.

    One was due to Vulcan stepping on the floor and the other was Kurono firing his magic.

    A ck bullet was fired towards Vulcan¡¯s body.

    (¡°Something like this will never¡ª¨C¡°)

    Stop him. Every adventurer here thought the same.

    But, that was only if it was just a single shot.

    ¡°Magic bullet arts ¨C release all bullets Full Burst.¡±

    Instantly, numerous ck bullets rushed towards the giant enemy Vulcan.

    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!¡±

    Vulcan could take on ten single action attacks consecutively but what would happen if it was a 100 shots or a 1000 shots.

    Of course, there was no way he could take it on.

    To avoid injuring him fatally, the bullets were softer as well as the head was made round, but the impact was still the same. A normal human would have fainted with just a single shot.

    Vulcan certainly withstood ten attacks but the damage that was dealt in an instant was too much to be covered by his Auto Heal.

    ¡°Guh.......oo.........¡±

    After he was 2m near Kurono he finally fell to his knees.

    By that time, all the bullets from [Load] were also used up.

    ¡°To not faint even after taking all the bullets, as expected of a Rank 4, you¡¯re pretty tough.¡±

    As Kurono admired the figure of Vulcan who was still showing bloodlust and had yet to faint, Kurono dealt the final blow calmly without letting his guard down.

    Raising his fist, he rushed forward by kicking the floor.

    Why a magician would go all the way to use his fists, the gallery wondered but they soon got their answer.

    Because Kurono released his fastest and first most original ck magic.

    Instantly magical energy concentrated in his arm.

    ¡°Pile Bunker.¡±

    The concentrated magic that rotated like a drill had power iparable to a single bullet.

    Vulcan, who had been overwhelmed by the hail of bullets, had neither the physical strength nor the concentration to stop it.

    ck magical energy released from Kurono¡¯s arm and dull sound of hitting Vulcan¡¯s body reverberated inside the whole guild.

    In just a few seconds, the battle had concluded.

    Vulcan fell on the floor as he lost his consciousness as Kurono dered in an imposing voice.

    ¡°I am the leader. Anybody who has a problem with that, step forward.¡±

    It was the same line Vulcan had said just a moment ago.

    And thus, not a single one came out who objected this.

 Chapter 77 Formation (1)

    Chapter 77 ¨C Formation (1)

    During the time Kurono was in a battle with Vulcan for the leadership of adventurers, in a certain guest room there were Fiona and Lily.

    ¡°What did you want to talk fairy-san?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking of making an agreement with you¡±

    Though Lily is in her small form, but it can be concluded that her consciousness was of her original form from her way of answering the question from Fiona-san.

    ¡°What sort of agreement?¡±

    ¡°I want you to form a party with us.¡±

    The meaning of the words Lily spoke can be understood by any adventurer, no, anymon person in this world.

    The basics of adventurer are obviously to fight along withrades, the party y strategy.

    It is not rare for for someone to have a good cooperative rtionship with any unfamiliar adventurer due topleting one quest together, but normally peopleplete quests with their own pre formed parties.

    After submitting the Party name and the names of all the members of the party, it is then treated as an official party.

    Still, it is not a problem to join up with another person andplete a quest without registering as a party. Through registering as a party, it is easy for gaining guild¡¯s favor and also easy to appeal the aplishment of the works of party.

    ¡°A party with you and Kurono-san ?¡±

    ¡°Un, we still haven¡¯t thought of any name for the party but if you enter, we will have to. So how about it?¡±

    Fiona wavered for a second and,

    ¡°I refuse¡±

    she refused without any hesitation.

    ¡°Is it alright for me to hear the reason?¡±

    Lily doesn¡¯t show any signs of being mad at the answer, but rather she boldly smiles and questions.

    It was an evil grin that she can not show to Kurono.

    ¡°I¡¯m not good for this job. There is no party which has kept me after 3 days from forming the party, there is also the possibility of being kicked out during a quest¡±

    Though Fiona is expressionless, that experience must have been a trauma for her. Lily sensed the slight waver in her stable heart.

    But even after knowing it, Lily has not in the least of intention tofort her.

    It is important to get Fiona into Lily¡¯s pace and Fiona¡¯s feeling don¡¯t matter at all.

    They can get a decent party which is impossible normally, just due to the addition of a very powerful witch named Fiona.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re unbelievably clumsy at control magic, still I¡¯m asking for you to join.¡±

    ¡°Why do you know that?¡±

    Fiona inquires without showing a sign of being surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone using a mere ¡®Ignis Shield¡¯ in a shy manner as you did.¡±

    ¡°I see, the fairy tribe are knowledgeable in magic.¡±

    Fiona is still not surprised, it was as if she had been told same thing before too.

    ¡°I am a special one, don¡¯t confuse me with those lousy flies.¡±

    At the very least, within the Kuar vige only Lily has the most knowledge and analysing power for magic.

    She has never learned about it, it is nothing more than something present in her from the time she was born.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put your feelings aside right now, but I want you to understand the concerns on my side.¡±

    Fiona unhesitantly asked ¡®What do you mean¡¯ at Lily¡¯s words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to let a dangerous witch be free, who can burn 100 viges in all directions while Kurono is fighting Crusaders for the refugees to safely escape. Looks like I said it the wrong way? I¡¯m the only one who values highly about your power. I definitely want that offensive power near me.¡±

    Lily speakspliments with a lovely smile on her face.

    ¡°Thank you very much, you¡¯re the second person to everpliment me about my magic.¡±

    Lily understood that the words spoken by Fiona are not sarcasm but from the bottom of her heart.

    ¡°Ufufu, looks like there are only idiots in Arc continent. And I¡¯m not only taking you as a powerful adventurer but also as a higher position called ¡®Comrade¡®. In this case, I will also offer you a ce where you can use your ¡®uncontroble¡¯ magic power without any restrictions. Well it is not me but Kurono who will think about this though.¡°

    Fiona looks down while pondering.

    Lily thinks that ¡°Seems like onest push is needed¡±.

    ¡°If you¡¯re a good adventurer who wants to save the pitiful vigers, then I really want you toe with us. If you want to return to Spada alone for self-protection, I won¡¯t stop you and if you want to go back to being a Crusader , I will kill you right here.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of going back to being a Crusader, and am thinking of helping with the emergency quest as an adventurer of Pandora Continent.¡±

    Fiona replies immediately. Lily smiles as if the reply she gave was obvious.

    ¡°You¡¯re honest. I can understand you have no lingering feelings with the Crusaders and you don¡¯t like the massacre. And I think you have no reason to reject my offer?¡±

    Fiona stills ponders.

    But this time she swings her head vertically.

    ¡°That is right, if you¡¯re willing to take me in, I don¡¯t have a reason to reject.¡±

    ¡°I see, Thank you¡±

    Lily wees Fiona with a big smile who agreed for the entering their party.

    ¡°Nh......It is about time¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°There is no more time for me to retain my adult consciousness, so listen carefully.¡±

    Fiona already knows about Lily having two consciousnesses, so she, without asking any questions, agrees.

    ¡°The leader of party is Kurono, he will being here soon. Properly do the introductions and then listen to his orders.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Fiona nods obediently.

    ¡°And for you to not get pulled to another party let me telling you our best points¡±

    Though Lily is in small form , she sends a perfect wink to Fiona.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Kuronoes from a really, really far away country, so he makes many unfamiliar dishes, for the time you are with us you will get to eat various unfamiliar tasty foods. Ufufu don¡¯t think that popsicles are the only sweet thing we have.¡±

    Those words got attention of Fiona more than anything. It wasn¡¯t required to even read her mind for that, as she bends and approaches towards Lily.

    ¡°Is that......really true?¡±

    ¡°Un, a pudding for example.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What is that ¡®Pudding¡¯ food that seems really sweet with just it¡¯s name.¡±

    Fiona recalls every sweet taste she has tasted. but her expectations rise enormously due to an never heard food name.

    ¡°Find that out by yourself¡±

    ¡°I will confirm it immediately.¡±

    Fiona replies with a voice of empty stomach.

    ¡°Ah, let me tell you onest rule to you.¡±

    ¡°What would it might be?¡±

    Lily replied with a lovely smile mixed with a little bit of bloodlust mixed.

    ¡°Having romantic rtionships is forbidden within our party, don¡¯t forget this ever.¡±

    After saying that. she falls down on the bed

    Soon after that, a cute sleeping breath reaches the ears of Fiona.

 Chapter 78 Formation (2)

    Chapter 78 ¨C Formation (2)

    ¡°Fuu......It really was nerve wracking......¡±

    While sighing, I head towards the guest room where lily is waiting.

    But still how could I say ¡°I am the leader. Anybody who has a problem with that, step forward.¡±. Ah, I¡¯m so embarrassed.

    Well, after demonstrating the power, an imposing attitude is needed after all.

    Though I still have a great doubt whether how I acted was the right thing to do.

    ¡°Anyway, rank 4 really are dangerous.¡±

    During the battle of Vulcan it might have looked like my one-sided victory, in truth I didn¡¯t feel that much difference between our powers.

    I was able to win just because I had goodpatibility against him.

    Vulcan is an power fighter just as he looks. He attacked with the intention of stopping my attacks directly.

    Any ordinary magician wouldn¡¯t be able to stop his charge and would be knocked out. After all he withstood my 10 magic bullets at point-nk range while suffering no damage at all.

    Not only the toughness of his body, but also his power, speed, reaction speed and physical capacity were some levels above my enhanced body.

    ¡°I doubt if we once again fight, it would go this easy.¡±

    For now let¡¯s pray for that situation to nevere.

    ording to Lily ¡°After bing a leader never show your weak side or else you¡¯ll be underestimated.¡±. So I can¡¯t show my uneasiness to Vulcan or others.

    Well it might be fine for me to maintain my normal expression on face to naturally speak something like ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you dare ck off!¡±

    While thinking that, I reach the guest room and knock at door.

    ¡°Lily, I¡¯m back¡±

    ¡°Ah Kurono-san,e in¡±

    Nh, this voice, is it Fiona-san?

    The door opened, and there stood Fiona-san.

    Upon entering the room, I find Lily lying down on bed, she must have gone to sleep due to tiredness.

    ¡°I heard Lily had some business with Fiona-san, is it over?¡±

    I casually ask,

    ¡°Yes, I was told you have a sweet thing called ¡®Pudding¡¯¡±

    She replied with a tilted head.

    ¡°Ha? Pudding?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have pudding?¡±

    Fiona-san stares at me with golden eyes filled with extreme expectations.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have it? I didn¡¯t go away to cook you know?¡±

    Even if you looks at me with those eyes, I can¡¯t help with things I don¡¯t have.

    Fiona-san shows a depressed expression.

    Eh, what is this feeling like I¡¯m the bad guy here?

    ¡°If you want to eat it, I will make itter¡±

    ¡°Is it true?¡±

    She suddenly got better, somehow this reaction reminds me of the time I gave her popsicle.

    ¡°I will make itter, right now it is impossible. I am busy with the emergency quest, I don¡¯t have the ingredients and don¡¯t expect that it will be very good or not.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine. Let¡¯s work hard to safelyplete the evacuation.¡±

    Thank you for brave words. I will find a kitchen when we reach Spada for sure.

    ¡°Then let us think about the name for our party at once.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Umm, looks like Fiona-san and I are not even on the same page?

    What the hell was this talk about? Party? Is it the party for celebrating after the evacuation ispleted?

    ¡°I¡¯m a member of Kurono-san¡¯s party, aren¡¯t I ?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    Hell with this conversation, always ending with a question mark.

    Calm down, Don¡¯t lose myself, I have to somehow find the hidden meaning behind Fiona-san¡¯spletely unrted words.

    Talk with Lily, Pudding, Party member......

    ¡°erm, was your talk with Lily regarding your addition to our party?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    Bingo! I¡¯mpletely right!

    ¡°I now understand,pletely understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you have agreed to it.¡±

    OK, now were getting on the same page.

    ¡°I will ask this just for being convinced but, are you really alright with entering our party?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ording to Lily-san, I¡¯m an wild witch who can burn 100 viges in all directions but still, take care of me from now on.¡±

    Eeee, what is with that ultra-suspicious self-introduction. I never heard Lily giving that dangerous evaluation to Fiona-san.

    ¡°Is it alright for me to understand it as that you excel at using magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have confidence in the ¡®firepower¡¯ of my magic. I can turn enemy and ally both to ash without any concerns.¡±

    Not putting in a tsukkomi here, I calm down myself and ask

    ¡°......Can¡¯t you just burn only the enemy to cinders?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little clumsy at controlling my magical power. Still I was passionately invited, so I decided to join the party.¡±

    Fiona-san snorts and puffs out her chest full of confidence.

    ¡°I-I see, well Lily is fine with it so there is no problem. Well then best regards from me too, You¡¯re wee to our party.¡±

    I have no choice but to ept her in, though her self-introduction waspletely suspicious.

    Even I trust Fiona-san¡¯s magical firepower, after all she saved me from the rain of arrows with a wall of me.

    And she is also the saviour of my life, I have no more reason to refuse.

    ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡±

    We both shake hands and here the agreement ispleted.

    ¡°Kurono-san¡±

    Fiona-san shows a painful expression, I wonder now what is she going to confess.

    ¡°This is something Lily-san knows, I want to tell you too.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    I wait for her next words being somewhat nervous.

    ¡°I¡¯m a person from Arc continent.¡±

    ¡°......what the hell¡±

    ¡°Do you detest me?¡±

    I reflexively start umting magical power for firing of the magic bullets. Though she may have not known about that, she must have already read through me due to the bloodlust I am oozing unconsciously.

    ¡°Sorry, just wait a bit.¡±

    She came from Arc continent that would mean that she has the same position as that of the Crusaders.

    Is she the same as those insane Crusaders who brought destruction to Irz Vige. Is she the same kind and race as them? I cannot let her live, shouldn¡¯t I kill her right now?

    ¡°I am d I didn¡¯t have the hatchet.¡±

    If I had, I would¡¯ve been devoured by those emotions.

    Calm down, right now it is important to hear the story of Fiona-san.

    First of all she saved me and Lily also has epted her that would mean she is not a bad person.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tell me you story.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but from where should I start telling.¡±

    It is the manner of adventurers to not pry into someone¡¯s past, so it¡¯s better to leave it.

    ¡°Right now I don¡¯t want to hear about your life story or whether you were a Crusader or have you killed people on Pandora continent. Just tell me what you can tell.¡±

    ¡°Understood, but I don¡¯t have any past that I must hide.

    I went to the Magic School in Elysion, after graduating I didn¡¯t have any new aim so I participated in the expedition as a mercenary.

    but the food was not good and the ce was very ufortable, so I left.¡±

    ¡®You really betrayed them for such a reason?¡¯, I ask unconsciously to her.

    This is not impossible if it is Fiona-san, but if told right to my face, it is hard to believe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a believer of Cross religion. And without taking any money I went through all the formalities for resigning, so I doubt that I betrayed them.¡±

    ¡°But will you be fine fighting the people from your home country with us.¡±

    On that question, Fiona-san replied with sleepy face saying not like I care, so I¡¯m fine.

    ¡°Country, Religion, Human or Demon, I don¡¯t care about any of that.

    Kurono-san you can think of me like yourself, a traveller who came here just on whim for a faraway ce.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that from Lily?¡±

    ¡°I only heard you¡¯re an inhabitant of a really far country. That¡¯s why, think of my ce of origin as meaningless, and I also don¡¯t have any lingering affection towards it,¡±

    I don¡¯t know what ce Arc continent is exactly like, but I can somewhat understand what Fiona-san is trying to say.

    In short, she has nothing she wants to protect.

    I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing, anyways the person known as Fiona-san is not affiliated to anywhere.

    ¡°I got it, I will trust you and you¡¯re already a member of our party.¡±

    ¡°Is that really alright? I did participate in the previous invasion and have killed many people, are you willing to forgive that too?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, that was your work as a mercenary, it¡¯s just that now that has changed to some other work.¡±

    I am already a murder myself, so I have no right to tell her that she has done wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful.¡±

    ¡°In Fact, I am really grateful that Fiona-san is an inhabitant of Arc continent.¡±

    Now that I think about it, I, no, every adventurer and viger present here doesn¡¯t know a single thing about Crusaders.

    It is the situation where we have to fight an unknown enemy.

    ¡°I also roamed around the vige a bit, but there wasn¡¯t any person who knows about the the Crusaders or the Republic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, even I have only heard that the name of the country is ¡®Republic¡¯¡±.

    Information is the important factor at every time, and even more important when there is a fight with lives at stake.

    There are many words iming the importance of information like ¡®know your enemy, know thyself, and you shall not fear a hundred battles.¡¯ . Most probably, these are also told in this world.

    I was granted with great luck, that I have met a person who know about Crusaders in an unexpected ce, furthermore is myrade.

    I have a lot of things to ask, like the number of enemies, the equipment they use, morale, skill strength, theirmander, and what are they thinking and trying to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful that Fiona-san is ourrade, I¡¯ll take your help from now on, take of care of me then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you for epting me.¡±

    Fiona-san¡¯s face is as usual unchanging but for some reason if had an expression of being relieved.

    ¡°I have a lot to ask you, but let¡¯s think about the party name for now, it will be problematic when naming ourselves without it,¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s think a really good name together.¡±

    I did gain the position of being the leader of adventurers due to the duel, but the one to lead them is not only me but the party I am in.

    Now there are 3 people and there is also the need to introduce ourselves to adventurers, won¡¯t it be difficult to name ourselves without a party name.

    ¡°Aw man, I have never even once thought about the party name.¡±

    It would be a lie to say I never thought about it. During my high school days, I had to think about the names for organizations, agencies and squads in the Light Novels I used to write.

    That this and that are different. I don¡¯t want the name of my party with extravagant names with words like God... or Destruction... .

    A party name should indicate about myself, should the name be indicating about my tall height.

    ¡°How do adventurers normally think about a party name?¡±

    ¡°Basically, everyone just thinks of what they like, let¡¯s see, ah there are more cases of party names to be the exact names of the party leader.¡±

    I see, Vulcan¡¯s party name was also something like ¡®Vulcan-powered¡¯. [ET: Has author gone mad with naming sense and can¡¯t write a normal design of story]

    But that is only because he has more power than any other member in his party.

    If we take the name of the strongest person in our party, we will turn into ¡®Magical¡îLily¡¯.

    ¡°There are also the cases of using the names of your birthce, or ss of members, characteristics, or even the name of legendary treasures.¡±

    We are all from different ces, furthermore my country can¡¯t be found anywhere in this world. So we can¡¯t even name ourselves like ¡®Irz ders¡¯ where all members were from the same ce.

    And I don¡¯t know about the legends of this world as it is only a little over 1 year since I havee here, in addition to that I¡¯m not even searching for some legendary treasure.

    If i have to say, then I am searching for the summoning magic through which I can return to my own world, but right now I have no intention of searching it.

    ¡°Ourmon feature is, we all can use magic, right?¡±

    ¡°This really is an unreliable party without any vanguard.¡±

    As a matter of fact you¡¯re absolutely right. I make a wry smile and reply to her.

    ¡°I have only taken rank 1 quests, so it was good that I have not given more time to fighting in closebats.¡±

    ¡°But if I use my magic, I¡¯m sure the vanguard will get engulfed inside it. Rather I think this is much better.¡±

    Just how much does this girl doesn¡¯t believe in controlling her power.

    No, I won¡¯t return a tsukkomi to this, as it is something I was also worried about.

    ¡°now that I think about it Fiona-san is good at fire magic, right? You used the ¡®Ignis Rampart¡¯ to save me too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that was just an ¡®Ignis Shield¡¯¡±.

    What is that answer, you trying to appeal as the best or something?

    ¡°That was a genuine ¡®Ignis Shield¡¯, when I use any lower-grade magic, it changes to that size.¡±

    Upon my question ¡¯What will happen when you fire offensive magic¡¯, she replied calmly.

    ¡°In the case of ¡®Ignis Sagita¡¯, the range remains the same but it¡¯s destructive power changes to that of ¡®Ignis Fortis Sagita¡¯¡±.

    I see this definitely exins the ¡®Enemy and ally will get burned to cinders¡¯. I wonder what will happen if this is shot in cave or dungeon......

    If she doesn¡¯t use it very carefully, it will turn into a big disaster.

    But now Ipletely understand why Lily went through the trouble of letting her in our party.

    The old Lily does think greatly, we can¡¯t leave a bomb roaming here and there. There might be big explosions in unexpected situations.

    ¡°I excel at using Fire magic, and can use every other magic till intermediate level except the light and dark magic.¡±

    She speaks in a boastful manner. I think that her fighting capabilities are great.

    ¡°Using 2 magic is not rare, but it¡¯s my first time seeing someone who can use every magic.¡±

    I can only use one damn ck magic! Wellining about myself is hurting me more. So I won¡¯t do it anymore.

    ¡°If you add my dark and Lily¡¯s white magic, we have all the types of magic.¡±

    My ck magic ispletely different from model magic, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I can manifest the dark magic with this too.

    Bullet arts are only the materialization of objects but Dimensional space is also a skill of dark magic.

    ¡°There are not many parties with every magic attributes. If a single person acquires it alone he can be called as the legendary ¡®Element Master¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Element Master, huh. This is good and cool.¡±

    If one uses all the attributes, then it is easy to know the weakness in the magicians and monsters with other attributes. And can also intercept the enemy¡¯s attack with the attribute with high resistance.

    Though it is magic centered, but aren¡¯t we pretty strong party.

    ¡°Is controlling every attribute called as Elemental Master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they are called. All the elemental masters can use all the higher grade color magic, and make many exploits due to which their names are recorded in history. They are one of the ideals every magician has.¡±

    oo, isn¡¯t it great title which suggests we can use every magic.

    ¡°Well then let¡¯s call us that from now on.¡±

    ¡°I feel it is good. Lily-san will also agree to it.¡±

    And thus the party name was decided.

    ¡°OK, from now on we are Element Masters.¡±

 Chapter 79 Scorched Earth Tactics

    Chapter 79 Scorched Earth Tactics

    ¡°I¡¯m the leader of [Element Master], Kurono.¡±

    I introduced myself as the leader to the 50 adventurers in the lobby along with my newly created party name.

    It was not something like a powerful speech made by the American president in a Hollywood movie. All we did was confirm the details of the quest, introducing the members who will have the central role etc.

    Though everyone was obediently listening to me for the time being, but all I have shown till now is only my power I used while beating Vulcan. It will still take some time before they trust me as a proper leader as well.

    For a rank 1 adventurer with almost no experience like me, I had no other choice but to shown clear achievements from here onwards.

    As I resolved this, it was now the next day ¨C 21st of the month of Shinyou.

    ¡°But, to not even able ride a horse properly, are you even an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Shut up Vulcan, I¡¯m concentrating right now, don¡¯t disturb me.¡±

    As we departed towards Irz vige early morning, I had already started to make others doubt my abilities as a leader.

    The one I¡¯m currently straddled to is probably the high ss giant horse that was used by themander of the force that attacked the Irz Vige. This horse that had long sleek ck hair like a girl was captured while repulsing the Crusaders.

    At first it was going to be taken by someone else but since I became the leader, I also ended up getting it as well. It seems the leader is supposed to ride the best horse at the front of the force always.

    Well that¡¯s not all. It also seems to be a reward for me since I killed a lot Crusaders in Irz vige.

    I got a great horse but I was just a high school student in a literature club, half year as an experimental body and only three months as an adventurer. Just when the hell would I have had the time to learn something like horse-riding.

    No, well I knew that horses were the best vehicle substitute in this world.

    Even I wished to ride them one day but if you suddenly give me a horse and say ¡®Ride this and lead the adventurers in battle!¡¯, isn¡¯t it impossible?

    Ah, by the way, Fiona-san splendidly climbed her horse and was smoothly running along the highway right now.

    It seems she is a bit superior as an adventurer.........gununu.(T/N:Sound of getting irritated)

    ¡°Gahaha, try not to fall down hard, Mr. newbie leader-san!¡±

    ¡°Shit, damned Vulcan, should I use full burst on you one more time....¡±

    Riding a Bicorn proportionate to his own giant size, Vulcanughed loudly as he passed by.

    By the way, a Bicorn is a subspecies of the famous Unicorn.

    As the name suggests, it has two brilliant horns and looked more like a goat rather than a horse but was infact big enough to let even the 2m tall Vulcan ride on it easily.

    ¡°I would have practiced this earlier if I knew this would happen.¡±

    ¡°Kurono! Work Hard!¡±

    ¡°Thanks Lily, what would I do without you, seriously.¡±

    Lily sat in front of me. It looked like she was sitting there to not fall off suddenly but it was actually the reverse. Thanks to Lily being here, I am able to show some speed even on my first try riding a horse and am not falling suddenly.

    Fairies really have a fantasy-like power that allows them to connect with animals by just touching.

    Thanks to that brilliant ability, Lily is working hard to prevent me from falling off from the horse. I really am useless. I end up depending on Lily for everything. Crap, I feel like crying now.

    ¡°Are you crying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Dirt entered my eyes a little¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t release your hands!!¡±

    ¡°Oh crap!?¡ª-¡°

    Please, reach the destination quickly.

    As I prayed, I enjoyed my first time riding a horse.

    .

    .

    .

    Our destination currently is not Spada but the deserted Irz vige.

    As the representative of the 12 adventurers that came here, Vulcan came to ask me.

    ¡°We are too many for scouting but too few for making a defensive line. What¡¯s the purpose behind using here?¡±

    ¡°Sorry for not exining in advance since I was in a hurry. Well I wanted to exin en route but, you saw my sorry state. Really sorry.¡±

    The adventurersughed a bit but I ignored it and continued exining.

    ¡°We came here to burn each and every store house and warehouses here in Irz Vige.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°What?¡±

    Maybe because my answer was unexpected or imprudent, everyone looked at me with cold gazes.

    ¡°You bastard, do you even realize what you¡¯re saying? Isn¡¯t this your vige as well? How can you say something like that so easily?¡±

    ¡°I understand you will oppose this but this is a n to stop and slow down the enemy, so I want you to understand.¡±

    As I expected, the adventurers are well versed in killing monsters and survival skills, but they are not knowledgeable about proper Military tactics and strategies.

    Even a person from peaceful japan has knowledge about strategies, well that might be over exaggerating but, I still learnt a lot through various mediums like novels, documentaries, and fiction.

    ¡°This is called scorched earth tactics.¡±

    ¡°Scorched earth tactics?¡±

    So they really haven¡¯t even heard of it. They look at me with wondering gazes.

    ¡°Simply speaking, it¡¯s a strategy to destroy any facility or food products that might be used and taken by the enemy before running away.¡±

    ¡°......haa¡±

    It seems this Vulcan can¡¯t even use his head as expected. Other adventurers seemed to understand a bit from my short exnation.

    ¡°If the enemy findsrge amounts of food stocked here, that means they¡¯ll be able to eat well, that in turn means that they¡¯ll be able to fight sooner. Understand?¡±(kurono)

    Since we are trying to hold them off, it¡¯ll be troublesome for us if they can fight quickly.

    ¡°Oo, basically, we have no reason to gift the enemy with meals, right!?¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If the enemy is unable to procure food locally, they¡¯ll have to bring it from other ces. That will further make their advance slower than normal. What¡¯s important for us is to buy enough time to run away to Spada. This¡¯ll help in achieving it without fighting them directly.¡±

    ¡°I understand the logic more or less.¡±

    Vulcan made a face like he understood only half of it but continued,

    ¡°But is that fine? Will the vigers ept burning away all their food they had stocked till now?¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°Vulcan, you actually were thinking about the vigers? You are good guy unlike what your face suggests.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Shaddup! So, what is it!?!¡±

    I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s embarrassed or actually angry but he approached me with a threatening look.

    ¡°Everyone won¡¯t agree with it, they¡¯ll definitely go against it. That¡¯s why I came back now when the evacuation of Kuar vige is finished.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna deceive them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the help of Vige Head Nahad to somehow persuade the vigerster. Right now, it¡¯s more important to hold the Crusaders back as much as possible. After the evacuation to Spada isplete, I don¡¯t mind no matter how much they me or condemn me. But till that time, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to use the best ns and policies avable. That¡¯s why I became the Leader. That¡¯s why, please, trust me during just this quest at least.¡±

    If they don¡¯t ept me here, then I would have really failed.

    I didn¡¯t show it on my face but I was anxious whether they would ept me with just these few words.

    But, near my legs, Lily smiled and said ¡®It¡¯s alright!¡¯.

    ¡°Whatever. We decided that you¡¯re the leader. Noone¡¯s gonnain now. But, if you fuck up even once, I¡¯ll change with you as the leader, don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    Vulcan really is a good guy even with that face. I could only hear that as ¡®I¡¯ll change with you even if you mess up, so don¡¯t worry¡¯.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll give out simple instruction so hear me¡ª¡ª¨C¡°

    .

    .

    .

    Just like how I came here on a horse, everyone else also came here while riding on something.

    Just like how I didn¡¯t have a horse, not everyone had ways to travel fast.

    In this different world that could bepared to the Middle Ages on Earth, the cost of horses wasn¡¯t very high but it was still not something anyone could easily get.

    To have a personal horse was natural for only Rank 3 and above adventurers.

    And the number of adventurers that came with me right now were 12 excluding me, Lily and Fiona-san.

    Most had horses, but there were some that used monsters as mounts like the Bicorn used by Vulcan or the Giant Ghoul used by the Skeleton race Magician, etc.

    By the way, a ghoul wasn¡¯t a zombie but was a hyena like monster of the Undead race.

    Think of the mount used by this Skeleton-san as a giant zombie dog.

    There are times where a party uses a carriage to travel but this time only the members of [Vulcan Powered] were using it.

    Vulcan had a giant body so he chose to ride on his favourite Bicorn instead.

    The reason I chose a horse rather than going by foot was, as I exined earlier, because we didn¡¯t have much time.

    Since it¡¯s an army of only humans so one could calcte and estimate the time required toe here, but in the end it was just an estimate.

    Raising the speed through magic, or transferring a unit itself, could also be possible.

    As long as the opponent¡¯s tricks and hands were still unknown, it¡¯s better for us to be as fast as possible.

    And thus, we needed to burn all the food here in Irz vige before the Crusaderse here.

    If possible I want to destroy the vige head¡¯s house, the guild building and other big buildings as well.

    Their troops had been deployed with the guild as a centre so it¡¯s confirmed that they were using it as themand centre.

    Destroying useful buildings and burning food and grains was what Scorched Earth tactics is meant to be.

    ¡°Did Kurono-san go to a knight school or something?¡±

    ¡°No, I only went to a ¡®normal¡¯ school. I didn¡¯t learn this properly. I¡¯m just trying to make use of what an amateur like me knows about tactics. I¡¯m actually doubtful of how much effect will it have.¡±

    As I gave an exnation I continued to prepare burning the grains etc.

    The only one who asked was Fiona-san, but it seems the rest were hearing as well.

    ¡°Also, this isn¡¯t a perfect scorched earth tactic either this time. It might have no effect at all as well.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Not having food is fatal in my opinion; I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it at all.¡±

    Well it might be true for Fiona-san who quit her work because the food was bad.

    ¡°Normally, it would be perfect to burn away the fields, houses and even the nearby forests as well. Also, this tactic is the most effective in snowy, cold areas. If they lose food along with fuel to light fire, it could kill them there and then.¡±

    ¡°I see. I did hear things even in the Republic about abandoning invasion due to hard winters.¡±

    Well, it¡¯smon even in my world.

    ¡°We are low on time as well as manpower, so we can only pray that an iplete one will also have some effect.¡±

    As my final ¡®parting gift¡¯ I poured the final oil can on the grain storehouse.

    With this, the preparations areplete. All that¡¯s left is to put some fire on it and the whole warehouse will go up in mes.

    When I was about to do that, lily pulled my robe.

    ¡°n, what happened Lily?¡±

    I thought she might want to say something against me burning the hardwork of vigers as well, but I saw unrest in those eyes of hers that had be serious.

    ¡°Oi Kurono, the enemy ising here!¡±

    The one who shouted that was an Elf girl with a bow who was a member of the [Three hunting Princesses] that had been keeping watch of the surroundings.

    She looked like a young girl, but she was a rank 3 veteran adventurer.

    The girl stopped her horse in front of me and quickly exined the situation.

    ¡°Susan discovered 7 cavalry warriorsing here from the highway.¡±

    Susan was a solo rank 4 thief.

    She looked like a human but was actually of the slime race. I had asked her, who was quick witted to keep watch and it seems she has already discovered enemies.

    ¡°Only 7? Not more than that?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°They are the only ones running on the highway.¡±(Elf)

    It must be scouting unit.

    ¡°They must havee to check this ce since their squad got repelled here.¡±(kurono)

    The enemy is an army of humans. They won¡¯t go through the trouble of making arge number of troops to avoid the highway and go through the forest tounch a surprise attack.

    They have the superiority of numbers, so I doubt they¡¯ll decide not tounch a frontal attack.

    ¡°What shall we do?¡±(elf)

    I didn¡¯t even need to think before answering.

    ¡°Attack them. Don¡¯t let even a single one get away alive.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Roger! That¡¯s how we like it!!¡±

    The Elf girl showed a determined smile and left to tell others to get ready for battle.

 Chapter 80 Scout Troop

    Chapter 80 Scout Troop

    About 2 Km away from Irz vige, the scout troop dispatched by Norz¡¯s main troop was stationed.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like there are people in the vige.¡±

    The members of the scout troop stopped their magic [Hawk Eye] meant to look at distant things.

    ¡°I see. It seems all the vigers have run away.¡±

    ¡°Should we chase?¡±

    ¡°If they were still in sight then we could have. But they must have evacuated to the nearby vige called Kuar. We won¡¯t make it in time now.¡±

    The soldier agreed with themanding officer¡¯s words. The two weren¡¯t surprised since they were already expecting it to be like this.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s search if there¡¯s someone still in the vige, just in case. It¡¯ll be dark soon, we¡¯ll scout Kuar tomorrow so let¡¯s make a camp in Irz tonight.¡±

    All the soldiers agreed.

    ¡°They seem to have run away in a hurry so we might some silver coins as well but, don¡¯t stay up all night just to ¡®look for treasure¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a difficult order.¡±

    Hahaha, the two of themughed lightly.

    They weren¡¯t soldiers who received high wages so they could only gather ¡®bonuses¡¯ like this on-site locally.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad we have no women even if we have money.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A brothel will be set up sooner orter. Daedalus already has one with ¡®local women¡¯. Seriously, those merchants are damn quick.¡±

    Though that¡¯s good for us, he gave a twisted smile as he thought so.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want demons as partners though.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t mind if it¡¯s just elf women, at least ¡ª¡ª¡°

    Themander looked behind him with a fed up face.

    ¡°Oi, Tsumiki ~ Tsumiki-chan ~ where did you go!?¡±

    A single woman was shouting while moving between the soldiers.

    ¡°¡ªthey¡¯ll be better than stupid adventurers like that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with that woman?¡±

    The soldier asked with a bored face.

    ¡°Like I know. That Sylvia nee-chan authorised her apanying us so we can¡¯tin either.¡±

    While choosing the members for scouting, this adventurer girl was added suddenly as if on a whim.

    It was suspicious no matter how you think about it but they couldn¡¯t do anything since it was an official order.

    ¡°In the first ce isn¡¯t it weird to hire ¡®them¡¯ even though we have enough numbers?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t rare to hire mercenaries inside the Syncrea Republic for campaigns. But that was only in cases where theycked men to deploy.

    The force deployed by Cardinal Mercedes under Norz had no problem regarding the number of soldiers.

    But still, to have hired such mercenaries even then was unnatural no matter how you looked at it.

    Even their equipment was different from the united Crusader equipment which made them stand out even more. Though, there existence wasn¡¯t something that required being hidden.

    But still, the objective behind hiring them was still unclear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the top brass is thinking but they didn¡¯t ask us to treat them specially either, so its best to leave them alone.¡±

    He wondered whether the adventurers hired had been given a special secret mission or not.

    The ones with him looked allmonce, especially that girl who kept shouting ¡®Tsumiki, tsumiki¡¯ didn¡¯t feel like an adventurer at all.

    ¡°Well, as long as they don¡¯t interfere with the mission, I don¡¯t really care.¡±

    Praying to god that the girl who was just a baggage for them doesn¡¯t cause any problems, themanding officer continued the mission.

    .

    .

    .

    The mysterious adventurer girl walked through the main street of Irz vige alongside themanding officer in the front.

    The Crusaders could only think of her as a clumsy, dunce, newbie adventurer.

    She was the lowest level among the adventurers but it seems that she still had the ability to at least ride a horse properly though.

    ¡°Ojou-chan, is that the tsumiki you were talking about?¡±

    In front of them was a small cat with ck fur. The silver cor around its neck showed that it was not a stray but a pet.

    ¡°Yes, cute right!?¡±

    With a somewhat proud smile, she lifted [Tsumiki] with the nape of its neck and brought it in front of themander.

    As it¡¯s golden eyes met with themander¡¯s, it gave a small nyaa cry.

    ¡°Also my name is Ai, remember it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s such amon name.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that...¡±

    [Ai] puffed her cheeks in protest but it was the truth. It really was amon name in the republic.

    ¡°Rather than that, don¡¯t let that cat run away next time.¡±

    ¡°ahhahha, I¡¯ll make sure!¡±

    Themander¡¯s sigh was drowned by the girl¡¯sughter.

    (¡°Isn¡¯t she really just a normal brat?¡±)

    He looked at the girl with bored eyes.

    She had a cute face with blue eyes and long golden hair tied up in a twintails hairstyle. Although, it really failed in practicality as an adventurer.

    A magician would have been fine with long hair since he/she had the excuse of possessing magic, but she was an archer no matter how you looked at it. Her main weapon was a long bow mage out of worn out wood.

    The only type of protective armor she had was the leather breastte, gloves and boots. Her upper body just had a thin shirt and her lower body had a miniskirt for some reason.

    The silver bracelet on her right hand was the only thing that looked useful. But even that was a silver essory of the lowest quality that was giving off a weak light representing some kind of enhancement.

    Rather an adventurer, she looked more like some town girl who decided to dress up as an adventurer. If she didn¡¯t have her slender and small yet well toned body, she really would not have looked like an adventurer at all.

    (¡°What were the upper guys thinking letting her participate in the campaign?¡±)

    As if to ridicule themander who was thinking, the cat cried nyaa nyaa towards him.

    ¡°Why the hell is it a cat? Isn¡¯t the partner of a hunter with a bow supposed to be a dog?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but cats are cuter!¡±

    (¡°This girl is nuts. She brought an animal to keep as a pet.¡±)

    As he had said, a dog would have been much more useful.

    A cat which didn¡¯t listen to the orders of its master was useless. In fact it was worse if it went missing in between.

    ¡°If we end up in a fight, look carefully after it.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me old man!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an old man yet¡ª-¡°

    That instant, themander¡¯s head burst open.

    ¡°Wha?¡±

    Ai stared at the figure of themander falling down from his horse with a hole in his head.

    ¡°Enemy attack! Be careful, it¡¯s an ambush!!¡±

    The soldier behind Ai shouted in a loud voice.

    At the same time, demons wielding weapons appeared from the shadows and rushed in towards the main street.

    Beastmen, demi-humans and humans swung their swords and attacked the soldiers.

    They instantly understood that the enemy were demons, that too skilled adventurers.

    ¡°Wa Waa! A lot of them came!?¡±

    In panic, Ai ended up stretching the reins of the horse, and she fell down as the horse struggled.

    ¡°Ugiya!! It hurts ~ I hit my head ~¡±

    In front of the tearful Ai, a battle filled with blood sprays had started already.

    ¡°Shit, there are too many! Don¡¯t get divided Maintain formation¡ª¡ª¡°

    Ai saw as the soldier, who had takemand, had his head blow off.

    ¡°Oh my ~ this looks dangerous, should we run away while showing our backs Tsumiki? Wait Tsumiki!! Don¡¯t run away alone without your master!!!¡±

    Wait ~ while shouting, Ai slipped through the soldiers in battle while chasing the ck cat.

 Chapter 81 Adventurers Vs. Scout Troop (1)

    Chapter 81 Adventurers Vs. Scout Troop (1)

    Lying face-down on the roof of the guild, we waited for the enemy to enter the vige.

    They are 7, and we have more adventurers and all are above rank 3 as well.

    Our forces include my party [Element Master] that includes a ck magician, fairy and a witch, all 3 magicians.

    [Vulcan Powered] having 3 warriors led by Vulcan, 1 archer, and 1 magician. All belong to beastmen race and it is a rank 4 party.

    [Three hunting Princesses] having 3 elf girls, all archers, and they were sisters on top of that. Rank 3.

    Other than them, there were 2 solo Orc warriors, 1 skeleton magician, and 1 slime.

    Total 15 people.

    The specific details about the enemies abilities was unknown but if it¡¯s a normal scouting troop, at most they will be as strong as a rank 3 party.

    If we deal the surprise attack well, we should be able to annihte them all without any victims on our side.

    We are only cooperating temporarily so it would be difficult to show any proper teamwork but, if we have numbers, ability, as well as the preemptive strike like this time, there¡¯s a low chance for us to lose.

    All the adventurers are already in position and are waiting for the enemy toe.

    ¡°I hope everything goes well.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s working hard! It¡¯ll be alright!¡±(lily)

    This time I am acting as the rear guard. After all there are lots of warriors to fight as the vanguard, so I¡¯ll stick to the normal theory and provide covering fire from behind as a proper magician should.

    Well in truth I feel more like a sniper rather than a rear guard. And Lily beside me is my observation supporter.

    In Hollywood movies Snipers seem to work well alone, but normally, a sniper always works with a supporter as abo.

    ¡°Yeah, we should also work hard and make the n a sess.¡±(kurono)

    I focused myself. If we can easily finish off the scout troop here then the trust in me will also increase.

    In the first ce, the term sniper doesn¡¯t exist in this world. They would only think of a hunter waiting to ambush a monster even if I tried exining them. So when I took a position faraway from the actual battlefield, they started giving me weird suspicious looks.

    But rather than exining with words, it¡¯ll be faster to exin the usefulness of a sniper with actions here.

    I could see that these Crusaders were of a lower ss, that is, they don¡¯t have any means to deflect sniper attacks. So basically, I could start with shooting the most influential person first.

    And with the uracy of my magic bullet arts, I could snipe with the same efficiency as that of an actual sniper rifle even in this world, probably, well it¡¯s my first time doing this so I can¡¯t say for sure.

    And, Lily also has convenient support Extra magic that I could use.

    One of them is the ss-like transparent light ball that is floating in front of me.

    Through it I can see faraway things magnified. It¡¯s basically like a scope.

    Even if my eyesight is over 2.0 through the modifications, that still doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t need a scope for help.

    For me who has not learned the magic [Hawk Eye] to enhance eyesight, such a support is really helpful.

    Also, the rest of the duties of a supporter like keeping a watch over the surroundings and even eliminating enemies that havee very close, I have left it all to Lily.

    Other than this scope, we can also talk through telepathy and with its further application, I can also see things that Lily sees in real time.

    In the worst case, even if the enemy approaches from behind, Lily can eliminate him by firing hersers like a sub-machine gun.

    ¡°......Maybe I should have sent Lily to the front?¡±

    No use thinking that now though.

    I changed my thoughts and focused towards the approaching enemy troop.

    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    As expected, the enemy scout troop is approaching directly from the north-west highway and enters the vige from the destroyed gate.

    AS reported by Su-san, their number is 7.

    They were clearly Crusaders identifiable with their white surcoats but only 6 of them were wearing those clothes.

    ¡°Hm, there¡¯s one that looks different.¡±

    It was girl with blonde twintails. I could only think of her as a normal girl. She does have a breastte and a bow so she should be a mercenary hired by the Crusaders.

    She was walking alongside the person who looked like themander of the troops, so she shouldn¡¯t be a prisoner from Daedalus.

    I¡¯m a bit curious but I can¡¯t change the ns now, nor do I feel the need to.

    As nned, I¡¯ll have them all die here.

    ¡°Operation start.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    (POV change to 3rd person)

    Kurono fired the magic bullet made for long range sniping towards the head of the leadingmander.

    He had heard from Fiona that themander must be skilled in both magic and martial arts even if he was a low ss soldier but, he had no way to defend against Kurono¡¯s unforeseen snipe attack.

    The ck bullet, having strength equal to that of an actual sniper rifle bullet, clearly shot through the head of themander.

    That became the signal to other adventurers to start the operation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this you guys!! Don¡¯t let even a single one get out of here alive!!¡±

    Vulcan shouted as he cut through the vanguard with his long sword.

    ¡°Enemy attack! Be careful, it¡¯s an ambush!!¡±

    They lost theirmander but they were all experienced soldiers. They had been surprised by the ambush but soon they got down from their horses and took battle positions.

    They could have stayed and the horses and broken through if their opponent were humans or thieves who used brute force but,

    ¡°[Death Wall Defence.]¡±

    The front of the street was sealed by the Skeleton magician and,

    ¡°Terra Shield.¡±

    The rear was blocked by Fiona.

    Having been sealed from both sides, the soldiers had no choice but to fight here.

    Neither the intermediate dark type magic [Death wall defence], that Kurono saw for the first time, nor the giant [terra shield], that had been enhanced one level by Fiona¡¯s magic, could be broken through easily.

    The soldiers decided that it would be difficult destroy either of these walls and resolved to face the ambushers here instead.

    (¡°These bastards, they are much more trained than those cowards that first attacked Irz¡±)

    Vulcan secretly admired these soldiers in his heart that had quickly taken fighting stances without getting too surprised by the ambush.

    He felt that they wouldn¡¯t go down easily, but that still didn¡¯t change their fate of being annihted here.

    (¡°But, what the hell is that brat?¡±)

    In his view was a girl who had neither taken up her weapon nor hade down from her horse.

    ¡°Wa Waa! A lot of them came!?¡±

    In panic, she ended up stretching the reins of the horse too much, and she fell down as the horse struggled.

    ¡°Ugiya!! It hurts ~ I hit my head ~¡±

    Not even a rank 1 adventurer would show such a pathetic sight.

    (¡°For the time being, let¡¯s take that brat as a prisoner.¡±)

    Vulcan thought, and all others had the same opinion as well.

    Kurono had said to kill them all, but that didn¡¯t mean to kill them all in battle. They could kill them after getting info as well.

    These adventurers who lived on the battlefield understood Kurono¡¯s words instantly, but from a normal point of view, Kurono who had shown the intent to kill even prisoners could not be said to be a ¡®normal high schooler¡¯ anymore.

    Whether he himself had realized that or not, Kurono was currently taking the next move as an adventurer. i.e. he aimed his magic bullet towards the next enemy.

    ¡°You bastard, you look the strongest, be my opponent.¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°Shit, don¡¯t underestimate me you inferior demon!!¡±

    Vulcan found the strongest soldier among the remaining 5 excluding the girl and the fallenmander, and attacked him savagely.

    Vulcan swung his giant sword and the soldier used [Force boost] to face this big framed beast.

    ¡°¡±SLASH!!!¡±¡±

    The werewolf adventurer and the human soldier. The martial art skill released by both of them was the same.

    But, just as there is difference in power of magic depending on the caster, there is also a difference in martial art depending on the user.

    ¡°Hahaa! You did well in enduring atleast 1 move, not bad!!¡±

    The result was Vulcan¡¯s absolute victory. Unable to hold against him for even 1 second, the soldier was blown away a few meters and fell down on the ground.

    Even with the [Force boost] a human could not match with a werewolf in power, that too Vulcan who was exceptionally strong. The difference in power could not be diminished at all.

    The favourite long sword of the rank 4 Vulcan, that had costed him the most money andbour, was also in a different league as a weapon.

    The soldier truly did deserve the praise to have endured even a single attack.

    ¡°You damned monster¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Stand up already. You aren¡¯t gonna give up now, right?¡±

    Shouldering his giant sword, Vulcan calmly walked towards the soldier. Even in this situation where killing the opponent quickly was the goal, he prioritized crossing swords with a strong guy for a little while longer.

    He had a bad habit of ignoring his objective but his party knew that and properly supported ordingle. That is why he was able to ¡®enjoy fights¡¯.

    ¡°That calmness will be your end! ??? ????? ???? ¡ª[Lightning arrow ¨C Rain Sagita!!]¡±

    ¡°Oh!?¡±

    The soldier quickly ended his chant and fired attack magic towards Vulcan.

    But even if the chanting was short, it still took more than a second. And that time was enough for a rank 4 adventurer to deflect a lower level magic.

    ¡°What, so you could use magic too? Hehe, a jack of all trades eh?¡±(Vulcan)

    Vulcan defended against the lightning by using his giant sword as a shield.

    ¡°I told you that your calmness will bring your end!!¡±

    The soldier, who had already stood up, threw the item in his hand.

    Vulcan quickly realized what that red stone flying towards him was.

    ¡°Diee!! [Ignis Overst]!!!¡±

    The moment the soldier shouted, mes exploded.

    The mes spread out and enveloped Vulcan¡¯s body and a shock wave and smoke spread all over.

    Intermediate level ranged magic [Ignis Overst] was not a magic a member of the scout troop would have learnt, no matter how trained they are. Because if he actually did, then he¡¯ll be a magician and not a soldier.

    What he threw was neither a stone nor a grenade. It was a magic item that could release [Ignis Overst] once.

    Such single-use items were not rare but they were not cheap enough to be collected easily either. Using them also required some skill and a bit of magical energy.

    This magic item was kept by the soldier as a personal protective charm and was not something provided to the soldiers.

    Anyway, Vulcan had quickly realized that the magic item was an attack magic based item.

    But, knowing it, and defending against it are two different things.

    The soldier was aware of his inferiority in physical strength but was also aware that he could defeat him with his trump card magic item. Fortunately for him, Vulcan was not wearing any heavy armour either.

    If Vulcan had been covered in steel, it would have be difficult to deal a fatal blow. And if he had a defensive magic then the chances would be even lower.

    But, Vulcan who was wearing only clothes and a chestte, it would be impossible for him to stop the mes and heat.

    ¡°With this, it¡¯s over damned monster.........¡±

    The soldier took a step with his sword that had cracked from the previous blow.

    He didn¡¯t think that the magic was enough to kill a demon that had high vitality but it would be enough to take away his ability to fight back at least.

    But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how Vulcan had made as far as bing a rank 4 adventurer.

    ¡°You have some pretty cool things, but, is that it?¡±

    From within the mes, Vulcan walked out while shouldering his giant sword as usual.

    His clothes and armour had some soot, but his body waspletely unhurt.

    ¡°Wh,Why.......no way, healing magic!?!¡±

    ¡°Half-correct. But that¡¯s not the only secret.¡±

    The extra magic possessed by Vulcan, Auto-heal, had attained him the title of [Immortal].

    But, right now, the mes and heat were not stopped by his regenerating power.

    ¡°Koooooooo¡ª¨C¡°

    It was the giant sword that ¡®ate¡¯ magical energy with a ominous cry.

    Although he called it a [secret] but any adventurer with some experience would know what it was.

    At least, if they knew that this white board like giant sword was not made of metal but was actually the fang of a monster, they would understand that it was the ability of the monster that dwelt in the weapon.

    The inscription on the sword was [Fang sword Evil eater/Gluttony], the raw material used was from the monster called [Gluttony magic beast ¨C Chaos Eater]. A young one would be rank 4 and a fully grown one would be a rank 5 monster. It was magic beast that could match a dragon.

    [Chaos Eater] was as its name suggested, a glutton. Its Extra magic allowed it to ¡®eat¡¯ magical energy of any form and absorb it.

    Basically, it was impossible to defeat it with attack magic and could not be blocked by defensive magic. If one was careless, it would even devour healing magic as well.

    To kill it, one needed to use only magics to boost and enhance their own abilities and attack directly with physical force.

    The ways to attack were limited to only pure physical strength, that¡¯s why it was ssified as a rank 5.

    Vulcan¡¯s giant sword was a magic weapon made out of the fang of this monster and it could almost negate the effect of even intermediate magic with a single swing.

    Having such a powerful weapon along with his own physical strength was what allowed him to be a rank 4 adventurer.

    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome so I¡¯m not gonna exin it, so think about it carefully in the other world.¡±

    And thus, with the agility of a werewolf, he rushed in and split the soldier in two with a single sh.

 Chapter 82 Adventurer vs Scout Troop (2)

    Chapter 82 Adventurer vs Scout Troop (2)

    The scout troop fought well against against adventurers of rank 3 and more.

    ¡°Damn, Don¡¯t get seperated, stay close¡ª¡±

    The heads of themander and themanding soldier were sted into bits with Kurono¡¯s sniping, but the soldiers still made frantic efforts to fight.

    ¡°Aa, This won¡¯tst more than 3 mins¡±

    Adventurer Ai catches a glimpse of such soldiers running.

    Ai runs after her pet cat that had run away.

    ¡°Goaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Hooo!¡±

    A Orc attacks Ai, but she evades it at hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°VaAAA!¡±

    ¡°Slow!¡±

    This time another orc attacks with a battle axe, but she evades by sliding beneath it.

    The two orc didn¡¯t chase after the running away Ai, and changed their targets to soldiers fighting near them.

    ¡°It was dangerous, wasn¡¯t it? Aw, my hair ends got cut.¡±

    The bloody feud unfolds at the main street. Ai somehow or another with goodluck dodges all the offensive magics and stray arrows, while steadily moving forward.

    ¡°All right, Just a little more.¡±

    Some dozen of metres away, is the solid wall made by Fiona using ¡®Tera Shield.¡¯

    The wall made by the natural airhead seemed like a stone wall, but it is impossible to jump over it, furthermore the horses can¡¯t jump that high.

    Even if it¡¯s Ai who is makes mistakes in missions and always falls from, but as long as she is an adventurer rock climbing is not a big deal for her.

    Ai in front of the two-storied big wall, challenges it with enthusiasm as if saying ¡®I will climb if there is a wall here.¡¯

    ¡°Hey you, why are you trying to run?¡±

    But immediately after, from her backes a voice with bloodlust.

    ¡°......Shit¡±

    Ai timidly turns back to look, there were 3 elves standing.

    There were Elf girls standing there, with blond hair, blue eyes, narrow and long ears and also toned slender body.

    Ai witnesses one of the girl shooting arrow in the heads of soldier and killing them. Their outwards appearance arepletely different from inner contents.

    ¡°Aww, that soldier didn¡¯t evenst 1 minute.¡±

    Upon those words Ai recalls the figure of the soldier desperately defending himself using magic from the trio¡¯s attacks some seconds ago.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad, just get caught without resistance, we don¡¯t want to do tiresome work.¡±

    The two not killing the soldiers, fix an arrow made of lighting on the bow string and ask for Ai to surrender.

    ¡°Erm, If I get caught without resistance, will you guarantee my safety.¡±

    ¡°Haa? If you¡¯re also an adventurer you must know what happens to the monsters captured alive, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Just like I thought.¡±

    Ai made a wry smile while cold sweat pours from her forehead.

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t leave Tsukimi-chan here, so I won¡¯t give up and run away from here!!¡±

    The two elves shoot the lightning arrows seeing Ai move.

    The same time the arrows are fired, a round ball like object fires from the hands of Ai.

    Along with the balls flying away, AI bends down in a grovelling position and the arrows go past above her head burning the ends of her twin tails.

    The two elves run away from their ces, while being vignt towards the mysterious ball flying in the sky making a parab.

    In an instant the ball emits dazzling light and bursts.

    ¡°sh, huh?!¡±

    Though the elves see through the true form of the ball, but they couldn¡¯t do anything other than closing their eyes and protect with their hands in that much time.

    The dazzling light can even be felt even behind the closed eyelids, if one were to look at it with open eyes, they would go blind without a doubt.

    Thanks to closing the eyes, they didn¡¯t suffer any damage, but it still will take some time for their eyes to recover.

    ¡°Tsk, now I don¡¯t care even if she dies! ¡®Air st¡¯¡±

    The two elves having lost eyesight for the time being stay vignt for sudden attacks, and now they attack instead of taking Ai as a prisoner.

    The primary magic they excel at involves both wind and lighting, if it is concentrated on their bow ¡®Sylph Light¡¯ and fired, it bes a low grade offensive magic.

    It can be used as a arrow, but to be precise it is a cane in the form of arrow.

    The ¡®Air st¡¯ shot by the two advances forward covering a wide range with wind des surrounding.

    The invisible des with great cutting sharpness, leave countless cuts on the stone wall on the ground.

    ¡¸???? ????????¨D¨DLesser Heal¡¹

    Just as the the wind des advance forward, the third elf who was beating the soldiers, starts a healing magic and the eyesight of the two returns.

    ¡°You really saved me there, nee-san¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    After giving their gratitudes, they once again see their prey, Ai.

    ¡°No way, healing is too fast?!¡±

    Ai somehow dodges the range of the Air st by climbing on the wall, but the the point she is clinging like a frog is in the middle of the wall.

    From this positions she can neither defend or attack, of course she can¡¯t even climb the wall before the second wave of attackse.

    As Ai looks back, she sees the figure of 3 elves with arrows nocked and are going to shoot.

    If one person was hitting, she might have been able to evade, but with three shooting at the same time, she will definitely get hit by at least one arrow no matter what she tries.

    Furthermore, the three are rank 3 adventurers, they can¡¯t miss their target at this range.

    ¡°It¡¯s not time to be stingy about using items. Take THIS!!¡±

    Along with a scream, Ai once again releases something.

    Before she is hit and her fate is fixed the effect of item activates.

    Along with a plop sound, the item bursts and a dark green smoke spreads out.

    ¡°So it¡¯s poison this time!?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I be also engulfed in it idiot, this is just a smokescreen.¡±

    The dark and dense green smoke spreads and hides Ai inside it.

    ¡°There¡¯s no other choice but to scatter this¡±

    Once again the three nock bows and pull string to their extent.

    ¡°Air st¡±

    Two use the same magic as before, but this time to scatter away the smokescreen.

    WIth a sudden gust of wind and Ale st the smokescreen disappears.

    ¡°Lightning Arrow ¨C Line Sagita¡±

    And the other one fires a lightning arrow filled with bloodlust.

    The Line Sagita flies through while leaving a trail of blue color just like theser beam, but

    ¡°Whoa, close call!?¡±

    Again Ai dodges at hair¡¯s breadth by climbing to the top of the wall and jumping down quickly from it.

    ¡°Ju-Just how much good is she at escaping......¡±

    One elf says as such ,though it was dangerous, but she escaped without even a single injury.

    ¡°Well there is still one more person outside.¡±

    ¡°Aa, was it Fiona?¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly she is rank 1 adventurer, but she could use this great defense magic, wouldn¡¯t she be fine?¡±

    The three decide not to go to other side of wall to attack and decide to take on soldiers as their prey has run away, but just as they look behind,

    ¡°Uaaa! Please wait, save m¡ª¡±

    Thest soldier was cut in two halves by a beast man, and the battle was over.

    ¡°Over already?¡±

    ¡£

    ¡£

    ¡£

    ¡°If you move 100 metres from the gate, I¡¯ll shoot.¡±

    While mumbling that, Fiona inplete ck witch clothes, moves towards the the shadow that fell down in front of the main gate..

    Just some seconds a girl carrying a cat came rushing through the gate shouting ¡®Finally, the Escape Quest Completed!!¡¯

    Fiona saw a glimpse of her climbing the stairs while waving her twin tails like a tail of horse.

    ¡°Well then Kurono-san, now that I have an opportunity, I will show you my attack magic.¡±

    This line was definitely not heard by Kurono who was standing on the rooftop of the Guild, but he will be able to see her ¡®intermediate level¡¯-like attack magic for sure.

    ¡¸?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ????¡¹

    From her small mouth came the chant of a normal model magic, with no change whatsoever, just as it is written in the school magic books.

    Her magic power concentrates in her staff ¡®Ainz Broom¡¯ and it amplifies the firepower of the magic being used.

    Without stopping from speaking the chant, shepletes her chant in 15 seconds.

    The magic she was about to release is the intermediate level attack magic of fire attribute ¡®Ignis Kris Sagita¡¯

    It is written in characters of spears and people in line, if many magicians release it, it will create the same scene as it¡¯s name suggests a line full of spears. And if activated from the ground, it will create a bristling hot pir of fire.

    If a magician hears Fiona¡¯s chant, he/she will conclude it is a magic that will blow away the target.

    But the one who sees her magic for first time will have their conclusion betrayed,

    ¡°Ignis Kris Sagita¡±

    Because the thing Fiona made is not pir but a giant tower of fire with scorching heat.

    DoGoGoGoGoGooooOO!!

    ¡°Whoa! What is it?¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    Kurono and Lily on the the rooftop,

    ¡°What is it!?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that!?¡±

    ¡°What the friggin hell is that!?¡±

    ¡°What the fucking friggin hell is that¡±[ET: thest some line were all the same if TL¡¯ed in English, So I added a little more fun to it.]

    The adventurers on the main street,

    ¡°¡ªHow is it Kurono-san, my magic, did you like it?¡±(fiona)

    Along with the explosion sounds, appeared a me tower with scorching heat, the people saw it and were astonished.

    Just after some seconds the Ignis Kris Sagita loses its magical power and disappears.

    After the tower disappeared, only the ck ground was there, no one could say that something else was present at that ce some time before.

 Chapter 83 Safe Return

    Chapter 83 ¨C Safe Return

    ¡°......And so, only you came back escaping from them.¡±

    ¡°Um, one person and one animal.¡±

    Ai was standing in front ofmander Norz and his aide Sylvia in a room within the headquarters.

    ¡°You Fool! It doesn¡¯t change anything!!¡±

    Norz became enraged at hering back with her cat only alive and not showing even a bit of timidness in her replies.

    ¡°Please calm down¡±

    Just before 5 seconds Norz would have hit her, Sylvia whisper in her ears in a cold voice.

    ¡°She is most probably one that Cardinal likes, if you raise hand on her do you think you¡¯ll be forgiven?¡±

    ¡°Gu......But still this¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any time to deal with her, shouldn¡¯t we make ns for interception.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, Got no choice¡±

    Norz somehow calms down his rage and closes his eyes while folding his arms, as if he doesn¡¯t care whatever the adventurer says now.

    ¡°Adventurer Ai, Thank you for your hard work, you can go now.¡±

    ¡°Ye~s¡±

    After giving an idiotic reply, Ai along with Tsumiki left the room. [ET: Tsumiki is her cat.]

    ¡°......However, finally we can fight a battle which doesn¡¯t feel like massacre.¡±

    Inside Norz words there were some hidden expectations.

    He wasn¡¯t as good as Kievan but he was also a genuine believer of Cross, and hated the demons from the very bottom of his heart. In spite of that, the reason he went to upy viges without more soldier was because his aide, Sylvia was holding his reins due to which he couldn¡¯t go on a rampage and Sylvia also negotiated like an expert with the viges to surrender.

    Though the ability of Sylvia capturing viges without any resistance is something of very much value, but to Norz who was enthusiastic ¡®I will kill all the demons. It will be a bloodbath.¡¯, the ¡®peaceful¡¯ actions were somewhat unsatisfying for him.

    ¡°The overdoing of Priest Kievan, must have put in the seeds of rebellion in the demons.¡±

    They have already heard from the soldiers that escaped about the crucifixion as an example of the Cross.

    If they had easily upied Irz Vige like that, it might have served as a purpose for fear, but his actions in turn aroused the hate and seeds of rebellion in the other viges.

    ¡°Fun, the enemies are just some lousy adventurers, whether they are demons or something else, we can send out hundred thousand soldiers if we want. But naturally, it won¡¯t be needed as our squad already has a lot of soldiers toplete this job.¡±

    Judging from the scale of vige, even if all the vigers were to arm up ande at them, they won¡¯t be a match for Norz Squad.

    Naturally, it is not like even women and children woulde in fight, if they join hands with those who can properly file like vignte corps or adventurers, they still won¡¯t make more than 300.

    Unless a dragon or something appears, Norz squad will not be defeated.

    Therefore, Sylvia was also not worried about this, but rather she was worried about the other matter.

    ¡°There is nowhere they can now run to inside Daedalus territory. I will slowly drive them in corner while they feel regret along with the demons who opposed the god.¡±

    ¡°......No, there is a ce to escape.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Sylvia¡¯s long and slender finger runs over the western part of Daedalus¡¯s map that was spread on the table.

    ¡°There is no problem for us if they move along the south-west highway using from Kuar Vige.

    But if they, ran towards the west using the north-west, then they would...¡±

    Beyond the line named as Ghad Mountain Range, there was a country name ¡®Spada¡¯ written.

    ¡°Impossible, I have heard that they are an enemy nation.¡±

    ¡°If they had somehow known that Daedalus has been defeated, the vigers will perceive the end of their country. I think it would be the most logical answer that they would run to Spada as refugees.¡±

    ¡°Fumu, there is a possibility of this information somehow being leaked......¡±

    Norz frowned his eyebrows and groaned.

    ¡°When we conquer the vige they will just be neer of the new vige. There will be no problem in leaving somebatants demons on their own.¡±

    Even if it will be a little, if demons will start a rebellion, crusaders side will have to suffer some casualties.

    Judging from the whole war potential of Crusaders those casualties might not be much, but there is no harm in avoiding it.

    ¡°No, it is not good.¡±

    But Norz rejects Sylvia¡¯s suggestion of no fighting.

    ¡°I can not ept this even if this is you proposal Sister Sylvia.¡±

    ¡°......I see, well themander are you do as you like, I don¡¯t want to meddle with you.¡±

    Sylvia refrained herself from speaking anymore useless talk to Norz who seemed to be determined.

    ¡°I¡¯m really happy that you understand Sister Sylvia. Now let me give out my orders, don¡¯t let a single running demon live, just massacre them all, you got it?¡±

    Norz eyes while speaking that were the same as the Kievan who was also a religious fanatic.

    ¡£

    ¡£

    ¡£

    Afterpleting her reporting job, Ai returned to the campsite where her party, no, mercenary group friends were sleeping.

    The upation forces, take the tallest buildings like that of head of vige or adventurer guild and turn them into headquarters, and confiscated all the buildings in it¡¯s surroundings.

    However the adventurers and mercenaries who were not a part of army, have been given the permission to reside anywhere which won¡¯t be a hindrance to the forces.

    It is normal for adventurers who were temporarily hired and soldiers to be on bad terms with each other. If things went down wrong, it will make troubles such as battles, and so it was not unusual for them both to camp at different ces.

    The group Ai belonged to is ¡®Cyprus Mercenary Group¡¯, the prime example of those aforementioned circumstances.

    Their campsite was a little away from the vige, with a building of a farmer as their centre.

    Ai heads towards her tent, while giving greetings to fellow mercenaries.

    Just when she put down Tsumiki and was about to enter the enter to sleep.

    ¡°Yoo, If you have returned,e to my ce at least once.¡±

    Upon the voice of a man from behind, Ai turned backwards with a frankly irritated expression on her face.

    His age is somewhat older than Ai, and is a good looking man with a good body stature. But his indecent grin and the clothes worn by him in a shabby manner could be said as the figure of a nasty brat who got a growth spurt.

    ¡°Can you not talk to me? And don¡¯t you daree any more close than that.¡±

    Without caring about Ai¡¯s cold reply, he closes his distance more while fluttering his long hair.

    ¡°OiOi, I doubt that is a way to talk to a captain, isn¡¯t it? Aren¡¯t we buddies, we should be more happy with being with each other.¡±

    Just like the man said, he is the leader of the 87 mercenaries present here.

    His name is Cyprus. The mercenary name was after all set after his name.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak disgusting things, and if you move just one more step, the name will change from Cyprus Mercenary Group to Ai Mercenary Group.¡±

    Ai took out knife before anyone knew and, thrust the blunt side in Cyprus¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°I am really tired today, after all I escaped by barely saving my life today. If it wasn¡¯t for the me being of great ss, I would¡¯ve died, you know?¡±

    More than halfway may sound like joke, but Ai¡¯s eyes were serious when saying that.

    ¡°oho, you saying the truth?¡±

    He replies a joke with a joke, but Ai inferred it through his atmosphere that he was more interested in knowing if there really was a battle or not.

    ¡°Un, and from now on it will get busy, so get ready fast for departure too.¡±

    Saying that, Ai put knife back and entered her tent.

    Cyprus stood there, and did not chase after Ai as if he didn¡¯t care about her for the time being and suddenly heughed.

    ¡°I will be finally able to do some ¡®decent¡¯ job. I have already got bored of ying with the demon sluts, this is a good timing, no, if said in his words, this might be the so-called ¡®fate¡¯¡ªpfft, I really am loved by God!¡±

 Chapter 84 Amity

    Chapter 84 Amity

    The destruction of the valuable facilities of Irz went better than I expected.

    I thought I could only burn the drain storehouses at most but with the help of Fiona¡¯s terrific magic, we were able to destroy the sturdy guildpletely and even turned the whole central area of the vige into barend.

    And currently, the adventurers on standby had gathered together under the pretence of reporting the fruits of battle and were currently drinking sake together.

    Is this fine during such an emergency? Is what everyone might think but we will be thest to leave the vige as the rear guard and there were things remaining after the evacuation, so we decided to drink and eat as much as we please.

    It could be that this would be our Last Supper, every adventurer here thought that but nobody said that out loud.

    ¡°Well weren¡¯t you fine? When you said that you will be going to the guild rooftop, I thought you wussed out at thest second zehahaha!!¡±

    Vulcan¡¯s giant palm normally hurt as he patted my back but since he had the pawpads unique to the beastmen, the effect was much reduced.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I exin it properly? I fulfilled my role as was required.¡±

    ¡°I clearly saw boss blowin up the enemies heads with a single shot as well!¡± (T/N: Mr.skeleton speaks in Kansai dialect which is untrantable in eng.)

    The one who spoke in this fake kansai dialect was the skeleton magician Mozrun, aka Mossan.(T/N: the nickname is a fusion of his name and ossan which means old man cuz he¡¯s a skeleton. Get it?)

    He is the one that used [Death Wall Defence] to block off the enemies today.

    With his shinigami-like looks and the straight [Dark Wizard] ss on his guild card gave me a an impression of being an avatar of evil but,

    ¡°Nah, to have such control over ck magic at such a young age, you¡¯re a damn genius! It¡¯ll be child¡¯s y to repel that whatever army! Gahahaha!!¡±

    Inside he was just like an old man from Osaka.

    When I tried talking he turned out to be an energetic good guy(?) like this.

    ¡°Child¡¯s y would be over exaggerating but Kurono-san is dependable as a leader, and he also possesses a strong Original magic as well.¡±

    The one who calmly said that was the slime, Su-san. (T/N: I tranted her as Susan before but it was actually Su-san. My apologies) No matter how I look at her, isn¡¯t she a human? She looked like a normal woman with a medium build after all.

    In RPGs slime are jelly like creatures, but they can apparently, sometimes change the shape of their bodies when they get stronger. By the way, to change into a handsome man/beautiful woman requires the appropriate technique as well as more magical energy it seems.

    Beautiful things possessed the charm attribute in this world, so being beautiful also possessed a different meaning in terms of magic as well.

    Also, I just learnt this now but her name was [Susu] thus she was called as Su-san. It was not Su-san from slime(Suraimu in jap), definitely not!

    ¡°But, the most surprising was definitely Fiona-san¡¯s magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°ee, really.¡±

    The one talking to the Fiona, who had her usual sleepy eyes, was an elf woman with a gentle smile. She was the leader of [Three Hunting Princesses] and the eldest of the three sisters, Irina-san.

    All three of them had blonde hair, blue eyes, slender physique as well as their weapons were the same but, all three had different hairstyle, so they could be easily differentiated.

    Irina-san has a hairstyle in which she has a long braid behind her neck.

    ¡°That extreme magic, if we were closer, it would have been really bad.¡±

    ¡°Her positioning was really correct.¡±

    As I heard Mossan and Su-san, I once again felt d that I heard about her magic beforehand.

    As expected, if a magic like that was fired inside a dungeon, it won¡¯t end as just a joke.

    ¡°Am I beingplimented?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah, Fiona-san¡¯s magic has amazing power, thank god you¡¯re in my party.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°.....I see.¡±

    As she said that, her cheeks seemed a bit red. Guess she¡¯s getting drunk as well.

    ¡°Oh right, Fiona-san?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Before she gets dead drunk, I had something important to say to her.

    ¡°Come to my roomter, alright?¡±

    ¡°!?!¡±

    *parin* the sound of a ss falling and shattering came.

    ¡°What happened Lily? Are you alright?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°......sorry.¡±(lily)

    Lily was sitting on myp but it seems she dropped her ss by ident.

    ¡°What, did the little fairy also get drunk?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not letting her drink sake.¡±(kurono)

    She isn¡¯t drunk but she must be tired.

    Lily could only turn in her normal form during full moon nights but she turned back just her consciousness at vige head¡¯s home, as well as when she asked me to be the leader through the item she brought from the fountain of light.

    ording to Lily, by using the [Queen Beryl], she could turn to her normal form but only for 30mins in 1 day since the burden is high.

    She could turn to her normal state by using the Divine Protection of the Fairy Queen. But even if it was a key item, its effect was still an enormous magical energy boost only.

    Of course, 30mins was the limit to use her full grown body for battle, if it was just her consciousness, she could keep it longer.

    But still the burden on her is not zero. It must have umted as fatigue in her small body.

    For the time being, I should carry her back to the room.

    ¡°Lily seems to be tired so we¡¯ll leave first. Tomorrow¡¯s schedule is what I had exined earlier. Once again, look forward to working with you guys.¡±(kurono)

    After getting their agreement, I carry Lily in my arms.

    ¡°Kurono-san.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Nn?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle as well.¡±

    Fiona-san¡¯s face was even redder than before for some reason.

    .

    .

    .

    On top of the bed of the guest room, Kurono, lily and Fiona were sitting.

    Kurono with a serious expression, Fiona with her usual cool expression and Lily, between them, with a somewhat displeased expression.

    (¡°Could Kurono-san want me to.....¡±)

    Just a while back, the erotic situation that every adventurer there was imagining except Kurono, was also being imagined by Fiona as well.

    (¡°Certainly Kurono-san gave me icecandy, wasn¡¯t drawn away by my attack magic, he really is a good guy but it really is too early for such a rtionship!¡±)

    Fiona who was asked to ¡°Come to my room¡± for the first time at night was somewhat in chaos right now.

    ¡°Fiona, you haven¡¯t forgotten the rule in our party right?¡±

    The moment Lily who was lying on the bed said that, she realised that the chance of her losing her chastity tonight, no matter how passionately Kurono approached, was absolutely zero.

    And thus, it became a situation where all 3 were quietly sitting (Lily was lying down though) on the bed.

    ¡°Lily, is it fine to turn back your consciousness? Aren¡¯t you tired??....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. After all, you are going to have some important talk now, right? I need to listen properly as well.¡±

    Lily answered with a smile, and Kurono gave a somewhat understanding expression.

    And without minding Lily anymore, he spoke towards Fiona.

    ¡°The reason I called Fiona-san to my room was because I need to talk about something extremely important with you. Since you already told me about being from Arc continent, I decided to also tell about my own identity.¡±

    Fiona understood why she was called with her usual sleepy face.

    ¡°And, you also want to hear about the Arc continent, Syncrea Republic, and the Cross religion, right?¡±(Fiona)

    Although she still didn¡¯t know what Kurono wanted to tell, she did know what he wanted to hear from her.

    And she also realised that he called her to his room to avoid letting the others know that she was with the Crusaders before.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. But what I want to know the most is¡ª¡ª-¡°

    But, even Fiona didn¡¯t expect Kurono to say what he was about to speak next.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªjust what the hell are the [Apostles]?¡±

 Chapter 85 The Black Gods & The White God

    Chapter 85 The ck Gods & The White God

    Does God exist? Does he exist in the heart of the believers? No, does he exist no matter what?

    There have been various theories regarding God, but in the 17 years I lived in modern japan, God was nothing but an illusion to me.

    At least, I didn¡¯t believe that an existence called God that looked like a human watched over the whole world from the heavens above.

    I am not against religion or anything but, it was a fact that no one on earth had seen a being that could cause miracles with just looking or touching.

    But this different world was a true fantasy world that had its own rules and principles.

    Yes, in this world [God] exists.

    One of its proofs was the existence of [Divine Protection].

    Simply speaking, God gave power to a man and the abilities gained by that man was called the [Divine Protection].

    For example, having immense physical strength without using enhancement magic or being able to use magic that you have never learnt or practiced, etc.

    I didn¡¯t actually feel it but apparently my ck magic is a type of [Divine Protection].

    ck magical energy waspletely different from the primary magical energy that normally exists in this world and is a type of special energy that is brought about by God.

    ¡°In Kurono¡¯s case, I think there is a gate in your soul that is connected to the [ck Gods] from where you pull the ck magical energy.¡±

    ¡°Lily, this is the first I¡¯m hearing of this.......¡±

    ¡°Eh, well I thought you already knew, or rather isn¡¯t the source of your own magical energy something you¡¯ll know somehow automatically?¡±

    ¡°......I don¡¯t know.¡±

    What the hell are the [ck Gods] anyway? When did I get connected to such a suspicious group of guys?

    No, it must have been when I underwent the first experiment that helped me obtain magical energy.

    That really did hurt like hell. I can understand if someone says my soul was involved in it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Kurono didn¡¯t even know about Gods. But since you can use magic properly, does all these things about your magical energy even matter?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess but........[ck Gods], is it.............¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the generic term for all the gods that are spoken of in the whole Pandora continent. Even Irz vige had a shrine dedicated towards a harvest god, right? All such gods together are known as the [ck Gods]. By the way our [Fairy Queen] is also one of them.¡±

    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s like the Yaoyorozu no kamigami.¡± (T/N: All the deities in Shinto religion are referred to as such .)

    The Gods are spread all over the continent and provide their [divine protection] to that area and are worshiped there.

    It¡¯s the same if the gods back in my world also gave such divine protection wherever they were enshrined. Well, this must be also a type of ¡®magic¡¯, I guess.

    But in my case, it is only to the extent of providing magical energy and I am not directly connected to a god.

    It¡¯s conveniently called the [Divine Protection of the ck Gods].

    Then if I also start worshipping a specific God, will I also gain some kind of super powers?

    [Divine Protection] isn¡¯t something you could get easily just by praying apparently. Looks like the gods are also calctive, or should I say realistic minded.

    ¡°Now that Kurono-san has understood what Gods are, I¡¯ll talk about the [Apostles].¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Right, I wanted to hear about the Apostles in the first ce.

    It seems I only vaguely understood the concept of gods in this different world so I was first told that.

    ¡°[Apostles] are beings that have transcended humans after specially receiving the [Divine Protection] of the [White God]. ording to the Cross religion, the White God is the creator of all existence and the humans were created thest for the purpose of ruling over this world, or so they preach. ¡±

    It seems in the Arc continent a God simr to the God in bible that created the god in 1 week exists.

    Damn this really ispletely suspicious all over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether he actually created the world or not but in the Arc continent he is the oldest and the most influential God.¡±

    ¡°And then the greedy [White God] wanted to increase his territory so he sent those damned humans to the Pandora continent controlled by the [ck Gods].¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say Lily-san. The campaign towards the Pandora continent was started due to an [Oracle] sent by the White God.¡±

    The Crusaders in my original world were ones that took military action in the name of reiming their holy grounds and whatnot but to think that here, God actually clearly gave the order himself.

    .

    ¡°The [White God] desired thisnd, thus we, the [Crusaders, havee to thisnd to offer it to him.¡±

    .

    That was what Sariel had said to me at Daedalus but it turned to be a literally true.

    ¡°Expanding thend under control, what exactly are they going to do?¡±

    ¡°The Cross religion will build up churches that only worship the [White God] and will exterminate all other religions and its worshippers. As a result, all types of culture and religion that already existed here would be destroyed, and disappear probably.¡±

    Basically, same as what happened in my world.

    Sariel did say [convert] but the image I had in my mind back then was actually correct.

    It would have been fine if it ended with just converting but considering what happened at Irz, those bastards are truly bent onpletely exterminating any race other than the humans.

    They won¡¯t even ept surrender. These guys really are demons.

    ¡°I¡¯lle back to the topic, how many Apostles are there?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°There will always be 12 total.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°The number is always fixed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, though it might take some time till a new one is found in case the number falls.¡±

    As expected, the favourites of God aren¡¯t 100 or 1000 people. At least they won¡¯t send an army full of Apostles so that¡¯s a relief.

    ¡°If you end up facing them, it¡¯ll only be one at a time. Probably, the highest chance would be the suprememander [7th Apostle Sariel], I think.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°........we already fought.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not something you can forget.¡±(Lily)

    ¡°Oh my, how did that happen?¡±(Fiona)

    Looks like even Fiona-san is surprised as she looks at me with a clearly surprised expression.

    ¡°When we went to scout Daedalus, I happened to meet her on the castle walls. Since she called herself the suprememander, I tried to assassinate her there and then but instead got beaten myself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s........you did well even surviving that.¡±(Fiona)

    Are those eyes looking at me with pity for doing a stupid thing Fiona-san?

    ¡°Yeah, if Lily didn¡¯t help, I would have definitely died there.¡±

    ¡°No such thing, that woman let us go intentionally.¡±(lily)

    I was unconscious till I woke up at Riol pass, so I don¡¯t know how exactly Lily saved me from Sariel.

    Although she did say that it was okay to run away, but to have let us go even after I tried to kill her, just what the hell is that Sariel thinking? Did she think of me as trash that was not even worth killing?

    ¡°The Apostles are the strongest existence in the church. There is no one, at least in the Arc continent, that could face them one-on-one. You were lucky to have gotten away.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°She must have let me go on a whim, but, alright, I¡¯ll make her regret that decision. You said one-on-one, but what about againstrge number of people? Do they have any weaknesses? Can they even be killed?¡±

    That would be the main problem. If they turn out to be immortal due to the power of god, then it would be all useless.

    I did injure her right arm with the [bone needle of Basilisk] so I think that¡¯s not the case but still......

    Could it be they would revive even after killed through a miracle of God?

    ¡°They can be killed. No matter how strong the divine protection they have, the body is still human. If you cut off their heads, pierce their heart, or cause them to bleed too much; if you can deal such a fatal blow, they will definitely die.¡±(Fiona)

    I guess a perfect [immortal] body is impossible even in a world of magic.

    They won¡¯t revive either so that¡¯s a relief.

    ¡°Just how Kurono-san draws out ck magical energy from the gods, the apostles use white magic drawn out from the gate in their souls that is connected to the [White God]. Just, the amount they can use is enormous. If you ask how much then, let¡¯s see, can Kurono-san use ck magic infinitely?¡±

    ¡°No way, even I have a limit.¡±

    I ran out of magical energy a lot of times during those experiments after all.

    Recently, I even fell unconscious during the evolution of the cursed hatchet against that Priest.

    ¡°Apostle can never experience the phenomenon known amongst magicians as [running out of magic]. No matter how many magics they use, their energy is instantly replenished. Of course, the amount provided by the [White God] is infinite. They will never run out of magical energy.¡±

    But that infinite magical energy was still just one part of their divine protection. I was told this terrifying truth.

    ¡°Then how do you kill them? There is no other way but to prepare a magic that can kill them in a single blow?¡±(kurono)

    I doubt something that convenient exists.

    ¡°The most reliable way to kill an Apostle is to keep on attacking an Apostle with the full intent to die along with them. Even if they have infinite magical energy, the body that is human, will not be able to bear the burden of infinitely using magic. But, to exhaust the body of an Apostle to such a level, at least 10,000 soldiers are required, or so I have heard. I don¡¯t whether that number is correct or not but if the Apostle ran away in between, their body will regenerate and you¡¯ll be back to square one. There¡¯s a chance that 10,000 men would be uselessly sacrificed as well.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°A war of attrition is not impossible but is unrealistic, is it?¡±

    The Apostles should be able to maintain their bodies at least. To fight till their body reached their limits¡ª¡ªI see, to encircle one so that he doesn¡¯t run away, it really will require at least 10,000 men against just 1.

    ¡°On the Arc continent, when against an Apostle, they either try to run away or try to hold them back, but never even think of killing them, or so I¡¯m told. Though, there has been a case where the Apostle was actually killed in action, but they had sacrificed a lot of men for that.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°And there are 12 of these guys.¡±(kurono)

    Basically these guys alone are a full army. And adding the normal army soldiers to this............the Syncrea Republic might actually possess a fighting force of 1000000.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way all 12 woulde to Pandora continent, so be relieved. Except the 7th Apostle, the rest won¡¯t leave Elysion undefended and the others are also deployed towards the borders of the Republic to settle problems and maintain their hegemony. There are some Apostles that are even missing.¡±

    ¡°Missing? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard, that one has mixed with the public and is secretly nning a world reform, one is secretly researching something, there are many other rumours as well like that actually there are not even 12 Apsotles, etc. I don¡¯t know the truth though; they¡¯re only rumours after all.¡±

    World reformation? Well, whatever. It seems fine to just leave them be as long as they remain in the territory of the Republic while punishing viins and nobles in the name of justice while waving the g their Cross.

    This is actually favourable for us. Let Sariel be the only Apostle here, please.

    ¡°One bes an Apostle not because of his/her faith, status or strength of magic but due to suddenly receiving the [Divine Protection] oneday out of nowhere. Thus, if there are those that work passionately for the church then there are also those who hide themselves and freely do whatever they want as well.¡±

    ¡°Since they have the Divine protection, they are in a religiously strong position and are also strong. There is no one who canment or act against them, is it.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°The Pope is considered even among the Apostles hierarchically but as you would expect he is not that strong. But, the duty of the Apsotle, ¡®to eliminate the enemies of God¡¯, ismon amongst all of them so they won¡¯t betray the church. Even in history there has been no Apsotle that has betrayed the God.¡±(Fiona)

    Although there are allowed to act independently and freely, as long as they are receiving strength from the White God, they¡¯ll still protect their ce it seems.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s fine. If the Apostles are that special, we won¡¯t be seeing them all the time. At least, they won¡¯t directlye to attack the refugees.¡±(kurono)

    The only Apostle on Pandora is Sariel. Not to mention that she¡¯s also the suprememander as well. I doubt she¡¯ll move around very freely.

    The territory of Daedalus is huge. They won¡¯t focus on this far west rural area for no reason I think.

    ¡°But, even if Sariel doesn¡¯te, the normal capturing unit of Crusaders will definitelye. The problem is how strong they are and what are their numbers.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I might be an ex-merc, but even I am not aware of such fine details of the Crusaders. If there¡¯s something I can tell, then that would be that be only the basics about the knights and troops only.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know anything about them so that¡¯s actually more than enough.¡±(kurono)

    I have more or less understood the purpose of the Crusaders. All that¡¯s left is the various reasons and interests of the various groups of humans.

    I have no need to know all that.

    All that I need to know is the specific military ability of the Crusaders.

    ¡°If possible, can I hear what Kurono-san had to say first?¡±(Fiona)

    As I was wondering what should I ask first, such a demand came from Fiona-san.

    ¡°aa, that¡¯s right, then I¡¯ll tell what I had to say first.¡±

    Where should I start¡ª¡ªI worried about the same things when I first told Lily about this. Well, let¡¯s start with the main core of the matter.

    ¡°Actually, I came here from a different world.¡±

 Chapter 86 Disappearance of an Apostle

    Chapter 86 Disappearance of an Apostle

    Early morning, one of the Apostles had disappeared from one of the guest rooms.

    ¡°What should I do?..........¡±

    So, once again the 7th Apostle Sariel was racking her brains.

    ¡°It, It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll find Lord Misa soon!¡±

    Just as the 12th Apostle Mariabelle, who tried to console Sariel for no reason, had said, the one who had disappeared was the 11th Apostle Misa.

    This morning, when the sister came to her room to prepare for waking her up, there was only a scattered cushion on therge canopy bed and the god-loved girl that should have been sleeping there was nowhere to be seen.

    This tragic news came to Sariel who woke up had woken up at daybreak as per the customs of the monastery.

    ¡°Currently, we have closed all the doors of the Capital Daedalus and have also sent a search party into the city as well.¡±

    The one who had quickly taken such measures was Sariel¡¯s aide, Archbishop Liuchrome¡¯s work.

    This meeting of Sariel with the 3 Apostles was something that had been concealed from the public and the soldiers had only been told that it was an important person.

    But still, since Misa¡¯s features were distinct, they could make do with just telling the soldiers about her characteristics and even a soldier who had never seen her directly would soon recognise her.

    That is why, even with suchplicated circumstances, as long as Misa was still hiding in Daedalus city, they would find her sooner orter.

    But, that¡¯s only if she¡¯s still here.

    ¡°If Lord Misa has used her ¡®ability¡¯ then she would have already gone far away from Daedalus already.¡±

    As Sariel spoke that while sighing, the faces of the beautiful brothers cramped as if in pain.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about [Sky Fortress ¨C Peaceful Heart]........¡±

    With a fed up face, Mariabelle said the name of the troublesome ability held by Misa.

    ¡°Certainly, if she is flying in the air then it¡¯s useless no matter how much we search onnd. If she secluded herself in the castle here, there would be no need for her to appear either, so this must be her own whim.¡±

    The 11the Apostle Misa¡¯s [Sky Fortress ¨C Peaceful Heart]¡¯s effect was literally as per the name.

    If she uses ¡®that¡¯, she can fly on the same way as the only Pegasus Knights can.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Sariel proposed the only thing she could do.

    Even if she was the Suprememander, she had no ability other than going out in battles.

    She knew that it was much more efficient to stay quiet and just leave everything to Liuchrome regarding urate decision making and orders.

    ¡°I am very sorry. I had kept it in mind to not trouble Her Excellency Sariel in any case except battles but.....¡±(Liu)

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Misa is my guest after all.¡±(Sariel)

    Liuchrome thanked as he bowed deeply.

    ¡°By the way, Mariabelle.¡±

    ¡°eh, what is it Nii-san?¡±

    Due to being called suddenly, Mariabelle ended up calling him informally.

    ¡°Where is the 3rd Apostle Lord Mikael right now?¡±

    Yes, the ones who came to visit Sariel were 3 people. The disappeared Misa, Mariabelle who was here and the beautiful [holy woman] that didn¡¯t show up even with all this ruckus, 3rd Apsotle Mikael.

    ¡°aa, Lord Mikael after hearing about Lord Misa¡ª¡ª-¡°(maria)

    .

    ¡°That¡¯s troublesome, then I shall also go and look for her ~¡±

    .

    ¡°¡ª-is what she said.¡±(maria)

    As if going on a morning walk, she had also left, is what Mariabelle told.

    ¡°Is there a way to contact Lord Mikael?¡±(Liu)

    ¡°........aa¡±

    Even though she said that she is going to look for her, just where is she roaming in this unknown city of Daedalus?

    Thinking rationally, a normal person would have looked around the castle and returned while saying ¡®I didn¡¯t find her.¡¯ But this person was an Apostle with infinite magical energy.

    If she felt like it, she could simply keep on walking till she reached the ends of the earth.

    The title of [Holy woman] wasn¡¯t for just show. She could keep on worrying about the whereabouts of Misa and without even caring about herself, she could keep on walking forever to look for her.

    ¡°This might lead to a second disaster.......¡±

    Without scolding his brother for not stopping her, Liuchrome said those heavy words as he sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll search of Lord Mikael as well.¡±(sariel)

    Really sorry, both brothers bowed towards Sariel instantly.

 Chapter 87 Defence Plan

    Chapter 87 Defence n

    In the conference room on the second floor of the guild hall, Kurono and the rest had gathered.

    Not coincidentally, but because Kurono had asked them to. Along with the 3 members of [Element Masters], Vulcan of [Vulcan Powered], Irina of the [Three Hunting Princesses], skeleton magician Mozrun aka Mossan and the slime Su-san, these 7 were sitting around a big table.

    Except the members of Element master, the rest still were wondering the reason to have assembled like this.

    Without minding that, Kurono spread out a map of the western region of Daedalus on the table and spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the strategy meeting of the [Adventurer Alliance]!¡±

    The name ¡®Adventurer Alliance, was obviously the name given to the Adventurers taking part in this Emergency Quest.

    Kurono had grandly dered the start of the strategy meeting but,

    ¡°haa?¡±

    The reaction of rest of the members was totally cold and vacant.

    ¡°Strategy meeting? What the hell is that?¡±

    As the representative of every dumbfounded person here, Vulcan asked Kurono.

    ¡°Well, a strategy meeting means a strategy meeting. Everyone does that before challenging a quest as a party, right?¡±(kurono)

    Basically what the adventurers talked about in the guild lobbies or during meals was that.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s because it¡¯s a party after all. For random collection of adventurers like this, the leader takes all the decisions independently; he won¡¯t call for the other members.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Of course! If you start asking the opinion of every damn person, you won¡¯t be reaching to any conclusion after all! That¡¯s why the strongest one bes the leader so that nobody else gets a reason toin!!¡±

    Vulcan¡¯sint was basically simr to how animals decide their boss, but in this Pandora continent, it was normal.

    If the number is small like a Party then coordinating is easy, but in cases like this where various people gather of different races and abilities, it¡¯s best to leave it to the strongest guy to control and govern them all as Vulcan had said.

    This wasn¡¯t a peacefulnd like Kurono¡¯s Japan. Not to mention that the adventurers were mostly a gathering of rowdy ruffians. So, it was pretty much impossible to have every one peacefully listen to each other.

    But, even Kurono had understood that during his 3 months as an adventurer.

    Still he had proposed a strategy meeting.

    ¡°Although what Vulcan is saying is reasonable but I, a rank 1 adventurer, am still not very experienced. I¡¯m not even well versed with the geography of this area either. Whether the n I think is executable or not, what can each and every do and cannot, if all this is not something within my knowledge, I won¡¯t be able toe up with an effective n. Asking others for opinion might seem pathetic to other adventurers but I need everyone¡¯s strength. Can you think of this as helping me and cooperate?¡±

    On Kurono¡¯s straight call for cooperation, the hall waspletely silent.

    But that silence was soon broken.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? If the leader is asking for our knowledge then we should simply properly respond his request.¡±

    The first one to ept the proposal was Irina.

    ¡°yeah, let¡¯s think of all 50 here as a single party! Well, I myself am a solo guy though! Ahhahha!¡±

    ¡°I also agree. Kurono-san isn¡¯t a simple minded guy it seems. He should be able to integrate every opinion properly.¡±

    Mozrun and Su-san also gave their agreements.

    Vulcan was the only one with a bitter expression but he was also, at the end, a good guy, he also didn¡¯t mope around too much.

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, we should look after our inexperienced Leader after all!¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡° Thanks, that saved me the trouble. As Mossan said, lets think of all us as a single paty andplete this quest together.¡±

    Kurono rxed after everyone decided to help.

    It seems that yesterday¡¯s battle against the scout troop had earned him proper trust from others.

    Everyone here, except the 3 from Element Master, were famous in the area for their abilities. If he got their help, it would be easier to cooperate with the other adventurers as well.

    Due to Kurono asking them for their proper cooperation, it could be said the Adventurer Alliance increased its solidarity by 1 level.

    ¡°So, what are we here to decide? Something like that Scorched earth tactic you used yesterday?¡±

    ¡°That was just a mere trick to slow down the enemy; it¡¯s not a tactic to properly stop them.¡±

    Although it was a trick, it needed to be done as quickly as possible so Kurono had postponed the meeting till today and had gone to Irz Vige yesterday.

    ¡°Stop them? Is there any other way except fighting?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t we going to lie in wait for them here in the sturdy gates of Kuar?¡±

    Normally thinking, that was the only way.

    In the first ce, the people of Pandora didn¡¯t put much emphasis on tactics and strategies.

    Thus, in cases of battling withrge numbers, they only thought about the division between rear guard and vanguard and also finding a spacious ce to fight properly.

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work.¡±

    But, Kurono thought.

    Kurono Maou who was a part of the literature club and was someone who aimed to mass produce those painful chuuni novels as a high schooler, he was much more knowledgeable about [Battles] than others.

    Of course, that knowledge was something only that could satisfy an intellectual, but whether he could apply it in reality would be a totally different matter.

    Although, even Kurono doesn¡¯t expect these tactics to show 100% effect as shown in text books and heroic legends.

    After risking his life countless times in battles, he even doubted that these were only optimistic theories that would only work in his own fantasy.

    But again, Kurono didn¡¯t have anything else to rely on either.

    A boy of only 17 yrs old, the experience of such cases he had was almost nil after all. Especially in cases involving ¡®tactics¡¯.

    If these adventurers had actual proper strategies and tactics, Kurono would not have even meddled like this.

    But as expected, to execute these tactics, he needed the advice of the veterans of this world.

    Kurono wasn¡¯t very confident regarding his own strategy but, without showing that on his face, he started to exin it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll abandon Kuar. Our defensive line will be¡ª¡ª¡°

    Kurono¡¯s finger pointed towards a point on the map.

    ¡°Daedalus¡¯ westernmost vige of Alzas.¡±

    Alzas vige was a vige that existed alongside the giant Rone river that flowed from the Gahad mountain ranges. It was a vige of the same size as Irz.

    It had the Rone river on its east side where the main gate was, and a tributary called Haren by its west side which had the back gate of the vige. It was like a small ind between 2 rivers.

    ¡°Using the Adventurer Guild on the banks of Rone river as the fortress, we¡¯ll stop the Crusaders at the front gate of Alzas.¡±

    ¡°Why does it have to be there? The walls and gate surrounding Kuar are better. And the guild of Alzas is not especially sturdy either.¡±

    Irina had gone to Alzas it seems, but Kurono had not.

    But Kurono¡¯s impression that Alzas had the same level of facilities as Irz was proven true by her exnation.

    ¡°What¡¯s more important is the terrain rather than the facilities. By that, I am talking about the big river that¡¯ll be in front of us. I¡¯ll ask this just in case, but does anyone here has any experience in fighting army troops?¡±(kurono)

    Except Fiona, who was an ex-merc, nobody raised their hands.

    These guys were adventurers, not soldiers after all, so it wasn¡¯t really surprising.

    ¡°Rank 4 adventurers should have plenty of experience fighting monsters like goblins who fight inrge groups, right? But the Crusaders aren¡¯t on the level of those wild monsters. They have huge numbers and are also highly trained making them able to use coordinated attacks.¡±

    Last night, Fiona exined Kurono about the difference between the armies of Daedalus and Syncrea Republic.

    Human armies have the knowledge regarding, chain ofmands, strategies, formations etc. from a long period of time.

    But on the other hand, demon armies left everything to individual strength and only acted as a onerge group under a single boss.

    As Kurono wondered whether to fight on the ins (Kuar) or to use the rivers (Alzas), he realized that he himself wasn¡¯t very experienced in fighting in big groups and organisations.

    ¡°As the individual strength got stronger, they could easily handle weak monsters who wererge in numbers but that won¡¯t work with a human army. No matter how strong they are, if they were attacked after being surrounded by 100 or 1000 soldiers, they¡¯ll face the same end as a rank 1 adventurer surrounded and tortured to death by goblins.

    Basically, if only 50 of us fought in a ce as wide as Kuar vige, we¡¯ll be surrounded and annihted by the enemy army.¡±

    Although Kuar had a pretty sturdy wall so they won¡¯t lose instantly, but the result will still be the same was what Kurono meant.

    ¡°Humans don¡¯t have any special abilities aspared to other races so we can limit their movements a lot with simply rivers.¡±

    There were races like the lizardmen and Mermaids that won¡¯t be deterred by something like rivers, but the opponents were only humans.

    ¡°Attacking an enemy as they are defenceless while crossing the river is a basic strategy.¡±

    ¡°fuun, well leading the enemy towards an advantageous terrain is something everyone does. Also, if the enemy wille directly from the highway then there were no troubles like leading and baiting them there like monsters.¡±

    ¡°Even a roughly gathered group of adventurers can at least perform a proper ambush.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Then I¡¯ll tell the more specific details regarding this now. Which one of them can be done and who will do them is what we need to decide now. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the time to discuss it at ease. Let¡¯s quickly wrap things up here and get to work!¡±(kurono)

 Chapter 88 Alsace Village

    Chapter 88 ¨C Alsace Vige

    If you go in series, the viges along the north-west highway starting from Irz Vige, then there are Irz Vige, Kuar Vige, Hejito Vige, Vato Vige and in the westernmost part is the Alsace Vige.

    Kurono along with the 20 adventurers he selected, were heading towards Alsace Vige which would be their defense lines.

    With the adventurers from Hejito and Vato Vige, when added with the adventurers from Alsace. The adventurer alliance will have 103 adventurers in total.

    Since a messenger was sent for informing every vige from Kuar Vige about the emergency situation, so it didn¡¯t take much time for Lily to convince the heads as it did with Nahad.

    And there was no opposition for Kurono being the leader of the alliance, due to the most famous ¡®Vulcan Powered¡¯ along with other rank 4 parties working with him. Every adventurer was silently, without any objections epting hismands.

    There is a problem but it was not the adventurers

    ¡°Why are you in Alsace!? Adventurers should be at the rear guard right!!¡±

    Just like Kurono became the leader of adventurers, Nachim became the leader of the alliance of vignte corps from every vige.

    As Kurono walked a step into the adventurer guild of Alsace, Nachim¡¯s voice resounded in the whole lobby.

    ¡°Ah, maybe you were frightened and run awa¡ª¡±

    Just like that he spoke insulting words to Kurono with no ce to intercept him

    [[Shut up annoying bastard, I will wait 10 seconds get lost within that time.]](Lily)

    Lily spoke those words in the mind of Nachim using Telepathy.

    ¡°Y-Yes, well then adieu, Lily-san!¡± [ET: Creepy]

    Nachim showing somewhat happy expression, left the guild.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like, he resents me a lot for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, that might be true.¡±

    ¡°What did you ¡®say¡¯ to him, Lily?¡±

    He had already guessed the reason, why Nachim suddenly changed his attitude and left.

    ¡°Un, We don¡¯t have much time to deal with him, so I politely asked him to leave¡± [ET: Was just too polite , (lol)]

    ¡°I see, Thank you¡±

    He still didn¡¯t know what line Nachim had heard in his mind.

    ¡°But, if it will be bad, not having a good cooperation with vignte corps alliance too, I will talk to them about it sometime.¡±

    The work of adventurers is to guard the rear, and buy time by intercepting the enemy that appear from behind.

    In regards for, vignte corps their work was to escort the refugees and maintaining security and public order.

    Basically, both parties are not to meet with each other, but till the time refugees were to leave Alsace, it is only natural to avoid having discord and creating needless trouble.

    ¡°Well it is good, for now we have to talk with the guild master from here and ask him for us to help him fortification of guild.¡±

    Kurono started walking towards the conference room, the guild master might be waiting in toplete his purpose foring to Alsace.

    The evacuation of refugees, is for now going without any hindrances.

    That is because the highway from Irz~Alsace is well maintained, so it is not a problem for arge number of people to walk on it. And the distance between every vige is also at most 1 day walk.

    However, the journey from here to Spada won¡¯t be so easy as it was.

    The highway connecting Alsace and Spada along the national border is not maintained well and also has bad footing. Furthermore, due to it being away from ces human live, the frequency of monsters popping out for food is more. [ET: You can understand what sort of food? Obviously, popsicles. ]

    From here onwards there is no other vige to rest after 1 day of walking, so there is a need for camping.

    When camping, the preparations and set-up must bepleted before sunset.

    That is because, the will have to secure the safe ces and water sources near the camping ground, they also have to find the suitable terrain for the tent to be ced and much more reasons and will also take time. So , if they will start setting-up and preparations from evening, they won¡¯t make it in time.

    Till now they had viges nearby so they could walk till the evening, but from now on the walking time will have to be drastically lowered.

    Under these situations, every human will need to walk 20 kilometres at average per day.

    Even this distance of 20 kilometres will be reduced because of children, elder people and sick people.

    As a matter of fact, no one knows how much time will they should buy for them to run away from Crusaders.

    Kurono is being cornered by the fact that he has to stop Crusaders tracks by even 1 minute 1 second.

    And, that n is the defense n he had thought of in the guild of Kuar Vige few days ago.

    ¡°¡ªand that¡¯s how it is. The adventurers alliance is thinking of gaining time for the evacuation toplete and so they will spread the line of defense here.¡±

    Inside the conference room inside the adventurer guild of Alsace vige, Kurono is telling the outline of defense n to the guild master, Bean.

    The middle aged dwarf, Bean, while stroking his thick beard answered a pleasant reply.

    ¡°Fumu, Fumu, Understood, we will help, so just say the things you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much¡±

    ¡°But still, you really think of turning this worn-out guild into a fortress? We can givepensation to some extent, but since this is originally a wooden structure, so I doubt it will have the sturdiness of a fundamental fortress¡±

    Beans speaks logical words, but Kurono assures him while adding what he said.

    ¡°It is alright, I will make this guild as hard as amon stone in one night.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, looks like you have some sort of ns¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it is also needed to protect the surrounding areas of guild. I would like the people who can do carpentering and construction works for fortifying this guild.¡±

    There are many high rank adventurers, but there are not even one with the skills of construction or carpenting.

    A person who can supervise the construction is naturally needed, in other words, anbat engineer.

    ¡°I myself am a dwarf, and I know many people who are good in those areas, you can leave that work to us.¡±

    Bean epts Kurono¡¯s requests with a quick and pleasant reply.

    Maybe, due to him being a Guild Master he didn¡¯t show any sign of worrying about his evacuation beingte than others due to his cooperation in the fortification.

    Maybe this is the way an adult behaves, Kurono was almost about to salute to him without a second thought. [ET: Though he didn¡¯t]

    ¡°Thank you very much. It¡¯s just that the the main force of enemy will reach here at the very least, in 3 days.¡±

    That is because it took exact 3 days for Kurono to reach here from Kuar Vige.

    It took 3 days for the horse riding adventurers to reach here, so if the enemy also came in the same method, it would take the same amount of time.

    It is hard to imagine for them to leave the foot soldiers and just burst in with cavalrymen, but that might happen.

    ¡°After 3 days pass, the enemy can burst in at any time.¡±

    They have to at all costsplete the minimum defense preparation in just 3 days.

    Bean understood Kurono¡¯s reasonings, and once again replies with a pleasant answer but this time in a loud voice.

    ¡°Very well, we will change this Alsace Vige into an impregnable big stronghold by the 28th day of Shinyou.¡±

 Chapter 89 Counterattack Preparations (1)

    Chapter 89 ¨C Counterattack Preparations (1)

    The construction of the fortification of the guild building started from that day only.

    Apart from the adventurers inside the guild, the dwarfs called out by Guildmaster Bean had assembled and were already working on fortification.

    It is not the work of Kurono to supervise small matters on the site, but due to the equipment being made, he himself gives out some demands.

    The following are the demands given by him.

    Reinforcement of Rhone River embankment.

    They, from the get go, didn¡¯t have enough time, manpower, and materials for making apletely new protective wall. This left them with no choice but to use the things they can get their hands on.

    The embankment is a flood control structure made up by piling up sand and earth, therefore it¡¯s sturdiness was far more than that of fence of wood.

    So they will use some methods to change it into a protective wall.

    But still, it is after all an embankment of a small vige, so it¡¯s forbidden to have high expectations of very high wall.

    Furthermore, though the foundation is an embankment, on it¡¯s top are the fence of wood. The trees covering Alsace were disassembled and then constructed a new fence of embankment.

    Theck of time and materials is just as above mentioned. Though this is a little unreliable, but it couldn¡¯t be helped as this was the most they had.

    By the way, the reason for why defensive magic is not used to rece defensive walls, is due to their limited time of effect.

    It is easy to make up a tall and solid defensive wall with defensive magic the moment it is activated, but it would start deteriorating in little time and it would be impossible to maintain it¡¯s shape.

    To create the 24¡Á7 hours running barrier just like the one near Daedalus¡¯s castle walls. It would need time, engineering skills, and equipment. The same things that Kurono and others werecking.

    And so, they have no choice to start making fence from scratch. Though it is ssical but it ensures good defense.

    Make an underground escape passage right beneath the Guild.

    This will serve as an escape route and supply line too.

    Kurono doesn¡¯t has in the least intention to let other adventurers die as ¡®sacrificial pieces¡¯. He intends to return alive with everyone, so it is natural to secure an escape route.

    This work will not take more than 3 days, it will be more better to call it trench rather than tunnel. This was also ascertained after the first look at n.

    And, with more than 100 adventurers stationed here, it is indispensable to secure a route for the supply of food and water.

    Kurono alone can work for 1 whole week without sleeping, eating or drinking (Only if his magic doesn¡¯t run out). But the same can¡¯t be said for others.

    If there are not enough replenishments, the morale of troops will only fall, this is furthermore important when there is only a cooperative rtionship.

    Remodelling of Guild¡¯s interior for easier movement.

    This is destroy the walls and ceilings which will be hindrance at the time of battle to resupply men and goods.

    Those three are the demands he has given till now, but

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much material for protective wall.¡±

    this problem urred almost really fast.

    Bean was tracing the the line given by Kurono on the map. That line will be the position of protective wall.

    ¡°We are a very small vige just as it looks. We don¡¯t have enough timber, stone and other materials as such. And to make matters worse, we don¡¯t have enough time, so we won¡¯t able to cover arge area too.¡±

    ¡°Because of that problem, I would like you to make this.¡±

    Kurono takes out a single wire from the shadow space.

    It¡¯s length is 30 centimetres, one could understand it is made from some sort of dark grey metal due to its lustre.

    If it was just that much it won¡¯t be much unusual, steel wire were used as bundling material, to create traps for animals and many other things. It can be found in any cksmith¡¯s workshop.

    But the wire taken about by Kurono has a thorn like substance covering it. It is easily understandable that the wire is not any normal wire.

    ¡°What is that thing? A wire with a horn attached to it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is called as ¡®barbed wire¡¯. Just like it sounds, this is a normal wire with thorn attached to it.¡±

    But, Kurono bends forward and puts the barbed wire on the table.

    ¡°Against a human, it will definitely work as a hindrance. Though it might not have any effect on lizardman and golem or any other race with hard scales and skin.¡±

    Not only Kurono, but every person living in modern era had seen barbed wire on daily basis.

    It is ced on the fences around the private properties or off-limit areas to prevent intruders from entering. This thing can be understood by this world¡¯s people if they saw a barbed wire, without exining it to them.

    First of all it is made from iron, so maybe even if it had been developed, the poprization might have been slow.

    ¡°Fumu, I see, really if wey this out, we can cover more extensive range without having the trouble of creating fence of trees.¡±

    Along with that, if it is wrapped around the fence already made, it will definitely give more defensive effect and no one would touch it without thinking twice.

    ¡°If only we have iron, we will can make them and use them by wrapping them. Tomorrow the previously requested bundle of iron mighte, we will make use of it and use the barbed wire as a barricade.¡±

    ¡°Got it, let¡¯splete it fast.¡±

    Bean who understood its effectiveness, nods.

    ¡°But, will it be able to block those wearing thick whole body armor?¡±

    ¡°The normal attire of Crusaders is chainmail under a white surcoat. This will be able to block many cavalrymen and foot soldiers.

    But even barbed is not all-purpose. They might have people who can jump over them, aren¡¯t I right?

    but dealing with people like those is the job of us adventurers.¡±

    .

    While Kurono was near some steps from the construction of fortress, on the other side the members of ¡®Vulcan Powered¡¯ were roaming through the Fairy Garden.

    ¡°It is hot......¡±

    Vulcan grumbles.

    But that is not because of him being weak. It is natural for a beat man toin about heat walking under the sunlight during mid-summer while wearing natural thick fur as surcoats.

    As all the party members are beast men, so they have got no choice but to keep on walking while having the same problem as Vulcan.

    ¡°Will it really......go easily like this?¡±

    The other main reason for them to to be sweating from head to toe was because they are wearing the Crusader¡¯s cross and white surcoats. In short, disguise.

    As for what reason this was needed. Kurono ordered them that this was a continuation of scorched earth tactics. The n Part 2 a.k.a ¡®MPK n¡¯. [ET: Should I say Kurono became a Chuuni][SK: He always was a chuuni.]

    In this world which doesn¡¯t has any english alphabets, the words ¡®MPK¡¯ were being misunderstood by everyone as a single word except Kurono.

    ¡°To hell with MPK, if this doesn¡¯t work I¡¯m gonna st off Kurono¡¯s ass.¡±

    By the way, the surcoats all the members are wearing are hundred percent real, they were taken off the corpses of dead soldiers after all, but their was no size fitting for Vulcan, so he had surcoat made by order in guild by sewing up white sheets together and embroidering a cross emblem on to it.

    The surcoat Vulcan wore is made of more thick cloth than normal ones, so he was melting in the heat more than other members.

    ¡°Everyone halt! Target discovered!¡±

    The voice of the beast man archer with good eyes resounds.

    ¡°Is that so, then let¡¯s wrap this up fast and return back to Hejito Vige.¡±

    Vulcan¡¯s hand reaches for the hilt of his broad word. In front of his eyes, was the settlement of the famous rank 1 monster ¡®Goblin¡¯.

    .

    On the other hand, the rank 4 thief Su-san a.k.a Suusu, was climbing on the cliff of Ghad mountain range, which Kurono climbed while having lily on his back with great deal of effort.

    ¡°He really gives some ¡®absurd¡¯ quests.¡±

    A gust of winds blows towards Suusu, clinging on the rock cliff, which caused her white surcoat to flutter relentlessly.

    But, she changes the tips of her legs and hands to the slime like jelly parts and grips the vertical wall with unbelievable grip power. She shows absolutely no fear.

    She without separating her hands and legs, starts crawling on the cliff, like a slime. [ET: ..................Wow...............]

    ¡°Well then, a little left till the destination. I need to work more hard to not lose to others!¡±

    The ce she is heading to is the nest of rank 4 monster ¡®Garuda¡¯.

    And for this quest only she, with best espionage abilities, will be able toplete.

    .

    The three elves sisters from ¡®Three Hunting Princesses¡¯ were hiding themselves in the forest along the north-west highway. They are also in charge of reconnaissance mission.

    ¡°Whoa, the queue is still walking......there really are many of them.¡±

    The third sister Hanna who looks at the queue of Crusaders, once again recognises the vast armies of their enemies.

    The Crusaders wearing white surcoats with the design of cross, and holding gs with the same design, are marching in a well-ordered manner while matching each other¡¯s pace.

    The spears of foot soldiers is lined, and in front of them are the cavalrymen covered in silver heavy armor and are walking boldly.

    ¡°I have only seen the army of daedalus as big as of this scale.¡±

    The second sister Laura, recalls thememoration parade of Daedalus army she once watched.

    The bright white attired Crusaders are aplete contrast to Daedalus army wearing jet ck armor and helmet.

    The three are reminded of the fact that these white attired troops are the ones who defeated daedalus army and are now walking boldly in the territory of daedalus.

    ¡°Look above over there neesan!¡±

    On Hanna¡¯s word Irina and Laura raise up their heads, and see many shadows in the mid-air.

    ¡°Pegasus Knight!? They even have this......really troublesome these peeps......¡±

    Seeing many pegasus knights leisurely flying, even Irina who always is calm couldn¡¯t hide her amazement.

    As riding animals pegasus are more effective than horses, and the techniques used to control pegasus to fly in sky can¡¯t bepared to that of horse-riding.

    Though bing a pegasus knight is time and money taking, but topensate for those disadvantages, the pegasus can fly high and are agile.

    Furthermore, the pegasus riders are not cheap and easily avable to any country, but having a whole troop of them means that particr country is a lot powerful.

    Irina was feeling sense of danger upon seeing the opponents mightiness, powerful pegasus soldiers and they had to eventually fight.

    ¡°The people who attacked Irz before and the annihted scout party were only a small part of them. Just like Kurono said, the enemy has high grade equipment and a lot of soldiers too.¡±

    ¡°Will we really have to fight that?¡±

    ¡°This time it is really dangerous¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Irina smiles while facing the two sisters showing uneasiness.

    Even she is scared and is feeling uneasiness, but she crushes it to death and makes a gentle expressions as always.

    ¡°We can¡¯t abandon the vigers. And haven¡¯t we crossed paths with danger a lot of time, we will be fine this time too. Let¡¯splete this emergency quest.¡± [ET: Feeling sentimental on this line. But who know what their fate is]

    On the words of Irina, both sisters forcefully nod.

    In the first ce the person who runs away before even fighting just due to opponent¡¯s numbers can never be Rank 3 adventurer.

    The ¡®Three Hunting Princesses¡¯ are there because they have finished many difficulties and have faced with danger many times.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going back already. The pegasus are keeping an eye on surroundings so we will have to take a detour from inside the forest. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°¡±Yes, Nee-san¡±¡±

    The three elvespletely dissipate their presence and disappear in the gloomy forest.

 Chapter 90 Counter Attack Preparations (2)

    Chapter 90 Counter Attack Preparations (2)

    On one side, the adventurers werepleting their roles at various ces while Lily and Fiona were also preparing in one of the rooms of the guild.

    ¡¸???? ???????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ????????¡¹

    Lily¡¯s chant resounded inside the room and a magic circle was deployed with her as the centre.

    As she kept chanting, the container in front of her that had white powder till the brim started to faintly glitter.

    ¡°......¡±

    Although she was in her child form, Fiona watched as Lily showed the concentration level of a master craftsman.

    In contrast to Lily who was using magic to the extent of getting a sweaty forehead, Fiona was doing a simple job of grinding medicinal nts with an even more sleepy expression than usual.

    ¡¸???? ???????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ????????¨D¨D¤Ã£¡£¡¡¹

    The magic circle gave off a brighter light for a second and then it vanished.

    It seemed as the magic effect was shown as Lily stretched her short limbs and ¡®fuu-¡® took a breath.

    ¡°Is it finished?¡±

    Fiona asked Lily as she took a nap.

    ¡°nn, Not yet. There¡¯s still onest touch left.¡±

    Lily answered with an energetic voice even though her small face looked tired and was sweaty.

    Fiona impolitely thought that ¡®her child version really looked cute¡¯ as she saw Lily

    ¡°I see. Then you¡¯ll have to return to your actual appearance as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lily will work hard!¡± (T/N: Lily talks in 3rd person sometimes if had forgotten)

    Fiona once again had impolite thoughts like ¡®So I can only see her like this now, her normal form is wicked and mean after all¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also be done soon. This seems to be thest bundle of Rixei grass. There¡¯s nothing else to help with, so till then I¡¯ll work on creating ¡®normal¡¯ potions.¡±(Fiona)

    What they were creating right now was not something ¡®normal¡¯ but ¡®special¡¯ it seems.

    It was the [Fairy¡¯s Miracle Drug] that Lily had been selling for over the past 30 years.

    Till now it had been used only to treat diseases but after using Lily¡¯s extra magic on it as well, it became effective enough to stop bleedings and close wounds as well.

    They were going to fight Crusaders next, they needed as many medicines as they could have.

    Currently in the 3 days of time that Kurono predicted, they were focusing on mass producing healing and medicinal potions.

    Among such potions, Lily¡¯s miracle drug that was much more effective than the potions sold in market had been given the max priority and finding the materials for it was made an important job.

    ¡°If only I could use healing magic as well...... ¡°

    Lily didn¡¯t hear Fiona¡¯s mutterings, but it was a fact that Fiona was looking at Lily, on whom everyone relied on, with a slight bit of envy.

    If she could use healing magic instead of her destructive attack magic, she would have not been ostracized by others and could have been useful to others as well. Fiona realized that her thinking was useless so she quickly cut her train of thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m now a member of Element Master. Kurono-san and Lily-san approved of me. That¡¯s more than enough.¡±

    Although she was still a bit restless, Kurono and Lily had epted her better than anyone else till now after all.

    ¡°Also, I at least know the proper method to make potions.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona changed her track of thoughts, and thought about the various medicinal nts, medicines, and the knowledge regarding healing magic in her mind.

    Actually, in this world, healing magic was of 2 types.

    [Heal] that gave temporary effects and [Cure] that elerated the natural healing rate andpletely restored injuries.

    Any magic that had the effect of treating wounds was called as [Healing Magic] generally, so [Heal] type magics were also correctly ssified under this type.

    It wasmon sense for the people of this world but Kurono whose image of ¡®Restorative Magic¡¯ rooted from RPGs, it took him one month in Irz before he realized the difference.

    For example, if someone got cut by the knife of a goblin, everyone would choose to use [Heal] type magic.

    If the arm was cut then they could use a low level [Heal] to close the wound instantly.

    However, [Cure] type magic does not close the wound instantly.

    In a battle where a person hangs between life and death, immediate healing, even if temporary, was priceless. But, in the end, the effect will be temporary. Once the magical energy put inside the Magic depletes, the wound will start opening again.

    If it was only a one time battle, then one could treat the wound appropriatelyter and rest while it heals naturally. However a soldier or an adventurer cannot do that.

    Thus, topletely recover from an injury faster than normal, [Cure] is used.

    In this world, wounds cannot be healed by using magic once like in a game but, in treatment of external wounds, they were still faster than the medicines of the modern world.

    And it could be said the same for the Potions as well.

    Naturally, Potions also have the [heal] types and [Cure] types.

    Adventurers, who don¡¯t have a healer, use both these potions when on a quest.

    By the way, there is an all-purpose medicine that holds the abilities of both [Heal] and [Cure].

    That is the Fairy¡¯s miracle drug.

    Lily had been selling it to the vigers at a very cheap affordable price till now, but if sold through proper routes, it was even costlier than 1 gold coin.

    It was such an expensive medicine but it was doubtful whether Lily herself was aware of that.

    ¡°Alright, next!¡±

    Lily lifted from the floor by pping her wings and jumped on the top of the big table.

    There, along with the grinded medicinal nts made by Fiona, all sorts of raw materials and ingredients were kept.

    From here onwards, Lily would apply her secret recipe forpounding.

    If it was a normal potion, Fiona, who had gone to a magic school, could also make but in this case where Lily made the medicine using her Extra magic, Fiona could not help with anything else than collecting the ingredients.

    Lily would be burned and tired by using a lot of concentration and magical energy required forpounding but since she was the only one could make it, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Not to mention that she had toplete it in 3 days instead of her usual time of 1 month.

    If she could not turn into her original form, she could notplete the miracle drug either.

    In her terms ¡®the final push¡¯ meant using magic that she could not use in her child form.

    Normally, it would have been impossible since there was no full moon night in these 3 days but as long as Lily had the [Queen Beryl], she could do something unreasonable as that in a short time span.

    ¡°n ~ mumumu......¡±

    Holding the container in her both hands, she startedpounding with a serious look in her eyes.

    (¡±She¡¯spounding without even weighing them? ......could she really do it like that? No, if it¡¯s her she probably can.¡±)(Fiona)

    Without even taking exact measurements, Lily who had been mixing things as if on a whim only looked like a child ying house.

    .

    .

    .

    As the sun started sinking, and the sky turned red, even then the workers working on the fortification of the main gate didn¡¯t seem to disperse.

    They only had 3 days toplete the work, so it was obvious they decided to use the hidh priced oil to work even at nights.

    And of course, the leader , Kurono also continued working as well or rather he started ro prepare for the work that will take the whole night.

    ¡°n ~, well, it¡¯s something like this.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated. Next is my job.¡±(kurono)

    Behind the guild were Mozrun and Kurono, the darknessbination of the ck magician and the dark magician.

    These two had simr magic properties so they used to work together most of the times.

    Especially Kurono who devoted himself to developing new ck magics always, he has been taking lessons from Mozrun regarding dark magic.

    ¡°Then, my job here is done.¡±(mozrun)

    Facing the wall, Mozrun released ck wriggly tentacle like substances from within his robe. They climbed the walls of the guild and made a magic circle on the white wall with a ck ink like colour.

    As Mozrun had said, the magic circle had beenpleted and soon the ck tentacles disappeared like the mist.

    ¡°Man I¡¯m tired. It was really troublesome to cover the wall in just half day.¡±(Mozrun)

    Mozrun had created ck magic circles on all the walls of the guild in just half a day.

    Its effect was simple. To enhance the element of darkness, that¡¯s it.

    But, because [Eternity] property was included to avoid the extinguishment of magical energy, the spell and technique were extremely high level.

    ¡°But, I wonder if it¡¯s possible¡ª-¡°

    He had shown his skills as a rank4 magician but,

    ¡°¡ªto cover the whole guild building with enhancement boost.¡±

    The n Kurono had given to enhance the guild was truly doubtful.

    A magic to enhance and fortify a building was definitely possible but it would take the same time and effort as the carpenters who built it took and will require a lot of magicians to do ¡®remodelling work¡¯ at arge scale together.

    The barrier deployed along the walls of Daedalus was a perfect example of it.

    ording to themon sense of magicians, to apply a defensive enhancement to a 4 storey building like the guild building, it would require 5 rank 3 magicians to work for a whole week.

    But Kurono said that he would do it alone that too in a single night.

    It was natural for Mozrun to be doubtful. He felt it would be amazing if he could cover half of the building in 3 days.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If it¡¯s just enhancing the walls, I¡¯ll manage it somehow.¡±

    But Mozrun did not speak his doubts. He decided to believe in his leader¡¯s strong words and see how things turn out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it, work hard Boss Kurono.¡±

    While waving his skeletal hand, Mozrun left.

    Kurono who was left alone spread his arms towards the ck magic circle.

    ¡°¡ª-amazing.¡±

    He could instantly feel ck magical energy activating just from touching.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡ª-[ckening].¡±

    To enhance his weapons and swords, as well as use them without touching was [ckening]. It was a magic that he had learnt even before he left that facility. He had a lot of memories of using this magic in various situations like in his fight against Sariel, or when he opened the treasure box etc. And probably, enhancing this whole building will also be another one of those memories.

    The mostmon effect of Kurono¡¯s ckening was the enhancement of the material.

    Basically, just as how he strengthened his swords, he wanted to enhance and strengthen the whole wooden structure through ckening.

    But, toplete ckening he had to cover the objectpletely with his magical energy. And the bigger the object, the more the consumption of magic will be.

    And this time, the object was not a small box or sword, but a 4 storey giant building. The magical energy consumption will be higher than anything, even higher than the time when the cursed hatchet evolved.

    (¡°But, if I do this slowly through the whole night, I¡¯ll definitely be sessful.¡±

    After weighing the consumption rate with his energy recovery rate, it was certainly possible but only theoretically.

    Even if the ck magical energy recovered with time, the concentration and patience required to use it continuously will definitely fall.

    (¡°Basically, it depends on my guts!!¡±)

    Thus, Kurono¡¯s long night had started.

 Chapter 91 Occupation of Irz

    Chapter 91 upation of Irz

    Although there were irregrities like the annihtion of Kievan¡¯s squad and the scout troop, the crusaders finally upied Irz on the 25th of the month of Shinyou.

    The main army moved only after long and detailed reconnaissance due to which it took so much time.

    ¡°They havepletely escaped.¡±

    It was only natural. Although Norz had no proof that the vigers had all evacuated and moving towards Spada, he had still predicted it more or less.

    Norz had further predicted even worse things.

    ¡°Not just the vigers, provisions,modities, anything valuable have already been lost.¡±

    His aide, Sister Sylvia¡¯s report only substantiated it.

    In the first ce, it was clear that the adventurers were using Scorched Earth tactics just from the fact that the adventurer guild had been burned down.

    ¡°Tch, damned demons, trying to be insolent.¡±

    Norz, who had experience in various battles back in the republic, was well aware of what such tactics will have.

    But even then, he realized that the current situation was only worth cursing a few times.

    ¡°But, it¡¯s not a big problem. We have the resources collected from the previous viges. Have them quickly carry it all here.¡±

    Scorched Earth tactics could only show their full effect when the enemy has no way of procuring supplies at site.

    At that point, Norz had no reason to worry since they had sufficient supplies gained from previous viges.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s prepare ording to that.¡±

    Norz was expecting a few words of sarcasm so he felt ufortable from the obedient agreement he got.

    ¡°You¡¯re unusually thoughtful today Sister Sylvia.¡±

    ¡°Fighting is your role. If governing a vige is not required then my job is only to prepare supplies.¡±

    It was her usual cold attitude but her words did have some modesty.

    ¡°Hou, is that so?¡±

    ¡°ee, that is so. I won¡¯t speak unnecessarily so pleasemand freely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    Unexpectedly she did know her ce.

    She had been uselessly speaking all the time, but now that a battle has be inevitable, not a single word of opposition came from her.

    After all she must have curried the Cardinal¡¯s favour with her cleverness and womanly weapons, now that an actual battle is at hand, she¡¯s nothing but a girl who can follow orders.

    That was how Norz interpreted Sylvia¡¯s attitude change.

    Leaving aside whether it was correct or not, the current situation was delightful for Norz. There was no way they¡¯d lose to demons but if his aide had kept on talking uselessly, it would have spoiled the cheers of victory.

    ¡°fu, tomorrow I¡¯ll be able to rampage after a long time.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you know that those demons are lying in wait at the Kuar vige? There will obviously be a battle tomorrow.¡±

    Don¡¯t you know even something like that? Sighing as if implying that, Norz further spoke.

    ¡°Kuar is the only vige in this region with walls of stone. If they are going to gain time for the vigers to run away then obviously they¡¯ll chose this vige that has the strongest defence.¡±

    ¡°But, ording to the reports of the scout troops, there were no signs of enemy in Kuar.¡±

    ¡°.......What?¡±

    He ended up asking her again.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one at Kuar.¡±

    He felt embarrassed but soon after his thoughts moved into a different direction.

    ¡°Wait, does that mean that the army and the adventurers ran away with the vigers?¡ª¨Cfuhaha such cowards!!¡±

    Since they had destroyed Keiva¡¯s squad and scout troops, Norz was thinking that the demons will fight head on.

    But after attacking the scout troops, if they ran away then that meant that there was no ambush at Kuar.

    ¡°Could it be they thought they could stop us with that simple attack and this half-assed scorched earth tactics, no, maybe they had a falling out amongrades? Well whatever. If the demons have all run away, there is no need to be vignt. Let¡¯s make the army advance quickly. We can¡¯t let even a single demon run away!!¡±

    Norz had be passionate to start pursuing but Sylvia remained in her usual low tension and continued her report.

    ¡°I¡¯m changing the topic but a sealed letter for you has arrived. The sender is Bishop Gregorius.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be an order to return, right?¡±

    Although Kievan¡¯s squad had been annihted, it was not at a level where they would be ordered to return. In the first ce Gregorius himself was in Daedalus, but he had not sent any report.

    Norz who had upied viges one after the other, there was no way he would have any problem or dissatisfaction.

    After thinking of various possibilities, Norz removed the seal looked at the contents.

    ¡°.......Reinforcements?¡±

    Norz unintentionally muttered.

    ¡°Is it a request for reinforcements?¡±(Sylvia)

    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. He sent reinforcements to us. Here read.¡±

    Sylvia took the letter and spoke after reading it once.

    ¡°I saw ominous ck shadows towards the ce where Norz Priest Head is going, is what is written. Is this some kind of a code?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, probably he means those words in a literal sense. Bishop Gregorius is a suspicious self proimed [Prophet], you didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Norz called his current direct superior ¡®suspicious¡¯. Even in this world there is no such thing as an urate future prediction. Still, calling himself a [prophet] will obviously lead to doubts.

    ¡°So is this a [Prediction]?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the same as a back-street fortune teller. Anyone can make wild guesses and prove a few true.¡±

    But, since he never clearly gave any prediction randomly, he was able to reach a position as high as a bishop.

    ¡°Rather than [prediction] it is more of an [estimation]. Basically, he is a crackpot and calls his estimates as predictions, though I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡° ¡®Ominous ck Shadows¡¯ is what is written here but does that mean that the Bishop has sensed some kind of threat and that is why he sent reinforcements? That¡¯s the only probable exnation.¡±

    ¡°umu, but.......¡±

    Norz thought.

    In the letter, neither the details of the reinforcement sent nor their numbers, which squad, nothing has been written.

    It should be about 1000 soldiers but what he could not understand was the reason behind this timing to send reinforcements.

    If there really is a force that could threaten Norz¡¯s army, then it must be either arge army of undead or a ck dragon had appeared.

    But this vague [prediction] could not be interpreted. The true identity of the ¡®shadow¡¯ could be a sudden ident or a revolt in the squads as well.

    After he had thought that far, Norz didn¡¯t feel that this reinforcement was truly meant for helping him.

    Worst case, this reinforcement would mix with his squad, and after the western region of Daedalus was capturedpletely, they would assassinate him and the achievement would be taken by the Bishop.

    In that case, the Bishop will definitely say ¡¯Norz Priest Head fought those despicable demons till the end and lost his noble life¡¯ and cry for him. But the dead cannot be rewarded materially so his superior, that is the Bishop himself, would reap the awards.

    ¡°......At the current stage, reinforcements are not needed. If another squad came, then don¡¯t merge with them and don¡¯t let them move further than Irz.¡±

    ¡°Yes, i understand.¡±

    Yes, Norz couldplete the mission to capture western Daedalus without any problems. Even if he was not assassinated, he¡¯ll be troubled if the achievements were divided due to stupidly epting these reinforcements.

    Bishop Gregorius was his direct superior in the Crusaders but that didn¡¯t mean he could be trusted.

    This reinforcement sent due to the cryptic [prediction], Norz interpreted that it was but one of the trickery prevalent inside the Crusaders.

    ¡°fun, always making trouble uselessly.¡±

    Norz cursed his superior without hiding it even a bit.

    .

    .

    .

    Cyprus Mercenaries that moved along with Norz¡¯s main troops had also stationed in Irz by the 25th.

    Ai snuck and looked around the vige while avoiding the eyes of the soldiers so that she doesn¡¯t get yelled at.

    After moving around, she sat down randomly and took out a [portable food] out of her pouch that was made of unknown ingredients and started eating.

    ¡°Disgusting, couldn¡¯t they have put a little more vour?¡±

    It looked like a chocte bar but as Ai said, it had no taste and had texture like hard bread.

    It was a thing that made people doubtful to eat even when extremely hungry.

    ¡°Tsumiki, wanna eat?¡±

    The ck cat sitting around her legs turned and ran away.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to reject me so badly......¡±

    Ai red towards the direction the cat ran away.

    ¡°yoo, what are you doing in such a ce, Ai?¡±

    ¡°uuwa, this shit food just became shittier.¡±

    Ai¡¯s displeasure was clearly seen in her words.

    ¡°aa, that¡¯s really shitty, you¡¯re amazing to have actually eaten that.¡±

    ¡°You were the one who distributed it to everyone right?¡±

    ¡°Really? Can¡¯t remember.¡±

    Ai looked away as Cyprus started to guffaw.

    Cyprus was apanied by two women mercs as guards.

    In contrast to Cyprus who wore no armour, the women were d in thick steel armour.

    Since those 2 were wearing helms, their expressions could not be seen. Ai ignored them and spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give something disgusting like this ever again. If all food became like this, it¡¯ll start a rebellion. Or rather, I¡¯ll be the first to kill you. I gently and slowly stab tour heart with a knife and kill you.¡±

    ¡°About that, well, it seems like those clever bastards burned every eatable thing in the vige, so it¡¯s difficult to find something good to eat.¡±

    ¡°Eh? No way!¡±

    ¡°Really. You also saw things burnt here and there right?¡±

    No matter how much Cyprus said irresponsible things, Ai wasn¡¯t able to deny his words just this time.

    Ai knew how much provision her mercenary group carried, so she also knew that they needed to supply their reserves every now and then.

    And if they are unable to procure it locally, they would definitely run out of their current stock within 1 week.

    ¡°Then ask the Crusaders to share some with us. They should have some surplus right?¡±

    ¡°Not possible. Bowing to that filthy old man and asking for help is impossible for me. My pride won¡¯t allow me to.¡±

    Ai knew that this man could have his own merc group starve just to maintain his own appearance, that too without any ill intentions. And it was really true as well.

    ¡°Deal with it. I still have my share of food, the tasty ones.¡±

    ¡°And for everyone else?¡±

    ¡°Portable food.¡±

    ¡°Die. You should really die.¡±

    Maybe because they reacted towards AI¡¯s half-serious words, the two guards put their hands on their swords.

    Ai, who was sitting, could see their expressionless faces from beneath the helm.

    Ai thought that those faint expressions looked more like those of a ve rather than a soldier.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine with portable food. As long as you have water along with it, you can keep on living. So everyone should get along and eat it. I won¡¯t eat it though.¡±

    Whether he realized the reaction of the 2 or not, Cyprus continued speaking in his usual joking style due to which the women did not draw their swords.

    ¡°Rather than that, Ai you could just eat with me. Why don¡¯t youe to my ce tonight?¡±

    ¡°haa?¡±

    ¡°I have lots of alcohol and cannabis as well. It¡¯ll be fun!¡±

    Disgusted from Cyprus gaze that was licking all over her, she gave the words of refusal.

    ¡°It¡¯s fun only inside your head. If you¡¯re starving for women then go look for someone else.¡±

    ¡°But only Ai¡¯s left among our group and I¡¯m bored of these ones. I can¡¯ty my hands on Sister and there aren¡¯t any demons here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Ai, who was at her limit for talking with him, put thest bit of food inside her mouth and stood up.

    ¡°For the time being, as a captain, do something about the food.¡±

    ¡°weeii.¡± (T/N: half-assed sound for eptance lol)

    With even ncing again towards Cyprus, Ai left the ce.

    She hadn¡¯t decided whether to return back to the camp or to roam around more, but for the time being, she wanted to get away from this disgusting man.

    ¡°aa, Ai-chan really is difficult to tempt.¡± (Cyprus)

    Cyprus spoke looking bored. As he turned around, he raised his fist overhead and struck it directly on the face of the woman standing beside him.

    The dull sound of the hard fist striking flesh and bone resounded.

    Without raising even a single scream, she fell down as her nose bled. The other who did not get hit didn¡¯t even seem to care about it.

    It was normal to hit them. There was no reason behind it. They were not allowed to even ask for a reason.

    ¡°aa fuck fuck, why are there no demons here? Don¡¯t run away, it¡¯s troublesome.¡±

    He struck the fallen woman with her boots countless times.

    As if crushing an insect, he showed no mercy or restraint.

    ¡°Seriously, what should I do? I won¡¯t get either food or women for some time¡ª should I keep on advancing¡ª¨C No, that won¡¯t work, that would be dangerous after all. Shit, no choice but to be patient.¡±

    After grumbling, he finally raised his head.

    ¡°Well whatever. I¡¯ll just give some randomly. The food will hold till we catch up to those demons at least.¡±

 Chapter 92 Alchemist

    Chapter 92 Alchemist

    26th of the month of Shinyou, Morning.

    ¡°......What the hell?¡±

    Currently, the Alsace vige was congested with the people evacuating towards Spada.

    In the central za, many tents had been set up that made it look like the camp site of the Daedalus army.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like the Natsugoshi festival. What the hell happened while I was on a quest?......¡±

    He was the rank 1 adventurer of Alsace vige, Simon. 1 week ago, he had secluded himself at the foot of the Gahad mountain ranges and finally returned afterpleting a quest to collect medicinal herbs.

    But, when he returned, he found the vige filled with anxious people with a negative aura.

    There must have been some kind of an unexpected emergency. He thought that but since he had a shy personality, he decided to directly head towards the guild rather than question the people there.

    ¡°Eh!? What¡¯s that? That guild has be totally ck!?!¡±

    He reached the guild but he was once again received another surprise.

    1 week ago, when he was leaving, the guild was definitely painted white but now it was as ck as the dark night itself.

    ¡°Coating work.......there¡¯s no way.....¡±

    In front of the jet ck guild, he became a bit hesitant but if he didn¡¯t enter he won¡¯t be able to get the reward either, so he had no other choice.

    With a doubtful expression, Simon put his hand on the door and opened it slowly.

    ¡°uwa.......¡±

    The lobby of the guild was filled with armed adventurers.

    Although it was a normal scene inside the guild but what was abnormal was the sheer number of adventurers. There were just too many of them.

    It was like a guild of an urban city. Thinking that, Simon moved towards the counter.

    But he received a surprise for the third time.

    ¡°The counter is closed!?¡±

    The counter won¡¯t close until an official emergency quest had been dered.

    A question mark appeared over Simon¡¯s head as he was unable to make any sense of the situation.

    ¡°Why........rather, what should I do..........¡±

    When he looked around, there were only never before seen adventurers.

    No, Simon, who hade here only a few days back as a solo, he never really had anyone he could talk to anyway in Alsace.

    ¡°Just what happened to the vige and the guild??¡±

    What should he do next, how could he get the reward for his quest, what was happening right now, as he thought all these things, Simon stood stupefied in one corner of the lobby.

    ¡°You, over there.¡±

    Simon who was thinking while hanging his down, heard a voice from above.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    As he raised his eyes, the one who stood there was a man dressed from head to toe inplete ck clothes.

    He was also a human but was much taller than him. Since he was wearing a robe, he must be a magician but his muscles made him look like a warrior instead.

    Although he had a sharp nose and a well maintained body, his expression was extremely sharp, and the man gave an immense amount of intimidation.

    (¡°Uwa, he looks like the type I¡¯m bad against.....¡±)

    He was not prejudiced. Since Simon had a short stature, he had the experience of being scorned by men of the same age for that.

    Especially those who were blessed with a better physique used to make fun of him more.

    But, suppressing his trauma in his heart, he replied with a monotone cold voice.

    ¡°What is it, Onii-san?¡± (T/N: Onii-san can be used in this sense as well when someone tries to give respect to a person only a few years older. Actual rtion isn¡¯t necessary. Tho Kurono is probably the younger one here lol.)

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before. Did you return from a quest just now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.......¡±

    He replied coldly to the man.

    (¡°He talked to me at least, so I should ask the current situation from him as well.¡±)

    Simon thought that.

    He wanted to ask for an exnation but the man spoke first.

    ¡°The thing you¡¯re holding, is that a gun?¡±

    Those words made Simon widen his eyes in surprise.

    ¡°.......How do you know that?¡±

    .

    .

    .

    (POV change to Kurono)

    Afterpleting the ckening of guild sessfully, everyone, especially Mossan,

    ¡°Amazing boss Kurono! I knew you could do it. I believed in you till the end!!¡±

    -Kept on praising me. After that I returned to the lobby.

    My body wasn¡¯t weak enough to get tired with just one all-nighter but due to continuously using magic, I was still mentally tired.

    I was about to return to my room and take a 1 hour break but,

    ¡°Th, That¡¯s ¡ª¡°

    As it suddenly came into my view, shockwaves ran through my brain.

    The one I was looking at was a single Elf. I clearly make that out due to the characteristic long pointed ears.

    He had grey short hair, emerald big eyes like Lily and had a cute girly face, wait, is it a guy?

    He was wearing a dark blue coat and leather boots and trousers. I could make out from his attire that he was probably a guy.

    If he was wearing a skirt like the 3 sisters of [Three Hunting Princesses] I would definitely thought that he was a girl.

    Anyway, I wasn¡¯t shocked because I fell in love with that boy-girl but because of the weapon he(?) was holding.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªIsn¡¯t that a gun!?¡±

    That long iron cylinder was definitely like that of a gun.

    When that boy-girl looked the other way, I could also see the grip as well as the trigger. I¡¯m pretty sure now.

    It looked like a shotgun, no, it looked more like a Rifle without the stock.

    I did see some Crusaders holding bowguns but I never thought I would see guns in this other world.

    I became high with tension even after the all-nighter by just seeing that. Of course to avoid suspicion of the other Adventurers, my face was still in a poker face from outside.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious now, wait, couldn¡¯t that gun be a major power for us?¡±

    In any case, since an emergency quest has been made, he will also be a part of our alliance anyway. I should talk to him now.

    I moved towards him(?) who was standing in one corner of the lobby looking somewhat lonely.

    Damn, I¡¯m a bit nervous now. Why does it feel like I¡¯m hitting on some girls in a city? Not that I have ever done it actually.

    ¡°You, over there.¡±

    Calmly and normally, I called him.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    He raised his head and looked towards me with upturned eyes.

    Uoh, now that I look closely, that face is really cute. I am changing it from he(?) to a she(?).

    ¡°What is it, Onii-san?¡±

    Were my weird thoughts exposed? She answered with a monotone cold voice while releasing a really rejecting aura.(T/N: yep, kurono uses ¡®she¡¯ here.)

    I really am shocked from that clearly super cold reaction. Well, my eyes have always been bad and I am also wearing a full ck looking robe as well. Anyone would get a bit vignt against a suspicious looking person, right?

    Let¡¯s leave it at that.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you before. Did you return from a quest just now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.......¡±

    So she really was an adventurer.

    That means, she doesn¡¯t know the current situation. It¡¯s natural after all. Some who returned yesterday were also the same as her.

    But, she really is giving off a seriously gloomy aura.

    I¡¯m being unskilful here. Even though I haven¡¯t gotten to the main topic, the next words will definitely end the conversation if it goes on like this.

    I need to ask her about the gun quickly.

    ¡°The thing you¡¯re holding, is that a gun?¡±

    ¡°.......How do you know that?¡±

    Was my question such a surprise? Her cute eyes opened wide as she looked at me.

    ¡°Do people not know about it normally?¡±

    ¡°Unless it¡¯s a real weapon maniac, nobody knows about guns. ¡®Normally¡¯ you said, is yourmon sense normal?¡±

    In just a few seconds after meeting, mymon sense is being doubted already.

    Well, since I¡¯m not from this world, it¡¯s a fact that I still haven¡¯t grasped themon sense of this world as of yet. So it can¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°It was normal where I lived.¡±

    It sounds like an excuse but it¡¯s true.

    From themon sense of my world, everyone knows about guns after all. Especially guys like me, though I¡¯m still not at the level of being called a gun otaku.

    Leaving that aside, from her words it¡¯s certain that it¡¯s actually a gun.

    But, even though there are guns, I wonder why they have not be popr yet? Is it because magic is more convenient? Or maybe because it¡¯s too costly? Well, it might be the start of an era where it starts getting poprized from here onwards.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m really interested in your gun. Can you show it to me?¡±

    ¡°My gun is a normal lump of steel and not some magical mechanism rod. It¡¯s not what magician Onii-san is expecting.¡±

    I see, there must be rods that look like guns as well.

    My [ck Ballista Replica] also shows the same effects like a gun if it was shaped like a gun.

    Rather than that,

    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t use magic, that means it is an actual gun that shoots lead balls with gunpowder, right? I want to see that ¡®real¡¯ gun.¡±

    ¡°Onii-san....why do you know even that?¡±

    Huh? Didn¡¯t I hear the same thing just a while ago?

    Her surprised expression also came for the second time.

    ¡°I created this gun that uses gunpowder instead of magical energy to shoot bullets. I have never told anyone about this structure so why do you know that!¡±

    Wait a second, this girl just said that she created it.

    ¡°Wait wait, I want to confirm something but those guns that the weapon maniacs know about are all gun-shaped Rods?¡±

    ¡°......That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And, you created this gun that fires bullets without magic. Could it be that youpounded the gunpowder by yourself as well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something as amazing aspounding but, yes. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no way anyone else knows about guns that uses bullets. No wait¡ªcould it be, there are already such guns at Onii-san¡¯s homnd....?¡±

    In front of her who had started muttering to herself, I got an even bigger shock that the time I saw the gun.

    ¡°A genius.¡±

    The history behind guns wasn¡¯t something shallow. The creation of matchlock, invention of gunpowder was made through various trials and errors.

    To create that from nothing, that too alone, was impossible.

    No, she must have gotten some kind of a hint.

    Even so, in this world where gunpowder doesn¡¯t even exist, to have created a gun alone,

    ¡°You¡¯re a genius!¡±

    Yes, there¡¯s no other way to describe this.

    ¡°O, Onii-san?¡±

    Right now, I might be looking at a great inventor in front of me.

    ¡°Amazing, this is amazing, please show me that gun, I beg of you!!¡±

    ¡°uu......if you go that far, fine.....¡±

    Maybe she had been pulled by my vigour; she was showing a troubled face but I didn¡¯t really care about that right now.

    She timidly handed the gun to me.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    As I took it, I could feel the heaviness of the iron in my hands.

    I had held model guns but this the first time I held an actual one. But somehow I know from this weight that it¡¯s a real gun.

    ¡°Does it have bullets inside right now?¡±

    ¡°No way, I have removed them for now. Nothing will happen even if you pull the trigger. It¡¯s just a pipe of iron right now.¡±

    Then, there¡¯s not a chance for an idental discharge either so I can observe it with relief.

    ¡°It feels like a hunting gun¡ª¡°

    It¡¯s appearance is that of a hunting gun without the stock. But after matching it¡¯s appearance with the ones in my mind, I found a gun that matched it better.

    ¡°A Contender.¡± (T/N: It¡¯s the name of a gun. Google it. Kiritsugu uses it in Fate Zero.)

    It was a single shot pistol developed by the America¡¯s Thompson. It looks really simr to it.

    But, since it¡¯s meant for her use, the grip is somewhat smaller. It looks more like apact version of it.

    It looks like a hunting gun but its barrel is long. Even longer than the Contender probably. Though I haven¡¯t seen an actual one.

    ¡°But, its structure is more or less the same.¡±

    Since there¡¯s neither a bolt nor a magazine, it needs to be loaded after every single shot.

    As expected since she created it alone,pared to the current level of guns, it only has the minimum mechanism needed to shoot the bullet.

    Except the barrel, the interior doesn¡¯t even have the smooth rifling. It must fire round bullets like the matchlock guns. Since there¡¯s a red shiny stone on the firing hammer, it must be used as an ignition, basically it¡¯s a flint rock type, or something close to that.

    That means, gunpowder and the bullet are loaded separately? I¡¯ll need to ask the details.

    On pulling the bullet, a *gakin* sound could be heard.

    I feel moved. That sound is really cool.

    ¡°How do you reload? Do you insert the bullet from the barrel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how I wanted to do, but right now¡ª-¡°

    As I returned the gun, she set it up with familiar hands, and with a *gashan* sound, the barrel snapped open.

    ¡°Opening from middle type!?! Damn, so cool!!¡±

    ¡°I know right!? It¡¯s really cool!!¡±

    By the way, the contender is also the same type.

    Rather than that, I think I just connected with her just now, with this girl whose name I don¡¯t even know¡ª-oh right,

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t introduced myself yet.¡±

    ¡°Eh, un.¡±

    I took out my guild card from my pocket and showed it to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kurono, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°.....Simon.¡±

    We named ourselves, and exchanged our cards.

    Name- Simon, Rank 1, ss- Alchemist, is what was written on her card.

    ¡°Alchemist?¡±

    I saw this ss for the first time.

    I could understand if it was a magician of fire or darkness but what kind of a ss was an alchemist?

    ¡°Onii-san, you don¡¯t know about Alchemists?¡±

    ¡°Those who turn things into gold?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, without magic.¡±

    ¡°......you can do it?¡±

    ¡°No way. If it was possible, gold won¡¯t be used as money anymore.¡±

    I guess that was obvious. After all the value of gold is absolute no matter which world it is.

    You can¡¯t create gold even with magic.

    ¡°Alchemists are researchers that work on things other than magic. Not everyone researches a way to create gold.¡±

    ¡°I see, other than magic......¡±

    That means, it¡¯s the same as my world, something like an ancestor to scientists.

    If that¡¯s the case, then I am even more curious.

    It could be that Simon might have invented something else that is the same as my world as well.

    For someone who has been swung around by magic all the time after being summoned, I want to see something more scientific after a long time.

    ¡°Does that mean you have a researchboratory as well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something that amazing but there is a need to have a ce to do experiments so I have borrowed a lodge nearby.¡±

    ¡°If possible, can you show me there?¡±

    ¡°Eeh!? Th, that¡¯s......¡±

    ¡°Ah sorry. Could it be theb has lots of secrets? Then there¡¯s no need to¡ª¡°

    No, that¡¯s not it. After all, no one other than me can understand it anyway, but, it¡¯s really cramped so it¡¯s difficult to bring someone else as well......¡±

    I see, so the reason is a recement of ¡° My room is dirty so you¡¯re not allowed to enter it alright!?¡±

    But still, I really don¡¯t have time right now.

    I might find something there that might help me against the Crusaders so I need her cooperation no matter what.

    Wait, I haven¡¯t really exined the situation to her at all either.

    ¡°I¡¯m changing the topic a little but actually an emergency quest has been issued. This vige is facing a critical condition.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, I wanted to know about that as well! What¡¯s happening in the vige right now? There are a lot of adventurers and the counter is closed. Also my reward¡ª¡°

    ¡°I get it I get it, I¡¯ll exin everything so let¡¯s talk while we walk towards yourb.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is going to my ce already decided?!¡±

    ¡°Sorry but in the end, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±

    I just realized it but, this girl is really good at Tsukkomis. I feel like ying around with her a bit more.

    Lily is just a child, Fiona is an airhead, I really had no chance to joke around. And now I get these reactions from Simon-chan.

    It feels the same as when I was in my literature club and had a conversation with a junior boy from the Illustration club to make some illustrations for my own light novel.

    That guy was also child faced and it was difficult to tell whether he was a guy or a girl. It can¡¯t be helped that Simon-chan¡¯s ovepped with him

    Damn, I feel like crying a bit due to happiness and homesickness.

    ¡°Why are you being moved to tears Onii-san?¡±

    ¡°No, I just remembered my home for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Was there something nostalgic during our conversation?¡±

    That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t have the time to be swept with nostalgia. If I keep ying the idiot(boke), I¡¯ll be able to relieve my stress but the conversation won¡¯t move any further.

    I need to quickly exin the situation and get her cooperation and also think about how to use guns in actual battle.

    ¡°Anyway, I need your strength right now!¡±

    ¡°.......Is that a joke?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m really serious this time.¡±

    Maybe because I joked around too much, the trust in my words seems to have plummeted.

    ¡°My bad. I think you¡¯ll get it once I¡¯m done exining.¡±

    ¡°fun, well fine. Then shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Oh, I needed to tell the others that I¡¯m going out for a bit as well.

    If the leader disappeared suddenly, they¡¯ll think I ran away.

    I pped loudly and called the adventurers.

    ¡°Oi, everyone, listen for a second.¡±

    The adventurers in the lobby all reacted to my voice instantly and looked here.

    ¡°Wait, Onii-san what are you¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit. I¡¯ll be back before noon. After that we¡¯ll practice as nned so be ready as required.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±¡±Roger.¡±¡±¡±

    After hearing their reply, I and Simon-chan left the guild.

    ¡°.........Onii-san, just who are you?¡±

    ¡°I showed you the guild card right? Rank 1 adventurer and a ck magician.¡±

    I¡¯m also the leader of the Adventurer alliance but I¡¯ll leave the exnation forter.

 Chapter 93 Assault! Simonâ€™s Laboratory

    Chapter 93 ¨C Assault! Simon¡¯s Laboratory

    ¡°I see......so it had turned into something troublesome.¡±

    In my hands, is the bulletin of the emergency quest that I got from Onii-san.

    I understood somewhat about the situation because of it.

    If I had been secluding myself in mountains for 1 more week, I would¡¯ve encountered the dreadful army called as Crusader.

    ¡°Right now the embankment is under construction for the purpose of being a protective wall.¡±

    In front of the area where Onii-san pointed his finger, there were beast men and dwarves erecting fence of woods and wrapping some sort of iron wire around it.

    From the looks of it, the vigers are preparing themselves for fighting even while knowing the situation.

    ¡°We will stop Crusaders here, at worst they wille here day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Then, is it alright to be hanging out with me? You¡¯re leader right?¡±

    ¡°And so, I want the guns. They are amazing and powerful weapons, after all.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t that special. It can be repelled by any monster with somewhat hard scales or skin and it¡¯s attack is alsomepared to any lower grade explosion magic. And if one doesn¡¯t know how to use it, then the chanting is more fast than reloading. I doubt I will need to say about chantless magic then.¡±

    A normal bullet can inflict damage up to monsters of rank 2.

    Even inside rank 2 monsters, there are those with strong scales and skin, and there are those with increased defense abilities due to magic.

    And not only monsters, An armor enchanted with defense magic can easily repel the bullets. Furthermore, a lower grade defense magic might be able to block 1 shot or 2 shots.

    To break those defenses, higher grade magic or martial arts will be needed.

    That¡¯s why, a person like me with neither martial arts or magic can ever be a rank 2 adventurer.

    Though not much time had passed since I registered, but I can only think of me being rank 1 even after 10 years.

    ¡°Indeed, it may be disadvantageous against monsters. But gun is more reliable in killing a human being.¡±

    Onii-san¡¯s eyes became scary when he said that.

    He is definitely hating the enemy that will being soon. Even I, said to be oblivious of human emotions, can feel it.

    ¡°Enemy¡¯s attire is chainmail under a thick surcoat. They don¡¯t have any armor with defense magic. Therefore, gun is the best choice. Humans are weak than other races. They get hit once and they can¡¯t fight, so a gun capable of wounding them is perfect.¡±

    I¡¯ve never shot any human, but have shot some goblins. Just like Onii-san said, a race without that sort of skin or scales will be able to go down in just one shot.

    But it can¡¯t rapid-fire, and I¡¯m a solo adventurer so I doubt if I will be able to fight against a crowd.

    ¡°And this time, we have the vanguards,right?¡±

    Onii-san speaks as if he saw through me.

    ¡°I want you shoot down the enemies that wille from the riverside, can you do it?¡±

    ¡°The river is pretty near. So I can shoot them even while being on the other shore.¡±

    ¡°......Really?¡±

    Onii-san makes a surprised face, oops, is he thinking that I¡¯m lying.

    ¡°If one can¡¯t do something like that, then guns aren¡¯t suited for them. And bullets are more pricy than arrows, if I keep on missing my targets then I¡¯ll go bankrupt.¡±

    Arrows are sold in bundles at every vige, but bullets need to be order made and so it needs more money.

    ¡°Is that so, then can you show me, no, can you even let me shoot ?¡±

    Onii-san makes an excited expression. Really, though being a magician he loves guns. He is weird.

    ¡°Ah, if you¡¯re worrying about money of bullets. I will give you, will this suffice?¡±

    Onii-san throws a single coin. I in a panic catch it so it won¡¯t drop.

    ¡°1 Gold!? I can¡¯t take this much!¡±

    ¡°Just that it, think of it as prior investment.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind too much about it.¡±

    ¡°If you say that much, then it¡¯s fine......¡±

    I don¡¯t have any reason to refuse, and it won¡¯t break from just pulling the trigger. This was made to be unbreakable even if used pretty rashly.

    I quickly reload the gun, and hand it over to Onii-san.

    ¡°Whoa......¡±

    Onii-san¡¯s eyes are sparkling. He really is a child.

    ¡°From here, yeah, that tree over there is inside it¡¯s attack range.¡±

    I point my finger towards a tree standing on the roadside 150 metres forward.

    It is big, but it¡¯s trunk pretty thick around that of a human skull. It¡¯s very good for experimenting.

    ¡°great, then here I go¡ª-¡±

    The smell of dry gunpowder floats.

    The gun definitely did shootout the loaded bullet, but where did the bullet went is unconfirmed.

    ¡°I missed. This is difficult.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is if not familiar to it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, indeed¡ª¡±

    Onii-san moves his hand not holding the gun forward. Magic starts swirling around his hands and a ck bullet materializes.

    That bullet was not like the round one I used. It was long and arrow along with a pointed tip and edge.

    Huh, maybe a pointed edge and tip will increase the power of a bullet¡ª

    While I was thinking that, the ck bullet is fired with an explosion sound and in a ultra high speed.

    *Bakin* The sound of the trunk of tree breaking reaches the ears.

    ¡°As expected, if not familiar I can¡¯t hit it.¡±

    ¡°Onii-san, the one right now¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my original magic. I made an offensive magic with the image of a gun.¡±

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t has barrel neither trigger so it doesn¡¯t look very cool¡¯ while saying that Onii-sanughed.

    Onii-san if you have a magic like that, why would you need gun.

    The gun I have made through a lot of troubles, is nothing of a big deal to a magician like Onii-san who can just make it in any quantity.

    I really hate magic. From the point of view of a person who can¡¯t use it, there¡¯s no other thing more sly than this.

    ¡°Now, show me how to use it.¡±

    ¡°yeah¡±

    Let¡¯s stop it, I don¡¯t envy the magic. After all now I¡¯m an alchemist who doesn¡¯t rely on magic.

    I reload the bullet in gun, just by doing this process my concentration rises.

    After setting up the gun, there only the enemy in front of it.

    A target at this distance is easy. Even if won¡¯t hit at pin point, I can still aim at it and shoot it.

    Without even letting 1 second pass after setting up the gun. I pull the trigger.

    Shoot & Hit. It¡¯s only natural to hit after it¡¯s fired.

    ¡°You¡¯re great! It hit on one try!¡±

    ¡°N-Not really, anyone can do this once familiar with this. You¡¯re the first one to praise me after shooting with a gun. Normally people shrug their shoulders while saying ¡°Ah, so what?¡± and like that.¡±

    If it¡¯s just hitting the target, even Onii-san could do it with magic.

    ¡°Hey, will it be able shoot if I throw this in air.¡±

    ¡°Eh, What do you mean?¡±

    Before I knew it, in Onii-san¡¯s right hands a ck round object was made by magic.

    It¡¯s near 30 centimetres in length. Is he saying of hitting it in the air. It seems interesting.

    I reload the bullets and once again set up the gun.

    ¡°Throw it.¡±

    ¡°¡®Kay, then here I go.¡±

    *Buun* While cutting through the air, the ck disk flies at the speed of an arrow.

    The ck disk makes a slight curve due to the wind attacking it and slowly increases its distance.

    Hitting a moving target is more difficult than hitting unmoving target. It is still easy to hit because it can¡¯t make sudden movement like monsters.

    I pull the trigger, sound of fire resounds and the ck disk in air smashes into pieces.

    ¡°You even excel at y-pigeon shooting too! You have, without a doubt, the talent for sniping.¡°

    ¡°Ah, th-that......y-pigeon shooting is what......¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t be shy.¡±

    Whileughing in good mood, Onii-san violently strikes my shoulders.

    I-It kinda hurts, you know. And suddenly Onii-san starts patting my head.

    ¡°Please s-stop it!!¡±

    I realise my always stiff facial expression is loosened and I¡¯m alsoughing.

    Thats right, this is first time someone has praised me so straightforwardly and has epted me.

 Chapter 94 Assault! Simonâ€™s Laboratory

    Chapter 94 ¨C Assault! Simon¡¯s Laboratory

    Standing there was not a cabin or shed but more like a storeroom. [ET: Remember he wanted to go to herboratory.]

    ¡°Ce in......¡±

    Simon opened the door with an embarrassed expression and invited me in.

    ¡°So this is theboratory, huh¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Something like this is myboratory you got a problem!? It can¡¯t be helped at all! A rank 1 adventurer ain¡¯t got money to buy a spacious room!¡±

    ¡°No, I know about that so calm down.¡±

    I now understand why we crossed the garden instead of entering through the front door of this lodging ande to this ce. So this is Simon¡¯s lodging room cumboratory.

    Well it would be bad if one were to use the guest room of lodging for something other than sleeping or resting. And with the ie of a rank 1 adventurer acquiring a spacious room for sleeping and work is impossible.

    I understand that Simon sleeps here and does research. I also agree on it but still,

    ¡°Pitiful......¡±

    I spoke my feelings in a low voice so as she can¡¯t hear. [ET: Till the time it ain¡¯t proved Simon is a boy I won¡¯t change she/her/herself to ............ get that.]

    ¡°Sit down¡± (Simon)

    She pulls a chair of woods from under the desk she might be using a lot and offers it me.

    There is no other chair and so Simon sat on the bed.

    Hey! Now that I look at it, that is just some wooden boxes lined up and a sheet is spread on them. Where the hell is bed then!

    It¡¯s really bad, Shimon-chan looks like the protagonist from Unlucky Human that premiers on World¡¯s Masterpieces Show. Really pitiful.

    ¡°Onii-san, you just thought of something rude just now, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I never did! Still, this ce does has the feeling of anboratory¡ª¡±

    After inspecting the room, the first impression thates is ¡°Damn full of things.¡±

    On the desk there are many thick books which look like old-fashioned dictionary lined one upon another. Various tools are scattered too.

    There are also mechanism for making tools, a suspicious brights coloured liquid, raw materials like fangs and scales of monsters. These all were spread on the desk, table, shelves, floor, everywhere.

    Yep, it does has the feel ofboratory. Almost to the extent that it coincides with my fantasy images.

    This really is theboratory of an alchemist! I can say that without a doubt, well I don¡¯t know how other alchemists are though.

    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s get right to the main point.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Yeah¡±

    Maybe I released a somewhat serious atmosphere, Simon showed an expression of nervousness.

    Indeed, the talk from here on is me speaking as the leader of adventurer alliance.

    ¡°First of all I need to confirm one thing. Will you ept the emergency quest?

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m also an adventurer, and I have no objection in epting the request.¡±

    Simon replies immediately without any hesitation.

    ¡°This time is pretty dangerous, you know, no one can guarantee your safety.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t something you say to an adventurer. If it was someone else, that person would definitely snap. But still, I will take that as an warning.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, i just wanted to confirm.¡±

    Most adventurers follow after strong people, but Simon didn¡¯t feel like that to me. And she also seems like someone who never fought at front lines, So I wanted to confirm her determination.

    ¡°And so, I want Simon to help me with something, unfortunately we don¡¯t have much time so I don¡¯t know whether it will be done or not¡ª¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want you to make a machine gun¡± [ET: Yaay now we are talking.]

    .

    .

    .

    Lily and Fiona came down to the first floor lobby through stairs as if they are really good sisters.

    ¡°Creating Potions tires the eyes.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°Yep, and that so repeatedly~¡±

    Afterpleting thepounding which included staring game and weighing to split the potions in urate quantity, both came down for resting and eating food.

    By the way, the way Lilypounds is through measuring by the eye. She somehowpounds the raw material while ying a staring game with them.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, will you take a breather from now?¡±

    The one who calls out to them is the dark magician skeleton, Mozrun.

    For the republic it may be someone who might be a subjugation target as soon as he is spotted, but Fiona is already familiar with his appearance resembling that of grim reaper.

    ¡°Yes, we got hungry¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, it¡¯s always that, don¡¯t finish up our all provisions before the fight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to.¡±

    ¡°Hey Where is kurono?¡±

    Lily restlessly surveys the lobby, but she couldn¡¯t find the ck tall figure.

    The leader Kurono is a lot busy.

    If it was someone like Vulcan, he would¡¯ve silently waited for the enemy toe, but Kurono who is giving his all in preparations and is the busiest person here.

    Stationing of adventurers, coordination between parties, construction progress, securing the goods and more is all the work Kurono needs toplete.

    Due to that Kurono is not waiting in the guild but is moving around the whole vige.

    ¡°Maybe he is in Conference Room¡±

    ¡°Ah, wrong. Boss went out some while ago.¡±

    Mozurun overturns Fiona¡¯s prediction.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡±

    ¡°Eeh, where did he go?¡±

    Mozurun kindly and thoroughly answers to Lily asking a question in a childish manner.

    ¡°He went out with a really beautiful elf girl. Right now he might be having some pleasure time. Well he had been working a lot, this much of breather is allow¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not allowed¡±

    ¡°¡°!?¡±¡±

    Just as Fiona and Mozrun sensed a vast amount magic swirling,

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow any of that.¡±

    In front of their eyes, was Lily who returned to her original form.

    The cute loveable face of the child is no more alive, the only things that remains is a young girl with a beautiful face seeming like a Noh Mask.

    ¡°......Lily-san?¡±

    On Lily¡¯s sudden change, Fiona breaks out in cold sweat.

    She senses the white light magic which will result in big explosion if touched.

    Thanks to that, Mozurun is now trembling with fear of getting purified by her light.

    ¡°I will bring Kurono back¡±

    ¡°E¡ª¡± (Fiona)

    Their eyes meet, but in her eye Fiona is not all reflected. No doubt she is seeing ¡®something¡¯ in far distance.

    Before Fiona could answer, Lily was no more in her line of sight.

    ¡°......It would be good if it doesn¡¯t turn into something troublesome.¡±

    ¡°Boss, please, pleasee back in once piece......¡±

    Fiona and Mozrun saw Lily off who went out in super high speed, or rather, they couldn¡¯t even see her off.

 Chapter 95 First Time Jealousy

    Chapter 95 First Time Jealousy

    Affair. If someone were to ask if this word would apply to Kurono¡¯s behaviour, the answer would be NO.

    Kurono treats Lily as his partner and puts a tremendous trust in her, and treats her more importantly than anything else in this different world, but there is no advancement in terms of romance.

    If you were to look from the start, he would hug her, pat her head gently, and has even more skinship than a normal couple, but they were not lovers.

    That¡¯s because Lily had never revealed the passionate feelings in her heart, that is, she had never confessed to Kurono. And neither did Kurono do so nor did he have intention to do something like that.

    But this point of view was worthless theory in Lily¡¯s eyes.

    (¡°Who is it!? The woman, the bitch, the beast that tried to seduce my, MY Kurono!! Tryying even a single finger on him, I¡¯ll kill you so badly that not even small bits would remain!!!¡±)

    Mozrun who basically said that Kurono had gone to sleep with a woman, was taken extremely seriously by Lily.

    (¡°I won¡¯t forgive her! I will never forgive something as envious as that!! I haven¡¯t even ki, ki, kissed with him yet!!!¡±)

    Her emotions were exploding out as if her own restraints had been blown away to the moon.

    (¡°Where? Where did Kurono go? Where is he........¡±)

    But, still to locate Kurono calmly even then was what made her cunning.

    (¡°If she is still in the vige, then it must be an adventurer. Also, Mozrun said it was a ¡®cute elf girl¡¯ as well, so it¡¯s not a member of [Three hunting princesses] but someone that came today. That means, she must have returned afterpleting some quest without knowing the current situation. Then they must be in a ce where she could be alone with a man¡ª-an inn of an adventurer, is it?¡±)

    There are two facilities where adventurers can stay in Alsace. One is the Guild, and the other is themon inn. Considering the scale of Alsace vige, having another inn except the guild could be said to be a well equipped vige.

    And Lily haspletely mapped this small vige in her brain. Without even a single hesitation, she flew towards the only inn in the vige.

    .

    .

    .

    Found it.

    Behind the inn, there is a dirty storage shed. Kurono and that thieving cat are here.

    ¡°Kurono........I¡¯ll save you right now.¡±

    Thinking that my Kurono could be dirtied right now, I felt every second was precious.

    Thinking about it from outside was nothing but a waste of time.

    So I¡¯ll break in from the front and take the shortest distance towards Kurono.

    But I¡¯ll still take care. After all she is someone who was able to capture Kurono, who is the greatest man in this world, even if it was for only a short time. As long as she is an adventurer, she should be able to use force to remove obstacles as well.

    Although, no adventurer can stand against the serious me, no, even if it was a rank 5 adventurer stronger than me or a dragon, I will still not hesitate to go help Kurono. I must not hesitate.

    And, at this moment, I¡¯ll prove it.

    In front of the weak wooden door,

    ¡°Fairy barrier ¨C Oracle Field, full power!¡±

    Light type defensive magic destroyed not just the door but even the wall that it touched as well, and made a path for me.

    Beams, Light balls, and even [Meteor Strike]¡¯s chant has beenpleted as I enter. If I face resistance, I¡¯ll erase without leaving any trace!

    ¡°Kurono!!¡±

    As I broke inside the room, I found his beloved figure inside this room scattered with various items.

    ¡°Lily!?¡±

    ¡°Eh, What!? What¡¯s going on!? Why has the door been destroyed!?!¡±

    Kurono who widened his eyes in shock and another person was there. I see, so this is the thieving cat that tried to steal my Kurono?

    Petite and slender body, along with gray hair and pointy ears, that were the characteristic feature of elves.

    Her face was as Mozrun had said, cute, and her eyes were green like a cat¡¯s.

    But, from my point of view, it¡¯s only average. Her beauty was not on a level that Charm would exist. She didn¡¯t even have an adult body with a good figure. She¡¯s just a brat.

    If he wanted toy his hands on such, such a low level woman, why did he note to me¡ª-No, I should stop. First I need to eliminate her.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Kurono, I¡¯ll save you right now.¡±

    Their clothes are still on. Looks like I avoided the worst scenario. That¡¯s a relief. But I can¡¯t be negligent until I remove her from in front of Kurono.

    I smiled towards Kurono to make him feel relieved and then red at the elf brat with intent to kill.

    ¡°hi, Hiii!?!¡±

    Fuun, weak scum, afraid from just my killing intent.

    If she wants toy hands on Kurono, she should first refine her pathetic skills at least, this third rate stupid woman¡ª¨Cno, wait, wait a second.

    ¡°.......¡±

    Is it actually a guy?

    I just had an intuition but to check that I¡¯ll try to use telepathy deep inside his mind.

    I soon got my answer.

    (¡°Why¡ª¨CWhy? Even though I¡¯m a man¡ª¡ªweak, pathetic¡ª¡ª¡°)

    He¡¯s a genuine man.

    He looked cute as tears appeared in his big round eyes, but this elf is definitely a man.

    But, I still can¡¯t be negligent.

    No, if Kurono actually liked ¡®this type¡¯ then I can understand why he didn¡¯ty his hands on me.

    Especially strong men like not just girls but even boys, something like that was written in one of the books left by the magician in the hut in the forest.

    Then, did Kurono have an urge to have this boy¡ª¨C

    ¡°Wait a second Lily!! You are definitely misunderstanding something!!!¡±

    Suddenly Kurono hade in front of me. What, are you going to cover this brat who is not even a girl?

    ¡°This person is not an enemy! Just an adventurer, I came to talk to get help from this person!¡±(T/N: I am using ¡®this person¡¯ intentionally because Jap doesn¡¯t specify gender many times, like in this case.)

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°This person came back from a quest just now, so I understand that you haven¡¯t seen this person before but it¡¯s not a spy or something from the Crusaders!¡±

    I think there is some kind of a very big difference in what we are talking about.

    No, it¡¯s definitely different, and the problem would be on my side, I think.

    Eh, what? Did I jump to an early conclusion?

    ¡°Ok? So calm down and listen¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Oh, I see......¡±

    That¡¯s fine.

    At least, I don¡¯t sense any sexual urges from Kurono¡¯s outeryer of thoughts at least.

    There¡¯s no feeling of trying to hide a secret. He¡¯s only trying to somehow stop me from acting while misunderstanding things.

    I see. He was just a co-operator.......then, that means I was having an embarrassing misunderstanding only. So everything will settle peacefully here.

    ¡°.....then, let me hear the details as well.¡±(lily)

    I decided to obediently back down.

    If Kurono does not have any feelings for this boy then I have no problems.

    What¡¯s more problematic is what that skeleton bastard irresponsibly said. What, what did he mean by ¡®He must enjoying himself right now!¡¯, damn him this isn¡¯t a joke. Due to that I ended up showing Kurono such an unsightly part of me.

    I¡¯m not gonna calm down until I at least hit him with one of my light beams.

    ¡°aa, um, this is Simon, a rank 1 adventurer.¡±

    And after introducing myself to this guy called Simon, I listened to the situation from Kurono.

    Though, now that I know that she¡¯s not an ¡®enemy¡¯ woman, my interest in him has almost disappeared.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cand so, I asked Simon to cooperate with me.¡±

    For the rest I¡¯ll just vaguely listen and act as I am convinced and this mess will be settled.

    Or so it was supposed to be........

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Why are you making such a scary face Lily-san? Could it be that Kurono-san really was¡ª¡°(Fiona)

    ¡°No, it was nothing. It was just a misunderstanding of that vulgar skeleton.¡±

    On Fiona¡¯s question, Lily made an effort to answer as calmly as possible.

    But, Lily didn¡¯t realize that Fiona still said that she had a ¡®scary face¡¯ even though Lily had returned to her child form.

    ¡°I see. Then that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not rare to see a party disbanding due to a love affair after all.¡±

    ¡°How rare of Fiona to say something decent. Have you experienced it?¡±

    ¡°No, I only saw something like that happen, so you can say I was an observer.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, be relieved. Kurono isn¡¯t a weak man who can¡¯t control his sexual desires.¡±

    And Lily left after saying that she needed rest.

    She was heading towards the room used by Kurono.

    The person himself (kurono) was still talking with Simon in thatb cum storage room that suddenly had better venttion due to the door disappearing.

    Lily entered the empty room and jumped on the bed and stretched her limbs.

    ¡°.......It¡¯s irritating.¡±

    Lily pulled the nket and buried her face in the pillow and breathed the scent left by Kurono.

    Normally, there was nothing more rxing than this aroma but right now, it only created waves in her heart.

    ¡°Why did Kurono......such........¡±

    Just what was it? She didn¡¯t know why she was so disturbed.

    But she knew the source of that feeling.

    ¡°He looked so haapy.....¡±

    That was how Kurono was with Simon.

    The existence of guns. Alchemy that didn¡¯t use magic. As she was listening to him, she realized that Kurono was extremely attracted towards the ability possessed by Simon.

    That was so clear that she didn¡¯t even need telepathy to know that.

    Delight, curiosity, expectations, and other such strong feelings mixed together were clearly delivered to Simon as a straightpliment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that. I never got such feelings, I never received them.¡±

    Lily had certainly created an emotional bond with Kurono, and also built up an unbelievable amount of trust in each other as well, that was no doubt about it. They clearly had a strong bond with each other.

    For Kurono, in this different world, no, in his whole life, except for his family, there was no one more important than Lily.

    Kurono¡¯s trust and deep affection were both, without a doubt, real. And Lily also understood that.

    But affection and interest were 2 different emotions.

    Lily certainly possessed Kurono¡¯s ¡®feelings/emotions¡¯ but she never made him interested in her.

    Simon¡¯s existence had pulled Kurono¡¯s interest, which Lily had been unable to,pletely through Alchemy.

    As to why Kurono was so interested in Alchemy, Lily didn¡¯t look into his inner thoughts. No, she was unable to ¡®look over the construction¡¯.

    But rather than the reason, the fact that Simon had pulled Kurono¡¯s interest in him was,

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Why, Why someone like him.......¡±

    Above all, she couldn¡¯t simply ept it.

    Lily, until now, was never dissatisfied with her current rtion with Kurono.

    No just due to Kurono¡¯s behaviour, but Lily herself was satisfied as well.

    For example, appearance.

    There are many beautiful women like Fiona and Irina that appeared in front of Kurono.

    But, she didn¡¯t think that she was inferior to them in looks, thus she never became jealous of their beauty.

    Kurono, who fought with his life on the line as an adventurer; she even had the strength to fight beside him so she never felt tormented by powerlessness either.

    Yes, I am the perfect partner for Kurono, I don¡¯tck anything. That was what Lily thought.

    But, today, with the appearance of the man called Simon, the fact that she could fulfil his heart was overturned.

    ¡°Why, Why is this so frustrating¡ª¡ª¡°

    And so Lily became aware of the emotion that was rampaging within her.

    That was, for Lily who possessed absolute beauty and strength, an emotion she had never experienced.

    A primitive emotion thates to humans instinctively, that has beenbelled as one of the major sins, a negative emotion.

    ¡°¡ª¨CI see, I am feeling jealous.¡±

    Lily, for the first time after being born, experienced jealousy.

 Chapter 96 MPK Tactics

    Chapter 96 MPK Tactics

    On the 26th of Shinyou, The Crusader troops led by Norz finally upied Kuar that was also empty like Irz.

    It should be obvious but due to Kurono¡¯s scorched earth tactics, they were unable to procure provision from here as well.

    As long as there was no one in Kuar, Norz knew that this would be the case and was thus patiently waiting for the supply of provisions.

    Norz expected this to continue till they reach the western most vige of Alsace as well.

    Since not a single demon could be found in the area, he expected to catch up with them by the Gahad mountains near the border of Spada, beyond the vige of Alsace and territory of Daedalus.

    Between Alsace and Spada were mountains and the distance was also big. They might have quickly evacuated till Alsace but from here onwards even those demons would have difficulty in travelling and thus their speed will drop greatly as well.

    Even if they had departed 1 week earlier, he could easily have the cavalry overtake them. So without any worries or impatience, Norz was moving the troops normally.

    ButBut on the 27th of Shinyou, when they reached the vige of Hejito, in front of the vige that should be empty, Norz felt some unrest, no, it was more of a bad premonition.

    And, that soon came true.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°oo, this storehouse is still alright!¡±

    The soldiers exploring the Hejito vige raised their voices in joy on finding a storehouse that wasn¡¯t burned at all.

    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if it¡¯s a food storehouse.¡±

    ¡°No way, it should have valuables instead.¡±

    ¡°Stupid, there¡¯s no way there would be a valuable storehouse in this countryside vige.¡±

    ¡°Oi, stop with your stupid talks and let¡¯s examine it already.¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger¡±¡±

    Under themand of their squadmander, the soldiers reached towards the door of the storehouse.

    There was no lock so it was easily opened without any resistance and they entered the dim storehouse.

    ¡°n, doesn¡¯t something smell ¡ª-¡°

    The soldier that led the way; as soon as he realized that smell of a beast, his words were interrupted.

    ¡°¡ª¨Ca?¡±

    When he realized that his stomach had been impaled by a spear, he screamed with fright and pain.

    As he fell down as he kept on screaming, numerous des rushed on to him and his death cries were soon drowned out.

    ¡°Oi! There¡¯s something in there!!?!¡±

    ¡°What?! What is it!?!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, there are¡ª¡ª¡°

    They were unable to make out the identity of the things that killed the soldier inside that dim room.

    ¡°Move outside!!¡±

    While swinging his sword towards the invisible enemy, the soldiers ran outside.

    ¡°ugaaah!! It hurts!!!¡±

    ¡°Wait! My leg¡ª-¡°

    Two soldiers fell down as their legs were cut. One of them was carried away by another soldier but the other couldn¡¯t make it and was dragged away inside the dark storehouse.

    While trying to ignore the screams of theirrades, they finally came out after 2 soldiers bing victims inside.

    ¡°Shit! What the hell is this!!¡±

    Outside, the soldiers aimed their arrows towards the door and lied in wait.

    Soldiers who had sensed something wrong had also started gathering here.

    The soldiers took their stances and prepared their weapons to fight against the invisible enemy that dwelled inside that storehouse.

    ¡°It¡¯sing out!¡±

    While raising an unpleasant voice, some beast like, monkey-like, creatures jumped out.

    ¡°Fire!!¡±

    The moment they realized that, they fired the bows towards the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s Goblins!!¡±

    Someone shouted out the identity of the figures jumping out and getting hit by arrows.

    ¡°Shit! An ambush by the demons!?¡±

    ¡°They were hiding in there!¡±

    Goblins that wore ragged clothes and were wielding chipped spears, rusted swords, and maces made out of bones appeared.

    They were clearly not the type of demons that lived in viges. They were stray goblins that lived in hills, aka monsters.

    Why were they here? There were many soldiers who doubted that but right now they didn¡¯t have the time to sit and think about it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll clean up those Goblins. After me!!¡±

    The squadmander swung his long spear and attacked the swarm of goblins. The soldiers raised a war cry and also charged behind him.

    .

    .

    .

    In various parts of the Hejito vige, battles with monsters were popping up.

    The main street where themander Norz was was not an exception either.

    After hearing the cries of monsters and the warcry of the soldiers, he had pretty much understood the situation even before the messenger came to give the report.

    ¡°A demon ambush, is it?¡±

    ¡°They seem to be only wild monsters. There¡¯s no sign of any vigers.¡±

    They didn¡¯t know the reason behind why the monsters had appeared inside the vige but Norz knew what he was supposed to do right now.

    ¡°Send some soldiers to every toon from here. Also I leave the retrieval and treatment of the injured to you Sister Sylvia.¡±

    ¡°Roger that. And, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°hahaha, isn¡¯t it obvious.¡±

    Norz got down from his horse, drew the giant mace hanging on his waist and lightly lifted it and put it on his shoulder.

    ¡°The God¡¯s enemies are in front of me, it¡¯s the duty of us Priests to kill them!¡±

    The line of spearmen was currently facing against a swarm of goblins whose eyes were ring at them.

    ¡°I see. May the fortunes of war be with you, Norz Priest Head.¡±

    As Sylvia retreated towards the rear, Norz lifted his mace that was bigger than usual ones, with one hand and jumped in front of the line of soldiers.

    ¡°Ooh, Priest-sama!¡±

    As themander himself came to the front lines, the soldiers raised cheers of joy.

    This was the first time he was going to disy his strength on the Pandora continent now that the enemy hade directly in front of him.

    ¡°Come at me damned monsters! Let me pass divine punishment on you in ce of God!¡±

    It was unknown whether they understood the meaning of his words or not but all the Goblins instantly pointed their killing intent towards the giant Norz that was standing in front of them.

    While swinging their chipped and rusted weapons, the goblins rushed towards Norz.

    ¡°??? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ¨C Terra Over st!!¡±

    The moment he smashed the mace on the ground, the earth and soil blew up.

    As conical stone pirs rose towards the heavens, the army saw the earth itself rising upwards.

    As the curtain of earth and sand disappeared, all that was left was numerous corpses of the goblins that had been skewered by the pirs or had their limbs blown away by the attack.

    The lucky goblins that were outside the effective range of the magic were still alive but they had already stopped charging towards him like before.

    Norz thought that the goblins would be annihted if he ordered an assault now but,

    ¡°mu, looks like they have a boss as well.¡±

    Beyond the stabbing pirs, he saw a goblin that wore a better fur pelt as a robe and also had a bone wand in its hands. Seeing that, Norz didn¡¯t give the order to attack.

    (¡°Is it a magician type? I need to bring it down first otherwise there would be useless injuries in the army.¡±)

    And the Boss was also apanied by numerous subordinates and half of them were equipped with bows. And they were also already aiming the bows this way.

    ¡°?????? ??? ????? ??? ??????¤Ã£¡¡±

    The Goblin boss¡¯ voice was thick but it was clearly a magician¡¯s chant and quickly a fireball appeared on the tip of its wand.

    ¡°????? ????¤Ã£¡£¡¡±

    As the chantpleted, a red hot explosive fireball with diameter 30cm was fired by the goblin.

    As if matching with the boss, the archers also released their arrows.

    ¡° ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??????¡ª Terra Armour Shield!!¡±

    The Goblins attack approached but it was stopped by the defensive magic used by Norz.

    The thick hard rock wall projected from the ground and covered everything from one end to another and stood in the way of the fireball and the arrows.

    *DODODODO!!!*

    The sound of explosion resounded and the rock wall vibrated but it easily stopped the attack without receiving even a single crack.

    ¡°haaaaaaaa!! Terra aasstttt!!!!¡±

    With a roar, heunched a no chant wide range attack magic.

    Norz¡¯s mace struck the wall of rock and the wall broke, no, it broke into numerous pieces of rock that were the size of a head and rushed towards the goblins like cannonballs.

    Using the wall as a shield then turning it into an attack was one of Norz¡¯s signature moves.

    The rock cannonballs approached at high speed.

    With a *gushari* sound, the small bodies of the Goblins were squashed by the tremendous force and death cries resounded, then,

    ¡°Now¡¯s the chance! Attack!!!¡±

    Norz gave the order to attack.

    And thus the swarm of goblins that met with Norz¡¯s main troops were annihted in a matter of ten minutes.

    .

    .

    .

    Before the night came, the monsters inside Hejito vige were annihted and they finallypletely upied the vige.

    Norz took his troops towards one of the storehouses. Inside that, the ¡®reason¡¯ behind the monsters appearing in the vige was present.

    ¡°mu, this is.....¡±

    Inside the dim storehouse, a sturdy steel cage was there.

    Inside it, 4 corpses of goblin children were kept.

    They must have been killed by the troops that found this ce as many arrows used by the crusaders were stuck on them.

    Norz narrowed his eyes due to seeing something so filthy and one of the soldiers gave an exnation.

    ¡°We have found these things all over the vige. Probably, they probably stole eggs or children of the wild monsters and locked them up in these cages.¡±

    Looking closely, there were many scratches on the cage grids.

    Monsters who didn¡¯t have the skill to break open lock like a Thief must have tried to break open the cages to save their children.

    But a rank 1 monster could not disy enough strength to break open the cage.

    ¡°Then, the demons used these monster children as bait and lured the monsters inside the vige to ambush us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this can¡¯t be a simple coincidence after all.¡±

    ¡°Although they are mere monsters, to have used the feelings of parents and children like this.......those demons really used a vile n!¡±

    Norz or the Crusaders felt no guilt on the deaths of the monsters.

    But to have used children to pull uninvolved creatures to battle, Norz, who held the sense of justice of the Cross, could only feel that the n was evil.

    ¡°I thought they were just running away, but it seems they really mean to oppose us.¡±

    He had no basis. It could only be another n to just gain time.

    But Norz¡¯s instincts were telling him that the enemy was definitely use ¡®any means possible¡¯ to go against them.

    ¡°Those demons really are evil. We must annihte them as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 97 The Maximum Firepower of [Element Master] (1)

    Chapter 97 The Maximum Firepower of [Element Master] (1)

    30th of Shinyou. Since the Crusaders did not arrive in the shortest expected time, i.e. 3 days, construction work was still continuing to create an even stronger and sturdier line of defence.

    And since most of the construction had been done and the adventurers that left for MPK tactic also returned sessfully, we decided to postpone everything else for today.

    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll perform an experiment to confirm our maximum firepower!¡±

    And so, we came to this vast in about 1km west of Alsace.

    By the way, the members are me, Lily and Fiona only.

    Today¡¯s experiment was a simple one to simply fire our strongest attacks and measure its destructive ability.

    Normally there seems to be a magic item that is meant to measure this, but right now we don¡¯t have the time to urately measure it numbers. In the first ce, we won¡¯t find such a high tech magic item in this rural area.

    For the time being, I¡¯ll at least get an idea about the level after seeing it once.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit toote for this?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that Fiona. You know everyone was busy till now.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s true.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what level of magic can the adult Lily and Fiona use. But I¡¯m sure its pretty high level so you guys will definitely be the key in the uing battle, so I¡¯m counting on you guys!¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Being told this directly is a bit embarrassing.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Right?!¡±(lily)

    Fiona who really didn¡¯t look actually embarrassed and Lily who was giving a wide smile; these two together really make for a great pic.

    But unfortunately, we didn¡¯te here for hiking or pic. Though that would have been fun, I can¡¯t reallyin now.

    ¡°Then first is¡ª¡°

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with Kurono-san.¡±

    ¡°eh? Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the leader after all.¡±

    ¡°Kurono, good luck!¡±

    I see. I need to do this as well. Lily aside, Fiona had never seen me fight after all.

    ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll show you my best one!¡±

    ¡°waa¡±

    ¡°Waa!¡±

    Fiona pped unimpressed and Lily innocently pped loudly. It feels nice.

    I was going to start, but wait a second.

    If we¡¯re talking about my strongest magic, then its [Magic Bullet ¨C Bullet Arts Full Burst].

    In terms of piercing ability, Sword Arts might be stronger than a single bullet but that depends more on the ability of the weapon itself. It¡¯s base strength is very average.

    Also since martial arts are treated differently than magic, the grudge hatchet¡¯s [Kuronagi] is also a no go here.

    And my [Bullet Arts Full Burst]¡¯s effect is to fire an enormous number of ck magical energy bullets rapidly.

    If I use this in an empty in like this one, the bullets will only fly far-faraway and will not cause any kind of explosion either. There¡¯ll be no change in the scenery at all.

    This won¡¯t do. Don¡¯t I have something that can just simply cause a lot of destruction? Firing guns requires an aim after all!

    ¡°You¡¯re making a troubled face Kurono-san. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Does your stomach hurt?¡±(lily)

    While making a calm face, I ran forwards in a straight line.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I heard the voices of the two I left behind but I dashed without paying attention.

    After running for about a 100m, yeah, it should be fine here.

    ¡°[Shadow Gate]¡±

    [Shadow Gate] is the same as [Shadow Space] that I had been using till now but after taking lessons in techniques from the dark magician Mossan, [Shadow Gate] is the levelled up version with more capacity and faster deployment speed.

    By manipting the shadow, I created a circle-shaped shadow of diameter 1m on the ground.

    Controlling the shadow basically shapes my own shadow into different things, so erging it and reducing it also possible.

    But it can¡¯t separate from the caster himself so even this big circle is connected with me with a small shadow.

    ¡°Um, Crusaders¡¯ armaments were around 1 set right?¡ª-¡±

    4th dimensional pocket really makes me feel like that robot cat. Especially now that the goods inside have increased.

    From inside the shadow, I brought out the basic equipment of crusaders that was a surcoat and chainmail.

    All that¡¯s left is to randomly create a humanoid shape and make it wear this.

    Materializing magical energy is the speciality of my ck magic. I can create a body as long as I don¡¯t focus on sturdiness, durability etc.

    A randomly created weak thing won¡¯t be of any help in a battle but it can at least be a target aim for me.

    I created a body of around my height, though it was shaped like a sheet/nk.

    I made it wear the chainmail and surcoat and it wasplete!

    ¡°Well, this much is fine.¡±

    And I once again dashed back to where Fiona and Lily were.

    ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll show you my best one!¡±

    ¡°oh so you¡¯re going to start again from there.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona¡¯s cold words stabbed me but I¡¯ll pretend to not mind it.

    ¡°I think you would have already understood but I¡¯ll fire my magic towards that.¡±

    I took one step in front of them and took out my [ck Ballista Replica].

    Bullets had already been [loaded] and the bullets now floated around me in a circle.

    ¡°[Bullet Arts Full Burst]¡±

    Over a thousand bullets rushed towards the target together.

    As if firing against a real soldier, I didn¡¯t hold anything back.

    The bullets covered the 100m distance in an instant and reached the target.

    The human shape became destroyed as if someone put it inside a mixer.

    It was as if nothing even existed there in the first ce.

    ¡°How was it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Um, that¡¯s it?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Eh? Yeah I¡¯m done...¡±

    I knew that it wasn¡¯t something really surprising but to think that she would be this disappointed.....

    ¡°It won¡¯t explode?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no explosion. I only hardened the magical energy after all.¡±

    ¡°a, does it have tracking ability?¡±

    ¡°.......It only flies straight.¡±

    ¡°Was it a Single Action?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I just used single action in arge number.¡±

    ¡°I see¡ª¨C¡°

    I realized even before Fiona said it. My ck magic was really,

    ¡°¡ª-It¡¯s simpler than I thought.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona who gave a unrestrained opinion made me cry a bit.

 Chapter 98 The Maximum Firepower of [Element Master] (2)

    Chapter 98 The Maximum Firepower of [Element Master] (2)

    ¡°Kurono, Kurono, cheer up ~¡±

    ¡°Sorry Kurono-san, I¡¯m the type who ends up saying whateveres to my mind.¡±

    ¡°No......it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s true that my magic is too simple..........¡±

    ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t even lie that it was amazing.¡±

    After hearing Fiona¡¯s words that didn¡¯t give a good follow up at all, I somehow changed my thoughts and cheered myself up from being too negative.

    Lily who was still loveably cheering me up was my only emotional support.

    ¡°Alright, then next up is Lily?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Un!¡±

    As she cheerfully replied, she took out a red gem the size of a tennis ball.

    This magic Artifact known as [Queen Beryl] possessed an enormous amount of magical energy that allowed Lily to return to her normal form even without the Fairy Queen¡¯s Divine Protection.

    I can actually feel it from the shine and magical energy radiating from it.

    ¡°eei!!¡±

    With a cute shout, Lily was enveloped in dazzling light and I ended up turning my eyes away due to the light.

    ¡°¡ª-fuu, now then, I should also do my best, I guess.¡±(lily)

    The next moment, the beautiful young girl version of Lily stood there.

    The one piece dress worn by Lily, Ancient velvet was the same as my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace], and changes its size ording to the one wearing it.

    Thus even after the change in the size of her body, it remained a perfect fit to her body.

    ¡°a, no need to create a target for me alright. My magic isn¡¯t in like yours.¡±(lily)

    ¡°guhaa!!¡±

    Even my one and only ally also said such things!?

    ¡°nfufu, sorry sorry, I know how amazing Kurono¡¯s magic actually is, okay?¡±(lily)

    As an evil yful smile floated on her face, she patted my head while tiptoeing.

    What¡¯s with this carrot and stick tactics? Is Lily a bad girl who leads men by their noses?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine so just show it already.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ye~s.¡±

    Giving me a smooth wink, she turned her back towards me and began to chant.

    ¡°???? ???? ???? ????¡±

    As expected, I still can¡¯t make any sense of it, but I think it was much smaller than the ones I have heard till now.

    Only lower level primary Model magic have chants so small, but there¡¯s no way Lily¡¯s magic would be a low level one.

    With just that small chant, above the area where I had set the target, a giant magic circle made of white light appeared.

    ¡°Amazing.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah, Lily really is amazing.¡±

    The strongest magic of Lily I have ever seen is the pir of light that is fired from that magic circle in the sky.

    Even in her child form, it was strong enough to make the goblin cave copse. How much stronger will it be now?

    The current magic circle was many times bigger than the one I knew.

    ¡°¡ªMeteor Strike.¡±

    What wasunched from the magic circle wasn¡¯t a pir but a giant mass.

    Yes, it was exactly as its name, a meteorite shing in 7 colours.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°That was an amazing magic. To be able to control so much magical energy so well, I¡¯m envious Lily-san.¡±

    Fionaplimented Lily in front of the crater of 50m diameter created by Lily.

    In front of the power that surpassed our expectations, both me and Fiona had the same mental state.

    So magic can actually be this powerful. In front of this, my bullet arts isn¡¯t in, it¡¯s nonexistent!

    ¡°fuf, thank you. But although it is strong, it is slow in speed so an opponent who is fast can evade it. Kurono¡¯s magic bullets are more convenient against human opponents as there is no wastage and it is very efficient in killing as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Against the same number of opponents, Kurono-san¡¯s magic can finish the job while consuming much less magical energy. Lily-san¡¯s magic must use a lot of energy, right?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even use it consecutively infact. I must make sure to use it only when I¡¯m sure of hitting the enemy.¡±

    You two, thanks for covering for me.

    ¡°But, a normal magician can¡¯t even produce this much power, right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Well yeah. In my current state, I¡¯m equal to a rank 5.¡±

    ¡°Even in the crusaders, there must be very few who can disy this level of power I think.¡±

    ¡°As expected, Lily really is amazingly skilled. Even though its only for 30 mins, you still will be our pir of protection.¡±

    ¡°ufufufu, that¡¯s right, sopliment me more and more!¡±

    She leaned in close to me just like when she is a child. It¡¯s really embarrassing when she does that in her girl form. But damn she¡¯s too cute!

    ¡°Then,stly it¡¯s my turn.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°a, aa, give it your all.¡±

    My expression that had rxed while I fawned over lily became stiff and strict again. Though, my hand was still patting and caressing Lily¡¯s head.

    ¡°Yes, as per your demand, or rather, I want you two to see my full strength right now when we have the chance.¡±

    Fiona can¡¯t control her magic properly so she would often attack in an excessively wide range. Basically, there was a risk of friendly fire so she was not taken in by any parties apparently.

    Let¡¯s just say that only after seeing her most dangerous one and epting it will she be our true party member.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to see her full strength.

    ¡°aa, use the strongest one you can.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°ok, then¡ª¡ª¡°

    And then, she raised her staff [Ainz Broom] overhead and began her chant.

    .

    .

    .

    At the same time, at Alsace vige, all the adventurers that were preparing and working stopped moving.

    A loud sound of an explosion, as if a volcano erupted, resounded and arge ck cloud appeared in the sky.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°That direction, that¡¯s where Kurono and the others went to experiment, right?¡±

    Even Vulcan and Irina, who were high ranked, were baffled by this.

    ¡°That means it¡¯s due to a magic?¡±

    ¡°I think so, but.......¡±

    The ce where the supposed magic was used was approximately 1km away from here. To be able to see it even from here, the fact made the adventurers instantly shudder.

    ¡°......what outrageous power.¡±

    The ck smoke kept on rising towards the sky.

    The fact that this thick smoke, that could only been seen in cases of forest fires, was caused due to a single magic would have instilled fear in the hearts of adventurers, even those that have learnt attack magic.

    ¡°mes, means it¡¯s that gluttonous witch girl?¡±

    ¡°I think. I saw her magic once at Irz but it seems that was not her full power.¡±

    ¡°Kurono and that small fairy were already a weirdbo, and now they also have a witch with outrageous firepower. What¡¯s up with his crazy party?¡±

    .

    .

    .

    There was not even a trace left of the crater made by Lily.

    That¡¯s because an evenrger crater of about a 100m diameter has been created in front of me.

    ¡°.......Kurono, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Lily was still hugging me from the front. Her Oracle Field had also covered me inside it.

    ¡°Thanks for protecting me.¡±

    ¡°un, as long as you are fine.¡±

    Yes, the moment Fiona used her ¡®strongest magic¡¯, Lily ran towards me and protected me.

    The crater was created about 100m away from me but she must have done that to protect me from the shockwaves that were created.

    The crater created by the giant explosion had almost reached in front of us.

    If we had been inside the range¡ª¨CI really don¡¯t want to think about it.

    ¡°.......How, was it?¡±

    And the culprit who brought this giant destruction, Fiona turned towards us normally.

    How was it? Isn¡¯t that obvious?

    ¡°Amazing Fiona! With this we can win against the Crusaders! Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!¡±

    Yes, amazing, at least the power was amazing. This is far beyond my imagination.

    To have disyed this level of power alone, she is an incredible magician.

    Just how much of an idiot are the people in the republic to have let her go away?

    Well whatever. Thanks to that I was able to meet Fiona. That too, at this timing when the Crusaders were approaching.

    ¡°I am happy that Fiona became ourrade. I¡¯ll have you use this power to its fullest.¡±

    Standing in front of her, I clearly gave words of eptance.

    ¡°I see.......I¡¯ll work hard.¡±

    Her tri-cornered hat¡¯s visor bent down and hid Fiona¡¯s current expression.

    Somehow, her answer didn¡¯t seem too energetic.

    ¡°n, you alright?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, when I use this magic¡ª¡ª-¡°

    And just like that she fell on my chest.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªI be unable to move for some time since I get tired.¡±

    This is the exact reverse of the time when I fought against the Crusaders in Irz and was saved by Fiona.

    Just how she held me back then, I also decided to gently catch her in my arms.

    ¡°I see. Take rest then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll ept your offer.¡±

    It¡¯s a bit embarrassing but I continue talking for the time being.

    ¡°But still, if you fall after just one use then you¡¯ll have to think of the right time and ce to use this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but Kurono-san please think that for me.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have you use it right when it counts the most.¡±

    As I simted the battle with the crusaders in my mind, I held Fiona up in my arms.

    Basically what you would call a ¡®princess carry¡¯.

    ¡°Fuwaa!? Ku,Kurono-san, this posture is.......!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t move right? I¡¯ll carry you like this till the vige so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the problem here........¡±

    Fiona brought her hat even more in front of her face and hid herself.

    Ah, could it be that she¡¯s thinking something like ¡¯Don¡¯t touch a woman¡¯s body so casually!?¡¯ or something like that.......I did it with absolute good intentions but, did I go too far?

    ¡°Should I put you down?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it......no, then quickly take me to the vige please.¡±

    ¡°Ou, leave it me!¡±

    Let¡¯s go then, the moment I thought that, a small impact came from my back.

    ¡°Kurono, I can¡¯t move either so carry me.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Li, Lily?¡±

    As I turned to look back,

    ¡°Carry me as well.¡±

    Lily asked me while smiling cutely as usual.

    But I can tell, her eyes aren¡¯tughing, actually, they are scary.

    ¡°n, no, Lily, weren¡¯t you energetic just¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m tired. My fatigue came in just now, so carry me, and hold me. Doing it just for Fiona is not fair.¡±

    ¡°.......got it.¡±

    I don¡¯t think I can go against it.

    At the end, I worked hard to walk to Alsace vige 1 km away whilepletely carrying both Lily and Fiona.

    And, needless to say, all the adventurers greeted us with a warm gaze without saying anything.

 Chapter 99 The Natsugoshi Festival (1)

    Chapter 99 The Natsugoshi Festival (1)

    Normally, the Natsugoshi Festival was held on the 30th of Shinyou but we still continued with our preparations¡ª¨Cor so I thought.

    ¡°Wha, what the hell is this........?¡±

    As I returned from the construction site of the protective wall by evening, the lobby of the guild was filled withntern-like decorations and the dull guild hall looked like a festival ground now.

    This is strange. When I left the lobby during the morning, it was the same as usual but was it decorated while I was out?¡±

    ¡°Ou, you¡¯re back Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Vulcan, what¡¯s going¡ª¡ª- What the hell is up with your getup!?!¡±

    It was Vulcan who appeared first but currently he was wearing a Happi coat over hisrge frame and a headband on his wolf head.(T/N: Google happi coat. You¡¯ll recognize it from animes.)

    By the way, on the back of the happi coat, the character for [Summer/Natsu] was painted on it.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s obviously because the Natsugoshi festival is today. C¡¯mon hurry up and change quickly. Everyone¡¯s waitin for ya.¡±

    Vulcan looked at me as if I asked something stupid and handed me a set of happi coat and headband.

    I didn¡¯t hear anything about this. Neither did I hear anything about the fact that we were celebrating the festival nor did anyone told me that the dress is an almost traced copy of what the Japanese wore during festivals. If there was a fundoshi to go along with it, it would have been simr enough to make a im in court and win!

    ¡°Why are you making such a face? The enemy is currently focused on upying the Vato vige. They won¡¯te here today.¡±

    ¡°Is, is that so¡ª-¡°

    Certainly, as per the reports of the scouts, the enemy won¡¯t be here by the speed with which they are advancing.

    Then tonight, it might be nice to actually enjoy the festival, no, looking at the hopeful eyes of the adventurers in the lobby, I really don¡¯t have the option to deny them.

    ¡°¡ª¨Calright.¡±

    I took off my trademark ck robe and the shirt beneath it and put on the happi coat.

    I fired myself up as I tightened my headband, yeah, I¡¯m already in a total festive mood!

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do this tonight!!¡±

    ¡°Ou, that¡¯s the spirit Kurono! C¡¯mon, go and quickly raise the cheers!¡±

    I took the sake cup prepared by Vulcan and moved towards the middle of the lobby. Everyone already had a sake cup in their hands and were waiting to put it to their lips.

    This atmosphere, I don¡¯t need to give any long speech, just one word is needed. I lifted my cup and shouted,

    ¡°Cheers!!¡±

    .

    .

    .

    Now that I think about it, it¡¯s the first time that all the adventurers are partying together like this. On the day the alliance was formed, we did go drinking in the Kuar vige but at that time only the adventurers of Kuar were present and the number of adventurers was much less.

    I needed to use this chance to increase my friendship with the adventurers. I went around making courtesy calls around the big table and was busy left and right.

    Well considering that we have been working together for so many days, all of them had already be my acquaintances.

    ¡°hee, how hardworking.¡±(Vulcan)

    At the end Vulcan said that to me as I returned to my seat.

    ¡°It is important, you know?¡±(kurono)

    I wonder if only I think that since I am a Japanese?

    Well it¡¯s fine, now that I am done greeting everyone, I can finally sit down and eat some food.

    ¡°Oh right, where are Lily and Fiona?¡±

    They were at the table during the toast but did they go away to have some girl¡¯s talk with female adventurers?

    ¡°She¡¯ll be back soon, well, you can increase the friendship among your own party now.¡±

    Saying that, Vulcan stood up and left towards another table.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is so I¡¯ll also take my leave.¡±(mossan)

    After Vulcan, Mossan also left towards another table.

    ¡°Wh, What¡¯s going on??......¡±

    I had various doubts but I was the only one left on the table.

    Eh, what, could it be that I¡¯m being avoided?

    Just when my heart was about to start aching,

    ¡°Kurono!!¡±

    ¡°Kurono-san........¡±

    The ones who appeared were Lily and Fiona, the members of my party.

    Why the hell is Lily in her normal bishoujo form? It¡¯s not the full moon today, no, that¡¯s not it, the most surprising point isn¡¯t that.

    ¡°Wh, Wha, What the hell is that costume!?!¡±

    That costume, if I had to use one word, it would be ¨C Bunny girl.

    The two girls were currently d in ck cloth that was like a swimsuit and it covered only half of their chests and their legs were fully visible.

    I don¡¯t know how but on their heads, two fluffy bunny ears were attached. Yup, it¡¯s definitely a bunny girl.

    ¡°Does it look good?¡±(lily)

    ¡°.......how is it?¡±(Fiona)

    Lily who had absolute confidence and Fiona¡¯s eyes were swimming here and there and her cheeks were dyed red with embarrassment.

    If you were embarrassed then don¡¯t force yourself, is what I was thinking, but seeing Fiona¡¯s super rare expression worth 1000 gold coins, I decided to change my thoughts.

    I was well aware that Lily was beautiful enough to possess ¡®Charm¡¯ but Fiona who looked shy standing along with her was almost equallyparable.

    ¡°It, It suits you, yeah.¡±

    I had already been charmed by the two but somehow I gave a reply.

    ¡°ufufu that¡¯s good.¡±(lily)

    With a wide smile, she walked towards me and as if she was still in her child form, she sat on myp like it was normal.

    ¡°Uoh, wait, Lily!?¡±

    ¡°nn, what is it Kurono?¡±

    As she sat sideways on myp, her bare legs fully came into my view as she crossed her legs and at the same time both of her hands locked around my neck.

    Dangerous, her face is too close. No her body that touching me is even more dangerous.

    I shouldn¡¯t have removed my undershirt as well. Her body touching directly my kin is too dangerous! It¡¯s not at a level a high school boy can tolerate.

    Calm down, don¡¯t lose control. Wasn¡¯t the shepletely naked the first time I saw her in this form during that full moon night? Compared to that, this much is no problem.

    Bu, but still, for some reason her body isn¡¯t shining like a fairy at all and she looks totally like a normal woman.

    What kind of trick is this? Is this also magic? Damn, Lily¡¯s extra magic is too convenient!

    I stopped my useless thoughts and decided to somehow end this embarrassing yet happy situation.

    ¡°Mov, move away a bit Lily.¡±

    ¡°ufufu, nope!¡±

    This conversation has happened before as well. Normal form Lily really is in a rebellious stage. This 32yr old, isn¡¯t her rebellious stageing a bit toote!?

    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t eat like this.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I help you eat veeery nicely.¡±

    Those emerald eyes shined mischievously towards me. Somehow it feels the same as looking at a prey. Basically, I have no way to run away now.

    ¡°Ah, um, that¡¯s, how should I say, embarrassing. People are looking as well.¡±

    ¡°eeh, it can¡¯t be helped, then ¡ª¨C¡°

    Lily gave a devilish smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you kiss me here.¡±

    She said that as she showed her cheek to me that became slightly red.

    ¡°Are, are you serious Lily?......¡±

    ¡°fufu, let¡¯s test whether it¡¯s a joke or not, Kurono.¡±

    As she said that, Lily closed her eyes and turned her head away. If I move even a little bit forwards my lips would reach her cheek.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, be fast, even I¡¯m a bit embarrassed.¡±(lily)

    Is what she said, but her voice sounds totallyposed to me.

    Kuh, now I feel stupid to be the only one worrying too much. I don¡¯t know whether Lily¡¯s either drunk or joking or teasing me or serious but I¡¯m not gonna hesitate from just a kiss on the cheek, or I¡¯ll be an embarrassment as a man.

    Well I did call it ¡®just a kiss¡¯ but this is the first time for me to have kissed a woman on her cheek.

    ¡°eei, here I go!¡±

    The moment I resolved myself, before I could feel a soft sensation on my lips,

    ¡°Uoh! So bright!!?¡±

    A bright white light struck my eyes.

    ¡°Wha, what the hell! I was surprised!?!¡±

    Damn it! As I thought that, my eyes recovered from the whiteout.

    ¡°nn, hurry up and kiss me.¡±

    As I lowered my sight, instead of the Lily who was erotically showing me her cheek, the child lily was sitting on myp now.

    ¡°yes yes, kiss on the cheek, right?¡±(kurono)

    Without thinking anything else, without any problem or reluctance, I lifted the small Lily in my arms and put my lips on her round cheek.

    ¡°Kya!!¡±

    Lily twisted around with embarrassment. She really is cute! Yup, Lily should be like that always.

    ¡°Now, go sit on your seat properly ¡®kay?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ye-s!¡±

    With a lovestruck (dere dere) happy expression, the child Lily sat down on the seat right of me.

    Her bunny girl outfit had fallen down since her body became small but her bunny ears were still in ce.

    Lily returned to her nostalgic fully nude body that was gently covered with the shining white light unique to the fairies.

    ¡°fuu, I feel tired suddenly.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Too bad for Lily-san though.¡±(Fiona)

    Before I realized, Fiona had sat down on my left. Of course she¡¯s still in her bunny outfit but she already had stacked up tes filled with meat in front of her as usual.

    Maybe because she saw my and Lily¡¯s embarrassing exchange so closely, she had already returned to her usual cool expression.

    ¡°.......Fiona won¡¯t ask for a kiss as well, right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Sounds really fascinating but I¡¯ll be troubled if you ask right now.¡±

    ¡°Then, as a recement, I¡¯ll help you eat.¡±

    Due to that sudden reply, I was surprised.

    ¡°Eh, seriously?¡±

    ¡°No need to hold back, this is a special service after all.¡±

    Special service? Because it¡¯s a festival? In the first ce, I still don¡¯t know the reason behind the bunny outfit........

    ¡°Then here, Aah~n.¡±

    Disregarding my doubts, Fiona presented the dish to me in her own pace.

    The thing brought in front of me was a mysterious meat with gravy, no it should be dortoth¡¯s meat, I ate it a long time ago back in the Irz vige guild.

    ¡°Say aah~n, aah~~~~~~~n.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, I get it. I¡¯ll eat it now so don¡¯t rush me so much!¡±

    She isn¡¯t even giving me time to reminisce about that time. I bit into the meat in front of me.

    ¡°Un, tasty, the mysterious¡ª¨Cdortoth meat is really tasty.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Fiona once again stabbed the juicy dortoth meat with a fork. I once again opened my mouth and wait to be fed, but,

    ¡°omnomnom¡ª¨Cit really is tasty.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to feed me!?!¡±

    Now I feel stupid to have opened my mouth like that!

    ¡°I gave you one bite, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    She implied that all the rest was for her only and started eating the meat at high speed.

    ¡°no, yeah, I was stupid to have expected anything......¡±(kurono)

    Fiona¡¯s service time ended very quickly and she was now inside her own world of tasty foods.

    ¡°Kurono, Aah~n!¡±

    The voice that came from my right was that of an Angel, no, of a beautiful fairy.

    Holding the fork with her small hands, she presented the food towards me.

    ¡°uu, thank you, Lily......¡±

    The taste of the food inside my mouth, I felt, was even tastier than normal. Affection is a really amazing thing.

 Chapter 100 The Natsugoshi Festival (2)

    Chapter 100 The Natsugoshi Festival (2)

    And after this and that and chatting andughing with Lily and eating my meal, I once again decided to pull out this topic.

    ¡°By the way, just what is that costume?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡®Is there something weird about it?¡¯ Fiona looked at me as if she really didn¡¯t know what I was saying.

    Could it be that she has already forgotten what getup she¡¯s in right now because she¡¯s always wearing a witch¡¯s robe?

    ¡°aa, are you talking about this?¡±

    After looking at my face and her own body about 3 times, she finally understood.

    ¡°It is apparently a traditional costume worn by young women in this area.¡±

    Bunny girl is? That is a very lewd tradition, I must say.

    ¡°It¡¯s meant to be worn at ¡®critical times¡¯.¡±

    What kind of time is that?

    ¡°Lily-san said that I should use this opportunity to wear these clothes and give Kurono-san some service as thanks.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Fiona said that brimming with confidence. Where did the embarrassment when she came first go? She is making a face that has no regrets.

    Well, I can¡¯t say that I am not happy but, it can¡¯t be helped since it was too abrupt. To appear in a bunny outfit out of nowhere and then tell me that it¡¯s the traditional costume here is something I could never even imagine.

    ¡°un, but really thank you.¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t mind it.¡±

    I honestly gave her my thanks. Lifting Lily on myp, I patted her silky soft hair.

    ¡°Thanks Lily. It made me happy.¡±

    ¡°ehehe.¡±

    She seemed embarrassed but she smiled happily. Damn, my Lily¡¯s so damn cute that it¡¯s dangerous.

    ¡°But¡ª¡°

    As I looked back towards Fiona, I once again thought that the costume was really amazing.

    I understand that wearing such an outfit just to thank me is really impressive (?) but, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the amount of body exposure is really stimting.

    And since she is usually in that witch robe, let alone body, even her body line is barely visible. Due to the hentai synergy caused when someone/something who is usually hidden bes so exposed, the level of impact I received is immeasurable.

    Besides, Fiona¡¯s face is so high levelled that it doesn¡¯t get overshadowed even with Lily around. In terms of Adventurer rank it would definitely be rank 5.

    Golden eyes that were as bright as the sun along with light blue short hair, from the pov of a Japanese, it might be strange and magical, but somehow amazingly, it perfectly suits her.

    Although her body doesn¡¯t glitter, I could see her transparent-like white shoulders and legs.

    Fiona who was bodily older than Lily had the proper curves where it counts, and her womanly roundness could be seen right now. Due to the bunny outfit, her curvy waist, that was emphasized, could make any woman jealous. Even more so because she is always eating no matter what time of the day.

    ¡°Is something wrong, Kurono-san?¡±

    Her golden eyes came in between my impolite gaze. The fact that actually only doubt could be seen in her eyes actually made me feel sorry.

    ¡°sorry, it¡¯s nothing¡ª¨Cit hurts!!¡±

    Is what I say, but the damage isn¡¯t much.

    As a slight pain ran through my fingertip, I saw Lily biting on my finger while giving a slight reproachful look.

    ¡°uu!¡±

    ¡°ah, sorry sorry, it was my bad so let my finger go.¡±

    ¡°hmph.¡±

    Lily puffed her cheeks and looked away. This is bad, she must have read my indecent thoughts while looking at the bunny girl Fiona.

    ¡°Really sorry.¡±

    Even though she was angry, she still sat on myp as usual. She¡¯s like a selfish cat in a sense. Then, here, I¡¯ll need to pat her gently and cheer her up.

    ¡°Kurono-san.¡±

    ¡°nn?¡±

    While patting Lily, I turned to talk back to Fiona.

    ¡°Please keep on being affectionate like that to Lily-san. She really was excited to show Kurono-san this outfit.¡±

    Well now, I¡¯m embarrassed as well as happy. This really is a heart-warming episode; it really made my heart flutter a bit.

    ¡°I see, thanks Lily!¡±

    ¡°Kya Kya!¡±

    I patted her with even more vigour and affection than usual.

    Maybe because she felt my warm feelings as well, Lily seemed to be in an even higher tension than usual.

    ¡°But you two really have gotten close.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°We have been making potions together all this time after all. To make her miracle drug, she had to return to her normal form today as well. That¡¯s why she could stay like that in front of Kurono-san only for a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Aa, so that¡¯s why she suddenly reverted back.¡±

    Certainly, Lily can only take her normal form for only 30 mins through the Queen Beryl and she used thosest few minutes to stay with me.

    Somehow, I suddenly feel regret that I wasn¡¯t able to properly kiss the adult Lily.

    ¡°Since she used all her strength, until she sleeps the whole night, she won¡¯t be able to turn back her consciousness either.¡±

    ¡°I see. You really worked hard Lily.¡±

    Lily twisted her body in embarrassment while sitting on myp.

    ¡°Also, the reason why only 3 of us were left alone together was because Lily-san said that she wanted to increase the friendship among the members of [Element Master].

    ¡°oh, so that¡¯s why everyone left their seats here.¡±

    Unexpectedly, everyone¡¯s pretty sensitive and tactful. While admiring, I also gave my thanks to the adventurers who could read the atmosphere.

    ¡°By the way, what exactly do we have to do to deepen our friendship?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know that. I don¡¯t have any experience from the time when I was a student either.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona suddenly confessed something extremely saddening.

    ¡°Um, should I not touch anything regarding your school days?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. I was able to graduate even while beingpletely alone after all.¡±(fiona)

    Uwaa, I just heard something even sadder. Her friends were definitely 0. Even I didn¡¯t have many friends but it wasn¡¯t this bad.

    Just because she could destroy even a dungeon with her overpowered dangerous attack magic, there wasn¡¯t any need to avoid her either. But the person himself doesn¡¯t seem to mind it much either, but that makes it even sadder.......

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drink a lot tonight Fiona!¡±

    To drink away your bad memories with alcohol is what adults do. Though I don¡¯t really have any experience since I was still a minor back in japan.

    But aftering here, I have developed a taste for it.

    ¡°But I¡¯m already drinking though.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s the feelings that count. Now then, to deepen the friendship amon the members of [Element Master], Cheers!¡±

    ¡°Cheers.¡±

    ¡°Cheers!!¡±

    The 3 sses struck each other.

    Now then, what should I talk about? If I go by the current flow, I feel like I would end up asking something tasteless so I should be careful.

    .

    .

    .

    Late at night, I climbed the stairs of the guild with the heavily sleeping Lily in my hands.

    I just separated from Fiona. We drank quite a lot but maybe because of having high alcohol resistance, she was only a bit tipsy and so should be able to sleep well tonight.

    On the other hand, I, thanks to my modified body, I could safely climb the stairs and could walk without stumbling.

    I thought of going back to my room, but before that I need to enter a different room.

    ¡°I¡¯ming in, Simon¡±

    ¡°Ah, Onii-san.¡±

    It was Simon¡¯s room. To help give him space for research and development, he had two rooms with the wall in between broken down.

    In the centre of the room, Simon was sitting while wearing a white robe.

    ¡°Sorry that only we had been partying and racketing till now. Was it too noisy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really like things like that and I can¡¯t drink sake either. And the noise wasn¡¯t really disturbing either. I¡¯m the type who bes unable to listen anything else when I concentrate.¡±

    After adjusting the gun in his hand, Simon turned towards me.

    I could see fatigue on that cute face.

    After we met, he has been reducing his sleep to work more.

    And his job wasn¡¯t just development. I was actually worried that he might be working harder than even me.

    ¡°But, are alchemists knowledgeable even with magic?¡±

    Simon gave a wry smile and answered.

    ¡°I have only dabbled in the working and techniques of it. I can¡¯t really use magic with a magic circle or a chant.¡±

    That¡¯s why, I can¡¯t even use even the simplest of magics. He said to himself with a self depreciating smile.

    ¡°But thanks to that, the machine gun has beenpleted.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Well yeah, I feel d that I actually remembered the techniques of magic.¡±(simon)

    It must have been painful and bitter to have learnt something you could not even use.

    Not to mention that many others could easily use the same skills. It must have felt stupid to be learning something like that.

    But now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about such stuff. So I decide to change the topic.

    ¡°a, should I have brought something for you to eat?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just now, well, some time ago Su-san brought lots of things for me.¡±(simon)

    ¡°I see. Good to see you¡¯re getting along.¡±

    Simon gave a small nod and pulled a chair for me and asked if I wanted to sit.

    ¡°Nah, I just came to look so I¡¯ll go now. Simon, you should also sleep tonight.¡±(kurono)

    It was already midnight. It wasn¡¯t good to stay up for so long all the time.

    ¡°un, but¡ª¡°

    ¡°No need to overwork yourself. I¡¯ll be troubled if you copsed.¡±

    ¡°I see, yeah, then I¡¯ll go to sleep now.¡±

    ¡°yeah, you should do that.¡±

    Turning my back to Simon, I moved towards the exit door.

    ¡°.......Probably tomorrow..¡±(simon0

    As to what he meant, I didn¡¯t even need to ask.

    I stopped my legs and I answered with a question.

    ¡°Yeah, you scared?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°No, these past few days, I really had fun. I got a lot of ideas from Onii-san that I could have nevere up with. Also, Onii-san¡¯s the only one who has ever depended on me so much, so, I was really happy.¡±

    ¡°I see¡ª-After this is over, I have many things I want you to create.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it as well.¡±

    There was no need to speak anything else.

    ¡°Bye, good night.¡±

    ¡°yeah, Good night.¡±

    I quietly left Simon¡¯s room.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡ª¡ª-¡°

    I muttered softly.

    Today¡¯s merrymaking done with Natsugoshi festival as an excuse really helped in lowering the tension of the uing battle.

    But, today, on the 30th of Shinyou, I should have been in Irz right now.

    I promised to treat Nyarko to a drink, I was supposed to visit stalls with Lily, I would haveughed while seeing the ipetent Nino, I would have been extorted by Aten under the guise of our promise as well.

    But, none of those wille true anymore.

    But no matter how sad, painful, bitter it was¡ª¨Cno tears will flow out of my eyes any more.

    In front of the graves of everyone, I have already cried enough.

    From here on out, there¡¯s only one thing I have to do.

    ¡°¡ª¨CWatch over me. I¡¯ll kill them, I¡¯ll kill them all. No matter how many of them maye.¡±

    I¡¯ll kill as many as I can of those Crusaders.

    In this Alsace¡¯s defensive battle, I¡¯ll make you bastardspensate for your crimes with your blood.

 Chapter 101 The Black Building (Black Box)

    Chapter 101 The ck Building (ck Box)

    The next day, on the 1st day of the month of Hatsuhi (new me), inside the conference room of the guild that had be as dark as the night itself through Kurono¡¯s ckening, all the representative members of The Adventurer Alliance had gathered together.

    ¡°Firstly, let¡¯s hear the reports. Was the MPK tactic in Vato vige also broke through?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, the priest who is probably also themander of the army killed the Garuda.¡±

    On Kurono¡¯s question, Irina, the representative of the scout squad gave her report.

    ¡°Garuda was able to damage the infantry a lot but unfortunately it was unable to hurt much of the heavy armoured knights or the Pegasus knights. The Priest who uses light and earth magic led the vanguard himself and killed all the monsters in Vato vige.¡±(irina)

    ¡°I see, so the result wasn¡¯t good even after making them face a rank 4 Garuda.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°What, does that mean that this MPK tactic failed?¡±(Vulcan)

    Vulcan, who was also a part of the MPK tactic, was currently sitting cramped in his sit due to his giant 2 meter body.

    ¡°If it was able to reduce even a little of their strength, then it was a sess. Since we don¡¯t have the exact numbers of how many of them got killed or injured, you might not realize it though. Also, the main gain was that we were able to dy them from the expected 3 day time till today.¡±

    Thanks to that, they were able to finish up a lot more preparation than they could have in only 3 days.

    Kurono and the others didn¡¯t know how much effect the scorched earth and MPK tactics had caused on the Crusaders but the fact that the enemy had taken 1 week to reach here was important.

    ¡°I hope you have once again be aware of the fact that the enemies can take down even a rank 4 garuda easily. Do not underestimate them just because they are an army of only humans.¡±

    Through the reports of the scout troops, the equipment, appearance and other such things about the enemy had been told to the adventurers but if they know that the enemy could even kill a high ranked monster they would be able to understand the enemy¡¯s strength even better.

    Although, due to the hectic preparations, all of them here had a sense of tension and won¡¯t be careless against the human opponents.

    ¡°In the end, just what the hell was Em Pii Kay?¡±(T/N: Vulcan obviously doesn¡¯t know how to write MPK here since it¡¯s a game ng)

    ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t tell?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°You didn¡¯t!!¡±(Vulcan)

    Vulcan gave a roar.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d understand even if I told you though. Monster yer Killer. By taking the letters used at my home, the initials would be MPK.¡±

    ¡°Haa?¡±

    ¡°It is a tactic that involves using ¡®Monsters¡¯ to kill ¡®yers¡¯. No need to think too deeply into it since there¡¯s no other meaning to it.¡±

    In the first ce, MPK was a type of prank (?) used in a game that Kurono yed in his own world.

    Since in that game, yers couldn¡¯t attack yers, there was no way for one yer to kill another.

    But using the traits of Active Monsters that would attack the yer as long as it entered their range, they could make many monsters target themselves. And they would move towards another yer who might be in a different battle or was afk while taking a break. And then that yer would teleport away from the ce and the monsters would end up attacking the yer remaining there. And as a result, they would be killed.

    By the way, one of Kurono¡¯s friends was an expert at MPK.

    Anyway, MPK tactic was a tactic influenced and adapted from such a useless game and was used to lure wild monsters and make them attack the Crusaders.

    To lure the children of monsters might sound like an inhumane tactic, but luring monsters and using them as decoy wasn¡¯t problematic for the adventurers who would take any method toplete a quest. At least, it wasn¡¯t something like a taboo that might have made Vulcan and the others doubt Kurono¡¯s character and nature.

    At the same time, the adventurers that kidnapped the monster children (or eggs) were made to wear the costume of Crusaders to make the enraged monster possess clear hostility towards the Crusaders that came to the vige.

    ¡°The important part starts from here onwards. If the Crusaders have upied Vato vige, then that means that they will definitelye and attack this ce by tomorrow.¡±(kurono)

    On Kurono¡¯s words, the adventurers realized that the decisive battle was nearing close and a sense of tension hung inside the room.

    ¡°Just now, a few enemy scouts had appeared nearby the vige. The enemy will be aware that we are preparing to counter attack and are lying in wait here.¡±(irina)

    Kurono gave a slight nod to Irina¡¯s report and continued speaking.

    ¡°Probably, no, definitely, the Crusaders will attack Alsace vige tomorrow morning. Bean-san, how much has the construction beenpleted?¡±

    Alsace¡¯s guild master Bean, who had been appointed as in charge of the construction and fortifications, cleared his throat once with a *uohon* and began his report.

    ¡°Defences have been prepared as much as we could. Thanks to the iron barbed wires, the infantry will not have it easy invading this ce, but stopping the Pegasus knights and the heavy armoured knights will be the job for you guys.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll stop both of those definitely.¡±

    On Kurono¡¯s strong reassuring answer, bean gave a heartyugh and said that he will be depending on him.

    ¡°oo, also, the instation for that was also finished earlier.¡±

    ¡°By that, you mean the giant Ballista?¡±

    In Kurono¡¯s mind he remembered the big wagon pulled by the dwarves that was carrying the ballista that was the same ones as those on the walls of Daedalus.

    ¡°For the time being I have positioned it at the main gate so use it well.¡±

    Kurono didn¡¯t know from where he got something like that but Kurono decided that it would be insensitive of him to ask something like that and decided to just ept it gratefully.

    ¡°Thanks for the fantastic romantic weapon, Bean-san.¡±(T/N: By romance, here Kurono is referring to a man¡¯s romance involving cool thing etc. and not the usual one.)

    ¡°What, it¡¯s fine! Use it till it turns to waste in this battle.¡±

    Leaving its history aside, Kurono was happy for the increase in their firepower.

    He wasn¡¯t expecting thepletion of ballista on time so it was an unexpected gain but he also asked for the increase in firepower that he was expecting, that is, the[Machine gun].

    ¡°How is on Simon¡¯s side?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ye, Yes!¡±

    Maybe because a lot of adventurers had gathered here, Simon stood up with a nervous expression.

    All gazes focused on him, and among them,

    ¡°uu..¡±

    Lily¡¯s hostility filled gaze was also included.

    ¡°Um, Onii-san.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Somehow, Lily-san seems to be ring at me......¡±

    ¡°He, Hey Lily, are you still minding that!?¡±

    ¡°uu!!¡±

    Seeing Lily puff up her cheeks, Kurono recalled Lily and Simon¡¯s first meeting.

    Destroying the door of theb (storehouse), Lily walked towards Simon with max magical energy and Kurono tried to frantically stop her.

    After that event, even in her child form, Lily seems to be hostile, or rather vignt, towards Simon.

    Kurono didn¡¯t understand why Lily, who was gentle with everyone, was so severe only against Simon but he had been trying to mediate between those two, although any good result was yet to be seen.

    ¡°Sorry, continue.¡±(kurono)

    Kurono who put Lily on hisp made an awkward expression and asked Simon to continue.

    ¡°Ah, yeah, um, for the time being, the machine gun has beenpleted. All that¡¯s left is see how many barrel recements and bullets we can procure.¡±(simon)

    ¡°Good job. I¡¯ll create the bullets. As for the gun barrels, we have very few recements so now choice but to use magic to cool it down and use them.¡±

    In fact it was amazing, that the machine gun waspleted in just one week.

    ¡°Un, as expected, we don¡¯t have the time to create a cooling mechanism starting from now.¡±(simon)

    ¡°It¡¯s enough. If we have even 2 machineguns, we can definitely stop the enemy¡¯s advance. Mossan, you have learnt how to use the machinegun right?¡±

    ¡°Ou, leave to me!¡±

    Mozrun gave a confident thumbs up. As expected of a rank 4 adventurer, he was always in a good form, so Kurono judged that he should be fine.

    ¡°Alright¡ª¨C¡°

    After that, Kurono heard the reports regarding supply and replenishments and the arrangement and deployment of the members. Atst he said this,

    ¡°Finally, tomorrow the enemy wille here. Since we only had a week, our defensive line had to be created in a hurry but right now, we have no choice but to endure it by ourselves.¡±

    Thest batch of refugees, that is Bean-san and others would depart today. If the enemy breaks through in 1 or 2 days all the refugees will definitely perish.

    ¡°We need to hold off the enemy here for at least 1 week. It¡¯ll be a painful and hard battle but everyone¡¯s life depends on us. Fight with all you¡¯ve got!¡±

    Kurono spoke determined words. It was unknown what the other adventurers were thinking inside their minds.

    ¡°Fight on! O!Ou!¡±

    Lily raised her small fist and shouted.

    ¡°Ou.¡±

    Fiona also continued after Lily with her usual expressionless face, and the next moment,

    ¡°OUU!!!¡±

    ¡°OOO!!!¡±

    ¡°OOH!!¡±

    Every adventurer here stood up and raised a war cry.

    The roaring sounds of the adventurers resounded inside the guild and their wills became one.

    .

    .

    .

    2nd of Hatsuhi, from beyond the Rone river, that was slightly covered with mist, an white army wearing the g of the Cross finally appeared.

    ¡°Is that it¡ª-¡°

    The one leading the vanguard of the west Daedalus upation troops was the devout believer of the Cross, Norz Preist Head.

    ¡°It¡¯s as per the reports. The guild building seems to have been enhanced and fortified through magic.¡±

    The one who answered was his subordinate beside him.

    ¡°I see. I see now why the scout troops had given it the nickname ¡®ck Box¡¯. What an ominous and sinister dark building it is.¡±

    The forest alongside the highway became thinner and the banks of the Rone river spread here. On the river, a single bridge leading to Alsace vige existed.

    Beyond that, as if reject any intruders, a fence of wood and bush like fence of iron wires had been created.

    And close beside the main gate was the ominous ck building of the guild.

    ¡°But, in the end, it¡¯s all just for show.¡±

    Norz felt no fear against the demons that were lying in wait for them.

    No matter how many the demons have gathered, they will not be more than 300. It was a number that could not even bepared with his own troops.

    With such an overwhelming difference in numbers and strength, he only needed to charge straight and break through the enemy defences with sheer numbers.

    Due to the rivers, it would be difficult toplete an encirclement considering the terrain. Even if they were able to sessfully surround them somehow, it would take a lot of time.

    If they take too much time, they¡¯ll end up letting the demons run away. So in the first ce, they could not take a detour to cross over the rivers like usual.

    Also, the cavalry is needed for pursuing the enemy so they are not normally used in attacking.

    Though they had such ¡®constraints¡¯ , and even if the demons were not just 300 something, just with their heavy armour knights and Pegasus knights, they could easily destroy the hurriedly made defences of the demons easily.

    Norz who was confident of his victory, gave the long awaited words.

    ¡°Commence attack!!¡±

    .

    .

    .

    But fortunately, he still doesn¡¯t know.

    That the hatred Kurono has for the Crusaders, his knowledge of the modern world, and the fortified guild and the Alsace defensive line would be a kill zone that bring out countless sacrifices and deaths to them.

    And thus, the battle where blood was washed with blood, between the Adventurer Alliance and the Crusaders, finally began.

 Chapter 102 Adventurer Alliance Vs. Crusaders (1)

    Chapter 102 Adventurer Alliance Vs. Crusaders (1)

    Receiving the attack order, the vanguards of the Crusaders, that is, the armoured knight squad started moving.

    The knights in Full te armour and tower shields along with the halberd in their hands moved together in a horizontal line. They gave off a pressure as if a wall of iron itself was approaching close.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot yet. Arrows and attack magics won¡¯t have much effect on them anyway.¡±

    Kurono spoke to the adventurers that were standing in front of the fence with long range weapons like bows in their hands.

    The heavy armoured knights had already stepped on the bridge and were clearly inside the range of the bows but Kurono still did not give the order for attacking.

    ¡°It must be the enemy¡¯s squad with the strongest defence. As far as we know, there should not be any squad more heavily equipped than them.¡±

    Standing beside Kurono wasn¡¯t Lily but the eldest of the elf sisters, Irina.

    All three sisters were gathered here and were pouring their magic in their bows [Sylphlight] to fire at the approaching enemy.

    ¡°By sending the heavy armoured knights first, they would probably use the infantry to attack next. They must be using them in ce of castle siege weapons. Well, if it¡¯s those knights, they definitely can breakthrough both the wooden fence as well as the barbed wire.¡±

    If they allowed those knights to approach like this, the main gate would be easily toppled and it will open the path for the next squads.

    If the gate was broken through, they will be unable to stop the enemy who possessed immense numbers and Alsace would fall by noon.

    ¡°It seems they are fortified with light magic. Also¡ªa defensive light magic has also been deployed it seems.¡±

    ¡°Then neither arrows nor attack magic would have much effect like this. They really have an iron wall like defence right now.¡±

    In Kurono¡¯s original world, the era of armours ended with the introduction of guns.

    Even if someone covered himself in iron, he won¡¯t be able to stop a bullet. If guns became the mean weapon of the enemy, then armours would end up only as a decoration.

    But with the help of magic, bullets could be deflected in this world.

    Their advance would be difficult to stop with just the firepower of the Adventurer Alliance.

    Fiona had told Kurono about such ranks of armoured knights that useposite Union magic to obtain an extraordinary defence.

    These heavy armoured squads were able topletely defend against long range attacks topensate for their slow movement speed.

    Then what could they do? How could they stop such a squad that possessed such an immense defensive ability? It was a situation that would make everyone else think that it was over but,

    ¡°Kurono, you¡¯reughing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Kurono wasughing.

    ¡°Well I can¡¯t help butugh. I really didn¡¯t think that such an amateur tactic would actually go so well¡ª¡°

    The knight squad had approached them much closer on the bridge. The sound of their steel heels as they marched could be heard by every adventurer here. Yes, they were currently exactly in the middle of the bridge.

    ¡°Do it. Blow up the bridge.¡±(kurono)

    .

    .

    .

    The moment he heard that sound, Norz suddenly regretted a lot of things in his mind.

    Why did he make them advance through the bridge without even checking thoroughly?

    Why did the enemy choose a ce like this that was surrounded by rivers to make theirst line of defence?

    Why, at thest moment, had he underestimated them and thought that there would be no trap?

    But all these thoughts were now toote. That¡¯s why they were called as regrets. No matter how much he regretted it now, the lives lost would not be returned. Yes, the heavy knights that fell into the river would never show their silvery splendour ever again.

    *DODON!!*

    The sound of explosion roared.

    ¡°Im, impossible......¡±

    Norz, as well as the troops waiting alongside him could not believe the scene for an instant.

    The bridge on the river was supported by numerous thick pirs that would not crumble no matter how many carriages drove over it. That could be seen from a single nce.

    There¡¯s no way it would have copsed from the weight of those knights.

    But those pirs had easily crumbled and copsed along with the exploding mes that blew up.

    By the time they realized it, it was already toote. The enemy hadid some kind of trick on the bridge no doubt.

    Cutting some important parts, or maybe they weakened the structure itself and then destroyed the bridge at the perfect timing through the use of some kind of remotely controlled magic.

    To explode something through magic like this, they either needed to draw a magic circle or attach a magic item or they could infuse energy inside a rod beyond its limit etc etc. As long as they had time and magicians, it was not impossible to do it.

    ¡°This is impossible!!!¡±

    Norz¡¯s shout was drowned out by the thunderous crumbling sound of the bridge.

    The pieces of the bridge blew up and scattered in mid air as the armoured knights pathetically fell below.

    These knights could defend against arrows, mes, lightning with their high defence but against the flowing deep river, they were totally powerless.

    The tough and sturdy armour as well as the defensive light magic, both were useless if they werepletely drowned. But due to the immense weight of their armour, it was impossible for a human to resurface back and he could only drown while being trapped inside their armours like a coffin.

    ¡°Ad, Advance! Save the heavy knights!!¡±

    In front of the view of the knights drowning while trying to resist by pping the water, Norz gave the order for rescue.

    Probably, more than half will die. But, they needed to save as many as they could no matter how small the number.

    That feeling did note because he really wanted to save the lives of his subordinates. He only wanted to lessen the responsibility of letting the knights die due to his own negligence by saving at least a few knights. As various thoughts came into his mind, Norz ran towards the river leading his troops.

    ¡°Look! The ones who fell in ces where the depth isn¡¯t high are still alive! Hurry up and pull them out!!¡±

    The Rone river did not have a despairing depth that could drown all of the heavy knights. Knights trying to desperatelye towards the shore while only a small part of their helmet was above the surface, could be seen here and there.

    They need to at least save those, that thought was alsopletely destroyed as another thundering explosive sound resounded.

    ¡°What was that sound?.........¡±

    *DODODODO* a sound like a river that flowed at high speed during heavy rains came from upstream.

    Impossible, every soldier thought that but the sound kept on getting louder.

    The weather was absolutely clear today. It hasn¡¯t rained at all. There¡¯s no way the river water would have raised.

    But, the sound only came closer.

    *DODODODODO!!*

    By the time they realized, a giant wave came and devoured everything inside the river, whether it be corpses or living ones, without any distinction.

    In just a few seconds, all the knights and soldiers inside the river hadpletely disappeared from the river as the flow of the river settled.

    .

    .

    .

    A few 100 meters upstream from the copsed bridge, a single witch was standing.

    ¡°I wonder if that much was fine?¡±

    It was Fiona Soleil, the member of Kurono¡¯s party [Element Master] and clumsy and reckless witch who could not control her own magical energy. She was also the reason behind the sh flood that drowned the knights in the river.

    The method was very simple. Fiona had simply fired the highest level of water magic that could generate an enormous amount of water into the Rone river.

    Inundating a castle normally required the creation of a dam and time to hold up water there but Fiona had created both the conditions with a single magic.

    ¡°Yeah, it worked brilliantly Fiona.¡±

    In Fiona¡¯s hand was a lightly shining white crystal. From it, Kurono¡¯s voice could be heard.

    Using Lily¡¯s telepathy as a basis, this crystal could be used to talk with people who were far away instantly.

    ¡°The enemy will soon realize that there is a magician upstream so quickly return here.¡±

    ¡°Roger.¡±

    After the short conversation, the crystal in Fiona¡¯s hand broke.

    Since it was an item made hurriedly without using any proper techniques and design, the time allowed formunication was small. It was a use-and-throw item.

    Just because there was magic, it is impossible to create something convenient like an all purpose cell phone but for the time being it was plenty useful.

    ¡°fuu, I am not really used to using water magic.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona threw away her water magic enhancing wand that had be useless with a single use and started walking back towards the vige as per Kurono¡¯s orders.

    ¡°Maybe because I used an element I¡¯m not used to, I¡¯ve gotten hungry now. Aah, I really want to eat an ice candy right now.¡±

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you just eat breakfast?!¡¯ Kurono¡¯s voice could not be heard here.

 Chapter 103 Adventurer Alliance Vs. Crusaders (2)

    Chapter 103 Adventurer Alliance Vs. Crusaders (2)

    Seeing the heavy knights drown in the river in front of them, the Crusaders¡¯ advance hadpletely stopped.

    They actually wondered whether they should continue or not. Seeing the heavy knights being annihted in front of them had caused them to think of retreating for now, but,

    ¡°Attack! We¡¯ll cross a river of such a level without a bridge!!¡±

    Norz chose to attack.

    ¡°Bu, But¡ª-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the vanguard! Follow me!!¡±

    Before his subordinate could even say anything, Norz started moving towards the river.

    Since themander himself had taken the initiative and moved, the troops couldn¡¯t just stand and watch.

    ¡°Follow the Priest!¡±

    ¡°There are no more traps! Attack!!¡±

    ¡°Revenge for the knights!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the enemies!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the demons!!¡±

    ¡°In the name of God, exterminate the demons!¡±

    The troops resolved themselves and jumped into the river.

    After confirming the advancing soldiers, Norz gave further orders.

    ¡°Magician squad use Boost enhancements and magic shields to protect the soldiers crossing the river. Let the Pegasus Knights sortie as well!!¡±

    Everyone of them obviously understood that they¡¯d be defenceless while they were crossing the river.

    Rather than forcing the magicians to cross as well, Norz decided that it would be better to use them to help the soldiers through Force Boost to stop them from drowning and by putting up defensive magics to protect them from long ranged attacks.

    ¡°Priest-sama, will we able to break through their gate without the magicians?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just some wooden fence and some iron wire spread out for no reason. We need neither castle siege weapons nor magicians squad to break through something like that. Once the soldiers charge, the gate will immediately fall.¡±

    Norz thought that they were lucky that this vige didn¡¯t have a stone wall like Kuar.

    There was huge difference between a wall of wood and one of stone. Robbers or bandits might be stopped by the wooden fence but it doesn¡¯t have the strength to stop such a number of soldiers.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯ll destroy the gate myself so there is no problem, right?¡±(norz)

    Norz gave a confident smile towards his subordinate.

    And the troops knew that it was neither a joke nor was he overestimating himself. He clearly had that much power.

    The monsters that had attacked them in viges had been dealt by Norz himself after all.

    The whole upation army had already deemed Norz as a hero of great valour and strength.

    ¡°Oi, iing!! Put in all you¡¯ve got and advance!!!¡±

    Literally, a rain of arrows came down upon Norz and the soldiers that were moving through the river.

    From the other side of the protective wall, or maybe from the ck guild, the demons had fired arrows from their bows.

    The sound of cutting air resounded and sharp arrowheads rushed towards the troops who had no choice but to advance steadily.

    ¡°???? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????¡ª Light wall ¨C Lux Wall Defence!¡±

    Norz¡¯s defensive magic was deployed and a shield of white light covered around 10-odd meters area around him.

    Also, the defensive magic casted by the magicians on the river bank also took effect and protected the troops from the rain of arrows.

    But it was unable to protect every soldier crossing the river, and those who were unluckily out of the range of the defence magic had their bodies pierced by numerous arrows.

    (¡°Quite a lot of casualties are appearing, but, there is no other way!¡±)

    Without even ncing towards the soldiers falling one-by-one, Norz kept on moving forward without any regrets.

    When Norz and others reached the middle of the river, the depth of the water had already be a bit more than their heights, and they began to gasp as they swimmed while bearing the weights of their armours as well as their weapons.

    From there onwards, the attack became even more violent.

    Along with arrows, low level fire, ice, and wind attack magic also came raining down on them.

    Seeing various elements raining down felt like as if it was a natural disaster but it was very normal for a battle in this different world. And of course, even Norz had been expecting that.

    (¡°But still, the amount of lightning magic used is much higher.......is it a coincidence?¡±)

    A magician could not use all the elements. Usually it¡¯s 1 or 2 and in rare cases at most 4 elements.

    The affinity of an element depended on their personal constitution and did not have anything to do with someone¡¯s talent as a magician.

    Basically, if arge amount of magicians were gathered and asked to fire together, they all will not be able to attack with the same element.

    Since they are fighting with their lives on the line, it should be obvious that they would use magic that they are most used to. It was the same for even demons. Just as how a beast would use his ws and fangs, they would use the most familiar magic without any doubt.

    That was what Norz was thinking but, the fact that almost half of the attacks were of lightning element, he had no choice but to rethink again.

    (¡°No doubt the enemy is using lightning magic on purpose!¡±)

    And the reason behind it was simple enough that even a soldier who had no knowledge of magic could understand.

    ¡°Gyaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯te closer to the point where it falls!¡±

    ¡°You goddamn idiot, do you think I can dodge inside this river!?¡±

    ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t hit directly, you¡¯ll still be struck by electric shock!?!¡±

    ¡°Get, get away!! I¡¯ll drown¡ª¡ª¡°

    After all, the number of soldiers falling due to lightning magic was too big.

    (¡°The enemy is clearly aiming to shock us with electricity.¡±)

    Norz quickly realized the intent of the enemy.

    mes would disappear when they hit the river, ice would end up floating, and wind would only raise a ssh.

    But lightning would affect the surrounding area as well by scattering in the water. Damage will be dealt just by being close to the point where lightning falls.

    Thus, even if the soldier avoids death or fatal blow, if their limbs be paralyzed, they¡¯d drown in the river.

    Everyone could only take care of themselves and could not help each other in such a situation. In fact those who were drowning were taking other down with them as well.

    In this ce every single lightning magic had the same effect of a wide range attack magic.

    ¡°Shit! Damned demons! Just how long will you continue your insolent tricks!!!¡±

    Norz shouted in anger. Behind him the pitiful sounds of those who had be unable to move and were drowning came.

    (¡°Bear with it, we must bear with it for now! We¡¯re almost at the opposite shore!¡±)

    The vanguard group had already crossed the centre and could once again reach the bottom of the river with their feet.

    Although, the number of victims that died from the enemy attacks or by drowning, just kept on increasing.

    Also, the defensive magic of the magicians will not reach on this side. It was going to be a severe battle where they¡¯ll have to face the enemy attacks directly with their bodies.

    Still with the enemy line (goal) in sight, they moved without faltering.

    (¡°They¡¯re just a small force after all. Even if they attacked us inside the river, it¡¯s still far frompletely defeating us! As long as wend on the other side, we can break through their petty defences and then raise a bloodbath!!¡±)

    The number of adventurers in Alsace vige wasn¡¯t big enough to overturn the number difference.

    The amount of blood that has flowed was already too big but victory was still in their hands. Norz was still confident of that fact, that is why he didn¡¯t even look back and kept on moving with anger.

    (¡°Just a little bit more!¡±)

    Only 50m were left till the opposite shore.

    In the next half hour, they¡¯ll break through the gate and will rush inside the vige, Norz predicted so.

    But the Crusaders still did not know that two dark magicians were lying in wait for them while holding absolute will and power in their hands.

 Chapter 104 Cross Fire

    Chapter 104 Cross Fire

    ¡°There are quite a lot of them.¡±

    Crossing through the river that was being rained with numerous arrows and lightning, white figures started approaching.

    We had shot down a lot of them but the enemy are moving as if it didn¡¯t even affect them. I once again realized that our enemies have an incredible number of soldiers on their side.

    ¡°Say, can we really¡ª¡ªstop that?¡±

    Irina-san who was standing beside me while firing countless lightning arrows at once, asked me that.

    Those words were filled with half doubt and half expectations.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll stop them definitely.¡±

    For now I¡¯m waiting for the enemy to enter our firing range.

    ¡°In my wor¡ªhomnd, this had changed the way of war itself. It canpletely stop soldiers to charge in from the front.¡±

    Probably. But I didn¡¯t say that. I can¡¯t use vague words at such a moment after all.

    ¡°Well whether it¡¯s true or not, we¡¯ll now in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s true, I¡¯m looking forward¡ª-to it!¡±

    The enemy wouldpletely cross the river after a few more meters.

    I guess pulling them till here is enough.

    ¡°Magic Bullet Arts¡ª¨C¡°

    With the ck baton [ck Ballista Replica] in my hand, I pointed it towards the oing Crusaders.

    I concentrate my magical energy as I wait to release the thousands of bullets that have been already [Loaded] inside. And soon the enemy finally entered the kill zone of my ck bullets.

    Filling every bullet with hatred and the will to kill, only sarcastic words came to my mind as I got ready to send them to the other world.

    ¡°Wee to Alsace¡ª¨C Sweeping fire ¨C Gatling Burst.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??????¡ª Terra Armour Shield!!¡±

    Before even feeling any killing intent, Norz instinctually felt danger bells ringing inside his head.

    His instinct had saved his life countless times till now and so this time as well, he let instinct rule his body as he deployed an intermediate level defensive earth magic.

    A giant rock wall came out from the river bed and covered Norz¡¯s bodypletely.

    And the very next moment he felt bloodlust along with the sound of explosions, something bursting and getting destroyed¡ª¡ª and also, screams

    ¡°wh, What!?¡±

    A lot of something ¡®hard¡¯ came and smashed against the rock wall.

    Norz shouted when he realized that the rock wall¡¯s surface was being shaved off but there was no one who could answer him.

    The subordinate who had been standing right next to him till now had already be a silent corpse and had fallen.

    And it was not just him. The corpses of the troops kept on rising,2, 3, 4¡ª-in a matter of few seconds, the number of corpses had increased exponentially.

    Norz finally realized that small countless ck balls were being fired at them.

    The pierced into the bodies of the soldiers at a high speed not traceable with the eyes of a normal human and, depending on the point where it hit, it could instantly take the life of the soldier.

    ¡°This dark element magic¡ª¡ªno, could this be the ck magic activated from the divine protection of the evil god!?!¡±

    Peeking out slightly from the cover of his giant shield, Norz focused towards the source from where this bullet attack wasing from.

    In his eyes, two jet ck figures appeared, that were firing bullets towards the soldiers from the two ends of the fence while making a *giyarigiyari* systematic sound.

    (¡°I see, so that¡¯s the identity of the ¡®Devil¡¯ that annihted Kievan¡¯s squad!?¡±)

    He didn¡¯t know whether he was correct but to him that was how evil the image of the man dressed in full ck and an evil-looking face along with the other one that had only a skull as a head looked like.

    But what was more surprising wasn¡¯t their evil appearance but the power of ck magic that could create a mountain of corpses so quickly.

    The man was using a baton and the skull-head was using a never before seen long tube of iron. Norz confirmed that these were the ones firing the bullets.

    (¡°Were the soldiers who came back after running telling the truth? Could it be that they can really use insta-kill attack magic consecutively?........¡±)

    The countless bullets flew and easily pierced through their chainmail and gave fatal wounds.

    The remnants of Kievan¡¯s squad had certainly testified that but, Norz had only perceived it as [ there is one strong adventurer there] only.

    Although he regretted not thinking up any counter tactics against the ¡®Devil¡¯, he quickly changed his thoughts and focused back into the battle.

    ¡°???? ??????? ???? ???? ??????¨D Terra Defence!!¡±

    To face those ck bullets without any cover was too dangerous. Norz activated a defensive magic, although of lower level, but one that could cover the maximum area.

    A wall of rock appeared from the riverbed but it was much thinner than his Terra Armour Shield and could not guarantee absolute protection against the bullets.

    (¡°Not making the magicians cross the river has backfired on me. I can¡¯t protect the troops alone.¡±)

    Numerous soldiers scrabbled over to take cover against the Terra Defence but even its covering range was also limited.

    There were those who could not make it in time, those who were far away in the first ce and those who unluckily got hit by bullets that pierced through even the wall and hit them. There was no end to the increase in the deaths.

    (¡°As long as we do not have a way to defend, stopping would actually increase the damages. There is no other way but to harden your resolve and keep on advancing!¡±)

    ¡°Do not falter! Keep on charging! Attack!! We have the greater numbers; we¡¯ll settle it in an instant!!¡±

    Norz once again raised his voice and gave the order to attack.

    The soldiers had already resolved to die. If there was no way to retreat then they could only try and advance. All the soldiers understood that.

    ¡°uooooo! Attack!!¡±

    ¡°Aim for that ck devil!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, if we can kill it we¡¯ll win!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the devil!!¡±

    ¡°In the name of God!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the demons! Kill the Devil!!¡±

    Stepping over the corpses of their fallenrades, the Crusaders advanced while raising their shouts.

    ¡°Yeah! Advance!!¡±

    After confirming that the soldiers had started to attack, Norz also resolved himself to move.

    ¡°???? ??????? ???? ???? ??????¡ª- Protect Boost¡±

    Putting the minimum defence enhancement on his body, the moment he was about to get out of the cover,

    *ZUGAN!!*

    The giant shield was pierced by something and the shock blew Norz towards the rear.

    ¡°Guhaaa!!!¡±

    Within his faint consciousness, he saw the two giant ck logs that had pierced his giant shield and he also saw the ¡®device¡¯ used tounch the logs.

    ¡°A Ballista?.......Why, do they have something like ........¡±

    ¡°Priest-sama!¡±

    ¡°Priest-sama was shot!!?¡±

    The shouts of the troops felt very distant to Norz.

    ¡°Don, Don¡¯t be flustered, I¡¯m fine..........¡±

    He realized that two soldiers were supporting him but his vision was spinning around as if he was drunk and he couldn¡¯t even make out their faces.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Go, retreat is not¡ª¨C¡°

    While his consciousness became even fainter, in the skies above, he clearly saw countless shadows even then.

    ¡°¡ª¨CThe Pegasus Knights have arrived. With this, we¡¯ll win.......¡±

    As Norz gave a smile, he let go of his consciousness.

    With soldiers attacking from the ground and the Pegasus knights attacking from the air, the defence of Alsace protected by the Devil will definitely fall.

    Norz was still sure of his victory.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Amazing! This really is an amazing weapon!!¡± (mozrun)

    Mozrun was excited as he fired the machinegun supported on a carriage.

    His appearance was definitely like a death god and now that he had taken so many lives, he truly could be called a reaper.

    ¡°Take that! Good jobing from the other side of the sea just to die!!¡±

    Hiyaha!! His hyena likeugh didn¡¯t suit the image of a death god at all though.

    But the machinegun was clearly the weapon of a death god that could take lives in an instant. Also only he, a dark magician could make use of this.

    Kurono had requested Simon to make a machinegun but in this different world where neither science and tech nor the machine industry had been developed, they could never make a machine gun simr to that of what exists on Earth.

    What Kurono wanted was a substitute magic for his [Magic Bullet Arts]. He wanted to build a weapon that would rapid fire bullets with magic and not with gunpowder.

    In short, this was Magic Staff based on a machine gun. In the first ce, [Guns] were only of such type in this world.

    It¡¯s appearance was only like a box with a grip from which a barrel tuck out. From Kurono¡¯s pov it was a very ill-formed gun. But its inside was was built with a magic simr to Kurono¡¯s [Magic bullet arts] which made rapid firing of bullets possible.

    And the only one who could use this magic technique was the dark magician Mozrun who had the most simr type of magic to Kurono¡¯s ck magic.

    ¡°Mu! No good, the barrels heated up. Quickly, change it!!¡±(mozrun)

    ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡±

    2 goblins quickly started to rece the barrel of the machine gun.

    Thanks to the practice done just for this day, they were able to work very smoothly.

    In the first ce, the magic form behind the machinegun was ¨C¡® to cover the technique equations with actual materials/substance¡¯.

    For example, the gun barrel had the effect of deciding the bullet¡¯s direction and stability of the trajectory.

    When you think of firing bullets with magic, one has to put magical energy and concentration to fix the above aspects as well before using the magic itself.

    By using the ¡®substance¡¯ called gun barrel, the amount of techniques and forms required were lessened.

    The [Staff] that is the weapon of a magician was meant to reduce the burden on the caster. This machinegun was also made with the same effect in mind.

    Kurono¡¯s [Magic Bullet Arts] were made with an image of gun in mind in the first ce. Conversely speaking, if a ¡®shape¡¯ like a gun was also given, most of the formtions could be left out.

    The magic effects required to fire the machinegun are ¡®loading the bullet¡¯ and ¡®a force to be used in ce of gunpowder¡¯.

    The bullets are ¡®summoned¡¯ directly inside the chamber and then all that¡¯s left is to use dark magic to bring out enough pressure to fire the bullet directly out of the barrel.

    Mozrun could exhibit both these magic effects well which is why he could use the machingun to disy the same destructive strength as Kurono.

    By the way, since the part of firing the bullet is done through magic, there is no trigger even though it¡¯s a gun.

    ¡°Boss, how¡¯s it over there?¡±(mozrun)

    Since Lily¡¯s telepathy was currently covering all the area in the surrounding of the main gate, anyone could freely talk as long as they were in the area.

    Mozrunmunicated with Kurono who was many meters away.

    ¡°I can still keep on firing. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I can make bullets but the barrels are exhausting very fast. I won¡¯tst too long like this.¡±(mozrun)

    ¡°I guess that problem woulde considering how hurriedly we created it. But right now we have no other choice. Use them as much as you can without destroying it by cooling them.¡±

    ¡°Leave it me! I might not look like it but I¡¯m pretty damn good at economising!¡±

    Ahhahha. Kurono gave a wry smile as he heard Mossan¡¯s usual cheerfulugh.

    ¡°¡±The barrel has been changed Mozrun-san!!¡±¡±(goblin)

    ¡° A¡¯right! Then let¡¯s start firing back again!!!¡±(mozrun)

    He once again sped the grip and started a full burst against the advancing army.

    Crusaders that attacked with a tremendous number; the only reason they could note any closer was due to Kurono and Mozrun were holding the line through their Cross firing.

    That idea came from the time when Kurono had single-handedly killed over a 100 soldiers of Kievan¡¯s squad at Irz vige. Although at that time he was under the berserk state due to the cursed hatchet, his memories of that time were still vivid.

    After Kurono became the leader, when he was using his almost nil experience to think up ns, he once again realized the tremendous effect ¡®shooting¡¯ had against them.

    To have been able to kill more than a 100 soldiers alone was due to simple advantage that a gun had over a sword.

    And so he thought, that if he was able to prepare even one more machinegun like attacking method, they could use ¡®crossfire¡¯ to efficiently kill the advancing troops of the enemy.

    Cross fire was called so because two machineguns were used in a line that their target range intersected at a point. It was a tactic that was very efficient when defending.

    This tactic had first appeared during World War 1 but was also used in the Russo-Japanese war as well, or so Kurono remembered.

    And the same scene was once again revived here in this Alsace defensive battle as well.

    The distance to the other shore was left was only about 10 meters. But it was distance that no one was able to cross to.

    Legs getting trapped in the flow of the river, the speed of the river¡¯s flow made running almost impossible and made the distance to the other shore much greater.

    But still, the soldiers kept on advancing without even knowing the fact that until this rain of ck bullets stopped, they would not be able to even get to the other shore.

 Chapter 105 The Sniper Alchemist

    Chapter 105 The Sniper Alchemist

    The adventurer guild nicknamed ck box by the Crusaders was currently acting like a powerful war tower that wasunching numerous arrows on the enemy.

    Except the [Three Hunting Princesses], almost every adventurer that could use a bow was currently stationed at the guild.

    Due to that, the ones standing at the gate and using the bows to attack the oing Crusaders from the front were actually swordsmen and warriors.

    Thanks to that, the skilled archers could position themselves in high ces suitable for aiming at the enemy and could focus solely on providing cover fire as they were protected by the ckened guild.

    And, on the rooftop of the guild, where most of the archers were positioned, an even higher pedestal was kept on which stood Simon along with a long sniper rifle.

    ¡°2¡¯o clock, distance 380, from the appearance looks like a squadmander, no shield.¡±

    Beside him, the rank 4 thief slime Susu was acting as the observation supporter.

    Along with the job as a supporter, she was also acting as the gun¡¯s scope as well.

    By turning her arm back to the normal slime form, and adjusting theposition of that transparent substance, she created a lens that could magnify far off objects like a binocr.

    This transformation by using her Extra magic was used by Simon as a scope for sniping.

    ¡°......I see him.¡±

    The figure of a defenceless magician chanting a spell reflected in his view.

    The man, who was guessed to be the squadmander of the magician squad, was unable to realize till thest moment that he was being aimed at from the top of the guild building on the other side of the shore. His head was blown away and his chanting was interrupted for an eternity.

    ¡°Got him in one shot again. You really have good skill.¡±

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s the gun that¡¯s amazing.......but, thank you.¡±

    Simon replied blushingly to thepliment he was not really used to listening.

    The gun Simon was using right now was also one that was hurriedly constructed from the day he met Kurono but its power and performance was much higher than anything he had used before.

    In the first ce, Kurono had assigned only 2 duties to Simon. The first was the manufacture of the machinegun and the other was for him to participate in the battle as a sniper.

    Going back in time, this happened after Kurono somehow made exnations to the angered Lily who had barged into theboratory and had sent her back.

    .

    .

    ¡°Say, Onii-san, tell me more about the guns in your homnd.¡±

    The one who spoke first was Simon.

    It was the weapon he had created with all his skills, and now he had been told that there were simr types somewhere else as well. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t be curious.

    ¡°yeah, alright, um, where should I start¡ª-¡°

    Since they didn¡¯t have the time to talk leisurely, Kurono concisely gave an exnation regarding guns.

    Kurono exined about how , at his homnd (earth), guns were the main weapons in armies, how they were shaped and their structures and also how guns could take many more lives than a sword.

    Well, Kurono wasn¡¯t trying to preach Simon about the dangers of a gun though. What he wanted at that time was a powerful gun instead.

    ¡°There are three improvements you can do right now. One is to attach a stock, second is to apply some rifling in the barrel, and ¡ª-¡°

    Kurono activated his magic bullet arts on his fingertip and ced a ck bullet made out of magical energy in front of Simon.

    ¡°Last is to use my bullets.¡±

    ¡°This is, the same bullet that Onii-san used with his magic just now right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Although I can¡¯t make gunpowder, I can make countless steel warheads. If you could apply Eternity property on them, they wouldst for numerous days and we can create more than creating bullets from scratch.¡±

    ¡°But without gunpowder, it won¡¯t fire. I¡¯m not a magician. The gunpowder I¡¯m using right now is a fire-type magic stone. It¡¯s not something very cheap.¡±

    Even if the effect was same, the raw materials for gunpowder were different in the different world it seems.

    But to Kurono, the change in raw materials wasn¡¯t something to be concerned with. All that was needed was to fire the bullet properly. Thus the only part he needed to concern with was the procurement of the gunpowder mentioned by Simon, but,

    ¡°Magic stone?¡±

    Kurono had no idea what it was.

    But Simon didn¡¯t really think too much about it and continued speaking.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about that red gem that can be seen on top of fire staves usually. You do know that Magic staves are much higher in price than swords, right? With the amount I have, buying even a single one is a bit doubtful.¡±

    The reason why Kurono, a magician, did not know about [magic stones] was because he never really had the need or chance to buy magic staves.

    By the time he registered as an adventurer, he had already gotten the [ck Ballista Replica] so there was no need to buy another staff. In the first ce, Irz vige¡¯s item shop didn¡¯t have a ck magic or a dark magic staff.

    But still, he had seen magic staves many times and also understood its structure so he could quickly understand what part referred to the magic stone.

    But, it¡¯s not necessary that a magic staff would definitely use a magic stone, but that¡¯s a different matter altogether.

    ¡°Then, how many magic staves would you need to have sufficient gunpowder?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°If I have 10 of them then I¡¯ll have enough till the next year, but seriously, that¡¯s asking too¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare 10 for you.¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡ªwhat?¡±

    ¡°What, is that not sufficient?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! How will you prepare 10 of them!?!¡±

    ¡°Well, we can use anything left in the vige freely after all. We should find enough if we search the weapon shop¡¯s storehouse, right?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that bandit-like thought process!? Isn¡¯t that robbery!?¡±

    Well that might be true but for Kurono who had gone as far as to use scorched earth tactics, he had absolutely no hesitation in using any ¡®resources¡¯ avable to them.

    Simon felt unease looking at Kurono¡¯s ¡®Use all that is avable¡¯ attitude.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the preference in using the things in the vige. Also, you¡¯ll need a smithy to create guns as well right? I¡¯ll prepare one of that for you as well.¡±

    To Simon who had been only able to do research with his small budget, it was a too attractive of an offer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care then!¡±

    As a result, Simon decided not to mind the trifling details and started with the manufacturing of the gun.

    .

    .

    .

    And what he had created was probably the first ever Sniper Rifle in this world called [Yatagarasu] that he used to deal head shots one after the other to the enemy magicians.

    By the way, the naming was done by Kurono.

    ¡°At my homnd, the gun used by the head of mercenary long ago was called [Yatagarasu].¡±

    When he heard the name, Simon somehow instantly liked it and epted it.

    (¡°This [Yatagarasu] is really an amazing gun. Thanks to Onii-san¡¯s advices, I was able to make something of this level.¡±)

    Simon¡¯s prided gun was still firing bullets from its muzzle and was shooting the enemy magicians down.

    As expected, it was still a single shot type but Simon who had an immacte aim had a kill count higher than anyone on this rooftop.

    (¡°But not yet, there¡¯s still room for improvement in this gun. Even the machinegun should be able to fire without the use of magic as well.¡±)

    From the day he met Kurono, his head had be filled with all sorts of new research.

    That was how invaluable the information and knowledge brought by Kurono was for Simon.

    (¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t die here. I have too many things that I still want to build! I¡¯m not going to be killed by some men who appeared out of nowhere!!¡±)

    Simon¡¯s survival instincts were working stronger than ever before. But in contrast to the hot and passionate thoughts, he was still coolly and calmly shooting down every target.

    ¡°n, that¡¯s¡ª¡°

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    The one who recognised ¡®that¡¯ the earliest was Susu.

    ¡°The Pegasus Knights have appeared. At 11¡¯o clock. Can you see them?¡±

    Looking through the slime lens scope, the figures of the Pegasus Knights flying over the forest far away could be seen.

    ¡°There are......more than we thought.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but, we have no choice but trust right now.¡±

    ¡°.....yes.¡±

    Once again clutching the grip, Simon once again showed maximum concentration.

    He still did not need to face against the Pegasus Knights. He just needed to kill as many magicians as he can right now.

    The fearsomeness of the Pegasus Knights had been heard from a lot of adventurers. But Simon did not feel any fear towards the Pegasus Knights approaching this ce right now.

    That¡¯s because the one who was going to face those Pegasus Knights was the even more fearsome ¡®Fairy¡¯.

 Chapter 106 Fairy vs. Pegasus Knights

    Chapter 106 ¨C Fairy vs. Pegasus Knights

    In a certain room of the guild, Lily was sitting alone on the floor.

    Just outside the thin walls a battle is taking ce and a lot of blood is flowing on streets. Naturally, the great noise is also reaching that room too but strangely, inside the room was an atmosphere screaming ¡®Dead Silence¡¯.

    That is something the figure of Lily sitting on top of a shining magic circle with her eyes closed might be making the atmosphere.

    She is ying the role ofmunicator between adventurers through the magic circle through which she is using the Telepathy magic.

    And that role of hers is soon going to end.

    ¡°Lily, I think you have heard already, the Pegasus Knights are here.¡±

    ¡°Yea.¡±

    Kurono¡¯s voice resounds in Lily¡¯s head.

    Understanding the meaning of the words, Lily speaks a word of affirmation and nods with her small head.

    ¡°I will cut off the Telepathy from now on, change to ¡®analogue¡¯munication methods.¡±

    The moment after Kurono gave these orders to every adventurer, the telepathywork disappeared.

    Right now only Kurono and Lily can talk through telepathic means.

    ¡°Sorry Lily, I gave you the most difficult role.¡±

    ¡°No way, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    A pure reply, without any sarcasm.

    Lily takes the Queen Beryl ced on floor in front of her.

    ¡°I leave it up to you, Lily.¡±

    By the time Kurono¡¯s faith filled words reached in her head,

    ¡°Yeah, just leave it to me.¡±

    The little girl was no longer there, all that stood was a beautiful girl with long, slender and well-proportioned body. [ET: First time author wrote good words]

    Lily, who took the power from Queen Beryl, takes action toplete her role.

    ¡°Just wait Kurono, I¡¯ll beat those ¡®sluts covered with feathers¡¯ soon enough.¡±

    Those words were said after cutting off the telepathy, so there is no chance they will ever reach to Kurono.

    And he also had no way of knowing, the gruesome smiling face full of bloodlust of Lily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try hard, so you have to praise meter, Kurono¡±

    Lily opened the window, spread out her rainbow-colored wings and flew up in the bright sky.

    .

    .

    .

    The Pegasus Knight Troop is made up from females only. That is the same in Arc Continent and Pandora Continent.

    That is because the in the Pegasus tribe, only the females (sluts) have feathers. And except some rare cases, the ones who ride on them are also females (sluts).

    The Pegasus Knight Troop under Norz heading towards the Alsace Vige was also made up by females only.

    Below them the infantrymen were losing their lives easily due to cross fire.

    ¡°Seems like the rumour of the ¡®devil¡¯ is a truth.¡±

    The girls are flying in the sky in a splendid formation. They are not in the range in which their words can reach other, but due to them each having a telepathic magic item they can talk with each other while flying with no problems.

    The magic item that lets others talk with each other in their minds in real timees at a very high price, but the ss called as ¡®Pegasus Knight¡¯ have more than enough value to have them.

    ¡°How horrible they are, I can see the bloodied river from here.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t support them, we will only have more useless casualties.¡±

    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a devil or crap, but I really don¡¯t think that this sort of attack will keep on continuing.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that alright, to just let the men keep on attacking? Soon enough they will break through that gloomy forest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the infantry are expendable assets after all, just let them have their way.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth, though only we can hear us, that is problematic statement.¡±

    ¡°Ye~s¡±

    The girls¡¯ voices were not filled with any tension while heading to the battle field where a lot of theirrades have died.

    That was neither because of no fear of death nor faithfulness to mission.

    That was because the difference between infantrymen and Pegasus Knights. In the first ce the defensive power of Pegasus Knight is at another levelpared to infantrymen. Infantrymen will die from an arrow or two but that is something impossible with Pegasus Knight.

    The armour of the girls are enchanted with boosts such as ¡®Light weight¡¯, ¡®Force¡¯ and ¡®Concentrate¡¯.

    Only the elite soldiers expert in martial arts magic can wear such high-ss amour.

    The infantrymen are iparably inferior in armour and even skills.

    In the battlefield the possibility of the girls returning alive is obvious. None of them are thinking that hostility from the attacks going on below them that have killed a lot the soldiers can kill them too.

    ¡°¡ªBut , you girls are going to die here.¡±

    That time, the voice of a beautiful girl is heard.

    No, heard is not the right word here that is because it resounded directly inside their minds.

    ¡°Who is it!?¡±

    The captain of Pegasus Knights notices that the enemy, a demon has appeared.

    ¡°My name is Lily. Wee to Alsace vige and goodbye.¡±

    The voice of the beautiful girl the girls heard was transparent and beautiful but all were mixed with malice, enmity and bloodlust.

    ¡°Stay vignt, we might be targeted¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, foolish person.¡±

    The Pegasus Knight Troop takes battle stances, and Lily¡¯s voice ridicules them.

    ¡°Meteor Strike.¡±

    Above the Pegasus Knight Troop, cutting through the clouds, a rainbow coloured light appears.

    A scene that looks like a star is falling down in the night sky.

    The high speed light draws near the Pegasus Knights as if it has its own consciousness.

    ¡°From above you say!?¡±

    The attack Pegasus Knights have to stay vignt for is the anti-aircraft magic attacks from the surface. The only ones that can attack from above them are Pegasus Knights, Dragons or else some sort of flying monster.

    During a battle it is very rare for the existences of those who can go above Pegasus Knight to appear. And it is unthinkable that the poorly made demon army would have an existence like that.

    That¡¯s why they are only vignt of surface attacks. The only time they can die is the time they will cross swords with demons.

    That is how it was supposed to be, but the realitypletely betrayed their expectations. A massive meteor is heading towards them from above having unbelievable mass and destructive power.

    The attack came at them when they were not on guard and has closed its distance so much that they cannot evade it anymore. They deploy the strongest defensive magic they can in the short amount of time.

    An intermediate level defensive magic is deployed boasting of great defensive power. In addition both the attack and defensive magic are light so theirpatibility is not bad, that¡¯s why it will be easy to block.

    ¡®We can break through it, we will definitely break through it¡¯, the Pegasus Knight Troop leader thinks as such while heading towards the collision time between both parties.

    ¡°Ahahaha! Waste, waste, waste!!¡±

    The rainbow coloured meteor light and white coloured shield.

    The girls believed they were evenly matched in this contest of magic but the shield is smashed to pieces after a few moments from the impact and bes a part of the seven coloured mass of light.

    And the rainbow coloured light engulfs the captain along with some Pegasus Knights and explodes in the mid-air.

    The explosion sound and shock wave from st jolts the bodies of all the remaining Pegasus Knights.

    ¡°No way, Captain¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re lying, right!?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that power! Unbelievable!!¡±

    The traces of the people engulfed in the st are now not present on the face of world. The flesh and blood left of some cannot be distinguished between human or otherwise.

    The numerous pieces of bloody meat scatter far away in the sky and fall down to the ground.

    Now there is no trace of the girls in the explosion, the only thing left is the blood, some meat and the remains of magical power.

    ¡°Quiet down! I, the Vice Captain will take the right tomand, the enemy is above the clouds, take the interception stance¡ª¡±

    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re the next boss.¡±

    At that time, for the first time the Pegasus Knights saw the figure of the girl named Lily.

    The girls of Pegasus Knights mostly made up of beautiful girls were themselves entranced by her. The tinum blond hair, the juicy white body, and the beautiful emerald green eyes that can charm anyone regardless of gender.

    The figure of her floating wearing a jet-ck cloth and the two pairs of rainbow coloured wings closely resembles the image of the Fairies Princess that appears in the fairy tales.

    But the girls soon return to their senses, as they recognise her as the enemy that deployed a powerful magic that killed their captain along with somerades of theirs.

    And, more than anything else.

    ¡°Wh- When did she¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nh, I came just now.¡±

    Lily was standing on the back of a Pegasus behind the Vice Captain as if holding her from behind.

    The ¡®enemy¡¯ is already in front the girls. In their hearts filled with fighting spirit and enmity, fear is spreading, and it¡¯s impossible to tell which emotion is dominant.

    ¡°Deploy Oracle Field.¡±

    Lily while putting her hands on the shoulders of vice captain activates the extra magic the fairies boast of.

    The pale green coloured light is a magic for protection from outside attacks, but it¡¯s not for protecting those inside it.

    Lily has not the least intention to save the enemy, in other words the humans, so she is using this barrier as a deadly weapon. [ET: Finally Yandere & maybe Sadistic Lily¡¯s Killing Spree]

    The vice-captain suddenly realises the abnormality that has happened to her while being captured in the barrier of a radius of 2 metres.

    ¡°What is this, hot¡ª¡±

    Inside the Oracle Field is full of high heat. And that so, that can melt the arrowheads of more than 100 arrows in a second.

    That heat has far surpassed the temperature any existence can live in.

    ¡°Aaaaa¡ª¡±

    While feeling the heat that can melt the body from inside Lily¡¯s hand, the vice-captain takes her leave from world.

    The skin is heinously burned and in the next moment turns into ashes.

    The figure of the beautiful Pegasus Knight is now nowhere to be seen.

    The only thing left is the corpse of a Pegasus which has only the legs and armour left, all other things are burned and have turned into ashes already.

    ¡°Now then¡ª¡±

    The Pegasus that has died by fire and has only armour and bones left no has no more power to keep on flying in air, and by following the gravity¡¯s order falls down.

    Lily pays no attention to the person that was present in her hands just some moments before as if she haspletely forgot her existence and has no interest in her at all.

    ¡°If you guys are going to surrender obediently, I will leave it at this. Of course, I¡¯ll guarantee your safety.¡±

    Lily asks the Pegasus Knights while her face makes a bewitching smile.

    ¡°Then, decide fast about what you¡¯re gonna do¡ª-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us, damn brat!!¡± [ET: Oh Crap! Blood War now! Hyu Hyu]

    Along with the abuse, the Line Sagita flies towards Lily.

    ¡°Did you think we, the Pegasus Knights will surrender by getting scared of a single damn fairy!?¡±

    The Oracle Shieldpletely repels the arrow; Lily did not suffer even the damage at the level of static electricity.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s your answer.¡±

    The Pegasus Knights ready their spears and spread out while taking battle stances.

    This time the Pegasus Knight which dered the war takes the right tomand.

    Having the two main heads gone will neither diminish their fighting spirit nor cooperation. They are not called an elite squad for no reason.

    Lily raises her head and res at them while clicking her tongue as if saying ¡®Ah, so much hassle to take care of them all.¡¯

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll kill you all....Be prepared you ¡®sluts with feathers.¡¯¡±

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate us, fucking brat!!¡±

    One of the Pegasus Knights, Ester, moves her hands and mouth before she even thinks.

    The chantlessly made Line Sagita flies towards the fairy named Lily.

    ¡°We won¡¯t get scared by a shitty fairy.¡±

    Line Sagita hits Lily, but even Ester knows that a lower grade attack magic cannot kill Lily, who has killed many Pegasus Knights.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely kill her here, is that alright!¡±

    She asks everyone through Telepathy and came back 4 replies immediately.

    ¡°I agree with you Ester, I¡¯ll follow you.¡±

    ¡°I also agree! I¡¯ll take the revenge for Captain!¡±

    ¡°Eh, you won¡¯t stop?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back¡±

    The replies from every squad leader were in agreement and disagreement both in the ratio of 50:50.

    ¡°Then retreat, Camy and Cathy are rear guard unit.¡±

    ¡°We have to take revenge!¡±

    ¡°Yea, yes, let¡¯s join our powers and fight!¡±

    The opposing parties also, in the end agreed with them.

    They can kill her by throwing attack magic at her from left and right, up and down.

    But that is only when the opponent is a human.

    ¡°Lower grade attack magic is only for stopping her movements for some time, we can¡¯t kill her until we¡¯ve stuck our spears into her. Franc and Maty, don¡¯t let her escape, cover us, and also stop her from chanting or else something terrible will onlye towards us. Camy and Cathy will attack with me, get ready! ¡±

    ¡°¡°Understood.¡±¡±

    ¡°Eh, Eeeh, why are we in the assault group!!?¡±

    ¡°It really is super scary!¡±

    ¡°You foolish sisters are only good in attack, that¡¯s why!¡±

    ¡°Ehh, what¡¯s that,plete discrimination.¡±

    ¡°Even I am only good in martial arts and am a muscle-brain¡±

    ¡°Stop spouting rubbish! Want to get down to ground from here by falling, huuh!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, got it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good if we go, right?¡±

    Ester, Cathy and Camy start moving their squads for attacking.

    ¡°Regret it that you have pick up a fight with us, you damn single fairy bastard!¡±

    And so the battle between a single fairy and many Pegasus Knights started, 100 metres above Alsace vige.

 Chapter 107 Soldierâ€™s Role

    Chapter 107 ¨C Soldier¡¯s Role

    ¡°No good!? The gun barrel is overheated! It won¡¯t shoot unless it¡¯s cooled down.¡±

    Kurono after hearing this message, he thought ¡®Finally, the time hade.¡¯

    He knew from the start that the cross fire will not keep on continuing for always, some crusaders who are unhurt will reach near the unreliable protective wall.

    ¡°Understood, Mossan is to be on standby till the cooldown time is over and after it¡¯splete, immediately start firing.¡±

    The adventurer given the role of messenger, runs towards Morzun to ry the message given by Kurono.

    After giving the instructions, Kurono stops his Gatling Burst and takes a deep breath.

    Along with taking the breath, Kurono shouts with determination.

    ¡°Open the gates! I¡¯m going outside!!¡±

    That voice was heard by the adventurers standing near the gates and even by the archers confined in the Guild.

    ¡°Ooooouuuu!!¡±

    The loud war cry by the adventurers gives the answer to Kurono¡¯smand.

    Particrly, the adventurers standing near the main gates were boiling with more excitement due to them eagerly waiting to cross swords with the enemy.

    Seeing therge number of enemy heading towards them caused their blood to boil strongly rather than being intimidated.

    ¡°Hahahaha! Finally our time to show off!!¡±

    In front of main gates, is the toon made from strong swordsmen and warriors starting with Vulcan as their head.

    They are, the reckless toon which will jump out of gates and kill of the enemy.

    The toon is made up from many different species such as human, beast-man, elves, lizard-men, orc and golem.

    But they are all waiting impatiently for the gates to open.

    Before anyone knew it, Kurono was already in front of them with the ¡®HaraRetsu¡¯ in his hands.

    ¡°Listen well everyone, this is the first turning point.

    We have buy time for the cross fire to restart, during that time protect this line of defense at all costs.¡±

    It¡¯s not much of a problem to cool down the barrel with ice and fire magic. But the problem is to keep on repeating it as fast as possible for the firing to keep on continuing.

    This maintenance is the most important, they can¡¯t just destroy the machine gun on the first day. They have to keep on using it for the battlesing tomorrow and day after tomorrow for stopping the enemy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ª¡±

    Kurono wears his robe, and faces towards the main gate that is about to open.

    ¡°Assault!!¡±

    The sound of door opening and the war cry of adventurers resound simultaneously.

    The toon made up of 24 people jumps at the crusadersing towards at them like some wild animals that have been freed form a cage.

    .

    .

    .

    Kurono¡¯s orders reach to the ears of sniping pair of Simon and Susu encamped on top of guild.

    ¡°Assault already......If I had time, I would¡¯ve made a more decent gun barrel.¡±

    Simon understands that this assault is to buy time for the restart of cross fire.

    Conversely speaking, if the gun barrel can keep on firing, then there is no need to take risk and assault.

    Simon regrets the fact that he couldn¡¯tplete a more durable gun barrel and due to that they have to add such a high-risk assault n to buy time.

    When the gun barrel wasplete, Kurono gave him the words of praise and gratitude that ¡®It¡¯s well made¡¯, but he doesn¡¯t think that his work is worthy of that praise.

    ¡°But, there is no time to regret right now, let¡¯s start our next job.¡±

    Susu speaks those words as if she had guessed Simon¡¯s heart and returns her slime hand which had been acting as a scope till yet back to human hands.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Simon removes his hand from ¡®Yatagarasu¡¯ and stands up from his sniping position.

    Originally, they had to go down from the pedestal using thedders, but

    ¡°It¡¯s better to hurry up, jump off like this¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Before Simon knew it, Susu took Simon in her arms and dived from the pedestal together.

    The height of pedestal is just 3 metres, therefore, before Simon could say anything they bothnded on the roof of guild.

    Simon didn¡¯t notice since there was no shock ofnding felt.

    ¡°T-Thank you very much......¡±

    For the time being, she just gave words of gratitude.

    ¡°We¡¯re on our own from now on, be careful Simon. Especially since some of the Pegasus Knights mighte inside.¡± [ET: She doesn¡¯t know my favourite Yandere Lily¡¯s power.]

    ¡°Yes, Susu-san should also be careful.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m a thief, so even if I went to the front line, the enemy won¡¯t realise my presence at all.¡±

    ¡®That is the skill of assassin not a thief¡¯ Simon wanted to say that but stops because there is no time for useless talks.

    ¡°Well then, see youter¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    After saying those words, Susu jumps off from the rooftop of guild.

    She looks like a human but don¡¯t be disillusioned she in truth she is slime. If she returns her hands and legs to slime form then she can climb on the walls as easily as if walking on road.

    Simon thinks while seeing his running off that he can do such a thing without any rope or martial arts skills or magical assistance.

    ¡°Alright then, I also have to give cover fire for Onii-san and others.¡±

    Simon starts running while shouldering his gun. He ran towards the ideal position for sniping above the main gate of guild.

    Till now he had been sniping the enemy magicians but now her role is to do cover fire to support the assault toon.

    The targets are right besides guild building, so she doesn¡¯t need the scope, in other words Susu as a spotter.

    (Themanding officer of enemy can use lower-grade magic too, eliminating him is top priority......)

    Simon decides his main target for sniping and once again set up the ¡®Yatagarasu¡¯ while standing on the rooftop. [ET: For those not understanding it....the guild¡¯s rooftop is really long and he was running on it till before.]

    The ones he will be shooting are not on the other side of shore but right below the guild.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like missing a target at this distance.¡±

    Without any hesitation Simon pulls the trigger, and the bullet flies towards her target.

    .

    .

    .

    I haven¡¯t had any closebat after fighting that priest in Irz Vige.

    I still don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for closebats.

    (Chop, Chop¡ª-Kill¡ª-Chop, Blood, Kill ¡ª¨CDeath, Kill, Chop, Chop Chop Chop)

    ¡°And you remain the same, eh?¡±

    Thanks to the bloodlust being transferred to me from the HaraRetsu in my right hand, I¡¯m not feeling even a bit of nervousness.

    Sure enough, it¡¯s odd to have a rxation effect from a curse, but there is not time to think about that because the enemy is heading towards me.

    The Crusaders areing separately so as to not meet the same fate as that of the soldiers that started marching first.

    But still, their numbers are hell lot more than the number of people that came to conquer Irz Vige.

    They are full of vigor due to being covered by the white shadow while crossing the river.

    ¡°Really great, I will give you more than enough blood to drink for you to evolve one more time.¡±

    For the time being, I have no other choice than to keep on killing them starting from the ones in front.

    After closing a lot of distance between the enemy, I load the magic power and increase the physical power in leg and leap in one spurt.

    I jump above the spears they are attacking with and attack at their heads while being in mid-air.

    ¡°ck Calm!!¡± [ET: Attack name!][SK: Kuronagi sounds cooler really]

    I release martial art in mid-air and cut the heads of soldiers in 3 pieces.

    The heads and chainmail both get cut cleanly without any resistance. As always this does have really terrific cutting ability.

    The de emits a resonance as if being delighted to taste blood after 1 week of wait.

    Ind in front of the three headless corpses and head towards the centre of the enemy. They suddenly cover me from all directions without leaving any gaps.

    The soldiers after sensing I have closed a lot of distance between them already, throw the spear and don the broadsword hanging on their waist.

    But those movements seem really slow to me.

    Now that I think about it, I have killed 10 high-ss soldiers when escaping from institute and that so very easily. In that case, the soldiers in front of me who haven¡¯t learnt either magic or martial arts skills, in other words ¡®normal human being¡¯ don¡¯t have any advantage other than the difference in numbers.

    While the soldiers are taking their swords from their scabbard, I chop them all together.

    The ¡®HaraRetsu¡¯ just like its name says, cuts the stomach of the soldiers cleanly and scatters the blood and entrails.

    After I cut of some soldiers covering me, the left soldiers finally take out their swords.

    ¡°Die you Devil!!¡±

    Everyone speaks the words of revenge and start to assault me.

    Even for this hatchet, it¡¯s is impossible to kill many peopleing at me in one swing.

    They attack at me inrge numbers¡ª¨Cbut, I have already learned how to cope up with attacks like these during the mobility experiments.

    ¡°¡¯Shadow Gate¡¯ ¡®Sword Arts¡¯¡±

    A ck shadow spreads below my feet and a jet ck sword appears from it.

    ¡°¡ª-Pierce Through¡±

    10 ckened swords are deployed and fly towards the soldiersing to attack me.

    Without even looking at all soldiers that are in my blind spots of vision, I somehow know that my swords have pierced through them.

    Though I¡¯m not moving my hands but I¡¯m controlling the swords, So the sensation of cutting gets transferred in my mind.

    The soldiersing at me all get purged and now I can finally concentrate on new enemiesing at me from front.

    I jump to the interior of the spear that is pushed towards me and cuts the soldier diagonally from shoulder.

    After killing him, I realise that after 10 seconds fromnding, the impact I have given the soldiers by killing all the soldiersing at me from all directions is massive.

    The soldiers point their spears at me and are standing in the deadlock position which is just some metres away from me.

    ¡°This damn Devil¡ª-Uoooo!!¡±

    After breaking the silence of some seconds, a single soldier extends his spear from right behind me.

    But the 10 swords that have been released from Sword Arts are still in good condition and so deal with the attack that ising from behind me in a sh.

    I don¡¯t have to look back, just instruct a single sword to fly towards the soldier at my back.

    The speed of my sword piercing through the soldier¡¯s chest is more than the speed of his spearing towards my back.

    Raising a voice of agony, one more soldier falls down.

    As if the soldier got cold feet, they moved even further back and then encircle me.

    ¡°If you¡¯re noting, then I¡¯ming.¡±

    Having hatchet in my left hand, and the baton in right, while having 10 ckened swords protecting my back, I take a step forward.

    Having the HaraRetsu that can cut clean even the defensive magic, while deploying Bullet Arts that can rapid-fire like a machine gun and having 10 swords from Sword Arts that cover my blind spots. I can easily fight against many enemies by alone.

    I am a magician, So it¡¯s natural for me to do closebats with the support of magic too.

    It didn¡¯t work with Sariel, but it will work out with normal soldiers until I pass out by theck of magical power.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them break!!¡±

    For now, it¡¯s more than enough to hold down the enemy at front lines as an adventurer.

    Trampling the corpses of soldiers, I deploy all the swords I have towards the soldiers remaining in my surroundings.

 Chapter 108 Fairy Vs. Pegasus Knights (2)

    Chapter 108 Fairy Vs. Pegasus Knights (2)

    The wings of a Pegasus did not just p like a bird to fly.

    By thews of physics, a pair of wings was not enough to make a horse fly. Not to mention that it could even fly at high speeds.

    But in this different world, it was a reality that the Pegasus could carry humans and move in mid air well enough to battle. This was because in this world the power known as magic exists.

    If you were to say that Pegasus flew because of magic, then those wings were the magic, the device that allowed them to fly.

    The Pegasus Knights had casted [Speed Boost] on the wings which allowed them to fly at even faster speeds.

    ¡°???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ¨D Speed Boost¡±

    As Estel and the others in the vanguard used their magic, the Pegasus¡¯s speed increased instantly and reached a level that could not be followed by normal men.

    The fact that they had not gotten out of their formation even at such a high speed was the proof that these girls were extremely skilled at riding their Pegasus and had incredible teamwork as a squad.

    The girls looked like a swarm of meteors in the sky and Lily who was releasing light looked like a star.

    ¡°Purple Lightning Assault ¨C Line Charge!!¡±

    Estel released her martial art against Lily who was inside her Oracle Field.

    If that skill had hit a normal human, his whole upper half of the body would have beenpletely blown away. That was how high levelled martial skill it was.

    The giantnce enveloped in lightning wasunched with a tremendous force.

    Estel¡¯s lightning and Lily¡¯s light shed. The sound and light of countless sparks flew.

    After firing her attack at Lily, Estel decelerated as the speed boost ran out and clicked her tongue while on top of her Pegasus.

    ¡°It¡¯s too hard, Damnit!¡±

    Her attack could only graze the outeryer of the Oracle field and hade nowhere near Lily¡¯s white soft skin.

    Obviously, the lightning attack had beenpletely defended against. From behind Estel, another wave of lightning sounds came. The other Pegasus Knights also used the same skill one by one.

    Probably only 3 or 4 of them hit including her own attack. Rest all had been evaded. Estel figured that out without even looking back.

    A hard defence along with great evading ability was not something that could be easily dealt with. Not just Estel, but every Pegasus knight here was thinking the same thing.

    After finishing their attacks, Estel¡¯s group turned in the air and once again set their sights at Lily. They noticed that the part of the Oracle Field that had been scratched and slightly damaged, quickly regenerated and became as good as new.

    ¡°So she even has regenerative abilities? Damned monster¡ª¡°

    As if not allowing to even curse her, Lily fired beams of light. Seeing that, Estel quickly pulled the reins and took evasive actions.

    She skilfully dodged the beam that held enough heat and power that getting hit by even one of those would not end with just a few burns.

    Estel wasn¡¯t the only one who was being targeted; everyone in her group was attacked by the beams without any discrimination. But only Estel could dodge all the beams. The rest of the knights were all shot countless times.

    As expected of the armour that had been loaded with defensive magic, they didn¡¯t be unable to fight just by getting hit from one or two beams as long as they guarded in time, but damage was clearly umted on their bodies.

    (¡°Shit Shit! This one¡¯s really dangerous. Even though we haven¡¯t dealt any damage to her, our side¡¯s already losing endurance.¡±)

    Estel started to be impatient and flustered.

    It¡¯s almost been 30 mins from the start of battle. In that time Nina, who was injured had left the front lines but, there were many among them who had taken lot of damage.

    If the battle continued with the same pace, sooner orter they will start to be unable to battle. Some might even die.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªKyaaaaa!!¡±

    From below her, a bone chilling scream came suddenly.

    As she looked that way, one of the knights and her Pegasus had lost consciousness it seemed and were running unsteadily.

    ¡°Damnit! Someone support her!!¡±

    Since the distance from her was too far from her, she quickly gave an order but Lily was faster to aim for the weakened ¡®prey¡¯.

    Even among the countless of them, Lily could clearly discern which of them was the weakened one.

    The attack fired by Lily towards the knight who could neither evade nor defend was not a beam but a ball of light.

    Although slower than the beam, the ball of light could urately track and pursue the target. At full strength, the Pegasus could have run away but now that the knight was on her limit of both willpower and stamina, she couldn¡¯t do so.

    The 5 balls of light that were fired slipped through the knights that came to help her as if making fun of them.

    The sound and sh of explosion spread all over. This time, no scream was heard. Just one animal fell from the sky towards the earth.

    Lily had once again killed another one. Without even getting conceited due to it, she quickly took the next move.

    The reason why Lily was able to attack right now was because it was just after Estel¡¯s team had charged too much and given her a gap. After the girls had attacked, to stop Lily from chanting, a rain of attack magic was casted towards her.

    n¡¯s team and Maty¡¯s team that had the job to obstruct Lily once again restarted their long range attack magics. And Lily, who had expected that, took highly irregr evasive maneuvers that could not be imitated by a Pegasus.

    (¡°What should I do¡ª¨Cif I have to resolve to sacrifice someone, now¡¯s the time.¡±)

    The most troublesome thing was Lily¡¯s overwhelming maneuvering ability. If Pegasus could fly like birds then Lily was like a bee.

    If it was a simple battle in a straight line, there wouldn¡¯t be much difference but during the time of evasion, that incredible maneuvering made a lot of difference.

    If the attack doesn¡¯t hit, the damage will also remain 0. Although, evading like that requires high levels of concentration, there was still no sign of Lily looking fatigued yet.

    (¡°There¡¯s no other choice to stop her by holding her directly. Shit! It would be the same end as the vicemander then! But there¡¯s no other choice either¡ª-¡°)

    Her thoughts were all over the ce, and she couldn¡¯t get an answer.

    ¡°God damn it! Is there no way to stop her! Darting around like that all the time damnit!!¡±

    Although she shouted that through telepathy, none of the answers that came back were good.

    ¡°Are you saying that thiste?¡±

    ¡°Nobody would think that we would be exhausted so much against one enemy right!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s frustrating but it¡¯s true that we¡¯ll be the ones at disadvantage if we attack from the front.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s something we can still do, then this is the time to do it! Our magic won¡¯tst forever!¡±

    They still couldn¡¯te up with a decisive n.

    ¡°.......no other choice. I¡¯ll stop that son of bitch fairy¡¯s movements myself.¡±

    ¡°Son of a bitch? That fairy is a woman no matter how you look at it! Not to mention she¡¯s irritatingly beautiful as well!!¡±

    ¡°Do you think I fucking care about something like that!? Don¡¯t pour water on my decisive moment!!¡±

    ¡°Are you serious Estel? You won¡¯t get away if you touch that barrier of light, you know?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Also if we stay blocked here forever, then we won¡¯t be able to provide support to the troops on the ground. That way the whole n would be destroyed.¡±

    Yes, in the first ce, their mission was not to defeat Lily.

    Their main objective was to attack and destroy the enemy defence line and allow the infantry to charge in sessfully.

    ¡°Look, below the demons have finallye out as well. If we could attack from the air right now, their defences would instantly crumble.¡±

    Estel could imagine the acting vicemander hesitate for a bit on the other side of the transmission.

    And, after a few seconds, n¡¯s reply came.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you Estel. In return, we¡¯ll cast Protect with all our power soe back alive.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Who said I¡¯m going to die?¡±

    ¡°Eh, no way, Estel you¡¯re really gonna do it?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really dangerous!¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re worrying about me now?¡±

    ¡°¡±No such thing!!¡±¡±

    Those sisters, Cami and Cathy, really never change. Estel thought in her mind.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll hold that son of a bitch down so you¡¯ll be the ones to finish her off. Don¡¯t fuck up.¡±

    Although they hesitated, the sisters replied back with agreement.

    The Pegasus Knights all resolved themselves, and looked towards Lily who was still calmly floating in the sky.

    ¡°Alright! Then here I ¡ª¨C¡°

    The moment Estel was about to move, she saw a change in Lily.

    Until now, Lily had been firing light beams and ball from inside the barrier but right now, small balls of light were appearing outside the barrier.

    ¡°Oi, It¡¯s doing something, be careful!!¡±

    The balls of light slowly started increasing in size and soon became almost double the size of the usual ones.

    If they had power as per its looks, they had no idea if they could bear it if they got hit. Especially now that their stamina had almost run out.

    (¡°Why? We didn¡¯t even give it time to chant properly! Anyway, that¡¯s really dangerous!¡±)

    The moment Estel and the others prepared themselves to face Lily¡¯s attack, the balls of light were shot out towards them.

    The balls of light fired towards the knights that had scattered in all directions, was definitely slower than any of her previous attacks.

    (¡°They¡¯re slow? Do they have tracking ability? If they are this slow, then it would be better to shoot them down with magic¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡°)

    The moment everyone else thought the same thing and decided to counter attack, the balls of light burst and released an immense light.

    ¡°Kuh¡ª-¡°

    Their eyes were blinded by the white light and they lost their vision.

    For a second they thought they were caught in a huge st but they felt no problem in their bodies.

    ¡°¡ª¨CShit, it was only a distraction!!¡±

    Recognising the true intent of that move, Estel quickly realized the next move.

    ¡°???? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????¡ª Lux Defence.

    ???? ???????¨D Laser Heal.¡±

    A defensive magic to protect her and a heal magic to restore her sight were activated consecutively.

    When her vision returned, all that entered her eyes was the shield deployed by her and the clear blue sky.

    There was no sign of an iing attack.

    ¡°No, wait, where did that son of a bitch go?¡±

    As she looked around, she could not find Lily or her light barrier.

    ¡°Can anyone see her?¡±

    Shemunicated to herrades.

    The enemy in front of them suddenly disappeared. All of them were expecting a surprise attack from a blind spot.

    ¡°No, no signs of the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t see her.¡±

    ¡°I see her! She¡¯s falling towards the ground!!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure Maty?¡±

    ¡°Our team was located beneath it. I clearly saw her pass through as she went downwards!¡±

    ¡°I see. Alert the troops on the ground. We don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll do.¡±

    As a result, Lily had gotten out from the encirclement of the Pegasus Knights andnded on the ground.

    Since the enemy had disappeared from their sights, the Pegasus Knights quickly returned to their formation.

    ¡°¡ª-What¡¯s going on? Nothing¡¯sing.¡±

    For around 3 minutes, they were alert in the skies but as Estel had said, not a single beam of light came from the forest where Lily should have gone.

    ¡°Estel, it could be that some kind of magic of hers might have run out of effective time.¡±

    n came beside Estel and said that.

    ¡°......That¡¯s not impossible. It could be that she was using an incredible enhancement magic. It could have been the evil god¡¯s divine protection as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Especially, we are unclear regarding the divine protection received by demons in the first ce. So we can¡¯t guess their abilities either.¡±

    ¡°So basically, it ran away?¡±

    In such a situation, normally anyone would think that.

    ¡°So it ran away but what should we do? Pursue it?¡±

    ¡°No, return to our mission. If it ran away then it¡¯s favourable for us. We¡¯ll attack the enemy¡¯s defensive line just as originally nned.¡±

    If it really had run away due to the effect of some magic running out then it really was the best chance to kill Lily.

    Even Estel wanted to kill the monster that could face with the whole Pegasus Knights squad alone but it couldn¡¯t be helped that it ran away inside a deep forest.

    The Pegasus Knights could not follow there. That was the job for the soldiers on the ground.

    As a result, they concluded that pursuing was impossible and then they need to achieve their original objective.

    ¡°We were held back for 30 mins. If we be toote then the soldiers on the ground might get scared and start retreating. Let¡¯s hurry up!¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger¡±¡±

    After giving the order, the Pegasus Knights began to move out.

    And when they moved their sights towards the enemy defence line, an irregrity urred inside that forest.

    The trees and leaves in the forest began to dry up.

    What that implied was understood by not just magicians but even those that couldn¡¯t use magic as well.

    ¡°Is it Life Drain?........¡±

    [Life Drain] was a magic prohibited in the Republic and wasbelled as a taboo.

    It was a simple magic that could only absorb even the life force along with the magical energy, but its effect was tremendous.

    If used carelessly, it could turn thisnd into a barren wastnd where not even weed would grow for the next 100 years. In the Arc continent, there was an area that hadpletely lost all living things due to it.

    Leaving the effect on surroundings aside, it even had the danger of taking away the life force of allies as well. And not to mention that the user of [Life Drain] would usually start taking pleasure in stealing the life force of others and turn into a madman.

    Thus it was a taboo, but this wasn¡¯t the Arc continent but the Pandora continent. And ruled by demons. It was obvious that the rules of the human society wouldn¡¯t apply here.

    Even if it was a taboo for humans, there was no need for demons to avoid using it.

    ¡°All units, be on guard! That thing is stilling after us!!¡±

    As tension appeared among the Pegasus Knights once more, they once again realized that the threat of Lily had not yet left them.

 Chapter 109 The Divine Protection of the Black Gods

    Chapter 109 The Divine Protection of the ck Gods

    Lily who was hidden inside the deep forest sneered at the Pegasus Knights for not choosing to pursue her.

    ¡°nfufu, even though you people had the chance to kill me right now.¡±

    Of course, even if the knights had decided to pursue her, she would not have just gotten herself killed easily.

    It was only a matter of probability. The Pegasus Knights had no chance of winning while they were in the air, but if they had pursued her now, they might have had at least a chance to win.

    ¡°Those guys guessed correctly that the effect of magic had run out, but, their choice on how to deal with it ended up being a mistake.¡±

    The Pegasus Knights had already looked away from where Lily had gone and had concentratedpletely on the battle below.

    Considering that the enemy¡¯s only airborne fighter had run away, that decision wasn¡¯t exactly wrong either.

    But,

    ¡°How foolish. Do they think that I won¡¯t return back to the frontlines? Or could it be that they simply don¡¯t even want to consider that possibility?¡±

    ording to Lily¡¯s words, it was as if the girls simply wanted to believe that the effect of magic on Lily had ended.

    And, Lily¡¯s telepathy proved that it was actually half-correct as well.

    To the girl Lily, it was easy to read opponents outer thoughts, who had not specifically casted Mind Protect, even during battle.

    Lily clearly understood what the girls were thinking and how they reached their current conclusion.

    ¡°They thought that either my magic or the divine protection had run out, but, it seems they never even considered that I have and could actually use both of them.¡±

    The reason why Lily had used the shy distraction to run away inside the forest was because the 30 min effect of the [Queen Beryl] had run out of time.

    Since the [Queen Beryl] was not an artefact built specifically for the fairies only, her affinity with it was only normal.

    That¡¯s why, there was a limit of 30mins. Any further than that would ce immense burden on Lily.

    ¡°fufu, let me show you the divine protection of the Fairy Queen¡ª-¡°

    But the [Divine Protection of the Fairy Queen] was different. It was a power for fairies made by the fairies. There was no burden on the body when using it. After all, she was only returning to her usual actual body only.

    ¡°??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ????¡ª[Life Drain]¡±

    Lily began her chant and at the same time brought out a scroll from her light-type spatial magic and spread it as she threw it in the air.

    It was the most effective and high priced scroll in the vige made only from the skin of a rank 4 monster. On it, the magic circle drawn by Lily was that of [Life Drain].

    The scroll that activated on being infused with magical energy became particles of light and drew a magic circle with Lily as the centre.

    And the effect of the magic disyed itself as the life force of every single living thing in the surrounding began to be absorbed forcefully.

    ¡°Now then, surrender your pitiful lives to me.¡±

    The absorption of life force, with Lily as the centre, attacked every living thing inside the forest like a giant tornado.

    The green nts withered, the insects crawling on the ground stopped moving, birds in the air fell down.

    By the time the herbivore animals in the surrounding realized what was urring and tried to run away, their bodies had already stopped moving and lost their lives.

    It was the same for the carnivorous hunting animals as well. The males became vignt but soon fell down, and the females tried to protect their babies or eggs but lost their strength while embracing them.

    Naturally, the children left also had no way to resist it either. The new born lives quickly lost the heat of their bodies. Even the small lives that had not even born and were still inside the eggs were absorbed as well.

    It absorbed indiscriminately all and every life in the surroundings. That was the magic known as [Life Drain].

    ¡°un, this should help mest 20 mins at least.¡±

    But for Lily, it was nothing more than a necessary step for preparation.

    It was a necessary price to be paid, an offering, a sacrifice, to obtain the divine protection.

    ¡°O my pure, lovely and beautiful Queen¡ª-¡°

    The origin of magical energy was the world itself. But the origin of the divine protection was the Gods. Then it needed to be drawn not from this world but from the world of Gods.

    And it was the soul that was connected to the World where the Gods were enthroned.

    All the magical energy within the 100m area around Lily had been offered to the Gods through the [Gate] inside Lily¡¯s soul.

    And as Lily¡¯s body was filled with the divine protection, she shouted.

    With gratitude and respect in her voice, she shouted the name of the God that granted her the divine protection.

    ¡°[Fairy Queen Iris]¡±

    Lily who had once again attained her true form with the help of the Divine protection, flew towards the skies once again leaving behind only a pure white withered forest of death.

    .

    .

    .

    Till now, Kurono had never seen Divine Protection.

    Strictly speaking, all of Kurono¡¯s powers were the [Divine Protection of the ck Gods], and, all of Sariel¡¯s powers were the [Divine Protection of the White God].

    But these two were unique cases. Kurono who had received it through experiments and Apostle who receive it suddenly one day out of nowhere, were the exception among exceptions.

    Then, just what kind of person would normally receive the Divine Protection. The most universal answer would be a [Strong Person].

    On the Pandora continent, various types of Divine protection not rted with battles also existed but they would never be noticed. The only thing that could be clearly shown was the strength in battle. In this world of powerful demons where the rule of survival of the fittest existed, it was an obvious fact.

    Usually whenever someone unusually strong appears, it means that he must possess some sort of Divine Protection.

    Its effect could be allowing the use of a special magic, increase in physical strength, replenishment of magical energy, increase in elemental affinity, change in body shape, etc etc. There were truly too many types of it. And each and every one of them provided an immense amount of power to the person.

    Conversely speaking, as long as one wasn¡¯t strong enough in the first ce, he would never attain a divine protection.

    That level would be around rank 3 as per adventurer levels. To be urate, in the second half of rank 3, a power close enough to a rank 4.

    Since Kurono had only done rank 1 quests aftering to the Pandora continent, it was normal that he had never been together with any strong adventurers that might possess DP.[T/N: I¡¯m shortening Divine Protection to DP cause its irritating to write it all the time.]

    But it was different now. The attack squad led by Kurono were all adventurers of rank 3 and above.

    Leaving the rank 4 werewolf aside, there were also adventurers of strong races like Orc, Lizardmen, Golem as well as Humans and Elfs that possessed various martial art skills. They were of various types but all of them were warriors that possessed some sort of divine protection.

    And so Kurono was able to see the overwhelming strength of DP users personally in this battle for the first time.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Oraaaaa!!¡±

    Every time Vulcan¡¯s giant sword [Fang sword ¨C Evil Eater] was swung, lots of Crusaders were blown in the air.

    All the soldiers that were hit instantly lost one or several of their limbs. Those who didn¡¯t could be counted as very lucky, if you were to disregard the fact that they would still die sooner orter anyway.

    ¡°Come at me you fucking humans! I¡¯m finally starting to get in the mood!¡±

    Bearing the blood smeared sword on his shoulder, Vulcan, who smiled fearlessly towards the soldiers was the exact image of the fearsome demons told in the Republic.

    But the soldiers will not fall back, they could not do so. After all, to kill, annihte such creatures was their creed.

    ¡°Do not falter. Attack him together!!¡±

    Under the order of the squadmander, the soldiers took formation with their spears and faced Vulcan.

    ¡°hehe, looks you guys ain¡¯t scared yet. Nice, I should also be a little more serious now as well¡ª¡±

    Without yielding to the bloodlust and fighting spirit released by Vulcan, the soldiers attacked him with their spears.

    The spears struck towards him. Even if it was arge sword, a spear would still have longer reach. In front of the wall of spears that provided no escape, Vulcan chanted the name of his God.

    ¡°The lone wind d fang¡ª-[Orphan Wolf ¨C Wolfegand]¡±

    The power of the DP spread throughout his body in an instant as he became even calmer while facing that wall of spears.

    ¡°[Air sh]!!!¡±

    The power of wind dwelt inside the single horizontal sh made by therge sword.

    Since Vulcan possessed perfect control over his sword, it didn¡¯t eat the magical energy of the wind created.

    The martial art [Air sh] that was released was a sh that became much longer and reached many meters further andpletely mowed down anything in front of it.

    The spears that were only a few centimetres away from his body were instantly blown away and the soldiers had their body split apart in two and died while still believing that their attack had connected.

    Vulcan who had killed numerous soldiers in a single attack shifted his sights and had already decided his next prey.

    The one whoy in the sights of the brutal wolf was the squadmander dressed in equipment better than other soldiers. That equipment was not just for show. He really was stronger than other soldiers and possessed lower level magic as well as martial arts.

    Vulcan thought that if 5 of such soldiers of his level had attacked him at once, he might have taken at least one injury.

    ¡°O, G-God, grant me protection!¡ª- ?????? ?????? ????¡±

    Maybe because he saw numerous of his subordinates die from a single blow, his face showed an expression of fear, but he still hadn¡¯tpletely lost his fighting spirit.

    He didn¡¯t just chant a prayer to his God but also an attack magic was activated.

    (¡°You can¡¯t kill me with just Ice-Sagita¡±)

    Although Vulcan acknowledged that his opponent was brave enough to have not run away instantly, but that wasn¡¯t enough to lessen the gap in their strengths.

    (¡°Especially now that my DP is activated, I won¡¯t even take any injuries.¡±)

    The DP of [Orphan Wolf ¨C Wolfegand], its power was wind.

    Those who receive its DP have their body d in wind, on attacking, the de of wind will also apply force, the wind pressure would act as a defence to lessen the iing damages and while running, strong winds will carry the body.

    This effect that increases attack, defence, evasion, everything in a bnce was extremely advantageous during such battles where one faced many opponents together.

    Thus defending against or evading this [Ice Sagita] was easy. If he wanted, Vulcan could even just charge straight forward and cut him down instantly.

    Vulcan finally decided his course of action and stepped forward with one of his legs that had be even lighter due to the wind, and agilely attacked like a strong gale.

    ¡°Ice Sagitgaaaaaaaahhh!!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vulcan stopped moving. Before his attack even reached, blood spewed from the squadmander¡¯s neck and he fell down before he could even attack.

    (¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything though.....¡±)

    Vulcan was in doubt but he soon got his answer when he looked closely.

    ¡°Tch, stealing my prey isn¡¯t allowed Su-san.¡±

    ¡°fufufu, it¡¯s firste first served.¡±

    Without any hesitation, the rank 4 adventurer Susu replied with a smile.

    d in a grey robe, she was a woman with no outstanding features. She was so mediocre that while walking through the streets, 9 out of 10 men would not even look back at her.

    But holding the big dagger in a reverse grip that had cut through even chain mail, she was a rare existence that could calmly converse while smiling even with Vulcan who was releasing an immense amount of fighting spirit.

    No, what was more fearsome was the fact that even Vulcan would not have realized that she was even there if he hadn¡¯t concentrated properly.

    She hadn¡¯t used magic directly to conceal her presence. She was simply a master in concealing her own presence so much that she was like a pebble on the roadside that wouldn¡¯t even enter someone¡¯s thoughts.

    Especially in such a scene of carnage where blood and des flew around, it was almost impossible to meet her face to face like this.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty fired up this time.¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°Well yeah. I need to show my coolness to my partner after all.¡±(susu)

    ¡°Hah, looks you¡¯ve taken an interest in that brat. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have such a taste.¡±

    After he said that, he realized that Susu had already disappeared from his view.

    Before he could even think of where she had gone, a voice came from behind him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m not interested in him but the way you put it is not good. You reallyck delicacy.¡±

    (¡°Damn I really couldn¡¯t see her this time at all. Along with stealth, is her movement speed even above Wolfegand? Is she seriously using her DP, this slime woman?¡±)

    He came to the conclusion that any more useless chatter would only bring unnecessary trouble and decided to apologise honestly.

    ¡°My bad. It¡¯s good if you two get along.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Bye then. Let¡¯s work hard for a little while longer.¡±

    As he looked back, Susu had already disappeared.

    Vulcan felt as if he had been talking to a phantom till now.

    ¡°To use [Shadow walker ¨C Hanzoma]¡¯s DP, she really isn¡¯t a thief but an assassin.¡±

    Well whatever. Which God¡¯s skill they use is their own choice. There¡¯s no need to speak uselessly about it was how Adventurers worked. Stopping his thoughts there, he turned towards the soldiers that were crossing the river anding here.

    ¡°For now, I just need to have as much fun as I can!!¡±

    Swearing that he won¡¯t let his prey be stolen this time, Vulcan raised hisrge sword and joyfully rushed towards the enemy group.

    Vulcan¡¯s grey fur that were d in the winds as he ran around like a storm killing his enemies was truly the true image of a person who had received the DP of the [Orphan Wolf ¨C Wolfegand].

 Chapter 110 Fairy Vs Pegasus Knights (3)

    Chapter 110 Fairy Vs Pegasus Knights (3)

    Lily who had regained her strength with the help of the DP of [Fairy Queen ¨C Iris] once again entered into battle in mid air against the Pegasus Knights who were getting more and more fatigued.

    ¡°¡ª¨C[Ignis Charge]!¡±

    Camy released a charging attack. But thence of mes was still unable to pierce through Lily¡¯s Oracle Shield.

    ¡°¡ª¨C[Ice Charge]!¡±

    After her, Cathy attacked Lily with an ice type martial art skill.

    The strength of the skill was average, but on using fire and ice type skills on the same target consecutively, it could even smash through an iron door due to thermal expansion.

    But, Lily¡¯s Oracle shield kept on shining the same as usual as if ignoring thews of physics.

    ¡°Aghn, I¡¯ve had enough!¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s working at aalll!!¡±

    Theint made by two came to Estel¡¯s ears through the transmission.

    ¡°Tch, so it¡¯s the same as before.¡±

    This should be a battle where the enemy can¡¯t retreat either. So she thought that maybe Lily was acting strong and her power might have fallen but it seems she was wrong.

    Even though they had used up quite a lot of energy and stamina, the enemy was still full of magical energy.

    ¡°No, hasn¡¯t she gotten even stronger than before.¡±

    She remembered that previously, such charging attacks had at least created some slight cracks on the shield.

    She had no way of knowing whether this was because they had gotten tired, or the enemy had gotten stronger, or was it due to both.

    ¡°No other choice. Remember what I had said some time ago?¡±

    Estel would stop her Lily¡¯s movements by directly going close and Cathy and Camy would use that chance to deal the finishing blow.

    It was extremely dangerous but she could not think of any other way, and neither did they have the time to think up a n leisurely either.

    ¡°¡ª-ufufu, it¡¯s useless.¡±

    Estel clearly heard that voice inside her head.

    The source was the same transmission method, but this wasn¡¯t the voice of arade. This voice was,

    ¡°Yo, You bitch!!¡±

    ¡°Such a shabby telepathy technique. I was easily able to cut into it.¡±

    It was certainly the voice of Lily who was in front of them.

    From Estel¡¯s pov, she could still see Lily dodging the attacks of n¡¯s squad and Maty¡¯s squad even now.

    But, the voice that came over from the transmission was elegant and rxed, as if she was talking over a cup of tea.

    ¡°This fucking son of a bitch!! Underestimating us!! I¡¯ll kill you with mynce right now!!¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t those stupid sisters supposed to deal the finishing blow to me? To forget the n you made yourself, is your mind turning hazy already? Oh my, humans really do grow old too quickly.¡±

    Estel realized,

    (¡°This is bad, she had beenpletely monitoring our transmissions!!?¡±)

    Even if it was a simple n, if the enemy knew about it, it¡¯ll make a huge difference.

    ¡°Sh, shit......¡±

    Estel broke into cold sweat.

    Whether Lily knew that or not, she kept on talking in the same way.

    ¡°fufu, you have a bad mouth but to sacrifice yourself for yourrades, you have a pretty cute side as well.¡±

    ¡°Stop messing around! Don¡¯t speak like you know everything!!¡±

    No magical energy was flowing inside the transmission device. Her voice shouldn¡¯t have been transmitted nor received, but, the voice from the speaker still didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°But don¡¯t you have some lingering regrets remaining before sacrificing yourself? I know it, I know it very well. You even have someone you love hidden deep inside your heart.¡±

    ¡°St, stop.¡±

    She realized that her own voice had started shivering.

    (¡°Calm down. It must be a bluff. Seeing that I¡¯m a woman, she¡¯s just saying things randomly!¡±)

    ¡°Um, the name of your loved one is¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Stooppp!!!¡±

    The name Lily took was the same as the person that appeared inside Estel¡¯s mind.

    (¡°Wh, wh, why? Why does she know?.......¡±)

    Without minding the dumbfounded Estel, Lily continued speaking.

    ¡°My oh my! He really is a cute guy with brown hair and big round eyes. He¡¯s like a cute little pup, makes you want to tease him.¡±(lily)

    (¡°I see, she can look inside a person¡¯s head and thoughts even at such a distance and so urately......What the hell? She didn¡¯t intercept our transmissions, she has been reading our thoughts from the very start!¡±)

    As Lily urately described Estel¡¯s loved one, Estel finally realized the precision of Lily¡¯s telepathic abilities.

    At the same time, having her thoughts and heartpletely broken into left Estel extremely diforted.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. You haven¡¯t even confessed to him and you want to die here?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!! Be silent!!!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a medic, so he should be nearby right? You can quickly go and confess to him right now.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!!¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon if you don¡¯t do so quickly, he might die first, you know?¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up!!!¡±

    ¡°It took you so much time to finally get along with him, so you can¡¯t die until you make him yours.¡±

    ¡°I said shut up already!!!¡±

    Estel shouted as Lily sneered and ridiculed her.

    ¡°ahahahaha, you really are cute, to get so shaken just by talking about the man you like¡ª¨C¡°

    This woman on the other side of the transmission was clearly speaking words meant to shake her. And Estel was aware that she really waspletely shaken and disturbed right now.

    Estel steadied herself and made herself ready to face the next scary words that woman might speak to her.

    ¡°Evade it, Estel!!!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t recognise whose voice it was in that instant. All she knew was that a white beam was approaching her from the front.

    And the source of this white beam was the finger of the being that flew inverted in mid air inside the oracle shield.

    Just how long had she been targeted. To have not sensed an attack filled with so much killing intent, this would have never happened if it was the usual Estel.

    It was really simple. She had been simply shaken and mislead by Lily¡¯s words and was caught off guard.

    (¡°Damn, I must avoid¡ª-¡°)

    Pegasus¡¯s white wings fluttered in mid air.

    ¡°Gaaaaaaahhhh!!!¡±

    Estel screamed due to the pain and heat. An unbelievable level of pain ran through her whole body.

    Her mind had been ravaged by intense pain, but she still barely had enough capacity to think calmly.

    (¡°¡ª¨CI am still alive. I feel like I died but I¡¯m not dead yet!!¡±)

    The moment she realized that she hadn¡¯t died, she also realized that her Pegasus had started falling.

    The white wings that had been burned and destroyedrgely came in her view. It was not just her, but even her Pegasus had taken damage. That too at the wings.

    But it wasn¡¯t a fatal blow.

    ¡°Show some spirit dammit!! A pegasus can¡¯t fall like this, c¡¯mon!!!¡±

    Spreading its wings once more, the Pegasus somehow maintained its bnce in mid air once again.

    Before she realized, she was inside the triangle formation made by n and her two subordinates.

    It took some time before she realized that they were here to protect Estel from Lily¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°¡±???? ???????¡ªLaser Heal.¡±¡±

    Two healing magics flew towards her. But the pain only became a slight lesser. It wasn¡¯t enough to heal her wounds.

    ¡°.....My bad, I was caught off guard.¡±

    Just saying that, Estel drank the potion prepared by her in advance.

    It was a high grade article, but not even half of her wounds had healed.

    She brought out one more and sprinkled it over the damaged wings of the Pegasus.

    This one also had the same effective strength as the one used by Estel but the wounds weren¡¯t shallow enough to be healed by just this.

    ¡°Estel, let¡¯s retreat.¡±

    Estel was unable to answer to n¡¯s proposal instantly. She once again looked towards her wounds.

    (¡°Shit! I shouldn¡¯t have looked.¡±)

    Her left hand had the deepest wounds. She might have reflexively used her hand to protect her body from Lily¡¯s attacks.

    The te armour with defensive magic had beenpletely burned away and the attack had deeply wounded her.

    The wound started from her left hand and reached towards her shoulder, stopping just barely before it reached her neck.

    If it had reached a few centimetres more, her head would have been separated from her body, no doubt.

    It seems, Lily¡¯s beam attack had mowed down the Pegasus¡¯s left wing along with Estel from the left side.

    (¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t fight, but, I won¡¯t be able to stop that bitch¡¯s movement properly, but still......¡±)

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. I can still fight.¡±(estel)

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Look Estel, the ground forces have started retreating.¡±

    ¡°What!?!¡±

    As she looked downwards, she saw the soldiers moving in the exact opposite direction as before.

    But, considering the mistakes made by them, she wasn¡¯t in a position to abuse the soldiers either.

    ¡°.......Let¡¯s retreat.¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger.¡±¡±

    After hearing the response, Estel looked towards Lily who was still not moving and floated in mid-air.

    It wasn¡¯t a distance where she could have seen the expression on Lily¡¯s face, but she knew that Lily wasughing right now.

    ¡°Bye. After you return, have your beloved one to heal your body and heart Estel.¡±

    Lily, who spoke that through the transmission, flew back towards Alsace without pursuing the Pegasus Knights.

    ¡°Goddamnit, making fun of me till the very end.........¡±

    As Estel cursed her, only Lily¡¯s smiling face appeared inside her head. She wondered whether that was also due to Lily.

 Chapter 111 Flame Rampart

    Chapter 111 me Rampart

    The 24 man assault party was fighting by the riverbank by using martial arts, magic, and DP and had yet to suffer a single casualty.

    But the number of enemies crossing over the river was in hundreds. Even if they had been fighting with the vigour of a mighty warrior able to match countless, it was still impossible to stop all of the enemy soldiers to not let them pass through.

    Passing through the rain of arrows and magic, also making through the des of the assault party, the infantry soldiers had finally reached Alsace vige¡¯s protective wall.

    But still, the soldiers had been yet unable to cross through this thin, weak looking fence of wood.

    ¡°Wh, what¡¯s with these iron wires¡ª-¡°

    The soldiers stepped onto the barbed wires without any hesitation.

    And the next moment they regretted it. This thorn filled wires of iron pierced through and coiled around their legs giving great pain, and also slowed down their advance.

    ¡°Uraa! Go back to your homes you damned humans!!¡±

    The adventurers on the other side of the fence who stood there to intercept the unmoving soldiers, shouted and cursed at them as well.

    This squad was made with adventurers of an average of rank 2 and were weakerparatively, but since they had been working as an adventurer for the past many years, they were still skilled warriors from the pov of the soldiers.

    The spears that stabbed from the inner side of the fence expertly killed the soldiers one by one that had been trapped in the barbed wires.

    But on the other hand, the Crusaders still advanced with their big numbers and soon a lot of soldiers had joined the fight in front of the protective wall.

    ¡°Nee-san, isn¡¯t this starting to get more and more dangerous!?¡±

    The members of the [Three hunting Princess] that were fighting on the frontlines like brave Valkyries. Out of them, the third sister Hanna, raised her voice.

    ¡°Calm down. We¡¯re still fine. An Elf would not panic in any condition. Laura, are the preparations done?¡±

    ¡°Yes, nee-san.¡±

    Hanna had already switched to a spear and had been killing the soldiers that had been trying to cross over from the past 5 mins.

    On the other hand, the eldest Irina, and the second sister Laura had nocked an even bigger lightning arrow with their Sylphlight.

    The enemy had been advancing in front of them and it was a situation where they could hit even if they fired with their eyes closed. But, the enemy was not in their sight right now.

    ¡°Everyone, get away from the fence!¡±

    On Irina¡¯s voice, Hanna and the rest of the adventurers took one step back from the fence.

    Seeing that chance, all the soldiers clung to the fence and tried to climb over.

    ¡°¡±[Thunder Emission ¨C Line st]!!¡±¡±

    A lower grade wide range lightning magic was fired from the bow. It was impossible to attack every enemy with just two of such attacks.

    But, iron wires had been spread around their legs. The fence was also wrapped with iron wires as well.

    The lightning fired from the Wind Lightning Bow ¨C Sylphlight was first absorbed by the barbed wires coiled around the fence and quickly the lightning circted to all the barbed wires spread around.

    At this moment, the barbed wire, turned into electrically charged barbed wires.

    The soldiers clinging to the fence suddenly stopped moving like insects that had pesticide thrown on them, and the soldiers that had their legs trapped in the barbed wire were electrocuted and lost the strength to fight.

    ¡°See, we¡¯re still fine.¡±(irina)

    ¡°Eh, right.......¡±(hanna)

    Irina¡¯s face showed calmness. Hanna understood the difference in the level of tension between her and her elder sister.

    ¡°Everyone get ready! More of them areing!¡±

    The soldiers directly in front of the protective wall had been wiped out but once again more of the enemies appeared.

    They didn¡¯t have the time to get happy just by killing one wave of enemies. The adventurers psyched themselves once more and faced the enemy.

    ¡°Nee-san, the next one might not work this well.¡±

    Laura¡¯s cool voice came to Irina.

    ¡°Why so? The fence is still in perfect shape.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. There are too many corpses.¡±

    Laura pointed towards the other side of the fence. There a lot of corpses and wounded soldiers were lying on the ground.

    It was obvious, but they were lying not on the ground but on the barbed wires.

    ¡°Oh no, they¡¯d use the corpses as a foothold¡ª¡°

    As Irina realized it, it also became a reality.

    The iing Crusaders used the corpses and even those who were still breathingrades as a footing without hesitation and moved towards the protective wall without getting caught in the barbed wires.

    ¡°You bastards! You would go as far as to even step on your ownrades!¡±

    One of the adventurers shouted.

    For adventurers who stressed on teamwork, the actions of the Crusaders who, let alone the corpses of theirrades, without helping even those who were alive and stepped on them were unforgivable.

    But for the soldiers, it was a natural action to take. Even on earth, using the bodies of theirrades to cross barbed wire was a tactic that was much used.

    Though only Kurono knew about that fact among the adventurers, for the Crusaders it was simply using a convenient footing that they found.

    ¡°Certainly, this might get troublesome. Like this, even if we used the lightning attack again, it won¡¯t work much.¡±(irina)

    From here on out, they had no choice but to stop the enemy with pure strength.

    Resolving for that, Irina and Laura drew their weapons and faced their enemies with even more vigour, at that moment,

    ¡°I¡¯m back!!¡±

    With such a yell, the crusaders heard the unforgettable explosive sound of the Devil.

    With a *Giyarigiyari* sound, with ck muzzle shes, ck bullets that pierced through even armour flew here.

    ¡°I have made you wait everyone! The machine gun is back again!!¡±

    Once again, the surekill storm of bullets attacked the Crusaders.

    Mozrun held the machinegun¡¯s grip and fired towards the Crusaders attacking the protective wall.

    ¡°fuu, it sure came back at a great time.¡±

    Irino showed a somewhat rxed expression and looked back to give orders.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go and meet Kurono-san and the others.¡±(Fiona)

    The one who stood there was the witch dressed in ck clothes different from Kurono, Fiona.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±(irina)

    ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡±

    Fiona brought out arge horn from inside her trademark witch¡¯s hat.

    Putting her small lips on the horn, she blew air into it.

    *BUOOOOOONN*

    A sound loud enough to drown the shouts of the soldiers and the shooting of the machinegun resounded.

    It was certainly loud enough to even reach the ears of Kurono and the rest of the assault party beyond the protective wall.

    .

    .

    .

    (POV to kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s the signal of the horn! Everyone fall back!!¡±

    As the sound of the horn came to my ears, I gave the order to retreat.

    Though I say so, everyone should have heard it so they really should not need my orders anyway.

    ¡°Uraaa! Come at meee!!¡±

    Among the blood smeared soldiers, it seems there was one who had even forgotten the signal and kept on fighting.

    I¡¯m talking about you, Vulcan.

    ¡°Magic Bullet Arts.¡±

    I sent a bullet to his temporal region. It is one of those soft ones that I used in the duel.

    ¡°Ouch! What Kurono?! Don¡¯t interfere damnit!¡±

    2 soldiers who got caught in his swing were blown away as he turned back with angry words.

    ¡°Retreat. Did you not hear the horn?¡±

    ¡°Aa, yeah, such a signal was there as well.¡±

    You, if I had not said anything, how long were you going to fight? Till you died?

    ¡°ck Smoke.¡±

    For the time being I released a smoke screen as I took the muscle headed, fighting crazed werewolf with me back to the vige to retreat.

    With the appearance of the ck smoke all over the ce, the soldiers seemed on guard thinking it might be poison. But unfortunately this smoke had no attacking abilities. It¡¯s just a smokescreen.

    It¡¯s a magic of which I have memories of having used first against Sariel to run away from her. But since there is no attack that might hit me urately even with this smoke, it is a much morefortable situation than that time.

    ¡°As expected of a skilled adventurer, even the skill to retreat is shy.¡±

    All those who had been encircled by the soldiers and were currently in melee used this chance to slip through the gaps and started retreating.

    But still, there is no other way to stop the enemy here on these open ins. As expected, the soldiers chased after us who were falling back.

    ¡°The demons are retreating!¡±

    ¡°After them!¡±

    Since we started to retreat, the Crusaders became livelier.

    If we kept on moving backwards like this directly towards the gate, they¡¯ll also enter through the gate when we enter.

    Somewhere, we needed to hold them off to gain enough time for us to get back inside.

    But, that was not my job.

    ¡°Move it oraa!!¡±

    Vulcan began to take down the enemies that had slipped through us and had reached the protective wall.

    The soldiers who had ended up as a victim of a pincer attack were easily driven out under the des of the assault party. Yeah, first of all we need to get rid of the enemies near the gate.

    The 24 people of the assault party gathered in front of the barbed wires that had beenid down just after we had departed from here.

    All that¡¯s left is to wait for them to meet us.

    ¡°Wee back Kurono-san.¡±

    Fiona¡¯s words came to ears at the same time as the gate opened.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±

    Fiona stood at the gate with her usual sleepy expression. From her both sides, two adventurers holding scissors or rather nipper like items with a long handle appeared.

    The item they held was not a weapon. It was an item required to remove the barbed wire.

    Thanks to practicing countless times, with quick movements, the barbed wire in front of the gate was cleared out and created a path.

    But in that time, I also saw countless soldiers who wanted to use this chance to enter in through the gate we opened as well.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes¡ª-¡°(Fiona)

    Without even minding the soldiers approaching from behind, we calmly entered through the gate while listen to Fiona¡¯s chant.

    ¡°??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????¡±

    I, who was not a normal magician, did not know what that chant meant, but, I knew what magic was about to be activated.

    It was the same line of magic that saved me back at Irz.

    I had seen a magic that looked like an advanced grade giant wall of me but the magic she was about to use now to stop the enemy was, this time, truly the advanced level defensive magic.

    ¡°¡ª[Ignis Rampart Defence]¡±

    It was truly an eruption.

    A shield of fire. A wall of me. Such an expression would not fit it. Arge mountain of red burning mes possessing extreme temperature had risen up here.

    Just as how magma of a volcano could not be stopped no matter how many humans jump in, this [Ignis Rampart Defence] had clearly stopped the countless troops.

    ¡°......amazing.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±(Fiona)

    I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that. The adventurers as well as the Crusaders who were trying to attack had been captivated by it.

    And, without losing a single person from the 24 man assault party, everyone had safely entered back in the vige and the gates had been closed once more.

    And at the same time the me rampart swayed like a mirage, and the next moment, it disappearedpletely as if it was just an illusion.

 Chapter 112 A Temporary Retreat

    Chapter 112 A Temporary Retreat

    After returning back through the gate, I along with Mossan, once again attacked the enemy with our crossfire.

    Quite a lot of them hade close to the gate but after the crossfiring restarted, we were able to push them back away once again.

    I once again realized the astounding killing ability of the crossfire once again but, if the machinegun stopped again, we¡¯ll have to leave through the gate once more.

    This time we had returned without losing a single person but the on the second time, casualties will definitely arise.

    On top of that, even I can¡¯t continue to fire bullet arts infinitely either.

    Although we still had margin, if we kept on continuing like this and the enemy continues to advance in the same pace, it¡¯s doubtful whether we¡¯ll be able to hold them off for even today.

    But that thought ended up as a needless anxiety.

    ¡°.......the enemy is falling back.¡±

    After we started the crossfire for the second time, we pushed back the enemy soldiers that hade close to the protective wall, and then soon after that, the enemies started to retreat one by one.

    ¡°Oi Kurono, they¡¯re escaping but is it fine to not pursue them?¡±

    Vulcan had thrown away his bow and was ready to jump out of the gate.

    Well it is basic to go after the escaping enemy but.......

    ¡°We won¡¯t pursue.¡±

    ¡°Alright, leave it to¡ª¨Cwait what!?!¡±

    Calm down Vulcan and remove your hand from the handle of your sword.

    ¡°The enemy doesn¡¯t have a machinegun but they have enough magicians topensate for that on the other side of the shore. If we attacked, they¡¯ll use that chance to use wide range attacks to kill us even if that meant that they¡¯ll drag their own allies into it as well.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t call yourself an Adventurer if you get scared of everything!¡±

    ¡°If their attack party tried to assault us continuously, we would not hold for even half the day. Even if that didn¡¯t happen, if we decide to pursue them right now, there will definitely be casualties. We barely have enough people here right now already. We can¡¯t lose more of our men anymore.¡±

    ¡°Tch, can¡¯t help it then. If the leader says it I guess I¡¯ll have to listen to it.

    Oi, you bastards, return to your positions, don¡¯t think of throwing away your bows already! I¡¯m bearing with it as well!!¡±

    Other adventurers who wanted to pursue like Vulcan scattered away with unpleased expressions.

    ¡°But, Kurono?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Will the enemye again?¡±

    The Crusaders retreated back to the other shore, and the Pegasus Knights in the air have also seem to be disappeared.

    The battle haspletely stopped right now but this isn¡¯t a simple battle where this could be considered as a victory.

    This is a defensive battle. We need to keep on protecting as long as the enemy keeps charging.

    The enemy has only retreated for a short while.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know when they¡¯lle again but I¡¯m sure that they have definitely not given up.¡±

    ¡°I see, well our objective is to buy time. It is good for us if they decide to stay idle, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t let your guard down, they might attack again soon as well. There¡¯s also a chance that they might n a surprise attack or a night attack as well. Be prepared at all times.¡±

    Just what kinds of n will the Crusaderse up with; I have no way of knowing.

    So that we aren¡¯t taken by surprise, we¡¯ll have to keep watch 24/7.

    We¡¯ll have to continue this situation where we won¡¯t know when the enemy wille attacking, for a whole week. Fatigue will definitely start piling up even if we don¡¯t enter into a direct battle.

    ¡°From here on out, it¡¯s a war of attrition¡ª¡ª¡°

    .

    .

    .

    Just as the sun had begun t9o set, Norz who had been hit by the Ballista¡¯s attack finally woke up.

    Seeing his surroundings, he quickly realized where he was.

    This was the Crusader¡¯s encampment in the Vato vige and currently he was inside one of the hurriedly constructed field hospitals.

    Since most of the buildings had been destroyed by the scorched earth tactics used by the demons, they had used aparativelyrge house in its ce.

    Norz was the only one on a bed, since he was themander of the troops. The rest of the injured soldiers had beenid down on the floor directly with just a sheet.

    ¡°Urmu.......¡±

    As he raised his still paining body, one of the medics who realized it quickly came here.

    While the medic and Norz exchanged info with each other, Sister Sylvia who had received the report also came here.

    ¡°How is your condition?¡±

    ¡°No problem, I can fight again soon enough.¡±

    If the demons tried a surprise attack right now, he had healed enough to have picked his mace and gone back to the battlefield again.

    Conversely speaking, if it wasn¡¯t an emergency situation, he wouldn¡¯t try and move his body right now though.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome if you died o easily. Please try to act a bit more prudently from now onwards.¡±

    ¡°Guh.......Rather than that, what happened to the battle? We have upied Alsace already, right?¡±

    Hearing that, Sylvia gave a sigh and told him otherwise.

    ¡°No, the attack has been stopped and the troops have retreated from Alsace for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Wh, What did you say!? What is that supposed to mean!?!¡±

    Norz raised his voice due to the unexpected reply but Sylvia was still calm since she had expected that reaction.

    ¡°The enemy defence line was much more solid than we had thought. If they had continued like that, there would have been only an increase in our damages and so the decision to retreat was made.¡±

    ¡°Fuck that! Just how strong can that meagre protective wall be!? Do you know how many soldiers we¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Let us talk about the details after we leave this ce. You¡¯ll have to listen to the reports made by themanders of every squad as well.¡±

    After saying just that, Sylvia left the room.

    ¡°Impossible. Even though so many soldiers and even the Pegasus Knights had been mobilised, and we couldn¡¯t topple a single small vige?............¡±

    Norz without even realizing that Sylvia had already left, held his head in his arms as he tried to ept this incredible fact.

    It was a battle in which he had absolute confidence but first, theplete heavy armoured knight squad was killed by the enemy, he himself had fallen to an enemy ballista attack, and to top it off, they had been unable to capture Alsace in the end.

    This waspletely unexpected. To have retreated from a small demon force while leading arge army, it was a massive failure both as amander as well as a believer of the cross.

    It was so bad that it might have been better to have been killed in action.

    But Norz quickly rid himself of that thought. The ones he needed to curse were those despicable demons who used evil underhanded tactics.

    He will definitely consign each and every demon in Alsace to oblivion.

    Even if he has to face some kind of punishment after this battle, he will definitely deal with those demons before that happened.

    Especially that ck dressed magician called as the ¡®Devil¡¯ by the army, he would make sure to crucify that bastard till his body rotted to the core otherwise Norz wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied.

    ¡°Damned demons......although I had no intention to let any of you live in the first ce, but don¡¯t think you will die peacefully now.......¡±

 Chapter 113 The Night on the 2nd of Hatsubi Month

    Chapter 113 ¨C The Night on the 2nd of Hatsubi Month

    Looks like the Crusader¡¯s havepletely retreated, the whiterge army that attacked, is nowhere to be seen right now.

    Only some small groups might be hiding on the opposite shore to observe us.

    The main force should have returned back to Vato Vige.

    ¡°We somehow made it today.¡±

    I murmured and closed my eyes.

    In truth I didn¡¯t want to sleep in the guild room, but Mossan persuaded me saying ¡®Rxation is also an important part of work¡¯.

    To stop the advance of enemy soldiers the main fire powers like me who can use bullet arts and the machine gun shouldn¡¯t be away from the gates. In near future, either me or Mossan will have to stand near the gates as guards.

    This guarding system is difficult for an ordinary human to pull off, but my body is a lot more tough than that of an ordinary human and Mossan is also near an demonic beast. We both can move without any rest for at least 1 week.

    But like normal humans, many other races also can¡¯t do work without any rest. If they don¡¯t take any rest then it will only umte fatigue and will result in the decline of war potential.

    Though I say that, the ones present here are adventurers. It won¡¯t be a problem if everyone takes rest by turns. They are happy that they will be able to rest on the bed inside guild rather than sleeping outdoors which is the inevitable process during quests.

    Of course, there are not sufficient number of beds and more than half are sleeping on the floor.

    ¡°But, when the casualties increase, it won¡¯t remain the same......¡±

    The total number of casualties today were only 2. They died by having spear struck into them when the enemy approached the defensive walls.

    Seeing from the results, that just a group of 100 people stopped arge army with a really low loss percentage, from the standpoint of n progressing it is unbelievably good.

    Even if it¡¯s like this, it is not easy to break the defenses.

    When an adventurer dies it is their own responsibility, but if they died under mymands, the level of responsibility is different.

    Just by making a single mistake, others can die easily, that is something which is unbelievably fearful. I once again realized it after hearing the casualty report.

    ¡°¡ªI will worry about itter, I have already made up my mind. I and everyone too will make sacrifices to buy time forpleting the evacuation.¡±

    Right now there is no time to worry about other things or thinking or even getting shocked by them.

    The thing I need to think right now is only about are the tactics for the n. How will the enemy move, attack and how will we take advantage over their actions.

    There are a lot of things to think about. Furthermore, the data I¡¯ve earned today is valuable. After all, this is the first head on collision battle against the Crusaders. I now know the number of people on the their side and how they fight.

    ¡°Just from the results it is superb, it¡¯s on the level of overwhelming victory. We have 2 casualties but it won¡¯t be strange for their side to have casualties exceeding 1000.¡±

    There is healing magic present, so many injured will be revived in full power and be ready to face off tomorrow. But the people who have died are also in great numbers.

    There is no doubt that we were able to reduce the military force of Crusaders exponentially.

    However, I know that it¡¯s not enough for the copse of the army. Even including the casualties and injured ones it won¡¯t even reach to one-third of their whole force.

    But still, there is no doubt that nothing went wrong from the trap of breaking the bridge to controlling the flow of battle, No, rather it went just too smoothly.

    The battle is not over with this, looking at the long term we will have to retreat in near future and the enemy will not let us do that.

    If themander of the enemy has a lot of pride, then right now his face might be red from anger. After all, he couldn¡¯t siege a small vige after mobilizing arge number of soldiers.

    If we assume that, then it won¡¯t be strange for him to attack without taking the casualties into consideration.

    It¡¯s simple but with 100% sess rate. If he takes a step forward than my tactics then Alsace will fall into the hands of enemy.

    ¡°The time limit of continuing cross fire is really bad, but nothing can be done now. How will I be able to stop them during the cooling time......In the end, ites to crushing them with power, huh¡±

    The solution is only all of us giving our all to stop them. I can¡¯t think of any n in this short amount of time to overturn tables on them.

    No, in the first ce, the god gave us luck that we were able to continue the cross fire without any difficulties.

    The Crusaders are already pretty tough. If they had charged without caring about the bullets fired from the machine gun, then our n would¡¯ve already been overturned.

    Even if the protective walls are wrapped with barbed wires, but it will eventually break against them. It was only due to the fact that I have cross-fire system, that I can say it is possible to defend Alsace Vige for 1 week.

    And today, the power of machine gun was demonstrated and to cover it up we showed our power and guts. It is a pretty good war progression.

    ¡°And for Lily to have actually stopped the whole Pegasus Knights alone......this was the most lucky things that happened for us¡±

    I did know that Lily was strong, but I never thought she would be able to stop the whole Pegasus Knight Squad by herself.

    And the work of dealing with the Pegasus Knights who escaped from Lily was of Simon and the archers stationed in the Guild.

    As a matter of fact, I predicted that there will be a lot of casualties on our side during that time.

    Fighting head on against a group of elite soldiers wearing first-ss equipment and are attacking from mid-air. It won¡¯t end up with just some scratches for us.

    But looking at the reports, the casualties in the guild were 0. The Pegasus Knights in the first ce didn¡¯te near them, after all Lily stopped them all by herself.

    And during the time Lily was fighting, the ground forces started to retreat and so the Pegasus Knights retreated as well.

    Though it happened in reality, it¡¯s difficult to really digest this fact. I never thought Lily in her true form would be this strong. In the first ce today was the first time I saw her fighting in her true form.

    How should I say it, but perhaps her true form is Dragon rather than a Fairy. No, really wouldn¡¯t it be better for Lily to be the leader in terms of power......

    ¡°But even Lily has her limits. Next time the Pegasus Knights attack, they wille near the Guild.¡±

    After the enemy retreated, Lily came to me and spoke words of apology.

    ¡°Sorry, Kurono. I alone wasn¡¯t able to annihte the whole Pegasus Knight Squad. I can only defeat some of them with this body before it reaches the time limit. I increased the time to fight using the divine protection, but it isn¡¯t something that will always work. Next time, I doubt I will be able to stop them all.¡±

    Saying that, Lily changed to her little girl form, and maybe because she over worked herself, she suddenly went to sleep.

    I immediately took her to Guild andid her on the bed. Most probably, she is right now recovering her stamina.

    ¡°*Sigh* Don¡¯t overwork yourself, Lily¡±

    Though I am pretending to be calm. In truth my heart was aching like hell when I had to make Lily fight alone against the Pegasus Knights.

    Or rather, was Lily thinking of really annihting them. I believe I said just to stop their advance......

    ¡°No good, it¡¯s not good to care much only about those close to me right now......but in the end, I¡¯m still worried.¡±

    For the time being, even if Pegasus Knights appear, with Liy here we can stop thempletely for 30 minutes at most.

    Today she defeated 7 people, and others too gained major or minor injuries. Next time will be on the same level.

    Anyway, we will be able to reduce the war potential of Pegasus Knights thanks to Lily. We will have to make sacrifices, but it¡¯s not impossible to annihte them too.

    ¡°If we can stop the Pegasus Knights. The problem left is the ground forces.¡±

    There is no other choice than to somehow pull it off, without any hope of getting reinforcements or without any n to turn tables on them.

    In truth, it was possible to kill of many soldiers thanks to the sniping from the guild gate and cover firing from inside the guild.

    There numbers are great, so having arrows equipped with lightning being thrown at them is a good n.

    Even if the arrows don¡¯t hit, they will get the electric shock due to water.

    ¡°Simon also worked hard today¡±

    Simons, reduced the numbers of magicians being deployed on the opposite shore.

    She took only some advice from me and created a sniper rifle. She really is a girl to be feared with her unmatched uracy in sniping.

    The pair of Simon and Suu-san gave better results than what I had expected.

    During the time of preparations, seeing them practicing sniping gave a feeling of a really good pair. There was no wrong choice in choosing Suu-san as a spotter.

    Now that I think about it, during the time I was fighting the heads of enemies around me were having their heads blown. It must be due to those two.

    I can still understand about Simon, but Suu-san¡¯s fighting style to cut enemies head while hiding her presence is more fearful. ording to Vulcan it is the power of her divine protection......Rank 4 adventurers really are great.

    ¡°The adventurers are more powerful than I thought. We were able to protect the vige today because everyone fought to their full extent.¡±

    I have no words to thank them, but thinking that their blood will be flown on the battlefield from now on, I can¡¯t help but feel dark anxiety inside my heart.

    The ones to die next might be me, or the ones close to me.

    The fact of losing everyone in Irz Vige feels like a distant past already, but the anger, sadness and indescribable sense of loss I felt at that time, is still living in my heart.

    I don¡¯t want to feel like that anymore. No, maybe I just want to run away from everything by forgetting everyone and everything about this ce.

    ¡°......Not good, Don¡¯t think like that me. I now have the responsibility of others lives in my hands.¡±

    That¡¯s right, now there is no ce to run, the battle has already begun.

 Chapter 114 The night on the Second of Hatsubi Month (2)

    Chapter 114 ¨C The night on the Second of Hatsubi Month (2)

    The ones in charge of night guard are the beast men who can see in the night or the the thieves with skills or magic to see in the darkness.

    Simon is the one specialised in long-distance attacks, but that is useless without any night-vision goggles.

    He has the greatest concentration power but hecks in the physical areas such as stamina and endurance. So he is taking a rest right now.

    Simon can sleep for one whole night as the enemy is not going to attack in night, but aftering down from the rooftop he heads towards the room Kurono was sleeping in rather than his allotted room.

    ¡°Is Onii-san already asleep¡±

    The resting time are the same for Simon and Kurono, but Kurono decided to again go towards the protective wall after taking a nap.

    When Simons moves his line of sight towards the passage in front of Kurono¡¯s bedroom.

    ¡°Ah, Lily-san......¡±

    Lily is small, but one can identify her thanks to her two pair of wings.

    In the first ce, the ones with the appearance of a child within the adventurer alliance are only Simon and Lily.

    ¡°Nh, What are you doing here?¡±

    (Crap, her mind right now is that of her original self......It would have been better if she had the child¡¯s mind but this one is really scary......)

    It is already amon knowledge between the adventurer alliance about Lily¡¯s dual personalities. Simon is also not an exception.

    But rather he learnt it fast that Lily has dual personalities.

    The face of Lily has already be a trauma for thed named Simon. And that has been so since the day he met Kurono and Lily broke into hisboratory with an angry face.

    ¡°E-Erm nothing much......¡±

    Simon speaks evasive words while avoiding looking in her eyes. However, Lily already has a rough estimation for his actions without even using Telepathy.

    But, there is obligation for her to show that she understands his actions.

    ¡°I see, Kurono is already sleeping soeter. Kurono is tired due to overworking, if you¡¯re going to disturb his sleep, I won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°Eh, then Lily-san is¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not disturbing his sleep. I just came to sleep together with him.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so¡±

    (I heard that Lilu-san was sleeping in another room aftering back. So it means that she came to Onii-san¡¯s room with some motive, right?)

    Simon thinks that for what reason would Lily need to sleep together with Kurono.

    ¡°If you understand it, then return back to your room.¡±

    ¡°Uu. Yeah¡±

    Simon thinks ¡®There are always people who never give up¡¯ while looking at Lily¡¯s round and cute eyes full of will power.

    ¡°*Sigh*¡±

    Simon after seeing off Lily, who went inside Kurono¡¯s room, returned back.

    ¡°I had so much to talk.¡±

    ¡°¡ªIn other words, did you want to get praised by Kurono?¡±

    ¡°Aaah!? Susu-san how did you¡ª-¡±

    Simon leaked out a loud voice due to a sudden intervention while he was talking to himself. Susu-san quickly covers his mouth before rming others.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t be quiet, Kurono won¡¯t get angry, but Lily-san definitely will.¡±

    Simon agrees to her words by nodding his head.

    ¡°It was unfortunate that she beat you in getting Kurono. Try to get praised a lot by Kurono tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Eh. I don¡¯t want that¡ª-I used the rifle and machine gun for the first time in a battle, so I wanted to ask how it was and......¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at that¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying the truth!!¡±

    Simon objects with blushing cheeks. Seeing those actions anyone can know whether the words Susu said were wrong or right.

    What Simon is saying is also right but it¡¯s just an extra to cover his real intentions. He wants to hear ¡®You did really good¡¯ from Kurono. [ET: I¡¯m writing itter, but many were speaking shit about Gender this and that now have fun with ¡®He¡¯ and ¡®his¡¯ rtion with Kurono.]

    ¡°But still, when I saw you heading towards Kurono¡¯s room. I thought you were going to sneak in with some ulterior motives.¡±

    ¡°Sneaking in, Eeeeh!? I-I won¡¯t do that that ever, furthermore we both are men! Or rather do you see me as a person with that sort of hobby!¡±

    At least, Kurono is still thinking about Simon as a girl, but for good or for bad, Simon has yet to realize it.

    ¡°But still, you¡¯re already of the age to have a lover. And seeing you staring at Kurono with considerably lovely eyes, so I thought that maybe...you know¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a straight!¡±

    He objects with all his energy. Surely he thinks highly of Kurono, but he doesn¡¯t love Kurono like that at all.

    ¡°Hmm, who knows. We have the three hunting princesses and the magician Fiona and many girls with good face, but you don¡¯t seem like you have any interest in them.¡±

    ¡°If I look at them with those eyes, won¡¯t I be just a pervert.¡±

    Simon epts the fact that the girls Susu rmended are beautiful, but he doesn¡¯t have any crooked aesthetic feelings.

    ¡°Then maybe Lily-san. That person does look beautiful and all, but I won¡¯t rmend her.¡±

    ¡°Lily-san. Please, no way in hell!¡±

    No matter how much beautiful she is, it¡¯s natural for anyone to to not like her if they are red at everytime they meet her.

    ¡°Hmm, then¡ªWhoa, I got it¡±

    ¡°Please stop this topic right now, I¡¯m no good with talk about love and all¡ª¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t like the ones with small chests.¡±

    ¡°Please listen to me......¡±

    Simon drops her shoulders while sighing.

    He looks down at his feet while thinking of a way to escape from this strange talk. Then looks up with an idea in his mind.

    ¡°How about this?¡±

    Two mountains start swinging in front of Simon.

    ¡°E, Eeehhh!? How did you, how did your chests getrger!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it good to take that reaction as proof that I also have some hope?¡±

    ¡°I was just scared!¡±

    Susu shows a somewhat nasty smile. Just some seconds before her chest was like the great ins, but now, as if they had gotten the blessings of Mother Earth, there are tworge mountains present.

    It¡¯s size is about the size of Simon¡¯s head. That mass which has already surpassed the level ofrge is bursting out of the thin shirt.

    ¡°What is this......¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a slime, so I keep my appearance as in as possible, but if I want I can change the breasts and many more things just as you are seeing right now.¡±

    When she says that, her breasts swing in a seductive manner. Simon instinctively stares on them, a man cannot look away from a good thing.

    ¡°That aside, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Eh, erm, what do you mean......?¡±

    Susu takes a forward-bent posture to look in Simon¡¯s eyes as he is short in height. Just below her face, was the deep cleavage peeking out of her shirt.

    Simon tries to avert his line of sight with his facepletely red. Susu notices his innocent actions.

    ¡°What I mean is¡ª¡±

    But it is impossible for Simon, who is a noob in rtionship experiences, to know what was going on Susu¡¯s mind.

    ¡°¡ª-This thing¡±

    Before Simon knew it, his right hand was gripped and even before he could resist his hand touched the great mountains.

    A soft and warm feeling reaches his palm. The only thing between is a thin shirt. The feeling alone is enough to shatter the calmness of a man into pieces.

    ¡°Waaaa!? S-Sorry, It¡¯s already time for me to sleep! See youter!!¡±

    However, looks like it was too much for Simon to handle.

    Simon, in a panic, shakes Susu off and ran off with a really red face towards his room.

    ¡°Ahaha, he¡¯s really cute¡ª¡±

    Susu sees Simon off with a smile,

    ¡°¡ªI might get serious next time¡±

    Saying that one phrase, Susu left from that ce without making any sound.

    .

    .

    .

    The Crusaders stationed in Vato Vige, in truth they should have upied Alsace Vige by now.

    But they were obstructed by the defensive line of demons hiding in Alsace Vige. Anyhow, now they will have to stay in Vato Vige for some time.

    That is the same for the Cyprus mercenaries too. They were, as usual, at the campsite away from Vato Vige.

    Cyprus who is alwayszy should have been in the bed with his women subordinates in night but he is currently within the forest that is a little away from the camp site.

    Cyprus is leaning against a long tree. In his hand is a short wand.

    At one nce it looks like a branch of a ck tree, but on it¡¯s surface white colored geometrical pattern is drawn all over and it¡¯s ends are sharp like that of a spear.

    ¡°Handing me a fucking old version of ¡®Aranea¡¯, this is crap. It¡¯s a hassle to activate its effects everyday, bastards!¡±

    While sayingints towards the person who handed the ¡®Aranea¡¯ to him he stabs the tip of the wand in the ground.

    ¡¸?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????¡¹

    The wand reacts to Cyprus¡¯s chant and the white geometrical pattern starts glowing.

    Along with that the point where the wand is stabbed, the white pattern starts spreading on the ground.

    The magic circle of 1 metre was created. It seems like a spider¡¯s web.

    ¡°¡ªAranea¡±

    The magic he used is Summon, the ones who came out are, just as the name says, Spider servant.

    From inside the spider web, many ck spiders crawl out as ifing out of water.

    The sight of manyrge spiders gushing out from the ground will give an unpleasant feeling to any person instinctively.

    But Cyprus, the summoner shows no expression as if saying that it is natural and sees off the spiders.

    The spiders disappear towards the other side of the dark forest in the blink of an eye. However, they alle back within 1 minute.

    ¡°......Tsk, many have been reduced. this shitty product.¡±

    Their appearance is the same as the ones he just summoned but they are the ones which were summoned yesterday. The work of ¡®Aranea¡¯ is observing. [ET: The spiders that came back were the ones he sent yesterday not the ones he summoned right now.]

    The Cyprus mercenaries were ordered to remain in Vato Vige and so he used this servant to observe the flow of fight.

    ¡°Demon this and that, these bastards came back after losing. Well then let¡¯s see what happened there¡ª¡±

    Cyprus takes one spider on his hand.

    And then the fragments of images and sounds emerge inside his mind.

    To read from this demon, a skill is needed, but for Cyprus who summoned them it is really easy to read all the data recorded in them.

    ¡°¡ªWhoa, Elf Girl discovered. This is good, this is what I was searching for.¡±

    A picture of three elves with blond hair and blue eyes appears, the face of the three is really beautiful.

    He then sees the scene of soldiers dying due to the lightning arrows fired by the three.

    ¡°Nh¨Cbut with just the demons, this much casualties¡ª-¡±

    Cyprus was going to say some foolish phrase but while he is watching the video in his mind his face color changed.

    At first he was showing off a smile while looking for his prey, but now all the emotions have gone from his face.

    ¡°¡ª-Hmm, I see, so that¡¯s how it was¡±

    Cyprus throws the spider in hand while murmuring.

    The spider runs towards the magic circle and disappears like a frog jumping inside a pond.

    ¡°Interesting, now this is what i was waiting for. Hehe, it¡¯s like the fate is guiding me.¡±

    Just what might be giving him this much joy?

    Cyprus returned back to the campsite in a good mood.

 Chapter 115 Bombardment (1)

    Chapter 115 Bombardment (1)

    The night of the 2nd had ended. It was now the 3rd.

    As the sun rose, beyond the Rone river shining with the light of the sun, the army of white once again appeared.

    From the roof of the guild, where I stand, I can look even till the north west highway on the other shore of the river.

    From what I have seen from here, it seems the Crusaders have advance as far the start of the river on the other shore, but since the forest is spread on the sides, I can¡¯t urately estimate their numbers.

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be crossing through today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they might have made some other preparations.¡±

    Beside me, Simon talked to me while holding the first ever sniper rifle of this world, [Yatagarasu].

    Early morning, after hearing the report that the enemy had been sighted, I had quickly climbed to the highest point here but, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re nning since they haven¡¯t advanced at all in thest 30mins.

    If they were going to rush in like yesterday, I would have to get down from here and once again start firing my bullet arts in front of the protective wall.

    But, since the enemy is not showing any movement, I have nothing to do but look at them like this. There¡¯s no merit for us to attack them first either.

    It would be fine if we could just continue this ringpetition for the next whole week, but the enemy isn¡¯t that big of a fool either. If they aren¡¯t attacking from the front, that means they must have some other ns.

    ¡°But it¡¯s quite cramped to have 3 people here, right?¡±

    Su-sanined nonchntly suddenly.

    Certainly, the pedestal created for Simon for sniping isn¡¯t very big.

    To have 1 child and 2 adults together is certainly over the capacity.

    ¡°Sorry, but this ce is the best vantage point here.¡±

    Since the enemy is in front of us, I need to keep an eye on them after all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind it. As long I and Simon have enough space to huddle together.¡±(susu)

    ¡°No, I mind that.......please move away a bit.¡±(simon)

    Su-san held Simon from behind in a hug.

    Su-san, whose breasts became big for some reason, was resting them on Simon¡¯s head magnificently.

    ¡°You two really get along well.¡±(kurono)

    Is the so called Girl¡¯s love (T/N:yuri, lesbo) everyone talked about?

    ¡°fufun, you jealous?¡±(susu)

    ¡°A little.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°If you really think that then help me, Onii-san!!¡±(simon)

    Simonined with tears in her eyes. Yup, this alchemist is cute today as well.

    While being calmed down by cuteness that was a bit different from Lily¡¯s, I ate my breakfast bread and drank some milk with the other hand.

    This mysterious milk taken from an animal that might be some kind of cow or goat tastes a little different, but I have already gotten used to it so it feels tasty as usual.

    While I was emptying the milk container in a single gulp,

    ¡°By the way, Kurono didn¡¯t even look at my bigger breasts even once. Are you gay?¡±(susu)

    *BUHOOOO!!*

    The white milk shined from the sun rays, of course, I was the one who spat it all out.

    ¡°Uaah!? Onii-san that¡¯s dirty!!¡±

    ¡°Buha, geho, what the hell are you saying suddenly!?!¡±(kurono)

    I red at Su-san who just dropped a bombshell level ofment while I was enjoying my milk.

    ¡°No, I mean, human males tend to chase after big breasts and since you didn¡¯t do something like that I thought that it might be so¡ª¡ª¡°(susu)

    ¡°Eh, is that true Onii-san!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her Simon, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I¡¯m perfectly straight.¡±

    ¡°fumu, I heard the same thing yesterday as well.¡±(susu)

    ¡°Haa?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t mind it.¡±(susu)

    Fufufu, Su-sanughed boldly. How can you be horsing around when the enemy is in front of you!

    ¡°So what¡¯s it like seriously?¡±(susu)

    ¡°I said I¡¯m straight! Of course I¡¯ll prefer a cute girl over a guy. Sheesh, if you think every man likes big breasts then you¡¯re gravely mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you a Lolicon?¡±(susu)

    ¡°Of course not.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°There was the case with Lily so I thought that this might actually be more credible.¡±(susu)

    ¡°.........That¡¯s true.¡±(Simon)

    ¡°Don¡¯t agree with her Simon. Or rather, stop putting thebel of a weird fetish on me already.¡±

    Do you have some kind of grudge against me Su-san?

    ¡°fumu, then I won¡¯t pursue this topic any further.¡±

    Do you really have no interest in big boobs? She looked at me with gaze that implied that question as she wrapped her huge breasts around Simon¡¯s head.

    That¡¯s, really something that most men would never forget.

    ¡°haa, Whenever I look at big breasts, I end up remembering her......¡±

    My mom. She really had a huge chest. Since I had seen them from when I was a child, I had already lost any interest in them by the time I grew up.

    I wonder whether that¡¯s a good thing or a bad one. Well, since I never really looked at people with big breasts with impolite eyes due to that, it must have been a good thing.

    ¡°Ah, Onii-san¡¯s eyes have be distant suddenly.¡±

    ¡°fuumu, it seems our leader is a really stoic man.¡±

    For the time being, it¡¯s all good since the topic ended with the fact that I have no abnormal sexual fetish. I drank the remaining milk while thinking that.

    But still, due to thinking about my home, I ended up feeling like eating white rice suddenly.

    Here, the main grain is wheat so bread is the staple food. I know, after going to Spada, I¡¯ll search for some rice, yeah let¡¯s do that.

    While I was indulging myself in nostalgia, at that moment,

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s an attack!¡±

    Just as Su-san shouted, I heard the start of chanting.

    ¡°What the hell is that!?¡±

    From the forest, pirs of me rose, No, those are balls of mes. They are falling towards here in a parab while leaving a trail of smoke and mes behind them.

    A total of 5 of them.

    ¡°Lie down, Simon! ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????¡ª[Ice Armour Shield]!¡±

    Su-san covered Simon with her whole body and above her, an intermediate level defensive ice magic deployed to protect them.

    ¡°[ck Shield]!¡±(kurono)

    I also deployed a shield to protect myself for the time being.

    The instant the ck shield was deployed,

    *DODODODOO!!*

    Shock waves and heat waves ran through.

    One of the fire balls had i=unfortunately hit the roof of the building.

    ¡°Is everyone alright!?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°We are, but¡ª-¡°(susu)

    Without even listening to her words, I saw the archers that were standing on the roof as many of them had their bodies swallowed in mes.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    I, who could only use ck magic, had no efficient way to extinguish the mes.

    As I thought what to do, Su-san and the other safe adventurers moved first.

    They quickly used ice and water type magics to extinguish the mes on those who were burning.

    ¡°Oi, you alright?¡±

    Jumping down from the pedestal, I ran towards the adventurers.

    ¡°haahaa, we¡¯re alive somehow.¡±

    Even though their hair ends had been burned off, one of the beast type adventurers answered with a smile.

    Others who had been burnt raised cries of pain and agony sometimes but were already using potions to heal themselves.

    Seriously, all these adventurers are really tough. Thanks to that, everyone was still calm.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯ll use a bombardment like that. But its power doesn¡¯t seem to be very high.¡±

    The ce where the fireball hadnded felt a bit scorched but since I had already ckened the whole building, it really was difficult to distinguish it much.

    If it had been as it was originally, that is, made of wood, it would have caught fire but with just this level of attack the guild now would never catch fire.

    ¡°For the time being, retreat back inside the guild! Su-san, I leave the treatment of the injured and evacuation to you. I¡¯m going down.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Roger that.¡±(susu)

    I was heading towards the protective wall. There were more adventurers there to act as guards. I need to quickly tell them to go back inside the guild as well.

    ¡°Oi, another round ising!!¡±

    From behind, someone¡¯s voice came, and once again another fireball appeared.

    ¡°Shit! To use bombarding attacks from such a long range¡ª-[Anchor Hand].¡±

    I didn¡¯t even have the time to normally go down the steps. The best and shortest way was to jump down directly from the roof.

    It was the improved version of the [anchor] I used back at Deadalus to climb the castle walls. It looks pretty much the same as that time but it had be able to change its shape freely like a tentacle allowing for even moreplicated maneuvers.

    The ck wire-like tentacles that stretched out of both my hands fixed themselves on the railing of the roof and I threw myself in the air.

    At the same time, another fireball hit the roof and exploded.

    But the heat waves and shock waves didn¡¯t reach me as I was already running vertically on the walls of the guild.

 Chapter 116 Bombardment (2)

    Chapter 116 Bombardment (2)

    ¡°Take shelter inside the guild for the time being! Hurry up!¡±

    I gave the orders to take shelter in a loud voice after reaching the protective wall.

    These guys weren¡¯t vigers but adventurers. They calmly followed my orders even under this rain of fireballs.

    ¡°Oi, what the hell is this rain of mes? It¡¯s really annoying.¡±

    Vulcan had raised hisrge sword overhead as an umbre and made a really irritated face.

    Many of the fireballs dropped near Vulcan but they were quickly absorbed by his sword in no time.

    [Evil Eater] really is an amazing ability. With such an item I can understand why Vulcan is soposed.

    ¡°They¡¯re firing these little things from afar. Should I go all out and take care of them right now?¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°No, I want to avoid attacking as much as I can.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do? Should we just sit here while they shoot at us?¡±

    The fireballs only seem to be getting even more vigorous.

    Each and every one of them has an effect of spreading fire in a radius of few meters from thending point but its explosiveness is not really great.

    Now then, I wonder if this is the maximum power of this long ranged attack or are they holding back the power? If they could carpet bomb with an explosiveness of TNT of 10 kilotons, even our remains will be destroyed.

    No, since they had retreated yesterday, I doubt they think that our defensive line is the same as yesterday, then, they don¡¯t have any reason to hold back during their second attack.

    ¡°We have no choice but to bear with this. They¡¯re trying to lure us out.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Haa?¡±

    ¡°Vulcan, you asked me to attack instantly right? Then basically, anyone would want to do that.¡±

    ¡°Well of course. Anyone who stays silent even when he¡¯s being made fun of like this is just a coward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They have brought their army because they expect us toe out and attack. That army isn¡¯t there for protecting the magicians who are doing the bombardment. I¡¯m sure they are waiting on the other side of the river to take revenge for yesterday.¡±

    If we were to attack by crossing the river, then this time we¡¯ll be the ones who¡¯d get attacked while crossing the river. Also, they should have more archers and magicians than us as well. Even without a machinegun, they could easily repel us 100 adventurers.

    ¡°.......Then, we have no choice but stay cooped up inside the guild, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I should probably send out some scouts but yes that¡¯s what we¡¯ll have to do.¡±

    Looking at thending point of the fireballs, they must be hidden pretty close to the river. We might be able to take out the magicians with a well nned surprise attack, but the risk is quite high.

    ¡°Is that fine? The enemy might note charging like yesterday you know?¡±(Vulcan)

    ¡°Look, many of the fireballs are falling near the river as well. They can¡¯t even urately aim. If they came charging, then they¡¯ll have to stop this bombardment as well.¡±

    If they don¡¯t they¡¯ll hit quite a lot of their allies as well. I think even those Crusaders would want to avoid something like that.

    ¡°If only the soldierse charging, I and Mossan can hold them off quickly.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Tch, can¡¯t be helped then.¡±

    With a reluctant Vulcan, I also took refuge inside the guild.

    .

    .

    .

    Lily came up to meet me as I entered the guild.

    ¡°Kurono! Are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°n, you¡¯re awake Lily? Yeah I¡¯m fine.¡±

    She must have awakened due to the sound of the fireballs. At least she was still asleep when I woke during midnight, that too in my bed for some reason.

    Anyway, looking at her, it seems she has recovered mostly. Even if the Pegasus Knights do note, Lily still has various other jobs like using Telepathy and healing magic as well.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Fiona?¡±(kurono)

    The one I need right now isn¡¯t Lily but Fiona.

    ¡°She¡¯s eating over there.¡±

    In the direction where Lily¡¯s small finger pointed, I saw the witch challenging a te filled with a mountain of the same type of bread I was eating on the roof.

    It¡¯s not like she hasn¡¯t noticed the enemy¡¯s bombardment, but still to eat at such a time, she really does things at her own pace.

    ¡°Fiona.¡±

    ¡°Oh Kurono-san, Good Morning.¡±

    Her golden eyes looked this way but her mouth is filled with bread as her cheeks are filled up. Are you a hamster!?

    ¡°Ou, good morning. Since you¡¯re eating breakfast so elegantly, it¡¯s fine to think that the enemy¡¯s attack is not a big deal right?¡±

    ¡°n, that¡¯s right¡ª¨C*gokugoku*¡±(T/N:sound of drinking)

    Before answering she drank her milk from her cup, no, her giant mug.

    I wonder if she¡¯ll also spew everything out brilliantly like me if I asked ¡®Is Fiona a lesbian?¡¯ at such timing?

    I¡¯m afraid of what¡¯ll happen after that so I decide not to ask such a thing.

    ¡°puhaa¡ª¡ªits firepower is on the same level as [Ignis Sagita]. It¡¯s just a simple attack with [long range catapult] technique included in it. I guess there¡¯s no problem since Kurono-san came to me.¡±

    ¡°So it was the right decision to not attack.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it must be a tactic to bring out the simple-minded ¡®demons¡¯ from their pov. Even if we don¡¯t go out, they¡¯d fine if the guild building catches fire.¡±

    ¡°I see. So my prediction was right more or less.¡±

    As long as we are in the guild, this bombardment is nothing more than a disturbing noise to us but if we go out carelessly, there¡¯s the danger to be burnt badly so I want to avoid that as much as possible.

    ¡°Is there any method to deal with it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be fine if we fire back as well?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°How many magicians do we have that can actually do that?.......¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Even if it¡¯s a simple magic, it¡¯s still a Union magic used by multiple magicians together after all, I doubt we¡¯d be able to do a proper bombardment.¡±

    Only those who have cooperated and practiced as a team can use Union magic.

    We quite a lot of skilled magician adventurers among us but they are all specialized in solo y. A strong team won¡¯t be created just by gathering some strong magicians randomly. Especially, it¡¯s impossible to learn how to use a Union magic in such a short span of time.

    ¡°If only we had a cannon or something.¡±(kurono)

    I guess I¡¯m asking for too much. Even a genius alchemist like Simon wouldn¡¯t be able to build a cannon so quickly. In the first ce, we have neither the materials nor the facilities to do that.

    ¡°How about having just Lily-san attack from the air?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°If the Pegasus Knights came inside those 30mins, we¡¯ll probably be defeated.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    The girl Lily held fearsome strength to face off against the Pegasus Knights alone but there¡¯s a time limit of 30mins in which she can show her full strength. I can¡¯t let her go to the front lines recklessly.

    Rather than that, since we have no other force that can fight against Pegasus Knights in mid air, I can¡¯t have her sortie until they appear.

    ¡°And don¡¯t treat Lily like a convenient pawn.¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°I think she¡¯ll happily go and attack if Kurono-san asks her though.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I can actually imagine that so let¡¯s stop.¡±

    In my mind, I imagined Lily sortieing while wearing a headband with ¡®Kamikaze¡¯ written on it.

    Since Lily really is too honest and obedient, she really might do so if asked.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s put up observers to make sure the enemy doesn¡¯t start charging and prepare if the building gets damaged. Also, we need to urately discern the position of the magician squad so we can n a proper surprise attack.¡±

    If we only use members that have high agility, it¡¯s not exactly impossible.

    But the fact that they¡¯re hiding like that inside the forest, they must have be precautious due to Simon¡¯s sniping yesterday.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a surprise attack too risky?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to do it either but if the adventurers start getting too dissatisfied, I won¡¯t be able to help it.¡±

    ¡°I see, they do seem the type who don¡¯t like staying inside their rooms.¡±

    ¡°Well, by tomorrow or day after tomorrow, the enemy would probably start charging again so I¡¯m not really worried too much about it.¡±

    ¡°How can you say that they won¡¯t attack today?¡±

    ¡°They had been obstructed so much in the river just yesterday, the next time theye they¡¯ll at least prepare a bridge or a boat, in the worst case, they might even prepare a raft.¡±

    ¡°.......I see. Certainly that does seem usible.¡±

    ¡°If only the soldiers areing, we can simply repel them back like yesterday. But if they prepare a way to cross the river, the next battle will be much harsher. After all, the heavy knights and magicians will alsoe to this side.¡±

    The 1st time the enemy attacked with only force and vigour so we were able to sessfully push them back.

    But the next, the enemy wille at full alert and then it¡¯ll be the true battle.

    ¡°In the end, the things we can do now are limited.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just wait patiently till the enemyes charging here.¡±(kurono)

 Chapter 117 The Situation on the Opposite Shore

    Chapter 117 The Situation on the Opposite Shore

    Estel who had been officially named as themander of the Pegasus Knights was standing with dishevelled brown short hair and a clear drowsy face.

    As long as she remains silent, her tall height and well proportioned face would give an impression of a gant young woman but her ckened expression was spoiling her own atmosphere.

    *yawn* Estel who opened her mouthrge as she yawned didn¡¯t even feel the tension of the situation where she might need to go into the battlefield at any moment.

    ¡°Cover your mouth with your hand when yawning, it¡¯s immodest.¡±

    The one reprimanded her was the eldest member of the squad, n.

    She had been also officially appointed as the vicemander of the Pegasus Knights.

    ¡°She enjoyed a lot yesterday!¡±

    ¡°So it can¡¯t be helped!¡±

    The two who said that with indecent smiles on their faces were the sisters, Camy and Cathy.

    ¡°Shut up, be silent stupid sisters.¡±(estel)

    She red towards the two sisters with an even sharper gaze than her usual, but the sisters seemed unaffected probably because they had gotten used to it.

    ¡°Um, what do you mean by ¡®enjoyed¡¯?¡±

    The one who asked that innocently was the youngest of the squad, Maty.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know yet.¡±

    n who decided that it was not something to be told to a child, drove Maty away to the other side.

    With a question mark floating above her head, Maty shook her redhair side tail and left obediently.

    ¡°But still, aren¡¯t you a bit too rxed? If we get an order to attack, our opponent will definitely be that Fairy, we¡¯ll need to¡ª¡°(n)

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why, n. That cheeky fairy bitch won¡¯te out from such a shabby bombardment.¡±(estel)

    Also that ck box (building) doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll get destroyed either, exined Estel.

    ¡°But our opponents are demons, you know?¡±(n)

    ¡°They aren¡¯t ¡®stupid¡¯ as we think. At least they have better brains than Camy and Cathy.¡±(estel)

    What¡¯s that supposed to mean!?¡ª-voices of protest came from her side, but Estel ignored it and spoke further.

    ¡°Probably, she¡¯s the strongest demon with a DP inside Alsace, then she¡¯ll be the boss, or something close to that position. If those guys with proper intelligent minds are at the top, they won¡¯t take any stupid actions.¡±(estel)

    The Pegasus Knights were currently acting as the escort for the magician squad conducting the bombardment on the Alsace vige.

    Although only one, if the enemy has a strong enough fighter that can fly, there was a need to protect the magicians from any attacks from the air. And the only one who could do that was these girls¡¯ squad.

    Conversely speaking, as long as Lily doesn¡¯t appear, they have no job to do. They just have to stay on standby inside the forest till the bombardment ends.

    If Estel¡¯s words were correct, not just Lily, even other demons would probably note out. And considering that not a single demon was seen even after some time had passed after the start of the bombardment, it was atleast half correct.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s rest as much as we can while we have the chance. My crotch hurts, I don¡¯t wan¡¯t to sit on a horse right now.¡±(estel)

    Ahaha, Estelughed vulgarly as n showed fed up face and gave a sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would like being forced into it you know? Even if the other party is a man.¡±

    Inside n¡¯s head, the scene fromst night came to her mind. Estel went and invited one of the medic boy to her tent, no, kidnapped him and took him inside her tent.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be gentler tonight.¡±(estel)

    ¡°......um, this is still a battlefield in case you have forgotten.¡±(n)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make sure nobody finds out.¡±

    n really had no choice but to sigh again. Although not to the levels of Camy and Cathy, Estel was also a problem child back when they were in the military academy as well. She wasn¡¯t the type that¡¯ll obediently listen to what other say.

    ¡°I¡¯m might die next. I¡¯ll have as much fun as I can in the time being.¡±(estel)

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking timidly unusually. Did you get attached to the man?¡±

    ¡°That might be so.¡±

    Estel answered n¡¯s sarcastic question with a serious face and without any anger. Then her sight moved towards her wounded left arm.

    As a Pegasus Knight she had received preferential treatment and thus it had healed enough to be able to move freely again but the scars had still remained.

    ¡°But, I need to pay back the debt to that bitch for myrades and this arm as well.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    At the camp of the Cyprus mercenary group built a bit away from the Vato vige, the 87 members were currently standing in the central vacant area.

    Since they were not an army, they stood without any order or lines and were simply standing however they pleased.

    ¡°Say, he isn¡¯t going to suddenly say that he is dismissing us all here right?¡±

    Ai who was hugging Tsumiki, talked with another one of the merc that was standing near her.

    ¡°No way. We haven¡¯t even done anything like an actual job aftering here even once. Maybe we are finally getting to do something?¡±

    A man muchrger than Ai and had a face very typical of a mercenary, answered.

    ¡°Those guys from Crusaders weren¡¯t able to capture that whatever vige, right? Hehe this is a chance to quickly earn a name for ourselves!¡±

    The one who said that energetically was a young boy mercenary, no he was an adventurer to be exact, but had joined with the Cyprus mercs for the Pandora expedition just like Ai.

    ¡°Chance, is it? But I feel that we won¡¯t really get to do something like that. I feel that there¡¯s a wall between the original members and us adventurers who joinedter.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s true. They look like normal mercs at a nce but they¡¯re somehow very obedient. It¡¯s really uncanny.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I felt the same! I haven¡¯t even been able to even talk to them properly. They¡¯re definitely hiding something!¡±

    They looked towards the original members of the group with eyes of suspicion.

    The group was originally made of around 30 people but for the Pandora expedition, they recruited members from the guilds and as a result 50 adventurers like Ai also participated with them.

    However although they were an 87 man mercenary group travelling together, but from the adventurer¡¯s pov the members who were already a part of the group felt a bit weird to them.

    It was just as how the man or the boy had said. They rarely spoke and were too obedient for mercenaries who used violence to control everything.

    Although, due to that there were no disputes or troubles among the adventurers and the mercs and it was always the adventurer side that started a quarrel.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rumour but apparently they are a ve army.¡±

    ¡°Thatmander Cyprus sure loves to throw money but it still seems a bit unbelievable. But I guess a young man from a rich family leading a ¡®brainwashed¡¯ ve army fits quite well as well.¡±

    If that¡¯s true, then it seemed more usible if he was forcefully leading them through the use of authority.

    ¡°Well, does it even matter? We¡¯ll make do even if that flippant leader ran away. We are adventurers after all!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, well, even then, it might be good to be dismissed earlier.¡±

    ¡°Oi, he came out.¡±

    As Ai raised her eyes on the man¡¯s words, Cyprus came and stood over a wooden box-like stand with his usual listless expression.

    As usual he wasn¡¯t wearing any armour either and his clothes left his chest bare and his tone was still the same joking-like even when he was in front of all his members.

    ¡°Ah, has everyone gathered? It¡¯s troublesome so I¡¯ll keep this short. We are going to attack that whatever vige where those demons are.¡±

    Amotion rose among the members, but, it wasn¡¯t really too surprising either.

    Since they were unable to defeat the enemy yesterday, this time they were going to use the mercenary group to try and corner those demons. Since they had brought these mercs along, they needed to use them as well.

    ¡°We¡¯ll depart tomorrow and attack them just like that. Well, everyone prepare suitably as you wish, that¡¯s it, dismissed.¡±

    Without taking even a single question or doubt, Cyprus quickly left the ce.

    ¡°Uoohh!! A proper job finally!!¡±

    Starting with the boy, most of the adventurers were happy that their turn hade.

    But Ai¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very good.

    ¡°haah, I really have a bad feeling about this.¡±

 Chapter 118 Sacrificial Pawn

    Chapter 118 Sacrificial Pawn

    The next day, on the 4th of Hatsubi, the fireball bombardment was still continuing from early morning.

    ¡°Just because they have a lot of magicians, it doesn¡¯t mean they have to fire so many stupidly, geez.....¡±

    As I looked outside from the window of the guild, I suddenly noticed a group different from the white crusaders even beyond the river shore.

    That is.....

    ¡°Are they a mercenary group perhaps?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Uooh!? Don¡¯t appear so suddenly Fiona.¡±

    It seems the witch, who appeared beside me out of nowhere, could also see that group.

    ¡°But all of their outfits looked different just like us.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, due to the Pandora expedition all the adventurers had been recruited by various mercenary groups and it seems, the various Crusader squads have hired these groups.¡±(fiona)

    ¡°Oh right, Fiona was also a mercenary earlier, right?¡±

    ¡°urately speaking, I was an adventurer that became a part of one of the merc groups. But at my time, Virgina felt like it¡¯ll fall sooner orter so there weren¡¯t many people there.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s different now, is it?¡¯

    To conquer all of the territory of Daedalus, the Crusaders received various reinforcements from their HQ. it seems the mercenaries were no exception either.

    ¡°Are they strong?¡±

    ¡°There are those who are famous for being strong; strong to beat us easily even if they fight us head on, but other than those rare exceptions, rest are simply not worth mentioning. They just rely on numbers for everything.¡±

    ¡°I see. So which one are those guys?¡±

    ¡°The strong merc groups will use the same equipment and g like an army. Since they don¡¯t have something like that, they must be some random merc group.¡±

    I¡¯m relieved that they are not strong enough that we need to be extremely cautious against.

    But, just a single group of mercs had the same number as ours. They¡¯ll give the same level of threat as the Crusader army.

    As I was thinking such things, a report from one of the surveince squad came to me using Lily¡¯s telepathywork.

    ¡°Kurono-san, an enemy squad, that seems like mercenaries are heading towards us. They are already near the opposite shore.¡±

    This voice belonged to one of the rank 1 Summoner who used Windwolves as servants.

    In such a situation where I can¡¯t send everyone around the vige, such guys are a really big help.

    ¡°I can see them from here as well. The bombardment is still going on but we have no choice but to move out right now.¡±

    I looked towards Fiona and asked.

    ¡°We had turned them to swiss cheese just the day before yesterday with our crossfire but still they are sending the merc squad as a sacrificial pawn, is that what the enemymander is thinking?¡±

    ¡°In such a harsh battle, it has always been the mercenaries who have to bear the full brunt first. They are the ones who are hired after all, it¡¯ll be fine as long as they could at least die fighting, right?¡±

    ¡°I see. I learnt something new again¡ª¡ª¡°

    Concentrating on the telepathy, I notified each and every adventurer holding up inside the guild.

    ¡°¡ª-The enemy ising, get to battle positions!¡±

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Ooh. So that¡¯s the rumoured ck box! It really ispletely ck!¡±

    While being on the shore of the Rone river that was being rained with arrows and lightning, Ai nonchntly gave her impression.

    In front of her, she could see the various mercs, without any sense of unity, trying to cross the river while clinging on to a log.

    Compared to the day before yesterday, the logs made things better but the actual situation of the battle was in fact deteriorating instead.

    The demons didn¡¯t have a lot of archers but their uracy was top ss. Just like before, due to the lightning magic, electric current ran through the river and many of them were drowning due to it.

    And the worst thing was,

    ¡°What!? Oi, what was he shot by!?¡±

    ¡°Someone put up a shield! We can¡¯t move forward with so many difficulties like this!!¡±

    With a *giyarigiyari* sound, countless ck bullets were flying all over the ce.

    Its source was from two ces. One was a magician in full ck clothes who was firing from his baton and the other was a skeleton demon, who looked exactly like the reaper from fairy tales, who was firing the bullets from a weird tube like item.

    The crossfire created through the firing of the sure kill ck bullets were the same as the day before yesterday. Any idiot who tried attacking directly from the front was instantly ughtered.

    But those who had defensive magic or defensive martial arts were still somehow alive even inside that ck storm.

    ¡°C¡¯mon c¡¯mon, hurry up and move guys! Let¡¯s go and kill some demons gyahahaha!¡±

    The only one who was still getting fired up even in such a situation was themander Cyprus.

    Just as Ai had thought, he clearly showed that he did not care even a single bit about the lives of his subordinates.

    But still, the mercs who were crossing the river and were starting to attack did not even hear his voice.

    ¡°nn? Aah, thank god, Ai-chan had not yet started attacking.¡±(Cyprus)

    With his usual grinning face, he approached Ai who was also standing on the riverside.

    ¡°Uwah.¡±

    And the same as usual, Ai also showed her in displeased face. But if he were to back off from just that, Cyprus wouldn¡¯t have involved with her in the first ce.

    ¡°Wow the demons¡¯ attacks are really amazing, everyone¡¯s so desperate. But really thank god, if Ai-chan had gone there then¡ª¨C¡°

    Cyprus gave a nce towards the other shore. In his view, one by one, mercs, whose names he didn¡¯t even know were spewing blood and falling.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªYou would have clearly died. That would really be troublesome after all I have yet toy my hands on you. You can¡¯t die just like that, I have few sources of enjoyment anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you should go there and do something about it.¡±

    Ai pointed towards the Alsace¡¯s gate as she red towards Cyprus with disgusted eyes.

    There, a magician whose defensive magic had been destroyed was blown away from the volley of bullets.

    ¡°No way no way, I would be an idiot to go there.¡±

    ¡°Haa? Weren¡¯t you the one who ordered the attack?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because the old man Norz gave me that job? If I didn¡¯t do it I won¡¯t get the money, you know? Well, it seems quite a lot have died already, I should probably call them back now, lol.¡±(T/N: I know he doesn¡¯t actually say ¡®lol¡¯ but that perfectly fits the way he spoke thosest lines which made it necessary.)

    If I can earn money like this then merc work is super easy! Guffawed Cyprus as he said that. Ai red at him with disdain and said.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to return then do it alone.¡±(ai)

    ¡°Eh, what? Ai-chan could it be that you want to attack as well? Let¡¯s not do that, c¡¯mon, let¡¯s return together and do good things with me.¡±

    Ai nimble dodged Cyprus who cheekily stretched his arms towards her.

    ¡°I told you to not touch me. Rather than going back with you, I¡¯d rather go there.¡±

    ¡°Oioi, are you serious, just be more obedient and¡ª-¡°

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go shall we Tsumiki?¡±

    Ignoring Cyprus¡¯ words, Ai took her cat Tsumiki and moved towards the river.

    Since she had already moved away from Cyprus, she didn¡¯t know what kind of expression he was making but Ai had no interest to know it either.

    Just in front of Ai was where the river started and many other mercs were also about to depart. She moved towards one of the logs to go towards the other mercs.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°¡±OU!!¡±¡±

    ¡°Ou!¡±

    The brave shouts of the mercs and the stupid sounding shout of Ai were raised in a chorus.

    And thus the mercs started rowing towards the river that was still quite cold.

    From the air, the rain of arrows and lightning still continued.

    ¡°Uoh, close!!¡±

    The man in front of Ai blocked an arrow that wasing with perfect precision towards her with his buckler.

    ¡°ooh, thanks old man!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me an old man! Or rather, aren¡¯t you an archer as well? Why don¡¯t you fire back a little?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so? Then, I¡¯ll fire with all I¡¯ve got!!¡±

    With a full smile, Ai skilfully climbed over the log. By the way, tsumiki was over her head currently.

    Ai held the log between her pretty legs underneath her miniskirt and took a stable stance.

    The reason the log didn¡¯t roll over was because other mercs were also using it as a support.

    ¡°You¡¯ll shoot from there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot with all I¡¯ve got so I leave advancing to you guys.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Even though you¡¯re so heavy.¡±

    ¡°How rude!!¡±(ai)

    Just fire already! Everyone looked at Ai with eyes filled with reproach.

    ¡°Then here I go!¡±

    It was suspicious whether she was dependable during battles. Ai who set up her old looking wooden bow, nocked an arrow and stretched the bowstring to its very limits.

    ¡°Take this!¡±

    Such a noisy woman! As the other mercs had such thoughts, the aroow was fired from AI¡¯s bow.

    With a flimsy unreliable trajectory, the arrow flew towards the far away horizon.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t really expect much in the first ce.¡±(Merc 1)

    ¡°Well, as long as it didn¡¯t hit an ally, it¡¯s fine.¡±(merc2)

    As they looked at Ai with a fed up face, Ai made a bitter *gununu* sound.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine soe down already. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll reach from here anyway.¡±

    ¡°Eh, wait, one more time, let me shoot one more time!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Shut up, just get down alrea¡ª¨Cshit!?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    When Ai looked towards the front, a lightning magic attack, [Line Sagita] rushed towards her from the front.

    *Bachiiin*!!

    With the sound of an electricity bursting,

    ¡°abababaah!!¡±

    Ai who took a direct hit fell down from the log.

    ¡°Oi, little girl!?¡±

    The lightning that exploded travelled to the bodies of the mercs as well as pain and numbness ran through their bodies.

    They, who were doing their best just to cling on to the log so that they don¡¯t drown, had no time to go and save Ai.

    And furthermore, this was the centre of the river. The depth was enough that their feet didn¡¯t reach the ground. With paralysed limbs, her fate would only be to drown in the end.

    ¡°Shit, so pitiful.¡±

    Ai who had been flown away by the river was sent off by the mercs and was swept downstream.

 Chapter 119 Cyprus Mercenary Group Annihilated

    Chapter 119 Cyprus Mercenary Group Annihted

    Was it a dream or an illusion, to have seen that figure again?

    ¡°That girl is.......¡±

    It was about one week ago when I went to Irz for applying the scorched earth tactics that the enemy scout squad had attacked.

    The scout troop was made with 7 people. Among them, there was one girl who seemed like a misfit there, I certainly remember her.

    She had been able to climb over the wall we had created to trap them, but she should have been burned to ashes after getting attacked by Fiona¡¯s fire magic.

    But, that supposedly dead girl, with blond twintails and wearing a bow, could be clearly seen in my view.

    But by the time I became aware of her, she got hit by a lightning magic attack and disappeared after falling down the log and into the river.

    ¡°Did I see wrong? No, she was definitely¡ª¨C¡°

    But in the Rone river in front of me, let alone her, there are no mercs left either.

    They, who had recklessly attacked without any support from the crusaders, took huge casualties and had run away just now.

    It seems they had prepared at least logs to cross the river but they were nothing more than floating supports, they didn¡¯t really increase the speed in crossing the river much.

    It only increased their chances of not drowning even when hit by lightning arrows.

    But it didn¡¯t have any effect on the result of the battle. And now, the bombardment had once again begun.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s no use thinking about that girl anymore.¡±

    I had only seen her for an instant. It must be some kind of mistake, or misunderstanding. There¡¯s even a chance that it was a twin or a look-alike as well.

    What I need to think is not about that but how to deal with this bombardment.

    ¡°The enemy has retreated! We should also hurry up and withdraw! Be careful of the fireballs. Magicians, use defensive magic shields to cover as much as possible!!¡±

    With the sound of agreement, the adventurers deployed in front of the protective wall once again evacuated towards the guild.

    ¡°Pull carefully and quickly! If this got blown up it¡¯ll be all over!!¡±(Mozrun)

    Mossan and the 2 goblins quickly pulled the carriage on which the machinegun was kept.

    I once again realized that it was a good decision to have not fixed it at a single ce and made it movable through carriages.

    During the bombardment it can be kept safe like this in the guild¡¯s storage.

    ¡°What¡¯s the damage report?¡±

    I asked for the report through Lily¡¯s telepathicwork.

    To be able to talk handsfree both ways is really convenient.

    On my question, the reply quickly came inside my head.

    ¡°Deceased 1. Injured 3. Slightly injured ones are in dozens but they¡¯ll soon be perfect after receiving healing.¡±

    ¡°I see. Quickly get to treating them.¡±

    Another one died.

    Even without hearing the report, I did see one of the arrows fired by the mercs striking down an adventurer near the protective wall.

    Probably, it was fired to attack me who was firing bullets with my magic bullet arts.

    If the arrow had gone as it was aimed and hit me; a single arrow wouldn¡¯t really have been any trouble for me.......I feel regretful but I can¡¯t let that depress me.

    For the person who took the arrow in ce of me as well, I must continue fighting.

    Mourning for dead wille after all this is over.

    ¡°But, it seems they really were used as sacrificial pawns.¡±

    It was anti-climatic how we so quickly were able to repel them off.

    Although I don¡¯t know what the enemy was thinking to make the mercs so uselessly attack like this, I do feel pity for them.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to show any kind of mercy to someone who tries to cross this river.

    And, bombardment continued for the whole day and there was no other attack. And so, we had protected the defensive line for the 3rd day.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°The Cyprus mercenary group seems to have been annihted. Only 21 came back alive. And along with the leader Cyprus, most of the original members have gone missing.¡±

    Norz gave a smile after hearing Sister Sylvia¡¯s report.

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s refreshing to think that grinning face is now at the bottom of the river.¡±

    Norz had always felt unpleasant about the fact that he had to take that group of mercs with him since the Cardinal Mercedes had ordered so directly.

    It would have been one thing if he had hired them himself because he considered it necessary, but there was no way he would silently ept it just because his superior asked him to take them with him.

    On top of that, the leader Cyprus had a personality who liked fooling around. There was no way such a guy would be able to build good rtionships with anyone, let alone the short tempered Norz.

    ¡°But, is that fine? To just use them and throw them away like that? In a situation where you hid most of the info regarding the defences of the vige, isn¡¯t it as good as deceiving them?¡±

    When Norz had asked Cyprus to attack the vige he quickly received ¡®OK!¡¯ from Cyprus and did not tell anything about the ¡®attack of the Devil¡¯ or about the strong resistance showed by the demons.

    ¡°Cardinal Mercedes had only asked me to take them to Pandora continent with me. He didn¡¯t ask me to bring them back alive as well.¡±(norz)

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just sophistry?¡±

    ¡°No, regarding their treatment, I was told that I can treat them the same way as any merc group would be as long as I take them with me. There¡¯s no problem even if they got annihted during their ¡®jobs¡¯.¡±

    In the end, Norz had no idea why Cardinal Mercedes had asked him to take this merc group with him, but he had already taken care of that troublesome group, he had no need to think about useless things. He could be happy without hiding anything.

    ¡°Is that so? What to do with those who came back alive?¡±

    ¡°Abandon them, is what I want to say but it¡¯ll be troublesometer. Pay them as per the contract and ask them to leave. They¡¯re just impertinent mercenaries, after facing something like that, they¡¯ll happily go back.¡±

    ¡°Then, as you say.¡±

    Sylviapleted the decree quickly and gave it to one of the soldiers.

    With this, the order would be executed as per Norz¡¯s will. Since they, the employer, was obediently paying them, there won¡¯t be any problems from their side.

    ¡°But, that ¡®Devil¡¯s¡¯ attack really is troublesome.¡±

    Norz knit his brows. After seeing the mercs being pulverised under the enemy¡¯s crossfire, he once again realized the power of that attack.

    ¡°Since they were able to use it today as well without any problems, it means that there¡¯s no use limit or time limit on it.¡±

    The limit Sylvia talked about wasn¡¯t regarding the number of bullets or the barrel that needed to bear exhaustion while firing.

    It was regarding a more stronger, magical limit that exists in this world.

    For example, just as how Lily could only return to her normal form during full moon nights, there were magical limits like a specified time, period, season, or the positioning of the stars, only during which an ability could be shown.

    It also included using magic items or special catalyst that could not be used again after one use.

    Only, the stronger and stricter the limit was, the effect would be proportionatelyrger. Even if the crossfire was an extremely powerful attack, it was not arge scale magic that would require a certain limit it seems, or so Sylvia believed.

    If she were to guess, it was a magic that could be used easily without muchbour or effort.

    ¡°umu, if you say that it¡¯s apleted magic with no specific weakness, then it can¡¯t be helped. Attacking from the front will be the best way. Above all, we still have an overwhelming number of troops still remaining. Also, that attack had stopped for some time in between, that means it can¡¯t be used infinitely.¡±(norz)

    ¡°That would be so. If repeated twice or thrice, the interval should also get bigger. As long as we don¡¯t think about our damages, we should be able to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have any definite proof but considering the theory of magic and the situation, it was the most usible situation. Norz also agreed to it.

    ¡°Aa, oh right, what happened to those reinforcements that Bishop Gregorius was sending?¡±

    On the basis of the ¡®prediction¡¯ that was sent a few days earlier, it had been written that some reinforcements were sent this way.

    ¡°We have not received any report that such a squad has arrived or is approaching as of yet. As long as it isn¡¯t a lie, these reinforcements sure seem to be moving very leisurely.¡±

    ¡°fun, I don¡¯t care either ways. I don¡¯t want to keep a weird squad near me. It¡¯d be better if they didn¡¯te at all.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Either way, no new squad wille here till the next attack at least.¡±

    ¡°fuh, the next attack, eh?¡±

    Reacting to those words, Norz gave a smile simr to a carnivorous animal.

    ¡°Tomorrow, no, day after tomorrow, the preparations to cross the river will beplete and we shall once again go on the attack. Being dyed for 5 days, we will have bare enough time to catch those demons that those bastards allowed to run away but¡ª-¡°

    Norz¡¯s smile was mixed with delight to trample those demons, which had made him suffer a loss.

    ¡°¡ª-fuhaha, this time definitely, I¡¯ll exterminate those annoying damned demons.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    The next day, the 5th of Hatsubi.

    That day no mercs came to attack us recklessly like yesterday and the bombardment continued without showing any signs of stopping and the Crusaders themselves showed no movement.

    Since some part of the barbed wires and fence had blown away due to the bombardment, we had gone out to repair it.

    For some reason, the enemy didn¡¯t seem to care about it and exept for the bombardment; we were able to smoothly finish the repairs.

    Actually, I wanted to cken our defensive line as well like the guild but Mossan was unable to cast [Eternity] property on it so the effect of ckening could not be maintained. So I had no choice but to leave it as it is.

    At the same time, thanks(?) to the bombardment, the underground supply and escape route prepared beforehand came to good use.

    If the soldiers had directly attacked like the first day, there was no need to transfer items underground but if the enemy was bombarding us from a long range, then it was a different matter.

    Although it might to impertinent to call it an underground passage as it was nothing more than a well camouged trench. But as long as the fireballs didn¡¯t fall from directly overhead the passage, it could protect against the mes. On top of which, since it hid the supple squad, there was no chance of getting sniped either.

    It would have been fine to carry the items during the night when the bombardment stops but the enemy still kept on observing us, so it was obviously better to use the sure safe underground passage.

    But still, even though this bombardment really is annoying, the adventurers in the guild along with Vulcan were surprisingly obedient and calm.

    I had resolved myself to n a surprise attack against the magicians doing the bombardment no matter how reckless it was if their displeasure became unbearable but it ended up being a needless anxiety on my side.

    While thinking that, I once again slept for 2 hours and ended my day.

    .

    .

    .

    And on the next morning, afterpleting their river crossing preparations, the day of attacking finally came.

    Alsace defensive battle, it¡¯s fated conclusion began on the 6th of Hatsubi.

 Chapter 120 ReAttack

    Chapter 120 ReAttack

    6th of Hatsubi.

    I woke up at midnight. The bombardment began at dawn and continued till sunset. After that, the fireballs stop raining for that period of time.

    On the roof of the guild, while looking at the clear night sky that could not be seen in modern japan, I wait for dawn.

    Since nothing happened yesterday, they will definitelye for us today. I estimated that, so when I saw the enormous group of Crusaders at sunrise, I wasn¡¯t really surprised.

    ¡°Everyone, get to battle positions. Today, the enemy will definitely not fall back and will definitely attack us to defeat us with all their might.¡±

    As I felt the presences of the adventurers running around after receiving my orders, I gazed at the long white line of Crusaders that had appeared with sunrise.

    Infantry with sharp pointed spears, magicians with long staves with dazzling magic gems embedded in it, heavy armoured knights wrapped inplete armour and the Pegasus Knights that flew in the airposed with the sun behind their backs. Each and every one of them, approached us in a straight line to stab that g with the emblem of their cross on thisnd.

    Probably today, an immense amount of blood will flow. We might be annihted if we mess up even slightly. I felt that much pressure from the white army that approached from the horizon.

    But we won¡¯t retreat, we cannot retreat. That¡¯s right, to save as many as I can, to kill as many of those devils as I can, I am here.

    ¡°¡ª-Let¡¯s go.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    Norz moved through the north west highway towards Alsace vige with the same amount of vigour as 4 days ago.

    ¡°Oi, how¡¯s the situation upstream?¡±

    ¡°Yes! There are no signs of any enemy magician, also there doesn¡¯t seem to be construction there either.¡±

    Listening the report of the scouts that just returned, Norz seemed satisfied.

    During the first attack he had fallen into their trap but he won¡¯t allow something like that to happen again.

    Only, he had been vignt of that inundating tactic from the very start and the current report was only one final confirmation.

    The weather was clear today. There was no chance of sudden rains that could make the river overflow.

    Facing that clear blue sky, only that ck box felt as if it still d in the night and was a symbol of the thorough resistance of the demons.

    Even if it was a low level magic, it had remained unscratched even after 4 days of bombardment. Everyone here was already aware of its sturdiness.

    But, starting with Norz, every Crusader here believed that today they will definitely remove the existence of that ck box from the face of the earth.

    ¡°The enemy has no ns, and the preparations for river crossing have beenpleted.¡±

    On the banks of the Rone river, the magician squad and the heavy armoured knight squad had been spread out.

    In thest battle, there were numerous deaths among the magicians deployed on the riverbanks by urate attacks that blew off their heads.

    Being vignt about that, they had first ensured a safety zone with the help of numerous defensive magics and were smoothly and quickly moving the squad towards the Rone river.

    ¡°With this, we can show our full strength.¡±

    Since the bridge had fallen, neither of those squads could cross the river but now a raft floated on the river which could definitely allow them to cross through the river.

    The raft was a hastily made one and was not something that was good to look at, but at the very least it had enough capability to cross the river safely.

    ¡°Now is the time, we shall show our strength to those damned evil demons!!¡±

    The order of attack resounded.

    Here, once again, the curtains rose on the deathly struggle between the Crusaders and the Adventurers.

    .

    .

    .

    As expected, this the time the Crusaders hade with full preparations.

    ¡°Even though I knew but still this is unbelievable........¡±

    Yes, I had already expected this.

    But still, the number of rafts prepared was enough to cover the whole shore.

    And the ones who rode it were the heavy armoured knights that had not appeared after the first day and the magicians that had been bombarding us till now.

    Both of them were squads who could not cross through the river without the bridge. But now that the rafts had been prepared, they could alsoe over here.

    Although I hoped that all of their heavy knights had died during the bridge exploding trap but I guess I was asking for too much as my hopes were clearly betrayed here.

    From what I can see, it seems they might have 2 or 3 more heavy knight squads still.

    ¡°What are we going to do? Arrows and low level magic isn¡¯t going to work on them.¡±

    Just as Irina said, that armour possesses defensive strength stronger than it looks. And the magician squad had deployed numerous defensive magics which couldn¡¯t be broken through from just long range attacks.

    Till now, since the magicians could not cross the river, they could only cover the infantry on half of the river with their defensive magic but if they rode on the rafts, even our protective wall wille inside their effective range.

    Considering that they are being protected by god knows how many magic shields, I don¡¯t know how many of them can we kill with our crossfiring.

    Conversely speaking, if only we could take care of these two squads, we¡¯ll make through this.

    As expected the cavalry troops can¡¯t crossover with just a raft and the Pegasus knights will be held back by Lily, although only for 30 mins.

    ¡°For the time being, they seem to be sending their heavy knights and magicians in the front¡ª¨C¡°

    I gave a fleeting nce from atop the guild¡¯s roof.

    I can¡¯t see from here, but she¡¯s definitely there.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cfirst of all, let¡¯s take down as many as we can.¡±

    Crossing through Lily¡¯s telepathicwork, I gave the orders for the first attack.

    ¡°Fiona.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what is it, Kurono-san?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to use your strongest one.¡±

    After one beat, the reply came.

    ¡°Understood. Everyone, please be careful to not get burnt.¡±

 Chapter 121 The Golden Sun

    Chapter 121 The Golden Sun

    Once, I had a teacher in magic.

    ¡°Fiona, the power of magic is to be used to protect those people who are precious to you.¡±

    At that time, I remember I replied as such.

    ¡°With my power, I still can¡¯t protect sensei I think.¡±

    Meaning, I did not have anyone precious to me other than my sensei.

    There¡¯s no way my sensei did not understand the meaning behind it but sheughed and said so.

    ¡°Once you leave this ce and go to the outside world, you will definitely find people precious enough to you whom you would want to protect.¡±

    Since sensei said that, there was no way that was incorrect.

    But, afterpleting my training as a witch and going to the outside world, even after lots of years, even after attending the [Holy Elysion Magic Academy] where simr magicians gathered, I did not find anyone precious to me.

    I wonder if that was my fault.

    When is used magic, people shouted ¡®Do you want to kill me!?¡¯, when I spoke they would get angry saying ¡®Are you fooling around?¡¯.

    I wonder if there was any worth in protecting such people.

    I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t understand what Sensei had said to me.

    Everyone would not ept me.

    Everyone would keep away from me.

    Everyone would try to deceive me, trick me, and sometimes even try to kill me.

    That¡¯s why I was always alone, never talking to anyone, nevering into contact with anyone.

    But, that¡¯s fine, that¡¯s how witches are supposed to be.

    That¡¯s why I left to travel alone, selfishly, in any way where my feet took me, to ces with delicious things.

    It was on a whim that I came to the Pandora continent. After resigning as a mercenary at Virginia, without returning back to the Republic, I decided to roam through the Pandora continent that I had never seen. It was truly just a simple whim.

    At most, my reason was to find delicious things that I had never eaten before.

    But, I ended up meeting him.

    ¡°What? So you were awake?¡±

    As I woke up from a slightly long nap, there was a ck magician young man with a fairy.

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll give you something to eat so at least listen to me.¡±

    He gave me a delicious item I had never eaten before.

    ¡°Aa, I forgot I hadn¡¯t named myself. I am Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Lily!¡±(lily)

    And so I ended up meeting Kurono-san and Lily-san.

    ¡°I want you to make an official party with us.¡±(lily)

    At that time, I had no intention to form a party.

    ¡°I know you absolutely suck at controlling your incredible magic but still I¡¯m inviting you.¡±

    On Lily-san¡¯s words, I was unable to find a reason to reject her and so I became a member of a party after a long time.

    But still, I was still anxious and nervous.

    Once they see my ridiculous power, or maybe, due to my slightly weird manner of speaking, they would also leave me. Just as how everyone, except my sensei, had done.

    But¡ª¨C

    ¡°Then I look forward to working with you Fiona-san. I also wee you.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll believe in you. You¡¯re already my party member after all.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yeah, Fiona¡¯s magic is really amazing. I¡¯m d you¡¯re a part of my party.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Amazing Fiona! We can win against the Crusaders with this! HAHAHAHA!!¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s the feeling that counts. Then, to deepen the bonds among the members of Element Master, Cheers!!¡±(kurono)

    Before I noticed, my anxiety and nervousness had already disappeared.

    ¡°¡ª¨CSensei, I have also finally found people I find precious to me.¡±

    After the formation of [Element Master], I always feltfortable.

    Not just Kurono-san and Lily-san, before I realized, I had be able to open up to other adventurers as well.

    As if it was natural, I also became a properrade of the Adventurer Alliance led by Kurono-san.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I will protect those dear to me with my magic.¡±

    In my view were humans simr to me. They were approaching like a swarm.

    People of the samend as me, the Syncrea Republic.

    Among them there might be people who studied with me during the time I was in the academy.

    ¡°But, ¡®they¡¯ aren¡¯t what I want to protect.¡±

    Same humans, same homnd, what does it matter?

    Heretics, demons, what does it matter?

    ¡°What I want to protect is ¡®here¡¯.¡±

    As I whispered to myself, inside my head, the voice of the person precious to me resounded.

    ¡°Fiona.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°yes, what is it Kurono-san?¡±

    Actually, I didn¡¯t even need to hear him to know what he was going to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to use your strongest one.¡±

    I¡¯m happy.

    I am needed here.

    They believe in me.

    As long as those feelings get through, I can fight, with my life on the line.

    ¡°Understood. Everyone, please be careful to not get burnt.¡±

    I swung the memento I received from my Sensei, the [Ainz Broom] and poured magical energy into it.

    The type I¡¯m going to use is obviously my strongest forte, fire magic.

    Raising the staff, I began the chant.

    It was magic, not belonging to the Model magic, it¡¯s a magic technique I came up with. Yes, this my strongest and the only Original magic.

    ¡°?????? ????? ??? (Burn me and create)¡±

    Its effect was simple and clear.

    ¡°?????? ?? ??????? ????? (The scarlet that rises from the east.)¡±

    I charge as much fire I can create in a single attack.

    ¡°??? ??????? ????? (The crimson that sinks in the west.)¡±

    At the tip of the staff, a ball ofpressed fire appeared.

    ¡°??? ??????? ????? (The golden blessing that shines over the heavens and the earth.)¡±

    The small ball grew along with the heat inside of it.

    ¡°?????? ??????? ??? ?????? (That is the primordial and the eternal me.)¡±

    No matter how much mes I condense into it, its volume just keeps on increasing.

    ¡°?? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?????? (Putting that red heat, blue me, white light, all of it inside the golden fire.)¡±

    Finally, a fireball of around 5m diameter waspleted above me.

    ¡°???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? (Here, I create the sun that holds my name.)¡±

    This is, the second sun I created that shines upon everything over the earth.

    It¡¯s name is¡ª

    ¡°¡ª¡ª[Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil].¡±

    Burn everything, to protect those precious to me.

 Chapter 122 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knights (1)

    Chapter 122 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knights (1)

    By the time they realized it, it was already toote.

    ¡°Shit! Hurry up and stop it¡ª¨C¡°

    On the roof of the enemy¡¯s fort, nicknamed the ck box, a giant fireball appearing could be seen by every Crusader spread out on the shores of Rone river.

    It was shining and radiating a golden light brighter than gold itself, but it could only be recognised as a ball of fire.

    They obviously understood that that this 5m diameter ball of fire was an attack magic aimed towards them.

    They were on the other side of the river, they had no way to stop this attack but they didn¡¯t have the time to run away either. The only choice left was to defend.

    ¡°??????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ????¡ª- [Lux Wall Defen]¡±

    The numerous magician squads were already at the riverside or on the rafts.

    After bing alert from the enemy¡¯s long range attack, they had already deployed defensive magic. They deployed numerous defences to face against this overlyrge fire ball.

    All the heavy knight squad and the magician squad had been covered inside the defensive magics, at that moment, the fireball moved.

    Due to the incredible heat it possessed, the air around the fireball was shaking and it looked as if space itself was being distorted by that fireball.

    But, its speed as it made a parab while flying towards them was extremely slow.

    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance, shoot it down!!¡±

    One of the magician squads rapidly attacked the approaching fire ball with Ice Sagita.

    Ice and cold air became a blizzard as it approached the fireball.

    But, each and every one of them was extinguished before they even reached the fireball. Due to the overwhelming heat, the fireball wouldn¡¯t stop from being attacked by just 10 or 20 ice magic.

    ¡°in, iing¡ª¡ª¡°

    Finally, the fireball dived inside the centre of the squads positioned on the river shore.

    With so many magicians, their defences were perfect.

    Some of the soldiers who unluckily couldn¡¯t be covered with shields might die but the magicians and the heavy knights ced at the centre of the defensive shields would not even get injured, let alone die.

    No matter how big it was, it was only one fireball. Yes, the enemy¡¯s attack was only mere one attack.

    There¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against it. There¡¯s no way their shields would be broken through.

    But,

    ¡°Oh, G, God, please grant us¡ª¡ª¨C¡°

    The ball of mes that approached from the sky felt as if the sun itself had fallen down on them.

    If the sun was actually falling, then humans could not do anything about it in the first ce.

    While praying to their God, they finally understood that death was inescapable.

    And thus, the [Golden Sun] burned everything there to nothingness.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Wh, what the hell is that!?!?!¡±

    After the light and st waves had subsided, Norz finally became aware of the scene in front of him.

    The scenery near the riverside had changed in a matter of seconds.

    The cornerstone of this upation army, the heavy knight squads and the magician squads, and numerous soldiers were supposed to be positioned over there. But there was not even a shadow remaining there.

    The change didn¡¯t stop with just the disappearance of the squads. The terrain itself had been changed.

    A crater had been created over there as a proof of the destruction that had just urred.

    The water that supposed to be flowing there hadpletely disappeared and now finally water flowed in with surging waves from upstream to cover the area without water once again as if the river had forgotten to flow for some time.

    Soon, the flow of the river calmed down once again, but, the disappeared soldiers didn¡¯te back. There was no way they could have.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? With just one attack, something like this¡ª¡ª¡°

    The troops had already experienced the nightmare of losing one whole squad instantly once.

    But this time, they had lost much more troops at the same ce. Norz could not have predicted this.

    No matter how strong their opponents were, after all they were nothing more than some few demons holding up inside one rural vige. They, who were not even a part of an army, should not have possessed a first ss magician squad or an Ancient Weapon either.

    Nevertheless, for such a high level annihting attack to be fired on them; not just Norz, no soldier could have predicted that.

    ¡°Please, calm down a bit first.¡±

    A cool voice struck Norz¡¯s mind that was in chaos.

    ¡°Sister Sylvia.....why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the vicemander after all, it¡¯s not weird for me toe to the front lines right? Rather than that, you should quickly give new orders or you¡¯ll be unable to cope with it.¡±

    ¡°umu.......yes, it is as you say.¡±

    Shaking his head, Norz forcibly calmed himself down.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked by what they saw, the troops were the same. If he didn¡¯t give orders quickly, they would be unable to take the offensive once more.

    ¡°Quickly retrieve the injured! That fireball was probably the enemy¡¯s trump card, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use it consecutively!!¡±

    On his orders, the soldiers who were dumbfounded began to move in a panic once again.

    ¡°Deploy a new squad! We have taken severe damage but we haven¡¯t been annihted! The attack will continue as nned! Make preparations for the magicians and the Heavy Knights to cross the river!¡±

    ¡°¡±YES!!¡±¡±

    After he saw the soldiers who had taken orders scatter in different directions, Norz finally recovered hisposure as well.

    ¡°Damned demons, don¡¯t think we would fall back from something like that!¡±

    ¡°Yes, if we fall back now then we¡¯ll be doing exactly what they want. Since they didn¡¯t use this attack thest time, this attack must have been their trump card as you had said.¡± (Sylvia)

    ¡°Aa, we still have more than enough troops to attack them. If we ording to the n, there will be no change to the fact that we¡¯ll capture Alsace.¡±

    Just likest time, they had taken a severe blow at the beginning but it was still not enough to change the course of battle.

    The Crusaders still had a great amount of infantry, magicians, heavy knights, Pegasus Knights, Cavalry etc. to easilyplete their task.

    Although, this battle had already be a humiliation for Norz which he¡¯d never forget.

    ¡°.......but, I will not tolerate a loss. Definitely, I¡¯ll stab our God¡¯s great g on that annoying ck box.¡±

    Norz who was burning with anger inside, gave orders for attack as soon as the preparations were done.

    No matter how many casualties may arise due to the demons¡¯ resistance, today he will definitely not retreat. He will win today, he swore to his God.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±

    I had already estimated that Fiona¡¯s [Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil]¡¯s aftermath would reach even our protective wall so we had already deployed numerous defensive magics with a wide range beforehand.

    Soon reply¡¯s indicating their well being came back to me.

    And looking through the surroundings, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anyone that¡¯s injured either. It seems, we were able to keep through it perfectly.

    ¡°Amazing......the enemy squad that had been there till now haspletely disappeared.¡±

    Ipletely agree with Irina¡¯sment.

    I had seen it before already, but still I was surprised once again.

    ¡°Yeah, it destroyed through shields and armour as if they didn¡¯t even exist.¡±(kurono)

    The magicians and the heavy knights that were approaching here with rafts just a few seconds back havepletely disappeared.

    It did fall directly in the middle of the enemy group after all, I don¡¯t even need to know what happened at the centre of the explosion.

    ¡°But, it seems the enemy is still eager to attack.¡±

    Once again, the soldiers starteding to the river side.

    And maybe because they were cautious of getting sniped, defensive magics have been deployed as well as they floated the rafts to cross the river.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a war of attrition from her onwards, right?¡±(irina)

    ¡°Yes.¡±(kurono)

    The enemy still hasn¡¯t lost all their magicians and heavy knights.

    We had decreased quite a lot of their numbers but still they have enough numbers to defeat us.

    ¡°Today will be the biggest turning point.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°yes, let¡¯s work hard.¡± (irina)

    My heart calmed a bit as I saw Irina smile.

    Ah, I calmed down, meaning, I really must have been nervous till now.

    But it can¡¯t be helped. After all, today a lot of lives will be lost and I knew that.

    But,

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we need to work hard¡ª-¡°

    Mine and everyone else have already hardened their resolves.

    ¡°¡ª¨Care preparations over?¡±

    As I looked back, The assault team had already gathered with Vulcan at its head.

    ¡°Yeah, we are all ready.¡±

    The ones we are going to face off now are the enemies with the strongest defence, the heavy Knights.

    They were also elites like the Pegasus Knights that had splendid equipment.

    We can¡¯t stop them like we did with the infantry soldiers. Since they have high level of defence, our crossfire won¡¯t be able to deal with them.

    Thus, the best way to kill them would be to attack them personally and cut them apart.

    ¡°.....Lily, Fiona, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Using telepathy, I connected with those two.

    ¡°Fiona, you did well, leave the rest to us and take a good rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d I was of use.¡±

    She must be currently being transported to one of the beds in the guild.

    It¡¯ll take some time for her to get up even with the use of magical energy restoring potions.

    ¡°Lily, if the Pegasus Knightse, I¡¯ll be counting on you again. But please don¡¯t be reckless and return back before your ¡®Divine Protection¡¯ runs out.¡±

    ¡°Un, I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°Alright, then, I¡¯ll go on ahead.¡±

    ¡°Yes, take care, Kurono-san.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Take care!¡±(lily)

    After getting the boost from their voices, I was already standing near the front gate.

    In my right hand was the [Cursed hatchet Hararetsu] and in my left was [ck Ballista replica]. And inside my shadow were countless ckened swords hidden.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    As I shouted, I jumped outside the front gate with the assault team.

    .

    .

    .

    Arrows, lightning, fire, ice, rained upon the Crusaders who were crossing the river.

    But it didn¡¯t reach the heavy knights who were on the rafts.

    Only those highly skilled warriors who had mastered magic as well as martial arts were allowed to wear this Full te Mail armour.

    There was no way, a long range attack of that level would be able to injure them.

    ¡°Looks like it was true that that giant explosion was the demons¡¯ trump card.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, those guys from the second squad were really unlucky. There¡¯s no way anything could live after getting hit by that.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take revenge for them and at the same time, the glory they were supposed to have as well.¡±

    Since they believed that the demons had run out of tricks, they were fairlyposed.

    ¡°Look, those demons havee out themselves.¡±

    In the direction one of the knights pointed, with a ck robed man in the front, there was group of various races with differing equipment.

    Even if they were of a different race, they could easily infer that those demons were adventurers.

    But, that group of adventurers had been able to keep the soldiers in check on the first day, that too without getting any casualties. They were a truly skilled group.

    Each and every heavy Knight here knew that this time the adventurers target was them.

    ¡°Say, isn¡¯t that man in the ck clothes in the front, the rumoured ¡®Devil¡¯?¡±

    ¡°yeah, no doubt about it. There is only that skeleton in ck clothes on the front lines other than him or so everyone said. Since a human¡¯s wearing that, no doubt that he¡¯s that bastard Devil.¡±

    ¡°hehe, so let¡¯s go ¡®exorcise¡¯ that Devil.¡±

    Since he was wearing a helmet, his face couldn¡¯t be seen but no doubt he was currently smiling.

    ¡°Alright, get down from the rafts! Take formation, we¡¯ll scatter the enemies in a single attack!¡±

    As per the orders of the squadmander of the 3rd heavy knight squad, the heavy knights jumped down from the rafts into the shallow areas of the river.

    Even with the river¡¯s flow, the heavy knights perfectly took their formation and prepared themselves to attack the approach demons.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll kill the evil demons and raise the honour of the knights!!¡±

    Raising their halberds, the heavy knight squad, covered in full te armour and protected by tower shields, raised their war cry and took their first step in order to trample over the Alsace¡¯s defensive line.

 Chapter 123 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knights Squad (2)

    Chapter 123 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knights Squad (2)

    That was truly a wall of silvery shining steel.

    The heavy knights holding their tower shields, as they approached in a single horizontal line formation, were truly giving off an incredible amount of pressure and intimidation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take the first action, Magic Bullet Arts¡ª-¡°

    The [loaded] bullets appeared around me and the target of these psedo full metal jacket bullets was of course, the wall of silver.

    Now, let¡¯s test which one is stronger? My bullets or your prided full te armour.

    ¡°¡ª¨Crelease all bullets ¨C Full Burst!¡±

    As I swung the [ck Ballista Replica], with ck muzzle shes in mid-air, rushed towards the approaching enemies.

    ¡°Iron Guard.¡±

    The heavy knights that quickly sensed my attacks activated defensive martial art skills.

    Before the bullets could reach, the already hard and strong armour became even sturdier due to the magical energy released as an effect of the martial art skill.

    Unlike the shield, its effectsst only a few seconds but if such a defensive skill could be activated in such a short time then they wouldn¡¯t have much trouble in defending against most of the attacks.

    ¡°To remain uninjured¡ª¨CMagic Sword Arts.¡±

    The thousand bullets I fired were defended against by their Tower shield.

    Although sparks and the sound of metal shing rose as the bullets struck the shield, there was barely any scratch on them.

    Since the bullets had no effect, next I brought out my ckened long swords.

    The 10 swords that appeared from my [Shadow Gate] were deployed around me as per my orders.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be bad if I¡¯m unable to deal any damage even with these¡ª¨CPierce through!!¡±

    Rather than materializing items from scratch, it was more effective to enchant existing items through magic.

    Even Sariel had to use her own hands to stop my Sword Arts, that¡¯s the proof that it would have been that dangerous to take it head on.

    Then, it should have some effect even against these heavy knights with MAX defence.

    As per my will, the ckened swords flied like hawks aiming for their prey.

    ¡°It works.¡±

    The sh was over in an instant.

    The heavy knight in front of me fell and sunk into the river.

    Each and every sword took different trajectories and aimed for 1 knight. Even if their shields are strong, that doesn¡¯t mean that their defence is the same from 360 degrees. It was impossible to perfectly protect everything.

    And my magic swords cleanly pierced through the helm and pierced through his brain.

    ¡°But, the amount of consumption is really high......¡±

    Unless I use 10 swords at the same time, it was impossible to take down even a single heavy knight.

    Even the fallen heavy knight had been able to deflect all other 9 swords, except the one that struck his head, with his shield or halberd or even his armour.

    The sword that struck his armour had been able to leave damage but it had been unable to pierce through in a single attack.

    I guess it¡¯s a relief that at least the armour is weaker than the shield, if only slightly.

    ¡°In any case, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that this is going to be a difficult battle.¡±

    Even with the [Kuronagi] of the cursed hatchet in my right hand, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to cut them into two easily.

    The magic bullets of my baton; if I were to boost its hardness rather than the number of bullets, 3 bullets should be able to pierce through the weakened portion of the armour if I hit with perfect uracy.

    And behind me, once again, 10 ckened swords appeared from within my shadow. I still have quite a lot of stock of ckened swords left with me but I can¡¯t be reckless with their use.

    Among the 10 swords I used, half of them were chipped when they struck their strong guard and the ckening affect was removed.

    If the ck magical energy covering the sword got dispelled, obviously I lose control over those swords. And in such a situation, it¡¯ll be quite difficult to pick them up and enchant them once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a formidable enemy, but¡ª¡ª¡°

    The heavy knight squad covered the gap created by me in their formation quickly without getting flustered and kept on advancing with the same pace.

    Soon, we¡¯ll be in a distance where we can sh our des with them. After that it¡¯lle down to a closebat battle between us, assault team and the heavy knights.

    ¡°Bring it on! Don¡¯t move back even a single step! Let¡¯s show these scrap iron knights the will of us adventurers!!¡±

 Chapter 124 Fairy Vs Pegasus Knights (4)

    Chapter 124 Fairy Vs Pegasus Knights (4)

    (Lily POV)

    ¡°¡ª-they¡¯re here.¡±

    There are enemy presences in the air. If one were to say that, they could only be talking about the Pegasus Knights.

    This time they arrived even faster thanst time, just as Kurono had said. They really are going all out this time.

    ¡°Disconnecting Telepathy. After that, please use analogm., alright?¡±

    After informing the adventurers instead of Kurono who was busy fighting on the front lines, I quickly opened the windows and flew to the skies.

    My body is already in my normal form, condition is also not bad either. Although the sound from bombardment was really annoying but in my child form I was still able to sleep well.

    ¡°Hurry up ande here, I have a time limit after all.¡±

    As I soared above Alsace Vige, I saw the Pegasus Knights flying towards here in a formation.

    They are clearly on guard against me. I guess I won¡¯t be able to surprise attack them with [Meteor Strike] likest time.

    Last time, maybe I should have showed myself as a bit more weaker to make them drop their guards at least a bit.

    I had been able to take the initiative with the surprise attack, and I was also able to see through their ns with my powerful Extra magic telepathy.

    But, although I had maintained a superior position in thest battle till the end, in reality, I was also at my limit.

    In the first ce, I¡¯m not even a dragon. Why am I supposed to fight so many of them together?

    Since I¡¯m fighting for Kurono, the only reason I didn¡¯t yield even with the gap in our overwhelming war potential is all thanks to the power of Love.

    Seriously, what will I do if my precious body got injured?

    ¡°¡ª-nn?¡±

    As they came closer and closer, and when they were about to enter the range of my telepathy, I felt an ufortable feeling.

    Yeah, this feeling, no doubt, this is,

    ¡°Mind Protect? So they took a protective measure, how impudent.¡±

    I can¡¯t see inside their hearts, a thin wall, no, a mist like barrier is preventing me from seeing their thoughts clearly.

    Mind Protect was only a low level mind protection magic but it seems I won¡¯t be able to read through the whole squad likest time.

    I can break through just their Protect but, doing so while under heavy fire and while attacking and dodging at the same time, it is difficult to spare even a shred of my concentration.

    ¡°Well alright, as long as I can just see through any special tricks, I¡¯ll just fight them head-on likest time.¡±

    I¡¯ll soon be inside their attack range; I put up my Oracle Field.

    If I don¡¯t have any scope of using a surprise attack, I¡¯ll just attack them from the front.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll kill all of you and get praised by Kurono, so quickly die for me!!¡±

    We both attacked at the same time.

    Lightning, wind, mes, ice¡ª-a diverse range of elemental attacks were fired towards me.

    I also fired beams and balls of light. Its size was the same as Light Sagita but its power is at intermediate level.

    The high level tracking ability of the light balls interrupted the attacks that blocked my path of flight as I closed on into them.

    The light beams that can only move straight forward, aimed for the Pegasus Knights at high speed.

    Even though fast, the enemy is also an elite squad and can evade these beams by predicting its path.

    As my attacks approached the knights, they quickly disp¡ª¨Cdid not evade.

    ¡°Eh, they turned back!?¡±

    I thought they would scatter and move to surround me but my prediction was overturned.

    I wonder what they were thinking as they turned 180 degrees even with an enemy like me in front of them and started returning back.

    ¡°Wait, wait a minute!!¡±

    As I tried to find out their intentions, they were barely inside the range of my telepathy so I couldn¡¯t interfere strongly enough to break through their mind protect.

    For the time being I should get closer to them to attack as well as to read their minds, so I started to chase after the running Pegasus knights.

    But, in a straight line, they were slightly faster and they were slowly getting further apart. I rasied my flying speed to pursue them but, no, I can¡¯t catch up.

    ¡°Tch, anymore and I¡¯ll be chasing them too far.¡±

    I lowered my speed and stopped in mid-air.

    It¡¯d be too dangerous to go too far away from Alsace.

    In the first ce, luring an enemy like me then trapping them was a very basic tactic.

    If that was what the enemy is aiming for, then I have no reason to go along with it.

    As I thought of returning back, the next moment, the Pegasus Knights once again turned back.

    Once again they approached me as they fired a volley of magic attacks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to move any further than this, no choice but to move backwards.¡±

    A volley fired from barely within their range was easy to dodge as well as to intercept.

    I began to retreat and move backwards while still facing them.

    As I did, the Pegasus Knights maintained the same distance as they flew this way.

    And every time I entered their range, they would start firing magic attacks towards me.

    ¡°Kuh, could it be¡ª-¡°

    I stopped in mid air. The Pegasus Knights also stopped in mid air.

    If I advanced, they would retreat.

    And if I retreat, they would advance, while maintaining the same distance. And the attacks were nothing more than a way to try and harass me.

    ¡°¡ª-they¡¯re trying to buy time!¡±

    I understood their intentions.

    Even without reading their minds, if they move this obviously, only a fool would not be able to understand that.

    Basically, the enemy was trying to make me exhaust the ¡®time limit¡¯ of my DP.

    ¡°Really, doing such impudent things........¡±

 Chapter 125 Firefight

    Chapter 125 Firefight

    Today, Simon was not on the rooftop but was currently encamped on the window of one of the rooms on the fourth floor with his [Yatagarasu].

    From this room, from the Rone river till the Alsace¡¯s main gate, everything could be perfectly seen and was the second best point for sniping after the roof.

    In today¡¯s attack, the magicians were also crossing the river so there was no bombardment on the roof but it wouldn¡¯t be strange if some other kind of attack magic was rained upon him if he stayed at the roof.

    A trained archer or magician could easily deal with 1 or 2 attacks of low level magic that came from above.

    But, Simon was a weak elf in the first ce and also had an inferior constitution. On top of that, he didn¡¯t possess the high magical energy skills that normal Elves have either.

    On the roof, he would have been in a far too big danger.

    Thus, after considering his safety as well as a position suitable for sniping, this room had been allotted to him.

    But even though this was supposedly a safe ce, the Crusaders had far too many magicians and they were attacking this small window, where Simon was, as well.

    ¡°Uahh, hot hot!?!¡±

    The approaching Ignis Sagita hit close to the window and spread out mes.

    Unluckily, his hand got hit by some of the mes and he felt a burning pain.

    ¡°Uu.......Kuh.......¡±

    He left the gun and hid himself inside the room for the time being.

    The guild that had been ckened by Kurono, even though it was made of wood, was not shaking at all even under the constant attack of the magicians.

    Simon had no worry of a magic piercing through the walls and hitting him and looked for an item to heal his hand inside the pouch that had been enchanted with Dimension magic.

    A pouch like that, that could hold more than its looks, was something usually held by rank 3 or above adventurers.

    The only reason Simon, a rank 1, had this is because he had been give this as a farewell gift to him a long time ago. From that, Simon brought out a small sack.

    ¡°What do I do? This is myst [Fairy¡¯s Miracle drug]....¡±

    As he sprinkled the sparkling powder on his burnt hand, the pain instantly disappeared and his skin returned back to its original soft and clean skin, as if time itself had been turned backwards.

    The [Fairy¡¯s Miracle Drug] that possessed incredible regenerative ability was an extremely important magic item for Simon who was not a sturdy adventurer.

    But if he got injured again, he doesn¡¯t even have any normal potions remaining now.

    There was difference between a normal potion and the fairy¡¯s miracle drug that was like the heavens and the earth.

    Just how much affect will the pain remaining on his arm have on his uracy; the fact made Simon anxious.

    ¡°.....But, I have no choice but to do this. Everyone else is still fighting as well.¡±

    Seeing the numerous enemies spread below him, he suppressed all of his negative emotions like anxiousness and fear, and once again picked up his gun.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll work hard as well¡ª¨Cand shoot the enemies down!¡±

    As he took a stance with the [Yatagarasu], in front of him one of the magicians exhausted his shield with good timing for Simon.

    He pulled the trigger without hesitation and took another life of the enemy.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Kuh, What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t that ck box falling down already!?!¡±

    Seeing another subordinate of his fall down as blood flowed from his chest, the squadmander of the 5th magician squad shouted.

    Disembarking from the raft, the magician squad that had spread out in the shallow areas of the river were firing vigorously on the ck box of the Alsace vige but let alone getting burned down, the building wasn¡¯t even taking a scratch.

    ¡°Commander, for the time being let¡¯s focus on defence and wait for the arrival of the 6th and 7th squads!¡±

    ¡°Guess there¡¯s no other choice. Change to dual shield defences¡ª¡°

    The guild protected by ck walls was firing on them from above but they, the magicians, had no cover since they stood at the river. So, they had no choice but topletely depend on their defensive magics.

    And even that defensive magic wasn¡¯t omnipotent.

    It required quite a lot of magical energy to be activated and it was pretty difficult to cover the whole squad especially in such a condition where they were spread out.

    In the first ce, if defensive magic had been that perfect, there would have been no use for castles and walls after all.

    Against opponents that were hiding inside a structure like the ck box that possessed a solid defence, even if they had more numbers, it was not an easy job to attack it from the front and make it fall.

    ¡°Seriously, those blockheaded heavy knights. Just how much time do they need to take to care of those demons and break through the front gate!?¡±

    As per the n as well, the magicians were not meant to take down the guild by themselves. They were only meant to support the infantry and the heavy knights as they broke through the front.

    Thus they were firing towards the enemy archers and magicians in the guild to prevent them from attacking the soldiers.

    Although, with just their attack magic they had actually thought they could destroy the guild which is why themander was getting irritated when he failed to do so.

    And on top of that, their allies¡¯ attack wasn¡¯t going too well either. They were getting dyed from their actual n.

    Although they didn¡¯t doubt their victory, they couldn¡¯t stay calm within either.

    ¡°In a little more time, soon the soldiers and the heavy knights will break through that flimsy protective wall. As expected we shouldn¡¯t be too unreasonable and just support them as nned for now.¡±

    ¡°umu, it is as you say. To lose your life in such a skirmish would be¡ª¡ª¡°

    At that moment, a ck bullet attacked themander¡¯s head.

    ¡°Co,mander!?!¡±

    Piercing through the forehead, it made a big hole from behind the head from which blood and gore spewed out. It didn¡¯t leave any scope to even try to heal him.

    ¡°Kuh, aim for that window! Don¡¯t let the bastard hiding there shoot anymore!!¡±

    Seeing the threat of the enemy sniper, that could urately aim through the slight gap inside the shield, and locating his position, the vicemander gave orders now that themander had died.

    ¡°Our damages are too great. Hurry up and break through that protective wall.......¡±

 Chapter 126 In Front of the Protective Wall

    Chapter 126 In Front of the Protective Wall

    In front of the Alsace protective wall covered with barbed wires, the machinegun was raising a loud firing sound as it mowed down the soldiers trying to push through.

    This overwhelming scene was the same as the first day, is what they wanted to say but,

    ¡°Ah, this is bad, it won¡¯t hold on much longer like this!¡±(Mozrun)

    The situation was slowly, but definitely turning to the worse.

    ¡°Stopining Mossan! Ah look, the enemies areing from there!!¡±

    Quickly turning the barrel of the machinegun, he showered bullets towards the Crusaders who were jumping over the corpses of theirrades and continued advancing.

    Kurono had led the assault team to defeat the heavy knights so obviously he was not here to use crossfire.

    With just one machinegun, as expected, gaps would be created due to which the soldiers were able to approach much closer.

    ¡°This is too difficult! Today the enemies havee with lots of magicians, the soldiers with shield magics are too damn hard!!¡±(Mossan)

    While creating dark muzzle shes, the ck bullets were being fired like a storm but it was still taking a lot of time to pulverize the soldiers who now had the support of the magicians.

    And in that time, the enemies would approach even closer.

    ¡°Uoh!? That was close¡ª¨C¡°

    An [Ignis Sagita] flew towards Mozrun from the magician squad that was supporting the infantry soldiers.

    The fire arrow was on course to a direct hit but,

    ¡°??? ???? ??????¨D [Air Shield]¡±

    Hanna of the [Three Hunting Princesses] instantly deployed a defensive shield and blocked the arrow of mes.

    ¡°Thanks for the help little girl!¡±(mossan)

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a little girl!¡±(hanna)

    ¡°Gahahahaha. From my perspective every woman is a little girl!¡±

    While cracking jokes, Mozrun continued using the machinegun.

    The soldiers advance had yet to lose its vigour.

    (¡°But, seriously it¡¯ll be bad if it goes on like this......¡±)(Mossan)

    As Mozrun gave a fleeting nce to another direction, he saw numerous magicians and soldiers with bows in every direction.

    Sometimes, a log like arrow would be fired from the ballista that would destroy a part of the enemy force but in front of such an overwhelming amount of troops, the number that was killed was not even worth mentioning.

    It was clear that theycked the firepower to repel the enemies.

    Since the enemy magicians were continuously firing towards the sturdy guild, they (adventurers) could not hope for support and covering fire from the guild either.

    Although, thanks to that, most of the enemy magicians were not attacking in front of the protective wall either.

    Even the heavy knight squad was kept in check thanks to the high levelled adventurers led by Kurono.

    But still, it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that most of the enemies were attacking this protective wall.

    Just like the first attack, the infantry soldiers kept on attacking, and to top it off, since the magicians had also crossed the river, they were helping the soldiers with shield and boost magic as well.

    Even now when the machinegun kept on firing, they were still letting the enemye close which was not a very good situation. And probably, Mozrun wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that.

    Everyone in front of the protective wall was thinking the same thing. When the machinegun bes unable to continue attacking, they would not evenst 10mins.

    (¡°If boss could take down the heavy knight squad and return, we could still make it through. But, he was not able to do so, we¡¯ll have no choice but to retreat......¡±)

    He still had quite a lot of recement gun barrels but it won¡¯t be long before he runs out of them as well.

    But still, right now, Mozrun suppressed his anxiety and kept on firing the machinegun and creating death for the enemies.

    .

    .

    .

    Themander of the magician squad supporting the infantry soldiers¡¯ attack calmly looked at the ongoing battle.

    ¡°Our casualties are great but we¡¯ll break through soon enough.¡±

    ¡°So it seems.¡±

    While looking at the 5th magician squad, that was continuing the attack on the ck box, with eyes of pity, he rejoiced at his good luck on getting a job that had him in a safe ce while supporting the advance of the soldiers.

    ¡°The heavy knight squad seems to be having more trouble than expected but¡ª-¡°

    The 3rd heavy knight squad that had crossed the river first was already trapped in a battle royale with the demon¡¯s squad.

    Since they were all fighting scattered and jumbled, the magicians might idently hit their own soldiers like that so the magicians had no choice but to leave those demonspletely to the heavy knights.

    ¡°¡ª-After the 4th heavy knight squad also crosses the river, the oue will be decided.¡±

    ¡°Before that, there¡¯s a chance that that devil¡¯s attack might stop as well.¡±

    ¡°Aa, right, there was that report as well.¡±

    In front of him was the scene where the evil skeleton was instantly killing the soldiers with a threatening attack while releasing ck shes.

    But it had already been proved in thest battle that there was a certain interval created after some time.

    When this rapid fire ck magic, that was able to hold back even such an overwhelming amount of soldier, stopped, even a uneducated soldier could tell what would happen after that.

    ¡°fufu, it¡¯s only a matter of time before this devil¡¯s vige also falls.¡±

 Chapter 127 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knight Squad (3)

    Chapter 127 Assault Team Vs Heavy Knight Squad (3)

    A few meters in front of the Alsace¡¯s main gate, on the shores of the river, currently the fiercest battle was taking ce.

    ¡°Goooaaah!!!¡±

    An Orc warrior easily swung around a heavy Great Sword as he shed around.

    ¡°Kuh, Guard!!¡±

    The facing heavy knight blocked the attack with his shield and pushed out to repel the attack.

    Although it was Orc who possess superhuman strength, if a trained heavy knight pushed along with a martial art, even an Orc would end up stumbling.

    ¡°Charge!!¡±

    Seeing the stumbling arc, he released the martial skill that increased the thrusting power of the halberd, [Charge] and pursued him.

    But the enemy wasn¡¯t weak either. Even while in a copsing posture, he swung his great sword with one hand and endured the charging spearhead.

    The Orc who blocked the attack took back a few steps and once again increased the distance between the two.

    ¡°haa.......haa......damned demons, to think they would be this strong....¡±

    Themander of the 3rd heavy knight squad involuntarily muttered so.

    When he saw around just 20 demons jump out from the main gate, he thought of it as a great chance.

    They were the best warriors among the demons that were protecting the vige of Alsace. If he could take them down the rest of the attack would be easy, above all he had the confidence to do that as well.

    But still, after they actually crossed swords with them, this was the result.

    Due to the overwhelming strength of the demons, their line formation was soon disrupted and it turned into a chaotic melee battle.

    Even though the heavy knights had the superiority in numbers, the heavy knights with the so-called invulnerable defence were falling one by one.

    Due to the unexpected strength of the demons, hismands and orders were also not taking much effect. And the demons only gained more and more vigour as they kept on attacking while raising bone chilling roars.

    Even those demons had fallen victim to their halberds as well, and their numbers had fallen to 2/3rds of what they were.

    And even among those less than 20 demons remaining there was barely anyone that was still unhurt and were drenched in their own blood as well the blood of their opponents and had bepletely d in crimson.

    But even then, without losing their fighting spirit the fact that those demons kept on fighting without any fear was a scene that made even these veteran heavy knights feel fear.

    It could be, that they might be pushed back in the end as well.

    ¡°Impossible, there¡¯s no way we would lose¡ª-[Break].¡±

    Warding off the attack of the Orc brilliantly once again, he sliced with the axe part of the halberd as a counter.

    The martial art [Break] that had the effect of increasing the shing power this time caught the body of the Orc and tore through the leather armour and steel like skin together and delivered a fatal blow.

    ¡°Goah, gufuuuu......¡±

    Fresh blood spewed out from the wound and finally the Orc¡¯s giant body fell down as foam and blood appeared in his mouth.

    This was the second demon he had killed.

    Even though he was themander, he had still been able to kill only 2 of them.

    In his sights, he saw a werewolf of more than 2m in height crushing and smashing one of his subordinates along with the armour with his giant sword.

    ¡°Shit, if it goes on like this¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t look away during battle, you scrap iron piece of junk knight.¡±

    As a voice came with incredible bloodlust, the only reason he was able to react this fast was thanks to his high level of skill.

    ¡°Iron Guard!!¡±

    ¡°Kuronagi!!¡±

    The ck de shed. Unable to block the power of the de infused with the martial art skill, he ended up stepping backwards involuntarily.

    But his posture didn¡¯t crumble, if he showed an opening here, he would definitely die in the next attack. That¡¯s the kind of opponent the ¡®Devil¡¯ attacking him was. He had finally understood that fact.

    ¡°Haaaaaa!!¡±

    As a reflex he swung his halberd¡ª¡ª-he met with a resistance.

    He was able to somehow deflect the 2 long swords that came flying towards him.

    As he took a stance with his shield to prepare for the next attack, the opponent also stepped back a little.

    ¡°A ¡®Devil¡¯ eh.......this man is too dangerous. I need to bring him down right now.¡±

    He focused on the ck clothed man standing in front of me who was called the ¡®Devil¡¯.

    Defeating the Kievan¡¯s squad at Irz vige, defending Alsace in the previous battle with ck magic, and the man who had created numerous corpses at the river shore right now was truly a man befitting of the title of the ¡®Devil¡¯ for the Crusaders.

    He once again realized that now that he was directly facing him.

    The man with ck hair and ck eyes and an extremely fearsome look; his ck robe was nowpletely drenched in red blood of his enemies and his own blood as well.

    But his fighting spirit was the same as the other demons, no, he had the most fighting spirit right now and as if he was also using the same to lead the demons as well.

    He realized that the dark night-like pair of eyes that were ring were clearly filled with hatred.

    ¡°......En garde!¡±

    Suppressing his fear with the his will of steel, he rushed forward to kill that man.

    Each and every attack of this Devil were fearsome but he could definitely block them with his shield, he judged that after exchanging blows with him till now.

    Even that ominous looking hatchet¡¯s martial art was unable to cut apart his tower shield and had stopped at just scratching the surface.

    (¡°I¡¯ll close in to him and first block his attack with my [Guard] and after he loses bnce, I¡¯ll finish it with either [Charge] or [Break].¡±)

    While abiding by the basics of the fighting styles used by the heavy knights, he began his attack.

    He clearly had enough defensive ability to stop the enemy¡¯s attack, and furthermore he also possessed attacking power to kill him in a single blow as well which is why he didn¡¯t need to use any tricks.

    It was a basic tactic but it had no openings and was a perfectlypleted tactic.

    ¡°Uoooohh!!¡±

    ¡°Magic Bullet arts.¡±

    The ¡®Devil¡¯ fired the ck bullets, that had be a fear for the soldiers, towards the his shield.

    ¡°Something like this won¡¯t stop me!!¡±

    A quite strong recoil ran through his arm but it was not enough to stop his attack.

    Without getting deterred at all, he kept on rushing forward.

    ¡°¡ª-Kuronagi.¡±

    ¡°[Guard]!¡±

    Both used the same skills again but this time it was the other martial art user who stumbled.

    As if he had run into a giant stone, his Kuronagi was unable to cut through the Tower Shield and,

    ¡°guh¡ª-¡°

    The Devil lost his bnce.

    A clear opening was created, and the knight was not na?ve enough to let it pass, otherwise he would have never be themander of a squad.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine!!¡±

    He swung the Halberd, and released the martial art that could cut away even rocks, [Break].

    ¡°¡ª-I told you didn¡¯t I, to not look away?¡±

    As the Devilughed while saying that, he simply needed to swing his halberd over him and end it.

    But, his hand didn¡¯t move, no, he felt his whole body losing strength.

    ¡°Walking in darkness, dancing in the night, the one swing sword¡ª-[Shadow Walker Hanzoma]¡±

    Someone¡¯s voice came to his ears.

    Someone was sitting on his shoulder, and that someone was stabbing a de inside his neck.

    He didn¡¯t know what had happened but the ¡®Devil¡¯ in front of him could clearly see it.

    A single woman had approached while using her Divine Protection¡¯s ability to its utmost to hide her presence. That woman had climbed on the knights shoulder and had deeply thrust in a Dagger Knife from the gaps in his armour into his neck.

    ¡°kuaha¡ª¨C¡°

    But in the knight¡¯s eyes, he could only see a fatal amount of blood spewing from his neck and the Devil in front of himughing.

    He was unable to see the figure of the person who had killed him till the very end.

 Chapter 128 The 4 Battlefields

    Chapter 128 The 4 Battlefields

    ¡°Thanks for the help, Su-san.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If you hadn¡¯t pulled all of his attention towards yourself, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to aim for him either.¡±

    After saying just that, Su-san disappeared as if melting into the background of the battlefield.

    Amazing, I looked away just a little and I couldn¡¯t see her anymore.

    ¡°But this is bad, if it goes on like this we¡¯ll be more or less annihted like this.¡±

    We had brought down the heavy knight who was probably themander but there won¡¯t be much effect on the battle just due to loss ofmands.

    If we fight so jumbled like this, they wouldn¡¯t be able to retreat either.

    ¡°ouch, ouch, just how long has it been since I got so hurt......¡±

    For the being, I should focus on healing myself rather than the progress of the battle.

    I came here recklessly fighting with heavy knights at close range even though I¡¯m not even a warrior but I also got enough injuries, proportionate to that as well.

    A light attack from a de could be blocked by my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] but, as expected, if I get hit by a martial art, it can only reduce some of the damage at most.

    Whenever I get injured I used my only healing magic(?) [Fleshpensation] to stop the wounds with the jelly like ck magical energy and limited the blood loss to the minimum and continued fighting.

    But, it can¡¯t be helped that it became like this. I knew this¡¯ll happen after all. I also had a way to fight them, that¡¯s why I had rushed in like this.

    I am talking about Lily¡¯s speciality, [Fairy¡¯s miracle drug].

    When I thought and realized that I could treat most of my wounds instantly with this, I decided to rush in the battle as well.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, this is the first time I¡¯m using it. I wonder how good it is¡ª-¡°

    I brought out a small sack. Unlike the potions, this was in powdered form.

    Quickly, I removed the seal and opened the sack. Inside, a sparkling powder that looked like sugar was kept. The light being released was very simr to the white light that usually wraps around Lily¡¯s naked body.

    But I don¡¯t have the time to slowly observe it. Quickly putting the powder on my palm, I applied it directly to my wounds.

    ¡°Uohh, this is amazing! The pain ispletely disappearing!¡±

    Its effect was as I had said. The moment it touched my body, the painpletely disappeared.

    The Flesh Compensation made by ck magical energy alsopleted its healing effect and the woundspletely regenerated.

    On top of it, I even felt my fatigue disappearing as well.

    ¡°This is certainly an all-cure medicine. Thanks Lily.¡±

    (¡°¡ª¨CYou¡¯re wee, I¡¯m happy that you liked it.¡±)

    Suddenly a voice resounded inside my head. There¡¯s no way I would have hallucinated it. This voice certainly belonged to Lily who was currently fighting with the Pegasus Knights in mid air.

    ¡°To havemunicated with me directly, did something happen?¡±

    Themunication was supposed to be stopped during the battle, I suddenly had a bad premonition but,

    (¡°The situation¡¯s turning a little bad.¡±)

    It seems I was correct.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    (¡°It seems that the Pegasus Knights have be aware of my Divine Protection¡¯s time limit and are wasting time by not attacking. Right now, I have no other option to just keep on ring against each other till my Divine Protection runs out.¡±)

    ¡°......I see.¡±

    Depending on how you think, although stopping the enemy while the DPsts was also a merit but the fact that she was not able to exhaust her opponents at all was really a bad situation.

    ¡°How long will your DPst?¡±

    (¡°The [Queen Beryl] won¡¯tst even 10 mins. I also only have 2 more scrolls remaining. If I were to activate my DP using that, I¡¯ll have around 40mins.¡±)

    ¡°Basically, you¡¯re saying that apletely unhurt Pegasus Knight squad will attack within an hour?¡±

    (¡°Un.¡±)

    ¡°I got it. It can¡¯t be helped. Just hold them out till that timests.¡±

    (¡°Got it, but, are you fine over there?¡±)

    ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit unreasonable and impossible, if we don¡¯t do anything, Alsace vige won¡¯tst.¡±

    (¡°I see.......then Kurono, don¡¯t be too reckless.¡±)

    ¡°I can¡¯t really promise that but, yeah, I¡¯ll try not to.¡±

    And so themunication with Lily also ended.

    ¡°This really is turning worse by the second.......¡±

    The current Alsace defensive battle is divided in four major battles.

    The first is between us, assault team and the heavy knight squad.

    The second is the ring battle between Lily and the Pegasus Knights in the air.

    The third is the firefight between the magicians and Simon and the others at the guild.

    And the fourth is in front of the protective wall, between Mossan and his machinegun against the attacking soldiers.

    These 4 battles are, even though there¡¯s an overwhelming difference in our numbers, somehow still miraculously holding out.

    All this is thanks to Lily in mid air, the ckened guild that remains unaffected even when getting hit by lower and intermediate attack magic, the machinegun that is one-sidedly killing the enemies, andst but not the least, the dire efforts made by every adventurer to keep on fighting.

    But all that is only temporary. If we give even a single opening, they will quickly cut through. And this could happen in any of the ongoing battles.

    No, going by the flow, Alsace will definitely fall today.

    ¡°And only we can do something to reverse that.¡±

    If we could at leastpletely crush our opponents, the heavy knights, our chances of prevailing would rise.

    We could strike the magicians squad, or go back to the protective wall to strengthen our defences. Especially if I could go back to resume our crossfiring, we could be able to instantly turn back the attacking soldiers.

    To get through today, we need to defeat the heavy knights no matter what.

    If we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll have no other choice but to be drowned by the overwhelming amounts of enemy forces and lose.

    ¡°I think we have killed quite a lot of heavy knights but¡ª-¡°

    As I looked towards the river, I saw another squad of the same armoured knights embarking on the raft and crossing to this side.

    ¡°One more squad left......¡±

    I exhaled involuntarily.

    We had drove these heavy knights to annihtion after a lot of sacrifices.

    But nevertheless, the enemy, as if it was only obvious, is sending out another squad.

    Our numbers have already lessened, and including me almost every member of the assault team is injured.

    Finally the heaviness of the word ¡®annihtion¡¯ was starting to bear down on me.

    ¡°But, no choice but to do it¡ª¡ª-Hm?¡±

    The moment I was about to once again charge towards the heavy knights, the telepathy crystal inside my bag started shining to tell me that a message was being transmitted towards me.

    To get a message here meant that probably something unexpected has happened.

    After Lily, I became anxious thinking about the arrival of another emergency but I quickly responded to the transmission.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Kurono-san, it¡¯s big trouble¡ª¨C¡°

    The contents told to me through the transmission was,

    ¡°What.........did you say...........¡±

    Was a despairing thing that thrusted defeat in front of me.

 Chapter 129 Miscalculation

    Chapter 129 Miscalction

    The job of guarding the boundary of Alsace vige was usually handled by thief ss or any other quick witted and agile sses.

    However, to keep an eye on the surroundings in arge area, the duty was given to summoners.

    It was not really a major ss among adventurers. Among the 100 adventurers in their alliance, only 3 were summoners.

    In the first ce, a summoner was a derivative ss of magicians that focused on training monsters through spells and using them as familiar servants.

    By using rank 1 monsters like dagger raptors and windwolves, they could cover arge area in their surveince.

    And that was applicable even when the battle was going on.

    In the first ce, due to the terrain around the cige, it was almost impossible for the enemy to surround them or lead a surprise attack. So this familiar was only sent out as just a bare minimum precaution.

    It could be said that it was actually meant more to make sure that monsters don¡¯t attack the vige rather than the enemying from the rear, which had been deemed impossible.

    But, the reason why they could immediately realize that the ¡®impossible¡¯ situation had be a reality was thanks to this familiar.

    On the other side of the main gate protected by Kurono and the others, a windwolf of a certain summoner was running on the bridge made on the Reen river.

    The windwolf looked like a wolf with light green fur and could use a wind Extra magic even though it was weak.

    Toplete the mission given by its master, the windwolves ran at full strength.

    Their mission was the surveince of the area and to inform in case they found an enemy.

    And currently they were in process of doing thetter part of their mission. That was the proof that the ¡®enemy¡¯ had appeared on the opposite rear gate of the vige.

    2 kms away from the rear gate, on the highway, the windwolf had sighted the enemy.

    ¡°Wh, what the hell.....to think that such a big squad could have circled us ande from behind......¡±

    The summoner read through what the windwolf saw telepathically and confirmed the fact.

    ¡°I must quickly inform Kurono-san¡ª-¡°

    And that information was quickly delivered towards Kurono through the telepathic crystal.

    ¡°¡ª-Enemy squad sighted behind the vige! It¡¯s an heavy armour knight squad of around a 100men!!¡±

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°¡ª-Enemy squad sighted behind the vige! It¡¯s an heavy armour knight squad of around a 100men!!¡±

    ¡°What......did you say..........¡±

    The moment I heard that, the words of defeat were thrusted in front of me.

    Due to the terrain it was extremely difficult for the enemy to go around and surround us. I had chosen Alsace as the defensive line for that very reason in the first ce.

    But that advantage had been easily overturned.

    Shit, just when I was thinking that we might be able to protect the vige today as well. I wished that this report was false.

    I wanted to think that, but the option of continuing the battle while ignoring this report could not even exist in my head as I calmed slightly down.

    ¡°Kuh, this ce won¡¯tst now.......we¡¯ll retreat......¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the time to hesitate anymore. Now that our rears had been taken by the enemy, our loss had been confirmed here.

    ¡°.......are you sure?¡±

    A hesitating voice came from the other side of the crystal.

    ¡°Yeah, We¡¯ll abandon Alsace. Give the signal for retreat. We need to get out of here as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°Roger.¡±

    As the transmission ended, the crystal broke as it had finished its job.

    ¡°Shit!!¡±

    Why?! How did a low mobility squad like a 100 man heavy knight squade to Alsace from behind?

    There was a detour but if they used that it would have taken at least one week. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible here.

    Even if they had forcibly gone through the thick dense forests, there¡¯s no way we would have not realized a 100 man squad passing through.

    We were definitely that vignt, but, not a single movement had been seen by our observations.

    I had no idea what kind of magic had they used to get so suddenly behind us.

    No, maybe they might have a convenient magic that allowed them to transfer a whole squad to other ces instantly.

    Then what should I have done? Should I have also created a protective wall on the other side as well?

    We barely had 1 week before the enemy came at us from the front main gate. We didn¡¯t have surplus time to create another protective wall on the rear which had low chance of getting under attack. It was more than enough that we were able to deploy guards there.

    Thanks to that we had been able to at least sense the enemy before they came rushing in from the rear gate. I guess our luck hasn¡¯t run outpletely. I need to think that way or I won¡¯t be able to keep on going on like this.

    ¡°Alright, calm down, just think about running away now.......¡±

    Don¡¯t think about anything else, I can regret as much as I wantter. If I, the leader, waste in giving my directions, I would end up sacrificing that many of my allies.

    Calming down my heart, as I threw on a switch in my head, the signal of retreat, the sound of the horn, resounded throughout the battlefield.

    .

    .

    .

    As the sound of the horn resounded, a ck and white smoke spread out all over the front main gate.

    ¡°The demons are retreating! Don¡¯t let this chance escape, we¡¯ll press in!!¡±

    On the other side of the river, Norz shouted in a loud voice to give his orders.

    The smokescreen enveloping the battlefield was a trick to assist their retreat was a fact that was truly obvious.

    ¡°fuu, finally the bnce has been broken.¡±

    ¡°So it seems. I thought that it mightst a bit longer.¡±

    Sylvia standing beside him also agreed to his statement.

    Certainly, the assault team made up of the elite demons had decreased quite a lot of their numbers and were still attacking the heavy knight squad with full vigour.

    Even Norz had understood that, but seeing them suddenly retreat, he didn¡¯t find it very doubtful either.

    ¡°With this, we¡¯ll finally capture this annoying vige as well.¡±

    Norz who had now be certain of his victory loudlyughed as the Crusaders attacked while crossing the smokescreen.

    .

    .

    .

    A dazzling sh attacked the eyes of the Pegasus Knights in the air.

    ¡°......Tch, she ran away.¡±

    Seeing Lily who had run away using this chance, Estel cursed.

    ¡°It seems she¡¯s heading directly towards the ck Box.¡±

    ¡°It still isn¡¯t the time for her ¡®limit¡¯ to end though¡ª-I see, it seems the battle has been settled on the ground.¡±

    Seeing the smoke rise near the main gate and the Rone river, they understood that the demons had started to retreat.

    ¡°Will they run away like this, or will they coop up inside the ck box and fight it out? What do you think, n?¡±

    ¡°I doubt they would run away directly but, in any case, what we have to do remains the same.¡±

    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s true. Then, let¡¯s start the pursuit!!¡±

    With Estel at the head, the Pegasus Knights began to move towards the ck guild of the vige to attack it.

    .

    .

    .

    (Kurono POV again)

    With Vulcan as the lead, the assault team had kicked away the soldiers near the protective line and retreated till there.

    As their rear guard, I was firing magic bullet arts beyond the smokescreen to hold off the enemies.

    ¡°When you use all the smoke balls it really produces way too much of the smoke.¡±

    When the assault team had retreated in the previous battle, my ck smoke was more than enough but this time we need to get everyone till the guild to escape.

    Since the ck smoke wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover the whole surroundings, we had to use lots of a famous item meant to use for fleeing called [Smoke ball].

    The two smokes, ck and white, were acting as a blinder in front of me.

    ¡°.......the preparations for the wall are, not done yet eh?¡±

    While pulverising the soldiers that were running through the smoke with spears with my bullets, I steadily moved closer to the gate.

    Since Fiona was still in bed, the other magicians were deployed to make a ¡®wall¡¯ to stop the enemies this time.

    As I was thinking that the preparations should bepleted; magical energy ran underneath my feet and indicated that a magic was about to be activated.

    ¡°Get back! Don¡¯t get swallowed up inside the wall!!¡±

    As I took a big leap backwards from that ce, the magicians activated their wide range defensive magics.

    It appeared as a bulwark made of fire, ice, and earth and stopped the advancing enemies in their tracks.

    In front of me was the jet ck [Death Wall Defan] that I hadn¡¯t seen since the time we fought against those scout troops.

    I should also learn to make at least a shield of this level. As the various types of walls stopped the enemies, I rolled in through the opened main gate.

    ¡°Good jobing back Boss!¡±(mossan)

    ¡°I made it somehow.¡±(kurono)

    Mossan came towards me while holding a wand that had ominous looking design in the shape of a skull.

    ¡°Alright, we were thest ones.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°yes, everyone else has already rushed inside the guild.¡±(mossan)

    As expected of adventurers. Such fast legs. It seems they¡¯re good at at retreating quickly as well.

    ¡°We should also hurry up. The shield is already starting to break.¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±(mossan)

    While giving ast nce as a halberd pierced through the [Death Wall Defan], I jumped inside the entrance of the guild.

 Chapter 130 The Fall of the Black Box

    Chapter 130 The Fall of the ck Box

    Inside the guild¡¯s lobby, every remaining adventurer had assembled and were beginning to evacuate through the escape route.

    Seeing everyone¡¯s injured and worn out bodies, I once again realized that a fierce battle was taking ce everywhere.

    And above all, our numbers had decreased.

    We were 103 adventurers in total but especially today, we lost 20 men leading to a major decrease in our forces.

    But we¡¯re still inside battle. I don¡¯t have the time to grieve for them. We need to quickly evacuate from Alsace vige.

    ¡°Vulcan, lead the assault team and make preparations at the rear gate first.¡±

    ¡°Is that fine? You bing the rear guard?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That was the n from the start after all.¡±

    ¡°Right, there was that as well. Then we¡¯ll leave first.¡±

    Everyone had already been told that an enemy heavy knight squad was approaching us from the rear.

    And to escape through the highway, we¡¯ll have no other choice but to break through this 100 man squad.

    That will be ourst obstacle.

    ¡°Ah, Onii-san.¡±

    ¡°Simon¡ª-woah, it seems you had it tough as well.¡±

    Simon who was shouldering the [Yatagarasu] waspletely covered in soot.

    Looking closely, Simon¡¯s slender white arms had ces that had red painful looking burns as well. She must have been targeted by fire attack magic.(T/N: kurono still doesn¡¯t know that Simon is a guy.)

    ¡°There were a lot of magicians after all. Everytime I shot, 10 fireballs were returned back towards me. It really was a pain to deal with.¡±

    She gave a wry smile while saying that. It seems she¡¯s still energetic.

    ¡°But I¡¯m d you were fine. C¡¯mon, Simon should also hurry up and leave.¡±

    ¡°Un, then I¡¯ll be going first¡ª-!?!¡±

    As she said that, Simon¡¯s head jerked suddenly.

    It was a reaction as if a hammer had been hit but what had had hit her head wasn¡¯t a mass of steel but a mass of boobs.

    ¡°How can this be? Simon you¡¯re injured,e, show them to me.¡±(susu)

    ¡°Ah, Susu-san.....¡±

    Maybe her DP was still active, Su-san who appeared out of nowhere hugged Simon from behind.

    Simon tried to get away while being embarrassed but couldn¡¯t get away from Su-san serious locking arm.

    At the same time, everytime Simon turned his head, the massive breasts on top her head swayed and bounced as if it was a slime¡ª¡ªwait, it really is made of slime right?

    ¡°Don¡¯t y around and go, you two.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Oh my bad, then let¡¯s go Simon.¡±(susu)

    ¡°Uua......see you Onii-san.¡±

    Simon looked like he wanted to say something but, in the end, was carried away by Su-san.

    As I sent off those two women who got along well, most of the other adventurers had also departed it seems and the usually busy lobby not felt very lonely.

    As I was feeling sentimental like that, thest member also returned.

    ¡°I¡¯m back Kurono.¡±(lily)

    Since Lily was holding back the Pegasus Knights till all of the rest evacuated, she was thest one to return back to the guild.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you are still safe.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°We were only ring each other after all.¡±

    She had already returned to her child form but her mind was still in the normal state.

    ¡°I also confirmed from the air, a white armoured group was heading towards us.¡±(lily)

    ¡°I see. If it was just infantry soldiers, it would have been much easier though.¡±

    ¡°But, is it fine? We have only stopped them for 5 days. There¡¯s a chance that they might catch up with the refugees you know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but we could make use of guerri warfare in the Gahad mountain ranges to stop them for a 1 more day.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°.......probably. We won¡¯t know unless we try.¡±

    Lily¡¯s mean spirited smile was painful for my heart. Please don¡¯t show such an evil smile while in the child form.

    ¡°fufu, it¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll make through somehow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then Lily go first¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going before you. I¡¯ll always be together with Kurono and I have no intention to be away from you.¡±

    Since there was need for Lily to be in the rear guard with me, I wanted her to leave first but she clung on to my hood of the robe as usual. I can¡¯t even shake her off like this.

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    As I patted her head who was sitting around my neck like a cat, she really calmed me down amazingly even though we were inside a battlefield of carnage.

    ¡°You seem to be pretty carefree even under such situations, Kurono-san.¡±

    ¡°Fiona!? Uu, Um, is it fine to walk already?¡±

    The ck clothed witch Fiona also appeared with her usual sleepy expression but, was it justme that felt that her expression was also giving off an extremely cold feeling?

    ¡°Complete recovery, is what I¡¯d like to say but at least I can walk normally for now. I received a lot of potions after all.¡±(Fiona)

    I could imagine Fiona gulping down all sorts of potions on her bed in my mind.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first and prepare the horses.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± (kurono)

    After seeing Fiona off as she disappeared into the underground escape passage, the sound and the shock waves shaking the guild became bigger.

    ¡°Soon, this ce will also be dangerous¡ª-¡°

    Especially the entrance; they must have brought a battering ram as it¡¯s making a loud banging sound.

    No matter how much I have enhanced it, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they rbeak through if it continues like that.

    ¡°Now then, time for me to use myst trick as well.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    (POV change)

    The crusaders had, after crossing through the barbed wires and crushing through the wooden fence, finally broken through the Alsace protective wall.

    Now that demons had stopped resisting and cooped up inside the guild, they were able to easily cross over the fence where they were struggling till now.

    And finally, the end of this battle of was now in sight.

    The crusaders rushed and flocked around the guild building known as the ck box as if they were ants rushing towards sugar.

    Around the guild, the visibility was still bad due to the smokescreens but since not even a single arrow was being fired towards them, they continued moving towards it at full pace.

    Only the Pegasus Knights were unable to attack since they could not see the enemies from the air and were on standby in mid air. They simply decided to observe as the ground forces toppled that ominous building.

    ¡°Alright, one more strike!!¡±

    Vigorous shouts resounded in front of the guild.

    The soldiers were using the logs used for crossing the river to break the gate as well.

    It was a non-magical primitive method but the log being lifted and swung by countless soldiers clearly had the destructive force as it bent the ck magic enhanced gate with every hit.

    And finally, after receiving damage beyond its limits, the ck gate was broken down and the formidable ck box finally allowed the entry of invaders.

    ¡°It¡¯s open!! Charge!!!¡±

    ¡°UOOOOHH!!!¡±

    Raising a loud war cry, the troops rushed inside the guild.

    The lobby was big enough to allow 100 adventurers stand together but under the waves of the rushing soldiers, it was quickly filled.

    ¡°What, the enemy isn¡¯t here!!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, they might be hiding upstairs.¡±

    ¡°No, they must have an escape route! Search for it!!¡±

    Since this wasn¡¯t really out of their predictions, the troops moved quickly.

    One of them climbed the stairs and checked every separate room. Another one checked for a secret escape route in the walls or the floor.

    Probably, a request for searching had also been sent to the Pegasus Knights in the air.

    At least, it was impossible for around 50 demons to suddenly disappear into nothingness.

    They didn¡¯t know whether they were hiding or had run away, but it was only a matter of time before they would be found.

    That was what every Crusader was thinking.

    *bakii¡ª¨Cbakiin¡ª-*

    An ominous sound resounded inside the ears of every soldier inside the guild.

    ¡°O, Oi, that was¡ª¨C¡°

    A sound as if a pir of wood had been broken, and, that was an absolutely correct thought as well.

    With consecutive sounds of something vital breaking apart, the floor began to tremble.

    ¡°Quickly run!! It¡¯s going to fall!!¡±

    The soldiers quickly turned to run out of the guild but it was already toote.

    The building loaded with countless troops instantly copsed and also dragged the surrounding troops with it as well without allowing them any time to escape.

    The loud sound of destruction resounded all over the surroundings as it drowned out the screams of the soldiers.

    .

    .

    .

    (Kurono POV)

    ¡°¡ª¨Cckening release.¡±

    As I released the ckening on the guild, the wooden building instantly fell as I had already left a trick for that.

    ¡°Alright. Looks like that went well.¡±

    ¡°We did it!¡±

    I did a high five with Lily on my shoulder.

    The explosive sound and rumbling that reached even this escape passage proved that my trick had worked well.

    If I destroyed the guildpletely like this, I could also seal the entrance to this escape passage as well.

    ¡°nn, it looks like quite a lot of them were dragged into it as well.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Is that so? It seems the guild worked its best till the end. I must thank it.¡±(kurono)

    Although I was the one who had enhanced it, the guild had really beared well till this time. If one day we were able to free back Alsace from the Crusaders, I¡¯ll make sure to build amemorative stone here for the guild.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done all I could. All that¡¯s left is too run away at full speed!¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

 Chapter 131 Breaking Through the Enemy Lines

    Chapter 131 Breaking Through the Enemy Lines

    ¡°You¡¯re back Kurono!!¡±

    After crossing the escape route, we were greeted by Vulcan ready to depart on his Bicorn.

    ¡°Yeah, I also buried those bastards alive with the guild as well.¡±

    ¡°hehehe, then, let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡±

    On the rear gate, numerous carriages for the purpose of our retreat had been prepared.

    Using the horses used by the adventurers, we were pulling the hurriedly constructed carriages.

    They were pretty big as well though they were not really magnificent. But it was just barely enough to transport everyone.

    It¡¯d be nice if it doesn¡¯t break during the travel though. I could only hope that it at least holds till we reach the foot of the Gahad mountain ranges.

    ¡°Well, before that there is also the problem whether we can break through the heavy knight squad or not.¡±

    At the horizon of the t road, numerous human figures could be seen.

    While hoisting a g with the emblem of the cross, that detestable heavy knight squad was the main reason behind why I decided to abandon Alsace.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll charge through at full speed!!¡±

    This was the only way to break through them.

    As the sound of whips striking the horses resounded, the carriage began to move forward while swaying.

    While leaving behind the prints of hooves on the ground, the line of carriages sped out of the rear gate.

    First we needed to cross over the wooden bridge that was built over the Reen river on this side.

    Both Rone and Reen rivers were of simr sizes so the Crusaders would have trouble to cross the river on this side as well without the bridge.

    ¡°Are the explosives ready?¡±

    ¡°No problems there. We can start whenever!¡±

    I was at the lead of the line. Using Lily¡¯s telepathy I contacted with the magician on thest carriange in the line.

    ¡°Alright. Do it!¡±

    ¡°Roger¡ª-[Ignis Kris Sagitta].¡±

    Just as how we had destroyed the bridge on the Rone river 5 days back, using the magic item infused with fire attack magic, we blew up the bridge.

    If there was no bridge, only the Pegasus Knights would be able to chase after us instantly. And with Lily still in good health, the Pegasus Knights won¡¯t try and attack us very rashly.

    With this, we have reduced the chances of them chasing us for now.

    ¡°All that¡¯s left is to cut across the squad in front of us.¡±

    The carriage which was already at top speed steadily reduced the distance between us and the enemy squad.

    The carriage I¡¯m on is the leading one. It was originally used by Vulcan¡¯s party but right now, except for the beastman driver, the rest aren¡¯t riding with us.

    This carriage that will break through the enemy squad first is ridden by members with the max explosive power to open up a gap in the enemy squad lines.

    I, Lily and Fiona of [Element Master], the three sisters of the [Three Hunting Princesses] and Mossan with the machinegun were currently riding this carriage.

    On the right of the driver, I was sitting, and on his left was Fiona. On the roof of the carriage was Mossan with his machinegun along with Lily, who had already activated her DP at max power and was in her girl form. And Irina-san and the other were positioned on both the windows on the side with their magic bows.

    Running parallel to this carriage were Vulcan on his Bicorn and many other high ranked adventurers who were brandishing their weapons, ready to sh with the enemy forces.

    ¡°Fiona, is it alright for you to fight? Both in terms of magical energy and the range in which you attack.¡±(kurono)

    I asked Fiona, who was holding a red wand that I had never seen before.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine in both senses. This [FireBall] is wand that will only release a set amount of firepower no matter how much magical energy is poured into it after all.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°.......you had something convenient like that as well.¡±

    Then, wouldn¡¯t it been fine to have used just that when entering an adventurer party before? But Fiona soon rejected my thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s something an amateur magician uses who can¡¯t even properly use a low level magic.¡±

    ¡°Aah, because it will still fire the same amount of power even then, I see.¡±

    And, once the magician bes able to use magic stronger that this [FireBall], it would signify that the magician has graduated from this wand.

    ¡°Then isn¡¯t the fire produced by it weak?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. I have customised it to rapid fire attacks. It¡¯ll be useless against high ranked monsters but it¡¯ll still be effective to stop the heavy knights.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±

    ¡°If you say that much, then it was worth it to have shamefully mixed up as a first year student even though I was a third year just to but this staff.¡±

    Ah, I feel like I read another page of her ck History.(T/N: ck history=embarrassing/sad past)

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t have fun talking while excluding me. I¡¯ll feel lonely!¡±(lily)

    Lily¡¯sining voice came from above.

    ¡°Sorry, that wasn¡¯t really the intention.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°GaHaHa, to be jealous even at such a time, you really are cute little fairy!¡±(Mossan)

    ¡°Stop talking in that manner to me, will you?¡±(lily)

    ¡°St, stop! Please stop! That light is really bad for a skeleton like me! I¡¯ll be purified, really¡ª-¡°

    I couldn¡¯t really see from here but I could see something shinging above.

    ¡°They sure do get along.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Oh, is Kurono-san also envious?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°nn, yeah, that might be true.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°¡ª-too bad Lily-san, it seems there¡¯s no hope.¡±

    Fiona muttered something. What the hell does she mean by hope?

    ¡°You bastards, stop ying around while the enemy is in front of you! Show some damn fighting spirit, will ya!!¡±

    Vulcan shouted at us from the side.

    ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡±(kurono)

    Pulling myself back together, I began pouring magical energy inside my [ck Ballista Replica] and began attack preparations.

    The heavy knights were already close enough to see them clearly.

    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡ª¨C¡°

    And finally, the carriage entered the attack range.

    We fired our strongest magics to open up a gap inside the line of heavy knights in front of us.

    .

    .

    .

    A group with silver armour, halberd and tower shield, simr to the heavy knights Kurono had fought not some time ago, were moving through the highway.

    In front of them, a line of carriages was approaching towards them at full speed.

    The moment when the distance between them reached 100m, an immense wave of magical energy was generated from the carriages.

    But even in front of such a clear attack from the carriages, the heavy knights kept on moving forward without speaking a single word.

    ¡°Magic Bullet Arts- Gatling Burst.¡±

    The first attack that reached the heavy Knights was two streams of ck bullets.

    The ck bullets fired by Kurono¡¯s baton and Mozrun¡¯s machinegun directly hit this wall of steel.

    With a violent metallic sound, a huge dust of cloud was raised from the bullets that dug into the ground.

    After the fast bullets, a bunch of fist sized fireballs and ligtnings attacked.

    The fireballs were [Ignis Sagitta] fired by Fiona using [Custom FireBall].

    Although not as fast as Kurono¡¯s bullets, those fireballs attacked at a speed that could overturnmon sense, and exploded as soon as they came into contact with the steel armours and stopped their advance.

    With a electrifying shrill sound, the members of the [Three Hunting Princesses] fired an intermediate level wide range attack magci, [Line Overst] with their bows.

    Passing through the metal armour, the lightning attacked with an even bigger effect and range.

    They had been struck pretty hard by the bullets, fireballs and lightning, but the strongest attack had yet toe.

    ¡°¡ª¨C[Meteor Strike].¡±

    A light magic circle appeared over the heavy knights and a mass of rainbow coloured light fell down from it.

    So that the carriage could pass through, Kurono had warned Lily to not create a crater so Lily had held back quite a lot but,

    *DOGOGOGOGOO!!*

    It still had enough firepower to blow away the heavy knights on the highway.

    A seven coloured explosion and shock waves covered the area but Kurono and the others¡¯ carriages kept on moving without paying it any mind.

    Their formation had already been disrupted due to the [Meteor Strike] but the heavy knights once again began to move with their halberds to seal the highway.

    But by that moment, the leading carriages had already thrust into the group of heavy knights.

    ¡°[Air sh]!!¡±

    Vulcan, under the DP of Wolfegand, attacked the heavy knights with hisrge de enveloped in wind.

    And, Kurono, who had shifted from long range magic bullets to his cursed hatchet in his hand, released his martial art towards the knightsing towards him with their halberds.

    ¡°Kuronagi¡ª-!?!¡±

    The jet ck sh cleanly split the heavy knight¡¯s halberd and armour together.

    But, at that moment, Kurono realized the ¡®abnormality¡¯ in that heavy knight squad.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Kuronagi¡ª-¡°

    I released my martial art skill to block against the halberd aimed towards us.

    The des shed for a second, and the ominous edge of the [grudge hatchet- Hararetsu] cut apart the steel handle of the halberd without any resistance at all and futher moved on to split the full te armour as well.

    ¡°¡ª!?!¡±

    But, it¡¯s weird.

    This feeling was definitely weird.

    I had felt something was strange when they didn¡¯t use any defensive martial arts nor any defensive magics even though we had started to attack them from a long range but, now I¡¯m sure.

    ¡°These guys aren¡¯t heavy knights......¡±

    ¡°¡±Eh??¡±¡±

    As I muttered so, both Lily and Fiona reacted to my words without stopping their attacks.

    I once again released a martial art towards another one of these ¡®fake¡¯ heavy knights.

    As expected, there was no resistance from their armours even though they are supposed to be heavily sturdy due to defensive enchantments. I remembered this feeling of cutting through, also, no blood spewed out from the ce that I had cut either. Now I was perfectly sure.

    ¡°These are light golems!!¡±

    Movements that are so monotone that they could never be called an ¡®elite¡¯ squad, also extremely weak armour.

    They were the light golems, that I had once fought against during the maneuvering experiments.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on......then are these just dolls for show¡ª-¡°

    Could it be that they had been deployed behind us to intentionally make us retreat, meaning, it was fake/decoy troops!!

    When I thought that,

    ¡°Oi, this is dangerous! Stop!!¡±

    Vulcan¡¯s loud voice resounded.

    ¡°What, is that¡ª¨Cbarbed wires!?¡±

    As I looked towards it, ck thorn-like arrangements had been spread all over as if to seal the highway.

    They were exactly the same as the barbed wires used on the main gate of Alsace to stop the soldiers.

    And I remembered that barbed wires could also be used to stop not just soldiers but horses as well.

    Vulcan pulled the reins of his Bicorn and somehow stopped before it stepped on the barbed wires.

    But this was a carriage with 8 people on it, without any way to stop suddenly nor decelerating much, we crashed into the barbed wires.

    ¡°Shit¡ª-¡°

    The moment I realized that this carriage would definitely overturn and resolved myself to jump down,

    ¡°Uoh, What now!?¡±

    The hood of my robe was suddenly grabbed and my body was thrown in mid-air.

    Why? The carriage hasn¡¯t toppled yet¡ª-or rather, right now, I saw the wheels of the carriage getting stuck in the barbed wires.

    I hadn¡¯t realized what had happened instantly, but after Inded on the other side of the barbed wires, I finally realized what happened.

    ¡°......Lily, is it?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I could just barely save Kurono only.¡±

    As her wings shed as they flickered, the girl Lily looked towards me from my side with upturned eyes.

    ¡°No, thanks for the help.¡±

    ¡°ufufu, you¡¯re wee.¡±

    Foreseeing that the carriage was about to topple sideways, Lily, who was on the roof, quickly grabbed me and rescued me.

    ¡°Everyone else is¡ª-¡°(kurono)

    ¡°They¡¯re adventurers, they won¡¯t die so easily.¡±(lily)

    As I looked, various figures stood up from within the barbed wires and from inside the fallen carriage.

    ¡°Oi! You guys alright!?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°.......Lily-san you¡¯re so cruel, you abandoned me.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Sorry, it happened all to quick so I only had time to save just one person.¡±

    As Fiona appeared from the barbed wires, she protested against Lily as she straightened her fallen hat.

    Well I also feel sorry that only I had been saved by Lily but at least I¡¯m d that they aren¡¯t injured.

    As a silver lining, only our carriage had toppled from the barbed wires. Rest of them that were behind us had been able to stop just in time.

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t the time to be relieved yet.¡±

    But still, since we had been surrounded by quite a big number, not to mention that the highway had been sealed by the barbed wires, it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be able to break through very easily.

    In the end, our advance had been perfectly stopped here.

    If we stay slow, they might use this chance to attack with the Pegasus Knights and even soldiers might cross the Reen river as well.

    ¡°No other choice, we¡¯ll defeat all of them right here and now!! The enemy might look like heavyknights but were actually light golems. They aren¡¯t much stronger than your average soldier, we can defeat them easily!!¡±

    On the other side of the barbed wires, the adventurers climbed down from the carriages and quickly drew their weapons.

    As expected of adventurers, they were able to quickly deal with the changing situation without panicking.

    ¡°Ora Kurono! Don¡¯t bezy ande over here as well!¡±

    Vulcan brandished hisrge sword as he shouted towards me.

    ¡°Ou, I¡¯ll be there soon¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¡°nono, you have to stay here.¡±

    Suddenly a man¡¯s voice came from my side.

    ¡°......who is it.¡±

    As I looked towards the source of that voice, I saw a young man leaning on one of the trees of the forest on the side of the highway.

    With ruffled long, light brown hair and loose clothes that exposed his bare body. On his trained muscled chest, a ne with an emblem of a cross was shining.

    His appearance felt like a delinquent yankee even in this world.

    But, the long sword hanging on his waist and the short wand in his wand that was of a type I had never seen, clearly proved that this man was a mercenary trained in fighting.

    I can¡¯t sense any killing intent but there was still an unspeakable unpleasant atmosphere.

    ¡°Oi Oi, you¡¯re not supposed to ask ¡®who is it?¡¯ now, right? Even though I had ¡®looked after you¡¯ back then, How cruel of you! Oh but, maybe you don¡¯t remember me cuz I was wearing a mask back then? Hiyahahaha!!¡±

    Heughed in an irritating way, but I didn¡¯t really care about that. But what the fuck did he say just now?

    ¡°You can¡¯t be......¡±

    ¡°hehehe, even though you had gone through all the trouble to run away to Pandora. Too bad, but I¡¯vee to take you back, No. 49!!¡±

 Chapter 132 Experimental Squad (Hundred Numbers)

    Chapter 132 Experimental Squad (Hundred Numbers)

    Surprise and anger stirred up inside my mind.

    Those painful days, memories of fighting against monsters everyday due to those white masked bastards, is still vividly burned inside my mind. But still, after meeting and living with Lily, I had finally gotten back my peace of mind.

    I had not considered that those masked bastards of that experimental facility were closer to me even when Irz vige was burned by the crusaders and when I was fighting them for the vigers to escape safely.

    But,

    ¡°Say Oi, you seem to having a lot of fun living with those women. Also fighting so desperately along these shitty demons, is this country so important for you? HUH!?¡±

    One of those masked bastards has arrived here.

    Why, how, why now¡ª¡ª¨Csuch questions didn¡¯te from my mouth. I only asked this.

    ¡°You¡¯vee to take me back? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°How dare a damned ¡®foreigner¡¯ speak like a human with me!¡ª-is what I¡¯d like to say but fine. You¡¯re special so I¡¯ll talk with you.¡±

    With a listless expression, the man walked right in the middle of the highway.

    (¡°Kurono, should I kill him?¡±)

    Lily used her telepathy to talk with me.

    (¡°No, not yet. I have a mountain load of things I want to ask him. I know that we don¡¯t have time but.......just y along for a while.¡±)

    (¡°If Kurono says so then fine. But I¡¯ll say this in advance, I¡¯m already¡ª-¡°)

    Out of time. As she spoke,

    ¡°Ah, Lily!?¡±

    Enveloped in a dazzling light, Lily,

    ¡°Kurono.¡±

    Returned back to her child form.

    ¡°buhahaha! What the heck, why did it turned into a brat? What a waste.¡±(mask)

    The manughed defencelessly. As if to hide from his unpleasant gaze, Lily hid behind my legs.

    ¡°Uu!¡±

    Lily clearly showed her displeased expression towards the man. She¡¯s like a cat who was trying to intimidate its opponent.

    ¡°Answer my question.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence. Total coincidence. As if I woulde all the way to Pandora just for someone like you. But, now that I havee across you, I have no choice but to capture you right? Even though there had been 0 escapees till now, because of you our reputation was tainted.¡±

    A coincidence, eh? I don¡¯t know serious he is but I guess he really is here not to capture me but for some other objective.

    ¡°hehe, don¡¯t make such a difficult face. It seems you really don¡¯t know anything about yourself or us.¡±

    ¡°What is your objective? Why was I, no, why were we summoned to this world?¡±

    ¡°But, I have no obligation to exin all that to you. If you want to know, then ask the geezers in Elysion by yourself. I think they¡¯ll tell you how many toys like you they have made and everything as well clearly.¡±

    The man smiled jokingly from the bottom of his heart. Shit, how much does he want to y around?

    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a scary face, if you let yourself get captured peacefully, I¡¯ll give you a special service and tell you everything I know¡ª¡°

    At that moment, something that had been hiding on the sides, jumped out on the road.

    Except for themon helm, they were wearing random armours on their bodies. Probably, they are those mercenaries that had attacked us the day before yesterday.

    Judging by their bodies, 2 are men, 2 are women. A total of four people.

    As they quickly assembled beside that man, their movements showed no wastage. It seems they are not mediocre as they look.

    ¡°¡ª-for example, just how much these ones begged for their lives.¡±(man)

    As the man snapped his fingers, reacting to that sound, the 4 people removed their helms.

    ¡°You worthless scum.......these guys are your new experimental bodies eh?¡±

    They had the pretty much same age. Those ck hair and ck eyes that had been revealed were no doubt the same as me, people of japan.

    ¡°They are the experimental squad the Hundred numbers. Actually, not me but No.49, you were supposed to lead these brats you know?¡±

    100 numbers you say? You mean you sacrificed 50 more people after me?

    I can¡¯t forgive this, but, since I myself had only run away with all I had and had not even thought of going against that facility, I might not have the right to say anything to them either.

    Although, now that they havepletely lost their ego, my words wouldn¡¯t reach them anyway.

    There was no light in the eyes of those 4 people. Their eyes had a dull swamp-like ck colour and it was irritating just to see it. They must have been brought underplete control with those white rings.

    I have experienced it that¡¯s why I know that they will never have their consciousness back ever again.

    ¡°So, what do you say? If you surrender then you¡¯ll be happily appointed as themander of these hundred numbers as per the original n. Of course with the [Thought controller ¨C Angel Ring] attached though.¡±

    While grinning, the man touched the ring on the head of the girl beside him.

    So its called [Angel Ring]. Giving it such a ridiculous name, I only became more and more disgusted and annoyed.

    ¡°I refuse. I¡¯ll kill you as well as these experimental bodies right here.¡±

    I took out my hatchet in my right hand and baton in my left.

    I don¡¯t have the time to talk with him anymore, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s going to talk anyway.

    ¡°Oioi, you¡¯re so damn cold. Aren¡¯t they of the same ¡®Japanese¡¯ race of yours? Don¡¯t you want to even try to save them?¡±

    ¡°You should know it best right? Even if I removed the ring now, their consciousness and personalities will never return.¡±

    In the first ce, I can barely protect myself. I don¡¯t have the power to protect them as well.

    In such a situation I will not show any mercy to my ¡®enemies¡¯.

    Then, all I can do out of pity is to kill them so that they can¡¯t be used by this motherfucker.

    ¡°Tch, you really are a troublesome bastard. No choice then¡ª Seal Unlock, blow away No.49¡¯s limbs and bring him to me.¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger.¡±¡±

    With those words, the equipment they were wearing suddenly dispersed in the air like ck particles. The disappeared armour was reced by a grey robe and everyone of them changed to look the same.

    ¡°¡±Preparing for battle¡ª¡°¡±

    As they held up their right hands, ck particles converged and became a ck long sword.

    And on their left hands, just like the sword, a ck baton was created.

    And behind them 3 long swords floated in mid-air.

    ¡°¡±¡ª¨CComplete.¡±¡±

    ¡°The same ck magic as me, huh?¡±

    Their armaments are so simr to me, as if they had been looking at me till now.

    If they can use the same abilities as me as well then this will be a 1 vs 4 trial of strength.

    No, if I were to add that grinning bastard as well then there were 5 enemies.

    ¡°Kurono! Lily will fight as well!!(lily)

    ¡°Yeah, I know¡ª¨C¡°

    I ended up smiling towards Lily as she asserted by pulling my robe.

    That¡¯s right, I have a reassuring partner as well. It¡¯s different from how I was fighting alone in that facility.

    Now that they havee along with experimental bodies, I won¡¯t get a better opponent to unleash my hatred than this.

    ¡°¡ª-Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I¡¯ll make you regreting in front of me.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡°Uorraaaaaa!!¡±

    Vulcan¡¯srge sword shed away the light golem along with its fake armour as if it was paper.

    ¡°Hah, there really is no resistance.¡±

    He who had been fighting against the actual elites just a while ago, could only feel disappointed towards these powers.

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t go too far off Vulcan. They are still stronger than goblins and they have quite a lot of numbers as well.¡±

    A beastman of the same party stopped Vulcan as he was about to jump further into the enemies.

    ¡°My bad, my bad, I had been fighting like that just a while ago so it was unintentional.¡±

    As his sharp wolf eyes looked around, he realized that the members of his {Vulcan Powered} were fighting in their usual formation beside him.

    Only, it felt a bit sad to be using this formation again after they had lost one of their members who had taken part in the assault team.

    ¡°But still, this really feels like a normal coborated monster clean-up quest.¡±

    As he looked around, just like them, the other adventurers were also fighting with their original parties, and were in formation.

    Warrior centric parties had be lesser due to the high death rate of the assault team but they werepensating for that with the help of solo adventurers and teaming up with other parties.

    During quest, that too in front of the enemy, to take up formations like that so smoothly, the various parties needed an extreme amount of trust and faith in the other even though there were chances of being tricked by the other party. But that trust and faith had been built up during this battle at Alsace.

    Thus, none of them felt anxious as they very naturally entrusted each other¡¯s back to others and concentrated on the enemy in front of them which allowed to deal with them much quickly.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s quickly finish up these puppets¡ª¨Coh!¡±

    Instinctively, he guarded with hisrge sword against the killing intent and magical energy aimed towards him.

    ¡°This one is!?!¡±

    As expected, the enemy¡¯s attack magic was easily blocked by the [Evil Eater] and absorbedpletely by therge sword.

    But, Vulcan clearly saw the ck bullet fired towards him before it was absorbed by his sword.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Kurono¡¯s Magic Bullet Arts!?!¡±

    Did he actually misfire? No that was impossible.

    That¡¯s because the one who had fired that was standing right in front of him.

    ¡°Hah, what the actual fuck? He can use Magic Sword Arts as well?!¡±

    The enemy that had jumped in mid air using the shoulder of one of the light golems as a foothold possessed simr armaments as Kurono except for the grey robe he wore.

    In his right hand was a ck long sword and in his left was a grey baton. And behind him were floating 2 swords of the same ck material.

    From the air, the Kurono ¡®replica¡¯ moved towards Vulcan to sh at him and foreseeing the time their des would sh, he controlled the 2 floating swords and fired them towards Vulcan.

    ¡°Tch, doing troublesome things¡ª¡°

    Vulcan full swinged hisrge sword like a bat hitting a ball.

    The Evil Eater had a bigger reach and the de attacked the opponent de and repelled him away through sheer power.

    After that, Vulcan magnificently dodged the 2 flying swords by using the wind enveloping him due to the DP of Wolfegand.

    The 2 swords that missed it targets began to return back to its user but one of them was struck by Vulcan¡¯srge sword as he swung it back and was smashed to little pieces.

    ¡°The bastard withdrew, eh?¡±

    The grey robed magician had already disappeared from in front of him. He had simply jumped back even further when he was flung away and once again mixed among the puppets like an assassin.

    A distance had been created for now, but Vulcan did not drop his guard and continued to survey the surroundings with hisrge sword still in his hands.

    (¡°Oi Oi, there are quite a lot of these Kurono ¡¯replicas¡¯ hidden among them.¡±)

    As he looked, he saw many other adventurerse under attack like him from the grey robed men.

    He had been able to repel him with his ability but it didn¡¯t go that well for others.

    They could control 3 swords at the same time. There were very few who knew how to deal with such attacks.

    Even a rank 3 would end up getting slightly injured. It was that troublesome of an attack.

    ¡°Oi, everyone be careful! There are guys that can use the same techniques as Kurono mixed up within them!¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger!!¡±¡±

    ¡°Damn, who the hell are these troublesome bastards? Do they have some connection with Kurono?.......¡±

    As Vulcan raised hisrge sword whileining like that, he had no way of knowing that beyond the barbed wires, Kurono was currently fighting against that person that had a ¡®connection¡¯ with him.

 Chapter 133 Element Master Vs Hundred Numbers (1)

    Chapter 133 Element Master Vs Hundred Numbers (1)

    ¡°Magic Bullet Arts.¡±

    Let¡¯s make the first move. Heavy knights had cked it with their armour and shields but a magician¡¯s robe wouldn¡¯t be able to do the same.

    ck bullets appeared around me and turned towards the experimental bodies.

    Reacting to my actions,

    ¡°Uuuu!!¡±

    Lily also deployed her Oracle Field and entered an attack stance.

    I swung my baton to fire a storm of bullets without any gap towards the 4 experimental bodies that were protecting the man.

    And above them a magic circle of light that possessed incredible destructive power also appeared.

    It was impossible to dodge. In the first ce, if they wanted to protect that man, they couldn¡¯t let even a single attack magic to pass through them.

    ¡°¡±??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????¡±¡±

    I had expected them to take defensive measures obviously, but I didn¡¯t expect them to know how to chant as well. Are they even more skilled than me or has the experiment simply moved further.

    ¡°¡±¡ª-ck Wall.¡±¡±

    The chants of the 2 men on the sides werepleted and a defensive shield was deployed around them.

    A ck wall, simr to [Death Wall Defan], appeared in a wide range.

    But these shields were not made of dark magical energy but ck magic. They look the same but the quality is different.

    At least a materialized ck magical energy shield would be much more effective in blocking my bullet arts.

    But why is it that every other experiment except me was so good at making defensive shields? Do I justck the talent at it?

    Well leaving that aside for now, the shields that appeared were 2 in number. One in front to block my bullets and one above to block Lily¡¯s attack.

    From here it looked like they had been suddenly covered by a ck rectangle.

    ¡°Full Burst!!¡±

    ¡°Eei!!¡¯

    The moment their defensive magics activated, our attacks were shot out.

    More than a thousand bullets were shot out and a pir of light came down like lightning to envelop the ck shields with a sh of ck and white. A shockwave and sounds of explosion resounded.

    With the sound of shattering ss, the ck shields broke.

    ¡°So they nullified each other out.¡±

    The shields had been broken through but not even a single bullet or a beam of light could reach them. No, I guess it was a good thing that our attacks were able to at least break their shields.

    ¡°¡±Automatic Fencing ¨C Auto Killer.¡±¡±(experiments)

    Just when the ck shields were destroyed, the 2 women began to attack with the swords in their hands and the ones floating behind them.

    But still, [Automatic Fencing] sounds so nostalgic. It wasn¡¯t [Magic Sword Arts] back then during the maneuvering experiments.

    And it had the exact same effect as my own attack. That is, swords came attacking on their own.

    Excluding the swords in their hand, there were 3¡Á2 = 6 total swords.

    ¡°They¡¯re aiming for Lily?¡ª-¡°

    Rather my sturdy body, they must have decided that it would be easy to defeat Lily who had a child like body or maybe they found the pir of light to be dangerous.

    In any case, what I have to do hasn¡¯t changed.

    ¡°¡ª¨CDon¡¯t you dare even think of touching Lily in front of me you fuckers!! Magic Sword Arts!!¡±

    I faced the ckened swords flying like arrows with my own 10 swords.

    I sent 2 swords towards 1 of theirs. I can easily bring them down.

    The swords used by the enemies are a total of 6, meaning 1 of their swords will definitely pass through.

    ¡°Oraaa!!¡±

    Putting my vigour behind it, I used my favourite partner, the cursed hatchet, to bring thest one down.

    Both were ckened des but my Hararetsu¡¯s performance was overwhelmingly better.

    The edge of the hatchet that was shining with a ck aurapletely pulverised the ckened de that was flying towards Lily.

    (¡°Lily step back a little.¡±)

    (¡°Un!¡±)

    Connecting through Telepathy, we smoothly entered our roles as vanguard and rear guard.

    Even if I was a newbie adventurer, I had been constantly doing quests along with Lily for the past 3 months. We could easily use such simple coordinated movements.

    I moved in between the 2 women who were aiming for Lily.

    Without any change in their expression, they came rushing directly towards us.

    ¡°¡±sh.¡±¡±

    Both of them released the martial art [sh] at the same timing. I¡¯m surprised that they even know martial art skills! They didn¡¯t teach me anything like that!

    But you¡¯re not the only ones who can use martial arts.

    ¡°Kuronagi!!¡±

    I was superior in both, the ability of my weapon and the power of my martial art. It was easy to counter attack against both of them with the same one attack. In fact I had enough power to force them back.

    With a loud sound of metal shing, 3 swords intersected as they released sparks.

    As expected, the two women were outmatched by my Kuronagi and were blown back 2 steps.

    They didn¡¯t really broke their stance but that was enough to provide an opening to attack.

    ¡°Yaah!!¡±

    With a cute sound that came from behind me, 2 balls of light rushed towards them.

    The balls of light that possessed tracking ability, easily passed through me and rushed towards those two. It had the perfect timing that did not allow even time to use defensive magic.

    ¡°¡±ck Bullet rifle.¡±¡±

    But, the balls of light were blocked by the ck bullets that were rapid fired from the front.

    It was a protective fire made by those two men behind them.

    It seems that side can perform pretty good coordinated movements.

    ¡°¡±ck Buckshot.¡±¡±

    I stepped forward to attack further but the two women quickly back stepped to create a distance between us and fired buckshot towards me to stop me.

    ¡°Kuh, ck Shield!¡±

    I stopped right there and deployed my defence. Though buckshot has a wide range, itcks power. It could only barely put some cracks in my shield.

    But still, just how much more are they going to imitate my moves before they are satisfied? At least try to name it something else other than ¡®Buckshot¡¯! Do you even know what it means!?

    ¡°.......so we¡¯re back to how it was.¡±

    Leaving that aside, the 2 women who had attacked Lily had now retreated back towards the 2 men.

    The swords held by those 2 had now cracks due to my Kuronagi.

    It seems that the effect of losing the enchant of ck magic on receiving a huge shock attack was also the same as me. In fact, theirs¡¯ seems to be even weaker.

    Were they being stingy while pouring the ck magic inside the sword?

    While I was thinking that, the 2 women threw away that sword and brought out new ones and ckened them for use.

    I see, so they have countless recements.

    At the same time, I also realized that those ck swords were not madepletely of ck magic but were actually brought out through Dimension magic.

    To be able to bring out materials directly in their hands; it seems that their Dimension magic is one step above my own [Shadow Gate].

    I seem to be superior in direct attacking strength and magical energy quantity, but in everything else they seem to have better skill. I need to stay on guard.

    (¡°Kurono!¡±)

    (¡°What happened Lily?¡±)

    As her voice resounded inside my head, I still kept on paying attention towards those 4 as well.

    (¡°Well, it seems they are also connected with telepathy!¡±)

    (¡°......These 4 are?¡±)

    (¡°Yes! So they are able to move even when they cannot see!¡±)

    I see. So that was the trick behind their coordinated attacks and perfect timing.

    I don¡¯t know whether that¡¯s due to their ck magic, or due to the ring in their hand or maybe they havemunication device embedded inside their heads, but in any case this really is a troublesome ability.

    Even a normally weak monster can overpower a higher ranked adventurer by attacking in groups. To be able tomunicate within thoughts is an extremely amazing advantage for group battles.

    (¡°Can you jam it?¡±)(kurono)

    So if they lose it, it¡¯ll also be a huge minus for them.

    If they were experimentedter than me, then not much time should have passed since they were ¡®created¡¯. If they lose their telepathy, they won¡¯t be able to use a high coordination team y like now.

    (¡°uu, sorry Kurono, I can¡¯t do it now. It¡¯ll take too much time.¡±)

    (¡°How long?¡±)

    (¡°1 min...but if they are using a [Mind jammer], Lily won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±)(T/N: constant reminder- Lily talks in third person many times when in child form.)

    I should be able to tank them alone for 1 min but if Lily won¡¯t be able to attack at all, it¡¯ll be troublesome.

    If their telepathy gets jammed, I alone could take care of them but if I go on full assault, who¡¯ll protect Lily?

    On the other side, they are in battle with the 100 light golems. I can¡¯t expect any reinforcement toe from that side by crossing the barbed wires.

    Then, the very best action we can take is to kill that masked bastard as quickly as possible¡ª-

    ¡°oo, as expected of that old geezer, you¡¯re made very well No.49. Is 4 people too easy for you?¡±(masked bastard)

    ¡°Then how about you fight as well? You¡¯re acting as their leader in my ce right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°How can you even think of me as a just a boss of these things? A human chosen by god will only treat a foreigner that is even lower than a ve as just an item to ¡®use as much as he can¡¯! Just as how God won¡¯t take actions for humans, why would a human like me act against foreigners like you¡ª¡°

    As he snapped his fingers, 4 more appeared from the forest on the sides.

    Their equipment and armaments were exactly the same but the ckened swords behind them were only 2. They must be weaker than the previous ones.

    But, suddenly the number of opponents doubling is not a very good. Considering that all 8 of them are connected with Telepathy, their teamwork would be a deadly threat.

    ¡°Well, I doubt an uncivilised imbecile foreigner could understand what I was saying.¡±

    While hearing the man¡¯s unpleasantugh, I decided.

    I really need to kill this man first and foremost.

 Chapter 134 Element Master Vs Hundred Numbers (2)

    Chapter 134 Element Master Vs Hundred Numbers (2)

    There were 4 standing in front of me and Lily. 2 on each side and behind us was the ck barbed wires. We had beenpletely surrounded by 8 people.

    The problem is how to break through this encirclement.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t think of anything but using brute force in such a situation¡ª.¡°

    *ZUDODODON!!*

    ¡°Uoh, what the hell!?¡±

    Suddenly, mes exploded on the right side and swallowed up the 2 experimental bodies standing there.

    From inside the smoke, a ck figure came out.

    ¡°I¡¯m also a member of the party. I¡¯ll be troubled if you don¡¯t make fight as well.¡±

    ¡°Fiona! You came at the perfect time!¡±

    While holding a red wand, Fiona came towards us with her usual expression.

    ¡°It seems that the opponent has some sort of connection with Kurono-san but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we have to defeat them, right?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah, after dealing with these guys I¡¯ll exin it to youter.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Due to Fiona¡¯s surprise attack, the 2 on the right side had already been dealt with.

    The experimental bodies remaining are 6. I think we can do this now!

    ¡°Lily, Fiona, I leave these guys to you. I¡¯ll take care of destroying their leader.¡±

    ¡°Un, leave it us Kurono!!¡±(lily)

    ¡°Roger that.¡±(Fiona)

    I¡¯m the most suitable to break through with brute force. Lily in her child form and Fiona who is not at max magical energy, these two should have enough power to deal with the remaining 6 experiments.

    If I can quickly take care of that disgusting bastard, their chain ofmand will definitely crumble.

    After that we could take down the remaining experimental bodies, or even running away wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Getting away from here is the priority after all.

    There might be a better n to deal with the current situation but I don¡¯t have the time to do that right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Both parties moved at the same time.

    ¡°¡±ck Bullet ¨C Rifle.¡±¡±

    As the bullets were fired towards us from the left and front, the 2 women and one man from the side once again attacked with their swords as well.

    ¡°ck Shield.¡±

    I deployed the shield to block the bullets and lowered my body as I began sprinting.

    For the time being, my opponents are the 4 in front of me. I¡¯ll leave the 2 on the side to Lily and Fiona.

    ¡°Haaaa!!¡±

    I kept on running forward while blocking the bullets with my shield.

    They can¡¯t stop me from moving with gunfire of such a low level.

    Even if I don¡¯t use my shield, their [Rifle] that is much less harder than my [Magic Bullet Arts] would be blocked by my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace].

    But, just as how the shock of the bullet is still received even when you¡¯re wearing a bulletproof vest, I would also feel the impact which is something I really don¡¯t want to experience.

    In front of me, the two women rushed towards me with 3¡Á2=6 swords, just like before.

    As I looked at their faces again, I felt disturbed as I remembered the faces of my ssmates but I quickly shook off my nostalgia, pity as well as sadness and focused on the battle.

    ¡°Magic Sword Arts¡ª¡°

    Out of the 10 swords I brought out, I used 6 to block against their [Auto Killer]. The rest 4 were thrown towards the 2 men behind the girls who were providing covering support fire.

    While controlling the magic swords and with my shield still deployed, I dashed with full speed by putting power and magical energy in my feet.

    The shield had begun to crack from the continuous gunfire but its hardness is still there. I¡¯ll just use it to ram into them like this.

    It is not as strong as the Tower shields used by the heavy knights but it¡¯s enough to stop those girls.

    ¡°¡±sh.¡±¡±

    ¡°¡ª-daaaaahh!!¡±

    The shield was destroyed under the simultaneous attack from the two girls¡¯ ckened swords, But,

    ¡°¡ª-!¡±

    ¡°.....¡±

    I brilliantly pushed the 2 girls aside with my shield tackle.

    One of them was able to maintain her bnce by taking a few steps back but the other one fell down and gave a clear opening.

    ¡°Kuronagi!¡±

    Without any mercy, I released my martial art towards the fallen girl.

    The ck horizontal sh blew away her left arm holding the sword.

    I had aimed to spit her whole body but it seems she was able to react at thest moment and evaded.

    ¡°ck Smoke.¡±

    Rather than continuing my attack, I decided to use smokescreen.

    In the first ce, my target was the enemy boss. Rather than staying here to finish them off, it¡¯s more necessary to ignore them and move forward.

    Also, even though her arm was cut off, I doubt they even have a sense of pain. They would simply keep on attacking while ignoring the injury.

    ¡°See ya, I¡¯ll be going on ahead.¡±

    I once again ran further as the 2 girls were captured inside the smoke.

    Something like a buckshot was also fired from behind me but I ignored it and kept running. I¡¯ll leave these 2 to Fiona and Lily.

    My next opponents were the 2 men.

    ¡°¡±??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????¡±¡±

    Seeing me rush towards them to attack, they should have understood my intentions even if they don¡¯t really have a will of their own.

    Stopping their [Rifle] attacks, they began chanting.

    Beside them were 4 broken ckened swords. They must have destroyed those I had fired earlier.

    Damn, I had used most of my swords during the battle with the heavy knights so these were thest 10 of my swords. Damn them for destroying my precious reserves like this.

    Well, thanks to that these guys had been unable to fire when I faced those 2 girls though.

    ¡°¡ªReturn.¡±

    I called back the 6 swords that had been blocking the enemy¡¯s [Auto Killer].

    As long as I can see them, I can perfectly control each and every sword and even if they are out of my sights, I can still control them by speaking like this. Thus, the swords returned back and floated behind me.

    ¡°¡±¡ª-[ck Wall].¡±¡±

    As my swords returned, in front of me the jet ck wall had been deployed.

    It was a defensive magic that was able to match my and Lily¡¯sbined attack and nullify it. I¡¯m a bitcking in power for destroying them alone.

    ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t matter if I havee till here.¡±

    The height of the ck wall was around 4m on both sides. Normally one would advance after breaking it or taking a detour.

    But, don¡¯t underestimate my physical capabilities!!

    ¡°Haa!!¡±

    Kicking the ground hard enough to make it sink in a little, I jumped towards the ck wall.

    I, who had already jumped at about 3m, kicked the surface of the wall again and rose even further.

    As I reached the max height of the jump, I was already above the wall.

    I stepped on it lightly once again, and crossed over the wall just like that.

    ¡°¡ª-Pierce through!¡±

    I sent the 6 swords towards the 2 men on the ground.

    And I pointed my baton towards that ex-masked bastard that was standing in the middle of the highway.

    ¡°Ooh, not bad No.49.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that name¡ª¡°

    My eyes met with his in mid air.

    As usual I can¡¯t sense any killing intent from him. As he released an unpleasant atmosphere, I,

    ¡°My name is¡ª-¡°

    Instantly, countless ck bullets appeared.

    Its aim was obvious, the mad bastard from that research facility.

    ¡°¨CKurono!!¡± (kurono)

    I released a ck storm filled with the intent to kill¡ª

 Chapter 135 Fairy and Witch (1)

    Chapter 135 ¨C Fairy and Witch (1)

    Fiona and Lily jumped inside the forest from the highway as if escaping from the rain of ck bullets.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to take that attack on with no shield or cover.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Oh, Lily-san you ¡®woke up¡¯ now?¡±

    A dazzling emerald green sphere and a ck clothed witch were running through the dense green forest.

    ¡°You can¡¯t cooperate with the child me. I¡¯m forcibly trying to retain my consciousness, be grateful for that¡±

    Lily in her small form inside the oracle field stares at Fiona with stabbing eyes.

    ¡°Thank you for going through the trouble.¡±

    While Fiona expresses her not-very-thank-you gratitude, she swung her ¡®Custom Fire Ball¡¯.

    The wand reacted to the fire type magic being poured into it. And just like the effect of the magic equation inserted in it, the fireball that is made is always of the same level of power.

    But the customized ¡®Fire Ball¡¯ makes the formation of numerous Ignis Sagita at the same time, which should have only be fired one by one, possible.

    The fireballs fired consecutively intercept the 2 ckened swordsing towards Lily and Fiona like missiles. The ckened swords lose their ck magic coating by the explosions from the fireballs and fall down as they can¡¯t be controlled anymore.

    ¡°The ¡®Dolls¡¯ are alling here right?¡±

    ¡°1,2,3......There are 9 in total. Just why might they be multiplying?¡±

    Though the figure of gray colored robe cannot be seen, but Fiona can count their exact amount of number by sensing the subtle amount of magical power.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that they increased in numbers because you came here. Aside from that, it looks like that shy man wants to go one-on-one with Kurono.¡±

    Separating his own subordinates personally, is a really convenient choice for this(Fiona & Lily) side.

    ¡°Though it is convenient, is that person really that confident?¡±

    It appears like the other side is also wanting to go one-on-one with Kurono.

    ¡°Apparently. Most probably, he is the type of guy who has never failed even once in his life.¡±

    ¡°Have you ¡®seen it¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t peek in his mind, you can still somehow understand that much.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. There was a person like that in my school too¡ªIsn¡¯t it good around here?¡±

    They just wanted to change the stage of fight to forest and had no intention of escaping. The two stop their legs near a suitable ce.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t theye faster than expected. This shows that they also took part in the same enhancement experiment like Kurono, right?¡±

    4 people jump out of from the shade of the trees.

    The simultaneous attack of ckened swords and martial arts assault Fiona and Lily.

    ¡°¡°¡ª¡ºsh¡»¡±¡±

    The oracle field in the child form is inferior to the one in the young girl form. It will be dangerous to take the collision head-on.

    ¡°¡ºForce Edge¡»¡±

    The light color magical powerpresses on the surface of the globe shape barrier covering the body and two glowing swords appear from thepressed light.

    It can be easily understood that the swords, which are releasing heat to approximately 1 metre, can burn and cut the person which touches them with more power than the beam.

    Lily moves her small arms and the swords follow her hand as if synchronised. The 2¡ºForce Edge¡»swords, slide past the surface of the barrier.

    The ¡ºsh¡»released by the two experimental subjects intersect with the¡ºForce Edge¡»and from their impact instead of sparks, white colored bands were scattered.

    After a moment of shing, as if they sensed the endurance limit of the ckened swords, the experimental subjects draw back their swords.

    Another experimental subject in the rear stops Lily¡¯s pursuit with¡ºRifle¡» and within that amount of time the two experimental subjects which assaulted go back in hiding.

    ¡°......As expected the cooperation through Telepathy is troublesome.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t really get it.¡±

    Lily gives a fleeting nce to Fiona standing in rear and there a ridiculouslyrge wall was standing.

    All the bullets and martial arts are being repelled with the help of¡ºTerra Shield¡»

    With this its possible to not see the coordinated attacks of the enemy.

    Seeing it, one would want to sigh, but

    ¡°Hm? Your defensive magic is really convenient.¡±

    A somewhat crooked smile shows up on Lily¡¯s small child face as if she has found the way tofortably cut their way through the situation.

    ¡°Convenient for what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use my divine protection. Don¡¯t let any enemye near me, you can do it, right?¡±

    ¡°......Leave it to me¡±

    Fiona changed her actions as if she understood the intention of Lily.

    She takes out her favorite staff ¡¸Ains Broom¡¹which was stored inside the dimension in her hat and¡ª

    ¡¸??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??????¡¹

    ¡ªStarts chanting.

    At the same time, Lily firesrge amount of light bullets to the ces where it seemed like the enemy might be lurking, so that there won¡¯t a chance for them to counterattack.

    ¡¸?????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ?????¡¹

    The ck bullets counterattack from the gaps between the light bullets, but it couldn¡¯t interrupt the chanting of Fiona as the chant waspleted without a single chanting error.

    ¡°¡ª¡ºTerra Armor Shield¡»

    ¡ª¡ºIgnis Armor Shield¡»¡±

    ¡°To be able to make a Dual Shields by yourself. You¡¯re pretty good, aren¡¯t you¡±

    The moment Lily sends a wide grin to Fiona, the two shields cover her whole body.

    The thing that first appeared was a rock cliff.

    The¡ºTera Arma Shield¡»didn¡¯t appear as a normal rock wall but it appeared as a 10 metres tall rock tower with Lily as the center.

    Immediately following, the whole rock tower got covered with magma like mes.

    The thunderously burning mes by it¡¯s sweltering heat can stop enemy¡¯s advance and burn the attacks to crisp.

    The dual shield can generally only be deployed by more than 2 magicians help. The shields made from Fiona¡¯s astounding power will protect Lily till the time it¡¯s magic runs out.

    ¡°And so, till the time Lily-san ¡®awakens¡¯, I¡¯ll be everyone¡¯s opponent.¡±

    Fiona standing in the rear of the zing defensive tower with¡ºAins Broom¡»in her left hand and¡ºCustom Fire Ball¡»in her right.

    In front of her are 5 men and women with ck hair, ck dull eyes and are wearing gary colored robe.

    She couldn¡¯t make out the position of the other 4 but she has a rough idea that they are waiting for a gap in her stance while hiding in her sides or rear.

    The 9 people Lily calls as ¡®Dolls¡¯ really don¡¯t have any emotion and don¡¯t have even a speck of fear.

    They can shoot swords and control the shooting, they have enhanced body, furthermore their telepathicmunication through which, it is possible for a perfect, no-mistakes coordinated attack.

    ¡°Please try toe out very fast, Lily-san¡ª¡±

    but, even after urately knowing the ability of enemy, Fiona says as such with her as usual sleepy face and in a calm andposed voice.

    ¡°¡ªIf you don¡¯te out fast. I¡¯ll defeat them all alone.¡±

 Chapter 136 Experimental Subject and Researcher

    Chapter 136 ¨C Experimental Subject and Researcher

    This was sometime after No. 49 hadpleted many maneuvering experiments.

    ¡°Do you not like No. 49?¡±

    Cyprus was suddenly asked such words by the head of thirdboratory and themander of Holy Soldier Project, Bishop Judas. [ET: Holy Soldier project is in simple words the project of experimenting on humans to make them apostles and bastards.]

    ¡°No, something like that......¡±

    He was wearing the white mask which covered his whole face, the¡ºFilter Mask¡», so his expressions couldn¡¯t be seen.

    However, Judas continued speaking as if he was convinced of something after seeing through Cyprus¡¯s heart.

    ¡°There are rare cases for people to retain their consciousness.¡±

    ¡°No. 49 has already lost more than 50 % of his consciousness, it¡¯s only a matter of time before that also ispletely gone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. He will keep his consciousness till thest moment his ego vanishes and will not go mad till that time, you don¡¯t like that, right?¡±

    Cyprus replies with silence.

    He looks below to see the figure of No. 49 going back to his istion cell after defeating 3 golems.

    After fighting to the bitter with golems which boast of power that can crush human in one punch, No. 49 had wounds all over his body.

    However, in those ck eyes, there was still the light of powerful consciousness and life residing.

    (Yeah, you¡¯re damn right, I don¡¯t like those eyes)

    Cyprus was obviously having irritation towards No. 49 who never went insane/mad, and was not depressed even though knowing that an experimental subject has no hope of being saved.

    (The things like heart will always break, even resolution, decision too, pride too, in front of ¡®pain¡¯ of reality all those things are bullshit.)

    That¡¯s why those things are useless, it¡¯s not good that you have to keep your consciousness even after reaching here. You asshole foreigners need to cry, scream, go mad, lose all hope and depress before your consciousness is vanished by¡ºAngel Ring¡».

    I came to¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»for seeing ¡®that thing¡¯. It ain¡¯t good if you don¡¯t get broken by the method I want.)

    No. 49 by dragging his one leg had already disappeared on the other side of the dark corridor.

    ¡°¡ªNo. 49 is able to keep his consciousness because simple the ¡®offerings¡¯ of him were good, that also helped to enhance his spirituality.¡± [ET: Seriously don¡¯t understand it.][SK: I think he¡¯s talking about the offering used in the very first chapter to summon Kurono.]

    He suppressed his true feelings, then replied to Judas while pretending calmness from the position of a single researcher.

    ¡°If you¡¯re convinced with that, then just think like that.¡±

    And then, Judas left as if he had lost interest.

    Cyprus saw off Judas while he bowed his head,

    (Stop bullshitting!, damn geezer. ¡®People who can retain their consciousness¡¯, to hell with that, it¡¯s just that No. 49 has more endurance power in future he will also break without exception. That¡¯s right, he can only bear it right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean he is special than other foreigners.)

    However, No. 49 was able to keep his consciousness without going mad till the time ofpletion of ego seal with the use of¡ºAngel Ring¡»

    .

    .

    .

    Three steel bodies drilled with countless bullets fell on the ground while making sounds.

    ¡°He blocked with those Light Golems¡ª¡±

    The Bullet Arts fired from mid-air captured the man in it¡¯s line of fire.

    But the thing that blocked the rain of bullets was neither defensive magic nor martial skill but it was the Light Golem having the appearance of heavy knights

    ¡°¡ªThis guy is a summoner, huh¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not damn normal Summoner. I, the great Cyprus, am a High-Summoner. Don¡¯t even think the peashooter will work one me.¡±

    The man called Cyprus, reveals a calm andposed smile.

    He summoned 3 Light Golems as a shield in an instant. From that ability it doesn¡¯t seem like what he is saying is a bluff. [ET: POV changed to Kurono at some point.]

    Most probably, this guy has a powerful servant which will be enough to kill me.

    ¡°Hey, No. 49, bastard, you thought you could kill me?¡±

    ¡°I am not only thinking, but I will kill you.¡±

    I prepare the hatchet in left hand and call back the two ckened swords which I throwed to the two experimental subject behind me.

    The two in behind are still not dead, for that reason, I have still the sword arts behind my back as precautions.

    But still, the enemy, I, am standing in front of their leader but there is no sign of offense or anything from the two.

    ¡°Heh, is that so¡ª-Oi!, you both can go to the ce with brat and witch.¡±

    The presence of the experimental subject is gone. Looks like they have gone towards Lily and Fiona, but just what is this guy thinking by reducing his allies?

    Is he trying to imply that he can defeat me by himself.

    ¡°If you can then capture them alive. After I will ¡®use them¡¯ter on¡±(Cyprus)

    ¡°You......¡±

    This is the first time I have ever felt anger to this extent with just some words.

    Don¡¯t you speak like a scum-bag towards my friends.

    ¡°Ah, What, did you snap? Do you love your women that much, huuh?¡±

    my reply is not words but by sword.

    I fire one ckened sword aimed at the be of Cyprus.

    ¡°haha¡ª-¡±

    The fired sword waves and it is sent flying away by the unsheathed sword de which is glittering with silver glow.

    The man draws a longsword with some light residing in it and block the attack of the ckened sword.

    He ain¡¯t only a summoner, he is also able to use martial skills like Knights.

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s good No. 49. This will be needed to break you.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just talking to myself, don¡¯t worry about it¨D¨D???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????¡±

    Cyprus starts chanting by raising the white wand on his left hand.

    Like always I don¡¯t understand the meaning of those words, but going by the flow of chant it looks like he really is a high-summoner.

    ¡°Sword Arts, Pierce Through!¡±

    I won¡¯t let a guy who uses magic toplete the chant. I fire all 6 ckened swords.

    3 from the front, 1 each from both sides and 1 is heading towards the crown of head. ALl of them are heading towards their targets while leaving a ck line in air.

    ¡°Haa, toote!¡±

    Cyprus takes the posture of fencing while holding the long sword in right hand.

    But the thing thates from that is not a pierce, but high-speed consecutive shes.

    The six ckened swords arrive at the same time, but the 3 swords in front get sent flying away with the sword fight.

    The 3 swordsing from above and left and right dodge the deflected swords with minimum movements as if they are seeing their surroundings.

    The two swords of left and right sidee back to me but he sword attacking Cyprus from overhead stabs the ground due to him dodging it.

    Before I could call back it, it was bisected by a single strike of silver color and lost the ck magic power.

    The sword technique of Cyprus who fended off the attacks of 6 swords is far surpassing than that of a normal knight.

    But, that only is not the reason to why he was able to easily fend off the attack of Sword Arts.

    ¡°Is that made by Mithril?!¡±

    ¡°Fool. It should be obvious with a single nce.¡±

    Mithril is a magical metal made with peculiar manufacturing methods and contains the purest of white magical power inside it.

    The light inside the sword de is not a joke. It¡¯s overall weight is like that of a feather but it¡¯s attack is more heavier and stronger than steel.

    Only because he is using a sword made by Mithril, that he is able to swing it fastly and easily fend off against ckened swords easily.

    The base of my ckened swords is a normal longsword which is coated by my ck magical power.

    On the contrary, the sword de of the Mithril sword contains high concentration of purest white magic. There is a lot of difference in the amount of magical power which resides in both weapons.

    ck magic simply increases the sharpness and hardness, but I don¡¯t know which sort of effect does the white magic has on swords.

    But no matter what, there is no doubt that it is enhancing something. The amount of magical power in a weapon is equally converted into attacking power, that¡¯s why magic weapons are valued highly.

    And in the magical weapons, those which give misfortune to the user are ¡®Cursed Weapons¡¯, but now matter how you look at it, the weapon of Cyprus is only filled with purest magical power and doesn¡¯t has the least bit of curse or anything.

    ¡°Having a wonderful equipment, you son of a ......¡±

    There is a possibility that the Mithril Sword will easily stop my¡ºCurse Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»theirpatibility is the worst of all.

    ¡°OiOi, it will be a problem if you evaluate me with just equipment? I will have to show you the splendid part of my high summoner position¡ª¡ºCrime Eater¡»¡±

    THe effect of the chant from before is finally activated.

    From behind Cyprus 4 white colored magical circle about 1 metre big rise up.

    Looks like the words and pattern drawn on it has some meaning, but it¡¯s impossible for me to decipher it.

    And after some seconds, the servant called¡ºCrime Eater¡»appears from inside the magic circles.

    SFX: Kishaa-!

    It is a big serpent with white colored scales. [ET: Do big-serpents love me!]

    It¡¯s more thicker than my arm and it¡¯s overall length is 3 metres. It¡¯s smaller whenpared to Anaconda, but when a snake of this size doese out in front, the pressure it gives out is no joke.

    It is looking at me with red eyes and is waving it¡¯s tongue which is split at front. Do I look that tasty?

    The animal called snake is able to instill fear in people, but this snake with white body, red eyes like an albino with close remembrance to Sariel is giving me the thought that this guy is a troublesome thing to deal with.

    However, the strange thing is, the 4¡ºCrime Eater¡»only wrapped around Cyprus with their tails slightly, but are still floating in air.

    If they are that big they should have that much amount of weight, right? Still, Cyprus is standing in a calm andposed manner as if he is not feeling an weight.

    ¡°What happened, don¡¯t be scared for anymore ande. I am giving you the opportunity to fight the serious me?¡±

    I¡¯ve got no intention of getting angered on his obvious provocations, but it will be me to attack first as I don¡¯t have much time.

    I don¡¯t know the strength of servant called¡ºCrime Eater¡», so it will be dangerous for frontal attacks, for the time being,

    ¡°Bullet Arts¡±

    I¡¯ll wait and see its strength with long-ranged attacks.

    The several hundred bullets that appear in an instant are fired with just one swing of the baton.

    There is no way to escape from this barrage unless he blocks like before and leaps out of the range of fire.

    Cyprus is still smiling and shows no signs ofnding on ground.

    So he chose defense, the moment I thought that all the bullet arts disappeared.

    ¡°......What?¡±

    They didn¡¯t waver, or get repelled, but simply disappeared. Yeah, the several hundred bullets vanished in thin air before reaching Cyprus.

    Neither did he move nor the snakes too.

    What was it, what is happening? Complete Magic Nullification? Does that technique exist?

    ¡°Hey,e on fast No. 49¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ª-Sword Arts¡±

    Instead of thinking of thinking, it¡¯s better to attack right now.

    I throw the 2 ckened swords and once again fire the bullet arts.

    Cyprus is still standing without any signs of moving, but,

    SFX: Sha!

    This time the snakes moved.

    The 2 snakes move as if they are his new arms and sink their teeths in the two ckened swordsing at him.

    The sound of metal resounds and at the same time the ck magic covering the sword de is nullified as if it evaporated.

    The snakes spit out the wreckage of the smashed swords with an attitude saying ¡®Don¡¯t make us eat this crap.¡¯

    By the time they are doing that, the barrage of bullets are once again vanished after reaching a certain distance near Cyprus.

    ¡°I see, I now understand it¡ª¡±

    I drop the baton down and stop the rapid-fire of bullet arts.

    I understood that it¡¯d be useless to use it any longer.

    ¡°¡ª-So the ability of those snakes is to drain ck magical energy, right?¡±

    ¡°As expected, even an idiot could understand that much! But, just because you understand doesn¡¯t mean you can do anything about it, do you understand that as well Eeh No. 49??¡±

    I finally understood why this guy had been acting so confidently in front of me.

    Since he was a researcher as well, he should know that I can only use ck magic only.

    Then by draining ck magical energy, if he could nullify ck magic attacks, I would be nothing more than a slightly enhanced human.

    The fact that I was the one who went to attack him was a mistake from the very start, but I can¡¯t switch with Fiona or Lily now.

    Fuck, as expected of a researcher, he has all the things needed to subdue a rampaging experiment eh?

    ¡°Since I ran away, you hurriedly prepared that to catch me, is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The moment I found you, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to capture you peacefully but I still didn¡¯t actually expect to use these! Hiyahaha¡±

    How long is this bastard going to y around.

    But still, it¡¯ll be difficult to defeat him now that my ck magic is sealed.

    Those snakes weren¡¯t just a shield against ck magic, but could also normally attack and bite as well. They¡¯re dangerous even without the draining effect.

    In the worst case, They might be able to even use some white magic as well.

    On top of it, Cyprus has a mithril sword as well and is skilled with it too.

    ¡°This is bad, I can¡¯t really find a way to win. What should I do?¡ª-¡±

 Chapter 137 Fairy and Witch (2)

    Chapter 137 ¨C Fairy and Witch (2)

    Inside the forest with a firing tower a new me arose.

    ¡°¨D¨D¡ºIgnis Kris Sagita¡»¡±

    The intermediate level offensive spell¡ºIgnis Kris Sagita¡»fired by Fiona is activated 3 times faster than normal due to shortening the spell (TN: a.k.a short spell)

    Short Spell is the high-ss technique of shortening the normal needed chanting spell of any magic. As a matter of course, the shortened part will also have less power than theplete chant.

    If¡ºIgnis Kris Sagita¡»is fired normally by Fiona it would make a ming whirlwind of 20 metres height but with short spell it is reduced to just a little over 10 metres.

    However, Fiona is suppressing about 40% of the reduction rate of Short Spell which is the technique to reduce the power of a spell below 50%. The proof of it can be seen by seeing her magic.

    ¡°¡°¨D¨D¡ºShield¡»¡±¡±

    Though Fiona¡¯s spell power is 60% of her normal power but the spell is of her specialised attribute, so the intermediate spell contains the power of high level spell. This attack can even make the experimental subjects with enhanced bodies to be degraded in pitiable state.

    Both of them evade the extreme sweltering heat to the maximum extent possible and block the rest with the help of a dual shield.

    Though dual shield won¡¯t activate unless their chanting ispleted at the same time, but it¡¯s not much difficult for the experimental subjects to do it because of telepathy transmission.

    Two ck shields rise and start defending against the hell-fire, at the same time the two experimental subjects start their counter-attack.

    ¡°¡°¡ºRifle¡»¡±¡±

    The experimental subjects have already inspected that Fiona¡¯s ck robe is able topletely block the attacks of low-powered¡ºBuckShot¡»and so they only fire at her using¡ºRifle¡».

    The ck bullets fly through the trees. Suddenly, several¡ºIgnis Sagita¡»in the shape of a fire globee flying in from the opposite side of Fiona, as if intersecting with the bullets.

    Fiona was standing right behind the attack, so the experimental subjects had predicted that she has good evasion or defense left. But in reality, the attack not only defended her but also counterattacked.

    ¡°¡ª-!¡±

    Though it is unexpected action, but the two quickly jump to the left and right and dodge the fireballs.

    Fiona is looking at their movements, but suddenly turns her sight to the ce from where three presences are approaching at high speed.

    ¡°¡ºTerra st¡»¡±

    Fiona strikes the¡ºTerra Shield¡»in front of her with a clunk, which she made for protection against two experimental subjects who attacked her with¡ºRifle¡».

    The lower level ranged attack¡ºTerra st¡»uses the rocks in surrounding as bullets and shoots the lump of rocks in the surroundings.

    The rock bullets get thrown towards the ce with the presence of 3 experimental subjects, but due to Fiona¡¯s imperfect magic control the rocks are also thrown in ces with no relevance to those three.

    The Dual Shield made for Lily is also included in its targets. Some rock bullets strike severely against the tower of me.

    (Can¡¯t you fight by making less noise?)

    Lily¡¯sints run into Fiona¡¯s head.

    ¡°I think that I¡¯m fighting by making so less noise that even I¡¯m surprised.¡±

    It¡¯s not a joke. Fiona herself is believing that she herself is fighting really good that she can praise herselfter.

    That is purely because of her wanting to show her good side in front of herpanions. As for, if the result is really good or not, then,

    (Stop joking around. It¡¯s so noisy that one would undoubtedly make mistake in Life Drain if it wasn¡¯t for me.)

    Just as Lily says, the fight that is happening is really noisy.

    In truth, Lily after sensing the fighting going outside of shield, consented as to why Fiona was taken out from parties till now.

    Fiona¡¯s fighting style is like that of a rogue dragon just firing extremely powerful magic in all directions. Unless someone excels in magic or has tough body like Kurono, no can form a party with her.

    But, that was the only thing that allowed Lily to let Fiona enter their, the part of her and Kurono.

    ¡°Lily-san are you drawing the magic circle for¡ºLife Drain¡»here, right now?

    I think you have some scrolls left¡±

    (I have 1 left. I always save one or two for emergencies.)

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that ¡®emergency¡¯ right now?¡±

    from above the tree, from the tree shadows, from the rear and from all and every blind spots, ckened swordse flying at Fiona.

    (Impossible, something of this level. Isn¡¯t this a wonderful event with crisising in?)

    ¡°¨D¨D¡ºAir Walker¡»¡±

    Just at the time Lily¡¯s carefreement resounds, Fiona starts to evade the line of fire of swords.

    ¡ºAir Walker¡»that she is using is not magic but is a martial skill.

    One mouth is not enough for Fiona¡¯s talent. She can use Short Spell with high proficiency, uses two-staff-style of¡ºAinz Broom¡»and¡ºCustom Fire Ball¡»along with activating boost using only magic.

    Hence, it¡¯s only natural Fiona chose for an martial skill which can only be activated by her talents.

    Although, martial skills including evasion or things like movements are used mostly by sses of Swordsmen or Warriors. A Magician ss person can¡¯t just easily get it.

    But Fiona was using that martial skill as if natural. Martial skills use different principles than magic in controlling the magical power in body.

    ¡ºAir Walker¡»increases the speed of the person. Fiona enhanced the leg strength and is running so fast that one will definitely mistake it for teleportation.

    (Hmm, you can even use martial skills. Looks like witches learn other things than magic too.)

    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t do something easy as this, I wouldn¡¯t have graduated.¡±

    She is slipping past the ckened swords easily and quickly in his forest with bad footing.

    Along with that, she is checking the experimental subjects tounch an attack with¡ºCustom Fire Ball¡»

    (Schools seems like a hassle. So then, how will one get the so-called ¡®graduation¡¯?)

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Well the thing which was difficult for me was¨D¨D????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??????¡±

    She senses a concentration of a powerful magic from the front.

    And predicts, that it must be¡ºRifle¡» with increased power with the help of chant.

    ¡°Killing a two-headed smander¨D¨D¡ºIgnis Over st¡»¡±

    Rather than defensive magic, she chooses the attack magic withrge fire area for burning the attack of enemy to a crisp.

    The¡ºIgnis Over st¡»burns and blocks the surroundings of Fiona with zing fire, looking at it¡¯s firepower one wouldn¡¯t say it used a Short Spell.

    (I see, Smander, seems like ¡®everyone¡¯ had the same experience)

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The subjugation of Smander is a famous project performed as ss project.¡±

    (And, youpleted it alone)

    ¡°It was supposed to be mandatory for everybody in the ss to participate, but for some reason they shunned me out.¡±

    While seeing the me released by her magic, she recalls a bitter memory of her running from the breath attack from a two-head firedrake.

    ¡°I miraculouslypleted it, , though, I don¡¯t want to do it again in my life.¡±

    (Only I haven¡¯t fought with a smander. I want to go and subjugate it at least once?)

    The mes calm down and in Fiona¡¯s sight once again the green forest, no, the carbonised trees are seen.

    Looks like enemy¡¯s¡ºRifle¡»wasn¡¯t able to cross¡ºIgnis Over st¡»ande near Fiona.

    ¡°Do you mean going together?¡±

    (Yeah, together)

    Without having any presencesing near, Fiona guesses whether they are devoting themselves to healing because they got hurt.

    Though it¡¯s a great chance when the opponent is healing themselves, but Fiona didn¡¯t pursue them.

    That is because her work was stalling, she has no reason to defeat them.

    ¡°You¡¯re right......If we three are going together, then maybe I cane along¡±

    (I thought you¡¯d say that. well then, let¡¯s end our conversation now¡ª-)

    An, Fiona now understood that she doesn¡¯t need to stall them anymore.

    That¡¯s right, the oue is already decided.

    ¡°¨D¨D¡ºLife Drain¡»¡±

    That is because the preparations for Lily¡¯s DP are already set.

    ¡°Nh¡ª-¡±

    The strong suction of life energy rises up just like a tempest.

    Due to that the ce with the extreme near Lily is the dual shields which start to copse.

    The the heat of the magic mes is snatched and it vanishes. The rock lose their harness and the magical power inserted in itpletely and the tower copses after the rocks be brittle.

    The only thing left are the fragments of the rock which constructed the tower.

    Standing on top of the rumble is a fairy d in mysterious emerald colored light.

    She is stealing the magical power in surrounding as if it is all her¡¯s. The life energy of everything is being snacthed away without any mercy, hesitation, restraint or anything. It is just greedily expanding its area of effect.

    ¡°The effect does seem fit for a forbidden art¡±

    Fiona murmurs in admiration while seeing the scene of every living thing dying and withering with Lily as the center.

    As Fiona is a witch, so her aplishments in magic must be big that¡¯s why she has no trouble in preserving her magical power from being sucked out. Even the things with magical resistance will be able to resist their energy from being snatched.(TN: Magical Power, life energy and every power = Energy...| I can¡¯t just type every word every time after all,this ain¡¯t Japanese but is English.)

    That might be the same for experimental subjects which can use ck magic. Even if they have a bit of their magical power snatched but it won¡¯t be able to deal damage to them which is convenient to Fiona and Lily.

    However, themon flora and fauna won¡¯t have their way of life like them.

    They will without exception, have their every energy sucked out and will only die.

    ¡°Well then, the preparations all done.¡±

    Lily after sucking the energy of everything within 50 metres of radius,

    ¡°I can atst kill these dolls, who are bothering Kurono¡±

    revealed a pretty smile on her lovely small face.

    ¡°Pure of heart and beautiful, Her Majesty the Queen¡ºIris¡»¡±

    Fiona silently puts her two wands back in her hat while thinking that her role is now over.

 Chapter 138 Black Mage vs Summoner (1)

    Chapter 138 ¨C ck Mage vs Summoner (1)

    The sword glowing of silver color assaults Kurono as if cutting through darkness.

    The feeling of scorching heat starts to spread in the shape of character of one (TN: Horizontal sh like (Ò»)), though the wound is shallow, but the de has definitely cut him.

    ¡°¨D¨D¡±

    If that attack was a martial skill, he would¡¯ve died.

    The Mithril de easily cuts through the ck magic robe a.k.a¡ºBaphomet¡¯s Embrace¡»which increases the defensive power of the wearer.

    Even if it was a swing of sword, if he took it head-on it would¡¯ve had be a fatal wound. Kurono evaded with paper-thin difference and somehow runs away from Cyprus¡¯s shing attacks.

    ¡°Ora! What happened No. 49. Weren¡¯t you gonna¡ª¡±

    4 strong arms attack Kurono who somehow was standing without breaking his stance even after getting a cut near his chest.

    ¡°¡ªKill me??¡±

    They were not arms but 4¡ºCrime Eater¡»

    The head of snake covered with hard white colored scales capable of stealing the ck magic head towards Kurono at high-speed. The impact of the heads easily surpasses the impact of that of a heavy-weight boxer.

    ¡°Ku!¡±

    He was able to repel 2 of them with his¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡», but was unable to fend off other 2 whichnd a strike at him with their heads.

    Though Kurono¡¯s body weight was far surpassing than that of a normal adult male, his enhanced body and height were also a factor in it, but the head-but of the white big-serpents were able to send him back flying back.

    ¡°......U, It hurts¡±

    To not show any unguarded moment, he stood back while taking a defence stance.

    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re still full of energy, so then why don¡¯t have another go with higher difficulty¡±

    ¡°Ha, so you were holding back, huh¡±

    With the action of calling back the 2¡ºCrime Eater¡»the ck magical power inside the¡ºCure Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»was sucked out.

    Kurono once again returned the hatchet back to the ckened state by pouring his magical power inside.

    ¡°If you couldn¡¯t do that it would be boring! From the time I came to Pandora(here), I had been struck with boredom, but it¡¯s not good to not have fun when it¡¯s fun time.¡±

    In good words to exin Cyprus¡¯s dominance would be, he was ying with Kurono.

    If the¡ºCrime Eater¡»try not to head-butt, but bite or wrap him to seal his movements, thenter Kurono would automatically be disabled after having ck magical power sucked out.

    And it will be end for him if Cyprus tried to stab him while his movement was restricted, Kurono, who had been defending understood that much.

    On the other hand, Cyprus knows his own and his servant¡¯s abilitiespletely, furthermore,

    (We, ¡®Creators¡¯ know more about your body than you yourself.)

    Cyprus even knows the abilities of his enemy, Kurono.

    (No. 49 escaped during the end of the first phase of Holy Soldier Project, and so that bastard can¡¯t use any ck magic other than instinctively nor can he learn other magics.)

    Cyprus understood the fact that¡ºForeigners¡»which be the experimental subjects are inhabitants of another world.

    And the fact that the worlds from where foreigners were called from have no rtion to magic was already confirmed.

    Hence, it was an established theory that foreigners have zero ability in learning magic by themselves other than the ¡®power¡¯ given by them.

    (After all,¡ºTrans Word¡»is always activated and it trantes the letters and spoken words. There is no way he can actually learn the realnguage.) [ET: Trans Word = Trantion of Words. I need that thing in my mind so I can TL almost everynguage of World.]

    The fatal disadvantage in not being able to learn various magic like Model magic et cetera was that.

    The magic won¡¯t activate unless one knows the meaning of the spell and the words written it. Even if one tried to mimic the pronunciation of writing of the spell, the magic won¡¯t start ever.

    In the first ce, it was even impossible for Kurono to mimic the pronunciation or writing of spell, because thenguage of the world was reced with Japanese from the start it entered his ears.

    ¡°¡ª-Bullet Arts¡±

    The cornered Kurono fired Bullet Arts which Cyprus had seen even in experiment and actual practice.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this is useless, you dimwit!¡±

    The Bullet Arts though had the efficiency same to that of a real bullet, but to Cyprus who controlled the¡ºCrime Eater¡»it wasn¡¯t even a threat of a child throwing pebble at him.

    Cyprus attacks straightly without having any need for defence or evasion.

    And as if natural the bullets vanish in thin air before reaching the enemy as if putting a drop of water on a hot stone.

    But, Kurono surely saw that the bullets reached Cyprus more than before because he poured twice the amount of magical power than before.

    ¡°¡ºLux sh¡»¡±

    ¡°KuroNagi!¡±

    The trajectory of white and ck intersected.

    The remains of magical power of both ck and white magic scattered due to the des exchanging blows.

    Kurono took a step back because of the difference inpatibility.

    Without a moment¡¯s dy, the 4 big serpent assaulted Kurono with a terrifying straight head-butt(Punch).

    ¡°Ku, Shield¡±

    He deployed defensive magic, but regrets the moment because it was a bad move.

    But, it¡¯s truth that he had no other way of defending.

    Its result,

    SFX: Shaaaa¨C!

    The 4 head pierce through the shield as if it wasn¡¯t there and Kurono takes four heavy strikes on his body.

    He took a impact very strong that it might have taken his consciousness. Then Kurono saw from the side of his vision that the ce of snake which touched the Shield deployed by him were sucking his ck magic form him.

    ¡°Gaha, Geho......¡±

    The once again blown away Kurono, somehow took defensive stance but was unable to stand right up immediately.

    And, Cyprus, who didn¡¯t had any intention of ending the one-sided fight waited for Kurono to stand back up.

    (Don¡¯t lose confidence with just this much No. 49. You¡¯re the great masochist, who actuallypleted the human experiments while retaining sanity after all. This much won¡¯t mean any shit to you.)

    Kurono stood back up while gripping the hatchet with his left hand pushed forward.

    In his eyes, the peculiar pair of ck eyes, the fighting spirit still hadn¡¯t wavered even after knowing the absolute affinity difference.

    (That¡¯s right, those shitty conceited eyes!

    Right now I¡¯m thanking god with my whole heart. After I get a chance to instill insanity and despair in you, in those unyielding-spirited eyes of yours!!)

    Cyprus didn¡¯t knew that he wasughing, but even if he knew there is no reason for him to stopughing.

    (The ¡®Real Thing¡¯ester, beating the hell out of you and bringing you back is only opening performance, but I will have fun,

    until you understand that no matter how you struggle, you won¡¯t be able to defeat me ever)

    Seeing Kurono poise the sword with both hands, Cyprus too poised the sword a secondter.

    (There is no introduction to martial skills in the first phase of experiments. The¡ºKuroNagi¡»No.49 is using is the curse of that hatchet.

    He might be able to kill scum around here and there with the power and weapon ability, but, hmph, that technique ain¡¯t much to me who has learned martial skills and equipped with a¡ºMithril Sword¡»).

    While pushing back the sadism rising from the bottom of heart, Cyprus inspected the weapon that Kurono acquired after the escape.

    (It must be good luck that he got a baton for ck magic use, but that level of thing won¡¯t give much firepower.

    He knows that the strongest he has right now is only that hatchet.

    It¡¯s clear that you don¡¯t have any other weapon hidden, after all we have the skill to see through you ck magician¡¯s dimension.

    or rather you don¡¯t even have a sword with¡ºAuto-Killer¡»function. Hmph, showing-off against some damn Crusaders. Good work No. 49)

    If Kurono had an artifact ss weapon or an item, then counter-attacking would have possible.

    However, there was no way he had anything like that, that was confirmed with 100% confidence after Cyprus inspected through the¡ºShadow Gate¡»of Kurono with¡ºDimension Search¡».

    (The only reliable thing at the end is your own power.

    But, your ck magic, physical ability too, magical power amount too and the amount you would have grown after escape are already predicted by us, it¡¯s impossible for you to win)

    Cyprus had always been pursuing human experiments from the time Kurono was brought in this world and made in an experimental subject.

    Them, researchers, have the possession of all data about the status of Kurono showing how much he had grown or his growth rate and things like that which even Kurono himself doesn¡¯t know.

    If one looks at that magic, it was clear that there was no way to erge the magical quantity than what was provided to him.

    If the magical quantity and growth-rate was seen as a magician then No. 49 had highest potential, but no matter how high it was, it would bepletely empty with just 2¡ºCrime Eater¡».

    And considering the fact that he hadn¡¯t learnt any other magic, then in terms of magic Kurono¡¯s growth cannot be estimated more than what he had already learned before.

    Also, it was hard to think that there would have been rise in Kurono¡¯s physical ability along with him learning martial skills.

    The strong factors in the current situation would be Lily and Fiona against whom the experimental subjects were having hard time.

    Cyprus was able to know the war situation due to periodic telepathic transmission.

    However, he judged that they would be stall both Fiona and Lily till the time he teased Kurono to his heart¡¯s content and captured Kurono.

    Everything was within his prediction, no irregrity in his ns.

    ¡°You¡¯re all idiots with no imaginative power, you are also the same No. 49. You still think you can kill me , right!?¡±

    Kurono had wounds all over his body.

    Due to the draining of ck magic, even if he closed his wounds with ck magic, the magic will get drained and result would be blood loss.

    It was obvious that he had endurance but it was obvious that it would also get exhausted if the fight would continue like this.

    However,

    ¡°Yeah, of course, How can I let a shitty ass-hole scumbag¡ª-¡±

    Kurono smiled.

    Cyprus showed him a deadly stare filled with irritation in his eyes.

    ¡°¡ªkeep on living in this world!¡±

 Chapter 139 The Black Mage vs Summoner (2)

    Chapter 139 ¨C The ck Mage vs Summoner (2)

    ¡°Yeah, how can I let a shitty ass-hole scumbag like you living in this word?¡±

    Finally, I can finally see the chance of winning.

    Cyprus takes stance while thinking my words are just a bluff and is still smiling faintly with disgust.

    I grasp the¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»in my right hand tightly, andmence the attack having the resolve that I will only get one chance for it.

    ¡°Here I go¡ª¡±

    I run straight towards him. That guy ispletely underestimating me, and so he definitely won¡¯t use long-ranged attacks.

    Most probably he doesn¡¯t have any other way to attack other than sword or snakes, but no matter what, that guy has no intention to thwart my approach and will wait until I get recover my posture. He is giving me excessive service.

    Thanks to that, I am able to make a n to surely kill him.

    ¡°¨D¨D¡ºAnchor Hand¡»¡±

    Normally, this ck magic is used for moving up and down on cliffs and walls.

    I don¡¯t use it mostly even when it is needed, but this time I pour the most of the ck magical power in the ck wire and as if rivaling¡ºCrime Eater¡»the¡ºAnchor Hand¡»became of the same width and length as that of the snakes.

    I send the 4 log-like wire towards the 4 snakes who are licking their lips to seal their movements.

    ¡°Ha, just when I think what you were about to do, you go for such a foolish method.¡±

    Even if he has sensed my intention, he still sends his 4 snakes against my 4¡ºAnchor Hand¡»as if they aren¡¯t a threat to him.

    When both of their distance is approximately 3 metres apart. The ck and white intertwined and starts their struggle for supremacy.

    The tip of the wire, originally have a fishing hook sort of end, but for grabbing the head of snakes, I have made 3 fingers on each of their ends.

    On the other hand,¡ºCrime Eater¡»bites at the 4 wires made from ck magic to eat them.

    ¡°It is directly connected to your body. At this rate your magical power inside the body will also be sucked.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate¡ª¡±

    Just as Cyprus said, I can feel my magical power being drained through¡ºAnchor Hand¡»

    If I cancel¡ºAnchor Hand¡»right now then I can maybe be safe from the drain caused by¡ºCrime Eater¡»

    But then there will be no meaning then. I bear the pain of my magic power being drained out every second while clenching my teeth and try to maintain the shape of wires trying to capture the snakes.

    ¡°¡ªmy magical power!¡±

    I take one more step forward.

    ¡°OiOi, don¡¯t do boring things like falling down due to magical power exhaustion¡±

    I reach the distance where both of our swords can reach each other and I swing my hatchet towards Cyprus who has aining face as if saying joy-destroyer.

    ¡°KuroNagiiiii!¡±

    ¡°Lux sh¡ª¡±

    SFX: Gakiin!

    The moment the two dese in contact,¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»in my right hand easily slips past and flies towards the horizon.

    ¡°¡ª-Ah?¡±

    My hatchet getting flicked is not a point which Cyprus would think as strange.

    But, no matter how much he sees the victory, he wouldn¡¯t have felt the power in my strike that should have been there.

    It is only natural, after all I never activated the martial skill¡ºKuroNagi¡», just swinged the hatched nothing more.

    ¡°I got you¡ª¡±

    I clench fist with my right hand, and my left hand which was originally empty,

    ¡°¡ª-ckening¡±

    Shakes off the sword with power beyond my control and I grasp the Mithril de tightly.

    The sharp edge of de cuts my palm and blood starts to flow, but as if the blood dropped on the de is covering the de, the de soon enough starts to corrode due to my ck magic.

    ¡°Ku, Bastard¡ª¡±

    Cyprus shouts out in an impatient voice, but it¡¯s already toote.

    Your boastful Mithril Sword is now mine.

    ¡°Go flying away!¡±

    In an instant ck magic covers the white de and ckening isplete. I start the throwing action which I used instinctively.

    ¡°Uooo!?¡±

    Understanding my actions, Cyprus tries to grasp the hilt of sword tightly, but it slips through without any resistance and he flies towards the horizon.

    At very close range, the sword is unneeded, it will be good if I just take the sword. I don¡¯t have the confidence to pull off Sword Arts in this situation, so for the time being I put my whole power in throwing him away.

    In the meantime, in my clenched right hand fist concentrates another sort of ck magic.

    Controlling 4 extrarge¡ºAnchor Hand¡»and ckening along with 1 more magic is really difficult,

    ¡°Pile¡ª-¡±

    But, if it¡¯s this most simple ck magic that I learned at first, then there is no difficulty in activating it.

    ¡°Bunkerrrrrrrr!!¡±

    The ck Magical Power turns into a spiral of destruction and starts swirling around my fist which I punch towards the face of Cyprus.

    ¡°Kuo¡ª¡±

    Neither having a way of evading or defending, my fist cleanly hits in the middle of his face.

    But, I didn¡¯t feel the resistance I should have felt when piercing through someone¡¯s head and pulverising his brains. It¡¯s hard. As if I had just struck a shield.

    ¡°U, oooo......¡±

    Even so, after taking a clean heat, his nose his crushed and he staggers while his nose is bleeding.

    I pay attention to the cross hanging on the chest of the ugly Cyprus as it starts releasing magic light.

    I see, so it¡¯s a magic item with defensive magic.

    Shall I destroy it or cancel it, no, I only have my body now, so

    ¡°Breakkkkk!¡±

    I have no other choice than to beat this bastard till he is disabled to move.

    ¡°Guu, Haa¡ª¡±

    I fiercely attack Cyprus who is reflexively trying to gain distance.

    I can¡¯t let him run here so I throw Cyprus down on the road with full force.

    And quickly secure the mount position as if sitting on a horse.

    At this point of time¡ºCrime Eater¡»has eaten near half of¡ºAnchor Hand¡».

    There is not much time left to hold off the snakes. If the situation changes here, then this time I definitely won¡¯t have a chance to to reverse it.

    ¡°Oraa!¡±

    I earnestly punch with my fist against the shield deployed by the cross.

    ¡°Gaha¡ª-how can , still move uu¡ª-¡±

    I keep beating his face with my fist which is filled with power due to magic and can even break steel right now.

    Pierce, Just pierce through this shield!

    ¡°Even after¡ª-exhausting the magic......¡±

    Why are you so surprised?

    Surely,¡ºCrime Eater¡»has the ability to eat the ck magical power but it can only drain a fixed amount of it in a short time.

    It it has the ability topletely eat the ck magic when it touches it, then it wouldn¡¯t had shown any signs of being extinguished from the point it touched at the time of smashing the 2 ckened swords or at the time or piercing the shield.

    A normal Bullet Arts would vanish upon reaching a certain distance but the Bullet Arts with double magic power would proceed 30 cm more than normal.

    I don¡¯t know what the maximum amount of magical power¡ºCrime Eater¡»can eat. But, if it is fixed for a period then I only have to beat the summoner before my magical power is exhausted.

    And to my luck, this guy didn¡¯t pay heed to my approach.

    It would have been better if you just spectated by acting as a summoner and letting your servant do all work, but it¡¯s already toote to regret, you shitty scumbag asshole.

    ¡°Oraaa!¡±

    The sound of the invisible shield cracking reached my ears.

    I can do it, there is still time left.

    ¡°Come on! Come on!¡±

    I punch, punch and keep on punching. Though my fists are enhanced by magic, they are still getting injuries due to the recoil of punching the shield.

    So what, I can break his shield in a little more time, this pain is nothing.

    ¡°Impossible¡ª¨Cthis is¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°Come onnnnnnn!!!¡±

    I punch with my bloodied fist.

    SFX: Gashaaa! (Sound of shield breaking)

    And finally, the shield breaks apart.

    The moment it is destroyed, the cross too is smashed in pieces and lose its defensive power.

    ¡°!? H-hey, Wai¡ª-¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±(Kurono)

    I raise my right fist, thest attack.

    However, at that moment, a sharp pain runs through my right hand.

    ¡°Guaa! damnit¡ª¡±

    I can¡¯t swing my fist, after all the fangs of white big-serpent are biting my right hand.

    Crap, so finally my magical power exhausted and¡ºAnchor Hand¡»is forcibly cancelled.

    ¡°¡ª-Damn it!¡±

    The snakes rush at me after losing their prevention object.

    Myst weapon, left fist, is also restricted to move by one big serpent.

    ¡°Ha,Ha......Hyaaaahahahahahaha! It¡¯s too bad No. 49!¡±

    2 snakes stop the movements of my arms and the rest two are biting near my abdomen.

    The feeling of myst amount of ck magic getting sucked out is more painful than the pain of fangs inside my stomach.

    It¡¯s as if my life force is getting sucked out, I can¡¯t put any power in my body and consciousness also starts to flicker.

    ¡°Gu, Aaa......¡±

    ¡°Bastard frightening me, you have more magical amount than predicted, really, you are an irritating and annoying bastard!¡±

    Cyprus punches at my cheeks to repay the gift from before.

    But, because he is still pinned down his fistcked force so I couldn¡¯t feel much pain. I can understand that he had punched me but it¡¯s pain is being suppressed by the pain of both arms and both sides of abdomen.

    ¡°Damn it, Damn it, ying with me, I don¡¯t give a damn shit about mission. I am going to rape your women here and thenter I will kill you!¡±

    ¡°Stop speaking¡ª-¡±

    My no-power-left body floats a bit and Cyprus struggles to stand from his current position.

    If he gets up away right here, then my attacks won¡¯t reach him.

    But, thinking that is useless.

    After all, this is myst attack.

    I thought this was my end, but thanks to his foul-mouthed provocation, I am able to imagine the pain of losing Fiona and Lily.

    Thanks to that, I can muster myst will power to kill you, Thank you. You were truly a shitty asshole scumbag till thest moment.

    ¡°Stop speakinggggggggggggggggg!¡±

    And, I bite at Cyprus¡¯s windpipe area.

    ¡°Wha¡ª-¡±

    I can kill you like the method your prideful snakes use. Though it might be childish and primitive, but I have enhanced strong teeths, so I can put sufficient power to tear his windpipe.

    ¡°oooOOooAAA¡±A¡±AAAAAA!? S-Stop it OooOOOaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!¡±

    Thanks to you guys enhancing every nook and corner of my body even my jaws have the power of an average animal.

    There is not any hard scales, so I can tear and devour the windpipe of a human with soft skin easily.

    ¡°¡ª¨C!!¡±

    While reaching the middle section of throat and neck, I keep on biting and devouring the blood vessels and meat inside there. [ET: Ghoul anyone? of Tokyo Ghoul]

    Inside my mouth is iron like taste, the taste of human.

    The blood gushing out covers my sight.

    ¡°H-Ha¡ª-Gaha......Haha......¡±

    Cyprus desperately tries to stop the spurt of blood with his both hands that seems like he is trying to wring himself to death.

    In his wide opened eyes, I am not even reflected.

    His face is that of a human tightly clinging on hisst remnants of life while being scared of the approaching footsteps of Death.

    ¡°Crap......My consciousness is......¡±(Kurono)

    Looks like I can¡¯t see hisst ugliest moments.

    All the power has already left my body, I can no longer feel the pain from my both arms and sides of abdomen.

    ¡°Ah¡ª-¡±

    Slowly, I fall while facing upwards.

    I feel a soft and warm feeling of something on my back.

    Within my flickering consciousness and hazy vision came the smile of the goddess of victory.

    ¡°¡ª-Lily¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me and sleep¡±

    I try to say something to Lily who is in her young girl form, but my lips only trembled at bit.

    ¡°Good night, Kurono¡± [ET: It¡¯s only noon though, Damn big volume and day]

 Chapter 140 Tell Me

    Chapter 140 Tell Me

    Kurono fainted with a peaceful looking expression but his whole body had be crimson red from therge amounts of blood flowing from the wounds.

    The method of killing someone by biting off their wind pipe made Kurono look like a mad serial killer but,

    ¡°fu,fufufufu you were too cool Kurono!!¡±

    For Lily, the blood-stained Kurono looked more morous than a prince on a white horse.

    ¡°Oh how lovely! Superb! *chuu* *chuu*¡±

    Using the fact that he was fainted, Lily gave kisses on his cheek.

    ¡°Lily-san, I think you should heal Kurono-san now or we¡¯ll be toote you know?¡±(Fiona)

    Maybe she didn¡¯t think much of Lily¡¯s actions or was maybe too amazed by it, or maybe she was jealous, Fiona came to interrupt Lily with her usual unreadable expression.

    This situation where two men were lying in the middle of the road like corpses along with 4 corpses of snakes wasn¡¯t exactly suitable for a romantic kiss scene.

    Cyprus¡¯ servants, the [Crime Eaters] were lying dead, not because Cyprus had fallen but because Lily had simply shot them down.

    Although, neither Cyprus nor Kurono knew just when Lily had done something like that.

    ¡°¡ªn, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±(lily)

    As if she was used to it, Lily picked up Kurono¡¯s body easily.

    ¡°It¡¯s really unfortunate but I¡¯ll have to leave Kurono¡¯s treatment to you. You still have the [Fairy¡¯s miracle drug] remaining right?¡±(lily)

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind but, is that fine?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I need to¡ª¨C¡°

    In Lily¡¯s line of sight was Cyprus trying to stop the blood flow from his neck as he fainted.

    He was on the verge of death but he was still alive.

    ¡°¡ª¨Chear a lot of things from him.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    As he woke up, Cyprus realized that he was still alive.

    ¡°ha, haha¡ª¨C¡°

    He ended upughing with delight on this miracle.

    (¡°That¡¯s right! I, I am not someone who would die here!¡±)

    Yes, there was no way he could die like that.

    After all, there has been nothing that hasn¡¯t gone as he wished till now in his whole life.

    Good looks and high physical abilities, having talent in both the sword and magic, and having rich parents, he was a born elite. He was different from others, a man truly loved by god.

    Someone like him wouldn¡¯t die so pitifully while fighting against an escaped experimental body.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re finally awake Mr. Scumbag?¡±

    The moment he was called ¡®scum¡¯ by a voice as sweet as a little bird, Cyprus once again brought his consciousness back to reality from his thoughts.

    ¡°¡ª¨CAh?¡±

    He finally understood his situation then.

    Among the lush green tress, a gentle early summer wind caressed his cheek with the sound of rustling of the branches.

    Apparently he was sitting with his hands tied back and legs stretched forwards. And judging by the sunlighting from between the gaps in the leaves, it was still daytime.

    ¡°There are a lot of things I want to know from you. It¡¯d be nice if you answered them all honestly.¡±

    In front of him stood a beauty with tinum blonde hair and emerald green eyes.

    ¡°You bitch!!¡±

    She was a beauty that would have normally made him fill with the desire to make her his own woman but Cyprus hadn¡¯t forgotten his current situation.

    (¡°No. 49¡¯s woman, that fairy who suddenly turned into a brat!.¡±)

    For some reason, she was supposed to be in a child like form but maybe by using some kind of magic, she returned back to her original girl form.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make such a loud noise. Or have you forgotten the condition of your throat already?¡±

    ¡°Tch......¡±

    In his mind the figure of the truly devil like no.49 biting off his throat appeared.

    It should have been a fatal blow but since quick healing had been done, it¡¯ll still take some time to healpletely. Cyprus who was well versed with magic ascertained the condition of his injury and healing.

    If we were to make a loud noise, the wound might open again and start bleeding profusely.

    ¡°Well, even if you don¡¯t talk, it won¡¯t really trouble me though.¡±

    (¡°Shit, underestimating me this bitch¡ª-¡°)

    He was alive but had be a prisoner. He started thinking about what to do but,

    ¡°After all, I only have to listen directly to your ¡®heart/mind¡¯.¡±(lily)

    With a girlish smile, a shining white needle appeared in front of Cyprus and he stopped thinking.

    Starting from the injections in the facility, he had seen a lot of needles but the one in front of him was bigger and thicker than any of those. It was more like a skewer or a thin stake.

    Probably it had been made by her magic and by her words he understood what she was about to do to him.

    ¡°You people have done the same thing, it¡¯s only obvious that you¡¯ll realize my intentions, ufufufu.¡±(lily)

    As she twisted the needle as if she was having fun, the girl raised her hand overhead.

    What appeared was the same structure that appeared from an [Angel Ring] that could directly interfere with one¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Now then, first, let¡¯s start with your name.¡±

    ¡°Stop¡ª-¡°

    As he tried to speak the words to stop, the girl gave a dazzling smile and brought down the needle while elerating it with magic.

    *Dozu¡ª-*(sound of stabbing)

    Cyprus heard such a dull sound inside his head.

    ¡°Ah....Oooaah........¡±

    The giant needle that stabbed into his head turned and scraped at his cranium and aimed for his ¡®mind¡¯.

    Surprisingly, he felt no pain but Cyprus knew what was happening to him as his hair stood on its end as his brain was being vited.

    ¡°ooo.......stop......stop...st.........¡±

    While still smiling enjoyably, the girl put more force in it.

    Finally, the needlepletely pierced through his skull and encroached till the delicate part of his brains.

    ¡°¡ª-Cyprus Vermani, Oh, you were quite the rich guy. How enviable, I also want to live with Kurono in such a big mansion.¡±

    Someone who possesses strong telepathic powers can directly ¡®touch¡¯ and draw out any and all information from the brain.

    Even a single human possesses massive amounts of information in their head. To draw out the required data, its best to question them straight and then read their minds to know the answers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about your personal info though. What I want to know is what kind of connection do ¡®you people¡¯ have with Kurono. How did you ¡®summon¡¯ him to this world? What did you want Kurono to do? What did you do to Kurono? What did¡ª¡ª-¡°

    Something ¡®else¡¯ ran about inside his head and gave rise to a fearsome amount difort.

    Violently, forcibly, inside his head, inside his mind, every time that ¡®something¡¯ moved about, some part of his memories got destroyed.

    All of that was info she did not need after all. Everything other than info connected to No.49 was unneeded, useless, trash, garbage, and there was no value in leaving such info inside his head.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, tell me, more, more about Kurono!!¡±

    Once again a turbulent sound resounded inside his head, the sound of his cranium being destroyed, the sound of having his brains pierced. The needles being inserted in his head kept on increasing. 2, 3 and more.

    All he knew was that ¡®something¡¯ was raping his mind vigorously and gave birth to absolute despair that was increasing like surging waves.

    ¡°I want to know more about Kurono. I want to know each and everything about Kurono! That¡¯s why, tell me everything about Kurono that even Kurono himself doesn¡¯t know!!¡±(lily)

    The girls voice didn¡¯t reach Cyprus¡¯ ears any longer.

    His eyes turned white and he became a cripple as drool flowed from his open mouth. There was no way he could understand words in such a situation.

    ¡°Aah, I know! I now know more about Kurono! I can learn more about Kurono!!¡±

    Maybe she realized that he wasn¡¯t responding to words any more, using her telepathy in its original form tomunicate directly with one¡¯s mind, she sent direct messages to Cyprus¡¯ brain.

    ¡°Doing such cruel things to Kurono, I really cannot forgive you. I¡¯llpletely and thoroughly make you suffer and then kill you.¡±

    In his head, a cruel, genuine killing intent was carved.

    As a recement for his destroyed memories, killing intent, hostility, disdain, abuse, scorn¡ª¨Call sorts negative emotions were crammed inside his head.

    Cyprus finally understood that his own ego, his own personality was being destroyed right now.

    (¡°aa......so this is what ........having your mind broken feels like........¡±)

    The only thing left to him was,

    (¡° Oh God.......save me........¡±)

    To pray to his God for salvation that would be never given to him.

    (¡°Please...save me....save¡ª-¡°)

    ¡°ahahaha, that¡¯s it, keep on praying to your god to preserve your mind. After all, the true suffering and pain will start from here onwards. The despair you love so much, I¡¯ll make you fully taste it as well, ¡®kay?¡±

 Chapter 141 Unlock

    Chapter 141 Unlock

    ¡°¡ª¨CUh!?¡±

    I jumped up the moment my consciousness came back.

    I had almost tied my battle with Cyprus and I feel like I saw Lily¡¯s face in the end......no, before that let¡¯s confirm the situation.

    In front of me was the highway leading to the faraway Gahad Mountain ranges and the ck figure beside me was,

    ¡°How did it go, Fiona?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s all fine. Everything¡¯s over.¡±

    The witch gave the answer with her usual expressionless face.

    Everything¡¯s over, that means for the time being, the danger should have receded. I feel relieved.

    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Around 30 mins. Just now, thest of the light golems was defeated and the enemy force has been annihted.¡±

    As I looked around, the remains of the light golems, who wore the just-for-show armour, were lying around all over the ce.

    The adventurers who defeated that doll squad were quickly fixing their carriages rather than wasting time to enjoy their victory. Some were dealing with the barbed wire spread on the highway and were trying to deal with the problem.

    ¡°I should also go and help.¡±(kurono)

    We have been unexpectedly dyed already, we should quickly move away from here before the Crusaderse attacking.

    Although I tried to get up, I couldn¡¯t muster strength inside my legs and had to use the tree on which I was leaning on to get my body up.

    ¡°Your wounds have been healed by the Fairy¡¯s miracle drug but it doesn¡¯t bring back your magical energy. It¡¯d be wise to not move about too much.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°So it seems. Shit, draining me like that, that bastard.......¡±

    I was feeling no pain but my body was filled with lethargy and fatigue and it was difficult just to move my body.

    Magical energy is an energy vital to sustaining life. If you lose too much of it, you¡¯ll get the same symptoms as losing excessive blood.

    It¡¯s really pathetic but in such a condition, I can¡¯t help anyone and will only end up being a hindrance. I should just wait here and restore my energy.

    But I¡¯m really lucky that my wounds have healed up. Because, my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] is currentlypletely in tatters.

    It had been cut apart by the mithril sword, and the arm section bitten off by the [Crime Eater], which made the sleeves only half now.

    If it had been damaged even a little more, it would havepletely lost the demonic energy residing inside of it and would not have been able to regenerate back to normal.

    Even if it was a magic item, if it was destroyed too far, nothing could be done any more.

    While thinking that it would take some time for the robe to restore back to normal, I once again sat back near the foot of the tree and talked to Fiona.

    ¡°What happened to the experimental squad? Were they all killed?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I and Lily-san took down 9 of them. Their ability equal to that of a rank 3 team but after Lily-san¡¯s [Mind Jammer] activated, it became too easy.¡±(Fiona)

    I guess they really werepletely dependent on telepathy for coordination. Since they don¡¯t have any personalities, it¡¯s only normal that they couldn¡¯t adapt themselves after theirmunication was jammed.

    ¡°But still, you guys did well actually activating that. Or rather, wasn¡¯t Lily using her DP?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I used defensive magics to give Lily-san enough time to activate her DP.¡±

    She said that so easily but isn¡¯t that pretty damn amazing? At least it¡¯s a tactic impossible for me who can only use ck Shield.

    ¡°The majority of their squad was mixed up with the light golems and were fighting with the adventurers. Since Kurono-san took down their leader, they all retreated.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I see, if they retreated then, well there¡¯s neither any reason nor enough power to pursue them. It¡¯d be better to just leave them alone. So, how¡¯s our damages?¡±

    ¡°There were no casualties.¡±

    That¡¯s actually very unexpected. No well, it¡¯s a really happy thing that no one died but considering the enemy¡¯s abilities I was prepared to face some casualties.

    ¡°Were the ones mixed up with the light golems that weak?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°No, it seems the enemy was trying to capture us. The adventurers who were defeated had been injured but had only been restrained after making them faint. When they retreated, they left them so we were able to save those adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, that guy did say something about a mission......¡±

    Probably, they would have been experimented upon like me.

    Now that they have upied Daedalus; it disgusts me to think like that but they should have lots of ¡®demons¡¯ to use for such purposes.

    But even then they tried to capture us all the way here; does that mean they wanted some strong ones like the adventurers?

    ¡°un, that¡¯s more or less correct.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Lily!?!¡±(kurono)

    The one who suddenly answered by internal monologue was, as expected, the girl Lily.

    ¡°Oh Lily-san, are you done tort¡ª-interrogating him?¡±

    Wait, wasn¡¯t an extremely dangerous word about to leave her mouth? Was it just my imagination?!

    ¡°I heard everything I wanted to hear.¡±(lily)

    Lily answered with an elegant smile but her eyes had a somewhat sharp light inside it.

    ¡°What do you mean......by interrogation?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I just asked some things from that man called Cyprus. Information gathering is also very important you know?¡±(lily)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really think that he¡¯d exin everything very easily though.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s, well, I just used my amazing telepathy a ¡®little¡¯, get it?¡±(lily)

    She smiled as she winked towards me.

    What exactly does she mean by ¡®little¡¯; she seemed to be not inclined in exining so I decided not to pursue it either.

    ¡°Anyway, to exin in short, they were a squad deployed to capture strong people like us as experimental subjects. It seems it was some sort of a secret so they were pretending to be a mercenary group to mix in with the Crusaders and were looking for good ¡®subjects¡¯.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Was it the same mercenary group that tried to attack us straight the day before yesterday?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, it seems it was done to get rid of the adventurers mixed in their merc group and then use that battle as an excuse to withdraw themselves from the Crusaders forces.¡±

    I did think that it was a useless attack but I see, so there was reason like that behind it.

    The Republic¡¯s adventurers who were trying to make it big were really pitiful. We were the ones who actually killed them though.

    ¡°Also, by breaking through the forest with small numbers with brute force and summoning arge amount of light golems, they made it look like we had been surrounded in Alsace and made us retreat. After luring us this far, they would attack us where the Crusaders couldn¡¯t see.¡±(lily)

    ¡°And wepletely walked right into their palms........how pathetic.¡±(kurono)

    Although I¡¯m d that we were able to repel them off brilliantly like this, if we had been captured, our fates would have been far worse than death.

    And that would apply not just to me but to all of myrades as well. Although it¡¯s a bitte, but it still is quite a frightening thing to imagine.

    ¡°By the way Lily-san, did you get any other info? For example, about the organisation that built these Experimental bodies etc?¡±(Fiona)

    Organisation, is it? It must be a disgusting group of worthless people but now that they have appeared in front of me like this, I need to know as much as I can about them as well.

    ¡°The organisation is called the White Sacrament. Its founder and the person in charge of these experiments is Bishop Judas. The human experimentation that Kurono went through was one part of the n called the Holy Soldier project. I was able to find out these three things clearly.¡±(lily)

    I see, it¡¯s a pretty easy to understandposition.

    Bishop Judas must be that proud-looking geezer that didn¡¯t wear a mask back then. Cyprus also knew my face and told me that I should ¡®ask that geezer in Elysion¡¯ as well.

    The founder and the person-in-charge eh? If, If that man came inside my reach, I will definitely kill that geezer at all costs.

    But, the Holy Soldier Project, are we supposed to be the soldiers of God?

    ¡°Selfishly calling us here and making us into pawns of God, those fucking bastards.....¡±

    White Sacrament, Judas, alright, I¡¯ll remember them.

    Right now, I don¡¯t have the strength to stop you bastards from continuing the experiments but still, one day definitely I¡¯ll make you pay for ying around with our lives.

    .

    .

    .

    Inside the forest, a single corpse was sprawled along the ground.

    At a single nce, it looked like a burnt corpse but everything above the eyes had beenpletely blow away so it was difficult to tell whether the cause of death was the fire or due to the head being blown off.

    And except the one who did this, nobody else knew the actual answer.

    ¡°Wow, you really were killed in such a shy manner Cyprus.¡±

    Or so it was supposed to be.

    A figure looked over the corpse that once belonged to a man named Cyprus.

    ¡°That fairy looks cute but totallycks the screws in her head. It looks like an act done by an Executor of the inquisition, right Tsumiki?¡±

    Blonde twintails and a slender waist. Both the armour on her body and the weapon on her back were meagre ones. She was the girl who only looked like a newbie adventurer, Ai.

    Even in front of the cruelly ughtered corpse, Ai kept on smiling and talked to the ck cat Tsumiki beside her.

    ¡°She had used a low level fire intentionally to slowly and carefully grill him. On top of it, the nails stuck to his head also had [Pain Increaser] and [fainting obstruction ¨C Wake Up] activated as well. Not to mention that she had also used heal magic so that he didn¡¯t die too quickly. I guess it¡¯s normal for the corpse to turn out like this. Well, in this case he simply reaped what he sowed, divine retribution, something like that.¡±

    Ai gave her thoughts about the torture show that had continued for around 20mins but the cat Tsumiki only gave a *nyaan* sleepily.

    But without minding her cat, she continued talking.

    ¡°fufu, then let¡¯s stop with my ¡®Binding y¡¯ here and I should go and greet that devil and the fairy¡ª-¡°

    Ai touched the silver bracelet on her hand that was the most valuable looking equipment in her possession.

    ¡°¡ª¨CSeal Unlock.¡±

    Along with her words, the silver bracelet broke off and was removed from her slender wrist.

    That instant, her normal looking atmosphere instantly changed.

    If a third party was here at this moment, he would have felt as if the air or the scenery had changed.

    She who was suddenly releasing an immense amount of presence finally showed a change that could be visibly seen.

    Sparkling, hazy silver aura rose from Ai¡¯s body.

    .

    .

    .

    After removing the ck barbed wire that had been probably created by the experimental bodies with ck magic, and by the time everyone prepared to depart with the carriages, I had also be able to move around freely.

    We had wasted quite a lot of time here but there were still no signs of the Crusaders approaching us from the back.

    It¡¯s still unknown how much time it would take for them to catch up with us if they start pursuing us seriously so we need to create as much distance as we can or I won¡¯t be able to stay relieved.

    Also, in the previous battle, although there were zero casualties, there were quite a lot of injured ones. Actually, the ones without any wounds were the rarer ones.

    I¡¯m d everyone had prepared their carriages for the purpose of escaping each and every one. For the time being, we could move as long as we couldy them inside the carriages.

    ¡°Alright, everyone is ready right?¡±

    Then let¡¯s depart, the moment I was about to shout that and get on my carriage,

    ¡°¡ª¡ªEveryone get down! ck Shield!!¡±

    As I shouted at once, I deployed defensive magic at full strength.

    That¡¯s because spears of light came down raining on us from the sky, no they should be called pirs of light.

    What the hell is that? Were there still enemies hiding there? Rather than that, if those giant and thick things exploded as well, shit, it¡¯s like a goddamn missile!

    ¡°???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????¡ª-[Terra Wall Defan].¡±

    From behind me, a high speed chant was heard. Fiona, is it?

    Even faster than I realized that, a defensive magic much better than mine appeared as the earth rose like a intermediate level wide range defensive magic.

    With tremors like a small earthquake, a cliff rose right in front of me.

    It¡¯s not an actual cliff but it was big enough to feel like that. It¡¯s width was enough to perfectly cover the highway to both the sides.

    The moment that a muchrger than normal [Terra Wall Defan] waspleted, the pirs of light finally arrived.

    *GAGAGAGAGA¡ª¡ª¨C*

    The row of light pirs struck the cliff¡¯s surface from above.

    The Terra Wall Defan was made of stiff and sturdy rocks but the pirs of light stabbed through it as ignoring the wall.

    The pirs of light seemed as if they wouldpletely pulverise the wall but contrary to expectations, they stuck on the wall like the steel frame on a concrete block.

    ¡°.......they won¡¯t explode right?¡±

    The moment I said that, as if remembering it, a rumbling sound came as the cliff began to crumble.

    Arge amount of rocks scattered on the highway and only the pirs of light stuck on the ground remained.

    They lined up in a grid pattern to seal off the highway.

    Maybe this might be a derived version of a light type defensive magic.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I can let down my guard. They might explode the next moment. Or maybe these were meant to stop us and now attack magic woulde flying towards us.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, you don¡¯t have to be so alert, you know?¡±

    Suddenly, the nonchnt voice of a girl came.

    The tone of the voice was like it was meant to spoil our vignce and alertness. Though, of course, not a single one among us did that.

    ¡°......Who is it?¡±

    Since the voice came from beyond my shield, she must be standing in front of me.

    If I were to believe her words, it seems the enemy doesn¡¯t intend to attack me instantly.

    Resolving myself, I removed my shield and looked at the enemy in front of me.

    ¡°Nice to meetcha, I¡¯m Ai!¡±

    On the other side of the grid made by the light pirs, a single girl was standing.

    Her shining blonde twintails gave her a slightly childish look but they really suited her round blue sparkling eyes and cute face.

    Her armour included a simple leather breastte, boots and gloves and beneath it was a thin shirt and a miniskirt. It really didn¡¯t look like it had any magical enchantments or effects.

    She really looked like a newbie adventurer from every angle but from her small body,

    ¡°No, no way......¡±

    I can never forget, it¡¯s the same silverish aura that was enveloped Sariel which was created from her thick white magical energy.

    But this girl was definitely not Sariel.

    But still to have that aura means,

    ¡°.......an Apostle?¡±

    The girl, with a wide smile that might make one remember of a sunflower, answered.

    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m the 8th Apostle Ai!¡± [T/N:Ai uses ~ desu a lot at the end of her sentences when she¡¯s acting cute.]

    She named herself as if it was a light joke.

    But that¡¯s impossible, it can¡¯t be, such words of refusal didn¡¯t hold any meaning in front of that silver aura.

    Right, I should just ept it that the impossible has now be possible. The worst case where an Apostle has appeared.

    ¡°Now then, Devil-san, wouldn¡¯t you keep mepany for a while?¡±

    And thus, the 8th Apostle Ai stood in my way.

 Chapter 142 The Circumstances of the 8th Apostle

    Chapter 142 ¨C The Circumstances of the 8th Apostle

    In the za of Alsace Vige many soldiers were waiting with the cavalry troops at lead.

    The safe and sound Pegasus Knights Group was also included in them.

    Their mission was to pursue the demons who nned the escape and had run away from the vige. The preparations for departing were alreadypleted, but they were still on standby.

    After all,

    ¡°Please wait some time before pursuing.¡±

    Sister Silvia had stopped the Norz, who was in high spirits to pursue.

    ¡°What did you just say, Sister Silvia?¡±

    It was impossible to not hear her clear tone and words unless one was deaf.

    The reason he asked her back was to give her the chance to correct her words.

    ¡°I said to wait some time before pursuing. If you couldn¡¯t hear it then there is a possibility of your ear having problems. Shall I use Laser Heal?¡±

    It seems like because of not hearing her poisoned words for some time now, My proficiency in the ignoring skill has reduced.

    He had a feeling of praising himself for not punching her who was standing in front of him.

    ¡°You, surely aren¡¯t connected to the demons, right?¡±

    There won¡¯t be anything good in her other than her outward appearance if she is like those demons. It will need to ¡®Dispose¡¯ of this conceited adjutant, or rather I want it to happen.

    The bloodthirst in Norz eyes was the real deal.

    However, Silvia didn¡¯t show any sign of fear and continued her words with her usual cool attitude.

    ¡°Head Priest Norz, it will be in you good interests if you hear this quietly, after all, this is an order.¡±

    ¡°Order? Order you say, impossible, just who got the balls to give me some orders here, huh!¡±

    He shouted in a loud voice that his subordinates would shudder up if they heard it. Silvia takes out a single sealed letter with an expression that said she was fed up from him.

    ¡°Go ahead and read it¡±

    Norz took the sealed letter as if snatching, and was about to see inside but stopped his movements after he saw the red sealing wax on the letter.

    ¡°This is the......Holy Cross Insignia?¡±

    On the sealing wax of the Church, which was leading the Crusaders, there always was a mark of Cross imprinted in it.

    The sealing wax on the sealed letter in Norz hands, had the mark of Cross with a different design from normal ones.

    The people who could use the Holy Cross Insignia as a sealing wax were only Pope or Cardinals. In other words, there were only 4 people in this world who could use that seal.

    And, to a cross believer getting a sealed letter with Holy Cross Insignia as the sealing wax, it would be like getting a written order from heavens.

    Norz who understood all that in an instant,pletely vanished his anger and unsealed the letter with wavy hands.

    ¡°Are these the orders from His highness, Cardinal Mercedes......¡±

    Upon reading the content of the document, a streak of cold sweat poured from his face.

    ¡°I-Impossible......The 8th Apostle you say!¡±

    ¡°Have your head calmed down a bit now. It is not unusual for the armies of republic being under themand of Apostles temporarily.¡±

    The contents of the document written by Cardinal Mercedes were the words of Silvia¡¸When the timees, get under themand of 8th Apostel and quietly follow the orders.¡¹written in a roundabout manner which was the characteristic of a high-ranking clergyman.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem! Just who is the 8th Apostle. Don¡¯t tell me¡ª¨C¡±

    Norz looked at Sister with red hair standing in front him.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not me.¡±

    ¡°H-Hah, I see, don¡¯t scare me like this¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°My superior is the 8th Apostle, though¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    Norz yelled as if surprised while spitting out saliva. Silvia instantly took a step back and escaped the range of fire.

    ¡°No way. Sister Silvia you are Cardinal Mercedes¡¯s¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°That is a delusion you made on your own ord.¡°

    Silvia wasn¡¯t foolish as she knew what Norz had thought about her.

    ¡°My head is 8th Apostle Ai-sama. She is quite a wild person, that¡¯s why someone like me takes care of the ¡®misceneous matters¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ai? I seem to have heard this name somewhere......¡±

    Other than being angry at Silvia calling the work of adjutant as misceneous matter, Norz was trying hard to find the person named Ai.

    ¡°It is only a temporary social position, that she is an adventurer in the Cyprus Mercenary Group. The adventurer who came back alive alone from Irz Vige, is Ai-sama.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Aaaa!? That foolish looking brat, huh!?¡±

    ¡°Be careful of your words. Or else do you want to be condemned to be crucified due to lese majeste.¡±

    ¡°Ku......but, she doesn¡¯t has look anything like an Apostle......No, the 7th Apostle Sariel is also an exception, it¡¯s only natural for people like her, huh¡±

    He recalled the appearance of Apostles, it won¡¯t be strange for a child or woman to be an apostle too.

    And along with it, he recalled the rumours about 8th Apostle.

    ¡°I see, 8th Apostle, eh......Well, it¡¯s no wonder nobody found out her identity¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you can understand it.¡±

    Norz who had calmed down, asked a question to his adjutant, no, the direct subordinate of an Apostle.

    ¡°And so, the standby orders are given from 8th Apostle, huh?¡±

    ¡°She said she wanted to fight against ¡®Devil¡¯ and not to let anyone near because it would be a hindrance in the duel¡±

    ¡°To defeat the annoying devil, huh. It¡¯s somewhat regrettable that the good part will be taken away, but I don¡¯t have any say here if an Apostle of the Republic says so.¡±

    Apostle and Devil. It wasn¡¯t even needed to guess who was stronger.

    Norz revealed a faint smile after the death of Devil who had killed many of his soldiers, had been confirmed.

    ¡°Well, who knows......After Ai-sama returns you will get yourmander position once again, then continue the pursuit or whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°An apostle herself has gone, won¡¯t the demons be annihted?¡±

    Norz knew that the Apostles had the power to kill even the mob of demons under themand of Devil along with devil easily.

    Surely, Norz dealt heavy damages to them in the battle, but he had no confidence in winning against the apostles.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t have any interest in other demons, so maybe she will let them run.¡±

    ¡°W-What!? Then there won¡¯t be a meaning to it!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why, at that time you will pursue them and kill them. Simple as that. Right now it will be good to at leastplete the preparations to cross Reine River.¡±

    ¡°Gu......¡±

    He thought that only a fool would let the demons escape, but there was no change in their mission, it would be the very best to listen to Silvia¡¯s words and so Norz agreed to her words due to thinking rationally.

    ¡°Ah, aside from that, pleaseplete the preparations to greet Ai-sama when she returns. She has beenmenting that she wasn¡¯t getting any good thing to eat recently.¡±

    ¡°......Got it, I willplete the preparations.¡±

    Damn Selfish Apostle, she should learn something from Sariel-sama. Norz nodded while he cursed within his heart.

 Chapter 143 Handicap

    Chapter 143 Handicap

    The pirs of light that had struck the ground in a grid pattern as if to block ones advance had already disappeared.

    The carriages filled with adventurers ran away at full speed through the highway. As I saw them off as they disappeared, I finally rxed, yet at the same time I also felt a bit lonely.

    But, now¡¯s not the time to get all emotional.

    At the cost of letting those adventurers run away, I, no, we are supposed to face the 8th Apostle in a battle.

    ¡°nn mou, don¡¯t re at me like that. Look, we are just having a duel after all, let¡¯s have fun alright?¡±

    The Apostle known as Ai seems to like talking a lot unlike Sariel.

    Although she talks in a ridiculous manner, it seems she has an interest in me and Lily.

    She probably hasn¡¯t considered Fiona in her thoughts because probably she hasn¡¯t seen her full strength.

    ¡°I let them run away right? Try to believe in me a bit!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°......I see.¡±

    Is what I say, but I have no intention to believe her unconditionally.

    Her wish is to fight us. If we faced her without running away, she said that she would not attack and pursue the adventurers as well as the refugees.

    Disregarding the danger to our lives, it¡¯s a really incredible condition which would help us in finishing this emergency quest.

    But still, there¡¯s no proof that she would keep her promise. She could easily break her promise just on a whim and we don¡¯t even have the strength to go find fault with her for that.

    Yes, the moment the existence called an Apostle appeared, there was no scope for negotiations at all. If we don¡¯t y along with her whims and wishes, we would be annihted here anyway.

    ¡°Kurono! We¡¯ll be fine if we are all together!¡±

    The child Lily imed that strongly as she pulled on my robe.

    ¡°Yes, it seems the opponent only wants to have a test of strength. There¡¯s chance that we won¡¯t be killed even if we fight her.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona gave her surprisingly slightly negative opinion.

    ¡°......yeah, well we can¡¯t step away from it anyway. Might as well do as much as we can.¡±

    The ones who will face the Apostle are me, Lily and Fiona, basically the members of [Element Master].

    ording to this adventurer wannabe Apostle,

    ¡°If you¡¯re in a party then you must fight together!¡±(Ai)

    Said something like that and wished to face our party together. Of course, I had no reason to refuse her, not that I could have anyway.

    Rather than thinking that I ended up dragging Lily and Fiona with me as well, since we are in a party, our lives are already supposed to be one, I should have already resolved for this.

    That¡¯s why, I will not do something like apologising to those two.

    ¡°Say, say, Devil-san,¡±(Ai)

    A nonchnt came to us as if ignoring our tensionpletely.

    By devil, she must be talking to me.

    During the battle at Alsace, the Crusaders did call me a Devil or something so I realized that I had been apparently given such a dishonourable nickname.

    ¡°What is it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Devil-san and the Witch-san over there seem to be quite tired. Haven¡¯t you used up more than half of your magical energy?¡±

    Maybe she had a skill that could discern the amount of magical energy possessed by someone else, she spoke that with much confidence.

    A handicap/disadvantage for one¡¯s enemy is not something one should say out loud normally but I guess things like that don¡¯t hold any meaning towards Apostles.

    ¡°And, what about it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s troublesome for me, so¡ª¡°(Ai)

    She rummaged through the pouch on her waist and,

    ¡°¡ª¨Cquickly restore yourselvespletely, ¡®kay?¡±(Ai)

    Saying that, she threw a small bottle towards us which I reflexively caught with my hands.

    The 10cm big container was filled with a water like transparent liquid but some light particles were shining inside that liquid.

    It¡¯s probably some kind of a potion, I think but,

    ¡°It¡¯s an Elixir.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona gave me the answer from the side.

    ¡°Elixir? It has quite the exaggerated name but is it amazing?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s the greatest potion in existence, at least on the Arc continent.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Show it to Lily, Show it to Lily as well!¡±(lily)

    It¡¯s apparently amazing but how amazing is it exactly?

    At least it¡¯s not some kind of explosive so I gave it to Lily.

    As Lily took the shining bottle and inspected it with a serious gaze, I asked Ai.

    ¡°Do you want us to drink this?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yup.¡±(Ai)

    Ai nodded with a smile. Well I didn¡¯t think there would have been any other reason for giving us that.

    ¡°Okay.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t doubt that it¡¯s a poison or something?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°There¡¯s no meaning to do something like that. Also, weren¡¯t you the one who asked us to believe in you?¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°fufuu, I see, yup yup, I really like honest and good kids like you. Well, that Elixir is my treat to you so drink it all!¡±

    While looking at Ai, who was smiling happily, with a cool gaze, I turned to Fiona and Lily.

    ¡°Let¡¯s divide it in three.¡±(kurono)

    The order of level of magical energy exhaustion was Me>Fiona>Lily, but it wasn¡¯t like Lily wasn¡¯t tired at all. If we were going recover, we all need to do so.

    ¡°I think a single sip would have enough effect. It won¡¯t be much trouble to split this much in three parts.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Then, Lily can go fir¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°Here Kurono!¡±

    Interrupting my words, Lily handed back the potion back to me.

    ¡°n, oh right I should still first check for poison just in case.¡±

    There¡¯s no proof that this liquid was actually an Elixir. I can¡¯t have Lily drink something suspicious like that.

    Rethinking again, I came to the conclusion that this was also the job of the leader and opened the bottle and gulped the Elixir.

    ¡°¡ª¨C!? This is.........what incredible recovery power!¡±

    Even though I had barely 10% of my magical energy remaining; I could feel my ck magical energy steadily filling back like petrol being filled in the petrol tank.

    Compared to other potions and healing magics, my magical energy regenerated with an extreme speed and even my fatigue was blown away.

    My wounds, magical energy, stamina, all recovered almost instantly. It really has an incredible recovery power.

    ¡°So it¡¯s the real thing it seems.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah. Well, even if this wasn¡¯t actually an Elixir, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that its power is the real thing. Then next is¡ª-¡±

    I began to give it to Fiona who was the second most tired among us but,

    ¡°No! Next will be Lily!!¡±(lily)

    Once again, I was interrupted by Lily.

    Somehow she¡¯s being unusually wilful today. What made her suddenly attracted to this? Could it be that she¡¯s affected by the fact that this elixir had higher efficiency than her miracle drug?

    ¡°Only drink half of it, alright?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Lily took the bottle with a happy smile.

    Holding the bottle firmly with her two hands, she licked the rim with her small mouth as if tasting it and then after she was satisfied, finally gulped down the Elixir.

    ¡°¡ªpuhaa.¡±

    After drinking exactly half of it,

    ¡°My turn.¡±

    Lily, who seemed to have no interest in it any longer, gave it to Fiona

    But her face looked somewhat satisfied as if she had justpleted some hard work.

    ¡°n, this feeling, it really is an Elixir.¡±

    Fiona gave such an impression after drinking while I was unaware.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t really have a taste, but can you tell?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°The feeling on drinking it is somewhat different from normal water. It feels somewhat like Sake though it might be difficult for you to understand that since you haven¡¯t drunk this before.¡±(Fiona)

    Well, now that she said it, I did feel it gently melt away-like sensation when I put it inside my mouth.

    I did hear a same impression when my parents had drunk a high ss wine a long time ago.

    Does this Elixir have alcohol content in it as well?

    ¡°Anyway, with this, we have fully recovered. Whether we¡¯ll be able to win against an Apostle or not even then is different matter altogether though.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things.¡±(kurono)

    We can win if we fight hard with all we¡¯ve got! But it¡¯s really bitter that I can¡¯t really say that out loud.

    But, I and Lily have experience of fighting against Sariel and Fiona is originally from the Republic as well so she should be well aware of an Apostle¡¯s strength.

    None of us could easily say that ¡®We¡¯ll defeat the Apostle!¡¯ unfortunately.

    ¡°But still, we must make ns with the intent to kill her.....¡±(kurono)

    I once again turned back towards Ai.

    ¡°*yawn* ~¡±

    This bitch, yawning like that! Even though she was the one who came and attacked us, does she even have the will to fight us?

    ¡°aa~aa, say, you did drink the Elixir right? Then take a rest now. You¡¯¡¯l probably recover to your max strength in one hour.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°You¡¯ll wait that long for us? You really are a patient person.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Well it¡¯s not like the Elixir recovers someone absolutely instantly after all. I have no choice but to wait for you. Also, don¡¯t you need some time to make some ns as well, right?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°If you¡¯re really going to give us that, then I¡¯ll dly take you up on the offer.¡±(kurono)

    It seems she really want us to fight at full strength. She is being thorough enough to not let us be in any kind of disadvantage.

    ¡°Oh right, my weapon is just this bow and I won¡¯t use my armament scriptures so no need to worry over that.¡±(Ai)

    She said that as she swung her worn out long bow that seemed on the verge of breaking.

    The Armament scriptures were I think the amazing weapons made for the personal and exclusive use for the Apostles. Fiona did talk about that as well.

    This Ai as well as that Sariel, it seems Apostles really like to hold back when fighting.

    It really is extremely irritating. Even though we are fighting with our lives on the line, she just went and intervened just to y around.

    ¡°....Got it.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°nfufu, to not get angry even though I am clearly giving a handicap, you really are a honest and good kid Devil-san.¡±(Ai)

    Unfortunately, I am neither a proud warrior nor a noble knight. I¡¯m just a simple adventurer. If you¡¯re giving me an opening I can take advantage of, I¡¯ll be d to use it to the fullest.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll actually thank you for it though.

    I turned my back to Ai once again and went and sat down with my back towards one of the trees on the side of the highway.

    The two of them also sat down on the soft grass near me.

    ¡°*Yaa~wnn......¡±

    Ai sat down on the other side along with her pet or maybe her familiar ck cat.

    While sitting in thatzy posture, she closed her eyes and soon the sound of her sleeping came.

    Completely defenceless, without any caution, she¡¯spletely looking down on us but considering her ability and strength, I can¡¯t be rash and just attack her madly.

    Rather than getting irritated, I should be happy that at least she won¡¯t just rush in to attack us in a weird way out of nowhere.

    ¡°Now then, we need to think of a way to defeat that ridiculous Apostle in this one hour. Got any ideas?¡±

 Chapter 144 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle

    Chapter 144 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle

    As the sun began to set and the sky started bing redder, Ai finally woke up from her deep sleep.

    ¡°Nn?¡±

    As she opened her eyes, with the setting sun as the background, the devil, the witch and the fairy were standing and facing her.

    ¡°I expected you guys toe attacking at me without warning but, nfufu, it seems you¡¯re quite the gentleman, Devil-san.¡±

    Clearly, a lot more than just one hour had passed but she was the one who had been sleeping, and its not like she was in any hurry so there were no problems really.

    Ai was just satisfied if the opponent had finally be ready to fight her.

    And, she had expected them to surprise attack her while she was sleeping ¡®like an adventurer¡¯, but the fact that she was proven wrong made her sad as well as happy at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Devil. My name is Kurono Mao.¡±

    ¡°I see! So you¡¯re not a devil but a demon king, ahhahhahaha!¡±(T/N: in case you didn¡¯t know, Maou= Demon King in Jap)

    First a Devil, then a demon king. Kurono moved his eyebrow on Ai¡¯s loudughter and red sharply at her with his evil looking face as if to not allow any action made by her to be left unnoticed.

    ¡°While we¡¯re at it, I¡¯d be happy if the witch girl and the fairy who grew up suddenly could also name themselves.¡±(Ai)

    Kurono looked towards the two girls beside him.

    ¡°Fiona Soleil.¡±

    ¡°Lily.¡±

    The witch Fiona who gave her name quite politely and the fairy Lily who was clearly releasing an immense amount of killing intent.

    Satisfied after hearing their names, Ai nodded and jumped up from her lying posture instantly.

    ¡°I named myself earlier as well but once again, I¡¯m the 8th Apostle Ai. Ah, by the way, this is Tsumiki-chan, cute isn¡¯t it?¡±

    She showed the ck cat in her hands. Probably, the cat had no interest in the three standing in front of it as it just gave a small *nyaan*.

    ¡°Is that a familiar servant of yours?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°nn, oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fighting alone. Now then, Tsumiki-chan go and wait for your master like a good child ¡®kay? I¡¯ll show you your master¡¯s cool form!¡±

    Tsumiki who got away from her restrains ran away quickly inside the forest and disappeared.

    ¡°Nn mouu, I wanted you to cheer for me¡ª¡ª-well, whatever. Then, you guys,e at me whenever you are ready!¡±(Ai)

    And thus, Ai faced the three of them with the highway in middle of them.

    There was no signal, but, at that moment, the curtains on this fight were definitely opened.

    ¡°¡ª¨CLet¡¯s go.¡±

    The first one to move was Kurono.

    The moment he swung his baton, Ai¡¯s vision was obstructed by a ck smoke as dark as the night itself.

    Soon the whole surroundings were covered with dense ck smoke and nothing could be seen through.

    But of course, Ai didn¡¯t show any signs of faltering and without even trying to get out of that ck smoke, took a stance with her long bow.

    ¡°I guess [Lux st] should be fine enough.¡±

    As she pulled the worn out bowstring that looked like it might break any moment, light particles began gathering and soon formed into an arrow of light.

    It seems she did not require an actual arrow to attack. Even with just her bow, she can easily use magic without any problems.

    ¡°Eiyah!¡±

    The moment it was released from the bowstring, it burst to numerous beams and blocked the various ck des that were approaching from inside the ck smoke.

    White magic and ck magic shed in mid air and light and darkness scattered each other.

    ¡°Halberds? Oh, the ones used by those light golems. How shrewd ~ ¡±(Ai)

    The enemy¡¯s attack that were the ck des; Ai saw its true form just before they were smashed to pieces.

    But,pared to the halberds used by actual heavy knights, it was a weapon of a much lower grade.

    The fact that Kurono could remotely use weapons to attack after enchanting them with his ck magic was already known by Ai who was watching his battle with Cyprus from the sidelines while eating the portable food.

    Thus, she had quickly seen through the halberd attacks.

    ¡°Now then, next is¡ª-¡°

    My turn to attack, is what she thought as she pulled her bowstring again but,

    ¡°Oops!?¡±(Ai)

    She quickly jumped away from the ce she was standing.

    The very next instant, in the ce where she was standing, a pir of light fell down from the skies like aser beam and created a giant explosion.

    She guessed that probably this was the Extra Magic of that fairy known as Lily.

    (¡°It¡¯s as strong as an advanced level magic, not to mention that its activation speed is pretty fast as well. That could be dangerous.¡±)

    As she jumped away to dodge theser beam, she continued with her momentum to get out of the ck smoke as well.

    By using [Air Walker] martial art reflexively, Ai moved few meters of distance instantly but,

    ¡°¡ªKuronagi.¡±

    The moment she came out of the ck smoke, Kurono appeared while swinging his hatchet along with his martial art skill.

    ¡°Sooi!!¡±(Ai)

    She jumped and rolled forward to dodge the martial art [Kuronagi] that was approaching while tracing a ck shine.

    She felt the hatchet with the ominous aura pass just above her head.

    The moment she thought that she had avoided it, a slight pain ran through Ai¡¯s back.

    ¡°iih!?¡±

    She intuitively understood that she had been cut and soon after she also realized what had cut her.

    In Kurono¡¯s left hand was a silvery shining long sword.

    ¡°As expected of a mithril de, it was able to cut through even that aura easily.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Cyprus¡¯ de!? You really are extremely shrewd!!¡±(Ai)

    It was a sword with a simple design but it was undoubtedly Cyprus¡¯ [Mithril Sword].

    The reason he¡¯s using it just like that is probably because his affinity with white magic inside it is bad.

    No, rather than that, Ai was thinking about something else altogether.

    (¡°His movements arepletely different from the time he was fighting against Cyprus¡ª¡°)

    He had a speed that could keep up with her who was even using [Air Walker]. And the fact that he was able to attack with a speed with which he could hurt even her, both were things which could not be seen in his previous battle.

    But the moment Ai saw the witch holding her long staff, she got the answer to her question as well.

    ¡°I see, so you are under the effects of enhancement Boost!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Correct!¡±(kurono)

    The hatchet with the ominous ck aura and the long sword with the white divine aura, these 2bo of ck and white attacked Ai who had nothing but a bow in her hands.

    ¡°¡ª-!?¡±

    With a power that was already much above humans, he now also had the help of Fiona¡¯s [Force Boost]. The sword attacks of such a Kurono were as sharp, fast and heavy as a master swordsman.

    Physical attacks, magic attacks, an Apostle¡¯s unique silver aura held a resistance against both of these, but the swords swung by Kurono were cutting through it as if it really were nothing but mist.

    Realizing that her aura¡¯s defensive abilities were as good as nil now, Ai quickly began to take evasive actions under the consecutive storm like attacks with the help of her dynamic vision, body movement and intuition.

    ¡°ooo¡ª¡°

    Ai waspletely on the defensive. A single cut ran through her soft cheek and fresh blood flowed out from the wound.

    Ignoring the fact that her face, which is considered her life for a girl, had been injured, her face showed an expression of joy.

    ¡°Not bad! Much better than what I was expecteing!¡±(Ai)

    The moment she said that, Ai became aware of the slight presence that had approached her from behind.

    ¡°Even though you say that, you¡¯re still holding back right?¡±(Lily)

    As she turned back, Ai saw a beautiful girl leaping towards her.

    While dishevelling her tinum blond hair and releasing an immense killing intent from her emerald eyes, Lily was there who was stretching her delicate ss like hands towards Ai.

    (¡°Ah, this is bad.¡±)(Ai)

    As shivers ran down her spine, Ai used all her might to evade that.

    Just what level of heat did it possess; the cute little hand of the Fairy was shining with a green light.

    Concentrating on getting away from that Fairy¡¯s attack that was most probably a sure-kill attack, she had no choice but to be unable topletely dodge Kurono¡¯s attack who was attacking from the front.

    ¡°Kuah!!¡±

    As Ai sensed Lily¡¯s hand grazing her temporal region, a much stronger pain ran through her limbs.

    Ai¡¯s clean and pure looking thighs and upper arm now had a gaping red wound due to Kurono¡¯s double attacks.

    It was nowhere near a fatal wound but it certainly gave some damage. As she felt the clear pain from damage that she had not felt in a long time,

    (¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to revaluate them once again.¡±)(Ai)

    She decided to acknowledge the strength of this party as one level above of what she had originally expected.

    ¡°¡ª[Lux Kris Sagita].¡±

    The moment she drew her bow in a matter of seconds, 2 arrows of light were nocked on the bow.

    What was released was the intermediate level light attack magic. Both the arrows certainly captured both Kurono and Lily who were in different directions and approached them while changing their trajectories in mid air.

    Kurono was light weight as well as possessed a [mithril sword] that had high resistance towards light magic and Lily originally had an extremely strong light magic [Oracle Field] so they were both able to defend against the light arrows fired by Ai.

    In front of them, the two arrows shed as they were broken.

    In the time those two were blocked by that light, Ai had already moved ten meters above the highway to create a distance between them.

    ¡°Wow that really was good. It¡¯s been a really long time since I was cornered like this by just three people.¡±(Ai)

    Even while blood flowed from her wounds, Ai spoke happily without even trying to use any healing magic.

    Without really showing any surprise towards her, the three of them remained cautiously in their stances.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to get rid of another seal or I won¡¯t be able to face you guys properly¡ª-¡°

    Ai stretched her free right hand, that wasn¡¯t holding the bow, towards the hairband on her twintails.

    Her hair weren¡¯t held up by gum or strings but was tied up with a silver ring.

    It was of the same material as the silver bracelet that she had been wearing just a while back. As she touched it lightly, Ai chanted.

    ¡°¡ª-Seal Unlock.¡±

    And just like the silver bracelet the silver ring on her hair also¡ª¨Cdid not break and fall.

    ¡°......huh?¡±

    Ai made a surprised expression. This was not her usual ying around face but she was actually surprised right now.

    (¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on, why isn¡¯t it breaking off? Did it fail?¡±)

    She poked at her hairband with her finger tips but there was no response. It was as if it had be just a normal silver essory.

    But that¡¯s impossible. These items were seals meant to seal her infinite white magical energy provided by God. It was a necessary ¡®restraint¡¯ for Ai who had been acting as a normal adventurer.

    ¡°Seal unlock! Seal Unlock!!¡±

    The seal should have been removed with just those words but the hairbands were really not responding at all.

    (¡°nonono, how can it fail with such a timing¡ª¨Cno, if it was broken then the seal should have been automatically removed. But to not respond to the keywords even then...¡±)

    Ai who knew the structure of the ring quickly thought of one possible probability.

    ¡°¡ª-[Mind Jammer]!?!¡±

    And the enemy clearly had a member in their party who was able to use such a skill.

    The Fairy Lily. She had used her Mind Jammer to destroy thework between the experimental squad and had made annihting them very easy.

    (¡°But, but this and that need two different types of Jammer. To be able to pinpoint the sealing item so urately, just how¡ª-¡°)

    She thought about the source, naturally she should be able to find out the answer like that.

    But still, The enemy wasn¡¯t merciful and gentle enough to give her such time. After all, even if this was half y for Ai, for them it was battle for their lives.

    ¡°¡ª-Anchor Hand!¡±

    It was exactly the same form that he had used against Cyprus. The 4 jet ck big tentacles created by Kurono rushed towards Ai like surging waves.

    ¡°Uwaa¡ª-¡°

    In a panic, she pulled her bowstring to counter it.

    Under the effects of the seal, she could only use [Lux Sagita] that could be fired instantaneously but,

    ¡°ck Shield!¡±

    There was no way a few low level magic attacks could stop Kurono¡¯s advance who was also using defensive magic.

    ¡°Mouu, wait a sec¡ª-¡°

    If she couldn¡¯t stop then she had no choice but to run and create some distance between them.

    Ai, who was tsill under the effects of [Air walker], tried to quickly move away from there but,

    ¡°How foolish. Do you really think we¡¯d let you run away?¡±(lily)

    Lily who had appeared behind Ai out of nowhere came to stop her.

    Lily¡¯s balls of light blocked all paths of evading Kurono¡¯s attack.

    (¡°Oh crap, there¡¯s no way to run¡ª¨C¡°)(Ai)

    She thought of rushing through it but soon decided otherwise. In her current situation, the damage she would take from Lily¡¯s balls of light filled with magical energy and killing intent would be too high to bear.

    As a result, Ai pulled her bowstrings now that her escape route was blocked and had no choice but to aim towards Kurono who wasing at her with 4 tentacles growing out of him.

    The shied that had withstood countless arrows of light had already disappeared so she fired to atleast stop him somewhat if it hit his body directly but,

    ¡°He¡¯s dodging even from this range!?!¡±

    Whether he had used intuition or maybe he had simply seen through it, Kurono fell down on all four limbs like an animal to dodge as the arrows of light flew above him.

    ¡°Got you!¡±(kurono)

    The weirdly moving 4 tentacles quickly restrained Ai who had lost all ways to evade or counter back.

    ¡°Aaah!?!¡±

    The distance between both was 4m. Ai who had been caught by the 4 tentacles growing out of Kurono¡¯s shoulder and back, obviously struggled and moved around to free herself but,

    (¡°Uwaah, this tentacle, its dangerously dense enough to not be stopped by just by the magical energy of my aura!¡±)

    Ai, who was in a sealed state, had no way of getting away from those stiff and strong tentacles that had been created by Kurono with a lot of ck magical energy.

    ¡°Oracle Field ¨C Max power!!¡±

    Behind Ai, Lily¡¯s voice could be heard. And the oracle field that had been deployed was,

    ¡°Now¡ª¡°(kurono)

    Completely covered Kurono¡¯s body inside the sphere.

    She was caught and the enemy had deployed a defensive magic around him. Considering the situation, Ai could guess the conclusion of this.

    And that her answer was right was proven the moment she looked above.

    ¡°¡ª-Do it! Fiona!!¡±(kurono)

    Above Ai, a giant shining golden fireball of around 5m in diameter had appeared.

    ¡°[Golden Sun- Aur Soleil]¡±

    ¡°Eh, wait¡ª¨C¡°(Ai)

    The sun that could kill an Apostle fell from the sky.

 Chapter 145 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle (2)

    Chapter 145 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle (2)

    ¡°Now then, we need to think of a way to defeat that ridiculous Apostle in this one hour. Got any ideas?¡±

    I said that pretty much irresponsibly but,

    ¡°Yes, there is just one way.¡±

    Unexpectedly, a proposal that I thought was impossible was given.

    It was Fiona who raised her hand to give the proposal.

    ¡°Really?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s not a sure-fire method and there are a lot of prerequisites as well.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Tell us.¡±(kurono)

    Honestly speaking, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else other than fighting her head on. So if there actually was a different n, I would definitely hear it.

    I urged Fiona to continue whileying my hopes on her.

    ¡°Among the Apostles, there are items that can seal their magical power so that they can hide their identities apparently. The 8th Apostle Ai is the missing Apostle that I had told you about back then.¡±

    Oh right, she had told me something like that as well. I thought that they must have hidden themselves to do some reforms etc. but to think that it was that girl.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re pretty knowledgeable about them. Aren¡¯t such things supposed to be secrets?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°The 8th Apostle is famous to move around incognito all over the Republic. But due to that, there is no info regarding her abilities or powers at all.¡±(Fiona)

    I see, so she¡¯s quite popr unexpectedly.

    ¡°Since she¡¯s a person who has been hiding themselves, there is arge possibility that they would be using a magical energy sealing item, is it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Exactly. And if she is using magic items that seal magical energy, then we should be able to interfere with it and stop her from unsealing her powers.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I see, the three of us together could defeat a weakened Apostle but¡ª-¡°

    The problem was whether Ai was actually using such an item or not.

    I fought Sariel twice but I never confirmed the presence of such an item.

    And even if Ai did have one, then the problem would be exactly how are we supposed to interfere with it.

    At least, it¡¯s impossible for me who can only use ck magic and is absolutely illiterate regarding how magic actually works in this different world.

    ¡°Say Fiona.¡±(lily)

    As I was thinking about it, Lily spoke beside me.

    She had returned back to her child form but I guess she kept her adult consciousness considering the way she is talking.

    ¡°Are there a lot of types of such sealing magic items in the republic?¡±(lily)

    ¡°No, there are not much variations of such items that can continuously seal a person¡¯s magical energy. They are extremely costly as well and not to mention the church has restricted them so they are kind of a taboo item.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I see. Then the sealing item on that Apostle is¡ª¡°

    As Lily activated her Dimension magic as a small magic circle of light appeared, a white ring that I recognised appeared.

    ¡°¡ª¨CThen there¡¯s a high chance it is simr to this one, right?¡±(lily)

    ¡°Wha, that¡¯s!¡±(kurono)

    As Lily slightly traced her small fingertips around the ring, 7 needles jumped out with a shrill sound.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an [Angel Ring] attached to those experimental subjects.¡±(lily)

    As she traced her fingers around the ring again, the needles went back inside the ring.

    ¡°......¡±

    Honestly speaking, this item which has a ridiculous name like [Angel Ring] has already be a annoying symbol of restraint and confinement for me.

    I feel bad just by seeing it.

    But, there must be some meaning behind the fact that Lily has it right now.

    ¡°If it has the same structure as this ring, you think you can easily interfere with it?¡±(kurono)

    It seems the [Angel Ring] also has a magic sealing feature in it.

    When I had this thing on me, no, it was probably just not used on me. Although I myself have no experience of having my magic sealed, it was definitely used by Cyprus to bring those experimental bodies along with him here.

    ¡°Exactly, although I¡¯ll need to use apletely different type of [Mind Jammer] than the one I used against those experiments, but I think I can do it.¡±(Lily)

    ¡°Well if it¡¯s Lily-san, I think she can do it.¡±(Fiona)

    So it seems using the sealing strategy is actually possible.

    ¡°But the main problem is still whether she actually has such a sealing object or not. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯d hold back while fighting against us but that doesn¡¯t really require a sealing item to do so.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Also, if we are going to interfere directly with the sealing item, we need to where exactly it is located as well.¡±(Fiona)

    Just as Fiona said, to obstruct the experiments, it was fine by just using [Mind Jammer] in the surrounding space but in this case, there was a need to pinpoint the sealing item before using the jammer.

    The former worked like an EMP in our original world which obstructed radio and other electrical devices. Thetter was more like hacking a PC through the inte.

    ¡°Either case is not a problem. I¡¯ll find that out with my Telepathy.¡±(lily)

    ¡°You can do that? An Apostle might be able to defend against telepathy you know?¡±(kurono)

    I¡¯m not really sure how telepathy works exactly since I can¡¯t use it myself.

    But still, I know that telepathy isn¡¯t omnipotent. Magics like [Mind Protect], or attacking back with [Counter] or [Reflect] also exist to face against it.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Sariel¡¯s mind was rigid and ¡®frozen¡¯ enough that there was no gap to peek through but this one¡¯s quitex. I¡¯ll be able to read the outer thoughts without any problems.¡±(lily)

    It seems there would be no problem then. Or rather, Lily actually used telepathy on Sariel as well?

    Maybe I should ask more about thister in detail.......

    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go with this strategy. I¡¯ll ask just in case but do we have any way of dealing with her in case a sealing item did not exist at all?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°In such a case, let¡¯s just work hard and give it our all together.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Lily¡¯ll work hard as well!¡±(lily)

    ¡°Got it. In case it doesn¡¯t work, let¡¯s just go with a full on frontal attack. Also Lily, you won¡¯t fool even if you act like your child form.¡±(kurono)

    Lily averted her gaze as she blushed slightly. Ah, she¡¯s really cute.

    No, this isn¡¯t the time to be admiring Lily. I must think about the current strategy right now.

    ¡°Even in a sealed state, our opponent is still an Apostle. It¡¯ll be normal for her to have magical energy better than a first ss magician and she can probably use the same level of magics as well. Even if our n goes well, it won¡¯t be easy enough that we¡¯ll get out of this unscathed.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. In case the fight was dragged on too much, she might find a way to release her seal as well. If possible, as fast as possible.....let¡¯s aim for the timing when she¡¯d be panicking after finding that she can¡¯t remove her seal¡ª-¡°(kurono)

    .

    .

    .

    And, our strategy worked just as nned.

    As expected, Ai fought while holding back against us at first. And as for finding out whether she had a sealing item or not,

    ¡°Even though you say that, you¡¯re still holding back right?¡±(Lily)

    Lily had only grazed against her head but her hand had definitely touched it. And at that moment she became sure of it.

    (¡°I found it. There are two sealing items. The silver hairbands.¡±)

    When Lily had asked her whether she had been holding back against us, Ai had thought of those sealing items for just a moment.

    It was clearly at a level which could be read by Lily.

    With this, ¡°Ai is using a sealing item.¡± The first condition had been cleared.

    (¡°¡ª-It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s the same structure as the ring. I can use jammer on it!¡±)

    And that cleared the second condition.

    Aftering this far, we only needed to move as nned.

    Stopping Ai was my job. And delivering the final blow was Fiona¡¯s job.

    To use the [Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil], Fiona didn¡¯t take part in attacking actively and simply supported with enhancement magics.

    Though, even her enhancements were showing incredible effects. I was extremely surprised when my de actually hit an Apostle.

    And as a result, Ai decided to release another level of her seals to fight against us.

    And with this,

    ¡°......Eh? Seal unlock! Seal Unlock!!¡±

    As I expected, a clear fatal opening was created.

    ¡°¡ª-[Mind Jammer]!?!¡±

    It seems she had already found out the reason behind it, but it¡¯s already toote.

    ¡°How foolish. Do you really think we¡¯d let you run away?¡±(lily)

    ¡°Got you!¡±(kurono)

    And, finally I restrained Ai with my [Anchor Hand].

    ¡°Now! Do it, Fiona!!¡±(kurono)

    Now, this checkmate 8th Apostle!

    Just as my body was covered by the Oracle field used by Lily, from the sky, I saw a giant fireball approaching.

    ¡°Eh, wait¡ª¨C¡°(Ai)

    Ai opened her eyes wide with surprise but she still struggled to get out her restraints.

    But, in her sealed state she wasn¡¯t able to bring out enough power to get out of my tentacles¡¯ grasp. She could only squirm and struggle around like a powerless girl as my tentacles refused to even budge.

    That¡¯s good, just like that, in the next 5 seconds, [Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil] will impact and turn everything to ashes.

    Of course, I won¡¯t get out of this unhurt either. I¡¯m actually scared whether I¡¯d actually even survive that but I really don¡¯t want to go down along with her.

    While knowing that my [Anchor Hand]¡¯s binding ability will fall, I turned it into thinner wires and at the same time began to retreat away from Ai at max speed where the fireball was going tond.

    The remaining time is around 3 seconds. I want to get atleast 50m away from the centre of the explosion. As expected, I wouldn¡¯t have a chance of surviving if I was only 4m away from her.

    I ran and ran, without turning back, as fast as I could. I don¡¯t know how much distance was I able to create but I didn¡¯t stop my legs wanting to take as many steps away from that as possible.

    ¡°¡ª-!?!¡±

    And, finally the golden shining second sun reached the earth, and exploded.

    A blinding sh spread all over and even though I closed my eyes instantly, I could still feel the incredible sh even with my eyelids closed.

    That wasn¡¯t all. As if that light was trying to burn my body whole, an extreme heat enveloped my body.

    ¡°Hot¡ª-!!¡±

    Probably due to the impact and shockwaves, I was being blown away in the air. I felt the sky and the ground, and all directions rotating around and reversing around me.

    Thanks to the full power Oracle Field used by Lily, I didn¡¯t feel the impact of crashing back on the earth.¡ª-but that was only what happened just a second ago.

    I had been able to block the strongest impact and damage but the Oracle Field had already disappeared from it.

    ¡°GuuaaaaahhhhH!!!

    Heat and shockwaves ran through my whole body but they weren¡¯t fatal. I still had ways to defend myself.

    Since it was decided that I¡¯d be facing the [Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil] at a close range, Fiona had give me a rare magic item for defensive use called [Protection of the Blue me ¨C Nanast Amulet].

    It¡¯s effect was to greatly reduce damage caused by mes. Fiona was able to use her [Aur Soleil] even at close range to barely survive.

    But still, since I wasn¡¯t even 50m away from the centre of explosion, it could barely protect my body from the immense heat passing through, no a normal person would not have been able to tolerate this level of heat.

    ¡°Aaaaah¡ª¨C¡°

    The [Nanast Amulet] inside my chest pocket was releasing a deep blue light and was showing an incredible about of defensive ability.

    But, this is bad, too dangerous, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to bare this any longer.

    Even my robe [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace], that had protected me till now, caught fire.

    It had already be damaged after my fight with Cyprus but due to the waves released by the [Aur Soleil], its ,magic has finally run out of strength.

    While protecting my body till the very end from the heat, the robe began to lose colour from the cuff and started turning to ashes.

    If the robe also disappeared, even if my body had been greatly enhanced by countless experiments, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to withstand this sweltering heat.

    Basically, the moment my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] began to turn to ashes, my death was also being confirmed.

    Shit! Please hold out, just a few more seconds, withstand it!! While bearing through the immense heat attacking my whole body I strongly prayed.

    And finally, the Demon¡¯s Embrace left me¡ª¡ª-

 Chapter 146 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle (3)

    Chapter 146 Element Master Vs The 8th Apostle (3)

    I¡¯m alive.

    I didn¡¯t get any fatal wounds nor did any of my limbs get blown off. No physical defects either. I can move my body somewhat.

    ¡°Guh, uu......¡±

    Inside the dense cloud of ck smoke, I stood back up by putting power in my creaking body.

    Since the dust had yet to settle, my vision is still blocked but I can ascertain atleast my own looks.

    Fuck. My [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] haspletely disappeared.

    Right now I only have a ck shirt with no enchantments whatsoever and my leather trousers. My outfit is no different from a normal viger right now.

    In this one attack, my ck robe took more damage that it could handle and turned to ashes.

    ¡°Thanks, for being with me till now.¡±

    After founding it in that treasure box at Lily¡¯s hut, it was my partner that had been with me for the past 3 months so I decided to send it off with a word of gratitude.

    Fulfilling its job as my defence till the veryst moment, if I did not have my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace], I would have died there.

    ¡°So.....how did it go?¡±

    Although slightly burned, I stood back up to my feet and looked forward.

    The cloud of dust began to disperse with the blowing winds and my visibility became clearer.

    I had been blown away quite a lot of distance due to the explosion¡¯s shock waves. Now then, what happened to the 8th Apostle Ai who was at the centre of that explosion¡ª¡ª

    ¡°......What the hell is that?¡±

    As the ck smoke finally settled, I could see the 100m crater that was a proof of the immense explosive force of that magic.

    I was also inside it and there was nothing to block me from seeing directly towards the centre of that crater.

    And, I definitely saw a lump of something ck there.

    ¡°Is that a monster?¡±

    As I went a little closer, that ck lump, no, that ck object that was burntpletely was apparently something like that of a lion.

    Since it was in a crouching like position, I couldn¡¯t make out its actual size but it seems bigger than atleast 10m in size.

    What the hell is that thing? What happened to Ai? Is that monster Ai herself?

    As I considered various possibilities, I took out my [HaraRetsu] just in case and took a stance.

    ¡°Kurono! Are you alright!!?¡±(lily)

    And from the outer side of the crater, Lily¡¯s shouting voice came towards me.

    Since I can¡¯t hear Fiona, she must have already copsed due to over use of magical energy.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine and still alive!¡±(kurono)

    Lily, who was still in her girl form, appeared. She seemed somewhat sooty, probably because she used her Oracle Field to protect me and was unable to defend herself.

    As Lily ran towards me, at that moment, I saw the mouth of that ck monster slightly move.

    ¡°It¡¯s still alive!?!¡±

    It was exactly meant as a normal question but,

    ¡°¡ª-yeah, that was really dangerous.¡±

    I actually got an answer.

    ¡°If Tsumiki-chan hadn¡¯t covered me, I would have really died.¡±

    The mouth of the fallen monster suddenly opened up.

    From behind those ferocious looking fangs, a single girl appeared.

    ¡°I was really surprised. This is the first time someone actually jammed my sealing item.¡±

    With an amused smile, as if nothing major had happened, the 8th Apostle once again stood in front of me.

    There were no wounds on her body from the mes. She was pretty much the same when we started.

    The only change was that her twintails had now fallen to a normal straight hairstyle.

    That means, her seals had beenpletely removed.

    ¡°Kuh, are you kidding........¡±

    The distance between us was around 10m, yet her dense magical energy¡¯s presence was stabbing into my body.

    All of her seals now removed, her silver aura was now much thicker and I could even feel some sort of invisible, indescribable pressure as well.

    This bad. The fact that we weren¡¯t able to take her down with [Golden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil] was already bad but now that we¡¯ve made an Apostle go fully serious, it has be even worse.

    ¡°Run Kurono!¡±

    Just as Lily¡¯s voice resounded, numerous balls of light passed by me and flew towards Ai.

    I can¡¯t just wait and watch here dumbfounded. For the time being, I began to retreat backwards to take as much distance I could from her.

    But the moment I took the first step, Ai took a stance with her worn out bow with a speed that could not be seen by human eyes.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you run away. I¡¯ll end it with this single shot¡ª-¡°

    The balls of light used by Lily approached Ai with high speed. In just the next second, they¡¯ll reach and explode.

    But in that instant, Ai fired the arrow that had been formed who knows when.

    ¡°¡ª[Lux Sagitta] enchant [Ether].¡±

    The arrow fired was the same as the ones she had fired before, or so I thought but, the light around the arrow became blurred, no, it was as if the space around the arrow itself was getting distorted, and I couldn¡¯t see it properly.

    The [Lux Sagitta] fired with a weird effect was fired, and at the same time her wooden bow also broke.

    It was unable to bear the force of the arrow being fired, probably it was actually as worn out as it looked.

    As I thought that, finally, the balls of light fired by Lily hit.

    While raising huge shes and clouds of dust, I confirmed Ai standing in the same pose in which she had fired the arrow.

    Considering the strength of an Apostle, I doubt she had taken much damage but right now, rather than that, I¡¯m more worried about that arrow she had fired.

    ¡°Kuh, her aim is Lily!?¡±

    The [Lux Sagitta] went around me and flew towards Lily who was behind me.

    The arrow is blurry and I can¡¯t really see it properly but its speed itself isn¡¯t very high. I can clearly track it with my eyes.

    ¡°Such a slow attack¡ª-¡°(lily)

    Lily fired several balls of light to intercept the arrow fired towards her.

    A single arrow in itself was a very small target but Lily¡¯s attacks that possessed high tracking ability could definitely hit an object that flying directly straight towards her.

    As balls of light hit the approaching object one by one, small shes and explosions were created.

    But,

    ¡°¡ª-No way! Even though it¡¯s just a low level magic!!¡±(lily)

    [Lux Sagitta] which was supposed to be just a low level attack magic was continuing on its path without any deviation even in the face of Lily¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°Dodge it Lily! That attack is dangerous!!¡±(Kurono)

    Ai hadn¡¯t fired a normal [Lux Sagitta], I certainly heard her enchant it with ¡®something¡¯ called [Ether].

    ¡°!?!¡±

    The moment Lily began to take evasive manoeuvres, as if realizing that, the light arrow began elerating.

    Furthermore, it even made a sharp turn to correct its trajectory towards the direction where Lily flew.

    ¡°It has Auto tracking ability as well!?¡±

    This speed, manoeuvring ability; evading was impossible.

    The only method left to Lily was,

    ¡°Oracle Field Max Power!!¡±

    To defend.

    *ZUDODODODOO!!*

    ¡°Lily!!?¡±

    An explosion that was impossible for a normal [Lux Sagitta] urred.

    With a bright sh and waves of destruction, I saw Lily¡¯s small body being blown away.

    No way, could it be that Lily was¡ª¨Cno, calm down. She had all her limbs, and she didn¡¯t seem to bleeding too much either.

    Her [Oracle Field] might have been broken but the Ancient Velvet dress around her body should have protected her.

    Lily, who had been blown away, crashed on the ground and finally stopped.

    There were no responses from her, it could be that she had fainted from the shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to be worrying about your Fairy-chan you know? My attack hasn¡¯t ended yet.¡±

    I soon realized the meaning behind Ai¡¯s words as I looked above for a second.

    ¡°Wha¡ª-¡°

    There, the [Lux Sagitta] that had attacked Lily was nowing towards me while in its same blurred form.

    So it didn¡¯t end with the explosion that took out Lily. It seems she really intends to end this in a ¡®single attack¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, Magic Bullet Arts!!¡±

    Holding the baton in my left hand, I fired a storm of magic bullets to intercept that light arrow.

    But, as expected there was no effect, and no matter how many bullets hit it, the arrow kept on flying towards me like a missile that had locked-on to its target.

    While retreating with max speed, I kept on firing the magic bullets but the distance kept on getting smaller.

    It was impossible to evade but can I even get out of this attack alive? It had broken through even Lily¡¯s [Oracle Field] easily, my defensive magic was¡ª¨Cno, don¡¯t give up yet, I have no choice but to do it!!

    ¡°Oooooooo, ck Shield!!¡±

    Holding the baton in front, I deployed my shield with maximum solidity.

    I waited for the impact of the approaching [Lux Sagitta] while bracing my legs and standing firm there.

    *GIYARIRIRI¡ª¨C*

    Raising a shrilling, uncanny sound, the point of the arrow was being stopped by my ck shield.

    There was an impact but it didn¡¯t explode and like a drill trying to punch open a hole in a wall, the arrow continued to dig into the ck shield.

    Soon, the arrow broke through the shield as if it was obvious and continued on its path.

    The moment my baton [ck Ballista Replica], which was still held in my hand that I had raised in front, came into contact with the ¡®distortion¡¯ of the arrow, it was instantly pulverised and smashed to pieces till the grip portion.

    I felt as if I saw each and every splinter of my broken baton fly off in slow motion.

    The arrow approached, I had no way of blocking it. What was next was my face, to be exact, it approached towards my eye that gave me my vision to see things.

    ¡°Kuhh!!¡±

    Whether it was a reflex or was it done consciously, in that small moment, my right hand moved.

    In front of me and the arrow, a ck wall, no, the ck de of [HaraRetsu] was put in between and it acted as my veryst defence.

    *GIYARIRI¡ª-*

    The same sound I had heard just a second ago. The arrow kept on pushing on, even when blocked by the de of the cursed weapon as if not allowing anything to block its path.

    It started shaving off, first the coating of ck magical energy on the de. It didn¡¯t evenst 0.2 seconds.

    It continued, next was the de that held the curse.

    [HaraRestu] was a cursed weapon, that means it was also a magic weapon. The de¡¯s hardness that possessed magical energy was so high that it was iparable to normal steel.

    But, even so, it,

    *BAGINN!!*

    Was unable to stop this arrow!

    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡°

    The ck de that possessed the curse of both love and hate was pierced through by the arrow of light.

    This time, finally, there was nothing left to me save me any longer.

    It couldn¡¯t be stopped. There was simply no way of stopping it.

    That¡¯s why, I could only watch, with this left eye of mine, as the arrow approached it and pierced through it.

    *DOZUU*

    ¡°GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!¡±

    The light plunged into my left eye.

    Itpletely pierced through my eyeball. It hurts, I feel intense pain, but¡ª¨Cit¡¯s not something I can¡¯t tolerate! I haven¡¯t died yet!!

    ¡°Ah, Aaaa.....¡±

    The arrow pierced straight into my left eye and stopped there.

    Since I can still sense things, it probably didn¡¯t reach and pierce through my brain it seems.

    But obviously, I have lost half of my vision.

    With my right eye that was still functioning, I saw the arrow of light stabbing into my left eye.

    I threw away the remains of the [ck ballista Replica] in my hand and grabbed the arrow.

    The enchant that distorted the space around it had already disappeared. Also, even through its made of light, I can definitely grab it like a normal object and there was no heat either.

    Rather than [Lux Sagitta] it was more closer to those [Stakes ¨C Sagitta] used by Sariel.

    ¡°Uu Ooooooohh!!¡±

    Shaking off the slight hesitation in me, I pulled out the arrow.

    Inside my left eye, there was a sensation of something grinding and being torn and a sensation of my eye socket bing slightly expanding instantly. Neither of them were things I wanted to feel ever again.

    ¡°Guuoo.....oo.....¡±

    I pulled out the light arrow along with the eyeball that it had pierced into.

    ¡°Haa.....haa......¡±

    I didn¡¯t really feel like seeing my own eyeball stuck on the arrow so I quickly threw it away.

    I unconsciously filled the eye socket that had be empty with my jelly-like ck magical energy [Flesh Compensation]and pressed it together to make itpensate for the missing eyeball.

    That¡¯s just simple flesh though, it was only meant to close the wound. Just like putting a ss ball inside there, it won¡¯t give me my sight back.

    ¡°Haa......¡±

    But what I need to think about right now is not my lost left eye but the enemy that¡¯s still standing in front of me, Ai.

    With just my right eye, I red at Ai who hade right in front of me who knows when.

    ¡°Sorry, I became a bit too serious there.¡±(Ai)

    Sticking out her small tongue slightly, Ai gave a somewhat embarrassed expression, like a child whose prank had been found out by someone.

    At this distance, my [Hararetsu] should reach her which hasn¡¯t broken yet though it does have a hole from the arrow.

    But, I can¡¯t move. My right hand that was holding the hatchet didn¡¯t move at all.

    I haven¡¯t gone mad. Even at such a distance, there is no timing, no opening to attack at all.

    Shit! Move! I don¡¯t mind even if I take her down with me. I¡¯ll attack!

    Lily has fainted, Fiona is out of magical energy. I am the only one who can still fight!

    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me like that. This battle was Devil-san, no Kurono-kun and the other¡¯s victory.¡±(ai)

    ¡°What are you nning?.......¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all. My bow broke after all.¡±

    Putting both of her hands in the front she fluttered her palms. Her actions were reallyical like a child.

    ¡°I never said that we¡¯ll continue this battle till either one of us died. Kurono-kun and the others don¡¯t want to die for no reason either right? Or rather, I was saved by Tsumiki-chan as well so I technically lost for breaking the rules as well, or something like that?¡±

    I could only blink my eyes and breathe right now.

    I was unable to even agree or even nod to her words.

    ¡°fufufu, I really thought I¡¯d die in today¡¯s battle. Tsumiki-chan also died. It was quite Hard Mode battle but I had fun.¡±(ai)

    As if thanking me, Ai pped my shoulder.

    I reflexively shook her hand off.

    ¡°Nn mouu, don¡¯t be so angry! But I¡¯ll forgive you, you three worked really hard after all, that¡¯s why¡ª-¡°(ai)

    That moment, a silver aura gushed out of Ai mixed with extreme killing intent.

    ¡°¡ª-Don¡¯t you darey a hand on them Misa.¡±(ai)

    That killing intent was not towards me, but towards someone else, right, I realized it now that someone else was standing right behind me.

    ¡°It looked like you were having a tough battle so I came to help you, you know?¡±

    ¡°Wh, who is it?.......¡±(kurono)

    As I turned to look back, a woman I had never seen was standing there.

    ¡°11th Apostle Misa, the great me shall kill you so be grateful alright!?¡±

    Another new Apostle was standing there.

 Chapter 147 Pitiful Winners

    Chapter 147 Pitiful Winners

    (PoV is 3rd person)

    The girl with wavy light pink hair,

    ¡°11th Apostle Misa, the great me shall kill you so be grateful alright!?¡±

    Said that to Kurono with a face brimming with confidence.

    ¡°The 11th Apostle, you say..........¡±

    An already impossible situation had urred when an Apostle had arrived but now another one of those Apostles hade here. He couldn¡¯t keep up with the situation.

    But, without minding such a Kurono, the 2 Apostles began to talk.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you not toy a hand on them, didn¡¯t I? Just go back obediently Misa.¡±(ai)

    ¡°Haa? Are you serious? Why do I have to let some demons get away alive? As an Apostle, if you see them you¡¯re supposed to deal with them at that very instant right?¡±(misa)

    ¡°My God didn¡¯t say anything like that to me.¡±

    Killing intent and magical energy flew from both sides suddenly.

    It was an explosive situation. Kurono who knew he had no way of facing a fully serious Apostle could simply shut his mouth and stand their while holding his breath.

    ¡°Well fine. I¡¯ll give you face since you¡¯re my senpai here.¡±(misa)

    After a few seconds of time, Misa pulled back and the situation calmed down.

    ¡°So, why is Misa here?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°nfufu, there were people who wanted to borrow my power you see. Not Sariel but me. They pleaded me to help me no matter what!¡±(misa)

    Fun, Misa puffed her chest with pride. Her chest was much bigger in volume than Sariel¡¯s and were pretty good.

    ¡°Even pigs can tter¡ª¨Cno, so, what¡¯s that request? Did you finish it already?¡±(ai)

    ¡°Well it was supposed to be finished after I killed that uncivilised looking guy and those two girls lying around here and there but since Ai senpai said to not do so no matter what, I¡¯ll stop here.¡±(misa)

    ¡°fun, so your job was¡ª-¡°(ai)

    ¡°Yup, to annihte all demons who were crossing this road!¡±(misa)

    As Ai gave a pretty weak reaction since she expected that, Kurono froze the moment he heard that.

    (¡°She, just what did she say just now? Annihte? The demons who were crossing through this road?.....That means.......¡±)

    ¡°Say, that man over there seems to be ring at me right now¡ª-¡°(misa)

    In Kurono¡¯s line of sight, Misa¡¯s figure had already disappeared, no, he only felt that it had disappeared.

    It was not something like teleportation, she had simply moved too fast. It was just a simple movement.

    And, Misa who had moved way beyond Kurono¡¯s perception,

    ¡°Gohaah!?!¡±

    Smashed her hard heel into his abdomen.

    As MIsa¡¯s kick smashed deep into him, Kurono¡¯s body flew in the air.

    ¡°He¡¯s irritating me, should I kill him after all?¡±(misa)

    He finally fell face fist to the ground.

    Since he was lying face down he could only see the ground but he knew that currently a de was being pushed against his neck.

    ¡°I just said that¡¯s not allowed. Now c¡¯mon, quickly put away your armament scriptures already.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Tche, killjoy!¡±

    The sensation of the de disappeared from his neck.

    In its ce, Misa¡¯s heel pushed stabbed into Kurono¡¯s back.

    Although he was simply being casually trampled upon, the attack from an Apostle¡¯s power and a mithril heel was simr to having a hammer being smashed into him.

    ¡°Gah.......ha..........¡±

    Holding on to his consciousness that felt like it¡¯d fly away beyond the horizons, Kurono held onto his awareness.

    ¡°Or rather, won¡¯t it be bad if you move around so freely here? Pandora is under Sariel-chan¡¯s control. They won¡¯t allow the intervention of another Apostle right?(Ai)

    ¡°You really are talking as this doesn¡¯t concern you at all.¡±(misa)

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. That geezer Pope, that Hero wannabe second Apostle as well as God willpletely forgive me ¡®kay?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°I am definitely not convinced with that!!¡±(misa)

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll hear yourins if I feel like itter so let¡¯s return for now.¡±(Ai)

    Misa didn¡¯t try to hide her dissatisfied expression but sheplied with Ai¡¯s words.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. If I am not allowed to kill these ones, then there¡¯s no reason to stay here any longer.¡±(misa)

    As Misa snapped her fingers, a white magic circle appeared in an instant with just that.

    Kurono who was still lying down couldn¡¯t see that but Ai knew what effect that magic circle possessed in a single nce.

    ¡°A Griffon familiar servant!¡±(Ai)

    As Ai¡¯s sparkled, in front of her a monster with the upper body of an Eagle and lower body of a lion was summoned.

    Its size was obviously much bigger than both normal eagles or lions.

    The 10mrge Griffon certainly gave off a monster like ferocity but its pure white feathers and fur also gave it a sublime divine-like presence as well.

    It was truly befitting for a mount of an Apostle that had been granted the Divine Protection of their God.

    ¡°So nice! I¡¯ll also make my next Tsumiki-chan a Griffon rather than a Chimaera. Oof!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Right, it¡¯s nice right, my Griffon¡ª¨Cwait, don¡¯t climb on it on your own!?(misa)

    Disregarding the summoner Misa, she tried to hold down Ai who was trying to climb on top of it.

    ¡°eeeh, it¡¯s fine if you let me ride it, or rather let me ride it! It¡¯s fine even if its just till Alsace vige.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Where the heck is this Alsace Vige.......fine, Ai-senpai will sit behind me! Come on, let go of the reins already!¡±(misa)

    The two girls squabbled over the luxurious stirrup of the Griffon, they really seemed to be having fun but,

    (¡°What the fuck, is this.......Don¡¯t fucking mess with me.........¡±)

    It had already be a disgusting memory for him.

    ¡°Wa, wait.....8th Apostle Ai.¡±

    Putting his strength, Kurono raised his body.

    He shouted towards Ai who seemed like she¡¯d fly away any moment in this evening sky.

    ¡°What happened to the others! Weren¡¯t you going to let them run away!!¡±

    Ai showed a quite surprised expression towards Kurono who had stood up once again but she quickly answered with an impish smile.

    ¡°ahahaha, sorry, it seems, they ended up dying. Moth those refugee demons as well as those adventurers, right?¡±(ai)

    As Ai struck Misa¡¯s shoulder, she opened her mouth in an irritated fashion.

    ¡°Ah, un, one week ago some viger like demons hade in hordes so I did exterminate them all. Also, those ones who were going by those carriages were quite tenacious. I really got irritated, seriously.¡±(misa)

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is so too bad even though you fought so hard. Work harder next time as well!¡±(Ai)

    It was a cruel truth pushed upon Kurono.

    He couldn¡¯t reject it as a joke. After all, he knew the strength of the Apostles.

    The 6 days he had bought after trying and fighting so hard against the Crusaders; even though the refugees were already dead when they were fighting¡ª¨C

    ¡°.......wha.¡±

    And, even the adventurers he had fought with, while he had been going along with this ridiculous game of this Apostle was killed by another ridiculous Apostle.

    ¡°No, way.......¡±

    Power left Kurono¡¯s body.

    The cursed hatchet that he gripped so tightly had already fallen to the ground.

    ¡°If we were to meet again, I¡¯ll face you again. I won¡¯t lose next time though! Now then Kurono-kun Bye bye!¡±(ai)

    Till the very end, leaving behind nonchnt words, the 2 Apostles finally left.

    The giant white Griffon disappeared into the evening red sky.

    The only one left was the pitiably victor of the battle against the 8th Apostle Ai.

    ¡°No way......it¡¯s a lie, right?¡±

 Chapter 148 Alsace Village Occupied

    Chapter 148 Alsace Vige upied

    At the Alsace Vige HQ, in one of the rooms of the building that was once the Vige Head¡¯s house, the 2 Apostles, Norz, and the direct subordinate of the 8th Apostle, Sister Sylvia were currently gathered.

    In front of the 2 heavenly Apostles , Norz was bowing his head but his expression was rotten as if he had just swallowed an insect.

    ¡°.......Thank you very much for your help in the annihtion of the demons, 11th Apostle Lord Misa.¡±(norz)

    But only the words of gratitude were allowed to leave his mouth.

    Even if they

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m going back already!¡±(misa)

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine! They prepared even meals for us specially. Come and eat with us ~¡±(Ai)

    Were chattering among themselves and not listening to anything Norz was saying.

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m not going to eat something prepared by this shabby upation army in this remote region.¡±(misa)

    ¡°Eh, bread and soup is really delicious though? Much better than portable food provisions!¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Your eating habits are too poor for an Apostle! We are special existences chosen by God, that¡¯s why we need to live more specially than normal people!¡±(misa)

    ¡°You¡¯re talking like a noble.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°We ARE nobles! The title of ¡®Lord¡¯ isn¡¯t just for show!!¡±(misa)

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really get a court rank¡ª¡°(Ai)

    As their talks continued endlessly, Norz was left to wait in stiffened state.

    He nced towards Sylvia who was also waiting beside him, to check her appearance but,

    ¡°......¡±

    With a gentle smile, she was listening attentively to the conversation between her master and Misa.

    It seems Sylvia had no intention to stop their useless conversation either.

    As a result, after almost 30mins had passed, their chatting finally ended as Misa left after refusing Ai¡¯s invitation to join her for the meal.

    ¡°¡ªthen, you mean to say that you intentionally let that ¡®Devil¡¯ run away alive?¡±(norz)

    Finally, Norz was able to know the details of the situation.

    ¡°Yup, also the fairy Lily-chan and the witch Fiona-chan as well.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°I..see......¡±(Norz)

    After the fateful incident at Irz, and finally, the Devil Kurono who had made victim of a lot of soldiers of their whole squad was left alive, was a fact to which Norz simply could not readily agree to but he simply could not yell at an Apostle.

    Norz who had served in the army for a very long time, was perfectly aware not to be foolish enough to reject their superior¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°nfufu, sorry Sylvia ¨Cchan, for leaving you alone for such a long time.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine Master, as long as you return like this......¡±(Sylvia)

    Even though Misa had finally left, now Ai and Sylvia had started flirting around with each other but even then, Norz had no authority toin.

    Why two women were......it was stupid to even think about it. Looking at Ai who was ying around with Sylvia with a manner of hands that would put even the most perverted of geezers to shame, he realized that she swung that way from the very start.

    ¡°I humble apologise but can you please let me confirm some more of the details?¡±(norz)

    Choosing the timing, just when those two ended their passionate actual lover-like kiss, he asked again.

    ¡°Nn? There was still something left?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°It was Bishop Gregorius that deployed 11th Apostle Misa, is that correct?¡±(norz)

    ¡°Yup, since she said ¡®grego-somethin¡¯, there¡¯s only old man Gregorius among those in Pandora that matches that description.¡±(ai)

    Ai answered while groping Sylvia¡¯s bountiful chest. Ignoring that action altogether, Norz confirmed his thoughts in his mind.

    ¡°I see, so by reinforcements, Bishop Gregorius meant an Apostle.....¡±(norz)

    As he muttered that,

    ¡°Nn, is that it, is that the ce!¡±(ai)

    ¡°Ah, please stop Master, anymore than this is.......¡±(Sylvia)

    He realized that he could not get any more info from Ai whose dumbness was at max power.

    There were famous rumours in the streets of the Republic that the 8th Apostle went around wandering all over the ce while defeating monsters and punishing corrupt merchants and government officials here and there. Of course, Norz was also aware of that.

    Even though she was never in Elysion, the fact that she knows about every high ranking clergyman dispatched to Pandora means that many other subordinates like Sylvia have been dispatched at every ce.

    Subordinates like Sylvia who wore a nun¡¯s habit over their voluptuous bodies.

    Seriously, it was outrageous.

    ¡°Well, Misa was the one who did it, most of the demons who ran away must have been killed surely. With this the upation army¡¯s mission is also over, right?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°......yes.¡±(norz)

    As Norz showed a somewhat dissatisfied expression, Ai gave a slight warning while licking Sylvia¡¯s white nape of the enck.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to chase after Kurono-kun, ¡®kay?¡±(Ai)

    ¡°I..Understand.¡±(norz)

    As Ai dered that Kurono and the other two would probably reach the neighbouring Spada much easily if they were not ¡®hindered¡¯ any further, Norz only became more and more dissatisfied.

    But since he could never speak angrily to her, and he had heard everything he wanted to, Norz decided to take his leave as fast as possible from here.

    ¡°8th Apostle Ai-sama, thank you for your cooperation. Please leave the rest to us.¡±(norz)

    ¡°Nn, oh right, I need to return themanding authority back as well. I¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning again so after that old man, you¡¯ll be the in-charge again.¡±(Ai)

    ¡°Very well.¡±(norz)

    Indicating that there is nothing else to talk about, Ai stood up from her seat.

    Thinking that tonight she could have fun, Ai began to leave the room while linking arms with Sylvia tightly but stopped once again before the door and turned back.

    ¡°Oh right right, you¡¯ll probably be scolded by the ¡®higher ups¡¯ for losing so many men in capturing just a small vige but just tell them that you were facing a guy that could defeat even the 8th Apostle, alright? Well, I doubt they¡¯ll believe you though. See ya!¡±(Ai)

    And this time finally, she left the room.

    Norz who alone was left in the room stood up as well and drew his mace from his waist.

    ¡°Bullshit!!¡±

    He swung it down directly on the seat on which the Apostle was sitting just a few seconds ago.

    In any case, on the 6th of Hatsubi, with the upation of Alsace vige, the Crusaders had finally taken control over all of Daedalus territory.

 Chapter 149 The Survivors

    Chapter 149 ¨C The Survivors

    The sun had already disappeared along the ridgelines of Ghad Mountain Range, and night hade upon.

    Normally there wouldn¡¯t be anyone who would walk in the dark roads here, but right now there were 3 shadows walking silently while a faint light was shining around them.

    Kurono had been walking with his eyes cast down, Lily and Fiona walking behind couldn¡¯t find words to say to him.

    The three consumed thest potion to replenish their stamina for walking, soon after replenishing, they had started walking.

    Their destination was, the ce where adventurers were attacked by 11th Apostle.

    If Misa¡¯s words were truth, there should be traces of fight remaining on the road.

    It hadn¡¯t been more than half day since the queue of carriages carrying adventurers ran away, leaving Kurono and others, it could be predicted, the ce of attack was not too far.

    And, Kurono couldn¡¯t help but confirm it.

    (My feet, are getting heavy......)

    The Kurono right now had stopped thinking anything.

    What happened to the adventurers, what happened to the refugees, what to do from now on, what will it be from now on¡ª¨CHe had stopped thinking all this, just earnestly concentrated and moved forward.

    Even so in the depths of his heart, faintly but surely the worst premonition?prediction, tried to torment his heart.

    Hence Kurono walked, unless he confirmed the truth with his own eyes he couldn¡¯t do anything else.

    How much time would have passed since walking, it probably hadn¡¯t been that long, finally on the road which felt like an eternity long to Kurono, he saw the end of it, the answer.

    ¡°......!?¡±

    Upon being shined by Lily¡¯s light ball instead of me, a quadrteral in far distance reflected in Kurono¡¯s eyes.

    To Kurono with eyes enhanced like that of an nocturnal animal, he could not make any mistake when seeing in the dark.

    The moment he recognised the square/rectangr something, Kurono ran up to it.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Kurono-san¡ª¨C¡±

    He couldn¡¯t listen their voices, he couldn¡¯t remain still without confirming, even if, the worst conclusion was waiting for him.

    ¡°Ah, Aaah......¡±

    That was without a doubt the wreckages of the carriages.

    Without a mistake, it was the carriage they had created in a hurry for escaping, not even painted a carriage made of rough wood was broken in many parts.

    The rear part was reflecting in Kurono¡¯s eyes, the front part was in wrecks, as though an iron ball had hit it.

    ¡°Th-This is......¡±

    In front of it, toppled in the same way, broken in several ces, many wreckages of carriage were spread out.

    And, from the other side of still dark road, came the smell of blood which he had gotten ustomed to in past few days.

    The thing that came in Kurono¡¯s mind, was neither the faces of reliable adventurers, neither the faces of hateful Crusaders, nor the faces of absurd apostles.

    It was the scene of Vige of Irz burning, just that came up in his mind.

    That hell, where everything was toote, he couldn¡¯t save anyone.

    Right now, there were neither burned houses or families, neither the friends who were crucified.

    But here was, the scenery of despair, just like of the now destroyed Vige of Irz.

    ¡°This is......too much......¡±

    Kurono walked with unsteady feet, but finally his will power exhausted and his knees gave up on that spot.

    In front of his eyes, inside the craters of various sizes, the mowed down trees, the traces of the violent fight were spread out.

    Which sort of heroic battle started here, there was no way of understanding it now, but the thing he knew was,

    ¡°Everyone......is dead......¡±

    the fact, adventurers were annihted cruelly.

    He saw corpses of people he knew, scattered here and there.

    In one conspicuously big crater, one had been sewn inside the ground by therge fang sword struck in his chest, the person with big frame was Vulcan.

    ¡ºFang de?Evil Eater¡»which had pierced through the heart directly, was still being held on the hilt tightly by the right hand which had been cut off from elbow.

    On the roadside was a ck worn-out cloth lying down, if the wand modeled with skull was not lying besides it one couldn¡¯t make out it was Morzun.

    Whether he had taken a lot damage, or whether crushed by something big, from tip of toe to the top of head every bone was pulverised in very small pieces, there was no more the face of skull, it was absolutely impossible to identify him.

    The 3 corpses lying on the toppled down trees as though they were leaning, were without a doubt of the 3 sisters from¡º3 Hunting Princesses¡».

    To a distant person it would look like three people were joining hands in an horizontal line, in truth their palms were pierced through by arrows, so their hands were forcibly joined together.

    The three had their heads cut off cleanly, because the three had the same equipments and physique, He couldn¡¯t understand who was whom.

    He didn¡¯t had any willpower to find the freshly severed head which could have been lying somewhere.

    ¡°What the heck......don¡¯t fuck with me, just what is this......why did this thing¡ª¨C¡±

    The more he looked the more bodies, corpses, remains he saw, all blood-drenched, there was not even one withplete body, he could easily feel the evilness of killer, it was an Over-Kill.

    But, even in those scattered and gory corpses, from the body features, clothes, equipments, he could make out who is whom, he was made to know it.

    Though it hadn¡¯t been more than a month, but there was no way he would forget the people who ate and slept with him, fought with him on the battlefield.

    That¡¯s why, he epted their deaths without having any doubts.

    It¡¯s a lie, It can¡¯t happen, It can¡¯t be true, any objection was meaningless.

    Now only did Kurono knew the truth, that the 11th Apostle Misa, really ¡®annihted all the demons passing this road¡¯.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t fight for something like this!!¡±

    Along with screams the flowing tears, run along the cheeks and fall on the ground like a rain.

    ¡°Damn it! Fuck off! Once again I¡ª¨C¡±

    Kurono crouched as though he were rejecting the reality spread around the ce,

    ¡°¡ª¨COnce again I couldn¡¯t protect anyone......¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but cry the tears of regret.

    But even if he regretted, he couldn¡¯t get the answer to what he should have done.

    Let it be invasion of Crusaders, defensive battle of Alsace, surprise attack of experiments, attack of apostles, he and his friends all face against all them things with full devotion.

    However, it all ended up as nothing, wasted effort, wasted fight, and, wasted death.

    What had gone wrong, what shouldn¡¯t they have done, what should had been done, can the end be reached without this disaster waiting for them?

    The answer couldn¡¯te out, it never will.

    Even if got hold of the answer, it would simply added to his regret list, it couldn¡¯t help to change the reality in front of him.

    Inside the mind of Kurono who had fallen in the circle of those thoughts, a sh ran through it.

    That gave him the absolute simple and clear solution, to the answer which shouldn¡¯t had gotten an answer.

    ¡°......I was weak, huh¡±

    That answer was,¡ºPower¡».

    What if, he had the power to kill many thousands many millions of Crusaders?

    What if, he had power to kill apostles?

    ¡°If I was more strong, had more power, nobody needed to die¡±

    The moment he arrived at that answer, Kurono was tormented by the true regret.

    He couldn¡¯t forgive himself for bringing a situation which couldn¡¯t be reversed, he recognised it as a sin which couldn¡¯t be repented for in his life.

    No matter what sort of radical reason it was, to Kurono it was the only truth.

    ¡°I see, everyone died because of me¡±

    The thing, upying Kurono¡¯s heart was,

    ¡°Ha, Hahaha......I see, I now understand, all of it, was my fault, I was wrong¡ª¨C¡±

    Without a doubt¡ºDespair¡»

    ¡°Kurono!¡±

    At that moment, a light came near Kurono.

    The moment a rainbow-colored phosphorescence reflected in his right eye, a warm, soft, small thing jumped on Kurono¡¯s body.

    ¡°Kurono is not wrong! You tried hard! Really hard! Harder than anyone else!¡±

    ¡°......Lily¡±

    Clinging to Kurono¡¯s chest, having tears swelling up in the corner of her eyes, shouting positive words, was the small Lily.

    ¡°Kurono, you have protected me!

    I am alive, you have protected me, I am alive!

    That¡¯s why, you¡¯re not wrong!¡±

    Though they were clumsy words, but, those words certainly insert a line of hope inside Kurono¡¯s heart filled with despair.

    ¡°Lily......Thank you¡±

    That light, was not the miracle to change the reality in front of him.

    Kurono was very near to the kill himself by swinging thest weapon he had left,¡ºCursed Grudge hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»

    However, within Lily¡¯s words was the power to stop the foot of Kurono who was about to be engulfed in despair.

    A little bit, calmness returned to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, that¡¯s why......don¡¯t cry¡±

    ¡°Yea, Yeah! Lily, won¡¯t cry!¡±

    Kurono hugged Lily tightly, who had sank her head on Kurono¡¯s chest, which only had a thin shirt now.

    The small warmth he felt near his chest, gave Kurono back his calmness, and willpower to once again stand back up.

    ¡°......Let¡¯s search for survivors¡±

    While holding Lily near his chest, Kurono stood back up.

    Leaving all the sorrow, grief, regret, repentance for ater date, he started to move forpleting what he had to do.

    ¡°Oi! Is there anyone alive!¡±

    Facing the darkness spread out in the surrounding, he yelled out loud.

    Anyone, even if 1 person, if there was any person alive, they have to save them.

    It didn¡¯t even need thinking, the thing they had to do right now, was to search for survivors and rescue them.

    ¡°Oii! Oii! Anyone! Reply!!¡±

    It¡¯s useless, no one can be alive after fighting an apostle¡ª¨CThat thought, forcibly swelled up inside the corner of his mind.

    If he just stood there the negative feelings will only return back, but, there was no time to stop, to be in despair, to be discouraged, saying that Kurono desperately tried to cheer himself up.

    ¡°Oo¡ª¨Ci!!¡±

    Kurono started walking to search for survivors, while holding Lily who was still grumbling ¡¯I¡¯m not crying¡¯.

    ¡°??? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºTorch¡»¡±

    At that moment, the surroundings near Kurono suddenly lit up.

    Upon looking, he saw many fireballs falling down while burning brightly from dozens of metres above in sky.

    Like a re, the space around the fireballs was illuminated.

    ¡°I thought it would be easy to search when bright.¡±

    Fiona who appeared from behind like a shadow had, her favorite staff¡ºAinz Broom¡»held in her hands.

    ¡°It helps, Thank you¡±

    Seeing Kurono smile, Fiona felt relieved without changing her expression.

    Fiona with zero friends, didn¡¯t knew the correct words to say at that time.

    She left the decisions to Lily, thanks to that Kurono got back the willpower, finally she felt relieved because she could talk to him again.

    ¡°By the way, is there any magic for searching a person?¡±

    Fiona was about to smile, but hearing Kurono¡¯s words she returned her poker face, and replied to the question

    ¡°The bloodlust or magical power can be searched within a certain range¡±

    ¡°No, even I can do that, or perhaps I should say, a person with serious wounds or is on the verge of dying can¡¯t emit a presence like that¡±

    Even the amazed gaze of Kurono, was somewhatfortable for Fiona.

    She once again realizes that she was quite unstable upon seeing the Kurono¡¯s previous state.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I haven¡¯t learnt any magic for searching feeble presences of magical power¡±

    ¡°I see, then what about a magic to increase the loudness of voice?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t learnt that too¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped then, I can only search steadily now. Thank you for lighting the area.¡±

    Thanks to that, arger area of disaster could be seen, but Kurono was trying hard to not realize much.

    ¡°Ooi! If anyone is alive, reply please!¡±

    And, the moment he yelled out,

    SFX: Katan¡ª-(Rattle)

    Certainly, a sound resounded

    ¡°Is anyone over there!?¡±

    As though it were replying Kurono¡¯s voice, this time even more clearer sound resounded.

    That came from the wreckage of carriage, turned upside down.

    The canopy had beenpletely destroyed by the weight of the carriage, but someone was within the small gap between the frame of carriage and ground, trying toe out from there.

    After finding out the source of voice, Kurono dropped Lily as though he were throwing her and ran up to the broken carriage.

    ¡°Oi! Are you there!?¡±

    While shouting, he lifted up the broken carriage by putting his hands in the gap between it and ground.

    Kurono had superhuman strength due to remodelling enhancement, without even using support magic or enhancement martial skills, though he couldn¡¯t easily pick the whole wooden carriage, but he could incline it easily.

    ¡°Are you alright!?¡±

    He thought to call out to Fiona for taking out the person, but before he had a chance to do that, the person pinned under the carriage crawled out on its own strength.

    ¡°......Is it you, Onii-san?¡±

    The person who came out was, The Sniping Alchemist, Simon.

    Instead of his favorite sniper rifle¡ºYatagarasu¡», he held a dark red colored gem in his hands.

    ¡°Simon!? It¡¯s good, you are fine¡ª¨C¡±

    From the shape of Simon, though his clothes were very dirty, but his hands and legs only had some traces of bruises or scars, there was no fatal injury on him.

    Seeing there was no danger to life, Kurono felt relieved.

    ¡°......It is not good¡±

    He sat down on the ground, with face cast downwards. Kurono wasn¡¯t able to see clearly the expression of Simon thanks to his ashen colored hair.

    But, that voice was certainly trembling.

    ¡°It is not at all good......everyone is, everyone is dead, they were all killed by that person.¡±

    ¡°Simon......it will be good if you don¡¯t think that right now¡±

    The moment he said such words while crouching, Simon raised his head up.

    In the same Emerald eyes like Lily,rge drops of tears were swelling up.

    ¡°Susu died while protecting me! I can¡¯t do that! I can¡¯t help but think, that person, always, to me¡ª¨C¡±

    As though it were a ruby, Simon hugged the red stone tightly. Kurono immediately understood the identity of the stone.

    That was, the core of a slime.

    It was the source of life of Susu, who was a rank 4 thief, and was the spotter of Simon.

    ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t do anything......I was so afraid, of that person......I only got protected till the end......Uuuuuuuuuu!¡±

    As if the barrier was broken, Simon starting crying heavily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry......I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t protect anyone¡±

    Kurono, tightly held the slender body of Simon.

    Just like how Lily did it for him, some moments before.

    ¡°Kuuuu......Why, Why must someone like me......be alive......¡±

    ¡°Dont say anymore! I¡¯m really grateful that you are alive, really!¡±

    ¡°B, But......¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, right now be happy that you survived, I¡¯m really happy that you are fine, Simon.¡±

    From then, Simon kept on crying silently while being hugged by Kurono.

    Even Kurono who was cheering up Simon, didn¡¯t had his heartpletely healed, even while holding the small body, the negative feeling were spreading inside his heart.

    ¡°¡ª¨CKurono¡±

    At that moment, the sharp voice of Lily stopped the jumbled thought process, and returned him back to reality.

    ¡°What happened Lily?¡±

    Lily¡¯s appearance was still of a small child, but just from having his name called, Kurono understood her consciousness had changed to that of adult.

    He won¡¯t ask for what reason did she changed her consciousness.

    He didn¡¯t even need to think, because if she used¡ºQueen Beryl¡»¡¯s power more than the time limit, then it meant the situation was bad that she couldn¡¯t help but regain her consciousness.

    ¡°Look at that¡±

    She was looking towards the Ghad Mountain Range in far distance, with grave eyes which couldn¡¯t be seen in her child form.

    Kurono released the body of Simon, stood besides Lily, and looked towards the same direction.

    ¡°That is¡ª¨C¡±

    There was, queues of light torches spread here and there.

    There wasn¡¯t any other exnation other than. ¡®someone¡¯ lit the torches and was walking the road in night in a queue.

    ¡°¡ª¨CIs it the, pursuit squad of Crusaders!?¡±

    ¡°But, if they came, then it will be from behind, right?¡±

    Lily¡¯s point was right.

    Kurono immediately understood, that the Crusaders can nevere from the direction of Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡°So is it the queue of refugees? No, that is going the other way¡ª¨C¡±

    ¡°Err, Lily-san......¡±

    Before he knew it, Simon stood besides him after crying out to his heart¡¯s extent.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Seeing Lily¡¯s sharp gaze, he was faltered a bit, but suddenly replied.

    ¡°Can you try using your light magic for seeing in far distance¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we have confirm what it is, by our own eyes.¡±

    Afterpleting the chant, a transparent lens formed in her hands, just like the one she had used when scout party was intercepted in Vige of Irz.

    Simon and Kurono look through the lens simultaneously, and start observing the group approaching from the other side of dark road.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see it clearly......¡±

    Even through lens, maybe because of darkness, Simon couldn¡¯t see anything other than darkness and the light of torches carried by group.

    But, in the right eye os Kurono which worked in the dark, it was clearly reflected.

    ¡°¡ª¨CThey don¡¯t seem like either Crusaders or Vigers too¡±

    Throught the lens, Kurono saw a armored-figure of a knight straddling on a horse.

    It waspletely different from the attire of Crusaders, it was a different army.

    However, because there was no person withrge build like that of beast person or golem, so everyone was of the size of human, but because it was made up of all humans the possibility of the army being of Crusaders cannot be rejected.

    ¡°Onii-san, can you see the crest on the g?¡±

    ¡°crest? Hm......Yeah, it is, I can see it¡±

    ¡°Tell me what design does it has!¡±

    Squinting his eyes, Kurono observed the two gs held up by the knights.

    He felt relieved seeing on both of them, Cross was not drawn.

    And he realized that both gs had different crests drawn on them.

    ¡°On one g, crown and sword are intersecting each other, on the other, a helmet, shield, and spear are drawn. Do you know it, Simon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, without a doubt, it is the army of Spada.¡°

    Just for a moment, a sigh of admiration leaked out, he recalled the fact he sent a messenger to Spada for reinforcements.

    If they wereing in this situation, did it mean they were really reinforcements?

    ¡°No, wait, will Spada really try to save us?¡±

    That line didn¡¯t seem like, it came from the guy who said to run to Spada, but in front of apletely armed army, that worry is only normal.

    More than anything Spada was an enemy nation for Pandora, in the first ce even if they epted the refugees but for what reason, with an army in front he couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we can talk our way through that squad, ah, Onii-san, just to be sure, is the person walking in lead of that squad in more heavy equipments than others?¡±

    ¡°Nh......Yeah, certainly, only one person is equipped with heavy equipments.¡±

    Even after using Lily¡¯s lens, he could only see the silhouette, not the details, but he could still make out the appearance of knight was different from others.

    The knight walking in lead, was without a doubt the leader.

    He was equipped with the trademark of a heavy knight, the halberd and tower shield.

    Naturally, the heavy knight himself too was suitably tall,pared from the knights following him on both sides, his head was more taller.

    Other knights were, equipped with a chargence with short hilt and long bade, though their shields wererge butpared to the toughness of Tower Shield, they were no where to be counted, their armor too seemed thinpared to the one of leader.

    Kurono told everything he saw to Simon.

    ¡°Yeah, those guys are certainly, Spada¡¯s Army¡¯s Second Squad¡ºTempest¡», don¡¯t worry, they will rescue us.¡±

    To Simon making a relieved face, naturally he asked question.

    ¡°Do you know about armies of Spada?¡±

    Upon saying that, Simon hesitated a little, but then talked honestly.

    ¡°Yeah, the heavy knight leading¡ºTempest¡»is my elder sister¡± [ET: One note for readers, pls don¡¯t get too ted that she would be in his harem or not, because as you know this KnM is like Game of Thrones, if you get what I mean.]

    He did say, because of obligation, but hearing all this Kurono couldn¡¯t help but keep his mouth hanging open with amazement.

    ¡°Ah err, it isn¡¯t like I was hiding, but there were some circumstances, I myself am not a soldier of Spada¡ª¨CA,Anyhow, It will be fine¡±

    There were a lot of things to ask, but for the time being the ¡®help¡¯ from Spada came,

    ¡°I see, we will be saved......¡±

    Kurono finally realized that long fight had reached it¡¯s end.

    The long fight of Alsace came to an end, with only 4 survivors and utter defeat.

 Chapter 150 The Crawling White Shadow

    Chapter 150 ¨C The Crawling White Shadow

    The Media Ruins, are located about 10 kilometres from capital city of Daedalus, it was a dungeon with a rank 4 difficulty level.

    Media ruins which was arge underground space recently revealed a new area, but due to the invasion of Crusaders the activities of adventurers was stopped, and the area was still left untouched.

    For about 1 month from the fall of capital city of Daedalus, adventurer guildpletely stopped their activities.

    And, of course, because it was being ruled by Crusaders who don¡¯t allow freedom to demons, it was right now too, no, the activities of adventurers of Daedalus has been prohibited for eternity.

    Hence, near Media ruins which used to have some adventurers roaming around it, right now not even a single adventurer was near it.

    But however, this ce was crowded by many people, even more than the number of adventurers who used to work here.

    They all are humans, wearing a set of clothes with cross symbol on the white cloth, they are without a doubt, Crusaders.

    The majority of them, were paying attention to the new area of Media ruins.

    Because, there was something they were looking for.

    ¡°Hmm so this, I¡¯m sorry, though I know this is wonderful altar, but Ancient magic is out of my area of expertise¡ª¡ª¡±

    The moment Judas the chief executive of¡ºWhite Sacrament¡», reached the¡ºAltar¡»the goal, he heard this ear-sore-high-pitched-rapid-talking line.

    Having a stern facial expression with eyes furrowed as always , Judas turned back to the owner of noisy voice.

    ¡°Hello Wee, I, work as themander of the army under direct supervision of Cardinal Mercedes, my name is Gregorius, Ah, though I look like this I am a bishop, Nufufu, were both same bishop, please don¡¯t restrain yourself when with me, nice to meet you.¡±

    The noisy man without a doubt was d in a robe of bishop, with height of an average adult male, other than his really narrow eyes, there wasn¡¯t particrly any special feature in his appearance.

    Gregorius moved his hand forward acting familiarly asking for a handshake while his eyes were abnormally narrow, with face like a devious fox in some fairy tale, revealed a somewhat suspicious smile.

    ¡°Gregorius¡ºThe Prophet¡»huh......what business do you have Mr. Bishop¡±

    It was almost like he would continue on ignoring, but Judas without showing any hint of being offended, responded back to the handshake.

    ¡°No,No,¡ºThe Prophet¡»is such an embarrassing second name for me, well, even though I am naming myself as such though, ahaha!¡±

    The two bishops after exchanging handshakes, stood side by side, and exchanged words.

    ¡°I asked, what business do you have here?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for that, I¡¯m quite a talker, and the talk gets derailed, many people tell me that, hurry up and let¡¯s get to the main matter.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    It seemed like Gregorius was not such a dumb person, who wouldn¡¯t understand the pressure from Judas¡¯s silence.

    ¡°There is not any deep meaning, just a normal introduction. I want to get along with ¡®everyone¡¯ in Crusaders, and so I am giving my introductions to everyone person here and there, you are quite conspicuous¡ª¨Cwhoops, I mean that you¡¯re mysterious, I couldn¡¯t find the your home or contact address, so here I am to gave my introduction, please take no offence.¡±

    ¡°Then, you have alreadypleted your goal, right?¡±

    It was obvious he was saying him to return back quickly.

    But maybe he did understood it or didn¡¯t, Gregorius intensified his smile, and started talking to him.

    ¡°Well well, we have met after all, why don¡¯t exchange information and present condition status?

    Though I look like this I know a lot of things. I have gotten hold of information of various things happening in Daedalus, ah, this seems like praising myself, Yes¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in that, you too won¡¯t be interested in hearing things from an old man who is always secluded in research, right¡±

    Though having a high position of bishop, Judas was still immersed in his research, he is born researcher, within the church, this matter is quite famous.

    It was also said, Judas reached till the position of Bishop, for making a experimentboratory for his research.

    In other words, till the time he gets to do his own research without any disturbances, he won¡¯t desire anything else, things like ¡®wealth¡¯ or ¡®authority¡¯ desired by other clergymen is of no use to him.

    The information gotten from Judas would only be technical status information of his research, one wouldn¡¯t get any information for gaining profits from it.

    Judas had gotten a lot of good evaluation from foreign and home country, for creating the 7th Apostle Sariel.

    However, even if he hid inside his ce using his abilities, the position of Bishop itself was troublesome, more than anything the highest ranking person Pope has taken a liking to him, due to that most don¡¯t interfere with him and regarded him highly, even within church.

    Of course, such fame wouldn¡¯t leave Gregorius¡¯s ears, but, he still tried to talk to Judas like a person forcibly inviting someone to a brothel.

    ¡°I certainly know, you are interfering with ¡®our¡¯ work, however¡ª¡ª¡±

    In the frivolous narrow eyes, a slight sharp light was residing.

    ¡°¡ª¨CEveryone is currently doing the ¡®demon hunting¡¯, it can stir up an animosity towards you because of your actions, right?¡±

    Judas slowly turned his face towards Gregorius.

    The tall Judas looked upon Gregorius as if looking down on him.

    The trained and tanned body, like that of a warrior fighting on frontlines was abnormal for a old aged researcher.

    But, even under the immense pressure of a drawn out sword Gregorius didn¡¯t falter even a bit.

    ¡°It will be rude to ask you¡ª-why do you think so, right. You had¡ºPredicted¡»my actions, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, in truth that is right, I didn¡¯t have any other leads, so it took time to find you. Just why are you able to move so easily, secretly. Is this the so-called old-man¡¯s wisdom, Nfufufu¡±

    Judas secretly slipped his subordinates as clergymen or soldiers in the upation squads, for capturing ¡®experimental bodies¡¯ for his research and was moving in secret himself too, except Pope nobody else knew about it.

    ¡°So, how were the demons of Pandora? Did they satisfy your needs?¡±

    ¡°We have captured enough for starting the first phase, the experiments will start just as nned.¡±

    Judas replied honestly, now knowing there was no need to hide the matter.

    ¡°¡ºHoly Soldier Project¡»was it? No it really is more excellent that what I had imagined, if you get sessful in ¡®mass producing¡¯ them, wouldn¡¯t all the soldier of Crusaders be unemployed fromter on ?¡±

    To the praise or mockery filled sentence, Judas only replied with ¡°The results are as nned.¡±

    He didn¡¯t pay any attention to the bishop, who was either praising or abusing the research.

    ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, there is a squad which was destroyed, I have somewhat information on it? It happened in the upation squad under my supervision, the name was something like Cyprus Mercenary Group, I think?¡±

    He recalled the face of the only young man, Cyprus, who didn¡¯t return from the mission of demon capturing, but Judas soon erased it into oblivion.

    He didn¡¯t have any use for a dead person, if a useful piece¡¯s part was broken, it only needs to be reced by a new one. Simple as that.

    The demons captured by the squad under Cyprus were zero, the experimental subjects which came back alive were only half and the rest were annihted.

    But, taking the failures in ount, just like he had said before, the demons for first phase had already been captured.

    Hence, he didn¡¯t have any interest in the sarcastic-talking of Gregorius, on the contrary he asked a question.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you too move an apostle. It is not the work of an apostle to kill even less than 1 million demons.¡±

    ¡°Well even I thought that, but I just can¡¯t object the¡ºPrediction¡». It was good till the time of sending, but when she returned she was really angry and took more amount of money as the reward, my bonus went down the drain, just like that. Hahaha¡±

    While scratching his dull blond hair, Gregorius talked about the tyranny of 11th Apostle Misa in a humorous way.

    ¡°They have gained even more ¡®DP¡¯ than you, just because you can ess the¡ºDivine Will Record¡», it doesn¡¯t mean you can easily control the Apostles¡±

    ¡°......Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    Judas sensed the the presence of Gregorius getting sharp for an instant.

    It might be the unrest or vignce of getting his¡ºPrediction¡»rightly, whatever it maybe, both parties didn¡¯t had any intention of apanying each other.

    ¡°I would like you to not misunderstand, I don¡¯t have any intention of either interfering or opposing you and your work.

    Whenever you will try to do something new ¡®in our Daedalus¡¯, please just pass it through our ears, it will be convenient for you too.

    Though we have different intentions, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact we all are working for god. Having an harmonious coborative rtionship is what I, no, even god might be desiring it.¡±

    ¡°......I¡¯ll remember it¡±

    saying ¡®Thank you¡¯, Gregorius respectfully bowed, but Judas was no more looking at him.

    His eyes were staring at the, ancient altar in front of him.

    What sort of magic apparatus it was, just like Gregorius said a non-expert in this area wouldn¡¯t ever understand.

    But, Judas understood what it was, how to use, what it can do, all in one nce.

    Therefore, he without any hesitation, knowing that this was rank 4 dungeon, gave the ¡®decisions¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot it, Congrattions of the establishment of ¡®The Fourth Laboratory¡¯¡±

    This was no more the unnamed new area within Media Ruins.

    The disgustingboratory, creating people like Kurono for Holy Soldier Project, the thirdboratory, now had a new extension, in other words ¡ºThe Fourth Laboratory¡»was established within the Pandora Continent.

 Chapter 151 Nightmare (1)

    Chapter 151 ¨C Nightmare (1)

    Body is heavy, head is heavy, the continuously dozing consciousness will never permit to leave this warm space.

    But, it won¡¯t allow azy thought,

    ¡°What time it is, do you know!? Hurry and wake up!¡±

    Thanks to Mom, I certainly woke up.

    ¡°Hm......What, time?¡±

    The loud voice of mom, indicated it was 7 AM currently.

    ¡°......I see¡±

    ¡°Stop dozing off......hurry up and get ready or you¡¯ll really bete!¡±

    Saying that, mom turned back her glossy raven-ck hair, and left the room.

    Seeing the well-ordered proportions of her that looked like a model, I stood up unsteadily, while still in a daze.

    No, wrong, this wasn¡¯tziness, the body was instinctively desiring rest.

    Strange, I didn¡¯t pull an all-nighter yesterday, I certainly slept at the right time, and didn¡¯t even do exercises that would leave fatigue.

    Yes, yesterday was the same as always, a normal day.

    ¡°Time for changing clothes......¡±

    My head still rotating slowly, I headed towards the closet by dragging my body, and put on the school uniform that hung on the hanger.

    From that point, was the normal daily routine work, even without paying attention to it, the body moved on its own.

    Washed my face, brushed the teeth, for eating the breakfast, headed towards the living room, there I exchanged the morning salutations with family.

    ¡°......Good Morning¡±

    The words that left my mouth, in the first ce my voice was low it became even more low by 1 octave, and turned into a groaning voice of the dead.

    But with just that, nothing else changed from normal.

    The scene that I had repeated yesterday, day before yesterday and will repeat it tomorrow, day after tomorrow too.

    Good Morning¡°

    Father, who was wearing a suit and was reading the newspaper in his hands, raised the face up, and gave me a small greeting.

    His figure was like that of a typical father, but due to his small build and child-face, to the extent some may even think, what if he was secretly still a student.

    But, because he was my father, it didn¡¯t feel that strange to me.

    ¡°Good morning. Mao, are you sick?¡±

    The thing that reached my ears which was even more refreshing than the chirp of a songbird, were the morning salutations and words that show caring about me from my sister, Mana.

    Mao, I felt it had been a long, to be called by that name.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a fever or cold......just, I feel likezing, not wanting to do anything.¡±

    I spoke spiritless lineszily.

    The sister showed an understanding face, seeing my condition, most probably she would have thought it was because ofck of sleep.

    I am mostly chased by the deadline due to that I pulled all-nighters, it wasn¡¯t strange for me to show myziness in front of my family due tock of sleep.

    But, today I was obviously strange.

    No matter how much I thought there was no reason for fatigue, but the body was sluggishly moving as if revolting against my words.

    This most probably, was not a physical fatigue, but a mental fatigue.

    In the first ce, there shouldn¡¯t been anything through which I would get a mental shock.

    Overenthusiastically confessing to Shirasaki-san just for getting rejected, I hadn¡¯t suffered from such a mncholic event yet.

    Well, I didn¡¯t even have strong feelings of love for her that I would confess to her either though.

    ¡°Why are dozing off, take this and get going! Yuriko-chan is already here!¡±

    ¡°......Yuriko-chan?¡±

    While being forced to take the somewhat-less-love-filled bentou from mom, I was told that.

    Yuriko-chan, who the hell is that, Ah, wait, isn¡¯t it Shirasaki-san¡¯s name.

    Eh, What, she came here? For whom? me?

    Impossible, Shirasaki-san is only a fellow club member, our rtionship is only above than friend and lot below than best-friend, lover rtionship, not in hell, even my ssmates keep on telling me ¡¯Keep the delusion in your works only¡¯ with sympathizing eyes.

    No, but well, if she hade here in reality, it ain¡¯t my delusion.

    The reason Shirasaki-san hade, must be because of club activity rted, I didn¡¯t know exactly, but something like this also happens.

    Thinking about it, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be good to keep her waiting, stuffed the bentou inside the bag, and left the living room.

    ¡°I¡¯m going¡±

    Hearing the words ¡¯Have a safe trip¡¯, I head towards the entrance corridor quickly.

    But, changing my shoes, the moment I rest my hands on the door of my familiar house, the body stiffened as if it got struck by lightning.

    ¡°......I don¡¯t want to go¡±

    Suddenly, I thought as such.

    Thiszy body and sluggish mind, might be a major factor.

    But, this time it wasn¡¯t a matter of wanting to do or not, my leg refused to move forward, for something more fundamental, like instinctively.

    I don¡¯t want to go, does that mean School?

    No, I don¡¯t want to go outside.

    The outside, world, spread outside the entrance corridor, was isted by my house, an another world.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not good......I have to go to school......¡±

    Furthermore, there was a person waiting for me named Shirasaki-san on the other side of the door.

    Cutting the gloomy thoughts, I opened the door to outside.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±

    The scene spread outside the open door, was hell.

    The soil was drenched with blood, the ground¡¯s surface was drilled by many craters as though they were creating by taking a he strong shock.

    The thunderously zing mes close up from left and right, upon seeing more clearly, someone crucified on a cross was being burned in the mes.

    The things burning, were not only humans, but also many houses and all, anyhow, many-many things were being destroyed and catched fire.

    ¡°You cannot run.¡±

    The murmur of that small child, pierced deep through my ear.

    I moved my vision a little below, she was there.

    The one waiting for me, was not xen-haired, good-looking Shirasaki Yuriko,

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape¡±

    but it was the Apostle of God, having white skin, white hair and white clothes along with brilliantly shining crimson eyes.

    ¡°Sariel......¡±

    7th Apostle, Sariel was standing in front of me, holding a thin spear.

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to escape from this world.¡±

    The thin arms of Sariel moved.

    With an unbelievable speed the pointed side of the thin spear, struck deep inside my abdomen.

    ¡°Gahaa!?¡±

    The blood scattered, feeling the severe pain piercing my body, without having any other choice, I grabbed the spear stuck in my stomach instinctively.

    That moment, the spear was pulled out.

    The de didn¡¯tpletely leave the body, due to which my body also got pulled.

    ¡°Guaa......S-Sto,p......¡±

    While grabbing the spear with slender arms, slowly, but surely, Sariel pulled me to outside, the other world.

    I tried to stop with all my strength, but it was nothing more than wasted-effort by the powerless me.

    ¡°......Stop it......Just stop it¡±

    I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to go, I don¡¯t want to go outside, to that world.

    The ce I belong is this, with my peaceful life and family, I belong here.

    That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t want to go that bloody world, with just pain, injustice and nobody is saved.

    ¡°S-T¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape.¡±

    The body floated in air.

    THepletely-powerless me was pulled out from the entrance corridor of house while being impaled by the spear.

    And, the moment I was thrown in the ¡®other world¡¯, the house I was in just before, got covered in mes¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Stop Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttt¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡ªKurono!¡±

    Having my called out, my consciousnesspletely woke up.

    ¡°Ah......This is......¡±

    Upon widening my eyes, only my right eye worked.

    In that small vision, the crying face of Lily, and a little different room than of the familiar guild¡¯s guest room, was reflected.

    ¡°Dream, huh......¡±

    Somehow, it felt like I saw a really bad dream.

    I already forgot what scenes did I see in the dream, anyhow, there was no doubt it was a bad dream.

    Due to that , I screamed and Lily came to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me, Lily¡±

    ¡°......Yeah¡±

    For making her feel relieved, I embraced her small body and patted her head.

    No, it was the opposite, doing that, I myself was feeling relieved.

    Upon my calmness returning to me, I realized some points, like thanks to the nightmare, I have a lot of sweat stuck on my body.

    ¡°Sorry, I must smell of sweat¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate Kurono¡¯s scent¡±

    Even so I couldn¡¯t let her be be dirty, so I released her quickly from my hands.

    Lily came down from the bed while pping her wings, and left the room saying the breakfast was ready.

    She wasn¡¯t able to change her anxious look till the end, and I was the making her look like that.

    ¡°......It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine¡±

    As to persuade myself, I mutter.

    I cannot forget it, I can¡¯t help but think it, that was why, I had no choice but to ept the reality.

    ¡°Time to wash my face.¡±

    This ce was, a room in the boarding house mainly used by adventurers in Spada.

    From the time that fight had ended, a week had already passed.

 Chapter 152 Nightmare (2)

    Chapter 152 ¨C Nightmare (2)

    That girl, appeared abruptly.

    She had light pink hair, at a nce she was wearing a white garment like a magician, but it is short, exposing the thighs and shoulders, the appearance is radical.

    She has well-ordered face, as if she fully understood her own beauty, she wore many decorative ornaments on her.

    A showy noble girl, that is the most suitable expression for her appearance.

    But,

    ¡°11th Apostle Misa, Well, you scum demons won¡¯t understand the meaning of this name¡ª¡ª¡±

    She was a monster wearing human skin.

    ¡°U, A......¡±

    Before he knew it, he was lying with face down.

    After taking the wave of some attack magic, his body flew easily, and was struck severely on the ground, he understood that much within his mind.

    ¡°......Simon¡±

    Having his name called out by a familiar voice, Simon starts to regain his consciousness.

    ¡°Susu-san?¡±

    Upon regaining the consciousness, he understood that he was taken to wreckage of toppled over carriage by Susu.

    But,the thing that worried him was, the expression of her which used to be always calm andposed was, distorted with panic, no, pain.

    ¡°Um, Are you fi¡ªNGUU!¡±

    The words of worry, were interrupted by her hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make noise, she will notice us¡±

    In a position of being hugged, hearing the words of Susu near his ears, Simon nodded.

    ¡°We can¡¯t win against her¡ª¡ª¡±

    Susu while hugging Simon, without making a sound slipped in the gap of the toppled over carriage.

    Dark, Narrow. The feeling was of getting stuffed inside a coffin with slightly opened lid.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other way to live other than to keep on hiding......¡±

    Her tone was filled with a given up attitude.

    ¡°Nh, Nh-!¡±

    Having his mouth blocked, Simon raised the voice of protest.

    Outside the sounds of fierce battle, screams of adventurers was resounding.

    They were still fighting, against the girl with despair-giving power, not giving up, keeping on resisting till the end of their life.

    Nevertheless, hiding by himself, though he was not a brave warrior but a weak alchemist, he still felt the surge to resist.

    ¡°Due to negligence, my core got a strong attack......I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do anything other than to protect you through the camouge......¡±

    Hearing that, Simon¡¯s body stiffened.

    He knew that her race was a slime from the time of self-introductions, and, he, a rank 1 adventurer too, knew the core was the vital point of slimes.

    The core acts as the heart and brain of body, it is the most important organ to a slime, a attack to that means an inevitable death.

    ¡°......¡±

    He couldn¡¯t find any words to speak, no, even if he did and tried to, he wouldn¡¯t be able to speak as long as his mouth was blocked.

    But even without words, Susu shows an expression as though she knew what Simon was thinking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you to the end......¡±

    Simon felt, his legs getting submerged in water-like thing.

    That was because, Susu was covering Simon¡¯s body after changing it into slime form.

    He didn¡¯t feel any unpleasant feeling from it.

    Because, she was only thinking of protecting Simon, even though her own death was in front of her.

    ¡°......Nh, Nhhh!¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re kind, worrying about me......It¡¯s not something you need to worry about, it isn¡¯t a bad way to die while protecting the person you love, right?¡±

    Susu had already changed her body from below the chest into slime, and was already covering to the neck of Simon.

    The ces still as a human were, the normal looking girl face, and the right hand covering Simon¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Well then, Goodbye, I love you¡ª¡ª¡±

    Susu removed her right hand from Simon¡¯s mouth, in turn blocked it with her lips.

    No, that was without a doubt the passionate kiss of a lovestruck girl.

    ¡°Nh!¡±

    The soft feeling on the lips, didn¡¯t evenst for one second.

    Finally Susu¡¯s body had turnedpletely to slime, and was covering Simon from the tip of toe to the top of head with a semi-transparent substance.

    ¡°......!¡±

    The person being protected didn¡¯t knew it, but it was the wless concealment skill.

    The epidermis of Slime had tremendous camouging power and changes to match its surrounding, without touching it no one would know that something was there.

    Then, the sound and smell.

    Even if Simon moved a little, no sound would reach outside and will be absorbed, because it covering the whole body, it even concealed the body odor which even a beast man wouldn¡¯t be able to sense.

    And, the wless presence concealment due to the DP of¡ºHanzoma¡»

    Susu, the person who can even deceive the sixth sense,

    ¡°O-i! Please reply if anyone is alive!¡±

    Really did save, Simon from the threat of Apostle, just like she said.

    But, by the time Kurono arrived, Susu¡¯s body had already lost the glitter of life, and reduced to just a red core.

    Simon, while hugging her remains feeling depressed, was getting crushed by his powerlessness.

    That, didn¡¯t change even now, 1 week after the fight¡ª¡ª

    .

    .

    .

    (simon POV)

    ¡°Nh......¡±

    It feels like a I saw a dream.

    That was memory of 1 week ago, the memory of the useless me, who couldn¡¯t do anything, and was just protected.

    Even if I keep on thinking about it, I will only be engulfed in the darkness.

    Intentionally stopping off the thought process, somewhat forcibly tried to move.

    ¡°......Hot¡±

    Today is 13th day of Hatsuhi, finally the summer ising, the heat in atmosphere has risen a lot from yesterday.

    I crawl out of bed dragging my body which is sticky due to unpleasant sweat.

    The king-size bed with white sheet spread over it, is already too big for the small me.

    It is not only big.

    Though there isn¡¯t any canopy, but all the materials used for making this simple bed are first-ss goods.

    It isn¡¯t something, I, a rank 1 adventurer should lie down on.

    And, the unsuitable social position thing was not only the bed, but this whole room too.

    It absurd to evenpare it to the normal storerooms of guild, like theboratory or guest rooms.

    The vastness and structure, along with the furniture and equipments, not even one is something normal.

    Just like a ce where a noble would reside¡ª¨CNo, this ce, in itself is a room inside the mansion of a genuine noble.

    ¡°When will I be able to get out of here?¡±

    I mutter involuntarily.

    Any further monologue would only turn intoints towards my never-stopping elder sister, so I will refrain for now.

    ¡°It¡¯s good we got saved, but for it to turn like this......¡±

    Haa, while sighing, I recalled the reunion with my step sister, a noble of Spada, and themanding officer of Spada¡¯s Army¡¯s Second Squad¡ºTempest¡», Emelia Friedrich Baliel.

    .

    .

    .

    Spada¡¯s Army¡¯s Second Squad¡ºTempest¡»was walking bravely in the night road while making strong sounds of horse¡¯s hoof kicking the ground and their neighing.

    ¡°O¨CI!¡±

    Shouting with a loud, while waving hands, was Simon.

    Kurono, Fiona, Lily, were standing 1 step behind Simon quietly.

    They had the ulterior motives to not get involved in some strange things by letting Simon talk with them, after all themanding officer of the approaching army was his sister.

    And, that bore fruit.

    Without being vignt, nor suddenly attacking, the armored warrior army, stopped in front of Simon.

    ¡°Simon? Is it really you!?¡±

    Under the night sky, the voice of a dignified woman resounded.

    ¡°Yeah, Lia-nee¡±

    Hearing Simon¡¯s answer, an armor knight in dark grey armor, no, most probably a general flew down from a king-size unicorn.

    She gives the Halberd and Tower Shield to the warrior besides her as though she were forcing, and ran towards Simon with both hands spread.

    The appearance of a full armored girl approaching, was just like having an intimidating atmosphere of a steel wall approaching.

    Simon almost ran away, but he couldn¡¯t pull back in the situation, and epted the rush of his sister, the giant armor and helmet.

    At that moment, Kurono recalled the video of a dummy colliding head-on with a 10 ton truck, in the traffic safety ss of elementary school.

    ¡°Simon! You big fool, because you got deceived by the old hag that you had to¡ª¡ª¡±

    Simon while being strangled between two sturdy gauntlets, no, while being hugged, suddenly started to get lecture from her sister.

    The almost-going-to-sleep Simon, woke up around thetter part of her words.

    ¡°Umm, Lia-nee, right now I want you to help¡ª¡ª¡±

    He requested for rescue, the original aim.

    Kurono stood behind without saying anything, and started to observe Simon¡¯s sister.

    (Awesome, this is the first time I can see a girl taller than mom, or rather, isn¡¯t she taller than me too?)

    The results from the diagnosis were true, though she was wearing armored helmet, but her height was crossing 190cm.

    The scene of Simon, 150cm + somewhat, was more like that of parent and child embracing.

    However having a tall stature, the face peeking out of the helmet was not that of stern man or gori, but a well-ordered beautiful elf-like face.

    Her dark honey-colored blonde hair was different from Simon¡¯s ashen-colored hair, but her eyes were the same emerald green, her eyes and hair were of a typical Elf.

    Her slit eyes were beautiful, but they could give the impression of coldness more.

    As for Kurono, aside from that, he was more concerned about her not lowering her guard down even while hugging Simon.

    Kurono had a hunch that she had higher ability than himself.

    (If she would be hostile, no doubt we will die here.)

    With Simon here it should be fine, but even while thinking that, cold sweat streamed down his cheeks.

    After the state of tension, the talk between Simon and her sister was,

    ¡°¡ª¡ªWe know somewhat about the situation. His Majesty Leonhart wishes for epting all the refugees from Daedalus.¡±

    On those words, Kurono and Simon breathed a sigh of relief.

    Even Kurono knew about the name Leonhart, the king of Spada with a second name as¡ºSword King¡».

    Though being the people of Daedalus, an enemy nation, but still generously taking them in, for that Kurono gave him gratitude within his heart.

    However,

    ¡°It seems like we moved a littlete, the people who seemed to be refugees, all have died within the mountains of Ghad. Here too is quite brutal scene, just what happened?¡±

    Not only Adventurers, but also the refugees met the fate of death, that fact Kurono was about to know while travelling through the Ghad mountain range.

    .

    .

    .

    (simon POV)

    After wearing the morning outfit, I left the bedroom for getting breakfast,

    ¡°Ah, Good Morning......¡±

    ¡°Good Morning, so you were awake. I was thinking of beating you to wake you up if you were still sleeping.¡±

    And met with the person who speaks the most fearful things in morning, Lia-nee.

    She really wakes up others by ¡®beating¡¯ which I can¡¯t deal with, what¡¯s more it¡¯s not a p but punches.

    Many others say her face to be beautiful, but to me it looks like a face of man-eating dragon.

    Right now on her face, there were drops of sweat.

    Her blonde straight hair also seem somewhat wet.

    From her body wearing a thin shirt and simple leggings, steam is rising up, as though it is something like an aura, most probably she was doing martial skill training from early morning.

    It¡¯s good that I was not forced to apany her.

    She is the sister who has been bullying me with the punishment called training, while knowing my weak body constitution.

    The most of the reason as why I am doing work as an adventurer after running out from this Baliel house, is to run from this dreadful sister.

    Really dreadful, worst case psycho, overbearing, sister who doesn¡¯t treat others as people, a person who can¡¯t act as a good person like Onii-san¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Hm, are you thinking something rude, Simon?¡±

    Her line of sights attacks me as though it will releaseser beams.

    ¡°Eh, No, nothing¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nervousness easily appears on your face, really, you get flustered easily, still you call yourself a man.¡±

    While abusing, she grabs my both shoulders and forcefully pulls me.

    Due to the difference of more than 40 cm in height, Lia-nee bends forward, and brings her face really near that I can feel her breathing.

    T-This is the stance of threat, maybe because I was safe for 3 months, that my senses got dull and I got caught.

    The glint of light in the sharp green eyes, seems like it is peering through my eyes.

    Along with that, two mountains of ultra weight lean on my small chest, she is leaning her oversized breasts like it is natural.

    I feel unpleasant for myself getting embarrassed even if for one second.

    ¡°Simon, if you¡¯re not within the home then you¡¯re no good,e back.¡±

    And due to the words of rejection, the disgust within my corner of heart bursts out.

    ¡°I did not run away from home because of some child y......I¡¯m already an adult, and can live alo¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are weak. You cannot gain sess from being an adventurer. It would be good if any ordinary person lives its life being a low rank adventurer, but though you¡¯re adopted you still are a person of Baliel Family, that¡¯s why you have to live a life corresponding to the family status.¡±

    Theint of Lia-nee, I would have obediently epted if I was the eldest son.

    However, the sessor to Baliel, in other words my step brother are present, and there are 3 of them.

    ¡°Stepfather also consented to it, Lia-nee, you don¡¯t have any obligation to speak this and that.¡±

    ¡°Father is really kind towards you, Why don¡¯t you understand that he is letting you do your selfishness?¡±

    ¡°That is¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop the worthless research of something like alchemy, return back to home. It¡¯s not toote right now, I will give you the right ¡®job¡¯ which doesn¡¯t insult Baliel¡¯s family, listen, I am thinking about you, do you understand¡±

    ¡°Lia-nee is only worried about the status of family, not about me......¡±

    I won¡¯t say her to understand, just leave me alone.

    It¡¯s just that much, but this person interferes at each and every opportunity.

    Really, Lia-nee¡¯s mansion is not a good idea, even the parent¡¯s home is more better than this.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even use magic or martial skills, as an adventurer you are useless. Even after experiencing ¡®war¡¯ one time, you still don¡¯t understand that much?¡±

    These were not theints like before which I could refuse, this is fatal.

    ¡°You going speak excuses like alchemy is not fighting? Even so, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were protected till the end and are still living disgracefully.¡±

    ¡°S, Stop it......¡±

    ¡°Know your position, you¡¯re not strong enough to protect someone, you can never be strong.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    I try to shake the hands restraining me, but due to my powerlessness they didn¡¯t even budge a bit.

    That in turn acts as a symbol for my weakness, it is extremely shameful.

    ¡°Hmph, Whatever¡±

    She pushed me and released me from her hand restraint.

    Due to the push, I stumbled some steps, and fell on my backside, even more shameful.

    ¡°I will do this talkter.¡±

    After showing me eyes full of disgust, she turned her back towards me.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the survivors of the refugees you were worrying about, their treatment has been decided.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Really!? What will happen to them, no, where are they!?¡±

    I know the fact, the ¡®girl monster¡¯ who attacked us, had already killed all the refugees before the start of fight in Alsace.

    Though there was tragic state inside Ghad Mountain Range, but there were some who were saved miraculously like me.

    The survivors are only 50, at first there were more than 10,000, the survival rate was really low, just a mere, 0.5%

    Even so it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are survivors, I am greatly concerned of their treatment within Spada.

    This is an information that Onii-san, a normal adventurer, won¡¯t know anytime soon, and so I will have to tell him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient, I¡¯ll tell during breakfast.¡±

    Saying that, Lia-nee left as though she lost interest to talk with me anymore.

 Chapter 153 Shadow of Peace (1)

    Chapter 153 ¨C Shadow of Peace (1)

    13th of Month of Hatsuhi, it has been a week since the encounter with those annoying apostles.

    We were given entry to inside Spada, right now we are spending our peaceful holidays within an inn for adventurers.

    It took 3 days to cross Ghad Mountain Range to reach Spada, after arriving it took many days to give the information about the Daedalus and Alsace defensive battle, it is only from today that we can rx without doing anything.

    The report went through the guild, without any problems it waspleted.

    I had thought of things like torture interrogation, but it ended up as needles anxiety. I also want to refrain myself from using my divine protection with full power within Spada.

    When saying the guild, our fight was performed in the form of an emergency quest.

    The adventurer survivors are only 4, the refugees needed to be protected are almost near extinct with the dreadful death rate, the quest ended up as a failure, big failure.

    But, maybe because they took the circumstances into consideration, we were paid a little reward money.

    It¡¯s not like we fought for money, but thinking about Kurono¡¯s hardships, upon getting the really low reward money, I was about to get help from the fairy Queen.

    Anyhow, like this the aftermath of battle got over.

    We didn¡¯t get anything, but I got to Spada with Kurono like I had thought, it is good.

    However, it was outside my expectations that, that shrewd alchemist survived.

    It would have been better if he died, but got saved......really, the passion of woman is a terrifying thing, because though being a person with rank 4 abilities, she was able to save him through the attack of an Apostle.

    I am the person who knows the best of her, Susu¡¯s feelings, so I don¡¯t have any intention toin her for doing useless things, I just can¡¯t say anything.

    I am half fairy, and I pay respect and admire a lovestruck maiden with pure heart, it really is nice.

    However, it is another story if Simon gets saved and I need to feel unpleasant feelings.

    That weak stick like man, was the one who made me feel jealousy, though I can ignore the bad feelings, but I can¡¯t see him as a nice person.

    No, I¡¯ll put aside myints for now, that isn¡¯t the problem that is worrying me now.

    The most important pending issue is, the feelings of Kurono.

    No matter of how many of refugees are sacrificed, I don¡¯t give a shit, looking at the scores of other¡¯s ying board game is more interesting than their dying numbers.

    As for adventurers who fought with us, I will give them good evaluation, and I thought some were nice, but upon their death it¡¯s not to the extent I would cry and be depressed, at most I only regret at the loss of excellent pawns.

    But, it won¡¯t go that way for kind-hearted Kurono, he can¡¯t find a practical answer like the loss of pawns.

    I know it from the time at Vige of Irz, Kuronoments, mourns for, and worries about the loss of any person, even if it wasn¡¯t because of him.

    The second defeat, the fight this time, has given the damage which cannot bepared to the one of Vige of Irz, Kurono has taken a severe shock due to it.

    At this rate it will be bad, this time Kurono¡¯s heart is near destruction, I have to somehow cheer him up.

    Fortunately, there is time.

    It¡¯s good tofort and heal Kurono¡¯s injured heart, slowly, not anyone else, but me.

    ¡°......Fufufu¡±

    ¡°Oh, Lily-san, are you making an evil plot?¡±

    Hearing the voice of Fiona, sitting on a seat around the circr table, I am brought back to reality from the ocean of thoughts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak disgraceful things¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, no matter how I looked, it was an evil smile, so unintentionally.¡±

    Ipletely think that this woman doesn¡¯t know to coat the wordsing out of mouth.

    But, if I get irritated at everything then I can¡¯t apany this airheaded witch, the idiotic rude remarks, I have already gotten used to them.

    ¡°Kurono-san is still noting¡±

    It would be better to say that you can¡¯t wait anymore, she shows integrity at strange time.

    To wait in front of a table with breakfast prepared, is like a torture to this glutton witch.

    But even so she is bearing withoutining, maybe she is putting effort though being clumsy.

    ¡°Kurono is tired, wait quietly. Compared to Kurono you have quite a calm andposed face, I thought a normal human would be somewhat depressed.¡±

    A little nasty question.

    Fiona hasn¡¯t taken any type of shock from this massive sacrifice just like me.

    I¡¯m curious about that thing a little.

    Just what is this woman hiding inside her heart?

    ¡°Won¡¯t Lily-san understand my heart with your telepathy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a nerve to say something like that after casting ¡®protect¡¯ on it¡±

    Fiona¡¯s true feelings, the innermost parts of her heart are being protected by a strong mind protect that my telepathy cannot break through.

    I can only read her true feelings that she doesn¡¯t want to hide, the outer surface only. I cannot reach to the feelings she wants keep as secret.

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural for creating a wall around heart. for a witch¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking like this, so, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask what is it......¡±

    At first she looks constantly expressionless, but I felt hesitation rising up on the surface of her heart.

    ¡°......I too have taken a shock, but, having a person who has taken even greater shock in front of me, it helps me to calm down.¡±

    ¡°I see, that might be right¡±

    For a normal person, it is answer to consent on.

    It is just like the situation when someone is about to get angry, but seeing his/her friend get angry, the anger subsides.

    But, if it really was that reason,

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I¡¯m worried about Kurono-san¡®

    Then you won¡¯t have that expressionless face, Fiona?

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I too am worried, I need to cheer him up¡±

    Now that I can¡¯t read her true feelings, this is nothing more than a guess, but Fiona didn¡¯t get any shock from the current situation at all.

    If you say it¡¯s like mine, then no it¡¯s not, She has taken shock to the fact that ¡®She didn¡¯t get any shock¡¯.

    For a normal and decent person, it¡¯s natural to grieve and moan like Kurono, but it didn¡¯t go like that for her herself, even if the refugees died, therades who fought with us died, her heart didn¡¯t waver.

    Geez, having an half-assed moral is really a trouble, just why do people hesitate to sacrifice others for protecting your important person or thing.

    Their feelings, are only natural that I can understand, but I won¡¯t ever agree to them for eternity.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono-san came¡±

    Fiona speaks in a somewhat happy voice, is she that happy to be able to eat food, no, why wouldn¡¯t be this glutton happy to be able to eat good.

    ¡°Good Morning Kurono-san¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Good Morning, Sorry, for making you wait¡ª¡ª¡±

    Kurono came after exchanging salutations with Fiona, he doesn¡¯t look any different from always.

    But, the things he had lost in the fight have greatly changed the outward appearance of his.

    He has lost his trademark as a ck magician¡ºBaphomet¡¯s Embrace¡», and now is only wearing a clean shirt and worn-out ck-dyed leather pants, it¡¯s a casual attire for a normal person.

    If Kurono¡¯s body was not filled with toned muscles and not having a iron te card hanging from his neck, one wouldn¡¯t know he is a adventurer.

    But, the thing that firstly attracts attention is the eyepatch covering his left eye.

    Due to thest attack of 8th Apostle Ai, Kurono lost his left eye, right now the thing inside his eye socket is the hardened ck magic¡ºBody Supplementation¡»as a substitute. A temporary fake eye, of course there is no eyesight in that.

    Though there is high-grade healing magic to restore something that is lost, but Kurono didn¡¯t seem like he cared much about it, and didn¡¯t even ask for it.

    Though the bandage which was painful to look at has been removed, but looking at Kurono wearing the white eyepatch for medical use, it looks like he is hurt and in pain, and my heart feels like it is about to break.

    I¡¯m sorry, I cannot heal it, the fairy drug cannot restore the eyeball......I¡¯m regretting at my inadequacy.

    ¡°What happened Lily, are you sick?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all, I¡¯mpletely fine¡±

    To Kurono¡¯s worrying kind words, I reply with a cute smile.

    Yeah, I¡¯m fine, the one who is not fine, is Kurono.

    How can you keep that calm face? I know Kurono¡¯s deep anguish.

    But still, during these normal days, you worry about me, smile, and be kind.

    You don¡¯t have to do that much, It¡¯s alright, to be cooped up in the room, and cried the whole day, you can even rely on me too.

    I will take care of you, I will keep on taking care of you.

    That¡¯s why stop pretending to be fine for not making me worried about you¡ª¡ªbut, you trying so hard for me, those feelings are unbearably pleasant, I can¡¯t go against the pleasure of them tormenting my heart splendidly. [ET: S&M in one.?]

    It¡¯s bad, the person who needs to cheer up, is you and it¡¯s my responsibility, but if you keep on doing that I will only be pampered.

    I can¡¯t be drowned in Kurono¡¯s kindness, I have to be helpful to him, after all I¡¯m his fellow partner, for now only.

 Chapter 154 Shadow of Peace (2)

    Chapter 154 ¨C Shadow of Peace (2)

    Kurono, Lily and Fiona are taking a somewhatte breakfast in¡ºTail of Cat¡»inn, the ce they are lodging.

    This unique inn organised with all war cats, is suitable for lower-middle or low rank adventurers, there are many adventurers who are drifting from the intense outside quests use this ce, a perfect inn for Kurono and others.

    It isn¡¯t splendidly tasty, but while eating a good amount of food, the three talk about the ns of today.

    ¡¸What shall we do today? Should we go to Guild and look at some quests?¡¹

    His outward appearance is calm andposed which he is pretending, while thinking the ideal work of an adventurer, Kurono gives out such a proposal.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t need to overstrain yourself Kurono, it¡¯s good if you rest a little more¡¹

    While being in the child appearance, having brought back her adult consciousness back, Lily speaks words of worry to Kurono.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine, and we don¡¯t have any surplus money too¡¹

    The reward for the emergency quest, was 10 gold per person, more briefly it was paid in the money unit of Spada that is 100,000 n. [ET/TN: n is the currency unit]

    In Daedalus the silver or gold was used just as it was, but in the city-state in the central part of Pandora Continent including Spada all used the currency unit called¡ºn¡».

    1 n = 1 Silver is an normal and easy to understand currency value, even an not-good-with-mind adventurer can understand it.

    ¡¸With 300,000 n, won¡¯t be able to live normally for some time?¡¹(Fiona)

    This inn takes 3000 n for 1 night, simple calction they can stay for 100 days here.

    Along with the food, drinks and other expenses, they can live for a little over 1 month, even Kurono quickly understood it.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, if we can reduce your food expenses then we can ¡®live for more long¡¯ with this much money.¡¹

    ¡¸Are you trying to tell me to die, Lily-san?¡¹

    In front of Fiona the tes ced are twice the amount Kurono and Lily ate.

    It felt like it had been a long time seeing Fiona¡¯s real ability.

    ¡¸We can¡¯t just spend it all on living expenses, We are adventurers, now that we have already spent a lot, why don¡¯t we go to shopping today to buy new equipments.¡¹

    Ignoring Fiona, who is increasing food expenses with her additional food orders, Lily gives out such a proposal.

    ¡¸Shopping, eh, certainly we should......¡¹

    Surely, Kurono lost too many things in the previous two fights.

    Starting from his favorite ck robe¡ºBaphomet¡¯s Embrace¡», the rare baton made for ck magical power¡ºck Ballista Replica¡», the swords used in Sword Arts, all and every sort of potions, et cetera.

    In the end, the only things left with him are¡ºCured Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»with a big hole in it from the attack of arrow and the¡ºMithril Sword¡»stolen from Cyprus.

    Mostly all of the equipments needed in fights, either have exhaustedpletely, or broken.

    ¡¸We need to many things, if we couldn¡¯t manage it then 300,000 will just leave our hands quickly.¡¹

    Towards the two with no damage to equipments, Kurono ends up feelings guilty.

    ¡¸It¡¯s not much of problem, something like 300,000 we can earn it easily.¡¹

    It¡¯s only ¡®small change¡¯, Lily refrained herself from saying it.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, we have to work hard and earn money.¡¹

    Kurono, felt a need to hurry, in this situation with nothing to do.

    Along with Spada¡¯s Military force, and the impregnable stronghold set up near the Ghad Mountain Range, so even if Crusaders were toe Spada has the strength to stop their advance, Kurono and other¡¯s heard all this information some days ago during the time of exnation in Spada¡¯s Adventurer Guild.

    However, due to the precedents of Daedalus Army, no matter how much ¡®It will be fine¡¯ is said, the uneasiness just won¡¯t rub off.

    Just what could he could do as a mere adventurer, even Kurono understands the limits from his position.

    A rank 1 and an outsider adventurer at that, the words of him will be taken as nonsense and he won¡¯t be able to get the attention to Spada Army, it¡¯s obvious even before doing it.

    He can¡¯t do anything but pray that Spada Army¡¯s upper echelons are now more vignt towards Crusaders, after the report of Emergency quest and information of Daedalus¡¯s fall.

    Because he knows that, Kurono doesn¡¯t say anything, Lily too thinks that the matter is out of their hands now, and she is talking as if she has forgotten about it.

    But even so, Kurono can¡¯t forget about Crusaders, and couldn¡¯t help but worry about it.

    The only realistic thing he can do, is once again fight as an adventurer in war when Crusaderse attacking at Spada.

    Thinking that, he needs to prepare for the fight against Crusaders, no, more precisely, Kurono thinks he needs toplete his duty to get ¡®Strong¡¯ so as to notment over his powerlessness.

    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s do shopping today, I also want to get familiar with this city¡¹

    Still, Kurono couldn¡¯t help butment, regret and say NO to the activities he needs to do for bing strong, at least for now.

    Humans are not that simple after all.

    Right now, just like Lily is thinking, Kurono needed rest.

    ¡¸Ufufu, it¡¯s the first time I havee to a big city, I can¡¯t wait much.¡¹

    Lily sends a good and pure looking smile to Kurono

    ¡¸Yeah, Spada surely is big¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Excuse me, Customer¡¹

    At that moment a voice calls out from behind Kurono.

    They weren¡¯t too noisy were they? While thinking that he turns back, there stood a short werecat in apron, let it be the appearance or statement, without a doubt it is a staff of this inn.

    ¡¸You are Kurono-sama, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    ¡¸A letter has been sent for you, here you go.¡¹

    While saying words of gratitude, just who would have given the letter, feeling that question in mind he looks at the front, and get the answer.

    ¡¸From Simon, huh¡¹

    From the moment they reached Spada, Simon went his own way and they to their own.

    He was taken by his elder sister themanding officer of the help squad, and maybe because he was busy they couldn¡¯t meet after that.

    He had doubts how he could pinpoint his location, but then, if he is rted to someone with great reputation in Spada like his sister, it¡¯s an easy task to know the whereabouts of an adventurer or so Kurono guessed.

    ¡¸So, What about Simon?¡¹

    ¡¸Hm, Yeah, Err......¡¹

    Upon getting urged to hurry from Lily, Kurono looked at the letter.

    After reading the whole letter, Kurono conveyed the contents in a serious expression.

    ¡¸The location of the survivors from refugees is written.¡¹

    I see, Lily replies that small word, and guesses the shopping today is now cancelled.

 Chapter 155 Rejection (1)

    Chapter 155 ¨C Rejection (1)

    Spada is structured with the royal castle in centre, and the castle town spreading in concentric circles.

    It is the same as the capital city of Daedalus, no, as a matter of fact Daedalus was made taking Spada as a reference.

    Daedalus was protected by the outer walls, and inner walls covering the royal castle, but Spada has crossed that and there are tripleyers of protection.

    The third protective wall, in other words the first outer wall, just inside it is the lower ss district, themon people live here, the inn Kurono and others are living is also located here.

    Next the second outer wall, is separated from the inner wall, it is the upper ss district, the wealthy merchants or nobles live here, the adventurer guild of Spada is also located here, but is only avable to rank 4 adventurers and above. It ispletely unrted ce for Kurono and others right now.

    And the most inner part is the third protective wall, it is the outer wall which protects the royalty of Spada, centre of the country, the royal castle.

    It is the most important area where an outsider like Kurono will be punished the moment he steps there. The most probable way for a normal person to stand here would be to join the Spada Army.

    Having no intention to change the job from adventurer, Kurono and others can only use the area between 3rd protective wall and 2nd protective wall, the lower ss district.

    And, the ce he is headed towards the ce where refugees were living, was also naturally in this area.

    ¡¸This ce seems like slums¡¹

    Fiona gives out her as usual extremely frank impressions.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t say that much, people will can hear it.¡¹

    Though Kurono acted slightly modest, but deep in heart he too had the same thoughts.

    But it couldn¡¯t be helped, even without any discrimination intentions, it is very difficult to say this ce, with filthy and dirty houses made of broken stone and wood, is a very good living environment.

    The images of slum quarters of Rio de Janeiro, Kurono saw in Television long before, frequently pass through his mind.

    Beyond the dark alleys, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if some man with good body build is doing the illegal transactions of drugs, this atmosphere was drifting all over the ce.

    ¡¸But, they weren¡¯t driven off to the extreme slum areas, Spada does give some generous treatment to them¡¹

    Though Lily thought it to be already nauseating here already, but her words were not a lie, because outside the third protective wall, is the most lowest area in much more bad state.

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right¡¹

    Kurono too shows agreement.

    Because he is also engaging in upation like adventurer with life at risk, that he is living in simple yet clean inn.

    They were all farmers till now, having lost theirnds, how will they live in this Spada, maybe they will unwillingly be adventurers, Kurono guessed as such.

    However, he discards the idea of looking after them, after all it is only a sort of arrogance.

    ¡¸Hey Kurono, after meeting them, what will you say?¡¹

    While walking through the somewhatplicated maze-like alleys, Lily asked.

    ¡¸I......¡¹

    There are survivors of refugees though very few, the time he head this news, he was extremely delighted.

    But, at the time of meeting them, there wouldn¡¯t be a chance both him and others will be pleased at each other¡¯s good health.

    The 50 survivors who survived with only the survival rate being 0.5% he couldn¡¯t finds the right words to say to them.

    ¡¸......Don¡¯t know¡¹

    Will it be good to say, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive?

    Or to repent, saying that he couldn¡¯t save anyone?

    Or would he worry, how they will live from now on?

    ¡¸Though I don¡¯t know, but if they are alive, I need to talk to them.¡¹

    He can¡¯t find the words, but his feelings are without a doubt true.

    That¡¯s why, the moment he got the news about them from the letter from Simon, he without hesitation came walking till here to meet them.

    Lily already had a bad premonition, but she couldn¡¯t find the right words to stop Kurono.

    .

    .

    .

    Around the three-story apartment like stone building, bungalows of wood are lined.

    Not any different from the deserted ce from before, this one corner was, given to the refugees to live here temporarily.

    The small childs, have been given to orphanage or temples of Spada, but other than them most of people are still living here.

    In front of apartment, there were groups of people talking about of something.

    Middle-aged men, small werecats, goblins wearing bandages on arms, lizardmen having many scales broken, there are various people of various races there.

    Kurono finds some faces he has seen, and is convinced the refugees from Daedalus are really here.

    However, Kurono couldn¡¯t find any words for them, they looked depressed and had no life in eyes.

    The moment he resolved to call out to them, at that moment.

    ¡¸Oi, bastard!¡¹

    To the sudden voice, he turns back quickly, there stood a young man.

    ¡¸bastard, you¡¯re Kurono, the adventurer one! Why are you alive! How dare you show your face in front of us, huh!!¡¹

    The face of screaming man, Kurono remembered it.

    ¡¸You are, Nachim¡¹

    This man was the child of chief of Kwar Vige, and the leader of vignte corps.

    At the time of meeting in vige, he abused Kurono and rejected his proposal to run to Spada. Kurono has some past with him, so he remembered him clearly.

    Even 1 month hasn¡¯t passed, but his good physique body is now ragged out.

    With just that much, it¡¯s simple to imagine what sort of situation he met with.

    ¡¸Bastard! Just because you said to run to Spada, that it ended up like this!!¡¹

    ¡¸S-Stop, that¡ª¡ª¡¹

    To the sudden false usation, he tried to reply back, but Nachim didn¡¯t pay heed to it.

    ¡¸How dare you deceive us! I didn¡¯t knew we would be hunted by t-tha-that dreadful monster!¡¹

    ¡¸I didn¡¯t had any intention to deceive, if we didn¡¯t run then all would have died.¡¹

    The ¡®monster¡¯ he is saying, is most probably the apostle.

    Even if he said, that he didn¡¯t knew that that monster would hunt them, but Kurono himself didn¡¯t knew that an Apostle was waiting for them.

    To the escape to Spada, Kurono has no doubt it was the best option avable.

    However, the results which are near the extent ofplete extinction, are without a doubt the reality.

    ¡¸Shut up! It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s all your fault, you jinx, angel of death! Fuck, what happened to adventurer, fucking you yourself are only alive! Shit! Fu, Hihihi, I see, I understand, Bastard, you let every other adventurer die as sacrifices so that you can run away yourself! Isn¡¯t that right! That¡¯s why a scumbag sleaze life adventurer like you are alive!!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s wrong! I didn¡¯t leave anyo¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Kurono¡¯s words don¡¯t reach, they can¡¯t.

    Nachim couldn¡¯t control his anger with just screaming, and took out his sword hanging on his waist.

    He was more or less the head of vignte corps, the posture while holding sword is also somewhat refined.

    But, his anger and bloodlust increased, due to it the point of sword started trembling.

    ¡¸Oi, Wait, Calm down¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Shut up! It¡¯s all you fault many died......father too, my subordinates too, everyone, everyone died because of you!!¡¹

    Nachim talks big as if he would cut at any moment.

    But, even before the sword is swung downward, Kurono took an ¡®attack¡¯ on his body.

    ¡¸!?¡¹

    That was, a small stone.

    It hit Kurono¡¯s cor and returns to being a road-side-lying pebble.

    With a dumbfounded expression, Kurono looked at the person who threw the stone at him.

    ¡¸It¡¯s your fault¡¹

    It was a young boy.

    His age has passed 10, his skin is tanned due to sun, maybe from helping parent¡¯s field work.

    Even in Irz, in Alsace too, it was a boy who can found at any farm vige.

    However, the boy is right now making an expression filled with hatred, that a young boy would never make.

    ¡¸I, ......¡¹

    One more stone came flying.

    This time it wasn¡¯t the boy, but the mother of yet small girl.

    ¡¸It¡¯s due to you, all because of you¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Before he knew it, many people made a crowd in front of him.

    ¡¸It¡¯s all your damn fucking fault!¡¹

    ¡¸You dare deceive us!¡¹

    ¡¸Return my child!¡¹

    ¡¸Die! Die and apologize!¡¹

    And many stones, rapidly are thrown on Kurono, filled with malice and hostility.

    ¡¸Ku......S-Stop it......¡¹

    On Kurono¡¯s enhanced tough body, stones thrown by people, won¡¯t even make it near the damage point.

    But, the malice in each stone, scooped out Kurono¡¯s heart.

    The ¡®worst¡¯ attack, which couldn¡¯t be blocked by any defensive magic.

    ¡¸S-Stop, It......¡¹

    The responsibility for thisrge sacrifice all lies in only Kurono, looking objectively at it, it just can¡¯t be.

    The person who was wrong is, the 11th Apostle Misa, there isn¡¯t any other person more worst than her.

    But, that thing matters no more to them, it won¡¯t be a reason from them to stop throwing stones.

    The sphemousments of Nachim, are now the only reality to them.

    It only that, Kurono got chosen as the scapegoat to run away from the responsibility of this unbearable sorrow.

    However, even if he knew it, Kurono right now, neither could say anything back to them, nor could block the stones thrown at him.

    Hence, the person to stop it,

    ¡¸Stop it¡ª¡ª¡¹

    was only Lily, no one else.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªor I¡¯ll kill you¡¹

    At that moment, a sphere of white light pass through Kurono¡¯s vision.

    The flood, of light and explosion sound gulps down the surroundings.

    ¡¸Wha, OI!? Lily!?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve not hurt anyone¡¹

    The worst scenery went through Kurono¡¯s head, but Lily standing in front of him, denies it with a cold voice.

    It¡¯s only the warning shot, in other words, a sh grenade sort of thing.

    The moment light and sounds reduce and silence returns, in front of Nachim wielding his sword, stood Lily in her young girl, true form.

    ¡¸L-Lily-san......?¡¹

    It¡¯s the first time Nachim saw the true appearance of Lily, but he still understood her identity.

    Having an overwhelming beauty in front of him, the anger in Nachim¡¯s heart is overwritten by the Charm¡¯s ability.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t do anymore than this, We too, will nevere in front of you people again¡¹

    ¡¸H-However......¡¹

    ¡¸Please?¡¹

    To Nachim, the words of Lily smiling coldly, felt like the words of God.

    ¡¸I-It can¡¯t be helped! Stop, Stop everyone!¡¹

    Nachim turned back, and to the group who were throwing the stones, he threw the words to stop.

    Maybe he still had the charisma of vignte corp leader, or he was afraid of Lily¡¯s threat, the stones or abuse both didn¡¯te again at Kurono.

    And, he dispersed everyone, the people dispersed here and there while speaking words ofints to Kurono.

    Now, only Kurono, Lily and Fiona, who stoodpletely unrted from start till end, were left there.

    Lily, took the hand of dumbfounded and petrified Kurono, and smiled warmly at him.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go back, Kurono?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, you saved me Lily, Thank you¡¹

    Showing much more brighter smile, Lily tried to speak the words of gratitude, but the next moment her expression froze.

    ¡¸But, sorry, can you leave me alone for now......¡¹

    Having said that, Kurono quickly shook off Lily¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 156 Rejection (2)

    Chapter 156 ¨C Rejection (2)

    ¡¸But, sorry, can you leave me alone for now......¡¹

    Lily looked at her shaken off hand and Kurono¡¯s face with a vacant expression alternatively.

    ¡¸Eh, Ah......But......¡¹

    On Kurono¡¯s unexpected words and actions, Lily revealed a clumsy smile on her frozen expression and replies.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, you might be worrying, but I, no matter what, want to be alone for some time¡¹

    Kurono too, showed a strained smile, and replied back to Lily.

    ¡¸T-that......¡¹

    ¡¸Please, can you listen to my selfish request?¡¹

    That was, a precise rejection.

    At that moment, Lily had the feelings of rejection thrust from Kurono at her for first time.

    Lily being a fairy having telepathic power, she is able to sense the feelings and consciousness that appear on the surface, Kurono was not an exception.

    Till now Kurono, didn¡¯t even had any stress towards Lily living with him let alone having evil feelings towards her.

    And that thing, Lily who can read the feelings understood it the best.

    But, right at this moment, Kurono thought to keep a distance between the two, she thought that.

    That was neither because of ufortability, or he disliked Lily¡¯s attitude.

    It was because if Lily stayed with him, she would see his appearance that he wants to hide.

    I don¡¯t want to show my pitiable appearance to Lily, that was without a doubt, the pride of Kurono as a man, that he has been keeping from the time he met her in the Forest of Fairies.

    Hence, right now, when he has taken a shock he can¡¯t bear, he wanted to disappear from before Lily for some time.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry......¡¹

    If she was in her calm state, she would have understood Kurono¡¯s feelings, no, even without telepathy, she could have guessed it from his words, attitude and actions.

    But however, the thing that appeared on Kurono¡¯s outer surface, the feelings to¡¸Run away from Lily¡¹, assaulted Lily¡¯s heart with the most strongest attack she has felt in her whole 32 years long life.

    Having been rejected by Kurono for the first time, was more than enough for her to lose her calm.

    Destroying the Fountain of Light, letting everyone die, all those things were not able to create ripples in the heart of peerlessly cruel, cold-hearted Lily, but at this moment, her heart was shivering severely.

    Just like, the heart of a pure lovestruck maiden who got refused on her confession towards her unrequited love person.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m sorry, for giving you needless worry, but, I will be fine even if you leave me for now¡¹

    ¡¸No......It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m sorry for stopping you¡¹

    Lily, wanted to praise herself for replying without going crazy.

    But her tone of voice was certainly wavering.

    And that Lily¡¯s change, couldn¡¯t be notice be Kurono who is now not caring about anyone else.

    On the surface, Kurono is left alone, and Lily epted those words, just that much.

    ¡¸Fiona, I¡¯m sorry, but can you too go back home first along with Lily?¡¹

    He speaks to Fiona who was standing besides him as though she was shadow in dark with no presence.

    ¡¸Understood¡¹

    Of course, if Lily couldn¡¯t stop Kurono, it¡¯s impossible for Fiona to do it then, though she too was worried about for Kurono.

    ¡¸I will be back by dinner time, sorry, the shopping can be done at ater date¡¹

    ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it¡¹

    Saying the words of apology along with a wry smile, Kurono starts walking towards the different way from the road, he moved towards a dark alley.

    The figure of Kurono going away, Lily watched it with her eyes opened wide while shivering her body little by little.

    Still, Lily couldn¡¯t speak the words to stop him from going away.

    ¡¸Lily-san, let¡¯s go back¡¹

    While seeing the wings of Lily which have lost their light, Fiona asked her with worry mixed in her voice.

    But as though she didn¡¯t hear her voice, Lily just stood there staring at the alley Kurono disappeared into.

    ¡¸Lily-sa¡ª¡ª!?¡¹

    She moved to the front of Lily, the moment she saw Lily¡¯s face, Fiona sucked in cold breath on the unexpected scene.

    ¡¸Hi......Gusu......¡¹

    From the beautiful emerald eyes, transparent shining jewel-likerge drops of tears were falling.

    ¡¸Uu, Gusu......K, Kurono......¡¹

    She shaked her slender shoulders, and while covering her face with white slim hands,

    ¡¸Kurono got angry at me......U, Uwaaaaaaaaa!¡¹

    Lily cried for the first time in life.

    Having refused by her favorite person, being afraid of getting hated, she cried while raising voice.

    As though the sorrow of her heart is seeping out, the tears continue falling without any end.

    ¡¸Lily-san, even if you cry, I don¡¯t know what to do¡¹

    The most-unsociable person like Fiona, wouldn¡¯t even know the right way to console a crying person.

    But, she did feel it won¡¯t be good if this crying-young girl fairy is seen by people.

    ¡¸For the time being, cover the face with this¡¹

    And then Fiona, removed the trademark of witches, three-cornered hat from her head and put in on Lily¡¯s head.

    The witch with pale light blue hair exposed, stood besides the fairy till she stopped crying.

 Chapter 157 Rejection (3)

    Chapter 157 Rejection (3)

    Without any aim, I kept on wandering around.

    I kept on walking through this dark, narrow alley. It was if this was a maze.

    I think I said something like ¡®I¡¯ll be back by dinner¡¯ but I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be able to go back from her, no, in the first ce, do I even feel like going back?

    By the time the sun sets, will I be able to shake of these feelings inside me and tell Lily and Fiona that I¡¯m fine with a smile?

    Impossible. I don¡¯t have the will power to put up a false bravado or a bluff at all.

    ¡°My fault, is it?¡±

    No, that wasn¡¯t my fault.

    If we hadn¡¯t run towards Spada, everyone really would have died.

    I, we fought desperately, to let everyone run away.

    We didn¡¯t know how many of them were there, but those damned Crusaders just kept oning no matter how many we killed. Against them, our power was limited.

    We did buy time, it was barely but we did buy just enough time to run away.

    But, in the end, it was all toote, it was useless. While we were fighting, everyone had already died by the hands of the Apostle called Misa.

    That¡¯s right, the one who should be hated is that Apostle ying around that ruined everything. It isn¡¯t my responsibility.

    After all I fought so hard.

    ¡°As if I could say that.......¡±

    Annihted, that¡¯s the result. That¡¯s all that matters, that¡¯s the reality.

    Responsibility, excuses, they don¡¯t matter anymore.

    It¡¯s all my fault, that¡¯s right, I couldn¡¯t protect any of them.

    In front of the graves of my friends in Irz vige, I swore, I swore that I won¡¯t let anyone else die any more. But even then, haha, how ridiculous, look at the number of casualties I have created.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t........protect anybody.¡±

    My heart sank, deeper and deeper, in regret, guilt and helplessness.

    I guess, someone like me, a mere high schooler like me, was stupid to think that I could save so many people.

    Due to the body modifications and experiments, just because I was given a slightly more power than humans, I ended up deluding myself that I could protect people.

    I couldn¡¯t save Irz vige. Even though I had failed once, I still didn¡¯t learn. I really am an idiot.

    I should have known my own ce better.

    Yes, from the time I met Sariel on the castle walls of Daedalus, I had made the wrong choices.

    Thinking that I could save everyone if I put my life on the line, I chose to stupidly fight.

    I really am an incurable idiot. Was I trying to be a hero? I¡¯m not someone great enough who could save people.

    I¡¯m just one single human who can¡¯t even protect himself properly.

    That time, I should have simply agreed to Sariel¡¯s words when she said that she wouldn¡¯t chase me even if I run away, and should have simply taken Lily away with me.

    That was the correct answer. That would have been the best answer. Everyone else can very well be damned!

    That¡¯s right, just as Cyprus had said, I will remain as No.49 forever. I should know my own limits of what I can actually protect.

    I should stop thinking of protecting everyone.

    I should stop thinking that I can save people.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have what it takes to save someone.......¡±

    Yes, just think only of yourself and those extremely precious to you.

    Don¡¯t take too many responsibilities. Don¡¯t uselessly butt your head into things.

    Because, no matter what I want, what I do, this will be the result.

    There¡¯s only pain, suffering, and sadness in that.

    These feelings, such feelings are too heavy for me. I¡¯m not someone who can carry them. I shouldn¡¯t be the one to be burdened by them.

    The only people I¡¯m responsible for are me and the few of my preciousrades, that¡¯s all.

    I don¡¯t care anymore. No matter how much the Crusaders conquer over the Pandora continent, it doesn¡¯t concern me anymore.

    It¡¯s fine as long as only we run away. If it¡¯s just running away without fighting, I can manage, I can keep on living.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I¡¯m not going to try and save anyone anymore.¡±

    Give up, give up on everyone else. Ignore them. They don¡¯t concern me. Leave them be.

    I am me, they are they. Everyone¡¯s responsible for their own lives.

    I¡¯ll remember this. So that I don¡¯t fail again, so that I don¡¯t suffer again. I¡¯m not a person who can save people, I¡¯m not a hero. I have my hands full simply taking care of myself. I¡¯m just one small person.

    Yes, this is my resolve. I¡¯ll abandon others and I¡¯ll act ording to it.

    ¡°Kyaa! Help!¡ª¨C¡°

    At that moment, a shrill scream entered my ears.

    My body that had been moving as if it didn¡¯t even recognise my surroundings; finally my consciousness faced the outside.

    The ce I¡¯m standing now is the same as the one I was standing before. A part of the dirty slums.

    I couldn¡¯t hear the screams anymore but, in the alley just in front of me, some voices that seemed to be quarrelling came out showing that the scream I heard before wasn¡¯t an illusion.

    My heartbeat became faster.

    Is someone getting attacked there?

    Then, quickly I need to¡ª-

    ¡°Ha,hahaha, Am I an idiot!?¡±

    To have forgotten my resolve in just 3 steps, I¡¯m really an incurable idiot.

    I will not try to save anybody else, I can¡¯t do it properly anyway.

    ¡°Avoid troublesome things. Adventurers are such people right?¡±

    I began to walk.

    When I passed through the alley from which many voices wereing out, I unintentionally shifted my gaze towards it.

    ¡°auu, st, stop, please......¡±

    ¡°Shut up! If you give it to us obediently you won¡¯t have to feel any pain, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and pay fucking brat!¡±

    A girl had been cornered to a wall and threerge men were closing in on her.

    It¡¯s a clich¨¦d extortion scene, no, the girl is good looking with her ck long hair and ruby red eyes. If even a single one of those men liked younger ones, it won¡¯t end with them simply taking her valuables.

    Thinking what else could be stolen, I felt disgusted and sick.

    ¡°Stop thinking foolish things.¡±(kurono)

    At such a ce, such things should be normal.

    What would happen if I try to act smart and get involved in some big mess?

    Those 3 men look like typical thugs but if they have the backing of some gang that rules the underground of this town? Even if it wasn¡¯t something so grandiose, there¡¯s a high chance that they could have a lot ofrades.

    If I made someone like them into enemies, it simply won¡¯t end as something ¡®troublesome¡¯. There¡¯s a chance that we¡¯ll be in danger 24/7.

    Also, there¡¯s a chance that even with those looks, they might be strong level 5 adventurers and stronger than me.

    Impossible, that word doesn¡¯t exist. I had thought that it would be impossible for an Apostle to appear and in the end, everyone was killed by that Apostle.

    An Apostle eh? Haha, maybe one of those men is also an Apostle like the 8th Apostle Ai, no, maybe all three of them are Apostles.

    When I was thinking that only Sariel was on Pandora, 2 of them appeared and at the same time in front of me. Considering how they appear out of nowhere, it¡¯s not impossible.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! I¡¯m saying to hurry up, aren¡¯t I?!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, noo¡ª¨C¡°

    The man in the centre violently grabbed the girl who looked younger than Lily¡¯s true form.

    Due to the momentum, her grey simple clothes tore and bared her white shoulders and body.

    Seeing till that, I passed by the alley.

    From behind me, the voices of those thugs and the screaming of that girl could be heard.

    ¡°This is fine.¡±

    I¡¯ve decided, to not try to save anyone else.

 Chapter 158 The Power of Protection (1)

    Chapter 158 The Power of Protection (1)

    Robbery, theft, extortion, pickpocketing, almost every kind of crime rted to money was something very normal in slums and areas where poor people lived.

    Of course, Spada was no exception.

    Even now, in an unpopted alleyway, a pitiful victim was currently present.

    ¡°Kyaa! Help!¡ª¡ª-¡°

    Young, probably around the age of 10, the girl raised a scream asking for help but her scream was soon stopped.

    Before she realized, in front of him 3 men were standing. All of them were humans including the girl herself. It wasn¡¯t really rare in Spada where the poption was vast and high.

    Each of those men hadrge bodies and their arms seemed to have strong muscles. Also, the numerous scars made them look even more viinous.

    ¡°auu, st, stop, please......¡±

    As the men approached with dreadful expressions, she felt that the men looked even bigger.

    The words spoken by the girl were truly weak but the fact that she was even able to say that was praise worthy.

    ¡°Shut up! It¡¯ll be fine as long as you give it to us?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and pay, little brat!¡±

    Of course, the men wouldn¡¯t stop just because she said so. The men had no guilt even whenmiting such crimes.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! Hurry it up I said!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, noo¡ª¨C¡°

    As the man in the middle got impatient, he violently grabbed the cor of the girl.

    She was also wearing the same simple and shabby clothes that the children in this area wore.

    Let alone magical effects, one could tell that it was an inferior product just by looking at its material quality.

    Due to the force of the man, the cloth tore open with a ripping sound.

    The girls bare skin was exposed.

    Even if one didn¡¯t have a young girl fetish, a man would get captivated on seeing that fresh white skin from the neck to the shoulders.

    And, though she had a boyish, short hairstyle, her silky ck hair, her red shining eyes and her cute face would definitely qualify as a beauty.

    And if such a girl would be in a condition when her clothes were in disorder; it was obvious what those violent, beast-like men who lived by their greed and lust would think.

    ¡°Kyaaaa!¡±

    As the girl screamed once again, the men, driven by a greed other than that of money, rudely stretched their arms.

    ¡°Oi, stop there.¡±

    A single man appeared.

    Just like the girl, he had ck hair but his right eye that didn¡¯t have an eyepatch was of a colour of deep ck darkness.

    He had an umonbination of ck hair and ck eyes, but what was more unusual was the sharp glint in his eye that the man was releasing.

    Due to the voice that suddenly appeared, the men stopped their arms that were moving towards the girl.

    But, obviously they wouldn¡¯t reform themselves now.

    Bing vignt of the sudden intruder, two of them entered into battle stances. The remaining one was grasping the girl tightly so that she doesn¡¯t run away.

    ¡°aa, who the fuck are you?¡±

    The question was very normal but it possessed an immense amount of threat and intimidation in it.

    As he threatened, he observed the man who had appeared.

    His body was as big as theirs. A white shirt and a pretty damaged ck leather pants. His look was shabby, simr to those living here.

    But, his toned muscr body even better than theirs, and his posture that left no openings, showed that he was not a civilian who didn¡¯t know how to fight.

    The te hanging around his neck was the proof of that.

    A true guild card, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d mistake it.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen your face here. If you¡¯re a newbie then we¡¯ll let you live. This happens here ¡®all the time¡¯. Even an adventurer would be sorry if he cockily tried to butt his head in our matters.¡±

    The man who restrained the girl, even after knowing that the man in front was an adventurer, said that with aposed smile. His tone expressed that he knew that they still were superior here.

    That¡¯s because, the man¡¯s steel te showed that he was the lowest, rank 1 adventurer.

    A mere beginner. No, considering his look, he might be a bit more experienced but not really much.

    Also, they had not heard any rumours about some ck haired ck eye adventurer with an eyepatch that had done some great deed either.

    That means, he was a normal rank 1 adventurer, at max he might be strong enough as a new rank 2 adventurer.

    On top of that, he was unarmed no matter how you look at it. He didn¡¯t seem to have hidden even a single knife on his body.

    The 3 men, after evaluating the intruder, came to the conclusion that he wasn¡¯t much a threat.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, hurry up and get out of here sonny.¡±(T/N: he says an-chan, and I couldn¡¯t think of a better TL than sonny for it.)

    ¡°nn, or could it be, that you¡¯ve got something to do with this brat? Hehehe, you¡¯ve got a pretty good hobby. Alright, I¡¯ll give this as present to you sonny. No need to hold back though she¡¯ll be second hand goods by the time you get her back hiyahahaha!¡±

    The three menughed in a loud vulgar voice.

    And the rank 1 adventurer, with no change in expression, took one step forward.

    ¡°I said stop, didn¡¯t I? Obediently let that girl go.¡±

    The men who heard that calm voice quickly changed their atmosphere to a violent one.

    ¡°Are you going to fight us? Not a really good decision.¡±

    The man tightened his fist and released a distinct killing intent.

    ¡°You should keep your adventures to those quests of yours.¡±

    The other man also released killing intent.

    A normal person would have been affected by that overwhelming presence and would have been ovee by fear.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to let her go. Please, can¡¯t you listen to what I say?¡±

    As if ignoring those two men who were releasing killing intent, he spoke that towards the third one who was holding the girl.

    ¡°Hah, a fool trying to act as a hero eh? Oi, kill that bastard.¡±

    With that voice as a signal, the two men began to move together.

    ¡°I see¡ª¨C[Magic Bullet Arts]¡±

    The adventurer who muttered that, that sound didn¡¯t reach the ears of the three men.

    That¡¯s because those men were too far away to hear the adventurer¡¯s mutterings.

    And, the 2 men who had been rushing towards him were,

    ¡°Gahh!¡±

    ¡°Guhaa!!¡±

    Fainted after getting hit by a ck lump that was fired from the adventurer¡¯s hand.

    They didn¡¯t understand what had hit them, no, even if they had seen it, they simply wouldn¡¯t have realized what that ck object was.

    In any case, the 2 men had already been blown in the air due to the impact.

    And soon their bodies struck the stone walls on the side of the alley with a dull sound and fell limply like corpses.

    ¡°Tch, this bastard! What the fuck did he do!?¡±

    Due to the dact that the 2 men had suddenly fallen, the third man didn¡¯t have theposure to focus on the girl and let go of her hand.

    At that moment, the adventurer crossed over the two fallen men who were either dead or had simply fainted and had started running towards the third man.

    But, maybe because he was used to such situations, the man didn¡¯t panic and drew the dagger from his back.

    ¡°Dieee!!!¡±

    Although he said that, the man¡¯s aim was not really one that could kill in a single strike.

    Although the man was in an advantage with a knife, the situation would reverse if it was taken away from him. So there was no need to uselessly go close to the adventurer and enter his range. He could simply slowly cut him little by little and take away his stamina.

    Not to mention that killing someone inside the city would bring more trouble. If possible, the man wanted to leave that man in a half-killed state.

    Thus, his aim wasn¡¯t the heart or neck but the adventurer¡¯s limbs.

    The man decided to first aim for his arms.

    ¡°riyah¡ª-¡°

    The man¡¯s knife shot out towards his opponents arm.

    The adventurer¡¯s fist would be cut by his knife, no, he was sure of it.

    *pakiiin!*

    But, it was blocked by a ck shield that appeared suddenly.

    It waspletely ck te, a 20cm small square.

    But still, the man soon understood that it had been created by magic.

    ¡°Defensive magic!?!¡±

    As words of surprise left his mouth, the other arm of the adventurer punched into his face.

    ¡°higiyaa¡ª¡ª¡°

    Letting out a pathetic sound, the man blew away to the other side of the alley.

    His body finally fell and rolled and crashed spectacrly into something but the adventurer had already lost interest in him and didn¡¯t even look towards him.

    Those sharp eyes that had been ring at the man were now filled with gentleness and looked towards the girl.

    ¡°Are you injured?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    The girl, unhesitatingly gave an answer towards the man who had saved her.

    And spoke, as she looked into his dark abyss like eyes while gazing at him with her deep crimson burning eyes.

    ¡°Thank you very much, for saving me.¡±

    Honest words of gratitude.

    The adventurer also, answered with a wide smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

 Chapter 159 The Power of Protection (2)

    Chapter 159 The Power of Protection (2)

    Think about only yourself, abandon everyone else, avoid troublesome things, don¡¯t butt your head in problems, that¡¯s the right way, the clever way to live.

    I know, I agree to it from the bottom of my heart. But,

    ¡°Kyaaa!!¡±

    If I hear someone scream like that, I have no choice but to help them!!

    Before I knew it, I had beaten the shit out of those three men.

    Thest man had said to me ¨C ¡®a fool trying to act as a hero eh?¡¯. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s exactly as he had said.

    I truly am an idiot who would break his resolve in a matter of minutes. And even after the failure I had suffered and victims I had created, I would still ¡®try to act¡¯ as a hero and save a person who is in trouble.

    But, what¡¯s wrong in that? Why is that not allowed?

    So many people died? I couldn¡¯t protect anyone? That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t have the right to try and protect anyone anymore?

    Nay, that is false.

    Next time, next time definitely, I might be able to save someone.

    Don¡¯t get scared. My body still possesses the immense amount of ck magic inside me.

    Inside my head, logic tries to deny my actions.

    But it¡¯s no use. I can¡¯t follow that logic. This body, my instincts, my soul, all reject that logic.

    In a situation where a young girl was getting attacked in front of me, I really couldn¡¯t do something like abandon her and ignore her.

    And there is no way I would regret my actions.

    After all, this time definitely, I was able to save a person.

    ¡°Are you injured?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    The girl smiled happily. Her deep crimson eyes looked directly into my eye.

    ¡°Thank you very much, for saving me.¡±

    Honest words of gratitude came to my ears.

    No, I should be the one to thank you.

    Because I was able to save you, because you thanked me, I was able to break free of these dark feelings that were dragging me to hell.

    But, the girl doesn¡¯t know anything about me, there¡¯s no way she could.

    That¡¯s why, without saying anything useless, I answered simply.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Was I able to smile properly right now?

    No, maybe right now, I¡¯m showing the best smile I have shown in my whole life.

    My heart has cleared up, there¡¯s no need to hesitate any longer.

    With this, I can take action as I want, I can walk while looking forward.

    What I need right now is more power, a power to destroy even Apostles.

    I¡¯ll be stronger, stronger than anything else, and next time definitely, I¡¯ll protect everyone¡ª-

    ¡°fufu, I really thank you. You really came to save me, I believed you definitely would do so, Kurono Mao.¡±(T/N: she uses ¡®boku¡¯ for ¡®I¡¯)

    Those words, attacked me with a clear feeling of unpleasantness.

    Reflexively, I jumped away from the girl and took some distance and put myself on guard.

    ¡°Why, do you know my name?¡±

    And with the perfect pronunciation.

    Both Sariel and Lily know my full name but they cannot say it with the perfect Japanese pronunciation.

    My intuition told me, the girl I saved wasn¡¯t ¡®normal¡¯.

    ¡°No need to be so cautious really, I am not your enemy.¡±

    The girl¡¯s smile back then cute, but now it feels strangely terrifying.

    Just what the hell is up with this chain of events? Was this some kind of trap to set me up?

    If that¡¯s the case, then I have no reason to go along with it. It¡¯s too dangerous to go against an unknown enemy, The best choice right now is to quickly run away.

    ¡°Ah, wait, it¡¯s fine even if only for a while, just listen to what I have to say, can you?¡±

    Before I could take my first step to run out of the alley, the girl stopped me as if she had somehow realized what I was going to do.

    But, without really heeding to those words, I decided that I really needed to get away from here as fast as possible but,

    ¡°What, the walls are!?!¡±

    Before I realized, the stone walls on the side began to move after turning into a jet ck swampy thing.

    I realized the genuine crisis I was in but, the walls, no, the whole alley began to change faster than that.

    Numerous tentacles flew out of the ominous wall and entwined with each other to seal the passagepletely.

    It¡¯s as if a wall of ck thorns had appeared. I doubt I could even destroy it and break through that.

    This is the first time I¡¯m seeing a magic like this. To have changed the space in the alleypletely is not something normal. It must be a very high level of barrier.

    Looking closely, the bodies of the three men I had defeated had also disappearedpletely. Were they also a part of this magic?

    In any case, it¡¯s clear that this girl possess a incredible level of magical ability. Wait, she really isn¡¯t going to turn out to be an Apostle right?

    ¡°Who the hell are you? Why are you after me?¡±

    Considering her words, it seems she doesn¡¯t want to kill me instantly.

    For the time being, it won¡¯t be toote to fight after hearing what she has to say. Maybe I might be able to get out of here with just talking as well.

    That¡¯s why to not show my will to fight, I didn¡¯t bring out my [Grudge Hatchet [Hararetsu]].

    ¡®Sorry, I know about you but you don¡¯t know anything about me, so first let me introduce myself.¡±(girl)

    As if trying to make friends with someone after meeting them for the first time, with an amiable smile, the girl¡¯s body began to be wrapped inside the tentacles growing out of the ck surface.

    Those tentacles that had the same feeling as my [Anchor hand]pletely covered her, at that moment a change happened.

    The girl¡¯s ripped grey tunic and her long skirt disappeared and was reced by those tentacles in the form of a dark ck clothing.

    If I were to describe the clothes in one word, it would be a mantle on a gakuran.(T/N: google gakuran to see what it looks like.)

    Rather than a gakuran, it looked more like the military uniform worn bymissioned officers back in old japan. The ck clothes were decorated with gold and silver ornaments as well.

    The ck mantle with the tall cor looked like those used by vampires in literature works and was so big that it seemed to ignore practicality.

    Looking closely, the end of the mantle wasn¡¯t hanging on the floor but was integrated with the dark floor itself.

    Maybe, this whole ck space had been made by her ck mantle.

    Due to the enormous mantle, it wasn¡¯t clear but she seemed to have a sword, no a ck wand-like weapon on her waist.

    The girl who was dressed like something between a noble and a magician hadn¡¯t changed from her young look but rather than a girl, the impression was more like a boy now.

    The fact that I was unable to distinguish whether it was a boy or a girl in front of me, only added to ominous feeling I was getting.

    But, as if ignoring that sense of anxiety inside me, and now that she/he had prepared for the introduction with the change into ck clothing, she gave a satisfied smile.

    And, that name was finally spoken from those small lips.

    ¡°My name is Mia Elrod, the one who gave you your divine protection. I¡¯vee to meet you.¡±

    I have no memory of knowing either the name Mia or the surname Elrod. I heard that name for the first time.

    But I know what ¡®DP¡¯ means.

    ¡°Could it be, that you¡¯re a God?¡±

    A God, a truly unrealistic existence was, now that I said it out loud, it felt a bit disconnected from reality.

    But, Mia, as if it was obvious, nodded and answered.

    ¡°Yes, I am one of the pirs of the [ck Gods] of Pandora.¡±

    This person who named herself as a God; though I know that such magical existences truly existed, I still couldn¡¯t seem to ept that fact.

    No, it is a fact there are existences in this world that provide a power known as ¡®Divine Protection¡¯ which was neither magic nor martial arts to a person.

    But still, when one actually appeared in a no matter how you look at it a human child like form, there¡¯s no way I could ept one as a God.

    ¡°Muu, you don¡¯t believe me do you? I really am a God!! You know where you¡¯re pulling your ck magical energy from, right?¡±

    As the self-proimed God puffed her/his cheeks in anger, looking at that, I slightly became less cautious.

    Also, I remembered that Lily had told me that my ck magical energy is brought out from the ¡®DP of the ck Gods¡¯.

    But, it can¡¯t be helped. I really have no feeling of doing so.

    ¡°But I guess it can¡¯t be helped since you came from another world I guess? They don¡¯t seem to believe in Gods very much.¡±

    ¡°You know of others that came from another world?¡±

    Since she/he knew my full name, I¡¯ll ignore how she knew that I was from another world but the problem were those words that implied that there have been others like me.(T/N: I¡¯m going to use she for Mia since the name sounds girly.)

    ¡°In the era when I lived, there were people like you. In fact there were many more than now.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?..........¡±

    I can understand what she was saying but whether I can actually ept that is a different case.

    ¡°I can¡¯t exin in detail though. Even Gods have rules we need to follow after all.¡±

    ¡°Rules among Gods, eh? Then, the fact that you didn¡¯t save us even after what we went through is also because of your rules?¡±

    This is truly unreasonable. Although one can¡¯t depend on others for everything, I still need to hear this if she¡¯s going to call herself a God.

    If you¡¯re a God then why did you not save even a single person? Why did you not stop the Crusaders or the Apostles? No, why did you not save me when I was being subjected to those hellish human experiments?

    ¡°Gods aren¡¯t omnipotent. It is as you know.¡±

    Mia gazed at me with a serious expression and looked at me directly with those crimson eyes and spoke.

    ¡°At least, in this world, Gods aren¡¯t omniscient and omnipotent existences that can do everything. We live in a different dimension than this, in your words we live in the ¡®World of Gods¡¯.¡±

    That¡¯s why, even now, Mia in front of me was only a temporary existence.

    ¡°We, the ¡®ck Gods¡¯, are nothing more than existences that look over this world from afar. The ways in which a God can interfere with this world are very limited.¡±

    Those ways are, making it rain, giving abundant harvests, and other such natural phenomenon for which humans pray to God.

    ¡°So the ¡®DP¡¯ you provide to a person is also one of those ways?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why no matter how much we struggle, we can¡¯t descend directly in this world to save you. In this world, the existence of Gods is nothing more than a ¡®system¡¯ to provide power to people. We can simply provide powers that corresponds to the person¡¯s own ability. And the person will have to fight against their ¡®enemy¡¯ themselves. Gods save those who save themselves.¡±

    The Gods possess power beyond human knowledge but it can only appear in this world in limited ways possible.

    In the end, even after being able to use a part of the power of a God, there¡¯s not much difference from the God on earth. There is no God that can let everyone live happily forever.

    Well, I knew that. For a God to save us, it was nothing more than a na?ve wish of those who had abandoned the will to work hard in reality.

    ¡°So, this is the main issue. I cannot save you directly but I can grant you with strength.¡±

    ¡°Thus you gave me your ¡®Divine Protection¡¯, is it?¡±

    Mia gave a nod. It seems she was serious from the start.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really believe that so readily. Leaving the fact whether I believe in God or not aside, I haven¡¯t even prayed to you even once. To have granted me DP sounds too convenient, you know?¡±

    I certainly did wish for power, but, God couldn¡¯t have simply said ¡®Alright¡¯ and given it to me. That¡¯s just too ridiculous.

    Power isn¡¯t something you get just because you wish for it.

    I did receive power above humans but that was also a result of me having gone through that hell known as human experimentation.

    To attain even more power, I won¡¯t get it just like that simply because God allowed it to me.

    ¡°No need to worry so much. I¡¯ll have you ¡®act in the name of your faith¡¯ from here onwards. A trial, seems to be a better word, I guess.¡±

    ¡°A trial eh? I see, that makes sense. You won¡¯t give me power that easily.¡±

    But, that makes it more believable.

    To acquire a DP, to practice while swinging a sword, both are simr ways of attaining power.

    In this world, the power of DP is the real deal. Acting in the name of your faith will attain you more than just mental satisfaction.

    ¡°Just as you know, to receive a DP, one needs to offer upon their faith, but even though I say that, it¡¯s nothing more than trying to tter and buttering up to a God. In simple words, it¡¯s more of a condition that allows God to interfere with this world. No matter how much a God cares for a person, if that God doesn¡¯t have the margin to intervene, he can¡¯t grant power to that person. And conversely speaking, as long as the conditions are cleared, the Gods have no choice but to provide their DP to that person. They cannot take it back just because they don¡¯t like that person.¡±

    If those words are true then it¡¯s a pretty fair system. The Gods are really meant to be impartial to all.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first person who has cleared the condition to receive my power, that¡¯s why I really want you to work even harder.¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s also understandable.¡±

    But, he wouldn¡¯t prostrate right now and say ¡®Thank you very much God!¡¯ either.

    Basically, this Mia is still a self-proimed God.

    Their talks till now, could have been total bull for all he knew. Mia still hadn¡¯t given a proper proof that she was a God.

    Although, the fact that she could such level of magic showed that she was at least not a normal girl like he had originally thought.

    ¡°fufufu, that¡¯s fine, even if you don¡¯t believe in me now. To ask one to believe in them from the very start is simply the arrogance and selfish pride of a God. To earn one¡¯s faith, the God should be the first to give some benefit, right?¡±

    What she says is reasonable.

    Even in Earth¡¯s legends and folklore, there was a pattern where one would be worshipped only after he saved someone with the help of supernatural powers.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll provide you with the DP within the given margin of what I¡¯m allowed.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to give me a Trial?¡±

    ¡°Since you have the power to face off against those Apostles of the White God, I¡¯ll treat that as a trial which is why I¡¯m giving you this power.¡±

    The White God and its Apostles. If she knows even that, does that mean she really is a real God?

    ¡°In terms of you adventurers, this is something of an advance to earn your trust in me. That¡¯s why I want you to ept it now.¡±

    Saying that she gave a smile and Mia came closer towards me.

    Although I felt an unspeakable presence on my skin, it didn¡¯t have either animosity or killing intent.

    Even if she wasn¡¯t a God, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Mia has abilities far above my own.

    Although, receiving DP sounds a bit suspicious but I should obediently listen here.

    ¡°Well if you¡¯re going to give it to me, then why not?¡±

    I still don¡¯t know what DP is actually like.

    But, if I can actually receive a power, or should I call it change, worthy of being called a Dp, then I wouldn¡¯t really mind to treat this cute girl Mia as a God.

    ¡°nee Kurono Mao, I¡¯ll tell you one of the conditions you cleared to receive my protection.¡±

    Mia who had walked till right in front of me looked towards the tall me with upturned eyes.

    Being looked at like that, is a bit embarrassing. Even though Mia might be a guy.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    I tried to answer as calmly as possible.

    ¡°It was that you didn¡¯t wish for power to kill your hated enemies but you wished for power to protect others.¡±

    ¡°Power for protecting, is it?¡±

    That might be true, now that she said so.

    But, it doesn¡¯t change anything I have to do. If the enemy is in front of me, I will kill him.

    I¡¯m still a murderer. Just because it was to protect someone, killing someone doesn¡¯t be absolute justice.

    I¡¯m aware that I am burdening myself with a great karma.

    Though, that doesn¡¯t mean that I will go even a single bit easy on those damned Crusaders.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, no matter how much you have to face painful things, do not lose that gentleness of your heart.¡±

    Stop looking at me with those sincere eyes.

    I haven¡¯t done anything worth getting such apliment.

    I want to protect everyone. That will of mine is definitely real, but, that¡¯s simply what I want to do.

    I haven¡¯t been able to protect anyone till now.

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong. Didn¡¯t you just protect me?¡±

    ¡°That was¡ª¨C¡°

    Simply an act. I had simply fallen for her trick.

    Without even saying that, Mia spoke with an understanding expression.

    ¡°I apologise to have tested you like that. But, I know what you had been thinking till now. Rejected by those who you wanted to help, tormented by your own weakness, giving up on everything, you had resolved to live selfishly for you own sake. I know those feelings of yours.¡±

    It was true. I ended up averting my gaze.

    ¡°But still you came to save me. You came to save me, an unknown person, you didn¡¯t abandon me. You did what was right. No one can deny that fact. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t hesitate, next time, you¡¯ll definitely be able to save everyone.¡±

    In reply to those straight forward words I,

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Could only say that.

    I don¡¯t know whether Mia is really a God or not but this child did cheer me up. I need to know only that.

    ¡°fufu, even though I¡¯m supposed to be the one to thank you.¡±

    With a gentle smile, Mia really looked like a cute girl to me.

    ¡°Then let me grant you with my Divine Protection.¡±

    I can¡¯t power you up yet, she continued.

    ¡°Exactly, what will happen?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, just like a miracle of God, I¡¯ll¡ª-¡°

    Mia touched my eyepatch with her fingers.

    ¡°¡ªrestore that eye of yours.¡±

    ¡°You can do that!?¡±

    Of course, Gods are great! She said that proudly as she puffed out her chest.

    ¡°Then, can you bend properly?¡±

    ¡°A, yeah.¡±

    My eye really will heal. Well I¡¯m still in doubt how it¡¯ll regenerate but I bent my knee as Mia wanted.

    After kneeling down, I was at the same line of sight at Mia.

    She really is as small as a child. Or rather, did I grow even more than 183cm?

    While I was thinking of such random things, Mia raised her hand and removed my eye patch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move alright?¡±

    ¡°Aa¡ªwait, wait, what the heck is that!?¡±

    Well, it was nothing more than a tentacle that was extending from the ground.

    Maybe she¡¯d have much problem if I moved, countless tentacles wrapped around me and restrained my body.

    There¡¯s no pain but I felt unpleasant being wrapped in tentacles. If I was a woman, it would have be a trauma.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be over quickly.¡±

    Saying that with a smile, Mia reached towards her own left eye and,

    *gurii*¡ª¨C

    Instantly pulled out her own eyeball.

    In Mia¡¯s hand, a small eyeball that had a pupil in a shining crimson colour like the Queen Beryl rolled over.

    ¡°Wha,a.......¡±

    I was speechless due to the sudden act of violence.

    Surprisingly, the eyeball wasn¡¯t stained in blood. It really looked like a clear jewel. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m calm.

    And while I was being surprised, Mia, as if nothing had happened, simply closed her left eyelid and held the eyeball with her slender fingers.

    ¡°Then here I go. From here on, my eye will tell everything necessary.¡±

    No, wait, wait a damn second, she isn¡¯t going to use that eyeball to¡ª¡ª

    *gurigurii*¡ª¡ª

    Certainly, Mia¡¯s eyeball was pushed inside my empty eye socket.

    ¡°Guaah!¡±

    A feeling of oppression and a dull pain, and a feeling of something foreign invading my body ran all over my body. I got goosebumps.

    But, that feeling also ended quickly.

    As the eyeballpletely settled inside my eye socket, my consciousness began to fade and I stopped feeling any pain or difort.

    ¡°Seek and I shall grant¡ª¨Cfufu, oveing my trial, you wish to receive my divine protection.¡±

    Hearing those words in the end, I let go of my consciousness beyond the endless darkness.

 Chapter 160 Power of Protection (3)

    Chapter 160 Power of Protection (3)

    As I recovered my consciousness, the sun had already begun to set.

    I looked up at that red sky like a fool, from the dark alley.

    ¡°What, the heck was that?..........¡±

    I feel as if I just woke up from a daydream.

    Yeah, I had been dreaming till now no doubt.

    The sudden scream, the fight with the three men, the child Mia who called herself a God¡ª¨Calthough they happened just recently and I clearly remember it, but it doesn¡¯t have a sense of reality.

    Maybe after 5 mins, I¡¯ll forget what happened just as how one forgets what they were dreaming after waking up.

    ¡°Am I too tired?¡±

    If I really had been simply dreaming and had been standing here dazed all this time, my heart and mind might have been broken more than I thought.

    Neurosis, was it? I had thought that mental illnesses were something unrted to me but it seems I possess a much sensitive and delicate heart than I thought.

    Shaking off such ridiculous thoughts, I, for the time being, began to walk.

    By the way, where am I right now? Due to wandering around here and there while being troubled, I have no idea where did I evene from.

    Maybe, that¡¯s when I began to daydream. But, thanks to that, my mind has recovered its calmness.

    Since its already evening, I¡¯ll end up breaking my promise of returning by dinner.

    First, I need to get out of this narrow alley and should get to a wider road.

    Spada is already big, and I have arrived here only a few days back. I am not familiar with the roads and streets here at all. To get back to the address of my residence, I should first try to get back to my starting point.

    Now then, the problem is, how should I get back to the main street from here but let¡¯s start moving for the time being.

    It was already a dim and gloomy alley, and now that the sun was setting, it became more and more ruled by darkness.

    With the help of my eyes that could see in the dark, I kept on walking through the same looking alley¡ª¡ªWait a second, ¡®eyes¡¯?

    ¡°......I can see.¡±

    It was, just so natural, that I had not realized it till now.

    I was currently using both of my eyes right now to see.

    But that¡¯s weird, after all, I had lost my left eye to the 8th Apostle¡¯s attack.

    But even so, my left eye was working like normal.

    Why? How? I questioned but I could only think of one answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, just like a miracle of God, I¡¯ll restore that eye of yours.¡±

    I recalled that abnormal act as she had pulled out her own eye and pushed it into me.

    But, with just that,

    ¡°My eye, really healed?¡±

    I had no reason to doubt. It was a fact that my left eye had healed.

    Then all that happened just now was real and not a dream. Then that child Mia is actually a God?

    ¡°Are you serious?..........¡±

    Just as she had said, she really did perform a god-like miracle.

    But unlike Paulo, I don¡¯t feel like suddenly worshipping Mia as a God.(T/N: not sure but he referencing Paulo Coelho here I think.)

    No, if my heart had changed that quickly, it would feel more like disgusting brainwashing rather than reforming.

    I don¡¯t feel like worshipping her for it but Mia did certainly give a clear proof that she might actually be a God.

    Although, there is also the possibility that she was simply an incredible magician with an ability that allowed her to heal my eye instantly as well.

    But still, regardless of what Mia¡¯s true identity was, it¡¯s a fact that she healed my eye and has the will to provide me with the power called ¡®Divine protection¡¯.

    Then, I don¡¯t care whether Mia¡¯s simply a magician pretending to be God, an actual God, or even an Evil God. As long as she provides me with power, I¡¯m fine with anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what trial I am supposed to go through but I ept it.¡±

    I don¡¯t know whether this counts as having faith in her but I still thank her from the bottom of my heart.

    She helped me recover, even though it was through such a farce, when I was feeling down and also gave me the possibility to receive her DP.

    But, since I don¡¯t know the details needed to clear this trial, it seems I can¡¯t along with it for now.

    If I were to believe her words, ¡®her eye¡¯ or rather my left will tell me when the timees. Till then, I can only wait for a response from it.

    Now then, right now, rather than the details of the trial, I¡¯ll be happy if she could tell me how I can get back to my inn though.

    ¡°I guess God won¡¯t help me that easily.¡±

    There¡¯s no change in my left eye, that means, I have no choice but to find my own path.

    Oh man, I hope I can at least get out of the slums and reach the main street before the sunpletely sets¡ª¨C

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!¡±

    I heard a shrill scream.

    ¡°Eh, no, seriously?¡±

    Could it be that I am being yed around by the God again?

    It¡¯s the same situation as before. The only thing different is the condition of my mind and heart.

    Well then, it really is an extremely suspicious situation but,

    ¡°I can¡¯t just act like I didn¡¯t hear anything either, now can I?¡¯

    That¡¯s right, I decided to act as however I wanted no matter what.

    Even if this scream is a trap, I don¡¯t have the choice to abandon her.

    I pray, that I can really save someone actually this time!

    .

    .

    .

    Further in the alley, in a ce witch crumbling stone walls, a situation exactly like the charade made by the God was progressing.

    ¡°Oraa! Hurry up and pay!!¡±

    ¡°hehe, I know you¡¯ve got quite some gold coins!¡±

    Three thugs had cornered a young girl towards the wall.

    There was a one-in-a- million possibility that this was some unavoidable situation in which an outsider couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t interfere but, well, going by their way of speaking, I doubt its anything else than normal extortion.

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s going on there?¡±(kurono)

    I don¡¯t even have to examine the situation, I quickly appeared and called towards the thugs.

    At the same time I didn¡¯t forget to re at them in the form of intimidation either. When I seriously red, the effect was so strong that let alone my ssmates, even my friends were unable to look me in the eye.

    ¡°Aah?¡±

    The three men turned towards me with a look of hostility.

    Since I had just gone through something like this, I only felt a d¨¦j¨¤-vu.

    But still, it seems this time it¡¯s actually a real extortion.

    The three men lookpletely different from the men I had blown away and though the girl¡¯s attire is simr, she¡¯s not Mia.

    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±

    A stereotypical question came towards me.

    For the time being, I was going to say that I was just an adventurer passing by, at that moment.

    ¡°Ah, you bitch!?¡±

    ¡°Uoh! Wait!!¡±

    The girl pushed aside the men, and began running.

    Due to the sudden actions, the girl quickly passed through me and disappeared in the ck alley.

    ¡°Well, what can I say.........sorry for the disturbance.¡±(kurono)

    The situation resolved itself even though I didn¡¯t do anything.

    To have run away in that small opening, the girls of Spada are really bold.

    Thinking that, I began to turn around when,

    ¡°Oi, wait right there sonny.¡±

    I was called back.

    ¡°Aa, whacha gonna do about this! You hindered our important job!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ya think that a little apology andpensation is required!?¡±

    It seems now that their target ran away, the men have taken offence against me.

    ¡°You bastard, you¡¯re just a rank 1 adventurer right? Trying to act cool like that! Pay up everything you have or we won¡¯t let you get out of here alive!!¡±

    Saying that, the skinheaded man with the biggest body drew his sword from his waist and closed in towards me.

    The man might be trying to show incredible killing intent but since it had really no effect on me, I was thinking of somethingpletely different like how the guild card on mmy neck quickly gave away my adventurer rank.

    ¡°Ou, what happened, how about apologising to us already!?¡±

    Before I realized, that man was already standing in front of me without even taking a stance with his sword.

    ¡°You should hurry up and apologise. Our bro is an amazing warrior that can even uses Boost, a rank 1 adventurer won¡¯t be an opponent for him!¡±

    ¡°Bro cut away his arm with you martial art!!¡±

    The two men behind him were calling this baldy Bro or whatever.

    I see, so this guy is a warrior ss who can use both Boost and martial art, eh? That really is amazing. I wonder if he wasparable to a rank 3 adventurer.

    ¡°Say, you don¡¯t want trouble either right? How about you obediently let me go back?¡±(kurono)

    They seem to be all fired up but I try to end this with talking till the very end.

    But,

    ¡°Are you a fuckin idiot?¡±

    It seems negotiating is impossible.

    As that baldy raised that sword overhead with a single hand, he suddenly shouted.

    ¡°[Force Boost]!!¡±

    Large biceps could be seen on the right hand that was holding the sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!! Bro¡¯s [Force Boost]!!¡±

    The underling behind him gave a kind exnation as well.

    But, I couldn¡¯t sense any magic from that baldy bro. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even chant. Could it be that he is simply putting all his strength I his hand normally?

    ¡°This is the punishment to have underestimated me. Be ready to forfeit one of your hands¡ª-[sh]!¡±(bro)

    Shouting that, he brought down the de.

    ¡°It¡¯s here! Bro¡¯s sure-kill technique [sh]!!¡±

    Once again a kind exnation was given. By the way, this time it was the second underling that did the exining.

    But, once again I feel sorry but this sh that had been fired towards me didn¡¯t give off any intimidation let alone the pressure of a martial art skill. Isn¡¯t he simply using all his strength to swing down his sword?

    ¡°haah, and to think I actually put up my guard.¡±(kurono)

    I thought that he might be actually a rank 3 level fighter and had prepared to use my Magic Bullet- Full Burst but it was totally useless.

    I grabbed the man¡¯s right hand with my left and stopped his sword attack.

    ¡°Wha!?!¡±

    The baldy¡¯s eyes went round with shock.

    That pathetic speed and cheap swordsmanship, and that too without any Boost or martial art; I could stop it with purely my physical skills.

    Well, it¡¯ll be a pain if kept on swinging his sword around like that so,

    ¡°Pile Bunker!¡±

    I smashed my my right fist with ck magical energy swirling around it like a drill into the sword handle and destroyed it.

    ¡°Th, the sword.......¡±

    As I let go of his hand, he stumbled as he took a few steps back and looked at the destroyed sword in his hand dumbfounded.

    ¡°Hii!?!¡±

    As he let out a pathetic scream, his underlings behind him ran away just like the girl.

    Since I was blocking the only passage, the splendidly did a wall climb and jumped to the other side of the wall.

    It seems, not just women but even men of Spada are quick with their feet.

    ¡°Ah, Oi, you guys......¡±

    And the baldy could only look at those two running away like a child who had separated from his parents.

    Though with the amount of muscles he has along with his shaved head, he only looked disgusting with that expression.

    ¡°Oi.¡±

    As I spoke to him,

    ¡°Wh, wh, what, what is it, do you still want to fight! Huh!!?¡±

    Even while stuttering and shaking, he took a fighting pose with his two fists. It seems he still has enough energy to try and bluff.

    But, I have no reason to go along with it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back now. Don¡¯t chase after me, ¡®kay?¡±(kurono)

    The girl in danger has run away and neither had they taken money from her nor had she been hurt.

    I don¡¯t really feel like personally punishing this guy either, After all, I¡¯m just an adventurer passing through. I have no reason to act any more than saving the girl.

    ¡°O, okay........¡±(baldy)

    The man had a clearly relieved expression, and lost the strength in his legs as he fell down right there.

    ¡°if possible, try not to do such things anymore. If you work as a proper adventurer, you¡¯ll still be able to earn money.¡±

    Though well aware that they wouldn¡¯t reform themselves with just those words, I still had to say that.

    And, though I did nothing, feeling satisfied by saving her, I left the ce.

    Now then, where is the way back, it¡¯s already dark now.........

 Chapter 161 The Witchâ€™s Lonesome Drinking

    Chapter 161 The Witch¡¯s Lonesome Drinking

    (Fiona pov)

    I drank a fruit wine which didn¡¯t really taste that good.

    This alcohol with slight sweetness and quite bitterness was one of the cheaper drinks in Spada and was thus, also the favourite of themon people, or so a talkative cat beastwoman employee had told me.

    The cat-girl was currently running around, setting up the various tables in the diner of the of [Cat¡¯s Tail]. I will also need to order again in some time as well.

    Appeasing my thirst with the drink with quality proportionate to its price, the alcohol made my body a bit hotter.

    ¡°.......I, shouldn¡¯t get drunk too much.¡±

    Currently I¡¯m stuck in what you could call a dilemma.

    Kurono-san who had sunk in disappointment and Lily-san who was sobbing in despair; the reason and cause behind their sadness waspletely different to each other but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that both are currently mentally unstable.

    Even I felt sad for what happened at Alsace, and was also worried for Kurono-san. Lily-san was, well, paying for her own mistakes, no, I¡¯m worried for her as well.

    But, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that as a result, I¡¯m the only one who is still in apletely t state and that everytime I look at those two, my heart aches badly.

    I have very less experience in staying in contact with people so I don¡¯t know how should I talk to them at such a time.

    I¡¯m not stressed that I¡¯m unable to talk to them, I¡¯m more stressed by the fact that I don¡¯t even know how to call out and talk to them.

    At times when you start loathing yourself, it¡¯s better to start drinking, or so my sensei had said I think but, yeah, I can¡¯t really ept this.

    Thinking back, I could only remember times when sensei had bepletely drunk and I had to look after her and not to mention, she didn¡¯t even fix her problem either.

    I thought this now after emptying 2 bottles of the fruit wine.

    ¡°haa, what should I do, Kurono-san?¡±

    Currently, the biggest problem is Kurono-san.

    During the incident at Alsace, we really did get the worst tragic conclusion but now we can¡¯t do anything to change it.

    In the first ce, we tried to take on the Crusaders with such few numbers and it wouldn¡¯t have been weird if we had beenpletely annihted either.

    The appearance of an Apostle waspletely out of our estimations but it¡¯s not like we hadn¡¯t thought that we could be annihted, at least, I and Lily-san did expect that.

    I truly feel sad that every adventurer was killed in action but, at least I, have already epted it as the worst conclusion and at the same time, I feel slightly disgusted of myself for the fact that I wasn¡¯t as worried as Kurono-san.

    But still, as for the refugees that are alive, because of the actions they took, I only felt anger and didn¡¯t feel anything anymore for the victims on their side.

    Those people didn¡¯t even try to know how much Kurono-san thought of them and worked hard for them.

    If Lily-san hadn¡¯t jumped out, I might have burned that whole ce to the ground. I was irritated enough that I really would not have thought that as a joke.

    Thinking that way, Lily-san really took actions coolly and calmly.

    Without creating any uproar, she quickly created distance between them, it was a perfect move, it¡¯s not something I could have done¡ª¡ªbut, to think that even that dependable Lily-san would fall so much into depression just from a few words from Kurono-san.......

    The current situation would bepletely resolved if Kurono-san can recover again.

    And, not just in the calcting sense, even I personally find it painful to see Kurono-san in such a state.

    Kurono-san, a foreigner who came from another world, the leader of [Element Master], led the adventurer alliance against the Crusaders, strong, and a gentle person.

    He epted me, relied on me, expected of me, and called me a member of his party, hisrade.

    On the other hand, Lily-san ispletely cool-headed and clever. She possesses cruelness to make anything work towards her own benefits. The only reason why she took me in her party was because she saw some merits in it.

    But even then, Lily-san who looked at people with absolute advantage or disadvantage, was much more impartial and fair than the God of the cross religion. Only someone like her could ept a reckless rampaging witch like me.

    In that sense, I am thankful towards Lily-san as well as respect her. I haven¡¯t known her for very long but I do feel a sense of camaraderie with her.

    But as expected, having faced with absolute trust and affection from Kurono-san makes me happy without any need for logic and makes me feelfortable. Enough that I feel that I will never be alone again.

    That¡¯s why¡ª¨Cyes, that¡¯s why, I¡¯m the most scared right now.

    What if, Kurono-san stopped being an adventurer? What if he dissolved the party?

    ¡°Something like that.........I really don¡¯t want to happen.¡±

    Every possibility of being separated from him makes me scared.

    That¡¯s the worst conclusion for me.

    Even though I finally met them, people who would ept me, precious people I want to protect.

    ¡°But, I.......¡±

    Couldn¡¯t find any words to say to him.

    Pathetic, extremely pathetic. I feel regretful that I had actually been living alone withoutmunicating much with people.

    If I am hisrade then aren¡¯t I supposed to be his strength especially at such a time? But I don¡¯t know what should I do right now.

    I need to do something, but what, I do not know¡ª¡ªI am facing such an unsightly and foolish trouble really.

    And, just when I was caught up in all such negative thoughts,

    ¡°Fiona.¡±

    I heard a voice.

    There¡¯s no way I would mistake it. That was Kurono-san no doubt.

    ¡°Kurono-san?¡±

    Raising my face, it was really Kurono-san who was standing there.

    ¡°It seems I made you worry, sorry.¡±(kurono)

    And Kurono-san spoke the words of apology, but, his face was different from the time we had parted, it felt somehow much clearer.

    Aah, I see¡ª¨Cthis person, before I could do anything, recovered by himself, he was able to recover by himself. I understood that.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine as long as you have returned safely.¡±(Fiona)

    At the end, I could only hate myself who couldn¡¯t do anything but, rather than such petty and trivial thoughts, I am feeling simply happier for the fact that he has returned.

    ¡°Wee back, Kurono-san.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±

    Really, I¡¯m so d. It seems I can still stay by his side.

 Chapter 162 Kuronoâ€™s Left Eye

    Chapter 162 Kurono¡¯s Left Eye

    In one of the rooms of [Cat¡¯s tail], on top of a simple bed, Lily was lying t with vacant eyes.

    Her young figure that remained unmoving on the bed brought upon a sense of both concern and abnormality.

    ¡°Kurono........¡±

    At times, Lily would speak that name as if remembering again.

    Her green eyes that seemed to have lost their shine, crossed the line of sight with Kurono¡¯s ck eyes.

    There was no one else on the bed except Lily.

    But Kurono¡¯s eye, only Kurono¡¯s eye, was there.

    In Lily¡¯s line of sight was a container that was lying by the pillow.

    That container that originally contained a potion for restoring flesh still had that transparent liquid but in it, a single eyeball was also present.

    The eyeball with the jet ck pupil, it was the left eye that Kurono had lost.

    After Lily woke up from the battle with the Apostle, she had found a chance and had secretly collected Kurono¡¯s left eye that fallen away.

    Thanks to being stored in a regenerative potion, the eyeball that had been pierced by the arrow had recovered.

    But to return this back to Kurono¡¯s left eye, all the optic nerves will be needed to be connected properly so in any case, it was a level of healing magic not doable for Lily.

    Thus, it had conveniently be a part of her collection which she could gaze at silently whenever she wanted to.

    ¡°Sorry.......i¡¯m really....sorry.........¡±

    They were words of apology which she had spoken countless times but of course they would never reach Kurono who wasn¡¯t even here.

    But even then, after practicing apologising countless times towards the eyeball and Kurono¡¯s smell that lingered on the bed, Lily had finally be slightly calmer.

    Or maybe, she had already dried up all her tears.

    ¡°Sorry.......Please don¡¯t.......hate Lily.¡±

    She had let go of her adult consciousness long ago and returned to her child consciousness.

    But just as how Kurono had once exined, the child Lily and adult Lily were not different personalities. There was only a change in their mental age.

    Just because she had returned to her child consciousness, it¡¯s not like she had forgotten having been rejected by Kurono and neither would it have any change to her passionately burning feelings of love.

    In fact, it was in her child form that she had fallen in love with Kurono. She hadn¡¯t fallen in love with him after calcting and appraising things like his appearance, personality or abilities.

    Lily¡¯s young heart that was fully devoted towards Kurono was currently swaying with anxiousness that couldn¡¯t be borne by a normal child.

    No, in fact she might have been lucky if she was actually a normal child. She wouldn¡¯t have kept on being worried about it just because her loved one had slightly rejected her.

    But, Lily who was definitely not ¡®normal¡¯ was currently being tortured by anxiety and fear that could burst open her heart itself.

    And, after some more time of this never ending pain had passed, the sound of the wooden door being knocked came to her ears and Lily slightly brought her consciousness back to reality.

    ¡°Lily-san.¡±

    It seems the visitor was Fiona, Lily concluded after hearing that voice that she had heard more than enough.

    But, right now, Lily did not have the will power to answer back to her nor did she have the will to do so.

    ¡°Lily-san, Kurono-san hase back.¡±

    Just when she was about to sink back into her consciousness, hearing those words, Lily stiffened.

    ¡°Ku, Kurono......¡±

    Her thoughts began to revolve rapidly.

    I want to meet Kurono. That desire filled her head instantly but, at the same time, it was a fact that she had been rejected. Lily controlled herself from jumping out from the bed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡±

    Lily was currently conflicted, but since she had not given any sort of reply to Fiona, words of inviting her came from the door again.

    ¡°Kurono-san is not angry at Lily-san that¡¯s why you can be relieved ande out.¡±

    Those words inserted a ray of light inside Lily¡¯s heart.

    But, all of her imaginations that she had done till now rejected those sweet words. She ended up doubting the truth of those words.

    ¡°Lily-san? I¡¯m entering okay?¡±

    Since Lily gave no reaction at all, Fiona became impatient and opened the door.

    For Fiona, it was a fortunate thing that Lily did not have the attention to do something like lock her door.

    ¡°Are you sleeping?¡±

    Since Fiona suddenly entered into the room, Lily barely had enough time to quickly hide the potion container with Kurono¡¯s eye underneath the bed.

    ¡°uu!!¡±

    Lying down face down on the pillow, she raised a voice of protest towards Fiona.

    ¡°So you are awake. C¡¯mon, Kurono-san is waiting for you, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°uuyaa!¡±

    Lily resisted by pping her small wings and limbs.

    Even Fiona who had no skill of reading the atmosphere could understand from Lily¡¯s actions that she is still afraid of meeting Kurono.

    ¡°Kurono-san is really not angry at you, Lily-san. In fact, he is worried about you. If Lily-san doesn¡¯t show her face, he¡¯ll be sad, you know?¡±

    ¡°uu......really?¡±

    Raising her face that had been buried in the pillow, she nced towards Fiona.

    Those eyes had bepletely red due to crying too much.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. That¡¯s why let¡¯s go meet Kurono-san with a smile.¡±

    If she had been able to say that with a smile, Fiona would have gotten 100 points for that smile but as expected she said that with her usual sleepy looking face.

    But still, it still had enough effect to move Lily¡¯s heart.

    ¡°......un.¡±

    Lily readied herself and got up.

    In her heart, anxiety and expectation intertwined and maybe because she was in tension, her movements were somewhat awkward and clumsy.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go, ah, you should wash your face first.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t show her reddened face to Kurono, Fiona gave a surprisingly sensible opinion and led Lily while pulling her small hand out of the room.

    .

    .

    .

    (Kurono POV)

    I am currently in one corner of the diner of [Cat¡¯s Tail] and was currently heavily reflecting upon things.

    ¡°Kurono......wee back.¡±

    Lily said that with apletely unenergetic voice and her eyes were slightly red as well.

    There¡¯s no doubt, she was crying.

    And the reason for that is without a doubt my mental state for the past few days.

    Outside, I did say things like ¡®Don¡¯t worry about me¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯ and ¡®I am sorry¡¯ and was supposed to not make them worry but that was only what it was ¡®supposed¡¯ to do and didn¡¯t really get through to Lily.

    It¡¯s obvious after all. Lily possesses strong telepathic powers, I couldn¡¯t fool her just with outer words.

    And the result of that was this. I made her worry so much that I made her cry.

    And though she didn¡¯t cry, I did make Fiona worry as well, no, in fact, she must have been more worried stuck between the depressed me and the crying Lily.

    ¡°I made both of you worry, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    I could only bow my head right now.

    Nevertheless, I could apologise to them like this only because I have finally regained some peace of mind and I¡¯m in a much better conditionpared to the me of this morning.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine as long as Kurono-san is energetic again.¡±(fiona)

    I felt relieved towards Fiona¡¯s expressionless face that seemed to imply that she was not worried at all about us.

    ¡°Kuronooo,uuu!¡±

    While caressing Lily¡¯s head who was clinging to my chest,

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Lily, I¡¯m fine now so there¡¯s no need to worry anymore.¡±

    I thanked thispassionate tender-hearted fairy with words filled with my feelings.

    And while we continued with our heart-warming contact, Fiona, who was the calmest here, cut to the chase and talked towards me.

    ¡°So, what exactly happened with Kurono-san? Looking at that left eye, I doubt you only calmed your heart.¡±(Fiona)

    My left eye didn¡¯t have an eyepatch anymore, and had an eyeball that had a working vision.

    It was obvious for her to think that there was some kind of reason and connection behind the restoration of my mental state and my eyesight.

    And, I had no reason to keep my experience of that time a secret towards my party members.

    Well, even I don¡¯t know what exactly happened there though.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªI see, ¡®Divine Protection¡¯, is it?¡±

    After I was done exining, Fiona gave a reaction as if she could understand that rather than denying it.

    ¡°So, what do you think? Is Mia really a God?¡±(kurono)

    I thought of talking about it but, while being depressed, meeting and god and having been awakened and energetic again really sounds something out of a religious text.

    Saying this from a Japanese¡¯s feelings, using the weakness of my mind and heart, I was being fooled and tricked.

    ¡°Mia Elrod. I have not heard of a God with that name. Well, I¡¯m from the Republic in the first ce so I don¡¯t really know much about the [ck Gods] of Pandora in the first ce.¡±

    The only ones we know are the names of the Gods that had been named by the members of the adventurer alliance.

    ¡°Then, what do you think, Lily?¡±(kurono)

    I asked towards the fairy who was still firmly sitting on myp.

    ¡°Mia? Un, umm, un........¡±

    Lily muttered while thinking and making such sounds.

    But, seriously speaking, Lily is the one here with the most knowledge about the [ck Gods].

    After all she is a possessor of the DP of [Fairy Queen Iris]. She should at least know what kind of power is a DP.

    ¡°Ah!!¡±

    Lily raised her voice like that, a *ting* sound effect appeared in my mind.

    ¡°Did you remember something?¡±

    ¡°Un, Mia Elrod is the name of the ancient Demon King!¡±

    Hearing that answer, I found it even more suspicious but considering it more thoroughly, I could remember only one thing from hearing the word [Demon King].

    ¡°Could it be, the one thatpletely unified Pandora in the ancient times?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Un!¡±

    So it really is the legend of the ¡®ancient Demon King¡¯. I see, so that Demon King¡¯s name was Mia Elrod.

    I had heard that the Dragon King of Daedalus had the ambition to unify whole of Pandora as he admired that Demon King, when I was learning things about this other world at the Irz vige at Vige head Shione¡¯s house.

    The legend of the demon king is famous enough that everyone in Pandora knows about it.

    In the first ce, the dungeons were ssified as [Ancient] as the same time when the Demon King was active and the existence of the dungeons and the demon king always appear as a set together in legends.

    ¡°In ancient times, it was said that he who aplished great deeds in this world would ascend to the throne of gods. If it¡¯s a person from legends, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for them to have actually ascended towards godhood and be able to provide DP to others.¡±

    It was a theory I had heard before.

    Vulcan¡¯s DP [Wolfegand] was a giant wolf monster and Su-san¡¯s DP [Hanzoma] was a legendary assassin.

    Gods don¡¯t give birth to gods. Living people or monsters are sublimated as such existences upon death apparently.

    Then, if it was a person that was the only person in the history to have unified Pandora, it would be weird if such a person did not be a God.

    ¡°nn, but, there¡¯s no one who has received the divine protection of the Demon King, you know?¡±

    As per Lily¡¯s exnation, many people in history have tried to receive Demon King Elrod¡¯s DP. Even the infamous Dragon King also tried but, each and everyone had failedpletely.

    Reversely speaking, if there was a person who had received the Demon King¡¯s protection, that news would quickly spread all over Pandora, even a small vige like Irz would get that news.

    By the way, Lily had heard such rumours appearing three times after she was born but apparently all turned out to be fakes.

    ¡°Now this really has be even more suspicious.¡±(kurono)

    I am not stupid enough to proim ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m the first man to have received the Demon King¡¯s DP!¡± here.

    A demon King that is extremely famous yet no one has been able to receive his DP. Rather than thinking that I really have received something that amazing, it¡¯s more usible to think that that child simply used that name falsely.

    ¡°But, even if she wasn¡¯t the actual Demon King, it seems it¡¯s true that Kurono-san really has received some sort of DP.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°No, though my left eye did heal perfectly but¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°That red eye isn¡¯t Kurono-san¡¯s right?¡±(Fiona)

    I felt a slight unease when Fiona pointed that out.

    True, this eye isn¡¯t mine. It was that child¡¯s left eye.

    No, that¡¯s fine. What¡¯s troublesome is the ¡®red¡¯ part.

    ¡°Wait, is my left eye red?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that too apletely bright red colour.¡±

    Want to confirm? Saying that, Fiona brought out a mirror from her hat.

    While awkwardly thanking her, I looked at the mirror.

    ¡°Wha, What the hell is this!?!¡±

    There, I could see my own deep crimson eye.

    Since it had beenfortable working as my left eye, I thought that it had also be ck like my right eye but apparently Mia really did shift her own eye as it is.

    ¡°It looks cool Kurono-san.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Kurono¡¯s cool!¡±(lily)

    As cold sweat flowed down my brow, I stared at myself who had suddenly be a possessor of heterochromatic eyes.

    Is this real? Even those fucked up masked men did nothing to my looks but to think that I¡¯d get an image change at such a time..........

    ¡°un, well, as long as I can see properly, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±(kurono)

    That¡¯s right, what¡¯s important is the end result. If I were toin for such a thing, I would incur divine punishment even if Mia wasn¡¯t an actual God.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, I don¡¯t know whether that child was actually the Demon King but you should still be thankful for that eye. From what I¡¯ve heard, you should also understand the true form of your DP as well.¡±(Fiona)

    Just as Fiona said, I¡¯m not in a situation where I am perfectly aware of the truth.

    Afterwards, Lily also told me that by conducting a ritual in a temple where the ck gods are enshrined, one could know whether one has really received some kind of DP and what kind of power has been received from that DP as well.

    Only, if the DP isn¡¯t strong enough, it¡¯s difficult to distinctively know about it and the ritual will be a failure and a waste of money as well. It¡¯s a bit of a dirty business. I guess all religion rted business are like this no matter where you go.

    In any case, to know whether I have really gained the DP of the Demon King, first I¡¯ll have acquire a DP strong enough so that the ritual doesn¡¯t fail.

    And until and unless I know what this ¡®trial¡¯ is that Mia spoke of, nothing will begin.

    Let¡¯s just be happy that I got my eyesight back and a possibility to attain a DP.

    ¡°For the time being, I have no idea what this trial is so let¡¯s work normally as adventurers rather than wasting time aimlessly looking for it.¡±(kurono)

    Since I had revived(?), we need to seriously discuss how to live in Spada.

    ¡°Un, let¡¯s go on a quest together!¡±(lily)

    ¡°Oh, this is the first time we three will take a quest together, right?¡±(Fiona)

    Well, things happened after all.

    It¡¯s not like gottenpletely over it, I haven¡¯t forgotten it either but, I have recovered my drive to do things, that¡¯s it.

    From here onwards as well, the days of being haunted by nightmares like today would continue but I won¡¯t do something that would make Lily cry.

    ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to working together as [Element Master] as well but¡ª¡ª¡°(kurono)

    It¡¯s fine, I can still move forward.

    It¡¯s fine, I still haverades that would walk with me.

    ¡°I want to be stronger so let¡¯s take on difficult quests that would test our abilities. How about it?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°un, Lily is always together with Kurono!¡±(lily)

    ¡°Yes, I have no problems with it either.¡±(Fiona)

    The two readily consented with me.

    ¡°I want to be strong enough to defeat an Apostle.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Lily¡¯s will work hard together with you as well!¡±

    ¡°Yes, this party really might be strong enough to take down an Apostle I think.¡±(Fiona)

    Thanks for the reassuring words.

    With this I continue with our adventurer lifestyle without any hesitation.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s work hard to level up together!!¡±(kurono)

    Next time, next time definitely, along with those thousands of religious fanatics of theirs, I will kill an Apostle with these hands.

 Chapter 163 An Oracle to the Hero

    Chapter 163 An Oracle to the Hero

    The Holy City Elysion, which was the centre of politics, economy, everything of the Syncrea Republic.

    Befitting of the ce where the authority of the White God was concentrated, the headquarters of the Cross church [Holy Elysion Cathedral] had a pure white majestic look. In one of the rooms in the depths of the cathedral, 2 of the strongest authority holders of the Cross were currently meeting.

    Unlike the outer appearance of the cathedral, this room had no adornments at all and was simply surrounded by pure white walls but with the help of numerous magical and physical methods, this room was created to ensure absolute confidentiality.

    It was truly and appropriate ce for these two to meet in secret.

    ¡°It really has been a long time since we have met, just the two of us, like this, right?¡±

    An old man with a wrinkled face, that was the proof of his age, was smiling and sitting on an armchair that was simple like the room yetplexly created.

    He was the one who stood above the millions of followers of the cross [Pope] Alexanderos the 11th.

    ¡°Pardon me for the sudden visit, your highness Pope.¡±

    The one who spoke with the hard yet low voice was a man with a height that reached 2m.

    His sharp body line with his big frame, his dignified closed lips and tall nose and his chiselled face gave of the feeling of both beauty and boldness of a man, an ideal figure.

    Even among that, what really caught attention was his eyes that had different colour.

    His transparent-like long silver hair were slightly longer for a man, and though the bangs slightly covered his eyes, his heterochromatic eyes gave off an overwhelming presence.

    His left eye was ck like the dark night and his right eye was blue like the clear sky itself.

    Though there were many who had heterochromatic eyes, none had a colourbination that varied like day and night like his.

    In front of this man with a unique appearance, Pope Alexanderos spoke in a truly weird way.

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody here to look at us, stop speaking to me like reserved stranger.¡±

    The man who heard that, as if all the courtesy he was showing to the Pope had blown away, flopped down on the seat opposite to the Pope¡¯s instantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s true Alex, I still can¡¯t get used to speaking to you so formally.¡±

    The man who had removed his expressionless face that he had been showing till now was now smiling and speaking in a tone used with a childhood friend.

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s been 20 years since I was inaugurated as the Pope, even you should get used to it already.¡±

    The Pope who had been called by his nickname changed his expression from his gentle smiling face shown to believers to a somewhat childish smiling expression.

    ¡°Has already so much time passed? When speaking of Pope, I can still only think of that old hag Crossrayughing loudly.¡±

    After hearing the name of the previous Pope after a long time, Alex gave a wry smile and once again realized how fast time passed.

    ¡°In that sense, I can also only think of you as the man who proimed himself as [The White Hero], Abel.¡±

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t remind me of that. It was a mistake of my youth........¡±

    The man that gave a bitter regretful expression was truly the 2nd Apostle Abel that acted as the mediator of the 12 Apostles.

    Normally he would only show himself in a hood and robe covering his whole body and would always seem calm andposed but if they were to see his rich face full of expression, more than half of the Apostles would open their mouths in shock.

    ¡°The legend of the Hero Abel is famous not just in the republic but even the whole Arc continent. No need to try and hide it now.¡±

    In fact isn¡¯t that more embarrassing? Alex asked,

    ¡°No, my duty is already finished. I¡¯ll leave the rest to the young ones.¡±

    But Abel replied in an old soldier fashion.

    But still, Abel continued speaking after returning to his usual cold expression.

    ¡°But it seems, I can¡¯t simply do that just yet.¡±

    On those words, Alex also turned to a serious expression.

    ¡°Hou, so that¡¯s the main topic for today?¡±

    He asked what had happened without beating around the bush.

    ¡°I received an Oracle, that the Demon King will be born.¡±

    On the words Abel spoke, Alex opened his eyes wide with surprise.

    ¡°A Demon King, you say? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? I haven¡¯t heard of such an ominous oracle ever before.¡±

    The ¡®haven¡¯t heard¡¯ part applied to the word ¡®Demon King¡¯ itself as well.

    In the first ce, the word ¡®Demon¡¯ was used to signify evil that¡¯s why all those who lived on Pandora were referred to as ¡®Demons¡¯.

    And to call someone from the scorned demons with the title of ¡®king¡¯ was never possible in the human-ruled Arc continent.

    Thus, [Demon King] wasn¡¯t referred to as a person who left his name in history but as a general name for the final enemy that needs to be defeated by the Hero chosen by the God.

    ¡°Even I¡¯m not aware of the details but considering it properly¡ª-¡°

    ¡®Demons¡¯ already exist, the a Demon King would be an existence that would rule over those demons.

    ¡°But Pandora is divided among various countries. Is there any power except our own that has the ability to unify and control the whole continent?¡±

    The Pope had obviously never gone to Pandora himself but since God had personally asked them to conquer it, he had been looking over all the information regarding it.

    And as far as he had heard, he could only think of the situation there as the situation of countless warring states fighting each other barbarically, which was once also the case in Arc continent a long time ago.

    ¡°No, someone who can do that will appear now, that¡¯s why the oracle said ¡®A Demon King will be born¡¯ is it?¡±

    Alex had answered his own question to which Abel gave a nod agreeing with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who has received this Oracle.¡±(abel)

    ¡°umu, it was the same during the previous ¡®ritual¡¯ as well. Including me, no other priest has received the oracle either.¡±(pope)

    Their talks continued as if there was no doubt the Oracle.

    Alex had no doubt that Abel might be lying, no, nobody in the whole Republic would doubt him.

    After all, he was an Apostle. He would never do something to defile the name of God.

    ¡°It seems God has appointed only me for this task. As usual it is apletely unexined demand but it¡¯s not like I can ignore it either.¡±

    With an expression that seemed to have given up on thinking too much, he gave a short sigh.

    To call a holy Oracle as an ¡®unexined demand¡¯ was not something that could be forgiven to a normal believer but because he was an existence that was closest to a God, an Apostle, he was allowed to speak like that.

    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be going to Pandora?¡±

    ¡°I need to go scold those three idiots who went to sightsee in Pandora as well after all.¡±

    The three idiots referred to the three who actually went with the intent to meet Sariel, i.e. the 3rd, 11th, and the 12th Apostle.

    Obviously, Alex knew that the 3rd Apostle Mikael had already failed as the leader of those Apostles to educate them without even being told by Abel.

    And even if they were such troublesome Apostles, they needed to be put on work for the defence of the Holy City Elysion.

    If the 2nd Apostle Abel also went away before they came back, the only ones remaining here would be the 5th Apostle Johannes and the ¡®legendary ¡® 1st Apostle that might not even appear at all.

    The 4th Apostle Judah had once again secretly went away on a journey so it was impossible to call him back now.

    Thus, Abel could not leave till those three returned and the safety here was guaranteed.

    But, at the fact that Abel was about to leave towards Pandora, Alex made an amused face and spoke.

    ¡°fumu, I see, so it¡¯s the beginning of another legend of the hero Abel, eh?¡±

    Thest time the 2nd Apostle left Elysion was 20 years back when a huge invasion by heretics of the east took ce in the Republic.

    But, for Alex, the [White Hero] Abel was an existence that wouldn¡¯t lose no matter where he went or who he faced which is why even when he was going directly into enemy territory, Alex could only think of poking and making fun of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. I¡¯ll just roam around randomly and return.¡±(abel)

    ¡°And wouldn¡¯t that mean that Demon King really would end up being born?¡±

    Abel gave a nod while smiling wryly.

    ¡°Without any leads, in the first ce, it is doubtful whether he actually is on Pandora. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d find him like this.¡±

    Sitting on white throne floating in the darkness, an evil looking man wrapped in jet ck clothes andughing loudly; it¡¯s hard to think that such a stereotypical Demon King that appears only in fairy tales exists even in Pandora.

    ¡°Even the oracles aren¡¯t absolute, you should know that better than anyone else.¡±

    Expecting the Demon King to be on Pandora, and just because he went to that direction, fate made them meet and Abel goes ¡®So you¡¯re the Demon King!!¡¯; something miraculous like that will not happen, even Alex knows that.

    An Oracle is simply a demand from the God, it¡¯s not destined to be sessful either.

    The believers would work hard to make it a reality but whether they can really do it or not is a different matter altogether. Just as how the conquest of Pandora had been almost abandoned.

    ¡°Probably, a Demon King will be born no matter what. After the fall of Daedalus, every country would see the Crusaders as enemies and there¡¯s a chance that every country would unify against the Crusaders.¡±

    There is a high chance that the various countries would be one in such a time, then the birth of a demon king wouldn¡¯t be weird either.

    ¡°but, I doubt it¡¯ll go that smoothly. Just how many countries are there in Pandora? How many races are there? If one was to rule over all of them, he¡¯ll need to have absolute strength to do that.¡±

    ¡°Still in any case, if someone like a Demon King will appear, it¡¯s better to take some measures in advance.¡±

    Even then, I¡¯ll have to go to Pandora, Abel said that as if he was troubled by it and found it tiresome.

    ¡°Then, should we contact the Crusaders and ask them to look for this Demon King, or anything indicating to it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯ll only create chaos right now. And only reports about rumours woulde back. Till the situation bes a bit more clearer, or atleast till another Oraclees, I¡¯ll move alone.¡±

    Of course, for the 2nd Apostle to take action himself was equal to a thousand man army taking action but Alex decided not to say that.

    ¡°Very well, I understand. Then I¡¯ll make preparations for you to cross over to Pandora.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble as always.¡±

    He had allowed three Apostles to go to Pandora for personal reasons but he didn¡¯t expect that he himself would also have to do the same thing.

    ¡°That¡¯s all for today, then, let us both return to our duties, your Highness Pope.¡±

    And thus, after giving some words of formality to the Pope, Abel began to leave.

    ¡°umu, I had fun talking to you after all this time. Made me remember the old days. Now then, 2nd Apostle Lord Abel, have a safe journey.¡±

    Saying that, the Pope Alexanderos the 11th put on his pure white robe and left the room with a magnificent walking pace that would make one doubt his age.

    After seeing him off, Abel also stood up and

    ¡°As expected, the legend of the Hero Abel won¡¯t end till he defeats the Demon King, eh?¡±

    He muttered to himself in a small voice.

 Chapter 164 The Melancholy of Sariel

    Chapter 164 The Mncholy of Sariel

    The g of the cross which symbolised the White God fluttered on the Daedalus royal castle and showed who ruled thisnd.

    And right now, the fact that the authority of the precious ruler Gaevinal hadpletely disappeared,

    ¡°You may leave now.¡±

    Was proven by the young white girl sitting on the throne.

    ¡°Yes, then excuse me, Your Excellency Sariel.¡±

    Sitting on the throne that had been painted white as per the style of the Syncrea Republic, the suprememander of the Crusaders, 7th Apostle Sariel sent off the sister who had finished her duties.

    Beside her was an empty envelop which had the seal of the holy cross insignia.

    ¡°This really was surprising. To think that the [White Hero], 2nd Apostle Abel, would being here.¡±

    The contents of the envelope were in the hands of Sariel¡¯s aide and vicemander, Archbishop Liuchrome.

    The two had read the letter sent by the Pope and, though their faces didn¡¯t show it, they were extremely surprised by the matter written in the letter.

    ¡°Do you have any idea why Lord Abel would being here?¡±(sariel)

    In the letter it was basically written that they needed to receive Abel cleverly since his visit is supposed to be a secret.

    Sariel asked so to her aide thinking that maybe he, who was much more intelligent than herself, might have realized the reason behind this sudden yet secret visit from the contents of the letter.

    ¡°No, I do not know anything. Whatever it is, the reason must be something very appropriate considering that Lord Abel would leave Elysion. It¡¯s definitely not simply a whim.¡±(liu)

    Unlike someone, his voice seemed to contain a tinge of sarcasm.

    Although sporadic resistances were urring all over Daedalus in opposition to their upation, the Crusaders had already reached to all corners of the territory and overall the situation was favourable to them.

    In terms of conquering, there were no problems. If it was something else, then that would be the disappearance of the 11th Apostle Misa.

    In any case, she should be currently on the Magic battleship Gargantia while listening to theints of 12th Apostle Mariabelle and watched over by 3rd Apostle Mikael¡¯s saint-like smile.

    By the way, 3rd Apostle Mikael had also almost stranded away somewhere but luckily she was found wandering around in Daedalus and they were able to avoid creating an uproar.

    But even considering such situations regarding Daedalus, just as Liuchrome said, neither of them were a problem big enough to make the 2nd Apostle Lord Abel take action himself.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Sariel also agreed.

    Except during battles, she waspletely on the top position as a decoration in terms of politics etc but since she did hear the minimal amount of info, she could also agree with Liuchrome¡¯s words.

    ¡°Since the details have been hidden, we should not make any useless inquiries either.¡±

    ¡°Yes, something done by His Holiness the Pope and Lord Abel is the same as the will of God. We should simply prepare for his visit as stated in the letter.¡±

    Understood. Like an experienced butler, Liuchrome epted Sariel¡¯s words.

    In the letter, Lord Abel¡¯s visit was to be treated as aplete secret so it was instructed that only Sariel and Liuchrome should be privy to this matter.

    Abel¡¯s outward stance is that he is simply an envoy sent by the Pope to examine the situation in Pandora, of course, the fact that he was an Apostle was not dered.

    His objective was to investigate to report back to the Pope and so the Crusaders were ¡®asked¡¯ to tell him whatever info he may require.

    ¡°Archbishop Liuchrome, would you be kind enough to leave for some time?¡±(sariel)

    To Sariel¡¯s sudden request, without crumbling his calm face, Liuchrome answered in the very next second.

    ¡°Then, I shall take my leave now. I¡¯ll ask the guards to take a rest a bit earlier as well.¡±

    Without even asking for the reason, he simply acknowledged Sariel¡¯s demand to ¡®clear out the people¡¯.

    Even if it was a mysterious order, he had no right to stop an Apostle from doing something. A mere ¡®human¡¯ could only abide by her orders without retorting or suspecting her.

    ¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll continue in the afternoon as usual.¡±

    After respectfully bowing once, Liuchrome left the throne room.

    For the next one hour, no one would enter the throne room nor would anyone suspect what was happening inside it. The room was treated as a perfectly sealed room.

    Alone, in the throne room, Sariel softly muttered.

    ¡°You cane out now.¡±

    But that voice which should have been received by empty air certainly reached someone.

    ¡°Well, sorry about that, looks like I made you worry.¡±

    In the throne room where no one else should have been, a single girl appeared from behind a thick pir.

    Blonde twintails, a thin shirt and miniskirt, and a simple leather breastte and boots as equipment showed that she was not a civilian.

    If one were to describe it in few words, she looked like a newbie adventurer.

    There was no atmosphere around her that an experienced adventurer who had crossed countless battles to the death would have. She really looked like an innocent girl but her identity was,

    ¡°Wee to the Pandora Continent, 8th Apostle Ai.¡±(sariel)

    Sariel weed her, without showing any sort of surprise against the fact that the apostle that roamed around the world freely had appeared here.

    ¡°You¡¯re cute as usual Sariel-senpai! But if you¡¯re going to so ¡®wee¡¯ then do so with a smile!!¡±

    Sariel¡¯s face twitched slightly on Ai¡¯s words

    She wasn¡¯t angry, she was trying to smile actually.

    ¡°Sorry, Sariel-senpai is fine as she is.¡±

    Seeing Sariel¡¯s moving efforts that bore no fruit, Ai seemed to be reflecting on her words.

    ¡°So, what business do you have?¡±(sariel)

    Sariel who returned to her expressionless face, without even trying to try and chat with her junior who she met in a long time, directly cut to the chase and asked her that.

    ¡°I thought Misa would have already told you that I was here on Pandora so¡ª-¡°

    That was a fact.

    After Misa returned back to the Royal Castle with an unpleasant face, obviously she had told everything, where she had gone, what she did, etc.

    And obviously, the fact that she had met the 8th Apostle Ai also came.

    ¡°¡ª-I thought I shoulde and greet you properly at least.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±(sariel)

    Just for that reason, she had infiltrated all the way to the innermost room of the royal castle that was protected and guarded by soldiers all the time.

    If a human had done so, it would have been a shocking news but if the people of republic were told that ¡®an Apostle did it¡¯, everyone would find it easy to understand.

    Especially since it was Ai, who was specialised in hiding herself, that did this, Sariel found it even easier to ept. Since she is here right now, it was already a true fact after all.

    ¡°Ah, but I also have a request, will you hear it?¡±(Ai)

    Ai pped her hands in front of her chest and gave a wink looked just like a daughter trying to beg her father for something.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Sariel who wasn¡¯t really affected by that gesture asked very curtly.

    ¡°Hurry up and build the Daedalus branch of the Adventurer guild!¡±(Ai)

    Even Sariel who didn¡¯t really excel at thinking could figure out what was the reason behind that request.

    Ai had been acting as an adventurer who existed all over the Republic, no, the whole Arc continent.

    And this ce was also not exception either. She hade to know, while hiding in Virginia, that argework of adventurers also existed on the Pandora continent as well.

    Naturally, an adventurer guild also existed in the capital city Daedalus as well but it was not working anymore obviously because of the upation done by the Crusaders.

    The Guild that Demons used and the guild that the humans of the Republic used, though both had the same names, they werepletely different organisations.

    In Daedalus, that had already be the territory of the Republic, a Guild with the rules of the Republic will be created.

    At least for Ai to work as an adventurer here, she¡¯ll need the republic¡¯s adventurer guild to start operating here.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    And, Sariel epted Ai¡¯s demand instantly.

    ¡°Yay! I love you Sariel-senpai!!¡±

    Ai ran towards her with arms wide open and Sariel had to resign herself to receiving her as well.

    ¡°The start of......the adventurer guild will......be needed soon....after all.¡±(sariel)

    As Ai continued rubbing her cheek with Sariel¡¯s, Sariel continued her exnation praiseworthily.

    The upation known as an Adventurer didn¡¯t limit to just going into dungeons and looking for treasure.

    In this world filled with monsters, they were also an important existence to protect the people at every ce.

    Of course, dealing with monsters is the job of the army but they alone can¡¯t deal with it perfectly.

    From the point of view of the regr civilians, adventurers are closer to them and protect them by clearing out the monsters near their homes.

    And that¡¯s not all. Gathering herbs, personal escorting, delivering items, etc are also jobs that they take which are dangerous to normal people.

    And furthermore, the adventurers also supply items to adventurer guild, merchant guild and even directly to workshops and cksmiths as well.

    And since they are an existence which is indispensable for the civilians, adventurers existed both on the Arc continent as well as Pandora continent and was one of the mostmon upation taken by people.

    Then naturally, even without the exnation of Sariel, it was obvious that they needed to start adventurer operations in Daedalus quickly.

    However, Ai was currently busy enjoying Sariel¡¯s soft white squishy cheeks and didn¡¯t listen to the exnation at all.

    ¡°Will you be staying in Daedalus for a while?¡±(Sariel)

    Sariel asked so to Ai without showing any sort of reluctance towards her excessive skinship.

    ¡°un, I¡¯ll stay as an adventurer here till everything calms down here. Actually I wanted to be a Pandora Adventurer but then I¡¯ll be unable to do my only job of ¡®world reformation¡¯.¡±

    Ai, the 8th Apostles, actions were famous and supported by the civilians of Republic as a ¡®good deed¡¯.

    Defeating monsters that were causing trouble to even armies, judging corrupt officials and merchants; there was no way her actions would be criticised.

    But, she could only take actions like that inside the territory of the Cross, i.e. inside the Republic.

    Basically, she couldn¡¯t ¡®save¡¯ a person who was not a believer of the Cross.

    Ai moved almostpletely independent of the influence of the church but her actions of saving the believers of the Cross in itself was an act which could be said to be correct as an Apostle.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be here, then Daedalus will be safe as well.¡±(sariel)

    ¡°nfufu thanks!!¡±(ai)

    Hearing such pleasant thing from Sariel, Ai tried to kiss her mouth-to-mouth but as expected that was probably no good for a believer of the Cross and Sariel blocked her gently with her palm.

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I want to ask.¡±(sariel)

    ¡°Wha~t is it?¡±

    Maybe she was still attracted to Sariel¡¯s lips, Ai was pouting like an octopus.

    ¡°Did the ¡®devil¡¯ who brought out huge damages to my Crusaders in Alsace really call himself Kurono?¡±(sariel)

    Due to the case with Misa¡¯s independent actions, Sariel was also aware of the battle at Alsace.

    Inside the favourable territory of Daedalus, to have lost more than a thousand men, it was a hard battle that was now well known not to just Sariel but to the whole of the Crusaders.

    This battle alone was not called as ¡®resistance by demons¡¯ but was a clear cut ¡®war¡¯.

    And since Ai had appeared in that battle, it was normal for the suprememander Sariel to ask her about it.

    But to ask just about a single man named [Kurono] was truly iprehensible.

    ¡°Huh, could it be that senpai is acquainted with Kurono-kun?¡±(Ai)

    Ai asked Sariel with a grinning face.

    It looked like a girl bullying another while asking the name of the man she liked but the contents were serious enough that it might turn into an interrogation.

    ¡°.......¡±

    Sariel answered with silence. She was unable to lie after all.

    Ai, who took that as a ¡®yes¡¯ to her question answered the original question with a satisfied face.

    ¡°We did name each other after all. It¡¯s not some rumour or misunderstanding. He had a rarebination of having ck hair and ck eyes and he was wearing full ck clothes as well so he stood out. aa, also a super cute fairy and a pretty witch were also with him.¡±(Ai)

    Do you know something about it? On Ai¡¯s such words, Sariel could only answer back with silence but,

    (¡°No doubt. That was truly Kurono Mao.¡±)

    Sariel confirmed inside her mind.

    The ck magician that killed countless Crusaders and was called a ¡®devil¡¯ was without a doubt the same man that she had let go off twice.

    ¡°It¡¯s rare for Sariel-senpai to show interest towards an individual person, or rather, isn¡¯t this the first time?¡±(Ai)

    That truly was correct.

    The girl called the 7th Apostle Sariel was indifferent to her surroundings, anyone who had been concerned with her even a little was well aware of that fact.

    She would simply defeat her enemies andplete the mission given to her by the shurch. In a way, she was truly an ideal Apostle but that made it difficult to judge her humanity.

    Such a girl tried to confirm whether the name of the man she knew referred to the same man that faced the Crusaders.

    Such a simple thing was a proof that the existence called [Kurono] was a special existence towards her.

    ¡°nee nee, could it be that you¡¯re worried for Kurono-kun? Or could it be that was your ex?¡±(ai)

    ~kyaa with a sound like that, Ai seemed to be getting excited by herself but,

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that.¡±(sariel)

    The girl was a doll. Let alone human emotions, she did not even have the survival instincts of a living being in her.

    She waspletely unrted to the womanly emotion of falling for a man, she simply could not understand that emotion.

    ¡°fuun, is that so?¡±(ai)

    Ai, maybe she sensed the atmosphere, decided not to pursue it any further.

    ¡°Well whatever, ah, this is my new guild card so if ¡®something¡¯ happens request me through the Guild.¡±(Ai)

    Saying that, she handed over a card to Sariel.

    On it was the verymon name Ai along with her ss and other such personal data along with her adventurer rank.

    On the Pandora continent, metal tes were used but on Arc, such cards, that too the type that were printed in huge number so that one could give them to people like a business card, were used.

    ¡°About Kurono-kun, if I get to know something, I¡¯ll tell you. After all I do owe a favour to Sariel-senpai. I¡¯ll use this chance to return it back.¡±

    ¡°No, I am¡ª¨C¡°

    ¡°So see ya! Work hard Sariel-senpai!!¡±

    And after throwing words of farewell one-sidedly, she grandly left through the door and Sariel could only silently see her off.

    ¡°.........Kurono Mao.¡±

    Sariel¡¯s muttering, this time finally didn¡¯t reach anyone¡¯s ears.

    (¡°I should not have let him run away.¡±)

    The feeling she felt in her heart was without a doubt, regret.

    Sariel was the suprememander of the Crusaders. Her job was to kill the enemies, not to have pity on them.

    As the leader of an army, she had a duty to limit the losses of her army to a minimum.

    And, Sariel whose raison d¡¯¨ºtre was her work as an Apostle, to have caused damages to her army due to her ¡®personal actions¡¯ was not something forgivable.

    Thus she regretted, she should not have done that at that time. Everyone has such a regret and Sariel also suffered from it.

    (¡°Uneeded casualties were created because of me.¡±)

    For Sariel, what was important wasn¡¯t who died, but the fact that ¡®someone died¡¯ in itself.

    She was not sad for the death of people, she could simply not forgive that she had made useless losses to the army.

    Conversely speaking, it was nothing more than that.

    For Sariel, a person¡¯s life and death wasn¡¯t important. What¡¯s more important was the sess or failure of a job.

    (¡°Then, it would be ideal for me to deal it with it.¡±)

    And thus, Sariel resolved her heart towards the man called Kurono Mao that was hated by her Crusaders.

    (¡°If I meet him again in the ¡®next battle¡¯¡ª¨C¡°)

    No, there was no ¡®if¡¯ in that. That man would definitely appear on the battlefield, she was sure of that.

    Thinking about that time that will appear in the near future,

    ¡°¡ª¨CI will kill him with my very hands.¡±

    As if telling herself, Sariel spoke those determined words.

    But what ruled her heart was not anger towards Kurono that was the reason behind her ¡®mistake¡¯.

    She simply felt anguished to the fact that she would have to kill the man that she had hoped would be salvation, hope for the experimental humans.

    Yes, after bing the 7th Apostle, Sariel felt ¡®mncholy¡¯ for the first time.

 Chapter 165 Zero Chronicle

    Chapter 165 Zero Chronicle

    The 14th of Hatsuhi, the blue sky was bright, befitting of a summer day and asionally, a cool refreshing wind would blow.

    This city called Spada, as I looked at the streets and buildings again, I realized that it was really a magnificent city.

    Buildings tall enough to match with modern buildings were lined up, the roads were made beautifully from tiles and even street lights that worked with magical energy were installed.

    I had thought of this world as having culture at the same level as Medieval Era but streets like this have the same beauty as modern European cities, it¡¯s really amazing.

    Probably with the boon of magic, they must have developed different techniques and methods of construction and other systems that don¡¯t exist on Earth which only has science.

    Spada was such a city filled with dreams and romance but right now our objective is to get some quests from the guild and also procure equipments and items.

    The Guild and the item shop was located at the za around 10mins away from our inn.

    An ancient relic Obelisk was also set in the za and was very useful as a meeting ce or andmark.

    We three members of [Element Master] weren¡¯t really meting up here but anyway, we came here to use it as our starting point.

    Compared to the za of Irz vige, the number of people is overwhelming here.

    I wonder how many people would be there at the central za of the whole city.

    Aftering to this world, I am seeing a ce filled with so many people for the first time.

    Well, it¡¯s still betterpared to the crowd of Tokyo but still I ended up feeling a bit overwhelmed when surrounded by such tall buildings and so many people.

    ¡°This might bete but Spada really is a big city!¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I know right?¡±(Lily)

    While saying something totally what a country bumpkin would say along with Lily, I gave a sigh of admiration while looking at the 10m high obelisk.

    On the monument-like obelisk, something was written with letters different from the ones used currently in this world. The letters were giving off a faint white light as well.

    Considering that the Obelisk was a thing of the Ancient times, thispletely different letters must be what was used during those times.

    ¡°Lily, can you read what¡¯s written there?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°nn~¡±

    Focusing with her eyes, Lily gazed at the words that were shining with a white light.

    Her gaze seemed to possess an intellectual light as if her adult consciousness had returned for some time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±(Lily)

    ¡°I see~ So even you don¡¯t know~¡±(kurono)

    It seems I was mistaken about the intellectual light I felt in her eyes but as a reward for working hard I patted Lily, fuhaha, this damn cute fellow!

    ¡°Kurono-san, something about Mia Elrod is written on the obelisk it seems.¡±

    While I was admiring Lily like a pet cat, Fiona gave a serious answer.

    And somehow, she is also stuffing her cheeks with a litchi like fruit that she had bought from a cart but I couldn¡¯t retort to that.

    ¡°Is that so? Fiona, you can read this?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, of course I can read this.¡±(Fiona)

    I am really surprised! To think that Fiona could read Ancient letters! I guess an actual witch is in a different league from the everyday magician¡ª¨C

    ¡°After all, the trantion is also written there.¡±(Fiona)

    Return my feelings of surprise back to me!

    To the ce where Fiona was pointing, the trantion of what was written on the Obelisk was written with full exnations, clearly to help tourists.

    Of course, it was in letters even I could read.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, about Mia¡ª-ah, it really is written here.¡±

    As I looked at the exnations written there, apparently on this obelisk praises about the Emperor Mia Elrod of the great Elrod empire or something like that was written.

    By the way, here rather than ¡®Demon King¡¯, the title used was ¡®Emperor¡¯ for Mia.

    Well that¡¯s normal. Mia was titled as a Demon King afterwards, Mia herself/himself used Emperor when he/she was active.

    ¡°It seems, a bigger one is located at the Central za as well.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Reading that, we might be able to know about some specific episode.¡±(kurono)

    On this 10x3m ck rectangle, only praises towards Mia have been written and nothing describing what Mia actually did is written.

    ¡°But still, [The beginning of History ¨C Zero Chronicle] is a pretty grandiose name that they have used.¡±

    [The beginning of History ¨C Zero Chronicle] is the word referred to the various Obelisks that talked about Mia located not just in Spada but all over Pandora.

    But, to say that the history of people began only when Emperor Mia Elrod unified Pandora is pretty arrogant in my opinion.

    It¡¯s basically saying that everything that happened before that is not ¡®acknowledged¡¯ by them.

    To think like that, isn¡¯t that too narrow minded of them?

    ¡°It¡¯s really mysterious, on the Arc continent ¡®Zero Chronicle¡¯ holds the exact opposite meaning of the ¡®End of History¡¯.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Is that so¡ª-¡°

    As I wondered about it, a question arose in mind.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, both Pandora and Arc use the same system of Model magic, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Not just that, they both speak in the samenguage as if it was something obvious and even use the same letters and alphabets.

    When you think about it, isn¡¯t that really weird?

    After all, the people of Arc hadn¡¯t arrived at Pandora just now, they had no chance of ¡®cultural exchange¡¯ with them.

    It couldn¡¯t be that it¡¯s a coincidence that they ended up developing the same kind of culture right?

    ¡°Well that¡¯s normal. After all, the current culture has been derived from the Ancient culture. In Ancient times, both Arc and Pandora were under the same sphere of cultural influence. The proof is the fact that ournguage is the same, though there are a few differences.¡±(Fiona)

    Furthermore, if one was topare the Ancient Dungeons of both Arc and Pandora, the simrities are even more apparent, or so Fiona exins.

    ¡°I have only entered Medea(T/N: prev used media) Ruins but I believe that other ruins also belong to the Ancient civilisation.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°I see.....¡±

    I agreed but at the same time several more questions also rose up.

    In the first ce, what the hell was the Ancient Civilisation? They existed thousands of years ago but they still had influence over the current culture?

    But, for the time being I set aside my curiosity.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the time to be leisurely sightseeing.¡±(kurono)

    That¡¯s right, we need to quickly to restore our adventurer lifestyle and start working.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Oo!¡±(lily)

    Or so those two gave an energetic response but before I realized, even Lily was now enjoying those litchi-like small fruits which chipped away the persuasive power in their replies.

    ¡°You guys are really unfair..........I¡¯ll go buy some too.¡±

    I, who yielded to the sweet fruity aroma of the fruits, resolved deeply in my heart to get serious after we¡¯re done eating this.

    But, for me who usually abandons his own resolve in few steps, is there even any meaning behind resolving my heart? Such question rose inside me..........

 Chapter 166 The Man with 40 Points

    Chapter 166 ¨C The Man with 40 Points

    There are two Adventurer Guilds present in Spada.

    One of them is present, after crossing the second protective wall, in the upper ss area, on the outskirts of city¡¯s central za, the Spada Adventurer Guild Headquarters.

    Only High-ranked adventurer like Rank 4 and above, are allowed to use the headquarters, normal adventurers have to use the other one.

    That is, Spada Adventurer Guild, School District Branch.

    The School district is just like it¡¯s names, an area with science, it has the Royal Spada Academy and various other educational institutions, like magic researchboratories, Weapon Workshops, and Temples.

    Due to the location, this branch of guild is filled with young people wearing uniform like clothes.

    Of course, there are also people wearing helmet and armor and robes, the adventurers.

    Presently, the ratio of Students to Adventurers is 3:7, but still the students wearing same uniform is more conspicuous.

    To other adventurer who have never seen this would get surprised but to the girl Elf, Erina, sitting on the reception window, this scene is normal.

    She is, today as well, dealing with adventurers with a smile.

    ¡¸Erina-san, if this quest is sessful, will you go on a date with me!¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m right now working, please refrain from any private talks¡¹

    The beautiful elf, Erina, while sweetly smiling cuts off the invitation by the young male student.

    To Erina, with light chestnut-colored hair folded into a chignon, sky-blue eyes, and with onee-san type looks, this sort of invitation was a normal scene.

    ¡¸But, if you be able to take quest from the headquarters, then I might think about it¡¹

    ¡¸Really! In that case, I¡¯m gonna give it my all!¡¹

    Bing a rank 4 adventurer to take quests from headquarters is a very severe task, but if said with a seductive wink, there is no man who would not be cheered up.

    While seeing the figure of students groups heading towards the quests full with spirit,

    ¡¸Hm~, 45 points¡¹

    She speaks those words along with a sigh.

    (With his appearance, grades, and parentage he could¡¯ve gotten 50 points, but too bad his personality is of an idiot)

    Marking any man is like a normal habit for her, after all she didn¡¯t have anyck of men trying to woo her since childhood.

    (The branch is not good, Argh, I need to get employed at headquarters soon and meet a good man)

    But right now is the time of waiting, it¡¯s the time of lower social strata, saying that she persuaded herself and without making any unpleasant expression, she has tried to keep working in her job.

    After graduating from Royal Spada Academy¡¯s civil official course with great scores, she easily got epted in the Spada Adventurer Guild.

    Her academic background, along with having her parent¡¯s home in the upper ss area, she is in other words an Elite.

    And, if she continued her duties seriously without any big mistakes, she would be steadily promoted and in three years promoted to the headquarters.

    Smoothly sailing on the path of elite course Erina, wanted to have the man who would be her partner with a suitable status and abilities.

    At the very least, there is no possibility of a man who would attract her in this branch section of guild with rank 3 and below adventurers.

    Of course, there would be some among students who have aplished great achievements, but there is no magic to distinguish them, though there was magic, it¡¯s not possible to know about future.

    Hence, she is today in her 2nd Year of the job too, stably trying to be pleasant to everyone while being the receptionist.

    Having the rapiding of men with points less than 50 recently she has piled up lot of frustration, but due to her skill of feigning innocence, she only shows the smile which can fascinate anyone, but not her true ck feelings.

    ¡¸Next person, please¡¹

    The man after themon student adventurer, was a man with attracting eyes.

    No doubt, the moment she finds out the person is man, her marking starts.

    (Hm~, his face is really good)

    Having a face that alone can give the man 90 points, Erina¡¯s tension was elevated.

    She immediately distinctifies that man didn¡¯t had any particr physical trait, and his race was human.

    His nose was tall and outline was quite sharp, various parts were splendidly arranged.

    His long slitted eyes and their expression, might scare most people, but to Erina, who was searching for adventurer and knight men, it worked as a plus sign.

    (ck hair with odd-eyes of ck and red, rarebination)

    His ck hairs were so long that they covered both eyes, but it was not like hair was grown carelessly and is showingziness and dirtiness. On the contrary, it matched the man¡¯s atmosphere.

    More than anything, the strong life force inside the ck eyes that seemed like dark abyss of hell, and red eyes that seemed like brightly zing mes increased the charm of the man.

    (His eyes don¡¯t seem to have ¡®something¡¯ in them. It¡¯s bit disappointing for them to not be¡ºMystic Eyes¡»)

    But wanting¡ºMystic Eyes¡»is quite severe, thinking that Erina then looks at the man¡¯s equipments.

    (White shirt and worn-out leather pants, huh......I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re an adventurer if you don¡¯t have guild card, why is he wearing this even if it¡¯s a holiday for him. And there isn¡¯t even one knife on him, he is too much careless)

    That kind of appearance, to an adventurer is equal to being nude, Erina starts her re-evaluation from the lower section.

    His rank was 1, even the student from before had bronze te of rank 2, in this case she can¡¯t expect great strength based on his appearance.

    ¡¸Please show the Guild Card¡¹

    While having feeling of sadness, Erina speaks out the standard lines.

    The adventurer guild is just like its name says, used by adventurers, and ignored bymon people.

    Hence, for getting the services of guild to use it, it¡¯s needed to show the proof of being an adventurer.

    By the way, at the time of applying for quest by amon person, they are lead to another reception window.

    ¡¸Here it is.¡¹

    To the man taking out the iron ted guild card hanging from his neck, marks are added.

    The thing she piqued interest in was not the nice vocal sound the man had.

    (He is quite polite contrary to his appearance)

    The only one word¡¸Here it is¡¹is something that a knight with muscle brain, or an entric magician with brain of magic can never speak.

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    Showing a smile that can be 100 points for a girl (Business use only), Erina takes the guild card, and starts reading the information written on it with her personal magic item.

    In truth Guild card contains information more than what is written on it.

    Like what quest in progress, or how many the person has passed or failed, these personal information like information is written in it using the magic techniques.

    Of course the actions of adventurers are not being updated in real-time, but the staff member of guild updates it based on the achievement progress of quest.

    In the first ce, a rank 1 guild card doesn¡¯t has much strong protection, so even without this small crystal orb like reading magic item, with some knowledge in magic it can be easily read.

    And, within less than 3 seconds the personal data of the man is disyed on the disy screen of crystal orb.

    ¡¸You are Kurono-sama, rank 1 adventurer, right?¡¹

    White facing Kurono, who was nodding, she gave sidelong nce on the information and read it in fast speed, Erina couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointment that the information was just as she expected.

    (Uwa, He¡¯s from Daedalus......where the hell is this Irz, he isn¡¯t even from the capital? He¡¯s quite a country bumpkin)

    To Erina wanting a man with good family, a country bumpkin with no surname is of no use.

    (Sigh, All the quests are easy ones, and what might this ¡®ck magic¡¯ be)

    Erina read the information of errand level quests like medicine nt gathering, but

    (Hm, Emergency Quest: Protection of Evacuees......is he perhaps)

    Though Erina was still a rookie receptionist, but just by being a personnel of Guild, she has heard more information that normal people about the ¡®war¡¯ in Daedalus.

    Including the fact about traces of massacre left on the road in the middle of Ghad Mountains.

    (I see, so he¡¯s a survivor with good luck)

    But Erina didn¡¯t even think, that he was the one who unfolded the fierce fighting and sessfully escaped till Spada.

    She was only thinking, the crossed Ghad Mountain Range luckily by not being discovered by anyone.

    And like that, Erina pushed the stamp of ¡®Rookie Level¡¯ within her heart towards Kurono while looking at his adventurer experience.

    ¡¸What work might you have today?¡¹

    While browsing through the errand level quests within her mind, Erina asked him with a smile, without showing any other expression.

    ¡¸I want to know the information about monsters, if possible about their habitats¡¹

    Did he not know about the existence of Monster List in the Guild, while sighing in the heart towards the man¡¯s stupidity, Erina exined.

    ¡¸Over there is a book with the records of monsters information, please look at that¡¹

    Erina while vowing in her heart to let him enter the Royal Spada Academy if he is illiterate says as such.

    ¡¸No, I did read it, but it didn¡¯t had the information I need, is any more information not made public?¡¹

    On the answer going over her expectations, Erina starts thinking.

    All the information for a rank 1 adventurer like, monster information, weak points, traits, attacking pattern, habitat, dealing method and much more is written in the monster list.

    If he could read the characters and talk in polite way, then he can¡¯t have a bad mind which can interpret the meaning of sentences.

    Despite that, the meaning that what he wanted was not written meant......thinking that a hunch sprouted within Erina¡¯s heart.

    ¡¸Kurono-sama, what sort of monster¡¯s information do you need?¡¹

    For checking her hunch she asks, while praying to the ck Gods that her hunch be wrong.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t have a particr name, but, err, maybe high ranked monsters like Smander¨D¨D¡¹

    Having her hunch hit the mark, Erina wanted to praise herself for still keeping a smiling poker face.

    Because she felt, that Kurono was a man with just good face, and unfortunately, truly unfortunately didn¡¯t know about his own capabilities.

    Smander is a famous monster of dragon species, based on whether it is killed or not adventurer can be separated in first-ss or second-ss. In other words, it is the gateway to sess for adventurers.

    Even with full power a rank 1 adventurer can never win against it, even if a party of 100 people of rank 1 adventurers is made, all and everyone one will have their everything including bones turned to ash with just one fire breath.

    While bearing the scorn to someone idiot who is wanting something not in reach, Erina started exining to Kurono politely.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but this guild can¡¯t give the quests with high danger risks. For example, you cannot take the quest for subjugating a smander if you¡¯re not an adventurer of rank 4 or above¡¹

    She implicitly dered, that this quest waspletely unrted to the current him,

    ¡¸I do know that, that¡¯s why I thought of killing it as a frencer, is it wrong?¡¹

    And abused him saying he couldn¡¯t be anymore idiot.

    An idiot who didn¡¯t know the system of guild, it could be alright.

    But, a person while knowing the system, having a n of digging a hole, is more troublesome.

    In other words, this idiot knows that he couldn¡¯t fight smander normally, and has thought to kill it without a quest.

    Killing monsters freely is legal and not considered as crime, but a person without any knowledge of their own strength, jumping in the nest of dragon is nothing more than sacrificing their life.

    Even this current idiot could be a great adventurer in future, if he does his quests normally, and so the guild doesn¡¯t want to let a young person lose his life.

    That¡¯s why to not let a person go into rank 3 above monster¡¯s habitats, the information except the escaping from high ranked monsters is concealed in the monster list.

    In other words, this rank 1 idiot man is not understanding even a fragment of that kind-hearted guild¡¯s parental affection.

    [ET: HuuuH?]

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but this guild refrains from adventurers fighting monsters above their capacities¡¹

    ¡¸I, see......¡¹

    Kurono makes apletely depressed expression.

    If he was a man with great future, she would speak some consoling words, but due to his foolishness Erina won¡¯t ever speak anything like that.

    ¡¸If you want to subjugate high ranked monsters, then there is no other way than to increase your own rank¡¹

    While wanting him to live like a normal adventurer, Erina exins in a businesslike way.

    ¡¸Understood, then can you tell me the quest required to rise to rank 2¡¹

    For the time being, while being relieved that Kurono has some wisdom, she gave to the depressed rank 1 adventurer a quest.

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-sama has alreadypleted many Rank 1 quests, so¨D¨D¡¹

    Even though, gathering medicinal nts, helping vige vignte troops, protecting vigers going to neighbouring vige, are all 100% safe quests with nothing rted to fighting against monsters.

    Inside them, helping with maintenance of the fence around vige and all, are all quests one will never encounter monsters.

    Of course, no one would fail in them, so Kurono¡¯s sess rate was 100%, it isn¡¯t something one should be proud of.

    Even so achievements are achievements, if he nowpleted some subjugation quests for rank 1 adventurers, he could easily be promoted.

    Erina, quickly lists out the quests needed for rank promotion in less than a minute.

    Kurono says the words of gratitude without forgetting, and taking the list in hands reads it.

    Erina guessed he would choose the easiest one, with the subjugation of 5 goblins.

    ¡¸Well then, I will take them all¡¹

    Stop fucking around here! She stops her intense urge to shout with her strong mental strength, a special feature of elves.

    Calm down, don¡¯t get mad, elves are always cool, while persuading herself with those words, Erina politely dealt with him.

    ¡¸It¡¯s possible to take all the quests at once, but I won¡¯t rmend it¡¹

    Why? To Kurono asking like an idiot, she replies in a businesslike way.

    ¡¸There is a time limit, if notpleted within it, a penalty fine would be needed and the fine for breaching the quest contract. It¡¯s better to do quests one by one without any risks¡¹

    It was a really polite and kind warning from Erina, but

    ¡¸No, I will be fine¡¹

    He kicked it away.

    ¡¸I see, then is it fine with all this quests?¡¹

    While cursing Kurono, who gave affirmation boldly, that he should fall in debt hell due to that fine, shepleted the procedures of taking 5 quests.

    ¡¸AH, Excuse me, I want to take them as a party¡¹

    Then say that first, you dimwit, while cursing within her heart, she replies while smiling.

    ¡¸It will be fine, if you request afterpleting the quest, it will be regarded as the achievement of party. But, if you hadn¡¯t registered the party then do it now,ter it would turn troublesome¡¹

    Then I wille tomorrow, while hearing shitty information, Erinapletes the preparations for quest.

    ¡¸¨D¨DI will be praying for your sess, work hard¡¹

    While giving the bundle of receipts, she said as such without any real meaning behind it.

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    And then, Kurono left while showing a faint smile.

    Looking at the figure of Kurono, with tall and slender body, cold facial expression, and smile like spring, Erina

    ¡¸Sigh, so his looks were the only things good, really bad man, 40 points¡¹

    Leaked out those words of disappointment.

 Chapter 167 The Trial Is

    Chapter 167 ¨C The Trial Is

    After taking the quests from the beautiful and sociable elf receptionist I left the guild, and return to the za.

    During the time I was taking the quests in Guild, Lily and Fiona were buying Potions and various sorts of items, in short, it was division of roles.

    However though we had formed¡ºElement Master¡», but we haven¡¯t officially registered ourselves, so in the end all three of us have to go to guild.

    So let¡¯s go tomorrow, while thinking I try to find the two but can¡¯t find them, seems like they are still shopping.

    Even if it¡¯s potion, are female¡¯s shopping always this long? I sat on a bench in the za which has the obelisk of ¡ºBeginning of History (Zero Chronicle)¡»in the centre, and wait for the two.

    ¡¸Trial, huh......¡¹

    While muttering that, I touch the top of eyelid of my deep crimson left eye.

    It waspletely out of my expectations, that I would find the identity-like thing of trial.

    In the first ce, I opened the Monster list of Guild for fighting the rank 4 and above monsters for getting stronger.

    As expected of Spada, a big-city, the information amount is heavens apart from what was present in Irz.

    Well in the end, just like exnation of receptionist, rank 1 adventurer should refrain from fighting high ranked monsters even if it¡¯s their own free will, but like I care about.

    But that¡¯s not the problem, but the fact that I found a clue to trials within the monster list.

    Within the many monsters in the list, some particr monster names were releasing red light as if it was a sign.

    At first I thought the list had some sort of magical trick, but the name of monsters in red light could only be seen by me.

    It was proved when I asked the surrounding adventurers¡¸This is shining with red light, right?¡¹, the reply I got was cold stares saying pitiable guy.

    For confirming I closed my left eye, the luminescence vanished, conversely the light could be seen when looked through right eye.

    Without a doubt, this red light could only be seen through my ¡®left eye¡¯.

    Thinking back, Mia said something like this.

    ¡¸In future, my eye will tell you the necessary things¡¹

    In other words, this eye literally is telling me.

    Along with the affirmation, I recall the drastic move of gouging out the left eye and transnting into me, I somewhat squander my eyes.

    Even god would say, couldn¡¯t you have done it in a more divine and sacred way.

    After all this time, thatint arose in me.

    ¡¸Hm, Geez, You¡¯re rude to say that, even though I healed it!¡¹

    ¡¸......Ha?¡¹

    I shake my hand off the eye, there the person with the same face I was thinking just now is standing.

    ¡¸Is it you, Mia?¡¹

    The appearance is somewhat different from that time, but still has the ck short hair, deep crimson eyes and androgynous beautiful face, the so-called self-proimed God, ancient Demon Lord, Mia Elrod.

    The left eye that was supposed to be transnted into me, is naturally with her, and shining with constant red light.

    The ck robe and uniform like clothes are the same as the students from before in guild and people within the city, by the way it¡¯s a male zer.

    On top of that is Mia¡¯s hand is, the same small fruit with sourness and sweetness and a not-yet-seen faint yellow milk like liquid inside a cup, it won¡¯t look anything other than a child buying and consuming food.

    But, thatpletely food consuming middle schooler, boldly announced the name with the jet-ck obelisk at the back.

    ¡¸Indeed, We are the King of Elrod Empire, Mia Elrod! Just kidding¡¹

    The figure of him/her/it with the little tongue out had a lot of cute destructive power.

    Even though, there is no trace of divinism anywhere to give presents and hail screaming¡¸God!¡¹, to me Mia¡¯s remains as the ¡®Mysterious Magician¡¯.

    ¡¸I have something to ask¡¹

    I ignore Mia¡¯s unexpected appearance and disappearance, and ask what I want to ask.

    ¡¸What is it, I can answer everything until it touches the God¡¯s Rule¡¹

    While smiling, it sat on the bench I am sitting at, moreover really close that our shouldere in contact.

    ¡¸My left eye indicated the name of monsters, is the trial to defeat them?¡¹

    It¡¯s horriblycking exnation, but with this much Mia would understand.

    ¡¸Yeah, roughly it¡¯s like that, but defeating everything is not the only way¡¹

    ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹

    I can¡¯t tell you more right now, while saying that Mia puts the fruit in the small mouth.

    All the names of monsters that showed red light are monsters of rank 4 above. It won¡¯t be bad to train for it.

    Probably, I might discover something new rted to trials while fighting.

    I throw another question to Mia who is eating the fruit with relish¡¸Delicious~?¡¹

    ¡¸Then one more, Mia are you really the ¡®Emperor¡¯ written on that (Zero Chronicle)?¡¹

    On this obelisk, there is not even a word of the emperor¡¯s appearance, so just by looking won¡¯t give even one hint.

    ¡¸I can¡¯t prove it for now¡¹

    ¡¸Will I know after I get the Divine Protection throughpleting the trials?¡¹

    Revealing a vague smile, That¡¯s right maybe, Mia answers as such.

    Looks like there is no intention to answer me clearly.

    In the end, I can¡¯t know the name of god until the ritual at temple, until I get the divine protection, getting Mia¡¯s true identity is postponed.

    ¡¸Sorry, The people from ancient times, can tell you the magic and techniques lost in the current era, but¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s viting the rules, right?¡¹

    Showing a somewhat surprised face, You¡¯re sharp, and said those words of praise to me.

    ¡¸All the¡ºck Gods¡»are people who have lived in this world, People like me who got the Divine Protection are permitted to talk with gods, that¡¯s why there are many who tried to get the information about Lost Technologies like this.¡¹

    Even so in the current era the ancient magic is ssified as Ancient and is said to be impossible to reproduce.

    Ancient is the general name of the magic used only in the artifacts found in dungeons.

    If thatplex Magic Equation was deciphered, then it would¡¯ve been added into Model Magic and a Magic system used in old days would have been re-created.

    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t tell much about the past¡¹

    It¡¯s good, than boasting strange things.

    ¡¸And, is there some other ¡®Strange Function¡¯ in this eye?¡¹

    I want to keep it as normal eye as before, it would be troublesome if some kind of beam suddenly fired from the eye.

    ¡¸Haha, It¡¯s fine, it won¡¯t make any strange reaction to create problems during fights¡¹

    So this eye can actually read the atmosphere.

    Or rather, is Mia reading the atmosphere or this eye only?

    ¡¸Then I will be going back soon, anything else you need to ask?¡¹

    It doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m getting answers in return, while making a wry smile,

    ¡¸Ah, then one more¡¹

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    I decided to attack Mia with the question I had since the point I met Mia yesterday.

    ¡¸Are you man? or a girl?¡¹

    Then, Mia changes to a sullen expression,

    ¡¸It¡¯s just as it looks!¡¹

    and roared, as to show her displeasure, Mia left the ce angrily.

    When the small figure disappears in the crowd of people, I murmur.

    ¡¸Just which one is it......¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    The talk with Mia was not at all good, but it did help in killing the time I had to wait for those two.

    They appeared in the za while passing the crowd, if was already noon so we decided to have lunch at some ce to eat.

    ¡¸Still, there are quite a lot people¡¹

    Though it¡¯s due to the time period, but this quarter with shops serving foods has more poption density than at the za.

    ¡¸No wonder it¡¯s called Academy District, there are many students¡¹

    Just as Fiona says, the people wearing zer like uniform clothes do stand out more than they did at the guild.

    Obviously there are some people who look like middle-aged men and women, but most are young boys and girls of the same age as me.

    Looking at that, I recall my times of a high-schooler.

    Or rather, based on my age I¡¯m still a 2nd Year student of High School, it won¡¯t be strange for me to say myself as an active student.

    No, I¡¯m not going to School now so it¡¯s bad to lie, After all I¡¯m an adventurer who left the school in the middle of term, that¡¯s true.

    ¡¸Kurono, you want to go to school?¡¹

    Huh, was I that much immersed in my emotion that it showed on my face?

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, it would lie to say that I don¡¯t want to, but right now there is no time for that¡¹

    Unfortunately, I end my sentence with that word, but I get objection words thrown at me from some truly unexpected.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s a good idea to go to school¡¹

    That was Fiona who shouldn¡¯t have good memories of school.

    ¡¸It won¡¯t do any good to study after so long?¡¹

    My ultimate goal is to acquire power to defeat those apostles, the most short and certain way is to raise my rank as an adventurer to fight stronger monsters.

    Either way, it¡¯s not a problem that can be solved by learning National Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

    ¡¸Oh, was the objective of school only to learn written knowledge in Kurono-san¡¯s birthce? In Spada¡¯s schools, you can learn the magic, techniques, Martial Skills, and all things necessary to live as an adventurer¡¹

    I only had the image of a school to have 5 + a little more courses, but, I see, this is another world so there might be schools that tell things like that.

    Thinking back that students took the quests at guild, it means they¡¯re being trained as adventurers.

    ¡¸I see, so there are ces like adventurer training centres?¡¹

    ¡¸rather than that, in ces like this the bat techniques¡¯ like magic and martial skills are studied, developed, and practiced, it was like that in the Republic¡¹

    ording Fiona¡¯s exnation, they are ying the roles like the universities in Earth, like researching thetest technologies at ces like that.

    I definitely had the image of theboratory ces to be in some remote ce inside forests with magicians, but in this world with magic, it¡¯s only natural for it to be researched in this big-city.

    ¡¸Now that I think about it Kurono-san, it¡¯s not been even a year since you havee to ¡®this world¡¯, so why not take this opportunity to learn the basics of the basics?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, that might be good idea¡¹

    It¡¯s only been 3 hard months since the day I met Lily on 4th of Ryokufu Month till today 14th of Hatsuhi Month, though it was quite a dark period of time, but it¡¯s hard to say that I have learnt about this world.

    It wouldn¡¯t have been a problem to live as an adventurer of rank 1 in Vige of Irz, but in this big-city called Spada, I have to stand on top of many adventurers, so I have to learn many things too.

    ¡¸Shall we postpone knowing the school system here for ater time?¡¹

    For the time being it won¡¯t be good if I don¡¯tplete today¡¯s goal, after that would be fine, no, after we be rank 2 adventurers.

    ¡¸If I went to school, what would you two do?¡¹

    Though I say what would they do, the feeling to enjoy the school life stolen from me along with these two is swirling in my heart like a muddy stream.

    Along with these two, it would be more troublesome than my previous world, but there¡¯s no doubt it would be more humourous.

    ¡¸Lily will also go with Kurono to school!¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I see, then let¡¯s go together!¡¹

    Now would Lily be able to not enter the elementary schools, I thought that for a second, but this lovely fairy is 32 years olddy, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    ¡¸I too. With you it feels like I can live a good school life, so I would like to once again go¡¹

    Maybe the lonely life at the Magic Academy in Elysion has left traces, herment was quite negative, but because her feelings are like me, it¡¯s okay.

    ¡¸Then, we three will go to school together¡¹

    ¡¸But I want to quickly eat noon lunch first¡¹

    That¡¯s right, While smiling wryly, we searched for a shop to eat and walked on the streets of Spada full of people.

 Chapter 168 In Search for a Robe

    Chapter 168 In Search for a Robe

    After eating our meal at this restaurant which had an Orc with a scarred face as the manager that made one ask ¨C Are you a former mercenary with a long experience of being in service?, we left toplete our n for the afternoon which was to buy equipment.

    ¡°There are so many stores that I can¡¯t decide where to start.¡±(kurono)

    After crossing the za once again, we reached the crowded shopping district that had various shops for adventurers lined up like weapon shop, item shop, a cksmith workshop, and even a suspicious looking magic item specialist shop as well.

    They weren¡¯t ones used by normal people but even so the number of adventurers here was simply too bigpared to a rural vige. And even here countless number of people were passing through here.

    As expected, since I¡¯m a Japanese, I am used to such big crowds so I wasn¡¯t carried away by the flow of people.

    And since their various shops here and I since I had no sort of guide which I could have referred beforehand, just as I had said, I was currently troubled in deciding which shop I should start from.

    When the number of people increases, the percentage of bad guys mixed with them also increases. I¡¯m sure that in this city as well, shops that aim to fool newbie adventurers exist.

    ¡°Kurono look! That robe looks so cute!!¡±(lily)

    Near my legs, Lily sparkled in high tension. In her line of sight, a white fluffy robe with bunny ears attached was being disyed.

    That too, it was made for babies. It was a size which would perfectly fit Lily. This is what destiny must be like!

    ¡°It seems that shop specialises in selling magic robes.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s go check it out.¡±(kurono)

    After all, our party is one made of all magicians andpletely ignores every adventurer theory used.

    Since there are no warriors or knights to act as the vanguard, we [Element Master] had no business with the armour shop.

    Well, the only one who needs a new defensive gear right now is me since I lost my [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace].

    If the shop specialises in magician robes then I should be able to find a ck robe befitting me, a ck magician.

    While getting excited about the robes I had not even seen yet, I cut through the crowd and opened the doors to [Fix & Fica], the magic robe specialist shop.

    By the way, Lily was still entranced with the white bunny robe in disy at the window and didn¡¯t enter with me.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    In a voice that didn¡¯t sound too weing, the middle-aged woman sitting on the counter nced towards me.

    Having a tall nose just like the witches in those fairy tales, she also had a ring look but as if she was not interested in me, a customer, she returned back to reading the hardcover book in her hands.

    As I looked as she said nothing at all, I judged that it should be fine to look around by myself.

    Since I didn¡¯t really have much expectations in the first ce, I didn¡¯t mind her being not very courteous and walked around the inside of the shop which was bigger than I expected.

    At a single nce, half of the robes here were either ck, grey or white.

    The robes had been disyed on some mannequins but will they arrange it in a different size for me if I ask them to?

    While thinking such things, I looked at the various types of robes casually.

    Unlike the Irz vige¡¯s item shop, most of the articles disyed had a price tag attached to it.

    Since they had no intention to negotiate the prices, that¡¯s why they can show sucha dry attitude towards customers, eh? No, maybe that¡¯s just how that witch-like olddy is normally.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±(Fiona)

    Suddenly, Fiona asked me while standing beside me.

    ¡°Since I can¡¯t really appraise them, I am not sure about anything with just seeing them.¡±(kurono)

    There was not a single one here that was a high ss item with a defensive magical enchantment that even I could sense. Also, with every robe, the affinity to an element, elemental resistances and the level of defensive magic, all change.

    More than half of the ones here had used the skin of monsters, without knowing what monster had been used I couldn¡¯t even roughly discern what kind of property it would have.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just obediently ask if they have any robe that is suited for ck magic.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Considering the grade of this shop, I doubt something very high quality would appear though.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona-san, those things shouldn¡¯t be said out loud even if you think that¡¯s true.

    While hoping that miss shopkeeper didn¡¯t hear that, I headed towards the counter.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°What?¡±

    The woman looked at me with a really sharp re.

    Un, though she¡¯s wearing a simple apron that had the shop¡¯s logo on it, if she were to wear the same clothes as Fiona, she¡¯dpletely look like a perfect witch.

    While holding such rude thoughts, for the time being I asked for the thing I was looking for.

    ¡°Do you have a robe called [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace]?¡±(kurono)

    It had been destroyed after the fight with Cyprus and then taking on Fiona¡¯s Aur Soleil, but if possible, I¡¯d like to get the same thing¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk foolish Rank 1, those apprentice use robes over there would suit you more.¡±

    An incredible abuse came at me.

    At the end of the line where she pointed, a simple ck robe with a ¡®For neer use!¡¯ board was kept.

    ¡°Umm, I had been wearing [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] before as well so I¡¯m looking for a new one. Do you know of any store that might be keeping them?¡±(Kurono)

    Since this old woman doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in selling me one even if she had one, I changed my question.

    ¡°Had been wearing before? Hah, what, so you¡¯re a spoiled brat of some noble? Then ask your wealthy ¡®papa¡¯ to take you to one of those ¡®upper¡¯ stores. They¡¯ll have the ¡®amazing magic equipments¡¯ that you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    What an incredible level of sarcasm. Let alone the son of a noble, I¡¯m not even a resident of this world. Family and lineage is thest thing that has any connection with me.

    But, if I try to interpret her words well, then these ¡®upper¡¯ stores, basically the stores in the upper strata of the city might have [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace].

    But that¡¯s troublesome. I¡¯ll need some kind of big achievement to be allowed to pass to the upper levels or I¡¯d need a special level of permission.

    After arriving to Spada, I had received the exnation and reward for the emergency quest from the guild HQ but that was a one-time thing allowed by the Spada government.

    To normally go the upper levels, I¡¯ll need to be rank 4 as an adventurer.

    ¡°If you want high level equipment like yourpanion witch then go to the upper levels. Onlye here when you¡¯reing to the school or the guild. I¡¯m not trying to make fun of you but an ignorant rich kid like you would catch the eyes of bad guys that live here.¡±

    Hihihi, the old womanughed as if she was the representative of those bad guys but I decided to ask something that caught my attention.

    ¡°Her equipment is really that amazing?¡±

    I mean of Fiona, of course.

    If I recall correctly, she had said that she built it as her graduation exam in Elysion magic academy I think.

    Normally, she seems to create magic items but as expected, to collect materials, n, and manufacture it all alone, such memories would definitely be a far too gloomy of an episode to listen to while chatting over a cup of tea.

    ¡°Even without appraising, you can tell what kind of thing is that in a single nce. Abyss silk and feathers of a ck Bird, on top of it, there¡¯s something included in the lining as well. If she was not acting as your bodyguard, that witch would definitely be a rank 4 adventurer.¡±

    I don¡¯t really understand but apparently some amazing ingredients have been used by her.

    Also, I have be a rich noble brat and Fiona has apparently be my escort for some reason.

    ¡°Well, the fairy who¡¯s admiring the bear rabbit Kid¡¯s robe outside also has an Ancient velvet for clothing. Who made it in the size of a child¡¯s I wonder.¡±

    Not a rabbit but a bear rabbit?! No, rather than that,

    ¡°That¡¯s something I gave to her as a present. Got any problem?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°You really are of a high status eh? To give such a high ss present to a pet, nobles really do have extreme hobbies hihihihi.¡±

    As expected, I became irritated on seeing Lily being treated as a pet.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t a pet, she¡¯s a preciousrade of mine.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Comrade? Hihi, so is that a new trend? Well, it¡¯s better than just spoiling her as you please.¡±

    It seems I¡¯ll have to exin from the start that I¡¯m not just some rich noble brat who¡¯s ying as an adventurer along with a beautiful escort and a cute pet.

    But, I guess the reason must be that I asked for a high ss item even though I¡¯m just a rank 1 adventurer.

    Well, I don¡¯t have the image of [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] as a high ss item that I can¡¯t deserve since I¡¯m used to wearing it but to an outsider like her, it would really look like that.

    It can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s not like I had much money and I didn¡¯t know how much would a high ss item like that cost so now at least I know that it¡¯s too costly for me right now.

    Right now, I shouldplete some quests and collect some money then go to buy such items.

    Till then, yeah, let¡¯s go with that newbie magician robe.

    ¡°Can I have that?¡±(kurono)

    As I showed the will to buy the robe she had pointed out earlier, her sharp eyes showed a slight surprise.

    ¡°hee, to take this old woman¡¯s sarcasm honestly, did you have some sheltered upbringing, boy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not some noble, I really am a rank 1 adventurer.¡±

    Don¡¯t try to act cool. While still not believing me, she went inside the store to bring the robe.

    As she returned before even a minute had passed, in her hands was the same robe disyed here with one bigger size.

    ¡°10,000 n.¡±

    After asking for the money that held no discount, I was about to bring out 1 gold coin, but stopped.

    That gold coin was earned at Irz vige created in Daedalus. After being captured by the Crusaers, I doubt these coins with dragon print on them are still in cirction.

    Thinking that I had no reason to let go of a coin that held a lot of memories for me, I decided to pay it out of the reward of the emergency quest I had received in ns.

    ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡±

    After hearing her shopkeeper like words instead of witch-like, I wore the robe there itself.

    The feeling wasn¡¯t bad but it was nowhere near the sensation of bing a part of my body that the [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] gave.

    Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t feel hot even when wearing it in summer but this one made it hotter almost instantly.

    Still, it¡¯s not unbearable. Without showing any difort, I decided to leave since I was done with my business here but then I stopped, and asked her.

    ¡°That, rabbit robe, how much does it cost?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°37,000 n¡±

    That much!?!

    It¡¯s a cost big enough that would make me hesitate to buy intantly.

    ¡°I¡¯lle back to buy it after I reach rank 2.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Hihihi, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±

    While taking her ill gaze on my back, I left the store.

    Now then, next is weapons but the fact that I¡¯m a rank 1 and myck of funds is clear. It¡¯ll probably be impossible to get both, a wand of [ck Ballista Replica] and swords for Magic Sword Arts.

    After leaving the store with Fiona, and pulling away Lily who seemed to have gotten attached to that bunny robe, we left towards the weapon shop.

 Chapter 169 Mordred Weapon Company (1)

    Chapter 169 Mordred Weapon Company (1)

    We entered the weapon shop with the giant board [Modred Weaponpany ¨C Academy district branch].

    The reason why I chose this store was because it greatly stood out even in this neighbourhood.

    In the first ce, if I wanted a high ss weapon, I¡¯ll have to go to the upper strata in any case.

    If I had to buy just normal weapons, then it doesn¡¯t matter where I buy it from.

    And without much expectations, hoping only to get at least some swords for my magic sword arts, I passed through the giant wooden door.

    The inside of the store seemed to be bustling with people. A big muscled man was testing a battle hammer, goblins wereparing daggers and knives, and a nervous looking magician elf was being troubled in deciding over the staff and wand in his hand.

    Further inside the store, a sharp-styled golem was swinging around arge sword and a storekeeper was trying to stop him somehow.

    It was noisy yet get off an energetic atmosphere which seemed suitable for an adventurer¡¯s weapon shop.

    For the time being, let¡¯s look for a recement for my [ck ballista Replica] and also find some long swords in reasonable price.

    Lily and Fiona have gone to check out magic item essories. It¡¯ll be nice if they find something good.

    ¡°yup, I have no idea what¡¯s good or bad about these ones......¡±(kurono)

    I haven¡¯t searched all over the shop but I did go through the wands and swords corner and decided that it¡¯d be better to ask the shopkeeper for advice and moved towards the counter.

    ¡°Wee! What are you looking for today?¡±

    A normal looking man, much more amicable than that witch old hag, greeted me.

    On his apron, a pirate-like skull emblem was printed along with the words [Mordred Weapon Company].

    No matter how much you guys are dealing with arms and deadly weapons, isn¡¯t that logo a bit too straight?

    But I don¡¯t have any reason to mind that so I quickly conveyed my need.

    ¡°Do you have a wand that specialises in ck magic?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a rare type of magic you use. Unfortunately, we only deal with majormon weapons here so minor demand weapons like that aren¡¯t avable here. You could have one order-made at the head branch but considering your rank, that¡¯d be difficult you see?¡±

    Of course I didn¡¯t have any appraisal skills so I have no choice but to depend on the shopkeeper.

    Fiona had a much better eye for this than me but apparently she¡¯s not knowledgeable about ck magic either so she couldn¡¯t really help.

    Guess I have no choice, I¡¯ll have to use ck magic without a wand like old times. I should be able to take down enemies like Smander for now somehow.

    ¡°Then forget about the wand. I need 10 long swords but can they be prepared in around 100,000 ns?¡±

    I did mention the price because they might be having some costly top ss swords here as well but for some reason the shopkeeper looked at me with a pitiful warm gaze and spoke.

    ¡°Dear customer, this might be none of my business but you should fight against being a gofer from the start, you know?¡±

    Eh, What? Gofer? What the hell?

    ¡°Well, it happens a lot when an apprentice magician catches an strong upperssman¡¯s eye and gets turned into a Gofer for him but being underestimated like that all the time is not good really¡ª¡°

    It seems once again a misunderstanding is being created.

    First it was a noble brat, this time it¡¯s a weak 1st year magician.

    My face definitely doesn¡¯t give that feeling so was it a mistake for me to buy that apprentice robe?

    ¡°Um, those swords are all for my use so it¡¯s fine.¡±(kurono)

    I did try to fix his misunderstanding but going by the man¡¯s eyes, I don¡¯t think he believed me.

    Well it¡¯s obvious. An apprentice magician has no use for 10 swords after all, normally speaking.

    ¡°Anyway, if 1 sword is to cost 10,000 n, then only the lowest level of swords can be prepared, but is that fine?¡±

    With ckening I can turn even blunt swords to sharp ones so even though low ss, new swords should be able to work against at least low level monsters.

    Well, I still have the [Hararetsu] so it¡¯s not really a prob¡ª-

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I remembered now.

    That¡¯s right, I can use cursed weapons. It¡¯s been a long time since I went to buy something so I hadpletely forgotten about this.

    I should be able to get a pretty good weapon with 100,000 at least.

    ¡°Excuse me, do you keep Cursed Weapons?¡±

    I tried asking but,

    ¡°Cursed weapons?¡±

    The man started looking at me even more with sympathetic eyes.

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re frustrated as a gofer but you¡¯ll end your life with those, you know?¡±

    I was warned.

    Oh, I give up! I didn¡¯t expect having a low rank as such a big problem......

    While I was thinking of how to make him bring out the cursed weapons,

    ¡°Ou, I¡¯m here old man!¡±

    A third person¡¯s voice came.

    ¡°Ah, Jouto-sama! Wee again!¡±

    The shopkeeper, as if he had forgotten about me, went to that man called Jouto and started talking politely.

    This man called Jouto was werecat, and was also a swordsman considering that his equipment looked like Nino.

    But unlike the now dead swordsman of Irz, this one had a face like a Siamese cat and had eyes that seemed to possess a confidence in his own strength and was looking at the shopkeeper with eyes that looked at a lower ranked person.

    On his chest,a silver guild card was hanging as a proof of his strength.

    A rank 3 adventurer, a rank high enough to gain preference over a lower ranked person like me.

    Well, I don¡¯t feel good about this though.

    ¡°¡ª¨CPlease wait a second, I¡¯ll bring it here in a moment.¡±

    The old man, probably to bring a sword, left the counter.

    I stood there silently as a spectator.

    Then, that werecat, while folding his arms as if bored, turned to look towards me.

    ¡°.......fuh.¡±

    Giving a snort, he looked away after losing interest.

    Well sure you have the higher rank but that attitude really is pissing me off. Even Nino who came to pick a quarrel with me at the very first meeting gave a better impression.

    As his image ovepped with my friend¡¯s, displeasure arose in me towards his disgusting attitude.

    But I¡¯m not short tempered enough to pick a fight over just that. After all, Spada is filled with adventurers. I probably won¡¯t even meet him ever again.

    While I was thinking that, the shopkeeper returned.

    With a giant sword wrapped in cloth.

    ¡°Here, please take a look!¡±

    Proud of it, the man gave the sword to Jouto.

    Jouto he easily took the sword and removed the cloth wrapped around it.

    ¡°Oh, could this be¡ª¨C¡°(jouto)

    A curious gaze filled his eyes.

    But, I was even more surprised than him.

    ¡°Yes, it just arrived yesterday, [Fang Sword ¨C Evil Eater]!¡±

    On therge de that looked like a single fang of a monster, countless scars of going through various battles could be seen. The grip also seemed aged and I had definitely seen it being swung around countless times beside me. No doubt, this is Vulcan¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Is it real?¡±(jouto)

    ¡°Yes, we already appraised it as a proof. Should I bring out the certificate if you want?¡±

    Jouto smiled and refused.

    ¡°The Fang Sword, even if second-hand, would usually be kept by the head branch but this one was an extremely used one so it was sent here.¡±

    ¡°Nice, right at the time when I could rise up to rank 4, I got this. This must be detiny.¡±(jouto)

    The shopkeeper continued his ¡®sales talk¡¯ as Jouto seemed to be captivated by the sword.

    ¡°Since it has the effect of ¡®eating¡¯ magical energy, it doesn¡¯t have any effects like Hardening, Lightening, or Sharpening-like enhancement magic but the raw materials used are top ss! Even without such magic, its hardness is great and is light yet sharp which is iparable to a steel sword. On top of it, since it absorbs magical energy, it regenerates and fixes itself even if it gets slightly chipped. As expected of a de made from a rank 5 Chaos Eater, its performance is incredible!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can swing this easily with just this much weight. It¡¯s size is a bit of a problem but if it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll soon get used to it!¡±(jouto)

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure of it!¡±

    The man agreed and satisfied, Jouto asked him.

    ¡°What happened to its previous master? You should know if you appraised it right?¡±(jouto)

    ¡°Yes, of course. It was a Werewolf man and he was quite the veteran as well it seems.¡±

    So it really is Vulcan¡¯s sword.

    But why is this sword here? It should be at the highway¡ª¨COh I see, it must have been recovered by the Spada army and must have been sold to this weaponpany.

    The weapons of strong adventurers are more valuable than precious gems sometimes, they wouldn¡¯t leave it there like that.

    But, I could only feel vexed seeing Vulcan¡¯s sword being sold off like this in front of me.

    ¡°Heh, to have fallen even with such a sword, he must not have been that amazing.¡±(jouto)

    No matter what the reason, this is a fair trade. It¡¯s being sold to a fucking irritating werecat but I decided to stay quiet.

    But, it¡¯s bing even more irritating now that he¡¯s insulting myrade.

    After some hesitation, I decided to say something but,

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Jouto hurry up!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯ll be there in a sec!¡±

    After hearing the voice of a female party member, Jouto returned the sword to the man and turned.

    ¡°Prepare a sheath for it. I¡¯lle backter and pay it lump-sum with gold.¡±(jouto)

    As the shopkeeper thanked him from behind, Jouto quickly left.

    It might have been good that it ended without me causing any trouble but my feelings haven¡¯t settled down yet properly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made you wait.¡±

    With a smile that didn¡¯t seem very sorry, the man returned to me.

    He must have been happy after selling a high quality item.

    ¡°So, I believe I asked you to show me cursed weapons.¡±(kurono)

    I wasn¡¯t feeling really good right now so my words might have been a bit prickly.

    ¡°haa, I can¡¯t really rmend cursed weapons. I can¡¯t bring them out unless they¡¯re reliable like the adventurer that just came. Also, even if a cursed weapon is sold at lower cost, 100,000 still son¡¯t be enough.¡±

    ¡°Then, how much will it cost?¡±

    ¡°1 million at least.¡±

    I see.

    When I bought the [Basilisk¡¯s Bone (needle)] it didn¡¯t even cost half of that amount but I guess in a big store like this, storage risk would be low so the incentive of getting it out of their hands as fast as possible won¡¯t work here either.

    Or maybe, the items might be simply that good.

    But nevertheless, I don¡¯t have a million n on me right now so I won¡¯t be able to buy¡ª¡ª-no, wait, even if I don¡¯t have money I do have something worth millions.

    ¡°Do you purchase weapons here as well?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes we do, you have something to sell?¡±

    As he agreed, I brought out a silver shining sword from within my shadow underneath me, it was the divine [Mithril Sword].

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a million for this right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Wha¡ª-¡°

    The man¡¯s eyes widened with surprise and he looked between the sword and my face repeatedly.

    He thought I was a gofer and an apprentice magician so it must be too much for him to think that I would be possessing such a high quality item. Considering the cost, I couldn¡¯t have normally bought that.

    Well, it¡¯s a fact that I did technically steal it.

    ¡°So? If you can prepare money to buy this, you can show me your cursed weapons as well right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Ah, no, but, appraisal also has.......¡±

    Maybe he really didn¡¯t want to show an apprentice cursed weapons, the man seemed to be at a loss.

    No, if he¡¯s still hesitating now, it might be better to simply rake up some money and raise my rank to buy the weapons but,

    ¡°Are you interested in Cursed Weapons, Apprentice Magician-kun?¡±

    Once again, a third voice came in between.

    Who is this time? Thinking that, I turned and

    ¡°....!?!¡±

    A giant death god was standing there.

    But soon I remembered Mossan, and figured out that this man, with a body even bigger than me, must be of the skeleton race.

    Death god, is what I said but only his ck robe fit that image. His whole body was thickly covered with golden ornaments and he had a long staff with multi coloured precious gems iid in it that gave off a rainbow-coloured light. That image was truly that of a [Lich].

    His nouveau riche king-like overdressed up figure really fit the high ranked undead ss, Lich.

    In his empty eye sockets, purple mes shined as a proof of his magical existence.

    Although I was surprised by him, I didn¡¯t get overwhelmed and looked towards this skeleton¡¯s face.

    For the time being, I decided to ask him who he was but,

    ¡°Mo, President Mordred!! Why have youe here!?!¡±

    The man revealed his identity already.

    I see, so this man is the top position of thispany.

    Well then, why does such an amazing person have something to do with me who is nothing but an apprentice magician?......

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-Author¡¯s note ¨C The Spada army didn¡¯t just loot their items etc. they also gave the dead ones a proper burial as well. (T/N: figured I should Tl this as well since it was slightly relevant.)

 Chapter 170 Mordred Weapon Company (2)

    Chapter 170 ¨C Mordred Weapon Company (2)

    (POV third person)

    ¡¸How about it, I can exchange that normal¡ºMithril Sword¡»with a cursed¡ºMithril Sword¡»?¡¹

    Hurriedlypleting the self-introduction, Vein Wortz Mordred, the owner of Mordred Weapon Company said as such.

    On hearing the offer, without being delighted by it, he directed a puzzled nce to the big-sized skeleton.

    ¡¸Why that deal for a rank 1 adventurer like me?¡¹

    Kurono stood in a position with no gaps absolutely impossible for a rank 1 adventurer, but Mordred calmly answered while wavering the purple me in his eye socket.

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright don¡¯t be so vignt, it¡¯s only like a hobby for me. I like cursed weapons, I¡¯m somewhat famous as a collector in the neighbourhood, however, I like a person who can use those cursed weapons even more¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s why you give them to those who are searching for it, huh¡¹

    But yeah it won¡¯t be all for free, saying a business-like line, Mordred confirms.

    ¡¸Can you show them to me?¡¹

    Of course I will, along with that answer, the shadow below Mordred expands and is dyed into a color of darkness from abyss of hell.

    And like thedy of theke, a single silver sword with the hilt above rose to surface.

    Though Kurono got surprised seeing the same magic Dimension as him in front of him, but he directed his attention to the Cursed¡ºMithril Sword¡»without showing any hint of surprise on his face.

    It¡¯s length was the same as Cyprus¡¯s sword, but with ornaments at many ces affixed into it, just like a decorative ritual sword.

    Couple with the silver lustre of Mithril, one swings from it seems like divine.

    ¡¸You want to use Cursed Weapons, right? Try taking it in hands¡¹

    On the provocative words of Mordred,

    ¡¸That¡¯s right¡¹

    Kurono decided to ride on the flow.

    In the first ce one won¡¯t understand a cursed weapon without taking it in hands, not always they release the ominous atmosphere like the Cursed Hatchet.

    Across the sides of Cursed¡ºMithril Sword¡»both of their eyesights intersected, in a moment of silence if felt like the domination feeling has risen.

    And without losing his way, he reached out his hand to the hilt of silver shining sword.

    ¡¸......Hm¡¹

    The moment he grabbed the sword, a painful and resentful voice resounded in Kurono¡¯s mind.

    Kurono has experienced that phenomenon many times, now, it¡¯s neither strange nor fearful to him.

    At the very least, to scare Kurono, it would need to have the double resentment¡ºCursed Grudge hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»has.

    Upon holding, the voice of this sword is really weak that it can¡¯t bepared with the hatchet.

    Kurono swings the sword two-three times at that ce, and returns it back expressionless to Mordred.

    ¡¸Fabulous! You have a strong heart to control the cursed weapons¡¹

    To the not insane Kurono, Mordred raised a joyful voice.

    Even without swinging the sword madly, there are some patterns for knowing the person being possessed by curse, in the case of grudge curses, the most popr pattern is to not let go of the weapon.

    At the point Kurono returned back the sword to Mordred is the most definite proof that he didn¡¯t get possessed by curse.

    ¡¸I had been searching for talented person like you, I seriously want you to use this sword!¡¹

    ¡¸In exchange with this, huh?¡¹

    Kurono takes a nce at Cyprus¡¯s sword put at counter with cold eyes.

    ¡¸It might not be something you need to worry, right. If you just conquer the curse of weapon, then you can easily use the powerful ability of weapon afterwards. Incidentally it doesn¡¯t have any showy effect, butpared to a normal¡ºMithril Sword¡»the hardness, weight, durability and other fundamental abilities are far surpassing, of course, it has double power to ward off darkness. That¡¯s why don¡¯t use it against me, an undead, alright?¡¹

    HaHaHa, as though getting lured by theughing Mordred,

    ¡¸Ku, Hahahahahaha!¡¹

    Kurono too startedughing.

    And with a truly strange expression, said as such.

    ¡¸Haha, in this short 17 years of life this is the first time I have been in a ¡®scam¡¯, I got a good experience from it, thank you¡¹

    Saying that Kurono took the sword on counter in his hands, and turns his heel back to leave.

    ¡¸Wait¡¹

    Really heavy, a voice sounding like that of a Grim reaper reached Kurono¡¯s back.

    ¡¸Saying something like scam to me, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to kick my good intention one-sidedly¡¹

    ¡¸Good Intention? So in Spada the intention to give a newbie adventurer wanting cursed weapon, something like a forgery is called as good intentions, huh?¡¹

    Looking back, Kurono sprayed light on Mordred¡¯s scam deed.

    ¡¸Hearing that ¡®voice¡¯, most would believe it to be cursed weapon. I can easily understand that, that weak shit doesn¡¯t evenpare to a real curse, but if a self-conscious idiot would hold it, he/she would easily ept that it¡¯s a cursed weapon. Now for the touches, if you add shit like talent and whatnot, of course he/she woulde biting at your bait without even doubting, on this Mithril ¡®ted¡¯ fake sword¡¹

    It looks like a real¡ºMithril Sword¡»but, the reason he could know that it was ting wasn¡¯t because he ripped it¡¯s surface off.

    Thinking it was a cursed weapon, the moment Kurono tried to use ckening for conquering the grudge of weapon, he didn¡¯t feel the speciality of Mithril, the powerful resilient force which he did during the time he tried to conquer Cyprus¡¯s sword.

    Of course, the moment he heard the snicker and resentfulintspletely different from the hatchet, it was more than enough proof for it to be proved as a fake.

    Most probably, it isn¡¯t a true curse, but a magic trick rather than curse to let the wielder hear the voice for deceiving.

    ¡¸Fufu......Fuahahaha! You, are a collector of real cursed weapons even with that appearance!¡¹

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m not a collector¡¹

    ¡¸I did a rude thing to person with same hobby as me, sorry, let me apologize¡¹

    To the unapologetic and haughty attitude of Mordred, Kurono passed over the anger and showed a fed up expression.

    ¡¸Is it alright that a famous big weapon dealer like you, should be doing something like scamming?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s the work of an adult, no, a collector, to scold a youngster like you who is underestimating cursed weapons¡¹

    Mordred didn¡¯t show any room for repentance of his actions, but it did show his love and affection for cursed weapons.

    But still Kurono still though it wasn¡¯t good to be doing scam.

    ¡¸You¡¯re Kurono, right, all right, as per your wishes, let me show you the cursed weapons in ourpany¡¯s possession¡¹

    ¡¸No, It¡¯s alright¡¹

    ¡¸Though this is not the main office, but here too are many good weapons, choose at your own discretion! But you won¡¯t even get 1 n of discount though, Fuhahahahahahaha!!¡¹

    Mordred showed a menacing ignoring skill, no, most big dealers might have this much vitality, maybe.

    ¡¸......Well, if it¡¯s just looking¡¹

    It would let himplete his work at first, though it would be annoying, but Kurono let himself drift with the flow.

 Chapter 171 Lover Rendezvous in Moonlit Night

    Chapter 171 ¨C Lover Rendezvous in Moonlit Night

    By the time I returned to the inn, the sky had already started to be dyed red.

    After arranging all the minimum necessary equipments and items, we three reached back while talking to eat the dinner at some shop, but in the end we ate the dinner in the dining hall of¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡»where the quality of food is 60 points and quantity is 100 points.

    Ie in front of the guest room, open the thin door and enter alone.

    From the time we started staying here I slept together with Lily, but from yesterday she had been sleeping in the next room to mine, Fiona¡¯s room.

    The rooms are both same, but it might be different with different sleeping partner, well I had been with Lily always so it¡¯s a little lonely for me, but I have no right toin so I¡¯m letting Lily do as she wants.

    ¡¸Either way, I¡¯m tired¡¹

    I throw off the glittering ck robe with a symbol of First-year Student embedded into it, and immediately sit on the bed.

    The time I wore¡ºBaphomet¡¯s Embrace¡», unexpectedly I had never thought to remove it other than the time I slept, but that ain¡¯t happening with this fake look-alike robe.

    It needs to be taken off during the time I want to rx.

    It¡¯s better to put it away before it gets creases, thinking that I throw it inside the¡ºShadow Gate¡»which had it¡¯s belly full unlike the morning.

    After all I filled it with 15 long swords, while having the spare energy of 5 extra swords, I can now use Sword Arts.

    Incidentally the extra 5 swords were given as a service to make up for the same he pulled off.

    I don¡¯t know if the stium for the crime of fraud is really worth 50K n or not, but I had no intention toin about it and stiked the deal.

    Well though it went fine this time, but like hell I would go to shop like that another time! Oh, I¡¯m not that much angry, when I get more money collected, I¡¯m thinking of going to buy a cursed weapon for sure. [ET: hell he¡¯s being contradictory, but yeah it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it]

    Speaking of cursed weapon, eventually, I didn¡¯t buy it.

    Selling the¡ºMithril Sword¡»would¡¯ve gotten me the money to buy two cursed weapons, but thinking of fighting against monsters with darkness attribute or ck magic, I rethink and stopped myself.

    Due to Mithril¡¯s nature, upon covering it with ck magical power it gets purified in some time so it¡¯s got the disadvantage of not being used in Sword Arts, but there is no objection is swinging it normally.

    All the other cursed weapons I saw were all very fascinating, my heart wavered, but I decided to bear that pain.

    Above all, it was annoying to get carried on with that lich skeleton¡¯s sales talk.

    Well then, It was at the time I thought to check the articles I had brought.

    ¡¸Hm, letter?¡¹

    I noticed the existence of a paper folded four times, ced near the pillow.

    What if, it is another message from Simon? Guessing that I opened the letter,

    I will be waiting in the za tonight.

    And only that small sentence was written there.

    ¡¸Who is it......¡¹

    Anxiety swirled inside my heart, it¡¯s natural, getting an anonymous letter anyone would feel anxiety.

    Just if I had got this in my high school days, I would¡¯ve been in high spirits thinking on the possibilities of it being love letter, unfortunately in this situation something that good, I can¡¯t expect.

    From the people I know who would send a letter to me would be......Apostles? From 8th Apostle Ai¡¯s foolish personality, Ipletely like hell don¡¯t know think it¡¯s written by her written, she would appear almost anywhere while being a normal adventurer.

    But, in that case the possibility of naming herself beforehand is high, right? If they want to see my shivering and pitiful state, telling their identity as apostles would have better effect, no doubt.

    If it¡¯s not Apostle, then the next would be, self-proimed god Mia, huh.

    No, this side would too will gave name first.

    If so, is here another god wanting to bless me with a new divine protection?

    If you¡¯re another damn god, then appear in dreams and do some oracle or crap.

    My thoughts swirl while running around in circles, in this situation with no leads, I can¡¯t possibly find the name of sender.

    However, ignoring this letter would leave a bad taste, on the contrary it really piques my interest.

    I won¡¯t go, is a choice I won¡¯t take.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Alright, ready to go¡¹

    I put on the robe which was thought to be left alone in the shadow gate today, and step out in the Spada ruled by darkness.

    I had already discussed about the letter with Lily and Fiona during the dinner.

    ¡¸Well then, Lily-san and I will hide in the za beforehand, if it feels like dangerous situation, I would release the¡ºAur Soleil¡», please rest assured¡¹

    That offer which seemed like a scheme to kill me, only had its first part usable.

    ¡¸At least keep it to¡ºIgnis Kris Sagita¡»¡¹

    I have given a warning, it would be fine.

    I don¡¯t have¡ºBaphomet¡¯s Embrace¡», also have returned¡ºNana st Amulet¡»back to Fiona, so I don¡¯t have any particr defensive power on me right now.

    But well unless an apostle does appear I can get past it, thinking that I walk the street in the dark.

    ¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡»is facing a quite wide road, due to that it can gain the benefit of having the street light, so the road is somewhat bright.

    In the first ce, today is full moon night, even without the street lights the darkness can be made less.

    Maybe it¡¯s their return time to inn, I can see some adventurer-esque drunkards.

    Seems like only I¡¯m heading towards the za, the people who sometimese across are all passing beside me.

    As the za is in different location from pleasure quarters, finally the human presence are all gone, only the sound of me kicking the stone pavement can be heard.

    Now then, who might be waiting for me, my anticipation rise exponentially wanting to know the answer.

    From the contents, the ce to meet is most probably the za with the obelisk.

    Starting from central za, there are other ces that can be called the za but it wasn¡¯t stated particrly, so I couldn¡¯t think of any other than this.

    Incidentally the word ¡®tonight¡¯ is a quite vague designated time, it hasn¡¯t been much after the moon soared up in the cloudless starry night sky. Therefore, I wouldn¡¯t have made the other person wait long that they went back.

    Of course, using this sort of way to call me means, that they have the willpower to wait till dawn.

    ¡¸Good, just after this, huh¡¹

    I walk in high spirits from the entrance of the now deadly quiet za which was lively with people in the noon.

    It isn¡¯t that big, upon entering the¡ºBeginning of History (Zero Chronicle)¡»,enshrined in the centre can be seen.

    Apparently, there isn¡¯t any sign of people in front of the obelisk of more than 10 m size including the pedestal.

    ¡¸What, no one is here......¡¹

    My head cools down rapidly.

    Yes, I hadpletely thrown the choice of this being a prank into oblivion, that¡¯s right, that is the most possible pattern.

    While feeling sad and regret for making Lily and Fiona do somebour, I hold on the faint hope of the sender appearing, and move towards the obelisk for waiting some time.

    And, when I reached the jet-ck wall which ispletely immersed in the darkness of night,

    ¡¸You really dide, Thanks¡¹

    That voice came from behind the obelisk.

    It is, the sender was already here from before.

    I, in a hurry run towards the opposite side of obelisk while feeling half surprised and half vignce.

    Now then, the person waiting for me there was,

    ¡¸......Lily¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, for calling you in this way¡¹

    My most intimate and trusted partner in this world, Lily, she was standing there in her true form, the young girl form.

    I see, today is full moon night, that¡¯s why she can remain in her true form without using divine protection neither¡ºQueen Beryl¡»

    But more that, more mysterious thing is,

    ¡¸Why did you do something like this?¡¹

    That¡¯s right, even without sending out an anonymous letter, she can talk to me no matter how much she wants.

    If it was something private that she didn¡¯t want Fiona to listen, then it could¡¯ve happened someway or other.

    ¡¸......I¡¯m, sorry¡¹

    Lily, dropped her head down with the most sad expression I have seen and spoke the words of apology.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m not angry, for Lily to do something like this means there is a reason for it, can I hear it¡¹

    Lily always looks pure and innocent even in her little girl form, but that form too has a skill, that is ¡®to read the atmosphere¡¯.

    That¡¯s why she won¡¯t spring out selfish desires and y pranks as a child, and neither tries to do them.

    She has 32 years old equivalent, no not that much, but yeah somewhere along those lines of thinking power and judging power, for her to do this means she has a reason.

    Even now I can¡¯t find what it is, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking her.

    Just what, did happened to her?

    ¡¸Thank you, Kurono, for caring about me¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s natural, what happened, tell me¡¹

    Though I didn¡¯t speak, Lily can understand my heart, that¡¯s why my feelings were transmitted to her.

    And, Lily replied quietly.

    ¡¸I was scared......when Kurono told me to leave. Kurono didn¡¯t want to be by my side, I thought you would go somewhere leaving me alone, in the end, I could only see you going off without having words to stop you......¡¹

    No way, I did think that she would¡¯ve been worried, but to this extent is somewhat.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why, when you came back during night in high spirits, I was really happy. But, even so I, the adult me, couldn¡¯t find courage to call out to you. It would¡¯ve been better if I remained as the child me and would have lived happily like today, but that¡¯s not good, upon bing adult, I can¡¯t help but think about the bad and scary things¨D¨D¡¹

    Now that I think about it, Lily didn¡¯t change her consciousness from yesterday till today even once.

    From the day she got¡ºQueen Beryl¡», Lily has been conversating, consulting, and chatting with me for some hours everyday.

    She must have changed her consciousness on an event like shopping, but, I didn¡¯t realize that she didn¡¯t.

    Without knowing what Lily had hidden in the deepest part of her heart.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, if I didn¡¯t do something like this, the current me wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet you, Kurono. I couldn¡¯te, so I asked youe to me, I¡¯m sorry, this is only my selfishness¡¹

    ¡¸No, I should be the one apologizing, after all because if me you got worried so much. I on my own will got depressed and cheered up, I only thought about myself without understanding about Lily at all.¡¹

    Certainly, that defeat, that rejection of me, had enough shock to break my heart into tiny fragments.

    But, Lily always was beside my side, she worried about me, cared about me.

    That¡¯s why, don¡¯t be depressed, get yourself together and don¡¯t let Lily make that sorrowful face.

    ¡¸Nope, I¡¯m the one wrong, I got scared on my own¨D¨Dbut,¡¹

    There Lily cut off her words, kicking the ground with her feet, she jumped right into my chest.

    With full moon as the background, the figure of hering at me while her wings leaves a trace of rainbow color in air, was without a doubt fairytale-like.

    I ept the body of Lily, which was small and delicate in this form too while being fascinated.

    ¡¸Fufu, if you think you¡¯re wrong, then can you listen to one of my selfish wishes¡¹

    Then, Lily reveals a mischievous smile she rarely shows, and looks at me with her alluring gaze.

    I can¡¯t possibly refuse, if you look at me with those eyes.

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    If I can close the gap created between us while I was being oblivious with just one wish, then shouldn¡¯t I take responsibility here and do it.

    Lily increased her smile, and answered.

    ¡¸Kiss me¡¹

    Saying that, she looked away and showed her white soft cheeks to me.

    ¡¸Ah, I wasn¡¯t able to do it during the festivalst time, right¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, That¡¯s why this time without fail, okay?¡¹

    That time, if I had made decision even a second before, I would¡¯ve kissed her adult form.

    However, I don¡¯t have to worry about losing the chance to kiss her, after all the moon¡¯s going to be up until dawn. More than anything, this time I won¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡¸Lily¨D¨D¡¹

    It seems like before I knew it, I now cared about Lily as a little sister, care about her as my important family.

    Surely, Lily who lived alone till now would be feeling the same.

    Though we¡¯re not blood-rted, but she would be thinking as me as her family. [ET: Dude, you¡¯re off the mark by hundred miles, no, adding her Yandere side, you¡¯re off the mark by 1000 miles.]

    That¡¯s why, this time I kiss her cheeks with deep familial emotions.

 Chapter 172 Subjugation Quest x5

    Chapter 172 ¨C Subjugation Quest x5

    ¡¸It seems you were enjoying a lotst night¡¹

    Next morning, I was sitting in front of Fiona¡¯s re with reproachful eyes in the dining hall of¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡».

    ¡¸No, well......Sorry¡¹

    Only the words of pathetic apologyes out.

    I turn my sight to Lily for some support in the same crime,

    ¡¸Nh~, Uu~¡¹

    But, she is dozing off while shaking her head slightly, she¡¯s still not out of her dream world, it seems.

    ¡¸Leaving me alone, you yed in the dead of night......leaving me alone......kicking me out¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s why sorry! I apologize! I got carried by the flow and yed at night with Lily!!¡¹

    Having said that, frankly Ipletely forgot the existence of the girl named Fiona.

    Last evening, after meeting with Lily in front of za, I plunged into ying in night, after all it was full moon night.

    The big city of Spada is really great, the pleasure quarters have a reallyrge scale, there are even bars where men and women can drink the night away.

    Of course, there were also indecent shops which are essential parts of night city, but I didn¡¯t step in the realm of R-18 yet.

    With this and that, along with young girl Lily we ate and drank food and wine, and just like the time in the small hut somewhat 1 month ago, we both have fun while spending the time calmly.

    Yes, by leaving this party member, Fiona out.

    ¡¸While you two were making merry in nightlife, I was peacefully sleeping like a child in the bed, truly deplorable¡¹

    In truth Fiona knew the sender of letter was Lily, and she even cooperated while keeping quiet.

    That¡¯s why knowing there is no mysterious enemy, she didn¡¯tplete her mission to keep guard in the za, and only saw off Lily then stayed at the inn.

    ¡¸I will truly invite you next time, no, I will let you eat as much as you want, it¡¯s all up to me, is that fine?¡¹

    ¡¸......Weren¡¯t you going toplete the quests today?¡¹

    ¡¸Hm, in that case let¡¯s change it to some other day¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸No, postpone the quests for tomorrow, something like that can be done anytime¡¹

    What, you said that and now you¡¯re going back on it?!

    Well it¡¯s fine, Lily seems like shecks sleep, and there is still time for the time limit of quests, there is no problem toplete them tomorrow.

    The real problem is,

    ¡¸Kurono-san, let¡¯s exhaust every food in Spada today¡¹

    Whether my purse will go bankrupt or not...... [ET: Learn something from Gintoki!]

    .

    .

    .

    Further next day, on the 16th of Hatsuhi Month, I am standing in front of dining hall of inn¨D¨Dnot that, but in front of the open main gates of Spada.

    Naturally, toplete the quests.

    Yesterday, in between the gourmet tour in Sapda of the gluttonous witch Fiona, we stopped by the guild and registered¡ºElement Master¡»officially.

    The preparations to go out are all done, I want to go out andplete them just really soon, I can¡¯t help but be impatient get the reward, due to the light feeling I¡¯m getting from my purse.

    ¡¸All right, well then let¡¯s go¡¹

    ¡¸O©`¡¹

    ¡¸Uu©`¡¹

    Leaving aside Fiona¡¯snguidness, Lily is not in high spirits, no she¡¯s in a really bad mood.

    ¡¸What happened Lily?¡¹

    ¡¸......Nothing in particr¡¹

    The fairy clings at my leg,pletely revealing that she has something going on.

    No good, I don¡¯t understand a thing unless she tells me herself.

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you sad, that we three will have to go separately?¡¹

    But, there was an unexpected person, who unexpectedly answered correctly.

    It is Fiona the girl with the reputation of not even trying to read the atmosphere, no, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m dissing her because I want to retaliate to her for emptying my wallet.

    ¡¸Is that true, Lily?¡¹

    ¡¸Hm©`, Yeah, it would be better to go together¡¹

    She said such a thing in a lovely way which wavered my heart strings,

    ¡¸Sorry, we would go on quests as a partyter¡¹

    But I can¡¯t listen to her selfish desires this time.

    Were heading toplete the quests, but there are 5 quests to bepleted at once, quite troublesome to do together.

    All the quests can bepleted even bare-handedly, but because the habitat of monsters differ, it¡¯s better to go solo rather than going one by one in a party, and it would even finish overwhelmingly faster.

    I don¡¯t know how much time remains before Crusaders attack here, so I don¡¯t want to waste any more time here.

    ¡¸Yeah, I will work hard!¡¹

    ¡¸I see, I will look forward to it, Lily!¡¹

    Lily still understands the situation clearly, she really is good child.

    ¡¸Then this is the quest document for Lily¡¹

    I give the quest document to Lily with a feeling of giving a child the shopping memo who is going out for errands first time.

    Incidentally, the contents are,

    Quest: Subjugate Slime

    Reward: 10000 n

    Time Limit: 1 month from the agreement of quest

    Client: Adventurer Guild

    Request Contents: Subjugate 5 slimes. On the subjugation of more than required the reward will be increased.

    Written in a quite blunt business-like way.

    The slime subjugation quests are always being offered as quests for guaranteeing the security of people living in area, quests like this are not exclusively put up by other people.

    Even the army sometimes goes on quests like this, but due to the monster¡¯s marvellous reproductive abilities it¡¯s far away from extinction, therefore by taking the help of adventurers too, they can keep the monsters away from human habitations.

    By the way, all the quests taken this time are of this type.

    Quests like these can be taken by any adventurers, furthermore they¡¯re even suitable for the conditions required for upgrading the rank.

    ¡¸It seems like there is an increase in slimes poption within The Great Forest of Latifundia, that¡¯s why Lily is going there¡¹

    We three enclose the rough map of Spada outskirts, and once again confirm its geography.

    Great Forest of Latifundia expands in the northwest of Spada, just like it¡¯s name it is a really big forest.

    Inside it¡¯s deepest part is the dungeon area, it seems even in the shallow areas rank 2 monsters are loitering around,pared to Fairy Garden, a simr dungeon forest, this one¡¯s rank is iparably above.

    Though it¡¯s like that, with Lily¡¯s strength, the shallows areas with rank 2 difficulty level is not even considered as a risk.

    ¡¸You cane back afterpleting the goal, we both might bete, so try to subjugate for the whole day with the intention of getting additional rewards¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I will defeat many slimes!¡¹

    Like that, Lily is now in charge of slime subjugation quest.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving favorable treatment, simply there is nothing else than slime subjugation we can achieve in Latifundia forest.

    The monsters for other 4, are all living in the northern part and southern part of Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡¸I will leave the Vindol and Dagger Raptor in the southern part to you, Fiona¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I will take care of it¡¹

    Here too is the same as Lily¡¯s reward, time limit, and number of monsters to defeat.

    Aside from their individual strengths, for example dagger raptor has high individual power whereas the slimes attack in numbers, so defeating 5 in both doesn¡¯t has much difference.

    Of course, upon proceeding, defeating the monster with low individual power is more easy.

    ¡¸I will take care of Goblins and Punpun in northern part¡¹

    ¡¸Punpun?¡¹

    ¡¸Pun?¡¹ [ET: This is both the japanese Pun of monster¡¯s name and english pun. XD]

    I think I had been doing the a serious talk here, but with the pronunciation of this name of¡ºPunpun¡»monster,

    ¡¸Kurono-san, is this another world high-grade joke?¡¹

    They are now thinking I¡¯m screwing around.

    or rather what the hell is this another world joke, of course to you me being from Japan is me being another world inhabitant, but I don¡¯t have any strange sense of humour.

    For clearing the misunderstanding, I exin about this Punpun.

    ¡¸On the quest document it¡¯s written as Bear-Rabbit, but it¡¯s read as Punpun¡¹

    ¡¸I see, there are many strange monsters in Pandora¡¹

    Though, the name is the only thing that¡¯s strange.

    I havepleted the investigation on this Bear-Rabbit, correction Punpun in the Monster List, from what I read it¡¯s not much different from other monsters living a mediocre life.

    ¡¸Pu©`n, pun?¡¹

    That¡¯s right, only the name is strange.

    ¡¸Anyway! After clearing them, we all are rank 2, let¡¯splete them quickly and aim for the top!¡¹

    Oou! This time surely I got a good cheerful reply.

    ¡¸Well then, good luck everyone, Dismissed!¡¹

    Then, we three start walking separately, towards our own battlegrounds.

 Chapter 173 The Fluffy Army Threat! Bear-Rabbit Punpun!!

    Chapter 173 ¨C The Fluffy Army Threat! Bear-Rabbit Punpun!!

    After being shaken by the dragon carriage from Spada via Dacia to Avalon, I finally reach the starting point of the northern Ghad mountains, the Vige of Dacia.

    Incidentally the dragon carriages are, the dragon-sized version of horse-pulled carriages, but the puller is a dragon here.

    Though it¡¯s a dragon but it¡¯s herbivorous, its speed is not to that of horse, but still it traversed the road while kicking rapidly on ground with its thick legs.

    Thisnd dragon which is pulling thisrge cube-shaped carriage, has iparable power to that of horse, and it¡¯s body is like that of an elephant, short and stout.

    When I first saw it seemed like a bus to me.

    ¡¸Well then, I need to work fast¡¹

    Inded on the bus stop, and just like that started heading towards the Ghad Mountains.

    The time is afternoon, if I enter the mountains from now on it would be evening.

    Normally it would be NG for entering the mountains at this time, but thanks to my uselessly tough body I can keep on walking without sleep or food.

    It might take more than 3 days for me to remain in the mountain, so I¡¯m not willing to waste my half day of the first day by sleeping.

    I start walking inpletely opposite direction from the Guild of Dacia, where many other adventure-esque people are going.

    If Iplete my quota of 5 bodies of Punpun and Goblin, I would be able to wrap this up by today only.

    .

    .

    .

    Near my feet, a light-blue colored skin lizard is lying down with its head cut off.

    It¡¯s size more that of a crocodile rather than a lizard, and its silhouette is like that of a newt, having suction pads rather ws in front of its legs.

    This monster called as Minatokage, a rank 1 monster, inhabits the waterside I¡¯m currently at, and just like their appearance they control water attribute of magic.

    The water itself can deal no damage even if ites falling at you, unless it¡¯s got a water pressure of a water cutter or aser, it won¡¯t be any threat as an attack magic.

    Of course, Minatokage who have been ssified as rank 1, have no way to fire a water pistol that can pierce through iron te too.

    The only nasty part in this monster is, the fact there is corrosive venom mixed in the water currents and water thate out of its mouth.

    It has no power to corrode a chain upon touching, but the thing that would get acute damage from its touch is not the body but weapon.

    Though it¡¯s the low concentrated corrosive liquid, it would easily make a low-grade weapon¡¯s iron de into a dull de.

    Due to this, even a good high-grade article would get damage, and is like a monster that makes low ranked adventurers cry for buying new weapons.

    By the way, it¡¯s all from the monster list.

    ¡¸It seems like even my hatchet would be fine taking this much¡¹

    I judge it upon touching the corrosive liquid mixture sticking to the now severed head like drool with my finger.

    Before it couldunch its water pistol or anything, the match got over with my one attack from¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡», in the end the de itself has no contact with the liquid.

    But, it¡¯s better to know its power, right.

    A high-grade weapon can take on some venomous attacks, so there is no problem in using this Cursed Hatchet.

    Or rather, the de can restore upon drinking blood so even if it gets somewhat worn-out there isn¡¯t any big problem.

    8th Apostle Ai had opened a great hole in the dead centre, but I took it out today only to find it in wonderful healthy condition.

    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s tear the materials¡¹

    The proof of Minatokage subjugation is the most biggest crystal like thorn on its back.

    The scales and the organ for refining the corrosive liquid can also be taken out and sold as monster materials, but the current me has neither time nor the skill to do that.

    The difference in the ss and experience as adventurer get¡¯s out here, eh, thinking that I take out the thorn while making crisping sounds.

    This Minatokage is the first monster that I have met after getting lost in the mountains while searching for traces of monsters.

    It showed hostility and got defeated, but it¡¯s not a target for subjugation.

    I thought to once again search for Goblins and Punpun while tearing off the thorns,

    ¡¸Looks like I don¡¯t need to do morebour¡¹

    But I¡¯m red at with hostility filled eyes, they got lured in the till here by the smell of the lizard, it seems.

    By straining my ears I can hear the heavy breathing and ferocious groaning sounds too.

    I can tell that many other presences are in my surrounding to enclose me.

    No doubt, I¡¯ve got no choice of running back here, they themselves came here, shouldn¡¯t I wee them gently.

    Right hand equipped with¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡», charging Bullet Artspleted, preparations allpleted.

    ¡¸Come out, I will y with you all¡¹

    And as if answering my words,

    SFX: Gaooo¡ª¨Coon!!

    Various ck shadows jumped out in the riverside I stand while bellowing.

    ¡¸So this is, Punpun......¡¹

    Seeing it¡¯s figure, I can only consent the name to be written as Bear-Rabbit.

    It is of a kind of dark brown hair color, there are white fur growing on it¡¯s stomach, hands and legs, in particr the coloring on its base of throat is closely resembling the Asian ck bear.

    It has big red eyes, and rabbit like ears protruding.

    Having the appearance of both Bear and Rabbit, this is without a doubt a Punpun.

    But, I¡¯m not worried about that,

    ¡¸It feels like cosy costume, what if there are humans inside it?¡¹

    But it¡¯s the body and head which is deformed in truth.

    There are 4 of them, all four with strangely too big head, moreover it¡¯s hair seems to be as soft as that of hair that is tuck on teddy bears.

    The are walking on two legs, and are waving their thick arms for appealing the strength, but it kinda looks like they¡¯re drumming.

    Let it be it¡¯s appearance or it¡¯s pronunciation, this Punpun name does has aical sense hidden inside.

    I feel a little sense of guilt while subjugating it.

    SFX: Gooooaaa©`©`!

    But, being ungrateful to my feelings, they try to intimidate me with their appearance as though I broke their hibernation sleep.

    Each time a voice resounds, more and more Punpun starting to the riverfront.

    2, 3, 4, hey just how many of these cosy costumes are here, huh!?

    While I think that, finally a different one appears with the height of 3 metres and has it¡¯s head bigger than other Puns.

    From the scar on its one eye and the intimidation in air, it¡¯s easy to guess this one is the boss of this crowd.

    Gaoo©`n!

    When that Boss Pun cries out in a conspicuously loud voice, the other Puns surrounding me start moving at once.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts Full Burst¡¹

    This time, without hesitating neither panicking I release the load of bullets.

    I don¡¯t have¡ºck Ballista Replica¡»so the power is 1 level lower, yet more than enough to kill a rank 1 monster.

    All the Punpuns attacking me from all sides meet with the storm of bullets without exception.

    Thanks to the fluffy fur it has a more physical defense thanpared to Goblins, but it can¡¯t stop my Bullet Arts.

    OooOo©`nn!

    The Punpun who came attacking in high spirits, took the bullets head-on, and are falling down in high spirits too.

    At this point 3 are dead, the rest 4 are still injured.

    There are still 6 Puns or more remaining in the surrounding, but the Boss Pun raises his voice, and the 4 inured ones too leap to the back.

    At the same time, Boss Pun picks up the stone lying on the riverfront, no it¡¯s a boulder you can say from it¡¯s size.

    ¡¸You going to try stone throwing!?¡¹

    It takes an excellent pitching form and throws the boulder at 200 kmph in a straight line.

    I evade it immediately by jumping to the side.

    Uponnding, the ce I was standing before is the only the ruins of boulder.

    But more than the sound of explosion, I am more surprised seeing two Punpun carrying the corpse of decapitated lizard and running away.

    These are horribly familiar actions.

    SFX: KaoooOOO©`NN!!

    The Boss Pun raises his bellow, on the contrary to their entrance, this time more than 10 Punpun start plotting for escape.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I would take 2 more of you all¡¹

    I can¡¯t let them escape like this.

    There are only 3 dead on the riverfront, there are still 2 less toplete the quota.

    While feeling the guilt that I never felt in killing the Crusaders, I throw the Sword Arts towards the Punpun jumping inside the forest.

    .

    .

    .

    Before I knew it, the sun had already set down.

    I throw the corpses of 5 Punpun just like that into¡ºShadow Gate¡».

    The demand for Punpun meat and fur is more, therefore the price of its materials too is high.

    But here treats it as only either bear or rabbit, while thinking, I put the proof of subjugation right rabbit-ear into another slot.

    ¡¸However, they were more formidable enemies than Goblins¡¹

    I subjugated them the day I met Lily, but no matter how much sword arts (It was Gatling that time) I used, they just kept oning like idiots.

    However that Boss Pun looking at my first attack judged me not as an enemy and ordered the retreat.

    And they even shrewdly took back the lizard, impressive.

    I can¡¯t help but think that they have more intelligence than Goblins in contrary to their appearances.

    If they use items too, no doubt they would be rank 2 monsters.

    ¡¸There are various types within monsters, eh¡¹

    Once again thinking that, I walk in the dark and silent mountain road of Ghad Mountains to search and kill my next target, Goblin.

 Chapter 174 Rushing Slime Fever!?

    Chapter 174 ¨C Rushing Slime Fever!?

    ¡¸Damn it! Don¡¯t fuck with me!!¡¹

    Rank 2 adventurer Zach, has a skinhead and muscr body appearance and so is the battle axe he is swinging to bring down the attacking slimes, while swinging, he shouts the words of abuse to therade who showed its back and ran away leaving him behind.

    But, with those words therade won¡¯te back, no, (s)he won¡¯te back no matter what words he spoke.

    After all though slime is a rank 1 monster, but with a very big crowd of them attacking is something those people who just reached Rank 2 cannot defeat.

    Hence escaping, therade 1, left Zach behind and ran away.

    ¡¸Shit shit, don¡¯t follow me damn it!¡¹

    Thinking back, it was since 13th of Hatsuhi Month that his luck start going down, Zach recalls.

    That day, he along with outcasts from the slums he was loitering around, lived a corrupted life extorting money.

    But during the evening of 13th, he discovered a girl carrying 10,000 n that should be beyond her reach, at that time he thought he got a good find, he was so happy that he even gave the words of appreciation to the ck Gods.

    Like that, he was able to corner the girl in a blind alley.

    Zach confirmed that he would get unexpected perk at that point, and his heart started beating faster thinking he would spend all the money in the night city.

    He didn¡¯t think of even assaulting the girl, something like that, only someone who is high due to alcohol or drugs would do or only someone broken from nature would do that.

    After all, if they made noises in the back alleys of slums, then those broken bastards woulde up like hyenas.

    In the worst case, those guys would take the money he swindled, even if that didn¡¯t ur it¡¯s obvious that something really troublesome would ur, he didn¡¯t mind hiding his lewd intentions so as to not lose the ten thousand n.

    In the first ce, rather than the small girl, it¡¯s more better for spending the night with professionals.

    Anyway, though he had desire swirling inside his heart, he didn¡¯ty a hand on girl and just took the bag with money.

    Then,

    ¡¸Oi, what are you doing there¡¹

    1 single man appeared.

    A rank 1 adventurer, with gravely stern eyes, that¡¯s how it should have been.

    Due to the man, let alone the loss of money, his favorite sub weapon Long sword was broken, the fact he couldn¡¯t use magic and martial skills was revealed to his younger brothers, and while returning back home he was bitten by a stray dog, and it became a really troublesome day.

    What in particr was bad was, his two younger brothers were grandiosely making it public that Zach is a good for nothing with nothing else than his height.

    Zach did well in slums while boasting about his power due to his stern looks, but soon enough the rumours spread, and he was branded as small fry, he also got into troubles with others.

    In truth, Zach was an active rank 2 adventurer, without even magic or martial skills, his muscle power was the same as it looked, so when he got into troubles he would handle them himself, but due to rumours, slums became an ufortable ce for him.

    As a result that man said,

    ¡¸If you can then stop doing this, and try to raise money by working as a genuine adventurer¡¹

    He couldn¡¯t help but ept those words in this situation, at the very least until the rumours, lose their spread and start to the heat starts to cool down.

    Then, he took out the bronze te Guild Card and Battle Axe with dust on them, and after 1 year he decided to show his face in the guild.

    There he took the suitable qquest, made a temporary party with suitable people, that¡¯s how he came to this Great Forest of Latifundia, a.k.a The Forest of Lati.

    And, it all leads to now.

    ¡¸Pant......Pant......Stop fucking with me......¡¹

    It was bad move for him to cut into the group of slimes while doing his job as a vanguard.

    The moment Zach stepped one step inside, from the surrounding a light blue colored slime army appeared.

    The judgement of temporary members was quite fast while looking at that.

    They used Zach who was in a bad position as decoy and escaped on their own, it was heartless action but sometimes, to live, things like this can be done.

    In the first ce, though they were a rank 2 party, but if they were an old party with lot of experiences, then they would choose to escape everyone and there was a possibility that everyone would return alive.

    But, in the end it¡¯s a temporary party, if it got a little dangerous, they won¡¯t hesitate to disband it.

    ¡¸UGaaaaa!!¡¹

    Neither any skills or anything, just a simple swing.

    But luckily that one swing hit the core of 2 slimes and dealt a critical damage to them.

    ¡¸Great!¡¹

    Crushing the dying slimes while leaving their blue body behind by the sole of his solid boots, Zach retreats.

    He had beenpletely surrounded, but right behind him the enemies are less, determined on that fact he started to escape.

    It was quite foolish n, but there is no other n he could do in the current situation.

    ¡¸You damn slime bastards, don¡¯t fucking get in my way, OraaaAAA!!¡¹

    Many tentacles made from the slimes body grab his hands and legs.

    Though he suffers acute pain from getting his skin melted due to acid, but without stopping his dash, forcefully breaks the thin jelly-like tentacles.

    I can do it, It¡¯s by a paper¡¯s width margin but I can be alive¨D¨Dthinking that, he pushes aside thest slime in the back with the help of axe.

    He made it out, affirming that he jumped over the brushwoods in front of him and the thing waiting for him

    ¡¸Hi, Ah......H, Help¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸P, Please......fast¡¹

    ¡¸AH, Argh¨D¨DI can¡¯t bear it......¡¹

    Were the three temporary party members who left him,

    SFX: KoOOOOO

    Getting eaten by a giant slime.

    ¡¸Giant Slime......impossible, fuck, why in this ce?!¡¹

    Giant Slime is a monster of Rank 3 difficulty.

    It¡¯s just a slime that got big excessively, but due to that it got a power up and is regarded as rank 3.

    In the shallow areas of the forest where only rank 2 monsters appears, unless someone has really bad luck they won¡¯t meet it.

    Ah, I really am unfortunate, Zach thought as such while watching the special digestive process of slime.

    ¡¸Hihaha......I¡¯m done for......¡¹

    Even without turning back he could tell, an army of slimes has reached.

    In the first ce, even without the slime army, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against the giant slime that easily ate 3 rank 2 adventurers.

    ¡¸Save......me......¡¹

    Seeing the whole body of three being dissolved, Zach guessed the next one to be eaten was him.

    Maybe the Giant Slime had somewhat tomcat full after eating the three humans, he didn¡¯t capture Zach by spreading out its tentacles.

    To make up for that, the various slimes from behind do the same work and send out tentacles to Zach¡¯s muscr body.

    ¡¸I¡¯m dead......I will die......¡¹

    Though he felt many tentacles spread at him, Zach just stood grabbing his battle axe without moving even a bit.

    Then finally, the pointed end of tentacles touch his body, his darkish skin starts to melt.

    The moment the acute pain from before ran through him,

    ¡¸Uwwaaaa! Don¡¯t do it!! Stop it!!¡¹

    With tears, snot, and drool flowing out, Zach tried to rampage as much he could.

    ¡¸Stop it! Don¡¯te ¡®ereeeeeee!!¡¹

    While in rampage, he would, with his axe, stop slime attacks and sometimes deal a lethal attack to their cores.

    But, the number of slimes he had defeated are somewhere along the lines of 3 or 4.

    He can¡¯t possibly stop the waves of uncountable number of slimes with just that much of resistance.

    ¡¸Uwwaaa, Aaaaa¨D¨D¡¹

    However, by struggling more the more despair is born.

    Maybe the hunger of Giant Slime was stimted seeing Zach swinging his battle axe, it formed log like tentacles and extended them as to surround Zach¡¯s surroundings.

    ¡¸Ah, AH......¡¹

    Having the giant body of Giant Slime standing in his way, finally he lost his fighting spirit.

    He couldn¡¯t help but only cry shiver and keep on holding the battle axe, without being able to do a thing.

    His mind starts filling with fear of death, without having anything to think, the head went nk white, at that moment, truly white light shined in front of his eyes.

    ¡¸......Aa!?¡¹

    When he thought that a dazzling sh attacked him, the semi-solid bodies started to fall on his body like a downpour.

    ¡¸W, What is this!?¡¹

    He wiped his face off in a hurry for confirming the situation, opening his eyes there is no sign of the Giant Slime anywhere, instead a light green colored 2 metersrge sphere is floating there.

    What is this light ball¨D¨DHe immediately understood that it isn¡¯t the core of Giant Slime.

    That is because he has confirmed the red colored things, core of slimes, scattered everywhere.

    Then what would it be, his doubt deepens,

    ¡¸Uu©`!¡¹

    Just when the light of sphere fades away, the true identity is revealed.

    ¡¸What? Why, this brat?¡¹

    A single small girl is d in the sphere of light.

    ¡¸No......you, a fairy?¡¹

    The blonde hair, green eyes, and more than anything else, the pair of rainbow-colored wings sprouting from her back, frankly exin what she is.

    ¡¸Ee©`ii!!¡¹

    But to Zach¡¯s question, no, most probably monologue, the fairy didn¡¯t answer.

    Instead, from the sphere of light dding her body numerous balls of light are dispatched.

    ¡¸Uwa!?¡¹

    They be saturated white light and shine the insides of dark forest where the sunlight cannot reach.

    WIthout being able to bear the light Zach closes his eyes, ears to for covering the sounds of explosions urring around him.

    To add up he crouches down being scared of the intense shockwaves and heat wavesing at him time by time.

    ¡¸Hi, Hiii©`! What is it, what the fuck is it! Just what the fucking hell happened this time!?¡¹

    Inside the flood of light and sound, Zach, a human without anything else than high physical power, can only do that.

    ¡¸I, Is it over......?¡¹

    How much time had passed since the carpet bombing is over.

    Zach finally understood that the threat has passed, for confirming he raises up his head,

    ¡¸Ha, Haha......I¡¯m saved......¡¹

    Only to find the jelly-like bodies of slime coating the nts and trees.

    Inside it, some broken red stone like things are shining with dull light.

    The slime army that seemed to like bury everything that came in it¡¯s way, now has turned into corpses army.

    ¡¸Hahaha......I¡¯m saved, I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ saved!¡¹

    That day, Zach for the first gave his heartfelt gratitude to the ck Gods.

    .

    .

    .

    A small girl in ck dress is loitering here and there in the dark forest while gathering up something.

    If she was picking up flowers in a meadow, even the hoodlum Zach would loosen his cheeks seeing the lovely figure, but the girl was picking up the cores of the now-split apart slimes.

    ¡¸Just what......am I doing......¡¹

    With an unknown development, Zach started helping the shining fairy in collecting the cores.

    He isn¡¯t reluctant to say gratitude to his saviour, but without even talking or even introducing each other, doing something this only fills his heart with anxiety.

    But once he started, he didn¡¯t stop.

    Like that, after most of cores are collected, he gave the bag filled with dull red cores to the fairy.

    ¡¸Oji-san, Thank you©`¡¹

    Zach didn¡¯t feel anything bad seeing the sunflower like bright smile on the fairy¡¯s face.

    ¡¸No, that, you even saved me there, so thank you¡¹

    How time would have passed since he has gave his gratitude from his heart.

    ¡¸Hm©`?¡¹

    However, the fairy took the words of gratitude and made a face as though she had no idea what he was talking about.

    Zach didn¡¯t expect a child like looking fairy to reply to his gratitude, so he didn¡¯t worry about it.

    ¡¸Oji-san, Bye bye¡¹

    Then, the fairy opened up the dimension magic as if natural, loaded the two full bags of core, and left while waving her hand.

    To be more precise, towards the deepest part of Great Forest of Latifundia, the ce dered as a dungeon.

    Being dumbfounded, Zach thought the series of events that just happened are all an hallucination.

    But, the genocide of slimes spread in surroundings extremely proves that everything is truth.

    ¡¸Fairies are, awesome, right......¡¹

    He didn¡¯t really understand it properly but anyway it¡¯s awesome, Zach understood the wideness of the world on this day.

 Chapter 175 Ifrit Appears!?

    Chapter 175 ¨C Ifrit Appears!?

    The sophomore, Eddie, of the Knight course in Royal Spada Academy was strolling in the southern part of Ghad Mountains with his ssmates/party members.

    ¡¸¨D¨DAfter that, Erina-san said this to me¡¹

    ¡¸What did she say?¡¹

    ¡¸That she would wait for me until I am qualified to get quests from the Guild Headquarters!¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t dramatize it! You were just being decently taken care of!¡¹

    ¡¸Nuuaaaa, don¡¯ speak tat!!¡¹[ET: The guy spoke in an informal tone]

    The party of 4 students were chatting idly as though they were hiking, but during this timest year, they didn¡¯t had anyposure to even speak a word due to exhaustion by marching in Ghad Mountains.

    They were still Rank 1, as an adventurer, no as a knight protecting Spada, but their strength had steadily increased.

    ¡¸But, after clearing this quest we all will be able to move up to rank 2 finally¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s truth we would move one step closer to our admired Miss Erina¡¹

    That¡¯s right! The members looked at Eddie replying in high tension with lukewarm eyes.

    The beautiful Elf receptionist, Erina, who had joined the Guild branch of Academy district, was a famous celebrity known by every students in Knight course who used the guild¡¯s facilities.

    No, it would be more suitable to say her an idol, she was the one single flower that had bloomed in the guild where only ruffian-like adventurers gathered and talked about bloodthirsty things.

    That ever-loved-beautiful Elf girl, kindly and politely smiled and interacted with every person, even the people who were students, with this much there was no way she wouldn¡¯t get popr.

    That¡¯s why, even his friends didn¡¯t think that their idiot-high-spirited friends, Eddie, would be able to pass through the multiple rivals and shoot down Miss Erina¡¯s heart.

    ¡¸I will do it, before graduating, I will definitely be a man worthy of getting quests at the Guild Headquarters¡¹

    But, if he was going to improve his abilities by burning his young passion, it can be a good thing in itself.

    Even if the words ¡®First Love never bears fruit¡¯ bes a truth with an unchangeable reality with chances of being 100% correct.

    ¡¸In fact, don¡¯t let down your guard Eddie, even if they are dagger raptors, this time there seems to be a quite a big crowd of them¡¹

    The staff officer of the Party, a male magician student, warns to his somewhat unreliable leader, Eddie.

    ¡¸Now that you say it, they sure are increasing recently¡¹

    ¡¸Be careful so that you don¡¯t unintentionally jump in their nest¡¹

    Monster¡¯s strength information is something that should always be confirmed at the time of taking a quest.

    The monsters have been identified based on the area of habitation, but the breeding conditions and turf wars are constantly changing, moment-by-moment.

    The information of knowing beforehand about the easy encounter with monsters helps a great deal in preparing, for a typical example, if poison insects monsters are released inrge numbers then they would prepare a lot of antidote beforehand.

    Hence, the current quest of subjugating 5 dagger raptors has the most danger, in this situation with their breeding expansion, no doubt it would¡¯ve berge herd, and would be difficult toplete the quest if they attacked at once.

    They themselves and others know that they have the ability to already be Rank 2, but still they shouldn¡¯t let down their guards.

    ¡¸¨D¨DOi¡¹

    At that moment, another knight member walking in the front along with Eddie stopped in his tracks.

    Sensing the serious atmosphereing from him, the other three suddenly take the battle stance.

    ¡¸What happened?¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it smelling awfully burnt?¡¹

    Really? He tried to reply back, but a sudden gust of wind from the behind trees came and carried the unique smell of fire burns.

    ¡¸Was there a battle nearby?¡¹

    ¡¸There is no sounding means, it¡¯s over right?¡¹

    In the surrounding with only dark green forest, the sounds of tree leaves rustling, insects crying and birds chirping can only be heard.

    ¡¸It won¡¯t be a forest fire, right?¡¹

    ¡¸No, in that case the smoke should have been present, there should be traces left of someone fighting¡¹

    That too, would be without a doubt a magician who uses fire, a guess they all had.

    ¡¸There doesn¡¯t seem to be any abnormality, let¡¯s move¡¹

    On the leader¡¯s decision, the members assented and moved into the dark green forest with even more vignce than before.

    .

    .

    .

    In the end, there was an ¡®abnormality¡¯.

    ¡¸W, What is this......¡¹

    After walking a bit, along with the smell of vegetations burnt, an offensive smell of something living thing burnt also came.

    Due to the thick scent, they moved forward to see the situation,

    ¡¸Awessomeeee......Raptors nest ispletely roasted¡¹

    Spread across a wide range, the cruel scene of many sets of parent and child in the raptor¡¯s nest were all burnt to death.

    Originally, they too hade to take the lives of Raptors, so they didn¡¯t had any resistance in killing after all this time.

    But, being exposed to this overwhelming fire power, with no existence of anyone living other than the ground, this scene with earth being scorched could make them feel merciless cruelty.

    Seeing more clearly, the traces of dented earth exins that many powerful fire offensive magics were used and they fell like a storm in the nest of Raptors.

    ¡¸Just how much of a great magician can burn everything to cleanliness to this extent?¡¹

    ¡¸Fuck that, is this the work of an adventurer?¡¹

    The destruction and sweltering heat is as though Ifrit itself has appeared.

    It¡¯s more easier to convince the mind, saying a powerful monster did this.

    That is because, if it was an adventurer, they could¡¯ve used more smart way to finish the battle, at the very least they shouldn¡¯t have used the AOE attack that would even burn the vegetation.

    ¡¸No, but this is without a doubt the work of adventurer¡¹

    How can you tell? The magician asks Eddie, he points to the ck burnt corpse of Raptor and exined.

    ¡¸The ws on the right are clipped of, the proof of subjugation¡¹

    They look everywhere in the surrounding while being surprised, without any discrimination, the right ws didn¡¯t exist on any of the raptor.

    ¡¸Seriously, this is just too much¡¹

    ¡¸They have done this much, no doubt it¡¯s a rank 4 adventurer¡¹

    ¡¸But, would a rank 4 adventurer aim at the nest of Dagger Raptors?¡¹

    ¡¸It can be they used an AOE attack on a whim, there are people there who no one can understand¡¹

    They calmed down on their reasoning that a high-ranked adventurerunched a powerful fire magic on whim.

    The upation of adventurer is different from that of knight, and there would be more than 50,000 of them who would have broken ethical values. So, it¡¯s not that of a rare situation.

    Then, thinking they saw something unusual, they left that ce.

    .

    .

    .

    That day, student party led by Eddie, couldn¡¯t meet any Dagger Raptor.

    It wasn¡¯t them who had bad luck,

    ¡¸What the fuck......aren¡¯t the dagger raptors all exterminated?¡¹

    Because the 5 nests of Dagger Raptors they found after walking the mountain the whole day were cleanly roasted.

    No, the raptors weren¡¯t the only ones who met the harsh reality of being burnt. The rank 1 monsters with wolf bodies, the Vindol were also in the same shape.

    The rank 1 monsters, Dagger Raptors and Vindol, ruled the area, had their nests attacked and their numbers decreased.

    Most probably the monsters who escaped the danger, ran towards the other areas while trembling in fear, they wouldn¡¯t have time to attack other adventurersing their way.

    Thanks to that, today ended up meeting with minority of low ranked 2 times.

    ¡¸Who is it that said that it was on a whim?¡¹

    ¡¸No, normally who would think that such strong magician would go after a rank 1 monsters, would someone?¡¹

    With having a scene they had gotten familiar with, in front of the fifth nest of raptors they started quarreling.

    ¡¸What should we do, at this rate we can¡¯tplete the quest¡¹

    ¡¸Certainly, we wouldn¡¯t find them so easily¡¹

    ¡¸What if, crushing the hopes of beginners is bing a fad in the guild?¡¹

    If a high-ranked adventurer became serious, the low-ranked quests would be finished easily.

    Though the Guild keep out the quest for Raptor subjugation 24¡Á7, but if there is no subjugation target what can be done?

    If the extinction of monster in the area was confirmed, the quest would without a doubt, be cancelled.

    Though, within half a year or so, the same monster or another new kind of monster would arrive from some other area, in the end the quest for subjugation would once again be put out.

    But, there¡¯s a problem if it urred now, quests have something called as time limit.

    ¡¸Calm down, tomorrow let¡¯s move somewhere different, we would certainly get at least 5 Dagger Raptors¡¹

    ¡¸But, if this Ifrit Bastard moved in the direction we head to¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Stop it, don¡¯t speak anymore than that¡¹

    Eddie stops the ominousment of the other member.

    ¡¸Anyhow, let¡¯s call it day for now¡¹

    Along with the voice of affirmation, the group showed signs of fatigue though they hadn¡¯t fought, and decided to leave the ce.

    While praying, ¡®Please don¡¯t make us fail the quest!¡¯

 Chapter 176 Nightmare Berserker

    Chapter 176 ¨C Nightmare Berserker

    ¡¸We are the, son of¡ºSword King¡»Leonhart Tristan Spada, the great man owning the, the white holy sword, forbidden ck magic, and, the epitome of darkness, the reincarnation of demon king, that¡¯s right, We are Wilhart Tristan Spa©`¡¹(SK: Wilhart uses ¡®Waga¡¯ for ¡®I¡¯ which is more ¡®royal¡¯)

    A rusted iron sword in goblin¡¯s hand is swung towards the slim male student, wearing a red mantle proving him to be a leader cadet in the Royal Spada Academy and is naming himself in loud voice.

    ¡¸Daaaaaaaa!?¡¹

    Stopping naming himself in the middle, he does a forward somersault with all his power to evade the sword, that boy is the leader cadet shouldering the future of Spada, Wilhart.

    Due to the somersault his monocle was about to fall, in a quite haste, he fixed it and stood back up to only howl at the goblin while pointing at it.

    ¡¸You son of a bitch! To actually attack without hesitation while someone is naming themselves, you really are a rude savage!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not a savage but a monster, you¡¯re a big idiot to expect it to show manners¡¹

    From behind Wilhart¡¯s back, a refreshing beautiful voice came.

    It¡¯s owner is, a maid wearing a pure white apron with no signs of dirt at all within this thick forest.

    Pale green colored hair braid in a ponytail, the light blue eyes and face with adult beauty, would be like an elder sister ifpared to Wilhart.

    Otherwise, that manner of speaking which doesn¡¯t mince matters even against her master, shows the good rtionship of that of siblings.

    ¡¸Very well, in that case to this savage knight, We¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s just a normal goblin¡¹

    ¡¸We will tell you the etiquettes of how nobles fight! By this great man owning the white holy sword, forbidden ck magic, and, the epitome of darkness, the reincarnation of demon king, Wilhart Tristan Spadaaaaaaaaaaa!?¡¹

    Once again the powerful sh of the goblin assaulted Wilhart who is howling at it while pointing his finger.

    And, once again he did a front somersault with full strength to evade the attack.

    While spoiling the costume of a leader cadet which is a symbol representing Spada¡¯s glory, he stands up in an unrefined manner.

    ¡¸You attack us not once but twice using fowl techniques......We won¡¯t forgive you, definitely not!¡¹

    As though to win against Wilhart in howling, goblins too bellows while spitting saliva.

    ¡¸We would let you be the rust for our White Holy Sword! Here we go, you barbarian knight!!¡¹

    ¡¸Wil-sama work hard. Also, that¡¯s a goblin¡¹

    Wilhart takes out the rapier made of mithril from the scabbard hanging on his waist, though in a very textbook style, he took a clumsy stance and faced the rogue goblin.

    Wilhart has already entered the world of fighting man against and man, he can¡¯t possibly hear the words of the boorish maid anymore.

    ¡¸Haaaaaa, in response to our request, reveal your true form, ¡ºHoly Sword Vaiceschveato¡»!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s only a normal¡ºMithril Rapier¡»¡¹

    ¡¸And take this! The secret martial skill passed down in the royal family of Spada since time immemorial, ¡ºHeinrich Untergang¡»¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s only a¡ºsh¡»¡¹

    Voice of boorish maid, can¡¯t be heard! while praying wholeheartedly, Wilhart assaults the goblin in front of him with a normal¡ºMithril Rapier¡», while using¡ºsh¡»which he had learnt many times in the sses of the Academy.

    Though it did reveal the might of martial skill, the straightforward swordsmanship was just too easy to understand and couldn¡¯t surpass Goblins reflexes.

    With high agility like that of a monkey, goblin evaded the sh attack with a side step, in that posture assaults Wilhart.

    ¡¸It evadeddd! Nuooooo!!¡¹

    From that moment onwards, without any martial skills or sword techniques, it changed into apetition of mudslinging.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Fuu, it was quite good, you nameless barbarian¡¹

    Like that, Wilhart gives the words of departing of Goblin who is now lying on the ground without moving even a bit.

    His red hair inherited from his father, is disheveled due to evading here and there by somersaulting and rolling, right now a single green leaf is sticking to them.

    It can be seen at a nce, the ck zer type uniform and bright red mantle are slightly dirty from the sap of weeds and mud, it has some traces left of the fierce fight against goblin.

    Wilhart looked down upon the loser by making his golden eyes shine, though he himself won narrowly.

    ¡¸For you have to this much hard time against just one goblin, as expected of Wil-sama¡¹

    While revealing a brutal light in her pale light blue eyes, the maid gives her blessing to her master, Wilhart.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right praise us Seria, We haven¡¯t released even half of our true power! Fuhahahahaha!!¡¹

    Hitting both hands on waist, Wilhart raises a loudughter, his whole body is without a doubt slightly dirty and shows that he won by a narrow chance.

    But, aside from his father¡¯s wild looking appearance, this intelligent looking face, white skin as though he were a shut-in student, his thin body which can somehow gather power to take stance with sword, everything only looks like that of a bookworm student, so Wilhart should be praised that he even defeated a single goblin with sword.

    Long story short, it means that he worked really hard.

    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s search for the rest of 4 goblins¡¹

    Seria, the maid in an indifferent tone, tells the progress of 5 goblin subjugation quest and urges her master to make haste.

    ¡¸Fumu, this was just the weakest of all The Great 4 Barbarians, the other ones waiting are the true deadly weapon knights with true power¡¹

    ¡¸The Great Four, in that case, wouldn¡¯t one be left out?¡¹

    ¡¸Fu, that on left in the end is the¡ºSword King¡»that controls The Great 4 Barbarians, the abominable tyrannical ruler, Barbarian King!¡¹

    Hmm, while shaking her ponytail in the light breeze, Seria throws appropriate words at Wilhart with a mannequin-like expressionless face.

    ¡¸Well then let¡¯s make haste, let it be the goblin quartet or their general, just kill the 4 of them fast.¡¹

    ¡¸Wrrrroooong! It¡¯s The Great 4 Barbarian and Barbarian King!!¡¹

    ¡¸There is a nest near here, let¡¯s get near it and then search¡¹

    Seria turns over the long skirt of apron dress and starts running on the mountain road, her movement is like that of pair of wings helping her.

    ¡¸W-Wait! Don¡¯t leave your Master who haspleted a Soul Contract with you!!¡¹

    Before he lost sight of her, Wilhart, in a panic, started chasing behind the maid who has run before him.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸It¡¯s strange, we should be very near the nest, but I don¡¯t feel the presence of Goblin at all¡¹

    Seria, who stopped abruptly, says those words with a nonchnt face.

    ¡¸Pant......Pant......I, Is that true? Certainly, We too......cannot feel......the evil waves, the......speciality of...... The Great 4s¡¹

    Leaning on a tree, WIlhart replies apletely nonsense crap while gasping, apparently, he doesn¡¯t know that it¡¯s good to breath without talking.

    ¡¸Either the nest is extinct or has moved otherwise is in the middle of fighting¨D¨Dlet¡¯s go and check it¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah, Already......¡¹

    He urges to let him rest for a little more while with eyes of pitiful puppy, but the maid with no hint of understanding her master¡¯s urges, starts running the mountain road once again.

    ¡¸V, Very well......in that case the time for us to remove the seal of Soma and revive hase......Fu, Kukuku......¡¹

    Like that, he drinks the potion for recovery (500 n) taken out from pouch, and chases after Seria so that he doesn¡¯t lose sight of her.

    .

    .

    .

    I¡¯m a man like the example of bean sprouts, Wilhart carries that in actual real life practice, gathering willpower somehow, he chases after the apron dress with the contrast of white and blue.

    Seria has stopped for hiding in the bushes, but he is doubtful as to why she has stopped here.

    There is no way she would stop for him, she is the maid who doesn¡¯t give a fuck about her master, or so Wilhart is thinking.

    ¡¸*Pant*......*Heavy Pant* What happened, stopping here,did something¨D¨D¡¹

    Seria turns back in a second, and shuts Wilhart¡¯s mouth with the dress glove she is wearing on her hands.

    ¡¸Nnnh!? Nn, NNMU~!! (Y-You! Don¡¯t tell us that n to betray us)¡¹

    ¡¸Keep quiet, and look at that¡¹

    Upon being urged by Seria, Wilhart rides her urge and looks on the other side of bushes.

    Apparently there is a cliff on the other side of bushes, so he was able to get an unbroken view of the whole meadow spread below the cliff.

    And, he realized that ce is one of the nests of Goblin, out of numerous nests of Goblins present in the northern part of Ghad Mountains.

    It would be obvious to anyone, because there are many storage shed like buildings and goblins near it.

    ¡¸O, Oi! There is someone there!?¡¹

    Wilhart suddenly noticed, there is a lone man present inside that nest.

    No, there is no way he won¡¯t notice, after all that man is basking in the hostile res of numerous goblins surrounding him.

    ¡¸Why is an apprentice magician in a ce like that alone!?¡¹

    Wilhart releases that line unintentionally, Seria too knows there is no time forposure left.

    Aside from that, the thing more worrying it why an apprentice magician jumped into the nest of goblins.

    The ck robe with simple design worn by the man is a normal cloth that can be found anywhere, but Wilhart, who goes to Royal Spada Academy, knows that the robe is the robe apprentice magicians of Academy are obligated to wear.

    In fact, he himself is wearing so he can¡¯t be wrong.

    ¡¸Not good, we have to save him before it get¡¯s toote!¡¹

    ¡¸I can¡¯t think of anything happening if Wil-sama jumps in the nest against that many goblins¡¹

    ¡¸You thought of throwing me alone in there!?¡¹

    Wilhartpletely lost his haughty first person ¡®We¡¯, and urges Seria for saving the man who he hasn¡¯t seen before, but might be going to the same Academy.

    ¡¸Please, Seria save him!¡¹

    And above all, the man is a citizen of Spada.

    As the son of King Leonhart, as a person of royal family, he can¡¯t possibly let a citizen die in front of him.

    At the very least, Wilhart does think like that wholeheartedly.

    [I can¡¯t be useful in a fight, but you can fight against 100 or 200 goblins, right, that¡¯s why please, I will pay extra pay to you after this¡¹

    Seria heaves a small sigh, seeing him requesting from someone of lower ss than him, and muttered.

    ¡¸Good Grief, at times like this only Wil-sama acts like a cool person¨D¨D¡¹

    Please! To Wilhart who is joining his hands and without hesitation lowering his head, the mutterings of Seria can¡¯t be heard.

    ¡¸Understood, let¡¯s save him¡¹

    ¡¸Whoa, Really!¡¹

    ¡¸But,¨D¨D¡¹

    Seria points to the meadow below, and deres with confidence.

    ¡¸¨D¨DI don¡¯t think he will need any help¡¹

    ¡¸Ha?¡¹

    Wilhart widened his eyes in surprise, but the next moment he understood the meaning of Seria¡¯s words.

    ¡¸¨D¨DWha!?¡¹

    In the hand of apprentice magician, at some point was a single sword.

    He is a magician, so why is he equipped with something like sword?

    No, looking at that the ¡®abnormality¡¯ of that sword, a doubt like this would nevere up.

    That¡¯s because, the hatchet clenched in the hands of man, is having arge a wide de portion, and is d in an ominous and dark brown aura.

    ¡¸Is that, a cursed weapon!?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, based on the looks, it is.¡¹

    Even a beginner would only think it to be cursed weapon after seeing the fiendish aura covering it.

    But, the man holding the cursed hatchet, is only standing silently without showing hints of madness or actions of those who are possessed by the curse.

    The stance is different from what is told in Spada, but even Wilhart, who got saved in the sword sses by barely passing from failure understood, that the stance is of a person who is master is swordsmanship.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me......he can use the cursed weapons¡¹

    The muttering can¡¯t be heard by the apprentice magician in far distance, but, as to reply to his question the man moved.

    The man, assaulted the goblins carrying the hatchet against the crowd of goblinsing at him from all four sides¨D¨D.

    .

    .

    .

    Heaps of corpses, the scene that can¡¯t be exined anything else was spread below.

    There are corpses of goblins spread everywhere, spurting out the entrails and blood in a shy manner, not even one is aplete body with every part present.

    And, the figure of man who created this hell with just one hatchet, was no more in that ce.

    ¡¸As expected, there was no need to save him¡¹

    Yeah, while replying that, Wilhart recalled the scenes of battles that was ongoing before.

    The single man, with just one hatchet, cut down the flood of goblinsing from all directions.

    With just one swing of hatchet, the torso, hands legs, and head are dissected.

    On the contrary, the des of more than dozens of goblins, never reached the body of the man.

    This was no more fighting, but one-sided ughter, simr to atrocity.

    The man without showing signs of being mad, just indifferently, like he was given orders to repeat something simple, kept on cutting the goblins with a cold expression showing no emotions as though he were a servant of someone.

    He wasn¡¯t angry either, but that man

    ¡¸It¡¯s a berserker¡¹

    Seemed to fit that nickname.

    ¡¸Ku, Fufufu......Fuahahahahahahaha! That¡¯s right, that guy is the Nightmare Berserker¡¹

    ¡¸Sigh, is that so?¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right!¡¹

    The man got himself a name out of his permission, but the man has already left the ce, and he never noticed the presence of these two either, so there was no room forints.

    ¡¸The time goes back to 10 years ago, a tragedy urred that pushed down the kind-hearted apprentice magician into madness for revenge, yes, it waster called as Red Night in Spada, the ghastly¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸I think it¡¯s rude to fabricate someone¡¯s past¡¹

    And, the incident of¡ºRed Night of Spada¡»doesn¡¯t exist, at the very least, Seria hasn¡¯t heard of it.

    ¡¸He¡¯s Awesome, He¡¯s Cool, that Nightmare Berserker!¡¹

    ¡¸Did you get high after seeing a stimting fight......¡¹

    Seria while sighing heavily that she can¡¯t handle him anymore, had to listen to the legendary stories of the Nightmare Berserker from Wilhart.

 Chapter 177 Rank 2

    Chapter 177 ¨C Rank 2

    ¡¸Yes, certainly all the quests¡¯pletion are now confirmed.¡¹

    The young receptionist, Erina, somehow stalled the surprise in her heart and said in a business-like manner.

    It wasn¡¯t that she was being embarrassed like a lovestruck maiden in front of this adventurer named Kurono who can get 90 points alone with his face, but she was simply surprised by the fact that all the quests have been cleared.

    (Eh, What, just how did he clear all his quests? And not even one week has passed since then, no, more than that, what the hell is with this massive amount of number of subjugated monsters!?)

    The massive amount of parts of subjugated monster was something Erina hadn¡¯t seen even once since employment.

    (124 Dagger Raptors, 87 goblins, 52 Vindol......*sigh* the 5 Punpun seems the abnormality here......but the most abnormal is 376 slimes)

    Rank 1 monsters are weak, to cover up that there are lot of them.

    Killing 100 or 200 won¡¯t make them extinct, but giving these three-digit numbers is something not possible for a rank 1 adventurer.

    This 376 slimes are not something rare, since they outbreak inrge numbers sometimes, but even meeting a group of 100+ slimes, rank 3 adventurer too would choose evasion.

    For getting these many numbers of monsters within less than a week, only means directly confronting the group or the nest.

    Although there are sometimes, reckless rank 1 adventurers who try to challenge the nests, but most are killed, and if they survived, they would retire from being adventurer.

    But, Kurono still looks cool like he did some days before when he came, he isn¡¯t looking scared or traumatised at all.

    No, in reality he has presented this many proofs of subjugation,

    (Is this person......by chance, really strong?)

    So it¡¯s natural to think that Kurono is hiding power not that of rank 1 adventurer.

    (No, wait, calm down me, people with power not matching their ranks are not so easy find)

    There is also the system of starting being adventurer from rank 3 if the person has enough power as that of soldier when registering as an adventurer.

    Due to that, it¡¯s extremely rare to find people having power above rank 1.

    But extremely rare, doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist.

    One famous exception would be, the eldest son of¡ºSword King¡»Leonhart, in other words the first prince, Eisenhart Tristan Spada, reached rank 5 from rank 1 while still being in Royal Spada Academy.

    Other would be, the secret disciples of master magicians or martial artists who live and train and mountains,e out in world and increase the rank at terrifying speed.

    However, even the prince and disciples are all who have learnt stronger martial skills or attack magic while being rank 1, and adventurer¡¯s starting line.

    And, people like them can be differentiated on the equipment they wear, at the very much least, they wouldn¡¯t appear wearing white shirt and worn-out leather pants.

    Right now Kurono is wearing a apprentice magician robe too, but it too is of the lowest grade equipment.

    It¡¯s rash to to think of him as those rare people with more power.

    (This is......right, the party members are strong, that¡¯s right!)

    Erina wavered.

    Thinking on it, thepletion of quest by acting as parasite and relying on party members is the most easily eptable thing.

    asionally, the idiotic noble spoiled children who are fascinated by the epic tales of adventurers, take party members as bodyguards and do their ¡®adventurer y¡¯.

    People like this appear more easily than the disciples of masters, or rather, they are the only ones who are in existence in the current age.

    (*sigh*, Unfortunate, truly unfortunate, if Kurono-san were a mysterious man who lied about his power, I would¡¯ve given you 90 points)

    While she is indulging in her thinkings,

    ¡¸Excuse me, we can be rank 2 with this, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, with this Kurono-sama and your party¡ºElement Master¡»will be promoted to rank 2. Congrattions¡¹

    She would still be able to reply to the other person while still keeping on thinking, that¡¯s her awesome part.

    ¡¸I will need to update the guild card right now, so please wait a moment¡¹

    Like that, Erina operates the magic item for reading and writing on the guild card with one hand.

    ¡¸Will you do the updation of other party members too right now?¡¹

    ¡¸Well, it can be der, but it¡¯s normal to get it updated at the same time. Would you be in the possession of members card too?¡¹

    Yes, while replying with a clear voice, two guild cards with iron lustre are handed to Erina.

    (! Isn¡¯t this just an iron te!)

    The expectations of gold guild card was toppled over in a second.

    The updation said by Erina is thepletion of quest, but seems like the updation understood by Kurono is the the promoting the other rank 1 members like him.

    If he is a idiotic noble son, then no doubt a rank 3 adventurer would be his bodyguard.

    Though personal bodyguard work is a different upation from that of an adventurer, but for showing the proof of their strength, most keep the guild cards with them.

    (If all members are rank 1, that means there is no bodyguard hired¨D¨Dwait, in the first ce, if he were a noble son, wouldn¡¯t his equipment be better than this, this one is just crap!)

    In the end, Erina reconsidered the adventurer named as Kurono to be just some low-ragged adventurer at any ce.

    And, at the time of reading the guild cards of his party members, that thinking only deepens.

    (Lilly, Rank 1......Fiona Soleil, Rank 1......both have registered in the same Irz Vige at almost same times)

    Only the guess that a group of young country bumpkins came to Spada while admiring adventurers cane to my mind while seeing this information.

    (No, but the structure of this party ispletely strange, 2 magicians and Lily, the fairy, huh, isn¡¯t that just a race name instead of ss!)

    For example, humans don¡¯t write their ss to be human, ss exins the fighting style of person frankly, in worst, it exins the type of weapon the person uses.

    But, Kurono is not worried in the least that this race name is written as the ss.

    (Anyways, it¡¯s true that this Kurono and his party are not any normal rank 1 people!)

    The moment she thought that, the evaluation towards Kurono,

    (Currently, it¡¯s impossible to give him a correct score.)

    Is amended.

    At the same she thought that this man, Kurono, is a bottomless person, he started looking charming to her.

    (This is one great rookie with great future, Ufufu, I¡¯ve got to check his developments from now on)

    Like that, Kurono and¡ºElement Master¡», the rank 1,

    ¡¸Yes, the updation is over¡¹

    no, them who just got promoted to rank 2, are given the bronze ted guild card by Erina with her eyes filled with expectations.

    ¡¸Congrattions, I wish good luck to you¡¹

    It¡¯s the standard line to be said on increasing rank, but this is the first time Erina has inserted her true feelings in it.

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    Like that, Kurono takes the bronze ted guild card while showing a smile, which somehow gives sense of relief, on his mostly expressionless face.

    (Aren¡¯t that was a bit cool, ugh......)

    Erina felt her heart beating faster which she hasn¡¯t felt in a long time, but Kurono spoke in a voice that showed he noticed nothing.

    ¡¸Excuse me, can I ask something?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, what might it be?¡¹

    Though Erina said that, she has already guessed what he would ask.

    ¡¸Can you tell me the quests necessary for rising to rank 3?¡¹

    Bingo, In the brain of Erina, the rank 2 monster list is already open.

    ¡¸Yes, here they would be¡¹

    She took out the bundle of all rank 2 quests, takes out the quests fulfilling the requirements for rank promotion, and presents them to Kurono.

    ¡¸Then¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Ufufu, would you take them all?¡¹

    On those half-jokingly words, Kurono with a somewhat surprised expression,

    ¡¸Yes, please do¡¹

    Strongly nodded.

    (Well then, if he easily gets promoted to rank 3 too, then he is......the real deal)

    Erina started the processing of paperwork for taking quests, while her heart beats faster with expectations.

    .

    .

    .

    (POV: Kurono)

    This branch Guild ispletely different from the ones I had been using.

    In the first ce the sizes are different, the Alsace one was 4-storey including the inn space, here the business space alone is 5-storey.

    The number of storey are same, but there isparable difference in the height between floor area and the ceiling, now that¡¯s what you wall overwhelming.

    Even after taking this fact, there is a clear difference in the atmosphere between the two.

    If you take a guild of vige to be bar, this one more like a government office with hard atmosphere drifting around it.

    There is no space to eat meal in the lobby, only a wide white painted space is spread out, even the adventurers are somewhat looking like srymen.

    No, it must because there are more people wearing zer-like clothes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking like that.

    I, who has always been using the small guilds in remote countryside, this noisy ce in other sense, with only business-like words spoken, only office work is done, gives me sense of difort.

    I wonder if I will get used to this feeling by the time I reach rank 3, oh hell with my over-positive thinking.

    First of all, I need to think about reaching rank 3 as soon as possible.

    ¡¸So then, Kurono-san was tempted by that beautiful receptionist, and once again you have taken lot of quests, right?¡¹

    ¡¸O-Oi, don¡¯t make me sound like a bad person¡¹

    I reply while getting a somewhat cold stare from Fiona.

    ¡¸Mu-!¡¹

    For some reason it feels like Lily too is also staring at me with dissatisfied look, it¡¯s certainly my imagination, after all the small Lily is a reasonable and good child who listens to me.

    ¡¸It won¡¯t hurt to increase rank fast, right, even if it¡¯s rank 2, it won¡¯t take much time to clear it too. We don¡¯t need to subjugate 100 or 200 of monsters this time either.¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t Kurono-san the same who killed 100?¡¹

    ¡¸No, I am was good and I killed only 87¡¹

    It¡¯s still the same! I got a retort from Fiona, quite rare.

    No, at first I had thought to return back after killing 5, but it felt like the hatchet will evolve, so I worked hard and let it drink lots of blood.

    And oh great, I challenged the whole nest of goblin without Sword Arts or Bullet Arts, but just a single hatchet, as though I was a swordsman.

    In the end, it still didn¡¯t evolve though.

    ¡¸So, how many quests are there?¡¹

    ¡¸11 in total¡¹

    Different fromst time the time limits this time are all different, if wepleted them in order, it would be over in around a month or so.

    I only took the quests with low time durations, like kicking out the escort quests.

    Entering dungeons, it all ends up on one¡¯s strength, if we stay in there for some days, it¡¯s easy to get 10 or 20 monsters.

    ¡¸I see, certainly with that it might work somehow¡¹

    While turn pages of quest documents, Fiona too consents.

    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you weren¡¯t simply deceived by the charm of the receptionist¡¹

    ¡¸Why are you feeling relieved?¡¹

    Can¡¯t you try to not speak those lines in front of a child, Fiona-san. Thanks to that, it feels like Lily¡¯s stare is hurting me.

    ¡¸Well, to congratte for our promotion to rank 2, shall we go and drink?¡¹

    I hand over the 2 new guild cards to both of them.

    ¡¸O-¡¹

    ¡¸Wa-!¡¹

    The two take the guild card with considerably happy expressions.

    Yeah, it certainly is deeply moving.

    ¡¸In other words, it means today is Spada Gourmet Tour Round 2, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Argh......Yeah, it¡¯s alright to think it like that¡¹

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m treating her, it will be fine, right? Right? [ET: It¡¯s not double typing of words]

    ¡¸Thanks to you both working so much that monsters almost went extinct¡ª¡ªlook at this!¡¹

    SFX: Don!

    I put down the bag filled with 10K n gold coins.

    Whoa~~, Lily and Fiona congratte while pping both their hands.

    ¡¸Eat and drink as much as you want, it would fine to split the amount after eating, right?¡¹

    The sharing of rewards, the equal splitting, standard rule of adventurers, is also being used in our¡ºElement Master¡».

    ¡¸But, is it alright, without having Kurono-san¡¯s equipment bought?¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine to do that after reaching rank 3. The reward this time, is enough to make a living, but not even enough to let me buy the equipments I want¡¹

    The cursed weapon, even one is 100,000 n, all this reward will only be some small change.

    My share of rewards is one-third, so I will have to keep onpleting the quests until I reach rank 3, or else I won¡¯t earn the money to buy it.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine like that, but if it¡¯s a little less, Lily-san and I can support as well.¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks, but it¡¯s good that you feel that way¡¹

    Financial rtionships should be kept clean to the extreme extent, I am of having an equal rtionship with these two.

    I¡¯m still only 17 years old, I don¡¯t have much life-experience that I can solve problems while bearing a strange anxiety factor, it¡¯s good to be always careful!

    ¡¸It¡¯s more desirable that Kurono-san buys right equipment and increases the power, neither I nor Lily-san have any attachments to money. So, you don¡¯t have to be so stubborn, right?¡¹

    Fiona and Lily urge me,

    ¡¸Yeah, Lily will buy a weapon for Kurono!¡¹

    And on those pure and clean words my heart aches.

    What is this......why do i feel like a bad guy who¡¯s deceiving them into supporting me financially?......

    ¡¸T-Thanks......but if I take money, I will definitely return them with interest added with interest-rates in gray-zone¡¹

    ¡¸Gray-zone? Well that¡¯s right, Kurono does seem like you will be able to ept it easily if it¡¯s in the form of loan¡¹

    ¡¸Lily will buy one for you~!¡¹

    Please stop recklessly supporting me, I mean seriously, it makes me anxious.

    ¡¸A-Anyways, let¡¯s forget the work rtionship for now and celebrate, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Let¡¯s explore a new shop today¡¹

    This was quite a forced way to change topics but, I won.

    ¡¸Alrighty, let¡¯s move. Ah, that¡¯s right, Lily, will you get in my hood after a long time?¡¹

    Ipleted the formation with Lily who jumped in the hood while smiling, and we left the guild in high-spirits. [ET: The formation is something like. *dark past emerges* Power Ranger Robots formation *dark past submerges* argh, forget it!]

 Chapter 178 Demon Hunting

    Chapter 178 Demon Hunting

    In the bushes, a single child had been lying copsed.

    Since the child was lying face-down, his appearance was not visible but the hair colour was light brown and skin was white. From the arms, wings of the same colour as the hair were extending and from the back and below, bird legs with the same coloured plumage were present.

    That is, it wasn¡¯t a human child but a Harpy child.

    And on its back, 2 arrows were stabbed and maybe one of the arrows had hit the wings, feathers had been scattered all over the ce as well.

    ¡°Wow~ as expected of the famous and brave Earl Bergunt! Brilliantly done!~¡±

    ¡°Hahaha this was nothingpared to firing a bow on the battlefield, Bishop-dono.¡±

    The two human men on horseback were chatting happily in front of the corpse of the harpy child.

    On was a slim clergyman on a white horse and his pace looks exactly like those sly-foxes that appeared in fairy tales.

    The white clothing with a design covering his whole body was, as said, for the personal use of only Bishop ranked people.

    The other person was a tall and lean young man riding a grey horse.

    His hair and eyes were dark green, the same colour that represented the primary magic of wind and his well-trained lean body was covered from tip to toe in silver ornamented light armour.

    By their attire, it could be easily told that both of them were men of high standing and status.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Bishop-dono, for inviting me today to this event. I haven¡¯t had the chance to draw my bow even once aftering to Pandora so I was worried that my skills would start rusting away like this.¡±

    The man whoughed in a loud voice, Earl Bergunt, led one section of those reinforcements who came to Pandora seekingnd and riches after the battle at Goldran.

    Among the reinforcements, most of them belonged to the army dispatched by Cardinal Mercedes but as his title suggests, this Earl Bergunt was a noble of Syncrea Republic and belonged to a power different from the church.

    ¡°No no, you¡¯re far too kind. In fact, I¡¯m the one honoured as someone great as you decided to take part in this. It really put up a flower on this [Demon Hunting]¡ª¨C¡°

    The man delivering the smooth words ofpliment and ttery was the right hand man of Cardinal Mercedes sent to Pandora, Bishop Gregorius.

    Though they belonged to the same Crusaders, both of them were rivals who were fighting to gain rights over Pandora but the reason they are chatting so pleasantly like this is not because that they were old friends or something like that. They simply had a much better reason for this.

    ¡°Now then, this Harpy was thest one remaining. Time really flies when you¡¯re enjoying, but it¡¯s time for closure.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s truly unfortunate........ah, but, whether coincidence or the will of our God, I was able to get closer to Earl Bergunt like this so, would you mind joining me for a friendly chat?¡±

    Bergunt fleetingly nced around his surroundings.

    No matter how much paid attention, there was no presence of any other human, meaning, only the two of them were here right now.

    Well it was only obvious. They were running on horses to chase after Harpy children who could fly away for some time.

    Their y style was more of cornering them slowly instead of instantly killing them but it¡¯ll take some time for either of their attendants to reach here.

    That means, for the time being there was no one who could hear their conversation.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be happy to! For me to get to personally hear directly from Bishop-dono.¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s not something like a noble sermon. I specialise in more realistic, profitable talks.¡±

    Hou, giving a small response, he urged Gregorius to continue.

    ¡°For example Earl Bergunt, you have been worried that you didn¡¯t get a chance to use your bow till now, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Truly said, we were a stepte ining to Pandora after all.¡±

    Because of your damn Mercedes faction! But he didn¡¯t go so far and say that.

    After hearing the victory of the Crusaders at Goldran, both the church under Mercedes and the forces under Bergunt prepared to leave for Pandora almost at the same time.

    But what led to the gap between them was how quickly they could obtain a ship to get to Pandora.

    Mercedes was able to gain control over the ships meant for army use faster than anyone else and was able to get his own army to Pandora faster than anyone else.

    And by the time the army led by Gregorius hadnded on Pandora, finally then Bergunt and others¡¯ turn came.

    But, since they had been alreadyte, by the time they reached Pandora, the territory of Daedalus was almost capturedpletely.

    Thus, without any ce to go, their armies were currently staying on standby with nothing to do.

    ¡°nfufu, what are you saying, almost 90% of Pandora is still under the control of demons, you know? The true upation and invasion will start from here onwards. That was what you were thinking as well, which is why you are quickly preparing to charge into Spada, right?¡±

    Bergunt who had been giving off a calm atmosphere till now suddenly gave off a dangerous atmosphere now.

    It was intimidating pressure only someone who had gone through countless battlefields could have gained.

    ¡°As expected of the [Prophet], that title isn¡¯t just for show.¡±

    Why was something that they had been secretly doing to avoid getting noticed by the Mercedes faction so easily found out?

    One would be satisfied considering that Gregorius himself proimed himself as a [Prophet] without any embarrassment.

    If he could actually do something like [Predictions], no matter how much secretive you are, he could guess things right without any proof or basis.

    Then, if it really is something that troublesome¡ª¡ª¨CBergunt could only think that way.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scary face like that. Though we are affiliated to different organisations, we are currently working under the same name of the Crusaders. Also, even if not that, aren¡¯t we the followers of the same White God?¡±

    Spreading his arms, Gregorius preached of brotherhood but Bergunt¡¯s suspicions didn¡¯t disappear at all.

    ¡°Well, with the intention of give and take, we are thinking of handing over the chance of being the vanguard to attack Spada to you.¡±

    Hearing those words, Bergunt¡¯s vignce slightly loosened.

    ¡°Is that what His Highness Cardinal Mercedes thinking or is that your personal decision, Bishop-dono?¡±

    ¡°Both, actually. We of the church are not thinking of doing something as greedy as putting direct control of the church over all of the territory of Pandora and leave nothing for the nobles. There are people who follow and worship the church which is why it exists. We do not want to create suspicion among the nobles who consist of arge poption simply because of a petty thing like disputes overnds.¡±

    Even while knowing the fierce fight overnd happening behind the scenes, Bergunt felt like giving a wry smile to Gregorius whobelled it as a ¡®petty thing¡¯.

    ¡°Both His Excellency Cardinal and me are thinking of sharing the limitednds between us on good terms. We, of the church, obtained Daedalus this time. Then, you people should get the nextnd of the same approx size next, right?¡±

    ¡°fuhahaha! The church is fine with giving away half of Pandora? What a modest way of thinking as expected of clergymen who serve God!¡±

    Of course! Gregorius repliedughing as he didn¡¯t sense the sarcasm in Bergunt¡¯s words.

    ¡°But still, His Excellency Cardinal Mercedes possesses generous thoughts like sharing thends but what about Cardinal Ars? We don¡¯t know how he thinks. After all, he¡¯s still young and he was the one who first led the invasion of Pandora after all. It won¡¯t be weird of him to hold other aspirations as well, right?¡±

    Bergunt had also heard normally about what kind of person Cardinal Ars is, of course, ¡®normally¡¯ meant in terms of a noble so the information was much better.

    It didn¡¯t end with just his magnificent record of how he released thends from the heretics with the help of 7th Apostle Sariel and 12th Apostle Mariabelle, he also knew specific info about his skills and abilities and how he reached the position of a Cardinal so quickly as well.

    ¡°Thends of Pandora are simply obtained in the process of spreading and offering to our God, that is, Cardinal Mercedes doesn¡¯t mind even if thosends were further halved as well.¡±

    Bergunt finally seems to be satisfied so once again he turned back to his gentle but yet somewhat daring smile.

    ¡°fumu, fumu, I see, if the church is ready to share thends with us for such modest thoughts, it seems Cardinal Mercedes, who possesses benevolence truly equal to God, would be more suited as the next Pope surely.¡±

    In the Cross Religion, the right to vote in deciding the next Pope in the [Conve] didn¡¯t belong to just clergymen but to also the members of the parliament and the nobles as well.

    For a cardinal with the rights to be a Pope obtaining favour of the nobles held what kind of meaning, even a slightly educated man could discern.

    ¡°And, above all, it¡¯s important to be the biggest contributor to offering Pandora to the God as the oracle proimed. To obtain God¡¯s trust holds much more significance than getting simply riches andnd after all.¡±

    ¡°HaHaHa, it is as you say! Brilliant! To be able to say that without hesitation, I think I have seen a true clergyman in front of me.¡±

    It¡¯s great you understand. Gregorius coolly answered.

    ¡°For the time being, we shall give you the currently in construction, Alsace fort, for the purpose of capturing Spada.¡±

    ¡°Alsace......fuhaha, it¡¯s that interesting vige where that ¡®devil¡¯ appeared eh?¡±

    The battle and capture of Alsace had be famous enough that even Bergunt who was in Daedalus had heard of it.

    After all, it had generated a huge amount of sacrifices which could be considered a stain in the records. It was obvious that it¡¯ll be famous, after all, bad information flies even faster.

    ¡°I believe you already know but Spada is beyond the rugged Gahad mountain ranges and the only highway connecting to it is from Alsace.¡±

    ¡°I had heard that for mere demons, they had maintained it quite well as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a fact. We can¡¯t doubt an Apostle¡¯s words, can we?¡±

    And, though not as big of a rumour but Bergunt had heard that it was 11th Apostle Misa, who had secretlye to Pandora, that had ended the battle.

    ¡°The problem is whether or not we can capture the Spada¡¯s fortress in the Gahad Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Though mere demons, there was also the case at Alsace, please do not be negligent against them, okay?¡±

    ¡°What, now that we are in a ¡®cooperative rtionship¡¯, we can prepare without any anxiety and will focus on the enemy in front of us.¡±

    Bergunt who answered that had a sharp light in his eyes like a bird who had found its prey.

    ¡°nfufufu, I¡¯ll be counting on you then. Oh right, it¡¯ll take some time till thepletion of Alsace fort. After all, we are working towards epting neers in Daedalus as well so it¡¯s taking some time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. In fact we won¡¯t mind taking over a temporary random ce till then. Kukuku, leave everything to us. The glorious g of our Cross will soon be seen at the royal castle of Spada!¡±

 Chapter 179 Chairwoman

    Chapter 179 Chairwoman

    (POV 3rd person)

    The one sitting in front of him, wearing a thin silkscivious dress, was a beautiful young dark elf.

    With a darkish brown skin colour opposite to the white skin of normal elves, and her feminine voluptuous body along with the Valha Silk dress barely covering her body further increased her charm.

    If it was a normal man, his eyes would automatically be attracted towards her plentiful chest which was barely covered and seemed to spill out any moment, her curvy waist line, and her plump thighs visible from the slit that continued from below her hips.

    No, maybe they would not be able to even move away from her face that looked like a sculpture of a goddess.

    Glossy silver that shined like mithril were tied behind her head, and the silver hair dangling from there held extreme beauty but maybe because it also held magical energy, it gave of a pressure like the tail of a dragon.

    Her whole face was made as if trying to perfectly follow the golden ratio but even among that, her long blue eyes were especially prominent.

    And, those marine crystal-like blue eyes heldnguidness as usual but they were currently perfectly focused on the small boy sitting in front of her.

    ¡°You did welling back Simon. I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°Ye, Yes......It seems I have made you worry, I¡¯m very sorry for that, Chairwoman.¡±

    Simon answered with a somewhat restless manner. Just as he said, this beauty was, in fact, the Chairwoman of the Royal Spada Academy, Sofia Sirius Pacifal.

    And this ce was obviously, the Chairwoman¡¯s office.

    As if boldly emphasising the fact that the chairwoman was the absolute top in the school¡¯s authority, the room was located at the centre and the highest point of the school and the whole city of Spada could be overlooked from the whole wall that had been made of not just ss but high priced Scea Crystal.

    ¡°I believe I told you call me Sofia 3 months back, did you forget already?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no......not at all.¡±

    In front of the flustered Simon who gave a vague answer, Sofia seemed like a sly snake in front of its prey.

    ¡°That¡¯s how our rtionship is, right? No need to be so hesitant.¡±

    Simon anguished over how a normal student and the Chairwoman had a rtionship where he shouldn¡¯t feel hesitant but he remembered that it was the same when he first met this beautiful dark elf as well.

    Basically, he was not good with dealing with this woman.

    ¡°Then, um......Sofia-san.¡±

    ¡°umu, Well, this is better atleast.¡±

    She seemed to imply that using ¡®-san¡¯ was also unnecessary but he was not like Kurono who could easily talk freely with even his seniors.

    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to return back to school.¡±

    ¡°I only did what was obvious, it¡¯s nothing that requires any thanks.¡±

    Simon bowed his head in gratitude but his heart couldn¡¯t be called very calm right now.

    After all, it was not his wish to return back to the Royal Spada Academy.

    ¡°In fact, I should be the one to apologise. I was the one that rmended you to go to Deadalus after all.¡±

    In the first ce, why had been Simon working as an adventurer in Alsace vige?

    That was a result of the conversation that took ce between them here three months prior.

    [¡°fumu, if you don¡¯t have money then why notplete some quests?¡±]

    Due to ¡®household circumstances¡¯, Simon wanted to take some distance from his family in Spada, the famous noble household of Bardiel.

    Thus, even on Simon¡¯s guild card, the name Bardiel had not been inscribed.

    With such reasons, Simon couldn¡¯t ask his family to get expenses for the school and other various expenses.

    And at the same time, so as to stay out of his family¡¯s eyes, he decided to work in Deadalus which was a different country.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m thankful to the chairwoman. It was me who wanted to go to Deadalus as an adventurer.¡±

    But, now that the situation had changed, he couldn¡¯t stay as an adventurer away from Spada.

    That was the effect of the strong pressure of the Bardiel House, no, to be exact his elder sister Emelia.

    ¡°But, if you¡¯re here, I would be relieved as well. That human army won¡¯t be able toe to Spada after all.¡±

    In terms of relief, even Simon was the same who had fought against the Crusaders at Alsace.

    Yes, even with that ¡®monster¡¯ in a woman¡¯s skin who all the adventurers together had been unable to touch would be unable to break through the Spada Army led by the [Sword King] Leonhart in the Gahad Mountain fortress, he believed that as well.

    Originally, Spada which had been expecting an invasion from the Dragon King Gaevinal had already put up perfect defensive measures against it.

    Unlike the peace loving idiots of other city-states, their readiness was in a different level.

    ¡°Now then, will you start attending here from tomorrow?¡±

    Simon affirmed. The preparations to start attending school had been alreadypleted.

    Although, like 3 months back, he¡¯ll have to move back into the dorms again.

    ¡°Well, this time you¡¯ll get ab as well so isn¡¯t it fine?¡±

    Well, it¡¯s a bit rundown though, as Sofia continued, a question arose in Simon.

    ¡°Um, what kind ofboratory are you talking about?

    From the time Simon had admitted here, he hadn¡¯t received any personalb at all.

    He continued with his alchemic research inside his small dorm room and sometimes borrowed other facilities while feeling ashamed to do some other experiments.

    But, this was the case for not just Simon but for any student enrolled in the magic engineering course, it was a rare think to have ab inside the school grounds. Only elites from big houses or geniuses with great grades possessed.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯ll be a room from the old dorms. ¡®That woman¡¯ has already sent arge amount of money for it as well.¡±

    ¡°Ria-nee........doing things on her own like that.......¡±

    For any alchemist it was a great thing to get a personalb, even for Simon, it was one of his dreams.

    But it was, in the end, something that should be gained with your own hard work not something to be simply gifted by his elder sister, perfect in authority, assets, power, General Emilia Friedrich Bardiel.

    ¡°I¡¯m expecting you to bring about ground-breaking developments for this school in the new environment you are being provided with, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll work hard...........¡±

    And thus, giving words of farewell, Simon stood up from the giant sofa made of Bullhorn leather.

    And when he was heading towards the white double doors to leave,

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Sofia, who had closed in behind him without making even a single sound, put her hand wearing a white dress gloves on his shoulder.

    ¡°u, umm..........¡±

    His whole body stiffened due to the overwhelming pressure being released by Sofia.

    That was definitely not his misconception. Considering that she was once a rank 5 adventurer called the [Valkyrie Blizzard], it¡¯s obvious she could stop a small elf boy from moving with simply her presence.

    Although, if she really wanted to intimidate him, Simon would have been lying on the ground t without moving a bit by now.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you think about that thing with me once again?¡±

    As Simon slowly turned, her charming body releasing incredible charm was there.

    Compared to Emilia who had a big body aspared to the norm, Sofia seemed smaller but even then her height was still tall among women, and she was almost one full head taller than Simon.

    Thus, directly in front of Simon was not Sofia¡¯s beautiful face but her deep cleavage that made one recall of the great rank 5 dungeon [Elgrand Canyon].

    The smooth soft skin closing in on his face twisted his reasoning as a man and the sweet fragrance from her body made his heart forcibly beat faster.

    ¡°If it was me, I could provide you with a much better room than that rundown one, no, there will be no need for any grades or research result either, as long as you stay there.¡±

    Caressing Simon¡¯s cheek with her finger, she raised his face to look towards her.

    Sofia¡¯s crystal eyes looked into Simon¡¯s emerald eyes and their gazes intertwined.

    Like before, her eyes lookednguid but it held a charming radiance that tempted men.

    No, even Simon, a mere student, could understand that she was ¡®tempting and inviting him¡¯ as a man.

    Not just that bewitching attitude, the first time they met, she had even asked him this directly.

    ¡°You, won¡¯t you stop your alchemy and be mine?¡±

    And the answer to that remained the same even now.

    ¡°I, have no intention to stop alchemy.........¡±

    There was no way Simon, even if he belonged to the Bardiel family, didn¡¯t know what she, who had such a high status and authority, wanted from him.

    He had no intention of bing her treasured doll, even more so if that involved abandoning his alchemy.

    In the first ce, he was a failure as an elf, without incredible magic, and no manly charm like Kurono had, why would she be interested in him who looked like a never growing child always?

    No, maybe that was the reason. Without magical energy, an Elf wouldn¡¯t mature and grow, she might be treating him as a rare animal.

    In any case, there was no way Simon, who admired true and proper love, would ept such kind of feelings from her.

    And, now that he knew of a woman who had used her own life to protect him, he would definitely not ept such half-assed feelings.

    ¡°fufu, well that¡¯s fine. When you get troubled by that overprotective older sister of yours,e rely on me.¡±

    But she, who didn¡¯t know what was going on in Simon¡¯s heart, released him afterughing lightly.

    ¡°Thank you, very much.¡±

    He did feel a debt of gratitude towards Sofia who had helped him in running away from his family and sister.

    But he wouldn¡¯t ept bing a pet just for that.

    He had resolved to return that favour in the form school merits.

    As Simon gave his gratitude with mixed feelings, without realising that his face had be red due to her incredible charm, quickly left the room as if running away.

 Chapter 180 Rank 2 Quest

    Chapter 180 Rank 2 Quest

    The mossy stone passage was so narrow that not even two people could walk properly side-by-side each other.

    There was no light as there were no windows, and the airtight passage gave a somewhat suffocating feeling but it was only obvious as this passage was a part of a building that was underground.

    If Lily¡¯s light ball would disappear, this ce would bepletely drowned in the depths of darkness.

    This ce was one of the danger rank 3 dungeons, [Revival Catb].

    The monsters that live here are mainly Skeletons, ghouls, and other undead type monsters.

    Just as the name of the dungeon suggests, any living being that died here ¡®revives¡¯ with false life energy as an undead.

    Of course, since no magic that can fully resurrect someone exists, the revived undeads hold neither will nor memories.

    That¡¯s because, the ultimate part of one¡¯s existence, the [soul], disappears from this world the moment one dies, so a person won¡¯t revert back to his own self just because his body became able to move again.

    This underground tomb that was converted into an evil dungeon because it was overrun by undeads was now only used as a graveyard by those insane necromancers.

    ¡°Say, this might be my imagination but isn¡¯t this heading deeper and deeper as we continue?¡±(kurono)

    We [Element Master] that became rank 2 just recently are currentlypleting a quest needed to get our next rank up.

    Is what I said but the subjugation of20 skeleton soldiers, which is our objective, and the proof of subjugation [imitation heart]; we already have collected 40 of them and have clearlypleted our quota but,

    ¡°What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing.¡±(Fiona)

    We were supposed to be heading back up to return but I feel like the reverse is happening right now.

    ¡°Nee, Kurono, look.¡±(lily)

    ¡°nn?¡±

    Lily who was wandering around my legs was picking up something round shaped from the dirty mossy ground.

    On looking closely, it was a core of a slime that we had defeated while heading into the dungeon.

    As Lily dropped it, the round core rolled away near our feet towards where we were heading.

    ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s sloped downwards.......¡±(kurono)

    Thanks to this experiment, it was proved that this passage was further heading deeper inside this dangerous dungeon.

    ¡°Should we go back?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°un, we need to confirm whether there¡¯s any stairs heading up from the room at the end of this passage as well.¡±(kurono)

    That¡¯s true. As Fiona replied that, we started walking once again.

    Now that I think about it, all the excitement and tension of going into a dungeon I had before had begun to descend just like this dark gloomy passage.

    It¡¯s obvious but there was no treasure lying around here and there, in the first ce, there was no tasteful thing like treasure boxes here either.

    From what I heard, in some dungeons where the system of the Ancient Ruins was still working, through what unimaginable theory, weapons and magic items were periodically generated apparently.

    But right now, in this [Revival Catb], there¡¯s no such dreamlike perpetual motion system that exists and it¡¯s only an impure ce where undeads and monsters keep on being born.

    Thus, there were only walking corpses and other undead type monsters here and was made of the same unchanging passages of stone.

    It kind of reminds me of that white facility so I feel depressed whenparing this to being inside that forest.

    While praying to find the exit quickly, we silently kept on walking till the end of the passage.

    .

    .

    .

    At the end of the passage was arge dome-shaped open space which was the biggest open space I¡¯ve seen in this dungeon except for the entrance lobby on the first floor.

    It¡¯s diameter seemed about 40m and looked like a gym, no, though I haven¡¯t seen one but maybe it¡¯s a dance hall?

    But still, I could only ovep this ce with that hall where those maneuvering experiments took ce. Even the wideness is almost the same.

    Well, leaving my personal impressions aside, after looking around, it seems that this hall acts like a crossroads of passages inside the dungeon.

    On the opposite of the passage we came through, another passage of the same size was continuing. And on both sides, 2 even bigger passages were present.

    What¡¯s important here is that the passage on the right was a descending staircase and the passage on the left had an ascending staircase.

    ¡°Alright, looks like we can go back with that.¡±(kurono)

    I doubt those stairs would take us directly to the exit but it still will bring us closer to the exit.

    Without any hesitation, we stepped into the hall and started to move towards the ascending stairs but,

    *GOGOGO¡ª¡ª-*

    A sound like that of stone hitting stone began resounding from all 360 degrees of the hall.

    Looking at the wall of the hall where Lily¡¯s light was barely reaching, apparently there were stone coffins lined up on the wall.

    They werepletely assimted with the wall as if they were pieces of artwork so I hadn¡¯t realized till now but as expected, if the coffins began opening up while making a sound, I couldn¡¯t ignore it even if I wanted to.

    ¡°Sorry, I guess I made them wake up.¡±(kurono)

    From inside the coffins, skeleton soldiers that we had been defeating till now appeared.

    Wearing ck surcoats somewhat different from those of the Crusaders, and broken and chipped off armour and helmets, they were the undead soldiers rank 2 ssified.

    The weapons they held were curved scimitars and round shield sets. Some held tridents so that the narrow passages don¡¯t pose a problem, and maces. They had no sense of unity as if everyone picked up whatever weapon they liked.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±(Fiona)

    In front of this lineup, Fiona asked me that but honestly speaking, I¡¯m fine with both either running or fighting.

    If we fight then we get more reward, and if we run then we can get out of this gloomy dungeon as faster.

    Should we earn as much as we can? No, here we should quickly finish up the quests for rank up, right?

    Then, let¡¯s run, the moment I was going to say that, footsteps began resounding from the staircase to which we were about to run to and dark brown giant figure appeared.

    ¡°What the heck is that? I¡¯m seeing that for the first time.¡±(kurono)

    Is what I asked but, this monster with a cow¡¯s head and a human-like body could only be a minotaur.

    This figure that was making *bumoo* sounds from its nose had its fur peeled off at some parts and even some parts of its cranium was visible. Also, it¡¯s right eye was hanging out.

    This kind of damage was the same for the rest of its body as well.

    So basically, rather than a minotaur, it¡¯s more of a zombie?¡ª¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s a Minotaur Zombie.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°No special name, eh?¡±(kurono)

    It seems my prediction was right.

    In any case, this Minotaur Zombie, even while rotting, was blocking our escape route with its huge body.

    It¡¯s eyes that had lost the light of life had clearly captured us in its sight

    It seemed to imply that it won¡¯t let us run away that easily.

    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped, we¡¯ll kill them.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Roger that.¡±(fiona)

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Now then, though it¡¯s a pretty big area, if Lily¡¯s [Meteor Strike] or Fiona¡¯s [Aur Soleil] exploded here, we¡¯ll be part of the undeads as well definitely.

    Let¡¯s be careful not to get too excited and use our full power.

    I brought out the [Hararetsu] which seemed to close to evolving and the [Mithril Sword] that was good against such undead enemies from inside my shadow and took my stance.

    It seems Lily and Fiona are also ready.

    At the same time, the Skeleton soldier and the Minotaur zombie also started attacking enthusiastically.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Against these undead enemies, I took one step forward as I fired myself up.

 Chapter 181 Element Master Vs Undead Monsters

    Chapter 181 Element Master Vs Undead Monsters

    (POV 3rd person)

    While raising a rumbling sound, the Minotaur Zombie¡¯s giant frame began rushing towards them with a bullfighting vigour but,

    ¡°Fiona, take care of that cow.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????¡ª[Terra Wall Defan]¡±

    With a quick simplified chant, Fiona stopped the Minotaur Zombie¡¯s charge with a wall of stone rising up from the floor.

    With a sound of a great crash that reverberated all over the hall, its charge was easily stopped.

    No, it didn¡¯t simply stop the charge. Just like how Fiona had once protected Lily to give her time to activate her DP, the wall reached the roof of the hall and hadpletely confined the Minotaur zombie inside it.

    The ranging sounds of the mad bull came from the other side but for a minotaur that only had simple physical strength as a characteristic even after bing an undead, it¡¯ll have to wait till the effect of the defensive magic decreases before it could escape from there.

    That time is not more than a few minutes but,

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the skeletons.¡±(kurono)

    It was more than enough time for Kurono to send all these 20 skeleton soldiers back to theherworld.

    ¡°Magic Bullet Arts, Full Burst.¡±

    The ck bullets fired simultaneously were not the usual full metal jacket bullets, but were Shot Shell bullet types which were 1 size bigger and the tip was t.

    Since the skeletons were literally just bones, there was no flesh which could be pierced through.

    Thus, for attacking them physically, rather than shing with a sword or thrusting with a spear, a strong blow with a mace or hammer was more effective.

    The psedo Full Metal Jacket has a pointed tip and is thus effective in only piercing power but with a bullet that has a big t tip, it should be more effective in smashing the bones.

    And the massive amounts of Shot shell bullets fired by Kurono rushed towards the swarm of skeletons that was charging towards him.

    The power of these bullets had already been proved in the previous battles with skeleton soldiers.

    Those without any kind of shields had neither the means to defend against nor the reflexive speed to evade these small, hammer -like bullets.

    As a result, with a cracking sound, dirty white bone fragments were scattered all over and the the false life force inside them disappeared.

    And the lucky ¡®survivors¡¯ that had been able to dodge this hail of bullets were met with an attack from Kurono wielding two ck and white des.

    ¡°Kuronagi.¡±

    Those who had survived with the help of their round shields, those who had been hit only a few times and had lost only parts of their arms or legs, and those who had been protected due to their allies ending up acting as a shield for them; all of them were cut apart by a sh of the cursed de that had a dark red aura much more sinister than the undeads themselves.

    It wasmon sense for even a rank 1 adventurer that shing attacks were less effective on skeletons but depending on the weapon equipped and the martial art used, that fact could be easily overturned.

    The hatchet that could cut through steel even before evolving once, it wouldn¡¯t be stopped by mere skeletons with no means of defending even without the use of any martial arts..

    ¡°haa¡ª¨C¡°

    Just after using Kuronagi, Kurono rolled and dodged the de of a skeleton that came to attack as if it was normal and counter attacked with the holy white de in his other hand.

    In terms of pure sharpness, it was one level lower than [HaraRetsu] which had evolved once but due to the dense white magical energy stored inside the [Mithril Sword], it held purification powers able to drive away darkness.

    That means, for undeads that use dark magical energy as a source of their life force, it was not just a simple weakness, it was a deadly poison that could kill them with a single touch.

    The white sh created by kurono¡¯s strong swing tore apart the skeleton as if it was cutting through paper.

    (¡°Yeah, it seems [HaraRetsu] really doesn¡¯t like the ¡®taste¡¯ of these skeletons.¡±)

    Evading the iing shes and cutting through the skeletons with single shes, Kurono was thinking of such things.

    (¡°I guess, it¡¯s because skeletons don¡¯t really bleed.¡±)

    The hatchet was showing signs of evolution during the time he went on Goblin subjugation alone so Kurono had been trying hard to make it evolve as fast as possible.

    This was Kurono¡¯s personal conjecture but maybe thanks to drinking lots of Crusader blood during the battle at Alsace and also able to taste, even if slightly, the blood of an existence as high quality as an Apostle, it had be instantly closer to evolving again.

    When Kurono held the hatchet for the first time after the fight with Ai, its magical energy seemed to violently astir as if wanting more power so Kurono considered this to be the sign that it was going to evolve again.

    And expecting another evolution, he had been swinging about the hatchet only while purposely not using Sword Arts but it had proved quite useless especially in this [Revival Catb].

    (¡°Can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll hope for it next time.¡±)

    As he gave up here, he also seemed to be impressed by the Mithril Sword in his other hand which had been showing incredible ability.

    ¡°You are thest one!!¡±

    The mace that the skeleton had put up to guard it was cut apart along with tits head by the de of the hatchet.

    Without even able to make any scream, the skeleton¡¯s broken half fell on the ground and scattered.

    ¡°My bad, a few slipped through.¡±(kurono)

    Turning back he called towards Fiona and Lily in the rear guard.

    ¡°It would be impossible to stop so many of them alone anyway.¡±(Fiona)

    In Fiona¡¯s surroundings who answered coolly, the remaining few soldiers were burning in rumbling mes.

    It showed that other than physical blows and light, these skeletons were also weak to fire.

    Thus, Fiona was able to take care of them easily with the mes of her [Custom FireBall] wand.

    Since all of the skeletons were on fire, it seems there was no chance for Lily to use her light Extra magic.

    Even though she¡¯s the one here who has the most effective magic against undeads; Kurono wondered whether this was called being unwilling as he looked at Lily making a bored face.

    Now then, let¡¯s collect the [imitation Hearts] and get out of here, is what Kurono was thinking but,

    *DOZUN! DOZUNN!!*

    Due to the loud ciolent sounding from the other side of the stone wall, he once again remembered the existence of that Boss-like monster.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time he gets out of there?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yeah.¡±(Fiona)

    As if it had been waiting for this conversation to happen, the Minotaur Zombie¡¯s giant arm smashed through the stone wall.

    It seems the [Terra Wall Defan] lost its power with time and the Minotaur¡¯s strong arm, even if rotting, was slowly scraping and destroying away the wall bit by bit.

    As it begins to crumble, soon a hole enough for it to jump out would be created.

    It had been in an excited state from the very start but it seemed to have be even more ferocious due to being confined in stone and was dyed from its prey.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be a bit tough to beat this one with just swords¡ª¨C¡°(kurono)

    Kurono had not fought against a Minotaur during the maneuvering experiments but he did face a simr one-eyed giant monster called Cyclops.

    Though they didn¡¯t have any special Extra magic, such giant bodied, absolute power-type monsters were tough in general.

    He did have a Mithril Sword which was its weakness so it¡¯ll be much easier from back then when he had to fight unarmed but the experience of winning after getting half-killed himself made Kurono feel cautious naturally.

    ¡°¡ª-Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Saying that, he tried to move but before that,

    ¡°uh, eeeiii!!¡±

    ¡°Eh, wai, Lily!?!¡±

    Lily beat him to the punch.

    After entering this dungeon, Lily had been doing the easy job of lighting the whole ce so she must have been umting up a lot of frustration till now.

    No, it¡¯s not like Kurono had been ignoring Lily, it was simply that Kurono was more than enough for a swarm of mere skeletons and Fiona would take care of the ones who were able to escape towards the rear guard.

    It was simply that no enemy had appeared where Lily actually had the need to take part in the battle.

    But something like that didn¡¯t matter to the child Lily. It was a fact that this had be a boring dungeon exploration for her.

    Kurono who guessed Lily¡¯s current state of mind gave an apology to her in his mind and at the same time,

    ¡°Farewell Minotaur, sorry I couldn¡¯t take you on myself.¡±(kurono)

    After confirming that a magic circle of light was created over the minotaur, Kurono realized that the battle was over.

    Before the Minotaur could begin its charge, the dazzling pir of light swallowed up its rotting body.

    A sh, shockwave, and explosive sound¡ª¡ª-the aftermath of Lily¡¯s violent Extra magic reached him.

    As it calmed down, there was only dust remaining that flew up due to the attack and a silence befitting a graveyard once again took over the hall.

    ¡°Kurono, Lily gave her best!¡±(lily)

    Showing a smile like a child who helped with household chores, Lily approached Kurono with tottering steps.

    ¡°Yeah, you did well Lily!¡±(kurono)

    Without showing any regret of being unable to fight the Minotaur, Kurono patted Lily¡¯s head and praised her like an adult.

    ¡°As expected of Lily-san.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona, who read the atmosphere, alsoplimented her.

    ¡°ehehee¡±

    As Lily twisted around embarrassed, Kurono¡¯s mood that had turned gloomy inside this dungeon also became warm.

    Such a gentle atmosphere was,

    *BUMOOOAAAAAA!!*

    Disturbed by the roar that came from within the cloud of dust.

    ¡°What, it was still alive?¡±(kurono)

    How can it be alive if it was an undead? But no one was here to retort that.

    Rather than those trivial words, the fact that the Minotaur Zombie was still alive was more important.

    Once again, making a thudding sound with its legs, the Minotaur appeared from inside the cloud of dust.

    ¡°There¡¯s just bones.........¡±(kurono)

    Kurono¡¯s words were perfectly correct.

    Even while rotting, the minotaur had an iron like thick skin but now there was not even a shadow of that appearance.

    The two horns which were a part of bones were as it is and its whole body had also now be only skeletal.

    But its size that made Kurono look up to it was still intact and its arms, which were only thin bones now, were still giving off pressure that showed that its physical strength was still the same.

    ¡°It became a Minotaur Skeleton it seems.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Is this an evolution?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I wonder about that.¡±(Fiona)

    After talking such useless things with Fiona, Kurono took up the two weapons in his hands and once again faced the Minotaur which was now in skeleton form.

    This time I¡¯ll go, the moment he resolved that,

    ¡°EEEEEIIIII!!!!¡±

    Lily snapped.

    He instinctively sensed that. It was obvious though considering the amount of displeasure her voice contained.

    And, a magic circle even bigger than before appeared over the minotaur.

    Rest was the same as before.

    The Minotaur died.

    ¡°Kurono, Lily gave her best!!¡±(lily)

    The Minotaur didn¡¯t revive again, Lily gave an aura wanting to beplimented for that.

    ¡°Yeah, you did well Lily........¡±(kurono)

    While praying for the pitiful Minotaur inside his mind, the members Element Master once gainplimented Lily.

 Chapter 182 Rule of the Adventurers

    Chapter 182 Rule of the Adventurers

    The proof of subjugating skeletons, the [Imitation Heart] was certainly in the shape of a heart but it wasn¡¯t located in the left chest like a normal one.

    It was located inside the cranium. It had a crystalline look like a slime core and gave of a fiery light which is why from the eye sockets of the skeleton, a weird light could be seen glowing inside.

    Simrly, the [Imitation Heart] of the minotaur zombie was also in its head so I recovered that as well for proof of subjugating it.

    We, after collecting the proof of killing 17 skeletons and 1 cow, once again began to climb the stairs, this time without any further hindrance.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty long, eh?¡±(kurono)

    After we began climbing we realized that it was a big spiral staircase continuing upwards.

    Since the curves were easy and gentle, we couldn¡¯t see how long we¡¯ll need to keep on walking.

    At least, after entering this dungeon, this is the biggest staircase we have seen.

    At the same time, there was a chance that those dull skeletons might appear to attack from both sides like in the passages so we couldn¡¯t lower our guard either.

    ¡°nn.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±(lily)

    Lily walking beside me asked.

    ¡°I can hear sounds, there¡¯s someone fighting not far from here.¡±(kurono)

    It seems Lily and Fiona can¡¯t hear it yet but after walking a few more meters, those two became able to hear it as well.

    ¡°This is definitely the sound of fighting.¡±(Fiona)

    The sound of swords shing and continuous explosions.

    Probably, it must be a well-bnced party with both swordsmen and magicians.

    And going by the level, the opponents must be skeletons.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, this is the first time we¡¯ll run into other adventurers inside a dungeon right?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±(fiona)

    I affirmed. Well, the only other dungeon I and Lily had entered before was Fairy Garden and it was pretty much impossible to meet the few adventurers in the vige inside that huge forest.

    But, in this kind of dungeon that was much smaller than a natural field, coupled with the number of adventurers in Spada, it wouldn¡¯t be weird to run into another adventurer party.

    ¡°I think, as per the rules of the adventurers, we¡¯re supposed to not interfere right?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯ll be troublesome if we got into some kind of quarrel after all.¡±(Fiona)

    It¡¯d be fine if it was just a simple quarrel.

    Considering the case where they are in battle, if we were to recklessly try and help them, there¡¯s a chance that they might discreetly push the enemies on us and run away themselves. Truly, what you¡¯d call MPK (Monster yer Killer).

    There was no gratitude or morals here. When your own party was in life threatening danger, running away even at the cost of others was a very adventurer-like action.

    Also, it could be said that the one who tried to help without thinking at all was responsible himself.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be ignoring them ¡®kay?¡±(kurono)

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yess!¡±

    That said, in front of a party that is about to get annihted, I doubt whether I¡¯d be able to abandon them without feeling any guilt.

    I¡¯m sure, in front of dying adventurers, I¡¯ll end up remembering Vulcan and the others.

    No, let¡¯s not think about that anymore. Waving my head, I began climbing the stairs again.

    .

    .

    .

    The ce where we climbed to was a hall with the same structure as the one from where we came.

    Only, it was probably 2 size smaller than that one, I think.

    And, inside this hall as expected, were adventurers who¡¯d be the first party we meet here.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I ended up making a surprised sound.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cnn?¡±

    Responding to my voice, one of the adventurers looked towards us.

    The battle seemed to be over before we reached here and currently they were collecting the [Imitation Hearts] from the skulls.

    Among them, the one who looked towards me was a light armoured Werecat swordsman.

    Even if they have hair, I still couldn¡¯t differentiate their faces but I could clearly recognise this one because of the giant sword he had.

    No doubt, the sword this guy has is Vulcan¡¯s [Fang Sword], that means, he¡¯s, Jouto was it? A rank 3 adventurer.

    ¡°Oi.¡±

    While I was unintentionally focused on the sword, Jouto called towards me.

    ¡°You¡¯re rank 1 right? Why the hell are you here?¡±

    I wondered whether Jouto actually remembers me from the time at Modred Weapon shop but in any case, I don¡¯t really care.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re rank 2.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Even though you¡¯re an apprentice magician?¡±

    I really should stop wearing this robe.......

    No if I take off the robe, I won¡¯t even look like an adventurer anymore and will be treated as a normal citizen.

    ¡°Well, by the looks of it, you just became a rank 2 recently right? Don¡¯t get over confident and go too deep inside alright?¡±

    Whether it was sarcasm or a warning as a senpai, I couldn¡¯t make out the intent behind it.

    Going by this guys mood, it¡¯s probably the former but I¡¯m not stupid enough to get angry from something like that.

    ¡°We¡¯re returning right now, we won¡¯t be going any deeper.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°That so? Well you were lucky, the floor from which you just came up from¡ª¡ª¡°

    ¨CJouto pointed towards the staircase like they were descending to hell itself.

    ¡°¡ª¨Ceven a Minotaur Zombie can appear there. A rank 2 won¡¯t be able to deal with something like that. Don¡¯t get cocky just because you rank upped and go and challenge it ¡®kay?¡±

    Jouto grinning in a mean manner but the fact that he still warned us about the Minotaur Zombie, means that he was still giving us a warning in his own way as well I guess.

    ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡±(kurono)

    Well it wasn¡¯t something that required an honest thanks from me so I just curtly gave a thanks and passed through the hall.

    From behind, ¡°hey, stop talking to newbies ande and help us already!¡± A voice of the woman that had called him back at the weapon shop as well came.

    At that time I didn¡¯t see her but seeing her now I could only feel a bit surprised.

    That¡¯s because she was a Lamia.

    Unintentionally, I thought of Aten. Maybe, their whole party has the sameposition as [Irz ders]? Is what I thought but only these two had the same race.

    The others were 2 Cleric Goblins and a Gargoyle archer. A total 5 man party.

    I didn¡¯t know who the leader was but Jouto was a swordsman and the Lamia woman was also holding 2 scimitars and was also a swordswoman.

    The simr looking 2 Goblins were wearing a white robe different from normal magicians that looked somewhat simr to the robe those Priests from Crusaders wore and also had wooden curved staves so I could instantly tell that they were clerics.

    The Gargoyle had bat like wings on its back. I saw one for the first time here and they look like a mix between a goblin and an ogre since he¡¯s equipped with a bow he looked like a normal adventurer.

    The number of humans in Spada was in majority so their partyposition should be considered rare, I think.

    But since the image in my head of Daedalus, where other races were more, is stronger, thinking of them like that of the Adventurer alliance, I only felt a bit calmer.

    Now that I think about it, even Vulcan would want his sword to once again be swung in action in the hands of another adventurer next.

    While holding such sentimental thoughts, we left that ce.

 Chapter 183 Letâ€™s Go to School

    Chapter 183 Let¡¯s Go to School

    Today, the month changed and now it was the 8th month, the month of Kouen.(T/N:Red me)

    Underneath the sweltering heat from the bright sun at the height of summer, I was walking through the streets of Spada, which I had gotten slightly used to, while wearing the stuffy apprentice magician robe.

    The destination was the Royal Spada Academy, the biggest in Spada, and the most famous academy even among all the central City-states of the continent.

    But no matter how famous it was, for me who hasn¡¯t spent even a month aftering here, I knew nothing about it except the name.

    Now then, as to why I was heading towards this school, we¡¯ll have to go back to yesterday evening after we came back from [Revival Catb] afterpleting our quest.

    .

    ¡°We were lucky that that the reward for subjugating that cow was more than we thought. Maybe we should go eat something nice tomorrow.¡±(Kurono)

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that definitely.¡±(Fiona)

    Because the reward received from the Minotaur Zombie that Lily instantly killed was more than we thought, while seeing Fiona getting excited during our conversation, we entered through the door to the inn. Soon after that,

    ¡°Kurono-sama, we have a letter for you. Here.¡±

    I was handed a letter by the werecat employee same as before.

    Taking it while giving my thanks, I quickly looked at the contents.

    ¡°Is it from Simon-san?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The sender was as expected. As for its contents,

    ¡°What is written?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°It seems things have calmed down on that side. Also, she wants to talk.¡±(kurono) (T/N: A reminder that Kurono still doesn¡¯t know that Simon is a man)

    Well, basically that.

    I had no reason to reject the invitation, in fact there was a mountain of things I wanted to ask Simon who was a resident of Spada.

    And like that, I was currently going to meet Simon.

    It seems Simon has started going back to school which she attended before due to various reasons and was currently living in the dorms away from his home. So, it was mentioned in the letter that I¡¯ll have to go to the school directly when Ie to meet Kurono.

    There was even an apology written in the letter for making me go all the way toe and meet her myself but after all I¡¯m an adventurer, there was no guarantee when I¡¯d return. Rather than wait for me indefinitely at the [Cat¡¯s Tail], it was better for me to ask for Simon at school.

    Also, I was interested in the Academy as well so in fact, I¡¯m actually happy that I got a reason to confidently go inside and check it out.

    By the way, I¡¯m alone right now because,

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to talk without me right?¡±

    Lily showed such kind of concern.

    I don¡¯t think it was something that worrisome but if Simon is going to exin some personal circumstances, it¡¯s true that it would be better for me to talk to him alone.

    Also, it seems that both Lily and Fiona had some errands to run today as well.

    They¡¯ll prepare for the next quest at the same time as well so by work division, all of us were moving separately today.

    While thinking that it felt slightly lonely walking alone, I started seeing more and more boys and girls in uniforms.

    Realizing that I was getting closer to the school, I checked the few giant signboards to make sure and started walking again.

    ¡°Oo, holy shit it¡¯s big.......¡±

    The Royal Spada Academy, as I reached in front of its gate, those words naturally left my mouth.

    Walls as splendid as the outer walls of Spada itself were spread and was much better decorated than at least the 3rd defensive wall.

    Maybe symbolising some ancient heroes, on the right was the statue of a sword wielding soldier in a mantle and on the left was a statue of a female knight wearing full armour and equipped with a spear. At the base of both the statues, a g representing the school¡¯s emblem was also set.

    The giant decorated double door main gate was wide open and a few meters inside a giant school building was standing.

    In the centre a tall tower with who knows how many floors was standing and from there a 5 storey bterally symmetrical school building was spread.

    It was much more magnificent than the high school I attended and looked like a great college, no, like a pce.

    Aftering to Spada, I am seeing such a great architectural structure for the first time.

    If I was able to some day see the royal castle behind those walls actually, I might get the same impression then.

    For the time being, let¡¯s move inside the school grounds for now.

    If I keep on standing here looking like an idiot for too long, I feel like the surrounding students will start looking at me like I am a country bumpkin.

    But, in fact, I, who had started to treat this as a sightseeing tour and was having trouble hiding my excitement, finally went through the gate.

    .

    .

    After stepping inside the school grounds that was probably much bigger than even thergest college in Japan, I obviously decided to first head towards Simon¡¯s dorm.

    So, I decided to ask for directions from the students, or so I wanted to do but.........how should I say this, the girls I called to werepletely scared of me.

    To think that my looks would have such an effect now, I really didn¡¯t expect that.

    In Pandora continent where people talk naturally with frightening looking Orcs, there had been none who would be scared of me who clearly looked like a human.

    But, here I got such a reaction.

    The girls couldn¡¯t even look me in the eye and were squirming while looking below and were trying to somehow answer my question.

    No, but seriously, this is troublesome. In addition to my scary looks, since I was nowadays always together with Fiona and Lily, I hadpletely lost any kind of antipathy towards girls of my same age which is my I ended up making such a stupid decision of trying to talk to these girls.

    When I was still a high school student, I was still a pure boy who fidgeted while talking to just Shirasaki-san but due to the existence of Fiona who didn¡¯t mince matters and Lily who stays by my side like it was obvious, I must have be too used to having bishoujos around me.

    Leaving aside whether it¡¯s a good thing or bad, calling out to girls so familiarly with my face should be really avoided.

    Or rather, I should have simply tried talking to a guy in the first ce.

    While thinking that, thanks to the girl who showed me the way even while scared, I could get to my destination without hesitation.

    And after walking for around 10mins from the main gate, while thinking that I should have arrived where Simon told me to, I was suddenly hit with an immense sense of D¨¦j¨¤ Vu.

    Remember carefully, yes, it was certainly¡ª¡ª-when I first met Simon, the day when I first visited herb.

    Led to a storage shed with the name of ab, the sense of pity I felt for her back then.

    I once again sensed that after reaching here.

    That¡¯s because in front of me was,

    ¡°Could it be that she¡¯s living there?........¡±

    There was a shabby 2 storey building standing here which was so worn-out that it was impossible to think that this was in the same plot as those artistic buildings I saw just now.

    It feels as if theb at Alsace was simply expanded in size.

    No, I doubt this one was built simply arge storage shed but there¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s being currently treated as one.

    Trying now to be too shocked by the raggedness of the building, I prayed to the self-proimed Goddess Mia hoping that this wasn¡¯t where Simon lived and once again checked the ce mentioned in the letter.

    ¡°uwah, no doubt this is the one.¡±

    While feeling pity for Simon who had to live in a tattered building like this as if she was the protagonist of some world famous theatre y, I faced the giant storage shed in front of me.

 Chapter 184 Operation Present

    Chapter 184 Operation Present

    After Kurono had left, Lily and Fiona looked at each other in the guest room.

    Since adventurers had no need for decorated furniture, the room only had a closet for holding items and a bed so, the two of them were currently sitting on the white sheet of the bed together peacefully.

    Between the two of them, a mountain of gold coins was also shining.

    ¡°hee, so you really have a lot.¡±(lily)

    Lily was in her child form but the expression on her face was more like a corrupt merchant who found a way to make a lot quick.

    ¡°No no, not as much as Lily-san.¡±(Fiona)

    Fiona¡¯s words, on the other hand, were like a worthless merchant trying to bribe someone but her expression was her usual sleepy one.

    ¡°This¡ª¡ª¡°

    Lily picked up a gold coin, which had a woman¡¯s face on one side and a magic circle on the other, with her leaf-like small hands.

    ¡°¡ª¨CSyncrea gold coin, how much will it be worth in ns?¡±(lily)

    It was a gold coin earned by Fiona back in the Republic before she came here to Pandora.

    Of course, this gold coin was being used only in the Arc continent and the now-captured Daedalus.

    ¡°We won¡¯t know till we get it appraised but considering the mineral contents of the coin, 1 coin should get us around about 100,000 n, I think.¡±(Fiona)

    And she had umted hundreds of such gold coins right now.

    The total amount would be in millions, it was not an amount a normal rank 2 adventurer would hold.

    But, it was a fact that from within the spatial magic inside Fiona¡¯s hat, gold coins came out in waves while making a jingling sound.

    ¡°What about Lily-san? It seems you have many other types of gold coins except Daedalus as well.¡±(Fiona)

    Near Lily as well, a mountain of gold coins had been created.

    But as Fiona said, included in that mountain of gold were not just Daedalus gold coin with the dragon emblem or the Spada gold coin with the sword and crown, but also many other gold coins in different shapes, designs and sizes.

    There were even some that looked like those excavated from the Ancient Ruins as well.

    ¡°In just gold coins, I have lesser than you but if I include the various jewels and gems as well, I think I have the same amount or maybe even more.¡±(lily)

    ¡°By jewel, do you mean [Queen Beryl]?¡±(fiona)

    As if! While saying that in a fed up expression, Lily made a small magic circle in mid air from which many emeralds shining like her own eyes fell out.

    ¡°If I actually sold [Queen Beryl], that alone would give us more than both your and my goldbined. I was talking about these ¡®normal¡¯ jewels, I have many more other than these as well.¡±(Lily)

    Her attitude was as if it was normal to have so many jewels but probably only the highest ss of nobles even in the upper stratum would have so many jewels as Lily.

    ¡°You did well collecting so much.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡±(lily)

    It seems both of them were surprised with the amount of valuables each other possessed.

    ¡°Even if I did seclude myself in the forest of Fairies, a lot of things happen when you have lived more than 30 years, you know?¡±

    Her words made one realize her true age which didn¡¯t match her appearance but after all, it was a fact.

    For example, Kurono wasn¡¯t the first man Lily had saved inside that forest.

    Or, many a times she saved merchants who got attacked on the highway by monsters as well.

    ¡°The child me was a softhearted person who helped people without thinking about gain or loss after all, I saved many people without thinking about the consequences.¡±(lily)

    Thanks to that, there was a time when she had almost been captured as a ve when she had saved a a vicious ve trader as well.

    Of course, that ve trader ended up with a body that won¡¯t be able to do anything after that though.

    ¡°These things are what I got from saving those people. It was pretty useless to a fairy like me though.¡±

    Naturally, selling her miracle drug and rewards for helping the Irz vige with monsters also got umted over the years as well.

    Nodding to that, Lily urged Fiona to tell her side of the story.

    ¡°All this is what I¡¯ve earned while working as a normal adventurer.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Well, if you could kill smanders while solo, I guess you would earn at least that much.¡±(lily)

    Lily didn¡¯t show much surprise but it was a fact that Fiona could be considered a top-ss adventurer with that kind of achievements.

    But, since she held the same level of ability and since she take into consideration of how humans valuation system, Lily didn¡¯t think really much of that.

    In fact, Lily was thinking that if Fiona had an appetite suitable for a girl of her age, wouldn¡¯t her savings be double of the current one?

    ¡°Well with that much money, I guess we both could but at least one or two cursed weapon, right?¡±(Lily)

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±(Fiona)

    As both of them nodded, they put back the mountains of gold inside their respective dimension magic.

    ¡°But, I feel like we took a lot of time to get Kurono-san a present even though we both had so much money.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Well, there was no need till now. Also, Kurono¡¯s the type who gets troubled instead of getting happy on receiving a costly present after all.¡±(lily)

    Lily had this great of a fortune from the time she met Kurono.

    Even while having enough money with which she could support a single man for his whole life, she didn¡¯t buy anything for Kurono because she knew how Kurono would feel.

    Even without using telepathy, she knew that Kurono didn¡¯t like causing trouble or relying too much on others from just his speech and actions.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really hiding it or anything but it was kind of difficult to tell Kurono-san that I have money.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Well Kurono¡¯s working hard to earn money after all, but¡ª-¡°

    This was not a stage where they would stop because it was difficult to say.

    Thinking back till now, Kurono never had a need for money as much as now.

    While he was working as an adventurer in Irz, their ie was enough for both of them to live on peacefully together.

    Also, during the emergency quest due to invasion of Crusaders and the battle at Alsace, he had full support from the guild and the viges so Kurono barely had to spend his own money.

    But, after the defeat against the Apostles, they needed more power as well as strong equipments.

    To face the Crusaders who would definitely attack, they¡¯ll need to prepare personally which will of course, cost money.

    Presently, Kurono didn¡¯t have any defensive armour suitable for his ability after losing his [Baphomet¡¯s Embrace] and didn¡¯t even have a magic wand, the main weapon for a magician.

    Going by Kurono¡¯s current equipment, he wasn¡¯t a magician but a swordsman.

    ¡°Kurono needs money, enough money to get him equipment with which he could face those Apostles.¡±(lily)

    Of course, Kurono himself had the same objective which is why he was quickly trying to raise his rank.

    Depending on the situation, he would even take a loan from them. They had such talks as well but they knew that Kurono wouldn¡¯t ask for a loan until he was close to starving.

    ¡°If we need equipment, the faster we get them the better.¡±(lily)

    Thus, Lily was about to use her savings for the past 30 years which had been untouched till now for Kurono.

    ¡°But, if we suddenly gift him presents worth hundred millions..........I wonder what Kurono-san will think.¡±(Fiona)

    Though not as much as Lily, Fiona had been seeing how Kurono took action after the formation of [Element Master].

    She had realized that Kurono¡¯s mind set was like that of a middle-ss family¡¯s housewife who worked at economising at everything.

    At least, he wasn¡¯t like those nobles who wasted their wealth as if that was their duty and was not overly greedy for money like those from the slums either.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s go little by little. First let¡¯s give him a present for bing rank 2 first.¡±(lily)

    ¡°I see, he would ept if it is just two weapons right?¡±(Fiona)

    She didn¡¯t say one probably because she was already thinking that lily would give one and she herself would give another as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask this just in case but Fiona, are you really fine with spending more than 1,000,000 n for someone else?¡±(lily)

    Lily¡¯s manner of speaking was as if she was testing her but Fiona answered without taking any offense.

    ¡°If it was all of my savings, I might have hesitated but if it¡¯s just half of it for Kurono-san, I don¡¯t really mind. Also, this party can earn hundred million n easily after all.¡± (Fiona)

    With a satisfied smile, Lily jumped out from the bed.

    ¡°I see, then let¡¯s quickly go and buy the present for Kurono.¡±(lily)

 Chapter 185 Simon Friedrich Bardiel

    Chapter 185 Simon Friedrich Bardiel

    Without any unfortunate idents, Simon came to greet me as soon as I opened that crumbling, worn-out door.

    Then, the first thing Simon asked was,

    ¡°Huh, Onii-san, why is your left eye red?¡±

    It was something that even I myself had forgotten about, the change in my appearance.

    Leaving the detailed exnation about Mia¡¯s Divine Protection etc aside for the time being, I first greeted him after meeting him after a long time.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªsorry, I couldn¡¯t meet you any sooner.¡±(simon)

    As I greeted, Simon gave words of apology but,

    ¡°No, you had your own problems, right? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Giving a safe reply, I was trying to conceal my surprise at Simon¡¯s current appearance.

    That¡¯s because Simon, who should be a girl, was wearing the boys uniform. (T/N: Kurono, you dense motherfucker!!)

    Aftering to Spada, I had seen a lot of students in the ck zer-type uniform of the academy so I was sure Simon would appear in the red tie and checked design skirts till I opened the door.

    But even then for some reason, Simon was wearing cks, what boys would wear.

    Could it be that Simon was actually a guy?

    True, this uniform does suit him and looking closely like this again, he does look like a bishonen in middle school.

    And I had been unable to decide whether Simon was a guy or a girl when we first met as well after all.

    No, wait, think again, Simon is an adventurer along with being a student. Then, it¡¯s not impossible for Simon to fake his/her gender.

    Due to the existence of magic and martial arts, there¡¯s no kind of discrimination due to gender but still, one would not be underestimated if the person was a man so I did hear that sometimes women would fake their gender.

    Also, to not ask about anything regarding it was also a part of the rules and manners of adventurers like how they don¡¯t delve into the past of others.

    Alright, I got it Simon, if you¡¯re faking your gender by wearing a guy¡¯s uniform then I¡¯ll ept that without a word!

    After satisfying myself regarding the problem of Simon¡¯s gender, I concentrated back to the main topic.

    ¡°So you really are a student here, are you free right now?¡±(kurono)

    It was the morning currently. In terms of high school, lunch break would start after two hours so students should be in ss right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I still have many things to prepare for so I won¡¯t start attending sses until after 2-3 days.¡±(simon)

    Then it¡¯s fine. That means we can talk leisurely without any time constraints.

    After entering Simon¡¯s room, just like that time, I sat on a chair and Simon on the bed.

    This room wasn¡¯t overflowing with items like that storage shedboratory, not yet at least.

    A writing desk and a chair, a bed and closet; only the minimum required things had been set in here but I guess that¡¯ll change soon.

    After all, the room Simon was using in Alsace¡¯s adventurer guild room was also filled with numerous things.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s start with reporting each other¡¯s current situation, alright?¡±(kurono)

    As Simon affirmed, I began to talk first.

    .

    .

    It¡¯s amon thing but there are many powerful nobles that exist in Spada.

    Here, especially, the most influential are the 4 great noble houses.

    One of them is the Bardiel household.

    Their origin went to over 3000 years back, to the first and the strongest knight of the Ancient Demon King Mia Elrod, a person called Freesia Bardiel.

    No, rather than a person, I guess I would have to call them as one the pirs of the [ck Gods] of Pandora.

    [Dark Knight Freesia]¡¯s DP was limited to only inside Spada but there were quite a lot of those who had received it so it could be called as a major God.

    And, with this ancient great knight that climbed to the throne of Gods as an ancestor was the household of Bardiel.

    But, whether they were actually the drirect descendants, no, did they even have even a single drop of the same blood was unknown due to the ¡®Dark Ages¡¯ that exists between the Ancient era and the current era. Thus, there was no was certain proof to that fact.

    At least, the previous ancestors of the Badiel family who built the household did im that they were Freesia¡¯s direct descendants.

    Considering that this self-promation was also an event that happened over 300 years back, surprisingly the weight of history increased and now presently, the Bardiel family held even more authority and power than ever.

    And, Simon was invited to this family as an adopted child.

    Thus, Simon¡¯s full name was Simon Friedrich Bardiel, a really exaggerated name with even a middle name.

    ¡°is, is that so........¡±(kurono)

    After finishing my own report, I heard about the family situation of Simon whose elder sister was a general.

    And this was the exnation I got.

    But still, for someone like me who hadn¡¯t spent a year in this world let alone Spada, I couldn¡¯t really understand the greatness even if someone told me about nobles and such.

    I really could only say, ¡®I see¡¯.

    ¡°So, why was such a big noble working as an adventurer in a vige like Alsace?¡±(kurono)

    Even with my knowledge of the modern world, I knew nobles would be high ss people.

    At least, I doubt they¡¯d have a personality that¡¯d allow them to do something dirty like collecting herbs.

    ¡°that¡¯s, umm, it¡¯ll take some time to tell though......¡±(simon)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, alright?¡±(kurono)

    The manners of an adventurer, but, Simon shook her head.

    ¡°No, I want Onii-san to hear about it.¡±

    That made me happy. It seems she does have some trust in me.

    If she says that much, then I¡¯ll also carefully hear what she has to say. Maybe, it might exin why Simon was dressing like this as well.

    ¡°I, from the time I was a child, wanted to be a knight of Spada.¡±

    That was probably the time, 10 yrs back when she was adopted into the family.

    ¡°The Bardiel household had produced numerous excellent knights till now also, Lia-nee¡ª-um, Emellia, it¡¯s the person that came to pick us up back then, do you remember?¡±

    He asked me.

    That ck full te armour that was even taller than me, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d forget that incredible presence.

    I see, so that person¡¯s name was Emellia.

    ¡°That person is a bit special even among the Elves and was incredibly strong already by the time I was adopted.¡±

    At that Emellia was 12 yrs old, the youngest age at which one could enrol in the Royal Spada Academy , in easier terms, basically in 6th year of elementary school.

    From that time onwards, she could easily destroy swarms of rank 1 monsters and with proper equipment, she was skilled enough to even take on a rank 3 monster alone.

    Certainly, that¡¯s a pretty fearsome elementary schooler.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I admired strong knights even more, but¡ª¨C¡°(simon)

    Simon¡¯s face darkened a bit and he continued.

    ¡°I did not have that talent. Not just that, I didn¡¯t have the ability even a normal elf would have.¡±

    The Elf race was famous for having superior magical energy.

    Thus, since battles mainly depend on magic, even while using martial arts, rather than physical ability enhancement, they specialise in enchanting their attacks with elemental attacks.

    ¡°It would have been fine if I simply didn¡¯t have magical energy, but, I couldn¡¯t even grow into a big body like Onii-san either. No matter how much training I did, I gained no muscle at all.¡±(simon)

    Unlike Dwarves, Elves weren¡¯t the type that gained lots of muscle, and even among them, Simon had a thin physique.

    There were even humans that looked younger than their age, for example my dad (T/N: See prologue if you¡¯ve forgotten how Kurono¡¯s dad was like), but that was even more characteristic in elves.

    I heard this now for the first time but Simon was actually 16 yrs old, only a year younger than me.

    But, his appearance was of the same level as girl Lily, a child in middle school.

    ¡°But even then, I worked hard in both magic and martial arts.¡±(simon)

    ¡°Could it be, is that why you are so knowledgeable in magical methods and techniques?¡±

    Simon nodded.

    Alchemy waspletely devoid of magic. If Simon had been learning that from the very start, he might have been able to make something like that ¡®machinegun¡¯ by now.

    ¡°I still remember techniques, chants, and magic circles and I can even read one part of ancient letters as well. But, no matter how matter how well my technique is, how good my chant is, how well drawn the magic circle was, I could never activate it without magical energy.¡±(simon)

    Those who possess enough magical energy to activate magic, though it varied from race to race, but still, such people were definitely the minority.

    Even among the elves that specialised in magic, that number would be a little more than half of the total.

    As a normal person, it wasn¡¯t necessary to use magic to live on but it was a fatal disadvantage for someone aiming to be a knight.

    Even more so if he/she did not have the skill with a sword either.

    ¡°Aftering to the Bardiel household, it took me 5 years before I finally realized that I would never be able to be a great knight from this family.¡±

    It was then that Simon started learning alchemy which was unrted to magic.

    ¡°I am an adopted child, I have three older brothers and one older sister, so I am lucky that I had afortable position unrted to seeding the family.¡±

    If Simon had been adopted for the reason of seeding the house, then it would have meant that he would have been unable to answer to the ¡®expectations¡¯ of the noble family of Bardiel.

    ¡°But at least I wanted to be independent enough so that I could return the favour to those who took me in and cared for me so I took admission in this academy and left the home at the same time.¡±

    I see, and now she was here.

    No wait, I still don¡¯t get why she was working as an adventurer.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s umm, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing but I wanted to pay for my school fees myself but my savings weren¡¯t enough also, I was too concentrated in my alchemy as well so........ahaha it really is embarrassing!¡±(simon)

    I, who was looking at Simon as her face went read till the tip of her pointed ears felt more embarrassed right now though.

    As I faked a calm expression while summarizing what Simon had said till now, basically, to pay her school fees and to concentrate in alchemy, he took leave from the school and became an adventurer which was a convenient job.

    At the same time, she had also taken permission from the current Bardiel family head, that is, her father as well.

    But,

    ¡°Lia-nee, how should I say it, she¡¯s more stubborn and strict than even stepfather. That¡¯s why she had been harsh from the very start but after I gave the path of knight, she became even harsher and is always asking me to stop my alchemy. Even at the academy it took a lot of trouble to convince her to let me take the magic engineering course instead of management course. If I had told her about leaving school¡ª¡ª-¡°

    I would be killed. So Simon decided to work in Deadalus outside of her sister¡¯s reach, Simon somehow said that half angry and half scared.

    ¡°I see. You really had it tough, or rather, you had quite a lot ofplicated circumstances, huh.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything more than that.

    It¡¯s unfortunate to have to carry such family burdens but that¡¯s not something an outsider could easily point out like that.

    It¡¯s just that the head of the family, her father, seems to be on good terms with her so the Bardiel house is still a proper home to her fortunately.

    But still, to think there was such a discord with her sister.......

    Completely different from my elder sister, Kurono Mana, who had looked after me since I was a child, I could only sympathize with Simon who didn¡¯t get such a gentle sister.

    ¡°If ¡®that thing¡¯ hadn¡¯t happened, I would still have been leisurely concentrating on alchemy in that storage shed in Alsace right now..¡±

    ¡°That thing, huh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª-¡°

    Simon tried to smooth over while panicked, somehow, it seems I really made her considerate towards me.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯ll be a lie if I wasn¡¯t affected but I have already sorted out my feelings so you don¡¯t have to be so considerate of me.¡±(kurono)

    ¡°I...see........¡±

    Now that I recall, I still hadn¡¯t told Simon about how I met with the remaining vigers and also about the Divine Protection either.

    It seems I made her worry so I should exin about my thoughts and other things in detail next.

    After all, Simon also talked about things that she wouldn¡¯t have said to strangers.

 Chapter 186 Welcome to Fairy Tale!

    Chapter 186 Wee to Fairy Tale!

    (POV 3rd person)

    A little deeper inside the main street was the Bar, Fairy Tale.

    There was no hesitation in Lily¡¯s steps as she led Fiona there because that¡¯s the ce where she had drunk through the night with Kurono.

    ¡°It seems to be flourishing more than I thought.¡±

    In front of the door of the shop that had the ¡®open¡¯ signboard, Lily said that. She was currently in her child form but her consciousness was the adult one.

    But there was no need to bring out her consciousness if they¡¯de only to have a meal.

    Then, it meant that they had another reason toe here.

    ¡°Is there something at this shop?¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±(lily)

    Saying just that, Lily opened the door of the shop.

    ¡°Wee.¡±(shopkeeper)

    The interior was pretty smallpared to a normal caf¨¦ cum bar.

    More than two-thirds of the chairs were filled and considering that more than of them were of races other than human, it showed the type of customers this ce had.

    And so, even the employee that came towards Lily and Fiona with a perfect business smile was also not a human but a Fairy.

    Probably because she was surprised at seeing a fairy living so normally inside human establishment, Fiona was curiously gazing at the small fairy in the apron dress.

    Even in front of a being of the same race, lily showed no signs of worry, in fact she spoke her business even before the waitress could open her mouth.

    ¡°Is the innermost seat open?¡±(lily)

    ¡°Have you made a reservation?¡±

    The fairy was still smiling as usual but Lily clearly sensed a slight surprise from her.

    ¡°No, this is the first time I¡¯ll be using the ¡®inner¡¯ side.¡±(lily)

    Lily suddenly brought out 10,000 n and gave it to the employee.

    ¡°I can request for it now, right?¡±(lily)

    Since the fairy was only 30cm in height, she held the bag of gold coins under her arm and gave a smile.

    ¡°Yes, then let me guide you to your seat.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    The seat lily had asked for was certainly the innermost seat on the floor but it¡¯s not like it was surrounded by some partition or in a separate private room.

    Though it might be a bit difficult to see directly from the entrance, but structurally, it looked simr to every other seat on the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty amazing sound barrier they have put.¡±(Fiona)

    But, Fiona had instantly sensed the anomaly the moment she sat beside Lily.

    Though the sounds from outside could be heard, no sound would leak out from inside this barrier.

    ¡°It¡¯s a seat meant to talk about things that shouldn¡¯t be overheard, so it¡¯s only obvious.¡±(lily)

    Fiona soon realized what those who used this seat were looking for as soon as she saw Lily¡¯s such normal attitude.

    ¡°An information broker, is it?¡±(Fiona)

    Lily gave a small nod.

    ¡°You did well finding someone like that here.¡±

    As it names suggests, an information broker sells info.

    It wasn¡¯t rare for ces like bars or restraints where adventurers gather to also be ces where info is sold. It was the same on both Arc and Pandora, Fiona thought.

    ¡°It was a full moon thest time I came here. I wouldn¡¯t have known if I was in my child form.¡±(lily)

    But still, it wasn¡¯t easy to find it.

    After all, nobody puts up a sign [Information Broker] boldly.

    Normally, those wanting info above what is provided by guild seek for information brokers. They are usually used by skilled adventurers and usually reject newbie rank 1 adventurers as well.

    Such information brokers areposed of a hugework of people who have been living in the city from a long time so only local adventurers are usually able to make use of them and outsiders aren¡¯t able to get into contact with them unless they are extremely sharp.

    When Fiona was in the republic, she did use such informants time after time but, since she was weak at humanmunication, she didn¡¯t really like going to them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just stay quiet and eat and leave all the negotiations to you.¡±(Fiona)

    ¡°Yes, you do that, no problem.¡±(lily)

    It¡¯ll be troublesome if Fiona said something weird while not reading the atmosphere and displeased the other party.

    Informants especially, have a habit of appraising the requester, so they might reject the request if they be suspicious of you.

    ¡°Lily-san, what will you order?¡±

    Fiona had already forgotten about such things and was now focused on the menu.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡ª¡°(lily)

    Lily was about to look at the menu but soon raised her head back.

    ¡°Sorry to have made you wait.¡±

    That¡¯s because the previous Fairy waitress hade back.

    While shining a rainbow coloured light, the small Fairy descended on the table.

    Her chignon styled hair and her round cute eyes were both the same colour as Lily, blond and green respectively.

    Her appearance was like a doll that could move but that was something very natural for fairies and there would have been many in the fountain of light that looked exactly like her.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the manager here?¡±(lily)

    ¡°Yes, but, you don¡¯t seem too surprised at that.¡±

    ¡°fufu, it¡¯s not that difficult to see that.¡±(lily)

    To others, she would seem like a harmless cute waitress but that was not the case for Lily who held strong telepathic powers.

    It would take some time andbour to see deep inside her psyche and thoughts but reading the outeryer of thoughts alone was enough to check that she wasn¡¯t just the waitress.

    At the same time, Lily had alsoe to know that she was acting like a maid because she liked it as a hobby.

    ¡°Wee to Fairy Tale, I¡¯m the one in charge of this store, my name is Karen. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lily and this is Fiona from rank 2 adventurer party, [Element Master].¡±

    ¡°Sorry but can I give my order already?¡±(Fiona)

    Shit, I should have fed her earlier, is what Lily thought but Karen gave a smile and listened to Fiona¡¯s demand.

    ¡°Yes please, I¡¯ll take your order first then.¡±

    .

    .

    .

    In the end, the dealing of information did not begin till Fiona¡¯s order had arrived.

    Fiona alone had ordered numerous dishes so Lily would be fine as long as she ate a bit from what she ordered and only asked for some tea.

    ¡°I have both things I want to know and things I want you to investigate.¡±(lily)

    Lily quickly cut to the chase.

    ¡°A trusty weapon shop, item shop, and a skilled tailor. And also tell me about a ce where we can buy horses.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Lily-sama, this is the first time you havee to Spada, I see.¡±(Karen)

    From Lily¡¯s questions, she could infer that she wasn¡¯t well informed about Spada so this must be her first timeing here but Lily guessed that this Karen already knew more about them than that.

    For example, we were one of the adventurers that escaped from Daedalus and had taken the emergency quest.

    ¡°For both weapons and items in Spada, Mordred Weapon Company is the most reliable. It has a store in both upper stratum and lower stratum as well after all.¡±

    ¡°I see, so we can¡¯t expect for any better than that right now, is it?¡±(lily)

    So you have already gone there once. Lily nodded to that and confirmed that they weren¡¯t so bif just for show.

    ¡°Other shops that I can rmend, I¡¯ll make a list and give it to you along with markings on a map.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I¡¯ll also mark some good date spots as well, on those words, Lily ended up grinning while breaking her poker face.

    It seems, she remembers hering along with Kurono even though she was in her girl form, but it seems Karen had already realized that they were the same person.

    In any case, with this info, they should be able to get a proper present for Kurono.

    Not just that, since they were going to work as adventurers in Spada from here onwards, they¡¯ll be able to avoid going to poor shops and directly go to the rmended ones.

    In Spada where there were a lot of people as well as shops, it would take a lot ofbour to find a good shop normally.

    That¡¯s why, people like Lily who first looked for informants to get such knowledge weren¡¯t really rare.

    ¡°Then next, do you know about a rank 1 adventurer called Simon?¡±(lily)

    She hadn¡¯t talked to Kurono about this but when he had told that his sister was a general of the Spada army at Gahad Mountains, Lily didn¡¯t have a really good feeling about it.

    Probably Simon wasn¡¯t a normal adventurer but actually belonged to some great family or something.

    If you get tied up with someone with a high social status, who knows what kind of trouble mighte with it?

    It might sound like exaggerating but Kurono and them did possess power more than a rank 4 adventurer, there¡¯s a good enough chance that someone might try and use them.

    That was still in the realms of a wild idea but until they knew what kind of person Simon was, why was he working as an adventurer, Lily felt that there was a need to do a background check.

    If they were lucky, she could get hold of some kind of weakness and stop them if they try to use Kurono.

    As Lily held such expectations, Karen answered after a small gap.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, is what I want to say but I can¡¯t hide anything from Lily-sama.¡±(Karen)

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t hide things from not just me but anyone. Fairies don¡¯t lie after all, right?¡±(lily)

    So it seems that legend was really just a legend, so thought Fiona as she ate the giant sandwich.

    ¡°I¡¯ll confirm this just in case but, name is Simon, Rank 1, ss alchemist, greyish hair and green eyed small elf, right?¡±(Karen)

    ¡°As expected of an information broker or is Simon simply that famous, which is it?¡±(lily)

    Both actually, Karen replied with a smile rivalling Lily¡¯s own.

    ¡°I want to know further detailed info about Simon, if possible, along with his family rtions.¡±(lily)

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be able to give info on him immediately as well though.¡±

    With the same movements as when Lily had entered the shop, she left a bag of gold coins on the table.

    But, this time it was 50,000 ns.

    ¡°I want to know his recent actions and movements as well. Investigate that as well. At the same time, also get info about the Spada troops to which Simon¡¯s elder sister belongs to as well. It¡¯s fine even if that info is only general things that aremonly known.¡±(lily)

    If she were to actually ask about confidential matters regarding the Spada army, she¡¯ll have to pay upto hundred times of current amount. Of course, Lily didn¡¯t need such info.

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯llplete my investigations within 3 days so pleasee again after that.¡±

    Karen gave refreshing smile to which Lily also gave a bold smile and they shook each other¡¯s small hands

    ¡°By the way Fiona,¡±(lily)

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The bill for your food, pay it yourself.¡±(lily)

    The bill will be 4700 n, those words spoken by Karen resounded vainly in Fiona¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 187 About the School

    Chapter 187 ¨C About the School

    On the fact, that I have alreadye to here, I decided to let Simon inform me about the Royal Spada Academy.

    I am guided, while walking east and west in the whole hugend.

    I understood this ce not only has a splendid gate and school building, but also has various other institutions working.

    There are, shops for weapons and items, workshops for cksmiths, the manufactured products are also sold within the school.

    Among all this, the thing which surprised me the most is, the existence of Coliseum.

    The diators are popr within Spada, just like ancient rome, for that, many coliseums are established in the whole city, but for it to be even present in the school.

    However, this coliseum is used for training or for events, rather than a coliseum it¡¯s more of an even space like that of a gymnasium.

    Others are, a veryrge outdoor exercise field, infirmary wards instead of infirmary room, a library instead of library room, at any rate, the scale of buildings is really big.

    If I went on to take the whole tour of school the day would get dark, so leaving the guiding, I took the exnation about the Academy itself.

    ¡¸Originally, it was an Academy¡¹

    At that time it wasn¡¯t Royal, but a religious educational institution which enshrined gods.

    Though not on therge scale as that of Cross Religion, the gods from various ces are enshrined, and in a big city it¡¯s natural to find such shrines.

    The transmission of knowledge was helped by religious organizations in this world too, so at first they were made as educational institutions for teaching the theology of gods and various other educations.

    The first academy made in Spada, now is Spada Academy.

    ¡¸However, almost 100 years ago it became Royal, and after that it started teaching other things than theology too, like other subjects, magic, martial skills, and techniques¡¹

    This Royal Spada Academy, on top is the part of young elites which bear the future of Spada, that¡¯s why they even ept a low-ranked adventurer like me inside, quite a big-hearted school.

    Though, it isn¡¯t like I and an elite noble son of someone can take sses together.

    Each and everyone is divided in courses based on their ability and status.

    ¡¸It¡¯s better to not get close to the elite cadets, who knows what false charge will they put up, be careful of people wearing Red mantle!¡¹

    The elites Simon is warning to me in a harsh tone, are students who have been enrolled in the course with the highest status in school.

    One cannot enroll in elite course, unless onepetes for the first or second ce in exams, and also has a good status.

    But the problemse after enrolling, one cannot graduate unless they learn the subjects, magic, martial skills, and everything needed to be the centre of Spada army.

    ¡¸They must considerable, for them to use magic and martial skills, both¡¹

    ¡¸Though, the weaker ones know the lower grade ones, and strong ones, from the time as student, know the high-grade ones¡¹

    Based on the characteristics of race and talent, it¡¯s extremely difficulty to learn the highest level magic and martial skills both.

    Magic for Elf, martial skills for beast-people, a human without any special ability, can earn both to some extent.

    Of course, humans too are probably influenced by the character and talent, so naturally they too are divided in sses like Magician and Warrior.

    Though they learn both magic and martial skills, but just like Simon said, because of weak points there is arge difference between the two parties.

    Still, there is no change that it¡¯s great thing to learn both, and they also learn about subjects and whatnot, they really should be called elites.

    ¡¸Next, the Knight and Civil courses with more peoples¡¹

    The Knight course, just like its name suggests, is for joining the Spada army, so the basic curriculum is same as that of elite course, it seems.

    However, because it puts more emphasis onbat, and other subjects are not given emphasis, so learning both magic and martial skills is not regarded highly.

    The Knight course is further divided in, Warriors and Magicians, everyone take their choices for learning more advanced martial skills or magic.

    The division is somewhat like that of liberal arts and Sciences.

    The Civil course, doesn¡¯t make a curriculum for entering Spada army, but for working as an government official, so it focuses more on study of subjects.

    This Civil course gives me the image of a typical Japanese school.

    Of course, it¡¯s mandatory to learn somewhat magic, because they would be trouble if they couldn¡¯t use the magic items used in work.

    The magic item like that which performs updation of guild card, are spread as official supplies.

    Incidentally, the Civil course not only sends to government offices, but alsorge guilds like Commerce Guild or Adventurer Guild.

    That beautiful receptionist might also be an alumnus of Civil course.

    ¡¸And, the course I¡¯m enrolled in is magical engineering course¡¹

    From the engineering word, I can understand this course is a technology-based course which manufactures products.

    The most famous ones are, cksmiths who use magicite metal like mithril to make armors.

    Manufacturing from not only metals but also materials of monsters into armors, is also the skill of these people.

    Here they can learn the knowledge of engineering many things here like making furniture or daily necessities, or architectural skills.

    Hearing all this, it¡¯s only natural Simon took alchemy in this course.

    ¡¸I too took the exams of elite course, but naturally, I failed in practical skills¡¹

    For three consecutive years, that is, Simon says that making a sour expression, as though she has eaten a bitter bug, looks like those are quite terribly bad memories.

    ¡¸Lia-nee still persuaded me to change into Elite course......though, it¡¯s impossible for me¡¹

    fufu, I, who could only be yes-man to Simon who is expressing a darkughter, feel like a useless bastard.

    ¡¸And, for thest is Adventurer course¡¹

    This Adventurer course is more near to training institute rather than a school.

    The other courses have a detailed curriculum for one year, but this adventurer course is also used by active adventurers, so they can take the lectures they want to at any time, this is quite a free ss course.

    The normal sses are of a year ording to curriculum, but this adventurer course, just like the course of a person delivering morning newspaper, is of small period, that too of some several months.

    Though one can graduate if earned required credits, but there are more cases in adventurer course, of people dropping out of school after taking sses they deemed as necessary.

    ¡¸Novice adventurers do take the course seriously, but the ones with low education and good strength, leave as soon as they learn how to read characters. Among them, there also who seriously want to study, so there are various types in adventurer course¡¹

    ¡¸So that¡¯s the reason behind many older people wearing school uniform¡¹

    So the adults I saw in uniforms in the city and guild, are those who only take the sses they want to take.

    Which reminds me, I, Lily and Fiona also fall in this category.

    After all this time, I don¡¯t have any need to take lectures on how to deal with monsters, make camps, how to use guilds, like a novice adventurer.

    But, I do want to know about this world¡¯s subjects, geography, history, and also about ck gods.

    ¡¸Yeah, I really should try going to school¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, Onii-san haven¡¯t you graduated from a military school at your home ce?¡¹

    Eeh, what is that back-setting, did I ever say something like that?

    ¡¸I thought you went to an army school, because Onii-san knows things that adventurers don¡¯t know like, speaking in formalnguage, reading and writing, knowing tactics, and using awesome ck magic¡¹

    Is is different? Well, the answer is Yes, it is.

    ¡¸Were you some magi¡¯s apprentice?¡¹

    ¡¸Nope, wrong¡¹

    ¡¸......Then, Onii-san just where and how did you learn magic?¡¹

    Eyes of suspicion pierce into me.

    Well, is it fine if I tell Simon that I¡¯m an another worlder?

    ¡¸No, it might be better tell you¡¹

    The disadvantage to me revealing it is only, me being treated as an insane person with no proof.

    But, Simon understands the scientific knowledge I have, so she¡¯s the person who can easily believe me than others.

    ¡¸I will tell at a ce where no one else can hear¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I see, Yeah, then how about going to the roof?¡¹

    Like that, we head towards the splendid main building that extends from the main entrance.

 s 188 Things to do in School

    Chapters 188 ¨C Things to do in School

    Aiming for the roof of right wing of main building, I went up the stairs.

    From its appearance, I thought only students with high status from the elite course could use the main building, but in truth, it wasn¡¯t like that, and we easily entered it.

    The rooftop is always opened, so there was no reason to be med, and we can go up the stairs without any problem.

    Apparently right now it is ss times, so there are no students in this area.

    But during the lunch break after an hour, this ce too would be filled with many students, weather too is good today.

    While thinking that, I walk under the guidance of Simon and,

    ¡¸We have a preceding visitor, eh¡¹

    ¡¸Looks like it¡¹

    On the rooftop, which I thought nobody would be present, there stood a single a student.

    At a nce, he looks like a boy of same age, his hair is same as mine, ck hair, it adds up the resemnce to my former ssmates.

    Maybe he was taking a nap, but noticing our presence, he sluggishly straightened his body, andnguidly stood up.

    He is wearing the same ck zer like Simon, but there is a red mantle waving from its shoulders.

    I see, so this is an elite studdnt, eh

    ¡¸......¡¹

    This elite student, maybe, had thought his nap got disturbed due us appearing and like that he started moving towards the door for leaving the roof.

    I clearly see the face of student, who just now passed by me.

    My first impression, quite ady-killer he is.

    I envied him, because if I had looked more like dad, not mom, then I would also be a handsome boy with neutral gender beauty.

    No, though a handsome boy, but he¡¯s isn¡¯t much younger, his height is not like that of mine but it reaches 180 cms. He has slender tall stature, and hisnguid expression on face too looks somewhat elegant.

    However, other than the beauty, I am more curious about his ck hair and red eyes.

    His ck hair and red eyes are the same as Mia, at least, I still haven¡¯t seen any other person with those colors.

    No, here are people with strange colors that can¡¯t be found on earth, like Fiona, so maybe people with red eyes ck hair are not so rare.

    Agreeing on self-hypothesis, I without keeping it in mind, I,

    ¡¸Is that the so-called elite student?¡¹

    Casually ask Simon.

    ¡¸Yeah, but that person is special even among the elite students¡¹

    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹

    I thought, it must be because he is a delinquent among the elite students, but the answer from Simon was far exceeding my expectations.

    ¡¸Nero Julius Elrod, he is the first prince of ¡®the old demon king territory¡¯, Avalon¡¹

    Avalon is a big city-state adjacent to Spada.

    Above all, the second name ¡®old demon king territory¡¯ is something I heard even when I was living in vige of Irz.

    The imperial empire created by the ancient demon king, Mia Elrod, is Elrod Empire, Avalon is its imperial capital.

    In other words, the present city-state Avalon, is the legitimate sessor state of ancient Elrod empire.

    ¡¸By any chance, Mia Elrod and the guy from before are of same blood line?¡¹

    In that case, I can exin that he got those ck hair red eyes due to gic inheritance.

    ¡¸Who knows, just like Bardiel, it is doubtful if the royalty of Avalon have the same blood as that of demon king¡¹

    ¡¸......I see¡¹

    In that case, should I think it¡¯s a coincidence?

    I try to hear more, but they all keep getting away from Mia¡¯s appearance, like the king of Avalon has ck hair blue eyes, before that was blonde hair blue eyes.

    Yeah, so this coincidentally happened to be same colors.

    I have many curious question like, why some big like him from another country ismuting to this school, but before that,

    ¡¸Well then, looks like there is no one, I will now tell about myself¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Yeah, That¡¯s right¡¹

    I should speak about the fact of me being another worlder.

    .

    .

    .

    One day, I got summoned to this world, got turned into a guinea pig for human experiments, fortunately escaped from theboratory, met with Lily, and Irz was destroyed, all that is my connection with crusaders till today.

    ¡¸But, no matter how much I hate it, I can¡¯t possibly got to Arc continent and kill the people and destroy theboratories. Ever since I got this left eye, I had thought¨D¨D¡¹

    I gently touched the deep crimson left eye, from outer surface of eyelid.

    ¡¸The current me, can only fight against the crusaders in front of me. If they invaded Spada, the many soldiers, no, it would bepletely destroyed and once again people living life peacefully would die, inrge numbers. I alone cannot protect all those people, but, if I didn¡¯t fight then I wouldn¡¯t be able to save even one person¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t you ever think to run away? After all, this country isn¡¯t the one Onii-san was born in, the world, in the first ce is different, it hasn¡¯t even been 1 year since you havee to this side, do you think it has that worth that you will fight with your life on line?¡¹

    Simon said, while facing downwards.

    Run, eh, certainly I had thought about it, but I forgot about it three secondster.

    [ET: It is written as 3 stepster, but that it means seconds. This line rtes with an old thinking, that airheaded people forget things in really short time. If it bes a big problem, we people call it short-term memory loss]

    ¡¸The only people I want to protect with my life on line, are Lily, Fiona and you, Simon¡¹

    Saying that, I get embarrassed, while hiding my embarrassment, I pat the head of Simon.

    Strangely, without showing any resistance, I continued speaking while patting her head.

    ¡¸But, I just can¡¯t forgive those crusaders bastards for doing what they want under the name of god. No matter how many hundreds of thousands of them are, no matter if apostles are there, I will still choose fighting rather than running, fortunately, I have ¡®power¡¯ to fight¡¹

    The power that those bastards gave me on their own.

    Normally, I too would have had to kill the ¡®demon race¡¯ of Pandora like those experimental bodies lead by Cyprus, but I can turn the same power on them.

    ¡¸Onii-san, is it because you¡¯re strong, that you don¡¯t fear fighting......?¡¹

    While fixing her slightly disheveled ashen hair, Simon murmurs.

    ¡¸Of course I¡¯m scared of dying, but I¡¯m more scared of losing someone important to me without doing anything. Don¡¯t those knights also fight because they have someone or something they want to protect?¡¹

    Among them, surely there might people who love fight like Vulcan, but saying that right now would be insensitive.

    ¡¸I¡¯m, scared of it¡¹

    A gust of wind blows on the roof.

    The bangs of Simon flutter due to wind, and her emerald eyes can be seen.

    It, seemed like she could cry at any moment.

    ¡¸During the fight in Alsace, I was desperate, so I didn¡¯t feel it. However, after I survived when Susu-san protected me, I have gotten scared of fighting¡¹

    Maybe she didn¡¯t want her expression to be shown, Simon faced away, and continued her words.

    ¡¸Even I want to avenge the death of everyone by fighting the crusaders, I too want to save this country. I get scared thinking what if that white army came striking on this country, I still can¡¯t help but shiver thinking what if that monster which killed everyone appears!¡¹

    I couldn¡¯t find words to say to her.

    The starting point for our fear is different in the first ce, I have a tough body which won¡¯t be easily hurt, but Simon looks like a child and has a power exactly like that of a child.

    Though we have tasted the pain of hell together, but I got power in short time, and Simon¡¯s training for power didn¡¯t bore fruit for a long time. So, I don¡¯t have words to say to her.

    ¡¸......Sorry, forget what I just said. I¡¯m fine, I will fight again when crusaders attack Spada¡¹

    Saying that Simon turns back to me.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re an alchemist, then you don¡¯t need to fight, right?¡¹

    Simon makes a puzzled expression, having difficulty making out the meaning of my words.

    But, without paying attention to it, I continue speaking.

    ¡¸But Simon, you have the potential to kill the most crusaders that anyone else¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, what does that mean¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Won¡¯t you create a gun?¡¹

    Simon¡¯s eyes widened in shock, after finally knowing my intention.

    This is, the other reason I came to talk to Simon today.

    ¡¸Though we lost in Alsace, but the power of gun was demonstrated, right?¡¹

    Machine guns splendidly pulverized the attacks of infantrymen.

    Using Yatagarasu, Simon head-shotted many enemy magicians.

    We would have more easy fight, if all the adventurer alliance had rifles and guns.

    Though there are sturdy people like heavy knights through which bullets don¡¯t cross, but the main power of Crusaders is the enormous numbers.

    ¡¸......Mass production of gun¡¹

    ¡¸Not only this, If it¡¯s you, Simon, then it is possible to make even more weapons¡¹

    For example artilleries,nd mines, it is possible to make the weapons which use gunpowder with some time.

    Not only that, if we use magic instead of gunpowder, it is possible to even make a missile.

    ¡¸The information about science & technology inside my head is not present in this world, though I don¡¯t know exactly detailed information, but Simon would be able to make it out¡¹

    That¡¯s right, this genius alchemist, will be able to make things near the original version, all based on my vague information, after all she made a gun on her own.

    This girl has the brains to find the answers even with the slightest hints.

    ¡¸You even have a new researchboratory, so how about it?¡¹

    ¡¸Hm......Yes! That¡¯s right, I just have make a really awesome weapon!¡¹

    Right, you just have to leave everything to tough people like me who will fight at the front-lines.

    ¡¸Well then, it is necessary to get research funds¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah......¡¹

    Simon has a face as though she just sobered up.

    She is a poverty struck student, working as an adventurer to pay school expenses, it¡¯s not possible for her to get capital to make modern weapons.

    ¡¸I will get that for you, by working¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, No that¡¯s not good!¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, I¡¯m not giving out pocket money to you, but this is investment, thinking that you will make weapons that will annihte those bastards¡¹

    It is good to tell her, that right now, I don¡¯t have assets to investrge amount of money.

    I¡¯m still a rank 2 adventurer, I can¡¯t ept the quests that can help me make a killing.

    However¡ºElement Master¡»will easily get promoted to rank 4.

    I don¡¯t know how much great rank 5 is, but rank 4 will give enough money, that I could even buy a big house in noble district.

    ¡¸Yeah, I will work hard! I will live up to your expectations, Onii-san!¡¹

    Simon has her eyes zing for doing research. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s in high-spirits.

    ¡¸Ah, but right now, only Simon knows how to use a gun, so maybe you will have to fight as a sniper¡¹

    ¡¸Ehh, you say that now!?¡¹

    At any rate, the modern weapon development projected, Established!

    ¡¸Simon¡¯s weapons will kill the crusaders, and defeating crusaders¨D¨D¡¹

    A bullet wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce that white aura, no matter how many bullets are fired.

    With the cannon balls in artilleries, it isn¡¯t possible to aim perfectly.

    The weapons made for ¡®normal people¡® is not of any help against apostles having superhuman strength in their bodies.

    ¡¸¨D¨DThat is my work¡¹

    That¡¯s why. I will ¡®personally¡¯ oppose apostles with power rivalling them.

    There is a possibility to materialize the divine protection of Mia Elrod, above all Mia talked as though she knows about the apostles of white god.

    Mia¡¯s identity is still unknown, but currently this is the most probable one that I can think of.

    ¡¸But, is that divine protection something you can trust?¡¹

    ¡¸It is still a possibility......¡¹

    It hurts that I cannot affirm whether I will certainly get the divine protection or not.

    Currently, I have no idea what the trial is, and there is no reason Crusaders will wait for me to get divine protection.

    The uncertainty of divine protection, the unknown departure time of crusaders, I have a mountain of problems.

    ¡¸More or less, my basic policy is to get power by fighting stronger monsters¡¹

    I¡¯m not relying on divine protection only for power, I chose to increase the rank because I want to polish my power by fighting stronger monsters.

    ¡¸Fighting them, that is going to be hard. I thought you will train to learn new magic or martial skills¡¹

    ¡¸Training, huh......I didn¡¯t do anything other than practical fights during mobility experiments, so I never even thought about it¡¹

    Now that she said it, the way to get stronger is by training, right.

    It might sound exaggerated, but a bullied child starts learning boxing for getting stronger, that is the right way to get stronger.

    ¡¸Though you say training, I have no idea of what to do in that¡¹

    Do I have stand under a waterfall? No, that is for mental strength and won¡¯t help for power, right. [ET: seriously, what is this guy thinking. Lolololol]

    ¡¸In that case, learn that in the school, right?¡¹

    I see, you¡¯repletely right.

    Now that I think about it, I had talked to those two for going to school.

    At that time, I was thinking to go to school for learning more about fundamental knowledge of this world.

    ¡¸If I want to, then can Ie to this school?¡¹

    From what I talked before, I couldn¡¯t get the detailed information of this school but a student is in front of me, I will easily get it.

    ¡¸Yeah, there might type of people like Onii-san in the Adventurer course.¡¹

    ¡¸Are there other type of people too?¡¹

    In the first ce, what sort of type am I?

    ¡¸The novice adventurers, join the adventurer training school which tells each and everything from the start, rather than joining Adventurer course which only has a curriculum and doesn¡¯t tell that much¡¹

    I see, certainly I¡¯m not a rookie adventurer, but in less than 3 months I have already reached rank 2.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why, Onii-san wouldn¡¯t want to learn exnation of Guild or quests, so it will be better if you only take the sses of things you don¡¯t know¡¹

    Completely right, I¡¯m thinking if this system was made specially for me.

    ¡¸Just like I said before, there are more adventurer with power and no brains, so our school epts them, here they can learn whatever they want to¡¹

    The dropping out of school without graduating after learning the things needed, is like a symbolic phenomenon.

    And, the only ce I can study while being an adventurer is this ce only.

    ¡¸By the way, how much will it take for enrolling?¡¹

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know the particrs, but the adventurer course is the most cheap course, you can earn the school expenses during school, like me, as for enrollment fees, minimum you should have around 100K n¡¹

    100K, is this high or low......yeah, when I was in Irz, it didn¡¯t even take a month to earn 100K n, which in Daedalus currency is, 10 gold.

    In that case, if a rank 1 adventurer can earn that much, then 100K is not that costly of an amount.

    The most expensive things for adventurers is the equipments, let alone cursed weapons, even a normal sword costs 1000K n.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right......I think I will try going to school¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it will be good!¡¹

    Simon approves it with a smile.

    ¡¸Alright, after I be rank 3 afterpleting the currents quests, I wille here¡¹

    For sure, Lily and Fiona will alsoe with me, it is going to be a good interesting school life for me.

    No doubt it is due to me having lingering affection for my high-school life which was suddenly interrupted.

 Chapter 189 Is this a mixed bath? No, it is a menâ€™s bath

    Chapter 189 ¨C Is this a mixed bath? No, it is a men¡¯s bath

    From the afternoon, in therge storage room, no, in the newboratory of Simon,the meeting revealing about the modern-science began.

    Though, I only have knowledge on the high-schooler level, it is not possible for me to think on something that can be immediately made in this world.

    For the time being, I told her about my world, more precisely about the modern-day Japan.

    I didn¡¯t stop at just weapons like guns, but told about transportation methods like car, train, airne, then went on to telmunication means like radio, television, and mobile phone, and also told aboutputer. I couldn¡¯t know what kind of image would Simon, an another world inhabitant, would have about these devices, but she seemed to have piqued a really great interest in them.

    However, the time doesn¡¯t forgive to keep on talking endlessly.

    When I realized the sun was setting down, I decided to call it a day there.

    But however, at the time of returning,

    ¡¸It was quite hot today, there is even sweat, maybe I will enter the bath¡¹

    If Simon didn¡¯t say something like, I would¡¯ve been back at inn.

    ¡¸There is a bath!?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, yes there is?¡¹

    Simon makes a eye filled with suspicion saying ¡®Did you not know¡¯, regarding my ignorance.

    Of course, I don¡¯t know, the only things I know about this world, are limited to the things I had learned as an adventurer in a rural countryside area.

    ¡¸There was no bath in Irz¡¹

    ¡¸There wasn¡¯t even one in Alsace too. ces like public bathhouse wouldn¡¯t be present unless there is a big city like Spada, only and unless a natural spring appears¡¹

    Spada, you rock! Here, a public bathhouse is present......This is for the first time, I¡¯m thinking it was good toe to Spada.

    Why? Bath is the true heart of Japan, till now I have beared with the torture of wiping my body with wet towel, it¡¯s obvious I want to enter the bath.

    I want to immerse myself in the bathtub filled with hot water and just RELAX!

    ¡¸Ah, err, then shall we go together?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course, what are we waiting for!¡¹

    At that time, Simon seemed like a healing goddess to me.

    .

    .

    .

    After walking for about 5 minutes outside of school, there stood a public bathhouse, boldly standing out.

    ¡¸I-It was in a ce this recognisable......¡¹

    I failed to notice it, no, I simply hadn¡¯te in this area.

    Still, I can onlyment over the fact that I hadn¡¯te to this area before.

    Arge building like this on the main street will catch my attention even if I don¡¯t like it, furthermore, due the fact I can read this world¡¯s letters, there is no way I would possibly not catch sight of thisrgely written¡ºPublic Bathhouse¡»

    ¡¸It is quite rowdy, even at this time¡¹

    The cloudless red dyed sky, informs the end of day

    Even so, there are many people like humans and other races, going in and out of public bathhouse continuously.

    ¡¸Spada has long running times even in night totally different from rural area, therefore many peoplee at this time too¡¹

    Simon, holding a bath towel and bath set under her arms, told me.

    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s enter fast¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right¡¹

    While making my heart throb faster in expectation for theing hyper-rx-time, I passed through the entrance of bathhouse which is two-leaf door.

    In the front was an imposing watch stand, customers which entered like me, were paying the fees to the olddy standing there as a gatekeeper.

    On the left was a door with the picture of a deformed man along with word¡ºMan¡»written, on the right was the female version of it.

    This ce is like a lobby, there are some people here and there sitting on benches and drinking some sort of drink filled inside a cup. Seems like there isn¡¯t much difference in the public bathhouse of this world or of Earth.

    ¡¸Bathing is of 300 n, and talking a towel charges 50 n¡¹

    Before I started searching for price list, Simon made a smart move and tells me.

    I take out 350 n, and head towards the watch stand along with Simon.

    I pay the fees without a hitch, took the towel set, and head towards the men¡¯s bat for enjoying bath to my heart¡¯s content.

    I open the sliding door, inside was the dressing room as if it¡¯s natural for it to be present there.

    The scene of nude men walking towards the bathroom with towel in one hand looks exactly like that of public bathhouses of Japan.

    But, because they all are adventurers, all have toned muscr bodies only.

    Not only that, there are also beast people and other races, it is filled with another world feeling.

    It might be none of my concern, would it help the skeleton at all if they enter the bath?

    While thinking such a ridiculous thing, I fling the apprentice magician robe in the undressing basket lined up on the shelves.

    ¡¸But, this is not much different than Japan¡¯s bathhouses¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, is that so¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah¨D¨D¡¹

    Eh, What, I think I just heard a voice that shouldn¡¯t be present here.

    ¡¸What happened, Onii-san?¡¹

    Looks like it¡¯s an auditory hallucination, I face the way voice came from

    ¡¸W-Why are you here!?¡¹

    And, there stood Simon, with half undressed shirt showing her white shoulders, as though it is natural.

    What the! Here is without a doubt Men¡¯s bath, no matter if she likes to cross-dress a boy, this isn¡¯t the ce she should actuallye to.

    No, was there some problem in diving the men¡¯s bath and women¡¯s bath? No, or this ce in the first ce, a mixed-bath?

    Now that I remember it, during Edo period there were mixed baths, so it might only be natural for it to be present¨D¨D

    ¡¸Eh, um......Onii-san, you don¡¯t want to enter together with me?¡¹

    I don¡¯t know if Simon is trying to seduce me, but she said the line with a really cute expression.

    Of course, her body is still half naked, its explosive power will blow my thought process to moon.

    But, I¡¯m not the boy who would nosebleed here, That¡¯s right, I can bear it if I want to.

    ¡¸I-It¡¯s not the matter of wanting or not wanting, in fact this is men¡¯s bath, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right......¡¹

    So this really is men¡¯s bath, then even more, Simon shouldn¡¯t remain here.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t what you¡¯re thinking, but quickly go to women¡¯s bath, this is not a ce a girl should be in¡¹

    While mobilizing my rational power, I dress up the half-undressed shirt.

    ¡¸It¡¯s me who doesn¡¯t get what you¡¯re thinking, why should I go to women¡¯s bath......Eh, Onii-san did you......¡¹

    Maybe she realized something, Simon looks at me with eyes widened from shock.

    ¡¸Onii-san do you think of me......as a girl?¡¹

    I couldn¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying.

    What does it mean, did Simon by any chance think of me a girl?

    No, even in this world, the way of differentiating male and female is same, It¡¯s easy to understand upon looking.

    Recall it me, I did get Simon is female on the first nce I saw her......Hm, huh, I perfectly remember that I had trouble differentiating Simon¡¯s gender.

    Furthermore, not even once, had Simon said her to be girl.

    Then had I, on my own ord, thought Simon was a girl and had kept on thinking it?

    ¡¸Simon......are you a man?¡¹

    I timidly ask,

    ¡¸!? Onii-san, you idiot! I¡¯m a man, you can look at it!!¡¹

    Like hell I can understand it by looking, I can¡¯t say that, I just can¡¯t.

    Her line is same as the one said by some self-proimed god, but yeah, here it was my fault.

    ¡¸Sorry, I always thought you were a girl......¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a man! Really, Onii-san is an idiot! Dimwit! Idioot!!¡¹

    I try to soother Simon who is pleasantly hitting my chest again and again in a cute manner, and I don¡¯t I need to tell how much time it took.

    Also, the stares from surrounding did hurt.

    I was sorry for creating a ruckus, but when I heard the words¡¸What, just a lover¡¯s quarrel¡¹, I seriously wanted to fire Bullet Arts everywhere.

    ¡¸......I¡¯m sorry¡¹

    ¡¸Uu......It¡¯s fine, many people think I¡¯m a girl many times......¡¹

    Ah, so that is true.

    But leaving it all that, let¡¯s have fun in the bath that got postponed.

    Like that, I take off the white shirt, and Simon takes out his shirt,

    ¡¸......¡¹

    It¡¯s just that, it feels like that, when I see Simon taking out his clothes at a close distance that our shoulders can touch. It can¡¯t be helped, right?

    Without noticing my irregr heartbeats, Simon takes off the clothes.

    Taking off the shirt, there is no there thing to cover the upper part of body, and the naked body of Simon, who looks like a girl, appears in front of me.

    Pale white skin, round shoulders, slim waist, as for chest, unless one knows he is a man, one would of him as a unfortunate girl with very less breasts.

    Simon, without hesitating moved his hands to the belt holding up his cks.

    With a click the sp is released, he then takes out the cks without hesitation, this time the white legs appear.

    As if natural, there is no body hair present on his body,not even leg hair.

    Simon is now in just underpants, but I still haven¡¯t seen the proof of male gender.

    Even theses trunks type underpants, look like squash bloomer to me, is Simon really a man?

    Am I, by any chance, getting deceived?

    But my conflict gets done in a second, after all, Simon has moved his hands on the underpants.

    Gulp, I reflexively gulped, I am seeing the proof of male gender of Simon in next second.

    ¡¸......Simon¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, What?¡¹

    Simon faces me, in his hands a towel, and his body is stark-naked.

    ¡¸No, nothing¡¹

    Yeah, there is nothing, because I have the seen as it is from my eyes.

    Simon, though you¡¯re ¡®small¡¯, but you¡¯re without a doubt man.

    [ET: Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re an ass**** Kurono, you do like cute guys too]

    ¡¸Come on, let¡¯s go¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Yeah¡¹

    I too am now naked,pletely ready to jump into bathtub.

    No, I don¡¯t mean jumping literally.

    ¡¸Simon, why are looking restless?¡¹

    I, after learning the truth have nothing to fear, and even my rationality hase back.

    Simon is restless, no, maybe vignt of something.

    ¡¸Uh, err......¡¹

    Simon bes shy, stop it, I, who has learned the truth will have my heart wavered, from his back it doesn¡¯t look like he is man.

    Even so, I can¡¯t ask him to show the front, no, above that I need Simon¡¯s exnation.

    ¡¸Sometimes, people touch my butt, that¡¯s why I have be vignt¡¹

    ¡¸I see......you¡¯ve got lot of troubles¡¹

    I realized, that it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a man or woman, as long it is a cute, everything is fine. This is the truth of world.

    [ET: See, I told you guys above!!]

    For the time being, I will take care of perverts who will try to molest Simon.

    .

    .

    .

    At any rate, I reached back to inn in good mood, I even wanted to start humming.

    The summer breeze on my hot body feels just great.

    I was feeling so good, that on my way back, I even bought the rabbit ears attached kids robe for Lily, the one she liked.

    The olddy was still the same stubborn witch, but showing my rank 2 guild card, she was somewhat impressed.

    I¡¯m grateful that she understands that I¡¯m not some damn noble kid ying around.

    Well, still she didn¡¯t give me a discount of even a single n, and I had to purchase the robe for 37,000 n.

    Incidentally, I had thought this robe was made from a white rabbit, but when I heard it was made from the white Punpun living in snowy mountains, I got surprised and also consented to the fluffiness.

    Like that, when I reached back to inn in high spirits with the white Punpun robe in one hand,

    ¡¸Huh, Kurono-san, there is nothing for me?¡¹

    I totally forgot about her.

    No, I think it¡¯s rude to ask for presents, but a sense of guilty swells up, upon seeing Fiona sending a jealousy filled gaze to Lily who is froclicking around white wearing white Pun-robe.

    After apologizing, I promised Fiona, to treat her pudding at ater date.

    When Element Master was formed, she asked for pudding, so it¡¯s natural toplete the promise now.

    Incidentally, I have ned to use Simon¡¯sboratory¡¯s kitchen, which is quite run-down.

    That isn¡¯t some storage room, at first it was a dormitory, so there all equipments needed for living.

    Setting it aside, I thought to tell Lily and Fiona about joining Royal Spada Academy upon reaching rank 3, but

    ¡¸In truth, we both have prepared a present for Kurono-san, please take it¡¹

    I got an exciting surprise.

    ¡¸Thank you, I will dly take it¡¹

    But, I, at that time didn¡¯t knew the true surprise was the present these girls have prepared for me.

 Chapter 190 Hero and Angel

    Chapter 190 ¨C Hero and Angel

    The Daedalus royal castle, from the topmost balcony present there, an unbroken view of Daedalus townscape could be seen.

    That wasn¡¯t some capital of uncivilized demons as people from republic had thought, but was civilized and modernistic like the cities of humans.

    There were two people standing in the balcony watching Daedalus grow dark slowly.

    On one side was a small girl, on the other side was arge youth, both carry beautiful silver hair, at a nce they would seem like brother and sister.

    However, there was no connection of blood between them, the word expressing their rtionship would be ¡¯workpanions¡¯.

    The small girl was 7th Apostle Sariel, therge youth was 2nd Apostle Abel, both of them are transcendental beings rewarded with the divine protection of White God.

    The warm wee of him as an envoy sent by Pope had already beenpleted, the people also had been sent away, and Abel¡¯s masculine face was out without any need for hiding.

    As 2nd Apostle Abel, he called out to Sariel, who had been standing silently.

    ¡¸I have heard from Miss Misa, looks like you have had a lot of troubles.¡¹

    Though the tone was indifferent and somewhere cold, but it was, without a doubt, words of gratitude.

    ¡¸Not at all¡¹

    Sariel said just that and looked at Abel with her deep crimson pair of eyes.

    On the other hand were the pair of ck and blue eyes which seemed like night and day, the line of sight of both crossed just for a second.

    ¡¸Her actions were clearly abuse of her power, I have strictly ¡®warned¡¯ her¡¹(Abel)

    The person who can warn an Apostle could be another Apostle only.

    Sariel couldn¡¯t possibly know what sort of warning had the¡ºWhite Hero¡»2nd Apostle Abel, given to her.

    Even more because she hadn¡¯t gotten such a warning even once, as she had faithfully obeyed the orders of Church till now.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t want another trouble of this sort, however, considering her personality, that can be a tough case¡¹

    Sariel saw Abel sighing as though to say Good grief.

    Sariel suddenly thought that though Abel always kept an expressionless face and was also cool, calm and collected, but he had human emotion unlike herself.

    ¡¸I think you already know it, Miss Misa thinks of you as a rival. Though it might be trouble for you, but I want you to keep a good rtionship as Apostles¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    There was nothing Sariel thought about Misa.

    The ill feelings like troublesome or annoying were non-existent, though, good feelings too were non-existent.

    ¡¸......Maybe it was unnecessary advice for you¡¹

    ¡¸No, thank you very much for the advice, Sir Abel¡¹

    Perhaps he sensed that Sariel truly didn¡¯t think anything in her heart, so he said that, but Sariel could only take the meaning as stated.

    ¡¸As for problems, Ai too hase here, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, she visited here on 15th day of Hatsuhi Month¡¹

    The information he wouldn¡¯t have known from only the report of Misa, Sariel conveyed it along with the words of affirmation.

    Abel didn¡¯t seem surprised,

    ¡¸Is slipping past the defenses toe out of blue called as ¡®visiting¡¯¡¹

    And stated as though he had seen Ai¡¯s actions, no, more probable he had experienced the same as Sariel.

    Sariel had suspicions whether she could slip past the defenses of Elysion Cathedral, but she suddenly epted it, because Ai too was loved by God, so it wouldn¡¯t be much of a work for her.

    ¡¸What was she saying?¡¹

    ¡¸She requested to establish Guilds in Daedalus¡¹

    She asked for a normal request, eh, Abel muttered as though being impresses, but he had no way of knowing that she took actions for kissing Sariel after stating her request.

    ¡¸Have you started the Guild?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, for now the quests are only for outskirts of Daedalus, but in near future if would spread in the whole territory¡¹

    The mercenary squads which hired from Republic, were still employed as military force for next invasion, but there were some who were disbanded after the suppression of Daedalus territory.

    They would have two choices, either stay on Pandora Continent, or return back to Republic, but they would choose thetter because there might be another war in thisnd.

    It is because those type of people were present, there was no deficiency in numbers of adventurers.

    Once the Adventurer Guild starts up, the number of people would naturally increase.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s good to hear everything is alright, looks like it was alright to leave the suprememander seat of Crusaders to you¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    There were whimsical people like Misa and Ai among the Apostles, so the people like Sariel were valuable.

    Thinking that, thepliment by Abel wouldn¡¯t be an unnecessarypliment.

    ¡¸Well then, let me get to the point¡¹

    These two ending up together by natural flow would be impossible.

    The only reason they had removed the people to be alone meant they had something to talk which shouldn¡¯t be heard by others.

    ¡¸This is the main reason I hade to Pandora Continent, so instead of telling Miss Sariel by letter, I had thought of telling it orally¡¹

    In other words, it meant that he didn¡¯t want the contents to be seen by her adjutant Liuchrome either.

    Thought Abel hadn¡¯t said the disclosure is prohibited, but Sariel understood she had to keep the information inside her only.

    ¡¸On 13th of Hatsuhi Month, I received an oracle saying ¡®A Demon King is going to be born¡¯¡¹

    The moment she heard those words, the face of a single man appeared inside the brain of Sariel.

    It was the man with ck eyes ck hair, experiment number 49, Kurono Mao

    Why Kurono appeared, the reason, even Sariel didn¡¯t knew.

    Was it because his ck appearance was simr to a Demon King? Or was it because he did deeds in Alsace which cause him to get name ¡®Devil¡¯?

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what it exactly meant, but I think a person controlling the demons in Pandora Continent is going to appear, and so I havee here for scouting¡¹

    The oracle of White God don¡¯t ever exin themselves, it was the work of priests for interpreting what the god in actuality wanted.

    Thought there¡¯s no proof that Abel¡¯s interpretation was correct, but considering the various possibilities, it was the most easy to understand.

    In that case, is the person who would ¡®control the demons in Pandora Continent¡¯, that Kurono?

    ¡¸Of course, from the ces I had gone there didn¡¯t seem to any person who would be a Demon King, so it is probable that Demon King would be born in this world as a child¡¹

    As for warning, she should inform about the man named Kurono, though there¡¯s no definite evidence, but she should have.

    ¡¸......Yes¡¹

    However, other than those words, no other words came out of Sariel¡¯s mouth.

    The slight hesitation, the silence of a second, wasn¡¯t noticed by Abel, so he continued in a calm voice.

    ¡¸If a Demon King really appears, then it would be Miss Sariel, you, who would make the first contact with it, and, that Demon King must be a great existence because he was informed of through an oracle. Just when we thought our work of conquering Pandora Continent would be easily done after repelling Daedalus army, has now gotten wrong. Take actions with vignce¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    After that, they both talked some more words, then Abel left the ce.

    ¡¸Kurono......Maou¡¹

    [ET: It ain¡¯t his name. Maou = Demon King, Satan, Demon Lord. Mao (his name) = kind-hearted, lovable (his face doesn¡¯t look like that), strong, and truthful. In other words, Mao = pussy wimp who can¡¯t be cruel]

    The image of Demon King, which every citizen of Republic holds, Sariel too holds it.

    The sky shrouded with dark ominous clouds, a creepy castle standing in the dark night, and sitting on the throne positioned at top, a fiendish looking man waiting for Hero whileughing, that¡¯s the image.

    After bing an adult, they wouldugh it off, saying such a Demon King couldn¡¯t possibly exist.

    However, Sariel imagined the scene of Kurono sitting on throne, who was ordering army of demons to annihte the Crusaders whileughing loudly. This was the first time she had felt her imagination to be abnormally real.

 Chapter 191 Magical Beast

    Chapter 191 ¨C Magical Beast

    Smanders are also known as fire dragons, even among numerous monsters it is a representative-like, symbolic existence.

    Smander has no forelegs like a bird, but has hind-legs along with two wings, it has a figure like that of wyvern.

    It has deep crimson colored scales, which seems like zing fire, covering its body. Its two wings p and dance in air, and its fangs and ws more sharp than average swords tear up the prey.

    And its certain-kill dragon breath, which has the might of a high-level attack magic.

    If people see its figure, abilities, they would bepelled to be awestruck and understand that it is one of the dragons which stands at the top of living beings.

    Those smanders have, here, in this Ghad Mountain Range¡¯s northern part¡¯s summit, set up a nest.

    There is an ideal natural cave present for changing it into nest, most probably the smanders living here for generations have been using it.

    In addition, the most strongest one in this northern part of Ghad Mountain Range also has the right to use that ce.

    The users this time were without exception, smanders which haverger staturepared to other smanders.

    Among the male and female, normally male has a big frame, but this couple both have big frames.

    When facing the dragon like Smander, these two were the most dangerous pair.

    First they have two heads, haverger powerful bodies and powerpared to normal smanders, and have increased their guard because they are in the middle of raising their young ones who have already hatched from eggs, and thest point, the female is as strong as the male.

    Taking all this in considerations, it bes easily understandable that subjugating them would be more harder than a rank 4 quest for subjugating 1-headed normal smander.

    These two were the strongest individuals in the northern range of Ghad Mountain range, it was both affirmed by demons living in surroundings and even Spada Adventurer Guild, however,

    SFX: Gaaaoooooo!!

    The moment that ferocious yell resonated within the cave, they were taken down from the throne of strongest being.

    The cave acting as the nest for Smanders, had scent of blood drifting inside, to the extent one would choke by sniffing.

    Inside there was no the dragons who were strongest, but a ghastly cruel sight which can only be put up in one word ¡®Cruel Massacre¡¯. Only the scene of massacre was spread.

    The strong wings which danced in air were teared off with power, the children were lying on the floor teared here and there like a paper.

    The jaw which was lined up with fangs which could crunch the prey, had been forcibly wrenched open and divided into two parts, thecerations reached the middle of neck.

    The strong tail which could even defeat other smanders too was teared off from the roots, it can¡¯t be swung as a whip from now on.

    The strong red dragon scales were smashed into pieces as though hit by hammer.

    However the point to be surprised would be that the scales which even dragon breath can¡¯t scratch were melting and falling.

    The two-headed were the same too, they were teared to shreds, smashed into pulp, it couldn¡¯t be identified who was male or who was female, their bodies only revealed the ghastly manner of death.

    As for why something like this was happening, the answer is quite simple and easy to understand even for a monster.

    That¡¯s right, it only meant that someone more stronger than the two-headed couple has appeared.

    SFX: ooOOOOooOOOooOOO!!

    Once again the yell resounds in the cave.

    The source wasn¡¯t the already-dead smanders, it was a magical beastpletely different from a dragon.

    At a nce it looked like a Gori, the scene of it walking on four legs while attaching front limbs on groundpletely resembled a gori.

    However, its height was like that of a monster, the overall height from arms to head crossed 6 metres, and its overall length from the head to the end of tail was more than ten-odd metres.

    Compared to smander, yeah it was small,pared to humans, they would both be ssified as big-type monsters.

    Its body has been tightened to the extreme limits,pared to that of a gori its body was lot more sharp, however the bulged muscles on the upper body would be like boasting its strength just like how minotaurus or cyclops do.

    It has five fingers on hands, but the arms were so thick that they can¡¯t bepared to humans, gori or even minotaurus. It looked like the trunk of millennium years old tree.

    Especially the right arm which was thicker than left, and it helped in supporting the strong power.

    On the back of right hand a jewel like a¡ºBeryl¡»was buried and was releasing bright red light, the tremendous magical power near it can be the only reason for the melting of smanders scales.

    It had the ck hair, but around the neck, chest, and the arms are deep crimson colored hair as though the zing mes have been put into a shape.

    Even now the red hairs are flickering like a heat haze, the tail grown seemed like that of cow¡¯s tail and the red hair on the end seemed like a torch.

    [ET: Why do I get the image of that one something from Pokemon when reading its tail got a torch?]

    The magical beast walks forward while waving its creepy and prideful red hair, the ce it was headed to was the ce children of smanders wailing *Kyuu Kyuu*.

    The reason they couldn¡¯t escape while wanting to wasn¡¯t because they froze up in fear, but the wings which can let them fly even if they are very young had been half-torn off.

    With their hind-legs they could run faster than humans, but one side of them had been uprooted and they could only crawl even when using all their power.

    Other ten too were being raised here, but they too half-killed by none other than this ck and red magical beast.

    In the first ce, before the two-headed parents of them were killed, they already had their legs and wings torn off.

    The moment the parents moved their eyes from children, the magical beast took the opportunity and half-killed every child, for it the work would¡¯ve been too easy.

    Of course, the parents noticed the violence of this intruder one secondter, and attacked with heart full of rage.

    And the situations arrive at the current time, in other words the children were made to see their parents getting killed in front of their eyes.

    No one knows what the children of smander, who don¡¯t have the intelligence like that of a human, had thought while seeing their parents getting killed.

    But however, there¡¯s no doubt they would¡¯ve felt fear seeing the magical beasting towards them while they could only keep on wailing.

    That scene was something a sadistic person would gleefully watch and trample on it, and thus, the magical beastughed.

    [ET: Oh no, I¡¯m not much sadistic, though I feel pleasure in trampling every person in games!]

    A sharp face like that of a face, but the face which was smiling gently, could only be seen as an extremely evil smile.

    The long ears which seemed like the ears of rabbit, were wavering as though feeling really ecstatic.

    The ck eyes with red pupils was narrowed in pleasure, and took time in looking at the figures of children wailing.

    Like that, after some time passed, it picked the head of one child who was crawling to run, and threw the child into its mouth.

    *Crunch crunch* Not paying attention to scales and bones, it eats the whole body while the blood drips from the mouth.

    Maybe it felt satisfied from the taste of smander¡¯s meat, it raised a moan, and desperately tried to run here and there with its half-torn wing and legs. Then, it moves onto the next child.

    The meal time got finished in less than 5 minutes, finally the only living being inside the cave became only the magical beast.

    SFX: GaaooOooOOooOOooOO!!

    The repulsive yell not only resounded in the cave but also went outside.

    It was to show that it was the new ruler of the mountain.

    Before I go, this magical beast is a character that you all guys haven¡¯t read but you still know, and I wanted it toe fast. Now just wait for action, it¡¯s going toe in some chapters. Oh, that ain¡¯t normal action like fighting this beast or something like that, just wait and watch, err I mean read~

 Chapter 192 Genealogy of Demon King

    Chapter 192 ¨C Genealogy of Demon King

    I had always felt something ¡®different¡¯ from this world ever since I was a child.

    I also think that the ce I need to be is not this boring world but a different ce.

    However, I don¡¯t know where that is, and it¡¯s troublesome to go find on my own without any clues, is ridiculous, and I hate to waste my energy.

    [ET: Hyouka anyone? Well this guy is more like me! and less like Oreki]

    That¡¯s why I, Nero Julius Elrod am ditching the boring needless ss, and taking a nap on the roof of school.

    ¡¸Sigh......¡¹

    I sight while watching the endlessly stretching blue sky, boredomes.

    But, this ce is much better than the fucking royal ce of that shitty Avalon.

    It¡¯s not like I wanted, but I got born in the fucking tremendous royal family of Avalon, the legitimate sessor state of Elrod empire.

    Let¡¯s add spice, I am also the first in line to inherit the family, fuck that.

    I¡¯ve got no interest in bing the king, after all then I would need to handle those shitty country level problems.

    Even in this school life I am living, I have to deal with troublesome problems or get into idents too. If I became the king, wouldn¡¯t a world war start, no I¡¯m being serious here.

    I only want to live peacefully, want to evade troublesome situations, not stand-out, but the gods of Pandora don¡¯t let me and I want to kick their asses one time, especially, the guy who rules over fate, I won¡¯t stop with one kick.

    Well, if bes too peaceful then once again boredom kicks in, one can¡¯t be satisfied with life easily.

    ¡¸......Hm?¡¹

    While thinking those ridiculous things, I sense presence of people.

    It¡¯s not like I trained, but my five senses are better than a run-of-the-mill sort of person, thanks to this talent I had two times killed the assassins when I was a child, this is one great talent.

    There are 2 signs of approaching, neither can I can feel magical power nor hostility, they¡¯re simply moving forward and climbing the stairs.

    Oh geez, I never thought someone else other than them cane here during ss times, they¡¯re quite rude visitors that can¡¯t read atmosphere.

    Even I have no intention of showing my sleeping face boldly to others, it would not be good if I got attacked, in both meanings.

    Me getting up from the bench and the entry of the uninvited guests coincided.

    I sent a fleeting nce, there stood a known face and unknown face, this is quite an odd couple with great difference in house.

    The small one is Simon, a person from that Bardiel family, and is also a famous student so even I who can¡¯t remember names easily have remembered his guy¡¯s name.

    He is the legendary man who gets full scores in written exams in every elite course examination but gets zero in the practical exams. It has been going on for 3 years already, really auaghable story.

    In the fourth year he finally entered the Magical Engineering course, and the legend has finallye to an halt.

    However if he can get more scores than me in written exams he could go into the Civil course and get an elite course there, but I can¡¯t understand the reason he entered the magical engineering even though he¡¯s not a dwarf. In the end, he is too much jumbled up for me to understand.

    I heard that he left the school temporarily for raising funds for school fees, but from that uniform looks like he came back.

    Well I only know the name and legend, and I don¡¯t have even the tiniest bit of interest in his circumstances.

    I¡¯m more curious about the tall man who is with Simon.

    He is wearing a shitty thing like Magician Apprentice robe which even the freshmen don¡¯t wear now-a-days.

    But, there is no opening in this man.

    Even the instructors of this school can¡¯t possibly have no openings like him, he is without a doubt someone with lot of power and is hiding it.

    [ET: No mate, only you can understand his value in Spada other than hispanions]

    At a nce he would seem like a magician due to the robe, but his body is supple and toned to the extent.

    It¡¯s like he is bodyguard hired for Simon by the Bardiel family.

    However, even more surprising things are his hair color and eye color.

    The ck hair and red eyes, are only found in the direct descendants of 1st Emperor of Elrod Empire, Mia Elrod, the demon king.

    The people with ck hair and red eyes both are quite rare in the royal family, mostly they get one, either ck hair or red eyes.

    This man, though one eyes is red, but he has the characteristics of ck hair and red eye.

    If he got that by coincidence then it must be miracle.

    Thinking from the left ck eye, then one of his parents might have ck hair and ck eyes like that of those foreigners.

    [ET: Foreigners = Another Worlders = Earthlings = People like me and you = people struck by boredom]

    And as for the other left eye, if he inherited some magical power then only he can have a red colored eye.

    Well what, it¡¯s only somewhat rare, not something I have to think about.

    Well half of the genealogy of Demon King is a rumour, neither does it has credibility, so upon searching there must be a person with ck hair and red eyes, not like I had seen one before today, though.

    Concluding like that, I, with sleepy eyes, left the roof because some intruders intruded my sleep.

    The other side too must be thinking of me as an intruder, well then, what would that man and Simon do on this roof with no people, it¡¯s not like I have no interest.

    I can maybe even scoop the time of legendary man Simon entering the world of adultery with same sex.

    Maybe I should let the servant record it, and I will get really high money if I leaked it out, after all the other man with Simon, though his type is different, but he can be considered as a handsome guy.

    Well those sharp ring eyes may a subtraction point for many people.

    I have lost an interesting chance, while thinking that Ie down the stairs,

    ¡¸Ah, you were ditching the sses by being on roof!¡¹

    and a voice I¡¯m all-too well familiar with resounded in my ears.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m not at the roof right now¡¹

    I¡¯m on the stairs.

    ¡¸These stairs lead to only roof, that means you were on the roof just before!¡¹

    He guessed the truth with his reasoning.

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you too ditching the sses, Charl, the sses are going on¡¹

    The girl wearing a red mantle the proof of elite cadet and is waving her red twin-tails is called Charlotte. In full name it is Charlotte Tristan Spada.

    [ET: Name reminded me of Charlotte (anime)]

    It¡¯s not like you won¡¯t understand even after hearing it, this girl a true princess, more precisely, third princess.

    Well to me she is ass who is a hard to please and has an inseparable rtionship of childhood friends with me.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t think of me the same as a delinquent like you, I have alreadypleted my quota of Magic Circle Application¢ò¡¹

    More than half of time for sses is still left, she is excellent like always.

    Her golden eyes and red hair is the same as her father¡ºSword King¡»Leonhart, but unlike that monster of a father, her face is of a beautiful girl, it¡¯s really good for you Charl that you got the face resembling your beautiful mother.

    If you say my desire, I would¡¯ve liked if her body was raised like that of female, like her mother, like the chest or bust.

    Well then, there is no time to think about the part of girls can be called rude, if she sensed it, then she knows no restraint, and a kick would certainly fall into my face.

    ¡¸So you finished first? Fast as always¡¹

    I want the kick in face to go in hell, so I change the subject to a safe topic.

    ¡¸Unfortunately I¡¯m 2nd¡¹

    Not being much depressed, Charl tells as if natural.

    No matter how much pride Charl has,pared to him she too doesn¡¯t be conceited.

    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped with Safi being there¡¹

    ¡¸Yean, it couldn¡¯t be helped because of Safi¡¹

    Though she is necromance not a magician, she has learnt the model magic to perfection, that viin in sses.

    [ET: The same line people in log horizon use but here it¡¯s a woman]

    Right now she might be shut-in her darkness filledboratory while creating her new manservant.

    ¡¸So the reason you came searching for me is for lunch?¡¹

    ¡¸That too, and also about the next quest!¡¹

    This princess is having too much sparkling eyes, Ah, please no, she has surely found some damn troublesome quest.

    ¡¸Give me a break, we¡¯re already standing out as rank 4 adventurers with talent and whatnot¡¹

    At this pace, we would be rank 5 adventurers even before Charl¡¯s brother Eisenhart became.

    Just by the royalties of Spada and Avalonbining in party is more than enough to stand out, now I don¡¯t need anymore spotlight.

    I¡¯m merely using Adventurer Guild for killing time instead of working as an adventurer to learn something.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about their jealousy or envy, we are we and don¡¯t care about the surroundings¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, well you¡¯re right but......¡¹

    Do you know princess who is the one who deals with those problems every time?

    It¡¯s better to not say that, I¡¯m not a super masochist who loves getting his ass beaten.

    ¡¸Well okay, so what is the quest?¡¹

    ¡¸You have heard about the nest of smanders, right?¡¹

    Of course, no matter how much appropriately we¡¯ve been doing, after reaching rank 4, we obviously have heard the information about famous dungeons and ces.

    The nest of smanders is the ce in northern part of Ghad Mountain Range where every year the smanders build a nest.

    It is the cave in surroundings of summit, it is the ideal location for making nests, it seems.

    The smander who has gotten the first ce leaving his same family behind means it must be the strongest.

    So to say, it¡¯s like a natural dungeon like ce where boss appears.

    And it is the mostly rmended dangerous sport for jumping in the mes nest.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me......¡¹

    ¡¸Yes that don¡¯t tell me , it is!¡¹

    Sigh, I heave a heavy sigh.

    But, I don¡¯t know the magic to stop Charl after she has gotten this much interesting in something.

    ¡¸Well alright, a two-headed smander, we¡¯ll see it when timees¡¹

    ¡¸This year¡¯s one is really big, so you too have to be serious about it!¡¹

    I hate getting serious it tires me out, and these guys will defeat it while I only need to do little support, please help me okay, get it, right?

    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s quickly go to school cafeteria, we need to take the seats¡¹

    Charl starts running in the corridor while forcibly pulling my arm.

    ¡¸Ah, Oii, geez......it can¡¯t be helped, huh¡¹

    I am always manipted by Charl.

    But, when I¡¯m with her talking like this, I don¡¯t feel the ¡¯difference¡¯ in world, neither get bored, so even though, she does all troublesome things, I don¡¯t hate being with her.

 Chapter 193 Wing Road

    Chapter 193 ¨C Wing Road

    The quest Charl took was,

    Quest: Subjugate the couple¡ºSmander¡»

    Reward: 30 million n, 10 million n upon the subjugation of just one

    Time limit: By the 1st of Blue Moon month.

    Client: Adventurer Guild

    Description: New smanders have started acting in the¡ºNest of smander¡». The couple this time are very big ones, rare to find in recent years ¡ª¡ª(Rest omitted)

    Exactly like what I had expected.

    ¡¸In truth, one month ago a rank 4 party epted the quest but had their tables turned, thanks to that we have the chance of getting the quest. We¡¯re lucky, right!¡¹

    What the......, damn clumsy party, smanders are monsters living here since ancient times, so there are innumerable ways of defeating them, still they lost.

    However, the ¡®big ones¡¯ should mean that they are unexpectedly very strong.

    At any rate, they are still tiring and troublesome opponents, I¡¯m not quite willing to ept it, but

    ¡¸Ooo, I¡¯m fired up! A man needs to fight a dragon, only that is worthy for a man!¡¹

    This muscle headed idiot, Kai, has be too fired up.

    And I mean, don¡¯t get up from the damn chair and shout, the painful stares from everyone in dining hall hurt.

    But well, an fight-loving idiot like Kai, would naturally want to take up the quest, after all smanders are representatives of monsters, are quite strongpared to normal ones, and have defeated a rank 4 adventurers.

    This man, Kai, though is sayingpletely foolish sentences, his full name is Kai Est Galbraith, the son from the one of the 4 Great Nobles, the Galbraith Family.

    Furthermore he is the eldest son, yeah Galbraith family is doomed.

    Or so I would like to think, but because they are a family lineage of Knights standing equally with Bardiel family, so if the person is strong then almost everything is OK to do.

    Kai iscking in magic, but as for the swordsmanship he has already reached first-ss level, in a normal sword battle with me he can easily win, defeating me.

    Including the top of his pointy golden hair, he can easily be of 2 metres tall, it¡¯s just as you think, this guy is a friggin giant strength-type person.

    Thanks to that he swings the tremendously heavy long sword as though it is a baton, and has already learned many master ss martial skills, his talent isn¡¯t something that should be as a student anymore.

    Well, he can¡¯t use anything other than sword, so if I use magic on full power, it¡¯s easy to defeat him, in fact, if I don¡¯t defeat him then i can¡¯t continue being a close friend with him.

    ¡¸You¡¯re really a stifling idiot......worst, just go and die¡¹

    Cold stare and words strike at Kai who is still fired up even before the smander subjugation and is standing from his seat.

    The person who said is a slender beautiful girl with eerie violet long hair, the eyes behind her sses are also the same violet which reminds me of some sort of deadly poison.

    No, her eyes truly are ¡®deadly poison¡¯, if there were no sses the nasty effect of¡ºDemon Eyes¡»would¡¯ve already attacked Kai.

    In fact, a little effect is leaking from the sides of sses and attacking Kai.

    ¡¸Ouu¡¹Kai raises a groan and sits back quietly, you¡¯re good, keep on doing this thing.

    ¡¸Eh, What, Safi, you¡¯re against it?¡¹

    As if the damage caused by friendly fire to Kai is not seen by her, Charl asks nonchntly.

    Safi is her nickname, even I say that.

    So, the reply of that Safi-chan is,

    ¡¸I¡¯m in favor of quest itself, I can get new materials after all, really interesting¡¹

    FuFuFu, the sight of her revealing an eerie smile on her cold beautiful face seems like the witches thate out in fairy-tales.

    But her true identity is not a witch, but something even more ominous, her ss is the one which rules over the dead¡ºNecromancer¡», that is her, Safiel Maya Hydra¡¯s official ss and identity.

    The family of Hydra is the same as of Kai¡¯s family, in other words it too is one of the 4 Great Nobles.

    Spears for Bardiel, Swords for Galbraith, every family has their special weapons, but Hydra family is well versed in magic, that is of course, not model magic but¡ºNecromancy¡».

    Kai is a prodigy who has already learnt the swordsmanship needed to inherit the seat of head of the family, butpared among the prodigies Safi would be superior.

    She knows¡ºNecromancy¡»and also has learned model magic to a high level, furthermore she also has¡ºDemon Eyes¡»for support.

    These¡ºDemon Eyes¡»can deploy an effect of some sort of magic upon seeing someone, this is one sly ability in the eyeballs.

    It is possible to have them due to gic hereditary, but the possibilities are really low.

    But, well as you can see, this girl has demonic eyes as if it¡¯s natural.

    ¡¸Sigh, it¡¯s just a cheat¡¹

    I leak out that murmur unintentionally, but

    ¡¸What do you mean cheat?¡¹

    Whoops, looks I said it out loud.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t know, they are the underhanded tricks used when ying board games, or the person who uses them, for example, a dice which always gives 6¡¹

    Hmm, Safi consents to it while raising a tone not showing any admiration.

    ¡¸So, who¡¯s the cheat? ¡¹

    ¡¸No, that was just me talking to myself.¡¹

    I evade while raising a smile and giving out a vague answer

    Safi res at my face for some second then moves her head away, looks like the threat of demonic eyes has gone.

    ¡¸So then Kai and Safi have agreed, so it¡¯s decided to take this quest!¡¹

    ¡¸Where¡¯s my say in this?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s decided!!¡¹

    She is pushing through without hearing me.

    Well there are 5 party members, now 3 have agreed to it, so I can¡¯t possibly make them not take the quest.

    ¡¸Well it¡¯s fine with me, but have you clearly asked Nell?¡¹

    I speak the name of thest member who isn¡¯t present here.

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve already asked in the previous ss¡¹

    Don¡¯t keep talking in the ss, or so I thought to tell her, but that isn¡¯t a line someone like me, who ditches the sses, should say.

    The ss Charl was in before, Safi too was¡ºMagic Circle Application¢ò¡», ah, no wonder that clumsy Nell is overworking right now.

    ¡¸What did she say?¡¹

    ¡¸Naturally, she too agrees¡¹

    Sigh, I heave a sigh.

    Nell, full name, Nell Julius Elrod, just like the name says, she¡¯s my little sister.

    She is the only membercking in fighting ability, that¡¯s why she feels inferior and so she never objects to anything.

    Though I say fighting ability, Nell is a¡ºPriest¡»so she doesn¡¯t need to have tremendous powers like we four have.

    Though she has no spotlights in fights, but she can use Heal and Cure both, a rare talent, furthermore she also has a more rare divine protection, so because of her, the bnce of party always remains constant.

    But, even if I, her brother says it, it would only seem like I¡¯m favoring her, so there is not much effect whenever I say it.

    The one problem I¡¯m currently being troubled, the low self-confidence of my sister, needs to be set aside temporarily and I need to pay more attention on quest.

    ¡¸Then, us¡ºWing Road¡»¡¯s next quest is the subjugation of Smanders¡¹

    The leader of party, I, officially inform the taking up of the new quest.

    We 5 elite cadets, I, Charl, Kai, Safi, and Nell, have formed an adventurer party which goes by the name of¡ºWing Road¡»

    Now that I think about it, it has been a year already, and we¡¯re rank 4.

    If this quest is sessful, we¡¯ll be one step closer in reaching the highest rank, Rank 5.

    It is unheard of someone bing Rank 2 in the second year of academy, I don¡¯t want to stand out at all......Well, working as an adventurer I can¡¯t show a behaviour that will make us fail in our quest, that won¡¯t be good, let¡¯s go and finish this quest quickly.

 Chapter 194 Angel Appears!?

    Chapter 194 ¨C Angel Appears!?

    2nd of Red me Month, We¡ºElement Master¡»are running on the highway aiming for the dungeon toplete the next quest.

    But, the legs that are running are not ours.

    The thing that is running like a gale on the highway while kicking the ground is two ck horses.

    In other words, we are horse-riding.

    One side is Lily and the other side is Fiona.

    Incidentally, the formed is named as Merry andtter as Mary.

    ¡¸Kurono-san have you gotten somewhat used to horse-riding?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, No, Lily is also here......so not that much¡¹

    Lily, who is supporting the beginner at horse-riding, me, by using telepathy to form a bond with horse,ughs¡¸tee hee¡¹ proudly.

    Looking just that would seem like a pleasant scene of Element Master having fun as adventurers, but this ck horse I¡¯m currently straddling on is a present from these two, so I just can¡¯t feel happy.

    Yes, this horse is the present.

    Yesterday, Fiona said this,

    ¡¸In truth, we both have prepared a present for Kurono-san, please take it¡¹

    That is this horse, moreover it came with a set of splendid harness.

    No not only that, the other present was the Cursed¡ª¨Cno, for now let¡¯s only worry about this horse.

    Cavalry is a necessary item for adventurers.

    For reaching the dungeons in the various ces, there exists the dragon carriage service, but having a personal horse is more useful.

    Its uses isn¡¯t something, I, who has lived in a world where private automobiles have spread big and wide, needs to know again and again.

    But however, that useful personal horse is expensive, its price equates to the price of cars on earth, no exaggeration in saying that here.

    That¡¯s why it is said to take a personal horse only after bing a veteran of rank 3.

    Their opinion is that rank 1 and rank 2 should hone their abilities in the dungeons nearby, so it¡¯s only natural for them to say that.

    Comparing from themon sense of adventurers we have purchased a personal horse before time, so to speak, it¡¯s like a school student already has bought a personal car.

    I have no intention of shouting that luxury is enemy, I too had been thinking to buy a personal horse after reaching rank 3.

    Lily and Fiona gave this to me as a present as if to say, it¡¯s isn¡¯t much.

    I¡¯m grateful for their feelings to give me present, and am happy too.

    But, this present in itself is really expensive.

    If I had to say in modern-day Japan like feeling it would be, I¡¯m still a high-schooler but got myself a luxury car.

    My money sense is not paralytic that I can meekly ept the present by just saying¡¸Thank you¡¹.

    Due to my sensibilities as aman man, it¡¯s natural to suppress my surprise more than the happiness.

    ¡¸What happened Kurono-san, you¡¯re making aplicated face, did you perhaps not like this horse?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, you want to buy a new one?¡¹

    ¡¸No, wait wait, there¡¯s no problem with the horse!¡¹

    The statement of Lily is really scary, just buying something new because you didn¡¯t like it......that¡¯s the thinking of celebrities.

    ¡¸I still haven¡¯t recovered from the shockpletely¡¹

    Thanks to this present giving case, I found out Lily and Fiona are really rich people.

    Up until now we hadn¡¯t needed anyrge amount of money, so I too have never asked them¡¸How much do you have?¡¹

    But, opening the lid they both have several tens of millions of n, adding up both of their total assets it crosses over 100 million n.

    With that much, they can buy me millions of horses as gift, but I just can¡¯t recover from the difference in money sense.

    Or is my thinking strange as an adventurer?

    ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t worry much about it Kurono-san, we can easily earn hundreds of millions easily¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Kurono don¡¯t worry about it, okay?¡¹

    We¡¯re not being conceited, our true strength far surpasses rank 4.

    For high ranked adventurers earning that much is really easy, naturally, the danger levels and strength of monsters too is high.

    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s right......I will just ept it grateful for now. But when I get more money, I will present you both something awesome, get hyped for it!¡¹

    If I don¡¯t say that, I won¡¯t be able to get out of the ufortable feeling of being blessed.

    But this, my equipments, funds for Simon¡¯s research, and presents for these two......just how much will I have to earn?

    It feels like I have been caught in a really big debt cycle though being only 17 years old.

    .

    .

    .

    After shaking on the horse for some hours, I have arrived in the base of northern part of Ghad Mountain Range, the vige of Dacia after a week.

    Compared to the time I came here in the dragon carriage, the fatigue levels arepletely different, I still can¡¯t get used to horse-riding.

    However, it¡¯s not the time forining about it, this is a required skill for living as an adventurer, I have to learn it as fast as I can.

    For that, I am heading towards the stable of vige which keeps the horses, by pulling the reins of this two-headed horse.

    That¡¯s why I have sent Lily and Fiona to the adventurer guild of Dacia forpleting the formalities, and this time we have to capture something alive, so the situation is different from normal.

    ¡¸Oh, there it is¡¹

    Pulling the reins of ck horse, after walking some time I see the destination, stable.

    I will reach in some time, the moment I had that impression,

    ¡¸Uuo!¡¹

    I was stopped by the reins.

    I don¡¯t know what it thought, but the horse had stopped moving.

    ¡¸Oi, what happened?¡¹

    I naturally ask the question, but a normal horse can¡¯t possibly answer my question.

    What? Why stop? While thinking that I pull the reins hardly, but the horse doesn¡¯t even move a centimetre.

    Really what happened, just before it was following me.

    What, do horses stop moving suddenly?

    I neither have the experience in straddling neither nor do I have any knowledge of horses¡¯ behaviour, so I have no idea what actually happened.

    ¡¸What happened,e on, move¡¹

    This is bad, unless Lily and Fionae I have no way of solving this problem.

    But I¡¯m not a summoner, or else I would have called a servant and sent it to call them both here.

    Having said that, if I leave here to call them both, then these two horses might run back to wild.

    I can¡¯t solve this problem alone, this horse is still not trying to understand my feelings and is just standing there boldly without moving even a bit.

    ¡¸I give up......¡¹

    Is this the the thing, to be at a loss, the only thing I can hear is the nasal breathing of this horse *Bufu*, what is this sense of emptiness.

    The time I felt that mental pain,

    ¡¸Um, are you troubled?¡¹

    I was called out from behind by a girl with a warm and pleasant voice feeling like the sunlight of spring.

    I turn back and there stood the girl I had imagined, no, even more beautiful girl.

    Her age is the same as Fiona, her face has hints of baby face which can let her be called as a youngdy, and her expression is serene like that ofdy.

    The glossy ck hair is seperated in two side from the bangs, the back hair is long enough to reach her waist,monly said it is the princess haircut, no, she does has the air of a princess around her.

    Her blue eyes calm one down and her gaze under her sharp eyebrows is lovely, her white face is well-ordered just like a doll, I can¡¯t feel the coldness thates from Sariel who too is a white faced beauty.

    The reason I have ovepped her with Sariel must be because of her attire.

    There is no emblem of cross, but a white cloth like that of monks or priests withfortable designs is wrapped on her body.

    Most probably she is not a normal viger, she might be adventurer with the ss of Cleric or Priest and works in a temple or somewhere sacred.

    Both sses are traditional and have continued since ancient times, I don¡¯t have the theory of hating a person wearing the same attire, so I have nothing to say about her attire.

    On the contrary, the more I look the more she is different from Sariel, her height is around 170 cms. Quite tall for a girl.

    To add more, she has something that she wins against Sariel, Lily and Fiona too who is far surpassing the normal standards, that is breasts.

    That too is so big, even though she is wearing a priest like cloth for hiding body lines, they are still pressing forward iming their presence.

    The scene of Susu-san having big breasts in the morning suddenly appears in my mind, it¡¯s the same as that, or even more.

    Well I¡¯m not the man who can be swayed by big breasts only.

    No, even a big-breast loving guy, will feel more impact on seeing the thing this girl has.

    That is the white wings sprouting from her back.

    They are not wings of light like Lily, but white big wings of soft feathers like that of a swan are sprouting from her back.

    The little movements of the wings is proving that they are not artificial.

    There are various types of races in Pandora, but I have never heard of a race with the appearance like that of an angel, is it mutation? Or else, I just don¡¯t know but they do exist here?

    Either way, it¡¯s not good to ask her someone¡¯s race on meeting them for the first time, it is rude

    Even if she had a halo above her head and looking just like an angel, but here I should talk to her as a kind girl who called out to me.

    ¡¸Ah, Sorry, well my horse isn¡¯t listening to me and has stopped moving¡¹

    I exin the miserable situation while revealing a wry smile to this angel-like beautiful girl.

    ¡¸Oh my, that is troubling¡¹

    The angel does a reaction which coincided with her expression and words.

    Looking at her reaction, looks like she isn¡¯t scared from my face like those female students from the other day, this is good.

    So an angel doesn¡¯t judge a person based on their appearances, eh, really grateful.

    ¡¸It¡¯s only a little to reach the stable, but it suddenly stopped, just what might have happened¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, so you¡¯re taking the horses there, right?¡¹

    Yes, I had no reason to lie so I affirmed.

    Then, maybe she liked something in my answer, she opened her mouth full with confidence while making her eyes glitter violently.

    ¡¸In that case, I can help¡¹

    A statement filled with willingness, kindness and volunteer-like intention came out of angel¡¯s mouth.

    ¡¸Rally? Thank you very much, it will help me a lot¡¹

    I immediately ept her help.

    It really helped me, now I don¡¯t have to wait like a fool holding the reins and keep on waiting for Lily and Fiona who god knows when wille.

    ¡¸Yes, please leave it to me¡¹

    She smiles brightly as if a halo has started to shine, and immediately starts helping me.

    Without faltering in front ofrge horse, she patted the nape of the neck of the two-headed horse with her white hands as if it is her pet dog.

    Do they start listening to their owners if done like this?

    I quietly looked at angel and horse flirting while tightly holding the reins.

    ¡¸¡ª-Hey, please, can you hear to what he says¡¹

    I heard her mutter that in a really low voice.

    Normally, the animals can¡¯t understand words, so her actions seem to be normally trying to talk to her, but I know person who can talk with them.

    Due to that, I cannot help but feel that she can too talk with animals like Lily.

    ¡¸This child seems to be slightly afraid, but, it¡¯s alright now¡¹

    Looking back at me, she tells me that while smiling.

    I, feeling 50% faith in those words, pull the reins, and

    ¡¸......It moved¡¹

    The horse moved a step forward.

    I pull more then it moves one step, two step, three step, it had returned to the state he was before.

    ¡¸Thank you very much, it really helped me¡¹

    I send the heartfelt words of gratitude to her who is looking at me and horse with an happy expression.

    ¡¸No, same here, I¡¯m happy I was of use¡¹

    She replies with a perfect smile with no ulterior motives.

    I have to clearly thank her, I tried to, but

    ¡¸Well then I will have to go now, let¡¯s both have good luck on our quests¡¹

    I couldn¡¯t call out the words to stop her while looking at her gantly leave the ce.

    ¡¸On our quests eh, so she was an adventurer¡¹

    I unintentionally murmur that.

    I couldn¡¯t feel the sharpness of an adventurer who fight as if it is usual, so I can¡¯t hide my surprise that she wasn¡¯t a normal priest.

    But, there are also exceptions like Lily, not all have that ¡®-esque¡¯ feeling on adventurer, not always people match with their appearances.

    Anyhow, there is no doubt that I was saved by her kindness.

    I once again thank the angel, who is now no-where to be seen, in my heart and started walking while pulling the reins of the horses.

 Chapter 195 Camp

    Chapter 195 ¨C Camp

    ¡¸We are the, son of¡ºSword King¡»Leonhart Tristan Spada, the great man owning the, the white holy sword, forbidden ck magic, and, the epitome of darkness, the reincarnation of demon king, that¡¯s right, We are Wilhart Tristan SpaÒ»¡¹

    In front of the entrance to Dacia vige, the second prince of Spada, Wilhard named himself in high spirits, but

    ¡¸You¡¯re too noisy, idiot brother!¡¹

    ¡¸Daaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡¹

    After getting a strong drop kick from behind, Wilhart rolls on the ground for some times.

    He has already dirtied the glorious red mantle of elite cadets by the mud.

    ¡¸W-Who was that!? To slip through our sixth sense field and attack me, you don¡¯t seem like a normal person......don¡¯t tell you¡¯re the lone survivor of the crazed assassination organization ¡®Shadow Moonlight¡¯Ò»¡¹

    ¡¸Who is the lone survivor of some assassination organization, can¡¯t you stop discharging your delusions, idiot¡¹

    [ET: Try to remember this delusions about a great assassin, it might help in next chapter for you to know that this guy is a genius!]

    Wilhart gets up while thinking about the heroic past of a great assassin who had learnt threatening assassination techniques.

    Looking in front, there stood a red twin tail haired girl in an imposing manner with a scornful expression.

    ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t this our sister, the attack just now was a really good one, looks like you have learnt a part of monk¡¯s strength¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a magician! Don¡¯t change my ss on your own ord!!¡¹

    Wearing the red mantle of elite cadets, the second prince and third princess of Spada, Wilhart and Charlotte were looking at each other face-to-face.

    ¡¸However, why are you here?¡¹

    While positing his monocle with his index finger and doing a cool pose he had practiced a lot, he asks his sister.

    ¡¸It¡¯s because of quest, isn¡¯t that obvious. We¡¯re not here for ¡®camping¡¯ unlike you ¡®substitutes¡¯¡¹

    The elite cadets are divided in two teams, one is formed by superior people and the other one is mish-mash by inferior people.

    The people from the first team call this second team as ¡®substitutes¡¯, a team with substitutes, in other words it¡¯s a derogatory term.

    ¡¸Gununu, I never said it was my outdoor training trip, you shouldn¡¯t judge on your own spections¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Several groups of 5 people with that big luggage, moreover the destination is Dacia Vige, what else can it be other than camping?¡¹

    The outdoor training trip is the ssmonly called as camping by students.

    This is a humiliating ss for those who can¡¯t survive on the outside easily, in other words someone less than an adventurer.

    The contents of the outdoor training camp i to spend 1 week within the mountain forest present in the northern part of Ghad Mountain Range.

    And, because they are given more things than needed, it bes overloaded, besides a group of 5 people has been set as a rule.

    The current Wilhart has been selected applicable for taking the outdoor training.

    Of course, the other 4 members have taken quite a distance away from Wilhart.

    ¡¸Fu, Kukuku¨D¨D¨DThat¡¯s a good reasoning my sister Charlotte, I, indeed have to take this cursed asceticism of hell, I havee to this Dacia vige for that and am about to go to the training ce¡¹

    ¡¸Asceticism of hell, eh......quite an interesting hell that is, if you even have a maid¡¹

    ¡¸Ku, Nuoo......¡¹

    Wilhart getting hit on the soft nerve, clenched his teeth with a desperate expression to bear the wicked tongue attacks of his sister.

    Behind someone like him, a beautiful maid in clean apron dress is standing like a shadow.

    ¡¸Yes Seria, it must be troubling for you to take care of an idiot like him¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s an obligation of a maid to take care of her master¡¹

    While bowing to the princess of Spada, she added the words of salutation.

    Looks like the girl Charlotte cares more about this maid rather than her own brother, Wilhart.

    ¡¸Please take care of this idiotic brother so he doesn¡¯t make trouble for other camping members. Every time he discharges his remarks the glory and grace of Spada goes into decline¡¹

    Understood, Wilhart red at Seria, who said words of acknowledgement, with the eyes that seemed to look at a traitor.

    But, he concludes that rather than cutting in there would lead him to getting abused more, so he changes the topic.

    ¡¸You were saying quest, what is it about?¡¹

    Though Charlotte has quick beating hands and bad mouth, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she is his blood-rted sister.

    Though he admits her ability in magic, but he is overprotective and worries if she took up on a quest with dangers.

    ¡¸Sigh, what does it has to do with you¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸¨D¨DIt¡¯s smander subjugation¡¹

    Blocking the statement of Charlotte, the voice of another man told the contents of quest to Wilhart.

    ¡¸......Nero, huh¡¹

    ¡¸Yo, you¡¯re the same as always¡¹

    Though they are students, but Wilhart is a prince.

    For Nero Julius Elrod to talk friendly with him can be either because he too is a prince or it is his innate character.

    At any rate, Wilhart and Nero in the truest meaning have same social positions, at the very least they never talk in formalnguage even in public.

    ¡¸When you say Smander, do you mean their nest?¡¹

    ¡¸Correct, you only have good brain Wilhart¡¹

    The ironic smile on the face of Nero with ck hair red eyes and mysterious looks can easily capture the hearts of girls.

    But, Wilhart is not a girl, and he has seen the beautiful face of this prince of Avalon since childhood, so he surely has been envious of his beauty.

    The thing he is more concerned about is the contents of the quest for entering the nest of smanders, the strongest monsters in the Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡¸Even though you are rank 4, but isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡¹

    Though his pompous tone didn¡¯t go, but the joke surely did.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, no matter who is against us we will somehow get through it¡¹

    In front the Nero¡¯s line of sight, stood the prideful party members.

    Heaven-sent child of sword Galbraith,¡ºMagical Eyes¡»of Hydra, Wilhart, being in the same school year, knows about their strength.

    Of course, he only knows about their strength and has no familiarity with any of them.

    After being called as¡¸I can¡¯t remember the names of weak people¡¹by Galbraith and¡¸Creep¡¹by Hydra, the conversations stopped forever.

    It wasn¡¯t a line to be said to the royalty of the country they serve to, but Wilhart isn¡¯t an intolerant man who would get angry with just that much. He is more or less near good-for-nothing.

    Keeping it aside, but indeed it it¡¯s the¡ºWing Road¡»of Nero with every member strong then it¡¯s possible they won¡¯t be outdone by smanders in¡ºSmander¡¯s nest¡»too.

    But, still he worries.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t put us as together with weak you, brother. Even without having you worry about us, we can defeat something like smanders easily¡¹

    ¡¸......I see¡¹

    But still, if Charlotte is in this mood, it would be wasting time to warn her.

    ¡¸If you get hurt, do get Princess Nell to heal you¡¹

    That¡¯s why he wants Charlotte toe back without getting hurt anywhere, he said something between those lines.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t have to tell me that much......huh, where is Nell?¡¹

    Charlotte surveys the surroundings by turning around, but she wasn¡¯t able to see 5 members with her golden eyes.

    ¡¸Hm. Ah, this always happens if you take eyes off her¡¹

    Good Grief, Nero shrugged his shoulders.

    Wilhart recalls that his sister, first princess of Avalon, Nell, always seems to roam aimlessly here and there.

    And she also has thebo of poor direction sense, it¡¯s not bearable for the people to search for her, and there hasn¡¯t, even once, the pattern where she went and returned back on her own.

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t she again being helpful to someone somewhere?¡¹

    Due to her very kind heart, she can¡¯t abandon a person who is troubled.

    That goes the same for people not from her country, and she interacts with them without any division, she¡¯s more like a saint rather than princess.

    [ET: Saint the female version here. Not the male sage/saint version]

    However, though she extends a helping hand, the things that clumsy girl can do are only limited to her peerless rare talent in healing others.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve been telling her to stop because it¡¯s dangerous, but she never hears me¡¹

    Seems like the prince of Avalon too is troubled by the unreasonability of his sister.

    Of course, the girl called Nell doesn¡¯t give a drop kick all of a sudden, nor call her brother idiot, she has a personality fit for princess and is lovely.

    Wilhart always prays that the tomboyish Charlotte learns even a part of herdy-like character.

    ¡¸Oh, rare things happen too, she has returned¡¹

    Maybe he sensed her presence, Nero turned back, and there stood, well talk of the devil, the first princess of Avalon, Nell Julius Elrod.

    Wilhart though has no ability to sense presences he could still make out her figure even if he looks her from far.

    That is because she has rare characteristic of having white wings on her back while having the body of a human.

    Nell having the figure of angels drawn in ancient paintings rushes over the crows of her party members while smiling and swaying her big breasts which are quite not suitable for someone her age.

    ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t this Prince Wilhart, what a coincidence¡¹

    While feeling the feels of healing without any use of healing magic, Wilhart exchanged salutations.

    ¡¸Geez, where were you loitering?¡¹

    Nero whines in a fed-up voice.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, big brother, but I have a really wonderful meeting¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, so you were helpful to that person?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes! I was able to help an apprentice magician who was standing still because his horse wasn¡¯t hearing him!¡¹

    What a heart-warming story this is.

    However being touched by this goddess-like princess, that apprentice magician might be the new member of this princess¡¯ fan club.

    Thinking like that, only pity for making another man insanees in the heart.

    ¡¸Well the members are all here, let¡¯s go to the nest¡¹

    Charlotte almost steps forward in high spirits while brimming with motivation,

    ¡¸Wait, Charlotte¡¹

    But Wilhart stopped her.

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    Though she says in a displeased voice, but due to the fact she didn¡¯t ignore him means that there was not much cracks between in their rtionship as siblings.

    ¡¸In these northern parts, recently stronger monsters have started appearing near the foot of mountains¡¹

    ¡¸So what? It be because of change in territories, right?¡¹

    Though they are monsters, they are a part of wilderness.

    Even inside dungeons the loitering routes or appearing ces changes everyday.

    Even more so in hills and fields, it¡¯s not rare for the inhabiting ce to change at times.

    ¡¸No, it seems to be the case for all monsters¡¹

    But, it is too much suspicious if all the monsters of that area have a change in the territories.

    ¡¸Maybe because smanders are too strong, the other strong ones near the summit are avoiding them¡¹

    Not only limited to smander, but if a really strong monster appears, the other monsters in the surroundings run away from that ce.

    And, if it leads to all monsters changing the ces then it means the monster is a rogue with lot of power.

    Such dangerous monsters rarely are seen by other people.

    ¡¸So that means I¡¯m now more interested in fighting the smanders¡¹

    ¡¸No, isn¡¯t that ¡®more¡¯ troublesome¡¹

    Hearing Wilhart¡¯s story Nero and Charlotte were contrastive, but they all left the ce while increasing their guard.

    The elegant bow Nell didpletely deleted the bad image those two left on Wilhart¡¯s mind.

    ¡¸It would be great if theye back safely, sigh¡¹

    ¡¸Wil-sama¡¹

    While Wilhart is worrying for her sister¡¯s safety, Seriaes near him quietly and calls out to him meekly.

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    ¡¸The descending of monsters also means that, Wil-sama, your outdoor training is going to be more severe, so before worrying about others think about yourself¡¹

    ¡¸!?¡¹[ET: Let me rephrase what he said there. He said: What the FUCjoigeroiehr oioerhofohh K jgfhhioWyr$^&$^$*&$#^%^]

    I leave it to you if something happens, help me then, the young prince of Spada requests his maid in a pitiable manner, then he left the Dacia vige while praying to the ck gods for not letting monsters attack him.

 Chapter 196 Cursed Black Hair

    Chapter 196 ¨C Cursed ck Hair

    Long long time ago, in the mansion of a certain noble lived a long ck-haired maid.

    Her hair was supple and glossy, based on just hair they were the best, but they reached her ankle and the bangs always covered more than half of her face, which made her look creepy.

    A maid serving her master, wouldn¡¯t be forgiven to let them grow that long even if they were beautiful.

    But she had been forgiven to have those tremendous super long hair.

    Because, though she wore the apron dress for maids, she was in fact the bodyguard of her master.

    That bodyguard maid had the extra magic to use her hair in any way she wanted.

    She was the descent of a certain assassination n, the result of crossbreeding experiments in ancient times was that she could activate extra magic and limit the power of Hydra to her hair.

    [ET: Piece of advice here, the hydra family is something else this hydra is something else. Family is called ¡¸¥Ï¥¤¥É¥é£¨Haidora£©¡¹ and and this whatever is called¡¸¥Ò¥å¥É¥é(Hyudora)¡¹. One is monster tter) and one is not rted to living things (former). For more info, well read ancient crap and someputer books]

    Her ck hair with the power of Hydra would turn into impregnable defense at extreme times and also entangle the hands and legs of the enemy to stop any sort of attack, the girl with her hair demonstrated great talent as bodyguard.

    However, the reason she was currently hired as a bodyguard for a son of a certain noble wasn¡¯t because of this ability,

    ¡¸Oh, you have quite a nice face there. If I¡¯m going to be followed by a bodyguard all day long then a girl like you would be best!¡¹

    But, it was because of such a vulgar reason.

    Judging from the standard basis for choosing her was enough to see that her master, the son of noble was a lewd man.

    He liked women more ifpared to getting meal three times a day, rather than exploiting taxes, or getting honor from king, he liked making love with women more.

    He made love with many women, like, daughter of a wealthy noble, gentle maid, voluptuous high-ss prostitute, innocent farmer¡¯s daughters, chaste married woman¡ª¨Cif he liked the appearance, forgetting the social positions he wouldy hands on that girl.

    Therefore, even though the ck-haired woman was an elite assassin raised by an assassination n, he would choose her based on her appearance and that so without any hesitation.

    And he didn¡¯t need to persuade her, the night she was hired, she opened her body as per her master¡¯s orders.

    However, the man who liked being cruel while making love, he was displeased with the woman¡¯s attitude of giving her body so easily.

    There that man took decided to make this expressionless mannequin-like maid actually love him from her heart.

    The man used every viles he had known from experience from various women, and he approached near her.

    Between that, some man with displeasure with the tax rates of territory attacked him.

    It was her first task as bodyguard, with an expressionless face, she protected her master and killed the ruffian by breaking his neck with her hair.

    The figure of maid killing the man without even having a chance to know what happened would be fearful, but the man got worked up because this woman was worthy to fall in the depths of hell.

    [ET: For readers who read the TL¡¯s of Nikubenki (r-18) novel, would understand the meaning of falling in depths of hell (pleasure?)]

    After that, somewhat time passed.

    The man whispered about love to the maid, and gave pleasure to her by embracing her body.

    Once again, on some day on new assassins came aiming for man¡¯s life.

    The maid once protected the man and strangled all assassins to death.

    But at that time, the arm of man was scratched by an arrow that attacked him from a blind spot, though small he was injured.

    The man sharply saw that the moment he was injured, the expression of maid changed as though her face had expression.

    The man understood that all the work he did till now was not useless, the frozen heart of woman has started to thaw though little by little but surely.

    After that, the man approached the maid in more high spirits.

    Then, the time the third attack came,

    ¡¸Master......I¡¯m scared......to lose you¡¹

    The maid was worrying over the safety of man while crying.

    After several from hiring, the hard efforts of the man finally bore fruit.

    From then the maid was loved by the man without being expressionless but with innocent reactions of a lovestruck maiden.

    But that life didn¡¯tst even a year and marked its end.

    ¡¸I¡¯m getting married¡¹

    Marriage, yes, the engagement of that man was decided.

    If he was getting the bride from family of same status or lower status, then he wouldn¡¯t have stopped onying his hands on maid or other women.

    However the bride was not only of higher status but was the daughter of royalty, the princess of the country he served.

    No matter how much difference in positions, having blood of royalty was necessary, the difference in power was like heaven and earth.

    It wasn¡¯t girling to his house but he going to the bride¡¯s house, the man wouldn¡¯t face against people with more status and power and could only agree to what his bride, the princess said.

    Hence, the princess who was to be betrothed to him,

    ¡¸Dismiss that creepy bodyguard¡¹

    Said as such, so he had no choice but to dismiss the maid who had saved him 3 times.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but our love will remain for eternity¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The man bids farewell with sugared words.

    The man was a yboy, so he left the woman he was ying with, with those words that would leave no future troubles.

    And this time too he thought, that their forbidden rtionship of master and maid would clearly end.

    ¡¸I wil......I-I will protect you......Master!¡¹

    But the moment that ck-haired woman twined around his body, the man sensed it.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what princess and all that is......but that woman is......an assassin trying to break us apart¡¹

    He perceived that she was different from the girls he had been ying with, she was twisted.

    ¡¸But it¡¯s fine......this time too......I will protect you......¡¹

    The ck hair covered her and the man inside like a coffin made of steel.

    It didn¡¯t take much time for the other people living in mansion to know the abnormality, they all immediately understood the bodyguard maid went mad and attacked her master.

    Naturally, to save the man, private army of the nobleunched an attack.

    By that point of time, the coffin erged in size and became to the size of that of a cage.

    The defense made by her ck hair couldn¡¯t be broken no matter how many times des cut or tried to pierce it.

    They were able to cut some fibres of hair, but they were immediately regenerated.

    Even so, the soldiers didn¡¯t gave and kept on attacking, without choosing any way they just tried to destroy it.

    1 month passed after that.

    In the mansion of noble, the jail of ck hair was still enshrined.

    She didn¡¯t even once opened the defense and ¡®protected¡¯ her master from every sort of attacks by capturing him in the jail of eternity.

    Like that, one day the defense made by her ck hair vanished maybe because she used up all her strength.

    All that remained was the corpses of a man and woman wrapped in between the ck hair as though they were embracing each other.

    The man had an expression of despair on his face, the woman had a kind expression as though tofort the man.

    .

    .

    .

    A worker told that the bunch of ck hair in his hand was the hair of the girl who went through all that.

    Even after the dying, the ck hair didn¡¯t lose its glossiness and looked beautiful, even if the story of bodyguard was a lie, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that this ck hair had some sort of magical power stored into it.

    Then the worker, made gloves by knitting the ck hair.

    The worker wore it the moment he finished making it, and,

    ¡¸I will protect master¡¹

    Heard that voice.

    The next morning, the corpse of worker wrapped in ck hair and strangled to death was found in the workshop.

    Ever since then, every person who wore these gloves was killed in the same way.

    At some time it was called as¡ºckHair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»and every person feared it.

    It was unknown how many people had died before it was sealed as a dangerous cursed item.

    Like that even after people stopped reaching her, she was still waiting, for her new master to appear.

    .

    .

    .

    Those cursed gloves,

    ¡¸Noisy, shut up and listen to me!¡¹

    Are right now silent due to ckening and fitting just perfectly in my both hands.

    It almost feels like they¡¯re part of my skin.

    The only fault is, sometimes the shout of a woman shouting¡¸Master~¡¹would echo inside my brain.

    Well it¡¯s fine, this is normal for a cursed item.

    These gloves which feel really great to wear and are made from the ck hair of a lovestruck maiden named as¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡», is a gift from Lily.

    I¡¯m too scared to hear the price because she said this was brought from the high-ss shop of Mordred Weapon Company within the noble area.

    I don¡¯t know how she used a shop in noble area, seems like the secrets of Lily have increased in just one day.

    Keeping that aside, let¡¯s talk about gloves.

    This is not just gloves which feel good to wear but also have a great effect hidden inside them. This isn¡¯t called cursed item for no reason.

    ¡¸Great. With this, the strength of¡ºAnchor Hand¡»is more than double¡¹

    You will understand that if you see the scene in front of my eyes.

    Within the mountain forest in the northern part of Ghad Mountain Range, the Doltos, having a gigantic body like an elephant, had its movements sealed by my¡ºAnchor Hand¡»wrapping around it.

    The wire-like¡ºAnchor Hand¡»would not seem different at a nce, but looking more properly, it could be seen it is made by many strands of hair bundling up together to form a wire.

    Apparently, this¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡», these gloves, have an effect of enhancing the strength of magic which restrain other people.

    Furthermore, though I haven¡¯t used it during battle, but it also enhances the defense magic.

    The reason Lily gifted me this is because it enhances the defense force and binding forces.

    Compared to other experimental subjects, I¡¯m not much specialised in defensive magic, and¡ºAnchor Hand¡»is a magic I can rely on, it yed an active role in fight with Cyprus and Ai as well.

    ¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»has no firepower, but it supports in other sides, as an equipment this is an ideal one which implements all the effects from just being gloves.

    Indeed Lily, this the best choice,pletely different from the White Punpun robe I bought for her.

    Well then, it¡¯s not the time to be always getting impressed by the ability of¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡».

    I¡¯m not binding the Doltos on whim, but capturing it alive is the quest this time.

    ¡¸I will open it¡¯s mouth, so shoot the anaesthetic ball¡¹

    ¡¸Yes!¡¹

    ¡¸Roger¡¹

    As if I¡¯m controlling a marite, several¡ºAnchor Hand¡»extend from my hand and wrap around Doltos¡¯ mammoth like face with a long nose and teeth.

    I reel in the ck wires which have dug into the upper jaw and lower jaw, finally my power surpasses the power of jaws and I open up the mouth of Doltos.

    ¡¸Eii¡¹

    ¡¸Here we go¡¹

    The two shoot the softball-size ball within the mouth of Doltos while raising enjoying voices.

    This ball ismonly known as anaesthetic ball, though it does not has immediate effects but it can intensely paralyse the body of monsters.

    It won¡¯t take effect upon hitting the body, but only upon intake of it like right now, in other words it¡¯s a paralysis poison capsule.

    After silencing the monster with anaesthetic ball, the capture ispleted, after that we have inform guild by the bird for transportation uses (loan), and give the monster to the retrieval team which would be dispatched by guild.

    ¡¸Then I will start installing the binding item¡¹

    ¡¸I leave it up to you, and I think it would be bound for a while, so you don¡¯t have be in a hurry¡¹

    It takes a while for the anaesthetic ball to take effect, in that time if not binded up, then there is a risk that monster would run away.

    And, even if the anaesthetic ball is working, one needs to be on guard and keep it bind up using a thick rope.

    And it would take ce for retrieval team toe here, during that time it is needed to maintain the prey captured.

    Quests like these are not easy with just defeating monsters and showing their body parts for proof. These are really troublesome

    That¡¯s why the levels of difficulty changes in subjugation and capturing quests, even if they are of same monsters.

    ¡¸Seeing the Doltos, somehow you start feeling hungry, right?¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, it is really tasty¡¹

    While chatting idly like that, the first capturing quest of Element Master waspleted.

 Chapter 197 Attack on Camp

    Chapter 197 Attack on Camp

    5th of Red me month, the second night came after camping in the Ghad Mountains for outdoor training.

    ¡¸Fumu, then we will take the heavy responsibility of being Nighthawk Searcher¡¹

    In simple words, Wilhart offers to change the duty of guarding during night with another member of the team.

    ¡¸N-no, we cannot let Wilhart-sama do something like that¨D¨D¡¹

    The male student tried to gently reject the offer of Wilhart with an annoyed expression, but

    ¡¸Fuahahaha! You don¡¯t have to fear, with me guarding, no monster wille near use. I will let you people sleep without any worries till tomorrow morning!¡¹

    The male member was not able to retort that ¡®If you make that much noise, the sleeping members will wake up and monsters wille near¡¯

    Though he is like this, he is a prince.

    Because both are students he hadn¡¯t said that it is noisy, but he still hesitates to snap.

    If he showed any rude behaviour, then after others would distance themselves, of course, the opposite can also happen,

    ¡¸Go and sleep nicely, like a baby being held by its mother¡¹

    THis prince with a personality this painful wouldn¡¯t be center of state power in future, this is something that had been predicted several years before among the nobles.

    The Spada royal family which respects martial ways has a child like WIlhart who has failing marks in both magic and martial skills, no one thinks he would be able to surpass his brother Aisenhart to be the sessor, in the first ce no one would want it to happen.

    The next generation of Spada would be lead by Aisenhart, Wilhart only needs to live as a spare inside a neat inner pce with women so that royal lineage doesn¡¯t end and also that he doesn¡¯t be a hindrance to Aisenhart.

    In short, there is no one who would try to court Wilhart even when he has no chance of standing on the big stage in history neither has any power, and among the elite cadets that trend is strikingly obvious.

    ¡¸Sigh......well then I will leave it to you¡¹

    The second prince Wolhart is a really displeasing existence to elite cadets with no advantage and courting and a great disadvantage upon acting rude with him.

    Frankly put, they were all annoyed.

    ¡¸Fumu, leave it to us, Fuhahahahaha!¡¹

    This tone only increased the annoyance.

    Still everyone would be somewhat respectful and no one would bully him.

    And the person himself doesn¡¯t do anything about this behaviour, that¡¯s why he is able tough it off today too. Wilhart is the only happy-go-lucky man in this world.

    ¡¸......¡¹

    Upon bing alone, even Wilhart bes quiet.

    The little bonfire illuminates the surroundings slightly.

    The brook is flowing quietly, the tent is ced on the riverside, so with no obstructions within surroundings it is easy to stand guard there.

    Of course, there is a thickly grown forest some metres forward, but it is much better to not put the tent there.

    But, the bodyguard maid, Seria is hiding somewhere within that dark thick forest.

    Though Wilhart has be 17 years old, an adult, but because of his low fighting power he is not allowed to be alone without a bodyguard.

    However getting help of bodyguard within this outdoor training would not be good.

    Hence, she is treated as ¡®not present there¡¯, and she is in hiding while watching over her master

    ¡¸......Hm¡¹

    At that time, the sound of rustling is heard from the forest in front.

    The guard needs to be more aware of disturbances in forest because if they monster would approach that wouldn¡¯t be the brook side but forest side.

    It doesn¡¯t need to be said, within the overgrown forest it is difficult someone approaching, so it is easy to approach without being found out.

    Wilhart takes out the normal¡ºMithril Rapier¡»which he has named¡ºVaiceschveato¡»from his waist and at the same time red inside the forest where the sound ising out from.

    ¡¸Who is there, I know you are there¡¹

    Though he knows there is someone, but he doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s a wild animal,or monster or a human.

    And he doesn¡¯t know the numbers, Wilhart has no sixth sense or magic to know it or even skill to sense presence.

    Though his tone says that already knows the opponent is there, but until he confirms it is a monster, there is no need to wake up the members, he judged.

    If he kept waking them up hearing every sound, then they won¡¯t be able to take rest.

    ¡¸You cane out¡¹

    The sounds from inside the forest grow more loud, and deliberately emphasize that someone is hiding there.

    But he still doesn¡¯t what is there, hence, he imagines the worst case scenario of a dangerous monstering out and in a second the feeling of stress increases for Wilhart.

    ¡¸Y-You can ce out......¡¹

    The wariness and tension rises, though he said the same line from before, but the nuance has be a lot weak.

    In the endless feeling time, Wilhart keeps his whole attention to the forest,

    SFX: Bashari (*ssh)

    But the reason he could respond to that sound of water can only be said due to good luck.

    Hearing sound of water means that something has appeared in the river behind him.

    Before reaching that conclusion, Wilhart, reflectively turned back.

    ¡¸What!?¡¹

    There were 2 bears¨D¨Dno, it was rank 1 monster Punpun with rabbit ears growing on head, and small and stout body, a figure which nobody would forget upon seeing once.

    The 2 Punpun reach the riverside and now the distance between Wilhart and them is only 4 metres.

    He understood that these two came from behind while he waspletely paying attention to forest and at the same time he noticed these two throwing ¡®something¡¯ towards him.

    The thing thrown was about the size of a human head, without knowing it what it was it hadnded on the ground.

    ¡¸Waaah!?¡¹

    The ce itnded was the bonfire, the only light source in the dark night.

    The sound of water sshing, and sizzle sound from the cooling of fire reaches his ears.

    It didn¡¯tnd on the bonfire by coincidence, but it was aimed there.

    But before reaching that conclusion, he falls into panic due to the sudden ckout.

    His eyes had gotten used to the light of bonfire, so if the light gets lost suddenly it¡¯s natural he won¡¯t be able to see anything.

    After some time, under this cloudless night sky with full moon out, he might be able to see somewhat, but

    SFX: GAaaaoooo!

    The monster which has already approached in front won¡¯t wait for the eyes to be used to ck.

    ¡¸U-Uaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?¡¹

    reflexively he swings the sword in his hand.

    Naturally, he isn¡¯t able to feel the sensation of cutting something down and only cuts through empty space.

    Within the ignorant night, Wilhart had been prepared for death, but

    ¡¸??? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºTorch¡»¡¹

    With the sudden dazzling light appearing, he perceived that his fate has yet to exhaust.

    ¡¸Is it you Seria!?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Wil-sama you Seria is here¡¹

    Before he knew it, the maid with beautiful face and green ponytail wearing an apron dress stood besides him.

    The¡ºTorch¡»¡¯s fireball shining in the night sky equally illuminates the figure of Seria holding somewhatrge dagger knives in both her hands and the figure of several Punpun.

    ¡¸T-These many were here......¡¹

    ¡¸Not only numbers, they are also pretty regted and disciplined, no doubt, they are being led by a powerful boss¡¹

    Wilhart recalled the lecture about the territories of monsters he took really seriously.

    Even among rank 1 monsters, the ones who form a group means the one leading is boss and is strong, or they are special individuals with intelligence due to that the difficulty level is also increased by a rank.

    This group of Punpun who diverted the attention of Wilhart, let a detached force approach him from behind and closed the only light source for stopping his movements, makes them a rank 2 equal monster.

    ¡¸They¡¯re not the opponent the current Wil-sama can stand against¡¹

    ¡¸Guu......¡¹

    The strength of Wilhart is on the level of somehow winning against rank 1 monster, Goblin only in one-on-one battles.

    Even without a boss, if they attack in group he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    ¡¸No, but, right now we haverades we can rely on! Wake up the braverades, the time for battle hase!!¡¹

    When Wilhart raises his voice, the 4 camp members who have already waken up from the sounds jump out of tent as if there asses had caught fire.

    ¡¸Waaaah, this is gonna be bad!?¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t fucking kid with me!¡¹

    ¡¸Run!¡¹

    ¡¸Oie on fast, this way!¡¹

    The 4 reliablerades, run with only their clothes on, and plotted an escape n.

    Due to the dazzling running style, even the Punpun surrounding the camp ignore them.

    ¡¸Huh, Eh, Oo~ii, You guys......¡¹

    Wilhart raised his voice to stop them with an astonished expression, but the 4 had already disappeared on the other side of dark night.

    ¡¸Great teamwork this is¡¹

    ¡¸Y-You people......you¡¯re losers who leave the captain of your team and plot to escape before me, you guys don¡¯t deserve to be knights of Spada!!¡¹

    Wilhart shouts while holding sword in a bent back posture seeming he would fall at any time.

    ¡¸It was unfortunate you had to meet with strong Punpun, now it is decided for you to take supplementary sses for outdoor training, Wil-sama¡¹

    The Punpun encircle Wilhart and Seria, but they only show vignce while maintaining a distance and don¡¯t attack.

    Wilhart is having cold sweat on his face without knowing when the curtain to battle would drop, but on the contrast, Seria is keeping her cool expressionless face.

    After ring at each other for sometime, the sound of rustlinges from the forest and a bigger Punpun appears on the riverside.

    ¡¸Mu, so he¡¯s the boss? ¡¹

    This Punpun has arge body both vertically and horizontally, its height reaching 3 metres and its one eye is injured making it a perfect one-eyed boss.

    The boss starts ring contest with Seria.

    But that is soon concluded, the boss then raises its voice as if to order its subordinates.

    Then taking distance Seria won¡¯t be able to reach them, they start taking out the items and everything from camp.

    ¡¸Ah, the food is......¡¹

    ¡¸The outdoor training is already a fail for you, there¡¯s no harm in letting them take it¡¹

    The Punpun took each and everything like food, or items that won¡¯t help monsters at all.

    During the time everything was being plundered, it only stared at Seria paying attention to her movements and it didn¡¯t even move a single step.

    The next moment when he thought it would take back the crows of Punpun,

    SFX: GaaOOOooooOOOOooo!!

    A loud roar resounded.

    That howl is that would let people far away shake in fear, a really sinister and fiendish howl.

    ¡¸O-Oi, what is it this t-time!?¡¹

    Wilhart jumped to cling to Seria due to fear, even the Punpun working diligently showed clear fear.

    They dropped down everything they were carrying and froze on the spot.

    SFX: Gaooo¡ªnnn!

    The boss cries, then the Punpun threw everything they had plundered and ran away deep into forest in full speed.

    ¡¸H-Hey, Seria......doesn¡¯t it feel dangerous?¡¹

    Wilhart returned to his previous state and asked something miserable, but Seria didn¡¯t make fun of it.

    ¡¸Wil-sama, let¡¯s make a run for it, right now¡¹

    Seria gripped Wilhart¡¯s hand and ran with the same force the Punpun ran.

    Seeing Seria serious after many years, Wilhart understood the danger of things.

    Apparently, the owner of that fiendish howl is the strong monster who can even make this Seria choose the option to run.

    But however, because of that, Wilhart stopped moving in his tracks.

    ¡¸Wait! If we run away what will happen to them!?¡¹

    Them is the 4 members who got scared of attack of monsters and ran away.

    Although he hates them somewhat, but not to the extent that he wants them dead.

    On the contrary, forgiving them while smiling would be the right thing to do as a royalty.

    [ET: I can¡¯t believe there are good people like him. *sob*]

    ¡¸I cannot leave them alone¡¹

    Please, save them.

    Wilhart bows his head down like he did when he found an adventurer whom he named as Nightmare Berserker.

    But, the answer this time,

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Wil-sama, but I won¡¯t listen to that order¡¹

    Were the clear words of rejection.

    He couldn¡¯t speak foolish things like You dare defy your master¡¯s order.

    The live of her master second prince of Spada, or the lives of 4 who ran on their own ord, it is obvious she took the first one.

    Wilhart understood it, and could only run while his hand is being gripped by Seria.

    For running away from the owner of that fiendish howl within the Ghad Mountains.

 Chapter 198 Encounter with the Red Despair

    The 4 management ss students stopped their legs while gasping for breath.

    ¡°haa......haa......man, I was really scared.¡±

    ¡°We were totally surrounded, that was damn dangerous.¡±

    ¡°By the way, will that delusional prince be fine if we leave him like that?¡±

    ¡°Seria-chan was there so he should be fine. Those ugly monsters should be easy stuff for her.¡±

    Maybe because they were able to safely escape, the 4 of them wereughing.

    They felt absolutely no sense of guilt at the fact that they had left one of their members back there.

    But, considering that nobles were born with a status that imed that they were above normal people, it couldn¡¯t be helped if they¡¯d be happy with saving just themselves after all.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    One of the students asked while surveying the surroundings.

    This ce looked the same as their camp, i.e., it was by the river.

    After jumping out of the tents, they had run directly upstream.

    Rather than running inside a forest with dense trees and undtedndscape, it was simply easier to run by the river which had no obstacles.

    ¡°Ah, I do have a sword, we¡¯ll make do somehow.¡±

    Though they ran away with whatever they were wearing, they still had their basic equipments.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, let¡¯s return at our own pace.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve had enough of [Air Walker], kay?¡±

    Though they were scared by being suddenly attacked by a group of monsters, their abilities remained the same which were suitable for someone who had cleared the supposedly super difficult entrance exam for the management course.

    They were well learned in both magic and Martial skills of lower level.

    But still, they were not ¡®skilled¡¯ with it like actual adventurers. They had simply been taught these while they were young under the guidance of a specialised instructor, simr to a sport.

    They can fire [Ignis Sagita] as well use [sh]. But whether they could use them in actual battle, the answer would be definitely NO.

    That¡¯s why they were scorned as the ¡®Spare ss¡¯.

    ¡°We came pretty far away. I can¡¯t even see the camp.¡±

    ¡°I think we travelled about 1 km?¡±

    They were literally fast at running away with the use of [Air Walker].

    Though their skill was barely enough to activate it, but as long as the movement-type Martial Skill was activated, they¡¯d still be much faster than a normal human¡¯s running speed.

    That¡¯s why, they had been able to instantly break through the encirclement of the Punpuns.

    Though the riverside with lots of stones couldn¡¯t be called a good foothold but since it didn¡¯t have obstacles like branches in the forest, one could run away faster as long as he stays careful with his footing.

    Blessed with a good terrain, they had been able to run away safely till here with [Air Walker].

    Though, the fact that they had lost their breath while just using [Air Walker] like this, it was obvious that it was useless in an actual battle.

    ¡°Say, it should be fine to return now right?¡±

    ¡°No, they might still be fighting. Let¡¯s wait a bit more.¡±

    They didn¡¯t know the situation at the camp from here. They could only rely on their intuition to decide when the battle would be over.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t that troublesome delusional prince just die already? ¡±

    ¡°If he does, then I¡¯ll hire Seria-chan.¡±

    ¡°Hah, I¡¯ll hire her.¡±

    After that, the four got fired up while talking about what kind of services they would ask for after hiring her.

    But, coincidentally, it was only an instant but,

    ¡°Giyahaha¡ª¡ªha?¡±

    One of the boysughing at a vulgar gag realized a giant ck shadow in his vision.

    ¡°Ha, what.......is that?¡±

    ¡°Aah?¡±

    The other three also looked in the same direction as the boy who had a frozen expression.

    There, a giant beast was standing.

    Its giant frame was over 6m but they didn¡¯t know just for how long that beast had been silently standing near the river over there.

    Its ckish fur was difficult to see in the night but the deep crimson fur at its arms and chest could be clearly seen as if it was a bonfire.

    Especially, the two long and narrow ears above its head looked like swaying mes.

    ¡°That¡¯s a monster, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fucking big.......isn¡¯t this dangerous?¡±

    Due to those ears, they ended up associating it with the earlier Punpuns.

    But, the impression it gave waspletely different from them.

    Arms as thick as arge tree, it¡¯s swelling muscles could be seen even from under the thick fur it had.

    Especially, its sharp and ferocious face that looked like a mix between a wolf and a lion was nothing like theical appearance of that rank 1 monster.

    The giant monster that had suddenly appeared was simply staring at those four with its devilish red eyes.

    ¡°haha, doesn¡¯t that look a bit impossible to beat?¡±

    ¡°Yup, impossible, definitely impossible.¡±

    ¡°O, okay, let¡¯s run away.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The 4 who quickly came to the same conclusion began to focus their magical energy to use [Air Walker] like before.

    At that moment,

    ¡ª¡ª*gujari*

    That kind of dull sound came to the ears of the 3 students.

    Yes, only 3 of them heard it. The remaining one,

    ¡°Ha.......eh?¡±

    Had disappeared after bing a red blotch on the riverside.

    The student who was supposed to be standing there had disappeared and in its ce, a big ck and red tree was standing there.

    No, that wasn¡¯t a tree, it was the arm of the monster.

    ¡°Eh, why..........?¡±

    All 3 of them unintentionally switched their gazes repeatedly from the ce where the monster was standing and the ce next to them.

    The ce where the monster was standing disappeared like a mirage, and now,

    ¡°Ah, a, waaaaaaaaaaahhh!!?¡±

    Was definitely, actually, standing beside them.

    Finally, after all this time, they realized what had happened.

    One of their colleagues had beenpletely smashed from the head by the arm of this monster and had be apressed pile of flesh and blood.

    ¡°Uaaaaah!!¡±

    While shouting, trying to run away from this nightmarish monster, the three instinctively jumped away from there.

    Because one of them had tried moving back without thinking, his leg twisted and fell down.

    One had quickly jumped away and created some distance between them.

    The other one had been the only one to have miraculously seeded in activating [Air Walker] and jumped away into the air by kicking the earth.

    But, this one who should have been the most sessful in getting away had his body stopped in mid-air.

    ¡°Nggunnn~~!?!¡±

    Basically, before he couldpletely fly into the air, the monster had grabbed him with its arm.

    The monster was firmly holding onto the boys lower half. On its right arm, a crimson crystal was glowing brightly. The two who had not been targeted clearly saw it.

    Without minding the gazes of those 2 at all, the monster waspletely focused on the one it had captured.

    It brought its right arm that had captured the boy near its own head slowly at ease.

    He¡¯ll be eaten, the other two instantly thought that but reality was different.

    He was crushed.

    The monster had crushed the boy¡¯s body inside its palm.

    As if it was squeezing an orange, blood gushed out of its rock-like palm.

    The red blood drops slowly disappeared inside the monster¡¯s giant mouth.

    ¡°Uguu, ooeeeeeeeeeeehh!¡±

    Even in the dark night, the two who had witnessed this scene somehow puked with the exact same timing.

    Their friend who had been conversing with them only a few minutes ago had be a red juice and was disappearing inside a monster¡¯s mouth. Seeing such a scene that was nothing less of a nightmare, their sheltered minds as nobles simply couldn¡¯t bear with it.

    ¡°U, guu, aaaaaaa.¡±

    But still, without bing unable to move, the one who had been sessful in running away could be truly considered as well done!

    The one who had fallen down there couldn¡¯t get up and could only release all kinds of body except blood and simply sit there while crying.

    The monster, without trying to chase the one that had run away, turned towards the one who was crying near its legs.

    After squeezing out as much blood it could, as if throwing away tasteless food scraps, he threw away the pile of broken bones and flesh.

    The dull sound of thatnding on the ground as well as the sound of the monster pressing its finger on the boy¡¯s leg came at the same time.

    But he only heard the sound of his leg¡¯s bone breaking. Or maybe, the scream he made as if bursting his throat.

    ¡°Gyaaaaah!! St, stop¡ª¨C¡°

    After a gap of a second, once again the monster¡¯s finger attacked the boy¡¯s body.

    This time, it was the left shoulder.

    They were not sharp ws that could cut through human flesh by simply touching, it was simply pressing the shoulder with its fingertip.

    Pressured by the rocky ground and the tough finger, a body that had been only slightly trained, broke very easily.

    Once again, the scream of pain came. Maybe because it found that reaction amusing, the monsters lips twisted into a smile.

    The scream that came every time it pushed its finger, the monster attacked the boy¡¯s body as if ying on a piano.

    But soon, that voice also stoppeding.

    It was obvious. Not just every bone in his body, every vital organ needed to sustain life had also beenpletely pulverised.

    Towards thepletely broken boy, as if slightlyining, the monster snorted and turned towards its next prey without eating him.

    ¡°haa.......haa........He, help me......Help!!¡±

    With shaky footsteps, thest one was running desperately.

    But, without activating [Air Walker], he gravelycked the speed to run away fast with such bad footing.

    The monster slightly kicked the ground, no, lightly by its personal standards, the moment the rocks and dust blew away, that ck and red giant body was lightly fluttering in the air.

    It hadn¡¯t flown. It had simply jumped.

    But that jump covered enough distance to be considered as flying and instantly turned the distance between it and the student to zero.

    Meaning, the monsternded in front of the student.

    ¡°Hi, hiiiiiiiii!?!¡±

    The avatar of despair appeared once again.

    Even while knowing he was no match, he still ended up drawing the mithril sword on his waist.

    That de shone with radiance as if warding off the darkness of the night.

    ¡°Ki, ki, I¡¯ll kill youuu, I¡¯ll kill you, I won¡¯t be killed by some mo, mo, monsterrrrrr!!¡±

    Seeing that beautiful de, maybe his fighting spirit came back or he simply gave in to despair, the boy took a stance with the sword.

    The next moment, the monster extended its arm casually but the boy couldn¡¯t follow even that properly.

    While holding his sword, without being able to move even a single bit, he was wrapped by the iing palm.

    In the time span of a second, his death should have been confirmed but the monster suddenly withdrew his hand.

    For a second he didn¡¯t understand what had happened but he realized that the edge of the mithril sword had grazed the monster¡¯s hand and inflicted a small, very small wound.

    ¡°ha, hahaha......it, it worked, it¡¯s working!!¡±

    The monster looked at its own palm doubtfully and found the small wound.

    That moment,

    *GAAOOOOOOOONN!!*

    It roared.

    That was clearly a roar of anger, a scream of rage.

    As the monster roared, the crimson fur stood on its end and its body looked as if it had grown another size.

    But, the boy had been unable to see that changed form.

    That¡¯s because, the moment it had roared, the boy had fallen unconscious while bleeding from his nose and ears. No, because after only a second had passed, the fist of rage had pulverized his body and he had instantly died.

    After bing a red blotch simr to the first victim, it was clearly dead even in the eyes of the monster.

    But, the monster¡¯s fists didn¡¯t stop.

    Twice, thrice, the fists that attacked were powerful enough to make the ground tremble and slowly, a crater began to appear.

    After that, it continued striking with its fists and let alone corpse, not even a trace of blood remained when the monster finally stopped.

    In a matter of time, its red fur returned to normal and its size also lowered to its original. It seems the monster¡¯s anger had settled.

    As the monster stopped moving, the night returned to its calm where only the sound of the river flowing could be heard.

    But the monster picked up a sound much far away from here with its long ears.

    ¡°I cannot leave them alone!¡±

    That was without a doubt, a human¡¯s voice.

    The monsterughed.

    It confirmed that there were still preys remaining for tonight.

 Chapter 199 Rank 5 Monster

    Chapter 199 ¨C ??? ???

    Wilhart and Seria were running through the thick forest with the shortest route down from mountain without even caring it was night.

    The light source was the small glitter of¡ºTorch¡», it couldn¡¯t illuminate more than some metres but under the guidance of Seria they were able to run at a high-pace.

    ¡¸Paa!¡¹

    Seria¡¯s arm shed facing the opposite side of darkness.

    Along with the cry, sound of something falling also came.

    After running for a few seconds, Wilhart caught the sight of blue corpse of a Mina Tokage lying on the ground.

    In its head a ck knife was stuck, it was killed in just one shot.

    Like that, all the low ranked monsters approaching them were eliminated by Seria, so they haven¡¯t stopped yet.

    ¡¸Wil-sama, let¡¯s take a shortcut¡¹

    Before he could reply, Seria easily took hold of the body of Wilhart though being thin herself.

    Even if Wilhart was called as weak child, he had muscles for being able to swing sword and his height too almost reached 180 cms.

    The scene of 160 cms tall maid holding him in her arms did seem weird.

    However, Wilhart neither got scared of Seria¡¯s power nor did hein for getting held up by her.

    That was because, he trusted that the bodyguard cum maid, Seria from the bottom of his heart. [ET: The cum is thetin word here not the english word]

    ¡¸Please don¡¯t speak or you might bite your tongue¡¹

    The moment he nodded, both of them jumped towards the slightly-elevated-steep-sloped cliff.

    Even while carrying one tall man, Seria ran down without breaking her bnce as though she were free falling.

    Just like that, in an instant she finished descending andnded on the ground filled with grasses.

    Till the moment Wilhart once again put his feet onnd, he didn¡¯t felt the thing called as shaking.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah¡¹

    And once again, their escape started.

    They hadn¡¯t run for much long, but Wilhart was already near the point of having all of his stamina exhausted and would have fallen on the ground while screaming.

    But still, he clenched his teeth and kept on running.

    With his good brain he had derived that this was the best solution, so he had no reason toin.

    ¡¸......Wil-sama¡¹

    Abruptly, Seria stopped.

    While gasping painfully, a bad feeling passed through Wilhart¡¯s heart.

    He knew that she wouldn¡¯t stop in ce like this for no reason.

    ¡¸Pant......Pant......W-what is it?¡¹

    ¡¸I will stall it, please run¡¹

    He sucked in a breath of cold air, his heartbeat sped up.

    What do you mean, don¡¯t speak foolish things, fuck that¨D¨DHe had a lot of things to say, but he wasn¡¯t able to speak at all.

    That was because he understood the intention behind her words though he didn¡¯t want to understand.

    ¡¸??? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºTorch¡»¡¹

    Showing her back towards silently standing Wilhart, Seria activated the same magic which had been lightly illuminating the road.

    The fireball rose up in the sky like fireworks, and a bright red flower of me bloomed in the night sky.

    That illuminated the surroundings greatly like a glittering chandelier suspended from the ceiling.

    Thanks to the new¡ºTorch¡»,the surroundings became visible and they could finally understand where they were.

    He understood that there was a half green vacantnd, as though goblins tried to tear open the mountain forest for making a vige.

    ¡¸What!?¡¹

    And, in the center of vacantnd stood a big-framed monster with ck and red hair as though it stood there from the start.

    Though he saw the monster for the first time, but immediately perceived that this monster was the reason Punpun ran away and they were too running.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a WrathPun......¡¹

    The person who murmured the name of monster in front of them was not Seria, but Wilhart.

    ¡¸Do you know it?¡¹

    Seria knew the names of monsters not only within the surroundings of Spada, but also the names of all monsters ced in the monster list, even thetest ones.

    But, she wasn¡¯t some monster maniac, so she wouldn¡¯t know the names of all monsters present in the world.

    Hence, Wilhart, who even knew a lot about legendary monsters written only in ancient literatures, guessed the right name of this unknown monster.

    ¡¸It is rare monster which only appears once in every 10 years¡¹

    The monster which appeared rarely easily meant that people didn¡¯t knew about them.

    The ce they were written was only the specialized books which told the mode of life and discovery of monsters.

    Even among the adventurers, only those who do work of information gathering or were studious would have this much knowledge.

    And, Wilhart was able to recall the description of a monster in a page of a ecology monograph coinciding with the traits of the monsters standing in front of him.

    The name¡ºWrathPun¡»might sound strange, but if one knew its ecology they would easily understand the meaning behind it.

    That was because WrathPun was a mutated species that came from Punpun.

    Its temper was extremely violent, it goes into a frenzy upon getting even a little stimulus. It attacks the person who gave it stimulus and doesn¡¯t stop even after the person bes a dead corpse. It was a monster pertaining twisted rage.

    Hence, it was given the name from the ancientnguage¡ºWrath¡».

    But, he didn¡¯t had time for telling Seria about its slightly revealed ecology, so Wilhart told her about the most important things only.

    ¡¸The strength of WrathPun is Rank 5, that isn¡¯t someone Seria can beat......¡¹

    The rank 5 monster meant, it had the power of a top-ranked, Rank 5 party, in its single body.

    Seria was strong, to the extent she was entrusted the job to guard 2nd Prince of Spada.

    But, she didn¡¯t had the power rivalling to that of rank 5 party.

    ¡¸It will be fine, I can buy some time for you to run¡¹

    She must¡¯ve understood it immediately from Wilhart¡¯s words that she wouldn¡¯t be able to win against that monster.

    Even so, Seria dered as though she was just doing her job.

    ¡¸Ku......¡¹

    Wilhart didn¡¯t had words to stop her.

    That was because, bodyguards exist only to protect the life of their master.

    And Wilhart was the 2nd prince of Spada, not a person who was meant to die, even if he had to let others sacrifice their lives.

    The royalty was something like that.

    And Wilhart wasn¡¯t a child to not understand that, because he was already a 17 years old adult.

    But, he wasn¡¯t mature to the extent that he could do the act of living while letting his bodyguard die.

    ¡¸Wil-sama, hurry up¡¹

    In the words Seria, he sensed somewhat impatience.

    In this situation where nothing could be done, he didn¡¯t even had time to be troubled.

    ¡¸D-damn it......Seria......¡¹

    And, Wilhart finally made his mind, and tried to leave the words of farewell to Seria whom he had gotten familiar with.

    It was at that time.

    ¡¸¡ºAnchor Hand¡»¡¹

    Numerous ck tentacles extend from somewhere and twined around the body of WrathPun standing in the center of vacantnd.

    Just what happened here? Before he could even think that question, the situation changed rapidly.

    ¡¸???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºTerra Wall Defan¡»¡¹

    The Wrath Pun got covered behind the wall of stone, no the prison of stone which rose from below its feet while leaving space as to not interfere with the tentacles.

    And, in the next moment,

    ¡¸???? ???? ???? ????¨D¨D¡ºMeteor Strike¡»¡¹

    A magic circle of white light formed itself above Wrath Pun.

    By the time they both understood that the magic system waspletely different from model magic, the effect of magic circle activated.

    WrathPun was bound up by tentacles, captured in the prison of stone, and from above its head the mass of rainbow-colored light downpoured.

    The things just happened in an instant, and Wilhart and Seria were only able to look at it absentmindedly from the start to end.

    Chapter 199 ¨C Rank 5 Monster

 Chapter 200 The First Trial

    Chapter 200 ¨C ??? ???

    The night watch ispletely my work.

    In the¡ºBeginner Set¡»I bought in Irz vige, there was a tent included. Right now, Lily and Fiona are sleeping within it as if they were sisters.

    This is absolutely not some sort of favourable treatment towards them because they are cute.

    Fiona is a pure human, different from me, who has an excessively tough body.

    As the theory of adventurers¡¯ says, it is natural and important for letting the members of magician ss rest as much as possible.

    And Lily has a child body, so she needs even more rest.

    Lily is the strongest person in Element Master, but thates with restricted time when she goes into her original form, in other words, her power is a lot unstable.

    Even the little Lily is quite high leveled from adventurers¡¯ perspectives, but there is always a need for her to be in top condition for being able to return to her original form.¡ºQueen Beryl¡»is not an omnipotent item which won¡¯t give any fatigue to user upon using its powers.

    So like that, tonight too, I¡¯m guarding in the night, alone.

    We have chosen the center of an open vacantnd as our camp ground, while looking at the bonfire burning besides me, the time passes silently.

    Though it¡¯s not for killing time, but I¡¯m improving and developing my ck magic.

    I have a user-friendly thing called¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»so, I¡¯m nning a more powerful and efficient magic form for¡ºAnchor Hand¡».

    The reason new ideas keep oning to me can be because I¡¯m clear-headed, or the ck-haired maid in the gloves is supporting me.

    I will be able toplete it by morning, the moment I thought something that much positive, I sensed some presence.

    I wasn¡¯t that much sure about, it was more like intuition. I raise my head up and look towards the interior of dense forest in front of me.

    ¡¸What is this feeling......¡¹

    I am more sensitive to presences and magical powerpared to ordinary people.

    If there is hostility or bloodlust, so no matter if it is human or monster I can sense them. This feeling is something I had gotten familiar during the maneuvering experiments.

    But, the ¡¯presence like thing¡¯ I am sensing right now, doesn¡¯t rte to any feeling I have sense before, but is more strange.

    For ascertaining the identity of that thing, I survey my surroundings more attentively.

    In the next moment, a change urred.

    ¡¸......It¡¯s shining?¡¹

    Thanks to my nocturnal eyes, I saw a small red light deep in the forest.

    Though it is small, but it isn¡¯t some hallucination, that is clearly being reflected in my eyes.

    By the time I recognized it as mysterious red light, single prediction passed through my head.

    For confirming I close my right eye, and the red light still is present like before.

    But when I close the left eye, yes, the ¡¯eye of god¡¯ given to me by Mia, that red light vanished as if a candle light just got blown out.

    ¡¸So there is the trial, eh?¡¹

    I muttered, but the self-proimed god who appears anywhere at any time didn¡¯t appear before me this time and neither answered my question.

    But, even without getting an reply from that child, I¡¯m already half-convinced that the ¡®trial¡¯ for obtaining divine protection is waiting in ce with red light.

    Now, what to do in this case? I don¡¯t even have to think, the answer is already out.

    ¡¸Fiona¡¹

    ¡¸Fuuaaii, what happenshed Kurono-shan?¡¹

    I call out while facing Tent and Fiona replies immediately, though in voice that sounds half-awake.

    ¡¸Hurry up and¨D¨D¡¹

    The moment I was about to say e out here¡¯,

    SFX: GaaOOooooOOOOOoo!!

    An intense, fiendish and sinister howl roared in the stillness of night.

    But with that one howl, I understood.

    That the master of this howl is more stronger than any monster we have fought till now.

    And also, that the subjugation of this monster is the trial given to me.

    .

    .

    .

    From the moment we heard the howl which might have resounded in the whole Ghad Mountain Range, our movements increased their pace.

    I didn¡¯t have to exin, but Lily and Fiona immediately understood that a strong monster has appeared in this vicinity.

    I get rid of bonfire, sunk the tent in¡ºShadow Gate¡»and now the preparations for departing are done.

    When I exined the gist of subjugating monsters we haven¡¯t seen before forpleting the trials,

    ¡¸We were increasing our rank for fighting strong monsters, so we are fortunate that it came to us by itself¡¹

    ¡¸Lily will work hard!¡¹

    I got their agreement with immediate reply.

    I questioned myself for a second that if it was alright for myrades to help me in killing the monster, but then I realized that thinking this isn¡¯t going to be much of help.

    Anyway, I¡¯m still half-suspicious about acquisition of divine protection, so rather than being suspicious of this and that it is more important to increase the party¡¯s experience.

    ¡¸And so, do you know where this monster is?¡¹

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have known.

    For following monster outside of vision range needs the use of special magic, which neither me, Lily and Fiona have learnt.

    But, this time ¡®god will tell us¡¯, that thing will work.

    ¡¸Yeah, just follow me¡¹

    The red luminous point is still being reflected in my left eye.

    .

    .

    .

    Now, in front of the light,

    ¡¸......There is nothing¡¹

    There wasn¡¯t even the shadow of monster let alone its figure.

    I watch the point where the red light vanished while hiding in the shade of tree. There is only a strangely open vacantnd full of overgrown weed.

    Now this damn embarrassing, I was wrong, the moment I thought that, it appeared.

    Instead of appearing it should be more like it came falling down. Before I knew it, the more than 5 metres tall monster stood in the center of vacantnd.

    ¡¸Wow, that guy is going to be troublesome¡¹

    It¡¯s not like I got scared looking at its fiendish appearance of ck and red hair.

    The thing I find dangerous is not that, but the fact that this guy appeared without any sound or presence even when it is having that big body.

    I can understood looking at it once only that it has more power than that minotauros zombie and it¡¯s unhurried agility is like that of an assassin dancing in the darkness of night.

    With just that much I can understand this monster that this monster is lot more powerful than a rank 3 monster which can be insta-killed by Lily.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a monster I¡¯ve never seen¡¹

    Fiona, standing besides me, says that calmly.

    ¡¸I too haven¡¯t seen it, have you Lily?¡¹

    Lily too swings her head while standing near my legs.

    Apparently, this monster is a first sight for everyone.

    Now then how should we defeat it, the instant I thought that, shadows of two people came springing out in the vacantnd where the monster is waiting.

    ¡¸There were adventurers there?¡¹

    ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t it be more like they were being chased¡¹

    The two had a small¡ºTorch¡»illuminating their surroundings, so even Fiona and Lily saw them clearly.

    One tall-thin man is wearing a ck zer and red mantle, the outfit of elite cadets which Simon told me.

    The monocle on his nervous-struck face is really impressive.

    The other one is a perfect maid wearing the apron dress really stylishly. She is also showing a nervous expression.

    However, she entered first while guiding the man behind her and holding dagger knife in both her hands, so she isn¡¯t just some normal maid but an bodyguard just like the girl stuffed inside this¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡».

    Incidentally, her well-ordered face is more like an older sister type rather than a teen girl.

    ¡¸Are they the nobles who love to y being an adventurer?¡¹

    So optimistic, right, those bitter wordse out her Fiona¡¯s frank mouth which doesn¡¯t twist words.

    Well, from the perspective of a proper adventurer existences like them aren¡¯t good.

    ¡¸But, I cannot bear to leave them¡¹

    Before I knew it, the maid activated more¡ºTorch¡»es, and suddenly the surrounding gets brighter.

    The maid steps forward and bravely takes her stance while holding dagger knife as if she were trying to let her master run.

    From her stance, I can feel it that she is an expert even while being here, this maid is not putting on airs.

    ¡¸We don¡¯t have time to slowly think over a n right now¡¹

    No matter how much powerful she is, I don¡¯t think she will be able to fight against this monster which has long ears grown on head just like those Punpun.

    She won¡¯t die in one hit, but it¡¯s not like she will be able to hold against it for much time.

    ¡¸Well then, shall we bombard it once from here?¡¹

    ¡¸No, this is our rare surprise attacking chance, let¡¯s make use of it¡¹

    I recall thebo attack of my¡ºAnchor Hand¡»and Fiona¡¯s¡ºAur Soleil¡»when we fought against 8th Apostle Ai.

    It will be best to go with that this time too, after all it is best to go all out when we don¡¯t know the ability of opponent.

    ¡¸But we have no means of protecting ourselves from¡ºAur Soleil¡», so Lily will deal thest hit¡¹

    I convey my thoughts briefly and the two immediately show signs of understanding.

    Well then, it will be great if we can defeat it with this onebo......

    Chapter 200 ¨C The First Trial

 Chapter 201 Element Master Vs Wrathpun (1)

    Chapter 201

    Even though it was night time when the darkness ruled, in this vacantnd that had been cleared open by some goblins, brightness simr to a normal day had returned.

    Above the monster trapped inside the rock prison, Lily¡¯s [Meteor Strike] had exploded.

    It was an attack that had taken down every enemy with a single hit till now, but,

    ¡°Oioi¡ª¨C¡°

    Kurono saw the monster intercepting the oing rainbow-coloured meteor with its fist.

    The moment the white magic circle appeared and [Meteor Strike] was activated, the monster had regained the freedom of its right arm that was bigger than the left and felt unbnced.

    It had simply used brute strength to rip away the ck constraints and had blown away the rock walls surrounding it.

    By that time, the mass of light had been fired with a speed like an actual meteorite.

    The monster red above itself and swung its giant right fist against it.

    As the red jewel on its right arm, that looked like [Queen Beryl] shined, its right arm was enveloped in crimson mes that came from it.

    And then the burning right arm attacked the iing meteorite like an intercepting missile.

    On collision, the rainbow-coloured light and the crimson radiance became a torrent of light shing all over the area.

    Kurono who saw that impact had to close his eyes due to the intense light.

    But the scene of that monster hitting the [Meteor Strike] with its fist seemed too powerful.

    And in the next instant the flood of light settled and once again only the light of the [torch] remained shining in the night.

    ¡°It actually defended against [Meteor Strike].............¡±

    In front, in the centre of a crater with a diameter of few meters, was the figure of the monster standing free of all its constraints.

    ¡°Shit, this really looks dangerous. As expected of a god¡¯s trial, eh?¡±

    Heined like that, but there was no going back now.

    Kurono jumped into the vacantnd with Fiona and Lily. It was right around the ce where that student and maid were standing.

    ¡°Ah, you are.......¡±

    The first one to react to Kurono and the others appearance was the tall, though not as tall as Kurono, male student.

    He looked extremely surprised, well it was obvious considering the situation; Kurono thought so and decided to briefly say what was important.

    ¡°Oi, we¡¯ll take care of this monster. You guys should quickly run away!¡±

    Since it was an emergency situation, Kurono didn¡¯t use the polite form of talking and spoke so with a strong tone.

    ¡°Eh, ah, but¡ª¡ª¨C¡°

    Maybe he felt bad for making some random adventurer face such a strong monster, the boy couldn¡¯t speak properly.

    ¡°Thank you very much!!¡±

    But the bodyguard maid was able to take decisions cool-headedly even in such a situation.

    She quickly put her master on her shoulder and turned her back to run away towards Kurono and others while leaving a simple word of gratitude.

    Of course, Kurono had no intention of stopping her, in fact he¡¯d be troubled if she didn¡¯t run away.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rank 5 monster called Wrathpun! Don¡¯t think of beating it, you guys should also quickly run away!!¡±

    While being carried by the maid, the boy shouted so.

    Kurono ended up smiling due to those words of consideration.

    ¡°So its called a Wrathpun. Is it an evolved form of Punpun?¡±

    That¡¯s quite a ferocious kind of evolution it went through. Thinking of such things nonchntly, Kurono faced the rank 5 monster.

    ¡°Sorry Kurono, I wasn¡¯t able to finish it off.¡±

    Lining on his right side while apologising was Lily who had already turned to her girl form and was covered by her green [Oracle Field].

    ¡°No, that thing used mes. It must be quite resistance towards heat. It was only a problem ofpatibility.¡±

    When monster itself uses mes or lightning, in most cases it is also highly resistant to that element.

    This Wrathpun was also no exception to that. In fact, since it¡¯s a rank 5, its resistance should be strong enough to almost nullify the effects.

    ¡°Then that means I also have a badpatibility with it.¡±

    Lining by his left was the berserk witch that could turn everything to ashes, Fiona.

    Certainly, since it had been able to take on [Meteor Strike] without losing any of its limbs, [Aur Soleil] would not have been able to defeat it either.

    ¡°We are at a disadvantage against monsters with heat resistance eh? Well, we found one of the biggest weaknesses of our party.¡±

    That doesn¡¯t mean that they could fix that right now though.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll have to cut it down. Lily and Fiona, you two cover me.¡±

    Roger. The words of agreement came to Kurono¡¯s ears from both sides.

    In his hand, he already held his partner [HaraRetsu] and 10 ckened swords spread behind him like wings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ª-¡°

    Just as Kurono began to run, the Wrathpun¡¯s red hair stood on its ends and once again raised a roar that echoed in the whole Gahad mountains.

    .

    .

    .

    As the angered Wrathpun raised an ear shattering roar, it showed that the [Meteor Strike] had done almost no damage to it.

    Since the heat of the light of [Meteor Strike] had been almostpletely nullified, the only thing that reached its body was the shockwaves.

    If it was a normal human, no, even a minotaur would have been blown away by just the shockwave but the Wrathpun was a power type monster that held high resistance against shock type attacks.

    (¡°But what about shing attacks?¡±)

    No monster is omnipotent. If it has some strengths, it¡¯ll also have weaknesses.

    The Wrathpun looked like a thick furred bear or a gori, a demonic beast so as to say.

    That fur and muscles held high resistance to shock and striking type damage but a sh from a sharp de should be effective going by the theory on monsters.

    Conversely speaking, if the enemy was a skeleton that held no muscles or flesh or a monster with hard scales or shell, shock based attacks will be more effective than shes.

    If it was Kurono¡¯s [HaraRetsu] that had cut through all kinds of things till now, even if it was a rank 5 monster, it should be able to cut through this monster¡¯s flesh.

    But, the Wrathpun wasn¡¯t going to wait for Kurono toe and cut it.

    There was still quite a distance between the two but as the Wrathpun raised its arm, mes began to concentrate in its palms.

    (¡°Is it going to use a fireball!?¡±)

    That was, as if it was fire-type magic, a giant fireball formed above its palm.

    And, before Kurono coulde close to the monster¡¯s body, the ming right arm fired the fireball with the speed of a bullet.

    ¡°¡ª¨Cck Shield!!¡±

    ck fibres ovepped each other to form a defensive magic.

    It¡¯s size was a rectangle starting from Kurono¡¯s knees to his head. In front of the iing fireball, the ck shield didn¡¯t look very reliable.

    Probably, the Wrathpun thought the same.

    It collided, then exploded. As ck smoke and heat waves spread around, its lips which hid sharp fangs twisted into an evil smile.

    Element Master Vs Wrathpun (1)

 Chapter 202 Element Master Vs Wrathpun (2)

    Chapter 202

    It was an essory iid with a blue jewel like a blue marine.

    [Protection of the Blue me ¨C Nanast Amulet], that was the name of that essory.

    A magic item of Fiona that held an incredible level of fire resistance. The fact that it had protected Kurono from Fiona¡¯s [Aur Soleil] while fighting against the 8th Apostle Ai was a proof of it effectiveness.

    On the night of the 1st of the month of Kouen, I had received this rare item.

    ¡°This is a present from me, please take it.¡±(Fiona)

    An amulet giving off a blue radiance was given to me.

    On asking why, she answered that I bought it. No, that wasn¡¯t what I was asking though.

    ¡°It matches with mine now.¡±(Fiona)

    While getting embarrassed by those words that might make a man¡¯s heart misunderstand, I wanted to ask about the cost of this ¡®rare¡¯ item and all but,

    ¡°Th, thanks.¡±

    I could only answer like that honestly and ept it.

    At that time, Lily¡¯s unusually cold expression was also scary........

    .

    .

    .

    As I cut through the fireball attack of the Wrathpun, I saw surprise in its eyes.

    It seems it didn¡¯t expect me to get out of it unharmed.

    Well, if I had not been equipped with this amulet, this unreliable robe would have beenpletely burnt through.

    This present I received from Fiona is fastened to my leather belt through a chain.

    Thanks to this, I was able to nullify most of the damage of the fireball.

    The shockwaves and power of the explosion had beenpletely stopped with the help of the ck Shield that had be stronger with the help of [ck hair curse [Coffin]] as well.

    As a result, I had only felt a slight heat and nothing more.

    And so, at the same time as I got through the fireball,

    ¡°¡ª¨C[Speed Boost]¡±

    Support magic came from Fiona.

    My body became lighter and more strength came into my legs that were running and I became able to cover a distance of a few meters in an instant.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª[Force Boost]¡±

    And, as I raised my [HaraRetsu] to swing with all my strength, further support magic came to my body and increased the power of my Martial Skill.

    ¡°KuroNagi!!¡±

    The Wrathpun took a backstep with speed unbelievable for its huge body and tried to escape from the ck de¡¯s range.

    But, my Martial Skill that had been enhanced in both speed and power; it could not evade itpletely.

    From my hands holding onto the grip, I felt the sensation of cutting through its gum-like stic flesh.

    The Wrathpun thatnded after stepping back had blood seeping out of its left hand.

    Its nowhere near a fatal wound but it proved that this de could damage it.

    Then, I can do this. We can defeat this guy.

    ¡°Haaa!!¡±

    In pursuit, I took one step ahead and my opponent also rushed towards me while roaring in anger.

    Its right arm raised and was enveloped in the same crimson mes that had blocked [Meteor Strike].

    I instinctively realized that this me was even stronger than the previous fireball and even with the protection of the Amulet, the mes might really reach me.

    Of course, even if the mes didn¡¯t, there¡¯s a high chance that I¡¯d be instantly KOed if I simply took on that battering ram-like punch directly.

    ¡°Magic Sword Arts!!¡±

    Iunched all 10 of the ckened swords without hesitation.

    Wrathpun took them on without showing any signs of worry.

    7 swords struck him. Shoulder, arms, legs and chest, the ces were varied but all of them were only shallow wounds. It only evaded the attacks to its head instinctively.

    Didn¡¯t work. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop its attack.

    Even with the Glove and the Amulet, it was still dangerous to take on its fire punch head-on. Since I was unable to cancel its attack, I can only try to evade it now.

    In my head, I remembered those days of the maneuvering experiment where I fought giant monsters daily as if it was normal.

    In those days, I had no weapon, no equipment on my body. How did I face those monsters then?

    Charging attacks that made the earth tremble, attack from ws that could sever even the bones, jaws that were inescapable once trapped in them, attacks that would be simply impossible for a human but truly normal for the monsters.

    I, who had neither armour or shield, fought such monsters and hade out victorious. It was only because I had been able to always dodge all such attacks.

    That feeling, fights against giant monsters, the theory behind it, everything had already been engraved into this body as unforgettable memories.

    ¡°Daah!¡±

    And thus, the burning fist came down on me from above.

    To dodge, I have to go neither to the back nor to the left or right. I have to go front.

    Since the giant monsters had great size, ces near their feet or bosom were out of their range.

    Jumping forward in a summersault, I felt that I had dodged heavy burning attack behind me just barely.

    The fire punch aimed at me had only cut through the air and hit the weed filled ground, gouging out the earth as a result.

    With the moment of feeling the shockwaves hitting my back, while rolling, I slipped through the Wrathpun¡¯s body.

    My posture had copsed due to using the Martial Skill but I still swung the hatchet while passing through.

    Feeling a slight response, I barely cut the monster¡¯s right hind foot.

    I, who had slipped through to the Wrathpun¡¯s back, stood up and took a stance but that monster¡¯s reaction speed was really fast. In the moment I attacked its open back, it quickly turned towards me.

    At that moment, the one that attacked its back wasn¡¯t me but Lily¡¯s light beams.

    It doesn¡¯t look like it caused much damage but I felt its consciousness move away from me.

    A chance¡ª-no, a fireball seems to be concentrating in his hands.

    ¡°[Anchor Hand]¡±

    From my left hand that was not holding the hatchet, I created wires out of the cursed ck hair.

    As the Wrathpun, raised its burning hand above and was about fire the ball of mes towards Lily, my [Anchor hand] entwined around it.

    ¡°Uoooooohh!!¡±

    I pulled the wires with all my strength but I couldn¡¯t win against its incredible physical strength no matter how much my body had been enhanced.

    Soon, the wires started to get torn off and its right arm got free from its constraints.

    But, that was enough.

    The fireball that was fired was made to miss its target due to my intervention.

    Without trying to see where the fireball flew, the monster quickly started pursuing me.

    Pulling the remaining few wires still entwined around its right hand, I climbed up its giant body as if it was a mountain.

    The Wrathpun shook its body to shake me off and I was swung around like an insect while holding on to it with my both hands.

    Due to that action, me body flew in the air, and crossed 7m, i.e. right above the monster.

    My body began to freefall due to gravity but I corrected my posture and released a Martial Skill in mid air.

    ¡°Kuronagi!!¡±

    My aim was its neck covered with crimson fur.

    Rather than its thick looking skull, it¡¯ll be easier to deal a fatal wound by cutting its neck.

    If I¡¯m lucky and am able to cut away the bones along with its neck, the battle will be over there and then.

    And, the moment the ck de was about to reach its target,

    *GOAAAAAAAH!!*

    A roar loud enough to blow things away; it resounded in my head as if trying to destroy my eardrums.

    But, that wasn¡¯t the only problem. The reason why I instinctively felt danger was because the parts of its fur that had been ck till now also becamepletely red instantly.

    But still, the swing of my de wasn¡¯t going to stop, I have no intention to stop in the first ce.

    My full powered Kuronagi exploded against its thick neck covered by heavy fur and steel like muscles, which was still a weakness as a living being and was fully exposed.

    ¡°Guah, Hard!¡ª¨C¡°

    But the sensation that came to my hand was the same as cutting through an armoured Knight¡¯s tower shield.

    This was definitely not just my imagination. At this moment, the Wrathpun¡¯s flesh was simr to steel covered with multipleyers of defensive magic.

    As a result, let alone cut its neck, my attack stopped at barely scratching its surface.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªAre you kidding me!?!¡±

    Wrathpun, that had bepletely red now, the parts that had originally been ck fur was now shining as if it was made of metal.

    I who hadnded after releasing Kuronagi faced against the Wrathpun who was giving an atmosphere as if it was wearing full red armour.

    It seems, this reddening is not simr to the Martial Skill [Iron Guard] that enhances defensive power for only a short time.

    Mettalification (T/N: I know no such word exists but that was the closest I could think of), should I call it? At least this change is not just some kind of bluff as it holds enough ability to defend against my sure-kill Kuronagi.

    ¡°So this is its serious mode, eh?¡±

    Unintentionally, a cold sweat flowed on my cheek.

    This Wrathpun that has high heat resistance to defend against both Lily¡¯s light and Fiona¡¯s fire, had now sealed the only attack that could work on it.

    That is, basically, we have no means of beating it now.

    ¡°........What the hell are we supposed to do now?¡±

    Chapter 202 Element Master Vs Wrathpun (2)

 Chapter 203 The Sacrificial Maiden

    Chapter 203: The Sacrificial Maiden

    Too many ck wires wrapped around that huge crimson body to count. But to the monster, restraints of that level might as well not exist. There was no way that mere humans could stop it.

    ¡°Lily!¡±

    As the monster broke the wires, Kurono called out his partner¡¯s name. There was no answer; instead, countless bullets of white light came.

    As Lily¡¯s attack hit the WrathPun, there was an intense explosionrge enough that Kurono was caught in it. Where those bullets hit, the impact on that red flesh was considerable.

    The defensive strength of the WrathPun¡¯s steel body was too great, and the damage was almost zero, but the WrathPun stopped for a moment from the shock. Kurono and Lily working together had only now managed to interfere with its actions.

    But right now, just stopping the WrathPun for a moment was fine.

    (Fiona, do it!)

    As if she count hear what Kurono was thinking...

    ¡¸????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????¨D¨D¡¹

    Fiona¡¯s chant finished at the perfect time.

    ¨D¨D¡¸¡ºIce Sagitta¡»¡¹

    Fiona was serious here, and while that was intermediate-level ice attack magic, it definitely had the power of a high-level spell.

    As she waved her beloved staff ¡°Ainz Bloom¡± ance of ice that could freeze everything it touched came forth. Its aim was, of course, the WrathPun that Kurono¡¯s ¡°Shadow Wire Anchor Hand¡± and Lily¡¯s bombardment had stopped momentarily.

    Fiona would not have missed a human-sized enemy, and there was no way she would miss a 10-meter tall monster. Thence of ice headed towards the crimson-eared giant with perfect aim, and at the moment it arrived, the jewel in the WrathPun¡¯s right hand shed brilliantly.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    An explosion from the collision of thence¡¯s cold and the WrathPun¡¯s heat assaulted Kurono, who was only a few meters away.

    The area was filled with fog for a moment, and as it cleared, therge red figure of the WrathPun was still standing there.

    ¡°Shit, that doesn¡¯t work either...?¡±

    Distracted by the storm, Kurono finally failed to dodge that hammer-like fist. It was a serious hit, and he was sent flying backwards. He felt wind behind him, and flew through branches and leaves, until...

    ¡°Guh...ugh...¡±

    Somehow he stayed conscious. He¡¯d hit arge tree with incredible force. A normal human¡¯s spine would have been shattered. Because of his toughened body, Kurono was able to get up again, but he¡¯d taken significant damage.

    His vision was fuzzy and his feet were unsteady, but he felt like he could still manage somehow. More than his stamina, the problem was the current state of the battle.

    ¡°Is there nothing we can do...?¡±

    .

    .

    .

    The WrathPun is as tough as metal, so we switched to n B.

    If my de couldn¡¯t do any damage, then the only choice was to use a different type of attack.

    Fiona, who could use every type of magic except for ¡°light¡± and ¡°dark¡± magic, was the closest to being an ¡°Element Master¡±. If the WrathPun was resistant to heat, physical attacks, and light magic, then we just had to use a different type of attack.

    To stop the enemy¡¯s movement, it took me in the vanguard and Lily as support: two people working together just to create a chance to attack. But the icence, using the element that the WrathPun was most likely to be vulnerable to, waspletely ineffective. The original n had failed. This Rank 5 monster was just too strong!

    ¡°Shit, what else can we do here?¡±

    Quickly drinking a recovery potion, I felt strength returning to my legs. Without me at the front, Lily and Fiona would be in danger. I had to go.

    From what I saw of the WrathPun, it wouldn¡¯t let us run away, either. It would probably continue to chase us even if we made it to a vige. We had to stop it here, but we didn¡¯t have a method to actually defeat it.

    We would just have to figure out a way to defeat it while fighting. My strength hadn¡¯t given out yet. We still had mana. There must be some way to bring it down.

    Desperately trying to think of a n, I returned to the battle.

    ¡¸¡ºBullet Arts¡»¡¹

    The WrathPun was chasing after Lily like a child chasing a butterfly. Even if the bullets didn¡¯t hit, it would have to at least focus on dodging....or not?! It waspletely ignoring me!

    No, it wasn¡¯t even really looking at Lily.

    ¡°What bad luck!¡±

    Apparently it was sensing its enemies by instinct somehow.

    It wasn¡¯t facing me, it wasn¡¯t catching Lily, Fiona was some distance away but not moving...no mistake, it just chose her as its new target. Without me being close enough to use ¡°Shadow Wire Anchor Hand¡± and Lily¡¯s supporting fire, we couldn¡¯t stop the WrathPun¡¯s movement.

    But there was no way I could make it from this distance!

    ¡°Fiona, run!¡±

    The WrathPun and Fiona moved at the same time.

    Despite seeming to fit the stereotype of a magician that couldn¡¯t do anything without a warrior to protect them, she had actually operated by herself until she joined Element Master. To escape, she activated the speed-boosting ability ¡ºGallop: Air Walker¡» like a skilled swordsman would.

    But in this case, her opponent was too fast to escape from with that.

    Lily and I desperately attacked the WrathPun with bullets andsers, but it moved towards Fiona so fast that its huge frame was a blur.

    Against the WrathPun¡¯s fist that could crater the earth, Fiona¡¯s slender arm raised her staff, and her defensive magic activated just before it hit her. It was the the strong rock barrier that had easily restrained the Minotaur zombie, but even that couldn¡¯t withstand the WrathPun¡¯s attack.

    Fiona¡¯s body flew backwards together with fragments of the rock barrier.

    ¡°Fiona!¡±

    She had beenunched in my direction. Could I catch her?

    I sprinted with all my strength. ¡°Come on!¡±

    I intercepted her in midair to offset some of her momentum, and ended up hugging her when we collided. She would have crashed into a tree like I did if I hadn¡¯t caught her.

    ¡°Are you OK?¡±

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m OK.¡±

    She¡¯s OK!

    ¡°Here we go! Lily will be in danger if we¡¯re too slow.¡±

    I can see the WrathPun once again targeting Lily, who was hitting it in the back withsers.

    Lily can fly, so it won¡¯t be able to catch her easily, but she must be reaching the limit of how long she can maintain her adult form.

    Child-form Lily can¡¯t fly, and would be quickly caught if she was alone.

    ¡°Please wait.¡±

    As I started to charge back into the battle, Fiona grabbed my worn-out robe to stop me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought of a way to defeat it.¡± She had the same indifferent tone in which she usually used to say things like, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was no way Fiona would be lying.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Please cut me.¡±

    What?!

    I didn¡¯t understand at all.

    I seriously didn¡¯t understand.

    I¡¯d enjoyed her asional airheaded derations, but this wasn¡¯t funny.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    She didn¡¯t immediately reply; instead,

    ¡¸???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºRock Defense: Terra Wold Fan¡»¡¹

    Arge rock wall appeared that hid us.

    ¡°Just as it sounds, please cut me with your hatchet.¡±

    Right there, in front of me, she threw off her trademark ck witch¡¯s robe. She was too fast for me to even be able to stop her.

    In the middle of a life-and-death fight, I suddenly saw a girl¡¯s soft white skin. Fiona was scarily beautiful in her underwear. The situation didn¡¯t feal real.

    All I could think was, ¡°Do all witches have ck underwear to go with their ck robes?¡±

    ¡°Then evolution should happen.¡±

    I finally understood what she meant.

    ¡°You think my ¡ºHaraRetsu¡» will evolve from your blood...is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As it is now, my cursed ¡°HaraRestu¡± can¡¯t cut through that WrathPun¡¯s fur and skin. But if it evolves once more and its strength increases, I might be able to able to break through that defense.

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Take it easy on me so I just barely survive.¡±

    That¡¯s not the problem.

    ¡°No, in the first ce, will it really evolve?¡±

    It did seem close in that fight at Alsace. But it¡¯s tasted the blood of a fair number of monsters, and it hasn¡¯t evolved from that. So is it really going to evolve from the blood of one person?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Maidens are the most valuable sacrifices.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°And I have a lot of magic power too.¡±

    Fiona was seriously saying this.

    My right hand holding the hatchet was getting so sweaty that I felt like I¡¯d drop it.

    ¡°Are you serious, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I offer my body to Kurono.¡±

    I would really rather have heard those words in a different situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only way to defeat that, hurry...¡±

    Fiona turned her defenseless white back towards me.

    Her perfect, soft, fair skin, me, damage it with my own hands? I was seriously against this.

    After so many battles, my mental resistance to cutting a human enemy was long-gone, but this...? My heart was beating hard, and I felt like I was about to do something taboo.

    And yet, in this situation, hesitation would not be forgiven. On the other side of that wall, Lily was fighting by herself. Fiona had the resolve to sacrifice her own body for this.

    So I had to do it. After all, I was supposed to be the leader of Element Master.

    ¡°Sorry, Fiona. And thank you.¡±

    And so, I swung my hatchet.

 Chapter 204 The Price ofã€ŽQueen Berylã€

    Chapter 204: The Price of¡ºQueen Beryl¡»

    The burning fist of the WrathPun had sent Fiona¡¯s body flying along with fragments of the rock shield she¡¯d raised. As Lily danced through the air, she saw that Kurono had caught her. She wanted to goin about the sweet situation Fiona was enjoying right now, and this red monster getting in the way of that was unforgivable.

    Her gem-like emerald eyes met the ominous red-ck eyes of the WrathPun. Lily understood that she had once again be its target.

    ¡°Daaaa!!¡±

    She continuously fired bullets of light with explosive power, and the sound of them detonating against the monster as they hit resounded, but the monster¡¯s advance was undeterred. Advancing through the flood of light and sound, the WrathPun reached towards Lily with both arms.

    Lily evaded as she flew through the air.

    Her flying skill had been enough to put the Pegasus Knights to shame, but because she was staying just out of range of the WrathPun¡¯s attacks in order to distract it, the advantage her ability to fly provided was rtively small.

    Of course,pared to Kurono who could only run on the ground, being able to escape into the sky was much a better situation. But Lily only had a short time left where she would have that advantage.

    (Crap, my time limit is already up...)

    Lily has been drawing mana from the red crystal Queen Beryl to maintain her adult form. She was not yet out of her ¡ºLife Drain¡» scrolls written on dragonhide, but this monster would not give her the time to use one. So, using Queen Beryl was Lily¡¯s only option, and now she could feel that the limit of how long she could use it for was approaching.

    She had exined to Kurono that the limit was exactly 30 minutes, but she could sometimesst a little longer. It wasn¡¯t that there was a hard limit of exactly 30 minutes at which point she¡¯d be forced back to her child form. Rather, approximately 30 minutes was the limit of her body¡¯s endurance in taking mana from the Queen Beryl.

    To Lily, the activation of it felt a lot like running at one¡¯s top speed. It wasn¡¯t a problem for a short time, but fatigue quickly umted after a certain point.

    ¡°Ha...haaa...¡±

    Flying through the air, evading the WrathPun¡¯s attacks while firingsers and bullets of light at it, Lily¡¯s breathing was getting heavier.

    (No, I still can¡¯t turn back into a child yet...!)

    She could feel that the burden on her body was getting heavier, but she continued using the Queen Beryl. Against this powerful monster, Lily being in her child form would be far too dangerous. She needed to end this situation where she could only endlessly dodge the monster¡¯s attacks.

    (Do you have anything, Kurono??)

    Looking at them, she could see that rather than returning to the battle, they were hiding behind a rock wall that had appeared. If someone just saw that, they would think that her party was leaving her as a sacrifice to escape.

    Abandoning members of a party in an emergency was a definite possibility with adventurers.

    Normally, humans would prioritize their own life over that of theirrades in life-or-death situations. It was for that very reason that trusting in their party members until the very end was one of the things that set first-rate parties apart from the rest.

    Lily had that kind of faith in Kurono.

    She had lived her more than 30 years never trusting anyone, but now she had given Kurono all the trust that she had never given anyone else. She had evene to trust Fiona, who she had calctedly brought into the party, a little bit.

    (But if you¡¯re doing to do something, do it fast! I can¡¯tst much longer by myself!)

    She had the responsibility of holding the enemy at bay with her magic, and the burden on her small body made her feel like she was running endlessly through a dark fog.

    ¡°Ha...haaa...¡±

    And then, there was a small opening in her defense.

    ¡°Kuh...¡±

    Lily was now too tired to deal with the WrathPun that could move almost as if it could teleport. When she noticed her mistake, it was already toote, and the WrathPun had grabbed her, ¡ºOracle Field¡» and all, inside its tworge hands.

    ¡°Ugh, let go of me!¡±

    If a normal enemy touched Lily¡¯s ¡ºOracle Field¡» they would be burned by its light magic. But for the WrathPun which had incredible heat resistance, something like that couldn¡¯t even singe its palms. It tried to crush Lily¡¯s barrier between its hands with enormous force.

    ¡°Guh...¡±

    Faced with that intense pressure, Lily¡¯s ¡ºOracle Field¡» started shing violently.

    ¡¸¨D¨D¡ºRadiant Force Edge¡»£¡¡¹

    For Lily who was focused on long-range attacks, ¡ºRadiant Force Edge¡» was the only method of counterattack she had. The two des of light could cut through an opponent that was merely ¡°tough¡± and burn them to a crisp.

    But the WrathPun was the worst opponent for this.

    The direct hit of ¡ºRadiant Force Edge¡» couldn¡¯t cut the WrathPun¡¯s hands or even fingers. Instead, particles of light spewed through its fingers like flowing water.

    (It¡¯s no good, I can¡¯t escape!!)

    Lily was trying to maintain her ¡ºOracle Field¡» with all her strength, but the enemy was starting to break through it. She pushed back with an intense flow of light magic from inside, but the fingertips of the WrathPun¡¯s right hand were starting toe closer to Lily¡¯s body.

    And then, those monstrous fingertips reached Lily.

    ¡°Aaaaaa...¡±

    They had grabbed the rainbow-colored wings on Lily¡¯s back that were the trademark of fairies.

    And then, those fingertips tried to tear off Lily¡¯s wings. Like a child trying to tear the wings off a butterfly, it cruelly pulled on her beautiful wings.

    ¡°Gyaaaaaa!!¡±

    Lily¡¯s beautiful face was twisted in agony from this attempt to tear off part of her body.

    And yet, she still maintained her ¡ºOracle Field¡». Even as she cried and ground her teeth, and didn¡¯t know how many more seconds she couldst, Lily wouldn¡¯t give up until the end.

    (Kurono will save me...)

    She believed in him, so she wouldn¡¯t give up.

    (Kurono will definitely save me!)

    Lily had faith, even in this hopeless situation. They¡¯d lived together. Fought together. Her only partner, her beloved.

    And so...

    ¡°Let go of Lily~!¡±

    She was saved.

    (See, I knew Kurono woulde.)

 Chapter 205 Kurono Vs. Wrath-Pun

    Chapter 205 ¨C Kurono Vs. Wrath-Pun

    In the end,¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»evolved by sipping the pure-blood of Fiona.

    A diagonal sh on her back, the moment fresh blood touched the edge of de, this big hatchet shivered in delight.

    The abominable scream which I had been suppressing with ckening, broke the suppression and echoed within my mind.

    Mixed within that scream,

    (Thest blood is filled, I too and you too have hurt people important to us with our own hands)

    I, indeed heard those words.

    Before I could understand the meaning behind those words, fragmentary images rise in my mind.

    The hills and ins illuminated by the moonlight.

    Countless corpses of knights lying down.

    Knight in red armor standing in front of eyes.

    The beloved person lying by her own feet.

    The de of hatchet smeared with the blood of that guy.

    They were the memories of girl who swung this hatchet, no, it might be the memories upholded by this hatchet itself after bing a cursed object.

    The information mixed with noise, the situation of that time couldn¡¯t be understood precisely by me.

    But, there was no doubt, that the hatchet in her hand gained more power upon cutting her beloved person.

    ¡¸I see, so this was the condition for evolution¡¹

    Apparently, the expectations of Fiona were slightly different.

    It wouldn¡¯t have evolved upon cutting just any girl.

    It got the sufficient power to evolve only because of Fiona, who had fought with me till now.

    Gaining power by hurting therades sure is a cruel condition¨D¨Dbut, the power gained from that was great.

    ¡¸......With this, I can cut that guy into pieces¡¹

    The de had gotten bigger ifpared¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡», the de had already entered the realm of dual-handed sword.

    It was ck from tip of sword till pommel before, but currently it changed into a more ominous design with crimson lights in the shape of blood vessels which are pulsating.

    Upon inserting the ck magical power from the hilt, those red lines pulsate, a more greater dark-red aura rose, and it seemed like the hatchet was d in fire.

    This was thest evolved form, the true form of cursed hatchet which had the twisted love feelings of girl who had destroyed a whole vige for a single man. The name of hatchet was¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»

    ¡¸Leave the end to me, and rest¡¹

    I sprinkled the¡ºFairies¡¯ Miracle Drug¡», which Lily made at the time of restarting the adventurer livelihood within Spada, on the back on lying-down Fiona.

    I used up the small bag amount of itpletely, and heal the gruesome injury which shouldn¡¯t be on a beautiful girl.

    ¡¸Yes......please......¡¹

    While lying down, in a more sleepy manner, with eyes looking intoxicated, Fiona muttered weakly.

    I take off my unreliable apprentice mage robe, wrap Fiona into it, and let her lie down.

    ¡¸Yeah, then I will be going¡¹

    I shoulder the big hatchet, which I couldn¡¯t feel weight of and seemed like it had perfectly unified with my hand, then step forward.

    That guy had already captured Lily and was trying to break the oracle field and Lily too with his both hands.

    Reaching my ears were, the heartbreaking screams of Lily and howl of monsterughing evilly.

    To the feeling of rage rising up in my heart,¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»gleefully responds¨D¨DCut, cut into pieces fast, murder the enemy, kill all.

    While maintaining my consciousness to the point I didn¡¯t get possessed by curse, I brandished the de and shouted.

    ¡¸Let go of Lily!!!¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    The de finally was able to cut the fur of Wrath-Pun.

    It struck the left arm, seeing Kurono attacking in rage, it quickly let go of Lily, and dodged, thanks to that it didn¡¯t suffer a serious wound.

    ¡¸Are you alright, Lily?¡¹

    Kurono kept on staring at Wrath-Pun, but stood in front of Lily as though he were protecting her, and took a stance with the evolved-big-hatchet.

    ¡¸I¡¯m fine......it hurts, but because you havee, it¡¯s all fine now¡¹

    Because he was showing his back, Kurono didn¡¯t realize the ecstatic and charming stare of Lily.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I used up all the miracle drug on fiona, so there is no more left¡¹

    Kurono clearly saw that Lily¡¯s upper left wing was halfway torn.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine, I will use my reserved one. But, I won¡¯t be able to fly for a while, and¨D¨D¡¹

    Kurono understood that she couldn¡¯t maintain her true form now.

    Kurono felt dazzling light flickering behind his back.

    ¡¸No problem, I will take care of the rest, you rest with fiona over there, let me show my cool side now¡¹

    To the lines of Kurono which more than half changed into joke,

    ¡¸Yeah, Kurono good luck!¡¹

    Encouragement in childish tone came back.

    ¡¸Here I go¨D¨D¡¹

    As though Kurono has his back pushed by those words, Kurono kicked off vigorously.

    At the tip of his direction was the giant body of the red monster.

    It red at Kurono with even more rage-filled eyes, that might because of the injury on its left arm or maybe because his toy got away from him.

    Either way, Wrath-Pun had no intention of letting the three returning back alive.

    However, the same goes for Kurono.

    Both of them shoot the deadly bloodlust at each other.

    As though to oppose Kurono, who was approaching while brandishing the hatchet, Wrath-Pununched its attacks first.

    At that moment, Kurono swung down the hatchet.

    Though the de had gotten bigger, but there was still a distance of ten-odd metres, it couldn¡¯t reach the Wrath-Pun, at least that how it should have been,

    ¡¸¨D¨DAkanagi (Red Calm (at sea))¡¹

    But the de of¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»reached.

    The things which cut the body of Wrath-Pun was, the crimson de formed from blood which were released from the pulsating ck de.

    The new martial skill he learned by the evolution¡ºAkanagi¡», created new de using the blood it had sucked till now, and extended the de at the time of shing. It was a long-distance martial skill.

    The de left a crimson track of the same hue as that big body in air, and a severed shing attack visited upon the body of Wrath-Pun.

    Blood gushed out from the tip of the shoulder of Wrath-Pun, however, it only faltered for an instant, so it didn¡¯t suffer critical hit and continued its assault at Kurono in anger.

    The distance between the two was covered in the time it takes for blinking the eyes once, all because of the speed of Wrath-Pun.

    But, Kurono grasped those movements with his eyes, if he couldn¡¯t then, he would have been smashed by the fist before evensting one minute after the fighting started.

    ¡¸Haaaa!!¡¹

    When the distance between the two reached zero, the point-nk range war time started.

    Kurono unleashed the ominous sh of¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡».

    Wrath-Pun unleashed a ferocious blow covered in crimson mes.

    The numerous shes left several red tacks on the body of the opponent.

    The blow held the power to smash the frail body of human in paste, but it wasn¡¯t able to catch Kurono, who was quickly and cleverly moving around.

    After evading therge-tree like arm which passed by his side, slightposure appeared on Kurono¡¯s face.

    That was maybe because he has finally found the de to kill the opponent, no, in fact, the reason was even more simple.

    ¡¸Bastard, you¡¯re movements got dull¡¹

    Unintentionally, that murmur leaks out.

    But, that was the answer.

    The movements of Wrath-Pun were slightly slower ifpared to when the fight started.

    Apparently, the numerous attacks they had given it, affected the Wrath-Pun by reducing its stamina.

    It wasn¡¯t that Wrath-Pun took on the attacks of the three because of its high defensive power, but it just couldn¡¯t help but take on the attacks because of the coordination attacks of the three.

    Even so, it was standing on the dominating side due to the steel-like defense, to the extent that it might have won.

    However, the problem of slight decline in stamina it had been ignoring till now, had be an issue now.

    ¡¸Sorry to break it for you, but I have lot of confidence in my stamina¡¹

    Compared to Wrath-Pun, Kurono¡¯s movements were not dull even a bit.

    Kurono, who could work without eating or sleeping for a week, would not be less on stamina in fight for at least an hour unless he had usedrge quantity of magical power.

    Kurono brandished the sword near the feet of Wrath-Pun, he showed the movements as though the fight had just started.

    Looking from the side, it wouldn¡¯t seem like they both had different speeds, but, Kurono was certainly slightly faster than Wrath-Pun.

    And, the de in Kurono¡¯s hand which could cut the prideful defense of Wrath-Pun would be the main factor for the oue of battle.

    ¡¸Kuronagi¨D¨D¡¹

    He used the martial skill he was familiar to, and with every sh he unleashed, the blood sprayed in air.

    The monster who was ustomed to fight due to instincts, evaded the strikes which could prove fatal by a paper-thin margin.

    However, with every cut, the damage was only umting.

    Like that, the fight finally neared the end.

    ¡¸Double Kuronagi¨D¨D¡¹

    The moment he crossed the inseam of Wrath-Pun, Kurono unleashed two consecutive Kuronagi¡¯s on the monster¡¯s legs.

    Unleashing two consecutive Kuronagi was simple thing, but it could be said that it revealed the power of the evolved form in a straightforward manner.

    The two jet-ck attacks, cut the flesh of monster the most deep than any attack since the start of battle, to the extent that it lost the standing stance due to having the legs cut.

    Having the big red body lying in front, Kurono raised the hatchet overhead in an overbearing manner and was preparing for the next attack.

    Kurono was sure that, it was thest attack which would end this battle.

    In front of Kurono, the head of Wrath-Pun was falling, the hatchet was waiting like the de of a guillotine waiting for the execution. [ET: Fyi, the body is currently in process of falling... :P]

    ¡¸¨D¨DYaminagi (Darkness Calm)¡¹

    Compared to the time he used Kuronagi, an even more dark aura wrapped the de.

    Kurono felt that his ck magical energy was being absorbed by the hatchet at a tremendous pace.

    The red light across the de pulsates even more fiercely while releasing more suspicious bright light, maybe it was happy because the magical power of Kurono was tasty and it was about to behead one strong existence any timeter.

    And¡ºYaminagi¡»was the most greatest and strongest martial skill of¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»

    It was enhanced for the amount of magical power it sucked, and a wonderful powerful sh was unleashed.

    Just like its name said, to sever the head of the enemy.

    [ET: Kubidan is made up of Ê×(kubi)=neck,head and ¶Ï(dan)=decision,resolution. While sever/cut/behead is ¶Ï¤Ä(tatsu), see the first character of this word is same as decision. So use your mind what the name means. Furthermore, ¶Ï(dan) can only be read as dan and only mean what I mentioned above. So I had no choice but to write the names as Kubidan]

    ¡¸Ku!¡¹

    It cut the most resistant, iron like red fur, rip the bulky muscles, sever the bones, however, it wasn¡¯t able to sever the life too.

    GuuGaaAAAAaaaaAAAaaaaAAAaa!!

    It was the second howl loud howl of Wrath-Pun, but this time it wasn¡¯t fiendish, rather it was the scream due to unbearable pain.

    Wrath-Pun writhed violently, its right arm, the symbol of its strongest offensive ability was gone.

    ¡¸I missed, eh......¡¹

    Kurono exhaled a breath while muttering that. Beside him, the red right arm was lying down like a fallen tree.

    The perfect timing Kurono unleashed the¡ºYaminagi¡»for a one-shot kill, Wrath-Pun protected its head with the left hand, maybe because of survival instinct.

    It was really fast that Kurono didn¡¯t even see it, by the time he realized, the¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»was already hitting the upper arm.

    The left arm which was the most thick and hard, beautifully got cut by the hatchet, however, chopping off a single arm wouldn¡¯t lead Wrath-Pun to its death fast, neither it would lead to instant-death.

    Not to mention, if it was a monster with high life force.

    Fast, I have to deal thest blow¨D¨D

    Kurono tried to attack again, but this time Wrath-Pun was faster.

    ¡¸Whoa!?¡¹

    Wrath-Pun stood up quickly, struck its hand in the ground, shovel out the earth with its might and threw it at Kurono.

    That attack was the most pitiable one, but it certainly stopped Kurono.

    Havingnd and sand flying at him violently, Kurono formed the Shield and took evasive actions by jumping horizontally.

    On the other hand, Wrath-Pun showed its back and ran at its full speed.

    ¡¸Ah¨D¨D¡¹

    By the time he thought that it was already toote, thatrge red body merged in the thick forest of Ghad Mountain Range, to be more precise it escaped in the forest the moment Kurono said¡¸Ah¡¹

    ¡¸I-It ran away......wtf......¡¹

    The things left were, the three members of¡ºElement Master¡»having wounds all over the body and the right arm[ of Wrath-Pun.

    The silence returned within the surroundings, Kurono ,who was still standing still in the vacantnd with fresh signs of fierce fights, couldn¡¯t help but feel emptiness due to this silence.

    At the same time, the¡ºTorch¡»used by the two who ran away also lost its effect, now not only silence, but also the darkness of night returned.

    In that darkness,

    ¡¸Damnnnnnn itttttt!! Fckkkkkk youuuuuuu!!¡¹

    Kurono couldn¡¯t do anything other than shouting while crying.

    [ET: Our author has now learnt how to not be an ass always, but he will be a sadist. Maybeter someone else dies ohohohoho??. Anyway, great anti-climatic ending for a fight in this novel]

 Chapter 206 Nest of Firedrakes

    Chapter 206 ¨C Nest of Firedrakes

    [ET: Firedrakes = Smander. Author changes between both, so I also changed it from using smander all time]

    ¡¸Whoaaaa!? What is this, what is happening here!?¡¹

    The power idiot knight Kai, entered the nest of firedrakes and shouted those words.

    Normally any one would retort saying¡¸Shut up¡¹, but currently everyone, even I, weren¡¯t able to retort.

    That is because, the thing waiting for us in this nest wasn¡¯t the two-headed smander but the heaps of corpses.

    ¡¸C-Cruel......¡¹

    Nell, standing besides me, knit her thin brows and turned her eyes away from the disastrous scene being illuminated by¡ºTorch¡».

    Small or big, powerful or weak, the bodies of all sorts of monsters inhabiting within the Ghad Mountain Range, with their well-fleshed parts eaten, was lying all over the ce.

    Innumerable number of corpses, no, it must be the leftover food.

    ¡¸What, so a smander did all this?¡¹

    Charl, with her eyebrows knit, looked at the bloody spectacle, as expected of a firm-hearted princess of Spada.

    ¡¸Nope¡¹

    Then Safi, the person familiar with corpses, told her result from observing the surroundings with a cool-mind.

    ¡¸Smanders are carnivorous, but when eating other monsters, they aim only for herbivores, while there arerge quantity of carnivores mixed in this ce¡¹

    I see, so even the powerful Smanders, don¡¯t eat something that they can¡¯t.

    ¡¸Besides, there are also nt-based monsters in there too¡¹

    While looking at the corpses of headless wood golem, and a mouthful bitten off Matango, I said those words.

    ¡¸Eh, then what does that mean?¡¹

    Let¡¯s leave this idiot named Kai, you go and practice swinging the sword.

    ¡¸Then, this is the remains of leftover food of a omnivorous monster, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Sure it is¡¹

    That also meant that the deed of eating all sorts of monsters while littering around the leftovers was done in this nest of drakes.

    The smander couple rearing children wouldn¡¯t have allowed this overbearing visitor to do its work.

    In that case,

    ¡¸It means that ¡®omnivorous monster¡¯ even ate the smanders living here¡¹

    The proof of my words was in front of my eyes.

    ¡¸This¨D¨D¡¹

    Seeing that Charl gasped, other members too, more or less, weren¡¯t able to hide their reaction of surprise.

    Simrly, seeing the unexpected spectacle even I was surprised within my heart.

    In no way, the corpses of the rarerge-sized smanders in pieces, could have been expected before time.

    ¡¸Judging from their size, they are one¡¹

    Safi, being the most cool-headed person, inspected the bodies of smanders.

    The wings, tail and the rest has been torn into bits, but even those parts were bigger than normal smanders.

    Incidentally, parts about the size of young birds was also lying down.

    It ate parents and children without exception, really makes me want to puke.

    ¡¸T-Then this......just who might have done this?¡¹

    Nell fired the question in a trembling voice, anyone would think this question.

    ¡¸The strongest in this area is smander, that¡¯s how it is¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s true, unless there is a irregr¨D¨Din fact, this is that irregr, right?¡¹

    Just Charl answered to her question, this is one hell of an irregr situation.

    ces designated as dungeons, have investigations and research upon the actions of monsters, and do know most of the monsters inhabiting the ce.

    However, for some unknown reason, sometimes a tremendously powerful monster appears.

    ¡¸Now that I think about it, Wil was saying about monsters running from the summit¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I see, so this is what it was!¡¹

    The fluctuations within the habitat of monsters, wasn¡¯t because of smanders, but because of the appearance of an predating monster.

    ¡¸In that case, it means we nonchntly came to the nest of that strong monster, right?¡¹

    While raising an uncanny smile, Safi said some sinister words.

    ¡¸Oh, that means, we can fight monster more stronger than smander, ain¡¯t it great!¡¹

    ¡¸Kai, shut up for a bit¡¹

    Charl retorted one second faster than me.

    ¡¸Onii-sama, shouldn¡¯t be head back just in case?¡¹

    Nell is right, in the first ce, we came here to fight against smanders.

    In short, our equipment was of anti-smander use only, and couldn¡¯t be used to fight against some other monster.

    Changing the equipment based on the monster, that is called asmon knowledge of adventurers.

    Holy water is useful against undead, but against smander it won¡¯t help a shit.

    ¡¸Yeah, but¨D¨D¡¹

    I put my hand on the sword hanging from my waist, no a¡ºkatana¡»which is made in a peculiar way, and turned back to face the entrance.

    ¡¸¨D¨DTo our bad fortune, looks like thendlord has returned¡¹

    There was a single monster standing there.

    ¡¸What is that!?¡¹

    Charl raised her voice in surprise. Even if she asks, what is that, I don¡¯t have the answer.

    The monster which appeared without any sound, had smaller bodypared to smander, but the bloodlust emitting from it ain¡¯t no half-assed thing.

    It had dichromatic hair of red and ck, height of about 6 metres, sharp face like a wolf, and ears of rabbit growing from the head.

    But, the most eye-catching thing was, the loss of right hand which seemed to have been cut off from the upper arm part.

    Indeed a wounded beast, no, more like wounded magical/demonic beast.

    ¡¸That is, probably, a Wrath-Pun¡¹

    ¡¸As expected of knowledgeable Safi¡¹

    This necromancer prodigy girl knows lot of monsters, because she had been aiming for creating the strongest servant from the good parts of every monster.

    Investigation and research on monster materials can be said as a hobby for her.

    ¡¸It is a rare rank-5 monster, by the way¨D¨D¡¹

    Safi, while taking out her favorite spell book from the dimension she made a magic circle for with her hand, told a quite interesting thing.

    ¡¸¨D¨DItst appeared when His Majesty Leonhart, yed it 20 years ago¡¹

    ¡¸Is that so, then today is a new record update for¡ºWing Road¡»¡¯s subjugation list.¡¹

    At this time, all members hadpleted their battle preparations.

    Me and Kai as vanguards, Charl and Safi as rearguards, and Nell in the end, this is our normal formation.

    The monster with an odd-name of Wrath-Pun red at us with fiendish glint in eyes, even while showing signs of exhaustion.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know who got you first, but unfortunate for you, you need to go down here¡¹

 Chapter 207 Wrath-Pun Subjugation

    Chapter 207 ¨C Wrath-Pun Subjugation

    On the 12th day of Red me month, second prince of Spada, Wilhart, was walking on the front street of Royal Spada Academy with a depressed expression on his face.

    ¡¸*sigh* ......¡¹

    He also sighed, as if the unhappiness was truly leaking out.

    It wasn¡¯t an¡¸appeal to show exhaustion from heat¡¹, but a truly depressed sigh.

    This had continued since 5th day of Red me month, in other words, since the night he was attacked by Wrath-Pun and barely saved his life.

    In the end, with Wilhart walking here and there around the school showed that he was saved.

    However, the things he lost were too much.

    First, the four other male students, all died.

    And only the identity of two was confirmed, the other two had gruesome corpses beyond description.

    But no matter how much gruesome death they had, as an elite cadet they too had resolve for fighting off danger, though this case was truly unexpected, but it could still be closed saying it was an idental death.

    No matter the reason, the elite course and knight course focus on fighting more, which in turns leads to quite a lot of casualties every year.

    Hence, from the death of those four, Wilhart hadn¡¯t taken much shock.

    In the first ce they themselves took the actions of escape, so the responsibility falls onto them.

    Running without thinking a monster might be lying in wait was a mistake every rookie adventurer did, just this time it went to the extent of death.

    The person Wilhart was most concerned about was, the adventurer wearing apprentice mage robe and had a name¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»given by Wilhart.

    The people who saved him from the situation where he had to leave Seria behind, were without a doubt him and hisrades.

    If they hadn¡¯t appeared, Seria would have certainly died, he himself wouldn¡¯t have been able to escapepletely.

    In other words, it won¡¯t be an exaggeration to say him as the life saviour.

    And, that life saviour hadn¡¯t returned from the Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡¸Damn it, why......¡¹

    Wilhart and Seria, upon reaching Dakia Vige, rushed in the adventurer¡¯s guild, and made an appeal for reinforcements.

    Simply put, this reinforcement appeal ended up as a waste.

    After all, the time they finished preparations and were about to depart,

    ¡¸Yeah, that Wrath-Pun named monster, we defeated it ourselves¡¹

    The party led by first prince of Avalon, Nero, the¡ºWing Road¡», presented the corpse of Wrath-Pun to guild.

    Upon hearing, the time Wrath-Pun appeared in front of them, it was ¡®slightly¡¯ injured.

    [ET: If just it had all the power, then we would have seen this damn party getting killllllllleeeeeeeddddd!!!!!]

    Wilhart¡¯s good brain understood everything, that the party of¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»was defeated.

    They stopped upon injuring the Wrath-Pun, and the glory for defeating it went to¡ºWing Road¡».

    Their achievement of killing rank-5 monster was epted by guild, and they were promoted to rank-5 adventurers. This turned out to be the fastest rank promotion within the history of Royal Spada Academy, it even surpassed that first prince of Spada, Aisenhart.

    The party of congrattions for Charlotte was held by the whole Spada royal family, but Wilhart didn¡¯t feel even a bit happy at that.

    Right now the whole school was excited on the achievement of¡ºWing Road¡»and was covered with praise and envy for them.

    However, no one else knew, that an adventurer fought for saving him.

    Thinking carefully, he too called him as¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»and hadn¡¯t known his true name.

    That¡¯s why, he couldn¡¯t search for him though he wants too, and even if his guild card was recovered within the Ghad Mountains, he wouldn¡¯t be sure if it was his or not.

    Wilhart, didn¡¯t even had the means to confirm their death let alone their survival.

    It was just too much frustrating.

    ¡¸Damn it......each and everyone......¡¹

    While walking the interior of academy, only the talks about the ¡®history¡¯s strongest¡¯ adventurer party reach his ears.

    Not only within the school, but their rumours even exist out in the city.

    In the first ce, whenever a new rank 5 adventurer appears, it more or less bes a popr topic.

    And in this case, it was a party of elite cadets who reached rank 5 within less than 2 years, furthermore, it had first prince and princess of Avalon, third princess of Spada, and eldest child of Galbraith Family and Hydra Family, with this sort of people in the party it can be only called natural for it to be a great topic.

    As a result, this news conquered the whole city of Spada more easily and sensationallypared to when first prince, Aisenhart became rank 5.

    To the extent, it overshadowed the topic of serial murders of young girls which had been going on since a week ago within the city.

    Without even 2 days passing, Wilhart had already gotten irritated on this topic.

    He didn¡¯t had any resentment against¡ºWing Road¡», but to him the hero was¡ºNightmare Berserker¡».

    Every time they were praised, without even knowing the existence of his life saviour, he came to despise others.

    ¡¸*sigh* ......¡¹

    Hence, a sigh.

    The only person who could understand his feelings was, Seria, who also had her life saved.

    That¡¯s why, Seria didn¡¯t say anything to Wilhart and was letting him be alone.

    Wilhart too knew, if he remained depressed like this, it would be problematic for Seria as well as others too.

    He had no choice but to return to his normal form, raiseugher, and live school life while crying within the heart.

    And, if no one knew about him, then at least he himself kept the gant figure of¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»with the innermost depths of his heart.

    The moment he thought a thing urred.

    ¡¸Huh, are you perhaps¨D¨D¡¹

    Somehow he was called out by a man he was about to cross by.

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    Upon being called out, he instinctively let out a shameful voice, and raised up his head.

    ¡¸You¡¯re really that student who was attacked by Wrath-Pun at that time, right?¡¹

    There stood, the figure of a man with red and ck eye, wearing apprentice mage robe on the tone burly body.

    Though he had seen him only for some time, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten him, he wouldn¡¯t mistake him for someone else.

    ¡¸Nightmare Berserker!?¡¹

    Wilhart raised his voice unintentionally, and seized the shoulders of man with an expression of shock on face.

    ¡¸Eh, what? Berserker?¡¹

    ¡¸Woooooo, you were alive!!¡¹

    The man without knowing he had an exaggerated nickname like Nightmare Berserker, just looked at Wilhart with perplexed expression.

    Thus, second prince of Spada, Wilhart, and his life saviour, an adventurer named, Kurono, met for the first time.

 Chapter 208 Visitor in Fourth Laboratory

    Chapter 208 ¨C Visitor in Fourth Laboratory

    Existing about 10 kilometres away from Capital Daedalus, the¡ºMedia Ruins¡»was crowded more by researchers in white robe rather than adventurers in armor.

    That was because the¡º4th Laboratory¡»established by¡ºWhite¡¯s sacraments¡»started it¡¯s work.

    In the deepest part ofrge geofront inhibit rank 4 monsters, but because theboratory was set up in upper part, only somewhat of guards have been spread out.

    At first the crusaders were doing the guard job, but currently the adventurers have taken that job.

    Only because Sariel wanted an early stage opening of adventurer guild, the environment where adventurers from republic could work had been made.

    Setting that aside, despite being in a dungeon, here the research keeps on continuing day and night.

    Especially the founder of¡ºWhite¡¯s Sacraments¡»and the head of 4thboratory, Bishop Judas, was extremely busy.

    12th day of Red me month, this day was supposed to be the same as yesterday, that is to take analysis of ancient magic apparatus installed within ruins, but because of an visitor it was cancelled.

    ¡¸Sorry for barging in when you¡¯re busy¡¹

    ¡¸If it is a direct messenger from St. Pope, we can¡¯t possibly sent you back¡¹

    The person who visited was a man with white hair, blue and ck eyes representing day and night, and wearing a messenger¡¯s formal dress on his burly toned body.

    On other hand Judas too had a big frame unseemingly of an old man he was, he had the dignity of an king of some country.

    Just with having these two present there, the simple hurriedly built guest room, had the gravity of a throne room drifting within it.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t think you havee here for just inspection, tell me the matter, 2nd Apostle Lord Abel¡¹

    And Judas knew, the person in front of him was the ¡®hero¡¯, with his social position camouged at the moment.

    ¡¸I need a horse, a flying one would work better¡¹

    Abel didn¡¯t show any shock upon having his identity unraveled, neither did he ask him to not tell it someone else, just said his wish.

    His speech was more informalpared to when he talked with other apostles, but he knew getting onto the point would be better when talking with the man called Judas.

    ¡¸Fumu......you cannot bring a sacred beast, I see¡¹

    From the few words of Abel, Judas understood the gist of the situation.

    2nd Apostle wasn¡¯t called¡ºHero of White¡»for no reason, he had an horse fit for a hero in his possession.

    But, because he hade to Pandora Continent as the messenger of Pope, he couldn¡¯t possibly take the¡ºsacred beast¡»here and there without any problems.

    ¡¸I will prepare thepensation of as much as you ask¡¹

    ¡¸Very well, take whatever you find to your liking¡¹

    Negotiations were immediately finished.

    The other party was 2nd Apostle Abel, there wasn¡¯t any other person in the society who wouldn¡¯t trust him, bargaining against such a person was useless.

    ¡¸Show me¡¹

    Judas replied with silence.

    On his hand was a spider, which who knows when he summoned it.

    It was a 5 cms long spider with long legs, but its body was transparent like a crystal, as if it was a delicate gem art.

    A person knowledgeable in magic would suddenly understand that this was top grade servant used to record whatever it sees with highest uracy.

    However, it was improved by Judas himself, a person not close enough with him wouldn¡¯t know what it was highly efficientpared to conventional ones.

    Abel too the spider in his hands, closed his both eyes, and started to concentrate.

    Like that, silence dominated the room for five minutes.

    Their bodies didn¡¯t move even a bit as if they had turned into stone statues.

    The slight sound of breathing was the only proof of telling that these both were living humans.

    ¡¸I will take the 13th ck dragon¡¹

    Abel opened his mouth abruptly.

    ¡¸It won¡¯te cheap¡¹

    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter, I need this for going far¡¹

    Judas¡¯s answer was set to be affirmation.

    This¡º13th ck dragon¡»was one of the sons of dragon king Gaevinal, currently he was the top grade experiment material for research.

    The usefulness of ck dragon materials had been proven by the creation of experiment subject number 49.

    Currently there was no one who had power exceeding number 49, furthermore ording to the report from the group lead by Cyprus, he had shown growth far surpassing the predictions.

    If he was able to make one more experimental subject with the same specs, then he might be able toplete a god soldier having power rivaling the power of Apostles ¡®without¡¯ the divine protection of white god, Judas thought that.

    However, there wasn¡¯t any urgent need for it.

    If 2nd Apostle Abel needed the ck dragon then he had no objection to it, on the other hand, good amount of reward could be expected.

    Hence, the words needed here weren¡¯t for rejection, but only exnation.

    ¡¸The treatment of 13th ck dragon hasn¡¯t been finished, there is a need for taming it with your own hands¡¹

    ¡¸I see, then I will start disciplining from now on, do you have some ce?¡¹

    ¡¸The hall for mobility experiments had beenpleted just the other day, I would like if you don¡¯t break it¡¹

    Revealing a slight smile, Abel replied.

    ¡¸I will keep that in mind¡¹

    That day, the hall for mobility experiment was destroyedpletely, and the signboard of ¡®under construction¡¯ was once again ced.

 Chapter 209 Kill that woman

    Chapter 209 ¨C Kill that woman

    The party led by a young male warcat named Joto, finally cleared the quest for reaching rank 4.

    They killed the monster after a fierce battle, by the time they took the parts used as proof, the day had started to sink, so they decided to return to Spada in morning.

    They finally reached their long desired position of rank 4, party members were raising their voices of happiness, however, the face of their leader, Joto wasn¡¯t much good.

    ¡¸What happened Joto, normally you would make fun of martial skills too¡¹

    The words ofmia swordswoman might sound like sarcasm, but there was hints of worry mixed in for Joto who wasn¡¯t in his usual shape.

    Hisplexion looked bad, but during the time of fighting the monster, he showed leader like qualities while waving the newly purchased¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», so it wasn¡¯t like he got ill.

    Neither did he take any attack of poison or other bad stats attacks because the monster this time had no attacks like that.

    ¡¸Hm, Yeah......I¡¯m som¡¯wat tired¡¹

    Though he had his consciousness, but the eyes with misaligned focus stir up anxiety in her.

    ¡¸Ah, then hurry and sleep, I will change your turn for lookout asst¡¹

    The monster this time was the one which could consecutivelyunch several attribute magics.

    Joto, holding the¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», which could nullify any half-hearted magic attacks, showed the most achievements during fight, this was something every member agreed upon.

    Indeed today¡¯s fierce fight might have imposed fatigue on Joto, thinking that it could be understood.

    ¡¸Yeah, sorry¡¹

    Saying that in the end, Joto disappeared in the tent.

    After some while, Joto abruptly opened his eyes.

    No, his eyes and condition was half-awake, feeling the reality as a dream, it couldn¡¯t be said he waspletely awake.

    With more than half sleep head, he started thinking.

    (Ah, damn it, again¨D¨D)

    His waking was the worst, he felt the anger rising up within his chest.

    Recently, before and after sleeping and waking up, he felt extreme anger.

    Not knowing exactly, but Joto thought he saw a really irritating dream.

    And, he saw it today too ¡®just like before¡¯.

    (It really feels fuckin¡¯ bad......)

    He gets excessively angry, to the extent it wouldn¡¯t be exaggeration to call it intent to kill, wanting to kill due to seeing a dream was just unbearable.

    Even more when today was their celebration day for reaching rank 4. they defeated the monster based on his great work, and nobody even got injured, let alone casualties.

    Happy days like this were not so often, but however, he saw a dream, he had already seen the dream.

    (Argh, Damn it, Fuck it! What the fuckin¡¯ hell is this, stop this damn irritating evil dream!!)

    HIs mind went nk due to anger, at the same time, Joto grabbed the hilt of¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»reflexively.

    At that time the ¡®Not knowing exactly¡¯ dream changed into ¡®Clearly visible¡¯ dream.

    There, scene of an ordinary highway was spread out.

    Cloudless blue sky, overgrown green forest in right left, mountains, maybe Ghad Mountain Range in far distance.

    Joto was looking down at the corpses of his rade¡¯, whom he had never seen.

    No, notrade, more preciselyrade¡¯s¡¯.

    That¡¯s right, there were several corpses scattered on that highway.

    (Fuck, I won¡¯t forgive you, how the fuckin¡¯ hell you kill myrades¨D¨D)

    The unknown beastmen swordsmen and adventurer archers, were without a doubt ¡®my¡¯rades, Joto thought that.

    Unforgivable, truly unforgivable, this adventurer party wasn¡¯t formed temporarily, but it was made fromrades that lived together in pain and sorrow, and had passed through many dangers, seeing them getting killed helplessly, really unforgivable.

    However, they were not only just killed.

    Every corpse had parts of body lost, this showed they were yed with and then killed.

    Who is it, who killed them, who killed myrades¨D¨DJoto tries to find the criminal with bloodshot eyes.

    (Ah, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s you, you did it)

    The person for venting out the anger, before he knew it, was in front of him.

    That was one woman.

    Race was human, age around thetter half of teens, hair color was pink, radical skin exposing clothes with white as base, wearing arious dazzling ornaments, it was that sort of woman.

    (I will kill her, I will fucking kill her, she¡¯s one who truly needs to die!!)

    He identified the enemy, and concentrated the intent to kill on one point.

    That woman was sitting, defenselessly, showing her back to him.

    I can kill her, it¡¯s my chance, my perfect opportunity.

    And, in my hand is my favorite sword which ¡®I have used for many years now¡¯, with this there is no way I won¡¯t be able to kill her¨D¨DThese thoughts run past Joto¡¯s mind in a second.

    (Die, Die, Diiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!)

    His body leapt up like wings, the sword of fangs didn¡¯t felt like it had any weight as if it was a part of his body.

    Just like that he swung it down, without any martial skill or anything, just normal power.

    Cutting down the defenseless young woman gave no inconvenience to him.

    Certain resistance, the feeling of cutting the flesh and bones reached his hands.

    ¡¸Hahahahahaha! I did it, I finally did ittttttttt!!¡¹

    Giving out a cry of victory, Joto woke up at that moment.

    ¡¸Hyahahaha¨D¨DWhat?¡¹

    Coming back to senses, Joto realized that let alone dream he even wasn¡¯t in the tent he was supposed to be sleeping within.

    ¡¸Huh, I......¡¹

    He surveyed the surroundings, there was the scene of big trees of Great Forest of Latifundia lined up, however it was the ce where hisrades had put up the tent.

    Then he finally felt weight in his right hand, looked like he was holding the¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»in reality too just as he was holding it in his dream.

    And, he also saw dark red blood sticking to the broad de of fangs.

    ¡¸Eh, huh, what is this¨D¨D¡¹

    Just what did I cut? The answer to that question was right down his feet.

    Lying face-down was, Lamia swordswoman.

    There wasn¡¯t even a need to think whether she was alive or not, after all she was cut from the shoulder till the waist area in a diagonal way, her body waspletely separated.

    Immaterial monsters like slime then it might be possible, but a human shaped race, upon getting bisected, hasn¡¯t lived.

    Instant death, it could understood at just a nce, even more upon being an adventurer.

    ¡¸O-Oi, ¡®tis a lie,right, what the hell, what the fucking hell is this¡¹

    Joto understood even when wanting not to, that he killed her with his hands.

    ¡¸UooooooooooooooooooooooooooooAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡¹

    He screamed while being greatly perplexed, at the same time other members noticed the abnormality and got out of tent.

    ¡¸Oi, what happened!?¡¹

    ¡¸Is it a monster!?¡¹

    ¡¸Where is the monster!?¡¹

    The gargoyle archer and twin goblin priests surveyed the surroundings while holding their favorite weapons.

    And, in some seconds they noticed, unbelievable but true, scene of ughter in front of their eyes.

    ¡¸Oi Joto, what is......the meaning of this?¡¹

    Bisected body of Lamia, Joto standing besides her corpse with blood filled longsword, seeing that anyone would understand the situation.

    ¡¸I-I didn¡¯t......¡¹

    Joto muttered the words of denial while looking away from them.

    ¡¸W-What do you mean I didn¡¯t, eh. Didn¡¯t you do it!?¡¹

    Gargoyle shouted. Seeing his friend killed in front of his corpse, normally he would¡¯ve nocked an arrow on the bow and aimed it at the criminal, however if the criminal too is arade he couldn¡¯t help but stop at just shouting.

    ¡¸I didn¡¯t¨D¨DThat woman, I didn¡¯t do it!!¡¹

    Joto turned back, his eyes didn¡¯t contain light of reasoning.

    On the contrary, deep red insanity filled light was flickering.

    ¡¸Y-You¨D¨D¡¹

    Then, finally the gargoyle and twin goblins reacted.

    Through reasons unknown, the Joto standing in front of them was affected by some bad status and had gone insane.

    The reason they were able to make that conclusion in an instant, must be because they had experience while reaching rank 4.

    ¡¸Take stance! Joto is now a goner! Keep your guard up, there might be a monster with charm or berserk ability!!¡¹

    The gargoyle archer, while pulling the bow, increased the distance between Joto.

    However, the fact they were within 3 metres radius of Joto, taking heed of their sses, was not a good thing, it wasplete despair.

    Archer and Priest, both are rearguard experts, the radius of 3 metres and less was the territory of Joto, a swordsman.

    ¡¸You too are that bitch¡¯srades!!¡¹

    Grimacing his face in tremendous rage, Joto swung the sword while emitting murderous intent and hostility.

    Moreover, his swing was more faster, stronger than normal.

    ¡¸GuGyaaaaa!!¡¹

    Without even understanding the meaning of Joto¡¯s words, one of the the twin goblin priests was yed by the de.

    No chance counterattack, an admirable single strike.

    No, even if it had time to counterattack, the mode of attack was magic, something not going good against Evil Eater.

    Of course, it could use the wand in their hands to strike but, it would be broken into two easily.

    ¡¸Fuck, how did ite to this¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive that woman, I won¡¯t forgive herrades too, I will massacre you allllllllllllllllllllll!!¡¹

    Battle strength andpatibility difference was, to the extreme extent, hopeless.

    The left gargoyle and one goblin had no way to survive in the current situation.

    Even more, if Joto had enhanced power and speed as if under berserk.

    In the end, within less than 5 minutes, there were 4 corpses lying in this camping ground.

    And, thest one person, with a bloodstained longsword, walked towards the dark forest.

    ¡¸Where are you bitch, where the fuck did you go......¡¹

    Joto determined to find his sworn enemy, no, currently he should be called former-owner of longsword, either way the ce he was heading towards with longsword in one hand was, City of Spada where many people lived.

 Chapter 210 Feelings of Sacrificial Maiden

    Chapter 210 ¨C Feelings of Sacrificial Maiden

    (POV¨DFiona)

    ¡¸Please cut me¡¹

    From the moment I said those words, my consciousness be unsteady as if watching a dream.

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    Kurono-san, making an idiotic surprised expression, was cute.

    ¡¸Just as it sounds, please cut me with your hatchet¡¹

    Even without repeating the words many times, Kurono-san would know the intention behind those words.

    If the current hatchet cannot cut it, then it is better to evolve it.

    Fortunately¡ºCursed Grudge Hatchet¡¸HaraRetsu¡¹¡»had sucked the blood of numerous crusaders and monster, it also had sipped, though somewhat only, the blood of 8th Apostle.

    The evolution only needs ast spurt of blood, it was obvious from the theory of cursed weapons.

    ¡¸¨D¨DThen it should evolve¡¹

    The things I am saying and what I will be doing is only natural by remembering the opponent in front of us, this would turn into a n to recover our position in battle, there is nothing strange in this.

    A tact for Adventurers for passing through dangerous situation is serious battle with life on line.

    However, my consciousness is dreamy, heart is beating faster, there is heat residing in the core of my body.

    Just why, how is this happening? This isn¡¯t the time and ce to feel like this.

    Though I understand that, this hazy feeling of sinking in sweet dreams doesn¡¯t stop, it is irresistable.

    Hot, my body feels hot, I have stripped the witch robe and am just wearing underwear, still the night wind doesn¡¯t help in cooling down the hot body.

    No, though a witch, but I too am a girl of marriageable age, so by showing my naked body to a man it is only natural to feel embarrassed¨D¨Dreally?

    Kurono-san is not watching Lily-san, but me, only me.

    Different from the time of festival, that time it was only slightly embarrassing.

    But why is it so much right now¨D¨D

    ¡¸Are you serious, Fiona?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I offer my body to Kurono-san¡¹

    I¡¯m happy.

    Kurono-san is watching me, needing me, right now, not even Lily-san, but I¡¯m helping Kurono-san the most.

    Why do I end up thinking, why am I feeling so happy about that?

    More than Lily-san, I did an uglyparision, still why do I feel such a dark joy?

    [ET: Yandere¡¯s words are iprehensible by use normal people. Furthermore, let¡¯s look at how someone turns Yandere!!]

    With, arousal and excitement and self-hatred, the positive and negative feelings mixing with my heart, my consciousness bes faint like a muddledva.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the only way to defeat that, hurry¡¹

    Am I speaking correctly right now.

    I¡¯m scared if I blurted out something strange.

    So fast, cut me Kurono-san, with those hands, make me a sacrifice, make my everything your own.

    ¡¸Sorry Fiona......And Thanks¡¹

    My consciousness almost blew¨D¨Ddue to too much pleasure.

    I was prepared for the pain and suffering from the strike of cursed de, but as if it all turned futile, useless, worthless, a wave of climax shakes my whole body.

    [ET: Whoah, this almost turned R-18]

    Before I noticed it, I was lying on the grasses upside-down while gasping.

    The diagonal sh injury should have reached quite deep, but, without even feeling any sort of pain, I only feel feverish.

    I didn¡¯t feel any pain, rather amazing pleasure. Maybe I should question why is the feeling I get so different from by getting cut by de, but right now I¡¯m too much lethargic and tired, that I don¡¯t even want to move my head, and,

    ¡¸......with I can cut that guy into pieces¡¹

    The fact that the hatchet evolved and I helped Kurono-san, wrapped me with the feeling of satisfaction, and I doze off on thefortable bed of grass.

    Apparently, it took not only blood, but also lots of magical power.

    However, I¡¯m fine with that right now.

    ¡¸Leave the rest to me, and rest¡¹

    Kurono-san said that to me.

    Kurono-san gently applied the¡ºFairies¡¯ Miracle Drug¡», to which I send my drowsy intoxicated eyes to him.

    ¡¸Yes......please......¡¹

    The fire-like crimson and hell-like ck eyes of Kurono-san, looked directly in my golden eyes filled with lust.

    His eyes looking at me, hisrade, withplete trust feltfortable, that I thought selfish things like wanting to keep staring him for eternity.

    He abruptly turned away his eyes, which led me to feel loneliness, at the same time, a ck robe covered my body.

    Kurono-san gently wrapped me in the robe, which seemed like a hallucination of Kurono-san embracing me, and my body, once again, got hot.

    Completely unaware of my reactions, Kurono-san shouldered the evolved hatchet and face his back to me.

    ¡¸Then I will be going¡¹

    Kurono-san took a step, turned into a ck gale, and disappeared.

    With my dim consciousness, while sniffing Kurono-san¡¯s scent from the robe, I watched his fight to the end.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸S-So embarrassing......¡¹

    I was not sane at that time, I calmly thought that while watching the bonfire.

    Particrly, after I changed the turn with Kurono-san, became alone, and was secretly changing my wet underwear, my heart was about to break with emptiness and self-hatred.

    I have never thought it was good to cast a powerful telepathy protect before now, if I hadn¡¯t done that, Lily-san might have read my embarrassing thoughts.

    If she found out that, in that sort of situation, I hold those¨D¨Dsort of feelings for Kurono-san, then at worst, I would be fired from Element Master.

    ording to Lily-san, romantic rtionships are banned within the party, even the oblivious-me knows the meaning behind those words.

    To me, Kurono-san is, a preciousrade, party member and leader. Just that much.

    Even if Lily-san and Kurono-san be a couple, no, married couple, I should be blessing them, as arade.

    That¡¯s why, I have no intention to hinder feelings of Lily-san, neither do I have any intention to break the rule of love ban.

    However recently, I¡¯ve felt that determination shaking many times.

    No, this is certainly my imagination, that¡¯s how it is.

    Chasing after Kurono-san with my eyes, getting sad and d with his words, too is my imagination.

    I have not even felt jealous seeing Kurono-san talking happily with that beautiful elf receptionist.

    ¡¸......Embarrassing¡¹

    Those are the feelings a lovestruck-maiden should have for her yearned person, these are not some feelings me, a witch, should have.

    A witch never loves, who said these words, this might show the preparedness of mind of a witch in pursuit of magic, but these words arepletely appropriate for the current me.

    At that time, it was the delusions because I got scared and aroused and high because I was cornered by a monster in a while.

    No, it in itself might be the curse of hatchet, after all there are sentiments of a twisted lovestruck girl residing in the de, so there is more than enough possibility that the curse led me to feel like ¡®that¡¯.

    Anyway, I don¡¯t think anything about Kurono-san, after sealing these embarrassing feelings in the depths of my heart, there won¡¯t be next time they are revived.

    The moment I finally regained my rational mind, I heard the sound and sensed the presence of someoneing out of tent.

    Not even one hour had passed since I changed the turns with Kurono-san, but looks like he is already awake.

    On the other hand Lily-san is still sound asleep¨D¨DAh, this means that, from now, I will be together with Kurono-san, right.

    ¡¸Just too much embarrassing¡¹

    The third murmur of ¡®embarrassing¡¯.

    No, there is no need to feel embarrassed, Kurono-san and I are normalrades, party members.

    While persuading myself saying that, I cannot help but feel my heart beating faster.

    Ah, Kurono-san ising out of tent, calm down, will my cheeks redden strangely, will I break out into a grin......I¡¯m anxious, but I look towards his way with my intentional poker-face.

    ¡¸Good Morning, Kurono-san¡¹

 Chapter 211 The First Divine Protection (1)

    Chapter 211 ¨C The First Divine Protection (1)

    ck and wide, that was the first impression that came up.

    It felt like standing in dark night, but for some strange reason I couldn¡¯t feel the darkness, upon surveying the surroundings I could see.

    ¡¸Where is this ce......¡¹

    There were round pirs lined up in right and left, there were also delicate ornaments lined everywhere, it seemed like a shrine,

    ¡¸Wee to Avalon Imperial Castle of Elrod Empire. I truly wee you Kurono Mao¡¹

    But, thanks to that voice, I understood that here was a throne room.

    There is only one person currently who would call me by me full name ¡®Kurono Mao¡¯, in other words, the self-proimed god, ancient demon king, Mia Elrod.

    Mia, with the same figure as in my memories as that of a person with androgynous face, was sitting in a big profound jet ck throne.

    Looking more carefully, she was wearing the same ck uniform and ever-spreading mantle, the same things she wore when we first met.

    I, from a ce on the lower steps of stairs, asked Mia.

    ¡¸Just what does this mean?¡¹

    I don¡¯t get the situation at all.

    After Wrath-Pun escaped, we decided to camp at some proper ce for a night, then I changed the turns with Fiona and slipped in my sleeping bag. Till here is clearly in my memories.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t have to be that vignt, here is inside a dream¡¹

    It feels just too real for a dream.

    Even without pinching my cheek, I can understand that my five senses are working, magical power and sixth sense too for some reason.

    ¡¸Appearing in dreams is more like a god, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Well, indeed¡¹

    Setting aside the face whether it is god-ish or not, saying this throne room in front of me, is an illusion or a dream is more easier to ept than to ept it exists in reality.

    Let alone, I was present in the Ghad Mountains the moment before. This has more persuasive powerpared to saying that I got summoned ¡®again¡¯ to somewhere.

    ¡¸So, for you toe out in dreams, what is the business?¡¹

    ¡¸Fufufu, that is, for giving you the divine protection as a reward for breaking through the first trial!¡¹

    You did it, congrattions! The words of congrattions and pping from Majestic Emperor personally, resounded in the vast throne room.

    ¡¸Ha, Ha, Thank you for that¡¹

    Although I somewhat predicted it, but upon being praised this much straight-forwardly, I sure am bewildered to a great extent.

    Or rather, at the time of getting divine protection, do all have to go through this?

    This neither has the feeling of nervousness nor happiness, which I certainly felt when I got my graduation certificate in middle school.

    ¡¸Though it is divine protection, it is not that much of great power, yet¡¹

    Well, that¡¯s true.

    Certainly Wrath-Pun was strong foe, but fights with life on stake, is an experience many adventurers have gone through.

    I never had though that I would get tremendous power to defeat an apostle by just experiencing a situation like this for once.

    ¡¸So, if I keep onpleting the trials in order, the power of divine protection will increase?¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right! Though I cannot exin in much details¡¹

    Like that, Mia stopped for a beat, changed her expression to a serious one and continued her words.

    ¡¸Come on, Kurono Mao, present the proof that you ovee the trial¡¹

    ¡¸Proof?¡¹

    ¡¸That thing you have in your hand¡¹

    Looking down, before I knew it, I was holding a fist-sized deep red jewel in my left hand.

    I thought it was¡ºQueen Beryl¡»for an instant, but because this was zing wildly and also had different hue, I understood this is different stuff.

    In fact, this is,

    ¡¸Is this the thing stuffed in right-hand of Wrath-Pun?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, if you just show the proof the trial will bepleted, it is not necessary to actually kill the monsters¡¹

    I see, so the jewel stuffed on the back of left-hand of Wrath-Pun was the proof for this trial, so if I just get this in my hands, the trial will be deemed aspleted.

    However, if the proof is head of monsters or heart, then I need to kill them with certainty, and if I, by mistake, smash them into fragments then......ugh, need to pay more attention from now on.

    ¡¸Then I will take that proof, the¡ºFist of Wrath¡»¡¹

    Mia held out her autumn red palm, the jewel slipped from my hand like sand and while emitting bright red light, it disappeared in empty space.

    Without even having time to admire the fantastical change, the jewel called¡ºFist of Wrath¡»vanished.

    So...with this I have given in to god?

    ¡¸By the way, it has lots of magical power inside, so if used in as a material for weapon or item, you could get a really strong one, or if you sell it, you can get lots of money¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, you say that now!?¡¹

    What an extremely regrettable thing I did because of you, You sadist!

    ¡¸Fufufu, this is the payback for the rude thing you said about me before, that you didn¡¯t understand whether I am a man or woman¡¹

    Grrr, being a god you still hold grudges......

    ¡¸Well then, with this the power of divine protection is in your body¡¹

    Though you say that, I don¡¯t feel any change, don¡¯t tell me I am being deceived by this fraud?

    ¡¸So you mean to say I can use divine protection stuff now?¡¹

    How the hell do you even use the ¡®power of divine protection¡¯?

    ¡¸You will understand it with instincts, the same way as you learnt magic, and though it is called divine protection, it¡¯s power is now yours, Kurono Mao¡¹

    Of course, you will be able to use it after waking up from this dream, she added on.

    ¡¸I see......so......should I say thank you here?¡¹

    However, is it fine to recognise this child in front of me as a real-god from now on.

    Do I have to amend my wordings, after all he/she/it is the ancient demon king whom everyone on Pandora Continent knows about.

    ¡¸Fufu, don¡¯t be so tense, you be like you have been till now, I don¡¯t want admiration and offerings, unlike the prideful¡ºWhite God¡»¡¹

    The moment Mia said the name of god which the Cross Religion prays to, I felt a tremendous intimidationing out of Mia.

    Though there is neither bloodlust, nor magical power included, but a strange power indeed ising out of the body, that makes me want to bow my head down unintentionally.

    Though a part god-like power areing out, but now that the name of White God hase out, then I have no choice but to ask.

    ¡¸Do you know about¡ºWhite God¡», Mia?¡¹

    Before I knew it, the mysterious intimidation was gone, and Mia opened her mouth while smiling.

    ¡¸I do know, but, that is a secret, for now¡¹

    ¡¸So you will tell if Iplete the trials?¡¹

    ¡¸Just a little¡¹

    Apparently, there seems to be no intention for telling the info of White God.

    Sadist, or rather, it might because of rules.

    Well fine, the problem currently is not¡ºWhite God¡»itself, but the crusaders who believe that bastard.

    If only I can get the power to defeat the apostles and innumerable crusaders, I don¡¯t have to give a shit about God¡¯s problems.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, I will tell one thing¡¹

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸The reason Wrath-Pun appeared was me?¡¹(Kurono)

    Because I was there to take the trial from Mia, that the Wrath-Pun appeared, no, more precisely it was ¡®made¡¯ for me. That¡¯s what I meant.

    ¡¸No, there is no rtion, the reason it appeared wasplete coincidence, it¡¯s a part of how nature works. Like I said before, the God cannot interfere too much with the world, this works for all other gods too, we all cannot twist the fates¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m relieved to hear that¡¹

    With this it seems like, there won¡¯t be a time when super-powerful monster appears for me toplete trial, and goes onto a killing rampage.

    So, the monsters for trial, needed to be searched by myself, or I will meet them due to destiny.

    ¡¸So can you tell me what the next trial will be, as a bonus you see?¡¹

    ¡¸Though you know the answer yourself. But, when you use divine protection after waking up, you will get the gist of what power of divine protection you will get and also what the future trials will be about¡¹

    Unexpectedly, Mia gave me a hint.

    Special service, no, there must be something else behind it.

    ¡¸The talk is over with this, see youter Kurono Mao, I will wait for you toplete the next trial¡¹

    Before I could say something, my whole vision became ck, like that my consciousness drifted¨D¨D

 Chapter 212 The First Divine Protection (2)

    Chapter 212 ¨C The First Divine Protection (2)

    I woke up only to find myself inside the tent.

    On my side, Lily, in her small form, is sleeping while making *suusuu*, lovely sleeping breathing sounds.

    There is the presence of a single person right outside, Fiona has been doing the night watch.

    ¡¸......Dream, eh¡¹

    With somewhat absent-minded head, I mutter that.

    But, I soon deny the words in my heart. Meeting with Mia in a ck throne room, I remember that very clearly as if it urred just right now. In that case, I will be able to use ¡®power of divine protection¡¯ now. However, let¡¯s get outside first, if the power turns out to be explosion type, it would be a catastrophic.

    Without waking up Lily, I swiftly get out of tent,

    ¡¸Good Morning, Kurono-san¡¹

    With sun of dawn at her back, Fiona does a morning greeting. Of course, she wasn¡¯t in her underwear form, but her normal witch clothes.

    ¡¸Yeah, morning¡¹

    Her white body had been vividly ingrained in my brain, I, feeling embarrassed, try to greet like normally. I intentionally turn away my eyes from Fiona and survey the surroundings.

    The morning sun illuminated the surroundings, the traces of fightst night are clearly visible. By setting up tent in this vacantnd, we were able to pass the night and take rest too.

    Either chasing the Wrath-Pun or going down the mountain, both cannot be done unless the sun is up.

    ¡¸Are you still injured?¡¹

    I cannot keep on ignoring Fiona all the time, so I bring up a safe topic.

    ¡¸Eh, Yes......It is fine, now......¡¹

    But, the person who showed unexpected reaction was Fiona, for some reason she blushed and turned away. For some reason, no, I get it, after all the person who must have felt embarrassed upon being stared in underwear form was Fiona.

    Wait, or rather, I even watched her embarrassing form and cut her¨D¨D c, cut her, does the injury lead to that, responsibility, etc cetera!?

    ¡¸I, I see, it¡¯s good if you¡¯re fine¡¹

    While letting a stream of cold sweat running inside my mind, I was only able to return those safe words, truly, I am a good-for-nothing. Well, I wouldn¡¯t let Fiona do the night guard, even if it has only been an hour since we changed the turns.

    Though I cut deep, but as expected of miracle drug, it healed the injury as if it didn¡¯t exist, now just if her lost blood is recovered, she would return to her normal healthy condition.

    That¡¯s right, there should be no injury left.

    ¡¸Fiona, thanks, if not for your cleverness, we would¡¯ve been annihted¡¹

    ¡¸At that time, I did what I could have¡¹

    She returned to her sleepy expression, and said as if it wasn¡¯t much of a thing. Hum, looks like the thing about injury was just me being paranoiac.

    Setting it aside, as for my true feelings,

    ¡¸But, people don¡¯t say ¡®cut me¡¯ so easily, yet you said it means you trust me that much, thinking that, I¡¯m, that, happy¡¹

    It surely, isn¡¯t my conceit, if she didn¡¯t trust me she wouldn¡¯t have even said that.

    ¡¸No, I am too am happy for being helpful to Kurono-san¡¹

    Fiona smiled saying that, the reason I wasn¡¯t able to look straight in her eyes, was not only the bright sun behind her.

    Her smile was more fascinatingpared to normal girl of marriageable age, seeing that I felt startled. Her golden eyes looking a bit feverish and excited, is certainly my imagination.

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, because we defeated that guy, I am now able to use the power of divine protection¡¹

    Though it might be too much forced and obvious, but as to forget the presence of suspicious Fiona, I opened up a new topic.

    ¡¸Divine Protection, is it? Now that I think, you did say it might be a trial¡¹

    Though normally if I tell that I met god in dreams and got hand over the divine protection, they will think I went insane, but I frankly tell everything to Fiona, who knows the situation from before.

    I tell her about the things that happened in the dream quite vaguely,

    ¡¸I see, conversing with god in dreams is amon phenomenon¡¹

    And she easily epted it.

    In this world with magic, the phenomena of getting oracles via dreams also exists.

    ¡¸The jewel has gone from the right hand of Wrath-Pun, so it must be true¡¹

    I took out the only loot, the right hand of Wrath-Pun from the¡ºShadow Gate¡»only to find the crimson jewel on the back of its hand gone spotlessly.

    Mia said, it would fetch me a high price......well whatever, what¡¯s lost is lost.

    Let¡¯s pray that the other parts of right hand, the fur, bones and stuff be good materials.

    ¡¸So, what is the power of divine protection you received, Kurono-san¡¹

    ¡¸I will be checking it right now¡¹

    I¡¯m looking forward to it, Fiona said that with an expressionless face saying she¡¯s not so much looking forward to it, well this is normal, she truly might be looking forward to it. Fiona¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t change but her feelings are truly great, my prediction when I first met her was not wrong.

    ¡¸Well then, here I go¨D¨D¡¹

    While Fiona looked over me from back, I increase my concentration in the same when I use ck magic. ording to Mia, the power of divine protection is now a part of my power, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be able to understand it.

    ¡¸¨D¨DThis eh¡¹

    Sure enough, I was able to grasp that feeling pretty fast.

    That was the feeling I hadn¡¯t felt till now, an unknown power. However, it is a part of my own power, I could use the same way I use ck magical power that is present within my body. No, this is made with ck magical power as the source, it would be better to say that it¡¯s nature changed and it¡ºMaterialised¡»in my body.

    And I know about this ¡®power¡¯.

    ¡¸¡ºck mes¡»¡¹

    I hold out my right arm, and zing jet-ck mes rise out of my palm. My right hand, now covered in ck mes from the tip of finger to shoulders, resemble the Wrath-Pun fromst night.

    No, in truth, I am able to control these ck mes made from ck magical energy, just like Wrath-Pun.

    ¡¸Err, let¡¯s go with Fireball¡¹

    With the newly gained me of different nature, I immediately mix the magic and logic to control and use it. The structure of magic sequence is simple, after all I just need to make it into ball and throw it, the feeling is almost same to Bullet Arts. Like that, just like I imagined it, the cluster of sphericalpressed ck mes,pleted its formation in my right hand.

    I fire it in air, though not with same speed of Bullet Arts, it flew with considerable speed leaving a ck trace and exploded in mid-air.

    ¡¸Whoa, I can finally make my ck magic go boom!¡¹

    I won¡¯t let Fiona say¡¸It is in¡¹anymore!!

    Confirming my victory, I face Fiona standing behind me.

    ¡¸How was it Fiona¡¹

    ¡¸Err, you have be able to make mes from ck magical power¡¹

    That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not like, without the divine protection, the ck magical power cannot make mes. The first person I killed, that young boy, was using mes without any divine protection. Till now I hadn¡¯t been able to use different attributes with my magical power, but looks like this divine protection covers up for those lost parts.

    ¡¸So you can only make mes?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah......that is, right¡¹

    What, being able to create mes alone is not great!?

    ¡¸Can you create lightning?¡¹

    ¡¸No, lightning is impossible¡¹

    ¡¸I see now¨D¨D¡¹

    Fiona looks at me as if looking at some pitiable child.

    In fact, wait, the way this talk is going feels to me like......

    ¡¸It is really in, though being a power of divine protection¡¹

    I, at that time, thought that I need toplete the next trial as fast as possible, and strengthen my divine protection.

 Chapter 213 We are the, son of (omitted) Wilhart Tristan Spada

    Chapter 213 ¨C We are the, son of (omitted) Wilhart Tristan Spada

    Though I got the divine protection, leaving Wrath-Pun alone is a danger, even without the jewel, the materials of a rank 5 monster would fetch whopping amounts of money.

    Now that there is a way to defeat it, I have no intention of leaving it alone.

    Like that, instead of descending the mountains, we decided to pursue Wrath-Pun......but, couldn¡¯t find any traces of it.

    We didn¡¯t had magic or skill for pursuing a monster, neither had the information about its nest or movement route, so the result can be said as natural.

    With somewhat disappointment we returned to Dakia Vige, there we found some party made by elite cadets called as¡ºWing Road¡»had subjugated Wrath-Pun, hearing all that information the disappointment only got more profound.

    Truly, lucky bastards, Wrath-Pun had lost its biggest weapon, the right hand, and was also terribly exhausted, in that situation even a normal rank 4 party would have defeated it.

    However, letting the prey run, and have your kill stealed, is a normal thing for adventurers.

    [ET: He¡¯s too much depressed, that he is using logic to persuade himself]

    Let¡¯s give up being depressed thinking that I was unlucky that Wrath-Pun escaped, and they were lucky to have met it in that condition.

    With this and that, on 11th day of Red me month, we returned to Spada with the right hand of Wrath-Pun as the only loot.

    Thinking back, we finished our rank 2 quest for capturing Doltos, the hatchet evolved, got divine protection, all in all the harvest to not less.

    .

    .

    .

    Next day, 12th day of Red me month.

    Lily¡¯s wings were half-torn off by Wrath-Pun, the injury is yet to heal, so till the time it doesn¡¯t heal, the adventurer work has been put on hold.

    We still have some quests left for reaching rank 3, for the time being the quests with deadlineing near have beenpleted, so there would be no problem in reaching rank 3 even if we rest for another one or two weeks.

    Though Lily is feeling no pain thanks to miracle drug, but it will take time for the lost part to regrowpletely.

    However, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a week.

    The wings areposed of magical power, so even without using heal on it, they would regrow on their own, like the tail of lizard, on the other hand, the five limbs and other physical parts, just like human, wouldn¡¯t regrow.

    In that sense, the fact that limbs weren¡¯t torn off can only be said a blessing in disguise.

    However, the figure of Lily without her half right upper wing, though she herself is not paying much attention to it, but it sure is not good on my mental health, I earnestly pray for her to recover fast.

    In somewhat overprotective momentum, after making Lily rest in the bed of inn, I started preparing for next quests, and so I am trying to do what I can do right now.

    Incidentally, I had thought of enrolling Royal Spada Academy, so I thought to take the enrollment application beforehand. On the noon of 12th day of the month, I once again passes through the splendid big entrance gate.

    People are, as usual, just too much, today too it is crowded with students.

    En route, I noticed many students talking about¡¸Wing Road reached rank 5¡¹topic.

    Apparently, by defeating Wrath-Pun, they had raised to Rank 5.

    For, the hard-working honest¡ºElement Master¡»it is a really not good thing, even more when the talk about Wrath-Pun¡¯s subjugationes in.

    I will tell theplete details to Simon, let¡¯s do that, the moment I started walking thinking that,

    ¡¸Huh, are you perhaps¨D¨D¡¹

    A slender tall youth entered my vision, wearing ck uniform with symbol of elite cadets, the red mantle, fluttering over it.

    Having red hair as if zing brightly, sensitiveness filled face, golden eyes, with a monocle over one eye.

    His expression was too much depressed one, but no doubt about it, he¡¯s the guy who was being chased by Wrath-Pun.

    Though it was only for a short while we said words to each other, so he might not remember my face, but seeing him fine, I got happy and instinctively called out to him.

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    Reacting to my voice, youth raised his head up.

    ¡¸You¡¯re really that student who was attacked by Wrath-Pun at that time, right?¡¹

    If I got the wrong person it would be just too embarrassing, so let¡¯s confirm first.

    Or rather, he looked at me with shocked expression, as if he saw someone who he thought had died, he stared fixedly at me from the top of head to the tip of feet.

    What, did I really got the wrong person?

    The moment I had that anxiety,

    ¡¸Nightmare Berserker!?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, what? Berserker?¡¹

    What the hell is that embarrassing name, I hadn¡¯t called myself that ever, right?

    Is he thinking of me as someone else?

    ¡¸Woooooo, you were alive!!¡¹

    But, judging from this manner of speaking, looks like he didn¡¯t got the wrong person.

    I see, he thought I was K.I.A¡¯ed when fighting Wrath-Pun, well it was rank 5 monster, and I really got near killed, so his prediction is notpletely invalid.

    However, with this reaction, I don¡¯t know how to reply......

    .

    .

    .

    With this and that, after we congratted about the well-being of each other, we self-introduced ourselves.

    However, it would be good to say that I was underestimating the existence called elite cadets.

    After all,

    ¡¸We are the son of¡ºSword King¡»Leonhart¨D¨D¡¹

    Let¡¯s skip a bit.

    ¡¸¨D¨DThat¡¯s right! We are Wilhart Tristan Spada!!¡¹

    [ET: So wilhart for the first time got to introduce himself without being cut off at the end, though it¡¯s regrettable he had his most part of intro omitted]

    That¡¯s right, in human words, he¡¯s the son of king of this city-state called Spada, in more simple words, he¡¯s a prince.

    Near the benches set on the outdoors of Academy, I met with a real prince.

    ¡¸Ha, ha......¡¹

    However, meeting a royalty at first, having a fierce self-introduction, though didn¡¯t ruin the mood, but it did make me go nk in mind.

    Or rather, if I did something bad, wouldn¡¯t I be executed for lese majeste?

    ¡¸Fuhahahaha, what, don¡¯t you worry Nightmare Berserker Kurono,you are my life savior, why would I need to use you for a false crime¨D¨D¡¹

    No, no! Prince Wilhart repeats the words two times.

    I kept on lending an ear to his roundabout formal figurative speech, apparently he wanted me to talk to him in informal way because we were both ¡®adventurers¡¯.

    ¡¸Err, so should I call you Wil?¡¹

    ¡¸Umu, it¡¯s good like that¡¹

    Wil nods with somewhat happiness, is this the so called dignity of royalty? I think it¡¯s different.

    ¡¸Well then, sorry to pour water on our destined and heart-moving reunion, but I should say this before, no, I should apologize¡¹

    ¡¸Apologize, about what?¡¹

    Wilhart suddenly stood in attention, then moved down forming a right angle, and bowed his head.

    What happened suddenly, he¡¯s a prince, right? Is it alright to easily bow his head to some adventurer?

    ¡¸Though being the 2nd Prince of Spada, I, currently, don¡¯t have the appropriate gold or treasured item for my life savior! Truly Sorry!!¡¹

    I immediately understood he was apologizing me, but it took me some seconds to understand for what he was apologizing to me.

    ¡¸Err, do you mean you cannot give me reward though being a prince, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed! Though I am the prince of Spada, the fact that I¡¯m a single student in academy is also an unwaverable truth. If I was the crown prince like my brother, I could have given you treasures of gold and silver, also the prestige and medals, but......I am only an elite cadet, without the fortune or status to give¡¹

    In other words, he wants to give merge amounts of reward money and medal, but the current him doesn¡¯t has the status to do that.

    I see, though being a prince, he can¡¯t do each and everything with his authority.

    No, there might be ces where it is possible, but in Spada, without the proper social status and all, the authority and assets don¡¯t follow.

    Something like, the son of a rich person doesn¡¯t has much money, sort of.

    ¡¸No, I never thought to take something after saving you, so the feelings of thanks are enough¡¹

    ¡¸No, but......however......¡¹

    ¡¸First, raise up your head¡¹

    I cannot bring myself to let him keep the perfect right-angled pose forever, it would be same if it wasn¡¯t a prince but someone else.

    With some reluctance, Wil raised his head up with a bitter expression on it.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it too much, it would happen as long as we are adventurers, just this time the person I saved was the prince¡¹

    If I had saved some child from vige, then I would¡¯ve gotten his/her treasured item like, the empty shell of a cicada.

    Things like this don¡¯t need something like that in return, these are done with good intentions and grateful feelings are more than enough rewards, but demanding for something in return can only be called as a vice act.

    This time, I was at most just depressed on having Wrath-Pun escaped, I hadn¡¯t expected anything in return from these whom I saved.

    ¡¸For me, it¡¯s more than enough if I can save someone¡¹

    It¡¯s not some lip service, but the true feelings from the bottom of my heart.

    If I want something in return for my good intentions, it would be words of gratefulness and not some gem.

    ¡¸I¡¯m grateful for your consideration, Ku......If I was the King of Spada, then I would¡¯ve appointed you as a knight¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no, I¡¯m seriously fine so don¡¯t say that......¡¹

    Not like I am aiming to be a knight, and will never be in one.

    I do like my current adventurer lifestyle, if I got into a court service like knight, then at time when a monster for trial appears I won¡¯t be able to go defeat it due to my workload.

    In the first ce, someone like me with a wlessly confidential identity of this world be a knight, at most I might be hired as a mercenary.

    ¡¸What, do you don¡¯t even want status and prestige, you seriously resemble a freedom loving adventurer!¡¹

    Wil¡¯s word of praise hurt my ears, sorry, but the reason is not something that splendid......

    But amending it again and again would be inelegant, right, what don¡¯t dare to think that I think exining it would be tiresome, it certainly is not like that.

    ¡¸Understood, I will respect your intention, I won¡¯t do something excessive, but, if you want my power, I will do my best to help!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Thanks¡¹

    I¡¯m thankful for you to say that, looks like Wil possess strong sense of duty.

    ¡¸However Kurono, can you tell me one thing¡¹

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    His expression bes serious, no, it was already serious with all the theatre y like behaviour, but currently serious expression went over one notch.

    That Wil asked me,

    ¡¸You¡¯re still a rank 2 adventurer, but, haven¡¯t you repelled that dreadful Wrath-Pun, and even cut off its right arm¡¹

    For the time being, I tried to tell Wil on how I repelled Wrath-Pun, by cutting our hard parts like cutting Fiona, et cetera.

    ¡¸Nightmare Berserker Kurono, just what are you?¡¹

    Oh right, I first need to tell this prince, that I certainly am not that Nightmare Berserker.

 Chapter 214 Berserker x Alchemist x Prince

    Chapter 214 ¨C Berserker x Alchemist x Prince

    In early afternoon on 12th day of Red me month, Simon had finished his lunch, as usual alone, in his room.

    Moderately resting after meal, the time he thought for secluding inboratory, the room of door was knocked.

    ¡¸Oi Simon, you in there?¡¹

    That voice was, without a doubt, of Kurono.

    This building was a storage-shed-like ce, but long ago, though small, it was used as a dormitory.

    However, only Simon uses this ce, thanks to her sister, furthermore there was no supervisor, so any person, not only Kurono, can enter from the entranceway.

    During daytime only his room andboratory were locked, so it was natural for the visitors, only Kurono, to knock the door.

    Though it was a visit without appointment, Simon opened the door gleefully as though he was waiting for Kurono.

    ¡¸Hi, Onii-san, so you came from Dakia already¨D¨D¡¹

    Simon, who knew about Kurono¡¯s quest, said those words, but seeing Kurono with an unexpected being present, his body went stiff with the eyes opened wide.

    ¡¸Eh, huh, is he......¡¹

    He stared at the person standing beside Kurono.

    A slender elite cadet with red hair and golden eyes, considerably well-ordered, but there wasn¡¯t something conspicuous in particr.

    Still Simon, even without having any rtionship with people in school, knew about him.

    ¡¸Prince Wilhart!?¡¹

    To Simon who guessed his name and status correctly, Wilhart took a bold pose by folding his arms and replied.

    ¡¸Fuahahahaha, indeed, we are the son of¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I became friends with Wil just before, so I thought that we shall talk together, was it a bother?¡¹

    Hearing Kurono¡¯s words that seemed like ¡®My friend is with me, so can we talk together? ¡¯, Simon took an even bigger shock.

    (Eh, what are you saying Onii-san, he is from royalty, and you¡¯re even calling him by a nickname Wil, how can you be so frank if you met him just before!?)

    He wanted to ask lots of things, but he didn¡¯t want to give bad treatment to a person from royalty, though a student, so Simon while trembling with fear,

    ¡¸No, not like I hate it......well, umm, how abouting in first?¡¹

    Invited third prince, who for some reason appeared with Kurono, inside his room.

    .

    .

    .

    Simon¡¯s room, which seemed to be originally a double room, had three men sitting on floor facing each other.

    ¡¸Fumu, We too have heard your name, Simon Friedrich Bardiel, but it is more famous as legendary man, rather than a person from 4 great nobles¡¹

    With the tea given by Simon in one hand, Wilhart said as such.

    ¡¸Legendary man?¡¹

    Just by hearing, Simon blushed, turned away and didn¡¯t even tried to reply.

    ¡¸Kurono, you came to Spada just now, so it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t know, actually Simon¨D¨D¡¹

    Though it was a roundabout tone again, but Kurono lend an ear to Wil, who told carefully and politely, hearing all that Kurono learned the details as to why Simon was called the legendary man.

    Since the start of Royal Spada Academy, he is the only person who got perfect scores in written examinations and a great zero in practical examination, furthermore it continued for three whole years.

    ¡¸Simon......¡¹

    The results of examination, were just like as Simon told before, a failure, so it was hard for him to praise him saying he was a genius to gain perfect scores in written examination.

    Rather, when Kurono tried to think about the figure of Simon trying hard to use a martial skill he can¡¯t use under the watch of many people, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sad.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t want to talk about that¡¹

    ¡¸No, sorry¡¹

    Having said that to with a pained expression, he could only agree to it.

    ¡¸However, this is truly mysterious, Kurono, who says he¡¯s just a normal adventurer, and the legendary man Simon, are this much intimate friends¡¹

    ¡¸No, well Simon too is an adventurer, and many other things?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Yeah, that¡¯s right, many other things had happened!¡¹

    Kurono was told by guild to not make this case of massacre public.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they would be arrested by Spada army immediately, but it was an information which would definitely increase the anxiety and panic in the hearts of Spada¡¯s poption, so Kurono and Simon both were restraining themselves.

    But however,

    ¡¸Fumu, it wouldn¡¯t be good to make light of us, with our power, we can understand any matter as if we had seen it with our eyes, that¡¯s right, with the help of this Secret Network. In other words, we had already known about the fact that you both are ¡®survivors of Alsace¡¯¡¹

    Wilhart hit the bullseye about the circumstances of Simon and Kurono.

    ¡¸......Why do you know about it?¡¹

    ¡¸Just a simple deduction¡¹

    What the heck is secretwork, nobody tried to retort this.

    ¡¸¨D¨DYou said just before that you came from Daedalus, and, I have heard from rumours that Simon, during temporary leave, went to Daedalus. Furthermore, this information is surely confidential, but I have heard about a group of adventurers fighting in Alsace vige in Daedalus against an army called Crusaders¡¹

    Apparently, this prince Wilhart knew considerable amount of information, Kurono grasped that.

    Indeed, if he knew about the matter of Alsace, then it would be easy to guess that Kurono came from Daedalus and had participated in the emergency quest.

    ¡¸I read the report, made by the testimony of surviving adventurers, about the fight in Alsace vige, it seemed just too much absurd and nonsensical, so I thought it was aplete exaggeration, but¨D¨D¡¹

    There, Wil used his index finger to fix his monocle, then continued.

    ¡¸¨D¨DKurono, if you say had gone through all that, then I cannot say those are absurd nonsensical things¡¹

    The people who know the fight of Alsace, except the crusaders, were only 4 people.

    Some hundred or so adventurers, fought against an army reaching thousands in numbers, dealt great losses to them, and fought a fierce battle, this sure can be said an absurd nonsensical story.

    Let alone, Kurono and¡ºElement Master¡», even Simon were only rank 1 adventurers at that time, so it was only natural that their testimony was doubtful.

    Even so the reason they didn¡¯t conclude it as a lie was maybe because they gave face to Simon and his family, Bardiel.

    At the same time, the messenger sent by Adventurers¡¯ Guild, and Spada army had known about the internal affairs of Daedalus, so they knew that battle of Alsace ¡®existed¡¯.

    However, Wilhart had seen the true strength of Kurono before his very own eyes, when he was cornered in a dire situation by a rank 5 situation.

    No, he had only seen him fight against goblins, but thinking about the situation when he would¡¯ve fought the Wrath-Pun his strength bes obvious, and there was even more no reason to doubt after seeing the cut off arm of Wrath-Pun.

    ¡¸We have increased vignce starting from Spada fort in Ghad, for fighting against the mysterious army called Crusaders which destroyed Daedalus, however¨D¨D¡¹

    Turning over his red mantle, Wilhart said.

    ¡¸I still cannot get rid of this bad feeling, crusaders just suddenly appeared, we don¡¯t know about their internal affairs, in others it¡¯s an unknown enemy. However they don¡¯t ept your information, you , who have experienced a fight against them, just because you are of low rank. There I think this, that the hero who saved me from my dilemma, you , Nightmare Berserker Kurono, I have seen your power and have no reason to doubt it. At least, I, Wilhart Tristan Spada will believe you¡¹

    ¡¸In other words, Wil you want to know the fight with crusaders in more details?¡¹

    Indeed! You guessed right, Wilhart shouts with a satisfied expression.

    Kurono hesitated a little bit.

    The incident of Alsace was not something to be told to someone wanting to know out of curiosity.

    However, Wilhart is one of those who knows somewhat information about crusaders, and feels danger regarding them.

    And more than anything, he is the second prince of Spada, if things went right, then vignce can be increased.

    That was something that Kurono, even after raising his ranks, would not be able to do.

    ¡¸Alright¡¹

    In the end, Kurono gave his answer.

    The time he hesitated was about the time it takes to drink tea in a breath.

    Is Simon fine with it? He sent a stare asking the question, but it seemed like he understood the advantages Kurono had thought, the only problem would be on emotional levels for Kurono.

    No, it might be more painful for Simon, who lost his beloved Susu.

    ¡¸I get it, I will listen with caution!¡¹

    And Kurono spilled it, about how adventurers repelled the army called crusaders in a countryside vige called Alsace, and also how those adventurers were killed.

 Chapter 215 Lilyâ€™s Route

    Chapter 215 ¨C Lily¡¯s Route

    One month was about to pass since staying in¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡»inn.

    Of course, during quests they don¡¯t stay in the inn, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they had stayed here the most sinceing to Spada, one could say they had gotten used to it.

    In one of the rooms of that inn, which was almost like their own house,

    ¡¸Muu-¡¹

    Lily, wearing White Punpun robe as her sleepwear, was on her bed, sullen.

    She had even put on the long-rabbit-eared hood, if she lied face-down, she would seem like a child of white Punpun.

    No, there were cuts in the back to let her wingse out of it, so even if she lie face-down, one could understand she is a fairy, there might be no idiot to think of her as a Punpun subspecies which grew wings.

    Incidentally, wearing a fur robe in the middle of summer would feel very hot, and fairies are magical creatures who live naked all the years. Not epting the effects by change in temperature is a characteristic of magical creatures, so of course even half-human half-demon Lily has those characteristics.

    Besides Lily, wearing cartoon-character costumes, sat Fiona on a chair.

    She wasn¡¯t in her usual witch form, but was wearing thin ck shirt and smooth dragon-leather hotpants, her appearance can be said quite rough or rather her underwear form.

    Because Kurono wasn¡¯t here, neither she had any intention to go out, so she was revealing her white skin.

    ¡¸Boorriiing~¡¹

    Lily, without paying any attention to Fiona¡¯s sensational appearance,ined about boredom.

    From her young sullen appearance, she would seem like a child, but she had returned to her adult form.

    Lily was strictly ordered by Kurono for waiting inside the room for the regeneration of her wings, though she epted the order, but things to do on bed are limited if not sleeping.

    Hence,ining about boredom can be said as the most natural result.

    As a result, Fiona said words gently, it was unknown whether she said it for Lily or not.

    ¡¸Lily-san, I need some consultation¡¹

    ¡¸Consultation? For dinner?¡¹

    Lily looked at Fiona with suspicious looking eyes, the eyes on the hood imitating a Punpun¡¯s head too seemed to be ring at her.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s not about that, in fact, it might not be something so big to be called as consultation¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s quite some evasive manner of speaking, well I have lots of time, so I don¡¯t mind talking about anything¡¹

    Though Lily and Fiona were females, but they both didn¡¯t prefer to talk much.

    It may be either because of their natural character, or maybe because they were brought up in an environment without much interaction with other people, or it can be both reasons.

    But, Lily and Fiona had rxed their guarded long before, and now liked to have fun while chatting with each other.

    The start of their friendship rtion, goes back to the time when they both worked hard in the potion making in Alsace Vige.

    The reluctance in talking with Fiona, who could be said as herrade and second friend in her life, had long gone for Lily.

    Lily casually lend her ear to Fiona¡¯s words, along with the big rabbit ears extending from her head.

    ¡¸We are weak against enemies with heat resistance, right?¡¹

    ¡¸......This is more than enough to be said as a serious consultation¡¹

    Lily had thought if she didn¡¯t want to talk about dinner then it might be about the lunch they ate before, but Fiona¡¯s words crumbed Lily¡¯s predictions.

    ¡¸I had been a solo adventurer, so I had dealt with various enemies with resistance to fire, but a monster with that much resistance was a first for me too¡¹

    ¡¸There were not many powerful monster in fairy garden, so I too can¡¯t be said well-experienced¡¹

    Both, who were born and raised in this world, understand their power which they had grown up with more betterlypared to Kurono, who was given non-human power all of a sudden.

    It is an obvious truth that they both have sufficient power to go around as a first-ss adventurer.

    However, they didn¡¯t want to live as adventurer in correspondence to their current powers, but they wanted power to fight with rank 5 monsters on daily basis.

    That¡¯s right, not only Kurono, but these two also needed power.

    At the very least, Lily and Fiona, both had no intention of leaving¡ºElement Master¡», even Kurono was aware of this fact.

    ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t we both also try to think?¡¹

    ¡¸For bing strong? Yes. Kurono will be more strong from now on, he had also gotten the divine protection of demon king, no, even if he hadn¡¯t gotten it, he would¡¯ve got more stronger¡¹

    That¡¯s right, Fiona threw in agreeing words.

    They weren¡¯t saying this just because they were intimate with Kurono.

    Fiona knew about the fact that while preparing interception tactics in Alsace vige, Kurono was improving his¡ºAnchor Hand¡»and¡ºShadow Gate¡»at tremendous speed.

    Raising the effects of magic a person is using cannot be said an easy thing to do, though Fiona had no way of knowing what sort of magic theory was inside Kurono¡¯s mind, but she understood that his ck magic still had too much of a room for improvement.

    Just like Lily said, even without divine protection, he would be more stronger in some other way.

    ¡¸Adventurers have an absolute rule of making party with simrly strong people, right?¡¹

    Fiona nodded.

    For example¡ºVulcan Powered¡», in that party only Vulcan was Rank 4 the rest were rank 3 adventurers, however they were rank 3 only in saying, in truth they had enough ability to fight along with Vulcan, that¡¯s why the party continued to exist.

    Naturally, in the case of nobles ying adventurer-esque game, there is no restriction like that, and they cannot be called ¡¯proper¡¯ adventurer.

    To unleash maximum power as a party, and defeating monsters of higher rank with incredible teamwork, can only be possible on having members with suitable power.

    With hindrances, let alone showing more power, they wouldn¡¯t be able to even show their normal power, and taking a weak member in party is totally avoided as adventurers risk their lives.

    That applies the same to¡ºElement Master¡»too.

    Kurono thinks of both as preciousrades, and Lily and Fiona too had constructed a rtionship of mutual trust, with differences in degree of trust.

    But¡ºElement Master¡»was not a friend group but an adventurer party, if in future there happens to be a change in power rtionships within the party, and they happen to not be able to fight along with Kurono, then they would have to leave the party.

    And the kind yet strict Kurono, would agree their withdrawal from party.

    ¡¸I definitely don¡¯t like not being near Kurono, not being helpful to him, doing that is more painful than dying¡¹

    Lily, without hiding anything, speaks out her intentions.

    ¡¸I......too hate it. I finally got arade I can trust, so I don¡¯t want to be away from him¡¹

    Lily was not able to clearly read the emotions filled in Fiona¡¯s words.

    Conversely speaking, her words were spoken in a condition she had protected her true intentions, which even Lily cannot read through telepathy.

    Lily didn¡¯t knew what she was hiding, and was having a not-so-good premonition, but for the time being she set it aside.

    ¡¸Well, this time the opponent was rank 5 monster, had high fire resistance, so it can¡¯t be helped we had hard time against it¨D¨D¡¹

    In other words, if it was rank 5 monster on which light and fire worked, they could¡¯ve defeated it easily.

    ¡¸¨D¨DBut, certainly there is that ¡¯something¡¯ needed to fill in that weak point¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, after all we would definitely have to fight against Apostles¡¹

    Defeating an apostle?

    If someone in Republic heard it, they would eitherugh scornfully saying¡¸As if you can do that¡¹or get angry saying¡¸How many soldiers do you want to sacrifice?¡¹

    Fiona was also one of the people who gave same reaction, but since being a part of Element Master, she has to be determined to fight against apostles.

    Being in Element Master, fighting along with Kurono, both meant that.

    ¡¸There is no proof that apostles would definitelye when crusaderse here, but, it sure is a problem when we don¡¯t know how much time we have left¡¹

    ¡¸Then let¡¯s expect more of Spada Army, they might buy enough time for Kurono-san to getplete divine protection and for us to gain more power¡¹

    In truth, there wasn¡¯t any means to know the movements of crusaders, so thinking about this can be said useless.

    In that case there was no other way than to find a solution as fast as possible and be stronger, without paying attention to the time remaining.

    At the very least Kurono, thinking that, challenged the trials of Demon King Mia Elrod which who knows when will end.

    ¡¸Although, what should be do actually?¡¹

    Most probably Lily must be the one racking her brain the most.

    After all, she had always used her extra magic till now, she had no route to learn powerful magic like other mages.

    Fiona, used model magic, so she had made a goal to learn all the high-ss magic of all attributes except Fire, Light and Darkness.

    ¡¸Well then¨D¨D¡¹

    However, Fiona point out an answer to Lily, quite easily.

    ¡¸How about using weapons?¡¹

    ¡¸......Weapons?¡¹

    Lily showed an expression of surprise and agreement as if saying she never got that idea, miraculously the head of robe too showed a surprised expression.

    ¡¸It had been bothering me from before, but Lily-san has no ss, right?¡¹

    Reflexively Lily took out her guild card and stared at it.

    There normal information like¡ºRank: 2¡»¡ºName: Lily¡»¡ºss: Fairy¡»were inscribed.

    After all this time, Lily, for the first time, thought it was wrong to state race name as ss.

    This guild card was made in Irz vige, when she was in her child form, so there was no doubt that she stated fairy without thinking anything.

    She felt hate and embarrassment to her old-self, by killing her feelings,

    ¡¸You want me to be a witch?¡¹

    She chose to move on with the talk.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t say only witch, but after setting up a ss, get a weapon suitable for that ss, how about this?¡¹

    However, equipping a single magic staff, won¡¯t be much of help to Lily who was already using the power of¡ºQueen Beryl¡»

    ¡¸But, that¡¯s right......a weapon I can use, no, if I can learn other magic, then I would have magic of different system from extra magic and my power would surely increase¡¹

    The more she thought the more possibilities she found.

    ¡¸We would go to school after reaching rank 3, so how about learning there, you might get some new idea too¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, I was only thinking of spending a fun school life with Kurono¨D¨D¡¹

    Lily, had read many romance-based books with school as their stage, those books were left by the mage in the hut, in fact, Lily also held a secret admiration for ces known as schools. (TN: Anyone remembers him/her, I seriously think that mage got something to do with Kurono)

    She wouldn¡¯t go there alone, but with her beloved man going with her, her expectations were increased for absolutely no reason.

    It was unfortunate that all romance novels that mage left about bonding between men. (TN: *&%#*(&$(&(#%@&%&@#)*&%) (EN: that mage is female.... damn yaoi &%$*/$#%& how were they called; fujoshi or something..... )

    ¡¸¨D¨DRight on, I would find the perfect ss for myself¡¹

    ¡¸By the way, Lily-san, which ss would you like to be?¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, how about Necromancer¡¹

    ¡¸I see, it sure is a surprise¡¹

    Fiona, who didn¡¯t understood Lily¡¯s fairy joke, the next moment tried to curry favor from Lily, who had now returned to her child form with a sullen mood.

 Chapter 216 Stratos Smithing Workshop

    Chapter 216 ¨C Stratos Smithing Workshop

    I¡¯m currently walking in the industry area near the academy with Simon- it¡¯s filled with smithing workshops. Simon¡¯s favorite store, Stratos Smithing Workshop, is our destination. It¡¯s a tiny workshop, but the owner of the shop, Stratos, is a cksmith with abilities on part with the cksmiths the royal family hires, or so Simon says.

    Our purpose foring here is to use the right arm of the Wrath-Pun as material for making a new item or weapon. It would have been fine to deliver it to the Guild, but Simon said to use it for myself because it is a rare material, so for the being I decided to see what he wanted to show me.

    ¡°It might bete evening before I return¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because we talked for too long¡±

    Our conversation with Wilhart, the third prince of Spada, started with things about the Alsace defensive battle, then became about the Spada Army, then guns, then ck magic. The conversation kept on changing topics before it became a normal chat. While talking about those topics, I heard about serial murders conducted by a sword-wielding beastman. We didn¡¯t hear about this until now because a week before, we were in the Ghad Mountainspleting our Doltos capturing quest.

    The story of the serial murderer is that the murderer uses a longsword, he only attacks young women in the dead of night, and he kills everyone with just a single stroke, the murderer has physical strength and is thought to be a rank 4 adventurer. The progress of the investigation performed by the¡ºLaw Guardian¡»is unknown, but from the information of a witness, the race of murderer is deemed to be a beast person.

    The murderer is yet to be arrested, so caution is needed when going out at night.

    ¡°This area is popted, a perfect ce to attack people, and really dangerous.¡±

    ¡°But aren¡¯t only young women being attacked?¡±(Simon)

    ¡°Mistaking the silhouette of Simon in night as a young girl is 50% possible¡±

    (editor note: fufufufu)

    ¡°That......¡±

    Simon briefly tried to refute, but he sighed and nodded- perhaps he understood my words were not a joke but the truth.

    ¡°But if I¡¯m with Onii-san, it¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve also got a new gun.¡± Simon says, swinging his new rifle on his shoulder.

    Incidentally it¡¯s called¡ºYatagarasu V.02¡», its base form is the same as version 1 but important points we talked about earlier have been improved.

    ¡°But it could be an unexpectedly powerful enemy, it is said to be above rank 3, right?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worrying too much? There aren¡¯t many people who can pick a fight with you, Onii-san¡±

    I¡¯m d that he believes in me, but I wonder if I am I seriously worrying too much. I wonder if, after encountering out-of-norm existences like the Apostles several times, I¡¯ve always been followed by a bad premonition of someone more powerful than me appearing in front of us.

    But, because the murderer is a beast person, so neither can it be an Apostle, nor rank 5 monster, who would be the trials.

    ¡°In a time of emergency, use all your strength¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    While talking like that, the shop, our destination, came into view. It is a building made from reddish-brown bricks. Andpared to other workshops we saw along the way, it really is small. But since it¡¯s a workshop for forging iron,pared tomon houses, it is a big building.

    While thinking that the chimney part spouting out ck and thick smoke must be the workshop, I hear the sound of Simon opening the door of the store.

    ¡°Yes, wee......oh, Simon-chan¡±

    ¡°Hello, Oba-san¡±

    An olddy, with the width of a dwarf female, started a calm and mild conversation with Simon. She is sitting near the counter, but her height is somewhat smaller than Simon, considering the small height feature of dwarves, her height is average.

    Her olive brown curly hair has been bound up behind her, her face has some wrinkles showing her age, and she is gently smiling. The smile is so warm it is probably not the smile of business, but a smile from her heart.

    Well, this only shows that they have known each other for a long time since the contender gun he had at first and the¡ºYatagarasu V.02¡»he is equipped with right now were both made in this workshop.

    ¡°Oh, is that person perhaps......¡±

    The olddy pointed her gaze at me, from her reaction it seems like she has heard about me before.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kurono, an adventurer¡±

    ¡°Ah, as expected, you are the so-called ¡¯Onii-san¡¯ of Simon¡±

    It may be my imagination, but for some reason, despite Her smile not being any different, I feel that there is some hidden meaning behind it.

    Afterpleting some talk with olddy she says,

    ¡°Okay then, wait for a bit and I¡¯ll call him¡±

    She disappeared towards the interior of shop, calling the owner of this Stratos Smithing Workshop, her husband. I didn¡¯te here to purchase a weapon, but the check if the right arm of Wrath-Pun could be used to make a weapon or item, and unless I hear it from the cksmith himself, I¡¯m not doing anything with it.

    In my head I have the image of a stubborn, short-tempered & grim old man about a cksmith dwarf. This is not just because of novels and movies from earth, but because the dwarf cksmiths in this world are actually like that.

    I talked with them in Alsace vige, and during that the guild master Biin-san intermediated, so they listened to a rank 1 adventurer like me. Well, I¡¯m currently a normal rank 2 adventurer, not the leader of the emergency quest. If I said something bad, there is a possibility of getting yelled at like¡¸Don¡¯te here again!¡¹

    ¡°I need to be very careful.¡± I thought to myself. While in thought, I looked around the store interior. In the somewhat narrow room, many types of weapons are exhibited. All are of simple shape, and thinking back, they are the same as the ones disyed on Mordred Weapon Company.

    A sword with iron de, spear and axe, all are weapons that novice adventurers can get hold of, there is no weapon with magic imbued in it. Wondering if this ce is a subcontractor supplying weapons to Mordred Weapons Company, a single dwarf appears from inside the store.

    ¡°Yes yes, wee! It¡¯s rare for a new customer toe here, so say whatever you want, and I will answer your questions as much as I can.¡±

    A middle-aged male dwarf appears in front of me in a rtively modest attitude. His work clothes, ckened at some parts, showed the years of working. Looking at it, I can tell he is the cksmith here. His height is average for a dwarf, and being a male he is slightly taller than the olddy.

    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t introduce myself, I¡¯m Regin Stratos, a humble cksmith, nice to meet you¡±

    This dwarf named Regin, didn¡¯t have a long beard, which every other dwarf seems to have. If not for his physique and pointed ears, he would appear to be a short human male. With a hairstyle like that of a priest, drooping eyes wearing round sses with ck rim and a thick lens and gentle facial features along with thick eyebrows and big nose like that of a dwarf, he lookspletely different from the stereotypical image of a grim dwarf.

    To Regin, bowing in front of me while smiling I say,

    ¡°Ah, Yes, nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kurono, an adventurer¡±

    While being disappointed that my imagination was wrong, I, being a Japanese, reflexively returned the bow. No, well, this was quite an unexpected reaction, I thought it would be like¡¸Who the hell is this baby rank 2 adventurer, don¡¯t you daree here again!¡¹

    Well, if he is going to treat me friendly, there¡¯s no harm in that.

    ¡°Oji-san, we have something to ask today¨D¨D¡±

    Simon, the regr customer, intervened and exined the reason for our visit. This Regin person, not only manufactures weapons from iron and mithril, but also from monster materials containing magical power, so he might be able to make good use of the right arm of Wrath-Pun, or so Simon said, praising his abilities.

    He showed an understanding expression with our brief description.

    ¡°Wrath-Pun. Now that¡¯s some old name, I still remember using it 20 years ago¡±

    I¡¯m surprised to hear that he has manufactured the materials of a very rare monster like Wrath-Pun. As expected of an expert cksmith.

    ¡°But without the¡ºFist of Wrath¡», manufacturing a single arm is insufficient¡±

    ¡°Eh~ no way~¡±

    Though I won¡¯t raise a regretful voice like Simon, I am disappointed too. The right arm of Wrath-Pun ispletely inside my¡ºShadow Gate¡», so its condition is good, and using it as material for armor is no problem.

    For making weapons from materials, they can be made either by using the materials as they are, like¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», or the materials can be fused with other metals using magic, called¡ºdrilling¡».

    I came here expecting the useful parts of the right arm being¡ºdrilled¡»to make a weapon which exhibits fire magic, but the jewel I offered to God Mia, hase to interfere as the bottleneck.

    ¡°I can use it to enhance an existing weapon, but, from the characteristics of Wrath-Pun, unless the weapon being enhanced has fire attributes, don¡¯t expect much effect out of it¡±

    ¡°Equipped with fire attribute means it has already be a magic weapon, right?¡±

    Magic Weapons are pricey stuff, not suitable to get into the hands of a rank 2 adventurer. Yeah, I do have a cursed weapon, but never had a magic weapon containing power inside of i¨D¨D

    ¡°Ah¡±

    Then, I remember one weapon. That¡¯s right, I almost forgot about it, but I¡¯m holding a weapon containing fire magic inside it.

    ¡°How about¡ºThumb of Ifrit¡»?¡±

    Taking it out from my bosom, I handed it towards Regin, a single knife. This is the¡ºThumb of Ifrit¡», a multipurpose knife, that has been doing covert activity of being a knife, igniter and ¡¯insect repellent¡¯, since I have again started my life as an adventurer in Spada.

    But because I¡¯ve been using it as a tool, I almost forgot it could be used as a weapon as well. Though the fire attribute is faint, but it does have the attribute, using this is a lot better than using a sword as a base. Now he just needs to agree on it......

    ¡°Oh, the¡ºThumb of Ifrit¡», eh, I see, using it will not harm the ¡¯fire power¡¯ of Wrath-Pun, and it could easily be enhanced¡±

    The thick lens of the ck-rimmed sses shed and he gave affirmation. Alrighty then, it¡¯s decided.

    ¡°Then, please enhance this¡ºThumb of Ifrit¡»¡±

 Chapter 217 Fionaâ€™s Spada Gourmet Tour Round 3

    Chapter 217 ¨C Fiona¡¯s Spada Gourmet Tour Round 3

    Because I had her rest at the inn, Lily spent her day sleeping and wasn¡¯t able to sleep that night. I do feel sorry about it, because it was a needless worry. For the first 3 days, with her torn wings, she had been wandering around the Ghad Mountains.

    Her condition is good enough that she can move around without much effort, so I don¡¯t have to worry. I should have let her do her normal things without doing something that would put any strain on her, but now it¡¯s TOO LATE! Lily fell asleep around dawn, and wouldn¡¯t wake up until dusk, so I left her to sleep.

    ¡°Sorry Lily¡±

    Even now, during breakfast time, while Lily is sleeping soundly, I say my apologies to her. However, Lily in the White Punpun robe is deadly cute. If she likes my present, then I¡¯m also d. Thinking about it, we left Lily the Sleeping Beauty in the room and headed to the dining hall to eat breakfast.

    ¡°What should we do today?¡±

    While exchanging morning greetings with Fiona, we sat at a table and talked about our ns. Fiona is not in her usual witch robe, instead wearing a ck cape. I am in my casual outfit of a regr shirt and pants today as well.

    ¡°I have finished the important tasks yesterday¡±

    Since we¡¯re not going for any quests, the other things we could do are all low priority. In short, it¡¯s our proper holiday.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, a wand for ck magic and armor¨D¨DThat we can do another time, today can be the development day for ck magic.¡±

    Thest time I had spent time devoted purely to working on ck magic was in Irz Vige. During the counterattack preparation in Alsace Vige, I asked Mossan to teach me about model magic rted to the darkness attribute, and because of that I had been able to strengthen¡ºShadow Gate¡»and¡ºAnchor Hand¡». Back then I was at my wits¡¯ end to improve it, however. The situation right now has bepletely different.

    ¡°I also want to test out my divine protection power¡±

    The power of changing the nature to mes is something that I cannot take out or ignore from the development process. The offensive abilities of my ck magical power until now had been to materialize, enchant, or direct the firing of¡ºPile Bunker¡», or use it as the source of my energy when using martial skills.

    Though a variation of ck magical power and not true fire, this new¡ºFire¡»attribute this creates the ability to use ¡®heat¡¯ and ¡¯explosion¡¯, two new types of offensive power, on top of my ck magic.

    This is a major improvement. If it goes well, I might be able to recreate a rocketuncher or methrower. No, not might- I will make them. Even the fireball I make at a whim contains considerable explosive power. If I understand the power of this divine protection more, and create a more efficient magic sequence, it will certainly be an ability with great power for fights.

    Come to think of it, Mia did say that after using the power from divine protection, I would get the gist of the future powers I would receive from trials. Then this probably means the divine protection is the power to gain magical power in attributes other than what I have now.

    Wrath-Pun was a monster specializing in fire. In the case for another monster from a trial, if the monster specializes in water I would get the water attribute, lightning attribute for a monster specializing in lightning, and so forth, so I will be able to use other attributes with my ck magic, or so I predict.

    Afterpleting all the trials, maybe I will be able to use every attribute magic and be a true Element Master. No, thinking of the origin of the attributes, they are pseudo-attributes, so maybe I would be ¡°The Fake Element Master¡±.

    ¡°In other words, today is a holiday, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Yeah, there¡¯s nothing urgent we need to do.¡±

    I did think of a few things we could do, but in the end nothing was urgent.

    ¡°How about Fiona?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do, unlike Kurono-san¡±

    A reply filled with boldness and no-shame came flying at me. Fiona hadn¡¯t go out because of Lily. Her talking partner, Lily, is sleeping today. No wonder she is bored. It¡¯s a good opportunity, how about I take her out to do some shopping, the moment I thought that, a sh flickered in my mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s right Fiona, how about I give my gratitude to you?¡±

    ¡°Gratitude?¡±

    Of course, it¡¯s for letting¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»evolve. In fact, rather than gratitude, I just want to pay Fiona in any way I can because she sacrificed her body.

    ¡°Let me treat you to food for today¡±

    Though I said today, if her stomach got big, I will have to be prepared for it to be the ¡°Spada Gourmet Tour¡± again. No, it will be fine, we also have the reward from Doltos capture quest, at worst the whole reward will go poof......just that......

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that considerate¡±

    I was convinced she woulde biting my wallet, but contrary to my belief, her reaction wasn¡¯t so fine. Fumu, so this is called reading too much into things.

    ¡°I see, so it was unnecessary at¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No, let¡¯s go eat together¡±

    Ah, so in the end you¡¯re going. To Fiona¡¯s frank attitude, I revealed a smile, though some bitterness might be mixed inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡®m sorry for Lily, but let¡¯s go¡±

    As I apologize to Lily in my heart, I realize that it¡¯s going to be the first time Fiona and I go out alone. (editor note: daaaate)

    ¡°Just the two of us......it¡¯s the first time I will get out with Kurono-san, alone.¡±

    Apparently, Fiona had the same thoughts I did.

    ¡°For the time being¨D¨DLet¡¯s meet up in the za during noon¡±

    Of course, in front of thatrge obelisk with the exaggerated name ¡ºZero Chronicle¡», Lily waited there before as well.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good if we left the inn together?¡±

    ¡°No, I remembered I have some unfinished work and want to finish that first¡±

    ¡°I see¡±, Fiona responded. Well, it¡¯s not like I lied. Just like I gave the White Punpun Robe to Lily, I want to give a gift to Fiona too, so emergency business dide up. The only problem is if I can prepare the right gift by noon.

    Well then, what shall I give to her......

 Chapter 218 First Date (1)

    Chapter 218 ¨C First Date (1)

    I, Fiona Soleil, on the 13th of Red me month, am going on the first date of my life.

    It¡¯s not like I have illicit love for Kurono-san, however I also don¡¯t have any reason to reject the invitation to the date, after all this is just him giving his gratitude.

    He had some work to do, so after I sent him off, I ran back to my room, turned upside down the hat with dimension magic cast on it, and am inspecting the stuff inside.

    ¡¸There is nothing ck......¡¹

    My personal belongings are enough for living as an adventurer; however, there is not even one thing that is appropriate for a pubescent girl going on a date in city to wear.

    Even the spare clothes are for practical uses, though they all have defensive magic cast on them, but not even one has the effect of increasing the charm of a girl.

    ¡¸This isn¡¯t good¡¹

    Even I am not an ignorant to the extent of wearing the usual witch robe on my date; I do have themon sense of wearing appropriate dresses when going on date.

    However, to me, who had only been a bystander watching love affairs, doesn¡¯t know what the so-called ¡®appropriate dresses¡¯ are.

    ¡¸Nothing¡¯s going to happen if I keep on worrying¡¹

    Fortunately, there is couple of hours before noon, our meeting time.

    I even have money, in this Spada, there ought to be shops selling ornaments and clothes for dressing up a girl beautifully.

    In that case, the story is simple; I just need to finish the preparations before the time of date.

    At the same time I made that decision, I rushed out of the room.

    ¡¸An apology in advance, I¡¯m sorry Lily-san¡¹

    Though she won¡¯t hear them, but I still say those words to Lily-san sleeping the adjacent room.

    This is not a date, and it definitely won¡¯t be doing this and that with Kurono-san, after all I have impure feelings, it¡¯s the truth, please believe me.

    With feelings of guilt for leaving Lily-san behind, and anticipation of my first date , in my heart, I left that ce at a quick pace.

    .

    .

    .

    After passing through not so less expenses, I was able to get my hands on equipments that would help me aplish my date quest perfectly.

    My body is covered by a pitch-dark witch robe and a white blouse.

    It would have been better with Valha Silk, which is beautiful and has defensive strength too, however, in themoner¡¯s area; normal silk was a top-quality product.

    The pleated skirt fastened by a belt, was chosen by me for having the same color as my hair, it¡¯s surely looking good on me, even the shopkeeper praised me.

    From the knees to the down, there are not the usual ck long boots, but white knee-socks and loafers.

    Looking at my whole body, it might seem like school¡¯s uniform, but it¡¯s better for a novice in love like me to stick with safety rather than wearing entric clothes, this too is an opinion by the shopkeeper.

    Furthermore, I had heard during my school days that men liked girls in uniform, so this time surely Kurono-san will feel lust while looking at my school uniform appearance.

    While hoping for that to happen, I am standing near the meeting ce, which is the obelisk in za.

    In the night it changes into a deserted za, but in the morning, right now too,rge crowds of peoplee and go from this ce, as if showing the greatness of Spada.

    While watching steadily at the crowds of people, I get startled every time Ie across a male wearing ck robe.

    I feel my face somewhat heating up, surely it¡¯s because I have not wore a hat under this bright and clear sky.

    I cannot wear that three-cornered hat in this outfit; my hard-work of this coordinated outfit would go to waste.

    Because I don¡¯t have that hat, I have moved the necessary items to the handbag, which has got dimension cast on it and is slinging on my shoulder.

    It shouldn¡¯t be that much out of ce for the current me to hold this in small bag, right?

    ¡¸I might havee too fast¡¹

    I looked up in sky to find, the sun has still not crossed the meridians, at the time the sound of bell informing the noon time rang out in the whole Spada, which led me to think that I still have near an hour to wait.

    Thinking logically, it would be the best to kill time while sitting on a bench under the shade of tree and eating fruits sold at the nearby stalls, however for some reason, my legs are not able to move from the meeting ce, as if they have been petrified.

    No, it¡¯s not that my legs are in the wrong, but the me should go to my mind for thinking of not leaving this ce.

    Though understanding the fact, it couldn¡¯t be the reason for me to leave the ce where I would meet Kurono-san.

    While nkly staring at the flowing clouds, I stood there free from obstructive thoughts¡ªnot really, I was thinking about the things to do today.

    Then after some minutes psed, suddenly, from the crowd of people passing by me, two people headed towards me.

    Both of them are male, their outward appearance of Royal Spada Academy was quite familiar in this area, not only that they wore red mantle too, so they must be those elite cadets Kurono-san told about.

    ¡¸Hey you, hi there, I¡¯ve haven¡¯t seen you before, are you visiting Spada for the first time?¡¹

    Smiling, the blonde male student stands in my way and springs up a conversation sounding too over-familiar.

    Both of them have quite a bit of height, though not as much as Kurono-san, judging from their stature they might also have the power to swing the heavy weighted long sword too.

    Both of them are quite handsome with their smiles too, but for a normal girl, having people taller than her standing in front of her, it would make her frightened.

    Of course, for everyday-brawlers, i.e., adventurers, it is anything.

    Incidentally, Kurono-san is more attractive and handsome than them, even the coercive pressure of having him stand in front of you isn¡¯t a joke.

    ¡¸No¡¹

    While indirectly observing the two, I reply to the question with just one word.

    This is, without a doubt, that picking up on girls¡¯ thing, right?

    Due to ¡®an incident¡¯, no male student in Elision Magic Academy talked to me, but getting out in city, many have called out to me.

    Naturally, to a witch like me, a man with no matter how much good face, is of no interest. I rejected politely all their invitations, or ignited a fire on their asses, I¡¯ve been passing on like that by using thosedylike methods.

    That being the case, I have not in the least intention of epting their invitations, and there is even date with Kurono-san, a great event of my life, if they keep on with this act, even the gentle me will the increase the anger voltage.

    ¡¸I see, ah, then are you a princess of some noble,ing here incognito? After all you are way too cute, and even have elegance, so am I right?¡¹

    The blonde male student, who first called out to me, spouts out bullshit of being mistaken.

    ¡¸If it¡¯s fine with you we can guide you, look, we are from the Royal Spada Academy, so we¡¯re quite informed about this area¡¹

    Then, the other male student, with hair green, speaks out something that I not even asked for.

    ¡¸No, It¡¯s fine like this, can you help yourselves to disappear?¡¹

    The frank me, just said everything in my mind upright.

    The reason it might have sounded painful is only because I am feeling quite irritated.

    ¡¸Ah, sorry, you have to that cautious, how about we do self-introductions first, I am¡ª-¡¹

    However, looks like this male student has got the brain of the level of monster, which cannot understand the words or feelings of people.

    Why don¡¯t you understand, the one I long for is Kurono-san and not you.

    ¡¸¡ª-Right, after hearing our names, you must¡¯ve guessed it, yes we¡¯re nobles, so even if you¡¯re a princess we can be quite a good match¡¹

    ¡¸Or rather, it is easily understandable if you just see our red mantles¡¹

    While talking those things they bothugh, they are frighteningly offensive to the ear.

    ¡¸Well, talking her while standing is somewhat odd, how about we go over there to the¡ª-¡¹

    As if trying to embrace my body starting from my shoulder, the hand of blondie stretched out rudely.

    Hand of a man, other than Kurono-san is, truly

    ¡¸Filthy and disgusting, can you please not touch me¡¹

    I took out¡¸Custom Fire Ball¡¹from the bag as if unsheathing a sword, and hit hard on the hand of the male student.

    I want tomend myself for not actually charging it with magical power for a fire explosion, but rather controlling my anger.

    ¡¸Ow¡ª-Oi Oi, isn¡¯t that reaction too rude and wrong?¡¹

    ¡¸Argh, you actually did it youngdy, for raising hand on a noble, it can be execution in the worst case¡¹

    Although they didn¡¯t yelled like some hoodlum, but in the words of the two, there was surely anger inside.

    ¡®Execution in the worst case¡¯, around the time he said those words, their filthy ulterior motives were all exposed.

    ¡¸Well, if you obediently admit your fault we won¡¯t make it a big issue, you just need to apologize for ¡®one night¡¯, that¡¯s all¡¹

    Seems like they don¡¯t know their standpoints currently, I don¡¯t care if they are some nobles or whatnot, but I¡¯m an adventurer, if I want to escape then no one can catch me.

    Furthermore, based on our strengths, me burning them both into charred ck coal with my wand is faster than them unsheathing their¡¸Mithril Sabre¡¹, hanging from their waists.

    ¡¸Same here, If you both are willing to disappear immediately, then I might leave you both¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I see, if you are going to be in that attitude, then we too¡ª-¡¹

    They both start releasing dangerous air, however, now this has gone too far, they would be obedient if I give one right into their face.

    Determining that, the moment I tried to load magical power into the wand,

    ¡¸Oi, how about you stop around there only¡¹

    I heard that voice, reacting to it, I retracted my gaze to that area.

    Standing there was, a man wearing apprentice magician robe.

    I tried to think it was Kurono-san, but immediately reject it.

    His height is not that tall, around the same height of these girl pickers, and his body is also slender, furthermore even the voice is different.

    Who is this person?

 Chapter 219 The Daily Life of Saving Girls

    Chapter 219 ¨C The Daily Life of Saving Girls

    (POV: NERO)

    That monster with the odd name of Wrath-Pun, surely had the power of a rank 5 monster, though it was hurt, but it could¡¯ve dangerous if I was alone against it.

    Well, with all members of¡ºWing Road¡», there¡¯s no way I can lose.

    Though it took very long time and a harsh struggle to kill, but eventually we seeded in the subjugation.

    It was all good till here, but the problemester on.

    Before I knew it, we guys reached to rank 5, and created the highest record of increasing rank by breaking the record of Prince Aisenhart.

    Thanks to that we are treated as a hero-like existence within Spada, we have been called out to the royal castle and adventurers¡¯ guild too, saying it¡¯s for public acknowledgement or it¡¯s a congrattions party, truly bullshit events for me.

    This is the worst, the peerless bothersome thing ever.

    Well I dodged most of these events by making rational excuses, and left them to the show-off Charl and my ever-so-serious young sister.

    With this and that, the shit things that came in the aftermath of reaching rank 5 were finished, but the people are still talking rumors.

    Due to that, while walking in the city, I am wearing this shitty apprentice robe, hiding my face with hood and am sneaking here and there like a thief.

    This is the reason why I hate standing out, I hate getting gazes of enviousness from fellow students, and even the encouragement from girls is irritating for me, why can¡¯t they all just leave me alone.

    Darn, the origin of all this is Charl epting the quest for subjugating Smanders, and even that Wrath-Pun came out at that perfect shitty timing¡ª-forget it, nothing¡¯s going to change byining on my unluckiness.

    Like that, the me, who is having hard time eating outside, tried to keep the sigh which almost seeped out from my mouth and was just about to cross by the obelisk present in the za.

    ¡¸Ow¡ª-Oi Oi, isn¡¯t that reaction too rude and wrong?¡¹

    I shifted my gaze only to find, two familiar assholes and one truly beautiful girl.

    The two boys talking about something are elite cadets who I¡¯ve seen, though I¡¯ve seen them, but I can¡¯t seem to remember their names......well, who cares about the names of assholes.

    But I¡¯m able to remember the useless information that these two assholes work diligently over here to pick up girls everyday and have high sess rate based on their looks.

    However, I have no interest in the fate of the wanton girl who get picked up by them, I got nothing to do with them even if they make cozy with some girl somewhere/

    But, sigh, this is bad, she even took out weapon and is showing hostility to them, based on the fact that they are some great nobles, it certain they would resort to violence.

    Looking at the surroundings, I found everyone just looking from a distance, and not a single person who doesn¡¯t know the height of heavens came out to help the girl.

    Well they are nobles, the only ones with power in thismoners¡¯ area to stop them would be the teachers or the same elite cadets.

    Only at times like this the Law Guardians at patrol don¡¯t appear, they all arete to reach at the scene of crimes.

    ¡¸Sigh¡¹

    The sigh I have been keeping in finally leaks out, seems like the God hates me very much.

    But, it can¡¯t be helped, if I left such a beautiful girl on her own, my dreams will haunt me, and I¡¯ve been through ¡®scenes¡¯ like this before too.

    I too am a awfully good person, while mocking myself, I headed towards the three.

    ¡¸Oi, how about you stop around there only¡¹

    I call out to them, and the three looked towards me.

    Even so, the girl is seriously pretty, to the level seen rarely even within the Academy.

    She had light blue hair, and golden eyes like that of a shining sun, she is expressionless, no, because she is expressionless, she is able to bring out that mystical beauty.

    Even her clothes are neat and tidy, unless noble girls who like to dress up just too much, and even her perfect body proportions coupled with her clothes seem somewhat appealing. [1]

    Ah, certainly, for such a beautiful girl, even the girl pickers and not-girl-pickers would call out to her.

    ¡¸Huh? Why is a damn apprentice magician butting in our business?¡¹

    Whoops, Ipletely forgot about the hood hiding my face.

    While revealing my face under the zing sunlight, I politely ask them to leave for changing the situation without any fuss.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t you bastards see the girl is feeling bad, just disappear already, rather, don¡¯t call out to a single girl with the two of you, the bnce is just too off¡¹[2]

    ¡¸Wha, you are!?¡¹

    ¡¸Are you serious......¡¹

    Whilepletely ignoring my perfect pointing out of their wrong, the two start trembling upon knowing my identity.

    Well I¡¯m from the royalty, and my strength is far more than these two sleazebags, rank 5 ain¡¯t just for show.

    ¡¸The great me will keep quiet about you failing to pick up a girl, so fucking disappear already¡¹

    ¡¸Wait a minute, stop with the strange misunderstanding¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, this girl was just too rude that we¡ª¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I said you to fucking disappear, by chance, are you deaf?¡¹

    While touching the scabbard of the katana fastened on my waist, I say with a light killing intent.

    ¡¸I, I get it, so don¡¯t get too serious¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, we will give you face, and make this matter irrelevant to us, okay¡¹

    Thanks to my negotiations with my whole heart in it, they both understood my intentions, certainly, talking is really important.

    While thinking that, I saw off the two idiots who now had a pale face without any hint of blood.

    ¡¸Sorry, a student from our Academy stirred up trouble for you¡¹

    For the time being, I apologize to the beautiful girl with light blue short-hair.

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    The word that came back was too cold, Truly, this girl is too much cold.

    ¡¸Well, next time try to ask politely for them to leave, still, you¡¯re interesting to hit the nobles with the wand¡¹

    They are, even like that, students from elite course, not some people who would be beaten by some young girl who just learnt magic as a hobby.

    Still is it right to say someone as reckless as her as interesting. The person in question, however, is still expressionless as if not understanding what I said to her.

    ¡¸Well fine, I¡¯m off now, ah, you don¡¯t have to thank me, and it¡¯s a normal thing for me¡¹

    Leaving without even naming myself might be rude, but because of my actions of revealing my face in crowd, the sounds of¡¸Nero¡¹and ¡¸Wing Road¡¹ising from the surroundings.

    I don¡¯t want to bathe in the attentions of the crowd, or be encircled by them, or be chased by them, so the only left option, run away!

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be too much of a tomboy, see yater Young Girl¡¹

    I, once again, cover my face with hood, and left the ce.

    .

    .

    .

    (POV: FIONA)

    ¡¸What was this farce......¡¹[3]

    With disgusted gaze, I sent off the boy with ck and red eyes.

    ¡¸There are too many unpleasant fellows in Spada¡¹

    The two yboys, and the boy who came in middle, his egoistic speech, I hate each and everything.

    I was made to watch the drama called ¡®The Cheapness of the Three Men¡¯, really unfortunate.

    ¡¸Pleasee fast and make me forget everything, Kurono-san¡¹

    [1] Looks like he will fall in love with her, too bad you ain¡¯t got a chance.

    [2] I need to learn something from him, and that is to speak politely.

    [3] Pfft, too bad Nero was deemed as the farce man.

 Chapter 220 First Date (2)

    Chapter 220 ¨C First Date (2)

    ¡¸Shit, I¡¯m getting too much nervous now¡¹

    The reason I end up muttering something really timid is because of the present I bought for Fiona, which is a ring, quite an insinuating essory.

    The shopkeeper rmended it, and I bought it, but......no, everything¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not some normal ring, it is an item helpful for adventurers, it¡¯s not like I have any ulterior motives.

    Even so, while regretting to have bought something too much embarrassing, I move at a quick pace to the za, as the meeting time is nearing.

    The sun would soone near the meridian.

    Things like clock are only nobles, so the meeting time is quite vague.

    Themoners can only guess the vague time by hearing the bells of temple which ring at every two hours interval.

    In truth, there is still thirty minutes left till the bell of noon, but it would be bad if Fiona was waiting for me since before, so it¡¯s obvious for me to reach there first.

    Once I was told by my sister to ¡°Never make a girl wait!¡±

    It¡¯s not a date, but this date-like event is a first experience for me, while remembering the words of wisdom given to me by my sister long time ago, I determine myself to be a great escort for Fiona.

    Well then, with this and that, I reached the za, in front of obelisk but,

    ¡¸Hm, Fiona is still not here, huh¡¹

    I survey the surroundings, but I couldn¡¯t find a girl wearing that witch costume.

    As expected, this ce is filled with crowd of people during the day, but her figure can be easily distinguished even among this crowd with just a nce.

    While thinking that, I stand in front of the obelisk, which has word of praise for that Mia-chan, and wait for Fiona¡¯s arrival while staring at the crowds of people.

    ¡¸......Um¡¹

    Suddenly, the edge of my apprentice robe is tugged, even though Lily is not here.

    Just who is it, while thinking that I turn over and,

    ¡¸Fiona......is that you?¡¹

    Standing there was, Fiona, wearing white blouse and light blue skirt, apletelymon person¡¯s clothes. [1]

    The reason, there was a question mark at the end of my sentence is because, her figure waspletely different from the image of Fiona in my mind.

    Just like my equipments, the witch-like, always wearing all ck clothes, that Fiona.

    However, currently she is wearing clothes ofpletely light hue, this gap is just too much.

    ¡¸Err, is my appearance, strange?¡¹

    To Fiona saying something that sweet with a downcast look, I, unintentionally blushed.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s looking perfect on you¡¹

    I hate myself for saying that over-used line.

    But, Fiona¡¯s casual wear of robe or cape, and doesn¡¯t reveal any of her body, it even concealed her bodyline.

    Her this blouse and pleated skirt, resemble the summer uniform of a girl student, and it has the impact topletely annihte her image of wearing boring witch costume.

    From the half-sleeves of that blouse two white slender arms peek out, and from the miniskirt which barely reaches her knees, two bewitching legs are seen.

    Her clothes are perfectly fit, and her body line is being seen, which seems more girl-like considering her real age.

    Particrly, the belt of her sling handbag, is passing diagonally from between her blouse, resulting in twin peaks exerting pressure on the cloth of blouse, telling its size, if Fiona is doing this intentionally, then I have to say that she is also a witch in seducing men.

    ¡¸I see, I¡¯m happy to hear that¡¹

    Fiona slightly smiled, seems like she hasn¡¯t noticed my impolite gaze, or maybe she is ignoring it, well either way thank you.

    ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m always in apprentice robe, I should¡¯ve wore some better for this asion¡¹

    ¡¸No, the robe suits you Kurono-san¡¹

    No, it¡¯s not the problem of it suiting me or not, but......No, if Fiona is not bothered by it, why should I, let¡¯s take on good will.

    ¡¸However, Fiona also hadmon clothes like this, it waspletely out of expectations for you to appear in this beautiful appearance¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, am......Beautiful, is it¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, truly¡¹[2]

    ¡¸I-Is that so......¡¹

    Saying that, Fiona; looked away.

    Huh, did I just speaking something bad¡ª¨Cor rather, this is strange, wasn¡¯t my remark just now way too embarrassing.

    Why am I saying something with the nuance of¡¸You¡¯re truly beautiful¡¹as if natural, this going to be bad, if not a proper cover-up she might evenin on me for sexual harassment.

    Don¡¯t tell me that there exists some punishment rule again harassing a girl in the guild or maybe, stopping my shitty idiotic thinking in middle, and I tried to change the subject, at least my rational reasoning told me that.

    ¡¸T-That¡¯s right, Fiona, I got a present for you! If it¡¯s fine, can you ept it¡¹

    At that point, I took out the precious gift I bought just before.

    ¡¸Eh, no way Kurono-san, it feels somewhat bad¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, before I bought the white robe for Lily, but there wasn¡¯t anything for you though. Ah, is it by chance bothering you, righ¡ª¨C¡¹

    ¡¸it¡¯s not like that, I want Kurono-san¡¯s present¡¹

    ¡¸I, I see, it¡¯s good that you are epting it¡¹

    She interrupted me with great force, even I got back somewhat.

    But, she might have thought to not waste my good will, Fiona does understand that much, albeit being a natural airhead.

    The over-excited me, took out a dark blue case with the ring inside, from my pocket.

    ¡¸Thank you for everything till now, Fiona, and let¡¯s work together from now on too¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, thank you very much, Kurono-san¡¹

    Is it alright to open it, to her question, I immediately nod.

    Fiona¡¯s slender fingers open up the lid of case, inside it was the ring I just bought emitting the luster of a new article.

    ¡¸¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡», this ring is embedded with the divine protection from a goddess named Athena, and protects the wearer from des¡¹

    To put in simple words, it is a magic item simr to¡ºNana st Amulet¡», which both Fiona and I possess.

    Divine protection is simr to magic, based on uses it can be weapon or defenses, and could be embedded in ornaments; of course, the strength varies from best to worst.

    At a nce this¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡»might seem like a normal silver ring, but on the interior of the ring exists a magic circle written with ancient characters for activating the power of divine protection.

    ¡¸Hearing the name it might sound like a really great thing, but it¡¯s grade as a magic item is not that high, so don¡¯t expect much of defensive power¡¹

    It protects from des, having said that, the Shield is automatically deployed to block against physical attacks, so, it is quite a popr essory.

    It is same as the cross which was hanging from the neck of Cyprus, of course, it is not a great item to that extent.

    Well, Fiona would understand it even without exining it.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m truly happy, thank you for this lovely gift¡¹

    Fiona thanked me by bowing very deeply, and politely. I hesitated in saying, It ain¡¯t something that great, so just ended this conversation by saying Your Wee.

    ¡¸Is it alright to wear it too?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course¡¹

    Like that, Fiona wore the ring, without hesitating, in the ring finger on her left hand.

    ¡¸......Is something wrong?¡¹

    ¡¸No, nothing, it¡¯s good that if fits you perfectly¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    It ain¡¯t a wedding ring that you wear in ring finger of left hand, I thought that, but it was a custom in my world, and it shouldn¡¯t be necessarily the same in this world too.

    The fingers good for wearing rings are index finger, middle finger and ring finger, these three, andbing of both hands, there are 6 fingers good to wear ring in, in that case, the probability of wearing wedding ring in the ring finger of left hand is going to be 1/6, so it¡¯s almost impossible for this world to have same customs as that on earth.

    No, there might not even be the existence of wedding ring present in world.

    The reason I thought about wedding ring must be because I know of its existence, and nothing more. [3]

    ¡¸How is it?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it looks really great¡¹

    The one-sidedly excited me, was only able to give that safe reply to Fiona showing her ring in her ring finger to me.

    But, because Fiona is smiling as if understanding everything from my reply, so it¡¯s all good.

    [1] He thought Fiona was an entric person.

    [2] You¡¯re just dense enough and quite shameless too.

    [3] Am I the only one thinking that this world also has got the same custom, based on the fact that many things on this world resemble to earth. Like bunny costume and stuff.

 Chapter 221 First Date (3)

    Chapter 221 ¨C First Date (3)

    (POV FIONA)

    Fufufu, Kurono-san, who is another worlder and has only lived in Pandora Continent, has no way of knowing the custom of Cross Religion, which is putting the ring meant as a proof of wedding, in the ring finger of left hand.

    It¡¯s not like I have faith in Cross Religion, but because I have been living in Syncrea Republic, I do hold themon sense of the religious ceremonies that are rooted in the culture and customs of the Republic.

    Therefore the image of ceremonial asions is in the Cross Religion Style, and the custom of wedding ring is something, a female would admire.

    Eh, I, certainly, have no intention of fighting against Lily-san, neither have I some feelings for Kurono-san¡ª¨Cbut however, by getting a ring as a gift from Kurono-san, who is the best man I¡¯ve met in my 17 years of life, I couldn¡¯t help but put in the left hand¡¯s ring finger, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just because I¡¯m a girl.

    ¡¸FuFuFu......¡¹

    ¡¸What happened Fiona, you seem to be in a good mood¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s just that Kurono-san¡¯s horsemanship has improved, so I got happy¡¹

    ¡¸You think so? I still don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to the point of being praised¡ª¨C¡¹

    I am currently, riding with Kurono-san on the ck horse we gifted him, now named as Merry, and are traversing through the great meadows on the suburbs of Spada.

    And the one holding the reins is of course Kurono-san, so the freeloader me, is taking this opportunity to grab around his waist and lean my body over his back.

    The cleanliness loving Kurono-san visits public bathhouse almost every day but after being glued to him this close, his scent is tickling my nose.

    Unintentionally I end up shivering, like ¡®that time¡¯ when I was wrapped in his robe, no, being able to feel his body directly is more stimting, right.

    And as a bonus, the current situation is also great.

    Wearing a ring in the ring finger of left hand, riding on the horse led by the man, is almost like a couple going for a honeymoon trip. [1]

    ¡¸But, sorry, I got you to apany in my practice¡¹

    I¡¯m in a dreamy state, but I always reply to Kurono-san perfectly and immediately.

    But, there might be a smirk on my face, so it¡¯s good that I¡¯m behind him, grabbing his back.

    ¡¸No, things like this need to be done whenever you have time¡¹

    Originally, the ns were to buy a wand and armor for Kurono-san¡¯s ck magic, but while eating lunch, due to a conversation, we changed the ns in a hurry, and now we are here, riding on the horse.

    Kurono, who has rode the horse for quite a distance, even without Lily-san, is able to control it.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, but, we just took the lunch before, and this thing shakes a lot, are you fine?¡¹

    ¡¸There is no problem¡¹

    Today I had a good mood, so I ate more than usual, but to have my stomach go on a rampage with just this much, my stomach is weak.

    On the other hand, Kurono-san had a somewhat ugly expression during the lunch, but now it¡¯spletely fine. [2]

    ¡¸Come to think of it, will there be sses of horsemanship in the Academy¡¹

    ¡¸If you want to make do with being an adventurer then it is a necessary thing, as long as you choose Adventurers¡¯ Course, it should have been included in the curriculum¡¹

    At the very least, even in Elision Magical Academy, horsemanship was taught.

    ¡¸I see, then maybe I should polish my horsemanship skills upon going to the school¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san, for sure, will be like an Equise Mage¡¹

    ¡¸Equise Mage?¡¹

    It literally means as, the cavalrymen who use magic.

    Crossing over the battlefield on a horse is not the work of only Knights, sometimes even mages would ride the horses.

    ¡¸There are also times normal magicians also ride on them, and learn the variant magic systems that are easy to use while riding on a horse¡¹

    ¡¸There weren¡¯t during the time at Alsace¡¹

    ¡¸The cavalrymen were sent out that time, so there might have been a single group of them which we neglected¡¹

    Indeed, Kurono-san nodded.

    At conversations like this he is always serious, no, it¡¯s not like he is always fooling around.

    ¡¸Now that I think about it, the Pegasus Knights used¡ºSpeed Boost¡»on the Pegasus, or so Lily said. If those Equise Mage also use enhancement magic, then wouldn¡¯t they be faster than normal cavalrymen?¡¹

    ¡¸You cannot say that unconditionally, normal cavalrymen, even if not mages, learn enhancement magic during training, and if it¡¯s their favorite horse, they might even use martial skills like¡ºAir Walker¡»¡¹

    ¡¸Is that the so called unity of horse and man thing?¡¹

    Of course, I don¡¯t know if the invasion troops which attacked Alsace had elite cavalrymen troops group like that.

    However, if Kurono-san is going to fight against Crusaders, then surely, he would be fighting against them too.

    ¡¸Or rather, don¡¯t horses use martial skills too¡¹

    ¡¸As horses are monsters derived from Pegasus and Unicorns, so, among animals, they hold high magical power. By pouring one¡¯s own magical power in horse, and by repeating the same process for tuning with the horse, it can be taught the martial skills, based on the experience due to repeated processes, or so I have heard¡¹

    I never did training for cavalry, so this is all hearsay knowledge, the authenticity of it is difficult to ascertain.

    ¡¸Pouring magical power, eh, if it¡¯s just that then even I might be able to do it¡¹

    ¡¸Do you mean ckening?¡¹

    ¡¸No, I can¡¯t cast ckening on living things, that is Enchant not a Boost¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, but if Kurono-san poured his ck magical power, something may ur¡¹

    Pouring magical power helps in not just teaching it martial skills but also increase the unity of the horseman and the horse.

    Even I am training with the horse, Mari, waiting in the stable, by pouring the magical power.

    ¡¸T-That might be the case......¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Kurono-san is a resident of a world without magic¡¹

    Though this is the way for learning horse-riding which is regarded asmon sense, but there wasn¡¯t magic existing for him before, he might not realize it if not pointed out by someone.

    Kurono-san doesn¡¯t seem to have problem in the part of using magic by himself, but in areas like this he surely iscking in knowledge.

    But, it¡¯s alright, at that point, I will teach him, not Lily-san, but this me.

    ¡¸Then, I might as well try¡ª¨Cckening!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, so you still named it as ckening¡¹

    ¡¸No, it just slips out whenever I pour out magical power with force¡¹

    ¡¸I see, but I think it would be good if you don¡¯t do it much force¡¹

    ¡¸Why?¡¹

    ¡¸Judging from Kurono-san¡¯s quantity of magical power, the horse will, without any doubt, go on a rampage¡¹[3]

    The moment after pointing it out, the horse neighed loudly and started to jump about like a lunatic.

    I and Kurono-san, happily, danced in the air together.

    [1] Well this girl is far more advanced than other girls who just think upto getting married.

    [2] Poor guy and his oh-so poor wallet!

    [3] I have been thinking to change Magical Power to MP. That sounds more cooler than some magical shit, or should I change it to mana?

 Chapter 222 People Without Friends x2

    Chapter 222 ¨C People Without Friends x2

    That was at the time Simon, in his storage¡ª¨Cno, newboratory, was drawing the blueprint for the soon-to-be mass produced Rifle.

    ¡¸Fuhahaha!¡¹

    From the front door, echoed the sound ofughter he had heard just yesterday.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me it is......¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, it is we, the son of¡ª¨C¡¹

    Certainly, it was the Second Prince of Spada, Wilhart.

    The sound of his voice, and sound of walking reverberated.

    Simon, stopping his work temporarily, went ahead to meet this somewhat unmanageable prince.

    ¡¸Erm, is there something you need here?¡¹

    Reluctantly, Simon opened the door of theboratory, in front stood the slender Wil apanied by single maid.

    ¡¸Oh, you finally appear, the Micro Alchemist ¡°Simon Friedrich Bardiel¡±!¡¹

    ¡¸What is that nickname!?¡¹

    Moreover, a somewhat rude nuance was included in it.

    ¡¸Mu, well that was quite a good reaction you gave there, Fuhaha, as expected, a child is always filled with energy¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m already an adult!¡¹

    Wilhart taps Simon¡¯s head while haughtilyughing.

    ¡¸So, what business do you have here?¡¹

    While fixing the messed up hair, caused by the tapping of Wilhart, Simon once again asked Wilhart for his reason to be here.

    The maid behind him didn¡¯t show any reaction of being concerned. The fact that she is Wilhart¡¯s bodyguard is already a famous talk within the Royal Spada Academy, also, for someone of his status, having a bodyguard follow him around is not a strange thing, this even Simon, who is indirectly rted to a noble family, knows and thinks of it asmon sense.

    Though she wasn¡¯t there yesterday, but she might have been hiding somewhere near, or so Simon guessed.

    ¡¸I came here today too for deepening my friendship with Kurono, but, seems like he didn¡¯te here¡¹

    ¡¸Onii-san is not a student of our school, so no way would hee here everyday¡¹

    In truth I want him toe here everyday, without saying that secret desire on his mouth, he told Wilhart to visit¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡», the chances of meeting him there are high.

    It is a perfect personal information release, but with the other party being Wilhart, hiding something from him would only lead to displease his mood and wouldter be a toruble.

    Furthermore, Wilhart has a definite identity of a royalty, telling him this ispletely different than telling someone whom Simon doesn¡¯t now, aplete stranger.

    ¡¸I see, if he hasn¡¯te here then it can¡¯t be helped¡ª¨C¡¹

    Good, now just leave, Simon judged he would leave now, and moved his thoughts back to the construction of mass produced Rifle.

    However,

    ¡¸In that case Simon, I shall deepen my friendship with you¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    To the unexpected request, Simon stiffened.

    ¡¸Hahaha, haven¡¯t we both already sit at the same table and exchanged the cups of sake!¡¹

    Table, or more like they just sat on the same floor, in ce of cups of sake it was cups of tea, brewed by Simon.

    But, seems like, to Wilhart, just that much was more than enough to be friends.

    Simon was dumbfounded at the sudden friendship deration, but maybe realizing it or not, Wilhart opened his roundabout speaking mouth and starting proceeding smoothly.

    ¡¸We had heard yesterday about this weapon called gun which ¡®doesn¡¯t use magic¡¯, Simon, haven¡¯t you did great deed with this gun you made and used against the Crusaders, so will you show it¡¯s power and your talent to us?¡¹

    Thanks to the conversation yesterday, Wilhart already knew how much of achievements Simon got in the Alsace defensive battle.

    Though not to the extent of Simon, Wilhart, who is not great at using martial skills or magic, had grown an interest in the weapon called gun which could kill several tens of people.

    ¡¸Hmm, well it is fine......¡¹

    Simon was originally a shy person, but curiously he had a favorable impression on gun, having Wilhart say this much about gun and him, he didn¡¯t feel bad.

    And more than anything, this was the best opportunity to sell the guns to the Spada Royalty.

    Simon didn¡¯t had a reason to decline the request of Wilhart.

    ¡¸Alright then, let¡¯s head to the maneuvering grounds. Now, show me the power of the threat which pulverized the heads of many Crusaders!¡¹

    Saying that, Wilhart moved towards the entrance at a quick pace, whileughing as usually.

    I¡¯m happy you have expectations for gun, but that manner of speaking is surely tiring for the person hearing it, while thinking that, Simon opened the door ofboratory to pick up the sole Rifle present currently¡ºYatagarasu V2¡»

    When meeting Wilhart he didn¡¯t had the Rifle in his hands, but normally he would always grip on to it, as he loved that feeling.

    Though rank 1, Simon too was an adventurer, so it was a habit to keep the weapon near him at all times, and after experiencing the nightmare at Alsace, his awareness is further increased.

    Like that, the moment Simon took hold of¡ºYatagarasy V2¡»lying on the table,

    ¡¸Simon-sama¡¹

    ¡¸Uwaaa!?¡¹

    He was called out by a voice from behind, which caused him to be surprised to the extent of jumping like a spring.

    Holding the Rifle in position and bearing to not pull the trigger, he turned around to check the owner of voice, there stood the bodyguard maid of Wilhart.

    ¡¸I, Seria Ranboule, is appointed as the bodyguard of Wilhart the Second Prince, please call me Seria¡¹

    ¡¸I-I see, thank you very much......¡¹

    Just what work does this maid has to do, thinking that Simon sent a suspicious re to the beautiful maid in front of him.

    To Simon giving an vignt gaze to her, did not cause her blue eyes to flicker and she stared back at him.

    ¡¸On the other hand, you can also called Prince Wilhart as Wil, or rather I want you to call him as that¡¹

    ¡¸Is, that so¡¹

    Simon somewhat rxes to the somewhat friendly conversation.

    He even thought he would be yelled at for not being to overly familiar with the prince.

    ¡¸To put in frankly, Wil-sama has got no friends, not even one, so it would be lot better if you be friends with him¡¹

    ¡¸Y-yes......¡¹

    Even while being astonished by seeing the attitude of Seria which kept on getting colder the more she said words, Simon understood that the rumour of Second Prince being friendless is true.

    First Prince, Aisenhart, graduated some years before and was intimate with many students to the extent of being called an idol,pared to that, the poprity of Second Prince was nil.

    The marvelous position of Second Prince and that strange manner of speaking makes him unapproachable, but the main reason he is neglected is because of the strength he possesses is in no wayparable to that of his brother.

    This was a lethal strike in Spada which was pride for it military prowess.

    In spite of the Third Princess being the role model of selfish younger sister, she is really popr just because of the power of her magic.

    ¡¸He himself is quite hurt by that, so friendless is a taboo word¡¹

    ¡¸That is true, I understand¡¹

    Simon showed an intense agreement.

    Being friendless and lonely was a situation same for Simon.

    Currently by having Kurono as an understanding person, he didn¡¯t had to feel much indebtedness, but still he understood the isted feeling more than enough, to the extent that affinity rose up within him for Wilhart.

    Not only that, by conversing yesterday Simon understood that opposite to that manner of speaking, there was no haughtiness or arrogance of a royalty or nobility.

    It is the same for his rtion with Kurono, it would have been natural if he said to Kurono that him being a noone rank 2 adventurer should feel honoured with him talking to Kurono.

    Wilhart¡¯s attitude on the other hand, gave a good impression to Simon, and that is a truth.

    ¡¸I too want to deepen my friendship with Prince Wilhart¡ª¨Cno, Wil¡¹

    That¡¯s why, those words were not honeyed words, but his true feelings.

    ¡¸I see, thank you very much¡¹

    ¡¸Um¡¹

    ¡¸What happened?¡¹

    ¡¸Can you please stop stroking my head¡¹

    On the head of somewhat shy Simon, was the hand of Seria stroking his glossy ashen-colored hair.

    ¡¸Sorry, the hand moved on its own¡¹

 Chapter 223 First Date (4)

    Chapter 223 ¨C First Date (4)

    Though an ident of falling of the horse did ur, but all in all it was a good training.

    Around the time sky was painted by madder red, I returned my favorite horse, Merry, back to the stable.

    Was it a hallucination caused by my eyes, that Mari, the favorite horse of Fiona which had the same body stature and hair color, looked happy upon seeing Merry return.

    However, these two sure look alike, to the extent I cannot differentiate them unless I ask Lily.

    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go back to the inn¡¹

    At this time period, even Lily might be awake.

    ¡°Because I had left Lily and yed around with Fiona, so it would be good to have dinner together¡± I thought and started walking my way back to inn.

    ¡¸Kurono-san¡¹

    ¡¸What happened?¡¹

    However, the one who moved forward was just me, Fiona was petrified on her ce.

    ¡¸Can we go back by taking a detour¡¹

    Since I have started living in this Spada, already one whole month is about to pass.

    With¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡», the base of my living, as the centre, I know the geography of this ce to some extent, hence I took the shortest route between the stable and inn and started to walk.

    Fiona¡¯s request contradicts my choice, but

    ¡¸It will be fine too¡¹

    I have got any reason to decline her request.

    Apanying with Fiona¡¯s whim, taking a detour to walk, and coincidentally reach inn is not a bad idea.

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it, so shall we go¡¹

    Immediately replying, I stood besides Fiona and started walking in the direction which I haven¡¯t passed by yet.

    .

    .

    .

    (POV FIONA)

    I walked along with Kurono-san on the avenue made up by small blue flower in full bloom.

    In this Spada, there are four avenues on which flowers bloom ording to the four seasons, one can enjoy the full bloom at every season, or so the saying goes here.

    That means that in the middle of summer one can see these eloquent tradescantia. {TLN: Tradescantia = Spiderwort = well blue flowers found somewhere on earth only}

    I never had thought the information of Rmended Date Spots given by the fairy information broker, I went to meet with Lily-san, woulde handy.

    It was good that I also looked over it along with Lily-san.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for taking the date course with Kurono-san before you¡± I somewhat apologized to Lily-san in my heart, got closer to Kurono-san and continued to walk on the blue road.

    ¡¸By the time we reach the end of this avenue, it will sure get night¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed¡¹

    Normally the perfect way of appreciation would be to gaze at these tradescantia under clear skies or something like that, so, there are not many people walking at this evening time.

    Other than the interspecies couple of a human male student and werecat female student, we didn¡¯t see the figures of people anymore.

    Speaking of Couple, do we both also seem like that, currently?

    It¡¯s somewhat disappointing because there is no romantic talk between Kurono and me, unlike the couple from before: ¡°Your fur is truly pretty, makes me want to stuff my face in it¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just too much of a pervert~¡±.

    Though we talked less, but, I don¡¯t hate this silence.

    The time flows slowly, making me feelfortable as if dozing under the warm sunlight of spring, that is surely because, besides me is the world¡¯s best man, Kurono-san.

    ¡¸Hey, Fiona¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, what happened Kurono-san?¡¹

    He calls out my name making me feel ecstatic, *moan*, call my name out more, desire me more.

    ¡¸Did you have fun?¡¹

    We had lunch, then trained horse-riding, eventually the date ended with just this much, and Kurono-san seems to be concerned about that fact.

    ¡¸Yes, I had lots of fun¡¹

    So, without lying, I said my heartfelt intentions.

    It is fun, when I¡¯m with you, everything in the world looks different.

    ¡¸I see. I¡¯m relieved to hear that. Shall we go again like this for holidays¡ª¨C¡¹

    I wasn¡¯t able to look in the eyes of Kurono-san, who was smiling while saying that.

    His face is too dazzling, attractive and charming, if I looked at him......I might end up wanting it.

    ¡¸¡ª¨CBut, this time along with Lily¡¹

    To the continuation of the words, I unintentionally stopped my legs.

    Not just that, the fever which was wrapping my body, rapidly faded.

    ¡¸Yes......you¡¯re right¡¹

    I want to praise myself for replying naturally without distancing myself from him.

    Nooo, in the first ce, why am I receiving a shock about?

    Kurono-san along with me and Lily-san is only natural, after all, we three are a party.

    To begin with, the one wanting a love rtionship is Lily-san, and I have not in the least intention of interfering.

    The one who would get in rtionship are Kurono-san and Lily-san, not me......no, this is strange from the point I thought about me getting in rtion with Kurono-san.

    After all, Kurono-san, towards me, has no romantic feeling as he has towards Lily-san, he doesn¡¯t have, it¡¯s not right for him to have them......truly?

    ¡¸What happened, Fiona?¡¹

    Seems like, I was too drowned in my thoughts.

    With me being absent-minded, I have given him more worry.

    ¡¸No, nothing much, just thinking of something¡ª¨C¡¹

    The moment I said those words

    ¡¸Hey! What are you!?¡¹

    In front of the road, the voice of an girl with an not-so-normal appearance reverberated.

    The owner of the voice leaped out of from the shade of tree and appeared right in front of us.

    She was a slender elf girl with ideal body proportions, wearing a white cape.

    Contrary to her sever tone, it¡¯s obvious that she is afraid, because her legs were shaking fiercely.

    Her vision was not towards us, but towards a tree on the side of the road with numerous tradescantia growing around it.

    Seems like, on the end of her vision someone is present.

    ¡¸Fiona¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I understand¡¹

    From this distance, I was able to sense the notmon presence of that ¡®someone¡¯ in the shade of tree¡ª¨Cno, speaking more frankly, I was able to sense the ominous magical power and bloodlust, which should be existing only in battlefields or dangerous dungeons, and not in this peaceful city.

    ¡¸Hiii!?¡¹

    While raising a short scream, she sank down to the ground, at the same time, the ¡®deviant¡¯ chasing her appeared.

    It¡¯s obvious to know the person is an male werecat, wearing leather armor meaning he is an adventurer.

    He is a werecat, though having a slender body, it can be seen just by one nce that he has devoted many years and months in training.

    Most probably, from the pov of a werecat he might seem like a handsome man, but seeing the sinister red light residing in his both eyes, and a big sword of dark reddish color, probably caused by lots of blood, can make one understand that he is insane.

    I see, so he is the serial killer who has been going around here and there in Spada recently.

    Looking at the reddish auraing from the sword, which is only the characteristic of cursed weapons, it¡¯s easy to understood he fell under the curse of weapon.

    However, I think I have seen that big sword somewhere¡ª¨C

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go¡¹

    Hearing Kurono-san¡¯s voice, I stopped my thoughts exploring my memories.

    There¡¯s no need to exin anymore, I already know, Kurono-san has determined to cross attacks with that man and his big sword.

    The moment I took out the Staff¡ºAinz Broom¡»from the pouch,

    ¡¸ ???? ?? ???? ????¨D¨D¡ºSpeed Boost¡»¡¹

    I casted boost on the back of Kurono-san, who ran forward while brandishing his hatchet.

 Chapter 224 Identity of the Devilish Murderer

    Chapter 224 ¨C Identity of the Devilish Murderer

    The person swinging therge fang sword, facing the female Elf who has already fallen on her back, must be that murderer from the rumors.

    However, for that criminal to be a person whose face and name I know about.

    No, the most surprising fact would be that Joto, a rank 3 adventurer, was attacking so fiendishly because of the curse from the¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», right.

    ¡¸Darn......¡¹

    It involuntarily made me speak abusive word.

    The¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»transformed into a Cursed Weapon, in other words, it¡¯s owner, Vulcan, died with great extent of malice for this to ur.

    And the reason of that malice and hatred is 11th Apostle Misa, as for how she ughtered them all, I have no idea.

    But, for there to be so much malice and hatred to change a weapon into Cursed Weapon means, they weren¡¯t even able to fight properly before dying.

    That bitch, killed them all by toying with them, I had guessed that much from their corpses and destruction, but now I am sure of it.

    Fu*k, makes me want to throw up.

    As if agreeing with my wrath,¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»darkens the hue of aura around it.

    Unfortunately, there ain¡¯t the needed person I want to bust this anger into.

    But, for saving the girl being attacked in front of me, I swing the de.

    ¡¸Red Calm (Akanagi)¡¹

    This martial skill, changes the blood sipped by hatchet into a crimson de, and decreases the distance between an object impossible to reach to zero.

    Therge sword swung right now at the female elf, shed with the de of blood from the nk, and changed its trajectory while releasing sparks.

    ¡¸Aaaaa!?¡¹

    At that moment, maybe he finally noticed my existence present near, the insane Joto¡¯s red eyes turn towards me.

    But, by this time I had already run up to the point where he can reach in the de¡¯s range without using Akanagi, after getting the¡ºSpeed Boost¡»by Fiona, the distance of some tens of meters can be covered in a second or so.

    ¡¸Kuronagi¡¹

    I release the my all-the-most-familiar martial skill.

    This attack was aimed at the body of Joto, if it hits him, surely he along with the leather armor, would be split in two.

    The the attack with the power of sure-kill attack was stopped by swiftly using the sword as a shield.

    Was that reaction because Joto was skilled, or the curse had enhanced his bodily functions, in either case, even when in insane mode the sword techniques don¡¯t be blunt.

    A shrill metallic sound reverberated, at the same time, Joto¡¯s body , which took Kuronagi head-on, flew backwards, no, he himself jumped backwards to absorb the shock from the attack.

    That agility shows that Joto is not a power type, like the giant Vulcan, but is a Speed Type attacker specializing in evasion and warding-off attacks.

    Concerning the results, my attack was superbly blocked, but thanks to him jumping far back, quite a distance had opened up.

    Without pursuing anymore, I turn back quickly, extend my hand towards the fallen female student, and lift up her slender and beautiful body.

    ¡¸Eh, Kyaa!¡¹

    A scream filled with surprise, and a soft and warm feeling, along with a faint scent of perfume which tickled my nose, all of this, in normal times, would have made me think many things, but there ain¡¯t time to think about it right now.

    Shouldering the female student by my left arm, I jumped away from that ce, and at the same time,

    ¡¸Bullet Arts¡¹

    I push out my right hand, still gripping the hatchet, and several tens of bullets visited Joto.

    The bullets madepletely from ck magical energy vanished before even reaching him because of the de with the curse of¡ºEvil Eater¡».

    That phenomenon was the same as to when I faced-off against the¡ºCrime Eater¡»controlled by Cyprus.

    The attack didn¡¯t reach him, but still it was enough to stop Joto¡¯s pursuit.

    Joto jumped backwards and I to the opposite side, due to the opening between us, I was able to get out the area where he could¡¯ve attacked me by throwing the sword.

    Uponnding, I take down the female student from my shoulder.

    ¡¸Are you all right?¡¹

    She was still looking towards Joto but, this time she was standing on her both feet rather than falling on her butt out of fear.

    ¡¸U-Um¡ª¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I will stop that guy, please escape right now, if you can then call the polic¡ª¨C, I mean¡ºLaw Guardian¡», that much will help me a lot¡¹

    I tell her the important stuff briefly.

    There isn¡¯t even a single good thing if she remained here.

    After all his aim is the murder of this female student, in the worst case he mighte attacking at her by putting his life on line, therefore fighting while protecting is too much of a dangerous task.

    I don¡¯t think this female student would be, Mia or some other god, in disguise form.

    For me, getting this girl out of this ce ASAP is more important.

    After that, with me and Fiona, a single insane swordsman won¡¯t be much of a deal.

    ¡¸Go, hurry up¡¹

    Upon my suggestion, the female student finally turns on her heel and runs off, I sensed it from across my back.

    ¡¸Thank you very much, Kurono-san!¡¹

    The words of gratitude reach my ears, judging from that there doesn¡¯t seem to any state of confusion in her mind, if it¡¯s like this she will be able to report correctly.

    Of course, before helpes from other side, we would be over with our work.

    No, but, I feel something in her words, like an uneasy feeling¡ª¨Coh well, before I even thought about this stuff, Joto moved.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t let you get away, you bitch!!!!¡¹

    While shouting that, Joto brandished the long sword and with the strong yet agile legs of a Werecat, he kicked off the ground.

    The girl who escaped is an Elf, if he chased straightly behind her, no wonder he would catch her, but fuck it, don¡¯t think you can get past me.

    After all, I have the most suitable thing for stalling someone, that is¡ºAnchor Hand¡»

    Most of it might be eaten by the Evil Eater but it is better than fighting against Crime Eater, which were specialized in eating the ck magical energy.

    While brandishing the hatchet with vignce, I pour ck magical energy in¡ºck Haired Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»and create more firm tentacles.

    Nowe on, the moment you get past me, I will seal your movements with tentacles, then finish the game by cutting off your arm along with that Cursed Weapon¡ª¨C

    ¡¸Dieeeeeeeeeee!!¡¹

    The fiercely running Joto¡¯s aim was not the me protecting the back of the already-escaped female student, but Fiona.

    ¡¸Wha, Oi bastard!?¡¹

    This fucking bastard was spouting shit like, I won¡¯t let you get away, so I thought he would chase after the elf female student, but now I see, he¡¯s fine as long as he gets to cut any young girl.

    Another possibility is that rather than chasing the Elk student, he chose attack Fiona who was near and more easy to reach.

    But, going after a all-somon looking Elk female students is better than going after Fiona, a witch, no, wait, ain¡¯t magic bad.

    Looking at her, Fiona had already taken her stance with staff in hands and started chanting.

    Judging from the distance and Joto¡¯s speed, she would be able to shoot low grade magic.

    But, in that case it¡¯s not gonna be good, after all the thing he has is,

    ¡¸Run away Fiona! The magic will be eaten by Evil Eater!!¡¹

    I chase Joto whilst shouting, but Joto was already at the point where he would reach Fiona with the sword, and Fiona had already released her magic attack.

    ¡¸¡ª-¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»¡¹

    The magic shot out from Fiona¡¯s favorite¡ºAinz Broom¡», unlike¡ºCustom Fire Ball¡», explodes with the original power of Fiona¡¯s berserk magical energy.

    The¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»without the quantity of heat and explosive power of a low grade magic, hit directly in the target in front of her.

    The heating power of the heat is about that of a Intermediate Offensive Magic¡ºIgnis Kris Sagitta¡»¡ª¨CIn Irz Vige, Vulcan easily defended against a intermediate fire magic, in other words, a person holding Evil Eater cannot be defeated by this grade of fire power.

    ¡¸Vaaaaoooooooo!!¡¹

    My vision was covered by the fumes from explosion, I could only hear the insane bellowing of Joto.

    ¡®Please evade sessfully¡¯, while praying that in my heart, I jumped in the smoke with lingering heat, it was that moment that,

    SFX: GAshHHAaaNNnn!

    I heard a shrill sound as if a ss just broke.

    ¡®What is this sound, did the defensive magic got broken!?¡¯

    ¡¸Fiona!¡¹

    The smoke cleared up and my vision returned.

    There, the stone pavement of the ground was broken by the swinging of sword by Joto, and standing 3 meters away from him was Fiona.

    Her white blouse was still clean white without any dirt, seems like only some defensive magic was broken, but she evaded the sh.

    As expected of Fiona, with her using¡ºAir Walker¡»freely, even a knight or swordsman would find it difficult to approach her.

    I can sense her experience of doing adventurer work solely.

    I watch her with admiration and relief filling my mind, huh, what, she looks somewhat strange?

    Though I think that, in front of me is the back of Joto.

    It would be troublesome if he attacked Fiona, so Ished out at him.

    ¡¸Don¡¯ttt InnTERFERE!!¡¹

    As expected, he won¡¯t let me cut him obediently.

    Though insane, with his sword skills, he magnificently warded-off the attack aimed at his back.

    But as long as he is aiming at Fiona, I can only attack him without opening up any distance.

    Taking head on the sword sh of Joto, evading, and counter attacking.

    The long sword and big hatchet furiously rally, and it turned into a fight of swords in the end.

    ¡¸Kuu!?¡¹

    ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive those who interfere! I won¡¯t forgive her, including you, you fucking faggot!¡¹

    In case of pure swordsmanship, Joto, who is from Swordsman ss, holds the upper hand.

    I am familiar in fighting against monsters with sword, but I don¡¯t have an anti-personbat skill which can help me fight against a trained swordsman, the experience in that area is low by just an inch, but even that much less loss is showing the difference here.

    And, every time I sh the hatchet against the de of Evil Eater, it eats of most of the ckening I have cast upon it, so it too is a problem for me.

    So I have to keep on pouring the ck magical energy.

    Though the amount consumed is not much, but always pouring the magical energy causes my concentration power to flicker.

    I am already at my wits end with the swinging of hatchet, so in no way can I use¡ºSword Arts¡»right now.

    This is somewhat bad, but, I can overturn this situation if Fiona casts Boost on me.

    Soon enough the¡ºSpeed Boost¡»is going to wear out, so if she extends the time of boost and casts¡ºForce Boost¡», my victory will be decided.

    But, for some reason, that Boost just doesn¡¯te.

    ¡®What is Fiona doing?¡¯, with an expression of bewilderment I nced towards the ce she was standing.

    There stood Fiona, just standing, no maybe I should rephrase it as she was standing stock still with a dazed expression.

    Holding her wand in right hand, she was just deeply watching her left hand.

    What exactly happened? Fiona had turned into a petrified statue.

 Chapter 225 The Lost Things

    Chapter 225 ¨C The Lost Things

    ¡¸Run away Fiona! The magic will be eaten by Evil Eater¡¹

    From Kurono-san¡¯s advice, I am finally convinced.

    This longsword that the swordsman is wielding is¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», the one Vulcan-san, the werewolf used to have.

    The trouble this magical power eating Evil Eater brings is something, even a witch like me, knows to full extent.

    However,

    ¡¸¡ª¨C¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»¡¹

    I can¡¯t stop offensive magic now.

    Rather than revoking the chant half-way, it¡¯s better to just shoot it out and it will save time more for choosing the next actions, with the sword-swinigng insane swordsman in front of me, I give out that conclusion with a calm mind.

    I fired¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»and coincidentally, poured magical power in my both legs and to invoke the martial skill.

    ¡¸¡ºAir Walker¡»¡¹

    The inhuman reflex speed and movement are shown, the moment I left the ce, the swordsman, who also migh have his ablities enhanced, passed through the smoke and swung the fang sword down.

    However, I have experienced being changed at this distance a whole lot of times.

    It¡¯s all great if I evade it, and I also have enough speed in my legs right now to evade this attack, albeit barely.

    I kicked the ground with my loafer and stepped backwards, due to the momentum my hair, which weren¡¯t held by my hat, flutterd in front of me.

    The thundersouly falling de, without being able to seize my crown of head, just cut down the fluttering tips of my blue hair.

    I evaded sessfully,

    SFX: GAshhaaAAaaaAAaaaaaannNNNN!

    That, shrill sound as if a defensive magic of light just got broken, reached my ears after Inded 3 metres away.

    ¡¸Eh......¡¹

    Strange, I just took evasive measures without using any defensive magic, in the first ce I cannot use light magic which can create defense which make sounds like this of breaking into pieces.

    Then, just what made this sound?

    .

    ¡¸¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡», this ring is embedded with the divine protection from a goddess named Athena, and protects the wearer from des¡¹

    .

    I remember, right now I possess a magic item which protects the wearer from the phyiscal attacks.

    .

    ¡¸Hearing the name it might sound like a really great thing, but it¡¯s grade as a magic item is not that high, so don¡¯t expect much of defensive power¡¹

    .

    The fact those words were truth was something I, who can somewhat judge things as a witch, understood esily.

    But, what¡¯s important to me isn¡¯t price or grade or anything rting to somethings¡¯ preciousness.

    This ring is something Kurono-san, you gave me, to me it¡¯s already a treasure.

    ¡¸Ah, Ah......¡¹

    However, the fact the magic item was of low grade was the truth.

    The only natural conclusion upon taking a frontal blow from already-cursed longsword would be to break along with the shield of Divine Protection.

    And, magic items which deploy shield, originally, are made in the way that if defense is broken the item too gets broken.

    If it isn¡¯t a very-high-grade item, it can¡¯t deploy defence many times.

    Then, the low-grade¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡»would naturally break if the defense is broken through.

    ¡¸Ah......this......¡¹

    The ring that was just shining in the ring finger of my left hand just, AaaaaaAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

    It¡¯s not here! It¡¯s not here! The ring is gone, without leaving a single trace!!

    Arrghhhh, Arrrgghhh, What shall I do! Why, that ring was my treasure, important one! THAT RING, KURONO-SAN, TO ME, TREASURE!£¡£¡ [1]

    I was happy, truly truly in a bliss.

    After all Kurono-san gave it me, I can¡¯t not be happy.

    I was going treasure, cherish it, make it my lifetimes¡¯ biggest gift, from today, it should have been shining in my left ring finger.

    W,Why did that, how......just why! Cruel, it¡¯s not here, the ring got lost, it¡¯s......broken!

    ¡¸......¡¹

    I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m very sorry Kurono-san.

    I got the ring broke.

    ¡¸???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????¨D¨D¡ºForce Boost¡»¡¹[2]

    Kurono-san finally chose it for me!

    Aren¡¯t I right, he thought about me, thought if it would look good at me, that¡¯s why he chose that ring!

    ¡¸???? ?? ???? ???? ¨D¨D¡ºSpeed Boost¡»¡¹

    The reason he said it would protect me from de meant he grieved over cutting me!

    I understand, the current understands your sympathy, feelings, kindness!

    ¡¸???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????£ö¨D¨D¡ºElement Boost¡»¡¹

    I¡¯m very much sorry for getting a ring filled with that much feelings, lost, destroyed.

    ¡¸??? ??????? ? ???? ? ????? ???? ????? ???????£¨Burn, Smash, Extinguish My Enemy, Be a Iron Mallet£©¡¹[3]

    I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry,I¡¯m very sorry, I¡¯m very much sorry¡ª¨C

    ¡¸¡ª¨C¡ºIgnis Breaker¡»¡¹

    That¡¯s why I will kill that bastard who broke the ring, with ¡®my hands¡¯!!

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Fiona lost her ring and sanity.

    [1]: She¡¯s going through breaking point so her speech is cracked.

    [2]: I know what you people, who know Arabian, are going to say but NO! I don¡¯t know how to TL arabian, and so I can¡¯t fix the sentence, as it just changes everytime I put in the post section. So FUCK IT!!!! MOVE ON~

    [3]: Any better chant, anyone?

 Chapter 226 The Torrent of Red Murderous Intent

    Chapter 226 ¨C The Torrent of Red Murderous Intent

    Fiona moved.

    ¡¸What¡ª¨C¡¹

    Those strange symptoms started showing from the time Fiona casted three types of Boost on her.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why would she cast Boost on herself and not me.

    I only understood that I haven¡¯t heard a magic which goes by the name of¡ºIgnis Breaker¡», and also that the effect of this magic is to cover the tip of wand with a fireball, it seemed like a burning matchstick.

    But, what is she going to do?

    That was the starting, Fiona was always calm, even when confronting 8th Apostle Ai, she did her job easily and calmly.

    She wasn¡¯t self-centered that she would go solo disregarding my orders, that¡¯s how it was, but what is this?

    Before I even derived on the answer to that question, Fiona moved this very moment.

    In her hand was a lit-up¡ºAinz Broom¡»and¡ºCustom Fireball¡»which she took out at some point, a two-sword style, no, two-wand style.

    With the effects of Martial Skill and Boost, Fiona, with a speed not at all inferior to the current me, came ramming in the area a longsword and a hatchet were rallying.

    ¡¸¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»¡¹

    She first swing the¡ºCustom Fireball¡»

    Originally this low grade offensive magic only has firepower that is below average, however, I already know the ones Fiona shot out had tremendous rapid-fire sessions added to it.

    A single shot may not have much explosive power, but if several tens of them shotse flying in rapidly from point-nk range, the after effects would reach even me.

    My crisis judgementing from my reasoning power, and the sixth sense triggering the crisis iing rm, made me take evasive measures immediately.

    Swinging the hatchet sideways quite forcefully, I opened the distance between us in a single jump.

    Joto tried to jump after me in pursuit, but maybe he realized the existence of several tens of fireballs aiming at him, and in correspondence to his fast reflexes, he used the Evil Eater as a shield to block of the attack.

    Several of the¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»vanished in front of his eyes.

    However, Evil Eater can even absorb intermediate grade offensive magic, so no matter how many low grade offensive magic attack at him, they wouldn¡¯t be able to burn even the tip of his hair.

    Fiona, who knows about that all-too-well, on the contrary, doesn¡¯t show sings of stopping the rapid fire of¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡», not only that, she was also not showing sings of stopping her legs which were running towards Joto.

    What, don¡¯t tell me that she is going to hit him with the wand¡ª¨C

    ¡¸WTF!?¡¹

    And, the don¡¯t tell me, did happen.

    While firing from the¡ºCustom Fireball¡», she swung the still lit-up¡ºAinz Broom¡»and hopped onto Joto.

    Fiona continued shooting¡ºIgnis Sagitta¡»even after reaching point-nk range, due to that, though Joto was able to not get any damage, but his movements were restricted.

    While taking on the after effect of impact, he flung off the¡ºAinz Broom¡»with his longsword while enduring the sweltering heat with the help of a¡ºNana st Amulet¡».

    SFX: ZuuDooOOOODOOOOONnn!

    A conspicuouslyrge explosion sound rang out, I saw Joto being blown off after getting hit by the shockwaves.

    The flying-in-the-air boy of Joto, hit the trunk of a tree on one side of the avenue, which caused his movement to stop.

    His back has been hit really hard, but still he didn¡¯t let go off the sword from his right hand.

    But, the impact wasn¡¯t something light that he would be able to regain his posture the next moment, so he stood while staggering.

    To the already-pursuing Fiona, that was more than enough of a gap to the opportunity of.

    As if¡ºCustom Fireball¡»has its work finished, she put it back, and put both hands on the¡ºAinz Broom¡»which was still lit-up by a crimson me lotus.

    Holding the wand, no, let¡¯s go with what the official magic name says. Holding the ¡®me Mallet¡¯, she swung it hard, hitting it on the defenseless Joto¡¯s crown of head.

    Once again loud explosion rang out, the waves even reached me.

    But, I too am in the possession of¡ºNana st Amulet¡», so the waves felt like gentle breeze flowing about.

    At any rate, the fight¡¯s over now.

    That explosive power could be called above intermediate grade and below advanced grade, but having something like that exploded on the head of a normal person with no high-ss fire resistance like Wrath-Pun, or without any defensive magic item, there¡¯s no chance of getting out of it unscathed.

    The Berserk mode may increase physical abilities like reflexes and arm strength, but it doesn¡¯t make the body and flesh strong at all.

    And Joto wasn¡¯t even able to block it off with hisst ray of hope¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», so his chances of survival are extinct.

    Now that we have killed the insane Joto, our work is done here.

    ¡¸Fiona, he¡¯s dead¡ª¨C¡¹

    The moment I was putting hatchet in the dimension,

    SFX: ZuuDDoooOOONNnnnnnNN!

    The third explosion sound rang out.

    Dimly shining something went past my vision within just a breath of time.

    Before I knew it¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»was besides me with a hand still holding its hilt.

    ¡¸huh?¡¹

    What is this? Before I even asked myself that question, it¡¯s answer came to me in quite fast speed, that Fiona inflicted more attacks to Joto, that his hand got torn off and came flying till here.

    Did she not finish him off at that time? Or maybe she was vignt of the cursed weapon?

    The new question that came floating up¨C

    SFX: ZuddDDOooooNNNNnn!

    ¨CGets negated by the fourth explosion sound.

    I couldn¡¯t see properly, but I can make out the silhouette of Fiona swinging the¡ºFire Mallet¡»on the dead body of Joto.

    SFX: ZuUuDdDdoOoOnNnN!

    The fifth explosion sound rang out, the sound was lower than before, maybe the efficacy of magic faded somewhat.

    But, the power of magic is no relevance now, after all the opponent is already dead.

    SFX: DoOoN!

    By the sixth explosion, the sound got more faint.

    Maybe the firepower to make new smoke rise up was gone that due to the small waves of explosion, the fumes surrounding Fiona cleared up.

    SFX: DOo!

    By the seventh time, the magic waspletely gone, and only the dull sound of metal hitting flesh resounded.

    ¡¸Hey, Fiona......¡¹

    Now I can clearly see it.

    Fiona was still swinging the wand on the head of Joto, which can be said to be in cinders.

    SFX: DOo, DOo, DOo¡ª¨C

    Fiona, like a machine, kept on showering the dead body with blows.

    Her face was expresionless as always, but this time alone it felt like she was wearing a mask, it was an epression I never saw in her, as if she was someone else.

    ¡¸Hey¡ª¨C¡¹

    Abnormal, right now that words is the only one that fits her.

    ¡¸¡ª¨CStop it, Fionaaa!¡¹

    And I cannot watch her in this state, I can¡¯t bear to watch it.

    I grabbed Fiona¡¯s hand from behind and stop her meaningless and merciless attacks.

    ¡¸Stop this shit right now, this guy is already dead¡¹

    I squeeze out words slowly as if trying to persuade her.

    Maybe she realized my existence behind her, Fiona slowly turned her head back.

    ¡¸Ah......Kurono, -san¡¹

    In Fiona golden eyes, there was no light that could be called life present.

    These dull and hollow golden eyes grasp my figure in them.

    ¡¸Please stop, now gently put down the wand¡¹

    It¡¯s like she became someone else, no more like it¡¯s a lifeless doll with her looks, seeing her like that I felt a fear that could freeze my spine, but it¡¯s bad if I get shocked right now.

    As I said, I released her arms.

    ¡¸......Yes¡¹

    The wand fell on the stone pavement making a lifeless *ng* sound.

    Her arms fell down powerlessly, and I once again face Fiona, who was now standing upstraight.

    ¡¸What happened, Fiona?¡¹

    I gaze her drowsy and intoxicated eyes from the front.

    ¡¸Ah, I......¡¹

    Fiona eyes trembled slightly.

    After some seconds of silence, she continued.

    ¡¸My, ring......¡¹

    ¡¸Ring?¡¹

    Speaking of that, she probably meant the one I gifted to her during noon.

    I lowered my gaze and found out that the silver ring which was in her left ring finger, was gone.

    ¡¸Ah, I see¡¹

    ¡ºAthen Guard Ring¡»had it¡¯s divine protection shield broken, and it too broke.

    That means that ss breaking sound from before was of shield being crumbled, now that I think about it, Cyprus¡¯s shield that I broke also made a simr sound.

    ¡¸I got the ring broke......I¡¯m very, sorry......¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t¡ª¨C¡¹

    Should I say something like ¡°Don¡¯y worry about it¡± so thoughtlessly.

    If Fiona went insane just because it was hard for her to believe the fact that the ring broke, then this matter is nothing small.

    It¡¯s not like it was her parent¡¯s memento, or maybe she got that much emotional attachment just because I gave it to her.

    Fiona left her master and is alone ever after, to her, me and Lily might be the firstrades and friends.

    In that case, she might have been liking it very much, after all her friend gave it to her.

    If the person himself who gifted her, in other words, me said words like ¡®don¡¯t worry about it¡¯, then it¡¯s like I¡¯m rejecting her sense of values.

    Of course, there is a possibility that this is all my misunderstanding and I¡¯m being conceited.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Kurono-san, very much sorry¡ª¨C¡¹

    Fiona cried.

    From her beautiful eyes, tears fall down with no signs of stopping.

    Her crying face, which I see for the first time, was still expressionless, and without letting out even a single sound, the tears just kept on falling silently.

    And while crying, Fiona kept on apologizing to me for getting the ring broken.

    Seeing her tragic figure, my heart ached as if a fissure cut it up.

    Stop it, don¡¯t cry, seeing you crying like that, Fiona, is extremly painful.

    That¡¯s why, for not watching her tears, I grabbed her shoulders, and hugged her.

    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Fiona is not in the wrong, the ring broke because the shield got broken, right, then didn¡¯t it protect you after all¡¹

    Her face sank right in my chest.

    Her body was warm, the same as when I hugged Lily, a doll won¡¯t have this warmth.

    Now that I think about it, embracing a same aged girl, is a first for me in this world, in which I have gone through lots of shit.

    ¡¸If my ring, was able to protect you from even a single scratch, then me buying a gift for you wasn¡¯t in vain¡¹

    ¡¸I......Is that so?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s good Fiona is unhurt. That¡¯s right, this time I will gift you a ring with stronger effect which will protect you. If you¡¯re worried that what happened today would happenter, then I will give you a normal ring too. So, can you please stop crying?¡¹

    After saying all that stuff, I realize that I just said some truly embarrassing things, and my face turned hot.

    At the same time, I got anxious that what if my speech waspletely off the mark¡ª¨C

    ¡¸Wwaaa!?¡¹

    Fiona¡¯s rely wasn¡¯t words but action, till now she was getting embraced by me, but now her slender arms were strongly embracing me too.

    Don¡¯t me me for letting out such a pathetic voice due to her unexpected reaction.

    The people who would actually hug me, is only Lily who always ys around with me, I never thought Fiona too would be like this.

    My heart was filled with surprise, and embarrassment, no, not embarrassment but something more like......anyhow, my heart was in conflicted state, and before it regainedposure, Fiona said her words.

    ¡¸Kurono-san......I¡¯m sorry, and Thank you very much¡¹

    Fiona said the words of gratitude and apology at the same time.

    What could be her expression right now, has she stopped crying, I can¡¯t see her face because she is still hugging me, but

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine Fiona, it¡¯s fine already¡¹

    I understood that Fiona regained her sanity.

    Like that till the Law Guardian came after getting reports, me and Fiona were embracing each other under the tree of blue cherry blossoms.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    It¡¯s finally April, and looks like spring hase for Fiona too.

    [SOME UNEEDED STUFF]

    Please keep on reading Kuro no Maou.

 Chapter 227 Love Rival

    Chapter 227 ¨C Love Rival

    ¡®A witch never loves¡¯, I always thought that proverb as truth.

    The first love people experience in childhood was something I never had a clue about, even whenmuting to Elysion Magic Acadmeny, which happened to be a co-ed, I still had no interactions with things called love, I never understood it.

    However, on the 13th of Red me Month, I was made to realize from the bottom of my heart.

    That it¡¯s a lie that witches cannot love.

    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Fiona is not in the wrong, the ring broke because the shield got broken, right, then didn¡¯t it protect you after all¡¹

    And when Kurono-san embraced me, I understood that this is love.

    No, in truth, I held feelings for Kurono-san from a long time ago.

    I had been desperately dodging that fact, denying it, and have been persuading myself saying ¡®it¡¯s nothing¡¯.

    Certainly, I was afraid of epting that fact.

    After all, Kurono-san got Lily-san, and, someone like me who can¡¯t even be a friend let alone lover, whose only worth is the magical firepower, that sort of me isn¡¯t attractive enough to be together with him.

    Someone like me, has got right toy hands on him, has got no right to wish for him, I, just am not.

    However,

    ¡¸If my ring, was able to protect you from even a single scratch, then me buying a gift for you wasn¡¯t in vain¡¹

    It was already toote for me.

    Even enduring, and giving up was impossible now, I can¡¯t bear it anymore, I can¡¯t hold it back anymore, about wanting Kurono-san, about wanting Kurono-san for me.

    My heart has be something which only thinks about him, about wanting to be in his arms, wanting to hear his kind words, it¡¯s like as if my heart has got the curse of love sickness, or Charm has been casted on it, my heart has gone insane for him.

    Now I understand; the feelings of those girls who talked about love, during the academic years.

    The feeling of those girls who left the school because they conceived the child of the person they loved.[1]

    The feelings of those girls, who killed themselves because they could never be with the person they love.

    ¡®Useless, it¡¯s nonsensical, there¡¯s no need for it¡¯, I now feel pity for the past me who used to think like that.

    After all, If I had known this beautiful feeling from before, had realized them, everything in the world seems different.

    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s good Fiona is unhurt. That¡¯s right, this time I will gift you a ring with stronger effect which will protect you. If you¡¯re worried that what happened today would happenter, then I will give you a normal ring too. So, can you please stop crying?¡¹

    If Kurono-san says so, I will stop crying, I can show that I can stop my tears.

    That¡¯s why, give it to me, give a ring to me, this time I will never let it get broken.

    The ring I would wear in my left ring finger, won¡¯t be because of some attraction or yearning for it, but it would be the oath of my love for you.

    ¡¸¡ª¨CFufu¡¹

    And currently, in my left ring finger, a new silver ring is shining brightly.

    This in looking ring has not even a bit of divine protection power or magic, it¡¯s without a doubt, a normal ring.

    However, Kurono-san gave it to me, to me¡ª¨C

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you quite too happy, Fiona¡¹

    Due to that voice, the heat reigning over my head rapidly cooled off.

    Looking more closely, Lily-san, in her young girl form, stood in front of me.

    There is no other present in the surroundings except me and Lily-san, right in front of my room.

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a nice ring, that, where you got that from?¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san gave it to me¡¹

    Lily-san was still showing a fearless smile, but just now, a little bit of her Light magical power leaked out.

    ¡¸I see, good for you¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, after getting such a beautiful present from Kurono-san, I am truly ted¡¹

    I¡¯ve got no reason to lie to her.

    Even without Telepathy, Lily-san might already have guessed most of the part.

    ¡¸Makes me quite jealous, you went on a date with Kurono, not just yesterday, even today too¡¹

    ¡¸I have did the information gathering, though¡¹

    Joto, the serial killer, was done in by me and Kurono-san, so today we had to give a report to the Spada¡¯s military police.

    There was also the evidence of Cursed Weapon, and the fact a elf girl was attacked, so the case was closed with, ¡®An adventurer killed a person with bounty on his head¡¯[2]

    On the way back, Kurono-san gave me this new ring.

    Incidentally, the recement of a magic item like¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡»was postponed for ater date, due to Kurono-san¡¯s wallet circumstances.

    Ufufu, I¡¯m waiting for the new gift, Kurono-san

    ¡¸Hmm, Fiona, you haven¡¯t forgetten, right? Our rule¡¹

    ¡¸Of course, I haven¡¯t forgot it, in a party love always leads to trouble, right¡¹

    My and Lily-san¡¯s gaze intersect.

    Her emerald eyes are cute and round, but they carry a ferocious light equaling to rank 5 monster.

    Don¡¯t make a scary face like that Lily-san, I¡¯m not that hasty person who would break our current rtionship so fast. [3]

    Even I have reasoning power to control my heat, just like you.

    ¡¸I see, then it¡¯s fine¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you understood it¡¹

    Saying that, Lily-san and I faced our respective rooms.

    Lily-san opened the door and entered the room immediately.

    When I think about her sleeping together with Kurono, this, boiling up feeling swells in the heart.

    ¡¸Lily-san is so sly¡¹

    Entering my room, I jumped on my bed and muttered.

    ¡¸Sly¡¹

    Not good, at this time I need to see the ring, touch it, and control my emotions.

    ¡¸Sigh......Love Rival, that just sounds too clich¨¦......¡¹

    This love rival, would be my greatest and strongest enemy ever, I only have a premonition like that.

    But, I¡¯ve got no intention of losing, neither giving up.

    I have now understood, that I just can¡¯t help but be in love with Kurono-san.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªThinking of the worst case, I need to make a n to kill Lily-san anyhow, or it wouldn¡¯t be good¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    In the adjacent room from Fiona¡¯s room.

    ¡¸I somewhat knew it would happen like this, but now looking at it, something just rises up inside my heart¡ª¨C¡¹

    Lily lied on the bad the same way, and uttered the same thing.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªThinking of the worst case, I need to make a n to kill Fiona anyhow, or it wouldn¡¯t be good¡¹

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    The Cold War has started......

    6th April 2012

    In thements, I was asked ¡®What happened to Dengeki first prize?¡¯. Sorry, I havepleted the entryst month.

    So the results would be around summer time. As for rest, I can only pray for a good result![4]

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTES:

    [1]. LMFAO

    [2]. His head was in cinders mate, so how can they her bounty reward!?

    [3]. She never said that she would ¡®never¡¯ break the current rtionship.

    [4]. What a coincidence, I too will apply for it next month. (You give the novel with the application, not like you first apply, then write novels, in god knows how much time!). Just to tell you readers, he didn¡¯t win any of the 4 prizes. idk why~?

 Chapter 228 The Curse Of Evil Eater

    Chapter 228 ¨C The Curse Of Evil Eater

    Since birth he had arge body.

    As time psed, the more he grew, the more obvious it became.

    By the time he was an adult his height easily crossed over 2 meter. Even among the werewolves, with his strong body, the power he possessed was too overpowering.

    Before he knew it, there was no one who could defeat him in the vige.

    It might be natural that someone like him left the small vige and went in the outside world as an adventurer.

    At that time he thought that he was the strongest person in the world.

    Just like¡ºOrphan Wolf: Volfgand¡», whose legends have been passed down among wolves.

    Yes, he was a person resembling simrly to a frog in a well, it was nothing more than a stereotypical ¡®Boasting of Strength in Vige¡¯ sort of thing.

    The fate people like them follow, were always simr.

    Some meet people stronger than themselves, also learn about the existence of magic, to which power can never match up to, or some just end up bing food of monsters before even understanding the difference in power.

    People wanting to be adventurers, because they have stronger arm strength, learn the truthter, then either they return to their birthce or die in a quest.

    Him, who was a werewolf with justrge body and admired the legend of Volgand, also had to follow the same path.

    In truth, he experienced the same as others.

    He was beaten easily with just a single hand, has his body burnt ck, he was even almost eaten by a monsters, and et cetera, now even counting it would be ridiculous.

    He learned the vastness of world, in this world, there were ¡®strong people¡¯ counting more than 50 thousand, the people who he can never beat no matter no what.

    But however, he never stopped being an adventurer, neither was he eaten by a monster.

    Why was that?

    The answer was simple, an answer that every adventurer would know¡ª-Because he had arade.

    A Swordsman, who at first, joined formed a team with him because they were of same race.

    But if the Swordsman hadn¡¯t protected his back, he would have long lost against the marching army of Vindols.

    The next one he met was an Archer.

    If the Archer, who made long distance shooting possible, didn¡¯t get rid of the Goblin Mage, two Swordsman would¡¯ve have died.

    Like that, he, no, they met various other Adventurers like that.

    By the time he reached Rank 2, they had a party of 5 established, with 2 Swordsman, 1 Archer and 1 Mage.

    Their perfectly-bnced party as an adventurer,pleted various quest with difficulties, took on numerous scars, but they continued on, without losing even a single member.

    Before they knew it, the party had reached Rank 4.

    Them, who were nothing more than ¡®Boasting of Strength in Vige¡¯, now became adventurers worthy of being called First-ss.

    The fact they thought themselves to be the strongest, was now something of distant past.

    He now had, not only the title, but also the divine protection of¡ºVolfgand¡», and hisrades who overcame difficulties together with him, too became a first-ss adventurers.

    Hence,

    ¡¸11th Apostle Misa¡¹

    That¡¯s why,

    ¡¸Well, you lowly demons won¡¯t know the meaning of this name, though¡ª¨C¡¹

    He wasn¡¯t able to forgive the deeds of that woman.

    ¡¸Well then, try your best, and die in an interesting and funny way just so I don¡¯t get bored¡¹

    Adventurers were always prepared because they might die at any time.

    Getting eaten by monsters, getting killed by the traps in Dungeons, or being attacked by an Adventurer wanting to kill steal, or being attacked by the bandits aiming for equipment and money.

    ¡¸Hey hey, don¡¯t you dare die instantly, after raising a death agony reaching upto heavens, you can die, or you can¡¯t¡¹

    If getting killed by monster, the me is upon one¡¯s power.

    ¡¸You guys here, do you know your existence itself is a sin, understand it?¡¹

    Dying via traps can be med on one¡¯s carelessness.

    ¡¸Then isn¡¯t it natural that you should die¡¹

    Dying by a Kill Stealer, or bandits can be med on the person showing leeway.

    ¡¸But if you¡¯re going to die, how about making me, an apostle happy. Like that you would have a good defense against God residing in heaven, don¡¯t you think so?¡¹

    That¡¯s why,

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, if a demon kills another demon, would mean that person worked for god, right, then you will have stronger defense against god. Hey, you wolf over there¡ª¨C¡¹

    Rather than ming his powerlessness,

    ¡¸Can¡¯t you try to kill other people?¡¹

    He could only detest this woman.

    ¡¸Huh? You refuse? What the shit you spouting out, listen to what great humans say,e on, wag your tail and do the work happily, after all I, 11th Apostle Misa, the one chosen by God, is saying you to do it. You will do it right¡ª¨C¡ºMadonna Charm¡»¡¹

    Her pair of eyes, which were the same purple color as her hair, was shining bewitchingly.

    ¡¸See, now you want to kill them, right?¡¹

    The moment his eyes met hers, his own fate was destroyed, to a fate in which he would be yed by the woman, to a fate much more vicious ridiculous and cruel.

    ¡¸Then first, kill those puppies, same as you, tear them from limb to limb¡¹

    He was sane, and would never hear the woman¡¯s words, to kill hisrade, his party member.

    However, due to the effect of some sort of magic, his body started to move on its own, as per the woman¡¯s orders.

    He cut down hisrade with his longsword.

    He cut down the Swordsman, Archer, Mage, all therades he walked with for so many years, with his own hands.

    In his super strong hands was his favorite longsword, which had been enhanced by the materials of monsters he killed with hisrades, which cut down everyrade of his.

    The only thing he was allowed was to retain his sanity, he could neither cry at the death of hisrades, neither wail out loud.

    The woman was watching it whileughing and rolling.

    ¡¸Now, you can also die, if possible in a shy way, so that lots of blood gushes out¡¹

    How much time had passed, he didn¡¯t knew, but finally the torture of this living hell was finally nearing its end.

    After all, the people left in the ce are only him and the woman, now there was no morerades he had to kill.

    No, actually there was one, an opponent he needed to kill, an enemy who should be killed.

    Before he knew it, his body had regained the freedom.

    Now then, only one thing was needed to be done.

    ¡¸Huh? What, time¡¯s up? Shit, this is too much tiresome stuff, don¡¯t cause me any troubles¡¹

    It was his fastest and strongest attack ever.

    The power was more than enough to kill this woman who looked like a normal frail human.

    However, the girl wasn¡¯t a human; rather a ¡®monster¡¯ wearing human¡¯s skin.

    ¡¸How is it, getting killed by your own weapon?¡¹

    To sum it up, abominable.

    Before he knew it, having his heart pierced, he was in the state of near death, without even having the power to speak that word.

    Hence, the things left behind were his will, the remains of his soul with the malice and hatred etched on it.

    He was killed, but still can¡¯t forgive it, He can¡¯t forgive this loss, he can¡¯t forgive this woman who yed with them, he can¡¯t allow himself to die just like this.

    I hate her, I will killer, I will kill this woman, even if I die¡ª¨C

    The de of Evil Eater ate even the thoughts filled with hatred.

    He died, but his grudge, was still residing in the fanged sword he had swinging for years, with a new intention.

    Intention called as¡ºCurse¡».

    .

    .

    .

    After swinging for some times, I put the¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», no, now called as¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»in the Dimension.

    ¡¸What happened? Did you happen to see something?¡¹

    The voice calling me from behind was of Fiona.

    She was the usual witch costume today.

    ¡¸Yeah, I just looked into the worst memories ever......¡¹

    It was fragmentary, but I can guess itpletely, or was made to guess.

    While heaving a long sigh, I sat down in thewn of the inn.

    ¡¸I see¡¹

    I¡¯m grateful for her words not asking any exnation, and I too am in not any situation to exin that scene which can cause the blood to boil with anger.

    I realized it right now, but my face and body is smeared with sweat. Controlling a Cursed weapon, this was the first time I had difficulty to this extent.

    In terms of curse it was almost the same as¡ºCursed Hatchet¡¸Tsujigiri¡¹¡», but the backstory of it was rted to me, and more than anything, the ability of Evil Eater to eat the magic, increased the difficulty level for ckening.

    Even though, like this I am able to use it to ¡®some extent¡¯.

    If I hadn¡¯t controlled it at all, then it would¡¯ve have eaten the magical power creating the dimension and destroyed the magic.

    For now, the¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»is being quiet, so it means that the ckening seeded.

    Or maybe Vulcan is helping me while saying¡ºWhat a useless leader¡».

    Or is it me being too sentimental for thinking this.

    Curse is different from the consciousness of the person themselves, grudge and hatred is one form of the condensed pent-up resentment of a human being. Nothing more.

    Like good and evil, instinct and reasoning, the heart of person is different from the soul.

    Though knowing through reasoning, I cannot help but think about that hearty werewolf.

    ¡¸You seem pretty tired, if it¡¯s too much to handle, then wasn¡¯t it a good idea to sell it?¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine, I can somewhat use it¡¹

    In the first ce, there is a reason why I am holding the-now-cursed ¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡».

    The serial killer attacking women recently in Spada had bounty set upon him.

    There exist quests within the urban areas, for capturing serious criminals, in truth there were some adventurers who after Joto.

    In my case, though unintentionally, he had turned into a corpse, but as a result he was caught.

    Also, if an adventurer captures the criminal, they have the right to ownership of all things in possession of the killer along with the reward.

    In other words, just think of treating a criminal as monster.

    And, both me and Fiona were adventurers, so the right existed for us too, and we got the right to ownership of the murder weapon¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡».

    It¡¯s normal to sell of a cursed weapon immediately, but I can control the Cursed Weapons, and I couldn¡¯t let go off Vulcan¡¯s sword.

    Well surely I had to go through trouble for getting the ownership of a murder weapon with shady background history.

    ¡¸This is a curse, but also his will, then I, who has lived from the battle, should avenge for him¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed¡¹

    Face of Fiona, who said that while nodding, was still sleepy and expressionless.

    For that time, she has already apologized lots of times¡¸At that time I lostposure, I¡¯m really very much sorry¡¹. So I¡¯m not touching that subject anymore.

    I don¡¯t even want to remember that cold and dead atmosphere around her at that time.

    ¡¸Well then, shall we go on the quest¡¹

    3 days have passed since then, today is 16th of Red me Month.

    Lily¡¯s wing is now healed, so our adventurer work restarts from today.

    ¡¸After the breakfast, right¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡¹

    After getting up fromwn, I start heading back into the inn, thinking it¡¯s about time Lilyes down for breakfast.

    Then, Fiona, without making any sound, came besides me as if cuddling me.

    It seems like since 3 days ago, every time we walk our distances further decrease, is that imagination?

    ¡¸What happened Kurono-san? Your eyes seemed like wanting to say something¡¹

    ¡¸No, nothing, don¡¯t worry about it¡¹

    The silver ring in Fiona¡¯s left ring finger just makes me think of a engagement ring, and makes me over-conscious about it.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Finally got my favorite¡ºEvil Eater¡»!

    Volume 14 will end with next chapter.

    With the love triangle formation in the previous chapters, I have gotten manyments. Everyone thank you for that. As expected, Yandere are the Best!

 Chapter 229 The Two Strongholds

    Chapter 229 ¨C The Two Strongholds

    Today was 16th of Red me Month, exactly 1 month and 10 days had passed since the day Alsace Vige was upied.

    This much time would be said impossible to make this vige into a stronghold, but looks like for the ever-so-energetic Crusaders nothing was impossible.

    ¡¸The establishment of Alsace Fort is going all well, right?¡¹

    The Sumpreme Commander of Crusaders, 7th Apostle Sariel let out those words upon surveying the rural farm vige changing slowly by slowly into a ce fit for the stationing of Crusaders.

    The Alsace Mura with a terrain like a small ind stuffed between two rivers, now had strong bridges made crossing the east and west rivers, they both were entrance and exit. The cornerstone of defense, the stone wall too was almost more than half done.

    Sariel, currently had visited for the inspection on the progress of Alsace Stronghold which would be the ce in the frontlines when invading Spada.

    ¡¸After Bishop Gregorios gave thend of Alsace to Earl Belgent, I had heard the new additions to the buildings was made, but never had I thought the construction would progress on thisrge scale. The nobles sure are quite influential¡¹[1. I need help with this one. Look below]

    The aide Archbishop Liuchrome, standing behind like a valet, replied to Sariel¡¯s words.

    In those words somewhat sarcasm was mixed in, but Sariel could only take the meaning of those words as stated.

    Or it may be things like the dark informations of Crusaders, might be irrelevant to her after getting a body not of a human. [2]

    That sort of Aloof atmosphere was gushing out of Sariel, who was watching the construction in an unimpressed manner.

    But that is totally other¡¯s thoughts, in truth her mind was thinking about something else.

    (Kurono Maomanded the Demons and fought here)

    Because the construction was going on, the traces of that fight are already lost.

    On the front now stood a really tough and strong stone wallpletely different from the weak and frail wall of trees and barbed wire. The Guild in which demons resided, i.e The ckbox, had already been destroyed and a storehouse to store provisions had been established there.

    Even with the high perception of Apostles, one cannot even find traces that Kurono used ck magical energy here.

    At most the magic from mages, who trying to put a barrier on the protective wall, and golems helping in civil work was floating in the surroundings.

    (The ce I will fight him can be here or¡ª¨C)

    Sariel moved her deep crimson eyes. In those eyes reflected, therge joint moutains, the magnificient Ghad Mountain Range.

    (¡ª¨CGhad Stronghold in those mountains)

    Seeing it from Alsace Vige with naked eyes isn¡¯t possible, however, Sariel certainly ¡®saw¡¯ it, that castle of steel within the mountains.

    .

    .

    .

    In the Ghad Mountain Range extending across North and South, exists a point where the mountains are stopped as if a giant from legends pruned there.

    That point which even a normal person can cross just by walking was the impregnable Ghad Stronghold, which Spada boasted of.

    In that ce which almost seems like ravine, were enshrined solid peerless castle walls covering from one end of the ravine to other end while being covered by rocks, steel and barrier.

    This vertically standing ck castle walls had an overwhelming appearance of a damn, the soldiers of Deadalus, or soldiers from even before had felt despair and resignation in front of these walls.

    Above the great walls of Spada, which have protected the mountain road of Ghad Mountain since the founding of Spada, stood a single man.

    His age can be said to be in prime of life, he had sharp eyes and was frowning his somewhatrge brows, whilst showing a grim expression.

    ¡¸Crusaders, eh¡ª¨C¡¹

    Against the stron mountain winds, the man¡¯s long firey red hair fluttered, looking just like the mane of a lion.

    Against the strong winds which might even shake a grown-up man, this man with a robustrge build didn¡¯t even budge as if his feet had grown roots from them into the stones.

    While crossing his two burly arms with toned muscles, the man looked into far distance with his glittering golden eyes. [3]

    ¡¸¡ª¨CI can agree to it if ¡®that white one¡¯ was the one who defeated Dragon King Gaevinal¡¹

    Under his eyes spread out the only road in the mountain, the mountain forest covered with dark green trees, and the horizon in far distance.

    There was nothing other than magnificient nature which could be seen, but the ¡®white one¡¯ the man said, he certainly did ¡®see it¡¯.

    ¡¸¡¯Ey, pops, don¡¯t ya start loitering ¡®ere and there on your own¡¹

    At that moment, a voice came from behind the man.

    Upon turning back, there stood a man with golden eyes red hair, in the formal uniform of Spada Army.

    Looking at those facial features and colors, even without telling their rtionship one can easily guess they are father and son.

    ¡¸Aik, don¡¯t make noise¡¹

    ¡¸¡¯Ell no! If the damn king goes poof from the ce he needs to be, ofcourse ¡®m gonna make noise, lots of noise! I has been finking(thinking) this from childhood, but ain¡¯t you got too much freedom, even I have but not to your extent for just running anywhere¡¹

    The sullenly silent father still had that grim expression, but in truth his son hit the weak nerve of his.

    ¡¸But......¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah yeah h h, don¡¯t wanna hear your excuses. Currently I¡¯m the vice-captain of Spada Army¡¯s 1st Squad¡ºBrave Heart¡», so I¡¯m here to WARN you not to LOITER ¡®ere and there ¡®gian¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry¡¹

    ¡¸Good to hear that¡¹[4]

    The handsome man with the same-everything the man looked like in young days, stood besdies his father and looked in the same direction as him from the Ghad Stronghold.

    ¡¸So, did you find out anything?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, most probably a war woulde¡¹

    On his fathersment he revealed a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡¸Didn¡¯t we send the envoy just recently¡¹

    ¡¸Not like he¡¯s gonnae back¡¹

    On that remark, he sighed as if giving up and then opened up his mouth.

    ¡¸It would be good if you could use that intuition in politics, but your intuitions like this are never wrong, you know that pops, don¡¯t ya......¡¹

    Destruction of Daedalus, the appearance of mysterious amry of human who appeared out of nowhere and call themselves Crusaders.

    Though they know, Crusaders came from Arc Continent existing on the other side of the ocean, but everything else about them is still a mystery.

    Let it be ally or foe, everything should start from talks, hence they sent a envoy for discussions, but if believing the man¡¯s words, looks like the negotiations would fail big this time.

    ¡¸Wil handed me the letter, it can¡¯t be a coincidence¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, he wrote something like Crusaders are a big bad rm or something. Seriously, he¡¯s still a student, why is he sniffing around in things too troublesome like this¡ª¨C¡¹

    I give up, as if saying that he fixed his hair, which was still fluttering in hair, and continued his words.

    ¡¸¡ª¨CBut, Wil has got different brainspared to ¡®us¡¯. Trusting him is much easier than some government official, so if he is seriously saying that, means it must be the truth¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah¡¹

    While remembering that face of his other child with wisdom and a habit of daydreaming, the father gave his answer.

    ¡¸We need to prepare for the war, let¡¯s head back¡¹

    ¡¸Roger, King Majesty¡¹

    The two, father and son, turned back and left the ce.

    The father¡¯s name is, Leonhart Tristan Spada, the current King of Spada with another name of¡ºSword King¡».

    The son¡¯s name is, Aisenhart Tristan Spada, the eldest son of the king and the person in the first ce for the right to inherit the crown.

    The person who sensed the uing war the first, was strangely, the King of Spada.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    The reappearance of Sariel, and the entry of Leonhart, whose name only wasing out ever since Volume 3.

    Looks like the father and brother already trusted Wil.

    Well then, with this Volume 14 ends. From the next Volume, School Volume (?) is going to start. Please look forward to it!

    Trantor¡¯s Note:

    [1] Can someone give me the name of Bishop I used long back. I kinda forgot that one and am toozy, err I mean energy conservative to be actually wasting energy in searching through previous chapters.

    [2] Apostle¡¯s are said to have left the territory of humans, and they have inhuman bodies with god¡¯s powers. Pfft. Seriously they shit on Kurono, who also got god(?)goddess powers.

    [3] I am now sure that this novel is turning more and more into Xianxia. Now this thing just needs that meridian, dantian, soul, pills, primordial andstly incense stick to burn or just 3 breaths of time shit!

    [4] Lol the cringes, even my soul cringed. Let alone my sides have gone to space. Anyhow, from now on for any sort of overly-informal JP, I would use the cockney ent English. It¡¯s almost like the informal english in America, spoken by various sorts of punks.

 Chapter 230 The Price of Justice

    Chapter 230 ¨C The Price of Justice

    Southwest territory of Spada, the surroundings near the national border adjacent to the neighboring country Fauren, has turned a gently-sloping hilly area.

    Nearby the not-paved highway with only wide breadth, which connects the two countries, two tents had been set up in the campground.

    Eddie, the Knight candidate who just rose up to Rank 2 the other day, along with his ssmate Shena, kept guard while encircling the bonfire.

    Eddie had brigh brown hair while Shena had light green pigtail hair, they both didn¡¯t had any appearance worth standing out, their height or physique, as a human, could be said average, at a nce both would seem like a normal Student couple.

    However, their rtionship is not something that erotic, even the status quo is only because their party is coborating for aplishing a quest.

    Although, they were en route back to Spada after aplishing the quest, the danger of fighting the monster has long since gone.

    ¡¸Fuwaa¡¹

    Therefore it can¡¯t be helped that Eddie is rxed to the point of yawning by opening his mouth.

    ¡¸Why are yawning, undisciplined¡¹

    However looks like Eddie behavior wasn¡¯t favorable to Shena, who wore sses and looked just like the epitome of too-serious person.

    Instead of a glint in eye, the somewhat big round sses glittered.

    ¡¸Why¡¯d you care, let me yawn¡¹

    ¡¸Just because we are going along the highway doesn¡¯t mean monsters won¡¯t appear, we should not let our guard down¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Argh, why are you like that prez¡¹

    The two quarrel while being illuminated by the bonfire, though strangely there was no dangerous feeling around them, means that something like this was daily routine, even if the members who were sleeping currently were to see it, they would back off saying Even a Dog won¡¯t Barge in a Lover¡¯s Quarrel.

    ¡¸Geez, can¡¯t ya be moredylike and refined like Erina-san¡¹

    ¡¸Again with Erina-san, how about you give up, she is not a person you can ever reach upto¡¹

    ¡¸L-like ¡®ell it matters you!¡¹

    Having his weak spot hurt, Eddie ends up giving an overreacted easy to understand reaction.

    Seeing him like that, Shenn, with a sigh filled with disgust, continued.

    ¡¸Stop dreaming, and try to think more realistically, there are other girls, right......¡¹

    ¡¸Huh? What do you mean by other girls, I¡¯m only devoted to Erina-san, that¡¯s what I resoluted when I first saw her¡¹

    ¡¸Geez, you¡¯re truly an idiot¡¹

    Seeing Shena pouting, Eddie tried to think that what made her that displeased, unfortunately he had no answer.

    ¡¸How ¡®bout ya then, you been in them magic studies since old days, you ain¡¯t got any single man you love, right?¡¹

    ¡¸H-Huh! I, not really, have any one like that......¡¹

    To Shena saying that while turning her face away in a vague manner of speaking, gave Eddie a hint, and he started the pursuit,

    ¡¸Who is it!¡¹

    Or he was about to start, when he sensed the presence of someone appraoching the campground, and shouted to know the intruder¡¯s identity.

    Listening more carefully, the sound of footsteps and groan can be heard, looks like the opponent had got no intention of hiding their presence.

    A breathter Shena too stood up, and for confirming the identity of that someone on the other side of the darkness of night, she waved her favorite wand.

    ¡¸??? ???? ???? ??????¨D¨D¡ºTorch¡»¡¹

    After the fast chanting, a single magical torch appeared in mid-air and shone upon the direction the presence wasing from.

    ¡¸What, a girl?¡¹

    The oneing while facing them was, without a doubt,just like Eddie said, a human girl.

    Her appearance wasn¡¯t like that of them two, wearing equipments for quests, but she wore thin casual clothing one would find in any rural vige.

    Albeit the highway reaches viges, but for a girl resembling a vige girl, loitering here in thiste in night is just too unnatural.

    They thought that she might be some sort of Undead, but

    ¡¸H-help......Help......please......¡¹

    The moment they heard that sorrowful yell, Eddi put the sword back in scabbard, whilst Shena put down her wand.

    Looking carefully, her clothes seemed to have been violently torn; her feet had no shoes or sandal,pletely barefooted. It was easy to understand that she wasn¡¯t in a normal condition.

    ¡¸O-oi, are you alright!?¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Hearing the story from the now-under-protection girl, she seemed to have escaped from bandits.

    ¡¸Fuck, how dare they do something this cruel¡¹

    They understood themselves about how this girl who seemed two or three years than themselves, got into that state.

    Most probably, she found a gap among the bandits who would do her, and ran away.

    ¡¸This ain¡¯t good, for bandits to camp near this ce¡¹

    ¡¸Let¡¯s increase our vignce, they would surelye looking for this girl¡¹

    The male members of Eddie¡¯s party, and female members from Shena¡¯s party were now awake, armed, and ready to go.

    With a nervous expression, everyone payed attention to the surroundings.

    ¡¸U-um, please, help¡¹

    To the girl, who was petitioning while crying, Shena smiled gently as to make her relieved and said.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, we would protect you¡¹

    ¡¸Can¡¯t say any better myself, after all we are the Knights from Spada, we will protect you¡¹

    Eddie, who just said such cool-seeming words, retorts came from surroundings¡¸Aren¡¯t you still a Knight Apprentice¡¹

    But, though they were Knight Candidates, their spirits were already of a full-fledged Knight, none of them thought of leaving this pitiful girl on her own.

    ¡¸Hey, look o¡®er there, seems like them bandits sniffed our ce too¡¹

    On the end of the point Eddie pointed towards, a line of lights approached them from straight ahead.

    Judging from speed they were, without a doubt, riding horses, there was no way them, who were on foot, can overrun them.

    ¡¸It¡¯s going to be battle time, everyone, put all you got into it¡¹

    4 Boys, 4 Girls, in total 8 Knight candidates swear by the pride of Spada Knights, to sessfully ovee this hardship.

    Just like when they fought against monsters, after positioning the battle positions of vanguard and rear guard, finally, from the other side of darkness, the bandits appeared.

    ¡¸Good evening, when I thought just what adventurer it might be, hehe, turns out to be youngds andsses, are you Spada¡¯s students, hm?¡¹

    The person who appeared head first was a person equipped same as us, but had a vulgar feeling seeping out of him, the one which adventurers don¡¯t reek of.

    Continuing after the man, as if to oppose Eddie¡¯s party which was in formation, the bandits dismounted from the horse and stood in a line.

    As for numbers bandits were on the more side, albeit they weren¡¯t able to confirm their exact numbers due to darkness, they felt that the difference in their war potential based on numbers wasn¡¯t fatal.

    Eddie and others were still 2nd Year students, but have worked hard in everyday training, not like the mish-mashed bandits who haven¡¯t even learned a martial skill to full satisfaction.

    Conversely on the bandits side, they are showing conceited expressions as if thinking they would never be defeated by some children.

    The turbulent air flows among the two parties, but neither take out the sword from the scabbard, a momentous deadlock state was born.

    ¡¸Hey listen, don¡¯t get that worked up, we are just searching for someone¡¹

    Looks like they made the man standing head first as the negotiations representative, and weren¡¯t going to assault immediately.

    ¡¸We saw no one ¡®ere¡¹

    As the leader of boys¡¯ party, Eddie spoke as the representative.

    The girl under protection is hiding in the tent, there¡¯s no way she could be spotted from the outside.

    If they could get over this situation by feigning ignorance, it would be for the best, but,

    ¡¸Heey bruh, this ce is just fucking too spacious meadows, given that the only ce to hide can be inside that tent, can¡¯t ya let us check it?¡¹

    The reason they weren¡¯t able to let the girl get away before the bandits came was because this ce is a spacious meadow with nothing that can hide.

    ¡¸I refuse¡¹

    ¡¸Even we aren¡¯t you brats¡¯ errand boys, so let us confirm the thing that needs to be confirmed, or it ain¡¯t going to be good¡¹

    The baldie, while scratching his head and showing a smile saying he had seen through everything, said those words.

    ¡¸Ain¡¯t I telling you that I refuse, fucking get lost¡¹

    *s-i-g-h*, while heaving an exaggerated sigh the man continued his words.

    ¡¸Heeey, bruh, are you mistaking us for bandits or something, aren¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸......What the fuck?¡¹

    ¡¸We are the so-called ve dealers, and chasing after our escapedmodity is our REALLY important job, so we are currently doing our work¡¹

    The services of ves, though is under some agreements depending on the country in Pandora, but is not fundamentally banned.

    Even in Spada the ve market, publicly exists.

    ¡¸If you¡¯re deliberately hiding her, then you will be the bandits. We are legally doing our ve trading, having ourmodity piged, we won¡¯t keep quiet. But, if you are to give us back obediently, then everything¡¯s over, both of us would sleep peacefully tonight¡¹

    The eight boys and girls trembled.

    If whatever the man said is truth, then they would be used guilty for assisting the escapement of the ve.

    ¡¸ve, huh, I see, but I ain¡¯t gonna blindly ept whatever you say¡¹

    ¡¸Hey hey, that is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸And more than anything, the violence against ves is banned, so you will be used for inflicting violence on her!¡¹

    Shena spoke sharply, continuing after Eddie.

    ves are approved of in Spada, though, it¡¯s not like their human rights are all revoked, they are not to be subjected to absolute dominance, the thing which appeared in the unpleasant past history.

    In city states that approved of very, starting from Spada, in rtion to the treatment of ves, the responsibility of the owner is decided by thew.

    Though the girl might have dropped herself to a ve, the sexual abuse to her is not allowed.

    In the very least, to own a ve publicly adhering tows like this is needed.

    ¡¸Tch, you damn fucking brats, tryn¡¯ to be smart¡¹

    The man cursed as if spitting out, but, the Knight candidates have already taken out their swords, drawn out their bows, cocked their wands, and were showing their fighting spirit without backing off even a single step.

    ¡¸Shut up you damn old fuck,e at us from anywhere¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t underestimate adults you fucking brats, hey, all of you, get ¡®em¡ª¡ªThat is what I would actually want to say right now, but bruh you and your friends all look quite strong, fighting you is scaring us a liiiitttlllleee, frankly speaking¡¹

    ¡¸......¤Ï¤¡£¿¡¹

    ¡¸......Huh?¡¹

    Just when they thought that those people woulde at them in rage, the man showed a frivolous smile and didn¡¯t show even the slightest of hostility.

    The men standing behind him, though had weapons in their hands, but had no intention to fight.

    ¡¸Well, we got bodyguards for times like this, teachs¡¯, leaving ¡®em to you!¡¹

    As if responding the voice of man, three shadows appeared right in front of Eddie and others.

    ¡¸Leave it to me, it¡¯s finally my screen time! I will make these brats into wrenched shapes!!¡¹

    The tallest shadow was an 2 meters big golem.

    Holding a mace and tower shield, which correspond to its great body, in the hands, the single eye on its head glittered red ominously.

    ¡¸What, aren¡¯t they truly just brats¡¹

    The next big shadow, though smaller than golem but bigger than a normal human, was a giant with shaved head.

    Wearing simple leather armor with a somewhatrge battle axe in hands, but from the man¡¯s bulged muscles one can¡¯t help but feel the power hidden in them.

    ¡¸......Fumu¡¹

    Thest one was, standing besides the two big ones, seemingly small, but in truth was almost the same height as of Eddie or a little shorter.

    The blond man with vacant eyes, had his skin strangely pale, the face and body both seemed haggard, at a nce he seemed like a seriously sick person.

    But, wearing a worn-out ck coat along with a special sword called¡ºKatana¡»hanging from the waist, he seemed more like a ghost making one feel eeriness and Goosebumps.

    ¡¸Hahahahaha, there¡¯s newmodities in such an unexpected ce, Teachs¡¯, if possible capture them girls alive!¡¹

    Like that, the young Knight Candidates with future prospects, would get to know the price of doing justice without power, with their bodies.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Volume 15 Starts!

    Who is Eddie? Well those curious look back on Chapter 175¡ºIfrit Appears!?¡». And also that baldie who seems familiar...

 Chapter 231 Come, The Forest of Tentacles

    Chapter 231 ¨C Come, The Forest of Tentacles

    Great Forest Latifundia is a standard dungeon called as Forest of Lati in a friendly manner by the adventurers of Spada.

    But, in the deepest part are a variety of rank 4 monsters lurking, if a low ranked adventurer carelessly wandered in there, well confirm the death notice.

    No, even if not going into deepest part, the ces where skilled adventurers have to face dangers; those monsters may appear out of blue.

    For instance, a ce with innumerable ivy wriggling in a zigzag form, it¡¯s exactly that ce.

    A sweet bad smell is floating in the air, which is enough to make one choke, if a person breathes it in, regardless of gender, their lower body would heat up.

    This smell promoting sexual desires apparently is emitted from the mucus secreted by these wriggling ivy.

    Every ivy, upon touching hands, seems bewildered, they are all covered in mucus shining like greasy oil, after experiencing the effect of this thing which can be called as natural aphrodisiac, even the scene of getting entangled by trees would seen obscene.

    No, it¡¯s not like these ivy acquired the power to produce mucus with such lewd effect by pure coincidence.

    This ivy, officially called as Morjura, got this type of evolution for implementing a more efficient and effective way to breed.

    The original body of Morjura is a ball shaped by the ivy clumped together; its approx size is of 1 meter.

    These long ivy that protrude from there, properly called as organ like ¡®tentacles¡¯, perform movements and attacks, even capturing the prey.

    If it¡¯s just one of them then its body also is small, the power in tentacles too is not too strong, if one has even a little of reasoning power to hold back this horny sexual desire, these aren¡¯t monsters that people cannot defeat.

    However, maybe it¡¯s as expected, they move in crowds.

    It¡¯s not just advantageous in numbers, but also the smell of emitted mucus is denser, showing the intensive effect of changing a person into beast within less than a few seconds.

    With the scene of Morjura covering the forest with slippery stuff, even a rank 3 adventurers would hesitate to attack if they haven¡¯t downed a detoxification potion beforehand.

    On top of tormenting the opponent with this intense aphrodisiac, Morjura breeds.

    As to what it exactly is, is something that is about to be performed that it had captured a new prey.

    The pitiful prey was a pure white Pegasus, seeing two wings growing on the back resembling that of swans¡¯ specifying that this was a female Pegasus.

    The pure-blooded maiden is used mostly as the symbol of purity, but there is no guarantee whether this Pegasus is a virgin or not.

    Just, she can be a pure lovely virgin, or a mother of a child, or a whore that opens her legs for anyone, no, more precisely, to Morjura, the differences of men and women of all ages doesn¡¯t matter.

    Even if it¡¯s a monster or a person, the thing Morjura does is always the same, hence, even capturing this beautiful Pegasus, it won¡¯t feel anything other than getting a new prey, well that only works if they have emotions.

    With the effect of Morjuras¡¯ aphrodisiac stuff, the Pegasus lost the power to either fly in air, stand on ground, and falls on the ground.

    The short-tempered tentacles have started to wrap around the white body, finally seeing the Pegasus stopped moving, the surrounding Morjura, simultaneously, extended their tentacles.

    The tentacles covered with transparent mucus head towards that ¡®hole¡¯ which any animal would have.

    Those are the mouth for eating, nose for sniffing smell, anus for excretion, of course, also the sexual organ for producing children.

    In a hole of that sort of hole, the tentacles of Morjura enter as ifpeting with other tentacles, without any restraint, gentleness or even leniency.

    The mucus covering the tentacles worked as a lube, the tentacles entered the hole without any resistance while making slippery sounds.

    Feeling her whole body being pierced the Pegasus raised a shrill cry, but, was made silent by the tentacles even entering from the mouth.

    The tentacles, after entering somewhat into the body, released the seed they had been holding.

    The children of Morjura use the body of other living being as nourishment for growth; hence byying the seeds inside the body, they nurse it.

    Like that the being having the seed nted inside, has the nourishment absorbed from the interior of body, and soon after dies from weakness.

    Around this time, the grown-up Morjura bites and tears apart the stomach to get out, so even if they don¡¯t die from weakness, their death is inevitable.

    And this continues for until one side dies, in other words, just like now the being would have tentacles stuffed inside forever, and seed would be nting inside it forever.

    Getting captured by Morjura means, the body is raped just like now for several days.

    That¡¯s why Morjura, while being a rank 2 monster, is a monster which adventurers would never want to lose to, it easily enters the top 5 category of most unpopr monsters.

    If one ispletely captured by Morjura then they can¡¯t even suicide if they want to.

    That is the same for this Pegasus too, till the time her lifests the seeds of Morjura would keep on filling her womb that is her fate.

    But, that fate is toppled over at an unexpected turn.

    Having the Death Reapere to her before she went, she was given the relief of death in this current moment.

    ¡¸Shitty smell and what a cruel scene¡¹

    The one who appeared abruptly was a man d in Apprentice Mage Robe, the guild card hanging from the neck was bronze representation Rank 2.

    In his right hand was a machete with a hue of deep crimson as if it was burning.

    With just one light of it, the raging mes surge out vigorously.

    But, those weren¡¯t any normal mes, but ck burning mes that don¡¯t exist in natural world, the Darkness mes.

    Those ck mes reduced the lying down Pegasus, and the Morjura squirming around like hoodlums, into ashes.

    Morjura having a body structure near vegetables, having this much of mes poured upon, would only die with no room for survival.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, most of the monsters with tentacles have a habit of doing this thing¡¹

    With a calm voice without any intonations, a witch in ck clothes appeared from behind the man.

    She waved the red wand in her hands, while looking at the man; several tens of fireballs are fired off rapidly, sting away the remaining Morjura trying to extend their tentacles.

    ¡¸Ugh, it smeels funny here!¡¹

    The one who appeared this time was a small girl d in a sphere-shaped light green barrier.

    Seems like she didn¡¯t like the smell emitted by Morjura and was showing a sullen expression by knitting her thin brows on her lovely face.

    And, that sullenness is not only represented by her expression but also by her behavior.

    She flickers her two pairs of wing, which is the special characteristic of fairies, and several orbs and beams scatter all over the ce.

    ¡¸Ah, I finally thought of trying out the new de made of¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s right arm¡», but Morjura¡¯s count just seems to decrease by each second......¡¹

    The man says that with disappointment while shifting his vision to the young girl and the small girl, who are scattering the fire and light here and there respectively.

    The moment he turns back, the Morjura attacking him from behind, didn¡¯t even enter the man¡¯s vision, but end up getting burned and bisected from the machete, which he called¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s right arm¡».

    ¡¸Sorry Kurono-san, it was just too gross and disgusting¡¹

    ¡¸Uh, the smell, I hate it!¡¹

    To the non-timid witch, and angry fairy, the man nodded while smiling wrly.

    ¡¸Well, certainly it was gross and stinking, not someone I would fight for a long period¡¹

    The man once again revert his vision to the front, only to see several corpses of Mojura burnt ck, or in pieces.

    In this ce, even with a nce, it was clear the Morjura neared hundred, but after seeing such a one-sided attack, more than half ran towards the center of forest.

    ¡¸Anyhow we were able to defeat the prescribed number, with this the quest is aplished¡¹

    Furthermore, this Morjura Subjugation just happened to be thest quest needed for¡ºElement Master¡»to reach Rank 3.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Kurono acquired¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s right arm¡»finally!

    ¡ºElement Master¡»reached Adventurer Rank 3!

    Kurono learned the correct ways to use tentacles!

 Chapter 232 The Man with 100 Points

    Chapter 232 ¨C The Man with 100 Points

    The moment a man wearing Apprentice Magician Robe appeared, the heartbeat of the receptionist Erina, who was working in the Adventurer Guild Academy District branch, rose up a notch.

    ¡¸Wee Back Kurono-sama, congrattions onpleting the quests! With this you are now Rank 3!!¡¹

    Erina¡¯s smile this time was, for the first time since she started working in guild, from her heart.

    ¡¸Ah, Yes, thank you very much¡¹

    Kurono was taken aback seeing the cute smile and taking unexpected words ofpliment, but somehow managed to safely respond.

    ¡¸Err, so please have your way with it¡¹

    Erina took the three Guild Cards forwarded by Kurono with a smile, and started to operate the magic item for updating the Guild Card.

    ¡¸You¡¯re increasing rank at an unbelievable pace, itpletely surprised me¡¹

    ¡¸You are right, me and the party members have somewhat ability¡¹

    Without any difficulties, easily reaching Rank 3 doesn¡¯t mean their ability is ¡®somewhat¡¯ level.

    For instance, if a skilled Rank 3 adventurer starts from Rank 1 again, and can reach to Rank 3 within a month, well pipe dreams.

    Though it might Rank 2 monsters subjugation quests, with their ability of a Rank 3, they would need to make borate preliminary arrangements and need to be careful while moving around at the actual ce.

    At times, leaving the target even after discovering it because of theirrge crowd or the movements of nearby monsters is alsomon.

    In that case, it would take quite lot of time toplete the quests.

    In spite of that, the fact that they reached Rank 3 with just a little over 1 month while epting all the quests means, that they swiftly ended the quests, there¡¯s no other proof.

    As a bonus, this party called as Element Master brings the monsters counting more than requested in the quest.

    This truly is the truth and evidence that their ability is enough to squash monsters even if they form crowds.

    Erina is already convinced that Element Master has ability of Rank 4 or above.

    ¡¸Ufufu, What were you doing before bing an adventurer?¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry, that is a secret¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s my fault for trying to pry unneeded¡¹

    Even with this casual conversation, Erina deepens her conviction that Kurono isn¡¯t a country bumpkin from Irz Vige, but just as he said someone great with a secret.

    Thinking further, the party members, Lily the fairy and Fiona the witch, these two from the same vige cannot be childhood friends.

    (Perhaps, he was an Elite Knight of Deadalus?)

    Thinking back, the history of participation in the emergency quest for escaping from Daedalus to Spada also seems fishy.

    Thinking of them not as just adventurers, but the survivors of the defeated Daedalus army who, for protecting the civilians, took on the rear guard, thinking like that is more coherent.

    After running to Spada, the knight having his mothend destroyed tried to live his life as an adventurer, this choice seems usible.

    (Hmm, a Knight of a ruined country, isn¡¯t this situation quite stimting)

    She was about to get drowned in her own delusions, but Erina, being an Elite receptionist,pleted her work, in other words the updating of Guild Card was finished.

    ¡¸Yes, the updation is now over¡¹

    Like that, the bronze started shining like Silver, handing the now silvery-shining Guild Card to Kurono, Erina said words of congrattions and encouragement.

    Being praised from words and smile from her heart, Kurono showed his bashfulness as if to say he was embarrassed.

    Depending on person that scene could be called dreadful, but seeing his cold sharp face smiling broadly, Erina¡¯s heart was tormented by the so-called ¡®Gap-moe¡¯.

    (Shit, he¡¯s just too good......)

    Erina was about to drool and have a nosebleed, but thanks to the steeled reasoning power, which every Elf has, she was able to feignposure.

    ¡¸By the way, what would you do about quests, Kurono-sama?¡¹

    Judging from past experiences, the next lines would be to see all the Rank 3 quests needed for reaching up to Rank 4.

    ¡¸No, Quests are postponed for sometime¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, is that so?¡¹

    Hearing the unexpected answer, Erina felt disappointment and stopped the listing of Rank 3 quests within her mind.

    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve been thinking of taking Adventurer Course of the Academy¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the reason¡¹

    Though Erina said that, lots of doubts rose in her head.

    (Why as of this time? His ability is more than enough, he¡¯s even reached Rank 3 means that he knows the ABC¡¯s of adventurers, moreover, if he was truly a Knight then he would also be fairly educated)

    Adventurers¡¯ Course has reading and writing, elementary math, brief history, theology etc, the subjects that could be learned for education are all basic ones.

    Even if Daedalus happened to be a developing country, there¡¯s no way that the Knight, who would carry the country, didn¡¯t learn all that.

    (Just what does he intends to learn in the Adventurers¡¯ Course?)

    Erina, who couldn¡¯t get an answer out, even thought that Kurono wasn¡¯t a Knight of Daedalus, in the end, she returned to the starting point about Kurono¡¯s identity, absolutely nothing.

    ¡¸Um, can I ask one thing?¡¹

    When her head was about to be filled with question marks, this time, Kurono called out to her.

    ¡¸Yes, what it might be?¡¹

    In a sh Erina replied with a perfect smile, though the inside of her head is like that, she doesn¡¯t disturb her outward appearance, she¡¯s only been working for 2 continuous years, but ability wise she was already in the realm of professionals.

    ¡¸I had heard that upon reaching Rank 3, various information on monsters is unbanned, can I inspect that¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, you have heard right, upon reaching Rank 3, most of information can be inspected, The information¡¯s are on the second floor¡ª¨C¡¹

    Rank 3 is a rank when one can be considered a skilled adventurer.

    Hence, from now onwards fighting monsters above their rank is their own freedom, or so the Guild thinks.

    Fighting recklessly would only end up as dying, but fighting with power, for aiming more higher, and then it¡¯s needed to take some risks.

    In that judgment, Guild has authorized all the information, except ssified information, to be disyed to adventurers¡¯ of Rank 3 or above.

    ¡¸I see, thank you¡¹

    Seeing Kurono giving thanks to her kind, careful and thorough exnation, her heartbeats rises up a notch again.

    ¡¸Well then, in near future I will be back for quests¡¹

    Kurono who was leaving that ce by saying his thanks,

    ¡¸Please wait, Kurono-sama¡¹

    Was stopped by Erina.

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    Maybe he didn¡¯t thought to be stopped, Kurono showed a little perplexed expression.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but this is a little personal, I just wanted to give my thanks to you¡¹

    ¡¸......Thanks?¡¹

    ¡®Of What?¡¯ Before Kurono asked, Erina bowed deeply and spoke.

    ¡¸I¡¯m really grateful for saving me in my peril. If Kurono-sama didn¡¯t enter at the right time, I would have lost my life to that murderer¡¹

    ¡¸Huh, Huuuh, Murderer, you mean¡ª¡ªeh, uh, don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re the victim from that time?¡¹

    To Kurono, who showed a truly surprised expression, Erina continued her words in a sarcastic manner.

    ¡¸Did you by chance, not recognize who I was at that time?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no......I¡¯m sorry, at that time I was quite desperate myself, so I didn¡¯t hadposure to confirm the face¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s alright, that situation just popped out of blue after all, and I even had a different hairstyle at that time. But, I immediately understood, that you were Kurono-sama at that time¡¹

    That¡¯s right that was the reason why Erina, like a young pubescent girl, was making her heartbeat increase when she talked with Kurono.

    Kurono is the knight for her, who saved her in her peril from Joto the serial killer.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine¡¹

    ¡¸That should be my line, I called the Law Guardians immediately, but I didn¡¯t knew if they made it in time or not......At the time of interrogation I finally heard all the details and was relieved¡¹

    Erina knewter about the situation currently, that Kurono was approved of appearing a dayter because he was tired.

    Erina knew that Kurono saved her, but she didn¡¯t know where he lived.

    Then she finally thought that they would only be able to meet in Guild, and right now that is exactly happening.

    ¡¸It was helpful that you called the Law Guardians, thank you very much¡¹

    After exchanging some words confirming the health of each other, this time, Kurono truly left the Guild.

    While gazing at the masculine back wrapped in the ck robe, Erina muttered.

    ¡¸Ufufu, Kurono-san, I¡¯m giving you 100 points¡¹

    The marks for Kurono she had held back for sometime were now recorded as 100 points, a perfect score, and the highest marks for Erina.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Kurono acquired 100 points!

    20-04-2012

    This time, I received illustration from Irareba-san! I have pasted the URL to¡ºMitemin¡»in the Character Introductions, so please take a look at that.

 Chapter 233 The Seven Deadly Sins

    Chapter 233 ¨C The Seven Deadly Sins

    Never had I thought that the female who was attacked was Erina-san......is this what they mean that world is small.

    It was unexpected truth, but I was able to save a person I know of, as the results I¡¯ve got no intention toin.

    However, considering all that, for some reason, Fiona¡¯s reaction was unfavorable, to me, who was talking happily, she was sending me a cold re.

    Is this the, ¡®I defeated the murderer, don¡¯t show haughtiness yourself¡¯ type of nuance embedded re.

    Hmm, but even Lily, who was hearing besides me had a cold reaction, just what the hell is with them......no, well it must only me over-thinking about their cold reactions.

    It must me getting excited on my own, whereas for them both, saving people in this world lodged with monsters might be daily urrences.

    Setting this matter aside, just like I heard from Miss Erina before, to obtain the newly unbanned information, I may my way to the Reference room which is exclusive for Rank 3 and above.

    Though I say that, this reference room entirely covers a single floor out of these four floors, it would be more precise to call it library judging from the amounts of books and documents it stores.

    These all are not only based on monsters, but also weapon, magic, stuff rted to adventurers etc, in fact the floor is divided into parts based on the ssification of books.

    So, I took charge of getting info about monsters, and left other information gathering to Lily and Fiona.

    The still-estranged-frommon sense me, suffers a lot to understand the contents of books due to unknown nouns and peculiar expressions.

    It would be great if Iprehend the ecology and habitat area of monsters, but in most cases, I give up on the documents which simply need lot ofprehension power, especially the books rted to magic.

    That¡¯s why, did I do role-sharing.

    Well, to Fiona, who went to a vocational school like Elysion Magic Academy, finding new books of magic is a low probability.

    ¡¸Well then, will Mia tell me the important stuff¡¹

    When I step into the reference room with monsters¡¯ information stuffed inside bookshelves, I closed my right eye and surveyed the surroundings.

    ¡¸......Gotcha¡¹

    Several books of the monster list, which always get¡¯s updated by Guild because of its high frequency of use, started glowing in red, emphasizing their existence.

    Closing the left eye, I looked from the right eye, and as expected, the red luminescence disappeared, it returned back to a normal book.

    Even if it¡¯s magic the structure of this eyeball is still unknown, well because it¡¯s convenient, let¡¯s ignore.

    I took the books which radiated red color, pile them on the table, and while opening the first book, sat down on a chair.

    This reference room is only being used by me currently, so it¡¯s truly quiet.

    Hearing the sound of me turning over pages resounding in the room, made me recall of the Literature Club of my high school.

    While indulging in the emotions, I move the pen over a white paper and note down the info in the books.

    This information is about the new trials which woulde in future.

    After spending quite a lot of time, I listed the monsters which were in red color upon seeing from the left eye.

    ¡¸Six left, huh¡¹

    On the paper, six names were written.

    Greed Gore.

    Sloth Sgil.

    Pride Gem.

    Gluttony Oct.

    Lust Rose.

    Envy Ray

    ¡¸Almost like the seven deadly sins¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, the demons which are crowned with the names of sins, are the only worthy offerings for getting the Divine Protection of Demon King¡¹

    To words I muttered for some reason, unexpectedly a reply came back.

    I turn back to look, there stood Mia in the same uniform of Academy as I saw before in the za.

    ¡¸Just kidding, did it sound too cool¡¹

    ¡°Ahaha¡±, saying that Mia seemed bashful, hey, if you¡¯re that embarrassed then don¡¯t say it in the first ce.

    But, it would be pathetic to point that out.

    ¡¸You appear unexpectedly, as always¡¹

    ¡¸Ehehe, isn¡¯t that more Godly?¡¹

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I think that, but looking at the prideful Mia, it makes me want topromise to her words.

    Of course, at this stage, I¡¯m taking her more of a the-child Mia-chan, rather than a god.

    ¡¸So the rest of trials will be over after subjugating all these six monsters?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, but even if I don¡¯t tell you reason, you know it, right¡¹

    After defeating Wrath-Pun, which had the power of mes, I obtained the ability to change my ck magical energy into mes.

    And, from the six monsters I just investigated upon, it¡¯s written that they all are specialized in attribute power.

    Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Light, Darkness, these eight are the attributes of magic, if I can use all eight of them, without them, I can name myself as a true Element Master.

    The monsters left toplete the trials, have all the attributes except the fire and darkness.

    ¡¸Changing the ck magical energy into the form and nature of some attribute, that is the power of Divine Protection, right?¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, at the lowest you will get that sort of power¡¹

    Mia sat in the seat in front of me, and put a big lunch box, which god knows where he/she took out from, on top of the table.

    She¡¯s gonna have lunch, leaving Mia personal work, I pursued behind those meaningful words.

    ¡¸At the lowest means, there is more toe?¡¹

    ¡¸How you use the power is up to you, it¡¯s about how proficiently you can use it. Ah, but upon clearing all the trails, there lot toe!¡¹

    ¡°That¡¯s why, work hard¡±, saying those encouraging words, Mia took out an unusually big sandwich from the already-opened box and started gulping it down heartily.

    The smell of bacon stuffed between two white soft breads along with meat, stimtes my appetite, it¡¯s so troubling.

    Aside from that, use the power as I wish means not the aim, but how I practically use the ability to show effect, right.

    In the Morjura Subjugation Quest, I used the ck mes via the enhanced¡ºIfrit¡¯s Thumb¡», the machete¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right arm¡», and it proved that even using a normally would release lot of firepower.

    No, it only means that the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right arm¡»was more high-speced than I thought for, Stratos Smithing Workshop really did a great job, I will go there more in future.

    Setting it aside, I need to get more familiar at using this power, and then I would be able to turn only the de super hot always, like that the things I could do would only increase, ah, after obtaining different nature transformations, it would be interesting tobine them all together.

    Of course, at the current stage it¡¯s like counting roon dog skins before even capturing them.

    Moreover, aside from that, the ¡®lot toe¡¯ afterpleting the trials is, probably,

    ¡¸The Divine Protection activated upon reciting the name of god, right?¡¹

    *Shock*, His/Her small mouth and hands stopped.

    ¡¸Why do you know that already?¡¹

    ¡¸Why? Well everyone has been using Divine Protection by reciting the name of their god, that¡¯s why¡¹

    For Lily it is¡ºFairy Queen Iris¡», For Vulcan¡ºOrphan Wolf Volfgand¡», for Susu-san¡ºShadow Ferry Hanzomer¡», I have seen the scene where they recite the name of the god when activating the effect of Divine Protection.

    There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t understand after seeing that.

    ¡¸Eh~, so you knew it all~~¡¹

    Mia resumed eating her food, but with a displeased expression.

    What the fuck, did he/she wanted to keep it as a secret......No, it¡¯s too strange to not notice it.

    ¡¸Ah, But, I¡¯m getting excited on thinking what spell would I recite~¡¹

    ¡°Why the hell am I trying to please this god?¡± Thinking that, I spoke this remark, as I was unable to endure the figure of Mia eating sandwich with a depressed expression.

    ¡¸Eh, really? Mufufu, but I won¡¯t tell you, it¡¯s a secret yet!¡¹

    Looks like my remark did a great job, Mia¡¯s mood swings in a second and now she is smiling.

    For some reason, I can¡¯t help but think of her as a child just like his/her appearance.

    Well, it¡¯s all fine as long it¡¯s cute!

    ¡¸By the way, Mia¡¹

    However, just like there are rule for Gods, there are rules even in the world of people, which I have to teach this child right now.

    ¡¸Eh, What?¡¹

    Before I noticed it, Mia, who had already finished the bacon sandwich, was now heading towards the next egg sandwich, I carefully paid attention to it as if I had be the Librarian.

    ¡¸Eating and Drinking is banned in the Reference Room¡¹

 Chapter 234 Enrolment Celebration

    Chapter 234 ¨C Enrolment Celebration

    20th of Red me Month, time is of before the bell of noon rings, at this time we, the Element Master walked within the magnificent main building of Royal Spada Academy.

    ¡¸Though it¡¯s enrolment, we easily entered the Adventurer Course, right¡¹

    ¡¸I second that¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed~¡¹

    The other day, after reaching Adventurer Rank 3, we finally enrolled in the Academy as we had thought from before.

    Although I say that, this is the Adventurer Course which would wee anyone if one pays enough money, there would be no exams imposed, so it is less worthy than passing the High School.

    Therefore, today is our first day of attendance as students, the only thing we need to do are fundamental enrollment procedures, and briefing about the school.

    After that it¡¯s up to you whether you want to take sses or not, if you like then you can stop that instantly.

    There is neither a homeroom teacher nor a need to self-introduce in the new ss, just, the ss one thinks are needed needs to be attended, that sort of system.

    Judging from traits of Adventurers¡¯ Course, this degree of freedom seems natural, though knowing all that, I held anticipation for the new school I wouldmute to, so this came as a disappointment.

    I even recall the useless action of buying the uniform, the ck zer.

    It¡¯s a little bitte, but not all people in the Adventurers¡¯ Course wear the uniform, the ones wearing it for integrity are even not even half of them.

    ¡¸It¡¯s kind of disappointing judging from the looks¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it good, the uniform, I am liking it, and it¡¯s looking good at Kurono-san too¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono, so cool!¡¹

    No, you¡¯re levels at wearing the uniform stylishly ispletely unsurpassable by me.

    It is fitting perfectly on Fiona because of her age, and Lily ispletely looking like a glittering first-year student.

    Compared to them, I, who wore the school uniform of school I went to before had been changed with the zer, so it feels fresh as if I have be a new transfer student, but based on outward appearance I¡¯m looking like a normal highschool student......or not, not anymore.

    Compared to that time my height had increased, and more than anything my physique increased by a leap with all that toned muscles, I¡¯m now more fitting as a Adventurer rather than a highschool student.

    Well, even like that, upon getting praised by Lily an Fiona that I look good, albeit on any standard, it makes me happy secretly.

    ¡¸By the way, what are you two going to do? I will go meet Wil and Simon, seems like they are going to do a celebration party on my enrolment, wannae together?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m thinking of first seeing the library, there is something I want to search for,ter on I will step in there¡¹

    She¡¯s so diligent for checking the library, as expected of Witch.

    ¡¸What will you do, Lily?¡¹

    ¡¸You see, Lily too has work to do!¡¹

    What!? Lily got work to do? Just what work does she has to do, in her child form.

    ¡¸Ufufu, still a secret!¡¹

    ¡¸I-I see¡¹

    Now that she told it¡¯s a secret, I can¡¯t pursue further.

    So for the time being,ter on Lily and Fiona wille together, so I will go first to the storage¡ª¨CI meanboratory where Simon and Wil might be waiting.

    Ah, now that I think about it, Wil is the Spada¡¯s Second Prince Wilhart, though I have told these two about meeting him, but today will be their first time meeting him.

    It would be great if Lily doesn¡¯t put her guard up seeing his vigor......why the hell am I getting overprotective.

    ¡¸Well then, see youter¡¹

    Like that, we are, wanting to head for our destinations, temporarily separated near the front entrance of the main building.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸T-This is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Right now I visited the run-downb of Simon, and within, as promised, got a warm wee for enrolment.

    I am truly happy that they are celebrating my entrance, in truth a shock which I had never expected was waiting for me.

    After all, the ones standing in front of me are,

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªAren¡¯t these rice balls!?¡¹

    The soft plump white rice with ck nori on the top, this though simple yet refined dish, no matter from where you look at it, seems like a rice ball.

    Maybe because I just took hold of a freshly cooked one, from the triangle of white ck color, little bit of steam rises.

    The faint smell of nori, just greatly stimtes my stomach and appetite.

    ¡¸Whoa, Onii-chan is truly surprised¡¹

    ¡¸Fahahahaha, it¡¯s just as we had told you!¡¹

    Seeing my reaction, Wil seemed satisfied.

    ¡¸What is this, did Wil prepare it?¡¹

    I had heard before that they would wait with lunch prepared, but never had I thought that an rice ball would appear.

    Just why, is rice ball thefort food of Japanese, present in this another world as if natural, I ask whilst my arousal is still continuing.

    ¡¸Fumu, let me confirm it first Kurono, you are a foreigner, in other words, an existence that came from a world different from this one, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah......no wait, did I ever tell you that I¡¯m a person of another world?¡¹

    To Wil¡¯s manner of speaking full of confidence, I ended up giving my affirmation, but I hadn¡¯t told him about another world fact at the time I told about the fight in Alsace Vige.

    Currently the people who know that I¡¯m another worlder, here called as ¡®foreigner¡¯, are just Lily, Fiona and Simon.

    I sent a fleeting nce of suspicion to Simon, maybe he understood my intention, and rejected it by shaking his head and hands.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t get your guard up, just because you¡¯re a foreigner, I won¡¯t do a thing to you. The ck hair and eyes, in the first ce, is the trait of foreigners mostly, so I could guess it just by looking at you once¡¹

    Now that he said that, I haven¡¯t met people with ck hair and eyes.

    I had seen people with one of them, but people with both of them would be only the experiment subjects.

    I see, thinking probabilistically, the Japanese traits of ck hair and eyes equates to trait of foreigners, just with that one can guess easily.

    Well, I have one red eye now though.

    ¡¸Now, seeing you react that way to this dish Rice Ball, which a foreigner had told, I waspletely confirmed of that fact¡¹

    Looks like I was entrapped, but if a Japanese person sees rice balls in an strange another world, there is no way the person won¡¯t get happy.

    No, the fact that concerns me is,

    ¡¸An foreigner told means, there are others like me in Spada!?¡¹

    Though I said others like me, strictly speaking I don¡¯t mean those who were summoned here as experimental subjects.

    Other than that, Japanese summoned here for some other main cause, is a surprising point for me.

    ¡¸No, they aren¡¯t in Spada¡¹

    ¡¸Then, where?¡¹

    ¡¸Well calm down, let¡¯s talk while eating, Rice Balls are tasty though cold, but still eating them hot is best¡¹

    ¡°Hahaha¡±, Wil sat down elegantly whileughing as usual, continuing me and Simon also sat.

    No, well, rice balls are truly tasty......Crap, I¡¯m about to tear up from the happiness and homesickness......

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWell then, has Kurono heard about Count Red Wing?¡¹

    While eating the another world version of rice balls, which has fish like salmon garnished, Wil started talking.

    While taking the tea from the Wil¡¯s maid who named herself as Seria, I¡ª¨COh, this tea tastes like green tea, that means tea leaves also exist here.

    Turning aside that sort of thoughts,

    ¡¸Nope, never heard of it¡¹

    I replied.

    ¡¸Fumu, you had been living in the countryside of Daedalus, no wonder you didn¡¯t know about a noble of city-state, so let the me, who brain is filled with grey matter¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Count Red Wing was from a country called Rune, he was also the a person who came from ¡®JAPAN¡¯ country, he was the one who made it¡¹

    ¡¸Nooooooooooaa! Simon, how dare you reveal the important stuff so easily, that was the most foolish act, how can you not understand the inner workings of a conversation!¡¹

    ¡¸After all, Wil¡¯s self-advertisement is always long, the talk won¡¯t continue¡¹

    The alchemist looks at theining Prince with scornful eyes, looks like they got friendlier when I wasn¡¯t around.

    No, more than their progress, the fact Count Red Wing was a Japanese is more shocking.

    Most probably Red Wing is an alias, the name he got here, if it¡¯s truly an alias, then his name would be, hmmm, Akaba-san? No, that just too simple to be true. [1]

    Anyway, Even a Japanese me can say this rice ball is perfect, it only means that the Count isn¡¯t spouting any lie.

    However, if he was a Japanese like me means, he would have had a rough start without any means, still he became someone that great,pletely different from the adventurer me, who doesn¡¯t even has a permanent residence address.

    ¡¸Hey, how do I meet that Count?¡¹

    ¡¸Well meeting him is impossible¡¹

    Why? Does the Count don¡¯t want to meet anyone like adventurers¡¯? Quite arrogant......

    ¡¸Count Red Wing died 50 years ago¡¹

    ¡¸Come again?¡¹

    To Wil¡¯s words, I let out a foolish sound.

    Died? Moreover 50 years ago? That¡¯s just shit¡ª¡ªNo wait,e to think of it,

    ¡¸People like you have lived in the era I was alive, rather there were many morepared to now¡¹

    When I first met Mia, he/she said that thing.

    That¡¯s right, the phenomenon of summoning people from Earth is not something that didn¡¯t happen before.

    ¡¸Is that so, truly unfortunate......¡¹

    I thought that I would finally meet someone ¡®decent and normal¡¯ from Japan, but it doesn¡¯t seem like I would get the chance.

    ¡¸D-Don¡¯t get that depressed Kurono, The Count of Rune had left various things of another world origin¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, there are also SUSHI and TEMPURA, and other things for eating!¡¹

    I got happy at the unexpected follow up by these two, and,

    ¡¸SUSHI and TEMPURA, Pfft, hahahahaha!¡¹

    Iugh out loud because the way Simon said the names sounded like the dialect of a stereotype foreigner tourist.

    ¡¸Eh, What, did I say something strange?¡¹

    ¡¸Well, even SUSHI and TEMPURA are the dishes Rune boasts of¡¹

    ¡¸Kuku, no, the pronunciation was different, it¡¯s said sushi and tempura¡¹

    ¡°Whoa- as expected of a real foreigner¡± The reaction of Simon and Wil seemed strange and made meugh more,

    I can¡¯t meet Red Wing person, who is without a doubt Japanese, but still I got some interesting information.

    Rune, eh, let¡¯s go there in future sometime.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Kurono: ¡¸I need to keep the talk about Sushi and Tempura a secret from Fiona¡¹

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    [1]. Red Wing = Akaba = ³àÓð. ³à£½RED¡¢Óð£½WING

 Chapter 235 Lily and Chairwoman

    Chapter 235 ¨C Lily and Chairwoman

    ¡¸You see, Lily too has work to do!¡¹

    Lily said that truly cutely, but,

    ¡¸Excuse me, can I ask you to convey a message to Chairwoman Pacifal? That if she remembers the name Lily of Fairy Garden, I would like to meet her¡¹

    On the counter on the second floor of main building, Lily said those words in her child form, but her way of speaking waspletely that of an adult.

    In her round and cute emerald eyes, intelligence, no, cleverness seems to reside.

    ¡¸Please wait a moment¡¹

    One minute after getting that answer,

    ¡¸The Chairwoman wants to meet you, let me guide you to the Chairperson room on the top floor¡¹

    The clerk female, who had been seeing Lily as a child, was now guiding her with a nervous expression on face.

    (As expected of long living Dark Elves, it¡¯s going to be 30 years now and she still remembers that)

    Lily slightly recalled her meeting with the Chairwoman of Royal Spada Academy, Sofia Sirius Pacifal.

    .

    .

    .

    28 years ago.

    In the dead of night, within Fairy garden, a dark elf covered in blood was crouching near the root of a tree.

    From her neck, a silver te Guild Card was hanging, implying she was a Rank 3 Adventurer.

    On it the name without the family name Sofia, Mage ss, and other information was written.

    ¡¸Ku......This is somewhat bad......¡¹

    Sofia¡¯s figure in desperation while muttering that seemed weak and frail.

    Her delicate hair just like a silver thread were disordered, the glossy dark brown skin was dirtied by blood and dark soil, the white robe she wore was torn, burned, frayed, and didn¡¯t seem like an armor anymore.

    The girl with vacant atmosphere drifting around, with blood and dirt stuck on her, lost her shining beautifulness.

    Seeing her dirty figure, one would think she was a weak and frail girl who was attacked by monster or bandits within the forest.

    But, Sofia was anything but weak and frail, that is something one would know even if they don¡¯t see her Guild Card, but look at the surroundings.

    Surrounding Sofia were several tens of ice sculptures.

    Those were of humans, beast people, and many other races, they were all armed with weapons, looking just like a group of adventurers, in fact, they were adventurers.

    (I shouldn¡¯t have fought alone)

    While looking the ice sculptures with a faint breath, she regretted.

    But often by the time one repents, the irreversible work had been done.

    Sofia, just a moment ago, killed all the adventurers that joined hands to steal the Artifact that resides within the holynd of fairies, the Light Fountain.

    Entering the Light Fountain area is forbidden, this is an official rule in the Western Daeadalus, and every vige¡¯s Adventurers¡¯ Guild calls it like that.

    But, she would never move to stop the adventurers doing bandit-like work because of something like sense of justice.

    (I don¡¯t like it, for that reason, the opponents were the just too bad)

    Sofia and frozen dead adventurers metst night in the dining hall of Adventurers¡¯ Guild of the nearest vige, Irz.

    And, just that single contact made this group spout shit about Sofia in addition to her Dark Elves race.

    It was inside the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, so Sofia feigned calmness and drew back at that ce, but,

    (But it¡¯s the truth that I wouldn¡¯t feel better until I get them good)

    And the result was massacre of all members.

    This was quitemon way to end the quarrel among hot-blooded adventurers.

    (hmph, you¡¯re so unsightly,dy-killer)

    Seeing the only Rank 4 Elf man, who spouted the most shit, from her blurred vision, Sofia let out a bitterugh.

    While alive his elf face was quite good, but after being frozen it was pulverized and would never be seen again.

    (Ah, crap, I¡¯m getting really sleepy, if I lost my consciousness then it will remain like that forever)

    The falling eyelids were stupidly heavy.

    In ordance to survival instincts, she tried to hold onto her consciousness, but considering her current state it was nothing more than short-lived resistance.

    (After all, I was cut out for just this much......it¡¯s a worthless manner of dying, but is more adventurer-ish)

    The time she started thinking negative thoughts proactively, and was waiting to ept her death,

    ¡¸Are you fine?¡¹

    She sensed a child-like small human-shape person, while shining, stood in front of her.

    (What, is it the divine messenger that picks the dead up? For them to exist in and not be a lie......)

    For looking at the face of the divine messenger, even for just a nce, she mustered her left strength and somehow opened her eyes.

    There was a small girl¡¯s face, with long tinum-blond hair and emerald green eyes, while her body was literally shining, she was truly lovely and beautiful.

    .

    .

    .

    And, 28 yearster, in current they both were having a reunion in the Chairperson room of Royal Spada Academy.

    In the documents distributed during the briefing about school before, if Lily hadn¡¯t noticed the name of Chairperson on one of its page, this reunion wouldn¡¯t have urred.

    ¡¸After that time, I started taking care of myself, and am now able to live like this¡¹

    ¡¸Taking care? The heroic saga about the adventurer called as¡ºValkyrie Blizzard¡»is something I had heard even while living in a rural ce within Daedalus¡¹

    ¡¸Stop it, if was when I was in active duty, but after retiring hearing that second name is embarrassing to an unbearable extent¡¹

    Saying that the beautiful dark elf woman smiled, the face of the about-to-die girl isn¡¯t left, but still Lily knew just by a nce that she was the adventurer who was saved all that time before.

    ¡¸Still, you haven¡¯t changed at all, as expected of fairy, eh¡¹

    Lilypared her small body, which was sitting on a ck leather sofa, and the body of Sofia, which couldn¡¯t be any riper for any female, which caused her be conscious of the flow of time and difference of races.

    Even elves can¡¯t bepared to preserving youth to the magical existences, fairies, who don¡¯t have the very concept of getting old, even if it¡¯s Lily, who was half-human half-demon, the difference could not be covered.

    But it is a different story if that difference is for good-or-worse, looking at their chests, Lily is like the Great ins stretching till horizon, conversely Sofia is like Great Mountain Range which reaches up to heavens.

    If Lily had heard the information about Kurono being a big-breast lover, she would have red the profound ravine made by glossy dark brown skin, without caring about the authenticity of the information.

    ¡¸Oh, I thought you would have only known my child form, but you seem unperturbed by the current me too¡¹

    It¡¯s only recently that Lily is now at least able to restore her consciousness to the adult form.

    It is someone who knows Lily till now, they would know that she neither spoke like a child nor did she wear the clothes that fairies wear.

    Her speaking words fluently and wearing the uniform of Academy can already be called quite a great change.

    ¡¸That red jewel in your bosom is really beautiful¡¹

    Lily carries the¡ºQueen Beryl¡»under cover to hide it, even now.

    But, looks like in the long-slitted blue eyes of Sofia, this artifact which contains enormous magical energy, was clearly reflected.

    ¡¸As expected of a Rank 5 adventurer, I¡¯m no match for it¡¹

    Most probably, she already knows from where this artifact came from.

    ¡¸Ex-adventurer, well, currently I¡¯m working as the Chairwoman of this Academy, not like I¡¯m seriously working. However, to you, my life savior, I can help in many things that ur within the school¡¹

    But, she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of pursuing that matter.

    Lily had thought that even a fight would ur, but seeing the person she saved was with wisdom, she felt relieved.

    ¡¸Well then, what is your wish¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯ve received the gratitude at that time, fufu, so this is strong sense of duty particr to dark elves, thank you¡¹

    Lily felt she might be able to build a good rtionship with her.

    After all, while knowing Lily from before, she didn¡¯t despise her as a child, this attitude is full or wariness and intelligence.

    ¡¸Fumu, I see, if there some problem in the School life just tell me. If you want I can arrange a room in dorm or aboratory for you, ah, there is also an all-year-long Free Pass for the School Cafeteria¡¹

    To those words, which seemed half joke,

    ¡¸It would be great to stop that Free Pass, your school side is too big¡¹

    Lily replied seriously.

    ¡¸Can you eat that much?¡¹

    ¡¸There is a glutton as my party member, if you take charge a fee, she would keep on eating for who knows how many hours¡¹

    Taking Lily¡¯s serious answer Sofia let out a stifledughter, looks like she took it as a joke.

    Even if the School Cafeteria falls into a deficit, Lily would act ignorant.

    ¡¸Ah, but, I¡¯m thankful for lending a dorm, I had been thinking it¡¯s about time to leave the inn and buy a room somewhere¡¹

    It was the truth.

    Adventurers are mostly out for quests, rather than staying at inn, and if it¡¯s wandering adventurers, then they use inn rather than getting a room for a long-term contract.

    But, aftermuting to Academy, their time for quests would rtively decline, and they would remain in Spada until graduation or dropping out of school.

    In that case, buying a room is more economical than inn, for a long-term.

    ¡¸I see, if you want it then just tell me at that time, and, do you not want theboratory?¡¹

    ¡¸I know the meaning of a student having their personalboratory, but I don¡¯t want to be indebted that much¡¹

    It was more of not wanting to create needless debts rather taking advantage of favor.

    ¡¸Admirable attitude, eh, I want to let the sons of ipetent nobles hear that line¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not that great of a thing, if I present the recipe of Fairies¡¯ miracle drug, I would get one or twoboratories easily¡¹

    ¡¸Can you not present it right now? I won¡¯t say stingy thing like, just aboratory, I wouldpensate for your wish¡¹

    ¡¸Ufufu, I have no intention right now¡¹

    Lily already, no from the start knew about the true worth of fairies¡¯ miracle drug that she could create.

    And, Sofia had learned about its high effect, 28 years ago.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s unfortunate. If you change your mind, tell me anytime. And, yeah we were talking about dorm, right¡¹

    Rather than pursuing further, Sofia chose to change the topic quickly.

    ¡¸Yeah, I need it, is it alright?¡¹

    ¡¸Other than Elite candidates personal dorms, it¡¯s no problem¡¹

    ¡¸I want it near the shabby ce where Simon Friedrich Bardiel is living¡¹

    Of course, it¡¯s not Lily¡¯s wish, but rather Kurono would be happy like that.

    Before, Lily had known about Bardiel family and Simon, in the shop called Fairytail.

    Though Simon is an adopted and youngest child, there¡¯s no change in the fact that his name contains the name of one of the Four Great Nobles of Spada.

    In short, being familiar with him would get them a powerful connection.

    As a bonus reason, for Kurono, who possesses knowledge about the other world¡¯s tech, and Simon, who possesses the genius brains for implementing that knowledge, it¡¯s better for them to stay at one ce, it would increase the progress of research and development.

    ¡¸No it would be better to not be ced there, that ce is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, so even a legendary adventurer like you also show diposure, rare things sure ur in world¡¹

    The moment Lily interrupted the most usible reason for rejection; a strained freezing atmosphere reigned in the room.

    ¡¸I knew that fairies¡¯ have an Extra Magic like Telepathy, but for it to work to this extent¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a little bit special, but, if I didn¡¯t had somewhat information beforehand, I wouldn¡¯t have been this confident¡¹

    The freezing Crystal blue eyes and shining Emerald green eyes intersect.

    Even a powerless normal person saw this ring match, he would bend on his knees easily, or, if a Knight sensed this atmosphere, he would¡¯ve put hands on the hilt of sword quickly.

    It¡¯spletely Lily¡¯s fault for creating this turbulent critical situation.

    In the information she learned from Fairytail, there was info about Sofia¡¯s and Simon¡¯s rtion, for instance, about her rmending him to leave the school temporarily to create money, etc etc.

    The info was not decisive but with that as the trigger, Lily reached upon a guess with her intuition.

    And, that guess was proved this moment.

    Sofia, who had casted Mind Protect on herself which is equal to a soil frozen for eternity, but the turbulence of emotions did ur to observe it easily even with Mind Protect.

    The emotion Lily captured was just like a flower sprouted in snow, the so-called¡ºJealousy¡».

    ¡¸Though you¡¯re my life savior, I won¡¯t hand him, Simon, over to anyone¡¹

    Hence, Sofia spoke her true feelings to Lily, who could read her mind.

    Most probably she knows, that Lily, just like Simon, is a survivor from Daedalus, and she was saved miraculously.

    And, maybe she deluded herself in thinking about the stuff between a man and woman who have survived the cruel emergency quest.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t hand him over, it¡¯s absolute¡¹

    Till now, Sofia¡¯s heart didn¡¯t waver at all like an iceberg, but right now her heart was filled passion like zing purgatory.

    While sensing that passion which could burn the one intervened in her heart, Lily smiled with elegance.

    ¡¸Ufufu, Rx, the person I love is someone else, Fairy¡¯s love is only one, we don¡¯t do treachery¡¹

    ¡¸......Is that true?¡¹

    ¡¸Fairies¡¯ never lie¡¹

    Sofia probably knows that those words in itself were a lie, but she believed Lily¡¯s words about not having romantic emotions for Simon.

    ¡¸I made an embarrassing mistake, sorry¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, love-struck maidens need to be like that¡¹

    It¡¯s a problem to call Lily, who was of 32 years, and Sofia who was surely about double Lily, as maidens.

    But, there is no one to point that out here, nor would anyone point that out if they didn¡¯t had the resolution to fight against two armies.

    ¡¸But, frankly speaking, I was surely surprised to see you serious to that extent¡¹

    ¡¸Is it truly strange......our age differences is more than 20 years, even our races are different¡¹

    Though they might notpete publicly, but some specific races have feelings of disgust for other races.

    Elves and Dark Elves are ssic examples for that, in public view, they aren¡¯t a couple which would be weed.

    The age goes without saying, although the standard is different, it is a problem in all races.

    ¡¸Noo, it¡¯s nothing strange! Age? Race? Those shitty things have no power in stopping the power of love¡¹

    But, Lily asserted, there was no hesitation in her words.

    There was no lie or deceit in Lily¡¯s words, on the other hand,

    (It¡¯s truly a surprise, for her to be this innocent......)

    Lily had thought she would have lots of experience with men based on her appearance, career history and age, but sensing a clumsy color of first love in the outer surface of Sofia¡¯s consciousness, she was indeed, surprised.

    ¡¸I-I see, Fufufu, there¡¯s nothing wrong, me and Simon are the best couple¡¹

    ¡°No, I never said that much¡±, Lily gulped down the line which came to her throat.

    A scarlet hue spreads over her cool beautiful face, and her bewitchingly alluring lips curl in a sluttish way.

    ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t need to hide her love anymore, but showing this sort of reaction is too much¡±, Lily thought that while feigning innocence.

    But because it was a pure and beautiful love, the instinct of fairies¡¯ is stimted.

    It was truly something of concern of how did that weak and seedy-looking Simon captured the heart of this girl who was called as¡ºValkyrie Blizzard¡».

    ¡¸Judging from your reaction, there was no one else to talk this about, right. If you¡¯re fine with me, I can help you with love consultations?¡¹

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    28 years ago means, Lily was just 4 years old. Truly a small child.

 Chapter 236 Guiding through the Great Library

    Chapter 236 ¨C Guiding through the Great Library

    ¡¸Argh, pain in the ass¡¹

    While sayingzy words like that, the first prince of Avalon and the leader of Rank 5 party¡ºWing Road¡», Nero Julius Elrod was walking within the school premises.

    The ce he was heading was to the library which not only Royal Spada Academy, but also the country Spada itself boats about. The library, not only had books since long ago, but also the biggest book collection among other countries.

    Though it is located as a library of a single school, but everyone calls it Great Library as a part of paying respect.

    ¡¸Damn that Safi, do your document search on your own......¡¹

    The reason why Nero was heading to the Great Library was because he was asked help from one of his party member, Safiel Maya Hydra.

    in jobs like this are suited more for his too-serious sister, but Nell is currently in sses along with Charlotte, and therefore cannot move freely.

    Of course, the sword-wielding muscle-brained Kai is out of question.

    So eventually, only Nero, who is good and also has brilliant mind, if only one ignores his attitude to find things bothersome, was the one left.

    ¡¸What is ¡®you are of wasting time, right¡¯, my ass, I was actually fully enjoying my own free time in my own way¡¹

    That is what people call wasting time, but looks like Nero was still a child to understand that.

    Anyhow, Nero headed to help Safi though whileining, surely within the bottom of his heart, he might have been feeling tired with boredom.

    He might be wanting for a peaceful daily life, but somewhere within his heart a self-contradicting feeling evading boredom, sometimes appears out to torment him as distress.

    Oh well, it¡¯s nothing that sentimental right now.

    ¡¸*Sigh*, so need to find a damn fucking book in this holy shitty big ce, eh¡¹

    ¡°Truly depressing¡±, while muttering that, Nero absentmindedly kept on staring the Great Library in front of him.

    As the Great Library was made using the conventional architecture techniques, so its outer appearance is just like a temple.

    He crossed the corridor with round pirs with white entasis standing on the sides, and arrived in front of a double door, at that time,

    ¡¸Hm, that girl is......¡¹

    Nero¡¯s red eyes caught sight of a person he has seen.

    From the opposite side than himself, a girl was heading towards the front entrance.

    The figure of girls wearing uniform was quite amon thing in this Academy, but her short light blue hair, and shining golden eyes, somehow had a divine charm hidden in them.

    Nero did remember this girl with a white face and facial features just like a doll.

    ¡¸Hey you, so you were a student of here¡¹

    Nero called out to the girl who passed by him and put her hands on the door.

    ¡¸......Who are you?¡¹

    The girl asked about his identity, but, seeing the face of the girl once again from up close, he was convinced that it wasn¡¯t a wrong person.

    She was the girl whom he saved from a dangerous spot after getting called out by 2 skirt chasers in the za.

    ¡¸Now that you say that, I didn¡¯t name myself at that time, though I thought you might have known me¡ª¡ª¡¹

    It was already surprising for Nero to find someone in Spada who didn¡¯t know him, but what surprised him more was that she didn¡¯t remember him in spite of being saved from trouble at the right time.

    Nero only remembers that though he had saved various other girls from stuff like that, butter they approached him passionately and he was fed up from it.

    There were also times some girls determined his lineage, though he hadn¡¯t named himself, and even pushed into the Avalon Royal Castle.

    ¡¸Do you seriously not remember me?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    Her eyes weren¡¯t of happiness upon being called by a charming man, but were filled vignce towards a suspicious person trying to woo her.

    ¡°If I did something the wrong way, maybe I too would get beaten by the wand just like those two yboys¡±, thinking that Nero decided to choose his words carefully.

    ¡¸1 week ago, weren¡¯t you being troubled by some yboys from our school?¡¹

    If this event in itself was on the verge of being forgotten, then even Nero cannot do anything about it.

    But,

    ¡¸Ah¡¹

    There was hope, looks like the ck Gods of Pandora were smiling at him.

    ¡¸So you remember it?¡¹

    ¡¸You are the one who was trying to woo me at that time¡¹

    ¡¸No, not that one!¡¹

    Just when he thought they were smiling, it turned out to be a prank by god.

    The girl¡¯s reply was truly above outside of his expectations, and it made him feel vexed upon being grouped with those yboys.

    ¡¸Remember it correctly, when you were quarrelling with those two while hitting them with your wand, I saved you, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, that third yboy was¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸No, I wasn¡¯t the yboy but saved you, didn¡¯t I just say, hey remember when I intervened the other two easily backed off, right? OK?¡¹

    ¡¸Huh¡¹

    The girl¡¯s face still showed no signs of being convinced, while Nero sighed within.

    Though she remembered him, but he never had guessed that she would remember him this vaguely.

    ¡¸But, you¡¯re quite interesting, what¡¯s your name?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m not someone whose name you should know¡¹

    She¡¯s getting more interesting, Nero, unexpectedly let out a smile to this girl who was feigning innocence.

    Thinking back on it, it¡¯s the first time he had actually met someone who would take on such a cold attitude to him.

    Nero had a high status, good appearance, and ability too, for better or for worse there was no one who would ignore him, at least until now.

    That¡¯s why Nero had some interest sprouted towards this girl who was had an indifferent attitude.

    ¡¸Sorry, it¡¯s manners to name oneself before asking, right. I¡¯m Nero, Nero Julius Elrod¡¹

    ¡¸......I¡¯m Fiona Soleil¡¹

    The girl named herself as that.

    Seems like, though she was indifferent she wasn¡¯t manner less, seeing her behavior Nero felt a good impression about her.

    Incidentally, even after he named his family name, telling her about being a royalty of Avalon, the expressionless face of the girl didn¡¯t change even a bit, which Nero felt likeable.

    ¡¸So Fiona, what is the work you have here, in this Great Library? If you want to search for something, I will help you¡¹

    Though both were helping, but he thought that it would be more worthwhile to help this Fiona who he met just now, rather than helping Safi who would always push him around.

    Of course, judging this girl¡¯s cold attitude so she wouldn¡¯t ask anyone, hence he tried to ask her himself.

    ¡¸There is something I would like to ask¡¹

    However, unexpectedly proactive words came from Fiona.

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    Nero looked straight into the eyes of Fiona, with a spirit saying that he would answer anything other than the state secret of Avalon.

    The golden eyes which looked back at him didn¡¯t had any emotions wavering, rather he even had a hunch that she couldpletely see through him.

    ¡¸There must be a ce where the prohibited books are ce in this library, do you know where it is?¡¹

    ¡°Holy! That¡¯s one damn question¡±, though Nero¡¯s facial expression remained the same, but inside he was shocked.

    However, he had guessed from before that this to-the-end expressionless girl would ask something damned.

    Originally the ce where prohibited books are sealed is a ce students have no work in, and also, it is publicly banned to go in there.

    In the first ce, the information rted to the inner parts of Great Library¡¯s prohibited area is not something mere students would even know about.

    Fiona appearance, the expressionless face, seems like it isn¡¯t expecting an answer to her question.

    And yet, the details of question weren¡¯t something out of just curiosity.

    The right answer here would be¡¸I don¡¯t know¡¹, and even if he did knew about that ce he shouldn¡¯t tell her.

    However, while making his red mantle, the proof of being an elite cadet, flutter and putting the hand on the door, he boldly dered.

    ¡¸¡¯Kay, I will guide you, follow me¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Around the time the bell of noon rang, Nero finished the guiding of Underworld Great Library in safe health, and they both returned to the entrance.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWell, it¡¯s something like this, are you satisfied nowdy?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it made a good reference, thank you very much¡¹

    Nero made use of his presence detector and evaded the eye s of people, and went around the prohibited Great Library¡¯s deepest parts.

    Though he didn¡¯t enter the sealed area, but just guided her till the door, after all Fiona¡¯s request was to tell her about this ce¡¯s position, so he did his job.

    Of course, if she wanted to enter that ce, then even Nero would have to prepare stuff in advance.

    It ain¡¯t a prohibited sealed area for show, there are barriers for sensing intruders and stopping casted over in multitude.

    Fortunately, the patrol of security guard isn¡¯t that much, so one can enter without being noticed by others.

    But for that, quite a bit of magical ability is needed for both the person themselves and also the Magic Item for breaking through barriers.

    The people who could do that would only be some people in the whole academy including Nero, at least it is impossible for Fiona, a person at the level who loves beginner¡¯s wand, to even try to intrude here.

    ¡¸Just for your information, don¡¯t try to enter that ce, it¡¯s still good if you get caught, but if you are caught by some nasty barrier then it won¡¯t end on the level of just being hurtful¡¹

    Still, he thought of hammering down the nail sticking out.

    ¡¸Eh? Yes, you¡¯re right, and I wasn¡¯t thinking of entering that ce¡¹

    Nero thought his warning would go useless, but there was nothing more he could say for now.

    Well, if something urred he would do something about it, or so he thought while being overly positive.

    ¡¸By the way, it¡¯s already noon, wannae to the School Cafeteria? I will treat you?¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine¡¹

    Fiona denied his invitation, thinking back this is the first time to even be rejected upon being invited.

    Rather than a shock he was just lightly surprised, and he again understood that Fiona isn¡¯t the sort of girl who would fawn over him, and this made him more ted.

    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s unfortunate¡¹

    ¡¸Well then, I will take my leave now¡¹

    Like that, Fiona boldly left the library, as if not she wasn¡¯t even regretting the fact that she rejected his invitation.

    Nero sent her off while watching the cool and cold Fiona¡¯s back with a wry smile on his face.

    ¡¸You got dumped magnificently¡¹

    Suddenly he was called out to from behind.

    ¡¸Safi, eh¡¹

    Turning back, he saw the first person he made promise with, Safiel, standing there.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you being treated coldly by a girl¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, right¡¹

    Having the truth pointed out, Nero let out a bitterugh.

    ¡¸But, wasn¡¯t she a great girl?¡¹

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care¡¹

    Safi turned her head away as if not interested and continued saying, ¡°so it¡¯s like that¡±.

    ¡¸Well then, if there is an exnation about why you broke my promise and yed with another girl, I would like to hear it¡¹

    ¡¸......Ah¡¹

    Nero reaction just now was about the fact that he forgot, rather than the promise, but what would await him if he broke the promise.

    ¡¸It is, you see, that¡¹

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    ¡¸It was more interesting to be besides Fiona¡¹

    He didn¡¯t find any good excuses, so he tried to confess the truth.

    ¡¸I see, I¡¯ve heard your words loud and clear¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Like that Safi, while smiling, touched her sses.

    The sses which had the work of sealing the ¡®power¡¯ present in those eerie purple eyes,

    ¡¸¡ºDemon Eyes¡»Release¡¹

    Were removed.

    ¡¸I¡¯m really very sorryyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!¡¹

    While regretting that next time he would deceive in a better way, Nero shouted the words of apology to Safi.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Everyone¡¯s lovable handsome Prince Nero made his appearance! This time too he acted like a gentleman!!

 Chapter 237 Letâ€™s start the Class

    Chapter 237 ¨C Let¡¯s start the ss

    We, after publically enrolling in Royal Spada Academy, will have the Adventurers¡¯ Course sses starting from today.

    The details of sses are wide-ranging from study subjects to magic, martial skills, techniques etc, however, the sses we need to appear for in ordance to our rate of progression are limited.

    For the time being, I tried showing up for sses regarding Model Magic intended for beginners.

    There is almost no necessity for Lily and Fiona to learn the theory of fundamental Model Magic, but for some reason, they are apanying me.

    ¡¸Though another world, ssroom don¡¯t change much¡¹

    ¡¸The one in Elysion were more clean though¡¹

    ¡¸Lily doesn¡¯t know~, it¡¯s my first time~¡¹

    While letting out thoughts, we entered the ssroom where our intended ss was going on.

    Different from the school buildings made from modern concrete, everything is made from wood, however the appearance of room, lining of tables and chairs is all the same.

    Even the ck is fully furnished. It might have been either invented by natural flow in this world or Count Red Wing told about it, either way, it¡¯s good and easy to understand.

    The space would seem quite smallpared to the highschool, but with the attendance percentage of just little over half of people sitting on seats, this much big ssroom is suitable for Adventurers¡¯ Course.

    Incidentally, this ce is not main school building with the appearance of a pce, rather, here is one of the branch school buildings which is simple in appearance, and big.

    And the students here are mostly the figures of adventurers wearing robes screaming that they all are rear guards,pared to them us three, in school uniform, are strange here.

    There are also people who have their faces hidden under the hood, but most of others are young people just like me or little older. There¡¯s no way a skilled adventurer woulde to sses for rookie adventurers, so these people all are novices.

    Those students send inquisitive stares to us three from a distance.

    But that¡¯s not because of our school dresses, but rather the figures of Lily, a loli fairy, and Fiona, who¡¯s looking just great in uniform, are too fascinating for their eyes.

    On the other hand I¡¯m having reproachful res being concentrated at me that even delusional sounds like¡¸You f*cking son of a bitch ying with two flowers¡¹can reach my ears, or so I sense it like, I can only pray for it to be persecutionplex.

    While bathing in those concerning res, I sit down, and five minutester the chime for ss starting rang.

    An male elf wearing ashen-colored robe entered the room,

    ¡¸Good Morning everyone, this ss is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    And briefed about the ss details because it was the first time for us.

    ¡¸Model Magic, eh¡¹

    I couldn¡¯t use Model Magic ¡¯till now, but if I learn it from the start, then even I, who can only use ck magical energy, maybe able to use it. Even if I couldn¡¯t, now that I¡¯ve gotten divine protection¡¯s effect of changing the nature, if I learn fundamental knowledge, then I can use it to construct the magic equations.

    Moreover it¡¯s about me, who had only original ck magic theories made up on purely insights and experience, so maybe I can discover something new, hoping greatly like that I attended the ss, but,

    ¡¸Now, it¡¯s about ????? ?????? which is the foundation, it¡¯s just as everyone knows to turn ??????? ????? in to ????? ????? right, for instance ???? ????? ????????? is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Shit, I don¡¯t understand a damn thing he said.

    It¡¯s not a problem of not understanding the theory or the technical terms are difficult for me, rather this teacher¡¯s exnation¡¯s important parts are pronunced in the originalnguage of this world, just like enchanting of mages.

    ¡¸What happened Kurono-san? If you don¡¯t understand something, I can teach you¡¹

    ¡¸Lily will teach!¡¹

    The follow-up from the twoes to me, who is raising a grand question mark above the head to this iprehensible exnation, but teaching isn¡¯t going to cover this up, right.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯ve understood now¡¹

    Yes, I¡¯vepletely understood, that learning Model Magic is a pipe dream for me.

    .

    .

    For the next ss, I decided to try Martial Skills.

    Here too, as it was the first time, we started the practice from the most basic Martial Skill¡ºsh¡».

    I, who has¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡», can already use four Martial Skills¡ºKuroNagi¡»¡ºDual KuroNagi¡»¡ºAkaNagi¡»¡ºYamiNagi¡», however that is just because of the effects from the weapon.

    I, myself, haven¡¯t learnt any established Martial Skills, so I thought to use this chance for learning it.

    If I get the foundations down, then maybe the sharpness of¡ºKuro Nagi¡»also increase.

    But, even if Ipleted this ss, it¡¯s not like I will learn various Martial Skills, but only¡ºsh¡», so I can¡¯t hope excessively.

    No, if I can learn a single Martial Skill in three months while taking this ss, then it¡¯s only natural speed for a proper training.

    Incidentally Lily and Fiona ¡ª¨C

    Lily went to alchemist Simon, and Fiona is fishing out some magic-rted books in library.

    Well then, with this and that, the ce I reached to is the ce boasted by Academy, the Coliseum¡ª¡ª¡®s exterior sports ground which is just besides it.

    The Coliseum with the appearance of a big dome-shaped baseball stadium, only allows Elite Course and Knight Course students to enter, it¡¯s a cepletely irrelevant to me.

    ¡¸Whoa, this people sure look like swordsmen¡¹

    On this sports ground, which is twice as big, ifpared to the one of my highschool, a group of people was standing on one end while holding their favorite swords in hands.

    There are also people wearing uniforms just like me, but most are wearing leather armor or light armor like Chain Shirt.

    This ss is also aimed at rookies, so all people here are young boys and girls, the armor they wore somewhat seemed like a newly bought stuff.

    ¡¸Oh, so baby birds are gathered, eh, gonna omit the damn briefing, ss starts now!¡¹

    Saying that, a male orc appeared, who is also the teacher for this ss.

    This orc man with a scary face, a body even taller than mine, appeared more like a warrior rather than a teacher.

    Well, because he is teaching Martial Skills, so he must be of Warrior ss.

    ¡¸For now, I wanna look at how you all chicks are show me all you got¡¹

    Apparently, he will see our ability with this bastard-size wooden sword, which this orc teacher brought.

    While waiting for my turn, I gaze at the figures of other students swinging the wooden sword by shouting¡¸Eiih!¡¹or¡¸Haa!¡¹.

    The beast people, lizardmen and orc students, though weren¡¯t able to use Martial Skill, but all seemed to have power outstripping that of humans.

    The races with powerful arm strength have superior qualities for bing warrior.

    Of course, the best part of this another world is that there are various methods to defeat that powerful arm strength.

    ¡¸Alright, next!¡¹

    While I think about this stuff absentmindedly, my turn came.

    ¡¸Oh, you seem good¡¹

    I hold the long wooden sword just as I hold the hatchet, and I got praised.

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    I got happy for being praised for holding a sword, and started to concentrate for attacking with all my power, to answer the orc teacher¡¯s expectations.

    Even without a hatchet, I somewhat remember the feeling of deploying a Martial Skill.

    If I rotate the magical energy, and move just like at that time, though a Martial Skill won¡¯t be deployed, but I can strike one sharp attack.

    After all, though it was her sealed state, the Mithril Sword reached her.

    ¡¸Good,e!¡¹

    ¡¸Here Ie¡ª¡ª¡¹

    I moved a step forward, the sword is already raised overhead, but orc teacher didn¡¯t move.

    Don¡¯t tell me, he has confidence to stop my attack thiste, looks like he is quite great sword master.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªKuroNagi!¡¹

    I shout out the name of Martial Skill I have used many times, though not like it would be deployed¡ª¡ªor so it should have been, but the wooden sword is covered in the aura of ck magical energy, even though I haven¡¯t casted ckening on it.

    And the feeling of gripping a sword is almost same as gripping the hatchet, and a power and speed surpassing simple arm strength is manifested.

    This, certainly, is the Martial Skill being deployed, right?

    I hold those suspicions, but I¡¯ve got no way to stop this alreadyunched attack towards the orc teacher who still showed no reaction.

    SFX: BBbbaAaaaaKKKkkkkiiiiIIII!!

    Almost at the same time my attack severely hit the orc teacher, the wooden sword couldn¡¯t bear the power and was pulverized.

    ¡¸......Ah¡¹

    Teacher didn¡¯t even raise a voice and suddenly fell on the ground.

    At this time, I understood three things.

    Apparently, even if I don¡¯t use the hatchet, I can use Martial Skill.

    I don¡¯t have any need for this ss.

    With this today¡¯s ss is over.

    I¡¯m really sorry orc teacher, I will take the responsibility and take you to the school infirmary.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Maybe there was an episode about Fiona, who came in the enrollment celebration partyter, mercilessly eating all the rice balls of Kurono......

    Leaving that aside, finally the sses ensues, but the results are not so favorable looking. Will Kurono be able to, as nned, learn the basics, STAY TUNED!

 Chapter 238 Re-encounter with Angel

    Chapter 238 ¨C Re-encounter with Angel

    There were no more morning sses to attend, so after roaming a bit around the school I headed towards the school cafeteria on the first floor of the main school building forpleting my promise of eating together.

    Of course, the ones I made that promise are Lily and Fiona only, Simon is to be holed up in theb for today and I¡¯ve got no idea where Wil might be loitering around.

    I reached the school cafeteria while taking lot of time, but still before the chime for lunch break rang out, however it seems like those two haven¡¯t reached here.

    The main school building looks like a French pce, even the insides are like that, hence this school cafeteria is also not an exception.

    The hall is already twice the height of a normal building, even the chandelier hanging from there can be said as splendid lightning equipment, this ce is more of ball where the banquet of nobles is held and not a school cafeteria.

    On one wall there were big paintings of a fantasy-ish title,¡ºSeven War Goddesses¡», seeing that I was only able to think inelegant stuff like how much would even one sell for, truly I¡¯m amoner through and through.

    That school cafeteria is that gorgeous, but there is almost no one here.

    The ones using this main school building are Elite Cadets or Knight Cadets who have their timetables always filled, and they are currently in ss.

    The people eating meal while sitting must be surely students from Adventurer course or students skipping sses.

    For certain they all must be thinking that because it is crowded during lunch break, so it is better to finish eating before it starts.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been good if we also used the school cafeteria before¡±, while I am thinking that, the chime for lunch break rang out.

    Young boys and girls wearing ck zers rush in crowds into the school cafeteria at a speed which tells that they rushed out of ss in full speed.

    ¡¸Truly a lot of people are here......¡¹

    Due to students appearing without a pause the open seats in school cafeteria keep on getting filled.

    Holy! I should¡¯ve secured seats rather than standing at the entrance.

    While regretting my failure, I for the two at the entrance as I cannot get any open seat now.

    While I was standing there, I noticed the selling method of this cafeteria is meal ticket system, apparently.

    Of course there is no automatic ticket machine, but a salesperson at a ce like counter is doing the take-and-give of money restlessly.

    Looking at this crowd, it would¡¯ve been better if she prepared coins from before for change.

    While folding my arms, I ponder over the best way of usage of this cafeteria.

    ¡¸Umm, is there again a problem?¡¹

    Suddenly, I was called out from behind.

    ¡°This voice and speech, I¡¯ve heard it somewhere before¡±, while feeling that d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling, I turn around.

    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re from that time¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, so you did remember me¡¹

    Her ck hair and blue eyes; along with a beautiful face oozing with elegance of some princess and also the white wings sprouting from her back make her look like an angel. Her appearance is too peculiar that one would never forget it upon seeing it just one.

    She is the female adventurer who saved me in Dakia Vige, when I was on a standstill because my favorite horse stopped moving.

    ¡¸So you were a student here¡¹

    That is my line.

    At that time we both were armed with equipments for quests, but currently we are both wearing the same School Uniform.

    Incidentally, she also has that red mantle draped over it, so it seems like she is an Elite Cadet.

    More incidentally, the white color of her knee-high sock covering her well-fleshed thighs halfway just seems too dazzling to me. It¡¯s not like I have some special attachment to legs but her legs just seem to have some sort of beauty that makes one staring at it, fall for them.

    ¡¸It¡¯s only from today that I¡¯ve startedmuting here¡¹

    ¡¸So you are a new student¡¹

    ¡°No wonder I haven¡¯t seen you here before¡±, she said while revealing a bright smile. Jut by hearing her harmless and inoffensive speech and seeing her smile, my heart seems to warm up, as if I¡¯m being healed.

    Maybe this is the Charm effect kicking in, well it¡¯s only natural if the other person is this beauty.

    Well, even if it¡¯s like that, because I¡¯ve already grown somewhat used to Young Lily, so I won¡¯t for this effect.

    ¡¸Oh, now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t named myself yet, I¡¯m truly sorry. My name is Nell¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m Kurono. You truly saved me at that time, thank you very much¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s all good that I was helpful to you¡¹

    Nell said as if happy from the bottom of her heart. Her wings on her back also p; does this mean the same as to when a dog wags its tail?

    ¡¸Kurono-san is a new student, so you might not know the way to use the school cafeteria, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right¡¹

    For her to say this......does that mean there is also some other hidden way than meal ticket system.

    If that is true, then it¡¯s the best choice to learn that way before losing my face in front of her.

    ¡¸It would help me if you can tell me about it¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, then I will tell you about it¡¹

    Just like when I asked her to help me with the horse, she replied with her blue eyes shining.

    ¡¸In this school cafeteria, you don¡¯t actually order directly, but rather buy a ticket with menu written, which is called as meal ticket, from that counter over there¡¹

    Nell-san said as such with an expression brimming with confidence. The ce she pointed to was a battlefield, where the concept of line wasn¡¯t present, but students were shoving each other to buy the meal ticket.

    Seeing that scene I recalled the nostalgic memories of the contest which used to unfold at the school canteen of my highschool; all just for the popr side-dish bread. Apparently, hungry students take the same actions in this world too.

    ¡¸And then?¡¹

    ¡¸Then, you submit it the next counter while taking a token number in return. After that, you just need to wait at some seat for your dish toe¡¹

    ¡¸After that?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh? After that, you say thanks to the meal and eat your meal¡¹

    Hmm, seems like it¡¯s same as the normal meal ticket system and doesn¡¯t require something else.

    It¡¯s something one can understand just by watching the students, there is no need to go-out-of-the-way to exin.

    But,

    ¡¸So do you now understand that?¡¹

    Upon getting those eyes filled with hope of getting praised aimed at me, I cannot possibly say that I knew that even without the exnation.

    ¡¸O-Oho, I see, it¡¯s the first time seeing a meal ticket using system, you really saved me there, thank you very much¡¹

    It¡¯s a truth that it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a meal ticket system, in this another world that is.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, something like this is natural work for me as the senior here!¡¹

    Nell-san said so while proudly extending her chest. Those big breasts, which are bigger than Fiona¡¯s and smaller than Suu-san, swing greatly.

    She is wearing undergarments, blouse and even a zer, yet those breasts actually swing and shake, seriously they have quite a lot of mass.

    ¡¸Well then, as the senior I will show you an example on how to buy the meal ticket¡¹

    She offered as such even though I haven¡¯t asked for it, and faced the meal ticket counter, where now students are fighting rather than shoving others.

    ¡¸Ah, no, I can¡¯t possibly ask for that much......¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine Kurono-san, leave it to me!¡¹

    I didn¡¯t had the technique to stop her, who raised her eyebrows gantly and totally motivated.

    ¡¸Then, please¡¹

    ¡¸Yes!¡¹

    ¡°Ahhh¡± She let out an idiotic yet cute war cry, and rushed into the crowd of hungry wolves.

    ¡¸Ah, Aaah, Um, a meal ticket please, aaaarrrghhhh!¡¹

    And then, without even being able to hold for more than 10 seconds, she lost the battle.

    She was sent flying by a golem wearing female school uniform and rushing towards the counter.

    The female golem¡¯s rectangr-cardboard-shaped buttocks peeking out from her miniskirt had the force just like of a mace.

    ¡¸Kyaa!¡¹

    ¡°Shit, she¡¯s totally going to fall¡±,ing to that judgment, I got serious, covered several meters of distance in a single breath and grab her falling body in my arms.

    I didn¡¯t had any bad intention, it was the y of God who made this situation in which it seemed like I was hugging her.

    ¡¸Aaahh¡ª¡ªhuh, Kurono-san?¡¹

    Maybe she didn¡¯t see my running speed, or didn¡¯t know when I entered from the peripheral vision area to the front vision area, Nell-san showed an surprised reaction while darting her eyes around.

    ¡¸Are you fine?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes, thank you very much¡¹

    Having the soft andfortable smile aimed at me from point-nk distance I blushed. I¡¯m also a man, there¡¯s no way my heart won¡¯t beat faster when talking to a beauty like her.

    Though regrettable, I can¡¯t possibly be glued to a girl I¡¯ve met for just some times, so I pushed her body away by putting power in my arms on her shoulder. And in the next moment,

    ¡¸Hey you! What are you doing to Nell!!¡¹

    An ear-splitting voice came; along with, bloodlust¡ª¡ª!?

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    The beautiful encounter at the school went......

 Chapter 239 The Worst Meeting

    Chapter 239 ¨C The Worst Meeting

    It was a female student with small build sending the shoe sole of a loafer right at my face.

    The bright red twin-tails and the red mantle flutter because of kicking, and in her cat-like cute golden eyes a color of fierce anger was residing.

    From her stance the short skirt of her is rolled over, but apparently she is wearing something like spats so it hasn¡¯t turned into the legendary panty glimpse situation.

    I don¡¯t have any recollection of this female Elite Cadet who unleashed a drop kick with the intent to break the bone of my neck.

    In other words, I don¡¯t have any reason neiher am I oblidged to take on her drop kick.

    Judging from her speech it seems like she is thinking that I was trying to do something bad to Nell-san, hmph, if just I had more than three seconds I could¡¯ve been released from this dangerous posture, but that¡¯s what I didn¡¯t got.

    Anyhow, right now I have to stop this rocket girl flying at me upfront.

    Her body is already fluttering about in the mid-air, and the time extension I have got before the kicknds on my face is below one second.

    If this was between a quest I would¡¯ve returned a fist, cut her from de and holed her with bullets, but this ce is inside the school, and though she is showing hostility, it can be cleared up if the misunderstanding she has is cleared.

    If I can, then I want to stop her without hurting her.

    I thought to stop her with Shield, but this girl unleashing these magnificent kicks would only continue on pursuit if I stop her kick even once.

    In that case, restricting her movements would be the best choice.

    ¡¸Anchor Hand¡¹

    As I was already under pressure for the little remaining time, upon deciding the counter measure I started implementing it.

    Though I¡¯m not wearing the Apprentice robe right now, but I surely am wearing the gloves,¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡», which Lily gifted to me.

    If this wasn¡¯t with me I wouldn¡¯t be able to create the tentacles precisely and within an instant.

    While I am thinking this thing helped me in such an unexpected ce, a voice saying¡¸Master~¡¹rang out in my head.

    ¡¸Kyaaaah! W-What is this!?¡¹

    And like that, I seeded in apprehending the girl-shaped missile just before shended her kick on me.

    Several ck tentacles are extending from my streched-out-right hand and are twining around the girl, capturing her in a.

    Afterpletely nullifying the attack of her, the tentacles binding her put her down on the floor, as if letting her stand over it.

    ¡¸N-Noooo! Gross!! Get this away from me you pervert Morjura-man!¡¹

    ¡¸No wait, it¡¯s you who came attacking me first, and you also are misunderstanding something¡¹

    ¡¸Leave, just leave me! Not only Nell, you even want to vite me too! You ought to know what would happen to you if you do that to me!!¡¹

    Damn this girl¡¯s broke. She¡¯s got blood filling her brain, don¡¯t think she would listen to my words anytime soon.

    And even bad thing is that because this girl let out an hysterical cry, the students in the school cafeteria are all watching me.

    Nevertheless, if I unfasten the restraint on her then it¡¯s purely obvious that she would either punch me or kick me.

    Naturally, I don¡¯t want to get hit by her under false charges.

    ¡¸Sorry, but shut up for a moment¡¹

    I moved my index finger in a hook fashion, and one of the tentacles bindnig the girl move quickly and cover that shit spouting mouth.

    ¡¸Mph, Mffff, Mmmnffuu¡ª!!!¡¹

    Though her voice stopped, with half teary-eyes she started struggling with a red face.

    Ah, this is bad, much bad that what I had thought.

    Looking from the side don¡¯t I look quite the viin here, shit, I need to manage this situation right here and now.

    And the one who is able to do is, not me,

    ¡¸Nell-san is that girl your friend?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah, yes!?¡¹

    Nell-san had been looking at the developments urring, absentmindedly, however seems like she finally understood the situation upon me calling out to her.

    ¡¸She is having a big misunderstanding, can you try to exin it to her¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, T-Taht¡¯s right!¡¹

    Like that the Red-haired twin-tailed girl hears the stuff from ange-like Nell-san, and the situation was solved,

    ¡¸Oh geez, you making things troublesome again¡¹

    Or, no truly, not.

    The moment thatzy sounding voice reached my ears, the tentacles that should¡¯ve been enhanced are all cut down.

    Looking carefully, there were the corpses of the cut-down tentacles releasing ck magical energy along with a person, who seems to have cut them down.

    ¡¸But, now that you¡¯veid hands of Nell and Charl, I can¡¯t remain quiet¡¹

    Though I have seen this person just once, I remember him clearly.

    This man, with ck hair, red eyes, handsome face, with slender tall body covered with the red mantle. His name is, Nero Julius Elrod.

    He¡¯s the first prince of the neighboring country Avalon; if I believe their family tree then he is a descendant of that Mia-chan.

    The face of this prince isposed, but the bloodlust aimed at me cannot bepared to the one that girl named Charl aimed me.

    He has put his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging on the waist. It is clear at a nce that it is a Japanese sword.

    I see, so he used some sort of Battoujutsu and cut down the tentacles. If he did all that in the short amount of time I looked over at Nell only means that he has got quite the ability there.

    ¡¸Please wait a moment, Onii-sama!?¡¹

    Maybe she sensed this critical situation, Nell-san forced her way through in between me and Nero.

    Or rather did she just say Onii-sama......If it¡¯s not my mishearing and those words are the truth would mean that this person¡¯s full name is Nell Julius Elrod, right?

    Don¡¯t tell me, Nell-san is a genuine princess?

    ¡¸Nell get away from that creepy tentacle man or else we can¡¯t kill him¡¹

    ¡¸N-No way, that is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Rx, I will just half kill him¡¹

    ¡¸That is not the problem here!¡¹

    Geez, this prince is totally reckt in head; I want him to get the reasoning power back.

    No I can¡¯t say that, after all If I see some wicked looking man binding Lily in tentacles, I will surely kill that person.

    ¡¸I will do the other half killing, so he diespletely¡¹

    ¡¸Charl, you too please calm down!¡¹

    Having being released from the tentacles, this rampaging friend of Nell-san is now free.

    Somehow this situation is getting bad every moment, but Nell-san is standing in front of me with her wings and hands spread out as if to protect me, thanks to that the girl called Charl is not kicking me neither is her brother trying to cut me. At least for now, that is.

    It would be good to exin the situation to them right now.

    ¡¸Calm down and put away your hand from the sword, please? I just saved Nell-san because she was falling and that girl, err, just came flying at me¡¹

    ¡¸Are you doing this while knowing who they are? They aren¡¯t someone you can even touch¡¹

    Though you say that, I just now found out Nell-san is a person from royal family, as for this kick girl, I¡¯ve got no idea at all.

    Well, I do know that she is also an Elite Cadet so she must be from some damn great family, but my actions were all the act of god, right.

    No, this is the ss system society where stuff like this is not forgiven, eh......

    ¡¸It¡¯s not a problem which is solved that you didn¡¯t know them¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Please stop if Onii-sama! Kurono-san is not in the wrong, it¡¯s me who let the situatione to here in the wrong. He just saved me with good intentions, and Charl is just misunderstanding!¡¹

    Nell-san appeals for my innocence forcibly and firmly. Whoah, she¡¯s truly an angel.

    Maybe he couldn¡¯t help butply to her younger sister¡¯s persuasion, Nero heaved a sigh and the bloodlust disappeared.

    ¡¸Get lost, I will leave you because of Nell¡¹

    But, he does look unsatisfied.

    Frankly, my heart isn¡¯t calm after being made the bade person here, but the other person is a royalty, it¡¯s for my own to not get involved with them.

    Now that I remember even Simon said to be aware of Elite Cadets, I see, so this was the reason, I learned a new thing today.

    Wil interacted with us in that way, so maybe I had been not taking them hot shots seriously, but looks like I will have to beware of these people.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Nell-san, I made you worry unnecessarily, well then I¡¯ll be off now¡¹

    ¡¸No, that......I¡¯m also very much sorry, Kurono-san¡¹

    After telling Nell-san some words with a nuance to not let her worry, I left the school cafeteria.

    Well it hurts me that I got out of the cafeteria after Nero said he would let me go, but I can¡¯t help it.

    After all, on the entrance Lily in young girl form is unleashing the power of Oracle Field and Fiona is enchanting a Magic that I have recollection of.

    ¡¸*sigh*, I let them see my uncool side¡¹

    Like that, while taking the inquisitive gazes of students in the school cafeteria, I left that ce.

    For the time being, I will apologize Fiona and Lily for not getting food and then persuade them to calm down......

 Chapter 240 The Four Ages

    Chapter 240 ¨C The Four Ages

    ¡¸Oho, isn¡¯t it the¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»Kurono, and his party members guided by a bond made from fate, Lily-kun and Soleil-kun! What a coincidence, no, this meeting can also be something predetermined since the age of gods long time before¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Yo, Wil¡¹

    ¡¸Yoo!¡¹

    ¡¸Hello, Prince Wilhart¡¹

    Yesterday a lot happened in the cafeteria, that we ended up getting back without eating the food, so on today¡¯s after school time we, the Element Master, came here to taste the food of school cafeteria, and then, maybe by coincidence, came across Wil.

    It might be because thest ss of every course ends, that this school cafeteria, that was so much crowded in the lunch break, seemed somewhat deserted.

    The students are busy in stuff other than sses, like club activities and quests.

    And so, Prince Wilhart was enjoying his tea time while drinking the tea alone, no, with a maid at his side, apparently he had no ns for today¡¯s after school time.

    Well, it¡¯s convenient because he¡¯s a person I can talk to, as a bonus, other royalty students like Nero Julius Elrod are not here, so it¡¯s surely better.

    I just made uproar yesterday, how dare would I confront that reckt-in-head prince. If he was here, I would extinguish my presence on Suu-san¡¯s level and immediately run away.

    Well, like that I spent the moment of after school time with my friend, well, in short, I brought up a subject I¡¯ve been wanted to hear since long before.

    That is, I want to know more about the Ancient Demon King ¨C Mia Elrod.

    ¡¸What! You want me to tell you about the dark history which is divine, ominous and smeared with blood¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, Wil seemed to have quite extensive knowledge, so you might be able to tell me¡¹

    ¡¸Fuhahaha! For you to rely on my omniscient gray matter-filled brain is a really great decisive judgment, Kurono! Very well, it¡¯s not anyone else¡¯s, but your request. I, Wilhart Tristan Spada, will tell you about the legend colored with bright shining glory, and also the history which has sunk in the shadow of a great abyss!!¡¹

    Wil¡¯s word seemed like a ttery, but I already know that, without joking, his knowledge is truly vast.

    Even Simon was surprised knowing Wil¡¯s extensive knowledge.

    If Alchemist Simon is the genius of science, then Prince Wilhart is the prodigy of liberal arts, something like that.

    When I think like that, the monocle on his right eye seems to be holding a light, filled with intellectuality.

    Well, Lily and Fiona who didn¡¯t know about my evaluation seemed to be drawing back from Wil upon hearing his way of speaking.

    In spite of meeting Wil on the day of enrollment, they are still sending a strange gaze, filled with bewilderment and indifference, so seems like they still think of him as an¡ºentric Prince¡».

    Incidentally, even the maid standing behind him, by vanishing her presence, was looking at him with somewhat cold gaze.

    ¡°Well, he might be having problems with her¡±, I left it at that.

    ¡¸I came ¡®here¡¯ just recently, so it would be helpful to me, if you start telling me from the start¡¹

    ¡¸I see. You¡¯re right, in that case I will start it with the ssification of general history. Those are the Start of Fate, Scene of Beginning, World Filled with Light¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Eh, are you going to start from the creation of heaven and earth stuff?

    The story started with a great prologue, that no one would ever think of, but as expected of Wil, he¡¯s pointing out the important parts.

    Based on that, I learned the ssification of history of this world, no, of this Pandora Continent.

    There are four eras ¨C ¡ºAge of Gods¡», ¡ºAncient Ages¡», ¡ºDark Ages¡», and finally the current, ¡ºModern Age¡».

    The first one is the ¡ºAge of Gods¡», which is about the start of world.

    This is the era, which was not created by people but gods, and they even lived here, this truly can be said as a myth itself.

    Of course, nothing about that era is clear.

    The existence of this Age of Gods is summarized on that little bit of information, gathered from the historical records left behind during the next, Ancient Ages.

    So to speak, for the Ancient Ages, the Age of Gods is like Ancient Ages is to Modern Age, the people from that age had the ruins and magic of Age of Gods was present just as legends.

    Next was the¡ºAncient Ages¡».

    This was the era in which the so-called¡ºck Gods¡», who give the divine protection to us living people, lived. The Demon King Mia Elrod was the first one, though.

    However, this particr Agested for the longest time, even among the urate history of Spada.

    So to speak, the Age of Gods finished, and the world of humans started, in other words it¡¯s like Joumon Period in history of Japan. This Age was prospered with wars and different cultures, developed new techniques, established magic civilization and did much more stuff, that created current Pandora Continent.

    Incidentally, Mia-chan was born in thetter half of Ancient Age.

    Like that, the Elrod Empire which unified Pandora was born, and after an unknown amount of time the empire copsed, and with this¡ºAncient Age¡»met its demise.

    The next is¡ºDark Ages¡», as the name suggests, there is no information about what happened in this Age. In other words, this Age is a nk Age.

    The only thing confirmed was that the magic civilization, which continued till now, waspletely lost by the time this Age ended.

    It is again not known how long these Dark Agessted for, however as long as people lived, countries would have been built, and new civilizations would¡¯ve developed.

    And that leads to the current¡ºModern Age¡».

    Calling this current era as Modern Age does feel out of ce, but this Age is which escaped from the Dark Age, has developed enough countries so that it can leave various sorts of civilizations for future.

    Those countries, in the millennium reaching up to now, have also gotten in wars, been destroyed and then revived. Then rise again and repeat.

    Various countries were destroyed, but among them, some are still left.

    One of them is this Spada, and the neighboring country Avalon is also the same.

    Also, though little in number, but there are legendary figures who have joined the group of¡ºck Gods¡» in this era too.

    One of them is the founder of Spada, the First King.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWhoops, I shouldn¡¯t speak only about the glorious history of Spada, changing the story back to Legend of Demon King.¡¹

    Finally, it¡¯s about Demon King Mia Elrod.

    ¡¸It¡¯s easy to figure out that the magic civilization, developed in Ancient Ages, was too advanced, if one looks at the Ruin-type dungeons, however, strangely, there seemed to be various things not too different from now¡¹

    ¡¸Like?¡¹

    ¡¸For instance, yeah, Kurono, the child Mia Elrod worked in a particr upation, do you know what it is?¡¹

    He returned the answer with another question.

    However, the child Mia-chan, or rather, she looks childish enough to me......just what kind of work she did?

    ¡¸ck Magician?¡¹

    ¡¸Certainly, she could use the ck magic since childhood, but he/she didn¡¯t use it to work as an adventurer¡¹

    You were damn able to use ck magic, eh, Mia-chan, you¡¯re one terrifying child! No,ter he/she bes Demon King, so it can be said to be natural.

    ¡¸If it¡¯s not ck Magician, then I¡¯ve got no idea. Just what was it¡¹

    ¡¸She worked as a shepherd¡¹

    The moment I heard this, an image of Mia-chan in fluffy hair, loitering in the farm, while crying Meeh Meeeh, crossed through my mind.

    No, isn¡¯t this wrong, Mia-chan herself wasn¡¯t a sheep, but the one who herded them.

    This time an image of her swooning after getting fluffed by a giant army of sheeps! (?)

    ¡¸Err, that¡¯s quite a pastoral work to do¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, however, from the small farm, that was present in the Asbel Mountain Range, is from where the legend of Demon King Mia Elrod starts¡¹

    If I had to say, this is like the start of a RPG hero, who started his journey from a small countryside vige as their birthce.

    No, with Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the precedent of bing the government controlling boss from being a farmer, it is not impossible for anyone to be great, no matter how they started.

    ¡¸Most people tend to misunderstand, but Elrod Empire existed long before Mia Elrod¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, then Mia-cha¡ª¡ªMia herself didn¡¯t found the empire?¡¹

    Seriously, shit,tely I¡¯ve been using ¡®¨Cchan¡¯ suffix a lot after her name, it was almost about to get out from my mouth too.

    Eventually, it seems like she would himself/herself scold me about it, so I¡¯ve gotta be careful.

    ¡¸Right, that shepherd Mia-chan would have died as a normal viger, but the fights surrounding the imperial session of Elrod Empire of that time intensified¡¹

    ¡¸How is that rted to a mere shepherd?¡¹

    ¡¸Mia was the illegitimate child of Elrod Emperor, apparently¡¹

    Holy crap, so that¡¯s why Mia was pulled into the front stage of world.

    ¡¸Now, details of what Mia did before bing the Elrod Emperor is unknown, as there is not enough detailed records left of it. But, there is no doubt, that Mia was sent to a Knight Academy, yeah, just like the Elite Course of this Royal Spada Academy. It was most probably to not let Mia stand in the frontlines, and to let him/her be a good royalty general. The imperial session were a problem, but more than that, it was the time of warring states, where the disputes with other countries would never die out¡¹

    Even I have heard about this warring states backsetting.

    That is because there was such a warring states historical period that there was room for a Demon King toe into existence.

    ¡¸However, this school-going Mia distinguished himself/herself, and also met the legendary knights who wouldter be the main force of Elrod Empire. Now, that is truly fate!¡¹

    Whoah, looks like Mia-chan worked hard as a student.

    However, the image of a student Mia-chan came up in both boys¡¯ school uniform and sailor uniform, hence my mind is in chaos.

    ¡¸Ah that¡¯s right, that Demon King Mia¡¯s first and strongest Knight was¡ºDark Knight Frithier¡», whom Mia met just by pure coincidence. It is said that the trigger was that they both were controlling the Punpuns rioting in the whole city, on the entrance ceremony day. This was confirmed by various memoirs and some records¡¹

    There are various surprising points, but the one that surprised me most, was the existence of Punpun since Ancient Ages.

    Not like it¡¯s impossible for them, and they even are rted to Demon King¡¯s legend, albeit in this way......

    ¡¸The others were¡ºBlue Lightning Knight Athena¡», ¡ºDark Sword Saint Yomi¡»and various other members guided by Pandora¡¯s ck Gods¡¹

    Athena, is it the one from¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡», it¡¯s not like I unexpectedly heard about her, but rather that is a quite popr goddess, so I can hear some people talking about her sometimes.

    I¡¯ve never heard the name of Yomi, but judging from the name, he must be giving divine protection to swordsmen or/and swordswomen only.

    His name is strangely simr to Japanese name, so his divine protection might be limited to katana users.

    ¡¸And these three would be Demon King¡¯s wives. They all had deep school lives¡¹

    ¡¸They even married!?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, the other four was met only after the genuine war started¡¹

    ¡¸Other four means, there are total of seven people!¡¹

    ¡¸The story of Demon King¡¯s wives, the Seven War Goddesses is quite famous, you see that wall over there, those are pictures made with them as the theme¡¹

    Wil extended his finger out very tly, that it seemed like a sound effect woulde out. Anyhow, the ce his finger pointed to surely had big paintings with title¡ºSeven War Goddesses¡».

    Yesterday I thought that it¡¯s just a work of art, but now, knowing that those seven beauties are Mia-chan¡¯s wives, some sort ofplex emotions boil up inside me.

    Now the problem is, at the time of wedding ceremonies, did Mia-chan wear white tuxedo or a pure white wedding dress......no, fuck, wait, if the other party are girls, then the answer ispletely obvious.

    ¡¸Wives means that Mia was......a man, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Oho, for you to hold doubts about Demon King¡¯s gender. Well, I have heard some minor rumors about it¡¹

    Now then, what that minor rumor might be about.

    ¡¸ording to records, there are various different descriptions of Demon King Mia Elrod, like a peerless beautiful man, or a giant helm-armor wearing person, sometimes even as a small child and a cute young girl.¡¹

    ¡¸H-mmm, so it¡¯s like that......¡¹

    Damn shit, this only increased the doubts about Mia-chan¡¯s true gender.

    It would¡¯ve been better if I didn¡¯t ask Wil about this at all......

    ¡¸Well, the direct descendants of Demon King, the current royalty of Avalon, might know about the true gender, however that is an undisclosed secret ¡¯till now, even I don¡¯t know about it¡¹

    Well, there¡¯s no friggin way I will ask Prince Nero, so if a chance of talking to Nell-sanes by, I will surely ask this.

    While praying that the mystery would finally be clear.

    ¡¸Hmm? As for royalty of Avalon, I have heard some riot about them urred in this cafeteria¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Ah¡¹

    I said that and stiffened my body.

    ¡¸Kurono?¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san?¡¹

    Lily and Fiona were enjoying the tea given to them by the maid Seria, rather than Wil¡¯s talk, however just as yesterday¡¯s incident came out in our conversation, their eyes filled with anger are faced towards me.

    Naturally, they are not feeling anger towards me, but rather this is the eye contact wanting to get the¡ºOrder for Attack¡».

    It¡¯s already scary seeing Fiona showing those eyes while elegantly holding a cup in one hand, but it¡¯s scarier to see Lily, who was in high spirits after being patted on head by Seria, showing those eyes while still remaining in the same posture.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine, I am not concerned about yesterday at all¡¹

    ¡¸Hrmph~¡¹

    ¡¸Is that so¡¹

    I am grateful that they, though reluctantly, cooled down their anger.

    ¡¸......W-what, was it a bad thing that I asked?¡¹

    Maybe he sensed the turbulent atmosphere, Wil seemed to be a little drawn-back.

    ¡¸No, I want Wil to hear about it¡¹

    The ones who would believe my testimony can be counted on one hand.

    ¡¸I see, then I will attentively hear about it!¡¹

    Just five minutester, Wil,¡¸I¡¯m sorry my sister caused a problem for you¡¹, said that.

 Chapter 241 Rumors of the Academy

    Chapter 241 ¨C Rumors of the Academy

    On the 28th of Red me month, in the crowded school cafeteria, certain students were talking about something.

    ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s been a while! Isn¡¯t it already 2 weeks since you went on quest? It took some while¡¹

    Those were two male students, most probably Knight Cadets and best friends.

    In this Royal Spada Academy, talks about quest and other things be hot topic with the speed rivaling that of Adventurer Guilds, and for Knight Course it is faster.

    ¡¸Yeah, nothing is much different here¡ª¡ªno wait, there sure is some new stuff¡¹

    The two luckily sat on the seats they secured luckily, and started talking about something.

    ¡¸In this week there is a fairy freshman¡ª¡ªno, not the normal one, this one is big, moreover a loli¡¹

    Loli and big is contrary, but

    ¡¸Eh, seriously? You seen her? Shit you got some damn great luck, I also wanted to see her~¡¹

    The friend who came back from quest has apparently already seen the fairy freshman.

    ¡¸How was she, I hear she is truly cute¡ª¡ªEh, shining? Idiot, it¡¯s only natural considering she is a fairy¡¹

    He retorted to the idiotic impression of his friend.

    ¡¸Well, now here¡¯s the catch, that fairy is not only cute, but if you get the chance to stroke her head then the person bes lucky¡ª¡ªNo seriously, one girl who stroked her head got aplete sess in her confession¡¹

    ¡°In that case won¡¯t every one pat her head¡±, he replied to his friend¡¯s quite natural question.

    ¡¸You see there is another catch, as she is a fairy, she only lets people with pure and noble heart pat her head, it¡¯s not you can go ¡°Hey fairy-chan, let me stroke your head¡±, I¡¯ve heard the ones who did this had some problems with their eyes because they got attacked by a sh¡ª¡ªNo I¡¯m fucking serious here, the people who have been sent to infirmary have already reached two-digit numbers, or rather, the thing you saw shining was it sh?¡¹

    ¡°Now that you say it¡±, the friend nodded.

    With this he might have believed that the rumor about Fairy is a truth.

    ¡¸Well, though seriously cute, it won¡¯t be good if weid hands on a loli, so this time a teenager girl, this one is also super-cute¡¹

    ¡°Oho¡±, the friend got into hearing the rumor.

    Teenage boys are always super interested in cute teenage girl.

    ¡¸She is also an freshman¡ª¡ªYeah, you¡¯re right freshman at this time can only mean Adventurers¡¯ Course. This girl is always in sitting in the reading seat present in the interior most part of Great Library¡ª¡ªno, she¡¯s not a magic otaku, this girl is more dangerous, even I have seen for that fact¡¹

    ¡°How is she¡±, on that natural seeiming question, he replied immediately.

    ¡¸An entric girl with blue hair and golden eyes¡¹

    There are no means with the best friend to know if that expression of her is a truth.

    ¡¸No sorry, but she is like, what you say Divine? Something like that¡ª¡ªYeah, she is super-duper cute babe, she can even enter the Top 5 in our school pretty easily. As a bonus, even by looking from outside the uniform I understood it, that she¡¯s one big-breasted babe¡¹

    ¡°Wow¡± the friend got even more into hearing the rumor.

    Teenage boys are always superbly interested in big-breasts.

    ¡¸But the dangerous feeling is that unapproachable feeling she gives out¡ª¡ªYeah, there were some bastards who tried to flirt with her, but they all were ostracized, in the end, no one even knows her name. That¡¯s why her other name is¡ºBlue Rose of Great Library¡»¡¹

    ¡°That¡¯s quite exaggerated¡±, the friend makes a joke, but apparently he also is starting to believe this rumor.

    ¡¸Well let¡¯s go see her together this time, that is a sight for sore eyes. You know what if she was my party member then I don¡¯t care if I die on the next quest¡¹

    He and even his friend, ording to basic school regtions, are in an all-male party.

    It¡¯s pretty rare for getting along with such a cute girl.

    ¡¸Ah, now that I remember about it, one week ago a really dangerous stuff urred in this school cafeteria, have you heard about it?¡¹

    Seeing his friend shaking his head, the rant-loving he exined about the stuff that urred here.

    ¡¸Some certain male freshman tried to vite Princess Nell and Princess Charlotte¡¹

    ¡°You serious?¡± the friend was surprised normally.

    ¡¸Moreover it was a tentacle attack¡¹

    ¡°You fucking damn bitchy serious!?¡± the friend this time seriously was surprised.

    ¡¸It was some ck wriggling tentacles, attacking them like a Morjura¡ª¡ªNo, Prince Nero saved them in between and they got out without much problems¡¹

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that guy already on execution list?¡± the friend said something natural, but

    ¡¸No, for some reason that guy is stillmuting to our school. If you see a wicked-looking person with ck hair and one-red-one-ck eye, then just know that, that is the criminal¡¹

    The friend that incident might not be a fake one after one the facial appreance of the man is also so clearly described.

    ¡¸Rather than getting caught, there are also possibilities that the man will go poof behind the scenes. Well I have heard the legendary Assassin Maid Squad, which is used by Spada Royalty, is finally on the move¡ª¡¹

    Like that the rumor talk of students just keeps on continuing without knowing if any of that is the truth or false.

    However, on the seat just behind those two students was,

    ¡¸Ah, aa, arr, what should I do, Kurono-san has got these really bad rumors......¡¹

    The main person of that school cafeteria incident, Nell Julius Elrod, who listened the rumor stories of male students within the school cafeteria, while trembling with fear.

 Chapter 242 Research of Everyone

    Chapter 242 ¨C Research of Everyone

    Today is 28th of Red me month; it¡¯s already going to be 1 week since I have started attending the Academy.

    ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that the person the one who tried to vite Princess Nell in the school cafeteria¡¹

    ¡¸Yikes, his face is so sca~ry¡¹

    I get out to the corridor afterpleting the ss of pharmaceutics, rted to making potions and knowledge about various medicinal nts. Some girls in the corridor were gossiping whisperingly.

    Thanks to body modifications, my listening power is great, so I can hear their secret talk, no, it¡¯s almost as if they didn¡¯t even want to hide it.

    ¡¸Kyaah! He¡¯s ring this way!¡¹

    ¡¸No! I hate tentacles!!¡¹

    While I look over two female students dashing away while screaming, I let out a sigh.

    ¡¸*Sigh*, I give up¡¹

    After that incident in school cafeteria my face became famous overnight, albeit in a bad way.

    I learnt about the fact of Nell-san truly being a Royalty from Spada, and that the red-haired girl is called as Charlotte Tristan Spada, the Third Princess of Spada, well, this is something I heard from her true brother, Wil, the next day.

    Moreover, the thing that increased their poprity was that they were the famous Rank 5 Adventurer Party¡ºWing Road¡».

    They have a status of royalty, have outstanding facial looks, and while being a student they hold the power of reaching till Rank 5, in short, they are something like an idol of the Academy.

    Like that, because I got into a quarrel with them, though the origin was a misunderstanding, I became the worst, cruel person, just as the two female students from before said.

    The people who witnessed the incident in school cafeteria also helped in getting this rumor spread faster. It¡¯s not like the rted party, those royalty people, would spread rumors on their own.

    Like that, currently I¡¯m famous as a sex offender, who tried to rape a maiden with tentacles of darkness.

    It is said that rumorsst for 75 days, but......truly, I give up, nothing else can I say. Everyone might think the rumor as false at first, but after looking at my face, they all show reaction of believing the rumor.

    What the fuck, acting like my looks are wicked and mean......no, well, they¡¯re truly wicked and mean......damn fucking shit!

    Thanks to that, one week is about to pass, but let alone a friend, I don¡¯t even have made a single acquaintance.

    Well, Simon and Wil believe in my innocence, so it¡¯s somewhat good.

    Simon was resenting them saying¡ºThat¡¯s why I hate those hot-shots!¡», and Wil was apologizing to me saying¡ºSorry, my sister......¡»

    Apparently, just like I had thought during that incident, Princess Charlotte seems to have quite a hysterical personality.

    And, it¡¯s a good thing that no bad rumors have reached to Lily and Fiona.

    Unlike me, Lily is already getting friendly with other students of every course, like Elite, Knight, Civil, Magical Engineering and Adventurers¡¯ Course. She is even getting her head stroked by them, getting candies from them, so she already became quite a celebrity.

    Right now too, she might be showing her cute smile, while offering healing to lost souls.

    While thinking like that, I walk and reach the ce which is now our,¡ºElement Master¡»¡¯s, new home, the former dorm a.k.a Simon¡¯sb.

    §³oincidentally, Lily is an old acquaintance of this ce¡¯s Chairperson, and so she borrowed this ce from her.

    There is no dorm mother for supervising, and neither does this ce get support like other dorms, however, this ce doesn¡¯t take any room rent for living.

    Though it is somewhat worn-down, but it¡¯s nothing if one get¡¯s used to it. From the viewpoint of Adventurers sleeping on streets, even this ce would seem like a pce to them.

    If a timees when the building reaches its limit and falls down, then I will reinforce it with my ckening.

    I walk down the corridor, which makes eerie creaking sound upon walking, and open the door to my room, which is still giving a fresh feeling to me.

    This room is just like Simon¡¯s room, and because this room was originally a double room, it is truly spacious.

    Though I say that, I¡¯m sleeping together with Lily, so you can say that I¡¯m perfectly using the double room in the right manner.

    Among the furniture provided in here are closet, bed and an old-style table with the chair, which were thrown in the storage room.

    So thispletely and absolutely in room is not only used as a living space, but also as my study room, as I have been seriously studying recently, no, saying it more neatly and stylishly, I am doing research about Magic Engineering.

    ¡¸For the time being, I have to learn¡ºEternity¡»fast¡¹

    On the top of the desk, the same one as used in ssrooms,ys a mountain of books and heap of papers with badly drawn magic circles on them.

    Thinking back, it¡¯s the first time I have started the research of my ck magic ever since living with Lily in the hut of the mage in the forest.

    Though I was forced to learn the hard way in the first ss that I will not be able to learn Model Magic, however, my magic research ways is still notpletely run out of options, there are lots of things I still can still do.

    In the first ce, after I learnt the basics of dark magic from Mossan, I was able toplete my¡ºShadow Gate¡» and ¡ºAnchor Hand¡». So, though I might not be able to learn magic spells, if I grasp a better understanding about magic equations and use my imagination, there shold be some sort of effect.

    There is still a lot of room for improvement of my ck Magic.

    And more than anything, those Handlet Members (Experimental subjects) were able to use better spells and Martial Skills than me, it means they evolved. So if they can, why can¡¯t I?

    At present, I¡¯m researching (learning) the¡ºEternity¡», needed for ckening stuff and creating bullets for a gun. It is an enhanced version of the current ck Magic, it¡¯s a new magic which I¡¯m developing by using other types of Magic too, for handling the divine protection of fire and other stuff.

    Incidentally, I learned that I can use only¡ºKuroNagi¡»with any weapon, probably because I¡¯ve used it the most in battles, that my body learned it advertently.

    In that case I will try to learn the other Martial Skills present in the weapon by using them in fighting quests. At the very least, it won¡¯t take as much time as learning a totally new Martial Skill.

    Well,¡ºAkaNagi¡»and¡ºYamiNagi¡»are skills that activate not only with the ability of user, but also require the use of power residing in the hatchet itself, so it is the so-called exclusive skill.

    Let it be Magic or Martial Skills, the things I need to do from now on are just too much.

    But it won¡¯t do any good if I will do it in a hurry, so I¡¯m building up my power steadily.

    Though, it¡¯s not like I never ask myself, just when I¡¯ll be able to overtake those Apostles......

    ¡¸Kurono-san, are you inside?¡¹

    While I¡¯m practicing to draw a magic circle, thinking of other stuff, a knock along with Fiona¡¯s voice reached my ears.

    ¡¸I¡¯m here,e in¡¹

    ¡°Excuse me¡±, she notified before entering, with a snack like a Cheros in her hands.

    Recently, whenever I see Fiona, she seems to be holding some new sort of food, looks like she is not only researching about magic, but also in pursuit of the way of food.

    ¡¸I have brought you a new book¡¹

    ¡¸I see, you saved me there¡¹

    All the books I¡¯m using as reference are the stuff Fiona has brought to me.

    Fiona already knows that I can¡¯t decipher anynguage rted to Magic with chanting of spells.

    And so, she doesn¡¯t bring grimoires, which are all filled with spells, but rather she brings the books about Magic Equations and History of Magic, the ones I can read.

    She¡¯s even looking out for me while she is searching something herself, I just can¡¯t match her.

    ¡¸How is your progress?¡¹

    ¡¸I still have a long way to understand¡ºEternity¡»¡¹

    I replied with a wry smile.

    ¡¸Is that so, please do your best, Kurono-san¡¹

    Maybe it¡¯s some sort of encouragement from her, she holds out the snack in her hand to me.

    ¡°Does this mean she is giving me a bite?¡± I bite the front of the light brown snack in her hands.

    ¡¸Oh, this is tasty¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s good that it was to your taste¡¹

    The surface is crunchy and inside is soft, and have a faint sense of sweetness. The sugar seems to be revolving around my head and replenishing my energy.

    ¡¸So what sort of book did you bring today?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s about Boost¡¹

    It¡¯s called as Common Support Types, a sort of magic which has the effect of increasing the physical ability or the power of magic. I have experienced that effect with my own body.

    I was able to fight on equal grounds with sealed Ai when I got a lower grade boost, I was even able to overpower the Wrath-Pun, that holds tremendous power and speed.

    If I have to fight against Apostles or Rank 5 monsters, then I need to have effect of Boost casted over myself.

    ¡¸But can I use Boost Magic?¡¹

    I have known the Martial Skill of pouring magical energy in my body and rotate it to increase the physical ability ever since I was in theboratory, this Martial Skill can be said to be simr to Boost Magic.

    But conversely speaking, I can¡¯t learn any more than this, I even have the enhancement from ck magical energy casted over myself, so I can¡¯t get an image of a new sort of enhancement.

    ¡¸The ck Magic in itself if pretty rare, so you won¡¯t find the Magic Equations for enhancing it just easily. However, the current Kurono can use the fire attribute, albeit an imitation version¡¹

    ¡°We won¡¯t know until you actually try it, but¡±, with that as the preface, Fiona continued.

    ¡¸The¡ºForce Boost¡»system is based upon the fire color magic, so you might be able to use it with your ck magic mes¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Simon¡¯sb have tools and materials scattered here and there, seeming as if a war urred in here.

    Normally, there is only the owner, Simon, present in the room, but currently an unexpected visitor hase here.

    ¡¸Err, what might you want, Lily-san?¡¹

    In front of the stiffened from nervousness Simon was Lily, in little girl form, with the brain of an adult, and was sitting on a small chair while crossing her legs.

    It¡¯s been some days since they have started living under the same roof, but in this small time the bad feelings Simon had regarding Lily surely didn¡¯t go away.

    ¡¸It isn¡¯t something great, but I wanted to show it to you just in case¡¹

    Lily draws a magic circle in the mid-air, it can be understood at a nce that this is the Dimension Magic.

    The thing she took out from there was a simple-looking ring, which can only be regarded as a white ring.

    ¡¸What is that?¡¹

    The moment Simon neared his face to the ring due to curiosity, the ring made a *ng* sound, and seven needles protruded from inside of the ring.

    ¡¸Whoah!?¡¹

    Lily started her exnations with a cold expression, not moving her brows for even a bit towards Simon¡¯s reaction.

    ¡¸This is the a magic item those experimental subjects, like Kurono, had on their heads. It¡¯s called¡ºThought Control Unit: Angel Ring¡», hearing its name you should be able to guess it¡¯s effect right?¡¹

    ¡¸Thought control unit......don¡¯t tell me!?¡¹

    Though not being able to use magic, the honor student Simon sure has a lot of knowledge in that area, hence, looking over the item¡¯s name and shape, he understood at once.

    That by stabbing these seven needles in the head of a person, the wearer can be controlled. It¡¯s a type of brainwashing equipment.

    ¡¸Now you are going to even use forbidden arts like this!¡¹

    The brainwashing magic which can control a human are severely supervised in this Pandora Continent.

    With Panic, Berserk and Charm as the representatives, there are various magics that can distort a person¡¯s awareness, but they are all recognized as Bad Effect, so there is no problem in learning them, but the magic which make one listen to the caster¡¯s order forever with absolute obedience are banned.

    Ever since a structural society called City-state establishedw, the powerful brainwashing magic has been regarded as dangerous existence.

    ¡¸But there is a genuine example present right here. Even you might have seen the figures of people wearing this fighting, so I don¡¯t have to exin the extent of this magic, right¡¹

    Simon has fought against a mixed group of Light Golem and experimental subjects, together with the adventurers.

    He still remembers those experimental subjects wearing a gray robe and using the same ck magic as Kurono, not letting out even a single sound if they injured.

    He thought that they might have enhanced their bodies with some kind of magic or medicines, but he had never guessed that they were all brainwashed.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t you think that this thing has a great effect¡¹

    ¡¸That is......Yeah, when we were fighting, there was sings of brainwashing dispelling......¡¹

    Though brainwashing, this thing is not an omnipotent power, which gives the effect for unlimited amount of time.

    Upon getting some sort of external shock, the consciousness might return, or it may return at any time for no reason at all, in short, brainwashing can be said to be a delicate magic.

    ¡¸Moreover, it also have the function of telepathicmunication installed¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, wow! So that was the reason for their too-good coordinated attacks¡¹

    The movement of experimental subjects was as if they had eyes on the back, even Rank 1 Adventurer like Simon was able to understand their good coordinated movements.

    He was now convinced, if they aremunicating with telepathy, they won¡¯t need to speak or even give a signal.

    ¡¸By the way, I have been taking the sses for Summoning Magic ever since I have started attending this school¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, oh, I see¡¹

    On the abrupt topic change, Simon was only able to express a vague answer.

    ¡°Just what is she doing suddenly¡±, Simon thought that, and Lily started speaking as if chatting.

    ¡¸In Alsace, that Summoner who controlled monsters helped a lot, so I became somewhat interested in magic to control others, hence, I even took the sses of Necromancy¡¹

    ¡¸O-oh¡ª, that¡¯s great¡¹

    ¡¸There¡¯s nothing great about it, though I attended the sses, but Summoning Magic needs to train summoned monster and Necromancy can only be learned if someone can use darkness attribute, which is impossible for me, as I can only use light magic¡¹

    Though she said that, Lily had no disappointed expression, but rather, she was evenughing.

    This is the cute smile that had grabbed the hearts of various students of the Academy within past week, however seeing that smile, Simon only felt his spine gone cold.

    ¡¸But, if that me have this sort of superb ring¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Lily traced the white surface with her finger, and this time again, while making a *ng* sound, the needles went back in.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªI can use servants¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, don¡¯t tell me, Lily-san!?¡¹

    ¡¸So, now to the main part, hey Simon, can this¡ºAngel Ring¡»be mass-produced?¡¹

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Will you hear to Lily¡¯s request?

    ?Yes

    YES

 Chapter 243 Bandits of Fauren

    Chapter 243 ¨C Bandits of Fauren

    It¡¯s almost a week since that eerie tentacles bastard tried to vite Nell and Charl, every time I step into the school cafeteria now, I always end up recalling that scene and makes me want to vomit.

    ¡¸What happened Nero, you still bothered by that?¡¹

    Apparently I¡¯m making a really displeased expression that even this sword fight loving idiot, Kai, can also see through my thoughts.

    ¡¸Well yeah¡¹

    ¡¸Wasn¡¯t Nell saying it was all a misunderstanding¡¹

    ¡¸Idiot, to her even a criminal is a virtuous person¡¹

    Nell is just too much kind, to a really bad extent; she ispletely insensitive of others¡¯ evil intentions.

    However that is nothing to deprecate, as her brother I just have to protect her, it has always been like that, and I will see it to the end.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right in one sense¡¹

    Even this idiot understands Nell¡¯s too-good-of-a-kind-person attitude.

    ¡¸More than anything, I sensed something really unpleasant from that man¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, was he that gross?¡¹

    No, I¡¯m not saying dat, if you exclude the scariness of his face, it is quite handsome.

    The problem isn¡¯t something like his outside appearance.

    ¡¸At that time, he didn¡¯t feel anything¡¹

    Even after embracing the peerless beauty like Nell, attacking Charl with tentacles, and more than anything, even while facing my bloodlust, there was no wavering in those ck and red eyes of that man.

    A man would show his vulgar lewd side uponying hands on two beauties, but he didn¡¯t had any of that, but rather an expressionless face as if saying he just saved Nell from falling down, and took legitimate self-defense measures against Charl.

    When I showed my bloodlust, that bastard didn¡¯t even seem to have his guard up knowing that I won¡¯te attacking him because Nell was standing in front of him.

    More than the fact that he can use tentacles, it¡¯s just that aura he gives out is truly eerie and disgusting.

    ¡¸Hmm, so is he that strong?¡¹

    ¡¸He¡¯s not weak that I know, maybe he could have power enough to fight against us at equals¡¹

    ¡¸Whoah, dats¡¯ great!¡¹

    I¡¯m not a battle maniac like Kai, so I¡¯ve got no interest in stuff like that.

    Though I¡¯m not interested, but because it bothered me, so I searched into that man called Kurono.

    ¡¸Hey Kai, do you know a Rank 3 Party named as¡ºElement Master¡»?¡¹

    ¡¸Rank 3? I don¡¯t have to waste my brains to remember the names of small fries¡¹

    You¡¯re right, the ones who are at Rank 4 can only be the ones who can fight against him.

    ¡¸Kurono is a adventurer in this party¡¹

    ¡¸KURONO?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s that man¡¯s name, aren¡¯t I saying that from before¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yeah, Kurono, right, hmm, I see, so that¡¯s his name¡¹

    He¡¯s truly bad at remembering other peoples name, but I just said¡¸maybe he could have power enough to fight against us at equals¡¹¡¢so no wonder he might have gotten interested in him, now he won¡¯t forget his name.

    ¡¸This¡ºElement Master¡»was just a Rank 1 party thest month¡¹

    And now in just one month, they are Rank 3, meaning they have raised their ranks about 2 ranks.

    ¡¸Seriously!, isn¡¯t that a high-pace same as us!¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, they obviously have ability above Rank 4, still those bastards are starting from Rank 1¡¹

    The story like ¡°a rookie came out from countryside and has truly great potential and is increasing rank at a high-pace¡± is something that is, though rare, but truth, however there¡¯s always some sort of circumstances attached to that person.

    Most probably, hisrades, the fairy and witch might also be the same.

    I don¡¯t know what circumstances Kurono has got, but there no doubt that he¡¯s got some secret up his sleeve, my intuitions like these are always right.

    No, maybe he will do something in future......

    ¡¸The whatever Berserker Wil has been so prideful recently, apparently is that Kurono¡¹

    When the school was getting heated up after we subjugated Wrath-Pun, only Wil had a unhappy face.

    I had no interest in him, so neither I wanted to hear about the circumstances neither try to search it, but one day abruptly,

    ¡¸You people were only able to kill that frightening Wrath-Pun because of that gant work of Nightmare Berserker, you people have only killstealed from him, don¡¯t forget this thing ever, Fuahahahaha!¡¹

    He had a smug look on his face, apparently that Kurono fought with Wrath-Pun and inflicted serious wounds to it.

    At that time I didn¡¯t thought much while I saw him getting kicked by Charl, but now I understand that, Kurono might have the power to cut a whole single arm of that Wrath-Pun.

    ¡¸Well I don¡¯t know how strong he is, but there is no doubt that he is an disgusting guy¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, I want to fight him once¡¹

    Ah shit, that Kurono is surely going to be challenged by this idiot in near future.

    Well it¡¯s fine, at that time this Kai needs to beat the hell out of him, that way even I will be satisfied

    ¡¸Even so, that Charl, she called us out and now is stumping herself¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry for the wait, I found a new quest!¡¹

    Speak of the devil, the main person who called out every party member today, Charl, appeared finally.

    Nell was behind her; most probably she apanied Charl to guild for searching a new quest.

    Like that, we 4 are meeting in our usual meet-up ce, but Safi is still secluded in theb for trying to make a new servant using the materials of Wrath-Pun.

    ¡¸So, what did you found out?¡¹

    While looking at Charl in good mood, I got depressed that it¡¯s again going to be some sort of bothersome quest, still I asked her.

    ¡¸This was the best for us, so I took it with a prompt decision!¡¹

    ¡¸So no discussions eh¡¹

    ¡¸Umm, sorry Onii-sama, even I want to take on this quest no matter what¡¹

    ¡¸Oho, so rare things do happen¡¹

    Kai and I have the same opinion.

    I can somewhat guess a vague reason for Nell to be so motivated, but I still asked for the exnation.

    ¡¸Have you heard about the talks of bandits disturbing areas near Fauren?¡¹

    It¡¯s not been much since the publicly fights between each countries have stopped, but even this somewhat peaceful age, the bandits or robbers have not been exterminated.

    Bastards like that run wild here and there, something like this urs once or twice at intervals in any country, just think of it as the appearance of monsters.

    But, I¡¯ve not heard any special info about bandits of Spada¡¯s neighboring country, Fauren.

    ¡¸I haven¡¯t heard about bandits who are famous¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, even these guys from Fauren aren¡¯t big enough to make a big name for them¡¹

    The bandits is a group of conspirators, if they make an organization of that sort of people then it¡¯s natural to get a name for themselves, let it be by others or self-proimed one.

    But the more their name is famous equates to the same amount of destruction they have caused.

    Even if they call themselves with an exaggerated group name, but it won¡¯t rise up to be rumors if they are killed fast.

    Of course, if they have mind to think they would know if they make a name for themselves then they would be attacked by other countries, adventurers and even bounty hunters, and so if they don¡¯t plunder onrge-scale there is no need for them to name themselves.

    In short, the¡ºBandits of Fauren¡»Charl is saying are a group which hasn¡¯t named itself, neither has done works enough to get a name from others.

    ¡¸But, just recently some girl of a noble from Fauren was abducted by these bandits, and with that as the trigger the rumors are growing¡¹

    ¡¸But, if that has happened, then the Chivalric Order won¡¯t be quiet, right?¡¹

    Fauren is one of the city-states present near the centre of continent, though it doesn¡¯t has mighty military force like Spada or Avalon, but as a good city-state it has good public order and can be said to be a stable country.

    Its specialty can be said to be that they have peculiar and original magic and pharmaceutics knowledge thanks to the various Dark Elves who have flowed there from Western direction.

    ¡¸They can¡¯t do the work, hence it¡¯s our chance¡¹

    ¡¸Well, you¡¯re right......so is it like those bandits are doing work by illegally crossing the country border?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah truly¡¹

    Well, that was the only reason I can think of if the Chivalric Order cannoty hands on them, and I¡¯ve never heard Fauren having civil fights.

    There¡¯s no way they are too strong that even Chivalric Order can¡¯t fight, if that was the case, wars would¡¯ve already started.

    ¡¸These bandits plunder stuff from Fauren, but apparently they are within Spada¡¹

    A stereotypical example of running away from Chivalric Order.

    No matter how powerful a Chivalric Order is, it would still create troubles by entering thends of other country, in the first ce it¡¯s moremon for them to be refused entry.

    No matter what they do in their own country, but if bandits run off to some other country then they can¡¯t do a shit about it.

    Like that, they get their hands off by asking the adventurers, who have got no problems in crossing national borders at all, and so they send the subjugation quests in Guilds, well that¡¯s the process.

    Of course, there might be some slow-headed bandits who only work in their own country, and the final oue is their annihtion.

    ¡¸So we got dumped on the job to destroy their hideout, eh. So, the reason Nell is getting to desperate for bandit subjugation must be that some acquaintance of your was attacked, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Onii-sama is sharp as usual......it¡¯s not like they are some direct acquaintance of mine, but some students from Knight Course were attacked by this Bandit group¡¹

    Two parties of certain Knight Course students challenged at quest, this is quite amon urrence as based on Knight Course¡¯s real fight curriculum.

    On the way back that party got attacked by these bandits and was exterminated, one of the survivors who somehow made it back, exined the details, or something like that.

    ¡¸It was bad luck that the other party was of girls¡¹

    If it was just boys, then they would be killed on the stop, the end.

    But, the same doesn¡¯t go with girls, the possibility of their survival is high.

    Of course, though alive they would have been subjected to stuff that would make them wish for death.

    ¡¸As a student from same Academy, I just can¡¯t leave those girls alone like that!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s natural to be prepared for that if they are Knights, but now that we known about this, there¡¯s no way we won¡¯t save them¡¹

    Nell and Charl seem quite serious, if I said NO as the answer, there¡¯s no doubt that these two would go on the quest with each other.

    But, it¡¯s not like I have some reason to refuse.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, now that they haveid hands on our Academy¡¯s students, we can¡¯t just be quiet about it¡¹

    ¡¸Oorah, we will just cut them bandits down easily!¡¹

    Well then, the first quest of¡ºWing Road¡»after reaching Rank 5 is bandit subjugation, but

    ¡¸By the way Charl, though I haven¡¯t heard rumors about the bandits of Fauren, but I do have heard rumors about some seriously influential ve Traders in Spada¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    ¡¸Maybe this case has some sort of backside to it¡¹

 Chapter 244 Pursuing the Monster of Trial!

    Chapter 244 ¨C Pursuing the Monster of Trial!

    24th of Red me month, night, in the former dorm¡¯s¡ª¡ªor rather, now people are living so it¡¯s fine to call it a dorm, right. Anyhow, in the dorm¡¯s lounge the residents, Me, Simon, Lily and Fiona had gathered.

    Of course, this lounge is just a spacious room with a table and chairs set-up, we have just named it like that on our own ord, even so we four gather here to even eat meals.

    It¡¯s somewhat disappointing that we cannot eat meals together every time, but it¡¯s only natural because everyone is secluded inside their rooms for doing their research works.

    And, we dined together this time, after that started exchanging information gathered, in others it is a chatting time.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªIf I apany Lia-nee¡¯s ridiculous training anymore, I will die no matter how many lives I had¡¹

    ¡¸Looks like your sisters has created some great trauma¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, currently I don¡¯t have to see her face everyday, so I¡¯m truly grateful for this dorm life, but in near future she woulde saying that I need a physical inspection and take me back, I hate going there, ah, Onii-san how about you send her back, you can even use power to send her back¡¹

    ¡¸No, that is too much......¡¹

    Isn¡¯t that bad, she¡¯s Simon¡¯s elder sister, she¡¯s Spada¡¯s general, and I don¡¯t even know if I will win against her.

    Well, currently it¡¯s less of a chat and more of aint to Simon¡¯s sister, but this is also fine, like this we can cultivate a better understanding, I think.

    For the time being, I have understood that Simon fears her sister really very much.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be so pessimistic, here eat some pudding¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, thank you Onii-san¡¹

    Incidentally, the pudding I made with my whole heart is decorating this dining table right now.

    The reactions were the same as the one I saw in Irz vige and everyone is eating the pudding with relish.

    There is even a person who is silently eating all the pudding while making a tower with the empty cups.

    Setting that aside, I¡¯m thinking of start my topic.

    ¡¸In truth, I went to school after a week and¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Though school life is important, but my core upation is an adventurer, so I can¡¯t possibly neglect it.

    ¡¸Speaking of Guild, doesn¡¯t Kurono-san always go to the ce of a beautiful elf named Erina, right¡¹

    ¡¸Onii-san, Erina-san has a high rate of sessful applicants¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, what is with this flow, I thought of seriously talk about quest¡¹

    Just because of a single harsh sentence of Fiona, this talk has turned into me being seduced by the charm of the receptionist.

    It¡¯s not like I always go to her ce, and I¡¯m not even aiming for her.

    After the incident with serial killer Joto, I have just be acquaintances with her, I seriously don¡¯t have any ulterior motives when I talk with her.

    That¡¯s why, please Lily can you stop sending those cold stares to me, when she was eating pudding before she was truly a child, now I¡¯m sure that her consciousness is back to her adult form.

    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s about time we take on a Rank 3 quest¡¹

    Whoa, as expected of Lily, she¡¯spletely and elegantly ignoring this troublesome suspicion, I¡¯m sorry doubti¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸As for the talk about this girl named Erina, I need detailster¡¹

    Ah, I see, so it¡¯s no good, no I truly understand it now.

    At the time of proving my innocence it¡¯s going to take a lot of time......setting aside these mncholic feelings, I chose to speak the main points.

    ¡¸You remember about the six monster for trail, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, If I¡¯m right then it was that if we defeat monsters like Wrath-Pun, you will get the divine protection, right¡¹

    Fiona gave a perfect answer, if just she wasn¡¯t poking the pudding with her spoon, surely she would¡¯ve given a more serious aura.

    ¡¸Yeah, one of the six seems to have appeared near¡¹

    The name of that one is Greed Gore.

    ording to the reference books I saw in the reference room, this guy¡¯s habitat is a Rank 5 dungeon¡ºEll Grand Canyon¡»located far south-west from Spada, it appears very rarely, and because the ce is quite far so before going to its subjugation one would like have a definite eyewitness report.

    And the eyewitness report about Greed Gore hase, but

    ¡¸Fauren? Isn¡¯t that the neighboring country of Spada¡¹

    Just as Lily said, this eyewitness report hase from the neighboring country of Spada, that is Fauren.

    ¡¸Ell Grand Canyon is more south side from there, isn¡¯t this ce just too far from the habitat?¡¹

    Simon¡¯s doubts are truly right, normally it would be thought as fake or a misjudgment, but

    ¡¸This information has full authenticity in the Guild, there are various other eyewitnesses, and even the Chivalric Order of Faren, out for training had encountered it¡¹

    If tracing the paths of all eyewitness reports, then this Greed Gore apparently departed from its original habitat Ell Grand Canyon, and has beening towards east, towards our area, steadily.

    Incidentally, when the Greed Gore met encountered Greed Gore it suddenly vanished, hence no fight started neither there were any casualties.

    As the monster had the danger of Rank 5 so the Chivalric Order formed a Subjugation group, but in the end, they didn¡¯t see it again.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve got no idea what is Greed Gore thinking while straightly heading towards the east, but we can guess that it could have entered Spada territory judging from that speed¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so it means that it appeared in a ce that is perfect for us to go at, right?¡¹

    I nod at Fiona¡¯s word to show my agreement.

    It¡¯s almost like it appeared just to grant me the trial, but Mia-chan had said that¡¸It will go with natural development¡¹so there must not be anything intentional in this.

    ¡¸Only this guy has been spotted till now, and I also think that this will be the only chance to defeat it. The Guild has only given out warnings and there is no official quest for it, in other words it would bepletely frence work, will you apany me?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course, good chance can¡¯t be bought with money¡¹

    ¡¸I also think the same¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you, then it is decided¡¹

    With prompt replies, we all agreed on the topic, and it¡¯s decided we would go on Greed Gore Subjugation.

    ¡¸This time we shall be prepared well and fine before fighting a Rank 5 monster. I If I remember correctly, Greed Gore uses earth attribute, right?¡¹

    Fiona said a perfect stuff an adventurer should say, if just she didn¡¯t that small bit of pudding on the edge of her mouth, I would¡¯ve started revering her.

    But certainly, we had a hard time fighting against Wrath-Pun because we didn¡¯t have proper preparations against that guy¡¯s strong fire resistance.

    It can be said as basics for adventurers to prepare themselves and the equipments based on the subjugation target.

    ¡¸Yeah, Greed Gore uses earth attribute, it would be quite hard stuff¡¹

    ording to the info, Greed Gore, just like Dagger Raptors, is a dinosaur-shaped monster, in short is the Tyrannosaurus AW.version, apparently.

    It is a nonsensical guy who can freely use the Earth Extra Magic and move underground just like Morjura.

    ¡¸For the time being, after working out a n, we will leave as soon as preparations are over¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Two days since then, on thest day, 31st of Red me month, we¡ºElement Master¡»decided to move out towards the south-west of Spada for subjugating another monster for the trial

    In front the dorm are Wil and the maid Seria, along with Simon who has gotten dark circles under his eyes, apparently he pulled an all-nighter.

    ¡¸Oh, Kurono, you¡¯re finally looking more like a real Berserker with that profound armor¡¹

    Wil said as such while tapping on my shoulder, I end up showing a wry smile, well I knew that he would say something like this after seeing my armor-wearing figure.

    The current me is not wearing the trademark of a mage, the robe, rather I¡¯m d in a armor made from steel with high defensive power,

    The fact that it can use earth attribute means the attacks are going to be just physical ones, so it¡¯s more important to protect on body from those rather than heat and electricity in this case.

    While facing a Vs. Greed Gore situation, I bought an armor with all my heart.

    However I wasn¡¯t able to get armor casted with Enchant upon it like the armors of those Heavy Knights of Crusaders, so I only have a mass-produced stuff, even the design is really simple.

    Even so I have taken help from Fiona and engraved the Magic Equation of¡ºEternity¡»on my own ord, and even raised its defensive power after applying ckening over it with gentleness and love while taking a whole day¡¯s time for it.

    Naturally Fiona¡¯s exnation was,

    ¡¸Kurono-san, here you pour the magical energy with full power like *Boom*, and here with a *swish* feeling, and here you go *heave-ho*¡¹

    Completely filled with onomatopoeic so it took helluva time to decipher it all.

    Well concerning the results, my armor has turned into an eerie jet ck color which doesn¡¯t reflect sunlight at all. Its color is almost like the Adventurer Guild in Alsace Vige.

    Incidentally, though this armor is a mass-produced stuff but it surely isn¡¯t cheap, Lily and Fiona have pitched in near half of its price, and like that my debts are just increasing, truly a sad story.

    While we¡¯re at it, Lily is in her usual one piece dress and Fiona in her usual witch appearance with her usual defense, in short the person bing the vanguard and who needed the most defense is me.

    I wish they would recall my official ss name.

    ¡¸By the way Kurono, I¡¯ve got to talk something with you......¡¹

    Wil said that with a strange appearance which made me thing if it¡¯s something hard to say, then he moved his face closer to me as if he¡¯s going to start some secret talk.

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you, Kurono, going to the south-west of Spada, the area near Fauren¡¯s national borders, right?¡¹

    That¡¯s right, the most probable ce it would appear is that ce, for the time being I will collect eyewitness reports on the actual location, then make the feet do somebour.

    While hoping that upon reaching close enough, this left eye of mine will point it out.

    ¡¸In fact, my sister who caused trouble for you the other day......¡¹

    ¡¸Err, was it Charlotte-chan?¡¹

    The Spada¡¯s princess most who didn¡¯t get a good impression of me at the first meeting most probably would have gotten her guard up against me, or so I can easily guess.

    I don¡¯t have any intention to say bad about her, but personally I would rather refrain from meeting a person like that.

    ¡¸She went on a quest to subjugate bandits working near that area, when I searched a little more about it, I found the other party has even got bodyguards, no matter if they are Rank 5, I¡¯m still anxious¡¹

    I see, so it came to bandits.

    It¡¯s only natural to be more worried when the opponent is not a monster but humans, as it would not be a fight with only pure ability but also with cunning traps and whatnot.

    The party Charlotte-chan is in is a Rank 5 party called¡ºWing Road¡», though they are Rank 5, but judging from their ages they surely don¡¯t have enough experiences to be called veterans.

    Well even I¡¯m only 17 years old so I can¡¯t possibly speak that proudly about the way of adventurers.

    ¡¸It¡¯s painful for me to ask you this after what happened, but if something happens to my sister, please save her¡¹

    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not I will hesitate to if she is attacked in front of my eyes, but there is guarantee we will meet over there, we both parties have our own goals¡¹

    ¡¸No, that alone is enough, thank you, I can be somewhat relieved knowing that you will be somewhere near there, you can evenugh at me as if I¡¯m an idiotic brother¡¹

    ¡¸No, I know the feeling of wanting to protect your siblings¡¹

    Though there is no little sister in my case but there sure is a elder sister for me, so I don¡¯t there is much difference.

    Wil said his thanks with a bright expression.

    ¡¸Ah, is your talk over? I have got something to give to you, Onii-san¡¹

    ¡¸H-Hey Simon, are you alright, you seem staggering to me¡¹

    I let out those words to Simon who indeed didn¡¯t look normal and walked like a zombie.

    Maybe he himself is not worrying about it, or doesn¡¯t haveposure to worry about, he just presented the ck case in his hands to me straightforwardly without any exnation.

    ¡¸You want to give me this? What is inside this then?¡¹

    ¡¸I heard Onii-san still haven¡¯t bought a new wand for yourself, so I made this in haste, it is still in early phase though¡¹

    Simon opened the case with heavy eyes, and inside was a single gun present.

    Its appearance is the same as the Contender gun he possessed at first, but this one has a shorter barrel, so is looking more like the real thing.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a one-shot gun just like my first one, but if it¡¯s you, Onii-san, then you can use it just like that machine gun in Alsace. I have put a Magic Equation in the chamber and barrel so if you shoot with this then the prating power of your Bullet Arts will surely be increased ifpared to normally firing it¡¹

    Moreover, the barrel are two, they are made in horizontally bipartite form.

    Firing simultaneously will increase the power, and because I will be using it so there was no need to worry about recoil, anyhow Simon just nned the blueprint of it aiming for a higher power, and the one who made it is Stratos Smithing Workshop.

    ¡¸Whoah, that is great!¡¹

    Nevertheless, so this is the so called appearance of guns as extension for wands used for magic, eh.

    ¡¸And this, I was only able to make some of these exclusive bullets¡¹

    Saying that Simon handed over to me bullets in a pouch-like bag, I realized that each of the bullets have a magic circle drawn on it.

    ¡¸Is this what I think Simon¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, after drinking that eerie potion of shady origins for keeping myself awake and increase concentration power, so I don¡¯t think there is any spelling mistake in the circle¡¹

    I look at Fiona from the side of my eye, and see Fiona giving a thumbs up while holding a potion bottle filled with some sort of poisonous red colored liquid inside in her one hand.

    Apparently it is an original potion by Fiona herself.

    ¡¸I see, you work really hard¡¹

    I¡¯m happy that he even went to the extents of doing something simr to a shady doping, but at the same time I¡¯m worried about him doing so much for me.

    In fact, is that potion even drinkable? Simon even said¡¸eerie potion with shady origins¡¹as the preposition......no, it¡¯s better to not think about it for now.

    ¡¸Thank you very much Simon, now rest up¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, Good night Onii-san¡¹

    While thanking Simon who is loitering on the line of dream-world and reality while mumbling some stuff, I put the gun and bullets into the¡ºShadow Gate¡».

    ¡¸Well then, we¡¯re going¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m waiting for a new legend of Nightmare Berserker!¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind Wil-sama¡¯s reckless remarks, please have a safe trip¡¹

    ¡¸*yawn* Onii-san, do your best~¡¹

    While taking the farewell words, along with Fiona and Lily, we left the dorm.

 Chapter 245 The Three Bodyguards

    Chapter 245 ¨C The Three Bodyguards

    The hideout of the bandit group working in Fauren is located on the outskirts of Isckia Vige which got its name from a dungeon called¡ºIsckia Hills¡».

    The hideouts of bandits would be dirty small hut or a dark cave, but this ce alone gives an impressionpletely different from those stereotypes.

    After all, this ce is a neat and clean mansion, a ce no one would think bandits would live in.

    Seeing the quiet environment of greenery surrounding it, one would think it is some vi of a noble, and, some years ago that was the truth.

    As for what karma this mansion degraded to a point of being used by bandits is something that only some people among the higher-ups know about.

    However, though they might not know the details but everyone do understand the gist of it, that is the same for the bodyguards who were hired from outside.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a mansion of some ve Dealer, I have heard that¡¹

    One of the three bodyguards who attacked the student party just the other day, the giant skinhead man, Zack a rank 2 Adventurer asked a question regarding the mansion and got that as the answer.

    The one who answered Zack¡¯s question is another one of the bodyguards, a katana-wielder with blue eyes and blond hair, Ludora.

    When Zack first met him, looking at those vacant eyes and haggard body he doubted that this guy can even speak, but after apanying him till now he knows that this guy can reply just fine, and so he can call out to him less timidly.

    ¡¸Cheh, from my view this ce is really small too small, I wanna live in a damn big ce!¡¹

    At the very least, Zack thinks he is very easier to talk ifpared to this always-boasting one-eyed Golem, Galdan.

    ¡¸A certain ve Dealer, eh, maybe our true employer might be someone really great whose name even I might know¡¹

    In the first ce, the client who hired them is anonymous, they just know that he is a Trader who pays generously. The representative of target of escort, the bandit group aka ve Dealer, a man named Robert is the only contact person between them and the client.

    The man who was talking to the party of students was Robert. Surely his tone and appearance is like that of a hoodlum, but he is the only one who holds the direct connection with the ve Dealer in question. Unexpectedly, his true job might not be being a bandit but a trader.

    In short, that ve Dealer is the boss, and this bandit group Robert leads, is the way to restock theirmodities aka ves via bandit-like ways.

    Though he hadn¡¯t searched the background, but Zack believed more than half in the authenticity of his current guess.

    Among the three, only he was Rank 2 who couldn¡¯t even use a single Martial Skill, but he was the only one who knew the workings of the underworld these guys lived in.

    ¡¸Well, as long as they pay us, I don¡¯t care who the person is¡¹

    And he knew the fact that ignorance is a bliss, after all he was just an expendable asset. If his old friend hadn¡¯t introduced him, then Zack, who had returned to being a honest adventurer, would never take such a shady private contract quest.

    Of course the reward was also fascinating, to the extent that Rank 2 quests can¡¯t even bepared.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a good decision¡¹

    While hearing the words of praise from Ludora, Zack lied down on the leather-covered sofa.

    ¡¸By the way, Boss Ludora¡¹[1]

    The reason Zack calls him like this is because, in this short fellowship, he has known that this man is the strongest person.

    Unfortunately the second one was Galdan, a human can never win against Golem¡¯s power without Martial Skills and Magic.

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    ¡¸Boss, aren¡¯t you going to participate in that ce, they even invited saying they would give the pure ones¡¹

    As the subordinates of ve Dealer, it¡¯s a basic thing to always send the prettiest woman untouched.

    Naturally, with ve girls in front, the men who had fallen down to the grades of bandits certainly won¡¯t be able to hold back, and even though with the strict order of not touching the girls, some will break it.

    Hence, they have taken the measure to do as the please with girls who seem normal, so if they have an outlet for their desires, they won¡¯t stake their lives for raping the more good girl.

    Therefore, the Spada¡¯s schoolgirls they captured the other day have been used as the tools for the rxation of bandits, no, even currently they might be using them in the floor below.

    ¡¸I have refused the women due to some circumstances¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, that is pretty stoic¡¹

    ¡¸What is with women this and that, truly shit, them was getting heated up from morning to evening, truly eyesores¡¹

    ¡°That is because you¡¯re a Golem without any sexual desires¡±, there was no obligation to retort like that, was there?

    ¡¸From my view, I¡¯m more concerned why you haven¡¯tid your hands on that¡¹

    ¡¸Hehe, so it does look like that¡¹

    Zack shows a self-depreciative smile while lying down. Even he himself understands how other people look at him.

    And that he is mostly the same as what he looks like.

    However,

    ¡¸I have resolved to noty hands of little girls¡¹

    ¡¸That is quite an admirable mental attitude¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing that exaggerated, just a superstition¡¹

    In the Adventurer Profession where life and death are side-by-side, there are many who are deeply religious even without divine protection, believe in superstitions, are concerned about their result from the fortune-telling, and there are even who follow the rules they made themselves.

    ¡¸I think if I do that, then even a bad person like me will have my life saved once again¡¹

    On the neck of Zari, who just said something deeply moving, a fairy essory was shining along with the Guild Card joined to it by a chain.

    ¡¸Huh! You an idiot, eh, tryin¡¯ to pray ta God? That is the shittiest thing¡¹

    ¡¸Shut up will ya, if you actually narrowly escape death, even you will be a religious person¡¹

    But even if said that, it¡¯s not like he would understand those emotions. In fact, from the mouth, no, Galdan¡¯s a golem so from his speaker the words of deniale out.

    ¡¸Moreover if Iid a hands on a girl, then I would end up in a rtion from which I won¡¯t be able to escape even if I want to. I totes don¡¯t want to be like those bandits¡¹

    Just like Robert said to the students, they are outwardly ve Dealers.

    Though they are doing the work of bodyguards, but they have never seen the stage where they would attack a vige and abduct the girls. However, from the feeling they get from those guys, there¡¯s no doubt that they are involved in abduction and stuff.

    And in the case with student party the other day, under the pretext of retrieval of ve, they went too far, this can¡¯t be denied.

    ¡¸Huh? What are bandits, aren¡¯t we bodyguards of ve dealers¡¹

    Well, there are also some idiots who would believe whatever told to them, so thinking that he didn¡¯t had any obligation to teach him stuff, Zack ignored Galdan¡¯s words.

    ¡¸The dark elf girl we sent before, no matter how you look at it, she didn¡¯t seem like a vige girl who sold herself¡¹

    Ludora silently nodded to show affirmation.

    But, Ludora and Zack, both don¡¯t try to search more into the birthce of that girl.

    ¡¸Nevertheless, in some time our contract period will be over, after that I will get out of this dangerous ce¡¹

    ¡¸Cheh, you damn coward human being, don¡¯t you have the fighting spirit to do something with your own power if some trouble arises¡¹

    Zack sends him a gaze filled with contempt, after all this golem didn¡¯t seem to know that every person has their limits.

    But Zack also felt pity for this golem, who idiotically believes in the greatness of his power.

    As soon as the air turned somewhere between turbulent and calm, a nock along with the voice of a man came from the double door.

    ¡¸Gonna intrude in, Teachs¡¹

    Saying that the one who entered was the representative of this group, Robert.

    ¡¸The guys who went down in the vige asked for help, even a single person is enough. How about it?¡¹

    ¡¸Is one fine?¡¹

    For preparing against an unexpected ident the three of them would move together, particrly it would trouble Zack if some powerful monster or enemy appeared.

    ¡¸I wanna have at least 2 people remain here¡¹

    This mansion is located in the mountains on the outskirts of vige, hence the possibility of monsters appearing here is higher.

    And what if some adventurer who determined the location of this hideout would suddenly attack here? They have let one student escape, so the Guild might be on the move.

    ¡¸Got it, I will go¡¹

    Zack took the battle axe lying besides the sofa in his hands and stood up.

    It¡¯s not like he wanted to work hardly as a bodyguard, but he felt ufortable in this mansion where other girls were being raped.

    ¡¸Whoah, Zack-san, Thankz¡¹

    Without any particr farewell words from other two, he left the room following after Robert.

    Trantor¡¯s Note:

    [1] That boss is the same as you imagine Okita Souji saying Boss (Danna) to Gintoki. (From anime Gintama)

 Chapter 246 Reckless Bandits

    Chapter 246 ¨C Reckless Bandits

    The targets were three adventurers.

    ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m saying to start up a fight and properly take the money to stop fighting¡¹

    Zack took several bandits aka ve Dealers from the mansion he was residing. Upon reaching Isckia Vige, on the front gate, he heard that information from the man he was about to meet up.

    They couldn¡¯t check the Guild Card hence the rank is unknown, this information surely is enough to make on anxious, but more than that,

    (Hey, this is just too false-sounding, so you guys want to snatch the more pretty women for yourself, eh)

    If they had already attacked the adventurers and pulled back temporarily, the atmosphere would be more dangerous.

    From the point of Zack, they seemed to have forced out an unsatisfactory reason.

    But, there was neither time orbour to confirm it, more than anything he had worked all till this point as their bodyguard, if by chance, just before the day contract period ends, he is falsely used of something, then his pay and everything will be ruined.

    (Well it¡¯s the problem of adventurers to show-off by walking with such a pretty woman)

    Though he¡¯s not feeling motivated, but for the job Zack and others run on the path on horses following behind the man.

    The sun has set down and the veil of darkness descends, so running on the path on a horse is difficult, it wouldn¡¯t be so difficult if the path was maintained time-to-time, of course only if the rider has that much ability to horse-ride.

    After walking for a while, they met up with the leading unit which was tracking the adventurers, as for the adventurers they silently moved to the campground site where the Student party had once camped.

    ¡¸Hey, not even a single person for lookout, this guy¡¯s some damn amateur......¡¹

    In this excessively wide in without any shelter to hide, there was a single tent and brightly burning bonfire.

    Just besides it were two horses tied up to a stake hammered in the ground.

    This manner of defenselessness is something even those vigers can¡¯t do, Zack wanted to give a lecture to the person camping here in such a careless manner.

    He had heard that the adventurers were 1 male and 2 females, probably the male is some green young man of a noble and is amusing himself in adventurer-roleying along with his pretty maids.

    In that case he felt less sympathy, and if the male was making love with the two beauties then his sympathy is just non-existent.

    ¡¸Gonna ask for just in case, that camping ground doesn¡¯t has a powerful barrier, right?¡¹

    If there is a Rank 4 Mage, then even without a person for lookout, the person can create an impregnable fortress.

    If they neared carelessly then they might be human fire dolls by a fire barrier, or ice sculptures by a ice barrier. Zack and others don¡¯t have any means to oppose such a power of magic, hence they are being vignt.

    ¡¸There is none, I had investigated it before and there was no reaction at all¡¹

    ¡¸So what will you do? The ¡®negotiations¡¯ like thest time?¡¹

    ¡¸No, this time we will attack at once. Kill the man and capture the women, even they all seem sleeping soundly, this won¡¯t take more than 5 minutes¡¹

    Apparently they were going to use a surprise attack n.

    A campground without a lookout, other party is sleeping soundly without any defense. With this much favorable conditions it¡¯s surely better to finish up the work at once.

    ¡¸We will go, and teach you remain here. If something urs then do help us¡¹

    ¡¸Roger, I will pray that my turn neveres¡¹

    And the bandits creep up to the campgrounds like a snake aiming at its prey.

    Zack stayed behind at a little farther ce while holding his battle axe in one hand.

    The bandits move in the darkness without any torch orntern, but the bonfire near the tent is working as the bestndmark.

    Against this tent set-up in these ins without any shelter, the bandits¡¯ side can make use of their numbers and attack from all four directions.

    Being illuminated by the light, the knives in the hands of men glittered.

    The tent was already encircled by several tens of men, and were about to cut the cloth of tent and invade¡ª¡ªor so it seemed like.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts Full Burst¡¹

    At that time, in the silent dead of night, a dry loud sound of explosion roared.

    ¡¸Wha!?¡¹

    Widening his eyes Zack witnessed a scene he had never expected, in other words the scene of the opponent counterattacking.

    Without knowing what sort of attack that was, the men nearing tent for invading, screamed in anguish and started falling down one-by-one.

    Thanks to being near the bonfire, the scene of men having their heads burst open like a trampled fruit, was easily visible.

    In a second several men died, the men left showed fear.

    In this unexpected situation someone would give out the orders for their movements, but the opponent adventurer was more fast on his feet.

    Three shadows jumped out of the tent¡¯s entrance as is piercing through it. The moment he saw it, Zack¡¯s mind went nk due to fright.

    ¡¸H-He is!¡¹

    A man withrge build wearing a jet-ck ominous armor came out first, but rather than feeling the eeriness of his armor Zack¡¯s eyes were fixed on his face without a helmet.

    He obviously remembered that ck-haired man with sharp ck and red eyes.

    He was the main reason that Zack had no choice but return to being a decent adventurer, there can be no way he would forgot.

    ¡¸No way, wh-why¡ª¡ª¡¹

    But, he had known that the other man was an adventurer since seeing the guild card hanging from his neck, a meeting like this was not non-existent to happen.

    The reason Zack was more surprised is because, with that man was, of all people, his life savior.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWhy is fairy-san also with him!?¡¹

    Behind the man was a shining small figure of a person, it was a figure of a beautiful and cute person that everyone would call a fairy.

    There was no way he would mistake her, she was the person who saved him from the fate of being eaten by slime and having this bones melted. Her figure was vividly burned in his brain.

    The girl with two pair of wings shining in rainbow-color, long tinum blond hair and emerald green eyes, currently once again appeared in front of Zack.

    And the white light which entirely exterminated the slimes, also made its appearance here.

    ¡¸Arrgh, too bright!?¡¹

    The sh sent out by the fairy was not only dazzling but also the hot winds which were the waves of attack also blew through the surroundings.

    A slimes jelly-like body would burst open, but currently that destructive light was aimed at all humans, the blood was spilt and hand, legs, torso and other body parts were flying around.

    And it wasn¡¯t just the fairy causing bloodshed with heat and explosion.

    The third adventurer, a witch in all ck, fired several fireballs having equal explosion power as the sh.

    The red fire and white light disy their furies as if wanting to grill the surroundings.

    There was no magic for a normal man to be in the vortex of that storm of destruction.

    The several tens of men attacking on tent vanished from the world within the short of five minutes and all that was left was charred corpses.

    ¡¸Ahh, Arrgh......¡¹

    He watched hisrades having tables turned at them, no, it would be more appropriate to call it being tten down one-sidedly.

    Zack showing that reaction hadpletely forgot his work as the bodyguard and was trembling. He tried to move his fear-stricken frozen feet with all his strength.

    But, before his legs even started to move,

    ¡¸Aaaahhhhhh!¡¹

    He was captured in the gaze of ck and red eyes.

    The distance between him and the man was several tens of meters, he shouldn¡¯t be visible under the cover of night.

    That¡¯s how it should¡¯ve been, the man¡¯s both eyes were aiming right in his direction¡ª¡ªin short, their eyes met.

    ¡¸Uuuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!¡¹

    Throwing the battle axe, he finally turned around and ran at full speed.

    He hated the fact that they had tied up the horses quite back to sneak up to the camping ground without making any sounds.

    (I can escape if I reach there!)

    He ran whilst believing in that hope.

    But, Zack wasn¡¯t right in his mind currently, hence he didn¡¯t think that the adventurer in the camping grounds would be able to catch him if they untied heir horses.

    Eventually he didn¡¯t sense a horse chasing him at all, instead he clearly heard the footsteps stepping on the meadows just from his rear.

    It was unbelievable, but the distance of several tens of meters was easily covered in less than three seconds.

    ¡°Impossible¡±, by the time he thought that a ck shadow passed by him like a gale with super-high speed,

    ¡¸Stop there¡¹

    And the man inplete ck with just his red eye shining crimson stood in Zack¡¯s way.

    He was grabbing hatchet seeming like a bastard sword in his left hand, a dark red aura rose up from it.

    He couldn¡¯te up with a single idea to defeat this man.

    He had thought this man was strong when he first met him, but it was this moment he thought he was an unreachable overpowering existence.

    If this man was serious, then killing Zack would be as easy as twisting a baby¡¯s arm,st time he was truly ¡®turned a blind eye¡¯.

    Zack understood that his life-and-death waspletely in the man¡¯s hands, he bend his knees raised his hands and took a pose of surrendering.

    ¡¸W-Wait......Help, please......¡¹

    With that hoarse voice, he somehow spit out words for begging his life.

    The eyes of the man looking down on his pitiable figure were after all sharp and had a cruel glint in them.

 Chapter 247 Careless Bandits Strategy!

    Chapter 247 ¨C Careless Bandits Strategy!

    The month changed. We reached the base point in subjugating Greed Gore, the Isckia Vige on the 3rd of tinum Month.

    ¡¸......We are being tailed, eh¡¹

    It was when we were heading towards the Adventurers¡¯ Guild of Vige.

    asionally I would feel a not-friendly stare at me from the crowd of people.

    ¡¸Yeah, we surely are being tailed¡¹

    ¡¸Uh-huh I feel ufortable~¡¹

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t my imagination, apparently.

    ¡¸Geh, they don¡¯t look good people even from their looks¡¹

    Whilst walking the main street reaching to Adventurers¡¯ Guild, I looked around indirectly and confirmed the figures of people tailing us.

    This Isckia Vige was a big vige like Kwarl Vige. There were not only vigers but armed adventurers walking on streets too.

    The people think they were hiding well in the crowd of adventurers, well if they wore leather armour then I wouldn¡¯t have noticed them, but it was impossible to not notice them since they had been sending those stares at me without having any intention of hiding the presence given by stares.

    At the current phase they were only sending impolite stares at me, so it can¡¯t possibly pick a fight with them saying¡¸What da fuck ya watching, huuuh¡¹.

    Surely they must be having bad thoughts after being hooked but the beautiful looks of Lily and Fiona.

    I had no rtion with these worries in Irz Vige, but in a greatly popted country like Spada, men looking at them with those stares have increased.

    However, it¡¯s their own freedom to think whatever they want, though it is unpleasant, but unless they try to make of move on these two I could only ignore them, this applies to the people tailing us at present.

    Like that, whilst paying attention to the rear, we collected the detailed information about Greed Gore in Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    As a result, we had to hear the depressing information about the unknown whereabouts of Greed Gore after the eyewitness reports stopped since some days before.

    It was guessed that it may have gone deep in some dungeon where only some adventurers would dare to step in, otherwise there was also the possibility of it moving underground to some other ce.

    After reaching to this standpoint, I gave an order of looking over the ce it wasst spotted at, the Rank 3 dungeon¡ºIsckia Hills¡».

    We decided upon our ns and left the Adventurers¡¯ Guild only to find that the sun was already sinking down.

    However for increasing the possibility of encountering Greed Gore, we decided to camp near the highway then left Isckia Vige.

    ¡¸We¡¯repletely being tailed¡¹

    Several minutes after riding the horses Merry and Mary, I noticed the group tailing us in the vige still following us.

    ¡¸Yeah, we arepletely being tailed¡¹

    ¡¸Uh-huh, I feel really ufortable~¡¹

    As expected it wasn¡¯t my imagination, apparently.

    ¡¸Are these the so-called bandits?¡¹

    ¡¸Most probably, it is a quick-witted person, they might understand the value of our equipments in just one nce¡¹

    Now that she said it, Fiona¡¯s robe was made by some great high-grade materials, or so the olddy from robe specialist shop was saying.

    Lily¡¯s one-piece is also made from the high-grade fabric of Ancient Birod, my armour too has been reinforced by ckening, so it could be said as a magic armour.

    ¡¸I see, but I was thinking that they are targeting us because of you two, after all you two are really beautiful¡¹

    ¡¸Is that true?¡¹

    ¡¸Why must I lie¡¹

    ¡¸Really~? Lily is beautiful?¡¹

    The voice of Lily sitting in front of me seemed to be in high spirits.

    ¡¸Yeah, Lily is beautiful, you¡¯re super cute¡¹

    ¡¸Fufufu~¡¹

    I handled the reins with one hand, while patting the head of Lily with the other.

    Thinking over it, I sure have be good at horse-riding. After all I could talk and pat while making Merry run.

    Otherwise, Merry might have recognized me as the master, ever since the date with Fiona, I had been increasing the sense of unity by pouring ck magical energy too.

    ¡¸Umm......Then what shall we do, Kurono-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Let¡¯s see, it¡¯s quite irritating for have someone stalking us, so I want them make their move fast. How about we invite them by showing our defencelessness tonight?¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    And it reached to this terrible scene.

    ¡¸Haven¡¯t you exterminated them......¡¹

    The smell of roasting flesh and blood reached my nose. Although I have gotten used to it, but I just can¡¯t take a rest.

    My mind is not reckt to the extent to peacefully sleeping in the middle of this massacre scene filled with hands, legs and freshly severed heads. No, the time I got used to people¡¯s death is the fact that my head is reckt.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it just happened inadvertently, right Lily-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Right~¡¹

    The duo of fairy and witch didn¡¯t show any sign of remorse, but because I also used Full Burst so I can¡¯tin about them.

    ¡¸And we also took one person as prisoner, isn¡¯t this for the good¡¹

    ¡¸A prisoner, we took......¡¹

    Withplicated feelings I look at the skin-headed man shivering with his face turned pale.

    He seemed to have lost all his fighting strength, but for just in case I have bind him up with Anchor Hand made from¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»

    ¡¸Master¡ªUrgh!¡¹The maid with sense of wariness maxed out would use her prideful ck hair wires to bite into the five limbs of the opponent and mince them, only if the opponent showed some strange movements.

    Of course, seeing this state, I totally doubt it would happen.

    No, the thing more concerning to me is that I remember this man.

    ¡¸Hey do you remember about me?¡¹

    ¡¸ugh......Y-Yes¡¹

    He even used formalnguage, looks like he is seriously freaked out.

    In the back alley of Spada slums, he had enough spirits to bluff even after his sword was broken, but it could only be said as natural to be freaked out after seeing so many of hisrades die in a shy manner.

    ¡¸It¡¯s truly unfortunate, that you have degraded down to being a bandit¡¹

    Though I said that, but I knew that there was no way he would return to being a decent adventurer just by my words.

    But, it¡¯s my true feelings that I feel disappointed in him.

    ¡¸W-wait, I¡¯m not a bandit or something, after that I seriously be an adventurer! Just like you said, a decent adventurer!¡¹

    ¡¸Stop, I don¡¯t want to hear you begging¡¹

    I¡¯m not a kind person to the extent of believing his words.

    However I don¡¯t have the hobby of ying with others¡¯ lives like those apostles, I intend to hand them over to the Isckia Guild or vignte corps.

    Before that, I wanted to hear the information about the bandits, but looking at his current state it seems impossible. It¡¯s better to make him faint¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸Wait Kurono, this man is saying the truth¡¹

    ¡¸Lily?¡¹

    But, a lifeboat for this man appeared from an unexpected ce. She had been in the child form but currently Lily said the words fluently and forced her way in between me and the man.

    ¡¸F-fairy-san! Please, save me! After getting saved by you, I¡¯ve been praying the fairy goddess every night! I also don¡¯ty my hand on children, please, save, save me!!¡¹

    ¡¸Do you know him?¡¹

    Looking at the shouting and crying man with a sidelong nce, I asked Lily.

    ¡¸When I went on Slime subjugation quest, I had saved him along the way¡¹

    ¡¸So it¡¯s something like that¡¹

    That is one great coincidence. Recently I have been feeling lot of time that this world is small.

    ¡¸Hey you, calm down, it¡¯s fine, I won¡¯t kill you¡¹

    ¡¸*weep*......T-t-thank you, thank you very much Fairy-san......¡¹

    The adult man lowers his head towards a small girl, or rather the scene of him grovelling in prostrating form is quite surreal.

    ¡¸The we will ask you some questions, it¡¯s fine to say slowly, but answer honestly, okay?¡¹

    ¡¸*weep* Y-y-yess¡¹

    So she will start the interrogation at this point, seriously I can¡¯t make light of adult Lily.

    Lily turned back in an instant and winked as if saying here you go. She¡¯s cute as always, err nothing, I meant now I can get the info from this man.

    ¡¸Then name yourself first, and show your Guild Card if you¡¯re truly an adventurer¡¹

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m Zack, a poor adventurer from the countryside of Spada. The Guild Card is on my neck¡¹

    There surely is a chain on his neck, as for the end of it is within the leather armour so I can¡¯t see what is attached to it.

    I wind the ck hair wire, officially a think¡ºAnchor Hand¡»and take out the Guild Card from his bosom while still restraining Zack.

    At that moment his face seemed to spasm from fear, but I pretended to not notice it. What, you hate tentacles that much.

    ¡¸Bronze te, eh¡¹

    ¡¸Heh Heh, this is the limit for someone like me¡¹

    I remembered that he was saying he could use Enhancement Magic and Martial Skills as a bluff, so it must be truth that he doesn¡¯t know any of them.

    If one can¡¯t use any, then reaching up to Rank 3 would be difficult, even more if the person is a normal human.

    ¡¸I¡¯m Kurono, a member of Rank 3 party¡ºElement Master¡», did you attack us even after knowing us¡¹

    ¡¸If I had known you people were the targets, I would¡¯ve stopped these people with all my strength¡¹

    ¡¸What do you mean? No, let¡¯s go in order, first who are you people?¡¹

    ¡¸These people were ve Dealers¡¹

    I havee to understand that the existence of ves is quite a normal thing in this world.

    But, one needs to have agreement with some elites to possess ves, but because I have never entered the upper area of Spada nor went to ve market, so I don¡¯t the truth about it.

    Of course, I have heard they are forced intobour by being whipped as it is banned ording tow. Apparently on the outward at least they don¡¯t have a tragic environment to live in.

    ¡¸Though I say that, they are bandits-like guys. The reason they targeted you is not doubt because of that witch and fairy-san¡¹

    Apparently my guess hit the right spot. Truly an shitty talk, making me want to puke.

    ¡¸Are you the people making riots in Fauren?¡¹

    ¡¸Bandits of Fuaren? *sigh* Those assholes, as expected this bad name was gaining fame......most probably you¡¯re right, they appeared out of nowhere after ¡®restocking theirmodities¡¯ from Fuaren. I was hired as a bodyguard for these people calling them as ve dealers¡¹

    ¡¸Bodyguard?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s about private contract quests, from the introduction of my friends, I took on this quest as it gave lot of rewards, hence I¡¯ve been doing a decent job as an adventurer. I also haven¡¯t attacked some vige and taken girls¡¹

    I send a nce to Lily and she opened her mouth to show her approval.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the truth¡¹

    ¡¸Fairy-san......Thankz......¡¹

    If Lily says so then it must be the truth, moreover this man doesn¡¯t seem to have a high grade magic to deceive telepathy.

    If Zack has been just doing his quest and has not been involved in any criminal act, then I can¡¯t keep on criticizing him.

    Although, after being attacked like this, as the person concerned in ¡®a fight between fellow adventurers¡¯, I can do what I want to do with him, frankly I can kill and still not get used.

    However, I don¡¯t hate this man to that extent and also don¡¯t want to needlessly spill blood.

    Zack¡¯s Guild Card also had an essory imitating the wings of fairies. Most probably he became a believer in god after being saved by Lily.

    It might be true that he is praying to the fairy goddess.

    ¡¸But, if they are truly the bandits of Fauren, then it means you took part in a criminal syndicate as a bodyguard. I don¡¯t know how big this sin might be, but if you still want to cooperate with them......you know what happens, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Y-Yeah, I resign from the private contract quest right now! I won¡¯t feel any regret in giving out information to help the subjugation of bandit group¡¹

    Upon hearing those words I released Zack from the restraints.

    Like this, Zack is no longer a bodyguard, but a frence adventurer.

    If he somehow makes the Guild recognize that he was made to forcibly take on the quest and has not done a single criminal act, then his punishment would be really light.

    Of course, if he showed any suspicious activity currently, I will surely plunge all the bullets into him.

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m saved......¡¹

    After being freed from the wires Zack took a deep breath, he must¡¯ve been in a state of tension as I held the line for his life-and-death.

    Thinking this is a daily urrence for adventurers, I won¡¯t have any sympathy.

    ¡¸Now then, as we have be cleared up about each other¡¯s positions, how about you tell us in details about the bandits of Fauren, aka the ve Dealers who hired you¡¹

 Chapter 248 Letâ€™s go Bodyguards, Wake up Adventurers

    Chapter 248 ¨C Let¡¯s go Bodyguards, Wake up Adventurers

    The bodyguard Ludora may look haggard like a sick person, but looking at him stepping down the stairs without staggering it is understandable that he is a healthy person.

    He stepped down soundlessly on the gloomy stairway reaching the cer of the mansion the bandits aka ve dealers were residing.

    Until Ludora knocked the door of cer there was no one who noticed his approach.

    Ludora sensed the presence of the person franticly heading towards him even from across the door.

    ¡¸Teach, got some work?¡¹

    The person who came out was the one leading this bandit group, Robert.

    Seeing his half-naked sweaty body there wouldn¡¯t be a need to think what he might¡¯ve been doing till now.

    No, even without thinking one would think obscene things just by hearing the coquettish voice of girls and bellows of men.

    A normal man would not only react mentally but also physically because of the faint sweet smell¡ª¡ªthe scent of aphrodisiac made from mucus of Morjura.

    However Ludora didn¡¯t seem affected by it in the least and spoke with a vacant look and indifference.

    ¡¸There are people heading here, prepare to run away¡¹

    Robert¡¯s face flickered upon hearing those words, but maintaining his reasoning, he asked for the details.

    ¡¸Are the Chivalric Order of Fuaren or Spada on the move?¡¹

    ¡¸No, there are three of them. Adventurers, probably¡¹

    Robert guessed it wasn¡¯t the worst scenario and heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡¸Is there a need to run against just three people?¡¹

    ¡¸If it is a Party above Rank 4 then I will at most only be able to stall them¡¹

    More than that, the group sent along with Zack hadn¡¯t returned, the possibility of them being arrested was quite high.

    If the people who defeated those many people were the three heading towards here, then it would mean they are not normal people.

    ¡¸So just in case, eh?¡¹

    Robert understood Ludora¡¯s meaning behind the words. In their upation running away power is essential, the people who couldn¡¯t see through the right moment to run away had already disappeared in the public on the floor of guillotine.

    ¡¸Understood we will prepare to run away, as for Teachs¡¯¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Galdan already left, I will also head there now. The enemy is nearing through the back side, if we fight near the suspension bridge, you people will get enough time to make an escape for it¡¹

    ¡¸Then we will from the front side. Heh heh, leaving it all to you, teach¡¹

    Ludora nodded silently and rushed up the stairs.

    .

    .

    .

    The bandit group¡ª¡ªokay they call themselves as ve dealers, but it should be alright calling them bandit group, right. Their hideout was a mansion located in the mountains somewhat far from Isckia Vige,

    After hearing most of the information from Zack we headed towards that hideout.

    Why we were doing this sort of thing? The answer is simple, we will subjugate the other bandits left.

    Incidentally we released Zack right at that spot, Lily said it would be alright so I don¡¯t think he woulde back for revenge.

    I pray for him to still move on the way of decent adventurer.

    ¡¸What will you do about Greed Gore?¡¹

    Fiona asked while sitting on the horse running parallel in this dark night.

    ¡¸Will take a look after this¡¹

    ording to the eyewitness reports the possibility of it not being near anymore is more. Hence, nothing will change if we made haste for a day or two.

    ¡¸Well from the start we had nned to hunt the monsters in Isckia Hills if we didn¡¯t find it to rake in money, and this bandits subjugation seems to give more money¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, the reward on that murderer was also quite a big amount¡¹

    Well for the current n of¡ºElement Master¡»for subjugating bandits is approved by all, it¡¯s definitely not like my sense of justice exploded and I am forcibly taking them.

    There are various reasons for us to take on this subjugation. One, we can easily topple the enemies by ourselves. Two, the students from the Academy are captured. Three, just like I said before this way we will rake in more money.

    Regarding the first reason, ording to Zack, three people were hired as bodyguards. One of them is a really skilled swordsman while the other is a rank 3 golem.

    The other bandits are normal humans without any magic or Martial Skill, just like the people we killed before.

    If we just be careful of that swordsman bodyguard, it is easy to exterminate the bandit group.

    Second reason, about the kidnapped students, this is not an information that I can feign not hearing.

    The little sister Wil was worrying about, Third Princess of Spada Charlotte Tristan Spada had headed out to Fauren to subjugate the bandits. Fortunately the possibility of her being captured is zero.

    From the information on the looks of girls I heard from the Zack, it all seemed unfamiliar to me. In short, the people are one¡¯s whom I have never met.

    Just, after knowing some fellow students have been abducted, I can¡¯t possibly ignore it.

    The third, just as I said before to Fiona, is about money. As we didn¡¯t encounter our main objective, Greed Gore, so we changed the n as there wasn¡¯t much problem in it.

    The danger level of¡ºIsckia Hills¡»is Rank 3, even if we overhunt the monsters living there, like Centaur or Silent Sheep, the amount we will get for a free quest would not be big enough.

    Moreover there is also a fourth reason which I haven¡¯t told anyone about.

    ¡¸I will make them regret making a move on Fiona and Lily to the point of death¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re speaking the reason, Kurono-san¡¹

    Yeah, well, it¡¯s somewhat a personal grudge.

    But, upon being told that from the person itself it¡¯s quite embarrassing.

    ¡¸Kurono-san¡¹

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    ¡¸To the point of death, rather means truly dying right¡¹

    No, we look there, we can take some of them as prisoners, right,

    ¡¸The act of robbery and choosing to be a bandit is a capital crime in all countries. It will lessen thebour for Knights if we kill them before¡¹

    I got scared of Fiona speaking those words easily, but, this might be themon for this world.

    Apparently in the Edo period people were beheaded even if they stole some coins, well the weight of penalty changes per era and country.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, if it was needed to capture them all alive or get punished for homicide, then I wouldn¡¯t have gone for their subjugation¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, did Kurono-san¡¯s world had a system of getting used of crimes if you killed a bandit?¡¹

    To be precise, there are no people called bandits there......well, if one killed a robber and didn¡¯t gave proof of legitimate self-defence, then good-bye, live in prison it would be.

    ¡¸Yeah, something like that¡¹

    ¡¸I see......you¡¯re world is quite hard to live in¡¹

    Fiona seemed seriously shocked, maybe she took a culture shock for something utterly useless.

    Although this talk has made lots of misunderstandings, but it will be fine after I tell her about the way of living on Earth.

    ¡¸We¡¯re almost at the suspension bridge of back side¡¹

    We have the advantage of surprise attack, so there is no reason to not make use of it but enter boldly from the front area.

    Of course we also are attacking due to some sudden developments, hence we don¡¯t have all the equipments for making do against the enemies.

    ¡¸Wake up Lily, we¡¯re getting of the horse¡¹

    It is really narrow to move on along with horse, to the point that if one loses their footing, the person should be ready for a headfirst strike on the bottom of cliff.

    Well it is a back way, so it¡¯s quite natural.

    ¡¸Hm, Ugh?¡¹

    I wake up dozing off Lily in front of me with a shake.

    It is midnight currently, in other words the resting time for this child-form Lily.

    However we are going to head into the hideout of bandits now, so I¡¯ve got no choice but be the demon here and wake her up.

    ¡¸Hey, just wake up¡¹

    ¡¸*yawn*¡¹

    I get off the horse while holding the still-dreaming-with-half-open-eyes Lily.

    She¡¯s somewhat standing on her feet, but she seems unsteady on her feet so is coiling around my leg. It¡¯s just too worrisome.

    ¡¸Shall I give her the Waking-up Potion?¡¹

    Fiona took out a single bottle from her hat as if she can¡¯t let Lily¡¯s actions go unnoticed.

    ¡¸Is the one Simon drank......?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes¡¹

    It¡¯s witch-like to make drugs, but, seeing Fiona¡¯s confident expression I can¡¯t help but feel uneasy, just why?

    ¡¸Here you go, Lily-san, you¡¯ll wake up in just one mouthful of it¡¹

    ¡¸Hm, yeeessshhh¡¹

    Not knowing my uneasy feeling, Lily took the shady ominous potion from Fiona, and downed in from her small mouth¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸Creeeeeeepppppppyyyyyyyyy!!¡¹

    ¡¸L-Lily!?¡¹

    Lily spewed out the potion with teary eyes, looks like my uneasiness hit the right mark.

    ¡¸Fiona! You trying to kill me!!¡¹

    ¡¸Good morning, Lily-san¡¹

    Fiona said nonchntly. I didn¡¯t feel any ill intent in that.

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t there something you should say to me?¡¹

    Lily stared while wiping her mouth. Pretty intense stare that is.

    ¡¸Kurono-san was getting troubled, so I thought to wake you up fast¡¹

    Eh, so you gonna shove the responsibility of that to me!

    ¡¸Argh......Can¡¯t be helped¡¹

    And even you are agreeing to it!!

    ¡¸Ah, What! Well you seem awake now¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, thanks to you¡¹

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been great if your adult version still kept on sleeping¡± is something that I won¡¯t say.

    ¡¸But is that seriously so much bad?¡¹

    ¡¸Stop Kurono, if you do that you will die¡¹

    No, I haven¡¯t said that I will drink it, yet.

    ¡¸You¡¯re rude, I¡¯ve adjusted the ingredients so one don¡¯t die¡¹

    So you mean that, that damn potion has ingredients that would kill anyone if not adjusted!?

    That muddy red liquid seeming like blood just doesn¡¯t seem tasty.

    But, it seriously intrigues me......won¡¯t a single mouthful......be fine?

    ¡¸Kurono......¡¹

    I took a new waking up potion from Fiona, purely out of curiosity, but Lily sends a gaze, just like a mom sends to her son going on a battlefield, to me.

    D-Does this thing need that much of determination......no, don¡¯t get scared, it will be fine if it¡¯s just one mouthful, heave-ho, here I go!

    I took the bottle of potion and¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 249 Man of Steel

    Chapter 249 ¨C Man of Steel

    The golem bodyguard Galdan heard the direction of movements of the approaching enemies from Ludora and dashed out of the mansion with his favorite mace and tower shield in hands.

    ¡¸sigh, those brats from Spada had no resistance against us. This time I will make you entertain me!!¡¹

    Ever since taking up on this quest Galdan had not met strong enemies resulting in his displeasure umting. Hence this time he makes haste on his way to fight against some strong enemies.

    The one-eyed golem ran past the pitch dark night street whilst making sounds of footsteps simr to Doltos. Contrary to his appearance he was quite fast.

    Golems¡¯ body was fundamentally of a barrel with arms and legs. They were not ssified as genuine living beings but magic beings like fairies and skeleton.

    However, golems having been made from rocks or metals were pretty much slow as suggested their appearance. Hence, seeing Galdan run so nimbly would only mean that either he had been made from a really light material or had been blessed with great physical ability.

    ¡¸Uh oh, err, I think that it is needed ta cross this bridge to get near the mansion from back side, in that case¡ª¡ª¡¹

    He got out of the woond path, in front of a suspension bridge on the cliff with a mountain stream flowing, several tens of meters below.

    To get into the mansion from the back it was inevitable to cross this suspension bridge, of course, it won¡¯t be the same if the intruders had a Pegasus with them.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªI just need to wait here!¡¹

    Heughed loudly as if wanting to say what a great idea.

    Although it was simple, but for a fight-loving idiot like Galdan, having a ce to always meet enemies can only be considered as a advantageous position given by luck.

    Galdannded on the suspension bridge with all his power. Looking at the shaking and listening to the creaking sounds of bridge, it can be understood that his body was made by same materials as other golems, hence had the same weight.

    That dull silver like lustre wasn¡¯t some sort of ting, but it was iron. He was an iron golem with even the core made from steel.

    The suspension bridge seemed to somehow bear that super-heavy golem¡¯s weight. It could be perceived that it was tougher than what it seemed like, however, there wouldn¡¯t be a person who would cross the bridge along with him.

    Whilst shaking the bridge Galdan crossed the bridge with his steel body and sat down on the ground, waiting for the enemies to make an appearance.

    If he just sat silently without moving, some sort of intimidating air would¡¯ve been emitted, but he was not good at being silent so was ying around with the mace and tower shield, in short he wasn¡¯t calm.

    Fortunately that boring time came to an end quite fast.

    ¡¸Heh heh, there yae¡¹

    The red-shining one-eye jolted from delight.

    Galdan¡¯s eyes shining like amp caught the sight of two people running at him from the opposite side of dark night street.

    The people were apanied by some sort of light orbs, maybe some sort of new type of torch, hence they were easily visible even from a distance.

    Each other were now just several ten of meters away, even a human without night-vision eyes would be able to see him, same with Galdan, who on the other hand, has night-vision eyes.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know who you are, where you are from and neither do I care. I¡¯m the strongest golem knight of Spada, Master Galdan,e at m¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Galdan named himself while shaking the Speaker due to the maximum volume, but before finishing he sensed an attack, and held up the tower shield,

    ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?¡¹

    He was about to hold up the tower shield when the attack of enemy heavily hit his steel body.

    However, Galdan didn¡¯t fall down.

    He didn¡¯t know what sort of magi or weapon he was attacked with, but he did know that countless bead-shaped hard things were fired into his body.

    Along with the fact that this attack won¡¯t pierce his body and neither will break it.

    ¡¸Bastard! Don¡¯t you go on attacking when a person¡¯s givin¡¯ out their name!!¡¹

    He fixed his bent posture and bellowed.

    At that time, the two people had already neared enough to see their faces.

    It turned out to be a pair of human man and woman, no, looking more closely, that light wasn¡¯t a new type of torch but a small girl.

    The man was ck haired with red and ck eyes equipped with an armour, the woman was wearing witch clothes, the ones quite rare now-a-days. Both of them were humans.

    One can get the idea that their party of two was perfectly bnce with a Martial Skill-user vanguard and a Magic-user rearguard. However, the reason for that little loli to be with them was quite uncertain.

    Galdan raised a question mark above his head whilst getting angry. Momentster he guessed they must be a family party taking their kid along, and took on the fighting stance.

    ¡¸It is more hard than I thought¡¹

    ¡¸It must be a natural armour knight¡¹[1]

    ¡¸It¡¯s pretty troublesome opponent¡¹

    The three gave out their impression care freely in front of fully throttled Galdan, in the end he snapped.

    ¡¸Shitheads! Don¡¯t ya ignore me!! Why the fuck are you parents and child talking friendly!!¡¹

    Galdan shouted while swinging the mace.

    However, only his voice echoed through the mountain forest, and the silence of night again came back.

    After some seconds of silence,

    ¡¸I see, well we can look like that¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Kurono-san, in that case I will be¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Arrrghh ARRRRGGGHHH! Don¡¯t say that, Fiona! I won¡¯t forgive you if you say it. Waking up potion it the most I can forgive, this exceeds that!!¡¹

    Apparently man¡¯s name was Kurono and witch¡¯s name Fiona, but Galdan couldn¡¯t care less about it, or rather he had bad memory power as well as he was burning with anger, hence there was no way he would remember their names.

    ¡¸D-D-Don¡¯t you fuck around! Come at me you shithead bastard!!¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m in a hurry¡ª¡ª¡¹

    In the next instant a reply came from the man in armour, Kurono, at the same time Galdan realized that Kurono¡¯s hand held an unfamiliar weapon.

    At a nce it seemed like a crossbow, but it didn¡¯t had the parts for firing an arrow, rather it was just two iron cylinders lined up parallel with a hole in both of them.

    Galdan guessed that it might be some sort of magic item which attacks from those cylinders, but

    (Huh! You gotta be kidding me if you think that toy can even hurt me!)

    He didn¡¯t seemed warned at all.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªso not got time for that¡¹

    Immediately after, he regretted making light of it.

    Bang!

    As expected an attack magic came out of the cylinders along with a thunderous detonation sound.

    But, he couldn¡¯t get what attribute it was, he just knew that it was something hard and it hit his body,

    ¡¸Gahaaahahahaha!¡¹

    And by the time he realized it, his prideful big body was flying.

    Galdan fell face-up on the suspension bridge with a *bam* sound. He almost let go of his mace and shield, but somehow endured it.

    (Wh-What was that just now......my steel body......)

    Looking at his chest, there was a circle-shaped crack in there as if a nail was hammered in.

    Golem¡¯s special characteristic was that they don¡¯t have a sense of pain, but upon taking a heavy damage their body forcibly bes numb.

    (Kuh, this scared shit out of me, if I took in some more shots my body will break)

    However, it wasn¡¯t lethal.

    Galdan thought that he might not be able to use an attack this powerful always, and tried to persuade himself.

    ¡¸Haaaaaah! That worked pretty good human!! But, that level of stuff won¡¯t be able to defeat me¡ª¡ªhuh?¡¹

    Galdan stood up whilst shouting, however the three people that should¡¯ve been there disappeared.

    ¡¸W-Where the fuck you go!?¡¹

    He looked left-right but there was no one, as if those three were just some illusions.

    Galdan felt like he was made fun by a fox monster which can use witchcraft to deceive people since time immemorial, but suddenly he noticed a shining something in the upper part of his vision.

    ¡¸They¡¯re flyin!!¡¹[2]

    Looking above he saw the figure of a young girl with rainbow-coloured two pair of wings, shouldering the armour man and witch and flying leisurely.

    The trick behind that was quite obvious if one thinks, but, thinking was something impossible for Galdan.

    (What is that, the brat from before? Fairy? I¡¯ve never of a fairy that big, no, why the fuck she got big¡ª¡ª)

    Galdan was just able to absentmindedly gaze the three flying in air without being able to do anything.

    However his carelessness was lethal. Galdan shouldn¡¯t have forgotten that his opponent was also a witch who could use long distance magic.

    ¡¸?????? ????? ????? ?????¨D¨DIgnis Kris Sagitta¡¹

    Around the time Galdan understood the intention of Witch with staff in hand, everything was toote.

    Against the approaching zing red tornado of mes, Galdan could only hold up his tower shield.

    Galdan having tough body was able to somehow hold up in between the incandescent tempest created by the witch.

    Galdan was an ability-user and also an iron golem having impregnable defence, hence he was able to somehow or other hold up one attack of a high grade offensive magic.

    However, the suspension made from weak trees and rope couldn¡¯t possibly still work as a bridge after getting engulfed in the whirlpool of mes.

    In short, it fell.

    ¡¸Ah¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The ropes holding the burned off, Galdan let out a idiotic voice and after the small moment he felt that soft hovering feeling,

    ¡¸AAAAaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹

    Along with the wreckage of burning bridge, he plunged into the mountain stream head first.

    Surely to the three flying in air, it might¡¯ve seemed like a criminal falling into hell.

    Galdan saw the figure of fairy flying in sky while shining like a star, and disappeared in the mountain stream.

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    This was before used as heavy knight, but this time he used armour knight. I will keep it this way all the time as it is more easier to understand.

    Look it¡¯s a bird, no it¡¯s a ne......nah, it¡¯s just a Yandere!!

 Chapter 250 The Third Bodyguard

    Chapter 250 ¨C The Third Bodyguard

    Lilynded on ground while holding me and Fiona.

    My heart was actually beating like hell from the fear of falling down, but as expected of Lily in true form, she got some strong horsepower to even fly holding two humans¡ª¡ªor so we thought, but along the way Fiona was about to fall, so two people might be heavy for her, apparently. [1]

    It¡¯s dangerous so I need to be more careful the next time.

    Thinking it, thest time I had Lily help me fly along with her would be when I took the private quest of taking that treasure sword in the nest of Garuda.

    So it¡¯s already been four months since then. Now it is a nostalgic memory of mine.

    ¡¸That golem called Galdan was same as we had heard¡¹

    ording to Zack, the golem bodyguard Galdan was hot-blooded, would not hear the persuasion, cannot use Martial Skills, but only has lot of power and is tough due to his race¡¯s characteristic.

    Moreover from the one act before, it was proved his character sketch was correct.

    ¡¸If we fought fair-and-square it would¡¯ve taken our time¡¹

    He was tough to the point that he only bent on taking on my bullet arts, if I had to defeat him then it was surely needed to attack him again and again.

    ¡¸It¡¯s good we were able to get past easily¡¹

    The reason we paid no heed to the golem and went on our way was truly because there was a suspension bridge present for our convenience.

    The time I saw that suspension bridge I thought ¡®This Bridge needs to go down¡¯.

    Well that golem was also an hired adventurer so I didn¡¯t want to kill him. The tough him will hold on a free fall of several tens of metres, perhaps, surely, probably.

    No, it would be better to say¡¸he won¡¯t be saved from that height¡¹.

    Either way he would¡¯ve taken lot of damage and wouldn¡¯te back any sooner.

    ¡¸Well the gun also disyed its power, it was a beneficial fight¡¹

    I say coolly, but in truth I had never thought Simon¡¯s gun would have this much of power.

    I had thought it would give an enhance effect just like¡ºck Ballista Replica¡», never had I thought it would send that lump of steel flying.

    If I shoot using the exclusive bullets then it is possible to pulverize the armour knights of Crusaders along with their tower shields.

    However Simon had made every bullet himself, so it doesn¡¯t seem usible to prepare them inrge quantity.

    I will never forgive the fact that Simon was made to drink Fiona¡¯s terrifying idiosyncratic waking up potion¡ª¡ªOf course, I also swear to never drink it ever again.

    If I keep on drinking that, then let alone my eyes something different would end up being awakened......no, I won¡¯t think anymore.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s make haste¡¹

    Like that, we again run on the woond path.

    We are not far from our destination, but we are in a hurry for a reason.

    ¡¸However, just how did those guys sensed our approach?¡¹

    The fact that Galdan was waiting for us at the suspension bridge from before means that the bandit side already knew of our approach.

    They let a single bodyguard handle it, of course there is also a possibility he came on his own ord, but the worrisome thing is that bandits should not have escaped after finding our raid.

    ¡¸We haven¡¯t been caught in a trap and there was no barrier for detection¡¹

    I recalled the light barrier on the castle walls of Daedalus, that barrier was not for detection but defence from intruders.

    The barriers for detection, in case of high-grade ones, won¡¯t let the intruder feel anything even if they were sensed by the barrier.

    However, judging from the level of this bandit group there¡¯s no way they would have a magic item or a mage to deploy a barrier of that high-grade.

    ¡¸There might have been a lookout guard, probably a Servant¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡¹

    The probability of Lily¡¯s words is the most high, after all looking at things happening with one¡¯s own eyes more reliable.

    If the one on the lookout guard was someone from those bandits, I would¡¯ve sensed them from their presences, however there was nothing like that.

    If the one on lookout guard was a Servant suitable for defence, for instance a bird-shaped one, then because they don¡¯t have any hostility and murderous impulse hence it is hard for me to sense them.

    After all, the effectiveness of Servants, though not something of high-grade, has already been proved in Alsace Vige. Just by sending one or two Vindol the detection area increased lot more.

    Rather than using a high-grade barrier, it¡¯s more usible that they used Servant for lookout.

    Either way, if the bandits ran on us our hard work would go in vain, and if they even took the female students with them there would no chance to save them. I seriously don¡¯t want the situation to reach that point.

    Unfortunately, most of the girls abducted by bandits have already been sent to the ve Dealer boss.

    The girls left in mansion count up to several numbers and are being used as way of amusement for those bastard bandits. Truly a gross thing.

    The situation has already got out of hand, but that¡¯s also why there is a need to save them as fast as possible.

    ¡¸Oh I see, so that is their hideout¡¹

    After running for about five minutes from the suspension bridge, finally do we see the outer appearance of a mansion on the other side of the woods.

    Although this hideout is quite a splendid mansion for some bastards, but considering it is of some wealthy ve dealer, it is possible.

    There was light in there, only silence could be sensed from that mansion in this dark night.

    It is usible to think they ran off, in that case I need to hurry up¡ª¡ªor so I thought, but I suddenly push on the immediate break and stop in my tracks.

    Lily and Fiona also stopped without me telling them.

    Yeah, we have already sensed,

    ¡¸Come out¡¹

    That there is an enemy in wait for us.

    ¡¸Hmm, you¡¯re quite excellent adventurers¡¹

    A voice of man replies to my question.

    One shadow of a person slowly came out from the shade of the tree.

    I send my gaze on left and right, but no other person except this man could be seen, there is not even other presences.

    The fact that he appeared alone means,

    ¡¸A bodyguard, eh. Were you ordered as a rear guard?¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, I won¡¯t let any of you a step forward from here¡ª¡ªis something I want to say, but it looks impossible for me alone to stop all of you¡¹

    Lily¡¯s Oracle Field light shined upon the walking man and his figure appears within the darkness.

    He had long dull golden hair tied in a knot behind his neck, lightless stagnant blue eyes, and a too skinny face and body. Although he might¡¯ve had a good face and body, but currently he gives off the feeling of a patient suffering from incurable disease.

    His body is haggard from top to bottom and is wearing a ck coat, he looks just like the Undead appearing in¡ºRevival Catb¡», in short, his appearance is eerie.

    ¡¸In that case, give up on the quest. Your employer is a criminal, if you keep on supporting him, you will also be used¡¹

    Against Galdan we forced our way through without any negotiations, but it doesn¡¯t seem effective against this man.

    If believing Zack¡¯s words, this man Ludora is the strongest bodyguard with power above Rank 4 people.

    If we can negotiate then it is for the best.

    ¡¸I know that from the start, even so let me say, I refuse¡¹

    ¡¸Why?¡¹

    ¡¸My wish is to exchange des with strong people, hence your persuasion is useless¡¹

    I see, so he is a battle junkie.

    His behavioural conduct is exceedingly simple, but because of that it is troublesome. We can¡¯t avoid fighting.

    ¡¸If you want to go after my employers then go right now, however, I want at least one person to remain here¡¹

    Ludora grabbed the scabbard of that katana-like sword hanging from his waist with his left hand, and reached the hilt with his right hand.

    Ludora slowly started releasing bloodlust after taking a brilliant Iai pose, even a inexpert like me can tell that his Iai pose is same as pros.

    Maybe this is a feeling one would get if confronting a true samurai. A feeling of high tension.

    ¡¸Lily, Fiona go on ahead¡¹

    ¡¸Disagreed¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s safe and certain if we three fight together¡¹

    They refused me with an immediate reply......

    ¡¸No, hurry up or those bandits will get away¡¹

    ¡¸Then let Lily-san go¡¹

    ¡¸Fiona you go¡¹

    ¡¸Our top priority is their rescue. Lily, Fiona you both go together, finish it up fast and return¡¹

    The opponent is quite a powerful person, but if he¡¯s not on apostle level I have confidence in not getting insta-killed, no, speaking more positively I have confidence in my toughness.

    ¡¸......Understood¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t do anything reckless, Kurono¡¹

    They agreed although reluctantly. Well now it¡¯s all good after getting a consensus.

    Lily changed into her young girl form and Fiona used her movement-type Martial Skill and went on to chase after the bandits in high speed.

    ¡¸I made you wait a bit¡¹

    Against Ludora who still is in Iai pose, I took out the¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»from the Shadow Gate and get in the stance.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Let me name myself first. I¡¯m Ludora¡¹

    ¡°I know that from before¡± is something which I won¡¯t say.

    ¡¸I¡¯m Kurono¡¹

    Here it is fine with just naming myself.

    I¡¯m also a man, hence I have got the manners for times like this.

    ¡¸Then Kurono,e, let¡¯s fight¡¹

 Chapter 251 Black Magician Vs. Samurai

    Chapter 251 ¨C ck Magician Vs. Samurai

    The moment the young man in ck armour and helmet, Kurono, took out a long hatchet from his own shadow and took on the stance a chill ran up Ludora¡¯s spine¡ª¡ª

    (Wonderful, to actually meet some this able master of swordmanship)

    At the same time, he also felt delight.

    The hatchet in Kurono¡¯s hand had arge jet ck sword de with ominous deep crimson lines shining like veins, and the weapon is always covered in a sinister dark red aura.

    Even the girl they captured from vige would be able to see that this weapon was a¡¸Cursed Weapon¡¹.

    Anyone would call it¡¸cursed¡¹even in a single nce and would sense the strong grudge hidden in it, in other words this weapon would be in the top ranks among countless cursed weapons.

    (And he is controlling the cursepletely)

    Kurono was still staring at Ludora with his red and ck eyes still having the light of consciousness, even while in stance.

    Ludora had fought against many people with Cursed Weapons, but it¡¯s the first time he was fighting against one who has maintained his sanity even while using Cursed Weapons.

    Moreover a person controlling a Cursed Weapon with that much strong grudge.

    He understood that the de had sucked lots of blood not just of ten or twenty people.

    After all, he was also the same.

    (My favourite katana¡ºBloodsucking Princess¡¸Scarlet Dye¡¹¡»won¡¯t lose in the amount of blood sucked)

    Ludora held back the urge to smile,

    (Don¡¯t end this match in just one sword)

    And without making a sound, drew out his sword.

    ¡¸AkaNagi¡¹[1]

    In an instant, a shining white de¡ª¡ªno, a sword blood dyed scarlet came out of the scabbard.

    ¡¸!?¡¹

    A tinge of surprise shed upon Kurono¡¯s face.

    That reaction could be said normal. It was obvious that even with the length of katana hanging on Ludora¡¯s waist, it won¡¯t reach a distance of several meters.

    However, the de kept on extending reaching towards Kurono¡¯s body.

    (This single stroke uses the blood sucked till now and nullifies the distance between the opponent. Now how will you respond to it, Kurono)

    People with confidence in their speed would evade it, the one with confidence in their toughness would defend it, and those without much ability would get their head cut in top and bottom without exception.

    Against such an attack, Kurono,

    ¡¸AkaNagi¡¹

    The colour of de swung from hatchet was simr scarlet red.

    Thus, that Martial Skill with same pronunciation, attacked by constructing a de by using the blood sucked.

    Two crimson sword strikes intersected.

    A metal sound rang out making one think they weren¡¯t made from blood, and both turned in red mist disappearing in the ck of the night.

    ¡¸I never thought that some can use the same skill as me¡¹

    (So he got surprised for that, Pfft, interesting, this man¡ª¡ª)

    Ludora saw Kurono voicing out words of admiration, and as he expected, no, even more than that he was convinced that,

    (Surely is worth fighting against seriously)

    He would show his true power, which he had shown just against top rank monsters, against this young curse-weapon wielder.

    In other words, he would show his true form to him.

    ¡¸Kurono, let me tell you to not misunderstand¡¹

    Ludora¡¯s senses explosively increased in an instant.

    The vision which wasn¡¯t able to see more than some meters now saw all the surroundings as easily as looking under the shine of sunlight in day.

    His ears which only picked up the sound of blood des breaking, now became so sharp that they even picked up the sounds of Kurono¡¯s heartbeat.

    His olfaction could even distinguish between the faint smell of earth and grass, his sense of touch could now clearly feel the flow of wind, and his sixth sense which could perceive the blood, magical energy and various other things invisible through eyes.

    That feeling was like the world just expanded immediately, however, to Kurono only the outward changes were perceivable rather than the inner changes.

    The eyeballs with blue pupil congested with blood and were dyed in red, a part of teeth metamorphosed into like fangs of beast people.

    On Pandora with various races living, Ludora transformation wasn¡¯t something much different from humans, but that is why, is it was more conspicuous to humans.

    Kurono immediately understood what the true form Ludora was.

    ¡¸My ss is Swordsman, no, I use katana so it should be¡ºSamurai¡». Hence, my attacks are all from this one sword, I can¡¯t use magic¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Why would he deliberately say that?

    These words were like saying an elf which excels in magical energy fights just by using sword.

    Ludora¡¯s race had enough magical energy to be lined up against Elves.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªIn other words, I will use all the magical energy of Vampires into using Martial Skills¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Vampire, eh¡¹

    I have seen various races till now, but seeing a Vampire is a first for me.

    The red eyeballs with congested blood, and two fangs peeking out from the mouth, indeed look like that of a vampire.

    However the thing I need to be more cautious to is that the Vampire race has very powerful physical ability.

    Even that haggard patient-like body has physical strength easily surpassing humans, moreover among the characteristics of vampire, the most excellent status is their magical energy.

    Vampire¡¯s high-levelled magical energy rivalling that of Elves is the cause they are mostly of Mage ss, however at the same time, they even have their physical power. Looking at itprehensively, they are more trouble to fight against Elf mages.

    Although Vampires have that strong abilities, but maybe this could be called nature¡¯s dispensation that their poption is in minority, hence they are rarely seen even in cities.

    Thus for me to meet one in a ce like this can only be said bad luck to me.

    ¡¸Here Ie¡¹

    However, even if the opponent is Vampire I have got no intention to run away, the other party also doesn¡¯t seem to let me off.

    Ludora was already rushing at me with unsheathed red sword de katana held by both hands.

    ¡¸KuroNagi!¡¹

    His rush was fast enough to surpass the speed of that insane Joto.

    Hence it would be faster to intercept him with my hatchet rather than Bullet Arts or Sword Arts, or rather that was the only choice I had.

    ¡¸Scarlet sh¡¹

    Ludora¡¯s katana also had an aura same as the hatchet, so to speak it was more like d in blood mist like thing, hence revealing a bright red colour. No matter how you see it, no can call it a normal weapon.

    It might even be a Cursed Weapon, in that case, the difference in ability of our both weapons isn¡¯t that much.

    In that case the factor for victory or defeat will be the users¡¯ ability¡ª¡ª

    SFX: GaakkkKKkiiiIIInnnNN!

    And the ck and red des repelled each other while scattering sparks and making a shrill sound resound.

    ¡¸Guh!¡¹

    Rather than strong it might be good to say heavy.

    The attack sent out by the slender de rivalled the power of my bastard sword-like big hatchet.

    Despite that it still seems like a Japanese sword, though with more sharpness and speed.

    I will definitely lose in a pure swordsmanship battle, but the point I can win in is......power, eh.

    Vampire have physical power surpassing that of humans, but, that is the same for me, my body has already ceased being human.

    ¡¸Haaaa!¡¹

    Just a moment after attacking with Martial Skills, both of us still maintained their stances, and started the close-debat.

    ¡¸Too fast!¡¹

    The ck de strikes and red de strikes both made several light tracks in an instant, incidentally scattering sparks and magical energy.

    Based on bodily sensation it felt like eternity, but in truth not even ten seconds had passed. There was one thing though which I immediately understood in the match of continuous offense and defence, that I can¡¯t win against with just sword.

    It would¡¯ve been good if he sh sent out by me were evaded, but they were actually warded off by the katana at the critical point.

    I don¡¯t have enough power to ovee this logical technique.

    I probably am above in pure physical strength, albeit by narrow margin, however, Ludora has enough swordsmanship ability to surpass that narrow margin.

    And more than anything, the de has brushed off various dangerous parts of my body.

    If I was still wearing Apprentice Robe, although it wouldn¡¯t be a fatal one, I would¡¯ve been forced to lose quite an amount of blood. Thanks to wearing armour as Greed Gore¡®s countermeasure that I am able to still remain unhurt.

    As expected of a sword-user Vampire, it won¡¯t be distant future when I get an attack powerful enough to break through my armour.

    However this is not only a match of swordsmanship, a match is not just won by sword-using ability.

    ¡¸Anchor Hand¡¹

    Even while holding the hilt with hands, the other cursed weapon, no a guard¡ª¡ª¡¸I¡¯m a maid desu~¡¹, no a maid affixed on my hand created several wires simr to ck hair from the back of hand. I control them to entangle Ludora.

    In this super-fast offense and defence match, if I hadn¡¯t used the effect of this powerful maid gloves around my hand, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to have enough thought and concentration to swing the hatchet and at the same time use magic too.

    ¡¸Mmh!?¡¹

    Ludora¡¯s reaction was fast, that may either be because of pure reflexes or sixth sense, or maybe because of both. Even before the ck hair curse attacked him, he had already jumped back by one step and got out its range.

    However he didn¡¯t just back off, but even brandished the katana horizontally to prevent my movements.

    ¡¸Aka Nagi¡¹

    From out the range he deployed the Martial Skill to bisect me in two.

    ¡¸Shield¡¹

    However, the ck magical energy fibre making the shield has already been deployed in front of me to protect my body. On top of that, if I had the little time Ludora takes to deploy Martial Skill, I can again defend without swinging the hatchet.

    The ck shield covering my body with it¡¯s over 2 meters size starts knitting ck hair wires and by the time they are constructed, the blood de I had seen before reaches me.

    The blood de cuts off the hard magical fibres, but it stops halfway without being able to cut it into two parts.

    The Martial Skills was finished and the red katana vanished, simrly the Shield also started dispersing from the cut up part.

    ¡¸It may be great if I also name my ss¡¹

    However, it¡¯s enough time to prepare for counterattack now that I¡¯ve stopped this attack.

    My figure might be again visible to Ludora now that the Shield covering me has gone.

    ¡¸I¡¯m not a swordsman¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»was not in my hand, but rather in my left was the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»and in my right hand was apletely loaded¡ºGun¡».

    Also there were a belt of thousands of magic bullets and ten ckened swords rising from my rear like wings.[2]

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªI¡¯m a ck Magician¡¹

    Come on now Vampire Samurai, take on my Full Burst!

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Aka used by Ludora is different Kanji while Kurono¡¯s is different Kanji. HOWEVER both mean the same, more or less. But the one used by Ludora also means scarlet and blood red which Kurono¡¯s doesn¡¯t mean at all.

    Nagi said by Ludora is different from the one Kurono says. Likepletely even with the meanings.

    I can already imagine a scene like that. It is almost like Meng Hao being surrounded by neo demons and Lotus Sword Formation rising from his back!

 Chapter 252 Devil Vs. Vampire (1)

    Chapter 252 ¨C Devil Vs. Vampire (1)

    He mistook the ability of opponent.

    Ludora looked back on his own carelessness as soon as he saw magic manifesting into reality along with the pressure of tremendous magical energy.

    He can brag about gaining lots of experience after passing several tens of years, ever since he resolved to live with just the sword.

    The people he had killed were uncountable. Among them were even strong foes who were at a higher position that him of that time.

    Even after gaining fighting experience from all those years, he had mistook the ability of this young man named Kurono.

    (A ck Magician? *chuckle* It¡¯s my first time hearing someone calling themselves as Mage ss with that equipment)

    Despite that, he had Sword Techniques easily surpassing normal Swordsman, and can also control the curse of weapons. He might look like Berserker, but not a Magician.

    However Kurono had already shown using Magic, not Boost Magic learnt by Swordsman ss people as an auxiliary, but an Offensive Magic used to kill opponents.

    In his left hand was a machete with red de burning with ck mes. In his right hand was an unusual type of Magic Staff called¡ºGun¡».

    Countless ck bullets and ten ck long swords were all facing Ludora, whilst gushing out with magical energy as if wanting to attack immediately.

    All this was magic he had never seen before, probably they were Original Magic, but all of them had the same power as the magic used by top-rank Mages. This was a fact he understood acutely with his intuition and skin.

    (Good, I ept your challenge, Kurono!)

    Like that, the ck magic aiming at Ludora was finally fired.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts: Full Burst¡¹

    The countless ck bullets moved first.

    They were shot at Ludora while making a thunderous noise and shing with a ck lustre different from the darkness of night.

    However all of the bulletse at him simultaneously, just like a ck wall was approaching him, in other words, there was no way to run.

    ¡¸Hard Body!¡¹

    Since he can¡¯t avoid it then the only choice is to block against it.

    He used a Defence Martial Skill¡ºHard Body¡»which hardens the body by dding the already tough body of Vampire with the refined magical energy within their bodies. Like that Ludora prepared for the attack.

    ¡¸Fast!¡¹

    Of course he won¡¯t make a foolish mistake of taking the attack head-on. He started warding off the bulletsing at him at high speeds with his katana while covering his vital spots like head and heart.

    Ludora had the confidence to repel all the arrows in a rain of arrows. However, against this barrage with density that arrows and bows can never have, just protecting his vital spots was his limit.

    Steel-like bullets graze his shoulder, sides and legs, but thanks to the Martial Skill, he was able to somehow defend himself without taking much damage.

    ¡¸Pierce, Sword Arts¡¹

    In between the time it took bullets to reach Ludora, Kurono started his next attack.

    This time, ten swordse flying at him as if shot from a bow.

    ¡¸Hundred Li Air Walker¡¹[1]

    However the curtain of bullets had already passed through. For Ludora, a samurai, it was easier and reasonable to evade most of attacks because he was not specialized in defence like Knights or Warriors.

    He deployed the Movement Martial Skill with the help of his refined magical energy. For an ordinary person it might seem like teleportation.

    The Expert-ss Martial Skill can easily evade from 10 flying swords, however, Ludora never thought that Kurono¡¯s attack was just ¡®shooting the swords¡¯.

    (Homing ability¡ª¡ªno, Direct control, eh. Great)

    Ludora ran around the forest like a blowing gale, but the swords kept on tailing his back, or forestalling him, all the while making the best use of all ten swords to encircle him.

    Whilst making use of his fast movement momentum, Ludora swung his sword against the three swords floating in the air in front of him.

    The swordsing at him, aiming at his head, chest and abdomen were lined up in a vertical line.

    ¡¸Scarlet sh¡¹

    He jumped by kicking the ground lightly, then swung down his katana with the power of Martial Skill.

    As expected, ten swords were not Cursed Weapons, they were just enchanced with magical energy, hence upon getting attacked by¡ºBloodsucking Princess¡¸Scarlet Dye¡¹¡» they were bisected while scattering the fragments and ck magical energy.

    ¡¸Too Fast!¡¹

    As if they slyly estimated the time ofnding, six swords came flying at him, three from the rear and the other three from the left side.

    The point of intersection, Ludora, this time dealt with them using pure sword warding off technique and body defence movements.

    Though he wasn¡¯t able to cut them down, but upon warding them off or repelling them, for an instant the ck coating covering the swords gets peeled off, and steel glitters from there.

    (So, will they be unusable if I tear off this magical Enchant?)

    The only sword he repelled powerfully lost more than half of its magical energy and fell, standing up straight piercing the ground, and didn¡¯t move again.

    The others swords though don¡¯t ignore thew of inertia and immediately turn around upon being evaded, however they do make a revolution ande back at Ludora.

    Ludora was somewhat frightened at the swords sticking in trees or ground immediately getting out and again making aeback.

    (This is a troublesome magic, if I don¡¯t break them all, I will always be targeted)

    He evaded thest sword of the ten swords falling down from overhead aiming at the crown of his head, and before the sword got out of ground he swung the katana and broke the sword.

    In less than even a second, other swords he failed to break came flying aiming at him, at that time, he again heard the thunderous sound of bursting of magical energy which he heard before.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts: Gatling Burst¡¹

    The Magic Staff called¡ºGun¡»flickered ck shes continuously, and Ludora sensed bulletsing at him while gouging out the ground.

    (Not just simultaneous fire, but he can also do rapid-fire too)

    The consecutively fired bullets looked like a ck long line, and with their force and thunderous sound of firing, it seemed like a storming at him.

    (Defend? No way, there¡¯s no other choice than to evade a rapid-fire!)

    ¡ºHard Body¡»surely defended against simultaneous fired bullets, but because the skill time is short, and it keeps on getting shorter as much attack the body takes and as much coating of magical energy scatters.

    Although he might be able to defend first several tens of shots, but after that it is impossible story, this was something he understood immediately. Along with the fact, that even if Vampires have tough bodies, they would surely be disabled upon receiving several tens of hundreds of attacks with this amount of power.

    Hence, he chose evasion.

    Fortunately, there¡¯s more room to evade in this rather than in a simultaneous fire.

    Of course the swords left are again moving aiming at him from rear.

    He used the fast speed of still-in-effect¡ºHundred Li Air Walker¡»running around in circle with Kurono as centre to evade the attacks, but

    (It would be better to attack myself rather than wait for attack to be interrupted)

    When fighting against Mages, it is the most effective tactic to attack after getting past the opponents attack.

    Fundamentally, the magic is activated by using chant or ritual as intermediary, hence the outbreak of attack is overwhelmingly slowerpared to swinging a sword.

    Of course, forpensating the disadvantage a very strong power is present in magic, conversely speaking the more powerful the magic the longer time it takes to activate, hence if the attack misses the risk increases rapidly.

    However, that book knowledge was being overthrown right now.

    Kurono¡¯s first attack was simultaneous fire, if it was a normal Mage, they would need several seconds to chant for the next attack.

    However, in no time, ten swords came flying in, moreover they got power to keep on continuing a battle by their homing ability, unless they arepletely destroyed.

    At the same time, rapid-fire is also used.

    Ludora knew that this firing wouldn¡¯t continue for long, but he also didn¡¯t think that he will be ¡®out of bullets¡¯ in the next ten or twenty seconds.

    If a Mage were able to continuously send out offensive magic then the tactic of attacking after their attack finished won¡¯t be possible......for eternity.

    Saying it again, it was a mistake on Ludora¡¯s part to start evasion after Kurono¡¯s first attack, of course, it is a reflection he can do only now, after seeing Kurono¡¯s magic.

    And, right now, more than reflection, movements for overturning the tables is needed.

    (I need to be prepared to eat some of those bullets)

    In the meantime he hade to acknowledge that Kurono wasn¡¯t an enemy he could win against remaining unhurt, however, he actually wanted to get in bloody fights against strong foes.

    Ludora was running in a circle around Kurono, but in a turn, he start heading at him.

    His evasion movements were so fast to even created blurry afterimages, hence he evaded most of the bullets, but after all as he was heading head-front the hitting uracy rate increased.

    (As long I can save my head, it will work out somehow or other)

    It wasn¡¯t like Ludora waspletely indifferent about defences. He also was armed with equipments needed for defence.

    The ck coat worn by him might looked worn-out at a nce, but it is a high grade magic armour made from a magical metal called¡ºWoven ck Iron¡».

    It had defence power enough to take the bullets with high-density head on and still not let them pierce through.

    (I just need get around¡ª¡ª)

    ¡°Like this¡±, by the time he thought that,

    ¡¸ck mes¡¹

    The machete in Kurono¡¯s left hand shes and fierce thunderous ck mes spread before Ludora¡¯s eyes.

    In Ludora¡¯s 180 degrees of vision, the zing mes of darkness were reflected, but,

    (I can make through it!)

    Without any hesitation, he chose to cut through like that.

    He threw himself in the ck incandescent vortex.

    ¡¸Gaaaaahhhh!¡¹

    The pain of mes tormenting the flesh is an intense pain that most of races won¡¯t be able to bear and turn into fire dolls, but with Vampires life force, it is possible to get through it.

    These fires had somewhat less firepower to stop Ludora¡¯s movements, apparently.

    If he gets out of this hell fireing straight from hell, it won¡¯t even be five metres between him and Kurono.

    If he moved one more step forward, Kurono wille in the range of his de.

    However, as expected of Ludora, he was able to control his adrenaline-filled heart.

    (As expected, he came right now)

    He blocked the vision with ck mes, and by the time Ludora got out of here, meaning right now, he, Kurono, would¡¯ve deployed a more powerful attack.

    The¡ºGun¡»held in his right hand was aimed at Ludora, but at some point the rapid-fire had already stopped.

    Just the two barrels and deep ck muzzle was exposed.

    At the same time, Ludora sensed the still-not-broken swordsing at him from behind.

    SFX: BaaazzzunnnNN!

    A powerful roar and sh burst in front of Ludora.

    He had already predicted ¡®something¡¯ woulde out from that gun at this point-nk range.

    If he knew it from before,

    ¡¸Gyaaaaah!¡¹

    Considering Ludora¡¯s ability, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to defend against it.

    It was just a distance of five metres from the muzzle, when two bullets were shot from the gun against which Ludora swung his katana apanied with a loud scream.

    Fortunately these bullets didn¡¯t have an explosion effect added and were just for piercing through the target.

    The bullets flying straight earnestly were captured by Vampire¡¯s superhuman reflexes and intuitions and had their direction of movement averted.

    Due to the de being inserted diagonally between the two bullets lined, they glided on the surface of de and their flying direction changed.

    The two bullets should¡¯ve have hit Ludora¡¯s chest, but one grazed his left shoulder and the other grazed his side, due to which some of the¡ºWoven ck Iron¡»Coat and some of his flesh was gouged out, but after some bleeding, it stopped.

    The moment after he repelled the bullets, he used the momentum of his swung sword to turn around for countering the swords flying at him from behind.

    ¡¸Haaaaahh!¡¹

    He cut down all the swords flying at him in just one sh.

    It would be lethal to show his back to his opponent, but unless he steps forward the hatchet would not reach him, and also the ultra-high speed rotation done by Ludora had went past Vampire¡¯s movement ability¡¯s limits, hence it wasn¡¯t enough gap for Kuronounch another attack.

    In fact, even as Ludora turned back to front, there was no de swung by Kurono.

    Kurono¡¯s stance from the time he shot the bullets hadn¡¯t changed, it was still the same L-shaped legs while holding the gun in his extended right hand.

    Thus, Ludoraunched an attack for killing Kurono.

    (I¡¯m going to finish this with my strongest Martial Skill)

    Unlike Magic, Martial Skills don¡¯t need much time to activate.

    Marital Skill like¡ºHard Body¡»need to be amassed, but it wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary that all Martial Skills need to be amassed.

    That Martial Skill was something of a sure-kill technique Ludora had learnt after swinging his katana for countless number of times.

    The thing needed was just his katana. It doesn¡¯t even need long chants, expensive catalysts or even any special ritual.

    Hence that attack was the fastest and strongest.

    His favourite katana¡ºBloodsucking Princess¡¸Scarlet Dye¡¹¡»finally gushed out with a red eerie aura. It seemed as if responding to Ludora¡¯s wish.

    In short, that was the Martial Skill which pursued the limits of ¡®cutting¡¯ by katana.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªHeaven Beheading Scarlet Scintition¡¹[2]

    The Scarlet Shine Cutting the Heavens. Just as the name suggest, it created a scarlet coloured trajectory in the empty space to cut the enemy into pieces. It was a sure-kill technique.

    ¡ª

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know Li, that Chinese distance unit......yeah Japanese also used it is ancient, err, old times. One Li/Ri = approx 3.927 km or 2.44 miles.

    Anyone still doubting me that this novel is not getting more and more of Xianxia? Huuuh!?

 Chapter 253 Devil Vs. Vampire (2)

    Chapter 253 ¨C Devil Vs. Vampire (2)

    Getting out of ck magic¡¯s close distance attack, he reached to a distance of letting out a sure-kill attack. I had though from before that he would use a Marital Skill in this situation.

    In fact, the Martial Skill deployed by him was more powerful than the¡ºAkaNagi¡». I can see that fact from the amount of magical energy gushing outwards from him katana.

    If I took it head on the¡ºShield¡»would be bisected, and even if I defend using¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡ºKubidan¡»it would need Defence Martial Skill to actually defend against that attack or else hatchet would be flicked off, and I will get hit by two des at the same time.

    Naturally, after seeing the activation of this Martial Skill, there is no room for evasion.

    In the end, the only way for defence left for me is just one, but that is not a good way to defend¡ª¡ªor so Ludora must¡¯ve thought.

    He only has Martial Skills activating with ¡®magic as a source¡¯, however, I have a weapon which can disy its true worth against those. [ED: Not sure what it means] [TL: Just means that Kurono can kick Ludora¡¯s ass! ]

    ¡¸Eat it¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Now there was no red-ded machete engulfed in ck mes, but rather, an unrefined longsword made by using fangs of monsters directly.

    The longsword which has Extra Magic to eat each and every sorts of magic was once myrade¡¯s favourite sword called¡ºFang Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡». However it was now in my hands as,¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», a sword filled with grudge from dying with regrets.

    I will use it at my free will, Vulcan.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªEvil Eater!¡¹

    For taking on the attack called¡ºHeaven Beheading Scarlet Scintition¡»of Ludora, I held up this great sword in the se of shield.

    The fang sword hungry for revenge and magical energy, and the scarlet de d in aura of fresh blood collided.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWhat!?¡¹

    Maybe he had too much confidence in this Martial Skill, Ludora opened his eyes wide in surprise.

    Though a longsword, I just held it up with my left hand. His attack had enough power to actually overpower my arm strength and easily flick off the sword.

    However thanks to the ability of Evil Eater, the magical energy residing in the katana started to get sucked in from the point of touch at an elerated speed. As a result the original power of the attack declined greatly.

    In other words, the katana swung by Ludora just inflicted a little crack in the fanged sword and stopped before sending my body flying away.

    I have finallypletely stopped the attack. And nowes the counterattacks!

    ¡¸Hmph!¡¹

    I swing the longsword in my left hand, at the same time Ludora pulled back his katana quickly.

    If he still kept his katana stuck in the crack, then with the swinging of my longsword he would have to let go of his katana. He is worthy of praise to retain calm mind even after I stopped his sure-kill attack.

    However the thing attacking him now is not the¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», but

    ¡¸Break!!¡¹

    I throw the gun in the¡ºShadow Gate¡»under my feet, and in return a new weapon was being held in my right hand now.

    That was, the¡ºMithril Sword¡»shining with its divine silver light even in the darkness of the night.

    In the end, Vampires are a type of an Undead, hence, Mithril having white magical energy in it can be said as a weakness to them.

    I don¡¯t need to use Martial Skill, but just inflict a single wound on Ludora¡¯s body with this sacred sword.

    ¡¸Kuh!¡¹

    Ludora bent his head backwards to escape the white trajectory, being traced in empty space.

    There wasn¡¯t any response felt my right hand swinging the sword, but,

    ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡¹

    Apparently, the tip of sword lightly had touched him. There was a straight thin short line made from blood on Ludora¡¯s face.

    *Burn*, sound of flesh burning and somewhat smoke flew up from the wound.

    The injury inflicted by the Mithril apparently is extremely painful to make even high life-energy wielders like Vampires to moan and groan. Ludora even tried to pin down the woundpletely, reflexively.

    And that was most fatal gap he had shown.

    In an instant I let go of¡ºMithril Sword¡»from my left hand, and hold the hilt of¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»with both of my hands.

    As expected, I need a Cursed Weapon to deploy Martial Skills.

    ¡¸KuroNagi!!¡¹

    I aimed for the neck.

    His trunk, covered in the coat, have enough defence to stop the Bullet Arts, in that case there is a chance that even my attack would be blocked. So the best ce to inflict a critical damage would be the ce with bare skin peeking out.

    While spewing the same dark red aura as the hatchet, I aimed the Evil Eater at the abnormally pale neck of Ludora and sprinted towards him.

    ¡¸Kuh, Ooooooooooh!!¡¹

    However, Ludora suppressed the pain with his fighting spirit, stepped forward and fixed his nearly broken stance.

    At the same time, the katana held in his right hand moved.

    Does he think of taking on my attack with that stance? It¡¯s useless. The current Ludora is in the same position as I was before, but there is no way he could stop my Martial Skill while holding a katana with one hand.

    I strike the Martial Skill with all my might to flick off his katana, no, to cut him along with the katana.

    ¡¸!!¡¹

    I felt some resistance with my hands, at the same time,

    ¡¸GUuUUhhaaaaahhhhh!!!¡¹

    I let out a screaming voice and coughed up fresh blood.

    Looking below, I saw a crimson red de struck piercing through the ckened armour near my abdomen.

    And the person who pierced me with the katana, Ludora, didn¡¯t have his head anymore.

    ¡¸Kuh, hah......just how tenacious is he......to actually choose attacking rather than defend himself......¡¹

    At the instant Ludora took my attack, he threw his katana in a straight line with all of his might.

    My Martial Skill have captured his headpletely, he also knew it but still he chose to attack, as if wanting to let me feel a stroke of his katana. I see, so this what a battle junkie is like.

    I stepped back from that ce as if retreating back, and took out the katana from my stomach. At that time Ludora¡¯s headless corpse also fell facing-forwardly.

    As a natural result of having his heard severed, arge quantity of blood dyed the grass and ground in red color.

    In that red color, even the blood spewing out from my stomach, was also mixed.

    ¡¸I somehow won......¡¹[1]

    My abdomen has been stabbed deeply, but if I were to die with this much, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live past by the mobility experiments.

    An injury like this isn¡¯t fatal for me, but of course if I don¡¯t stop the blood then surely I will die from blood loss.

    Of course I won¡¯t let that happen, so I use my only healing magic¡ºBody Compensation¡»to close the wound with a jelly-like ck magical energy.

    ¡¸I have to go towards the mansion fast¡¹

    The battle here is now over, even the wound isn¡¯t great enough to need aplete bed rest, I will probably not even feel the pain after using a potion.

    I store both¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»and¡ºMithril Sword¡»I threw earlier into the¡ºShadow Gate¡».

    The Shadow Gate near my feet is still like a bottomless swamp, taking everything I threw into it.

    As an exchange I took out a particr Magic Item.

    This is a fragment of a crystal with a magic circle engraved on it. This is the transmission machine for Telepathy I had used in Alsace Vige.

    This was something I had thought to prepare aftering to Spada, but an official one was really expensivepared to this disposable one, hence the idea for its buying was something I had say farewell too.

    Well this can work as a substitute so it¡¯s good.

    ¡¸Lily, can you hear?¡¹

    Upon pouring the magical energy, the pale crystal fragment started tominate and the magic needed to let my voice reach far-away Lily activates.

    ¡¸Ah, Kurono, are you fine!?¡¹

    Hmm, loud and clear, the call is connected properly.

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m done here¡¹

    I won¡¯t report me taking a damage in the stomach, after it at time like this it is great to show off one¡¯s cool side.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s good you¡¯re fine¡¹

    Lily¡¯s deep heartedly rxed feeling voice pierces my heart.

    ¡¸How about there?¡¹

    Well from her voice I can already guess what happened,

    ¡¸Yeah, we are also nearly done, you don¡¯t have toe in a hurry¡¹

    Told ya!

    However, there was a possibility that there might be someone powerful among the bandits but looks like this time we didn¡¯t meet up with that ¡®impossible¡¯ turning point, well, all in all it is good.

    ¡¸Got it, so should I head over to the mansion directly?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I will be waiting at the front entrance¡¹

    ¡°Roger¡±, I told her that and the crystal fragment reached its limit, the light vanished, and it broke in my hands.

    I threw the remains of broken crystal, turned back and look at the corpse of Ludora.

    Thinking back, it feels like it has been a while since I have killed a person whom I don¡¯t even hate.

    No, this situation wasn¡¯t the same as when I forced to kill others in mobility experiments. I could¡¯ve avoided fighting him if I had thought of that.

    If I had given up on the bandits subjugation and returned back, there would¡¯ve been no need to kill this man.

    I killed this man based on my will.

    It¡¯s ismon among adventurers, not rare or anything else, it¡¯s nothing more mor less. I myself am quite satisfied with this theory.

    But, the part that doesn¡¯t consents with that is,

    ¡¸It was a great battle¡¹

    Something I will have to fill with the pride of winning a serious battle.

    Ludora challenged me on his own will, I replied to it, the death from this result isn¡¯t something useless at all.

    ¡¸Good-bye, Ludora¡¹

    Like that I left that ce without turning back again.

    Moreover strangely I didn¡¯t feel bad at all. [2]

    ¡ª

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    In this chapter I finally understood why I didn¡¯t want Ludora to die! That is because he is more powerful than Kurono. That whiny kind person won just because of various variety of WEAPONS he had and not because of his own ability, and ofc he can¡¯t win in swordsmanship against Ludora. While Ludora actually had been against him with all of ability and a single weapon and there was almost not much of his weapon¡¯s ability! In the end KURONO SUCKS!!!!!!!

    Kurono starting to be bit by bit into Xianxia protags. Pfft joking not going to happen.

 Chapter 254 Cleanup of Bandits

    Chapter 254 ¨C Cleanup of Bandits

    Hearing the victory information from Kurono, Lily let out a sigh of relief as if the biggest anxiety factor had been removed.

    ¡¸In that case, we also need to do what we can¡¹

    The top priority of backing Kurono was now gone, hence Lily stepped into the hideout mansion of bandits to do what she had to do.

    The ce she was headed to was the cer. The mansion was big but she has already ¡®heard¡¯ about its location, hence she was able to find her way to the flight of steps downstairs without getting lost.

    The light of the stairs leading to the cer was not present making it seem like a deep ck hole connecting to hell.

    However, after turning into her true form, her two pairs of wings were shining brightly. Hence, she was able to walk without any problem as her surroundings were brilliantly illuminated.

    Like that she kept on moving downstairs safely. Reaching there, she saw a big wooden door.

    She touched the door knob and turned, but as expected it was locked. However if it was just locked, it can¡¯t be enough to stop Lily¡¯s invasion.

    Lily stretched her delicate sswork-like palm and light started converging there,

    SFX: BoonnnNN!

    Making a sound like that, the door knob vanished.

    She opened the door while imagining the scene of Fiona trying to open the door, and the door¡¯splete extinction.

    ¡¸......This is the worst, even more stinking that the nest of Morjura¡¹

    Lily raised her eyebrows to the scenting from the interior of room.

    The bloody scent of something like an animal made her guess what sort of works were being done in this ce.

    However it wouldn¡¯t be of any help if she stopped there. Lily just made an unpleasant face and kept on moving.

    There was some faint light left burning in this cer room,pletely different from the stairs.

    That was not a lighting from the fire ofmp, but a magic light made of magic.

    Lily thought it might be the same way as the streetlights in Sapda work.

    And, this mostly dark and somewhat illuminated cer room told what the purpose for this room was.

    The wall surface was filled with cold stone tiles and iron grills were ced as if blocking the entrance to a part of room. This was the first time Lily saw it, but she understood that this is a jail.

    This underground jail room was quite big, hence it could amodate many people too.

    However the other side of iron grills was currently ¡®almost¡¯ uninhabited, the vast space was not being used effectively.

    Yes ¡®almost¡¯ uninhabited means that there were still some people captured in this underground jail room.

    ¡¸Uuugh......¡¹

    On the other side of iron grills a white naked body crawling.

    It was just one who moved, the rest were lying on top of the matid on ground, while being covered in a slightly dirty sheet.

    Thinking upon it, currently it was around midnight. If just those men did note and go from here, it would be the time for them to sleep.

    ¡¸W-Who......¡¹

    A girl with light green hair rose her body up from the mat.

    Most likely due to knowing that such actions were useless in such a ce, she made no effort whatsoever to cover her upper body

    The girl looked at Lily standing on the other side of iron grills with her hollow eyes.

    Conversely Lily also saw the figure of girl.

    Her body had sings of being beaten, especially that swollen left cheek was painful to look at.

    Seeing the precise sings of rape, most of the people would say¡¸cruel¡¹, but Lily¡¯s impression was¡¸She is a better state than I had thought¡¹.

    Apparently the bandits had the hobby of being satisfied by just having intercourse with women, thankfully they didn¡¯t had any hobby of doing grotesque things.

    Even Lily wouldn¡¯t be able to heal the torn limbs.

    Lily confirmed the situation could still be ¡®made done with just her alone¡¯. She didn¡¯t answer the girl¡¯s question, took out a key from her bosom, and put in the door of iron grills.

    *ng* The sound of unlocking resounded, along with the unpleasant sound of rusty hinge rubbing.

    ¡¸Ah......You are saving us......?¡¹

    A somewhat shaky yet filled with hope voice came out from the girl.

    Lily entered the jail, went in front of the girl, smiled gently and opened her mouth.

    ¡¸Hey you, are you eating food properly?¡¹

    The girl stiffened with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

    It was only natural. That was a question purely unthinkable by anyone in this situation.

    However, it was a matter Lily needed to confirm right now.

    ¡¸Answer me¡¹

    ¡¸Eh......Y-yes......¡¹

    Lily nodded in satisfaction to the girl¡¯s answer.

    Of course, even without hearing her answer she more or less knew the situation.

    The girl¡¯s body surely had signs of rape but her body wasn¡¯t haggard.

    She didn¡¯t had any physical injuries, but she actually had emotional injuries along with fatigue.

    Thinking on the purpose of these girls, it was needed to keep them healthy otherwise it would¡¯ve troubled the bandits. Even they would not want to rape a girl with just bones and no plump skin.

    ¡¸Ah, umm......that is......¡¹

    ¡¸Hm, this?¡¹

    Lily had already started taking her next actions.

    That was creating a shining needle with her Extra Magic. Incidentally, it was in her right hand.

    It was quite wrong to call it a needle based on its length and thickness. It might be more right to call it a somewhat narrow stake.

    The girl looked at it, and thus, asked with a scared voice about what was that needle, no, what was she going to do with that needle.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hurt¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Lily raised the thick and long needle overhead whilst showing an elegant smile.

    The girl opened her eyes wide in fear and the long-withered tears started flowing.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªAnd you¡¯ll forget it soon anyways~¡¹

    Like that, the swung down needle pierced deeply in the crown of the girl¡¯s head.

    Lily felt the perfect resistanceing from the pointed end of needle. It meant that the needle had finally reached the brain, and at that point, Lily took her hands off of the needle.

    The girl seemed to have fainted and fell on the thin mat with her white of the eyes showing in her wide-opened eyes.

    ¡¸Now then, I need toplete the work before other girls wake up¡¹

    Lily again made needles of light in her right hand, and started stabbing the heads of girls¡¯ one by one.

    Starting from that girl there were seven girls in total, and in within less than five minutes they all had a heartbreaking figure, having a needle piercing their heads.

    However Lily seemed to be doing her work, there was neither sorrow nor guilty expressions on her face, as if she was doing the preparations for a dish.

    After piercing everyone¡¯s head, Lily removed the old rage from every girls¡¯ body.

    Seven nude girls were reflected in her eyes. On each and every girls¡¯ body were bruises from being punched or kicked, some even had welts as if they were whipped.

    However Lily didn¡¯t pay attention to their scars, but rather their abdomens.

    Their waists didn¡¯t seem to have any special change¡ª¡ªin other words, it couldn¡¯t be made distinct by just looking.

    Of course, there was no meaning in confirming about that, Lily¡¯s action from now were settled from before.

    ¡¸In this healthy state, you all can handle it, right?¡¹

    Lily made a magic circle in empty space and took out a Scroll from it.

    That was thest Scroll left during the defensive battle of Alsace.

    Moreover, the magic engraved on it was,

    ¡¸??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ????¨D¨DLife Drain¡¹

    A forbidden magic which forcibly takes the life force of any and everything, let it be a soon-to-be-born ¡®young bird in an egg¡¯.

    .

    .

    .

    I reached the meeting ce, the front entrance of the mansion, and the person waiting for me there was,

    ¡¸Kurono-san, thank you for your work today¡¹

    Fiona.

    ¡¸Yeah, you too. What about Lily?¡¹

    ¡¸Lily-san is nursing the abducted girls¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so you saved them safely¡¹

    I can finally be relived, this only shows that it was worthing to subjugate bandits.

    ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t it be better if we go and help Lily fast?¡¹

    ¡¸It might be better if Kurono-san doesn¡¯t go¡¹

    I regret saying that. After all they had been through hell because of men, if I went there now it would only scare them.

    ¡¸Sorry, you¡¯re right¡¹

    I¡¯m powerless at these times.

    I can¡¯t even use healing magic. In the end, I am relying on Lily.

    ¡¸Yeah, so what happened to bandits?¡¹

    Rather than thinking negatively, it will be better to find something I can do.

    If the bandits scattered and ran away then I can chase after them.

    ¡¸The bandits were......all killed¡¹

    ¡¸I see, but wouldn¡¯t it be better if you had taken one person as a prisoner, you see as a witness?¡¹

    ¡¸They resisted fiercely, so we couldn¡¯t help it¡¹

    Well, that also can¡¯t be helped.

    The bandits are sure to be killed upon getting captured. If they can¡¯t even have a future after surrendering then it is natural to resist till their deaths.

    ¡¸I want Kurono-san to report about bandit subjugation in Isckia Vige, also ask them to send someone to take all the girls¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right¡¹

    We don¡¯t have carriages, in short we don¡¯t have any means to transport several girls to Isckia Vige, and taking them while walking Will only make it worse.

    Fortunately this ce has a neat and clean mansion, so they can surely spend one night peacefully.

    It¡¯s the best choice to leave the girls to Fiona and Lily and report about their rescue as soon as possible.

    ¡¸But won¡¯t theirrades, I mean reinforcementse here?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, we heard that these were all the people living in this mansion, even the ve Dealer Boss seems to be in Spada right now, so he can¡¯t make moves so suddenly¡¹

    Then it is fine. After all, the bandits were exterminated, their boss won¡¯t know of this fact unless he searches for it.

    ¡¸Hm, if you have killed them all, where did you hear that information from?¡¹

    ¡¸T-That is......we captured one bandit and interrogated him¡¹

    ¡¸So you captured one alive?¡¹

    ¡¸After interrogation he bit his tongue and died¡¹

    Suicide, eh. Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand his feelings.

    ¡¸Then I will head towards the guild now, say good luck to Lily¡¹

    The dawn is still far, but my eyes work all-too-well in the night that I won¡¯t have much difficulty finding the right path at even a time like this.

    That¡¯s right, I even need to take Merry and Mary from that ce in front of suspension bridge.

    And here I was thinking of running all the way to the vige.

    ¡¸Okay Kurono-san, take care¡¹

    Fiona saw me off and I left that ce at a quick pace.

    Just wait, I will make sure toe for you all by tomorrow¡¯s morning!

    ¡ª

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Huuuuh, Fiona seems somewhat strange~

 Chapter 255 Lilyâ€™s Purpose for Bandit Subjugation

    Chapter 255 ¨C Lily¡¯s Purpose for Bandit Subjugation

    ¡¸Okay Kurono-san, Take care¡¹

    Fiona saw Kurono¡¯s back figure running like a gale, until he eventually left her sight, and then,

    ¡¸Fuh, I somehow deceived him¡¹

    She heaved a sigh of relief while one long straight line of cold sweat traced along her face.

    She returned to her usual expressionless face after oveing the biggest climax of tonight, and she opened the profound double door front entrance located behind her.

    *Creak*, the door opened making some creaking sounds. Inside expanded an entrance hall for showing the visitors.

    In front was a stairway leading to the second floor, on the left and right of it were two long hallways. This mansion¡¯s structure can be said as an orthodox one.

    Fiona entered the hall, she didn¡¯t show any interest towards this western-style mansion, but looked at the figures of a people wriggling in the centre of hall with cold golden eyes.

    ¡¸Mpphh, Nnnnnhhhhhh~~~~!!¡¹

    That sort of groaning voice reached Fiona¡¯s ears.

    She didn¡¯t know what the figures said, but what that those people were trying to say was something she easily understood because of the current situation.

    They were the bandits with ropes tied around their body and mouth gagged. In their mouths would only be either pleads for life or abusive words.

    ¡¸I¡¯m done here, what about Kurono?¡¹

    Among the frequent groans and panting sounds of bandits, a beautiful sweet voice resounded.

    Of course the voice¡¯s owner was Lily, but right now she was in her child form.

    However it can be understood from her way of talking that her consciousness was still that of an adult.

    ¡¸As nned¡¹

    In the words of Fiona answering Lily¡¯s question, somewhat conceit was mixed, as if she hadpleted some work wlessly.

    ¡¸You did great there, but thinking it was you I was worried that you might blurt your mouth¡¹

    ¡¸What are you saying Lily-san, with my clever art of conversation I can easily defeat Kurono-san¡¹

    ¡¸Didn¡¯t you stutter there?¡¹

    Fiona kept silent.

    ¡¸Well then shall we start our work. We don¡¯t have the time of even aplete night, so it will be problematic if we don¡¯t do it quickly¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡¹

    Fiona nodded towards Lily showing a daring smile.

    ¡¸Then¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Thus, at that time Lily finally turned to face the bandits lying on the ground.

    The colours of fear and anxiety appeared in the faces of men reflected in her rotund emerald green eyes.

    All of them already understand that this fairy wasn¡¯t someone just cute.

    ¡¸Who might be the leader among you people?¡¹

    Since they were gagged they weren¡¯t able to answer to her question.

    However,

    ¡¸I see, so you are the one¡¹

    Lily immediately stepped up towards a man with shaven head.

    ¡¸Remove it¡¹

    Fiona quickly came up to the man and took out the gag punishment.

    It was Fiona who tied up the bandits. Apparently she learnt the skill to tie humans from her Witch Teacher.

    Lily gave words of admiration to Fiona as she knew various skills other than magic. Compared to her, Lily had always left alone withoutmanding others and hence never knew skills like this.

    Naturally the conversation was done with various voice of anguishing from the surrounding and hence it wasn¡¯t a really good scene to see.

    Anyhow, having the gag removed, the man perceived to be the leader of bandits received the freedom of his mouth.

    ¡¸H-how did you know...¡¹

    The man asked while still in a grovelling position, but,

    ¡¸Ufufu, secret¡¹

    The answer was refused along with a cheerful smile.

    The man knit her brows and made an unpleasant face as if seeing an impossible to understand lunatic.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t make that sort of scary face, that¡¯s right, let¡¯s start with self-introductions. I¡¯m Lily, and you are?¡¹

    ¡¸......Robert¡¹

    Maybe knowing that resisting was futile, the leader of bandits Robert named himself obediently.

    Lily was also convinced that it wasn¡¯t a fake name.

    For Lily, a head of a normal human without any strong Protect casted on it was something that could be called,pletely leaking stuff.

    ¡¸I see, then Robert, I will ask you some things I want to know about, you will answer it right?¡¹

    ¡¸T-That is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸If you cooperate obediently then I won¡¯t kill you, of course, after this ends, I won¡¯t stop you if you want to escape¡¹

    ¡¸I will do! I will cooperate! I will do anything but just save me!!¡¹

    Robert showed his agreement to Lily¡¯s words. At that time the groans from the surrounding bandits increased.

    It must be the voices of resentment against Robert, even if they were dim-witted lowly people like bandits, they knew that they won¡¯t be forgiven as such.

    However, Lily wasn¡¯t concerned about their resentfulints at all, she just showed a satisfied smile upon seeing Robert wanting to cooperate with her.

    ¡¸Fiona you free him¡¹

    Fiona again moved while keeping silence.

    Lily¡¯s words didn¡¯t have any hesitation in them, in other words even if this man was freed there would be no danger.

    Of course, even if this Robert came attacking at them in the next instant, it would be more fast to shoot fire from her¡ºCustom Fire Ball¡». Moreover if he had ability to make a surprise attack then he wouldn¡¯t be right now tied up by this rope.

    The difference in both parties¡¯ ability was quite obvious, and it was something Robert also knew. Even after being freed he didn¡¯t show any rebellious behaviour, but showed a relieved expression and stood up.

    ¡¸First choose two co-operators from among them, it would be better if you choose strong ones¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, roger!¡¹

    Robert replied with energy and started his work promptly.

    Probably, the lives of three people including him will be spared, turning this inside out means that any other people have no life.

    It won¡¯t change even if they were gently delivered to Spada¡¯s Chivalric Order, or they were to be publicly executed on a guillotine.

    The work of selecting theirrades¡¯ lives was indeed sinful, if Kurono was made to do this he would¡¯ve cried and groaned, but apparently Robert didn¡¯t seem to feel anything.

    He indifferently kept on selecting men with good physiquepared to others.

    Lily, while gazing at the scene, suddenly asked to Fiona standing beside her as if she had lot of free time

    ¡¸Hey Fiona, do you still have that super creepy waking up potion?¡¹

    ¡¸I do have, but, what will you use it for?¡¹

    There¡¯s no way she wanted to enjoy the reactions of bandits drinking it.

    ¡¸I want to drink it, obviously. It will be quite a long night, hence if I don¡¯t have something strong I won¡¯t be able to retain my consciousness till the end¡¹

    Fiona put her hand into her three-cornered hat, took out a single bottle of her handmade waking up potion, and hand it over to Lily.

    Fiona already knew what Lily was going to do by this point.

    Hence, Fiona gave an advice.

    ¡¸It is alright to be in high spirits, but try to refrain from killing¡¹

    Lily replied with a elegant cheerful smile.

    ¡¸*chuckle*, leave that up to me¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    The first work for the three men including Robert was to move the seven girls from the jail to a guestroom with beds.

    Fiona watched over the bandits left in Lobby while Lily monitored the work of carrying the girls.

    ¡¸Come on, don¡¯t ck on the work, if you don¡¯t want to do it I can still exchange you people for some other three¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Sorry Lily-san!¡¹

    Naturally, the three never got a chance to escape during work, but just worked with all their effort so as to not displease the mood of this small fairy.

    As a result the work ended without any dy. The biggest reason for that was because the seven girls were in deep sleep.

    If they don¡¯t have consciousness, then it won¡¯t make difference to be carried by people or furniture.

    ¡¸Now move them all in the cer room¡¹

    Robert and others promptly executed thismand too.

    The adventurers currently were just the fairy and the witch. Hence it can¡¯t be said as realistic to carry near twenty bandits to the vige, even if they were to wait for the guild or Chivalric Order toe here, it would be more safer to throw them all in the jail.

    Robert didn¡¯t think thismand as strange too. For increasing his good impression in Lily¡¯s mind, he created a false act to smoothly guide hisrades, no formerrades, to the cer room.

    ¡¸Listen, it¡¯s not like you all will be executed immediately upon getting arrested. In that time if I talk it out with Boss, then good scenario you all will be released, bad scenario, we will make our way fighting up to you to save you all. Don¡¯t worry, just believe in me and Boss¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The pitiable bandits genuinely believed in those sweet words. They just descended the stair leading to the dark cer room without knowing what new fate was waiting for them there.

    Like that they entered the big jail easily, just like sheep chased by a sheepdog.

    Fiona again tied them up with ropes, she took off for their movements.

    Afterpleting her tiresome work withoutining,

    ¡¸Then I will nurse the girls above, when you are done ¡®with the work here¡¯, please call me¡¹

    She said those words and left the cer room. Just immediately after that it happened.

    ¡¸Hey there must be something chair or table to tie a human, right? Bring it for me¡¹

    That moment Lily said those words as if just asking for a tea, it was natural for bandits, but also Robert who had his life guaranteed, felt a chill run up his spine.

    ¡¸Y-yeah......but, what will you use that for?¡¹

    ¡¸You will understand right now,e bring it¡¹

    Lily was indeed smiling innocently like a small child, but no one knows if she would still smile if they didn¡¯t do as she asked.

    Robert called out the two co-operators while trembling in fear, and they brought out the table for tying from the interior of room.

    At a nce that table seemed like a wooden bed present in cheap hotels, but there was thick leather belts attached on the edges.

    The people whoy on this bed would get tied up with those tough belts, and won¡¯t be allowed to get up until the belts are removed.

    Robert and others knew of this fact. They had used this table for its original purpose of torturing others, and sometimes they even tied up women to have fun.

    Upon thinking that something like that would be used on that their fear increased.

    ¡¸Then choose anyone from among them,y him down on the table¡¹

    As expected, no it was only natural for Lily to ask someone toy on this table.

    ¡¸Umm, Lily-san, if you want to ask some information, we will answer anything, so that torture like things is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Although Robert had thrown hisrades, but he never wanted to see people he knew being tortured.

    He had a conscience, he didn¡¯t want them to suffer and die. Hence, he unintentionally spoke his mind.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care if anyone of you three lie down on it?¡¹

    However, Lily disregarded his words. Even if she knew from Telepathy that Robert appealed it because of his humane feelings.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I will set it up immediately¡¹

    Robert obviously can¡¯t make her agree to his opinion while staking his life.

    Of course, even if he was a just person who actuallyid down on the table without taking his life in consideration, to Lily it would only change the sequence of people lying on the table.

    Robert and others have already recognized this shining fairy with beautiful face as a daughter of a peerless cruel devil.

    Their fate was already decided around the time they came in jail, no around the time Lily came in front of them.

    Of course, even if they knew it from before they still wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the fearing from the danger approaching them.

    The young man lying on the table due to bad luck was resisting by pping his body parts with all his strength.

    His face was covered with tear and snot, since his mouth was gagged he was only able to groan by saying words without meaning like¡¸Ughh¡ªUggh¡ª¡¹.

    However, no matter how pitifully and miserably he resisted, there was no way he could get away from the hands of three men in his current state.

    Robert frowned, the other two said¡¸sorry¡¹to him while setting the man on the table.

    ¡¸It¡¯s done¡¹

    ¡¸*chuckle*, I appreciate your hard work¡¹

    The eyes of Lily saying false words of gratitude were already locked on the man tied on the table.

    The man was still trying to resist with all his power, but the table just made some creaking sounds and there were no signs of belts loosening.

    Lily was delighted towards this great torture table, and lightly jumped on the table.

    The man only seemed to think of it like a death-god standing beside him and he finally even started shaking his head.

    ¡¸Ah, I just want to tell you that I won¡¯t do something like torture¡¹

    Lily¡¯s shining fingertip danced in the empty space while she spoke those unbelievable words.

    ¡¸Of course I won¡¯t do a private execution of you all. Hence I will guarantee that none of you will die on this table¡¹

    In an instant a magic circle was drawn in front of Lily.

    She held her hand out to it, and a ring came out of the magic circle on its own.

    ¡¸I just want you people to apany in an experiment¡¹

    That was a simple ring without a standing out characteristic. Its size was asrge as to just cover a person¡¯s head.

    Robert and others thought it as equipment for wearing around the head, like a circlet.

    ¡¸It will be fine, so rx, okay?¡¹

    The moment Lily¡¯s finger traced the outer surface of that smooth white ring,

    *ng*

    Seven pointed needles protrude from the interior of the ring.

    Naturally, it was at this moment that their impression of it changed from equipment to a torture device.

    Like that, Lily again traced the outer surface with her finger, but this time the needles disappeared into the device. It became an ordinary ring.

    Like that she moved without hesitation above the creaking table, as if she were going to y a prank on a sleeping person.

    ¡¸ha ha~, with this many people I will surely understand how to use it too¡¹

    She ced the devil¡¯s Magic Item¡ºAngel Ring¡»on the man who became the Experiment No.1.

 Chapter 256 Fionaâ€™s Purpose for Bandit Subjugation

    Chapter 256 ¨C Fiona¡¯s Purpose for Bandit Subjugation

    The Royal Spada Academy¡¯s Knight Cadet Shenna was amidst her dreams.

    ¡¸Auh......Eddy is seriously......an idiot......¡¹

    Judging from her sleep-talk, the contents of her dream were too blissful.

    Like that, after sleep-talking for some more, her consciousness finally awoke..

    Normally Shenna would not have a good wake-up start, but today she was in a good mood upon waking up, probably because of the good dream.

    ¡¸Ugh, it is morning already¡¹

    The bright sunlighting from the window was interrupted by a white curtain, and illuminated the room as a gentle light.

    Shenna understood from it that it was morning, but at the same time she felt uneasiness.

    ¡¸Hm, Hmmm, Huh......¡¹

    The first uneasiness was the spaciousness of room.

    Looking carefully she realized that this room was not the room she used to sleep in, in short it was not a room in the girls¡¯ dorm of Academy.

    ¡¸Huh, where......is this?¡¹

    Upon realizing that she was sleeping in an unfamiliar room, Shenna¡¯s consciousnesspletely woke up.

    ¡¸M-My sses¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The first action she took was to search for her sses, which had been her partner since the enrolment.

    The instant she tried to touch her surroundings reflexively,

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but there are no sses¡¹

    She heard the voice of an unfamiliar girling from just besides her.

    ¡¸Who is it!?¡¹

    She raised her voice which almost seemed like a scream and turned to face her side, there was a girl in the ¡®witch¡¯ costume sitting on a chair while looking at her.

    The light blue hair peeking out of her three-cornered hat, and the shining gold eyes were both impressive. She was a beautiful girl, to the extent that Shenna, being a girl herself, couldn¡¯t help but be charmed by her.

    Maybe because she was being stared by those all-seeing golden eyes that Shenna was able to question the witch while retaining her calmness.

    ¡¸Who are you? And why am I here...?¡¹

    The witch replied without hesitation as if she had already predicted that question.

    ¡¸I¡¯m Fiona Soleil. An adventurer affiliated with Rank 3 Party¡ºElement Master¡». This ce is a mansion located near Isckia Vige, there is no danger so rx¡¹

    Shenna heaved a sigh of relief hearing the words of Fiona as she understood that she won¡¯t cause harm to her.

    ¡¸I¡¯m Shenna, Royal Spada Academy¡¯s Knight Cadet. A second year student¡¹

    If other person names themselves, then ording to Knight¡¯s manner, it is needed to name oneself also.

    ¡¸Well then Shenna-san you might be surprised but still hear it by being calm. You were attacked by bandits on your route back during quest, and were abducted. Currently we have saved you and others¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, abducted......eh?¡¹

    Shenna had no knowledge of the information she was just told about.

    However, as if she also saw through it, the witch continued.

    ¡¸It¡¯s natural that you have no memories of this. You have lost your memories of past few days, can you tell me what is thest day you remember?¡¹

    It was probably a question for confirming, hence Shenna tried to desperately search her memories.

    Thest memory she had was her going in the bed of her dorm.

    That evening was just a day before she was to go with her childhood friend, Eddie¡¯s boys¡¯ party and her own party on a joint quest.

    She was checking her potions, items and other things just before going to bed.

    Although Eddie was the leader of boys¡¯ party, but after this long time of friendship she knew that he is careless in many ces. Hence, she was doing her checking work of her equipments.

    Like that she went to sleep, and upon waking it was the current situation. Just this memory flows in Shenna¡¯s mind.

    ording to her memory, yesterday¡¯s date was,

    ¡¸E, err......20th of Red me month¡¹

    ¡¸Today¡¯s date is 3rd of tinum Month¡¹

    ording to Shenna, today must be 21st of Red me Month.

    However the day Fiona told was the date which was over ten days, even the month had changed.

    ¡¸Eh, no way......that¡¯s a lie, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Looking at you, it seems like the memories arepletely gone¡¹

    Gone or not, she had absolutely no recollection of that. For Shenna it was more realistic to think that this witch was deceiving her.

    However she couldn¡¯t think of a reason someone would want to trap a normal Knight Cadet, and if it was someone¡¯s prank then this was the shittiest one, andplicated too.

    If she were to believe Fiona¡¯s words, then the quest she was about to go on is something she hadpleted, and during that they were attacked by bandits¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸Eh, then, I, no, what about others!¡¹

    Shenna was not a child, although she was a student but ording to her age she could be considered as an adult, a splendid adult that could fight against monsters,

    Hence there was no way she would not know the meaning of being captured by bandits.

    ¡¸The bandits captured you all for selling you all ves. All four of you just had minor injuries; They all also should¡¯ve recoveredpletely by now¡¹

    Hearing those words, Shenna reflexively threw off the futon covering her body and looked for bruises.

    At this point she realized that she waspletely nude, although it was embarrassing, but luckily there was neither a bruise on her body nor did it hurt anywhere.

    It can be said asplete recovery, but to Shenna it felt like it was only natural that there would be no bruises on her body, as she slept yesterday just like this.

    ¡¸Umm, my girls¡¯ party had four people, but there was a boys¡¯ party of four together with us¡¹

    ¡¸We have just rescued the girls present here, so we don¡¯t know any details about the attack¡¹

    Shenna¡¯s face immediately paled. Thinking properly, the male would be killed if attacked by bandits.

    ¡¸It would be good if you don¡¯t think much about it, in some times someone from Guild will being here, at that time you may thinking, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes..... you¡¯re right, sorry.....¡¹

    First she needed to confirm the truth, but because she had no memories, hence would need to confirm the information at Guild.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Shenna-san, excuse me¡¹

    Fiona abruptly stood up.

    Of course, she had no reason to stop her and so she looked her going out.

    However, Shenna sighted a faintly shining crystal fragment in Fiona¡¯s hand.

    ¡¸Is that......transmission machine?¡¹

    There is Magic Item for talking fromrge distances, but it is high-ss item that Knight Cadets can never get a hold of.

    A diligent girl Shenna was acquainted with not just magic but also Magic Items, hence she knew that using that crystal fragment as an intermediary she would be able to talk to her friend, someone who has Telepathic ability.

    In that case, it was usible to think that a party member from¡ºElement Master¡»had called her.

    In less than five minutes, Fiona again opens the door and showed her face, and,

    ¡¸Shenna-san, from now on myrade will being in this room to sleep, sorry but can you look over her. Oh, the other girls¡¯ might also wake up soon so please brief them on the current situation¡¹

    She threw all of her work to Shenna.

    ¡¸Eh? Wait a minute Fiona-san!?¡¹

    ¡¸Myrade is a fairy who just looks cute and is called Lily-san, so you can be rxed. The other girls are sleeping in adjacent rooms, the doors have not been locked so you can enter as you want¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, as I want, that is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸In that case, I leave it up to you¡¹

    Fiona left after giving all the power to her.

    ¡¸Eh, Eeeeeeh......! I¡¯m the side under protection, right......?¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Fiona opened the door of cer room. Lily had blown the whole knob and now the door opens with just a light push.

    ¡¸Ugh......Uuuuaaaahhhrrrhhhhgghhhh~¡¹

    Inside the room those sounds of groans could be heard, moreover it was not just a single person but many people, hence the room was quite noisy.

    ¡¸They look just like zombie¡¹

    The ruffians who were bandits yesterday night, right now had changed into people raisingpletely non-understandable groans in the jail cell.

    Zombies are a type of inferior unintelligent Undead Monsters. However Fiona¡¯s guess was urate to the extreme.

    ¡¸Yeah, they all are disgusting, so dispose of them¡¹

    Lily spoke in a manner as if wanting the extermination of bugs in a garden. Although it was her who made the bandits into crippled zombies, but in that part she had got no guilt feelings at all.

    Fiona didn¡¯t seem disgusted on Lily¡¯s attitude, after all if their positions were to be changed, she would¡¯ve also done the same.

    Although she also thought it was cruel, but an emotional reason couldn¡¯t be a perfect reason for her to stop, after all, both Lily and Fiona were aiming for supremacy without any wavering¡ª¡ªyes, all for being helpful to Kurono.

    ¡¸So... should I say thank you for your good work?¡¹

    Fiona moved towards Lily sitting on the bed-type tablepletely normally, as if she never saw the men squirming inside the jail cell.

    ¡¸I¡¯m seriously tired, next time I will do it only if I have enough time¡¹

    ¡¸Less than twenty people in a night, that is quite a lot of people¡¹

    The men inside the jail cell were all in crippled state, and this alone showed the fact that no one among them was able to escape from Lily¡¯s devil hands.

    ¡¸But, it was a meaningful experiment, it can also be called sessful¡¹

    ¡¸Sessful? This?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, now I somewhat understand the way to use this¡¹

    Lily held a white ring, the deadly weapon¡ºAngel Ring¡». It was the thing that turned the men into crippled zombies.

    This¡ºAngel Ring¡»makes it possible to control people at will, but the true effect doesn¡¯t work by just wearing it.

    Lily¡¯s objective was to learn how to use this devil¡¯s device.

    She had to put it on humans head and test the extent of its effect. In short, human experiment was an important factor that would prove itself useful.

    And, though she hesitated to do it in public, a chance like this bandits subjugation where they wouldn¡¯t be med even if they killed all suspects was the best chance for performing the human experiment.

    The reason she raised both her hands to agree with Kurono when he proposed the idea of bandit subjugation was only because she would get ¡®guinea pigs¡¯ inrge numbers and nothing else.

    ¡¸But, can you use it already?¡¹

    ¡¸Unfortunately it is impossible, for using it, I need to reform it, but well, if I do this couple of times more, then I will be able to use itpletely...probably¡¹

    Fiona guessed that they she might have to yet again go on a bandit subjugation or a quest with simr conditions.

    ¡¸Well then, I leave the rest to you¡¹

    Lily had just finished her work, so she jumped down the table and headed towards the door.

    ¡¸Ah, Lily-san, one girl woke up¡¹

    ¡¸Is that so, how was it?¡¹

    ¡¸She seems to have lost all the memories after 20th of Red me month. This is quite a splendid measure¡¹

    Fiona honestly praised Lily¡¯s skill.

    ording to Lily, if they didn¡¯t do the after-care, it would be the same situation as with the survivors from Alsace.

    And more than anything, if it went as nothing happened then Kurono would also be happy. She didn¡¯t want him to shoulder any more responsibilities.

    Along with that, there were somewhat ¡®fairy-like¡¯ feelings in her, like she wanted their love to bear fruit. However, she never said this from her mouth.

    ¡¸20th of Red me month, eh. It¡¯s good that it went fine¡¹

    In truth, it was also a gamble for Lily as to how many days of memory would be lost.

    At the time with Cyprus, she did it without any mercy and hence it ended without taking minute factors into consideration.

    It was quite difficult to remove precise amounts of memories, if it went wrong then she might¡¯ve poofed her several years of memories, or even all of her memories.

    However, she wouldn¡¯t say it from her mouth. Now that it went fine, Lily said it as if she expected that result.

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, you were.....Robert, right? Thank you for the cooperation, you can go now¡¹

    Just before Lily opened the door, she turned back as if she remembered something and said that to the three co-operators.

    ¡¸Hiiii......T-Thank you very much......Lily-san......¡¹

    Robert spoke in a wavering voice as he stood up tottering.

    They were made to do the work of affixing the ¡®experimental subjects¡¯ on the table, in other words, they were made to watch theirrades screaming in anguish, and it also meant, they had taken part in their despair.

    These three werepletely defeated mentally, they were basically broken in their mind now.

    However, even so ,they somehow mustered up strength to walk now that they have endured the suffering and finally got hold of their freedom.

    To the current them the smiling Lily standing in front of door might not seem like daughter of devil but rather a gently angel blessing their new departure,

    ¡¸Ha, Haha......I did it......I fucking did it, with this I am¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Maybe he tried to speak ¡°I¡¯m saved¡±.

    However that muttering was interrupted by an abrupt scorching heat.

    ¡¸Ah, Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡¹

    The scream of three men echoed in the cer room simultaneously.

    ¡¸Aaaaaaaahhh, w-whyyyyyy, am I bbbbbuurrrrrrrnninng! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!¡¹

    Around the time he realized that, his feet were coiled with bright red mes and were being tormented by unbearable high heat.

    Of course they wouldn¡¯t be able to walk, hence Robert and the two fell on the floor, and tried an useless attempt to remove the mes by pping their legs.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t ask me why, I said I will let you go, but that doesn¡¯t seem the same with Fiona¡¹

    Lily said while still smiling like a cute lovable child.

    And with that he understood that she didn¡¯t had any intention of letting them return from the start.

    ¡¸N-No way, save¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Lily and Fiona both didn¡¯t wanted to hear any more than that.

    Although the pleads for life and abusive words reach their ears, they didn¡¯t even enter their memories, let alone reach their hearts.

    ¡¸Even so a ¡®sacrificial ritual¡¯, so you finally do something witch-like, eh?¡¹

    ¡¸I didn¡¯t had any intention to do it, but¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Fiona now held an old-looking book that she took out god knows when.

    The size and thickness was simr to dictionary, and the ck covering over it made it seem just like a box rather than a book.

    ¡¸I resolved myself to be a power for Kurono-san¡¹

    This book was the one Fiona had been searching in the library ever since the first day she went to the Academy.

    She predicted that the book she was searching for would be in here, because she knew Spada country had a quite long history along with the fact that it also had a magnificent library.

    And, her guess hit the right mark.

    ¡¸Haha, wanting sacrifices for giving Divine Protection, eh. Indeed there are evil gods out there too¡¹

    ¡¸If that wasn¡¯t the case it wouldn¡¯t have been banned and marked as forbidden¡¹

    The book Fiona took out of the forbidden sealed area of The Great Library was a Spell Book called¡ºThe Guide to Ten Thousand Demon Pce¡».

    The content in it were the evil acts needed to done for gaining the divine protection.

    And that was something that would provide Fiona the ¡®power¡¯ she needed currently.

    In this bandit subjugation, if Lily¡¯s objective was human experiments, then Fiona¡¯s objective was to offer sacrifices to God.

    That was why she didn¡¯t want Lily to kill the bandits, changing the point of view, it meant she could anything with them but not letting them die.

    ¡¸Is it fine to take it out without permission?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, when I get done with it, I will return it back¡¹

    Thinking back, she remembered faintly that a skirt-chased prince of Avalon called Nero or Ero or whatever, who used Kurono of false charges, did warn her to not go in there.

    However, again re-thinking upon it, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem with it.

    After all she borrowed the book without being noticed by anyone and was going to use in the right way.

    ¡¸In that case, let us finish before Kurono-sanes back¡¹

    Like that, Fiona looked at the sacrificial sheep with unimpressed despising golden eyes, turned over the rotten hard cover of book, and started the forbidden ritual.

    ¡¸I offer to thy god of all evil¡ª¡ª¡¹

 Chapter 257 Vampire Died Twice

    Chapter 257 ¨C Vampire Died Twice

    A ck figure, as if crows were covering a dead corpse.

    The headless corpse of the man had shadow clinging on it, but if one looked closely one can understand that they weren¡¯t crows but rather bats.

    Those bats were the servants created by the vampire Ludora lying on the ground.

    Although they were all called Servants, there were various ways to create them. One was to train monsters right after capturing them, other was to create golem from inorganic substances, and this bat servant was made from the use of one¡¯s own flesh, in short, it was something like clone of the main person.

    It was famous that bat Servants were created by vampires, even Ludora was no exception and was using them. It was these Servants work that allowed Ludora to know from before of Kurono and others approach to the mansion.

    The reason these loyal and superior bats were clinging on the headless corpse of their owner was neither for eating him nor mourning.

    Even the vigers with no knowledge regarding magic would understand what his order might have been if they saw the scene urring here.

    Firstly, the Servants cancelled their bat form and returned to their true form.

    That form was blood. Just like ice melts the bats transformed into dark red liquid in a sh.

    Like that the puddle of blood moves like a slime, and enters through the severed veins from the cross-section of head.

    No, it was more like the body was absorbing its blood clone.

    Just like how a thirsty person drinks water, this body thirsty for blood sucks in all of its clones.

    Immediately after absorbing thest clone, the fingertips of headless corpse twitched.

    That was neither the prank of wind nor rigor mortis reaction, but rather something he did with his own will.

    Like that the will takes over control of whole body, as a result, the headless corpse stood up-straight at that spot as if normal.

    No, it wasn¡¯t a corpse anymore, but rather a headless person.

    The body moved while staggering somewhat, towards its lost head.

    The blue eyes had already captured the scene of the bodying near it.

    Like that, making a movement as if picking up a lost property, the head was held up and ced on the ce it should be, like that, there stood Ludora who had a life and death struggle just before.

    ¡¸Inexperienced, eh......¡¹

    The resurrected Ludora spoke those words at first.

    Those were not meant for Kurono who didn¡¯t deal a perfect final blow to a vampire like but, but it was meant for the defeated himself.

    ¡¸For me to survive the second time using the Extra Magic of True Vampire¡¹

    Vampire have powerful magical energy and power both, but are in minority, however among them, there is a race, no, a blood rtive that is even more scarce, has more powerful abilities and can also use a special Extra Magic.

    Those were called as True Vampire and are said to have the blood of the vampire¡¯s progenitor running in their veins.

    And Ludora was one of those special rtives.

    Several tens of years back, the time young Ludora was defeated first time, he was brought back to life with the help of the Extra Magic of True Vampires, the¡ºNos Ferat¡»

    This was the second time he died, but this time he was not shocked, but rather was able to keep his heart calm, due to that he was able to feel his growth since those days.

    ¡¸This time too I barely escaped death¡¹

    Though the magic was named boldly as¡ºNos Ferat¡» its effect was not absolute.

    The amount of times he could use it was only once and only for fatal wound, if he were to receive fatal strikes two times consecutively then he would not revive, even if his head and heart were to be destroyed.

    There are other exceptions too, if he were to take on attack from Light Magic or mithril, both which happen to be weaknesses of Undead, then the wound won¡¯t heal.

    In other words, if Kurono had stabbed Ludora in the heart after cutting his head, or cut his head with Mithril Sword, then Ludora¡¯s death was fixed.

    ¡¸But this also can be said as fate¡¹

    Ludora muttered. He epted the fact that he lost.

    It would be lie if he said he didn¡¯t feel vexed, but, like this he was able to survive, hence he got another chance to fight against the strong foe called Kurono.

    What else can this be said if not good luck, of course, the old him would not have been able to understand this.

    The young Ludora wouldn¡¯t understand anything as he was just being haughty because of the power of True Vampire and the Divine Protection powers.

    ¡¸If I¡¯m not meant to die currently, then I shall walk the sword way for some time more¡¹

    Muttering that, Ludora picked up his favourite katana lying beside him.

    The reasons why Kurono didn¡¯t take this katana with him may be because of victor¡¯s sympathy, or he valued time more, otherwise he would collect it after finishing the subjugation, or finally, he just forgot it.

    There was no definite answer for that, but anyhow the¡ºBloodsucking Princess¡¸Scarlet Dye¡¹¡»returned to Ludora.

    It was at the time he was about to store the katana in the scabbard.

    ¡¸......Hm?¡¹

    He realized the change.

    The sword de was bright red coloured, but the tip of sword strangely was darkened.

    At a nce it might seem like a bloodstain, but this katana as its name says is a ¡®bloodsucker¡¯, hence it absorbs any blood that sticks to it.

    And in truth looking more carefully he understood that there was no blood stuck on the de but the de itself had its colour changed.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The next moment, the ck colour spread on the whole sword de as if ink fell on it.

    The change was not only on the outside, but Ludora felt the katana pulsating and also felt the wild flow of magical energy in the sword.

    Since the change was too sudden, hence the end also came abruptly.

    Before he noticed it, the red ded katana Ludora held in hand had changed into a jet ck katana.

    From the sword with same hue as dark night, a red aura was rising as if the blood itself was being evaporated.

    ¡¸It evolved......?¡¹

    Ludora remained calm even after escaping the grasps of death, but at this time even he had his eyes round with a surprised expression on his face.

    ¡¸*giggle*, I see, looks like princess liked Kurono¡¯s taste just too much¡¹

    He immediately knew the reason, thest sh, no,st thrust, that attack certainly pierced through Kurono¡¯s armour and stabbed his abdomen.

    It was not enough to give a fatal wound, but apparently that amount of blood was enough to satisfy the appetite of this bloodsucking cursed katana. [1]

    ¡¸Well then, I also need to train¡¹

    Ludora sheathed the katana this time with a satisfied smile on his face, and left the ce without making any sort of sound.

    ¡ª

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    News sh¡ºKurono again fails to deal thest blow¡»third time.

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    1. Kurono is the man who has the ability of adding other¡¯s Cursed Weapons into his harem!! Yay~~

    EDITOR¡¯s NOTE:

    .....Kurono please, there¡¯s a limit between what you can have in your harem, inanimate objects is beyond that

 Chapter 258 Bliss of Amnesia

    Chapter 258 ¨C Bliss of Amnesia

    The new work of rising and energetic Rank 5 party¡ºWing Road¡»was the popr topic in the City of Spada.

    Their new work was that they captured the wirepuller behind the bandits who had been rioting in Fuaren recently before Chivalric Order or Law Guardians reached them.

    No one knew how they found out the identity of the wirepuller, but they entered the headquarters of that ve Dealer which happened to be a mansion in Upper ss Area, fought, and splendidly rescued the girls that were captured there.

    There was even the information that among the girls abducted was the daughter of an influential noble in Fauren, if they had saved her a dayter she might¡¯ve been sold off to some distant foreign country.

    The swift rescue of Wing Road had various overbearing parts or so the Chivalric Order hadined, but against their big achievements it got stuffed somewhere and now there was no-one who would criticize them head-on.

    If it went bad then it might¡¯ve given rise to diplomatic problems with Fauren, more than anything the girl they saved was a ¡®high-ss item¡¯, meaning there was no injury of any sort on her, of course, chastity included.

    The bad ve Dealer was captured, beautiful girls were rescued, happy ending.

    However, it wasn¡¯t like everyone who was involved in this matter had a happy conclusion.

    For instance take this one young man here.

    ¡¸Shit......Damn it......¡¹

    His name was Eddie, a Second Year Knight Cadetmuting to Royal Spada Academy.

    His appearance and family both were totally normal, Eddie was just your any young man in Spada. However, he was the only person who seeded in escaping after their party was attacked by those aforementioned bandits.

    ¡¸Damn it, don¡¯t fucking kid with me¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Eddie unintentionally punched the wall while walking on the street.

    That was because he heard a student he passed by before saying that the matter ended peacefully now that the wirepuller behind the bandits of Fauren was captured.

    No, the student wasn¡¯t the only one speaking in a carefree manner, but actually all the people in the city would just speak that the case ends happily now that thedy from Fauren was rescued and wirepuller got arrested.

    And the party whichpleted it, Wing Road, announced their aplishment of their sess in quest¡ºSubjugation of Bandits of Fauren¡».

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªIt ain¡¯t damn over yet!¡¹

    Without caring for the puzzled gazes staring at him, Eddie shouted.

    For him this matter was still now over, there¡¯s no way it would end, unless he rescues his best friends¡ª¡ªand his childhood friend Shenna from those bandits.

    The day they were attacked, the reason Eddie alone was able to run away wasn¡¯t because he abandoned his friends.

    Against people with more ability than them, they made a n to let one run away and bring in reinforcements.

    In that live-or-die, no, die-or-be abused situation, no one objected the n and let Eddie run away.

    The reason they chose Eddie was because of his ability, they thought he would be able to shake off the bandits and reach the Isckia Vige.

    Like that, under the cover of his friends, Eddie stole one horse of the bandits and escaped from that ce at full speed.

    Before that time he had never thought that taking the horse-riding sses would be so helpful.

    He was able to make the horse run faster, but also used Boost for using the Martial Skills and Cure Magic for exhaustion recovery. All the skills were on the level of being able to withstand a true fight, hence finally he was able to sessfully escape.

    However, everything did not end with just that.

    Eddie returned to Isckia Vige, intruded the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and petitioned for a rescue squad.

    Like that a rescue squad was made and they departed¡ª¡ªhowever the bandits one step higher in taking fast actions.

    Eddie reached the campground site on that evening, but there were only three dead bodies of his best friends,rades in arms, and nothing else was present.

    ¡¸Damn it, Shit......what the fuck is Hero Party¡ºWing Road¡», do damned shits. A hero is one who saves all people¡¹

    Eddie again started walking around the Spada City while mutteringints towards the young heroes.

    The pain from punching the wall felt extremely vacant.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t need anyone else......I will go and save you all alone......¡¹

    Eddie had been searching for help till this time of today.

    Aside from his party members, there was no corpse of Shenna nor her party, surely they were taken by bandits alive, so, he still hadrades he had to save, Eddie didn¡¯t had time to rest.

    The rescue squad formed in Isckia Vige disbanded after bandits had ran off, the job after that was of Vignte Corps or Chivalric Order.

    Eddie could only have prayed that they would find out the hideout of bandits.

    However he couldn¡¯t have hoped that they would use personnel formencing arge scale search, as the girls were just normal adventurers.

    The Chivalric Order would only do their work normally, at the same time, Eddie understood that the matter won¡¯t be ending immediately.

    Hence without waiting for Chivalric Order to defeat the bandits, Eddie started to move for recruiting new adventurers for heading to rescue.

    However it took till today¡¯s time for Eddie to understand that it was an impossible n.

    It wasn¡¯t that much problem in posting the rescue quest in Guild, even the reward amount was somehow made done by the help of the victim¡¯s families.

    However there was not a single adventurer who took on the quest.

    Fighting against bandits is more risky than fighting against monsters.

    Especially in case this time with a wirepuller with power and influence to some extent. If it went bad they would be in a bad state of getting avenged anytime.

    Hence, unless the bandit subjugation is an emergency quest the adventurers don¡¯t easily participate in it, even if they have enough power.

    Eddie had been frequently visiting the Guild, and also asked many adventurers even by bending down.

    The result of that wasn¡¯t favourable can be exined from the fact Eddie was still present in the Spada City.

    Moreover with Wing Road capturing the ve Dealer the other day, others finally started to think of not getting involved in this ¡®already concluded case¡¯ anymore.

    The charm of bandit subjugation was that the number of bandits rampaging around equates to that much of victims appearing.

    That is why, upon finishing it, the fame one gets is quite high.

    Anyone can understand that if they see Wing Road getting words of admiration from anyone in the city.

    However, with their announcement that the matter is now settled, the charm of that quest swiftly disappeared l, to the extent that it was the lowest grade of quest now.

    ¡¸Fuck! I will......I will......¡¹

    This situation definitely wasn¡¯t because someone was in the wrong.

    It is the legitimate right of Adventurers to refuse a quest, Wing Road just happened toplete it in their ce.

    It¡¯s not like anyone had the bad intentions of making Eddie suffer, just that, there was no one appearing to save Eddie, no, the captured Shenna and others.

    And for something like that to ur as if normal is the true reality of the world.

    ¡¸I will......save them¡¹

    However, although an adult, Eddie was too young to ept such harsh news.

    Eddie resolved to save them alone if no-one decided to help.

    However to others it would only seem like he doesn¡¯t assess the situation correctly and is trying to do suicide in a funny way.

    In the first ce, where was the hideout of bandits who captured Shenna and others? Were they hiding somewhere around Isckia Vige? Maybe they went to Fauren or they might¡¯ve gone to some different country.

    Let¡¯s say if he were to luckily find out their hideout, but, how will he save the girls?

    8 people including Eddie were one-sidedly defeated against three bodyguards, so there¡¯s no way he could win against them alone.

    Then sneak in without being spotted? That would¡¯ve been possible if Eddie¡¯s ss was Assassin and the target for rescue was just one.

    There was no way he would seed, but, there was no one point that out for him, no even if someone pointed it out, it would be impossible to stop Eddie.

    He was a young Knight Cadet with promising future, so being an apprentice Knight, how could he abandon hisrades.

    However if Eddie was from Civil Course, even then he would¡¯ve gone to say them alone.

    Thinking about his hard to please childhood friend facing hard times right now, Eddie just can¡¯t help but want to save her.

    ¡¸I will go, even if it¡¯s just me¡ª¡ª¡¹

    He hardened his resolve and in his brain appeared the figure of that girl who had been with him since childhood.

    ¡¸I will save Shenna!¡¹

    ¡¸Eh......Eddie?¡¹

    At that moment he thought the words that reached his ears were a auditory hallucination.

    That was because the voice was just too simr to a certain girl¡¯s voice.

    ¡¸......Huh?¡¹

    He turned back on reflex and this time a hallucination was reflected in Eddie¡¯s eyes.

    After all, the person he resolved to rescue just a moment ago was standing in front of him right now.

    ¡¸W-Why did you suddenly shout out, don¡¯t scare me!¡¹

    Green coloured pigtails, an average girl without any standing out characteristic, the only characteristic, her sses, were not there, it was the face that she used to have some years back, however with just that difference there was no way he would not recognize her.

    However, Eddie couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    ¡¸Are you......Shenna?¡¹

    These words were not for confirmation, but rather a prayer wishing that this illusion in front her were real.

    ¡¸Geez, who else do I look like, don¡¯t tell you don¡¯t recognize me because I don¡¯t have my sses?¡¹

    To the words clinging on the faint hope, she showed her affirmation. It was the same as when they were arguing some days before in the Academy over a foolish subject.

    ¡¸A-Are you really Shenna......how......¡¹

    ¡¸Even if you ask me how. Well, I got saved after getting captured by bandits and just returned to Spada, err, seriously I don¡¯t feel any reality in this because I don¡¯t have my memories¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Eddie wasn¡¯t able to understand the vague ending words of Shenna right now, but,

    ¡¸Shenna it is truly you, right......you were saved right?¡¹

    ¡¸Uh-huh, that¡¯s how it is¡¹

    The next moment Eddie embraced Shenna tightly with his two hands.

    As if not wanting to let her go even if she were a dream or an illusion.

    ¡¸Eh, Wait, Eddie!?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m so happy, Shenna, I, I¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Shenna embraced him back with her face bright red, while Eddie was weeping so hard that his words didn¡¯t make any sense anymore.

 Chapter 259 Bandits of Daedalus

    Chapter 259 ¨C Bandits of Daedalus

    Thieves, Bandits, Pirates¡ª- they have many names, but there was a time period during which these¡ºrebels¡»who attack innocent people and plunder life and money unceasingly appeared.

    That was right after wars.

    The changing of remnants of lost army change into rebels. That was something which urs as if natural in both Pandora Continent and Arc Continent.

    The time goes back to 7th of Distant Thunder month, in the Goldran Hills where a big war took ce.

    The army of humans called Crusaders that came from across the sea defeated the Daedalus army lead by the King of ck Dragons.

    And the remnants of destroyed Daedalus Army,

    ¡¸Those annoying demon race, so they finally show their true evil personality¡¹

    Now had turned into bandits freely rampaging in the territory of Daedalus now controlled by humans from Syncrea Republic.

    ¡¸That young man Liuchrome is too half-hearted, the soldiers and people who are demons are demons, because he didn¡¯t get rid of them that its now like this!¡¹

    The person whining while breathing heavily was Count Belgunt, the head of Crusaders¡¯ Noble faction and also the man with the responsibility of conquering Spada.

    His eyes were green due to the colour magical energy of wind, but right now it might have seemed red due to his anger.

    He was in the prime of life, but his tall body didn¡¯t show any signs of aging, rather, he was wearing a light armour covered with gorgeous silver ornaments, it also gave a high magic resistance, hence the armour has fused the beauty and bravery of a noble into one.

    On his waist a custom-made personal Mithril Rapier was hanging down, and on his back was a dark green longbow that could make the maximum use of wind attribute.

    The reason he waspletely armed was not because he wanted to go on demon hunt to seethe his anger, but because he didn¡¯t had any choice other than subjugating the rebelling demons rioting.

    This ce was Alsace Vige¡ª¡ªno, now this ce was a strong fort called Alsace Stronghold, it would be the frontline base point when attacking Spada, at the same time it would be the defence for protecting the Republic of Daedalus.

    It was only the other day when Count Belgunt heard about demons appearing inrge numbers in this Alsace Stronghold, where soldiers were being trained and other war preparations were being done under the control of the Count.

    The group was mixed with beast people, Orc, Lizardmen, and other races, all wearing ck armour. Moreover their movements weren¡¯t of a newbie, but of veterans from wars.

    Even normal peasants would understand that those rebels were the remnants of Daedalus Army.

    As a bonus recently, not after the fight in Goldran, but after the tinum Month started, the movements of these former Daedalus soldiers have increased.

    There have also been rumours that the remnants of army might be scattered here and there in Deadalus territory and might be nning to recapture the capital city.

    Whatever the authenticity might be, it was the truth that bandits were being rampant, this was a grave problem for Crusaders, even more for Belgunt who was to start a war against Spada in the near future.

    If internal conflicts arose then they won¡¯t have room to attack other countries, even if it doesn¡¯te to that, it would still break off the logistical support and danger would increase.

    If one looks back on the military history of Arc Continent, they could find numerous same sort of cases.

    He wanted tomence the attack by next month, but with bandits rampaging inside he couldn¡¯t start the war even if we

    he wanted to, it would be better to first cut the source of anxiety.

    Hence heins about the realmander of Crusaders and also the person responsible for Daedalus¡¯s public order maintenance.

    ¡¸What about the situation?¡¹

    He got out of Alsace Stronghold, straddled over the already prepared dapple-gray coloured horse and asked his subordinate.

    ¡¸There has been no new information, the rebels are believed to be remaining Kwarl Vige¡¹

    A soldier wearing steel helmet and surcoat better than normal soldiers replied fluently.

    ¡¸There was a wall in Kwarl Vige, right. Argh, such a tiresome ce......¡¹

    If he thought on the number of soldiers he owned, then it was easy to take control of the group of bandits.

    However he didn¡¯t want to exhaust his soldiers for some useless work, and more than anything else, there had been an abominable precedent on thisnd of Alsace he was standing on.

    ¡¸No, that¡¯s why, although being lowly demons, they have intelligence......and there is also the rumour about recapturing the capital city, this might be one link of it¡¹

    In any case, he must attack the Kwarl Vige and get rid of the bandits as soon as possible.

    After finishing the departure preparations Belgunt came in front of his best troops and started thinking over the n to capture the vige protected by a wall.

    Even if he departed right now it would be until the day after tomorrow before he reaches Kwarl Vige.

    In the eyes of Belgunt gazing at the clear sky with sun nearly crossing the meridian, a figure of a person was reflected.

    ¡¸Hmm, That is......¡¹

    Belgunt¡¯s eyes were enhanced by magic to always have sharp sight, hence he was able to notice that person¡¯s existence faster than others.

    However the person with sun as the background was flying at quite high speed without any hindrances, so soon enough his subordinates also noticed.

    And around the time the soldiers were getting noisy about that person flying towards them, Belgunt¡¯s eyes already confirmed who the person really was,

    ¡¸7th Apostle......Lord Sariel!?¡¹

    A little timeter, a young girl straddling on a pure-white Pegasus came down from the sky.

    He was a Count and the suprememander of the soldiers gathered here, but they weren¡¯t able to stop the girl from appearing directly in front of him without any hesitation,

    There was room for doubt among who had the higher status among an Apostle who an existence most near to God or a just a Count which controlled humans.

    No in truth having this peerless beauty emitting a white aura before their eyes, all the soldiers could only gaze at her dumbfoundedly.

    ¡¸Sorry for the sudden visit, Count Belgunt¡¹

    The 7th Apostle Sariel, calmlynded down on ground from her Pegasus and around the time she said those words, Count Belgunt was already down from his horse and was falling prostrate.

    ¡¸No, we are sorry for not giving a proper wee to you Lord Sariel, but currently we were about to depart for getting rid of demon bandits¡ª¡ª¡¹

    The inspection of Alsace Stronghold was held just recently, so for what reason had shee here suddenly. Belgunt started thinking bad things about her visiting at such a time.

    However, as if telling that God doesn¡¯t take notice of a normal person¡¯s problems, Sariel replied in her usual t voice.

    ¡¸I have already set free the Kwarl Vige¡¹

    She took out a bundle fastened on the Pegasus¡¯s saddle and gave it to Belgunt.

    This scene might look like a divine one where a beautiful girl gives the gift from God to a noble in splendorous armour, however the bottom part of the white cloth was stained with dark red colour as if viting the divineness of cloth.

    ¡¸T-This is......¡¹

    Belgunt had already guessed what it was because of his instinct, but getting his guess hit the right spot, he unexpectedly let out a voice of surprise.

    ¡¸The boss of bandits¡¹

    He unwrapped it and there was a face of an ogre with an expression of anger and eyes open wide.

    Belgunt had experienced lots of wars, but seeing the freshly severed head of the Orc seeming to be an Undead and move on its own, an unpleasant sweat arises.

    However he wasn¡¯t surprised to the extent of just staring in trance, Belgunt immediately understood the meaning this held.

    In short, 7th Apostle Sariel barged in the Kwarl Vige solo, and annihted them.

    Moreover it might have happened this morning.

    ¡¸I beg your pardon for making Lord Sariel bother with this work¡¹

    ¡¸It wasn¡¯t difficult¡¹

    Sariel replied without wavering her deep crimson eyes.

    As she said, Sariel truly might¡¯ve not had any trouble taking on the bandits by herself.

    For her cutting the head of a brutal Orc and signing the documents are both the same, in other words, just one more boring work.

    Belgunt was also a person the Republic, he had heard the legends of Apostles since childhood, and, after bing adult, he still hears about their new exploits.

    However after seeing a fragment of that overwhelming valour, he felt an indescribable awe along with a sense of emptiness.

    ¡¸Thank you very much, we also didn¡¯t want to waste our soldiers before invading Spada. I want to thank Lord Sariel for her work¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Please don¡¯t worry about it¡¹

    There was nothing behind her words, but Sariel truly felt that there was no need for it.

    ¡¸After all it is my mission to deal with all the spreading bandits in the territory of Daedalus as soon as possible¡¹

    Apparently Archbishop Liuchrome seemed to have been making use of Sariel¡¯s power rather than keeping her in one ce as a fakemanding general.

    The person herself, as the 7th Apostle had been reputed, she waspleting the mission quickly.

    As if to say he work was done, Sariel turned back and again straddled on the Pegasus.

    Like that many thought she would just fly away, but,

    ¡¸I¡¯m also wishing the Spada Invasion to happen fast, Count Belgent, let the divine protection of God be with you¡¹

    Unexpectedly, she gave out words of blessing. Count Belgunt rose up his head that he had bowed for sending her off.

    However, by that time, Sariel was nowhere to be seen.

    Count Belgunt told his subordinates who were looking towards the horizon just like himself.

    ¡¸Everyone, did you hear the words before. Lord Sariel is expecting good things from us, so we need work harder formencing the Spada Invasion as soon as possible!¡¹

    A secondter, the Alsace Stronghold was filled with cheers as if trying to shatter the whole stronghold.

    Although they were also Crusaders, they were soldiers of nobles,pared to the soldiers of Church, their piety was low.

    However there was no man in the Republic who won¡¯t cheer up upon getting words of encouragement from a beautiful Apostle of God.

    That was the same for Belgunt too who was leading the army for various motives.

    Currently, he forgot all of his interests, and cheered up from the bottom of his heart with a strong sense of duty forpleting the holy wish of God.

    ¡ª

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Volume 15 ends with this chapter.

    It¡¯s been a while since Sariel¡¯sst turn. Looks like she is doing her work properly.

    16th July 2012

    The result of Dengeki Bunko was, I didn¡¯t had enough writing prowess and failed in the primary elections. I¡¯m sorry for this sad notification. [1]

    Therefore I am thinking of posting this defeated work over ¡®Let¡¯s be a novelist¡¯. The title is,

    ¡ºNightmare World¡»[2]

    I will post it in several turns starting from today. Though it failed, but I didn¡¯t ck down on it, and it is a work I wrote seriously. If you like it then please read it alongside with Kuro no Maou.

    Oh, and the heroine is a Yandere.

    Well then, please look forward to it.

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    1. The books that fail in any of the three elections, basically elimination rounds, are not given the result fast but are again re-read lot of times for any other evaluations and hence the resultse 4-5 monthster from the day of entry. Novels which pass the top 20 get the result by next month. Just like I got.

    2. This novel is alreadypleted is not more than 40-50 chapters, probably. I never read it so don¡¯t know much about it.

 Chapter 260 Conquer the Greed

    Chapter 260 ¨C Conquer the Greed

    The Rank 3 dungeon¡ºIsckia Hills¡»was a dungeon located between Spada and Fauren.

    In the first ce a natural region shouldn¡¯t be called a dungeon, but to adventurers, any ce where they could fight monsters was a dungeon, hence the main reason was amplified and is being called as that.

    Anyhow, the Isckia Hills were covered with abundant nature, but as it was called a dungeon, there were a great variety of monsters living there.

    Even this swamp area called¡ºThunder Cloud Swamp¡», located in the interior of the dense forest was included in the range of Isckia Hills.

    If an adventurer stood and looked over this swamp, they most likely wouldn¡¯t realise that this was the ¡®Thunder Cloud¡¯

    That was because this ce only had one small filthy muddy swamp, there was nothing special in particr.

    It was apletely ordinary swamp located in any forest. Even the scene of monsters going near swamps for water was quitemon in this world.

    However the monster currently here was quite a rare one.

    SFX: GoooGGGyyyayaaaaaaaa!!

    A earth-splitting loud howl reverberated.

    In an instant, ten-odd metres of ground protruded and a great tree standing there was blown away. A monster literally split the earth and appeared.

    The earth and sand grandiosely blew up and rained down on the surroundings. It truly was a downpour of earth and sand.

    The monster that appeared by creating a rain of mud was the rumoured rank 5 monster, Greed Gore.

    It looked like a dinosaur, no, in this world it had the form of a typicalnd dragon, i.e. he had a form with head and tail in a horizontal line and walked on two legs, simr to a Dagger Raptor.

    However, this Greed Gore had a big body iparable to a 2 metres long Rank 1 monster. Greed Gore¡¯s body was so big that even if the Rank number was to be doubled it would still not reach there.

    He was 30 metres from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, its overall height easily crossed over 10 metres. Among the numerous monsters, he would enter in therge-monster category.

    From the looks of its oblong angr face and carapace that was the same colour and shape of a brick, it truly looked like a dinosaur-shaped Golem.

    This golem had high affinity with the Earth attribute, just from the fact that it could move underground with its big body shows the fact that he had a powerful Extra Magic that could manipte the earth.

    If there were other monsters in the vicinity, they might¡¯ve been killed by this Extra Magic.

    But then, most of the monsters were of about the size that would conventionally fit into Greed Gore¡¯s mouth, moreover, thinking on the Rank of this dungeon, there would no monster powerful enough to make it use its Extra Magic.

    As though trying to prove that, the moment Greed Gore appeared from under the ground, the monsters hiding in the vicinity attempted to escape at full speed.

    Fortunately the thirst surpassed the hunger for the current Greed Gore. It stepped forward towards the swamp in front of it without showing any interest in the presence of other monsters quite far from it.

    Although after sating its thirst, it would eat all the fish, insects and monsters living in the swamp and sate its greedy stomach.

    After all Greed Gore hade here while greedily devouring everything in front of it.

    Every time it would step forward with a thud, the swamp would have ripples spread over the surface.

    There was no existence that could stop those heavy steps, and as if it knew this, Greed Gore didn¡¯t pay attention to the surroundings and neared the tip of his nose to the muddy water surface.

    It opened its fiendish mouth which bared fangs like knife, no, they were already bigger than swords, and started slurping the water of the swamp with such great force as though he wanted to drink all the water there.

    However at this time, to stop the water level of swamp from decreasing,the sound of thunder burst out on the tip of Greed Gore¡¯s nose.

    Greed Gore raised his head up whilst making a short shout¡ª¡ªno, a menacing sound.

    Shrill sounds of blitz shing reverberated in the surroundings, only noticing now, the swamp was enshrouded by a ck fog.

    No, this ck mist had purple lightning shing inside it, in that case, this ce truly was worthy of being called Thunder Cloud.

    In the blink of an eye, the dark clouds surging with electricity covered the swamp and Greed Gore.

    The urrence of this phenomenon, as if thunder clouds were thrown onto the ground, was the main reason for this ce to be called as¡ºThunder Cloud Swamp¡».

    The monster responsible for causing this phenomenon appeared in front of Greed Gore.

    The monster which surfaced by bulging up the water surface was an eerie violet big fish with slippery skin.

    If one word was there for that figure it could only be¡ºcatfish¡». It had a t head, big mouth, long moustache (ET: ?), a body surface without scales and covered in mucus, and every other trait a catfish could have.

    Its length was definitelyrger than 10 metres. It was hard to think that fishes of this size were present in several tens and hundreds within this small swamp. Most probably, this one was the owner of the swamp.

    However the biggest reason that this catfish was called as monster wasn¡¯t because of its body size but because it had a powerful Extra Magic that could manipte lightning.

    This was a Rank 3 electric catfish monster called as¡ºMazuna Cruz¡». [1]

    SFX: Goooaaaaaa!!

    One long straight purple-tinted lightning bolt surged towards Greed Gore, who was roaring out a menacing yell.

    The lightning attack of Mazuna Cruz wasn¡¯t fired from the mouth and hence wasn¡¯t a Breath Type attack, but rather it was fired from its whole body so it was a st Type attack.

    The electric attack fire from the back of its body moved forward while creating a purple trajectory.

    Moreover it wasn¡¯t any normal lightning, but the amount of electricity in it kept on increasing, and it increased in size and thickness as it neared.

    These thunder clouds covering the swamp were one of the abilities of the Mazuna Cruz, in other words it was a thunder-attribute strengthened barrier.

    However this wasn¡¯t activated by it alone, but through the help of few other Mazuna Cruzes living in the swamp.

    Mazuna Cruz didn¡¯t have the nature to work in crowds, but when they felt danger for their habitat because of a foreign enemy, they all join and work together to fight against themon enemy.

    They obey their wild instincts that sometimes show rationality surpassing that of humans, hence the Mazuna Cruz obeyed the instinct and challenged the Greed Gore that had been said to have enough power to destroy the world.

    The lightning attack fired with the wager of Mazuna Cruzes¡¯ existence became as thick as a big serpent by the time it reached Greed Gore. It burned everything that touched it and attacked like a big rocky mountain.

    Greed Gore didn¡¯t move at all, maybe because it wasn¡¯t quick-witted and agile enough to evade that lightning attack, and so the attacknded.

    The purple lightning burst open as though a sh for blinding someone was activated. Like that the dazzling light sparked consecutively.

    That was not just for show, in truth that attack could defeat most of the monsters, even those monsters that are stronger than the top Ranks humans have set for their convenience.

    The lightning attack was fired by the owner of swamp, other individuals Boosted it, the attack was just like a coordinated attack done by any Adventurer Party, but

    SFX: Goooggyyyyyyaaaa!!

    It wasn¡¯t able to defeat Greed Gore.

    The brick-like carapace, after getting hit by lightning, truly became grilled brick-like.

    However just that much, the lightning attack didn¡¯t reach down the thick and hard carapace.

    The Earth-Attribute was far surpassing other attributes in defence, one reason for that was because the earth itself was quite a hard substance.

    Especially it was the best defence for blocking against lightning, the difficulty to pass electricity through rock was a given, but even most of the electric heat was cut off.

    For the Mazuna Cruz, an Earth-Attribute specialized monster like Greed Gore was the worst enemy.

    Greed Gore calmly started walking towards the swamp as though it had already known about the superiority of its body.

    It moved in straight line aiming for the Mazuna Cruz floating in the centre of swamp, whilst the water surface would ripple every time it took a step.

    Having its own territory breached, the Mazuna Cruz waspletely enraged, and fired off lightning from its body with full power, while it also started swimming as though it were sliding on the water surface.

    One side was Greed Gore with its big mouth opened for eating the big catfish, the other side was Mazuna Cruz trying to defeat the foreign enemy to save its whole territory.

    Both parties collided against each other in a straight line within the swamp.

    The battle was decided in just one attack.

    The Mazuna Cruz that attacked with its strongest and biggest lightning attack had its stomach ripped apart by Greed Gore, who didn¡¯t even bat an eye to the lightning strike.

    The dark red liquid started spreading across the muddy water.

    The Mazuna Cruz now with a chewed stomach was already dead, but it¡¯s tail and fins were still active above the water¡¯s surface purely due to reflexes.

    Greed Gore raised a voice of happiness after capturing a big prey and opened its mouth to devour the swamp¡¯s master greedily. It was that time it opened its mouth.

    A single lightning attack leaped out from the bitten off stomach.

    No, looking closely it wasn¡¯t lightning. Although that thing was d in purple lightning it was somethingpletely different.

    A lower body of a snake, upper body of a human, it looked just like the Lamia race, but¡ª¡ª

    SFX: Goaaaaa!!?

    Before it even recognized what the mysterious lightning was, it entered the open mouth of Greed Gore.

    It reflexively tried to chew down that eerie thing in its mouth, but all that happened was its fangs united making a *ng* sound.

    There was no magic that could do something about the thing that had vanished in its mouth. Hence, Greed Gore restarted eating the food as though it had forgotten the existence of that lightning.

    The change urred after it had eaten the whole corpse of Mazuna Cruz.

    A reaction as though the meat it ate was poison, in other words, Greed Gore started writhing in agony.

    The 30 metres big body was rampaging in the swamp,rge columns of water rose up as though a Mage Squad had simultaneously attacked.

    However that also stopped in a few moments, and after it lost all it¡¯s strength, Greed Gore silently sank down to the bottom of swamp.

    It died, a person watching from side would only see it like that, but the next moment, it again surfaced.

    Like that this time, it returned back to the ground in an extremelyzy manner.

    Before Greed Gore knew it, the Thunder Cloud barrier had already vanished and the scene had returned to its original state.

    However, for some reason even now the sound of lightning bursts reverberated.

    The source of those sounds was Greed Gore, but it had Extra Magic of Earth-Attribute, it could never create electricity like a firefly, no matter how.

    However the current Greed Gore was d in the eerie purple lightning just like a Mazuna Cruz.

    ¡ª

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Oh! Greed Gore looks different......

    TRANSLATOR¡¯S NOTE:

    1. Mazuna is a pun on the way catfish is called in Japanese. Catfish = Namazu. Pfft, so bad naming sense!

 Chapter 261 The Reward of Bandit Subjugation

    Chapter 261 ¨C The Reward of Bandit Subjugation

    ¡¸Truly thank you very very very much!!¡¹

    On the 10th of tinum month, we, the Element Master came back from the Bandit Subjugation and Greed Gore search, but the person who met us first was neither Simon nor Wil, but some unknown boy.

    However seeing a sses-wearing girl standing beside him, I quickly understood the situation.

    ¡¸You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s good that she was fine, right¡¹

    I replied, hearing that the boy was ovee with emotion and started crying while still saying words of gratitude.

    ¡¸Geez, don¡¯t cry anymore Eddie, it¡¯s embarrassing for me¡¹

    ¡¸B-But!¡¹

    The name of young man crying out loud is Eddie. He is apparently the childhood friend of this girl standing beside him and is also an Knight Cadet in Royal Spada Academy.

    And the girl is Shenna, who we saved from the hideout of bandits.

    It is easy to imagine just what feeling Eddie had before she returned to Spadapletely fine.

    ¡¸Umm, I¡¯m sorry, he seemed to caused an uproar on his own......¡¹

    Shenna poked Eddie with a troubled expression. Seeing their pleasant actions my face distorted, no, I smiled wryly.

    ¡¸I see, so you came here to say thanks, well, you don¡¯t need to worry about it¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, thank you very much¡¹

    Like that, after talking for some time with them, Shenna left, taking(dragging) Eddie with her.

    Incidentally, when returning, Eddie,

    ¡¸Kurono-san! I will help you if anything urs, please do tell me!!¡¹

    Proposed an offer like that.

    ¡¸Thank you, I will keep that in mind¡¹

    ¡¸Shall I spread an information that the rumour of Kurono-san pushing down the Princess of Avalon is a fake?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, please, seriously, do that¡¹

    Anyhow, like that, the Knight Cadet duo of Eddie and Shenna left.

    Now I just need to pray that bad rumours about me would just fade out......no, there is one more great thing

    ¡¸Looks like everything is back to normal, thanks to Lily¡¹

    ¡¸Eheheh¡¹

    I patted the head of carefree smiling Lily. However, my heart was stinging due to guilt for telling a lie to Eddie.

    I said she was perfectly fine, but that was aplete lie.

    Although I hadn¡¯t seen it directly, but definitely, her body and heart both were in tatters, all the girls captured there were treated like an entertainment outlet. I heard all this from Zack.

    However it was Lily who made it all ¡®non-existent¡¯.

    Shen used Fairies¡¯ Miracle Drug on this seven girls, but didn¡¯t use it to recover their health, but controlled it using her Telepathy ability, and deleted memories from the time they were captured.

    I learned that Shenna¡¯s memories were all gone after 20th of Red me month, the other girls were also the same. They all had their memories from some days before getting captured deleted.

    And because that disgusting memories were deleted, a lie that ¡®not done anything¡¯ to this girls by the bandits was established.

    ¡¸This was for the best, right¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, considering the situation this time, this is the very best end¡¹

    Fiona strongly affirmed.

    Originally these girls would¡¯ve have to heal an emotional scar by spending lots of time, no, if it went bad, then they would have to live their life in a nightmare.

    The mental power to getting over a heartbreaking reality may be great, but, from the point of happiness, the choice would be to make it all ¡®non-existent¡¯.

    That why, I didn¡¯t tell them the truth, it will be just fine if they moved on in life happily while believing in the kind lie made up by Lily.

    ¡¸Yeah, it was for the best¡¹

    This matter ended with everyone being rescued. To me, this is more valuable reward than money or fame.

    .

    .

    .

    Next day: 11th of tinum month.

    The city of Spada was filled with liveliness today as always, but more than that, there was a cheerful rumouring out of people.

    That was the Rank 5 part of Royal Spada Academy, the¡ºWing Road¡»had punished the evil ve Dealer.

    In truth this ¡®evil ve Dealer¡¯ was the wirepuller behind the bandits we subjugated, and thanks them, girls not present in the hideout were rescued safely.

    They might have fought against the wirepuller, but before I knew it, the whole matter ended safely, truly a happy ending.

    However, thanks to that I was able to escape from the tiresome things I had predicted, so I¡¯m thankful to them.

    The reason they were so easily able to arrest the ve Dealer living in a mansion in the Upper ss Area was because the party members of Wing Road were either royalties or from The Four Great Nobles, meaning they all had status of upper echelons of the society.

    If it were frence adventurers like us, we would¡¯ve got ourselves in a bad situation against a ve Dealer with this much assets and influence.

    Anyway, thanks to that, highly influential party were able to work as adventurers without any problems.

    Thinking on it, the First Princess of Avalon, Nell-san, is also a member of Wing Road. I should say my thanks to her if I meet her anytime soon.

    Of course, only when a sword-using brother and a hysteric friend wouldn¡¯t be around her.

    Thinking this and that I finally reached my destination.

    ¡¸Well then, today I will buy a good robe¡¹

    That destination was a Mage Robe Specialist Shop with an old woman being the clerk. This ce was called¡ºFix & Fika¡»

    The ckened armour made for anti-Greed Gore purpose had a hole opened in the stomach area because of Ludora¡¯s katana, so I n to send it to Stratos Smithing Workshopter.

    Moreover, my standard equipment is still a Robe, after all my ss is¡ºck Magician¡»and not a Cursed Weapon-wielder ss like¡ºBerserker¡».

    Well, armour is also not bad, but its better to have a robe as a primary equipment. Moreover now, fighting monsters for trial, I will need a magic resistant defence, rather than physical resistance defence.

    ¡¸Hahaha, today for sure I will make that witch clerk give me a good reception, and it will happen, when I show off my assets!¡¹

    I have my wallet filled so much, that my enthusiasm is just leaking out of me, or rather, I couldn¡¯t have decided to buy robe if I didn¡¯t had money.

    Naturally, the origin of this abundant fund is the reward from Bandit Subjugation.

    Although, I didn¡¯t take the quest officially, but concerning the results, we had subjugated the bandits, the guild epted our work and paid us the suitable amount of reward.

    Moreover, it turned out we could take all the possessions of bandits we subjugated, so we got all the money, that was enough for near twenty people.

    Although, plundering stuff from bandits may sound cruel, but if a bonus of this much wasn¡¯t present, then Bandit Subjugation quests wouldn¡¯t have been established in the first ce.

    Well, like this and that, with the intention of buying the most expensive stuff of this shop today, I entered confidently through the door of the shop.

    Upon entering the shop, a lot of robes greet me, even the mannequin d in Apprentice Robe with words¡¸Freshman Purveyor¡¹etched on it greeted me. I felt like the whole shop was weing my visit.

    Haha, sorry, but today I am graduating from Apprentice Robe.

    I am already in shirt and pants, without a robe, in other words, I will return back while wearing a new robe. ¡¸Will you wear it here?¡¹, the answer choices to this question are just Yes and YES.

    Incidentally, Fiona said she needed that Apprentice Robe for some sort of Enchant experiment or something, so I donated it to her.

    If that robe turns into cinder due to the failure in experiment, I wouldn¡¯t feel even a little bit of regret. I just need to think than the memories of me being underestimated while wearing that robe were also burned to cinders with the robe.

    To the current me, with a strong resolve to part with that robe, exists nothing that could stop me from walking forward.

    In front of my vision is the same witch clerk from before, sitting on the counter.

    Apparently she sensed my arrival already as her eyes that were looking down on the book in her hands before, were now looking towards me.

    Well then, what sort of sarcasm wille out of her mouth today¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸You¡¯re Kurono-sama from Element Master, right. I wee you foring here¡¹

    Eh, wtf, candid camera?

    I can¡¯t help but think of it that way now, that she is bowing at a perfectly right angle.

    Or rather, I don¡¯t even remember telling her my name or party name......

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸I see, so she was your daughter¡¹

    Again, I feel the world surely is small. Guess what, this witch clerk old woman is the mother of that Shenna.

    She already knew about the situation from her daughter, more or less, I am her daughter¡¯s life saviour, hence she bowed to me.

    ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry, I was thinking ofing to meet you for giving my thanks¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸No you don¡¯t have to do it, I just did my work as an adventurer. I also got the reward from the Guild properly¡¹

    I feel utterly ufortable to the kind, careful interaction with a person who had been spouting sarcastic words at me ¡®till now, but,

    ¡¸It can¡¯t go on like that, after all you saved my daughter¡¹

    I didn¡¯t have the guts to poke fun at a mother saying thanks with teary eyes.

    I personally think that just that feeling of wanting to thank me is enough, as for the reward, I already got a great amount of money. I also don¡¯t have greed or arrogance to want more than this.

    ¡¸No, this is the reward I had prepared for the rescue quest, please take it¡¹

    I just heard yesterday that the families of victims pitched in money and requested the Guild to post up a rescue quest.

    The heart can¡¯t be measured by money, but, the reward wasn¡¯t small, it told that the families were concerned about the girls¡¯ safety.

    Moreover I never took on this quest officially, although, the objective waspleted, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve got a legitimate right for epting this reward.

    However, seeing her trying to corner me, I feel it would be rude to keep on obstinately refusing her.

    At any rate this sort of situation is a first for me, so I don¡¯t know what is the appropriate way to deal with these sort of situations.

    ¡¸Moreover, if Kurono-sama is still wanting¡ºBaphomet Embrace¡»then I think this reward would be equal to it¡¹

    In her eyes while saying this, a sharp pointy light was flickering.

    Hmm, as expected, I cannot look down on this person¡ª¡ªNo, this time she is trying to pay the reward with good will, so I shouldn¡¯t be vignt.

    ¡¸Do you have the¡ºBaphomet Embrace¡»here?¡¹

    ¡¸Please, wait a moment¡¹

    Saying that she temporarily went in the interior of the shop. Hmm, what a suggestive behaviour that is.

    Most probably not even five minutes have passed, but it seemed much longer to me.

    Soon enough, she came back with a folded ck robe in her hands. Like that, she unfolded in front of me and answered to my question from before.

    ¡¸This is a robe made from a high ss demon just like Baphoment. This one is called¡ºDiabolo¡¯s Embrace¡»and is made from Diabolo¡¯s skin¡¹

    That was different from the fur of Baphomet, and had a profound feel of a real leather. The design too seemed different from the one I wore before.

    However, sensing the dense ck magical energy residing in it, I understood that this is a product on the same level, or maybe even better than¡ºBaphomet Embrace¡».

    ¡¸*chuckle*, looks like you liked it¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, this is......a good stuff¡¹[ED: An expression like he smoked a hookah for the first time]

    Even more than the Apprentice Robe I was using some days before.

    I waspletely charmed by that jet ck gloss, making it seem like the pulsation of magical energy is reaching to me.

    ¡¸Please, wear it and see if you like it¡¹

    ¡¸......Yes¡¹

    I had no reason to refuse her.

    I silently faced my back towards her, who had opened the¡ºDiabolo¡¯s Embrace¡»that looked more like a coat and less like a robe.

    At a nce, the size of the coat seemed small for me, but when I put my hand in it, there was no cramped feeling in there.

    No, speaking truthfully, it automatically resized itself based on the wearer¡¯s body proportions.

    That¡¯s right, I felt a pleasant temperature change the moment this coatpletely fit my body.

    Aaanhhh, I feel severely nostalgic right now. So,¡ºBaphomet Embrace¡»felt this good. I realized that fact just now.

    ¡¸It looks good on you¡¹

    Even those simple words seemed like truth, when feeling this pleasant sensation. Truly mysterious.

    No, this time it isn¡¯t the problem of looking good or bad, but there is something in this, that makes me want to just purely ¡®yearn¡¯ for it.

    ¡¸So, how about it Kurono-sama, will you take this¡ºDiabolo¡¯s Embrace¡»from me as the gratitude reward¡¹

    I¡¯m pretty damn sure that she already knows what I am going to say.

    After all, I have been charmed by it to the extent, that the hesitation for refusing it had already left my body.

    ¡¸Please let me have it¡¹[ED: With the fase of cheshire cat]

    I just wasn¡¯t able to find words other than that.

    ¡ª

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    He finally got his yearned¡ºDevils¡¯ Embrace¡»-type Robe!

    Kurono is now armed with a ck coat. Kurno¡¯s Chuuni-level: level Upped!

 Chapter 262 Donâ€™t tell to Kurono

    Chapter 262 ¨C Don¡¯t tell to Kurono

    ¡¸*breathe in* *breathe out*¡¹

    Fiona had been taking deep breaths since some time ago.

    The scene would¡¯ve been refreshing and hygienic, if this was a ce in the forest with subdued sunlight peeking out trees and gentle breeze blowing around.

    However,

    ¡¸*breathe in* *breathe out*¡¹

    This ce was a room in the dorm, Fiona was on her bed in her ck underwear, and would sometimes roll her body in agony while stuffing her face in a ck robe.

    ¡¸Annh, it smells of Kurono-san......¡¹

    Fiona¡¯s body shivered while she let out a sound, seeming entranced.

    The robe she held in her hands was without a doubt an Apprentice Robe that Kurono had been wearing just today¡¯s morning.

    They¡¯ve got a lot of money from Bandit Subjugation, so Kurono revealed thoughts about buying a new robe that Fiona heard, and thinking of it as lucky chance, had Kurono give the robe to her.

    Kurono didn¡¯t have a lot of affection towards this robe from the start, and so she was able to get it from him by making a vague reason like¡¸I need to use it in experiment for Enchant Magic¡¹.

    However, the ¡®vague¡¯ reason said here wasn¡¯t something fake.

    It was her n to cast Enchant on the robe and have Kurono wear it again, like that she would be able to let his scent remain on the robe for a longer time.

    Fiona, who actually nned out such a devilish infinite-loop idea could be truly called a Witch, in the sense that a normal person would never do it.

    ¡¸Aaahh, aannhhh, Kurono-san¡¹

    Fiona showed a blissful expression whilst being covered in the scent of the person she loves, but her figure looked just too impure.

    Although it was symptom of lovesickness, for seeing the things worn by their beloved person as special and wanting them, however, the current Fiona seemed more like underwear thief.

    If one had to follow-up for her then it could be said that this robe was the main thing that made her realize her feelings for Kurono during the Wrath-Pun Battle. This robe was the one that gave her a good memory of Kurono covering her body in this robe after cutting her with his hatchet.

    However, if there was a legitimate reason and chance to get Kurono¡¯s underwear, she would¡¯ve jumped at it.

    That sort of powerful persuasive power could be felt from her current foolishness.

    It seemed like she would continue to ying with Kurono¡¯s Robe until fully satisfied, but,

    ¡¸Fiona, are you in there?¡¹

    Due to a knocking sound and Lily¡¯s voice, her fun time was forcibly terminated.

    From her tone it was easy to perceive, that her consciousness was that of an adult, so any sort of deceiving won¡¯t work on her.

    ¡¸Yes,ing¡¹

    Fiona immediately threw the robe in the Dimension Space, present in the three-cornered hat lying besides her, wore on the housedress cape, present in the closet, and opened the door.

    Her face had already returned to her sleepy expressionless face.

    That terrifying speed of switchover, her innocent face, made her entranced expression and her impiure acts from before seem like a fake illusion. With that innocent expression she greeted Lily.

    ¡¸......Hm¡¹

    Although Lily was in her loli form, she didn¡¯t wear either the ck one-piece or uniform, but the White Pun Robe that Kurono presented to her.

    Apparently, they were both on holiday today.

    Lily wearing that rxing sleep-wear, frowned upon entering the room and muttered.

    ¡¸This ce smells of Kurono......¡¹

    *Startled*, Fiona¡¯s heartbeat increased for a second and she felt shivers.

    How was she able to sense that from the lingering scent of Robe, it would¡¯ve been a different story if she were a Beast Person, but she was a fairy, whose olfactory sense is on the same level as a normal person.

    An idiotic thought crossed in her mind, ¡°Does wearing this White Pun Robe increase the olfactory sense?¡±

    However she couldn¡¯t show unrest right now, after all, Lily was already staring at her with her round eyes, filled with suspicions.

    Incidentally, the face on the hood she was wearing also seemed to be ring at her.

    ¡¸Is that so, it might be because I took over the robe Kurono-san wore, for ¡®experimental purposes¡¯¡¹

    She was finally able to negotiate with Kurono behind Lily¡¯s back, but for this fact to be still revealed so fast, thinking over this Fiona clicked her tongue within her heart.

    However she couldn¡¯t lie to Lily, even if she had a Mind Protect to not let her emotions leak out.

    ¡¸Hmmm, experimental purposes, eh¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, for experimental purposes¡¹

    A turbulent atmosphere streamed between the two.

    ¡¸Considering that, there is Kurono¡¯s scenting from your body, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re doing something suspicious?¡¹

    ¡¸No way, I just wore it for a bit, for checking its feel upon wearing¡¹

    The former part was truth, Fiona actually wore the robe and spoke silly stuff like¡¸Like this it feels like Kurono-san is hugging me¡¹, and was even got happy from that.

    Naturally, checking its feel was apletely made-up fake reason.

    However, although she may confess wearing the robe, she definitely can¡¯t tell about her feelings at that moment.

    Fiona tried counterattacking for evading the point of Lily¡¯s suspicions.

    ¡¸Even Lily has Kurono-san¡¯s left eye, right. Aren¡¯t you using it to do something suspicious?¡¹

    ¡¸H-How did you know about that!?¡¹

    An unexpected surprised voice, the rabbit on Lily¡¯s head shook violently as though they were showing Lily¡¯s unrest.

    ¡¸Lily-san is quite inattentive in child-form. Try to make sure that Kurono-san doesn¡¯t discover you fawning over the eyeball in a potion vial with a love-struck expression¡¹

    ¡¸Ugh, uuuuu......¡¹

    If one knows the sly Lily, then her normal child-like behaviour might seem like an act, but in truth, her thought ability truly degrades to that of a baby.

    In that state, it can¡¯t be helped if she had problems and showed openings in hiding something.

    ¡¸If Kurono-san knew that Lily-san keeps his eyeball with herself all the time, he might draw away from you¡¹

    ¡¸D-Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, who knows if there will be a time for using that eyeball, so I¡¯m safekeeping till that time¡¹

    Fiona had expected this sort of theoretical answering from her, and stepped on themon grounds she found.

    ¡¸Is that so, in that case, Lily-san is safekeeping the eyeball while taking all the responsibility, and I am using the robe for a certain magic experiment. We¡¯re both not doing anything suspicious, right?¡¹

    ¡¸......You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry for doubting you¡¹

    As expected, the adult Lily knows when to back off.

    It¡¯s better for them both to keep on having things of Kurono, while keeping silent and not fighting uselessly.

    And, it would be fine as long as Kurono doesn¡¯t know how they were using his things.

    ¡¸We will be travelling together from now on, so I don¡¯t want to start any discord¡¹

    ¡¸No, same here, I said too much, I¡¯m sorry¡¹

    The two reconciled, and just as Lily said before, from now on, Fiona and Lily would work together.

    And it was also the reason why Lily visited Fiona.

 Chapter 263 Living Dead and Fate Ceremony

    Chapter 263 ¨C Living Dead and Fate Ceremony

    ¡®Insufficient number of people¡¯ was themon problem for both Lily and Fiona.

    It didn¡¯t mean that they had less people forbour work, rather the life of humans was needed.

    One side wanted them for human experiments that would bepleted who know when. The other side wanted to keep on giving living sacrifice until the whimsical Evil God or Devil God would give out the divine protection.

    Those deeds could be said to be inhuman and fiendish, but it was no doubt that this was the shortest and reliable way to ¡®gain new power¡¯.

    ¡¸For the time being, we can¡¯t work in Spada, right?¡¹

    Lily said as such while sitting on a wooden chair, while swinging her child legs that didn¡¯t reach the floor.

    ¡¸Indeed¡¹

    Fiona showed agreement while sitting on the bed on which she was indulging in aesthetical ys just before.

    Even without saying, these both had already an unspoken rule of not letting Kurono find out their inhumane deeds.

    Especially the human experiments of Lily were same as the source of Kurono¡¯s hate for Crusaders, his unpleasant past memories.

    Sure enough it wasn¡¯t known if Kurono would show understanding to Lily¡¯s acts that were the same as those white researchers who forced him into a human experiment.

    ¡¸My Living Dead are¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Yes, that¡¯s why Lily reached out to her final goal, and called the humans without any ego or memory, whom she could control as she wanted, as¡ºLiving Dead¡», hence she had already chosen a name that might be misunderstood for¡ºNecromancers¡».

    The¡ºNecromancer¡»was a ss deemed eptable by the public, if Kurono also thought it was that ss then he wouldn¡¯t find faults in her. Only if he thought that the humans being controlled by Lily were not living human but just corpses.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªSeveral tens more needed to testing or else it won¡¯t be helpful. I also have to get¡ºAngel Ring¡»reformed for my personal use¡¹

    ¡¸You have shown that ring to Simon-san, right? Is it fine doing that?¡¹

    The question was purely due to concern if Kurono heard about it from Simon¡¯s mouth, and it surely wasn¡¯t for being worried about Simon nor was it after considering Simon¡¯s feelings.

    Fiona didn¡¯t hate the elf alchemist as much as Liky, but she also didn¡¯t find him likeable. To her, Simon could be said to be just an acquaintance.

    Although they were living under the same roof, but there was no necessity to get along with him. Being indifferent to each other was also a way to live a harmonious cohabitation life.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, I have forbidden him to speak, and that boy is also not an idiot¡¹

    Although Lily had special feelings for Simon, who seemed to gather Kurono¡¯s attention all the time, but even so she didn¡¯t had a personality so emotional to actually deny Simon¡¯s whole existence.

    Even like this, she believed that she was judging Simon¡¯s ability objectively. And the result was, she judged that he had enough intelligent personality to avoid needless troubles.

    Probably Simon knew all-to-well about the impending crisis if Lily and Kurono ever broke up.

    ¡¸Rather than not an idiot, I sure have to recognize that he has great mind. He has already done the analysis on¡ºAngel Ring¡»¡¹

    ¡¸It is really a great thing to do the analysis on Republic¡¯s most difficult lump of magic circuit, in less than a week.¡¹

    Fiona praised Simon¡¯s achievements, honestly.

    At a nce that ring seemed like a simple essory, but inside it were various sorts of magic topletely dominate a human.

    And it wasn¡¯t just formed with one or two magic circles, but upon disassembling it, it would break in countless parts which surely had some sort of magic equation drawing on it. Moreover, the shape of each part and its position in the ring would also have some meaning rted to the magic.

    ¡¸Sure enough he hadn¡¯t elucidated itpletely, after all it had some magic equation etched onto it, which aren¡¯t used here¡¹

    ¡¸Does it mean that decipherable parts have already been sorted out?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, just like that. He even wrote a conjecture of functions for parts undecipherable. *chuckle* He worked way above my expectations¡¹

    Apparently Simon was a type of person who would set aside his personal emotion and do his work all-too-seriously.

    This work was done by the man who established the legend of getting full scores in enrolment examinations for 3 years straight, an unprecedented record in Royal Sapda Academy. So, it could be said that his work would be perfect.

    The main cause was also because the magic knowledge cultivated by Simon was suited more for this sort engineering-work rather than battle-types.

    ¡¸Thanks to that I learn a lot, for instance, the memories of the wearer are not under deleting system, but rather sealing system¡¹

    ¡¸I see......so that¡¯s why Kurono-san is still having the memories of that another world called JAPAN, right¡¹

    Till now she only had fragmentary memories of Cyprus, but thanks to Simon¡¯s analysis, a lot of its functions and structure formation was revealed, at least to the point where they could conjecture lots of things about the ring.

    Even the fact that memories were sealed and not deleted was also discovered.

    ¡¸Right, thanks to this ring taking on the tiresome and delicate work of sealing, that the current Kurono is present¡¹

    ¡¸But then, why did they not delete his memories?¡¹

    If one wanted to control humans, then their memories were only hindrance and nothing else.

    The deletion and sealing of memories were fundamentally different things.

    Deletion meant that memories one gone forever gone, however sealing meant that there was chances of it returning.

    And, if the memories returned at an unexpected time, they would create hindrance to the experiment, this was something that was proved from Kurono¡¯s escape.

    Of course, there was no way the researchers of¡ºThe White Sacrament¡»didn¡¯t thought about this danger.

    Lily knew from the fragmented memories that they were a great research institution which captured superior human resources, they were not like research organizations of medium-small scale scattered here in Pandora Continent.

    Of course, even without that, anyone could understand that this¡ºAngel Ring¡»couldn¡¯t be made by any person with ordinary magical energy and technological strength.

    ¡¸The reason they didn¡¯t got rid of memories was because, they wanted to make a perfect puppet that could work on behalf of humans¡¹

    If it was just controlling the body of one person, then there were various magic existing for that like Summon Magic or Necromancy.

    However, creating someone who would move like people with full-freedom, wasn¡¯t something easily done.

    For that person to do stuff like a normal soldier, like eating, excreting, sleeping, manualbour and fighting, there was a need for a magic caster to beside that person for giving out orders one by one.

    Think by themselves, move by themselves, it was possible for those instincts too which could ovee reason, but if they became those below animal grade people, then it would all be for naught.

    ¡¸For truly create a puppet that could would have its ¡®self¡¯, there is a need to seal and process the memories in order, and it would take time. Moreover, there is also a need to reform the personality of that person¡¹

    Creating puppets that would do everything based on orders wasn¡¯t something difficult to make, for¡ºThe White Sacrament¡»at least.

    There was a need to erase the original memories and personality, and then engrave the new fake personality made by the magic circuit. Like that they would beplete.

    It didn¡¯t take enough time ifpared to time taken for Kurono to run away, if they were still using that system, then right now the experimental subject number would¡¯ve not only surpassed 100th, but might have even reached 1000th or 10000th.

    However, if they were using that mass production system, then it would only create a true puppet, which wouldn¡¯t even twitch its finger unless given amand.

    ¡¸The experimental subject group¡ºHundred Numbers¡»we met on the road were able to have self-conduct much better thanpared to their early stages, howeverprehensively they would still need a supervisor¡¹

    If the experimental subjects werepleted in the truest sense, then that leader itself could be changed with a experimental subject.

    The reason the researcher Cyprus was there was because he was the supervisor, and because of him the experimental subjects were able to feign as mercenaries while executing a long-term campaign.

    Of course it couldn¡¯t be said that they feignedpletely, due to their problems of never showing emotions and not talking.

    ¡¸Those people are trying to create an Artificial Life-form using this¡ª¡ªNo, maybe I should say reincarnation a human in that very same body¡¹

    ¡¸Do you mean that the sealed memories were used as the indispensible ¡®part¡¯ for the possibility of that subject to do self-conduct, after their fake personality was me?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not like they would let them get back all the memory. It is something like just unsealing the important and needed memories. Well, considering all that is also quite difficult¡¹

    Lily said as if it was someone¡¯s problem, apparently from her behaviour it could be guessed that the experimental subject¡¯spletion was still far away.

    Judging from the current behaviours of experimental subjects it could be surmised that it would take lots of improvements before they were able to ¡®act¡¯ like a normal human being. Like reveal joy, anger, pathos, humour, and make merry in a meaningless chat, and also shout out loud at the smallest things.

    ¡¸But Lily-san, isn¡¯t it impossible to use that advanced magic here?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it, after all I just need puppets for controlling¡¹

    The reason¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»was having hard time and was using up their times, was because they wanted toplete the supreme role of creating a puppet that could move on its own without any supervisor.

    No matter how much puppets they mass produced, if there was no supervisor to control them, then they were just useless objects that can¡¯t even be used as sculptures.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t like anyone could be the supervisor, at least it would need a person, on Cyprus¡¯s level, in the sense of being well-versed in magic.

    ¡¸I¡¯m fine having puppets listening to my every order, I don¡¯t want to do that troublesome thing to making self-conducting puppets¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so aplete perfect substitution for Necromancer, eh¡¹

    Henceforth, Lily had no problem in deleting the memories of the humans she would control.

    For Necromancer it starts from preparing the right corpse that would be their servant.

    On the other hand, Lily would prepare ¡®living¡¯ humans withpletely destroyed memory and personality, something really close to corpse.

    That¡¯s why, Lily called it as¡ºLiving Dead¡».

    ¡¸I don¡¯t have any need for the most delicate andplex work of this¡ºAngel Ring¡», like memory sealing and new personality development. It would work if I create a simple Original fake personality magic equation, as for their storage it would work if I use Summon Magic¡¹

    There was problem of where did monsters, who were summoned using Summon Magic, lived?

    The houseroom for the summoned monsters, that was a problem that had made various Summoners troubled for long time.

    It was standard for Summoners of the old to always let the monsters graze, andmonly they put together with Tamers and also called as such.

    Otherwise, there were people who could literally¡ºSummon¡»monsters from meadows by using an advanced magic, however not many could do that.

    However, recently an earth-shattering discovery was made, and that was using¡ºDimension Magic¡».

    With Tamer¡¯s methods, the monsters that could apany them, even if they were small monsters, the limit was just couple of monsters. If it were to be a big monster, then taking just one would take lots ofbour.

    There, by tossing the monsters in Dimension made by Dimension Magic, the expense andbour to take along the monsters bes zero at once.

    Of course, the inside of Dimension was a basic vacuum, based on the attribute of user the inside of Dimension could be altered, but nheless it can¡¯t be said to be the perfect ce for monsters to live.

    At the time of tossing monsters in there, those particr monsters were also casted a magic that would send them into a state called¡ºCold Sleep State¡».

    Like this, the problem which troubled Summoners for a long time about summoning the required number of monsters at the required time, was finally resolved.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Dimension Magic could create an infinite space, based on the person¡¯s talent and effort, along with Magic Items, the person could store several big-sized monsters, like this there was more than enough capacity guaranteed.

    Incidentally Necromancers had already been using Dimension Magic from before, they were using corpses in the first ce.

    In truth, the most earth-shattering discovery would be this magic called¡ºCold Sleep¡».

    ¡¸Moreover, if I use my Extra Magic as a substitution for the transmission device, I could simplify the structure of ring even more¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so you have been thinking a lot¡¹

    ¡¸If I don¡¯t do this, the ring can¡¯t be mass-produced. If the ring was created as it is, god knows how much capital it would need¡¹

    Naturally, no matter how much it was simplified, it was still an Magic Item used for controlling a person, if one thought of mass-producing it, it would need suitable amount of capital to fund it.

    However, that ¡®suitable amount of capital¡¯ might be within the area that Lily could raise it.

    Only if it was a party like¡ºElement Master¡», whose true hidden rank was Rank 5.

    ¡¸Well thanks to simplifying it, I won¡¯t need as many experimental subject as those guys, I think my work would be done with less than a hundred people. And so, what are you doing?¡¹

    Lily asked Fiona as though she were saying her exnation was now finished.

    ¡¸What do you mean by that¡¹

    ¡¸I mean about how many sacrifices do you need?¡¹

    The number of experimental subjects Lily needed was something she could get by herself, but the number of people Fiona needed, if reached thousand, then it wouldn¡¯t be something she could get by herself.

    It wouldn¡¯t bepleted unless a Heathen Organization was to be established.

    ¡¸To be honest, I also don¡¯t know about that¡¹

    The only she knew was, the sacrifice of 20 people that day wasn¡¯t enough for God to listen to her request.

    ¡¸So you are performing ceremony without knowing much about it yourself?¡¹

    Lily gave her a reproachful gaze seeming fed-up, the eyes of White-Pun robe on her head also seemed to have same gaze.

    ¡¸The ceremony written in this is a sort of gamble, because no one knows which God would listen to person¡¯s request. So, it can¡¯t be helped¡¹

    This, obviously meant the forbidden book¡ºThe Guide to Ten Thousand Demon Pce¡», which Fiona took out from the Great Library.

    Among the numerous abominable ceremonies written in that, the one Fiona chose was,

    ¡¸Oh, I see, so it¡¯s¡ºFate Ceremony¡»¡¹

    ¡¸You surely know it¡¹

    ¡¸It is, after all, used in many literary works, although I don¡¯t know about its details¡¹

    The system of this¡ºFate Ceremony¡»was, in short, the person doing the ceremony themselves didn¡¯t know about the God who would give them Divine Protection.

    Generally, the thing called Divine Protection was something that a person got after choosing their preferred God, andpleting the trials or ceremonies.

    For fairies it was¡ºFairy Queen Iris¡», for Knights it was¡ºDark Knight Frithier¡», and for a demon king-wannabe wanting to control the whole Pandora then it was¡ºDemon King Mia Elrod¡».

    However in Fate Ceremony, it wasn¡¯t human choosing God, but rather God choosing human.

    The people who choose this system might have various reasons for that, such as, the person challenged various Divine Protection but failed, or the chosen God didn¡¯t gave a proper trial to clear, among them there were also who thought it was heathen work to chose Gods while being humans.

    In that case, if a God who would give them powerful Divine Protection would choose them, and then it would be because of fate being at work. Lily had read many books, left by that magician in the forest, which were about this dramatic plot.

    ¡¸But even if it is the same Fate Ceremony, based on the magic equation used in that, doesn¡¯t a vague image of the God is settled? For a type that wants sacrifices, it would be, without a doubt, either Evil God or Devil God¡¹

    ¡¸Lily-san, did you think that a witch would get Divine Protection from an innately good God?¡¹

    If one were to apply the concept of good and evil to Gods, then from Cross Religion¡¯s point of view, other than their¡ºWhite God¡»every other was¡ºEvil God¡».

    But, from the point of polytheism of people of Spada, where many Gods coexist, the good and evil of a God would be decided upon the sort of legend they created when alive.

    If it was a hero who defeated a brutal dragon to save a country, then that person would be a Good God, no doubt.

    On the contrary, if this dragon was defeated, happen to defeat hero and be God, then it would definitely be an Evil God, who brought cmity to people.

    If Fiona called herself a witch while taking on its true meaning, then it didn¡¯t just mean a female who could magic, but be an evil existence, as told in stories, such as, tempting human heart, leading them astray, making them mad, making themmit crime and finally throwing them into their destruction, or an evil person who could use secret evil arts for killing the heroes. That was, what people call, a witch.

    And after performing a ceremony needing sacrifices, she had, in the truest sense, set forth on the path of¡ºevil¡».

    ¡¸So that was what you meant by resolve?¡¹

    ¡¸There was ordinary sense of justice and ethics in me, but¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Fiona replied while smiling faintly.

    ¡¸If I can get power by just giving it away, then I throw it without hesitation¡¹

    Just for Kurono and no one else.

    Even without saying it, the meaning was transmitted to Lily, only Lily.

    ¡¸So you didn¡¯t have enoughposure to keep on choosing the means. *chuckle*, that¡¯s a great mindset¡¹

    The Lily praising whileughing merrily, was the biggest understanding person to the current Fiona.

    Both of their nature was heading in the same way, all for Kurono, because of that one word they wouldn¡¯t hesitate tomit any sort of evil act; that was pure, yet cruel, resolve.

    The reason both Fiona and Lily chose people like bandits ¡®that are good to die¡¯, because that way they would get the most advantage in exining their conduct.

    The first reason was that if they killed amon person, Kurono would feel sad. The second reason was they would have Law Guardians at their tail. And the third reason, which should be the first one, was that they felt sad for killing innocent people.

    On the contrary if Kurono gave them the permission, and they were prepared to live a life being chased, then these two maniacs would not hesitate to kill even a normal innocent person.

    The only wall stopping these two from running on the path of disgusting murder, was always the sense of justice of Kurono.

    ¡¸But, if you are wanting an Evil God, then be careful about your own body¡¹

    ¡¸No, that area is fine and won¡¯t have any problems¡¹

    Fiona replied in a somewhat confidence-filled voice.

    ¡¸As long as I¡¯m a witch, the God of Evil or Devil would always ept my request¡ª¡ªor so my teacher had said¡¹

    Requesting Divine Protection from an Evil God, apparently, was something already in Fiona¡¯s training practice. Lily understood it just now.

 Chapter 264 The meeting of 12 oâ€™clock on the 11th of Platinum Month (1)

    Chapter 264 ¨C The meeting of 12 o¡¯clock on the 11th of tinum Month (1)

    The instant the sound of bell indicating noon time resounded, Kurono, in a high mood, returned to the Academy while wearing his new equipment.

    The great feeling of veering¡ºDiablos Embrace¡»that looked like ck coat, still continued to deeply move Kurono.

    Rather after walking while wearing it, it felt like a load had been taken of him, his body felt light. Kurono, unintentionally, smirked due to that exceptional sense of unity.

    However, the scene of a scary faced man smirking while wearing a thick leather ck coat under the clear sky ofter summer, it surely looked all too suspicious.

    Kurono didn¡¯t notice that students walking on the road were avoiding him.

    ¡¸U-Um, Kurono-san!¡¹

    Nevertheless, there was person existing to call out to this perfect suspicious Kurono.

    The first person who would call him as¡¸Kurono-san¡¹was a witch who might be rampaging in the school cafeteria or some store, however they both have associated enough to know the other person with just voice.

    So he suddenly understood that it wasn¡¯t her who called out to him, ¡°well then who might it be¡±, the moment he turned back, he got the answer.

    ¡¸Ah, isn¡¯t it Nell-san¡¹

    There stood the peculiar princess of Avalon, with ck hair blue eyes, and a pair of wings growing out from her back.

    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Yes, it had been a while¡¹

    He hadn¡¯t seen Nell, who was right now bowing while looking like she was on her wits end, since the problem in cafeteria thest month.

    Although being students from same school, if their Courses were different, they wouldn¡¯t meet each other so easily, and they both went on their quests as adventurers, so it was quite normal to not meet for near a month.

    Even so, Kurono honestly was happy on this abrupt coincidental reunion.

    ¡¸Um, I have to apologize to Kurono-san......¡¹

    ¡¸Huh, what is it?¡¹

    Kurono could only raise a question mark above his because he couldn¡¯t find out the reason for her apology.

    ¡¸Um, err......after the incident in cafeteria, really cruel rumours about Kurono-san had been going around, so, umm, I¡¯m truly sorry¡¹

    ¡¸Ah¡¹

    ¡°Ah there was something like that¡±, although it didn¡¯te to level of being forgotten, no, rather he pinned hopes on Eddie¡¯s work on improving the rumours, and hence hadn¡¯t been concerned about it.

    However, towards this rumour of¡¸a tentacle man assaulting the Avalon¡¯s Princess in broad day¡¹, Kurono had a clear vision that it was because of unlucky course of event and people¡¯s fault, but he didn¡¯t think anything against the origin of this strife, Nell.

    ¡¸Ah, no, well it will be a lie if I say it didn¡¯t bother me, but it isn¡¯t something Nell-san has to apologize for¡¹

    ¡¸Ugh, but, that......¡¹

    Seeing the truly apologetic face of Nell made him think himself as the bad guy, all the more.

    In fact, Kurono realized at this point that others students in the surroundings were sending suspicious stare at him.

    ¡¸It is not like I was harmed in any way, and it is already the talk of one month past, so don¡¯t worry about it. Moreover, the current hot topic is the rumour about¡ºWing Road¡»punished the evil ve Dealer, they have already forgotten about me¡¹

    That¡¯s right, unless a new suspicion of viting Princess Nell appears, the students would cleanly forget about Kurono.

    ¡¸Ah right, this rumour had somewhat rtion with the quest I took on before, so I wanted to say my thanks to Nell-san¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah, Yes, I see? Ah, but then the quest Kurono-san took was¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Kurono took a breath of relief after aplishing the task of changing topics.

    However, Nell who guessed the circumstances with just the words¡ºrted to quest¡» started thinking fast, going contrary to Kurono¡¯s expectation.

    ¡¸The Subjugation of Bandits of Fauren?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, although I didn¡¯t take it officially, but end up subjugating due to course of events¡¹

    ¡¸Um, if it¡¯s fine, can you tell me in details?¡¹

    This time alone,pared to the time of Alsace Battle, there was no content in talks that would prick him.

    The bandit group Kurono encountered was annihted; the captured girls were rescued both mentally and physically by Lily. There was nothing that he would hesitate to tell, rather he might even boast about it.

    For the time being, because this was an end not because of Kurono but the whole¡ºElement Master¡»party, so without exaggerating anything, he indifferently talked about the situation of incident.

    However, he didn¡¯t leak anything about the girls¡¯ ¡°true memories¡± for not making her worried, and hence he dodged that area.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªWell, then the one who saved the students of our school was truly Kurono-san!?¡¹

    Kurono was only fighting with one of the bodyguards, so the ones who truly rescued them was the female-party of Lily and Fiona.

    However, in front of Nell, who seemed to say forget about minor details,

    ¡¸W-Well, indeed it is like that¡¹

    Kurono let out the unexpected affirmation words.

    ¡¸Ahh, truly great, I was worried about those girls¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Apparently, Nell, without going against her angel-like appearance, was rted in this quest to rescue fellow female students.

    However, though they defeated the wirepuller, the girls from before were still in the hands of bandits and weren¡¯t transported to the mansion in Spada.

    Hence, her wish to save those girls didn¡¯te true with the members of Wing Road.

    Even so, in the sense of increasing their fame, they surely seeded in that after rescuing the beautiful girls from the mansion, including the most-importantmodity, the daughter of Fauren¡¯s noble.

    ¡¸I truly thank you very much! Ah, if it¡¯s fine, how about eating lunch together? It isn¡¯t something great as thanks, though¡ª¡ªAnd I want to introduce Kurono-san to Onii-sama and others¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no, that is......¡¹

    A tinge of anxiety ran through in Kurono¡¯s chest.

    He didn¡¯t knew if Nell knew about it or not, but Kurono truly knew that the two, Avalon¡¯s Prince Nero and Sapda¡¯s Princess Charlotte, were showing killing intent seriously.

    He won¡¯t be shaken even if he met face-to-face with them, but bing friends while facing each other was just pure impossible.

    At least Kurono didn¡¯t excel in expressing himself with gestures; the other side also wouldn¡¯t want a friendship rtion with him.

    The first impression between them was the worst on the level that it couldn¡¯t be overturned; hence Kurono wouldn¡¯t want to meet them.

    It wasn¡¯t on the level of feeling awkward after fighting a ssmate, after all the other party was from the royalty, god knows what would happen if he took on their bad side.

    Moreover if in the worst case scenario, anything happened to Kurono then Lily and Fiona wouldn¡¯t keep quiet.

    It wasn¡¯t Kurono being conceited, but in the incident of cafeteria, after he left the cafeteria, the two were having sour stomach and showed hostility. This was something Kurono understood through experience.

    If these two were to truly feel anger then a set of stars and suns would fall down on the private dorms of Elite Cadets.

    ¡¸Sorry, I have some other errands today¡¹

    He immediately judged to refuse her. Kurono was truly being a wise man who keeps away from danger.

    Moreover, having other errands wasn¡¯tpletely a lie.

    ¡¸Oh, I see, it is unfortunate¡¹

    No matter how much of a depressed face Nell made, Kurono¡¯s decision wouldn¡¯t change.

    ¡¸Well then, I will excuse myself¡¹

    Kurono felt an impending crisis, and finished the talk quickly.

    He sometimes forgets about the dangers of existence called royal families because of Wilhart, who could now be called as his friend. However, he realized anew the danger thates if he said even a single wrong thing towards these people.

    Japanese like Kurono didn¡¯t have any ss status and so didn¡¯t have the confidence to deal with the problems thatester with unreasonable methods. It was like living in fear of when he would step on and mine.

    In that case, it was just great to avoid the minefield.

    ¡¸Ah, err, but......Yes, thenter, Kurono-san¡¹

    To Nell¡¯s sad face, Kurono felt like having his hair pulled fiercely from behind, but without stopping he left from there.

    .

    .

    .

    Today Simon visited his favourite Stratos Smithing Workshop.

    Although,

    ¡¸Then uncle, I wille back fast after the trial shoot!¡¹

    He was almost leaving the shop.

    Carrying two long pipes, no, rifles on his back, Simon dashed out of the aged door.

    ¡¸Got it, take care¡¹

    The cksmith Regin Stratos send off Simon, who was in high spirits just like a child, while smiling amiably.

    And his smile increased more and more when he thought that Simon would go to the manoeuvring grounds of the Academy to try out the ¡®new work¡¯.

    Regin, who was filled with warm feeling as if he just had a grandchild, tried to return to his work area, but at that time.

    ¡¸Excuse me, Mr Regin¡ª¡ªuh-oh, I¡¯m lucky that you were outside¡¹

    From the again opened door, a solemn voice and a big ck shadow appeared.

    ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t it Chairman Mordred, for someone like you toe to my insignificant workshop¡¹

    The owner of that voice was, a big framed skeleton d in jet-ck robe and gaudy gold ornaments. The moment Regin saw him, Vein Wortz Mordred; he said those words in an easygoing manner.

    Spada¡¯s biggest Mordred Weapon Company¡¯s current Chairman was a truly big shot, almost all the cksmith workers knew about it.

    Even more so, he was big-mouthed client who would request for weapon productions to people below him.

    However, seeing Regin showing no surprised expression meant that these two have interacted with each other before too.

    On the other hand Mordred moderatelypleted the introductions and sat on the chair on which Simon¡¯s small buttocks were ced before. It showed how arrogant this person was in truth.

    ¡¸I have brought the invitation ticket, so how is it this year, Mr. Regin¡¹

    Mordred put a single ticket on the counter with his bony hands.

    ¡¸Ah, is it that time already?¡¹

    Behind the thick circle-shaped spectacles, Regin¡¯s eyes squinted.

    His vision went on the ticket ced on counter, and traced the words written on it: ¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    ¡¸That is indeed right. This year I will also cooperate¡¹

    To those words, the purple light in his eyes wavered.

    ¡¸Oh, to hear such a favourable reply, looks like it was worth it to keep inviting you every year¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, as you have guessed, it is a change of heart. After seeing a young man with promising future nearby me, the fire in my heart again started burning¡¹

    Regin straightforwardly kept on watching the eye sockets of Mordred which were flickering joyfully.

    His eyes too had a sharp glint that didn¡¯t fall any behind the terrifying appearance of this skeleton.

    ¡¸Oh, wonderful! Should I expect new stuff again, that you, Mr. Regin are going to ¡®again¡¯ hammer Cursed Weapons? ¡¹

    ¡¸It had been a gap for a long time, but well, I can do adjustments and all¡¹

    ¡¸No, that is more than enough. By the way, who is that ¡®young man with promising future¡¯ you said of? ¡¹

    Regin pushed his ck-rimmed sses with index finger, and said with an expression as if he was speaking about his grandson.

    ¡¸I have a duty of confidentiality, so I can¡¯t tell the name, but, *chuckle*, that child is great. After all he is trying to ¡®create¡¯ more deathspared to me. By the way, does Chairman Mordred know about a weapon called¡ºGun¡»? ¡¹

 Chapter 265 The meeting of 12 oâ€™clock on 11th of Platinum Month (2)

    Chapter 265 ¨C The meeting of 12 o¡¯clock on 11th of tinum Month (2)

    [This chapter was sponsored by Igor Mikulik]

    Lily periodically visited¡ºFairy Tail¡»shop, which was bar at night, caf¨¦ in day and an information agency all day and night.

    Lily judged that the shopkeeper Karen could be trusted enough for being a good information broker and hence had be a regr customer here.

    There was also the reason that she liked the taste of tea and snacks given here.

    When she came before, she had heard about the information about the wirepuller ve Dealer behind the bandits of Fauren.

    Of course, she was able to confirm that it was just as rumours said, the wirepuller was beaten by Wing Road, arrested by Spada¡¯s Law Guardian, case finished.

    And the reason she came this time was to gather information about internal affairs of other countries for at the time of her ¡®paired journey¡¯ with Fiona, but in truth, the main reason was something different.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªIt will take some more time to carry out the n from before¡¹

    The chairperson of Royal Spada Academy, Sofia Sirius Pacifal, said with a mysterious expression on her face.

    In front of the voluptuous beautiful Sofia was the cute fairy drinking from a teacup elegantly.

    ¡¸I see, looks like it is still troublesome even after bing the chairperson?¡¹

    ¡¸If I had to say, it would be the side of Pacifal Family. After all they are one of the Four Great Nobles and so have too many ties of obligations¡¹

    Looking at Sofia heaving a worried sigh, it would seem like she was a marrieddy of a noble family.

    But, she was still single and at the same time,

    ¡¸Although I¡¯m revered as the Family Head normally, but at times like this it bes a problem, truly, I hate it¡¹

    She was the current Family Head of Pacifal Family. Lily, of course, knew about it already.

    Even while knowing that, she had invited the Family Head of one of the Four Great Nobles to the Lower ss Area, into an outwardly normal caf¨¦ for having lunch together.

    ¡¸But isn¡¯t it fine, it isn¡¯t something troublesome like being opposed by parents of both noble families¡¹

    ¡¸*Chuckle*, that in itself fires me up¡¹

    However, looking at these two talking harmoniously, it would easy to understand that these two had friendship bonds surpassing the social status differences.

    And that was more than half, a truth.

    Lily was rooting for a love-struck maiden (?) like Sofia, and Sofia relied on Lily as she was the only person Sofia could frankly talk about her love matters.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, are the Magic Items already prepared, the ones that will be used in the n?¡¹

    ¡¸There were some usable ones among the spoils of war from long time ago, well, they were all covered in dust, deep within the storeroom¡¹

    Sofia was a well-known Rank 5 adventurer; it was only as expected for her to have the needed item in her assets.

    ¡¸In fact I also need that, if it¡¯s fine with you can you give it to me? If it¡¯s an expensive one, I don¡¯t have any qualms to pay it off¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about money, if you want it, I will bring as many¡¹

    Sofia agreed easily, it was either because she trusted Lily that much or she was showing generosity of being an influential noble.

    Either way, a smile rose on Lily¡¯s face, she spoke out words of gratitude.

    ¡¸Thanks, I don¡¯t intend to keep it for a long time. By the time your side¡¯s preparations arepleted, it would be back to you¡¹

    ¡¸That saves a lot¡¹

    Sofia reached out to her teacup while smiling.

    The reason the scene of her drinking tea felt elegant was because, she was beautiful and a descendant of a great noble.

    It could be surmised that because she had the experience as an adventurer, that she wasn¡¯t selfish or only liked high-grade things, and so, was enjoying the current tea, which was neither high-grade nor expensive.

    ¡¸Well then, I will be heading back first¡¹

    Sofia came here for using up the time of lunch breaks, but she had to be back in the Academy before her afternoon official work started.

    It was the same for a student like Lily, but apparently, she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of showing her face in the sses today.

    ¡¸Yeah, see youter Sofia¡¹

    Lily said the words of farewell and gestured she would pay her bill also.

    Sofia epted her offer and left the shop by turning over her silver hair.

    Many men eating in the shop looked at her walking, but nobody knew about her identity, because she wore amoner¡¯s robe.

    ¡¸To actually eat together with¡ºValkyrie Blizzard¡», looks like Lily-sama has got a great friend¡¹

    Only the owner of shop, Karen, knew about her identity.

    ¡¸Well we have a quite old fate¡¹

    Karen appeared as if she changed ces with Sofia, of course in a waitress dress.

    It was her who guided these two to the ¡®innermost seat¡¯, so it was only natural for her to be wearing her working uniform.

    And, the reason Lily was still sitting in this ce meant that she had work with Karen, the information broker.

    ¡¸Now that I think about it, Lily-sama I heard a curious rumour, would you like to hear?¡¹

    Karen fluttered her fairy wings and beforending on top of table, said those words.

    ¡¸Yeah, please do¡¹

    Lily took out ten thousand n gold coins from her bosom and put it on the table.

    ¡¸It is about Crusaders hastening the preparations to invade Spada¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Lily, whole being quiet, took out three more gold coins.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªArge scale stronghold is under construction in the Alsace Vige¡¹

    Unexpectedly, a small sigh leaked from Lily¡¯s mouth.

    ¡¸Looks like we don¡¯t have enough time as we had thought......¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Lily left after saying¡¸appointment with friend¡¹, and so only Fiona remained in the dorm.

    It was time period the bell informing noon was about to ring, that gong wasn¡¯t something only for informing the time to students of Academy, but it was also a gong that informed about themencement of a violentpetition called as ¡®lunch¡¯.

    It was at the time Fiona thought to wait for the time to be ripe for conquering the school cafeteria.

    ¡¸......Oh?¡¹

    The creaking sounds of someone walking in the corridor were heard from across her room¡¯s door.

    This sound was made when something heavy stepped on the floorboards, so this sound would never be made from the light-weighted Lily and Simon.

    Then it might¡¯ve been that Kurono returned, but the presence was just different.

    There was no one who would visit this dorm, where only members of Element Master and Simon lived.

    At most it would be whimsical Spada¡¯s Prince, but, it wasn¡¯t like no one other than them came.

    She didn¡¯t knew who came here, but Fiona was convinced that they weren¡¯t here to ask about her, and was currently worried whether to tell or not tell that to this visitor, that whoever among the three was their aimed person, they weren¡¯t present here currently.

    It was the best choice to not get in contact with someone stranger, unless the person had a proactive personality to talk out to anyone.

    ¡¸Simon, are you in there?¡¹

    Fiona was observing how things would go while sitting in her room. Hearing an imposing female¡¯s voice, she roughly guessed the identity of the visitor.

    (Is it, Simon¡¯s elder sister?)

    Although she hadn¡¯t talked with Simon¡¯s elder stepsister, Emilia Friedrich Bardiel, she still vividly remembered her face.

    It was still fresh in her memories, when she came leading a troop on the road leading to Spada, on 6th of First me (Hatsuhi) month.

    Fiona judged the identity of the person and decided to tell that Simon wasn¡¯t at dorm right now.

    Moreover, if she wasted too much time here, there was a risk of not being able to eat at school-store or even school cafeteria. That alone she didn¡¯t want to happen, as a glutton.

    With this and that Fiona opened the door and came out to the corridor Emilia was standing in, facing the room of Simon, from which no reply came.

    ¡¸Simon is not here¡¹

    In the corridor, the person standing was just as she had guessed.

    It was a cool beauty with dark blond hair cut and evened up right at the tip of shoulder, and had long-slit blue eyes.

    And, that height crossing over Kurono was truly of that leader leading the Spada Army¡¯s Second Squad¡ºTempest¡».

    But she wasn¡¯t wearing the Full ted-mail like that time, but was wearing civilian clothes, like a well-tailored blouse and dragon leather pants.

    It wasn¡¯t any sexy clothing highlighting the body of a woman, but still the bewitching bodyline could be seen.

    Especially those inted chests of her. Fiona knew her boobs were quite big, but even so it couldn¡¯t bepared to the mountains in front of her.

    This meant that Fiona¡¯s waist was two times more slender, but because her body size was already outside of norm that her waist seemed more slender, it was truly going against the numericalws.

    Of course, the hip down below was also super size that couldn¡¯t bepared to Fiona¡¯s.

    And those toned long legs were thest things that made her style into perfect piece.

    ¡¸W-What, why is a female student here?¡¹

    Turning back to Fiona¡¯s voice, Emilia asked that question first.

    Fiona was in her uniform for going into the cafeteria, and looking at her it was easy to understand that she was a student in the Academy.

    ¡¸Even if you say why, I can only answer that it is because I live here¡¹

    Fiona thought why she was asking such obvious questions, but apparently that answer wasn¡¯t natural and obvious to Emilia.

    ¡¸What......do you even know what that means?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, is there a problem?¡¹

    Fiona had no clue about the reason.

    Hence she had no idea why that girl started giving out a dangerous feeling.

    ¡¸It isn¡¯t allowed for male and female to live under the same roof, while being a student¡¹

    ¡¸No, it is fine, there is no rent for this ce, so it is fine for us to live her¡ª¡ª¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m not talking about that! Are you trying to mock me? ¡¹

    She knew from her gray school days that he words would always make others angry, but after being pampered by Kurono recently she let down her guard, and so Fiona reflected a little on herself in front of the squad leader, who was now emitting an even more dangerous air.

    She resolved herself to not say words that would make her take out the rapier hanging on her waist.

    ¡¸Err, I¡¯m doing well with Simon-san, so elder sister don¡¯t have to worry about it at all¡¹

    ¡¸Ok got it, you bastard,e outside right now¡¹

    Emilia finally took out her rapier from her waist.

 Chapter 266 The meeting of 12 oâ€™clock on 11th of Platinum Month (3)

    Chapter 266 ¨C The meeting of 12 o¡¯clock on 11th of tinum Month (3)

    ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry¡¹

    Spada¡¯sdy general, Emilia Friedrich Bardiel was, without any regard to her position and social status, apologizing to a single female student.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s good that the misunderstanding is now gone¡¹

    On the contrary the female student, Fiona, although expressionless, seemed to be relieved when saying those words.

    If Emilia truly started a fight, Fiona had no confidence in pinning her down.

    The reason she was a general leading the army wasn¡¯t because of her family lineage or her beautiful face, it was because she had enough military prowess to be called as¡ºValkyrie Storm¡», and this was something Fiona heard not too long aftering to Spada, hence showing her fame.

    And after meeting personally she understood that those talks weren¡¯t exaggerated.

    It was Fiona¡¯s true feelings, without any deceit, that she felt relieved because the situation settled down without shedding blood.

    ¡¸Even I had said some wrong things. It was only natural for you think from those words that Simon got a bad lover¡¹

    She, just in case, exined the situation that they¡ºElement Master¡»were living here because of chairperson¡¯s judgement, and also,

    ¡¸Having a man and woman of same species in the same party, you know what that means, right?¡¹

    With the help of that single line, she was able to resolve all the misunderstandings about her having a romantic rtionship with Simon.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t want to say excuses, but it was truly because of me losing my temper. I¡¯m sorry. Whenever ites to my rtives I be a little hot-headed¡¹

    ¡¸Rtive, is it?¡¹

    To that expression, Fiona found something weird.

    In the first ce, the reason Fiona was able to understand the misunderstanding, even with her not being able to know much about human rtionships, was only because she understood those feelings.

    Changing their ces it would be like, some unknown girl started living with Kurono alone.

    If Fiona truly was put in that situation, she didn¡¯t have the confidence to not fire¡ºAur Soleil¡».

    In that sense, she had praise for Emilia, for having enough self-control that she didn¡¯t started fighting.

    Anyhow, she thought that, to Emilia Simon was what Kurono was to Fiona.

    In that case,

    ¡¸It¡¯s not rtives, right. Don¡¯t you mean that be hot headed whenever ites to just your younger brother, Simon, just him, right? ¡¹

    It wasn¡¯t every person with the surname of Bardiel, but only the man with the name Simon, that she was most concerned about.

    ¡¸......I don¡¯t understand what you mean. I¡¯m just saying that I put the most importance to my family¡¹

    ¡¸It is a pure lie, right?¡¹

    To the harmless and inoffensive reply of Emilia, Fiona dered it as a lie. No she couldn¡¯t help but say that.

    After all Fiona, currently, understood other person¡¯s heart to the extent she never had.

    She was called as airheaded and a person who can¡¯t read the atmosphere, sure enough, she was like that, but even so she could understand Emilia¡¯s heart.

    That was right. She understood the feelings of a woman, who had given her heart to a single man.

    ¡¸I¡¯m also living in the same ce as Simon-san, more or less, so I also hear many stories, for instance, the story about a bothersome elder sister¡¹

    ¡¸I see......what did he say?¡¹

    ¡¸That he didn¡¯t want to see ever again¡¹

    Emilia¡¯s blue eyes flickered for a second, but Fiona surely saw that.

    It wasn¡¯t like Simon clearly said words of rejection, but if the stories Simon told to Kurono about his sister were to be summarized, it would mean that only.

    And seeing the current reaction meant that she herself had somewhat guessed that Simon thought like that.

    ¡¸Simon-san is heartless, right? For him to not notice the feelings of his sister who is wholeheartedly thinking about him¡¹

    ¡¸It isn¡¯t like that, in truth, Simon......my feelings......¡¹

    ¡¸If he understood then he wouldn¡¯t have thought of not meeting. Even if he met you, it isn¡¯t like he would open up his heart, but¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Fiona continued. Every time she spoke, the eyes of Emilia flickered more and more.

    ¡¸¡ª¡ªHe has opened his heart to just Kurono-san. I had heard that until he returned back to school, he was living in your mansion. Did Simon-san, at that time, told you about the works of an adventurer named Kurono? If you have heard, you must understand what I mean, right? ¡¹

    ¡¸......Ah, indeed, Simon did talk a lot about a man called Kurono¡¹

    ¡¸Did he not show a smiling face when telling you about Kurono-san¡¯s stories. A smiling face, he would never show his sister, I mean you¡¹

    Fiona spoke as if she had seen that.

    Of course, she hadn¡¯t been observing Emilia¡¯s mansion. However, Fiona could vividly imagine the joyful appearance of Simon while telling the works of Kurono.

    Because, after living together in this dorm, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t notice how he talked with Kurono.

    ¡¸He hates the elder sister who had looked after him for so much time, then why did he get so close to Kurono-san, a man he met recently? Can you understand why? ¡¹

    Even without waiting for the reply, Fiona was convinced that Emilia wouldn¡¯t be able to give an answer for this question.

    She hadn¡¯t met her for more than an hour. All information about her was based on theints by Simon. Why could she understand the heart of someone like that so clearly?

    It wasn¡¯t just because she had strong feelings for a single person.

    Even more than that, this female called Emilia,

    (It¡¯s unbearable for her to not love Simon-san, but, she hadn¡¯t realized those feelings on her own, she doesn¡¯t even try to realize those feelings)

    Was exactly like Fiona, before she realized about the fact that she loved Kurono.

    ¡¸......Why is that?¡¹

    Like that, a reply Fiona had expected came out from Emilia¡¯s mouth.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t know? It is quite simple thing. If you just realize that, I can assure that the way Simon-san talks with you will change¡¹

    ¡¸Just what is it? Can¡¯t you tell me without putting on airs¡¹

    ¡¸That is¡ª¡ª¡¹

    SFX: Raaaaaaaaawwrrrrrrr

    A thunderous sound like that of a dragon¡¯s bellow rang out, and it cut out Fiona¡¯s words.

    Apparently that sound wasn¡¯t that of a brutal monster, but it came from Fiona¡¯s stomach.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I have gotten hungry, so I can¡¯t talk anymore than this¡¹

    Seeing Fiona speak those words nonchntly, even the cool expressionless Emilia couldn¡¯t help but open her eyes wide.

    ¡¸D-Do you expect me to believe that!?¡¹

    ¡¸Even if you say that. I got in disabled mode the moment I¡¯m hungry. If I didn¡¯t eat anything as soon as possible, it would be danger to my life¡¹

    Emilia only met Fiona for the first time today, so she didn¡¯t if she should ept Fiona¡¯s words as truth or exaggeration.

    It wasn¡¯t like she was suffering from a disease or had any sort idiosyncrasy, to put it out frankly even if Emilia left her on her own, at worst it would Fiona feeling sad having an empty stomach, it definitely had no danger to her life.

    ¡¸Got it, then buy something from the school store¡ª¡ªno, at this time nothing would left¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, you are quite knowledgeable about this¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a graduate from here. Of course I even know that if you went to School Cafeteria at a time like this, there would no seat left¡¹

    The Royal Spada Academy seemed like a military school in the first ce, moreover thinking on the family lineage of Emilia, it was natural to think that she must¡¯ve been an Elite Cadet in those times.

    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, I will treat you at a suitable shop, but promise to continue the talk from before¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, please choose a shop with tasty food¡¹

    ¡¸......Indeed¡¹

    Emilia smiled wryly.

    And it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that she would keep on smiling bitterly even after entering the restaurant they were both heading towards.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    It was in Chapter 244 that Simon was speaking bad things about his Elder Sister. Fiona was also there, albeit she was more concentrated on cleaning the pudding.

 Chapter 267 A Prototype Rifle

    Chapter 267 ¨C A Prototype Rifle

    [TL: This Chapter was sponsored by: Changen Pan, Charl Reteif, Wong Chuin Hun and Ly Pham]

    After refusing the enticing invitation by the princess, I came to maneuvering grounds of school.

    Although saying it as maneuvering grounds, in this Royal Spada Academy there were various types of them. Like Coliseum, hills and field area forbat training, and there was even a dungeon-type underground facility.

    Among all those, the ce I stood at was a ce for doing the trial shoot of bows and offensive magic, there were no exaggerated equipments here.

    There were only dolls standing at an adequate distance, other than that was just an excessively spacious outdoor space, it was just like a ground.

    There were walls of earth and sand along with a deployed defensive barrier for just in case situations, so there would be no danger of stray bullets even if I attack the Bullet Arts Full Burst in full power.

    Well then, the people waiting for me here were,

    ¡¸Ah Onii-san, so you bought a new robe. No isn¡¯t that a coat?¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, We can feel a sort of rming presence from that coat. Ha! Don¡¯t tell us that has some rtion with the a ominous devil that was consigned to oblivion in the ancient ages¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Simon, and Wil, who just created some magnificent setting.

    Since they were within the school, they both were wearing school uniform. Wil even had the red mantle, the proof of Elite Cadets.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡». So, does it suit me?¡¹

    I appeal about this lovely ck coat while puffing my chest with pride.

    ¡¸Yeah!¡¹

    ¡¸Whaaaaaaaat, for it to be truly a devil-type protector!?¡¹

    Even acting like this, Wil being a person with extensive knowledge was the person who understood the greatness of this coat.

    Where did I buy? How much did it cost?, every time I replied to his question, the reactions I could see were quite funny.

    Well, this was a high-ss item that could only be bought in a shop located in Upper ss Area, so if I told him that I bought it near the school totally free-of-cost, then of course he would be shocked.

    However, it wasn¡¯t only Wil who was shocked, even I was the same.

    That was because these two were shouldering the same-looking guns on their shoulders.

    ¡¸So, is that the prototype rifle?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I got it just before. It¡¯s the test-firing time now¡¹

    Exactly, this was the true business.

    From that day from more than a month ago, ever since I made a n with Simon about the gun¡¯s mass production, he had been quietly continuing his research and finally today a prototype had beenpleted.

    ¡¸Can I see it?¡¹

    ¡°Of course¡±, replied Simon with confidence and pleasantly. I took the rifle from his hands.

    ¡¸......Awesome, this already a normal rifle¡¹

    More precisely said it was a Bolt Action Type Rifle.

    The scene in a war movie where the soldiers load the gun with bullet by pulling the lever, bolt (TLN: breechblock) part of the gun, is done with a Bolt Action Type Rifle.

    This prototype rife seemed simr to the Arisaka Type 38 rifle that was used by the Japanese Army in the Pacific War. My friend, an gun maniac, had showed me the stic model of this gun when I was high-school.

    But because there were numerous guns that had this shape, so there might be some other gun that this one seems more simr to.

    ¡¸Will it be loaded just by pulling the bolt?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, but no one knows if it will perfectly unit the test firing¡¹

    Although he said that, Simon¡¯s face was filled with confidence that it would be sess.

    Well then, let¡¯s check out if this prodigy alchemist was sessful in making a semi-automatic Bolt Action Type after jumping from one-shot Flint Lock Type Gun.

    I returned the gun with expectations.

    ¡¸Then look at my research results!¡¹

    Simon faced the doll that was the target and cocked the gun like a veteran.

    The doll that was the target had a body of red jelly, as though slime took the shape of a human.

    That jelly apparently was as hard as the body of a human, so it was fine to attack it with arrows and magic, it was fine to cut it with sword, it was fine to pierce it with a spear.

    Moreover, that red colour seemed like blood and flesh, and it also helps regarding the resistance power in bloodsheds when in a real battle.

    Incidentally this hadn¡¯t been created with wild slimes as the raw materials, but it was created with the help of a Magic Item that uses Summon Magic.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just one of it.

    ¡¸Then, here I go¡¹

    At the same time I replied, the muzzle of the prototype rifle shed and the dry firing sound rang out.

    Without any idental discharge the bullet fired flew straight, and hit the cranium of the slime doll.

    If that was truly a human, it would¡¯ve already dropped dead on the ground with its brains and blood sttered on the ground.

    The scene of slime doll¡¯s red jelly being blown into pieces resembled the scene of me shooting the Crusaders to death.

    The moment I thought that, Simon reached out to the Bolt, loaded the next bullet into the chamber from the magazine and ejected the bullet shell.

    As expected, along with a *ng* sound the Bolt Action another world version operated normally,

    SFX: Bang!

    And the reloaded bullet was fired magnificently.

    Like that, Simon repeated the same movements three times and the test-firing was over.

    The five bullets fired all hit the target without going astray.

    ¡¸Awesome Simon, isn¡¯t this perfect!¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed!¡¹

    Seeing the craftsmanship of the gun resembling exactly like what I had imagined, I gave Simon a high-five while being somewhat excited.

    Using my crude knowledge as the source, this alchemist showed his prodigy-ness by creating the Bolt Action in such a short time.

    ¡¸What happened Wil, you don¡¯t seem interested¡¹

    There was single friend who didn¡¯t share the joy as me and Simon.

    ¡¸No, you said it was a new type gun, but, how to say, it is, in¡¹

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    Wil, you just made the gun maniacs, small gun makers and American Rifle Association[1] as your enemies.

    Simon was also making a face saying¡¸Oh boy, he understands nothing¡¹

    And, he saying the shooting as¡¸in¡¹just now detonated the mine present in my heart.

    ¡¸What¡¯ya mean by in? Didn¡¯t the Bolt Action work properly and the gun reloaded?¡¹

    ¡¸Do you mean that ttering sounds?¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, with the help of that mechanism, the fast reload of a gun is possible. Listen here, the time it takes to reload in the initial-type guns, in which bullets entered from the muzzle, at best takes near a minute. There by using the single action of pulling the Bolt it is possible to do fast shooting! This was the technological breakthrough in the world of guns, and you don¡¯t understand its greatness!¡¹

    The Bolt Action was a representative method for soldiers around the world until the modern automatic rifle made their entrance.

    Even in the modern world, the Bolt Action guns had simpler structurepared to Automatic, hence the uracy, maintenance and endurance are higher. It had been used for urate shooting, sniping, hunting and even games.

    So to speak, today, the gun technology of this another world has neared, even if a little, to the modern gun technology present on Earth.

    ¡¸B-But still, it¡¯s not like it explodes, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Does it need to sh and explode, do you think not having that is not great!? The important thing is whether or not we can get the enough killing power to kill the opponent! Don¡¯t say that reasonableness as in!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, that......sorry, I was wrong¡¹

    Seeing Wil apologizing I heaved a sigh of relief because it seemed like he finally understood the greatness of guns.

    ¡¸It¡¯s better that you no understand. Then, you too do the trial shooting and experience its greatness¡¹

    ¡¸T-That¡¯s right¡¹

    Giving out a pleasant reply Wil took on an awkward posture and pointed the muzzle in the same way to the target 50 metres away.

    ¡¸*exhale*, I got too heated¡¹

    ¡¸But, it is only Onii-san who understands the merit of guns¡¹

    Seeing Simon showing a smile, I also replied with a smile.

    ¡¸No, people who will acknowledge the power of gun will surely increase from now on. After all, the prodigy alchemist has created something great¡¹

    I stroke Simon¡¯s ashen-coloured hair.

    He showed a somewhat embarrassed expression, but he was happy from mypliment.

    ¡¸B-But you see, we will be using it in real fights from now, this time we will insert moreplicated mechanisms, so I¡¯m worried about its durability¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, we need to use it in reality and improve the faults, if there are any¡¹

    The Bolt Action was easy to makepared to automatic rifles. However it was obvious just in a single nce that its structure was lot moreplicated than sword and bows.

    For the time being it could fire without any problems was proven by the bang sounds resounding from behind me, while Wil was still shooting.

    But in true battles outside, in wind and rain, covered in mud and getting a shock, will this Bolt Action still be able to work normally.

    With the appearance of Bolt Action, the phenomenon called bullet jamming, which never urred in single shot guns, started, and the possibilities of unexpected problems urring rose.

    But after using it for real, there might be more points of improvement.

    There was no other way to improve by trial and error method, after all, in this another world there was no other guns except the one Simon made, for me to be using them as reference.

    If I could return to my original world temporarily, then I would bring a rip-off version of M4 Carbine present in American Military Base......no, I¡¯m asking too much.

    ¡¸How about the n to keep on improving it forbat?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, the automatic guns are as expected hard. Moreover, even if I get it done, the parts needed as small and too many, I don¡¯t even know if I can manufacture it correctly¡¹

    As expected the manufacture of automatic rifle seems to be quite far in future.

    If I were more knowledgeable about guns, or had enlisted in the JSDF andpleted the disassembling and assembling practices, then I would¡¯ve remembered the parts precisely.

    ¡¸No, if we are against Crusaders armed with just spears and bows then Bolt Action would be more than enough¡¹

    If it went greatly, we could give out the equipments on the level of equipments present in the time of Pacific War.

    Of course, if there were no machine guns and others weapons, it couldn¡¯t be calledpletely same.

    ¡¸Now that I think about it, the bullets all seem newly made¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I can¡¯t let Onii-san create them every time¡¹

    The bullet was round lead so it was in the shape of a round gimlet with an cartridge attached.

    This bullet was made with two parts. One was the bullet front that even I could make, the other part was the cartridge filled with gunpowder. We didn¡¯t have any means for mass production, so making even one would take a lot of money.

    ¡¸So how much did this one cost in the end?¡¹

    ¡¸Err, nearly 1 million n, including the bullets¡¹

    Holy moly, I could buy a single Cursed Weapon with that much.

    No, thinking that it was made fromplete scratch, it was quite cheap, no, the main problem was,

    ¡¸Wait, you have two of those guns means 2 million n. Just where did you get that much from?¡¹

    As I had promised before, I had already given a certain amount of money for development.

    I had already given near half of the bounty reward I got from Joto, well, thanks to that Lily and Fiona had to pitch in money for buying the armour, leaving that aside, Simon surely got money, but it shouldn¡¯t have reached 2 million n.

    ¡¸Wil said he would buy the second one¡¹

    ¡¸Woah, as expected of a royalty¡¹

    ¡¸It was payment by instalments¡¹

    Apparently the heavy taxation of Spada¡¯s civilians couldn¡¯t be used on Prince¡¯s equipments.

    Well it was another problem if Wil, while in school, could earn near 1 million n, for the time being, as a friend of his, I give him a encouraging shout.

    ¡¸But, in the end won¡¯t you need 2 million in the end? Where did you contrive that from?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I used the money Lia-nee sent as the tuition fees of school¡¹

    Simon said seemingly indifferently. What the hell happened? This child felt no guilt even after using up all of his school tuition fees.

    No, he had nned to earn the money for school tuition fees by himself in the first ce, so there was no need to use the money given by his sister as she wanted. But even so, I doubt if it was good to easily use it on something else, if thinking about courtesy.

    However, because he had that money, that he was able to create the prototype rifle to gift it to me. No matter how I think about it, I can¡¯t think of this to be worthy for me, because of the low investment I had done.

    ¡¸There is still somewhat money left, enough for most improvements that we will do¡¹

    ¡¸I-I see......¡¹

    Shit, I have to invest enough money as fast as possible so that he doesn¡¯t have toy hands of the money his sister gave him.

    For the time being, I will transfer the money I had thought to buy robe today.

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, this time I had inserted ¡®that¡¯ in the gun¡¹

    Simon spoke in an extremely curious way, and took out one dagger knife while talking.

    Although having a simple design, the lustre makes on think that it had superb cutting ability.

    Well then, I remember seeing that somewhere......

    While I was hesitating, Simon quickly equipped the dagger knife on the muzzle of prototype rifle.

    ¡¸Oh, a bay!¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I was able to do this as soon as I heard the idea¡¹

    At a nce on could easily guess its work, right? Equipping a de on the tip part of a long rifle, for closebat countermeasures and like that a Short Lance could be created.

    As expected of Simon, he picked up the right things from my misceneous talk, and he even made them into reality.

    ¡¸But using this means that enemy has reached quite near you, so I pray there shouldn¡¯t be any opportunity to use this¡¹

    ¡¸Ahahaha, that¡¯s right, but¡ª¡ª¡¹

    Simon continued while looking at the shine of the dagger knife attached on the muzzle.

    ¡¸If it is the dagger knife of Suusu-san, I have a hunch that it could protect me¡¹[2]

    I finally understood.

    Because it had a simple design one could see anywhere, so I couldn¡¯t understand at once, but now that he said that, I clearly remember.

    This dagger knife was certainly the one weapon which had cut open the throats of several infantrymen and armour knights (TLN: Heavy Knights) on the dry river bed in Alsace.

    ¡¸Yep, you¡¯re right, it will surely protect you¡¹

    [1] Due to Copyright reasons, the name was changed. The true name is National Rifle Association.

    [2] Yay to the elder sister and chairwoman, they got no chance in Simon¡¯s heart!

 Chapter 268 The troubled Elder Sister and Princess

    Chapter 268 ¨C The troubled Elder Sister and Princess

    Bidding farewell with Kurono and Wilhart going to their respective afternoon sses, Simon was trail shooting his prototype rifle until he became satisfied and finally started walking to return back to hisboratory-cum-dorm.

    The time was already way past lunch break and half of the afternoon sses were over.

    Simon was also a student of Magic Engineering Course more or less and had sses, but he had chosen sses that would give credits if the written examinations at the end of semesters were cleared, henceforth he basically skipping sses.

    Simon was burning with a sense of duty to create new weapons with guns as the starting, so he wasn¡¯t going to waste time going to sses which would only revise the knowledge that he already knew from a long time ago.

    But then, even before he became an adventurer in Alsace Vige, he was enjoying the research of alchemy and skipping school.

    Like that, he returned back in high spirits wanting to work hard in the research and development, but, there the one waiting for him was,

    ¡¸So you finally returned, Simon¡¹

    ¡¸Geh, Lia-nee!?¡¹

    His stepsister, Emilia Friedrich Bardiel sitting brightly on the NO 1 seat of people he didn¡¯t want to meet in Spada.

    He didn¡¯t even had to think about the reason as to why she was rxing in the lounge of dorm while drinking tea as if it was her house¡¯s living room.

    Surprise inspection, err rather she came to meet him.

    ¡¸Wee home, Simon-san¡¹

    Simon was somewhat bewildered upon seeing Fiona sitting beside her for some reason.

    Don¡¯t tell that this somewhat airheaded witch was serving the general and a Great Noble of Spada?

    Contrary to her severe gaze, Emilia had an tolerant nature to everyone other than him so she there would be no problem until one didn¡¯t be rude too much, however this time it was ¡®that¡¯ Fiona.

    However, there was no dangerous atmosphere flowing around in the lounge so he was relieved thinking it was all fine.

    If the two started their ¡®fight¡¯, this nearly crumbling wooden two-storey building would vanish without leaving behind a single atom; he was able to imagine that scene easily.

    Simon naturally knew the ability of his elder sister, but he also knew the ability of Fiona who had dropped a sun right on the heads of numerous Crusaders.

    ¡¸Then I will excuse myself at this. You older sister and younger brother can spend your time without interference from outsiders¡¹

    Fiona suddenly left her seat. In her hand the tea cakes werepletely hidden.

    ¡¸Eh, wait¨D¨D¡¹

    She was normally an oblivious person, but at these moments she was tactful causing Simon to think of her as a hateful person.

    ¡¸Thank you Fiona, let¡¯s meetter¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Emilia-san, I will wait for that time¡¹

    Seeing the two already being friendly in the time he didn¡¯t knew, Simon was shocked at the fact that these two could get this much along and was only able to see off Fiona returning to her room.

    ¡¸Ah, then, I will also¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Sit down, Simon¡¹

    ¡¸Yes......¡¹

    Simon failed in escaping while making use of the mood and like a scared cat sat on the seat in lounge as his elder sister ordered.

    This lounge only had good memories of talking with Kurono happily, but thinking that a harsh memory was going to be etched today, he couldn¡¯t help but feel mncholy.

    ¡¸That, err, why are you here today?¡¹

    The table he was sitting at wasn¡¯t on the other side with table in between, but it was right beside Emilia, and they both were sitting facing each other at a distance where their knees could touch.

    Stand towering, no, in front of the height of sitting Em, Simon felt a heavy pressure both outwardly and inwardly, mostly, psychologically.

    ¡¸It¡¯s been more than 1 month since you returned to school, so I thought about your wellbeing¡¹

    As he expected this was an surprise inspection, his spirits went even more down.

    ¡¸There¡¯s no change in particr¡¹

    ¡¸That means you are still skipping sses as usual¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no, that is......¡¹

    At the very least he wouldn¡¯t be able to talk his way out for today.

    If he had been taking sses normally then right now Simon would¡¯ve been in a ss with a pen in his hand, he just shouldn¡¯t be back at dorm.

    ¡¸I-It¡¯s fine as long as I get the credits¡¹

    ¡¸......It¡¯s fine, as long as you don¡¯t go nuts in being a make believe adventurer by even taking leave from school¡¹

    As expected he couldn¡¯t run to another counter as an adventurer this time around.

    But then he nned on the research and developments of weapons so he had no intention of leaving Spada for a long period of time.

    ¡¸I have handed over enough money for you to graduate, so if you graduate just like that there would be no problem¡¹

    Simon would not speak even if his mouth was ripped off about the fact that he had already used half the amount of that expense.

    If beyond this point he didn¡¯t earn any investments from Kurono then having sealed the method of taking absence, Simon would¡¯ve have to resort of money raising ns just like a trader on the verge of bankruptcy.

    That would even mean that he could sell his body while knowing full well that he would be the pet of Chairperson.

    For the time being that worst future was still noting anytime soon so he would think about that gradually, thinking that Simon escaped from reality.

    ¡¸But there is a limit to the credits you can get from written examinations¡¹

    As expected of an alumnus. Although she had different course, she still vaguely understood the credit distribution system of other courses too.

    Simon could use his prodigious brains to gain full marks in written examination imposed by the school, however unless and until he gained credits in practical sses he wouldn¡¯t be able toplete the conditions required for graduation.

    However as the Elite Course and Knight Course had lots of battle-type examinations like subjugation, but the Magic Engineering Course didn¡¯t regard fighting or anything of sort highly, so there were more than enough practical skill subjects that even a powerless Simon could clear.

    ¡¸I¡¯m think of going in the outdoor manoeuvres training next week¡¹

    One among those was this.

    The students of Elite Course and Knight Course who put importance on battle skills adopted working as an adventurer as a part of their sses, just like the well known¡ºWing Road¡».

    But they were only aiming to be Knights in Spada Army and had no intention of bing adventurers.

    Working as an adventurer was surely the best way to umte experience, but it didn¡¯t be the training of group action that was needed in Chivalric Order.

    This ss called as outdoor manoeuvres training formed a squad of at least hundred students, and it was for experiencing group battle.

    The teacher side would only give simplemands like the names of target of subjugation and the ces they had to go, after that it was all left to students for aplishing strategic conduct.

    Of course there would some teachers following them as supervisors, but they would give no advice and keep on grading the strategic conduct of students.

    In the Royal Spada Academy this outdoor manoeuvres training was a great joint event of every course, if one participates they would get suitable amount of credits, and if one showed achievements here they would gain have a great promising future and would collect attention from everyone.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s a good choice to select going in outdoor manoeuvres training. Do your best¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I will try¡¹

    Although he said that for Simon this outdoor manoeuvres training were nothing more than a chance to use his prototype rifle in actualbat.

    Of course, he was happy that he could get credits, but that didn¡¯t mean he would deliberately do great efforts.

    But if he hired the¡ºElement Master¡»enrolled in the Adventurer Course as mercenaries......

    (If those three were present it wouldn¡¯t be practice......)

    Although Kurono aimed to purely increase his ability and Simon wasn¡¯t going to fight any strong monsters, hence there was no advantage for Kurono to participate in the outdoor manoeuvres training.

    (Come to think of it, Lia-nee was too strong that it didn¡¯t even be a proper training period)

    He recalled the gant figure of his sister who, at that time, already was famous by her second name of¡ºValkyrie Storm¡».

    In case someone with too strongbat abilities like her appeared the end result would be too quick and cruel.

    This year there was¡ºWing Road¡»so the outdoor manoeuvres training would be in easy mode, Simon was able to guess that pretty easily.

    (Sigh, I respected her at that time, but now......)

    Even Simon didn¡¯t resent his elder sister from the bottom of his heart.

    He rather hated himself for not living up to her expectations in neither power nor talent.

    He didn¡¯t shed tears after all this time but it hard turned intoplex within his heart and would abruptly torment him whenever a chance arose.

    ¡¸Why are making that long face?¡¹

    ¡¸No, nothing at all!¡¹

    He wasn¡¯t able to think up an appropriate excuse so he tried to dodge her question with vague reply.

    If he was making a dark face and raised it up, god knows what sort of bad luck would befall on him.

    He didn¡¯t resent his elder sister, but he surely wanted her to spare him from scolding.

    ¡¸Are you going to use that gun or whatever even in the outdoor training? Do you have any uneasiness regarding its power?¡¹

    ¡¸Agh¡¹

    Oh no!, it was already toote to think that.

    Returning to dorm he was made to sit down at once so the rifle he was just now trial shooting was still on his back.

    The gun was a fruit of Simon¡¯s engineering, but Emilia hated and viewed alchemy in contempt that the gun wasn¡¯t that great of a weapon for her.

    Simon was to be a Knight, but he threw away sword and spears, and took on the gun in the end. It was easy to think about her feelings.

    Sermon route time limit of three hours confirmed, Simon resolved himself heroically.

    ¡¸What happened, do you have uneasiness regarding power of gun?¡¹

    ¡¸That is¨D¨D¡¹

    The gun had too little power right now that it would only be able to scratch the scales of Smander, while Emilia¡¯s one attack from spear could pierce right through it.

    Or in the time Simon pulled the trigger and killed one soldier, Emilia¡¯s spear would have killed more than ten people.

    In this world the power of gun was far too short ifpared to the power dished out by a single attack of an extreme elite Knight.

    But even so Simon was prideful about the gun he created. Just like how a Knight was about his sword.

    The gun was the ultimate weapon that granted the powerless him a power.

    No matter how sharp a sword, or how enormous a magical energy a wand had, if Simon wielded it that thing would be a dull thing, degrading right down to normal piece of wood.

    The gun, only the gun made him stronger. If shot then he could even defeat goblins and more than anything he had consigned numerous soldiers of Crusaders to oblivion.

    The trust of Simon towards gun had sublimed to the level of calling it a kind of religious faith.

    Hence no matter how much he was despised, scorned and denied by ¡®people strong without gun¡¯, he would still never say that¡¸the gun is a weak and inferior weapon¡¹, there was just no way he could say that.

    ¡¸I have no uneasiness, I believe in the gun I have made¡¹

    That was why, he would stick with this opinion.

    (But, if possible I would love if she just adds no more than an extra hour in the Sermon route......)

    He timidly waited for his elder sister¡¯s reply while thinkingpletely pessimistic thoughts.

    ¡¸......If you have good achievements in the outdoor manoeuvres training, I will approve THAT thing somewhat¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    Simon¡¯s thought process froze for a second as soon as heard the unexpected affirmative words.

    ¡¸But then a student from Magic Engineering Course would never had a chance to stand on the frontlines¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, Ah......Yeah, certainly¡¹

    Simon¡¯s bewilderment increased seeing Emilia adding another line that seemed to be sort of excuse.

    Emilia was someone who would boldly dere about things with cold eyes always looking forward, however right now her eyes were wavering slightly.

    He understood that she was not her usual self, but as for her inner thoughts, Simon obviously not having Telepathy could not understand that them.

    (What is happening, today she is speaking quite the understandable words......what is she plotting?)

    Simon directed a doubtful gaze to her causing Emilia to have an ufortable air around her which resulted in the doubt deepened.

    ¡¸I will return for today. You should work hard in the outdoor training¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yeah......I get it¡¹

    Simon was only able to see off Emilia as she stood up from her seat and left the dorm.

    ¡¸W-Why was she here then......¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Sigh......it is not good like this¡¹

    The First Princess of Avalon and the girl having appearances and beauty of an angel, Nell Julius Elrod, was sitting on the seat by the window in the ssroom, as she heaved a sigh with a mncholic expression.

    The reason she was not showing her usual warm smile and was this much troubled was all because of a certain man.

    ¡¸Kurono-san......¡¹

    The name of the man was Kurono who was enrolled in the Adventurer Course, moreover she had just met him during the lunch break.

    The meeting with him was a truly casual one in Dacia Vige when he was troubled that his horse stopped moving and she helped him.

    That time thanks to her Telepathy Ability she was able to help him quickly and wlessly, and that instance had been engraved within her as a good memory.

    Originally it was supposed to be an incident no more than a wonderful memory, but since then a strange connected was connected with him.

    Although it was only recently that she realized about that.

    (Kurono-san was the one who sent that Wrath-Pun on the verge of dying. If there was no injury on it, we all would¡¯ve been in danger)

    The first thing was that the subjugation of Wrath-Pun was the reason their party¡ºWing Road¡»was able to reach Rank 5.

    At the time they saw the wounded Wrath-Pun they only thought about it as a luck, but if they had known about the person who created that situation, their impressions regarding it would¡¯ve changed.

    From the words of Wilhart with whom they met up in the ce where Kurono fought, they found out about the fact that a certain adventurer fought against Wrath-Pun.

    And it was onlyter that she found out that the person Wilhart talked about,¡¸Kurono¡¹, was the very same person she met coincidentally in the cafeteria.

    (Ah, but I¡¯ve given a great deal of problem to Kurono-san......)

    At present, this was the most troubling reason.

    Due to the uproar in the cafeteria, the man who saved her out of pure good will had gotten an unbearable infamy.

    From the perspective of kind-hearted Nell, whenever she thought that the virtuous man was being ndered by the surrounding, a severe sadness rose up within her heart that seemed to rend her big chest.

    Not to mention when she was apologizing about that fact,

    ¡¸Ah, no, it will be a lie if I said that it doesn¡¯t bother me, but it is not something Nell-san has to apologize about¡¹

    He said those words carelessly.

    Even after taking that big of a psychological pain all due to her, he didn¡¯t even resent her.

    That also included Charlotte, who jumped to wrong conclusion, and also her brother, who was quite serious.

    (Despite that, I¡¯ve not returned my favour back to Kurono-san yet......)

    Nell was feeling quite a lot of guilty regarding that incident and wasn¡¯t able to presume upon Kurono¡¯s attitude of forgiving everything.

    (Moreover, Kurono-san saved the students from the bandits, so I need to give him more gratitude)

    And the second connection was that he saved the female students that she was trying to save.

    The matter of bandits of Fauren was finished by crushing the ¡¯boss¡¯, a certain ve dealer in Spada, all thanks to the mysterious intelligencework of her brother.

    In cases like this one, it was the most appropriate decision to deal with the boss at first.

    If they lost the boss, it could make aeback using their money and influence.

    However, the point Nell took on this mission in the first ce waspletely off the mark.

    Many of the girls the bandits abducted in Fauren had been already sent to the mansion of ve Dealer by the time they rammed into that ce.

    Concerning the result they seeded in saving many beautiful girls along with the daughter of the noble from Fauren. However, the important female students wasn¡¯t in those many girls.

    ¡¸Fuhahaha! You dolts! If they weren¡¯t sent there, then those girls will be a ything for those filthy bandits!!¡¹

    They asked the ve Dealer after capturing him about the girls and just that one sentence was more than enough to let Nell learn about her failure.

    The news about capturing the ve Dealer suddenly spread out. And the bandits with sharp ear and fast legs, sensed about that and plotted escape with all their speed.

    It was obvious that who would be faster, whether them finding the girl students or those bandits escape.

    In the first ce, the possibility of bandits killing those girls after having their work done was high.

    ¡¸Nell, it isn¡¯t something you need to worry about. We didn¡¯t had luck this time, it¡¯s just that much¡¹

    Her brother said words of constion, but, Nell wasn¡¯t looking at the long term enough to recognize her loss.

    Her brother¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong and many of the adventurers would also say the same.

    In truth, Nero wasn¡¯t worrying at all about this incident.

    Rather, the thing worrying Nero more was how to deal with the nobledy from Fauren with her eyes in the shape of heart mark looking at him as if he was her prince charminging at a white horse to save her.

    A person na?ve enough to worry about life and death of others shouldn¡¯t even be standing in a battle area. Worrying about the opponent and ending up being killed was the only end awaiting them. In that sense Nell was apletely na?ve girl, and wasn¡¯t suited for fighting at all.

    Even so she didn¡¯t ept remaining in the Avalon Royal Pce and being upraised by being sheltered, hence she came to study abroad in this Royal Spada Academy, so she must¡¯ve been determined that much.

    Well then, contrary to her appearance Nell was quite the obstinate person, and,

    (I will surely return favour so that Kurono-san should be happy!)

    She resolved anew.

    (But, just what should I do for that......)

    And this time she racked her brain for creating a concrete n.

    However, in this moment she should¡¯ve been worrying about something else.

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s time. Pass on the answer papers from the people on the back to forward¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Ahh!?¡¹

    The stereotypical words of teachers, certainly, reminded Nell about the fact that it was test time right now.

    She shouldn¡¯t have been worrying about returning favour to Kurono, but about the answers.

    But realizing it now was already toote, as the examination was finished now.

    ¡¸Nell, how did the test go¨D¨Dhey, what is this, aren¡¯t most the answer columns white!?¡¹

    Charlotte sitting in front of Nell turned back to take Nell¡¯s answer sheet and said in a shock.

    ¡¸Ah, agh ghhua......¡¹

    However the person shocked the most was the one actually created an answer sheet mostly white.

    Maybe she took on a great shock when Kurono rejected her thanks in lunch break that she was only worrying about him and didn¡¯t concentrate at the test.

    ¡¸You are settled for supplementary exams¡¹

    ¡¸W-What should I do......¡¹

    ¡¸There, what happened? Hurry up and send the answer sheets forward¡¹

    Naturally, now that the test was over, there¡¯s was nothing she could do.

    Nell could only send forward the answer sheet with the destiny of getting failing marks to Charlotte, with her eyes tearing up.

 Chapter 269 Two Alone People

    Chapter 269 ¨C Two Alone People

    ¡¸Eh, then I will be staying at the dorm?¡¹

    During dinnertime, if the talk contents we four residents of the dorm talked about were to be summarized, it would turn out like that.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Kurono! I sorry~!!¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m also very sorry Kurono-san¡¹

    Little Lily sitting on my legs with a partially crying face and Fiona with her as ever expressionless face, were apologizing to me.

    ¡¸No, you two want to power-up right, then go ahead do it to your hearts¡¯ content¡¹

    Just like how I take on the trials of Mia-chan for gaining divine protection, Lily and Fiona also wanted to something simr to that.

    The details of those trials and practice were said to be a secret by the fairy and witch so I don¡¯t know much about it, but I heard that they need to work solo for this.

    In other words, Lily and Fiona would leave Spada and go on the journey for training.

    ¡¸We will return back in one month at thetest¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono, sorrrryyyyy~!!¡¹

    ¡¸So just one month? Don¡¯t training and practices take more time than that?¡¹

    At the very least my trials don¡¯t end in one month.

    Although monsters do appear consecutively, but winning through against monsters like Wrath-Pun consecutively no matter what it is impossible.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, it will be over if collect the important things needed¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, something like collecting quests?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes more or less¡¹

    ¡¸Kuronooooo!!¡¹

    ¡¸Lily, I¡¯m not basically angry so you don¡¯t need to keep on apologizing¡¹

    Lily has been like this since the time she talked about this, so I tried to soothe her down by patting her head with three times more affection than usual.

    ¡¸Ugh, Kurono are you not lonely to be alone?¡¹

    It¡¯s a foul y to look at me with those upturned moist eyes! If you look at me like that my feeling of seeing you off pleasantly would waver.

    ¡¸Well, lonely thing sure is lonely, but¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Then Lily won¡¯t go¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not good like that Lily-san. You are getting your priorities backwards¡¹

    She was still expressionless, but with still somewhat cold eyes, she lifted Lily rounded up on my legs like a cat.

    ¡¸NoOOOoooo!¡¹

    ¡¸You can¡¯t be just getting spoiled by Kurono-san¡¹

    Lily wriggles hardly after being captured by Fiona. They looked like an older sister rebuking an disobedient little sister.

    Although it might be wrong for the seriously almost crying Lily, but I can¡¯t help but feel happy seeing her figure.

    ¡¸Kurono-san too, please say something to Lily-san¡¹

    ¡¸Err, work hard and finish the work then quicklye back Lily!¡¹

    ¡¸See, Kurono-san is also saying that he doesn¡¯t need useless person who doesn¡¯t be strong at all¡¹

    ¡¸NoooOo, Kuronooo, don¡¯t throw me awayyyyy!!¡¹

    What is that distorted interpretation of words, and Lily don¡¯t take seriously.

    ¡¸Ugh......Kurono, Lily will work hard! Just wait for me!¡¹

    But maybe she got willing to go and dered her heroic resolve on top of Fiona¡¯s knees.

    ¡¸Yeah, go break a leg!¡¹

    I don¡¯t know about details of how she will work hard, but it would be harsh for gaining a new power, no wonder.

    There was a constraint of leaving me behind, so I could only encourage them and that irritates me.

    ¡¸Kuronooo! *sobs*!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not good Lily-san, if you return to Kurono-san¡¯s legs then it will be hard to leave then¡¹

    ¡¸*grumbles*!!¡¹

    Well then, I should leave the fairy and witch ying on the chair.

    I changed my vision to the alchemist sitting on the other side of the table and brought up a subject.

    ¡¸Simon will you participate in the outdoor manoeuvres training?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I will go ahead and do trial shoots of rifle along with Wil¡¹

    The outdoor manoeuvres training was a special ss which forms a squad from the students from each Course and the squad goes in some appropriate dungeon for gaining experience.

    ¡¸Have you decided where you will be going?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it is Isckia Hills. It is a standard dungeon, same asst year¡¹

    Ah! Isn¡¯t that the ce I went just the other day.

    Such a coincidence, more than thinking that, I understood why Simon said it to be a standard dungeon, as dungeons whererge number of people could rampage and were was located near Spada, naturally were less.

    ¡¸We will be subjugating monsters surrounding our base point, the Isckia Old Castle. But the ce where I could fight would be base defence, so if monsters didn¡¯te the rifle also wouldn¡¯t get any limelight¡¹

    An image of Simon standing in the watchtower while ring through in a perfect sniper style appeared in my eyes.

    If Simon was aiming from there, I would never think of participating in the side wanting to siege the castle.

    ¡¸Which reminds there sure was a castle of sort standing on top of hills, is that the Isckia Old Castle?¡¹

    After subjugating the bandits, we went to search for Greed Gore in the Isckia Hills. Naturally, it ended in vain.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, that is the one. Long time ago that ce was a frontline in wars near the national border¡¹

    It was quite big and sturdy. It could be seen from quite a distance, so it meant that it was an important base defence point.

    ¡¸So dungeons have history behind them¡¹

    I was never raised in Spada, so everything was a new story for me.

    Even with these casual talks, I am able to increase my knowledge about this another world.

    But that wouldn¡¯te in existence if there are no people to talk with.

    ¡¸The time limit for the outdoor manoeuvres training is 2 weeks, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah¡¹

    That oveps with the time Lily and Fiona would be disappearing, I¡¯m annoyed.

    ¡¸Onii-san are you a little bit lonely?¡¹

    Thinking back, ever since I¡¯ve met Lily, I¡¯ve always been working together with someone, of course Lily was always with me.

    And before I knew it I took it for granted, and now that sort of me is going to be alone. That is,

    ¡¸Yeah, I will be lonely¡¹

    I let out my shameful true feeling to Simon, while smiling wryly.

    ¡¸Kuronoo, I definitely won¡¯t goooooo!!¡¹

    ¡¸Lily-san, how many should I tell you that¨D¨D¡¹

    These noisy and happy times will be postponed for the time being, eh.

    Now then, will I be able to live alone in this silent dorm and endure that silence? I ended up worrying something that effeminate.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry everyone! Only I will have to remain held at schoollll !!¡¹

    The Princess of Avalon was bowing down her head while crying, towards the members of¡ºWing Road¡»having gathered in the school cafeteria.

    ¡¸......Huh?¡¹

    Even the elder brother, Nero gave out an idiotic response to her sudden apology.

    Other members also had simr reactions, but only Charlotte was making a decidedly bad expression as though she knew the situation.

    ¡¸So what do you mean?¡¹

    ¡¸Um, I meant¨D¨D¡¹

    Nell talking about the situation with a sorrowful countenance seemed like a damsel in distress, but,

    ¡¸You got failing marks in test and now can¡¯t participate in the outdoor training all because you have to take on the supplementary exams!?¡¹

    She had to suffer for her own mistakespletely.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, umm, the test was over before I knew it......¡¹

    ¡¸Whaaaaattt......just how much were you nking out?¡¹

    Although Nell had nonchnt air around her always, but her brother obviously knew that she wasn¡¯t idiotic to the extent of submitting a white answer sheet.

    That was why he was even more surprised.

    ¡¸Well isn¡¯t it fine, getting failing scores is a usual thing to happen¡¹

    The one dering quite indifferently was the person ridiculed by Nero as swordsmanship-idiot, Kai Est Galbraith.

    It wasmon knowledge that his scores in written exams were hopeless and he waspletely unconcerned about anything other than sword, moreover he had reputation as the heaven-sent child of sword living for the way of sword.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t take Nell to be like you¡¹

    She had her clumsy parts, but because she had a diligent disposition since birth that she was quite the honour student if taking out the subjects not having good affinity with her.

    Kai had already given up on the studies while Nell was given her all in studies, as such they naturally couldn¡¯t even bepared.

    ¡¸If the supplementary exams are decided nothing can be done, right?¡¹

    Safiel Maya Hydra spoke in a farsighted manner while her ¡®Demon Eyes¡¯ flickered and glowed in a purple colour.

    ¡¸Well......that¡¯s right¡¹

    Nero scratched his ck hair as though saying he gave up. Even he could not follow-up for his sister who gave out failing scores while attending the test properly.

    ¡¸Hgh......I¡¯m sorry......¡¹

    And the one who understood the most about that helpless situation was the person herself.

    ¡¸This time the situation has already gotten out of hands, now the problem we have at hand is outdoor manoeuvres training¡¹

    The adventurer party¡ºWing Road¡»wasposed of five people, Nero, Nell, Charlotte, Kai and Safiel. If even one person was taken out from them it purely meant the destruction of party bnce.

    ¡¸Ugh, I have given trouble just because I have to remain here......¡¹

    But, Charlotte rose up the question to them, now that they have be four,

    ¡¸We four are together in this time, but next time you will have toe also Nell, that time try not to be alone!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m also worried about it the most¡¹

    ¡¸Eeeeh, you were worried about that!?¡¹

    Naturally, as if to say that the four except Nell nodded.

    ¡¸In the first ce we four have enough power to make do with solo hunts, but a priest like Nell going alone is, you know¡¹

    They weren¡¯t Rank 5 Party for nothing, they weren¡¯t but if Priest, who casts support like Heal and Boost, was to be left alone, it would be a truly anxious thing.

    ¡¸Um, even if I¡¯m alone, other students will also be together¨D¨D¡¹

    The outdoor manoeuvres training didn¡¯t mobilize all the students.

    It was held various times in a year, and the students just had to take part in at least one time.

    ¡ºWing Road¡»had decided to join in the outdoor manoeuvres training this time, whereas the students who couldn¡¯t participate in it due to unavoidable circumstances, like taking supplementary exams, would be turned to the next opportunity. This alone showed how flexible event it was.

    However,

    ¡¸You can¡¯t be trusting other people, sigh, if I bunk off from this time then I will also be turned for the next time¨D¨D¡¹

    Apparently Nero was anxious if this kind little sister wasn¡¯t near him at a ce he could see.

    Moreover as he had such a pure and beautiful little sister, that he couldn¡¯t help but be overprotective of her as a man and as her brother.

    ¡¸That is not good Onii-sama! Even if you don¡¯t worry about me, I will something on my own!¡¹

    But it was a different thing if the little sister thought gratefully about his brotherly love.

    At the very least Nell didn¡¯t find it likeable for her brother to work dishonestly and look after her.

    ¡¸That¡¯s right, you are being too much overprotective¡¹

    ¡¸Say hello to the Siscon-man¡¹

    ¡¸Tch, if you talk out that much even I can¡¯t help but be obedient¡¹

    Being opposed by his little sister, Nero couldn¡¯t help but retreat.

    But he didn¡¯t forget striking Kai with his fists for calling him as a siscon while getting on with the mood.

    ¡¸Then Nell you will be alone for the time being, so, you know, err, be careful¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Onii-sama too, you shouldn¡¯t be reckless¡¹

    Seeing Nell¡¯s reaction he wasn¡¯t sure if she got his warning or not, so for thest spurt he spoke out his warning in details.

    ¡¸Be careful of men, especially the ones who are creepy and extend tentacles from their bodies¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, ah, Yes¡¹

    But unfortunately the warning didn¡¯t get through that little sister.

    Setting that aside, ever since¡ºWing Road¡»was formed, this was the first time they would work withoutplete members.

    At the same time, it would be the first time ever sinceing to Spada that Nero would be away from Nell for a whole week or two.

    If Nell was in the Avalon Royal Pce then he wouldn¡¯t mind to leave her for a week or month.

    But, leaving her in a foreign country like Spada, no, more precisely leaving her in this Royal Spada Academy where creepy men were amassed was the reason he was anxious.

    Especially, thinking that the eerie man called Kurono was also staying in the dorms of the Academy, his anxiety grew strong.

    ¡¸Anyhow be careful of men, got it?¡¹

    ¡¸Ahaha, as expected of a siscon¡¹

    At the end, Nero¡¯s anxiety was never eliminated.

    And Nell would probably see of Nero going on the outdoor manoeuvres training with her angelic smile, while not knowing what was inside his heart.

 Chapter 270 Force Boost

    Chapter 270 ¨C Force Boost

    Twoter from then, on 13th of the tinum Month, the time Lily and Fiona had to go for the journey came.

    ¡¸Nooooooooooooo, I don¡¯t want to goooooooooo!!¡¹

    ¡¸Well then Kurono, we will be going off¡¹

    ¡¸H-hey, Lily is crying hysterically though......¡¹

    ¡¸We¡¯ll be off¡¹

    ¡¸......Have a nice journey¡¹

    Like that Fiona took Lily in her hands while she was pping her wings and wriggling and they went away on Fiona¡¯s favourite horse Mari. It looked like a small child being taken mercilessly from their parents by a ve Dealer.

    The heartbreaking voice of Lily when she was going away,¡¸Kuronooooooooooo!!¡¹, was refrained in my head for the whole day.

    .

    .

    .

    A dayter, 14th of tinum Month, Simon and Wil departed for outdoor manoeuvres training.

    ¡¸Fuahahahahaha! We have gotten the new power of this¡ºBastard Rifle¡», now bestow upon me the great military gains just like mythologies. So, we depart, to thend of Isckia!¡¹

    ¡¸Well then, we will go Onii-san¡¹

    I saw the two of them off after some words, thankfully no problem urred here.

    No, including the maid following behind Wil like a shadow, then it would be three people that I saw off.

    As expected of royalty, to even had an escort maid in the outdoor trainings.

    .

    .

    .

    One more dayter, 15th of tinum Month, I was finally alone.

    I was already quite lonely ever since the night of 13th day because Lily was not beside me when I slept, but morning of today, when I was eating breakfast silently in the uninhabited lounge a terrifying sense of istion assaulted me.

    ¡¸T-This is truly lonely......¡¹

    No matter what I said, it was all monologues to me. There was neither a fairy who would nod cutely, nor there was a witch who would reply answers out of sync. Of course there was neither the alchemist who was the best straight-man.

    ¡¸......I¡¯ll be off then¡¹

    I prepared various things and leaving behind those murmuring words I left from the entrance of dorm.

    Even if I had be alone the sses still continued, so I had to appear there.

    .

    .

    .

    Today, unexpectedly the sses remained from the morning to evening.

    Other than the time I was eating sandwich silently while sitting on the bench alone while basking under sunlight, I was able to brush off my loneliness by concentrating in the sses.

    Well then, even though the sses were over, it wasn¡¯t like the work was finished.

    Lily and others were giving their all in a ce away from here, how can I be the only one taking time easily.

    For the time being I tried to search for a way to use the ck magical energy mes much more efficiently, after all till now it hadn¡¯t showed any conspicuous power.

    Right now I am expecting the most out of these mes, but,

    ¡¸Force Boost!¡¹

    I have been trying to obtain the¡ºForce Boost¡», a physical strength increaser support magic, as it uses the fire colour magic, but it hasn¡¯t been going good enough.

    The magical energy that would be the base was ck magical energy, and I haven¡¯t been using the magic equation of Model Magic, so it was different from¡ºForce Boost¡», it was a ck magic original support magic for increasing physical strength, however for the time being I¡¯m calling it the same.

    ¡¸Damn it, why can¡¯t I do it......¡¹

    Before going for the subjugation of Greed Gore and these several days aftering back, I¡¯ve been to the unpopr woods right behind the dorm and had been shouting¡¸Force Boost!¡¹, but all ended up being in vain, and I¡¯ve been still continuing that futile training.

    While being taught by Fiona,

    ¡¸Kurono-san it¡¯s more like *boom* and the feeling of ring up¨D¨D¡¹

    W-While being taught......yeah, well, I got the theory inside my head. I truly ¡®believe¡¯ as such.

    At any rate, it was clear that there was difference in theory and practical.

    In my body the ck mes that formed by the attribute change of ck magical energy thanks to divine protection, were swirling. But I could only feel my body heat raised and there was sensation as if the physical strength had increased.

    Till now Fiona had casted¡ºForce Boost¡»many times on me during quests, so I clearly remember the sensation of the moment it was activated.

    That was why I could tell that I had yet to reach that level.

    ¡¸Shit, I can¡¯t use Model Magic at all, eh!?¡¹

    The biggest reason for I couldn¡¯t use Model Magic was that I didn¡¯t had colour magical energy that manipted the different attributes.

    But, I had be able to manipte fire due to the divine protection. It was just a fake attribute made by inversion of ck magical energy, but theoretically speaking I had no problem in the manifestation of same effects as the magic that used fire.

    It wasn¡¯t quite efficient, but I was able to fire a lump of fire that explodes.

    Even so, the signs of sess couldn¡¯t be seen.

    ¡¸Maybe I truly don¡¯t have the talent......¡¹

    No don¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t be going to the negative side just because everything is not working as expected. So pathetic.

    Calm down, it¡¯s still not the time to be frantic.

    From the info taken by Lily from the information broker, apparently the Crusaders haven¡¯t shown any movements that stood out. They might also be preparing steadily as Spada is a powerful country.

    No matter what, it is fortunate that I have leeway thinking about time wise. The trials for divine protection were a given, but I also need to do this sort of magic training and whatnot.

    I need to start from doing things I can do without hurry. I can¡¯t possibly give up on it.

    And above all,

    ¡¸I can¡¯t be losing to Lily and Fiona! Woooooh!¡ºForce Boost¡»!!¡¹

    I continued like that until the sun sank down, in the end, I didn¡¯t seed in activating it.

    .

    .

    .

    17th of tinum Month.

    Today I only needed to appear in a single ss, so I spent most of the day while shouting¡ºForce Boost¡».

    During lunch break, for a change of pace I went to eat out and sitting on the seat beside me, a couple of human male and werecat female were flirting.

    I regretted deeply on the fact that I wasn¡¯t obedient enough to eat meal at dorm alone.

    Naturally¡ºForce Boost¡»didn¡¯t activate.

    Other than the feeling of body heat increasing, there was no other change.

    .

    .

    .

    18th of tinum Month.

    During the ss of Spada¡¯s history, the group beside me was talking secretly, just like how students should do.

    Which reminds me, ever since I came to this school, the only friend I had was only Wil, I was made to realize that fact.

    The¡ºForce Boost¡»just kept on increasing in heat and no other change urred.

    This, won¡¯t self-explode, right?

 Chapter 271 Hitsugi

    Chapter 271 ¨C Hitsugi

    ¡¸What, you¡¯re still a virgin. It can¡¯t be helped, let me take you to a great shop¡¹

    ¡¸I-Iz dat true, senpai!?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s unknown when an adventurer might die, so try to get rid of all regrets¡¹

    ¡¸Zhanks!¡¹

    When I was returning to the dorm, by pure coincidence, I heard that conversation between a senior and a junior.

    ¡¸Virgin......ridding of all regrets, huh......¡¹

    I threw myself on the bed and pondered.

    To confess frankly, as a 17 years old male high school student, I sure hold onto normal sexual desires.

    It wasn¡¯t like I became ipetent after that hellish remodeling experiment. Just, I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if the brainwashing waspleted.

    After escaping the facility, meeting Lily and reaching to this point, that, you know, I haven¡¯t done self-pleasure just because I could bear it with everything happening, just that.

    Before I wasn¡¯t much of a rational person, and just like an ordinary high-schooler and was normal to do it every day......well, doing it every day is normal, right?

    Anyhow, the reason that sort of me was able to lead an abstinent life till now probably was closely rted to the controlling of magical energy within my body.

    In truth, it wasn¡¯t rare for people of Mage ss to be abstinent. That wasn¡¯t because they had strong will, but just because it was easy to self-control oneself.

    Manipting the magical energy was effective in the self-controlling of instinctive and visceral desire.

    Life force, the energy needed to maintain the life, was in fact made from magical energy, so manipting magical energy could let a certain extent of will influence the visceral desire.

    Or rather, Fiona was bad at magical energy control so her appetite......no, that had already entered the realm of hobby and raison d¡¯¨ºtre, so her gluttony now could not be stopped.

    However, the problem right now wasn¡¯t appetite but sexual desire.

    It¡¯s definitely not like it had gotten out of my control, if I want to lead an abstinent life like then I will be able to do it without any problems.

    But, it wasn¡¯t like I had no intentions of that.

    In the first ce it was all thanks to living with Lily I had been living a healing lifestyle that waspletely unrted to indecent feelings.

    Fiona joined as a member during Alsace War, so I had been in a living environment where I can¡¯t help but me conscious of females¡¯ eyes.

    However right now, Lily and Fiona, even Simon weren¡¯t here.

    If I want to go then it is possible that I might use that ¡®good shop¡¯ the senior was speaking about.

    The pleasure quarters of night swirling with lust might be quite big if located in a big city like Spada. Let it be with same race, or different race, there would lines of shops that would respond to the ¡®wishes¡¯ of customer.

    ¡¸No, just no......¡¹

    Am I too romantic to think that I want to give my first to a person I love. Or am I just aggravating my virginity.

    Anyhow, I am too reluctant to do the act of buying a woman with money, and I haven¡¯t been that horny to get past my reluctance.

    And more than anything, the faces of Lily and Fiona rose up in my head and I just can¡¯t seem to think like that.

    They¡¯re not even my lovers so I might be being too much conceited, but I do have a conceit that I have built a mutual trust rtionship with them, which is obviously slightly above normal friendship.

    With the experience I had with them, the feelings I have towards them was something near what one would feel towards their family.

    Lily was the little sister, Fiona was......definitely not the elder sister, so yeah probably little sister her too. My elder sister is no one other than Kurono Mana.

    Those two have shocked me many times, but well, even my real sister had done that, so it was in eptable limits.

    But still, even if family is near one would still mastu***e, right? In truth I had been doing it and I can dere that there would no male student who wouldn¡¯t do that.

    If now, just now I stopped this sort of abstinent life there would no problem.

    Thinking like that, unexpectedly my right hand started to ache.

    If I want to do it I will remove the gloves, no, maybe it would be better to do it while wearing the gloves? Self-tentacle y?

    ¡¸Wait, calm down, be rational......¡¹

    Carelessly my thoughts had nearly sprinted to a dangerous direction.

    If I actually did that my life as a human would be over, no doubt ¡®bout that.

    Nay, for instance if I did that thing right here, but what if Lily returned just by tomorrow,

    ¡¸It smells bad. Noooo¡¹

    And she said that, my heart would be crushed self-abhorrence. My ¡®that¡¯ would definitely be crushed t and would never be able to get up again.

    ¡¸Yeah, no way! Leaving that aside, I need to train the¡ºForce Boost¡»!!¡¹

    In the end, for forgetting all the bad thoughts, I tried to endeavour in the cultivation of magic.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸......Master¡¹

    I heard that voice within my nearly dozed off consciousness.

    ¡¸Masterr¡¹

    ¡¸W-Who is it......¡¹

    I opened my drowsy eyes with a muddled head, and there was,

    ¡¸Who?¡¹

    A maid.

    No matter what with long ck hair. Her face¡¯s right half of the face was covered by the bangs, and only the rotund yet long slit eyes on the left could be seen.

    She wore a white headdress on the head and her body was wrapped in a simple Victorian maid styled long skirt maid uniform.

    She had a somewhat creepy hairstyle but her face was cute as per age, and that small maid about the size of an elementary school student was on top of my stomach while I¡¯m lying down on the bed in my room.

    ¡¸Might you not know me?¡¹

    Yeah, duh, I don¡¯t know you.

    I don¡¯t remember hiring a maid ever.

    And I also don¡¯t remember asking for an unmarried girl to be delivered to me just because I lost to the loneliness by being alone.

    Or rather, isn¡¯t it purely illegal to make this little girl work, right? Yeah no doubts illegal even in this another world.

    ¡¸giggle, please call me Hitsugi, master¡¹

    Hitsugi? Now isn¡¯t that quite the peculiar name youngdy?

    No, whether it is Hitsugi (coffin) or Kanoke (coffin) I don¡¯t care, what I need to do is investigate just what this little girl maid was.

    But before I could speak that out, Hitsugi moved.

    ¡¸Well then master, Hitsugi will give you the service, so¨D¨D¡¹

    Yo-heave-ho!, saying that Hitsugi retreated her thighs that were already quite below my stomach.

    And like that she extended her small white palms towards me crotch, and,

    ¡¸¨D¨DPlease feel good, okay?¡¹

    Showed a bewitching smile unworthy of a child.

    ¡¸S¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸S?¡¹

    ¡¸Stoppppppppppppppppppppppppp!!¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸ppppppp!?¡¹

    My consciousness awoke right at the moment.

    There was no difference in sleeping within my room, but before that was a dream, now this was the reality.

    But however,

    ¡¸W-What da hell is this!¡¹

    I shouted out right after waking up.

    Well that¡¯s only natural, as upon waking up I find my body coiled with numerous ck tentacles.

    The birthce of these tentacles, which looked just like¡ºAnchor Hand¡»that I use habitually, was apparently the cursed gloves¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡».

    Moreover, for some reason my hand was above my crotch and was squirming around restlessly.

    In an instant, a bad feeling struck my spine and I understood everything.

    Agh, I see, that dream before, the maid girl names Hitsugi was,

    ¡¸Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!¡¹

    Raising a howl of red rage just like Wrath-Pun, I used ckening with all of my power.

    I inject ck magical energy inrge quantity without any mercy that the gloves might even burst from within.

    ¡¸Hgh, Masterrr~, it¡¯s going to overflow~¡¹

    Words like this reverberated in my head, but like I give a shit.

    In the blink of an eye the control over tentacles returned to me. Naturally there was no need to keep my still restrained.

    Immediately dispel. The numerous tentacles raised a ck mist and vanished in air like a mist.

    I raised up my now-free-body I face off against the two jet-ck gloves on my both hands.

    ¡¸Looks like I need to discipline your severely¡¹

    ¡¸No way~ Master~~¡¹

    Not only the voice echoed in my brain but also the image of that maid girl Hitsugi-chan crying appeared in my mind.

    Apparently she is quite the actor.

    ¡¸I will train you perfectly so that you can¡¯t do selfish thingster. Resolve yourself¡¹

    ¡¸Hiiiii~¡¹

    Like that just as I drafted the training n of the ck haired maid, I also swore to protect my abstinent life like this.

 Chapter 272 Force Boost!

    Chapter 272 ¨C Force Boost!

    20th of tinum Month.

    ¡¸Ah, so Kurono-san is living here!¡¹

    Nell Julius Elrod stood before an outrageously worn-out wooden two-storey building afterpleting her fated supplementary exams for which she wasn¡¯t able to take part in outdoor manoeuvres training. Right now she was speaking happily just like a hero who had finished a long journey.

    Her no sense of direction skill was disyed in full throttle, due to which it took her a lot of time to reach this dorm which wasn¡¯t even at five minutes distance on foot. But more than that, it took her more than a week to find this dorm.

    Her elder brother was excellent in efficiently gathering information, however it didn¡¯t go the same for Nell.

    Henceforth, she asked others straightforwardly about the dorm where Kurono lived, and like that she had arrived to make a visit.

    Originally Nell moved around with either her brother or Charlotte, but they were currently not here due to outdoor manoeuvres training, and she thought of this situation as a fortune.

    Nell came here to meet Kurono without anyone to obstruct her, and she gently knocked at the front door that seemed to break open with just a little push.

    ¡¸Ku~ro~no~saa~nn!¡¹

    ¡¸Who is it?¡¹

    ¡¸Hyaagh!!?¡¹

    The voice that answered to her call wasn¡¯t from the other side of the door but from right behind her.

    Nell was surprised enough to jump about. The wings growing from her back shivered and those white feathers fluttered about.

    ¡¸Ah, Nell-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san!¡¹

    But turning around, she found the person she sought for standing behind her, a smiling flower bloomed on her face.

    ¡¸Um, do you need something?¡¹

    Kurono was in his ck coat just like when he met Nell a week ago, at that time he was having a cool face while basking in sunlight, however today his forehead was covered with sweat and his body was flushing as if he had juste out of a hot tub bath.

    In other words, a scary-face man wearing a coat appeared in front of beautiful princess while panting heavily. If students saw this scene they would definitely say¡¸Nell-sama, get out of there!¡¹, or something like that.

    ¡¸Ah, yes, yes I want something, but......um, are you fine?¡¹

    However Nell spoke words of worry from the bottom of her heart as she saw Kurono¡¯s appearance that seemed to have caught fever.

    ¡¸Yeah, you mean this, it¡¯s fine. I was just training the¡ºForce Boost¡»¡¹

    Seeing Kurono reply with a bitter smile it was easy to guess that the training wasn¡¯t going well.

    ¡¸Oh my, is that so! If it is¡ºForce Boost¡»then I¡¯m an expert at that. So I might be able to help you in learning it!¡¹

    She had originallye to return the favour to Kurono. This situation itself was a godsend for her.

    ¡¸Eh, is that true? Well then please¨D¨Dno, I can¡¯t be taking that much time of yours......¡¹

    The words of agreement in his immediate reply were intercepted by the feeling of restrain.

    But, she wasn¡¯t unprepared enough to back down with that answer.

    ¡¸No, I havee here to help Kurono-san! Therefore, let me help you!¡¹

    Seeing Nell proposing with a force not allowing him to give any other answer,

    ¡¸Y-Yea, is that so......well then, please do so¡¹

    Apparently Kurono had no other choice but to say OK.

    .

    .

    .

    It has turned something weird, I earnestly thought that while seeing Nell-san standing with a serious expression.

    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s activate¡ºForce Boost¡»without chanting just like an Original Type Magic¡¹

    I felt awkward to take time of the Princess from Avalon, I even though to decline her offer, but being attacked with that force I couldn¡¯t possibly decline it.

    But, frankly I had also reached my limits, so Nell-san¡¯s proposal was the peerlessly thankful thing for the current me.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I just can¡¯t use the Model Magic at all¡¹

    ¡¸No, I have heard that most of the ck magicians are like that, this is something like innate constitution, so it can¡¯t be helped¡¹

    What, she knows ck magicians other than me too?

    I am quite curious about that, but right now we were talking about¡ºForce Boost¡».

    ¡¸Kurono-san seems to have reached the level of originating internal heat, so there is only a step left to activate it. If you just grab the feeling after sess, you will certainly learn it¡¹

    Whoa, I had already reached such a great stage, huh! Great, the hard work I did in past few days didn¡¯t go down the drain.

    ¡¸Well then, what do I need to do for grabbing that feeling¡¹

    ¡¸That is you see¨D¨D¡¹

    Nell-san made a proud face and at the same time grabbed my hand.

    ¡¸I need to support you for the activation by using my Telepathy Ability!¡¹

    ¡¸I-is that so¡¹

    I feel sorry for Nell-san who seemed to be saying ¡®how about my idea¡¯, but frankly, I was more concerned about that fact that a beauty like her was grabbing my arms.

    The soft warm feeling of a girl¡¯s handing from the other side of cursed gloves just seems to take my consciousness towards them. I have gotten used to Lily, but thinking that some other person was giving me this feeling I felt strange.

    Even more when there was a problem regarding sexual desires and whatnot yesterday.

    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry, my Telepathy is not powerful so I can¡¯t perceive other person¡¯s mind clearly unless I touch them. Can I ask you take out those gloves too?¡¹

    ¡¸Agh, yes¡¹

    My rationalityes back thanks to my hand bing free temporarily.

    She grabbed my hands with a surprise attack before, so if I remain prepared for it this time, even I won¡¯t be flustered.

    While thinking something like an excuse, I took out the cursed gloves¡ºck Haired Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»a.k.a Hitsugi-chan from my hands.

    Incidentally, every time I try to take off her she would resound her shout in my head¡¸Nooo, Master~~, don¡¯t abandon meeeeeeee¡¹and would tighten itself around my hands as if it wouldn¡¯t get off.

    So, the results of training have yet to appear.

    Well, let¡¯s discipline her into a good girl without any hurry.

    ¡¸Noooo, Master~~ don¡¯t aband¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Fuh¡¹

    I took out the gloves in a great speed and threw the disobedient maid quite hardly and roughly in the Shadow Gate, as if wanting to scold her.

    ¡¸Um, Kurono-san, are those gloves¨D¨D¡¹

    Nell opened her mouth with hesitation while seeing me doing a hard struggle, maybe she realized the origin of the gloves.

    ¡¸Not your size?¡¹

    ¡¸No, they fit just right¡¹

    Looks like she didn¡¯t realize that they are cursed products.

    ¡¸Well then, can I ask you for help?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes! Please leave it to me!!¡¹

    Again Nell-san overflowed with determination and grabbed my right hand with her both hands.

    Ugh, no matter how much I resolve myself, this is still embarrassing.

    ¡¸Well then let¡¯s start. At first wish for the¡ºForce Boost¡»to activate just like that. I will guide you from between¡¹

    ¡¸Got it¡¹

    Nell-san closed her eyes and started concentrating. I also shouldn¡¯t be caring all the time about this elementary schooler like embarrassment.

    This time I motivated myself and started controlling the internal ck magical energy for making the¡ºForce Boost¡»mine.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, can you hear me?¡¹

    A gentle voice rang out in my brain. Ah, this is the same sensation as Lily¡¯s Telepathy.

    ¡¸Oh, looks like it isn¡¯t your first time talking via Telepathy¡¹

    Whoa, don¡¯t tell me all my thoughts are being leaked right now!?

    ¡¸Ufufu, not all thoughts, just some part of your will bes voice and reaches me¡¹

    It¡¯s the first time someone read this much of my will, but now I see, so this is the Telepathic ability.

    It feels quite marvellous, but I need to concentrate right now.

    ¡¸Yes, please do your best!¡¹

    It seriously bothers me when you respond to my monologue......

    But it feels like it would go good now.

    It seems that is the right step to change ck magical energy into mes and mes into heat. So I started out with calling out the mes.

    ¡¸Wahh, amazing......the ck magical energy seriously turned into mes......¡¹

    So Nell-san¡¯s thoughts were also being leaked, eh. Sometimes I could hear her broken words within my mind.

    But, I was concentrating on creating ck heat that would be the energy source of increasing physical strength, so I took her talks with a grain of salt.

    The image within my head was mes burning ferociously.

    That was just like how Fiona sent those Crusaders back to embers, strong, big, zingly hot mes.

    Otherwise, the incarnation of overpowering violence and destruction,pletely hot, ferocious, and it was covered around Wrath-Pun.

    The differences were that the colour of mes was neither gold nor red, but just jet-ck.

    ¡¸......!? These......mes......too much......danger......¡¹

    The foundation of magic was imagination, so I imagined more vividly and strongly.

    That¡¯s right, the first divine protection is already mine. There is no difort in creating mes. If so I can do it, concentrate, give me enormous heat energy just like the¡ºgold sun¡»¨D¨D

    ¡¸......Kurono-san!¡¹

    That time, my concentration was interrupted and my consciousness was forcibly made to change its way.

    I dazed for a second because it felt like someone grabbed my head and shook it hard.

    ¡¸???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????¨D¨D¡¹

    It wasn¡¯t only my consciousness that drifted.

    Apanying it, the heat with explosive power seemingly enough to break apart my body was being discharged in the four directions at super speeds.

    If the sweltering heat created by me were to be a long river, then its water was poured into waterways made by someone, and it kept on spreading while divergingplexly throughout the city.

    Ah, I see, so this is the effect brought about by the chants.

    Every word, every pronunciation had the meaning of manipting magical energy engraved inside, and that umte over and over again bringing about the effect the magic user wanted.

    And, that made the magic I wished oh so badly right now into reality.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, please recite!¡¹

    If I had be a secondter to understand the meaning of her shout, the ¡®water¡¯ would¡¯ve overflowed from those ¡®waterways¡¯.

    But, I made it in time.

    I shouted, believing in my sess.

    ¡¸¡ºForce Boost¡»!!¡¹

 Chapter 273 Blackâ€™s Lunchtime

    Chapter 273 ¨C ck¡¯s Lunchtime

    Sure enough¡ºForce Boost¡»was activated.

    It did, but,

    ¡¸But, the time limit is just two seconds......¡¹

    My physical strength increased vastly and explosively just like that Wrath-Pun, but only for that much of time.

    Concentrating that much, pouring even more magical energy and the magic created from that gives the effect for just two seconds period, this is not at all cost-effective.

    Which reminds me, Fiona told me that she could use the enhancement-type magic, but as she had bad magic control that its consumption was many times more than normal.

    Differing from offensive magic, the Boost effect would not be reflected with just magical energy, and it would truly be a loss.

    That is why Fiona¡¯s speciality was offensive magic, but still the reason she used enhancement magic was purely because there was no one who could use that in our party.

    Although it¡¯s toote, but Fiona truly has to go through trouble. I¡¯m sorry, when you return I will surely treat you with tasty sushi and tempura......

    At any rate, the current me is also the same, moreover I haven¡¯t even reached the minimum level to use this inbat.

    ¡¸Hah, so it needs a lot more improvements, eh¡¹

    But, I have jumped above the first wall with this.

    Surely other adventurers too do like this, and had reached the level to use the power of divine protection more strongly.

    That is why, I am happy to have taken the first step.

    ¡¸Thank you very much. Thanks to Nell-san I have understood the knack for activating it¡¹

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m happy to have helped you¡¹

    Nell-san smiled gently while on her forehead beads of sweat appeared.

    It was her whomunicated via Telepathy and indirectly activated¡ºForce Boost¡». Probably she might have exhausted herself because of getting caught in between of magical energy waves that were like spontaneous discharge.

    ¡¸Excuse me, is your body okay?¡¹

    ¡¸I have gotten somewhat tired, but it¡¯s fine!¡¹

    I seem to be healed endlessly while watching the bright smile of Nell-san.

    This healing levels rivals that of little Lily¡¯s smile, truly frightening this Princess of Avalon is.

    I be calmed down within my heart.

    SFX: Kyuuuuu~

    Suddenly, a cute small animals¡¯ cry like high-pitched sound rang out.

    The source was, the person in front smiling at me, Nell-san, her stomach.

    ¡¸Ah, I-I¡¯m sorry!¡¹

    The next instant, her face blushed with red, she was embarrassed of this physiological phenomenon appealing the hunger.

    ¡¸No, you see¨D¨DIt¡¯s already noon time, so it¡¯s only natural to be hungry¡¹

    ¡°Ahaha¡±, I replied appropriately, while my heartbeat increased seeing the cuteness of this blushing princess.

    How to say, the blushing girls surely have astonishing destructive power. She even reacted this much just because her stomach¡¯s hungry bugs cried a little.

    I want,¨D¨D

    ¡¸I have be hungry Kurono-san¡¹

    ¨D¨DA witch from somewhere who heartily lets her stomach roar and then speaks out proudly about the fact that she is hungry, to learn something from this princess.

    Well then, leaving that aside, just like I said it is already going to be lunchtime, so I need to change the topic towards that, after all the probability of Nell-san crying is high if I kept on teasing her.

    ¡¸So, I will preparing for the lunch, but what will Nell-san do?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, That, you see, I always use the school cafeteria for lunches, but¨D¨D¡¹

    I see, so it was not coincidence but inevitable to meet her in the cafeteria.

    I thought she would go to the school cafeteria today too, but,

    ¡¸Today I will cook!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I see. Please have fun¡¹

    ¡¸Um, I don¡¯t mean that, I am saying that I will make Kurono-san¡¯s lunch!¡¹

    Just what sort of logical leap is this?

    From this flow, I could easily guess that we would be eating lunch together, but Nell-san actually proposed to make her handmade food.

    ¡¸No, you don¡¯t need to. It feels bad to make you work that much¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry......was it annoying?¡¹

    Uwah, isn¡¯t it against the rules to show an seemingly sad expression at this moment. It is to the extent that I could even see an onomatopoeic effect of *glitter* in her eyes.

    I doubt there would many men who could refuse her when she makes this face, or rather, it is alright to take her proposal as a true matter from the bottom of her heart, it truly isn¡¯t any joke or lip service.

    ¡¸It is not at all any annoyance. I truly want to eat Nell-san¡¯s handmade food!¡¹

    ¡¸Oh my, is that true! Well then, I will give it my best!!¡¹

    Like that, Nell-san again took on my requested and showed an expression brimming with motivation.

    However, to eat a girls handmade food at such an unexpected turn, looks like I¡¯m quite lucky today.

    .

    .

    .

    I used to be ted, as it is the talk about past.

    ¡¸Here you go Kurono-san, please eat it without reserve!¡¹

    Nell-san handed out something while smiling happily. It was ¡®something¡¯ ckish, creepy, gave out foul stench and was in between the sandwich.

    My enhanced vision, olfaction and sixth sense emitted wariness in full throttle. They seemed to tell that the stuff in front of me was a bio-hazard.

    The instincts fired off strong rejection will so as to not let my pte, that catches taste on everything very keenly, to even touch that thing, but,

    ¡¸So, please by all means!¡¹

    I forced it with rationality.

    Even if I know intuitively that this shit is dangerous, it¡¯s still not good to not even eat a single bite, now that is forgetting favours. Even more when the other person used their ability¡¯s for my sake.

    However, just what sort of will she had when she used her ability that the normal ingredients degenerated to form this dangerous hazard. Even if I casted ckening on food, it would look several times better than this.

    After all this is carbonized no matter what. The feel given from it is the same from the corpses of monsters burned from Fiona¡¯s mes.

    And what did she add in it, a sweet yet sour yet rotten, simply speaking an offensive smell wafted from it.

    That thing was made into a sandwich in between normal white breads, as if emphasize that she had touched the breads at least.

    The buns part are normal, but it only adds to the fact this all is a food.

    The probability that Nell-san mistook her food for raw garbage can¡¯t happen even in one-in-a-million times.

    Sandwich, a food that could eaten easily by anyone was not this hazard, and it was her who created a bio-hazard that could make anyone resolve for death.

    ¡¸Um, are you not going to eat it?¡¹

    I was sitting obediently beside the dining table but regardless of the fact that the bio-hazard was in front of me I didn¡¯t try to even touch that, seeing me like that Nell asked in a purely inquisitive voice, but still the pressure behind those words wasn¡¯t something lukewarm.

    Her blue eyes were clear without end, and there was no cloudiness in it.

    Apparently she is neither trying to entrap me, and neither is this a royal joke that can¡¯t be understood bymoners.

    Nell-san purely made a food for my sake, it was just that much.

    ¡¸U-Um, Kurono-san?¡¹

    I reached my limits.

    I need to already stop this ring match between the hazardous dark matter and the coldly sweating me.

    ¡¸Nell-san, thank you for the food¡¹

    I resolved myself, probably, the warriors that were to be disembowelled thought like this, no doubt about that.

    In ce of the de that would tear and rip my stomach from outside, I took the bio-hazardous sandwich that could destroy my stomach from inside.

    Alright, I don¡¯ give a shit! I opened my mouth and took a bit of the thing¨D¨D

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸¨D¨DKurono-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Huh, a dream, huh......¡¹

    Oh crap, my consciousness left me for a while.

    Seriously, that was quite the nightmare I watched, there¡¯s no way the angelic Nell-san would try to kill me by poisoning by eating that hazardous substance, no she wouldn¡¯t even make it.

    ¡¸What happened, you suddenly stared dreamily right after eating the sandwich?¡¹

    Ah, I see my consciousness went away because Nell-san¡¯s sandwich was too tasty, no doubt.

    That¡¯s right, this Princess of Avalon¡¯s handmade bio-hazard.

    ¡¸H-Huh......¡¹

    No, wait, am I being retarded, what is a bio-hazard. Am I mistaking reality with the dream I saw before¨D¨DI want retort like that with all my strength, but seeing the true shit with my eyes, I need to ept the reality regardless of my choice.

    That¡¯s right, in other words, the offensive smelling bio-hazard, stuffed in between the sandwich, was enshrined on top of te in front of me while releasing a pressure just like that of a demon lord.

    Moreover, just what sort of hero was took on a strike of sword, the remains of it are still left in my mouth.

    I see, so I was a, hero.

    ¡¸Fufu, was it very tasty to the point of fainting?¡¹

    Her cute way of talking, more than half didn¡¯t enter my head.

    If this was actually tasty, no, if this actually had a safe taste that isn¡¯t bad or even good, I could¡¯ve agreed to her words without hesitation.

    But If I say that in this situation, it would not be good.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, there are many servings, so eat a lot¡¹

    No, damn no, fuck no, absolutely no, I don¡¯t wanna die, this my limit!

    ¡¸......Nell-san, I need to talk something serious with you, can you hear it out?¡¹

    I heard a truth much more cruel than death sentence, that I stopped running from reality and used all my power to survive.

    That¡¯s right, no matter how much shrewd and cruel method I have to use, I will live, I will survive, just you see.

    ¡¸Eh, Yes, what happened?¡¹

    I resolved myself. To the fact that I might make this angelic beautiful princess cry.

    ¡¸This sandwich sucks!¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡¹

    It was not me but Nell-san who spoke out words of apology with all her heart.

    No, even I should be apologizing.

    I had her apany me in the magic training, and even had her make food for me. It is the work of savage to make the person who did this much with good will to say words of apology to you.

    But there is something called limits to everything. Even while being tormented by the pangs of conscience I have decided to walk the path of Shura while turning into a demon rakshasa.

    In short, I told her that her food sucked.

    Well, a dispute urred, but Nell-san ate the bio-hazard that she gave birth to, and agreed to the validity of myint.

    ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry......I never thought my food was this bad......¡¹

    I sensed a strange nuance in Nell-san¡¯s excuse,

    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped when no one actually pointed it out¡¹

    Looks like, the one who admonished Princess¡¯ handmade cooking for the first time in history is just me.

    Seeing Nell-san epting the shocking truth while in tears, it doesn¡¯t seem like I would be sentenced to capital punishment, so I can be relieved.

    ¡¸I had gotten a misunderstanding that it was tasty because everyone used to eat it without leaving anything......ufufu, I¡¯m such an idiot¡¹

    Her white face seemed to suffer from heartache, seeing that expression all the men in the world would do anything to make her smile, that much of emptiness could be felt from her.

    But, as for me, I want to pay my regards to the brave heroes who ate all of her food as to not to let her know her cooking was bad, yeah truly brave.

    Especially the ones that stopped Nell-san¡¯s bio-terrorism before she started treating others her food were the members of¡ºWing Road¡».

    I can respect that from the bottom of my heart this time truly, I can now ept that they are Rank 5 Adventurer Party both in name and reality.

    But, their touching hard work had be nothing due to me.

    I understand their consideration for not letting Nell-san know the cruel truth about her cooking. But, surely but slowly, a day she would know the truth woulde.

    It was only by fortune that I was able to point it out to her without looking at the risks.

    No matter what Nell-san thought, if this was Avalon nation I would¡¯ve been sentenced with lese majeste.

    However, there was also a limit in immersing herself in justifying her deeds, because,

    ¡¸I was making everyone eat this filth with happy faces......I¡¯m dead as a person......fufu, over......¡¹

    Nell-san was overwhelmed by the shock that her self-hatred ran towards in a dangerous direction.

    It felt like if I left her she would sh her own wrists.

    Her clear blue eyes that seemed like blue skies also seemed to have darkened as if dark clouds appeared in them.

    It would bad to leave her alone. I need to take the responsibility and follow-up for her.

    But, what should I say.

    It isn¡¯t bad enough to be inedible? No just no, that bio-hazard has already deviated from the general idea of food, evenpletely wlessly.

    If I actually said that and she replied, ¡°Then please eat it Kurono-san¡±, I don¡¯t doubt that I would say NO to her.

    Damn it, no matter what I do, I can¡¯t follow-up this sandwich......no, wait, I see, it¡¯s just best to ignore this stuff.

    ¡¸Nell-san, every person is not good in cooking from the start¡¹

    Well, if asked that every inexperienced person in cooking could create that poison stuff then the answer would be no.

    ¡¸If you are bad at cooking currently! Then it¡¯s just left to be good from now on!¡¹

    In short, this motif is ¡°Let¡¯s forget the disastrous past and look at bright future!¡±.

    ¡¸But since I was small I have always had an interest in cooking, but with it this bad, I don¡¯t think it will be good......¡¹

    ¡¸That is wrong, the way you made it till now was just wrong, so it will be fine if you learn it from now onwards!¡¹

    ¡¸B-Buttt¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸You can do, you can do, you can definitely do! If you try you can do it definitely! Let¡¯s make everyone eat good food!!¡¹

    I attacked her with positive words as if to press for an answer.

    If I back down here there would no backtrack, hold out me! I can do it if want to!

    ¡¸Y-You¡¯re right......this time I will work hard for making good food!¡¹

    Great, Nell-san has recovered by responding to my passionate feelings. Her clouded eyes were also shining greatly with the light of hope beyond recognition.

    ¡¸By the way Nell-san, from whom did you learn the cooking till now?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh? It was self-taught¡¹

    I see, so that is the source of all evil and crimes......

 Chapter 274 The Cooperative Relation between Magic and Cooking

    Chapter 274 ¨C The Cooperative Rtion between Magic and Cooking

    ¡¸Bullet Arts¨D¨D¡¹

    I swung the¡ºright arm of Wrath-Pun¡»and on the tip of its red de, the ck magical energy coiled around like a whirlpool and formed into a bullet, no, cannonball.

    The streamlined shaped bullet made from the materialization of hard substance had ¡®mes¡¯ filled to the brim from inside.

    The detonator was the exploding magic equation, which was the most simple impact sensing type, in short, it would explode on hitting.

    ¡¸¨D¨DGrenade Burst¡¹

    Like that the cannonballpleted was of about 30 cm in size, but still it was shot out at the speed of normal Bullet Arts.

    The secret to the speed was the ck jet propulsion blowing out from the back of cannonball.

    I imitated st-type magic equation that emits any certain attribute used in Model Magic and implemented a jet-ck booster which gave a strong propulsive force to the cannonball.

    Thus, the cannonball flew through air while leaving a trail of ck smoke and hit the target without missing from the target.

    The moment that hard warhead pierced through the red-coloured human-shaped slime¡¯s chest while opening a big hole, the explosive power hidden inside the¡ºGrenade Burst¡»was released.

    In the outdoor manoeuvres grounds in this Royal Spada Academy an explosion sound rang out.

    If it was just that much then it this was just a normal phenomenon to ur in the shooting manoeuvres grounds. But the explosion created by me was lot greater than normal.

    The big explosion of ck mes created by me not only blew away my target but also the targets on both sides.

    I mistook the power, eh. Fuh, I¡¯m sorry for being bad with magic.

    Students standing on my both sides, probably of Mage ss, stabbed me with gazes that both surprise and anger.

    For the time being I thought to apologize,

    ¡¸Kurono-saaan! It was huge sess, right!¡¹

    But at that time a high-pitched encouraging voice reached me.

    ¡¸Yes, it went great due to Nell-san¡¹

    I wasn¡¯t doing any lip service, but this¡ºGrenade Burst¡»waspleted all thanks to her cooperation.

    ¡¸It was truly powerful Kurono-san. I can¡¯t believe you are a Rank 3 adventurer¡¹

    Nell-san came running towards me, while shaking those big breasts, and she was being happy upon my sess inpleting the new magic.

    And she directed a beautiful royal smile towards me.

    That moment, I immediately understood that the gazes of students near me now only had hostility in them.

    Even if they don¡¯t say, I know the reason for it.

    Within the past three days, I have been conducting work together with Nell Julius Elrod, the idol of this school, as though she were my personal possession.

    Today was 23rd of tinum Month, three days had already psed since the day Nell-san had visited me.

    And in the past three days she had been visiting frequently to my ce.

    First reason was, she was helping me in the research and development of my new magic, while the second reason was to let me teach her cooking food.

    In other words, the rtion between me and Nell-san was helping each other, a give-and-take rtionship.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸So as expected, the people who can cook do need creativity¡¹

    ¡¸No, a beginner doesn¡¯t need one¡¹

    My ability wasn¡¯t enough to call it my speciality.

    As a high-schooler I was able to create fried rice and stuff, while as an adventurer I have learned minimum cooking techniques.

    ¡¸me power is the life of food, right!¡¹

    ¡¸It will only give charcoal, so let¡¯s stop¡¹

    But, still I know the basics of cooking, on the level ofmon sense.

    ¡¸The cooking needs various subtle seasoning for bringing out the vour¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t do anything excessive and just create it ording to recipe¡¹

    Well in short, even that sort of me,¨D¨D

    ¡¸T-The cooking will be tasty if made with love......¡¹

    ¡¸Stop the delusions¡¹

    ¡¸Ugh......¡¹

    ¨D¨DCould teach Nell-san about the fundamentals of cooking while using my own cooking knowledge.

    For the time being, I should teach her how to create a sandwich safely¨D¨DI resolved that, and three days passed,

    ¡¸Yeah, quite the normal egg sandwich is......finally created, Nell-san!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to Kurono-san!!¡¹

    And finally we reached thepletion of a safe sandwich.

    In the kitchen of quite big dorm, we both exchanged high give and shared our happiness.

    Though it was just three days, it was quite the harsh thorny road to reach here.

    From Nell-san¡¯s line, her outlook on cooking had already changed, but the true fear is when she truly cooks.

    I had already gotten used to living a life in this another world where magic existed, but guess what, I never thought that I would be using magic to cook.

    No, this way of speaking is faulty. No it was only natural to use magic in cooking, like burning with fire, washing with water, oh right, engraving freezing magic equation on boxes, and are used as a recement for refrigerators.

    Then what was the problem? The answer would be to use magic directly on the ingredients.

    In other words, it would be something like using¡ºckening¡»on ingredients. Just who would eat something that questionable thing.

    But however, Nell-san seriously believed that the food would be tasty upon casting magic on it.

    Naturally, the result from that was the birth of the bio-hazard stuffed in between the breads.

    No, seriously, even now whenever I remember its taste,

    ¡¸......It¡¯s just scary¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san, what happened? Are you hungry already?¡¹

    Well whatever, it is the talk of past already.

    At any rate, like this Nell-san had started to walk the way of cooking properly, now I can only expect her to improve.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, then let¡¯s eat it quickly¡¹

    I felt like a master seeing the growth of one¡¯s disciple, but I won¡¯t be saying it out loud.

    But right now, I would eat this normal yet somewhat unshaped sandwich.

    .

    .

    .

    The next day, 24th of tinum Month.

    It has already been four days since I have been eating Nell-san¡¯s handmade food as the breakfast.

    From tomorrow, I will teach her something other than just sandwich, after all eating egg sandwiches everyday is not good.

    Thinking about the menu of breakfast, then I want soup to be the next......no it will be too fast, if it¡¯s her she might use something ridiculous as the dashi, like bones of skeleton.

    In that case, making a sd from dishing out vegetables would be the safe way.

    Yeah, great, I¡¯ll go with that, I will teach her to make a vegetable sd along with sandwich. Now that is a light meal and goodbination.

    While thinking like that, the afternoon sses were over and I head directly back to the dorm.

    I attended the ss of basic pharmacy, which happens to be a popr ss among adventurers, but as I had no friends in the Adventurer Course, so as always I was alone when leaving the ss.

    However, my name and face had be popr with the incident in the school cafeteria that I could feel various inquisitive gazes piercing me.

    There were even reproachful gazes which were one step short to bing killing intent.

    But of course I don¡¯t quibble to them saying¡¸Whad da fuck watching at!!!¡¹, I don¡¯t want to receive anymore stigma and neither do I have the narrow-mindedness and will-power of a hoodlum.

    Leaving that aside, henceforth I am walking alone, but as I had ns to meet someone after school, so I didn¡¯t feel lonely.

    Of course the person I had ns to meet was Nell-san.

    In noon I teach her cooking while after the school she teaches me magic.

    My brain doesn¡¯t trante magic words so it was thought impossible for me to learn Model Magic, but thanks to Telepathy, I could understand the meaning and image of those words directly.

    Of course it also meant that her way of teaching was better.

    Regarding Model Magic Fiona was the most knowledgeable person, no doubt, but because of her talent she didn¡¯t excel at teaching others.

    Just who would understand that exnation of only onomatopoeic words?

    Lily also could use magic simr to Model Magic, if based on just the results, but because her magic was Extra Magic that the magic equation they different systems of magic used were different.

    Extra Magic was a natural ability that particr races had, so it was already impossible to teach it to others.

    It¡¯s just like how a man would teach a fish to walk on two legs, the problem was impossible based on structure.

    Nell-san wasn¡¯t a human, but she could still use Model Magic. Even so she had her clumsy parts for which she was still learning with great deal of effort.

    In short she understood the feelings of a person ¡®without talent¡¯ unlike Fiona.

    Henceforth, within just three days time my understanding regarding the Model Magic has increased a lot.

    However, my body had no colour magical energy, so no matter how I try hard I wouldn¡¯t be able to activate Model Magic in its original form.

    If magic could be activated with just Magical Theory then Simon wouldn¡¯t be an alchemist but a Element Master in true meaning.

    Well whatever, I don¡¯t have a prodigal brain, so it is impossible for me to understanding all the Magic Theory.

    Even now I don¡¯t clearly understand the magic equation of Model Magic, but, even so it helps in the development of my ck magic so this is fine as it is.

    At the very least I was able to learn my desired¡ºEternity¡»just recently, so the signs of magic study from now on are superb.

    Well then, what should I ask her to teach me today, I thought that sort of restless and diligent thing, when suddenly,

    ¡¸Hello, Kurono-san¡¹

    A voice called out to me from behind.

    If just based on the words, they seemed like that of Nell-san, however I have remembered her voice within the past couple of days. I can¡¯t possibly mishear it.

    Long story short, this voice was of some different female.

    However, excluding Nell-san, I don¡¯t have a clue of any other female student in this Academy who would call out to me with my name.

    Just who would¨D¨Dwell, I will understand right after turning behind.

    ¡¸Ah, Erina-san, hello¡¹

    Just as I thought, the answer was given right after turning around.

    The person standing there was, the reputed receptionist of Spada Adventurer Guild, Academy District Branch, Erina-san.

    ¡¸Ufufu, looks like Kurono-san truly is a student in the Academy¡¹

    Erina-san while smiling could be a picture that could decorate the cover of a fashion magazine aimed at women.

    But then, I don¡¯t know if there is such a magazine present in Spada or not.

    At any rate, she wore a white cape, her hair arranged properly, and was wearing casual dress, so her allure was being emitted.

    Ah, white cape and that hairstyle, it¡¯s the same one when she was attacked by Joto.

    Hmm, as expected, changing the fashion sense it bes difficult to think of them as same person¨D¨Dno, more than that,

    ¡¸Yes, the sses were over just before¡¹

    This was inside the Academy, however the decisive blow was the fact that I wore the uniform of Academy.

    In truth I want to wear the¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡»all the time, but as expected it will look odd to wear a thick ck leather coat in this summertime.

    Henceforth I wear normal uniform during school hours.

    Well, I did buy this uniform, so I need to use it to death.

    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s already after school, right. It¡¯s just perfect, how about we talk Kurono-san?¡¹

    Her smile seemed to be filled with three time more emotion than the business smile in guild, or maybe it¡¯s just my imagination.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine. But I have to meet up with someone so I can¡¯t talk that long¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine¡¹

    Therefore, like that I started walking together with Erina-san, but continuing after the Princess of Avalon now this beautiful receptionist......

    The gazes of male students passing by us stabbed me hard......

 Chapter 275 Friend (1)

    Chapter 275 ¨C Friend (1)

    In the afternoon of 24th of tinum Month, the sound of ss¡¯s chime that she had been waiting eagerly for reached her ears.

    Before like an elegant princess Nell used to tidy up textbooks and writing implements in afortable and elegant manner, however right now she stuffed everything into her bag in a hurry as though ever second of time was precious to her.

    Like that, she stood up in a hurry, and tried to get out of the ss with a force as if the wings on her back would make her fly, but,

    ¡¸Please wait, Nell-sama¡¹

    Her steps stopped right at the moment someone called out to her.

    She turned around and saw several ssmates of her standing there with a noble girl from Avalon standing in front of them all.

    Although not like Nell, they also were beautiful, while the air around them was quite elegant revealing that they were of high ss parentage.

    They group was a feast for the eyes of men, but for the male students of Elite Course studying in the same room they weren¡¯t beautiful enough to attract their eyes. It was nothing more than a normal scene in their daily life.

    ¡¸Yes, what might it be?¡¹

    ¡¸You seem to be in a hurry, are you noting to the club today too?¡¹

    In the Royal Spada Academy, or rather, in all the city-states in the centre of Pandora Continent, there are organizations called clubs for the sake of extracurricr activities. In short, club activities.

    Nell was a given, and even the other members of Wing Road were affiliated to the same club.

    That was the most brilliant club, where many students try to join but can¡¯t due to harsh conditions, still even more of the students long to enter it, that was¨D¨Dthe¡ºSocial Club¡».

    Although just a school club, the members were all nobles with a peerage higher than normal.

    The information exchange between them was natural, while creating personal connections with each other for great influential power in future was also done here.

    Not to say just how valuable it is to interact with royalties that were the top of a country.

    But then, there was also a pitiful prince who stood besides the ball without anyone talking to him during the party supervised by Social Club. Naturally, he stoppeding to the club from next day onwards.

    Hence naturally, much more interaction was needed from Nero and Nell, the Elrod brother and sister.

    That wasn¡¯t just because their future prospects were amazing, but also because these two had quite the charm in them.

    Nero tends to things bothersome and so would rarely show up in the club, on the other hand the diligent and sociable Nell came there most of the times.

    However she was also a member of a Rank 5 Adventurer Party, so the pressure of work she had to handle couldn¡¯t bepared to that of a normal person.

    Therefore, the number of days she could appear in the club were limited.

    That was why, joining the Social Club could be said the best way to elegantly spend the ¡®leisure¡¯ time left in her busy daily life.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I have work today, so I won¡¯t being¡¹

    But she declined with an immediate reply.

    ¡¸Oh my, that is unfortunate¡¹

    The female student from the same country spoke while frowning, against her Nell also replied with shrewd face.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry even though you invited me. I won¡¯t be able toe to the club for the time being¡¹

    ¡¸For the time being? Do you mean until Nero-samaes back from the outdoor training?¡¹

    ¡¸......Yes, till then¡¹

    After a short pause Nell consented.

    Did her actions had some suspicious parts? The female student¡¯s eyes turned sharp and she opened her mouth.

    ¡¸Nell-sama, please don¡¯t show much pity on a filthy adventurer, moreover a man, without any peerage or background history¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    For a second Nell just kept on blinking her eyes without understand what she said, but little by little she came understand the meaning of her words.

    A male adventurer, having interacted with her, was only person.

    ¡¸The rumours have already started spreading in the school. That there is a certain person trying to get close to you by being overly-familiar¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san isn¡¯t a person like that!¡¹

    In an second the whole ss fell silent.

    Although raised in a good family, they were also children of people, moreover at puberty, so it wasn¡¯t rare to shout out once or twice, however the ideal princess Nell Julius Elrod had never shouted out before with a voice that could resound in the whole ssroom, so this was more than enough for everyone to be shocked.

    How it wasn¡¯t only them, but also Nell who got surprised.

    The female student stared in wonder, while simrly as her Nell also widened her rotund blue eyes.

    Immediately after, she seemed taken aback and ovepped her statement with new ones while facing downwards as though she were embarrassed.

    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry......but Kurono-san isn¡¯t a bad person like the rumour says¡¹

    The rumour she talked about was the one about ¡®tentacle man¡¯ that started to spread about a month ago.

    ¡¸Kurono-san is my precious friend. Please don¡¯t speak badly of him¡¹

    It was unforeseen to see Nell opposing with resolution, the female students standing in front just showed expressions of bewilderment, while keeping silent.

    ¡¸I thank you for being worried about me, but you are going too far for speaking about my private rtionships. I am not a child anymore, I can choose the person whom I want to go out with¡¹

    Nell spoke in a sharp tone, and as if to cut down the conversation she left the room while speaking words of farewell.

    .

    .

    .

    Nell Julius Elrod was resenting.

    She had a personality that seemed to be unrted to anger, but she had enough backbone to raise her voice if her friends were to be ridiculed.

    (Why......everyone talks bad about Kurono-san......too cruel)

    If the unfounded rumour and infamy was due to the walking alone and helping her, even the kind-hearted Nell would be angered.

    (Ah, I¡¯m sorry Kurono-san, I have given you bad rumours again......)

    While feeling displeasure regarding the ssmates that said thoughtless things, she that it was sad that she had been causing problems for him.

    In the first ce she held an isted social status of First Princess of Avalon.

    If she had interaction with a man nothing more than an adventurer, it was easy to imagine false rumours being spread.

    No matter how much good will she had, based on time and circumstances it would only cause the other person troubles. Nell knew the meaning of the words ¡®it¡¯s not your business¡¯ or ¡®don¡¯t bother me!¡¯.

    That was why, sometimes it was needed to get away from the other person on her own, however,

    (But Kurono-san is already an friend of mine......It will be rude to keep my distance from him)

    She didn¡¯t had that intention at all.

    (Moreover, I¡¯ve only caused trouble to Kurono-san and not returned the favours yet)

    Nell kept on thinking the reason she couldn¡¯t get away from Kurono, but she recognized a person in her peripheral vision and her thoughts stopped.

    Before she realized it, in front of Nell walking on the avenue leading to Kurono¡¯s dorm, a tall person with ck hair was standing.

    ¡¸Ah, Kuro¨D¨D¡¹

    Her ted voice, without reaching the end, entered back into her throat.

    ¡¸Eh, huh, that person is......¡¹

    Before she realized herself an expression of bewilderment appeared on her face and her gaze wasn¡¯t affixed on her precious friend, but the beautiful elf girl standing beside him whileughing like a flower.

    She didn¡¯t recognize her at first, but Nell¡¯s brain worked hard and she derived the conclusion that it was a person she knew.

    ¡¸If I remember correctly, it is the guild receptionist, Erina-san¡¹

    ¡ºWing Road¡»surely reached Rank 5 in the shortest time, but at the time of formation they surely used the Adventurer Guild branch present in Academy District.

    There they had met the reputed beautiful receptionist, so naturally she knew about her.

    Why is that person here, kicking away that question, Nell¡¯s big chest felt something like an indescribable mise.

    ¡¸Why, what for? Talking with Kurono......¡¹

    Her heart throbbed faster in a bad sense.

    She also didn¡¯t know why, but before she knew it, she was already tailing behind the two of them by killing her presence.

    Nell didn¡¯t have offensive ability, but she was a member of a Rank 5 Party, so her stealth skill was already quite high-levelled.

    If she wanted to, she could also use support magic on her and her stealth mode would level up even more.

    Moreover, if she used her speciality, the wind magic, then,

    ¡¸sorry¨Dter¨D¨Dthat¡¯s why¨D¨D¡¹

    She could eavesdrop on their talk while maintain a distance.

    The conversation between the two first came in broken pieces, but soon enough could be clearly heard as though they were all standing close to each other.

    ¡¸¨D¨DYou haven¡¯te recently, it¡¯s lonely¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry, I wille tomorrow, so give me your rmended quest¡¹

    ¡¸Ufufu, I will choose a harsh one just for Kurono-kun¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m alone right now, so please not a dangerous one......¡¹

    Nell stopped the wind magic carrying their voices and her steps.

    ¡¸What, am I, doing?¡¹

    Why was she not able to call out him normally?

    She even eavesdropped their conversation, it wasn¡¯t a good deed as a human.

    While seeing off the two walking to the other side of avenue, Nell was tormented by the whirlpool of self-abhorrence in her heart.

    ¡¸......I need to, go to Kurono-san¡¯s ce¡¹

    About the time the two couldn¡¯t be seen, Nell again started walking.

    Even with guilty conscience, Nell didn¡¯t want to take the option of not wanting to meet Kurono.

    No, it was because the feelings in her were too unmanageable that she wanted to meet him so bad that it couldn¡¯t be helped, just the two of them.

    As a result Nell headed towards Kurono¡¯s dorm as she had nned at first. Her steps were, somewhat too heavy for her.

 Chapter 276 Friend (2)

    Chapter 276 ¨C Friend (2)

    ¡¸I¡¯m here for private work, so don¡¯t talk formally Kurono-san. Or rather I want to talk informally, is that alright with you Kurono-kun?¡¹

    She said with a smile more intimate than the one at guild, just how many men could deny her request when she is like this?

    At the very least I consented to her without hesitation.

    ¡¸By the way, Erina-san¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine to call me Erina¡¹

    She gave me a perfect wink just like young Lily, and corrected me.

    ¡¸Why is Erina in the Academy?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a graduate from the Civil Course. So I came here to meet a junior¡¹

    I thought some time ago whether she was a graduate from Academy, looks like my guess hit the right spot.

    ¡¸If it¡¯s fine, how about you alsoe with me?¡¹

    ¡¸No, I need to meet someone so I will refrain from that¡¹

    This was surely an alluring invitation, but I already have ns to do magic learning with Nell-san.

    ¡¸Oh, you have a previous appointment, too unfortunate¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I will invite youter¡¹

    Is that true¨D¨Dno, this might that thing called lip service, right?

    And recently I tend to forget about the fact that I shouldn¡¯t be spending this time while ying around.

    The time I spent with Nell-san is pleasant, but I am perfectly getting taught about magic and am nourishing my power.

    Well since that¡¯s the case, I sense some reluctance to go with Erina for just ying around.

    Even more when I think that Lily and Fiona might be working hard right now.

    I also need to show my powered side by the time they return back.

    If possible I want to show my explosion offensive magic that use the mes divine protection, and then make them say¡¸it¡¯s too showy¡¹.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why you have toe to the Guild soon. You haven¡¯te recently, it¡¯s lonely¡¹

    She¡¯s a person that can say words like ¡®it¡¯s lonely¡¯ without any problems and might stimte male instincts.

    Putting that aside, it¡¯s the truth that I haven¡¯t been to the guild recently.

    Thest time I went there was after returning to Spada from that bandit subjugation quest, so it¡¯s already been two weeks.

    Currently, the three members of¡ºElement Master¡»were scattered, but it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take on quests alone.

    Yeah, that¡¯ right, now that I have a chance I should try out my newly learned ck magic, and also raise up some money.

    ¡¸Sorry, I wille tomorrow, so give me your rmended quest¡¹

    ¡¸Ufufu, I will choose a harsh one just for Kurono-kun¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m alone right now, so please not a dangerous one......¡¹

    Maybe after I saved her from the serial murderer Joto, she might be having excessive anticipation for me.

    No, let¡¯s just say she was joking right now.

    ¡¸Alone? Did the party dissolute?¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t say something that scary. We are just doing work separately for now¨D¨D¡¹

    Then we talked and walked.

    I told her about the fact that my party members were away from Spada for training, and the fact that I am searching for a certain Rank 5 monster, etc etc, I talked about everything that would be of no problem to talk about.

    Well at the same time I heard a lot about Erina.

    Like she was searching for boyfriends, her choice of man was a strong and tall one that would save her in dangerous situation, her quite private details were being made public.

    Geez, was she trying to seduce a high-schooler male student like me, at least age-wise, by talking like that. Indeed a terrifying receptionist she is.

    But I won¡¯t be deceived, it¡¯s my loss if I pay heed to it, it¡¯s just that.

    With this and that, I broke up with Erina at some ce, and hurried towards the dorm where Nell-san might be waiting since before.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Kurono-san, I need to talk about something serious, can you hear it?¡¹

    Eh, don¡¯t tell me, the food I made was bad? I don¡¯t have a clue about that.

    About time I returned back to the dorm, I was apparently a step slower while Nell-san was waiting for me at the entrance.

    It was in the calction error of who would reach dorm first, so I don¡¯t particrly care about it, however the problem right now would be that she said that line with a mysterious face as if she were thinking about something.

    If I take her words at face value then she seems to have to ask something from me, but well, what might be the problem that is making a princess worry this much about. If it is something too highly political thing then I won¡¯t be able to answer her.

    For the time being, I need to hear what she wants to say or the talk won¡¯t proceed. I invite her in my room which had already turned into Nell-sensei¡¯s personal ssroom.

    I sit on the chair with a writing desk in front, while Nell-san sat on the bed. It is the usual position when chatting.

    Because of this arrangement my bed gets covered by white wings, but let¡¯s leave that alone for now.

    ¡¸So what do you want to talk about?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes......Um......what does Kurono-san......¡¹

    It seems like she is having a hard time to speak it, looks like this talk is quite the heavy one, I need to be resolved.

    ¡¸What does Kurono-san......think about me?¡¹

    The words that came out of her mouth after all the hesitation were quite abstract.

    What do I think about Nell-san, well then, what sort of intention did she had when she asked this¨D¨Dno wait, isn¡¯t this line like a confirmation for the existence or nonexistence of romantic feelings between a male and female?

    No, wait wait, that imagination is just too much.

    That¡¯s right, this is nothing more than the second time of today that I heard a word that would make a man¡¯s heart misunderstand.

    Henceforth, I don¡¯t need to quicken up here, and proceed carefu¨D¨D

    ¡¸What does Kurono-san think about me!¡¹

    Wait a sec Nell-san, I¡¯m thinking about it, so don¡¯t say it again as if pressing for an answer.

    ¡¸Ah, err, what do you mean what?¡¹

    My thoughts weren¡¯t collected, so I could reply in that ambiguous manner.

    ¡¸What means......umm, does Kurono-san think of me as a friend......¡¹

    Her appearance with a blush on her white stainless face,pletely personified the wless charm of an embarrassing girl, however the contents of her line weren¡¯t something great, but just if I thought of her as a friend or not.

    Yeah, it was my loss to expect, no, be consciousness of her words.

    ¡¸I think about Nell-san as a normal friend¡¹

    I have met her recently, and it has only been the past one week since I have been able to talk to her perfectly, moreover with the cooperative rtionship of magic and cooking I¡¯ve been thinking that we might have gotten close.

    However the difference in social statuses might be the problem. After all she is a princess while I am an adventurer, never can I say we were in equilibrium.

    However the thing called friendship can¡¯t be defined by social status. At least I think like that, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk casually with Wil.

    The feelings I have for Nell-san will be simr to what a high-schooler would feel when he suddenly started talking with a female ssmate.

    It might be a strange line to be calling her as a friend, but I think it¡¯s fine to call her my friend.

    ¡¸But sorry. If Nell-san doesn¡¯t think like that, then, I was being overly-familiar¡¹

    ¡¸Noo! It¡¯s not like that! I also think about Kurono-san as a precious friend!¡¹

    *shake boing shake*, the two big mountains wrapped in the blouse right in front of my eyes shook violently.

    It was because Nell-san bent forward towards me from the my front.

    It is quite a surprise for me too that she dered me as her friend with this sort of overreaction.

    ¡¸I-Is that so, thank you very much¡¹

    Maybe she perceived the atmosphere that seemed to retreat, Nell-san immediately sat back down.

    Her wings on the back were pping probably to hide her embarrassment. Like that again the bed was covered by wings, no, let¡¯s ignore it for now.

    Well, within the past couple of days of working together with Nell-san, I came to understand that she expressed her emotions greatly, so seeing her reactions would only seem charming to me.

    Or rather, she¡¯s cute so everything is forgiven! The male nature is so sad.

    ¡¸And, is me being the friend or not the thing you wanted to ask?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes, half of it¡¹

    ¡¸Then the other half would be?¡¹

    ¡¸Err, umm......I don¡¯t the experience of having many friends......¡¹

    She spoke truly embarrassing words in an embarrassing manner.

    Well I also didn¡¯t had many friendship rtions that I canugh it off. If just limited to Spada, the person who became my friend would be only Wil, if excluding Nell-san.

    ¡¸Is that, um, a good thing that I should hear in details right now?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I want Kurono-san to heart it¡¹

    I see, so the main part of the talkes now.

    ¡¸As Kurono-san knows, I¡¯m the First Princess of Avalon. My abroad studies here in Spada was also officially announced on a great scale, so I doubt there would someone who doesn¡¯t know about me in the Academy¡¹

    Unless the information was blocked to a great extent, there¡¯s no way that the topic of a royaltymuting to school won¡¯t be a great story.

    Even if I hadn¡¯t met Wil and Nell-san, I would¡¯ve heard about them from rumours while walking.

    If talking about rumours I have also heard about some fame of Nell-san in this Academy.

    ¡¸Nell-san is also called as the Idol of Academy, so I thought you must have many friends¡¹

    Even if leaving aside the Rank 5 Party¡ºWing Road¡», if I tried to extract rumours about the princess of Avalon, they would all have good contents.

    Not only her beauty like that of an angel, but also her kind-hearted personality, that led her to call out to me and help me, so her image must have been formed by the umtion of those good deeds.

    As an extra there is also Her Highness Princess Nell¡¯s Fanclub made by those whose head and heart were done in by the beauty and kindness of Nell-san, the people of fanclub call themselves as her elite bodyguards.

    ¡¸Yes, certainly everyone in the Academy is kind towards me, but......¡¹

    ¡¸But they are treating you as a princess, is that what you want to say?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s is exactly it!¡¹

    So I got the right point. I thought that this clich¨¦ had urred a lot in novels and stuff, but this actually even applied in reality......

    ¡¸The reason everyone is kind is just because I¡¯m a princess¡¹

    ¡¸But, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s the only reason? If you didn¡¯t had a good image among students, then even if you were a royalty there would be no good rumours about you¡¹

    That¡¯s why Wil I have decided to keep your rumours as something I never heard.

    I know that in truth you¡¯re a truly good guy.

    ¡¸Yes, you are right. I have Telepathy so I know that everyone is not kind towards me just because of self-interest. But even so, the image of the princesses up first¡¹

    I see, so even with good will, they still end up looking through rose-coloured sses.

    But, thinking about humans mentality it seems natural, even I treat her as a princess¨D¨D

    ¡¸But Kurono-san was different¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    Unexpectedly an extremely questionable voice leaked out.

    But Nell-san continued as though it didn¡¯t reach her or she ignored it.

    ¡¸Kurono-san speaks everything to me without holding back. Ufufu, it was shock when you said my food wasn¡¯t good, though¡¹

    Holy moly! Looks like I have been rude towards her.

    That time I was in confusion due to sudden developments, no doubt. Thankfully it was Nell-san, but based on circumstances I might have been sentenced with lese majeste.

    Looks like I have met quite a fortuitous royalty. That time in the school cafeteria Nero said,

    ¡¸Do you know who they are? They aren¡¯t people you can touch them thoughtlessly¡¹

    Looks like that it ismon sense in this world and not just some prideful way of speaking.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s not like that. Even I am concerned about the fact that Nell-san is a princess¡¹

    I tried to appeal by returning favour to the princess, but,

    ¡¸Fufu, it¡¯s fine Kurono-san, I clearly know about that. Kurono-san knows that I¡¯m a princess of Avalon but you aren¡¯t conscious about it at all. Almost like you don¡¯t know things like Royalty, as though you are person from a truly faraway country¡¹

    Ugh, Nell-san you are quite sharp......

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you are truly correct. Things like royalty, aristocracy, or difference in social status just don¡¯t seem real¡¹

    It¡¯s impossible to evade her anymore. Then, I can only admit my fault and ask for forgiveness.

    ¡¸No don¡¯t apologize. I think that only Kurono-san can be my true friend¡¹

    ¡¸It saves me if you say it like that¡¹

    Both sentimentally and realistically.

    Looks like my speech and conduct didn¡¯t incur Nell-san¡¯s wrath, but miraculously gave her a good impression about me.

    If it wasn¡¯t like that then no matter how much of a kind-hearted person Nell-san is, she wouldn¡¯t be hanging out with me every day.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why Kurono-san please be a best friend with me and be with much less restraint¡¹

    ¡¸Naturally. I also want to get on good terms with Nell-san¡¹

    I replied while raising a smile from the bottom of my heart. I don¡¯t have rejection in increasing the friendship with my second friend I have made in Spada.

    No, more than that, we aren¡¯t connected by just cooperative rtionship now, but also by a friendship rtionship.

    ¡¸Thank you very much! Well then, I have to ask for something from Kurono-san......is it fine?¡¹

    Nell-san again said bashfully. Looks like she is an expert at hearing others wishes, but is bad at telling her wishes.

    Her cute red face and her behaviour might incite fire in the sadist hearts, but as I don¡¯t have that sort of crooked fetish, so I can only consent to her.

    ¡¸What is it? Nell-san also can speak anything with me without restraint¡¹

    Did the nuance got through her, that I will do anything if it can be done by me. Nell-san finally seemed to have resolved and opened her mouth bashfully yet happily.

    ¡¸Umm......can I call you as Kurono-kun?¡¹

    This feeling was like a student was confessed in a ssroom after the school when sun was setting down.

    Of course I never had such a good experience, but Nell-san¡¯s words along with her embarrassed face surely did have an impact of that level.

    Calm down me, I persuaded myself again, just how many times have I done that today?

    In short, I was quite flustered today that I had to conscious aboutposure.

    I had the guts to hear her request no matter how reckless, but little had I thought that it would such a cute request.

    No matter if for friendship, if you speak like that to a man it will surely be misunderstood, Nell-san.

    She is an airhead in a different way from Fiona¨D¨Dand I will be troubled because I have quite the impurity just like how an high-schooler should be.

    Anyhow, I will take on her request itself, I have no reason toin about it.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine¡¹

    Maybe the flustering had a lingering effect that I spoke in a curt manner, damn I¡¯m even more embarrassed.

    I even averted my gaze a bit.

    ¡¸And¨D¨D¡¹

    The request is still notpleted?

    Nell-san had her face red, but she didn¡¯t seem to stop now from asking me.

    ¡¸Please call me as Nell. In truth Kurono-sa¨D¨DKurono-kun doesn¡¯t need to talk in honorifguage¡¹

    It is extremely lovable how she tried to change her way of calling me.

    No, I shouldn¡¯t be praising that,

    ¡¸Eh, err, is that alright? If other students saw me talking casually with Princess then¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t care about other people! Please do so!!¡¹

    Nell-san again bent her body forward from bed, she is a person who uses her all in everything.

    Well, I talk casually with Wil, so I don¡¯t have any excuse for that.

    At any rate, the force of other side seemed to have surpassed me, now I can¡¯t possibly refuse her.

    ¡¸Yes, got it Nell-san¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-kun?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, got it got it, Nell¡¹

    I corrected my answer and the Princess of Avalon showed an truly exaggeratedly happy smile to me.

    This feels like, there will be no magic learning today......

 Chapter 277 Curse Carnival

    Chapter 277 ¨C Curse Carnival

    It was partially coincidence, but it was quite good to meet privately.

    Erina thought that while on work.

    She was today also showing a business smile to student adventurers, but in her head was thinking about just a single man.

    (Is Kurono-kun still noting)

    If going by his words then today, on 25th of tinum Month, he woulde to this Adventurer Guild wanting for quests.

    Still, that was what Erina thought, but the time hadn¡¯t evene near noon.

    She was hyped just like a child, but it can¡¯t be helped for a girl if they find their perfect man with their ideal appearance and ideal and activity.

    Moreover, thanks to her ideals Erina had never gotten a boyfriend. Although she had various male friends.

    She continued to work while hiding her rising expectations with her smiling mask for about an hour, at the same time the bell informing about noon would rang out, at that time,

    (He came!)

    A young tall man with ck hair, red and ck eyes, while wearing a jet-ck coat appeared entering the Guild through the big double door.

    Starting from students, various adventurers of Rank 3 appeared in the guild every now and then, so a man wearing ck coat won¡¯t seem standing out, however in Erina¡¯s eyes that ce only seemed to be shining brightly.

    Even now she was dealing with na?ve male student adventurers longing for Erina, however she sent gaze to Kurono in between.

    Although, there was quite a distance between the two, but their eyes certainly met, and he returned a faint smile in return.

    (Woow, so cool! Kurono-kun you look much more cool today!)

    In her mind she was yelling like a fangirl, however in truth she was dealing with others saying¡¸then please take this quest~¡¹, as expected of an elite receptionist.

    She now didn¡¯t care at all about the adventurers standing in front of her now, but she just kept on waiting for turn of Kurono toe.

    ¡¸Hello, Kurono-kun¡¹

    ¡¸Erina-san, you are currently in work¡¹

    Kurono spoke while smiling bitterly, however he seemed happy to see her friendly attitude towards him.

    Yesterday, they talked for a short time, but that surely did lessen their distance, and that was proved by the conversation today.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, just think of it as a service for a friend¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹

    Kurono replied with a smile. This sort of flexible attitude of his was established yesterday.

    Erina was a sociable person, who had a wide friendship rtion with men and women, so she had an innate skill of guessing the disposition of person just by talking for some minutes.

    This wasn¡¯t Telepathy, but just a technical skill polished from having rtions with people.

    That was why she was able to be a receptionist in the Guild, which happens to be a job that is quite popr enough to enter Top 3 jobs in Spada.

    ¡¸giggle, like you said yesterday, I have chosen the rmended quests already?¡¹

    There were several documents in the hands of Erina.

    Among that there was also the quest of¡ºSmander Subjugation¡», the quest that he wanted to take when he first came here.

    ¡¸So you have chosen it already, thanks. But I have already chosen the quest I will take¡¹

    ¡¸Oh is that so? So you had one that you liked¡¹

    Erina re-thought that there wasn¡¯t any particrly good quest currently.

    Erina chose quests with quite the profit which were neither good nor bad.

    Of course, reward was everything for an adventurer. If the Monster material they wanted was different, they would, in worst case, do a frencer work, so it was hard to say which quest was good unconditionally.

    However,

    ¡¸This¡ºCurse Carnival¡»or so quest¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸No that won¡¯t do Kurono-kun!¡¹

    In her second continuous year of work, this was the first time the beautiful receptionist had raised her voice, so various gazes of surprise flooded at her.

    What happened, thinking that the co-workers at Guild along with adventurers going back and fro, all stared at Erina¡¯s counter.

    She realized her mess a secondter, and embarrassedly she sent a gesture saying¡¸there¡¯s no problem¡¹, and deceived them.

    Seeing that it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, others just whispered for a bit and the gazes scattered away one by one.

    ¡¸Ah, err, is this quest that bad?¡¹

    It was probably Kurono who was the most shocked by Erina shout.

    He asked with a face as though he took on a punishment.

    ¡¸It isn¡¯t something light like bad. Did you exnatory note Kurono-kun?¡¹

    ¡¸I did read that big thing posted there¡¹

    The ce Kurono pointed at was the bulletin board with written requests posted on it.

    There, a single request document was several times bigger than other ones, or rather, it seemed like a poster posted for publication.

    That was the request of participant recruitment for¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    ¡¸There was that case with the serial killer, so Kurono-kun might be able to kill people who had gone mad due to Cursed Weapons. But, the victory prize is also a Cursed Weapon, did you see that? If you were to be possessed in return then......¡¹

    ¡ºCurse Carnival¡», just as the name implied, it was a tournament regarding the Cursed Weapons.

    Spada had an another name of Sword Battle City, and since ancient times the¡ºSword Battles¡»here had been famous.

    From the traditional one-on-one battle of diators, the knockoutpetition by forming a team, otherwise Party battle, or a Battle Royale, Anti-Monster Battle, etc etc, all sort of battles were held here.

    And among that there was a battle that let people fight against people also possessed by the Cursed Weapons, that was this¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    Among the many battles, this sword battle tournament was the most sinful, and the one sponsoring it wasn¡¯t Spada government but a big arms dealer in city-states, that was¡ºMordred Weapon Company¡».

    Its chairman was a big-framed skeleton, Vein Wortz Mordred, he was a Cursed Weapon collector, and, he was famous for having a evil taste of wanting to see Cursed Weapons being used.

    However, he had authority and assets to boldly implement his ¡®evil taste¡¯, henceforth he opened a sword battle tournament on a grand scale.

    And adding onto that, there were people who liked the thrill of extreme battles or seeing other going insane due to curse, the things that can¡¯t be seen in normal sword battles. Unexpectedly there were many Spada civilians that liked this tournament secretly.

    At the same time, there were people who yearned for the enormous yet dangerous power of Cursed Weapons, and raise out their names saying¡¸I am the great one¡¹and what not.

    And as expected, the ones that couldn¡¯t control the curse are used as the ¡®opponent¡¯ in the¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    This man she loved was about to meet his end in a truly dangerous way, so it was only natural for her to stop him.

    ¡¸No it¡¯s fine, I am quite confident in my ability to use Cursed Weapons¡¹

    ¡¸Geez, don¡¯t speak too much, being overconfident will subtract the points!¡¹

    ¡¸Subtract the points?¡¹

    Erina *ahem* cleared her throat and ignored Kurono¡¯s question.

    ¡¸Anyhow, the usage of Cursed Weapon can¡¯t be done something with just physical strength of magical energy, but the main part ispatibility, there is a danger of a person being possessed by it, no matter how much skilled he/she might be. I know Kurono-kun is strong, but you can say those words nonchntly just because you have never used a Cursed Weapon befo¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸No, I already use Cursed Weapons?¡¹

    Erina¡¯s kind, truly important warning was interrupted by Kurono¡¯s unthinkable personal statement.

    ¡¸Eh, is that lie?¡¹

    ¡¸The sword I used to save Erina happened to be a Cursed Weapon¡¹

    She truly didn¡¯t remember it.

    The moment she noticed the face of Kurono saving her gantly, she could not take away her eyes from his manly face.

    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t remember that he was waving a long big sword in one hand for saving her, however she had absolutely no idea what it was.

    ¡¸And, the sword that Joto was using, I am using it right now¡¹

    ¡¸Gyaaaaahhh~~~!!¡¹

    In a second, Erina screamed, and fell backwards along with the chair she was sitting on.

    Kurono widened his eyes to her over exaggerated reaction.

    And the people in the surroundings were also shocked the same.

    This time the Guild staff and adventurers sensed Erina¡¯s strange actions and they thought the man sitting in front had did something bad with her, causing all of them to stab him with hostility-filled gazes.

    On the very close moment when a burly guard wearing ck suit would appear from inside the guild for resolving the trouble with force,

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s nothing!!¡¹

    Erina revived and bowed in a hurry while saying that no trouble had happened.

    The guild had turned noisy suddenly, but thanks to Erina¡¯s magnificent way of speaking, it started to quieten down.

    Like that in less than five minutes, the Guild returned to its normal operations.

    Kurono could only watch while pouring out cold sweat, seeing Erina being all-rounder, from the start of creating the noise to the end of quietening down everyone.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for losing myposure, Kurono-sama¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no, same here, I¡¯m sorry for surprising you¡¹

    They both said words of apology in an official way.

    Well then, now was Erina wrong to have jumped to wrong conclusion that he might have never used Cursed Weapon, or was it Kurono wrong for confessing that he held Cursed Weapons normally, even the weapon that was definitely a trauma to Erina.

    In the end the whereabouts of responsibility remained unidentified, they both just apologized to each other, but it would be good if everything was finished peacefully like that.

    ¡¸So, um......do you truly have it?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a weapon with a bond with me, so I just wanted to keep it, no matter what¡¹

    Erina wasn¡¯t able to ask any further than that.

    She didn¡¯t have themunication ability of talking with more than 100 friends for just a show. She sensitively perceived Kurono eyes being shadowed.

    Kurono continued his words, maybe he realized her consideration or maybe he didn¡¯t.

    ¡¸You that I¡¯m a ck Magician, right? The ck magical energy can easily control the Cursed Weapons, I have a great innatepatibility with them¡¹

    As if to rx Erina, Kurono showed a smile on his cold sharp cool face.

    (Yeah, If it¡¯s Kurono-kun, I might be happy if he even killed me)

    Erina¡¯s train of thought waspletely different from what Kurono wanted, but as a result she surely calmed down.

    ¡¸Therefore, you don¡¯t need to worry¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, Y-you¡¯re right......in that case, I¡¯m sorry for giving a needless help¡¹

    ¡¸No, you were thinking about my safety, right? Thanks¡¹

    Belittling an adventurer¡¯s ability was one of the main causes that could anger Adventurers, who work with death just a hair¡¯s breadth away.

    Even if other person was speaking in consideration of other, there were still people who would be enraged and punch others.

    But looks like Kurono understood what she felt.

    He looked like a brute savage evil, but in truth had a gentlemanly personality, this part of his seemed even more charming to Erina.

    ¡¸Well then, I leave the procedures to you¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I will undertake it¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    Quest: ¡ºCurse Carnival¡»

    Reward: Cursed Weapon of the opponent and Fight Money (Can change ording to Rank. One million n ¨D Ten million n)

    *NOTE: The battle are not tournament but knockout battles, so the battle will be just one.

    Time Limit: The very day of opening, till 26th of tinum Month. Frence participation allowed.

    Client: Mordred Weapon Company

    Request Details: It¡¯s been a while to all one million fans of Cursed Weapon all over the country! The¡ºCurse Carnival¡»of this year starts now!!

    The Mordred Weapon Company is widely recruiting participants for this tournament. There are no limitations of Adventurer Rank, you are weed here!! For those wanting Cursed Weapons, please do participate in this!!

    .

    .

    .

    Thus, the participation of Kurono in¡ºCurse Carnival¡»was decided.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, I wille to support you, so work hard!¡¹

    Erina sent a splendid wink that would make a normal man fall head over heels for her.

    ¡¸Yeah, I will work hard to show my cool sides¡¹

    Kurono replied like a wless refreshing gentleman, he didn¡¯t seem to be perturbed to female¡¯s charming appeal.

    At the very least, it looked like that to Erina.

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    If I went with tournament, it would go over 100 chapters, so......

    But tournament development is a story material that I wanted to write, as being a battle-loving person myself! Something like¡ºHello! Sword Battle Tournament filled with Yandere! There is also head falling down!¡»

 Chapter 278 Healer

    Chapter 278 ¨C Healer

    ¡¸That is not good Kurono-kun!¡¹

    I just heard the same line in the Adventurer Guild before, but never had I thought that Nell would be saying that very same line in the lounge of dorm.

    During lunch break, Nell came to me after the sses, while smiling, and,

    ¡¸I am going to appear in the sword battle tournament tomorrow¡¹

    I told her that while showing her the leaflet of¡ºCurse Carnival¡»that I borrowed from the guild with confidence, however the reply that came to me was the one above.

    ¡¸Listen to me Kurono-kun, the Cursed Weapons can¡¯t be done anything with pure ability¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Nell, see this thing¡¹

    Her words seemed exactly simr to what I had heard before, so I decided to prove everything to her.

    The thing I called out from the¡ºShadow Gate¡»at my feet is my favourite sword that I¡¯ve not seen recently due to ck magic research, the¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡».

    That girl, who killed her parents, vigers, even the pursuing Knights, her grudge was today too blowing out vigorously in a dark red aura.

    Wil had said before that this indeed amazing aura is truly a dangerous thing, to the level that anyone could see it in a nce and understand that it¡¯s an¡¸Cursed Weapon¡¹.

    This has evolved two times, and as the user only I am able to know just how much of the curse¡¯s extent had grown deep.

    Hence I thought that if I showed it to her she would understand that I am a Cursed Weapon-user, but,

    ¡¸K-Ky-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡¹

    I ended up making her cry.

    Now I seriously think that I will sentenced with lese majeste......

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry Kurono-kun, I, um......got too scared¡¹

    With this and that, the situation calmed down.

    If this had happened in the popr school building, it would¡¯ve turned into a great disaster without any means of coping it.

    ¡¸No, it was also my carelessness, sorry¡¹

    I won¡¯t take this out other thanbat time, I firmly vowed.

    ¡¸Um, will you truly appear in the¡ºCurse Carnival¡»?¡¹

    She must have understood now that I¡¯m a Cursed Weapon-user, though the hard way, but looks like Nell is still worried.

    ¡¸I was warned in the Guild too, but is it truly that dangerous tournament?¡¹

    I could gain a new Cursed Weapon, while my supreme objective was to expand my battle strength, so this quest could be said as a godsend to me.

    ¡¸It isn¡¯t known what sort of special ability an Cursed Weapon might have. Moreover, the person possessed would lose their sanity, it turn will go into Berserk state which increases the physical abilities of the person¡¹

    During the time with Joto, I knew about the power of¡ºEvil Eater¡»so I was able to deal with it.

    But, with that power and speed, moreover a hidden ability just increased the danger levels.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, if you want to make more money there are other quests for it, so don¡¯t do dangerous quests¡¹

    Choosing a quest not dangerous is definitely not a cowardly choice.

    People being adventurer for making a living would choose a safe quest based on their abilities.

    Of course there would be people like that bodyguard, Ludora, who live for fighting, but still most of the adventurers working in this world are for making it an upation.

    ¡¸It¡¯s different Nell. I¡¯m not an adventurer for making a living, but there is a reason for me to be stronger than now¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, is that true!?¡¹

    Did Nell see me as a proper adventurer?

    No, that might be so,muting to Academy¡¯s Adventurer Course whilepleting quests is the standard method that every young adventurer takes.

    ¡¸Um, can I......¡¹

    Ask about it or not, is what she might want to ask. Nell seemed to be restless, even the wings on her back seemed to p restlessly.

    ¡¸I have to kill some people no matter what¡¹

    Crusader¡¯s Supreme Commander, 7th Apostle Sariel.

    Completely messed up fake-adventurer, 8th Apostle Ai.

    And , the bitch that toyed and kill my friends, 11th Apostle Misa.

    ¡ºApostles¡», people who are human but have superhuman abilities while conceiving the divine protection of White God. I need power to kill of them¨D¨Dno, I will definitely get that power.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t say anymore¡¹

    However, this is my problem.

    It¡¯s not something I can easily tell to her, even more as she is my friend.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why I am going in the tournament for getting the Cursed Weapon by venturing in the danger¡¹

    This way of speaking might have been sly, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    I am keeping secrets from Nell who called me as her friend, so guilty feelings surely swell up, but revealing all the secrets without any hiding isn¡¯t the only form of true friendship.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to ask something unnecessary......I get it, I won¡¯t be stopping Kurono-san¡¹

    Looks like Nell also understood me, I was relieved in my mind.

    ¡¸But I will also help you¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    She is a person who would surely say ridiculous things......no thinking about her personality it might be natural.

    ¡¸Even if you say help, it will be just me fighting, you know?¡¹

    There wasn¡¯t a problem of having a team or not, but in the¡ºCurse Carnival¡»thebat style is a fight between the possessed person and the contender.

    And upon winning the contender can get the Cursed Weapon of the opponent.

    Even if contender defeats the opponent, if that person isn¡¯t able to control the curse then that person would be the new possessed person and would fight new contenders, or would be taken back only to be presented in the next year¡¯s tournament.

    The end would be cruel, but still it is the person¡¯s decision to join or not. At the very least they were recruiting at the Adventurer Guild, so everything is self-responsibility of the person taking the quest.

    Anyhow, fighting alone is the prerequisite, let alone direct attack help from allies, but even support via Boost Magic is forbidden.

    ¡¸Ufufu, I know about those rules. But a diator needs a Healer to heal his wounds after the match¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, which reminds me your ss¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m a Priest, I have confidence in Heal Magic¡¹

    Nell spoke with an expression brimming with confidence as if saying ¡°Can you refute that¡±.

    It felt like that her big breasts were also shaking more proudly than usual.

    ¡¸I see, Healer, eh......¡¹

    Thinking back it might be natural.

    If it was a Adventurer Quest then evading fight with Monster would also be a great method, but the same doesn¡¯t go for diator, whose living purpose isbat.

    Upon fighting injuries along with fatigue would pile up, regardless of rtive weight.

    On the modern Earth there were MMA tournaments, which used protective gears, fighting barehanded or with weapons that won¡¯t inflict lethal wound, however, the same doesn¡¯t go in this world, here everyone uses real weapon and the fights truly are with life at stake.

    Even if the person wins it would be a lethal wound if he had a sword stabbed into him/her, so unless Cure Magic was applied it would be toote.

    Just like Nell said, the diator needs have arade who would support via healing, just like a lifeline.

    Currently Lily wasn¡¯t here, so although I have the¡ºFairies¡¯ Miracle Drug¡», but the treatment I can do with it is limited.

    Her proposal was extremely thankful, for I only have an item and my one and only original healing magic¡ºFlesh Compensation¡».

    And it¡¯s not like Nell will stand directly on the battlefield.

    ¡¸Is that really alright? I won¡¯t be able to repay you enough¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t need repayment, after all we are friends!¡¹

    Aren¡¯t we friends, her line seemed to say that, which is an amazing blessing now that I hear it again.

    However, let it be Lily or Fiona, I¡¯m always being saved by girls. When I think that I need to repay this enormous favour, I can¡¯t help but feel great pressure.[1]

    This time I want to let her rx by winning without injuries.

    ¡¸Thank you, well then, please by all means take care of me¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, please leave it to me!¡¹

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Kurono: ¡°What do you think seeing this?¡±

    Nell: ¡°It is truly......cursed......¡±

    [1] Yeah, the repayment would be make a harem of all girls! Pfft, now that sure will give enormous pressure.

 Chapter 279 The People Assemble Due To Curse

    Chapter 279 ¨C The People Assemble Due To Curse

    26th of tinum Month, the opening day of¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    The sun was already starting to sink while illumination the Spada City in red.

    That just like as if it was hinting the start of the bloody festival brought by the cursed des.

    ¡¸Yeah, this year also looks like a sess¡¹

    In the VIP room of Spada¡¯s oldest and biggest arena¡ºGrand Coliseum¡», the sponsor Vein Wortz Mordred said that with satisfaction.

    If he were a human his face would have a happy expression, but for he was a skeleton that he could only flicker the light in his eye sockets.

    Mordred sat on armchair in the VIP room while wearing a good tailored jet-ck robe with gaudy ornaments, it looked just like a Undead King reigning over an underground-type dungeon.

    Moreover he was looking at the spectators crowding the Grand Coliseum through a Scare Crystal so his presence was all the more just like that of the Undead King.

    ¡¸Seriously, I never thought so many people would be assembled here. Looks like Cursed Weapons are quite popr things¡¹

    Sitting beside Mordred was a dwarf, who seemed quite poor ifpared to the dressed up arms dealer, no, he didn¡¯t had the dwarves trait, the beard, so it might not be difficult to think of him as a human.

    At any rate that dwarf with wide small body wearing a battered suit, just didn¡¯t suitable to be present in the VIP room by any standard.

    ¡¸Most will only watch, though¡¹

    ¡¸Truly sinful¡¹

    ¡¸That is why it is interesting¡¹

    Even so the beardless dwarf didn¡¯t seem timid at all, but even talked lightly with the skeleton as though they were friends for more than tens of years.

    This alone showed that Regin Stratos, who was a cksmith of a small workshop in the Lower Area, was either a friend with this great arms dealer, Mordred, or he held ¡®something¡¯ that made him on equals with the skeleton.

    They didn¡¯t seem to be in bnce, but the two felt like they had a sort of mutual trust rtionship with each other, and they kept on harmoniously chatting.

    ¡¸Excuse me, Chairman Mordred¡¹

    A single man entered the room with movements just like that of stewards working under Great Nobles.

    He might truly be a steward as he was wearing a tailcoat.

    But, he served only under the undead Mordred, so although he had the face of human his countenance was bad¨D¨Din short, he was a person of zombie race.

    ¡¸Lord Christina Damd Spiralhorn is here to meet¡¹

    Immediately an indication ofe in¡¹flew.

    ¡¸Sprialhorn? Well I don¡¯t remember Spada having a noble with this family name¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, she is not noble of Spada, she is¨D¨D¡¹

    He decided to leave any further exnation to the person itself appearing here.

    Mordred cut off his sentence in between, and stood up to greet the noble from another country who had just now opened the door and was trying to appear inside.

    ¡¸Nice to meet you Chairman Mordred. This year too I have taken your invitation and appeared here. I am the noble of Avalon and the Vice Captain of 1st Dragoon Knights Squad¡ºDragon Heart¡», Christina Damd Spiralhorn¡¹

    The one speaking out the detailed self-introduction loud in a high-pitched voice was a single girl.

    The first thing that would catch one¡¯s eyes would be the ringlet hair which seemed like they were made out of gold.

    The helical curled hair reached to her waist, it emphasized that the hair were taller than her if straightened.

    That hairstyle was the proof of traditional noble young woman, it was especially famous in Avalon¨D¨Dbut the people who would actually do it were rare.

    That young woman with blond hair while suffering from anachronism didn¡¯t wore dress suitable for a noble girl.

    If just seeing the silhouette it would be ck dress. However, its true identity was a cloth created with the Union Metal of Dark Matter as base, and it was formed by various ornaments enchanted with every sorts of Boost Magic and Shield Magic.

    Just how much would it gross weight be, at the very least even if an ordinary adult male was to wear a full-temail made by Union Metal of Dark Matter, then without doubt that male would be coffin the next moment.

    However, while wearing that super heavy lump of metal, she stepped forward lightly.

    At a nce it would seem like the girl moved easily leading one to doubt that the armour is fake or just a ting, however the ones sitting here were arms dealer and a cksmith.

    ¡¸Wee Miss Chris, the shining of your armour seems to have increased a notch above. Truly wonderful, I want to add it in my collection¡¹

    Regin understood that once that Mordred words weren¡¯t just some ttery.

    Even he could say that the armour on this girl named Christina was a real deal. Probably, even a third-rate cksmith also won¡¯t mistake this much. It was that much of a great item.

    ¡¸I¡¯m honoured for the praise. But I have not in the least intention of let go off my¡ºGenocide Princess¡»¡¹

    Ohohohoho, Christinaughed just like a perfect noble girl.

    Her angling blue eyes seemed just like a child being proud.

    Maybe she was weak to ttery, or maybe she truly liked her armour too much, otherwise both of the reasons.

    However, coupling with her small and slender body, herughing figure with those childish yet beautiful looks, just seemed pleasant to look at.

    ¡¸Incidentally Chairman Mordred, who is that male dwarf over there?¡¹

    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that she was able to guess Regin¡¯s race in just a single nce.

    She would be able to distinguish any dwarf male at once even if they don¡¯t have the overgrown beard and goatee.

    After all, she was also from the Dwarf race.

    ¡¸I see, so even Miss Chris doesn¡¯t know about him¡¹

    Mordred let out a stifledugher and urged Regin, who was now standing for not being rude to the nobles around, to do his introduction.

    ¡¸I¡¯m called as Regin Stratos¡¹

    The cksmith expert couldn¡¯t speak any other line that was much more decent than this. Rather it was already quite great that he could speak in formal way.

    But, those sorts of information weren¡¯t of any meaning at all to Christina.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me, that ¡°Death Maker¡± Regin!?¡¹

    ¡¸It is already past¡¹

    Theposition of Christina showing overreaction and Regin smiling gently seemed stupid.

    But, Mordredpletely knew that her surprise wasn¡¯t exaggerated, hence he could onlyugh at it.

    ¡¸Chairman Mordred, is this tournament¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸But unfortunately, this year is just adjustments. It would next year onwards that our ¡°new work¡± would appear¡¹

    He interrupted her words for not having any excessive anticipation.

    Christina showed a dejected face, but even so, as a Cursed Weapon maniac she knew that it was the good news that ¡°Death Maker¡± Regin hade here, so he epted it and showed an elegant smile.

    ¡¸I see, so I will be expecting for that¡¹

    ¡¸Hahaha, it will trouble me if you don¡¯t expect much this year too¡¹

    Mordred said in an confident manner, no, this man was always overflowing with code and conduct full of confidence, but guessing their truth, it might be his true feelings and not just bluff.

    Moreover, he and Christina were ¡°kindred minds¡± so they must have a lot of interaction experience with each other.

    ¡¸Oh, you seem to be quite confident. The¡ºHound Chaserst year was also wonderful, but did it surpass that ¡®quality¡¯?¡¹

    The big skull replied in argehearted way towards her provocative way of speaking,

    ¡¸Of course, after today¡¯s main is that¡ºDemon Eyes¡»¡¹

    ¡¸Demon Eyes!? Fuh......I see, so it¡¯s the result of this ¡®feeling¡¯......Fufu, I can feel it, this sinister ck maliciousness, Vaiser......¡¹

    Seeing Victoria¡¯s strange reaction of shivering her shoulders while looking down, Regin couldn¡¯t help but ask Mordred in a small voice not audible to her.

    ¡¸Well what is that¡ºBaiser¡»? That¡¯s sealing should be perfect, right?¡¹(TL: Vaiser, who knows what it means, but Baiser means kiss in French. Regin spoke different world seeming simr)

    ¡¸Never good to embarrasses ady, you never asked me any questions, okay¡¹

    Maybe he got consent from the reply of Mordred, Regin silently nodded.

    ¡®That¡¯ was something like measles that every person admiring Cursed Weapons would be infected at least once, Regin knew about it.

    But then, this was the first time he had seen a case of some bing the same after bing Cursed Weapon-user.

    ¡¸Wonderful!! I, Christina Damd Spiralhorn, will win and get those¡ºDemon Eyes¡»of Hydra!!!!¡¹

    And, her words were connected by the ¡®ohohoho¡¯ughter from before.

    Mordred and Regin just saw over her with a warm gaze, acting like gentlemen.

    .

    .

    .

    Finishing her splendorous salutations, Christina moved towards the yers¡¯ waiting room as she walked on the path right beside the arena, while resounding out heavy sounds fitting of her darkness armour.

    She was a Avalon resident, howevering to this¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»on countless asions had led to be familiar with the interior of this ce.

    Like that as she was walking on the path exuding boorishness, suddenly she saw a single man walking from the front. He walked contrastively to her, without making any footstep sounds.

    The tournament would start soon enough, it wouldn¡¯t be unnatural for contenders and staff roaming around.

    The man wore a full body ck coat with long cuff and his face was covered with a hood. Moreover seeing a katana on his waist it was easy to know he was also an participant. However, the thing more interesting was that the face inside the hood was covered by a white mask of design imitating skulls.

    The moment Christina crossed that eerie skull mask, she muttered.

    ¡¸You¡¯re the¡ºLudora of the Red Katana¡», right?¡¹

    The man, Ludora, stopped his feet.

    ¡¸Even if you hide your face, you can¡¯t hide that blood smell and the Vaiser¡¹

    ¡¸......You don¡¯t seem to be wearing that armour for fun, little miss¡¹

    ¡¸Ufufu, it¡¯s my prided item. Your katana ¡ºBloodsucking Princess¡¸Scarlet Dye¡¹¡» is also the same, right¡¹

    The two turned around, facing each other.

    ¡¸It would be pleasant to not talk about me anymore¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry to have been rude. I know the reason you are wearing the mask¡¹

    The other name¡ºLudora of the Red Katana¡»was spread in the underworld. In short, that name wasn¡¯t something to be said in public.

    His ability couldn¡¯t be evaluated by just Adventurer Rank.

    ¡¸Thank you for that. However it¡¯s unfortunate I lost any excuse to face my sword towards you¡¹

    ¡¸You seem to thirst for blood. Just as the rumours say¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m justcking in opponents for my training¡¹

    ¡¸Truly unfortunately, thispetition isn¡¯t a tournament¡¹

    Ludoraughed, pfft, behind his mask. Christina didn¡¯t miss to hear that.

    ¡¸If this were a tournament, do you really think of being able to fight me in the finals?¡¹

    She had thought that a simr answer woulde back, but he repliedpletely unexpectedly, making her surprised.

    ¡¸Have you seen the list of contenders? This year there is not even a single Rank 5 Adventurer¡¹

    There was no one with ability rivalling her, other than this Ludora participating with a nickname. That¡¯s how it was supposed to be.

    ¡¸Sadly, we both are not the stars of this tournament¡¹

    Ludora turned over starting from the cuff of this coat, and faced his back to Christina.

    ¡¸dly watch the Fourth Match¡¹

    Leaving those words, he walked without making any sounds and disappeared to the other side of the path.

    Christina took out the participant list promptly and confirmed his words.

    ¡¸Fourth match? Just who is this man, Kurono......¡¹

 Chapter 280 Protection of White Wing Feather

    Chapter 280 ¨C Protection of White Wing Feather

    ¡¸Whoa......isn¡¯t this Coliseum much bigger than a real one¡¹

    Real one meant the Colesseum in the Rome of Earth, but this¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»in front was also an architectural structure with tradition and the history of reality.

    Although my words would incite anger in a proud genuine Spada person, but I am surprised enough to speak out words like that.

    I haven¡¯t been on abroad trip, naturally I haven¡¯t seen the ¡®real one¡¯. But I sure have seen a big dome shape structure called as Tokyo dome.

    This wasn¡¯t inferior to that, rather its appearance was big enough to make me think that this is much bigger than the dome, it really is big.

    Which remind me, the Academy also has an Coliseum, I see, so it was made imitating this, they both have boorish stone.

    This¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»seems to have been present since the time when Mia-chan was shouting and making everyone shout Victory Victory all over Pandora Continent, this surely is quite the historical structure.

    In the first ce, this Upper ss Area has many ces left which can be called scenic and historic ces.

    The surroundings of the Academy in the Lower ss Area also seems to be filled with exotic atmosphere, however just by crossing by the Second Protective Wall, that atmosphere has increased iparably.

    This is the second time I havee here, but at the first time I waspletely of unsound mind, it was right after the evacuation to Spada, so naturally I don¡¯t remember any scene of here.

    Again, seeing everything here, starting with¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»I truly admired them.

    I almost forget, I came here today not to sighsee but for a Work Quest.

    I can¡¯t be drowning in the wave of people seeming like the spectators of tournament.

    ¡¸I¡¯m ahead of Nell, I need to work hard¡¹

    I fired up myself and remembered about the amulet she gave me.

    In the bosom of¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡»was the amulet I got from her, this afternoon¨D¨D

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, umm, this......take it please!¡¹

    The thing I was handed was nothing like a chocte wrapped in heart-shaped wrapping, but it was a white wing feather.

    ¡¸You¡¯re giving me so I will take it, but what is this?¡¹

    ¡¸This is an amulet¡¹

    Moreover it wasn¡¯t something given in Shinto and Buddhist Shrines, rather it was simr to¡ºNanast Amulet¡», an amulet with magic effect hidden in it, I understood it the moment I sensed magical energy upon touching it.

    This white wing feather lying on my hand gently, seeing closely was shining faintly just like the naked Lily.

    ¡¸Can I really have this? This looks like a pricey thing¨D¨D¡¹

    Due to the poor person¡¯s mentality I can¡¯t help but worry about the price of the thing at prompt. However Nell negates my words with a smile saying she knew it all.

    ¡¸No, that is made by my divine protection, please don¡¯t mind about it¡¹

    I see, so it is hand-made. This only increases the thankfulness.

    ¡¸I see, thank you very much. By the way, what does this amulet do?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, you see¨D¨D¡¹

    Nell exined somewhat proudly.

    The amulet is named as¡ºAria Guard Feather (White Wing Feather of Mind Protect)¡»

    The name sounds like the¡ºAthena Guard Ring¡»that died right after gifting it to Fiona, moreover this also is an item that stores¡ºDivine Protection¡»inside of it.

    The ring was for normal physical protection, but this feather, just as it name suggests, has an effect of protecting the mind.

    ¡¸I understand Kurono-kun has got talent for using Cursed Weapons, but I¡¯m still worried¡¹

    I simply cannot say, ¡°it¡¯s none of your business¡±.

    Even I hold confidence in controlling the curse all thanks to ckening, however with the specialities of weapons, such as¡ºEvil Eater¡», the ckening might be nullified, and more so there might be some strong curse that I cannot control.

    In truth, the weapon with the supreme grudge I have currently is¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡», which I won¡¯t be having confidence to control if, just if, it¡¯s curse got stronger even a bit.

    Well, though curses having levelled up two times from evolution are rare, but it wasn¡¯t like they don¡¯t exist. Henceforth, worst cases can happen anytime.

    ¡¸If you have this, no matter how strong of a curse takes over you, you will be able to let go off the weapon easily¡¹

    Although this amulet doesn¡¯t help even a bit in controlling the curse, but it bes thest lifeline to oppose the domination of curse.

    It isn¡¯t an item for opposing curses, but it was blocking against Bad Status such as charm state and panic state.

    The effects of Curse are various, starting with Berserk, but most of them are of the type to gnaw at the mind of the user. This is most ideal item to block against it.

    ¡¸You made it, right? That means you have the divine protection of god named Aria, eh?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I have the divine protection of the goddess of healing and love, ¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess: Aria¡»¡¹

    As expected of being a Rank 5 Adventurer, even Nell has a proper divine protection.

    Judging by the title, the power has to do something with healing, but as expected, being a foreigner I can¡¯t get familiar with Gods of another world.

    In the ss sometime before, I had learned about various divine protections held by Adventurers and their effects, even the reason they came to be, but among all them there was no name of¡ºAria¡».

    In that case, this might be a rare divine protection.

    I got curious, asked about it, and she exined to me proudly.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right, ¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess: Aria¡»is a truly rare divine protection. Even in Avalon, there are only 5 possessing it, including me¡¹

    Let alone rare, this is super rare.

    Even I¡¯m the first person in history to get the divine protection of Mia Elrod, the Demon King, so in terms of rarity I¡¯m the supreme, however, I just don¡¯t see worth and blessing in it......no, I won¡¯t beining, god forbid if she took back the divine protection.

    ¡¸So how is that God? If the ability of divine protection is a secret, I won¡¯t ask¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s not like it is a secret, the divine protection of¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess Aria¡»is quite famous¡¹

    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹

    ¡¸That is so, after all, Aria was the elder sister of the Demon King, Mia Elrod¡¹

    ¡¸No way!?¡¹

    Seeing my shock, Nell was also shocked.

    No, sorry, I never thought that Mia-chan had a elder sister.

    But, thinking on it, Mia-chan also was a human at first. It¡¯s nothing unnatural having one or two brother and sisters.

    ¡¸You seem to know Demon King, but nothing about the elder sister Aria¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve not been in Spada for long, so I¡¯m quite estranged to the legends and such¡¹

    I have heard stories from Wil, and took sses, letting me learn fragmentary episodes, but still I can¡¯t sense any signs of being familiar to them all.

    Well, let¡¯spensate for thecking knowledge by asking other people, just like now.

    ¡¸Aria Elrod was a great user of healing magic. But, she just wasn¡¯t able to cure the incurable disease she was suffering with. There is an episode of Mia Elrod, her younger brother, trying each and every method to cure her disease, left in the legends¡¹

    How heartbreaking. If my sister suffered from an incurable disease, I will also search for a cure with the resolve like that of death will.

    The affinity, respect and piety increased on its own, but let¡¯s ignore it for now.

    The legend of Mia-chan starts its main part from the time Mia-chan started out as the emperor trying to unify Pandora, but still the legend has some instances of the time before being an emperor, meaning, the childhood of shepherd and student days.

    Apparently the elder sister Aria kicked the bucket before Mia-chan became the emperor, and she is talked a lot scarcely in the legends.

    However, as a proof of her existence was that now people having her divine protection started to appear.

    At the same time, in the short time she lived, she had aplished exploits to be a God.

    ¡¸That famous legend was the only one that aplished in resurrecting the dead in the whole history¡¹

    It is impossible topletely revive a dead person, looks like that is the samemon sense even in this world of magic.

    But, bending about that absolute truth, Aria was made into an Healing Goddess.

    ¡¸It ispletely unknown of the method, however she still revived Mia Elrod, no doubt about that¡¹

    And the person reviving miraculously ended up bing the future Demon King, this story is too good to be true.

    Maybe it is called a legend all because of this.

    ¡¸Why did Mia die?¡¹

    ¡¸It is said that Mia got engulfed in the conspiracy of those inside the Elrod Empire, trying to steal the throne, or so is recorded in legends. However, Aria seemed to have lost her life due to the usage of this dead revival magic¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s just like as if she distributed her life¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, the theory of a magic capable of distributing one¡¯s life force to other is the most probable. But among the various Ancient Magics with iprehensible magic equation, the dead revival magic is special, hence nothing is known about it¡¹

    Although the Ancient Era had much more advanced magic technique, it was still impossible to revive a dead.

    A modern magician obviously inferior to the magic of that time, of course cannot reach that height in a single bound.

    Dead revival would still be told as legend for some more time.

    ¡¸Ah, but, in truth Aria wasn¡¯t dead, but rather became the close aide of Demon King, the¡ºck Witch: Endymion¡», or so says another theory¡¹

    Many characters had appeared in the legend of Mia Elrod, but among them all, the one with most mystery was this witch called Endymion.

    She plotted conspiracies and strategies against Mia at important points. She was vicious and cruel, but still she showed definite results helping in the unification of Pandora Continent. I remember that she was infamous. She was truly fitting the word¡ºwitch¡»as a baddie. (Yes against Mia and not enemies of Mia. Maybe typo by author, or maybe foreshadowing, who knows......the story has yet to reach that part even in raws. And there is another foreshadowing, you guess can guess it in couple of sentencester)

    ¡¸But, I truly think it¡¯s not like that¡¹

    ¡°Oho¡±, why is that, I asked her, to which she replied happily.

    ¡¸The time I was given the divine protection, I heard her words, although just for some time. That was kind and warm......I understood the moment I heard it, that she is the Goddess of healing and love¡¹

    Looks like that was truly an miraculous experience of hearing the voice of a God. My meeting with Mia-chan was quite different, oh wait, isn¡¯t Aria¡¯s way the true method to grant divine protection.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why, the well-known atrocious inhuman¡ºck Witch: Endymion¡»is someone different. Moreover, the people who have earned the divine protection of this Devil God, all have be great sinners enough to leave their name in history¡¹

    The newest person who awakened with the divine protection of Endymion had sacrificed many small children by burning them into ashes, and was executed for that crime. Surely, it is a bad story.

    On the other hand, this¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess: Aria¡»is a exceptionally rare divine protection, so it is guessed there are none currently, hence no chance to meet them.

    ¡¸By the way, I¡¯ve got a question for you¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, what is it?¡¹

    ¡¸Mia was younger brother, that means, he is a man right?¡¹

    Here, right now, the mystery of Mia-chan¡¯s gender will be revealed.

    Wil also said, the Avalon Royal Family might know about that truth, for being the true descendants.

    So, who are you, a male? A female? Which one!?

    ¡¸Err, you¡¯re right, being a famous demon king, naturally, we have been told he is a man, but¨D¨D¡¹

    Is a man but? What is this ending of line? Shouldn¡¯t it be just a male now?

    ¡¸He was a female, such a theory is also deep-rooted in many. Ufufu, legends sure are interesting¡¹

    Damn it, so no answer in the end! I can¡¯t be going on shing my unreasonable vexation, so I said¡¸you¡¯re right¡¹with a cool poker face to dodge this talk already.

    I got away from the talk about Mia-chan as to forget my chagrin, and returned to the topic from before.

    ¡¸So, Nell used the divine protection of a healing magic master goddess to create this amulet, is that right? Seems like a divine favour to me!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, being endowed with this divine protection of¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess: Aria¡»is my only pride. That¡¯s why this amulet will surely protect you¡¹

    Nell spoke with a smile equalling to that of a true Goddess.

    ¡¸Moreover, I will be there as a healer, so no matter how much you are injured, I will always save you Kurono-kun¡¹

    Those words seemed to me as if they were filled with solid determination, just like the resolve of a person challenging a fight.

    I understood the reason why that Goddess of healing and love had given Nell her divine protection. Rather, who else would get it if not her?

    At that time, I surely was charmed by her.

    ¡¸Thank you Nell, help me if something happens¡¹

    After some seconds, I somehow was able to speak out a wless line.

 Chapter 281 Lost Child

    Chapter 281 ¨C Lost Child

    Nell Julius Elrod departed from Royal Spada Academy with nervousness and determination rivalling with the time she first went for a quest as an Adventurer.

    In truth, she didn¡¯t wear her normal zer-type uniform, but a white Shinto Priest clothes made forbat use, she looked just like what a Priest should look like.

    Moreover, she held a lunchbox packed with egg sandwiches that she had gain mastery in, so as to give them all to Kurono if he were to feel hungry after match.

    Today she was a perfect healer who would not be embarrassed to go to any Coliseum, or so was a groundless confidence swelling within her.

    ¡¸Just wait Kurono-kun, I will soone!¡¹

    Whoa, Nell filled herself with spirit, and stepped out of the main entrance.

    The¡ºCurse Carnival¡»starts in the night. Like that she would arrive there while having more than enough surplus time.

    Although, Kurono being a contender had reached the venue,¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»much faster.

    Nell was hardcore in the no sense of direction skill, so this method of meeting at a ce was not good, still it was that famous¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»we were talking about. Even she knew the road till there.

    After all, one would naturally reach it by just walking straight on the biggest avenue in Spada, there¡¯s nothing like routes. Even touristsing to Spada for the first time wouldn¡¯t be lost.

    But Nell knew about her prided no sense of direction skill, so she thought of walking while being cautious. At least five ago, she sure did thought like that.

    (Ufufu, it¡¯s kind of pleasing, to be a Healer for my friend)

    As soon as she started moving towards the destination, those sorts of fickle thoughts filled up her mind.

    Of course, just like she had given Kurono a special amulet in the noon, she was overly-cautious to not let him face any deathly danger, and she was getting anxious thinking about the worst case scenario.

    Though Nell had a modest character, but she had a self-confidence of possessing a very rare divine protection of healing magic.

    That¡ºAria Guard Field¡»used the young hers divine protection, but still, it was created with the cooperation of more than a dozen of imperial mages and various valuable ingredients. Handmade, or rather it was a perfect custom-made high grade Magic Item.

    But then, the finished product is in the condition where it used just one feather of Nell¡¯s wings, so from people not rted in its making would not be able to understand how much of items and work was needed to make it.

    If appraised correctly, its cost would surely be above ten million n.

    Nell didn¡¯t inform him about any of that information at the time of gifting it to him because of two feelings, one being of her wanting for Kurono to take her gift without any hesitation, while other being her wanting for Kurono to take an Item created by her feather just for him.

    As a result Kurono equipped that¡ºAria Guard Feather¡», hence reducing Nell¡¯s concern greatly, therefore the feeling of happiness from helping a friend was winning against other feelings.

    Moreover, theposition of a lovely male diator having a beautiful female as a Healer was a situation that most of the girls on Pandora Continent yearned for.

    Even the Princess of Avalon was not an exception to that, after all she too was a maiden having proper sensitivity.

    The love-story of a diator and Healer were quite a lot if counting since the Ancient Era, but the test story¡¯ of it would be the Current Spada King, Leonhard and First Queen.

    In the biggest sword battle tournament of Spada opening once every four year,¡ºBattle Olympia¡», the young Leonhart participated while hiding his status.

    There was a special reward that the King would fulfil to any single wish of the victor, hence Leonhart won through the whole cruel tournament and asked the King, his real father, to allow his marriage with the female Priest who was the Healer in that tournament.

    Nell had even heard that dramatic story right from the mouth of the person himself, so it was only natural for her to have even stronger yearning.

    (I-If Kurono wanted to marry me then......No, that is n-not Kurono-kun, kyaaaah!)

    If he won thepetition he would only get the fight money and the Cursed Weapon nothing else, moreover it wasn¡¯t even a tournament so overall victory was nonexistent. Naturally, sorts like King would fulfil any one wish and so on was in not in slightest rted.

    It was perfect delusionpletely unrted to Kurono¡¯s will, but there was no way to retort for it.

    Like that Nell walked on with dangerous steps while unfolding a sweet vani delusion with man she was worried about, just like a maiden of her age, but,

    ¡¸Uwaaann, Onii-chaaaaann!¡¹

    ¡¸I-Idiot! Don¡¯t cry......¡¹

    Abruptly, a small child¡¯s crying voice reached her ears, causing Nell to awaken from her delusions and pay attention to it.

    There were two humans of less than ten, one a younger girl and other an older boy, most probably siblings.

    The brother wasforting the grumbling little sister, but the brother¡¯s face had an anxiety even above than the fact that her younger sister had started crying.

    The pedestrians turned their gazes at them, but seeing no criminal act was going on they kept on passing by without paying much heed to it.

    After all their parent¡¯s would be near, everyone would think about it like that.

    However, Nell stopped and kept looking but there was no sign of parentsing.

    ¡¸Are they lost children? ......¡¹

    If a small child were to be anxious within the city, anyone would think of it like that.

    Can¡¯t ignore it, any good-hearted person would think like that and start helping.

    And Nell was kind-hearted to be called the representative of those good-hearted people. At the very least everyone person who knew her, thought like that.

    Adding on the rtion of elder brother and younger sister directly matched her own.

    In childhood she too moved around while holding her brother¡¯s hand.

    She had went around many ces¨D¨DIn the Avalon Royal Castle that was like abyrinth from inside, a beautifully maintained garden, the friendly Spada, her holiday vi in Asbel Mountain Range.

    And the superior yet rascal brother would always secretly sneak out to y regardless of the ce they went out, along with her clumsy, blockhead and cute younger sister.

    Her memories with her brother would unceasingly appear if she were to close her eyes and think about it.

    No, that wasn¡¯t anything of the past currently. Even now, aftering to study in Spada, her brother would always hold her hand and move around.

    The beautiful sibling love, that wasn¡¯t something just for the two of them, if was the simrly existing between the two small siblings in front of her.

    No matter what, have to save those two small siblings, not to let them cry from anxiety, want to make today as a page of fun memory within the two.

    Nell¡¯s heart emphasized to get on with it without hesitation.

    Without doubting that, her body moved and at that time,

    ¡¸Thank you Nell, help me if something happens¡¹

    The figure of her friend saying those words of trust to her appeared in her head.

    Her irreceable friend, who would fight in a life-and-death battle soon, and would also need her help.

    ¡¸W-What should I do......Kurono-kun......¡¹

    If she helped the lost children, she wouldn¡¯t reach the venue by the time of opening of the¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    Although she would have more than enough surplus time were she to walk on straight just like now, however she didn¡¯t have surplus time to be taking a detour.

    If she had promised to y, there was no problem to exin the situationter, however, this time it was rted to a dangerous sword battle.

    If she arrivedte as the Healer, if something irreversible urred......just thinking that her foot about to step forward stopped as though petrified.

    ¡¸What, should I do......¡¹

    Although the dangerous¡ºCurse Carnival¡», if it were to be her brother as the contender in ce of Kurono, she would definitely help the lost children without hesitation.

    She trusted that much of the ability of her brother.

    She couldn¡¯t think that something bad could ur just by her beingte, after all her brother was superior in everything, studies, physical training, magic and was even gifted with heavenly luck.

    Her older brother was too much superior that caused her to feel sense of powerlessness.

    Most probably she thought of that not only when thinking of her brother, but every party member in her party¡ºWing Road¡».

    The Third Princes of Spada, and her best friend, Charlotte Tristan Spada. Heaven-sent child of sword Kai Est Galbraith. The prodigal Necromancer holding the Demon Eyes, Safiel Maya Hydra.

    Those three were superior to everyone, holding talents as though they were loved by the ck Gods of the Pandora Continent.

    That was to the extent that it can¡¯t be covered with her possessing the super rare divine protection of¡ºHeaven Calming Imperial Princess: Aria¡».

    In short, it wouldn¡¯t matter were she to remain or leave¡ºWing Road¡».

    The party with a party name with¡ºWinging from her white wings growing from back, had no need for that person herself, what aughingstock she was.

    ¡¸But, Kurono-kun is......¡¹

    However, Kurono was different.

    He wasn¡¯t a perfect human like her brother, to the extent that even she could teach him magic.

    Conversely, he pointed out her food was rotten to core without hesitation, and even taught her the proper way to cook.

    That rtion of filling up the defects in each other was perfectly that of the friendship that Nell had imagined.

    Now was it a truly fated meeting, or just that Nell didn¡¯t know but this was the way many friends met at first all around the world.

    In either case, Nell wanted to use her power for her friend needing it.

    ¡¸Waaaan, I haaaaaate iiiiiiit! Papa!!! Mama!!! Where are you!!¡¹

    The voice of small little sister rose up and brought Nell back from the centre of tornado of thoughts.

    (I¡¯m sorry Kurono-kun, I, just can¡¯t ignore these lost children!)

    She was worried about Kurono, no doubt.

    But, she couldn¡¯t select the option of leaving alone the small child in front of her.

    And finally, Nell started moving.

    For just saving the pitiable brother and younger sister.

 Chapter 282 Nameless (1)

    Chapter 282 ¨C Nameless (1)

    ¡¸Did Nell get lost......¡¹

    We promised to meet here, but there is no sign of her appearing in this¡ºGrand Coliseum¡».

    Naturally I¡¯m quite worried about her, but as expected I can¡¯t be leaving the quest to go search for her.

    After waiting for thest minute of the time on the front gate, I reluctantly entered the venue, finished various formalities before finally reaching the waiting room.

    Although it is called as waiting room, it was just like the benches for baseball yers, meanwhile one can see the mound, no, arena clearly from here.

    Regardless of Adventurer Rank, all contenders are assembling here. Numerous people were standing all over the ce equipped with good equipments, the scenes was just like that of Adventurer Guild¡¯s lobby.

    However, as expected of Cursed Weapon maniacs, many of them seemed very bizarre.

    Especially the youngdy, who was standing boldly in front wearing equipment with gaudy design, seeming just like a ck wedding dress.

    You see, she¡¯s got some great ringlets, so obviously she¡¯s some rich youngdy. She even adds¡¸deswa~¡¹at the end of sentence, one more proof.

    Seeing her eating popcorn held under her arms seemed somewhat elegant.

    Moreover, the man sitting beside her was also emitting quite the conspicuousness.

    He was wearing a ck coat simr to mine, but his face was covered by a mask of skull-design.

    Furthermore, he has a katana at his waist, making me remember of that battle maniac vampire from before.

    Well, the Prince of Avalon also had it, doesn¡¯t seem like that much of a rare weapon to me now.

    Well, leaving aside that bothering participant; the¡ºCurse Carnival¡»has already started.

    Right it the Second Fight is at its peak. A lizard-man armed with a halberd is having a hard time against a human male swinging some Cursed Weapon.

    The ground of Arena was just like a ce with an extensively spread out dirt surface, without any obstacles; in short the fight was head-on without having anything to hide.

    Seeing the two fight in this ridiculously big arena somehowcked a massive impact, however, that would be filled upter by the high-level battles using shy martial skills and offensive magic.

    Well, I n to return before that, though.

    ¡¸Good gried, to be fighting against Nameless, truly unfortunate, both me and you¡¹

    I faced the ce the voice came from only to find a young man crossing his long legs and sitting right beside me on the bench.

    He had long blond hair, blue eyes and a fine nose bridge, even without those long ears of his it is easy to guess his race is Elf.

    That Light Armour covering his body probably was arranged from Mithril making him look more like a Prince and less like an adventurer.

    This person is probably the participant for the Third Match.

    After that is mine, so maybe he just strike a conversation with me just because of whim.

    ¡¸What is a Nameless?¡¹

    I was neither nervous nor all worked up so I also tried to get along with his conversation.

    ¡¸You dunno even that? Hahah, what newbie¡¹

    Even the sarcastic smile turns good model for an portrait if the face is handsome.

    I am used to be treated like a newbie. I can¡¯t be getting angry over each and every thing, like that I pondered nonchntly.

    ¡¸The match is already decided with you being like that, but anyway, I better tell you¡¹

    Is that the so-called, a souvenir to afterlife?

    No, this ain¡¯t about you¡ºck Hair Curse ¡¸Coffin¡¹¡», I didn¡¯t call for you so stop shouting ¡¸Master~~¡¹in my head repeatedly.

    I strengthened my ckening on Hitsugi-chan for shutting her up, and lent my ear to the exnation given by this kind handsome Elf.

    ¡¸Listen, all Cursed Weapons will be cursed but not all of them will have names. Just like in normal weapons, from best to worst, same exists in this realm in the form of Top Named to Nameless¡¹

    ¡¸So Nameless is the lowest grade for Cursed Weapon, is that right?¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re quick on the uptake. I don¡¯t hate that sort of person¡¹

    yboy smiled elegantly, however fortunately being a man I felt nothing.

    ¡¸The name can¡¯t be appraised too, in short, the blood sucked by that weapon is still far too low, it is something like a child of Cursed Weapons. It could evolve if used continuously but who knows how many years ahead would thate to be. A patient story it is.¡¹

    He said as if dering he won¡¯t ever use that.

    Well, I also won¡¯t think ofboriously raise any Cursed Weapon by wasting lost of my time. It¡¯s not like those Apostle going to sit back eating popcorn while the weapon strengthens.

    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡¹

    ¡¸Well aren¡¯t I? Now I can only expect for some surprise or wait for next year¡¹

    Apetition in Coliseum, listening to those words only tournament would appear in one¡¯s mind, but this¡ºCurse Carnival¡»has a rule; one participant may fight just one time.

    The sponsor side seems to pair up the opponents after taking their abilities in ount.

    They seem to be carefully thinking carefully of thebination of a high grade cursed weapon and a high ranked Adventurer, after all it would be the main show, meanwhile for low ranked people like me and others, we seem to be fighting against any random person.

    Rank 3 is already enough to be called as a sessful adventurer, however the special treatments are given only after Rank 4. So the wall between first-rate and second-rate is quick thick.

    Leaving that aside, in the end, my opponent in Fourth Match will also be a Nameless weapon.

    No name even after appraisal would mean a weapon of much lower level than the¡ºCursed Hatched¡¸Tsujigiri¡¹¡»I stole from that goblin, in short a weapon with utterly powerless curse.

    Hmm, looks like I won¡¯t be able to get a strong weapon that easily.

    This Elf must also be feeling that disappointment. Expecting for next year would mean, something among the lines of praying for getting a good weapon next year.

    But, what is that surprise?

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t the surprise battles from the barge of other opponent, or a royal battle normal in sword battles? The Chairman Mordred is a shrewd trader, course he is going to add those sorts of surprises ¡®deliberately¡¯¡¹

    I see, so an outline process it is.

    Well, from the view points ofpetitors fighting with life at stake that would not be tolerable, but if it¡¯s about that big skeleton asshole, who loves to swindle others, he would surely give orders like that in a happy mood.

    But, this Elf actually wants that surprise himself,

    ¡¸You¡¯re quite confident¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, sort of¡¹

    Elf expressed a smile full of satisfaction, as though saying thank goodness I asked him about it.

    ¡¸You also seem to be Rank 3 Adventurer, but¡ª¡ª¡¹

    A silver shining Guild Card is suspended on my neck, it¡¯s only obvious to know my rank at a nce.

    ¡¸I reached to this rank in just 3 years¡¹

    Oho, well he sure has suffered quite some hardship for quite the amount of time.

    ¡¸You see, in just 3 years¡¹

    ¡¸O-oooh......¡¹

    So that was your boasting point, dammit.

    But I shouldn¡¯t be rude to a person I meet for the first time, so I became a yes-man and evaded this point.

    Well, if I were alone without Lily and Fiona, it would¡¯ve taken time to reach till here, I can¡¯t be making fun of him.

    ¡¸But, a different sort of talent is needed to use Cursed Weapons, nothing rted to fighting......do you know that?¡¹

    ¡¸Bodily constitution, right?¡¹

    I have been bestowed this opinion both from the receptionist at Guild and the Princess of Avalon.

    ¡¸That¡¯s how it is. That¡¯s why even though I had rare sword talent, but I kept away from Cursed Weapon, however¡ª¡ª¡¹

    As though saying something important, he raised up his blond long hair.

    If this were a shoujo manga, this scene would be drawn in a big centre square along with sparkling effect in background.

    ¡¸¡ª¨CLooks like, the heavens have given me two things¡¹

    ¡¸So, you can use the Cursed Weapons¡¹

    Sending a meaningful sidelong nce to me, the Elf took out the sword in his hand from the scabbard.

    ¡¸Look at it, isn¡¯t this a good sword?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s a Mithril Sword, right?¡¹

    Seeing the entire de shining with silver light, even I can understand the name of sword, although not having any eye for appraisal.

    Or rather, I think I have seen it somewhere before......

    ¡¸Yeah, this is surely a Mithril Sword. However, ites along with curse¡¹

    Hmm, a Cursed Mithril Sword reminds me of that fake sword with Mithril ting that Mordred once tried to give me¡ª¡ªAh, I see, so this is the one from that time.

    ¡¸I can hear the voice of hatred just by grabbing this sword......but, I didn¡¯t go mad upon listening to the voice, rather I felt pity for it¡¹

    No, it can¡¯t be, he is speaking with lots of confidence, so maybe this is not that fake shit sword. I want to believe it as a coincidence.

    ¡¸Maybe because I¡¯m like this, Chairman Mordred thought of giving me this sword. He said that I had the talent of possessing a strong heart¡¹

    Uggghh, this ain¡¯t shit. This Elf is being scammed so shrewdly.

    What to do, considering he will snap at me, I should tell him the truth. After all it¡¯s a matter of life and death¡ª¡ª

    ¡¸Oh, the match is finished. I feel bad for you to appear after my splendorous match, but work hard¡¹

    Speaking those words in the end, the yboy left his seat at once.

    I couldn¡¯t make it.

    It can¡¯t be helped; he is also a splendid adventurer. Since he is fighting with the determination of dying, it¡¯s his responsibility for reaching whatever end that awaits him.

    Although I feel somewhat guilt, but he could¡¯ve snapped back at me if I showed too much kindness to him, it¡¯s better to not speak anything, as an Adventurer this is the right thing to do.

    ¡¸But, I finally understand the reason, why Nell and Erina tried to stop me¡¹

    Looking in the arena, the lizardman with wounds all over body was raising up the Cursed Weapon he stole from the opponent, and was raising a war cry as though saying he won.

    But, next moment the lizardman turned different.

    He went mad, started crying out loud in voice just like wild animals, something that can¡¯t be called as words, and he started swinging the sword in the empty area.

    He failed in controlling the curse, in short, he was possessed.

    The spectators crowding the seats within the¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»all watched it happily, while raising shouts of joy.

    ¡¸What an evilpetition it is¡¹

    I will go back right after finishing the match, I swore in my heart.

 Chapter 283 Nameless (2)

    Chapter 283 ¨C Nameless (2)

    ¡¸GuuaaaaeeggggaaaayyyaayyiiiiooooOOoooo!!¡¹

    The one shouting while spitting foam from sides of mouth was the yboy Elf from before who told me the meaning of Nameless just before.

    His slim browswere angled unnaturally, his eyes being half white and half bloodshot, and he was baring his teeth while waving his tongue out, just like a hunger-struck dog.

    That beautiful face of his is already past.

    ¡¸I should¡¯ve stopped him......¡¹

    The Elf departed to the arena gallently, defeated the lizardman, who was taken over by curse, with his unexpectedly sharp sword attacks, it went greatly till there.

    The next moment he elegantly took up the opponent¡¯s Nameless sword, he also went down the same fate as the lizardman.

    ¡¸GuuggeeeeggEEEEeeeee!¡¹

    And this is what has be of him.

    How cruel, I want to scold in my head, but the spectators are crueler.

    The scene of the beautiful Elf getting taken over by curse was much more popr than the lizardman, apparently, resulting in the increase of uprush at once.

    ¡¸Well then, the next person is, an Adventurer who ranked up at tremendous speeds and is also a secret topic within Guilds, a member of Rank 3 Adventurer Party¡ºElement Master¡», the ck Magician, Contender Kurono!!¡¹

    It¡¯s the first time I hear myself being a secret topic. It¡¯s hard to guess if it¡¯s a truth or just a lie to enliven things.

    Whilst hearing the ardent announcement of the man, the officials standing beside me give a GO sign to me.

    This ce is the passage reaching the arena.

    The moment I pass through the entrance three steps in front of me, the insane Elf shouting near the centre of arena would percept me and attack on me.

    Unless I enter from that entrance, no, that barrier covering the whole arena, the insane person inside won¡¯t be attacking me. Moreover, the barrier covering the arena is a transparent one, just like the one that was present on the castle walls of Daedalus.

    It is installed with perception interference magic, and other strong defensive magic to protect the spectators from effects of long-range attacks.

    This strong barrier should be ced on a stronghold, but, I can now understand the enthusiasm of people of Spada, who love sword battles the most.

    Leaving that aside, I should just finish this match immediately.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go¡¹

    Mumuring quietly like that, I headed towards the arena.

    .

    .

    .

    ¡¸Well then, the next person is, an Adventurer who ranked up at tremendous speeds and is also a secret topic within Guilds, a member of Rank 3 Adventurer Party¡ºElement Master¡», the ck Magician, Contender Kurono!!¡¹

    Thanks to the amplification magic, the moment this announcement was made, in one of the seat among ten thousand seats, one person¡¯s heartbeat increased. It was Erina.

    That was not because of the fact that she herself was the person making Kurono a secret topic in Guild, but because she was worried about Kurono.

    (Kurono-kun, will you be really fine......)

    The cursed sword being swung currently in the Arena was the one that had made every person go mad till now, ever since the first match.

    That Elf swordsman was a Rank 3 Adventurer, his sword skills were also something. As an extra info, he had made moves on her. Although she had rejected them all.

    Anyhow, even someone having good ability like him was easily taken over by the curse. No matter if it was just a Nameless, but Erina was made to realize the threat of Cursed Weapons.

    (Hmm, it¡¯ll be fine, that serial killer was much more scary after all)

    The insane movements of Elf swordsman resembled a lot to that of serial killer Joto, who beat Erian down to the very bottom of fear, however she didn¡¯t see that incident as a nightmare.

    (Kurono-kun will definitely not lose!)

    The moment she settled that in her heart, a single ck shadownded on the Arena just like a gale.

    The distance between the first floor arena and second floor stands was quite a lot, but to make up for it, the barrier covering the Arena had an ideal magic engraved into it for spectating.

    It didn¡¯t increase the eyesight like¡ºHawk Eye¡», but rather it erged everything inside the barrier and showed it on the transparent wall.

    Therefore, even in the clear sky-blue eyes of Erina, that human figure was clearly visible.

    It was a single man appearing in the Arena with light steps, whilst fluttering his ck hair along with the ck coat.

    ¡¸Kyaaaaaa! Kurono-kun, go for it!!¡¹

    Erina cheered for the contender for fourth match, Kurono.

    Naturally, it would not reach the ears of Kurono standing in the Arena. Considering the loudness of the venue, her voice would only reach one or two seats in her surroundings.

    ¡¸Who is that girl?¡¹

    ¡¸Who knows, probably some friend of that Kurono man?¡¹

    The young female spectators sitting beside Erina rolled their eyes at her.

    (Hmph, as if lowlifes like you will ever understand the appeal of Kurono-kun)

    Rather than embarrassment, her feelings for Kurono won over, making her enraged on the females.

    ¡¸I liked the face of that Elf from before¡¹

    ¡¸That ck coat, some!¡¹

    (Like you will ever understand his appeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

    Erina¡¯s resentment increased as she started gritting her teeth towards the females ridiculing Kurono.

    ¡¸Go for it!¡¹

    Even so, they should learn something from this small child purely cheering for Kurono, or so Erina thought while trying to hold back her anger thanks to her steeled rationality.

    That ck haired red-eyed child had a face that was hard to say of either male or female. But, he was wearing a male uniform of Royal Spada Academy, so it was easy to understand that he was a cute boy.

    Holding the staple food for spectators, the Popcorn, in one hand, he was cheering for Kurono, looking at that scene Erina felt her heart soothe.

    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s already the fourth match! Contender Kurono is from the rare ss of ck Magician, oh wait, looking closely Contender Kurono doesn¡¯t possess any weapons! Is he going to fight empty-handed like Monks!?¡¹

    The shameless words wanting spectators to be more passionate didn¡¯t enter Erina¡¯s ears as she watched the small child stuffing his cheeks with popcorn.

    ¡¸Well then, just what sort of fight is Contender Kurono going to show¨D¨D¡¹

    *Booom*

    An explosion sound interrupted the announcement and reverberated in the whole Coliseum, at that moment, Erina returned her eyesight back on Arena thinking what happened there.

    There was Kurono standing while holding the cursed longsword in his right hand, and the corpse of Elf, the owner of that longsword just before, was lying down.

    It was obvious at a nce that Elf had already be a corpse because the cranium from above the forehead had been sttered while shily spurting out blood and brains on the ground.

    ¡¸......Eh?¡¹

    What happened, looks like this was a question that everyone other than Erina also had.

    She had just take her eyes off for a second, then, just how in that short amount of time did Kurono steal that cursed sword, and also, blow up the head.

    Every person had seen that decisive moment, but the spectators, none of them, were able to understand what just happened.

    The question at once became noisy enough to be heard here and there in the whole Coliseum.

    Kurono didn¡¯t even dere himself as the winner, but just threw that Nameless sword which had turned all ck who knows when, into a shadow extending behind his back.

    It must be Dimension Magic, the sword disappeared as though sinking into the shadow, and Kurono again bes empty-handed.

    Like that, as though nothing had urred, he turned back on his heels naturally to exit from the ce.

    ¡¸Eh, what, just happened?¡¹

    As expected there was one capable of answering that question.

    .

    .

    .

    The things I needed to kill the insane Elf was just two shots, a fake Full Metal Jacket, just a normal Bullet Arts and a Grenade Burst with restricted explosion power.

    I sent the Grenade Burst at his right hand, so he definitely releases the Cursed Weapon, meanwhile the Bullet Art¡¯s one bullet went to the forehead of the true body.

    The Goblin who was once possessed by¡ºCursed Hatchet¡ºTsujigiri¡»¡»certainly evaded or warded off the Bullet Arts, no it was¡ºRifle¡»and¡ºAnti-Material¡»at that time, anyhow, it warded them off with the de, it showed truly terrifying reflexes.

    As a Nameless is of lower grade, so it¡¯s easy to guess that the Berserk Level will also be lower than that.

    In short I thought about like this, wouldn¡¯t it do to be half-assed about it?

    And my predictions hit the mark, the bullets magnificently hit the mark.

    ¡¸It sure ended fast¡¹

    I murmured while watching the Elf male lying dead while spurting blood from forehead and the brains from back of head.

    The Nameless sword is already in my hand.

    I didn¡¯t aim for it. Just that the sword got blown thanks to Grenade Burst and ended up flying towards me.

    If I just stood there it might¡¯ve hit me right in face, or had I dodged it, it would¡¯ve been troublesome to be going to pick it up, so I decided catch it.

    It came at me at the speed of arrow, but I¡¯m not an remodelled human for nothing. Even without Boost, I can easily catch a swording at me.

    And as usual, the hateful voices reached my head from the hilt, which I forcibly shut up with ckening, and threw it inside Shadow Gate.

    Maybe it ended anti-climactically that even the spectators were making noise about something and not a single was giving me a round of apud.

    Well whatever, I didn¡¯t participate to make them happy.

    Like this, my first Sword Battle Tournament ended, period.

    ¡¸......Hm?¡¹

    Or maybe not.

    I moved towards the entrance for leaving this ce at once, but suddenly the I sensed magical energy increasing¨D¨Dno, speaking precisely, I saw something shine brightly.

    I have very bad premonition, but I don¡¯t seem to have an option of not turning around.

    ¡¸I somehow seem to remember experiencing something simr¡¹

    The sources releasing the lights were 8.

    A circle of 2 metres of diameter was drawn with bright blue colour. It was made from geometrical patterns and another-world alphabets mixed together.

    I don¡¯t know what that Magic Equation is about, but I immediately understood the effect of magic. In short it is Summon Magic.

    From the lights appeared different people holding different weapons. Human, Elf, Dwarf, Goblin, Orc, Lamia, Cyclops and Gargoyle.

    All of them were showing the white of the eyes, had rough wild breath, and were all raising groans from their mouths.

    They were all in Berserk State, as for reason, naturally are those Cursed Weapons in their hands.

    ¡¸Wooooooooww! An ident has urred! Looks like the other Cursed Weapon-users we had as spares were all released at once due to a mistake!!¡¹

    I see, so this is the surprise.

    Although I know it, but this situation makes me remember ¡®that¡¯ even if I don¡¯t want to.

    There is one enemy on the field, and suddenly there are near tens of reinforcements.

    This makes me remember of when I first used the ck magic, about those annoying mobile experiments.

    ¡¸Making me remember the darkest times¡¹

    I can feel the sensation of heartbeat pulse from inside the Shadow Gate.

    It¡¯s only that which can react this much to my anger.

    ¡¸Fine, help me vent my anger in quite a while¨D¨D¡¹

    I held my hand above me shadow and a jet-ck hilt appeared with a force as though some hungry wild animal was attack at its prey.

    ¡¸¨D¨DLet¡¯s go¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»¡¹

 Chapter 284 Nameless (3)

    Chapter 284 ¨C Nameless (3)

    Eight Cursed Weapon-users appeared in front of my eyes after passing through the blue Summon Magic light.

    I brandished¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡», and at the same time they all attacked at me.

    The spectators looking from the side might not be able to tell who was possessed by the curse, either me or them.

    ¡¸Haaaaaah!¡¹

    After all, I¡¯m even shouting out loud to fire myself up.

    The eight perceived me as their prey and attacked on me, but they didn¡¯t have any teamwork at all.

    As a result, they ignored the irond rule of party y, and they chose the stupid idea of reaching me fast, so they would reach me in turns with the fastest being the first.

    ¡¸Kiyyooooooooo!¡¹

    ¡¸Uuuaaaahh!!¡¹

    Two females, one Goblin, one human, were the ones nearing me first.

    The former was armed with a somewhatrger dagger that Thief ss uses, while thetter was armed with a Short Lance that the Law Guardians of Spada use normally.

    Well if it were a newbie or a Low Rank Adventurer, they might be able to kill him or her with just a single strike, thanks to their Berserk State, however,

    ¡¸KuroNagi!¡¹

    I¡¯m not that easy an opponent.

    I deploy my most used side sweep Martial Skill. I shed the torso of the approaching two while the de was gushing out Aura as though thunderously roaring.

    ¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»is endowed with a sword de reaching the size of a bastard sword, which can easily cut from outside the range of dagger, albeit it being somewhat big.

    As expected of getting the name Short, the reach didn¡¯t even reach that of a normalnce.

    For the time being, I was able to evade the spearhead that was aimed at my heart without getting my¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡»any scratch, so no problem there.

    Both of them already have their upper and lower bodies split apart in two, so neither ance wille at me, nor a dagger.

    Before the upper bodies of the two fell on the ground with the innards and intestines and blood and gore sttered on ground, I shook my de and took evasive measures.

    ¡¸GooooOAAAAA!!¡¹

    The Orc reached towards me 3 stepster than the first two, holding the standard Battle Axe for warriors above his head.

    On the left edge of my vision, the Lamia went around me and brandished her scimitar, so although insane she is still a sly snake.

    And even more sly would be the male Elf standing behind the Orc whilst pointing the rapier at me.

    He isn¡¯t as handsome as the one I shot to death before, but he sure has a face of a sly person. Maybe his original personality is still in effect even after going insane.

    While thinking that nonchnt thing, I evaded the attack from all three by taking arge step back.

    The des that seemed to move to cut my afterimage, naturally, only passed through air.

    I do have confidence to block against them easily, but the battle axe the Orc swung happened to even cut the upper body of the Goblin from before and created a rain of blood in the area, and I surely don¡¯t want to get wet in that.

    While shuddering from something different than fear, Inded on the ground from jumping back and at the same time kicked off the ground to cover the distance covered.

    The aim being the Lamia.

    In this melee battle it won¡¯t be good to leave a Lamia remain till end, as she can different movementspared to others walking on two legs. She might even aim for my blind spots from now on.

    ¡¸Hah!¡¹

    ¡¸Kiieeeeeiiiiii!!¡¹

    As expected it is much faster to parry off her Scimitar than me covering the whole distance by moving my body.

    Lamia took on the stance to strike me down, in other words, she was again going to swing her sword.

    But, a Namless and my two-times evolved hatchet are on different levels. Also, my strength has left the human realm, and opponent is a girl with weak arms, so the power difference is also big, so big it can¡¯t be filled with some low-levelled Berserk.

    Compared to the giant hatchet, that Scimitar seemed truly shitty, and as expected it broke as soon as they collided.

    She put up with it without letting go of the sword, but her stance is not messed, and I can aim anywhere, her slim neck, bountiful boobs, her slender waist.

    In that case, without any hesitation, just as its name suggests, I¡¯m going to sever her neck. (TN: Kubidan: Neck-cutting, neck bisection, etc etc)

    ¡¸¡¸¡¸GaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaa!!¡¹¡¹¡¹

    The moment Lamia¡¯s neck was cut and flew in the air with an resentful expression, three big des attacked at me.

    One was, the Orc who again swung the battle axe that had sunk before in the earth surface.

    The other two are, the quite slow-footed Dwarf and Cyclops.

    The dwarf is also holding an axe. Compared to battle axes that have a pair of des joined together seeming like a butterfly opening her wings, this dwarf¡¯s axe is one-sided. I should called it tomahawk probably.

    The other is Cyclops, ah, I haven¡¯t seen them after those experiments, it¡¯s size is big, and seems bigger when standing beside the small-sized dwarf.

    In truth it¡¯s size would be around 2 metres half, and it didn¡¯t have a body builder-type body as Orcs do, but it had a sumo wrestler-type body, so it seemed even more bigger.

    That fatty was holding on a halberd even bigger than him.

    The de was made with mixing the spearhead of ance, and both sides of an axe¡¯s des, although it can dish out various attacks, but is bes as difficult to use it respectively.

    Well then will an insane Cyclops be able to use that, I thought, but then if a Cyclops was to use all its strength then even a wooden stick be enough to kill someone, the size of des is a small problem therefore.

    Orc, Dwarf, Cyclops, all three have physical strength surpassing humans.

    The three attacks deployed by the three came with an earth-splitting force.

    I again choose evasion, but this time moving to front.

    ¡¸Double KuroNagi¡¹(TN: Kinda forgot what name I used before, I will be grateful if someone told me inments.)

    I jumped in front of the bosom of the fattest among the three, basically the Cyclops.

    Just like how I passed through the strong arm of Wrath-Pun and cut it, I jumped forward for evasion and attack while passing through, even the Martial Skill is the same one.

    The first KuroNagi headed right and deeply cut the right nk of Cyclops that had ashen-coloured body seeming like a rock.

    Although it was also wearing a ck leather pants just like me, but it¡¯s upper body is naked. No matter if it has muscles and fat as an armour, but it isn¡¯t enough to stop the de of a Cursed Weapon.

    The point of hatchet ripped the abdominal muscles, smashes the ribs, and passed through the body while stirring up the entrails.

    The next moment, the cut-section would start gushing with the bloody-shower, but the second KuroNagi has already been deployed.

    The cursed aura gushing up heading towards the left side is d on the de aiming for the head of Dwarf that can¡¯t follow my movements with his eyes.

    The long beard of dwarf race is heroic seeming like the mane of a lion, and it might also help in protecting the neck.

    But¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»can¡¯t be stopped with that lousy defense.

    As though the hatchet was showing delight, the buzzing sound seemed to reach my ear as it cut apart the wind.

    Let me cut more, let me cut more necks, kill the enemy, kill in one attack¨D¨Dthe cursed de never stops wanting for decapitation, it won¡¯t stop, it can¡¯t stop, and I don¡¯t want to stop it.

    The beard growing like trees were deforested, and the fat neck like that of a stump too was lopped off much more easily than breaking the firewood.

    And thus, the consecutive attack of KuroNagi killed the Cyclops and Dwarf.

    I have passed by both of them, and right now they both have turned into corpses lying behind me while bleeding greatly.

    Turning around, as expected the two corpses were sinking in the pool of their own blood.

    However, I didn¡¯t turn around to check that.

    It is to intercept this guy attacking at me from behind without hiding the bloodlust.

    It is the Elf male who is sly even after being cursed.

    It followed the same route being a second slower than me, his body was covered in the blood of Cyclops and Dwarf.

    He must¡¯ve tried to attack me the moment I deployed the Martial Skill, it is the most ideal time for dealing a decisive blow.

    In truth, I can¡¯t block the approaching rapier with the hatchet. Moreover, I don¡¯t haveposure enough to run the shortest distance at a fast speed to evade that pierce attack.

    Then should I take this attack¨D¨Dno, I still have a hand, to speak more precisely, it is my empty left hand.

    That pierce attack is without any feint, and is aimed at my heart.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to read it¡¯s trajectory.

    ¡¸¨D¨DWhoops!¡¹

    I grab the sword de of the approaching rapier with my left hand.

    If my hand was bare it might have cut off, but my hands are being protected by an annoying ck haired maid.

    Even now that I have grabbed the de, I can hear her pleasant voice shouting in my head, ¡¸I will protect the hands of master~¡¹

    The glove worked hard and my hand ispletely unharmed, moreover numerous¡ºAnchor Hand¡»of hair breadth covered the sword de in an instant, stopping the attack.

    Once I stop it, the Elf being low on physical strength can¡¯t overpower me.

    I pushed aside the rapier with my left hand, and swing the hatchet in my right hand.

    I don¡¯t need Martial Skill to cut down the neck of an Elf.

    With just a light sh, I was able to cut his head down like a sickle cutting down weed.

    ¡¸Now the Orc¨D¨Dno, the Gargoylees first¡¹

    The Gargoyle are a devil race that have wings on back, and the wings are not showpieces but actually have the ability to fly through air.

    The Gargoyle can¡¯t fly for long times and high speeds, or so is themon sense among people here, but it¡¯s my first time fighting a flying Gargoyle.

    I do have fought monsters that fly during those experiments but, well what to say, it¡¯s all difficult to fight.

    ¡¸Crap!¡¹

    Anyhow, preceding the Orc, the Gargoyle invaded with a trident in hand, it seemed just like how amon person would imagine a devil holding a trident.

    The devil seeming like a stone statue moved and swung down that trident as though wanting to skewer my head.

    Although it was attacking from a blind spot, such as overhead, but with that much bloodlust, and

    ¡¸Kyooooowaaaaaahhhhh!¡¹

    That strange shrill voice, I can easily sense iting to attack me and can evade it without problems.

    I stepped aside, evading the trident barely.

    I was rmed that the trident might pierce the ends of the fluttering coat, but the coat will regenerate if it is torn a little.

    Maybe because I was thinking something so boring that I was a littlete in dishing out the counterattack.

    The time I swung my hatchet, the Gargoyle soared up the sky.

    ¡¸Oh no you don¡¯t¡¹

    Even the maid seems to be fired up, how about letting her work a little bit more¨D¨D¡¸Leave it to me Master!!¡¹

    I held my hand towards the sky, and with a feeling as though my hand extended out, the¡ºAnchor Hand¡»flew out aiming for the Gargoyle.

    The three wires made by knitting up cursed ck hairs, all coiled around the body of Gargoyle as though they were tentacle monster having their own will.

    ¡¸Giii¨D¨D¡¹

    Just like how a criminal that escaped to heaven is beaten down to hell, no wait, in truth, this Gargoyle will really fall to the hell.

    But before that, there is the ground.

    The¡ºAnchor Hand¡»forcibly dragged the Gargoyle down with quite a lot of power and bashed him against the ground heavily.

    He must¡¯ve taken quite the injury, but it¡¯s amazing that he didn¡¯t let go of the Cursed Weapon.

    However it seems that it is his limit, and it can¡¯t cure himself from the damage to again start attacking me.

    After all I can¡¯t see Gargoyle move even a bit when I have the hatchet right above its neck.

    Although its outer appearance is of stone statue, but the inside of Gargoyle also has flesh, apparently.

    In fact the skin itself is made of stone, sopared to human it is truly hard, but it doesn¡¯t mean much difference to this hatchet when ites to cutting necks.

    Well then, thest one left is the Orc, well, although the Warrior ss arms with heavy axe equipments, but given this much time it must be enough to give him the chance for another attack.

    In short, the Orc was already raising overhead the battle axe as I had just decapitated the Gargoyle.

    As expected it will be difficult to cut an opponent right behind me and the hatchet is in the position after I have swung it.

    Hmm, in that case, this might be good ce to finish the work of hatchet. My anger also has subsided, or rather, my spirit is refreshed now.

    If I need to kill the Orc at close-range, one additional sword would work just fine.

    It¡¯s the opportunity, how about using the one I just grabbed before.

    ¡¸Pierce, Sword Arts¡¹

 Chapter 285 Insane Enthusiasm

    Chapter 285 ¨C Insane Enthusiasm

    The moment Kurono took out an giant hatchet gushing with ominous aura from his shadow,

    ¡¸Oho, wonderful!¡¹

    Mordred shouted.

    There was no one in this VIP who would nitpick about his voice being too loud or him being too much aroused.

    ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s a surprise for me too¡¹

    Regin quietly assented while sitting beside the highly-exited Mordred.

    He had already given the orders to throw the spare 8 people all in the ring at the same time while pretending it to be an ident.

    The first match was overpowering, or rather, it was too fast to even know what happened, and it became obvious that Kurono isn¡¯t some rookie. At the very least, that ability doesn¡¯t fit in with the standards of Rank 3 Adventurer.

    But those predictions were easily upturned, in a good way though.

    Just by holding a big hatchet that was d in red and ck aura.

    ¡¸Fuhahahaha, Kurono, so that little boy can do this much!¡¹

    ¡¸So Kurono-san was such a big master¡¹

    The words with simr nuances came out at the same time and the two raised up question marks.

    ¡¸Is he your acquaintance?¡¹

    ¡¸Same question to you, Chairman Mordred¡¹

    Well whatever, Mordred set aside the topic as he said that, and entered the main topic.

    ¡¸That hatchet, what do you think about it?¡¹

    He himself is a Cursed Weapon collector and even has an eye for appraising them.

    But he is only a collector fan, no, as he is Weapon Dealer so it can be said to be his main job too, however, the person whose true main job is that was present besides him.

    There was no way he wouldn¡¯t ask for his opinions.

    ¡¸That colour and lustre won¡¯te out with just letting it suck blood. It must¡¯ve cut family, friends, lover and others intimate people¡¹

    Mordred heard his exnation and hisughter only seemed to increase.

    That deeper the sin in the weapon the deeper the power of curse would strengthen, and, even the power residing in it increases.

    ¡¸Fuh, in that case, it isn¡¯t enough to just sh him against some Nameless 8 people¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, right. After all the ck Magician is fighting without magic.¡¹

    Just how many people in this¡ºGrand Coliseum¡»might remember the title of¡ºck Magician¡»that was told in Kurono¡¯s introduction.

    He controlled the hatchet emitting hatred and grudge enough to just possess any person even standing near it, and showed elegant yet heroic swordsmanship and Martial Skills, and was killing opponents one after another, this all different greatly from the general image of a magician.

    The only worth calling magic would be the tentacles that brought down the Gargoyle from the sky, but as a person sees it they can interpret that as a Wire or Chain used by the dark instruments that Assassin ss uses. With that much it is not possible to give him the title of ¡®magician¡¯.

    ¡¸But seriously, what a way to rampage. Now that¡¯s how a Cursed Weapon-user should be like¡¹

    ¡¸I see, so¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»might not be an over-exaggeration¡¹

    Regin remembered what Simon told to him about his ¡®Onii-san¡¯ and his new friend ¡®Prince¡¯.

    ¡¸Oh, is he calling himself that¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, he is apparently also famous in the Royal Academy¡¹

    He remembered about that talk vaguely, but it sure was like this, so he consented.

    ¡¸Hmm, a Berserker eh, truly interesting! I wanna see, I wanna see more of this insane fight!!¡¹

    That was Mordred¡¯s wish, and probably also the wish of all people stuffed inside this Grand Coliseum.

    The best proof for that is the cheering and apuse for him now that he has finished off thest guy remaining, the Orc.

    The shouts of admiration, in some seconds, changed to the sprechchor of his name¡ºKurono¡», as that was the only information the visitors had on him.

    He was being treated like the star of a sword battle.

    But, he had won overpowering the 8 insane opponents. The spectators wanted more stimtion, now just from seeing much more ughter.

    In addition, he didn¡¯t just use his swordsmanship, but the Orc was killed by the longsword he had taken before, how great acting.

    He had showed his back to the Orc for just showing off this, thinking that the people were truly moved by his mindset of giving free fanservice to them.

    At the same time, because he was able to do that means that he had that much ofposure.

    ¡¸Fuahaha, I feel sorry for Miss Chris, but I¡¯m gonna use it here¨D¨D¡¹

    The diator (actor) ying in this wonderful sword battle (show), had still not shown a lot of that ability and had kept it hidden.

    The stimtion of the spectators is already giving them climaxes. Choosing the truly bad option of not responding to the customers need for an rematch (encore) is something that no Trader would do. (TN: Climaxes, geez just how aroused can you get from watching fights mate)

    Henceforth, Mordred ordered. To release the strongest ¡®curse¡¯ in tonight¡¯s¡ºCurse Carnival¡».

    ¡¸¨D¨DGet out the¡ºDemon Eyes¡»of Hydra¡¹

    .

    .

    .

    The sword flew like a bullet from my Shadow Gate and brilliantly struck the face of Orc.

    The de that had turned from metal to ck colour thanks to ckening entered the mouth as the Orc was shouting.

    The uneven teeth that seemed like fangs were shaved off along with the gums, the tongue was rend in two, and within a sh the whole mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

    No, even before the pte was able to sent signal to brain for processing the taste, the brain was already dead and the sensation itself might have disappeared.

    At any rate, the swordunched diagonally upwards towards the face of Orc perfectly stirred up its brain tissues, pierced and broke apart the cranium, and was protruding from the crown of head.

    No matter how much that battle axe wants to break apart my head, but without any will that could stimted from that bloodlust, that wish can never be fulfilled.

    The body without its brain can only stop moving.

    The Orc fell backwards in the same stance of holding battle axe above his head.

    At the same time I pulled back the sword.

    I¡¯m controlling the sword with Sword Arts, so other spectators it might seem like the sword got out of the body of its own will.

    And, finishing its work it also made its way out, in other words, again back into the shadow.

    The same goes for me, now that I have finished my fights.

    This time surely I thought of picking up the weapons and just leave out of here, at that moment,

    SFX: VOOOOOooooOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOOOO!!

    Seeming as thought the Coliseum exploded, shouts too loud to be considered on that level reverberated.

    ¡¸W-What......¡¹

    It¡¯s easy to see that spectators are happy from their insane enthusiastic atmosphere.

    Completely different from my first match, the reaction is a pr opposite.

    Don¡¯t tell me that they took my Sword Arts control as some magic trick.

    Naturally I wasn¡¯t fighting to be a crowd-pleaser, and I wasn¡¯t even paying attention to the reaction of spectators.

    Even I have nerves of human that tense up in front ofrge crowds of people, if I was to give a speech right here, I¡¯m pretty sure to stammer on the very first word.

    But, the bad taste of thispetition was too cringing that the sense of nervousness was pushed back.

    But then, if I am giving this sort of unexpected reaction it¡¯s only natural for me to be perplexed.

    Or rather is it fine for me to go back like this? The Kurono Calls are reverberating around the whole ce like this¡¸KuRoNo!¡¹¡¸KuRoNo!¡¹

    Please, someone tell me what¡¯s going on.

    ¡¸It was a great fight, Adventurer Kurono¡¹

    Now then, did my prayers reach the heaven, no, the only god I can think for fulfilling my promises is Mia-chan.

    And that child doesn¡¯t have such a deep heavy voice.

    ¡¸You¡¯re the Chairman Mordred, if I¡¯m not wrong?¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, good you¡¯ve remembered me, I¡¯m happy¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s obvious looking at you¡¹

    The reason I¡¯m able to guess correctly about the owner of voice is because a big image on an Undead is being projected in the Arena.

    The size is about that of a dragon of 10 metres. Of course, the real person can¡¯t be this. This is probably a hologram made by making use of Light Magic.

    This magic world just surpasses modern sciences in ces like this, truly terrifying.

    Moreover, he even heard my voice and replied back would mean that he is using either Wind Magic to pick up my voice, or some invisible Familiar is listening to me.

    ¡¸I first want to apologize for mistaking your true ability. I never thought you were such a big master user¡¹

    ¡¸Well, duh thanks for that¡¹

    I¡¯m a Rank 3 Adventurer, the opponent is a Big Trader, and also the client of this present Quest.

    But, I still can¡¯t help but speak without honorific, after all he tried to scam me before.

    Hence, now that he is talking out to me, I can feel something shady behind it.

    ¡¸Uh-huh, I have highly evaluated your ability in this one fight, no, and am also deeply moved by it. The people spectating here also feel the same, no doubt¡¹

    I see, so my fighting style was interesting enough to stimte you all.

    I¡¯m not that happy for it, neither my fight money will increase nor the Cursed Weapon will be stronger with this.

    ¡¸As expected of calling yourself as the¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»¡¹

    ¡¸I ain¡¯t calling myself that! Where the fuck you got this info from!?¡¹

    ¡¸Hahaha, don¡¯t be modest, I¡¯ve heard your famous in the Academy¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, seriously?......¡¹

    Wtf, that a news to me.

    And here I was thinking that only Wil used that embarrassing title......no, better not think about it right now.

    ¡¸So, what you want to say? You can¡¯t be here to just speak out words of praise¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed, now the main deal. Well then Kurono, you must¡¯ve not been satisfied with the fight of tonight. So how about going against a Cursed Weapon suitable for fighting against you¡¹

    ¡¸......What¡¯d you say?¡¹

    I can only think of this as another scam for me.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the highest-grade Cursed Weapon-user in this current tournament. Naturally the fight money will also be the highest of ten million n. You took the quest on your choice, right? I can¡¯t think you don¡¯t want to fight¡¹

    If I just exclude the danger level, just how enticing is this scheme.

    In the first ce I want a strong Cursed Weapon myself, if other side is giving me, that¡¯s working as I desired.

    And, there¡¯s no reason to deceive me in this current situation.

    Deceiving would mean not deploying the Strongest Cursed Weapon-user. I can¡¯t think of that helping with the profits of Mordred at all.

    Naturally, not handing over the Cursed Weapon after winning the fight, or not paying the fight money, both will not happen, as I have officially taken on the Quest with the help of Guild, so no meaning in worrying there.

    In that case my answer is already decided.

    ¡¸Good, I¡¯ll take on the challenge¡¹

 Chapter 286 Insane Demon Eyes (1)

    Chapter 286 ¨C Insane Demon Eyes (1)

    ¡¸Tonight¡¯s¡ºCurse Carnival¡»is already heading towards climax¡¹

    Even now the Arena had the blue light¡¯s Summon Magic circle drawn on the ground, just like when the 8 Nameless-users came out.

    The design of the magic circle in itself was same, however it was incredibly big, the diameter was around 3 times 6 metres big.

    I thought if truly someone that big would appear or not, but

    ¡¸The person appearing is the most evil Cursed Weapon-user that the Mordred Weapon Company holds at the current moment! The user is guess what, an exiled person from the Four Great Nobles of Spada, the Hydra Family, and he is the Insane Demon Eye¡¯s Saeed Maya Hydraaaaaaaaaa!!¡¹

    With a bright luminescence and the shout of announcer appeared a giant lump of ice.

    It was near the centre of Arena, with more than 10 metres away from me, but still the freezing chill reached till me.

    It¡¯s probably not some normal ice, but rather an Sealing Magic of Ice Attribute.

    Inside the lump of ice that seemed to be roughly taken out from an iceberg I could see a figure of a person holding an weapon with a long handle just like spear.

    I can¡¯t see the figure of person clearly because ofyers of opaque ice covering it, but it is one size bigger than even me. Almost just like that Orc I defeated before.

    Well whatever, it will soon be obvious what that person is like.

    The moment the sealed lump of icepletely appeared from inside that magic circle, cracking sounds rang out as many fissures ran through the surface of ice.

    ¡¸In opposition we have the neer who has distinguished himself by appearing in this tournament! It is Nightmare Berserker KuronooooooooooOOOOoooooOOoo!!¡¹

    STOP CALLING ME THAAAATTT!, I truly want to say that out loud, but as the fissures ran through the ice surface an extraordinary hatred and bloodlust leaked out from it, and I don¡¯t have enoughposure to retort with this dangerous thing in front of me.

    Apparently this guy sleeping inside the ice, is on a whole different level from those 8 I fought just now.

    As expected of the prided Cursed Weapon-user of Chairman Mordred, looks like I need resolve as though I will be fighting a Rank 5 Monster.

    However, people like him are what I actually want as opponents.

    ¡¸Well, we shall see what sort of mortalbat will both of them show to us. The seal will be released soon¨D¨D¡¹

    Enough to drown the announcers voice that is being amplified to reverberate in the whole Coliseum,

    OOOOOOaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

    A strong yell roared out.

    The next moment, the lump of ice with deep fissures running over it was not able to maintain its form anymore, and blew in small pieces.

    The fragments of ice were hit by the Magic Light illuminating the whole Arena and shined sparkly.

    The shine was truly beautiful like that of diamond dust, but the person standing on the other side was emitting ominous sense of existence, just like that of an evil spirit escaped from the bowels of hell.

    ¡¸Oh great! He broke apart the seal by himself! Now there is no magic to stop the Insane Demon Eyes, the long-awaited 6th Match STARTS NOW!!¡¹

    The contents of the announcement with selfish words didn¡¯t enter my head anymore.

    Right now, the person I should be giving my whole attention should be that strange-looking guy named Saeed along with the¡ºDemon Eyes¡»he holds.

    Strange-looking might be a faulty expression, as his figure in itself was humanoid.

    That splendid inverted triangle-type body had the armour of muscles like that of an Orc and wore a lightweight equipment that didn¡¯t even try to hide its silhouette.

    He wore an ck-clothed wet suit that had purple colour lines in it appearing to have some magical effect such as Boost or something else. The cloth covered his from the bottom of throat to the tip of feet.

    From the elbow to front he wore iron gauntlets, while on feet he wore dragon leather boots.

    That attire does seem quite odd, but if I remember correctly this attire could be seen sometimes among those in Thief ss.

    But then, he didn¡¯t had the Thieves trademark weapon, the dagger, in hand, but rather he had an jet-ck halberd in hand which had an de in crescent shape.

    But the biggest problem here is not the appearance of the equipments, but rather that the robust body had an utterly thin and slim face on top of it.

    His eyes are covered with an eye mask made from ck metal, probably for sealing those demon eyes or something, but even so it is possible to guess the approximate facial structure.

    The long bright violet hair was grown artlessly, but his expression wasn¡¯t suitable for this sort of wild hairstyle.

    Although not to the extent of that vampire bodyguard Ludora, but his skin too is pale with the cheeks being too skinny.

    That head was, no matter how one sees it, unbncedpared to the body shape being that of a muscr bodybuilder.

    Maybe it¡¯s the effect of the Demon Eyes that have turned into Cursed Weapons, that it didn¡¯t only had simple Berserk state, but also changed the body to be strong and burly.

    No, maybe other than that, his body too was restructured with drugs like that with me, or maybe that full body suit might be working as the armour of curse.

    Well whatever, I neither have any prior information nor have any appraisal eye for it, naturally I can¡¯t search for the secrets of the enemy at the present moment.

    Then I can only do one thing as I always do, that is to attack only!

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go¨D¨D¡¹

    This time I won¡¯t attack with the hatchet at once.

    My first move is an attack in waves first with Bullet Arts and backed up with Sword Arts.

    The already loaded fake Full Metal Jacket and ten ckened swords appear within my surroundings within the blink of an eye.

    The bullet head and sword point all are aimed at the big man Saeed in front of me.

    ¡¸¨D¨DBullet Arts Full Burst¡¹

    Bursting sound exploded out along with ck muzzle sh.

    But the sound and light fired at this moment were not only the ones I fired.

    ¡¸Ugh......Argh......Re......return her......¡¹

    The moment he spoke something in a heavy bass sound that seemed to freeze the spine, the eye covering his eyes broke apart like a ss.

    ¡¸Return her to meeEEEEEEEEEE! UuuuuuuaaaaAAAAaaaAAAAAarrrgggHHH !!¡¹

    The sealed Demon Eyes were finally revealed under broad view.

    Although we¡¯re both quite far apart, I was still able to clearly see his ominous yet beautiful purple eyes.

    And as if shing, those both eyes emitted a dazzling purple light instantaneously.

    The time both eyes shed and the time my fired bullets reached the target was almost same.

    Pierced from countless Bullet Arts, he fell down while spraying blood¨D¨Dor so it should¡¯ve been like, however that prediction was splendidly overthrown.

    They were neither evaded nor blocked, but rather the bullets broke apart just the moment beforending.

    ¡¸What!?¡¹

    The fake Full Metal Jacket made from my ck magical energy naturally had an ck appearance.

    But, that ck rain of bullets lost their colour suddenly, and coloured the sky like colourless shining hails.

    Just what the hell happened?

    Were they blocked by some invisible magic? Or were the bullets broken from a shockwave.

    I can agree for the breaking apart the bullets with that theory, however, the colour of the bullets itself was changed¨D¨Dno, it was like the materialize from the ck colour magical energy itself had an alteration of nature and quality, just what the hell is that change.

    But, I¡¯m not an idiot enough to stand dumbfounded here.

    ¡¸Pierce, Sword Arts¡¹

    Without waiting for the eye to blink, I move to the next attack.

    The ten ckened swords flying about like swallows were all longswords.

    As usual they all fly from varying tracks such as, front, sides, rear and overhead, as if to take on the blind spots of the opponent.

    Let¡¯s see how you deal with them now.

    ¡¸Aa, aaaaaAAAAAAaaarrrgghh, ghaaaaa, I you, whyyyyyyyyyyyYYYYYYYyy!!¡¹

    Again the eerie purple sh came out of the eyes of Saeed.

    At that moment, the total five swords that had reached him from front and sides had an abnormality appearing in them.

    ¡¸The ckening is dissolving¨D¨Dno, it¡¯s something else!?¡¹

    Magical Energy Absorption would forcibly dissolve the ckening causing the sword to return to its former state, however the phenomenon urring in front of my eyes currently isn¡¯t something that simple.

    The sword in itself changed.

    The ck-coloured sword de became a transparent ss within a second¨D¨Dno, it turned into a crystal with faint purple tint.

    This phenomenon is like crystallization.

    Let alone the magical energy of ckening, the sword even lost its original ironponent, naturally they got away from my control and some flew in different direction while some immediately fell on the ground.

    ¡¸Return her! Return heeeeeeeeeeEEEErrrrrr!! Aaarrrggghhhh!!!¡¹

    Whilst shouting Saeed looked right above as his eyes shone, his eyesight went straight at a single ckened sword falling down as if to pierce through his crown.

    That also was crystallized within a second and was tragically shot down.

    That swordnded on the ground, and simrly as when a sswork falls on the ground, it also raised an shrill sound and broke in small pieces.

    But I still have Sword Arts left.

    3 swords run from behind him like sly foxes trying to creep near their prey.

    KYYYAAAaaAAAAaaaaaAAAAA.

    Mixing well with the eerie scream of a female, the sound of sword cutting through the air rang out.

    Saeed was swinging the ck halberd in his hand.

    No, it almost felt like the halberd itself reacted to the approaching attack and moved on its own, because the rotating sh was dished out in a truly bizarre posture.

    Although unshapely the halberd ran with force, and finally reached in front of the ckened swords to strike them down.

    The crescent-shaped de didn¡¯t only smash down the ckened swords, but itpletely bisected them, all three at once.

    ¡¸This is bad, huh. Those crystallizing Demon Eyes and that halberd both are Cursed Weapons......¡¹

    Seeing the reaction of Saeed who disposed of the Swords Arts, I can see somewhat amount of its abilities.

    Firstes those Demon Eyes, if something bathes in the sh of those eyes, it¡¯s materialposition would change into a purple crystal.

    The legend of people turning into stone from just a nce of Medusa is quite famous among the Greek Mythology, but looks like the Hydra¡¯s Demon Eyes are an Amethyst Version of that legend.

    Nextes the ck halberd, it has a great sharpness, and it can react on its own, well sure enough it has a cursed weapon-ish ability.

    But, that strange woman¡¯s scream like sound bothers me.

    Just like Evil Eater, there is a possibility that it has some sort of ability hidden inside the weapon itself.

    As for what it is, I definitely don¡¯t want to know it, rather defeat him before that.

    Well whatever my wish is, he isn¡¯t that easy an opponent to go along with my wishes.

    ¡¸Wheeereee, whereee isss sheee, Myyyyyyyy, I love yooooouuuuuuuu AAAArrrgghhhhh!!¡¹

    He¡¯s going on something about some girl from before, so looks like the source of hatred is love-rted. It might be something like having his girl abducted by some bandits or something.

    I have no means of knowing the details of his hatred, but whatever, it¡¯s indisputable truth that he is being controlled by severely strong grudge.

    While holding the very long halberd in right hand, he red at me with those purple shing eyes¨D¨Dwait, ain¡¯t that seriously bad!?

    ¡¸DiiiiieeEEEEEeeeeEEEE!!¡¹

    Looking straight at me, the Demon Eyes shed out a dazzling light¨D¨D

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    This time the person appearing is Saeed. The one in Wing Road is Safiel.

 Chapter 287 Insane Demon Eyes (2)

    What shot out from the shining purple eyes was not a mere sh, but a ray of light.

    The light of crystallization closed in on me like a spotlight looking to illuminate actors on a stage.

    ¡¸UOOOOOH!¡¹

    I dodged it by a hair ¨C no, it grazed me?!

    After avoiding Saeed¡¯s gaze and sidestepping the attack, my body hit the ground with a crash, blowing crystal dust everywhere.

    ¡¸It just grazed me, so I seem to be fine....¡¹

    It seemed like I managed to avoid major injury I didn¡¯t feel anything wrong with my body or my magical energy.

    As well as avoiding direct bodily harm, my ¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»wasn¡¯t crystallized, but a thinyer of amethyst had formed, covering the surface.

    TLN: Previously tranted as¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡»

    It was brittle enough to break on the impact of mynding, but if I had stood in that ray of light for too long, like taking an ice magic attack, my whole body would have been covered in amethyst and I would have beenpletely crystallized all the way to the marrow in my bones.

    ¡¸How dare you, HOW DARE YOU!¡¹

    I can¡¯t rx after dodging just once.

    Saeed curses while chasing me, the source of his hatred.

    I say ¡¸chasing¡¹, but by merely shifting his line of sight he can perform a fatal attack that is far faster than swinging a sword.

    He closes in on me, intending to mow me down with his ray of crystallization.

    Continuing to avoid these attacks is probably impossible ¨C that being the case, it¡¯s probably best to directly block his vision.

    ¡¸ck smoke!¡¹.

    With a swing of my arm, a pitch-ck smoke of ck magic particles enshrouds the area and begins to darken the arena.

    His gaze is already definitely pointed in my direction, but it looks like I¡¯ve achieved what I was aiming to do.

    Until it can cut through this ck smokescreen, that ray of light won¡¯t get to me.

    In the same way that I blocked the light magic of the priest I fought in Irz vige, it seems that the light of crystallization is diffused by the ck smoke.

    ¡¸WHEEEEERE AAAAAARE YOOOOOUUUUU?¡¹

    The enraged shouts of Saeed, having lost sight of his enemy, echo from the other side of the smokescreen.

    Well, I can¡¯t see him either, but he is wielding cursed weapons that are giving off an unbelievable presence of hatred, bloodthirst and magical energy; I can guess his rough location.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts: Gatling Burst!¡¹

    Gripping the hatchet in my right hand, in my left hand I call forth the still-unnamed Simon-specialty prototype rifle from the shadows.

    Just before the power-boosted bullets shoot ck fire from the twin barrels ¨C

    ¡¸UOOOOOOH - GYOOOOOOOOO!¡¹

    A woman¡¯s cry oveps with Saeed¡¯s screaming again.

    In an instant, a gust of wind blows through,pletely scattering the smokescreen that was concealing our figures.

    Still swinging his naginata, Saeed pierces me with his gaze again from his two shining eyes.

    TLN: Saeed¡¯s weapon was previously tranted to be a halberd; a naginata is a Japanese polearm simr to a halberd but the author distinguishes halberds from naginatas elsewhere so I have tranted naginata ordingly.

    ¡¸Fu, gufu, gugegee ¨C wake up.¡¹

    In the break between his attacks, I immediately dodge ¨C or try to, but my legs won¡¯t move; they¡¯re heavy.

    ¡¸Wha-?!¡¹

    ¡¸Ooo... Aaaah...¡¹

    ¡¸Uu... Gururu...¡¹

    Two pairs of arms were wrapped around my legs.

    Those arms belong to the Nameless weapon-users I¡¯d just defeated earlier.

    The Orc I had pierced right in the middle of his face, and the handsome Elf I defeated first.

    Why, they should be dead, why can they move?

    ¡¸KYOOOOOU!¡¹

    Before I can answer that question, a third corpse - the female human whose torso I¡¯d cut in half - clings to my waist, taking no notice of the fact that her intestines are spilling out.

    The Orc, the Elf and half of the woman ¨C With this many enemies on me, even I can¡¯t move to escape.

    It would be easy to cut my way out of the situation with the hatchet in my right hand; however, I don¡¯t have the time to do that.

    Because Saeed is already directing his gaze at me.

    ¡¸Damn it!¡¹

    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU KILL HERRRRR! DIIIIIEEEE!¡¹

    And his Demon Eyes shine ¨C

    ¡¸The¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡» is moving well; it¡¯s been a while since Ist yed with my Demon Eyes so I¡¯m relieved.¡¹

    Seeing the gant figure of Saeed, who had just demolished Kurono¡¯s Bullet Arts with one re, Regin showed a carefree look on his face.

    ¡¸Hahaha, I see he hasn¡¯t be rusty yet. Isn¡¯t that power beyond that of the original Demon Eye Awakener?¡¹

    As Mordred was saying that, five ckened swords lost control and mmed into the earth, shattering into pieces.

    ¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡», that is the name of the Demon Eyes that are the pride of Saeed ¨C no, the pride of the Hydra House, one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada.

    Its effect is simple; it turns any object into amethyst.

    As a Demon Eye ability that takes effect just with sight, you could say it is popr.

    It is about as strong as the third eye of the Cockatrice, the Petrifying Demon Eye.

    While simple and tremendously powerful, it is also extraordinarily easy to use.

    Just by directing your line of sight, it turns your opponent into a motionless crystal statue.

    As far as countermeasures go, the two methods are avoiding the line of sight using a shield, defensive magic or terrain, or avoiding a direct hit from the ray of light that causes the effect.

    ¡¸To use smoke, his ck magic is quite versatile, no?¡¹

    Therefore, Kurono¡¯s choice to block the gaze of the Demon Eyes was very effective.

    However, that would only be the case if ¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡» was his opponent¡¯s only method of attacking.

    Saeed is equipped with one more powerful cursed weapon.

    ¡¸Oh, I can hear it, the shout of grief that awakens the dead. ¡¹

    GYOAAAAAAAH!

    The human woman¡¯s scream of agony in her death throes would be unpleasant enough to cause any normal human being to cover their ears. However, to Mordred, no, to the Undead family, that sound was a soothing luby.

    ¡¸He used the ¡ºHaunted Grave¡»¡¯s ¡ºDead Revival¡», good, good!¡¹

    TLN: The ability is literally called ¡°Dead Alive¡± in Katakana, but this doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense in English ¨C the Kanji reads ¡°Dead Revival¡± so I used that

    Regin, announcing this with a smile, fixes his sight on the jet-ck naginata in Saeed¡¯s right hand.

    Its inscription is ¡ºHaunted Grave¡».

    It was once the weapon of the Gravekeeper, whose role was to put the dead to eternal slumber. It has such a history, but now it has be a deeply cursed weapon that bestows false life upon the dead and imposes on them even more burdens from this world.

    Each time it is swung, the hatred hidden within the de releases a growl, spinning a cursed song that prevents the dead from resting.

    And then, there is the darkness magic that moves the corpses ording to your will, ¡ºDead Revival¡».

    The melody spun by the ¡ºHaunted Grave¡» bes the chant to cast ¡ºDead Revival¡», resurrecting suitable corpses to be Undead.

    Suitable corpses, in other words, the corpses of those who had a strong will to live on in this world.

    To be more specific, corpses that harbour a lot of ck magic and darkness magic, which be the source of the energy that grants them their false life.

    That is why the corpses of the Nameless, who have been taken hold of by a curse, are perfect materials to resurrect as Undead.

    Well, they are already zombies with no way to return to normal the moment they are cursed anyway.

    ¡¸Oh! They¡¯ve already started moving! One, two ¨C three! Hmm, it would indeed be difficult to revive those whose heads were cut off!¡¹

    The vibrations of the melody of ¡ºDead Revival¡»are amplified to the point they be shockwaves, and Kurono¡¯s smokescreen is blown and scattered away by one swing of the weapon.

    And Mordred, watching from above, quietly exhaled. The sight of his hated enemy being attacked by the three corpses was indeed a good sight.

    ¡¸Damn it!¡¹

    The voicemunication system utilising servants with both strong wind magic and good ears meant that even Kurono¡¯s desperate murmurs were ryed to the VIP room.

    ¡¸Now, what will you do? Don¡¯t disappoint me, Nightmare Berserker! ¡¹

    Even Kurono, with his superhuman physical strength, could not escape from the ¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡» this time.

    If he takes the gaze directly from the front, even the coat made from the leather of a high-ss demon would not be able to withstand the crystallization.

    Is this really the end, or does he have something up his sleeve? At that moment Mordred, looking on half with expectation, and half with resignation, heard Kurono¡¯s voice full of confidence.

    ¡¸Take this! ¡¹

 Chapter 288 Insane Demon Eyes (3)

    ¡¸ Take this! Evil Eater! ¡¹

    I summon the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡» from the Shadow Gate to my left hand, recing the prototype rifle.

    TLN: Previously tranted as¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»

    I grasp the handle and forcibly pull it from the shadows, and position the wide fang-de like a shield.

    That was all I could withstand.

    ¡¸Kuh! ¡¹

    My vision fills with blinding purple light, and I lose my senses for a moment.

    But I don¡¯t feel any abnormalities anywhere.

    I can feel that my arms and legs are still responding.

    ¡¸Thanks Vulcan, you saved me! ¡¹

    The Demon Eyes¡¯ Crystallization Ray subsides.

    There is no way that I can¡¯t block an attack that uses magical energy as its source of power using the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡», known to devour any magic.

    It seems Vulcan pulled through and met my expectations.

    ¡¸AAAAAAAAAHH! ¡¹

    Is he that angry that I didn¡¯t turn into a crystal statue? As if Saeed had gone crazy ¨C no, he¡¯s already insane ¨C he lets out a discontented shout.

    ¡¸Sorry, but I¡¯m going to end this now! ¡¹

    The three corpses clinging to my body had beenpletely bathed in the Demon Eyes¡¯ ray of light, and are now transformed into pretty crystal statues.

    As I step forward with my right foot, the statue of the handsome Elf crumbles into pieces, breaking its restraint.

    With another step, the log-like arms of the Orc break, scattering fragments of pale purple crystals onto the ground.

    With my third step, the top half of the woman clinging to my waist crumbles and falls.

    Without even swinging the hatchet I¡¯m still gripping in my right hand, I¡¯ve easily broken free of the three restraints.

    Now, there¡¯s nothing stopping me.

    Now, all there is to do is to cut down this pitiful, cursed noble.

    ¡¸Here I go!¡¹

    In my right hand, the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»; in my left, the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»; wielding these two cursed des, I run straight towards Saeed.

    TLN: Previously tranted as¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»

    ¡¸DIE, DIE, DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE! ¡¹

    Saeed¡¯s screams and the screeching emitted by his halberd; these two sounds form a duet of discord.

    The duet of this single cursed individual is not only unpleasant to the ears, but enough to kill a person.

    ¡¸Take this! ¡¹

    I use the Evil Eater to block three attacks with the crystallization ray.

    Even though it is not an attack I can physically touch, the fang that greedily hungers for magical powerpletely devours the light, not allowing any through to me.

    The Evil Eater¡¯s defense is perfect, now the problem is ¨C

    ¡¸Ooo... OOOAAAAAAAAAAAH! ¡¹

    Spilling fresh blood and organs from its torn nk, the Nameless Cyclops raises his halberd.

    Magic that revives the dead has never existed in the past or present; that being the case, he revived them as Undead or is directly manipting their corpses.

    No, the ones whose heads I cut off cleanly aren¡¯t moving at all... So it¡¯s has to be Undead after all.

    The secret probably lies in that eerie sounding from the ck naginata.

    Well, I don¡¯t know what is allowing that sound to raise the Undead, but either way, there seems to be no way to stop them but to cut off both of their arms.

    ¡¸GAAAAH!¡¹

    With terrfying force as if he is intending to tackle me, the Cyclops approaches to attack me.

    With that body size, it¡¯s like the force of a truck ising at me.

    However, I have a dependable partner in my right hand; there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.

    ¡¸Kuronagi.¡¹

    TLN: Literally, ¡°ck calm¡± ¨C left untranted for consistency with previous trantions.

    The martial attack of the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»split him in two.

    If you wanted to withstand this, you should havee prepared with armor as hard as Smander scales.

    I leave the corpse of the Cyclops, cleanly bisected from the head down, behind me as I finally close in on Saeed.

    ¡¸IAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    His attack is an unrefined,rge swing without any of the martial arts of wielding a naginata; an attack that even an amateur could see.

    However, the swinging power is clearly elevated above the effects of Berserk.

    As if a dragon was swinging its tail, the naginata draws an arc towards me at high speed.

    But if the attack is that easy to read, it¡¯s also easy to block.

    The Demon Eyes¡¯ attacks have already stopped; at this close range if our des meet I should win ¨C

    ¡¸GUOH?! ¡¹

    ¨C Or so I thought.

    I blocked one swing from the naginata with the Evil Eater, but it¡¯s heavier than I imagined.

    He forcibly pushes my body using his crescent de.

    ¡¸UOOOOAAAAH!¡¹

    Now Saeed is pursuing. With speed and momentum enough to make me question thews of physics, he returns the de of the naginata towards me.

    ¡¸Whoa, that was close!¡¹

    I avoid it with a step backwards.

    The ck crescent de cuts through the air and sinks deeply into the ground ¨C not only that, it¡¯spletely buried?! Damn, how sharp is that thing...

    ¡¸Damn it, I need to one more push if I want to beat him!¡¹

    I put several meters¡¯ distance between us, and Saeed leans forward and directs his sight at me to use his Demon Eyes again.

    Even though I can block with the Evil Eater, this will never be over if I keep my distance.

    Either way, there is no way to defeat him but to attack him directly at close range.

    If I¡¯m being pushed back by sheer strength, I have to increase my strength as well.

    ¡¸Good thing I trained with Nell ¨C¡¹

    I picture the ck magical energy in my body as gasoline that I¡¯m setting on fire.

    That heat bes my strength, and the more it burns, the more power flows to my arms.

    Burn, more, more!

    The original incantation that I created myself is simple and clear.

    ¡¸Give me power ¨C ¡ºForce Boost¡»!¡¹

    Power is overflowing in both of my arms.

    My two weapons, which already felt light to me in the first ce, now feel even lighter.

    Now I can cut through not just his body, but also that naginata which is definitely stronger than a normal de.

    This effect will onlyst about ten seconds, but in this situation, that¡¯s plenty of time.

    ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    Just a step in front of me is a ck storm weaved by the cursed weapons.

    Hatchet, greatsword and naginata; sparks fly out from these three des.

    Saeed swings his weapon again with great physical strength, but now I can block his attack with just one weapon.

    The insanely sharp point of the naginata makes contact with the body of the de of my hatchet.

    Now that I look at it from up close, it¡¯s a huge de, about the size of a scimitar.

    But the thing I¡¯m surprised at isn¡¯t its size, but the fact that it¡¯s vibrating to let out a high-pitched sound.

    I notice this for the first time as our des meet.

    The secret behind the naginata¡¯s sharpness was in this vibration.

    If my weapon wasn¡¯t a cursed weapon, its de would have been split in two.

    As I was once again admiring how sturdy cursed weapons are, I realised that I have a little room to work with.

    I¡¯ve already seen my opportunity to win.

    Like I thought, unlike Joto, Saeed is unfamiliar with his weapon, so his only way to attack is to simply swing with his ridiculous strength.

    Since I have used my des and fought battles with them until now, I should win.

    This time, it¡¯s really the end.

    ¡¸Dual Kuronagi.¡¹

    The first attack is with the ¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»in my left hand.

    The fang-de swings through the air like a hungry wolf moving to devour its prey.

    What it caught was his wrist, and it cuts straight through it including the thick gauntlet covering it.

    ¡¸GAAAH!¡¹

    He doesn¡¯t feel any pain with Berserk; his voice was probably a reaction to the intentions of the curse being cut off from his arm.

    Either way, in the next moment, he won¡¯t have a head to worry about these things with.

    The second attack is with the ¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»in my right hand.

    Of course, I¡¯m aiming at the neck.

    Saeed, who no longer has a weapon to block with, has no way of preventing this attack.

    Those shining purple eyes red at me with rage.

    Before the sh of crystallization light coulde, the de of my hatchet passed through his neck.

    ¡¸Aaah ¨C¡¹

    Still faintly groaning, Saeed¡¯s head fell to the ground.

    ¡¸... It¡¯s over.¡¹

    As I spring back, the now-headless corpse sprays blood like a fountain around my feet and his head is dyed a crimson colour and it rolls around.

    The head, covered in blood, still has an expression of deep hatred as it stares at me ¨C

    ¡¸Aah... Ah... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    From the blood-covered Demon Eyes came a sh of light far brighter than any that hade before it.

    Their line of sight is pointed directly at me.

    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, he actually managed to attack?! Shit, I can¡¯t dodge in time ¨C

 Chapter 289 Demon Eye Awakening

    Chapter 289 ¨C Demon Eye Awakening

    Saeed Maya Hydra had no talent.

    That was the same with the forbidden¡ºNecromancy¡»and also same with his family symbol, the¡ºDemon Eyes¡».

    By the time Saeed reached the age to take awareness of things around, he was already branded as failure and not even his parents gave him any nce.

    He was bad at swordsmanship, same goes with magic, his body too was not big, rather he was weak and frail. As a bonus his face-shape could also not be said to be good.

    Saeed, who ran away from fight and academics, reached upon art.

    ¡¸Art is best, it doesn¡¯t need stamina, magical energy or even wisdom, only my own drawing sense is needed!¡¹

    Fortunately, his family showed understanding towards Saeed giving his all to the arts.

    It was much better than him turning to delinquency, and being a noble his understanding of art was deep.

    But, the biggest reason was because Saeed turned towards Sculpting, moreover it was the traditional Crystal Sculpting.

    The whole family showed eyes of pity towards Saeed who wholeheartedly chiseled away the lump of amethyst, polished it and created a sculpture.

    Saeed had no talent as a noble, aaah, poor Saeed, he wasn¡¯t even given any help by the highly honoured¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡»of his family.

    Everyone thought that.

    No matter how much he denied it, within his deep psyche, that glow of amethyst definitely would¡¯ve been engraved as a trauma.

    The people of Hydra can just look, can just nce, and create such a beautiful Amethyst.

    Hence Saeed created. That one and only unique amethyst sculpture that he could make.

    He had the talent for that.

    However, that was something that the ck Gods of Pandora, gave while pitying on him; it was just a sense of drawing slightly better than mediocre.

    The sculptures that were sold could be counted on two hands, and the ones that were exhibited could be count on a single hand. The poor aplishment gradually gnawed harder at Saeed¡¯s heart, and stimted theplex even more.

    ¡¸Do I not have any talent......I really have, nothing......¡¹

    In some declining art gallery, gazing at his work presented in a corner, he spoke the words of resignation many times.

    He should leave the way of art, however, he couldn¡¯t.

    No matter how much it stung for having talent, he couldn¡¯t back off, now that he had given too much into art.

    If he had ran away from this, what would be left for him? What could he do? Just what could he take pride in and live?

    There was¡ºnothing¡»like that. That was the scariest thing for Saeed.

    Saeed had been struck by the truth of not having this or that, impossible, futile and ipetent from the time he was born. Hence, he had nothing to take pride in.

    Just one, only one thing will be fine, if I have that I can live walking forward.

    But, he didn¡¯t even had that, and if the sculpting sense that he believed was a talent ends up being a false hope, then,

    ¡¸I will just kill myse¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Hello, you¡¯re always standing here, right¡¹

    Just before he had dered his end, he was called out abruptly.

    It was a young woman¡¯s, no, girl¡¯s voice.

    ¡¸Do you like this crystal sculpture?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, ah......apparently......¡¹

    She was a cute girl.

    Saeed, who though imperfectly had lived a noble life, had seen various noble daughters and this girl was truly below them in beauty.

    But she was simple, and cute just like a bright flower that had blossomed in the wild.

    Just how long had it been since he had talked to such a cute girl, no, a person?

    Saeed couldn¡¯t speak outright that the sculpture was made by him.

    ¡¸Is that true! I also love this, it¡¯s the best here!!¡¹

    Saeed faced away from that smile seemingly too bright.

    He instinctively did that, as if seeing a sun directly, or maybe getting red at by the Demon Eyes.

    However, that wasn¡¯t action with negative motive.

    ¡¸Eh......i-is that true......?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, why should I lie? Ie here to see this because I love it¡¹

    What might be this deep passion flowing out from the heart.

    No, those emotions were truly flowing out of his body, from those two eyes which only were of purple colour, and had always been the proof of his uselessness.

    Saeed cried.

    It was the first time his talent was approved.

    Everyone had been looking at him and his works with gazes of pity.

    The reason the works were sold, are even being exhibited here, was all because of that Hydra family name.

    But, right now, some appeared, who would approve of Saeed¡¯s works, and say that it is liked.

    He wasn¡¯t able to control himself.

    Hiding his ugly crying face, Saeed weaved the words and spoke while his throat was shivering.

    ¡¸I......I made this......¡¹

    ¡¸Eeeh! Is that true! Greeaattt!!¡¹

    And hence Saeed met with the single girl, who understood about him.

    ¡¸Saeed-sensei, morning!¡¹

    ¡¸Good, morning......but sensei sounds embarrassing¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t that fine, sensei is a sensei after all¡¹

    The two quickly became friendly.

    At first it was about Saeed¡¯s works, then it was about the crystal sculptures, and finally it was about art in general.

    Though being amoner she was quite knowledgeable about art. To the extent that could even scare Saeed who had seen the world of art for a long time.

    Their conversation never had an end. From the artistic Artifacts from the ancient times, to the name of famous crystal sculptor in the modern times, but still the world of art was profound, and it still held a lot of history in it.

    And, before he realized it, during the conversations of the art that seemed like ravine, the stories about her also started to be revealed.

    Like what she ate yesterday, where she went to shopping, or that she fell en route to him, such childish every-day talks started.

    But Saeed soon enough started to find those stories to be interesting.

    He wanted to know about her, more and more about her.

    At that moment, no, probably from their first meeting, Saeed had fallen in love.

    ¡¸I want to create a sculpture with you as the model¡¹

    That was a roundabout confession.

    ¡¸Eeeh, me, really!? B, But......I¡¯m not that beautiful¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸No, it has to be you, or it¡¯s no good!¡¹

    Pressurized by the passion, the girl finally nodded as her white cheeks turned red as an apple.

    From that day, Saeed started chiselling away the amethyst while forgetting about sleep and hunger.

    That was just like the day his eyes opened up to the greatness of art, no, he had much more passion, enthusiasm and hope¨D¨Dhe burned out everything inside of him.

    Fortunately, a big contest was also right at corner.

    If this once if a lifetime masterpiece was bought, no, if it won the first prize, that time he would tell her about his feelings, Saeed resolved.

    Those words resounded hard in his heart.

    ¡¸I love you, will you marry me¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, me too......I¡¯m not good enough, but please take care of me¡¹

    Finally, the contest, confession, proposal, everything went just fine.

    That was like as if it was their fate to be together.

    He even thought that the bad days he had lived were just to umte enough good luck to fulfil this wish.

    But if that were true, that would mean that the bad luck would start again from zero, from the day afterward.

    The state of fortune level 0 would bring an unknown amount of misfortune, but nevertheless, Saeed was attacked by the bad luck.

    ¡¸The marriage won¡¯t be epted? ......w,why is that so!!!¡¹

    It was hard to call this as a good luck or bad luck.

    The marriage of an noble son with somemoner of unidentified birthce wasn¡¯t something easily to be epted. That was amon sense among both nobles andmoners.

    But, thismon sense was something Saeed had been neglecting to a critical point for the past few days.

    Till now his head had been all about creating a new work, or about that lovely cute girl, so it could only be called natural for him not take heed of that.

    ¡¸Ah, I see, fine, I get it, I don¡¯t need the family name of Hydra anymore!¡¹

    He met an obstacle at an unexpected ce, but for passing that, the current Saeed had no hesitation.

    He was holding the belief that he would be able to live a good life just if he could live with his most important person rather than the name of Hydra.

    The decision was made fast, and, implemented fast.

    Saeed Maya Hydra, on this day cut off each and all rtions to nobility, be Saeed.

    With this, there was nothing to stop the two.

    Now it shall start; the life with that cute girl¨D¨Dno the beloved wife.

    Certainly there was nothing to stop them now.

    That meant, now if there were a problem that would just be among the man who¡¯s to be the husband, and the woman who¡¯s to the wife.

    ¡¸Exiled from......the Hydra Family¡¹

    She asked with a stupendously scared face.

    Saeed replied with a smug face, as if emphasizing his love for her,

    ¡¸Yeah, with this I¡¯m amoner too, now there¡¯s no problem in our marriage¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸Are you an dumbfuck!!¡¹

    The wordsing from her mouth were not of happiness, but of anger. No it was an enraged abusivenguage.

    ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it, arrrgh, you¡¯re an retard, a true idiot! Trash, piece of shit, useless! Damn it, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck you!! Why are removing yourself from nobility at your own ord! You only have that, just that Hydra name that gives you any fucking value!!¡¹

    But, Saeed wasn¡¯t able to understand her words.

    Who was she, who was this deviant in front of him?

    Who was this woman in front him, who was panting heavily, showing her teeth with her mouth wide open as saliva falling out of it.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t joke with me, do you even know how much I had to hold back from puking as I had been keeping you happy, a creepy otaku asshole! You¡¯re not a fucking nobility now, eh, so what about my hard work then!!¡¹

    He didn¡¯t knew, such a woman, he never such an ugly woman.

    This was definitely a dream or an illusion, the real her will soone to save him.

    ¡¸W, Why......should you say like that. I love you so much, then why¡¹

    ¡¸Like I give a shit! I want the money, fame, social position, and everything that nobles have. A fucking shithead like you will never earn my love, don¡¯t get conceited¡¹

    Her gentle eyes, even her sun-like bright smile all seemed like a lie¨D¨Dno, in truth it might¡¯ve been a lie from the start. Right now she showed her true colours, gazed at him with scorn and cold eyes that were much harsher than anyone else¡¯s.

    It can¡¯t be, it just can¡¯t be true. Saeed denied the reality.

    He persuaded himself saying that this girl wasn¡¯t that cute girl, this one was a fake one, just an illusion.

    ¡¸That¡¯s......a lie......right?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m ever speaking truth to you. I hate shitheads like you the most in the whole world¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s a lie, lie, lie!. That is a lie, I love you truly, love you, so please¨D¨D¡¹

    The second confession was cut off by the hand of that fake girl.

    ¡¸Shut up, noisy bitch¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, igh......eeh?¡¹

    A heat passed through his abdomen¨D¨Dright after the acute pain assaulted causing Saeed to fall on his knees, as he lost his words.

    That unbearable pain from the knife stabbing through his stomach didn¡¯t let Saeed to even groan properly.

    ¡¸I hate you, but I know all about the things you like, wanna know why?¡¹

    She took out the knife as she asked the question, and the fresh blood spurted around.

    ¡¸My father was artist¡¹

    The moment she said that, she showed her back to him, so he wasn¡¯t able to see her expression.

    ¡¸He was amoner, but couldn¡¯t even earn a single n from something like art. In the end he died doing his hobby, leaving me with the loan to pay for. He was piece of shit dad¡¹

    The girl turned around and her eyes were muddy with scorn just like before.

    Those eyes were either towards Saeed, who was bleeding, or maybe towards her deceased father.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve seen his works never being sold, never being exhibited, never epted, I¡¯ve seen him suffer up close. So the time I saw you, I understood that you were the same as that father¨D¨D¡¹

    And in her hand, a hatchet found in any farm family for cutting things in a bundle, was held tightly. (TLN: the hatchet here is the western one)

    ¡¸¨D¨DYou were just troubled about self-satisfaction!!¡¹

    Before the hatchet reached him, the hard sole of the boots around her legs attacked Saeed.

    ¡¸The boles sure have it great, you can worry about these shitty problems and still have a great three meals a day and a great nicefortable sleep. You can¡¯t even imagine a lifestyle of living everyday as a low ss prostitute, opening my crotch to vulgar men just to get some money¡¹

    While foaming up blood from mouth, Saeed¡¯s body tumbled face up.

    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t get cocky, why are you making a face that you¡¯re the unluckiest person in the world!¡¹

    And again the muddy boots attacked him like a Mace.

    ¡¸Can you understand! Can you even fucking understand that I¡¯m the unluckiest person right now in the world, myst probably ended up being aplete trash!!¡¹

    Saeed had already taken a fatal hit in his abdomen, so even if the opponent was a women, but after getting kicked, stepped on and beaten he was already be weak enough to not be able to move anymore.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why, at least die while being helpful to me. Hey you love me, right, ahahahahahaha!¡¹

    Saeed moved up his lifeless eyes only to see a girl with a simr to his beloved smiling in a wretched manner and raising the hatchet above.

    ¡¸Where is she......where is my girlfriend......where......¡¹

    Just where had she gone?

    Why, naturally, had she disappeared?

    Saeed thought that deeply in his heart, he wasn¡¯t able to think of any other thing.

    Even at thest moments, that lie was a truth to him meanwhile the reality was an illusion.

    The true her was a chaste girl with a cheerful nature, and a bright and radiant smile. And the only person who would love him and understand him¨D¨D

    ¡¸Orrrrraagghhh!!¡¹

    The swung hatchet splendidly hit the neck of Saeed.

    The thick rusty de entered neared the Adam¡¯s apple, but with a thin arm of a woman, she wasn¡¯t able to ut it out at once.

    ¡¸Orraahh! Oraaagghh!!¡¹

    Without taking notice of the spurt of blood, she kept on swinging down the hatchet.

    Twice, Thrice, Four times, and after various attempts the thick neck¡¯s bones grated, broke, smashed and finally dissected.

    ¡¸*pant*......*pant* making me work so hard, fucktard......¡¹

    While cursing at the cut face, she raised up the face while clenching hard on the muddy purple hair.

    The womanughed while gazing at the two wide eyes with purple pupil inside them.

    ¡¸Even if you¡¯re a failure, you have an real Hydra¡¯s demon eyes. If appraised properly, one would probably sell for a million n......AHahahahahahaha¡¹

    ¡¸......re......tu......rn¡¹

    That moment, she heard a voice.

    ¡¸Return......her......return her!¡¹

    That originated undoubtedly from the freshly severed head in her hands.

    ¡¸AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaAAAAAAAA!!¡¹

    Before she could perceive that reality, the woman¡¯s consciousness was cut off.

    Thest thing she saw was a beam of bright purple light that could make someone blind.

    ¡¸AAaaa! RETURN, HERRR! HErRRrr!! Herrrrrrrrrrrr!! I ;looooovve, thiiiiisss muchhh, HER!!¡¹

    A second crystal sculpture with her as a model was made in front of Saeed.

    But, there was no way he would approve of this rubbish with an ugly expression on the face of his beloved one.

    As if it reacted to Saeed¡¯s blood tears and roar of refusal, the see-through crystal broke apart into countless pieces.

    And in the next instant, it broke apart in even more smaller countless pieces.

    ¡¸Return heeeeeeeeeeeEEEERR! UUUUUauaaaAAAAAAggggHHHHH!!¡¹

    And the head of Saeed kept on screaming.

    Wanting to meet that beloved one that he had lost, the one that doesn¡¯t exist in the world anywhere, that illusion.

    .

    .

    .

    Ah, I see, so he was a head from the start.

    Even after I¡¯ve cut off his head which should¡¯ve resulted in him dying, the eyes of Saeed still fired of the purple light, leading me to an understanding.

    Probably that macho body was probably attached to him using¡ºNecromancy¡»or something.

    Seeing closely there are signs of stitches near the nape of neck.

    But, I realized that a little toote, that it turned fatal.

    ¡¸Guuuaahh!¡¹

    An acute pain ran through my right arm, no, the feeling of an foreign substance should be much more precise.

    The feeling of my body being mine yet not mine at the same time¨D¨Dthat being the truth, my right arm from the elbow to wrist has all turned into a amethyst.

    ¡¸Aaaaaaa Evil Eaterrrrrrrrrrrr!!¡¹

    I block away the light of Demon Eyes trying to turn my whole body into crystal by using the Evil Eater grabbed in my left hand that is fine.

    And, I smashed the big sword into the severed head shining with light.

    After getting cut into two from the front, the demon eyes finally stopped emitting the cursed light, as the demon eyes sunk in the pool of blood and gray matter.

    ¡¸*pant*......*pant*......damn it, what is happening to my right arm......¡¹

    The pain has subsided, but all the sensation is gone from the front of my elbow.

    The right arm haspletely turned into amethyst including the ck sleeve of¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡». If not for this the crystallization might have reached all the way to the shoulder.

    The surprising thing is that the¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»hadpletely endured all that. As expected of a Cursed Protector. There is no sense of touch, but the right glove is there looking same as always.

    The happy sound of the maid¡¸Mater......¡¹resounding in my head right now sounds a bit lovely at the moment.

    For the time being I can¡¯t control anything with my right hand that has gone numb, so I used my left hand glove to create tentacles, and cover my right arm, that seems to break even with slightest touch, without leaving a gap. It works wonders as a substitute of bandage and gypsum.

    Naturally, the¡ºAbsolute Grudge Hatchet¡¸Kubidan¡¹¡»was released from my hand as it is quite heavy, and enter it into the shadow along with the¡ºHungry Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»that had done its duty.

    ¡¸Damn it, now I¡¯ve gone and done it......¡¹

    I did win, but the sacrifice is too big.

    I have lost my right arm,pletely, it¡¯s irreversible.

    No, wait, were I to pay huge loads of money I could regenerate my lost limbs, right.

    Well, I have experienced regenerating the limbs whole lot more in theboratory, so it must also be possible in Spada.

    Wait a sec, there is enough hope for that, if I get the fight money of 10 million n, then I could easily regenerate this right arm......

    ¡¸¨D¨DAnd the winner is, Nightmare Berserker Kurono!!!!!¡¹

    As I realized around, the passionate announcement, and cheers from tens of thousands of people entered my ears.

    If it were a professional diator, he might give a signature pose at this point, but I¡¯m just an adventurer, I don¡¯t have that mindset of giving free fanservice.

    Rather, my right arm is already made into ruined material, how I can have time to do that.

    Right now I just want to return back and rest¨D¨Dno, I need gather the Cursed Weapons before that. Aah, bothersome, but rewards need to be taken.

    The eight nameless swords, the halberd with ability to change the person into undead, and, the Demon Eyes that I have no idea if it will work, but all these are too pricey to be thrown away.

    The cheers were already getting near the point of extreme noise, among all that I started to move to do the most simplest and boring work of collecting things.

    The moment I was bored, at that moment,

    ¡¸¨D¨DKurono-kun!¡¹

    Looking up, I saw an angelnding with white wings spread open as she spoke my name.

    Huh, did I really die from that Demon Eye attack?, I was about think that, but the face of that angel was of someone I have gotten friendlier recently.

    Nell Julius Elrod, the kind First Princess of Avalon. And my second friend I¡¯ve made in Spada.

    Ah, it¡¯s good, she actually came here without being lost.

    I was carelessly looking at hernding in the arena while I thought that.

 Chapter 290 Angels Descent

    Nell managed to safely return the young siblings who had been lost in the city to their parents.

    There was one incident where they hadined about being hungry, but the princess managed to deal with that by feeding them her handmade egg sandwiches.

    And so there was a happy ending for everyone.

    But for Nell, this happy ending came at a cost.

    ¡¸Uwah, what should I do, the match has already started! Hyii~!¡¹

    Immediately after saying farewell to the family with her usual, dazzling royal smile, she desperately started running through the town of Spada under a star-filled sky in which the sun had long since set.

    The citizens of Spada walking the streets are amazed at the sight of the princess running through at full speed with both wings outstretched, but nobody calls out to her.

    And then, after Nell passed through the second main gate that divided the upper and lower districts, she could finally see the¡ºGrand Colosseum¡»towering over her at the end of therge street.

    Even Nell, with no sense of direction, could not possibly lose her way with her destination right in front of her eyes.

    No longer worried about the possibility of getting lost, Nell used her speed-boosting wind magic and ran through the streets of the upper district that had started getting crowded with people.

    As she arrived at the huge, curved stone walls, the excited cheering of the audience reached her from the other side.

    Even Nell, who had no interest in fighting, could tell that the battle was bing intense.

    No, because of her telepathic ability, Nell could feel the audience¡¯s emotions in their voices.

    But what surprised Nell was not the excitement of the audience, but the cheers of¡¸KURONO¡¹.

    ¡¸No way, Kurono-kun is already fighting?!¡¹

    Nell started to panic.

    She had been holding onto a small hope that Kurono¡¯s fight would be scheduled in theter half, but as she heard the calls of¡¸KURONO¡¹that hope was shattered into pieces.

    ¡¸Please wait for me, Kurono-kuuun!¡¹

    However, a Healer is only needed after a battle, and the battle was not yet finished, so she had made it in time to fulfil her role.

    With that said, Nell was not in a calm enough mental state to realise this fact.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun is waiting for me! Please hurry and let me in!*¡¹

    The receptionist at the colosseum entrance was bewildered as the princess of a neighbouring country desperately repeated this phrase of questionable meaning*, but after Nell showed him her Healer certificate, she was finally granted entry into the Grand Colosseum.

    TLN*: This sentence is ¡°irete kudasai/Èë¤ì¤Æ¤¯¤À¤µ¤¤¡± in Japanese, whichmonly means ¡°please put it in¡± but in this context it means ¡°please let me in¡±. The author is making a minor sexual joke here where it sounds like she is asking the receptionist to ¡°put it in¡± when she is trying to be let in.

    She had managed to get here without any problems, but the inside of the building was tooplicated for her to find her way around.

    With the feeling of bing lost in some underground dungeon ruins, Nell decided to trust the one thing she should not trust ¨C her instincts ¨C and started making her way through the passages.

    She ended up arriving somewhere among the spectator seats.

    ¡¸Kyaa! Kurono-kun!¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-sama! You can do it!¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t lose to those creepy Demon Eyes!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I ran out of popcorn...¡¹

    There seem to be a lot of young girls here, and as Kurono¡¯s fierce battle unfolds, their high-pitched cheers fill the arena.

    Among them was the famously beautiful guild receptionist Erina, who she had seenughing with Kurono not long ago.

    Nell¡¯s rage boiled up from within as the girls passionately shouted love-calls at Kurono, but right now she had no time to worry about them.

    ¡¸Demon Eyes... No way, Hydra¡¯s ¨C?!¡¹

    The words written in light magic on the message board above the arena confirmed her suspicion.

    ¡¸The Nightmare Berserker Kurono VS The Cruel Demon Eyes, Saeed Maya Hydra¡¹

    And, if they were really those Demon Eyes ¨C

    ¡¸NO! Kurono-kun, run!¡¹

    As a sh of purple light erupted from the face of therge man holding the ck naginata, Nell was sure of what would happen next.

    She had witnessed the power of the¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡»used in battle by her party member, a real awakener of the Demon Eyes, Safiel Maya Hydra. The important role it yed in the defeat of Wrath-Pun in the Ghad mountain range was still fresh in her mind.

    It appeared that there was no way Kurono could escape that fearsome crystallization ray because of the three Undead clinging to his body ¨C the disfigured Orc, Elf and human female.

    But at that moment, when she was paralyzed by the hopeless feeling of despair that crept up her spine ¨C

    ¡¸Take this, Evil Eater!¡¹

    All of a sudden, Kurono had produced a greatsword made from the fang of a huge monster, and he used it as a shield to block the sh from the Demon Eyes.

    After that, Kurono goes on the offensive.

    The force of his attack was so strong that even Nell, who was a rank 5 adventurer with the experience of countless fierce battles against monsters, held her breath with tension.

    Not only that ¨C she was captivated.

    Even Nell, who hated fighting with a passion, was taken a hold of by the same sense of excitement and exhration as that of the tens of thousands of Spada citizens gathered in the arena.

    ¡¸Give me power ¨C ¡ºForce Boost! ¡»¡¹

    Seeing Kurono use the strengthening magic that he had learned while training with her, Nell trembled with delight.

    He was using the strengthening magic she had taught him, while facing an opponent wielding the undeniably fearsome Demon Eyes of the Hydra house.

    She felt an overwhelming sense of joy as she realised she had managed to be of use to Kurono, her dear friend.

    The feeling after she had returned those young children to their parents couldn¡¯t even bepared to this feeling.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun ¨C¡¹

    Kurono, after activating¡ºForce Boost! ¡»was powerful; overwhelmingly so.

    The Demon Eye user clearly has already shown himself to have superhuman physical strength, but Kurono moves to attack him directly from the front, dual-wielding his cursed weapons.

    ¡¸Dual Kuronagi.¡¹

    Finally, with a ck martial art too fast to be seen, Kurono puts an end to the fight. Saeed¡¯s right arm is blown off, and his head falls to the ground.

    To anyone looking, it appears as if the fight is over.

    Probably the only species that that could possibly survive decapitation is the pure-blooded True Vampire race.

    However, the battle that is going on here is not a normal battle; the enemy is a cursed-weapon user. In other words, he is not a normal human.

    And in this moment, the Demon-Eye-user Saeed reminded everyone of this fact.

    ¡¸Aah... Ah... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    A surging purple sh, stronger than any that came before it.

    Kurono counterattacks immediately, but his fatal blow is a moment toote.

    ¡¸Damn it, he got me...¡¹

    The screen-barrier that covered the arena clearly showed the audience ¨C and Nell ¨CKurono¡¯s expression as he tried to hide his agony.

    And it also clearly showed the cause of his pain, his right arm that had been turned into amethyst.

    ¡¸Ah... No... No way...¡¹

    The arena is erupting with cheers at the conclusion of the fierce battle, at Kurono¡¯s victory over Saeed. But in Nell¡¯s heart is a dark, cold feeling of regret.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun¡¯s... Right arm...¡¹

    She should have stopped him; she knew fully well how dangerous the Demon Eyes of the Hydra house were. No matter how reckless or selfish it would have been, she should have stopped Kurono¡¯s match using her royal title or even by force.

    She had the power to stop it.

    But now it¡¯s toote, and she is filled with regret.

    ¡¸I... I couldn¡¯t stop it... Because I was toote to the fight... Kurono-kun got...¡¹

    Yes, this all happened because she didn¡¯t make it in time.

    ¡¸I have to heal him, quickly, I have to heal Kurono-kun...¡¹

    In a trance, as if she is sleepwalking, Nell takes a slow step forward.

    To get to the passage leading into the arena, she has to go all the way around through the audience gate that she previously came through.

    But she had no intention of taking such a roundabout route ¨C no, the thought of doing so never even urred to Nell.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, I¡¯ming right now, so ¨C¡¹

    Nell couldn¡¯t focus on anything but Kurono, who was enduring the pain of losing his arm.

    And so, she takes the shortest path to reach him.

    ¡¸KURONO-KUN!¡¹

    Before anyone could stop her, the Princess of Avalon dived onto the arena from the spectator seats above, much to the surprise of everyone.

    The angel Nell descended onto the arena. Her beautiful face, which was usually smiling kindly, was now twisted in an expression of grief.

    Those big, blue eyes are filled with tears.

    Oh man, isn¡¯t this the second time I¡¯ve made her cry now...

    ¡¸Sorry about this Nell, I hurt myself pretty badly...¡¹

    I smile weakly as I tell her about the injury brought about by my own carelessness.

    ¡¸Ah, ahh, I¡¯m sorry Kurono-kun, I¡¯m sorry, this is all because I waste...¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s my fault for not finishing him properly.¡¹

    Because Nell is so kind, even though the injury is my own fault, she feels responsible for it.

    But the words I need to convince her won¡¯te out.

    So in the end, tears are flowing from Nell¡¯s eyes... Ah, damn it, my chest feels like it¡¯ll burst with guilt.

    And I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be even sadder at the fact that I¡¯m hating myself for this right now.

    So I pretend I haven¡¯t noticed her tears.

    ¡¸By the way, Nell, can my right arm be fixed?¡¹

    I actually have no idea how good the medical care in Spada is.

    I figured that Nell, being of the Priest ss, would be knowledgeable about that kind of stuff.

    ¡¸Yes, I will definitely fix your arm, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    Her response was better than I expected.

    Nell said those words with confidence, and her sad expression was now reced by the look of a veteran surgeon faced with a patient needing emergency surgery.

    ¡¸You can really fix it?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, please rest assured, I will now fix it with the divine protection of¡ºAria!¡»¡¹

    Nell holds her hand out in the air, and simr to when Lily uses her spatial magic, a magical circle of white light is drawn instantly in the air.

    ¡¸Nell Julius Elrodmands thee ¨C Come forth,¡ºScale of White Wings! ¡»¡¹

    From within the magic circle, she summoned a staff into her hands.

    It was shining, pure white, and was more like a beautiful work of art than a magic staff.

    It¡¯s made out of Mythril ¨C no, it¡¯s simr to it, but a different precious metal.

    At the end of the staff are two white wings spreading left and right, not unlike Nell¡¯s own two wings.

    Such equipment is to be expected from rank 5 adventurers, but it¡¯s still kind of amazing.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, can you hold out your arm for me?¡¹

    Using my left hand again, I loosen the tentacles wrapped around my arm to show it to her.

    Looking at it closely again, it really is a terrible sight ¨C My arm has beenpletely turned to amethyst between my elbow and wrist, and it¡¯s so transparent I can see through it.

    It looks like I¡¯ve used a trick to somehow gain a fake arm, but because it¡¯s my real arm it¡¯s unsettling to see.

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, if it¡¯s just this amount of crystallization, I can reverse it without any problem!¡¹

    ¡¸Oh! Thank you Nell, that¡¯d be really helpful!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, after all, I¡¯m your Healer, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    Just how much of an angel are you, Princess Nell?

    But when she said she will heal me right away, does that mean she¡¯s going to do it here, right in the middle of the arena?

    I thought this sort of thing should normally be done in the infirmary, but... Well, considering the fact that Mordred isn¡¯ting down to finish me off, does that mean this is being allowed as part of the show?

    A Princess of Avalon has suddenly appeared on the stage, and there¡¯s no doubt that the audience is curious as to what she is doing.

    ¡¸Alright, here I go!¡¹

    With her right hand holding the staff called the¡ºScale of White Wings¡», and her left resting lightly on my right arm, she slowly closes her eyes and calls upon the goddess to grant her divine protection.

    ¡¸Holy white healing ¨C¡ºHeaven-Calming Imperial Princess Aria!¡»¡¹

    When Nell opened her eyes again, her normally sky-blue eyes had turned the crimson of a sunset.

    Her ck hair and crimson eyes were exactly like Mia Elrod; perhaps Mia¡¯s older sister, Aria herself, also had the same hair and eyes.

    The only change in Nell¡¯s outward appearance was the colour of her eyes, but the aura and magical energy presence around her had changed significantly.

    This presence might be as overwhelming and intimidating as an Apostle¡¯s.

    In any case, Nell, one of only five people in Avalon with the divine blessing of¡ºHeaven-Calming Imperial Princess Aria¡», is now using that power to reverse the crystallization of my arm.

    ¡¸???? ????? ???? ????? ??????¡¹

    She begins her magic chant, which is unintelligible to me as always.

    The magic entwined in her words resonates with the power of the divine blessing. The¡ºScale of White Wings¡»in her hand suddenly began to flicker with light.

    ¡¸??? ???? ?????? ???? ????¡¹

    And as her chantes to an end ¨C

    ¡¸¨C ¡ºProvidence dispel! ¡»¡¹

    Her healing spell wasplete, and in that moment a blinding light came from my crystallized arm ¨C Damn it, I¡¯ve been getting nothing but light attacks all day today!

    I quickly shut my eyes while thinking this stupid thought.

 Chapter 291 Intrusion

    ¡¸W-What is Princess Nell doing in a ce like this...?¡¹

    Sitting in the front row of the waiting room, with popcorn in one hand, Christina Damuid Spiralhorn was speechless with surprise.

    TLN: Previously named Christina Damd Spiralhorn. She is an fancy, ojou-sama-type character

    She is known as the¡ºDragon Heart¡»Vice Captain of Avalon¡¯s noble Dragon Knights. There is no way she would not recognize the face of a member of the royal family that she serves ¨C especially that of the First Princess.

    TLN: Previously tranted as the Vice Captain of First Dragoon Knights squad¡ºDragon Heart¡».

    Well, with those pure white wings, it could not possibly be anyone other than her. It would be impossible to not recognize her.

    ¡¸Hmph, to be holding the interest of not only Captain Mordred, but Princess Nell as well... It seems he has some impressive connections.¡¹

    This calm observation came from Ludora, sitting in the seat next to Christina.

    ¡¸Who exactly is this Kurono...? This is starting to feel like a dark conspiracy...¡¹

    As Christina looks at Kurono with suspicious eyes, in the next moment, she sees something that surprises her yet again.

    ¡¸You can really fix it?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, please rest assured, I will now fix it with the divine protection of¡ºAria!¡»¡¹

    The conversation between the two could be heard everywhere, not only in these special seats but also in the audience seats.

    ¡¸S-she couldn¡¯t possibly thinking of using that on this nameless adventurer ¨C¡¹

    But that was exactly what she was thinking of doing.

    As if it were nothing out of the ordinary, Nell pulled the white, shining staff from a spatial magic dimension.

    ¡¸Hyiih! She really is nning to use it, the¡ºScale of White Wings!¡»¡¹

    Kurono was staring nkly at the staff, but for Christina, knowing how precious that staff was, this was beyond imagination.

    ¡¸An Artifact, huh...¡¹

    TLN: I just want to emphasize here that in the world of Kuro no Maou, ¡°Artifacts¡± are their own separate ss of powerful magical items

    ¡¸That¡¯s one of Avalon¡¯s precious national treasures!¡¹

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯spletely made of pure Orichalcum... But is it really a problem for it to be used for a just an ordinary Healing?¡¹

    He thought there could be no real negative consequence except perhaps that of exposing a national treasure to the public, since it would not disappear or be used up upon use like a Potion would.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a big problem! There¡¯s a limit on how many times it can be used!¡¹

    The basic function of a staff is to support or strengthen the user¡¯s own magic use.

    This basic function of a normal staff is not limited by anything but the durability of the staff itself.

    But there are exceptions to every rule. For staves, this exception would be the¡ºScale of White Wings.¡»

    In addition to the requirement of having been granted the blessing of the¡ºHeaven-Calming Imperial Princess Aria¡», each use of the staff expends some of the power contained within the staff, thus limiting its use.

    It is simple to tell how many times the staff can be used. One of therge number of jewels embedded in the staff is expended with each use of its magic.

    If you could rece the jewels it could be reused indefinitely, but unfortunately, the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»is an Artifact that has been passed from generation to generation in the Avalon royal family since ancient times.

    In other words, there is no way to obtain recements for these jewels except to excavate them from ancient ruins. And even then, purifying these gems is impossible even with current magical knowledge.

    Nell herself is aware of this fact, and should understand that she should not use it carelessly.

    ¡¸The only reason the Emperor allowed the Princess to have that staff in her possession was for her to use if she ever found herself in danger!¡¹

    ¡¸Yet she would use it for a mere adventurer? Hmph, what a benevolent princess.¡¹

    Considering the tens of millions of ns¡¯ worth of mary value lost in a single use of the magic, it is apletely irrational thing to do.

    Even so, Nell uses the Avalon¡¯s precious¡ºScale of White Wings¡»without hesitation.

    ¡¸¨C ¡ºProvidence Dispel!¡»¡¹

    ¡¸Hyiih, I¡¯m not going to take responsibility for whatever happens now!¡¹

    The moment the holy, healing light filled the arena, Christina covered her face with her hands, deciding to take the stance that she had no idea what happened here today, that she was not involved at all.

    ¡¸Serving the royal family is hard work, I see.¡¹

    ¡¸Uu, no matter how much love the Princess has for the people, there should be a reasonable limit to how far she goes...¡¹

    Ludora could think of many incidents where Nell¡¯s actions for the people had gone beyond the duty expected of the royal family, so he knows of her devotion to the people as well as anyone.

    ¡¸Love, huh? I wonder how that is.¡¹

    ¡¸... What do you mean?¡¹

    Christina¡¯s voice is sharp as she responds to this possible insult to the royal family.

    ¡¸Hmph, can¡¯t you tell by looking at her face?¡¹

    In the arena, Kurono and Nell¡¯s expressions are those of happiness as the Dispel seeds. The audience erupts in apuse once more at this emotional scene.

    ¡¸Wow, it¡¯spletely back to normal!¡¹

    ¡¸But please don¡¯t do anything reckless with it yet, okay?¡¹

    Kurono opens and closes his hand to confirm that his arm is fine.

    And then Christina noticed that Nell¡¯s hand was still holding onto that arm.

    And then she looks carefully at Princess Nell¡¯s expression. And on her face, there is a smile filled with what could only be described as love ¨C

    ¡¸That¡¯s the face of a woman in love. That¡¯s not a face that she should be showing a man that isn¡¯t her husband or fianc¨¦, is it?¡¹

    Ludora¡¯s observation waspletely true.

    ¡¸BLASPHEMY!¡¹Christina said in rage, but she did not attack him, because of the truth in his words. Nell¡¯s expression was that of a person who had beenpletely captivated.

    ¡¸Th-there¡¯s no way that can be...¡¹

    The words of denial came out of her mouth, but the entranced Princess¡¯s expression was reflected in Christina¡¯s own blue eyes.

    She was looking at him with feverish eyes, like a maiden in love.

    The subject of her passionate gaze, Kurono, waspletely oblivious to it ¨C no, his face shows that the way she was looking at him is an ordinary thing to him.

    He looks like he is earnestly thanking her, but the look on his face is as if he is already sure that Nell is his woman. That surely has to be the case, because otherwise there would be no way he could keep a normal, straight face while a woman as beautiful as Princess Nell looks at him in such a way.

    ¡¸Ah, ahh, this is bad... This is really bad...¡¹

    ¡¸A scandal for the royal family would certainly be quite bad, wouldn¡¯t it.¡¹

    Christina makes a loud noise as she quickly stands up.

    ¡¸Please excuse me.¡¹

    Saying nothing more, with a wave of her rolls of blonde hair, she headed towards the passage that led to the arena.

    Ludora watches her leave in silence, and then a slight smile creeps onto his face.

    ¡¸Hmph, intrusions onto the arena are standard for arena fights, aren¡¯t they.¡¹

    ¡¸Wow, it¡¯spletely back to normal!¡¹

    When the bright light subsides and I look at my right arm to see that it¡¯s made of flesh and blood again. I can even feel magical energy flowing through it, and I could probably use¡ºForce Boost ¡»on it if I tried.

    Only my arm itself was healed; the crystallized sleeve of my coat had broken and crumbled. Well,¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»has the same regenerative ability as Baphomet; it¡¯ll grow back soon enough so it¡¯s not a big problem.

    ¡¸But please don¡¯t do anything reckless with it yet, okay?¡¹

    I can feel Nell¡¯s kindness both in her words and in the softness of her hand¡¯s touch on my right arm.

    But I wonder why Nell is staring at me so strangely. She¡¯s got a dizzy expression like she¡¯s caught a cold or something, and her hand feels kind of hot.

    Could it be a side-effect of having to use her magic? The¡ºProvidence Dispel¡»she just cast was a special power of her divine blessing. It¡¯s likely there is another cost to using it other than just using up some magical energy.

    But it wouldn¡¯t be unlike Nell to use such powerful magic for me like that without hesitation.

    ¡¸Hey, Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, what is it, Kurono-kun?¡¹

    As she replies, her face has the most gentle smile on it. Even with red-flushed cheeks and feverish eyes, she smiles firmly.

    Even though I¡¯m concerned, if I were to ask her if she pushed herself too hard, that would only make her ufortable. The only reason she had to push herself in the first ce is because I was careless.

    So it¡¯s probably best not to say anything like that right now.

    ¡¸Thanks so much, you really saved me!¡¹

    The only thing I can say is words of gratitude. I swear to myself I¡¯ll definitely return this favour ¨C Wait, Nell¡¯s hand is touching me right now, does that mean she¡¯s reading my thoughts through telepathy?

    ¡¸Oh no, that¡¯s... I... If it¡¯s for you, Kurono-kun...¡¹

    It looks like Nell¡¯s fever is getting worse; even her ears are red now and she¡¯s facing downward, looking at the ground. She also doesn¡¯t really seem to be paying attention to what she¡¯s saying. At the very least, it seems that she isn¡¯t reading my thoughts.

    ¡¸Nell, err, you know, if you¡¯re tired from using up your magical energy just now, I¡¯ll give you a hand. Are you okay?¡¹

    I won¡¯t tell her that she pushed herself too hard, but I have to show at least this much concern.

    It might be simr to when Fiona used her¡ºGolden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil.¡»If that¡¯s the case I have to not just give her a handshould probably be carrying her.

    ¡¸Eh? Umm... Ah, Yes! I¡¯m really tired! I can¡¯t even take another step!¡¹

    ¡¸I-I see...¡¹

    I¡¯m a little puzzled by this oddly energetic deration. But if she¡¯s really nearly out of magical energy, it can¡¯t be helped.

    ¡¸Well, this might be a bit embarrassing, but bear with it.¡¹

    ¡¸Ehh, wa-wa-fwa?!¡¹

    To think that I¡¯m actually holding a real princess in my arms*. Even though I¡¯m actually doing it, I¡¯m slightly in shock.

    TLN*: The way he is holding her ismonly be known as a princess-carry (Japanese) or bridal-carry (Western). The joke here is that he is holding an actual princess in a princess-carry.

    Well I could have carried her on my back, but I kind of wanted to try doing this once, or maybe I just wanted to look cool.

    But the wings on her back are so big; it¡¯s kind of hard to carry her. Maybe I should have just carried her properly on my back after all... But Nell¡¯s face is now so red it looks like it¡¯s been boiled, so I don¡¯t have time to change how I¡¯m carrying her. Let¡¯s just go like this.

    ¡¸Stop at once!¡¹

    As I went to take a step, a high-pitched, sharp female voice rang through the arena.

    ¡¸Release Princess Nell from your wretched arms right now! Nightmare Berserker!¡¹

    The loud shouting came from thedy I had seen in the waiting room earlier, with her blonde hair twisted into drills and wearing dark, full-body armor.

    But what is she thinking? She¡¯s talking to me like I¡¯m some evil demon king who¡¯s kidnapping the Princess.

    ¡¸Wow! Our regr contender in our¡ºCurse Carnival¡»that I¡¯m sure everyone is familiar with, Christina Damuid Spiral Horn, has intruded onto the staaaaaage!¡¹

    I can thank the announcer for thismentary.

    Wait, intruded? Now that I think about it, when I fought that handsome Elf, he said that intrusions like this were standard events, didn¡¯t he?

    Since I put a stop to the hardest opponent, Saeed, it seems I¡¯ve attracted unwanted attention. Tch, what a pain.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t know who you are, but I don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now!¡¹

    I have to let Nell rest, since she¡¯s already exhausted her energy. I can¡¯t start a fight here.

    Even under perfect conditions, I would have no desire to fight. The ones who have been cursed are already in an irreversible Zombie-like state, so I can cut them down without hesitation, but that¡¯s not the case here.

    ¡¸Wh-What an arrogant thing to say! Do you even know who I am?!¡¹

    I did just say I don¡¯t know who she is, didn¡¯t I? This person seems like the kind of person who doesn¡¯t listen to what she doesn¡¯t want to hear.

    ¡¸Grr, what is that disinterested look in your eyes! Hmph, fine, if you do not know, I shall tell you! I am known as the¡ºDragon Heart¡»Vice Captain of Avalon¡¯s honored, noble Dragon Knights, Christina Damuid ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Lady Spiralhorn, please stand down.¡¹

    Nell cut her long-winded self-introduction short.

    Wait, it was Nell who spoke, right? The voice definitely came from the girl in my arms, but her tone was like apletely different person¡¯s ¨C so cold-hearted.

    ¡¸I told you to stand down. Did you not hear me?¡¹

    Nell¡¯s character has changedpletely.

    Not just her voice, but her cheeks that had been feverishly red until just now have changed to their normal white colour, and her usual doll-like beauty has returned.

    Nell ispletely expressionless. I¡¯ve never seen her face like this before.

    ¡¸But Princess! This joke has gone on long enough! You¡¯re being seen in the eyes of the public with some unknown adventurer, who is also a man! This kind of thing¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m telling you to stand down, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ll have you punished as a traitor!¡¹

    Quite frankly, I¡¯m also speechless. I¡¯m getting an unpleasant feeling that¡¯s even worse than getting red at by Demon Eyes.

    ¡¸Kuh, uu... I sincerely apologize for my behaviour, Princess...¡¹

    With tears in her eyes and a bitter expression on her face, thedy finally backed down.

    Her dark armor rattles and her gorgeous blonde rolls of hair spin around as she turns her heels and walks away.

    ¡¸But I¡¯ll definitely be reporting this to the Emperor!¡¹

    She leaves with this sharp remark, ring at me over her shoulder.

    The Emperor, she means the King of Avalon, Nell¡¯s father, doesn¡¯t she? Even going so far as to report her own friend... I guess being part of the royal family is rough.

    No wait, the fact that Spiralhorn even went so far as to make her way onto the arena to try to stop Nell... That definitely means that I¡¯m getting too close to someone who¡¯s the Princess of a whole country. Unlike Will, Nell is a girl, and her rtions with men are probably strictly regted. Damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have gotten ahead of myself and held her like this after all.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, because of me, another person said horrible things to Kurono-kun...¡¹

    Just as I was about to put her down, Nell¡¯s left hand, no longer holding the staff, wrapped around my shoulder. Now I can¡¯t put her down, and she is holding onto me tightly.

    Well, I don¡¯t have any desire to let go of Nell anyway.

    ¡¸Well, shall we get out of here? It would be a pain if someone intruded onto the arena again.¡¹

    ¡¸Alright, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    She says her usual, positive line, like nothing¡¯s changed. But I immediately start to sense danger, like someone whispering softly in my ears.

    Calm down, Nell told me earlier that we¡¯re friends. She has no interest in me; she¡¯s just helpless right now and needs me to carry her.

    Now I feel like I can understand how her older brother, Nero felt...

    As if shaking off these impure thoughts, I finally leave this bloodstained arena behind me.

 Chapter 292 To my Soul Friend

    Chapter 292 ¨C To my Soul Friend

    ¡¸Thank you for your hard work. That was a really good fight, Kurono-sama¡¹

    Entering the yers-only passage after exiting the arena, what awaited me was a young man wearing tailcoat and had a bad countenance.

    The man calling himself as the steward of Mordred spoke rapidly before the perplexed me could even speak any questions.

    ¡¸Here is the sum total of 13 million n. Please take it. And here are the¨D¨D¡¹

    From there on, from the¡ºshadow¡»of the steward came out weapons I seem to have seen, or rather they are the Cursed Weapons I had just fought against.

    The 8 Nameless and the jet-ck halberd too. The best of them are the two ominous yet beautiful purple eyeballs stuffed in a bottle generally used for potions.

    Just when did he recover the weapons, and when did he pick up the demon eyes, wait is it really fine to sink those eyes in potions. Arrgh, I¡¯ve got a mountain of questions right now.

    However, before I could say anything, the steward by himself threw the rewards in my shadow¨D¨Dno wait, how can someone else open my¡ºShadow Gate¡»!?

    ¡¸Sorry, but your hands seem to be busy right now¡¹

    Well, sure enough I am still holding onto Nell, but I didn¡¯t need this shocking consideration from you.

    So this is what is called as interfering with the Dimension Magic. I remember hearing it before, but seeing it upfront truly is frightening.

    Well, it¡¯s toote toin about anything, for the time being I give the ckening dose to the weapons within my shadow. Especially you Saeed, I will give it you strictly, politely, including the resentment for my right arm.

    ¡¸Well then, let me guide you to the medical room. The people have dispersed already, so have fun with just the two of you¡¹

    ¡¸*sigh*, well thank you¡¹

    His speech makes it seems like he is taking us to the suite room of an hotel rather than just a mere medical room. I will let Nell take some rest, and re-check if there is any abnormalities with my right arm, then just get the hell out of this ce.

    That was something I had been thinking till before......

    ¡¸Kurono-kun¡¹

    The kind voice of Nell resounded right beside my ears, causing my heart to be shocked.

    On top of a pure white bed, Nell and me were huddling together¨D¨Dhow to say, it is a situation that can definitely create some big bad misunderstandings, but in truth this situation without any indecent feelings.

    ¡¸You¡¯re still healing, so don¡¯t move, okay?¡¹

    That¡¯s right, within this medical room, I had let Nell use the Cure Magic, to cure my resurrected right arm.

    But, I doubt there is a problem after all I brought an adult girl like Nell who even has the weight of both wings, in my hands. But still it¡¯s better to be careful thante.

    ¡¸A, Aaa......¡¹

    But, the most startling thing right now is the fact Nell is holding my right arm tightly.

    And don¡¯t forget, the¡ºDiabolos Embrace¡»¡¯s right sleeve is torn arpart, so my bare arm is exposed.

    As a bonus, I even took off the¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡», as it might be a hindrance during the healing.

    Although I had a bad time taking it off, at that moment it shouted some suspicious words such as¡ºMaster~~ Don¡¯t be deceived~~!¡»and showed extreme resistance.

    Anyhow, my right arm is all bare from the tip of fingers to all the way up.

    With nothing to bock the sensations, the soft white hands of Nell that don¡¯t seem to be doing any adventurer work, were stroking my arm all over the ce, and, although with a thick cloth in between, the certain mass and warmth of those chests is also pushing down on me.

    Moreover, Nell¡¯s head is on my shoulder. That is the reason I can hear her voice right beside my ear.

    ¡¸Hey, Nell, how about making some distance......¡¹

    ¡¸No, the healing is still in process¡¹

    I can do nothing but shut my mouth after hearing those words.

    Naturally I¡¯m embarrassed as hell that I can¡¯t even look directly in the face of Nell.

    I appropriately avert my eyes, and without any aim, start concentrating on the inspection of the room. If I don¡¯t do that, my concentration is sure to lean towards that soft something......my gosh, calm down me.

    Isn¡¯t it bad that there I only me and Nell in here?

    This medical room is unlike that general public knows of, although it has unrefined bricks wall, but starting with the bed I¡¯m on right now, including the medicines and potions are filling up the shelves, so it can be said this is a full-fledged medical room with enough stuff inside.

    Inspection Over. Again the time of silence starts to flow as I¡¯m too conscious towards Nell huddling with me.

    Recently I¡¯ve been meeting her everyday, and had friendly chats, but at this time I can¡¯t think of any topic to talk about. Gratitude for healing, no that won¡¯t make it, after all I said all that before.

    What should I do now, maybe shut myself up, or forcefully strike up a conversation.

    For example, err, about the Cursed Weapons I was given before?

    No, that¡¯s crap, this atmosphere isn¡¯t soft enough to actually speak something like¡¸How should I use these Demon Eyes¡¹.

    The Demon Eyes are called as¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡», and right now behaving like a good child thanks to ckening.

    But, I can¡¯t help but think of that it would start ring up the moment ckening is released. I feel like that.

    It might be better to sell it off, rather than using it myself without much knowledge about it. It seems to be famous, so even one might fetch me one million n.

    I only think thinks like that as the silent time flows on. Now I can feel only the warmth of Nell reaching to me from my right hand, and just that breath of hers.

    ¡¸......Kurono-kun¡¹

    The moment that faint white light emitted from Cure Magic is stopped, I was called out.

    ¡¸What happened?¡¹

    As expected I can¡¯t avert my face if she calls out to me.

    Looking at the right bottom, there I found Nell looking at me with passionate wet eyes.

    The divine protection¡¯s effect has worn out, so her eyes have returned to sky-blue colour.

    Looking at them at such a close distance, makes me feel like I¡¯m being sucked into those perfectly clear blue eyes, they are undoubtedly the demon eyes of bewitching.

    ¡¸Um, I¨D¨D¡¹

    The moment she was about to speak something, a strong loud knock reverberated within the room.

    ¡¸Waahaaaaaaaahhh!!?¡¹

    ¡¸Uooh!¡¹

    I was quite shocked by the sudden knock, but Nell gave out an overreaction to that.

    Just who is it, or rather, weren¡¯t people already dispersed from here?

    ¡¸It¡¯s open, please enter¡¹

    I don¡¯t have any reason to ward off the person, and maybe it might be the steward from beforeing to say¡¸It¡¯s time to leave¡¹to me.

    ¡¸Excuse me¡¹

    A woman wearing ck clothes entered saying that.

    They were suit-type clothes just like what Saeed was wearing before, and right now those clothes were clearly emphasizing the entrancing bodyline of the girl.

    Of course, the parts equipped on the legs, hands and waist area are different, so it is different from what Saeed wore.

    ¡¸Um, who might you be?¡¹

    Nell asked with vignce at full burst whilst holding my right arm very tightly.

    It¡¯s gonna be bad now, no matter if I don¡¯t have much interest in big boobs, but were I to touch them, I can¡¯t help but think about them¨D¨Dno, rather than that, the problem is this woman.

    Judging by the equipment, she might be either thief or assassin.

    But, her clothes are worn out, even her left hand¡¯s gauntlet is smashed open, as though she had been in a fight just before.

    Don¡¯t tell me someone fought after me too, I thought that, but seeing the face of the woman, I seemed to feel that I have seen her somewhere.

    Those green hair bundled behind the back of her head, and those clear light blue eyes, exude an air of a beautiful onee-san, yeah, I¡¯ve seen this person before.

    ¡¸Are you perhaps Seria?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s been a while, Kurono-sama¡¹

    That figure of her respectfully bowing towards me coincided with that of the escor maid always behind Wilhart.

    ¡¸Please forgive me to stand in front in this appearance, Princess Nell¡¹

    ¡¸No, you are I believe......the maid of Prince Wilhart, right? Please don¡¯t mind about it¡¹

    As expected of royalty, Wil and Nell both know each other, including the maids and all.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to intrude during an interesting time for both of you¡¹

    ¡¸No, we weren¡¯t having an interesting time. So, what happened? Didn¡¯t you go to the Outdoor Manoeuvres Training with Wil¨D¨D¡¹

    ¡¸The Outdoor Training was stopped halfway after we were attacked by a Rank 5 Monster¡¹

    Eh, two questions ovepped at the same time.

    ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹

    ¡¸The details are in here¡¹

    Seria took out a single paper from her bosom and handed it to me. That was most familiar paper to an adventurer, in short, it was the Quest paper.

    Emergency Quest: Help us

    Reward: As much as you want

    Time Limit: Right now

    Client: Wilhart Tristan Spada

    Desciption: Kurono, I think of you as a soul friend of mine, and I beg you, can you please save us.

    I will omit the start of the situation, but just exin the current situation.

    All the students participating in the Royal Spada Academy are currently in the Isckia Old Castle, with monsters surrounding us, and we arepletely isted and helpless. The rescue of the Order, and even the adventurers might not make it in time.

    But, I believe with all my heart that you woulde fast to save us. Just like how you saved me when I was being chased by the Wrath-Pun in the Ghad Mountains.

    That¡¯s why, I write this request to you. To you, Nightmare Berserker.

    Lastly, I want to point this out.

    The one leading therge army of monsters is the Rank 5 Monster, Greed Gore.

    But, it¡¯s not a normal Greed Gore, judging by the ck colour it has, there is a possibility that it is a subspecies. And it is undoubtedly this ck Greed Gore that is leading the army of monsters.

    During the fight with monsters, it became obvious that it was being controlled by a parasite of lightning attribute, but everything else is unknown.

    If you find some student from the Academy being controlled just like the monsters, no, even if it is me, just kill me.

    Everyone is already prepared for that.

    Simon is also waiting for you arrival with hope, don¡¯t let this cute alchemist cry.

    ¡¸As you have read. Currently, the Isckia Old Castle is in deep crisis. Prince Wilhart has deployed an emergency quest to you, Kurono-sama, using the royal decree¡¹

    On the bottom edge of the paper, I could see a crown with two intersecting swords, just like the crest of Spada, imprinted.

    ¡¸It is an unofficial quest currently, but will you please take it¡¹

    Official or unofficial, to hell with that.

    Let it be Irz Vige or the Fight in Alsace......why can¡¯t I be present near myrades when danger approaches in.

    No fucking way in hell I will let something like that happen again. I don¡¯t want to feel that feeling a third time.

    Absolutely, I will absolutely save them. This time, I will make it in time.

    ¡¸Of course, I will head out right now, so please stay alive, Wil, Simon!!¡¹

    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:

    Kurono finally got a major harvest ever since the start of the novel. 13 million n is a big amount of money, but thinking about the finance amount till now, this is only changepared to that.

    Well then, 16 Volume ends with this chapter.

    Everyone, do you remember about Greed Gore......at the outset of 16 Volume, in Chapter 260, it surely appeared.

    So, hope for the next volume now!

 Chapter 293 Northwest Spada Highway

    The 13th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin), as the sun is about to set behind the steep ridgelines of the Ghad mountains.

    At a point on the northwest highway that runs from Spada to Avalon, several hours¡¯ travel from the nearby Dakia vige.

    Considering the time and ce, unless one were in a great hurry, stopping and resting for the night would be a reasonable decision.

    There is a single party of adventurers here, making preparations to set up camp for the night.

    There are four of them; a Mage, an Archer, a Warrior and a Swordsman. They are all male humans. A party set-up that is not unusual to see in Spada.

    However, they are not ordinary adventurers. It would be more urate to call them bandits.

    Bandits have recently been kidnapping people and causing trouble in Fauren. In addition, there are also many opportunistic groups who attack merchants, travellers and even other bandits when the chance presents itself.

    TLN: As mentioned in earlier chapters, Fauren is a small city-state neighboring Spada.

    Though they do not kill their victims, they always plunder all avable money, goods and equipment.

    In short, these bandits call themselves adventurers, but in reality they are just criminals.

    Because such bandits aremon these days, adventurers have a negative reputation of being crude, vulgar and violent.

    Adventurers whose faces are well-known in the small viges they operate around are an exception. However, adventurers who pass through popted urban areas are viewed as such.

    The group of adventurers in question have cunningly established an outward reputation of being eloquent, respectable young men.

    ¡¸Oi look, there¡¯s an amazing one!¡¹

    The Archer, who has been looking around for a suitable spot to set up camp, raises his voice in excitement.

    Hispanions do not ask what he has seen.

    The question they ask instead, is ¨C

    ¡¸What kind?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s a woman!¡¹

    Their question is asking which kind of prey he has spotted ¨C money, or women.

    ¡¸Nice!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s great, ain¡¯t it!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s like the gods have blessed us!¡¹

    The Mage, Swordsman and Warrior¡¯s expressions turn into twisted smiles of delight.

    ¡¸It¡¯s more than a gods¡¯ blessing. She¡¯s a real beauty!¡¹

    The four of them have abducted a sizable number of women in the past; they have a sharp eye for the beauty of women.

    Their hopes, desires and the area between their legs are inadvertently roused.

    ¡¸How many of them are there?¡¹

    The one who collects himself to ask this question calmly is the leader of the party, the Mage.

    ¡¸One, no, two of them?¡¹

    ¡¸So which is it? Is there a man with her?¡¹

    ¡¸No, there¡¯s two of them, but one of them¡¯s a kid. A little girl.¡¹

    ¡¸A little girl, huh...¡¹

    The Mage frowns as he thinks about what to do.

    Both the Archer who spotted them and the Swordsman also have simr,plicated expressions.

    But only the Warrior¡¯s expression remains that of joy.

    ¡¸The little girl is damn cute too. They¡¯re probably sisters!¡¹

    ¡¸I see. Then even if we can¡¯t use her, we can make money out of her.¡¹

    They have a close friend who is a ve trader; if they could sell them to him, their purses would be filled with a single transaction. It seems beyond stupid to try and be an honest adventurer when such opportunities are avable.

    ves are top-quality, luxury goods.

    ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go then!¡¹

    The Mage straddles his horse, and the other three send him off.

    The title of party leader is not just for show; his looks and way with words that seduces women are second to none. He takes pride in those.

    With hispanions¡¯ expectations resting on his shoulders, he makes his way down the highway and quickly finds the silhouette of the ¡°real beauty¡± that the Archer had referred to.

    The direction they are travelling is opposite from the bandits¡¯ own direction; they seem to being from Spada and going to Avalon, passing through Dakia Vige along the way.

    It seemed the woman is sensible enough to not make such a journey on foot with such a young child; the silhouettes of the two are perched on the back of a strong-looking ck horse.

    The size of the horse is eye-catching enough, but ¨C

    ¡¸Wow, are you serious...¡¹

    The instant the Mage sees the beautiful face of the girl masterfully handling the horse¡¯s reins, he is captivated.

    She is wearing a Mage apprentice¡¯s ck robe that is unusual even for a student from Spada.

    Though she is dressed in such an unfashionable way, it does not detract from her beauty.

    The sunlight is reflecting from her mesmerizing ck hair, cut short and swept back by a simple white hairband.

    Her skin, so pale it is almost transparent, is in stark contrast to her ck hair and robe.

    Her sharp chin, peach-colored lips and straight nose bridge are all perfect, as if each feature of her face was carefully made by a god.

    Above all else, the blue eyes that shine beneath her ck-rimmed sses have aid-back look, giving off a mysterious feeling.

    The bandit Mage himself wears order-made, fashionable sses to maintain an intellectual appearance, but they look absurd and foolish inparison to hers.

    Her ck-rimmed sses are unfashionable, ordinary sses that one might see being sold in some vige shop. But even those are incredibly attractive on her, as if they were made only for her.

    ¡¸Amazing...¡¹

    And so, he closes the distance enough to see her face clearly.

    The Mage feels his heart throbbing in a way that it had a long time ago when he was just a young boy, infatuated with an older girl who lived in his vige.

    If love at first sight ever existed, this is it.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll...¡¹

    But he is no longer an innocent virgin boy; he has taken plenty of women in the past.

    He hardens his resolve.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll definitely make you mine.¡¹

    And so he calls out to her with his usual perfect, eloquent smile.

    ¡¸Getting a catch on the first day, this is a good sign, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    On the night of the 13th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin), in the Ghad mountain range, where the sun had long since set behind the mountains.

    At a spot in the bushes a considerable distance away from the highway.

    Even if anyone were to pass through the highway, they would never realize that there are people here.

    It is far enough away that no matter how loud one was to shout, it would not be heard from the highway.

    ¡¸The evil god must be giving us his blessings on our journey. Ahh, evil-god-sama, thank you very much!¡¹

    ¡¸We¡¯re about to offer him a sacrifice, so I don¡¯t think praising him randomly will do anything, you know?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¹

    There are two silhouettes having this conversation in the bushes.

    One of them is the girl wearing a Mage apprentice¡¯s ck robe, a hairband tying her hair back and ck rimmed sses.

    The other is a little girl with her hair in long twin-tails, wearing a Priest apprentice¡¯s white robe.

    The two robed girls have the same ck hair and blue eyes; on first nce they appear to be sisters.

    However, these two are not rted by blood. In fact, they are not even of the same race.

    ¡¸I¡¯m going to start the fire now, so stand back please, Lily-san.¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t burn it too brightly, Fiona.¡¹

    Yes, though their appearances have changed, these two are the Fairy Lily and the Witch Fiona of the Rank 3 adventurer party,¡ºElement Masters.¡»

    The two of them needed human bodies and souls, and those are not easy to obtain. But somehow, as Fiona said earlier, they managed to obtain these human bodies to use as sacrifices on their first day since leaving Spada.

    The Mage in sses who had approached them with a friendly manner and his three party members could be called handsome, nice-looking men. But the evil desires hiding behind their friendly appearance had been revealed by Lily¡¯s powerful telepathic abilities.

    No doubt the bandits had thought Fiona and Lily to be helpless apprentices, and they even went out of their way to bring them to this perfect location where nobody woulde to help even if they screamed.

    Because of that, preparations for Lily¡¯s human experimentation went smoothly, and Fiona has no problems providing the fire for the sacrifice.

    The four of them have been restrained and tied to a tree with ropes.

    Lily has thoroughly messed with all four of their heads, so both their personalities and reasoning have gone out the window. They have been reduced to pathetic beings, drooling and moaning.

    Looking on them emotionlessly with her usual sleepy, golden eyes ¨C No, currently they have turned blue ¨C with one hand holding the forbidden book,¡ºThe Guide to the Pce of Ten Thousand Demons¡», Fiona begins singing the forbidden song.

    TLN: Previously tranted as¡ºThe Guide to Ten Thousand Demon Pce¡»

    ¡¸I offer to you, the God of all evils ¨C¡¹

    The moment her song ends, the four restrained bodies burst into mes.

    Their bodies ignite instantly as if they had been drenched in oil beforehand, and the mes burn fiercely.

    The fire spreads to the tree they were tied to, creating a huge torch.

    And so, the four victims¡¯ bodies and souls are thrown into an evil god¡¯s hell, to be a source of power for Fiona.

    Thanks to Bob and Archer for their help in editing this chapter!

 Chapter 294 Outskirts of Avalon

    On the outskirts of Avalon, which boasts a longer, more ancient history than any other city-state, there stands a lone mansion.

    Like Spada, the Avalon royal castle at the center of the city is surrounded by the mansions of the higher nobles involved in the country¡¯s politics, or those who have amassed vast amounts ofnd and wealth. The fact that this mansion is on the city¡¯s outskirts indicates that its owner is neither enormously influential or wealthy.

    And as one would expect, the one living in the mansion is not a noble, but a merchant who has had moderate business sess in Avalon.

    He and his wife are a happy Elf couple who married out of love, currently in the prime years of their lives.

    Up until this year, they were very worried because they had been unable to conceive a child, but therge swelling that can now be seen in the wife¡¯s abdomen makes it evident that it is no longer a problem. Their heartfelt wish for the birth of their firstborn child is due to be reality before the end of this month.

    A person appears before the mansion.

    ¡¸I¡¯m one of the people from the Church of the White Light. I¡¯m here to ask for donations for needy children.¡¹

    It is amon sight in anyrge city, not just in Avalon.

    In the modern age, countries have initiatives to aid the poor, and since ancient times, the temples that worship the ck Gods have always carried out charitable works.

    However, this does not mean that all of the needy people can be saved.

    Therefore, a suspicious, new religious organization that goes from door to door to introduce itself and ask for donations would be considered shady, even in old times.

    ¡¸The Church of the White Light? If I recall, they¡¯re working in the orphanage in the slums... I haven¡¯t heard any good rumors about them. Could you please ask them to leave?¡¹

    If he had been approached by one of the traditional temples of Avalon, he might have talked further and even considered donating, but this seems like a typical shady religious organization.

    The Elf merchant instructs his employed security to turn them away.

    And the person from the Church of White Light left.

    ¡¸I¡¯m one of the people from the Church of the White Light. I¡¯m here to ask for donations for needy children.¡¹

    After a while, he returns.

    As expected, the merchant turns him away again.

    ¡¸I¡¯m one of the people from the Church of the White Light. I¡¯m here to ask for donations for needy children.¡¹

    And a third visit.

    This time it is in the middle of the night, past midnight, as the date changes from the 12th to the 13th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin).

    This time, the merchant does not turn him away ¨C It has be a situation where he cannot turn him away.

    ¡¸Wh-What the hell are you people... This can¡¯t even be called a joke!¡¹

    The Elf merchant has been tied up in the living room of his mansion. Next to him, his pregnant wife is lying on the floor, also tied up.

    The ones who did this are none other than the¡ºPeople from the Church of White Light¡», who forced their way into the mansion.

    ¡¸Heretics that oppose the guidance of the White Light cannot be forgiven.¡¹

    A pale young man directs these words at the two. Though there is no particr tone in his voice, his words are full of contempt.

    He has silver hair that sparkles and flows like threads of silver, and shining white skin.

    Covering his short and slender body is a pure-white priest¡¯s robe, decorated with countless gold crosses.

    On first nce, it is impossible to tell whether it is a young man or a young woman, but he is indeed a rosy-cheeked young man whose appearance is immediately recognizable as beautiful.

    However, his blue eyes did not have the shine that a young man¡¯s eyes should. Instead, his eyes harbored no emotion at all.

    ¡¸In other words, it¡¯s your fault for being stingy and not giving us money!¡¹

    A high-pitched voicees from a girl in her mid-teens next to the young priest. Her looks are charming, with red hair and eyes burning with me-colored magical energy.

    She is wearing a ck zer with golden hemming, the uniform of the Avalon Imperial Academy.

    But with a skirt of bare minimum length, and the way she wears her uniform so that the piercing on her belly button is visible, it is hard to imagine that she is a very serious student.

    Her breasts are mostly uncovered, and a tattoo of a white wing is visible on one of them. One could say that her uniform is more like that of a young prostitute.

    TLN: This tattoo could be of a pair of white wings; it¡¯s impossible to tell with the way it¡¯s worded in Japanese.

    ¡¸So as divine punishment, we¡¯ll be taking everything here! Kyahaha!¡¹

    The ones who answer herughing voice are the boys standing in the back.

    ¡¸Alright! Firste, first served!¡¹

    ¡¸We can thank the Holy Mother¡¯s blessing for this one!¡¹

    Though of simr age, these boys, unlike the other two, are all poor inhabitants of the slums.

    But right now, they are just despicable robbers, taking from wherever they can.

    The merchant is not particrly wealthy, but his living room is far more luxurious than the average Avalon family home, and the robbers spare no time inying waste to it.

    They search for gold and silver goods, sparkling gems and other precious metals.

    The robbers, ignorant and uneducated, fail to see the artistic value in the paintings and sculptures decorating the room. Instead of being taken, they are destroyed for the amusement of the thieves.

    Of course, the destruction does not stop at the living room. In fact, the valuable items they are searching for are more likely to be found in the bedrooms.

    This plundering storm would blow through the house from end to end, not even leaving the basement untouched.

    The merchant, watching his home that he had painstakingly built through diligence and hard work being trampled into the ground, could only beg them to stop their barbaric acts.

    ¡¸P-please, don¡¯t destroy any more... I¡¯ll donate, I¡¯ll do anything!¡¹

    ¡¸We have no ears that can hear the words of heretics.¡¹

    The beautiful young priest, who seats himselffortably on the sofa, denies the merchant¡¯s request.

    ¡¸And y¡¯know, saying stuff like that is pretty pointless, since we already killed everyone outside.¡¹

    The uniformed girlughed while leaping onto the sofa to sit next to him.

    She joins her legs with his and presses her underdeveloped body closer towards him, and oddly, it seems he is used to this behavior.

    ¡¸Kuh...¡¹

    At the girl¡¯s words, the Elf puts on an expression as if to say,¡¸I thought so.¡¹

    His wife, upon hearing that people have been murdered outside, begins trembling and her face goes pale.

    ¡¸Ahaha, even though they were Rank 3, it was super easy thanks to our Guardian!¡¹

    In her hand is a red wand, presumably for casting fire magic. Even the merchant, who has little knowledge about fighting, can guess that she is of the Fire Mage ss.

    He is unable to judge how her abilitypares to that of a real academy student, but one would not immediately consider her to be dangerous just from her appearance.

    He knows that she is telling the truth, not only because of the fact that they have broken into the mansion, but also because the one she called¡ºGuardian¡»is right in front of him, radiating an aura of pressure.

    The young men and the girl are not the only ones here. An enormous being, two meters tall, is here as their protector.

    Wearing a white surcoat spotted with dark stains and the equipment of a soldier, he resembles the Undead that haunt ruined dungeons.

    Considering that he has been silent the whole time and does not move an inch unless under the priest¡¯s orders, he really may be an Undead.

    His head is covered by a priest¡¯s hood and his face is concealed behind a metal mask, so it is impossible to tell his race.

    Thisrge, ominous man stands near the priest as if he is really their guardian.

    Though his body is paralyzed with fear, he knows that the only reason these people are able to carry out such actions is because they are apanied by this enigmatic Guardian.

    Knowing this does not help the situation. But his true fear is yet toe.

    ¡¸The Holy Mother Aria does not grant her blessings to the birth of the children of heretics, who would be bearers of sin.¡¹

    ¡¸Wh-what are you...¡¹

    He does not know the exact meaning of the words that the priest suddenly mumbled. But the priest¡¯s eyes are directed at his beloved wife, and the unborn child who has yet to receive his love, resting in her abdomen. So, unconsciously, he assumes the worst.

    ¡¸You must be judged.¡¹

    With those words, the priest pulls out a shining white jewel from his pocket.

    It is small enough to fit in the priest¡¯s hand, but for a single diamond, its size is extraordinary.

    As a merchant, he can immediately tell that it is not a fake jewel; it is a real gem. Not only that, but he knows it is a magical item that contains hidden magical energy.

    Entranced by the gem¡¯s gleaming white sparkling that is beyond that of any genuine diamond, the merchant forgets the current situation and gazes at it.

    ¡¸Obey mymand,¡ºDiamond Heaven.¡»¡¹

    In response to those words, the white gem emits a single dazzling sh of light.

    The sh of light breaks the merchant¡¯s trance, and he regains his senses.

    And he realizes that his life is in danger. The Guardian is approaching him with arge knife in his hand.

    ¡¸U-uwaah!¡¹

    The merchant, unable to even beg for his life, simply lets out a scream. His body¡¯s only reaction to the violent pain that would surelye in the next moment is to bepletely rigid.

    ¡¸Ah... Ahh?¡¹

    A few secondster, the merchant opens his eyes to see his situation.

    He looks down to see that rather than stabbing him, the knife has cut the ropes that were restraining him.

    He is unable to figure out why he has been released, but finds out in the next moment.

    ¡¸Hey, what are you do ¨C¡¹

    The merchant, whose body is now free, stands up and takes a step towards his pregnant wife who is still lying on the floor.

    ¡¸Wha¨C¡¹

    He does not know what he is doing, and tries to voice his bewilderment. But his wife¡¯s screaming, like silk being torn, drowns out his voice.

    His foot, as if he is stamping out pests in the garden, crushes his beloved wife¡¯s abdomen with all his strength.

    She is just an ordinary Elf woman, and his attack prates through her intestines, and without a doubt, the baby in her belly.

    The shock of being attacked by her husband who she thought would never direct any violence against her, her worry for the baby¡¯s safety, the excruciating pain that was spreading throughout her body ¨C all of these feelings arebined to create an expression of absolute agony on his wife¡¯s face.

    ¡¸U-uwaaahh! What the fuck is this, stop! Stop, STOOOOOP!¡¹

    His foot drives into her three times, four times ¨C his violent assault continues endlessly as he finally realizes that his body is movingpletely out of his control.

    But realizing this does not stop his legs from continuing the attack on his loved one. Even if he were to stop now, blood is spurting from his unconscious wife¡¯s mouth and her eyes are rolled back, showing their whites. It is obvious that the damage is already irreversible.

    ¡¸Ahaha, that was a bit too brutal!¡¹

    ¡¸The sins of heretics can be atoned for only through death.¡¹

    The priest and the girl are lying on the soft sofa, simply watching as the Elf couple experience the true meaning of hell.

    The girl points andughs, while the priest shows no emotion for what he has done; the empty look in his eyes remains unchanged.

    ¡¸By the way, when¡¯s he gonna stop doing that?¡¹

    ¡¸I haven¡¯t made it so that he will stop.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh right, so he¡¯s just gonna keep going til I burn down the mansion. That¡¯s hrious!¡¹

    But the Elf merchant would have to wait until the slum boys have taken everything from the mansion before death would finally release him from his anguish.

    And the two people lying on the sofa already know from experience that this would take a considerable amount of time.

    ¡¸Hey, are we gonna do it here?¡¹

    ¡¸Do as you please.¡¹

    ¡¸Eheheh, I love you!¡¹

    And so they join their bodies together, just to pass the time.

    The Elves who had been bound by their true love for each other are given an excruciating death, while the young man and girl who are bound only by lust indulge in their desire for pleasure ¨C This is truly hell.

 Chapter 295 Southwest Spada Highway (1)

    ¡¸FAAHAHAHA!¡¹

    As usual, the loudughter of the Second Prince of Spada rings out.

    It would be fine if he was outdoors while making such a loud noise, but currently he is in the interior of a Dragon carriage, packed full of students.

    Their destination is the Rank 3 dungeon,¡ºIskia Hill¡», where the open-field exercise is to be held.

    The students who have horses are riding them, but there are many who do not own horses. Therefore this Dragon carriage, an appropriate form of transport for such arge number of people, is being used.

    The carriage, which is being pulled by a huge herbivorous Land Dragon, is several timesrger than a normal horse-drawn carriage. But even so, the volume of this single person¡¯s voice is irritatingly loud in the confined space.

    The reason nobody can say¡¸Shut up!¡¹to him is likely because he is a prince.

    ¡¸You¡¯re being too loud, Will.¡¹

    No, there is one person who can voice hisint to the prince of an entire country.

    ¡¸Oops, my apologies, Simon. But this¡ºBuster Rifle¡», said to have submerged the old world in a sea of mes, will not spread the mes of destruction to the world again. Kuku, it is such that even I cannot suppress my dark joy. Kukuku, FUHAHAHAHA!¡¹

    TLN: Wilhart talks in a very annoying, pompous tone.

    Hearing his friend blurting out the fantasies in his head again, Simon looks at him with scornful eyes and speaks to him.

    ¡¸The gun isn¡¯t that powerful, so you have to pick the right monsters to shoot carefully.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmph, to be chosen as my prey, such cursed fates they are born to.¡¹

    As if to say enough is enough, the small female ¨C no, the respectable male student Simon lets out a small sigh.

    Not enough time has passed to say he has be good friends with this loud prince, but enough time has passed that he hase to understand his deplorable personality.

    Therefore, Simon could guess what was causing him to be in such high spirits.

    Wilhart has previously identally let slip that he thought the weapon was in, but now he is looking forward to using it in real battle.

    As a man, Simon understands this feeling, so he does not make fun of him for it.

    ¡¸With that said, don¡¯t go getting ahead of yourself and standing in the front just because you¡¯re the general, Will.¡¹

    The purpose of the open-field exercise is to act as a practice for military group operations, so a clear chain ofmand has been established.

    The prince of Spada, Wilhart, has been chosen as the top of that chain ofmand; though this choice may not result in the optimumbat efficiency.

    The other candidate was the First Prince of Avalon, Nero, but he refused. So it has been decided this way.

    General Wilhart vehemently opposes this advice from Simon, his trusted subordinate.

    ¡¸Whaaat?! A general of Spada should stand with his subordinates on the front lines with bravery and courage¨C¡¹

    ¡¸That only applies to strong people like your brother, or Ria-nee, or King Leonhart. Your physical strength is about as good as mine, so don¡¯t do anything reckless, you got it? If you rely on your gun too much, you¡¯ll die. If you run out of bullets, you¡¯ll die.¡¹

    ¡¸U-unuu...¡¹

    Upon receiving this sound argument from the developer of the guns himself, Wilhart finally falls silent.

    But after a while, he starts fiddling with the prototype rifle on his shoulder, making more noise.

    It has not been long since the rifle waspleted, but in that time, Simon made sure to lecture Wilhart on the correct way to handle a rifle. So it was unlikely that he would identally break it.

    Wilhart can already disassemble it for cleaning, and then reassemble it by himself.

    ¡¸... Fuwaah~¡¹

    The rhythmic vibrations of the carriage bring on an early-afternoon drowsiness, causing Simon to inadvertently let out a small yawn.

    ¡¸Will-sama, something ising.¡¹

    Seria, who has been silent like a shadow in the seat on the opposite side of Wilhart from Simon, finally speaks.

    ¡¸What, an enemy attack ¨C Did you think I would panic in such an event, Seria? Kukuku, na?ve. You are as na?ve as the sugar-saturated green tea that Charlotte drinks*. If you are trying to deceive me, whose response is to make this Spadan joke, I suggest you try a more realistic approach. On a highway like this, no matter how clueless a monster could be, it would not dare to attack such arge group of armed academy students in broad daylight ¨C¡¹

    TLN*: Wilhart¡¯s Spadan joke ys on the fact that in Japanese, ¡°na?ve¡± and ¡°sweet¡± are the same word, ¡°¸Ê¤¤/amai¡±.

    ¡¸It¡¯s an enemy attack!¡¹

    Wilhart¡¯s long speech is interrupted by a scream from outside ¨C no, a voice warning of a monster attack.

    ¡¸Wh-wh-WHAAT?!¡¹

    ¡¸Will, calm down.¡¹

    ¡¸Please stay calm, Will-sama.¡¹

    The same advicees from both sides of Wilhart.

    ¡¸Uh, mmm, yes, first I must calmly take a deep breath, suu, haa! Alright, I have calmed myself, what should I do next?¡¹

    ¡¸... How about you take another deep breath?¡¹

    Simon replies in a cold voice, and Wilhart has no choice but to take another deep breath as he suggests.

    He breathes in deeply, then exhales.

    After his second deep breath, Wilhart is quieter the next time he opens his mouth.

    ¡¸My apologies, I seem to have panicked. First we must stop the Dragon carriage, and prepare to counterattack.¡¹

    After sessfully regaining hisposure, Wilhart gives out orders exactly ording to the instructions of what to do in the event of a monster attack from the textbook, which he has been studying while traveling.

    His first order of stopping the Dragon carriage is immediately carried out, and the intermittent vibrations of the carriage stop.

    Next, he orders his subordinates, the team leaders and knights, to exit the carriage.

    TLN: Knights, in this case, are not a ss of fighter, but rather a rank. They are lower in rank than the team leaders.

    Wilhart is not known for his leadership, but rather, his unpoprity. Thus, the teams under hismand are just the ¡°leftover¡± students, so they are of various races and studying different courses.

    Also among them are students who are here because they lost theirpanions to bandit attacks and were unable to maintain their parties.

    Even so, as expected from students of the highly renowned Spada Royal Academy, they move quickly, exactly as they have been trained. They make sure the area around the carriage is clear before spreading out to secure it.

    The team leaders are wearing red mantles that mark the elite students, while the knights are wearing their respective sses¡¯ equipment.

    The rattling sound of those dressed in metal armor moving quickly rings loudly through the small carriage.

    Thest one to step off the carriage is the general, Wilhart.

    As he rises from his seat, he calls out to Simon in front of him, who is holding a prototype rifle identical to his.

    ¡¸Simon, you are surprisingly fearless.¡¹

    With the dark blue coat he is wearing over his uniform fluttering in the wind, Simon looks back at him.

    ¡¸Have you forgotten? Even though I look like this, I¡¯m experienced with battles.¡¹

    Saying such a line with a slightly lonely expression, Simon jumps out of the carriage through the door.

    ¡¸I must not show any more failure to a sworn friend of my soul.¡¹

    And so, Wilhart follows after his friend¡¯s small back.

    ¡¸A fight on our first day, we just don¡¯t have any luck...¡¹

    Riding a unicorn that was pure white from the tip of its horn to the hairs of its tail, Nero Julius Elroadins wearily.

    Nero is standing at the front of the group of students. The cloud of dust kicked up by monsters charging this way is reflected in his red eyes.

    The students make preparations to defend ¨C in other words, pace back and forth holding their weapons.

    ¡¸Alright! We get to fight so early, things are looking good for us!¡¹

    This shoutes from Kai Est Galbraith on Nero¡¯s right side, unsheathing his greatsword and riding a Bicorn, looking ready to charge forward with full speed.

    He, too, has seen the enemies approaching from the front.

    Their frames,rger than normal men¡¯s, are covered in thick muscles, and the brown color of their skin further adds to their huge appearance.

    Their faces are distorted into evil expressions; their yellow, uneven teeth are visible in their wide open mouths and their eyes arepletely bloodshot.

    Their thick, log-like arms are waving their deadly weapons ¨C bone clubs, rusty hammers and leftover swords ¨C in the air.

    They can immediately tell that their enemies are armed Orcs.

    They likely came from the Rank 4 Dungeon,¡ºThe Great Forest of Latifundia.¡»

    There is a nearby forest with few trees near the highway, but everyone knows that deeper in that forest is the Latifundia forest.

    Perhaps these monsters have been forced out of the forest by territorial conflicts. The true reason for their appearance is unknown.

    Though, nobody cares about such a trivial thing in the first ce.

    ¡¸If it¡¯s just these enemies, you can go and have a rest, Nero. Anyway, you know, those subordinates need someone to give themmands, right?¡¹

    Riding on a rare scarlet-colored horse, with the same colored hair, is Charlotte Tristan Spada.

    The Orcs¡¯ shouts, entirely devoid of intelligence, reach her ears.

    There is absolutely no chance that they are somehow Orc citizens of Spada dressed like wild monsters.

    This means that the students behind them can attack freely to show the results of their training.

    ¡¸Well I¡¯m going to go in first, since I want to test my new servant.¡¹

    Right behind Nero is Safiel Maya Hydra, riding an Undead imitation of the eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, created with¡ºNecromancy.¡»

    There is still some time before the Orcs arrive.

    ¡¸It¡¯s unusual for even you to be fired up, Safi. Fine, I¡¯ll leave it to you guys, and I¡¯ll be at the back giving orders to those guys. I¡¯ll tell them it¡¯s dangerous so they should stay away.¡¹

    Nero, who has a fearless smile on his face, is answered by his party members.

    ¡¸Well then, time to go wild!¡¹

    ¡¸I, Charlotte-sama, will send them flying away with one blow, so leave it to me!¡¹

    ¡¸I don¡¯t need any materials from such weak creatures, but...¡¹

    The three of them are all different in their own ways, but they all have the same confidence in their words as they ride forward.

    As the three horses let out high-pitched neighs, they strongly kick the ground and fly forward like the wind.

    ¡¸Well, those three will be more than enough to take care of the monsters. I won¡¯t even have time to have a rest.¡¹

 Chapter 296 Southwest Spada Highway (2)

    If faced with a group of over fifty Orcs, how would a normal party of adventurers respond?

    Nine out of ten parties would simply run.

    Orcs are ssified as a Rank 2 threat, low on the danger scale. But if they formrge groups, theirbined strength is enough to even defeatrge monsters.

    Therefore, the only ones who can fight suchrge arge group of Orcs in head-to-headbat and have a sure chance of winning are Rank 5 adventurers.

    Even an ordinary Rank 4 party would avoid direct confrontation. Unless they freely use tactics such as surprise attacks, ambushes, traps and the like to separate their enemies, they would not be guaranteed to win.

    So it is unlikely that this group of Orcs roaming the highway woulde across a party of adventurers capable of stopping them. Even if they ran into ten different parties of adventurers, it would be unlikely for there to be a rank 4 party among them.

    However, as if they had all been born under the full influence of the unluckiest star, their first encounter was with such a party.

    A party that is unlikely for them toe across even if they were to run into a hundred different parties, a Rank 5 party.

    ¡¸Doryaaaaaaaah!¡¹

    A roar loud enough to drown out even the Orcs¡¯ shoutses from Kai, wielding his double-edged greatsword.

    His body dances through the air with full momentum, the tip of his weapon pointed down at the ground ¨C no, at the Orcs¡¯ heads, and crashes right in the middle of them all like a falling meteor.

    He had leapt from his Bicorn in mid-air, which had been charging forward at full speed, using its momentum to add to his.

    In meleebat the mount is unnecessary; the only thing Kai, the swordsman of¡ºWing Road¡»needs, is his de.

    ¡¸Break Impact!¡¹

    The force of hisnding is truly like that of a falling meteor.

    The Orcs standing close to thending point of Kai¡¯s greatsword¡¯s master-ss martial art,¡ºBreak Impact¡», are split ¨C no,pletely pulverized into small fragments from head to toe.

    The shockwave released by the impact spreads out, and the Orcs in the surrounding area are sent flying.

    In response to the cmity that has fallen among them, the Orcs let out shouts of shock, alert and rage.

    In the next moment, those shouts be their dying screams.

    ¡¸Orah, what¡¯s wrong, you bastards! Orcs are known for being ferocious, right? So hurry up ande at me!¡¹

    It is unlikely that they understand humannguage, but Kai shouts at them in a way that they can understand they are being taunted as he finds new victims to put to his de.

    The greatsword sweeps sideways straight through the Orcs¡¯ bone clubs to send their bodies flying.

    Not just one at a time, but two.

    Letting out shouts of rage, the Orcs surround Kai and begin a counterattack.

    The Orcs¡¯ already-bloodshot eyes are turning even more red. Raising their deadly weapons with the strength that they pride themselves in, they swarm towards Kai.

    Though they have no coordination, they attack relentlessly in such numbers that they are not even concerned about killing each other by ident in the chaos. A normal swordsman would not evenst thirty seconds against this.

    ¡¸Yeah, yeah! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about, don¡¯t make this boring!¡¹

    However, Kai does not even take a scratch from such an attack.

    His de simply sweeps through the Orcs in a one-sided battle.

    This method of fighting cannot be said to follow the saying¡¸willows are weak, yet they bind other wood*¡¹. Kai just pushes forward with the same ¨C no, even greater sheer power.

    TLN*: This is a Japanese idiomatic expression. To my best understanding, it means something along the lines of ¡°there is strength within gentleness.¡±

    He is fast enough to evade their attacks and strong enough to y the Orcs with a single blow.

    But this strength is the bare minimum requirement to be considered worthy to bear the family name of Galbraith, one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada.

    ¡¸If it¡¯s a contest of strength, I¡¯m not gonna lose!¡¹

    Kai, a genuine warrior of the human race, fights the Orcs head-on with sheer strength, not using martial arts, divine protection or protective magic. He clearly demonstrates the superhuman strength needed for the renowned swordsmanship of the Galbraith house.

    With that said, he cannot use the superhuman swordsmanship itself with mere wild Orcs as his enemy.

    Without activating his weapon to use the attack he used when he first charged into them, he simply swings his sword around as he pleases, cutting down Orc after Orc.

    ¡¸Orah, orah,e on ¨C ?!¡¹

    What surprises Kai, even while he was in the middle ofbat, is ¨C

    GAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOON!

    Letting out a familiar roar, a ck shadow descends from the sky in the same way Kai himself did earlier.

    Crushing several Orcs as itnds is a huge monster with red fur on a ck body, and long rabbit-like ears growing from its head.

    ¡¸It¡¯s that something-Pun!¡¹

    It was the Rank 5 monster that had struck terror into the hearts of the princes of Spada one month ago in the northern Ghad mountain range, bearing the name of¡ºWrath¡»in the oldnguage.

    ¡¸It¡¯s Wrath-Pun. Your memory is really terrible, you musclehead.¡¹

    Safiel directs an exasperated, cold gaze at Kai as she sits on top of the false Sleipnir with the Spellbook¡ºImmortal Bind¡»in her hand.

    But right now, this raging demonic beast is obeying not its cruel instincts, but themands of this single girl.

    The renowned¡ºNecromancy¡»of the Hydra house, another of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada, has revived Wrath-Pun.

    However, there are two differences from when it was alive.

    The right arm it had lost in their first encounter has been restored, all the way to the tips of its paw.

    The new arm is not Wrath-Pun¡¯s original arm, but a huge metal gauntlet made of a dark metal.

    The ancient parts of a golem¡¯s right arm, excavated from old Avalonian ruins, were a precious part of Safiel¡¯s collection. But attaching them to this Rank 5 monster did not feel wasteful at all.

    No, if these parts were not used, Wrath-Pun would not be able to unleash its full potential.

    The other difference is its eyes.

    Its cruel eyes that had been far redder than the bloodstained eyes of the Orcs have now changed to the same amethyst-tinted eyes as the girl behind it.

    That color is the manifestation of the dark magical energy that acts as the source of the false life that is bestowed upon the Undead servants created by Necromancy.

    With its eyes glowing an eerie purple, Wrath-Pun leaps towards the Orcs with the ferocity it had in its previous life.

    With its ridiculously strong left arm and the recement right arm, it tramples the Orcs with overwhelming physical strength.

    ¡¸That was close! Oi Safi, you were aiming at me just now, weren¡¯t you?!¡¹

    ¡¸My control is still imperfect. Tch.¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t ¡°Tch¡± because you missed me!¡¹

    asionally, Wrath-Pun¡¯s strong arms brush against Kai, who is swinging his greatsword nearby, but they manage to avoid friendly fire by the narrowest of margins.

    As expected of the teamwork of a Rank 5 party.

    ¡¸Uooh! I¡¯m more scared of you than the damn Orcs!¡¹

    Kaiins as Wrath-Pun¡¯s huge fist brushes past his nose for the second time, and at that moment ¨C

    ¡¸Line Force st!¡¹

    A bolt of lightning shoots down in front of Kai¡¯s eyes.

    Its brightness is enough to blind one¡¯s eyes and the roaring thunder was enough to destroy one¡¯s eardrums, but the ones who take even more direct damage are the Orcs standing in the path of the lightning itself.

    ¡¸Sharl, that was freaking close! If I took one more step, it would¡¯ve hit me! Actually, it did hit me a bit!¡¹

    TLN: Sharl is short for Charlotte

    ¡¸What? You should have just dodged it.¡¹

    That answeres from Charlotte, the Third Princess of Spada, famous for her tomboyish personality and even more famous for her talent in magic. She is not concerned in the slightest for Kai¡¯s spiky blonde hair that got slightly singed by her attack.

    Safiel ismanding Wrath-Pun around like a piece in a board game. Next to her is Charlotte, waving her favorite wand,¡ºCrimson Bolt¡»and humming the chant for her next attack.

    ¡¸Oi! If you¡¯re gonna shoot your st again, aim it somewhere further from me!¡¹

    Even though he is made fun of as a musclehead, he is attentive enough to notice the chantinging from behind him.

    He has inadvertently memorised her chants, and knows that her next spell will be an offensive one.

    More specifically, she is once again casting her favourite wide-ranged lightning-element st.

    Both her wand that is as red as its name and the gaze of her sparkling golden eyes are directed at the area that Kai is fighting the Orcs.

    ¡¸Line Force st!¡¹

    ¡¸I told you not to aim that at meeeeee!¡¹

    Thus, the Orcs are cut down, trampled and struck by lightning until not a single one remains.

    It has only been about ten minutes since the Orcs arrived.

    Nero¡¯s prediction was spot on.

 Chapter 297 Catâ€™s Tail

    As the morning sun flows into the room through the curtains, the simple wooden bed creaks.

    ¡¸Mmm...¡¹

    Letting out a small, cute moan, a girl kicks her thin nket away and sits up.

    Her pale water-colored hair is standing up in a mess, and her eyes clearly show that she is still half-asleep.

    Her golden eyes waver as they look down to see the person sleeping next to her.

    ¡¸It¡¯s morning, Lily-san...¡¹

    ¡¸Mmm... Mu...¡¹

    The girl who is half-awake, Fiona, nudges the small shoulder of the one she had shared the bed with, Lily.

    But Lily¡¯s round, jewel-like pupils are still hidden beneath her eyelids, and she lets out a childish moan that sounds like she has no intention of waking up.

    Such adorable behavior would melt the heart of any other person, but it is not enough to persuade Fiona to let her continue sleeping in peace.

    So, she thinks of an idea that would wake Lily up immediately.

    ¡¸Good morning, Kurono-san.¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono?!¡¹

    Lily¡¯s eyes, which have been obstinately closed until now, open in an instant.

    At the same time, she springs to her feet, as if preparing to take flight.

    ¡¸... Ah.¡¹

    As she wakes up and grasps the situation, Lily frowns and her expression bes sad.

    But even though she has such a sad expression, Kurono is not here to pat her head andfort her.

    Only one part of his body is here.

    Fiona¡¯s greeting was directed not to Kurono himself, but to a small bottle in front of her, in which an eyeball with a ck pupil is floating in a Potion.

    ¡¸Mu~ Kuronooo~!¡¹

    Lily snatches the¡ºKurono¡»in Fiona¡¯s hands, hugs it against her chest and rolls around on the bed as if she is throwing a tantrum.

    Giving her a look of both understanding and exasperation, Fiona crawls out of the bed.

    Though Lily¡¯s skin actually shines with light, Fiona¡¯s white, bare body looks just as beautiful as she steps off the bed.

    She only wears a single piece of clothing when she sleeps, her ck underwear. Herrge breasts, which are normally covered by either her Witch¡¯s robe or her uniform¡¯s blouse, arepletely exposed.

    Of course, there are no eyes but Lily¡¯s here, so she has no reason to feel any shame.

    Strictly speaking, there is also Kurono¡¯s left eye, but right now, Fiona prefers it that way.

    ¡¸Mmm, my bra is getting a bit tight these days...¡¹

    While mumbling about a problem that has no application to Lily whatsoever, Fiona quickly finishes getting dressed.

    Her skirt and blouse closely resembles the Academy¡¯s uniform; their design is in and simple. On top of this, she wears the apprentice Witch¡¯s robe that Kuronoplimented before.

    Of course, Fiona has adjusted it to fit her. More specifically, she has enchanted her clothes with¡ºFit¡»magic to make them match her size.

    This robe is a high-grade item that is so well made that it could even be sold in a high-ss item shop, and she created it with her own hands, so such an enchantment is easy inparison.

    And then there is the thing she must not forget; the silver ring with memories of Kurono.

    As usual, its silver sparkle can be seen on the ring finger of Fiona¡¯s left hand.

    ¡¸Now, what is for breakfast today?¡¹

    Fixing her bed hair with a single stroke of the high-grade magicalb made in the Sinir Republic, Fiona goes to leave, but ¨C

    ¡¸Fiona, don¡¯t forgee~et!¡¹

    With this cute warning, Lily grabs the hem of Fiona¡¯s pleated ck skirt to stop her.

    ¡¸Sorry, I almost forgot.¡¹

    Having remembered the thing she forgot, Fiona takes out two magical items from the spatial magic dimension within her pouch.

    One of them is a white headband.

    The moment she puts that headband on her head, her hair, which is normally the color of a clear blue sky, turns pitch-ck as if night has fallen on that sky.

    The other item she takes out is the ordinary-looking pair of ck-rimmed sses.

    When she puts them on, the color of her sparkling golden eyes change to a clear blue.

    ¡¸Tie up my hair too~¡¹

    Sitting up on the small bed, Fiona starts tying Lily¡¯s tinum-blonde hair into two bundles.

    ¡¸Yeeees~¡¹

    ¡¸Make me look cute, okay?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, yes~¡¹

    Fiona willinglyplies with Lily¡¯s request. Lily¡¯s hair flows over her small back like golden threads, and Fiona¡¯s hands work their way around it.

    The movement of her hands was a little clumsy, but she ties Lily¡¯s hair into adorable twin tails.

    The magic hidden in the two white ribbons she used to tie Lily¡¯s hair changes its shining tinum-blonde color into that of a deep darkness that seems to absorb all light.

    ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m done.¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks~¡¹

    Lily springs off the bed and in her hand is the item that would put the finishing touch ¨C a pair of contact lenses.

    Closing one eye while she does the other, she carefully puts the lenses in, changing the emerald-green color of her eyes into crystal-blue.

    ¡¸We¡¯ve finished preparing, haven¡¯t we?¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm!¡¹

    The four items that changed both of their appearances to have ck hair and blue eyes are magical items used for disguise, which they borrowed privately from Chairperson Sofia.

    All of them utilize light magic, which feigns the appearance of ck hair and blue eyes, rather than directly changing the colors themselves.

    ¡¸Now, let¡¯s go eat breakfast for real this time.¡¹

    ¡¸I hope there¡¯s something good~¡¹

    The two of them are wearing the same simple blouses and skirts, with matching navy-blue socks and loafers.

    On top of those clothes, Fiona is wearing an apprentice Witch¡¯s robe and Lily is wearing a fake apprentice Priest¡¯s robe to hide her fairy wings.

    With one look at these two, with that hair and eye color, wearing these clothes and having a casual conversation, one can only assume that they are close sisters.

    However, the reason these two left Spada and came to Avalon is to perform inhumane human experiments and sacrificial ceremonies.

    Of course, neither of them feel even the tiniest amount of guilt over what they are doing; they have no hesitation in using the bandits of Fauren. On the way they had found many groups of people who had been attacked by the bandits and left only barely alive.

    The only thing that the two of them are thinking about now is whether the breakfast service offered by the main store of¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡»is better than that of the branch in Spada.

 Chapter 298 Iskia Village, Adventurerâ€™s Guild (1)

    ¡¸Hmm, it seems that all the glory has been taken by Wing Road...¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it fine to let them do what they want? Since this way we can just rx.¡¹

    ¡¸However, the problem is that the important purpose of this open-field exercise is to practise group military movements ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Stop sulking like that just because you didn¡¯t get to fire your gun. You¡¯re probably going to have to shoot stuff tomorrow anyway.¡¹

    The sun has already set, and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Iskia vige is lively as adventurers share their meals and drinks.

    In one corner of the Guild¡¯s dining floor, the Second Prince of Spada quietly sips his cheap alcohol and voices hisints to his small friend.

    His characteristically red hair is hidden by the thick hood of his apprentice Mage¡¯s robe, so nobody knows who he is.

    Though, the adventurers here are already drunk, so even if he showed his face, nobody would notice.

    ¡¸If you drink too much of this ale that you¡¯re not used to, you¡¯re going to be sick, you know.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmph, that is fine, Simon. At this moment, I am merely a petty person, allowing the depravity of alcohol take a hold of my body... Kuku,e, destruction...¡¹

    ¡¸W-wait, don¡¯t be throwing up in the toiletter, alright?!¡¹

    As Wilhart lets out augh that is higher pitched than usual, it is clear that he is definitely nning to have Simon take care of him afterwards.

    ¡¸Haah... I shouldn¡¯t havee out with Wilhart...¡¹

    As he sighs heavily, Simon truly regrets his decision.

    It has been several hours since they started drinking here.

    ¡¸Faahahaha! Simon, let us break free of this prison world together, and go to taste the sacred spring water given to us by the gods!¡¹

    ¡¸Err, so basically, you want to sneak out of the camp and go drinking?¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed!¡¹

    Unfortunately for Simon, he had reluctantly agreed to this request.

    No, even Simon, who often skips sses, is not some deluded kid thinking¡¸I¡¯m so cool because I don¡¯t follow the rules of society.¡¹

    His answer was not a willing agreement, but ¨C

    ¡¸I beg you! It has always been my dream to make a friend who I could quietly sneak away with to drink alcohol~!¡¹

    Wilhart hadpletely thrown away his dignity as royalty and begged him, so he had no choice.

    Thus, the two of them had secretly snuck out of the Academy students¡¯ camp on the outskirts of Iskia vige ande to the bar of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.

    Of course, without telling Seria, the guard maid.

    At least, Wilhart, who had thought he had managed to deceive her, did not tell her.

    ¡¸Please moderate yourself, since we¡¯re going into the dungeon tomorrow.¡¹

    ¡¸Fuhaha, I can hear it, the calls of the evil demons. Very well, I shall let you taste them, my bullets of destruction!¡¹

    Today is the 14th of the month of tinum (Hakkin); it has been five days since they left Spada. They are in Iskia vige, just a short distance from their destination, the Rank 3 dungeon¡ºIskia Hills¡»where an old fortress stands.

    If they depart from the vige early tomorrow morning, they will be setting foot on the dungeon¡¯s hill before noon, and should have made their way into the fortress by evening.

    Thus, this night at the vige is thest night they will spend in a safe zone before entering the dungeon.

    As far as open-field exercises go, sneaking out from the camp to drink alcohol like Will is basically a tradition among some of the Academy students.

    Of course, doing so openly would result in being reprimanded.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine to get fired up about it, but I hope the monsters don¡¯te out inrge numbers. For that many Orcs to appear on the highway, I wonder if something¡¯s going on in Latifundia Forest.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, indeed.¡¹

    Will agrees with Simon¡¯s concerns.

    ¡¸I thought the only noticeable changes in Latifundia Forest was the appearance of arge number of Slimes a month ago but, hmm, it might have had a big enough effect to influence the areas the Orcs live in.¡¹

    ¡¸Speaking of Slimes, I heard Lily-san hunted about three hundred of them in Latifundia Forest before.¡¹

    ¡¸Th-three hundred, isn¡¯t that an exaggeration¨C¡¹

    ¡¸No, that¡¯s easy for Lily-san.¡¹

    Simon has an absent-minded look in his eyes.

    Will only knows of the adorable Fairy Lily, known at the Academy as the¡ºHappy Fairy-san.¡»So, he cannot possibly imagine how strong she could be on a battlefield.

    ¡¸That Lily-kun... You¡¯re joking, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Haha, no way, that person is the scariest of all the members of¡ºElement Masters.¡»¡¹

    Seeing Simon¡¯spletely serious expression, Will did not question him further.

    Will understands very well that there are some things in this world that he is better off not knowing.

    ¡¸Anyway, we won¡¯t know what the Iskia Hills will be like until we get there and see for ourselves, so we have to be careful.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, I will keep that in mind.¡¹

    And as Will says that.

    ¡¸WHAT? What do you mean you can¡¯t prepare any more alcohol?!¡¹

    Drowning out the noise of the bar¡¯s patrons, a loud, angry shout reverberates through the Guild lobby.

    ¡¸Uwah, what is that...¡¹

    ¡¸It seems someone is having an argument with the staff, but...¡¹

    Simon and Will are not the only ones whispering to each other; all attention in the guild building is now focused on the man who shouted.

    ¡¸Oi bastard, do you know who¡¯s gonna be here soon, it¡¯s the head of the Rank 5 adventurer party, the¡ºIron Demon Brigade.¡»If you¡¯re outta booze, don¡¯t me me for what¡¯ll happen to this middle-of-nowhere Guild!¡¹

    The one who is shouting appears to be a plump human male.

    Judging from his physique and equipment, there is no way he is a Rank 5 adventurer.

    He is probably a servant who does inn work, restocking items and other misceneous tasks.

    But the plump man shouts at the staff brazenly over theck of alcohol as if he is a Rank 5 adventurer himself and threatens them.

    One could say that hisplete disregard at the fact that he has the whole Guild¡¯s attention fixed on him is a talent.

    ¡¸I think I¡¯ve heard of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡», they¡¯re quite a famous party in Spada, aren¡¯t they?¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed; they are also known as the¡ºDemons of Blood and Iron¡», led by the Orc Warrior Gustav. They are proud of their strength.¡¹

    The four members of the party are an Orc, a Cyclops, a Golem and a Minotaur ¨C all races with outstanding physical strength.

    Saying that magic is evil, they only use physical attacks. The only ranged attack that they have is a giant mechanical bow used by the Golem.

    ¡¸But another famous thing about them is that there are quite a few people who borrow the title of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade.¡»¡¹

    It seems that the man called Gustav has a very helpful personality, taking in those in need.

    In other words, he epts them even if they are low in Rank, which is pointless if one were to consider it from an adventurer¡¯s point of view.

    Even so, not worrying about money or equipment, he takes care of those of lower Rank, giving them leadership in battles.

    They can only formally call themselves Rank 5 when the four main party members of the physically strong races, including Gustav himself, are all together. Only then are they acknowledged as extraordinary.

    In any case, because of their charitable actions, they are loved by their lower-ranked members, respected by other adventurers andbelled by the Guild as a outstanding, trustworthy party.

    ¡¸Considering that, they seem to be causing some trouble here.¡¹

    ¡¸They¡¯ve got as many members as a mercenary group, so it¡¯s not surprising if they have more than a few members who cause them trouble.¡¹

    While the two of them are discussing this, the plump man has be increasingly heated, and his loud, angry voice fills the bar like some kind of overly loud background music.

    Eventually, everyone in the bar wants someone to stop him.

    ¡¸Oi Mister, shut the hell up already, you¡¯re making my booze taste bad!¡¹

    With perfect timing, as everyone wanted, someone raises hisint to the plump man.

    ¡¸Ah, you know, we¡¯re a Rank 5 party ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Rank 5, so what?¡¹

    Now a young man is standing in front of the plump man.

    His tall body is dressed in the uniform of the Royal Spada Academy, with a bright red cape flowing over his back.

    He is a man with ck hair and red eyes as legendary as his magic. His eyebrows are furrowed in an expression of intense displeasure.

    ¡¸Uh, y-you, can¡¯t be...¡¹

    But what makes the plump man suddenly quiet is not his appearance, but the Guild card shining around his neck.

    With a shine whiter than silver and prettier than gold, it is unmistakably the mark of a Rank 5, the Mythril te.

    And the name that is carved into it is ¨C

    ¡¸Nero Julius Elroad...¡¹

    The plump man and all the nearby adventurers watching the scene murmured the name.

    ¡¸Oh, that guy came to drink as well!¡¹

    In the seat in the corner sits apletely different kind of prince.

 Chapter 299 Iskia Village, Adventurerâ€™s Guild (2)

    ¡¸Well, this time you let me take it easy, so I¡¯ll treat you this time.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re only treating me cheap booze, though.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s riching from someone who¡¯s already drunk so much of it.¡¹

    ¡¸Excuse me, one more ale over here!¡¹

    The First Prince of Avalon res at the blonde man, who is raising his tankard high and ordering another round.

    But like he said, he acknowledges that this man, his party member and his close friend, Kai Est Galbraith, isrgely responsible for suppressing the Orcs on the highway.

    Incidentally, Sharl and Safi have now realized that he can survive their super-sadistic friendly fire.

    One of Nero¡¯s hidden intentions was to not get caught up in that himself.

    In any case, Nero has no qualms with paying for the drinks, even if Kai throws up or passes out on the toilet. He intends to let him drink as much as he wants.

    With that said, he has no intentions of dealing with him once he does get overly drunk.

    While thinking these things, takes a mouthful of his bitter, over-carbonated drink.

    ¡¸Oh yeah, the Blue Rose of the Great Library. Whatever happened with that girl?¡¹

    After tensing for a fraction of a moment, Nero res at hispanion again.

    ¡¸Nothing happened with her, and damn that Safi, going around telling people such unnecessary things.¡¹

    ¡¸Who cares? For you to get rejected is pretty rare. Actually, it was the first time I¡¯ve heard about it happening.¡¹

    Kai only ever thinks about battle and swords, so it is rare for him to be bringing up the topic of women.

    Even that time when Nero rescued the beautiful noblewomen of Fauren from a ve trader, riding in like a shining knight on a white horse, they had approached him with passion. But, as if thinking,¡¸this happens all the time¡¹, he had shown no interest in them.

    That is exactly why Kai¡¯s blue eyes gleam with curiosity; for Nero to be treated indifferently by women is very rare.

    Nero is even under the influence of alcohol, so having this story of his unrequited love being repeated is not only traumatic, but Kai is beingpletely heartless by bringing it up.

    But as a topic of conversation, he had no hesitation in discussing it.

    ¡¸The Blue Rose is such an exaggerated nickname ¨C No, I guess it¡¯s not an exaggeration. Anyhow, it¡¯s nothing to make a rumor about. I just showed her around the Great Library, and that¡¯s probably when the rumor started.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, you showed her around!¡¹

    ¡¸Well yes, I did.¡¹

    He had also gotten ahead of himself and showed her the section with forbidden books, but he was not going to tell Kai that.

    Though Kai is trustworthy and reliable in battle, he is still an idiot, so Nero hasrge doubts about his ability to keep secrets.

    ¡¸Though, Blue Rose-chan seems like she¡¯dpletely ignore a guy calling out to her.¡¹

    ¡¸In my case she just wanted someone to show her around, so I was just lucky.¡¹

    Kai is looking at him like he wants to ask him more about it, so Nero continues talking.

    ¡¸Those were the eyes of a woman who has no interest in men whatsoever.¡¹

    ¡¸Is she a lesbian?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m surprised you even know what that word means.¡¹

    ¡¸I heard it from Safi.¡¹

    ¡¸That girl... Seriously, I should do something about her already...¡¹

    ¡¸Nell probably knows what it means, too.¡¹

    ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll have to give her a serious talk tomorrow.¡¹

    Nero makes a mental note to himself to get rid of the party member who has been tainting his pure, innocent younger sister.

    ¡¸By the way, hasn¡¯t it been really noisy since just a while ago?¡¹

    When loud voice that was the source of the noise first started shouting, Nero had taken one look and decided not to get involved.

    But the man¡¯s voice is bing more heated and loud to the point it is impossible to ignore, even in this busy bar.

    ¡¸Should I go and shut him up?¡¹

    Kai makes a suggestion with a mischievous smile on his face. He is probably happy that there is a convenient excuse to fight.

    ¡¸I¡¯d be d to leave it to you, but...¡¹

    Nero looks again at the man arguing with the staff over something about drinks.

    Nero instantly estimates how strong the man is based on his physique, equipment, behavior and the magical energy he can feel through his sixth sense.

    ¡¸No way. If I let you do it, that guy¡¯s gonna die for sure.¡¹

    Unlike his sister Nell, Kai is the kind of person who never holds back, so a normal human would not stand a chance against a fist thrown with that superhuman strength.

    ¡¸Looks like not bringing Sharl has its disadvantages, too.¡¹

    At times like these, the tomboyish Third Princess of Spada would have no problem in dealing with such a troublesome task ¨C rather, she would dly be rushing in to get herself involved.

    And since she knows how to hold back, unlike Kai, there would be no worry that she would identally kill him.

    Though, she would likely beat him to within an inch of death. Or, she would cause him to die in a different way ¨C socially.

    But it is toote to regret not bringing her now.

    Well, something foolish like sneaking out of the camp to drink is something that only men would do.

    So unless one had some ulterior motive, there would be no reason to invite the girls to an event like this.

    ¡¸So what are you gonna do about it?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯ve got no choice but to go myself, right.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh! Good luck!¡¹

    Nero stands up with a heavy sigh, wearing an expression that tells how much he does not want to have to do this. Kai raises his ale and goes into rxed spectating mode as he sends his friend off to do the work.

    ¡¸Oi Mister, shut the hell up already, you¡¯re making my booze taste bad!¡¹

    From his words and expression, it is clear to everyone why the First Prince of Avalon is so angry.

    The reason is because he has to carry out the tiresome task of stepping up to stop this noisy man.

    ¡¸Uh, y-you, can¡¯t be... Nero Julius Elroad...¡¹

    Indeed, Nero does not make the effort to introduce himself as the First Prince of Avalon, as a certain other prince would do.

    But once people realize that he is of royal lineage, things be simpler.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care who¡¯sing, but if you can¡¯t just drink quietly you should get out of here, you got it?¡¹

    Giving amand rather than a warning, he does not need to do something like introduce himself.

    Faced with Nero¡¯s title, strength and the intimidating presence of his deep crimson eyes, the noisy plump man had no choice but to nod his head.

    As he resolves the problem and begins walking back to his seat ¨C

    ¡¸GAHAHA! ¡®Scuse me!¡¹

    TLN: This character speaks with Kansai (I think) dialect, essentially something like a country ent. It¡¯s pretty hard to trante his dialogue for me, so bear with me.

    The Guild¡¯s sturdy front door is blown off its hinges and a huge, red figure appears in the doorway.

    He has a shaved head and his skin is a reddish-brown from head to toe, looking like polished copper.

    With a height easily over two meters and covered in ayer of thick muscles, he has an overwhelming presence that towers over everyone like a burning castle wall.

    With a horn thicker and more impressive than a Unicorn¡¯s, he looks like an evil, bare-footed demon that walked straight out of Hell.

    He is a red Orc so fearsome that if he were to be encountered in a dungeon, even skilled adventurers would flee without hesitation. But fortunately, he is an adventurer himself.

    As if he has juste back from a quest, the white monster fur of his light armor is slightly stained.

    And the most fearsome thing is that in his right hand, he is holding a mace ¨C no, an iron club, as thick as a man¡¯s torso.

    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s quiet as a funeral in here, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹

    ¡¸Your errand boy here¡¯s been causing a lot of trouble, so how about you give us an apology for not disciplining him properly, Gustav-san of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡»?¡¹

    In the face of Gustav, the red Orc with overwhelming physique and strength who leads the Rank 5 party, the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡», Nero says this with apletely cool face.

    ¡¸Ah, what was that, kid? Youinin¡¯ about my lot?¡¹

    ¡¸Kid, did you call me?¡¹

    The sound of Nero furrowing his eyebrows can almost be heard.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t think I need to introduce myself.¡¹

    ¡¸Gahaha, sorry kid, I can¡¯t read the writin¡¯ on those tiny Guild Cards.¡¹

    It is not a provocation or an insult; he is not concerned at all about trivial things about names, and heughs it off.

    Nero¡¯s response to that is to give a small sigh, and his face returns to his original listless expression.

    ¡¸Alright, who I am isn¡¯t really important. Anyway, are you going to apologize for the trouble that guy¡¯s caused, or not?¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s he talkin¡¯ about, Nachim? You said we¡¯ll be drinking.¡¹

    The servant called Nachim immediately answered his question.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry boss! I was trying to order an amount that you¡¯d be satisfied with, but the Guild doesn¡¯t want to give out enough, and the negotiations got heated... And then this... Adventurer gentleman... Came and shouted at me for being too loud.¡¹

    Seeing Nachim pathetically getting on his knees and giving his boss a version of events that portrays himself as the victim, Nero gets a sudden urge to unsheathe his sword.

    But he exercises the self-control that is expected of a prince that governs the people, and his right hand¡¯s fingers stop twitching.

    ¡¸So it¡¯s this kid who started the argument after all, so shouldn¡¯t you be apologizin¡¯ instead?¡¹

    Gustav is wearing an expression that suggests that he would forgive everything if Nero were to simply say¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    Nero gave another small ¨C no, deep sigh, then starts speaking.

    ¡¸I see, I understand now ¨C¡¹

    As he speaks, he detaches his sword and its sheath from his waist and throws it behind him without looking back.

    ¡¸Oi Nero! It¡¯s unfair for only you to ¨C¡¹

    His friend catches his sword for him.

    ¡¸Looks like we¡¯ll have to settle this the adventurers¡¯ way to see who¡¯s right.¡¹

    ¡¸Gahaha, you can¡¯t swallow what you¡¯ve already spat out, kid!¡¹

    TLN: Expression for ¡°no taking your words back¡±, I suppose. The phrasing is... unintentional, I swear.

    Nero is smiling fearlessly, while Gustav is wearing an expression of pure joy.

    ¡¸I have¡¯n managed to run into that ¡°something-ago*,¡± and I have¡¯n even run into any normal monsters these days, so I¡¯ve gotta lotta strength built up. I don¡¯ think I can hold back properly, y¡¯know?¡¹

    TLN*: My best guess is that he is referring to Greed-Gore; the ¡°Gore¡± part is written ¡°¥´¥¢/go-a¡± in Japanese, and he mixed it up into ¥¢¥´/a-go.

    With a loud sound as if the floor is being crushed, he rests the end of his iron club on the ground.

    From that sound, it is clear that the iron club is just as heavy ¨C no, heavier than it looks and he waves it around with just one arm. So everyone has some idea of just how strong Gustav is.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m not good at holding back either.¡¹

    ¡¸GAHAHAHA! That¡¯s some good spirit you got there, kid!¡¹

    It seems Gustav is finally getting serious, but Nero does not flinch at all.

    ¡¸Hold onto this¡¹, Gustav tells Nachim as he pushes the club¡¯s handle towards him and takes a step forward.

    The Orc is already full of fighting spirit, deaf to his servant¡¯s cries for help as he is crushed by the weight of the club.

    He is also deaf to the excited voices of the adventurers waiting in anticipation of whates next.

    The¡¸Adventurer¡¯s way¡¹that Nero suggested to settle the dispute is basically ¨C

    ¡¸Here I go!¡¹

    ¡¸Bring it.¡¹

    A brawl.

    ¡¸Uraah!¡¹

    With a roar terrifying enough to cause the weak-hearted to faint, Gustav throws his boulder-like fist at Nero.

    It ismon knowledge that Nero has any number of ways to ovee the difference in physical strength and size by using magic, but it is alsomon knowledge that it is not that simple.

    Nerocks physical strength, so everyone wonders how much magic he will use to deal with the Orc¡¯s straight punch.

    Or perhaps his calm demeanor is nothing but a bluff, and he is about to be sent flying.

    These thoughts briefly pass through the minds of the adventurers in the Guild, who have now be spectators.

    But they were wrong on both guesses. Nero knows he does not need to use any magic, and he is about to demonstrate why.

    ¡¸First technique ¨C Flow ¨C¡¹

    Facing a fist that would pulverize his skull in a single blow, Nero, thinking to practise his technique, calmly murmurs this.

    ¡¸Ooh?!¡¹

    And in the next instant, the Orc¡¯s body is in mid-air.

    As if he is doing a huge leap of his own will, he flies across the air in a parab-shaped path.

    But his flight through the air does notst even a second.

    Gustavnds belly-first on a table full of food and bottles, his prized horn burying itself into the wood.

    A deafening crash echoes through the bar, and afterwards, everyone is watching inplete silence.

    Though, the silence is to be expected. They have just witnessed an unbelievable scene that nobody expected ¨C Nero sending Gustav into the air with one hand.

    ¡¸The Ancient Jujutsu... An interesting technique you got there.¡¹

    The one who breaks the silence is Gustav, the main cause of the silence itself.

    Walking lightly and trying to act as if he had merely identally fallen over, he takes a guess at what technique Nero used.

    ¡¸You¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable, aren¡¯t you?¡¹

    Perhaps Gustav¡¯s title of Rank 5 is not just for show.

    Nero¡¯s single throwing technique ¨C no, he redirected his foe¡¯s strength, and it would not be urate to call it a throwing technique. In any case, he is genuinely impressed that Gustav figured out what technique it is from just that.

    The Ancient Jujutsu, as its name suggests, is a hand-to-hand martial art with a long history, passed on since ancient times.

    Said to have been learned even by the ancient Demon Lord Mia Elroad, its name is famous, but the techniques can only be inherited by a certain few of Avalon royalty.

    Nero only showed off a single, minor technique and Gustav guessed it correctly, so at the very least, he is definitely knowledgeable when ites to fighting.

    Though, Nero said this with a cool expression, not even raising an eyebrow, so it is unknown to everyone whether his praise is sarcastic.

    ¡¸Ah, sorry, sorry, I underestimated you. I couldn¡¯ tell if your Guild Card was Silver or Mythril ¨C¡¹

    The air of pressure given off by Gustav¡¯s towering figure increases even more.

    It is not just Nero¡¯s imagination; it is the true manifestation of Gustav¡¯s fighting spirit.

    ¡¸So it¡¯s the Mythril te after all...¡¹

    ¡¸So this timee at me properly, without holding back.¡¹

    Those words have no sarcasm in them; Nero is fully aware that Gustav held back a lot of his strength in his first attack.

    It seems that contrary to his appearance, this Orc has the sense and kindness to hold back his strength when he needs to.

    ¡¸GAHAHA, to meet such an interestin¡¯ kid, I¡¯m so damn lucky!¡¹

    ¡¸To start off with, my name is Nero, make sure you remember it ¨C¡¹

    And so, a true battle between two Rank 5 fighters with nothing held back begins.

 Chapter 300 The Back Alleys of Avalon City

    Once upon a time, the continent of Pandora was united by the Elroad Empire, and Avalon was named its capital city.

    The city-state known as Avalon at the heart of present-day Pandora inherited its name from that ancient imperial capital city. This fact is known to anyone who has heard the legend of the Demon Lord.

    As the nation of Avalon includes thend on which the ancient capital of the empire once stood, it could also be called the former realm of the Demon Lord.

    However, the Avalonian imperial pce from which the current emperor of the Elroad Empire rules is at the northernmost portion of the city-state, some distance away from the original imperial capital city.

    Currently, the ancient imperial capital city is designated as a Rank 5 dungeon, known as¡ºAvalon, Gods¡¯ Fall.*¡»Nobody is allowed to enter the original imperial pce, known as the¡ºPce of the Demon Lord¡», the most dangerous dungeon in all of Pandora.

    TLN*: The Japanese for this is literally ¡°The realm where the gods were destroyed.¡± That¡¯s too long, so here¡¯s what I¡¯ve got.

    The legendary Elroad Royal Guard now protect the pce as Undead, and a jet-ck guardian dragon protects the skies above it.

    But neither the legendary imperial capital, nor the pce known as the continent¡¯s most dangerous dungeon, have anything to do with Lily, who is now walking alone through the back alleys of present-day Avalon.

    ¡¸Fuwaah~¡¹

    The young, defenseless-looking Lily lets out a small yawn.

    However, until just now, she has been gathering various pieces ofplicated information about the current state of affairs, rumors and hidden quests at the information broker.

    Lily¡¯s mind is tired from sorting out information in her juvenile form, so she has returned to her child form.

    TLN: Lily has multiple forms ¨C In Japanese, one is called ¡°little girl¡± form, and one called ¡°young girl¡± form. They are separate forms. Previous trantions have been inconsistent with these, and even mixed these up and called both ¡°child form.¡±

    To avoid further confusion, ¡°little girl¡± form (the youngest form) is now ¡°child form¡±, and the ¡°young girl¡± form is now ¡°juvenile form¡±.

    Her conversation at the information broker had gone smoothly.

    The information broker was an entric male Goblin with stained clothes who could have been mistaken for a vagrant or a monster. But she had handed him the letter of introduction from Karen, the Fairy who ran the caf¨¦-bar-information-broker,¡ºFairy Tail¡», in Spada. After that, he had willingly sold her the information that she wanted.

    Normally, Lily should only have been asking about particrly important details, but she wanted to return to Kurono¡¯s side as soon as possible, so she had no intention of leisurely spending her time gathering information.

    She had dropped a small mountain of gold on the counter and demanded that he tell her everything he knew, and the Goblin had indeed exined everything he knew in detail.

    For the time being, the most important information for Lily and Fiona is regarding groups of humans that they could exterminate without causing any problems.

    Lily¡¯s magical item,¡ºAngel Ring¡», works exclusively on humans. Even the bandits that Fiona used as sacrifices had to be humans, or else it would not have worked.

    In other words, the two of them are searching for prey simr to the bandits of Fauren.

    Now, as to whether there are any conveniently avable parties of humans like that in Avalon these days ¨C

    ¡¸Uoh, look out!¡¹

    With this shout, a small shadow passes in front of Lily.

    Though Lily has the appearance of an absent-minded child, even in her child form, she is far from slow to react.

    The person who suddenly barges in from the main street into the back alleyway is able to just barely dodge a collision with Lily. Having seen that this is the case, she standspletely still and waits for him while he avoids her.

    As a result, it looks as if she froze out of fear.

    ¡¸Oh, shit!¡¹

    This person, who seems to be in a hurry, appears to be a young boy.

    He is around ten years old, and is dressed in shabby clothing typical of the inhabitants of the slum quarters. However, his arms and legs that can be seen from the short sleeves of his clothes are clean and tanned, and he is full of a childlike energy.

    He was holding arge basket full of oranges, and a few of them fell and rolled on the ground when he avoided Lily.

    With the agility of a mouse, the boy picks up the oranges that have fallen around the narrow alleyway.

    Lily, noticing one of them has fallen around her own feet, picks it up with two hands.

    ¡¸Hehe, you can keep that one!¡¹

    Showing his white, shiny teeth, he gives Lily a childish smile with those words.

    Before Lily can respond, he turns his back on her and begins dashing further into the alleyway in a hurry.

    ¡¸Hope you have the white light¡¯s guidance ¨C See ya!¡¹

    With those words, he waves behind him and disappears into the alleyway that leads to the slum quarters.

    Still clutching the orange that has been given to her, Lily ponders the phrase that the boy said.

    As her child-form mind slowly processes it andes to a conclusion ¨C

    ¡¸HEY! Stop right there, you little brat!¡¹

    Another person appears in the alleyway that Lily is standing in.

    This time it is not a boy, or even a human; it is a wide,rge, oddly-shaped silhouette.

    With the head of a pig, unless that head is a very borately-made mask, it is unmistakably a Boomer.

    Judging from his angry snorting, the apron he is wearing and the words he just bellowed, even child-form Lily can immediately guess what has happened between the boy just now and this pig-man.

    ¡¸Ah, that orange! That means you¡¯re one of that kid¡¯s friends ¨C¡¹

    This huge creature closes in on Lily as if he is charging at her, then stops one step front of her.

    ¡¸That can¡¯t be right, there¡¯s no way a slum kid would be dressed as nicely as you, huh.¡¹

    He murmurs this conclusion after inspecting Lily from head to toe.

    There is no way a slum kid ¨C in other words, a child who inhabits the slum quarter ¨C would be dressed in this pristine, pure-white robe.

    ¡¸Yes.¡¹

    Realizing that there is no longer a need to exin herself, Lily holds out the orange in her hands towards this pig-man, who appears to be its original owner.

    ¡¸Oh, thanks there, little girl.¡¹

    With a bright smile vastly different from the initial scowl on his pig face, he takes the orange.

    ¡¸Orange-shopkeeper-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah no, I run a fruit store.¡¹

    The child-form Lily¡¯s initial guess that he was running a limited special on oranges was not quite correct, but other than that, the situation is exactly as Lily imagined.

    It seems this pig-man is a fruit store owner, and that the young boy just now boldly stole the oranges, along with the whole basket, from the front of the shop.

    ¡¸He ran that way.¡¹

    Lily points her short finger in the direction the boy ran.

    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s toote now. If he¡¯s made it to the slums, I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡¹

    The pig-man says with a hopeless tone.

    ¡¸Seriously, the slum kids have been up to no good these days... Oi, little girl, you shouldn¡¯t be walking these alleyways by yourself. Hurry and get home to your Mama, okay?¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm!¡¹

    Well, Fairies do not have parents, but Lily¡¯s wings are covered by her robe, so right now, Lily looks like a human child.

    So she gives him a short, bright reply and steps out of the alleyway into the bright main street.

    Holding the single orange that he managed to recover, the pig-man heads back towards his store and disappears into the crowd of people.

    Walking in the opposite direction, Lily has a sinister smile unlike that of a normal child¡¯s as she murmurs to herself.

    ¡¸That¡¯s the¡ºChurch of White Light¡», huh. It¡¯s just as the information said.¡¹

    The¡ºChurch of White Light¡»is the most convenient prey, as she learned from the information broker.

    However, what is important for her right now is not the Church itself, but rather the orange-thief boy.

    ¡¸I¡¯m d I remembered his face. To meet him in a ce like this, fufu. This feels like fate ¨C¡¹

    Lily has seen that boy¡¯s face, full of energy, somewhere before.

    She does not know why he is in Avalon.

    But that boy was definitely one of the fifty people who miraculously survived the attack of the 11th Apostle, Misa, in Daidalos.

    He was the second one who med that tragic attack on Kurono.

    ¡¸I still haven¡¯t forgiven you for throwing that stone at Kurono, you know.¡¹

 Chapter 301 Avalon City, Main Road

    Like Spada¡¯s streets, the city of Avalon¡¯s main road is crowded with people as usual.

    They mainly consist of humans, but there are also Elves, Dwarves, Beast-Men and even Undead; the variety in the races is greater than in Spada.

    With that said, this diversity is not rare to see on the continent of Pandora. It is a tiresome sight to Lily, who walks through this mixed crowd of people.

    Incidentally, she is in her child form, and Fiona is pulling her forward by the hand, like her older sister. Even she has a displeased face as she looks at the crowd.

    ¡¸Mmm, what is it? This is your onee-chan¡¯s, so I¡¯m not going to give you even one bite.¡¹

    With her left hand holding Lily¡¯s hand, in Fiona¡¯s right hand is a skewer of fried Cockatrice meat that she bought just earlier.

    Behind her sses, her blue eyes are shining like those of a wild animal that does not want to give up the prey that it has caught.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t want it!¡¹

    Lily is acting as Fiona¡¯s younger sister. So in order to not blow her cover, she sends her angry response straight into Fiona¡¯s head through telepathy.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t need to get so angry, you¡¯ll make your onee-chan sad.¡¹

    Fiona pretends to be sad, and Lily begins berating her.

    ¡¸Even I¡¯ll get angry if you do that, you know! What¡¯s up with you, you¡¯re doing nothing but eating and walking!¡¹

    ¡¸Well, we havee all this way to Avalon, after all.¡¹

    Lily knows of Fiona¡¯s gluttonous ways. Therefore, she shows some understanding as Fiona is lured into buying food by their delicious smells.

    ¡¸I know how you feel. But including that fried bird, how many have you had?¡¹

    ¡¸Umm... It might be my ninth one.¡¹

    Nheless, there is nothing better than wandering around between food stands, indulging in the delicious cheap food of Avalon.

    ¡¸Moderate yourself, we¡¯re making no progress.¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡¹

    By progress, Lily means progress on the important objective that they had made this trip for.

    ¡¸Anyway, umm, the Church of White Light, was it?¡¹

    Having finished the light, tender Cockatrice meat, Fiona flicks the skewer into a narrow alleyway.

    The skewer spontaneously bursts into mes in mid-air, and turns into ashes before itnds on the dirty stone pavement.

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a religious cult that got ahead of themselves and did a lot of evil things. No, it might be more urate to call them a gang of boys.¡¹

    The ones like the orange thief boy Lily encountered earlier would still be considered cutepared to some of the others.

    From what she has heard, they are behind several horrific cases of robbery, murder and arson here in Avalon.

    ¡¸A recent case involving an Elf merchant couple seems to have been the final straw. I¡¯m sure they were a good couple, loved by everyone. There has been a flood of requests demanding revenge for them.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, the Guild was filled with conversations about that case.¡¹

    While Lily was at a shady information broker, Fiona was gathering information through more normal methods at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    Though, it is clear from her buying-and-eating spree that the main information that she has gathered is about Avalon¡¯s gourmet options.

    ¡¸Soon, this will be a normal extermination quest, or the Knights¡¯ Order will have to move to apprehend them.¡¹

    ¡¸We arrived with perfect timing then, didn¡¯t we?¡¹

    If they were to run into adventurers acting after epting this request, or the Knights¡¯ Order began their own movements to apprehend them, things would getplicated.

    So it is fortunate that they are able to make a move before adventurers or the Knights¡¯ Order.

    ¡¸But I have heard there are a lot of children among their followers.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, enough to be considered unusual.¡¹

    The other thing that makes the Church of White Light infamous is the age of the members.

    The majority of their members are children who inhabit the orphanage who are not adults.

    The adult members that have been sighted are severalrge men who hid their faces, have been spotted a few times marching around the back alleys among the children.

    The ones spreading the news of the Church of White Light are the children of the slums.

    Their main activity seems to be to walk around and gather donations from people, but there are a lot of ill-bred followers who became adults and were employed as part of a criminal gang.

    For some reason, those criminals are now being given the freedom to ignore their responsibilities as adults.

    ¡¸It seems it was originally being run by one solitary old priest. After he passed away, a much more powerful person took over.¡¹

    Before the¡ºChurch of White Light¡»became known as an evil organization, which startedst year, it seems to have been an ordinary orphanage.

    Though they called themselves a religious organization, they did not have a single altar, let alone a temple. It had nothing but the name that the old priest gave it. They were not even zealous in their activities.

    But its virtues allowed it to quickly build a connection with the people, and managed to maintain the orphanage through modest donations.

    When the priest died of old age, the orphanage of the¡ºChurch of White Light¡»should have perished with him.

    ¡¸At the very least, they have enough power that people would hesitate before interfering with them.¡¹

    Even if one were to say that is just what happens in the underside of society, in the end, power is everything in this world. Even if they are mostly children, since they have power, they will not be defeated easily.

    In reality, the children stay in that orphanage that should have ceased to exist.

    ¡¸I wonder if it¡¯s an adventurer?¡¹

    ¡¸The famous high-ranked adventurers are innocent.¡¹

    They have already confirmed that much with the information broker.

    They have tried to find out what kind of influential person is backing the Church of White Light ¨C ande to no conclusion.

    ¡¸Maybe the young man they call¡ºPriest-sama¡»is really strong.¡¹

    When they think about it properly, it might be one of therge men that have been witnessed with the Church, but they cannot rule out the possibility that he is not among them.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s possible that one of the children is really strong.¡¹

    Fiona nces at the tiny Lily walking next to her, then looks away again.

    ¡¸Well, what interests me more than that is this Church of White Light¡¯s doctrine ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, that¡¯s definitely just the same as the teachings of the Cross.¡¹

    Thinking¡¸I thought so¡¹, Lily is satisfied by Fiona¡¯s answer.

    They found information from the information broker, and to some extent the Guild, about the god worshipped by the Church of White Light, its doctrine, their clothes and behaviour.

    It was a minor religion under the old priest, but under the new, younger priest, they are undertaking zealous actions in the middle of the slums.

    They reluctantly agreed that the characteristics of this organization matches the teachings of the cross.

    ¡¸How can this be? Have the Crusaders already entered the city-state?¡¹

    The unmistakably powerful group of people who were mysterious even to the information broker could be none other than the Crusaders.

    It is the worst case scenario, but it is also the most likely one.

    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not possible.¡¹

    However, Fiona denies this scenario in a careless tone.

    ¡¸Why?¡¹

    ¡¸The most important part of the doctrine of the Cross is to worship the¡ºWhite God¡»as the one and only god. The Church of White Light worship the¡ºHoly Mother Aria.¡»She is an important figure in the doctrine of the Cross, but they don¡¯t go as far as to call her a goddess.¡¹

    If the doctrine of the Cross were really being spread as the first step of an invasion, it would definitely be using the scriptures to spread the ¡°correct teachings.¡±

    Fiona knows that the Crusaders have used this method of invasion numerous times in the past. It is a well-known method of waging a religious war.

    ¡¸It¡¯s not the worst case scenario, so that¡¯s good. So, who is this Holy Mother Aria?¡¹

    ¡¸She¡¯s a human woman who gave birth to the Child of God. ording to the legend spread by the teachings of the Cross, this child became the First Apostle.¡¹

    However, it is impossible to distinguish such legends from actual history.

    Of course, the followers of the Cross firmly believe that the miracle stories written in the scriptures are true stories.

    ¡¸Historically, the Holy Mother Aria is the closest human to the White God. She is higher than an Apostle but below a god. In one chapter of the scriptures, the White God treats Aria preferentially. I guess she¡¯s the second most person in the doctrine of the Cross.¡¹

    Therefore, the image of the Holy Mother Aria is an established icon of the religion¡¯s teachings, along with the Cross itself.

    Fiona takes a single gold coin from her bag and shows it to Lily. It is not a coin circted on the continent of Pandora; it is from the Sinir republic.

    ¡¸The one engraved on this is the Holy Mother Aria.¡¹

    At the inn, Lily and Fiona showed each other their various belongings, and at that time Lily assumed that the woman¡¯s portrait on this coin was the Queen of Sinir. Being told the truth, she looked at the coin with sincere interest.

    ¡¸So, why is the story of an important figure of the Cross being spread in Avalon?¡¹

    ¡¸Since it started in the ancient times, the Cross is known as the oldest religion. In the prosperous age of the ancient civilization, it was spread in both Pandora and Ark, wasn¡¯t it?¡¹

    TLN: Ark was previously tranted as Arc

    The fact that it spread across both Pandora and Ark in the days of ancient civilization, the fact that simr ruins remain on both continents, and the fact that both continents use the samenguage to speak and write, are all proof of the Cross¡¯s influence.

    It is likely that the civilizations on Pandora and Ark were isted from each other with the passing of the Dark Ages.

    Furthermore, in ancient times, the Cross controlled the continent of Ark as its greatest religion, while Pandora¡¯s history was buried in darkness.

    The Church of White Light that is bing infamous in Avalon is just one of the shady cults with no history or legends that are trying to revive that forgotten doctrine.

    ¡¸It¡¯s normal for different sects to form based on the different courses of history they take and their different interpretations, even if they have the same origin. Even in Sinir, there are as many new religions based on the Cross as there are stars in the sky.¡¹

    And the most powerful sect with the Pope seated above the twelve Apostles has probably also crushed as many of the rivaling sects as there are stars in the sky.

    ¡¸I see. Well, as long as there¡¯s no rtion to the Crusaders, it doesn¡¯t matter. We covered up the truth about Alzas vige to keep Kurono from worrying, too.¡¹

    TLN: Alzas vige was previously tranted as Alsace vige

    He does not show it on his face, but they do not know when the Crusaders will attack next, and it adds some pressure to him.

    If Kurono heard that a fortress was being constructed in Alzas in preparation for another possible attack, it is possible that he might head back there by himself.

    Either way, with if he knew that a war was imminent, he would definitely be impatient. Lily wants to avoid leaving Kurono in such a state while they take their own actions.

    ¡¸Anyway, when are we going to start dealing with this Church of White Light? Could it be that we¡¯re just going to go right now?¡¹

    They are in a hurry to return; in particr, Lily is disying withdrawal symptoms for not seeing Kurono for so long.

    She imagines fun conversations with Kurono in her mind, and she is happy that she should get to talk to him soon.

    ¡¸No, we¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡¹

    ¡¸I see, I wouldn¡¯t mind going right now. Do you have a reason for waiting?¡¹

    In response to this question, a smile appears on Lily¡¯s childish face.

    ¡¸Yes. Tomorrow night, there will be a full moon.¡¹

 Chapter 302 Avalon Slums

    When the young boy first came to Avalon, he had thought the sight of the weak and poor people gathered in the slums was the same as what you would find in any other city.

    When some enemies called the Crusaders arrived, he had left the vige of Kuar with his family ¨C And after that, only hell awaited them.

    His dependable father was crushed to death. His kind mother was torn to pieces. The older brother he idolized was shot, and he watched his adorable younger sister disappeared in a fiercely burning me.

    Even so, he has experienced even more painful things, and these tragedies of the past remain only as memories.

    He has nothing that he can call a memento from his parents. If anything, the memento from his parents is his healthy body, where their blood runs through his veins.

    But with no other rtives, that alone was insufficient for him to live a happy life again.

    At least, that was the conclusion that he came to as a child in Spada, and it was not necessarily an incorrect conclusion.

    The surviving refugees were busy living their own lives, and the important societal notion of mutual aid had been forgotten. Nobody had thought to help one powerless boy ¨C no, it was financially impossible.

    The leader of the refugees, the chief of Kuar vige, had suddenly disappeared. So it was impossible for them to unite into a single group again.

    Even so, the boy had left Spada holding onto a tiny bit of hope, and ended up wandering to Avalon.

    Of course, even here, there was nowhere for an orphan to go but the slums.

    The boy understood that no matter where he went, he was trapped in this dark, dirty, crumblingbyrinth that he could never break free of.

    Spada, Avalon ¨C Knowing the countries¡¯ names did not change anything; the slums were the same anywhere ¨C This is what he first thought.

    ¡¸Yo, what¡¯s up with those oranges?¡¹

    The boy is holding a basket full of oranges, missing only one, and another boy calls out to him. The other boy is turning fifteen next year, well on his way to adulthood.

    He has spiky, dark blonde hair, odd pegs attached to his clothes, and arge, menacing dagger in his fist.

    It is the usual clothing and weapon that one would see on a hoodlum around here.

    Behind him are two more boys of simr age and appearance, with smiles on their faces.

    Stealing and extorting from the weak is an everyday urrence in the slums.

    ¡¸I stole it from a heretic.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s a good attitude you¡¯ve got, priest-sama will be happy, too ¨C Actually, he should being soon, follow us.¡¹

    ¡¸Really?!¡¹

    The boy was acquainted with these three young men.

    They are his friends who live in the same orphanage, run by the Church of White Light.

    The boy and the three young men are all wearing cross-shaped essories on their bodies, showing that they arepanions that share the same belief.

    ¡¸There¡¯s preparations for tomorrow¡¯s ceremony, so don¡¯t get in the way.¡¹

    ¡¸I know that!¡¹

    The boy replies like a cute little brother, and the other threeugh.

    The boy is not shy of them; he idolizes them and speaks openly with them.

    ¡¸Well, we¡¯ve got some other stuff to do, so see yater.¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm.¡¹

    As they part, the boy takes an orange from the basket and tosses it to them.

    ¡¸Hehe, thanks.¡¹

    ¡¸Be grateful for the Holy Mother¡¯s Blessings!¡¹

    With that, the boy clutches his basket that has lost yet another orange, and runs into the dirty alleyway.

    His expression is not that of someone who is tired of seeing the ever-unchanging slums.

    The scene reflected in his eyes does not change, but to him, this filthy townscape feels bright, as if it was being bathed in a pure, white light.

    This causes a ray of hope to shine in the boy¡¯s heart.

    The one that gave him this light of hope is ¨C

    ¡¸Priest-sama!¡¹

    The boy reaches his destination.

    This worn-down two-story apartment made of stone right in the middle of the slums is the Church of White Light¡¯s orphanage that he lives in.

    At the entrance is a pair ofrge, half-rotten wooden double-doors. There was a small crowd in front of the gate.

    The people gathered there are children living at the orphanage like the boy, but they are all very small children, younger than him.

    In the middle of the children is a young man, shining with a pure white light, wearing a dazzling priest¡¯s robe.

    ¡¸Ah, wee home.¡¹

    The young priest¡¯s blue eyes turn their distant gaze towards him as he wees him.

    Just that is enough to fill the boy¡¯s heart with an indescribable joy.

    The priest is only a year or two older than him, but the boy holds greater respect and affection for him than he did his own parents.

    TLN: In chapter 294 I assumed the priest is around 15 years old like the girl, but since the boy is around 10 years old, being one or two years older than the boy makes him 11-12 years old. The Japanese term ¡°ÉÙÄê/shounen¡± means ¡°young boy/man¡±, and it is used for boys anywhere from 7-18 years old, so it was really impossible to tell his age in the earlier chapter.

    The priest saved him and guided him ¨C Yes, guided him ¨C along the true path of belief that all humans should walk. He is the great person who showed him the¡¸Guidance of the White Light.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, that looks super-delicious! Where did you get those?¡¹

    The red-haired girl who is always by the priest¡¯s side raises her high-pitched voice as she points at the basket of oranges in the boy¡¯s hands.

    ¡¸Ah, th-this...¡¹

    He inadvertently begins stuttering, not because of the girl¡¯s revealing clothes that would stimte sexual desires even in a child, but because of the direct gaze of the priest¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¸I can eat these, right? Well, I¡¯m eating them!¡¹

    ¡¸Aah!¡¹

    Before he realizes it, she has taken the entire basket.

    ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s time for a snack!¡¹

    She disappears into the orphanage, and the crowd of children gathered around follows her inside like a cheerful storm.

    It is possible that the boy would not even get a taste of the oranges that he has obtained. The children of the orphanage are always hungry.

    ¡¸Haah...¡¹

    He lets out a small sigh with a sad expression as he realizes this, but ¨C

    ¡¸You did the right thing.¡¹

    He raises his head at the sudden voice, and the beautiful, white face of the priest is right in front of him.

    ¡¸Ah, ye-yes!¡¹

    ¡¸Blessings are upon us, the Children of God, while the Heretics must atone.¡¹

    The boy is still a child, ignorant of the true meaning of that phrase. He does not even know what some of the words mean. But he knows what he should say in response.

    ¡¸May the White Light guide your path.¡¹

    As the boy recites the phrase, the young priest disappears into the orphanage.

 Chapter 303 Iskia Fortress

    A line of students from the Royal Spada Academy climb the gentle slope of the hill, heading towards Iskia Fortress.

    Leading this group of students are the members of Wing Road, who stand out even among hundreds of other students.

    ¡¸Fuwah, I¡¯m sleepy, and my hand hurts.¡¹

    Sitting atop his pure-white Unicorn, Nero voices such meaninglessints.

    No, they may not be quite fully meaningless.

    The fact that the only part of Nero¡¯s body that hurts is the palm of his hand means that he did not take any punches anywhere else. It is also evidence of the power of the punch, since it was strong enough to make his hand hurt, even though he used the Ancient Jujutsu at an expert level.

    From these facts, one can see that the power of those two is fitting of their Rank 5 title.

    ¡¸You¡¯re the one who went and had all the fun by himself, and that¡¯s what you¡¯reining about?¡¹

    With an even more dissatisfied face than Nero, Kai voices his ownints.

    ¡¸You should have let me fight him then, I don¡¯t get to fight guys as strong as that old man very often!¡¹

    But it is toote for such words. The ones who had beef with each other were Nero and Gustav, and in that situation ¨C

    ¡¸Now my friend will be your opponent instead of me!¡¹

    If he had said that, he would be pathetic, like some delusional bastard who thinks he can be stronger by hiring bodyguards.

    Nero has at least a small amount of pride as a man, so he would never say that.

    ¡¸Hey wait a minute, you guys, where¡¯d you gost night and what trouble did you cause?¡¹

    Their conversation is interrupted by Charlotte, her long twin tails swinging around as she sits on her horse behind them.

    ¡¸Huh? What are you talking about, we were sleeping soundly in our tentsst night!¡¹

    ¡¸Right, right! We definitely weren¡¯t in the guild bar, starting a fight or anything!¡¹

    ¡¸You moron!¡¹Nero and Charlotte say the same line simultaneously, but directed at different people.

    ¡¸Wow, I can¡¯t believe you guys! If you¡¯d just gone out to drink some alcohol I¡¯d have forgiven you, but starting a fight ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Your voice is too loud, Sharl. What will we do if a teacher finds out?¡¹

    ¡¸And whose fault do you think this situation is!¡¹

    ¡¸Kai¡¯s.¡¹

    ¡¸Oi, the one who started the fight was you, Nero!¡¹

    Continuing to ride a horse¡¯s length away from the conversation of those noisy three, Safiel says,

    ¡¸Really, you¡¯re all morons.¡¹

    She murmurs quietly, sitting on the back of the false Sleipnir.

    Wing Road is proceeding as usual today. Ahead of them, further up the hill, they can see the towering outline of Iskia Fortress.

    Though it is an old fortress, its architecture isrgely unchanged from current architecture, built as a roughly square-shaped, Spada-style castle.

    There is a defensive tower in each corner, facing north, south, east and west, and the tops of the walls that join these towers has soldiers lined up along them. The walls are surrounded by a dry moat with no water, and the only entrance is a single drawbridge, which is currently raised. The castle gate across the drawbridge is firmly shut.

    The ancient fortress on the country¡¯s border has retained its former defenses to this day, waiting for a challenge from the young knights who bear the weight of Spada¡¯s future on their shoulders.

    Iskia Fortress was involved in the territorial wars that happened between Spada and Fauren over a hundred years ago, and is now an important historical site.

    But it has now been over fifty years since the rtion between the two countries changed from hostility to neutrality, then finally friendship. It is unlikely for the fortress to be a hellish battlefront once more.

    TLN: This scene begins inside the fortress.

    ¡¸Souls of the brave soldiers of the past, May you rest in the requiem of the peace that you longed for, for all eternity ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸What¡¯re you doing over there, Will, we didn¡¯te here to go sightseeing.¡¹

    ¡¸I humbly apologize, Simon-sama. It is one of my usual fits, please forgive me.¡¹

    The fortress has been repaired and maintained to this day, so at the very least, there is no concern that the walls will copse in on them. As the sun sinks over the walls of the fortress, Wilhart looks out at it and speaks words that make no sense. They are met with a merciless response from two sides.

    ¡¸But what¡¯s with that pose! It¡¯s embarrassing, so stop it already!¡¹

    ¡¸This is why the dignity of the royal Spada family is looked down upon, is it not. It is rather pathetic.¡¹

    TLN: I think the second line is said by Seria, but it¡¯s hard to tell, given how the Japanese write their dialogue.

    In the face of this brutal attack, even Wilhart¡¯s expression of wanting to pay his respects to a historic site crumbles.

    ¡¸Tch, you boorish people who know nothing of the romance of history...¡¹

    He reluctantly steps down from the wooden box that he is standing on.

    ¡¸Just because we entered the fortress without any problem, aren¡¯t we being a little too careless?¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, you¡¯re make a good point.¡¹

    The students of the Royal Spada Academy arrived at Iskia Fortress ahead of schedule, even before sunset.

    What Simon meant by¡¸without any problem¡¹is that even though they were traveling through a dungeon, there was not a single monster attack.

    Sometimes humanoid monsters like Goblins and Orcs live in this fortress. In previous open-field exercises to the Iskia Hills, they had to clean up the monsters surrounding the fortress andy partial siege to it before they could finally enter.

    ¡¸It¡¯s good that we didn¡¯t run into anything yesterday, but for there to be nothing at all is actually a unsettling.¡¹

    ¡¸Mmm, we did not see even a single Centaur, let alone an attack, which is somewhat unusual.¡¹

    The mostmon monsters that popte the Iskia Hills are the half-human-half-beasts known as Centaurs. The top halves of their bodies are those of humans, while the bottom halves are those of horses.

    The first monsters adventurers would normally encounter at this dungeon are those Centaurs. In fact, it ismon for the Centaurs to spot the adventurers first.

    They hunt herds of Silent Sheep skillfully with their bows, and they are not a rare sight there.

    ¡¸But even in past exercises, there were times where monsters weren¡¯t encountered three whole days, so it¡¯s still possible that this exercise is like that.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Well, tomorrow¡¯s activities will depend on if we encounter any enemies ¨C¡¹

    At that moment, they hear footsteps heading towards the two of them ¨C no, the three of them, including Seria ¨C and they reflexively look in the direction that they areing from.

    The one who appears is a young man wearing light armor, a knight cadet belonging to one of the groups that are under Wilhart¡¯s directmand.

    ¡¸Excuse me, Prince Wilha¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I told you to call me ¡°your Excellency¡±, did I not!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t pay attention to that. Go on.¡¹

    Wilhart flips his red mantle as if to show it off. Simon jabs him in the side with the stock of his rifle and gives a wry smile.

    The brown-haired knight cadet has a bewildered look on his face, but opens his mouth to continue his report.

    ¡¸The main headquarters has been established, allow me to show you around!¡¹

    ¡¸Mmm, then I shall ept your offer, young knight Eddy.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    Wilhart¡¯s response is bizarrely respectable, and the knight cadet is unable to hide the look of surprise on his face.

    ¡¸Hmm, I thought your name is Eddy, am I mistaken?¡¹

    ¡¸N-no, my name is Eddy. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember my name ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸How could a leader not know the names of his subordinates? Using this grey brain of mine, I memorized the names and faces of all three hundred people participating in this open-field exercise in a single night!¡¹

    Wilhartughs boastfully with his usual ¡°FAAHAHA!¡± But this time, unusually, it is actually something worth boasting about.

    ¡¸Well then, shall we go?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Prince Wi ¨C Your Excellency!¡¹

    ¡¸Indeed!¡¹

    Following Eddy¡¯s lead, Wilhart hums a tune, clearly in a good mood from being called ¡°Your Excellency.¡±

    Seeing his friend finally showing some respectable behavior, Simon rxes and lets a cute smile appear on his face, showing no signs of caution.

 Chapter 304 Iskia Hills (1)

    The next morning, the students of the Royal Spada Academy leave Iskia Fortress to look forrge-scale battles with monsters, which is the whole reason they came out on this open-field exercise.

    There are two hundred and fifty of them. With the leadership cadets in charge and the knight cadets as the soldiers under theirmand, they are the young elites that bear the future of Spada¡¯s military.

    The other fifty students are studying courses such as magical engineering courses or civil official courses, and they remain garrisoned inside Iskia Fortress, on watch duty.

    Normally, being stationed on watch duty is a tedious task, but the students who are currently marching across the gentle slopes are considerably envious of them at this moment.

    ¡¸Tch, it¡¯s raining.¡¹

    Sitting on his beautiful, pure-white Unicorn, Nero has a look on his face that is three times worse than his usual displeasured expression as he mutters these words.

    The sky overhead is filled with ash-colored clouds, and even a small child would be able to tell that it could start pouring down at any moment.

    Yesterday¡¯s weather was perfectly clear, and they were able to enjoy the red magnificence and splendor of the evening¡¯s sunset. But now it is as if arge army of thick rain clouds have invaded Spada overnight.

    ¡¸Seriously, what rotten luck.¡¹

    So far on this open-field exercise, Nero had to deal with a group of Orcs and got into a fight with another Rank 5 adventurer, which you would normally be incredibly unlikely to encounter. He cannot help but feel that his stock of good luck has vanished.

    As if the ck gods themselves are trying to put the First Prince of Avalon through a trial, he has been constantly running into trouble.

    With that said, this could be considered a more ordinary problem.

    Considering everything else, a weather phenomenon like rain seems trivial.

    ¡¸Nero.¡¹

    ¡¸What is it, Safi?¡¹

    As Nero wears a displeasured expression at the light rain falling on his face, Safiel Maya Hydra calls out to him.

    The false Sleipnir created through Necromancy is longer and taller than Nero¡¯s Unicorn, and Safiel is sitting in a position that is elevated above him.

    Nero is not petty enough to say something as meaningless as ¡°don¡¯t look down on me,¡± and Safiel seems serious, so he pays attention to her as she speaks.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t see any monsters nearby.¡¹

    The Summoner students have spread their servants around to look for an enemy, and Safiel¡¯s crow-servant is in the sky, searching the surroundings.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t sense any presences either, it¡¯s just too quiet.¡¹

    The students are just passing across a hill with a great view, and from here, they can see all of the forests surrounding the hills.

    Exactly as Nero and Safi have said, not even a single monster¡¯s shadow can be seen.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a bit ominous, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s no presence, but I have a bad feeling¨C¡¹

    Nero stops talking mid-sentence, and is suddenly fully concentrated on the surroundings with all of his senses.

    ¡¸What?¡¹

    ¡¸Just as I say that... Looks like my instincts were spot-on.¡¹

    What he feels at first is just a small tremor.

    ¡¸Wah, isn¡¯t the ground shaking a bit?!¡¹

    ¡¸Uoh, what is it, an earthquake?!¡¹

    Sharl and Kai feel the ground¡¯s movements, and let out shouts of surprise.

    In Spada, earthquakes only happen perhaps once every ten years, and even when they do, they are consideredrge natural disasters. Therefore, when an earthquake does ur, most citizens of Spada would tremble in fear.

    ¡¸O-oi, this an earthquake, isn¡¯t it?!¡¹

    ¡¸Wait, are you serious?!¡¹

    ¡¸Fu, fuhahahaa~ The time of destruction has finallye! The ck gods have abandoned us, and doom hase to thend of Pandoraaaaaaaaaa!¡¹

    The magnitude of the ground¡¯s movement increases at an rming rate, and the students nearby have started to feel it. Among the sounds of the ground shaking and panicked voices, someone shouts these bizarre words.

    TLN: I¡¯m preeeeeetty sure that¡¯s Wilhart.

    ¡¸Calm down, it¡¯s not an earthquake. This is ¨C¡¹

    The Unicorn and the man riding it remain calm despite the ground¡¯s shaking. Nero stops Sharl and Kai, who are panicking with the other nearby students.

    Realizing that Nero has some idea of what is happening, Safi points her gaze in the same direction that his deep crimson eyes are facing.

    As the ground¡¯s shaking continues to grow more violent, Nero continues his sentence.

    ¡¸- a monster.¡¹

    GOGYAAAAAAAAAH!

    A deafening roar that could be mistaken for an explosion echoes across the Iskia Hills.

    The thunderous roar crashes upon the eardrums of the students lined up at the top of the hill, but the huge explosion right in front of their eyes ¨C No, at the bottom of the hill they are standing on ¨C is a bigger concern for them.

    The explosion tears the thick carpet of grass outpletely, and a geyser of dirt sprays out into the air.

    The size of its body is such that it kicks up an incredible amount of dirt into the surroundings, but fortunately, the dirt does not reach up to the top of the hill.

    Even without hearing Nero¡¯s words, anyone can tell with a single nce that this is the cause of the earthquake.

    ¡¸Greed-Gore...¡¹

    Its name is murmured by the two people among the students who are knowledgeable about special monsters, Safi and Nero.

    ¡¸Greed-Gore, you mean the Rank 5 monster that¡¯s been said to have appeared around here recently?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s a breed of Earth Dragon that uses its Characteristic Ability* of being able to move underground. It¡¯s my first time seeing it, but there¡¯s no mistaking it. But ¨C¡¹

    TLN*: In katakana, this term is simply ¡°Extra.¡± Since this makes no sense whatsoever in English, I¡¯m going with something close to its kanji meaning.

    As Safi speaks, the rain of dirt from the sky stops, and in front of the two hundred and fifty students is the majestic sight of the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous body.

    With a length of thirty meters from the tip of its nose the end of its tail, and a height of ten meters, its sheer size is overwhelming.

    Brilliant purple eyes that resemble the Safiel Maya Hydra¡¯s own Demon Eyes can be seen shining ferociously from its rectangr-shaped head.

    The block-like carapace that covers its whole body makes it look like an Earth Dragon-type Golem, or as if a fortress has juste to life and started moving.

    Even though Safi is seeing it for the first time, its appearance matches the description in her knowledge, and she is able to immediately identify it. However, she notices one definite difference.

    ¡¸- it¡¯s ck.¡¹

    ¡¸ck? It¡¯s not supposed to be that color?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, it was a reddish-brown brick color in the pictures!¡¹

    But the Greed-Gore that has appeared before them is unmistakably ck.

    It was not that its body is covered in ck dirt from having traveled underground. Its entire block-like carapace is looks as if it is made of pure darkness.

    ¡¸Is it a subspecies?¡¹

    ¡¸I can¡¯t be sure.¡¹

    Subspecies of monsters that are a different color are rare, but they do exist.

    The rarer the subspecies, the more likely it is to have powerful abilities, but going by that rule, that would make this Greed-Gore even more powerful than a regr one.

    ¡¸Whatever, in any case, we can¡¯t fight this thing!¡¹

    It is a Rank 5 monster, which even the Knights¡¯ Order* of the army with all of their forces gathered together would avoid a direct engagement with.

    TLN*: Previously tranted as the Chivalric Order.

    With two hundred and fifty of them, they certainly have the numbers, but to fight such a dangerous monster is toorge a task for an army of apprentices and students.

    ¡¸It would be impossible for even me to fight it while protecting everyone else ¨C¡¹

    Nero can say this because he¡¯s defeated a Rank 5 monster before. But as if to deny his confident words ¨C

    GOAAAAAAAAAH!

    Once more, the air is filled with the Greed-Gore¡¯s deafening roar.

    Its purple eyes are unmistakably fixed on the students standing on top of the hill.

    It is dering its intention to devour this ¡°prey¡±, or perhaps it sees this group of people as a threat, and is trying to intimidate them.

    The students¡¯ experience fighting monsters varies from individual to individual, but they all interpret the Greed-Gore¡¯s roar as such. The members of the Rank 5 party Wing Road also have simr suspicions.

    However, they are all proven wrong.

    ¡¸What, the forest ¨C¡¹

    As if answering the Greed-Gore¡¯s call, the forests surrounding the hills begin to move.

    It appears as if the trees of the forest have all started marching across the ins. But there is no way that could happen, even in this world of magic.

    Monsters are emerging from the forest to advance onto the hill.

    The monsters that are well known around the Iskia Hills, the Centaurs and their Silent Sheep with ck wool, appear. Not only them, but there are also Slimes, Goblins, Orcs, Dagger Raptors, Windwolves*, Morjura ¨C Every single monster that inhabits this area is here.

    TLN*: The katakana for this is ¡°¥¦¥£¥ó¥É¥ë/windoru¡±. They are Rank 1 monsters with wolf-like bodies whose name has previously been tranted as ¡°Windwolves¡± and also as ¡°Vindol¡± by different trantors. I¡¯m going with Windwolves since they are wolves, after all.

    ¡¸Oi oi, is this for real...¡¹

    Even Nero has a line of cold sweat running down his cheek as he opens his eyes in shock.

    Monsters of different races, unlike humans, are unable to ovee their differences to work together. They are truly wild creatures of nature.

    So, what is this phenomenon urring in front of their eyes?

    The wolf-like Windwolves are being used as mounts by Goblins, whose green skin shares the same color as their fur. And dragon, normally known for pulling dragon carriages, is carrying a number ofrge Orcs as it stomps its way forward with its powerful four legs.

    The Silent Sheep are normally just a source of food for the Centuars, but the Centaurs are using them like hunting dogs as they advance. Running beside them are the fierce, boar-like Dortoths.

    The monsters¡¯ forward march shakes the ground, though not as the Greed-Gore did. But not all of the monsters are approaching on the ground¡¯s surface.

    The leaves in the forest sway as if in a storm as countless more shadows of all sizes appear in the trees.

    Monsters ranging from the size of sparrows to medium-sized monsters like Pegasuses and Harpies fly through the rain clouds.

    Above this flock of monsters is a Smander* with both wings spread out, as if it were the ruler of the sky.

    TLN: Smanders arend reptiles in the real world, and even in a fantasy setting, I¡¯d assume that they¡¯re some kind ofnd dragon. But the Kanji below this term reads ¡°Fire Dragon¡± and apparently it¡¯s flying. So in Kuro no Maou, Smanders are flying, fiery dragons.

    Seeing the various monsters pouring non-stop from the forest, Nero knows what the Greed-Gore¡¯s roar was for.

    It was an attack order to its own army.

    ¡¸Retreat! All forces, retreat! We must fall back to the fortress!¡¹

    The order to retreates, and the students who are frozen in ce by the sight of this overwhelming enemy army return to their senses.

    ¡¸That¡¯s Will¡¯s voice, he¡¯s making a good call for once!¡¹

    The Second Prince of Spada, Wilhart, who is inmand of this group of three hundred students, continues his shouts of ¡°Move back!¡±, ordering an immediate retreat ¨C no, an evacuation.

    In the next moment, he rings the bell that signals a retreat order, and the order reaches everyone in the group.

    Nero praises Will¡¯s judgment here, as the decision to order an immediate retreat is an excellent one for avoiding everyone¡¯s doom.

    The army of monsters overflowing from the forests has started moving to surround this hill.

    If they remained unable to move out of fear any longer, they would definitely be swallowed up by this tsunami of monsters and be wiped out.

    ¡¸Kai, Sharl, Safi, we¡¯re the rear guard!¡¹

    ¡¸You got it!¡¹

    ¡¸Of course we are!¡¹

    ¡¸Affirmative.¡¹

    The members of Wing Road, led by Nero, are aware that they have the strongestbat capability out of everyone. They answer immediately, and take up the role of the rear guard without hesitation.

    As the wave of students retreats back down the hill, these four distinct, mounted individuals proudly turn their red capes around as they remain in ce.

    As they look down and ready their weapons to challenge the army of monsters that are crawling towards the bottom of the hill ¨C

    ¡¸Wait, we¡¯ll be the rear guard!¡¹

    Onerge, mounted person appears in front of them, standing in their way.

    Sitting on a huge Bicorn like Kai¡¯s, it is an Orc with a single-edged greatsword on his back.

    His burly head has a single horn and also arge lump, which has caused unfortunate rumors about how he took a punch from some neer adventurer student.

    He is the Orc teacher in charge of the swordsmanship part of the adventurers¡¯ course, participating in this open-field exercise to observe the students.

    ¡¸Oi, what are you saying, it would definitely be better if we ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸No! No matter how strong you act, you¡¯re just students. The more dangerous roles should be taken up by us teachers.¡¹

    The current emergency situation is enough to overturn the rule that teachers are not to participate actively in the open-field exercise, and there is no time to argue.

    And since they have fallen into such a critical situation, the ones who must go head first into certain death ¨C as their guardian, as adults, and as educators ¨C are the teachers.

    ¡¸There¡¯s no time to argue, you guys have to be the vanguard and break through the monsters¡¯ surround!¡¹

    As the Orc orders this battle formation, his eyes are full of determination and resolution to face battle like a true warrior of Spada.

    It is more than clear that there is nothing more to be said.

    If Wing Road goes to the front line as the vanguard, even if the monsters block their path, they can definitely break through. No matter how strong the rear guard is, there is no point if the path ahead remains blocked.

    ¡¸Tch, there¡¯s no other choice.¡¹

    Nero pulls the reins in his hands and the Unicorn quickly turns around, and the others follow him.

    As Nero¡¯s red eyes turn to look back onest time, he sees the backs of the teachers, ready to defend the students to the death. In front of them, he can see the monsters advancing.

    ¡¸A ck Greed-Gore...¡¹

    The Greed-Gore simply watches calmly, leaving the attack to its army of monsters.

    It is an Earth Dragon that is supposed avariciously devour its prey, but it seems to Nero that its eyes have a sadistic look as it ys around with its food.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t like that thing¡¯s huge head. I¡¯ll make sure to cut it off.¡¹

    Nero swears to defeat the Greed-Gore, the general of this monster army. But right now, he must go forward to cut a retreat path, so he spurs his Unicorn onward.

 Chapter 305 Iskia Hills (2)

    ¡¸A-a ck Greed-Gore...¡¹

    Seeing the huge monster that split the earth open as it appeared, Wilhart trembles in fear with a terrified expression on his face as he utters its name.

    Sitting on top of the horse he was given as the general, his brain processed the monster¡¯s appearance and immediately found a match with his knowledge Rank 5 monsters. Naturally, his body began shaking.

    Its species, shape and its known attributes are all different, but his fear of Rank 5 Monsters has been burned into his mind.

    He realizes that the rifle he is holding, the one that he is so proud of ¨C that he has thoroughly practised with, bing familiar with it to the point that he could truly be proud of his skill ¨C is now just a useless stick.

    But even as he trembles in fear, the situation deteriorates further. It is as if some evil god has decided to drop them into deeper horror.

    GOAAAAAAAAAH!

    The monster¡¯s second roar is terrifying enough to pierce one¡¯s body and strike fear directly into the soul. As if being summoned by an evil call, monsters begin to pour out of the forest.

    This sight is such that Will and all of the other students are plunged into an abyss of despair.

    They have at least some experience fighting monsters. But that only makes this phenomenon of monsters of different races grouping together and advancing on them as a single army even more difficult toprehend.

    ¡¸H-hyii... It¡¯s hopeless...¡¹

    As Will¡¯s eyes are filled with tears and these pathetic wordse from his mouth ¨C

    ¡¸Get a hold of yourself, Will!¡¹

    Apanying this brave, lovely voice is an attack that digs into his side.

    ¡¸Goha?!¡¹

    TLN: Sound of pain

    As he looks towards where the attack came from, he sees his friend Simon, who has shoved the stock of his rifle into him with all his might.

    ¡¸Hurry up and give the retreat order, or it¡¯ll be toote!¡¹

    Will is not so slow-minded as to ask, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    He processes the meaning and intention of Simon¡¯s words in an instant, and begins to show the results of his training.

    ¡¸Retreat! All forces, retreat! We must fall back to the fortress!¡¹

    Before he knows it, he is shouting these words loudly.

    All of theughing and boastful talk that he does with his obnoxiously loud voice is paying off in this critical moment; his voice carries well and the order to immediately retreat reaches the group.

    ¡¸FALL BAAAAAAACK!¡¹

    Turning his horse around, he faces the direction of the Iskia Fortress and leads the retreat.

    Being unable to see the Greed-Gore and its army of monsters when he turns his back towards them, Will retains some sense of calm in his mind.

    ¡¸To me, my knights! We will lead the group, and be at the front of the retreat back to Iskia Fortress!¡¹

    The knights, or rather, the knight cadets under Will¡¯s directmand have already drawn their weapons in preparation for battle. They understand his orders immediately and begin moving.

    Among them is Eddy, the knight cadet who called out to Will on the fortress walls yesterday, and beside him is the green-haired girl with sses that Kurono rescued from the bandits in Fauren.

    Including those two, the majority of the two hundred and fifty students are on foot. Therefore, the ones who are mounted like Will cannot retreat at full speed.

    The retreat begins at a slow pace.

    Fortunately, Will and the knights under his directmand are near the back of the column of students, and they are able to quickly get to the front to act as the vanguard.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t break formation! Prepare your mobility skills* and Speed Boosts, we¡¯re going to descend the hill all at once before we get surrounded!¡¹

    TLN*: Previously tranted as ¡°movement-type martial skills¡±

    Desperately remembering the orders he learned in ss that must be given in a retreat, Will shouts out instructions one after another in rapid session.

    In this state of emergency, even the teachers who are not supposed to participate in battle have started moving, but they know that Will¡¯s orders are appropriate in this situation, so they do not need to voice out their own instructions.

    As if they already know the best course of action, the teachers move to take up the role of the rear guard without being told. They are certainly going to have to fight a hellish battle in that role.

    Will is relieved that the harshest role for the retreat is being taken on by the teachers. But he also feels pain in his heart as he realizes that there is no way to escape this situation without casualties.

    The reason he is prepared for the fact that there has to be sacrifices is because he previously experienced it the time he was chased by Wrath-Pun in the Ghad mountain range.

    The thought of having to sacrifice some people does not affect the actions and judgment of the current Wilhart, who previously made the choice to sacrifice the most important person to him outside of his own family.

    With that said, he has not experienced any battles where he actually had to sacrifice anyone. But such a battle is about to begin now. The bodyguard-maid who was supposed to throw away her own life for him is still next to him, carrying out her duty.

    ¡¸Simon, sworn friend of my soul. Thanks to thy counsel, I have returned to my senses. I thank you from the bottom of my heart; your assessment of the situation was excellent.¡¹

    From on top of his horse, Will directs his words of thanks at Simon, trying to hide his embarrassment.

    ¡¸Onii-san¡¯s retreat order was quick, too. I was just following his example.¡¹

    When they had heard about the arrival of the heavy knight squad behind Alzas vige, the one who gave the immediate order to retreat was Kurono. The only ones who know this other than Kurono himself are the three of them here.

    Despite the oue, Simon understands that Kurono¡¯s decision to give that order was correct.

    This is a simrly terrible situation where they are being attacked by an overwhelming enemy force.

    ¡¸More importantly, Will, is your rifle loaded?¡¹

    ¡¸Fuhaha, of course!¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re not allowed to put your finger on the trigger yet!¡¹

    ¡¸... I know.¡¹

    Will is in high spirits, and Simon warns him of this possible ident.

    His finger should not be on the trigger unless he is shooting. It could cause an idental discharge, which is especially dangerous in situations where there are a lot of allies nearby.

    Furthermore, an idental discharge is even more likely to ur when riding on horseback.

    ¡¸The Centaurs and Windwolves are fast; they¡¯ll make it just in time to cut us off!¡¹

    The reason Simon mentioned Will¡¯s gun, in other words, his weapon for fighting, is because he had a feeling that they would not be able to avoid battle.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the critical moment, isn¡¯t it.¡¹

    ¡¸The wall of enemies is not so thick that we can¡¯t break through, it¡¯s alright!¡¹

    The monsters with fast movement have broken off from the swarm of monsters that appeared from the forests to go ahead and block their path.

    As Simon said, the Centaurs armed with spears and bows are charging through the hills that are their home ground.

    The ck, fluffy Silent Sheep are running alongside them, keeping up with their speed. They¡¯re sheep, but they¡¯re still monsters.

    The Windwolves that the Goblins are riding aregging behind. But the ones that are moving without riders are putting their wolf-like running speed and their Wind-type Characteristic Ability to use, making their way through the hills like the wind.

    The Dortoths are well-known for their ability to charge forward and are quite fast, but they do not seem to have the sense to go around the hills, so they are struggling to climb over them.

    Whether the retreating students will run into them or not is likely dependent on their luck.

    Fortunately, the bird monsters in the sky and the Smander that possesses tremendous firepower are just flying around, and do not seem to be directly headed this way.

    ¡¸Prepare our long-ranged attacks! First group, ready your sts, second group, ready the Sagitas and bows! Concentrate our attacks at the front!¡¹

    TLN: Sagitas seem to be a ss of ranged magical attack. It was implied in previous trantions, but I¡¯ll emphasize that here.

    The distance between the students descending the hill and the monsters moving to cut them off is growing shorter.

    Will is wearing a tense, strained expression. Even Simon, who is experienced in battle, knows that he is not a strong fighter, and is desperately trying not to show his anxiety on his face.

    ¡¸Will-sama.¡¹

    ¡¸Eei, Seria! Don¡¯t suddenly call out to me in a tense moment like this!¡¹

    Will replies to his bodyguard, Seria, who is riding next to him with a calm expression. His voice sounds impatient, rather than angry.

    ¡¸I apologize. However, there is one thing I must warn you about.¡¹

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    ¡¸You are aware of the Characteristic Ability of Silent Sheep, are you not?¡¹

    ¡¸Fuhaha, that is information that was on the front page of the book in the guild at Iskia Vige, there is no way that I do not ¨C¡¹

    Will begins to talk with his usual confident voice, but in the next moment, his face turns pale.

    The reason why the Silent Sheep are called silent.

    And, assuming the monsters have some degree of intelligence, the reason why the Centaurs have gone out of their way to bring them to battle.

    As he remembers, it is already toote.

    ¡¸What is the Characteristic Ability of Silent Sheep?¡¹

    Simon, who is not particrly knowledgeable about monsters, asks Will this question.

    ¡¸Now I understand... Eei, we can¡¯t turn back now ¨C¡¹

    Will¡¯s expression quickly changes from resignation to determination and raises his voice to give the order tomence the long-ranged attacks.

    ¡¸First group, fiiiiiire!¡¹

    At his signal, the Mage-ss students finish thest words of their incantation to unleash their attacks.

    But the Silent Sheep closing in on them are faster to open their mouths.

    MEEVIIIIIIII~

    TLN: I don¡¯t know what kind of sheep sounds like that, but okay.

    As this strangely calming cry fills the air, the students release theirpleted long-ranged attacks.

    ¡¸Ignis Overst!¡¹

    ¡¸Tera st!¡¹

    Etcetera, etcetera. The low-level and intermediate-level sts, each with their own individual properties, are cast ¨C

    ¡¸What, it¡¯s noting out?!¡¹

    ¡¸Why?!¡¹

    Half of them end up misfiring.

    Most of attacks that are sessfully fired either miss or fail to explode.

    As a result, only a few of the mixed cavalry of Centaurs and Windwolves charging into battle are blown away. They continue to charge with full force.

    The Goblins that have fallen off the backs of Windwolves are trampled by the Centaurs.

    ¡¸The cry of the Silent Sheep has a Silencing effect! Everyone but the Mages who don¡¯t need an incantation or have a way to counter it, fall back!¡¹

    That is Will¡¯s answer to Simon¡¯s question.

    Silence is one of the magical Status Effects* that can be inflicted.

    TLN*: The katakana reads ¡°bad status¡± but that sounds really bad, so I¡¯m going with this.

    Silence is divided into two kinds. The first is an effect that prevents any speaking; the other nullifies the sound of incantations and counters their effects.

    The one inflicted by the Silent Sheep is thetter; in other words, because thest parts of the incantations were Silenced, most of the magical attacks cast ended up misfiring.

    This is a critical Status Effect for those of the Mage ss; however, there have been methods used to counter it since ancient times. But the number of students that would be capable of using these methods right at this moment is questionable.

    Therefore, most of the Mage-ss fighters have been rendered useless by the presence of the Silent Sheep.

    On the other hand, the Centaurs who fight with physical attacks without using any magic arepletely unaffected in this Silence-filled battlefield.

    ¡¸Second group, even if it¡¯s only the archers! The ones at the front, prepare for the Centaurs¡¯ charge!¡¹

    Physical long-ranged attackers include not only archers but also himself, since he is wielding a gun, so Will raises his rifle as he gives these desperate orders.

    Breaking through these sparse attacks, the charging monsters are getting closer.

    There are already Centaurs with bows raised and arrows nocked, and some have begun to fire.

    Their uracy is low, but it is enough to make the students who are not used to battle tremble with fear.

    ¡¸Kuh...¡¹

    It seems to Will that the battle is clearly taking a turn for the worse.

    It is unlikely that the second group of ranged attackers alone can stop the monsters that are charging in.

    His morale is crushed by the Silence nullifying their initial attack, and he is very anxious about engaging in closebat.

    Will he be able to keep the first ranged attack squad out of harm¡¯s way? No, to be more honest, he is more worried about whether he will be able to fire his rifle properly as he has practised in the face of a Centaur raising its spear at him.

    He has a hard time fighting a single Goblin, a Rank 1 monster. Fighting arge Rank 2 monster in close-quarterbat... The thought alone is enough to make him wet himself.

    Once they enter the melee, which will be in less than a minute, the situation may fall apart beyond repair.

    ¡¸There¡¯s no other choice... I... I... have to do it.¡¹

    TLN: He uses two different pronouns for ¡°I¡± here. The first is ¡°ÎÒ/ware¡±, which is the pompous one he uses when going into his delusions and being pompous in general. The second one is the more normally used ¡°°³/ore¡±. This subtly indicates that he is bing more serious.

    He wonders whether his rifle¡¯s sight is shaking because of his horse¡¯s movement.

    He cannot help but feel that it is because the hand that is holding the grip, the shoulder against which the stock is resting, and his back that is supposed to be in an upright position, are all trembling.

    The Centaurs charge directly onward, showing no signs of fear. Will gets the feeling that his eyes have met with the purple eyes of the grim-looking face of the Centaur through his rifle¡¯s sight.

    ¡¸¨C You can do it, Will. This is where you say, ¡°I* am the glorious Second Prince of Spada¡±, right?¡¹

    TLN*: This one is back to the pompous ¡°ÎÒ/ware¡±

    Right next to him, holding up his own rifle, his friend speaks to him.

    ¡¸Fu... Kuku... Fuhaha...¡¹

    Strangely enough, his trembling has stopped.

    ¡¸FAAHAHAHA! Yes, indeed, I am the glorious Second Prince of Spada, Wilhart Tristan Spaaaaaaaaaada! Monsters, you shall perish in the face of the true power of my¡ºBuster Rifle!¡»¡¹

    As his body is filled with a strange, uplifting feelinging from his heart, from the depths of his soul, Will puts his finger on the trigger.

    ¡¸Second group, ready your weapons!¡¹

    As he inhales deeply before shouting the order to attack, ready to fire his own self-named ¡°bullet of destruction¡± ¨C

    ¡¸... Step aside, Will.¡¹

    A small, calm voice reaches his ears.

    He looks up to see a white shadow flying lightly over him.

    It is a Unicorn that leapt high into the air, momentarily resembling a Pegasus. And the person riding it is ¨C

    ¡¸NERO?!¡¹

    Nero¡¯s crimson-red eyes do not give even a single nce towards his childhood friend, the Second Prince; they are fixed on the enemies that are closing in from the front.

    His eyes are filled with deadly intent, and his already-drawn sword is in his right hand, prepared to carry out that intent.

    ¡¸¨C Instant sh.¡¹

    To Will, who has no knowledge of battle techniques like swordsmanship or martial arts, it looks as if Nero is just swinging his sword sideways.

    But its de releases a blinding light, which bes a white light that flies forward, cutting through the air.

    If one were to use the Wind magic attack¡ºAir Sagita¡»and made itrger and brighter, it may appear something like this.

    The shing attack resembles a straight line made of light. It passes through the Centaurs like an illusion, cutting all of them in half.

    It makes no difference whether the human half of their bodies are naked, covered in Silent Sheep wool or wearing metal armor that they undoubtedly robbed from adventurers. The attack effortlessly cuts through their chests.

    It is as if they ran through a steel wire suspended in the air at full speed ¨C the far side of where the attacknded is now a sea of blood.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be so reckless, Will, it makes me nervous just watching.¡¹

    With the Centaurs that he cut down so mercilessly in the background, Nero leaps lightly from his Unicorn in mid-air.

    Neronds in front of Will, wearing a fearless smile on his face.

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re weak, baka-aniki*, so make sure you stand back!¡¹

    TLN*: Stupid older brother

    His younger sister Charlotte has suddenly appeared, waving the red wand in her hand,¡ºCrimson Bolt. ¡»

    ¡¸Line Force st!¡¹

    She has already finished her incantation. As she speaks the name of her spell, a roaring thunder is released and a wide streak of lightning passes over the Centaurs¡¯ corpses, striking down the Goblin-Windwolf cavalry.

    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡ºWing Road¡»will open the escape path, so follow us without falling behind.¡¹

    As Nero swings his red cape* around and looks once more at the enemies ahead, two more people appear on either side of him. Both are members of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada: Kai Est Galbraith and Safiel Maya Hydra.

    TLN*: Here¡¯s where I¡¯ve made a mistake. I¡¯ve been tranting these as ¡°red mantle¡±. Makes more sense if it¡¯s a cape. I¡¯m applying the change to previous chapters, too.

    ¡¸You saved us, Nero. I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡¹

    Will has mixed feelings about Nero¡¯s timing, but his chest drops in relief at the arrival of his most dependable ally.

    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to us.¡¹

    Nero answers without even looking back at him. With his best friend Kai as his partner on the front lines, and the Undead Wrath-Pun with a metal arm created by Safiel, he faces the wall of gathering monsters and begins the attack.

 Chapter 306 Avalon Slums

    The cloudless sky is dyed with the color of a brilliant sunset, bathing the city of Avalon in a scarlet light.

    Traditional steeples and tall buildings with different architecture to those of Spada line the main street. The air is filled with the red light of the sunset and the emotions of the crowd walking through. But if one were to go in a certain direction to a ce a short distance from the street, they would immediately notice that the atmosphere sharply turns unpleasant.

    The stone houses and apartments are built haphazardly, and seem more like dungeons where monsters lurk than ces where people live.

    In fact, some of the inhabitants of these slums are gathered here, baring their fangs at intruders from outside.

    This beautiful young woman and a little girl who appear to be sisters are clearly prey.

    The girls, both with ck hair and blue eyes, are wearing apprentices¡¯ robes. But to describe the air around them would them as elegant would not be an exaggeration. Even in such attires, their appearance is very attractive.

    The young woman holds in her hand a long staff made of metal. It is simple yet somehow exquisite at the same time, decorated with countless small ornaments. Even an untrained eye can tell that it is probably more valuable than the average staff.

    ¡¸Hehe, what are you doing in a ce like this, little girl?¡¹

    Therefore, it is clear why the sisters have been interrupted, not even ten minutes after beginning to walk through these back alleys.

    A middle-aged man blocks their path, and a faint smile appears on his face.

    ¡¸It¡¯s not a good idea to be wandering around here, you might get attacked by some dangerous people.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah. Like us!¡¹

    Two more men appear behind them, blocking off their escape route.

    The man standing in front of them has no notable bodily characteristics, so it is clear that he is a human. One of the men at the back has the pointy ears of an Elf, and the other¡¯s head is that of a wolf, which makes him a Werewolf.

    As if he has discarded the pride of his race, the Elf has allowed his body to be wide and fat; he could even be mistaken for a Dwarf.

    The Werewolf, in contrast, is very thin, and looks more like a starving hound than a proud wolf.

    It goes without saying that these three, with very different races and characteristics, are all disgraceful hoodlums and thugs.

    Just listening to them speak, one couldugh and think of them as low-ss idiots, but most people who actually encounter them would only tremble in fear.

    They are not holding any weapons, but they still have an intimidating presence to them.

    It is a situation where it would not be strange for this young woman and little girl to cry for help.

    ¡¸We want to get to the orphanage of the Church of White Light, do you know where it is?¡¹

    However, the intellectual-looking young woman wearing sses who must be the older sister calmly asks a question with a sleepy, expressionless face.

    ¡¸Tch, you bitches are with that gang of shitty kids?¡¹

    The young woman¡¯s words were not an insult or a provocation, but for some reason, they seem to hold some meaning that angers the man in front of her.

    ¡¸Oi, what¡¯re we going to do?¡¹

    ¡¸Grr, they¡¯ll never know if we just eat them both!¡¹

    It seems the part that angered the men was the mention of the Church of White Light, but fortunately, they are in a ce where the Church would not be able to find out what happened.

    As proof that the Werewolf¡¯s suggestion is not a joke, he springs forward with astounding force, fangs exposed.

    The man at the front and the fat Elf have no intention of letting these sisters leave alive; they have a threatening air about them.

    ¡¸You evil little girls, if you¡¯re part of those evil cultists then I can¡¯t hold back!¡¹

    As the man ces his hand on the dagger at his hip, ready to attack with no mercy as he has said ¨C

    ¡¸Oi, stop right there Misters, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¹

    A voicees from the other side of the man at the front.

    Three boys have appeared, wearing stained, white clothes and cross-shaped emblems around their necks. Judging from their faces and physiques, they are not of age.

    There are three boys, but they are facing three men who are all adults, including the Werewolf who is very powerful despite his thin body. Meanwhile, the boys do not look like they are hiding any particr special abilities, and it seems reckless for them to interfere.

    ¡¸Shit!¡¹

    However, the three men take one look at the boys before cursing and fleeing down the far side of the alleyway.

    ¡¸Look, they¡¯re pathetic!¡¹

    ¡¸Haha, don¡¯t you dare touch humans, you heretics!¡¹

    TLN: It¡¯s just urred to me the members of the Church of White Light have been referring to non-humans as ¡°heretics¡±. The term used would also be moremonly tranted as ¡°demons¡±, but ¡°demons¡± didn¡¯t make sense to me when they first appeared in chapter 294. I¡¯m going to keep it as heretics for now, though.

    The boys happily jeer at the retreating backs of the three men.

    The bespectacled young woman continued watching with the same expressionless face, and around her legs, the small younger sister snuggles closer to her, as if hiding behind her.

    ¡¸Are you from the Church of White Light?¡¹

    The questiones from the young woman.

    The blonde boy at the front of the three answers with a happy, proud look on his face.

    ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re followers of the Church of White Light. You saw that just now, right? We¡¯re in charge around here!¡¹

    One cannot say that they are getting ahead of themselves and speaking rashly, because of what they just achieved.

    They made three grown men, who should definitely be stronger than themselves, scatter just by shouting at them. There is a remarkable kind of ¡°authority¡± at work here.

    ¡¸Is that so? It¡¯s very fortunate that we were able to meet such great people.¡¹

    Her eyes are rxed and the tone of her voice is t, as if she does not think that it is a fortunate situation at all.

    However, being directly stared at by the beautiful blue eyes shining behind the sses, a feeling rises in the boy¡¯s chest, turning his cheeks red.

    ¡¸Y-yeah, I¡¯m awesome, so even if guys like theme after you, I¡¯ll protect you!¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you very much for that.¡¹

    Her voice is even more monotonous and mechanical, but the boy seems to be focused only on the meaning of her words.

    The boy¡¯s friends on either side of him interjected with¡¸Hey, it¡¯s unfair that only you get to act cool!¡¹but he took no notice of them.

    ¡¸By the way, we¡¯re looking for the Church of White Light¡¯s orphanage ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to us, we¡¯ll take you there! Follow us!¡¹

    In high spirits, the boys take up the role of being her guide and begin leading her to the orphanage.

    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹

    The young woman remains expressionless and emotionless as she thanks them.

    ¡¸Fufu...¡¹

    Her younger sister, who is standing behind her as if she is hiding, is wearing an expression twisted with an evil smile.

    Lily and Fiona have sessfully met with followers of the Church of White Light.

    Though, the fact that there are boys running freely in the slums, openly identifying themselves as the church¡¯s followers, wasmonly known information that they heard at the adventurer¡¯s guild.

    In other words, it was not very difficult to make contact with them if they tried.

    ¡¸Eh, going on a pilgrimage with your sister, isn¡¯t that amazing!¡¹

    Seeing the boys walking through the alleyways as if they owned them, Lily and Fiona can understand the situation.

    The inhabitants of the slums avoid the boys, and even grown men move out of their way for them.

    The rumors overheard at the guild as well as what Lily learned from the information broker were true.

    ¡¸No, no, everything is thanks to the guidance of the White Light.¡¹

    The boys,pletely entranced by Fiona¡¯s beauty, do not doubt her words despite her monotonous tone. Things are going well.

    Of course, the setting of being a¡¸nun on a pilgrimage with her sister¡¹is aplete lie.

    Not taking her acting ability into ount, the reason that this cover is working is likely because Fiona was born and raised in the Sinir Republic, and is familiar with the teachings of the Cross.

    In any case, even though the boys call themselves believers, there is no way that they have a deep knowledge of the true meaning behind the teachings of the Cross, so it is easy to deceive them.

    In summary, Fiona¡¯s disguise as a believer is wless.

    At this rate, they will be able to infiltrate the orphanage easily and they might be able to meet with their leader, the so-called¡¸Priest-sama.¡¹

    Everything is going smoothly ording to Lily¡¯s n.

    ¡¸Hey, that ring, could that be a present from your boyfriend?¡¹

    Until the blonde boy asks this question.

    The ring that he is talking about is, of course, the one on her left hand¡¯s fourth finger, the sparkling silver ring full of her memories.

    The fact that she has been walking while holding the staff¡ºAinz Bloom*¡»in her left hand likely made it even easier to spot the ring.

    TLN*: Previously tranted as ¡°Ainz Broom¡±

    Regardless of the intent of the question, Fiona has no intention of answering with the truth, and Lily also tugs at her robe to warn her silently.

    ¡¸... No.¡¹

    She cannot say anything other than the single word to immediately deny it.

    However, perhaps Fiona should have at least told him that it is her most important, prized possession.

    ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s no way that there¡¯s an idiot in this day and age who¡¯d give such a cheap, ugly ring as a present!¡¹

    If she had told him that, even this brainless thug would not dare speak ill of the ring, even as a joke.

    However, it is toote now.

    ¡¸Actually, I have an awesome ring that¡¯d suit you perfectly, Hehe, we hoisted it from this stingy merchant who refused to donate, but ¨C¡¹

    At the moment the boy proudly reaches into his breast pocket to pull out a ring with arge diamond embedded into it.

    ¡¸Ah?¡¹

    Reflected in his eyes is the sight of Fiona raising her staff ¨C no, already swinging it down with all her strength.

    ¡¸Fugeh~¡¹

    TLN: Sound of getting rekt.

    The staff sinks into his face with such force that he cannot even let out a scream.

    The dull sound of flesh being struck. A hoarse groan. With a thud, the boy¡¯s body crashes onto the dirty, broken stone pavement. These sounds echo into the dark alleyway.

    None of them are able to raise their voice.

    ¡¸Kurono-san chose this for me... What kind of nonsense are you saying...?¡¹

    Murmuring these words at the boy who has already lost consciousness from the attack to his head, she continues her merciless attack.

    This time she attacks not with the upper end of the staff, but the lower end. This lower end is the one that rests against the ground as she walks, and also doubles as an edge that she uses to carve magic circles into the ground. The boy¡¯s face is already covered with tears as well as blood gushing from his broken nose, and Fiona stabs the staff straight down into it.

    The chisel-like end of the staff is as sharp as a pick, and stabs the boy¡¯s right eye perfectly. With the wet sound of flesh and blood being pierced, his eyeball begins to overflow and spill out of its socket.

    Her next target is certainly his left eye ¨C she will continue attacking, two more times, three more times, until she is satisfied.

    ¡¸O-oi! What are you doing?!¡¹

    ¡¸Stop it!¡¹

    His two friends finally raise their voices.

    But faced with the all-too-sudden violence and Fiona¡¯s overwhelming forcefulness that borders at insanity, they do not dare try to stop her with their own lives at risk.

    Even so, Fiona¡¯s hands eventually stop, the boy¡¯s face already having been stabbed by the staff over ten times.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t get in my way, please.¡¹

    As Fiona looks at the two remaining boys, the ¡°survivors¡±, her blue eyes are spotted with gold. The color of her eyes looks ominous.

    The eyes behind the lenses of her sses are definitely blue. However, as if holding the golden color of pure bloodthirst, her eyes are shining brilliantly.

    Right now, her eyes could be described as chaotic rather than beautiful, and her gaze is more than enough to make the boys tremble in fear.

    ¡¸H-hyii!¡¹

    Without showing a single sign of the spirit of self-sacrifice taught in the scriptures, the boys scramble to abandon their friend and flee.

    ¡¸Ah, what a waste, Fiona.¡¹

    The one who does not allow their escape is Lily, who has been silent this whole time.

    With an expression that looks as if she is about to say¡¸Ah, shit¡¹, her face and behavior are enchanting. Her unusual state is probably because her consciousness is currently that of an adult.

    She waves her hand lightly and balls of light appear in the air, and in the next instant they soar towards the backs of the fleeing boys like arrows.

    They travel possibly even faster than arrows as they fly past the boys in an instant, wrapping around them before exploding.

    ¡¸Gyah!¡¹

    The two boys let out a short scream as they fall onto the ground, clutching their eyes as they writhe in pain.

    It is not a gentle sh of light like the one she used to deal with the academy students who had insolently dared to pat her head. It is bright enough to blind anyone who looks at it directly, and it emits a searing heat that would still burn the eyelids of those who do not.

    It is not a pain that the likes of these young thugs can withstand. It is impossible for them to stand up and continue to try to escape.

    ¡¸Leave it at that, Fiona, it would be problematic if someone came here.¡¹

    ¡¸But this person is still alive, you know?¡¹

    Giving a small sigh, Lily creates light in her hand once more.

    This time it is not a ball of light, nor a beam. It is a Force Edge, made of searing white light.

    The blonde boy¡¯s face is already caved in to the point that even the miracle medicine of the Fairies* would not restore it to normal, and Lily¡¯s de of light now sinks into his neck.

    TLN*: Previously tranted as ¡°fairy¡¯s miracle drug¡±

    The sound and smell of burning flesh fill the air. Like a hot knife cutting through butter, Lily easily removes his head.

    He was originally a garbage-like human being, but he is now literally garbage that is fit to be discarded in this dirty alleyway.

    ¡¸He¡¯s dead. Now, let us hurry onward.¡¹

    ¡¸... Alright. I apologize for making such a mess.¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Anyone who speaks badly of Kurono should die, after all.¡¹

    Fiona reluctantly admits her mistake, but Lily gives her a gentle, understanding smile. They have a wonderful friendship.

    ¡¸By the way, Lily-san. Though it is silly for me ask, we no longer have a guide, do we?¡¹

    Fiona seems to have regained her sanity; her sses have begun to work again to disguise her eyes with a blue color.

    In reply to Fiona¡¯s question,

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, things will work out ¨C¡¹

    Lily, wearing the wonderful smile of a little girl, points her tiny finger up at the sky.

    ¡¸¨C because the full moon has risen already.¡¹

    And with that, she removes her apprentice Priest¡¯s robe with a single movement, revealing a ck one-piece dress covering her young body and two pairs of Fairy wings.

    In the next instant, the light of her Oracle Field wraps around her like a cocoon ¨C before she realizes it, Fiona sees that Lily is now a beautiful young woman.

    She is still wearing her magic items of disguise, the ribbons and contact lenses, so her twin-tails remain ck and her eyes are still blue.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll be relying on you.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, leave it to me.¡¹

    A needle of light, Lily¡¯s nightmarish Characteristic Ability that allows her to tamper with the minds of others as she pleases, forms in her hand. The two boys are still writhing in pain on the ground as she approaches them with a sweet smile.

 Chapter 307 Iskia Fortress Command Room (1)

    The academy students of Spada are using themand room located at the center of the Iskia Fortress for its originally intended purpose.

    Currently, there is a map of the Iskia Hills spread out on therge desk. The room is filled with chairs as well as the personal data of all three hundred students participating in the open-field exercise, squadpositions and other information.

    Unlike battles where there is a clear opposing army to fight, it is just an exercise where there should be no shortage of monsters to fight ¨C or at least, it was supposed to be.

    ¡¸Just what the hell is happening in the Iskia Hills...¡¹

    Wilhart is sitting on the general¡¯s chair at the head of the table, and seems extremely exhausted as he mutters those words.

    However, not a single person is able to criticize the pathetic-looking Second Prince. Not because of the difference in their social status, but because everyone is feeling the same way.

    There is a heavy atmosphere in themand room right now.

    It is a result of the mixture of various emotions such as unease, agitation and fear, yet the biggest factor is definitely fatigue.

    ¡¸For now the monsters have fallen back, so we have room to breathe.¡¹

    The one speaking is Nero, and his tone is even more listless than usual. He is almost certainly being tormented by his considerable exhaustion.

    No matter how much he is praised as a genius, he is still only one man. If he continues to fight, the fatigue to his body and mind umte, and eventually he reaches the limit of his magical energy.

    Battle ¨C Yes, the battle with the monster army that appeared suddenly in the Iskia Hills has been continuing until just a short while ago.

    In the beginning, it was the battle to retreat.

    Wing Road lived up to their Rank 5 title, forcefully creating an opening to retreat through, and though the teachers valiantly fulfilled their role as the rear guard, they were almostpletely wiped out. Thanks to them, not a single life was lost out of the two hundred and fifty students, and they made it to the fortress safely.

    However, that was not the end of the battle.

    After midday, the fight turned towards defending the fortress from the army of monsters that had persistently chased them.

    They would normally rely on the teachers in such a situation, but as over half of them perished in the earlier skirmish, the students themselves had to engage in this full-scale battle.

    In the end, their defense seeded.

    Their losses were insignificant. In addition, the outside of the fortress is now littered with the corpses of the monsters they faced.

    However, it was just one battle, so it was far from saying that they exterminated this monster army that contains every single monster in this dungeon.

    In other words, the true battle has only just begun.

    ¡¸So, what are we going to do now, general?¡¹

    Nero asks this question with his elbows on the desk, resting his face in his hands. This is indeed an important question.

    On paper, Wilhart is officially the general. The few dozen management cadets gathered in themand room are awaiting his response.

    ¡¸Hmm, no, give me a moment, I¡¯m still think ¨C¡¹

    Wilhart gives quite a pathetic answer as he sits in a troubled pose, repeatedly tapping his right fist against his forehead.

    ¡¸Ah, jeez. Onii-chan, you¡¯re really stupid!¡¹

    Like the roaring of thunder, this high-pitched abuse echoes throughout themand room.

    If one were to search the entire world, they would only find a single person who calls Wilhart their older brother ¨C none other than his younger sister, Charlotte Tristan Spada.

    Charlotte, who has risen from her seat in anger, starts announcing their strategy in Wilhart¡¯s ce.

    ¡¸What we¡¯re going to do is obvious, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re going to defeat those monsters!¡¹

    In that moment, a collective sigh of¡¸haah¡¹filled themand room.

    But the one who looks like he wants go let out the greatest sigh of them all, Nero, makes eye contact with Charlotte, telling her,¡¸keep talking.¡¹

    Charlotte clears her throat in a self-important manner, as if to say,¡¸leave it to me!¡¹and then begins her exnation.

    ¡¸Everyone remembers it right, the huge monster that appeared at the start. Its name is Greed...ago?¡¹

    TLN: Gustav made the same error in chapter 299 ¨C the ¡°Gore¡± part in ¡°Greed-Gore¡± is written ¡°¥´¥¢/go-a¡± in Japanese, and she mixed it up into ¥¢¥´/a-go.

    ¡¸Gore.¡¹

    ¡¸Greed-Gore!¡¹

    Nero with the perfect assist ¨C As expected of the teamwork of a Rank 5 party.

    But Charlotte¡¯s cheeks turn as red as her hair; she seems slightly embarrassed.

    ¡¸Yes, this Greed-Gore guy is the general of those monsters! If we just defeat it, we¡¯ll wipe out the whole monster army!¡¹

    Her over-confident words cause a stir in themand room.

    As if representing the surprised leadership cadets, Wilhart asks.

    ¡¸How can you be sure?¡¹

    ¡¸Who knows.¡¹

    Charlotte answers coldly, as if it is Wilhart¡¯s fault for asking her the question.

    It seems she really hates her older brother. Even though he is looking at her seriously in this situation where they have to work together, she is looking the other way.

    ¡¸... Nero.¡¹

    Quickly realizing that they are making no progress, Wilhart subtly appoints the prince who is his childhood friend to be a mediator between him and Charlotte.

    ¡¸That¡¯s what Safi¡¯s analysis came up with.¡¹

    The room stirs again at the news of the reliable source of this information, but the person they want an exnation from, Safiel Maya Hydra, is not here.

    There are only two members of Wing Road sitting here in thismand room, Nero and Charlotte. Kai and Safiel are on guard duty.

    Their enemies are not humans, but monsters, and there are many nocturnal species among them.

    Though the monsters probably do not have the intelligence to perform surprise attacks at night or in the early morning, it is still possible that they mightmence arge-scale assault during the night.

    Either way, Wing Road forms the core of theirbat potential, so at least one member is on the lookout at all times.

    ¡¸Would you please exin in more detail?¡¹

    Setting that aside, the important thing is Safiel¡¯s analysis regarding the Greed-Gore.

    Without hesitation, Nero fluently begins his exnation.

    ¡¸Those monsters are under the effects of a parasite.¡¹

    ¡¸A parasite, you say?!¡¹

    As expected, the first to voice is surprise is Wilhart.

    But, upon consideration, it is an exnation that makes sense.

    Parasites are a magical Status Effect, though it falls under a rather special category.

    The effects are self-exnatory; they infest the host and causes abnormalities.

    A typical example of a parasite would be the Draining Seeds, used by many nt-type monsters.

    If one is infested by those seeds, the body¡¯s nutrients and magical power is drained away.

    Other parasites that cause other Status Effects in the host such as Confusion, Sleep or Paralysis also exist.

    It would not be unusual for a parasite that controls the minds of its host to exist.

    ¡¸It¡¯s been confirmed that it¡¯s of the lightning-type.¡¹

    ¡¸Confirmed, you say?¡¹

    ¡¸Using Wrath-Pun¡¯s arm, the Centaurs¡¯ skulls were ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸No, that is not what I meant. What I¡¯m trying to ask is, how did you confirm the parasite and its type? I didn¡¯t want to hear the gruesome details of your method!¡¹

    Wilhart seems to have returned mostly to normal, and adds a retort that is rare to hear from him.

    It is not clear whether Nero was ying dumb or is just not thinking clearly, but he continues his exnation.

    ¡¸There were lightning-type snakes in their heads.¡¹

    ¡¸Lightning-type snakes?¡¹

    ¡¸They¡¯re probably the body segments originating from the main body of a magical creature.¡¹

    The leadership cadets with good academic grades, including Wilhart, show their understanding of this exnation.

    ¡¸If the host body is damaged enough that it is killed, they seem to also disappear. When we split a head open, I saw it as well, but the snake was only there for a moment before it disappeared.¡¹

    Everyone nods, thinking, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that they¡¯re weak.¡±

    Of course, it is easy to imagine the dangerous scenario where the parasite lives after being seemingly defeated, only toe after them and take them as a host next.

    If that were to happen, it would be more urate to call it a curse rather than a parasite.

    ¡¸If Nell was here, we¡¯d be able to take care of them easily... What rotten luck.¡¹

    Will hears Nero¡¯s muttering with his sharp ears, but he can understand how he feels.

    ¡¸If it is parasites we¡¯re dealing with, we can use Dispels on the Status Effects to attack. Let us make sure our Priests know this.¡¹

    If Status Effects exist, of course, there is magic to counter them.

    The magic that removes various abnormalities and curses, returning the target to a normal condition is called Dispel, and the ones who specialize in using such magic are Priests, who take on the role of Healers.

    Of course, even Wilhart, who is not a member of Wing Road, is well aware of the talent and ability of Nell Julius Elroad.

    In other words, it would be more effective for her to perform incantations for Dispels to silence the army of infested monsters rather than wide-ranged area attack magic.

    However, it is meaningless to discuss a person who is not here, and the important thing is to discuss measures that can be taken realistically, as Wilhart is doing.

    ¡¸I understand that the monsters are being controlled by a lightning-type parasite. But how can you say for sure that the Greed-Gore is the main body? Is it not possible that the main body could be disguised as an inconspicuous monster?¡¹

    The huge dragon that leads the monsters has overwhelming power, so it has no reason to run or hide.

    A monster that has an underhanded ability like parasites could be considered weaker than those with pure battle strength.

    Therefore, it would be expected for a monster with such an ability to avoid directbat. Wilhart¡¯s line of thinking is reasonable, and nobody can ridicule him for over-thinking things.

    ¡¸She figured it out through reverse detection.¡¹

    ¡¸To go that far, even in the middle ofbat...¡¹

    Unlike Wilhart, who clearly shows his surprise, Nero continues exining in a in, matter-of-fact tone.

    ¡¸The segmented bodies are connected to the main body by¡ºelectromaic waves¡»characteristic of the lightning-type. Safi¡¯s servant confirmed with its search that the Greed-Gore is at the center of thework before being swallowed up by the swarm of bird monsters.¡¹

    The Characteristic Ability possessed by lightning-type monsters is¡ºelectromaic waves¡»which allow them tomunicate with distant allies without the use of Telepathy. This fact is not particrly well-known, but should bemon knowledge for those who are diligent in their studies.

    Summoners who use lightning-type monsters and Mages who are skilled with lightning magic can also use electromaic waves as a means ofmunication.

    However, it is not a major technique, and it is doubtful that there is even a single person who can use it among the three hundred students here.

    ¡¸I see... But the Greed-Gore is supposed to be only of the earth-type in the first ce. It is hard to imagine that it would use a lightning-type Characteristic Ability. It could be that it is also simply being infested.¡¹

    ¡¸Safi also said there was something strange about that. Its color seems different, so it¡¯s possible that it has a mutation granting it this other ability.¡¹

    Mutations in monsters are not a particrly rare phenomenon.

    A simple change in its body color, its body size, physical abilities, changes to its element type, additional Characteristic Abilities, etcetera. There is a huge variety of possible changes.

    That is the reason that a mutation can cause even a small,ical Punpun to undergo a terrifying transformation into a Rank 5 monster.

    One cannot rule out any possible variations in a monster.

    ¡¸In any case, there¡¯s no mistaking that the Greed-Gore is at the center of it.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, you are right.¡¹

    For now, the enemy general¡¯s identity alone is valuable information.

    ¡¸With that, I would like that you continue your exnation on themunication ability of the electromaic waves.¡¹

    Wilhart has returned to a state where words can clearly reach him, and Nero answers.

    ¡¸Unlike Telepathy, electromaic waves are blocked by terrain and can only travel in straight lines. Normally, themunication to and from the Greed-Gore should have been impossible in this field of hills, but that problem is cleared by one of the monsters in the sky, which it¡¯s using as a ry.¡¹

    ¡¸I see, that is the reason the flying monsters did not participate in the attack!¡¹

    This is the real disguise.

    The best ce to hide a tree is a forest ¨C To conceal which monster is the one with the ability to ry the electromaic waves, the swarm of bird monsters stayed in the air.

    ¡¸I guess the Smander is there as a guard, just in case.¡¹

    If a monster as powerful as the Smander was the one with the rying ability, there would be no need to disguise itself among the other monsters.

    ¡¸Conversely, if it is going so far as to disguise the ry monster, it¡¯s likely that the monsters would be unable to act if we could interrupt themunications with the main body. Or at least, the majority of the monster army¡¯sbat ability would be lost. Am I wrong?¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re sharp, Will, but it¡¯s smart enough to go through all that trouble. You think it¡¯ll just let us interrupt it that easily?¡¹

    It is also not guaranteed that there is only one monster with the rying ability.

    ¡¸And if the Greed-Gore gets in range for the electromaic waves to just travel directly, it¡¯s over.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, indeed... No, in the first ce, why did the Greed-Gore not participate in the battle itself?¡¹

    Thinking back, the Greed-Gore appeared with an intense demonstration of its own power, but it left the attack to the monsters under its control while disappearing somewhere else.

    No, they were the ones who retreated and lost sight of the Greed-Gore as they ran down the hill.

    The only thing that they are certain of is that it did not take part in the battle. However, its presence was not lurking nearby.

    ¡¸It took its monster army and went somewhere ¨C wait, could it be?!¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally realized? They¡¯re probably marching down the highway right now.¡¹

    Nero spits out his words with a serious tone.

    Marching down the highway, in other words, they are heading for ces where humans live, the various viges in Spada. More specifically ¨C

    ¡¸Iskia Vige!¡¹

    ¡¸If they¡¯re quick, won¡¯t they make it there by tomorrow morning?¡¹

    ¡¸Is this the time to be saying that so carelessly! If we do not let them know quickly, it will to be a huge problem!¡¹

    Wilhart inadvertently rises from the chair as he shouts.

    A huge army including a Rank 5 monster are about to attack a vige where people live.

    It would be much worse than some poorly-executed invasion. If they do not evacuate in time, the whole vige could be annihted.

    ¡¸Calm down, Will, have you forgotten our situation here? We¡¯re the ones who need help right now.¡¹

    ¡¸Ugu...¡¹

    The impending crisis of his own country¡¯s people being massacred causes great impatience in Wilhart, but he desperately forces himself to face reality as he epts Nero¡¯s words.

    For now, he sits down once more.

    ¡¸Like I said, if we just defeat the Greed-Gore, everything is solved!¡¹

    Charlotte¡¯s voice rings out in themand room again.

    This time, her opinion is more persuasive and seems to be epted; most of the leadership cadets seem to be in agreement.

    Indeed, if they could just defeat the Greed-Gore in control of the monster army, that would be a way out of this critical situation. However.

    ¡¸How on earth are we going to defeat the Greed-Gore?¡¹

    The method, on which everything is hinged, is asked.

    How could they defeat the Greed-Gore that leads this huge monster army? The Greed-Gore itself is a Rank 5 monster that possesses the highest grade ofbat strength.

    Without even thinking, one would know that it is impossible ¨C Or that should be the case, but Charlotte¡¯s golden eyes are zing and shining as she speaks.

    ¡¸Of course, we of Wing Road will go to defeat it!¡¹

    With apletely exasperated look on his face, Will sighs.

    If he says this, he would definitely face his little sister¡¯s lightning* ¨C no, perhaps literally, her lightning-type magical attack would explode over his head.

    TLN: ¡°Someone¡¯s lightning¡± is a Japanese figure of speech that means someone¡¯s wrath or anger.

    Even so, he has to say it. Even if it¡¯s just a formality, Wilhart is the general responsible for the lives of these three hundred students.

    ¡¸... I cannot permit the use of this strategy.¡¹

    ¡¸Wha ¨C¡¹

    Wilhart exins, stopping Charlotte¡¯s storm of abusive words for now.

    ¡¸Charlotte, I do not take Wing Road¡¯s abilities lightly.¡¹

    ¡¸Then ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸If Wing Road left the fortress, who would defend it?¡¹

    The Iskia Fortress is indeed a strong fortress, its ancient defensive capabilities intact. However, the ones defending it now would not be veteran knights of Spada, but a mere three hundred students who are still apprentices.

    Their enemy is an army of monsters, with the parasites granting them a leadership even stronger than that of the Knights¡¯ Order.

    They can fight without feeling fear, simply continuing to fight as ordered; they could even be called the ideal soldiers.

    Would the students alone be able to continue holding the fortress against such a fearsome army of monsters?

    ¡¸I have no reason to doubt the Wing Road¡¯s ability as a Rank 5 party. I saw enough from your actions until now and from the battle during the day. If you were not there, we would have likely perished on the hill.

    That is the reason Wing Road is the core of our army. Because you are here, the students still have hope and are able to fight. Hope that things will work out because Wing Road is here, we will not be defeated by these monsters ¨C However, even if you were to leave only temporarily, if the monsters went on the offensive after you left, what would happen... Surely you know the answer to that?¡¹

    ¡¸But, just because of that, at this rate ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸We will call for reinforcements!¡¹

    Will¡¯s brain finallyes up with a n to ovee this critical situation.

    Based on the information about the Greed-Gore and its monster army that Nero has provided, he is sure that there is no other option.

    ¡¸Whether it is the Knights¡¯ Order of Spada or a rescue team of adventurers, it does not matter. We will seek reinforcements and continue to defend the fortress until they arrive.¡¹

    Wilhart¡¯s suggested strategy follows the textbook down to the letter, but that is also why it is the most solid, realistic n.

    Even the leadership cadets who normally ridicule him as the¡¸deluded prince¡¹show their understanding as they express their opinions.

    In the end, opinions are split roughly evenly between which of the two ns is better ¨C to exterminate the Greed-Gore, or to continue defending the fortress.

    To gather more approval for his own n, Wilhart continues speaking.

    ¡¸Fortunately, we have enough provisions and weapons tost us the nned duration of the open-field exercise. Even if we waited for reinforcements from the heavily-armored infantry of the¡ºBraveheart¡»from Spada, we would not run out of supplies before they arrive.¡¹

    They originally nned to be here for a considerable amount of time, engaging in battle with an unknown number of enemies. There was no oversight in the preparations of adequate supplies.

    Therefore, one of the conditions for carrying out a defense where resupplying is impossible has already been met.

    ¡¸Hold on a minute, if we go to defeat the Greed-Gore right now, that ¨C¡¹

    Realizing that more people are agreeing with the fortress defense n, Charlotte panics as she tries to offer a rebuttal, but Nero raises a hand to stop her.

    ¡¸I think you know this already, Will, but if we¡¯re to defeat the Greed-Gore, now is the best time for it.¡¹

    ¡¸I am aware of that; if we defend the fortress you will be exhausted, especially since Princess Nell is not present.¡¹

    ¡¸Even so, you want to defend the fortress?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course. This is the best strategy to ensure everyone¡¯s survival. Let me ask you in return; if Wing Road were to face the Greed-Gore, could you win?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course we could!¡¹

    ¡¸Well, we could if we were to face it now.¡¹

    ¡¸In that case, what if the Greed-Gore were to open a hole in the earth and escape?¡¹

    ¡¸!¡¹

    ¡¸Well, we wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about that.¡¹

    Charlotte stiffens in frustration, while Nero speaks as if he already knew that this would be the answer from the beginning.

    It is definitely feasible for Wing Road to defeat the Greed-Gore. But that would only happen if the Greed-Gore keeps fighting until the end.

    They have no way to prevent it from escaping, and if their foe was cunning, it could even use its army as a distraction while it does so. In fact, this is the most likely scenario.

    Exterminating the Greed-Gore could seed. However,¡¸could¡¹means that it is not certain.

    ¡¸Now then, I do not think it needs to be asked, but anyone who is against defending the iron wall of the Iskia Fortress should raise their hands now.¡¹

    Thus, the n of defending the fortress bes the strategy that will determine the fates of the three hundred students.

 Chapter 308 Iskia Fortress Command Room (1)

    After it is decided that they will hold the fortress, Wilhart requests the other students, including his sister Charlotte, to leave themand room. Though even if he had not done so, there are a mountain of tasks to perform; they cannot afford to continue to talk at leisure in themand room.

    It is supposed to be amand room for the general of an army, but when one is in this solid, well-defended room alone, it feels like a prison.

    However, right now, Wilhart does not have the time for such sentimental thoughts.

    In his mind, he is making predictions about the current situation as well as what is yet toe.

    First, the monster army led by the Greed-Gore is about to attack the nearby Iskia Vige.

    ¡¸We don¡¯t have any hard evidence for that, but we can only assume that will be the case...¡¹

    It is unknown how long Iskia vige will be able to hold out, but even in the worst case scenario of beingpletely wiped out in a single day, the news of therge invading monster army would be spread to nearby areas. Of course, it would not take long for this information to reach even as far as Spada.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sure Father woulde rushing over here.¡¹

    It took them five days to reach Iskia Vige from Spada, but the elite Knights¡¯ Order of Spada would be able to cut that time in half.

    And then the problem would be what happens after the Knights¡¯ Order reach Iskia Vige.

    ¡¸But once they see that huge army, our chances of survival would be viewed as hopeless.¡¹

    There is no way the fact that students of the Royal Spada Academy including Spada¡¯s Second Prince and Third Princess, Avalon¡¯s First Prince and the famous young nobles of the Four Great Houses came to the Iskia Fortress for the open-field exercise would be forgotten.

    Since they have this many students, it is hard to imagine that they would be abandoned so easily. Not to mention the fact that Leonhart would march onward to Iskia Fortress to rescue his own son and daughter at all costs.

    However, there would be an unprecedented army of monsters standing in the way.

    To begin with, Iskia Vige would be the frontline of hell. Would they split off a rescue force heading for the Iskia Fortress?

    If Leonhart is there, as the king, he may prioritize the safety of the people even above his own beloved family.

    Even if his father made such a decision, Wilhart would bear no grudge against him, as he still has the pride of being a part of the royal family.

    ¡¸Either way, we need to ry urate information to them ¨C¡¹

    He reaches an obvious conclusion. Buting to such a realization, he cannot help but letting out a heavy sigh.

    ¡¸A messenger... No, that person might as well be on a suicide mission.¡¹

    There are various ways to ry the information, but the method that is the most realistic and has the highest chance of seeding is to simply send a person to deliver the message.

    But the reason they are defending the castle in the first ce is none other than the fact that they are surrounded by enemies in all directions.

    Wing Road might be able to easily get through the enemies, but they cannot leave the fortress as they are absolutely vital to its defense.

    Therefore, he would have to give someone else the task of passing through the countless monsters lying in wait.

    It does not even need to be said that this is extraordinarily dangerous. It really is a suicide mission.

    ¡¸¨C Sorry, Seria. I have to give you another dangerous task.¡¹

    ¡¸No, please do not concern yourself with that, Will-sama, because I am your guard maid.¡¹

    As Wilhart whispers to himself, Seria replies. He does not know when she entered themand room.

    Without any movement of her maid uniform¡¯s long skirt or her light green hair, quite naturally, she stands next to her master as if waiting for him.

    And as if it is a natural thing, Wilhart shows no surprise.

    ¡¸If I had to say, I have to question an order to leave your side, considering that I am supposed to be your guard.¡¹

    ¡¸Do not say that; there is nobody more suited for this task than you, Seria, even among the teachers. In any case, you are the dark one who maneuvers around the underworld of Spada ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I was merely an assassin for the Spada¡¯s secret intelligence; please refrain from adding unnecessary settings to my background.¡¹

    Wilhart is wearing a disappointed expression, while Seria has a cold look in her eyes.

    This is a daily event for this master-and-servant pair, but this time, it feels a little forced.

    ¡¸You do not seem too worried.¡¹

    ¡¸Are you dissatisfied?¡¹

    ¡¸No, I am expressing my delight at your growth.¡¹

    Seria¡¯s words could be sarcastic, but from the expression on her face that is unlike her usual cold indifference, he knows that she sincerely means those words.

    ¡¸Avoid enemies to the best of your ability. The only one with the ability to escape from them is you, Seria, with the divine protection of¡ºShadow Walker - Hanzoma.¡»¡¹

    ¡ºShadow Walker - Hanzoma¡»was not famous enough to be known to the average person, but it is among the best divine protection for those of the assassin-ss.

    Wilhart has heard from Seria herself that this divine protection granted her abilities suited for covert actions, such as being able to conceal her own presence, silent movement and increased speed.

    Seria often has harshments to say towards her master, but she is the reserved type that does not talk about herself often.

    Wilhart remembers her divine blessing of Hanzoma well, as it was the only thing she proudly told him about herself.

    ¡¸¨C I learned it directly from my senpai. She was a Slime who loved freedom, so she has quit secret intelligence and be an adventurer, but ¨C¡¹

    She once told him this.

    ¡¸We don¡¯t have the time to hesitate. We didn¡¯t that time we were chased by the Wrath-Pun, and we don¡¯t now. No, even if I am a general only in name, the fact that the lives of others have been entrusted to me, this responsibility is even heavier.¡¹

    He knows this logically, but whether he can execute the order now depends on his nature as a person.

    Wilhart acquired the determination to give orders without hesitation in the Ghad mountain range.

    Although the circumstances that brought about this change were produced by sheer misfortune.

    ¡¸May I voice one insecurity that I have?¡¹

    ¡¸What is it?¡¹

    ¡¸If I go to deliver the message, there will be nobody who would put their lives on the line to protect Will-sama¡¯s body.¡¹

    This is not the royal pce of Spada. Therefore, there is nobody who would disy their honorable spirit for him just because he is the prince. There are definitely some who would do so for Princess Charlotte, but as for the famously unpopr Prince Wilhart...

    ¡¸I do not care; in fact, is that not what I want? Now I can say that I am fighting with my life on the line, just like everyone else is doing, can I not?¡¹

    ¡¸I did not want you to put on a brave appearance in this situation.¡¹

    Wilhart deceives her with a lightugh. However, surprisingly, those words might be what he truly feels.

    And there is no doubt that Seria knows this. She knows her master at least this well.

    ¡¸The situation is indeed dire, but I am not in despair. The ones here are the elite students who bear Spada¡¯s future on their shoulders, including Wing Road. We will definitely be able to endure the monsters¡¯ attacks.¡¹

    ¡¸If I end up losing strength partway through my mission, the arrival of reinforcements will be dyed considerably.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmph, I believe that this will not happen. I believe this because I have faith in you, Seria.¡¹

    ¡¸... Thank you very much. I will risk my own life and I will definitely fulfil my role.¡¹

    As if to hide her faintly red cheeks, Seria lowers her head in a deep bow.

    ¡¸Indeed!¡¹

    With this, Wilhart gives a satisfied nod.

    ¡¸Seria, I have already prepared the rescue request documents for the Knights¡¯ Order and adventurers¡¯ guild. Take them with you.¡¹

    Struggling to return to her normal, cool expression, Seria gracefully epts the documents that Wilhart has quickly finished writing.

    Wilhart¡¯s royal crest of Spada and Nero¡¯s royal crest of Avalon are included on both of these documents.

    This is not simply for the purpose of identification; they serve as official evidence that it is a royal order.

    If these are presented within their countries, the Knights¡¯ Order and adventurers¡¯ guild would make these orders their highest priority.

    ¡¸And I have one more personal request; I would like you to hear it.¡¹

    There is one more document.

    It is a written request that is normally handled by the adventurers¡¯ guild.

    This one does not have the royal crest of Avalon; only the royal crest of Spada is stamped on it. It is a quest contract, making a request to a certain adventurer.

    As if Seria knows who it is addressed to, she answers without letting him finish.

    ¡¸Yes, I will deliver this to Kurono-sama.¡¹

    ¡¸Why are you acting so important, baka-aniki!¡¹

    TLN: Probably don¡¯t even need a TLN for this but baka = idiot and aniki = older brother

    With both her red twin tails and her cape fluttering behind her, Charlotte walks angrily through the corridors of the Iskia Fortress, not making any effort to hide her dissatisfaction.

    She is upset because she firmly believes that the best n that would definitely get them out of the situation would be to exterminate the Greed-Gore; however, that n was quickly rejected.

    ¡¸Acting like that, does he really want to stop us from doing our roles that badly...¡¹

    Even if it is just in name, it was a mistake to appoint Wilhart as the general.

    If Nero had be the general as everyone had wanted, Wilhart would be nothing more than an ordinary soldier with no say in the n. Then they would already be on their way to defeat the Greed-Gore, leaving the fortress¡¯s defense to the students.

    If they did that, the situation would be resolved before sunrise, the students and Iskia Vige would both be safe and everyone would live happily ever after ¨C At least, Charlotte truly believes this.

    This is why she can only think that defending the fortress and prolonging the battle would bepletely meaningless, and that this is a poor n that would only increase the number of casualties.

    And her rage is only increased further by the fact that the one who had pressed for this n was her baka-aniki who normally does nothing but spout delusions from his mouth.

    ¡¸I¡¯m not going to blindly follow the orders from a guy like that, you know.¡¹

    Letting out an unpleasant mutter, Charlotte reaches the door that she was heading for. In her bad mood, she violently throws it open.

    ¡¸Safi, are you here?¡¹

    ¡¸... What is it?¡¹

    Before Charlotte even heard her listless response, the sight of her party member and best friend, Safiel Maya Hydra, appeared before her glittering golden eyes.

    They are currently in one of the towers at the corners of the fortress. Until Charlotte entered the room, Safiel was in here alone.

    She is sitting elegantly in a chair, holding her spell book that is as thick as an encyclopedia,¡ºImmortal Bind¡»in one hand.

    It looks like she is reading without a care, but she is currently on duty watching the fortress. In other words, she is using her servants.

    Her newest servant, the undead Wrath-Pun with a metal arm, is likely now guarding the front gate and getting along well with Kai.

    In other important ces, she may have ced crows for observation and skeleton soldiers to patrol. But Charlotte, not being an expert, has no way of telling where or how many servants she has set up.

    ¡¸I have something I want you to do.¡¹

    ¡¸Finding the Greed-Gore?¡¹

    Safiel has a cynical, slightly ill-natured smile on her face.

    ¡¸Have you heard already?¡¹

    Charlotte res at her, as if she wants to tell her that her that listening to others is a bad habit.

    ¡¸I know even without hearing it. Your n of exterminating it was rejected by your delusional prince onii-chan, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right! That¡¯s exactly what happened!¡¹

    Charlotte raises her voice as her anger returns. Safiel simply watches her with her shining purple Demon Eyes from behind her sses.

    ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind if we¡¯re defending the castle or anything.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, even you¡¯re saying that, Safi?!¡¹

    ¡¸However, if Sharl asks me in a cute way, then I might change my mind.¡¹

    Saying this, Safiel¡¯s ill-natured smile increases three-fold. Charlotte forgets her anger and steps back a little.

    ¡¸A-ask in a cute way, what do you mean by that?¡¹

    ¡¸For example, how about something like this?¡¹

    Safiel passes Charlotte the open spell book in her hand ¨C no, another book that was open and hidden on top of the spell book.

    ¡°You really were just reading a book?¡± Charlotte thinks, but the words will note out of her mouth.

    ¡¸W-w-what is this...¡¹

    With clearly blushing cheeks, she res at Safiel again.

    On the page that Charlotte is looking at, there is an illustration of a half-naked young girl with long, ck hair in maid¡¯s clothes, who is in agony as she is entangled by tentacles that are being sent forth by a tall, evil-looking man with sharp eyes standing next to her.

    ¡¸"What¡±, you say, it¡¯s a porn boo ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s not what I meant!¡¹

    It seems that this book is an obscene novel, the kind that is restricted for underage readers.

    ¡¸I thought this might be a good reference for you to ask me in a cute way.¡¹

    ¡¸Haah, haah... Are you an idiot?¡¹

    As Charlotte says this, her eyes are diligently reading the sentences of the book.

    She does not notice that Safiel is observing her closely with an expression that has turned from an ill-natured smile into a lewd one.

    ¡¸See, if you ask me like that, I might get the motivation to look for the Greed-Gore.¡¹

    She is in a dilemma because she cannot simply say, ¡°I¡¯d rather not ask you than do something so embarrassing.¡±

    Charlotte is an extraordinarily talented Mage, but she specializes in offensive magic and therefore does not have special abilities outside of directbat to do something like searching for an enemy.

    Without the help of the genius Necromancer and the countless servants under hermand, Charlotte would not be able to find the Greed-Gore.

    ¡¸Uu, gununu...¡¹

    TLN: The sound she makes while making a hard decision, I guess.

    Charlotte needs to find the Greed-Gore¡¯s location as the first part of her n to defeat it, so she is unable to refuse.

    ¡¸I-I¡¯ll do it.¡¹

    With a face as red as if all the blood in her body has rushed into her head, she makes up her mind.

    ¡¸I see.¡¹

    Safiel responds with a cool expression, hiding her smile.

    To trick the princess who is her best friend into doing something like this. This is the cunning of the Hydra family.

    ¡¸Go-goshujin-sama...¡¹

    TLN: Master

    Charlotte is facing the ground and her shoulders are shaking.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama, please hear Sharl¡¯s shameless request ¨C¡¹

    And so, Charlotte vigorously shouts a line that is filled with words that would never be allowed to be printed in normal books in Spada.

    ¡¸Haah... Haah...¡¹

    The embarrassment that Charlotte is enduring is so great that it looks like steam wille out of her head. Safiel speaks to her with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡¸I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d actually do it.¡¹

    ¡¸UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    A sh of lightning appears alongside her scream.

    Safiel¡¯s¡ºck-haired Maid¡¯s Tentacle Training Diary¡»(Circle Morjura Volume ¨C Retail Price 820 ns) is pierced by a chant-less Line Sagita and turns into a pile of ash.

    After a while, her anger and embarrassment has subsided and her reasoning has returned, so Safiel returns the conversation to its original subject with no signs of regret for what she did.

    ¡¸I want materials from that ck Greed-Gore myself, so have no intention of letting the Knights¡¯ Order and adventurers have it.¡¹

    ¡¸If that¡¯s the case you should have told me that from the start!¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sure Kai would rather fight a Rank 5 monster than be stuck here in the fortress, too.¡¹

    Ignoring Charlotte¡¯sint, Safiel continues talking.

    ¡¸The problem is Nero. He has some ideas about the merits of defending the fortress, but above all, going out to defeat the Greed-Gore would be troublesome.¡¹

    ¡¸Ugh, you¡¯re right...¡¹

    Seeing Nero¡¯s behavior in themand room earlier, one can guess that he would not be interested in going to exterminate it.

    Charlotte is thinking that perhaps Nero was insincere in his agreement with Wilhart and might actually want to do it.

    The reason he will not do it is because he wants to follow Wilhart¡¯s n.

    ¡¸Maybe if you ask him in a cute way, Nero will change his mind as well ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t say such stupid things!¡¹

    ¡¸But Nero will be fine, it¡¯ll work out.¡¹

    As Safiel says this confidently, Charlotte gives her a doubtful look.

    ¡¸Really?¡¹

    ¡¸Yes. After all, you¡¯re cute even when you¡¯re not making a request, Charlotte.¡¹

    In response to these words of questionable meaning, Charlotte could only return a bewildered expression.

 Chapter 309 The Church of White Light Orphanage (1)

    ¡¸¨C May the White Light guide your path.¡¹

    This passage is recited in chorus by the voices of the underage boys and girls.

    Wearing matching white robes, they are of course the inhabitants of the orphanage and followers of the Church of White Light.

    They are in a chapel in the orphanage ¨C though it is not something that was constructed solely for this use; it is merely another abandoned room of the orphanage that has been reorganized by hand.

    It is a shabby room, but it is the result of the hard work done by these young believers of god.

    One could say this is the form that religions should have. Arge temple is not necessary to worship god.

    They are offering their prayers to therge cross that has been erected here. They did this yesterday, they are doing it today and they will do it tomorrow.

    ¡¸The rebirth ceremony for the new Guardians will now begin.¡¹

    On the stage facing the thirty believers, truly guiding them, is the young, blonde priest.

    The uniformed girl, the red mage is waiting nearby. But this time, she appears to be able to read the atmosphere in the room, and stays quiet.

    Standing on either side of them is a pair of masked giants known as Guardians. They are standing there like statues, not making even the slightest movement.

    The darkness of night has already fallen on them, and in these slums that are filled with shadows, it is especially dark.

    The inside of the chapel is lit only by the mes of some candles spread out around the room, creating a solemn atmosphere.

    The vast presence of the young priest is even more mysterious here.

    His white face is of unparalleled beauty. He produces the pure white jewel, ¡ºDiamond Heaven¡», from his breast pocket.

    ¡¸Tonight, nine new Guardians will be reborn, now let us pray as their miraculous resurrection begins ¨C¡¹

    A loud bang echoes out, interrupting his quiet speech.

    The double-doors of the chapel open violently and the gaze of the boys and girls gathered here, including the priest, are drawn to it.

    And the one who is making the noise that sphemously interrupts this holy ceremony is ¨C

    ¡¸Ugh... Hel... Help me...¡¹

    It is the face of a well-known boy.

    There are less than fifty children living at the orphanage. All of them are more than well-acquainted with each other; they arepanions in their belief, with a strong sense ofmunity.

    This boy is a senior among them, and from his appearance, he looks to be nothing more than a juvenile delinquent. Even so, he is a good leader among the younger children of the orphanage; he takes care of them and loves them as his own brothers and sisters.

    Now, he has been reduced to pathetically, frantically begging for someone to save him using a manner of speech that is difficult to understand.

    But even more pitiful are the countless needles piercing his skull.

    ¡¸Ah... Aah...¡¹

    The needles embedded deep into his skull are releasing a white light fitting for a believer of the Church of White Light.

    However, there is nobody who would be thankful for this.

    In such an unusual situation, it would be normal for someone would rush over to help him. Yet everyone is holding their breath, unable to move.

    And they are right to be staying right where they are.

    ¡¸Ah, ah, AAAAAHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO ¨C¡¹

    As he screams, his head flies off his shoulders.

    The needles of light exploded. The only one who is calm enough to realize this is probably the young priest.

    The children who are unfortunate enough to be standing too close have their robes stained with ck-red blood and spinal fluid.

    In the next moment, panic and screaming begins in the chapel ¨C or at least, it is supposed to.

    ¡¸Good evening.¡¹

    The voice of a young girl even sweeter than the singing of a bird and a pale green light gentler than the morning sun enters the chapel. Their attention is once more focused on the door.

    A single young girl stands there.

    She is as beautiful as one would expect of the owner of such a voice ¨C no, even more beautiful than one would expect; her beautiful face has a captivating charm.

    She must be an angel, sent by the Goddess Aria herself to answer their prayers ¨C or so they might have believed, if the boy¡¯s head had not flown off.

    Indeed; even the young children know that this girl surrounded in beautiful light is the one who killed him.

    In short, she is an enemy.

    ¡¸That appearance, you are a fairy... What business does a heretic have in such a holy ce?¡¹

    The first one to speak to her is their leader, the young priest.

    His tone is t as usual, but the red mage girl may have noticed that there is just a hint of hatred in his voice.

    ¡¸I¡¯vee to punish the naughty children.¡¹

    ¡¸... An adventurer.¡¹

    The fairy gives a joke-like response with a beautiful smile. But from just that, the young priest is able to get a good idea of the situation.

    ¡¸Hmm, it seems that you have enough self-awareness to know that you¡¯re a naughty child.¡¹

    Rather than calling him sharp for noticing so quickly, the fairy speaks through her small mouth as if she is mocking him.

    In short, even if he called it a religion or whatever, he knew himself that his actions were so criminal that it would warrant his extermination by adventurers.

    In fact, every member involved in the extreme attack on the Elf merchant couple¡¯s mansion the other day are all gathered here.

    However, the young followers do not realize the meaning behind this conversation, nor do they notice the priest¡¯s thin eyebrows twitch in displeasure.

    ¡¸Heretics that oppose the guidance of the White Light must be judged ¨C¡¹

    As if realizing that he does not have time to be exchanging words with the abominable fairy, he holds the jewel in his hand up in the air.

    Proving that it is not merely a precious stone, the huge, pure-white jewel releases a faint, flickering light from within.

    ¡¸Obey mymand,¡ºDiamond Heaven.¡»¡¹

    The moment he recites the phrase needed to release the magic hidden inside the jewel, there is a blinding sh of light.

    Bright enough that it could be believed to be the miraculous magic bestowed upon him by the by the Holy Mother Aria herself, the white light fills the chapel.

    This light passes away after just a moment.

    The chapel returns to its original dark state, lit only by the mes of the candles ¨C no, now the sphere of light around the fairy adds to the light in the room.

    However, the room is definitely different nowpared to how it was a moment ago.

    The fairy that killed theirpanion in such a cruel way is now under the young priest¡¯s control, just like the Elf merchant who refused to donate to them.

    Her consciousness is still intact, but she ispletely unable to control her body.

    It is his first time seeing such a beautiful girl ¨C No, it is unlikely that a normal person would ever see such a beautiful girl in their entire lifetime. But now it would be interesting to see how long this beautiful girl could keep up her cocky tone from earlier.

    Changing ces with the priest, the mage girl does not even try to hide the warped smile on her face.

    ¡¸Ah, I see, you¡¯re able to invoke¡ºDomination.¡»A troublesome ability; you would be able to turn the tables on most adventurers with that, but ¨C¡¹

    As the fairy speaks, she produces a small ball of light in front of her eyes.

    ¡¸¨C It won¡¯t work on me, you know?¡¹

    Along with her captivating, beautiful smile, the ball ¨C no, bullet of light flies out in a straight line and ¨C

    ¡¸!¡¹

    As the young priest opens his eyes wide in surprise, it flies horizontally past his face and hits the cross that is positioned in a high ce at the back of the chapel.

    As if in a direct act of sacrilege against god, the white light explodes, causing the cross to crumble into pieces onto the floor.

    ¡¸W-why...¡¹

    As she sees emotion finally appear on the young priest¡¯s face, the fairy gives him a satisfied reply.

    ¡¸Ufufu, it¡¯s a secret.¡¹

    But he at least understands that the magic of¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»that applies the Status Effect¡ºDomination¡»is meaningless against this enemy.

    ¡¸Destroy this evil heretic!¡¹

    Raising his voice, he lifts¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»into the air once more.

    The chapel is again bathed in a sh of white light, and this time the fairy does not ridicule him.

    ¡¸Kill the heretic.¡¹

    ¡¸Bring judgment to the heretic.¡¹

    ¡¸May the White Light guide your path...¡¹

    The young believers who were unable to do anything but watch this strange chain of events are now muttering lines from the scriptures and dangerous words while pointing their hostile gazes towards the fairy.

    ¡¸Making these children do such horrible things, you¡¯re not a decent religious organization at all.¡¹

    ¡¸Silence. Detestable heretics must receive their judgment. This is the duty of the believers ¨C Now, go and fight, warriors of god!¡¹

    As if answering thismand, the children produce weapons from beneath their robes.

    There arerge knives like the one the dead boy was holding as well as smaller ones.

    Other than knives, there are hatchets, hand axes, meat cleavers and the particrly small children are armed with scissors and forks.

    As the fairy sees the des pointed at her, she realizes that these children have been ordered to have these deadly weapons on them at all times, in case an event like this were to ur.

    ¡¸Because you¡¯re a child, I was thinking I would let you go if you cried and apologized... But if you¡¯re using child soldiers, I can¡¯t have mercy on you, you know?¡¹

 Chapter 310 The Church of White Light Orphanage (2)

    ¡¸KILL THE HERETIIIIIIIIIC!¡¹

    As the battle begins, the young believers let out voices that sound as if they have gone mad as they fiercely close in on Lily.

    They are not all running in straight lines across the floor; some are jumping over benches while others run across the walls like agile bandit-ss fighters.

    Their physical ability is clearly abnormal for human children. The thin arms holding their deadly weapons are also likely to have increased strength.

    ¡¸¡ºDomination¡»can release their limits as well, how amazing.¡¹

    Lily casually voices her thoughts; she feels no threat in the current situation.

    The restrictions ced on their bodies by their brains, known as limits, have been released, enabling them to exhibit 100% of their physical ability. There are thirty small opponents in such a state ¨C However, Lily would have no difficulty defeating this number of enemies.

    The believers close in on the young fairy in front of them; the des in their hands will reach Lily¡¯s body in a moment.

    However, Lily is already prepared to make a counterattack. She produces not one, but countless bullets of light in the area around her Oracle Field, the same bullets as the one she used to destroy the cross.

    In the same way as her beloved Kurono, she sends all of her bullets of light out simultaneously in a full burst.

    ¡¸Gyii ¨C¡¹

    Drowning out both the children¡¯s outlines and their voices, a storm of white shes blows through the room.

    It is the simultaneous firing of multiple Lux Sagita, but rather than merely piercing their targets, they explode on impact.

    She just showed how powerful the explosions are; if one of these were to strike the head, that person would immediately be a headless corpse.

    The white shes and hot wind in the room caused by the explosions settle down. Pieces of children¡¯s corpses are scattered around the chapel ¨C or so she thought, but ¨C

    ¡¸Hmm, nobody is dead yet, right? Fufu, the children of the slums are nice and sturdy, aren¡¯t they?¡¹

    They are indeed still alive.

    However, all of them have a leg or two missing. There are more than a few with all of four limbs missing, barely able to breathe.

    Lily is superior to Kurono and Fiona in that she possesses the precise control to have her attacks automatically follow their targets.

    Large destructive power is not required to destroy the small, thin, soft limbs of children. Therefore, Lily focused her attention on the uracy of her attacks rather than the power. Though they were not fatal, it was easy for her to aim at their limbs with multiple attacks at the same time.

    Thus, with just one burst of attacks, the majority of the children are now sinking into a hellish sea of their own blood.

    Seeing these children with limbs missing rolling on the ground on the verge of death, anyone would wonder what kind of demon would do such a thing.

    Fortunately, the children do not fill the room with the background music of their agonized screams, thanks to the effects of the¡ºDomination.¡»

    The only thing reaching Lily¡¯s ears are their animal-like moans and their broken recital of lines from the scripture.

    ¡¸They got away, huh... Well, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t want to die with these guys.¡¹

    Wearing a twisted smile on her face, Lily looks towards the stage where the young priest had been standing arrogantly just a moment ago, but he is no longer there.

    As he sent his believers forward, he escaped with the girl and the bodyguards called Guardians.

    Lily, with her Oracle Field in full effect, has been blocking the front entrance this whole time. So they must have escaped through a back exit.

    However, Lily does not move to give chase; she faces the children, of which about ten are still alive.

    There is no need to hurry; these small-fries are not even effective as a way to buy time.

    ¡¸KYIEEEEEI!¡¹

    In spite of the overwhelming magical attack that they faced, the children who are still alive continue to hold their weapons and scream with murderous intent.

    And then they charge forward to make another hopeless attack.

    They remind her of the Crusaders who closed in on Alzas Vige, charging into the deadly crossfire to meet their unsightly ends.

    The moment before she is about to unleash her full burst of white light to put an end to this ¨C

    ¡¸Oh, are you perhaps not actually under the effect of¡ºDomination¡»?¡¹

    Among the children that are closing in on her while letting out twisted screams, she sees one boy who still has the light of reasoning in his eyes.

    He is none other than the orange thief, the boy who had thrown the rock at Kurono.

    He does not have any signs of having high resistance. It is likely that he simply has a high mental defense.

    Lily was protected from the light of¡ºDomination¡»by the defensive power of the Oracle Field alone.

    The fairy¡¯s shining defense is even more effective against these kinds of magical, mental attacks than against physical attacks.

    For the young priest who is reliant on the jewel¡¯s magic, breaking through her spiritual defense would be impossible. No, even if he was a skilled mage, he would not be able to apply¡ºDomination¡»to Lily through her Characteristic Ability that is unique even among fairies.

    Still, this boy who resisted it through nothing but the mental defense that he was born with could be said to have incredible talent.

    However, it is difficult to say that this special ability is good for him in this situation.

    ¡¸Fufu, fine, I¡¯ll spare just you.¡¹

    If he obediently allows himself to be controlled, Lily will not need to pay him any more attention.

    As Lily looks at the boy, the children ¨C no, child soldiers, whose physical ability is drawn out to its absolute limits, and whose speed is faster than if they were affected by a Speed Burst, approach. She does not have the time she needs to use her Lux Sagita.

    In battle, even a moment¡¯s hesitation or carelessness can be the difference between life and death ¨C of course, this is not relevant to Lily in the slightest.

    ¡¸Force Edge.¡¹

    Such an idea would only apply if she had a different Characteristic Ability.

    It is Lily¡¯s offensive magic, the same white light, but it has been changed in shape from bullets to a de. But the result is the same.

    She has produced two Force Edges.

    The des of light glide across the round surface of the Oracle Field, urately intercepting the enemies closing in on her.

    The deadly weapons in the children¡¯s hands look like toys inparison to Lily¡¯s Twin Sabers as they effortlessly cut their arms and legs off with overwhelming reach, power and heat.

    Rather than being blown off by an explosion, this time their limbs are severed by a searing light, causing no blood spurts from the wounds to dirty the floor. Yet the result is the same as when she used her bullets of light.

    Either way, Lily is already paying no further attention to the few dozen enemies that are now on the verge of death, unable to move.

    Right now, her blue eyes are focused on the one boy who is unaffected by¡ºDomination.¡»

    He has not lost his senses, but he also does not have his physical abilities strengthened. Quite slowly, he finally approaches Lily.

    How could he oppose these Force Edges with the tiny knife in his hand?

    Even if he were to miraculously slip in between the two hot des, would his knife be able to pierce the Oracle Field covering her whole body?

    It is absurd and reckless, but even so, the young believer carries out this suicidal attack for the sake of his religion ¨C

    ¡¸For now, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡¹

    God would never reach a hand out to save him.

    ¡¸Uwaaaaah!¡¹

    Lily creates weakened balls of light in her hand and sends them forth to explode on the boy¡¯s chest at point-nk range.

    Lily, protected by the Oracle Field, simply stands there. The shock wave from the explosion does not even move a single hair on her head. But the boy¡¯s small, unprotected body is sent flying.

    The boy flies through the air like a ragdoll and is unable to even brace for the impact as his body crashes onto the bloodstained floor.

    ¡¸Gu... Shit... You heretic...¡¹

    Despite being the only one who has retained his senses, he spouts a line simr to the other insane followers. Lily casually approaches him.

    Their gazes meet. The boy looks up; Lily looks down.

    The distance between them is close and yet far, just like the distance between man and god.

    ¡¸Shit, shit! It¡¯s your fault again! If only you didn¡¯t exist ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯ve remembered me, I¡¯m so happy.¡¹

    This makes the conversation much easier.

    Though her words must sound like sarcasm to him.

    To this pitiful boy who was once a farmer¡¯s child born in Kuar Vige and then became a refugee in Spada before being caught up in this false religion.

    ¡¸Hey, if you promise to apologize to Kurono, I¡¯ll save you.¡¹

    Perhaps this is the whim of a devil or the truth, or perhaps she holds pity for this child; Lily offers a suggestion.

    ¡¸Ku... rono... That ck guy... Don¡¯t fuck with me, it¡¯s all that guy¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it?!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s just a misunderstanding, Kurono led the adventurers and fought well. It unfortunately wasn¡¯t enough because the enemies were just too strong.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re lying, you¡¯re lying, it¡¯s that guy¡¯s fault, everything turned out this way because he tempted everyone to abandon the vige!¡¹

    With a small sigh, Lily begins murmuring.

    ¡¸I thought Kurono would be happy, but...¡¹

    Even if it was a great lie.

    She was willing to let go of her anger if it would make Kurono happy, but it seems that these feelings have not reached this boy.

    No, with Lily¡¯s magical telepathy ability, it is impossible for her to be unaware that the boy¡¯s heart holds an irreversible grudge towards Kurono.

    In short, she is just confirming that nothing she says would make any difference.

    ¡¸Well then, goodbye. Ah, if you happen to meet that fake priest in hell, ask him this ¨C¡¹

    With the hem of her ck one-piece dress fluttering, Lily turns her back on him.

    As several bullets of light appear in mid-air, she leaves him some final words before he dies.

    ¡¸How dare he trick you all?¡¹

    ¡¸Geez, what¡¯s with that girl!¡¹

    ¡¸To think that she would attack tonight, how unfortunate.¡¹

    After sessfully escaping the chapel through the rear exit, the priest and the girl are having this conversation as they continue running at a fast pace.

    There is arge full moon suspended in the sky, but the back garden of the orphanage that they are running through is endlessly dark.

    ¡¸Was it okay to leave just those children there?¡¹

    ¡¸As long as theyst five minutes, it is enough.¡¹

    There is no sign of regret or guilt in his words for making the children attack the dangerous fairy.

    ¡¸The preparations have already been made for the new Guardians to move, we just need to make it to the sanctuary ¨C¡¹

    As he says that, the shadow of a person appears in front of them, as if to block their path.

    ¡¸You used your believers as sacrifices and are escaping by yourselves? All founders of religions are the same, aren¡¯t they.¡¹

    The one who is making this cynical remark is a girl wearing a ck robe and ck three-cornered hat while holding a staff in her hand.

    A torch floating in mid-air illuminates her beautiful, bespectacled face.

    ¡¸This time it¡¯s a witch; it seems that only the wicked have gathered here tonight.¡¹

    The priest probably expected that the fairy is not alone, but rather that she is part of an adventurer party.

    Unperturbed by the appearance of this new enemy, his words are fitting for a priest.

    ¡¸There is also a Berserker who can use ck magic, but he is doing something else today. I apologize for not being able to meet your expectations.¡¹

    The girl in witch¡¯s clothing mentions a meaningless internal circumstance as she approaches.

    ¡¸I¡¯m going to leave two Guardians with you, can I trust you to deal with her?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m going to burn the witch to death with my mes!¡¹

    With a spirited reply, the mage girl happily steps forward to buy some time.

    Seeing her red hair and the wand with a crimson crystal embedded in it, any adventurer would guess that she would use offensive fire magic as she said.

    If the imperial uniform she is wearing is real, it can be expected that her magical ability is above average.

    Additionally, the two giant fighters with metal masks, the ones called Guardians, step forward silently to act as her front guard.

    Whether she is confident in her own ability, the Guardians are just that reliable, or perhaps both, there is no sign of fear in the girl¡¯s face; in fact, her expression is full of joy.

    ¡¸I¡¯m trusting you.¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm.¡¹

    The witch is likely able to see that the boy and girl are sharing a farewell kiss behind the guards.

    However, it seems that she is not unsophisticated enough to interrupt the two youngsters¡¯ love; the witch stands there silently until their kiss has finished and the priest has left.

    ¡¸Are you already lovers at such an age?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, are you jealous? You¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no way such a gloomy witch wearing thoseme sses could ever get a boyfriend! Kyahaha!¡¹

    Though the girl is looking down on her as a woman, the witch¡¯s face is still expressionless; not even an eyebrow moves.

    ¡¸... I will make you explode.¡¹

    Yet her murmured words have a clear bitterness to them.

 Chapter 311 The Church of White Light Orphanage (3)

    Under the full moon, as if it were a second sun ¨C though this would be an exaggerated description, the fire from the torch illuminates the back garden where the witch, the girl and the two iron-masked giants are facing each other.

    The one to make the first move is the red girl.

    ¡¸There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let you perform any incantations!¡¹

    Considering the distance between them, there is no way that she can hear Fiona¡¯s whispered incantations unless she belongs to a race with exceptional hearing, such as the beast-men.

    Still, the movement of her mouth is obvious, even with a human¡¯s eyesight. In fact, not paying attention to the mouth of an opponent who is known to be a magic-user is a mistake that only a terrible amateur would make.

    ¡¸Ignis Sagita!¡¹

    The girl waves the wand with the red, ruby-like jewel embedded at the tip.

    She has not performed an incantation. Which means that her¡ºIgnis Sagita¡»is invoked with just the name of the spell; no incantation is necessary.

    Casting low-level spells without an incantation is a skill that any intermediate-level mage should know, but due to her talent at magic, she has learned it at this age.

    What is even more surprising is that there are not one, but three fireballs in her hand.

    Each individual fireball is distinctlyrger than an ordinary¡ºIgnis Sagita.¡»

    Three simultaneously-created, incantation-less,rge fireballs ¨C She has shown three different skills as a mage with one spell. It is unclear whether it is her own talent or whether it is the power of the wand in her hand.

    Either way, it does not change the fact that there are now three fireballs flying at Fiona, who is still slowly performing her incantation.

    The¡ºIgnis Sagita¡»soar through the air to fulfil their purpose of incinerating the enemy, leaving red trails behind them.

    The three fireballs strike perfectly, illuminating the back garden in red light with a thunderous explosion.

    ¡¸Kyahaha! That¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re a magic-user and youe to a fight without a front guard, ba~ka!¡¹

    Fiona had simply stood there,pletely defenseless, unable to dodge or block the attack. Facing the spot where she disappeared in the smoke of the explosion, the girl sneers in a high pitched voice.

    ¡¸???? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????¡¹

    However, in the next instant, the flowing melody of an incantation reaches her ears.

    Cutting through the curtain of rising smoke, the pitch-ck witch appears.

    There is not a single burn on her soft, white skin and not a single one of her silky ck hairs is shaken. In short, she ispletely unharmed.

    The blue eyes shining behind her sses look incessantly sleepy; her expression shows no acknowledgement of the fact that she just received an attack.

    ¡¸Guardians!¡¹

    Rather than panicking because the fire-element attack that she specializes in is not working, she seems annoyed at the fact that the witch has no reaction whatsoever.

    She raises her eyebrows in hatred as she gives themand for the two giant warriors to charge forward. It is a simple but effective tactic against a magic user.

    With their dirty, white surcoats fluttering, the two Guardians begin sprinting at a high speed that is unfitting for their huge bodies.

    They have matching simple, ancient longswords made of iron in their hands, but this equipment is more than enough to kill a lone witch. In fact, even a single one of their boulder-like fists would be deadly enough to kill a human.

    The fact that their charge is silent and not apanied by a war cry makes it all the more ominous, but Fiona is already not even looking at the sturdy Guardians that are closing in on her.

    She simply stares at the girl with a listless gaze as she takes a step forward through the ck smoke.

    It is because her method of dealing with these warriors is already prepared. Right now, at this very moment, the incantation that has beening from her mouth isplete.

    ¡¸¨C Terra Wall Defan.¡¹

    The magic invoked was an intermediate-level earth-element defensive spell, but because of Fiona¡¯s overwhelming ability, whates forth is a protective stone wall, solid enough to be called a high-level spell.

    The ce it appears is the surface of the ground in the back garden, where the dirt has been hardened by the footsteps of the Guardians¡¯ boots.

    From there, two stone towers appear,pletely covering the Guardians¡¯ tall bodies, extending upwards as if to pierce the heavens.

    ¡¸W-what the hell is this!¡¹

    The only one to let out a voice of surprise is the girl; indeed, there is not a single word from her two guards who are now trapped inside these stone prisons.

    Loud knocking against the stone walls echoes out as they try to remove the obstacle and continue their attack.

    Of course, even the powerful Minotaur zombies would take a considerable amount of time to escape from such a prison. The Guardians are huge, but they are still humanoid; there is no way for them to break free faster than a monster could.

    Thus, having sessfully sealed these bodyguards, Fiona¡¯s gaze does not waver from the girl as she leisurely closes the distance between them.

    ¡¸Kuh, Ignis ¨C¡¹

    With her vanguard gone, the girl has no choice but to rely on her attack magic once more, though it is doubtful that it will have any more effect when cast a second time.

    The incantation earlier was for the spell used to seal the Guardians; therefore, the witch needs to begin another incantation for her next attack.

    As the girl raises her wand overhead, the witch raises her staff at the same time ¨C however, the one to fire first is Fiona¡¯s¡ºAinz Bloom.¡»

    ¡¸No way?!¡¹

    Fiona did not even recite the spell¡¯s name.

    No, the more surprising thing is the overwhelming size of her fireball.

    The girl¡¯s own fireballs wererger than average, but the fireball that is drawing closer before her eyes is easily half a meter in diameter.

    They are iparable in the first ce; the girl¡¯s attacks were mere fireballs, but this is definitely a magical attack that is well above intermediate level ¨C As she thinks this, her body is thrown into the air by the explosion and heatwave.

    ¡¸To not even be able to block an incantation-less Ignis Sagita. And you call yourself a fire mage?¡¹

    As a user of fire magic herself, Fiona cannot help but to speak without thinking when confronted with the pathetic sight before her.

    However, the girl should be praised for not bing an incinerated corpse after being hit by Fiona¡¯s super-Ignis Sagita, escaping with only some burns.

    The color of fiery magical power reflected in her eyes and hair is not only for the sake of her appearance; her body has resistance against high temperatures.

    However, this is not a situation where she can take pride in that fact.

    The girl hasnded face-down against the earth after flying several meters through the air. Her face that was colored with strong makeup is now covered in dirt, mud and scorch-marks, perfectly representing her broken pride.

    ¡¸Hyii, ah...¡¹

    As she moans in pain and raises her face from the ground ¨C

    ¡¸?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ????¡¹

    The witch is standing right next to her, humming a new incantation.

    The girl already has some idea regarding the extent of Fiona¡¯s magical ability ¨C at the very least, she is aware that her own ability ispletely unable topete.

    She is reduced to this state after one incantation-less fireball attack; it goes without saying what would happen if she received an attack with aplete incantation.

    ¡¸S-stop, wait ¨C¡¹

    Looking down at the girl rolling around at her feet, Fiona casually waves her staff and recites:

    ¡¸¨C¡ºIgnis Kris Sagita.¡»¡¹

    Two tornadoes of me suddenly rise up.

    The stone prisons that Fiona created are behind her, and the tornadoes engulf them.

    In short, it is not an attack aimed at the girl, but to finish the Guardians.

    There is no need to confirm their deaths. In the past, the only human made of flesh and blood who would have been able to survive that is the monster Apostle, Ai.

    Thus the unidentified Guardians perish, without their identities ever being revealed.

    In any case, it is not Fiona¡¯s work to figure out the their secret, so she pays them no attention.

    ¡¸??? ??????? ? ???? ? ????? ???? ????? ???????¡¹

    This time, the incantation is definitely for a spell that will bury the girl that is prostrating herself in an unsightly manner ¨C no, to be more urate, it is an enchantment.

    If she swings¡ºAinz Bloom¡», it is nothing more than a blunt weapon; this spell is an intermediate-level fire enchantment which changes the staff into an explosive, deadly weapon.

    ¡¸Ignis Breaker.¡¹

    ¡¸¨C Wait! I¡¯m carrying a baby!¡¹

    The moment she shouts this confession, the staff that has its end lit by a fireball stops moving.

    Fiona sees the girl cowering with her arms tightly wrapped around her abdomen, a sight that begs forpassion.

    ¡¸Is that priest the father?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah... It¡¯s our child.¡¹

    She is facing the ground, so Fiona cannot tell what kind of expression she is wearing.

    Looking at her slim waist, there is no sign of any pregnancy; there is a chance that she is lying.

    However, strangely enough, Fiona believes her.

    And she can sympathize with her feelings. Because Fiona herself is a girl who is in love.

    ¡¸I think that a pregnancy at that age is a questionable decision, though.¡¹

    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter, because we¡¯re in love!¡¹

    ¡¸Are you in love? I thought it was merely a physical rtionship.¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t make fun of me! My love for him is real!¡¹

    Though her face is not visible, Fiona can hear the tears in the girl¡¯s voice as she yells her confession of love.

    Fiona unconsciously smiles at the surprising revtion of the pure love between the young priest and the fire mage girl.

    She has managed to get a good idea of the girl¡¯s passionate feelings through this short conversation. She begins to speak in a satisfied voice.

    ¡¸That is suitable for a sacrifice, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    Thus, the deadly Ignis Breaker explodes on the girl.

    Employing a full golf swing with such perfect form that Kurono would surely say¡¸nice shot!¡¹if he were here to see it, Fiona swings the zing end of¡ºAinz Bloom.¡»

    Her target is the side of the girl¡¯s body, whose arms are desperately trying to protect her beloved child.

    The girl flies through the air once more, scattering burnt-smelling flesh across the ground.

    Her eyes, wide open with genuine shock, meet Fiona¡¯s cool gaze.

    Perhaps she had been holding onto a na?ve hope that Fiona would spare her.

    In reality, the girl¡¯s body, which is now held together only by a single sheet of skin across her abdomen, crashes with full force into the wall of the orphanage.

    A flower is drawn on the canvas of the dirty, white wall in the red paint of blood, entrails and the child who had yet to take form.

    However, there is nobody observing this art. Fiona, who is now the only living person in this ce, has her eyes closed.

    ¡¸... What is it, Lily-san? I¡¯m in the middle of something right now.¡¹

    Though it appears that she has suddenly begun talking to herself, the fact that she mentions Lily¡¯s name means she has been contacted through telepathy.

    As long as they are both within the orphanage grounds, there is no need for disposable crystalmunication devices; directmunication is possible through Lily¡¯s telepathy.

    ¡¸Eh, I can start the fire already? But the experimental ¨C we don¡¯t need them? Haah, I see, then I¡¯ll go ahead.¡¹

    Ending her conversation, Fiona indifferently moves on to perform her next task.

    Her opponent was not even worthy to be called an enemy, but in any case, the nuisance has been taken care of. Her weapon,¡ºAinz Bloom¡», has already carried out its required purpose.

    She reces it with something she takes from her three-cornered hat. It is, of course, the object she borrowed from the academy¡¯s great library... The forbidden book,¡ºThe Guide to the Pce of Ten Thousand Demons.¡»

    By reciting a line written in it, the sacrifices ¨C in other words, the believers who have barely escaped death thanks to Lily holding back ¨C are to be sent to an evil god in the unknown reaches of hell.

    The preparations areplete.

    In short, ambushing whoever came out was not the only reason Fiona came to the back garden. She has been drawing a wide-area magic circle to engulf the sacrifices, along with all of the buildings in the orphanage including the chapel, in mes.

    It is equivalent to pouring tons of oil over all of the buildings, so to speak. With a spark, these shabby old buildings would be destroyed by the red-hot hand of a demon.

    ¡¸Evil-god-sama, please grant us your divine protection tonight. I wish to return to Kurono¡¯s side quickly.¡¹

    As she makes a request that is so self-centered that it cannot even be thought of as a prayer, Fiona receives the signal from Lily and sets the orphanage on fire.

    ¡¸I offer to you, the God of all evils ¨C¡¹

 Chapter 312 The Church of White Light Orphanage (4)

    He found this ce purely by chance.

    The back garden is quite spacious but not maintained at all; weeds are growing everywhere.

    In the corner of this garden is an old well that dried up decades ago ¨C this is the entrance to the ¡°sanctuary¡±.

    ¡¸I have to gather believers from scratch... It does not matter, everything will work out as long as I have the Guardians.¡¹

    While murmuring these words, the young priest quickly slides down thedder used for entering and exiting and stands up at the bottom of the old well.

    The times when water rose from the sand here were long before he was born. Now it is just a dry hole in the ground with not a single drop of moisture.

    At the bottom of this dark well, themp in his hand illuminates a crack in the wall that a child can narrowly fit through.

    Not worrying about his pure-white robe getting caught against the edges, the priest slips his slim body through it.

    Through the crack is a small cave-like space in the rock that was originally filled with underground water.

    It is apletely natural structure ¨C however, as he continues through the cave without hesitation, a single gate is perfectly set into the passage.

    Any veteran Rank 4 adventurer from Avalon would immediately recognise this as the kind of gate that leads to an ancient underground ruin dungeon.

    The delicate patterns carved into the gate have weathered and crumbled over time; only therge cross drawn in the center is still clearly visible.

    It does not even have a lock; a light push is all it takes for the door to open and allow entry into the room within.

    As he enters, white light sources in the ceiling turn on; the ancient magic here seems to still be functioning normally.

    The white room that he has be familiar with is reflected in his eyes.

    It is perhaps asrge and as tall as the chapel in the orphanage; it is quite spacious for a single person. However, there is a heavy, oppressive feeling due to the magic within this ce.

    The most distinctive feature of this room are the enormous beds ¨C no, perhaps they should be called coffins. They contain the bodies of the two-meter-tall Guardians.

    There are a dozen of them, six on each side, lined up to form a path from the door.

    There are two Guardians that are already functioning, and lying in the coffins of white stone are nine more Guardians that are about to awaken.

    There are twelve coffins, but by the time the boy had discovered this ce, one of them was already empty, so there are eleven Guardians in total.

    They have been sleeping here for what could be an eternity; even the boy himself does not know what exactly they are.

    All he needs to know is that they have overwhelming physical strength, and that he can make them obey his will.

    ¡¸I need to hurry and start... I still need to reset the summoning coordinates... How troublesome.¡¹

    What he needs to do and how he needs to do it, the boy puts it all together in his head.

    Crossing the room where the Guardians are sleeping, the boy goes through yet another gate that leads to another room further inside.

    This room is much narrower than the previous room; with one nce it is obvious that it is the disorganizedboratory of a careless magic-user or alchemist.

    Ancient, worn books with contents of questionable use, mysterious parts made of gold and tools of unknown purpose are piled up all over the ce.

    These are also a sight that the boy is used to; he pays no attention to them, heading straight for the instation in the middle of the room that he calls an altar.

    On the surface of ck rock simr to that of the¡ºZero Chronicle¡»obelisks scattered around Avalon, indecipherable ancient letters appear, glowing white.

    He cannot read them, and does not need to worry about them. The important thing here is the pedestal beneath the ck surface.

    ¡¸Obey mymand,¡ºDiamond Heaven.¡»¡¹

    When he first discovered this ce, this¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»was here on the middle of the pedestal.

    It is an artifact that holds the menacing power of¡ºDomination¡», the ability to control others ording to one¡¯s will. However, its true value appears to lie in its existence as a key item to activate the ancient altar.

    He has no way of knowing the exact, correct method of using it. But he can use it because if he holds his intent in his mind, as if transferring them to¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»via telepathy, it more or less functions as he desires.

    However, it does not grant all of his wishes.

    In order to awaken the Guardians, he needs to provide a supply of magical power as an energy source, and to have them leave this sanctuary, he needs to use summoning magic.

    Tonight¡¯s ritual was nned in order to summon the awakened Guardians into the chapel.

    It would have been an easy-to-understand demonstration for the believers.

    However, that has all gone to waste. There is no longer any reason to summon them there; in this situation where the enemy has arrived at the doorstep, it would be ideal to summon them right next to the well.

    If the enemy is unaffected by Domination, it is too dangerous for the boy to show himself at the front.

    However, changing the target location of the summoning will take a considerable amount of time.

    He has found through trial and error that the summoning magic does not work correctly unless he holds a clear, distinct image of the ce he is summoning them to.

    Therefore, the boy clutches¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»in his hand and makes an earnest, silent prayer.

    He is wholeheartedly offering a prayer to god, something that a real priest would do.

    How much time has he spent in prayer?

    As he finally feels something like a correct response ¨C

    ¡¸Good evening. This is a wonderful hiding ce, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    An elegant voice reaches his ears through the gate behind him.

    He has only heard it once before, but he cannot forget who this voice belongs to.

    It is unmistakably that of the heretic adventurer, the Fairy girl surrounded in light.

    ¡¸Fu...¡¹

    However, his expression is not that of someone who has been cornered.

    He is sneering, as if she is prey that has been caught in his trap.

    She is a foolish heretic who has carelesslye to this ce where he can surround her easily with the nine Guardians without needing to summon them.

    ¡¸Good evening. This is a wonderful hiding ce, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    Lily, having stepped into the center of this sanctuary, calls out to the young priest who appears to have secluded himself on the other side of a gate.

    ¡¸I am surprised you found this ce.¡¹

    The boy opens the gate and steps out to face Lily.

    Has he finally epted his fate ¨C no, his face still has the same expressionless look that he had when he was standing in front of his believers during the ritual. In other words, he is not acknowledging that he has been cornered.

    She knows this even without using her telepathy, but instead of getting irritated at his foolishness, she gives him a gentle smile filled with kindness as she replies.

    ¡¸Yes, I knew about this ce right away; after all, it¡¯s very clearly suspicious.¡¹

    In reality, she guessed this ce¡¯s location after searching the mind of the boy she forced to guide her to the orphanage, but there is no need to tell the priest this. It is the usual¡¸Ufufu, it¡¯s a secret.¡¹

    ¡¸Was it alright for you toe here without bringing that witch?¡¹

    ¡¸Well, she seemed busy disposing of that trashy girl.¡¹

    The boy¡¯s thin eyebrows twitch. This is the second time today that he shows this displeased reaction.

    At this moment, Lily guesses that he has feelings for that exhibitionist girl.

    Although this is truly unimportant information.

    ¡¸I should not have exchanged words with a heretic; it is as if my body is being polluted ¨C¡¹

    The young priest, unable to remain expressionless, shows a touch of hatred in his face as he raises¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»at Lily once more, giving amand.

    ¡¸¨C Now, awaken, Guardians!¡¹

    As if answering him, the sound of water fills the room.

    The Guardians are submerged in a transparent liquid that fills the coffins. From the fact that they are being preserved rather than dposing, it is reasonable to assume that it is not ordinary water, but a magical potion with powerful preservation properties.

    Reflected in Lily¡¯s eyes are the nine Guardians vigorously standing, causing this fluid to ssh everywhere.

    They are impressive, muscr men, but their skin is unusually pale and their short, evenly-cut hair is a brilliant white. There are no signs of spirit in their blood-red pupils.

    They are in fact ¡°puppets¡±; it is very obvious from one look at their faces.

    This is because they all possess the same face.

    They do not simply look alike due to the style and color of their hair; they arepletely identical.

    Their long noses and finely-chiseled features are reasonably handsome, but seeing nine of the same face is nothing if not strange.

    However, Lily¡¯s smile does not falter as she presumes their true identity.

    ¡¸As I thought; they are Homunculi, aren¡¯t they?¡¹

    The priest is not particrly surprised at her correct guess.

    Homunculi are famous beings that people in urban areas will have heard of.

    They are artificially created humans, but the technology to create them does not exist in modern magical theory. In other words, creating them is beyond the limitations of modern magic and only possible through ancient magic.

    There have been many cases of adventurers discovering Homunculi in ancient ruins, though the majority of them were merely corpses.

    However, it is not unheard of for Homunculi to be resurrected in the modern age after surviving the trials of time.

    And one of these rare urrences is happening right before Lily¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¸This ce is more like a single mage¡¯sboratory rather than an ancient ruin, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸That is not relevant for someone like you, who is about to receive the punishment of death.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s not true at all; I¡¯m going to use this ce from now on.¡¹

    ¡¸What nonsense ¨C¡¹

    With nothing more to say, the priest raises¡ºDiamond Heaven¡»into the air once more and gives amand.

    The nine giants are already surrounding Lily¡¯s position.

    Though they arepletely naked and unequipped, their bodies are as powerful as those of well-trained warriors, strong enough to fight monsters with their bare hands.

    The priest now understands that Lily is using a Characteristic Ability consisting of powerful light.

    However, its nature is suited to long-ranged attacks, simr to a mage. In other words, if it bes a close-range battle in this room with nowhere to run, the warrior-like Homunculi have the advantage.

    He likely believes that their physical strength is more than enough to crush this slender, weak-looking Fairy.

    ¡¸¨C Go, Guardians, ughter that filthy heretic!¡¹

    Believing in his certain victory, he gives the order to attack.

    In that moment, the Guardians should utilize their coordination function to attack together in perfect synchronization ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Sit.¡¹

    But with this single word from Lily, they immediately fall to their hands and knees on the floor.

    All nine of them, at the exact same moment.

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹

    The enormous, muscr Guardians are all prostrating themselves before the single girl. In the nude.

    At this ridiculously idiotic sight, the young priest has no response other than to let out an idiotic voice.

    Standing in the middle of the naked, kneeling Guardians is Lily with a satisfied smile on her face. Meanwhile, the young priest has his eyes wide open in astonishment.

    Several seconds pass in silence during this profoundly mysterious situation.

    ¡¸W-what are you doing, Guardians! Listen to mymand! Kill that heretiiiiiic!¡¹

    Completely casting aside the expressionless mask that he has maintained until now, the boy raises his voice in anger as he repeats his order.

    However, themand that these newly-awakened Guardians obey is...

    ¡¸Your hand.¡¹

    For some reason, they obey only Lily¡¯s words.

    As Lily lightly extends her palm out to one of the Guardians, he ces his own huge palm on top of it.

    The other Guardians do not make a single movement, continuing their naked kneeling. Perhaps it is just the boy¡¯s imagination, but they seem to be jealous towards the one that is offering his hand to Lily.

    ¡¸Why, why, why! Why aren¡¯t you listening to what I¡¯m saying?! You, what have you done to my Guardiaaaaans?!¡¹

    Anger, impatience and, of course, fear and anxiety ¨C the boy, betrayed by the ¡°power¡± that he believed in the most, has tears in his eyes as he shouts at the unfairness of the situation.

    ¡¸Fu, fufufu... Ufufufu, AHAHAHAHA!¡¹

    Lily¡¯s smile finally turns intoughter.

    Is itughter of contempt at the priest who is disying his unsightly anger ¨C No.

    ¡¸Ahahaha, should I tell you, then? Fufu, I figured it out.¡¹

    It is simple, pure happiness. It is nothing but the sense of aplishment at having arrived at the answer that she has been seeking.

    Lily¡¯s shining fingertips dance through the air.

    There is a round, magic circle drawn in the air from which a ring appears..

    ¡¸I figured out a way to use this, you see.¡¹

    It is the brainwashing magic item called the¡ºAngel Ring¡», but there is no way that the young priest would know this.

    At first nce it appears to be a simple, white circlet, just a decorative item. Nobody would expect it to holds a demon¡¯s ability.

    But it is a different story when witnessing its use directly.

    ¡¸I-it can¡¯t be... With that, with such an object... You can control my Guardians...¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm, right now, they¡¯re my Guardians.¡¹

    The Guardians have only just awoken; they are naked and possess no equipment ¨C or at least, that should be the case, yet looking carefully, there are rings hidden in their white hair, identical to the one in Lily¡¯s hand.

    In short, Lily put these rings on all nine Guardians as she entered the room before calling out to the young priest.

    And from Lily¡¯s words, it can be assumed that she only just figured out how to use them; in other words, she has been unable to use them until now.

    However, it would be unreasonable to expect the boy to have thought this far.

    He is in a desperate situation where the power that he has been relying on has beenpletely snatched away by his enemy. What he is thinking right now is likely being read by Lily.

    ¡¸Ah, w-wait, I ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Seize him.¡¹

    She does not even let him beg for his life.

    Three of the Homunculi move to obey Lily¡¯smand. Their movements are simr to Kurono¡¯s; they proceed with superhuman agility despite their previous condition.

    Lightly leaping over the coffins that they were sleeping in, they restrain the boy, whose expression has now changed into one of fear.

    ¡¸Stop, help me, Mama, gu?!¡¹

    Two of them seize an arm each while the other covers the boy¡¯s mouth from behind with arge, gauntlet-like hand.

    He is restrained but still standing; the Guardians¡¯ grip is so tight that even his shoulders cannot move, causing him to let out muffled groans of anguish.

    The sight of a handsome boy being seized by naked giants is enough to be condemned by anyone as a horrendously criminal act. But of course, the person who ordered it, Lily, is not bothered by this at all.

    What she is most interested in is the ability of the Homunculi, and also¨C

    ¡¸Fufu, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll seed if I try it now.¡¹

    Spinning around her slender fingers is a white ring.

    With the other six Guardians still kneeling, Lily calmly takes a step towards the boy.

    As if understanding her intent even without being directly ordered, the Guardian covering the boy¡¯s mouth uses his other hand to firmly grasp the boy¡¯s neck and offer his silver-haired head towards Lily.

    ¡¸Mmm, MMMPH ¨C !¡¹

    With his mouth covered even in this situation, the boy desperately struggles and tries to scream.

    He sees Lily run her index finger around the outer surface of the ring, after which seven needles appear on the inner surface with a sharp sound. No, to be more precise, Lily deliberately does it in front of the boy¡¯s eyes so that he can see, even though he is being held face-down.

    The boy¡¯s fears are confirmed.

    ¡¸Congrattions, now you can join the Guardians that you love so much.¡¹

    Lily speaks with a smile that would enchant anyone who sees it.

    She runs her finger against the ring in her hand once more, and the needles withdraw.

    ¡¸MMMH, MMMMH, MMMMMMMH!¡¹

    As if cing aurel wreath on a glorious victor, she applies the¡ºAngel Ring.¡»

    At that moment, a metallic sound can be heard from inside the boy¡¯s head.

    ¡¸Mmm, the inside of a human¡¯s head isplicated after all. Even though the Homunculi were so simple... But with this...¡¹

    And so, using all the experience she has gained in her human experiments up until now, Lily finally begins brainwashing the boy.

    Perhaps because the Homunculi are artificially created beings, their brain structure is much simpler than that of humans.

    With the ring and her telepathy, Lily can intuitively discern this, but their simplified brain structure has helped her figure out theplicated and mysterious structure of humans¡¯ brains.

    Lily contemtes. It is likely that the ancient civilization figured out all of the mysteries behind a human¡¯s brain.

    That is how they took only the parts necessary for processing information and created the artificial brains of the Homunculi.

    One other thing that she has noticed is that the structure of the¡ºAngel Rings¡»themselves appear to be a perfect fit for Homunculus brains.

    This is something that she has not been able to notice until now because she has only been using them on humans.

    Lily is now guessing that the organization known as the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»excavated the Homunculi and the brainwashing rings together, used them as the basis of their research and improved them for use on human brains.

    Whether her guess is correct or not, she has finally arrived at the method of using the¡ºAngel Rings¡»to sessfully control a person, which she has been pursuing for so long.

    Now she just has to put it into practice.

    It will take Lily several hours toplete the process after she activates the¡ºAngel Ring.¡»

    Exhaling as she wipes a drop of sweat from her forehead, Lily speaks.

    ¡¸... I messed up, tehe~¡¹

 Chapter 313 Iskia Village

    ¡¸Fua~ah¡¹

    Opening his mouth wide, Gustav lets out an impressive yawn.

    The leader of the Rank 5 party, the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡»is currently in Iskia vige. To be more precise, he is reclining on a seat in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild bar.

    Adventurers are rolling around on the floor near his feet. The stench of alcohol and their moans of pain fill the room ¨C in other words, they have drunk themselves unconscious.

    The other seats of the guild bar are all empty and the whole room is covered from end to end in the remains of food and snacks. sses are scattered all over the floor.

    ¡¸What, it¡¯s already mornin¡¯...?¡¹

    Gustav murmurs as the piercing, bright light of the morning sun reaches him from the window.

    ¡¸Normally, they¡¯d be openin¡¯ for business around now.¡¹

    It is clear to see from this disastrous scene that Gustav held arge party herest night.

    A day passed since he picked a fight with the First Prince of Avalon who was rumored to be a Rank 5 adventurer. Arge amount of alcohol finally arrived so they began drinking to forget about their failure in hunting the Greed-Gore.

    It was avish feast where even the other adventurers in the bar were showered in ale. Gustav was as bold as he was rumored to be. And now things are in this state.

    ¡¸Mmm, nobody is listening to you, boss.¡¹

    TLN: All dialogue spoken by this character is in a very feminine tone.

    Gustav, the only one in his seat, is vastly outnumbered by the amount of patrons lying on the floor. The one who replied to his meaningless remark about opening for business is the captivating voice of a woman ¨C no, the deep voice of a man.

    ¡¸In these kinda situations, appearances¡¯re import¡¯nt.¡¹

    ¡¸You sure are honest when ites to the weirdest things. But I don¡¯t dislike that part about you, you know that boss?¡¹

    In response to the giggle and wink, Gustav¡¯s ogre-like face is twisted in an expression of disgust.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be showin¡¯ me somethin¡¯ so disgustin¡¯ when I have¡¯n had any sleep all night...¡¹

    It is unsurprising that he is feeling a nausea that is not caused by the alcohol.

    Anyone would feel the same, hearing a feminine tone and receiving a wink from the muscr, two-meter-tall Minotaur (¡á).

    ¡¸I do dislike how you don¡¯t have any delicacy. You¡¯ll hurt my maiden¡¯s heart!¡¹

    It is questionable whether there is this ¡°maiden¡¯s heart¡± buried behind the huge chest muscles covered in reddish-brown bristles.

    His body is covered in an armor of muscle even more solid than those of a wild Minotaur and two masculine horns sprout from his head, which is exactly like a bull¡¯s.

    If he was as kind and masculine as Gustav, he would have been popr among the Minotaurs (¡â).

    However, what he is wearing is not clumsy armor or in clothes, but a dazzling, shocking-pink, frilled dress. It is obvious that he is one of those types.

    He has been this way for as long as Gustav has known him. It is his inborn nature.

    ¡¸Ah~ sorry, I¡¯m sorry, s¡¯all my fault, forgive me, Doulas.¡¹

    ¡¸If you¡¯re really sorry, call me ¡°L¡±, please.¡¹

    ¡¸Can¡¯t do that, I¡¯d feel sorry for all the ¡°L-chans¡± across Pandora.¡¹

    ¡¸Boss, you baka!¡¹

    It could easily be assumed that the name written on his guild card, ¡°Doulas¡±, is a spelling error. But his true name is, in fact, Doulas. Nobody calls him by the nickname ¡°L¡±, so that is nothing more than a self-chosen nickname.

    Like a typical female, he walks angrily away. But as he leaves the bar, his movements have the force of a raging bull. He is likely heading to the room in the guild that he is staying in.

    Deciding to leave the maiden whose feelings he hurt alone for now, Gustav turns his gaze towards another one of his party members.

    ¡¸Oh, Gon, ya awake?¡¹

    The huge body with gray skin lying on the opposite table looks like a statue.

    However, he is certainly a living creature. He is in fact a person, which he proves by suddenly opening his eyes wide and beginning to speak through hisrge mouth.

    ¡¸I-I, want to, eat, breakfast.¡¹

    TLN: This character¡¯s speech is a bit odd withmas after every part of the sentence. He also mispronounces ¡°°³/ore¡±, the pronoun for ¡°I¡±, as ¡°¥ª¥é/ora¡± (could also be a slurring of ¡°°³¤Ï/ore wa¡±).

    ¡¸We can¡¯t order it yet, so you should wait in your room as well. I¡¯ll order some fer uster.¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, boss, thank you.¡¹

    And so the Cyclops Gon stands up. His body is evenrger than Gustav¡¯s, particrly in width. He moves it sluggishly towards his room.

    Even Doulas would have his mind taken off things if he is tending to Gon. Doulas is as helpful a man as Gustav is, though he would rather call himself a woman.

    ¡¸Now then, I guess I¡¯ll go an¡¯ walk my drunkenness off with a little mornin¡¯ stroll.¡¹

    With a loud creak, Gustav raises hisrge, red body off the chair.

    ¡¸Zedra, if yer awake, help out with the cleanin¡¯ up. If yer too drunk, I don¡¯t mind sharin¡¯ a potion with ya.¡¹

    ¡¸Roger that, Head.¡¹

    An immediate replyes from behind Gustav.

    Gustav turns to see a Golem with a single, shining red eye.

    There arerge rabbit-like ears attached to his head; this factbined with his short, wide frame causes him to resemble a Punpun. His steel body is painted ck and white. From his appearance, someone who is knowledgeable about monsters would notice that he is designed after the rare ck-and-white subspecies of Punpun.

    Until now, the Golem called Zedra has been sitting like an inanimate object in the corner of the bar, but at his boss¡¯smand he has now booted up.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m countin¡¯ on ya.¡¹

    Patting Zedra¡¯s wine-barrel-shaped body, Gustav leaves his party member behind as he begins his walk.

    As he steps outside, he is met with a peaceful sight that one would see in any countryside farm vige.

    Thin white clouds float across the sky while a dazzling sun shines down on the vigers of Iskia that are walking about.

    ¡¸Ah, the Greed-Gore, what¡¯ll I do about it...¡¹

    As Gustav lumbers around Iskia vige on this refreshing morning, he frowns as he voices his concerns regarding the Greed-Gore.

    The reason Gustav has not returned to his base in Spada is the monster that he mentioned.

    Should he stock up on food supplies and head out to the Iskia Hills once more? Or give uppletely and return to Spada? He is worrying while trying to decide.

    Gustav is not good at worrying, or that is to say, thinking. He is the type to rely on his instinct to make quick decisions.

    During important moments, that decisiveness is always a benefit. However; careful consideration,paring the advantages and disadvantages of an option, thoroughly taking into ount other various factors and deriving the best oue ¨C Doing this is not just difficult for Gustav, but impossible.

    An idiot¡¯s ideas may as well being from someone who is asleep*. Doulas and Gon are even more muscle-headed than Gustav, so it is meaningless to consult them.

    TLN: A weird Japanese phrase.

    As Gustav reaches the conclusion that it is best to leave the decision to Zedra, the most intellectual of them ¨C

    DING DONG

    The loud ringing of a bell echoes throughout the vige.

    ¡¸An emergency evacuation?!¡¹

    It is the sound that signals an emergency situation. Any citizen of Spada would recognize it, and Gustav is no exception.

    The peaceful morning abruptly bes noisy.

    The vigers who were heading out to work in the fields, farming tools in their hands, are now running around in chaos. The merchants who were beginning to prepare for the opening of their stores have now dashed inside them. A pair of young brothers who were carrying goods under their arms, perhaps helping their parents, hold hands and begin sprinting.

    The sound of the bell continues to echo, as if signaling the end of their peaceful lifestyle.

    ¡¸Whatever, I don¡¯t care what kinda monster or person¡¯s arrived, I¡¯m gonna smash ¡®em!¡¹

    Gustav has no way of knowing what exactly is going on, but his expectations are simple.

    The mostmon reason for the bell that signals an emergency evacuation would be an unexpected monster attack; this fact ismon sense across the entire continent of Pandora.

    Iskia Vige is on the Fauren-side of Spada, the neighboring allied country, while Daidalos is on the opposite side of Spada. Considering the vige¡¯s location, it is hard to imagine that this is the beginning of an invasion.

    Therefore, there is no doubt that the threat closing in on the vige is a group of monsters.

    It can also be assumed that the monsters are invading from the nearby dungeon, the Iskia Hills.

    Gustav uses his intuition to figure this out and moves his huge, red body quickly towards the vige¡¯s west gate, his loud footsteps echoing behind him.

    ¡¸Hmm, what kinda monsters woulde here? Centaurs? Orcs, Goblins?¡¹

    At the west gate, a knight of Spada wearing armor and a helmet as well as all of the members of the vignte corps have already assembled.

    Several adventurers who made the same guess about the situation as Gustav have also gathered here.

    Gustav opens his mouth and asks the knight of Spada what is going on in a loud voice.

    Their answer ¨C

    ¡¸It¡¯s all of them.¡¹

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    The knights of Spada are normally fearlessly brave, but his face is pale as he gives such a reply.

    ¡¸What d¡¯you mean by ¡°all of them¡±?¡¹

    Gustav was thinking that perhaps this knight is a new member and is simply nervous at the prospect of facing his first real battle. However, seeing the face of a man well into the prime years of his life, Gustav can quickly tell that this is not the case.

    ¡¸The monsters living in the Iskia Hills, all of them are heading for the vige!¡¹

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is ¨C?¡± wonder the ones here who do not know the situation.

    ¡¸Ugh, you¡¯re kiddin¡¯ me...¡¹

    However, beyond the gate, on the highway that continues towards Fauren, Gustav sees the shadow of arge army, kicking up a dense cloud of dust as it approaches.

 Chapter 314 The 22nd of the Month of Platinum (Hakkin)

    There is a field of flowers that stretches out as far as the eye can see.

    Flowers of every color are in full bloom, as if glorifying this world¡¯s spring.

    There is an enormouske of crystal-clear water nearby, reflecting the light of therge full moon on its surface.

    The silhouette of a series of tall mountains can be seen in the distance, their summits covered in nkets of snow.

    This scene is illuminated by the beautiful light from therge moon and the countless stars that share its sky.

    ¡¸This ce is...¡¹

    When Lilyes to her senses, she finds herself in such a ce.

    When she consults her memory, she clearly remembers that she and Fiona returned straight to the inn and crawled into bed after attacking the Church of White Light.

    Then, this impossible scenery, this field of flowers with the blossoms of spring, summer and autumn all blooming together with no regard for the seasons. The bright light that clearly illuminates the scene despite the darkness of the night. The snow swirling about in the wind around the mountain range.

    It ispletely impossible for the snow, moon and flowers to be admired simultaneously. Then, this must be not the real world, but merely a dream ¨C

    ¡¸Wee to my Fairy Garden.¡¹

    Lily hears a voice from behind her.

    It is an elegant, unforgettable voice; its owner is surely a woman who would appear in one¡¯s dreams every night after seeing her once.

    As Lily turns, she sees a woman just as beautiful as she expected ¨C no, even more so.

    ¡¸Please have a seat. Let us have some tea and discuss matters leisurely.¡¹

    The woman, wearing a pure-white garment that looks almost like a wedding dress, sits in an antique-style chair and faces Lily.

    There is a nearby table that matches the design of the chair she is sitting on, and a tea set is resting on the table¡¯s surface.

    However, there is something that draws the eye far, far more than that.

    It is the three pairs of wings made of light emerging from her back ¨C she has one pair of wings too many, but they are the unmistakable proof that she is a Fairy.

    Lily has likely noticed that this other Fairy has the same blonde hair and green eyes as herself, but she is unable to observe that something about the unrivalled beauty of the Fairy¡¯s face also closely resembles her own beauty.

    Lily is currently in her true form, and anyone seeing these two together would make the assumption ¨C that the two of them are mother and daughter.

    Though unaware of their resemnce, the wise girl Lily understands who the other Fairy is and what kind of situation they are in.

    ¡¸It is an honor to meet you, Queen Iris.¡¹

    One of the ck gods of Pandora, the one that all Fairies believe in. Yes, she is the¡ºFairy Queen Iris.¡»

    ¡¸Ufufu, you don¡¯t need to be so formal; Fairies are meant to be free and unbound, after all. I will not take offense at trivial things like humans do.¡¹

    Under Iris¡¯s gentle expression that seemed to pay attention to her every move, Lily¡¯s movements seem a little nervous as she takes her seat.

    Lily had thought for certain that some mysterious light would appear and the tea would be immediately prepared. But to her surprise, with well practised movements, Iris personally pours her a cup of tea.

    As the sweet aroma of the tea tickles her nose, the smallest amount of Lily¡¯s nervousness disappears.

    ¡¸The reason I invited you here, Lily, is to grant you a divine protection.¡¹

    Lily had guessed that this was the case the moment she realized that the person in front of her was Iris.

    This is an assumption that any inhabitant of Pandora would make if they saw a goddess appear in their dreams.

    For Lily, the more surprising thing is that Iris said her name, as if it were perfectly natural for her to know it.

    ¡¸Thank you very much. But I have not particrly ovee any trials?¡¹

    Indeed; she has not been actively seeking to gain a divine protection like Kurono and Fiona have, nor has she been praying.

    If Lily has not been undergoing trials, prayer or training, just what has the goddess judged to be worthy of being granted her divine protection? This question is a matter of great interest to Lily.

    ¡¸Because you have arrived at a truth.¡¹

    Iris elegantly raises her teacup to her lips to moisten her thin, white neck before continuing to speak.

    ¡¸A prohibited area that must not be touched upon. You shed light on one part of it admirably. With no hesitation, restraint or even regret, only for the sake of love ¨C¡¹

    Balls of light rise all around Lily ¨C no, they are visions of scenes from the past.

    Lily brings a needle of light down into the head of a brown-haired man who is leaning against a tree in a thicket.

    Lily looks to be deep in thought about one thing or another, with a white ring in her hand.

    In a dim basement, Lily applies the ring to dozens of men, one after another, with a serious expression.

    Four men are tied to trees; Lily takes no notice of their desperate begging for their own lives as she indifferently ces the rings on their heads.

    Andstly, she ces the rings on the nine giants with identical faces sleeping in coffins and finally arrives at the truth ¨C the correct way to manipte people¡¯s minds.

    Even the scene of her smiling at the honest mistake she made right afterwards appears.

    The visions show a Fairy who made many sacrifices for the sole purpose of being useful to the man that she loves.

    ¡¸Wonderful. I have been eagerly awaiting someone like you. Someone with the wisdom to arrive at a truth and the determination to aplish this in the name of pure love. Ah, how truly wonderful.¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹

    With a smile just as sweet as Iris¡¯s, Lily bows her head a little.

    ¡¸As long as you live for love, I will grant you my divine protection. Serve him well from now on, the beloved man that you yearn for.¡¹

    ¡¸I will!¡¹

    Lily realizes that she was right to believe in this goddess, the Fairy Queen Iris.

    Until now, she thought that gods were nothing but natural phenomena, a system for bestowing power to people. These thoughts are confirmed as she is touched by what can only be called the love of a goddess.

    From the beginning, this has always been the correct rtionship between people and gods.

    People believe in gods, and the gods answer that belief.

    And now Iris is answering Lily with the power that she desires.

    ¡¸Lily, I shall bestow upon you a power that I often used myself.¡¹

    Iris¡¯s fingertips swim elegantly through the air like thin, white fish.

    She draws a magic circle in the air that expands to be the same dimensional magic that Lily uses.

    As expected, whates from within is ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono¡¯s...¡¹

    A single eyeball with a pupil as pitch-ck as the overhead night sky.

    Kurono¡¯s left eye that was supposed to be preserved forever in the potion bottle has been summoned in front of Lily¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¸Ufufu, the man you love is also answering your efforts. Therefore, this is no longer something for you to merely enjoy gazing upon; its new name is ¨C¡¹

    Kurono¡¯s pupil begins to overflow with a ck light.

    It is not a shadow or darkness; it can only be described as a ck-colored light. In an instant, this ominous light covers the entire eyeball.

    The ck light shes strongly two, three times before subsiding.

    What is left in the end is a transparent crystal resembling a ck diamond.

    The portion of it that was once the pupil is dyed in darkness that contrasts with the rest of the ck crystal, as if it were some kind of hell that absorbs all light. It no longer resembles an eyeball at all.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºEvil Eye.¡»¡¹

    ¡¸This is... an Artifact?¡¹

    Just like that, this eyeball has be a ck jewel that strongly radiates magical power; even Lily is unable to hide her surprise.

    ¡¸Precisely; it is also possible for Artifacts to be created like this. Even the¡ºQueen Beryl¡»you use is something I created in the past myself. As for how I created it... Ufufu, that is a secret.¡¹

    Iris presses her index finger against her lips with a wink even more masterfully than Lily does; this behavior is incredibly suitable for her.

    ¡¸¡ºEvil Eye¡»... Ah, to think that a part of Kurono has be my own power... I¡¯m so happy.¡¹

    With a spellbound expression, Lily takes the eyeball-jewel that is exuding an overwhelming presence from the table and clutches it to her chest.

    Looking upon her with an expression of affection, Iris continues speaking.

    ¡¸The power that it grants is¡ºthe power to be one with the person you love.¡»What do you think? Lovely, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

 Chapter 315 The Great Gates of Avalon

    The 22nd of the Month of tinum (Hakkin) ¨C ??? (2)

    The heavens are dyed with the ominous color of blood. A series of red-brown mountains line thendscape; there are mes billowing everywhere and rivers ofva flow in all directions.

    Hell ¨C No, this ce that is overflowing with scorching heat should be called a purgatory. When Fionaes to her senses, she finds herself in such a ce.

    ¡¸This ce is...¡¹

    Looking around, she cannot detect any signs of life at all, let alone the shadow of a person.

    Her surroundings remind her vividly of the volcanic zone dungeon that she visited when she was a student.

    It was so dangerous that one should bring at least a party of four and exercise great caution, but she remembers that she had explored all the way into its depths by herself.

    She is not sure whether such a destructive volcano exists on the continent of Pandora, and as she gazes at the strangely burning skies, she gets the feeling that this is not the real world.

    With this doubt in mind, she quickly arrives at the conclusion that this is a dream.

    Thinking back, she remembers getting into bed with Lily but has no recollection of waking up. Considering the chronological order of things, it makes sense that this is a dream.

    As she feels disappointment that her dream is not a more pleasant one ¨C

    ¡¸Wee, young witch. It has been a long time since I had a visitor; I wee you to this ce.¡¹

    A woman¡¯s voice echoes out from no direction in particr.

    It is a bewitching voice that sounds as if it is melting; however, it lingers in the ears like a sweet poison.

    The owner of this voice could surely apply Charm to a man with a single world, if she so desired.

    Its existence itself is a danger. Fiona feels this intuitively, and her body takes a defensive stance even before she processes the meaning of the words that are spoken.

    Fortunately, she is currently fully equipped with her three-cornered hat, her witch¡¯s robe and¡ºAinz Bloom¡»; even if a battle were to ur, she would be prepared.

    ¡¸Kukuku, you do not need to be so cautious. You are the one who wished toe to this ce, are you not?¡¹

    The sweet voice echoes out again, yet Fiona still has no idea where it ising from.

    But she finally realizes the meaning of its words.

    ¡¸Could it be... You¡¯re a god?¡¹

    Despite it being an absurd question to ask, the voice answers her earnestly.

    ¡¸Indeed; I am one of the ck gods, answering your prayers. Though you are before a god, you do not need to be so reserved. Now,e closer.¡¹

    The god¡¯s tone is pompous and yet overly friendly. Since it is a female¡¯s voice, perhaps she should be referred to as a goddess. In any case, Fiona cannot disobey hermand.

    Fiona already understands. She knows that this is not a mere dream; she is now in a sanctuary where gods invite those that they wish to grant their divine protection.

    If it were a good god that is full ofpassion, they would forgive any impoliteness shown towards them, but this is an evil god that Fiona sought of her own ord.

    If she were to anger the god, her death would be certain. Even if she does not, the god might cause her harm on a whim.

    But Fiona is not an airhead; she is able to keep her words and actions in check.

    With the resolve to risk her life here, she responds to the goddess¡¯s invitation by stepping forward.

    Looking closely, she can see that she is not walking up the slope of a rocky mountain. She is climbing a stone staircase that looks to be artificially made.

    She has a clear view of the burning earth and mountains spitting fire in the background; this volcano whose summit she is approaching appears to be the tallest, towering above the others.

    It is likely that the evil goddess is waiting for her on the top of the mountain in this purgatory.

    As Fiona reaches the summit, what is reflected in her eyes is ¨C

    ¡¸I¡¯m familiar with temples of this structure.¡¹

    It is a white-walled cathedral ¨C or it might have been called that once, but now it is a crumbling ruin of a temple.

    A veteran adventurer would be able to tell from its deteriorating condition and architecture that it is one of numerous ancient ruins.

    ¡¸It looks exactly like the Elysion Cathedral.¡¹

    But Fiona has spent time as a student in the Elysion Cathedral, the main temple for the believers of the Cross, in the holy city of the Sinir Republic. That is why she has an urate knowledge of what this ruin is.

    ¡¸This was the former Elysion Cathedral.¡¹

    Fiona shows considerable fright as the voice unexpectedly gives a reply to her murmurs.

    ¡¸What do you mean by ¡°former¡±?¡¹

    ¡¸That is a story of a time that has long since passed. One that is not worth telling.¡¹

    ¡¸... I see.¡¹

    Fiona feels a little disappointment as she passes through the enormous, crumbling archway, but is in agreement that telling stories of the past is not important.

    The statue of the Holy Mother Aria that is enshrined here has had its head cleanly broken off; there is no trace of holiness left in this ce.

    Fiona is not a devout follower of the Cross; she does not even have a shred of belief in the white god. This sight does not bother her in the slightest.

    She disinterestedly continues walking straight through the giant ruins of the former Elysion Cathedral.

    There are no obstacles blocking her path. Unlike the cathedral in the real world, there is not a single Temple Knight on guard duty, nor are there the twenty wide-area barriers made using Ancient Magic.

    Before long, she reaches the innermost depths of the cathedral.

    The enormous double-doors made of Mythril open on their own, inviting Fiona within.

    There is nothing here. It is a spacious room enclosed by white walls, but it feels more like a prison than a holy ce.

    A single ck silhouette is standing there.

    ¡¸Well then, I suppose I will introduce myself. I would like to think I am quite famous, but you havee across the sea from the distantnd of Ark.¡¹

    Arge, ck, three-cornered hat and a pitch-ck robe.

    These are not Fiona¡¯s own clothes, but what the goddess before her eyes is wearing.

    Those are the only features that immediately draw attention, but in the next instant, it bes apparent that her witch¡¯s clothing ispletely different from Fiona¡¯s.

    Because the goddess¡¯s white body ispletely exposed.

    The robe covers her back like a cloak but is open at the front. The goddess¡¯s body that is freely exposed through the open robe is alluring and sensual enough that it would make any man its ve, and be an object of envy for any woman.

    Her breasts resemble the mountains of this purgatory, with a deep valley in between whose bottom cannot be seen.

    These are tightly contained by a piece of clothing that is simr to the top half of a bikini, made out of an unknown ck material that absorbs all light.

    As Fiona manages to lower her gaze away from this irresistible sight, what enters her view is not a thin waist, but the toned abdomen of a warrior ¨C no, of an ancient hero.

    Lowering her gaze further still, she sees the bottom half of the goddess¡¯s body, which a small piece of clothing barely covers.

    The goddess¡¯s hip lines are drawn with an incredibly attractive curve and her legs are as tight as her hips, giving off an appearance of strength, beauty and obscenity.

    Highced boots made of ck leather extend up to her knees. Her already long legs, whenbined with the heels of these boots serve to further increase her height above even that of the taller-than-average Kurono.

    The beauty of this goddess¡¯s body ridicules even those of popr dancers and high-ss prostitutes. The only one whose body could rival this is perhaps the Subus Queen of legends, who was said to have seduced the demon king Mia ¨C no; Fiona earnestly believes that this person must be the Subus Queen herself.

    ¡¸How rude; her body is far more vulgar and dirty than mine. Do notpare me to her.¡¹

    ¡¸I apologize.¡¹

    It is not surprising that her mind has been read. Even Lily could do so if she wanted to; it is to be expected that a goddess is capable of doing it.

    ¡¸So, umm, goddess-sama. What is your name?¡¹

    Even though she is in the presence of a goddess, Fiona does not show any restraint as she asks her name. With her usual expression, she tries to look into the goddess¡¯s eyes - but she cannot.

    The goddess¡¯s hat is seated firmly on her head, so her eyes are not clearly visible.

    No, her eyes are unnaturally difficult to see. It is likely that she is using magic that obstructs others from perceiving them.

    Even so, Fiona can tell from the bottom half of the goddess¡¯s face that she can see ¨C the tall nose bridge, the thin jawline and erotic, soft lips ¨C the goddess possesses a beautiful face.

    The goddess¡¯s lips, which are a deep crimson as if she has used fresh blood in ce of lipstick, twist in an amused smile as she opens her mouth to speak.

    ¡¸Oh, I remember now, fufu. I have no intentions of pretending that my name is of any importance. It is a false name, anyway.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    ¡¸My name is ¨C¡¹

    Fiona has a feeling that the goddess just casually said something outrageous. No, she has definitely noticed. The goddess shows an incredibleck of respect for other gods as she introduces herself with a false name.

    ¡¸Endymion, a ck witch formerly in the service of the demon king.¡¹

    Her long, beautiful ck hair flows behind her, sparkling like the night sky.

    And Fiona sees, only for an instant, the crimson glow of the eyes hidden beneath the goddess¡¯s hat.

 Chapter 316 The Great Gates of Avalon

    ¡¸We¡¯re going back to Spada, right now.¡¹

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go back to Spada immediately.¡¹

    As Fiona and Lily rise from the bed, they simultaneously speak words with the exact same meaning.

    With this, they realize that they have both managed to achieve the goal of their journey.

    Leaving the detailed exnations forter, the two of them rush out of¡ºCat¡¯s Tail¡»into the city of Avalon like the wind.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºSpeed Boost¡»,¡ºRapid movement (Air Walker)!¡»¡¹

    ¡¸Oracle Field, full power!¡¹

    And so they run. Combining strengthening magic with martial arts and using all of the limited time of the transformation that can only be used for thirty minutes a day, they run with everything they have.

    Their ability to reason calmly has been blown awaypletely by the thought that they can finally return to Kurono¡¯s side; their bodies are simply moving entirely by instinct.

    They have been rational and logical in their actions until yesterday; no, even up until their dreams in the night. But their lifestyle in Avalon in Kurono¡¯s absence has caused them to bottle up their feelings, which are now gushing out.

    Perhaps they are suffering withdrawal symptoms; they sprint as fast as they possibly can through the city of Avalon, whose streets are mostly empty at these early hours of the morning.

    As they are about to pass through the great gates of Avalon, ignoring the guards on duty ¨C

    ¡¸Ah, we forgot Marie.¡¹

    TLN: As in the horse. Previously tranted as Mary.

    Their feet finallye to a halt.

    Like Spada, Avalon is surrounded by a defensive wall that is both physically and magically sturdy.

    These white-painted walls have existed since ancient times but show no signs of their age; they are much more elegant in appearance than the bare, in walls of Spada.

    Their white color is not the city¡¯s only attractive feature. In front of the great gates is a beautifully created za that brings no shame to the name of the legendary imperial city of Avalon.

    The jet-ck, towering object that stands magnificently at its center is an obelisk that bears the words of the ancient demon king Mia Elroad, the¡ºZero Chronicle.¡»

    It is surrounded by crystal statues of the strongest knights of the demon king¡¯s army who were his beloved wives, the seven goddesses of war.

    Their bodies sparkle solemnly as they reflect the morning sun.

    Lily gazes at this sight with a mncholic expression unbefitting of such a small girl.

    ¡¸... It¡¯s Fiona¡¯s fault for being hasty and running out like that.¡¹

    It appears that she has calmed herself by ming their previous failure on her partner.

    They would have taken less time if they had prepared everything carefully and proceeded at a normal pace, rather than rushing.

    Forgetting the basics of being on a journey in their desperation could only be called a failure.

    Lily swings her legs back and forth on a bench in the za with words of criticisming from her mouth. Anyone who sees her would assume that she is a child who has had an argument with a friend.

    Incidentally, the witch who is being med for all of this is currently on her way to the stables to retrieve the transport necessary to reach Spada ¨C the beloved horse, Marie. In other words, she is not here right now.

    Naturally, the stables where travelling horses are kept are not far from the great gates.

    Even so, Fiona has taken quite some time. As Lily considers this, it urs to her that Fiona is likely stocking up onrge quantities of food for breakfast from the food carts that have already opened for business.

    Lily has also just finished a sandwich (with dressing) that she received from one of the salespeople that are calling out to customers who are traveling to work.

    And so, as both her head and her stomach are now calm, she is capable of rational thought.

    The thing drawing her attention right now is a single newspaper that has been left on the bench.

    This newspaper that is printed by the government is a valuable source of information for the citizens. With that said, no country¡¯s government expects all citizens to believe everything that is written in such newspapers. No matter the time period or region, there are always those who voice their dissatisfaction with the government.

    Of course, the newspapers do contain some things that are undoubtedly true information ¨C the most obvious of these being the current date printed on the front.

    The date printed on the newspaper in Lily¡¯s hand is the 22nd of the Month of tinum (Hakkin).

    ¡¸I suppose if you act so conspicuously, you appear in news articles right away.¡¹

    The top news article of today¡¯s morning newspaper is ¨C

    ¡ºOrphanage up in mes! The young founder of the Church of White Light has gone mad?!¡»

    The article has such a headline.

    It is a national newspaper, but it is written in a sensational tone. Lily remembers that the one in Spada at least uses more serious-sounding headlines.

    Nevertheless, it is still the most credible source of information in Avalon.

    Lily is interested to see how many details of the incident that she herself caused have been leaked, so she spreads the pages of the newspaper with her small hands and runs her eyes across the text.

    Unlike the suspicious-sounding headline, the article itself is written concisely and is easy to understand; it details the tragic events that urred the night before.

    The orphanage managed by the religious organization known as the Church of White Light has been burned down, and all of the children living there lost their lives.

    The young founder of the organization who calls himself a priest has had his name suppressed due to the fact that he is underage. But he has confessed to burning down the orphanage with the intent to kill those who lived there.

    However, the investigation has met difficulty as he is not in a stable mental condition.

    The rest of the article contains exnations of what the Church of White Light was and the problem of orphans in the slums; things that are not directly rted to the incident. Lily stops reading.

    ¡¸That¡¯s good, we¡¯re not suspected of anything.¡¹

    Even though the Church of White Light were soon to be rounded up and arrested, they were all children. The Knights¡¯ Order aside, it is standard practice for adventurers to capture targets alive.

    Knowing that, Fiona and Lily had treated them no differently to how they would treat atrocious bandit groups, with no hesitation to ughter them ¨C no; to be precise, they had offered them as sacrifices. In any case, it is clear that things would be troublesome if it became known that they had acted with the intent to kill.

    In the worst case scenario, Lily and Fiona would both be handed prison sentences.

    That is the reason that they are disguising themselves, and even during yesterday¡¯s attack, they had taken meticulous caution ¨C well, as a witch, Fiona had used intermediate-level magic with the power of high-level magic in spectacr fashion.

    ¡¸But to think that we would not be suspected in the slightest. It seems that it was right to leave him behind.¡¹

    Even Lily had not predicted this conclusion to this incident.

    In fact, she had nned to have the young priest join the other children in being sacrificed.

    In the end, she had made a mistake in her experiments and essentially turned him into a vegetable for life. However, she had immediately realized that versions of events such as the one written in the newspaper would be formed, so she had left him there.

    That boy is likely being questioned by the Law Guardians of Avalon in an interrogation room right now.

    ¡¸Haha... Ahaha... I did it... Everyshing, I did all of it...¡¹

    He is surely giving such replies with a hollow look in his eyes.

    It would not be long before he is put under the guillotine and vanishes from this world.

    ¡¸Haah, Fiona iste... Sote, mmh~¡¹

    Abandoning her ability to think with her adult mind, Lily leaps from the bench onto her feet and throws the newspaper into a nearby bin in impatience.

    For the child-form Lily, the burning of the orphanage and the fate of the young priest are of no importance. She pays them no more attention than the newspaper she has thrown away.

    The only thing on her mind right now is her resentment towards her partner, who is almost certainly on a morning tour of Avalon¡¯s gourmet options.

    Lily pouts as she returns to the bench ¨C However, at that moment, while she ispletely distracted ¨C

    ¡¸Ah?!¡¹

    Lily lets out a heartbreakingly adorable cry as she falls onto her back. Her mind had been wandering as she went to sit back down on the bench.

    She has bumped into something ¨C no, someone.

    ¡¸Sorry about that, are you alright?¡¹

    A man¡¯s smooth voicees from above Lily¡¯s head.

    It is Lily¡¯s fault for walking into this person, but it seems that this person is a respectable adult showing concern towards this child.

    ¡¸Uu~¡¹

    Lily seems to have managed to throw out a hand to prevent the back of her head from hitting the ground. But the soft, child-sized palm that she used to stop her fall is grazed slightly; a little blood is visible on its surface.

    The child-form Lily experiences a stinging pain; the man she bumped into is asking for too much if he is expecting her to give him a reply.

    The cute, round eyes that have been turned blue by the magic contact lenses are filled with tears; it is taking all of her effort just to endure the pain.

    ¡¸How terrible, you¡¯re hurt!¡¹

    The man, having guessed the situation from Lily¡¯s behavior, crouches to examine her wound.

    Through her teary eyes, she sees the man she has bumped into for the first time.

    He is wearing something that resembles the Priest¡¯s robe that Lily wears. It is a gray robe of simple design that can be found anywhere.

    The hood is pulled low over his head, but Lily can see his face clearly as she looks up at him from below.

    She sees one ck eye and one blue eye.

    ¡¸Ah...¡¹

    His left eye is the same as Kurono¡¯s, the color of the hell¡¯s darkness itself. His right eye is the same shade of sky-blue as that of her own eyes.

    Lily is unable to take her view off these odd-colored eyes.

    Of course, the man has also noticed that she is staring rather than averting her gaze.

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll fix it for you right away.¡¹

    Perhaps he has interpreted her staring as a sign of a child¡¯s uneasiness; he gives a gentle smile with these reassuring words.

    He has both masculinity and beauty and smiles with an expression simr to that of of that of ancient, famous heroes. Being unsure of his gender, Lily ispletely fascinated with him.

    It is a wonderful smile that even Kurono could not possibly replicate, though Lily would never acknowledge this.

    Her mind is filled with an indescribable sense of difort.

    The man¡¯s appearance is such a perfect pr opposite to Kurono¡¯s that one would think that this is some kind of conspiracy.

    His blonde hair is in contrast to Kurono¡¯s ck and his eyes are a reflection of Kurono¡¯s ¨C Kurono¡¯s right eye is ck while his is blue, and he has a ck left eye in ce of the red one that Kurono received from the god Mia.

    ¡¸Hold out your hand.¡¹

    In the short time that Lily¡¯s thoughts regarding this mysterious man have gone in a circr pattern, it seems that he has finished his preparations to heal her as he said he would.

    In his hand is bottle full of a transparent, water-like fluid.

    However, despite its colorless, transparent appearance, Lily can guess this is a potion because of the sparkling particles of light dissolved in it.

    No, even the child-form Lily immediately knows exactly what it is.

    Because she has used the same potion herself in the past.

    ¡¸How is it? It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, right?¡¹

    As several drops of the potion are poured onto Lily¡¯s palm, which resembles a red autumn leaf, the wound disappearspletely.

    It is not on the level of the wound being repaired or closed ¨C the wound has simply vanished in the blink of an eye.

    Even though it was just a small graze from falling over, the sheer speed of the regeneration demonstrated by the potion proves that it is one of exceptionally high quality.

    No; it cannot be called high-grade or superior. Fiona had said this about it in the past -

    ¡¸It is the most amazing potion in existence, at least in the continent of Ark.¡¹

    Indeed; in conclusion, this is unmistakably the highest-grade potion, known as ¨C

    ¡¸... Elixir.¡¹

    ¡¸Quite knowledgeable, aren¡¯t you? Even though you¡¯re small, you¡¯re still a Priest.¡¹

    This man should have no idea what Lily is thinking, but he pats the top of her head, which is currently ck, as if praising her.

    Lily cannot tell if he is intending to be rude; in fact, she cannot read any of his emotions with her telepathy.

    Is it a strong Protection? No, it is something else. Something different to Fiona¡¯s defense, which Lily pictures to be like a solid wall. This is more like a fog that does not allow any of his true feelings to be detected, some abstract shield with no form.

    Lily has never felt this sensation of her telepathy being eluded before, causing her confusion to deepen.

    ¡¸Next time, make sure you look in front of you as you walk.¡¹

    It has taken less than a minute for him to heal her wound and pat her head.

    Having aplished what he wanted to, the man stands up and turns to leave.

    ¡¸See you then, cute Fairy-san.¡¹

    And with a wave of his gray robe, he passes through the great gates of Avalon, departing for an unknown destination.

    Lily stares nkly as he leaves, and then suddenly whispers to herself.

    ¡¸Huh, Lily... I have a feeling someone was talking to you just now...¡¹

    As she looks restlessly around at her surroundings, she sees only an increased amount of pedestrian traffic in the za; the everyday sight of a morning in Avalon.

    Something just happened, someone was here ¨C but for some reason, Lily is unable to recall the events that happened just a few moments earlier.

    No, did something happen here? Nothing should have happened.

    ¡¸Hmm, huh~?¡¹

    Lily lets out confused noises as she tilts her head.

    ¡¸Sorry for keeping you waiting, Lily-san. Shall we get going, then?¡¹

    Fiona appears at that moment, riding their cherishedrge, ck horse with a paper bag full of food in her hands.

    She is riding without holding the reins.

    ¡¸Ah! Fiona, you¡¯rete!¡¹

    ¡¸We¡¯re still in disguise, so you have to call me onee-chan.¡¹

    ¡¸Muki~!¡¹

    TLN: Noise of discontent.

    Lily has already forgotten her confusion over her vague memories and throws herself at herpletely unapologetic, childish ¡°onee-chan¡±.

    However, they have finally assembled the transport they need to leave Avalon, so they pass through the great gates to head towards Spada, where their beloved person awaits.

 Chapter 317 The Royal Castle of Spada

    There is no conclusion in sight for the war council taking ce in the assembly hall of Spada¡¯s royal pce, even as the sun begins to set.

    The topic of discussion is the force that has suddenly appeared and taken control over the neighboring country of Daidalos, the ones that call themselves the¡ºCrusaders.¡»

    There is critically important concern to be had regarding the nation¡¯s security, so it is not unexpected for heated arguments to be urring.

    ¡¸¨C We should make the first move.¡¹

    The one advocating for a pre-emptive strike is Emilia Friedrich Bardiel, whomands the second battalion of Spada¡¯s army, known as the¡ºTempest.¡»

    The many brave women of the Bardiel house, one of the Four Great Houses of Spada, have a fierce, intimidating presence. Even veteran knights would be unable to speak any words other than ¡°yes¡± if she were to re at them.

    ¡¸And how many times do I have to tell you that it¡¯s too difficult... Ah, jeez, the discussion¡¯s just going in a circle, isn¡¯t it...¡¹

    However, a young man reluctantly gives her this reply, with an expression showing more fatigue than direct opposition to her suggestion.

    He is none other than Aisenhart Tristan Spada, the first prince of Spada, vice-captain of the first battalion of Spada¡¯s army, known as¡ºBraveheart.¡»

    Scratching the head of red hair that he inherited from his father as if in defeat, he nces towards the council leader¡¯s seat. Sitting there is the silent figure of his father, the King of Spada, Leonhart Tristan Spada.

    Casting a sharp gaze over the assembly hall with a grim expression in his golden eyes, it appears that he has the dignity that one would expect of a country¡¯s king. But in his mind, he is surely feeling frustration at this seemingly endless argument.

    Aisenhart half-jokingly imagines that if the king is not allowed some practice swings with his sword to distract himself, he is simply going to use his authority to announce,¡¸Depart for the frontlines at once!¡¹and leave.

    In other words, the son knows very well that his father is not very good at using his brain.

    ¡¸... Haah.¡¹

    King Leonhart is not the only one to be fed up with this situation. Aisenhart is also frustrated, and there is no doubt that the same is true for the generals of the Spada army gathered here, as well as the high-ranked officers in attendance.

    General Emilia, whose opinion is in opposition to his, is surely feeling fatigue in both her mind and body, even if she is not showing it on her face.

    Though they are unable to decide on a n, they need to at least reach some kind ofpromise at this war council.

    Letting out another small sigh, Aisenhart expresses his viewpoint.

    ¡¸General Emilia, I understand how effective a pre-emptive strike can be, but surely these circumstances are not suitable for that?¡¹

    Aisenhart believes that they should focus on defense rather than on attacking.

    ¡¸I wondered whether I should say this here, but it seems we won¡¯t get anywhere if I don¡¯t, so I will speak my mind. You¡¯re trying to say that the problem lies not with us, the army of Spada, but with the other countries, right?¡¹

    ¡¸... You¡¯re saying that we should wait to hear the opinions of our allies?¡¹

    Emilia is not in a military position just for show. Though she possesses overwhelming power, she also has intelligence to match her cool, beautiful looks.

    She already understands the point that is being made. No, like Aisenhart, she has been avoiding mentioning it directly, but she had imagined that this would be the case from the start.

    ¡¸Aneki* is in Fauren, and in any case, they owe us for the ve trader incident. I¡¯m sure it will go well.¡¹

    TLN*: Older sister

    Spada and Fauren were once engaged in fierce territorial battles over thend in the Iskia region, but now they are known as the two city-states with the deepest mutual understanding of each other.

    The¡¸Aneki¡¹Aisenhart speaks of is none other than Spada¡¯s first princess. She married the first prince of Fauren, strengthening the rtionship between the two countries during the earlier days of Leonhart¡¯s reign.

    If Spada required the help of allied countries, without a doubt, the first to offer their assistance would be Fauren.

    But at the same time, there is no other country that can be relied on apart from Fauren. The next best candidate would be the country that lies in the opposite direction.

    ¡¸It has to be Avalon after all, but that¡¯s probably going to be a bit difficult.¡¹

    In response to Aisenhart¡¯s words, Emilia¡¯s beautiful eyebrows twist into a frown, as if to say that she already knows that.

    ¡¸To think that the Demon King¡¯s territory is upied by peace-loving fools now. How sad.¡¹

    The city-states at the center of the continent of Pandora have enjoyed a long period of peace.

    It is not the result of the people¡¯s virtuous hearts and desire to avoid conflict, but that of constant diplomatic efforts and incredible bnce of military power.

    Of course, during such an extended era of peace, the fundamental desire to avoid war takes root in the heart of the citizens, but if arge shift in the bnce of power were to ur, the mes of war would undoubtedly be rekindled.

    That is why, up until now, Spada has adopted a defensive policy against Daidalos.

    The Dragon King Garvinal¡¯s ambition to unite all of Pandora is a famous tale. Therefore, if it came to a defensive battle, it would be simple to gain the cooperation of allied countries, starting with Avalon.

    TLN*: Previously tranted as Gaevinal.

    There is no need to worry about the future consequences of a battle in self-defense. This is one of the major reasons that Spada has been able to repel the armies of Daidalos.

    However, Daidalos, which every allied nation unanimously designated as an enemy, has fallen and been reced by another military force. With that being the case, the allied nations may not agree that this new force is an enemy.

    In short, the other countries must make a new decision from scratch as to whether they wish to support Spada now.

    ¡¸We need to be even more cautious of the Crusaders than we were of Daidalos. They are barbarians who do not understand the etiquette ofbat.¡¹

    The messenger they sent earlier, as Leonhart suspected, never returned.

    Perhaps Garvinal really revered the legend of the old Demon King; he paid strong attention to the rules of battle.

    A proper deration of war was a given, but he even went as far as to set a time and date for decisive battles. On top of that, he even issued challenges for one-on-onebat between the heads of countries, a custom that is very out-of-date among the modern city-states.

    Strangely, King Leonhart epted the challenge every time; his actions and strength are abnormal.

    In any case, when messengers from Spada arrived, Garnival would definitely not kill them. On the contrary, he would wee them with warm hospitality, carefully listen to the message and send them back with a handwritten reply.

    Showing no response to a messenger is not only rude, but downright ominous.

    At least sending the messenger¡¯s severed head back would deliver a clear message of hostility. But Aisenhart is not foolish enough to say this out loud.

    ¡¸The Ghad mountain range was certainly in a terrible state ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Calling it terrible would be an understatement; that was clearly a bloodbath.¡¹

    The reason that Emilia knows the threat that the Crusaders pose better than anyone else she has seen the remnants of their battles with her own eyes.

    It was about three months ago, at the start of the Month of New mes (Hatsuhi). A messenger arrived in Spada bringing a request for aid, bearing a signature from every vige in Daidalos.

    At the time, Spada was already aware that there were signs of war in Daidalos, but they were unsure of what exactly was going on.

    They were only able to get decisive information regarding the situation when this messenger arrived.

    King Leonhart quickly decided to dispatch reinforcements. On the same day, the second battalion,¡ºTempest¡», which has the mobility of its cavalry, was given this royalmand.

    And so, the group of knights led by Emilia arrived at the highway in the Ghad mountain range to witness the aftermath of a gruesome massacre.

    ¡¸Well, calm down. I know your precious younger brother was in danger, so I understand that you had no choice ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Aik!¡¹

    TLN: This is a nickname for Aisenhart

    ¡¸My apologies, Emilia-senpai. That was a slip of the tongue.¡¹

    A little of the tension in the room is released.

    It is well-known that Emilia is Aisenhart¡¯s senpai, having been one year above him at the Royal Spada Academy. To be more specific, the tales of their heroic deeds that they performed while enrolled at the academy are well-known.

    Above all, it is well-known that Aisenhart would be no match for his senpai Emilia. Therefore, he cannot raise anyints when she uses her nickname for him with no honorific.

    ¡¸In any case, we¡¯re taking maximum precautions against the Crusaders. That huge old man, Baphomet, isn¡¯t here. Isn¡¯t that enough proof for you?¡¹

    ¡¸... Certainly, I have heard that General Gezenbool has entered Ghad Fort.¡¹

    Just half a month ago, King Leonhart returned from his inspection of Ghad Fort and made another quick decision, this time to strengthen its defenses.

    The one who was selected to fulfil this duty is General Gezenbool of the Baphomet family, which is renowned as a family of high-ss demons.

    ¡¸On top of that, we¡¯ve gathered airborne forces like Dragons, Pegasuses and Griffons from all over Spada. Of course, we¡¯ll be able to keep an eye on things and respond in time in an emergency situation.¡¹

    The fact that they have gathered the valuable airborne forces is a sign that the nation is in a state of alert, as if war might break out the very next day.

    It is proof that King Leonhart will never underestimate the threat posed by the Crusaders.

    ¡¸But looking at it another way, you could say that this is all that Spada is capable of right now.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah. A pre-emptive strike is not an option.¡¹

    Emilia speaks bluntly, but Aisenhart does not deny her statement or make any excuses. He confirms that it is true. There is no meaning in trying to deceive her in regards to this; it is a simple fact that is not even worth arguing over.

    If Spada were to make a pre-emptive strike now, other countries would see it as an invasion of Daidalos¡¯s territory.

    The problem is not that this would be criticized as some unwarranted act of aggression. In fact, it is likely that it would be viewed as such. But the real problem is the potential expansion of Spada¡¯s territory.

    It is clear to everyone that if the vastnds of Daidalos were to be annexed by Spada, it would destroy the bnce of power between the nations.

    Spada has no intention of doing so, as this would be a truly troublesome oue. Even if Daidalos properly surrendered itsnds to Spada, it would undoubtedly cause conflict.

    ¡¸I know that it seems foolish to just sit here and make preparations for the enemy¡¯s attack, but we have no choice, you see?¡¹

    In other words, there is no option but to focus on Spada¡¯s defense.

    The Crusaders¡¯ upation of Daidalos is a recent event. With that being the case, it is difficult to say if all of their defense ns are already in ce. Whether they would focus on defense, attack or even on ruling over the upiednds, each of these options would require time and preparation.

    ¡¸There is also information that there have been signs of rebellion within Daidalos¡¯s territory.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah. We don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s a rebel army formed from the remains of the country¡¯s army that was defeated or just a group of bandits, but there¡¯s no doubt that there¡¯s chaos everywhere.¡¹

    That is why if an attack was made with this timing, there is a high chance that they would be able topletely annihte the Crusaders. They could even possibly fly the national g of Spada on the royal castle of Daidalos by the end of the year.

    However, the consequences of such arge victory for Spada are something that nobody wishes for.

    ¡¸But in the end, we won¡¯t change what we¡¯ve been doing up until now, because we can¡¯t.¡¹

    After all, the Crusaders would eventually be seen as the second Daidalos.

    Spada would just need to adopt a defense n and act as a shield for all of the city-states.

    At the very least, this would result in the long-term preservation of Pandora¡¯s peace. Even Spada does not wish for the current situation to change.

    ¡¸We have no choice, huh... However, in any case, there will be a war with the Crusaders. The enemy¡¯s forward base was in Alzas, if I¡¯m not mistaken? We should at least make the first move there ¨C no, at leasty the groundwork for it, just enough that we would not have the me put on us when the timees.¡¹

    ¡¸I agree with that. Let¡¯s have our diplomat do his best to make Avalon¡¯s imperial courts tremble!¡¹

    An agreement of opinions is finally in sight.

    And then, as the timees for King Leonhart, who has been listening to the various arguments in silence, to fulfil his role as the leading authority in the council ¨C

    ¡¸Your Majesty, there has been an emergency report.¡¹

    A royal guard quietly appears beside the king and whispers into his ear.

    The sight of the king receiving a report is visible to the whole assembly hall, even if the others cannot hear what is being reported. The officers begin to murmur quietly amongst themselves, wondering what this could be.

    They wait in tension, but the report is over in less than a minute.

    The king suddenly stands up from his seat and raises his voice in amanding tone, as if he were on a battlefield.

    ¡¸Depart for the frontlines at once!¡¹

 Chapter 318 Spada

    Note from the trantor:

    Hey guys, Yoshi here. I guess I have to make a statement about the whole EnTruce situation, so here it is.

    When EnTruce tranted chapter 317, I stopped tranting this series because it is obviously not productive to be tranting a series that is already being tranted. I waited two whole weeks to see how much he would actually trante. He has not released a single chapter since, despite his promise that there are ¡°four chaptersing¡± (I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve read that exact same line already).

    Well, since EnTruce hasn¡¯t delivered on his promise, I have. Here are four chapters as an apology for not tranting any for three weeks. This includes my own trantion for chapter 317, as there are errors in EnTruce¡¯s trantion, not only in the English grammar but the trantion itself as well. If you read both versions you¡¯ll notice that some of his sentences have significantly different meanings from what I have written.

    I know that some people that still support EnTruce will be reading this because they like the series and read it quietly withoutmenting, even if they hold a grudge against me for ¡°taking¡± the series from him. For those people, I encourage you to try to convince him to focus on his other series (Ore Dorei, Maken no Daydreamer) since the readers of those series are beingpletely neglected. Like I said before, it¡¯s pointless for two trantors to be tranting the same series. But while that¡¯s true, if I don¡¯t trante Kuro no Maou, I don¡¯t really think that anyone could reasonably say that it is ¡°being tranted¡±. If EnTruce really does want to trante, the best oue for everyone would be if he focuses on his other series (which I can¡¯t trante).

    To the kind readers that support me, thank you very much and I hope to keep your support in the future!

    While I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll take the opportunity to shamelessly promote my other series, which is a new one. It¡¯s called ¡°The Death Mage that doesn¡¯t want a fourth time¡±. It¡¯s a really great series (at least so far, we¡¯ve only had the prologue and two chapters), so please check it out if you haven¡¯t already!

    Shoutout to my godlike editor Tamamo once again for making this release possible.

    Enjoy the chapters!

    Yoshi

    Five days after departing from Iskia Fortress, Seria finally arrives in Spada.

    She is not wearing her usual maid uniform, but rather equipment suited to her original ss, the Assassin.

    The ck, full-body suit that increases her physical ability and grants resistance against all elements is torn, with dark stains in various ces where her blood had flowed over it. A wristband is all that remains of her left gauntlet.

    She has administered first-aid treatment to herself, but it does not change the fact that she is in a terrible state.

    With one nce, even the citizens of Spada simply walking around can clearly see that she has just lived through a battle; an extraordinarily difficult one at that.

    However, the trials that she faced on the way here are already a thing of the past, and she has just finished carrying out the tasks her master had given her.

    In other words, she has delivered an emergency quest to the adventurers¡¯ guild and just a moment ago, she made a request for reinforcements directly to His Majesty, King Leonhart, in the royal pce.

    From here on, it would be the work of the King, whomands the armies of Spada.

    Seria¡¯s mission as a messenger isplete. The King himself has expressed his gratitude and asked her to rest.

    But it was not an order, so Seria decides to postpone her rest in order to carry out her master¡¯s ¡°request¡±.

    ¡¸Now then, it would be good if Kurono-sama were at the Academy...¡¹

    Seria, who has left the royal pce still dressed in her bloodstained Assassin¡¯s clothes, guesses where Kurono, the person she is looking for, might be.

    The sun has long since set, and the veil of darkness has descended upon Spada.

    Thinking about it properly, school hours are over so Kurono should be at the ce he sleeps, the Academy¡¯s dormitories.

    However, it is not as if he has promised to be in the dormitories; it cannot be said for certain that he is there. Perhaps he had other things to do today.

    There is the possibility that, while the female members of his party are not present, he has taken the opportunity to visit Spada¡¯s red-light district.

    If he is not in the dormitories, it will be impossible to find him in the enormous downtown area within a single night, even for Seria, the all-purpose maid capable of housework, battle, secret intelligence services and messenger duties.

    Preparing herself for the worst case scenario, having to wait for Kurono to return in the morning, Seria proceeds along the straight main road leading away from the royal pce.

    But as she takes her first step, a voice calling the name¡¸Kurono¡¹, the one she is searching for, echoes out.

    She immediately eliminates the possibility that she has misheard due to the fact that his name is repeated, twice, three times.

    ¡¸This is...ing from the Grand Coliseum?¡¹

    Before her is the enormous, circr arena that is Spada¡¯s most famous building. Although it is in the middle of the night, light ising from the building.

    The wildly enthusiastic cheering echoing out from the Coliseum is unmistakably calling out Kurono¡¯s name.

    ¡¸Ah, I see. The Curse Carnival, is it?¡¹

    Rather than being surprised, understanding and emotion surface to her mind first.

    She already knows that Kurono likes to use cursed weapons. She also knows that their power is strong enough to face a Rank 5 monster head-on.

    With that being the case, it would not be at all out of character for Kurono to participate in the Curse Carnival, nor is it unexpected for him to be performing well.

    ¡¸Kurono-sama is a person who generally stands out, after all.¡¹

    Whispering this, Seria runs like the wind, heading directly for the lively Grand Coliseum.

    Lily and Fiona have finallypleted their four-day journey back to Spada.

    As expected of a big city, itsrge main gates are still wide open despite it being the middle of the night, with peopleing and going.

    The two of them easily pass through the well-lit gates with one sh of their Guild Cards.

    There is no point in disguising themselves any longer; they returned to their original appearances after passing Dakia Vige.

    They are no longer pilgrim sisters; they are now a witch and a Fairy, members of the Rank 3 party,¡ºElement Masters¡»¨C the exact identities engraved on their Guild Cards.

    And so, they step into the city of Spada for the first time in two weeks.

    ¡¸Well then, shall we go to the dormitories right away?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah~ Kurono~!¡¹

    With their emotional reunion finally within their reach, the two of them are in soaring spirits.

    In the middle of the main road, which is still crowded with people, Fiona raises the whip to strike Marie with all her strength, fully intent on proceeding at maximum speed. Lily does not stop her; in fact, she is cheering Fiona on.

    If they are not careful, they will be arrested for reckless driving, but they are already past the state where they are capable of showing concern over such matters. They have exceeded their limits of being able to hold themselves back.

    And as they are about to begin moving at a rocket-like speed ¨C

    ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s dangerous!¡¹

    ¡¸You morons! How fast do you think you¡¯re going!¡¹

    The voices of the angry citizens of Spada rise from in front of them.

    ¡¸Jeez, to think that someone would have their horse run at full speed on such a crowded road. I suppose there are troublesome people like that out there, after all.¡¹

    ¡¸There are, aren¡¯t there?¡¹

    Ignoring their original intention to do the exact same thing, Lily and Fiona make dry remarks about this reckless person.

    The main road is divided into a road for carriages and such and a footpath for pedestrians, but at night, the traffic consists almost entirely of people on foot.

    Therefore, a horse or carriage moving at full speed would create a situation such as this one, where they are barely managing to avoid a collision.

    Lily and Fiona are not interested enough to try to see the face of this reckless person who is either in a big hurry or simply a fool. It appears that their destination is the great main gates behind Lily and Fiona.

    The ck body of a horse emerges from the crowd, somehow not running down a single pedestrian, either through incredible horse-handling technique or pure luck.

    But as it draws close, Lily and Fiona nce in its direction.

    The horse, moving like a gust of ck wind, passes within several meters of their side. As their paths cross ¨C

    ¡¸We¡¯re going to get through the main gates in one movement, hold tight, Nell!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-san!¡¹

    The two of them hear that unmistakable voice, the figure of the one spurring on therge ck horse.

    ¡¸Eh...?¡¹

    ¡¸... Kurono?¡¹

    The fluttering ck clothes, ck hair and the single shining, crimson eye.

    The two of them would normally be overjoyed at this unexpected meeting with Kurono, but what they feel instead is a seething difort from the pits of their stomachs.

    ¡¸Just who might that woman be?¡¹

    ¡¸Who is that woman?¡¹

    As the two of them confirmed that the person they saw was Kurono, they saw her. Even if they didn¡¯t want to see her, they did. Unfortunately, they have seen her.

    The woman clinging to Kurono¡¯s sturdy back with a spellbound, happy expression.

    Everyone¡¯s ideal princess, with her sweet, tidy appearance and a pair of pure-white wings protruding from her back.

    ¡¸We shouldn¡¯t have left Kurono¡¯s side for so long, after all.¡¹

    Yes, that was ¨C

    ¡¸See, there was an undesirable insect attached to him.¡¹

    An enemy.

    An enemy, even more unforgivable than the Crusaders or Apostles.

    But simply killing her would not solve the problem. She as the most difficult kind of enemy in this world ¨C a romantic rival.

    ¡¸Yes, you are right.¡¹

    As if reflecting the ck, muddy emotions swirling around inside their hearts, the light in their eyes begin to dim.

    Their feelings of difort have already proceeded to be unpleasant feelings of hatred.

    They only saw her, Nell Julius Elroad, for a single moment. But that image of her is burned into their eyes.

    Nell, who was wrapping her arms around Kurono¡¯s waist as if hugging him, and pressing herrge chest against Kurono¡¯s back with an enchanted look in her eyes.

    That was not the pure look of a princess, but that of a vulgar woman with a sexual urge ¨C

    ¡¸... She is my enemy, isn¡¯t she?¡¹

    On the day of her date with Kurono, the unforgettable 13th of the Month of Red me (Kouen), Fiona had sat in that exact spot.

    But there is no way she can realize that at that time, she had the exact same expression that Nell was wearing.

    ¡¸¨C Fiona.¡¹

    As Fiona¡¯s anger was reaching the point that her vision was about to bepletely red with rage, Lily calls her name in a cold voice.

    ¡¸Yes, I know, Lily-san.¡¹

    Fiona is calm only on the outside as she pulls the reins, knowing what must be done next.

    Marie¡¯s body shudders, as if she can sense the dangerous aura floating from her master. And then she turns around hastily, as if her life depended on it.

    With a 180-degree turn, they rotate away from the royal pce of Spada looming in the distance to face the great main gates that they just passed through.

    ¡¸Go after Kurono, right now!¡¹

 Chapter 319 The White Wings Prologue

    I have realized that Kurono-kun is no good unless I am by his side.

    I know that Kurono-kun is a strong, handsome, kind, wonderful man.

    At the Academy, everyone speaks badly of him, but I know the true Kurono-kun. Only I know. It is fine that others don¡¯t know; in fact, it is better off that way.

    But Kurono-kun is no good, after all ¨C

    ¡¸Sorry about this Nell, I hurt myself pretty badly...¡¹

    He pushes himself incredibly hard.

    You can¡¯t do that, please stop, it¡¯s dangerous, please don¡¯t fight dangerous opponents like someone who possesses the Hydra family¡¯s Demon Eyes.

    That¡¯s why, I mean, because I didn¡¯t stop him, Kurono-kun¡¯s right arm is ¨C I¡¯m scared, what if it happens again?

    If Kurono pushes himself again, somewhere out of my sight, somewhere my hands won¡¯t reach, then next time for sure...

    I was anxious, just so anxious, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t separate my hands, my arms, my body, from the right arm that I healed.

    Even though I finished treating him long ago, I even told the lie that he still needed more healing.

    I can¡¯t bear it, this anxiousness, this fear of Kurono throwing himself into a dangerous fight again all by himself.

    He will never stop fighting. It¡¯s not because he¡¯s an adventurer.

    ¡¸There are some guys that I need to kill, no matter what.¡¹

    There is a concrete purpose that he cannot give up, though he wouldn¡¯t tell me what it was.

    He definitely has determination and won¡¯t change his mind no matter what I say ¨C no matter what anyone says.

    Therefore, I havee to this decision.

    If Kurono-kun continues to push himself, I just have to be there to help him.

    ¡¸... Kurono-kun.¡¹

    We¡¯re sitting on a bed in the Grand Coliseum¡¯s infirmary, with our bodies close together.

    If I want to say it, there¡¯s no other time to say it but now.

    ¡¸You know, I ¨C¡¹

    I will be your partner, Kurono-kun.

    Not your party member, but your partner. That is what pairs of adventurers who work together call each other.

    It seems you belong to a party known as the¡ºElement Masters¡», but party members who would abandon Kurono-kun to conduct their own activities do not amount to much.

    I¡¯m sure they only trust each other as much as a temporary party, anyway.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be your partner.

    I¡¯ll quit Wing Road.

    I don¡¯t have any regrets. That is not where I belong; it is merely somewhere I was ¡°allowed to be¡±.

    Onii-sama protected me; Sharl was worried for me; Kai-san and Safi-san took care of me.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be fine now.

    From now on, I¡¯ll fight for the person that truly needs me.

    I¡¯ll devote myself to Kurono-kun.

    I¡¯m Kurono-kun¡¯s number one.

 Chapter 320 Bad person

    ¡¸The open-field exercise was cancelled due to a Rank 5 monster attack.¡¹

    The person who interrupted Nell¡¯s confession of a lifetime delivers an emergency report that Nell has to admit is important enough to interrupt it.

    The light, happy feeling that filled Nell¡¯s head until just moments earlier, simr to the drunkenness she once experienced after identally drinking alcohol, has already vanished like mist.

    Even so, she is still obstinately snuggling against Kurono¡¯s right arm.

    ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹

    ¡¸Full details are written here.¡¹

    Of course, from her current position, Nell is able to read the quest form that was handed to Kurono as he reads it himself.

    ¡¸As you can see, Iskia Fortress is currently in a state of crisis. Prince Wilhart has royally requested that you ept this emergency quest, Kurono-sama.¡¹

    This shocking information is more than enough to surprise Nell.

    Nell¡¯s head is clear enough to realize that a request for aid has probably already been formally made to the Knights¡¯ Order and Adventurers¡¯ Guild as well.

    If this information is urate, the enemy is a Rank 5 monster leading an army of countless monsters.

    Even if Wing Road is there, it is not a situation that they can ovee with just the four of them.

    Even if this Greed-Gore were only as powerful as the Wrath-Pun that they defeated before, with other monsters assisting it, it would probably be impossible to defeat it even if Nell returned to reform the full party.

    No, it is much simpler than that.

    (Even Wing Road, even Onii-sama can¡¯t defeat it...)

    Nell is aware of just how much of a problematic situation this is.

    However, what she should have felt right after this realization, the worry for her older brother, her best friend, her party members ¨C

    ¡¸It is an unofficial quest that has not yet been approved by the guild, but may I ask you to ept it?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course! I¡¯m heading there right now, so you better be alive and waiting for me, Will, Simon!¡¹

    Her own feelings are washed away by the torrent of emotions transmitted from Kurono via her telepathy.

    Nell was born with telepathy, but she cannot read a person¡¯s emotion well without direct contact. Her telepathy¡¯s effectiveness pales inparison to the Characteristic Ability of Fairies and such.

    However, Kurono¡¯s arm is currently in her firm grasp. He is experiencing great emotions, and Nell is able to see therge amount of information thates with it.

    Not only is she able to feel his emotions, but she sees clear pictures that allow her to catch a glimpse of the memories rted to it.

    In other words, Nell sees that.

    (Th-this is...)

    It is too vivid and too violent; all of Nell¡¯s consciousness is drawn to it, making her forget about her other concerns.

    (¨C Kurono-kun¡¯s trauma.)

    This is perhaps some rural vige.

    There are lines of wooden houses, and among them is a three-story building that stands out. This building seems to be the Adventurers¡¯ Guild serving this deste ce.

    If there were people walking about beneath clear blue skies with farming tools in their hands, this would be a peaceful, quiet scene that could be witnessed anywhere on the continent of Pandora.

    However, Nell¡¯s vision is filled with the red color of raging mes.

    The vige is burning.

    ¡¸Shit... Damn it...¡¹

    She can hear Kurono¡¯s voice.

    But she cannot see him. This is Kurono¡¯s memory, so the image that she sees is from his point of view. Unless there is a mirror somewhere, she would not be able to see him.

    Nell is looking upon this scene through Kurono¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t protect this vige, I couldn¡¯t protect my friends...¡¹

    Could this vige that is being consumed by the zing, merciless mes be Kurono¡¯s home?

    In front of his eyes are crosses upon which people have been crucified. Just how serious are the crimes that these people havemitted?

    There is not just one, but many of them, lined up like gravestones.

    As if being offered as sacrifices to an evil god by a terrible witch, the crucified people are engulfed in roaring mes.

    The figures of the crucified people are hidden behind the crimson fire, but the one at the very front, a young, female cat-person*, is visible.

    TLN*: Previously tranted as cat beastman which is technically literally correct, but sounds absolutely terrible.

    She and the others that are burning on the crosses behind her are surely Kurono¡¯s friends.

    (Th-this is terrible... S-such a thing...)

    Though Nell is a princess, she is also a Rank 5 adventurer; she is used to seeing people die.

    While gruesome corpses that have been partially eaten by monsters are not pleasant to see, she can look at them directly without having to avert her eyes.

    However, this scene is not some disaster that has been caused by a monster¡¯s behavioral instincts.

    Thisplete massacre and destruction is the work of humans, a result of their evil intent.

    (... War.)

    Cruel, atrocious, tragic ¨C there are countless words to describe the scene. For the first time in her life, Nell is witnessing the absolute worst of what humans are capable of doing to each other, though she is doing so through someone else¡¯s eyes.

    At the same time, she understands that this is the reason that Kurono harbors a desire for revenge in the depths of his heart.

    However, this is only half-correct.

    ¡¸This... this is too much... Everyone¡¯s dead...¡¹

    As Kurono weeps and murmurs these grim words, the surrounding mes suddenly billow upwards as if in a storm, forcing him to close his eyes.

    But before Nell can feel the heat, her vision clears up.

    The scene has changed, and now she is standing on a highway somewhere.

    The outlines of mountains in the distance are the Ghad mountain range, perhaps.

    If that is the case, this is unlikely to be some foreignnd far from Spada.

    The sun is setting, and the sky¡¯s surface is a bright red.

    The ground beneath her feet, as if mirroring the sky, is also a deep crimson color.

    (Eh, that¡¯s, this is ¨C)

    ¡¸Shit! Damn it! Was I not able to protect anyone this time, either...?¡¹

    The freshly spilled blood dying the road red is a sign of the horrible manner in which the bodies have been destroyed.

    There is not a single intact corpse.

    Three headless female archers are lying side-by-side.

    There are bodies whose skeletons have been pulverized, leaving only their ck robes in one piece.

    The cracked red orbs rolling around on the ground are likely to be Slime cores.

    And in front of Kurono¡¯s eyes, there is arge Wolf-man with arge sword piercing his chest who has been crucified against the ground¡¯s surface.

    As Kurono stands amidst this carnage, he whispers, as ifing to a realization.

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s my fault... that everyone is dead.¡¹

    The feeling of despair that Kurono felt that day pierces Nell¡¯s heart.

    (It¡¯s not your fault, Kurono-kun! You did nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all!)

    As Kurono¡¯s feelings flow into her, Nell¡¯s shouts go unheard in this memory of his that she is seeing.

    Since she is seeing only a tiny part of his memory, she does not know the circumstances that led to Kurono arriving at the scene of this bloodbath.

    Even so, she cannot hold herself back from shouting, from denying his own words to himself.

    How could Kurono, who has been thrown to the very bottom of a pit of despair, look upon this sight in silence?

    Whether it is out ofpassion, pity or hypocrisy, it does not matter. It does not matter at all; she needs to help Kurono, she needs to console him ¨C she feels a maddening urge to do so.

    (Ah, stop, please stop, please don¡¯t me yourself like that... You did your best after all, didn¡¯t you, Kurono-kun? I haven¡¯t seen it, but I know you have. You¡¯ve done your best, you fought the enemies desperately, didn¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that enough? You don¡¯t have to suffer so much. It¡¯s not your fault, Kurono-kun, Kurono-kun is ¨C)

    ¡¸How can you tell yourself that? ¡¹

    As if in response to her thoughts, Kurono denies them.

    Is it a coincidence? No, there is no doubt that Kurono had the exact same thoughts back then.

    He had those thoughts, but in the end, he spat out words to deny them.

    (No, you can¡¯t... You can¡¯t do that... If you do that, you¡¯ll suffer, you¡¯ll be hurt... That¡¯s just too much!)

    But it is a memory after all; there is no way that Nell¡¯s feelings will affect events that have already happened at some unknown time in the past.

    Even though she knows this, she cannot help but to pray for him.

    To pray for the wretched, defeated Kurono to be saved.

    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t... protect anyone.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s not true. You saved me, didn¡¯t you?¡¹

    And sure enough, words of salvation are spoken to Kurono.

    Before Nell realizes it, the scenery has changed once more.

    It is still evening, but the sky that is visible from here is thin and narrow.

    It seems that this ce is a dark, dirty, small alleyway in a slum.

    And the one extending a hand to save Kurono, who appears as if he might be crushed by his despair at any moment, is ¨C

    (Eh, who is that child?)

    There is a child with the ck hair and red eyes that should only be possessed by those with the blood of the old Demon King, Mia Elroad.

    In the present day, the only person who should have these features is her older brother, Nero.

    But it can be said withplete certainty that the child before Kurono¡¯s eyes is not Nero.

    Even if Nero somehow regressed his age to that of this child, his features would not resemble the child¡¯s at all. Nell has spent her childhood with him, and when shepares the child with the image of Nero from her memories, she ispletely sure that this is the case.

    This young child, whose neutral features make it impossible to tell whether they are a boy or a girl, smiles gently and continues to speak.

    ¡¸But you know, you came to save me, aplete stranger that you had never met before, without even thinking of abandoning me. You did the right thing; nobody can deny that, so you won¡¯t lose your way anymore. This time, you should be able to save everyone.¡¹

    Nell does not know what kind of history there is between Kurono and this strange child.

    ¡¸Thanks.¡¹

    But she knows from the single word that Kurono spoke that he was able to escape from the depths of despair that day.

    And so, Kurono became the Kurono that he is today.

    The Kurono who looks forward and earnestly pushes onward, showing no signs of his tragic past.

    As Nelles to this understanding ¨C

    ¡¸Well then, I will give you my divine protection ¨C but before that, fufu. To be peeking at other people¡¯s memories, my descendants do some bad things, don¡¯t they?¡¹

    (... Eh?)

    In the middle of this memory, the mysterious child speaks these words.

    The child is gazing directly at Kurono with his shining, deep crimson eyes.

    Yes, in this memory, the child is supposed to be looking at the Kurono of the past.

    (Eh, that¡¯s, this can¡¯t be... This child can see me?!)

    Nell feels a chill of fear.

    This is strange, impossible, there is no way this can happen. This is nothing more than a reconstructed memory.

    The telepathy user watching it is like a visitor at an art gallery, looking at a painting on disy.

    Just how has the artist be aware of a person who wille to view his art in the future?

    Theoretically, this is an unquestionably impossible, iprehensible, bizarre phenomenon. There is no way this can be happening.

    ¡¸Nell Julius Elroad, I¡¯ll have to ask you to forget the part that you saw here.¡¹

    But it seems that this is, beyond a doubt, reality.

    (Who are you?! Why are you inside Kurono-kun¡¯s ¨C)

    The deep crimson eyes of the mysterious - no, ominous child before Kurono begin to flicker.

    ¡¸It is too early for you to know. Goodbye.¡¹

    Nell¡¯s consciousness is forcefully suppressed ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Nell, get a hold of yourself.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, yes, Kurono-kun?¡¹

    As Nelles to her senses, she realizes that she has returned from the swirl of memories, back to reality.

    Just a moment earlier, she saw red ¨C

    (Red... what was it again?)

    In front of her now is Kurono¡¯s face, which possesses eyes with strangely different colors, one ck and one red.

    She was in a dreamy state of mind because of the telepathy, but she now realizes that she is still clinging to Kurono¡¯s right arm.

    Not that she has any intention of letting go now that she has be aware of it.

    ¡¸My arm is fine already, so you can let go of it now.¡¹

    Though disappointed, Nell loosens her fingers.

    Slowly but surely, Kurono¡¯s arm is released from Nell¡¯s grip.

    Nell is reluctant to let go, but as Kurono separates his arm from her of his own will, she has no choice.

    And there are other things she should be worrying about.

    ¡¸Umm, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    As Kurono stands up from the bed, Nell pulls on the still-intact left sleeve of his ck coat to stop him.

    ¡¸You¡¯re going out to help them, aren¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹

    Where he is going, who he wants to save, how he is going to do it ¨C none of this needs to be said. Kurono gives her a simple answer backed by his strong will.

    ¡¸I will go with you.¡¹

    Nell¡¯s words have the same determination.

    (I will be your strength, Kurono-kun. We¡¯re going to be partners from now on, after all... Ufufu.)

    Nell is not going to the battlefront for the sake of her brother, her best friend, her party members and certain not for the three hundred other academy students whose names she does not even know.

    She will fight for only one person, for Kurono.

    (I won¡¯t let Kurono-kun be alone anymore, I will be with him, forever by his side.)

    Though it was brief, Nell saw Kurono¡¯s tragic past with her own eyes.

    Are the feelings in her heart simply those ofpassion?

    Even she does not know the answer to that. But she knows for certain that she cannot leave Kurono alone, not after he has lost two close friends. Not after he has lost hispanions.

    Through inadvertently witnessing Kurono¡¯s trauma, her understanding of him and her feelings towards him have deepened.

    They have, without a doubt, reached the point of no return.

    (Kurono is someone who is going to push himself too far if he¡¯s alone, so I¡¯ll take care of him. Fufu, no matter how hard you push himself, I¡¯ll definitely heal you back up, Kurono-kun~)

    The ck Nightmare Berserker, standing atop a mountain of countless bloodied monster corpses, with a white-winged princess close to his side ¨C Nell imagines such a world where there are only the two of them.

    ¡¸I will go with you.¡¹

    Nell, who has grabbed a hold of the left sleeve of Diablo¡¯s Embrace, says this with a brave look, as if she¡¯se to a firm decision.

    ¡¸No way, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡¹

    I reply immediately. It¡¯s only natural; even if Nell is a Rank 5 adventurer, I can¡¯t drag her into danger with me so carelessly.

    Well, she¡¯s an amazing user of healing magic, so it would be reassuring if she came with me. But that would be too selfish for me to ask of her.

    So I clearly rejected her, but.

    ¡¸No, I will definitely be going with you. Just as you are going to save your friends, there is someone I must save as well.¡¹

    And now I realize just how foolish I am.

    ¡¸Is Wing Road there?¡¹

    This is a foolish question.

    Nell nods in response.

    Her older brother and her best friend. I once heard from Will that she has been best friends with Charlotte-chan since they were young. In short, people who are this important to her are in a desperate situation, trapped inside Iskia Fortress.

    I¡¯m not the only one who is impatient to get there and save them as soon as possible.

    There¡¯s no way that the kind Nell would sit quietly and wait while her family member and friends are in danger.

    She has her own strength. If she were the type who¡¯d sit and do nothing just because it¡¯ll be dangerous to fight, she wouldn¡¯t be an adventurer. On top of that, she¡¯s Rank 5, something that I can¡¯t even bepared to.

    How could I even think of telling Nell to stay here in Spada and wait?

    ¡¸Sorry, Nell, pleasee with me ¨C I mean, will you please lend me your strength?¡¹

    Yes, this is the request that I should be making.

    I don¡¯t want to lose my precious friends ever again.

    Just as Mia told me in the dark alleyway in Spada that day, I¡¯ll save my friends this time.

    I will do so using any means necessary.

    As if she doesn¡¯t know about my egoistic thoughts ¨C no, as if she knows but epts them ¨C Nell answers with her usual angelic smile.

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    In the end, I feel like I¡¯m being spoiled by her kindness. I wonder if I¡¯m a bad person after all.

    Seria is watching our conversation silently, but her gaze seems a little cold somehow. I wonder if it¡¯s just my imagination...

 Chapter 321 Merry runs

    ¡¸We¡¯re going to get through the main gates in one movement, hold tight, Nell!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    Merry, my beloved pitch-ck horse, hurtles down Spada¡¯s main road with incredible vigor and flies out through the enormous main gates.

    I can hear the guards shouting something at us, but I¡¯ve got the princess riding behind me, so it¡¯s probably fine to ignore them.

    Well, as long as I haven¡¯t been mistaken as a kidnapper... But I probably shouldn¡¯t be thinking about that when I¡¯m in such a hurry.

    After we eventually get out of the crowded city of Spada, I change our course to the wide, well-maintained highway. From this point, I can have Merry truly fly at full speed.

    With the feeling of a driver finally getting out of a packed street onto a motorway, I whip Merry to elerate.

    ¡¸You must run for goshuujin-sama¡¯s sake!¡¹

    Incidentally, I¡¯m using the tentacles of¡¸ck Hair Curse¡ºCoffin¡»¡¹as reins.

    I get the feeling that I heard the maid¡¯s violent voice, but in any case, Merry lets out a spirited neigh and her powerful legs pick up the pace.

    But this isn¡¯t the only thing that speeds her up.

    ¡¸Well then, Nell, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes!¡¹

    Nell is riding behind me like Fiona did during our date.

    I can feel her soft, warm body against my back, although right now, I feel not only that happy and embarrassing sensation, but ¨C

    ¡¸???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????¡¹

    With the elegant melody of her chant that sounds as if she¡¯s singing, the thick presence of her magical power envelops me ¨C no, envelops Merry and I.

    ¡¸¨C Speed High-Boost.¡¹

    Merry¡¯s speed doubles, showing the effects of Nell¡¯spleted spell.

    ¡¸... Amazing.¡¹

    I whisper without thinking, but I¡¯m breaking out in a cold sweat at this increase in speed that has exceeded my expectations. Marie is just as fast as Merry, but if they were to race now, Merry would win easily.

    I wonder how many kilometers per hour we¡¯re doing, but unfortunately there¡¯s no speedometer installed on the body of a horse, so from this sensation I can only say that we¡¯re going¡¸fast.¡¹

    Merry was running almost at full speed when we were on the main road, but even so, because I¡¯m quite used to riding horses at this point, I had theposure and technique to be able to avoid running any pedestrians over.

    However at the speed we¡¯re traveling at now, going straight is the only option; I don¡¯t have the confidence to be able to pull off any detailed maneuvers. In other words, if we had gone at this speed through the city, my ss would definitely have changed to hit-and-runner.

    Having Nell wait to use her speed boost until we were out on the highway was a good choice after all, no matter how much of a hurry we¡¯re in.

    ¡¸Fufu, thank you.¡¹

    That¡¯s her reply to myment that this is amazing. Nell whispers it into my ear with a slightly happy tone.

    I feel a momentary chill run down my spine; she¡¯s so close, to the point that I can feel her breathing.

    But since we¡¯re riding a horse running at this incredible speed, it¡¯s only natural that she¡¯s clinging onto me.

    My ck coat smells of blood slightly since I fought for my life at the Grand Coliseum not too long ago, and yet due to the danger of falling off the horse, there¡¯s no other option but for Nell to just endure it and hold on tight.

    That¡¯s why I feel guilty that I¡¯m feeling chills and my heart is beating fast, even though I¡¯m supposed to be the one in charge of the horse. I¡¯m really sorry, but this is the normal physiological reaction of any man.

    My feelings of guilt intensify as I think about how pure Nell is despite the fact that she¡¯s not a Fairy like Lily.

    ¡¸No, I should be the one thanking you. At this rate, we¡¯ll be able to reach Iskia Fortress way faster than I¡¯d expected.¡¹

    Shaking off my inappropriate feelings, I gave her a serious response.

    Nell is of the priest ss, which means her specialty is not only healing, as she demonstrated on my right arm, but also supporting allies through enhancement spells.

    And her Rank 5 title isn¡¯t just for show. Nell is demonstrating right now that her enhancement spells are just as powerful as her healing.

    The¡ºSpeed High-Boost¡»she cast is an intermediate-level enhancement spell, but I feel like it¡¯s been executed at a level above that, so I think it¡¯s exhibiting the effects of a high-level spell.

    The same spell can have very different results depending on the skill of the caster. It¡¯s the same as when Fiona uses her offensive spells.

    Well, in Fiona¡¯s case, it¡¯s more like a spontaneous discharge of her excess magical power while for Nell, her urate control over her magical power and borate spell form is what produces a perfected spell. So it¡¯s actually quite different.

    ¡¸We¡¯ll arrive within three ¨C no, two days, I guess.¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. You might have been able to get there faster if you were alone, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    Nell apologizes, and at the same time, for some reason, I get the feeling that her arms have tightened their grip around my waist.

    ¡¸It¡¯s true that I could have gone without sleep or rest if I were alone, but ¨C¡¹

    My body has the endurance and stamina to go a week without eating or drinking. I wonder just how hard those masked guys were nning to have me work; I feel the urge to murder them rise up... Well, I¡¯ll let it go for now.

    ¡¸¨C Either way, Merry would need to rest, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s much faster with you and your enhancement magic, Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸But I¡¯m... well, heavy, so...¡¹

    What¡¯s with that girly line?

    I feel like an idiot for answering seriously. But she¡¯s cute, so I have no choice but to forgive her.

    ¡¸You¡¯re not heavy enough to have to pay any attention to your weight.¡¹

    Lily, being a Fairy, doesn¡¯t even need to be mentioned, butparing Nell to Fiona, her figure is more... you know, morous; she definitely exceeds the standards of an average seventeen-year-old girl in Spada. Including the big wings on her back.

    But I can¡¯t say that. I can at least tell that that would be like stepping on an extrargend mine.

    ¡¸Yes... Since you said that, Kurono-kun, I won¡¯t worry about it.¡¹

    Nell sounds a little happy; it seems I chose my reply well.

    I feel her arms tightening around my waist again, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not because she¡¯s secretly angry at me or anything.

    She¡¯s clinging onto me awfully tightly, but we are traveling quite fast, so it¡¯s dangerous if she doesn¡¯t, I suppose.

    I feel bad for Nell, but we can¡¯t slow down here. We¡¯ll go at full speed like this until we get to Iskia!

    ¡¸Mmm... Kurono-kun... Ufufu.¡¹

    It seems that Nell is looking after me, even in her dreams. Seriously, I¡¯m no match for the devoted kindness of a princess.

    If she weren¡¯t here, I¡¯d still be going down the highway with bloodshot eyes.

    Not only that. Nell wields ¡°magic¡± that will be effective against the army of monsters. Our strength in battle is much greater than if I hade alone.

    ¡¸You ran well too, so thanks.¡¹

    Merry is sleeping as well.

    Nell applied not only the speed enhancing magic but also fatigue recovery and load-lightening magic, so the journey isn¡¯t taking too much of a toll on Merry.

    If I was alone, I wouldn¡¯t let Merry rest enough and she probably would have copsed.

    That¡¯s how much I¡¯mckingposure right now.

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll definitely make it in time... This time, for sure...¡¹

    Exactly one day has passed since we left Spada. It¡¯s now the evening of the 27th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin).

    We¡¯ve been riding almost all day and all night, and as a result, we¡¯re about halfway to Iskia Vige.

    If we keep this pace up, we¡¯ll arrive there in two more days, just as nned.

    We¡¯repletely ignoring the viges in between. Of course, we¡¯re not resting in an inn right now; we¡¯re camping outdoors in one of the thick forests that grow on both sides of the highway.

    Merry is sleeping with her tired legs folded up under her, and Nell is leaning against Merry¡¯srge body wrapped in a nket, breathing quietly and asionally mumbling sweet things in her sleep.

    Of course, it¡¯s my job to keep watch over them. At the same time, I¡¯m using this resting time to make sure my equipment is all in order.

    The right sleeve of¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»is still torn; it¡¯s going to need some more time to regenerate.

    It wouldn¡¯t look cool to go out to fight with my arm exposed, and I went out of my way to buy full-body armor to use in the fight against the Greed-Gore, so I¡¯ve decided to wear that.

    Though the crucial torso portion of it was left at the Stratos Smithing Workshop to repair the hole made by Ludora, so I¡¯m not exactly fully equipped.

    I¡¯ve got a gauntlet not only for my right arm where my sleeve is missing, but also my left. I¡¯ve equipped leg-guards on both of my legs as well, so my limbs are now protected.

    Now that I have¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡», a high-level magical robe, I¡¯m more mobile equipping armor on only my limbs rather than the whole suit of armor, so this should be better for my overallbat performance.

    Thisbination of equipment is probably the best I have avable to me right now.

    ¡¸There¡¯s still a long time before the sun rises, huh.¡¹

    I did have to fight for my life during the¡ºCurse Carnival¡», so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not feeling tired at all.

    But in any case, we¡¯ll arrive at Iskia Fortress by the day after tomorrow, and we¡¯ll save Simon, Will and all the other academy students. I can sleep after I¡¯m done with all of that.

    I tell myself that, but in the end, there¡¯s still a sense of unease lingering at the bottom of my heart.

    I won¡¯t make it in time, I¡¯ll be toote ¨C no, in the first ce, will the Greed-Gore and its monster army be defeated just because I join the fight?

    Lily and Fiona, my reliablepanions, are not here right now.

    Even my n of defeating the Greed-Gore is a n that I made based on the assumption that I would have those two with me. If I go to fight by myself, I have no options but to face it head-on...

    Sitting here and thinking quietly like this, my uneasiness just keeps increasing.

    ¡¸Even if that¡¯s the case, even if I¡¯m alone, I¡¯ll make it happen. This is supposed to be my trial, right, Demon King Mia-chan?¡¹

    For the Greed-Gore to appear at this time where I don¡¯t have my party members with me. It¡¯s only natural for me to suspect that this is a god¡¯s will.

    Is this the trial that has been prepared for me by the Demon King? Or is this just a natural event caused by a series of coincidences? Either way, there¡¯s no doubt that there¡¯s a trial waiting for me with a second divine protection at the end of it.

    The proof of that is that the crimson eye that was given to me by a god is glowing red.

 Chapter 322 The protectors of Iskia Village

    We left again at dawn and arrived in Iskia Vige the following evening, on the 28th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin).

    ¡¸The fighting seems to have died down.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right.¡¹

    I heard from Seria that Iskia Vige was also under attack from the monster army.

    I thought that we might need to fight our way into the vige, but fortunately we didn¡¯t encounter even a single monster, so we managed to enter the vige safely through its eastern gate.

    By the fact that the monsters came from the Iskia Hills, I thought that the main stage of the battle would be at the western gate on the other side, but the monsters had apparently surrounded the vige so we even saw traces of battle at the eastern gate.

    Among the corpses rolling around on the ground are Centaurs and Goblins; there are even some Pegasuses with broken wings. It really was an invasion by a great variety of monsters.

    The fact that I don¡¯t see any dead people is probably not because there haven¡¯t been any casualties, but because they¡¯ve already been recovered.

    The face of the knight of Spada in red armor that came out to greet Nell and I shows clear signs of fatigue and grief.

    The vignte corps and adventurer group are wearing simr expressions.

    In response to this scene that forcefully reminds me of the events of Alzas Vige, my heart throbs with unease once more.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun.¡¹

    As if sensing my emotions, Nell calls out to me with a worried voice.

    ¡¸I¡¯m fine. More importantly, it seems impossible to send out a rescue team from the vige.¡¹

    I head straight along the central road of the vige, from the western gate towards the eastern gate.

    As far as I can tell, there aren¡¯t enough spare personnel to put a rescue team together.

    They haven¡¯t let any monsters inside, but seeing the people running around, busy with things like treating the wounded and repairing the stone walls even though it¡¯s the middle of the night, I don¡¯t need to ask to know that the people here have their hands full just defending the vige.

    The worst thing about this situation is that the vigers haven¡¯t been evacuated.

    When I passed through the center of the vige, I saw unarmed women, children and the elderly. It seems they¡¯ve taken shelter in therger buildings, with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the center of them.

    Either they were already surrounded with the first attack, or the monsters appeared on the highway that they would have used to escape.

    The option of running away was eliminated before they even realized; they had no choice left but to hole themselves up in the vige.

    For the situation in the vige to be this bad as well; if I didn¡¯t have to go to Iskia Fortress, I¡¯d want to join their defense, but ¨C

    ¡¸Oi! You, you¡¯re Kurono, aren¡¯t you? What the hell are you doing here?¡¹

    A person¡¯s silhouette suddenly jumps out in front of Merry.

    It¡¯s a plump man wearing dirty leather armor.

    That face, no, if I had to say, that hostile tone, is very familiar.

    ¡¸You, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you were Kuar Vige¡¯s...¡¹

    ¡¸You bastard, don¡¯t you say the name of that vige!¡¹

    It¡¯s the self-appointed leader of Kuar Vige; his name was Nachim, if I recall.

    I guess it¡¯s been this way since we met in the slums of Spada, but it seems he still resents me. Well, it¡¯s to be expected.

    Just like me ¨C no, even more than me, he¡¯s lost everything.

    ¡¸Are you fucking kidding me, showing up in a ce like this? Come to destroy another vige, you pest?¡¹

    Pest, huh. It¡¯s exactly as he says.

    The fact that I¡¯m attempting to ovee a trial for a god¡¯s divine protection is of no concern to Nachim. From his point of view, I¡¯m a criminal who leads vigers to their deaths no matter where I go.

    And I can¡¯t deny that; I mustn¡¯t.

    I have no choice to but to keep my mouth shut and sit here, listening to his tirade without objecting ¨C

    ¡¸Please stand aside.¡¹

    For a moment, I didn¡¯t know whose voice that was.

    But the fact that it came from right behind me means that there¡¯s only one person this voice could belong to.

    ¡¸... Nell?¡¹

    When I twist around, I see Nell, whose face always wears a gentle expression. But right now that face is cold and has no expression at all.

    In her hand is the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»that she used to heal my arm before, pointing at Nachim as if she were thrusting the tip of a sword at him.

    ¡¸I am the first princess of Avalon, Nell Julius Elroad of the Rank 5 party¡ºWing Road.¡»I will forgive your insolence towards mypanion only once, but there will not be a second time. Please stand aside, and never appear before us again.¡¹

    What an unbelievably cold tone of voice. No, I heard Nell¡¯s voice like this only a few days ago.

    ¡ºI¡¯m telling you to stand down, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ll have you executed for treason!¡»

    TLN: I actually mistranted this line slightly when it first appeared in chapter 291. It¡¯s fixed in that chapter now.

    I clearly remember the threat of execution directed towards that noblewoman called Christina from Avalon.

    And just like that time, her words are immediately effective.

    ¡¸Kuh... I-I humbly apologize...¡¹

    He probably knew Nell¡¯s identity even before she introduced herself. Nachim lowers his head immediately as he reluctantly apologizes.

    I guess this is the power of authority ¨C no, Nell is probably disying this uncharacteristic behavior because of me.

    From her point of view, it might look like I¡¯m being med unfairly, but that¡¯s not true. Nachim¡¯s words have some truth to them.

    What should I say? No, is it better not to say anything in this situation? As if to drown out my hesitation, ¨C

    GOOOOHN!

    The toll of a bell echoes out.

    ¡¸Monsters areing!¡¹

    Before I have time to ask what the bell means, someone shouts an answer to my question.

    The details are unclear, but it seems that Nachim is involved in the defense. He quickly turns around and leaves.

    He turns and shoots me a reproachful re, but this isn¡¯t a peaceful situation where I can afford to feel upset about it.

    ¡¸We¡¯re going to have to break through the enemy.¡¹

    ¡¸It will be alright, because I will protect you, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s reassuring.¡¹

    That¡¯s right, this isn¡¯t the time to be mourning what happened in the past. I just have to press on with the determination to save my friends!

    Five days have already passed since the defensive battle to hold Iskia Vige began on the 22nd of the Month of tinum (Hakkin). The great army that seemed to be made of every single monster that lives in the dungeon, however, did not swallow the vige in one go like a tsunami, but instead came in repetitive, sporadic waves.

    Repeatedly throwing forces at the enemy is the worst strategy possible, but even so, the vignte corps and the adventurers defending the vige have had their strength exhausted and have been forced to make sacrifices.

    ¡¸Just a little longer! If we hold just a little longer, the Knights¡¯ Order wille! Give ¡®em all you¡¯ve got!¡¹

    Standing in front of the west gate that the new monsters are approaching, Gustav, the leader of the Rank 5 party, the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡», shouts words of encouragement.

    The morale of the soldiers protecting Iskia Vige is being maintained by the presence of this Orc, whose body size matches the volume of his voice.

    As expected of the great man who has gathered arge, family-like party, he seems ustomed to being inmand like this.

    He has a magnificent attitude, the ability to read any situation quickly, gives orders efficiently and on top of that, he is overwhelmingly strong in battle.

    There is not a single soldier who disobeys him, who does not rely on him.

    ¡¸Zedra, how are them monsters organized?¡¹

    Holding the enormous metal rod in his right hand that he has used to thoroughly crush countless monster skulls, Gustav asks his party member standing on the tower this question.

    ¡¸Dagger Raptors at the front. Centaurs and Slimes at the back. Also, a group of Harpies in the air.¡¹

    Zedra, the Golem covered in two-toned, ck-and-white armor, replies in his usual robotic speech pattern.

    The Golem¡¯s red Mono-Eye Lens can clearly see the group of monsters approaching from beyond the highway.

    In his left hand is a huge mechanical bow with a pulley-like mechanism attached at both ends of the bowstring.

    On his back is arge quiver, which would be more urate to call a barrel, packed full of arrows made of a Mythril alloy. A direct hit with one of these would cause instant death.

    The sturdy tower supporting the immense weight of his body and weapon looks like it may copse at any moment, but the fact that it has not yet done so means that it seems that it has not reached its weight limit.

    ¡¸What about the Smander?¡¹

    ¡¸I cannot detect its presence.¡¹

    At the news of the absence of the fiery dragon that they need to be the most wary of, relief spreads out among the men.

    With that said, no matter how many torches theyunch into the air to illuminate the surroundings, they would not be able to see it in this darkness until it was quite close. They cannot let their guard down.

    But it would also be problematic to be overly cautious of a foe that they cannot see, so Gustav gives the order to attack.

    ¡¸Alright, if that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s get out there and give ¡®em a bit of a beating! Open the gate!¡¹

    The heavy wooden gate normally requires several people to operate the pulleys to open it or close it, but right now it¡¯s being opened by only two people.

    ¡¸Jeez! Don¡¯t make a maiden do only this kind of manualbor! FUNNNNAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    ¡¸H-here we go, NNNNNNHH!¡¹

    This work was being performed by Gustav¡¯s party members who are standing next to him at the front, the Minotaur (¡á) and Cyclops.

    The gates begin to open with a dull creak.

    The Swordsman and Fighter-ss soldiers who are to face the monsters head on begin to advance forward.

    Gustav suddenly spots an unfamiliar silhouette among them.

    No, it¡¯s only natural that this silhouette stands out to him. The man dressed in ck sitting atop a ck horse like one thatmissioned officers would ride and the angel riding behind him are ridiculously conspicuous.

    ¡¸Oi, ck nii-chan over there, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing yer face. Are you one of the adventurers who¡¯vee to help us?¡¹

    The news that Iskia Vige is in a state of emergency has already been spread to the neighboring viges.

    It is likely that an emergency quest was issued; on the second day, a group of adventurers from the other viges arrived as reinforcements.

    They are a littlete, but it is a situation where they would be grateful even for the help of a cat*. Even one or two extra pair of hands would be weed with open arms.

    TLN: A Japanese phrase that means they¡¯re desperate for help.

    ¡¸No, we¡¯re headed for Iskia Fortress.¡¹

    ¡¸Haha, the selfish whims of a princess, I guess.¡¹

    Gustav immediately understands the situation.

    No matter how bad he is at recognizing people¡¯s faces, there is only one person in all of Spada who matches the description of a woman with the wings of an angel.

    ¡¸No, I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not nnin¡¯ on stoppin¡¯ ya. We¡¯re worried about them kids stuck in the fortress, too. Well, as you can see, we don¡¯t have the luxury of goin¡¯ over there and helpin¡¯ ¡®em.¡¹

    He knows that the students of the Royal Spada Academy came here for the open-field exercise, and he heard the news that they are holed up inside the fortress and waiting for reinforcements from the Assassin-ss woman who appeared a few days ago, acting as a messenger.

    Of course, he knows that there are many sons and daughters of Spada¡¯s royalty and nobility awaiting rescue there, but unfortunately they cannot spare the people to go and help them.

    The students would be forced into a difficult battle to hold the fortress, but the vige is still waiting for real reinforcements from the Knights¡¯ Order to arrive, so they have their hands full protecting the vige.

    Normally, one would assume that there is no hope for the students, but truthfully, Gustav was not particrly worried about them.

    During the enjoyable fight in the Guild bar, he experienced first-hand that the prince of Avalon has skill worthy of the Rank 5 title he possesses.

    He knows that with the presence of the rumored¡ºWing Road¡», there is hope that the students can hold out until reinforcements arrive.

    ¡¸I wanted to join the fight here as well. Sorry.¡¹

    ¡¸Gahaha! We¡¯ll do something about the vige, so don¡¯t worry about it! Hurry up and go save ¡®em!¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks.¡¹

    ¡¸Thank you.¡¹

    After receiving the personal thanks from the princess, Gustav sees the two of them off.

    Of course, in the direction their horse is going in, the monsters that have just arrived are lying in wait.

    ¡¸Zedra, open a path for them.¡¹

    ¡¸Roger that, Head.¡¹

    From the top of the toweres a reply in a low voice and the creaking of the mechanical bow as an arrow is nocked.

    ¡¸They¡¯re goin¡¯ in with no hesitation. The young ¡®uns these days are quite spirited, so I can¡¯t lose to them!¡¹

    The man in ck and the princess, with their strong resolve. As he murmurs words of admiration for the two, he hears the sound of an arrow being released overhead.

 Chapter 323 Charlotteâ€™s decision

    ¡¸I¡¯ve found the Greed-Gore.¡¹

    Eight days after the battle to hold Iskia Fortress began, on the evening of the 28th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin), Safiel¡¯s servants finally find the Greed-Gore.

    She used undead crows to search for the enemy while taking care to avoid detection by the airborne monsters, and even then, she still lost several of them. But today, she has finally achieved her goal.

    ¡¸Really?! Where is it?!¡¹

    ¡¸Your voice is too loud.¡¹

    As Charlotte jumps up in excitement, Safiel gives her a warning with an expressionless face.

    The two of them are meeting secretly at the end of a deserted hallway in the fortress, but there is no guarantee that they won¡¯t be interrupted.

    And this is a topic that should not be overheard by others.

    ¡¸So, where is it?¡¹

    Charlotte lowers her voice to a whisper, and Safiel gives her a reply in an exasperated tone.

    ¡¸Even if you ask me where it is, I can only tell you that it¡¯s out in the Iskia Hills. It¡¯s around halfway between this fortress and the vige; I saw it lying around at the bank of a pond there.¡¹

    ¡¸Fufu, so it¡¯s not out of our reach.¡¹

    If the Greed-Gore had already finished destroying Iskia Vige and taken its army to the next vige, she would have had no choice but to give up on exterminating it. But it seems that she didn¡¯t need to worry about that.

    ¡¸Are we going after it now?¡¹

    ¡¸Of course!¡¹

    As if she believes that this would finally put an end to the gloomy fortress-defense strategy, Charlotte¡¯s eyes begin shining.

    Of course, it is not only Charlotte, but the rest of the students as well who are tired of this situation where they are holed up in the fortress.

    Though it is fortunate that there haven¡¯t been anyrge-scale assaults like there were on the first day, monsters have been attacking in moderate numbers, day and night, so they are constantly under tension.

    Even so, they have managed to hold without suffering any casualties so far, but if the monsters attacked in earnest, the students would be in great danger.

    The students are exhausted, both in body and mind.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll have this guide you there, so good luck.¡¹

    At Safiel¡¯s unconcerned tone, Charlotte replies with a slightly anxious expression.

    ¡¸Hey, is this really alright?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯ll be fine, as long as you don¡¯t push yourself too hard on your own.¡¹

    ¡¸I know. Even I have the skill to hide my presence, at least.¡¹

    As if sweeping away her own doubts, Charlotte turns on her heel with a flutter of her trademark red twin-tails.

    ¡¸I¡¯m making Raa-chan wait outside, so take her with you. I¡¯ve set her up so she obeys yourmands, Sharl.¡¹

    ¡¸... Raa-chan?¡¹

    Charlotte looks back with a bewildered expression, and Safiel returns a cool gaze.

    ¡¸I¡¯m talking about Wrath-pun. It¡¯s reassuring to have her with you, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Huh, so it¡¯s Raa-chan.¡¹

    In response to her friend¡¯s usual disy of strange naming sense, Charlotte replies vaguely in a way that neither approves nor disapproves of the name, and ¨C

    ¡¸Thanks, I¡¯ll use her well.¡¹

    With those words, Charlotte leaves.

    Before dawn, yet another gunshot rings out across the walls of Iskia Fortress.

    The bullet that was fired blows off the head of a Centaur that was foolish enough to approach.

    From a window of one of the defensive towers, Simon watches the number of monster corpses surrounding the fortress increase by one.

    ¡¸... Haah.¡¹

    The anxious sigh that he lets out from his small mouth shows that he feels no joy from killing a Rank 2 monster.

    It would perhaps be appropriate to say that he is wearing an expression that seems to suggest that he is fed up with this.

    He had the sense that he was contributing towards the defense when he was shooting down monsters during therge initial attack, but now, repetitively shooting down monster after monster was beginning to feel like a monotonous task.

    ¡¸I think another ten of them wille out before someone takes over my shift...¡¹

    Mumbling absent-mindedly, Simon loads another round into his sniper rifle, the¡ºYata Garasu Mk. II.¡»

    The prototype rifle can hold up to five rounds, but this rifle has superior power and range, making it the obvious choice for sniping from this vantage point, even though its capacity is only a single round.

    The¡ºYata Garasu¡»that yed a great role in the battle of Alzas was improved at the Stratos Smithing Workshop for pure sniping. It shows none of the limitations of the original model, which was built in a hurry.

    As a result, it is not a difficult task for Simon to shoot monsters within the range of the torches¡¯ light. But it is still a task.

    Simon cannot see particrly well in the dark, nor is he able to use magic to find the enemy. His role is simple, to shoot the monsters that approach.

    Therefore, he has not had to remain on constant alert for the monsters hiding within the darkness.

    Though the sun has not yet risen, the sky is growing slightly lighter and the usefulness of the magical torches is about toe to an end.

    The thick clouds whose rain has been falling upon the fortress intermittently over the past few days are nketing the sky again today.

    Simon gets a strange feeling that today it will pour down heavily.

    ¡¸Fuwah~¡¹

    He unconsciously lets out a yawn.

    It is likely because his fatigue has umted considerably, not because he iszy.

    It is not only Simon; the other students holed up in this defensive tower are the same.

    Eddie was drowsily nodding off, while the serious Shenna was poking at him with her wand.

    The dimness inside the defensive towers at the four corners of the fortress only makes them sleepier.

    (I have to get a hold of myself; if we¡¯re attacked now, we¡¯ll be in trouble.)

    He gives himself this warning and focuses his mind.

    (But I wonder why the monsters aren¡¯t making a strong attack. There are a lot of them wandering around as well, making for easy targets... Maybe the parasite can¡¯t control them perfectly?)

    Though he is an alchemist who is uninterested in fighting, standing at the front lines like this, he cannot help but to think about the enemy.

    The fact that the Greed-Gore is using parasites to control the monster army has already been shared among all of the students.

    However, the exact details of how the parasites control their hosts have not been exined.

    Whether there is some kind of hidden intent behind the monsters¡¯ half-baked attacks or whether their leader is justzy is unknown.

    Either way, this is allowing them to buy time and wait for reinforcements, so it is ultimately a blessing.

    As Simon is thinking about this while looking out of the tower with vignce ¨C

    ¡¸Hmm?¡¹

    Suddenly, a person¡¯s shadow passes across his vision ¨C or at least, he thinks it did.

    He reflexively points the barrel of his rifle in that direction, but he sees nothing except the corpse of the Centaur that he shot moments earlier.

    ¡¸It¡¯s just my imagination... No, it can¡¯t be.¡¹

    Thinking back on it, he gets the feeling that it was a girl. She passed through with speed and force, her long hair fluttering behind her.

    (It might have been a person under the effects of the parasite.)

    Even including the time they retreated from the initial encounter with the Greed-Gore, the students have not suffered a single casualty.

    However, he heard that many of the teachers that fulfilled the role of the rear guard lost their lives.

    But the possibility of them having be new hosts once captured by the monsters cannot be ruled out.

    The students have been warned that this could happen to them.

    That they should not hesitate to kill their friends if they are infected.

    (No, our defense up until today has been sessful, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯te to that...)

    As this thought crosses his mind ¨C

    ¡¸They¡¯re attacking!¡¹

    A loud voice announces the enemy¡¯s arrival, as if it were some kind of rm clock set to go off at the break of dawn.

    ¡¸They¡¯re at the west gate this time!¡¹

    ¡¸Those of you with the vanguard, let¡¯s hurry over there!¡¹

    Thenguid atmosphere that was hanging over them is swept awaypletely, suddenly reced by the tense atmosphere of battle.

    Even Eddy, who was dozing off just a moment earlier, is now in front of everyone else, longsword in hand.

    ¡¸No, wait! Look, they¡¯reing this way as well ¨C¡¹

    An Archer-ss student with good eyesight points outside through one of the tower¡¯s small windows.

    His finger is pointed at the sun that is climbing over the gentle slope of the hills.

    ¡¸Eh, wait, you¡¯ve got to be kidding...¡¹

    An enormous army of monsters is standing there with the morning sun at their back.

 Chapter 324 Charging in the Iskia Hills

    Thanks to the covering fire of the Golem archer, we easily break through the horde of monsters closing in on Iskia Vige.

    It¡¯s a strange Golem that¡¯s colored like a panda and has rabbit ears attached to it for some reason, but there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s a considerably powerful archer.

    The projectiles that he fires aren¡¯t normal arrows; it¡¯d be better to say they¡¯re more like missiles that explode on impact.

    He opened up holes in the enemy ranks and I just needed to head for those holes as fast as I could.

    And so we¡¯ve passed through the first wave of enemies, but the real challenge starts here. I need to leave the highway and break through into the Iskia Hills.

    ¡¸Th-there are so many of them...¡¹

    We encounter an enormous group of monsters.

    There are all kinds of them on the slopes of the hills, lined up like ants.

    The renowned Centaurs and Silent Sheep of Iskia, Rank 1 monsters that I¡¯m familiar with like Goblins and Slimes, and there are even Dortoths, Land Dragons and Morjuras. There are also a few big monsters scattered around that I¡¯ve never seen before.

    It really looks like every single monster in this dungeon has been brought out.

    The sky has already grown lighter; even without the illumination of torches, I can clearly see this overwhelming view. Or rather, I¡¯m forced to see it.

    I¡¯m moving inpletely the opposite direction to the monsters; I¡¯m headed deeper into the dungeon while they¡¯re heading outside of it.

    ¡¸They¡¯re headed to Iskia Vige, huh.¡¹

    Even though we passed through the vige just a few moments ago, I can¡¯t help but to worry as I see the danger closing in on it right before my eyes, but...

    ¡¸The vige will be fine.¡¹

    Nell whispers, as if she has sensed my unease.

    ¡¸That red Orc is the leader of a Rank 5 party that is well-known in Spada. The Golem-san that protected us, the Cyclops-san and the Minotaur-san are all there, meaning they have all of their members gathered together. With them there, the vige will not fall so easily.¡¹

    ¡¸I see. That¡¯s a relief to hear.¡¹

    But now there¡¯s something else I¡¯m worried about.

    ¡¸In that case, the fortress might be in even more danger.¡¹

    The Greed-Gore, the general of this monster army, might decide to unleash the monsters¡¯ full power after having failed to initially crush both the vige and the fortress.

    Or in the worst case scenario, the fortress has already fallen to the monsters.

    No, it¡¯ll be fine, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s happened.

    As far as I¡¯ve seen, there are no people among the monsters.

    The monsters are controlled by parasites. In that case, any defeated people would have been infested and added to the army rather than being eaten by the monsters.

    Well, there¡¯s no use thinking about things like that. Right now, I need to focus solely on getting to Iskia Fortress.

    Fortunately there¡¯s some distance between us and the monsters that are advancing towards us, and they¡¯re not paying us any special attention as we ride across the slopes of the hills, either.

    If we could just keep going and get through unnoticed, that¡¯d be great, but...

    ¡¸I guess it won¡¯t be that easy after all.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, the Centaurs areing this way!¡¹

    As Nell said, there¡¯s a group of monsters that¡¯s broken away from the line of monsters and is heading straight for us. They¡¯re unmistakably Centaurs.

    The Centaurs that have separated themselves from the front of the army look like they¡¯reing here to deliberately block our path.

    Given our rtive positions, it seems impossible to go around them.

    Well then, we have only one option ¨C go straight through them.

    ¡¸That¡¯s their boss, huh.¡¹

    One of the Centaurs charging into battle has red-hair and seems to be the chieftain of their tribe. Both the horse-half and man-half of his body arerger than those around him.

    He¡¯s the only one to be equipped with magnificent metal armor to go with his spear, so there¡¯s no doubt he¡¯s their leader.

    The Centaurs following him are wearing ck wool armor, presumably made from the wool of the Silent Sheep, holding spears and bows in their hands.

    These Centaurs that have matching equipment despite the fact that they¡¯re wild monsters are the best among them, chosen for this task.

    It seems that even when they¡¯re affected by the parasite, their chain ofmand is unaffected. And I doubt theirbat ability is affected, either.

    This cavalry of creatures that are both man and horse in one is quite powerful, but ¨C

    ¡¸Nell, I¡¯ll be relying on you for defensive support. The ones behind us are holding back, so it¡¯ll be fine to keep it to a bare minimum.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    We can do it, with the two of us, we can definitely break through.

    This is actually the first time Nell and I are fighting together, but strangely enough, I confidently believe this.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go! HAAAH!¡¹

    I whip Merry with my tentacle-reins and we begin our decisive charge towards the group of Centaurs.

    ¡¸???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ¨C¡ºElement Boost!¡»¡¹

    At the same time, Nell invokes her enhancement magic.

    The fact that she can cast a spell just by singing an elegant melody shows how proficient she is at using magic.

    Fiona¡¯s like this as well; they¡¯re really beautiful when they¡¯re chanting their spells.

    As I think these somewhat inappropriate thoughts, the magic takes its effect on me. The magical power flowing through my body doubles in size ¨C no, maybe it¡¯s better to say that it bes thicker and more condensed ¨C it feels something like that.

    As its name suggests,¡ºElement Boost¡»enhances magic of elements such as fire, ice or lightning.

    Just how much could ck magic be enhanced? It¡¯s hard to say, but it¡¯s enhancing fire-element magic this time, so it¡¯s clear and simple.

    ¡¸?????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ¨C Concentration Boost!¡¹

    Yet another enhancement spell. This one¡¯s name is also self-exnatory; it increases concentration to improve magic use.

    As well as simply increasing the speed at which spells can be cast, it enhances the processing of magical forms in the mind, so it¡¯s possible to cast multiple spells simultaneously.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts.¡¹

    I have no problem casting the ck magic that I¡¯m mostfortable with using, even on horseback.

    A line of ck bullets appears to enclose the area around Merry and I, silently waiting for mymand to fire.

    I¡¯m casting a single spell to use the Bullet Arts, but thanks to the¡ºConcentration Boost¡», I can invoke yet another spell.

    ¡¸Sword Arts ¨C¡¹

    This is another ck magic spell that I¡¯m used to casting, but it¡¯ll be a little different from now on.

    ¡¸¨C Nameless Nine.¡¹

    The swords I summon aren¡¯t matching low-quality longswords, but the nine cursed weapons I obtained the day before yesterday.

    A longsword, a dagger, a rapier, a scimitar, a battle-axe, a tomahawk, a shortnce, a halberd and a trident.

    Their shapes are all different, but they are all jet-ck, showing that they¡¯re under my control.

    Nine malicious voices resonate inside my head, talking over each other, but they are very quiet.

    ¡¸Work hard for Goshuujin-sama, neers!¡¹

    The voice of the talkative Hitsugi-chan is far louder. Actually, she¡¯s putting on an air as if to say that she¡¯s their senpai; is she trying to be their cursed-maid-leader or something?

    ¡¸???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????¨C¡ºSpeed High-Boost!¡»¡¹

    And then thest Boost.

    Rather than the wind blowing in my favor, I begin moving at a speed that¡¯s as if I myself have be the wind myself. With this additional eleration support, we¡¯repletely ready to make our charge.

    ¡¸HAAH! IYAAAAAH!¡¹

    The red-haired Centaur¡¯s shouts are themand to attack.

    As if to say that he will take us head on, he makes his charge as well.

    Spears raised. Bows ready.

    The bowstrings that look as if they¡¯ve been made from nt vines creak as they are drawn back as far as possible, but before the cavalry archers let their arrows loose ¨C I¡¯ll take my shot first.

    In my right hand are not Merry¡¯s reins, but a machete with a shining crimson de,¡ºWrath-pun¡¯s Right Arm.¡»

    A sphere containing ck mes has been produced at its tip.

    Because of the fire-attribute enhancement from both¡ºElement Boost¡»and¡ºWrath-pun¡¯s Right Arm¡», it¡¯s twice as powerful as when I tried it out at the academy¡¯s training grounds.

    That time, the explosion caught my target and the ones on either side of it, so it¡¯ll be interesting to see how many Centaurs I¡¯ll blow away with this.

    ¡¸¡ºGrenade Burst.¡»¡¹

    The sphereunches with an eardrum-bursting roar.

    With a momentary ck sh, it flies in a straight line towards the herd of Centaurs.

    Impact. Explosion. mes.

    My vision is filled with ominous ck-and-red mes.

    ¡¸W-wow, amazing...¡¹

    Nell¡¯s surprise-filled voice reaches my ears.

    What do you think of my magic, it¡¯s shy, right? I want to say something like that boastfully, but unfortunately I don¡¯t have the time to be doing that.

    ¡¸OOAAAH!¡¹

    The Centaurs¡¯ war cries reverberate from the other side of the mes as they leap over the corpses of their fallenpanions.

    Due to either the courage they normally possessed or the effects of the parasite, these half-man half-horse creatures don¡¯t falter in the slightest and continue forward to attack.

    Without a moment¡¯s dy, I invoke my next counterattack.

    ¡¸Full Burst.¡¹

    The ck barrage that I unleash on the Centaurs doesn¡¯t let any of theme close.

    I used Grenade Burst with the aim of opening a hole in the enemy lines, and then Bullet Arts to intercept them at medium range.

    Unfortunately, even with Nell¡¯s support, it¡¯s impossible for me to use the¡ºFull Burst¡»that fires in every direction multiple times in quick session.

    Instead, I use ¨C

    ¡¸Gatling Burst.¡¹

    In my left hand, I summon the still-unnamed prototype rifle. Fire is emitted from its twin barrels.

    I ride straight into the gap opened by the Grenade Burst, firing blindly.

    Merry¡¯s legs do not falter even as we pass over the hollowed-out ground or the corpse fragments rolling around; they sink into the ground firmly and leap over the obstacles as we make our way through.

    From this point, we won¡¯t be able to avoid contact with the enemy.

    I¡¯m mowing down the enemies that are closing in on us with Gatling Burst, but its effective range is too short.

    The sheer number of enemies reminds me of the battle of Alzas, but all the enemies here are cavalry, so it¡¯s even worse.

    ¡¸HAAH!¡¹

    As the smoke clears, the Centaurs charge through the gunfire, spears raised.

    From here on, I have to defend myself at close range.

    ¡¸Pierce them, Sword Arts!¡¹

    As if tired of waiting, the longsword that drove the handsome Elf to insanity flies in first.

    This is the only weapon that¡¯s not too different from the usual swords used in Sword Arts, but it¡¯s still a cursed weapon after all.

    It finds its mark, piercing through the forehead of a tough-looking Centaur.

    As if to say that it hasn¡¯t had enough blood, it pulls itself out of the Centaur¡¯s head and dances towards the other Centaurs that were running alongside the first.

    It acts even before I give it a target; it¡¯s got a will of its own.

    But that¡¯s fine for now. My only ally is at my back and everything around us are enemies, enemies, enemies. It can go ahead and drink as much blood as it wants.

    The weapons that I¡¯ve called the¡ºNameless Nine¡»dance through the air, only partially controlled by my will.

    The valiant Centaurs passing through the shes of the nine weapons have no chance.

    ¡¸Akanagi.¡¹

    I face the enemies directly with my favorite cursed weapon,¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter.¡¹¡»

    The Centaurs¡¯ spears have longer reach than a hatchet, but if Ipensate for that with the de of blood, there¡¯s no problem.

    With a crimson sh, I cut through a Centaur¡¯s spear and straight through his entire body.

    The weapon in my hand has already grown an enormous hatchet de.

    Straight after my first attack, I throw¡ºWrath-pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»to join the weapons of the Sword Arts.

    Though it¡¯s preparing for the second and third attack, so it¡¯s not actually joining the¡ºNameless Nine¡»in their independent attacks.

    But even using all of my ck magic simultaneously, I cannot easily ovee the difference in numbers.

    My attacks have been one sided so far, but that stops now.

    The Centaurs have begun firing their arrows.

    ¡¸To think they¡¯d shoot at me even though I¡¯m engaged in meleebat.¡¹

    I don¡¯t know if they are firing willingly, knowing that their allies will certainly be hit, but their arrows are already in the air.

    I¡¯m using all of my concentration to focus on attacking. I can¡¯t afford to prepare a defense, and there¡¯s no way we can avoid the arrows on horseback.

    ¡¸???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ¨C¡ºAir Wall Defan.¡»¡¹

    But I don¡¯t need to worry; I¡¯ve left the defense to Nell. And she¡¯s answered my expectations.

    A swirling, turbulent wall of wind wraps around us.

    Itpletely throws off the trajectories of the arrows pouring down on us, not letting a single one through.

    The torrent of arrows was fired knowing that there will be friendly fire. It rains down upon the Centaurs gathered around us, felling several dozen of them.

    But as expected of the powerful Centaurs, even with one or two arrows piercing their bodies, as long as their vital organs haven¡¯t been hit, they can vigorously continue running on their strong four legs with their spears raised.

    ¡¸Kuh, what toughness...¡¹

    I inadvertently let out words of both admiration and frustration.

    Compared to the human Crusader soldiers, monsters are ridiculously tough.

    I have to use dozens of magic bullets to stop their bodies from moving, and if the cursed weapons miss the Centaurs¡¯ vitals, they grasp onto the weapons with both hands and refuse to let go as their final act of resistance.

    ¡¸¡ºGrenade Burst!¡»¡¹

    ¡¸¨C¡ºLux Armor Shield!¡»¡¹

    Once more, I fire a perfectly formed sphere.

    Immediately afterwards, a spear being thrust at us from behind ¨C no, a whole row of spears ¨C is repelled by Nell¡¯s defensive light magic.

    The explosion blows away multiple centaurs again, but it¡¯s less powerfulpared to my first attack. It doesn¡¯t deal enough damage to turn the tides.

    Even after sustaining heavy casualties, the half-dead Centaurs are hot on our heels and closing in on us, slipping through the magic bullets and cursed weapons.

    This is bad. At this rate, we¡¯ll be overwhelmed by their numbers before we can pick enough of them off.

    Thanks to the speed enhancement, we can move in a straight line faster than the Centaurs, but we can¡¯t go at full speed while avoiding them to the left or right, so we can¡¯t shake them offpletely.

    We can¡¯t defeat them or escape from them unless we decrease their numbers further.

    It doesn¡¯t need to be said. We have to do our best to keep attacking while running as fast as we can. We have no choice, there¡¯s no other option.

    It¡¯ll be close, but it¡¯ll work out somehow. No, if we can¡¯t even get through this, there¡¯s no point in us going to the fortress as reinforcements!

    ¡¸UOOOH!¡¹

    As if shaking off my hesitation, I brandish my hatchet. I cut a Centaur closing in from the left in half.

    After cutting him down, I get a clear view to my left.

    ¡¸FNH, HAAH!¡¹

    Several dozen meters away, the red-haired boss is keeping pace with us.

    I thought I¡¯d blown him away with my first¡ºGrenade Burst¡», but I guess that red hair isn¡¯t just for show. He has a high resistance to heat.

    The steel armor that he probably stole from some adventurer has been blown away, but he lets out a ferocious war cry that tells me that he hasn¡¯t taken any damage to his body. He holds up his incredibly long spear with his lean, strong arms.

    He¡¯s holding the spear in an underhand grip, with the front portion of its handle resting on his shoulder. He¡¯s noting to stab me directly; that¡¯s the motion of throwing a spear.

    And it¡¯s not just a normal throw. I can feel the magical power intensifying around his arm and spear, even at this distance.

    This is bad, I have to quickly counter-attack ¨C

    ¡¸AAAAAAH!¡¹

    ¡¸Shit!¡¹

    To prevent their boss¡¯s all-out attack from being interrupted, the other Centaurs desperately flood in towards me.

    ¡¸I will handle this!¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡¹

    I¡¯ll rely on Nell to defend us from the Centaursing in from all directions. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll kill the boss.

    I stop firing Gatling Burst for a moment to aim the barrel of the gun at him.

    Simon¡¯s special, enhanced-pration ammunition has been loaded in the gun, waiting for its time, and I fire it now. With normal magic bullets, I¡¯d need several dozen of them to stop that boss¡¯s movements, but with this, I need only one.

    I have to stop him before he fires that javelin. As this intuitive rm is ringing loudly inside my head ¨C

    ¡¸PLEASE MAKE IT IN TIIIIME!¡¹

    I pull the trigger.

 Chapter 325 Merry

    Even in the midst of the fierce battle, the sound of the gunshot is incredibly loud.

    The twin bullets fired horizontally from the two barrels cross the distance of less than twenty meters in the blink of an eye, looking to consume their prey.

    With a short dying cry, the red-haired boss leading the elite Centaurs falls in the hills of Iskia.

    The bullet pulverizes what is left of the steel armor protecting his upper half and prates his body, thoroughly destroying it.

    But he is not dead.

    Despite the fact that he is a monster, perhaps the Centaur¡¯s pride as amander has allowed him to throw his javelin with all his strength.

    Even Kurono likely knew that he would not make it in time to stop this attack.

    With this great spearing towards him, he prepares to intercept it with the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»in his right hand.

    Even with the instability due to being on horseback, if the spear targets either him or Nell he will be able to repel it one way or another. With Kurono¡¯s skill, it is definitely possible.

    ¡¸What?!¡¹

    But if the spear¡¯s aim is Merry, blocking it is impossible.

    No matter howrge the hatchet¡¯s de is, it does not have the reach to cover the horse¡¯s back legs.

    He cannot swing¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»as he wants to. He can only helplessly watch as the spear pierces the lean muscles of Merry¡¯s rear body.

    If striking the leader is too greedy, striking his horse would be better ¨C the Centaur has seeded in that.

    ¡¸UOH!¡¹

    ¡¸KYA!¡¹

    With a neigh of agony that drowns out both their screams, Merry¡¯s legs buckle and she tumbles over.

    With the spear functioning as an emergency brake to stop Merry¡¯s full-speed sprint, the two passengers are thrown violently from her back.

    Even as Kurono spins two or three times in mid-air, he sees Merry falling.

    And in the moment before she hits the ground, Merry sees her master.

    ¡¸¨C HITSUGI!¡¹

    Trying to suppress the feelings of self-hatred welling up in the depths of his heart, Kurono focuses on what he needs to be done in this moment.

    He can easily make a safending after having been thrown into the air, but the same cannot be said for Nell.

    Sensing Nell¡¯s positionrgely through instinct, he orders the tentacle maid to catch her.

    He feels the sensation of the Anchor Hands digging into Nell¡¯s soft body, and in the next moment, Nell herselfes flying into his arms.

    ¡¸Wawah!¡¹

    Even though they¡¯re friends, Kurono has no doubt that she is reluctant to be held in the arms of a man but knows that the situation leaves them with no choice, so she¡¯ll just has to endure it.

    With Nell in his arms, Kurono controls his altitude perfectly as he falls andnds safely on the ground.

    ¡¸Wah, ah, err, Kurono-kun...¡¹

    ¡¸Nell, cover me.¡¹

    Afternding safely on the grass of the hills, Kurono quickly puts Nell down without looking at her and looks straight ahead ¨C in the direction that they hade from.

    Kurono sees Centaurs crowded around Merry, repeatedly thrusting their spears into her.

    It is clearly overkill, an act of cruelty.

    Merry is just a horse, after all, a method of transport.

    Less than three months have passed since she was purchased, not enough for her to be called a long-timepanion.

    But does that mean that Kurono can feel nothing in this situation?

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Merry.¡¹

    When Kurono rode Merry for the first time, he was so unskilled that he could not control her properly without Lily¡¯s help.

    Even though hecked the experience, he continued to ride her; Fiona had ridden Merry with him during their date, and he had even been taught a way to practice riding her.

    After increasing their sense of unity by letting magical energy flow between them, Merry became ustomed to Kurono.

    And before he knew it, Merry was running with all her might, even when facing this group of elite Centaurs.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry...¡¹

    There is more than enough reason for him to feel an attachment to her. More than enough for him to have faith in her.

    For Kurono, Merry had be an irreceable, necessarypanion.

    That is why Kurono is whispering words of apology with tearsing from his eyes.

    He is mourning her death ¨C no.

    ¡¸Merry, won¡¯t you still take me to the fortress...?¡¹

    Kurono is apologizing because he needs to continue using her, even after her death.

    If he loses his horse here, there is no way he can make it to Iskia Fortress in time. Even without taking distance into ount, there would be no way to outrun the monsters without Merry.

    Even if he annihted this group of Centaurs, there is no saying that a second or third one will not appear to block their path ¨C in fact, it would be strange if there were no more obstacles ahead.

    Kurono needs Merry¡¯s legs, no matter what. He cannot lose his horse here.

    And Kurono possesses a way to make the deceased Merry run once more.

    ¡¸Sing,¡ºHaunted Grave.¡»¡¹

    He calls forth arge naginata.

    It was originally ck, but with Kurono¡¯s ckening, even its de has been dyed a jet-ck color now.

    He has already put his hatchet, rifle and the nameless nine weapons back into his Shadow; the¡ºHaunted Grave¡»is his only weapon now.

    He faces the several dozen remaining Centaurs, who have not lost their fighting spirit even after losing their boss.

    Kurono is a little uneasy about using this weapon for the first time, but it should not be forgotten that the¡ºHaunted Grave¡»is a cursed weapon.

    Saeed Maya Hydra, who was not a fighter during his lifetime, fought Kurono on even terms with this weapon in his hand.

    If Kurono were to wield it, being a veteran adventurer who can control curses perfectly, he would give new meaning to its technique and disy just as much skill with it as its original owner.

    In fact, even though Kurono faces the Centaurs charging at him like surging waves, he does not doubt that he will be victorious for even a single moment.

    They are sacrifices for Merry to be revived, and at the same time ¨C

    KYAAAAAAAAAH!

    They are the audience for this repulsive melody of resurrection. The cursed performance called¡ºDead Revival¡»¨C

    The cemetery on the town¡¯s outskirts has a grave keeper whose appearance has not changed for a hundred years ¨C this story is familiar to anyone who lives in the town.

    It is not a mere rumor or ghost story. There really is a grave keeper living there.

    Everyone describes the grave keeper¡¯s appearance as that of a beautiful white woman dressed in ck.

    And everyone in the town has surely been told by their grandfathers,¡¸Her appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all since I was a kid.¡¹

    The identity of the grave keeper is unknown. Nobody wants to know, they must not know; this is something that does not need to be said.

    But she has a duty. She buries corpses with nowhere else to go, offers them a requiem and sends their souls peacefully to heaven.

    So that they would not harbor any malice to rise again as Undead.

    ¡¸Grave keeper-sama, please grant my request.¡¹

    Another corpse has been brought to her today.

    The one being ced inside the coffin is a small girl.

    A girl with no rtives has died of illness. That is clear from the fact that her lifeless body is here, and from her thin, withered body.

    The grave keeper does not question anything. No matter what kind of wicked person, adorable child, or lonely elderly person is sent her way, she merely buries them silently.

    Knowing this, the townspeople simply leave the corpses in her care with a modest payment and quickly return to the town. There is no unnecessary exchange of words.

    The grave keeper carries out her work indifferently.

    She ces countless coffins in the countless graves and buries them.

    There is nobody around to grieve over these people¡¯s deaths and fill the air with their sobs, let alone a priest to speak a rite of purification.

    The only thing that can be heard in this mncholic cemetery in the corner of a dark forest is the cry of the Nightingales*.

    TLN*: The kanji below this is ¡°graveyard bird¡± which is definitely not the native Japanese word for nightingale, so this may be a special kind of nightingale.

    No, after burying these bodies and from morning until evening, on these two asions, the melody of the grave keeper¡¯s requiem song flows in the air.

    And so she sings again today.

    There is not a single person other than the dead buried here that have heard this song ¨C or at least, that should be the case.

    ¡¸Kuh... Ugh...¡¹

    In response to the voice that reaches her ears as she finishes singing, the grave keeper raises the Haunted Grave.

    It is impossible for someone to attend her service.

    The only ones to visit this ce other than the deceased would be the monsters thate here, seeking dead flesh to eat.

    It is not particrly rare for this to happen, but with the ck naginata that she wields, she does not allow any monster to defile the graves.

    But as she points her weapon in the direction that the voice came from, her crimson eyes open wide in surprise.

    She has performed her role as a grave keeper for over a hundred years, but this has never happened before.

    ¡¸Ugh... Kuh... UWAAAAH!¡¹

    There is a young man sobbing there.

    ¡¸Who... are you?¡¹

    That is how the grave keeper meets the boy.

 Chapter 326 The Gravekeeperâ€™s Song

    The younger sister of the twins had always had a weak constitution, ever since she was born.

    From the very beginning, she never had a father. By the time she was old enough to notice, her mother had died as well. The sick younger sister has only a single family member left.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Onii-chan will definitely make you better!¡¹

    The young boy who was her older brother loved his younger sister from the bottom of his heart, as she was the only family member he had left. Not once did he ever think of abandoning her.

    However, the orphans¡¯ lifestyle could only be described as "poor". Of course, there was no way they could afford the medicine to cure the sister¡¯s illness.

    Though he was young, the boy worked earnestly. The amount of money he earned was pitiful, and sometimes he wasn¡¯t even paid.

    Dirty work, hard work, he did anything as long as it wasn¡¯t illegal.

    If he were to be caught even once, there would be nobody to look after his younger sister, so he didn¡¯t dare risk turning to crime. And above all, he possessed a heart of virtue.

    Over time, slowly but surely, he saved his money.

    A little more, just a little more, and he would be able to buy the medicine by his sister¡¯s thirteenth birthday that was approaching.

    ¡¸Sorry, Onii-chan, I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯ve only been a burden to you up until now. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    The day before her birthday. Leaving those final words, the younger sister died.

    With nobody reaching out a hand to save her, after living such a short life, suffering in illness, she died. Her life ended tragically.

    I¡¯ll die too.

    In front of his sister who had turnedpletely cold, the boy thought this, with no hesitation.

    ¡¸In the cemetery on the outskirts of town, there¡¯s a gravekeeper whose appearance has not changed since a hundred years ago. One mustn¡¯t approach her, one mustn¡¯t be familiar with her. She is definitely some kind of witch. If one carelessly steps into the depths of the cemetery, he will surely join the corpses -¡¹

    The boy had heard this rumor.

    It was exactly what he wished for.

    With no rtives, his younger sister would definitely be sent there. With the boy¡¯s meager fortune, there would be no way he could build her a grave in a proper temple.

    A carriage left the town immediately, with the younger sister in a coffin loaded in the back.

    The boy snuck onto the carriage to ride with her, whispering that he would soon be going "over there" to be by her side.

    ¡¸Th-that¡¯s the gravekeeper...¡¹

    Seeing the gravekeeper at the cemetery in the dark forest, the boy felt an emotion other than the sadness that he had felt since his sister had died.

    Her skin was as white as snow, and her hair was even whiter than that. But her eyes were a pure, shining red.

    The face visible beneath the bobbed, silver-white hair at her shoulders resembled a doll that his sister had once wanted. She looked somewhat inhuman, but unbelievably beautiful.

    Though the boy was not yet an adult, his eyes were drawn to her slender arms and legs and the feminine curves of her body that were visible even through her ck clothes.

    But the most surprising thing was that although she was a woman, she was carrying an entire coffin with just her left hand.

    In her right hand was a weapon with a long handle and a crescent-shaped de. The weapon left a fearsome impression on him, as if it could slice his finger off even with the lightest touch.

    But because she disyed such inhuman beauty and power, just like the rumors, he thought that she would do him the favor of ending his life.

    If he died next to his sister, the gravekeeper would surely bury him next to her.

    With that expectation, the boy stayedpletely still and breathed quietly, hiding himself until the burial wasplete.

    The coffin disappeared into the earth.

    Seeing his younger sister leave this world¡¯s surface, grief welled up in him once more.

    But at the same time, he knew the moment of his own death was approaching, causing him to feel more than a little fear deep in his chest as he raised his head.

    As he wiped away cold sweat and his body stiffened with the fear that the gravekeeper would notice him just by hearing the sound of his racing heartbeat -

    ¡¸??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????? ???? ???¡¹

    He heard the gravekeeper¡¯s song.

    No instrumental performance apanied it; it was an acappe requiem with just the sound of her voice.

    Its lyrics were either in thenguage of a faraway foreign country or perhaps in an ancientnguage; the boy couldn¡¯t make any sense of them at all. However, even so -

    ¡¸Uh... Ugh...¡¹

    The gentle melody pierced into the depths of his heart. It was as if it were a luby that his mother had sung to him when he was a child.

    ¡¸Kuh... Ugh... Thank... you...¡¹

    The boy knew that his younger sister¡¯s soul had been saved.

    This beautiful, wonderful melody would send her to heaven. There was no way that she wouldn¡¯t be happy, that she wouldn¡¯t be saved.

    The boy¡¯s sister¡¯s bright smile surfaces in his mind.

    Yes, his sister was now departing for the distant heavens with that smile on her face.

    He believed that from the bottom of his heart.

    Her poor lifestyle, the pain of her illness - looking back, it may have been a life without a single good thing.

    But at the very end, his sister was able to move on happily.

    That made him happier than anything else, and he felt as if the life he had spent helping her had finally been rewarded.

    ¡¸Ugh... Kuh... UWAAAAH!¡¹

    So he wasn¡¯t afraid anymore.

    ¡¸Who... are you?¡¹

    Even though the gravekeeper had finally appeared before his eyes to end his life.

    ¡¸You are not a grave robber, so why do I have to kill you?¡¹

    The gravekeeper was bewildered over this unprecedented event.

    Both at the fact that this boy who was a citizen of the town had appeared here, and at the fact that an unfounded rumor had been spread, a rumor saying that she would kill anyone who came to this cemetery.

    Somehow, with several hours of exnation, she finally seeded in clearing up that misunderstanding.

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry...¡¹

    The older brother of the young girl who had been buried here today was shrinking in cowardice, as if he could not express his apology in words alone.

    He did indeed resemble her.

    His face was a little gaunt, but looking closely, it was much lovelier than the girl in the grave.

    But with the grief of losing his twin sister, he was now a troubled boy who had thought to follow after her.

    ¡¸It¡¯ste. It¡¯s too dangerous to return to the town now, so you should stay here.¡¹

    Putting her limitedmon sense to use, the gravekeeper decided to look after the boy by providing him a meal and a ce to stay for the night.

    He was the first guest to be invited into the small, old shrine that she lived in.

    ¡¸Thank you very much for treating me to such a meal.¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s not much.¡¹

    ¡¸Err... So you do eat meals normally, don¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸Do those townspeople think I sustain myself on the mist...?¡¹

    It was her first time having this kind of idle conversation with someone.

    Would she, who has been a gravekeeper right from the beginning, be able to enjoy a normal chat with another person?

    It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t considered this question before, and now the boy had the impression that the gravekeeper was thoughtless. But not minding that, she indulged in this conversation. Immersed herself in it, even.

    ¡¸How is the temperature of the bath?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s just perfect. Umm, I¡¯m really sorry, even using your bath...¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that. More importantly, you seem to be quite dirty, allow me to wash you.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, that¡¯s -¡¹

    She also tried experiencing what was called "naked apaniment."

    TLN: Maybe this is a phrase in Japanese, it certainly isn¡¯t in English to my knowledge...

    She had been under the conceited expression that this would allow the boy to open himself up to her more, but for some reason, after he got out of the bath, his face was red and he averted his eyes from her.

    It was a little shocking for her.

    ¡¸Good night.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, good night.¡¹

    The two of them slept in a single bed.

    The bed felt more cramped than usual, but strangely enough, this was not an unpleasant thing.

    ¡¸Umm, thank you very much.¡¹

    Suddenly, the boy thanked her again, even though he had already thanked her too many times to count.

    ¡¸For holding that memorial for my younger sister. That song felt really beautiful, warm and gentle. I¡¯m sure my sister was able to happily go to heaven, so thank you.¡¹

    ¡¸I-I see... I mean, as a gravekeeper, I just did the work that¡¯s expected of me. You... don¡¯t have to be so... formal.¡¹

    The gravekeeper¡¯s heart began to beat quickly after hearing those words, and she found it difficult to fall asleep.

    Why was she feeling like this? Right before she fell into a deep slumber, she came across the answer.

    ¡¸Since I was born, nobody has ever praised my singing before...¡¹

    The next day. The time for the boy to return to the town hade.

    ¡¸Thank you for letting me stay here for the night.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, ah...¡¹

    The gravekeeper found herself bewildered once more by yet another new emotion in her heart.

    She had lived for a hundred years on her own, so her solitude wasn¡¯t even something that she was aware of; it was normal for her.

    Therefore, she hadn¡¯t felt the emotion known as¡¸loneliness.¡¹

    Until now, when she had to part ways with the boy.

    She wanted to say something and stop him. But she couldn¡¯t find the words.

    She was a gravekeeper; she had always been one and this would be her eternal duty from now on as well.

    And he was just a child. He would continue to live his life in thatrge town, be an adult, age and die someday.

    This incident was nothing more than an irregr event that happened once in a hundred years. So she would never see the boy again. There was no reason or need for that.

    ¡¸Umm, is it alright if Ie here again?¡¹

    That was why she thought those words must be a lie.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t ever think of following my sister to the other side again, but I never want to forget about her.¡¹

    There was no way there could be such a convenient reason.

    ¡¸And I want to hear that song one more time.¡¹

    No, if these words were not lies, then this must be a dream or a hallucination.

    But there was no mistake that the boy giving her a shy smile under this clear blue sky was, in fact, real.

    ¡¸Yes,e any time you wish, and I¡¯ll wee you.¡¹

    The boy visited the cemetery once every three days.

    ¡¸Hello.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹

    Before the gravekeeper knew it, having the boy around had be a natural thing.

    Neither their difference in gender nor the extraordinary difference in their age prevented them from deepening their rtionship with each other.

    At least, as time went on and the season changed, the gravekeeper became more and more drawn to the boy.

    ¡¸??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????? ???? ??? (O White God, please grant upon all the souls of the dead eternal rest, and shine upon them your endless light.)¡¹

    The requiem they sang in front of his younger sister¡¯s grave was a routine ceremony for the two of them.

    However, around the time the season changed, the song was sung not by one voice, but two.

    ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve remembered the song perfectly now.¡¹

    ¡¸But I still don¡¯t understand what the lyrics mean.¡¹

    Seeing the boy¡¯s embarrassedugh, the gravekeeper¡¯s heart was filled with an indescribable happiness.

    ¡¸Your pronunciation is perfect. And your voice is wonderful.¡¹

    ¡¸Th-thank you.¡¹

    She would probably have said this even if the boy waspletely tone-deaf.

    But perhaps coincidentally, the boy did indeed have a talent for singing. The gravekeeper¡¯spliments were not merely ttery; she spoke them truthfully.

    And then even more time passed.

    Before they knew it, it had almost been a year since they first met.

    ¡¸Earlier, I sang this song at the bar that I work at. Umm, I¡¯m sorry for singing it without your permission.¡¹

    One day, the boy came and made this apology.

    ¡¸That¡¯s not really my song; you can sing it as you wish.¡¹

    The song wasn¡¯t originally something that nobody was supposed to hear; it was just an old requiem. Nothing more, nothing less.

    The gravekeeper was delighted that the boy had be happy through the song that she had taught him.

    He was only a bar assistant, but when she asked him about it, his song had apparently been well received by the customers that he performed it to and they had given him money that slightly exceeded his monthly pay.

    Up until now, the gravekeeper had been offering to financially help the boy who had continued to live a poor life, but he had refused.

    As the gravekeeper did not have the ability for telepathy, she could not tell whether it was just him holding back from asking for too much, just simple male stubbornness or even an earnest sense of nobility.

    Even so, she knew. She knew that to live a happy lifestyle in the town, one would need a certain amount of money as a base requirement.

    She didn¡¯t know if the boy¡¯s wages would meet that minimum amount so she was quite worried, but it seemed that the situation had unexpectedly improved.

    ¡¸If singing that song can make you happy, then there¡¯s nothing wrong with it. And I wish for your happiness more than anyone else.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, thank you very much!¡¹

    As if the gravekeeper¡¯s wish had been heard, the boy¡¯s lifestyle changed from the poor one that he had been living until now.

    The elegant yet mysterious requiem melody that the boy sang gained fame across the town overnight.

    His talent for singing was unmistakably genuine; he was even more of a genius than the gravekeeper had initially thought.

    His voicepletely mesmerized men and women of all ages.

    Before he knew it, the boy had changed upations from bar assistant to exclusive singer, and his ie increased tenfold - no, a hundredfold.

    In less than a month, he had be the town¡¯s idol.

    ¡¸Hello.¡¹

    Even so, the boy visited the gravekeeper.

    His appearance was no longer that of a shabby orphan; his clothes were so tidy that he looked like a nobleman¡¯s son.

    If one looked closely, it was clear that he even had some light makeup on. The boy¡¯s face exuded beauty that would match a girl of the same age.

    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ve been waiting for you -¡¹

    No matter how beautiful or rich he became, the boy still made contact with the gravekeeper.

    His heart remained just as obedient and pure as the day that they had met.

    ¡¸- really, I¡¯ve grown tired of waiting for you.¡¹

    That was exactly why the gravekeeper was worried.

    Even after bing an idol, the boy continued toe here. However, the frequency of his visits went from once every three days to once every five, then once a week - steadily decreasing.

    Their desire to meet grew stronger, but the opportunities to do so grew fewer.

    The sleepless nights continued. Her feelings of longing for the boy scorched her heart.

    She began to feel bitter towards the "town" that interfered with her meetings with him.

    The gravekeeper persuaded herself - no, that wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll be fine as long as he is happy.¡¹

    She didn¡¯t want him to end up like his younger sister.

    ¡¸I can¡¯t make him happy.¡¹

    She was a gravekeeper. She would not be allowed to abandon her duty and leave this ce.

    ¡¸He can¡¯t live in this graveyard.¡¹

    He was a human. He was enjoying a free life, not bound by anything.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s no helping it. Because I¡¯m a -¡¹

    The Homunculus gravekeeper that had been born through ancient magic could never be married to a human.

    Until the several hundred years of her expected period of operation were finished, she would never be able to leave this ancient temple. Such a setting had been made.

    There was no way that a human would think to spend one¡¯s entire life in this mncholic graveyard. This would be especially true for an idol with a bright, promising future ahead of him -

    ¡¸... What did you say?¡¹

    Just as she made this decision, the time came for them to part ways.

    ¡¸He said that he¡¯s... my father.¡¹

    Visiting the gravekeeper for the first time in a month, the boy said that his father, who he had never met before in his entire life, had appeared.

    ¡¸His name is, err, too long for me to remember, but he¡¯s really important. He¡¯s apparently a nobleman.¡¹

    It was unsurprising news.

    Fourteen years ago, this nobleman visited this town and had a one-night rtion with a certain girl.

    The girl became pregnant and gave birth to twins.

    But that was all.

    ¡¸A nobleman, you say...¡¹

    He had note back just on a whim. He had returned to take up the new post of feudal lord, to govern this town.

    ¡¸Yes, he said that he was unable toe to this town until now due to some circumstances, but he really wanted toe and see Mother and us.¡¹

    Just how much of this was truth?

    The other-worldly gravekeeper did not have a good understanding of the situation in the town. She had no idea how aristocratic society worked.

    But she was aware that nobles were of different social status from themoners.

    Everyone admired them.

    Large mansions, delicious food, beautiful clothes, servants that waited on them - the privileged ss, the peak of luxury. If one were to ask who the happiest people in this world were, the answer would probably be them.

    ¡¸If I¡¯m epted as his child, I won¡¯t be able to visit this ce -¡¹

    ¡¸You should go.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    ¡¸He¡¯s your real father, is he not? Being with your family should make you the happiest.¡¹

    There was no way that she would stop him. There was no way that she would hold him back.

    He was about to step onto the shining road of nobility.

    Given that, how could she try to imprison him in this dark graveyard for his whole life with a mere doll like herself?

    For the gravekeeper who wished for the boy¡¯s happiness, there was no other answer.

    ¡¸I-I will definitely return here one day.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹

    ¡¸I will give a much better song to my sister.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹

    ¡¸So when that timees, please sing with me again.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I promise. I will always await your return.¡¹

    And so the two of them said their farewells.

    The gravekeeper returned to her solitude once more.

    But the happiness of the one she loved was granted, and the promise of their reunion had been made. So she was able to spend her days with a more human-like expression on her face than she had ever worn in the hundred years leading up to now.

    It was fast approaching three months since the gravekeeper and boy had parted ways.

    ¡¸Grave-keeper-sama, please take care of this person.¡¹

    Today, another corpse had been left with her.

    In the moment she reached her hand towards the coffin to check its contents -

    ¡¸Please wait. That person is a hero who saved the town. However, the damage to the body is severe, and it is now in a terrible state. Please do not do him the dishonor of exposing his body once more.¡¹

    Did he die fighting monsters, perhaps? Seeing as he was being called a hero of the town, this was a reasonable guess.

    However, the gravekeeper was stillpletely unrted to the events of the town, so this made no difference to her.

    She merely epted the corpses and offered them the proper treatment and burial.

    Severely damaged corpses - in other words, the corpses of those who were exposed to violent attacks - had the pain at the moment of their death linger strongly around them, and this made them easily turn into Undead.

    With just a requiem, there might still be a small chance that it would turn into an Undead, so she came to the clear decision of applying purification magic directly onto the corpse.

    And so just before the burial, as she opened the coffin -

    ¡¸Wha...¡¹

    This was her reunion with the boy.

    ¡¸W-what, what is this, why are you -! No, this can¡¯t be, this is impossible, this ridiculous thing, it can¡¯t be true!¡¹

    As the person who had brought the corpse had said, he was in a terrible state.

    Only his lovely, beautiful face remained as it had been.

    There was no way that she could forget this face. This was the only face that she could not mistake for another.

    ¡¸Ah, this can¡¯t be, this can¡¯t be, this can¡¯t be, this can¡¯t happen, after all, I wished only for... for your happiness. So why -¡¹

    So why did he have to die?

    What were these wounds on his body?

    And why was hepletely naked, not dressed in funeral clothes, as if he had simply been thrown into the coffin and discarded?

    Even executed criminals were treated better when they were buried. What kind of serious crime would one have tomit to be exposed to such a disgraceful death?

    The gravekeeper had been working for a hundred years and seen thousands, tens of thousands of corpses, but this was the first time she had seen one in such an atrocious state.

    Why did the one person that she loved have to be the one to suffer the cruelest of fates?

    She had wished only for his happiness and epted that they would be separated for a long time.

    She had even desperately resisted her desire to make him hers.

    But it seemed that he had be the property of a cruel master.

    As if to im the boy¡¯s great charm and even that exceptional voice as their own, someone had branded a family crest into his throat.

    ¡¸Ah, I see, that¡¯s how it is...¡¹

    His real father, nobles, the hero of the town - All of this was, once again, unsurprising news.

    A certain violent noble had set his eyes on the idol, the boy that everyone in the town was talking about.

    It didn¡¯t matter whether he was his actual father or not; even if it was a lie, a false pretense, it made an excuse.

    All he needed was power. The influence to destroy the town - the position of feudal lord - was all he needed.

    A sacrifice, a price to be paid, whatever one wished to call it. In short, the boy had been consumed to satisfy the desires of the nobles.

    Judging from his appearance, he had not known anything, not been told anything, and nobody had tried to tell him.

    And so he had be a priceless sacrifice.

    ¡¸... you... all.¡¹

    He had lived the past three months as an amusing ything for the nobles.

    And for the past three months, the gravekeeper had simply awaited his return like a fool.

    She didn¡¯t do anything, she couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Even though he had suffered this much. Even though he had been suffering like this, so close by to her.

    ¡¸... I¡¯ll kill you all.¡¹

    She couldn¡¯t forgive herself.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all!¡¹

    There was no way that she could forgive herself.

    While saying that she wished for his happiness, she made the foolish choice of giving up on granting him that happiness herself from the very beginning.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all, I¡¯ll kill you all!¡¹

    And the ones that she couldn¡¯t forgive, most of all -

    ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you all, you bastards, every single one of you -¡¹

    Were the people who had caused his death.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll ughter you all, AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!¡¹

    Her loud scream of resentment echoed out loudly.

    The malice in that scream was so powerful and deep that it became a wave of negative influence that swept over the cemetery.

    This phenomenon was only possible because it was she who had been the one to live on for these hundred years, burying the dead and bestowing eternal peace to their souls.

    ¡¸Ah... Aaah...¡¹

    As if responding to the gravekeeper¡¯s voice, the dead began to rise.

    With his bloodless, pale face, the boy opened his empty eyes.

    At the same time, the gravekeeper suppressed her resentful expression and turned to face him calmly.

    The gravekeeper¡¯s white, smiling face with her pupils that were fading in color entered the boy¡¯s unfocused field of vision.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve grown tired of waiting for our reunion. To think that you¡¯de back to me in only three months, fufufu, it seems that you were even lonelier than I was. No, I¡¯m not ming you, I¡¯m just happy.¡¹

    The dead who rise as Undead arepletely different to the people they were in life; they are simply monsters.

    The boy was now a Zombie, an Undead monster of the lowest rank.

    There was no way that she wouldn¡¯t know this.

    After all, her most important duty as a gravekeeper was to ensure that the dead would not revive as Undead.

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, we promised to sing together, didn¡¯t we? Come, let¡¯s sing.¡¹

    However, the gravekeeper embraced the boy as she had once done in happier times.

    Though she pressed him against her chest, his cheeks would never again redden in embarrassment.

    And of course, the beautiful voice that had captivated the people would never againe from his mouth.

    ¡¸? ?? ?? ?? ? ??? ? ?? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ???? ? ? ??????? ??? ? ???¡¹

    The song that echoed across the cemetery was a requiem - or it should have been, but the melody was corrupted, became disarrayed and finally came undone, and the purification effect began to change.

    Instead of calming the souls, the song stimted them wildly, provoked them and made them savage, preventing their eternal rest and weaving a melody of resurrection.

    The next to open her eyes was the boy¡¯s younger sister.

    The requiem - no, dead-reviving song that had now be a curse caused her young corpse to begin moving once more, climbing out of her coffin and rising from the earth.

    ¡¸Haha, ahaha, I should have just done this from the beginning, right? See, now you can live with your sister again.¡¹

    Looking at the younger sister¡¯s corpse again as she moved, she really did have a lovely face that resembled her brother¡¯s.

    But her body had already spent over a year beneath the earth¡¯s surface and had dposed in various ces; she was still nothing more than a filthy Undead.

    ¡¸Fufu, is your throat not feeling well today? You aren¡¯t singing, are you? Ah, could it be that you can only be satisfied with arger audience, now that you¡¯re an idol? That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll call an audience for you soon, look -¡¹

    As the gravekeeper let out another cry, skeletal hands rose from the earth one by one to answer her call.

    The graveyard from which not even a single grave had been robbed in a hundred years was now beingpletely dug up by the gravekeeper that watched over it.

    Corpses from a hundred years ago, from ten years ago, from yesterday, all of them were disturbed from their peaceful slumber to suffer in this world once more.

    ¡¸Hmm, perhaps this still isn¡¯t enough. It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll add more and more "people" to the audience, starting with all of the people in the town -¡¹

    With her left hand gently embracing the boy who wasn¡¯t even letting out a single groan and holding her beloved naginata in her right, the gravekeeper stepped forward.

    ¡¸The gravekeeper¡¯s job? Ah, I¡¯m done with that. This town won¡¯t need a cemetery anymore. So I, the gravekeeper, am being relieved of my post.¡¹

    She discarded her old duty. Themands given to her in the distant past could not hold back her hatred.

    ¡¸Well then, shall we go? This time for sure, I¡¯ll make you happy.¡¹

    And so the gravekeeper set foot into the outside world.

    She cut down every person on sight, adding them to the ranks of the dead following her.

    ¡¸???? ?? ??????? ????? ??????? ???? (O ck goddess, please grant upon all the souls of the dead...£©¡¹

    She sang and sang her song that revived the dead.

    She wouldn¡¯t let the dead sleep.

    The resurrected dead, in their pain, resented and hated those who still breathed and stretched out their arms to add them to their filthy ranks.

    ¡¸????? ??????? ??????? (Eternal torture.£©¡¹

    More and more dead were revived.

    Life disappeared from the town, reced by the false life of undeath.

    ¡¸???? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??? (And submerge them in the endless darkness.)¡¹

    The march of death continued on and on.

    Their destination was the center of the town, the most popted area. They searched for the souls of the highest nobles.

    The dead knew no fear. They never faltered in their footsteps, even when facing high walls, deep moats and rows of sturdy soldiers.

    ¡¸????? ?????? (O world,e to an end.)¡¹

    That town, while part of this world, also became a part of the other world.

    A country of the dead, a paradise for the deceased.

    And the song that was heard at the summit of this hell was -

    ¡¸Ah, you finally sang with me.¡¹

    The duet of the gravekeeper and the boy.

    Thus, Merry rises.

    The cursed melody that undoes death itself reawakens her will, and she stands once more due to the ck magical power she receives from her master Kurono.

    Her open eyes are an ominous, shining crimson. Her bloodstained mane stands up like a zing me. Her damaged body is stained with a deep darkness that fills in every wound.

    Merry is no longer a mere horse. But that does not mean that she has be a low-level Zombie horse.

    She has a magnificent figure with a sinister red-ck aura radiating from her entire body. Even the hairs of her body stand up on end and give off her malicious intent.

    She has not been simply resurrected. She has been reborn as a more powerful creature.

    As for her title, it is the same as the one that has been given to her master - She has now evolved into a high-level Undead monster, the¡ºNightmare.¡»

    TLN: This is a wordy with "nightmare" and "mare", the word for female horse. The kanji below "nightmare" read "Undead horse."

 Chapter 327 The cost of actions

    Facing the enormous group of monsters attacking at daybreak, the suprememander, Third Prince Wilhart Tristan Spada, gives orders that echo out to the three hundred academy students that he leads.

    ¡¸Everyone, to your battle stations!¡¹

    Wilhart is suffering from sleep deprivation due to the previous repetitive, intermittent attacks. His eyes are slightly bloodshot, with subtle shadows beneath them.

    But with the great danger closing in on them in front of his eyes, he raises his voice with all his strength and his shouts show no signs of his fatigue.

    Since he does not possess strength like that of Wing Road, he knows that all he can do is takemand and ensure that the morale does not drop, so he desperately encourages those he is in charge of.

    ¡¸If we can weather this attack, surely the Knights¡¯ Order of Spada, my father, the great King Leonhart, wille here and rescue us!¡¹

    Even with their bodies trembling in fear, the academy students take up their weapons and begin to move.

    The Archers and Mages as well as the Swordsmen and Warriors take up their positions, anticipating the monsters climbing onto the ramparts.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be hasty! The enemy is still far off, make sure they draw closer before you attack!¡¹

    The endless rows of enemy silhouettes are slowly climbing upward from the foot of the hill towards the fortress. Like ants swarming around a cake, they close in from every direction.

    Are the monsters taunting them or just moving at a slower pace for the less mobile monsters? Either way, it is clear that within the next half hour, all of the different kinds of monsters are going to surge in at once to disrupt the students¡¯ ranks.

    ¡¸You¡¯ve even brought some fighting power in the air... Greed-Gore, does this mean that you¡¯ve finally decided to go all-out?¡¹

    The outlines of flying monsters like Pegasuses and Harpies can be seen dotting the gray, cloud-filled sky.

    The conspicuouslyrge one is the Smander, perhaps?

    ¡¸This is a critical situation...¡¹

    Sincemands are sent to the subordinates as electromaic waves via the airborne monsters, it is not simply that the flying monsters have joined the fray; therger problem at hand is that the general of the army has stepped in to take directmand over it.

    The sporadic attacks over the past few days have caused fatigue for the academy students, including Wilhart, but haven¡¯t caused any casualties.

    The Greed-Gore probably left just enough monsters positioned around the fortress so that nobody could escape, but didn¡¯t give them any direct orders after that.

    That is why there werepses in its control over the monsters and some of them approached the fortress carelessly only to be shot down.

    Seeing the monster army well-organized under its general¡¯smand once more, Wilhart is confident that this is the case.

    Therefore, he imagines that theing attack is going to be harsh.

    The phrases "worst case scenario" and "annihtion" pass through his mind.

    ¡¸No, it will be fine. I¡¯ll believe in Father, in Kurono. And we have Wing Road here as well.¡¹

    Telling himself that, he desperately tries to make his brain think.

    Wing Road is the important core of theirbat strength; they are equivalent to a hundred soldiers. He must not be careless in giving them instructions.

    ¡¸Firstly, Nero and Kai are the vanguard. So I¡¯ll put them at the main gate.¡¹

    He would have them defend the fortress¡¯s front gate, where the attack would be the most concentrated.

    Not only are they strong, but simply having those two fight on the front lines will improve the rest of the students¡¯ morale.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll have Safiel cover the back and the whole outer circumference of the fortress.¡¹

    Her strength lies in the number of servants that she controls.

    Since the attack ising from all directions, it would be impossible to tell where the line of defense might suddenly break.

    It would be too risky to use Nero and Kai in such an emergency, since they are the strongest among the students. Relying on her Undead Soldiers would better allow them to maintain their battle formations.

    ¡¸My dear sister Sharl, I shall rely on thee for our anti-air attacks.¡¹

    For some reason, he refers to only his younger sister in a pompous tone during his inner monologue, but the role he assigns to her is appropriate.

    Her signature move is her lightning attack magic, but its wide area of effect makes it dangerous as it could hit her allies. However, if aimed at targets in the air, there would be no need to worry about friendly fire and so she could fire away to her heart¡¯s content.

    Also, firing sporadic magical attacks and arrows at the enemiesing at them from the sky wouldn¡¯t be effective.

    Unless the arrows were fired all at once and area-of-effect magic was used, they wouldn¡¯t deal any meaningful damage to the airborne threats.

    ¡¸Alright, this is the perfect arrangement!¡¹

    Just as Wilhart finishes gathering his thoughts, he spots Nero among the sea of students who are walking back and forth.

    ¡¸Oi, Ne-¡¹

    ¡¸Oi, Will! You haven¡¯t seen Sharl, have you?!¡¹

    In that very moment that Wilhart heard Nero call out to him first, an unpleasant feeling spreads throughout his entire body -

    As the enormous army of monsters closes in, the students are gathered around the fortress¡¯s main gate, causing amotion.

    ¡¸H-h-how can this be...¡¹

    In the center of them is Wilhart with all the color drained from his face, cold sweat dripping off his chin like a waterfall.

    ¡¸It seems that it¡¯s true.¡¹

    Standing with him is Nero, a rare look of impatience set on his handsome face.

    ¡¸Sharl has... left the fortress to defeat the Greed-Gore...¡¹

    At first, Wilhart wanted to think that this was some kind of joke.

    But it has now been confirmed that Charlotte cannot be found anywhere in the fortress.

    ¡¸I apologize. I told Sharl that I found the Greed-Gore. I didn¡¯t think that she would go out recklessly by herself.¡¹

    Safiel Maya Hydra is lowering her head with a pained expression.

    Sharl, who obstinately advocated for the Greed-Gore¡¯s extermination, discovered its location.

    And right now, she is nowhere to be seen in Iskia Fortress.

    Any fool could have foreseen that she would act like this, though the most foolish one is Charlotte herself.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll go and bring her back right now.¡¹

    Nero speaks not a single word of me towards Charlotte, the cause of this problem, or Safiel who helped make these events happen. He simply steps forward with a swish of his red cape.

    His serious expression is full of determination to rescue his party member,panion and childhood friend.

    Its intensity naturally parts the crowd, opening up a path for Nero to walk through, but -

    ¡¸Stop right there! I will not allow you to go after Sharl!¡¹

    Wilhart stands in front of him with both arms raised, blocking his path.

    ¡¸Out of my way, Will.¡¹

    Nero speaks with a cold, almost murderous tone.

    Its intensity causes Wilhart to falter for a moment, but he raises his voice to respond.

    ¡¸Nero, you know what¡¯s going to happen if you leave the fortress as well, don¡¯t you? Look! The entirety of the enemy army is closing in on us!¡¹

    ¡¸So what?¡¹

    ¡¸Are you saying that you will abandon us, all three hundred students here?!¡¹

    ¡¸So then, are you telling me that we should abandon Sharl?¡¹

    In response to this retort, Wilhart¡¯s voice falters once more. No, even his breathing falters.

    After several seconds of silence, he finallyes to an answer.

    ¡¸... Give up on Sharl.¡¹

    ¡¸And you call yourself her aniki, you bastard?!¡¹

    As Nero roars in anger, his tightly-clenched right fist strikes a heavy blow into Wilhart¡¯s cheek.

    With a pitiful groan, Wilhart¡¯s body flies briefly through the air before he falls in an unsightly way onto his hands and knees.

    ¡¸Will!¡¹

    Among the students who are just standing and watching the events unfold, only one of them rushes over to Wilhart¡¯s side.

    ¡¸S... Stay back... Simon.¡¹

    Though he is still on the ground, Wilhart holds up his right hand to stop his friend froming any closer.

    ¡¸But -¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine... Please... step back.¡¹

    Simon is holding his rifle in his hands.

    In the worst case scenario, he might point its barrel at Nero out of anger.

    Wilhart wants to avoid that at all costs. The only one who has to be knocked down into this humiliating state is him, who bears the pathetic title of¡¸delusional prince.¡¹

    But thanks to the loyalty of his small friend, Wilhart finds the strength to raise his body up from the ground.

    The punch from the Rank 5 adventurer was certainly devastating, but even so, he unsteadily gets onto his feet.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t say it again, Will.¡¹

    ¡¸Sharl is my precious younger sister... But Sharl, Charlotte Tristan Spada, is a member of the royal family. By acting on her own, she has exposed everyone else to danger. Are you saying that the cost of her actions should be the lives of the three hundred students here?! There is no way that I can ept that!¡¹

    ¡¸... Is that all you wanted to say?¡¹

    The rage that burned in Nero¡¯s eyes when he punched Wilhart is gone, and now a much colder gaze pierces through Wilhart.

    Ignoring the person standing in his way, Nero simply walks past him - or so it appears, but as his shoulder line up with Wilhart¡¯s, he opens his mouth and lets out a huge sigh.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll save Sharl, and I¡¯ll save everyone here. That¡¯ll be fine, right?¡¹

    He slowly speaks these words to Wilhart.

    ¡¸If I defeat the Greed-Gore, everything will be resolved, right?¡¹

    ¡¸... Yeah.¡¹

    Still looking down at the ground, Wilhart nods his head.

    ¡¸Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to hold out for a little while without us.¡¹

    Nero continues speaking as he heads towards the main gate that is opening.

    In front of him is Kai Est Galbraith atop his Bicorn mount with a greatsword on his back, holding the reins of the prince¡¯s Unicorn in his hand.

    Waiting beside him is Safiel, who has mounted her false Sleipnir and prepared for departure.

    ¡¸Well then, we¡¯ll be back.¡¹

    Thus, the fortress¡¯s front gate opens.

    Just before Nero mounts his dazzling Unicorn and departs in the direction of the monster army -

    ¡¸I beg you, Nero! Please save Sharl, please save my sisteeeer!¡¹

    Wilhart kneels down on the ground and screams this request to him.

    With his forehead touching the dirty stone pavement, in an unsightly way that no member of royalty should do, he begs for the rescue of his family member.

    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me.¡¹

    Nero turns around briefly to make this deration before making a spirited departure through the gate with his twopanions.

    A great cheer rises from the students remaining in the fortress.

    Princess Charlotte will be rescued. The Greed-Gore will be defeated. The party of heroes,¡ºWing Road¡», will be able to aplish these goals - seeing Nero depart to save hispanion with no hesitation, the students believe this from the bottom of their hearts.

    ¡¸This is... fine...¡¹

    Wilhart whispers this to himself as the fatigue that has umted over the past few days, and even the fear of facing the enemies closing in on them is blown away by the sound of the students¡¯ cheering voices.

    With his forehead still touching the ground, so that nobody can see - he is crying bitter tears.

    ¡¸This is... all I can do.¡¹

    It would have been impossible for him to stop Nero. That much is certain. He had given up on that from the start - no, he had taken it into ount.

    Will had to think about the unrest and plummeting morale of the remaining students that would be caused by Wing Road¡¯s departure.

    In such a state, with this army of students whose main force is now gone, the fortress would fall in less than half an hour and they would head straight down the path leading to annihtion.

    So he had to at least preserve their morale.

    Yes, no matter how unsightly, miserable and foolish he looks.

    He had the pitiful role of making the heroes that are leaving to stand up against the enemies that endanger hispanions look brave and honorable.

    However, he had to do it. Nobody but him could have done it.

    If he didn¡¯t make the greatest performance out of Wing Road¡¯s departure, the students would have simply lost all hope without understanding why Wing Road were leaving.

    He even stopped Simon from stepping in to prevent Nero from appearing to be a viin, even for a moment.

    And so his n seeded.

    Rather than decreasing, the students¡¯ morale has increased.

    In this situation, Nero acted as a shining beacon of hope for the students.

    That is why this was for the best, all of it.

    ¡¸This is... This is...¡¹

    But tears do not stop flowing from Wilhart¡¯s golden eyes.

    How unsightly. How ridiculous. Has there ever been any royal family member of Spada to disy such disgraceful behavior?

    On this day, Wilhart has taken his own pride as royalty and smashed it to pieces with his own hands.

 Chapter 328 The lazy general

    Note from the trantor:

    Before I get any more incessant questions about why KnM has been dyed, I was away on a trip. I am now back from my trip and release schedule should be back to normal. There are currently two more sponsored chapters in the queue, so you will see more chaptersing in the very near future.

    Please check announcements before directing impertinent questions at the trantor, thanks.

    Yoshi

    ¡¸I wonder if I can really get Nero to follow me out here...¡¹

    Charlotte, who left Iskia Fortress alonest night, is hiding beneath the Wrath-Pun¡¯s enormous body in a thicket, taking shelter from the rain that began pouring down as the sun rose.

    Although she wouldn¡¯t be alone for long, how long has it been since shest came to a dungeon by herself?

    Charlotte has absolute confidence in her own ability, but she is also a young girl; she gets lonely when on her own.

    She wants for herpanions, for Nero, to hurry and chase after her.

    But as if to refuse to admit that, she beginsining under her breath.

    ¡¸Jeez, if this doesn¡¯t work, I won¡¯t forgive Safi.¡¹

    The n to force the extermination of the Greed-Gore was formed by none other than the prodigy child of the Hydra house, who prides herself on her unrivaled ingenuity.

    ording to her, if Charlotte left the fortress on her own, Nero would surelye after her to save her, as he is not the kind to easily abandon hispanions.

    As Safi said these words with a serious expression, Charlotte had listened with slowly reddening cheeks.

    To think that thatzy Nero would do something for her sake -

    ¡¸I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m happy about it or anything!¡¹

    With this mysterious way of hiding her embarrassment, Charlotte pounds her fists against the red-furred arm next to her.

    The Wrath-Pun¡¯s long ears are drooping as if to say that it is troubled, but perhaps this is just a trick of the imagination?

    ¡¸Still, what¡¯s with this Greed-gore guy. It¡¯s justzing about and doesn¡¯t seem to have the motivation to do anything...¡¹

    Charlotte has already spotted therge ck body of the Greed-Gore, sprawled out at the edge of a pond.

    These green woods growing thickly over this slightly elevated hill can hide even the Wrath-Pun¡¯s enormous body as itys down, so naturally Charlotte¡¯s tiny figure ispletely obscured.

    This position, with a clear view of the pond, is perfect for observing the enemy.

    It has been nearly an hour since Charlotte began hiding here and silently watching the Greed-Gore.

    She thought that the general leading a two-pronged attack against both the fortress and the vige would be busy giving instructions to its subordinates, but the Greed-Gore didn¡¯t do anything apart from the asional slight movement.

    The most it ever did was to push its snout into the pond, still in its sprawled position, to suck up some water.

    Charlotte has never seen a monster that gives off such an impression ofziness.

    That is why she is letting out words of exasperation.

    ¡¸Could it be that I could even defeat it by myself...?¡¹

    She gets the feeling that if she fired her greatest, most powerful lightning magic at it from here, things would be settled.

    Charlotte at least understands that if Wing Road were to leave the fortress as well, the students¡¯ capability to defend it would drop remarkably.

    That is precisely why the Greed-Gore should be brought down as quickly as possible. Yes, if the chance presents itself, she wouldn¡¯t need to wait for Nero¡¯s arrival.

    ¡¸... I might get to see Nero get fired up for once, so I won¡¯t.¡¹

    As shees to this decision, something changes in her view of the pond.

    ¡¸That¡¯s a flock of Silent Sheep...¡¹

    The Silent Sheep with their characteristic ck wool approach in an organized row.

    There are ten, twenty - the row stops at thirty Silent Sheep. This is fortunate for Charlotte, who may have fallen asleep if she continued counting them.

    As if their master has summoned them, they head towards the Greed-Gore.

    ¡¸Why are just the Silent Sheep...?¡¹

    The Greed-Gore¡¯sziness is strange, but the thing that makes Charlotte more ufortable is that there are no monsters from the pond in this ce.

    She expected there to be other generals or subordinates, or even Centaurs, Orcs or other suitable monsters to be guarding the surrounding area, but the Greed-Gore has been alone until the appearance of these Silent Sheep.

    Is it about to give them a direct order? Just as Charlotte wonders if this is the case -

    ¡¸It ate them?!¡¹

    The Silent Sheep are devoured.

    No, to be more urate, they are going forth to be devoured.

    The Greed-Gore is still sprawled out, and merely raises its enormous jaw.

    The fatty mutton simply leaps into its open mouth.

    Its sword-like, sharp fangs grind loudly against each other to chew the Silent Sheep whole, ck wool and all.

    ¡¸I suppose the parasite allows it to guide them into its mouth...¡¹

    It seems that the Silent Sheep have not been eaten out of pure coincidence.

    One by one, the Silent Sheep are leaping into its gaping jaws.

    It is different from a bird feeding its chick. The prey is forcing its own way into the Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth.

    Just howzy is this monster?

    An indescribably unpleasant feeling rises up in Charlotte¡¯s heart.

    A chill passes through her body as the Greed-Gore lets out a belch at the end of its meal that reeks of blood.

    Charlotte unconsciously tries to avert her eyes, but as her vision shifts horizontally, she catches a glimpse of a purple flicker.

    If she were to observe carefully, she would see that this purple sh ising - no, gushing forth from the Greed-Gore¡¯s jaws.

    It is not simply a light shining around its mouth, but snakes around a meter in length.

    A number of snakes made of purple lightning equal to the number of the sheep that disappeared into the Greed-Gore¡¯s stomach are now slithering out through the crevices between its fangs.

    ¡¸Those must be the body segments of the parasite.¡¹

    It cannot be said for certain whether they are the same ones that infested the sheep that were eaten or whether new parasites have been born, but that isn¡¯t what Charlotte is currently concerned about.

    Now that the Greed-Gore has eaten all of those Silent Sheep, it is alone in this ce once more.

    It has released these parasite body segments, who is it going to infest next -

    ¡¸?!¡¹

    In the next moment, the Greed-Gore¡¯s violet eyes look directly into Charlotte¡¯s golden ones.

    Their eyes have met - no, that can¡¯t be.

    Charlotte wants to deny that possibility, but the thirty parasite-snakes that were released are now slithering their way up the hill, directly towards her.

    The flickering purple lines heading towards her are just like light-type magical attacks with a self-guided targeting function.

    ¡¸Kuh, it knew I was here from the very start...¡¹

    Charlotte has been meticulously cautious up until this point to avoid being detected by monsters.

    She found an appropriate gap to escape the monsters¡¯ surround on the fortress and used wind magic to erase her scent and the sound of her footsteps.

    However, given the current situation, the fact that she has been detected is undeniable.

    ¡¸Jeez, it¡¯s your fault for being so big!¡¹

    Hitting Wrath-Pun¡¯s arm with her wand in anger, Charlotte stands up boldly as there is no point in hiding any longer.

    ¡¸Nero hasn¡¯t arrived yet... This leaves me no choice, I¡¯ll face you alone!¡¹

    With her red twin-tails and cape fluttering, Charlotte leaps out of the woods in high spirits.

    Though facing a Rank 5 adventurer full of fighting spirit, the Greed-Gore remains lying at the side of the pond.

    The princess of Spada is a little irritated.

    ¡¸Hmph, you can stay there and act like you¡¯re calm if you want to -¡¹

    She decides on her n of attack immediately.

    It is the same n that she thought of earlier and immediately discarded - in other words, the n to fire her strongest lightning magic and settle this with a single attack.

    And so, Charlotte holds up her beloved¡ºCrimson Bolt¡»and raises her voice.

    She shouts the name of the god that grants her the magical power befitting of a Rank 5 adventurer.

    ¡¸Come forth and roar, red lightning¡ºReinhardt!¡»¡¹

 Chapter 329 The battle to defend Iskia Village (1)

    As thunder echoes and heavy rain descends upon Iskia Vige, so too does arge army of monsters.

    ¡¸Uooooooh ¨C¡¹

    The one swinging an enormous metal rod around at the vige¡¯s west gate is Gustav, who leads the forces fighting to defend it.

    The manifestation of the divine protection of the¡ºScorching Ogre King ¨C Agni Aura*¡»has caused his pure-red body to be surrounded by a brightly-burning fiery aura and be even redder.

    TLN: Agni means fire and is the god of fire in Indian religions

    With a truly Ogre-like expression, he faces the enemy that ising directly towards him ¨C a Dortoth with an armed Orc riding it.

    The ferocious Dortoth¡¯s huge body resembles a mixture of an elephant and boar, and its most powerful attack is a direct charge. As this attack is about tond on Gustav ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Break Impact!¡¹

    A full, home-run swing catches the Dortoth¡¯s head.

    The fire element is added to the blow due to the overflowing scorching aura. The impact of the blow and the resulting fiery explosion blow the monster away despite its enormous size and tremendous weight.

    The Orc riding it is thrown into the air, and unable to brace himself for anding, drops head-first into the ground. His neck bends in a direction that it most certainly shouldn¡¯t.

    The corpse of the Dortoth, whose head has beenpletely obliterated, flies several dozen meters into the air, but its journeyes to a halt. It crashes onto the ground, crushing the Slimes and Goblins underneath.

    ¡¸This is bad, real bad...¡¹

    Gustav beginsining.

    He has managed to prevent the Dortoth¡¯s battering-ram-like charge from connecting with the vige¡¯s gate that has been tightly shut.

    This is the fourth time that he has managed to do so since this battle began.

    Therge, faint shadow appearing on the other side of the curtain of heavy rain clearly tells him that the fifth charge attempt is imminent.

    ¡¸S¡¯pose I¡¯m reachin¡¯ my limit...¡¹

    As he nces sideways, he sees his reliable party members in the midst of a fierce battle.

    ¡¸Nooo! Ganging up on me like this, you¡¯re all nning to assault me, aren¡¯t you?! Just like in those erotic novels!¡¹

    The one mowing down the hordes of Centaurs with a long poleaxe, while wearing a shocking pink suit of armor and helmet, is the Minotaur (¡á) Doulas. Also known as L.

    While screaming in a manly bass voice a sentence that a young girl might cry when confronted by a group of rough-looking men, he utilizes the strength that all members of his race are blessed with to swing his axe in a remarkable fashion, butchering the enemies one after another.

    ¡¸You want my body really badly, don¡¯t you?! But you can¡¯t have it, because even though I look like this, I¡¯m the type of maiden to stay pure until I meet someone I love! URAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    Doulas steps over the corpses of the Centaurs to deliver his deadly attacks to the huge Land Dragon approaching him.

    His prided poleaxe has been improved over his long years as an adventurer using the raw materials from the monsters he defeated. In the moment he swings it, a dark gray aura surges from his body.

    This is the proof that he has received a divine blessing from the¡ºTrembling Raging Horned Bull ¨C Bullbros.¡»

    Its effect is vibration. The gray de with a heart engraved into it lets out a sharp ring as it is swung.

    Not only does the axe disintegrate the Land Dragon¡¯s quadrupedal body into tiny pieces, it also pulverizes the ground in a radius of over a dozen meters. Of course, the bodies of the monsters unlucky enough to be standing in that area turn into a bloody mist as the high-frequency vibrations pass through them.

    Doulas has cleared the monsters in front of him with a single swing, but his body stiffens slightly following this all-out attack.

    The Harpies flying through the rain haven¡¯t missed this opportunity. Their harsh, piercing cries echo out as they descend upon him along with the incessant raindrops falling from the sky.

    There are three of them. It seems they haven¡¯t lost their ability to work together despite being controlled by the parasite; they show no signs of clumsiness such as crashing into each other in mid-air.

    At the moment their sharp talons are about to assault Doulas¡¯s head, a whirlwind of steel appears.

    ¡¸¨C DAAAH!¡¹

    Its origin is the Cyclops whose body is evenrger than Doulas¡¯s. The battleaxes in his hands mow down the Harpies that are attempting a surprise attack on hispanion.

    Their richly-colored wings fall from the air along with bright-red sshes of blood.

    ¡¸Ah, that was close.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh my, thank you, Gon-chan. I¡¯ll have to thank you with a smoochter~¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s not necessary.¡¹

    ¡¸Getting so shy, you still act like such a child!¡¹

    With incredible awkwardness, Gon averts his singlerge eye and charges into the group of monsters once more.

    Perhaps because of his young age, he has not received a divine blessing yet. However, he is number one in the party when ites to pure physical strength.

    He swings the unrefined battleaxes that he is holding in both hands with abnormal strength,pletely focused on cutting down the enemies before him. His dual-wielded battle-axes that push his strength to the limit blow through the battlefield like a whirlwind, piling up monster corpses around him.

    ¡¸Those two¡¯re fine, but the other one¡¯s in trouble.¡¹

    Thanks to the powerful members of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡»disying their strength as a Rank 5 party, the battle is proceeding well ¨C or so it appears at first nce, but Gustav is all too aware that the frontlines will break down very soon.

    It is the sheer number of enemies, the overwhelming difference in the military resources avable. Even though the enemies mostly consist of Rank 1 monsters, with these numbers, even the Slimes alone pose a Rank-5-level threat.

    The adventurers and vigntes are truly fighting well.

    But it¡¯s not enough; they don¡¯t have enough soldiers or manpower.

    Each ally falling elerates the rate at which the difference in military strength grows further apart.

    For now, the Swordsmen and Warriors are still fighting, the Archers haven¡¯t run out of arrows yet and the Mages¡¯ spells are still potent.

    However, within the next half hour, fatigue will set in and their attacks will grow weaker. By that time, their numbers will have decreased considerably.

    When that happens, this tsunami of monsters will swallow the vige whole.

    If they wish to fall back, now is the time, but there is nowhere to run.

    This west gate is not the only ce where battle is urring.

    Iskia Vige is alreadypletely surrounded; even now, there are monsters climbing over the stone walls ¨C

    ¡¸Bad news! The east gate has been breached! Monsters are entering the vige!¡¹

    It seems that Iskia Vige¡¯s defenses have crumbled.

    ¡¸The Knights¡¯ Order didn¡¯t make it, huh...¡¹

    They should be close. But the half-day ¨C no, few hours that the knights would take to arrive is time that they don¡¯t have.

    With this number of monsters, it won¡¯t take even a single hour for every one of the ten thousand people in Iskia Vige to be eaten alive.

    Even with the monsters being controlled by the lightning parasites inside their heads, it makes no difference.

    ¡¸¨C Head, small monsters such Goblins and Slimes have made their way inside.¡¹

    Gustav hears the robotic voice of Zedra, the Golem Archer that is firing arrows with Mythril arrowheads at the enemy.

    As a Rank 5 party, each member is equipped with a magic item that allows telepathicmunication.

    However, the only one capable of rying information effectively is Zedra; it¡¯s not very useful on the Cyclops and Minotaur fighters who seem to have brains made of muscle tissue.

    ¡¸We¡¯re not moving any men from here! We¡¯ll leave the defense inside the vige to the ¡°backup soldiers¡±!¡¹

    ¡°Backup soldiers¡± sounds promising, but in reality, they are made up of young boys with no experience in battle and old men whose strength has long since declined.

    Of course, there was no way these men could be sent to the frontlines; Gustav had no intention of doing so, but in this situation, there is no choice but to have them fight.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about the Rank 1 ¨C no, even up to Rank 2 monsters, just make sure to stop the really big ones from gettin¡¯ inside!¡¹

    ¡¸Roger.¡¹

    Even if it were to turn into a bloody battle on the vige¡¯s streets, they have no choice but to fight as hard as they can.

    If they can dy just a little longer until the Knights¡¯ Order arrives, they should be able to save at least half the vige.

    It is already certain that there will be heavy losses. However, they must do everything they can to save as many lives as possible.

    ¡¸Even though I say that... We¡¯re reachin¡¯ our limits here as well.¡¹

    The west gate that faces the Dungeon is where most of the monsters areing from, and where the battle is the fiercest.

    Although all the members of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡»have gathered here, they have their limits.

    Their strength should be praised for managing to hold the vige with its weak defensive equipment up until now.

    However, Gustav can¡¯t help but to think... If there were one more Rank 5 adventurer party here, they might be able to turn the tides and force the monster army back.

    ¡¸Hah, am I a fool or what! Ain¡¯t no way something so convenient could happen.¡¹

    The only thing adventurers have is the harsh reality that life and deathe hand in hand.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the Smander! The Smander is here!¡¹

    Indeed, the worst news arrives with the worst timing.

    Gustav looks up to see the unmistakable crimson body of the creature that can be recognized at first nce.

    With the rain beating against its powerful wings, it begins a nose dive, mes curling around its tongue as if it might unleash its crimson breath at any moment.

    If this attack isn¡¯t stopped, it is possible that it will break down the frontlines ¨C as this prediction shes through his mind, Gustav shouts amand.

    ¡¸Zedra! Stop it, even if it¡¯s just for three seconds!¡¹

    He will do something about it during those three seconds.

    With the scorching divine blessing surrounding Gustav¡¯s body, he would be able to block the fire directly using his own body. He might even be able to make it through the Smander¡¯s breath tond a blow on its head.

    Either way, if the Smanderes close to the ground to deliver a rain of fire at point-nk range, he will need to stop it.

    And so Gustav believes. He believes that the Rank 5 Archer Zedra, with his unparalleled uracy, will create an opening for him.

    ¡¸¨C There is no need for that. Please fall back immediately.¡¹

    However, the voice that he heard over themunication device is not the usual¡¸Roger¡¹, but the lovely sound of a young woman¡¯s voice.

    ¡¸What?!¡¹

    Who is that? And more importantly, what is happening?

    This is a situation where every second is precious, but Gustav spares a moment to nce back at the tower on which Zedra should be pulling back the string of his bow.

    ¡¸W-what...?¡¹

    He sees an enormous, glowing, golden fireball.

    The pouring rain is evaporating from its surface; he can see the water vapor rising from it even at this distance. Or rather, the air above the fireball appears to be distorted.

    In the rain, this object that is emitting incredible amounts of heat and light resembles a radiant sun.

    And the one who created it, standing directly beneath the golden sunlight streaming down, is a witch dressed in ck with her staff raised high in the air.

    ¡¸Everyone, this is quite dangerous, so fall back please.¡¹

    The witch¡¯s voice is but a whisper; the fact that it echoes across the entire battlefield is likely due to magical amplification.

    At this moment, everyone on the battlefield has no choice but to acknowledge and obey this order to retreat.

    There is not a single person here who does not realise that this fireball is about to beunched.

    ¡¸Everyone, RUN!¡¹

    Giving an order that sounds like a scream, Gustav makes his own retreat back towards the gate.

    As the fighters at the frontlines begin to scatter like spiders ¨C

    ¡¸¨C¡ºGolden Sun ¨C Aur Soleil.¡»¡¹

    The witch throws the sun.

 Chapter 330 The battle to defend Iskia Village (2)

    ¡¸Bad news! The east gate has been breached! Monsters are entering the vige!¡¹

    As Nachim hears this news, he begins to grumble.

    ¡¸Ah, shit, it¡¯s hopeless, it¡¯s over... Damn it, it¡¯s all that guy, Kurono¡¯s fault... He¡¯s a pest, people die wherever he goes, everyone¡¯s going to die...¡¹

    This is the final line of defense to protect the vigers gathered at the center of the vige ¨C with that said, it is merely a simple barricade, hardly a reliable defense.

    Nachim is standing here with a sword in his hand as one of the backup soldiers.

    On his right is a young boy who is holding a sword for the first time in his life, fidgeting nervously. On his left is a withered old man staring into space with a spear in his hand, who would be better off lying in bed.

    They don¡¯t have any kind of fighting ability. They weren¡¯t supposed to be fighting in the first ce.

    The men with at least a little battle experience make up the front line, standing against the wall and desperately fighting back the monsters.

    The only reason Nachim himself is here is because he is better at backline support such as equipment distribution and rying messages rather than fighting on the frontlines.

    The one leading this group is a young knight from Spada who was assigned here in Iskia Vige just this spring.

    Still not even ustomed to the splendid red armor that he is wearing, he gives off a great sense of inexperience.

    The older knights, his senpais, should still be fighting hard at the east gate that was breached just a little while ago.

    ¡¸I¡¯m not going to die here... in a ce like this...¡¹

    He has to run.

    Yes, just like that time he encountered the monster with the form of a little girl, without looking back at the vigers, hispanions or even his family, he¡¯ll run away as fast as I can.

    That¡¯s how he survived.

    Because he held his breath and desperately hid in the Ghad mountain range, he was able to survive and arrive in Spada.

    ¡¸I¡¯m not going to die...¡¹

    However, the crucial escape path is nowhere to be found this time round.

    The vige is so tightly surrounded by the monsters that there isn¡¯t even an opening for a single mouse to escape.

    In the end, he has no choice but to stay here and endure this battle.

    ¡¸Hyii! The monsters are here!¡¹

    ¡¸Fohohoho, those are Goblins, are they not? When I was young, I often saw them in the mountains ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸C-calm down, everyone! Let¡¯s get our weapons ready!¡¹

    On the other side of the curtain of pouring rain, there are small, faint silhouettes.

    With the monsters finally upon them, unrest spreads among the soldiers ¨C no, it would be more appropriate to call them vigers.

    The boy on the right is gripping his sword¡¯s handle with a face that looks like he¡¯s about to cry, and the old soldier on his left is engrossed in recollections of his youth.

    Just how many of these men are obeying the order of this unreliable knight that is leading them?

    ¡¸Shit, damn it... We can do it, even I can defeat monsters like Goblins...¡¹

    Nachim finally unsheathes his longsword.

    It is the item that his father sent him when he assumed the position of self-appointed chief.

    It isn¡¯t a magical weapon, but it is made of high-quality steel; a step up from the average longsword.

    He has even defeated Goblins in the Fairy Garden before; there is no way that he cannot do the same now.

    ¡¸Uwah! Th-there are a lot of them!¡¹

    ¡¸This is like a Slime fever, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸So many...¡¹

    The number of monsters visible on the other side of the street is growingrger andrger.

    At first, there is only a single Goblin.

    And then some Slimes appear, and then more Slimes and even more Slimes after that ¨C and as a hundred Slimese into view, a group of Goblins appears to reinforce them.

    There are a lot of them, but fortunately, they are all still Rank 1 monsters.

    Even amateurs could defeat them if theynded an attack, but ¨C

    ¡¸Uwah, w-what are they doing out there, even letting Orcs inside the vige...¡¹

    The Orcs¡¯ muscr bodies can be spotted here and there, mixed in among the Slimes and Goblins.

    Even that single battleaxe-wielding Orc over there could possibly wipe out every one of these backup soldiers that cannot even be called soldiers.

    His overwhelming presence makes it easy to imagine.

    ¡¸This is impossible...¡¹

    With the monstersing from across the road, from the side paths, from beneath the shadows of the houses, absolutely everywhere ¨C Nachim¡¯s heart breaks before the fighting even begins.

    Nobody can me him. All of these people gathered here, who have no business being in a battle, are likely feeling the same despair.

    ¡¸Th-they¡¯reing!¡¹

    The monsters finally begin charging in all at once.

    The Goblins run down the alleys with nimble footsteps. The Slimes crawl onwards along the ground and across the walls of the houses.

    And the Orcs give a roar ferocious enough to make the soldiers¡¯ body hair stand on end as they charge in.

    With such enemies before them, the backup soldiers simply grip their weapons, unable to take even a single step.

    ¡¸... It¡¯s over.¡¹

    It is impossible. There is no way that these men would be able to stop the monsters¡¯ attack.

    They will be ughtered without even putting up a fight. As the reality of this dead-end scenario sinks into Nachim¡¯s mind ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Meteor Strike.¡¹

    Light pours down from the sky.

    A beautiful mass of light shining in seven colors.

    It is as if the great rainbow that one would expect to see after this rain stops has beenpressed into a spherical shape.

    Arge magic circle of light is drawn upon the canvas of dark gray rainclouds covering the sky. Nachim realizes that this rainbowy mass has spilled forth from here.

    And then it flies down to crash upon the monsters, leaving a seven-colored trail behind it.

    His eyes are blinded by the white light. His ears are deafened by a roaring explosion. He doesn¡¯t know what has happened.

    This chaotic period of time feels very long, but in reality, it all happens in a single instant.

    When Nachim opens his eyes again, the monsters that had been closing in on them just a moment ago are gone, without a single trace or shadow left of them.

    In their ce is a colossal crater left in the ground¡¯s surface.

    ¡¸Ah! There¡¯s something in the sky!¡¹

    ¡¸Hoh, that looks quite like the Fairy that I saw in the forest when I was a child ¨C¡¹

    Where the boy is pointing with an expression that shows surprise at the fact that the senile old man is right, is a Fairy wrapped in a flickering, pale green light.

    As everyone looks up, they begin to realize that there is a young woman with long hair inside the faint sphere of light.

    And the only one who knows her name is Nachim.

    ¡¸That¡¯s... Lily-san...¡¹

    It is unlikely that she is responding because her name has been spoken.

    However, with a flutter of her two pairs of wings, the Fairy that has just annihted the monsters in a single attack descends towards the frontline of backup soldiers.

    ¡¸W-who are ¨C¡¹

    The young knight representing the kingdom of Spada tries to ask for the identity of the beautiful, shining Lily in front of his eyes, but ¨C

    ¡¸Lily-san!¡¹

    Nachim interrupts and jumps out in front of her.

    ¡¸Hey you, have you seen Kurono, by any chance? I thought he arrived at this vige before us.¡¹

    Does she remember him or not?

    No, she asked Nachim a question with the presumption that he knows who Kurono is; it is likely that she does know him.

    ¡¸Ah, no... I h-haven¡¯t seen him.¡¹

    The answer thates from his mouth immediately is a lie.

    After he speaks, he remembers that the Fairy can read his thoughts.

    ¡¸As I thought, he went to Iskia Fortress, huh... But with the vige surrounded like this, continuing on is... There¡¯s no other choice...¡¹

    However, Lily merely begins mumbling to herself; fortunately, she does not seem to be in a bad mood.

    ¡¸Aah! There are more monstersing!¡¹

    ¡¸Those are Centaurs, are they not? A long time ago, Grandma and I went to the Iskia Hills and ¨C¡¹

    Of course, the monsters are continuing to pour into the vige.

    The first wave has been exterminated sessfully, but it is clear that they are going to keep oning.

    ¡¸Umm, the knight in the red armor over there. You¡¯re in charge here, right?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, ah, yes!¡¹

    As Lily suddenly speaks to him, the inexperienced knight stutters in his reply.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave three of these here.¡¹

    Before he can ask what she is talking about, an incantation that sounds like a small bird¡¯s songes from Lily¡¯s mouth.

    Magic circles of white light are drawn on the ground, simr to the one that appeared in the sky a little while earlier. There are three of them.

    ¡¸¨C Ein, zwei, drei, protect this ce.¡¹

    Though the knight is unfamiliar with magic, he knows that this is some kind of summoning.

    From within the magic circles that have a diameter of about two meters,rge, Orc-like soldiers appear.

    They are wearing white surcoats. Ordinary-looking longswords hang at their waists, but they look remarkably small considering the size of their bodies.

    But the thing that draws the most attention is the ominous-looking metal masks that cover their faces.

    ¡¸Lily-san, what are...¡¹

    As Nachim questions her timidly, Lily replies with an expression that is as if she is showing off a newly-purchased essory.

    ¡¸¡ºLiving Dead.¡»My faithful servants.¡¹

    Nobody here dares to press her for any more details.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m going to go help at the east gate.¡¹

    ¡¸Lily-san, with your power, you should go to the west gate ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s already covered.¡¹

    Lily gives a wave of her hand, and as if to confirm her words, the sound of an explosion echoes out across the vige.

    Dense ck smoke billows up from beyond the west gate.

    ¡¸Because my witch friend is going to burn them down nicely.¡¹

 Chapter 331 The battle to defend Iskia Fortress

    As dawn breaks, the sounds of battle between man and monster echo out amidst the rain that has begun to pour down.

    The ones confined to the old fortress standing at the top of a hill are the elite youngsters that shoulder the future of Spada¡¯s military forces, three hundred students from the Royal Spada Academy.

    The mixed army of monsters simply closes in on the fortress head-on, employing no surprise attacks or clever schemes.

    The students are outnumbered more than three to one as the siege begins, and their fate hangs by a thread.

    ¡¸Uooooh! sh!¡¹

    With his longsword, the young knight cadet Eddy cuts down the Orc that has climbed over the fortress¡¯s walls in an attempt to get inside.

    The Orc¡¯s chest is torn apart by Eddy¡¯s martial arts just as its upper body protrudes above the top of the wall, and it falls back the way it came.

    ¡¸Shenna! It¡¯s too dangerous here!¡¹

    ¡¸Even if you say that, where are we supposed to run ¨C¡ºAir Sagita!¡»¡¹

    With a flick of her pale-green pigtails, the bespectacled Mage Shenna fires a magical attack at the enemies below.

    She is aiming for a Goblin that is determinedly digging its sharp ws into the gaps between the stones of the wall, climbing its way up.

    The de of air cuts cleanly through its arms and it tumbles head first towards the ground, knocking down itspanions on the way.

    ¡¸Move! The walls will not hold any longer! We are retreating inside the fortress!¡¹

    As if answering the earlier question of where to run, the desperate shout of the suprememander, Second Prince Wilhart Tristan Spada, echoes out.

    There is nobody avable to rymands across the battlefield. The general is running around the upper surface of the fortress¡¯s walls, deliveringmands to each squad personally.

    ¡¸Inside the castle... That means this is finally the end, huh.¡¹

    The only thing stopping the monsters right now is the waterless moat and the twoyers of stone wall.

    Around half an hour has psed since the battle began, and the pile of monster corpses that have filled up the dry moat threatens to match the height of the vertical stone walls.

    The only safe area still left is the¡ºTenshu*¡», the part of the fortress that one might call the actual castle.

    TLN*: This is a Japanese word for the highest tower inside a castle. Probably the keep.

    With that said, if the walls are breached, the fortress can be said to have fallen.

    Holing themselves up in the Tenshu is little more than a final act of futile resistance ¨C however, the reality is that with the battle¡¯s current situation, they have no other choice.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t give up, Shenna! We can still fight, I¡¯m sure things will work out somehow!¡¹

    But it is notpletely hopeless.

    Wing Road could defeat the Greed-Gore at any moment, or the elite Knights¡¯ Order of Spada coulde to their rescue.

    Because they believe this, the students are able to continue fighting.

    Despite the fact that they have fallen into the most desperate of situations.

    ¡¸Oh, if it isn¡¯t my knight Eddy and Shenna. Could I request that you protect me for a short while?¡¹

    Wilhartys his eyes on the pair of students that have formally created a team together and approaches them, asking a question in a way that makes it difficult to tell whether it is an order or a request.

    ¡¸Affirmative, Your Excellency!¡¹

    ¡¸But what do you mean, for a short while?¡¹

    Eddy gives an immediate answer, while Shenna returns a question of her own.

    ¡¸The north tower is thest ce I need to ry the retreat order to. However, there are already monsters atop the walls; it is far too dangerous for me to venture forth alone.¡¹

    ¡¸Will it be alright with just the two of us?¡¹

    ¡¸I cannot afford to take any more with me. Let us hurry!¡¹

    With a swish of his red cape that has been dirtied a little by the mud and rain, Wilhart runs off ahead.

    ¡¸... I can¡¯t tell whether that person is ipetent or very brave.¡¹

    Shenna whispers these words so that Wilhart cannot hear them.

    Wilhart seemed incredibly useless right before the battle began, to the point that it was unbelievable that he was a prince like Nero.

    Shenna would have thought that he would be the kind who would have assigned an excessive number of people as his guards to keep himself safe. But instead, he has read the battle situation properly and is making do with the minimum required protection.

    Wilhart has been unpopr ever since he began attending the academy. She can¡¯t quite seem to figure out what kind of person he is.

    Is he as much of a failed prince as rumors have it, or is he not as bad as he seems?

    ¡¸I believe in him. More than that Prince Nero who just abandoned us, anyway.¡¹

    Unexpectedly, Eddy stands up for Wilhart.

    But this is not a situation where she can ask why exactly he is saying this.

    ¡¸Shenna!¡¹

    ¡¸I know!¡¹

    Several Goblins who have climbed over the wall ande down into the passages appear in front of them.

    The sh of a sword, a de of wind ¨C and a single, flickering line of fire.

    ¡¸Hmph, you were fools to stand in my way. Now regret your error in the depths of hell.¡¹

    A faint pir of gunpowder smoke rises from the rifle barrel in Wilhart¡¯s hands.

    The bullet fired from it did indeed pierce through one of the Goblins running along the passageway, giving it a swift death.

    Speaking in a loud, victorious tone, he steps over the monsters¡¯ corpses and continues along the fortress¡¯s wall.

    His two subordinates feel a little uneasy about this. But the firepower of his weapon is undeniable, so they decide to gratefully ept his covering fire.

    And so, after repelling the Goblins, Slimes and the asional Harpy that dives down towards them, the three of them reach the north tower as nned.

    Wilhart opens the door forcefully as if he means to kick it down and screams the order to retreat.

    ¡¸We¡¯re retreating inside the fortress! Abandon the walls! Hurry, Simon!¡¹

    The people packed inside this defensive tower consist of several Archers and Mages, as well as Simon Friedrich Bardiel, Prince Wilhart¡¯s friend who has had rumors about him whispered recently.

    After firing onest shot from the window, the small sniper exhales and turns around.

    ¡¸Ah, good, monsters have made it to the first floor and I was wondering what we were going to do.¡¹

    Simon gives a forced smile, clutching his long sniper rifle.

    Indeed, something that sounds like monsters¡¯ snarls ising from the floor below. There is a door that leads directly to the stairs, and it is only a matter of time before the monsters attempt to break it down.

    The hard stone walls and steel door won¡¯t be broken through so easily, but even so, now is the time to evacuate the tower.

    ¡¸Hurry, or we will not make it in time.¡¹

    In response to Wilhart¡¯s retreat orders, the other students who have been protecting this tower begin moving towards the passageway onto the fortress¡¯s walls.

    ¡¸... What a terrible injury.¡¹

    ¡¸Everyone¡¯s used up all their potions.¡¹

    Even though they have been attacking from the tower, the monsters have been able to counter-attack as well.

    The Centaurs¡¯ arrows were incessant and from time to time a Slime that had climbed its way up the side of the fortress leapt in through a window.

    The students¡¯ armor and uniforms are stained here and there with blood.

    Even though they have not taken damage, the Mages that have been firing attacks non-stop are now on the verge of being out of magical energy; they are staggering and leaning on their staves as they walk.

    Whether due to good luck or exceptional skill, Simon does not appear to have any significant injuries.

    Of course, the ones with the heaviest injuries are the first to leave the tower.

    The students pass through the door in single file, and thest to leave is Simon.

    With that said, there aren¡¯t that many of them. It doesn¡¯t even take thirty seconds for all of them to leave the tower ¨C or at least, that was supposed to be the case.

    ¡¸¨C WAH?!¡¹

    The tower shudders violently, and Simon falls with a loud scream.

    In the next moment, the metal door swings shut, cutting the tower off from the passageway.

    ¡¸Simon! Shit, what was th¨C OWAH!¡¹

    Another earthquake-like movement.

    As Wilhart stumbles and leans against the edge of the fortress¡¯s wall, he realizes that the source of these vibrations is directly below.

    ¡¸A Dortoth¡¯s charge, huh... Damn you...¡¹

    There is a rampaging Dortoth intently throwing its huge body against the wall.

    It is merely an ordinary part of the wall with no gate or anything of the sort, but the Dortoth charges into it repeatedly as if its parents¡¯ sworn enemies are on the other side of it.

    Wilhart reloads his rifle to its capacity of five bullets and shoots the reckless monster below.

    Five rifle rounds as well as a single, high-caliber sniper rifle round ¨C six bullets in total ¨C pierce the Dortoth¡¯s elephant-like skull. The tiny brain that seems capable of only giving the simple order to continue charging is destroyed.

    ¡¸Hmph, we managed to bring it down...¡¹

    Letting out a few satisfied words after shooting down such arge monster for the first time in his life, Wilhart reaches for the closed metal door once more to let his friend out of the tower.

    ¡¸Muh!¡¹

    However, it does not open.

    The knob is indeed making a clicking sound as it turns, but the door doesn¡¯t budge no matter how hard he pushes or pulls.

    It is not difficult to imagine the cause. The earlier vibrations must have warped the door¡¯s frame.

    ¡¸Eh, wait a minute, you¡¯re kidding me, right...?¡¹

    Through the doores Simon¡¯s shaking voice.

    ¡¸C-calm down! I¡¯m going to break it down right now, Simon, so stand back! Eddy, help me out!¡¹

    From here on out, there is no choice but to rely on manualbor.

    Wilhart and Eddy throw themselves into the door with all their might.

    ¡¸Guh... Shit...¡¹

    They repeat this process several times, but the steel door continues to block the entrance, fulfilling its intended role.

    ¡¸Shit! Shit!¡¹

    They cannot afford to waste any more time here. A great sense of impatience drives Wilhart on.

    ¡¸You still can¡¯t get it open?! If you don¡¯t hurry, this ce is going to be surrounded by monsters as well!¡¹

    Shenna is almost screaming.

    She and the Archers and Mages that managed to get out of the tower first are busy repelling the monsters that are still climbing onto the walls.

    Wilhart doesn¡¯t need to be told that there isn¡¯t a moment to spare.

    But he also understands that with the strength of the people here, they cannot re-open this metal door.

    ¡¸Will...¡¹

    ¡¸I-it is fine! This kind of door will certainly open soon!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright.¡¹

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright. Leave me behind ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸DON¡¯T SAY SUCH NONSEEEENSE!¡¹

    Wilhart screams as if to drown out the weak, utterly hopeless voiceing through the door.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t say such nonsense, there¡¯s no way I could do such a thing! I, the Second Prince of glorious Spada, would never be able to flee, abandoning my friend!¡¹

    He pounds his fists singlemindedly against the metal door. But it still refuses to move even an inch.

    ¡¸Thank you. But you can¡¯t sacrifice everyone else here for my sake, can you?¡¹

    ¡¸Kuh...¡¹

    Beside Wilhart is Eddy, who is still trying to open the door as if his life depends on it.

    When he turns around, he sees Shenna desperately fighting, as well as the several other wounded, anxious-looking students.

    ¡¸Prince Nero doesn¡¯t have it, but you do, Will... The resolve to leave apanion behind.¡¹

    ¡¸Simon!¡¹

    ¡¸Because we¡¯re friends, Will, I think I know a few things about you.¡¹

    Wilhart had thought that nobody would know the meaning behind his actions before the battle began.

    However, there is one person here who understood his true intentions. One of his friends, who were few in number.

    That is all the more reason Wilhart cannot turn his back on that resolve now.

    He cannot expose numerous others to danger for the sake of one person.

    It¡¯s a simple matter of numbers. The easiest of calctions.

    ¡¸... Forgive me.¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright.¡¹

    ¡¸Forgive me, Simon.¡¹

    ¡¸I said it¡¯s alright. Besides, if I hold out a little longer, something might work out.¡¹

    Simon probably does not even believe in these words of hope, but he must say them nheless.

    Wilhart can clearly picture the bitter smile that his friend is wearing on the other side of this door.

    ¡¸Kuh, uu... Forgive me... Forgive me...¡¹

    ¡¸See you, Will ¨C and tell onii-san that I said I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    And so, Wilhart turns back towards the fortress¡¯s walls, leaving the sworn friend of his soul trapped in the tower.

    While fighting off the monsters that continue to appear, he runs as fast as he can to make his escape.

    ¡¸Haha... It¡¯s over... Everything... is over.¡¹

    With tears pouring down from his empty eyes, Wilhart points his rifle in the monsters¡¯ direction and pulls the trigger.

 Chapter 332 The influence of despair

    ¡¸See you, Will ¨C and tell onii-san that I said I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    The sound of Simon¡¯s friend screaming words of apology gets further and further away.

    With his back pressed against the metal door that refuses to open, Simon copses onto the ground.

    ¡¸... There was no other choice.¡¹

    As the sounds of the battle that seems like it is in another world echo into this narrow tower, Simon whispers to himself.

    ¡¸It¡¯s... fine this way...¡¹

    He has no regrets about the choice that he made.

    If Wilhart had continued trying to open the door, everyone there would have been surrounded by the monsters and retreat would have be impossible.

    That is why Simon mustered his courage and told Wilhart to abandon him. He had to say those words that no friend should have to hear.

    If he didn¡¯t do this, that kind prince would have regretted his actions for the rest of his life. He would see this moment in his nightmares every night for the rest of his days.

    And above all, though their time together was short, Wilhart was Simon¡¯s second ever friend. Simon wanted to at least look manly and brave. He wanted to show an attitude and resolve that would make Wilhart proud to call Simon his friend.

    There is not a shred of masculinity in Simon¡¯s appearance; he could easily be mistaken for a girl. Even so, he still has what is known as a man¡¯s stubbornness.

    ¡¸I-it¡¯s... Uu... Uu...¡¹

    However, it took all of Simon¡¯s effort to put up that front.

    He is different from a proper knight; his resolve to resign himself to death was brittle and short-lived.

    Now that he has been left alone, tears won¡¯t stop pouring from his eyes and the sound of sobbinges from his throat.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t want this... I don¡¯t want this... Help me, onii-san...¡¹

    Simon is crying.

    In an unsightly, miserable way, like an infant, he is bawling.

    His cute face is a mess and his cheeks are wet from therge tears that flow over them endlessly.

    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to die... I don¡¯t want to die yet...¡¹

    However, as Simon sinks into the depths of despair, a thunderous roar echoes out, bringing him to his senses.

    The loud sound of an impactes not from the door at his back ¨C but another door on the first floor, which the monsters have already upied.

    Through a gap in the warped metal door, he can see an Orc with bloodshot eyes breathing wildly as it swings its mace into it.

    ¡¸Hyii ¨C¡¹

    With the bringer of his death finally appearing before his eyes, Simon¡¯s body freezes in terror.

    But the life-and-death struggles he has gone through so far have not gone to waste.

    Survival instincts kicking in, his body springs into action.

    He reaches into the dimensional pouch to pull out the prototype rifle, which joins the sniper rifle¡ºYata-Garasu Mk. II¡»that is already in his hands.

    The long-barreled Yata-Garasu isn¡¯t a very effective choice of equipment in this confined space, but Simon has decided that it is better than not having it.

    He loads five rounds into the prototype rifle and attaches his dagger of memories to it as a bay; he is as prepared as he can be.

    ¡¸Seuss-san* protected me... I have to fight... I can¡¯t give up, not until the very, very end.¡¹

    TLN*: This character¡¯s name was previously tranted as Susu-san.

    Though his body was trembling in a fear just a moment ago, strangely enough, hisposure returns to him as he grips his weapons.

    Holding the two firearms in his hands, Simon is no longer an alchemist, but a sniper. He belongs to the Marksman ss, whose members shoot down the enemies in their weapons¡¯ sights with unparalleled uracy.

    ¡¸I¡¯ll do my best. Until onii-sanes to rescue me...¡¹

    With a renewed will to fight, Simon takes a seated position, raises the prototype rifle and pulls the trigger.

    The Orc is still swinging its mace with all its strength, trying to break down the door. A rifle round strikes its head perfectly through the gap in the doorway that it managed to make.

    As Simon sees a spray of blood as well as the purple lightning that is the body of the parasite bursting out, he pulls back the bolt on his rifle.

    There is no time to feel at ease. Simon can already feel the presence of the next monster that will appear through the gap in the doorway.

    The metal door is struck once more. A second Orc has appeared.

    But the sound is twice as loud ¨C no, three times.

    The Orc is not alone, even the small, weak monsters including a Goblin are cooperating to break down the door.

    But the monster that enters the tower is not an Orc or a Goblin.

    It is a Rank 1 monster, a Slime with a gel-like body that can change form at will, that squeezes its way in through the tiny gap in the doorway.

    Without a moment¡¯s dy, a second gunshot echoes against the tower¡¯s stone walls.

    The bullet eats into the center of the Slime¡¯s core, putting a halt to its biological functions.

    The dead Slime¡¯s jelly-like body copses, sshing over the floor near the door to be a puddle.

    However, he cannot do much more than this.

    ¡¸Kuh... I can¡¯t hit them through the door...¡¹

    The first Orc¡¯s head happened to be in a good position to shoot at, but the second Orc¡¯s body ispletely hidden on the other side of the door.

    The same goes for the Goblin.

    Does Simon have no choice but to fold his arms and wait for the door to be broken?

    If the door is knocked down, monsters will flood inside.

    If that happens, he won¡¯t be able to stop them with just a rifle that can only fire five consecutive rounds.

    ¡¸If I survive this and make it home, the first thing I¡¯ll do is build a machine gun...¡¹

    This is now the second time that he is regretting not having a machine gun, the first time being in Alzas.

    With no amazing ideasing to Simon¡¯s mind, the door gets closer and closer to its limit.

    The only thing he can do now is reload his weapon and pray that the number of monsters that are about to rush in is a number that he can deal with.

    ¡¸... Here theye.¡¹

    The door finally flies off its hinges, allowing entry into the tower.

    With a mad war cry, the Orc and Goblin who broke down the door step inside.

    Fire spouts from the high-caliber¡ºYata-Garasu Mk. II¡»in Simon¡¯s hands. The round pierces through the chest of the Goblin dashing up the stairs like a monkey and continues onto its original target, the head of the Orc.

    He can take down two enemies with a single piercing round ¨C Simon¡¯s knowledge of the specs of the weapon he created and his incredibly urate shot have sessfully stalled the enemies.

    In order to deal with the next wave of monsters, Simon lets go of the sniper rifle that requires reloading after only one shot, and raises the rifle that has a bay attached to it.

    As he does so, more Goblins that were apparently waiting behind the Orc leap inside, and another Slime crawls its way across the floor.

    But with the gun in his hands, Simon is incrediblyposed, aiming at the enemies as indifferently as an ancient Golem soldier.

    With rxed movements, he lines his sights up on a target in less than two seconds and fires the rifle.

    The first shot pierces through a Goblin¡¯s brow, and the second destroys the Slime¡¯s core.

    He has three bullets left. The number of enemy shadows he can see on the other side of the door is ¨C four.

    ¡¸Oh shit!¡¹

    As the third bullet hits yet another Slime, Simon stands up.

    A prone position is the most stable for shooting, a sitting position is second-best and a standing position is the most unstable.

    The reason he has given up this stability and changed to a standing position is because if he doesn¡¯t, he cannot deal with the fourth enemy lying in wait.

    And that time will be upon him very soon.

    The fourth and fifth bullets have already turned the two Windwolves that charged towards him into corpses.

    He has zero bullets left.

    As if unwilling to give him the time to reload, a Goblin holding a rusty knife dashes in.

    It is only a single Rank 1 monster.

    But for Simon, who is weak in close-quartersbat, this may as well be the most powerful enemy of all.

    Defeating it without his gun is too dangerous ¨C However, there is only one option left, the worst option for a sniper.

    ¡¸YAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    He gives a spirited scream as he brandishes his weapon. He has no technique; he simply uses all his strength to thrust his rifle that has now be a short spear.

    The lethality of the attached dagger¡¯s white de is not at all inferior to that of a bullet.

    In fact, it is amon weapon of choice for Rank 4 adventurers. Even with Simon¡¯s thin arms, he doesn¡¯tck the strength needed to pierce through a Goblin¡¯s body.

    The difference in reach between a knife and a bay decides the victor.

    Before the rusty knife reaches Simon¡¯s white, soft skin, his beloved dagger pierces the ugly green body of the Goblin.

    ¡¸Haah, haah... I did it, Seuss-san...¡¹

    Cold sweat forms on Simon¡¯s face as he emerges victorious from this close-quarter battle that he is unustomed to. His ears are filled with his own violent heartbeat.

    He realizes that this is not a situation where he can rx.

    The monsters¡¯ attack on this tower has stopped for now, but more monsters maye up from the floor below at any moment.

    The first thing he needs to do is reload.

    He has just shown that as long as he has ammunition, he can stop the advance of several monsters.

    ¡¸I can do this... I¡¯ll keep this up and survive.¡¹

    With a little hope in his heart, he sits down in his original position.

    First, the Yata-Garasu that he fired the initial shot with ¨C Simon left it right here, but he can¡¯t find it.

    ¡¸Eh? Huh?¡¹

    There is no way he could have lost it. How can he lose such arge, long-barreled weapon in such a small room?

    However, the reality is that he cannot find his favorite gun.

    ¡¸Huh, why, where has it ¨C¡¹

    At that moment, a drop of waternds on the tip of Simon¡¯s nose.

    It is still raining outside. Is the roof leaking? No, this isn¡¯t even water.

    It is only a single droplet, but it is viscous enough that it feels like it is coiling around his skin. It is like a Slime¡¯s body, but if it really were from a Slime, his skin would be burning from the acid.

    There is no pain. Instead, he smells a faint, sweet fragrance.

    So what is this? Before he considers this any further, Simon instinctively looks up at the ceiling; seeing it for himself is quicker than trying to figure it out.

    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re kidding me...¡¹

    There is a mass of writhing, slippery tentacles. This shiny, oily mucus is a natural aphrodisiac. It is a sweet poison that robs the victim of its reasoning.

    It came in through the window and took his weapon. But what goes through Simon¡¯s mind is not an urate assessment of the current situation, but the name of this hideous monster.

    ¡¸... A Morjura.¡¹

    A well-known Rank 2 monster that everyone does their utmost to avoid contact with. The most horrible, most disgusting rapist.

    This number of tentacles is not something that an amateur in close-quartersbat can deal with using some quick wit and a good weapon ¨C

    ¡¸Wah, ah... No... UWAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

 Chapter 333 The birth of a hero

    Iskia Fortress is currently being consumed by an enormous army of monsters.

    Humanoid monsters are climbing over the walls like insects, and the airborne monsters are swarming around like flies.

    The fortress¡¯s gate is tightly shut, but monsters are ramming into it as if they intend to crush their own skulls. How much longer will it hold?

    Over a tenth of the students have perished in the battle thus far.

    Friendly faces have already started to be assimted into the enemy army by the repulsive snake-like parasites.

    ¡¸Haha... It¡¯s over... Everything... is over.¡¹

    With an expression of despair on his face, Wilhart¡¯s body moves to pull his rifle¡¯s trigger like a machine.

    From on top of the wall, he can see the monsters that have invaded the fortress crawling around.

    He can see silhouettes wearing familiar uniforms and suits of armor mixed in here and there among them.

    Will Simon be like them too? Wilhart inadvertently imagines the dear friend he left behind being transformed like that.

    As his tears fall, a nauseous sensation fills his body.

    ¡¸Please get a hold of yourself, Your Excellency!¡¹

    Eddy, who is running alongside him, shouts at the pale-faced general who looks like his feet may stop at any moment.

    ¡¸Ah, Eddy... Sorry. I am alright now.¡¹

    He can¡¯t afford to give everything up just yet.

    He¡¯s still alive, and the students are still struggling to survive with all their might.

    How can he break down here before everyone else? He¡¯s the suprememander, isn¡¯t he? Even if everyone else gives up, he must struggle until the very, very end.

    ¡¸I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m... alright.¡¹

    However, as if some cork has been pulled out, his willpower leaks away.

    It¡¯s impossible, futile. What could he, who is so incapable, possibly do?

    The sensation of defeat swirls around inside his chest, fills up his head and eats away at his soul.

    Trying to persuade him that there is still hope is a pointless endeavor.

    (Ah, that¡¯s right ¨C)

    Firing his rifle with mechanical movements once more, Wilhart realizes something.

    (In the end, I didn¡¯t have the resolve to make sacrifices.)

    He made an impressive deration in front of Nero, but now that his friend has been sacrificed before his very eyes, he is in this sorry state.

    (Haha, pathetic, how very pathetic. Forgive me, Simon, it seems that I¡¯m not the stout-hearted man that you hoped I was ¨C)

    Even as he thinks this, Wilhart pulls back the bolt of his rifle, reloadingpletely unconsciously ¨C However, with a metallic noise, the sliding movement stops.

    He tries two or three additional times, putting more strength into it, but the bolt won¡¯t budge.

    ¡¸This is what¡¯s known as a¡ºjam¡», huh...¡¹

    The round is stuck inside the weapon. The possibility of this happening was known during the weapon¡¯s development as a potential w, but now that possibility has be reality.

    Whether the shell somehow failed to eject or someponent of the weapon itself has be warped, he doesn¡¯t know.

    However, the undeniable truth is that the prototype rifle has now be a piece of junk incapable of firing any more rounds.

    ¡¸Just like me.¡¹

    Wilhart¡¯s feet finallye to a halt.

    He throws the broken rifle away and simply stands on top of the fortress¡¯s wall in a daze.

    Eddy and Shenna seem to be shouting something at him, but their words don¡¯t enter his ears.

    What he does hear is the sound of battle that somehow feels so far away, and ¨C

    ¡¸¨D¨D????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????¡¹

    A song.

    ¡¸... What is this?¡¹

    Has the despair finally driven him insane?

    ¡¸Oi, what is this song?¡¹

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s not a song, it¡¯s ¨C¡¹

    It seems that Wilhart is not mishearing or having an auditory hallucination. This transparent, beautiful melody is being heard by everyone.

    What is it ¨C no, who is singing it?

    ¡¸¨C It¡¯s a chant!¡¹

    Someone is using magic.

    ¡¸That¡¯s...¡¹

    At that moment, Wilhart sees it.

    Outside the walls, there is an overwhelming army of monsters swarming around.

    However, in the distance, at the foot of the hill upon which Iskia Fortress stands, he can clearly see something ck approaching.

    ¡¸That¡¯s ¨C¡¹

    Fiery explosions are appearing amidst the monster army one after another.

    Entire groups of Goblins and Slimes are blown away, and pieces of therge Dortoths andnd dragons are scattered in all directions.

    It is sting through the enemies in its way, heading straight up the hill towards the fortress.

    The single silhouette of a horseman is visible, making an incredible charge through the monsters.

    Like a ck de piercing through a dragon¡¯s flesh ¨C

    ¡¸¨C KURONO!¡¹

    The Nightmare Berserker makes his appearance on the battlefield.

    The students on the wall trying to make their retreat inside the fortress be aware of the horseman that has appeared amongst the horde of monsters.

    In fact, even in the middle this battle, there is no way that they cannot notice him.

    This single horseman is galloping towards them with incredible power, pulverizing the wall of monsters.

    As the students fight the monsters on top of the walls, they are more dumbfounded than happy at the appearance of this one-horse reinforcement.

    Just who on earth would do such a reckless thing? His form gradually bes more visible to those of the Marksman and Thief sses that possess good eyesight.

    ¡¸What is that horse...?¡¹

    Someone¡¯s whisper of wonder can be heard.

    The horse he is riding is a ck horse with splendid physique, like something that a high-ranking officer of Spada might ride ¨C No, judging from its mane that is wavering like an ominous ck-red me, it is no mere horse, but an Undead monster.

    The Undead horse that knows no fatigue, able to move with full force forever if it wished, known as the¡ºNightmare.¡»

    Then who is the one riding this horse?

    The ck-clothed silhouette atop the horse is wielding arge hatchet and a longsword, and as if those weren¡¯t enough, there are ten ded weapons of varying shapes surrounding him.

    In addition to therge explosions caused by magical attacks, the ten des floating around in the air swoop down on countless prey of their own ord.

    The monsters that manage to pass through the storm of shockwaves and des to close in on the ck knight are cut down in the blink of an eye by the weapons in his hands.

    The red de shes when an enemy approaches from the right, while the fang-de flickers ck when an enemy approaches from the left.

    If one looks closely, they would see that the red-ck auraing from the des is the same as the one emitted by the horse.

    This is undoubtedly the mark of a cursed weapon.

    Even at this distance, their voices of resentment can be heard.

    The one using a cursed de to literally open up a way through* despite the overwhelming number of enemies is not a knight, but ¨C

    ¡¸A berserker.¡¹

    TLN*: ¡°A way through¡± in Japanese is ÑªÂ·/¤±¤Ä¤í, but if you read the kanji individually, it literally means ¡°blood path¡±. Thus, ¡°literally opening up a way through¡± = ¡°opening up a bloody path¡±. Hope this makes sense.

    Everyone is whispering to themselves.

    They look on has he heroically fights his way through, using the most violent methods ofbat.

    ¡¸It¡¯s the Berserker.¡¹

    The Nightmare leaps over the mountains of monster corpses that he creates in the blink of an eye.

    Is there any cavalry that can match this amazing, terrifying sight? The sight of this insane horse and rider¡¯s bloodbath is enough to freeze one¡¯s spine.

    However, when remembering that this horseman is an ally, the students feel more relief than if the elite Knights¡¯ Order of Spada hade to their rescue.

    ¡¸It¡¯s a berserker riding a Nightmare.¡¹

    At the sight of this ck light of hope that has arrived in their greatest time of need ¨C

    ¡¸IT¡¯S THE NIGHTMARE BERSERKER!¡¹

    The students are in uproar.

    Strength returns to their arms as they continue to swing their swords and draw their bowstrings.

    Seeing the reinforcements they had desperately been waiting for, this single horseman, their morale goes up.

    ¡¸Oi, look, the one riding at the back, isn¡¯t that Princess Nell?!¡¹

    The light of their hope grows even brighter.

    Behind the ck berserker is the beautifuldy with her white wings outstretched.

    With that characteristic appearance, it is impossible to mistake her for someone else.

    ¡¸????? ??????????? ??? ???????¡¹

    And that means that this beautiful chant that is echoing across the battlefield, perhaps through magical amplification, is that of Nell Julius Elroad.

    ¡¸We¡¯re saved... We¡¯re going to be saved!¡¹

    The Mage-ss male student shouts these words, not as just wishful thinking, but because he understands the meaning of this chant.

    Even if one does not understand the chant, anyone can feel the great amount of magical energy gathering around her pure-white staff and imagine this to be some great spell that will turn things around.

    And as the horse that the Nightmare Berserker and the princess are riding arrives at the fortress¡¯s gate, the spell that they have been waiting for is about to be cast.

    Therge monsters that were gathered around the fortress¡¯s gate are swept away by explosions and cursed des as the ck horseman reaches it.

    The Berserker riding the Nightmare turns around, looks up at the castle wall and speaks with a surprisingly calm voice.

    ¡¸I¡¯vee to help you, Will.¡¹

    In front of his ck and red eyes is the Second Prince of Spada, Wilhart Tristan Spada, wearing a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

    Before the Berserker hears a reply, he looks to the front once more and prepares for battle.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯m counting on you, Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-kun ¨C¡¹

    Though their exchange is brief, it sounds as if they are a party consisting of a married couple.

    Nell replies to Kurono with an earnest expression and waves the white national-treasure, the¡ºScale of White Wings.¡» The spell to turn the tides of the battle is finally unleashed.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºRadiance Exile.¡»¡¹

    When Nell read in Wilhart¡¯s handwritten request form that the enemies are being controlled by Parasites, she saw a chance at victory.

    A typical, student-level Priest can cast at best an intermediate-level spell to remove Status Effects.

    Then how about Nell, who is Rank 5 and possesses the divine protection of the¡ºHeaven-Calming Imperial Princess Aria¡»?

    In addition, with the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»that has a power that deviates from modern magic systems, it is possible to use Ancient Magic.

    And it is this magic that is finally cast after the chant that is the length of a full song ¨C

    ¡¸¨C¡ºRadiance Exile.¡»¡¹

    It is a super-wide-area Heal thatpletely removes any mental Status Effects.

    An enormous magic circle expands, with Nell¡¯s feet as its center.

    The circle drawn in lines of white light contains magical patterns indecipherable in the modern day as well as countless ancient letters of which only a tiny portion can be read.

    Even Nell, the caster of the spell that expends nearly half of the gemstones embedded in the¡ºScale of White Wings¡», does not understand its true magical meaning. However, thanks to her staff and divine protection, the spell manifests its full effect.

    The enormous magic circle, which nowpletely surrounds the hill upon which Iskia Fortress stands, suddenly begins to glow.

    It merely flickers at first, but gradually increases in brightness while pirs of light reaching towards the sky begin to rise here and there.

    The number and individual sizes of these pirs continue to increase ¨C finally, there is simply a single pir of light with the same diameter as the original circle.

    It appears as if it is holding up the sky, shining with a divine light.

    ¡¸Uwah...¡¹

    Everyone inside the pir is forced to close their eyes due to its brilliance.

    However, the only ones with such reactions are the students, who are not affected by a single Status Effect.

    The pitiful monsters that were being controlled by the parasites in their brains are writhing and screaming in agony, like Undead being bathed in a purifying light.

    No, the ones that are truly suffering are the parasites that had been enving them.

    Through the nostrils of the screaming Goblins and mouths of the Orcs that are clutching their heads, the lightning-emitting snakes emerge with sshes of blood.

    As if thefortable skulls in which they had made their homes have suddenly be boiling kettles, they desperately twist their bodies to escape.

    However, as they abandon the monsters ande into contact with the purifying light outside, they are unable to maintain their forms and disintegrate into small fragments.

    In the midst of this heavy rain, like a sh of lightning, like the roar of thunder, they vanish in an instant.

    ¡ºRadiance Exile¡», as the name of the spell suggests, haspletely exiled the bodies of the parasites from this world.

    How much time has passed since the spell was cast?

    It feels like it has been a long time, and yet, it feels like not much time has passed at all. As the students¡¯ senses are dulled by the dazzling light, ites to an end.

    Iskia Fortress returns to its original state, being beaten down on by the rain.

    The only difference is that every single one of the monsters that were violentlyying siege to the fortress now lies silent on the ground that the rain has turned into mud.

    The small Goblins, the robust Centaurs and even the enormous Dortoths have all copsed.

    They do not move an inch. Have they died?

    The students hold their breath, and nobody raises their voice. The Iskia Hills are nowpletely silent apart from the sound of the rain.

    ¡¸... Is it alive?¡¹

    Kurono, who is standing in front of Nell like her protective knight, asks this question.

    Before him is the crimson dragon that fell out of the rainy sky, the Smander. Kurono can see the tip of its nose moving as it breathes.

    In the next moment, it opens its red eyes that are as sharp as should be expected of a carnivorous dragon, and its gaze meets Kurono¡¯s own.

    The Smander breaks the brief silence with a small growl.

    Magnificently spreading its proud wings, the Smander takes off into the sky once more.

    As it takes flight, the wings strong enough to raise the enormous body that is over a dozen meters long create a strong wind that blows forcefully into Kurono¡¯s body, causing his ck coat and hair to flutter.

    He shuts his eyelids and waits for the rain-filled gust to pass, and the next time he opens his odd-colored ck and red eyes, the Smander has already vanished into the distant skies.

    As if following the example of the dragon that has left to return to its nest, the other monsters that have awakened begin to scatter in various directions. Leaving behind the countless corpses dotted around Iskia Fortress, they walk away, heading to beyond the green hills in the distance.

    And thus, Kurono, Nell and the students who have weathered the battle watch the magnificent sight of the monsters¡¯ journey through the hills, like the mass migration of animals across a savannah field.

    ¡¸Thanks. With this, everyone is saved.¡¹

    Kurono turns and speaks words of gratitude towards his beautifulpanion.

    Nell epts his thanks, responding with a spellbound expression.

    ¡¸Yes, I did my best ¨C¡¹

    As a result of expending the tremendous amount of magical power required for the incredible ancient spell she has cast, Nell copses forward.

    With her pure-white wings and robe fluttering, her falling body is caught by the pitch-ck, bloodstained arms of the Berserker.

    ¡¸Take your time to rest, Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    With her face buried in the sturdy chest covered by the demon-skin coat, Nell¡¯s expression cannot be seen, but the ears surrounded by her beautiful ck hair are faintly red.

    And as the ck and white figures embrace each other, the students let out a cheer loud enough to blow the fortress walls away.

    Rather than feeling joy at having narrowly escaped death, their voices of admiration are directed towards the hero that has brought them victory in the greatest battle of the century.

 Chapter 334 The sloth awakens

    ¡¸Come forth and roar, red lightning¡ºReinhardt!¡»¡¹

    Charlotte chants the name of her great ancestor who has risen to the position of divinity. His divine protection manifests itself as red lightning, granting power to his beautiful descendent.

    The crimson aura that appears instantaneously around her body blows away dozens of the snake-like parasites that have closed in on her.

    With her twin tails and cape fluttering proudly behind her, she appears not as the princess of a nation, but as a powerful Rank 5 Thunder Mage.

    On the other hand, the Greed-Gore doesn¡¯t even look at her as it remains lying at the side of the pond, as if it is confident in its own ability as a Rank 5 monster.

    ¡¸Hmph, I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re an earth-element or lightning-element enemy, but my attacks are strong enough for me to ignore things like resistances!¡¹

    Letting out these spirited words, Charlotte waves the¡ºCrimson Bolt¡»with all her strength and begins to chant.

    ¡¸???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? (The lightning that runs in the sky, look at it.)¡¹

    Red lightning is converging at the tip of her wand.

    ¡¸?????? ????? ????? ??? ????? (The thunder that echoes in the earth, tremble at it.)¡¹

    The thunder that is bundled together there lets out high-pitched explosions that sound like a scream.

    ¡¸???? ?? ??? ?????? (Shine, my glorious red fury.)¡¹

    An object forms before Charlotte, an enormous sword that is twice as long as her own body height. It is in the shape of a traditional Spadan double-edged de.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºLightning Spada!¡»¡¹

    TLN: Just in case you¡¯re as confused about this naming as I was, Google tells me that ¡°spada¡± is a type of sword.

    Charlotte¡¯s deadly de of red lightning, the Ancient Magic that can only be invoked through the divine protection of the Red Lightning Lord Reinhardt, is released.

    Her target¡¯s body is over thirty meters long; there is no way that she can miss. Even if the Greed-Gore were to take evasive actions, it would be impossible to avoid this lightning-speed electrical attack.

    The Greed-Gore does not show any sign of movement, and Charlotte¡¯s¡ºLightning Spada¡»hits it directly.

    The unique crimson lightning shines brightly, enveloping not only the Greed-Gore¡¯s body, but the nearby pond as well.

    Even the caster, Charlotte herself, closes her eyelids reflexively.

    As the thunder that matches the heavy rain that is pouring down echoes across the Iskia Hills, she opens her eyes again. She knows that the light has already subsided.

    She also knows that even a Rank 5 monster receiving a direct hit from this attack is surely fatally wounded.

    ¡¸Ahaha, I did it! Jeez, I knew I should have just done this from the start ¨C¡¹

    However, her expectations and confidence are betrayed.

    ¡¸Eh, no way, what is this!¡¹

    Before Charlotte¡¯s eyes is the Greed-Gore, lying there exactly as it was before.

    The one difference is that its body surface has now turned a brick-red color.

    ¡¸H-how? Does this mean that it blocked it?!¡¹

    Monsters shouldn¡¯t be able to understand words, but as if responding to her question, the Greed-Gore moves. No, it uses the Characteristic Ability hidden within its body.

    As it releases purple lightning, a deep ck sandstorm begins to rise around its body, whose original color seems to have been the red that it is disying now.

    It looks like a darkness-element ability that maniptes the caster¡¯s own shadow, but it is indeed ck sand that is rising from the ground.

    ¡¸It¡¯s using lightning to control iron sand...¡¹

    Though Charlotte cannot be called wise, she herself is a lightning-element user, and so she immediately understands the Greed-Gore¡¯s ability.

    It is not a ck Greed-Gore with a color variation. It has been covering its entire body with iron sand.

    This enormous amount of iron sand,pressed and molded around its body to form a ck full-body armor, has perfectly blocked the¡ºLightning Spada.¡»

    The Lightning Spada did indeed have incredible power, enough to blow away all of the armor in an instant, but by recasting this spell, the Greed-Gore can easily rebuild it.

    By the time Charlottees to understand this, the Greed-Gore¡¯s ck body lies before her once more.

    ¡¸Doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s strong with both the earth element and the lightning element...?¡¹

    Both people and monsters have affinities for certain elements. If an individual¡¯s affinity is for only one element, then that affinity will be strong, while if there are multiple elements, then the affinity is divided evenly among them or distributed with a preference towards one or another. This is a fundamental rule.

    However, from this one act, the Greed-Gore appears to have powerful affinities for both the lightning and earth elements.

    Indeed, it is as if it is made of two different monsters, one with an affinity for the earth element and one with an affinity for the lightning element.

    ¡¸It looks like some other Rank 5 monster has taken over the Greed-Gore... This is just the worst, isn¡¯t it...¡¹

    With this being the case, this is as dangerous as facing two Rank 5 monsters simultaneously.

    Never mind Charlotte alone, it is questionable as to whether even the entirety of Wing Road could take it on ¨C As anxiety and unease pass through Charlotte¡¯s chest, the Greed-Gore stands up, as if it has finally awakened.

    As it stands, it looks like a ck mountain of stone. It has the same majestic appearance it had when it appeared before the students several days ago.

    Back then, it delegated the work to its subordinates and left, but now it is gazing with both eyes directly at Spada¡¯s princess.

    It seems the attack that Charlotte was so proud of was an rm clock for the Greed-Gore. It was sufficient to make even thiszy monster feel cautious enough to set its sights on her and take action personally.

    As if to devour her, the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous, vicious mouth opens wide.

    ¡¸Breath?!¡¹

    Charlotte immediately senses danger upon seeing this movement.

    There are already small sparks of purple lightning surging inside the Greed-Gore¡¯s oral cavity.

    A Breath of lightning ¨C No, from the fact that the iron sand protecting its body is now peeling off and gathering around its mouth, it is clear that this is no mere Thunder Breath.

    Using all of the iron sand armor on the upper half of its body, it creates a sword.

    It has the exact same shape as the¡ºLightning Spada¡»that Charlotte threw at it earlier.

    The only difference is that it ispletely ck. It contains the same amount of electrical power ¨C no, perhaps even more. If one were to give it an appropriate name, it would be¡ºDarkness Spada.¡»

    With such an attack about to fly towards her, Charlotte does not feel any desire to turn her back and run.

    She has no choice but to make the best defense that she can.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºLine Argalea Shield!¡»¡¹

    To block a lightning-element attack, the best option is to use the absorption effect of the same element. Charlotte casts a high-level lightning-element defensive spell.

    A rectangr shield forms in front of her, with the red electricity of her divine protection wrapping around it like thorns.

    As the spell is in her element of specialty, it is built to a considerable degree of perfection, even with a short chant. However, she cannot erase her anxiety over whether its defensive power will be sufficient.

    ¡¸Block it, Raa-chan!¡¹

    Asmanded, the Undead Wrath-Pun leaps in front of Charlotte and takes a defensive stance to act as her shield.

    The Greed-Gore releases its iron-sand de shining with purple lightning.

    All Charlotte sees is a momentary sh around its mouth.

    ¡¸Kyaa ¨C¡¹

    Her vision spins rapidly, she doesn¡¯t know where she is looking or even whether her eyes are working properly.

    Even her sense of hearing has been affected. As if lightning has struck right next to her, her ears are ringing loudly. She can¡¯t even hear herself scream.

    ¡¸U-ugh...¡¹

    She realizes that she fainted for a moment.

    She can feel the sensations of wet grass and cold raindrops dripping down her cheeks. It seems she is lying face-down.

    Looking up a little, she can see the Wrath-Pun copsed on the ground, its abdomen pierced by an enormous ck de.

    She begins to remember.

    The de that pierced the Wrath-Pun continued through, pulverizing the¡ºLine Argalea Shield¡»that she created.

    From the impact of the shield breaking, she was blown several meters away, and now she is in this unsightly state.

    ¡¸Kuh... I can¡¯t move... my arms...¡¹

    Paralysis is the typical additional effect of lightning-element attacks.

    The iron-sand de itself didn¡¯t reach her body, but her body fully received the electrical waves that it released.

    The fact that it has applied paralysis to Charlotte, who possesses a high resistance to the lightning element, shows just how incredibly powerful the lightning attack was. The next attack will turn her body to ash if it hits her directly.

    However, that is only if that is the death that the Greed-Gore desires for her.

    The next attack doesn¡¯te. Instead, the Greed-Gore slowly approaches Charlotte directly, its footsteps causing the earth to tremble.

    ¡¸Eh, no way, stop, don¡¯te here ¨C¡¹

    Charlotte, lying face down and unable to move, can only watch as the ck menace draws closer to her.

    Both arms are paralyzed right down to her fingertips; she can¡¯t even take a Potion from her pouch.

    If Nell was here, she would be able to cure her with a single low-level, chant-less restoration spell. No, if she had one morepanion, anyone at all, they would be able to use one of her countless expensive items to help her.

    As the Greed-Gore stands in front of her, Charlotte learns the hard way just how risky it is to act solo.

    It pushes its enormous snout close to her, blowing its breath that reeks of blood upon Charlotte¡¯s beautiful face.

    She grimaces at the stench, but she is in a situation where that smell is the least of her problems.

    ¡¸No! Stop! I¡¯m telling you to stop!¡¹

    The Greed-Gore opens its mouth, but it does not devour her. Instead, purple lightning appears once more.

    It is unmistakably one of the snakes, a part of the parasite.

    From this close, she can see that its body really is made entirely of purple sparks. Like a hydra, its head has no eyes, only an ominous-looking mouth.

    More snakes are crawling out through the gaps in between the Greed-Gore¡¯s sword-like fangs.

    Is one snake insufficient to infest her? Or is it intending to y around with her using multiple snakes?

    She trembles in fear.

    The only thing Charlotte can do now is let out a scream.

    ¡¸NOOOO! SAVE ME, NEROOOOOOO!¡¹

    ¡¸¨C Instant sh.¡¹

    And sure enough, she is saved.

    A line of shining white light directly hits the Greed-Gore¡¯s snout.

    Letting out a surprised cry, the ck monster retreats two or three steps.

    At the same time, the snakes that were looking to vite Charlotte¡¯s body vanish like mist due to the shockwave of the attack.

    The parasites have been erased without leaving a single trace, but as if the power of the attack was perfectly calcted, it does not even ruffle Charlotte¡¯s hair.

    ¡¸Nero, you baka... You came... sote...¡¹

    She knows exactly who hase to rescue her after seeing the sh of white light.

    The martial art that releases long-ranged light-magic attacks, officially known as¡ºInstant sh.¡»

    This is the signature move of Nero Julius Elroad, the First Prince of Avalon. It is impossible that Charlotte, his childhood friend and party member, does not know this.

    ¡¸Jeez, you pushed yourself too hard on your own.¡¹

    As Charlotte hears a familiar listless voice, a pure-white Unicornnds lightly in front of her.

    ¡¸I have a lot of things I want to say to you, but that¡¯ll have toeter. I¡¯vee to help you, Sharl.¡¹

    Thus, the prince on a white horse appears in the princess¡¯s time of need.

    The Greed-Gore looks towards the three new prey that have appeared ¨C no, six including their mounts ¨C as if examining them.

    With a displeased expression, Nero res directly back at the sinister, glowing eyes that are as purple as the lightning their owner emits.

    ¡¸It¡¯s unharmed after receiving a blow from Instant sh, how tough.¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s strong with both the earth and lightning elements. It even blocked my¡ºLightning Spada.¡»¡¹

    Healed by a Status-Effect-removing Potion, Charlotte stands up and exins this information.

    ¡¸Tch, it really hurts to not have Nell here right now.¡¹

    If the Greed-Gore is being controlled by a Rank 5 parasite-type monster, a healing spell to remove Status Effects would be incredibly effective.

    Even if it did not defeat the Parasite, it would force it out of the Greed-Gore¡¯s body.

    ¡¸Oi, we have no time to think, let¡¯s hurry up and do this!¡¹

    Having dismounted from his Bicorn, Kai is already holding his sword in a stance, ready to attack.

    ¡¸Since we came all the way out here without a n, we have no choice but to attack it head-on, right?¡¹

    Safiel does not get down from atop her false Sleipnir. A spell book is open in her hand, ready to summon a new servant.

    Looking at¡ºRaa-chan¡»who is lying on the ground, she frowns a little in disappointment at the fact that her newest creation has already be a piece of junk.

    ¡¸Well, I really wanna cut this bastard down as well, so that¡¯s fine ¨C¡¹

    Readjusting his grip on his sword, Nero gives a fearless smile. However, there is clearly anger shining in his crimson eyes.

    ¡¸We¡¯re going all-out from the very beginning. Formation¡ºDragon Killer.¡»¡¹

    The one who gives appropriate directions depending on whether they are fighting a person, an army or a monster, is none other than Nero.

    The¡ºDragon Killer¡»formation that he has ordered, as its name suggests, is a formation created with the objective of killing dragons in mind, a perfect formation for dealing withrge monsters. It is a deadlybination where each member uses their divine protection and skills to their full potential.

    And so Nero, burning with rage that the Greed-Gore hurt his childhood friend, Kai and Safiel who respond to Nero¡¯s expectations, and Charlotte who has made a full recovery thanks to a Potion and the power of love, begin to move to defeat their hated enemy, the Greed-Gore ¨C but at that moment ¨C

    GOGYAAAAAAAAH!

    With a reproduction of the terrifying roar that the Greed-Gore let out eight days ago when it first appeared, there is an explosion.

    A tower of earth and sand suddenly rises up and mixes with the heavy rain before scattering down over the surroundings.

    The fiercely rising cloud of dirt and muddy rain stops Wing Road¡¯s first attack.

    ¡¸Kuh, this bastard ¨C he¡¯s gone underground.¡¹

    As Nero spits out these words, the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous ck body has already vanished.

    In the ce that it was standing just a moment ago is an enormous hole, as if a giant gouged out part of the ground.

    It is not that the Greed-Gore moves underground by digging a tunnelrge enough for its body to pass through. It simply swims through the earth as easily as if it were water.

    Unless one possesses an attack powerful enough to prate the earth, they cannot touch the Greed-Gore until it resurfaces.

    ¡¸Heh, doesn¡¯t that just mean we need to cut it down wherever it pops back out?¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t that impossible? After all, it¡¯s getting further and further away.¡¹

    With her somewhat cold tone, Safiel sounds as if she is joking, but the earthquake-like movements are definitely bing more distant.

    ¡¸Eh, could it be that it ran away?¡¹

    But as Charlotte speaks these words, sounding somewhat disappointed, Nero denies them.

    ¡¸No, this direction... It¡¯s going towards Iskia Fortress.¡¹

    ¡¸No way! Why?!¡¹

    The members of Wing Road are not foolish enough to think that the Greed-Gore has escaped in fear of their power.

    Considering the situation carefully, they can assume that something has happened at Iskia Fortress, something important enough for the Greed-Gore, the suprememander of the army, to go there personally.

    Or it is possible that the fortress has been conquered already, and it is headed there to consume its prey in high spirits.

    ¡¸Shit, either way, this is the worst possible scenario.¡¹

    If the Greed-Gore appears at the fortress, then for what purpose have theye all the way out here in the first ce?

    ¡¸Well then, we have to get back quickly!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, I think that¡¯s impossible as well.¡¹

    Charlotte¡¯s words are shot down once more, this time by Safiel, whose voice has be even more lifeless than before.

    Charlotte tries to question her further, but Safiel simply silently points a finger in response.

    That is enough for her to understand the situation.

    ¡¸Oi, don¡¯t tell me we have to fight this guy again...?¡¹

    With purple lightning crackling around its entire body, the Wrath-Pun that was protecting Charlotte before rises up from the ground.

    The de of iron sand that pierced its abdomen disintegrates, and then forms an armor to protect its body.

    It seems that the partial body of the parasite that has taken over the Wrath-Pun¡¯s body has control over its magical power precise enough to manipte the iron sand as it wishes.

    ¡¸I thought it couldn¡¯t control corpses?¡¹

    ¡¸If it were a normal corpse, that would be the case. It¡¯s hijacked the entire form of my¡ºNecromancy.¡»It¡¯s a more powerful parasite than I¡¯d thought. Or maybe the one that¡¯s taken over Raa-chan is special in some way.¡¹

    ¡¸Oi, either way, we have to defeat it or we can¡¯t return to the fortress, right?!¡¹

    The Wrath-Pun that has been revived for the second time lets out a roar, as if in resentment towards its former master.

    It is far more powerful and dreadful than the roar that was heard in the Ghad mountain range.

    The howl of ck wrath echoes out across the Iskia Hills.

 Chapter 335 First Kiss

    Note from the author:

    Tentacle and B.L. warning. Those who are notfortable with this may read only thest 15 lines or simply skip to the next chapter, and the story will continue smoothly.

    Note from trantor:

    This chapter was really, really unpleasant for me to trante. Enjoy the chapter, if you¡¯re into tentacles (you sick fucks). To the sponsors, if you¡¯re not into BL and tentacles, I sincerely apologize.

    Yoshi

    The inside of the narrow, solid tower is filled with a sickeningly sweet smell.

    ¡¸Ah... Ugh, ah...¡¹

    Rough breathing and high-pitched moans that sounds like a girl in agony can be heard. And as if to drown those out, the wet noises of squirming tentacles echo around.

    Simon ispletely trapped by the Morjura right now.

    His trusty weapon, the rifle with a dagger attached as a bay, has long since fallen from his hands and sunk into the oily mucus pouring out of the tentacles; it is as if the Morjura even wants to defile his very will to resist.

    ¡¸N-no...¡¹

    Dozens of tentacles are wrapping themselves around Simon¡¯s small body, as if teasing him. Morjuras normally act in groups, but this one is alone. It can slowly take its time to nt only its own seed.

    Morjura tentacles are not particrly tough, nor do they have sharp ws or hard thorns. It has no instinct to tear through the shells and skins of the creatures it captures; it simply creeps around the body and searches for holes.

    Simon is wearing his ck academy uniform and the blue coat that he was wearing at the battle of Alzas. His clothes are not damaged, and not even a single button is undone.

    Tentacles enter his clothes through the sleeves of both his arms and the trouser cuffs of both of his legs. Like a caterpir crawling its way across a tree¡¯s branches, it slowly crawls up his arms and legs. The Morjura seems to be enjoying the white, soft skin that could not possibly be thought to belong to a male.

    He feels a squirming, writhing sensation beneath his clothes. At first nce, the tentacles look like flexible vines, but they feel simr to a person¡¯s tongue; it possesses the sticity of flesh. The tentacles are slick with the aphrodisiacden mucus that they are constantly secreting. As they crawl around his body, rather than feeling like they are simply twisting around him, it is as if he is being licked by an enormous tongue.

    Unable to bear this disgusting sensation, Simon lets out a scream that somehow sounds sweet and enchanting.

    His skin is painted with the natural aphrodisiac and its heartburn-inducing stench fills his lungs, causing its effects to reach every inch of his body. Though his partner is a mass of repulsive tentacles, his brain is forced to generate pleasure signals. No matter how much he hates it, no matter how much he cries or screams, he cannot escape from the pleasure. Simon lets out yet another moan.

    ¡¸Haah, haah... Fuwah...¡¹

    The tentacles even wrap around his thin neck. They do not strengthen their grip. The Morjura¡¯s goal is not to kill, but to reproduce; it would be pointless if its partner were to perish. The tentacles gently stroke Simon¡¯s nape.

    At the same time, they slip into his clothes even from his neck. From the cor of his shirt to the spaces in between the buttons, anywhere there is an opening, it mercilessly thrusts itself inside.

    The tentacles caress his thin chest, crawl across his spine, lick at his belly button, and travel down even further below that ¨C

    ¡¸No, ah...!¡¹

    And so, the tentacles that are nowpletely dominating Simon¡¯s body all simultaneously begin their attempt to enter the hole that they have finally found. The forey hase to an end.

    ¡¸AAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    An echoing scream. Feelings of disgust and rejection can still be heard in it. It is hisst act of resistance.

    However, though the Morjura is the most horrible, most disgusting rapist, it possesses the ability to drive a person mad with pleasure. When captured by a Morjura, such resistance is very short-lived.

    Once actual pration begins, it won¡¯t even take five minutes to conquer Simon, who is merely an Elf with no exceptional mental fortitude or poison resistance.

    As if to disallow him from even screaming, the tentacle wrapped around Simon¡¯s neck attempts to enter his mouth. Thick, gooey fluids are leaking from the tip of the tentacle that is as thick as a child¡¯s arm, as if it is eager to release its seed right this moment.

    As the filthy tip of the tentacle rubs against Simon¡¯s soft, cherry-blossom-colored lips and finally begins its movement to vite the inside of his mouth ¨C

    ¡¸Simon!¡¹

    He hears a man¡¯s voice call his name from beyond the unopened metal door.

    ¡¸No way... Onii-san...¡¹

    He can only assume that it is an auditory hallucination. His reasoning and self-awareness have long since melted away in the pleasure. Is his brain simply trying to show him some pleasant illusion?

    However, as if to deny this possibility, he definitely hears his name being called once more, as well as the sound of the metal door being violently mmed against.

    And in the next instant, with a deafening metallic sound, the door is thrown open ¨C no, it is broken down.

    It is a solid door made of steel, but with astounding force, it ispletely crushed. The door that has now be scrap metal flies forcefully into the tower, hitting the wall with a loud crash beforeing to a halt on the floor.

    ¡¸Simon...¡¹

    Standing in the now-unobstructed doorway is arge man. He has ck hair and ck and crimson odd-colored eyes. There is no way that Simon can mistake this person¡¯s identity.

    He really came to save Simon ¨C however, that happinesssts only an instant before being swallowed by a feeling of defeat.

    Kurono is the first person who understood him, his best friend. And that is precisely why Simon doesn¡¯t want this horrible rape to be seen ¨C

    ¡¸Don¡¯t... look at me...¡¹

    ¡¸Simon...¡¹

    A sickly-sweet scent that irritates my nose. A mass of tentacles writhing in the dim tower. And a person entangled and trapped inside it.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t... look at me...¡¹

    A voice that sounds as if its owner¡¯s heart will break at any moment reaches my ears, such an incredibly fragile voice.

    Before I canprehend what Simon is feeling to let out such words, my rage exceeds all limits.

    Oi, you piece of shit, just what the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing to my Simon?

    ¡¸UOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    I even forget to arm myself with my weapons, and simply punch the monster viting my best friend with all my fury.

    Of course, ck magical power flows out and swirls around my fist. I don¡¯t need a precise image orplicated spell form. The shortest, fastest spell I can cast, I don¡¯t even need to chant its name - the¡ºPile Bunker¡»flies straight into the Morjura.

    It breaks through theyer of tentacles that have hardened up in a ball-like shape, and the magical power around my fist disintegrates the central organ within, which is beating like a heart.

    As the tentacles reaching out towards Simon are torn off, the pulverized main body flies away and hits the stone wall. With a sttering sound, its flesh scatters messily like a squashed tomato.

    It¡¯s gone and died in one hit, damn it. My anger hasn¡¯t subsided in the slightest, but I don¡¯t have time to worry about that right now.

    ¡¸Oi, Simon! Are you alright?!¡¹

    Released from the tentacles¡¯ grip, Simon copses like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

    ¡¸Get a hold of yourself!¡¹

    The tentacles are wrapped around his body like countless snakes, and the sight is enough to make me feel physically ill.

    Shit, how dare it wrap these filthy things around him...

    The first thing I do isy Simon on his back and pull out the tentacles in his sleeves, trouser cuffs and cors. Even though the main body is destroyed, the tentacles are still squirming around like severed octopus legs. If I don¡¯t remove them quickly, he can¡¯t be treated.

    ¡¸Ah... Ngh!¡¹

    Every time I remove a tentacle, Simon¡¯s body trembles and he lets out a moan.

    His breathing is rough and his face is flushed, and his empty yet feverish, moist jade-colored eyes are looking directly at me. For a moment, I actually begin to forget that Simon is a male. That¡¯s how charming his gaze is.

    Damn it, calm down. This isn¡¯t it, I need to be more calm and think about the current situation!

    It¡¯s alright, Simon¡¯s definitely alive. I don¡¯t see any external wounds. His life shouldn¡¯t be in any danger.

    ¡¸Simon, can you hear my voice? Are you still conscious?¡¹

    ¡¸U, uu... Onii-san... Onii-sa~an.¡¹

    He recognizes me. He doesn¡¯t seem to bepletely crazy, but the Morjura¡¯s aphrodisiac appears to have circted through his body quite a lot. I suppose that¡¯s to be expected, since his whole body is wet with this mucus.

    The problem isn¡¯t just the effects of the aphrodisiac; it¡¯s possible that the Morjura has released its seed into his body. If he¡¯s not treated quickly, it might be toote.

    Fortunately, there were several Priests among the students, and once Nell gets some rest, she¡¯ll be able to heal him as well.

    And best of all, I have a bottle of antidote for the Morjura¡¯s aphrodisiac.

    I prepared it just in case upon epting that quest to be Rank 3, but I never imagined that I¡¯d be using it at a time like this.

    ¡¸This is an antidote potion, drink it.¡¹

    As I take the potion out from my shadow, I raise Simon¡¯s body, which is now clear of tentacles.

    I take out the cork and bring the bottle close to his mouth, which is partially open and covered in saliva and mucus.

    ¡¸Ngh, guh ¨C *cough!*¡¹

    However, unable to swallow it properly, he chokes and spits it out. As the spray hits my face and arms, I get a bad feeling.

    There¡¯s only a mouthful of the antidote potion. If you look at it one way, it means that only a small amount is needed to have a sufficient effect, but because Simon couldn¡¯t swallow properly, almost half of it has gone to waste.

    Is it alright to just try to make him drink it again? No, if he can¡¯t swallow properly, isn¡¯t it dangerous to try to force him to drink it? But even so, the faster he drinks the antidote, the less likely it is that there will be after-effects ¨C

    ¡¸What am I hesitating for, I have to do it, right? Simon, I¡¯m going to feed you the potion one more time, so drink it properly!¡¹

    I harden my resolve as I shout, and then empty the potion into my own mouth. I don¡¯t swallow it, I simply hold it there.

    In other words, I¡¯m going to feed it to him mouth-to-mouth.

    With no hesitation, I press my lips against Simon¡¯s half-open mouth.

    The sensation of my first kiss - or at least, it still feels like a kiss, even though it isn¡¯t really a kiss - is enough to make me feel like I¡¯m going to lose consciousness.

    What is this, it¡¯s really soft, are lips supposed to be this soft? I can smell not only the sickly-sweet scent of the mucus, but a feminine scent simr to Lily and Fiona¡¯s.

    Ah, damn it, get a hold of yourself!

    I reprimand myself as I desperately concentrate to let the potion flow into Simon¡¯s mouth.

    There¡¯s no point in giving it to him all at once. I have to give it to him slowly, little by little, so that he doesn¡¯t spit it out again.

    ¡¸Ngh ¨C NGH?!¡¹

    In the middle of this, I feel¡ºsomething¡»with the tip of my tongue and almost separate my mouth from his. However, I suddenly realize that Simon is holding my head tightly with both his arms and I can¡¯t separate our mouths even if I wanted to.

    It¡¯s just like a passionate kiss between lovers... No, in this situation, you can actually call this a French kiss. I actually realized right away that the thing entwining around my tongue is Simon¡¯s own small tongue.

    I wonder what Simon is thinking or what kind of hallucination he is seeing right now.

    If you¡¯re having a wonderful dream where you¡¯re kissing some unrivaled beauty, then please keep having that dream. It would be too cruel for you to know the truth. Including the fact that my heart can¡¯t help but to beat fast in excitement.

    Before long, all of the potion that was in my mouth reaches Simon¡¯s wriggling tongue and is swallowed sessfully.

    Letting out a long breath, as if taking a rest, our mouths separate. A string of our saliva with the Morjura¡¯s mucus mixed in falls between us.

    After a moment, I realize that my own breathing has grown wild.

    ¡¸Haah... Haah... Onii... sa...¡¹

    Simon¡¯s eyelids close as he whispers to me. I don¡¯t know whether his stamina has given out or whether it¡¯s an effect of the antidote, but it seems he¡¯s asleep now.

    His breathing is normal and he¡¯s just letting out cute sleeping noises. I don¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, at least.

    ¡¸... He¡¯s saved.¡¹

    As I watch Simon¡¯s calm face while he sleeps, I finally get that feeling.

    That¡¯s right, I managed to save my friends this time.

    I¡¯m d, I¡¯m so d. I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive. I rushed here as quickly as I could, I dragged Nell into this mess, I exploited Merry, but even so, I¡¯m d I made it in time...

    As I¡¯m basking in my feelings of relief ¨C

    GOAAAAAH!

    An incredibly loud roar echoes out, shaking the tower.

    ¡¸What?!¡¹

    I intuitively guess that a monster has appeared nearby. As I stand up to look outside through the nearby window, I realize just what kind of monster it is.

    I¡¯ve never seen this monster before. But right now, the crimson left eye that I received from Mia shes a bright red. This is unmistakably the light that signals my trial.

    ¡¸So you¡¯vee, Greed-Gore.¡¹

 Chapter 336 The second trial

    ¡¸Kurono-ku~un!¡¹

    As I rush over to the fortress gate as fast as I can with Simon on my back, Nelles out to greet me. She¡¯s waving her hand like mad, trying to catch my attention over the great number of students. She copsed from using up all her magical power not long ago; is she alright to be doing that?

    ¡¸Kurono! Is Simon safe?¡¹

    Will, who is standing next to Nell, sees Simon on my back and shouts his question towards me.

    I can¡¯tugh at him for making a big fuss about it. Right after Nell took care of the monster army, Will came to me and asked me to rescue Simon.

    ¡ºRadiance Exile¡»is a healing spell. The only things that it eliminated on contact with its purifying light were the parasites; the monsters themselves were unaffected. Therefore, he had doubts about the safety of Simon, who was trapped inside that tiny tower.

    Infested by a parasite or not, there¡¯s no reason a monster wouldn¡¯t attack prey right before its eyes.

    If I¡¯d arrived earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have any regrets. But even so ¨C

    ¡¸Yeah, he¡¯s just asleep, his life isn¡¯t in any danger.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh... UOOOOH! SIMON!¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯t wake him up, he definitely needs some rest.¡¹

    Letting out a waterfall of tears, Will practically leaps onto Simon and buries his face into his back. I get that you¡¯re happy, but at least let me put him down gently first.

    ¡¸Nell, judging from your appearance, it seems your magical power has recovered.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I drank a Hi-Potion to restore my magical power, so I am fine now.¡¹

    Not just a potion, but a Hi-Potion. As expected, Rank 5 adventurers carry some good things with them.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to ask you so soon after what you¡¯ve already done, but can you please heal my friend Simon?¡¹

    Giving Will a quick nce, I whisper in Nell¡¯s ear so that only she can hear me.

    ¡¸He was attacked by a Morjura. I got him to drink an antidote, but just in case, is it possible for you to help him recover properly?¡¹

    I¡¯m sure Nell immediately realizes what it means when I say that he was attacked by a Morjura. She gives a gasp in response, but quickly hardens her expression and gives me a reply.

    ¡¸Yes, please leave it to me.¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, if Princess Nell takes a look at him, I can rest assured! FAAHAHAHA!¡¹

    Will lets out a loudugh, drowning out my¡¸thanks¡¹to Nell. I never thought that I would find thisughter to be calming... No, this isn¡¯t the time to space out.

    ¡¸Are you serious?! Isn¡¯t that the Greed-Gore?!¡¹

    ¡¸Damn it, what the hell are Wing Road doing?!¡¹

    ¡¸I-it¡¯s over, there¡¯s no way we can beat something like that...¡¹

    The tops of the fortress¡¯s walls are noisy with the students¡¯ shouts and screams.

    That¡¯s right, the danger hasn¡¯t passed yet. No, this is where the truly desperate situation begins.

    I turn to look back to see arge ck body beyond the open fortress gate.

    The Rank 5 monster that I¡¯ve been searching for, the Greed-Gore, has finally appeared before me.

    ¡¸Will, it¡¯ll be great if you guys can back me up. But it¡¯s best if the students don¡¯t go out to the front.¡¹

    The Greed-Gore lets out a growl as it takes a step that shakes the whole ground, approaching this ce.

    It¡¯s freaking massive. It¡¯s the biggest monster I¡¯ve ever faced. It¡¯s like a moving mountain of stone.

    ¡¸Right now, I am the great general who leads this group of elite young people who bear the future of Spada¡¯s military. Leave themand of your backup to me! And... Fu, for you who bears the title of Nightmare Berserker, the students would no doubt be nothing but a burden to you, no matter how splendid they are. Indeed, none should approach thebat of the mad warrior!¡¹

    No, there¡¯s no danger of me mistaking my allies for enemies and cutting them down, I was just saying that because it¡¯s dangerous for them to face the Greed-Gore directly... Well, whatever.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun! Umm, please don¡¯t push yourself too hard, okay?¡¹

    I can¡¯t turn back to Nell, who is behind me, to give her a reply. The reason is, that¡¯s something I can¡¯t promise.

    ¡¸... Nell, give me a Boost.¡¹

    With just those words, I rush out through the fortress gate. Leaving behind Nell¡¯s elegant chanting, Will¡¯s loudughter and the cheers of the students who seem to be cing their expectations on me, I head straight forwards to challenge the Greed-Gore ¨C the second trial.

    The Greed-Gore is furious. Its precious army has been eradicated. Now it cannot spend its time in idleness.

    It knows who has caused this. Right before the parasites were eliminated by that white light, it clearly saw that person in the visual information that was ryed via the monsters¡¯ eyes.

    It was a female with wings that was not a human, nor a bird, nor a Harpy. That female is dangerous. No matter how tedious it is, she must be eliminated immediately. The Greed-Gore has decided to leave the re-infestation of the monsters untilter; even if it has to fight alone, time is of the essence.

    Even going so far as to use underground movement that is its fastest method of travel, the Greed-Gore has brought itself all the way out here to the¡ºnest of humans.¡»

    In front of it, it can see the female from the visual information that it received. There is not a single obstacle between her and the Greed-Gore. Therefore, it simply takes a step forward.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts ¨C Full Burst!¡¹

    Something a little harder than the falling raindrops hits the Greed-Gore¡¯s body. On top of its already thick, rock-like carapace, there is ayer of armor made of densely-packed iron sand. Its ability to sense impacts on its body is dulled to the point that it would barely notice even if a Dortoth rammed into it with full power.

    ¡¸Ah, shit, it¡¯s too hard!¡¹

    There¡¯s something small and ck wandering around its feet. It seems that this is the source of the intermittent sandstorm-like phenomenon, but even after the Greed-Gore realizes this, it forgets about it a momentter. Its target is not ck, but white ¨C

    ¡¸How about over here!¡¹

    At that moment, one of those rock-hard projectiles flies directly towards its eye.

    Though the majority of its defense is as tough as an iron wall, its eyes are still unprotected. Sand or rocks hitting it will hurt. It must block it.

    The Greed-Gorees to a decision - it definitely has the time to do so.

    As it perceives the ck pebble, time stops ¨C or at least, it appears to. In reality, everything around it simply appears to be moving very, very slowly.

    This is one of its lightning-element Characteristic Abilities,¡ºMental Concentration.¡»

    Its primary effect is to greatly speed up its thought processes and reaction time. This is also apanied by a sharp increase in the rate at which its nervous system rys information, and its actual physical ability and speed of movement are also enhanced. However, its body is not strengthened, so if it moves too quickly, it will put a strain on its body. Of course, it instinctively knows the limits of its own body.

    And right now, its instincts are telling it,¡¸this is not a problem.¡¹Now it must simply deal with the situation.

    The ck object flying towards the Greed-Gore¡¯s eye seems to have been traveling at a considerable speed; even in this world where everything hase to a stop, it is clearly still moving. The raindrops falling through the air are almostpletely stationary, so that means that this object is moving far faster than the terminal velocity of raindrops.

    It must avoid a direct hit against its eye. This is very simple to achieve. Thanks to the increased speed of the Greed-Gore¡¯s thought processes, there is no need for arge reaction such as taking an evasive maneuver.

    Indeed, all it needs to do is shut its eyelid.

    And then it releases the¡ºMental Concentration.¡»Time begins to flow normally once more.

    ¡¸Is it a coincidence ¨C no, can it see the bullet?!¡¹

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s eyeball is soft, but its eyelid is still hard. It is not as tough as its back or its tail, but it still has its thick, sand-covered skin, as well as theyer of iron sand for additional defense.

    However, it is growing tired of this ck thing; it has be quite irritating. It must be crushed.

    Instead of taking another step forward, the Greed-Gore simply ms its raised leg into the ground with all its power. With this single stomping attack, the enormous monster causes an earthquake and andslide simultaneously.

    The pure, physical destructive power exerted by the sole of its foot is enough to shake the entirety of the Iskia Hills. And the earth-element Characteristic Ability causes a tsunami of earth and sand that swallows everything around it.

    ¡¸Guh, Shield!¡¹

    The ck thing around its legs is too small, so it doesn¡¯t bother trying to aim. It was not able to crush it directly, but the violent shockwave of earth has seeded in sending it flying away.

    Now that it has taken care of the nuisance, the Greed-Gore continues onwards.

    It closes in on the nest of its prey in front of it. It is a human nest protected by vertical, rectangr masses of stone, but it is fragile enough that the Greed-Gore can knock it down in one attack by throwing its body against it.

    As long as that white female does not use those wings on her back to fly away and escape, she will be crushed easily. No, the Greed-Gore should crush her using its jaws, just to be sure.

    Its target is now right in front of it.

    ¡¸Fiiire ¨C !¡¹

    At that moment, the rain that fills the air is once again joined by misceneous projectiles.

    Pointed bits of metal that humans and some monsters like to use, balls of fire, icicles, wind ¨C their attacks are greatly varied. Though the Greed-Gore cannot tell the attacks apart at all, it does know that the elements and magical attacks that humans use can be different from one another.

    But it matters not, as none of these attacks can prate this overwhelming defense, no matter what element they are. The Greed-Gore pays them no heed whatsoever.

    However, it is irritating.

    Ah, how bothersome, how troublesome. It wants to send everything flying with a single attack ¨C with its sloth-like instincts telling it that, the Greed-Gore stops its footsteps.

    ¡¸Nice! Its movements have stopped; keep firing ¨C !¡¹

    The male standing next to that female lets out an incredibly loud cry. Judging from the fact that the attacks continue to fire in response to that voice, it could possibly be the leader of this group of humans, but the Greed-Gore¡¯s instincts tell it otherwise. They tell it,¡¸there is no way that such a weak-looking human could be their leader.¡¹

    After less than a second¡¯s hesitation, the Greed-Gore begins concentrating its mind and magical power to sweep away this troublesome group of humans.

    First, with a rumbling noise, it inhales deeply. As its lungs expand to their maximum capacity, it finishes taking in the magical power floating around in the air.

    At the same time, it uses its ability that is of both the lightning and earth elements to quickly manipte the iron sand from around its legs, creating stake-like objects which thrust themselves into the ground. The reason for this is that the ws of its feet will be insufficient to keep its body anchored in this position.

    With this, preparations for release are in their final stage. Purple lightning is already crackling at the Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth.

    Now all it needs to do is decide on its target and spit everything out in one attack.

    ¡¸¨C It¡¯s a Breath! Block it, Nell!¡¹

    Yes, she must block the Greed-Gore¡¯s greatest, most powerful, most lethal move ¨C the¡ºsma Breath.¡»

    Note from the author:

    There was such a flood of criticalments on the previous chapter,¡ºFirst Kiss¡», that I added a prefacing warning.

    I intended it to have a deeper meaning than simply ¡°I wanted to write a scene like this¡±, but as there are many who feel that unpleasant things are still unpleasant, I will apologize for myck of consideration. I am very sorry.

    It ismon knowledge that authors should not discuss the contents of their work, but I will take the opportunity here to exin myself.

    In the previous chapter 334,¡ºThe sloth awakens¡», Charlotte is rescued mostly unharmed. The purpose of chapter 335 was to make it clear that her solo actions have caused irreparable damage.

    The idea was that If Sharl had not acted on her own, Simon would not have had to suffer like this. I felt that ¡°the fortress was in trouble¡± would be insufficient for this. I also wanted Kurono¡¯s rescue of Simon from that situation to be imperfect.

    The tentacle attack scene was long and drawn out, and there were certainly parts that I could have omitted if I wanted to, but I thought that it would not portray the situation as well if I did. Also, I feel that it is in the literary style of¡ºKuro no Maou¡»to depict unpleasant scenes without omitting anything.

    With that said, there are absolute taboos that even I will not cross in my work, so I will never depict the sexual vition ororare of a main heroine.

    Therefore, I pushed the role of being assaulted by a tentacle monster onto Simon, who is a male, allowing me to avoid the aforementioned taboo and still satisfy myself in depicting sexual assault, the second most terrible thing to happen to someone after death.

    Now, I will talk about the BL between Simon and Kurono.

    This is the part that I am most remorseful for. The description of Kurono¡¯s mouth-to-mouth feeding to Simon was crucial, but I do realize that there was no need for Kurono to feel so excited about it.

    The reason that the mouth-to-mouth feeding was necessary was, I did not want Kurono to only have pleasant memories about love. When he looks back, he will remember that his first kiss was with Simon (a male). I believe that such a dark thing in his past is necessary for Kurono as a character.

    At the same time, his partner for the kiss could not simply be any male. It had to be Simon, for whom Lily first harbored jealousy (in chapter 95,¡ºFirst feelings of jealousy¡»).

    What is important in this scene was that Kurono thinks that Simon is cute, but he is still a male (and not an object of romantic interest), and that Simon does not swing that way (as he felt clear sexual attraction to therge breasts of Emilia and Sofia), but he still thinks of Kurono as more than just a friend. This creates the delicate nuance in the kiss between the two, who definitely do not have romantic feelings towards each other. But in hindsight, I realize that I should have suppressed the BLponents as I wrote the scene.

    This is a small spoiler, but Simon will never officially be a heroine (either by gender swap or by Kurono turning bisexual). So for those of you who are apprehensive about more BL developments in the future, you can read on and rest assured that this will not happen.

    Incidentally, even if the one who had been attacked was not Simon but Will, Nero, or even some unattractive male student whose name he did not know, Kurono would still have performed the mouth-to-mouth feeding in that situation.

    With that, I hope that everyone continues to enjoy¡ºKuro no Maou.¡»

 Chapter 337 Plasma Breath

    ¡¸Buah! Damn it, some of it got in my mouth!¡¹

    After being swept away in the earth and soil from the Greed-Gore¡¯s stomping attack, I stand up in a worse state than a kindergartener who¡¯s been ying with mud.

    The heavy rain that is still pouring incessantly acts like a natural shower that rinses it off, but the feeling of difort lingers. However, I have no time to be concerned about that.

    The Greed-Gore that¡¯s stopped several dozen meters in front of the fortress¡¯s walls is taking a deep, rxed breath, ignoring the arrows and magical attacks that are being fired at Will¡¯smand.

    ¡¸¨C It¡¯s a Breath! Block it, Nell!¡¹

    For many monsters, arge inhtion indicates an imminent breath attack. This is something that even a Rank 1 adventurer knows. Even if I didn¡¯t shout, I¡¯m sure that Nell and the other students would be aware of what¡¯sing.

    The reason that I couldn¡¯t help but to shout anyway is the tremendous presence of the sheer amount of magical energy surging up from the Greed-Gore.

    A chill runs down my spine. Just how powerful is this guy¡¯s Breath going to be? Won¡¯t it be enough to blow away Iskia Fortress in one attack?

    Letting it fire is too dangerous. But I don¡¯t have a proper n!

    My original ns for defeating the Greed-Gore were built upon the assumption that I¡¯d have Lily and Fiona with me. Now that I¡¯m in the midst of battle on my own, it would be fair to say that I have no n at all.

    But it¡¯s an adventurer¡¯s job to do something about it anyway. If I can¡¯t, there will have been no meaning in meing here, and if I can¡¯t ovee the second trial, defeating the Apostles will be impossible.

    ¡¸UOAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    I run forward at full speed, closing the distance that I¡¯ve been blown as quickly as possible.

    I reach the Greed-Gore in the blink of an eye, but ominous purple lightning is already gushing out of its mouth.

    I only have time to get one attack in before it fires, huh. In that case, this attack is my only choice!

    ¡¸YAMINAGIIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹

    With both hands, I drive the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»into the Greed-Gore with all the force I can muster.

    With my enemy being so enormous that I have to look up to see it, the only ce I can try to cut is its legs. It has its feet set deep in the earth - no, the iron sand covering its body has been manipted and has changed its shape to be ck pirs around its legs that anchors its feet into the ground.

    I use the most powerful martial arts at my disposal, aiming at the ankle of one of the vertical legs that have sunk deep into the earth.

    ¡¸- Guh, uoah!¡¹

    It¡¯s hard. Harder than anything I¡¯ve ever tried to cut into before. My de doesn¡¯t cut deep enough to find flesh, and instead of blood, all thates out is a spray of iron sand.

    However, the thing that surprises me more than the Greed-Gore¡¯s sheer hardness is the force with which my de is repelled.

    I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d be able to cut through this stone-tower-like leg in one attack, even with the¡ºYaminagi.¡»But because of the unexpected, powerful repulsion, I wasn¡¯t even able to cut through the ck pir around it. My de has stopped about halfway in.

    Damn it, what is this strange repulsion? It¡¯s not just hard, it¡¯s like the pir is reacting with the same force - I see, it¡¯s causing its own iron sand to burst out!

    The moment it¡¯s attacked from the outside, it causes an outwards explosion from inside to nullify it.

    Ie to the unpleasant realization that there¡¯s still a lot of iron sand flying around, considering that my de is already embedded in it. It¡¯s not because¡ºYaminagi¡»is so powerful, but because the Greed-Gore is causing the sand to fly out on its own.

    This kind of incredible reaction would probably be impossible through just manipting the iron sand using an earth-element ability. It¡¯s only because the Greed-Gore possesses powerful abilities of both earth and lightning elements that it¡¯s possible to produce this reactive armor.

    I don¡¯t have time to be admiring the small details.

    My full-power attack has merely caused some of the iron-sand pir encasing one of the legs to spray around a bit; none of the damage has gone through to the leg itself. My de has barely reached the brick-red carapace on the other side of the iron sand.

    In other words, I haven¡¯t managed tond a blow strong enough to interrupt the Breath.

    ¡¸Damn it -¡¹

    And then a torrent of ominous purple light streams forth from the Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth. It¡¯s not a simple Thunder Breath. This is far more powerful; maybe it should be called a sma Breath.

    Looking at this beam that¡¯s like one of Lily¡¯s that¡¯s been magnified a hundredfold, I can feel the tremendous destructive power it contains.

    Can this attack even be blocked by mere defensive spells -

    ¡¸-¡ºLux Rampart Defan!¡»¡¹

    Nell¡¯s defensive spell unfolds, a moment before the Breath is unleashed. Of course, she¡¯s not alone. The fatigued Mage-ss students, who have been fighting to hold the fortress for several consecutive days, pay no heed to the fact that they could copse at any moment from spending all their magical power and cast their own defensive spells with everything they have.

    The¡ºShields¡»and¡ºDefans¡»of each student¡¯s element of specialty expand in front of the fortress¡¯s walls, like blossoming flowers of every color.

    Shining the brightest among all of them is Nell¡¯s high-ss, wide-area defensive spell of white light,¡ºLux Rampart Defan.¡»

    The role of the Priest ss is far from being a simple healer. In the first ce, in order to heal one¡¯spanions, they must already be injured.

    The only thing that they are weak at is offense. Their main roles in battle are to support their allies with Boosts and one more task - defense.

    Therefore, the defensive magic produced by Nell, a Rank 5 adventurer, is top-notch. It is only natural that her spell is overwhelmingly effective for defensepared to those of the students.

    In addition to the¡ºLux Rampart Defan¡», due to the support of the¡ºElement Boost¡»from the students, another defensive spell of the light element,¡ºForce Shield¡», isyered on top of it.

    The enormous, rectangr wall of light that covers all of the students atop the fortress¡¯s wallspletely can only be described as incredible. At the very least, it¡¯s the most amazing defense that I¡¯ve everid my eyes on.

    However, I still have my doubts as to whether it will be enough to block this sma Breath.

    ¡¸HAVE ONE MOOOOORE!¡¹

    As the Greed-Gore¡¯s attack explodes against the multitude of defensive spells, I unleash my ¡ºYaminagi¡»once more.

    Aware that the bright light and sounds of destruction are produced by the the defensive shields and walls being erased in the blink of eye, I sh into the same spot on the ankle that I was aiming at earlier with all my strength.

    It¡¯s hard. And once more, my attack is met with a reaction from the iron sand. Only a ck spray emerges from the opening that I¡¯ve made.

    But this is enough. The de has stopped in the Greed-Gore¡¯s red-brown carapace; it¡¯s not managing to reach its flesh, but I¡¯ve managed to cut through the pir that anchors it to the ground.

    This pir likely serves to counteract the Breath¡¯s recoil. Cutting through it should disrupt the Greed-Gore¡¯s aim.

    Also, its Characteristic Ability is concentrated on managing the Breath, so it can¡¯t rece the iron sand immediately. It can¡¯t rebuild the pir if I break it during the Breath.

    It seems my suspicions were correct; the leg in front of me that¡¯s like a massive tree begins to sway. Its ws that are as big as my arms are buried in the ground. However, slowly but surely, they are sliding through the earth.

    As the Greed-Gore lets out a frustrated roar, the Breath is finally diverted away.

    If it had been firing for three more seconds, thest of the defensive spells would probably have been broken through. The only one left now is Nell¡¯s¡ºLux Rampart Defan.¡»It flickers several times before fading away.

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth, the barrel through which the Breath is being fired, is now iling around like a hose with the tap turned on too strongly. Completely unable to control the recoil, its rectangr head tilts around.

    The Breath mows down everything in its path. A line of destruction is drawn on the walls of Iskia Fortress.

    They are the sturdy walls that survived the territorial wars with the neighboring country of Fauren in the distant past, but they fall apart as the torrent of purple lightning hits them.

    With a sound like roaring thunder, the walls of solid stone are blown into tiny pieces, drowning out the screams of the students.

    It only took an instant for the breath to mow them down. Towards the end, the Breath shoots upwards, disappearing into the rainclouds like lightning traveling in the wrong direction.

    After a moment of silence, the damaged walls begin to crumble loudly. The walls near the students are intact, and everyone is unharmed. In the end, there are no casualties, but... Most of the Mage ss students are probably out of magical power.

    If the Greed-Gore fires that Breath again, everyone will be finished for sure. I¡¯ll defeat the Greed-Gore before that happens - no, I have to at least pull off an attack that can draw its attention to only me -

    I scrape together all of my knowledge on how to fight monsters to try toe up with a n, but as if refusing to give me even the smallest window of time to act, the pir of iron sand around the Greed-Gore¡¯s leg digs into the earth¡¯s surface once more.

    It seems that it is using the iron sand that normally covers its tail to create the pir; the tail¡¯s ck surface is peeling off and the original red color is being exposed all the way to its tip.

    The leg-pir that I blew away has re-formed, even thicker than the previous one. This time, it won¡¯t be destroyed by two uses of¡ºYaminagi.¡»

    No, wait. That¡¯s not what I should be worried about right now. The fact that the Greed-Gore is taking up this posture once more means that -

    ¡¸It can... use the Breath consecutively...¡¹

    It¡¯s a well-known fact that Mages can¡¯t cast powerful spells consecutively. Fiona runs out of magical power with a single cast of¡ºAur Soleil¡», and after Nell casts¡ºProvidence Dispel¡», she bes so fatigued that she develops a fever.

    However, it seems that this rule doesn¡¯t apply to monsters. Well, I don¡¯t remember the Greed-Gore giving me a polite exnation like¡¸This Breath is my most powerful move so I can only use it once, man.¡¹

    I¡¯d just foolishly assumed that it can¡¯t use the Breath consecutively.

    This is bad, real bad. A sense of pure desperation rises up within me. With the absurd consecutive Breaths unfolding before my eyes, I can¡¯t think straight.

    As I stand here in panic, the Greed-Gore slowly prepares to fire for the second time.

    This time, its legs are nted firmly in the ground so that they won¡¯t sway. It inhales deeply, as if sucking in all the magical power from the surrounding air. It takes up its stance with its head and long tail in a straight, horizontal line.

    With this enormous, fixed cannon in front of me, there is no technique I can use to do anything against it.

    I nce quickly at the fortress and see Nell raising the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»to cast defensive magic once more. On her own, even if she casts¡ºLux Rampart Defan¡»again, the defense won¡¯tst three seconds against a direct hit from the Breath.

    I-I have to do something, or everyone will die.

    What should I do, am I supposed to do? What can I do to block the Breath? I have less than thirty seconds left. What can I possibly do in this tiny window of time -

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama.¡¹

    Suddenly, I hear a voice.

    I only know one person who would call me¡¸Goshujin-sama.¡¹It¡¯s the talkative maid inhabiting a piece of cursed equipment whose voice I have now be very ustomed to hearing.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama, I¡¯ll do my best.¡¹

    So are you telling me to use you? But to take on the huge Greed-Gore with only the slightly enhanced¡ºAnchor Hands...¡»

    ¡¸I¡¯LL DO MY BEST!¡¹

    Whatever, I have no time to worry about that. Hitsugi, I¡¯m betting everything on you!

 Chapter 338 Hitsugi does her best

    ¡¸Anchor Hands!¡¹

    I store my hatchet away and use my now-free hands to concentrate on using the¡ºAnchor Hands.¡»

    Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never poured so much of my power into just making tentacles. Even I¡¯m surprised by the sheer number of tentacles extending forth from my arms.

    I aim at the cannon that is the Greed-Gore¡¯s head. The countless tentacles entwine themselves around the object that looks like it¡¯s made out of solid rock.

    They wrap around the Greed-Gore¡¯s head and neck firmly, like the reins of a horse. My n is to pull on these with all of my strength to throw off its aim.

    No matter what attack I use, I can¡¯t prevent it from firing, and no matter what defensive magic is used, it can¡¯t block that Breath. With that being the case, the only option left is to make the attack miss.

    ¡¸Give me power ¨C¡ºForce Boost.¡»¡¹

    Right now, I have the Boost that I had Nell cast on me as we charged towards the fortress. Combined with my own¡ºForce Boost¡», it¡¯s effectively a double-effect strengthening, but I wonder whether it¡¯s enough to move the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous body.

    Even so, I have no choice but to do this.

    ¡¸Pull, Hitsugi!¡¹

    ¡¸FOOOH!¡¹

    I wonder if Hitsugi is serious about this; a strangely silly-sounding, yet cute war cry reverberates inside my head. At the same time, an image of a small, elementary-schooler-sized maid with her teeth clenched appears in my head ¨C Hitsugi¡¯s original appearance.

    I find this extremely intriguing, but right now, I have no choice but to focus onbining my strength with hers.

    I pull on the tentacle-reins with brute, physical strength while Hitsugi retracts the tentacles, like pulling in a rope using a winch, adding even more force.

    My reconstructed body, the double-cast strengthening effects and the assistance from my cursed item ¨C with these, I would be able to pull a semi-trailer without a problem.

    However, the Greed-Gore is simply too heavy. It really feels like I¡¯m trying to move a mountain.

    Even so, I can¡¯t give up. This is the only thing I¡¯m able to do right now, isn¡¯t it?!

    ¡¸Guh, ugh, UOOOOOOOOH!¡¹

    Finally, I feel some movement.

    However, at the same time, an ominous sound reaches my ears.

    ¡¸Fueh~ Goshujin-sama~¡¹

    As Hitsugi lets out a voice that sounds like aint, I want to do the same. My worst fear ising true.

    Unable to bear the force with which they are being pulled, the¡ºAnchor Hands¡»have begun to tear.

    They should be as strong as steel cables, but even so, they¡¯re not strong enough to bring down this ridiculously heavy monster.

    It¡¯s not Hitsugi¡¯s fault; it¡¯s because I¡¯m inexperienced at using the¡ºAnchor Hands.¡»

    Even so, I don¡¯t have the time to be regretting that fact now.

    I have to think of some kind of n, any kind of n, otherwise that Breath is going to hit Iskia Fortress, where Nell and everyone else is.

    Damn it, what do I have to do to make the¡ºAnchor Hands¡»stronger? Putting more magical power into them isn¡¯t the answer.

    I need something even harder than steel ¨C wait, I have it! I have the best material right here!

    Yes, the Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand armor that I blew off with my¡ºYaminagi¡»is scattered around my feet. This ce has turned into a sandbox; there¡¯s plenty of material here.

    With the second Breath iing, the Greed-Gore didn¡¯t have time to return this iron sand to its body. Since this high-quality iron sand is no longer under the Greed-Gore¡¯s control, I¡¯ll gratefully ept this gift and make use of it.

    ¡¸ckening!¡¹

    I tread firmly in the iron sand and use my feet to invoke ckening. Since the iron sand is ck in the first ce, it¡¯s difficult to see the Enchantment taking ce, but I can feel the sensation of my magic taking effect.

    All of the iron sand spread around my feet is now under my control.

    I use the stolen, ckened iron sand to cover the surface of the tentacles. Like a swarm of countless ants, the iron sand streams over the tentacles in the blink of an eye.

    For now, I¡¯ve attached the iron sand to the tentacles, but whether this works as an Enchantment depends on Hitsugi.

    Please absorb it. No, this isn¡¯t a request, but amand¡»from your goshujin-sama.

    ¡¸Do something with this! HITSUGIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes! GOSHUJIN-SAMAAAAAAA!¡¹

    Hitsugi answers mymand. I can clearly hear her response. The¡ºck Hair Curse¡¸Coffin¡¹¡»begins to absorb the iron sand.

    This isn¡¯t a temporary strengthening caused by an Enchantment. It¡¯s absorbing this new material and integrating the iron sandpletely.

    The¡ºAnchor Hands¡»that are already deployed change theirposition to include this iron sand. They be stronger, harder. They are cursed tentacles that will never let go of their target.

    The wire-like tentacles made of ck hair have transformed ¨C no, evolved into a new shape.

    ¡¸Well done, Hitsugi, now you are ¨C¡¹

    They have be chains. Pitch-ck chains, made of steel links strengthened by ck magic, with the iron sand as their base.

    ¡¸¨C the¡ºck Chain Curse¡¸Iron Cage!¡¹¡»¡¹

    Indeed, the tentacles as strong as steel have now be chain reins that are strong enough to move the Greed-Gore¡¯s body. They won¡¯t break like before.

    ¡¸UOOOOOOOOOOH!¡¹

    ¡¸YAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    I use thest of my strength and the evolved Hitsugi lends me her assistance as well, pulling in the tentacles with even more force.

    Finally, the fixed cannon made of ck steel begins to lurch sideways ¨C and immediately afterwards, it fires.

    The second shining, purple sma Breath only brushes against Iskia Fortress slightly.

    As a result of the Greed-Gore¡¯s aim being forcibly altered, this second beam misses by even more than the first one and buries itself into the earth of the Iskia Hills.

    The sound and tremors make me think that the hills themselves are copsing. Along with the thunderous ringing, I can see the Breath causing the dirt to erupt into the air and dance in the sky.

    The particles and dust expand, threatening to swallow the whole of Iskia Fortress.

    The rising pir of smoke spreads out to form a thickyer in the sky, even blocking out this heavy rain.

    I once again realize just how powerful the Breath is; it¡¯s a terrifying wave of pure destruction.

    Even so, I stopped it. What do you think of that? Nobody died; everyone survived the second Breath.

    Now that I¡¯ve stopped it twice, even the Greed-Gore can¡¯t ignore me. It swings its head around violently, as if to shake itself free of the chains wrapped around it.

    I would be easily sent flying by the force of the Greed-Gore pulling on the end of the chains. I quickly return the chains to my hands, undoing the Greed-Gore¡¯s bindings.

    ¡¸You finally turned around, huh. That¡¯s right, your opponent is me!¡¹

    The ominous, shining purple gaze pierces me. Honestly, being red at by this enormous Rank 5 monster sends a chill down my spine; there¡¯s no life in its eyes at all.

    But now I¡¯ve finally figured a way to deal with this guy.

    In my two hands I¡¯m holding the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»and¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater.¡¹¡»As well as the key tool I need to win this battle, the evolved¡ºck Chain Curse¡¸Iron Cage.¡¹¡»

    ¡¸Let¡¯s go!¡¹

    ¡¸Here we go! Nata-senpai! Wan-chan!¡¹

    I have a feeling that Histugi is using some outrageous nicknames, but I don¡¯t pay it any attention for now.

    TLN: In Japanese, ãB/nata is hatchet and ¥ï¥ó¤Á¤ã¤ó/Wan-chan is amon ¡°cute¡± way to refer to puppies ¨C these nicknames are referring to the two weapons that Kurono is using, Nata-senpai for the hatchet and Wan-chan for the Hungering Wolf Sword.

    ¡¸Double Kuronagi.¡¹

    First, I attack the tree-like leg before my eyes.

    Evil Eater deals the initial blow.

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand armor is being manipted by the maic control of its lightning-element ability and the direct control of its earth-element ability ¨C in other words, it¡¯s maintained by both of those abilities.

    It¡¯s a powerful Characteristic Ability, but magic is still magic. If it¡¯s magical power, whether it¡¯s in the form of a maic field or direct control like telekinesis, Evil Eater will devour it.

    The fang-de is repelled by the Reactive Armor, but the Evil Eater¡¯s ability cuts out arge amount of the iron sand.

    In the next moment, my second attack explodes ¨C the cursed hatchet that surpasses the Evil Eater in sheer offensive power.

    The damage dealt by the double Kuronagi is zero. However, I¡¯ve seeded in blowing away a portion of the iron sand covering one leg.

    If I leave it now, the Greed-Gore will manipte the iron sand again and its armor will be back to normal before I know it. But I already have a way to prevent that from happening.

    ¡¸ckening.¡¹

    That¡¯s right, I just have to steal all of this iron sand.

    Since I¡¯m holding weapons in both my hands, I leave Hitsugi to take up the fallen iron sand with her tentacles. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I¡¯m using ckening through the tentacles, but this should be easy enough for the evolved Hitsugi.

    The dozens of tentacles areing not from the gloves, but from my shadow. It¡¯s as if they¡¯reing from the inside of my¡ºShadow Gate.¡»

    I¡¯m sure I look creepy with tentaclesing from my feet, but I don¡¯t care about something like that. Do as you want, Hitsugi.

    ¡¸Foooh~ Gather up!¡¹

    Tentacles rise up and extend in every direction from my shadow, touching and absorbing the iron sand that¡¯s still in the air as well as the stuff that¡¯s fallen onto the ground.

    As if answering Hitsugi¡¯s call, the scattered iron sand immediately collects itself together to be absorbed by the tentacles.

    Alright, the ckening is quicker than I¡¯d expected, and works in a wide area. This will work; with this method, it¡¯s not impossible to chip off all of this guy¡¯s armor.

    I suppose I¡¯ll pick up the pace.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts ¨C Grenade Burst.¡¹

    As I summon the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»and control it to make it float in the air, I fire.

    Even though I invented the¡ºGrenade Burst¡»recently, since I used it plenty before arriving here, I¡¯ve be ustomed to using it. Nothing beats real battle experience.

    The magical high-explosive projectiles strike the Greed-Gore¡¯s side, high above my head where my de can¡¯t reach.

    Monsters with a shell or carapace generally have thinner protection on their bellies than on their backs, but the Greed-Gore has its own belly well-covered with its versatile iron sand.

    ck mes erupt from the iron wall that is the Greed-Gore¡¯s abdomen.

    Even though the Greed-Gore¡¯s body is dozens of meters above me, I¡¯m still within the st radius. However, the majority of the heat is blocked by the¡ºNanast Amulet¡»that I received from Fiona, so I have no hesitation in firing grenades even at short ranges as long as there aren¡¯t any allies nearby.

    The explosion blows away a considerable amount of the iron sand armor. At the same time, the Greed-Gore¡¯s body tilts to one side significantly.

    Were my attacks that powerful? No, that¡¯s not possible. This guy normally wouldn¡¯t even blink at this kind of explosion.

    That means that it moved of its own ord. To be more specific, it isshing out with its tail in an attempt to crush me.

    ¡¸UOH?!¡¹

    It¡¯s like a tower has just copsed. In fact, the destructive power of the Greed-Gore¡¯s tail is equivalent or even greater than such an event.

    I managed to avoid it by the width of a hair with a back-step, but the earth before my eyes rises up to form a wall.

    If I get caught up in this, even though I¡¯m wearing the demon¡¯s coat and ckened armor on my arms and legs, I¡¯ll be turned into a pancake by one hit. Each and every movement of a monster this size is a lethal attack.

    ¡¸Sword Arts ¨C Nameless Nine.¡¹

    As Ind on the ground, I summon the cursed weapons. I¡¯m sure these guys can shave off more of the iron sand armor with their cutting and stabbing attacks.

    Including the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡», I¡¯m controlling every weapon I have at my disposal, a total of ten weapons. At the same time, Hitsugi¡¯s tentacles are still twisting around, collecting the iron sand. My brain is on the verge of overheating from managing all of the magical forms.

    Even though I¡¯ve received the¡ºConcentration Boost¡»from Nell, this is my limit.

    Dual-wielding the cursed hatchet and the Evil Eater, ckening, managing the tentacles, magic bullets and magic weapons ¨C If it weren¡¯t for the semi-independent nature of Hitsugi and the Nameless weapons, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use all of these simultaneously. I¡¯m thankful for the will of the curses.

    ¡¸Pierce it!¡¹

    ¡¸Go, neers!¡¹

    Hitsugi¡¯s shouting in a senpai-like tone is loud, but the Nameless weapons are following their own cursed, bloodthirsty instincts and dashing through the air.

    And as if directly opposing me now, the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous jaws are closing in on me.

    Only a moment has passed since the curtain of dirt kicked up by its tail disappeared. It has transitioned from a tail swing into a biting attack with incredible speed. It attacks far faster than I would expect of a monster of this size.

    The nine des are scratching at the Greed-Gore¡¯s face, but that kind of attack won¡¯t stop it. I have no choice but to dodge this attack after all.

    As the jawsrge enough to devour both me and the ground I¡¯m standing on whole close in with a fearsome biting attack, I dodge sideways ¨C no, I have to jump straight up.

    My legs want to retreat, but I harden my resolve, take a firm step forward and leap into the air. With my reconstructed, strengthened body and the effects of the Boost, arge leap impossible for a normal human is possible for me, but even so, the Greed-Gore¡¯s bared fangs pass below just a few dozen centimeters beneath my toes ¨C it¡¯s a close call.

    ¡¸Hitsugi!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Goshujin-sama!¡¹

    Hitsugi immediately understands what I intend to do and extends tentacles towards the Greed-Gore¡¯s body. The tentacles for ckening and absorbing the iron sand are wire-like in shape, but these are the strong chain-shaped ones.

    I¡¯ve managed to leap into the air without having my legs torn off, and now I¡¯m high enough to be able to look down on the Greed-Gore¡¯s back. One of Hitsugi¡¯s chains has wrapped itself around one of the rugged projections on the back of the Greed-Gore¡¯s body.

    She pulls the chain in, causing my body to elerate downwards rapidly, beyond the speed of free fall. A momentter, I¡¯m standing on this huge monster¡¯s back.

    It¡¯s like a pathway on top of a castle¡¯s wall. The width of the surface I¡¯m standing on and the height from the ground make it difficult for me to believe that I¡¯m standing on a living creature. I might feel the same thing if I were standing on a blue whale ¨C no, I don¡¯t have time to be thinking such carefree thoughts.

    Standing on this ck, mountain-road-like back, I quickly grab onto it with both hands.

    ¡¸ckening!¡¹

    Now I forget about everything else and concentrate all of my focus and magical power into ckening ¨C Shit, as I thought, since I¡¯m trying to use ckening directly, it¡¯s being resisted!

    Covering it in ck magical power works well, but right afterwards, purple lightning repels it and blows it away.

    It seems that I can¡¯t steal iron sand that¡¯s still attached to its body.

    ¡¸We¡¯re going to be shaken off, Goshujin-sama!¡¹

    I know, Hitsugi. This guy isn¡¯t going to let me ride on its back gently forever.

    As if doing a sideways tackle on an invisible enemy, the Greed-Gore shakes its body violently. For me, standing on its back, it¡¯s like experiencing a huge earthquake from the roof of a three-story building.

    Unable to withstand this, I¡¯m thrown off the Greed-Gore¡¯s back.

    Even as I spin through the air two or three times, I call the Nameless Nine back towards me and then order them to attack once more. As long as you shave off that iron sand, attack wherever you want, guys.

    I give thatmand andnd on the ground. I¡¯ve been sent flying really far, so I end up rolling across the grassy meadows of the hills to minimize the damage.¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»can handle this level of impact.

    ¡¸I have no choice but to steadily shave off the rest of the iron sand, huh...¡¹

    The Greed-Gore and I face each other once more. Its body is still pitch-ck; there are no visible gaps in its iron sand protection.

    I think its armor has grown thinner, but if I don¡¯t get rid of it all, my attacks won¡¯t get through.

    My opponent can kill me in a single blow, while I have tond hundreds and thousands of attacks just to get rid of oneyer of its defense. A single mistake will be fatal; I¡¯m constantly walking a dangerous tightrope.

    I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for me to erase all of that iron sand armor. Will my ability to concentrate hold out for that long? And even if I manage to do it, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able tond an attack to finish it off afterwards... Even so, having that small chance at victory is better than nothing.

    There¡¯s no simple way to tear off all of that iron sand in one go ¨C

    ¡¸... What?¡¹

    As if it has read my na?ve thoughts, the Greed-Gore suddenly undoes its iron sand armor.

    Starting from its snout, then the rest of its head, the back of its neck ¨C the iron sand is released progressively downwards, finally stopping at its waist. The carapace of the upper half of its body is reddish-brown, while the lower half is still covered in ck. I wonder what the Greed-Gore is nning to do, changing into this strange two-colorbination.

    Well, there¡¯s no need to wonder ¨C of course, it¡¯s nning to attack.

    ¡¸It¡¯s different from the Breath from before?!¡¹

    The iron sand that¡¯s fallen off gathers into a single mass at the Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth, from which purple lightning is surging out.

    A momentter, as the ferocious mouth lined with sharp fangs opens, the mass of iron sand changes shape. It has turned into a sword. It¡¯s an orthodox double-edged sword, the kind you would see at any weapon store in Spada. It¡¯s pitch-ck as if I¡¯d used my ckening on it, from the point down to the hilt, and it can be described as monster-sized.

    And from this distance of several dozen meters, I can tell that its de is filled with the fearsome power of a lightning strike.

    This isn¡¯t a Breath; it¡¯s firing a ck sword of lightning ¨C this is the Greed-Gore¡¯s Sword Art.

    ¡¸STOP IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! HITSUGIIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹

 Chapter 339 Black and white blades

    ¡¸STOP IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! HITSUGIIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹

    This attack isn¡¯t something that I can avoid with a jump or a step. As I realize this, I put everything I have into defending against it.

    ¡¸Please leave it to me, Goshujin-sama! Here I go ¨C¡¹

    The defensive spell that I possess is the¡ºShield¡»spell, which hasn¡¯t changed since the times of the reconstruction experiments on me. Using this spell bare-handed just hardens the ck magical power and produces only a low-ss defensive spell.

    In Hitsugi¡¯s hands, the shield is constructed using wire-shaped strands woven together, increasing its defensive ability and raising it to a medium-ss spell.

    And now, with the evolved¡ºck Chain Curse¡¸Iron Cage¡¹¡», the shield¡¯s power should increase even more.

    The shield isposed not of hardened wires made of ck magical power, but chains of ck steel that have absorbed the Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand.

    This is a new spell for me, but Hitsugi teaches me everything I need to know. Including the fact that this is no longer a mere¡ºShield.¡»

    ¡¸¨C¡ºMetal Shield!¡»¡¹

    I produce a tough barrier that possesses the luster of real steel despite its pitch-ck color. The rectangle that isrge enough to cover my entire body is more like a solid lump of metal than a shield.

    There are two chains forming a cross shape across the rectangr mass of heavy steel, contributing to its unrefined appearance. Of course, despite this appearance, it should definitely be as powerful as any other high-ss defensive spell.

    However, even this won¡¯t be enough to stop the Greed-Gore¡¯s sword of lightning ¨C so I think, but at this point, I¡¯m out of time.

    With a vicious howl that apanies the roar of lightning, the Greed-Gore releases the sword of iron sand.

    It moves too fast for me to even perceive with my eyes, just as I thought it would. I wonder if it¡¯s being elerated through electromaic induction, like how a railgun works.

    Either way, before I know it, the ck de has pierced through the shield of ck steel.

    Tearing the two chains to pieces at the point they intersect, it prates the steel wall.

    Even so, the¡ºMetal Shield¡»hasn¡¯t copsed, and it hasn¡¯t allowed the attack to pass throughpletely. It¡¯s somehow managed to allow only half ¨C no, two thirds of the de through.

    But that is still enough for the de to reach my body.

    However, I¡¯m still unharmed. That¡¯s because I¡¯m holding two more reliable shields in my hands.

    The first is the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»in my left hand.

    Thanks to its magical power absorption, I¡¯ve avoided taking damage from the fearsome electrical discharge from the sword¡¯s de.

    Unfortunately, the fang-de wasn¡¯t able to withstand the sword¡¯s prative power; Evil Eater has been skewered by the ck sword.

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s de broke through the shield and pierced the fang-de, but what stopped the tip of the de from reaching me is the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»in my right hand.

    Back when it was still¡ºStomach Render*¡», it was pierced by the Eighth Apostle Ai¡¯s attack, but this time it has held firm. Not even a millimeter of the enemy¡¯s de has reached my chest.

    *TLN: This was previously tranted as Hara Retsu

    With my two weapons held out in front of me crossed over each other to form two moreyers of defense, I¡¯ve somehow managed to survive the attack.

    It¡¯d be bad if the Greed-Gore were to follow up on that attack now, I have to start a counterattack ¨C

    ¡¸Guh, haah... Shit...¡¹

    However, my body opposes my will to fight. I fall backwards to the ground, face-up.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama?! GOSHUJIN-SAMAAA!¡¹

    As I hear the maid¡¯s heartbroken cry echoing in my head, I feel the sensation of the ground hitting my back. My senses are really dull right now.

    No, that¡¯s not right. I¡¯ve gone numb.

    Hitsugi and my weapons stopped the de. Evil Eater prevented the electrical discharge from burning me to a crisp. However, that¡¯s all that my defense managed to do.

    There¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯ve received the Paralysis Status Effect that is an additional effect of lightning-element attacks.

    During the mobility experiments, I experienced paralysis to some extent, but back then, it just slowed my movements a little. Right now, I can¡¯t even move the tip of a finger. My whole body is paralyzed.

    The explosive, paralyzing electrical attack has caused my two weapons to fly out of my hands. They fall uselessly, their des sinking into the ground.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama, please get a hold of yourself!¡¹

    I¡¯m perfectly conscious, but my body isn¡¯t listening to me at all. Even though I can open my¡ºShadow Gate¡», there¡¯s no way I can take a Potion from there and drink it.

    The Morjura¡¯s aphrodisiac had no effect on my reconstructed, strengthened body; my resistance to drugs is high, and I should be far more resilient to Status Effects than the average human.

    I think this full-body paralysis will pass in five minutes, but there¡¯s no way that the Greed-Gore will miss this opportunity.

    Of course, I¡¯m the one who chose to leave the fortress and engage in close-quartersbat. And there¡¯s is no way that Nell¡¯s restorative magic can reach me from the fortress¡¯s walls.

    This is really bad.

    The Greed-Gore takes a step. Not towards the fortress, but towards me.

    Ah, damn it, it looks like it wants to finish me off. In this state, while I can¡¯t move a single finger, there¡¯s nothing I can do ¨C

    ¡¸Oi, Tentacle Man, what are you doing here?¡¹

    Suddenly, the view of the sky that I have no choice but to look up at is interrupted. I see a young man looking down at ¨C no, looking down on me.

    I only have a vague memory of this handsome face, but from his ck hair and crimson eyes, I can guess who he is.

    If it were a cute face whose gender and age were ambiguous, I would assume that it is the divine Demon Lord, but since it¡¯s not, there¡¯s only one other person who it could be that has inherited that bloodline.

    Nero Julius Elroad. Avalon¡¯s First Prince, and Nell¡¯s older brother.

    It seems that my fate hasn¡¯t been decided just yet.

    ¡¸Leave this guy to us! Nero, you get back to the fortress!¡¹

    As the Wrath-Pun is easily taken control of by the Parasite and begins to rise from the ground, Kai shouts these words at me.

    He is normally a fool, but I can trust his quick decisions at times like this.

    As we left Iskia Fortress, it was already on the verge of falling. With the Greed-Gore headed there, they¡¯ll all be annihted in less than five minutes.

    Right now, at least one person has to get back ¨C no, this guy won¡¯t let more than one of us get away from him in the first ce. In any case, it¡¯s as clear as daylight that if one of us don¡¯t make it back to the fortress as soon as possible, it¡¯ll be toote.

    Rather than me being chosen for this because I¡¯m the leader, well, if you consider our abilities, then it¡¯s an appropriate decision. I¡¯m the one who can get back to the fortress the quickest, too.

    ¡¸Sorry. I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹

    ¡¸We¡¯ve already beaten this thing once, it¡¯ll be a piece of cake! We¡¯ll take care of this quickly and head over there to back you up.¡¹

    ¡¸Just make sure youe back before I finish the Greed-Gore off.¡¹

    After this brief exchange, I turn back and head towards Iskia Fortress.

    As I leave, Sharl and Safi look like they want toin, but in this kind of emergency situation, even they won¡¯t say selfish things. They might pick a fight with me about itter, but I¡¯ll deal with that when the timees.

    The three of them hold the Wrath-Pun in ce while I turn my mount around and quickly get away.

    ¡¸???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ¨C¡ºSpeed High-Boost.¡»¡¹

    The running Unicorn speeds up as I cast my strengthening spell, and at the same time, the wind currents surrounding us begin to deflect this annoying rain. What a handy side-effect.

    When Kai, Safi and I were hurrying to get to Sharl earlier, I was moving about this fast. Well, for an adventurer, this is pretty fast, but now that I¡¯m on my own, I can go a bit faster.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºSonic Walker.¡»¡¹

    I use the martial arts technique that grants the fastest movement. It¡¯s one of the higher-ss techniques in modern magic, or at least among known martial arts techniques.

    The two speed-boosting effects, the spell as well as the martial arts technique, increases my speed by more than double. The only people capable of reaching this speed are probably the small portion of adventurers who excel in horse-riding techniques, or the elite knights of Spada.

    This increase in speed requires the caster to have considerable ability, but requires even more from the mount ¨C the mount must be talented.

    ¡¸The only one who can keep up with my full power is you.¡¹

    That¡¯s right; mounts other than this Unicorn wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand my double speed-boost.

    I saved this Unicorn from poachers who had captured it in the Asbel mountain range, just before I moved to Spada to study, I guess.

    I hadn¡¯t epted a quest to destroy that poaching organization; it was really just a pure coincidence.

    Unicorns are famous for only allowing maidens to ride them, but to think that I¡¯d be the one to prove that they¡¯ll let men ride them too if they¡¯re tamed properly.

    Back then, I thought it was annoying for getting so attached to me, but now I have epted it as mypanion, the only one who can move at the speed that I desire.

    Thanks to this Unicorn, I¡¯m able to make it back to Iskia Fortress in half the time it would otherwise take me.

    ¡¸Good, the fortress hasn¡¯t fallen yet. Wait, where have all the monsters gone?¡¹

    I can only see corpses of various sizes on the ground; therge army of monsters that were advancing on the fortress haspletely disappeared. It¡¯s impossible that they¡¯ve invaded the fortress and are all now inside there.

    But what¡¯s even more impossible is for the monsters to have been wiped out without us. If we had that much fighting power, we wouldn¡¯t have epted the n to defend the fortress in the first ce.

    So then, this situation ¨C why is the Greed-Gore rampaging around in front of the fortress all by itself?

    I have a vague suspicion, but I don¡¯t want to ept that suspicion as true. However, seeing the reality with my own eyes, I have no choice but to take it in.

    ¡¸Nell, you used the¡ºRadiance Exile...¡»¡¹

    The one standing on top of the half-destroyed fortress walls, holding the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»as if to say that she¡¯ll never back down, is undeniably my younger sister.

    Why are you here? And how did you evene all the way out here in the first ce?

    There are too many questions I want to ask, but what¡¯s done is done. And the reason that she would do something so reckless is obvious as well.

    I¡¯m sure she heard about the danger closing in on Iskia Fortress from the messenger that Will sent out. Upon receiving such news, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to sit still and do nothing.

    Me and her otherpanions of Wind Road were here. Three hundred students from the academy as well. This is Nell, who would ept a quest to eliminate bandits in order to save a few female students who have been attacked by bandits. There¡¯s no way that she would do nothing.

    Even so, I didn¡¯t want her toe here. It¡¯s just too dangerous.

    ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t do anything about it now that she¡¯s here. She¡¯s swept away all the other monsters, so all I have to do is finish this guy off.¡¹

    And as I get close enough to the Greed-Gore to challenge it ¨C

    ¡¸Tch, that guy is...¡¹

    The Greed-Gore fires the same greatsword of iron sand that it fired at the Wrath-Pun. Its target is not me, but the man who is fighting it on his own right now.

    He instantly uses a defensive spell that creates arge, ck shield, but the shield is pierced and he copses onto the ground. For a guy who challenged the Greed-Gore on his own, he looks pretty pathetic.

    If it were just an academy student or one of the adventurers who came out for the rescue effort, that¡¯s all that I¡¯d think of him.

    But this guy, this man is ¨C

    ¡¸Oi, Tentacle Man, what are you doing here?¡¹

    Kurono, why are you here, of all people?

    I climb down from my Unicorn and look down at the face of the unsightly Kurono lying on the ground.

    ¡¸... Fu.¡¹

    Heughed. Oi, is he making fun of me? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know? The one who brought Nell all the way here is you, isn¡¯t it?

    I don¡¯t see any of his other allies; the only ones who weren¡¯t at the fortress when I left it are Nell and Kurono.

    Nell isn¡¯t capable of an attack that could have broken through the ring of monsters surrounding the fortress. Therefore, the only one who could have possibly rushed here is Kurono.

    In other words, without this guy, Nell couldn¡¯t have made it all the way out here even if she¡¯d wanted to.

    Just how much will this man get on my nerves before he¡¯s satisfied? Should I kill him ¨C shit, calm down, I don¡¯t have time to deal with this guy right now, right?

    ¡¸You just stay there and sleep, I¡¯m going to take care of that guy. Don¡¯t you get in my way.¡¹

    Well, he¡¯s probably under the same full-body paralysis that Sharl was hit by earlier, so he won¡¯t be able to do anything anyway.

    Unlike Nell, I¡¯m not nice to everyone. I¡¯m not going to go out of my way to give him a Potion.

    Speaking of Nell, she¡¯s looking flustered, looking as if she wants to fly down over here from the fortress¡¯s walls... Is she that worried about me fighting the Greed-Gore on my own?

    For now, it seems that Will is doing his best next to her to calm her down. Please keep stopping her.

    Since Nell is anxious and all, I suppose it¡¯s time that I put an end to the Greed-Gore.

    This is a Rank 5 monster, an enemy I can¡¯t let my guard down against, and the original n was to fight it with four people.

    Having to fight it on my own is such a pain. The thought of just trying to buy some time crosses my mind, but ¨C

    ¡¸You hurt Sharl. I¡¯m not going to be satisfied until I cut you down myself.¡¹

 Chapter 340 Lightning Lord Knight

    ording to Sharl, the Greed-Gore is capable of using powerful lightning-element abilities because it¡¯s been infected by a Rank 5 parasite monster.

    I don¡¯t have any doubts about this theory. There¡¯s no mistake that the parasite boss responsible for spawning the monster army is hiding inside this guy¡¯s head.

    In that case, it would be best to have Nell cast a spell that cures the parasite¡¯s Status Effect, but she¡¯s already used¡ºRadiance Exile¡», so I¡¯m worried about how much magical power she has left. In fact, considering that she hasn¡¯t run empty and copsed, her magical power reserves are impressive.

    But after that, it¡¯s surely impossible for her to cast a restorative spell powerful enough to destroy the parasite monster that¡¯s able to freely control the Greed-Gore and make a huge monster army. Even if she used a Hi-Potion to recover, limits are a thing.

    In any case, since I can¡¯t rely on Nell, I have to do something on my own.

    I¡¯ll go all out from the beginning, just this one time.

    As I dash forwards with the still-active¡ºSonic Walker¡», I draw my beloved de from its sheath at my waist ¨C the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom.¡¹¡»

    When Nell and I moved to Spada to study, Dad gave us each one item from the national treasury.

    Nell received the¡ºScale of White Wings¡», and I got the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom.¡¹¡»

    But that was just officially giving me permission to use it, a kind of formality. I¡¯ve actually been using this thing since I was a kid. This is the first de that I ever pulled from a sheath.

    The¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»from Avalon¡¯s national treasury dates back to the ancient times and is famous for choosing its owner. It harbors a spirit with its own will, which is why it¡¯s called a¡ºSpirit de.¡»

    If you¡¯re not chosen, you can¡¯t unsheathe it. Dad couldn¡¯t draw it, and neither could his dad, nor that guy¡¯s dad. In the hundred generations of the Elroad royal family, apparently only a handful of worthy masters have appeared.

    Basically, I¡¯m the first worthy master to appear for several hundred years. Well, I¡¯m not conscious about that at all; I just pulled it normally and it came out of the sheath. It¡¯s not like I can hear a voice from the sword like a cursed weapon or anything. I¡¯m not even sure if there¡¯s actually a spirit resting in the de.

    However, it¡¯s definitely a legendary de worthy of being known as an item from the national treasury. This weapon¡¯s abilities are extraordinary. Of course it has the simple sharpness of a de, but it also possesses magical effects that even staves can¡¯tpare to. And they fit me perfectly, as if I¡¯d had it custom-ordered.

    ¡¸Instant sh.¡¹

    First, a light pre-emptive strike.

    The martial art thatbines the light and wind attributes releases a faintly glowing, white sh from my de.

    Right now, the Greed-Gore¡¯s ck iron sand is covering only the lower half of its body, and it doesn¡¯t even cover the back half of its tail. I¡¯m guessing Kurono shaved it off; if you¡¯re going to do that, can¡¯t you get rid of all of it instead of getting defeated and leaving things only halfway done?

    For now, I¡¯m aiming at the head, where the defense is ayer thinner. The de of magic lets out a high-pitched noise as it hits the brick-red carapace right between the Greed-Gore¡¯s brows.

    My attack is powerful enough to cut a Rank 3 monster clean in half, but against such a huge opponent, the only effect it has is to cause its head to move slightly.

    But it¡¯s notpletely unharmed. There¡¯s definitely a line-shaped mark in the rock-like carapace.

    Nice, I can cut it as long as the iron sand isn¡¯t there. I can¡¯t cut it in half with one attack, but as long as I have the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»and my sword techniques, I can y it.

    ¡¸Oops, are you angry that I¡¯ve put a scratch on the carapace that you¡¯re so proud of?¡¹

    With my back facing the fortress, the Greed-Gore in front of me lets out a growl and suddenly gives a sign that it¡¯s going to attack.

    The iron sand flies off the lower half of its body and spreads out like mist, but in the next moment, it has changed into numerous sword-shaped projectiles, suspended in mid-air.

    I heard from Sharl that it stole the idea for its enormous iron-sand greatsword attack from her¡ºLightning Spada¡», but these are normal longsword-sized des.

    I see hundreds of pointed des floating in mid-air, aiming at me with menacing purple lightning around them, but I have a good feeling about this.

    A loud crackling sound echoes out, signaling the simultaneousunch of the projectiles.

    It¡¯s a torrential rain of swords. It¡¯s aimed over a broad area, but with this number of projectiles, there are no gaps in between that I can use to dodge.

    In that case, I have to make my own gap.

    ¡¸Haste!¡¹

    I dash forwards and make a sh in front of me.

    It repels one of the ck longswordspletely. From the fact that the sword isn¡¯t broken in half and only a small amount of iron sand has chipped off from it, I can tell that the iron sand that makes up the swords is packed quite densely.

    If I were using any other sword, mine would have been the one to break.

    As I think this, I manage to pass through the wide-area barrage of ck swords. I¡¯m sure that was your best attack that you used all of your remaining iron sand for. That¡¯s too bad.

    ¡¸¨C ?!¡¹

    But my sixth sense warns me of danger.

    The swords that had only cut empty air without even scratching me sank deeply into the muddy, wet ground and stopped moving ¨C or so I thought.

    ¡¸Tch, so it¡¯s not a fire-and-forget attack!¡¹

    As if pulled from the ground by invisible soldiers, the ck iron sand swords rise back into the air. Their target is my back, of course.

    Theoretically, after that kind of attack, one shouldn¡¯t have the ability to control the projectiles again after firing, but I guess this should be expected from a Rank 5 opponent.

    No, this isn¡¯t the time to be admiring it. If I don¡¯t make an appropriate move here, I won¡¯t be able to block this attack.

    I turn around. Holding my sword in my right hand, I hold out my empty left hand in front of me.

    The spell I cast is one of my originals.

    ¡¸¨C Bloom,¡ºSnow Moon Flower.¡»¡¹

    Blue light appears on the back of my left hand to form a magic circle.

    In the next moment, a sword of ice surrounded by a freezing aura forms. It¡¯s so transparent that it should be called crystal, rather than ice.

    Its length is the same as a regr sword, but its de is thin, like a rapier.

    Dual-wielding this Force Edge* created using modern magic and the physical sword¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»is my true battle style.

    TLN*: The kanji below this reads ¡°de of light¡±; I think Force Edges in the KnM universe refers to magic des in general.

    Since I have an affinity for every element except darkness, I can freely change the element of the sword in my left hand to take on any enemy.

    And the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»has the effect of strengthening every element. With this weapon, I have no need for a staff or wand.

    ¡¸Ice Seal sh.¡¹

    As the ck swords close in on me once more, this time I face them with the sword of ice.

    My sword of magic reacts to my self-taught martial art, and the freezing aura surrounding its de growsrger. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, at this moment, the de probably looks like it¡¯s doubled in size.

    As I swing with my sword of ice,¡ºSnow Moon Flower¡», the enemy des that are on a trajectory towards my body are repelled like before.

    The de of crystal ice strikes the masses of iron sand, but the sound produced as they collide is as high-pitched as the sound of steel swords shing. Shining, blue-white particles linger in the air.

    ¡¸Freeze.¡¹

    The swords that have been in contact with this freezing de can¡¯t move anymore.

    All of the ck swords that I repelled are surrounded by heavy ice and fall to the ground. The earth is wet with rain, and that moisture is frozen as well, trapping the iron sand swords in prisons of ice on the dirt.

    Sealing whatever it cuts in ice ¨C that is the power of the¡ºIce Seal sh.¡»

    Normally, the ones who use Force Edges are mages, not swordsmen. They¡¯re mainly used in emergency situations when the user is forced into close-quartersbat; one could say that it¡¯s a minor offensive magic that¡¯s not often used in real battles.

    Therefore, there are few that can use martial arts with Force Edges, which are magical swords. At the very least, I¡¯ve never seen a single other person able to do so.

    There¡¯s nobody to teach me something like this, so I invented it myself. This is one of my originals.

    Fire, water, ice, wind, lightning, earth andstly, the light element that I¡¯m most proficient with. The Force Edges of seven elements, and martial arts made specifically for each of them.

    They are all my originals, and together, I have named them¡ºde Skills.¡»

    Possessing both swords and magic ¨C no, implementing the use of magic with my swordsmanship ¨C this is why I call myself a member of this ss. The¡ºLord Knight*¡»ss.

    TLN*: The kanji below this odd-sounding English name is ¡°magic swordsman¡±.

    Ever since I came to Spada, I¡¯ve never used¡ºde Skills¡»in front of people except when on high-difficulty quests, but when I was in Avalon, well, there were various asions where people saw it.

    Because of that, people started calling me by the embarrassing nickname¡ºLightning Lord Knight¡», but... I don¡¯t care about that. By the time I graduate and return to Avalon, everyone will have forgotten about it.

    Now then, more importantly, the Greed-Gore.

    ¡¸Now that it can¡¯t control its weapons anymore, it¡¯s panicked and gone on the defensive, huh.¡¹

    There is no third storm of iron sand thates towards me, and the rest of the swords return to the Greed-Gore to be its armor once more. But it¡¯s lost multiple swords¡¯ worth of iron sand, and the area covered by the armor has been reduced.

    ¡¸You can¡¯t defend against my attacks fully with that ¨C Instant sh!¡¹

    I aim for its brow as I did earlier. This second attack should create a cross on its stone forehead with the mark from the first one ¨C tch, it¡¯s been blocked.

    The meagre amount of iron sand that remains moves up to its forehead at high speed like a crawling Slime, focusing its defense at the target of my attack. A ck spray scatters around, but no more damage is done.

    I see, it¡¯s capable of precise, high-speed control as well. It¡¯s quite an amazing Characteristic Ability.

    ¡¸But it¡¯s not enough ¨C Flying Ice Seal sh!¡¹

    I throw the¡ºSnow Moon Flower¡»in my left hand.

    The magic sword of ice is released from my hand as a long distance spell, powerful enough to rival the high-ss offensive spell¡ºAiz Fortis Sagita.¡»

    With my throwing martial art, the sword of ice covered in the freezing, sealing aura flies in a straight line, closing in on its target with the speed of an arrow.

    The air that it¡¯s soaring through is filled withrge raindrops. Freezing the raindrops directly above it along its path, the¡ºFlying Ice Seal sh¡»leaves a white trail behind it.

    And true to its aim, the sword of ice strikes the forehead covered in iron sand. It creates a pure-white, freezing explosion like a blooming flower.

    With this, thest of the iron sand has been sealed.

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s head, including the ck armor, is frozen solid and the spreading cold air forms a thinyer of ice on the surface of the rest of its body. It¡¯s ck, red-brown and white, what a mess.

    Well, soon it¡¯ll be covered in red that¡¯ll be the end.

    Other than the head that¡¯s covered in ck armor, my all-out martial arts with the¡ºSpirit Sword¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»should be able to cut through any part of its body. It¡¯ll take some effort and it¡¯ll be a pain, but this is checkmate for the Greed-Gore.

    ¡¸Lone sh.¡¹

    The martial art I release is a long-range attack, like the¡ºInstant sh.¡»Since it needs some time to prepare, it¡¯s not the kind of attack that can be performed at a moment¡¯s notice.

    However, the power possessed by the¡ºLone shpensates for the opening that it creates for the enemy to attack me.

    The shing light released from my de isrger and brighter than that of the¡ºInstant sh.¡»The sh of light that seems to cut apart the very air strikes not the Greed-Gore¡¯s heavily-defended head, but its neck.

    It sounded like a groan of anguish came from thatrge mouth, but it¡¯s drowned out by the sounds of destruction as the white light cuts into the stone carapace.

    Before long, the intense flickering of light stops, and a crack is left near the back of the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck.

    It¡¯s still not enough to draw blood, huh. But how many more of these attacks can you endure?

    Atst, I step forward until the Greed-Gore is right in front of me. If I use the¡ºLone sh¡»at this point-nk distance, it¡¯ll destroy this carapace for sure.

    My sword is already in the air, and the preparation I need for the attack is alreadyplete.

    ¡¸This is the end ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸¨C Kurono-kun!¡¹

    In this moment, I have no idea what¡¯s happening. I don¡¯t understand.

    Nell, why are you there?

    I¡¯m right in front of the Greed-Gore, and right behind its enormous body ¨C no, already by its feet, is Nell.

    Impossible. Nell is of the Priest ss; her ce is always at the back of the party. It¡¯s impossible for her to make the ridiculous mistake of being in a position right next to the enemy.

    What¡¯s wrong, Nell? I know you have a gentle personality not suited for battle, but surely you have a sufficient understanding of the fundamentals ofbat. The time that you¡¯ve spent as an adventurer is proof of that.

    You¡¯re supposed to have theposure to never lose yourself during a battle, aren¡¯t you?

    So why are you doing something so foolish asing out to the front lines as a priest ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono-ku~n!¡¹

    No, what¡¯s more unbelievable is that Nell is calling that man¡¯s name.

    ¡¸Nell, you... What did Kurono do to you ¨C¡¹

    I¡¯m dumbfounded, but the crackling sound of thunder returns me to reality.

    ¡¸Wha ¨C¡¹

    Sending the thin, white ice covering its whole body flying, the Greed-Gore raises its head. It opens itsrge mouth and takes a deep breath that causes its chest to expand.

    It¡¯s preparing for a Breath.

    ¡¸Nell, run!¡¹

    Nell runs straight under the Greed-Gore, between its legs, trying to get in front of it.

    Nell¡¯s right in front of me now; I¡¯m sure my shouted words reached her.

    However, right now, she takes no notice of my voice or the bloodthirst of the Greed-Gore preparing its Breath right behind her.

    The only thing you can see in your eyes right now is the pathetic, copsed man behind me, huh.

    ¡¸Damn it ¨C¡ºSnow Moon Flower!¡»¡¹

    Summoning the sword of ice in my left hand once more, I sheathe the de in my right hand.

    Nell has lost herselfpletely; I have no choice but to stop the Breath. Of course, it¡¯s my duty to stop my sister when she¡¯s messing around like this.

    As Nell tries to run past me without even ncing my way, I stop her with my now-free right hand.

    ¡¸Nell, don¡¯t move!¡¹

    ¡¸No! Let go, let go of me! Kurono-kun is ¨C¡¹

    She¡¯s gone mad, like she¡¯s under a Charm.

    Holding Nell¡¯s abdomen with my right arm, I lift her up onto my shoulder with a single movement.

    She thrashes her arms and legs violently and desperately tries to escape my grasp, but I can¡¯t let her go.

    She¡¯s scratching my cheeks with her nails. Her white wings are iling about, hitting my head hard.

    Even so, I can¡¯t let her go!

    ¡¸???? ?????? ???????? ????? ¨C¡ºAiz Algalea Shield!¡»¡¹

    I cast a high-ss, ice-element defensive spell.

    As I thrust the¡ºSnow Moon Flower¡»into the ground, an enormous shield of ice rises out of the ground.

    Using the¡ºSnow Moon Flower¡»to cast the spell as well as using a Short Chant further shortens the amount of time the spell needs to cast, while also reducing the decrease in defensive power that results from shortening the chant.

    A Dual Shield is impossible; this is the best defense that I can produce in this moment.

    As the spellpletes, the Breath is released from the Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth.

    All I can see is a blinding purple sh of light beyond the transparent shield of ice ¨C

    Teaser: The next chapter is titled ¡°Kurono vs Greed-Gore¡±! It¡¯s a sponsored chapter that wille soon! Trantion is already done, it will be released after editing is finished!

    Yoshi

 Chapter 341 Kurono vs Greed-Gore (1)

    ¡¸No! He¡¯s been paralyzed!¡¹

    Seeing Kurono take the greatsword fired by the Greed-Gore head-on and then fall onto the ground, Wilhart shouts from atop the fortress¡¯s walls.

    The ck shield that Kurono produced was quite powerful, but not enough topletely block the attack.

    Wilhart knows that that attack was just like Charlotte¡¯s lethal technique,¡ºLightning Spada.¡»Therefore, he immediately understands just how powerful it was.

    Seeing Kurono suddenly being pushed into such a desperate situation, Wilhart begins to panic.

    ¡¸Ah, no! KURONO-KUN!¡¹

    However, the fact that there is someone panicking even more than him ¨C no, someone who has gone half-mad, somehow calms him down.

    ¡¸P-Princess Nell...?¡¹

    Next to Wilhart is his childhood friend, a person he is very familiar with ¨C Nell Julius Elroad.

    Princess Nell has shown herself to be extremely gifted at magic through the spell she used to treat Simon which only took a moment to cast, and the¡ºLux Rampart Defan¡»that blocked that ridiculous Breath earlier.

    But why has she lost herposure like this now?

    With Nell disying an expression and emotions that Wilhart has never seen from her in over ten years of knowing her, he is dumbfounded and forgets about the danger right before their eyes ¨C almost. He has no time for that.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun!¡¹

    ¡¸Nuaaah?! You can¡¯t do that, Princess Nell!¡¹

    Wilhart quickly grabs onto the arm of Nell, who raises her wings and prepares to dive down from the fortress.

    ¡¸Let me go!¡¹

    ¡¸C-calm down! It¡¯s far too dangerous for a Priest to go to the battlefront! And Kurono has only been paralyzed, it is not as if he has been heavily wounded ¨C buh?!¡¹

    In the middle of his speech, a loud p explodes across Wilhart¡¯s cheek.

    That white, soft hand that is supposed to heal people instead strikes his face hard and leaves a bright red mark. It is so forceful that it sends his monocle flying.

    It hurts, but if Wilhart didn¡¯t grab onto the arm whose hand is holding the staff, he would likely have received a blow from the staff thates from Avalon¡¯s national treasury.

    If the Orichalcum staff struck his face, he would be helpless. He is very fortunate that he received only a p.

    ¡¸Ah, look! Nero hase back!¡¹

    At that moment, right behind where Kurono has copsed, Wilhart sees a Unicorn dashing forward like a gust of wind.

    As to be expected from the literal prince on a white horse, Nero Julius Elroad. He has returned with perfect timing.

    ¡¸Now that Nero is here, it will be fine! No, it might be impossible for him alone, but I am sure that Kurono will recover from his paralysis soon and the two of them will be able to defeat the Greed-Gore!¡¹

    Wilhart remembers all too well that Nero has the worst possible impression of Kurono after the incident in the dining hall.

    In fact, it seems that Nero has no intention of healing Kurono with a Potion and has merely spoken a few words to him. Wilhart can guess that he said something along the lines of,¡¸Don¡¯t get in my way.¡¹

    But even so, Wilhart believes that once Kurono recovers and the two of them are fighting at the front line, they will surely cooperate with this enormous foe before them ¨C perhaps not, but they should at least be able to fight without getting in each other¡¯s way.

    He trusts in Kurono¡¯s strength, but beyond that, he has known Nero for a long time and knows just how powerful his abilities are. He truly believes that if the two of them joined forces, no enemy would stand a chance.

    And then, as Wilhart expected, Nero leaves Kurono where he is and begins fighting the Greed-Gore.

    Nero¡¯s movements and attacks demonstrate the power worthy of a Rank 5.

    That man who finds everything bothersome is even unleashing his¡ºde Skills¡»; Wilhart can tell just how serious he is.

    It is even possible that at this rate, he will defeat the Greed-Gore on his own. The other students lined up on these fortress walls have likely realized this now as well.

    They cheer loudly, as if they are spectating a one-on-one battle between two star diators. Finally, victory is within sight.

    However, Nell lets out a dark whisper.

    ¡¸This... can¡¯t happen...¡¹

    ¡¸W-what do you mean, what can¡¯t happen? At this rate he¡¯s going to defeat ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸The one who saves Kurono... HAS TO BE ME!¡¹

    Wilhart is toote to realize what is going on.

    As Nell shakes her arm free, Wilhart reaches out to try and grab onto it once more.

    However, Nell has already leapt off the fortress¡¯s walls.

    Her pure-white wings and priest¡¯s clothes flutter gently in the wind. Her flowing ck hair gives off a bright white gleam.

    The scene is just like something one would see in an ancient painting of an angel¡¯s descent. Leaving that impression on the people watching her from behind, Nell flies towards Kurono.

    ¡¸Princess Nell, just what happened between you and Kurono...¡¹

    Even Wilhart¡¯s brain cannote up with an immediate answer to this question.

    ¡¸Ah... Kuh, ugh...¡¹

    Seeing Nell fly down from the fortress¡¯s walls, I wanted to scream, but my voice didn¡¯te out.

    Damn it, even my tongue¡¯s gone numb; I can¡¯t speak properly. Even though I can open my trembling lips, I can¡¯t form any words with meaning and just end up letting out long breaths.

    This is bad, I have to stop Nell. A sense of impatience spurs me on.

    It¡¯s my fault that Nell, a Rank 5 priest adventurer is doing something risky like flying right in front of the enemy just to heal me.

    This thought definitely isn¡¯t just conceit on my part.

    Because I let down my guard at the veryst moment in my battle against Saeed¡¯s Demon Eyes, Nell doesn¡¯t have full trust in my abilities. It¡¯s the same reason a mother wouldn¡¯t let her child out of her sight.

    I don¡¯t have a deep connection or rtionship with Nell like a child would have with his mother. We¡¯re just friends, and we only became close recently.

    But even though our rtionship is only like that, it¡¯s just like her for her to act without thinking about her own life.

    She¡¯s kind, no; her good nature should be called too kind. The short time that I¡¯ve known her has been enough for me to understand that.

    ¡¸Sh... Shit...¡¹

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m angry at myself for being so worthless. I challenged the Greed-Gore with so much spirit, but this is the state that I¡¯ve ended up in.

    If Nero didn¡¯t show up, I would have either been chewed to pieces and be in the Greed-Gore¡¯s stomach, or stepped on and turned into a red stain on the ground right about now.

    But now, I can¡¯t even regret how pathetic I am or be happy that my life has been saved.

    Showing off his rumored ability, Nero cornered the Greed-Gore with an amazingbination of sword and magic techniques, but Nell¡¯s actions have turned the situation aroundpletely.

    The older brother stops his younger sister as she rushes out. The Greed-Gore hasn¡¯t let this opportunity slip away.

    It¡¯s very cunning for a monster. It looks like it¡¯s chosen a Breath attack, knowing that there¡¯s no way to avoid it in these circumstances.

    ¡¸¨C¡ºAiz Algalea Shield!¡»¡¹

    As Nero summons an enormous shield of ice, the Greed-Gore spits fire ¨C no, lightning from its mouth.

    This isn¡¯t the sma Breath that destroyed half of the fortress¡¯s walls, but the lightning-element Thunder Breath.

    As if all of the lightning that should being down from this rainy sky has gathered into one spot, a bright torrent of purple lightning engulfs the two siblings of Avalon¡¯s royal family.

    As the loud, crackling noise of thunder echoes out, purple light fills the Iskia Hills. I close my eyes instinctively, but I can still see the brightness through my eyelids.

    However, it¡¯s over in an instant. The Breath was probably only fired for a few seconds.

    As I open my eyes again, wondering if Nell is safe, I see two silhouettes standing in front of me.

    It seems that Nero managed to block the Thunder Breath, but the shield of ice produced by the high-ss defensive spell crumbles into pieces.

    A direct hit was avoided, but some of the electricity might have gone through.

    I can¡¯t tell how much damage Nero took from here, but even so, I manage to see that he has chosen to discontinue fighting and escape with Nell in his arms.

    With a side-step, Nero avoids the Greed-Gore¡¯s biting attack thates almost immediately after the Breath ends with his sister still on his shoulder.

    As therge mouth lined with sword-like fangs bites into the earth, Neronds back on the ground and makes a dash for it, running past the Greed-Gore.

    He heads for Iskia Fortress, where Nell leapt down from. Indeed, it¡¯s impossible to fight with her down here.

    No, it¡¯s likely that Nero can¡¯t keep fighting like he was earlier.

    His running is slow. It¡¯s impossible for the cause of this to be that his martial art has worn off or that Nell is heavy.

    Most importantly, the left hand that was holding his magic sword of ice is now limp. It¡¯s been paralyzedpletely.

    With Nell in that state, I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t use a restorative spell right away, and there¡¯s no time to drink a Potion.

    The Greed-Gore immediately turns around and begins chasing the two of them. Like a cat ying with a mouse, it somehow seems like it¡¯s enjoying itself now.

    Seeing Nero¡¯s current state, I don¡¯t think he can run any faster. I¡¯m sure the paralysis has spread to his legs; it¡¯s impressive that he¡¯s still running about as fast as an ordinary person¡¯s full-speed sprint.

    But I can see that at that speed, the Greed-Gore will catch up to him soon. The fortress is right in front of him, but the hundred meter distance might as well be a million.

    Sensing danger, Will has given an order, causing a covering fire of arrows to be released from the fortress¡¯s walls, but it doesn¡¯t slow the Greed-Gore down at all. Even though the iron sand armor is now only covering its neck, its rock carapace is enough to block the arrows.

    I¡¯m the only one who can do something about this.

    But the problem is that my whole body¡¯s paralyzed ¨C no, that¡¯s not the problem, the ckening is.

    Are you not done, Hitsugi, haven¡¯t you finished ckening this iron sand greatsword yet?

    ¡¸I¡¯m finished, Goshujin-sama~!¡¹

    A happy voice filled with a sense of aplishment echoes out inside my head, as if asking to be praised.

    Nice, well done, now I can move freely.

    I¡¯m affected by full-body paralysis, but I have no problems using magic. Instead of my hands and arms, I can use Hitsugi¡¯s countless, flexible tentacles to take out Potions or anything else from my shadow.

    The reason that I didn¡¯t do that and cure myself the moment I copsed from the paralysis was the fact that this greatsword was still rattling and moving, trying to continue attacking.

    When Nero appeared, I sensed that it was going to aim at his back next, so I couldn¡¯t undo my shield spell.

    I transformed the pierced¡ºMetal Shield¡»into tentacles and began wrapping themselves around the sword to begin ckening it right away, but taking over this heavy mass of iron sand that was still under the control of a powerful Characteristic Ability, took me until now toplete.

    Well, the one casting ckening is me, but when I¡¯m casting it through the medium of Hitsugi¡¯s tentacles, her ability has an effect as well. The effectiveness of ckening is less than when I¡¯m in direct contact with the object I¡¯m using it on.

    However, the ckening is finished now. As Hitsugi absorbs the iron sand that I¡¯ve taken control of, I open the¡ºShadow Gate¡»and a single tentacle searches inside it.

    If I¡¯m not mistaken, I don¡¯t happen to be carrying a Potion to cure paralysis. Err, it¡¯s a little bit of a waste, but I¡¯ll use the¡ºFairies¡¯ Miracle Medicine.¡»

    ¡¸Hmm~ Is it this one?¡¹

    Yes, it¡¯s that one wrapped in a white package, hurry, there¡¯s no time.

    ¡¸Here I go, Goshujin-sama! Hee~ere!¡¹

    I hear a tired-sounding shout as a shining powder of light is thrown onto my face - *Cough! Cough!*

    ¡¸You dumbass! What kind of medicine do you apply onto the face?!¡¹

    ¡¸Hyieh~ I¡¯m sorry, Goshujin-sama!¡¹

    I scold the silly maid as I stand up ¨C the fact that I can do this means that I¡¯ve recovered from the paralysispletely. As to be expected of Lily¡¯s medicine.

    I don¡¯t have time to be admiring its incredible effectiveness. For now, I have to stop the Greed-Gore.

    Before I¡¯ve evene up with a n, I¡¯m already running at full speed.

    I don¡¯t have any martial arts or strengthening spells, but don¡¯t underestimate how fast my legs can carry me. My body wasn¡¯t reconstructed and strengthened for nothing.

    Now then, the question is what to do from here. Even if I wanted to stop the Greed-Gore, it¡¯s not like I have some kind of secret n to do so.

    The only thing I can do is the straightforward method of stopping it by force.

    It seems ridiculous for me to take on this enormous, mountain-like opponent, but with Hitsugi here, it shouldn¡¯t be impossible.

    ¡¸Please leave it to me, Goshujin-sama!¡¹

    Of course, I use the¡ºAnchor Hands¡»that have now be steel chains ¨C these are no longer mere tentacles.

    This evolved ability has established itself as one of my new techniques, worthy of joining the ranks of my¡ºBullet Arts¡»and¡ºSword Arts.¡»

    ¡¸Seize it!¡ºBind Arts!¡»¡¹

    Bundles of ck chains are released from both of my hands.

    Each and every one of them are urately controlled by Hitsugi, and they sway back and forth in the air like snakes attacking their prey before winding themselves around the Greed-Gore¡¯s tail.

    Its tail that¡¯s like a tower made of bricks is covered in the rugged carapace, providing sufficient grip for the chains to attach themselves onto.

    And as Hitsugi carefully ties the chain-tentacles together in knots, they be a snare that cannot be escaped from unless the chains themselves are broken.

    I dropped Neck Cutter and Evil Eater earlier and didn¡¯t manage to retrieve them. I use my empty hands to grip the chains firmly, as if I¡¯m ying tug of war.

    From here on out, it¡¯s a pure contest of strength.

    ¡¸Force Boost.¡¹

    The effect of this spellsts for less than twenty seconds. But this Boost that I learned directly from Nellpensates for the brevity of its duration with its overwhelming effect on my physical strength.

    The¡ºForce Boost¡»that uses my first divine protection, the ck mes, as the source of its power grants my arms that are pulling the chains even greater physical strength ¨C but it¡¯s not enough.

    ¡¸UOOOH?!¡¹

    The chains are wrapped around the Greed-Gore¡¯s tail, and I¡¯m pulling them. Maybe this was to be expected, but I¡¯m the one being pulled forward.

    I¡¯m being dragged forward, as if I¡¯m water-skiing. The heels of my feet that I¡¯m nting into the ground are gouging out the dirt, scattering the carpet of weeds and mud everywhere.

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s footsteps don¡¯t stop; in fact, it still hasn¡¯t even noticed that I¡¯m here.

    ¡¸Force Boost!¡¹

    If Ick strength, then I need more. I¡¯ll burn more of my magical energy and turn it into strength.

    Think back to the fruitless training that I did before Nell taught me. Back then, I had enough heat stored up inside my body that I was on the verge of exploding.

    Right now, I need that violent, explosive power. I don¡¯t need control; I just need it to work.

    As long as the bare minimum of the spell form remains, the strengthening magic can be cast.

    I don¡¯t need thatplicated detailed spell form that Nell showed me through telepathy. Since I¡¯m self-taught, I¡¯ll always be one who learns by watching others.

    I imagine the spell form as a channel in my body. It¡¯s arranged with various divergences and convergences that prevent the burning magical power flowing through it from overflowing.

    But right now, I break that spell form that governs the flow of magical power.

    I don¡¯t care what kind of reaction my body will have. Right now, I just want power!

    ¡¸FORCE! BOOOOOOOOOST!¡¹

    I feel like I heard something snap. At the same time, a white-hot pain shoots up both of my arms.

    But they don¡¯t lose their strength. They won¡¯t lose their strength, no matter what. I¡¯ve finally felt some kind of response, there¡¯s no way I can let go here!

    The chains creak, as if they¡¯re screaming.

    I feel like the force that¡¯s pulling me forward bes just a little weaker. A little more, with just a little more my strength will be able topete with the Greed-Gore¡¯s.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama, any more than this is dangerous! Your arms will tear apart!¡¹

    Shut up, be quiet. I¡¯m well aware of that.

    Something that looks like red smoke ising out from the gaps in the ck armguards that I¡¯m wearing on both arms. This ominous mist that looks like the evaporation of my blood is definitely a consequence of the burden my arms are under.

    But so what? It¡¯s not enough, I still don¡¯t have enough power.

    If I don¡¯t stop this guy, Nell is going to die.

    I¡¯ve saved Will, and Simon is at least still alive. I¡¯m going to save Nell as well.

    I¡¯m not going to let anyone else die; I swore I would protect everyone. I¡¯ll never give up; I swore to god ¨C no, to the Demon King ¨C that I will protect everyone this time.

    With the divine protection of the legendary Demon King, this can¡¯t be all the power that I have. So give me more, give me ¨C

    ¡¸GIVE ME THE DEMON KING¡¯S POWEEEEEEEEEER!¡¹

    ¡¸I said it before, didn¡¯t I? Even though it¡¯s a divine protection, that power belongs to you, Kurono Maou. Look, your arms already possess the power of the Demon King. But let¡¯s see, I suppose I can at least tell you what it¡¯s called ¨C¡¹

    I suddenly hear a familiar voice. Before I even register the meaning of the words, my mouth is already saying the name that I¡¯m being taught.

    The true title of the first divine protection.

    ¡¸OVERDRIVE!¡¹

 Chapter 342 Kurono vs Greed-Gore (2)

    Ah, I see, this is the real way of using the divine protection.

    The first divine protection isn¡¯t something that artificially changes my ck magical power into the fire element. This is just the first step of the process needed to release its full power.

    Creating the spell form for¡ºForce Boost¡»in this way without any consideration for the danger of my arms being blown off or my body exploding is the¡ºcorrect¡»way to activate this divine protection.

    If I wasn¡¯t in this situation, I would never do this; this is a dangerous spell form that I should never use.

    And now I¡¯ve finally figured out how to activate the divine protection. No, this situation might have forced me to figure it out. Because Nell taught me this method of strengthening myself, and because she is now in danger.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to use this power to save her.

    ¡¸OVERDRIVE!¡¹

    The first divine protection is unleashed.

    The sps of the armguards on both of my arms fly off instantly. The sleeve of¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»that covers my left arm flutters so violently that it looks like it¡¯s going to be torn apart.

    The sleeve of my right arm is still destroyed from my battle with Saeed; without the armguard my arm would bepletely naked.

    The blood vessels on this arm form shining red lines that run all the way to my fingertips. They glow so brightly that I can see the light through my gloves.

    And then a crest of mes forms on the back of my hand. In the moment this magic circle of red light that signals the activation of the divine protection appears, a burning, ming, bright-red aura bursts out from my arms.

    If there was ever a Demon King of mes*, I¡¯m sure he would have arms like these.

    TLN*: The kanji below ¡°Overdrive¡± actually read ¡°Demon King of mes¡±

    But it¡¯s not just their appearance that is shy. Right now, my arms possess a power that my self-taught¡ºForce Boost¡»can¡¯t evenpare to.

    Yes, the transcendental strengthening that grants pure, simple physical strength is the true effect of the first divine protection.

    ¡¸STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!¡¹

    The bundles of chains wrapped around the Greed-Gore¡¯s tail let out high-pitched creaks. If I hadn¡¯t absorbed the iron sand of the greatsword, they might havecked strength and snapped.

    Hitsugi¡¯s hard work is paying off. Not a single chain breaks; they are holding strong against this incredibly heavy burden.

    And then the Greed-Gore finally stops.

    My feet stop gouging the earth and prevent me from being pulled forwards, stopping the Greed-Gore from taking another step.

    The Greed-Gore attempts to push forwards to devour the prey right in front of its eyes, but my ¨C the Demon King¡¯s ¨C arms don¡¯t allow that to happen.

    But I still have far more power than this, you know.

    ¡¸PULL! HITSUGI!¡¹

    ¡¸EEEEEEI! YAAAAAAAAH!¡¹

    With an adorable yell, she begins winding the chains in forcefully.

    The huge tail above my head that¡¯s swaying back and forth begins to sink downwards. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s be snagged on a crane¡¯s hook and is being forcefully pulled down.

    As the pointed end of the tail is dragged down in front of me, I reach and grab onto it directly.

    If I just prevent its movement, nothing will happen. The fastest way to put a stop to this guy is to defeat him with my own strength.

    Now I¡¯ll show you the physical strength of a Demon King.

    ¡¸UOOOOOOOOOH!¡¹

    Like an explosion, the crimson aura around my arms begins to rise up violently. My arms are so hot that it feels like my very bones are going to melt, but my strength keeps increasing limitlessly.

    I grasp the tail as if I¡¯m embracing it, and a crack forms on the surface of the carapace around the fingertips that are digging into it. At the same time, the ground I¡¯m standing on begins to crumble.

    My body is currently bearing the entire weight of the Greed-Gore.

    I wonder if this guy is wondering how this is possible. I hear a loud, high-pitched cry that sounds like a scream.

    And then I finally lift it up. The Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous body is in the air.

    Holding the tip of the Greed-Gore¡¯s tail, I throw it behind me as if performing a shoulder throw*.

    TLN*: A judo move.

    I send the Greed-Gore flying. Even I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve managed to pull off this unreal feat.

    A mountain of stone passes over my head. Maybe it¡¯s more appropriate to call it an enormous meteorite. As I imagine the impact of it hitting the ground, I feel certain that that¡¯s a better way to describe it.

    And then the moment of impactes.

    The deafening sound of an object of enormous mass striking the earth echoes out, drowning out my war cry, the Greed-Gore¡¯s scream and the sound of the falling rain.

    The force of my throw and the tremors running across the ground¡¯s surface knock me off my feet, and before I know what¡¯s happening, I¡¯m on my back on the ground.

    The sky above me is earth-colored. A huge amount of dirt rains down on me, as if trying to bury me alive.

    ¡¸Buhah! Damn it, I¡¯ve been getting covered in dirt all day today.¡¹

    Pushing aside theyer of mud that¡¯s fallen on top of me, I stand up, full of vigor.

    The Greed-Gore is lying on the ground motionlessly like a beached whale, but it¡¯s only temporarily unable to move from the shock of what just happened.

    I¡¯m not going to let my guard down until I finish it off ¨C no, even after I finish it off. And now¡¯s my chance to do that.

    The Demon King¡¯s strength is still running through my arms, but not for much longer. I¡¯m sure that if the effect is released even for a moment, my arms will be motionless and I won¡¯t be able to lift even a single finger.

    There¡¯s a price to pay for the power that I desired.

    But this is enough for now. I¡¯m not foolish enough to let this chance escape me.

    ¡¸Come!¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm!¡»¡¹

    When I took that attack from the iron sand greatsword, this guy fell to the ground, but I¡¯ve still got control over it with my Sword Arts. When I summon it, it quickly returns to my hand.

    As I grip the handle of the red machete, the Greed-Gore lets out a howl.

    Still lying on the ground, it twists its tail violently towards me to prevent me from closing in. It¡¯s like a castle wall has just begun moving on its own. This might be a vain struggle on its part, but if it hits me, I¡¯m still going to die instantly.

    I slip past the tail that¡¯s being thrown around like a whip and step on its base before approaching the Greed-Gore¡¯s torso.

    I wonder if it feels an unpleasant sensation, like an insect crawling around on your skin. The Greed-Gore thrashes its body around violently, trying to shake me off as I run up the side of its body.

    I won¡¯t do something pathetic like losing my footing and falling off. I step firmly on the red, brick-like carapace and leap up with all of my strength. I¡¯m already within range.

    The crimson de of¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»that I¡¯m gripping with both hands is aimed at the neck.

    Right now, the Greed-Gore¡¯s weakest point with the thinnest defense is where Nero¡¯s shining martial art cut about halfway through its carapace.

    ¡¸Grenade ¨C¡¹

    The ck heat ispressed not in a projectile shell, but in¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»itself.

    I pour the red-hot energy of¡ºOverdrive¡»that¡¯s raging inside my body into my weapon, almost enough to melt the de off.

    The crimson de turns even redder, and the overflowing magical energy bes an aura of rising mes. I don¡¯t care if it breaks from this attack.

    ¡¸¨C HIGH BURST!¡¹

    My crimson weapon buries itself in the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck with the momentum of my entire body. With the power of the Demon King behind it, my de ¨C no, warhead ¨C finds the gap in its broken carapace.

    And then it releases the heat contained within. There is a huge explosion.

    ¡¸UOOOOH!¡¹

    The mes surging out of my weapon fill my vision.

    The fact I¡¯m able to register a hot sensation rather than being burned alive is thanks to the¡ºNanast Amulet.¡»

    But even though that blocks the mes, the shock wave produced by the attack affects more than just my target. My whole body is almost blown away by the resulting st wave.

    However, the heat and shockwave running into the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck is greater than the recoil that I¡¯m experiencing.

    My all-out, point-nk bombardment blows away the red-brown rock carapacepletely.

    The carapace has been smashed to smithereens. I can see ck scorch-marks, and the faint smell of burning flesh stings my nose.

    In payment for this explosion, the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»crumbles into pieces as well. Only the base of the vividly red de remains.

    But this was a worthy price to pay. With that, I¡¯m finally able to finish this guy off.

    ¡¸Pile ¨C¡¹

    Right before my eyes is arge gash in the the carapace where it has been destroyed and the Greed-Gore¡¯s flesh has been exposed.

    The muscles that move this abnormally huge creature are as strong as bundles of steel fibers, but not strong enough to withstand this next attack.

    I will definitely pierce them with this attack.

    My first, fastest ck magic spell,¡ºPile Bunker¡»¨C no, with the Demon King¡¯s arms, it deserves a more suitable name.

    ¡¸WRATH IMPACT!¡¹

    The burning red energy flows up my right arm.

    It gathers at my fist as I twist it forwards in a screwing motion, adding a second source of destructive power to the attack.

    I feel the dull sensation of striking flesh. At the same time, my right arm sinks into the Greed-Gore¡¯s body, piercing through it. In one movement, my arm is buried in flesh up to my shoulder.

    Taking the Greed-Gore¡¯s size into ount, I suppose being pierced by an object the length of a human arm is equivalent to a human being stabbed with a nail. Either way, it¡¯s still got to hurt. In response to that violent pain, the Greed-Gore lets out a shriek loud enough to burst my eardrums.

    And at that very moment, the heat in my fist is released. The high-temperature explosion sears the Greed-Gore¡¯s muscles, scorches its nerves and boils its blood.

    Letting out more screams of anguish, the Greed-Gore raises its head and writhes in pain.

    As it howls at the sky, bloody vomit mixed with ck smoke leaks from its mouth. It seems that the heat reached its throat, burning all the way into its respiratory tract.

    But I¡¯m not done yet. This isn¡¯t enough to bring death upon this enormous monster.

    And so this is truly my final attack.

    ¡¸Demon Eye Release.¡¹

    My fist is still inside the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck. Using the shadow in my hand as an opening for my¡ºShadow Gate¡», I summon the terrifying Demon Eyes that transform everything they see into purple crystal ¨C the¡ºAmethyst Gaze.¡»

    Hitsugi skillfully used her tentacles to open the jar that contained the Demon Eyes and gently handed them to me.

    The eyes themselves aren¡¯t hard like stones. Gently, so they aren¡¯t crushed, I let go of the eyeballs in my hands.

    The moment they leave my fingertips, the ckening is undone ¨C I feel like I heard a voice whisper, ¡°GIVE HER BACK.¡±

    And so I discard the Demon Eyes that shine with malice inside the Greed-Gore.

    I quickly jump away and watch the Greed-Gore as it writhes and howls in agony, whispering words of pity.

    ¡¸How¡¯s that... The Demon Eyes are pretty effective, aren¡¯t they?¡¹

    The interior of the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck is bathed in the crystallizing light continuously released by the Demon Eyes. It¡¯s being turned into amethyst from the inside out.

    That purple light is soon visible through the surface of the Greed-Gore¡¯s body. It¡¯s only one small crack at first, but as I look on, the entire reddish-brown carapace is being consumed by the purple crystal before my eyes.

    The incredibly hard rock carapace being transformed into brittle amethyst is a wondrous sight.

    However, that transformation is reaching its end.

    And the moment that the Greed-Gore raises its head as if to escape the pain of being crystallized, the transformed amethyst at its neck crumbles, unable to bear the weight of both its head and body.

    With one final, forced scream, the Greed-Gore¡¯s head rolls onto the ground.

    There¡¯s no blood. All that can be seen at the neck¡¯s cross-section is beautifully shining purple crystal.

    ¡¸I finally... defeated it...¡¹

    With its head severed, the Greed-Gore ispletely silent.

    There are no cheers of victory from the fortress; the only sound echoing through the Iskia Hills is the sound of the continuously falling rain.

    Even I don¡¯t have the strength left to raise my voice in happiness. The red-hot aura around my arms fades away, as if being extinguished by the rain. As it does so, I feel the strength leaving my arms, little by little.

    ¡¸With this, I¡¯ve cleared the second trial.¡¹

    With the Greed-Gore¡¯s motionless corpse in front of me, in the moment I¡¯m about to lose focus ¨C

    I hear something that sounds like the crackling of lightning.

    ¡¸Wha¨C?!¡¹

    The Greed-Gore¡¯s mouth is half-open with its tongue hanging out loosely, and from withines a single line of lightning.

    It let out a Thunder Breath? No, that¡¯s not right?!

    This is an ominous-looking mass of electricity in the shape of a Lamia. With its tail of purple lightning wriggling around behind it, it closes in on me in a straight line. What is this thing?!

    By the time I perceive this, it¡¯s already got a hold of my face ¨C

 Chapter 343 The Third Trial

    ¡¸¨C AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!¡¹

    I have a feeling that I¡¯m screaming.

    Pain? Agony? No, this is a much more terrible sensation.

    Ah, that¡¯s right. This is just like when the inside of my head was vited, dominated and messed around with.

    Something is tampering with my brain right now.

    I can¡¯t see anything. I can¡¯t hear anything. There¡¯s only an ufortable, disgusting feeling.

    Stop it, stop it. I¡¯m me. Nobody else.

    I desperately try to resist, but I can¡¯t stop the¡ºthing¡»that¡¯s trying to get into my brain. It won¡¯t... stop...

    ¡¸Gah... ah, agh...¡¹

    Even trying to maintain my consciousness is incredibly painful.

    Suddenly, something starts flickering in front of my eyes. It¡¯s blinding ¨C no, maybe my eyes have already been destroyed.

    Now I hear something in my ears. A loud, grating sound, just meaningless noise. But my willpower is stolen from me, like I¡¯m being heavily assaulted verbally.

    Next is my nose. An irritating odor that feels like stabbing needles. And after that is my tongue. Finally, my whole body.

    My five senses have been twisted. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch ¨C the suffering inflicted on each of them harmonize perfectly to torture me.

    It¡¯s enough to make me want to willingly hand my body over!

    And as my consciousness leans towards a slow suicide... I feel like there¡¯s a light shining.

    It¡¯s not the purple sparks that attack my vision; it¡¯s an incredibly gentle, soft, white light.

    That white light gradually begins to take a clear shape. Yes, that¡¯s a single white wing ¨C

    ¡¸AAAGH!¡¹

    In an instant, my consciousness, my five senses, everything returns to normal. I feel like I¡¯ve just woken up from a deep sleep.

    It¡¯s still raining incessantly. I see the Greed-Gore¡¯s corpse. I feel the physical weariness that envelops my whole body, and the heaviness of my arms that feel like they¡¯ve turned into lead.

    I¡¯m sure I only lost consciousness for a few seconds. The scenery before my eyes hasn¡¯t changed.

    The only change is that the culprit of that mental attack is rolling around in front of me.

    ¡¸I see... This guy is the¡ºSloth-Gil*¡», huh.¡¹

    TLN*: Previously (incorrectly) tranted as Sloth-Sgil

    The creature writhing in pain on the swamp-like ground can only be described as a Lamia-shaped mass of electricity.

    Its entire two-meter-long body is covered in purple lightning; the only features that I can barely make out are the depressions in its head that look like the eye sockets of a person¡¯s skull and a mouth.

    I don¡¯t know if the sounds that sound like groans of pain are being made by this guy¡¯s vocal chords, or are just the sounds of the crackling lightning.

    Its long tail of lightning is wriggling left and right, and its four-fingered, thin hands are desperately wing at the earth. It¡¯s crawling and writhing in agony in an unsightly way.

    This ominous-looking monster is the Sloth-Gil that bears the title of¡ºSloth.¡»

    This is my first time seeing it, but I am immediately able to conclude this because the left eye that I received from Mia glowed red as a sign that this guy is one of the trial monsters.

    Right around its back, it looks like there are red lines running down its body. That¡¯s probably the proof of extermination that I need to offer.

    ¡¸The Guild¡¯s information isn¡¯t very reliable...¡¹

    When I did my research before, I read that the Sloth-Gil was likely to be a mutated version of a catfish-like monster called a¡ºMaznacles.¡»

    But in reality, it¡¯s a Lamia that doesn¡¯t bear the slightest resemnce to a catfish. There was no way that anyone could guess that it would possess dangerous abilities like being able to infest a Rank 5 monster or being able to create a monster army, using only the small amount of information provided by the Guild. The only thing that the Guild got right is that it¡¯s able to use powerful lightning-element abilities.

    But I suppose since nobody even knows what kind of monster it is, let alone where it lives, that means it¡¯s a pretty rare monster. One could say that it was careless of me to believe all the information I read.

    Whatever, I can regret my decisionster.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve cleared the third trial as well, thanks to Nell...¡¹

    This charm that Nell gave me, the¡ºAria Guard-Feather¡», protected my mind.

    It was originally given to me just in case I was ever at risk of being possessed by the cursed weapons when I participated in the¡ºCurse Carnival¡»; I hadn¡¯t expected that it would be of use here.

    This charm isn¡¯t limited to just blocking the effects of curses; it removes Status Effects that affect the mind such as Charm and Confusion.

    In other words, it also acts to counter parasites.

    On the other hand, it has no response to attacks like¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡»that affect my body directly. It didn¡¯te in handy when I wanted it to, but in the end, it still saved my life.

    I really don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to thank Nell.

    The only regrettable thing is that all of the charm¡¯s power has been used up in forcing the Sloth-Gil back out of my head.

    When I take out the feather that I had in the inside pocket of my coat, its faint glow has disappearedpletely and its original white color has faded to gray.

    As the wind blows, it crumbles away like ash, trickling through my fingers and vanishing into the air.

    It shouldn¡¯t have been limited to a single use, but I suppose this is to be expected of a Rank 5 monster.

    Most parasites would be obliterated after being repelled by the divine protection of the Heaven-Calming Imperial Princess Aria. The fact that the Sloth-Gil narrowly escaped with its life shows how much vitality a Rank 5 monster has.

    However, as it¡¯s now on the verge of death, its survival means nothing.

    My body is near its limits from the activation of¡ºOverdrive¡», but I still have enough strength left to finish off the pitiful Sloth-Gil squirming in the mud.

    This guy doesn¡¯t even have scales or a hide, let alone a hard carapace like the Greed-Gore. It¡¯s obvious that creatures that specialize in parasitic abilities don¡¯t have strong bodies. This guy is probably something like a Wraith or Elemental; a half-physical, half-magical creature. Those kinds of enemies are usually fragile.

    But I don¡¯t feelfortable about directly hitting this mass of electricity. I don¡¯t even know if I can give it a proper punch with my current strength.

    Then I have only one weapon I can choose to use here.

    I produce the twin-barreled prototype rifle from my shadow. I¡¯m going to pay you back for the Morjura attack on Simon with this weapon that he created.

    The gun in my hands feels a hundred times heavier than usual. As I take my aim, the muzzles quiver.

    But I won¡¯t miss at this distance. My bullet will definitely pierce your head.

    ¡¸... Bullet Arts.¡¹

    The end of the third trial is marked by the sound of a gunshot.

 Chapter 344 Reunion (1)

    The monster army has been annihted, the Greed-Gore is defeated and the Sloth-Gil that was controlling all of them is dead. The danger has finally passed.

    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s stopped raining.¡¹

    It was pouring down so heavily, but now that the battle is over, it¡¯s mysteriously stopped.

    Rays of sunlight begin to pierce the thick, dark clouds and shine brightly on the hills of Iskia.

    But my clothes that were exposed to that torrential downpour aren¡¯t going to dry all of a sudden.

    ¡¸I want to get back quickly and take a nice, hot bath...¡¹

    Whispering this earnest wish of mine, I stand alone on the walls of Iskia Fortress, looking down over the hills.

    Right after I killed the Sloth-Gil, the students realized that the battle was finally over and gave a loud cheer of victory. But they won¡¯t be celebrating forever.

    Now that there are no more enemies, there¡¯s no reason to stay at this fortress. Everyone is fatigued from defending the fortress for days on end. There¡¯s no doubt that they want to get back and rest even more desperately than I do.

    ¡¸Listen up! We¡¯re definitely taking this Greed-Gore¡¯s body with us back to Spada!¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s impossible for us to carry this massive thing with us! I¡¯m telling you, we should leave it to the Knights¡¯ Order or the Guild!¡¹

    Will is the only one who still has an incredible amount of energy.

    He¡¯s mbering over the Greed-Gore¡¯s corpse and desperately trying to convince the students to take it back with them.

    The one reprimanding him for making such a ridiculous request is... oh, isn¡¯t that Eddy? Next to him is his childhood friend Shenna, wearing an exasperated expression. It¡¯s good to see that they¡¯re doing well.

    Ah, I really managed to save everyone this time ¨C I truly begin to feel that.

    ¡¸I cannot allow that! We must make a triumphant return with this beast and write another page in the new legend of the Nightmare Berserker!¡¹

    Will¡¯s nonchnt words dampen my happy mood. I suppose I should tell himter that my real ss is ck Magic User.

    Giving a small sigh, I watch from on top of the fortress walls as the students make their preparations to go home.

    I did offer my help, but as I¡¯m tired from defeating the two bosses, I was politely refused and told to rest. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s not like they¡¯re scared of me and don¡¯t want meing near them.

    And so I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s allowed to stand here and give my body the rest that it needs.

    The Dragon carriages have already been prepared outside the fortress gates and the students are busily running back and forth, putting their luggage inside. It seems difficult for them because their bodies are tired, but there are bright smiles on their faces.

    The fact that they won this battle is giving them more strength than anything else.

    ¡¸¨C Kurono-kun.¡¹

    I suddenly hear a gentle voice calling my name.

    Lifting my head up, I see a beautiful princess standing there, her long ck hair fluttering in the soft breeze.

    ¡¸Nell, have you finished treating everyone?¡¹

    Seeing her nod with a smile, I can tell that all of the injured are now safe.

    There were already monsters inside the fortress by the time I arrived, so I¡¯m sure that there were a lot of students injured in close-quarters battle.

    Like me, Nell is also quite fatigued from battle. But even so, it¡¯s times like these when a Priest¡¯s abilities are needed the most.

    But even if her magical power was reaching its limits, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to keep casting healing magic on the injured.

    ¡¸Your older brother, err, Nero, is he alright?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh? Yes, only his legs and arms were paralyzed a little.¡¹

    Was it so unexpected for me to ask about Nero? Nell was a little surprised, or more like, her reaction was as if she didn¡¯t know who I was talking about at first.

    I suppose it¡¯s not that surprising; Nero and I aren¡¯t really acquainted and the one point of contact that we did have was under the worst possible circumstances. To him, I remain the viinous Tentacle Man.

    Still, even though it¡¯s just a slight paralysis, I¡¯d thought that Nell would be more distressed that her beloved, respected older brother is injured... Well, they¡¯re in the same party; I¡¯m sure she¡¯s used to Nero being injured. Considering all of this, there¡¯s no doubt that she has absolute trust in her brother.

    ¡¸I¡¯m d it wasn¡¯t anything serious. If Prince Nero didn¡¯t arrive right when he did, I would have died.¡¹

    I think it was really lucky. He didn¡¯t offer me kind words or healing magic like Nell would, but his appearance there is enough to deserve my thanks.

    ¡¸Sorry Nell, getting defeated once like that worried you, huh. But I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d fly down to save me.¡¹

    Nero cornered the Greed-Gore to the point of defeat, but Nell flying down allowed the Greed-Gore to turn the tables on him.

    Because I copsed in that situation, I¡¯m the reason Nell took that kind of action, but I¡¯m sure even she is looking back on her actions as rash and careless.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    Nell is wearing an expression of sorrow, as if tears will spill from her big blue eyes at any moment, so I can¡¯t reprimand her any further. If I make Nell cry here, I get the feeling that I¡¯ll really get killed by Nero this time.

    ¡¸But I... no matter what, I wanted to help you, Kurono-kun...¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks. But putting your older brother in danger is ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care about Onii-sama!¡¹

    I¡¯m surprised to hear Nell raise her voice. But what surprises me even more is the way she approaches me quickly, as if she¡¯s going to throw herself into my arms.

    Her faint, flower-like fragrance reaches me.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care about Onii-sama... I wanted to save you, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    Her upturned eyes are moist, as if begging me for something. The upwards gaze of her blue eyes pierces straight through me.

    I¡¯m shocked by her earnestness and beauty; it¡¯s just like when I was alone with her in the infirmary after my battle with Saeed.

    Doing my best not to have weird thoughts, I somehow manage to form words into a response.

    ¡¸Do you really not trust me that much?¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, you always push yourself too hard. In that fighting tournament, and again in this battle... I¡¯m always worried...¡¹

    ¡¸... Sorry.¡¹

    I¡¯m really fed up with how pathetic I am.

    I have an absolute goal that I can¡¯t give up on, the goal of oveing the trials and defeating the Apostles. But that task is so dangerous that there is someone who worries about me to the point that she loses control of herself.

    That¡¯s why I need more strength. I need to be strong like Nell¡¯s older brother, so that she can watch over me without worrying.

    ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. You have a reason you need to be stronger, don¡¯t you, Kurono-kun? I won¡¯t do anything to stop you.¡¹

    Nell isn¡¯t touching me. It looks like my feelings are being leaked even without telepathy.

    Now that I think about it, it hasn¡¯t been long since I became good friends with her, but I feel like she¡¯s already learned a lot about me.

    I wonder if I understand Nell as well as she understands me.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why I will help you from now on as well, Kurono-kun.¡¹

    That¡¯s exactly why I feel uneasy. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m always dependent on Nell regardless of what I do.

    ¡¸I will heal whatever injuries you sustain. I fully blocked the Breath in this battle, and I¡¯m going to improve myself in order to keep providing you support with more strengthening spells.¡¹

    But even so, Nell says that she will help me as if it¡¯s the obvious thing for her to do. Not because it¡¯s her duty or obligation to do so, but because she believes that it is what she should do from the bottom of her heart.

    ¡¸That¡¯s why, Kurono-kun, you should make me ¨C¡¹

    At this moment, a gust of wind blows across the top of the fortress walls.

    The wind is stronger than I expected, and both my and Nell¡¯s ck hair flutter in the wind. It easily blows the hair around our faces.

    Nell¡¯s words were interrupted in a weird spot, and I kind of feel like there¡¯s this atmosphere where I can¡¯t really tell her to continue. I instinctively shift my gaze away over the fortress walls.

    ¡¸... Hmm?¡¹

    I see shadows beyond the green hills, heading this way. There are three silhouettes of people on horseback.

    ¡¸Hey Nell, are those ¨C¡¹

    I¡¯m about to ask her if the Knights¡¯ Order or adventurers have arrived, but I hold back the ending to my question.

    ¡¸Ah, those are the members of Wing Road and... err, one more person that I don¡¯t know.¡¹

    With my sharp eyes, I can see the girl with red twin-tails that I stopped with my tentacles in the dining hall, Charlotte ¨C Will¡¯s younger sister and Third Princess of Spada.

    She¡¯s riding on the same eight-legged horse as a bespectacled girl with purple hair. The girl with the sses is holding the reins, and I assume that she¡¯s the daughter of the Hydra house, Safiel.

    Next to them is a young man with blonde hair and a greatsword on his back, riding on a Bicorn. He¡¯s the swordsman named Kai, huh.

    It¡¯s my first time seeing the two of them, but their appearance is just as the rumors say, and Nell herself is saying that they¡¯re her party members so there¡¯s no mistaking who they are.

    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not one more person... it¡¯s two more people.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, now that I look more closely, there is one more, a small child... Eh, are those... wings?¡¹

    There is a young woman and a little girl riding on a magnificent,rge ck horse. If there¡¯s anyone who wouldn¡¯t fail to recognize who they are, it¡¯s me.

    ¡¸Yeah, those are Fairy wings. Nell, I¡¯ll introduce them to youter; they¡¯re members of my party,¡ºElement Masters.¡»¡¹

    ¡¸... Eh?¡¹

    Nell opens her eyes wide; she looks incredibly surprised. I suppose it is really unexpected for my party members to turn up with this timing together with the Wing Road members.

    But rather than trying to guess and exin the situation, quickly, ah, I really want to see Lily and Fiona.

    ¡¸Well then, Nell, I¡¯m going to go ahead and meet up with those two.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, ah, Kurono-kun?! Wait, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    As I leap off the fortress walls, Nell¡¯s surprised voice reaches my ears. Sorry for surprising you so much, but I have Hitsugi, so I¡¯m fine jumping off high ces!

    Deciding to leave that exnation forter, I run as fast as I can to reunite with my party members.

 Chapter 345 Reunion (2)

    In front of Iskia Fortress¡¯s main gate, the adventurer party¡ºElement Masters¡»meet again for the first time in about three weeks.

    ¡¸Lily! Fiona ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono!¡¹

    Lily uses her two shining wings to leap off the running horse and fly into Kurono¡¯s chest.

    Kurono is surprised by her unexpected behavior and the speed of her movement, but catches her small body in his arms.

    ¡¸¨C Careful, Lily! I missed you!¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah! Lily missed you too, Kurono!¡¹

    ¡¸Uooh! Lily!¡¹

    ¡¸Kuronooo!¡¹

    With their arms around each other, they roll on the ground, rubbing their cheeks together.

    They look like silly love birds ¨C no, a silly parent and child reuniting, but it seems that Kurono and Lily find this to be an appropriate way to express their happiness at being reunited.

    Lily is incredibly adorable with a smile that covers her whole face, but Kurono looks incredibly evil with the same smile on his face. Just like a demon who has captured a child to use as a sacrifice.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, I missed you too, you know.¡¹

    ring at the pair with reproachful eyes and apletely exasperated look on her face, Fiona gets a firm hold on the sleeve of¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»and steals the joyful Kurono¡¯s attention.

    Just outside of Kurono¡¯s peripheral vision, Lily pouts a little.

    ¡¸Yeah, I missed you too, Fiona. Wee back.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I am back, Kurono-san.¡¹

    As Kurono makes no attempt to hide how happy he is to see her in his eyes or in his words, the smallest of smiles appears on Fiona¡¯s expressionless, sleepy-looking face.

    But the unusual thing is not her smile, but her next act.

    Still holding onto his sleeve, Fiona brings her body closer to Kurono¡¯s, as if attracted to him. It is as if she is jealous of Lily, who has her arms tightly wrapped around his neck.

    It takes only a moment for her body to reach his. The witch¡¯s robe and devil¡¯s coat brush against each other.

    Though these two pieces of clothing possess powerful defensive capabilities and elemental resistances, it seems that they can indeed feel each other¡¯s body heat. Kurono makes aplicated expression, a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. Fiona¡¯s white cheeks are hidden behind the wide brim of her trademark three-cornered hat so that nobody can see them, but they have definitely turned red.

    ¡¸Muuh! Fiona, you¡¯re not allowed to do that!¡¹

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it fine, Lily-san? I want to be spoiled from time to time as well.¡¹

    Lily thrashes her wings about as if denying Fiona¡¯s words, but Fiona presses herself more firmly against Kurono¡¯s body as if to say that she¡¯ll never let go.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve been lonely, so can I have the two of you spoil me as well?¡¹

    Watching their yful fight from up close, Kurono simply hugs both of them.

    Lily is holding onto his bare right arm, where his sleeve has been destroyed, with the entirety of her small body. Meanwhile, Fiona is embracing his left arm with her slender shoulder pressed up against it.

    Kurono himself is half-joking as he hugs them both. But he¡¯s also half-serious.

    The two people clinging onto his arms make him happier than anything else; they are the ones he trusts the most, the ones who put his mind at ease.

    It is only when one spends some time apart from friends that he is truly grateful to have them. This is a small lesson, but one that touches Kurono¡¯s heart.

    ¡¸Mhmm, I can, Kurono. Lily will spoil you lots!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I will spoil you plenty, Kurono-san.¡¹

    Such an unimaginably sweet* response. Kurono turns red at these words that are so sweet that he feels as if he is drinking maple syrup from the bottle. He feels relief from the bottom of his heart that the two of them are embracing him in a way that they can¡¯t see his expression of embarrassment.

    TLN*: ¸Ê¤¤/amai which means ¡°sweet¡± uses the same kanji as ¸Ê¤¨¤ë/amaeru, the verb meaning ¡°to spoil¡±. It¡¯s... kind of a pun, but not really and I can¡¯t exin it much better than this.

    ¡¸Th-thanks, Lily, Fiona.¡¹

    But he ends up stuttering in a high-pitched voice, so hisck ofposure is obvious anyway.

    ¡¸Mufufufuu! Kurono, chuu~!*¡¹

    ¡¸Fufu, Kurono-san, gyuu~*¡¹

    TLN*: Chuu and gyuu are onomatopoeic sounds for a kiss and a hug respectively.

    Experiencing the sensation of a childish pair of lips pressing against his cheek and the warmth of a soft body wrapped around his chest only makes Kurono turn redder.

    But he regrets nothing.

    ¡¸Ah, you two are really the number one for me.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, those are Fairy wings. Nell, I¡¯ll introduce them to youter; they¡¯re members of my party,¡ºElement Masters.¡»¡¹

    I let out a foolish-sounding ¡°Eh?¡±

    But I cannot help responding this way, because I really cannot understand what Kurono-kun is saying.

    Say, Kurono-kun, why are your party members females? Why does your face look so happy?

    It¡¯s strange, this is really strange. After all, Kurono-kun¡¯s party members are the kind of people who selfishly act on their own, aren¡¯t they?

    Doing something horrible like leaving this worrisome Kurono-kun on his own is something I could never do. The fact that they are not with him is proof that the level of trust between them is low.

    But even so, why, just why is Kurono-kunughing like that? This is my first time seeing such a happy expression on Kurono-kun¡¯s face.

    I don¡¯t understand, I don¡¯t understand what is in Kurono-kun¡¯s heart. Ah, I have a really, really terrible feeling about this...

    ¡¸Well then, Nell, I¡¯m going to go ahead and meet up with those two.¡¹

    Kurono-kun throws himself off the fortress walls, as if he cannot wait any longer. I immediately reach out, but my hand grasps the empty air in vain.

    ¡¸Eh, ah, Kurono-kun?! Wait, Kurono-kun!¡¹

    Don¡¯t go, please don¡¯t go. Please don¡¯t disappear from my sight ¨C these feelings of anxiety suddenly stir within me.

    But all I can do is call his name. My voice, my feelings, they do not reach him.

    Kurono-kun uses those ck tentacles that could even bind the Greed-Gore to safelynd at the bottom of the fortress walls, and then runs along the top of the hill. Towards his cold-hearted party members.

    ¡¸Y-you can¡¯t... Kurono-kun...¡¹

    Even though my chest is burning with the urge to stop him, my body does not move, as if it has been frozen in ice. I can only watch from atop these walls as the distance between Kurono and those two gets smaller and smaller.

    From far away, I could make out two silhouettes, one with wings of light and one with a ck three-cornered hat. But now, I can see that they are an adorable Fairy and a beautiful witch.

    Are those two really Kurono-kun¡¯s party members? No, they aren¡¯t, they are not. The only one who really knows Kurono-kun and can help him is me.

    After all, Kurono-kun is always misunderstood, ostracized, hated ¨C but I, only I can understand him.

    I have not known Kurono-kun for long, but even so, I know a lot about him.

    ¡¸Thank you. Because of you, Nell-san, I have gotten the hang of casting spells.¡¹

    Kurono-kun was so happy the first time he was able to cast¡ºForce Boost.¡»If he is happy, I am happy as well.

    ¡¸This sandwich is delicious.¡¹

    Kurono-kun said this earnestly, thinking of me as he spoke. Fufu, it is alright, because I will make him more delicious food from now on.

    ¡¸I think of you as a normal friend, Nell-san.¡¹

    Kurono-kun called me his friend, as if he was stating the obvious. At that time, I thought about how I was able to make a friend on my own for the first time, and I was so happy that I almost cried.

    ¡¸Thanks, Nell, I¡¯ll be counting on you when the timees.¡¹

    Kurono-kun believed in me as a Healer. I¡¯m sorry; at that time I was so happy that you put your trust in me that I flew up into the air by myself, didn¡¯t I?

    ¡¸Sorry about this Nell, I hurt myself pretty badly...¡¹

    Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. The reason you sustained such a horrific injury is because I waste to the match. From now on, I will make Kurono-kun my number one priority. Even if I have to sacrifice someone else in the process.

    If I don¡¯t do that, I can¡¯t help Kurono-kun as he faces danger. I cannot stop him.

    ¡¸There are some guys that I need to kill, no matter what.¡¹

    I already found out about that.

    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t protect this vige, I couldn¡¯t protect my friends...¡¹

    ¡¸Shit! Damn it! Was I not able to protect anyone this time, either...?¡¹

    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s my fault... that everyone is dead.¡¹

    I have already found out about the weight that Kurono-kun is shouldering.

    I want to help him, I want to be his strength, I want to be of use to him. I want to heal that sadness, that pain.

    No matter what difficulties Kurono-kun faces from now on, I will, I will ¨C

    ¡¸I-I will protect you, Kurono-kun... I will do my best. I will do anything, everything for you, Kurono-kun. So... It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? Please make me your only partner ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸¨C Careful, Lily! I missed you!¡¹

    Kurono-kun embraces the Fairy girl.

    His face shows that he is truly happy from the bottom of his heart. He catches her small body mid-air against his broad, sturdy chest and wraps his strong arms around her as if he will never let her go.

    ¡¸Yeah! Lily missed you too, Kurono!¡¹

    The Fairy called Lily, about the size of a human toddler, is clinging onto Kurono¡¯s neck. Like a kitten being spoiled by its owner.

    ¡¸Uooh! Lily!¡¹

    ¡¸Kuronooo!¡¹

    Kurono-kun¡¯s excited voice reaches my ears.

    I have only just noticed that I unconsciously started using a wind-element spell that gathers sound in order to eavesdrop.

    If I stop this spell, I will not have to hear any more. I will not have to hear Kurono-kun and that child¡¯s joyful voices.

    If I close my eyes, I will not have to see any more. I will not have to see Kurono embracing that child.

    ¡¸Ah, aah... Stop... Please... stop...¡¹

    But I cannot do that. I cannot cover my ears or avert my eyes. After all, if I do that, Kurono-kun will be even more ¨C

    ¡¸Yeah, I missed you too, Fiona. Wee back.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I am back, Kurono-san.¡¹

    This time, the witch is next to Kurono-kun. Ah, you can¡¯t, please stop, don¡¯t get so close to Kurono-kun ¨C

    ¡¸STOP!¡¹

    As if it is only natural, the witch presses her body against Kurono-kun¡¯s.

    If it were only the small Fairy girl, then it would still be eptable. But the witch is about the same age as me, and when she gets close to Kurono-kun, they look just like... l-lovers, don¡¯t they...?

    She can¡¯t, she definitely can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sure that Kurono-kun actually dislikes ¨C

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve been lonely, so can I have the two of you spoil me as well?¡¹

    I hear words so sweet that they could dissolve in water. I see an embrace so hot that his arms might melt.

    ¡¸That is a... lie, isn¡¯t it, Kurono-kun?¡¹

    Kurono is epting these girls himself. I cannot believe this. I do not want to believe this.

    ¡¸Mhmm, I can, Kurono. Lily will spoil you lots!¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I will spoil you plenty, Kurono-san.¡¹

    I don¡¯t want to see anything more, I don¡¯t want to hear anything more.

    ¡¸Th-thanks, Lily, Fiona.¡¹

    I don¡¯t want to witness Kurono-kun having his heart stolen by other girls anymore ¨C

    ¡¸... Eh?¡¹

    Unable to bear it anymore, I try to look away. But before I can do so, I get the feeling that our eyes have met.

    Kurono-kun is standing with his back facing the fortress, and the witch is being embraced against his chest. So only the Fairy girl clinging to his neck is facing in this direction.

    It is a coincidence, I just happened to enter her field of vision ¨C no, that shining emerald-colored gaze is definitely in my direction as I stand here on the fortress walls.

    And then she smiles.

    That is not the innocent smile of a young girl. It is nothing more than a twisted sneer.

    That girl is definitely smiling at me with scorn.

    Kurono-kun can¡¯t see it; I am the only one she is showing this evil expression to.

    And then she, no, that girl* shows off even more.

    TLN*: This is possibly a sign of disrespect from Nell, or maybe reluctance to use the word ¡°±ËÅ®/kanojo¡± meaning ¡°she¡± because it can also mean ¡°girlfriend¡±

    ¡¸Mufufufuu! Kurono, chuu~!¡¹

    She delivers a kiss on Kurono¡¯s cheek. I don¡¯t need telepathy to understand the meaning behind it.

    Kurono is mine ¨C that is what she is telling me.

    ¡¸N-no... That can¡¯t... be... After all, I-I am... Kurono-kun¡¯s number one ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, you two are really the number one for me.¡¹

    These words finally force me to understand.

    ¡¸... Kurono-kun, you love these two more than me, don¡¯t you?¡¹

    Ah, I see, that is how it is.

    From the very beginning, since the day we met, he already belonged to this Fairy and witch.

    Huh? Then what am I, who wants to be Kurono¡¯s number one, who wants to be his partner, supposed to do?

    ¡¸K-Kurono-kun... I-I, I... Ah, uu, u, WAAAAAH ¨C¡¹

    I cry. I find it hard to breathe. It hurts.

    Vomites out of my mouth and stters across the dirty stone floor. This sight only stimtes my nausea further, causing me to throw up even more.

    Twice, three times, I stop breathing. My vomit scatters everywhere. My priest robe is dirtied; I am dirtied. My tears won¡¯t stop. It hurts so much that I might die.

    ¡¸Uu... waaaaah...¡¹

    But my heart is suffering the most. It¡¯s unbearable, it¡¯s painful, to the point that it feels like it will crumble to pieces at any moment.

    My tears are overflowing and saliva is smeared around my mouth. My knees have lost their strength, leaving me squatting in this passageway. I cannot see Kurono-kun anymore. I cannot bear seeing Kurono-kun embracing other women any more.

    But even as I close my eyes, Kurono-kun is holding those two in his arms right now ¨C

    ¡¸Kuh, uu... Don¡¯t take... Kurono-kun away... Don¡¯t take my Kurono-kun away...¡¹

    Say, Kurono-kun, is there a ce for me by your side?

 Chapter 346 The rebellion of Daidalos

    ¡¸... How noisy.¡¹

    This is the first thing Judas whispers to himself as he wakes up.

    The ancient magic of the Media Ruin, a Rank 4 dungeon on the outskirts of Daidalos¡¯s capital district, was used to establish the Fourth Research Laboratory. Bishop Judas, the founder of the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡», has been busy ever since.

    Since the Month of First me (Hatsubi), the month in which he first stepped foot into this enormous Geofront, he hasn¡¯t seen the light of the sun even once. That applies for the white-masked researchers employed here as well, but they haven¡¯t been working as tirelessly as Judas has.

    There is a single bed installed in this room in the deepest part of theboratoryplex, which simultaneously serves as a research room, office and personal room. Judas only uses it once a month. But today, his sleepsted less than an hour before it was interrupted.

    Just as Judas himself whispered, it is noisy outside.

    The only sound inside the room is that of Judas throwing aside the bedsheets to rise from the bed.

    A dim magical light on the ceiling is lit, illuminating the disorganized interior of the room and a muscr body that one would never imagine belonging to this old man. His stark-naked body is just like an ancient statue of a hero. Any man would yearn for such a strong body. Not only its muscles, but also the size of its manhood.

    Judas¡¯s bare body is seen by no-one. As he reaches out with an uncoordinated-looking movement, putting his hand on the bishop¡¯s robe next to him that has been folded in a slightly crooked way ¨C

    The thick metal double-doors that cover the only entrance to the room open with a heavy creak.

    The one who enters is one of the researchers wearing a white mask and cloak that Judas is so ustomed to seeing in this ce.

    ¡¸B-Bishop-sama... Please, run a...¡¹

    Not managing to finish his words, the male researcher copses.

    A pool of blood spreads across the floor. There is arge red stain on the back of the face-down researcher¡¯s white cloak. It is clear that a sword has stabbed him from behind.

    ¡¸Hmph, I don¡¯t need you to lead the way anymore.¡¹

    No, there is no need to confirm the corpse¡¯s condition after witnessing the murder first-hand.

    ¡¸Oi, old man, you¡¯re the boss of this ce, right?¡¹

    Speaking in a deep, threatening voice, an Orc wearing a ck helmet and suit of armor steps over the researcher¡¯s corpse to enter the room. In his hand is a longsword stained with the researcher¡¯s blood.

    Judas¡¯s body isrge for a human¡¯s, but it definitely looks smallpared to the enormous Orc who stands at a towering height of over two meters.

    The Orc is not the only intruder. Behind him is a group of knights wearing simr ck armor, all ofrge races such as Lizardmen and Cyclopes.

    Knights. They are not just any enemies, but genuine knights appointed by the king himself.

    ¡¸Remnants of the Daidalos army... I was in the middle of my rest; would you pleasee again tomorrow?¡¹

    Judas lets out a huge yawn as he scratched his head that is covered in white, shoulder-length hair. As these knights barged in before he managed to put on his bishop¡¯s robe, he is still naked. He is incredibly defenseless.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t go senile on me, old man.¡¹

    There is no way that Bishop Judas, the man who has aplished the incredible feat of artificially creating the seventh Apostle, has gone senile.

    Judas has only just awakened from slumber, but he understands the situation better than anyone else at the Fourth Research Laboratory.

    Rebellions have been urring frequently as ofte, all over the country. With Sariel inmand, the Crusaders have been running around to suppress them, but it has beenrgely unsessful.

    While that was happening, there were rumors that the remnants of Daidalos¡¯s army were gathering troops once more and nning to recapture the capital district. Small-scale rebellions urring all over the country caused the Crusaders¡¯ forces to be divided. In other words, they were a diversion. Even if one guessed that this was the case, the rebellions needed to be dealt with quickly. As a result, the Crusaders were forced to dispatch troops everywhere.

    But even though these rumors were unconfirmed, the defenses in Daidalos¡¯s capital district weren¡¯t criticallycking. Additional reinforcements had even been dispatched from the Sinir Republic. There were no gaps in Crusader troops¡¯ positions. Even though the Daidalos army couldn¡¯t move openly, they would have surely been aware of this, at least.

    So then what move would the Daidalos army make? Would they decide that the enemy forces had been divided sufficiently by their diversionary tactics and move in on the capital district? It seemed that those at the Crusaders headquarters were making various predictions and forming ns to counter the Daidalos army¡¯s movements, but Judas arrived at the correct answer a long time ago.

    ¡¸Your objective is those ck Dragons, is it not? It makes no difference whether youe today or tomorrow. Those things have already been fully trained.¡¹

    ¡¸Y-you shitty old man! What have you done to his highness the prince?!¡¹

    The Dragon King Garvinal has been in by Sariel. There are none other than his sons who can seed him. The blood of the royal family is absolutely crucial for the nation of Daidalos¡¯s revival.

    Garvinal had left a considerable number of children, but right after Daidalos was seized, they were all brought to the Fourth Research Laboratory to be used as experimental subjects. Normally, at least one of them would have been moved to headquarters to be used for political purposes, but every single one of the ck Dragons have be materials for Judas¡¯s experiments.

    The Crusaders¡¯ main army that took the capital district is fifteen thousand strong, and Cardinal Ars holdsmand over them. He owes a debt to Judas. If Judas asks something of him, he can never refuse. Of course, Sariel, who is the suprememander of the Crusaders, cannot refuse any of Judas¡¯s requests either.

    In any case, all of Garvinal¡¯s orphaned children have been gathered here at the Fourth Research Laboratory. That is why the Daidalos army has attacked this ce.

    Rescuing the royal family. That is their true objective.

    They divided the Crusaders¡¯ troops all over the nation, and confined the remaining troops in Daidalos¡¯s capital district. All for the purpose of diverting attention away from this Rank 4 dungeon on the outskirts.

    And now they have stepped foot into the deepest parts of this researchboratory. Both adventurers and knights have be familiar with the Media Ruin over many years as it is the closest dungeon to the capital district. As they were familiar with itsyout, they would easily gain control over the whole dungeon if they were to use the secret passageways and hidden doors that have yet to be discovered by the researchers. In fact, these surprise tactics partially worked.

    However, Judas whispers as if sneering at them.

    ¡¸His highness the prince... Ah, Garvinal¡¯s eldest son, ck Dragon number 13. Give up on that one; it is currently flying somewhere over Pandora with a hero on its back.¡¹

    The royal family member that they are supposed to serve, the first prince of Daidalos who was to be the next generation¡¯s Dragon King, is being used as a mount by a human ¨C how humiliating this must be for these knights. Judas does not understand ¨C no, he does not even think about it, but he does understand that this Orc Knight has lost himself in anger.

    ¡¸I WON¡¯T FORGIVE YOU! I¡¯LL CUT YOU DOWN RIGHT HEEEEEERE!¡¹

    Raising his bloodstained longsword, the Orc steps forward at a speed too quick to be seen by the eye.

    Judas simply stares at his killer¡¯s de with an unchanging sour look on his face ¨C or so it appears.

    ¡¸First technique ¨C Flow.¡¹

    TLN: This is the same technique that Nero used on Gustav in chapter 299.

    The entire room shakes with a thunderous sound.

    It takes some time for the Daidalos knights behind the Orc toprehend what happens next.

    The ceiling copses. The floor caves in. The Orc¡¯s magnificent ck Daidalos-style armor is pulverized and his whole body copses, covered in blood.

    From one moment to the next, the situation has changed to this. They cannot understand what has happened.

    ¡¸Hmm, my strength has grown quite dull. I thought that I would at least be able to break through the ceiling.¡¹

    The naked old man is still standing there, whispering these words of uncertain meaning.

    The one who attacked him was a strong Orc knight, one of the elite. He was not simply a skilled swordsman; in the instant he attacked, he was using a deadly martial arts skill.

    But he was unable tond even a scratch on this unarmed old man, this mere human, and now his body has plunged into the ground ¨C the knights cannot understand, but they soon begin to recall what they just witnessed in that split second.

    ¡ºFirst technique ¨C Flow.¡»Judas used the Ancient Jujutsu by this name.

    The Orc swung his de downwards to split his target¡¯s head in half. He used the master-level martial arts skill,¡ºBreak Impact.¡»The tip of Judas¡¯s finger merely pressed lightly against tip of the sword from the side.

    Touching a de mid-swing is an unbelievably risky move, but the result of that move is even more unbelievable.

    Just what kind of flow of power was at work here? At that moment, the Orc fell against the floor, as if choosing to kneel of his own ord.

    His body fell with even more force than his original attack. No, it¡¯s not that simple. His body was thrust into the floor with incredible speed, as if an invisible giant¡¯s hand crushed him from above.

    That was the first impact. The stone floor was pulverized by the Orc¡¯s enormous body crashing into it, and countless cracks appeared in his armor of ck steel.

    The excess kic energy from the impact brought the already unconscious Orc upwards. It would be more appropriate to say that he was sent flying. He bounced violently into the stone ceiling that is just as solid and hard as the floor.

    That was the second impact. The ceiling caved in. Indeed, with a little more force, the Orc¡¯s face that resembles that of an evil demon would have broken through the ceiling and reached the floor above.

    The third impact was the gentlest, with only the force of the Orc¡¯s fall from the ceiling. For the Orc who had already suffered fatal damage from his collision with the ceiling, the force of this impact was meaningless, however.

    As hended for the final time with a dull sound, his armor fell to pieces like broken porcin. In the next moment, blood and cerebrospinal fluid spilled out of the helmet whose horn ornament was crushed t.

    ¡¸This guy is ridiculously strong! Taking him alive is impossible, we have to kill him here!¡¹

    The knights have finally processed what has happened. The Lizardman who appears to be the second-inmand after the Orc gives these orders in a spirited shout.

    Though the chamber is quite spacious, there is not enough room to wield a spear or halberd. The Daidalos knights choose to use more maneuverable weapons like swords and knives, though they are less suitable for theirrge bodies, and slowly close the distance between themselves and Judas.

    ¡¸Wait, Vice-captain, there¡¯s a hostage right here. Isn¡¯t it alright if we don¡¯t fight this dangerous-looking old man?¡¹

    The light-toned voice that seems to break the air of tension filling the roomes from among the Daidalos knights ¨C no, from behind Judas, from on top of the bed that he just got out of.

    Judas calmly turns around to look at this new person who has suddenly appeared, as well as the aforementioned¡ºhostage.¡»

    ¡¸Hyi, ah... Judas-sama...¡¹

    A single girl calls Judas¡¯s name, sounding as if her voice is being squeezed out of her.

    She is neither a beauty nor unattractive; her face is incredibly in and inconspicuous.

    Her thin body is alsocking in the sex appeal that a young girl should have. Her skin is white, but it is pale to the point of looking unhealthy.

    Judas¡¯s dark blue eyes look at the crying, trembling, naked girl whose youth is her only redeeming feature.

    ¡¸Bringing a girl into a cave like this. You¡¯re quite a popr old man.¡¹

    Indeed, this girl hasn¡¯t suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She was sleeping in the same bed as Judas to begin with.

    Up until now, she has been holding her breath and waiting for the danger to pass ¨C no, it was likely that she suppressed her fear and stayed hidden by wrapping the bedsheets around herself in order to avoid getting in Judas¡¯s way.

    ¡¸A Slime Assassin? I see, such things exist.¡¹

    A blue, semi-transparent person thrusts a knife towards the in-faced girl who is sobbing with fear of the danger that she is in. To be more precise, only the top half of this person¡¯s body is actually person-shaped. Presumably, he needed a head with which to speak and arms with which to hold onto the girl. The lower half of his body is the same globr shape as a Slime monster, bobbing up and down on top of the bed. Of course, there is a shining red core at the center of his body.

    The room is arranged in such a way that there is a venttion duct right next to the bed. It is certain that the Slime Assassin used its flexible body to navigate freely through the narrow ducts and entered the room from there. With this method of entry, he was only able to bring with him a single knife, however. And this knife is now being pressed against the back of the girl¡¯s thin neck.

    ¡¸Hey, if you don¡¯t want your woman to be killed, surrender quietly. Careful now, there¡¯s no time to think. I¡¯m only going to wait ten seconds. Here we go, ten! Nine ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Uu, uu... I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Judas-sama, for being so useless...¡¹

    As if repenting for the final time before she dies, the in-faced girl repeatedly apologizes to Judas with tears flowing from her eyes like a waterfall.

    Even so, the Slime man¡¯s heartless countdown does not stop. His tone sounded like he was joking, but he is dead serious. He is unlikely to care whether Judas surrenders or not.

    The power that Judas demonstrated when he instantly killed the Orc knight is worthy of admiration, but if they were to attack him with this many elite knights while being careful not to drop their guard, they would suffer some losses but be able to take him down.

    Judas knows that this is probably what the Slime is thinking, and is partially exasperated by his foolishness. Even unintelligent monsters can use their instincts to perceive when an enemy is stronger than them.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m such a useless woman, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m ugly, I¡¯m sorry my body is unattractive ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Dorothy, hurry and put your clothes on.¡¹

    Judas gives another exasperated look, this time towards the girl, as he speaks.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorr ¨C eh?¡¹

    As Judas calls her name and calmly tells her to get changed as if nothing is out of the ordinary, Dorothy stares at him in puzzlement through teary eyes.

    ¡¸Three, two, oi! What kind of stupid stuff are you saying, you shitty old man ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸No, I suppose a showeres first. Make sure you wash all of that Slime¡¯s mucus off your body.¡¹

    Saying only these words, Judas turns his head to face the Daidalos knights standing at the room¡¯s entrance once more.

    Before Dorothy processes the meaning of Judas¡¯s words, she sees it. The red crystal-like orb clutched in his right hand.

    ¡¸Kah, haah! H-how...¡¹

    As this small voice fades away, the knife that has been pressed against Dorothy¡¯s neck drops silently onto the bed¡¯s surface.

    ¡¸Eh, huh, eh?!¡¹

    Before she realizes what has happened, Dorothy lets out a shocked voice; she is covered in the mucus of the Slime that has melted away.

    The fearsome Slime Assassin is no more. All that remains of him is the mucus that covers Dorothy¡¯s naked body and the bedsheets.

    ¡¸Y-you bastard! What did you just do?!¡¹

    Seeing the Slime Assassin suddenly die a mysterious death, the Lizardman vice-captain raises his voice.

    ¡¸You do not know? Slimes¡¯ cores are their weak point; if their cores are destroyed, they perish instantly.¡¹

    With the tone of an instructor at a knight¡¯s school teaching something to a bad student, Judas tosses the Slime core to the floor. The impact causes the core to shatter to pieces like ss.

    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible, when, how did you...¡¹

    ¡¸Just now, I simply pulled it out. Is it possible that you could not see it?¡¹

    There is no way that the knights could have seen it. There is nothing to suggest that Judas has even taken a step; as far as they are aware, he has been standing in the exact same spot without moving.

    Perhaps if Judas had used the legendary, time-stopping space-time spell known as Eternal, they would have reacted the same way.

    Of course, Judas has already confirmed that a spell with such a legendary effect never existed even in ancient times, so he knows that this is an absurdparison.

    ¡¸Look, Dorothy. Our long-awaited experimental materials havee to us. We will be busy from now on.¡¹

    With his strong, muscr back facing Dorothy, Judas takes a step towards the Daidalos knights.

    ¡¸Kuh, this man is dangerous! We have to bring him down here at all costs!¡¹

    The Daidalos knights have finally gotten serious, and they attack simultaneously.

    Their battle formation is poor, but they possess formidable individual strength and the ability to work together in small numbers. They make full use of their numbers to deliver shing and stabbing attacks from multiple directions. In response, Judas murmurs to himself.

    ¡¸Oh dear. It seems that my sleepless nights will continue for some time.¡¹

    As a mere researcher, Dorothy cannotprehend what happens next. All she can see is the gruesome corpses of the knights whose chests have been gouged out through their ck steel armor. And in the center, there is the naked body of Judas, who has not been touched by a single drop of blood other than the red-stained right hand that plucked out their hearts.

    The only thing she is sure of is that the battle is over. She didn¡¯t even hear a single scream of pain. It was all over in an instant.

    Dorothy gives Judas a dumbfounded look, as if she is dreaming.

    ¡¸Hmm, it seems that suppressing the rest of them will be impossible with just the adventurers that we have employed as guards... There is no other choice, I will lend them a little assistance. Dorothy, activate all of the altars before I return.¡¹

    ¡¸Fueh? I-I¡¯m sorry?!¡¹

    But Judas¡¯s voice sounds incredibly real. And the contents of his orders are also very real. They are harsh orders that Dorothy wishes were a lie. But she is the only one other than Judas who understands the processes involving Ancient Magic that are required to activate all of the different kinds of altars, so she has no choice.

    ¡¸I am leaving it to you.¡¹

    And Judas who is walking out of the room, still naked, is also definitely real.

    ¡¸Judas-samaa~! Your clothes! Please put on your clooothes!¡¹

    Note from the author:

    This concludes Volume 18.

    Those of you who have forgotten what the rebellion of Daidalos is, please read chapter 259, ¡ºBandits of Daidalos.¡»

 Chapter 347 Black shiver

    The heading at the top of the Spada newspaper issue dated the 27th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin) reads inrge letters:

    ¡ºHis Majesty, King Leonhart departs to rescue Third Princess Charlotte!¡»

    It is a sensational heading, but this information was known in the city of Spada long before it was printed in this newspaper.

    In the early hours of the 27th, a great number of citizens witnessed the impressive sight of abination of the first and second battalions of Spada¡¯s army,¡ºBraveheart¡»and¡ºTempest¡», passing along the main street and leaving for the frontlines through the main gate.

    And immediately following that, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild issued an emergency quest titled¡ºReinforcement of Iskia Vige and Iskia Fortress¡», so the situation became clear.

    A powerful Rank 5 monster had appeared with arge monster army under itsmand. Iskia Vige had been attacked.

    However, the most unfortunate thing of all was that the students of the Royal Spada Academy had been conducting the customary open-field exercise in the Iskia Hills where the monsters had appeared.

    The Third Princess Charlotte mentioned in the headline was only one of the prominent names involved. The First Prince of the neighboring country of Avalon, Nero Julius Elroad, Kai Est Galbraith and Safiel Maya Hydra of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada as well as many sons and daughters of other, lesser-known noble families were also participating in this open-field exercise.

    Everyone thought that the king leading the army out himself was the natural course of action to take. The people of Spada prayed for their safety.

    And then the good news, which all of Spada had been anxiously waiting for, arrived on the 3rd of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu).

    ¡ºThe Nightmare Berserker saves the academy students in Iskia!¡»

    However, reading that heading on the Spada newspaper dated the 3rd caused question marks to appear over the heads of many of Spada¡¯s citizens.

    And then there was the heading on the next page.

    ¡ºA Fairy and witch bishoujobo saves Iskia Vige!¡»

    This only served to add more question marks.

    If one read the article, they would learn that the academy students including the princess were safe, that Iskia Vige had been saved and that this¡ºNightmare Berserker¡»and¡ºFairy and witch bishoujobo¡»are adventurers who yed a veryrge role in the emergency quest beingpleted sessfully.

    Their detailed backgrounds werepletely unknown, but even so, every citizen in Spada understood that a new hero among the adventurers had been born.

    ¡¸Kyaaaah! Kurono-ku~un!¡¹

    High-pitched calls and deafeningly loud cheering echo out in front of Spada¡¯s main gates.

    The day after the article dering that the emergency quest has been cleared was published, on the 4th of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu), the students, the knights that were dispatched and the rumored trio of the berserker, Fairy and witch finally make a triumphant return to Spada.

    A crowd of ten thousand people has gathered to catch a glimpse of these new heroes. It is just like the victory parades that happen after the Spada army sessfully repels one Daidalos¡¯s invasion attempts.

    Among the surging waves of people, there is a single woman wearing the uniform of Spada¡¯s Adventurer Guild.

    ¡¸Kurono-ku~un! Where are yoooou?!¡¹

    There are only two people in Spada who add ¡°kun¡± to the end of Kurono¡¯s name. One of them is, of course, the beautiful, famous, elite receptionist Erina.

    In front of her is arge man who appears to be deliberately blocking her view.

    She is even using the precious time of the lunch break given to her by the Guild to be here. Erina res at the back of the man¡¯s bald head reproachfully.

    The Knights¡¯ Order who is leading everyone else has already passed through Spada¡¯s prided, sturdy main gates and is proceeding along the main road, where people are lined up on both sides.

    They were one step too slow in this incident, but they did make short work of the army of monsters in the areas around Iskia Vige.

    The cheers for the knights contain honest feelings of praise and respect. Many of the knights smile and wave their hands at the citizens cheering for them.

    ¡¸Oh, look! The academy students areing home!¡¹

    Behind the Knights¡¯ Order, a row of academy students emerges through the main gate, and the cheering grows louder.

    ¡¸K-Kurono-kun, where are ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸FAAHAHAHA! I have made a miraculous return from thend of Iskia! My dear citizens of Spada, make sure you remember this legendary homing ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸NOOO! I don¡¯t care about the Delusional Prince!¡¹

    As the huge man in front of her shifts position suddenly, there is a gap that Erina can finally see through. She sees the prince standing on the roof of the Dragon carriage,ughing loudly.

    It is not a luxurious parade carriage for royal use, but simply a Dragon carriage owned by the academy, used for long-distance travel. Of course, there are no handrails on its roof. It should not need to be said that one should not stand on it while it is moving, or even climb onto it in the first ce.

    Seeing the Second Prince Wilhart standing on the roof in a brazen, imposing stance as if he wants to stand out no matter what, Erina shouts these disrespectful words without thinking.

    The reason she is not being dragged away by Law Guardians right now is likely because many of the other citizens gathered here are having simr thoughts.

    He is regarded in such a way that his name didn¡¯t even appear in the newspaper headline,¡ºHis Majesty, King Leonhart departs to rescue Third Princess Charlotte!¡»In such a way that people forget that the King has a second child, a son.

    ¡¸OH! They¡¯re here, it¡¯s Wing Road!¡¹

    ¡¸KYAAH! Nero-sama, face this way!¡¹

    ¡¸I saw it! Just now, Nero-sama looked my way!¡¹

    As ifpletely forgetting the disappointing disy of the Second Prince, the crowd stirs and female voices in particr suddenly grow louder.

    First Prince Nero Julius Elroad is riding his Unicorn down the main road with his usual sullen expression.

    Seeing the embodiment of a prince on a white horse, his fans let out incredibly loud cheers. Even the women who had no interest in him up until now have their eyes drawn to him as they see him in person for the first time, and in the next moment, their hearts might ¨C

    ¡¸Hmph, foolish little fan girls.¡¹

    Women who already have a special someone in their hearts aren¡¯t swayed in the slightest, however.

    ¡¸Oi! Princess Nell isn¡¯t there!¡¹

    ¡¸What, is she inside that carriage?¡¹

    In contrast to the women, the men¡¯s voices are full of discontent and doubt.

    Nell Julius Elroad left Spada to rescue her older brother and her party members who were facing a crisis, and exterminated the monsters surrounding the fortress in a magnificent way. This information was printed in the newspaper.

    The beautiful figure of the white-winged princess who should be praised as another hero is nowhere to be seen.

    Behind Nero mounted on his Unicorn are his party members, Kai Est Galbraith and Safiel Maya Hydra.

    And behind them is a single carriage; the people can guess that Princess Nell is inside it.

    Its windows are covered by thick curtains, making itpletely impossible to see inside.

    If she were merely using the carriage as a method of transport, she could at least smile and wave through the window. The Third Princess who belongs to the royal family should understand that this kind of performance for the people is necessary in these kinds of events.

    However, the fact that she isn¡¯t doing so indicates that there are some unusual circumstances. With the window covered, the citizens of Spada have no way of knowing what those are. The men who have gathered here simply express their disappointment at the fact that they cannot see the beautiful princess.

    And then the group of academy students passes.

    ¡¸Oi, where is that Nightmare something guy?¡¹

    ¡¸It¡¯s the Nightmare Berserker! Call him by his proper ss name!¡¹

    ¡¸I came to see the bishoujobo.¡¹

    ¡¸Are the Fairy and witch not here yet?¡¹

    Is the rumored trio trying to make a grand entrance? Just as therge crowd begins to suspect that this might be the case ¨C

    ¡¸Oi, look! That¡¯s the ¨C¡¹

    The first ones to see, of course, are the ones gathered right next to the main gate. The rumored adventurers have finally appeared ¨C or seem to have; this is all that the crowd further along can tell.

    The reason they are unsure is because no cheer suitable for weing the return of heroes ising from the crowd. Not even simple thoughts like, ¡°they look strong¡± or ¡°they look cool¡± can be heard.

    In other words, the ones who could see them have gone silent.

    ¡¸Eh, wait, what is this cold response...¡¹

    Erina raises her voice in confusion at this unexpected phenomenon. Just what kind of entrance would be able to make this excited crowd fall silent?

    As she wonders, the man in front of her moves again, allowing her to see.

    In that spot, Erina sees ¨C

    OOOOAAAAAAAAAAH!

    The creature letting out a powerful, terrifying cry is a singlerge, ck horse ¨C no, this is a true Nightmare.

    Its mane is flickering with an ominous ck-red aura, as if it is alight with the mes of hell.

    Its pitch-ck body doesn¡¯t look alive in the slightest, but as it slowly walks forward, everyone can see the power and inexhaustible stamina that it possesses.

    And the one riding this ck Nightmare is ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono-kun...¡¹

    This man is Kurono. Even though nobody can hear Erina whisper his name, everyone knows this.

    The appearance of the man straddling the terrifying Undead horse is also terrifying.

    He has ck hair, a ck eye and even the clothes he is wearing are all ck. He gives the crowd the impression that he is infinitely dark, as if he is wrapped in darkness itself.

    The only thing about him that isn¡¯t ck is his blood-red left eye and the bare right arm, where his sleeve has been destroyed.

    The glint in the unusual ck-and-red odd-colored eyes is sharp enough to scare away the demons of hell with one re.

    His expression is grim, as if his sworn enemy is right before his eyes, and he only looks straight ahead. He has a detached air about him, as if he cannot even see therge crowd that has gathered here. It feels like if one were to call out to him, he would cut them down in the next instant.

    In fact, the right arm whose hand is gripping the reins of the Nightmare is as sturdy as a statue depicting a legendary warrior of Spada. The newspaper article contained incredible information that readers couldn¡¯t decide whether or not to believe, such as¡¸he dual-wields greatswords¡¹,¡¸he threw a thirty-meter-long monster¡¹and¡¸he killed a Rank 5 monster bare-handed¡¹, but his appearance now is enough to make everyone believe that it is all true.

    However, for Erina who is close enough to Kurono to call herself his friend, she isn¡¯t surprised by his appearance.

    ¡¸Eh, no way, that¡¯s...¡¹

    What surprises her is that Kurono is surrounded by two girls, the rumored¡ºFairy and witch bishoujobo¡», no less.

    Indeed, Kurono isn¡¯t the only one riding the Nightmare; the two of them are riding on the same horse on either side of him, one in front of him and one behind.

    The one sitting in front is the Fairy. However, it is more appropriate to call her a young girl than a bishoujo.

    She has shining, long, tinum-blonde hair and white skin. With round, emerald-colored eyes, she is indeed beautiful, but she looks like she needs another ten years of physical growth to be called a shoujo.

    But the two pairs of wings on her back show that she is a Fairy; her body does not develop at the same speed as a human¡¯s.

    The left hand that isn¡¯t holding the ck reins is wrapped around the Fairy¡¯s small body.

    The contrast between the evil-looking appearance befitting of a man belonging to the berserker ss and the Fairy whose cuteness is worthy of the Fairy race is so extreme that the crowd is simply confused to see the two of them together.

    One can only assume that the Fairy has been taken hostage, but she is wearing a childish, innocent smile and waving her leaf-like hand. The silent peopleck theposure to respond to her.

    But what catches Erina¡¯s attention is not the small girl, but the other person sitting behind Kurono.

    ¡¸I-I see how it is... Witch Fiona, you are the likely winner, aren¡¯t you...?¡¹

    She is truly a bishoujo, a beautiful woman.

    Anyone in Spada would say that her characteristic ck clothing belongs to a witch. Erina has a good idea who she is, seeing her three-cornered hat and ck robe.

    Erina saw the information on the Guild Cards of Kurono¡¯s allies submitted for Kurono¡¯s Ranking-up procedure, and she remembers it urately. She knows that the Fairy-ss Lily, Witch-ss Fiona and Berserker-ss Kurono form the adventurer party¡ºElement Masters.¡»

    However, because Erina has never actually seen Kurono together with them, she had forgotten that they existed.

    Thinking back carefully, she remembers seeing the distinct characteristics of the Fairy and witch at the academy district branch of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild that she works at.

    And now she finally sees this party together for the first time, but one nce tells her that their rtionship is not merely that of allies ¨C Indeed, Fiona is clinging tightly to Kurono¡¯s back.

    It is not simply because they are both riding on the same horse. Fiona is not straddling the horse¡¯s back, but sitting elegantly with her legs to one side.

    One arm is firmly wrapped around Kurono¡¯s waist, and the upper half of her body that is covered in her ck robe is leaning against his broad, sturdy back. She is like a princess who has been chosen by a prince on a white horse.

    However, the mysterious-looking beautiful face that features golden eyes and light-blue hair looks nk and incredibly sleepy.

    It is not the ecstatic expression befitting of a maiden in love. However, the fact that she is sitting behind Kurono as if it is only natural for her do so stirs Erina¡¯s jealousy.

    That witch shows no sign of interest in the crowd weing them and seems bored as she presses her body against Kurono¡¯s back. Erina is a smart woman, which is exactly why she doesn¡¯t want to think about how close the two of them have to be for Fiona to cling to him so naturally.

    ¡¸Grr... I won¡¯t lose either ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Oh, ooh! Is that the Greed-Gore?!¡¹

    ¡¸Uooh! It¡¯s huge!¡¹

    As Erina begins feels strong hostility towards the witch who appears to be showing off her rtionship with Kurono, the crowd stirs once more.

    The Greed-Gore, a ferocious Rank 5 monster. As if to prove that it was the Nightmare Berserker¡¯s fierce fighting that brought it down, its enormous corpse appears right behind Kurono.

    Four Land Dragons are pulling a vehicle sorge that it can barely fit through Spada¡¯srgest gates.

    The object secured on top of the special load-carrying tform appears to look like an enormous, reddish-brown boulder.

    However, if one looks carefully, it clearly resembles a bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur. It has short front legs in ce of arms, powerful rear legs that it used to travel across the ground and a long tail. However, the ferocious head that is supposed to be there is nowhere to be seen.

    In the newspaper article, it was written that the Greed-Gore¡¯s head had been cut off.

    Everyone understood that the monster¡¯s head belongs to Kurono as he is the one who defeated it, and at the same time, they feel renewed fear at the seemingly bottomless hidden strength that he possesses.

    Yes, fear.

    Even the people of Spada, whose culture ces great value on strength, simply shiver in the overwhelming presence Kurono radiates.

    ¡¸Kuu~ So cool! Kurono-kun is the coolest!¡¹

    With the exception of a small portion of Spadan women.

 Chapter 348 The second and third divine protections

    When I suddenly wake up, I see an open ck space ¨C no, a throne.

    ¡¸This is the Avalon royal castle of the Elroad Empire, isn¡¯t it...?¡¹

    ¡¸Precisely. Wee, Kurono Maou. I have been growing tired of waiting for your second visit to this ce.¡¹

    On the ck throne that looks like someone haspressed pure darkness to build it, there sits a lovely child who doesn¡¯t seem to belong in such a grand ce.

    The child is wearing military clothes that resemble a school uniform, and arge cape that reaches all the way to the floor. His appearance is exactly how it was thest time I was here.

    Yes, the ancient Demon King, Mia Elroad, has appeared in order to bestow new divine protections upon me.

    ¡¸I¡¯m d you¡¯ve recognized my victory over the trials.¡¹

    ¡¸Of course; it was a splendid battle to behold!¡¹

    Wearing a smile that covers his entire face, the Demon King ps his hands in apuse. The sound of a single person¡¯s apuse echoing in this incredibly spacious ce only adds to its sense of emptiness. Could it be that he is being sarcastic with his praise?

    ¡¸Certainly not; your simultaneous victory over the second and third trials was beyond my expectations.¡¹

    Never mind the sarcasm; I feel like he¡¯s lying straight to my face.

    ¡¸I¡¯d like you to stop looking at me with such distrustful eyes. The trials are generated just as I exined to you before.¡¹

    Even as a god, he cannot interfere with fate; everything is the result of nature running its course. That¡¯s what he told me.

    ¡¸But I suppose I can¡¯t me you for doubting me. These trials ced your friends in great danger, after all.¡¹

    Indeed; the things I feared when I was awarded the first divine protection came true straight away.

    I¡¯m not reluctant to ept the trials. But I don¡¯t want anyone to get involved in my battles with such dangerous monsters, let alone my friends and acquaintances ¨C No, the Greed-Gore¡¯s army killed a significant number of people at both the vige and the fortress.

    If those people died because they were caught up in my trials, then... No, let¡¯s stop thinking about this. There¡¯s no end to my doubts, and there¡¯s no way to prove if I¡¯m right or not.

    What I need to be doing right now is thanking Mia, not doubting him.

    ¡¸Thanks to the first divine protection, I was able to protect everyone. Thank you so much for giving this power to me.¡¹

    ¡¸Fufu, you¡¯re a kind person, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s how you even deceived my descendant.¡¹

    ¡¸... Descendant?¡¹

    ¡¸Nell-chan.¡¹

    ¡¸I haven¡¯t deceived her!¡¹

    What a shrewd way of looking at it. I genuinely deepened my friendship with Nell; that¡¯s such an unfair way of saying it.

    I don¡¯t think Mia will listen to anything I say, though. He¡¯s smiling maliciously.

    ¡¸Actually, how do you even know about my rtionship with Nell?¡¹

    ¡¸After flirting so much in front of everyone, I think it¡¯s more unreasonable for you to expect me not to suspect these things.¡¹

    ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t flirt with her, did I?¡¹

    ¡¸Well, the two of you did arrive at Iskia Fortress on the same horse.¡¹

    ¡¸We had no other way of getting there.¡¹

    ¡¸You did embrace Nell-chan after she Dispelled the monster army.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s because she was about to copse from using all of her magical power.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, that reminds me, at the Grand Coliseum you left the arena holding Nell in a princess-carry, didn¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I got ahead of myself...¡¹

    Back then, I acted with no hesitation, but now that it¡¯s been pointed out to me, it¡¯s incredibly embarrassing.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine; as a god and as her ancestor, I¡¯m not so uncouth as toment on the love affairs of others.¡¹

    ¡¸Call it friendship, please. Well, Nell is so kind and defenseless that even I might misunderstand it, though.¡¹

    ¡¸Mhmm, I won¡¯t say anything.¡¹

    Mia decides not toment. I wonder if there¡¯s any further meaning in my words that sound somewhat like excuses. Still, there¡¯s no need for him to avert his eyes so tantly, is there?

    ¡¸Still, to think that you were even watching the tournament.¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m a god, after all. I see everything!¡¹

    I see, he has been solemnly watching over me from this throne room, or maybe from some truly godlike position above the clouds.

    I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t been acting like a spectator enjoying the show while munching on popcorn.

    ¡¸Well then, I suppose I¡¯ll have you show me the proof that you have ovee the trials.¡¹

    Now it¡¯s finally the real deal. It was exined to me before that certain parts of the monsters are needed as proof. This time, I¡¯ve prepared the proof properly on my own.

    This ce appears to be in my dreams, but it seems that my Shadow Gate is still connected to reality.

    From my open shadow I summon the body pieces that I dissected from the corpses beforehand.

    ¡¸The Greed-Gore¡¯s jaw and the Sloth-Gil¡¯s spine, these are the correct parts, right?¡¹

    What looks like a lump of red rock plunks down in front of me ¨C but this is actually the Greed-Gore¡¯s jaw. To be more precise, it¡¯s the lower jaw. The sharp, densely-packed, upwards-pointing fangs almost make me relive the fear of this mouth trying to devour me.

    Though I say I dissected the jaw, it¡¯s still covered in flesh and carapace; I simply separated it from the upper jaw.

    The other piece of proof, the Sloth-Gil¡¯s spine, is just clean bone, like a specimen.

    Right after I shot the Sloth-Gil in the head, the purple lightning surrounding its body disappearedpletely, leaving only the skeleton of a Lamia, a monster with a human¡¯s head, arms and torso for the top half and a snake¡¯s tail for the bottom half.

    I just had to detach the lower part of its body from the bottom of its copsed skull, a much easier task than cutting away the Greed-Gore¡¯s enormous lower jaw. If Lily and Fiona hadn¡¯t helped me with that, it would definitely have taken me a lot of time.

    ¡¸I ept these two pieces of evidence, the¡ºJaw of Greed¡»and¡ºSpine of Sloth.¡»¡¹

    Like the Wrath-Pun¡¯s¡ºFist of Wrath¡», they shine brightly before crumbling away. The¡ºJaw of Greed¡»shines orange while the¡ºSpine of Sloth¡»glitters purple, and they both fade away as if being absorbed by Mia, who is sitting in the throne.

    I have now offered these to him, which means my body should already contain the second and third divine protections. When I wake up from this dream, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll discover some new abilities.

    I can already imagine what they could be.

    The Greed-Gore of Greed was a monster of the earth element, while the Sloth-Gil of Sloth was a monster of the lightning element. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to be able to artificially transform my ck magical energy into these elements.

    But the Demon King¡¯s divine protections have other powers.

    ¡¸Fufu, it seems that you understand what powers the next divine protections will grant you.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah. As well as¡ºForce Boost¡», I learned a little about modern magic* from Nell.¡¹

    TLN*: I should probably have mentioned this earlier, but what I¡¯ve been tranting as ¡°modern magic¡± was previously tranted as ¡°Model magic¡± (I¡¯m going off the kanji trantion because ¡°Model magic¡± makes no sense)

    That¡¯s right, if I base my spells on modern magic spell forms, I¡¯ll find the answers naturally.

    ¡¸Well then, putting all pretenses aside, I suppose I can at least tell you their names. Using¡ºOverdrive¡»is still dangerous for you; you need practice, don¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks, I¡¯ll work hard ¨C Ah, that reminds me...¡¹

    Hearing the word ¡°practice¡±, I remember one more thing.

    ¡¸Hmm, what is it?¡¹

    Mia tilts his head in an adorable way, just like how Lily does in her child form. I frankly express my concerns without hiding anything.

    ¡¸Actually, I heard from Will that there¡¯s going to be a victory parade when we return to Spada. I was wondering what I need to do.¡¹

    ¡¸I see, you did y a very important part in the victory, after all!¡¹

    Rescuing the students and defeating the Greed-Gore weren¡¯t things that I achieved on my own, but I do realize that I¡¯m the one who yed the most outstanding role. And unlike with the Wrath-Pun, I did finish it off properly, too.

    This incident was on such a scale that the king personally led the knights out to rescue the students. Since I was the one who led us to victory, I would be the main part of the parade. Will fiercely insisted that he would make me the main part of it, so I couldn¡¯t refuse.

    Of course, it¡¯s not like I¡¯mpletely against it. I suppose if you¡¯re a man, you aspire to be a hero.

    ¡¸A victory parade, huh. That takes me back.¡¹

    Mia-chan says this with a distant look in his eyes.

    I wonder if he¡¯s reliving his old glory. To me, he just looks like a young child basking in the happy memory of going to an amusement park.

    However, Mia is the legendary Demon King who, in the distant past, made many triumphant returns after victories in battle.

    ¡¸I thought that you would have plenty of experience when ites to parades, Mia, so I was hoping to get a piece of advice.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, that was a good decision, Kurono Maou. Even though it¡¯s a victory parade, the festivity can be embarrassing. You can¡¯t let it get to your head and make a peace sign or anything like that, okay?¡¹

    ¡¸You made a peace sign?¡¹

    The Demon King turns his head away and exercises his right to remain silent. Ah, he made a peace sign. I¡¯m sure he made double peace signs with a self-satisfied look on his face.

    ¡¸Anyway! If you¡¯re the main part of the parade, you have to act the part properly!¡¹

    As Mia boldly stands up from his throne, suddenly full of enthusiasm, I can¡¯t help but to feel a little defeated.

    He doesn¡¯t have to get so serious, I was just hoping that he could teach me a little trick or something to help me prepare, but...

    ¡¸Alright, well then, I will train you so that you won¡¯t feel embarrassed no matter what parade you take part in! I won¡¯t let you return until we¡¯re finished!¡¹

    ¡¸A-are you serious...¡¹

    Thus, I gratefully receive the personal instruction of the Demon King in order to learn how to act in a victory parade.

    But, well, I suppose the real thing will go perfectly after this. There¡¯s no doubt that the people of Spada weing us will be cheering and pping loudly.

    ¡¸Now then, take one, here we go!¡¹

 Chapter 349 Returning home

    It¡¯s evening on the 4th of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu). We made it through the victory parade without incident ¨C no, the spectators had no reaction to us at all; it was quite an empty-feeling parade... Anyway, we¡¯ve finally made it back. Back to this worn-down dormitory in the Royal Spada Academy.

    ¡¸We¡¯re baaack!¡¹

    Three voices, with Lily¡¯s being the loudest, echo out in this entrance that¡¯s a little cold from the autumn wind getting in through a gap somewhere. Man, this dormitory is really worn down.

    ¡¸Buting back here makes you really feel at ease, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸I agree.¡¹

    ¡¸Right!¡¹

    My right arm is holding onto Lily, while Fiona is snuggling against my left. I really have flowers in both of my hands* right now. The small tinge of loneliness that I feel despite this isn¡¯t a luxury, by any means.

    TLN*: IÊÖ¤Ë»¨/ryoute ni hana trantes to ¡°having flowers in both hands¡±, which is a Japanese phrase that means ¡°to be in between two beautiful women¡±.

    ¡¸I hope that Simon can hurry ande back as well.¡¹

    Simon, the truendlord of this dormitory, will not being back here today.

    Thanks to Nell¡¯s treatment, Simon made a full recovery from the injuries he sustained when he was attacked by the Morjura, but both his physical and mental strength have been exhausted. What Simon needs right now isn¡¯t treatment, but rest.

    ¡¸He is with Emilia-san, so he will get better soon.¡¹

    The Bardiel house is arge noble family, one of Spada¡¯s Four Great Noble Houses, so I¡¯m sure Simon is living the best lifestyle for recuperation there is.

    Simon seems to really not get along with his older sister, but just like after the battle of Alzas, they¡¯ll definitely take good care of him.

    ¡¸I am sure that he is currently crying tears of happiness at the devotion with which Emilia-san is nursing him.¡¹

    ¡¸Y-you think so?¡¹

    From what I heard from Simon, I can¡¯t imagine his older sister being that type of person, but... No, Fiona did say that she personally met her at some point; Fiona trusts her enough to be able to say this with confidence.

    Either way, Simon is currently experiencing the warmth of being nursed by his family, and there¡¯s nothing better than that.

    ¡¸You know, Lily gave him the Fairies¡¯ Miracle Medicine, so he¡¯ll be fine!¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right.¡¹

    Now that she mentions it, I used the Fairies¡¯ Miracle Medicine for the luxurious purpose of removing my paralysis, so I¡¯mpletely out. I¡¯ll have to ask her to make more.

    I really don¡¯t know when the trials will appear, so I need to be well-prepared.

    But I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t get punished for taking it easy tonight. Please, Mia-chan, spare me another trial for now.

    ¡¸By the way, Kurono-san, it is almost time for dinner, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    Fiona¡¯s stomach gives a hearty grumble. There is no better way for her to express herself.

    ¡¸For now, should we get changed first?¡¹

    I don¡¯t want to be wearing this coat with a ripped right sleeve forever, and since I¡¯ve just gone through battle after battle while wearing it, it¡¯s really dirty.

    ¡¸Yes, we will eat a littleter, then. I will retrieve the souvenirs from Avalon and wait in the lounge.¡¹

    I see, Fiona went to Avalon. She was supposed to be training, but she was kind enough to buy souvenirs ¨C no, she was probably dazzled by tasty souvenirs that she wanted to eat herself.

    We¡¯ve only just got back and Fiona¡¯s already acting like herself, I think warmly as I head for my own room with Lily.

    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been back in this room.¡¹

    If I recall, we left this ce on the 25th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin). Thest time I was here was when I left excitedly to take ce in the¡ºCurse Carnival.¡»

    To think that I would receive that emergency request right after my match... Looking back on it, that was incredible timing.

    ¡¸Lily wanted toe home quickly as well. Lily is lonely when she can¡¯t sleep together with Kurono!¡¹

    Saying such adorable words, Lily behaves like a spoiled child. Ah, Lily really is cute.

    ¡¸I was lonely without you too, Lily.¡¹

    Fufufu, I can say farewell to the lonely nights where I¡¯m sleeping alone. Thinking this impure thought, I put Lily down on the bed.

    Lily rolls around on the bed, giggling. The hem of her one-piece dress has worked its way up, exposing her bottom that is covered by her white silk underwear, but I don¡¯t really pay it any attention.

    ¡¸Hey, Lily, aren¡¯t you going to get changed, too?¡¹

    ¡¸Ye~es!¡¹

    With an enthusiastic response, she opens the light Dimension with her small hands and takes out the robe made of the fur of a Punpun, or the White-pun robe for short.

    The reason she is holding the robe out towards me is certainly not because she wants me to wear it, but because she wants me to help her put it on.

    Normally, Lily would easily be able to get changed on her own. But damn it, right now I have the urge to spoil her, so I have no choice. The child-form Lily is good at being spoiled. So good that it makes me wonder if she has me dancing on the palm of her hand.

    Well, even if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m happy to dance as much as she wants. And so I dly take the robe to help her get changed.

    ¡¸Alright, banzai.¡¹

    ¡¸Banza~ai!¡¹

    TLN: For those who don¡¯t know, ¡°banzai¡± is an action where you raise both arms over your head

    With the enthusiasm of someone about to do radio calisthenics*, Lily straightens out her back and holds both arms up high. I grab a hold of the hem of her one-piece dress and lift it straight up.

    TLN*: Warm-up exercises broadcast over radio in Japan

    I am once again faced with the white underwear of a little girl. I also see her soft, white stomach with that little bit of roundness that¡¯s unique to little girls, and her small belly button.

    Oops, I have to be careful so that it doesn¡¯t get caught on her wings. They¡¯re transparent and look like they¡¯re made of light, but these things do physically exist.

    Lily points her upper wings upwards and her lower wings downwards so that they are almost vertical and don¡¯t get caught up in her dress.

    Nice, I managed to get it off.

    With the one-piece dress removed, she is only wearing a single pair of underwear.

    Seeing her almost fully naked, it reminds me of when I first met her not that long ago. Starting with this ck Ancient velvet one-piece dress, I¡¯ve gotten used to seeing Lily in various different clothes, but she waspletely naked at first. Now that I think about it, it seems kind of outrageous.

    ¡¸Okay, gabah.¡¹

    ¡¸Gabah!¡¹

    I make a random onomatopoeic sound as I pull the White-pun robe over her head in one movement.

    With the hood that has long rabbit ears attached pulled over her head, the transformation from a cute fairy into a wild Punpun isplete.

    ¡¸Alright, we¡¯re done.¡¹

    ¡¸Thanks, Kurono!¡¹

    Don¡¯t mention it. I got to enjoy Lily¡¯s cuteness; in fact, I¡¯m the one who wants to thank her.

    Huh, these thoughts sound kind of lolicon-like... No, no, they¡¯re not, definitely not.

    In a very pleasant mood, I finally throw¡ºDiablo¡¯s Embrace¡»off my body while gazing at Lily¡¯s bottom and its round rabbit tail as she rolls around once more.

    I have tounder this guy thoroughly tomorrow. It really put its heart into enduring those fierce battles.

    And so I finish changing into new pants and a shirt, giving me a rough appearance. Now then, time to go to the lounge to eat Fiona¡¯s souvenirs from Avalon ¨C

    ¡¸Say, Kurono.¡¹

    But at that moment, Lily calls out to me. Her voice has a somewhat cold tone that clearly doesn¡¯t sound like her child form, but more like her juvenile form.

    ¡¸Yeah, what is it, Lily?¡¹

    Lily herself is still in her child form, still on all-fours on the bed. With her bottom that has a tail attached to it still facing me, she twists around to look at me.

    ¡¸This white feather, what is it?¡¹

    Huh, Lily-san? Your eyes are a little scary...

    Lily, who is now radiating a presence like the Wrath-Pun¡¯s, has found a single feather on the bed. I have a very good idea who it belongs to.

    Nell Julius Elroad. The kind-hearted First Princess of Avalon, the second friend I made in Spada.

    Friend. That¡¯s right, on the day that Nell and I made it clear that we are friends, at that time, she was sitting on the bed in my room. She did more than just sit on it; she pped her wings around and reacted quite intensely, so there¡¯s a high chance that this feather was left there back then.

    Well, even if that¡¯s not the case, there were several asions where I invited her to my room to have her teach me magic, and she often sat on my bed. It¡¯s not strange for there to be a feather or two left on the bed.

    Now of all times, the sharp-sighted Lily has discovered this feather here. And with that discoveryes a great misunderstanding...

    Note from the author:

    Please look forward to the next, final chapter of Kuro no Maou:¡ºKurono dies.¡»(Just kidding.)

 Chapter 350 The first Element Masters emergency meeting

    ¡¸So with that, let¡¯s start the first Element Masters emergency meeting.¡¹

    ¡¸The topic of discussion concerns Kurono-san bringing the princess of Avalon to his bed during our absence.¡¹

    ¡¸No no no, wait, just wait a minute.¡¹

    The lounge that was supposed to be filled with a light-hearted atmosphere as we told stories about our journeys has instead turned into a danger zone with a strained air of tension.

    I¡¯m seated in a chair. Opposite me is Lily in her White-pun robe who has taken the effort to transform into her juvenile form, and Fiona standing in an imposing stance, holding the¡ºAinz Bloom¡»for some reason, even though we¡¯re indoors. I can feel their spirit; they look ready to fight a Rank 5 monster right now.

    However, there¡¯s no way that there¡¯s a powerful monster here. I¡¯ve just been forced to sit here on this chair in the middle of the room by myself and face these two.

    Because I¡¯m sitting down, my eyes are around the same height as Fiona¡¯s. It feels like I¡¯m the only one whose height has been reduced ¨C in other words, I feel intimidated.

    ¡¸Yes, we will wait. Until Kurono-san spits out everything.¡¹

    ¡¸Hey, Kurono, you will tell us everything honestly, right?¡¹

    Lily¡¯s eyes are directly telling me that even if I lie, she¡¯ll know because of her telepathy. Freaking scary.

    Wait a minute, what is this, what the hell is this?! Has a new trial started for me?!

    I wonder why things look so hopeless for me. My mind was more at ease when I was fighting the Greed-Gorepared to being cast into this hell.

    ¡¸Kurono?¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, err, umm... This is, you know...¡¹

    And so, as I fumbled my words, broke out in a cold sweat and became flustered and desperate, I talked. I said everything.

    How I met Nell and had her teach me magic, how I taught her how to cook, my appearance in the¡ºCurse Carnival¡», my victory, the injury of my right arm, the treatment of that injury. And finally, the battle at Iskia Fortress.

    As Fiona said, I spat everything out.

    What a development, howughable. I¡¯d thought that I yed a huge role that I could boast about to these two, but who would have thought that I¡¯d be telling them my story feeling like this...

    ¡¸¨C so, that¡¯s how I became friends with Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸Hmm, I see.¡¹

    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s how it was.¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m so d you two understand ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono, you¡¯re too defenseless.¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san, you are too defenseless.¡¹

    Huh, why are they saying that? I thought Ipletely resolved the misunderstanding, but the words being said to me are entirely unexpected. And both of them gave the exact same response, as if they¡¯d arranged it beforehand. And their gazes are still cold.

    ¡¸O-oi, what do you mean, I¡¯m too defenseless?¡¹

    The defenseless one is Nell, isn¡¯t she? She came into contact with a man like me showing no signs of wariness right from the beginning. Most importantly, the distance between us was small, I mean physically. Isn¡¯t it just that she¡¯s a person with only ten centimeters of personal space?

    ¡¸You can¡¯t do that, Kurono. You have to be more wary of women that approach you.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, because you can never tell what kind of ulterior motives they might have.¡¹

    ¡¸No, isn¡¯t it the woman who has to be more wary ¨C¡¹

    Fiona¡¯s staff strikes the floor with a thud. Please don¡¯t do that, Fiona-san, it¡¯s really scary.

    ¡¸Listen, Kurono-kun. Women are monsters.¡¹

    What is that logic? It¡¯s equivalent to the saying that all men are wolves*. But Lily¡¯s eyes are dead-serious.

    TLN*: This is a Japanese phrase that implies that men only want sex.

    ¡¸A man like Kurono-san is a reasonable trophy, isn¡¯t he?¡¹

    I wonder if that¡¯s supposed to be apliment. Thanks to the look in Fiona¡¯s eye that¡¯s as if she¡¯s looking down on me, I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s apliment at all.

    ¡¸But I¡¯ve never had any experience with being particrly popr with women.¡¹

    In today¡¯s parade, the women were squealing for Nero, the prince on a white horse. That should be what you call popr with women.

    My practice with Mia-chan was in vain; the women didn¡¯t make a single sound, let alone cheer for me. No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s no way you can say that I managed to win their hearts. In fact, I seemed to have repelled them.

    ¡¸I¡¯m the one who knows the most about Kurono¡¯s charms ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸No, I know much about Kurono-san¡¯s charms as well.¡¹

    ¡¸Objectively speaking, Kurono has quite a lot of attractive elements.¡¹

    I-I don¡¯t know about that... Those are ttering words that I don¡¯t find very convincing. I can only assume that she¡¯s biased towards me.

    ¡¸First, your kindness. One could say that you¡¯re a hopelessly soft-hearted person.¡¹

    ¡¸You forgive me without getting angry even when I hit you with heavy friendly fire.¡¹

    Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the short-tempered type, but I¡¯m still a man who wouldn¡¯t think twice about murdering someone if I get really angry. I¡¯ve already killed countless numbers of Crusader soldiers and those masked guys from the researchboratory.

    And Fiona, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t get angry even if I receive friendly fire, but I do get scared.

    ¡¸And you¡¯re strong. There aren¡¯t many people who could defeat you, Kurono.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯repletely fine even if I hit you with friendly fire.¡¹

    Indeed, even I have the confidence to say that I won¡¯t lose a fight easily. It would be impossible for me to win against an Apostle, or Fiona and Lily if they fought me together, though.

    And Fiona, if I take damage, I feel pain like a normal person. Don¡¯t misunderstand.

    ¡¸You¡¯re tall, and your body is so well-tempered that even the knights of Spada are nothing inparison.¡¹

    ¡¸You have a nice body, Kurono-san. You may take your clothes off right here.¡¹

    I¡¯ve always thought that my height was the only thing about me as a man that I could feel proud of, ever since I was a high school student. Well, it only adds to the scary, intimidating air that my face gives off, though.

    My body is something that was forcibly remodeled this way during my time in theboratory. I don¡¯t really train my body now; in fact, I¡¯m spending all my time learning about magic.

    And I¡¯m just going to ignore Fiona¡¯s nonchnt sexual harassment.

    ¡¸And your face is ¨C ah, mhmm, I think it¡¯s handsome, but I suppose everyone has different tastes.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s scary enough to make a child cry, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸UOOH! It¡¯s like that after all, is it?! Damn it!¡¹

    Even Lily can¡¯t help but to agree with Fiona¡¯sment on my viinous-looking face.

    Ah, that makes me miss Shirasaki-san who would look down and tremble in fear every time she saw me.

    So it¡¯s true that Lily, Fiona and also Nell are all special exceptions who are quite open-minded when ites to a person¡¯s appearance. I¡¯m more terrible at making first impressions than anything else, so that¡¯s something that I¡¯m grateful for.

    ¡¸Anyway, just looking at these superficial things, there are so many attractive things about you, Kurono. I¡¯m sure any Spadan woman with an interest in strong men would take a liking to you.¡¹

    ¡¸Of course, those factors are not the only reasons why Lily-san and I are with you, Kurono-san.¡¹

    Yeah, even I know that much, Fiona. You two are definitely special to me after all.

    ¡¸But that doesn¡¯t mean that all women will truly understand you like me and Fiona do, Kurono.¡¹

    ¡¸That is what I meant when I said that you can never tell what ulterior motives they might have. Kurono-san, whendies approach you, you unwarily treat them with kindness as if it were only natural, don¡¯t you?¡¹

    Th-that¡¯s... I do my best not to be rude. And, well, I am a man, so I don¡¯t have any negative feelings if a woman calls out to me.

    ¡¸And once you get close to someone, you don¡¯t abandon them easily, do you, Kurono?¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s why there is a risk of your goodwill being taken advantage of, Kurono-san.¡¹

    Even though Fiona calls it goodwill, I don¡¯t think my interactions with women are out of the ordinary. Just because they¡¯re my friends doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯d lend them huge sums of money without thinking, co-sign a contract with them or be their aplice in a crime.

    ¡¸Well, I understand what the two of you are trying to say. The world isn¡¯t all filled with virtuous people.¡¹

    In fact, in this world, it¡¯s the bad people who have everything going their way. Of course, I¡¯ve met even more good people than bad ones, and had to say goodbye to many as well.

    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s it, even you have themon sense to understand that, Kurono.¡¹

    ¡¸But Kurono-san, you¡¯re still defenseless.¡¹

    Eh, so in the end we¡¯vee back to where we started. I don¡¯t really understand, just what exactly about me is defenseless?!

    ¡¸I¡¯ll take this opportunity to make it clear. There¡¯s something suspicious about that princess of Avalon.¡¹

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹

    As Lily deres this with a stern expression, I inadvertently let out a stupid-sounding noise.

    ¡¸Look, Lily-san, it looks like he had no caution after all.¡¹

    I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t understand. Just what about that kind-hearted Nell are Lily and Fiona so wary of?

    ¡¸But there might be no helping that. After all, Kurono isn¡¯t from this world to begin with.¡¹

    ¡¸You¡¯re right; Kurono¡¯s homnd of Japan or something is apparently a society without noblemen or ves.¡¹

    ¡¸... Is it the fact that Nell¡¯s a member of the royal family that¡¯s bad?¡¹

    Both of them let out a small sigh. The way they sigh at the exact same time is incredible, as if they calcted it. Sure enough, that¡¯s the answer.

    ¡¸Exactly. Forming irregr rtionships not officially recognized by others with royal family members is a dangerous business.¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, but Will is ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸That* is fine.¡¹

    TLN*: Lily is referring to Wilhart himself with the use of ¡°that¡± here.

    ¡¸I agree; that person is alright.¡¹

    What¡¯s with that difference in reactions? Is this what you call a disparity in poprity? And Lily, you said ¡°that¡±...

    ¡¸Prince Wilhart is a person that is alright to trust. He shows symptoms of being a daydreamer and making thoughtless remarks, but he is still able to tell the difference between delusions and reality.¡¹

    ¡¸Telepathy is a truly convenient ability, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    I see. Will¡¯s brain went through Lily¡¯s telepathy check without me even noticing. I¡¯ll keep quiet about this; let¡¯s make this an Element Masters secret.

    ¡¸But that princess... I couldn¡¯t see much of what she was thinking. I am guessing that she has telepathic abilities herself.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, though they¡¯re not as great as yours, Lily. She can¡¯t read your emotions unless she directly touches ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸Did she touch you?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹

    ¡¸Did she touch you, Kurono-san?¡¹

    As Fiona asks me this question, her eyes are extremely serious. Her usual sleepy-looking eyes have opened slightly wider, and there¡¯s a ming brightness to the light in her golden pupils.

    In the next moment, the staff in her hand gives off a pressuring aura, as if she¡¯s going to suddenly release a fire-magic attack.

    ¡¸Well, we did hold hands. Thanks to that, I was able to learn¡ºForce Boost¡», and that turned out to be the key to awakening my first divine protection. You know, it¡¯s really amazing, this¡ºOverdrive¡»¨C¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s not... what I mean...¡¹

    As if enduring some kind of pain, Fiona quickly turns her face away and speaks in a strained voice.

    ¡¸Calm down, Fiona.¡¹

    ¡¸... I¡¯m sorry.¡¹

    Just what was such a shock to her? Fiona¡¯s trademark three-cornered hat is pulled low over her face so that I can¡¯t see her expression.

    I¡¯m somewhat surprised by the unusual sight of Fiona losing herposure ¨C actually, I remember when the ring I gave to Fiona broke and she continued to hit the devilish murderer Joto after he had already died. A chill runs down my spine as this memory shes through my head.

    ¡¸There is a chance that she looked around your memories when she did that, Kurono.¡¹

    It can¡¯t be; there¡¯s no way that Nell would do something that¡¯s equivalent to stepping all over someone¡¯s privacy with muddy feet. But the only one who believes that is me, because I¡¯ve spent time with her.

    ¡¸But there¡¯s no way that we can confirm that now. Be careful from now on, okay? Watch out for telepathy users other than me.¡¹

    ¡¸That reminds me, Lily-san, you have tried to search through my mind as well, haven¡¯t you?¡¹

    Fiona, who seems to have regained herposure, nonchntly asks this frank question. Of course, Lily ignores it magnificently.

    In any case, it was careless for me to have put myself in a situation where my thoughts could be read while knowing that Nell has telepathic abilities. But if there were a telepathy-user as powerful as Lily who could read my mind just by standing in front of me, then there¡¯s no way to deal with it unless I have a Mind-Protecting Magic Item.

    Still, it¡¯s only because Nell used her telepathy that I could understand the spell forms of modern magic...

    ¡¸It seems that you trust that princess quite a bit, Kurono, but the problem is that your rtionship with her involves more than just the two of you.¡¹

    That¡¯s what Lily meant by¡¸irregr rtionships not officially recognized by others¡¹, I suppose.

    ¡¸Sorry, how do I put it... I justpletely forgot about it until now... I¡¯m known as the¡¸Viinous Tentacle Man¡¹or¡¸Nightmare Berserker¡¹here in the academy, after all...¡¹

    If a man with such clearly dangerous-sounding titles called himself a friend of the beautiful princess, nobody would understand. If I was in their shoes, there¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯d consider it ridiculous.

    ¡¸Even if there weren¡¯t those annoying, disgraceful rumors about you, I am sure that a mere male adventurering close to the princess would generate a lot of animosity, Kurono-san.¡¹

    That response is certainly easy to imagine. Actually, I¡¯m an idiot for not having given that a single thought up until now.

    Though this is only an excuse, maybe because I was lonely from not having Lily and Fiona around, I subconsciously spoiled myself with Nell¡¯s presence.

    ¡¸Say, Kurono, didn¡¯t anyone harass you while we weren¡¯t here? If they did, let me know and I¡¯ll punish them for you right away.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I shall make them explode for you.¡¹

    ¡¸Ah, no, there¡¯s nothing to worry about in that regard for now.¡¹

    Th-that reminds me, right after the incident in the dining hall, these two got really angry, didn¡¯t they? I¡¯m happy that they¡¯re willing to do so much for me as a friend, but they seem a little like they¡¯re not joking. They might seriously go on a rampage, so I¡¯m slightly scared.

    For now, if it¡¯s harassment on the level of someone putting pins in my indoor shoes or scrawling on my desk, I¡¯ll keep it quiet from these two. Well, we don¡¯t wear indoor shoes at the academy, nor do we have our own personal desks.

    ¡¸But still, the biggest problem is that we don¡¯t know just how that princess is going to meddle with Kurono.¡¹

    ¡¸Meddle, you say... She hasn¡¯t been a bother at all; in fact, she¡¯s done nothing but help me.¡¹

    ¡¸No, since Lily-san was unable to find out her true intentions, we don¡¯t know what she is nning. Even if she does not n to deceive you, Kurono-san, if she is unexpectedly harmed or the people are set against you, in the worst case scenario, you will be executed for crimes against royalty.¡¹

    Th-there it is... Execution for crimes against royalty... So there¡¯s a chance of that happening after all...

    ¡¸Even if that doesn¡¯t happen, it would be simple for someone of a royal family to destroy a single adventurer¡¯s life.¡¹

    The scene of Nell shouting,¡¸I¡¯m telling you to stand down, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯ll have you executed for treason!¡¹in the arena shes through my mind.

    Indeed, she¡¯s capable of not only destroying someone¡¯s life, but ending it. Very easily, with a single half-hearted order.

    Though it¡¯s a bitte, I start to wonder if that Chris-somethingdy is alright.

    ¡¸If she intends to do so, then she definitely can, and even if she doesn¡¯t, it is still possible for those around her to misunderstand and go on a rampage.¡¹

    ¡¸If it were just a matter of not being able to use the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, it would not be such a serious matter. But if you were dered wanted by the entire nation of Avalon, you would have bigger things to worry about than fighting the Crusaders.¡¹

    ¡¸Th-that would be... bad.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, bad.¡¹

    ¡¸It is very bad.¡¹

    Damn, I¡¯ve been horribly oblivious to this potential disaster up until now. I didn¡¯t grasp the true meaning of the fact that Nell is a member of a royal family. At most, I guess I thought of her in the same way I thought of one of my female high school ssmates that was from a really wealthy family.

    ¡¸Kurono, you¡¯re ignorant to the differences in social positions.¡¹

    ¡¸When ites to dealing with royal family members and nobles, there is a thing known as an appropriate sense of distance. If you were to be friends with the princess and treat her in the same way that you treat us, Kurono-san... You can¡¯t do that.¡¹

    I-I see... I finally understand why these two got so angry, no, I suppose they aren¡¯t angry, but I can see the reason they got so serious.

    ¡¸Sorry, my carelessness has caused you guys to worry unnecessarily.¡¹

    At first, I was firmly under the impression that I was in trouble because they thought that I¡¯d brought a girl into my bed while they weren¡¯t here, but... Damn it, what a stupid misunderstanding on my part.

    Even though Lily and Fiona were just really worried about me.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine now that you understand, Kurono.¡¹

    ¡¸And we will never leave your side from now on, so do not worry, Kurono-san.¡¹

    Gentle smiles finally return to their faces.

    ¡¸Thanks. I¡¯ll be more careful from now on as well.¡¹

    And so I realize once again just how blessed I am to have these party members, and with that, the first Elemental Masters emergency meetinges to an end.

    Note from the author:

    To those of you who were expecting a scene of carnage, my sincerest apologies. This was Lily¡¯s n ¨C to pretend that there would be a scene of carnage, then to have Kurono avoid Nell of his own ord while simultaneously increasing his positive feelings and trust in herself.

 Chapter 351 Ceremony

    The room is asrge as a gymnasium, but it¡¯s nowhere near as dreary. It¡¯s covered in magnificent decorations, as if the best of this world¡¯s luxuries and craftsmanship has been concentrated in one ce.

    If I look to my right, there is a row of statues portraying gant warriors that I can only imagine must have been modelled after ancient heroes. If I look to my left, there are sculptures depicting goddesses of war that possess both beauty and strength. These works of art aren¡¯t stone statues, but crystal sculptures. Among them is a statue of a greatsword-wielding warrior wearing a cape, and a female knight with full-body armor and a spear ¨C ah, that¡¯s right, those two are the same people positioned at the Royal Spada Academy¡¯s main gate. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re particrly famous heroes in Spada. I don¡¯t know who they are or what they did, though.

    In addition to these crystal statues that make a pile of 10,000,000 ns seem worthless inparison, the surface of the enormous walls are embellished with cloths of a vivid crimson color. Two crossed swords and a crown have been embroidered onto the cloths using shining, golden thread ¨C Spada¡¯s coat of arms. While its design is simple, Spada¡¯s national g has a majestic feel to it when held aloft.

    Incidentally, the carpet beneath my feet is made of the same pure-red cloth as the national gs. The long, narrow carpet continues forward like a road, and at the end of it, there¡¯s an enormous seat decorated with gold and crimson ornaments.

    In other words, that¡¯s the royal throne.

    That¡¯s right, the ce that I¡¯m in right now is the throne room in Spada¡¯s royal castle.

    ¡¸Adventurer Kurono, step forward.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes.¡¹

    That was close, my voice almost came out high-pitched because I¡¯m so nervous. My heart is pounding and cold sweat is dripping down the back of my neck. Even so, I somehow manage to maintain a poker face.

    Well, that could be because my face has stiffened up and is unable to disy any facial expression right now. It was like this during the parade, too.

    And so, after being called by some kind of Spadan minister, I continue my steps forward ¨C in other words, towards the king who resides on the throne in front of me.

    I¡¯m so nervous that I feel the urge to look back at Lily and Fiona who are behind me, but I resist. I also feel the urge to nce at the knights, civil officials and the other important-looking people who are standing in lines, but I resist that as well.

    Calm down. In a situation like this, I just need to look straight ahead and maintain my body¡¯s current dead-serious behavior.

    To think that my practice with Mia-chan would show its results in a situation like this.

    Ah, of course, I¡¯m not just talking about the ce that I¡¯m in. I¡¯m talking about the ceremony that¡¯s happening in this throne room.

    Well, there¡¯s only one thing that this ceremony could be for.

    ¡¸Adventurer Kurono, your actions in Iskia were ¨C¡¹

    This minister makes a drawn-out, roundabout congrattory speech that still somehow manages to skip over most of the details. As he says, I¡¯m being praised for my deeds at Iskia Fortress.

    I do feel that I yed a big role that I can feel proud for once, but I¡¯d never expected that I¡¯d be summoned to the royal castle for such arge ceremony.

    Today is the 6th of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu). The day after I spent the whole day resting after returning to Spada, it was decided that there would be a ceremony to award a decoration to those who performed great deeds in the Battle of Iskia.

    Incidentally, I heard about this ceremony from Will, who had visited the dormitory yesterday evening with his usual loudughter.

    I thought it was way too sudden, but it¡¯s not like my opinion would change anything, and it¡¯s not such a trivial event that I could choose not to attend because it¡¯s a bother.

    Actually, I don¡¯t have a formal suit. I¡¯m attending this ceremony in my academy uniform. Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m a student, so nobody will think I¡¯m stingy.

    ¡¸Fu, be happy, Kurono. Spada has finally recognized ¨C no, realized the ability of the Nightmare Berserker! Causing ck shivers that freeze the spines of the people, a new hero of darkness is born ¨C Kurono, the leading part in tomorrow¡¯s act is you.¡¹

    Stop it, Will; that puts a lot of pressure on me. I don¡¯t really understand what he¡¯s saying, but I can understand that there are huge expectations of me and I¡¯m going to get a lot of attention.

    Though this may be obvious, I don¡¯t have a single shred of experience in being celebrated in a public ce like this.

    This isn¡¯t on the level of appearing at the Koushien stadium* and being cheered for and congratted by my whole school.

    TLN*: The stadium where the Japan National High School Baseball Tournament is held

    Being awarded a decoration by the king of Spada means that the country has formally acknowledged my achievements. Will saying that it¡¯s the birth of a hero might not necessarily be an exaggeration.

    I understand it, but that doesn¡¯t mean I agree with it. Why me, I mean, is it alright for it to be me? With only these confused thoughts constantly running through my head, I wasn¡¯t able to sleep muchst night.

    Oops, I can¡¯t be yawning at a time like this. I have to stiffen up and concentrate.

    ¡¸¨C and so, his majesty King Leonhart praises your service in battle and awards you this decoration.¡¹

    Oh, it¡¯s finally time! This thought runs through my mind not because of the minister¡¯s solemn words, but because I¡¯ve finally arrived in front of the king.

    The king who rules Spada, Leonhart Tristan Spada.

    His pure-red hair and golden eyes are indeed just like Will¡¯s. But they look nothing alike.

    His physique is simr to mine or evenrger. Even though he¡¯s covered in an extravagant red cape suitable for a king, I can tell that he¡¯s trained his body to the limits. I can see his bulging shoulder muscles and the thick wrists emerging from his sleeves.

    It¡¯s not just his appearance; his stance doesn¡¯t leave any vulnerable openings.

    Even if I were to perform a surprise attack on King Leonhart with my hatchet right now, he would be able to deal with it. Actually, I wonder if I could win if I fought him fair and square... While thinking the thoughts of a battle-crazed lunatic, I stand before him and salute as I was instructed to do beforehand.

    I curl my right hand loosely into a fist and press it against the left side of my chest. This is the Spada-style salute. After that is, err, oh yeah, get down on one knee, right?

    Even if that wasn¡¯t right, I feel like I would kneel naturally. That¡¯s how overwhelming King Leonhart¡¯s presence is. Hmm, I guess I might not be able to win against him in my current state.

    ¡¸Hmm, Adventurer Kurono, raise your eyes.¡¹

    As King Leonhart stands up from his throne and opens his mouth, my nervousness peaks ¨C

    Leonhart is interested in the man named Kurono. He has held this interest since before the events in Iskia.

    The first time he saw that name was in a report submitted by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Its contents were regarding an emergency quest issued in Daidalos.

    Emergency Quest ¨C Escort the refugees

    Reward: Undecided

    Time period: Undecided

    Contractor: Adventurers¡¯ Guild of Daidalos

    Contents of request: It has been decided to evacuate all vigers to Spada. The vignte corps of each vige are in charge of escorting them. You adventurers are wanted in position behind the vigers to suppress the enemy as much as possible and buy enough time for the vigers to evacuate. No information is known about the enemy other than that they are a human army. This is a quest of unprecedented danger, but the lives of all the vigers are in your hands. We request that you brave adventurers participate in the evacuation effort.

    And then it was recorded that this quest had ended in¡ºfailure.¡»

    After the Crusader army assaulted Daidalos¡¯s capital district, they began an inhumane upation regime in the region¡¯s viges. Thus, the intelligence department was able to confirm that this emergency quest had been issued.

    ording to the document, the number of refugees fleeing to Spada from all of the viges in Daidalos¡¯s western region was about ten thousand. Three hundred adventurers epted the emergency quest.

    From those, fifteen refugees and four adventurers made it to Spada alive. It was such a great loss that calling it a failure was an understatement.

    But if all of the testimonies of the adventurers written in that report were to be believed, Kurono had led a mere 103 adventurers and held out for one week despite being outnumbered ten to one ¨C an impressive feat, even if they were annihted in the end.

    And this wasn¡¯t achieved at a fortress with sturdy defenses such as the Ghad Stronghold, but in an ordinary countryside vige called Alzas.

    Could such a thing be possible?

    No, thought Leonhart. He doubted that he himself could do what Kurono, a mere Rank 1 adventurer at the time, had supposedly done.

    Perhaps Leonhart was overthinking things. But because he was such a battle-loving man himself, he thought it was more urate to say that this overthinking was a result of his imagination running wild. He decided not to give it any more thought, and he should have forgotten Kurono¡¯s name after that.

    However, Leonhart heard the name Kurono once more.

    He heard it from Wilhart, who was one of his beloved sons despite his dishonorable nickname of The Delusional Prince that was spreading among the people.

    He had heard that Wilhart was, unlike his older brother Aisenhart or his younger sister Charlotte, extremely unpopr at the academy. But one day, Leonhart received a letter telling of Wilhart¡¯s new friend who had saved his life, and the imminent threat of the Crusaders.

    Wilhart has no abilities to speak of when ites to fighting, but Leonhart knows that he is more sharp-minded than anyone else in the family, including Leonhart himself. In fact, it is difficult to believe that Leonhart, who knew nothing butbat, is the father of such an intelligent son. Even Wilhart¡¯s mother was, well, not much different from Leonhart, though he wouldn¡¯t tell her that.

    In any case, it was quite a surprise to hear that Wilhart had made a friend that he could confide in.

    Soon after that letter had arrived, the Crusader army¡¯s presence was detected around the Ghad Stronghold when it was investigated and Leonhart became certain that Kurono¡¯s achievements were true, surprising him even further.

    The depths of Kurono¡¯s ability was unfathomable. Leonhart knew that the Wrath-Pun, the Rank 5 monster that Kurono had rescued Wilhart from, was at least as strong as Leonhart himself was twenty years ago.

    The ones who actually yed the beast were those of¡ºWing Road¡», but because Leonhart had fought a Wrath-Pun before in the past, he understood.

    It was not an opponent that was na?ve enough to let its prey make a convenient escape. Unless one demonstrated power that exceeded the Wrath-Pun¡¯s, it would give endless chase, never allowing escape.

    Kurono had seeded in driving the Wrath-Pun away because he possessed enough strength to remind the Wrath-Pun of its own mortality. Leonhart was sure of this because he had heard that the Wrath-Pun¡¯s greatest weapon, its right arm, had been cut off. Of course, there was no evidence other than Kurono¡¯s own testimony that he was the one who had cut it off, but Leonhart had already decided that there was no more room for doubt.

    And for Kurono, who had already surprised Leonhart twice, to do it a third time ¨C no, Leonhart expected that this would happen.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine that a man with such hidden power would be content with forever being a Rank 3 adventurer, a mere academy student at that. He anticipated ¨C no, knew for certain that Kurono and the adventurer party that he belonged to would make their name known throughout Spada before long.

    The only surprise is that he did it so quickly.

    Thus, Kurono has finally appeared before Leonhart, the king of Spada.

    ¡¸Hmm, Adventurer Kurono, raise your eyes.¡¹

    A fine facial expression. That is Leonhart¡¯s first impression of him.

    Despite standing before the king of a nation, that expression shows no sign of tension or unrest.

    That ck hair and single red eye make Leonhart question whether he could be an illegitimate son of his friend, the king of Avalon. If that is the case and he was secretly given high-quality education, that would exin how he is maintaining this calm, self-possessedposure.

    Leonhart cannot imagine the king of Avalon going behind his wives¡¯ backs and having an affair with another woman, however.

    ¡¸Your actions in Iskia were truly admirable.¡¹

    Kurono¡¯s red and ck eyes that look straight ahead of him are reflected in Leonhart¡¯s own. Leonhart cannot read any emotion from that sharp glint in his eyes. It is impossible that he is feeling happy or in high spirits.

    Does he feel that this is only natural, given his ability? This is not an arrogant thought; he simply acknowledges reality.

    In that case, this ceremony must be terribly tedious for him. At the very least, it is for Leonhart. No, rather than being tedious, he feels as if he is being forced to hold himself back.

    With such a man before him, Leonhart cannot help but feel an urge to challenge him to a duel on the spot. Kurono¡¯s presence is simr to the white one that he felt at the Ghad Stronghold.

    Nobody else in this ce can see it, but Leonhart¡¯s eyes ¨C yes, the golden pupils that harbor one of his divine protections,¡ºRival Search¡»¨C can clearly see the ck aura that resembles pure darkness surrounding Kurono¡¯s body.

    Just what kind of power is Kurono hiding? He rides a Nightmare, maniptes cursed weapons and wields ck magic. Battle abilities that Leonhart has never seen or heard of. And the aura of darkness wrapped around him, is this the divine protection of a god...? Leonhart truly wants to challenge him to a contest.

    Suppressing that desirepletely, Leonhart solemnly says some generic words to finish this tedious ceremony.

    ¡¸I praise your deeds and award you this decoration with my authority as the 52nd king of Spada, Leonhart Tristan Spada ¨C¡¹

 Chapter 352 Party

    I gratefully received two decorations on this asion.

    The first is the¡ºCrown Medal.¡»

    This is presented to those who have performed great achievements for the nation of Spada. It can be granted to anyone regardless of their social standing, so it¡¯s the decoration that is mostmonly awarded in Spada.

    Even so, the citizens of Spada praise those awarded with this decoration more than those given decorations that are awarded only to noblemen for trivial things. In other words, this decoration is proof that I did a great thing.

    Well, not that anyone gave me any praise.

    The other decoration I was awarded was the¡ºAdventurer Services Decoration.¡»

    This is given to adventurers who make great efforts in things like thepletion of emergency quests. Each nation in Pandora has a simr decoration, though their names might differ from country to country. Of course, it¡¯s not the nation that authorizes the awarding of this decoration, but the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    In Spada, certain privileges are granted to those awarded this¡ºAdventurer Services Decoration.¡»

    ¡¸To think that I¡¯d suddenly be a Rank 5 adventurer...¡¹(Kurono)

    In my hand, next to the medal that has a design with a sword and a staff crossing each other, is a silver-colored Guild Card that possesses the sublime radiance unique to Mythril.

    In short, I¡¯ve been given the privilege of skipping an adventurer Rank.

    ¡¸Look, look! Lily is a Rank 5 adventurer too!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸I am now also Rank 5.¡¹(Fiona)

    Lily is excitedly showing me her new Guild Card, while the witch Fiona is wearing her usual sleepy, uninterested expression. These two also received the¡ºAdventurer Services Decoration.¡»

    The two of them bravely came to the aid of Iskia Vige, which was on the verge of falling to the monster army¡¯s fierce attack, turning the tables in the blink of an eye. Apparently the only work that the Knights¡¯ Order of Spada had to do when they arrived was cleaning up the remaining monsters.

    Gustav, the red Orc adventurer that I spoke to briefly in Iskia Vige, was also awarded the¡ºAdventurer Services Decoration.¡»Just as Nell told me, his party, the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡», are famous in Spada and their actions in this battle were treated as something that was to be expected of them. Since they already reached Rank 5 a long time ago, we¡¯re the only ones that were granted the privilege of skipping a Rank.

    Oh yeah, speaking of Nell, she was supposed to receive the¡ºAdventurer Services Decoration¡»as well, but...

    Anyway, the ones who performed meritorious deeds in Iskia have been awarded magnificent decorations like this.

    Nevertheless, as I acted solo and yed a conspicuous role, I¡¯m the only one who was awarded the¡ºCrown Medal.¡»Since quite a lot of the rescued students are high-ss people such as noblemen¡¯s children who are training as cadets, that probably contributed to how well my actions were received.

    Anyway, our actions have earned us Mythril tes and the¡ºElement Masters¡»have finally been acknowledged as a Rank 5 party.

    However, for some reason, the ss name engraved on my Guild Card is¡ºNightmare Berserker.¡»

    That¡¯s strange; my ss should definitely have been recorded as¡ºck Magic user.¡»It shouldn¡¯t have changed since I had it recorded by Nyarko in Irz Vige.

    Damn it, those damn people at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, tampering with people¡¯s personal information as they like... now this embarrassing ss name has be official, hasn¡¯t it?

    ¡¸Well, Ranking-up was one of our objectives, so that¡¯s good. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be Rank 5 so quickly, though.¡¹

    ¡¸That reminds me, we apparently set the record for the fastest Ranking-up in Spada¡¯s history.¡¹

    Fiona informs me of this in a cold tone, as if she¡¯s not particrly happy about this.

    ¡¸Is that so? What about Wing Road?¡¹

    ¡¸It took them half a year. The Element Masters party was formally registered when we came to Spada, so if we count from that day, let¡¯s see, it is about three months.¡¹

    If I recall, I registered the¡ºElement Masters¡»party with Erina at the academy district branch of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild around the middle of the Month of First me (Hatsubi). Right after we registered, I went to hunt Punpuns and Goblins, Lily went to hunt Slimes and Fiona went to hunt Dagger Raptors and Windwolves. Uwah, how nostalgic...

    And so time passed, and now it¡¯s the 6th of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu). Mhmm, it¡¯s been about three and a half months, I suppose. If Wing Road took half a year then that means we Ranked-up at double their speed.

    ¡¸We skipped a Rank, so we were just lucky, right?¡¹

    ¡¸No, it is because of our ability as well as luck. And the Rank-skipping system is not that much of a special event. It is only appropriate to acknowledge capable adventurers.¡¹

    Come to think of it, I remember hearing in one of Nyarko¡¯s lectures that when people like knights who have certain backgrounds register as adventurers, they start off at Rank 3 right after passing the examination.

    That means that skipping a Rank is actually something that we can be really proud of. Considering that we were even awarded these decorations, being humble about it might be seen as sarcasm instead.

    ¡¸But to follow up on the ceremony with an extravagant party, they really don¡¯t know how to rx, do they...¡¹

    I somehow made it through the ceremony without making some kind of mistake in front of the king, but apparently a congrattory party was nned as well. That is to say, it¡¯s already started.

    We¡¯ve moved from the throne room to the castle¡¯s banquet hall. Since this room was made for these kinds of events, it¡¯s also decorated resplendently.

    Being held in a ce like this, it¡¯s more like castle ball that you might see in a fairy tale than a party.

    There are real chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling that¡¯s so high that I have to look up to see it. The light that brightly illuminates each corner of this hall might have some kind of magic behind it.

    This hall, which isrger than the throne room, is crowded with the students that were rescued at Iskia Fortress, as well as their rtives and other academy students that are here to celebrate their safely. It¡¯s quite a lot of people; the banquet hall can barely fit them all in here.

    I can see them everywhere, enjoying the food and drinks that have beenid out on the long, spacious tables while rejoicing in the students¡¯ safety and telling tales of heroism from the events of Iskia.

    Hey, the one speaking fervently with a bottle of alcohol in one hand is the Orc teacher that I knocked out with a wooden sword, isn¡¯t it? I heard the teachers suffered many casualties and that more than half of those who were seriously injured are teachers, but damn are they tenacious.

    Of course, Simon, who wasn¡¯t seriously wounded but is recuperating in his own home nheless, isn¡¯t here. I¡¯ll have to find an opportunity to visit him sometime.

    Come to think of it, I don¡¯t see Will here, either. He was among the students attending the ceremony, so I thought he¡¯d be at this party. Well, it¡¯s really packed in here and everyone¡¯s in uniform, so it¡¯s pretty difficult for us to spot each other.

    ¡¸Still, you two don¡¯t get nervous even in an atmosphere like this, do you?¡¹

    ¡¸Eh, are you nervous, Kurono-san?¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono, are you okay~?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just my first time experiencing something like this, you see.¡¹

    It¡¯s not as bad as during the ceremony, but I really can¡¯t feel calm. I pat Lily¡¯s head, partially in an attempt to conceal my nervousness. Her silky blonde hair is incrediblyforting to touch. It heals me.

    ¡¸Haah, that is how it is, is it? I am simply happy that I can eat so many delicious things.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s good for you.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, I am thinking of beginning my second round.¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s... good for you...¡¹

    Before the three of us isted ourselves in this corner of the banquet hall and started chatting, Fiona got ahead of everyone and searched through the food that had been prepared. She got an extrarge serving for herself, so I¡¯d thought she would be satisfied with that, but to think that it would only be the preliminary battle. I wonder how many rounds she¡¯s going to go for. And will she have a separate stomach for dessert?

    ¡¸Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t eaten much yet. Do you want to eat together, Lily?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll eat! I¡¯ll make you say ¡°aa~ah!¡±¡¹

    ¡¸Well then, I think I¡¯ll do the same to you, Lily.¡¹

    Having this silly-sounding conversation, we follow Fiona¡¯s lead to the tables that have food spread out across them.

    And once again, this phenomenon urs where the students mor and move aside for us, as if I¡¯m Moses parting the sea.

    I say ¡°once again¡± because after we were awarded these decorations and made the main part of the event, so to speak, nobody dared approach us. The students have been reacting to us in this exact way ever since.

    ¡¸It is convenient that they are making way for us, isn¡¯t it, Kurono-san?¡¹

    Is that the extent of your impression of this, Fiona-san? It¡¯s actually considerably shocking to me.

    I can¡¯t help but think that they¡¯re scared of us, no, scared of me.

    As I cautiously observe a little, I see that Lily and Fiona are receiving a lot of hints and looks from people that clearly want to get to know them, but all I can see in the nces towards me is,¡¸Uwah, that person is scary.¡¹

    Damn it, that¡¯s how everyone looks at me even after I¡¯m awarded with those decorations? I¡¯m an idiot for holding onto the hope that people might have gotten better impressions of me after my actions in Iskia.

    ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no helping it...¡¹

    As I whisper quietly to myself in resignation, since I¡¯m the Nightmare Berserker, after all ¨C

    ¡¸Yo, hero of Iskia.¡¹

    At the end of the path to the table that has been opened for us is a man with ck hair and red eyes, wearing the glorious red cape that shows that he¡¯s a cadet. Nero Julius Elroad.

    The swordsman Kai and the Necromancer Safiel are standing on either side of him. Nell and Charlotte aren¡¯t there.

    I¡¯m particrly intrigued by Nell¡¯s absence.

    I haven¡¯t seen her since we parted on the walls of Iskia Fortress when I went to meet up with Lily and Fiona.

    Apparently she copsed from fatigue, but because of the circumstances and our social positions, I couldn¡¯t go to see her. She was isted in a carriage prepared by the Knights¡¯ Order on the way back from Iskia, and she was still like that even during the parade.

    Never mind visiting her; right now, I don¡¯t even have any detailed information on what¡¯s happening with her. She didn¡¯t attend the ceremony, either, and the reason given for that was because she is in poor health.

    But Nero, her older brother, should definitely know about her current condition. I want to take this opportunity to ask him, but no matter how I look at it, it seems that this prince is really angry, doesn¡¯t it...

 Chapter 353 The face-down princess

    ¡¸Nell, how are you feeling?¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m... fine...¡¹

    Nero is not simple-minded enough to believe this reply.

    The room is clean and neatly arranged; it is an exemr of what the room of a dedicated student should look like. Nell¡¯s body isid out across the simple, Spadan-made bed.

    This is the female cadets¡¯ dormitory of the Royal Spada Academy. In other words, this is where Nell resides while she is studying in Spada.

    Males are normally prohibited from entering these dormitories, but there is an exception for those paying visits to the ill, so that is why Nero is here. Of course, there are restrictions on who can visit and for how long.

    Indeed, Nero is visiting his sister who suddenly copsed shortly before their return from Iskia Fortress.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t push yourself and take your time to rest.¡¹

    ¡¸Yes, Onii-sama...¡¹

    ¡¸Look, I bought you the¡ºSweet Smile¡»pudding that you like. I¡¯ll leave it in the cooler, so eat it whenever you want.¡¹

    ¡¸... Thank you.¡¹

    Are his words really reaching his sister? Nero is doubtful and anxious.

    What kind of despair could have turned Nell¡¯s normally beautiful, clear-sky-blue eyes into this dark, stagnant, hollow color?

    To make matters worse, it seems that she is suffering from sleep deprivation because she is having nightmares. There are distinct shadows below her eyes; she shows clear signs that she is mentally suffering.

    Her face is pale, as if all of the blood has been drained from it, and her graceful ck hair somehow seems to have lost its shine.

    Even so, Nell¡¯s beautiful face remains unchanged. However, this beauty is the kind that bestows anxiety to those who look upon it, as if it were a brittle, fleeting beauty that would shatter if touched. It is not her true beauty, the one that is pure, clean and sweet.

    Nero averts his gaze, as if he can no longer stand looking at this pitiful sight. He sees a textbook on magic lying open on her desk; it is unusual for Nell to have left it like that. With one nce at the magic circle drawn on the page, he can tell that it is a page that describes the¡ºForce Boost¡»spell.

    Nell had probably been studying hard on her own even in the absence of her party members. Seeing a w in her usual hard-working appearance, Nero¡¯s mood became even worse.

    Why is his younger sister, who is normally brave and always does her best, in this state?

    No, he already has an idea of who the culprit is.

    ¡¸... Nell, what happened with that man, Kurono?¡¹

    ¡¸I-it has nothing to do with Kurono-kun!¡¹

    Nell, who was behaving like a seriously ill person up until now, suddenly raises her voice. Her response is very abnormal, as if her entire personality changed, but Nero was expecting a response like this.

    However, he is unable to conceal the disturbance in his heart caused by witnessing this for the second time.

    But even though Nero frowns and wears a facial expression that could clearly be described as displeasure or even heartbroken, Nell is not in a state to take notice of it right now.

    ¡¸It is not Kurono-kun¡¯s fault... I¡¯m, I¡¯m...¡¹

    The sight of Nell repeatedly whispering words that make no sense could be considered unusual. But this is actually an improvement.

    Nell copsed when the three other Wing Road members had returned to Iskia Fortress and they were preparing to return to Spada. To be more urate, she had already copsed by that time.

    Nero suddenly realized that he hadn¡¯t seen his younger sister so he went to look for her and discovered her lying on top of the broken fortress walls.

    He could see that she had been vomiting, but fortunately he was able to tell that she had simply lost consciousness. The Knights¡¯ Order of Spada had already reached the fortress, and she was able to be examined immediately by a Priest.

    It seemed likely that Nell¡¯s symptoms were caused by running out of magical power from casting¡ºRadiance Exile¡», the battle that came after that as well as pushing herself to continue using healing magic on the students during the aftermath. In fact, the Priest from the Knights¡¯ Order gave that diagnosis.

    However, when Nell first opened her eyes, it became clear that Nell had copsed not from running out of magical power, but because of some emotional shock.

    The first thing she did when she woke up was cry. She showed no restraint despite the eyes of the people around her, crying as loudly as if she had reverted to being the crybaby that she used to be as a child.

    Even when her brother Nero and best friend Charlotte asked her for the reason, Nell kept her mouth shut stubbornly. Once they thought that her crying had stopped and she had finally calmed down, she became incredibly depressed and didn¡¯t speak a word. And then she would burst into tears again at irregr intervals.

    Exposing Nell to the public in this state would not be good for her, not as a princess or as a young woman. Having her participate in the return parade was out of the question. The official reason for Nell having her own special carriage during the journey from Iskia to Spada was,¡¸She is weak from using too much magical power so she is receiving special transport for her safety¡¹, but the real reason was her emotional instability.

    And now, Nell is resting in her own room in the women¡¯s dormitories. Around the time Nell returned to her room, she had finally stopped crying and she seemed to have calmed down for the most part.

    Until Nero spoke Kurono¡¯s name.

    ¡¸Kuh, u, uu... Kurono-kun...¡¹

    ¡¸Sorry, Nell. It¡¯s fine, everything¡¯s alright now, so just stay quiet and sleep.¡¹

    Seeing therge teardrops of his younger sister spilling over her heartbroken face, there is no need for Nero to pursue the topic any further.

    Nero somehow manages to calm Nell down. As he watches her close her eyes quietly once more, he feels certain of one thing.

    ¡¸... It¡¯s your fault, is it? Kurono.¡¹

    That man is the main cause of his younger sister¡¯s insanity.

    Murderous intent rises endlessly from the depths of his heart. He normally shows no interest in anyone, good or bad. Has he ever felt this much hatred for someone before?

    No, that is impossible. Only wild monsters would dare try toy a hand on anything that Nero considers precious.

    But as difficult as it is to believe, right now, there is a person who is guilty of doing something that has driven his younger sister, the First Princess of Avalon, mad.

    Kurono. Just when did this man get close to, no,y a hand on Nero¡¯s adorable younger sister, the most precious person in the world?

    This is the first time that Nell has added¡¸-kun¡¹to a man¡¯s name. Even when talking to Kai, her party member, she uses¡¸-san.¡¹This fact alone is enough to indicate that she has opened her heart to Kurono in a way that no other man canpare to.

    No other man, not even her older brother, Nero himself.

    ¡¸No! Let go, let go of me! Kurono-kun is ¨C¡¹

    When she came out onto the battlefield, even with the Greed-Gore before her, Nell could see nothing but Kurono. She took no notice of her brother Nero, shouting,¡¸Let go!¡¹as if he was nothing but a hindrance. She is likely still unaware that Nero was the one who stopped her, blocked the Greed-Gore¡¯s breath and escaped while carrying her.

    She was just like an amateur adventurer in her first battle with panic-induced tunnel-vision. Just what kind of joke would it be for a Rank 5 adventurer to be doing such an unsightly thing?

    No, Nero would never speak ill of his sister. Even though her healing magic is her only redeeming feature, even though her sense of direction is useless and her cooking tastes horrible.

    Therefore, he directs all of his hatred towards Kurono. He wishes for nothing more than to cut that man down right now with his trusty sword ¨C

    Nero requires more than a little time and determination to suppress these violent emotions.

    Even if he ignores Nell¡¯s problems, there are several things about that man that he is curious about.

    The first thing that surprised him was the strength Kurono used to eventually defeat the Greed-Gore.

    Kurono used the wound in the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck created by Nero¡¯s¡ºLone sh¡»to deal the fatal blow, but Nero isn¡¯t arrogant enough to say that he did all the work just from that fact. No matter how much he hates Kurono, as an adventurer ¨C no, as a man ¨C he has no choice but to acknowledge the prowess that Kurono possesses in battle.

    Yes, that man possesses power enough to rival Nero¡¯s own. If they were to have a one-on-one duel, it would be difficult for Nero to emerge victorious unharmed. He would have to be prepared to lose at least one arm.

    The appearance of such a powerful adventurer is something that the people of Spada should be happy about.

    But Nero has a bad feeling about this.

    He did a little investigation on Kurono and his party,¡ºElement Masters¡», shortly after the incident in the dining hall. With the incredible speed at which they were climbing the Ranks, Nero had thought that it would not be strange if this was the party responsible for cutting off the Wrath-Pun¡¯s right arm. But in reality, this party exceeded those expectations.

    That is why he feels uneasy. Why has a man hiding that much power suddenly appeared in Spada?

    If he wanted fame as an adventurer, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for him to have started working earlier. Even if he didn¡¯t want to for some reason, there were surely quests that would have let him gain attention much more quickly.

    There were plenty of options. Despite that, Kurono and his party enrolled in the academy¡¯s adventurer course and lived a carefree student life.

    Does he simply want to live a quiet, peaceful life without using his power or gaining attention? It wasn¡¯t as if Nero couldn¡¯t understand why he would want that. As he feels considerable dissatisfaction with the negative attention that he gets as a royal family member, such a lifestyle seems ideal to him.

    However, he is sure that the man named Kurono who emits that ominous presence is not such a peaceful person.

    The worst possible scenario runs through Nero¡¯s mind.

    ¡¸Setting up a foundation... is he?¡¹

    Kurono hasn¡¯te to the academy for fun. What if he came here to get closer to the Second Prince of Spada, Wilhart?

    Even if he is the Delusional Prince that is not highly thought of by the people, a prince is still a prince. He is unmistakably the son of the sword-king Leonhart.

    If Kurono¡¯s aim is to have someone as influential as a royal family member in the palm of his hand, just what kind of ambition is he hiding?

    That would make for a story of rebellion, like the legend of the Demon King and stories of heroes. However, Kurono¡¯s actions have produced results that cannot beughed off as absurd fiction or wild delusions.

    Wilhart already possesses absolute trust in Kurono, calling him things like ¡°sworn friend of my soul¡± and ¡°Nightmare Berserker¡±.

    And now, the First Princess of Avalon, Nell Julius Elroad ¨C as the mes of hatred rise from the pit of his stomach a second time, Nero realizes something.

    No, Nell isn¡¯t the only one. The same applies to himself.

    ¡¸Fiona is... I see... how it is...¡¹

    The beautiful woman he met in the great library, Fiona Soleil. Nero was indeed drawn to her beautiful face ¨C no, her feigned distant behavior despite the fact that he was in front of her. Enough for him to want to stand up Safiel and apany her instead. But what if that encounter was all a trap?

    The first time he came into contact with her was that day that he saved her when two cadets were hitting on her in the za. If that was some kind of trap set up for him... It isn¡¯t an imusible theory.

    Because Fiona is ¨C Kurono¡¯s woman.

    The scene that he saw before he found Nell copsed on top of the fortress walls, where Kurono and Fiona were embracing each other in an emotional reunion, has already been burned into his red eyes.

    He had pushed that scene into the corner of his memory up until now because he has been thinking of nothing but Nell, but looking back on it again, it is quite shocking.

    Perhaps because he was born in the royal family, he had considerable confidence in his ability to see people¡¯s true natures. He thought that Fiona was the type of person with no interest in members of the opposite sex ¨C to the point that he suspected that she might be homosexual.

    As he warns himself not to rely too much on his insight again, he feels admiration for Fiona¡¯s acting ability. If he hadn¡¯t clearly seen the rtionship between her and Kurono himself, he would likely... have at least be friends with her. That is how much of a good impression he had of her.

    Kurono has been enticing Spada¡¯s Second Prince, Avalon¡¯s First Prince and the First Princess. No, that isn¡¯t all; if Nero had be close with Fiona, Kurono would have been able to interact with the other Wing Road members as well.

    Lily, the third member of the Element Masters, is already mysteriously gaining poprity at the academy as the¡¸Happy Fairy-san.¡¹Even the cadets have been talking about her. In other words, the young noblemen who represent the future generation are willingly approaching her.

    And that only further allows Kurono to extend his evil influence towards the academy students.

    The school that children of noblemen and royalty attend is a ce for them to create connections with others for the future. In that regard, Kurono is building incredible rtionships with people in a way that regr noblemen could only dream of.

    And on top of that, with this incident, finally ¨C he will be awarded a decoration.

    Kurono will likely receive not only the Adventurer Services Decoration, but also the Crown Medal. Lily and Fiona, who saved Iskia Vige, will both receive the Adventurer Services Decoration as well and all of them will suddenly rise up onto Spada¡¯s main stage.

    This isn¡¯t a situation where anyone would worry about trivial matters like the fact that they have broken Wing Road¡¯s record for being the party to Rank-up the fastest or the fact that they have performed great deeds at Iskia.

    On top of building strong connections within Spada, they would rise as the heroes who saved Iskia from a Rank 5 monster.

    Everything is going too well, as if destiny is guiding the ¨C no, this is what Kurono was aiming for. Everything has gone ording to that man¡¯s n.

    ¡¸Kurono... Just what are you nning...?¡¹

    The muscles of Nero¡¯s back shudder. He wants to deny that all of this is possible, but with these circumstances, he cannot let his guard down.

    He must pay utmost attention to that man¡¯s movement.

    If Kurono¡¯s hidden ambitions are as evil as the appearance of his face ¨C the one who will stop it, no, the only one who can stop it, is Nero.

    ¡¸Nnh... Kurono... kun...¡¹

    Hearing the sweet sound of his sister¡¯s voice as she talks in her sleep, Nero¡¯s attentiones back to reality.

    Nero clicks his tongue as he realizes that Kurono is ying with her heart, even in her dreams.

    ¡¸... I guess it¡¯s about time.¡¹

    He bes aware of the setting sun shining through therge window, filling the room with orange light. It seems that Nell is sleeping peacefully, letting out small, quiet breaths.

    ¡¸See you, Nell. I¡¯ll visit you again after I go and talk to that guy tomorrow.¡¹

    What happened between Kurono and Nell? What transpired for that man to be in such a rtionship with Nero¡¯s sister that he would bring her to Iskia Fortress? The very first thing that Nero needs to do is interrogate Kurono and find out the truth and his real intentions.

    Even if Nero has to kill Kurono with his own hands, he has to at least ask Kurono these things.

    Perhaps the words thate out of that man¡¯s mouth will be not convenient excuses, but the confession of a terrible truth. Preparing himself with the determination to hear this, Nero puts Nell¡¯s room behind him.

    Note from the author:

    The terrible truth that coulde from Kurono¡¯s mouth would be...

    Kurono:¡¸About your sister, I ate her* (homemade cooking) the day I met her. After that, I brought her to my room every day and taught her various things (about cooking).¡¹

    Something like that, I suppose.

    TLN*: Ê³¤¦/kuu means ¡°to eat¡± in most contexts. ¡°To eat a woman¡± has a sexual connotation in English as well, but in Japanese it can be a vulgar term that means ¡°to have sex with a woman¡±,monly used when it¡¯s the woman¡¯s first time.

 Chapter 354 The deepening crack

    ¡¸Yo, hero of Iskia.¡¹

    Nero is clearly angry for some reason. No, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have any idea why he might be angry at me.

    ¡¸Not at all; if you hadn¡¯te to save me, I would have died. Thank you very much, Prince Nero.¡¹

    ¡¸Stop. Stop it with that tone and that insincere ttery.¡¹

    Damn it, I tried my best to take a humble position, but I guess it didn¡¯t work.

    This reminds me of the time when I met Nino in Irz Vige; he also told me to stop it with the formalnguage because it annoyed him. I wonder if me using formalnguage is really that unpleasant.

    But my feelings of ¡°Prince Nero, thanks a bunch for saving me¡± aren¡¯t a lie.

    My words might havee off as a sarcasticment after receiving the decoration, even if I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I realize this only after I¡¯ve said them, so it¡¯s toote, however.

    ¡¸We¡¯re both students anyway. I don¡¯t mind if you call me by my first name. You do the same with Will, don¡¯t you?¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹

    ¡¸And Nell as well.¡¹

    ¡¸... Yeah.¡¹

    As Nero spoke Nell¡¯s name, I felt a faint release of bloodthirst. It¡¯s clear that he didn¡¯t suggest that we use each other¡¯s first names so that we can be friendly with each other.

    I surreptitiously send a hand signal to Lily and Fiona who have moved behind me, telling them to¡¸hold back.¡¹I¡¯m sure the two of them have noticed Nero¡¯s unstable state. Actually, Lily might be performing a full-power telepathic scan of the prince¡¯s brain right now.

    ¡¸You seem to havee to be on pretty good terms with Nell.¡¹

    ¡¸Nell is my friend.¡¹

    There¡¯s no point in trying to evade this topic. I¡¯ve never been able manipte conversations strategically. I¡¯ll be honest and just say what¡¯s on my mind.

    If that¡¯s no good, well, I¡¯ll just release some ck smoke, grab Lily and Fiona and make a swift escape. I don¡¯t care anymore.

    ¡¸I see. I don¡¯t know how you approached her, but... Well, that¡¯s not important now. Say, Kurono, there are some things I want to ask you.¡¹

    The gaze of Nero¡¯s crimson eyes pierces straight through my own. It feels like he¡¯s about to challenge me to a duel rather than question me. Ah, damn it. As I suspected, that pretty white sword is hanging at the prince¡¯s waist.

    Nero drawing his sword or me summoning my hatchet, I wonder which will be faster...

    ¡¸The strength you used to defeat the Greed-Gore, what kind of divine protection was that?¡¹

    Uwah, he¡¯s asking something that¡¯splicated and hard to answer!

    I wouldn¡¯t mind giving an honest answer of,¡¸It¡¯s Mia-chan¡¯s¡¹, but the Demon King¡¯s divine protection is something special that has never been bestowed on anyone before. I¡¯m hesitant to simply dere its existence here. It hasn¡¯t been formally approved by the Pandora temple, either.

    ¡¸I can¡¯t answer that. It¡¯s an adventurer¡¯s right to refrain from divulging his skills, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    I preemptively add this excuse that I heard is apparently true.

    ¡¸Well, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡¹

    Nero nods as if he was expecting my reply. As an active adventurer himself, he seems to understand.

    I suppose he won¡¯t ask me anything more about my divine protection. Nero begins his next question.

    ¡¸What was the meaning behind setting Fiona after me?¡¹

    ¡¸Huh?¡¹

    I can¡¯t help reacting like this. Anyone would respond in the same way after being asked a question that doesn¡¯t make any sense, after all.

    Who set Fiona after who? I set her after Nero?

    More importantly, Fiona, just when did youe to know the First Prince of Avalon? You went on and on about the dangers of getting close to members of the royal family, so what¡¯s the meaning of this?

    She¡¯s right beside me, so it¡¯ll be faster just to ask her.

    ¡¸Fiona, are you acquainted with Nero?¡¹

    ¡¸No, I have no recollection of him whatsoever. I suppose he has mistaken me for someone else.¡¹

    Fiona seemspletely unperturbed; she replies with her usual sleepy-looking face.

    Hey, hey, are you serious, haven¡¯t you just forgotten ¨C is what I think, but as long as that¡¯s what she insists on, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    ¡¸... Apparently you¡¯ve mistaken her for someone else.¡¹

    I face forward once more and deliver Fiona¡¯s reply to Nero.

    As if he hasn¡¯t heard my reply, the gaze of Nero¡¯s red eyes that he inherited from Mia-chan is directed straight at Fiona, but then he quickly averts his gaze as if giving up. Of course, Fiona shows no reaction at all. Is she actually asleep?

    ¡¸Tch, well, whatever... Questioning you now is pointless.¡¹

    I ended up giving him quite a joke-like answer, but for now, I¡¯m d that he¡¯s satisfied.

    However, he prefaces his next question by telling me that he won¡¯t forgive me if I refuse to answer it.

    This seems to be the final, most important question.

    ¡¸¨C Why did you bring Nell to the fortress?¡¹

    The question thates from Nero¡¯s mouth is one that I¡¯ve been expecting him to ask. Actually, I could only assume that he would definitely ask that question at some point.

    And in response to that question, I have only one answer.

    ¡¸Sorry.¡¹

    The moment I apologize, Nero¡¯s right hand moves.

    He¡¯s drawing his sword ¨C no, that tightly-clenched fist is thrown straight towards my face.

    The only response I¡¯m capable of is to close my eyes reflexively.

    ¡¸!¡¹

    I feel the sensation of a solid fist striking my left cheek hard. Considering how thin Nero is, it¡¯s an incredibly heavy punch. He¡¯s even using¡ºForce Boost?¡»

    If I were a normal human, I would have been sent flying several meters. But because my body has been reinforced to be more sturdy, I was able to withstand it just by stepping back with my right foot and nting it firmly in the ground.

    Even so, pain is pain. My cheekbone hasn¡¯t cracked, but the inside of my mouth might have been cut a bit.

    ¡¸Kurono!¡¹

    ¡¸Kurono-san!¡¹

    I stop Lily and Fiona with a hand motion ¨C that might not be enough, so I talk to Lily under the assumption that she¡¯s listening through telepathy. It¡¯s fine, Lily. Don¡¯t move, stay right where you are.

    I hear Lily¡¯s immediate reply of,¡¸But!¡¹echoing in my head.

    It¡¯s really fine. I¡¯ve just taken a punch from Nero.

    That¡¯s right, that one punch is the only one that I¡¯m going to take quietly.

    ¡¸¨C ?!¡¹

    In the next instant, Nero pursues me with his left fist, but I stop it with one hand.

    The dry sound of his hand striking mine echoes loudly. His second punch is just as mercilessly powerful as his first.

    ¡¸I asked Nell to lend me her strength. So as her older brother, you have the right to punch me for exposing her to danger.¡¹

    As if surprised that I stopped his second attack, Nero has a look of bewilderment on his face. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be satisfied with my response or not, but I never intended to make him understand in the first ce.

    I¡¯m just making something clear.

    ¡¸But that was something that Nell herself wanted as well. She risked her life to save her older brother and her friends, her party members who were there. I couldn¡¯t go as far as to ignore her determination to do that. So I can¡¯t allow myself to be punched a second time.¡¹

    I release Nero¡¯s fist from my palm.

    A third punch doesn¡¯te. Instead, he res at me with an even sharper glint in his eye.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t talk like you understand everything! Nell is different from me; no matter what reason there might be, she shouldn¡¯t be exposed to danger!¡¹

    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you the one who doesn¡¯t understand?¡¹

    ¡¸What did you say...?¡¹

    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand how Nero feels. If I were Nell¡¯s older brother, I would feel the same way without a doubt.

    But I¡¯m not her older brother; I¡¯m her friend. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the one who sympathized with her feelings the most.

    ¡¸Nell is one of your party members as well, isn¡¯t she? Do you think being the only one to receive special treatment would make her happy?¡¹

    ¡¸Shut up...¡¹

    ¡¸Nell said it herself, that there was someone that she had to save. Even though she was that determined, would you seriously have been able to tell her not toe and help because it would be too dangerous?¡¹

    ¡¸I told you to shut up!¡¹

    Nero¡¯s right arm moves once more. This time, he grabs a hold of my cor and pulls me closer towards him. My shirt lets out a scream-like noise, as if it¡¯s about to be torn to pieces.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t forgive anyone who exposes Nell to danger. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll never forgive you, Kurono, you bastard.¡¹

    Nero has finally stopped suppressing his bloodthirst; he¡¯s letting it out indiscriminately now.

    As expected of a Rank 5 adventurer. Though only for a short while, I¡¯ve seen his abilities during the battle with the Greed-Gore. I feel a powerful sensation that causes my skin to crawl. My sixth sense is warning me that things are getting dangerous.

    It seems that Nero isn¡¯t the only one getting serious; there¡¯s Lily and Fiona behind me who have been holding themselves back up until now. They¡¯re barely managing to contain themselves for the moment, but I can vaguely sense that there¡¯s enough bloodthirst swirling around in here that it might explode at any second.

    The two party members that Nero brought with him are exceptionally sharp as well. Likely in response to the unstable presence of Lily and Fiona, they¡¯re showing some indirect hostility, ready to immediately deal with any attack.

    This is bad; it would be fine if this ended up as just a fight between me and Nero, but a brawl including the members of both our parties, a brawl between Rank 5 adventurers, would instantly turn the hall where this party is taking ce into a scene straight from hell.

    But my words are unlikely to reach Nero¡¯s ears now.

    It¡¯s unfortunate that things have devolved into this explosive, dangerous situation, but I don¡¯t regret anything that I said to Nero.

    I know how it feels to be unable to save those that are truly important. I know the depth of the regret that it causes.

    That¡¯s why I absolutely support Nell¡¯s feelings of wanting to save her friends. There are times when you have to fight, even if you have to expose yourself to danger in the process. That¡¯s especially true for someone who possess the ability of a Rank 5 adventurer.

    That¡¯s why I won¡¯t apologize to Nero or take back my words.

    Even so, as an older brother, he¡¯s correct to prioritize his sister¡¯s safety above all else. Nero, your anger isn¡¯t unjustified.

    However, that doesn¡¯t mean that we can express our inability to reach an agreement through our fists in a ce like this.

    ¡¸Listen, because of you, right now, Nell is ¨C¡¹

    Nero¡¯s hostility has already hit some kind of limit.

    Right, I have no choice but to free myself from Nero¡¯s grip, release¡ºck Smoke¡»and make an escape. The moment Ie to this decision ¨C

    The sound of something being destroyed in a spectacr fashion echoes throughout the banquet hall.

    What¡¯s happening?! Both Nero and I reflexively turn towards the source of the noise. Actually, in this situation, there¡¯s nobody here who can¡¯t see it.

    In the spot where the attention of the entire banquet hall is gathered, there¡¯s male student wearing the same the same red cape as Nero. He¡¯s not standing, but copsed on the ground.

    A red liquid is spreading across the hard marble floor. I can immediately tell by the liquid¡¯s hue and the rich fragrance reaching my nose that it¡¯s the local Spadan-made wine, not blood.

    The remains of a half-broken bottle are mixed among the spilled wine. It seems that this is the source of the noise.

    ¡¸FAAHAHAHA! My apologies, it seems that I have be a little too festive and drunk a little more than I perhaps should haaave.¡¹

    The student who fell onto the ground together with his bottle of wine is speaking in a strangely inarticte tone. Now that he has gotten to his feet from his original face-down position, it¡¯s clear who he is. No, his previous words were more than enough to give away his identity.

    ¡¸O-oi, Will... are you alright?¡¹

    I¡¯m still in the middle of having my cor grabbed, but I can¡¯t help saying these words to my drunken friend.

    ¡¸Whaaat are you saying! I am the immortal Second Prince who made a miraculous return from the hell that was Iskia! Falling over just a liiittle will not do me any haaarm! FAAHAHAHA!¡¹

    Will, who seems to havepletely recovered, ces both his hands on his hips and lets out a somewhat proud-soundingugh. Maybe he¡¯s gone crazy from hitting his head somewhere when he fell down. No, he¡¯s like this even when sober, so I suppose he¡¯s fine.

    ¡¸Oops, broken shards of ss have scattered around, how dangerous! Good lord, who is the fool that put my bottle of special Spadan wine to waste?! Oooi, Seria, hurry up and clean this mess up for me.¡¹

    ¡¸Certainly, Will-sama.¡¹

    Before I know it, the escort-maid Seria appears behind Will, equipped with a cleaning set consisting of a bucket, a broom and a dustpan. Even though she¡¯s wearing such a conspicuous maid uniform, I had no idea she was there until just now. She¡¯spletely invisible, like Su-san during battle.

    Anyway, behind the maid who has begun cleaning the bottle up on her master¡¯s orders, Will takes some extremely unstable steps towards us.

    ¡¸Fuoh, if it isn¡¯t my childhood friend who acts as Sharl¡¯s caretaker, the Lightning Lord Knight, Nero Julius Elroad!¡¹

    ¡¸Who are you calling a caretaker? Stop calling me by that title, and while you¡¯re at it, stop using my full name for no reason.¡¹

    ¡¸Kukukukuh, and the sworn friend of my soul, the dark hero that was born on this night, the Nightmare Berserker Kurono! You are the star of tonight¡¯s party; how are you finding things? Have you been drinking?¡¹

    ¡¸No, well, I was thinking of drinking something now.¡¹

    ¡¸I see, I see! Drink, drink plenty! The alcohol expenses shall be paid for by Spada¡¯s national treasury, so you should drink to your heart¡¯s content!¡¹

    ¡¸That¡¯s... Thanks...¡¹

    Will is letting out his breath that stinks of alcohol in front of me and getting excited about something on his own. It¡¯s as if he hasn¡¯t noticed the explosive situation that we¡¯re in.

    ¡¸How about it, Nero? Let us drink together, shall we? I must thank you for saving my foolish sister who threw herself onto the frontlines, after aaaall!¡¹

    ¡¸Tch, I¡¯m not in that kind of mood right now.¡¹

    As if his anger haspletely subsided, Nero releases my cor, turns around and begins to walk off.

    His two party members seem to want to say something as he turns his back on us with a flutter of his red cape, but they follow him silently.

    Of course, the students in front of them part to make way for them and they continue straight ahead, exiting through the banquet hall¡¯s front door.

    ¡¸No matter, Nero¡¯s sullenness and poor sociability is a frequent urrence! Now then, my fellow students who survived the incident in Iskia, let us pay him no heed and drink the night awaaaaaay! FAAHAHAHAHAAAA!¡¹

    With Nero¡¯s exit, the embers of conflict have beenpletely extinguished, and a lively atmosphere slowly returns to the banquet hall.

    Realizing that we managed to get through that dangerous situation without anything too serious happening, I let out a sigh of relief.

    And then I put a hand on my drunken friend¡¯s shoulder and whisper in his ear.

    ¡¸... You saved me, Will. Thanks.¡¹

    ¡¸Fuh, you saw through it, huh. As to be expected from the sworn friend of my soul; you have read my intentions.¡¹

    Yeah, I¡¯m really blessed to have friends like these. This is just one of the events that really make me appreciate that.

    Note from the author:

    Nell:¡¸No, I will definitely be going with you. Just as you are going to save your friends, there is someone I must save as well.¡¹

    This line was spoken in chapter 320,¡ºBad Person.¡»She was right; the person she needed to save was right in front of her as she said it.

 Chapter 355 The sword-king appears

    Despite the incident of Nero¡¯s outburst, drunkenness had spread throughout the banquet hall and everyone is enjoying the party.

    I¡¯m d that this celebratory event wasn¡¯t destroyed.

    Such a thought runs through my head as I stand on the balcony, cooling myself off with the evening wind. The Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu) would be equivalent to October in Japan, but the air doesn¡¯t contain the piercing cold of an autumn breeze just yet.

    The banquet is only on the first floor of the castle, so it¡¯s not like I get a great view of Spada at night bying out onto the balcony. If it were daytime, I¡¯d at least be able to see the beautifully-arranged garden, but it¡¯s already quitete at night and darkness has settled in.

    As I turn from the dull, ck scenery towards the bright banquet hall, I hear happyughter and a pleasant melody. I see the excited students enjoying themselves.

    The one ying the music is Will, of all people. It¡¯s a guitar. Well, it might not technically be a guitar, but that¡¯s what the automatic trantion is telling me. With this instrument that both looks and sounds like a guitar, Will puts on a masterful performance despite his drunken state.

    ¡¸FAAHAHAHA! Music is an art of noblemen and royalty. I had no talent forbat, but my talent with a musical instrument is as you can see, what do you think? It is quite impressive, is it not? Sharl was so unskilled in music that she would cry and smash the guitar!¡¹(Wilhart)

    As Will tells a revealing story about his little sister¡¯s rock-concert like performance, I feel considerable surprise at discovering Will¡¯s unexpected talent.

    But music is an¡¸art of noblemen and royalty¡¹as Will says, and there are apparently quite a lot of people who learn how to y it. Spada has an image of being a military-focused nation, but it seems that its people are somewhat proficient in the arts as well.

    And as Will strums the guitar in a good mood, Lily dances in a cute way to the rhythm of the music.

    Upon hearing the word ¡°Fairy¡±, one might think of a singing, dancing idol, and it seems that Lily is able to dance magnificently by instinct just like an idol. Well, in her little girl form, her dance only induces the pleasure of seeing a kindergarten-age child ying ¨C or so one would expect, but she is giving a dynamic performance with her unexpectedly quick movements and three consecutive triple-axel jumps. Well, she¡¯s cute, so everything is okay no matter what she does.

    Incidentally, Fiona is dancing together with Lily. She is dancing in a curious way with her usual sleepy expression. The way she dances is profoundly mysterious and hard to describe in words; it almost makes me want to ask if it¡¯s some kind of witch¡¯s ritual.

    Lily is cute, but if I was asked what I thought of Fiona¡¯s dancing, hmm, how should I put it... It¡¯s her own unique dance. Yes, let¡¯s go with that.

    In any case, now that I, a source of fear, have put some distance between myself and the banquet, an incredible number of people have crowded around the two of them. Lily was already popr around the academy, and Fiona, well, it would be good if she took this opportunity to make some new friends.

    If Fiona were to have some kind of wonderful encounter that could restore the color to her gray academy life, that would be great. Well, I¡¯ve only made two friends sinceing to Spada, so I can¡¯t really say much myself.

    ¡¸Have you been able to enjoy the party?¡¹(Mysterious person)

    As I space out, someone unexpectedly speaks to me.

    I thought nobody woulde near the balcony because I¡¯m here, but, well, considering the tone of speech, it¡¯s clearly not a student.

    Then just who would ¨C my question is immediately answered as I turn around.

    ¡¸Your Majesty, King Leonhart...¡¹(Kurono)

    The one standing there is a giant who somehow seems like a red lion. It is undoubtedly the king who awarded me the decoration this afternoon. He is wearing the ck military uniform of Spada¡¯s army rather than his shy red cape, but there¡¯s no mistaking the identity of someone with such a conspicuous appearance.

    W-what is he doing in a ce like this? Actually, is it alright for him to be here without an escort or something? These questions swirl around inside my head.

    ¡¸Be at ease; I do not care for formality.¡¹(Leonhart)

    I almost stood to attention without thinking, but hearing these words, I rx a little. Though it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m nervous.

    ¡¸Thank you very much. The party was very lively and enjoyable.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I see.¡¹(Leonhart)

    With that, time passes on in silence. The pleasant music and singinging from the banquet hall seem incredibly distant. My nervousness increases.

    Unlike Will, I suppose King Leonhart is the reserved type. This silence is a little, no, considerably painful. Should I be the one to bring up a conversation topic...?

    ¡¸I wanted to thank you personally.¡¹(Leonhart)

    As if sensing my distress, the red king opens his mouth.

    ¡¸Oh no, being honored with the decorations was more than enough gratitude for me to receive.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸That was my thanks as the king of Spada. Right now, I wish to thank you as a father. Thank you for saving my son.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Y-you¡¯re wee...¡¹(Kurono)

    With the astonishing sight of the king of a nation lowering his head before me, I¡¯m only capable of this extremely in response. Even though I¡¯m a Japanese person ignorant of the ss system here, I do understand that the king lowering his head to me is kind of amazing.

    My feelings of worry that someone might see this scene and make a big fuss about ite before my happiness at receiving his gratitude.

    But fortunately, I don¡¯t hear any sudden screams during the time that it takes for King Leonhart to raise his head again. I¡¯m happy that I haven¡¯t created any more strange rumors about myself.

    ¡¸You and your party will be paid a suitable reward by myself and the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but again, this is but an interaction made for the public. As my own personal thanks, I want to grant you one wish. Do you have such a wish to be granted?¡¹(Leonhart)

    I¡¯m even further taken aback by this sudden offer. But though he says that he¡¯ll grant me one wish, it¡¯s only sensible to assume that it has to be within the realm of possibility. Even so, having the king of a nation do me a favor is a great chance that most people normally don¡¯t have.

    I almost reflexively give a response like,¡¸Your feelings alone are enough.¡¹Well, he really doesn¡¯t need to go so far, but... I won¡¯t simply be continuing this lifestyle as an adventurer.

    I wonder if I should make a wish.

    Should I have him knight me? Ask for a powerful cursed weapon? Or an Artifact? If I ask for it, he might even give mend and a mansion. Even simply asking for an increased mary reward would be reasonable as an adventurer.

    No, these are all wrong. I have something that I need much more than these.

    Alright, I¡¯ve decided. My wish is ¨C

    TLN: In the following section, both characters speak in really old-school, honorifguage. I¡¯ve done my best to express that in English but a lot of the nuances are unfortunately lost in trantion. There are a number of umon pronouns used here as well that are usually honorific terms used in older settings, but I¡¯ve left them in English for readability. In case you¡¯re curious, here are the terms:

    Father = ¸¸ÉÏ/Chichi-ue

    Mother = Ä¸ÉÏ/Haha-ue

    Older brother = ÐÖÉÏ/Ani-ue

    The room is one of the castle¡¯s private rooms for royal use, though its interior is quite ordinarypared to the banquet hall.

    Right now, there is a parent and child of Spada¡¯s royal family in here.

    ¡¸So what did Kurono wish for?¡¹(Wilhart)

    One of them is Wilhart, Spada¡¯s Second Prince. The banquet has alreadye to an end and he has presumably consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, but his clear manner of speech shows no sign of drunkenness.

    The golden eye behind a newly-worn monocle has an incredibly intellectual-looking shine to it.

    ¡¸He said he wants information on the Crusaders.¡¹(Leonhart)

    The one answering him is Wilhart¡¯s father, Leonhart, king of Spada.

    As he sits down on the ck Bluehorn-hide sofa, a heavy presence drifts from his figure. His physique looks even more magnificent than usual because of the contrast with the person sitting opposite him, the slender-bodied Wilhart.

    ¡¸Hmm, that Kurono, being so reserved. If he had asked me, I could have offered him any number of things...¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸Will, you are still a student. Try not to pry into the nation¡¯s secrets too much.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Oops, that was a slip of the tongue.¡¹(Wilhart)

    Leonhart slightly regrets assigning him an escort maid who was originally an Assassin of the intelligence department.

    However, though Leonhart would never tell Wilhart this directly, there are several matters that require information analysis that he wishes he could just leave to Wilhart. He, his wife and Aisenhart, who is set to be the next king, are all inept at this kind of mental work. To be more precise, they are constantly at their wits¡¯ end.

    If he were to bepletely honest, he would admit that he seriously wishes that Wilhart would graduate quickly and be his secretary.

    ¡¸Still, I did write you a letter earlier. What do you think about the threat posed by the Crusaders, Father?¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸Do not worry, I am not taking them lightly. Most importantly, I saw the white being who possessed the power to defeat Garvinal when I visited the Ghad region.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Hmm, that is possibly one of those known as the¡ºApostles¡», the Crusaders¡¯ most powerful warriors.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸Apostles?¡¹(Leonhart)

    As Leonhart repeats the word, he feels a little frustrated that his son seems more knowledgeable about the Crusaders than him. He warned Wilhart not to pry into the nation¡¯s secrets too much only a few moments earlier, but this is how things are.

    ¡¸It is said that they are the twelve warriors chosen to receive a divine protection much more fearsome than those of Ark¡¯s gods, the divine protection of a god that is known only as the White God. They apparently possess power that far surpasses that of Kurono, who repelled the Wrath-Pun and defeated the Greed-Gore.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸... Hooh.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Father, please stop releasing your desire for battle in a ce like this.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸My apologies.¡¹(Leonhart)

    As a swordsman, Leonhart cannot help but to feel raging emotions upon hearing of a powerful adversary. As such, he is unfortunately warned by his son to mind the time and ce for such things.

    ¡¸Surely you have not challenged Kurono to a duel or anything of the sort, have you?¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸Will, you would doubt your father?¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Though Mother and Brother may be unaware that you discreetly challenge those you award decorations to for their achievements in battle, I, Wilhart, know of this. Did you not indirectly say that you might challenge Kurono to a contest of strength when there is an opportunity?¡¹(Wilhart)

    How sad it is for the king of Spada to be doubted this much by his own son... But as what Wilhart is pointing out is true, Leonhart has nothing to say in response.

    Will speaks in an exasperated tone as he says that he will tell Kurono,¡¸Pay no heed to the king¡¯s words¡¹and warns Leonhart that he should restrain himself from now on. And then the conversation returns to the original topic.

    ¡¸¨C But it is reassuring to hear about measures to deal with the Crusaders directly from you, Father. It seems that dispatching the¡ºRampage¡»General Gezenbool and gathering airborne troops at Ghad Fortress was not just for show.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸... Why are you so well-informed about all of this?¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸I merely happened to overhear some things.¡¹(Wilhart)

    Seeing his son grinning broadly, Leonhart feels defeated as he runs his fingers through his wavy red hair.

    ¡¸Even if that is not the case, if we consider that no Pegasuses, Dragons or Griffons came flying to Iskia Fortress, we can conclude that they were made to stay gathered at Ghad.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸That was unfortunate. If even one of those forces were mobilized, there could have been immediate reinforcements.¡¹(Leonhart)

    Which would have been faster, delivering news of an urgent mission to the airborne knights in Ghad or waiting for the forces that departed immediately for the frontlines from Spada?

    Taking into ount various things such as the rying of information, the distance and preparations, the correct answer is without a doubt that the forces led directly by Leonhart from Spada would have been faster.

    However, either way, the fortress would have fallen if it hadn¡¯t been for Kurono¡¯s actions. It does not change the fact that the reinforcements would have been toote.

    ¡¸It is a thing of the past. Your judgment was not incorrect, Father. Even us academy students are not mere children. Everyone fought well, and as a result, we held through the monsters¡¯ attack.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸Indeed, you did very well.¡¹(Leonhart)

    Indeed, they did well, to the point that Leonhart uncharacteristically thinks to himself that Spada has a bright future. He himself would have been unable to endure such a battle to hold a fortress during the time he was a student.

    He was an idiot back then, but more importantly, the cadets were useless. They were the typical ipetent, blockheaded noble children.

    The country of Spada has changed, and the academy has been changed by its current chairwoman, Sofia Sirius Parcifal. Thinking about how she has raised such reliable young people, Leonhart once again realizes that it was the correct decision to leave things in her hands.

    ¡¸However, that does not mean that everything proceeded favorably. I knew that we would be able to hold the fortress until the day of rescue with the power of¡ºWing Road¡», but at thest second, a reckless decision... As embarrassing as it is, truthfully speaking, I cannot help but to think of it as reckless.¡¹(Wilhart)

    The way Wilhart understands Wing Road¡¯s actions and still does not criticize them publicly is behavior that wouldn¡¯t be expected of a student. At this young age, Leonhart¡¯s son has already acquired a mind of steel that can endure humiliation.

    Leonhart has not spoiled Wilhart, but nor does he remember raising him so harshly. Children are mysterious things.

    ¡¸As a father, I must be thankful for the actions of Prince Nero. But as a king, I cannot praise them.¡¹(Leonhart)

    Leonhart has already heard about the events that transpired at Iskia Fortress.

    At thest possible moment, with the monsters on the fortress¡¯s doorstep,¡ºWing Road¡»left. Under other circumstances, this could even be interpreted as an act of desertion, but...

    ¡¸If I were a student, I would have done the same thing as Prince Nero. I cannot criticize him too harshly.¡¹(Leonhart)

    No, there is no doubt that Leonhart would have been the one to sneak out of the castle to aim for enemy¡¯s general on his own. As a student, he felt no desire to protect other students; in fact, he thought that all of the cadets simply deserved to die. The circumstances were a little different back then, but that does not change the fact that he would have acted in a problematic way.

    ¡¸Acting arbitrarily against orders... If they were knights, they would have been executed for that, but we are still students not bound by the steel of discipline. Thus, punishing them publicly would be impossible. Most importantly, Nero is a prince of Avalon; if Spada were to find fault with him, it would be a diplomatic issue.¡¹(Wilhart)

    Will¡¯s words are very much based on reality.

    ¡¸If collective criticism for¡ºWing Road¡»came from the students, there would be problems caused by not punishing them as well, but... By lowering my head, I was able to divert the brunt of the students¡¯ dissatisfaction away from Wing Road. A small price to pay.¡¹(Wilhart)

    Leonhart is listening to the story of how Will showed an incredibly unsightly disy, crying on his knees as Wing Road departed the fortress.

    He yed the fool to prevent the students¡¯ morale from vanishing and Wing Road from bing viins. In fact, the students¡¯ morale was sessfully preserved and they managed to hold the fortress until Kurono and Nell arrived as reinforcements.

    However, at that moment when Will rubbed his forehead against the surface of the ground, was he kneeling with the knowledge that this would solve all of the potential problems in the future? If so, it is bing difficult not to doubt whether he is truly Leonhart¡¯s son. No, he should be praised without reserve for this rather than doubted.

    Indeed, if nobody else would praise Wilhart for this, Leonhart, as his father, should praise him personally.

    ¡¸Will, your actions were correct, as a prince and as a general. The ability you admirably disyed to ovee that difficult situation, you should be proud of it.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Thank you very much, Father. Those words alone are more than enough praise for this son of yours.¡¹(Wilhart)

    Wilhart¡¯s behavior is as formal as that of a retainer, but this is Leonhart¡¯s son¡¯s own way of hiding his embarrassment.

    ¡¸In any case, the battle of Iskia has safelye to an end. The policy of being on maximum alert against the Crusaders must not be changed no matter what.¡¹(Wilhart)

    To think that Wilhart would emphasize it to this extent. This only further confirms Leonhart¡¯s belief.

    Wilhart, General Emelia and Kurono. All of the individuals who know about the Crusaders have strong feelings of danger regarding them. Such enemies are lurking far away, on the other side of Ghad.

    A prediction that a difficult battle ising passes through Leonhart¡¯s mind, one that wouldter prove to be true.

    ¡¸Anyhow, Father, is it alright if we were to attend to the main issue at hand now? I feel pity for Sharl, keeping her waiting for so long.¡¹(Wilhart)

    ¡¸What are you trying to say...? Baka-aniki...¡¹(Charlotte)

    Up until now, the conversation has been between only the father and son, but there are in fact three people in this room. Leonhart¡¯s daughter, the somewhat pale-faced Third Princess Charlotte, res at her older brother.

    ¡¸Sharl, restrain yourself for now.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Uu... I¡¯m sorry, Otou-sama...¡¹(Charlotte)

    Charlotte is sitting right next to her father. Her body is already small to begin with, but next to Leonhart, she looks like a rabbit that has been captured by a lion. Charlotte is showing signs of fear, and it seems that fear is indeed what she is feeling.

    ¡¸I have heard the rough details of what happened. Will¡¯s decision to defend the fortress was correct; first, you must understand that. And so, Sharl, I will allow you to speak. I will hear your excuse for leaving the fortress to try and defeat the Greed-Gore on your own.¡¹(Leonhart)

    When Leonhart arrived at Iskia Fortress with the Knights¡¯ Order, Charlotte was put under strict orders to stay at her father¡¯s side at all times. Even during the victory parade, she was not with her party,¡ºWing Road¡», but riding on her father¡¯s red Sleipnir behind him at the back of the parade.

    It gave the image that Spada¡¯s newspapers wanted of a father rescuing his daughter, but this was certainly not done for the sake of giving a performance.

    Leonhart, who has heard the details of the battle of Iskia, is angry. However, he has not yet punished his daughter for her actions.

    Charlotte has been forced to wait in fear until this day, this moment, to receive her father¡¯s punishment that coulde at any time. And now the time hase. It is finally here.

    ¡¸I-I... wasn¡¯t...¡¹(Charlotte)

    With tears faintly appearing in the corners of her round, golden eyes, her lips tremble as she forces words toe out of her mouth.

    ¡¸I wasn¡¯t wrong! If this baka-aniki had listened to me from the beginning, everything would have gone well! Wing Road would have been able to defeat the Greed-Gore! We wouldn¡¯t have suffered casualties in a pointless battle to defend the fortress!¡¹(Charlotte)

    With tears finally spilling down her cheeks, Charlotte deres her righteousness. Wilhart is wearing a dumbfounded expression, as if lost for words. On the other hand, Leonhart does not move even a single eyebrow; his face remains expressionless.

    Leonhart understands. The reason Wilhart has opened his eyes wide in shock is certainly not because of his younger sister¡¯s foolishness.

    ¡¸F-Father, Sharl is still inexperienced, so I humbly request that you forgive ¨C¡¹(Wilhart)

    Sensing that his foolish sister has triggered their father¡¯s wrath, the older brother is desperately begging for her punishment to be made lighter. Both of them grew up in a Spadan family, so they know the fearsomeness of a father¡¯s anger.

    ¡¸Sharl... You ¨C¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Father?!¡¹(Wilhart)

    Wilhart steps forward to stop him, but it is toote. Leonhart remains seated, but has already raised an arm and clenched his hand into a fist.

    ¡¸¨C UTTER FOOL!¡¹(Leonhart)

    With an angry roar that shakes the castle, the king swings his fist.

    Though he has a human¡¯s body, the sword-king Leonhart possesses enough strength to rival the Dragon King. Even without a sword in his hand, the impact of his fist would be enough to crush a steel Golem.

    The speed of the fist is not perceivable even for Charlotte, the one this terrifying destructive power is aimed at, let alone Wilhart who is watching from the side.

    ¡¸Hyih... Ah...¡¹(Charlotte)

    A moment before the sword-king¡¯s fist touches Charlotte¡¯s adorable cheek, it suddenly stops.

    Charlotte¡¯s pure-red hair is blown back in the wake of the force contained within the fist. Her long, trademark twin-tails flutter violently. The wind pressure created by the fist is terrifying.

    ¡¸If you were a son, this fist would have hit you. Be grateful that you were born a girl.¡¹(Leonhart)

    The one letting out a sigh of relief with a hand on their chest is not Charlotte, but her older brother. Charlotte herself is staring into space with a dumbfounded expression, tears still spilling from her wide-open eyes.

    ¡¸Sharl, Charlotte, it seems that there is a need to teach you the difference between confidence in your strength and overconfidence. But before that, you must be punished. You must atone for at least one ten-thousandth of the mistake that you made, with your own body.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸O-Otou-sama...¡¹(Charlotte)

    Charlotte bursts into loud tears. But the gaze in Leonhart¡¯s cold, golden eyes is absolute proof that his decision will not waver, even with the tragic sight of his crying daughter before him.

    ¡¸Will, return to your room. Even if Sharl calls for help, do note in here to stop me under any circumstances. Tell this to Aik* as well.¡¹(Leonhart)

    TLN*: As a reminder, this is a nickname for Aisenhart.

    ¡¸... Yes, Father.¡¹(Wilhart)

    There is no way for Wilhart to respond other than to acknowledge his father¡¯s words.

    Being as intelligent as he is, Wilhart understands. He knows that his father is soft enough that he would loosen the hand of punishment if Wilhart were to enter and stop him.

    What Leonhart is regretting most of all right now is not Charlotte¡¯s foolishness. He is regretting the naivety that allowed Charlotte to get away with all sorts of selfish behavior. It is not only his own naivety; everyone in the family has spoiled Charlotte too much.

    The price for that is finally being paid by both the father and daughter¡¯s bodies.

    And so, with an expression of sorrow, as if some bitter decision has been made, Wilhart leaves the room.

    Just this one time, Charlotte gazes at the back of the older brother that she makes a fool of, as if desperately trying to cling onto him. Only the final remnants of her pride prevent the words,¡¸Onii-chan, help me¡¹froming out of her mouth.

    But Leonhart has already made his decision.

    Charlotte has built up a twisted pride, mistaking overconfidence for confidence. Leonhart must break that pride with his own hands. He must break it into pieces.

    ¡¸Sharl.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Fuh, kuh, uu... yesh, Otou-sama...¡¹(Charlotte)

    ¡¸Undress.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸... Fueh?¡¹(Charlotte)

    Charlotte¡¯s pitiful, crying face freezes. She doesn¡¯t know what she has been asked to do; no, she simply doesn¡¯t want to know.

    ¡¸I told you to undress. You are not a child anymore; you understand what the word means, do you not?¡¹(Leonhart)

    Leonhart has seen her body stiffen. But he has no intention of letting her get away.

    ¡¸You are a woman; I will not strike your face. But I must punish you enough to make you regret being born as a woman.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸Th-that¡¯s... No way, Otou-sama... You can¡¯t be...¡¹(Charlotte)

    ¡¸I will not say it a third time. If you are going to pretend that you cannot hear me, I will tear your clothes off myself, even that splendid red cape.¡¹(Leonhart)

    Like a powerless girl in the hands of cruel men, Charlotte clutches herself with both arms as if trying to protect her small body that is trembling in fear.

    Even with the pitiful sight of his beloved daughter in front of him, Leonhart has already steeled his resolve and is ring at her like a beast with prey before its eyes.

    How fortunate this situation would be for crueler men. Even if they conspired to capture Charlotte, she would simply mow such low-lives down with the lightning magic that she prides herself in.

    However, the one assaulting her now is the sword-king Leonhart. There is not a single woman in Spada who would escape unharmed if he were to assault her in earnest.

    Charlotte understands this well; she immediately realized that trying to resist or beg for mercy would be meaningless.

    Her thin legs shake like those of a newborn fawn as she stands up from the sofa.

    ¡¸I-I¡¯ll undress... I¡¯ll undress, so...¡¹(Charlotte)

    That is why she wants to at least be spared the experience of being forcefully stripped by having her Royal Spada Academy uniform and the red mantle that is proof that she is a cadet being torn to pieces. Her words sound heartbroken and devoid of dignity.

    After a moment of silence, as if she has now killed her emotions, Charlotte puts her hands beneath her pleated skirt.

    The tomboyish Charlotte flies, jumps around and kicks people in her everyday life, never mind the things that she does in battle. She is wearing short leggings so that her skirt rolling up does not cause her any problems. She takes those off first.

    The glossy ck fabric slides off the beautiful, white skin of Charlotte¡¯s legs.

    Perhaps because these leggings protect her every day, she seems nervous after removing just this one piece of clothing.

    However, she is about to experience a shame that this meagre embarrassment cannotpare to.

    ¡¸Kuh, uu...¡¹(Charlotte)

    Leonhart waits in silence. He waits for his daughter to take off every single piece of her own clothing.

    As more time passes in silence, Charlotte puts her hands beneath her skirt once more.

    Her fingertips touch the white shorts made of Valha Silk. These are underwear of the highest-quality, worthy of being worn by royalty.

    Charlotte lowers them forcefully as if shaking off her hesitation ¨C or at least, she was supposed to, but she is still trembling and her face ispletely red. As pathetic she looks, she lowers her underwear awkwardly over her thin, tightly-closed legs.

    As the bright, pure-white shorts that don¡¯t have a single stain on them reach her knees, Leonhart takes his daughter¡¯s body in his strong arms as if he is unable to wait any longer.

    ¡¸Kyah?! No, Otou-sama ¨C¡¹(Charlotte)

    Charlotte lets out a high-pitched scream, but if that were enough to stop Leonhart, he wouldn¡¯t be doing this in the first ce.

    Leonhart sits on the sofa and pulls Charlotte, whose underwear has almost beenpletely removed, towards him. As if he will not ept even the slightest act of resistance, he forces her small body face-down on top of his knees and pins her down.

    As Charlotte is thrust forward on top of Leonhart¡¯s knees, her short skirt flips up as if a gust of wind has blown against it, and her sweet, white bottom is exposed before Leonhart.

    ¡¸N-no! No!¡¹(Charlotte)

    Leonhart is already restraining her with one hand. He has forced her arms behind her back and is holding onto her wrists,pletely sealing her arms¡¯ movements.

    No matter how much she struggles, it is pointless. Even if she were to release enough lightning to self-destruct, his grip would not loosen even a little.

    Feeling the momentary struggles of the mage-ss girl against his left hand, Leonhart slightly lifts his knee beneath her abdomen and forces her into a position where her bare bottom is raised into the air.

    ¡¸No! No! No, no, no! I¡¯m sorry, Otou-sama! Otou-sama!¡¹(Charlotte)

    Charlotte is finally crying and screaming for mercy. The sight of her inexperienced, smooth, pure-white, bottom being raised up would stir up the sadistic desires of any man.

    Leonhart moves to vite the soft skin of the trembling maiden, his own beloved pure, uncorrupted daughter, with his own hands.

    ¡¸Reflect deeply upon your sins, Charlotte. I will spank you one hundred times.¡¹(Leonhart)

    ¡¸NOOOOO!¡¹(Charlotte)

 Chapter 356 The worrying alchemist

    Note from the author:

    BL warning...?

    ¡¸Simon.¡¹

    Onii-san is calling me.

    I open my eyes to see a face with sharp, cold-looking features. But this is the face of the close friend who understands me better than anyone else. It¡¯s quite close; actually, his body is close as well.

    It seems that I¡¯m being carried in his arms.

    In the corner of my vision, I can see a wall made of solid stone. This dim, cramped space is the north defensive tower of Iskia Fortress, which I have spent the past few days secluded in.

    There is only me and Onii-san in the room. There¡¯s no sign of the students who defended the tower with me.

    The prototype rifle and the¡ºYata-Garasu¡»are lying nearby. It¡¯s likely that neither of them are loaded. I get the feeling that that¡¯s the case.

    Up until this moment, I have been fighting with a gun in my hand. That crushed iron door was definitely supposed to have been pounded on and broken by Orcs.

    Ah, but if Onii-san hase to help me, then that means I don¡¯t have to fight anymore.

    ¡¸Simon...¡¹(Kurono)

    Onii-san¡¯s face, which has an unusually serious expression, draws closer and ¨C

    ¡¸?!¡¹(Smon)

    Before I know it, I¡¯m being kissed. With a natural motion, like a kiss between lovers.

    ¡¸¨C Puhah! W-what are you doing?!¡¹(Simon)

    Confused, I separate our lips. I push against his sturdy chest that is covered by a ck demon¡¯s coat with all the strength that my thin arms can muster, managing to put some distance between us.

    ¡¸What am I doing, you ask? I¡¯m kissing you, of course.¡¹(Kurono)

    He is giving me a doubtful look, as if genuinely confused as to why I asked that question.

    ¡¸No, I mean, why are you kissing me?! Isn¡¯t it strange?!¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸You¡¯re the one who made me feel like doing it, aren¡¯t you?¡¹(Kurono)

    He gives a dubious smile as the sharp gaze of his ck and red eyes pierces straight through me. Uwah, he seems somewhat dangerous. It¡¯s startling, and my head is in a dangerous state as well.

    ¡¸That was my first kiss, you know. I didn¡¯t think that you would give me a passionate French kiss.¡¹(Kurono)

    Th... Th-that¡¯s wrong! It¡¯s not wrong, but it¡¯s wrong!

    It¡¯s true that I did extend my tongue out as well... or I get the feeling that I did, but I was in that strange state because of the Morjura¡¯s aphrodisiac, and ¨C actually, that shouldn¡¯t count as a kiss, should it, Onii-san!

    If medical procedures like artificial venttion count, then my first kiss was with Ria-nee. As cruel as it is, during our childhood training that I didn¡¯t learn anything from, I had it done to me countless times.

    So, you know, the fact that I became like that wasn¡¯t on purpose; it was something of an ident, so ¨C

    ¡¸Umm... That was, you know... a mistake...¡¹(Simon)

    Though the desire to deny his words is going in circles inside my head, only clumsy wordse out of my mouth.

    ¡¸Even if it was, that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve already be serious about this, so give it up, Simon.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Eh, that¡¯s... No way... After all, we¡¯re both guys...¡¹(Simon)

    There¡¯s nothing I can do as Onii-san closes in on me once more. My body stiffens.

    The only thing I can do is avert my gaze in embarrassment ¨C and as I do so, I see a light.

    That faint, pretty green light is spilling through the doorway covered by the iron door. A small silhouette peeks through the gaps in the doorway created by the Orc. Yes, the person on the other side of the door is looking at me.

    Before I know it, our eyes have met. My eyes have met with the hollow, emerald-green eyes filled with murderous intent.

    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAH LILY-SAN I¡¯M SORRYYYYYYYYYYYY!¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸¨C?!¡¹(Simon)

    As Simon leaps out of his bed onto his feet, he instantly realizes that he has been having some kind of crazy nightmare.

    ¡¸Haah... I thought forcing me to rest was overdoing it, but it seems I really am tired...¡¹(Simon)

    Simon is currently resting his body at the mansion of his stepsister, Emilia Friedrich Bardiel. It is the same situation as when he returned to Spada after the battle of Alzas.

    However, Simon¡¯s current mental state is considerably different from how it was back then. Simon is currently fairly healthy, perhaps because he has be more strong-willed after experiencing multiple harsh battles.

    His memories of when he was attacked by the Morjura vaguely remain. He was intoxicated by the aphrodisiacpounds, so his consciousness was muddled in a drunken-like state, but that doesn¡¯t mean that he haspletely forgotten those events, either.

    His rifle sinking into the mucus, the tentacles coiling around him, the sweet smell ¨C these fragments of memories alone are enough to stir an unpleasant feeling inside him, but Simon is not weak enough to let this break his mind.

    ¡¸Hmm, but if I don¡¯t return soon, Onii-san will probably worry about me... O-Onii-san will...¡¹(Simon)

    However, it is painful to recall the memory of Kurono feeding him the antidote potion mouth-to-mouth. In a variety of ways.

    ¡¸U-uwah... I really think I did something awful at that time...¡¹(Simon)

    Simon lets his body sink into the bed once more and squirms around.

    The king-sized bed that is around double the size of the beds used in the dormitories has plenty of space to roll around on. The fabric spread out on top of it is one of the high-quality products sold by the Bardiel family, one of the Four Great Houses. This exceedingly soft, stic material gently wraps around Simon as he agonizes over that event.

    ¡¸B-but it should be fine, right? I¡¯m sure Onii-san won¡¯t consider that his first kiss or anything. We¡¯re adventurers, after all. That kind of thing isn¡¯t out of the ordinary!¡¹(Simon)

    The techniques of administering artificial venttion for people who have drowned and feeding potions mouth-to-mouth aremonly used by adventurers and knights. They are taught as fundamental techniques at the academy. Mannequins are used for lessons and training, so there are likely few who have actually done it in practice other than veteran adventurers, however.

    ¡¸... Haah.¡¹(Simon)

    As if he has finally calmed down, Simon lets out a big sigh and sluggishly gets up from the enormous bed.

    He sweated during his sleep because of the nightmare, so he feels disgusting. He can feel that it has soaked all the way through to his underwear, so it really is a substantial amount of sweat.

    He fishes around in the closet, seemingly familiar with it, and searches for suitable clothes to change into. There have been various other asions where Simon has been confined to his older sister¡¯s mansion, not only after the battle of Alzas. This room was used each time, so it is no exaggeration to say that this is Simon¡¯s personal room.

    Of course, the items in the closet are all clothes for Simon to wear. There are certainly no extrarge-sized brassieres that have been custom-made for his older sister inside it.

    He prepares a pair of in underwear designed with practicality in mind, fit for a knight to wear, and some clothes that a young son of a noble family might wear, though this isn¡¯t to Simon¡¯s taste. The underwear is fine, but he thinks that this shirt, pair of shorts and these suspenders are a bit too much. Even so, there is nothing he can do about it as these are still the clothes with the best design that are avable to him. He definitely does not want to wear anything with frills on it.

    With the disgusting feeling of the drenched clothes that he slept in sticking to him, he first strips all of them off and then begins to wipe his sweat away. As he cleans his body with the fresh towel that is always prepared for him and thinks that he wants to go back to the dormitories today ¨C

    ¡¸Simon, are you awake? I¡¯ming in.¡¹

    The voice that he hears along with a knock on his door is unmistakably that of his older sister Emilia.

    ¡¸Eh?! Wait, wait a minute, Ria-nee ¨C¡¹(Simon)

    Why does his onee-chan always open the door while knocking? There¡¯s no point in knocking if you¡¯re not going to wait for a reply, Simonins in his head. But he is unable to prevent his sister from forcefully rushing into his room.

    As his only act of resistance, he covers the front of his body with the towel.

    ¡¸Hmm, you were already awake. You can still spend today sleeping ¨C¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸I¡¯m changing clothes right now, so don¡¯te in!¡¹(Simon)

    Using the towel as his only unreliableyer of his almost-non-existent defense, Simon hunches his shoulders as he shouts in protest.

    ¡¸What are you getting embarrassed for?¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸I¡¯m embarrassed because I¡¯m naked, of course!¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸We¡¯ve seen each other naked plenty of times as children, haven¡¯t we?¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸I¡¯m an adult now!¡¹(Simon)

    This is a very reasonable objection, but in the end, Emilia quickly approaches Simon as if not concerned about such small details. This is the result that Simon was expecting from the beginning, but beingpletely naked isn¡¯t a situation he can simply ept with a sigh.

    ¡¸You sure sweated a lot; let me wipe it for you.¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸Eh, I don¡¯t need ¨C¡¹(Simon)

    But resistance is futile; the towel is quickly transferred to Emilia¡¯s hands. Indeed, Simon¡¯s hope of covering hisher regions has been robbed from him.

    ¡¸Uu, uu...¡¹(Simon)

    Emilia deliberately walks around to stand in front of the nowpletely-naked, defenseless Simon.

    If someone were to see this scene of a shy, naked, handsome young man and a beautiful woman wearing the ck Spadan military officer¡¯s uniform with red decorations, it would certainly appear incredibly suspicious.

    Emilia would look like a female general who is about to enjoy a male prostitute who is working for the first time, not like an older sister considerately wiping her adorable younger brother¡¯s sweat.

    There is no need to worry about what anyone may think, however. If there was, it would only be the employees of this mansion. They would even call a white object ck if their master Emilia were to tell them it was ck.

    ¡¸... Did you have a bad dream?¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸Nnh, not really... I¡¯m fine.¡¹(Simon)

    In the end, Emilia is bothering her younger brother. As if giving up, Simon entrusts his whole body to his sister and lets her do as she pleases.

    ¡¸You know, Ria-nee.¡¹(Simon)

    Emilia gives a short reply of,¡¸What is it?¡¹as she carefully wipes Simon¡¯s small back.

    ¡¸I¡¯m fine now, so I¡¯m going back to the dormitories today.¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸You don¡¯t have to push yourself. You can still take a break from attending the academy, right?¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸No, there are things that I need to do, so I can¡¯t take it easy and rest like this.¡¹(Simon)

    Simon hasn¡¯t been seriously injured. In fact, physically, he ispletely unharmed. He is in a condition where it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to attend the decoration-awarding ceremony and victory celebration party today.

    ¡¸No, but ¨C¡¹(Emilia)

    As his sister gives a hesitant reply despite knowing that, Simon speaks to her with a small smile, a truly small smile.

    ¡¸Ria-nee, you¡¯ve kind of be a little nicer, haven¡¯t you?¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸... I haven¡¯t.¡¹(Emilia)

    Simon has guessed that Emilia has allowed him to sleep here because after hearing that he was attacked by a Morjura, she was worried that he would be suffering from emotional damage.

    Even if that isn¡¯t the case, the way she is meddling with his affairs now is different from how she was doing so when he returned from Alzas. The way she is nursing him is very pushy, including the way she is wiping his back, but considering that she is doing it with nothing but good intentions, he doesn¡¯t feel that opposed to it.

    However, the change that Simon is most thankful for is that she is no longer voicing her displeasure at the fact that he is an alchemist.

    ¡¸I was wondering if you¡¯vee to acknowledge me a little.¡¹(Simon)

    ¡¸You fought well.¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸Fufu, this is the first time that you¡¯re acknowledging something I¡¯ve done, Ria-nee.¡¹(Simon)

    Unlike the battle of Alzas, the conditions of the battle of Iskia are clearly known. The students were forced into a harsh conflict to defend the fortress, and the defense they disyed would put the knights of Spada to shame. It is something that should be praised.

    Simon thinks that the battle of Alzas was far more difficult, but even so, he feels confident that Emilia has acknowledged him as a result of the battle at Iskia Fortress.

    ¡¸But don¡¯t push yourself too hard. The knights of Spada have duties that they must fulfil even at the cost of their own lives, but you¡¯re still a student. Prioritize your survival over everything else.¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸Y-yeah...¡¹(Simon)

    Simon has been wondering whether she knows about the problematic situation he is in, but it seems that she doesn¡¯t and he doesn¡¯t correct her. He silently allows his back to be wiped.

    Time passes in silence, and Simon¡¯s body is cleaned without incident. He quickly finishes putting his clothes on as his sister watches him, and finally his body and heart both feel at ease.

    ¡¸By the way, Ria-nee, did you need something?¡¹(Simon)

    Embarrassed to be wearing clothes intended for a noble family¡¯s young son as a grown adult, Simon snaps his suspenders with a dissatisfied expression as he asks his sister the reason she barged into his room.

    ¡¸Yeah, I came to deliver something to you.¡¹(Emilia)

    Wondering what it is, Simon takes the package in Emilia¡¯s hand. Judging from its size and weight, he guesses that it is a single book.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve definitely given it to you.¡¹(Emilia)

    ¡¸Ah, yeah, thanks.¡¹(Simon)

    Finishing her blunt delivery, Emilia¡¯s ck military uniform flutters as she turns and leaves the room. Just before she passes through the doorway, she turns around and speaks, as if she has just remembered something.

    ¡¸Make your return to the dormitories tomorrow. Take care of yourself and just rest for today. Understand?¡¹(Emilia)

    Emilia leaves with these words.

    This is her usual high-handed manner of speech, but Simon had a small, strange feeling that there was some kindness and appreciation towards him in it.

    Now that he thinks about it, he gets the feeling that she said some strangely understanding words right before he left for the open-field exercise ¨C Did something happen for her to have a change of heart? He suspects that this might be the case, but since he does not live with his older sister, he has no way of knowing what might have happened to her.

    He wees this change and half-jokingly, half-seriously wishes that she would stop nagging and nitpicking every little thing as he unwraps the package.

    And then he is lost for words in the next moment. At the same time, his spine freezes.

    ¡¸Angel Ring...¡¹(Simon)

    Inside is the nightmarish brainwashing Magic Item that Lily once showed him.

    That alone wouldn¡¯t be a problem. No, if the Law Guardians of Spada knew the purpose of this dangerous item, they would deem it illegal and arrest him, but for now, he holds it in ce.

    Simon has already taken it apart and examined every small part of it. He is confident that he knows a lot about both Lily and this Ring.

    The problem is the letter that apanies this ring. It is written in the round, adorable handwriting of a little girl, but its contents cause Simon to tremble in fear.

    ¡ºI have learned the technique for controlling human brains. With this, I can finally begin development of a mass-production model ¨C¡»

    This letter eloquently describes the sess that has finally been achieved after Lily¡¯s repeated human experiments.

    As a matter of fact, Simon was half-convinced that Lily would never be able to make full use of these Rings.

    This is definitely not because he was looking down on Lily. He had concluded that the Rings were soplex and mysterious in their structure that it would be impossible for even the instructors of the academy and the mages of the royal castle to decipher how it worked and how to make it perform its originally-intended function within a month or less.

    However, it appears that the gods of Pandora have blessed Lily with a most terrible talent.

    ¡ºWith regards to mass-production, I¡¯ve already drawn a general blueprint. I want to hear your opinion after you have seen it ¨C¡»

    The numerous documents that came in a set with the letter are indeed blueprints with a general outline of the design for an improved version of the Ring.

    It seems that Lily haspletely memorized the documents regarding the investigation of the Ring that Simon previously sent her; there are many sections where the description is based on Simon¡¯s predictions down to the smallest part. And there are detailed descriptions of functions she has newly discovered after having actually used it as well as corrections to Simon¡¯s predictions that were off the mark.

    Reading this, Simon is plunged even further into despair.

    ¡¸I-I can do it... I can probably make this...¡¹(Simon)

    Lily¡¯s blueprint is almost wless. The structure is, of course, well-detailed but Lily has even calcted the cost of manufacturing each part and made adjustments so as to not require high-quality materials like Mythril.

    Considering her ability as an adventurer of the Element Masters and the ie that she would be earning from now on, mass-production of these Rings is within the realm of possibility.

    That is precisely why Simon is at a loss as to what to do.

    If he really mass-produced these ¨C

    ¡¸This is a nightmare... But, I...¡¹(Simon)

    As an alchemist, he wants to try building it. It is an extremely attractive Magic Item to try and build, this¡ºAngel Ring¡»¨C no, after the improvements Lily has made to its design, it has been renamed to¡ºFairy Ring.¡»

    Note from the author:

    This chapter contained the possibility of a second BL section, the reconciliation between Simon and his onee-chan and the dreadfulness of Lily-san.

 Chapter 357 Maintenance of the curses

    I have safely made it through yesterday¡¯s ceremony and party. Today is the 7th of Blue Moon (Sougetsu).

    The three of us, the¡ºElement Masters¡», have decided to visit the Stratos Smithing Workshop so that I can have the weapons I used in the battle of Iskia examined and repaired, as well as to make improvements to them using the materials that I¡¯ve obtained.

    ¡¸Wee,¡ºElement Masters.¡»It is an honor for the conversation topic of the entire nation of Spada, the newly-promoted Rank 5 adventurer party, to choose to utilize our services. Thank you very much, Kurono-san.¡¹(Regin)

    Regin-san, the owner and craftsman of this store, wees us with the same kind smile that he was wearing the previous time we visited this ce with Simon.

    The¡ºElement Masters¡»became Rank 5 adventurers and broke the previous record for the fastest party Ranking-up held by¡ºWing Road¡»by a considerable margin. As Regin says, these facts are well-known throughout Spada.

    We haven¡¯t attracted any unwanted attention for the time being as we¡¯re wearing our academy uniforms on this excursion. I¡¯m sure that my ck coat, Lily¡¯s ck dress and Fiona¡¯s three-cornered hat and witch¡¯s robe became famous as our unique adventurers¡¯ outfits during the parade.

    One would normally be happy about bing more famous as an adventurer, but in my case, there¡¯s a high risk of something troublesome happening, or more like I just have a bad feeling. There¡¯s no use worrying about it now, though. Whatever happens, happens.

    ¡¸Oh no, it¡¯s just that the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»that you strengthened for me performed incredibly, so I have the utmost faith in your skill, Regin-san.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸To think that you believe in my skill to this extent. Thank you very much.¡¹(Regin)

    But it pains me knowing that I have to tell him that the¡ºWrath-Pun¡¯s Right Arm¡»was destroyed spectacrly. I take full responsibility for using it in a reckless way beyond its limits; I¡¯m terribly sorry. I did it intentionally.

    Actually, without more Wrath-Pun materials, rebuilding it would be... Well, let¡¯s try asking and see how far we get.

    ¡¸Excuse me, do you do work with magical staves here? Enhancements included.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona, who is standing next to me, asks this question. The reason I brought Fiona as well as Lily, who is currently wandering about inside the store, is because they apparently need to adjust their equipment as well.

    Of course, as magic-users, the equipment they use are Magic Items or a staff in Fiona¡¯s case.

    ¡¸Yes. It is not my area of expertise, but I do work with them. Though if it is an Artifact, it may be impossible depending on what it is.¡¹(Regin)

    ¡¸No, that should be sufficient.¡¹(Fiona)

    A cksmith¡¯s area of expertise lies in ded or pointed weapons like swords and spears; it¡¯smon for a different kind of craftsman to specialize in handling magical staves. It¡¯s rare for an individual to be able to work with both, but I suppose it¡¯s no different from an adventurer who can both wield a sword and use magic.

    Now that I think about it, the prototype rifle I finished off the Sloth-Gil with was made here in the Stratos Smithing Workshop. This gun has had numerous aspects of it such as loading, the shooting process as well as its firepower improved by magic forms, so it probably falls under the ¡°magical staff¡± side of things. The rifle has a genuine,pletely magic-free firing mechanism, so it is a gun in the truest sense.

    In other words, Regin-san has already aplished the construction of a staff-like rifle.

    ¡¸Well then, I suppose all three of us will be leaving our equipment with you.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right, Kurono-san, I forgot to tell you. I actually have some knowledge regarding how to train cursed weapons. Neglecting proper maintenance of even cursed weapons will have an effect on their power and durability. And it¡¯s possible that if you anger the will of the curse itself, the weapon will not manifest its power.¡¹(Regin)

    ¡¸I-I see...¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m surprised to hear that. Regin-san seems knowledgeable about cursed weapons. It¡¯s really possible to anger the will of the curses?

    ¡¸Goshujin-samaa~ I want to be clean as well~¡¹(Hitsugi)

    Well, I can imagine that being the case for you. But learning that even the¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter¡¹¡»would be angry if not maintained is a surprise.

    I did perform basic maintenance, but, hmm. Maybe I should have a professional maintain my weapons from time to time.

    ¡¸Mumumuh, Nata-senpai* is the number one for you after all, Goshujin-sama... But Hitsugi won¡¯t lose to her!¡¹(Hitsugi)

    TLN*: As mentioned before, Nata is Japanese for ¡°hatchet¡± so this is what Hitsugi calls Neck Cutter

    The cursed hatchet doesn¡¯t speak other than senseless words of bloodthirst, so I¡¯ll say it instead: Stop using that name. I¡¯m getting the feeling that this girl has been getting more talkative ever since she evolved into the¡ºck Chain Curse¡¸Iron Cage.¡¹¡»

    In any case, what I¡¯m interested in isn¡¯t Hitsugi¡¯s feelings, but ¨C

    ¡¸No way~ Goshujin-sama! Please pay more attention to Hitsugi~!¡¹(Hitsugi)

    ¨C So noisy. Be quiet for a bit. That¡¯s an order.

    ¡¸How does it sound, Kurono-san? Won¡¯t you please give me the opportunity to provide you with this service?¡¹(Regin)

    ¡¸Yes. Well then, we¡¯ll leave it in your hands. Err, there are quite a lot of them, will it be alright?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸It is not as if I will be rebuilding them from scratch, so they will not take too much time and effort. It would take me less than a week to handle a hundred weapons.¡¹(Regin)

    I see, so it won¡¯t be a problem. If my cursed weapons are out of my hands for too long, I won¡¯t be able go on quests. They are my main weapons, after all.

    ¡¸Now then, I will write down the requests of each person for their weapons. Let me see, I shall start with Kurono-san ¨C¡¹(Regin)

    And with that, I unexpectedly end up leaving all of my cursed weapons in his care.

    ¡¸Goshujin-sama~ Hitsugi is lonely~¡¹(Hitsugi)

    Can you stop resisting every time I try to remove you from my hands...?

    ¡¸Now then, I have received their request, but, hmm...¡¹(Regin)

    With the great variety of equipment in front of him that he has brought into the workshop, Regin murmurs as he strokes his chin that has not a trace of a typical Dwarf¡¯s beard growing on it.

    His demeanor is only to be expected. The requests that he has received from the up-anding Rank 5 adventurer party, the¡ºElement Masters¡», are numerous and tooplex for a mere cksmith to handle.

    If Regin¡¯s skill corresponded to the appearance of his small shop, he would have meekly directed them to other workshops.

    In the first ce, it is incredibly rare for a single craftsman to be able to handle normal weapons, cursed weapons and magical staves. A cksmith capable of this would be equivalent to a Rank 5 Magic Swordsman in adventurer terms.

    Regin¡¯s title of¡ºDeath Maker¡»is not just for show. Not even Simon who visits the store often knows this, let alone Kurono.

    What he needs toplete this task is not skill or assistance, but simply his equipment.

    ¡¸First of all, I suppose my workshop alone can manage the witchdy¡¯s items.¡¹(Regin)

    He ces the two Wands that Fiona brought onto the well-organized workbench.

    Both of them are red in color with simple designs, but there is arge difference between them in the power that they contain.

    One of them is the¡ºCustom Fireball¡»that Fiona has been using habitually for a long time. With a single nce, Regin can indeed see signs that it has been well-used, but also signs that it has been well-maintained.

    It possesses the ability to always release¡ºIgnis Sagita¡»spells of a fixed strength, making it very reliable for a new academy student.

    But as the¡ºCustom¡»at the beginning of the Wand¡¯s name indicates, it has had remodeled magical forms incorporated into it that grant it the ability to release spells with a tremendous rate of fire. Even Regin, who is not an adventurer, can imagine that it is greatly useful against monsters such as Goblins and Slimes that rely purely on their numbers.

    The other Wand must also be addressed. Fiona told him earlier with an unconcerned tone that it was something that she picked up, so she doesn¡¯t know its name. But Regin immediately guesses what it is called.

    This Wand¡¯s name is¡ºRuby Bullet.¡»

    It is a highly powerful Wand specialized for fire-element spells developed by the mages of Avalon¡¯s royal pce. Its basic qualities as a staff such as elemental enhancement, casting speed and magical power consumption are exceptional, yet it has a distinct user-friendliness that allows even novices to use it.

    It can be used by anyone from a novice mage student to a veteran adventurer fighting on the frontlines to skilled knights. When these Wands were officially issued, Avalon would be a step above the other nations when it came to fire-element magic ¨C or so it was thought, but that never became reality.

    The cost of creating the Wand. Because it could not ovee this simple and yet unyielding barrier, the¡ºRuby Bullet¡»simply became yet another one of the numerous avable high-grade Wands.

    That makes no difference to the fact that this Wand is a highly powerful piece of equipment. The request that Fiona made is to use the¡ºRuby Bullet¡»as materials to improve upon the base of the¡ºCustom Fireball.¡»

    As long as he doesn¡¯t have to reproduce the items¡¯ unique abilities, it is not difficult tobine two weapons to create a stronger one. It is just a simple application of the¡ºTransmutation¡»smithing technique used to incorporate monster materials into weapons.

    ¡¸The biggest problem is the Fairy ojou-ch ¨C no, Lily-san¡¯s request...¡¹(Regin)

    There is a blueprint in Regin¡¯s hands. Lily requested that he build the Magic Item detailed on it.

    Its name,¡ºFairy Ring¡», makes it evident that it is an item with the ability to brainwash people. A clearly illegal item.

    However, when Lily handed him the blueprint, Regin heard a message delivered to him directly inside his head.

    ¡¸Since you are known as the Death Maker, you¡¯ll be able to make this, right?¡¹(Lily)

    Regin regrets that the Mind Protection that he cast on his own mind has grown weak due to the long time he has spent living a peaceful cksmith¡¯s lifestyle.

    That Fairy who is adorable only in appearance has seen the monstrous urge to create that exists within him.

    Only he and his wife understood what lurks in his heart, but now that has been unexpectedly leaked.

    ¡¸It is a prototype model, but I can¡¯t cut any corners... For this, I¡¯ll have to borrow some equipment from President Mordred. Well, I still have to manufacture guns and I was thinking of discussing things with him anyway, so I suppose this is the perfect opportunity.¡¹(Regin)

    As hees to a decision, Regin finally faces the will of the curses.

    ¡¸Cursed weapons really are excellent.¡¹(Regin)

    An ambitious smile of old appears on Regin¡¯s face.

    The nine Nameless weapons are lying against a wall in front of him. They are the weapons that he performed repairs on just a few days ago.

    The reason the contestant that Kurono faced in the first round of the¡ºCursed Carnival¡»was driven crazy by the Nameless longsword is because Regin strengthened its malice himself.

    Though the Nameless weapons possess curses of the lowest grade and Regin had done enough work that they would likely be fine to use for another year without maintenance, the nine weapons before his eyes now have chipped des and other signs of wear.

    Regin would never have imagined that they would be used in a battle against a Rank 5 monster immediately after being released from Mordred¡¯s collection case. The fact that none of them have been broken is quite an achievement.

    ¡¸Hmm, hmm... all of their curses have grown stronger. That either shows just how fierce the battle at Iskia was or how talented Kurono-san is.¡¹(Regin)

    What is amazing is not the¡ºckening¡»magic that Kurono uses to cover the cursed weapons in ck magical power and force them to obey him. Using magical power to Enchant a cursed weapon is the simplest way to control them. Of course, the amount of magical power required to do this increases exponentially with the strength of the weapon¡¯s curse.

    The vast amount of magical power Kurono must have to be able tomand the powerful curses with ckening alone is certainly one of the talents that he has been blessed with. But this alone wouldn¡¯t necessarily lead to the curses growing and evolving.

    ¡¸Well, I suppose this one would not be damaged from a single battle.¡¹(Regin)

    The¡ºHaunted Grave¡»that is stained ck all the way up to its de by Kurono¡¯s ckening is releasing an invisible, intimidating aura as if to show that it isn¡¯t on the same level as the Nameless weapons next to it.

    No, that isn¡¯t the only thing Regin feels. If he listens carefully, he can hear an evil melody sung by the beautiful voice of a womaning from the de.

    ¡¸Not only does it make corpses move once more, it can even cause them to evolve into powerful Undead monsters in certain cases. Interesting. It seems that it has some powers that are still hidden.¡¹(Regin)

    Like many of Spada¡¯s people, Regin watched the victory parade. He immediatelyes to the conclusion that the Nightmare that terrified the crowd that was gathered there is something that evolved under the influence of¡ºDead Revival.¡»

    Even appraisal through magical methods does not reveal all of the power that curses could be concealing. How much of that power can be drawn out depends on the user. Regin cannot help but to anticipate that Kurono will be able to unleash all of the powers contained in the¡ºHaunted Grave.¡»

    There is nothing that he can do for the time being other than to carefully sharpen the weapon¡¯s de, however.

    ¡¸Hmm, this one needs quite a bit of repair.¡¹(Regin)

    On another workbench is a greatsword whose de is made of a monster¡¯s fang.

    It is the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»that has inherited the Characteristic Ability of the Rank 5 monster,¡ºChaos Eater¡», and the malice of a Werewolf who died in the depths of despair.

    It possesses its original Evil Eater ability and the monster fang is an exceptionally sturdy material, but the de currently has arge hole in it. It looks as if another enormous fang has pierced through it.

    When questioned about it, Kurono told Regin that it was damaged when it stopped an attack released by the Greed-Gore. He also said that he even used a defensive spell in addition, so it is easy to imagine just how powerful the attack was.

    But as if the weapon¡¯s malicious will is unaware of such circumstances, the de is letting out a groaning, creaking noise. It seems as if it wishes to devour the enemy before it.

    ¡¸Hmm, no, as it is, it might actually be...¡¹(Regin)

    Indeed, in this workshop is the enemy responsible for the serious damage that the¡ºHungering Wolf Sword¡¸Evil Eater¡¹¡»has suffered. The small floor space isrgely upied by a mass of reddish-brown rock and a pile of ck sand.

    These are the monster materials that Kurono possessed the rights to obtain as the adventurer who defeated the monsters. They are the Greed-Gore¡¯s carapace and the Sloth-Gil¡¯s iron sand.

    Even a novice cksmith who has not yet held a hammer for even a year would be able to tell that the super-hard carapace, possibly better be described as ayer of heavy rock, would bestow tremendous abilities to any equipment it is used for, whether it is armor or a weapon.

    The same applies for the iron sand. From what Regin has heard, it seems that the Greed-Gore¡¯s earth-element Characteristic Ability and the Sloth-Gil¡¯s lightning-element Characteristic Ability were both used to gather this iron sand from the earth, but Regin has been working with monster materials for forty years. He is well aware that this ispletely different from normal iron sand, in both physical and magical terms.

    It is based on iron sand and it does appear to be iron sand, but in reality, it is a new kind of mineral that contains hidden magical power. The one who has named it¡ºGreed Metal¡»is not Regin, but Kurono. The one who slew the monster gains the right to name such things.

    This is a wondrous material that was created by the extraordinary event of the Greed-Gore being parasitized by the Sloth-Gil.

    From time to time, unique materials like this appear as part of powerful monsters designated as Rank 5. It is because Rank 5 monsters pose the greatest threat to people among all monsters and possess special characteristics that they are treated differently, just like Rank 5 adventurers.

    ¡¸With this much, even if I invest some of it for the strengthening of weapons, there will be some left over. In fact, even if I make a new weapon from scratch...¡¹(Regin)

    Regin wears a problem-solving expression as if truly enjoying himself while considering his options. As he begins to closely examine the red rock and the iron sand ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Ah.¡¹(Regin)

    He unexpectedly almost trips over. No, to describe it more urately, his leg has been caught.

    Glossy ck hair has wrapped itself around his ankle.

    ¡¸Fufu, my oh my, what a lively ojou-chan.¡¹(Regin)

    Lightly shaking his leg free of the ck hair around it, he gives a gentle smile towards the perpetrator of this prank.

    ¡¸Kishaah!¡¹(Hitsugi)

    This threatening voicees from the pair of gloves wriggling around on top of a workbench. There are lengths of hair extending from its fingertips towards Regin¡¯s ankle. Of course, they have not loosened their grip.

    ¡¸I will clean you properlyter, so please behave yourself for now.¡¹(Regin)

    With a tone as if he is gently scolding his grandchild, Regin lightly touches the gloves, the¡ºck Chain Curse¡¸Iron Cage¡¹¡», with his fingertip that has the roughness of a cksmith¡¯s.

    For a moment, lines of a red ¨C no, the bright orange color of flowing magma ¨C form a geometric pattern on his index finger.

    The only one in the world who can decipher this spell form is Regin himself. In other words, this is an original spell.

    However, the effect of the magic at his fingertip is an embodiment of simplicity.

    ¡¸Kyauun...¡¹(Hitsugi)

    As Regin hears an adorable voice that sounds like an auditory hallucination, the lively cursed gloves fall quiet as if going to sleep.

    ¡¸Hahaha, good girl, good girl.¡¹(Regin)

    Regin gives a satisfied smile, but as he turns back to the de in front of him, it changes into a bitter one.

    ¡¸It seems I should be more careful about touching this ojou-chan...¡¹

    The¡ºAbsolute Malice Hatchet¡¸Neck Cutter.¡¹¡»Therge hatchet that bears the most powerful curse among all of Kurono¡¯s weapons is releasing an intense red-and-ck aura, as if it refuses to be touched by anyone other than its master.

    As he stares at it, the aura that is rising from it like steam begins to take the shape of a young girl¡¯s face ¨C

    ¡¸I¡¯ll wait for my wit to return before I handle her.¡¹(Regin)

    Giving arge sigh as he realizes howborious the request he has epted will be, he quickly begins to make preparations to get to work.

    ¡¸I suppose I will be doing all-nighters for the first time in a while.¡¹(Regin)

    However, the expression on his face is a bright one. It resembles that of a battle-crazed fanatic finally returning to the battlefield after a long recovery from an injury.

 Chapter 358 Guards

    As I return to the academy from the Stratos Smithing Workshop, the sound of a bell signals midday and the beginning of lunch break.

    It¡¯s already midday, huh. I suppose that¡¯s only to be expected, since I spent quite a while discussing ideas for strengthening my weapons with Regin-san.

    That number of weapons with thatrge amount of monster materials. I knew that discussing my options would take a while, so I let Fiona and Lily make their requests first.

    Apparently the two of them have ns for the afternoon, so I came back on my own without waiting for them after making my requests.

    They said they¡¯d be back before dinner, so that means I¡¯m alone until then.

    Simon hasn¡¯t returned to the dormitories yet and Will is apparently incapacitated due to a hangover.

    ¡¸I can¡¯t really go to visit Nell, either...¡¹(Kurono)

    After incurring Nero¡¯s wrath atst night¡¯s party, I think it would be awkward ¨C no, it seems that it would be difficult to approach her.

    I wouldn¡¯t have cared a few days ago; I would have thought,¡¸Who cares about people¡¯s feelings when my friend is feeling ill!¡¹But it can¡¯t be helped; Lily and Fiona have hammered into my head just how dangerous the social status of royalty is. I can¡¯t make such careless moves.

    Well, since Nell is resting in a women¡¯s dormitory that prohibits men from entering, I can¡¯t visit her normally anyway. Going as far as tomit a criminal act in order to visit my friend would be bad. It¡¯s the dormitory for the cadet women; it has particrly strict security. A man like me might be arrested just for loitering near it.

    That still applies even if I am the Rank 5 adventurer who rose to fame in Spada overnight.

    ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t it that person? The berserker who groped and killed both monsters and students at the Iskia Hills with his tentacles.¡¹(Girl 1)

    ¡¸Eek, his face is super scary! Seriously, I might have nightmares tonight, you know!¡¹(Girl 2)

    As soon as I pass a pair of girls each carrying a small, cute-looking lunch box, presumably on their way to eat lunch, I hear this conversation.

    It¡¯s plenty loud enough to hear without straining my ears, and their stares are incredibly tant.

    ¡¸Kyah! He¡¯s ring in this direction!¡¹(Girl 1)

    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t want to be touched by tentacles, no!¡¹(Girl 2)

    And then the two of them run away, making a lot of noise. The footsteps of the super-heavyweight pair of girls, a Golem and Cyclops, remind me of those of the Greed-Gore.

    ¡¸D-damn it...¡¹(Kurono)

    Even though I received those great awards, this is still how I¡¯m treated.

    Nevertheless, I¡¯d at least like my actions to be reported urately. What do you mean, grope and kill? They¡¯re even saying that I killed students indiscriminately. If I had been in a Berserk status back then, I would have been executed on the spot rather than decorated with awards.

    ¡¸Let¡¯s just forget about it... I¡¯ll just eat something nice at the cafeteria and forget about it.¡¹(Kurono)

    That¡¯s right, it¡¯s best just to not pay them any attention. It¡¯s not like I want fame or anything, right? I received awards, rose to Rank 5, I should be receiving quite a lot of money as a reward and I¡¯ll be given information about the Crusaders. I¡¯m gaining things that I would have never imagined I would gain, aren¡¯t I?

    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t care about what people around me think. I¡¯ve been used to people being scared of me and running away from me after seeing my face since high school. I should be used to it. Let¡¯s say I¡¯m used to it.

    Now then, I¡¯m not like Fiona, but let¡¯s distract myself with some delicious food. I¡¯m going to be receiving a lot of reward money so I suppose I¡¯ll go with something a bit extravagant today. Now that I think about it, I also have the 13,000,000 ns that I received as prize money from the¡ºCurse Carnival¡»in my wallet.

    Ah, aren¡¯t I super rich right now? Since I have this much, Fiona can go on one of her gourmet tours around Spada anytime she likes. I can treat her to as much sushi and tempura as she wants.

    No, this is amazing, it¡¯s really amazing. I¡¯ve obtained the funds I need to return the favor for the expensive presents they¡¯ve given me! I don¡¯t have to feel guilty anymore, yahoo!

    ¡¸Excuse me, you over there with the evil smile.¡¹

    ¡¸... Eh?¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m extremely embarrassed, but if I think about it, the voice that¡¯s calling out to me is being very rude.

    I turn around to see a female student. Judging from her hostile gaze, I¡¯m guessing she isn¡¯t one of my fans.

    ¡¸You are Kurono, aren¡¯t you?¡¹(Female student)

    ¡¸That is right. Is there something you needed from me?¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m using my terribly unpopr formalnguage, but I suppose it¡¯s needed when talking to someone I¡¯m meeting for the first time.

    The female student who called out to me is quite a beauty. That beauty goes to waste because of the clear expression of displeasure on her face, however.

    She has shoulder-length blonde hair and upturned, clear-blue eyes. Blonde hair and blue eyes are rtivelymonly-seen traits in Spada. She doesn¡¯t have long ears, nor is her body made of steel, so she¡¯s definitely a human.

    Judging from the red cape fluttering at her back, it¡¯s also clear that she is a cadet. As I wonder if she¡¯s a daughter of a rich family, it makes sense; there¡¯s something elegant about her face.

    ¡¸Yes. As unpleasant as this is, I can¡¯t overlook you any more than this.¡¹(Female student)

    Well then, what does she mean by overlook? This should definitely be the first time we¡¯ve met, so it¡¯s not like there¡¯s some kind of connection like there is between myself and Nero.

    ¡¸I have absolutely no idea what you mean by overlook.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Whether you are aware of it yourself or not doesn¡¯t concern me.¡¹(Female student)

    Uwah, the way¡¯s talking is dangerous. She¡¯s definitely the type of person who¡¯s not going to hear me out.

    She vividly reminds me of the woman with blonde drills who barged into the arena during the¡ºCurse Carnival.¡»

    ¡¸Come to think of it, I have not introduced myself yet, have I? Pardon me; a knight should at least show thismon courtesy, even when facing a detested enemy.¡¹(Female student)

    Wait, by detested enemy, do you mean me? Come on, seriously, please spare me. What on earth have I done?

    ¡¸My name is Helen, first-born daughter of the Azrael house, one of the Twelve Noble Houses that have served the royal family of Avalon since ancient times.¡¹(Helen)

    Haah, is that so. I almost say this careless reply out loud without thinking, but I somehow manage to catch it in my throat.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of these Twelve Noble Families of Avalon, but, well, I suppose it¡¯s a title like the Four Great Houses of Spada.

    I can guess this much, so I don¡¯t need to be considerate enough to act surprised ¨C

    ¡¸And I am themanding officer of Princess Nell¡¯s guards.¡¹(Helen)

    ¡¸Seriously?!¡¹(Kurono)

    I can¡¯t help being surprised. She really has guards?

    ¡¸... Princess Nell¡¯s mind is currently very ill.¡¹(Helen)

    Helen-san ¨C no, I suppose I can drop the honorific ¨C Helen res at me with an expression that looks as if she is holding herself back from saying,¡¸What a vulgar savage you are¡¹in response to my surprised reaction.

    ¡¸I was not able to help her recover from her depressed state. However, I am able to eliminate the one who caused her condition. No, that is not it ¨C I simply cannot forgive you for hurting Princess Nell.¡¹(Helen)

    I heard that Nell¡¯s copse was caused by fatigue from expending too much of her magical power. I have a lot of questions I want to ask, like how that could cause her mind to be ill or how that could be my fault. But with Helen¡¯s menacing presence before me, I can¡¯t confirm or deny anything and I realize that saying anything would be futile.

    ¡¸Haah... I can really understand why Lily and Fiona were so angry at me...¡¹(Kurono)

    This is the exact situation that they were worried about. Even if Nell and I consider each other friends, those around us will never acknowledge that friendship.

    A lowly adventurer bing overly familiar with a beautiful princess is an unforgivable¡ºevil.¡»

    I can understand Nero picking a fight with me as her older brother. But I feel that this hostility towards me that has been caused by misunderstandings and prejudiced opinions is unreasonable, and I¡¯m starting to get angry. I¡¯m done using formalnguage.

    ¡¸So what is it you¡¯re nning to do to me? Are you going to suggest that we have a duel?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Good guess. Yes, exactly, we will suggest a duel with you.¡¹(Helen)

    ¡¸I see. We, huh.¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯ve be surrounded without realizing. From the outside, it may appear as if curious onlookers have gathered around after sensing the serious atmosphere between me and Helen.

    However, these male and female students have surrounded me in the middle of this narrow road and are gazing at me with expressions full of hostility.

    ¡¸The ones gathered here are no foolishmoners who have merely been charmed by Princess Nell¡¯s kindness and beauty. They are all exchange students from Avalon. Like me, they are all guards who have sworn loyalty to the royal family from the bottom of their hearts.¡¹(Helen)

    Management cadets with red capes, knight cadets wearing normal uniforms with zers, adventurers wearing light armor or robes. These guys are all from Avalon, huh. There are quite a lot of exchange students, aren¡¯t there?

    ¡¸But rest assured, we will not take your life. We will apply the rules of the mock battles allowed at this academy.¡¹(Helen)

    ¡¸You can kill someone even with a wooden sword if you hit them in the wrong spot, can¡¯t you?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes. Let us both be very careful to avoid any idents.¡¹(Helen)

    I see. I have a good understanding of their intentions. I instinctively think that I don¡¯t want to be the subject of this lynching. But now that I don¡¯t have my weapons with me, I suppose this is the perfect opportunity.

    The training I did with Mia-chan wasn¡¯t just for the parade.

    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll ept a duel with all of you. Are we doing it here?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Heavens, no. We have arranged to use the colosseum, so we shall settle things there fair and square with no running away.¡¹(Helen)

    As elegant as Helen is, she can¡¯t fully conceal her sadistic personality from showing in her evil smile. Fine, if that¡¯s how you want it, I won¡¯t hold back.

    I feel sorry for you guys, but I¡¯ll have you be my guinea pigs to test out the second and third divine protections.

 Chapter 359 The berserkerâ€™s power

    Unconscious students are lying on the hard ground of the Royal Spada Academy¡¯s prided colosseum.

    ¡¸W-what on earth is going on...¡¹(Helen)

    Helen, the eldest daughter of the Azrael family that is one of Avalon¡¯s Twelve Noble Houses, whispers dumbfoundedly as she looks at the bodies that are scattered across the ground.

    ¡¸... Next.¡¹(Kurono)

    As if taking no notice of her trembling, a man¡¯s cold voice reverberates throughout the circr space of the arena.

    A man wearing the same ck academy uniform as the other students is standing in the center of the arena. However, on the inside, that man is a monster with unimaginable power.

    ¡¸I-I¡¯ll go!¡¹(Male student)

    One of the followers that Helen has brought here inrge numbers ¨C no, one of Nell¡¯s guards, steps forward.

    A male student of the knight course, holding a standardized wooden sword used for swordsmanship training, gives a shout and begins his charge.

    His stance and the speed of his movement can be called exceptional for a knight cadet, but ¨C

    ¡¸Gyih?!¡¹(Knight cadet)

    A line of ck fire shes across the open space. A flower of purple lightning bursts.

    The number of victims copsed in the arena increases by one.

    ¡¸Next.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Kuh... Gnnh...¡¹(Helen)

    Helen¡¯s beautiful, elegant face is filled with bitterness, impatience and some kind of fear. Everyone can tell how she feels, but everyone remains silent. Finally, nobody volunteered to step forward.

    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you done already?¡¹(Kurono)

    The man¡¯s t-toned voice expresses no dissatisfaction at theck of challengers; he is simply confirming that there are indeed no more. But the ck-and-red gaze that pierces straight through Helen is endlessly sharp and cold.

    ¡¸You... demon...¡¹(Helen)

    Kurono. That is the name of this demon.

    The cunning man who deceived the beloved Princess Nell, and yet dares to desire the brilliant glory of being the hero of Iskia.

    Helen has been wary of Kurono for a long time. To be more precise, ever since he instigated trouble in the dining hall. Kurono¡¯s behavior is problematic in itself, but the most problematic thing of all is that the pure princess who is overflowing with kindness shows no caution whatsoever; in fact, she approaches dangerous people of her own will.

    Helen knows that this has caused Nell¡¯s older brother, Prince Nero, to sense that Nell was greatly at risk. That is why Helen felt no need to act up until now. Nero, the true, wless hero, the one who will be the next generation¡¯s king and lead the nation of Avalon, was constantly at Nell¡¯s side. Everything could be entrusted to him.

    However, when the knight that protected the princess was separated from her for a short while ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono-san isn¡¯t that kind of person!¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Kurono-san is my important friend. Please stop speaking ill of him.¡¹(Nell)

    Helen would never forget the 24th of the Month of tinum (Hakkin). Sensing that disturbing events were urring, she made up her mind and scolded the princess, and that was the result.

    Helen had never felt as much regret as she did at that point in time. Nell had already been caught in Kurono¡¯s poisonous fangs.

    Officially, she was nothing more than a school friend, a ssmate to Nell. She had no way to stop Nell after that.

    She couldn¡¯t stop Nell¡¯s participation in the tournament involving terrible cursed weapons, nor could she stop Nell from using the¡ºScale of White Wings¡», one of Avalon¡¯s national treasures, for Kurono¡¯s sake.

    And now she is in that state after returning from Iskia Fortress.

    Of course, as Helen lives in the same women¡¯s dormitory, she has visited Nell numerous times. And every time she saw Nell¡¯s lifeless, doll-like eyes, she felt a deep sadness that was as if her heart was being torn to shreds, and one thought runs through her mind: Kurono cannot be forgiven.

    What happened in Iskia between Nell and Kurono is still unclear, as Nell herself never speaks about it. But knowing that Kurono is the cause of her current state is enough.

    This man who is the cause of Princess Nell¡¯s sorrow cannot be forgiven. Helen was determined enough to throw away her pride as a knight to carry out this lynch-like attack.

    Helen was burning with rage, but she had never underestimated Kurono¡¯s ability. He has the achievement of defeating a Rank 5 monster to his name.

    Even the exchange students from Avalon who have exceptional academic records cannot ovee their limits as students. There wasn¡¯t even a sliver of a chance at any of them defeating Kurono one-on-one.

    But no matter how powerful Kurono is, fatigue would umte if he fought battle after consecutive battle. Fatigue would weaken his attacks, slow his movements and affect his judgment. If he ran out of magical power, not only spells but also martial skills would not function properly.

    Even though these elite guards couldn¡¯t match up to Kurono in strength, they were full of fighting spirit granted to them by their loyalty to Nell and their anger towards Kurono. At least one of them was sure tost long enough tond a blow.

    However, there are only defeated guards in front of Helen. None of them have even been able to get in range of Kurono to connect with their wooden swords, let alonended a blow.

    Kurono is standing upright in a defenseless position, holding his own wooden sword in one hand with no proper stance. But once he attacks, his target would be struck down in one hit by his mysterious ck lightning magic without any opportunity to retaliate.

    Helen wasn¡¯t bothered about the first couple of people to suffer this fate. An offensive spell powerful enough to defeat enemies in a single hit, cast with no incantation or casting motion, wouldn¡¯t be possible to cast consecutively too many times. It was their aim to cause him fatigue, so having him use powerful magic was exactly what they had hoped for.

    But it seems that Kurono wants to cut the number of Nell¡¯s guards gathered here in half. Twenty, no, thirty of them are already unable to fight any further.

    In other words, even after thirty consecutive battles, Kurono has a cool expression on his face without even having run out of breath. There is no sign of the magical power emitted from his body growing weaker.

    ¡¸Just what kind of stamina do you have...?¡¹(Helen)

    Kurono¡¯s ss is Berserker. Judging from the fact that he chose to use a wooden sword instead of a staff designed for use in practice battles, it is not a mage-type ss.

    With that being the case, he must have beaten the Greed-Gore to death with martial skills as his core method of fighting, with magic to support it. Despite being someone who has been acknowledged as a Rank 5 adventurer, the amount of magical power he possesses shouldn¡¯t be as much as that of a first-ss mage.

    Helen already understands that her assumptions werepletely off the mark. But even though she understands this, there is nothing she can do about it.

    What could be done against a berserker who can consecutively cast spells that defeat enemies in a single hit with an endless supply of magical power? Even if this question was asked to people other than Helen who has lost herposure due to her frustration, none would be likely to give an answer.

    Who would be able toe up with a way to ovee an undefeatable foe in a situation where running away is not an option?

    Indeed, Helen is in the mental state of a general of a defeated army who cannot escape.

    ¡¸Oi, if you tell me that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, I¡¯m going to go back, you know?¡¹(Kurono)

    As if growing tired of waiting in this long silence, Kurono speaks in a bored tone.

    ¡¸W-wait! I will be your next opponent!¡¹(Helen)

    The Azrael house is a family of dragon knights who serve Avalon¡¯s royal family. Helen didn¡¯t possess the talent to be a dragon knight herself, but it has been decided that she would serve as a mage of the Knights¡¯ Order.

    If this is going to end in a pitiful, crushing defeat, then she wants to at least step forward and challenge Kurono herself before she falls.

    As a noble, she has the resolve to bear full responsibility for this lost battle.

    The one responsible for this duel is Helen herself. There was a rising discontent with Kurono among the guards, but as the captain of the guards, the cause of this suggestion/n/action to purge Kurono is none other than her.

    ¡¸You don¡¯t have you push yourself, you know.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Silence!¡¹(Helen)

    It is unlikely that she looks very outraged right now. She has noticed it herself, the unconscious trembling of her body. There is no doubt that her facial expression is also full of fear, far from an expression of bravery.

    Even so, she has steeled her resolve, but this man has even gone as far as to point out her fear. He is trampling over her determination; this is the act of a demon.

    ¡¸If you tell me we¡¯re doing this, then I¡¯ll do it...¡¹(Kurono)

    As she trembles in fear of her imminent defeat, none of the guards canugh at her for being a coward. Even though it is supposed to be a duel, it is nothing more than a mock battle. Nobody¡¯s lives are on the line. Thinking about it normally, this is the case.

    However, her opponent is a cunning demon who deceived the princess of an entire nation. Even though Helen is the daughter of a noble family of Avalon, challenging someone to a battle with an advantage in numbers is an outrageous act. In other words, it is no different from a criminal act. It is likely that Kurono is aware of this.

    If it were possible to crush Kurono with strength alone, there would be no problems. It would be overlooked and hushed up. But what would happen if she were crushed by his strength instead?

    Kurono has the opportunity to seize the initiative under these circumstances. Their positions would be reversed; this time, it would be his turn to do the threatening. No, that situation is already about to begin.

    That is why Helen will at least make herself the only loss, as the perpetrator of this incident. That is her responsibility as a noblewoman, as a knight and, above all, as the captain of Princess Nell¡¯s guards.

    Helen has already prepared herself. She is prepared to be defeated; in other words, she is offering herself to Kurono.

    As the daughter of a strict noble family, she was supposed to firmly protect her chastity until she married, but if the evil Tentacle Man so wishes, with her pure body, he can...

    ¡¸Well then, everyone who¡¯s left is free to alle at me at once, too.¡¹(Kurono)

    The demon murmurs.

    ¡¸The difference in our strengths is clear now, isn¡¯t it? If you don¡¯t do that, it won¡¯t be a fair fight. And also, this is a waste of time.¡¹(Kurono)

    Kurono whispers as if thinking about how truly disappointing things turned out even though he took the time to skip ss to do this.

    ¡¸What did you say...?¡¹(Helen)

    If they all attack at once, it might be possible ¨C no, the moment after this thought urs to her, Helen realizes.

    This is a trap. There is no doubt that this is the demon¡¯s n to show them a glimmer of hope that they can win, only to plunge them into the very bottom of the depths of despair.

    Helen cannot help but to admire the acting ability of Kurono that allows him to suggest this so naturally. It is likely that this is how he deceived Princess Nell.

    But even though she understands this, she has no choice but to ept his suggestion. Either way, continuing to fight one-on-one will inevitably lead to defeat. In order to increase their chance of victory by even the most miniscule amount, they have no other choice but to attack with everything they have.

    ¡¸... You are sure that this is fine? Since you have said that much, we cannot show you any mercy.¡¹(Helen)

    ¡¸Yeah,e at me as if you mean to kill me.¡¹(Kurono)

    As Kurono speaks with a calm expression that doesn¡¯t show the slightest sign of being prepared to die, the anger that had been dying down reignites.

    ¡¸Everyone, ready yourselves! Prepare to charge!¡¹(Helen)

    With this Avalon-style battlemand, the guards¡¯ fighting spirit that had been deteriorating returns in full force.

    Even without Helen giving detailed orders, a battle formation is quickly prepared with those of the Knight and Swordsman sses at the front and the Archer and Mage sses at the back.

    There are management cadets among the guards gathered here as well as those enrolled in the regr adventurer course. Naturally, they have no experience or training in fighting all together like this.

    Even so, their battle formation has no ws and in the blink of an eye, they have surrounded Kurono, ready to exterminate him. Each of them are disying their exceptional skills.

    Wooden swords are held firm. Incantations for offensive spells are loudly recited.

    The arena is now saturated with magical power and the intent to kill.

    In the midst of this tense atmosphere, Helen, who is holding a staff with a fireball lit at its end, finally gives themand.

    ¡¸Charge!¡¹(Helen)

    With vigor that is not at all inferior to that of real knights, the guards begin their violent attack ¨C and in that moment, Kurono whispers a few words.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts ¨C Full Burst.¡¹(Kurono)

    Note from the author:

    Kurono:¡¸If you want to engage in close-quartersbat with me, get through this storm of bullets first! I¡¯ll be waiting for your challenge!¡¹

    This is the kind of muri-game* that this is.

    TLN*: Literally means ¡°impossible game¡±. ng for an extremely difficult video game.

 Chapter 360 Superhuman sword technique

    ¡¸I suppose it didn¡¯t work out after all.¡¹(Kurono)

    The guards are lying on the ground around me after finally suffering a crushing defeat. It reminds me of the enemy soldiers that werepletely ughtered in the crossfire at Alzas Vige. The guards are utterly motionless, just like corpses, but it¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t killed any of them.

    But just because they¡¯re not dead doesn¡¯t mean that everything is fine. My objective was to experiment with my new divine protections.

    For now, I¡¯ve managed to confirm that the third divine protection converts my ck magical power into the lightning element.

    I¡¯d thought I should keep things simple to begin with so I tried imbuing my magical projectiles with the lightning element, but the convenient added shocking effect allowed me to immobilize my opponents without spilling their blood was more useful than I¡¯d expected. This woulde in handy during quests requiring me to capture monsters alive or weaken them through paralysis. It even seems like it¡¯ll have various applications in real battles as well.

    Incidentally, I¡¯ve decided to name it¡ºShock Buster.¡»I¡¯ve only used it to knock people unconscious so far, but if I use it for real, I¡¯m sure it will release powerful, crackling electricity that will live up to the title of¡¸Buster.¡¹

    Well, I wanted to test a lot of other things as well, but... I hadn¡¯t expected them to all be defeated by the Full Burst of my Bullet Arts.

    ¡¸Th-this can¡¯t be...¡¹(Helen)

    No, there¡¯s one survivor. The captain of the guards named Helen, the enemy general.

    She is wearing a desperate expression, as if she has encountered a Rank 5 monster in a Dungeon, and her body is trembling in a pitiful way. Doesn¡¯t this make me look like the bad guy here?

    Well, whatever. All the other people were cleared out of the arena beforehand. Nobody is watching, so no matter how much I look like an evil Tentacle Man who is about to assault this maiden, I don¡¯t care. I just did what I needed to do.

    That¡¯s right, the fact that she is the only one left unscathed is not because of her ability or due to some coincidence. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t fire any projectiles at her.

    ¡¸Oi.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Hyih?!¡¹(Helen)

    After doing this much, my anger haspletely subsided; in fact, I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for the guards. But I harden my resolve and re at Helen.

    She¡¯s more frightened than a frog being red at by a snake. She lets out a girlish scream and falls on her backside.

    O-oi, I can see your panties a little. At least readjust your skirt, it¡¯s rolled up and now it¡¯s bothering me.

    Incidentally, they¡¯re ck.

    ¡¸N-no... Stay away...¡¹(Helen)

    Doing my best to ignore the fact that I can see her panties, I manage to keep my eyes on her face as I step forward. That was close, I almost stepped on one of the students lying on the ground. It¡¯s troublesome, but I¡¯d definitely feel bad if I kicked them out of the way.

    ¡¸So, are you satisfied?¡¹(Kurono)

    I spit these words at Helen, who is thoroughly frightened and trembling like a small animal. Where has her previous spirit gone?

    No, there¡¯s no way she can be feeling satisfied after a defeat like that, but I can¡¯t think of a better line to say. I definitely don¡¯t have the talent for making an ad-lib acting performance anyway.

    ¡¸I¡¯m going to exin myself, even though I think it¡¯s probably pointless. Nell purely thinks of me as a friend, and I think of her as my friend. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t done anything to hurt her.¡¹(Kurono)

    I deliberately omit the fact that I got her involved in the dangerous business at Iskia.

    ¡¸Either way, can you stop making unnecessary trouble out of the rtionship between me and Nell?¡¹(Kurono)

    The important thing is to make this really clear.

    Getting dragged into this stuff is troublesome, and more importantly, it¡¯s hard to deal with these harassment-like attacks.

    And if even Lily and Fiona are affected, who knows what will happen. It¡¯s not the risk that I¡¯ll snap that I¡¯m worried about, it¡¯s the risk that those two will snap.

    ¡¸The next time you try something like this, it won¡¯t end with just a mock duel.¡¹(Kurono)

    Even I think this is a cliched threat, but under these circumstances, this is the best way to frighten her and make sure that she doesn¡¯t do anything like this again. I do feel anxious about this, but I can¡¯t think of any other ideas.

    ¡¸Now then, Helen, I suppose I¡¯ll have you take responsibility for causing this mess as captain of the guards.¡¹(Kurono)

    Though I say this, it¡¯s not like I want her to pay mepensation or anything. I don¡¯t really want to be the kind of scum who would shout,¡¸Show some sincerity!¡¹at her until she pays up.

    In short, I¡¯m fine with a simple apology. Well, considering her appearance, I suppose it would be quite humiliating for her to lower her head to a hated enemy like me.

    ¡¸... I-I understand.¡¹(Helen)

    Ah, her unreserved tone has changed to formalnguage. It¡¯s the same response I got from the skinhead called Zack that we captured before we hunted down the bandits. A noble family¡¯s daughter and a hooligan are both just humans when you¡¯re holding their life in your hands.

    Even I waspletely obedient to those masked guys in the researchboratory, so rather than making fun of her, I can feel her pain.

    But this isn¡¯t the time to be sympathizing with her. I re at her even more sharply, silently threatening her as if pressing her to hurry up and get on with it.

    With a pale face, Helen finally begins to stand up unsteadily.

    ¡¸... Kuh...¡¹(Helen)

    Surely she doesn¡¯t have any pride or anything left now. She makes no attempt to conceal or wipe the tears spilling from her blue eyes. Her stout-looking, elegant face is now heartbroken and stained with tears.

    Do your best, Helen! Once you lower your head and apologize, that¡¯ll be it!

    ¡¸U, uu... Fueeh...¡¹(Helen)

    And then she begins taking off her clothes.

    First, the red cape that is the mark of a management cadet. Then the ck vest. Now the red ribbon at the cor of her blouse is being undone.

    What the hell is this girl doing?

    Why would she take her clothes off here? Is it an Avalonian custom to be naked when making an apology? Even if it is, I can¡¯t make a girl do something like that. No, I wouldn¡¯t do that even to a guy, but ¨C actually, if I don¡¯t stop her now, there will be no going back.

    Her hands have already undone the top half of the buttons on her blouse. I can see white skin and a ck bra peeking out at me from her exposed chest.

    ¡¸Oi, what are you doing?!¡¹(Kurono)

    As I shout at her, I grab her arms to force her to stop what she¡¯s doing.

    ¡¸Kyah! N-no, don¡¯t rape me...¡¹(Helen)

    O-oi, what the hell is that response?! I¡¯m trying to stop her out of my own goodwill, but now I look like a rapist attacking her, don¡¯t I?

    Then what, was I supposed to stay quiet and nervously watch Helen strip?

    ¡¸Uu, guh... Save me... Papa, Mama, Onii-sama...¡¹(Helen)

    As the girl in my arms really bursts into tears, I realize something.

    Ah, I don¡¯t care about an apology or whatever anymore. If I don¡¯t get away from her right now, I won¡¯t be able to control the situation.

    I can¡¯t win against a crying girl after all ¨C

    ¡¸You should leave it at that, Berserker-san.¡¹

    At that moment, a voice calls out to me from overhead.

    An unfamiliar girl¡¯s voice. I don¡¯t know anyone who would call me¡¸Berserker-san.¡¹

    I almost reflexively look towards the spectator seats on the second floor of the arena where the voice ising from, but I make a split-second decision to stop partway through my movement. This is dangerous, there¡¯s an incredible amount of bloodthirst, no, desire to fight.

    ¡¸¨C ?!¡¹(Kurono)

    I thrust Helen away from me and throw my body in the direction that my instinctsmand me to.

    I feel a shing attack pass by my side at a fearsome speed. If I moved a fraction of a secondter, it would probably have split my head open.

    After rolling on the hard dirt to evade this attack, I quickly get up to prepare for a follow-up attack and confirm the situation. Standing in my field of vision is a young man holding arge wooden sword.

    ¡¸Oh! It¡¯s amazing that you managed avoid that just now!¡¹(Young man)

    His face has apletely joyful expression that shows no signs of guilt for performing a surprise attack. I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before.

    I don¡¯t know whether his blonde hair is standing on end because he applies wax to it every morning or whether that¡¯s just how his hair is, but it¡¯s very unique so I remember it quickly.

    Kai Est Galbraith. He¡¯s the swordsman who serves as a frontline fighter for¡ºWing Road¡»alongside Nero.

    As I recognize who he is, I give a fleeting nce in the direction that the first voice came from.

    The person standing there is a bespectacled girl with long, vividly purple hair and a book in her hand. I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before, too.

    The genius Necromancer who is also a member of¡ºWing Road¡», Safiel Maya Hydra.

    I see. The fact that she¡¯s a Hydra means that the purple eyes shining behind her sses have the¡ºAmethyst Gaze.¡»It¡¯ll be bad if she res at me.

    But why are these two here? No, more importantly...

    ¡¸What are you ying at, attacking me so suddenly?¡¹(Kurono)

    Safiel¡¯s expression changes to one of exasperation.

    Standing on the spectator seats on the second floor, she leans forward and falls to the arena. No, she¡¯se down of her own ord.

    Just before she hits the ground, her body floats in the air unnaturally, allowing her to step lightly onto the arena.

    She probably used wind magic to decelerate mid-air. On top of it being cast with no incantation, I didn¡¯t really feel any signs of magical power being used. On top of that, her skirt didn¡¯t flip up at all, which means that her control over her spell was perfect.

    ¡¸We¡¯re not ying at anything. We need to step in to help if one of our own female students is about to be raped, don¡¯t we?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹(Kurono)

    What kind of messed up things are you saying, what a terrible misunderstanding ¨C before I can make such objections, I realize something.

    The defeated guards. Their captain, an undoubtedly beautiful girl, with her disheveled uniform exposing much of her body.

    Until just a moment ago, I was forcefully holding onto Helen¡¯s arms while she struggled. And she was crying earnestly while saying,¡¸Save me¡¹in a heartbroken voice.

    Huh, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, aren¡¯t I the perfect example of a rapist?

    ¡¸But the scenario where you go out of your way to vite the captain of the guards right before their eyes is quite exciting. You have talent.¡¹(Safiel)

    I don¡¯t know what to say. No matter what excuses I make, they won¡¯t believe me. Truthfully, Helen probably actually thought that I was attacking her.

    This is how false usationse to exist, isn¡¯t it...?

    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is, so that means it¡¯s fine for me to knock you out!¡¹(Kai)

    Kai points his wooden sword at me, looking and sounding truly delighted. Considering that his eyes look like those of a child with a toy that he wants in front of him, I guess he isn¡¯t being driven by a sense of justice that makes him want to punish me for my serious crime of sexual assault.

    ¡¸You look like you¡¯re having quite a lot of fun. I thought you had a grudge towards me, though.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸You mean about Nell? Hmm, I don¡¯t really know what happened with her, anyway.¡¹(Kai)

    Kai swings the wooden sword that is modeled after a wide greatsword, causing a whooshing sound. Strangely, I can tell from this action alone that this guy has gone through an incredible amount of swordsmanship training.

    ¡¸It looks like things have gotten kind of troublesome, but it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me and I¡¯m not interested. I just want a fight with you, the guy who beat the Greed-Gore!¡¹(Kai)

    I see, this guy is a battle junkie just like that Vampire Samurai Ludora. Ah, he looks like a simple-minded guy, but because of that, it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll be able to avoid a fight.

    ¡¸Fine, I¡¯ll ept your challenge.¡¹(Kurono)

    I give a bold reply as if I want this battle as well, but considering the situation, this is the only answer I can give.

    Well, whatever. Since Kai is holding a wooden sword, I can guess that he just wants to end this with a mock duel. If he really intended to kill me, he would be using his greatsword that¡¯s made of an Orichalcum-Mythril alloy. I feel a little more at ease knowing that my life isn¡¯t on the line.

    And since he¡¯s a Rank 5 swordsman adventurer, he¡¯s not an unworthy opponent. This time for sure, I¡¯ll test out my divine protections as much as I want.

    There¡¯s more than a small chance that I¡¯ll just lose, though.

    ¡¸Heh, you¡¯re the best! There¡¯s nobody else left in this academy who will ept a challenge from me!¡¹(Kai)

    He¡¯s boasting, no, I suppose that¡¯s just the simple truth. For a battle junkie like him, not having any opponents that he can use his full strength against must be the greatest sorrow. He¡¯s looking truly happy from the bottom of his heart.

    Still, I can¡¯t stand the fact that I¡¯ve been dragged into this by a misunderstanding.

    ¡¸I think you know my name, but I¡¯ll say it anyway. I¡¯m Kai Est Galbraith, a pure swordsman-ss fighter!¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸I¡¯m the Nightmare Berserker, Kurono.¡¹(Kurono)

    Oh man, I finally said it. But with this atmosphere, I feel like I won¡¯t be allowed to introduce myself any other way. I guess things are probably heading in a direction where there¡¯s no going back...

    ¡¸Well then, here Ie! KURONOOOOOOOO!¡¹(Kai)

    TLN: An author Q&A with reader questions follows. I¡¯ve omitted the more irrelevant questions for English readers. The questions I¡¯ve omitted: One asking about how some kanji are read, one asking why Orcs resemble Ogres in Kuro no Maou rather than the typical Japanese depictions of Orcs as having pig heads and one asking why he¡¯s been writing so many author¡¯s notes at the end recently. I could skim-read these questions and answers but properly tranting them would have taken time and effort that¡¯s not really worth it for such irrelevant questions so I didn¡¯t.

    Note from the author:

    I will take the opportunity to answer some questions in thements here.

    Q: Were the guards at Iskia Fortress?

    A: No. At the very least, the members who attacked Kurono in recent chapters were not there. As it has be clear that she was the ssmate who spoke to Nell in chapter 275, this proves chronologically that Helen was not present at Iskia (During this scene in the ssroom, the students on the open-field exercise had already departed).

    I believed that it could be assumed that all of the guards were those who stayed behind during the open-field exercise (The open-field exercise is an event that takes ce multiple times and the students are divided, each only taking part in one exercise), so I didn¡¯t include it in the exnatory notes.

    Q: In regards to the previous chapter:

    She couldn¡¯t stop Nell¡¯s participation in the tournament involving terrible cursed weapons, nor could she stop Nell from using the¡ºScale of White Wings¡», one of Avalon¡¯s national treasures, for Kurono¡¯s sake.

    Isn¡¯t this line strange? This could be interpreted as Helen being aware of Nell¡¯s involvement in the tournament and that she would use the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»before the tournament itself.

    A: I apologize for wording it ambiguously. Of course, Helen only learned about everything after the tournament.

    Q: When did Helen find out about Nell¡¯s involvement in the tournament and her use of the¡ºScale of White Wings?¡»

    A: The fact that Nell barged onto the arena during the tournament became news in Spada. Helen would naturally hear about it, and it is information that she would have learned if she made even the slightest effort to find out about it.

    Also, the existence of the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»isn¡¯t secret information or anything like that. Just as Nero is known to use a sword, Nell is known to use a winged staff. Avalonians in particr would be aware of its abilities to some extent, and if Helen were to investigate the details of what happened at the tournament, she would quickly learn that the¡ºScale of White Wings¡»was used.

    This would mean that Helen learned the above information between the day after Nell clung onto Kurono¡¯s back and rode out of Spada and the day of the victory parade. This is plenty of time for her to gather information.

    Q: Isn¡¯t ¡°full burst¡± strange considering its meaning in shooting terminology?

    A: Full Burst is a name that Kurono came up with on his own, not shooting terminology. Thank you to those whomented on this.

 Chapter 361 The second divine protection

    ¡¸Well then, here Ie! KURONOOOOOOOO!¡¹(Kai)

    Giving a spirited roar, Kai throws his wooden sword high into the air.

    The ceiling is easily more than twenty meters above the arena, and the wooden sword spins loudly about halfway up that distance.

    Before I can begin to wonder what the point of throwing his weapon away was, Kai springs up in apletely vertical direction. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s trying to catch up to the sword that he threw ¨C actually, he¡¯s really caught up to it.

    Seriously, he can reach a height of ten meters with a vertical jump? I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s using a martial skill or it¡¯s a natural jump, but either way, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s more agile than I am.

    The moment the restrictions of gravity take hold of the thrown sword and it begins its descent towards the ground, Kai grips its handle once more.

    ¡¸Break Impact!¡¹(Kai)

    The martial skill he unleashes adds the force of gravity to his attack as he attacks from above like a meteor.

    Couldn¡¯t he have just jumped while holding his sword without having to throw it...? It¡¯s not the time to be thinking about that. No matter how I look at it, this attack contains a lot of power; it would be dangerous to receive a direct hit.

    My only option is to evade ¨C but I¡¯ve just noticed something. One of the copsed guards is lying right at my feet.

    The man, who is lyingpletely motionless, is wearing the uniform of a knight cadet and still tightly grasping his wooden sword.

    This is bad. If I avoid this attack, it¡¯llnd right on this guy. Even if it¡¯s not a direct hit, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯ll at least get caught up in the shockwave.

    That¡ºBreak Impact¡»is probably a superior version of the Break technique that the Armored Knights were using at the battle of Alzas. It¡¯s not difficult to imagine that it¡¯ll release quite a shockwave when it hits the ground.

    Then I suppose I¡¯ll evade it while carrying this guy.

    No, there¡¯s no way I have time to do that. Kai¡¯s martial skill willnd right on top of my head just as I pick the guy up.

    Damn it, there¡¯s no choice but to take the attack head-on and reduce its power as much as possible!

    ¡¸ckening!¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m still holding the normal-sized wooden sword that I randomly chose for the duel. I cleaned them all up with just¡ºShock Buster¡»so I didn¡¯t use ckening, but damn, I suppose I should have finished things more quickly.

    Even while I internallyin to myself, I raise my wooden sword to stop Kai¡¯s as it flies towards me. I really don¡¯t know how, but somehow my ckeningpletes in that instant.

    ¡¸Guh!¡¹(Kurono)

    Kai¡¯s attack is powerful, as if telling me that he doesn¡¯t need to feint and simply ns to beat me down with raw strength, and I stop it with this unreliable, ckened wooden sword.

    As I feel a tremendous amount of pressure on both of my arms, I also hear the sound that I expected to hear, the creaking sound of my weapon being destroyed.

    Damn it, I didn¡¯t manage to block itpletely after all.

    Clicking my tongue mentally, I endure the impact that shakes my entire body. Kai¡¯s martial skill smashes my wooden sword, strikes the ground and releases a shockwave. The male student I covered hasn¡¯t been blown away too far. Great. He just rolled across the ground a little, so he should be fine.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts ¨C Shock Buster.¡¹(Kurono)

    I was preparing my counterattack while using my ckening. Full Burst would be impossible, but it is possible to release enough bullets to fill the air so densely that there isn¡¯t any space to dodge them at point-nk distance.

    On top of that, all of them have the lightning element added to them through¡ºShock Buster.¡»The space between the barrage of bullets is filled with purple lightning. Just like a of electricity.

    Kai, whose body is rigid after releasing his martial skill, has no technique that can dodge or block this.

    ¡¸Oh?!¡¹(Kai)

    My magic bullets of electricity travel the minimal distance of less than one meter and all strike his broad chest. The impact sends hisrge, muscr body flying away with ease.

    Of course, electrical attacks cause numbness. If the lightning is strong enough, it is possible that¡ºParalysis¡»is inflicted as a Status Effect. Yes, just like the Greed-Gore did to me.

    In any case, my¡ºShock Buster¡»doesn¡¯t have the power or spell form necessary to inflict¡ºParalysis¡», but surely Kai¡¯s limbs will be feeling numb after receiving such a spectacr critical hit.

    In other words, he is falling onto the arena without being able to put up any kind of defense ¨C

    ¡¸Tweh! Uhegh... I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d be receiving a lightning attack when Sharl¡¯s not around.¡¹(Kai)

    Kainds on the ground casually and magnificently, like a gymnast. His control over his body is incredible, as if being blown away by my attack was just an act. He has agility equivalent to that of a War Cat.

    No, the thing I should be surprised about is his toughness. His resistance to Status Effects is as good as mine, even though I have a remodeled body. Or maybe he trains by receiving a lot of lightning attacks on a regr basis.

    ¡¸But is this that ck magic thing? Heh, it¡¯s not all that great.¡¹ (Kai)

    Ah, he¡¯s wearing an expression that tells me that he thinks my ck magic is simple. It kind of annoys me. Should I give him a¡ºGrenade Burst¡»from¡ºOverdrive?¡»

    Wait, calm down, me. Don¡¯t forget your original goal. You haven¡¯t tested out your new divine protections yet, so you can bring this match to an endter.

    No, that¡¯s not right; the match will be decided in a single moment.

    ¡¸I guess a sword is best for a Berserker after all! Hey, your sword¡¯s broken, so I don¡¯t mind waiting for you to get another one, you know?¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t need it. Monsters don¡¯t wait for you to pick up your weapon, after all.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Heh, just what I¡¯d expect from the guy who killed the Greed-Gore with his bare hands. What amazing confidence!¡¹(Kai)

    No, truthfully, I¡¯m really anxious about the fact that I don¡¯t have my cursed weapons on me.

    But I have to give these kinds of responses. These are necessary words to get Kai in the mood.

    Because there¡¯s no point if he doesn¡¯t keep using attacks that he puts all of his strength into.

    ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t let your guard down just because I¡¯m unarmed. Come at me as if you mean to kill me.¡¹(Kurono)

    They¡¯re the exact same words I said to Helen, a line that easily provokes. She got really angry, but ¨C

    ¡¸FINE BY ME!¡¹(Kai)

    Kai seems really happy. Ah, I suppose he¡¯s really battle-crazed after all.

    He brandishes his enormous wooden sword and steps forward with enough force that the ground sinks beneath his foot before breaking off into a run. He¡¯s so fast that I almost lose sight of him. It takes him only two steps to reach his top speed.

    ¡¸Bullet Arts.¡¹(Kurono)

    He¡¯ll be suspicious if I just stand here silently. I have no doubt that he¡¯s the type of person who makes decisions based on instinct rather than deduce things through logical thinking.

    If I hold back even a little, he¡¯ll realize something is going on.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll fire distracting projectiles at full power. I¡¯ll use Gatling Burst.

    ¡¸I¡¯ve already shown you that those have no effect, haven¡¯t I?!¡¹(Kai)

    I know. I know that, but I hadn¡¯t expected you to charge in like thatpletely unguarded.

    Without forgetting that this is a mock battle, I use soft projectiles that will simply make a forceful impact if they hit rather than the usual pseudo-Fullmetal Jacket projectiles.

    However, they¡¯re still enough to knock a person out if they hit their head. Several hundred of them were enough to stop even the Rank 4 adventurer Vulcan in his tracks.

    Despite that, this guy is pushing on quickly and forcefully, as if this storm of bullets is actually simply made of raindrops.

    As expected of someone who is Rank 5, he¡¯s tough.

    ¡¸Grenade Burst.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸That was close!¡¹(Kai)

    A single red explosive projectile emerges behind the hail of rapidly-fired ck bullets. Its size and the power hidden within it are on another level, so it¡¯s not really hidden among the bullets, however.

    But it seems that even Kai would choose to evade this projectile.

    Still, I fired almost without making a single movement, but he reacted super-quickly as if he knew exactly when I was going to fire it. And above all, his body is incredible for being able to react as fast as his mind.

    The direction of his movement turned ny degrees while maintaining full speed.

    The Grenade that missed its target sails through the air until it finally collides with the arena¡¯s wall.

    ¡¸That one gave me the chills!¡¹(Kai)

    With an explosive sound echoing through the arena and a ck-red explosion in the background, Kai shouts these words as he returns to his previous course of movement.

    If he takes three more steps from there, his wooden sword will reach me. The genius swordsman is stepping into lethal range.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t let it end like this ¨C¡¹(Kai)

    My final discharge. I seriously used the pseudo-Fullmetal Jacket for this one shot, but as expected, it¡¯s being dodged.

    The magic bullet sails fruitlessly over Kai¡¯s head as he bends his body down slightly.

    Maybe it was easier to sense because of the small amount of killing intent I put into it.

    It¡¯s such a perfect evasion that even I can¡¯t help but admire it. It¡¯s not just that he¡¯s dodged it; it¡¯s incredible that he simultaneously moved his body into a position that leads into his iing attack.

    That¡¯s right, Kai is finally releasing an attack that I¡¯m satisfied with. A martial skill so powerful that I¡¯m praying that it won¡¯t end things here.

    ¡¸Ultima sh!¡¹(Kai)

    A single, sweeping attack. I can¡¯t see the tip of his weapon due to its speed, but the magical power imbued in the martial skill forms a swiftly-trailing aura behind the weapon.

    Unlike my Kuronagi, the piercing light that is the color of an ocean reflecting sunlight is fascinatingly beautiful.

    But this beautiful attack is enough to knock someone out. Actually, even with a wooden sword, I¡¯m pretty sure this would kill an ordinary person with ease, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Ah, damn it, this is scary after all. Even though this is what I wanted, taking such a dangerous-looking attackpletely unguarded is terrifying.

    But I don¡¯t have any other choice; this is necessary to test my second divine protection.

    The first divine protection,¡ºOverdrive¡», grants me physical strength. And the second divine protection ¨C

    ¡¸Overgear.¡¹(Kurono)

    TLN*: The kanji for Overgear is ¡°Demon King of Iron.¡± As a reminder, Overdrive was ¡°Demon King of mes.¡±

    Grants me an iron-like defense. In other words, it¡¯s a hardening ability.

    There are basic defensive measures such as the¡ºProtect Boost¡»spell or the martial skill,¡ºGuard.¡»Both of them basically work by covering the entire body with magical power to harden it, and the second divine protection I¡¯m using now relies on the same principle.

    However, the difference between it and the other defensive measures is like the difference between the sky and the earth. And because its effect is so simple, it¡¯s extraordinarily easy to use.

    The pseudo-earth-element ck magical power turns into a visible gray aura that surrounds me for only a moment.

    It takes a moment to cast and another moment to exhibit its effect. But that¡¯s fast enough to block this attack.

    ¡¸¨C HUH?!¡¹(Kai)

    As Kai lets out a shout of astonishment, it¡¯s drowned out by the deafening noise of the wooden sword being smashed to pieces as it strikes my chest.

    No matter how powerful the martial skill is, if the weapon itself is weak, it¡¯s only natural that it would be destroyed. No matter how hard you try, you can¡¯t break a boulder with a wooden sword.

    My body has transformed into steel even harder than a boulder, so this is the natural result. I¡¯ve taken no damage. In fact, I didn¡¯t feel any impact at all.

    But I¡¯m really d it worked ¨C ah, I don¡¯t have time to be celebrating.

    The moment after Kai¡¯s weapon is destroyed is when he has a fatal opening that will never appear again if I let him escape here. I¡¯ll hit him with all of my strength here to decide the match.

    ¡¸Overdrive.¡¹(Kurono)

    The crimson magic circle that has appeared on the back of my hand grants me the strength of an enraged Wrath-Pun.

    ¡¸Clench your teeth ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    Burning red and destructive ck. As my right arm draws a faint spiral of these two colors, it closes in on Kai¡¯s defenseless body.

    Using¡ºWrath Impact¡»would kill him. But¡ºOverdrive¡»should give me more than enough strength to knock Kai out.

    ¡¸ORAAAH!¡¹(Kurono)

    I feel my attack connect. At that moment, my fist extends in a straight punch thrown with all my might.

    And then Kai¡¯s body, which is right in front of me, vanishes. Without even letting out a groan, he¡¯s been sent flying all the way to the back of the arena at an incredible speed.

    There should have been twenty meters between us and the wall behind him, but he travels that distance without slowing down and crashes into the wall. Kai¡¯s back sinks into the gray wall that¡¯s made of an inorganic, concrete-like substance.

    The roaring sound echoing in the arena and the deep fissures running along the wall¡¯s surface show just how powerful the impact was.

    ¡¸... Are you going to keep going?¡¹(Kurono)

    One second, two seconds, three seconds pass ¨C there¡¯s no response.

    Gravity pulls Kai¡¯s body that is half-buried in the wall to the ground, where he finally copses. He sinks onto the ground without being able to move his arms at all, let alone put up a defensive stance.

    ¡¸I suppose I¡¯m the winner of this match.¡¹(Kurono)

    He seems to bepletely unconscious, so I don¡¯t think he can hear me, though.

    My experiment disguised as a contest has finished. It¡¯s unfortunate that I didn¡¯t manage to test out my third divine protection, but I suppose I¡¯ll just have to look for another opportunity for that.

    Just as I begin to rx ¨C

    A chill runs down my spine and the rm bells of my sixth sense go off.

    This is killing intent.

    ¡¸¨C?!¡¹(Kurono)

    By the time I turn around reflexively, I see the tip of a de that¡¯s already right in front of my eyes.

    A sword radiating a dazzling silver light. Its de curves in a wave-like shape. It¡¯s a mberge made of Pure Mythril. Unlike a wooden sword, it will bring death to anyone cut by it.

    The one swinging this beautiful sword is a knight wearing a suit of armor and helmet radiating the same silver light.

    The full-temail that covers him head to toe in Mythril has a streamlined shape and purple decorations everywhere. What a beautiful design.

    However, the face visible through the helmet that has its beak-shaped visor raised is not that of a handsome man befitting of such armor, but a skull that looks like it belongs to a grim reaper. The purple light in its eye sockets serve as proof of the false life that moves this dead body.

    That¡¯s right, this is an Undead knight being controlled through¡ºNecromancy.¡»

    Just because I¡¯ve figured out its identity doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s attack is going to stop. The timing of this attack is just too perfect.

    This horizontal swing aimed at my neck isn¡¯t slow enough that I¡¯ll be able to duck under it in time. The reach of this gleaming Mythril de isn¡¯t short enough for me to escape it with a back-step.

    The second divine protection,¡ºOvergear¡», is... impossible; I won¡¯t be able to use it for a second time quickly enough.

    My cursed weapons aren¡¯t present and I¡¯m not wearing my demon¡¯s coat. There¡¯s nothing I can do ¨C no, there is only one thing I can do.

    Perhaps even this danger is something that has been prepared for me. This situation is so perfect that I can¡¯t help but suspect this.

    It¡¯s perfect for testing my third divine protection.

    ¡¸Over-el.¡¹(Kurono)

    I activate it ¨C and as I do, time stops.

    TLN: Kanji for Over-el is ¡°Demon King of Lightning¡±.

 Chapter 362 The third divine protection

    ¡¸Over-el.¡¹(Kurono)

    Time stops.

    Everything in my field of vision freezes and bes motionless, to the point that I feel like time has stopped.

    The Greed-Gore, or rather, the Sloth-Gil, probably saw a static picture of the world like this as well. Seeing my magic bullets aimed at its eyes would have been easy for it.

    This is the third divine protection. An ability that stops time ¨C no, an ability that enhances my concentration.

    I had Nell cast¡ºConcentration Boost¡»on me in the battle at Iskia, but it was something that increased my ability to internally process spell forms for magic.

    If my ability to concentrate increases, I¡¯ll naturally be able toplete spells more quickly and it even bes possible to construct multiple spell forms simultaneously. To put it more simply, it increases my imaginative ability, making the images I create in my head more vivid and more precise, producing more refined spells.

    The martial skill called¡ºConcentration¡», purely improves the concentration, reflexes and eye movement needed to read an enemy¡¯s movement while not affecting anything to do with dealing withplicated calctions.

    This¡ºOver-elbines the effects of both the¡ºConcentration Boost¡»spell and the¡ºConcentration¡»martial skill, acting as the ultimate thought eleration ability.

    However, what I need right now is not only for my eyes to see the enemy¡¯s attack, but for my body to actually move to avoid it.

    In this frozen scene, I can see the Mythril mberge heading slowly but surely towards my neck. Silently doing nothing like this would be simply dying my inevitable death.

    So I¡¯ll move. I¡¯ll avoid it. I¡¯ll push my strength as far as it can go, no, I¡¯ll ovee my body¡¯s limits.

    ¡¸Move!¡¹(Kurono)

    I intend to shout, but my voice doesn¡¯t form an actual sound. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll hear it when I undo concentration-enhancing effect.

    My body is as still as the rest of this frozen world, to the point that my vocal chords can¡¯t even vibrate. It¡¯s like sleep paralysis.

    Even so, I force myself to move. I should be able to move. The Sloth-Gil controlling the Greed-Gore managed to do it.

    I have to force my body to move using my super-fast nerve transmission that is greatly enhanced by the lightning element.

    ¡¸Move!¡¹(Kurono)

    My body leans backwards just a tiny amount.

    It¡¯s a stiff and awkward movement, as if every joint in my body has rusted, but it¡¯s still a movement.

    There are less than ten centimeters between the de and its target.

    Not yet, this isn¡¯t enough. I still won¡¯t be able to avoid a deep sh to my Adam¡¯s apple at this rate.

    Move, move more. I don¡¯t care if I need to copse backwards. As long as I can evade this one attack, I can manage the rest!

    ¡¸MOOOOOOOOOVE!¡¹(Kurono)

    The world begins to move once more.

    I hear my own shout echoing across the arena as I feel the dull pain of my back striking the hard ground.

    I see a silver trail being drawn across the ce my neck was a moment ago. Evasion sessful.

    ¡¸Grenade Burst.¡¹(Kurono)

    I can¡¯t see the Undead knight as I lie here face up, but it¡¯s still definitely right in front of me. If I fire at this point-nk distance, I¡¯ll definitely hit.

    Eat this, my full-strength Grenade Burst that I prepared while evading your attack.

    Iunch a projectile containing ck mes from the fingertips of my right hand towards the enemy that should be right there.

    A huge explosion urs right on top of me. My vision turns ck and the world spins around me.

    ¡¸¨C Whoa!¡¹(Kurono)

    The explosion is powerful enough to send my body flying away with ease, but my¡ºNanast Amulet¡»blocks out the heat.

    I fly through the air, trapped by the swirling air currents, but I don¡¯t have such weak nerves that I would panic over something like this.

    I twist my body, regain my posture and make anding before I crash into the wall like Kai did. I¡¯vended with one knee on the ground. I suppose mynding wasn¡¯t all that magnificent.

    ¡¸You surprised me. To think that you were able to avoid that.¡¹(Safiel)

    The explosion disperses just as I make mynding and face forward once more.

    I hear the voice of the girl who called out to me earlier,ing from the other side of the faintly-lingering ck smoke. The one actually standing in front of me is the skull-faced knight in Mythril armor, however.

    ¡¸I didn¡¯t think that my attack would be blocked, either.¡¹(Kurono)

    The Grenade Burst that I unleashed as a counter-attack after my evasion was blocked by the buckler attached to the knight¡¯s left arm.

    It¡¯s a shield made of Mythril like the knight¡¯s sword and armor, but after being stained ck by the explosion, it¡¯s lost its shine. If I look at it the other way, it¡¯s a sign that my explosion only managed to dirty it a little, dealing no damage at all.

    I see. It¡¯s not just equipped with expensive equipment; it¡¯s got some pretty high specs to match that equipment.

    No, I don¡¯t give a damn about that. There¡¯s something else that I should be worried about.

    ¡¸So what exactly were you trying to do with that surprise attack?¡¹(Kurono)

    Jokes aside, Safiel Maya Hydra is the master of the Undead knight that unleashed an attack that could have really killed me. What is her true intention?

    ¡¸You¡¯re the one who said toe at you as if we meant to kill you, aren¡¯t you?¡¹(Safiel)

    You idiot, those words were directed at Helen and Kai. You¡¯d apply those words to yourself when in full spectator mode?

    Well, considering that Safiel is smiling as if to say,¡¸I¡¯m very malicious, do you have a problem with that?¡¹it¡¯s easy to tell that she¡¯s not being serious.

    ¡¸If you murder someone at the academy, won¡¯t you be in a lot of trouble even if you¡¯re from a noble family?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸To stop an evil rapist, to protect an important friend, there are plenty of excuses I can use.¡¹(Safiel)

    What a demon. I¡¯ve been called a demon plenty by the Crusaders, but the ones who really deserve to be called demons are cunning people like her.

    Even though I¡¯m cursing her in my mind, there¡¯s no change to the fact that I look like the viin in this situation.

    The annihted guards and Helen, who is still crying in the corner of the arena right now. And Kai, who is lying on the ground, the Berserker¡¯s newest victim.

    Uwah, this scene really is a nightmare.

    ¡¸Well then, do you really intend to kill me here?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸No, I¡¯ll stop here. Fighting you directly would be the act of a fool ¨C Reverse.¡¹(Safiel)

    As if proving that she has no intent to fight anymore, Safiel unsummons her servant, the Undead knight.

    A magic circle is drawn in purple right above the skull-faced knight¡¯s helmet. Poisonous-looking purple smoke appears from it. It wraps around the Mythril armor and helmet as if it has a mind of its own,pletely blocking out their silver light.

    In the next moment, the smoke disappears into the magic circle as if sucked into it, and the Undead knight that was there is now suddenly gone. It¡¯s a strange unsummoning spell, as if the knight was dissolved in the smoke and sent beyond the magic circle with it.

    But it¡¯s not the time to be admiring that.

    ¡¸You nearly killed me. You think I¡¯m just going to let you go because you said you don¡¯t intend to kill me anymore?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸If someone sees you attacking a beautiful girl who isn¡¯t showing any resistance, it really will be something more than a simple misunderstanding, you know?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸I see, misunderstanding, huh... You knew right from the beginning that I was innocent, didn¡¯t you?¡¹(Kurono)

    There was no reason for me to make excuses in the first ce. Well, even if I¡¯d wanted to try and make excuses, I didn¡¯t have the time to.

    Still, she¡¯s pretty confident to be able to call herself a beautiful girl as if it¡¯s an obvious thing. Well, it¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s true.

    Keeping Safiel¡¯s beautiful face in the corner of my vision, I take a quick look at the area around the arena. As I thought, there¡¯s nobody here. There¡¯s no sign that there¡¯s going to be some new intruder appearing.

    ¡¸Haven¡¯t you two been watching ever since these guys picked a fight with me?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸We just came back to the school after finishing lunch. If we had been watching you from the beginning, that idiot would have jumped in before you annihted the guards.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸The timing of your arrival was pretty convenient, though.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸The fact that Princess Nell¡¯s guards picked a fight with the Nightmare Berserker has already caused quite amotion.¡¹(Safiel)

    Eh, seriously? I almost give this response out loud, but manage to stop myself in time.

    But I guess that¡¯s how it is; there¡¯s no way I can see what¡¯s going on outside from inside the colosseum. I was facing them one at a time at the start, so quite a lot of time has passed, too.

    There are probably a lot of people who are free right now gathered around here, full of curiosity. If something were to happen, they¡¯d rush in here straight away.

    If it¡¯s be known that the guards picked a fight with me, then it seems that the misunderstanding should solve itself, but if I¡¯m seen trying to make a serious attempt to kill Safiel, that would cause new problems. As unfortunate as it is, I can¡¯t do anything more here.

    ¡¸Tell me the reason you tried to kill me.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, I suppose it¡¯s alright to tell you that much ¨C¡¹(Safiel)

    Safiel brushes aside her characteristic purple hair as she continues.

    ¡¸¨C It¡¯s because you used the¡ºAmethyst Gaze.¡»¡¹(Safiel)

    The Demon Eyes behind her sses are gleaming dangerously... I think.

    ¡¸It seems that the story being told to the world is that you beat the Greed-Gore to death with your bare hands, but what cut off its head was the crystallization effect of the¡ºAmethyst Gaze.¡»That would be very clear if you were to have taken one look at the cross-section of the wound.¡¹(Safiel)

    I suppose I can¡¯t truthfully make an excuse and say that I didn¡¯t use it. Not that I think that such an excuse would fool this cunning Necromancer in the first ce.

    ¡¸So are you trying to say that your pride has been hurt by the fact that the prided Demon Eyes of the Hydra family were used by a mere adventurer?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Certainly not; there is no way that someone like myself would get so serious over something as worthless as a noble family¡¯s pride, is there?¡¹(Safiel)

    No, I have no idea what kind of person you are.

    ¡¸I wonder if my exnation was a little insufficient. The problem lies not just with the fact that you used the Demon Eyes, but also with their original owner. Since you defeated him in the¡ºCursed Carnival¡», you should at least know his name, right?¡¹(Safiel)

    The image of a screaming, insane man with shining Demon Eyes shes in my mind. There¡¯s no way I could forget.

    ¡¸You mean Saeed.¡¹(Kurono)

    Safiel gives a broad, evil grin, as if congratting me in a condescending way for getting the right answer.

    ¡¸I met Saeed-ojisan before. But it was only once, when I was only a child.¡¹(Safiel)

    I see, so he was her uncle and she was his niece. It¡¯s only natural for them to be rted in some way since they¡¯re both from the Hydra family, but I¡¯d totally assumed that Saeed was someone who had lived in the distant past.

    I don¡¯t know what the results would be if I had the Demon Eyes appraised, nor did I get a glimpse of the memories within them like I did for my cursed hatchet and Evil Eater.

    However, I can say one thing with confidence.

    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I killed him. By the time of my match, Saeed was nothing more than a severed Undead head.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I know. I know that he was tricked by a filthy prostitute, exiled from the n and then killed by her, meeting a foolish end.¡¹(Safiel)

    Eh, Saeed¡¯s past had a story like that?! Uwah, what should I do, I really want to see the results of an appraisal for the Demon Eyes. I suppose I should give up on it...

    ¡¸Then you should resent the woman responsible for that. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have any particr resentment towards you as an individual, but I can¡¯t stand the fact that you still possess Saeed-ojisan¡¯s Demon Eyes.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸I expended Saeed¡¯s Demon Eyes to defeat the Greed-Gore.¡¹(Kurono)

    The¡ºAmethyst Gaze¡»that I shoved into the Greed-Gore¡¯s neck was lost. Physically, they were just a pair of eyes. There¡¯s no doubt that they were crushed by the Greed-Gore¡¯s rock-like body as it copsed.

    ¡¸Both eyes awakened for him. With that being the case, you have one eye remaining, don¡¯t you?¡¹(Safiel)

    Tch, I wasn¡¯t able to fool her after all.

    Indeed, I still have one Demon Eye remaining in a jar in my Shadow Gate.

    TLN: In chapter 342 I tranted it as Kurono having used both eyes. The author made use of the fact that in Japanese, singr/plural objects are often impossible to distinguish unless specified so I (and all the other Japanese readers) had no way of being able to tell whether Kurono used one or both. I¡¯ve now fixed it this in my trantion for that chapter.

    ¡¸If you were to willingly hand it over, I wouldn¡¯t mind letting you go here, you know?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Even if you had 10,000,000 ns to pay me, I have no intentions of giving it to you.¡¹(Kurono)

    When I first acquired them, I¡¯d thought that I¡¯d be better off selling such dangerous things, but since one of the eyes yed a huge role in my victory, I¡¯ve changed my mind.

    The Demon Eyes are dangerous but useful. They¡¯re so powerful that they might even work against the Apostles. You think I¡¯m going to hand it over that easily?

    ¡¸I see, what a shame. Well then, I¡¯ll be sure to target you at the next opportunity, so it would be helpful if you could let down your guard.¡¹(Safiel)

    She gives a dark smile so that I don¡¯t know whether to interpret her words as being serious or a joke. Seriously, spare me... As I begin to feel fed up with all of this, one doubt suddenly surfaces in my mind.

    ¡¸That¡¯s quite the sense of duty you have, to be so obsessed about a rtive you met only once.¡¹(Kurono)

    She herself denied that she had the pride of a noble family, but this is how she¡¯s acting. Doesn¡¯t that mean that she kind of has strong feelings towards her own n?

    ¡¸Not really; even if you were to take the Demon Eyes from both of my parents, I wouldn¡¯t really think about taking them back.¡¹(Safiel)

    Safiel looks incredibly exasperated. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s letting out crystallizing beams of light from her eyes, but I feel an unpleasant sensation.

    ¡¸You¡¯re quite dense, aren¡¯t you?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Huh? What are you saying all of a sudden?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Come to think of it, your party members are the famous Fairy and witch bishoujobination... Fufu, you¡¯re going to go through hard times from now on, you know?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸It¡¯s none of your concern.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Ufufu, well, it doesn¡¯t matter. If you¡¯re that thick-headed, I¡¯ll exin it for you clearly. Saeed-ojisan was ¨C¡¹(Safiel)

    As Safiel speaks, she gives an incredibly happy smile, as if she¡¯s truly enjoying herself. Her face is undeniably that of a beautiful woman, but anyone looking at that smile wouldn¡¯t be able to help feel a¡ºshadow¡»that causes them to shudder.

    I can instinctively sense it. This girl is broken somewhere.

    ¡¸¨C my first love.¡¹(Safiel)

    Honestly, the idea of wanting to own the eyeball of someone you love is a little repulsive to me. But now I understand.

    As if there is nothing more left to say, Safiel turns her defenseless back towards me and begins to leave. I don¡¯t ask her any further questions.

    There are some things that I¡¯m curious about, like whether it¡¯s alright for her to just abandon Kai like this, but even so, I don¡¯t say anything to her. No, I can¡¯t say anything.

    ¡¸Kuh... As I expected, using my divine protections three times consecutively was pretty rough...¡¹(Kurono)

    I can¡¯t move my arms; my joints are creaking and my vision is blurry. An easy victory for me has turned into a battle that I barely managed to win, and now my body is in a terrible state.

    If some new intruder were to appear now, I would meet my doom.

    Therefore, I only have one option right now.

    ¡¸Right, I suppose I¡¯ll go home.¡¹(Kurono)

 Chapter 363 The meetings at 12 oâ€™clock, 7th of the Month of Blue Moon

    After reluctantly parting with Kurono at the Stratus Smithing Workshop, Lily visits¡ºFairy Tail¡», which has firmly established itself as her favorite store.

    The person she hase to see is the beautiful Dark Elf, Sofia Sirius Percival, who serves as the chairman of the Royal Spada Academy.

    Sofia, the matriarch of arge noble family, is wearing a humble yet elegant robe while Lily is wearing an academy uniform. The two of them might appear to be parent and child, but Sofia¡¯s dark skin and Lily¡¯s shining wings make it clear that they are of different races. Indeed, the two of them are simply friends.

    The store is considerably packed with customers as it is lunchtime, but it¡¯s only natural for Lily, an honored customer, to be sitting in a reserved seat where she can ce orders for secret information. The two of them were seated without being forced to wait, and they should have been elegantly enjoying a meal that has been handmade by Fairies.

    ¡¸This incident was a blunder on my part...¡¹(Sofia)

    There is a dark expression of deep regret on Sofia¡¯s brown-skinned face. A truly bitter expression.

    ¡¸There was no helping it; reinforcements wouldn¡¯t have made it to Iskia Fortress in time if it weren¡¯t for Kurono. It takes time to send out an emergency quest, and more importantly, it¡¯s impossible for you to make a move immediately since you¡¯re not a knight or adventurer, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Lily)

    Lily¡¯s calm remark is proof that although her appearance remains young, her mind is in an adult state. Her wise words are right on the mark.

    ¡¸No, but... Still...¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸I understand how you feel, the frustration of not being able toe to the rescue when someone you love is in trouble.¡¹(Lily)

    Sofia could not save Simon. That is her sole regret.

    As Lily says, there was nothing that Sofia could have done in that situation. It would have been impossible for her to reach Iskia Fortress faster than the Knights¡¯ Order ¨C no, faster than Kurono.

    ¡¸Fortunately Simon is safe, and he isn¡¯t concerned that you didn¡¯te to save him. In fact, something like that wouldn¡¯t even ur to him, would it?¡¹(Lily)

    From Simon¡¯s point of view, his rtionship with Sofia is nothing more than that between a student and headmaster. She was doing him favors as he took a break from attending the academy and worked as an adventurer, but it certainly cannot be said that they share a deep bond.

    ¡¸It¡¯s not like he has lost faith in you or anything, so isn¡¯t it alright? The more important thing is what you should do from now on, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Lily)

    As Lily gives a gentle smile, Sofia replies with a serious expression, as if she has hardened her resolve.

    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s time for me to make a move.¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸But is it alright to do that? It would be troublesome if the head of the Percival family, one of the Four Great Houses, were to act carelessly.¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸I have made the necessary arrangements. No, those weren¡¯t even necessary. It would have been better for me and him to have been together from the beginning rather than waste time on worthless things like this. I can just freeze and break any troublesome people who try to get in the way.¡¹(Sofia)

    She exudes the spirit of a Rank 5 adventurer who is well-known even in the neighboring nation of Daidalos. Her crystal-blue eyes have a dangerous glint in them. Lily senses that they contain enough cold to freeze the entire store in an instant. She cannot help but sense it.

    ¡¸Ufufu, it seems that my warning was unnecessary. I¡¯m cheering for you, so if you have anything you want me to help you with, please let me know.¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Thank you. I feel bad for asking you for something right away, but I do have one favor to ask ¨C¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸Simon will return to the dormitories tomorrow. Is it alright if I introduce you then?¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸It seems that you know everything.¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸I have a good understanding of what goes on inside the heart of a lost maiden.¡¹(Lily)

    The two friendsugh together. Maidens who are in love are beautiful indeed.

    ¡¸Ah, that reminds me, I¡¯ll return the magic items that I borrowed. If you¡¯re going to make your move starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll need this ribbon and these sses, won¡¯t you?¡¹(Lily)

    Returning the items of disguise that Lily and Fiona had used in Avalon to aid their acts of pure evil ¨C or rather, their training, is one of the reasons Lily has met Sofia today.

    The ribbon and hairband that change the color of the wearer¡¯s hair, and the sses and contact lenses that change the color of the wearer¡¯s eyes. Each of these items are worth tens of millions of ns.

    ¡¸No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ve found the perfect thing, so I¡¯ll be using that.¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸You¡¯re amazingly confident. Is it really that good?¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Yes, they¡¯re my best clothes*. If I wear them, I could even face down a Rank 5 monster.¡¹(Sofia)

    TLN*: This is a term used for a woman¡¯s best clothes, like a special outfit, that¡¯s used for dates and stuff.

    Even as Lily wonders if this is the correct way to use one¡¯s best clothes, shees to the conclusion that it¡¯s probably fine if Sofia can say with such confidence.

    ¡¸By the way, I have a favor to ask as well, would that be alright?¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Of course.¡¹(Sofia)

    As Sofia gives this happy response, Lily continues.

    ¡¸I am going to buy a new bed, so I want you to rmend a good shop.¡¹(Lily)

    Lily is currently a Rank 5 adventurer. She is free to go into the upper-ss districts if she simply presents her Mythril-te Guild Card. She can visit the high-quality stores that Sofia, a member of a great noble family, shops at herself.

    ¡¸If you¡¯re going to be fussy over it, it would be best to have it made by a furniture craftsman, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸No, I need to rece my bed with a new one as soon as possible.¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸You¡¯re in a hurry? Hmm, that dormitory was quite worn out, after all. Has one of the beds there broken? Or is it so dirty that you can¡¯t stand it anymore?¡¹(Sofia)

    Lily lets out a troubled sigh and gives a forced, fake smile that conceals the difort rising from the depths of her heart as she tells Sofia the reason she needs to purchase a bed.

    ¡¸Yes, a winged insectnded on it and it¡¯s very dirty.¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Insects have appeared there? That is quite the disaster.¡¹(Sofia)

    ¡¸Yes, it must exterminated quickly...¡¹(Lily)

    TLN: Another case where singr and plural is vague in Japanese. Lily is obviously referring to a single insect but Sofia thinks that there are plural insects.

    Those wings must be torn and scattered so that they will never buzz around Kurono again ¨C Lily keeps these words hidden in the depths of her heart.

    There is something that Fiona must do, even if it means refusing to share a wonderful lunchtime with Kurono.

    ¡¸¨C So what kind of divine protection are you offering me?¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸You should find that out for yourself.¡¹(Endymion)

    As these were the words spoken by the ck witch Endymion, Fiona still does not know what power is contained in the divine protection that has been granted to her.

    Fiona had initially thought that there might be some meaning to keeping it a secret, but seeing the goddess giving arge yawn right in front of her, she realized that the goddess simply found it too bothersome. It seemed that the goddess of witches really did things at her own pace.

    ¡¸Rest assured; I have granted you the power* you need.¡¹(Endymion)

    These few words were thest thing that Fiona heard before returning from the purgatory world in her dream.

    She was very doubtful as to whether she had even been granted a divine protection at all, but it showed itself in the battle at Iskia Vige.

    At the beginning of the battle, Fiona cast¡ºAur Soleil¡»at the iing monster army.

    Her prided, most powerful original spell. The Element Masters¡¯ most destructive me spell, which even Kurono and Lily weren¡¯t capable of matching, should have drained Fiona of all her mana* after a single cast.

    TLN*: As of this chapter, I¡¯m now tranting ¡°magical power¡± as mana. I only tranted it as magical power in previous chapters because the previous trantor did, but it¡¯s been driving me crazy so I¡¯m fixing the trantion now.

    Fiona did not copse even after casting¡ºAur Soleil¡»at Iskia Vige.

    She did feel fatigue as her mana reserves dropped below half, but she didn¡¯t have any difficulty continuing to fight afterwards.

    The divine protection either decreased the amount of mana required to cast her spell, increased the amount of mana she possesses or perhaps both. Its exact effects are still unknown, but Fiona immediately understood that this was the power of the divine protection.

    However, there is no way that this basic enhancement that could be granted to anyone is the only effect of the divine protection of the ck witch Endymion, a goddess so heavily involved with magic.

    What Fiona was granted is the divine protection of an evil goddess as a result of offering many lives as sacrifices. There is no doubt that her body currently contains a more fearsome, terrible, extraordinary power.

    But she doesn¡¯t know what that power is. In short, Fiona must confirm the currently unknown powers of the divine protection as soon as possible.

    There is no telling what kind of evil effect it may exhibit. That is why Fiona is heading for a ce outside Spada, where no eyes will see her ¨C or so she should have been.

    ¡¸... Why am I in a ce like this?¡¹(Fiona)

    Before Fiona knows it, she is sitting in a chair. There is a hand-cloth and a cup of hot tea that is letting out dense steam.

    On the other side of the counter in front of her is a chef wearing cooking attire that she has never seen in Elysion or Spada, spiritedly shouting an order,¡¸One serving of tuna!¡¹

    This is a restaurant that has opened in Spada today which offers the famous traditional food of the nation of Rune. This store ismonly known by its nickname, the¡¸Sushi* Store.¡¹

    TLN*: This isn¡¯t actually the Japanese word sushi, the food, but ¡°sushii¡± in katakana. It does seem to refer to sushi though.

    ¡¸Ahem, thank you all foring to the Sushi Store,¡ºOrwed¡», today. Now then, we will begin the event to celebrate our opening, the Sushi-eating tournament!¡¹(Chef)

    The customers upying every single seat in the store let out a cheer. Fiona looks around her as if she still can¡¯t process the current situation and takes a sip of the hot, pale-green tea.

    The slightly astringent tea is something that she is tasting for the first time, but it isn¡¯t bad. Her gluttonous instincts tell her that it will taste much better when consumed together with a certain dish.

    ¡¸The rules are simple; the person who eats the most sushi within the given time limit will be awarded 10,000,000 ns and ¨C¡¹(Chef)

    The chef standing at the center of the counter raises an old-looking book high in the air as he makes a deration.

    ¡¸¨C this precious, secret book written by Count Redwing himself that contains the essence of the culture of Rune!¡¹(Chef)

    Among the customers who are making noise once more, Fiona absentmindedly sips her tea as she tries to remember where she has had heard Count Redwing¡¯s name before.

    ¡¸However, this secret book is a copy, not the original. Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡¹(Chef)

    As Fiona hears the disappointed voicesing from around her, she remembers.

    Count Redwing was the nobleman from Rune, the foreigner who came from the other world known as Japan like Kurono. But he died over fifty years ago; it would be impossible to meet him now.

    Kurono was saying something like that in a disappointed tone around the time they enrolled at the academy.

    ¡¸... I wonder if Kurono-san would be happy if I brought this back for him as a souvenir.¡¹(Fiona)

    As if giving an answer to Fiona¡¯s whisper, her stomach lets out a growl.

    Now that she thinks about it, it is lunchtime. She was seriously thinking about experimenting with her divine protection, but it was undoubtedly her body¡¯s honest instincts that led her to this ce that seems as if would offer her delicious food.

    The tea that she drank on an empty stomach stimtes her hunger further. Her stomach growls once more.

    ¡¸The conditions are not bad.¡¹(Fiona)

    If there are any problems, it would be Fiona¡¯s gourmet rivals who have gathered here today.

    With her serious, sleepy-looking face that shows as much caution as when she ventures into Dungeons, Fiona looks around at her surroundings once more.

    ¡¸Gahaha, this is to celebrate my return from Iskia! I¡¯m gonna eat as much sushi as I want and even take some prize money home!¡¹(Gustav)

    An enormous red Orc¡¯s loud voice fills the entire store. Fiona has seen him before; he was one of the adventurers defending Iskia Vige.

    ¡¸Jeez, I¡¯m a vegetarian so there isn¡¯t a whole lot I can eat on the menu.¡¹(Doulas)

    ¡¸I-I can¡¯t, eat, eggs.¡¹(Gon)

    ¡¸Sushi with no wasabi, please.¡¹(Zedra)

    If Fiona recalls correctly, these are the members of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡», a Rank 5 party of adventurers famous in Spada. All four of them have incrediblyrge bodies and one look at them told her that their appetites would be Rank 5 as well.

    Still, the four of them look very cramped sitting in a single booth of the restaurant. An Orc, a Minotaur, a Cyclops and a Golem. It looks as if that booth has be a high-Rank Dungeon.

    ¡¸Listen, Kai. We must obtain that secret book at all costs.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸I know, Safi, just leave it to me!¡¹(Kai)

    Sitting on seats at the other end of the counter are Kai and Safiel, two members of the fated¡ºWing Road.¡»

    Fiona can¡¯t see the other members. She guesses that these two are perhaps very intimate with each other.

    ¡¸Still, it¡¯s unusual for you to want a book that¡¯s not an erotic book, Safi.¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you and turn you into a servant. Shut up and start eating some sushi.¡¹(Safiel)

    It seems that the theory of them being a couple is incorrect.

    Nevertheless, Fiona knows that the swordsman called Kai is a mere human, yet possesses superhuman physical prowess equivalent to Kurono¡¯s.

    In that case, he likely also possesses a superhuman appetite.

    ¡¸It seems that I am surrounded by powerful enemies...¡¹(Fiona)

    As Fiona looks about at the banners around the inside of the store, she catches glimpses of others here and there with serious looks in their eyes, letting out an extraordinary presence.

    This ce is about to be a battlefield. Fiona braces herself.

    ¡¸It¡¯s been a long time since I had some sushi~ I wonder which one I should have first!¡¹

    The adorable-looking boy wearing a males¡¯ academy uniform on the seat immediately to Fiona¡¯s right grins broadly as he stares at the menu.

    Fiona feels a little pity for him.

    No matter how she looks at him, this child who has ck hair and red eyes resembling Kurono¡¯s is not the target of this eatingpetition. It is likely that he is just here to enjoy the taste of the Rune¡¯s cuisine.

    However, the overeating party that is about to begin will produce an atmosphere where it will be impossible for him to leisurely enjoy his food.

    ¡¸Even so, I will fight my own fight.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona steels her resolve, loosens the belt of her uniform a little and prepares for war.

    ¡¸Now then, please ce your orders!¡¹(Chef)

    ¡¸Kurono-san, give me your strength ¨C Itadakimasu.¡¹(Fiona)

    Thus, a fierce battle begins.

 Chapter 364 Count Redwingâ€™s Secrets (1)

    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Kurono-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Ah, wee back, Fiona.¡¹(Kurono)

    I wee Fiona back to the dormitory nonchntly, but on the inside, I¡¯m breaking out into a cold sweat.

    My body is still being tormented by the aftereffects of using the three divine protections,¡ºOverdrive¡»,¡ºOvergear¡»and¡ºOver-el¡», in quick session.

    The reason I managed to make it safely back to the dormitory is because the moment I was seen by the curious onlookers who had gathered around the arena, they parted to open a path for me to walk through.

    It¡¯s the same phenomenon that urred at the victory party, but this time I was thankful for it. If someone had gotten in my way unnecessarily, I would probably have copsed pathetically in front of everyone.

    I somehow managed to endure the desire to copse until I made it to my bed, and after that, I devoted myself to resting until now. In other words, I slept. The pain I felt after waking up is simr to muscr pain felt the day after performing excessive exercise, I suppose.

    Well I guess this is how it is in the beginning. Even for¡ºOverdrive¡», this is only the second time I¡¯ve used it.

    Even if they are divine protections, simply receiving them from the god isn¡¯t the end of it. Making full use of them requires just as much practice as martial skills and magic.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, are you looking a little pale?¡¹(Fiona)

    It seems that my suffering is showing on my face to the point that it can be seen right away.

    My quarrel with the guards is a problem that I¡¯d like to keep hidden of possible. If those guys refuse to change their behavior and keeping after me in the future, I¡¯ll consult Fiona and Lily so that I can deal with them appropriately. But if it ends with just today¡¯s incident, I should refrain from causing a fuss and making them worry unnecessarily.

    Well, I suppose it¡¯s still best to tell them about Safiel who actually came to that ce to kill me, though.

    In any case, I¡¯ll be making a policy of deceiving them by magnificently ignoring the details about our duel.

    ¡¸No, I¡¯m just a little tired from attending lessons for the first time in a while. More importantly, Fiona, aren¡¯t you looking pale?¡¹(Kurono)

    This change of conversation isn¡¯t something that I randomly chose on the spot. Fiona really looks pale to me.

    Well, to aplete stranger, it would appear as if she simply has her usual sleepy, nk expression, but I was able to notice this unusual change in her appearance.

    ¡¸As embarrassing as it is, I ate a little too much.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸... Umm, is this the part where I¡¯m supposed tough?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸No, as disappointing as it is, it is the truth.¡¹(Fiona)

    A shocking revtion that makes me want to shout, ¡°W-what did you say?!¡± To think that Fiona could feel ill from eating too much.

    ¡¸How could that happen, did you just eat something that tasted that bad?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸No, I ate a very delicious food called Sushi.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸You ate sushi?!¡¹(Kurono)

    TLN: Everyone but Kurono is incorrectly pronouncing the word ¡°sushi¡± as ¡°sushii¡±, including when the store is referred to as the ¡°sushi store¡±. I will capitalize Sushi in these cases.

    I¡¯m really jealous. I should have abandoned the idea of seriously attending my lessons and followed Fiona. My casual return to the school only caused the guards to pick a fight with me, after all.

    Come to think of it, Ipletely missed my chance to eat lunch. Instead of having a feast at the school cafeteria, I skipped out on a meal... Damn it, now that I¡¯ve realized this, I¡¯ve started to feel hungry.

    ¡¸There was an eatingpetition to celebrate the store¡¯s opening, so I got a little fired up.¡¹(Fiona)

    I see, which is why she couldn¡¯t put on the brakes.

    ¡¸Since it¡¯s you, Fiona, you won easily, right?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I did win. However...¡¹(Fiona)

    In this moment, a shadow has appeared on Fiona¡¯s face. Could it be that she was only able to eat sushi without wasabi and made to suffer in some kind of childish, embarrassing way?

    ¡¸The victory was handed over to me.¡¹(Fiona)

    And so Fiona begins to tell the full story of the Sushi-eatingpetition that celebrated the opening of the Spada branch of the Sushi store¡ºOrwed¡»¨C

    Piles of small dishes extending towards the ceiling. Groans of suffering rising from everywhere. Constantly upied toilets.

    The Sushi-eatingpetition is reaching its climax.

    ¡¸Sorry, Safi...¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸Don¡¯t give up, keep eating. Eat even if it kills you. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll make you able to keep eating even if you die.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸No, really... It¡¯s seriously impossible, so... Gefuh.¡¹(Kai)

    The tower of small tes stacked on the table prove that Kai Est Galbraith does indeed have a superhuman appetite to match his superhuman physical abilities despite having only a human¡¯s body. However, his efforts are in vain and he tragically drops out of thepetition.

    ¡¸¡¯S no good... s¡¯ really no good... I¡¯ve lost this ¡®un.¡¹(Gustav)

    Gustav, whose name was at the top of the list of favorites to win thepetition, utters clear words of defeat on the verge of the time limit¡¯s expiry.

    The booth was alreadypletely filled to begin with, but everyone except the Golem have filled up their stomachs and expanded their volumes even more.

    Will they be able to get out of their seats? This is a great question that has yet to be answered, but the attention of the spectators, includingpetitors who have already dropped out, is focused on the two individuals sitting at the counter.

    ¡¸... Negitoro*, please.¡¹(Fiona)

    TLN*: Negitoro is a kind of sushi with fatty tuna meat minced/turned into a paste, put on a bed of rice and spring onions added on top.

    One of them is a beautiful young woman wearing the uniform of the Royal Spada Academy, Fiona.

    Her expression would cause those looking upon it to think that she needs to address her need for sleep more urgently than her hunger, but her mouth doesn¡¯t stop moving for even an instant.

    The way she eats her prey (the sushi) is enough to make people think that perhaps it is being thrown into another Dimension rather than going into her stomach. It is overwhelming to the point that even the genius swordsman of¡ºWing Road¡»and the leader of the¡ºIron Demon Brigade¡»cannotpete, let alone regr people who simply boast that they haverge appetites.

    However, there is one other individual here who is able to keep up with her incredible eating.

    ¡¸Ah, well then, I¡¯ll have the same without the wasabi.¡¹

    This person¡¯s ck zer is proof that he attends the academy like Fiona. However, his age is clearly lower, to the point that he could be assumed to be of the absolute minimum age required to enroll at the academy. This child is the ultimate rival in thispetition.

    Fiona moves the negitoro into her mouth indifferently with a nk expression, still managing to make this action seem somewhat elegant. Meanwhile, the unnamed child smacks his lips as he enjoys the taste of the negitoro¡¯s paste with the same innocent smile that he was wearing at the start of thepetition.

    Incidentally, negitoro is a sushi dish made using negi, a vegetable that is a specialty of Rune, and the minced meat of arge Rank 2 fish-monster known as a Troll Fish.*

    TLN*: Okay, there¡¯s a little bit of an author¡¯s joke to be had here. ¡°Negi¡± is the Japanese word for spring onion, but the other half of negitoro¡¯s name is supposed toe from ¡°toro¡± which means ¡°fatty cut¡±, often used in reference to tuna belly. But in the Kuro no Maou world, the ¡°toro¡±es from ¡°Troll Fish¡± (¥È¥í¥ë¥Õ¥£¥Ã¥·¥å/tororufisshu), because the first two katakana are ¡°¥È¥í/toro¡±.

    Thepetition unfolds as a dead heat. The two of them are taking turns on the offense and defense, possessingpletely identical appetites ¨C or so it may appear to the spectators, but Fiona finds this difficult to believe.

    At this rate... I will lose.

    Fiona elegantly throws the negitoro into her mouth with her vast-looking eyes giving off a mysterious aura, but on the inside, she can feel that she is reaching her limit.

    ¡¸Hmm~ What should I eat next... I¡¯ll go with tuna, back to what I had at the start! With no wasabi!¡¹

    Meanwhile, her rival sitting next to her ces his original order of tuna as he has already done countless times, as if this is his first meal of the day.

    Rather than the child simply appearing to beposed, it almost looks like an illusion where time is constantly rewinding back to the start of thepetition for only this child.

    Fiona has encountered several individuals who can match her appetite in the past, but this is the first time that she feels such a difference between her and her foe. The sight of the child¡¯s delighted, small cheeks stuffed full of tuna even causes shudders of fear to run through Fiona¡¯s body.

    I¡¯m sorry, Kurono-san... For me, this child is...

    At the moment that Fiona gives up ¨C

    ¡¸Hmm, I have to stop here, or else... Well then, I¡¯ll have a custard pudding for dessert.¡¹

    Suddenly, the child deres that he is cing hisst order.

    Has he be full? Impossible; he clearly has room to spare but has chosen to suspend his meal of his own ord. In other words, he is moderating his own eating.

    ¡¸I¡¯m terribly sorry, but custard puddings are only sold at our main branch in Rune.¡¹

    Hisst order has unexpectedly failed.

    His eyebrows form a sad-looking figure 8* and his expression looks as if tears will spill from his red eyes at any moment, but it seems that this hasn¡¯t changed his decision.

    TLN*: The kanji for the number 8 is °Ë

    ¡¸Thank you for the meal!¡¹

    Somewhat in despair, he takes out a wallet in the shape of a deformed Silent Sheep from his breast pocket. It opens with a stiff noise and he scatters Elroad Coins that shine to the point of being blinding across the counter.

    The fact that he has clearly overpaid his bill with these dozens of gold coins is enough to make some of the employees and spectators gasp.

    ¡¸Custard pudding...¡¹

    The child leaves the store, turning to look back regretfully several times along the way.

    ¡¸Two orders of tuna, please.¡¹(Fiona)

    Thus, Fiona¡¯s victory was secured.

    ¡¸¨C That is what happened. I am unable to proudly say that I was victorious.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Wow, I guess there are some amazing children out there.¡¹(Kurono)

    With Fiona¡¯s story, all we know is that the boy with the overwhelming appetite was wearing an academy uniform, but in this case, I couldn¡¯t care less about that child¡¯s personal details.

    It¡¯s just that I¡¯m surprised by the fact that there¡¯s a child who can match Fiona¡¯s appetite.

    ¡¸Yes, I am sure that like me, he has a constitution that causes his food to be mostly absorbed as mana.¡¹(Fiona)

    The secret behind Fiona¡¯s appetite is finally revealed. I¡¯d thought that she was just a thin person who eats a lot, but I see now, she absorbs food as mana.

    Strictly speaking, all creatures of this world absorb both nutrients and mana from food. Mana generally recovers in the same way that stamina does. A tasty meal and a good night¡¯s sleep is probably enough to fully recover one¡¯s mana.

    However, if there are any individual differences, they lie in the constitutions that people are born with.

    ¡¸Well, there is no doubt that that child possesses a greater constitution for absorbing mana.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸But still, a win is a win. Aren¡¯t you d you managed to win?¡¹(Kurono)

    Before I know it, I¡¯m patting Fiona¡¯s head as if praising andforting her. The texture of her characteristic light-blue hair is just as pleasant as Lily¡¯s blonde hair. Silky smooth hair that flows between the fingertips, hair that any woman would envy ¨C as my thoughts begin to resemble a shampoomercial, I realize what I¡¯m doing.

    ¡¸U-umm, Kurono-san... This is, you know...¡¹(Fiona)

    But I¡¯ve realized a moment toote. No, it was already toote the moment I reached out with my hand.

    Fiona looks down with embarrassment on her face that even a stranger would be able to see, voicing her protests.

    No, there aren¡¯t any words of clear rejection among the sentencesing from her mouth, but I¡¯m not thickheaded enough to miss the nuances that mean, ¡®It¡¯s embarrassing so stop it¡¯.

    It¡¯s time to remove my hand and panic as I try toe up with an excuse.

    ¡¸Err, sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡¹(Kurono)

    I couldn¡¯t even make an excuse. It seems that I have no talent for tricks such as dodging topics with eloquent speech.

    But as Fiona looked genuinely frustrated at the fact that the victory was handed over to her at the eatingpetition, she had a childlike cuteness that really made me want to pat her head. To the point that I would say,¡¸there, there¡¹without even thinking.

    Well, I don¡¯t have the courage to honestly admit that. Sorry for treating you like a child, Fiona. It seems that only the child-form Lily would allow this, after all.

    ¡¸No... It isn¡¯t that I disliked it...¡¹(Fiona)

    Seeing Fiona fidget as she looks the other way, I feel the urge to pat her again. But control yourself, you must control yourself, Kurono.

    She¡¯s been considerate enough to forgive me and say that she didn¡¯t mind it. I¡¯m not going to do something as foolish as willingly stepping on andmine.

    As I deal with this inner conflict, a strange silence passes between me and Fiona.

    Th-this is a little awkward. Isn¡¯t there some kind of sensational conversation topic that will get rid of this situation ¨C

    ¡¸Umm, Kurono-san, I actually received a rare book as a prize for winning the eatingpetition.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸O-oh! Please show me that book!¡¹(Kurono)

    Fiona takes a single book from the Dimensional pouch that she had when we went on our date.

    It¡¯s roughly A4-sized. The deep red binding has faded a little; it certainly is in a state where it would be called an old book.

    It¡¯s just like the grimoire that Fiona borrowed for me from the library ¨C no, it really might be a grimoire. This book¡¯s appearance is enough to make me think that this is the case.

    ¡¸This book is apparently the secret book in which Count Redwing, someone from a foreign world like you, Kurono-san, wrote the essence of Rune¡¯s culture. It is indeed written in mysterious letters that I have never seen before, so I was unable to decipher any of it.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸... No, that¡¯s not right. This is no secret book.¡¹(Kurono)

    I make this deration immediately after seeing the string of characters dancing on the front cover.

    ¡¸As I thought, Kurono-san, you can read this, can¡¯t you?¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona looks at me with an expression as if to say that she did expect this but is still unable to hide her surprise. I return a dead-serious stare as I answer.

    ¡¸Yeah. This is... a diary.¡¹(Kurono)

    That¡¯s right, I can indeed read the writing that Fiona refers to as¡¸mysterious letters.¡¹The book¡¯s title that is written on the front cover inrge letters is written in genuine Japanese characters.

    Hiragana, katakana, kanji. This is the first Japanese sentence that I¡¯ve seen since being summoned to this world, but there¡¯s no way that I could forget how to read thisnguage. I understand its meaning and even the tricky nuances hidden within it.

    This is the book¡¯s title.

    ¡¸It is now that I, Count Zenichi Theo Redwing, will reveal the record of my secret memories! It contains things about my ex-girlfriend, so don¡¯t tell my wife!¡¹

 Chapter 365 Count Redwingâ€™s Secrets (2)

    ¡¸... Where is this ce?¡¹

    A white space lit up blindingly brightly. However, it is very clear that this is not my own room nor the school infirmary.

    The reason I know this is because the ce my body has been lying horizontally until now is not a soft bed, but a bathtub filled with lukewarm water. It has quite an angr shape and looks just like a coffin, but it still has a stylish feel to it in its own sort of way, doesn¡¯t it? Not that I would want one in my house.

    This pointlessly spacious room is lined with bathtubs identical to the one that I was submerged in. Quite the original idea for a bathroom.

    By the way, when I became conscious, I raised the upper half of my body, leaving only my lower half in the bathtub. Of course, because I¡¯ve been submerged in water, I¡¯m nude.

    This is bad, I¡¯ll definitely catch a cold at this rate... No, I really can¡¯t process the current situation.

    ¡¸Calm down, I¡¯m not old enough to be growing senile... Try to remember what happened today...¡¹

    ording to my memory, today¡¯s date is the 14th of May. The fated Monday thates for students after they spend their weekends working at part-time jobs.

    However, for me, this is the Monday I have been eagerly awaiting, in other words, the day I attend my university.

    The reason for that is because I have a beautiful girlfriend. She transcends the number one position for cuteness in the world, and I am very, very proud of her.

    A miraculously pretty face that suits ck twin-tails even after she has be a university student. A small, delicate body that any man would feel a desire to protect. She is such a sweet, fragile girl, but she possesses courage and purity that drives her to make an obento just for me. A truly ideal girlfriend.

    She is far too good a girlfriend for someone like me, but even so, a girlfriend is a girlfriend!

    That¡¯s right, that¡¯s why I went to university today, looking forward to her handmade obento. Lectures? I don¡¯t care about those; I did attend them but I have no recollection of their contents whatsoever. I could not care less.

    And thenes the long-awaited lunch break. Our meeting ce is a suitable ssroom somewhere in the university. We usually spend our wonderful lunchtimes in a secret ce outside that only the two of us know about, but today, rain is pouring down as if to curse our destined love.

    Well, it does not change the fact that I can eat her handmade obento, so it is a trivial matter.

    ¡¸Here, Zenichi-kun.¡¹

    And as I open the obento that my girlfriend offers with her usual doll-like, expressionless face, yet another disaster befalls me.

    ¡¸Th-this is...¡¹

    The entire obento is brown. Its contents tell me that no attention has been paid to its colors or nutritional bnce, possessing only the intent of simply feeding a starving male student.

    How strange. What she normally makes is a heart drawn on top of a bed of rice using mysterious pink kes, an obento that is an incredibly straightforward sign of affection.

    She does not skimp on the side dishes; using frozen food is out of the question. On top of being concerned about the colors and nutritional bnce, she is also fussy over how it appears. Wieners are turned into octopuses while apples are turned into rabbits.

    And yet, what I can feel from the food in front of me is not love, but a sense of obligation, as if to say,¡¸I only made this because I had to.¡¹

    Could it be that she is nning to break up with me today...?

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry, it seems that my mother made a mistake and handed me my brother¡¯s one...¡¹

    And then she unexpectedly follows up with some panicked words.

    I see, she lives with her parents, and I have also heard before that she has a younger brother whose appearance causes those around him to misunderstand him, though he¡¯s a good child at heart.

    With the chaos that happens in the morning, these kinds of mistakes and idents can happen from time to time, I suppose.

    ¡¸Oh no, if that¡¯s the case then it can¡¯t be helped, and I¡¯m not bothered!¡¹

    If there were not such circumstances that I could understand, in the next moment I might have been crying. Joking aside, I would really cry.

    ¡¸By the way, is it alright for me to eat this obento?¡¹

    ¡¸Y-yes... I only want Zenichi-kun to eat things that I¡¯ve made, but... it¡¯s okay.¡¹

    To me, the words she says, that she wants me to only eat things that she has made, make me incredibly d to be have been born as a man. It¡¯s fine, if that¡¯s how you feel, I will dly eat any food!

    Trembling with emotion, I try to say,¡¸Itadakimasu¡¹¨C Ah, that¡¯s right, it was at this moment.

    ¡¸¨C?!¡¹

    I was assaulted by a headache. It was so terrible and powerful that any words I use to describe it would fall short.

    The pain was unprecedented, iparable, fierce enough to overturn the sky and the ground, but the only things that were overturned were the brown stamina-obento and my body.

    The pain should have made me forget everything, including the simple fact that I fell pathetically onto the floor of the ssroom.

    However, I one thing I can remember clearly is my girlfriend¡¯s face as she was clinging onto me, crying and screaming. This is the worst, to make her cry so much ¨C As I regretted this from the bottom of my heart, my consciousness cked out.

    And when I came to, I found myself in this mysterious bathroom. At least ording to my memory, that is how these events are linked.

    In any case, I must see her right away. I have to tell her, I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, I¡¯m fine, please don¡¯t cry anymore.

    However, these mysterious circumstances will not let me do so.

    If I were simply in a hospital room, I would have just rushed outside. But I have absolutely no idea where this ce is. Where do I have to go to meet her? No, to begin with, where on earth am I?

    My head is filling up with these questions, and as Ie to the conclusion that I should act rather than think ¨C

    ¡¸No way! You really woke up?!¡¹

    The echoing, high-pitched voice of a girl fills the room.

    When I turn around, I see a girl with long, ocean-blue hair standing there.

    The striking color of her hair draws my attention, but the thing that concerns me more is her appearance. She is wearing a suit of armor and helmet that makes me want to ask, just which RPG is she from?

    I want toment that this is quite a lot of effort to put into a cosy, but the silver base of the armor has decorations and patterns drawn in blue lines that are the same color as the girl¡¯s hair; it has the luster of real metal and she looks as if she is ustomed to wearing it. Each time she takes a step, a heavy sound rings out from the armor.

    ¡¸Uwah, what should I do... I just tampered with it randomly...¡¹

    The female knight has approached to stand right in front of me, mumbling things to herself along the way. Her shining golden eyes are looking directly at me.

    ¡¸I am Fiora, what is your name? Oh my, there is no way that a Homunculus who has just opened his eyes could answer me ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸I¡¯m Akabane Zenichi. Hey, could you tell me where on earth this ce is?¡¹

    ¨C And so I met her. Her full name is Fiora Theo Nanast.

    She is the woman who wouldter be my wife, but I think there is no need to detail my memories with her here. They are already known to many of Rune¡¯s citizens, and official records have already been left at both Rune¡¯s royal castle and at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    What I am recording in this diary are nothing but my own personal memories, my feelings that nobody else needs to know about, including my wife.

    This is also an expression of my homesickness for my home country of Japan back on Earth that I can never return to. However, the thing that I regret the most is the beloved girlfriend that I had when I was but a mere student.

    It is no great lie to say that I loved her from the bottom of my heart. To the point that I still see her in my dreams asionally, even now.

    Despite it being a simple coincidence, an ident, I am overwhelmed with shame at the fact that I suddenly disappeared from her sight with no warning.

    Indeed, the regret that I had when I first opened my eyes in this world, the regret that I had made her cry, even though I have reached this age of over fifty years old, still smolders in the deepest depths of my heart.

    That is why I have decided to put it into writing. I know that I can never atone for it, but even so, I hope that another individual from my world who reads this can tell her my feelings.

    Tell my feelings to the woman who was my beloved sweetheart. Her name ¨C Kurono Mana.

 Chapter 366 The secrets of an otherworlder

    ¡¸What... is the meaning of this...?¡¹(Kurono)

    The astounding contents of Count Redwing¡¯s diary are just too much of a shock.

    The name of the lover left behind in the very distant homnd of Japan by Count Redwing, the man formerly known as Akabane Zenichi.

    Kurono Mana.

    Why is the name of my aneki written here? Ah, damn it, I have no idea what¡¯s going on ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono-san, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona, who is sitting in the seat right next to me, calls out to me and returns my consciousness that is trapped in my spinning thoughts back to reality.

    ¡¸You are wearing quite the surprised expression.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Ah, the contents are a little, no, considerably shocking... To start off with, let¡¯s exin things in order.¡¹(Kurono)

    That¡¯s right, calm down. Let¡¯s calm down and get the situation in order.

    ¡¸This diary contains the events of when the count was in Japan, the same country as me, in his original world.¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m sure Fiona has been able to guess at least that much. She gives a nod.

    ¡¸ording to this, it seems that the count lived in the same time period and even in the same town as me. But the most surprising thing is that the count¡¯s lover at the time was my aneki.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Your onee-san?¡¹(Fiona)

    Come to think of it, I wonder how much I¡¯ve talked to Fiona about my family.

    The time I first revealed to her that I came from another world should have been the first time. After that, I asionally talked about Japan while we were making preparations for battle in Alzas and when we first started living in this dormitory in Spada.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, I have heard that you lived with your parents and onee-san, that you were a student and that you were suddenly summoned to this world without warning. But I have not heard many details.¡¹(Fiona)

    For now, it¡¯s enough that she knows that much.

    ¡¸The count was summoned to this world on the same day that I was.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸If I am not mistaken, he passed away fifty years ago, didn¡¯t he? Assuming that this is true, that means that there is arge timeg between him and you, Kurono-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    This is the first mystery.

    There is no doubt that the count and I, in other words, the high school student Kurono Maou and the university student Akabane Zenichi, both suffered headaches of unknown cause and were summoned to this world.

    I had a vague recollection of the date, but this diary clearly says that it was Monday, the 14th of May.

    It was indeed right in the middle of the rainy season and it was also raining that day. I remember exchanging awkward greetings with the small Shirasaki-san who was holding an umbre of an elegant navy-blue color at the pedestrian crossing.

    ¡¸That day, my mother made a mistake and handed me the obento my aneki made for her boyfriend. At lunch break, I ate Aneki¡¯s embarrassing, handmade obento that had a heart drawn on it while my friends made fun of me, and ording to this diary, the count ate the obento that was supposed to be for her younger brother ¨C me.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I see, so it doesn¡¯t seem to be a simple case of misremembering things.¡¹(Fiona)

    The events of that day are urately linked. If there¡¯s any difference, it¡¯s that I was attacked by my headache when I visited the literature clubroom after school, while the count experienced his during the lunch break in which he was supposed to eat his obento ¨C a difference of just a few hours.

    ¡¸It seems that this world and that world do not share the same flow of time at all.¡¹(Fiona)

    If this world and Earth shared the same time axis, Akabane Zenichi should have been summoned to this world just a few hours before me. If that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t have reached the social status of count yet. Not even a single year has passed since I came to this world, after all.

    ¡¸Either a year over there is equivalent to several decades over here, or it¡¯s just random.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸We would need to get more urate statistics to figure that out. But then, we don¡¯t have any clues on any other people from your world.¡¹(Fiona)

    We don¡¯t know about anyone else from my world other than Count Redwing, who I heard about fromm Will. If there¡¯s anyone else from my world other than me... Damn it, it¡¯s sickening to think about, but if there¡¯s anyone else, it would be the experimental subjects that that masked group called the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»are still continuing to summon.

    But thinking about it, it¡¯s doubtful as to whether they were Japanese people living in the twenty-first century like me.

    If the people summoned to this world are chosenpletely at random, while the young men and women that were the experimental subjects that I saw were Japanese people, I have no way of telling which era they were born in.

    No, wait, why were there only Japanese people in the first ce?

    ¡¸Hey, Fiona, ck hair and ck eyes are well-known characteristics of people from another world, aren¡¯t they?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, that was the case in the Sinir Republic. I have not gone as far as to inquire about this in Spada, but it seems that it true here as well.¡¹(Fiona)

    If people are summoned truly at random, not only should the time periods differ, but the races of the people should differ as well. No, isn¡¯t there a chance that people should be summoned from worlds other than Earth?

    I coulde up with any number of theories. But the reality is that all the people who havee from a foreign world are Japanese, and among them, two of them were summoned from the same ce and same time period. I can¡¯t be sure; it might really just be a coincidence, but even so, I can¡¯t help but wonder.

    ¡¸That day, was there something special about the city I was living in?¡¹(Kurono)

    This is the second mystery. Why are there such strict requirements regarding the time and ce?

    ¡¸Had the people of your world observed the interdimensional distance to other worlds to be the shortest at the town that you lived in, Kurono-san?¡¹(Fiona)

    But as Fiona asks this question in return, I quickly reject that theory.

    ¡¸No, I said this before, but magic didn¡¯t exist in the world I lived in. It was never observed or proved that there are other worlds beyond the dimensional wall; other worlds existed only in wild stories.¡¹(Kurono)

    That¡¯s right, if you apply Earth¡¯smon sense, everything about the circumstances I¡¯m in now ispletely impossible. Either way, even if there were some specific conditions lining up in that town on that day having arge influence on the other-world-summoning phenomenon, there¡¯s no means of proving anything. Even if magic really did exist on Earth and there was some secret organization of mages moving in the shadows, that fact doesn¡¯t change.

    Anything I cane up with is nothing but a hypothesis.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, the mechanisms behind how people are summoned from your world are still not clear in the republic or in Spada, so there is no use in thinking about this any further.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸That¡¯s... Well, you might be exactly right.¡¹(Kurono)

    There¡¯s no way that I can stay unconcerned about this after being thrust into those experiments.

    The thing I had been avoiding remembering most of all, my family that I left behind in my home world, surfaces to my mind against my will.

    For Aneki in particr, that means she lost her younger brother and boyfriend on the same day. That sadness ¨C Ah, I can truly understand the feelings that the count put in writing in his diary.

    Her face was doll-like and expressionless, but she was always kind. That aneki of mine might be crying now. Thinking about that, I just can¡¯t stand it.

    ¡¸Even though I know I can¡¯t do anything about it, I can¡¯t help but remember ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    As my feelings of grief and homesickness rise from the depths of my heart and spill out in my words, Fiona stops me.

    ¡¸Even so, please try not to think about it. Forget about it... Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona unexpectedly draws close to me. Her nearby golden eyes are looking up at me from near my chest.

    I should bepletely used to her gloomy gaze, but there is more of a mysterious charm overflowing from it than usual. It¡¯s startling. In addition to that, I notice that her soft, white palm has naturally ced itself on the back of my hand that¡¯s resting on the table, startling me even more. My heart is racing*.

    TLN*: Bit of a y on words here. To ¡°be startled¡± is ¡°¥É¥­¤Ã¤È¤¹¤ë/doki ttosuru.¡± There are two instances of this term in this paragraph. ¡°¥É¥­¥É¥­¤¹¤ë/dokidoki suru¡± (2x doki) = have a racing heart

    ¡¸You are here, together with me, Kurono-san. Is that not enough?¡¹(Fiona)

    I thought my heart might stop.

    I¡¯m just genuinely happy. Happy at the fact that I¡¯ve been epted by someone.

    Where I came from, the reason I came here, the principles that made it possible, none of that matters.

    The memories we¡¯ve made since we met on the highway leading to Irz Vige, our rtionship of trust. Those are undoubtedly the most important things I¡¯ve gained sinceing to this world.

    I know this without needing to be told. I know this, but still ¨C having it said straight to my face is unbelievably embarrassing. I¡¯m so happy that I¡¯m embarrassed. It¡¯s a reconfirmation that my feelings have gotten through.

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¹(Kurono)

    She¡¯s right. She¡¯s right about everything. Really, everything is just as Fiona says. There¡¯s no way I can deny her words.

    And thanks to those words, my anxious trembling subsides.

    ¡¸Then...¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona gazes at me powerfully, as if begging me. I won¡¯t let you say whates next. No, let me be the one to say it here.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t go back.¡¹(Kurono)

    She gives a slightly surprised reaction. It¡¯s a face that says, ¡®What are you saying all of a sudden?¡¯ No, it¡¯s one that says, ¡®How did you finally realize?¡¯ Has Fiona been thinking that I¡¯m really that thick?

    I¡¯ve now be a well-known Rank 5 adventurer, but my origins lie in another world. I¡¯m no longer a resident of that world; I¡¯m an outsider in this one. My very existence is irregr.

    I¡¯ve be so familiar with this world that I even begin to forget that from time to time. From Fiona¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s something that she would never think about except in times like these.

    I think that¡¯s why she suddenly felt anxious.

    ¡¸I won¡¯t go back to Japan, I won¡¯t ever go back... No, even if there was a way, there¡¯s no way I could go back.¡¹(Kurono)

    Well, if a way to go back was presented right in front of my eyes, I probably would think hard about it.

    Sorry, Aneki. Even so, I have no doubt that I would decide not to go back.

    ¡¸... Kurono-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Kuronooo! No, you can¡¯t go back! You have to stay here with Lily forever!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Oh, Lily... There, there, I¡¯m not going back, so it¡¯s okay ¨C Hmm, Lily?¡¹(Kurono)

    Before I know it, I¡¯mforting Lily by patting her head as she lies on top of myp, but... I wonder what just happened. Up until now, it was just me and Fiona here.

    Lily, just where did you appear from?

    ¡¸Ah, Kurono, I¡¯m back~¡¹(Lily)

    She rolls onto her back like a kitten and smiles as she announces her return.

    ¡¸Y-yeah, wee back?¡¹(Kurono)

    This somehow doesn¡¯t make sense. But Fiona seems even more dissatisfied than I am confused. Of course, her face still has her usual sleepy, poker-face expression, but I don¡¯t know how to put it, there¡¯s this kind of sullen aura around her.

    ¡¸Lily-san... Wee back.¡¹(Fiona)

    As Fiona says this, she picks Lily up off my knees. Now she sits Lily on top of her own knees and hugs her from behind.

    Hmm, seeing them like this, they really do look like sisters.

    ¡¸Lily-san, you could have taken more time, much more time with your shopping.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona begins squishing and ying with Lily¡¯s soft, small cheeks.

    ¡¸No~ Fiona, no!¡¹(Lily)

    The child-form Lily struggles, but the witch Fiona has a clever hold on her and won¡¯t let her escape.

    Come to think of it, I get the feeling that these two have been getting along better since they came back from their training in Avalon. It¡¯s very pleasant to see. How beautiful it is to have good friends.

    ¡¸By the way, Lily, what did you buy?¡¹(Kurono)

    Since it seems that Fiona¡¯s calmed down for now, I ask Lily this question. For a change of mood.

    Rubbing her cheeks that have turned a little red due to the witch¡¯s evil influence, Lily gives an enthusiastic response to my question as if she has been waiting for me to ask it.

    ¡¸A bed!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸... A bed?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I see, a bed. That is indeed necessary, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Fiona)

    Huh, am I the weird one for questioning the purchase of a bed? That¡¯s what the atmosphere seems to indicate. Lily has a self-satisfied look on her face as if waiting for me to praise her, and Fiona¡¯s response is as if she totally understands.

    No, wait, I won¡¯t just go with the flow, I¡¯m absolutely not a man who goes with the flow.

    ¡¸Why did you buy a bed all of a sudden?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Hmm? You know, umm~¡¹(Lily)

    This is probably a question that Lily wasn¡¯t expecting, judging from the reason thates out of her mouth after thinking about it.

    ¡¸I wanted a new bed!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸I see, then I guess it can¡¯t be helped!¡¹(Kurono)

    Jeez, if it was just that, she could have told me and I would have bought it for her. That¡¯s right, I received the fight money from the¡ºCursed Carnival¡»and the mary payment forpleting the emergency quest in Iskia, so I¡¯m quite rich at the moment.

    If Lily were to selfishly say that she wants something for once, I would definitely want to take the opportunity to give it to her.

    ¡¸So, what kind of bed did you buy?¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸It¡¯s really big!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Oh, that sounds good. The bed that was originally in the room is quite small.¡¹(Kurono)

    The meagerint that I am finally able to express. With that bed, which was a little narrow for my body that¡¯srger than most people, I would always worry about whether I might squash Lily if I turned over in my sleep.

    ¡¸Kurono, look, look! This is the new bed! Yup, here it is!¡¹(Lily)

    Lily leaps up from Fiona¡¯sp, pping her small hands as if unveiling something. Just as I think that she¡¯s going to summon the new bed from her light Dimension ¨C

    ¡¸W-who is this guy?!¡¹(Kurono)

    In the next instant, I stand up with so much force that my chair topples over and prepare for a fight.

    Because the lounge door has suddenly opened and an enormous man wearing a pitch-ck surcoat has rushed inside.

    The hard soles of his boots make loud footsteps against the worn-out wooden floor. With each step, a clinking metallic soundes from inside his ck clothes. This figure d in chainmail and a surcoat reminds me vividly of the Crusaders.

    But the thing that draws my attention the most is his face. The smile that I can see beneath the surcoat¡¯s hood that¡¯s drawn over his head. It¡¯s certainly not a smile on a bare face; it¡¯s a smile engraved on a steel mask.

    His eyes are round dots and his mouth is drawn in a U-shaped curve. It really resembles a smiley face. Of course, I¡¯ve neverid eyes on such an awkward-looking, fancy item like a smiley face drawn on a steel mask back in Japan.

    In the next moment, the strange, smiling-masked man vigorously raises both of his arms that are covered in steel gauntlets.

    It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s armed, but does he intend to fight?! Tch, I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on, but I need to make the first move here.

    I¡¯ll make you regret attacking the home of the Rank 5 party known as the¡ºElement Masters.¡»Eat this, Pile B¨C

    ¡¸Is this the new bed? It looks quite good.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸It does, right?! It¡¯s super fluffy!¡¹(Lily)

    As I raise my fist that¡¯s filled with mana and fighting spirit on my own, the high-pitched voices of a Fairy and a witch echo out.

    The smiling-masked man waves his arms as if giving signals, and two people enter, carrying arge bed.

    Of course, both of them are also wearing ck surcoats and steel masks with smiley faces on them. They lookpletely the same; even their builds are mostly identical. If they were to change ces, there would be no way to tell.

    But really, who are these guys... I¡¯m the only one asking this question; Fiona is admiring the new bed that¡¯s been ced in the lounge whose size is its only redeeming feature, and Lily seems to be in high spirits.

    The suspicious trio stand silently in the corner of the room, as if to say that they¡¯ve done their duty. There¡¯s not even the slightest movement from them.

    ¡¸Hey, Kurono, look! Look at the new bed! Kyah!¡¹(Lily)

    Lily bounces up and down on the mattress that seems to possess tremendous softness and sticity, wanting to hear my thoughts.

    I feel sorry for Lily, who is waiting for a favorable response with sparkling eyes, but I¡¯m not currently in a state of mind where I can calmly talk about how soft the bed is.

    I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯m begging you, so please tell me just who those three guys are!

    ¡¸... Kurono-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    At this moment Fiona, calls out to me in a casual manner.

    Ah, Fiona, you¡¯ve figured out the questions I want to ask, have you? Thank you. I¡¯m sorry for calling you an airhead up until now. At the right times, Fiona can really read the mood ¨C

    ¡¸This bed is amazing. This is the famous Water Slime bed, used and loved by nobles and royalty, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona is Fiona after all. Sorry, it¡¯s my fault for expecting so much of you.

    ¡¸By the way, Lily-san, isn¡¯t it alright to put those away now? With three of them there, they are taking up a lot of space.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Okay~¡¹(Lily)

    The existence of the mysterious trio is finally acknowledged at the moment I¡¯m about to fall into despair, as if this timing has been carefully chosen.

    Lily and Fiona were ignoring them so magnificently that I was actually wondering whether I was the only one who could see them, but it seems that Lily and Fiona just had no reaction to them because they already knew what these three were.

    ¡¸Ein, Zwei, Drei, bye-bye!¡¹(Lily)

    Lily stands on the bed with one hand on her hip, reciting a mysterious incantation while her other hand gives a wave to apany her ¡®bye-bye¡¯.

    As if responding to her, the trio clumsily wave their hands that are wrapped in gauntlets in return. Their exaggerated motions areical at first nce, but they¡¯repletely silent.

    They¡¯re incredibly ominous-looking men, but as a familiar magic circle of light appears over their heads, I begin to understand what¡¯s going on.

    That¡¯s Lily¡¯s Dimension. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s taking something out of it.

    Words and actions of farewell. That¡¯s right, those three are being ¡®stored¡¯ inside the light.

    ¡¸That¡¯s... an unsummoning spell?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right, Kurono-san. Those are the¡ºLiving Dead¡»that Lily-san acquired as a result of her harsh training.¡¹(Fiona)

    In other words, they¡¯re Servants created through Necromancy.

    The reason I¡¯m able to understand this immediately is no doubt because Safiel did the same thing before my very eyes just a little while ago.

    That silver Undead knight turned into purple smoke and disappeared when it was unsummoned, but the trio in front of me now are turning into sublime particles of light.

    The threerge men wearing ck equipment leave no trace of themselves behind, as if they never existed in the first ce.

    But I wish you¡¯d exined that to me first, Fiona.

    ¡¸Still, it seems that you¡¯re controlling living people instead of dead bodies. The characteristic presence that surrounds Undead wasn¡¯t there, and more importantly, I could feel life in them.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸They are specially-made using Homunculi as a base, and it seems that Lily¡¯s Necromancy is an original technique that differs from normal.¡¹(Fiona)

    Homunculi were briefly exined in the¡ºDungeon Exploration II¡»lesson that I once attended. They¡¯re artificially-made humanoid life-forms created through ancient magic, and apparently it isn¡¯t that unusual to discover them in ruins-type Dungeons.

    Most of them are found dead in mummy-like states or turned into Undead monsters, but they can apparently be revived in very rare cases.

    I see, special spell forms were used with special corpses to create those three. It sounds questionable, but considering that it¡¯s Lily, I can believe her without a problem.

    Now then, this is where I want to hear a detailed exnation of Lily¡¯s amazing Necromancy, but...

    ¡¸Mufufu~ I¡¯m going to roll around with Kurono!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Since the bed is sorge, I can sleep in it as well, can¡¯t I?¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸No, Fiona, you can¡¯t!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it fine, isn¡¯t it fine?¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Kyaah!¡¹(Lily)

    Before I know it, Fiona has dived onto the bed to roll around on it with Lily. Damn it, I want to roll around with them as well...

    For now, let¡¯s enjoy thefort of this new bed. Yes, let¡¯s do that.

 Chapter 367 Rumors in the academy - The Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu)

    The next day. Lunchtime on the 8th of the Month of Blue Moon (Sougetsu). I havee to the dining room in the academy¡¯s main building that is currently crowded with starving students. I haven¡¯te here to fulfil the hope of having a wild feast that I abandoned yesterday, but to meet someone.

    The¡ºSeven Goddesses of War¡», an impressive painting depicting Mia-chan¡¯s seven wives, is in the background. I see that the person I¡¯m meeting has arrived here before me and taken a seat.

    ¡¸Fuh, you havee... I am aware that we are unable to avoid the intersection of our fates, but I have grown tired of waiting for our reunion.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Yo, Will.¡¹(Kurono)

    Sitting there with arms and legs crossed, leaning slightly forward, is Will, whose face Ist saw at the victory party the day before yesterday.

    Next to him is the maid Seria, who is standing there quietly with her presence erased as usual. With her usualposed expression, she gives a slight bow towards me and then quickly begins preparing a cup of tea.

    By the time I take my seat and we begin the first topic of our conversation, there is a cup of amber-colored tea before my eyes that emits steam with a sweet-smelling aroma. Her work is incredibly fast. This person is a professional maid after all.

    ¡¸Haah, I¡¯ve reached a troublesome social status where I can¡¯t even have a quiet lunch if I¡¯m not sneaky about it.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Hahaha, such is the fate of a hero! When Nero reached Rank 5, he wore an apprentice¡¯s robe, just as you are doing.¡¹(Will)

    Though it¡¯s tedious, I¡¯m unable to remove the hood of the apprentice mage robe that I¡¯m wearing for the first time in a while.

    After reflecting on the skirmish with the guards yesterday, I¡¯ve decided to adopt an inconspicuous appearance for a while as I go about my academy life.

    Still, I¡¯d never expected that I¡¯d be wearing this thing that Fiona gave me for experimental purposes again. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m particrly emotionally attached to, but ¨C

    ¡¸I have made some alterations, so I want you to test howfortable it is to wear. Here, please wear this for a while, at least for three days.¡¹(Fiona)

    Since Fiona presented it to me with those words, I couldn¡¯t help but to wear it.

    Fiona¡¯s scent faintly lingers on it, so it¡¯s actually a little embarrassing. Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll disappear if I wear it for the whole day today.

    Either way, it looks like I¡¯ll be borrowing this thing for a while. I¡¯ll make sure to wash it properly before returning it to Fiona.

    ¡¸If it were just girls squealing at me like they do for Prince Nero, I wouldn¡¯t have to be wearing this, though.¡¹(Kurono)

    The problem is that the screams directed towards me are not high-pitched squeals, but genuine screams of fear. I¡¯m finding it quite difficult to get Helen¡¯s expression of pure fear out of my mind.

    I¡¯ve killed numerous people up to this point, but I¡¯ve never made a girl cry. It¡¯s actually quite a shock to me.

    ¡¸The title of Rank five is special, causing those who bear it to gain the attention of not only masses of women, but also of the nation and Adventurers¡¯ Guild ¨C though it seems that there are some interesting rumors regarding you that are spreading quickly, Kurono.¡¹(Will)

    As Will smiles with a slightly unpleasant expression, I have a bad feeling about what¡¯sing next.

    ¡¸Are they rumors that I attacked a noble girl from Avalon in the arena yesterday... or something like that?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸A lunchtime nightmare, a maddened sexual assault in the arena ¨C the Nightmare Berserker rapes a female exchange student from Avalon.¡¹(Will)

    Will spreads out a single article on the table. The inciting words that he has just spoken are written inrge letters across the top, and there¡¯s even an illustration of arge, red-eyed, ck man tearing the clothes of a lovely girl into shreds.

    ¡¸W-what the hell is this...¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Calm yourself; this is not Spada¡¯s newspaper. This is the magazine published by the informationmittee in this academy, well-known for its false, gossip-filled material and exaggerated articles.¡¹(Will)

    Now that I look at it, the date of publication is today. Considering they¡¯re only students, they¡¯ve already made a report of yesterday¡¯s events and spread the news around... What a fearsome bunch.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t you feel the need to ask me what really happened?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸The name of the girl who was attacked was written in the article; she is Helen, eldest daughter of the Azrael house, which is one of the Twelve Noble Houses of Avalon. The fact that she is the captain of Princess Nell¡¯s guards is well-known. Considering the rumored rtionship between you and Princess Nell after the events at Iskia, it is not difficult for me to imagine that she selected you as a target to be purged. My word, what a disaster to befall you right after your return.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Thanks, Will.¡¹(Kurono)

    The only words thate out of my mouth are those of gratitude. Ah, what a wonderful thing it is to be trusted.

    ¡¸But won¡¯t I really be treated as a criminal at this rate?¡¹(Kurono)

    Will believes me, but that doesn¡¯t mean that the world will.

    I¡¯d thought that things would be fine considering how things ended yesterday, but with something like this before my eyes, I¡¯m starting to feel anxious, even if it is a gossip article.

    ¡¸I suppose there will be rumors. However... Fuh, the people of Spada have no ears to listen to the excuses of those defeated in a battle they started themselves.¡¹(Will)

    The fact that Helen and the guards picked a fight with me seems to be known. Well, she did do it brazenly in broad daylight. There¡¯s no way there wouldn¡¯t be eyewitnesses. Judging from Safiel¡¯s words, I can imagine that the curious onlookers who gathered around the arena were aware of that.

    Also, she started the fight herself withrge numbers on her side, a situation that was clearly not something that could be called fair. If you¡¯re defeated in such a situation, don¡¯tin if you¡¯re killed or raped ¨C or so the people of Spada would apparently say.

    Rather than being savages, their culture just regards duels as sacred events. The victorious are absolute. It is only natural that they can kill or spare the defeated as they please and take their belongings. Even if it is a mock battle between students, as long as it is called a duel, that is how things go.

    There¡¯s no doubt that Helen, a person from Avalon, wasn¡¯t aware of this.

    ¡¸And it ismon for ill rumors to spread about those who have newly be Rank 5. This incident will join all the other baseless rumors and be forgotten sooner orter.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a bit of a relief.¡¹(Kurono)

    Honestly speaking, I¡¯m rather relieved. I quite seriously thought that that I might... be locked up on false charges. I¡¯m really d that it¡¯s turned out to be a needless worry.

    ¡¸By the way... Is it true that you defeated the genius swordsman, Kai?¡¹(Will)

    Will asks me this question with sparkling eyes. Hmph, so be it, I¡¯ll give you the answer you want to hear!

    ¡¸Yeah, I defeated him with one hit.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸OH! SO IT WAS TRUE!¡¹(Will)

    I was expecting an excited reaction, but Will gives an even more intense reaction that I expected. I¡¯m suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I boasted and said that I did it in one hit.

    ¡¸W-well, I did defeat him in one hit, but I kind of only barely managed ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸No, you do not need to speak any further! I understand, I understand very well. A duel between powerful individuals designated as Rank 5 in which the two exchange a single, honed attack, deciding the victor in an instant... I am sure that was how it went.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Yeah, well, I suppose it was pretty much something like that.¡¹(Kurono)

    The only response I¡¯m able to give is a vague one like one of Fiona¡¯s. I know that I defeated Kai with my divine protections and strength, but I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that the way I beat him was kind of like foul y. Though with that said, I¡¯d definitely turn down a fair-and-square rematch involving only swordsmanship and martial skills.

    ¡¸Still, if I had not seen you defeat the Greed-Gore with my own eyes, the fact that you defeated Kai in a single blow would be difficult to believe even for me.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸He did have amazing power and speed. On top of that, his perception was good as well.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸And above all, that man is tough. Nero waspletely exhausted after defeating Kai in a duelst year. He made manyints, such as Kai would not fall no matter how many times he was struck, that he would stand up over and over, that there was no end to the battle, that it was troublesome. And he said he would never do it again.¡¹(Will)

    Yeah, I definitely don¡¯t want a rematch.

    There¡¯s no doubt that if I hadn¡¯tnded a clean straight punch strengthened with¡ºOverdrive¡», it would have turned into a slugfest.

    It¡¯s true that we couldn¡¯t use attacks that would kill or maim each other as it was a mock battle, but even so, I could still feel how tough Kai was. It was pretty scary when he was charging straight through my Gatling Burst.

    ¡¸Come to think of it, what happened to Safiel?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Hmm? Was she not just observing your duel with Kai?¡¹(Will)

    I see, the fact that she made an attempt to murder me hasn¡¯t spread at all. I was expecting this, but the way it¡¯s been swept under the rug makes me a little angry.

    I have absolutely no reason to keep the fact that she was aiming to take my life a secret, though. To my friend who believes in my words, I can tell him everything and have him share my anger.

    ¡¸No, that woman really turned out to be something else ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    And so, with the hint of a grudge in my voice, I exin what happened.

    ¡¸Hmm, the Undead knight in full Mythril armor is her most powerful servant. Her intent to murder you was genuine.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸I really thought that surprise attack was going to kill me.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Indeed, as to be expected from Taa-chan, the ultimate Undead created by the prodigy of the Hydra house. The fact that Safiel made the Nightmare Berserker truly fear for his life shows that her Rank 5 status is not merely for show.¡¹(Will)

    As frustrating as it is, I can¡¯t help but to acknowledge her ability now that I¡¯ve crossed swords with her. But there¡¯s one word that Will said that bothers me more than anything else.

    ¡¸What is Taa-chan?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸The name of that Undead knight. Its official name is Takion, but Safiel refers to it as Taa-chan. It is likely that its official name is remembered by... none other than me. She is rather careless about how she names things, you see.¡¹(Will)

    I would normally wonder if it¡¯s alright to give it such a random name, but, well, I got a glimpse into the broken state of her mind. That might just be how things often turn out for geniuses.

    ¡¸Either way, there is no doubt that Safiel is the most cunning individual in Wing Road, no, in the entire Spada Royal Academy. Surely she will not make any assassination attempts during peaceful times, but... there is no telling what she may attempt to do in ces such as Dungeons. It would be wise to ensure that you do not ever lower your guard.¡¹

    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re absolutely right.¡¹(Kurono)

    For now, I think I should take care when I¡¯m doing quests. If I die in a Dungeon, it will look like the work of monsters, after all. If there ever is a next time, I have to make sure to strike back with the intent to kill.

    Well, I¡¯ll be praying that even Safiel won¡¯t be free enough to be looking for opportunities to kill me around the clock.

    ¡¸By the way, Kurono, there is a question that I truly wish to ask. Would you permit me to do so?¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸W-what is it?¡¹(Kurono)

    This is the only response I¡¯m able to give as Will suddenly says this with a meek look on his face. I¡¯m not guilty of anything, but now that I¡¯m being questioned again, I feel a little anxious.

    ¡¸... What happened between you and Princess Nell?¡¹(Will)

    Ah, that. I see, that¡¯s certainly something he would be curious about.

    Rather than getting the feeling that I¡¯m being doubted in a strange way, I actually feel more at ease because of the scary emergency Element Masters meeting with Fiona and Lily that I experienced.

    Other than the mistake I made of being too careless around a member of a royal family, I should have no reason to hesitate about telling him of my rtionship with her.

    ¡¸Ah, let¡¯s see, Nell is ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    And so I exin everything in order, starting with the day we first met, the 3rd of the Month of Red me (Kouen), when Merry stopped in her tracks and Nell saved me, and finishing with the battle at Iskia.

    During my exnation, Saria is kind enough to take care of me and Will and bring us lunch.

    Both of us are eating the same Dortoth hamburger set meal. Will chews the Dortoth meat with aplicated expression on his face; perhaps he¡¯s made some kind of connection between my words and the events in the battle at Iskia.

    As we are almost finished eating, I reach the end of my recount of my memories with Nell.

    ¡¸Is that so... I see. I now have a good understanding of the reason why Princess Nell is fixated on you.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Yeah, because she¡¯s an important friend.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Hmm?¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Eh?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Ah, no, you are right, she is a friend. It has not been long since you met, but you consider each other to be important friends. That is your perception of it, isn¡¯t it, Kurono?¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Of course. There were some times where I almost mistakenly thought that she was interested in me, but she¡¯s clearly dered that I¡¯m a friend, and Nell is a kind person so she¡¯s like that to everyone, right?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Y-yes.¡¹(Will)

    Will gives an affirmative response, but for some reason, his gaze has been averted. He is looking into Seria¡¯s cool-blue eyes. What kind of eye contact is this?

    ¡¸By the way, Will, is Nell not getting any better? I heard that she copsed in Iskia and she¡¯s still bedridden.¡¹(Kurono)

    It doesn¡¯t seem that she¡¯s been hospitalized, but I¡¯ve heard that she¡¯s continuing to rest in the women¡¯s dormitory while taking no visitors. Nell¡¯s condition has be a rumor spreading through the academy so I hear about these things even without really trying to.

    ¡¸Hmm, so you are worried about her after all.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Of course. It was Nell¡¯s will to go to Iskia, but it¡¯s still a fact that I bear some responsibility.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸That is why Nero struck you once as well.¡¹(Will)

    I do think that was just an act of self-satisfaction, though. Perhaps understanding that as well, Will does not deny my words.

    ¡¸In any case, Princess Nell apparently has no problems with her physical body; she ispletely healthy. In other words, she is suffering from emotional problems.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸... The battle of Iskia ended in a great victory for us, so what could have been such a shock for her?¡¹(Kurono)

    Indeed, everyone recognized it as such a great victory that decorations were awarded and a victory party was held.

    But the reality is that Nell is still lying in her bed. She is in such a serious condition that her older brother punched me and I was almost lynched by her guards.

    ¡¸Hmm, that is... No, you are right, Princess Nell is kinder than anyone, but as a result, her heart is delicate. It is possible that she is grieving over those we could not avoid losing, or perhaps she is suffering because of something that we cannot even imagine.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸That¡¯s certainly possible, but... what are we supposed to do, then?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Wait for time to resolve the problem ¨C or so I thought, but now that I have heard of the beginning of romance between you and Princess Nell, there is something I am certain of.¡¹(Will)

    Oi, Will, did you just casually say, ¡®beginning of romance¡¯? A beginning of a romance is the first meeting between a man and woman who be lovers, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡¸You should go and visit her, Kurono.¡¹(Will)

    Will suggests this to me full of confidence, as if this is a secret n that will turn everything around. The monocle over his right eye shines as if it has perfectly picked this moment to do so.

    ¡¸I mean, I really want to visit her, but she¡¯s not taking visitors, right? And since she¡¯s in the women¡¯s dormitory, I can¡¯t go near.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸No need to worry about such things. I have already taken measures, knowing that this might happen.¡¹(Will)

    It seems that this was a thoroughly prepared trick rather than a secret n to turn things around.

    As Will raises a hand, Seria quickly produces a single envelope. An impressive, incredibly quick response. And then this in white envelope with a wax seal bearing the crest of Spada¡¯s royal family is offered to me.

    Now then, I wonder what on earth this is.

    ¡¸Oh, do not open this here. After you leave this ce, read it somewhere you are sure that nobody will see you.¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Y-yeah, alright.¡¹(Kurono)

    I have no choice but toply with Will¡¯s words as he emphasizes this point. I¡¯ll obediently put it away in my Shadow Gate for now.

    Maybe this is some kind of letter of introduction from the Spadan royal family. Maybe if I present this, I¡¯ll be allowed to visit the resting princess.

    Considering that, it¡¯s an important document that contains the handwriting of a royal family member. Alright, I¡¯ll be careful with it.

    ¡¸Thanks, Will, you¡¯re being really helpful.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸It is but a trivial matter. With my gray brains, this level of ¨C¡¹(Will)

    He continues his inciting words and finishes it off with a loudugh. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s supposed to be humble or boastful, but my feelings of gratitude won¡¯t change either way.

    If I can meet Nell directly, I can at least stop being worried for her without knowing what¡¯s going on.

    I¡¯ve also been thinking of asking Nell for a favor. I can¡¯t ask this of Lily or Fiona; it has to be Nell. Just this one thing, no matter what...

    Well, it¡¯s something that can wait, so I¡¯ll ask her when she gets better.

    ¡¸Incidentally, Kurono, today is the day that Simon finally makes his return to the dormitory.¡¹(Will)

    I¡¯m sure Will is trying to keep a cool tone, but he is clearly unable to hide his delight. He seems kind of restless. He¡¯s like a guy in middle school talking about the girl he likes.

    Simrly, my heart is also throbbing at the prospect of seeing Simon again for the first time in a while. No, I¡¯m certainly not worried about the fact that I fed him antidote potion mouth-to-mouth. Absolutely not.

    Actually, let¡¯s shut that incident away at the very bottom of my mind. I¡¯m sure even Simon doesn¡¯t remember it since his consciousness was hazy at the time.

    ¡¸Won¡¯t it be around evening when he returns?¡¹(Kurono)

    Will and I were thinking of paying a visit to the Bardiel residence, where Simon is resting, but we received a letter saying that he¡¯ll return in eight days right before we did, so we decided to just wait patiently for him toe back. The letter did say,¡¸Thanks for your concern, but you don¡¯t have to visit.¡¹

    ¡¸Then let us drink the night away to celebrate his return!¡¹(Will)

    ¡¸Yeah, Simon didn¡¯t get to attend the victory party, after all.¡¹(Kurono)

    Well then, I¡¯ll have to go shopping and make preparations. I was nning to go shopping in the afternoon anyway, so I¡¯ll take the opportunity to buy the necessary things then. Come to think of it, I should look for something to give to Nell when I visit her as well. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s not going to be any canned peaches, so I¡¯ll have to think of something else...

    ¡¸Muh, we are behind schedule; shall we proceed to the main topic of discussion?¡¹(Will)

    All kinds of conversation topics havee up, so we¡¯ve taken quite the detour. But I certainly haven¡¯te here to have an enjoyable chat with Will.

    I¡¯m more or less prepared to hear this information, information that I need to know no matter what. The information more precious than any reward that the king of an entire nation could have given me.

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m counting on you, Will. What¡¯s going on with the Crusaders right now ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

 Chapter 368 The mysterious Sofie-san

    As I hear the bell that signals the end of lunchtime, I walk forward with my back to the main school buildings. My footsteps are heavy.

    ¡¸... The Alzas Fort, huh.¡¹(Kurono)

    It¡¯s the ce we once desperately defended, and now it¡¯s be an important location for the Crusaders that allows them to extend the reach of their next invasion. This fact alone causes emotions of defeat, a mixture of anger, fear and regret, to swirl around in the bottom of my heart.

    Advancing fortifications, marching soldiers. Spada¡¯s increased vignce in response. Signs of rebellion in Daidalos.

    I¡¯m d that the thing I was most worried about, Spada letting their guard down, isn¡¯t happening. But there¡¯s no doubting that an air of tension is rising, to the point that one can say it¡¯s the eve of war.

    That much is clear from the fact that Spada¡¯s messengers haven¡¯t returned and the Crusaders haven¡¯t given any form of reply.

    ¡¸How much time is left before theye attacking...¡¹(Kurono)

    Even as I whisper this question, there¡¯s no way I can know the answer. There are limits to Spada¡¯s ability to gather intelligence. And there¡¯s no way that the Crusaders will suggest a fair battle like the Dragon King Garvinal. They can appear at any time, with no warning.

    ¡¸I have to hurry.¡¹(Kurono)

    ording to Will, if there¡¯s not an invasion within the month, it will be peaceful until next year¡¯s spring. The reason is simple ¨C There¡¯s going to be snow.

    The passing of seasons of Pandora¡¯s middle-eastern regions is simr to Japan; snow could fall as early as November, or by mid-December at thetest. Incidentally, the equivalent to November is the Month of Frozen Earth (Toudo) and December is the Month of Gloom (Meian).

    Anyway, in those months, the Ghad Mountain Range that¡¯s the only invasion route from Daidalos will be blocked off by blizzards. Spada will be attacked by a cold wave fit to be called theing of a hard winter.

    Well, I haven¡¯t experienced winter in Daidalos or Spada yet, so I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s really going to be, but Will had gone into serious-mode during his exnation so I have no doubt in his words. In fact, it¡¯s said that even Garvinal would never attack during winter.

    Now that I think about it, Fiona said that the Sinir Republic has faced many harsh battles during the winter. War during winter is difficult, no matter which country it¡¯s in.

    ¡¸Still, I can¡¯t stay so carefree.¡¹(Kurono)

    The fact that the enemy is approaching from across those mountains doesn¡¯t change.

    I have four trials remaining. Lust, Gluttony, Pride and Envy. I don¡¯t know which elements will correspond to which sins, but the remaining elements should be ice, wind, water and light. The darkness element falls under ck magic, so it can be excluded.

    Drive that enhances my physical strength, Gear that enhances my defense and el that enhances my concentration. Considering that they¡¯re all effects that enhance my abilities, I should at least be able to gain a speed enhancement from one of them.

    In the Boost system of modern magic, there is something called¡ºElement Boost¡», but, hmm, it¡¯s difficult to judge whether I¡¯d be able to gain that effect.

    Either way, if I¡¯m going to fight not only the Crusaders but the Apostles as well, I want to finish all of the trials and gain the Demon King¡¯s true divine protection.

    At first, I thought the divine protections were a little dull since it just let me change the element of my mana, but now that I¡¯ve learned of their true power, I understand how incredible they are. With seven such transcendental enhancing effects, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to hold my own in a head-on fight with an Apostle.

    The fact that this hope exists is making me even more impatient.

    ¡¸Where are the monsters for the trials... No, I suppose I have no choice but to just search for them.¡¹(Kurono)

    Well, I should go to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to gather information while I¡¯m out shopping.

    Now that I¡¯ve reached the highest Rank, Rank 5, I can freely visit the upper district contained within Spada¡¯s inner walls, the celeb-zone inhabited by the nobles. And I can use the main headquarters of Spada¡¯s Adventurers¡¯ Guild as well.

    At the main branch of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild that only high-Rank adventurers can use, I¡¯ll be able to get moreplete information on monsters than at the academy district branch that I¡¯m very well-ustomed to. It¡¯s possible that there are extermination quests for Rank 5 monsters that aren¡¯t posted in the other branches, and some of them might be the monsters I¡¯m aiming for.

    I have a feeling that my day¡¯s ns are getting busier and busier, but I suppose it¡¯s fine. With my current mental state, I¡¯d feel more restless if I was taking it easy.

    As I finish gathering my thoughts, I arrive back at the dormitory. The same worn-out, wooden front door greets me.

    I could have gone straight into town, but I thought I should say something to Lily and Fiona first. Well, I¡¯m not certain that the two of them are in the dormitory; there¡¯s a high chance that Lily is attending a Necromancy lesson and Fiona is in the great library. This is just in case.

    ¡¸I¡¯m home~¡¹(Kurono)

    My voice echoes as I announce my return and open the rickety door.

    There¡¯s no response, so it seems that the two of them aren¡¯t home after all.

    ¡¸... Ah... Onii-sa... Gah...¡¹

    But I can hear a muffled voiceing from the lounge that¡¯s right down the corridor past the entrance.

    ¡¸Huh, has Simone back already?¡¹(Kurono)

    My ears can make out a small voice through the door. I recognize Simon¡¯s lovely voice.

    He returned faster than expected. Well, he¡¯s back, so whatever!

    Coming to this positive conclusion, I open the door and speak out.

    ¡¸Yo, Simon, wee back!¡¹(Kurono)

    I see the face of a beautiful Elf girl, no, a handsome Elf boy, which I have not seen since I rescued him at Iskia Fortress.

    ¡¸Ah... Onii-san... Th-this is...¡¹(Simon)

    Simon is indeed here. However, this is not an emotional reunion between close friends.

    ¡¸Hey, you must be the rumored Nightmare Berserker. Excuse me for being in your home.¡¹

    Because there is an unfamiliar third party present.

    She¡¯s a beautiful woman in the prime of her youth. She has brown skin that overflows with exotic charm and silver hair that looks as if it¡¯s made of pure Mythril. And considering she has the same long, pointed ears as Simon, she¡¯s undoubtedly of the Dark Elf race.

    Hmm, I definitely don¡¯t know her. I don¡¯t have a single Dark Elf acquaintance.

    ¡¸Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard lots of stories about you, but this is the first time we¡¯ve met, isn¡¯t it ¨C¡¹(Dark Elf)

    See, it really is our first time meeting. Now I¡¯m certain of that, but honestly, I don¡¯t really care about that right now. The problem is, there is something I am far more concerned about than trying to figure out who she is.

    This onee-san¡¯s appearance is really erotic.

    ¡¸¨C Nice to meet you. Call me Sofie.¡¹(Sofie)

    She¡¯s wearing clothes like a dancer from Arabian Nights. The design of these clothes, their shape and the way they expose her body, are perfect. They match her tall stature and her ridiculously morous figure that looks like an embodiment of a man¡¯s fantasies as if they were order-made. That makes this even more troubling.

    Her voluptuous flesh that is clearly visible through a see-through veil is beyond captivating.

    A white top that looks as if it will burst trying to contain herrge chest and a thong with a dangerously small surface area are the only substantial things covering her bare body. The fact that I can catch glimpses of what is essentially her underwear beneath the decorative pieces of cloth fluttering near her chest and waist is incredibly bad for my heart, in a psychological way.

    ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kurono.¡¹(Kurono)

    But still, I somehow, just barely, manage to give a calm response.

    Thanks, Mom, I managed to avoid being mesmerized by the Dark Erofu* Sofie-san because I¡¯ve grown tired of seeing your huge breasts.

    TLN*: This is a joke where the author has reced ¥¨¥ë¥Õ/erufu meaning ¡°Elf¡± with ¥¨¥í¥Õ/erofu, abination of Elf and ¥¨¥í/ero which means ¡°Erotic¡±

    ¡¸By the way, Sofie-san, what business has brought you here?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I¡¯vee to see Simon. Ah, Lily can vouch for my background, so you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not a suspicious person.¡¹(Sofie)

    ¡¸Yes, well... It¡¯s true that Lily-san introduced us, but...¡¹(Simon)

    Judging from Simon¡¯s incredibly awkward testimony, I guess Sofie-san is speaking the truth.

    The thing is, her face below her clear-blue eyes is covered by a veil, masking her expression. The veil is transparent, so I can see her nose, mouth and the contours of her face, but for some reason, they won¡¯t stay in my mind at all.

    This strange sensation is an unmistakable sign that her face veil is a Magic Item with an effect that prevents her from being recognized.

    Considering that she¡¯s covering her bare face with something like that, she¡¯s more suspicious than a man wearing a ski mask, but I suppose it¡¯s fine to trust her if Lily has vouched for her background. At the very least, there¡¯s little chance that she¡¯s a robber who uses her erotic appearance to have her target let their guard down.

    Now that I know this much, I suppose it¡¯s about time.

    ¡¸I see, well then, please make yourself at home.¡¹(Kurono)

    I, the hindrance, should leave.

    ¡¸Yes, thank you for being so considerate.¡¹(Sofie)

    ¡¸Eh, no way, wait, Onii-san!¡¹(Simon)

    Pretending not to hear Simon¡¯s voice as he clearly tries to stop me from leaving, I hurriedly leave the lounge behind me.

    ¡¸Come back, Onii-saaan!¡¹(Simon)

    As I hear Simon¡¯s heartbroken scream, I reach behind me to close the door in order to make absolutely sure that I won¡¯t turn around.

    ¡¸Sorry, Simon. I can¡¯t stay there and pretend not to read the mood...¡¹(Kurono)

    I read the mood with everything I had. With desperate feelings in my mind, I left Simon and Sofie-san alone out of consideration.

    Why is that? It¡¯s simple; I could tell with a single nce. From the moment I foolishly opened the door and said,¡¸Simon, wee back!¡¹

    Indeed, Sofie-san was firmly holding onto Simon. A passionate embrace, as if they had fallen in love.

    My romantic experience is nonexistent, but if presented with such a sight, even I can sense the atmosphere that indicates the rtionship between the two is one between a man and a woman. I can sense it more than I¡¯d like. To the point that it¡¯s extremely awkward for the third party, me, to witness.

    In other words, the conclusion my intuitiones to is that it¡¯s a problem to be solved between the people involved. Therefore, I¡¯m just a hindrance. I would only be a hindrance if I stayed, and so would Lily who introduced Sofie-san to Simon. It¡¯s only natural for us to not be there anymore. Now we just have to leave the rest up to the young couple.

    ¡¸... Haah, I suppose we¡¯ll have to cancel tonight¡¯s drinking ns.¡¹(Kurono)

    As the image of Simon¡¯s red face buried in Sofie-san¡¯s cleavage due to the difference in their heights resurfaces in my mind, I begin walking.

    I look up to see that a few wispy clouds have appeared in the previously clear sky during the short time I was in the dormitory. As I look further, I see a gray sea of clouds closing in on Spada from the Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡¸Looks like it¡¯s going to be stormy tonight.¡¹(Kurono)

    Whispering this cool-sounding monologue line, I head towards Spada¡¯s town to go shopping, trying to forget about everything.

 Chapter 369 On a stormy evening

    I awaken to the sound of raindrops striking violently against the window. I open my eyes with an empty mind to see that it is pitch-ck, and the only sound to be heard in the room is that of the window rattling in the wind and rain.

    Heavy rain in the middle of the night.

    It is almost a reflection of my heart; it is possible that I am still dreaming.

    The deep darkness of hopelessness. The torrential rain of Iskia continues to pour down within me, never ceasing.

    It was supposed to be clear. The rain was supposed to stop and I should have been blessed with a sparkling, seven-colored rainbow.

    ¡¸... Kurono-kun.¡¹(Nell)

    Our time together ended. No, in truth, it had never even begun.

    Because Kurono-kun had a partner from the very beginning. There was a woman that he loved much more than me.

    But that woman was a demon-like child ¨C

    ¡¸Kuh! Nnh, uu...¡¹(Nell)

    I feel nauseous from just remembering it. The wicked smile of the Fairy who is innocent and beautiful only in appearance.

    I understand, I truly understand. That girl wants everything of Kurono-kun¡¯s. She will own his body, conquer his heart and monopolize his very existence. She will not allow anyone to touch him or eveny a single finger on him. Do not approach him, do not talk to him, do not look at him ¨C he is mine.

    The reason I instantly understood her twisted intentions even without telepathy was undoubtedly because I, too, had the same ¨C

    ¡¸N-no! I am different, I am not like that, I am always thinking of K-Kurono-kun above all else. That¡¯s why, that¡¯s why...¡¹(Nell)

    That¡¯s why I was supposed to be Kurono-kun¡¯s number one. I had to.

    But reality was different; Kurono-kun embraced that child and the witch... without even ncing in my direction...

    ¡¸Lies, lies, everything is a lie... It¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s wrong, this is wrong, no, I definitely do not want to ept this!¡¹(Nell)

    That¡¯s right, Kurono-kun needs me. He needs me more than anyone else; I must be the closest person to his side.

    ¡¸He is being deceived, he is being deceived, Kurono-kun is being deceived by that wicked child...¡¹(Nell)

    That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, Kurono-kun is simply being deceived; he is not to me for anything. I know that Kurono-kun is very honest and very kind.

    The image that surfaces in my mind is that of Kurono-kun who is always doing his best. I remember the emotions of grief he felt at the death of hispanions that I saw in the fragments of his memories.

    That¡¯s right, he is a person who pushes through with his own strength, never mes others and shoulders his own responsibilities.

    That is why he is taken advantage of. Without even noticing that he is in the trap of a cunning demon.

    ¡¸I-I have to... save Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    Only I can save him. I must do it, I must prove that that girl is a demon. Quickly, right now, I must go to where Kurono-kun is ¨C

    ¡¸U... wah...¡¹(Nell)

    But my mind and body are frozen. They will not move, they cannot move. Raising the upper half of my body is my limit. I cannot even get out of my bed.

    I will go to meet Kurono-kun. The moment I think this, it surfaces in my mind again.

    ¡¸Ah, you two are really the number one for me.¡¹(Kurono)

    The image of him embracing the two of them and whispering gently to them.

    ¡¸Ah, uu... Uuuu...¡¹(Nell)

    No, no! I don¡¯t want to see, I don¡¯t want to see that anymore. I can¡¯t bear to see it. If I witness Kurono-kun being kind to other girls in front of me again ¨C

    ¡¸No, no, no, no, no, no no no no no, no, stop it, don¡¯t make me see that!¡¹(Nell)

    I will go crazy. My mind will go crazy and my heart will break.

    But the thing I am truly scared of is...

    ¡¸... Don¡¯t...e to love... that girl.¡¹(Nell)

    I¡¯m scared to say it to Kurono-kun face-to-face.

    ¡¸The one I love is...¡¹(Kurono)

    If he makes a clear deration, it is finished. I am certain that it will be the end of me.

    ¡¸Ah, aah... No... Kurono-kun, don¡¯t throw me away, please don¡¯t throw me away, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry ¨C¡¹(Nell)

    I can¡¯t meet Kurono-kun because I am scared of being rejected. I cannot muster the courage to go and meet him. I have no confidence that he will ept me.

    That is why I cannot move. No matter how much time passes, I cannot leave this soft bed.

    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry... But I want to see you, Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    I want to see him. I want to see him right now. I want to see his face, I want to hear his voice. I want to hold his hand, smile softly and have meaningless conversations. I want him to be by my side.

    My feelings grow stronger. No, my¡ºfeelings¡»are not such light things. This is definitely, yes, it is ¨C a desire.

    ¡¸I want to see you... I want to see you, Kurono-Kun...¡¹(Nell)

    Loud thunder echoes, drowning out the words of desire spilling out of my mouth.

    The sh of lightning preceding it illuminates the room for just an instant. In that moment, I see my own reflection in the window that doesn¡¯t have its curtains drawn, and I shudder.

    A second sh of lightning. I see the face of a ghost in front of me once more.

    The gloomy, cloudy, blue irises of bloodshot eyes. Thick shadows beneath them that appear to have been hastily drawn on with ink. The terrible appearance of my eyes is more than enough to indicate that both my body and heart are suffering from the burdens of despair, fatigue,ck of sleep and frustration.

    The beautiful ck color of my hair that I had always been secretly proud of haspletely faded away; my hair has be unkempt and is protruding in numerous directions from my head. My skin that was white to begin with has be even more pale; it is now the ominous color that one would expect to see in the skin of a seriously ill person.

    Despite that, I am gasping as I voice my desire to meet Kurono-kun.

    ¡¸... I feel sick.¡¹(Nell)

    I feel sick, I feel uneasy. What an unsightly woman I am.

    ¡¸Fu, ufufu... There is no way I can meet you, is there...¡¹(Nell)

    I have merely arrived at such an obvious conclusion, but for some reason, my tears will not stop.

    As I feelrge tear droplets spilling forth from my filthy eyes, my eardrums shake with the second roar of thunder.

    Its rumbling sound, which I can feel in vibrating in the pit of my stomach, is violent enough to make someone fear for their life. But the inside of my head ispletely white; that sound is not enough to shake my emotions even a little.

    Even so, as a third sh of lightninges, I instinctively avert my gaze. I don¡¯t want to see my pathetic self. I don¡¯t want to realize how unfit I am as a woman for Kurono-kun.

    And then in the direction that I desperately turn my gaze to, I see it.

    The shadow from the window, cast on the floor. The shadow of a person.

    ¡¸Who is it?!¡¹(Nell)

    Feelings of fear and anxiety rise within me in an instant as I turn towards the window. Someone is clinging to that window.

    ¡¸Ah... Umm, good evening, Nell?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Eh... Kurono... kun?¡¹(Nell)

    Ah, I¡¯m sure I having a dream, a hallucination.

    The only thing I can see is the man who has continued to be on my mind for a long, long, long time. He is currently somehow standing on a window ledge on the third floor of the women¡¯s dormitory while being struck by the heavy rain.

    Kurono-kun hase to see me. There is no way that such a convenient event could be reality ¨C

    ¡¸... This is Kurono. I¡¯mmencing infiltration into the management cadet women¡¯s dormitory.¡¹(Kurono)

    I whisper these words unconsciously as I see therge, three-story building towering over me in the darkness of the night. I feel like I¡¯m either a secret agent who has been entrusted with a special mission, or a panty thief with hidden sexual perversions.

    A feeling of unpleasant nervousness wraps itself around my entire body. I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s cold sweat or greasy sweat, but I feel some moisture on my body. There¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been caught by the heavy rain that started pouring down in the evening. Let¡¯s me it on that.

    ¡¸I wonder if this is really alright... Will.¡¹(Kurono)

    I feel more than a little unease, but even so, this is not only the sole viable way of visiting Nell, but also the n to revive her that Will hase up with with absolute confidence in himself.

    In the afternoon, after finishing the shopping that I had done for certain reasons and some rather unsessful information-gathering at the headquarters of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in Spada, I sat alone on a bench in the academy and discreetly opened the envelope that Will had given me.

    This is the basic summary of what was written on the paper inside:

    ¡¸If you visit Nell, she will definitely be healthy again, so you should sneak into the women¡¯s dormitory, Kurono! Check the other side for detailed instructions on getting inside!¡¹

    So that¡¯s how it is. On the other side of the paper, there really were detailed instructions on how to get inside as well as a lot of other information such as the areas of surveince and patrol routes on top of the times and frequency of female students entering and leaving. Will, how on earth did you find all of this out... No, I shouldn¡¯t think too much about that right now.

    ¡¸Alright, there¡¯s no sign of any people. If I¡¯m going, now¡¯s the time, I suppose¡¹(Kurono)

    The steel fence stretching around the building in front of me is about three meters in height, I guess. This is the fence that encloses the women¡¯s dormitory, and the ce I¡¯m at is a little towards the back of the building. If I climb over this and run across the back yard that¡¯s been turned into something of a garden, I¡¯ll reach the women¡¯s dormitory made of beautiful, white-painted Spadan architecture.

    The first barrier, the fence, is of a height I can get over with a vertical jump, but my jump andnding will make a loud noise. This naturally limits my avable options to just one.

    ¡¸Anchor Hands.¡¹(Kurono)

    Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I used these without Hitsugi. As this thought runs through my mind, I climb up the tentacle that I¡¯ve extended to the top of the fence and make a sessful, silentnding on the other side.

    With just a brief nce left and right, I start crossing the garden quickly. I pass between the neatly pruned shrubs and jump over the flower bed, making sure not to trample the flowers that are receiving the sky¡¯s watery blessing.

    I safely reach the dormitory¡¯s white wall. ording to the rough sketch of the women¡¯s dormitory that was included in the envelope, this spot should be right below Nell¡¯s room.

    A considerable amount of time has passed since the sun set; people have likely finished eating their dinner. Nell¡¯s curtains have remained open, despite all the others having been drawn. Not only are the curtains open, but the window is unlocked as well.

    This trick is truly simple. Nell¡¯sst visitor today was Will, so he apparently set things up this way.

    Or rather, Seria had visited Nell, bearing gifts from Will.

    It seems that it¡¯s not easy for even the Second Prince of Spada to set foot in the women¡¯s dormitory where the presence of men is forbidden. However, it is also true that Will is Nell¡¯s childhood friend. Sending her get-well gifts is only natural.

    Well, nobody would suspect that it was a trick to let a man get inside, but... No, really, if I get found out, I¡¯ll probably actually be put on Avalon¡¯s wanted list.

    ¡¸I¡¯vee this far, I can¡¯t turn back now... Sorry, Lily, Fiona.¡¹(Kurono)

    I feel bad for those two since they were worried about the risks of getting to close to members of a royal family, but as a friend, I can¡¯t leave Nell like this. If someone tells me that she¡¯ll feel better if I visit her, a little risk isn¡¯t enough to make me hesitate ¨C in fact, I¡¯m doing it now.

    Alright, here I go, Anchor Hands!

    Firing myself up, I begin climbing up the wall¡¯s surface along the tentacles I¡¯ve extended to the roof. Mentally prepared to die, I climb the wall and pray that nobody sees me.

    Lightning shes with a loud sound in addition to the heavy rain; the weather couldn¡¯t be worse. But it doesn¡¯t cause me any trouble in climbing three floors. Even though my apprentice robe has absorbed plenty of rain and be heavy, it¡¯s fine. Really, my only worry is that someone will see me...

    With my heart pounding unpleasantly, I reach the window of what should be Nell¡¯s room. Supporting my body with only my left hand that¡¯s grasping the tentacle, I quietly take a look inside.

    I see, this window does indeed have its curtains drawn back. The preparations were perfect.

    However, perhaps Nell is asleep; the lights are off. Hmm, I can¡¯t bring myself to wake her up if she¡¯s asleep.

    In that case, I have no choice but to resort to n number two that Will gave me. In other words, I have to quietly ce my get-well gifts and a letter of encouragement next to her pillow.

    Alright, let¡¯s go with that ¨C but at that moment, I hear thunder. It¡¯s quite close; the sh of lightning is quite bright.

    And then our eyes meet.

    In the single moment that the inside of the room is illuminated, I see the pale face of a girl with shadows beneath her eyes.

    The princess who has just woken up, whose hair is standing boldly in multiple directions, opens her eyes wide in surprise as she looks at me.

    I wonder what I¡¯m supposed to say at a time like this. I wonder what kind of face I¡¯m supposed to make.

    ¡¸Ah... Umm, good evening, Nell?¡¹(Kurono)

    In the end, I reply with the safest choice of words, along with a half-hearted, forced smile.

    ¡¸Eh... Kurono... kun?¡¹(Nell)

    Nell¡¯s expression is one of true amazement, as if she can¡¯t believe her eyes. I suppose if you think about it normally, anyone would feel nervous if a man appeared at their window in the middle of the night.

    No, if you think about it normally, I have a feeling that what I¡¯m doing right now is terrifyingly absurd.

    Uwah, now that I¡¯m consciously thinking about it, I¡¯m feeling even more nervous. Could it be that Will has set me up...?

    ¡¸A-ah, I came to visit you, but... It seems I¡¯m causing trouble for you, so I should go ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Wait!¡¹(Nell)

    Despiteing all this way, I say some pathetic words in a weak voice in an attempt to leave, but Nell interrupts me with her own shouted words.

    It is not only the volume of her voice, but her actions that surprise me.

    There are three consecutive noises that make up her reaction.

    The first is the sound of Nell¡¯s wings spreading as she sits up in her bed.

    The second is the sound of her nket being flung to the corner of the room by her wings as they expand outwards.

    And before I know it, Nell is standing right in front of me. What incredible speed of movement.

    ¡¸Wait, please... I don¡¯t care if this is a dream or a hallucination, so please don¡¯t disappear from my sight...¡¹(Nell)

    Through the ss window, her gaze is directed towards me as if she is trying to cling on to me ¨C or at least, I think it is.

    The only thing I can see is my own face that has a bit of a stupid expression on it, because there¡¯s another sh of lightning behind me. This weather phenomenon that happens right behind me turns the window¡¯s ss into a mirror.

    That¡¯s why I can see my own face. I¡¯m sure Nell is looking at her own face right now as well.

    And a momentter, the ss turns transparent once more and I see the face of a princess just a few dozen centimeters away from me once more.

    As I hear the rumbling sound of thunder immediately after the lightning, I notice that Nell¡¯s face has changedpletely.

    I thought her face looked quite tragic, but now her face has turned considerably red from embarrassment. She¡¯s opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish as ifpletely shocked ¨C her reaction is like she¡¯s just noticed a huge failure on her part.

    ¡¸N-no! Actually, no! You can¡¯t right now, no, don¡¯t look at me, please don¡¯t look at me when my face looks so terrible, hyih!¡¹(Nell)

    She ces her right hand in front of my face, and in the next instant, the curtains are drawn shut by her left hand. And so, Nell rejects me.

    Mission failed. This is Kurono. Mission failed, Colonel Will.

    And then I speak my words of defeat.

    ¡¸Sorry. I¡¯ll go back after all.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Wait, Kurono-kun! Please, just wait a moment! Five minutes ¨C no, one minute, no, thirty seconds, I beg you from the bottom of my heart, just wait a little!¡¹(Nell)

    Judging from the fact that the order of her requests is a little strange, it seems that Nell is a little panicked, but... Hmm, well, considering that she asked me to wait, I suppose my visit has been epted.

    ¡¸A-alright. You don¡¯t really have to hurry that much, so you can calm down and prepare or whatever you need to do.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Wah, ah, ah ¨C I need to wash my face ¨C What should I do ¨C Toilet ¨C Where did I leave myb ¨C What should I do, there are only ten seconds left ¨C¡¹(Nell)

    As I hear her voice intermittently through the closed window, I realize that she didn¡¯t hear me at all. I wonder just why she¡¯s in such a hurry.

    But, well, Nell is a girl of that age, so I guess she needs to make certain preparations before letting someone into her room. I¡¯m sure that her unkempt bed hair and defenseless n¨¦glig¨¦e are things that she would be particrly unwilling to let someone of the opposite sex see. Girls are really conscious about their own appearance; guys can¡¯t evenpare. Not that guys disregard their own appearance entirely, though.

    In any case, I decide to wait patiently until Nell invites me in. Holding onto my tentacle three floors up, looking like an exceptionally suspicious individual.

    Nell, can you hurry and let me in... If someone sees me, I will most certainly die in a social sense...

 Chapter 370 A secret visit

    ¡¸¨C But I¡¯m d that you¡¯re looking healthier than I thought.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Uu... Y-yes...¡¹(Nell)

    For some reason, Nell is lying face-down on her bed as she responds to my remark, as if she¡¯s embarrassed.

    After being beaten by the rain for dozens of minutes, I¡¯ve sessfully been invited into Nell¡¯s room, wiped my drenched body with a towel and broken the ice with safer topics of conversation such as,¡¸How are you feeling?¡¹

    The fact that she was hastily running around and making various preparations allowed me to confirm that she wasn¡¯t weak to the point of being unable to get out of her bed.

    Still, the sense of relief I get from actually seeing her face-to-face and having her tell me that she¡¯s fine with a cheerful smile is something else entirely.

    ¡¸Your face doesn¡¯t seem too pale, either.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Haah... P-please don¡¯t look so closely...¡¹(Nell)

    I guess it¡¯s embarrassing for her to have her face stared at when she¡¯s lying down because she¡¯s ill. She covers her face with both hands to block my gaze, and at the same time, her wings wrap around the top half of her body. What a lovely, impregnable defense.

    ¡¸Oh yeah, here, eat this if you want.¡¹(Kurono)

    From my shadow, I produce a small paper bag bearing a logo of a smiling woman. This is the get-well gift that Will rmended to me.

    ¡¸Ah, could that be a custard pudding from¡ºSweet Smile?!¡»¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Yeah, I heard that you like these.¡¹(Kurono)

    To be more precise, I¡¸read¡¹it. Will really showed off his ability to gain information in that letter.

    ¡¸Yes, I love these! Thank you very much, Kurono-kun!¡¹(Nell)

    There is a smile covering Nell¡¯s entire face ¨C no, I can even see signs of tears glistening in her eyes that have faint shadows beneath them. She is incredibly happy. If she¡¯s this happy about it, it¡¯s worth the effort I spent in buying the pudding.

    It was surprising to learn that custard puddings are sold normally as well-known treats from Rune, but the length of the line of female customers outside the confectionary store called¡ºSweet Smile¡»was surprising as well.

    I was the Nightmare Berserker standing in line with all of those young maidens. Man, it was really hard for me. Mentally, that is.

    But the most surprising thing of all was the exorbitant price of 1500 ns for a single small-sized cup. As expected of a store set up in the upper district; even the prices are high-ss.

    ¡¸Umm, can I... eat it?¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Of course, go ahead, go ahead.¡¹(Kurono)

    I give a cheerful reply, and then immediately wonder if it¡¯s alright for her to have such a sugar-filled item thiste at night. Well, let¡¯s just pretend it won¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡¸Ah, yes, I will prepare some tea. Kurono-kun, is there a brand of tea that you like in particr?¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸No, you don¡¯t have to, don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡¹(Kurono)

    Perhaps Nell¡¯s sudden enthusiasmes from the fact that she is eating the custard pudding that she loves so much. As she smiles and cheerfully makes an attempt to get out of her bed, I stop her.

    I¡¯vee here to visit someone who is ill; having her move her body in order to show me hospitality would defeat the purpose.

    Also, I have no knowledge whatsoever about tea brands in a foreign world. The only thing I have is the resolve to gratefully ept whatever is given to me.

    ¡¸No, it is really fine. Nothing is wrong with my body, and I will be able to depart for quests soon.¡¹(Nell)

    The gently-smiling Nell before me is the Nell that I know, through and through. Her face is a little pale, but she is full of the same vitality, energy and motivation as she had when she was in the Grand Coliseum¡¯s infirmary, making the decision to go and rescue the students at Iskia.

    In other words, there¡¯s no stopping her.

    ¡¸Ah, my cooking hasn¡¯t improved much, but I can at least make some proper tea!¡¹(Nell)

    I suppose tea is something that nobles and royalty are ustomed to. It¡¯s normally made by their servants, but on asions on which they are hosting guests of equal social status, such as when they¡¯re having chats with noblemen from another nation or when new friends are visiting, it is not umon for the head of the house to personally make the tea. It¡¯s probably part of the etiquette needed for interaction between people of the upper-ss.

    Since Nell is a princess, she has probably been taught this quite strictly.

    ¡¸Alright. Well then, I¡¯ll let you treat me to tea.¡¹(Kurono)

    I don¡¯t have any particr requests, so I¡¯ll leave everything to her. I guess her physical condition really is okay.

    I look around the neatly-arranged room and exchange intermittent pieces of conversation with Nell for a few minutes while she prepares the tea.

    ¡¸Here, I hope you enjoy this.¡¹(Nell)

    A tea set has been prepared on the small, round table in front of me.

    The amber-colored tea that is steaming with an elegant fragrance is known as ck tea in this world, too. I don¡¯t know whether the tea leaves and the method of making the tea are the same as on Earth, but its taste and aroma are exactly the same, and the options of adding milk or lemon are the identical as well.

    There is a teapot with a lovely floral pattern, ck tea being poured into a cup with a matching pattern, and a saucer beneath the cup. There is also sugar and a stirrer avable as part of the tea set nearby.

    It¡¯s quite the performance. Nell just told me a moment ago that she often has tea parties with Charlotte and Safiel, the female members of her party. It seems that she wasn¡¯t lying.

    Though they¡¯re daughters of noble and royal families,ying out cushions on the floor and sitting around a table like this would indeed be very schoolgirl-like. Well, considering that Safiel is one of them, I have mixed feelings about it, though.

    I have a strong image of her shutting herself in a Necromancy workshop full of skulls,pletely absorbed in experiments with an evil smile on her face. This image is just a product of my own imagination, but I have the strange feeling that it might not be far off the mark.

    ¡¸Thanks, itadakimasu.¡¹(Kurono)

    I¡¯m a little embarrassed that she¡¯s staring at me with amazingly sparkling eyes as I drink my tea, but I do my best to feignposure. I gently try a mouthful of a tea, trying not to seem too greedy.

    ¡¸... It¡¯s delicious.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I¡¯m d it suits your tastes.¡¹(Nell)

    Nell speaks earnestly with a gentle smile, exuding the happiness in the bottom of her heart.

    The taste of the tea is indeed something I would call delicious without trying to be ttering, but I wonder why I just felt a little ¨C no, considerably startled.

    C-calm down, it¡¯s not like Nell has the pure emotions of a maiden who has been praised and rewarded for the efforts she has made for the man in her heart. She is simply happy as a friend; she has no ulterior motives.

    However, the scary thing about Nell is that if she shows me a pure expression like this, it really could cause a misunderstanding.

    ¡¸By the way, why is there also a pudding for me?¡¹(Kurono)

    I attempt to change the topic in order to distract myself. Even if I wasn¡¯t doing that, the custard pudding with the¡ºSweet Smile¡»logo ced next to the ck tea has been bothering me ever since I spotted it, though.

    ¡¸That is something that I found in the cooler. I think it is something that someone brought for me as a get-well gift.¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Is it alright for me to eat it?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, it will taste better when we eat it together.¡¹(Nell)

    Kuh, I begin to hate myself for immediately assuming that I would have this custard pudding that costs 1,500 ns all to myself. Nell is a princess with overflowing affection. On the other hand, even though I¡¯ve be a Rank 5 adventurer, I¡¯m a frugal person of the lower-middle ss.

    ¡¸Ah, I will be eating the pudding that you brought, Kurono-san.¡¹(Nell)

    As Nell giggles, I find myself unable to think of the words to form an appropriate response. I suppose I¡¯ll just internally apologize to the person who bought her this custard pudding. Sorry, I¡¯m going to be eating this expensive pudding.

    ¡¸Well then, itadakimasu.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, me too. Itadakimasu.¡¹(Nell)

    As expected of such an expensive product, the custard pudding is delicious. It¡¯s on a different level from the one I made using a vague recollection of the recipe. The custard pudding has probably undergone Rune¡¯s unique improvements since its manufacturing method was introduced by Count Redwing, also known as Akabane Zenichi-san. At the very least, it¡¯s a custard pudding the likes of which I never tasted in Japan.

    As this thought runs through my mind, the white, expensive-looking spoon with white wings engraved into it hits the bottom of the cup. There¡¯s none left; the portion size wasn¡¯t veryrge.

    I look up to see that Nell¡¯s spoon, which bears an engraved lightning bolt on it, is also scooping at the empty air in her own cup.

    ¡¸M-my apologies, I was a little hungry, so...¡¹(Nell)

    As if embarrassed that she finished her pudding at the same speed as my greedy pace, she shows some truly innocent, bashful behavior as she makes an excuse that I never asked for. Damn it, Nell looks about thirty percent cuter now... I need to clear my mind.

    And so, Nell and I enjoy our night-time snack together. Conversation between us flows naturally, just like the time we spent every day together before we went to Iskia Fortress.

    Perhaps because her boredom has umted from all the time that she¡¯s spent in bed, Nell is more talkative than usual.

    Reminiscing about her childhood, the first time she met Will, the emotions she felt when she was bestowed a divine protection, the story of the failure of her first quest. Also, the other desserts she likes, the restaurants she is fond of, the subjects she is good at, the lessons she dislikes and all kinds of other silly topics.

    During this, I suddenly remember something important.

    ¡¸¨C Come to think of it, I forgot to thank you.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Thank me?¡¹(Nell)

    Nell tilts her head slightly to the side as she repeats my words. The timing I was supposed to say this is really off, so I suppose I can¡¯t me her for not knowing what I¡¯m talking about.

    ¡¸It was thanks to you that Iskia could be saved. Thanks for lending me your strength.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Eh, that¡¯s... I just... did the natural thing, so...¡¹(Nell)

    Nell has an expression that¡¯s as if she¡¯s more surprised by me thanking her so formally rather than the timing of my apology. Indeed, considering her kind disposition and impressive abilities, that might have been the natural thing for her to do.

    But even so, I wanted to thank her properly.

    ¡¸No, if it wasn¡¯t for the charm you gave me, the¡ºAria Guard-Feather¡», I would have been parasitized by the Sloth-Gil.¡¹(Kurono)

    Come to think of it, does Nell know about the Sloth-Gil, the parasite monster that was controlling the Greed-Gore?

    For now, I give her a brief exnation and emphasize how much danger I was in as I thank her.

    ¡¸Really, thanks. You saved my life, Nell. If I was on my own, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save anyone. No, even the Curse Carnival wouldn¡¯t have ended well for me. If you didn¡¯t save me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything...¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Fufu... Ufufu, it¡¯s alright, Kurono-kun. You don¡¯t have to try to do everything perfectly on your own.¡¹(Nell)

    Despite intending to thank her, ites out as more of aint. Nell speaks with a gentle smile, as if she¡¯s really a goddess.

    No, it¡¯s not just her words. She is leaning over the table and has taken my hand, wrapping it in both of hers. It¡¯s the gesture of a real saint, extending her hands to a lostmb.

    ¡¸Companions rely on each other and save each other, don¡¯t they? So it¡¯s fine for you to rely on me more, Kurono-kun. I want to be your strength.¡¹(Nell)

    I think of Lily, Fiona and now Nell as well, aspanions that I can trust with all my heart, but... maybe I¡¯ve been trying too hard to shoulder everything on my own.

    Taking advantage of someone and relying on them are different things. Even though I understand that, the line between the two might be really blurry.

    ¡¸You¡¯re really saving me by saying that.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Me too, hearing you say that... has saved me.¡¹(Nell)

    Nell¡¯s hands squeeze my hand a little harder. Her delicate, white fingers entwine warmly with mine. I wonder if me being startled is because of my impure thoughts.

    No, there likely isn¡¯t a single man alive who wouldn¡¯t feel overly conscious while being stared at by Nell¡¯s vivid blue eyes. It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s not my fault, but... I need to control myself.

    Concluding that any more than this would be dangerous, I make a casual attempt to shake my hand free, but it seems that things won¡¯t go as nned. Nell¡¯s hands continue to gently restrain my right hand.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    Is it just my imagination? Her eyes are a little moist, as if she is feeling feverish. As I avert my eyes, trying to escape her gaze ¨C

    ¡¸¨C Princess Nell?¡¹

    I shudder as I hear a knock apanying a woman¡¯s voice. The warm atmosphere that has been filling the room up until now disperses in an instant. Nell¡¯s grip on my hand is also released instantly.

    Who is it? No, no matter who it is, this is bad. This is very bad.

    It seems that Nell understands the situation as well; she has opened her eyes wide in astonishment. There¡¯s no doubt that she is wearing the same expression of surprise as me.

    After all, I¡¯m not someone who is supposed to be in the women¡¯s dormitory, let alone the room of a bedridden, ill princess.

    It would have been bad if I was witnessed infiltrating the room with my tentacle-climbing, but it would be even worse for me to be seen in this room. I¡¯d be caught red-handed and arrested. The authorities probably wouldn¡¯t hear my excuses.

    ¡¸You are resting, aren¡¯t you... I aming in, alright?¡¹

    ¡¸Don¡¯te in if she¡¯s supposed to be resting!¡¹I shout at her in my mind, but that isn¡¯t going to make the woman on the other side of the door to give up on rushing into the room.

    Damn it, now that¡¯s it¡¯se to this, I have to escape even if I have to smash through the window. The moment Ie to this decision and stand up ¨C

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, please hide here!¡¹(Nell)

    Nell disys her fine skill in shouting while whispering. The hiding spot she¡¯s pointing at is her bed.

    Indeed, Nell is raising her nkets and asking me to hide in there.

    Th-this is... I have a feeling that being discovered not only in the same room, but in the same bed as her would cause an even more irreversible situation.

    If I¡¯m found in Nell¡¯s room, I¡¯d be executed. Being found in her bed would likely add some torture before the execution.

    But by no means is breaking through the window in order to escape the best n. On top of that, I can¡¯t see anywhere else I could possibly hide. Damn it, I¡¯d be able to hide in that closet if I was Lily-sized!

    Even as I think that, I can hear the rattling sound of the door being unlocked by the woman who is trying to enter the room for some unknown reason. This is bad, I don¡¯t have any more time to think.

    ¡¸Kurono-kun, quickly!¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Kuh!¡¹(Kurono)

    Making up my mind, I leap towards ¨C not the window, but the bed. Clinging to the sliver of hope that I won¡¯t be discovered at all.

    ¡¸Fuwah... Wah, ah... Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Sorry, Nell, bear with it for a bit.¡¹(Kurono)

    As I slip into the nket, we naturally end up in a position where we¡¯re embracing each other. Of course, my head isn¡¯t sticking out. It¡¯s not sticking out, but because of that, my face is touching Nell¡¯s chest. No, it¡¯s not simply touching it; it¡¯s more like it¡¯s pressing against it.

    The pair ofrge hills that push up against her pure-white n¨¦glig¨¦e are wrapped around my face. I experience softness, warmth, a scent and a slight difficulty in breathing. My heart, which was already sounding its rm bells at this dangerous situation, begins beating twice as fast.

    I don¡¯t want to separate myself from her, but at the same time, I do. But I wouldn¡¯t be able to do so anyway. Nell is holding me tightly against her chest, showing no signs of intending to let go. I think I¡¯m going to go crazy.

    ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹

    At the culmination of my tension, as my ability to reason reaches the brink of copsing, the woman finally steps into the room. I desperately hold my breath, erase my presence and simply pray whole-heartedly that this danger will pass. Ah, this reminds me of when I escaped the experiment facility and was being chased by Sariel...

    ¡¸Oh my, the lights have been left on! And the tea has been left out like this... Good lord, what a rude person yourst visitor was.¡¹

    She¡¯s probably a student who lives in this dormitory, taking care of Nell who is resting. There¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s soon to be bedtime for the dormitory, and she came to check up on Nell onest time.

    However, as I hear the tone of her voice that is clearly displeased at the state of the room, I realize that the owner of this voice is undoubtedly Helen, the one who tried to lynch me under the pretense of challenging me to a duel.

    I see, she¡¯s the captain of Princess Nell¡¯s guards; since she¡¯s a daughter of some super-important family, she¡¯s in a sufficient position to take care of Nell. In fact, judging from the way she worshipped Nell, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing this of her own desire.

    Well, that loyalty is tormenting me and Nell right now. I identally scared to hell out of her at the arena, but damn it, Helen, you really have seized the opportunity to kill me...

    ¡¸... Leave.¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Princess Nell?! You were awake?¡¹(Helen)

    Nell begins her ad-lib acting in order to ovee this predicament. Though I know it¡¯s an act, I¡¯m startled in a bad way upon hearing her speak in a tone that sounds really displeased; I can even hear traces of hatred in her voice.

    ¡¸I don¡¯t care. Hurry and leave.¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸I-I¡¯m terribly sorry... Please excuse me...¡¹(Helen)

    Upon receiving a heartfelt rejection from the master whom she loves and respects, Helen departs with these clearly sad words of apology.

    Since I was born, my heart has never felt more at ease than now as I hear the sound of the door closing and being locked once more.

    The room remains silent, and several dozen seconds pass.

    ¡¸... Nell, isn¡¯t it safe now?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Uu... Kurono-kun, Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    I should hurry and separate myself from her. I spoke out to Nell thinking that it would be safe to leave her bed now, but her restraint on me doesn¡¯t loosen. I wonder if she¡¯s confused because of how nervous she was.

    ¡¸Hey, you can let go of ¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Fuuuuuuh!¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸C-calm down, Nell, it¡¯s alright, everything¡¯s alright now.¡¹(Kurono)

    Doing my best to calm the strangely agitated Nell, I gently escape her embrace while feeling an insolent reluctance to do so and slip out of her bed.

    I finally experience the sensation that I¡¯m still alive. At the same time, as I slip away from Nell¡¯s incredibly attractive body, I realize just how embarrassing the immoral situation we were in a moment ago was.

    ¡¸U-umm... Kurono-kun, I...¡¹(Nell)

    Nell¡¯s face has been dyed a magnificent red from nervousness and shame. I¡¯m so embarrassed that I can¡¯t look her in the eye right now. I¡¯ll be conscious of it even if I don¡¯t want to.

    Feeling heat in my own face, I keep my eyes averted as I speak.

    ¡¸You saved me, Nell, thanks. You managed to somehow deceive her sessfully.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes... You... are right.¡¹(Nell)

    Honestly speaking, this really saved me. I¡¯dpletely abandoned the notion of hiding in her bed as I¡¯d thought that there would be no way that two people being in the same bed could go unnoticed.

    ¡¸To think that your wings woulde in handy in a time like this.¡¹(Kurono)

    Indeed, the secret behind how Helen was tricked lies in Nell¡¯s wings. The trick was in and simple. When Nell is lying face-down, herrge wings are above her, of course. They have considerable surface area and volume even if she folds them, and if she moves them a little, she can naturally create a spacerge enough to hide a person.

    By nonchntly holding her nket up with her wings, she made my hiding beneath it inconspicuous.

    ¡¸I am happy that I could be of help to you, Kurono-kun.¡¹(Nell)

    Out of the corner of my vision, I see Nell squirming around, covering her face with both hands. Perhaps she still can¡¯t think straight because of how nervous she was; it seems that her agitation won¡¯t subside.

    But now that the danger has passed, I realize something. When I was hiding under the sheets, couldn¡¯t I have avoided the risky situation altogether by submerging my body in my Shadow Gate? Yes, the same way that I hid myself in the wooden crate of apples on the ship headed to the Pandora continent.

    It¡¯s way toote now, but since I managed to make it through the situation safely regardless, I¡¯ll just ept it.

    ¡¸Sorry for overstaying. Me staying here is dangerous, so I¡¯ll go back now.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Ah... Y-you are right... I understand.¡¹(Nell)

    Hearing Nell speak in a remarkably disappointed tone, I¡¯m tempted to suggest that I stay longer, but I really can¡¯t do that after experiencing that danger.

    ¡¸You seem healthy, Nell, so it looks like you¡¯ll be able to return to the academy soon at this rate.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸... Ah! Y-yes, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it! I am fine; I will be able to go back to attending the academy starting from tomorrow!¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good to hear. With that, we¡¯ll be able to see each other at lunchtime or after school or whenever.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, I... am always with you, Kurono-kun...¡¹(Nell)

    As Nell directs a feverish gaze at me, I feel insolent feelings stirring within me once more. This is bad, if I don¡¯t get out of here as soon as possible, I have a bad feeling I¡¯m going to do something I¡¯m going to regret.

    I hurriedly make my way towards the window. Just as I steel my resolve to leap out into the pitch-ck, thunder-filled night once more, I suddenly remember something.

    ¡¸Oh yeah, Nell, can you teach me magic again sometime?¡¹(Kurono)

    I learned something during the experiments with my divine protections a few days ago.

    In order to make full use of¡ºOvergear¡»and¡ºOver-el¡», I need an urate understanding of the spell forms for¡ºProtect Boost¡»and¡ºConcentration Boost.¡»

    With¡ºForce Boost¡»as the base, I have a clear image of the spell form for¡ºOverdrive.¡»Compared to the other two, its activation and effective duration are more stable and the bacsh on my body isn¡¯t as harsh.

    Thanks to my special training with Mia-chan, I was able to activate the second and third divine protections intuitively even without any image of the spell forms.

    But if they¡¯re that unstable and exhaust my strength so relentlessly, I¡¯d feel very anxious about using it in real battles. Especially if I¡¯m going to be taking on the Apostles as my opponents.

    While I need to look for the next divine protection, I also need training to ensure I can make proper use of the divine protections I¡¯ve already acquired.

    Well, it¡¯s a rather pathetic that I¡¯m relying on Nell for this, though.

    ¡¸Yes, of course! Ah... But among your party members, there is a, umm... witch, isn¡¯t there?¡¹(Nell)

    Nell¡¯s favorable response makes aplete reversal, and she suddenly frowns.

    I see, from her point of view, there would be no denying that it would seem like she¡¯s intruding by teaching me magic while I ignore my party members who are proficient with magic. Jeez, what a considerate princess she is.

    ¡¸No, it has to be you, Nell.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Eh... I-I am... I am special?¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸Yeah, I can¡¯t ask anyone but you, Nell. It would bepletely impossible for anyone else.¡¹(Kurono)

    Indeed, for teaching me about modern magic, there¡¯s nobody better than Nell, who is good at teaching and is able to directly guide my mind through telepathy.

    After receiving such wonderful one-on-one lessons, I can¡¯t bring myself to go through Fiona¡¯s indecipherable, tricky lessons. Lily¡¯s out of the question as well, since she¡¯s only able to use her own Characteristic Skills.

    ¡¸Yes, yes! Thank you very much, Kurono-kun, I¡¯ll do my best!¡¹(Nell)

    I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to be saying thanks. But Nell, whose motto is that things should be done for the good of the people, epts my request, finding happiness in being of use to me. Considering that her wings are fluttering restlessly, I guess she¡¯s really happy about it.

    ¡¸Thanks. Well then, see you tomorrow. Good night.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, good night, Kurono-kun.¡¹(Nell)

    And so I depart Nell¡¯s room. I leave the women¡¯s dormitory as quickly and silently as when I came.

    As I head back to the dormitory, being struck by the heavy rain once more, I suddenly realize something.

    ¡¸Come to think of it, Nell was just fine when I saw her, but she¡¯s been bedridden all this time...¡¹(Kurono)

    Considering her condition, she would probably have been fine to start attending the academy starting tomorrow even if I hadn¡¯t gone to visit her. I didn¡¯t get the feeling that she was suffering mentally from something on her mind like Will told me, either.

    The battle of Iskia was hard; maybe even people like Nell want to skip school and take it easy from time to time.

    ¡¸Well, since she¡¯s fine, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¹(Kurono)

    Coming to this conclusion, I return to the dormitory in a good mood after having one of my worries resolved.

 Chapter 371 A gray nightmare

    ¡¸... Shit.¡¹(Nero)

    Being struck by the heavy rain that suddenly began to fall after the sun went down, Nero curses under his breath for the umpteenth time; he has lost count of how many times he has done so.

    What is he angry at this time? Is it the fickle autumn weather, or the fact that his glorious red cape has grown heavy after being soaked by the rain? Everything is unpleasant to him.

    What am I... doing...

    He cannot bring himself to visit Nell again, and yet he is not in the mood to quietly return to the men¡¯s dormitory. However, aimlessly wandering about the streets of Spada¡¯s town isn¡¯t particrly interesting, either.

    Displeasure, dissatisfaction ¨C no, the emotion growing more violent in Nero¡¯s chest is the anger that has no ce to escape to.

    Nell was heartbroken. Nero was forced to realize that there is not a single thing he can do for his younger sister who is more precious to him than anyone else.

    Anger at himself for being so powerless. And the anger at the culprit who has driven his sister to madness.

    Neither of them can be resolved right now. This is a problem in Nell¡¯s heart; there is no way Nero can resolve it.

    Now that he thinks about it, this is the second time in his life that he has worried about something so helplessly.

    How did Nero get back onto his feet that time ¨C He gave up, no, he had decided that something like that was unnecessary to him in the first ce.

    That is precisely why that previous experience is of absolutely no use here. Abandoning Nell as¡¸unnecessary¡¹is not something he can ever do as an older brother, as a prince and, most importantly, as a proud man.

    Would it have been better if I picked a fight like that idiot Kai...? No, I would have seriously killed him...

    Even if he killed his enemy, nothing would change; nothing could possibly change. There would be no meaning in venting his anger in such a way. If Nell didn¡¯t return to her usual bright, smiling self ¨C

    ¡¸Nero Julius Elroad, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Man)

    Hearing a man¡¯s voice suddenly call out his name, Nero¡¯s consciousness returns from the loop of thoughts running through his mind, back to the real world.

    The first thing he sees when he looks up is an enshrined ck lithograph against a background of dark clouds. Ancient letters written with faint light are dancing on its surface.

    It is the¡ºZero Chronicle¡», the obelisk upon which literature praising the greatest of his ancestors in Pandora¡¯s history, the ancient Demon King, is etched.

    It seems that Nero has walked into the za near the academy.

    ¡¸Sorry, you¡¯re mistaking me for someone else.¡¹(Nero)

    Nero doesn¡¯t know who it is, but he isn¡¯t in a tolerant enough mood to deal with this person.

    ¡¸... I see.¡¹(Man)

    Taking no notice of the man¡¯s t-toned whisper, Nero continues walking straight ahead ¨C or tries to, but he suddenly stops after a single step.

    With the hard sole of Nero¡¯s loafer nted firmly in a shallow puddle on the stone pavement, a moment passes, and then he turns around.

    ¡¸You bastard, who are you?¡¹(Nero)

    Bloodthirst rises from Nero as he suddenly bes very cautious. His hand is not on the handle of his trusty de, but he is alert enough to y his foe in a single instant if needed.

    As Nero turns around, he finally sees the man¡¯s figure properly.

    He is wearing a gray robe with a hood pulled low over his face, making it difficult to discern what kind of expression he is wearing. He is tall and even through his robes, Nero can see that his muscles have been trained more than the average person¡¯s.

    However, that alone doesn¡¯t make his appearance particrly conspicuous. If he were mixed in with a crowd of Spadan people, he wouldn¡¯t draw anyone¡¯s attention.

    Unlike Nero, this man with an incredibly in appearance is not emitting any bloodthirst or hostility. Of course, he is not making a single suspicious move, nor is there any sign that he is casting a spell. He is simply standing there, being struck by the heavy rain.

    ¡¸You¡¯ve cleared the people out quite enthusiastically. If I wasn¡¯t so perceptive, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡¹(Nero)

    There is nothing unusual about the gray man. However, there is a suggestive hypnosis barrier set up around the entire za that prevents people from naturally approaching it. It has been concealed in a sophisticated way so that even Nero, who has a keen sense for detecting presences, only barely noticed it.

    The fact that this man is standing inside such a barrier is more than enough to make things clear. The culprit behind this suspicious, borate set-up is none other than the man in the gray robe.

    Nero examines the man, staying alert for the possibility that the man may have allies hidden elsewhere who could strike from one of his blind spots.

    However, the man simply stands still and opens his mouth to continue speaking quietly.

    ¡¸I want to ask you just one thing. Will you be the Demon King?¡¹(Man)

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹(Nero)

    A question that is beyond astounding. Nero wonders if it is a ploy to get him to lower his guard, but there are no signs of any surprise attacks.

    Ten seconds pass withplete silence other than the sound of rain. Finally, Nero responds.

    ¡¸I might be the king of Avalon, but the Demon King is something I won¡¯t be. Ever.¡¹(Nero)

    It is an absurd question, but Nero gives a clear¡¸No¡¹for an answer. He would reject normal questions with a vague,¡¸Who cares?¡¹but this was one question that his pride wouldn¡¯t forgive him for if he didn¡¯t give a clear answer.

    ¡¸As the descendent of the ancient Demon King, Mia Elroad, you are the most likely candidate. Even if you have no intentions of bing the Demon King, destiny may not allow that ¨C just like me.¡¹(Man)

    ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid ¨C UOH?!¡¹(Nero)

    Apletely unconscious, reflexive defense.

    Before he realizes it, Nero has drawn the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»and raised it to stop the dull-gray de that is now right in front of him.

    ¡¸Not a bad reaction.¡¹(Man)

    The man¡¯s tone is somewhat pompous, as if he ismenting on the quality of a painting. They carry the nuance that Nero detests the most in words directed at him, but his mind is ovee with astonishment rather than anger.

    When the man attacked, Nero had beenpletely unable to see the man¡¯s movements.

    ¡¸Damn... it... Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡¹(Nero)

    With the two des locked, Nero pushes back against the man. No, the man has merely taken a step back of his own will.

    ¡¸Jeez, what a pain. I don¡¯t know what organization has sent you to assassinate me, but don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to be taking my head. And while you¡¯re at it, don¡¯t think you¡¯re leaving this ce alive.¡¹(Nero)

    Making random threats as they ur to him, Nero warily observes his opponent.

    Neither the man¡¯s appearance nor the atmosphere around him have changed, other than the single sword he is holding. Nero has no idea where the man was carrying it or when it was unsheathed.

    From the looks of it, the sword is a mass-production model that is widely-used in Spada. It doesn¡¯t have any Enchantments; the material it is made of cannot even be called high-quality steel.

    Despite that, though it was only a single strike, this man has exchanged an equal blow with a national treasure, a magic sword wielded by the Rank 5 adventurer Nero, using this sword of the lowest grade.

    All of the rm bells of Nero¡¯s sharp intuition have been set off. He knows that his foe is stronger than him.

    But at the same time, this runs through his mind.

    If it¡¯s experience in defeating opponents more powerful than me, I¡¯ve definitely got plenty!

    ¡¸¨C Instant sh.¡¹(Nero)

    Nero¡¯s martial skill, released in a heavy vertical swing rather than the horizontal direction he normally uses, scores a deep gash in the stone pavement of the za. However, it does not aplish anything more.

    Tch, he saw through my attackpletely.

    The man evades it sessfully by taking a mere half-step to the right. It is more like a calm movement than the evasion of an attack; it is as if he knew that the attack would strike that exact spot beforehand.

    Nero¡¯s initial impression is correct. The man did not see through Nero¡¯s attack in the instant it was released, but rather saw through the entire attackpletely.

    These movements, it¡¯s more than just sharp instincts. He understands every single one of my movements, or he has an ability to ¡®read¡¯ equivalent to that old woman¡¯s*... Shit, it¡¯ll be a real pain to take this guy on.

    TLN*: The kanji beneath ¡°old woman¡± reads ¡°war maiden¡±, giving some indication as to who he¡¯s referring to.

    As Nero feels an increasing sense of danger, the man who easily dodged his attack begins moving once more.

    His body moves to release an attack, his powerful footsteps and stance that leaves no openings making it clear that he is a first-ss swordsman, but ¨C Nero can see it.

    This guy¡¯s underestimated me and isn¡¯t using his full strength!

    If this man made his movements in earnest, they should be able to ovee Nero¡¯s vision and even his instinctive predictions. Nero realized this with the man¡¯s first attack.

    However, for the one with inferior ability, such carelessness is the most effective chance to defeat a superior opponent.

    Nero is not na?ve to let such a perfect opportunity slip away, nor can he afford to do so.

    ¡¸Single sh!¡¹(Nero)

    The technique Nero chooses to meet his foe with is the most fundamental of martial skills,¡ºSingle sh.*¡»

    TLN*: The author has finally included furigana for this skill, indicating that is supposed to be read ¡°sh¡±. I¡¯m going to continue to use Single sh (the kanji meaning) to avoid confusion.

    It is not that Nero has chosen a weaker attack to match his opponent not using his full strength.

    It is basic, but because of that, it is versatile and extraordinarily easy to use. There is no problem whatsoever in using it with just the sword in his right hand.

    One-on-one battles are not determined through firepower alone. Nero possesses more than enough raw power to kill his opponent.

    The¡ºSingle sh¡», which has had Nero¡¯s own original improvements made to it from his dual-wielding style, has plenty of sharpness to kill this man, who is unmistakably a human.

    But there¡¯s no point if it doesn¡¯t hit ¨C

    The¡ºSingle sh¡»that would be fatal on contact is evaded easily by the man who has once again seen through Nero¡¯s attackpletely.

    The horizontally-swung white de sweeps meaninglessly over the man¡¯s head, just a single centimeter above his gray hood.

    Nero, who has just missed an attack with his martial skill, must look full of openings to the man now. He is a suitable prey, no different from a wooden practice dummy.

    The prided weapon in his right hand has already lost its strength, and his left hand ispletely empty.

    His bare left hand can fend off his opponent¡¯s counter-attack with Ancient Jujutsu, but it is difficult to imagine that it will work against this man who has now clearly shown the difference in ability between himself and Nero.

    Nero has used up all of his options ¨C making the man think that is Nero¡¯s n.

    The man¡¯s longsword is being held aloft. Before it can move, Nero releases his second attack.

    ¡¸¨C Let your energy flow,¡ºThunderp.¡»¡¹(Nero)

    Nero activates one of his original¡ºde skills.¡»The golden color of the magic circle that appears on the back of his hand indicates which element is about to manifest itself.

    That element is lightning. An incredibly fast element. Of course, the skill is cast as fast as possible as well.

    As Nero quickly thrusts out his shining left hand, a Force Edge of fierce lightning materializes in it.

    ¡¸Falling Flower Purple Thrust!¡¹(Nero)

    The martial skill, which can only be used with¡ºThunderp¡», is unleashed in a thrusting motion. Nero¡¯s upper body bends backwards slightly as he releases his attack at point-nk range.

    The thrust alone would be enough to pierce through a solid boulder, but with the de of lightning, the martial skill produces even greater effects.

    The moment it appeared, the weapon was shaped like a single-edged, slightly curved katana, but its shape changes as Nero¡¯s martial skill is released. No, it might be more appropriate to say that it explodes.

    Just like Charlotte¡¯s¡ºLine Force st¡», the de of purple lightning flies out and mows down everything in front of Nero.

    Indeed, it is more like a short-ranged area-effect magic attack than a¡ºthrust.¡»

    If the attack covers all avable space, there are no gaps through which it can be evaded, no matter how well the man can read Nero¡¯s attacks.

    But you¡¯re going to dodge it anyway, right!

    The only ce for the man to escape to is directly in front of Nero as he releases the martial skill. The absolute closest of distances, closer to Nero even than his left hand that has been thrust out away from his body.

    As if responding to Nero¡¯s expectations, the man shows no sign of fear at Nero¡¯s thundering thrust and takes a broad, spectacr step forward into the safety zone.

    No matter how skilled the man is, it seems that maintaining his attacking stance while performing this superhuman evasion was difficult. His sword is no longer held aloft and he has dived to Nero¡¯s left side, as if copsing there.

    Nero has missed his first attack, the¡ºSingle sh¡», and his second,¡ºFalling Flower Purple Thrust¡», has been slipped through. Meanwhile, the man has lost his chance to attack as well as his bnce.

    Which of them has more of an opening?

    In reality at least, the man is the one who makes the next move first.

    ¡¸!¡¹(Nero)

    The man has grabbed a hold of the Nero¡¯s left wrist, next to the¡ºThunderp¡»in his hand.

    The man is no longer holding his own sword. It is clear that his weapon would be useless at this super-close distance, where the two of them can reach each other with their hands.

    In this moment, he has chosen to discard his sword and engage in unarmedbat.

    I knew it woulde to this ¨C no, I knew you¡¯de this far!

    A small-fry would have died to Nero¡¯s¡ºSingle sh.¡»An experienced opponent, to¡ºFalling Flower Purple Thrust.¡»But more powerful foes would ovee both deadly attacks and reach Nero¡¯s side ¨C Indeed, Nero has expected all of this from the very beginning.

    ¡¸Got you!¡¹(Nero)

    Nero grabs onto the man¡¯s right hand, which is grasping his left wrist, with his own right hand.

    He let go of the¡ºSpirit de¡¸White King Cherry Blossom¡¹¡»when he released his¡ºFalling Flower Purple Thrust.¡»As a result, Nero discarded his weapon at the exact same moment his opponent did.

    And now is the true chance that Nero has been waiting in anticipation for.

    ¡¸First Technique ¨C Flow!¡¹(Nero)

    The finishing move Nero has decided on is from Ancient Jujutsu. A fundamental technique that controls the opponent¡¯s strength, turning it into Nero¡¯s own attack. Of course, like Single sh, it is both powerful and versatile. That is why it is considered a fundamental technique.

    The flow of power generated by the man¡¯s hand ¨C judging from its sensation, Nero realizes that this man is probably capable of oveing him with brute strength.

    The man¡¯s movements are standard for someone who has grabbed a hold of his target. However, the muscr power he is using in those movements rivals that of the power-obsessed Kai. The abilities of the man, who is proving to be astounding even in raw physical strength, know no limits.

    Even so, no matter how much power he possesses, he cannot break the principles upon which the Ancient Jujutsu of the Demon King is based.

    This technique merely follows the principle:¡¸It is better to bend than to break.¡¹It is not an unarmed fighting technique. It is a master technique, a¡ºmartial skill¡», that controls pure power, the physical kic energy, with the body and then utilizes Mana to perform vector maniption.

    In addition to efficiently nullifying the opponent¡¯s power, it uses magical energy control to produce a powerful counterattack that is impossible with physical methods alone.

    Just like when the enormous Rank 5 adventurer charged at Nero, only to be easily sent flying with a single hand.

    Even this man¡¯s power cannotpare to the attack Nero received from Gustav in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in Iskia Vige

    It is well within the limits of what Nero can control with his current ability. His technique is executed sessfully; mistakes are impossible from this point.

    In the next moment, the man¡¯s body ms heavily against the rain-drenched stone pavement with enough force to split it apart ¨C or at least, it was supposed to.

    ¡¸¨C Second Technique ¨C Reversal.¡¹(Man)

    Huh? What did this guy say just now ¨C

    Nero is unable toprehend what happens to his body at that moment. No, it is more appropriate to say that he is¡¸unable to believe it.¡¹

    In that moment, the kic energy that was supposed to flow into his opponent reverses in an instant. Indeed, back towards Nero.

    ¡¸¨C GAHAH?!¡¹(Nero)

    Nero simply witnesses this impossible reality.

    The one whose body strikes the solid stone pavement is not the man, but him.

    At a nce, it may appear as if the man simply threw Nero to the ground with pure strength.

    Nero¡¯s back ms hard against the ground and his red cape that acts as proof that he is a management cadet wraps itself around his body. The stone surface his bodynds on copses heavily, and the surrounding pavement crumbles slightly as well.

    The stone cracks and a cloud of dust rises from the impact. However, a single shadow crosses that smokescreen with terrifying force.

    It goes without saying that it is Nero¡¯s body.

    He does not simply strike the ground again. Just how much destructive force has Nero been thrown with? He bounds off the pavement and flies into the air once more.

    As his body flies weightlessly through the air, the gray stone pavement ¨C no, the ck lithograph is waiting for him.

    Before Nero¡¯s body is trapped by the restraints of gravity and enters freefall, the enormous obelisk, which measures ten meters by three meters, catches him as if it is the cold hand of the Demon King himself.

    ¡¸... Guh... Haah, agh...¡¹(Nero)

    Nero can only cower and exhale in pain before the solemn, ancient relic, the¡ºZero Chronicle.¡»

    How ironic it is that the Demon King¡¯s distant descendant is crawling pathetically in front of a shrine dedicated to him.

    ¡¸Your martial skills, magic and unarmedbat are not bad. How impressive it is for you to be this capable at your age.¡¹(Man)

    Nero can only faintly hear the man¡¯s voice, but his words are ¡®unpleasant¡¯ enough to get on his nerves.

    Damn it... He¡¯s looking down on me...

    In Nero¡¯s blurry vision, he can see the man approaching him calmly.

    The man hasn¡¯t picked up his sword; he is still unarmed. But even so, Nero can only imagine that it would be incredibly simple for him to deal the finishing blow on a defeated opponent, even with his bare hands.

    Nero¡¯s anger outweighs his fear. However, the reality is that the damage his body has sustained isn¡¯t so light that emotions alone can help him get to his feet.

    ¡¸But the fact that you did not use your divine protection from the beginning is a failure brought about by your youth. If you are an adventurer of the highest rank, you surely must have one ¨C¡¹

    ¡¸... Don¡¯t... fuck with me...¡¹(Nero)

    However, the man¡¯s careless words incur Nero¡¯s wrath.

    Nero witnesses a shback to an unpleasant memory in his mind. His foolish self that earnestly admired the Demon King when he was still a child. The child who was oblivious to the pain, humiliation and emptiness that would await him at the end of all of his hard work.

    Now that he remembers this, this time, the burning anger is enough to move his body. His mind surpasses his body.

    ¡¸Don¡¯t fuck with me! Who the fuck would rely on gods?!¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸¨C It¡¯s okay to rely on me for now.¡¹(Man)

    The moment Nero stands up boldly, a somewhat foolish-sounding sentencees from somewhere, denying his words. It is as if a child is ying a prank ¨C no, the voice is indeed high-pitched and soft enough that it can only be imagined to belong to a child.

    ¡¸What, who ¨C¡¹(Nero)

    Nero turns towards the direction the voice came from, in other words, behind him. As he expected, he sees a single child there. But his eyes open wide in astonishment.

    This child hase out from inside the ck lithograph, the¡ºZero Chronicle.¡»

    He looks more closely to see that the ancient, evesting white characters engraved on the obelisk, have begun shining with a deep crimson color. He also notices that their arrangement has changed significantly.

    They now form what is unmistakably a magic circle. The circr shape formed by the blood-red ancient letterspletely cover its enormous, pitch-ck canvas.

    The child smoothly emerges from the center of the magic circle through the ck stone monument like a ghost, and with a quiet¡¸Whoopsie-daisiees down to stand right next to Nero.

    ¡¸A real hero came out to a ce like this, so I have no choice. Just this one time, okay?¡¹(Child)

    The mysterious child looks down at Nero with an innocent expression as he speaks.

    He has long, silky, flowing ck hair and round red pupils. Nero has no memory of seeing this young, adorable child before. The child is wearing a male academy uniform, but Nero can¡¯t remember seeing a student like this around.

    However, he has noticed something impossible about the child¡¯s appearance. He has be aware of it.

    ¡¸ck hair and red eyes... Could it be?!¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as you think it is, but... Sorry, just like your sister Nell-chan, I¡¯m going to have you forget me as well. Ahead of you is the realm of the gods that people must not step foot in, you see ¨C¡¹(Child)

    As the child¡¯s crimson pupils flicker in a bewitching manner, Nero bes unable to avert his gaze. It is as if he is being drawn in by them against his will. In the next instant, even his conscious thoughts change from¡¸I must not look¡¹to¡¸I must look.¡¹An overwhelming coercion.

    However, that might be only natural. If Nero can figure out the enormous identity of this tiny child ¨C but before that, Nero bes unable to maintain consciousness any longer.

    ¡¸Damn... it... What¡¯s that... supposed to mean... I don¡¯t get it...¡¹(Nero)

    As his consciousness recedes rapidly, the only thing that Nero is capable of is watching as the man whose name is unknown confronts the child whose name is known to everyone.

 Chapter 372 Awakening from the nightmare

    ¡¸... The ancient Demon King, Mia Elroad, isn¡¯t it?¡¹

    ¡¸Wee to the continent of Pandora, White Hero Abel.¡¹(Mia)

    As there is no meaning in concealing his identity any longer, the man in the gray robe removes his hood. His exposed face is that of a masculine, handsome man with shining blonde hair and blue-and-ck odd-colored eyes. He is the second Apostle, who has traveled a great distance to the continent of Pandora after receiving the prophecy*.

    TLN*: This word is ÉñÓš/shintaku which dictionaries define as ¡°oracle¡±. The word is used a lot in chapter 163, where Shikkaku has used ¡°oracle¡± but I believe in this context it means ¡°prophecy¡±, whereas in English ¡°oracle¡± more often describes people who make the prophecies. I¡¯ve also tranted it as ¡°divine message¡± in Death Mage depending on context as well.

    ¡¸I never expected that I could witness this.¡¹(Abel)

    ¡¸The same goes for me. I never thought I would see a hero act like an assassin.¡¹(Mia)

    He faced the young child with ck hair and red eyes. One of the ck gods, the ancient Demon King, Mia Elroad.

    ¡¸It is only in legends that heroes shine. There is no glory in the path I walk; there never has been, nor will there ever be.¡¹(Abel)

    ¡¸You¡¯re a serious person, aren¡¯t you. There¡¯s not a single good thing that wille out of serving that kind of god, you know?¡¹(Mia)

    ¡¸I have known that for a hundred years.¡¹(Abel)

    The hero and Demon King both have cynical smiles on their faces.

    ¡¸So, what will you do? Are you still nning to take this child¡¯s life?¡¹(Mia)

    Mia asks this question while looking straight at Abel, not even ncing at Nero who has copsed on the ground.

    ¡¸It seems my guess was incorrect; there is no meaning in killing him now. And I cannot even touch him at this point, can I?¡¹(Abel)

    ¡¸As expected, it seems that bing the second Apostle causes your perception to be extraordinary. If you had stepped forward one more centimeter, I would have been able to shoot you down for trespassing on the Elroad Empire¡¯s territory.¡¹(Mia)

    This ce is unmistakably a za in Spada¡¯s academy district. But at the same time, it is also the dominion of the ancient Elroad Empire.

    ¡¸An Apostle wouldn¡¯t do something as foolish as stepping into the territory of another religion¡¯s god.¡¹(Abel)

    Indeed, Mia is one of the ck gods. The moment he appeared, that ce turned into a god¡¯s realm.

    Gods cannot directly interfere with the real world that people live in. But naturally, in the world of the gods, they are able to exercise all of their powers without limit. No matter how strong a person is, there is no way someone with a mortal body can defeat a god.

    Nothing about the za¡¯s appearance or scenery has changed, but a phenomenon that transcends dimensions has taken ce.

    Beyond an invisible line that is a centimeter in front of Abel¡¯s foot is the world of the gods, subject to divinews. The ce he stands is still within the real world that has been constructed by naturalws.

    This za has now be a boundary between the realm of man and the realm of gods.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯d be grateful if you just leave quietly now.¡¹(Mia)

    ¡¸That was my intention from the beginning. If that prince is not the new Demon King, I do not have any other leads. I will leave Spada tomorrow morning.¡¹(Abel)

    ¡¸I¡¯m d you¡¯re honest, so I¡¯ll let you go with one ck Ballista.¡¹(Mia)

    With a carefree smile on his face, Mia finishes speaking. At that moment, the hero Abel¡¯s chest bursts open. There was no incantation for an offensive spell or any casting motion. There wasn¡¯t any sign of a spell being cast at all. In fact, the explosion was so sudden that it would be easier to assume that Abel had cast Apoptosis* on himself.

    TLN*: This is a really weird use of the word apoptosis... the kanji below it reads ¡°Self-destruction magic.¡±

    Burnt pieces of flesh are scattered across the ground and a cloud of vaporized blood rises.

    A clean hole has been opened right in the center of Abel¡¯s chest. It isrge enough that Mia is able to see straight through it.

    No matter how anyone looks at it, this is a fatal wound. Abel doesn¡¯t even let out a single groan of pain as he copses face-up on the spot he was standing.

    The faint, ominous, ck-red shes and crackling sounding from the corpse are the only traces left behind by the Ancient Magic spell called¡ºck Ballista.¡»

    ¡¸... It seems I was not able to deceive the eyes of a god after all.¡¹(Abel)

    Abel¡¯s voice echoes a momentter. His mouth is not moving. His voice ising from the empty space directly behind the corpse.

    ¡¸What an borate Doppelganger, to even produce a corpse.¡¹(Mia)

    ¡¸It is weaker to make up for that, however. I could not make even the smallest reaction to that attack.¡¹(Abel)

    As Abel¡¯s voice speaks once more, the corpse on the ground is surrounded by a dazzling glow, and then it turns into light particles and vanishes.

    At the same time, apletely healthy, unharmed Abel appears in the empty space his voice ising from, radiating the same white light. His appearance is the same; he is still wearing a gray robe. Absolutely nothing about him has changed; it is as if nothing unusual took ce at all.

    ¡¸Now then, I shall take my leave, ancient Demon King. I will pray that we never meet again.¡¹(Abel)

    ¡¸Goodbye, white hero. If you meet your god, make sure to tell him to give up on Aria.¡¹(Mia)

    And so, Abel departs and Mia returns inside the obelisk.

    Only the prince of Avalon, copsed and getting beaten by rain, is left behind.

    ¡¸Atchoo!¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s wrong Nero, do you have a cold?¡¹(Kai)

    Nero sniffs lightly as he tells Kai, the friend who is poking fun at him, to shut up.

    ¡¸You dide backpletely drenchedst night. Where were you hanging around without even using an umbre?¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸Ah... Is that what happened?¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸Are you still half-asleep?¡¹(Kai)

    Kai is making fun of Nero for once. Nero¡¯s mind seems a little dull from having just woken up; he shakes his head in an attempt to regain his wits.

    Huh, seriously, what was I doingst night again?

    Nero remembers wandering into Spada¡¯s town at night with an inescapable feeling of disgust in his chest, but in the end, he is mostly unable to remember what he did there.

    All he did was wander the rainy town aimlessly, but he can only recall it vaguely.

    In fact, he even gets the feeling that he didn¡¯t wake up until the moment he sneezed just now. He clearly understands that his memory is cloudy right now.

    Well, whatever...

    Nero yawns and abandons that train of thought. What he should be doing now is not thinking, but eating.

    This is the cafeteria in the Royal Spada Academy¡¯s main building. In the morning, the boarding students gather here and eat their breakfast. It is quite crowded, but it is a rather more elegant meal than lunchtime, when the entire student bodyes here to eat.

    In the corner of his vision, he can see the Second Prince Wilhart, sitting at a table on his own in an incredibly refined manner. Everything is just as it should be; this is a normal scene of breakfast.

    No, that¡¯s not right. There¡¯s still something that hasn¡¯t gone back to normal... If Nell¡¯s not, here, I ¨C

    ¡¸But man, I¡¯m really d that Nell is feeling better. With this, the sis-con onii-sama¡¯s troubles are resolved!¡¹(Kai)

    Kaiughs cheerfully as he stuffs his cheeks with freshly-baked white bread with no regard for manners, but Nero¡¯s retort doesn¡¯te.

    ¡¸... Huh? What did you just say?¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸Hmm? Why are you making such a scary face? You¡¯re such a bad sport, Nero, though that¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary. Look, speak of the devil. Oi, Nell, Safi, over here!¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸It¡¯s still morning, you¡¯re so loud, you idiot. Don¡¯t talk with your mouthful, actually, just don¡¯t talk for the rest of your life. It¡¯s unpleasant. Good morning, Nero, it¡¯s a lovely day, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Don¡¯t go saying so many bad things about people and then saying, ¡®it¡¯s a lovely day,¡¯ as if nothing happened!¡¹

    Kai shouts in protest, but Nero takes no notice of even that.

    He is captivated. Of course, it is not because of Safiel¡¯s lovely smile and morning greeting.

    He gazes at the young woman with white wings behind her as if he can¡¯t believe his eyes.

    ¡¸Ufufu, Kai-san and Safi are getting along well as usual. Ah, Onii-sama, good morning.¡¹(Nell)

    This is a reproduction of an everyday scene of Wing Road right before the open-field exercise. The foolish Kai, the foul-mouthed Safi, and the one watching their quarreling with a gentle, dazzling smile is ¨C

    ¡¸... Nell.¡¹(Nero)

    Nell Julius Elroad. Nero sees his younger sister, who is smiling like a saint.

    She is wearing not the n¨¦glig¨¦e that Nero kept seeing her in recently, but the academy¡¯s ck zer and red cape. He does not need someone to exin that she is attending the academy now.

    ¡¸What is the matter, Onii-sama? You have such a nk expression on your face. Could it be that you are still half-asleep?¡¹(Nell)

    She says the exact thing that Kai did a moment ago, but thepletely different nuance of her sentence is likely due to the elegance exuding from her beautiful face.

    An ordinary man would be charmed by that smile, but she is Nero¡¯s blood-rted younger sister. He is ustomed to it rather than captivated by it.

    TLN: Tiny y on words here as the Japanese words for ¡°be ustomed to¡± and ¡°be fascinated by¡± are really simr, ÒŠ‘T¤ì¤ë/minareru and ÒŠã±¤ì¤ë/mihoreru.

    Nero finally understands that the Nell before his eyes now is not the Nell who was bedridden with a sickness in her heart, but a Nell who haspletely returned to her normal self.

    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it, Nell! Are you alright now?!¡¹(Nero)

    The younger sister gives a cheerful smile as she responds to her older brother, who is so flustered that he has half-risen out of his seat.

    ¡¸Yes, I am fine now.¡¹(Nell)

    As Nell gives a reply as if nothing had ever been wrong at all, though this was exactly what Nero wanted, he cannot help but to be dumbfounded.

    The severe troubles in Nell¡¯s mind have been resolved so suddenly without any intervention from Nero at all.

    Nero cannot help but to feel more let-down than happy.

    ¡¸I-I see... No, since you¡¯re alright, it doesn¡¯t matter...¡¹(Nero)

    Nero lets out a deep sigh, wondering just what he has been worrying for. He is curious about exactly what has happened to his sister¡¯s body overnight, but he doesn¡¯t care about the reason now.

    Whether she is aware of Nero¡¯splex feelings or not, she takes her seat next to Safiel with an innocent look on her face.

    ¡¸Now once Sharles back, Wing Road will have made aplete revival.¡¹(Kai)

    Kai speaks optimistically as he drains the potage that has been poured into his bowl. All of the members present have long since stoppedmenting on the fact that he doesn¡¯t use the provided spoon for drinking his soup.

    ¡¸Sharl is receiving His Majesty¡¯s training ¨C er, rather, his guidance, so I suppose she will not return from the royal castle for another month or so.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Ah, I suppose she wasn¡¯t forgiven for leaving the fortress by herself after all.¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸Oh my, it is surprising that you understand that she was at fault for acting on her own.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Even I can read the mood and understand that much!¡¹(Kai)

    As Nero watches the noisy argument between the swordsman and the necromancer, his tension slowly returns to normal levels.

    ¡¸It would be good if she got her selfishness corrected.¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸His Majesty had quite the serious look in his eyes. I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle back all depressed, so make sure you console her gently, on top of her bed.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Stop making those kind of jokes this early in the morning.¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸No, Onii-sama. Such treatment really does give energy, so please do it for her.¡¹(Nell)

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹(Nero)

    An unexpected opinion. As incredibly difficult as it is to believe, it hase from Nell, the embodiment of purity.

    Nero asks her what she means, but Nell simply giggles and smiles, leaving him speechless. For some reason, he experiences the same feeling as when he hears Safiel¡¯s derisiveughter when she is hiding her evil intentions.

    ¡¸W-well, for now, let¡¯s just rx and wait until Sharles back. I¡¯m not in the mood to go on quests anytime soon anyway.¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸No, I have to get stronger so I can beat that guy, so let¡¯s keep epting more dangerous Rank 5 quests!¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸Yes, I want to find the Wrath-Pun that slipped out of our grasp, too.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸No, wait, you guys didn¡¯t bring down the Wrath-Pun?!¡¹(Nero)

    The clumsy, bright interactions betweenpanions.

    There were so many things going on in Iskia that Nero hadn¡¯t had the time to worry about things such as what had happened to Safi¡¯s servant that had been taken over by the parasite. Nobody could me him for not having heard about this before.

    ¡¸Kai was so disappointing that... Even with me and Sharl there, he couldn¡¯t cover us properly.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Oi, don¡¯t mess with me! It¡¯s because you said something reckless about how you wanted to recover it so I shouldn¡¯t injure it too much ¨C¡¹(Kai)

    ¡¸Shut up, a weakling who got knocked out by one punch from the Nightmare Berserker shouldn¡¯tin.¡¹(Safiel)

    ¡¸Guhah!¡¹(Kai)

    Taking a blow to a sensitive area, Kai has no choice but to fall silent. He stays quiet, but the pace of his eating doesn¡¯t change. An infinitebo of white bread being soaked in potage.

    ¡¸I understand the situation, but ¨C¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸Onii-sama. I want to ept difficult quests and improve myself as well.¡¹(Nell)

    With Nell¡¯s words, a majority consensus is reached.

    Nell is showing a strange amount of enthusiasm considering that she is supposed to be recovering from illness. Nero¡¯s worry for her is greater than his feelings of bother about choosing to actively ept quests.

    ¡¸Nell, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Even in Iskia, things worked out well in the end, but we would have all been wiped out with one more mistake.¡¹(Nero)

    ¡¸Yes, that is exactly why, Onii-sama. I want to be stronger; I want to be more useful ¨C After that battle, I havee to realize that I need to be stronger.¡¹(Nell)

    From time to time, Nell bes incredibly stubborn. No, as her older brother, Nero knows that she has simply hardened her resolve.

    Nell is certainly not a pure princess who has had a sheltered upbringing. She is studying abroad in Spada, acting as an adventurer and possesses a strong will to do what must be done.

    That is why Nero has been supporting her decisions at times like these. No matter how troublesome or difficult it was. As her older brother, as a man, he responds to her wishes.

    ¡¸... Okay, I got it. Well then, starting from tomorrow,¡ºWing Road¡»will resume work.¡¹(Nero)

 Chapter 373 Rank 5 quest

    The morning of the 9th of Blue Moon. The main road of the upper-ss district beyond Spada¡¯s second wall is crowded with peoplemuting to work or school.

    As I step aside to avoid an enormous Golem dressed up in a suit, my shoulder lightly bumps into that of a gray-robed man who appears unexpectedly from behind the Golem.

    ¡¸Sorry.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Oh no, it was my fault.¡¹(Man)

    We stop for a moment to exchange words of apology. We only bumped shoulders; it would be abnormal for an argument to start over it.

    I try to begin walking again as if nothing¡¯s happened, but ¨C

    ¡¸Umm, is there something wrong?¡¹(Kurono)

    I feel a sharp gazeing from the robed man. He has ck and blue odd-colored eyes and beautiful blonde hair... Guh, as much as I hate to admit it, my ideal of a high-level handsome face is peeking out at me from beneath the man¡¯s hood.

    It¡¯s not a delicate face like Nero¡¯s that looks like a soft mask; it might be more appropriate to say that his masculine face is heroic than to say that it¡¯s handsome. It¡¯s the kind of face that would receive more praise from men for being¡¸cool¡¹than from women.

    ¡¸I thought I recognized you... No, my apologies, it seems I have mistaken you for someone else.¡¹(Man)

    ¡¸Huh, I see.¡¹(Kurono)

    I suppose that¡¯s true; I¡¯ve never seen his face before. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d never forget such a handsome man. His odd-colored eyes and blonde hair make a really memorable colorbination, too.

    Ah, now that I think about it, his colors are the exact opposite of mine. I suppose it¡¯s to be expected of a foreign world; there are humans with strange appearances everywhere.

    ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Ah, sorry, Lily. I¡¯ming now.¡¹(Kurono)

    Lily, who was wondering why I¡¯ve suddenly stopped, pulls on my robe forcefully.

    As I¡¯m pulled forward, I start walking again.

    As I turn around and look back, I see that the gray-robed super-handsome man has already disappeared on the other side of the crowd.

    ¡¸What terrible congestion. The center of Elysion¡¯s town was like this as well.¡¹(Fiona)

    Munching on her breakfast of skewered meat with a bored expression on her face, Fiona follows us, one step behind.

    Seeing her stuff her cheeks with the heavy meat dish that is dripping with juices, I can see that her stomach is in fine shape today as well.

    Though I look at her fondly, I do have one worry.

    ¡¸Be careful of the juices dripping. You¡¯re wearing new clothes, after all.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, this is a present from you, Kurono-san, so I won¡¯t put a single stain on it.¡¹(Fiona)

    I¡¯m wearing an apprentice¡¯s robe and Lily¡¯s wearing the ck one-piece dress she always wears; Fiona alone is the only one who is wearing something different from usual.

    She¡¯s wearing a one-piece dress with a different design to Lily¡¯s. It¡¯s not ck, but pure-white. It¡¯s made of a different material, too. It¡¯s not Ancient Velvet, but a magic fabric called Valha Silk. Still, it can be called a high-ss material that¡¯s worth just as much.

    This expensive, white, one-piece dress is a present I gave to Fiona to celebrate our party reaching Rank 5 as well as to express my thanks.

    The first objective of my shopping trip yesterday was to find this present. These kinds of things should be sorted out quickly.

    Still, when I see Fiona wearing casual clothes like this, it reminds me of the time the who of us went out. I was startled to see her in clothes different from the ones she normally wears.

    ¡¸What is it, Kurono-san, you¡¯re staring at me... Do you want some of my skewer? I would not hesitate to offer you some if it¡¯s just one mouthful, but ¨C¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸No, I was just thinking that it really suits you.¡¹(Kurono)

    It¡¯s already the middle of autumn, so she¡¯d have been cold with just a one-piece dress. She¡¯s put on her own light-blue cape, matching the color of her hair.

    Well, I think that a beautiful girl would be nice to look at no matter what she wears.

    ¡¸I-I see... That¡¯s, thank you...¡¹(Fiona)

    It seems that Fiona prioritizes her appetite over her sex appeal*; she gives me a cold response and looks the other way as she continues stuffing her face with the skewered meat. Ojou-san, the way you¡¯re eating is a little too wild.

    TLN*: This is a small y on words as Ê³¤¤šÝ/kuike meaning appetite and É«šÝ/iroke meaning sex appeal are simr-sounding.

    ¡¸Muuh! Kuono, What about Lily! Does this dress suit Lily?!¡¹(Lily)

    ¡¸Yeah, of course it does, you¡¯re very cute. You¡¯re the cutest, Lily!¡¹(Kurono)

    Lily giggles with an expression that shows her delight at having been praised. My words were referring not to the ck one-piece dress that she always wears, but the shoes on her feet.

    The magical pair of shoes called¡ºFairy Dance Shoes¡», Enchanted with Speed Boost, Light Way and Feather, are the present that I gave Lily.

    I gave her the White-pun robest time, so it would be nice to give her something different, but Lily doesn¡¯t wear much equipment. Oh yeah, shoes are something she can wear all the time, alright, let¡¯s go with this ¨C As a result of this shallow train of thought, I bought these shoes without caring about their price.

    Worthy of their price, their magical effects are not at all inferior to the Ancient Velvet one-piece dress and their design is adorable. An essential pair of shoes for a stylish, high-Rank female adventurer that increases both maneuverability and feminine charm... or something like that. That¡¯s what the store¡¯s employee said.

    In fact, as I watch Lily showing off its effects, moving smoothly as if she¡¯s skating, I can see that the effects of Feather are working properly.

    Well, to a modern Japanese citizen like me, she just looks like a child on rollerdes. I¡¯ll tell herter not to skate inside stores.

    ¡¸¨C Still, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild over here is busy in the morning as well, huh.¡¹(Kurono)

    One way or another, we reach our destination. As indicated by my exasperated remark, the building directly in front of us is the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. This is not the academy district branch that has served us until now, but the main headquarters in the upper-ss district.

    Even the district branch is a magnificent stone building that rural Guild branches like those in Irz Vige and Alzas vige couldn¡¯tpare to, but this ce is even more amazing. Its appearance can be summarized with one word,¡ºtemple.¡»

    I suppose the only building I¡¯ve seen thates close is the academy¡¯s great library. Carved pirs stand in a line, and the same statues of warriors and female knights that I¡¯ve seen at the academy¡¯s front gate as well as the throne room of the royal castle have been ced here for show. The walls and stairs have been decorated scrupulously with even the most minute details, making me realize it would have taken an incredible amount of time and effort to build them ¨C no, it might be more appropriate to say that I¡¯m overwhelmed by the thought of it. I feel just like a tourist. Ordinary Japanese people would feel the urge to click away with their cameras.

    ¡¸Noblemen and wealthy merchants are pointlessly enthusiastic about submitting requests to the headquarters, so they¡¯re strict about who¡¯s allowed in among people who aren¡¯t adventurers, aren¡¯t they?¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸That¡¯s why there are things called ¡®easy quests¡¯, Lily knows these things, you know!¡¹(Lily)

    Well, for Lily and Fiona who are inhabitants of this foreign world, I suppose this temple-like building isn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. They¡¯re making shrewdments from the adventurers¡¯ point of view.

    Hmm, if I hadn¡¯te to the headquarters on my own yesterday, things would have turned out quite embarrassing for me as I would have been the only one to be restless. Mhmm, it seems that being prepared is important when ites to anything.

    ¡¸Tanomo~!*¡¹

    As Lily opens the double-doors, she shouts this phrase that she probably doesn¡¯t really understand. As Fiona said a little while ago, the entrance is quite busy; it¡¯s packed with people who didn¡¯t look like adventurers, talking loudly and walking around restlessly. Though Lily has raised her voice a little, nobody takes notice of her.

    TLN*: Google tells me this is something shouted by warriors in the Edo period entering the dojo when challenging opponents or something. Tamamo has found another source that suggests it is a cute/funny way to say ¡°excuse me¡± or ¡°forgive my intrusion¡± or something like that.

    But it¡¯s kind of... The atmosphere here is more like a station¡¯s tform in rush hour than an Adventurers¡¯ Guild. All of the people walking around look like businessmen. In fact, though people in Spada don¡¯t wear neckties, there are middle-aged men wearing Spada¡¯s traditional ceremonial clothes all over the ce.

    I¡¯m relieved to see arge man wearing a suit of armor and a helmet with a greatsword on his back, who is unmistakably an adventurer.

    If it¡¯s an Adventurers¡¯ Guild, there¡¯s no way that I, as a Rank 5 adventurer, should be out of ce. Convincing myself of this, I step boldly through the wide entrance.

    Today¡¯s objective is to ept an easy quest ¨C no, a proper Rank 5 quest.

    ¡¸After all, the best way to confirm your strength is to see it during quests, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Fiona)

    Indeed, what we¡ºElement Masters¡»need is to confirm our current strength.

    I¡¯ve acquired the second and third of my divine protections, of course, but Lily and Fiona have also been bestowed divine protections and gained new powers. I don¡¯t know the details of their abilities, and they don¡¯t know about the powers of my divine protections yet, either.

    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯d be great if there was a really good extermination quest.¡¹(Kurono)

    Our aim is to enter a proper Dungeon and clear the boss in its deepest chamber, as orthodox adventurers should do. We¡¯ll fight a variety of monsters in a variety of situations, master the use of our divine protections and think of ways to coordinate the use our new abilities. We can¡¯t be happy just because we¡¯ve all powered up. In order to stabilize our party¡¯s fighting strength, we need a suitable amount of practice.

    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll go and ask at reception first.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Then Lily-san and I will go to collect our rewards.¡¹(Fiona)

    The other thing we¡¯vee here for other than for a quest, or more like the most important thing, is to finally collect our reward money forpleting the emergency quest and also the money being paid to us by the nation of Spada.

    They¡¯ve thought this through, consolidating it into one payment paid through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    Of course, my greatest concern is the worldly-minded one of just how much we¡¯re going to receive.

    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes! Leave it to Lily!¡¹(Lily)

    And so, I entrust Lily with money in the hundreds of millions as I head towards the quest epting counter in high spirits.

    Whether it¡¯s the district branch or the headquarters, the purpose of the counter the receptionist is sitting at is no different, but the counter here feels more high-ss, or rather, I feel like there¡¯s a more elite atmosphere floating around it.

    Uwah, that person somehow looks just like Erina ¨C

    ¡¸... Actually, that¡¯s really Erina, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Kurono)

    I see a familiar beautiful Elf woman, smiling pleasantly at those around her. She has chestnut-colored hair in a chignon bun and her eyes are sky-blue. Most importantly, the sight of her in the Guild uniform that I¡¯m used to seeing is a perfect match with my mental image of Erina the receptionist.

    ¡¸Wee to the headquarters of Spada¡¯s Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡¹(Erina)

    As if noticing my intense stare, she gives me a small wave along with her usual magnificent smile. It seems that she¡¯s just be free, too, so I¡¯ll make use of her.

    ¡¸Morning, Kurono-kun.¡¹(Erina)

    As I approach her, Erina speaks not in formalnguage, but a rxed tone. I wonder if it¡¯s alright for her to talk like that while she¡¯s working, but that¡¯s resolved by the partitions on either side of the reception desk.

    There are barriers set up to prevent sound from passing through them, acting as privacy protection for things like the personal details of high-Rank adventurers, consultations and the contents of requests. There are small, inconspicuous magic circles drawn on the corners of the thin partitions.

    In any case, there¡¯s no need to hesitate to have a chat with Erina now.

    She¡¯s an acquaintance, no, I¡¯ll call her my friend. I¡¯ll use that rtionship to ask her for a variety of information about quests, monsters and all kinds of other things. Maybe she really will introduce me to an easy quest...

    ¡¸Yeah, morning, Erina.¡¹(Kurono)

    With these petty things in mind, I give her a greeting that seems normal on the surface. Well, Erina, as an elite receptionist with maxed-outmunication skills*, might be able to see through my superficial ulterior motives.

    TLN*: I think in Japanese, this term also includes the ability to tell what people are thinking.

    ¡¸It¡¯s kind of been a while, hasn¡¯t it? I saw you at the parade, but I couldn¡¯t call out to you.¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸I-I see... That parade, you were watching it...¡¹(Kurono)

    Uwah, she saw that painful, disgraceful scene that frightened the people instead of making them rejoice. Whatever impressions you got from that parade are wrong; that was because the Nightmare Merry was scaring everyone. It¡¯s definitely not my fault.

    ¡¸Yes, you were very cool! It seems that there still aren¡¯t many people who can appreciate your charm, though?¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸Ah, thanks. It makes me feel better to hear you say that.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Fufu, I know. You look like a berserker on the outside, but you¡¯re surprisingly delicate, aren¡¯t you?¡¹(Erina)

    Amazing, it¡¯s like Erina has actually seen through me.

    We haven¡¯t been friends for long; it was only very recently that we met at the academy by coincidence and became on good enough terms to speak to each other informally. To think that she would understand me so well despite that.

    Though I feel happy, I¡¯m surprised by hermunication skills. If she told me that she actually has telepathic abilities on par with Lily¡¯s, I think I¡¯d believe her.

    ¡¸By the way, why are you at the headquarters, Erina?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸My work has been acknowledged and I was promoted to work at the headquarters!¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸Ah, congrat¨C¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸That¡¯s the official reason, but it¡¯s actually because I have a private connection with the new Rank 5 adventurer, the Nightmare Berserker.¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸... Huh?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸In other words, I¡¯ve been ordered to keep an eye on you.¡¹(Erina)

    No way, what for ¨C or so I wonder, but now that I think about it, Will said it, didn¡¯t he? That Rank 5 adventurers attract attention from both the nation and the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.

    In other words, keeping an eye on the movements of Rank 5 adventurers and gathering as much information about them as possible is considered important enough to make Erina work at the headquarters just because she¡¯s acquainted with me.

    ¡¸But is it alright to actually tell me that?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I¡¯m not being asked to act as a spy. I don¡¯t intend to investigate your secrets, and the same goes for the rest of the receptionists and the other staff. We want to be on more friendly terms with capable Rank 5 adventurers and build bonds of trust. From the adventurers¡¯ point of view, gaining the trust of the Guild gives ess to various conveniences, the Guild doesn¡¯t have to be wary of everything they do and they can live a smoother adventurer¡¯s lifestyle.¡¹(Erina)

    Rank 5 is nothing if not proof that one possesses vast strength. The Guild wouldn¡¯t be able to trust or feel secure about powerful adventurers if it simply treated adventurers in businesslike ways without knowing anything about them.

    But if the Guild and powerful adventurers trusted one another, the adventurers would work harder with the Guild¡¯s support, providing a rtionship of mutual benefit.

    ¡¸I see, I understand the reasoning behind it.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you understood so quickly. So as long as you get along with me even better, everything will be fine, Kurono-kun. How does it sound? Simple, isn¡¯t it?¡¹(Erina)

    Spending time with Erina in private isn¡¯t something I¡¯d hesitate to do, and more importantly, having a friendship with such a beautiful woman is something that I, as a sensible man, should wee.

    She did go out of her way to exin the Guild¡¯s intentions; it would probably be worse for me to reject her out of suspicion. That would really cause unwanted misunderstandings.

    I¡¯m often misunderstood in the first ce. There would be nothing better than for me to show off my friendly side before my reputation spirals downwards. I have to stop mybel of the¡ºFiendish Tentacle Man¡»from spreading in the academy no matter what!

    ¡¸Ah, if it¡¯s like that, then I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Mhmm, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re working with me. I¡¯ll make sure to report to my superiors that you¡¯re cooperating.¡¹(Erina)

    Erina speaks in a light tone with thest sybles in her sentences lengthened. Seriously, please take care of me.

    ¡¸So now that we have the opportunity, how about having lunch with me today? To celebrate your promotion to Rank 5, I¡¯ll treat you. Ah, I¡¯ll put it down as an expense, so you don¡¯t have to hold back or anything ¨C¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸I see, then I would certainly enjoy being treated to a meal.¡¹(Fiona)

    The voice that immediately responds to Erina¡¯s attractive offer of a meal is extremely familiar, or rather, it¡¯s the voice of the girl that I was exchanging words with just a little while ago.

    ¡¸Fiona... what are you doing here?¡¹(Kurono)

    With an expression of surprise and exasperation, I direct this question to the ojou-san who is sticking her face in here from the side.

    ¡¸I suddenly changed my mind. I have left the collection of our rewards to Lily-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona speaks nonchntly. There¡¯s not a single trace of ill will in those white cheeks, only drowsiness. Of course, what she truly desires is food, not sleep.

    ¡¸Excuse me, dear guest, but please do not cut the queue.¡¹(Erina)

    Erina speaks firm words of warning directed at the sudden intruder. Her expression is stiff now, as if the smile that she was wearing while speaking to me was just an illusion. I can see how firm and brave she is. There¡¯s no mistaking that her ability to fight is non-existent, but even so, she refuses to falter before a Rank 5 adventurer.

    ¡¸Kurono-san, shall we use this opportunity to go to the Sushi store? Since this receptionist is apparently treating us.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸... I wonder if you could stop ignoring me, rude guest.¡¹(Erina)

    Fiona looks indifferent, as if the woman before her is nothing but a wallet, while Erina¡¯s cool expression breaks down in anger. Her thin eyebrows are twitching.

    ¡¸H-hey, calm down, Fiona. Sorry, Erina, give me a minute!¡¹(Kurono)

    I grab Fiona and turn around. I turn my back to the angry-looking Erina and ask what Fiona¡¯s true intentions are in a small voice.

    This ce is a little cramped because of the partitions; our faces are close. But I don¡¯t care about that right now.

    ¡¸What are you thinking,ing in so suddenly?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Are you familiar with the phrase,¡ºhoney trap¡», Kurono-san?¡¹(Fiona)

    I¡¯m not dull enough to be oblivious to suspicion that is written all over Fiona¡¯s face.

    ¡¸That¡¯s... Aren¡¯t you just being too cautious?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸You¡¯re na?ve, Kurono-san. To think that you would be convinced by such an exnation.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸You¡¯ve been listening since then?!¡¹(Kurono)

    What about the soundproof barriers?!

    ¡¸No, I could not hear it, but I have a rough idea of what you were talking about. As an adventurer, I am several years your senior, Kurono-san.¡¹(Fiona)

    Indeed, Fiona has been working as an adventurer since her school days in the Sinir Republic. Which means that for an experienced person like her, the exnation that was given to me earlier would probably bemon knowledge.

    ¡¸No matter what kind of facade the Adventurers¡¯ Guild may put up, it isposed entirely of rtionships that purely consider benefits and costs. There is a risk that they may take advantage of your goodwill. It is standard practice to always be prepared to use the Guild for your own benefit.¡¹(Fiona)

    I-I see... Indeed, I might have epted Erina¡¯s words too easily.

    I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯tpletely false, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she exined all of the Guild¡¯s intentions. The Guild won¡¯t lie, though. In summary, they¡¯ll give me just as much information as I need and no more, and hope that I misunderstand in a way that benefits them.

    ¡¸So you¡¯re trying to say that if I¡¯m too honest with them, there¡¯s a risk that they¡¯ll take advantage of me in a way that suits them, right?¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, that is how it is. From what I can see, that receptionist is the type that you cannot let down your guard against.¡¹(Fiona)

    Still, it bothered me earlier. That receptionist... she is someone whose life we saved, but Fiona doesn¡¯t seem to care about that.

    Well, a capable adventurer like Fiona fights dangerous monsters and evil bandits all the time, and saving people is something she¡¯s ustomed to. I suppose she can¡¯t remember all of the faces of the people she¡¯s saved.

    ¡¸And so, I will take over from here.¡¹(Fiona)

    Take over, which means, umm... Oh yeah, we came to ept a Rank 5 quest. Anything is fine as long as it¡¯s suitable for us to test our abilities, so I don¡¯t have any problems with leaving it to Fiona¡¯s choice.

    I¡¯m not sopletely convinced by Fiona¡¯s words that I¡¯d push Erina aside, but, well, I suppose it¡¯s fine in this case. It seems that things will end amicably, too.

    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll let you do it.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Yes, please leave it to me.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Make sure you do get along with Erina, alright? It wouldn¡¯t do us any good if the Guild kept an eye on us, either.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸I will handle things carefully.¡¹(Fiona)

    Is it just my imagination? It¡¯s kind of like her golden pupils are swimming. Well, whatever. I believe in you, Fiona.

    With that, I tag Fiona in and head straight for the payment counter where Lily is probably handling her first errand of receiving therge amount of money.

    ¡¸Well then, Erina, let¡¯s have our meal together some other time.¡¹(Kurono)

    ¡¸Eh, no way, Kurono-kun?!¡¹(Erina)

    ¡¸Now then, receptionist, please introduce us to a Rank 5 quest.¡¹(Fiona)

    Fiona stands in front of the counter with a daunting pose, as if to be in the way between me and Erina.

    Though I feel sorry that I ended up rejecting Erina¡¯s offer to have lunch, I leave without turning to look back.

    ¡¸Ah, by the way, do you like this one-piece dress? It is a sincere gift that Kurono-san gave to me.¡¹(Fiona)

    ¡¸Kuh, ngh... You... witch...¡¹(Erina)

    As Fiona starts boasting about her one-piece dress as if she¡¯s really taken a liking to it, Erina lets out a truly frustrated-sounding groan for some reason. I¡¯m curious about the conversation between those two, but the moment I step outside the soundproof barrier, I immediately be unable to hear them.

    Now then, I wonder just what kind of quest Fiona is going to choose.

    Quest ¨C Lich Extermination

    Reward: 15,000,000 ns

    Time limit: Three months from epting the quest

    Contractor: The Adventurers¡¯ Guild

    Contents of request: The appearance of a Rank 5 Undead monster known as a¡ºLich¡»has been confirmed in the deepest part of the¡ºRevival Catbs.¡»

    The Lich, which is an extraordinarily dangerous monster that appears once every ten years, controls the Undead monsters in the Dungeon and in the worst-case scenario, leads its subordinates outside to attack areas inhabited by humans.

    An immediate extermination is requested.

    This is the quest form that is handed to me by Fiona half an hourter.

 Chapter 374 Ancient Weapons

    The general of the Crusaders¡¯ noble faction, Count Bergunt, is feeling impatient.

    ¡¸¨C When will the demons¡¯ rebellion die down! What is Liuchrome doing? Isn¡¯t he taking a course that will intensify the rebels¡¯ actions rather than suppress them?¡¹(Bergunt)

    Because of the rebellions caused by the remnants of the Daidalos army all over the region, Bergunt is unable to give the go signal to take the Ghad Fort.

    The Alzas Fort has already beenpleted, and soldiers and materials have been replenished. Preparations for war are being made. Or rather, they have already been made.

    ¡¸Our army has taken responsibility for the suppression of the rebellions that urred in the western region of Daidalos, near Alzas. It was only a disorderly mass of unintelligent demons, after all, so our losses were minor ¨C¡¹

    It costs money to even move an army. However,¡ºtime¡»is more precious than a small amount of war funds.

    ¡¸... There has already been arge deviation from the original invasion n. The Crusaders¡¯ g should be flying at Spada¡¯s royal castle by now, never mind Ghad! Because of the insolent demons running rampant, we have not set out foot out of Alzas!¡¹(Bergunt)

    Such foolishness, Bergunt thinks as he scratches his head in irritation through his neatlybed, dark-green hair.

    ¡¸Apparently in this eastern region of Pandora where Daidalos lies, a considerable amount of snow falls in the winter. We might see the first snow of the season in around a month.¡¹

    Bergunt is in such a foul mood that his subordinates would hesitate to approach him, but the voice talking to him is doing so in an incredibly light tone.

    ¡¸What kind of careless things are you saying, Bishop Gregorius-dono! It will be toote, far toote if we wait for spring!¡¹(Bergunt)

    The reason this man is giving a faint smile, as if he hasn¡¯t read the mood at all, is because he holds the position of Bishop, which is superior to Bergunt¡¯s position of Count.

    Bishop Gregorius, who is in charge of therge army that has been dispatched to Pandora by Cardinal Mercedes, narrows his already-narrow, foxlike eyes as he gives an indifferentugh.

    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, we can simply attack during the winter without waiting for spring toe, can¡¯t we?¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸Impossible!¡¹(Bergunt)

    As the Bishop speaks irresponsible words as if talking about someone else¡¯s problem, Bergunt¡¯s voice grows even angrier.

    ¡¸Attacking a fort on a snowy mountain in the middle of winter, even if our enemies are mere demons, would be beyond foolish!¡¹(Bergunt)

    Does the Bishop not know what the words ¡°difficult winter¡± mean? Even a first-year student at a knights¡¯ school would understand the dangers of conducting war during winter.

    ¡¸But if there is no time, then we do not have a choice, do we? If we stay here and wait for spring, we would preserve our troops, but I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about your head.¡¹(Gregorius)

    Ultimately, this is the reason Bergunt is so concerned about time.

    Bergunt has note to Pandora on an expedition by himself. The noble families of the Sinir Republic colluded and dispatched him as an ally to the army, so that they aren¡¯t simply obeying the Church that has sessfully upied Daidalos.

    What the noblemen of the Sinir Republic desire is a swift upation of another nation¡¯s territory, just like how the Crusaders, led by the Seventh Apostle Sariel, forced Daidalos to surrender with a single maneuver. There are various reasons and purposes behind this, but in short, there is no mistaking that all of them are born from the wretched human desire of wanting profits as soon as possible.

    Count Bergunt was aware of this; in fact, it was he who promised that things would end quickly when he became the general.

    And so, he took the burden of the noblemen¡¯s expectations on his own shoulders and came to Pandora, bringing an armyrge enough to capture forts.

    However, if he waits until next year¡¯s spring, that would mean that over half a year after his arrival, he would have only made preparations for battle without any results to show for it. No matter what reasons gives, they wouldn¡¯t satisfy the noblemen of his country.

    There is no doubt that Bergunt would be dismissed for being ipetent and a new general, another nobleman proud of his skill in battle, would take his ce. His sessor would take the Alzas Fort that Bergunt has poured his blood, sweat and tears into building, as well as the tens of thousands of unharmed troops and the stockpiled military supplies, and quickly begin the battle to capture the Ghad Fort.

    There wouldn¡¯t be any meaning in that. Making all the preparations and then having the good part taken by someone else could be called the work of a servant, no, a ve.

    He is proud that he has made perfect preparations for capturing the fort, but nobody acknowledges the value of his work. Without victory in battle, his abilities and achievements will never be recognized.

    ¡¸Kuh... I suppose it means that there is no choice but to begin now after all...¡¹(Bergunt)

    It is too dangerous to simply leave the demons¡¯ rebellions. In the worst-case scenario, the Alzas Fort might be taken just as all efforts are put into the invasion.

    If things turned out that way, not only would Bergunt¡¯s army be annihted after being trapped between the remnants of Daidalos¡¯s army and Spada¡¯s army, but in the worst-case scenario, the demons would recapture Alzas and use it as a base to plot aeback.

    In other words, the Crusaders¡¯ upation of Daidalos would be at risk. That would be damage that could not be passed off and forgiven as the mistakes of a single general.

    However, if he sat here and waited, he would be unable to avoid his own ruin no matter what. With that being the case, the clear choice was to take a risk and bet on chance.

    It is a bitter decision, but a look of determination appears on Bergunt¡¯s face.

    ¡¸Ahaha, what are you so flustered about, Count Bergunt? I have taken the effort ofing all the way out here to solve your troubles, haven¡¯t I!¡¹(Gregorius)

    Gregorius literallyughs away Bergunt¡¯s resolve. His eyes are as if he is looking at a young man suffering in worry over trivial things.

    ¡¸I have heard of the¡ºWhite Sacrament...¡»However, there is no way that borrowing questionable soldiers created through questionable experiments could form the basis of a solution.¡¹(Bergunt)

    The two of them are currently in the fourth researchboratory of the Church¡¯s research organization, the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡», that was built using the Geofront of the Media Ruins located in the outskirts of Daidalos.

    This crude room made of hard stone is inadequate for hosting high-ss individuals like a Bishop and a Count, but considering that it was originally part of a Dungeon, it is actually quite hospitable.

    The chairs that they are sitting and facing each other in, as well as the tables upon which documents have been scattered, have been designed with practicality in mind; the room doesn¡¯t have a single decoration.

    In fact, it is the Bishop¡¯s sparkling robe and the Count¡¯s smart military uniform that look mboyant in this pointlesslyrge room that can hardly be called a drawing room.

    Even so, Bergunt has made the long journey from the Alzas Fort with the aim of borrowing the soldiers called the¡ºDivine Soldiers¡»developed by the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»in order to augment his forces as much as possible.

    But then again, he doesn¡¯t have great expectations in the fighting abilities of the Necromancers¡¯ Servants, Summoners¡¯ Familiars and puppet soldiers that he doesn¡¯t really understand, all created by hard-headed researchers.

    He wouldn¡¯t have evene if Gregorius hadn¡¯t insisted on it.

    ¡¸Please, be at ease, Count Bergunt.¡¹(Gregorius)

    Illuminated by light magic that emphasizes the dimness of the room, Gregorius speaks to the Count in the gentle tone of a saint addressing his lost sheep.

    ¡¸The demons¡¯ rebellion will soone to aplete end.¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸... How can you say that so confidently?¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸The purpose of the recent rebellions and riots is not the recovery of the capital, but the rescue of Garvinal¡¯s orphans ¨C in other words, Daidalos¡¯s princes ¨C who were being held here in the fourth researchboratory. Well, that n has already fallen apart with the failure of the attack that happened just a few days ago.¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸No, but... The remnant army should have considerable numbers; is it not a little too optimistic to think that they will have been broken after repelling one attack?¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸No, no, they really have been almost annihted. The ones who attacked this ce were elite soldiers who formed the rebel army¡¯s core. A gathering of the Daidalos army¡¯s top-ranking officers. Let¡¯s see, I would say that there were roughly two thousand of them, perhaps.¡¹(Gregorius)

    With two thousand elite soldiers as the main force, as well as the diversionary units running rampant in each region ¨C Bergunt immediately understands, realizing that this matches his predicted numbers for the enemy¡¯s hidden forces.

    Even if that isn¡¯t the case, if all of the former generals leading the rebellion have been killed, the rebellion¡¯s organization will certainly copse. The rebellion will truly be nothing more than disorderly masses.

    ¡¸Still, I have not heard this information before...?¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸These are very recent events. And the ones who fought to defend the researchboratory, the guards, adventurers and, well, the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»organization itself, have not provided much information on this matter, which is arge part of the reason as to why you have not yet heard about it. In fact, they tell jokes, such as that Judas repelled the attack almost single-handedly, with straight faces! Ahaha! In any case, I think that it will be officially publicized that the enemy was exterminated not long afterwards by the Crusaders¡¯ main army, led by Her Excellency Sariel. I suppose the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡»has sold the achievement to the Crusaders in order to have their research proceed more smoothly.¡¹(Gregorius)

    As Bergunt continues listening, Gregorius exins in a fluent, well-expressed tone that the corpses of almost two thousand Daidalos soldiers will be used as research materials here and that information regarding the rebel army has already been drawn out from the captured leaders, among other things. He no longer has any doubt regarding the rebel army¡¯s destruction.

    ¡¸... I see, I have started to see that there is a chance.¡¹(Bergunt)

    The rebellions and rioting in Daidalos will soon die downpletely. Bergunt¡¯s anxiety about the future vanishes.

    However, if the invasion were to begin now, it would barely be in time ¨C no it would already be quite harsh.

    Unless the enemy is takenrgely by surprise, it is easy for an siege to be a long, drawn-out battle. If one were to look through Sinir¡¯s military history, they would find several cases where sieges continued for years.

    If the fort is not captured quickly in the initial attack, there is a risk that it will be prolonged to some extent. If a standoff situation arises, winter will arrive in no time at all, and the soldiers will be trapped in the white prisons known as the blizzards of the Ghad Mountain Range.

    ¡¸That is not all that I have to say. I have not simply been put in charge of Cardinal Mercedes¡¯s precious, precious soldiers as a mere Bishop. It is not worthy of boasting about, but I do have some knowledge regarding battle despite my appearance ¨C¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸Hmm, if you are saying this much, then I suppose that means that you have seen through my worries?¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸Yes, indeed. In fact, you see, I have made enough preparations that we can continue a siege even if it snows.¡¹(Gregorius)

    Bergunt can almost hear the smile forming on Gregorius¡¯s face.

    ¡¸Are you aware that Daidalos has started wars against the neighboring nation of Spada on multiple asions?¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸Well, as much as an average person is. I have heard that the Dragon King called Garvinal or something had an ambition to unite the continent. To rule with military power alone is the epitome of foolishness.¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸But he was serious. That is why preparations truly are in ce to take the nation of Spada.¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸... It cannot be.¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸Because of the Dragon King Garvinal¡¯s repeated defeats, the human prime minister who was his confidant ¨C ah, this person has alreadymitted suicide ¨C but in any case, Garvinal listened to his proposal and prepared something. That thing was a guaranteed supply chain that is necessary for drawn-out battles.¡¹(Gregorius)

    Garvinal was the king of demons that the people of the Sinir Republic imagined him to be.

    Not only was he a member of the powerful and fearsome Dragon race, but the aspect of him that caused him to obsess over¡ºold methods of battle¡», such as one-on-onebat between the generals in the deciding battle, was particrly urate to the people¡¯s imagination.

    There were all kinds of things to take advantage of. That was why the battles against Spada were lost.

    ¡¸This included preparations for war during the winter.¡¹(Gregorius)

    However, Garvinal apparently ignored his own principles and listened to the admonitions of the prime minister.

    If the Crusaders¡¯ invasion hade a yearter, Daidalos would likely have conducted the first ever modern siege in its history.

    ¡¸I hypothesized that the reason Daidalos has maintained its highways so thoroughly for a nation of demons is not only for marching, but to ensure that supplying and transportation would go smoothly. There are also fur coats, gloves and boots ¨C winter equipment for Daidalos¡¯s soldiers. Fire-element magic barriers that emit heat over wide areas were also researched to maintain warmth. Ah, that¡¯s right, there were also white-furred Dortoths to remove snow. Well, I must say, demons doe up with some quite interesting ideas.¡¹(Gregorius)

    Gregorius¡¯s revtion exceeds Bergunt¡¯s expectations. As Bergunt listens, the chances of a sessful war being conducted in the winter be greater. Though in the depths of his heart he holds the demons in contempt, from what he has heard, it seems that they were quite thoroughly prepared.

    An unexpected fortune ¨C no, this could even possibly be the guidance of the White God. Now that he recalls, the Seventh Apostle Sariel said this to him.

    ¡¸I also wish for the attack on Spada to begin soon. May the god¡¯s divine protection be with you, Count Bergunt.¡¹(Sariel)

    Yes, there is no mistake that this was an omen. It would be nothing more than a clich¨¦ phrase if spoken by a mere priest, but when spoken by an Apostle, someone who is closer to the god than humans, it would not be strange for the¡ºgod¡¯s divine blessing¡»to truly be granted.

    A short while ago, Bergunt was feeling like he had been driven into a corner, but now he begins to think that the perfect chance has been promised to him.

    ¡¸Thank you very much for this wonderful information, Bishop-dono. Not only do I see a chance, I can clearly see hope now.¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸Oh no, hahaha. It is much too early for you to be thanking me, Count Bergunt. The reason I have invited you here is because I wanted to introduce you to a certain something. With that in mind, how about looking over here?¡¹(Gregorius)

    Is there something else? Hearing the Bishop¡¯s incredibly confident tone, Bergunt willingly raises his expectations further.

    ¡¸Normally, Bishop Judas, who actually developed this, would be boasting about it. But as he is currently absent, allow me to introduce and exin this to you. Now then, please look ¨C¡¹(Gregorius)

    As Gregorius speaks in an exaggerated tone, he ps his hands lightly.

    For the sake of secrecy, there is not a single other person in the room, not even a researcher.

    But it seems that Gregorius did indeed give a proper signal; there is a click and the sound of whirring machinery echoes.

    In the next instant, there is a dull, high-pitched sound, as if a rusty iron door is opening, as one wall of the room begins sliding slowly.

    When Bergunt was young, he once ventured into a ruins-type Dungeon as part of his training. Gimmicks where walls move like this aremonly seen in ancient ruins containing ancient magic that is impossible to replicate in the modern era.

    A memory of failure, the incident where his party identally set off some kind of mechanism and was separated by a moving wall, suddenly shes through his mind.

    However, this memory from the past quickly vanishes from his brain. Beyond the wall that has moved is an unbelievable sight.

    ¡¸C-could it be... This is...?!¡¹(Bergunt)

    There is an enormous, steel person standing there.

    A cylindrical body, short legs and moderately long arms. A singlerge, red Mono-Eye shines in its head. It closely resembles the work Golems that were used for the construction of the Alzas Fort.

    However, its size is abnormal. The smaller of the work Golems that Bergunt was ustomed to seeing on-site are two meters in height, and even thergest would barely be five meters tall at most. But the Golem on the other side of the shifted wall is easily taller than ten meters. It is twice ¨C no, possibly three times the size of the work Golems.

    Though Bergunt can only make rough estimates, the researchers restlessly walking about its enormous legs are perfect for makingparisons, giving him a clear impression of its overwhelming size.

    However, the most surprising thing is that there are numerous such Golems lined up next to each other.

    The fact that this room is far above the space where the Golems are lined up, to the point that Bergunt is looking down on them, tells him that this room is around five or six stories tall.

    He has a clear view of them and sees that there are four rows of six Golems lined up horizontally, twenty-four in total.

    ¡¸What do you think? Quite a magnificent view, isn¡¯t it, to see the¡ºAncient Golems¡»lined up like this. They arerge, aren¡¯t they? They are cool, aren¡¯t they? If you are a man, you must surely feel the romance inrge things!¡¹(Gregorius)

    Giving exaggerated nods, Gregorius shamelessly offers his own impressions. However, Bergunt doesn¡¯t have theposure to be concerned about that.

    His deep-green eyes only see the overwhelmingly enormous metal bodies that are giving off a dark-gray luster.

    ¡¸These were all excavated here in the Media Ruins. The excavation of half of them is alreadyplete, while the other half was apparently discovered by Bishop Judas in a hidden storage chamber. I am sure that Garvinal also considered using these, but it seemed that this ced a heavy burden on Daidalos¡¯s mages. I must say, if there were twenty of these in the battle of Goldran, that battle would have been lost.¡¹(Gregorius)

    This is a joke that can be made because victory was already imed in that battle.

    However, it is not the mages of Daidalos who were unable to activate the Golems that should be insulted, but the technological might of the¡ºWhite Sacrament¡», which achieved this in mere months, that should be praised.

    The fact that there is light in those Mono-Eyes means that Mana, the source of the Golems¡¯ energy, flows through their bodies. It is proof that they are ready to be activated.

    ¡¸I want you to watch for the two months leading up to their use in real battle, while we experiment with their operations and movements, and prepare pilots. Right around the beginning of the Month of Gloom, a considerable amount of snow will have piled up, but if we can conduct a siege with this many Golems, I am sure that our chances of victory will be sufficient.¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸... Is this really alright?¡¹(Bergunt)

    It seems that Gregorius is not foolish enough to ask him, ¡°Is what alright?¡± Quick on the uptake, he gives the response Bergunt wants.

    ¡¸Bishop Judas has already promised that these Ancient Golems will be offered to aid in the Crusaders¡¯ capturing of Spada. Yes, I have a message from him saying that he would very much like for you to work hard, Count Bergunt.¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸I see.¡¹(Bergunt)

    ¡¸Yes. There is the unit of divine soldiers whose final adjustments have been made, as well as an airborne unit made from Daidalos¡¯s flying dragons, and ¨C oh yes, Chimera soldiers made from the two thousand members of the rebel army have also apparently been prepared ¨C¡¹(Gregorius)

    ¡¸I see, I SEEE! Fufu, fuhahahaha! I have won! With this, I can win ¨C no, with this much military force, no amount of ipetence could cause defeat!¡¹(Bergunt)

    Bergunt isughing loudly with a smile covering his whole face; he is no longer listening to Gregorius¡¯s additional exnations. But even so, the Bishop smiles as if gazing upon an enlightened follower.

    ¡¸It is fortunate that you are satisfied. Now then, Count Bergunt, we are counting on you for the capture of the Ghad Fort.¡¹(Gregorius)

 Chapter 375 Tempting lust

    Volume 20: World of Lust

    The Asbel Mountain Range runs from the center of the Pandora continent to the northern side, drawing arge arc across thend.

    In the group of city states along it, there are beautiful views of the snowy mountain range, but these mountains also have a dangerous side, being designated as Rank 5 Dungeons.

    At this moment, there is a certain party of adventurers walking towards Asbel during these early days of winter.

    ¡°... Was there supposed to be a cave out here in a ce like this?¡±

    As the blizzard that was limiting their vision subsides, the mouth of a cave that has been dug into the side of the frozen cliff appears right in front of them.

    The one who spoke is the person at the front of the line of adventurers, Jimmy. He is a man of the human race who has almost reached the age of thirty. He lives in Asbel Vige, at the foot of a mountain within Avalon¡¯s territory. The Asbel Mountain Range is his primary working field as an adventurer.

    He only works in low-danger areas away from the habitats of Rank 5 monsters such as White Dragons, Fenrirs and Tundra Whales, however.

    ¡°Hey, hey, our guide shouldn¡¯t be saying such clueless things! Weren¡¯t you boasting about how Asbel is like your back yard?¡±

    The one making fun of Jimmy is the party leader, Michael. He is a typical power-obsessed fool who calls himself the Golden Hero.

    Indeed, the fact that he is foolishly equipped with full-te armor made of gold that not even an upstart nobleman would think of having made is proof that being a fool is part of his inborn nature. Incidentally, the greatsword on his back has a de of tinum.

    Nevertheless, despite being made a fool of by a real fool, Jimmy is currently feeling bewildered rather than angry.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve definitely been around these parts multiple times,¡± he says. ¡°I have a clear memory of this cliff, and I even know the shortest route to descend the mountain from here. But thest time I was here, there definitely wasn¡¯t a big cave like this.¡±

    Jimmy is a Rank 4 adventurer. He cannot enter the deepest parts of dangerous regions, but even so, he is a man who has spent long years walking around almost the entire Asbel Mountain Range.

    He has only been hired temporarily to act as a guide for the Rank 4 party, ¡®Golden Age,¡¯ led by Michael. Jimmy¡¯s knowledge of Asbel and his experience in climbing the mountains has even been officially certified in writing by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in Asbel Vige. He is a professional, so to speak, when ites to these mountains.

    ¡°Then it was dug by a monster, wasn¡¯t it?¡± says Michael. ¡°Heheh, if it could dig a huge hole like this, it must be a big one!¡±

    There are many monsters capable of digging holes in the ground, such as Sand Worms and Mad Moles. The Elgrand Dragon, the supreme ruler of the Rank 5 Dungeon known as the ¡®Elgrand Canyon,¡¯ is powerful enough to dig a cave with a diameter of fifty meters just by passing through the ground.

    But within the Dungeon that is the Asbel Mountain Range, there should be no monsters with digging abilities capable of creating such a cave.

    ¡°You¡¯re nning to look inside it?!¡± Jimmy asks in surprise.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Michael replies, his face full of motivation.

    Jimmy objects immediately. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous; you¡¯re better off giving up on it. We¡¯re currently equipped with gear for the snowy mountains; we¡¯re not prepared to search a cave, are we? If you really want to go into the cave, we should go back to the vige first, make preparations and ¨C¡±

    ¡°Huh? As if we¡¯re going to waste our time doing that!¡± Michael shouts. ¡°There might be some crazy big prey in there; what if another party takes it while we¡¯re gone!¡±

    The chances of this happening are astronomically low. Though it is only the beginning of winter, the piled-up snow is already thick and Asbel Mountain Range has turned into a white snowscape. There are few adventurers who would go out of their way to venture up here.

    Not to mention that if there really is big prey here, an enormous, high-Rank monster, adventurer parties who would be capable of defeating it immediately are rare.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Jimmy insists. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. I can¡¯t agree to searching the cave; I don¡¯t want to go.¡±

    ¡°What did you say! I paid a lot of money to hire you, so why are you being such a coward! How can you call yourself a Rank 4 adventurer, the same as someone as great as me!¡±

    ¡°Now, now, calm down, Michael.¡±

    Michael looks like he is about to attack Jimmy, but a young man steps in to gently stop him.

    His name is Christopher. In contrast to Michael¡¯srge build and grim expression, he is a handsome young man with a sweet, mask-like face that suits his soft, gentle smile.

    ¡°How about we perform a light search while Jimmy-san waits here?¡± Christopher suggests.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Chris, what do you mean by ¡®light?¡¯ Someone as great as me won¡¯t be satisfied by anything less than a face-to-face interview with the boss in the deepest part of this ce!¡± says Michael.

    ¡°You idiot, we still don¡¯t know whether there really is a monster in this cave or not, do we? If we go inside, search the whole thing and there isn¡¯t anything there, we¡¯ll all look like idiots!¡± says a young woman, bitterly kicking the shining, golden armor at Michael¡¯s shin with a clunk.

    She is Jacqueline, the only female member of Golden Age.

    With her small build and childlike face, she and Michael look like they might be parent and child, but surprisingly, she is actually the same age as him.

    ¡°That hurts!¡± Michael howls. ¡°Damn it, damn it, my only weak point...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re full of weak points,¡± Jacqueline points out. ¡°I wonder how many times you would have died by now if Chris and I weren¡¯t with you. I mean, even the time you were kicked into the air by the Silent Sheep in the Iskia Hills ¨C¡±

    ¡°Th-things from back when we were kids have nothing to do with this, do they!¡±

    Michael looks enraged with tears in his eyes, while Jacqueline cackles. Christopher watches them with a smile. It seems that these three are childhood friends.

    Two men and one woman is a partyposition that typically causes the party to fail, but the fact that they havee as far as bing Rank 4 adventurers together is a sign that they have built their rtionships with each other incredibly well.

    ¡°Well then, we will go into the cave ourselves,¡± says Christopher, ignoring the bickering of therge man and young woman toe to a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s see, we¡¯ll return in an hour. We won¡¯t be gone for any longer than that; even if Michael throws a tantrum, we¡¯ll make sure to drag him back.¡±

    ¡°An hour, huh... Alright, let¡¯s do that,¡± says Jimmy, thinking that thispromise seems reasonable.

    It would be cruel to tell these young adventurers, who are barely more than twenty years old, to not even take one step into an unexplored cave. He has no doubt that if he was the same age, he would have leapt into the cave in high spirits as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave thismunication device with you,¡± says Christopher. ¡°I¡¯ll use this to report the situation in detail while we¡¯re inside. Also, if the monsters who use this cave as their roost happen to return, please contact us right away so that we can do our best to rejoin you.¡±

    He hands Jimmy an expensive Magic Item in the shape of a crystal ball that allows telepathicmunication, which Jimmy gratefully epts.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, then! The first page of a new legend of the Golden Hero, Michael-sama, will be written here!¡± Michael deres.

    ¡°Shut up. Hurry up and go!¡± Jacqueline says impatiently.

    ¡°Well then, we are leaving,¡± says Christopher.

    And so, the three members of Golden Age step into the cave.

    As Jimmy keeps an eye out for monsters appearing from outside, the long-distancemunication between him and the others begins.

    ¡°¨C How is it, Jimmy-san? Can you hear me?¡± Christopher asks.

    ¡°Yeah, the reception is good,¡± Jimmy replies.

    Themunication devices made of crystal are functioning with no problems. Less than ten minutes have passed since the others entered the cave, but Jimmy asks what the situation is like for now.

    ¡°There are nts resembling rose vines growing on the walls, but I can¡¯t see anything else,¡± Christopher reports. ¡°There aren¡¯t any traces of monsters entering and exiting the cave, either.¡±

    There is are no green nts to be found in Asbel during this harsh winter. Jimmy wonders whether there are nt-type monsters like Wood Golems or Dryads, but such monsters are generally weak to the cold.

    At the very least, they haven¡¯t been seen in the Asbel Mountain Range before.

    ¡°Be careful; there might be an unknown monster lurking in there,¡± Jimmy warns just in case, but his words are drowned out by Michael¡¯s booming voice.

    ¡°Tch, it¡¯s so empty,¡± heins. ¡°Aren¡¯t there going to be a bunch of crystalsing out or something!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯d find crystals in a ce like this, is there!¡± says Jacqueline.

    It seems that thesemunication devices are shared by all members of the party. Of course, messages can be transmitted through strong thoughts, but with an open channel like this, speech is also transmitted exactly as it is spoken.

    Jimmy wonders if he should warn them that they¡¯re being too loud in an unexplored cave, but decides that it isn¡¯t necessary and shuts his mouth.

    The party of adventurers is already Rank 4; they are far above him when ites to pure ability inbat and it isn¡¯t a distant dream for them to be promoted to Rank 5. If they were the kind of adventurers who would let their guard down just because they¡¯re talking, they would have undoubtedly lost their lives long ago.

    ¡°For now, there¡¯s no signs of monsters appearing,¡± Jimmy reports. ¡°The weather is stable. Well, take care down there.¡±

    ¡°Roger that ¨C Ah, there is a fork in the path,¡± says Christopher. ¡°There is a left and right path, both about the same size. We will try following the left one for now.¡±

    It is possible that the cave has aplex structure with numerous branching paths, like an anthill.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to make marks to remember the paths you¡¯ve taken,¡± Jimmy reminds them.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Christopher replies.

    Jimmy feels a little anxiety at the fact that the first branching path appeared so early on, but the search of the cave proceeds smoothly from thereon.

    Jimmy quietly waits for time to pass, giving the report of, ¡°Nothing unusual here,¡± every few minutes while listening to the boisterous yet amusing conversation between Michael and Jacqueline.

    ¡°¨C There really is nothing but vines here,¡± says Christopher. ¡°It seems that thirty minutes have already passed since we came in, so we will turn back now.¡±

    ¡°Oi, it looks like this cave continues quite a bit deeper than this,¡± says Michael.

    ¡°Be honest, you¡¯re tired of this as well, right?¡± Jacqueline asks him. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing here at all.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah...¡±

    For now, Jimmy feels relief at the fact that all of the party members are going to be returning with no disagreement. There was nothing on the path they took, and since he has been watching the entrance, that means that no monsters have entered. There was only one branch in the path at the start, so there is no chance that they will get lost, either.

    Their safety is guaranteed ¨C or at least, it was supposed to be.

    ¡°... They still haven¡¯te back?¡±

    Far more than thirty minutes have passed since thest message from the party saying that they wereing back. Jimmy doesn¡¯t have something as high-ss as a personal pocket watch, so he is making estimates based on his sense of time as an adventurer and the position of the sun, but there is no way that he has made arge error in his estimation.

    The reason no furthermunications have been sent is because they were simplying back and there was nothing else to report. The party members also knew that there was no danger; considering how Michael and Jacqueline were acting earlier, they might be walking leisurely back out of the cave while having friendly conversation.

    Jimmy can think of any number of reasons why they might be sote to return. But it is also true that he can feel anxiety slowly expanding in his mind.

    Fortunately, however, Jimmy has an item that can immediately check whether they are safe. He simply needs to contact them from his end.

    ¡°Umm, how do I use this again...¡±

    He did hear an exnation on how to use it once, but he has no confidence, possibly because it is a Magic Item that he is not ustomed to using, or perhaps due to his age. He wants to believe that it¡¯s the former.

    ¡°¨C Oi, can you hear me, Christopher?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yes, what is it, Jimmy-san? Is there something wrong?¡±

    Jimmy gives a sigh of relief upon hearing a voiceing from the crystal ball. This one sentence is enough to tell him that nothing unusual has happened on the other end.

    ¡°No, I was just thinking that you¡¯re taking a while toe back, so I wanted to check up on you just in case,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ll being back soon, so please don¡¯t worry,¡± says Christopher. ¡°Ah, we¡¯vee back to where the fork in the path was, so we¡¯ll reach the entrance soon.¡±

    It seems that Jimmy has been worrying needlessly.

    Just as he wonders whether he is so prone to worrying because of his age ¨C

    ¡°¨C Jimmy-san.¡±

    A message from Christopher arrives. Not even a minute has passed since thest message. Is there something that he forgot to say?

    Jimmy responds without any particr misgivings. ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡±

    ¡°It seems that thirty minutes have already passed since we came in, so we will turn back now.¡±

    ¡°... Huh?¡±

    Jimmy heard this sentence thirty minutes ago. He doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°What are you saying?¡± he asks.

    Is it some kind of joke? Even if it is, Jimmy has no intention to y along right now.

    But the next response from themunication device is not an apology from Christopher.

    ¡°Oi, it looks like this cave continues quite a bit deeper than this.¡±

    ¡°Be honest, you¡¯re tired of this as well, right? There¡¯s really nothing here at all.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah...¡±

    It¡¯s the same. It¡¯s the exact same exchange that took ce between Michael and Jacqueline thirty minutes ago.

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s wrong! If this is a joke, it¡¯s in poor taste ¨C¡±

    ¡°... What... you... ¨Cmmy-san...¡±

    Jimmy hears an intermittent voice in response to his shouted question. He is just able to tell that it belongs to Christopher, but he can¡¯t understand anything that it is saying.

    ¡°W-what is it?! Oi, what¡¯s wrong, Christopher! Give me an answer!¡± Jimmy demands.

    Instead of Christopher¡¯s voice, Jimmy can only hear the ominous sound of rushing watering from the crystal ball. Finally,munication bespletely impossible.

    ¡°Shit, broken at a time like this?!¡± Jimmy curses. ¡°This is why you can¡¯t rely on Magic Items!¡±

    It has been decades since Jimmy became an adventurer. His sense as a veteran is telling him that the current situation is dangerous to the point of no return.

    The message that was identical to the one thirty minutes before it. The Magic Item that suddenly broke. Jimmy isn¡¯t so optimistic to believe that a poor joke and this misfortune has simply happened to have urred simultaneously.

    ¡°Shit, what do I do...¡±

    He feels reluctant to enter the cave himself to meet the others.

    At the very least, there is no doubt that they are physically unharmed. It doesn¡¯t seem like they have been attacked by monsters or be wounded in some unforeseen ident.

    Even so, something unusual is going on. But the scarier thing is that they are not aware that anything is unusual.

    ¡°Christopher, please respond. Michael, Jacqueline, can you hear my voice?¡±

    In the end, unable to make any careless moves, Jimmy has no choice but to continue trying to call out to them through the brokenmunication device.

    Communication has not been cutpletely; he can hear something that sounds like voices, mixed in with noise. Right now, he can only ce his bets on the hope thatmunication can be restored.

    ¡°Please, give me a response!¡± he says desperately.

    ¡°¨C Jimmy-san.¡±

    At that moment, the noise finally disappears, and a clear voice replies to Jimmy once more.

    ¡°We¡¯re connected! Oi, Christopher, what¡¯s the situation down there ¨C¡±

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯vee back to where the fork in the path was, so we¡¯ll reach the entrance soon.¡±

    At this point, Jimmy¡¯s feeling that something is wrong turns into certain belief.

    ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Christopher! You¡¯re saying the exact same thing as you said before! Wake up, damn it!¡± Uneasiness welling up inside him, Jimmy shouts and tries to tell Christopher about the unusual phenomenon that is urring.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, then! The first page of a new legend of the Golden Hero, Michael-sama, will be written here!¡±

    ¡°You idiot, we still don¡¯t know whether there really is a monster in this cave or not, do we? If we go inside, search the whole thing and there isn¡¯t anything there, we¡¯ll all look like idiots!¡±

    The only responses Jimmy hears are repeats of past sentences. The conversation between Michael and Jacqueline isn¡¯t even connected anymore.

    They¡¯ve gone mad. That¡¯s the only thing that Jimmy can understand.

    ¡°Shit, what is this... What the hell is going ¨C UWAH?!¡±

    As Jimmy is dumbfounded at this exceptionally strange situation, smoke suddenly rises from the cave that he has been staring into and envelops him. It is not the ck smoke that apaniesbustion, but an ominous smoke with a vivid pink color.

    ¡°What is this, poisonous gas?!¡±

    Despite his long years as an adventurer, this is the first time Jimmy has seen this. But even a child from the vige would be able to tell that this shocking-pink-colored smoke is dangerous.

    Jimmy knows this as well. He is now out of options other than to escape from the cave.

    Using Air Walker, he somehow barely manages to seed in escaping the pink gas that has filled up the cavern¡¯s entrance in the blink of an eye.

    Just as Jimmy hurls himself into the pure-white snow, the dense smoke billows out from the cave¡¯s entrance as if there is arge fire burning inside.

    ¡°Haah... haah... Christopher, Michael, Jacqueline... Please... respond...¡±

    With nothing to lose, Jimmy calls out to the crystal ball that he is tightly grasping, still lying in the snow.

    There is no noise. Communication is stable. But the words that immediatelye from the other side arepletely ¡®abnormal.¡¯

    ¡°Ah, Mama... Mama, look, I¡¯ve be a hero... I¡¯m the strongest in the world, sparkling and gold, the coolest in the world... So, Mama, praise me, praise me more and hug me tightly.¡±

    These words that sound like those of a spoilt young child, could they perhaps be Michael¡¯s? It is unimaginable considering his grim appearance and proud attitude, but the deep tone of the voice makes it unquestionably clear that it is indeed him speaking.

    ¡°Fufu, ufufu, stop it, you two... Don¡¯t fight over me... I just want to get along with you two, just like when we were children... It makes me happy to know that you feel that way, but... Fufu, I¡¯m sorry for causing a misunderstanding.¡±

    The next voice Jimmy hears is Jacqueline¡¯s. These are the words of a foolish, conceited woman who is pretending to be troubled by two different men courting her. The two men fighting over her are Michael and Christopher, perhaps? There is no way to confirm this now.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy, Michael... You¡¯ve finally noticed my feelings, haven¡¯t you... Yes, yes, that¡¯s right, we don¡¯t need a woman like that anymore. From now on, it¡¯ll just be the two of us, we¡¯ll be fine with just the two of us... I love you.¡±

    Is Christopher¡¯s voice speaking his true feelings? Jimmy desperately hopes that Christopher is simply blurting out false words due to his current crazy mental state.

    ¡°Haha... Damn it, everyone¡¯s gone mad ¨C¡± Letting out a dryugh, Jimmy slowly gets to his feet.

    He looks at the cave to see that the pink smoke spouting out haspletely vanished and the cave has returned to its original, gaping appearance. At a nce, it looks just like any other cave.

    ¡°¨C Damn it! What the hell happened!¡±

    Jimmy can¡¯t make sense of anything at all.

    The only thing that he is certain of is that those three young, promising adventurers will nevere back alive.

 Chapter 376 Revival Catacombs - Final Floor

    Thepletely-serious, no-fooling-around Rank 5 quest that Fiona chose, ¡®Lich Extermination,¡¯ is finally approaching the final stages ofpletion. The month has changed from Blue Moon to the Month of Frozen Soil, the equivalent of November, and the date is the 10th. Precisely one month after the quest was epted.

    I get the feeling that this quest has taken a long timepared to the quests that we¡¯ve done in the past, but considering that we¡¯re trying topletely clear a Dungeon, this is normal. In fact, having taken only a month toe this far could probably be considered swift progress.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally at thest floor, let¡¯s not let our guard down and ¨C¡±

    A loud gunshot rings out, cutting off my words. Its echo is deafening in this dark, cramped corridor of the underground tomb.

    ¡°Zwei, you have to listen properly to what Kurono says,¡± says Lily.

    ¡°Sorry, my lord.¡± Lily¡¯s servant, the Living Dead that she has named Zwei, apologizes to me as it bends its body forward in a right-angle-shaped bow.

    Just like the first time I saw him when he was carrying a bed into the dormitory, he¡¯s equipped with a smiley-face iron mask and a pitch-ck surcoat. He loyally follows Lily¡¯smands, but he¡¯s still creepy.

    Incidentally, ¡°My lord¡± refers not to Lily, but to me. I guess it¡¯s been set that way because I¡¯m the party leader. But when it suddenly called out to me like that, I was startled. Startled at the fact that it can talk.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I say. ¡°Go back to keeping an eye out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Flipping its head back upright like a spring-loaded doll and pressing its right hand against the left side of its chest near its heart in a Spada-style salute, Zwei returns to stand in line with Ein and Drei, who are standing at attention.

    At present, Lily has only summoned three of them, but this is the limit for this narrow Dungeon corridor.

    ¡°Sorry, Kurono, they¡¯re not smart enough to be able to ¡®read the mood¡¯ yet,¡± says Lily, acting adultlike as she apologizes for her subordinate¡¯s failure.

    Of course, I¡¯m not going to me her or anything. ¡°No, they¡¯re functioning just fine as they are,¡± I tell her. ¡°They¡¯re bringing the enemies down properly in one hit, too.¡±

    In the darkness of the corridor ahead, where the light of Lily¡¯s luminescence and Fiona¡¯s Torch doesn¡¯t reach, at a distance that I wouldn¡¯t be able to see without my exceptional night vision, there is a Skeleton Soldier lying on the ground with its head blown clean off. This is the result of the shot that interrupted my words earlier.

    With this quest, we¡¯re testing the performance of these Living Dead and, by making them use rifles, we¡¯re also testing out the guns¡¯ endurance in realbat.

    The prototype rifle that Will used in Iskia did jam, and Simon was enthusiastic about refining the rifles to perfection.

    Thus, all nine of the Living Dead are equipped with the improved version of the rifle. The prototype that Will had purchased and paid for in installments was a hundred thousand ns; the price of nine rifles is enough to send half of my fight money from the Curse Carnival flying away, but the manufacturing costs are scheduled to decrease from now on.

    All of the parts have been made at the Stratos Smithing Workshop up until now, but with this opportunity ¨C in other words, with the great sum of money I have acquired thanks to the fight money and the reward for the battle of Iskia ¨C work has begun on securing a way to mass-produce them.

    It¡¯s not enough to build a factory yet, but Regin-san talked to Mordred and it¡¯s been decided that he¡¯s going to borrow part of arge smithing factory owned by apany to manufacture the parts. Mordred himself has apparently shown interest in the weapons called guns, which can produce a certain amount of killing power without needing mana, so if the rifles can be perfected, full-blown mass-production could be a possibilityter.

    Of course, the development and production of other arms are already in the works. I wonder if machine guns are next. Simon was pretty fired up and had already started on the blueprints, too, saying something about being able toy waste to monsters the next time a huge army of them appears.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s press on,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ll defeat the Lich and clear the quest within the day.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± says Fiona in a monotonous voice.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Lily yells, full of spirit.

    Her three servants repeat her, ¡°Yeah!¡± as a war cry, raising their fists into the air. Things have gotten pretty lively for the Element Masters.

    And so, we press on through another of the corridors that we¡¯ve bepletely ustomed to seeing during the past month. We let the three servants stand at the front to deal with the small fry. Lily is in the middle, giving orders and support to the servants. Fiona and I are serving as the rear guard.

    The only thing we need to be wary of is an Undead monster attack. Things are quite easy because there aren¡¯t any traps in this Dungeon. That¡¯s why this Dungeon, the Revival Catbs, is normally Rank 3 when a monster like a Lich hasn¡¯t appeared.

    ¡°By the way, Kurono-san, isn¡¯t it almost lunchtime?¡± Fiona asks suddenly.

    She is not wearing the white one-piece dress that I gave to her as a present, but her trademark adventurer equipment, the witch¡¯s robe. She looks incredibly surreal with her beautiful white face illuminated by the dim light of her Torch, but that is put to waste by the small sound of her stomach¡¯s growls acting as background music.

    But I can¡¯t make fun of the demands of Fiona¡¯s stomach. And I¡¯m starting to feel quite hungry myself.

    Thanks to the rtively urate biological clock I gained through the remodeling experiments as well as the sensation from the rather unreliable stomach-clock*, I can tell that it is past midday.

    TLN*: In Japanese, this is another term for ¡°internal clock¡±, so this is something of a pun.

    I¡¯m reliant on my body¡¯s senses because we can¡¯t see the sky in an underground Dungeon like this, so it¡¯s difficult to tell how fast time is flowing. I suppose I¡¯ll buy a watch with the reward money from this quest once we return to Spada.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I say. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a good idea to have a meal before we charge into the Lich¡¯s chamber ¨C ah, Fiona, they¡¯reing from behind us.¡±

    My ears pick up the sound of faint footsteps. My skin feels the presence of mana. And my intuition has been set off, too. Having a sharp sense for approaching enemies without relying on vision is an important ability for adventurers. When ites to searching for and detecting enemies through bodily senses alone, I¡¯m the sharpest in the party.

    ¡°ording to the map, it seems that there is a small room up ahead, perfect to stop and rest at,¡± says Fiona.

    ¡°What? I said enemies are ¨C¡±

    ¡°¨C Ignis st.¡±

    My entire vision is instantly filled with crimson. With a thunderous roar, a storm of whirling heat sweeps down the narrow corridor without leaving any gaps to escape through, as if licking the walls.

    In other words, Fiona has turned around and waved her wand, releasing an offensive spell.

    The Skeletons that approached in single-file in this narrow corridor have probably been annihted by this merciless, wide-area me attack.

    Now that the mes have died down, I can¡¯t feel their presence anymore.

    ¡°Let us hurry and keep going, Kurono-san.¡±

    That¡¯s not cool, Fiona, even if you are wearing an elegant expression. It¡¯s way too easy to see your ulterior motive of satisfying your hunger.

    But still, Fiona¡¯s magic is as shy as usual. Even though I have three divine protections of the Demon King, I¡¯m feeling a slight inferiorityplex... No, leaving that aside, the thing I should pay attention to is the wand that she waved.

    It¡¯s the Custom Fireball that she has been using up until now, but it was born anew with our most recent visit to the Stratos Smithing Workshop.

    Its name is now Spitfire.

    Its design hasn¡¯t changed much, but the notable difference is that there is arge, ruby-like gem attached to the tip. Unlike the Queen Beryl and the Wrath-pun¡¯s Fist of Wrath, it¡¯s an artificially-made magic stone of mes that isn¡¯t rare as far as parts for staffs and wands go, but its performance is apparently incredible.

    Fiona used the high-quality me-element wand that she forunately happened to acquire during her training in Avalon, called the Ruby Bullet, as custom parts.

    In other words, the Ruby Bullet¡¯s highly-specialized me-attribute abilities have been added to the already-exceptional performance of the Custom Fireball. Put simply, the Ignis Sagita that Fiona has been able to fire like a machine gun can now be fired as three-way split-shots; her casting performance has tripled.

    If this thing releases its mes, there¡¯s no doubt that its power to annihte enemies overshadows my Gatling Burst. Not good, my sense of self-worth as a ck magic user is steadily dwindling...

    As I admire Fiona¡¯s abilities and feel depressed about my own, Lily suddenly raises her voice as if in celebration.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono, I found the ¡®boss chamber!¡¯¡±

    The ¡®boss chamber¡¯ she speaks of is the chamber with the boss in it; in other words, it¡¯s the deepest part of the Dungeon.

    Incidentally, the term ¡®boss chamber¡¯ isn¡¯t adventurer ng, but something I let slip because I¡¯m a Japanese person who still can¡¯t get the RPG image out of my mind and now, Lily¡¯s started copying the term. Well, it¡¯s easy to understand so it doesn¡¯t matter, but it might be a little embarrassing if other adventurers were to hear it.

    ¡°Yeah, this is definitely the boss chamber,¡± I say. ¡°I feel the presence of a really murderous ambush.¡±

    There¡¯s a small tunnel at the end of the narrow corridor, and deep inside that tunnel, there¡¯s an enormous set of heavy double doors. Ein and Zwei are already standing on either side of it; we¡¯repletely ready to throw the doors open.

    ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve strengthened their defenses with numbers. I guess we¡¯ll have you summon all of your servants and make them go in first,¡± I tell Lily.

    I¡¯m sure the enemies have no intention of hiding, either. The doors are heavy, but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t need my sharp senses to feel the presence of countless enemies crawling about behind them. Well, their groaning is audible as well. The heavy, rough, nasal breathing is no doubt that of Undead Minotaurs.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± says Lily. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going in with everything I have, okay? Muh, everyone, go!¡±

    She shouts a solemn incantation that is theplete opposite of her adorable appearance, summoning the six servants stored in her Dimension of light.

    Giants wearing the same ck surcoats and metal masks appear simultaneously from the magic circle that has been drawn in the empty darkness.

    ¡°Kurono-san, it seems that everyone is preparing to charge in right now, but, umm, what about lunch?¡± asks Fiona.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve found the boss chamber, so let¡¯s eat after we defeat the Lich,¡± I say.

    Please stop making that sad face, Fiona. I feel like I should yield to her silent pressure, but I¡¯ll resist. I¡¯m sure our enemies are ready and waiting on the other side, too.

    ¡°If things go as nned, it won¡¯t even take ten minutes. Just hold out a little longer,¡± I say.

    ¡°Very well. Let us finish this as quickly as possible,¡± says Fiona.

    Alright. Now that I¡¯ve convinced the hungry witch, it¡¯s time for the real challenge.

    ¡°¨C Order, Select, ¡®Bad Standard.¡¯¡± Lily, who has finished transforming into her juvenile form in order to go all-out against the Lich, gives thesemands to her servants.

    TLN: This is in katakana furigana over kanji, which reads something like ¡°Open, arms exchange, evil spirit clothing.¡± Obviously, I have no clue what this is supposed to mean.

    The nine servants standing in a row in front of Lily put their improved-version rifles onto their backs and draw their other weapons. They¡¯re all different; none of them are the same.

    Ein is holding a longsword. Zwei, a dagger. Drei, a rapier. Vier, a scimitar. F¨¹nf, a tomahawk. Sechs, a battleaxe. Sieben, a spear. Acht, a halberd. Neun, a trident.

    However, their weapons have something inmon.

    ¡°Hmm, having all nine of them equipped with cursed weapons does make me a little uneasy,¡± says Lily with a slightly troubled expression on her face. As she says, all of the servants¡¯ weapons are cursed weapons.

    ¡®Bad Standard¡¯ is, in short, the Nameless Nine that I have let her nine servants borrow.

    I¡¯ve used Eternity on the ckening that lowers the effects of the curses, but the effects haven¡¯t been reduced to zero. If the servants¡¯ wills weaken, they¡¯ll be taken over by madness in the blink of an eye.

    The curses¡¯ wills do not treat the Living Dead that hold the weapons, or the spell form that controls their minds, as exceptions. From what I¡¯ve heard, Safi had been using the Wrath-pun as a servant in the Iskia Hills after turning it into an Undead, but the Sloth-gil was able to quickly takeplete control over it with a parasite. Serves her right ¨C isn¡¯t what I want to say. My point is, the fact that a servant moves onmand just means that there¡¯s plenty of possibility that control over them can be taken away.

    However, Lily is only connected to them telepathically, so their effects won¡¯t influence her. I don¡¯t know whether that would be true if one of the servants was using the Absolute Grudge Hatchet ¡®Neck Cutter¡¯, but at the very least, it is certain that the Nameless won¡¯t be a problem for her.

    The fact that Lily, the caster, canpletely control the spell forms that the curses are trying to take over, means that it is possible to have her servants use them.

    Also, for Necromancers, having control that cannot be defeated by curses or creating perfect control spell forms drastically reduces the risk of encountering the greatest danger, the danger of having one¡¯s servants ¡®stolen¡¯ by something else. Firm control equals reliable servants.

    On top of that, there are benefits to having the servants being able to use the cursed weapons. Simply put, it doesn¡¯t need to be said that the cursed weapons make the servants strong.

    I can make the servants return the weapons to me if I need them, but, well, there¡¯s no problem in just lending them out while we clear this Dungeon.

    Lily produces a tennis-ball-sized diamond from somewhere. ¡°I suppose I should use this just in case ¨C obey mymand, Diamond Heaven.¡±

    The moment the servants gripped the cursed weapons, the red light glowing through the circr eye-holes of their metal masks grew brighter. This must be Lily¡¯s way of dealing with that.

    The faint white lighting from the jewel strongly captivates people¡¯s hearts.

    As I have lower-middle-ss like thoughts such as wondering just how much it would sell for, Lily is purely using this diamond as a Magic Item ¨C no, as an Artifact.

    Apparently, this Diamond Heaven holds the power to apply the Domination Status Effect to its targets. It¡¯s quite risky to hold onto, since misusing it would warrant being arrested instantly.

    ording to Lily, the true value of this item is its ability that grants better telepathy ess, allowing free control over the Homunculi. Thanks to this, the Homunculi have the strength, independence and learning ability needed to throw all of them into battle at once.

    Well, I¡¯m ignorant when ites to modern magic, so I can¡¯t understand a thing about Necromancy, which is even more advanced. I feel pathetic for not being able to think anything of it other than having a vague feeling that Lily is amazing.

    ¡°Okay, now everything is set,¡± says Lily, turning around with a bright smile. ¡°Now then, Kurono, I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±

    The nine servants are standing silently behind her in front of the door, weapons at the ready. It¡¯s just like an ojou-sama being surrounded by her bodyguards ¨C no, that¡¯s not right, Lily is ¨C

    ¡°You give the signal, Lily,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the small-fry to you and head straight for the Lich. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± says Lily. She turns back to her servants. ¡°You heard that, didn¡¯t you, servants? Your lord has requested that you do not let even a single small-fry approach him. Please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Princess!¡± Nine voices echo loudly in response to her words.

    Indeed, it is fitting to call Lily a princess. The way she gives orders is so masterful it¡¯s terrifying.

    ¡°¨C Charge.¡±

    Thus, the nine knights charge into therge boss chamber to rise to their princess¡¯s expectations.

    I take a step forward as well so that I don¡¯t fall behind. This is where the real deal begins.

    ¡°... This is where we, the Element Masters, test ourselves to see whether we have the power to kill an Apostle.¡±

 Chapter 377 The Lich, king of the Undead, appears!

    At the bottom floor of the Rank 3 Dungeon known as the Revival Catbs, there is arge, circr space resembling Spada¡¯s Grand Coliseum.

    Both of them are made of unrefined stone, but there are conspicuous, distasteful decorations all over this ce. Pirs that are twisted like Baphomet¡¯s horns, the iron fences with rusty, thorn-like points, the ominous Gargoyles, which are statues that are shaped like chimeras, and the list goes on... The mncholic atmosphere is extraordinary.

    The one waiting in this ce is the king that currently rules the Undead monsters of this Dungeon, the Lich.

    His appearance is the same as a normal Skeleton, but the dark mana hidden within his body, no, within his evil soul, is remarkably greater than other Undead monsters. The reason Liches are generally the type of monsters that use magic to fight is because that is the best way to make use of their abundant supply of mana.

    The Lich that was recently born in the Revival Catbs is no exception; he is a mage-ss monster that is holding a staff made of dull gold.

    He is wearing a rusty crown, along with a robe and cape that are stained dark with blood. There is purple, flickering light burning in the eye sockets of his skull. His appearance is exactly the same as the illustrations published in the Guild¡¯s monster list.

    The appearance of Liches is well-known throughout the world and there are never any exceptions; it is simple for anyone to imagine what they look like ¨C however, this makes no difference to the fact that Liches are monsters powerful enough to be crowned with the Rank 5 title.

    Such a Lich is currently weing a certain party of adventurers with tremendous anger.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake that this is the Lich, huh,¡± says a voice.

    The ones that stand arrogantly before him, a king of death, is a man in ck clothes, apanied by a Fairy and a witch who serve him.

    These three scattered the Undead monster army that was the final line of defense guarding this ce with ease, as if they were walking through an unupied wastnd.

    There were well over a hundred Skeleton Soldiers at the core of the army, with several dozen heavy monsters such as Minotaur Zombies and Cyclops Zombies as well. There were even the Lich¡¯s Elite Zombies, which had been made by making Zombies out of the adventurers who had stepped foot into this ce, capable of fighting with the same ss and strength as they possessed while they were alive.

    The Undead army was strong enough that it would be able to fight against even the Knights¡¯ Order if they were to step foot in this ce ¨C or at least, it was supposed to be, but it seems that it was of no use in stopping these three.

    Even now, the man is secretly giving orders to attack from behind ¨C no, judging from the faint signs of telepathy, the one giving direct orders is likely the Fairy. In any case, the forceful way that the nine warriors who obey her are fighting prevents the Undead monsters from approaching.

    The Lich¡¯s irritation further increases with how disappointing his subordinates show themselves to be.

    However, thinks the Lich, who possesses a high level of intelligence, if I defeat this party of adventurers and add them to my subordinates as Undead, I will gain fighting strength that will render the losses I have suffered in this battle trivial. Although I am in trouble, this is a chance for me.

    Giving a dryugh with his teeth ttering, the Lich raises his staff.

    These three are strong, but not as powerful as he is. For the Lich, it is merely irritating that he has to take action himself. But that is all it is.

    Once the Lich releases his prided, powerful spell of darkness, Death Force st, that will be the end.

    ¡°????? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ¨C¡±

    Is it foolish for the mage-ss Lich to begin reciting an incantation right in front of the enemy on his own? No, adventurers who havee this far would understand. They would understand that the Lich has a n to fight and win, even if there is no frontline to defend the caster.

    There are multiple lines of defense, not just one. They are not functions of the Dungeon, but traps that he has set up himself, among other things. Preparations to make a counter-attack are perfect.

    This is a Dungeon, the Lich¡¯s castle. The terrain advantage is his, and he has the brains to make use of it.

    There is not even the smallest chance of defeat ¨C so the Lich thinks, as he hears words that are perfectly normal to hear from an adventurer party, the order to attack. This is thest thing that he hears.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lily, Fiona ¨C Formation Anti-Cross.¡±

    ¡°Wee back, Kurono-kun. Congrattions on clearing the quest,¡± says Erina with a wonderful smile, congratting me on my return and my sess with the quest at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters.

    If it were an ordinary receptionist, these words would be a fixed phrase with no value, but hearing them from Erina, my friend, fills my heart with emotion.

    Though ording to Fiona, the moment I feel that emotion, I¡¯ve already been fooled.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say. ¡°I know it¡¯s early, but I want you to show me the next quest.¡±

    Leaving aside whether or not I¡¯ll ept it right away, I want to set my eyes on an objective ahead of time.

    Looking back on it, the Lich extermination was a great sess. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a tough battle at all; it was a one-sided game for us. I think it took less than five minutes to go from the beginning of battle to extracting the Imitation Heart, which had turned into a high-density mana crystal, from the Lich¡¯s copsed skull.

    The Demon King Mia, the Fairy Queen Iris and the ck Witch Endymion. With the divine protections of these three, the formation Anti-Cross will live up to its name and bury the Apostles, the pawns of god ¨C or at least, it¡¯s supposed to.

    I¡¯ve fought the Seventh Apostle Sariel twice, but she was constantly going easy on me, and I¡¯ve only seen a single somewhat-serious attack from the Eighth Apostle Ai. It¡¯s still difficult to tell just how powerful an Apostle using their full strength will be.

    But even so, I¡¯ve finally acquired enough power that I am able to truly feel that I have a chance of beating them. I¡¯ve made great progress.

    In any case, if I can manifest power strong enough to kill an Apostle, there is no way I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat a Lich, one of the weaker among Rank 5 monsters.

    But the coordinative strategy that we invented to use against the Apostles; no, it might be more appropriate to call it a battle formation. In any case, this Anti-Cross ¨C it¡¯s questionable as to whether we are using it to its full potential. We calcted that the maximum duration we could use the formation was fifteen minutes, but when we actually used it, it was so unstable that I don¡¯t know whether it could have held for ten.

    I haven¡¯t mastered the use of my new divine protections, and neither have Lily or Fiona. This is the simple, yet fundamental problem.

    If there had been two Liches, things might have been a little dangerous. After using the formation, all of us are drained of almost every bit of mana we have, so we be incapacitated afterwards.

    The reason we¡¯re using Lily¡¯s servants is because we anticipated this happening. Their true role on the battlefield is to protect the three of us when we¡¯re no longer capable of fighting. After seeing their performance during this quest, I feel at ease knowing that they can fulfil this role just fine.

    It¡¯s quite remarkable that they have the fighting strength and coordination to overwhelm Skeleton Soldiers and even hold their own againstrge enemies like Minotaur Zombies. If their abilities were to be converted into an adventurer Rank, even if you were to give them the lowest possible estimate, they would be at least Rank 3. Once they gain some more experience in battle and better equipment, they can probably be equivalent to Rank 4.

    Is it them that are amazing for having such great hidden specs, or is it Lily that¡¯s amazing?

    Either way, we currently still need more training. We need to find our next practice opponents quickly.

    ¡°Say, Kurono-kun,¡± Erina says suddenly as I skim through the stack of request forms with details of Rank 5 quests written on them.

    I wonder if there is a particr quest that she wants to rmend.

    ¡°Shall we go on a date?¡±

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    I reflexively look up from the request form for the extermination of a pair of Smanders. I¡¯ve received a crazy proposal. However, my eyes see the smile of a charming, beautiful Elf. She¡¯s smiling, but her eyes look quite serious.

    ¡°That witch interferedst time; if we don¡¯t make an arrangement soon, you¡¯ll go away on your quest and won¡¯t be back for a while, right?¡± Erina says.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s, well, true, but...¡± I mumble. ¡°A date, you say, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m really dating you now, right?¡±

    ¡°Jeez, your way of thinking is too rigid, Kurono-kun,¡± she says. ¡°When a man and woman of a certain age enjoy themselves with just the two of them, that¡¯s called a date. Even if the people going on the date cover it up by saying that they¡¯re friends.¡±

    Isn¡¯t it Erina whose way of thinking is too rigid? Is this the standard definition in Spada?

    No, but still, she is inviting me on a date, and I¡¯m certainly not refusing her right now. Which means, in other words, she¡¯s clearly acknowledging me as a member of the opposite sex and ¨C

    ¡°Is this a honey trap?*¡± I ask.

    TLN*: Kurono uses the polite ¡°¤Ç¤¹¤«/desuka?¡± at the end of this sentence. Incidentally, if you don¡¯t know, a ¡°honey trap¡± is where a woman seduces a man to gain information, etc.

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re calling it?! And don¡¯t go back to using formalnguage!¡± Erina shouts.

    I suppose I find it really concerning when someone makes a move on me in such a straight manner, if you know what I mean.

    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± I say. ¡°But leaving aside whether it can be called a date, I don¡¯t mind going to eat or enjoy ourselves or go out somewhere with just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no way, really?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re friends, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll start off as friends!¡±

    It¡¯s not really a honey trap, is it...? Anyway, I¡¯m not against strengthening my personal friendship with Erina. Fiona is probably going toin, but it should be fine as long as I¡¯m prepared to make sure that I¡¯m not being made use of one-sidedly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.

    ¡°So then, when are you free?¡± Erina asks. ¡°I don¡¯t mind going right now, you know?¡±

    What about your work, I wonder. But I suppose one of the Guild¡¯s objectives is to have friendly rtions with Rank 5 adventurers. I suppose all kinds of things will be allowed if this reason is given.

    One might think that it¡¯s quite a fun system for Erina to be able to go and enjoy herself publicly while working, but if you think about it carefully, it¡¯s easy to imagine her being forced to entertain adventurers that she doesn¡¯t even like.

    Is she just working to make me happy...? I¡¯m not entirely without suspicion.

    ¡°Maybe not right now,¡± I reply. ¡°I have to prepare for the next quest, and I have all kinds of other ns ¨C¡±

    Going and enjoying myself is all well and good, but I can¡¯t do nothing but rx. Even if I have gained a good chance of sess in defeating the Apostles, I definitely can¡¯t let my guard down.

    And just as I wonder what I should do, I casually flip the next request form near my hand ¨C

    ¡°... Sorry, Erina. Sorry to say this so suddenly, but can the date wait until after my next quest is finished?¡±

    ¡°Eh, why?!¡±

    Rather than being angry at me for changing my mind, Erina is wearing a sad expression. It pains my heart, but I can¡¯tpromise. There are now circumstances that make me unable topromise.

    ¡°I have to finish this quest as soon possible, no matter what,¡± I say, handing Erina a single request form. In other words, I¡¯m epting this quest.

    Quest ¨C Lust-Rose extermination

    Reward: 20,000,000 ns

    Time limit: Until the arrival of spring

    Contractor: Guild Master Jimmy of the Asbel Vige¡¯s Adventurers¡¯ Guild

    Contents of request: A Lust-Rose nest has opened in the Asbel Mountain Range this year. The Lust-Rose typically hides in its cavern and waits for its prey to rush inside. Because of this behavior, it does not cause any harm as long as nobody approaches it, so it is not a priority extermination target.

    However, it was discovered thirty years ago and numerous people have since challenged it and never returned, so I wish for its extermination this year from the bottom of my heart.

    ¡°The Lust-Rose extermination?¡± says Erina, reading the form. ¡°It¡¯s a monster that I¡¯ve never heard of. Are you really in that much of a hurry to defeat it?¡±

    There is nothing that could possibly be more important except dealing with the Crusader army if it begins its advance.

    ¡°Yeah, I have to do this no matter what,¡± I say. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s a pity, but I¡¯ll wait. Come back as soon as you can, okay?¡±

    And so, I face my fourth trial that holds the title of Lust.

 Chapter 378 The Greed

    Unable to stand the thought of someone taking the quest before me, I epted the Lust-Rose extermination quest and headed straight for the Stratos Smithing Workshop.

    I rejected Erina¡¯s date; I don¡¯t have time to be taking it slow and enjoying myself. We have to hurry and prepare for the quest and then make our departure.

    Of course, even if I didn¡¯t have this sense of purpose, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯ve been visiting this ce frequently. Neck Cutter and Hitsugi were returned to me right after their maintenance was finished. If they hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to exterminate the Lich.

    The result of the maintenance was superb; the items felt even morefortable in my hands than before, and it felt like everyone became prettier. Especially Hitsugi.

    ¡°My prided ck hair has be even more beautiful, the kind of hair that my motekawa* Goshujin-sama loves!¡± She shouted these words of questionable meaning in a satisfied tone. Inside my head. It was really loud.

    TLN*: This seems to be abination of ¤â¤Æ¤ë/moteru, which is ¡°to be popr with members of the opposite sex,¡± and ¿ÉÛ¤¤/kawaii, which means ¡°cute.¡±

    But for some reason, the Hungry Wolf de ¡®Evil Eater¡¯ remained the same. There is arge fissure running down the belly of the de from when it blocked the Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand greatsword, so this guy was the one that needed repairs the most.

    I thought that I was going to be told that nothing could be done about it, but Regin-san gave me apletely different exnation, saying that ¡°it is better this way.¡± With quite a lot of confidence, too.

    Well, he did assure me that its function as a sword has been restored without problem, so I did just take it with me, but... I¡¯d still feel a little uneasy about using it in a critical situation.

    Now then, all of these handheld items were returned to me long ago, but maintenance wasn¡¯t the only thing I requested at the Stratos Smithing Workshop.

    Indeed, I have asked Regin-san to manufacture a new weapon for me.

    Now I¡¯m knocking on the door of the workshop with my heart beating fast in anticipation of what he could have made for me.

    ¡°Good day, Kurono-san,¡± Regin-san says as he opens the door and wees me inside. ¡°Congrattions on your sess in exterminating the Lich. I havepleted your weapon while you were away.¡± He¡¯s wearing a friendly smile that I wouldn¡¯t expect from a Dwarf craftsman. But he¡¯s not an over-friendly salesman, so he brushes aside the unnecessary small-talk and goes straight to the matter at hand. ¡°I will bring it here now, so please wait a moment.¡±

    Excited, I wait quietly with a cup of tea prepared by Regin-san¡¯s wife in my hand.

    I¡¯ve invested an incredible amount of materials and money into this, so my sense of anticipation is on another level from when I had the Wrath-Pun¡¯s arm made.

    Before long, Regin-san reappears from the depths of the workshop, pushing a cart with rattling wheels. ¡°Thank you for waiting,¡± he says. ¡°I have prepared a ¡®gun¡¯ that you can use in ce of a staff, Kurono-san.¡±

    It¡¯s more of a cannon than a gun. No, to be more precise, it¡¯s a Gatling gun.

    With its characteristic six barrels positioned in a circr bundle, it can¡¯t be called anything else.

    I have a vague recollection of telling Simon about the structure and shape of a Gatling gun, but... to think that the concept would be implemented in this form. Simon¡¯s nning skills and Regin-san¡¯s manufacturing skills are things to be feared.

    ¡°Well, it seems that you already feel this, Kurono-san, but this is, let us say, more of a cannon than a gun,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°It is as if I have made a ballista when you asked for a bow. But I believed that you would be able to master the use of this weapon.¡±

    From the six muzzles to the rectangr, engine-like body, the weapon is easily over a meter long. Seeing the beautiful, shining jet-ck metal, I can guess that the whole thing is made of the Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand.

    It¡¯s unreasonable to expect a single person to wield this huge mass of steel. These things are supposed to be equipped on fighter nes and helicopters.

    ¡°How heavy is it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It is around one hundred kilograms,¡± Regin-san replies. ¡°I did make it as light as I could.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    I grip the handle and feel the cold metal in my hand. At the same time, I feel its weight in my arm. But I can handle this with one hand.

    I easily lift the hundred-kilogram cannon with my right hand.

    ¡°As I expected,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°Though us Dwarves are proud of our strength, I cannot lift it with one hand.¡±

    ¡°Despite my appearance, I am a Rank 5 adventurer,¡± I say.

    ¡°I see. This must be the power of a berserker.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡±

    With a bitter smile, I close my left hand around the foregrip at the base of the barrels and raise it as if I¡¯m embracing it. Yeah, holding it with both hands makes it quite stable. I can easily swing this stupidly heavy Gatling gun like a macho Cyborg hero in Hollywood action movies.

    Come to think of it, when I made the request, Regin-san took measurements of my body, so this weapon might have been made with the length of my arms and my physique in mind. What incredible attention to detail.

    Incidentally, my height was measured to be one hundred and ny centimeters. Hmm, it seems that I¡¯ve grown taller after all. I¡¯m still only seventeen; I¡¯m in my growth period.

    ¡°What does this weapon use for ammunition?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Theoretically, it should be able to fire a maximum of two thousand rounds per minute, but I cannot create suchrge amounts of ammunition, so you will have to use your Bullet Arts, Kurono-san,¡± Regin-san exins.

    I see. In other words, I¡¯m supposed to use Gatling Burst with this. I never imagined that I would be able to use Gatling Burst with an actual Gatling gun.

    ¡°Of course, there are many spell forms that assist in the purification of the projectiles,¡± Regin-san continues. ¡°When the trigger is pulled, the engraved magic circles join together and activate. As a reference, I used the function of the ck Ballista Replica that you said that you once used, so even your ck magic should work perfectly with it.¡±

    What a nostalgic name. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t used a proper staff-like staff ever since then.

    Maybe if I bought a staff as soon as I came to Spada, any staff at all, maybe I would have be a famous ck magic user...

    No, let¡¯s stop. Even if I regret it now, it¡¯s toote.

    In any case, let¡¯s cheer up and be happy about the fact that I¡¯ve finally acquired a weapon suited to using ck magic.

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t give it a test fire now, can I?¡± I say.

    ¡°No, my store would be annihted if you were to fire it,¡± Regin-san says.

    Alright, I need to hold myself back from pulling the trigger until I reach the academy¡¯s training grounds.

    ¡°Other than improved rate of fire and power, are there any new effects?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Its appearance is different, but please consider its fundamental structure to be the same as the prototype rifle,¡± Regin-san says.

    By the way, about that prototype rifle, it¡¯s actually started to show its age as well, so it¡¯s also currently in for repair.

    Well, I was basically firing it non-stop at the monster army surrounding the Iskia Fortress until I managed to push through to the fortress. In fact, I should be grateful that the barrel held out so well. If I was unfortunate enough to have a misfire ur during thest shot I used to finish off the Sloth-Gil, I might have been defeated.

    It worked hard for me, so, of course, it¡¯s going to be repaired and returned to me. But anyway, we¡¯re talking about the Gatling gun at the moment.

    ¡°However, in ce of the magic stone that a staff requires, I have incorporated the Sloth-Gil¡¯s skull into this weapon, so it is possible to utilize powerful lightning element abilities,¡± Regin-san says.

    ¡°Skull?¡± I repeat.

    ¡°Yes, it is in here.¡±

    Regin-san points to the main body of the gun that connects the handle to the barrels. At first, I thought the reason it looks like a rough, rectangr engine is because it was imitating the crappy illustration and exnation that I gave Simon, but... I see, so that thing¡¯s head is inside this.

    I listen on to learn that the inside of its mouth is the gun chamber, so this is where the pseudo-Fullmetal Jacket rounds that I create are summoned and loaded.

    ¡°A lightning-element spell form has been incorporated in order to elerate the bullets,¡± Regin-san continues. ¡°Or perhaps it is more urate to say that the Sloth-Gil itself possesses the power of the lightning element, which naturally adds to the speed of the bullets.¡±

    Huh, then does that mean that this is like a natural railgun?

    ¡°Do you know how the lightning element elerates the fired bullets?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I am not a mage, so I do not have the faintest idea as to what principles are at work,¡± Regin-san replies. ¡°However, it is unmistakably a well-established spell form, so I can assure you that its effect is certainly working properly.¡±

    Well, I don¡¯t know the details of the principles behind how a railgun works, either. The Gatling gun¡¯s mechanism probably uses electromaic induction like real railguns, and even if it¡¯s just some mysterious magical principle that makes the bullets faster by adding the lightning element, there¡¯s no problem as long as it make the fired bullets travel faster.

    ¡°Well, this trivial effect is not the main reason I have incorporated this,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°Could you please put the gun down, Kurono-san?¡±

    I put the Gatling gun on the ground as I¡¯m asked.

    Regin-san bends over and I see him tinkering with something, and then the barrels detach from the weapon¡¯s body with a heavy, clunking noise.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s broken; I certainly swung the weapon lightly while holding onto the barrels earlier. They eithere off with the press of a button, or it¡¯s some kind of magic. I¡¯m curious about it, but I wait quietly without interrupting with a question.

    Regin-san takes a different barrel from the cart that he probably prepared in advance, and joins it with the Gatling gun¡¯s body to give it a new appearance.

    The result is an anti-materiel rifle ¨C no, it¡¯s got a different barrel, but it¡¯s still arge cannon.

    ¡°If you switch to this barrel, you can fire a sma Breath,¡± Regin-san says.

    ¡°I can fire that?!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is inferior to the original, but even so, it produces a power that even the advanced offensive spell Line Force Sagita cannotpare to it.¡±

    Wow, that¡¯s seriously amazing! I¡¯m excited on the inside, but I quietly listen to Regin-san¡¯s continued exnation.

    ¡°However, it is a powerful attack, so it requires you to charge it yourself to a certain extent. That is, you should be able to use a pseudo-lightning element with your ck magic. There is no problem with this, is there?¡±

    ¡°No, none at all.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I can imitate all kinds of lightning-element spells as if I¡¯m a skilled Thunder Mage, but if I just need to pour some mana in, I can use as much as is needed. I¡¯m confident in my stamina, and pretty confident in my mana as well.

    ¡°That is excellent,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°Even if you simply charge it with lightning-element mana, the Sloth-Gil¡¯s skull will amplify the electrical energy and fire with considerable power, but ¨C¡± Regin-san takes another item from the cart. It¡¯s a magical cart that can produce anything. ¡°If these bullets are not used, it will not produce anything powerful enough to be called a sma Breath.¡±

    He hands me something that has a rather unusual shape for a bullet. It has two twisting parts starting from a sharp, w-like tip; it¡¯s not exactly smooth and aerodynamically-shaped for reducing air resistance.

    It seems that the whole thing is coated in the Greed-Gore¡¯s iron sand, forming a double-helix from the tip with gaps in between the two parts, and there is an ominous purple light leaking through those gaps.

    ¡°These bullets have been made with the bones of the Sloth-Gil¡¯s fingers,¡± Regin-san exins.

    I see, that makes sense. If I recall, it had four long, thin fingers on each hand, so that¡¯s eight in total with both hands. So that means ¨C

    ¡°Two of the fingers will be used as nned, so there will be six sma Breath bullets,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°However, I have only been able to prepare this one bullet so far, so if you say that you wish for me to make another of those items ¨C¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t need a third,¡± I say. ¡°They probably won¡¯t let me fire it, after all.¡±

    In any case, this means that there is an ammunition limit for firing sma Breaths. If I only have six shots, I¡¯m a little reluctant to fire a test shot... so for now, I¡¯ll limit my testing to firing it by charging it with my mana.

    ¡°My apologies, but when you fire the sma Breath, the gun barrel will likely be pushed to its limits with a single shot,¡± Regin-san says. ¡°If you fire a second in quick session, there is no doubt that the barrel will liquefy. In the worst-case scenario, it could even misfire.¡±

    In other words, I have to keep the barrel cool if I want to use it safely.

    I suppose the overheating of the barrel is a problem that can¡¯t be avoided with firearms. Even in the battle of Alzas, our crossfire was interrupted because of this problem.

    I¡¯m sure Simon is experimenting with how to solve the machine gun¡¯s cooling problems right about now.

    ¡°By the way, Kurono-san, this weapon does not yet have a name, so could you take this opportunity to give it one?¡± Regin-san asks with a bitter smile, knowing that he doesn¡¯t have a sense for naming things.

    Hmph, if that¡¯s the case, leave it to the former literature club member.

    Hmm, I wonder what would be good here. A long string of unintelligible kanji would be difficult to pronounce, and it¡¯s not a cursed weapon, so something simple ¨C

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll name it ¡®The Greed.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 379 Number one fan

    On the way back from the workshop after receiving my new weapon, I overhear this conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s Wing Road after all; they¡¯ve gotten really serioustely and they¡¯ve been doing Rank 5 quests.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, with the rampaging Ancient Golem, the Elixir recovery and the suppression of the Slime fever, that¡¯s three in a month. But on the other hand, the Element Masters are still in the middle of the Lich extermination.¡±

    ¡°Wing Road are on a different level; they are true elites.¡±

    ¡°Right? I was scared of the Berserker during the parade, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s because he was using some kind of pressuring spell.¡±

    We¡¯ve already cleared the Lich extermination. We took so long because we were busy experimenting, and me scaring everyone waspletely natural. I have all kinds of exnations to give, but I¡¯m not going to go out of my way toin.

    We Element Masters performed brilliantly during the battle of Iskia and made a sudden Rank 5 debut. Along with setting the fastest Rank-up record with a time of three months, we¡¯ve drawn attention as the rivals of Wing Road, the party that has been the youngest and most active up until now.

    However, just as the rumors say, we, the newer party, haven¡¯t reported thepletion of a single quest; our results for the month that has passed since our increase in Rank are poor.

    In contrast, Wing Road has been clearing Rank 5 quests one after another, as if to im back the spotlight that was stolen from them in Iskia.

    The difference between us is clear. This is even truer for the townspeople, who know of nothing other than the results of quests. It seems that this month has been plenty of time for the rumors that Wing Road is a step above us to start spreading.

    I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m upset about or anything, you know...

    ¡°U-umm...¡±

    That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not like we want to stand out. We have our sights on our objective of defeating the Apostles and we¡¯re progressing steadily towards it, so we¡¯re fine with it. Isn¡¯t everything going well? Just what could we possibly be dissatisfied about ¨C ah, well, there¡¯s also a vain part of me that wishes that we could do some work that I could brag about to Nell.

    ¡°Umm, excuse me!¡±

    ¡°UOH?!¡±

    I¡¯mpletely surprised by the voice that suddenly calls out to me. I was so totally immersed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice being approached.

    As I hastily turn around, I see a female student so small that her head just manages to enter the bottom of my vision.

    ¡°Uu... U-umm... You are the Nightmare Berserker, Kurono-san, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asks, looking like she might cry at any moment.

    Uwah, I don¡¯t want to answer. I don¡¯t want to puff out my chest and say, ¡°Yes, I am the Nightmare Berserker.¡± But I can¡¯t just not answer, I suppose.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Kurono.¡±

    I ran away a little. Even though ¡®Nightmare Berserker¡¯ has be my formal ss title, what¡¯s embarrassing is still embarrassing.

    Anyway, let¡¯s set aside my trivial embarrassment. The problem at hand is this girl who has called out to me with tears in her eyes.

    Judging from the close-fitting ck uniform zer that she¡¯s wearing, there¡¯s no doubt that she¡¯s an academy student. Incidentally, it seems that I¡¯ve returned to the academy without even realizing. I¡¯m a short distance past the gate.

    ¡°What did you want with me?¡± I ask.

    She has brown, almost-ck hair in a bob cut, and tears are swimming in her round, adorable eyes. Combined with her slender, small body, her face somewhat reminds me of a small animal. I have no memory of this face ¨C no, I do. This is a face that I¡¯ve seen somewhere before. I¡¯ve definitely seen it somewhere before, but I can¡¯t remember when or where.

    Due to this tantalizing sensation caused by my memory, I¡¯ve ended up speaking to her quite bluntly.

    My sharp ears didn¡¯t miss that really, really small scream that escaped her.

    What have I done? I¡¯ve gone and frightened her for no reason...

    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s... err...¡±

    Tears finally spill over the edges of her eyes. Her small body trembles.

    This is bad; my image as a criminal is rapidly increasing in this ce. I have a feeling that in another five minutes, Safiel will show up, saying something like, ¡°Get away from that girl, Nightmare Raper.¡±

    Still, I¡¯m unable to think of an effective way to ovee this situation. This is where, you know, to stop a small child from being frightened, I have to make eye contact, call out to her gently and pat her head or something... That¡¯s no good. I get the feeling that this is an act that would only be allowed for people as handsome as Nero. At the very least, the only one I could sessfully perform this on is probably Lily.

    In the end, I just stand rigidly on the spot as if I¡¯ve been petrified, silently waiting for her response. Damn it, I feel even more tense than when I was about to fight the Lich.

    ¡°M-my friend... was in Iskia, umm, and... you saved her, Kurono-san, so...¡±

    Her words are intermittent, but I am quickly able to understand what she is doing her utmost to try and tell me.

    ¡°Could it be that you¡¯vee to thank me?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes... Th-thank you!¡± She expresses her gratitude with a teary voice and her head flies downwards in a bow.

    When a girl does this in front of me, I normally can¡¯t react in any way other than to be flustered or panicked.

    But today, I¡¯m simply happy. I see. This is what saving people is like. I can really feel that sensation again.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m d I could save your friend.¡±

    I certainly didn¡¯t go to Iskia Fortress because I wanted to be praised. But I can¡¯t help being happy when being thanked.

    I felt this when I rescued Jenna and the others from the bandits, but having my efforts rewarded properly is an extraordinarily happy thing.

    ¡°Ha, wawa... U-umm, Kurono-san...¡±

    While thinking about how happy I am, I¡¯ve unconsciously started patting the back of the girl¡¯s head that has been presented to me.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± I say in earnest apology as I quickly remove my hand. Damn it, I got this image that this girl would love having her head patted, so I don¡¯t feel any guilt at all. But no, really, I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not that! Having my head patted by Kurono-san is a-an honor!¡± she exims.

    If you tell me that it¡¯s an honor with tears in your eyes, it feels like I¡¯m forcing you to say it.

    But still, what is this tight feeling in my chest? An honor... Having her head patted by me is an honor, she says...

    ¡°The truth is that I was watching the Curse Carnival! From the front row! Kurono-san, you were very cool! I¡¯m your fan, please give me your autograph!¡± she goes on, as if to catch me while I¡¯m busy dealing with these indescribable, perplexing emotions.

    Now I can¡¯t help but to feel like she should just go ahead and say everything.

    ¡°Eh, that tournament, you were watching? Fan... autograph?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Please!¡± She pulls a student diary from the breast pocket of her uniform and holds it out to me. Along with a pen.

    I freeze. I mean, even if you ask for my autograph, what kind of publicity stunt is this supposed to be... No, it¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m a Rank 5 adventurer who has received an award from the king, and I¡¯m a well-known person in Spada now. I¡¯m an authentic famous person.

    But I want her to wait a little. Even if I have be famous, whether I can be naturally able to give my autograph away as a gift for people is another matter entirely.

    Thinking about it normally, it¡¯s hard. Just imagining practicing giving autographs to prepare for the future, preparing a pen-name anding up with an borately-designed signature is embarrassing enough for me to want to bury my face in a pillow and p my legs.

    No, I¡¯ve never done this. I¡¯ve definitely never done this. Coming up with a cool name while I was in middle school is as far as I¡¯ve gone!

    ¡°Umm... You won¡¯t?¡± the girl asks, looking like she¡¯s going to cry for real this time.

    Men are weak to the tears of women. I¡¯ve never felt thisw of nature so strongly as I do right now. Despite how embarrassing it is, my reply is immediate.

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s just an autograph,¡± I say.

    Now then, I¡¯ve managed to gracefully take the student diary and pen, which is good, but what am I supposed to write...

    ¡°Here you go,¡± I say.

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± The girl takes her signed student diary with a smile that covers her whole face.

    The words ¡®Nightmare Berserker Kurono¡¯ are clearly written on it.

    I¡¯ve gone and done it. This is the second time that I¡¯ve called myself by my embarrassing title. It really is embarrassing. Damn it, Will, this is the one thing that I resent you for.

    ¡°Really, thank you very much. Please do your best from now on as well!¡± the girl says.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for cheering me on.¡±

    Completely oblivious to theplicated feelings in my chest, the girl leaves cheerfully.

    She was in tears at first, but she left smiling in the end, so I suppose I can say that this was a good encounter.

    But still, having a thankful fan who wanted my autograph, this was a scene that let me experience the charm of ¡®fame¡¯ all in one go. Isn¡¯t it possible for me to actually be a popr person ¨C This meeting was so impactful that I might get this delusional idea in my head.

    It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t crave the limelight so much that I would be blinded by a desire for fame. I ampletely aware of what is most important here. Fame is secondary or even tertiary.

    For now, being immersed in the fluffy feeling of knowing that I have an adorable fan out there is good enough for me.

    I didn¡¯t ask for her name or ss, but I¡¯ll work hard so I can do better for her if I see her again. May I escort you somewhere, Ojou-san? Something like that.

    ¡°... Ah.¡±

    I¡¯ve remembered.

    My stupid delusion has unexpectedly produced the answer. Escort, guiding, showing the way.

    That¡¯s right, that girl was the female student that I asked for directions to Simon¡¯s dormitory when I first visited the academy. I recover my memories of her being very frightened and me wondering why I called out to female students instead of male ones.

    But even she has be able to show me a smile now. I feel strange thinking about that, because it¡¯s like I¡¯vee a really long way.

    In any case, I¡¯ve be used to the refreshing feeling of this wonderful encounter. Good, good. I found the quest for my trial today, too, I¡¯m kind of lucky today ¨C perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have thought this.

    The moment the dormitory that I¡¯m returning to enters my sight ¨C

    I hear the voices of girls arguing.

    ¡°Hmm, this voice is Lily... and Nell, I guess.¡± I immediately realize that this is a badbination and let out a small sigh. ¡°... Again, huh.¡±

    Now then, what should I say to mediate peace between them, and what should I tell them? I harden my resolve and press on to the dormitory as I rack my brains.

 Chapter 380 The nuisance Fairy

    Exactly a month ago, on the 9th of Blue Moon, the day after I went to visit Nell. Just after the bell signalling the end of the day¡¯s lessons rang, Nell visited the dormitory. On the same day, she fulfilled my request to teach me magic.

    At the time, Lily and I were in the dormitory. Fiona had gone out on a shopping-and-eating trip for the Lich extermination request that we¡¯d epted.

    In any case, this was the first time that Lily and Nell had met each other face-to-face.

    ¡°Good day, Kurono-kun. Umm, if I recall, this child is your party member...¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s Lily. Come on, Lily, say hello ¨C¡±

    ¡°No! Go home!¡±

    The first one to bark is Lily. She lets out intimidating hisses like a Smander facing an enemy trespassing on its domain. It¡¯s cute when she does this in her child form, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a rude way to behave towards a princess that she is meeting for the first time.

    ¡°U-umm, Kurono-kun...¡±

    Faced with the fierce hostility of an adorable Fairy-san, Nell is bewildered as to how to cope with the situation.

    ¡°You can¡¯te in! You caaaaaaan¡¯t!¡± Lily¡¯s voice grew louder.

    The Oracle Field surrounds her small body in full force, flickering intermittently.

    This is the same shining light that I sawing from a real Fairy warning me to leave the forest when I first met Lily in the Fairy Garden. Intense flickering is how Fairies threaten others.

    ¡°Sorry, Nell, wait a moment,¡± I say.

    I hastily scoop up the growling Lily into my arms, close the door in the dormitory¡¯s entranceway and make a temporary retreat.

    ¡°Oi, Lily, what¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?¡± I quietly ask Lily, who is giving me a reproachful, sullen re from within my arms.

    ¡°Muh, why did that persone to our house! She¡¯s not allowed to meet you! She¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    It seems that Lily¡¯s mind understands things as they were described in the first Element Masters emergency meeting.

    Carelesslying into contact with Nell, who is a member of the royal family = She is a dangerous person that I must not meet. I¡¯m sure Nell looks like a winged monster to the young Lily.

    ¡°I¡¯m being careful, but banning me from meeting her is ¨C¡±

    ¡°You caaaan¡¯t!¡±

    Apparently, I can¡¯t. Lily objects as if she¡¯s pressing me to cut my ties with an adulterous partner. Well, I¡¯ve never had a girlfriend before, so I have no experience in cheating on someone.

    ¡°Sorry, Lily,¡± I say. ¡°But I need Nell¡¯s power no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Why?! Is Lily no good?!¡± Lily reacts in such a way that it feels like a crashing noise is going to follow. Her eyes and mouth are wide open letting me know how shocked she is so clearly that it hurts.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but you can¡¯t teach me modern magic, can you, Lily?¡± I point out.

    ¡°U-uh... Umm, you know... If you go, ¡®faah,¡¯ firees out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your Characteristic Ability, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t imitate that.¡±

    I feel bad for Lily, whose eyes have now be teary in shock, but this is one problem that nothing can be done about. Lily has beenpletely reliant on the Characteristic Ability that she possesses; she has not acquired the use of modern magic like a regr mage.

    Of course, at this point in time, Lily possesses abilities on the level of a Rank 5 adventurer, and her Characteristic Ability that she spent a long time improving isn¡¯t at all inferior to the proper way of learning magic.

    ¡°As I exined before, it¡¯s absolutely necessary for me to learn modern magic so that I can make full use of my divine protections,¡± I say.

    ¡°Uu... Can¡¯t Fiona do it?¡±

    ¡°... As unfortunate as it is, I couldn¡¯t keep up with Fiona¡¯s lessons.¡±

    Being as useless as I am, I still haven¡¯t managed to tell Fiona that it¡¯s impossible to understand her exnations through onomatopoeic sounds alone. Ah, the second Element Masters emergency meeting will probably be held today, so I should prepare myself.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, so I have no choice but to ask Nell to teach me,¡± I say. ¡°I know that you¡¯re wary of her, but please be understanding here.¡±

    ¡°... Alright. I¡¯ll listen to you, Kurono.¡± Lily seems reluctant, but she folds.

    As expected of Lily, what an obedient child she is.

    And so, Nelling to teaching me magic was formally approved, but ¨C

    I sigh. ¡°... Again, huh.¡±

    I¡¯m currently looking at Lily, who is using her sparkling Fairy-style intimidation method as usual, and Nell, who is cautiously trying to approach the dormitory.

    ¡°Kurono isn¡¯t here! Go home!¡± Lily shouts.

    ¡°I-I will not! I promised that I would continue teaching Kurono-kun after he came back from his quest!¡± Nell exims.

    The sight of a princess quite seriously cowering before a small girl is ratherical, but for her, this is serious.

    In any case, if I don¡¯t go there, things won¡¯t be resolved.

    ¡°Lily, isn¡¯t it about time you started being nice to Nell?¡± I say.

    ¡°Kurono?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Kurono-kun!¡±

    Lily is wearing an ufortable expression while a flower-like smile blooms across Nell¡¯s face.

    ¡°Sorry, Nell, Lily is still just a bit wary,¡± I say. ¡°She definitely doesn¡¯t mean any harm, so please forgive her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is quite alright,¡± Nell says. ¡°It does not bother me.¡±

    Thanks for your wonderful royal smile. Nell truly is an angel.

    ¡°Muh!¡±

    In contrast, Lily has puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. But she still flies into my chest and snuggles against me. Lily really is an adorable Fairy-san, even when she¡¯s angry.

    But as I spoil Lily like a cat, I can hear a quiet ¡°Mumumu...¡± and feel a slightly stern gaze being sent my way from Nell. I¡¯ll pretend not to notice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside for now,¡± I suggest.

    And so I enter the dormitory with Lily in my arms, leading Nell inside. Our destination is the lounge. Not my room.

    On the 9th of Blue Moon, the second Element Masters emergency meeting was held, and the topic of discussion was whether it¡¯s alright for me to have Nell teach me magic. Since Nell is visiting like this, I obviously managed to get permission, but several rules were decided.

    One of them is that the lessons aren¡¯t held in my room.

    If Lily doesn¡¯t want others entering her room, then should she get her own room that¡¯s separate from mine? I suggested this to her, and she cried. It seems that this isn¡¯t the problem.

    In any case, the magic lessons from Nell-sensei take ce in the lounge. Well, as long as she¡¯s teaching me, I don¡¯t mind where it is, so I don¡¯t have any particr objections to it.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, I have tea and snacks, so I¡¯ll go and prepare them, alright?¡± says Nell.

    Come to think of it, ever since the lesson on the 9th, Nell has always brought some kind of gift with her. Considering that I¡¯m the one being taught, this pains me a little. But Nell¡¯s tea and snacks are delicious, so I¡¯m grateful for them as well. I¡¯m always unintentionally taking advantage of her kindness.

    ¡°Thanks for everything,¡± I say.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Nell says, giving me a bright smile as if to say that she knows me too well as she heads into the kitchen.

    I¡¯m ending up leaving all the preparations to her as well, but Nell is the only one who can prepare tea so well, so I hope she can forgive me.

    ¡°Lily, you have to thank her properly as well when you eat,¡± I say.

    ¡°... Mhmm.¡±

    With Lily still in my arms, I sit down. This is the perfect posture to have Lily sit on my knees.

    Incidentally, this is the second rule for the lessons. Having Lily present when I¡¯m receiving the lessons, that is.

    Having considered the unlikely possibility that Nell tries something to hack into my brain with telepathy, Lily is here because she can detect the use of telepathy immediately and defend my mind. I think this is being overly cautious, but this was something that Lily and Fiona would not yield on.

    Of course, the witch¡¯s expert opinion was that Fiona should be the one giving out the lessons to begin with.

    And then I finally hardened my resolve and said it. I told her that it¡¯s hard to understand through onomatopoeic sounds alone. Fiona cried. I wanted to cry, too. This is one of the pages in my book of difficult memories.

    After we wait a few minutes, Nell appears, bringing steaming ck tea and some mousse-like sweet snack in cups.

    ¡°Here, please drink it while it¡¯s still hot,¡± she says.

    She finishes skillfully setting the table, and, well, itadakimasu.

    ¡°Umm,st time, we finished after having done the basics of Protect Boost and Concentration Boost, didn¡¯t we?¡± Nell continues.

    While I enjoy this extremely delicious mousse, which was probably bought in a famous store in the upper district, I confirm how far our lessons had progressed. It has been a whole month, after all.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I say. ¡°These two are the top priorities for me to learn, so please hurry and continue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please leave it to me!¡± Nell answers as she puffs herrge chest out and ms a heavy grimoire on the table. It quivers. Even if there is no such thing as the huge-breast element, my eyes are subconsciously drawn there.

    ¡°Kurono, say ¡®ahh!¡¯¡±

    ¡°Mmm, err, ahh.¡±

    Lily suddenly pushes her spoon towards me, so my eating what¡¯s on it is mostly a conditioned reflex.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± she asks.

    ¡°It is,¡± I say. ¡°You want some too, Lily?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Ahh!¡±

    I return the favor and feed Lily, who is sitting on my knees. I feel like a papa raising my daughter. Ah, how therapeutic.

    Incidentally, the spoon that I¡¯m using is one that Nell has brought. This silver thing, which has carvings in the shape of white wings on it and practically exudes luxury, is the same one that I used to eat the pudding when I visited Nell.

    Nell brings not only this, but the whole set including the cups for the ck tea. I can feel her incredible dedication.

    However, her tableware set doesn¡¯t go as far as to include a small spoon for a small child to use, so Lily¡¯s spoon is her own.

    As I shower Lily with affection, Nell, who is sitting opposite me, calls out to me while leaning forward.

    ¡°U-umm, Kurono-kun... That is, me as well...¡±

    ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°M-me as well... Ah, ahh... it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    As if suddenly giving up on something, Nell gives a troubled sigh and quietly returns to her original sitting position. Just what in the world was that? Could it be that me showing so much affection was really gross...? I think it¡¯s unlikely, but I¡¯ll be more careful from now on.

    ¡°¨C Gochisousama.¡±

    Before long, we finish eating, and our first lesson in a month finally begins.

    The fourth trial is waiting for me, after all. I¡¯ll learn Protect Boost and Concentration Boost to some extent over today and tomorrow, and challenge the Lust-Rose!

    ¡°Fuwah~.¡±

    Inplete contrast to my enthusiasm, Lily, who seems to have be sleepy after finishing eating the snack, lets out a yawn. Do your best, Kurono.

 Chapter 381 Uninvited Partner

    Chapter 381 Uninvited Partner

    When one thinks back on it, Simon had never really formed a party. When he had first registered as an adventurer to earn his tution fees, he naturally tried forming one but in the end it didn¡¯t work out. Nobody really wanted a helpless alchemist who couldn¡¯t even use a sword or magic.

    And naturally, he went solo. He wasn¡¯t really aiming to rank up either and so he just went on doing the rank 1 quest of collecting medicinal nts over and over. But to Simon, this wasn¡¯t unfavourable.

    If my memory serves me right, he probably also met Kurono from the Alsace vige¡¯s adventurer guild when returning from the nt collecting quest. After that, started the hellish Alsace battle. And then the recent ,nightmarish battle of Iskia. In both of these battles, there were allies in the surroundingnds but they didn¡¯t really form parties. They only moved in a group temporarily.

    And then, after the fight had ended, he was supposed to go back to his casual solo quests but¡ªbefore he knew it, he had made a partner.

    ¡°Yaa, the weather is good. Ideal for questing.¡±

    In the deep green forest, bright sunlight filtered through the trees and among all that, a cheerful, light voice reached Simon¡¯s elf ears.

    ¡°R-right¡­¡±

    Replying with difficulty, he looked at the owner of that voice.

    Even though the bottom half of her face was covered by a veil, just seeing her eyes makes you think she has a beautiful face.

    This Dark Elf, who only introduced herself as Sofie, is Simon¡¯s partner for now.

    (¡­.How did ite to this¡­.)

    He thought back to exactly a month ago. It was when he had finally returned to his usual worn-out hostel from his elder sister¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Wee back, Simon. This person will be your partner from today. Her name is Sofie.¡±

    And this was how the mysterious dark elf Sofie was forced onto him by Lily, when she greeted him with a bright smile.

    ¡°Simon, you will be trying out the guns you develop in real battles yourself from now on, won¡¯t you? But it¡¯s kinda worrying to let you go alone into a jungle and we will be busy with our quests so we can¡¯t look after you. And so, I decided on having someone I can trust be your bodyguard.¡±

    I understand the logic behind it. But this is way too sudden.

    As if it was already assumed that this person will be appointed on me and the guarding and so on are just an excuse for it.

    ¡°And that¡¯s how it is, so, I look forward to it, Simon.¡±

    ¡°Ye-yes¡­¡±

    But, it is also true that he couldn¡¯t really deny either.

    ¡°For certain circumstances, I will not reveal her identity but I can guarantee that her background and skills are good. So don¡¯t worry too much and go do your test shooting.¡±

    Lily just went on one-sidedly and didn¡¯t let him slip in a word, and on top of that¡ª

    ¡°I see. Please feel at home then.¡±

    He was even abandoned by Kurono, who came inter.

    And so, without having a choice, he ended uping to the dungeon like this with the mysterious onee-chan, Sofie.

    There were countless points he was worried about but now that he hade all the way here, he decided on aplishing his first objective, at the very least.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s do it around here.¡±

    In front of Simon¡¯s eyes, there was a smallke.

    This was the ¡®Latifundy forest¡¯, aka Laty¡¯s forest, where Sparda¡¯s adventurers routinelye. Its difficulty is sorted into four ranks but as only low ranked monsters such as slimes and goblins live in the shallow parts of the forest, it is a suitable field for beginner adventurers. Of course, to gather medicinal nts.

    ¡°Sofie-san, you do properly understand why I came to the dungeon without even epting a quest, right?¡±

    As soon as he reached the designated river¡¯s bank, Simon raised his voice. Sofie was being awfully over-familiar, treating him like a child but he didn¡¯t feel any ill will from her. It would be best to cooperate here, he thought.

    ¡°Ah, of course, it is to test the performance of a weapon called the machine gun, right?¡±

    As a matter of fact, he had been developing the machine gun concurrently with the rifle right after returning from Alsace. The rifle took shape first but this time, after having attended Iskia¡¯s lessons, he finished the machine gun with maximum priority.

    Even still, he would hesitate to even call it a prototype at this stage. After all was said and done, Simon can¡¯t really ept the fact that the most important part of the gun, the part which makes consecutive shots possible, is reliant on magic.

    This would just make it a simple magic staff.

    Nevertheless, he still prioritized making something usable as soon as possible.

    ¡°Yes. This machine gun, you see¡ª¡±

    And while exining, he turned his usual dimension pouch upside down, and clumps of steel fell on the floor and scattered around. Of course, this was not any junk, it was the machine gun¡¯s parts.

    ¡°As you can see, it isn¡¯t a weapon one can carry alone. Basically, it is a weapon you¡¯d set up on ground or on a rampart.¡±

    ¡°I see. So it is simr to a ballista?¡±

    He dragged out arge gun barrel at the end and assembled all the parts.

    First, the tripod. He wasn¡¯t nning on moving and as such, didn¡¯t prepare wheels for it.

    ¡°Since we are going to be test shooting on monsters, we would have to wait here but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me. I just need to bring them over here, right?¡±

    It saved him the trouble since she knew what to do. As expected of someone that Lily acknowledges. Simon¡¯s expectations of her raised up a notch.

    ¡°It is a bit risky but if you can do it, then please.¡±

    ¡°Rank 2 monsters would be the majority around here so it isn¡¯t a problem. Well then, I will be back.¡±

    With that said, Sofie left like the wind. She crossed the small river with a single leap.

    Simon had heard she was of the magician ss but to demonstrate that level of physical ability¨Che was honestly surprised. He didn¡¯t understand the secret behind her huge leap¨Cwhether it was martial arts, boots or just simple strength but even still, he understood that it was genuinely amazing.

    If she¡¯s this good, she might be able to properly draw the monsters to the other side, the killzone.

    ¡°Alright, I need to put this together fast.¡±

    And like that, even while having trouble picking up heavy parts, he had finished assembling the whole thing before long.

    It looked quite simr to the one he had made at the Alsace vige. Very unshapely¨Cseeing how a long barrel just flies out of a rectangle box. To be frank, it looks pretty bad. Kurono, who had seen the real thing, naturally thought the same, and even the creator, Simon, knew it lookedme as a weapon.

    But even so, it is true that this is a much advanced version of the hurried one he made in Alsace.

    The standard structure of this one was that of a gatling gun, as Kurono had called it. Simon¡¯s machine gun¡¯s structure was simr to the one of Earth¡¯s where magic didn¡¯t exist.

    To be exact, it was simr to the first gatling gun in existence in Earth¡¯s history.

    The decisive difference is that the firing is not done by gunpowder but rather the fire attribute¡¯s magic.

    The shells are connected in a belt without any gunpowder and they are shot just as they are and so, the anti-shell process doesn¡¯t exist here.

    And because of this, there was the merit of not having shells clog up but, even more than that, the demerit of having to rely on magic was high.

    Simon can¡¯t use magic¨Cin other words, he doesn¡¯t have mana. To operate the magic shooting system built inside, magic items were needed.

    And for that, he simply used a processed fire attribute magic stone but the cost to mass produce that would be too high. Moreover, if the mana supply provided by this item runs out, the machine gun won¡¯t shoot. Even if the shells still remain.

    The gun won¡¯t have any meaning if the general public like Simon can¡¯t use them. Thinking of that future, he needed to get rid of all magic rted stuff in it.

    It would take quite a bit of time toplete the machine gun¡ªthought Simon. But soon switched over, thinking that now is the time to be testing out what he had progressed so far.

    ¡°Well then, first, I will check its behaviour¨C¡±

    First test shooting. He didn¡¯t really establish any target or anything, he just wanted to confirm if the thing would even shoot the shells or not.

    Even the powerless Simon could rotate the crank which was properly greased.

    The gun barrels made rattling sound as they started moving and at the same time, the bullet belt started rolling up on the inside.

    A parched firing of a gun resounded in the forest.

    ¡°Yes! It worked properly!¡±

    Theoretically, it could fire about 200 shots per minute. But for now, just that it worked properly was enough.

    Since the gatling gun has 6 barrels to shoot from, the heat released from shooting is dispersed much easily. It was obvious as numerous barrels are being rotated in sequence to shoot bullets but it is an important effect.

    But it is a secret how Kurono actually went ¡®oh it shoots from 6 barrels simultaneously, amazing!¡¯ when he first saw it.

    ¡°This could probably easily kill 10 to 20 slime or goblin.¡±

    Simon was looking forward to Sofie¡¯s return so that he could shoot at moving targets.

    And after waiting for about 30 minutes, with a rustling sound, Sofie came jumping out of the thicket. Simon wouldn¡¯t mistake her for the enemy and identally shoot, of course.

    Although, even if by chance he did shoot, someone as skilled as Sofie could dodge it even at point nk range¨Cor so bragged Lily.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. There aren¡¯t a lot but I think it¡¯s enough for a shooting test.¡±

    Again, making the huge leap from the other side of the river, before Simon realized, she hade right beside him and whispered in his ears. Too close.

    While feeling a chill through his spine, for now, Simon just replied with a ¡®thank you very much¡¯.

    Saying that, he shifted his attention back to the monsters on the other side. He couldn¡¯t see them but could definitely hear the goblins¡¯ high pitched voices from inside the forest,ing towards them.

    Sofie did say there weren¡¯t a lot of them but she was probably being modest. After all, no matter how you thought about it, their chorus didn¡¯t sound as small as 10 or 20 goblins¡¯ would.

    ¡°Umm, Sofie-san¡­ did you count about how many goblins you brought?¡±

    Simon frankly asked, all the while feeling sweat run through his hand which gripped the crank.

    ¡°Hmmm, about a hundred, I would say.¡±

    ¡®Fortunately, I found their nest quite close, you see¡¯¨Csuch an exnation didn¡¯t even enter Simon¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Uwaah, they are here?!¡±

    Along with a jarring high-pitched screaming voice, a huge group of goblins jumped on the river bank.

    In reaction to the clear unexpected amount of enemy, Simon reflexively rotated the crank as fast as he could.

    The new weapon which the prodigal alchemist diligently built up had started spitting out lead balls as fast as it could. Just as a gatling burst.

    ¡°Waaahh!! Too many! There¡¯s too many of them, Sofie-san!!¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha, I am d you are pleased!¡±

    ¡°My life is shing before my eyes!!¡±

    Even while screaming, Simon skillfully used the machine gun and didn¡¯t let the goblins get close.

    Just as the time in Alsace vige, the enemy were held up in the river and couldn¡¯t move immediately. On top of that, their movement also became dull.

    As expected, they are a good target but unfortunately, there are too many of them.

    If the recoil from the shots were just a bit more, Simon¡¯s slim hands wouldn¡¯t be able to control the barrel.

    Even though the machine gun was working as intended, even at this moment, the goblins were relying on their numbers to force their way through the river.

    If it¡¯s only 5 of them, he could deal somehow with the new prototype rifle he brought along.

    However, with this big of a group in front of him, if even one of them escaped and got above, the rest would keep following one by one and it would be over.

    ¡°This is bad, this is bad, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    The goblins, who dauntlessly took the frontal barrage of the machine gun, were falling one by one, getting hit by the rain of lead bullets. With the scattered blood and entrails, the small river was dyed red in an instant.

    The goblins, who didn¡¯t really have tough scales or shells, didn¡¯t really have a means to defend themselves from the high speed raining bullets. If even one of those high caliber bullets hit them anywhere on the body, they would be rendered unable to fight. If they fall on the ground, they will die of blood loss¨Cif they fall in the river, they would die by drowning. They couldn¡¯t escape death.

    It was a one-sided massacre. But in fact, due to just a slight miss from Simon¡¯s part, the fight had turned into a tightrope walk of attack and defense for the goblins.

    ¡°Good luck, Simon! Just a little left.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, really I can¡¯t¨Cah¡­ ah, ahhh¨C!¡±

    It was truly a fighting scene¨Cwith gunfire and shrieks and warm cheering.

    ¡°Haaa¡­. Haa¡­ I did it¡­ I somehow did it¡­¡±

    He himself didn¡¯t really realize how he had done it, but he finally killed all the goblins. Thest one was only 2 meters away from the gun barrel before it turned into minced meat.

    If nothing else, it was the best possible proof of the machine gun¡¯s potential.

    But, however,

    ¡°Sofie-san! You gathered up too much!¡±

    Simon, who had thought he was actually going to die, couldn¡¯t help but say that much. On top of that, having crossed the point between life and death, he was also a little high.

    Comins came first rather than constraint.

    ¡°You wanted to test your prized new weapon so I thought it could kill about a hundred or two hundred goblins easily.¡±

    ¡°Only a rank 5 adventurer can easily deal with that amount of goblins!¡±

    If a hundred goblin came in a group, even a rank 4 adventurer would have a hard time dealing with them solo.

    ¡°Really? I think you did a wonderful job of annihting them, though.¡±

    ¡°I would have died if there were even one more of them!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I will protect you.¡±

    She said that, brimming of confidence, but as Simon didn¡¯t really catch a glimpse of her strength first-hand, he couldn¡¯t really be honestly relieved.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Well, for now, it worked out so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Giving up andprising is one of the most important things in a human rtionship. In that sense, Simon was a responsible adult.

    Keeping theints at his throat, he only thought about how he would go on to interact with her keeping the gap ofmon sense in mind.

    Since they had killed about a hundred goblins, the surrounding was filled with corpses and scent of blood. It was only a matter of time till monsters with a good sense of smell appeared.

    After producing the best results, the gun barrel hadpletely heated up.

    The gun barrel of this new prototype was made using the iron sand of Greeding-Gore which Kurono acquired. It was immensely sturdier than the hurried version in the Alsace battle but even still, to use it for long periods with stable performance, cooling it timely was necessary so that it didn¡¯t deform from the heat.

    However, he didn¡¯t prepare an efficient cooling system for now. And naturally, he decided to rely on his magician partner.

    ¡°Sofie-san, you said you were good at water magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Yea, my other elemental magic is average but I can confidently say I am good at water magic. I have a few original magics as well as high level ones.¡±

    It is a condition to be recognized as a first ss magician¨Cto produce original magic which cross even high level ones. Of course, it is because original magic can¡¯t be made that easily that first rate magicians are first rate.

    At any rate, if what Sofie says is true, then her skills as a magician is first ss¨Cno, as she has acquired a few original magic, it won¡¯t be an exaggeration to call her super first ss.

    When a water magic user who is a beautiful dark elfes to mind, Simon would¨Cno, anyone would think of a rank 5 adventurer.

    ¡°That is amazing. Like the Valkyrie Blizzard Sofie san.¡±

    Like¡­ or rather it ispletely like her. The name, even the looks.

    ¡°¡­You are¡­ not her, right?¡±

    He went out and asked her using this opportunity.

    ¡°Of course not, you can tell by seeing this face, right?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re hiding your face with a magic item, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He can¡¯t use magic, but he does have knowledge of it. He could tell her face veil was a magic item which had an effect of recognition obstruction. Even though he can see her face, for some reason, it doesn¡¯t leave traces in his memories¨CThat weird feeling is exactly a trait of that magic.

    ¡°For reasons, I can¡¯t reveal my face, But, from the perspective of other races, all dark elves look the same and Sofie isn¡¯t really an umon name either, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. That person is the board chairman of the theological school and she wouldn¡¯t have any time to be hanging around with me.¡±

    ¡°Right? Being a principle is tough.¡±

    Even while being caught by her way of saying it, as if she experienced it herself, Simon thought he shouldn¡¯t be worrying about trivial things now and went on to request what he should prioritize.

    ¡°And, so, I want Sofie-san, who is good at water magic, to cool this gun barrel.¡±

    It pains him to say this but magic is omnipotent. Even if he made a really efficient cooling system after thinking really hard, a magician would just as easily do it without any trouble, as if to ridicule him.

    He was most jealous of it but he left that aside for now.

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡±

    Saying that, Sofie touched the gun barrel with her finger.

    ¡°It is dangerous to touch it lik¡ª¡±

    ¡®Whooosh¡¯¨Cintense evaporation rose and took along Simon¡¯s warning with it. And suddenly, white steam got denser.

    No matter how skilled of a magician she is, to touch a high temperature metal with bare hands is crazy. He didn¡¯t know how confident she had to be do that but he was expecting a shrilling shriek from her the next moment but¡ª¡¯nngg!¡¯

    ¡°¡­.Eh?¡±

    Instead of the shriek he had expected, Simon heard a tremendously unpleasant sound.

    At that time, as the wind blew the steam away, there a tragedy had happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s broken?!¡±

    The gun barrel had broke. Marvelouslypletely in half.

    ¡°Sorry, seems like I cooled it a bit too much.¡±

    Most people know of the phenomenon which takes ce when you rapidly cool an intensely high temperature object. You wouldn¡¯t even have to be an alchemist to know that. A ss breaking due to really hot tea being poured in it¨Cit¡¯s a horror story most people have experienced.

    But to rapid cool so much so that you would break steel in two¡­ Sofie was the first person he ever saw who could do that.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would break so easily¡­¡±

    Simon had also been thinking the same. It wasn¡¯t just any simple steel, it was an alloy made from rank 5 monsters¨Cand to think that broke so easily. It was only because he thought it would be fine even if Sofie did some rapid cooling that he asked her.

    But this is the result.

    Her wonderful talent as a water magic user was proven but of course, he couldn¡¯t really go and say ¡®as expected of an amazing original water magic user¡¯. Of course, he could not.

    He was nearing his tolerance limit.

    ¡°¡­.Da¡­¡±

    Simon had only one thing to dere.

    ¡°Eh, what?¡±

    Sofie timidly asked, looking at Simon¡¯s downcast face.

    ¡°¡­.Can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ this party is over.¡±

    In response to his breakup deration in tears, it was only after 30 seconds had passed that Sofie started weeping and apologizing.

 Chapter 382 The Adventurerâ€™s Guild of Asbel Village

    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild of Asbel Vige

    The twenty-third day of the Frozen Soil month. At the end of an eleven-day¡¯s journey towards our quest in the Asbel Mountain Range, we, the ¡°Element Masters¡±, arrived to the nearby Asbel Vige.

    First, we headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild of the vige.

    ¡°Seriously, I never expected we would be receiving the rumoured Nightmare Berserker here.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    That was the first thing Jimmy-san, the Guild Master of the vige that requested the Lust-Rose Subjugation, said to us.

    Even though he seems to be well over sixty, this old man¡¯s sturdy body doesn¡¯t appear to have declined. He weed us with a mix of astonishment and joy that was clearly revealed by his speech, but I was unable to meekly ept that.

    ¡°Umm... Why do you know about me?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Your fame precedes you all the way to Avalon.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    It seems that what happened at the Battle of Iskia is spreading through the group of city-states in central Pandora. Especially in Avalon, since that¡¯s where First Prince Nero was. It became quite the hot topic.

    Avalon. Yes, right now I am visiting the bordends of Mia-chan¡¯s Avalon for the first time.

    This vige is located at the southern tip of the very long and northwards stretching Asbel Mountain Range, where the Lust-Rose is hidden. Three whole countries are crossed by the mountain range: Avalon to the south. The mountainous country of Wyndham, where the harpies live is in the middle. And, finally, to the north, is the elven country of Ortensia.

    But, as expected, the most famous image of the mountain range seems to be Avalon. The reason being that at this southern tip of the mountain range is where the farm where the Ancient Demon King, Mia Elroad, lived her childhood as a shepherdess. Of course, since all that remain is what was passed down in legends, the exact location of the farm is unknown. Even now, it seems that archaeologists are obsessed with conducting on-site researches to identify the actual location... Guess I¡¯ll ask about it next time.

    Thinking about it, because of the legend, the royal family of Avalon built their vi in this ce. Nell told me about how she used to look forward toing here when she was a child.

    Anyways, now it¡¯s time to talk about the quest. I have no choice but to give up about my embarrassing nickname of Nightmare Berserker spreading fast and not staying in Spada.

    ¡°So, about the Lust-Rose, what detailed information could you give us?¡± (Kurono)

    We came to meet the client to specifically procure information about the current trial¡¯s target, a Rank 5 monster.

    Reserving the conference room in the second floor of the Guild was quite smooth, and was prepared ahead of time for our meeting.

    But, just looking at this countryside vige¡¯s simple wooden conference room, reminds me of Alsace Vige... I listened to the exnation while immersed in sentimentality.

    ¡°Oh, the first one to discover the Lust-Rose¡¯s nest was I¨D.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    We were told many bitter memories. Starting by the discovery thirty years ago, when Jimmy-san was still an active adventurer.

    The first victims were three youths with promising futures, members of a Rank 4 party.

    ¡°Inside, those three did not seem to be any different from usual. But, midway, they started repeating the same lines they just said over and over again.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    Thanks to being in contact with them using a telepathic device, he was able to notice the anomaly. However, it seems the device encountered interference midway, and to the bitter end was only able to hear their voices fragmentarily.

    In the end, those three never returned from the cave.

    ¡°It seemed that they didn¡¯t fight directly with the monster, but fell into an abnormal condition. I¡¯m sure it was something different from being charmed or confused, at the very least it was a bewitching effect that made them lose their mind.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    ¡°Why did you conclude that the monster from the cave was the Lust-Rose?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Dwelling in a cave with the walls covered in thorny vines like those of a rose, the use of an unknown magic, and the urrence of the ominous pink gas. The Lust-Rose was the only one that matched those conditions.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    ¡°You didn¡¯t confirm its appearance?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that I searched for detailed information about the Lust-Rose¡¯s appearance, but there was none. Since more or less all the rted documents are here, you can look through themter.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    However, with a bitter smile, Jimmy-san told us he didn¡¯t believe it would be very useful.

    As expected, there are many cases ofcking urate information for a monster rted to a trial. Well, I anticipated it would be like this, I¡¯m grateful for being able to receive any small amount of information.

    ¡°Moreover, with the information left by the adventurers that challenged the cave until now, the credibility rises.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    When they challenged the cave for a second time, their top priority was the monster residing there. Prioritizing on confirming its appearance and bringing back urate information, rather than defeating it.

    ¡°At that time I entered the cave as a member of the reconnaissance team. We found three bodiespletely cased in ice... Naturally, I didn¡¯t think that those three were alive, but the sight of their smiling faces filled me with dread.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    The bewitching effect continued working up the moment of their death, they might have even passed away without noticing.

    ¡°When you went with the reconnaissance team, did you only get to check on the bodies?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Thanks to themunication device, we knew that the first branching part of the road diverged to the left and to the right at some point, we decided to stop advancing after that point. We found the three bodies on the right path of the fork.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    ording to what he remembered from those days, the three had decided to advance through the left path. But they were found in the right path when it should have been the left one. It¡¯s possible that one of the effects included in the bewitching was capable of making people lose their direction.

    ¡°The third time, an adventurer with an anti-magic item challenged the cave. However, he did not return.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    After that, every time was the same as Jimmy-san¡¯s first incursion. They sent adventurers that would go into the cave carrying a telepathicmunication item, but, as expected, the results were always the same.

    No matter how many times they tried, after the bifurcation, it always ended with them repeating their words.

    At that point, it¡¯s already toote. It bes impossible for the affected person to find the exit, even when they are told to return, since their sense of direction bes twisted and keep thinking that they are on the correct path to the exit.

    ¡°How did the person that wrote this documents defeat that monster?¡± (Kurono)

    The presented documents with the scarce information regarding the Lust-Rose included one clear fact: that the monster had been sessfully subjugated.

    ¡°No idea. Because he never spoke in detail about the fight against the Lust-Rose.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    That person was a devout male priest that served in a temple in Pandora. Since his ss was Cleric, one can assume that an especially powerful attack is not needed to defeat it.

    This Lust-Rose is like the Sloth-Gil, a monster that specializes in weak points. Therefore, it¡¯sbat ability should be low whenpared to the Wrathpun or the Greed-Gore.

    ¡°Being a Cleric, could it be that he merely avoided the bewitchment?¡± (Kurono)

    Compared to a Swordsman or a Warrior, a Cleric¡¯s ability to defend its mind should excel.

    ¡°Oh, I think so too. He was also a high-ranking priest, said to be able to use Ancient Healing Magic.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    Just like Nell. He possessed an ability worthy of Rank 5.

    Yet, I wonder why he did not talk about how he defeated it. I would have liked to ask him directly, but it is physically impossible since he passed away decades ago.

    ¡°Since he was in a high-ranking position, he might have hesitated to talk about his fight against a Subus-Type Lust-Rose.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    ¡°That would mean that, uh... the battle against the Lust-Rose could be a sexual one?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details but, in hisst words, the priest said that at that time he should have been killed by the Lust-Rose with hispanions.¡± (Jimmy-san)

    Apparently, the death brought by a Subus seems to be a very sweet one.

    This is an opponent I have to prepare myself for, in various ways!

    ¡°Hmm~¡± (Lily)

    ¡°... Mm.¡± (Fiona)

    The moment I thought that. Lily and Fiona, who were sitting to my left and right, nced at me with cold eyes. No, I don¡¯t have any particr anticipation for this! Aren¡¯t they misunderstanding something!?

    *

    Having finished listening to Jimmy-san¡¯s exnation, we left the conference room. The guild¡¯s first floor, just like the one back in Irz Vige, is jointly built with a bar. However, this is a vige located near the famous Asbel Mountain Range Dungeon, so the amount of clients here is way higher than the one at Irz Vige.

    It¡¯s still morning, and there are numerous people proceeding towards their quests. One can catch sight of many parties gathered in the bar, having breakfast and discussing together.

    As usual, Fiona is staring in the direction of the smell. But, Fiona-san, didn¡¯t we eat breakfast just a while ago?

    Anyways, we already hear the story and finished the quest¡¯s procedures, we no longer have any business in the Guild. All that¡¯s left is to go towards the snowy mountains of Asbel, so, as I enthusiastically exited through the door, at that moment...

    ¡°That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t my fault¨D Eh, ehh!? You¡¯re the Nightmare¨D¡± (???)

    ¡°¨DKurono-kun!?¡± (???)

    Coming in loudly through the opened door, were faces I recognized. Three faces that, if possible, I would have liked to not see.

    ¡°Oh, Nell?¡± (Kurono)

    What appeared were the members of Wing Road. The one at the head of the group, and the first one to see me and shout, was the battle-maniac Kai. He was immediately pushed aside by Nell, who came running to me with a pitter-patter.

    ¡°Waaa, why is Kurono-kun here!?¨DKyan!¡± (Nell)

    Immediately, Nell impulsively came to hug me, but was suddenly stopped by a sh that made her flinch.

    ¡°He-Hey, Lily...¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°It¡¯s because she came charging too abruptly.¡± (Lily)

    Pouting, without looking repentant for the situation, Lily revealed her wariness while standing in front of me protectively. The same interaction as ever.

    It would be fine if we were at the dormitory or the lounge, but the kind Nell is not the only one present here. The seriously-on-guard and exemry-looking royalty Nero is also here.

    ¡°Why are you here? Kurono.¡± (Nero)

    Aw,e on. With an ill-humoured look, simr to Lily¡¯s, the red-mantled prince enters the stage.

    ¡°Even if you ask, the only answer I can give you is that we came here for a quest.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°If it is for a quest, don¡¯t tell me it is¨D¡± (Nero)

    Nero¡¯s reaction gave me a bad feeling.

    ¡°The Lust-Rose subjugation!?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°The Fenrir subjugation!?¡± (Nero)

    Nope. Totally nope.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like the quest is reserved...¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Tsk, you surprised me...¡± (Nero)

    Frowning, Nero smiled wryly.

    I thought we might have booked the same quest, but dly they were different ones. If there was a duplicated booking, it would be firste, first served, naturally, the difficulty of seeding rises greatly. Even more so if the other party is Wing Road.

    ¡°Either way, we are going to the same dungeon. For heaven¡¯s sake do not be a hindrance for¨D¡± (Nero)

    ¡°Forgive him Kurono-kun, my brother, you know, is burning with a sense of rivalry since he couldn¡¯t actively participate in Iskia.¡± (Nell)

    ¡°Nell!? Do not say inappropriate things!¡± (Nero)

    Nero¡¯s expression betrayed how vexed he was, while Nell giggled with a smile befitting a holy woman. This may be the reversing of the usual Elroad sibling¡¯s rtion mechanics, with Nell not being at the mercy of her overly-excellent older brother.

    ¡°Kurono-kun is also going to the Asbel Mountain Range, right? If that¡¯s the case then, let¡¯s go midway together¨D¡± (Nell)

    ¡°Kurono, go!¡± (Lily)

    ¡°Let¡¯s go away, Kurono-san¡± (Fiona)

    Whether I wanted it or not, I was forced to advance by Lily pulling my right hand and Fiona entwining herself in my left arm.

    ¡°Sorry Nell, see you.¡± (Kurono)

    I would have refused Nell¡¯s proposal even if those two didn¡¯t force me away. Excluding Nell, the members of Wing Road are way too hostile, and above all is the dangerous person willingly aiming for my life, named Safiel. Lily and Fiona are aware of these circumstances and, despite ring to Nell, they are actually paying attention to Safiel, who¡¯s standing in the back of the group. Seriously, we might start killing each other if we are careless.

    ¡°That is... Sorry for asking unreasonable things, Kurono-kun.¡± (Nell)

    However, it pains me to see her clearly disappointed face, if I¡¯m not resolute enough, I¡¯ll quickly end up bing a Japanese who can¡¯t say ¡°no¡±. I have to thank mypanions for forcibly pulling me away.

    Then, feeling miserable, I was dragged towards the Guild¡¯s door by my reliablepanions.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono! Since I¡¯m not losing next time, you better prepare your neck!¡± (Kai)

    Bluntly dering some disturbing things with a refreshing smile on his face, was Kai. As I thought, this guy is slightly off.

    ¡°I can always be your opponent for matches not involving losing one¡¯s life.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Heheh, thanks man!¡± (Kai)

    He is a simple-minded, smiling man. Even though he is a battle-freak, he might not be a bad guy inside.

    I would like to try having a genuine swords match. In school, there¡¯s no one better than him as an opponent for sword practice.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m wondering, when will you return my Demon Eyes?¡± (Safiel)

    ¡°They are my Demon Eyes. Scram.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll receive a set of Greed-Gore and Sloth-Gil raw materials now.¡± (Safiel)

    ¡°Stop nonchntly increasing your demands.¡± (Kurono)

    We passed by the nonchnt joker that is Safiel Maya Hydra. There is no need to be courteous with the woman who is obsessed with this head.

    ¡°What a greedy man. I hope you die.¡± (Safiel)

    We finally left the Guild after thatst brutalment.

    By the way, I get the feeling that Wing Road was missing someone¨D Well, whatever.

 Chapter 383 The Asbel Mountain Range

    The Asbel Mountain Range

    A white world, as far as the eye can see. Fields of snow glittering sparklingly under the sunshine of early wintering down from the clear skies. The contrast between the vibrant blue and the glistening white dazzling our eyes.

    In Spada, autumn wasing to an end. But, I find myself a step ahead of the season, setting foot on and of midwinter.

    At the northernmost tip of Avalonid the Asbel Mountain Range. It¡¯s been two hours since our unexpected meeting with Wing Road at the Guild, and we are now in the Dungeon Area, where monsters could appear at any time.

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s quite cold...¡± (Kurono)

    Even with bright sunshine and a clear weather, the temperature here is quite low. I don¡¯t have a thermometer at hand, but I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s below zero degrees.

    ¡°Lily, aren¡¯t you cold?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°I¡¯m okaaay.¡± (Lily)

    Thus replied the White Punpun¨Dnot, but Lily who was wearing her usual White-pun robe pyjamas.

    Rather than being strong against extreme temperatures, as magic beings, fairies aren¡¯t influenced by them. Even if Lily is only a half-fairy, she still inherited half of that trait, making her quite strong against temperature variations whenpared to a human. Even so, she felt like trying out her cold-resistant equipment.

    With the rabbit ears of her hooded robe shaking, like a kindergartener looking forward to a trip, Lily walked spiritedly.

    ¡°Fiona, how are you doing?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°No problem. I have experienced Dungeons in snowy mountains several times.¡± (Fiona)

    As expected of Fiona, a veteran adventurer. She seems to have already been prepared with equipment for errands in cold regions, wearing some warm fluffy fur, thicker than her usual witch robe. Rather than a robe, it was a coat made of genuine fur.

    Her feet equipment was also impable, instead of her usual loafers, she was wearing knee-high boots that seemed to be made of heavy leather. Strangely, her soles were always threading lightly above the snow, never sinking deeply in it.

    The trick behind it was the effect of the Feather spell. This brittle foothold also served to exhibit the real worth of the Fairy Dancing Shoes, enchanted with the Feather spell, that Lily was wearing. It seemed that when it came to the highest ss ones, those even allowed its wearer to do a hop, step and jump while walking on water.

    Even if it didn¡¯t go as far as that, it¡¯s true that being able to walk unhindered over the fluffily piled-up powder snow was a really convenient effect to have. When I told Fiona that it would be nice if she wore that instead of the usual, she replied ¡°I do not like wearing it very much, since it is awfully stuffy.¡±

    Ah, that answer made me realize that Fiona¡¯s also a girl.

    Anyways, I was currently regretting being the only one without a pair of conveniently Feather-enchanted shoes to walk on this snowy mountain. I advanced while relying on my legs¡¯ strength for the snowploughing.

    ¡°Is Kurono-san not cold?¡± (Fiona)

    But, with only her gaze, Fiona also asked if I was fine with my usual equipment. Without need for any false bravado, I honestly answered ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because I can endure quite a bit of cold and heat.¡± (Kurono)

    Since my body is different from a normal person¡¯s, it¡¯s possible that I¡¯ve been altered to not be affected by extreme temperatures to same degree as Lily.

    In fact, I wasn¡¯t cold even when the temperature was in the negative degrees. I felt a bit chilly at most.

    ¡°However, I am not sure if that still counts when you are wearing just an apprentice¡¯s robe.¡± (Fiona)

    Wow, I forgot to change into Diablo¡¯s Embrace...

    Once I changed clothes, the chillpletely vanished. As expected from proper equipment, its cold-resistant function was also perfect. I gave the apprentice¡¯s robe I just took off to Fiona, who folded it neatly and tucked it away inside her hat, and I felt quite embarrassed when she gave me a rather amazed look.

    In this manner, besides my bit of carelessness, the first mountain climbing of the ¡°Element Masters¡± smoothly advanced.

    The cave we are aiming for, where the Lust-Rose dwells, isn¡¯t located in the unexplored hintends of the mountain range, nor is it near the territory of Rank 5 monsters. It is located somewhere halfway up in the mountains.

    However, there are other reasons as to why the Asbel Mountain Range is designated as Rank 5¡ªWell, since this time they are irrelevant to us, let¡¯s leave them aside.

    Anyways, from the base of the mountain up to somewhere in the middle, strong Rank 3 monsters that shouldn¡¯t represent any difficulty for mid-ranked adventurers may appear. I think that the mountain¡¯s base is an ideal area for new adventurers.

    The areas near the cave have a lot of peopleing and going, which means that it has been mapped extensively. Luckily, we are not people without a sense of direction, we all know how to properly read a map, and we have an urate map; so there¡¯s no need for worry.

    ¡°If we keep advancing like this, we¡¯ll reach the cave before sundown.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be difficult?¡± (Fiona)

    My conjecture was immediately shot down, but there was nothing for me to question or refute to. I simply understood the reason and agreed with it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Dungeon, of course we were going to encounter monsters.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Oh no! There¡¯s a presence!¡± (Lily)

    That¡¯s right, we are about to have our first encounter with a monster that lives in this mountain.

    We are in a vantage point on a gentle slope. There¡¯s only a dense overgrown conifer forest far ahead and no cover to hide behind while advancing. In addition, with these clear skies it¡¯s unlikely for our vision of the surrounding area to get obscured, we can also immediately detect anything approaching us from the sky.

    However, we are not seeing any signs of the enemy in our surroundings. Nevertheless, from the skin-piercing sensation of Freezing Magic I¡¯m feeling, there¡¯s no doubt that the enemy is close.

    Where? Where is iting from? ¨D¨DAt that moment, right in front of me, who¡¯s walking as the vanguard, a spot in the ground of about five meters suddenly rose. Prating the thickyer of snow, the monster jumped out from underground ¨D¨DOr so I thought, but what appeared there was really big snowman.

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s with this snowman?¡± (Kurono)

    With a length of about two meters, it was a stubby man-shaped snow sculpture. Its head was big and round like a watermelon, the two dots and dented line in its face seemed to be something like its eyes and mouth.

    And then, snowmen with the exact same design started appearing all around. Sprouting from the snow like bamboo shoots were ten, no, twenty ¨D¨Dthirty or more of them. I gave up counting, a cursory nce was enough to see that there were over a hundred of them.

    ¡°Those are Ice Elementals.¡± (Fiona)

    As though it were not unusual, with no hesitation, Fiona correctly guessed their identity.

    Elementals are a kind of exemry magical creatures, born when spontaneously produced coloured magic gets lumped together. Their weak form is a swaying transparent orb floating in the air like some kind of jellyfish, when its magic density increases, it takes a clearer shape and turns into something like these snowmen. Obtaining a physical body by using a material with high affinity with its attribute.

    The most famous examples are the naturally urring undead and golems. Dark Elementals and Terra Elementals, born by possessing corpses and rocks, respectively.

    Incidentally, even in ruins that became Dungeons, which are unsuitable for wildlife to inhabit in, the reason for so many monsters to still exist there is that the environment is densely filled with mana, naturally allowingrge quantities of elementals to be generated. Because of this, simr to nkton, elementals are considered the lowest in the food chain.

    But, as indispensable as elementals might be for the wild monsters¡¯ environment, they are simply foes for adventurers.

    Nevertheless, when ites to a group as big as this one, it bes quite troublesome even if they belong to Rank 1.

    ¡°What should we do, Kurono-san? Their pace seems to be slow, so I believe that we can simply leave.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°Nah, these are just the perfect opponents to shoot at, so why not leave them to me?¡± (Kurono)

    I¡¯m sure a smug smile is showing on my face. Still, if you¡¯re a man, you¡¯ll never be without a grin!

    ¡°The Greed, machine gun formGattling-Gore Mode.¡± (Kurono)

    From my deep ck shadow extending on the surface of the pure white snow, appeared a jet-ck heavy artillery weapon. Not even three seconds were needed for me to get in position, load it, and be ready to fire.

    ¡°Eat this, Burst!¡± (Kurono)

    The six-barrelled gun started creaking once the high-speed rotation began, and the countless white shapes standing in front of the muzzle got pulverized by the spouting fire.

    My pseudo-full metal jacket, which boasts the same hardness as a ball of lead, easily smashed through the elementals¡¯ brittle snow bodies. With just one shot, arms were flying and legs were crumbing. And whenever a shot hit them in the middle, their bodies got teared into five.

    It has the power to cause instant death with only one shot, and it¡¯s capable of firing two thousand rounds per minute, achieving a firing speed equivalent to a real Gatling Gun.

    There¡¯s no way for the snowmen to be formed before this ck storm of gunfire.

    ¡°Huff... Puff... How¡¯s that?¡± (Kurono)

    The annihtion waspleted in an instant. Even when surrounding us on all four sides, just by shooting in a clockwise manner they crumbled one by one. These slow snowmen were no more than simple targets.

    But, as my agitated breath shows, I¡¯m actually pretty tired. As a matter of fact, it¡¯s unclear whether I managed to shoot two thousand rounds per minute. The reload was too much to keep up with, I had to be fully focussed with all my might on producing the ck magic bullets.

    It might be better to drop the firing rate a bit. With that tremendous firing speed, there were too many stray shots.

    Even so, until now, Gatling Burst has been showing a remarkable effect. It¡¯s probable that, rather than using the ck Ballista Replica? this way the power and momentum is superior. As expected, having a personalized weapon is wonderfully effective.

    ¡°Kurono-san, you seem to be a little short of breath. Is it possible that you¡¯re not feeling well?¡± (Fiona)

    Just as I was feeling deeply moved by the wonderful performance of The Greed, this happens.

    ¡°No, wait, wait a minute. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying after seeing such an intense attack?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Was it really that intense?¡± (Fiona)

    Being asked again with a serious look, I got anxious. I have to calm down and have more confidence in myself.

    ¡°Yes, it was really intense.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Eh? But wasn¡¯t it just the same as the usual Full Burst?¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°No! It waspletely different! Wasn¡¯t the fire power incredibly higher!?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Haa...¡± (Fiona)

    Fiona didn¡¯t show any understanding at all for my desperateints. Damn it. If that¡¯s case, the wise Lily will surely understand the difference!

    ¡°Nn?¡± (Lily)

    Ah, it¡¯s that hopeless pattern. Lily has a face of not understanding the gist of the conversation at all.

    ¡°Eh? Kurono-san, by any chance, could it be that you¡¯re little sulky?¡± (Fiona)

    I wonder if that was showing too much on my face. No, I was just in a bit of denial from the shock. I¡¯ll just obediently ept it.

    But I¡¯ll definitively never sulk or pout.

    ¡°No way. Thinking properly about it, unlike with Simon, it was na?ve on my part to expect gun amateurs like Lily and Fiona to understand the difference.¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Mu, for some reason I feel like I¡¯m being look down upon.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°Lily is a woman that properly understands the difference!¡± (Lily)

    ¡°Oh well, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I just wanted both of you to see and evaluate my shy move.¡± (Kurono)

    I¡¯m now confident enough to boast about my ¡°shy move¡± before ¡®Fiona of the Golden SunAur Soleil¡¯ and ¡®StarfallMeteor Strike Lily¡¯.

    Incidentally, it seems that just the right target to receive this move has appeared. This is quite convenient, as if Nature itself cooperated for my demonstration.

    This time for sure, I¡¯ll show them how cool it is. Enthusiastically, I adopted a posture for shooting from the hip and aimed The Greed¡¯s muzzle downwards.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s leave that big High Ice Elemental as a target for Kurono-san.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°Kurono, do your best!¡± (Lily)

    As if to drown Lily¡¯s lovely cheer, while spouting snow in surging waves, Fiona¡¯s so called High Ice Elemental showed up.

    To describe its appearance in one word, it was a whale.

    With a huge body of snow, simr to the Greed-Gore in size, it showed up on the snowy field as if it were emerging from the bottom of the sea. Its body was made in the same manner as the snowmen that I¡¯d defeated just before, a simple structure of gathered snow that¡¯s been hardened. But, as expected, just by being huge its presence was overwhelming.

    It¡¯s a relief that this guy appeared in the lower regions of the mountain, near the base. If it had appeared higher or closer the summit, the slightest of its movements would¡¯ve washed away the area with a bursting avnche.

    We had no time to ck at all. The huge whale was furiously swimming up the slope to swallow us.

    The surrounding snow surged as it rode on arge wave, pushing its way through in a charge that could only be described as incredible. Complementing that, it imitated a whale¡¯s spouting, with ice spouting thunderously from its hill-sized back.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t stop it in a single hit, it will collide with us.¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°No worries, one hit is enough¨D¡± (Kurono)

    I answered Fiona¡¯s warning in a t tone with no sense of impending crisis at all, getting ready to blow away that huge thing.

    First of all, Energy Charge. With my right hand on the handle and the left one on the fore grip, in order to pour the ckening to my heart¡¯s content with the pseudo-lightning attribute produced by the Third Divine Protection.

    I could feel that it smoothly integrated thanks to the magical conduits carved inside. Of course, that was the incorporated Sloth-Gil¡¯s skull.

    While it was alive, it used to take over other people¡¯s bodies to slothfully pass the time, now it¡¯s the moment for it to work its fullest.

    Well, speaking of working, there¡¯s someone else that also wants to go at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Hitsugi, Barrel Change! Lightning gun formster Gil Mode!¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Yeeees! Leave it to me, master!¡± (Hitsugi)

    As the cheerful reply resounded inside my head, several ck chains gushed forth from the shadow made by the long Gatling Gun. After that, their ends turned into ws simr to a bird¡¯s talon, demonstrating Hitsugi¡¯s motivation with a rattle.

    Thanks to the Second Divine Protection¡¯s pseudo-earth attribute, shapes other than bullets had be easier to make than ever. The ws are not only solid, their operation is smooth, and the performance is magnificent.

    ¡°You remember the procedure?¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°Of course! Hitsugi¡¯s a good girl that¡¯s always prepared!¡± (Hitsugi)

    I received a thorough exnation from Regin-san about exchanging gun barrels, Hitsugi was trained as well, so I could do it even while inbat were both my hands were upied.

    Originally, I was doubtful whether a curse had memory and learning ability, but, since Hitsugi herself said that it was possible, we decided to give it a try.

    Now, show your master the results of your training!

    ¡°Err... well, this is, hmm... Eh...¡± (Hitsugi)

    Despite the fretting soliloquy that leaked into my head, the procedure advanced somehow.

    After detaching the barrel six muzzles, a long barrel of high calibre emerged from the shadow to rece it. The base is the same ck as the Greed Metal, but simr to lighting on a dark night, faint lines of sparkling purple lightning emerged from the sides of the barrel.

    This is connected to the main part and¨D

    ¡°Kurono-san, since it seems that you¡¯re taking your time, should I shoot it first?¡± (Fiona)

    ¡°J-just give me a second.¡± (Kurono)

    Fiona readied herself with Spitfire for the interception. Could it be that she has no faith in my firepower¨DNo, this is a party and she is taking that stance to give a proper follow-up. Certainly this is done with goodwill instead of nervousness.

    ¡°Kurono-san, not yet? (Fiona)

    ¡°Hey, Hitsugi, hurry up! At this rate my spotlight will¨D¡± (Kurono)

    ¡°I did it master! Ready to fire!¡± (Hitsugi)

    Alright, you did it! Well done Hitsugi. The gun barrel was reced splendidly, and I just finished charging up the lightning mana. All that¡¯s left is to pull the trigger.

    There¡¯s no need to aim. Because the approaching snow whale already decreased the distance by 50 meters. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll miss such a huge target even if I shoot without using a sight.

    ¡°¨Dsma ster, fire!¡± (Kurono)

    Like that, with a triumphant look on my face, I fired my best shot.

 Chapter 384: Mind Control Countermeasures

    Chapter 384: Mind Control Countermeasures

    My sma ster had magnificently smashed the High Ice Elemental. The torrent of purple lightning easily pierced through the whale¡¯s body, it wasn¡¯t inferior to Lily¡¯s serious Beam at all. Rather, its huge ice body was instantly evaporated, it basically disappeared.

    It was without a doubt the shiest attack magic I had ever shown them. Personally, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get this much power out of it without even using one of its special bullets which were made out of the Sloth Gill¡¯s fingers.

    The test shot was a great sess ¨D aaand yet,

    ¡°Kurono-san, I see that you¡¯re in high spirits after shooting a somewhat shy magic, but I do believe that you need to be better aware of your surroundings¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry¡±

    I was now sitting on the snow, my head hung in a shameful seiza.

    ¡°What would¡¯ve happened if there was someone below?¡±

    ¡°I got too excited, and I¡¯m deeply reflecting on it¡±

    I¡¯d missed something very obvious.

    Obviously, the overkill sma ster that smashed through the brittle snow whale would then explode into the snowy fields. A huge explosion, a gush of hot air. An avnche obviously followed.

    When I went, ¡®Ah!?¡¯ in realization, it was already toote. The snow field that seemed to be like the calm surface of ake, came alive with a thunderous roar as billows of snow rose up. The snow surface swelled even more tempestuously than when the huge whale appeared, spouting dense, pure-white bursts of snow into the air while flowing towards the base of the mountain, simply obeying gravity.

    Obviously, there¡¯d be no way for us to stop the surging waves caused by mother nature.

    Oh man, sure fucked that one up. I thought, so dumbfounded that I could only watch as the raging avnche rampaged downwards.

    And then began Fiona¡¯s lecturing. My hype took a nose dive. This was the Hero of Iskia, a Rank 5 Adventurer. Can I cry now?

    ¡°However, you needn¡¯t to worry too much, since avnches are quitemon in winter mountain dungeons. When I journeyed solo I didn¡¯t mind causing them¡±

    At the end of thoroughly lecturing me about not being a pain to others or adventurers¡¯ etiquette and such, Fiona nonchntly dered so.

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t actually care!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit bad at controlling my magic, after all¡±

    Fiona recounted of not only avnches, but events such asndslides in mountain dungeons, copsing ruins and caverns, and so on, all of them artificial cmity-ss breaches of etiquette caused by her massive booms. And for some reason, she was talking about them as a matter of pride.

    ¡°Since now¡¯s a good time, I¡¯ll give it to you straight: No wonder no one partied with you¡±

    ¡°Right, because of that, I now try to pay attention to various things¡±

    Aside from the danger to the party, once various cases of other adventurers andmoners getting injured by such cmities start showing up, they¡¯d naturally receive some sort of reprimand from the guild. The party could end up being deprived of their guild cards, and worst case, jailed and subsequently sentenced to death by guillotine.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting pretty famous now too, so we have to start being more careful¡±

    Once again reflecting on my actions, we restarted our march up the snowy mountains.

    Incidentally, hunting elemental type monsters was actually unprofitable. The reason being that they vanish like mist when defeated, which meant that we couldn¡¯t collect a part that could be used as proof of subjugation.

    In the case of high elementals though, they apparently did have crystallized mana inside them, much like a slime¡¯s core, but it turned out to be impossible to collect that from the whale I beat just now. Either it got disintegrated by my sma st, or, if it did survive the onught, it¡¯d now be far away due to the ensuing avnche.

    Not only did I lose the drop, I failed hard enough to get lectured about it too, but, I did get to test out my new toy, which makes it alright. Please, make it alright?

    From there the dungeon was pretty easy. The monsters we encountered were anticipated, and none of our fights could be called difficult.

    I smoothly bulldozed through any eis elemental snowmen, the winter variant dortuses were obliterated by Lily¡¯s concentratedser fire, and the white feathered harpies were cooked into roasted chicken by Fiona.

    One time when a herd of white punpuns appeared, Lily figured, ¡®Maybe they think I¡¯m one of them?¡¯ and slowly tried approaching them. That, ended up with her being driven away with a cruel pelting of snowballs. Needless to say, the punpuns were soon scattered everywhere, screaming, running for their lives and going back to hide in the coniferous forest, while Lily went crazy with herser beams.

    We sort of ended up having lots of monsters show up on the way. Despite the cold, mountain range climate, monsters still somehow thrived. And those punpuns, they¡¯re supposed to be bears right? Not only were they not hibernating, they kept engaging us in snowball fights. What¡¯s up with that? I swear, there¡¯s gotta be people in costume among them.

    Anyway, with so many of them, it might¡¯ve been a good idea to pit Lily¡¯s Living Dead guys against them. We were attempting this quest with just the three of us so we could get there faster, and since we¡¯d be facing the Lust Rose, a rank 5 monster with practically no info on it, I figured we should use her Servants to mind the time-consuming routine fights so we can be ready to battle the boss in peak condition.

    I voiced this idea in the tent after we decided to set down camp for the night, but since our destination was virtually a stone¡¯s throw away, we decided against it.

    I could sense a few monsters attempting to approach us in the night, but none of them attacked, and morning came without incident.

    And the next day, the 24th of Frozen Soil, today was the day we would dive into the cave that housed the Lust Rose.

    ¡°Oh yeah, you said you fought subi before, right Fiona?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a few times. Though rarely, they did appeare in the ruins type dungeons of Sinir¡±

    Just like how goblins or orcs, creatures only known in fantasy back on Earth, weremonly found in this world, the Subus, a monster that inspired the male wonder and tickled at their hearts, existed as well.

    What¡¯s more, they even took the form of beautiful young women and the part about needing male semen? Had that too.

    ¡°While subi have enough Charm to induce seduction on women too, the effect is greatly diminishedpared to when they use it on men, so they weren¡¯t that hard to beat. They¡¯d run away as soon as they realized that I wasn¡¯t falling under their control¡±

    Subi were known to be much more intelligent than the average wild monster in that they had the ability to avoid mindlessly attacking their prey. They were ranked 4 in difficulty by the guild.

    Any news of them appearing would apparently cause dumb adventurers (male) to rush to the location, resulting in meaningless casualties. Every time.

    ¡°Mind control huh, I had my share of that stuff cast on me, but I still don¡¯t really get it¡±

    This also happened back in my human experiment days. I was, unfortunately, never tested against an actual subus, but did face monsters like wraiths that used magic to try and mess up my senses, or manipte my mind or other bizarre mind-fuckery.

    Though there was the fact that those effects were never strong enough to make me unable to fight so I one-shot them all with pile-bunkers.

    ¡°All attacks on the mind, or those that have a noticeable effect at least, are categorized under mind control. They¡¯re a type of negative status effect that include Charm or Dominate and the like. They¡¯re best known for causing forced nightmares or illusions on the target¡±

    Most of these mental attacks were actually weak to outside interference. Let¡¯s take the example of forced nightmares. Even if it¡¯s cast on you, a party member can easily snap you out of it through a bit of nudging or sshing water on your face.

    This¡¯d be harder if if the mind control is cast alongside a Siesta spell, but there were still ways around.

    ¡°What about Parasites?¡±

    ¡°They act simr to the type of mind control that manipte the target¡¯s body, but are actually categorized separately. Kurono-san, you said that the Sloth Gill itself went inside your body right? That type of control is magnitudes higher than any mind control¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think I could get out of that one with force of will alone¡±

    ¡°The mental barriers in Kurono¡¯s head are a lot harder to crack than the average Joe¡¯s. If he couldn¡¯t do it, I have no doubt it was strong. No wonder it was ssed rank 5¡±

    Lily suddenly joined the conversation, now in her adult mind mode. Maybe she was feeling a bit left out, she asserted that she was there too by tightly hugging the sleeve of my coat.

    So cute, no uh, I was just about to ask her on something anyway.

    ¡°What about telepathy, also mind control?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the fundamental forms actually. Don¡¯t you hear stories about how past traumas are pulled back to the surface?¡±

    Indeed, fiona nodded. I personally hadn¡¯t experienced it, but it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine. It sounds horrible. Especially for me, as I¡¯d lived a long time undergoing cruel human experimentation and was made to kill my fellow countrymen. I really don¡¯t want to get hit by one of those.

    ¡°You can do that, Lily?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, no. I do have high telepathic ability, but I didn¡¯t specialize in that sort of usage. I can mostly read people¡¯s emotions and look into their memories¡±

    I mean, that¡¯s nothing to scoff at. It¡¯s like you have no privacy at all.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t read your mind since your inherent barriers are so strong, and Fiona has Mind Protect active too¡±

    ¡°No well, I trust you, so I wouldn¡¯t mind you reading me¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, thanks!!¡±

    Lily hugged me from the side. She was adorable even in her adult mind mode. The rabbit ears on her hood were fluttering around too.

    ¡°But I¡¯m still worried, you can¡¯t actually see these attacksing after all¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve done all we can to prepare for them, so thinking too much on it now is pointless¡±

    Thinking, maybe if we had Nell, was probably too selfish of me. Regardless, Fiona was right, we had prepared to the best of our ability.

    The Lust Rose has been killing adventurers left and right never once showing itself. Even when Jimmy-san first found the cave, the party of three he was guiding never said they were being attacked.

    So I could imagine the monster having very high stealth capabilities. Strong enough to approach enemies without them noticing when their minds start getting yed with.

    ¡°The problem with practically using mind control is that the spell caster needs to be very close to the target for it to take hold¡±

    Mind control spells, like any other attack magic, could only induce a negative status on the target if it hits. Whether it be in liquid form like a sort of poison, or unseen like telepathy, the magic had to have a medium through which it would reach out and sh into the target.

    The pink gas that the Lust Rose seems to release inside the cave was precisely that medium. Although, the reports did say that adventurers would go mad before the gas came into y, so it could also be a catalyst to strengthen the effects of the actual mind control spell.

    ¡°If we use my instincts and Lily¡¯s telepathy, there¡¯s no way it can close in on us without notice... right?¡±

    Even if it could stealth as well as Sue-san, it likely still won¡¯t avoid detection if we go full alert mode. Otherwise, if it has some sort of scifi optical camouge, or even abilities that masked its presence from all 5 senses, my gut instincts won¡¯t be fooled so easily.

    ¡°There¡¯s also the issue where we might get caught in its control the instant we see it¡±

    And we were also expecting the Lust Rose to use this sort of ability.

    Other than mind control spells that needed to travel and hit, there were also hypnosis techniques that used visual or auditory cues that induced illusions or suggestions on the target.

    If something like a camera sh can send us all to dreamnd instantly, we could all get done in by that instant surprise attack.

    The worst possibility was if it was an instant effect sound type hypnotism. Though since this was a rank 5 monster, it should be prudent to expect that much.

    ¡°I bet the actual fight will end in an instant¡±

    Basically, this was our strategy: First, Lily and I were to concentrate hard on sensing it as it approached. The moment one of us felt something off, we¡¯d get Fiona to st in that direction.

    This didn¡¯t insure that we¡¯d hit it in one shot, but we were basically attempting to pile on the attacks so we hit the Lust Rose before it can get to us.

    Since it was specialized in mental attacks, the Lust Rose itself should be weak. Subi, who could be ssified as beings with high mana like elves or vampires, were also like this, strong in their domination spells while their offensive spells went up to mid tier at most. That level of damage was nothing to the three of us, and if it came with a frontal assault, we¡¯d happily take it down.

    ¡°¨D¨DAh! Kurono, there¡¯s the cave!¡±

    Lily who¡¯d taken the lead, skating lightly across the snowfield with her Fairy Dance Shoes, reported that she¡¯d discovered the target location.

    With snowing up to my knees, I also came beside Lily and looked to where she was pointing.

    Over there was a wide vertical cliff-face standing firmly as if to block our path. The view was quite suitable for a snowy mountain range like this, with ice and snowpletely shielding its surface. But we weren¡¯t here to sight see.

    The cave was right there too. It wasn¡¯t big or small, and didn¡¯t look any different from a normal one, but this was it. This was the only hole I could see going into the cliff.

    The map we had also confirmed this sheer cliff as the correct location. This was where we would find the Lust Rose.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head in then¡±

 Chapter 385: Cave of Thorns

    Chapter 385: Cave of Thorns

    Simr to when we went exploring ruins, Fiona¡¯s Torch spell and Lily¡¯s Oracle Field lit up the innards of the dark cave.

    Its walls now visible under the lumination of fire and fairy magic, we found the cave riddled in thorny vines, running every which way. We knew about this from Jimmy-san¡¯s info, but knowing didn¡¯t alleviate the bad itch I was feeling.

    ¡°These things aren¡¯t gonnae alive and whip at us right?¡±

    ¡°They certainly look like they could, but as far as we know, they won¡¯t¡±

    These, very obviously, out of ce vines lining the cave walls were apparently nothing to worry about.

    Jimmy-san and the investigation team he led had taken samples of this nt back to analyze, but had found no abnormalities. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t physically possible for these vines to move like tentacles or something, as their internal structure didn¡¯t allow for it.

    Well, that¡¯d be where magic came into y. Like my Sword Arts, inanimate things could be easily controlled via magical enchantment.

    But then again, there was also the fact that going to the trouble of moving around these thorny vines wouldn¡¯t work to deal us any damage. Never mind Fiona, even I had enough fire magic to burn these away.

    ¡°Perhaps the Lust Rose is growing them as a hobby?¡±

    ¡°A monster with hobbies? Is that even possible?¡±

    ¡°When they¡¯re intelligent to a degree, anything can happen¡±

    And here I thought she was joking.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t doing this as a passive interest, it could be growing these for some other reason. If there were ants that cultivated mushrooms as food, it wasn¡¯t so far-fetched that a moderately intelligent monster was growing vines, ploughing a farm or even dabbling in a bit of gardening.

    The danger looked minimal, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out on the off chance they do start moving.

    We kept walking deeper and deeper, twisted vines all around.

    ¡°Nothing but these vines here huh¨D¨D¡±

    I hadn¡¯t sensed anything as of yet. The scenery looked so monotone that I began to doubt whether we were really moving forward.

    ¡°Ah, Kurono, look, the way splits here~¡±

    The first change in anything came after Lily, who was walking ahead and lighting our way, reported a fork in the path.

    ¡°Huh, well, they did tell us this was here¡±

    The passage was cleanly split in 2, both left and right paths curving slightly, in a way that shining a light through wouldn¡¯t show too far ahead.

    ¡°Right, this is where it gets serious¡±

    Any adventurer that went past this branching point had began losing it, ending up victims to the Lust Rose. Once inside, we¡¯ll be in enemy territory, where the Lust Rose could attack any time. We were about to enter a rank 5 danger zone.

    ¡°I¡¯m on vanguard, Fiona¡¯s middle, and Lily, you¡¯re at the back¡±

    ¡°Roger that¡±

    ¡°kaay!¡±

    I thought we could use the Living Dead to take my role, positioning ourselves further away in a wait and see approach, but there was a chance that the Lust Rose could hijack the homunculi and turn them against us. We decided to avoid that can of worms.

    ording to little girl mode Lily, they were still in the post-production stage, as in, not going to be useful for this job. No helping that.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s head in¡±

    We¡¯d now finally stepped into the forked path.

    I chose to go right. No particr reason, just a feeling. Plus, there was no real way of knowing what difference awaited us in the different paths, since no adventurer that¡¯d gone past this point had returned alive. It really didn¡¯t matter whether we took our time choosing carefully, or just picked a random path.

    ¡°... Doesn¡¯t look all that different¡±

    The cave, now after the branching point, looked pretty much the same, in height, in width, and even in the ups and downs. The thorned vines all along the walls also remained, of course. And we still hadn¡¯t sensed any abnormalities.

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s¨D¨D¡±

    Just then, I saw something shine under the light of the Torch floating beside me.

    After moving closer, still on alert for any presences, I quickly figured out who it was.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Golden Hero Michael?¡±

    He was an ice statue in brilliant, golden, full te mail armor. More precisely, he was encased in a block of ice, like Saeed of the Evileyes. That man I¡¯d once fought at the Curse Carnival was also simrly sealed in ice.

    But Michael here won¡¯t being to life if we decide to melt him out of his prison. Mostly because on the other side of his helmet¡¯s visor, which had been lifted up, I could only see bone.

    Not too far away, we also found hispanions, the mage in a robe and a stout archer holding a bow, both of them, also iced skeletons.

    These three must¡¯ve been the party called Golden Age, the one Jimmy-san mentioned, the first victims of the Lust Rose.

    ¡°... This is strange, if they¡¯d only been encased in ice, they wouldn¡¯t dpose into bones¡±

    Fiona¡¯s concern was plenty warranted, now that I thought on it. Even if they weren¡¯t especially trapped with ice element sealing magic, they were still encased so cleanly that I doubted if their bodies wouldpletely dpose this fast.

    ¡°Maybe they were drained?¡±

    Little girl Lily came up with the answer in a snap.

    ¡°That makes sense, which would mean, the Lust Rose froze them and then started absorbing their life force¡±

    ¡°So they got iced, all while in some pleasant dream?¡±

    That¡¯d exin a lot of things. Michael here had apparently been saying something about his ¡®mommy¡¯ all the way until hismunication signal was cut for good. If they were being slowly and gradually frozen over while still under the illusions of mind control, it wouldn¡¯t count as enough of an external force and they wouldn¡¯t wake from it.

    Actually, since the Lust Rose was dwelling in these frigid mountains, there was always a big chance that its inherent magic, Extra magic, was ice attribute. And looking further at what I know about the other trial monsters and their elements, ice was the only one left by elimination.

    First, since I already had fire, earth, and lightning, they¡¯re obviously out. Then, ording to the documents I read up in the guild, the Pride Gem, Gluttony Oct and Envy Rei were water, wind and light, respectively. Not much was known about the Lust Rose so I couldn¡¯t determine its element at the time, but thinking in terms of my trials, there¡¯s no way it wasn¡¯t the ice element trial monster.

    Whatever, not like knowing this will give us any advantage, and nor will it change what we had to do. We had to subjugate the Lust Rose. Only after that could the guilde in and collect the bodies of these three. Our mission¡¯s sess would also serve the purpose of giving them a proper burial.

    And then, after we¡¯d walked another 10 minutes or so,

    ¡°There sure are a lot of them¡±

    Skeletons in ice were dotted all over inside the passage of thorny vines.

    They must¡¯ve all been pretty high ranked adventurers; I could tell that all their armors and robes were high quality from a nce. And, none looked like they had a hard fight, they all had zero injuries as they remained as statues.

    ¡°They too must¡¯ve thought up many countermeasures against the monster, and yet still failed¡±

    ¡°And look, our mind controller isn¡¯t partial to people either¡±

    ¡°Ah~, I spot a punpun~¡±

    There were some non-humanoid bodies mix-ed in too. Lily pointed out arge, white boss punpun that had a long gash along one eye and had its paws raised up in an intimidating pose. It looked a lot like a stuffed bear exhibit.

    ¡°This guy isn¡¯t a skeleton, you think it doesn¡¯t eat monsters?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely kept this as reserve food. If you look around, you can see that there are monster skeletons here and there¡±

    She was right, from a quick nce, I found what looked to be a wolf skeleton, also encased in a block of ice. On further looking around, I spotted one of a harpy too. Though, there wasn¡¯t anything as big as a dortus, those just wouldn¡¯t fit in here.

    Given all that, the Lust Rose looked to have no problem preying on man and monster alike, first nting them under mind control andter draining them to the bone. The way this monster operated, what with lying in wait inside its cave, it was very simr to a spider¡¯s web or an antlion¡¯s death trap.

    Could we really avoid being ensnared into this unseen mind control and draw out the reclusive monster responsible...? I was suddenly struck by this vague sense of doubt.

    ¡°... This doesn¡¯t feel right¡±

    ¡°Did you sense something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but well...¡±

    I focused hard on it, but no, there was no trace of any presence, nor anything out of the norm. Only the thorned vines along the walls, and the many bodies in ice. Nothing else but the three of us showed any movement.

    ¡°What about you, Lily?¡±

    ¡°Hn~, nothing he~re?¡±

    So nothing of note. That¡¯s a double confirmation. But what¡¯s with this turbulent unease in my chest?

    ¡°Dammit... Something, there¡¯s gotta be something we missed...¡±

    A bead of sweat flowed down my cheek. My sense of difort was only worsening.

    ¡°But you said you didn¡¯t sense anything, no?¡±

    Fiona also had a point. We hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Do you think we should retrace our steps for now?¡±

    ¡°... No, we¡¯ll proceed¡±

    I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d gain anything new going back and trying again. Right now, I just wanted to do something about this doubt, this unease; I had to know what was causing this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, but a little slower, so we can pay better attention¡±

    The girls seemed OK with that, so we continued exploring.

    But, as before, no change. For all our progression through the cave, the same pattern just went on and on, as if mocking me for worrying so much. The only sounds were those of our footsteps, and the only things keeping uspany were the asional person or monster encased in ice. The thorned vines also still covered the walls, their density never increasing or decreasing, and I couldn¡¯t see a single flower blooming on them. Actually, I didn¡¯t know if this species even had flowers.

    It was all so monotone, I was starting to get bored when,

    ¡°Oh, cave splits here¡±

    We¡¯d arrived upon our second fork in the road. It was like the first one, split cleanly into a left and right path. Actually, it was the exact same.

    Well, the rest of the cave looked the same, so why not the forks too?

    ¡°Which way, Kurono-san?¡±

    ¡°Left¡±

    ¡°Any reason?¡±

    ¡°Just a feeling¡±

    Yup, just a baseless feeling. Fiona and Lily didn¡¯t seem to mind, so we¡¯ll be entering left.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s head in¡±

    We stepped into the forked path.

    I chose to go left. No particr reason, just a feeling. Plus, there was no real way of knowing what difference awaited us in the different paths, since no adventurer that¡¯d gone past this point had returned alive. It really didn¡¯t matter whether we took our time choosing carefully, or just picked a random path.

    ¡°... Doesn¡¯t look all that different¡±

    The cave, now after the branching point, looked pretty much the same, in height, in width, and even in the ups and downs. The thorned vines all along the walls also remained, of course. And we still hadn¡¯t sensed any abnormalities.

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s¨D¨D¡±

    Just then, I saw something shine under the light of the Torch floating beside me.

    After moving closer, still on alert for any presences, I quickly figured out who it was.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Golden Hero Michael?¡±

    The golden armored warrior was trapped in ice like Saeed.

    ¡°... This is strange, if they¡¯d only been encased in ice, they wouldn¡¯t dpose into bones¡±

    ¡°Maybe they were drained?¡±

    I was convinced by Lily¡¯s instant deduction.

    ¡°So they got iced, all while in some pleasant dream?¡±

    As I thought, the Lust Rose had ice type Extra magic.

    Whatever, not like knowing this will give us any advantage. We should carry on ahead.

    And then, after we¡¯d walked another 10 minutes or so,

    ¡°There sure are a lot of them¡±

    Skeletons in ice were dotted all over inside the passage of thorny vines.

    ¡°They too must¡¯ve thought up many countermeasures against the monster, and yet still failed¡±

    ¡°And look, our mind controller isn¡¯t partial to people either¡±

    ¡°Ah~, I spot a punpun~¡±

    Lily proimed as she pointed at a boss-pun, which looked a lot like a stuffed bear exhibit.

    ¡°This guy isn¡¯t a skeleton, you think it doesn¡¯t eat monsters?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely kept this as reserve food. If you look around, you can see that there are monster skeletons here and there¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s kinda like a spider¡¯s web or antlion¡¯s death trap. The thing¡¯s got no problem preying on man and monster alike¡±

    And so, we only kept walking.

    Somehow, I didn¡¯t feel anything amiss. Maybe with everything so monotone, I was letting my guard down. Better fix that.

    ¡°Oh, cave splits here¡±

    We¡¯d arrived upon our second fork in the road after a while.

    ¡°Which way, Kurono-san?¡±

    ¡°Left¡±

    ¡°Any reason?¡±

    ¡°Just a feeling¡±

    Yup, just a baseless feeling. Fiona and Lily didn¡¯t seem to mind, so we¡¯ll be entering left.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s head in¨D¨D¡±

 Chapter 386: The Continuation of that Day

    The Continuation of that Day

    ¡°...nnn.¡±

    Someone was calling me.

    ¡°...kunnnn.¡±

    It was the kind, flowing voice of a young girl. Ah, I doubted there was any man who would not answer to having his name called by such a beautiful voice.

    I needed to get up. As I slept warmly, my conscious made the decision to wake up.

    ¡°...Kurono-kun.¡±

    What appeared before my eyes, was the familiar face of a girl. There was a tinge of sadness in her round, ck eyes. She had a small, pretty nose and soft cherry blossom colored lips. Her xen long hair enhanced her pale skin.

    She was so beautiful as if she were charmed. My sleepy eyes were rudely glued to her face. Perhaps I had already been charmed.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, are you alright? You were groaning so much...¡±

    Her face looked like it was ready to burst into tears at any moment. When I saw her expression crumble, full of distress and sadness, I immediately felt a certain panic rise within me. I did not want to make her cry.

    ¡°No, I am fine. It¡¯s really nothing, so don¡¯t worry about me...Shirazaki.¡±

    ¡°...Oh, that¡¯s good.¡±

    Her face expressed a relief that came from the bottom of her heart. The girl¡¯s name was Yuriko Shirazaki. She was a fellow clubmate at the literature club. I was sad, I think. We were no more to each other, no less.

    ¡°By the way, where...am I?¡±

    Apparently, I was currently on a soft bed and covered with clean, white nkets so that I could rest. Shirazaki was sitting on a folding chair near me, peering into my face.

    I looked to the right and left and saw the waves of a white curtain hanging from a rail surrounding my bed. Peeking passed a gap in the curtains I could see the familiar and annoying sliding door and in the corner, there was a scale and height meter set.

    Additionally, I could see a simple analog clock of practical design hanging on the wall. The time was 6:38. It was just near sunset and the whole room was bathed in the reddish light of the setting sun that shone through the curtains.

    Even though I had been the one to ask the question, I could tell at a nce where this room was.

    ¡°It¡¯s the school infirmary.¡±

    I thought so, well, there was no other exnation. I had never actually had to use it, but I hade here for special cleaning duties at least.

    But why was I sleeping here? It was strange. I could not help but be ovee with a strong feeling of unease.

    Calm down, try to remember. Just a moment ago I was...

    ¡°I was really shocked when you just fainted in the club room out of nowhere. I were really close to calling an ambnce you know.¡±

    ¡°Ah...ah, that¡¯s right. Now I remember. I had felt a sensation like a massive headache and just fell over right there...that was it.¡±

    ¡°Do you still feel unwell? The school nurse said that it was just low blood pressure, that you would be fine once you had some rest...¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel any pain anywhere. I¡¯m really okay now.¡±

    I said it as if I was hiding, but in reality, I really did not feel any abnormalities. The problem was the discrepancy with my memory, I don¡¯t know... I do clearly remember fainting in the literature club room. I do remember that, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel as if it were something that had happened a very long time ago.

    ¡°...I have this feeling like I¡¯ve had the longest dream.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re awake now, that bad dream that was making you groan is now over.¡±

    A bad dream. Was that what it was.

    Bad things, painful things... No, it wasn¡¯t anything so simple as that. I feel like I had experienced being on the brink of death, and that I had also felt a harsher despair than death, many times over.

    It was like I had dark and ck emotions of chaos deep inside of my chest. Not just my heart, it was a part of my body. The pain and bitterness, the despair of defeat, humiliation, and loss.

    If my heart and body had so permanently experienced these emotions, it could only mean that I had been having the most unimaginable nightmare.

    However...

    ¡°There should have been something...something I was not supposed to forget, something very important.¡±

    ¡°What is it? What do you mean?¡±

    Shirazaki¡¯s ck eyes looked straight into me. Usually, she would be intimidated by my aggressive attitude and never look me in the eye. But right now she had the gentle look of a mother looking after her own child.

    ¡°It¡¯s, it is...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s?¡±

    I could not take my eyes off her. It was as if her eyes were sucking me in. Like I was being sucked into the abyss.

    ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I tried to put it into words, into shapes, that memory that was supposed to be important to me. But it scattered like a cloud that could never be grasped.

    ¡°Hehe, it was a dream you were having just a moment ago. But you can¡¯t remember it all now that you¡¯re awake, that happens sometimes, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah...it does.¡±

    Yes. In the first ce, I don¡¯t even have memories. I fainted from low blood pressure and then I woke up. There was only sleep in between, I myself had not taken any actions. Dreams were only an organizing of memories, something that happens to the body. One of the mechanisms of the living.

    ¡°But, Kurono-kun. Do you remember what happened before you fainted?¡±

    Before I fainted? I guess she meant what happened in the club room.

    I¡¯m sure I had arrived at the club room like any other day... No, that was wrong. Shirazaki had gone out of her way to talk with me and said:

    ¡°There is an important meeting at the club today...so be sure toe, okay.¡±

    And when I did arrive at the club room, Shirazaki who had delivered the message was the only one there.

    No matter how long we waited, the other club members did note. There was an awkward silence as the time ticked away. I didn¡¯t want things to continue like that, so I made the decision to talk to her, but failed. I kept trying different things and then... Ahh, now that I think of it, she said this one thing:

    ¡°When I said that there would be a meeting, I lied.¡±

    Yes, she did say that.

    ¡°...and, that is all I remember. I think that you were about to continue from there, only that is when I fainted.¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m d you remembered that.¡±

    If I had not remembered at least that much, it would mean that I was showing signs of memory loss. It was a pretty awful headache, but I don¡¯t think it was that major. In that sense, I too was happy that I had ¡®remembered that.¡¯

    ¡°So, why did you lie to bring me to the club room?¡±

    ¡°I really wanted to be alone with you there.¡±

    I had thought she was going to say something about how they had all nned to y a prank on me. Her unexpected answer left me scrambling for a reply.

    ¡°Is, is that right...¡±

    I returned vaguely, the empty words escaping my mouth like I was an idiot.

    But Shirazaki did not appear to be bothered by my confusion and she continued to speak as she looked straight into my eyes.

    ¡°Yes. And thankfully, we are alone together again. I can continue what I was going to say.¡±

    Perhaps it was the light of the setting sun that was shining into the room, but her face looked slightly red. Her beautiful smile threatened to captivate me, but I kept my ears perked so as to not miss a single word that came out of her mouth.

    ¡°The thing is, Kurono-kun...¡±

    I didn¡¯t get a headache. This time I was able to hear all of what she had to say.

    ¡°...I like you.¡±

    It was a confession. It was straight emotion, there was no roundabout way of saying it, no embarrassment. Even the most dimwitted person could not hear this and realize that it was a confession.

    ¡°Uh...really....me?¡±

    But, I could not believe it. It was too much to believe.

    The sudden confession, and from apletely unexpected person. And I was not so conceited as to easily ept that her affections for me were real.

    This was Shirazaki. I could understand her being angry with me, hating me. If anything, that is what I had been assuming all of this time.

    More than anything, I had never done anything that would make her fall for me. Our only conversations were of official matters concerning the club or talking on the behalf of other members. Of course, we also never experienced any beautiful events where I could expect the suspension bridge effect to ur.

    And while it did seem incredibly rude to be suspicious of a girls confession of affection, I could still not believe it, yet...

    ¡°Mm!?¡±

    ¡°...Mmm.¡±

    I felt something soft touch my lips. Warmth. There was now zero distance from Shirazaki¡¯s beauty and my face, there was a faint scent of shampoo on her.

    I was being kissed.

    ¡°I like you, Kurono-kun. I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    Before I knew it she had drawn back to her previous distance from me. That moment just now had felt like a dream. But, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Like she said.

    ¡°So, please...be my boyfriend.¡±

    I need to reject her...some intuition in me said. It was not that I still doubted her affections, I no longer assumed that there was something behind it all.

    But I just did not have the right. I should not date girls, I should not have any lovers. Such thoughts had suddenly entered my consciousness.

    However, at the same time, I also think this: I do not have anyone that I love so strongly that I would offer my body and soul to, and I was no saint whopletely shunned all rtionships. I was just an ordinary high school student with questionable looks. Why was I thinking about such idiotic things as whether or not I had the right.

    Shirazaki herself had confessed to me. I doubt there was a single boy in Sakuragi Highschool that would reject her. Even if they already had a girlfriend, they would probably dump her in a heartbeat.

    No, no. This sensation had nothing to do with all that. It was much deeper, from somewhere in my heart there was a distant memory, it pleads with me desperately...

    ¡°...I guess that¡¯s a...no.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ll have me.¡±

    Myme and disturbing feelings were immediately blown away when I saw her tragic face about to crumble. How could I have been bothered by such insignificant and boring things.

    It was just not possible for me to allow her to cry.

    ¡°Really? Are you really sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I look forward to being with you, Shirazaki!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! Kurono-kun!¡±

    And just like that, she had pounced on me to give me a hug. I sensed her warmth and scent once again, and my heart began to beat faster.

    What afortable weight this was. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I wrapped both of my arms around her.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, I love you.¡±

    And so I had my first girlfriend ever. An incredibly beautiful girl named Yuriko Shirazaki.

    It seemed that this day would be the peak of my life.

 Chapter 387: Lilyâ€™s Happiness

    ¡°...Lily.¡±

    I hear a voice. A voice calling my name.

    Who-, it was obvious who it was. That low male voice that reached my ears, it was from the person I loved more than anyone, more than anything.

    As soon as I thought this, my conscious awoke. My eyelids sprang wide open.

    ¡°...Mmm.¡±

    It was so bright. But my eyes quickly adjusted.

    And what my eyes then took in, was a sight that was very familiar to me. Not just his form standing in front of me, but even the room I was in.

    Nothing was strange, everything that entered my vision was in its right ce. Even then, I felt a faint sense of unease.

    ¡°Huh...Kurono, why...¡±

    Kurono. Even after inspecting him up and down, I could not point out anything unordinary. Both of his eyes and his hair were ck, proof that he was an outsider. What he wore over his tall frame was the jet ck robe, ¡®Bahamut¡¯s Embrace.¡¯ The trademark of ck mages.

    ¡°You¡¯re...here?¡±

    This ce, yes, it was my home. It was a ce I spent thirty years in after being run out of the Light Fountain. It was a small cottage built quietly in the Fairy Garden.

    Kurono was standing in front of the table in the middle of the room. I was now sitting up on the bed in the corner.

    ¡°Are you still tired? Should I not have woken you?¡±

    ¡°...No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel any annoyance at being awakened. I had just dozed off. And either way, I could not be mad at Kurono, even if he had woken me up in the middle of the night. No matter how small the reason was.

    ¡°I wish I could tell you to take it easy, but today is the one day that I really need your help.¡±

    So saying, Kurono took a step towards me, and before I knew it he had picked me up. It seemed that my weight did not matter to Kurono, whether I was in the form of a child or in my true form as I now was.

    His strong arms carried me into the air as if I weighed almost nothing.

    ¡°Ahh!?¡±

    I was suddenly pressed against his chest. Being held like a princess. It all happened so suddenly that I let out a weird gasp. I was embarrassed, but... I was also grinning from happiness. My cheeks grew hot.

    ¡°Or I could just carry you to the vige like this. If you want to sleep more?¡±

    He added that there was no guarantee that the ride would befortable, and gave me a wicked smile. I no longer had the consciousness of a child, and such seductions in my current state were hard to resist.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m...fine. Really.¡±

    I sounded shrill. I knew at that moment that I went red in the face. Even someone as insensitive as Kurono would see that.

    ¡°But, you haven¡¯t gotten off yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t let me.¡±

    ¡°Can I?¡±

    ¡°...No.¡±

    My, my, his expression seemed to say as he chuckled. Kurono started to walk as he continued to carry me in his arms. Ahh, I was so happy. But, somewhere in the corner of my brain, I think: more, I want more.

    ¡°But I will let you down before we reach the vige. We can show them how close we are tomorrow.¡±

    But why tomorrow? What happens tomorrow? Before I could ask this, Kurono began to answer.

    ¡°After all, tomorrow is our wedding.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    Exactly one year ago, on the fourth day of the month of early summer.

    The piercing screech of the monster bird Garuda had echoed throughout the forest. A momentter arge wooden box fell from the sky. The box had fallen from the edge of a cliff, and it shattered into pieces when it hit the ground. What spilled out were the apples that had filled the box, and one man.

    I was still a child with a simple mind. I woke him up with the rough method of sshing water onto his face with a cup I created out of magic. Even then I was still thinking that I was nursing him back to health. In my childlike way.

    In any case, that is how I met him.

    ¡°My name is the ck Demon King. What¡¯s yours?¡±

    ck Demon King. That¡¯s what it sounded like to me, but correctly, the man¡¯s name was ¡®Kurono Maou.¡¯

    I don¡¯t know why I started calling him Kurono, there was no deep thought behind it. After all, I had just taken to calling him ¡®Kurono¡¯ since I was a child. It was only during my first full moon when I understood that there was a difference between a first andst name. But at that point, Kurono¡¯s name was Kurono to me, and he himself went by the name ¡®Kurono¡¯ in the vige.

    His real name, ¡®Maou,¡¯ which had a simr ring to Demon King, need only be known to friends who he shared this secret with. Yes, just me. For now and forever.

    Kurono had trust in me. I too trusted Kurono. And I love him. And he loves me.

    And so tomorrow, exactly one year since we first met, I and Kurono will be married.

    The venue will, of course, be Irz vige. Where we lived quietly, peacefully in gentle warmth for the past year.

    ¡°Oh, good morning Kurono and Lily! You sure are making a show this morning!¡±

    We were walking with our hands in each other¡¯s, and Vartz, the first goblin farmer to see us approaching the vige, jeered as he watched.

    I started to a feel a little embarrassed, and I found myself squeezing Kurono¡¯s hand tightly. But at the same time, I was so happy that I felt like my face would distort from the grinning.

    ¡°We¡¯ll give them a bigger show tomorrow, won¡¯t we Lily?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    I must have been so smitten that my face had be quite foolish looking.

    ¡°Good morning, ah... Lily, you seem on top of the world this morning.¡±

    It was Grint, leader of the vignte group that protected the Irz gates today. As a lizardman, he wasn¡¯t supposed to have the variation in facial expressions as the other races with human-like faces, but even so, he was pretty close.

    Indeed, my face had gotten so red and I had continued grinning, it was as if my emotions were a chaos of happiness that disyed on my face. I knew this was true, but I could not stop myself.

    ¡°Good morning, Kurono! Ah, as always, the sight of you and Lily walking and holding hands, it¡¯s positively criminal!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Nyarko. Do your job.¡±

    When we reached the adventurers guild, Nyarko began in her usual light-hearted way as soon as we opened the door. At first, I had my reservations about this cat daughter who acted so familiarly around Kurono, but now I did not care at all. After all, I was Kurono¡¯s number one. He loved me more than any other woman.

    ¡°Heey, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Nino, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Nino was the leader of Irz vige¡¯s only exclusive party, ¡®Irz der¡¯. He appeared to have been eating breakfast with his men before they started to walk towards us.

    ¡°Yeah, we managed to get backst night. Look at us, just in time for the ceremony, eh?¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll increase the reward.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I would hope so!¡±

    We had gone out of our way to call a priest from the Pandora Temple in the Daidalos capital, just for tomorrow¡¯s ceremony. The Irz der¡¯s had epted the quest of escorting the priest to the vige safely.

    Up until a year ago, everyone had thought of them as a young and unreliable party. But then Kurono appeared as a rival, and this ended up having a good effect on both parties, now they were impressive rank three adventurers.

    By the way, I and Kurono are rank two. If we wanted, we could easily go and capture a smander from the Ghad mountain ranges and raise our rank to a five. But we did not have any ambitions of bing stronger or bing famous. We just wanted to live peacefully and enjoy life as adventurers.

    ¡°I guess you two are going to start living together as a couple now, huh...Hahaha!¡±

    Ohh, this was embarrassing. I think as I start to pet the fat cat whoy in a ball in a corner of the lobby. I don¡¯t know how long the cat has been here, but ying with it has be a habit for me. Even when I was a child, I felt like I could be myself with it.

    ¡°...Lily, I heard that the wedding dress arrived at the goods store. We should go and check.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    This time he grabbed my arm and we basically flew out of the guild house.

    As the double doors opened, a ck shadow appeared in front of us. No, it wasn¡¯t a ck shadow, it was just someone who was dressedpletely in ck.

    The person was wrapped in a high-grade magical robe covered in feathers. But the most distinctive thing about the person¡¯s appearance was therge triangr hat. ¡®Ainz Broom¡¯, her favorite staff was gripped tightly in her hand.

    ¡°Good morning, Kurono and Lily.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Fiona.¡±

    I greeted my friend whose eyes always looked sleepy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just returned to the vige.¡±

    ¡°So, are you actually sleepy right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I intend to go and sleep in my guild room now. After I eat breakfast, of course.¡±

    ¡°You have not changed at all.¡±

    I was half exasperated and half impressed. This witch had not changed at all since the time I first met her. Even though she was a rank five adventurer now.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t have a chance to say it as I was on a pretty long quest, but...¡±

    Perhaps the gentle spring sunlight was too much for her sleepy eyes because she then lowered the brim of her hat with her left hand. I noticed that there was no ring on her ring finger. It bothered me a little.

    ¡°...congrattions on getting married.¡±

    But that unease was blown away by her heartfelt blessing.

    She was usually quite expressionless, but there was a faint smile on her face. There was nothing hidden behind her words. The natural telepathy conveyed was proof of it.

    In the first ce, what reason did I have to doubt her? Fiona was my very best friend.

    And so I gave her my biggest smile and replied,

    ¡°Thank you, Fiona.¡±

    Before I knew it, it had be night time.

    I was together in bed with Kurono. Ever since the day we met, we¡¯ve always slept together. Of course, it was just sleeping.

    But I was no longer a child. I would never return to being a child.

    When was it that I received the divine blessing from the fairy queen Iris? I don¡¯t remember, but because of it, I am now able to stay in my true form forever. I was also able to make peace with the fairies of the Light Fountain. This was all an unmistakable truth.

    The dress that had arrived at the goods store was created by them. It was a pure white dress that shone and sparkled, hehe, I looked forward to wearing it tomorrow.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono...I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I am too, Lily.¡±

    Kurono¡¯srge hand gently rubbed my cheek. It was warm, it tickled, I felt like I would melt.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream, is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream.¡±

    I was so happy and fulfilled that it made me scared.

    ¡°Everyone, no, the whole world has blessed us. From now on, I want you to live with me in peaceful tranquility.¡±

    ¡°Yes...yes, I would be happy if I could just stay with you forever.¡±

    Me too, Kurono says as he pulls me to him. I pull him back; hisrge body.

    ¡°We have an early morning tomorrow. Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Lily.¡±

    I was enveloped in warmth and happiness, and in that, I gently let go of my consciousness.

    ¡°Good night...Kurono...¡±

    Ahh, I pray that these happy days continue forever...

 Chapter 388 Fionaâ€™s Happiness

    Fiona¡¯s Happiness

    ¡°Hahh...¡±

    A small yawn escapes my lips as I sluggishly get out of my bed.

    I can hear winter footstep during this time of the day. It took a bit of reasoning to get me out of my warm bed, but the stimting smell of spices had caused my conscious to choose to be awake. No desire to sleep could defeat my appetite.

    I had no regrets leaving the bed behind me as I moved towards the smell, my stomach grumbling as I walked.

    It was not a veryrge apartment room, and the kitchen was right in front of me. And there was a man standing there; cooking. To me, his back looked like it was shining.

    As a woman, I was slightly taller than average, but he was so tall that I had to look up to face him. His broad and powerful back was distinguishable as that of a first-rate warrior or knight. Even a child would be able to tell. In fact, he was much more. He was a berserker. First-rate warriors would flee before him.

    And now, that back which held such superhuman strength was bare without even a single shirt to cover it.

    His back was like steel, like armor made of muscle. Looking at him, I had to swallow down my saliva for reasons that had nothing to do with the cooking.

    Just like a male adventurer who is lured towards a subus, I find myself wobbling towards him. If he wasn¡¯t wearing his favorite underwear of ck dragon leather either, if his lower half was naked as well, I might have dashed forward and jumped on him.

    In any case, I would reach him quickly in this small room. I would be at a distance where my hand could reach, and then a distance where our skin touches.

    There is no hesitation or modesty. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, just like I had wanted to.

    ¡°Good morning, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Fiona. I¡¯m almost finished here, just wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°...I suppose you aren¡¯t going to let me go then.¡±

    I imagine him smiling. I wish that I could see it, but I didn¡¯t want to leave his back, my cheek against his. I couldn¡¯t leave even if I wanted to, there was nothing to be done about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait patiently.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. It¡¯ll burn if I can¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°Meat tastes better if its a little burnt.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get something more than just well done.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a predicament.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, you should go change. You¡¯re too tempting when you are naked.¡±

    Yet he¡¯s seen me naked plenty of times. Kurono could be cute when he says such innocent things.

    There was no getting around it, I agreed and begrudging untangled my witches embrace.

    Nightmare let out a frightening and healthy neigh once again as I and Kurono rode together, gantly making our way to the Academy.

    Now we were heroes that everyone in Spada knew about, the ¡®Nightmare Berserker¡¯ and the witch. We made such a great couple, the looks of jealousy that the other students threw at us felt good. It was nice to have our rtionship epted by everyone.

    We left Mary in the stables and headed for the ssroom, hand in hand. Our fingers entangled, what I like to call the lovers tangle. I didn¡¯t want to let go of him for a second. I think this, but reality won¡¯t allow it. But it was alright, I was a woman who could wait.

    I let go of him with a little regret and sat in the chair next to his. The adventurer¡¯s course had free seating at least. Even if a seat was already upied, the students were understanding enough to give me their set. It is very important to be able to read the situation.

    And so, what starts next is a low-level lesson on modern magic that was not even fitting for a refresher. Of course, in terms of my school record, I had already graduated Elysion Magic Academy as a top student, and that was the highest educational institution in all of the Sinir Republic. So there was no lesson in any renowned school that did not seem familiar to me.

    I was not here to learn something anyway. My purpose is to help him, he who came from a far away country known as ¡®Nihon,¡¯ so he can learn about this world.

    ¡°Hey, Fiona, this technique here...¡±

    ¡°You need to squeeze here, and push here, then it should turn correctly.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you, Fiona. You make it easy to understand.¡±

    No, no, you are too kind. This was nothing for me, a witch.

    Apparently, Kurono had something called a ¡®transword¡¯ ingrained directly inside of his head that made it hard for him to understand certain chants and terms or proper nouns. And so my support during magic sses was invaluable.

    It is a wonderful thing to be of use to the person that you love.

    ¡°...Now, what should we do for lunch?¡±

    Kurono asked as heard the dragons roaring from my stomach. The lunch break bell had just been rung.

    ¡°We can eat here today.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then.¡±

    A year ago, I would never have imagined that I would be eating with someone at school.

    Back then, it was normal for me to be alone. It was normal for people to stay away from me, it felt natural to be alone. There was no pain or regret there. I just epted everything as it was.

    Thinking back, I could see how boring, howme, and how unhappy it all was. I made fun of friendships, I looked down on love. I was a hopeless fool back then.

    Being with someone, bing one with the person you love. Now I knew what happiness that brought. Now that I knew, I would never go back to where I was.

    No, I¡¯m sure that my past self had actually longed for it. That rose-tinted Academy life.

    ¡°What do you want to do after school? Should we just look for a random quest?¡±

    ¡°No, I think...let¡¯s just go back home.¡±

    What we will do when we get back. I didn¡¯t even need to say.

    ¡°I guess I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t so much rose-tinted, but peach-tinted. This life.

    Lust was a strong desire, almost as strong as hunger. I had discovered this just recently. It is quite frightening, even knowing this, you cannot stop it...

    Before sunrise, when I had just started to fall asleep, my conscious woke me up once again.

    ¡°Are you crying, Kurono?¡±

    The bed was nowpletely cool, with no remnant of the intense heat from earlier. He was facing the wall as if to hide and I could see that there was a slight trembling in his shoulder.

    ¡°...Lilly, she is calling me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad dream. All of it, it is finished.¡±

    The fight at Alsace, thatst day. The sixth day of the month of the First me. Lilly had died that day.

    The two apostles who had stood by, they had killed Lilly as if on a whim. There was a huge discrepancy in power. There was nothing I or Kurono could do.

    No, it was because Lilly was sacrificed that Kurono was saved.

    I had unleashed ¡®Aur Soleil¡¯ and was depleted of magic and had fainted. So I did not see everything. Kurono refuses to talk about the details.

    However, it was obvious that whatever happened was exceedingly cruel.

    ¡°You can forget about it if it hurts. If it¡¯s hard, you can run from it. No one will me you if you pretend that none of it happened.¡±

    ¡°But...I...¡±

    I kicked the nket away and covered Kurono with my body. His tear-stained face now showed an expression of surprise.

    Affection,passion. The positive feelings I had in wanting tofort him would change into shallow desire when I looked at his face. He was in unbearable pain, I knew that I was the only one to ever see him like this. I was filled with a desire to possess and a superiority that came with it. Almighty, all-powerful, I felt like I had gained everything there was in the world.

    Before I knew it, I was devouring his mouth. At that moment, all reason had left me. I finally pulled away in order to breath.

    ¡°I will make you forget all of it... Just like I did before.¡±

    He had lost his friends, his trust, and his beloved Lilly. Kurono had been thrown into a pit of despair, he was turning into a husk of a human.

    I devoted myself to taking care of him.

    Neither of us knew anyone in Spada. In this room that we rented, this closed world, we were alone as a man and a woman.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone... Fiona.¡± So saying, Kurono had pushed me onto the bed.

    He was not well, I was his only survivingpanion, his friend...I was a woman. It was natural for him to want me eventually.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that time, I...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize about it.¡±

    I was waiting for you to do that to me. It was I who was a coward.

    ¡°I love you, Kurono. Your strengths and your weaknesses, all of you. And, you have to understand that it is okay to run from a past that is nothing but pain.¡±

    Forget it. All of it. Forget it. The sinister memories of despair, the memories of the beautiful Lilly, all of it. The past and the future, the only one who needs to be in your heart is me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have anyone to fight anymore. You don¡¯t need to try. You don¡¯t need to be stronger. You can live in peace. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    The only fortunate thing in all this was that the Crusaders had destroyed themselves.

    Spada¡¯s attack and Daidolos¡¯ revolt had worked to expel the Crusaders from the continent of Pandora. Commander Sariel, 8th Apostle Ai and 11th Apostle Misa were killed. There was no one to kill for revenge.

    ¡°That is probably true.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    Finally, Kurono gently returned my embrace. My feelings were conveyed, they entered him. It was such a happy embrace.

    ¡°Thank you...I love you, Fiona.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Kurono.¡±

    This time, my body and my mind were both fulfilled. I was finally able to fall asleep.

    Ah, what should I eat tomorrow? How should I make love to Kurono? My days of happiness had only just begun.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389: Blissful Days

    ¡°... I¡¯m back.¡±

    I¡¯d walked back home still in a dreamlike daze. Today, really did feel like a dream.

    I¡¯d made my first girlfriend, held hands for the first time with said girlfriend, and had my first experience walking home with my first girlfriend. With so many firsts, even the way from school to home that I¡¯ve trekked for over a year now, just felt new. It¡¯s like they say, my whole world had changed.

    I¡¯d been trying my very best, really giving it my all, to stay calm and cool, but in doing that, I didn¡¯t remember a thing about our conversation on the way.

    I was nervous, yes, but I was also on cloud nine in sheer joy. The girl called Shirasaki Yuriko, this unbelievably beautiful girl was in a rtionship with me.

    Holy, mother of... Every time I think of that fact, I¡¯m in serious danger of breaking out in a wide grin¨D¨D

    ¡°Mao, You¡¯re back.¡±

    For a moment, I was confused as to who that was. But I then realized that it was my own name in the next. I got a strange feeling as if, no one¡¯s called me that in a very long time.

    But let¡¯s not sweat the small stuff. I focused my attention to the person in front of me, standing at the entrance as if she¡¯d been awaiting my arrival.

    ¡°Oh, Sis... What¡¯s with the uh, luggage?¡±

    The girl who weed me home was Kurono Mana, my elder sister who, despite being a college aged woman, still sported a cute face that suited a little girl with twin-tailed hair. She¡¯s family, but I had no choice but to objectively acknowledge her beauty. Actually, she even rivaled Shirasaki-san in that respect¨D¨D Wait no, since thetter has the extra correction of being my girlfriend, Shirasaki-san is clearly superior.

    Now then, as for what my little Mana onee-chan was doing, she appeared to be dragging arge luggage case behind her, like the stuff you¡¯d use when going on a trip overseas.

    ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯m leaving the house for a while.¡±

    She said, curtly with her doll-like expressionless face. No, she wasn¡¯t particrly mad or in a bad mood. She always looked like that.

    ¡°Eh, what, are you running away?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re half right.¡±

    ¡°Wait, no way!?¡±

    I was trying to make a joke, but that backfired. My by-the-book sister was certainly not the type to do this sort of thing. Wait, what if she¡¯s hit one of those bted rebellious phases I read about?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be living with my boyfriend as of today.¡±

    She must consider the thing tremendously joyous, or exceedingly dirty, looking at it another way. When she spoke thest line, her eternal pokerface crumbled and she smiled faintly in a deep blush.

    Holy shit, was I also making this sort of face a minute ago...? It¡¯s honestly embarrassing how simr we are.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s no way Mom and Dad are gonna allow that.¡±

    So that¡¯s why she was running away. But then it¡¯d mean she really was running away from home, which doesn¡¯t add up with her telling me I was half correct.

    ¡°About that. Both of them are gone you know?¡±

    ¡°... Huh?¡±

    ¡°Dad got posted overseas for a while, and Mom went with.¡±

    ¡°Huuuh!?¡±

    W-what in tarnation is up with this dating sim protagonist scenario. Literally no way. This is way too out of the blue. There was no foreshadowing or anything about them going away.

    ¡°They left a letter on the coffee table, ¡®Take care,¡¯ it says.¡±

    ¡°Just that!? Seriously, hold up, just think about it, this is way too strange!¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯ve left already.¡±

    Meaning, no matter how I try to deny it as unrealistic, this was reality. My sister had no reason to lie. If she really wanted to run away, my sister was intelligent enough to devise a better lie and concoct a much more well thought out n.

    ¡°Wait, so you mean, I¡¯ll be living here alone?¡±

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯lle by on asion.¡±

    No, I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t rx. You¡¯re telling me I¡¯m suddenly gonna have to live alone.

    ¡°Mao, I know you¡¯re punctual and your cooking isn¡¯t bad either. Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean I can handle it...¡±

    But suddenly dropping it on me is still,

    ¡°Anyway, give me a call if there¡¯s any trouble. I left a note with the address to my boyfriend¡¯s apartment with Mom and Dad¡¯s letter.¡±

    She finished, signifying that she had nothing more to impart on her dear younger brother, and rolling along herrge, ck luggage case, my sister left the house.

    ¡°¨D¨D And that¡¯s how I¡¯m currently living alone.¡±

    ¡°The actual fuck!? That¡¯s legit straight out of an eroge man, holy shit!?¡±

    The one who yelled in pretty much the same reaction as me was, my ssmate and friend, Saika Youta.

    It was lunch time after 4 grueling periods of ss. It was at that point that I confided in him my terrible situation of, only yesterday, being forcefully left to fend for myself.

    I didn¡¯t mind the appalled reaction, but keep it down a little.

    ¡°Alright, calm down. And please sit back down too,e on, hey.¡±

    Saika had a knack for these over the top reactions.

    Oh yeah, this reminds me how he was simrly heated up yesterday about the club manager girl for the ser team... It somehow feels really nostalgic.

    As a matter of fact, I somehow feel like I haven¡¯t seen him, this dude who looked normal enough but was a full-blown otaku inside, in a long while too.

    I had a weird feeling about all this, but it wasn¡¯t bad enough that I wanted to expressly figure out why. Saika took his seat, and I continued the conversation,

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s surprising how stuff like this can happen in real life too.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it, I still can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    But once I spent the whole night alone yesterday, I had no choice but to admit that this really was happening.

    Incidentally, just like Sis imed before she left, the letter they¡¯d left on the table only had those two words. Literally just, ¡®Take care,¡¯ as if they hadn¡¯t a single worry about their son.

    Whatever, we¡¯re pretty much aissez-faire household anyway.

    ¡°Geez dude, I can only get so jealous. If you got yourself a girlfriend on top of that, forget being jelly, I¡¯d curse you to hell and back!¡±

    Goood thing you¡¯re a loner eh, Kurono, hahaha, Saikaughed. I froze up.

    ¡°Eh, what¡¯s with that reaction? We¡¯re supposed tough together as fellow losers right?¡±

    ¡°No, well, I mean... sorry?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t nning on hiding it from him but, he¡¯s making it really hard for me. But I can¡¯t really deny it, since the lie was likely to turn awkward fast.

    I could just feel another one of Saika¡¯s signature overreactionsing on. And I wouldn¡¯t me him for this one.

    Living alone + Has girlfriend. What kind of 17 year old high school boy would I be if I didn¡¯t expect some spicy happenings?

    ¡°HUH!? Kurono, y-y-you¡¯re... no way!¡±

    He quickly realized the truth from my obviously telling reaction. You know what, fuck it.

    ¡°Actually, I uh, made a girlfriend. Yesterday.¡±

    ¡°No way, no friggin¡¯ way!? Who!?¡±

    ¡°... Shirasaki-san.¡±

    ¡°Die, just die, yankee face!!¡±

    He hit where it hurts, and also literally hit my face in his seething. This might sound like I¡¯m making him out to be a bad guy, but seeing my friend actually crying tears of bitterness made me want to think it was fine taking a few ps to the face.

    ¡°What the hell man, what the hell happened! How did this happen!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Shirasaki-san, she went and confessed, right¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°DIE! Go to hell, you double-crossing bastard!!¡±

    ¡°Ce on, calm down,¡±

    Fuck you, fuck youuu, he wailed in real tears. I tried to settle him down while parrying away his baby punches, but I guess nothing I say would get through to him now.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Kurono, it looks like our friendship ends here...¡±

    ¡°Are you actually serious? Come on, don¡¯t be like that.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Kurono, let¡¯s end this nicely. Once the MC chooses the heroine, the best friend character can take a hike.¡±

    ¡°You have to make everything into eroge, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He¡¯s got a point, I¡¯ve heard some guys stop giving any fucks about their friends once they get a girlfriend. Though, I¡¯d appreciate it if he didn¡¯t see me as so shallow.

    ¡°Let us stop this folly. That is now your reality, and I happen to have no ce in it...¡±

    With grim determination, the man called Saika took his bento in one hand and left his seat. All the while, he looked not at me, but at the door to our ssroom.

    ¡°... Ah. Shirasaki-san.¡±

    She was there, in all her xen haired glory. In her hands, a lunch box of her own.

    ¡°Go, Kurono. Don¡¯t keep that cute gf waiting.¡±

    Saika offered with a nihilistic smile, tears still crusting his cheeks. He wasn¡¯t particrly good looking, but right now, he looked admirable.

    ¡°... Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Be happy with her.¡±

    With that, Saika took his leave, like a lone gunman heading where the wind takes him.

    I muttered, ¡°Thanks man,¡± as I also made my way to Shirasaki-san.

    Now then, if it turns out that she isn¡¯t here to invite me to have lunch with her, I¡¯d have no choice but to die of embarrassment...

    ¡°So um, how is it... Kurono-kun?¡±

    Please worry not for me. She did it, Shirasaki-san, she really dide over with her handmade bento for me.

    ¡°Y-yeah, It¡¯s great.¡±

    I would¡¯ve said the same thing even if this egg sandwich in my hand tasted a tad awful. But fortunately, or rather, as anticipated, every one of the items Shirasaki-san made were delicious. The omelet, the fried chicken, all of them felt like they were freshly made.

    The egg sandwich I¡¯m holding for example, it was exquisite to the point of me being bewildered how such a simple item could be made with such finesse. How in the world did she achieve this earth-shattering differencepared to all the egg sandwiches I¡¯ve tasted in my life so far.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you like it.¡±

    She smiled, so honestly, so brightly, so beautifully, that I couldn¡¯t imagine that this was really happening.

    I wasn¡¯t as deep in as Saika, but I¡¯d always hoped to have something like this, to have a nice girlfriend, to have lunch together with her on a bench outside. But now that I finally had exactly that, I constantly felt that it was all a very convenient dream.

    ¡°Um, hey.¡±

    ¡°What is it~?¡±

    I do have some basis as to why I¡¯m finding all this hard to believe.

    ¡°Why, me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me why I came to like you?¡±

    That¡¯s exactly it, that¡¯s what¡¯s making me so worried. Pathetic, I know.

    ¡°Yes, why. Actually, what part of me do you like anyway, I honestly can¡¯t tell.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I wonder... I¡¯m not sure myself, at some point, I realized that I love you.¡±

    Just when I was thinking she was going to im love at first sight, she throws me an even weirder curve ball.

    I was feeling a little dismayed at that, but without letting it show, I gave her a curt, ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Mm, but well, I¡¯m really awkward and... I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it. I tried to be your friend without letting you know, but that, well, ended so... I¡¯m sorry if I made you think I was avoiding you.¡±

    Seeing her thin eyebrows arched in such an apologetic expression, I felt dismay in a whole other meaning.

    I was still uneasy about her vague way of falling for me, but I could clearly see that she¡¯s serious.

    Maybe I was making light of her feelings in a deep corner of my heart. Maybe I was thinking that it¡¯d be fine just going out with her for the heck of it.

    ¡°And then, yesterday, I finally worked up the courage. So I asked everyone else from the club to give you and me a bit of time.¡±

    ¡°So you mean, other than me, everyone knew?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to tell them, but they...¡±

    Seems like all third parties could inly tell how much Shirasaki-san was into me from her mannerisms. And me, being the dumbass I am, thought that she was being scared of me; all this time I¡¯ve been in the literature club, more than a whole year.

    ¡°O-oh, I see...¡±

    How damn spineless am I even. And here I always thought, ¡®Don¡¯t be dense, take the hints and go for it!¡¯ In the end, everything was already done and over.

    ¡°But now, I¡¯m finally together with you, I¡¯m so d I did it. I thought that I¡¯d give up if you ended up rejecting me... but I honestly don¡¯t think I could. I really liked you that much.¡±

    She asserted and held my hand, my heart-rate now skyrocketing.

    Every time she speaks words of love, every time we touch, all my doubts, all my worries, all my reservations start to disappear. She¡¯s into me, she likes me. It won¡¯t be long till I wholeheartedly start believing that.

    ¡°Thank you. You saying that really means a lot to me.¡±

    I can¡¯t keep being like this. Whether she really likes me or not, how much she likes me, why does she like me. I can¡¯t keep wasting time on doubts to convince myself. I have to respond to this sweet girl¡¯s feelings without deliberating anymore.

    ¡°Shirasaki-san, I still don¡¯t know a lot about you, but I want to fix that. I want to learn all about you.¡±

    ¡°Me too, Kurono-kun, I want to know everything about you too.¡±

    Replying with loving words, Shirasaki-san snuggled closer to me. Fingers entangled, arms and shoulders grazing. This sciously sweet scent keeps enticing me.

    I could reveal my deepest secrets to her and her alone.

    ¡°What, about you, Kurono-kun... anyone you liked?¡±

    ¡°None. But I¡¯m thinking, maybe I was interested in you.¡±

    I¡¯d be a fool to not be, what with how gorgeous a girl like her was always near me. You could say I gave up on her, thinking she was out of my league. Or maybe, if I was a bit closer to her, I could¡¯ve actually fallen for her.

    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re sweet.¡±

    I mean, it wasn¡¯t exactly a lie that I was basically into her because of her cuteness, but perhaps she didn¡¯t mind that. She hugged my arm tight.

    Crap, this goes on, and I¡¯ll be under her spell in no time...

    ¡°So what about a first love, anyone like that?¡±

    Should I y it cool, say that she¡¯s my first? I frankly didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want to lie to her.

    I actually did have a first love.

    It¡¯s actually somewhat embarrassing, enough that I¡¯ve never told anyone about it. But, I guess I¡¯ll be honest with her.

    ¡°Back in elementary, there was this girl I liked... actually, I think I admired her.¡±

    That day, I was a mess.

    As to why, it¡¯s simple. I¡¯d written my first piece of fiction, and my friend made fun of it.

    I was so confident about it, proudly showing it to my friend, only to be showered with harsh criticism and insults. My pride was shattered and once the end of school bell rang, I made a dash for anywhere not there, tears spilling and all.

    I didn¡¯t feel like going home at all, and ended up running in theplete opposite direction. Really childish, now that I thought back on it.

    I ended up at a park I¡¯d never been to. I wasn¡¯t looking to find it, I just happened to be there after I¡¯d gotten tired of running away.

    That¡¯s when I met her.

    ¡°That girl looked really down as she sat on one of the swings. I wouldn¡¯t have bothered with her if it was just that, but then I noticed that she was holding a bundle of manuscript paper.¡±

    It was the same type I¡¯d used when I wrote mine, so I recognized it right away. I thought, hey, maybe she¡¯s like me too, and decided to call out to her.

    Turns out I was right.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I said to her back there, but one way or another, I ended up reading her story.¡±

    I sat on the swing beside her own, and read. It was good.

    ¡°¨D¨D I was actually shocked. She looked to be the same age as me, maybe even younger. But despite that, her plot, her characters, her literary re, it was all perfect.¡±

    Dammit, it¡¯s really good, I remember telling her, almost sobbing.

    That¡¯s when I finally understood. I understood that my friend was right in bashing my work.

    I epted it, no, I was made to ept it, and then, I threw my manuscript to the ground. I still remember it. The pages painting the park ground white.

    ¡°I realized that she was better than me, like heaven and earth. I was frustrated, I was jealous... and then I ran back home, crying.¡±

    But I must admit, as a brat, I still had enough grit to not drop my pen forever.

    I wanted to write as good as her. Kid me was working relentlessly, trial after error, rewrite upon rewrite.

    And fast-forward a few years, I¡¯d finally finished. My Adventures of Abel the Hero. The gist of the story was the same as the one I¡¯d thrown away that day. It was a remake actually.

    ¡°I actually got my friend to say it was a good read... Though, he did add, ¡®for a teenager.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I thought it was really good too.¡±

    So she read that. That¡¯s kind of embarrassing actually. Well, all the lit. club members did keep their work in the club room so anyone was free to read them. Well if she liked me from back then, it wasn¡¯t that much of a leap to assume she¡¯d attempt to read my shoddy light novel-esque fiction.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, you were always so serious in lit. club weren¡¯t you. I really like that part about you.¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks...¡±

    Her eyes were so genuine, so innocent as she praised me that, rather than feeling happy, I was more embarrassed. Although, it raised my heart rate no less.

    ¡°Hmm... But I kind of feel just a little jealous, of that girl I mean.¡±

    ¡°R-really now? I know I said first love, but it was really more like I set her as my objective, right. And besides, I don¡¯t even remember what she looked like.¡±

    ¡°But all that time you spent writing, you were thinking of just her weren¡¯t you? Even now, I bet.¡±

    D-damn you¡¯re sharp. Is this what they call the intuition of a girl in love?

    That girl was like my origin story for how I came to write like I do, and I¡¯m reminded of her every time I write.

    But then again, I haven¡¯t been writing anything at all recently... No, wait wait, wasn¡¯t I writing just yesterday? So why is it that my fingers can¡¯t remember the feeling of tapping away on myptop at all?

    ¡°Fufu, just wanted to tease you a bit, sorry. I don¡¯t really mind it.¡±

    And once again I admitted utter defeat against Shirasaki-san¡¯s radiant smile that seemed to say, and that¡¯s how awesome a girlfriend I am.

    I was almost about to lose myself and just keep staring at her, but I got a hold of myself. I warded up her smile¡¯s seduction and vied to change topic.

    ¡°O-oh yeah, thanks for the lunch. It was really good, I mean it.¡±

    I¡¯d somehow ended up finishing all of the bento Shirasaki-san had made for me. Since she was holding, or rather, clinging to my left arm, I couldn¡¯t really use it to eat, so I would¡¯ve been in a real bind if the sandwich wasn¡¯t the main item in the box.

    Anyway, I had no problem finishing everything, so all¡¯s well.

    ¡°So um, we can do this again tomorrow, right? You wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°No, well actually... I¡¯d feel sorry for making you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m your girlfriend aren¡¯t I? It¡¯d be my pleasure.¡±

    Damn, and here I thought my Sis was the only one who¡¯d get so into it. Makes me wonder if there¡¯s been a Yamato Nadeshiko boom going on or something. No, getting ahead of myself there. Shirasaki-san is just that good of a girl. Her girl power was off the charts.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take you up on that offer then. Actually, my parents are going to be gone for a while, so I was worrying what I should do for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t bring your own today.¡±

    She really saved me today. Yesterday, when it turned out that my parents had up and left all of a sudden, I was so astounded at the fact, that I forgot to consider anything about lunch.

    ¡°It was all so sudden you know? And on top of that, my sister took the opportunity to crash into her boyfriend¡¯s ce, can you believe that?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh... Then that means that you¡¯re living alone now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for a while, I guess.¡±

    I almost started to spill out all myints to her, but breathing in once, I decided against it.

    ¡°OK, then you uh, wouldn¡¯t mind if I came over sometime...?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t so pure hearted as to ept thatst line at face value. I¡¯m a high school kid, one who¡¯s finally gotten himself a girlfriend. I¡¯d be simply mad if I wasn¡¯t expecting you-know-what from those words.

    Words that clearly expressed that a girl was ready and willing toe over to a guy¡¯s house where he lived alone.

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s, well...¡±

    And there goes me, the loser who can only react to this kind of situation with a flustered mess of a reply.

    ¡°I... can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course you can! I mean, well... are you sure?¡±

    Dumbass, she¡¯s the one asking if it¡¯s okay or not. Me asking her back just served to make it crystal clear that I held certain expectations about her requested visit.

    ¡°... Mm.¡±

    And despite realizing this, she, Shirasaki-san, assented. Despite her facepletely blushed in scarlet, she nodded in reply.

    ¡°O-OK...¡±

    I could speak not any more. Also, I couldn¡¯t look at her directly either. I cranked my gaze away.

    But Shirasaki-san was still holding my arm tight, that softness, that warmth, I couldn¡¯t stop feeling that, not at all.

    Endlessly tempted by her genuine charm, my head had stopped working right. What was, how even, what do I¨D¨D My thoughts were a mess.

    But my bad status was quickly cleared away. The familiar bell rang in my ears.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the bell.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right, let¡¯s head back!¡±

    I was then released from Shirasaki-san¡¯s tender clutches. For now.

    The promise was already made. She¡¯de to my home.

    Looks like it won¡¯t be long before Ipletely be captivated by her...

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390: Oddity

    Monday, the 14th of May. That was the fateful day when I fell unconscious in the literature club room, woke up in the infirmary, and ended up being confessed to by Shirasaki-san. And on Tuesday, that is, the very next day, I shared in her lovely handmade bento and made a promise to invite her home, my home, where I now lived alone.

    ¡°¨D¨D So, how does Friday sound? I¡¯ll make dinner at your ce, so that¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    And thus the promised date was decided upon. Friday, the 18th of May.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell my folks I¡¯m staying over at a friends house, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    Additionally, it was decided she would stay over.

    ¡°Also, Saturday, let¡¯s go on a date!¡±

    It felt a bit odd that she was already staying over before we had our first date.

    ¡°O-O-OK... looking forward to it.¡±

    And despite all the implications, I had not the pureness of heart that wouldpel me to deny her requests.

    That week was, tough. You couldn¡¯t me me for being out of whack in anticipation for what would clearly be one of the best days in my life. I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. The ssroom lectures went over my head I, I couldn¡¯t even remember what I had for dinnerst night.

    And yet, the time I spent with Shirasaki-san at lunch and after school, those moments were permanently seared into my mind. About what she¡¯d make for dinner, what ces we¡¯d go for the date, all that sugary sweet-talk between boyfriend and girlfriend.

    I was falling for her more and more every day, I knew that. I could think of her, only her.

    ¡°Haah... get a grip, man...¡±

    I realized I was dazed in love, but the throbbing in my heart just wouldn¡¯t settle down.

    Especially today. Today was the day. The promised day. Friday the 18th. And currently, it was already 7th period. The weekend would start after thisst ss.

    Any other Friday, I¡¯d be bored to sleep in ssic literature, but today was very different. I desperately leashed down my nerves so I could write down the notes from the ckboard.

    And once the dreary lecture about umon conjugations started, I took that as my cue to look out the window.

    My seat was in fact beside the window so I got a good view of the field outside where a multi-section gym ss was being held.

    Today was an uncharacteristically sunny day of Fall, and the guys outside were shedding sweat in an intense game of ser. I was kind of jealous, I¡¯d be a lot less worked up if I was out there running around instead of staying put in this boring ss.

    I enjoyed ser. I wasn¡¯t exactly good at the sport, but I had the fortune of being tall and well built, so I wasn¡¯t too shabby either. Though, I kind of felt like the ref always fouled me way too much.

    I was drifting into thought while calmly watching the ser team boys absolutely crush the nerds. But then,

    ¡°... Wait, who¡¯s,¡±

    All of a sudden, at a corner of the ser field, a little girl appeared. No, it clearly wasn¡¯t someone returning the ball after someone kicked it far off field. No really, you could tell she wasn¡¯t a student here at a nce.

    ¡°That¡¯s... a maid?¡±

    Because that little girl over there, was dressed in a maid uniform. Her long ck hair was topped with a maid¡¯s headpiece, a pure white apron that symbolizes cleanliness was wrapped around her deep blue dress that extended to a long skirt. No doubt about it, it was a maid uniform.

    And this girl who was dressed in such maid attire looked to be no older than a grade schooler. Also, walking beside her was a small ck puppy.

    Maybe she¡¯d wandered in here while taking that pet for a walk. But then, even children would realize it was a high school seeing all the ssrooms and students. She was a pretty bold kid to be able to walk in here anyway. I wondered what her parents were teaching her. No, it couldn¡¯t be anything good since they were making her cosy like that.

    This kind of felt really surreal. I mean, it¡¯d be strange enough seeing a maid walking around town, but in a school setting, it was like, she was an oddity.

    And obviously I wasn¡¯t the only one to notice such a bizarre presence. Everyone ying ser was staring inquisitively at the mysterious little girl maid and pet puppy.

    And then, the one who approached her first was the gym teacher, the man who¡¯d been overseeing the match. An outsider had wandered into the school grounds, so it was obviously a teacher¡¯s duty to see to it.

    ¡°Hey there little miss, you can¡¯te here, this here¡¯s a high school you know?¡±

    I was just guessing what he said. The mean-looking gym teacher had quickly run over to the little maid girl.

    Normally, a kid like her would either start crying or try to run away by now, but this girl was calm. She pulled on the puppy¡¯s chain-like leash and walked towards the teacher herself.

    And then, there was a scream.

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    The little puppy that the maid girl was leashing along suddenly brought its fangs to bear at the gym teacher. Then, faster than the eye could see, the animal leapt onto the man, biting down on his face. The teacher made a throaty scream as he got knocked down.

    The rabid pet¡¯s master, that is, the maid girl had let go of the leash before the attack and looked to have no intention of stopping the creature¡¯s carnage.

    ¡°Oi, what the fuck is that?¡±

    ¡°Holy crap, that dog¡¯s going crazy.¡±

    The other kids in ss had of course heard the loud scream and had started gathering to the window. I was no different, I too was already standing with my eyes glued to the scene happening outside.

    The boys and girls who were there, as it was still gym ss, seemed to also keep watching dumbfounded. If this puppy had attacked one of the girls, I¡¯m sure some of the more gutsy boys would at least attempt a rescue, but the one under assault just so happened to be the tall and buff gym teacher.

    The worst someone like him would get was a few scratches. A small pup like that shouldn¡¯t hurt him at all¨D¨D was what everyone believed.

    Right up until that same little pup bit off the teacher¡¯s windpipe.

    ¡°Kyaaa!?¡±

    ¡°What the hell, he¡¯s bleeding a fountain over there!?¡±

    Even from this distance, I could see the blood sttering out and all over from the man¡¯s neck. It was at this point that all the onlookers went into an uproar.

    But the insane violence was far from over.

    The teacher looked to be in excruciating pain as he desperately tried to hold down the bleeding wound on his neck. But the dog showed no mercy.

    No, it wasn¡¯t simply attacking, this dog was eating. I could clearly see the little dog bite into the teacher¡¯s face, tear apart his flesh and gulp down the freshly procured meat.

    ¡°... What in the world,¡±

    It was shocking enough to see a dog eating human flesh, but the absurdity didn¡¯t end there. With every bite, the dog seemed to be consuming the man ever faster.

    The first bite was not that deep, the second bit off a whole chunk, the third, the fourth¨D¨D and before I noticed, the dog had devoured the man¡¯s head whole, bones and all.

    This was unreal. That had to be some kind of monster disguised as a puppy. Or maybe some kind of man-eating alien or beast from hell.

    Just now, a teacher of our school was reduced to nothing but a headless corpse. And as for the pup, it almost seemed to have gotten bigger in size.

    No, I wasn¡¯t just imagining things.

    The bigger dog kept on eating the corpse, bones, clothes and everything in between. And once it was done, the pup had now be a very big dog. It looked like a Siberian Husky, no, that there was a true wolf.

    ¡°This is just, crazy...¡±

    I muttered vacantly, not speaking to anyone in particr. I mean, really, that beast, it¡¯d killed and eaten a grown man while it was still a pup. And now it was much bigger. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine what this now doberman sized monstrosity could do.

    It was a massacre.

    The jet ck wolf attacked the students one after another. The monster didn¡¯t distinguish on sex, and so, it¡¯s first victim ended up being a short girl who¡¯d twisted her ankle and couldn¡¯t run.

    The wolf leapt and swooped down over the girl, knocking her to the ground. A piercing scream, was cut off. One bite was all it took to chomp off half of her head. The other half was swallowed up with the next bite, causing the wolf to further increase in size.

    After gobbling up the rest of the dead girl in her blue tracksuit, the wolf began to seek out new prey.

    The other students had scattered like mice, crying, screaming all the way. But mere human legs couldn¡¯t possibly grant them escape. Humans normally can¡¯t even outrun dogs, and those students had no hope whatsoever against the monster in disguise currently hunting them down.

    The wolf that had finished devouring the girl had now grownrge enough to bite off a human head whole.

    There went another head. The muscle and bone of the neck that was supposed to hold it in ce was gnawed off as if it were a thread of stic rope split by scissors.

    Once it was done with its third victim the wolf pounced into 3 more kids as they ran. Its ws, thick and sharp like cleaver knives, all 3 students copsed onto the blood that had gushed out from their backs.

    The monstrous canine kept growing as it ate. It¡¯d already be taller than its prey before my eyes.

    The beast¡¯s maw could now swallow people whole, while its ferocious ws could scoop out earth as it saw fit.

    It was almost like a giant monster now, a kaijuu.

    ¡°What the hell, is happening... I, must be having a nightmare...¡±

    Eaten, devoured, ughtered, killed¨D¨D I muttered in sheer disbelief at the atrocious hellscapeid out before me. I really didn¡¯t feel like all this was real.

    But no matter how hard I shut my eyes from reality, I wasn¡¯t waking up.

    Many of my ssmates were howling in fear and anger, some girls had started crying from shock. I could still hear them.

    I reopened my eyes. It was all still there. The ser field drowned in blood. The remaining students still running furiously despite more than half their number having been culled.

    I could say it was after around one and a half ssroom¡¯s worth of students. That¡¯s when the kaijuu of a wolf had finally hit a teau in its growth. The monster had feasted on people and had grown to a soaring 10 meters. I didn¡¯t know if it couldn¡¯t grow any more or just didn¡¯t need to. Which ever it was, it brought no good news.

    And it kept on doing what it did. The giant wolf was systematically hunting down the remaining students while all they could do was run away anywhere and everywhere. It was then that I recalled the other Oddity.

    The one who set loose this hellish monster, the little maid girl.

    ¡°... What¡¯s she up to?¡±

    As if she waspletely oblivious to the ughterfest being carried out by her pet, the girl was quietly walking along the bloodstained ground. She was looking around restlessly, as if searching for something.

    In different circumstances, I¡¯d find that sort of mannerism adorable, but the scene behind her was one of insane carnage, a monstrous wolf was gobbling up a steadily decreasing supply of tracksuit wearing high school kids. The little girl felt just as terrifying.

    There was no way she was just a normal girl. Hell, I doubted if she was even human. She could be a monster just as bad as that wolf, if not worse¨D¨D I was now focusing my attention on her, which, seemingly, wasn¡¯t a good idea at all.

    And then, our eyes met¨D¨D I think.

    ¡°¨D!?¡±

    No, not ¡®think¡¯, she really did see me. The girl started running straight towards the building my ss was in. Even the way she ran was cute and feminine, with a spring in her step.

    Her eyes were fixed to me, looking beyond the 2nd floor window and right on my face. She was now close enough for me to get a detailed look at her.

    The little maid girl¡¯s long ck hair, that was down to her waist, fluttered around as she ran closer, her face beaming with a smile as if she¡¯d finally reunited with a long lost love. The right half of her face was hidden under long bangs but from the round yet sharp eye that peeked from her left, I could tell that she was making a lovely expression.

    Then, her gaze never leaving me, the girl pointedly pointed at me, shouting,

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, there you are~!¡±

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391: Dream or Reality

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, there you are~!¡±

    Shouted the little maid girl who then raised both her arms overhead. I expected her to make a jump to my location, but reality couldn¡¯t be more different.

    ¡°Anchor hand!¡±

    She yelled with the pronunciation slightly off, at which point, ck wires shot out of her hands. It didn¡¯t look like she had a grappling hook hidden on her. The wires really appeared as if by magic, or ESP or, or maybe she was actually a cyborg?

    ¡°And~ up!¡±

    Before I could settle on any of those impossible exnations, the maid girl hade up to eye-level. The wires extending from her hands had instantly elerated her to the second floor window.

    Our eyes met with the ss window in between. Her sparkling dark eyes looked pure yet had a fiery passion, which set rm bells ringing in my head.

    I followed my instincts and kicked the floor, making a fast jump backwards.

    ¡°Hayaa!¡±

    And clearly that was the right course of action as, in the next moment, one of the maid¡¯s ck, enamel-polished shoes hit the windowpane with incredible force.

    One kick from her thin legs hadpletely shattered the window I was sticking fixedly to just moments ago.

    ¡°Wouaaah!?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaah!!¡±

    The shards of ss assaulted the other students who¡¯d been bunched up close to the window. They all, of course, tried to dodge back, but just ended up tumbling on each other like falling dominoes.

    As the high school boys and girls groaned in pain, all heaped up like spaghetti, the maid, who was the primary cause for their misery,nded elegantly onto the ssroom floor.

    ¡°Be at ease, Goshujin-sama, for I, your Hitsugi, shall save you at once!¡±

    The maid, no¨D¨D the girl called Hitsugi was in fact pointing at me as she spoke that line of nonsense.

    ¡°Y-yo, Kurono, you uh, know this girl?¡±

    Saika Youto, my bosom friend, said this from within the giant student dumpling. Him being able to throw in a quip in this kind of situation was just the sort of thing I loved about the guy.

    ¡°Nah, bro.¡±

    No way I¡¯d forget a girl with an ominous name like Hitsugi, in other words, coffin, if I ever met her.

    ¡°Goshujin-samaa! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d forget about your Hitsugi!¡±

    But she seemed to be acquainted with me. Actually, I was apparently her master too.

    ¡°This is quite unfortunate. But that simply means I have to wake you up, by force if I must!¡±

    Hooted Hitsugi,ing up with a decision at her own discretion, her long ck hair standing on end.

    No, not just standing, that hair was moving. As if her hair hade alive, it split and wiggled eerily like a collection of snakes.

    ¡°This is fucked up, we gotta run, Kurono!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me tw¨D¨D!?¡±

    But before I could take action, the medusa-head maid girl Hitsugi sprang straight at me. I was having doubts whether I could push her aside despite her physique being no different from that of a small girl. I couldn¡¯t let those hair tentacles touch me no matter what. I had to avoid direct contact.

    ¡°Shit!!¡±

    I grabbed the chair closest to me andunched it at her. This must be that fight-or-flight response since I was able to easily hurl the thing with one hand.

    ¡°Fugyaah!?¡±

    Strike. The creepy tentacle maidnded on the floor with a thud.

    But I couldn¡¯t rx just yet. I turned on my heel and headed straight for the door leading out of the ssroom. Throwing the chair at her had only bought me enough time to get the door open.

    The sliding door rattled loudly in my ears as I fell into the hallway.

    ¡°Mmggg! Stop running!!¡±

    While her still young voice held a tone that was as if we were ying tag, I could only hear the call of a devil from hell. I couldn¡¯t afford to look back and check.

    It was technically still ss time so the hallway was empty, making it easy for me to run the fuck away.

    Oh right, there was a giant wolf monster right outside, wasn¡¯t there? Could I even go out of the school? But then again, staying inside wasn¡¯t exactly safe either.

    Which way¨D¨D I hesitated, after having reached the staircase located at the center of the long hallway in 3 seconds.

    Going upstairs will only leave me with less room. It was better to head down then.

    I made a snap decision and was about to descend when,

    ¡°¨D¨DKurono-kun!¡±

    I¡¯d heard that sweet voice call out my name so many times this past week. No way would I mistake her voice for anyone else¡¯s.

    ¡°Shirasaki-san, why are you¨D¨D¡±

    Shirasaki-san, with her long, xen hair, came out into the hallway from another 11th grade ssroom. She held a broom with a wide brush, giving it a T shape. Wait, was that supposed to be her weapon?

    ¡°Fooooh!¡± Hitsugi roared, ¡°Goshujin-sama, you will not get away!¡±

    I¡¯d stopped dumbstruck at the edge of the stairs and Hitsugi had taken thatpse to close in. The deadly medusa head was almost on me, and this time, I had no chair to throw.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kurono-kun. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    Shirasaki-san said as she swiftly snuck in to defend me. In the same movement, she fiercely thrust the broom in her left hand at Hitsugi.

    ¡°Gephh!?¡±

    She used the non-brush end and struck Hitsugi hard on the pit of her stomach.

    Her weapon, with its cheap wooden shaft and rounded, blue handle cap had practically no offensive ability, her apparent skill in wielding it made the cleaning utility into the perfect defensive weapon.

    The small maid was easily blown away, andnded pitifully on the linoleum flooring.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m alright.¡±

    I felt a bit pathetic having to be saved by her, what with thisrge body I had at my disposal. No, I couldn¡¯t possibly make moves like she disyed just now, Shirasaki-san was amazing.

    ¡°Did you have like, high level training in the naginata or something?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no? What makes you think that?¡±

    I, couldn¡¯t respond. I strongly felt that I shouldn¡¯t ask any further.

    ¡°K-kuh... damned seductress! Get away from my Goshujin-samaaa!!¡±

    Maid girl Hitsugi howled as she got on her feet. Her hair was reforming into wiggly tentacles, now even more agitated. Actually, it kind of looked like there were a lot more of them now.

    It was like she¡¯d taken no damage at all from that strike just now. Tough little girl.

    ¡°You get back, Kurono-kun. I¡¯ll defeat that monster.¡±

    Shirasaki-san moved further forward, saying a rather heroic one-liner. I felt hesitant to stop her too, after seeing her dish out that pole-arm punishment just now.

    She looked like she could actually do it too, she could beat that tentacle maid with just a broom.

    ¡°No, wait, that¡¯s crazy! We need to run¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kurono-kun, I won¡¯t let them take you.¡±

    Shirasaki-san spoke without turning back. She would hear none of my pleas, only showing me her back, poised for battle.

    Was I supposed to just leave it all to her.

    I... wasn¡¯t I, supposed to, protect?

    ¡°I will save my Goshujin-sama! Take this, bind arts!!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hand over Kurono-kun.¡±

    Hitsugi and Shirasaki-san both sprung into action, their respective weapons ready to strike.

    Hitsugi made the first move. Once she yelled ¡®bind arts¡¯, which I assumed was an offensive technique, her hair, that had formed into tentacles, transformed even further. They¡¯d be jet ck chains. Seeing these dark, seemingly metallic chains made me instinctively feel as if they were made so as to allow no escape.

    That was not all there was to these chains. The binding weapons were each tipped with razor sharp ws. ws that could surely shred a woman¡¯s delicate skin into ribbons.

    The chain ws numbered a total of ten.

    And with them all originating from Hitsugi¡¯s hair, she looked to haveplete control over their movements.

    All of them headed for Shirasaki-san. Five of the chains went at her straight, forming a vertical line, 2 pairs went at her from the left and right, and the final one arced up to the hallway ceiling before diving straight towards her head.

    It looked humanly impossible for her to dodge something like this. The chain ws were moving so fast they looked like they¡¯d cause whishes. She¡¯d have to be superhuman to be able to dodge just one.

    And yet, I just couldn¡¯t picture the scene of Shirasaki-san being hopelessly killed by that deadly attack.

    I was sure it wouldn¡¯t happen. She can and will ovee this multi-directional assault¨D¨D just like a certain girl in white.

    ¡°¨D¨D huh!?¡±

    And she did it.

    With one powerful swing downwards, Shirasaki-san repelled all 5 death wsing at her from ahead. However, that move also caused the cheaply made broom to break.

    In the same movement¨D¨D in the exact same timing as her one handed broom attack, she shot out the weapons in her previously empty right hand, dealing with the 4 ws encroaching from her left and right.

    I hadn¡¯t even seen her take those out. Shirasaki-san had, stuck between her fingers, 4 different writing utensils.

    Starting from the space between her thumb and index finder, a sharpie, a ck ball point pen, a red ball point pen, and a felt-tip pen. I only saw them after they hit the chains, so I could only conjecture that she¡¯d thrown them.

    Two on the left and two on the right. With one motion of her hand, she¡¯d struck 2 pairs of attacksing from two different vectors. What was amazing was the fact that all these pens hit dead on the mark and, though they couldn¡¯t parry away the bulky chains, they did seed in redirecting their aim just enough to let Shirasaki-san squeeze out of the way.

    Only the chain from above remained now.

    And, as if to demonstrate that she could deal with merely a single chain with ease, she easily dodged it with a slight shuffle of her legs.

    Her marine uniform had not one scratch as the chain w missed its mark, striking dumbly on the floor.

    Shirasaki-san then started once again approaching Hitsugi, the maid girl finding herself wide-eyed at the feat she¡¯d just been shown.

    ¡°You little! I am not done yet! Pile¨D¨D!¡±

    Hitsugi howled, gripping her right hand into a fist and getting ready to make arge swing. At the same time, all 10 of her chain ws were released from her hair, scattering all over the hallway. Some even slid up to my feet.

    But I wasn¡¯t paying attention to these minor details. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the mortal duel happening before my eyes.

    I was on edge¨D¨D No, excited, perhaps even thrilled. Because I knew what Hitsugi was about to do next. I think, maybe. Before I noticed, I¡¯d also gripped my own right hand into a tight fist.

    ¡°Bunkeerrrr!!¡±

    A torrent of swirling ck formed with Hitsugi¡¯s hair. The raging ck hair enveloped the maid girl¡¯s small fist, forming into a piercing, prating drill.

    This ¡®Pile Bunker¡¯ attack appeared to be a single, straight forward yet extreme punch.

    The mana held within this punch far surpasses the amount in Bind Arts. A pin-point concentration of ck mana that is released on impact. Simple, yet it¡¯s that simplicity that makes it the fastest to use. That, is the first ck Magic. That, is Pile Bunker¨D¨D Wait, what am I doing making stuff up...? No, this wasn¡¯t that. This wasn¡¯t one of my wild fantasies again, it was something, something deeper, something that resonated in me, something etched into my head, my body... something.

    I, wasn¡¯t I forgetting something? Something very important?

    Wasn¡¯t I supposed to use that to protect? With that Pile Bunker, with that power?

    ¡°¨D¨D Nh!!¡±

    It was then that I realized that Shirasaki-san had been struck. That punch must¡¯ve had incredible force to send her flying like that.

    ¡°Shirasaki-san!?¡±

    She wasing towards me. I hurriedly attempted to cushion her small body¨D¨D but it seems that wasn¡¯t necessary.

    I could hardly believe it. Shirasaki-san rotated in mid-air and smoothlynded on the hallway floor. Her rubber sole shoescked in grip so she still slid backwards from the momentum but her posture remained firm all the while. This was clearly beyond the realm of what even the sportiest high school girl should be capable of.

    With this show of acrobatics done, she¡¯d now ended up in her original position in front of me again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just got a small scratch.¡±

    Said Shirasaki-san, smiling as she looked back towards me. She casually gave a wave of her right hand to show me that it was in fact not serious and had only turned a bit red. To think she could get away with just that after receiving the Pile Bunker... by countering with an inverse rotation of White mana¨D¨D once again, just like her.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, please don¡¯t worry about anything. You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with this. Leave it to me. Just leave everything to me.¡±

    It was the same, lovely expression I¡¯ve been falling in love with all throughout this past week. But now, now that smile invoked a sense of dread. Why?

    Was she really the Shirasaki-san I knew? ¨D¨D The moment I bore that doubt, there was a quaking roar.

    Graaaaaaaaaah!!!

    Suddenly, the floor in front of me burst upwards, revealing a dark monster. Smoke and cement dust fogged the hallway and I could see this giant monster¡¯s head looking right at me.

    Its ck skin had a radiance of polished metal. Its upwards pointing ears and even its teeth had this pitch ck quality. It almost looked as if the beast had been born from a shadow, but ck wasn¡¯t the only color on its palette. On the inside of its open maw, I could see red, a deep red like intense mes. This fiery crimson also appeared in its eyes that glowed dangerously.

    ¡°Wait, this is the wolf from outside!?¡±

    This was that same wolf without a doubt. It was the same ck color, and since it¡¯d gotten a lot bigger after it started eating the students, the size matched too.

    But holy crap was it huge. Even just its head reached all the way up to the ceiling. It could easily swallow my unusually tall, 190 cm body with a single bite.

    Wait, but then, what¡¯s going on with the first floor where its body is supposed to be...? No, this wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about that.

    The wolf chomped on the air 2-3 times, giving off intimidation.

    ¡°What the hell!?¡±

    And then, the giant red and ck maw beganing towards us. The relentless force of destruction easily chomped through the floor as it advanced.

    And it wasn¡¯t doing this slowly. By my estimate, it could very well turn us into mince meat by the time we ran 3 steps backwards.

    And despair¨D¨D was not on the menu. I put one foot forward.

    ¡°Shirasaki-san, run!!¡±

    It was because she was still in front of me. Which meant that she¡¯d be eaten first. And I¡¯d be eaten right after her, but... but still, the one thing I didn¡¯t want was seeing my lovely girlfriend cruelly devoured right in front of me.

    ¡°Uooooooh!!!¡±

    I roared to dispel any lingering fear and regret as I recklessly charged at the encroaching doom.

    I will protect Shirasaki-san. I might not evenst a second. This might all be just for my own satisfaction. But my body, no, my soul ordered me to act. To do everything I can to protect her.

    My Power would be used to protect.

    It was when those dark fangs and crimson mouth were only inches away that I finally remembered that simple truth.

    ¡°¨D¨D Kurono-kun!?¡±

    The fact that I could hear her shocked scream was probably proof that I was still alive.

    ¡°Ugh... hurts, like hell...¡±

    Me choosing to move by instinct had led me to the action of grabbing the beast¡¯s open maw with my bare hands. My right hand held its upper jaw while my left hand held the lower one, stopping its destructive advance.

    Though this obviously meant that my hands were ced along lines of razor sharp teeth. Both my palms were pierced by the knife-like fangs and a stream of blood flowed down from them.

    It hurt like crazy, but I could bear it. I didn¡¯t rx the strength in my arms even slightly. I¡¯d ovee the monster¡¯s powerful biting force head on.

    I was battling an unearthly creature by somehow also using unearthly strength. It was as if I was in a dream where I could perform awesome feats of strength¨D¨D But reality might burst in any moment now.

    I¡¯d stopped it for now, but I wasn¡¯t exactly confident that I could do it for long. No really, I¡¯m not kidding here... maybe another 10 seconds, nope...

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, you stupid mutt!!¡±

    That shrill and annoying yelling had to be from Hitsugi. I knew because I was so used to hearing it, wasn¡¯t I? The pressure on my hands lessened once I finished that thought.

    ck chains came flying in. They wrapped themselves around the wolf¡¯s head as if to punish it for misbehaviour.

    But the mad beast rebelled anyway. As if it didn¡¯t want to let its prey escape, it struggled fiercely against its chains.

    Anyway, this should buy enough time for Shirasaki-san to escape. Thanks a bunch, Hitsugi.

    ¡°Shirasaki-san, you gotta run, now!¡±

    ¡°... Why?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean why!? We have no time, just run already!!¡±

    But my desperate pleas only fell on deaf ears.

    A sudden warmth on my back. She had embraced me, as if dering that in no circumstances would she leave me.

    ¡°Kurono-kun why, why didn¡¯t you run?¡±

    ¡°And leave you here!? I¡¯d never do that!!¡±

    ¡°Sure you can, just leave me and run. Easy right? I can stop this monster here, so you just need to run away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Yes you can. Even if I die, I¡¯m sure you can get an even prettier girlfriend. You need to live, only you need to live on. I just want you to be happy, and only be happy.¡±

    What the hell was she saying? I waspletely unable to understand how she could say something so inhuman¨D¨D but a momentter, I started to. I began to understand what she wanted, I was made to understand.

    A will flowed into me.

    This will demanded I obey.

    Be happy, be blissful. Happiness exists for you, and only you.

    The world will bring you happiness. The whole world is for you.

    Therefore, no matter how many are sacrificed, you must still remain happy.

    So you¡¯ve lost one woman? Let¡¯s give you two. A cute fairy and a lovely witch. If that still doesn¡¯t satisfy you, let¡¯s include a beautiful princess. And her, and her, and even her. You can have anyone, how ever many you desire¨D¨D

    ¡°No! I never wanted that!¡±

    ¡°Why not? You don¡¯t need to suffer any more, Kurono-kun. Just forget about all the painful, hurtful things, alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to!¡±

    ¡°Then just don¡¯t, it¡¯s fine, so just stop. You don¡¯t need to work hard, to endure. You don¡¯t need to put in any effort at all. Everything will go exactly the way you want. And it will make you happy, Kurono-kun. It will feel wonderful, I guarantee. It will feel so, so good.¡±

    Exactly as I want. If I only wish it, I could mete all my base desires, of power, of beauty, of lust, anything.

    The perfect life. Everyone dreamed of it, and I was no exception.

    I was supposed to spend the night together with Shirasaki-san. I was really looking forward to it.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ll feel so good once you have sex with me. I promise I¡¯ll satisfy you. Now, and forevermore. I will satisfy your every desire¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°... But, none of this is real.¡±

    Her slender arms around my waist felt awfully cold.

    ¡°Why...¡±

    The warmth on my back was nowpletely gone. It felt like a block of ice was pressing into me.

    ¡°Why, why are you saying that! This isn¡¯t a dream, this isn¡¯t fake, it¡¯s all real, all of it, all of this is real, believe me!¡±

    ¡°Just, stop already. I, remember everything now.¡±

    Everything around me started bing ck. Far away, I could make out something that must¡¯ve been the hallway. It was as if the darkness was swallowing all of creation. The world was dyed in an explosion of ck.

    But some things were still there. Namely, the wild wolf that was still trying to tear into my hands, Hitsugi who was trying her best to stop it, and on my back, Shirasaki-san¨D¨D or at least, the something that took her form.

    I fully realized that it wasn¡¯t her, but I still had to say it.

    ¡°Thank you. It was a good dream¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Kurono-kun, noooooooooo!¡±

    I knew a very easy way to wake up from this dream. I just needed to give the order.

    ¡°¨D¨D do it, EvilEater.¡±

    I relinquished the strength in my arms.

    Thest thing I saw was the inside of the mouth that ate up anything and everything in this world. Bloody, fiery crimson like I was falling into the depths of hell. The whole scene could be described as incredibly scary.

    But my heart was the picture of calm. I felt as if I¡¯d just slept in a little extra on the weekend. I had my fill of happy dreams. I¡¯d gotten more than enough.

    It was now time to go back¨D¨D back to reality.

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392: The Fang that Devours

    ¡°¨D ¨DGhaa!?¡±

    I suddenly woke up with a sharp pain coursing through my body.

    A dark cave. Cold¨D¨D yes, I remember, this was in the Asbel Mountain Range, inside the Lust Rose¡¯s den.

    ¡°Shit that hurt... but thanks, Evil Eater, old pal.¡±

    The ¡®Craving Wolf Sword¡¯, Evil Eater, was currently digging into my left shoulder.

    It had leapt up from my shadow like a killer whale, breaking through the spatial barrier of Shadow Gate to attack me.

    ¡°Huh... so it evolved. It¡¯s not the same Evil Eater at all.¡±

    I could clearly see change all across therge de.

    The most prominent of which was that the de was now split along the middle, like a pair of scissors¨D¨D No, like a ravenous beast¡¯s maw.

    The split de was carving into my shoulder in such a way that felt like a real Chaos Eater was biting down on me, using its power to drain my mana.

    Maybe this is why Regin-san didn¡¯t fix Evil Eater like he did my other equipment. He must¡¯ve predicted that it¡¯d evolve in some way. The ¡®wound¡¯ it had received from the Greed Goar, that is, therge hole in the middle of this de had molded into a form much more suitable for devouring prey.

    The first of which happened to be me. Or, it could¡¯vepleted its evolution just now when it stabbed into me, getting its fill of my blood, meat and mana.

    The inner sides of this new cursed de were not smooth edges but rough and pointed like a saw de. It looked perfect for digging into flesh and I could feel it even now sucking away my blood and mana.

    It was now dyed jet ck from the base to its tips and even had red, veiny lines running across its surface much like those of the current Neck Cutter. The veins pulsed harder the more it drained me.

    Which was starting to feel like a little too much right about now. I didn¡¯t want to pass out again right when I just woke up.

    Right, it¡¯s been a while since I used this, but now would be a good time to use Flesh Compensation, my only healing type magic.

    Though I¡¯d have to remove this thing from my shoulder before I started filling up the gouged out wound with the good old ck mana jelly ¨D¨D

    ¡° ¨D¨D And how long are you nning on biting Goshujin-sama, you stupid mutt! Get back here right this instant!¡±

    But instead of me, Hitsugi took the initiative to discipline the seemingly out of control Evil Eater, by which I mean she was jolting my brain with her loud yell.

    Multiple jet ck chains, the type that formed when I used Bind Arts, shot out from Shadow Gate and wrapped themselves around the hungry de.

    Evil Eater rattled against its chain bondage as if it really was a raving animal. But it was now being prevented from biting down any further.

    Hitsugi was now able to directly receive my mana, so the chains she used of her own volition were strengthened quite a bit more. She¡¯d be able to tear Evil Eater off my shoulder by force if she needed to.

    She wasn¡¯t able to do it in the dream, but here, in reality, she was stronger than the toothy sword. Right. Reality.

    ¡°Thanks Hitsugi. You did a good job getting Evil Eater to me in there.¡±

    ¡°Golly!! Goshujin-sama praised me just now, hurray!!¡±

    Damn, I really owed her big time for this one. If Hitsugi hadn¡¯te to my rescue, I¡¯m pretty sure I would¡¯ve stayed there.

    I needed to thank her somehow, no, I guess maybe I should call it a reward. Anyway, I needed to do something special for her, or I couldn¡¯t keep my pride as her master.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re definitely the best maid ever.¡±

    Hitsugi shrieked in joy and delight inside my head as she pulled off Evil Eater and handed it over to me.

    The cursed wolf sword now had its unmoving grip firmly held in my hand, now only able to chomp down on thin air.

    Now holding it, I could feel a sense of familiarity with the weapon even though it had changed so drastically. It was still the Evil Eater I knew.

    The sword¡¯s grip hadn¡¯t changed at all from the evolution. It was still the same one that Vulcan used for many years.

    My senses told me that the de portion, that¡¯d been made from a Chaos Eater fang, had evolved into a much more intense curse, while the grip still carried Vulcan¡¯s malice.

    These dark emotions flowed up my arm and into me ¨D¨D More, we need to devour more. Evil Eater is evolved and it hungers. I also hunger ¨D¨D the curse said.

    ¡°Yeah, you want more! I¡¯ll give you more! But you¡¯ll need a new name. From today, you¡¯re Evil Eater EX, the Ravenous Fang de!¡±

    I turned the bestially growling de towards the ground. It would first devour my restraints.

    When I woke up, I¡¯d noticed that I¡¯d been encased in ice up to my knees. My feet were very cold, and I was starting to lose feeling in them.

    Using Evil Eater EX on these shackles easily shattered them into a million pieces, making the tiny ss-like fragments sparkle in the surrounding air as the ice burst.

    ¡°I was dangerously close to joining all the other frozen statues here... and not just me, all three of us. This could¡¯ve gone really bad...¡±

    Now that I had escaped the the Lust Rose¡¯s dream, I had a good understanding of how this trap really worked.

    We¡¯d been anticipating that the Lust Rose would have to approach us in order to cast its powerful mind control, but that theory couldn¡¯t be more wrong.

    This elusive monster had shown itself to us from the very start. It had done this slowly, gradually enough that we wouldn¡¯t notice, and it¡¯d been pulling us into its hypnotic trance all the while.

    It was those thorny vines, the ones running densely along the walls and ceiling. That was the true form of the Lust Rose. Or at least, part of it. These vines were like its arms and legs, tentacles of sorts that extended out from its main body.

    The curious part of it was that this whole trap didn¡¯t involve directly using mana on us. At a nce and in reality, these vines were simple nts with nothing out of the ordinary.

    And we¡¯d ignore it, thinking it must be part of the nt life indigenous to the cave or something ¨D¨D which was all part of the Lust Rose¡¯s n. In short, the whole thing was a Magic Circuit that induced us to sleep. Rather than magic, this would fall in the realm of hypnosis.

    The adventurers who¡¯de here would have to use some light source. With theirmon torches, they¡¯d only see part of the patterned vines and inevitably ignore those in favor of advancing ahead. And as they would walk, the patterns would slowly start getting to them, eventually dominating their minds.

    This technique waspletely visual in nature so there was no way to detect the traces of a spell being casted.

    My senses and Lily¡¯s telepathy weren¡¯t able to make anything of it, because there wasn¡¯t anything we could make of.

    This sort of visual hypnosis was a very weak sort of mind control but if not noticed, it was practically unavoidable.

    And once one of its victims fell into their ideal dream world, they¡¯d have no way ofing back ¨D¨D at least, that¡¯s what I could say from my own experience.

    ¡°Both of them are in ice too... really close call this time...¡±

    Behind me, I spotted Lily and Fiona, both also encased in ice, all the way up to their waists. Both girls were sleeping peacefully. It made me wonder what sort of sweet dreams they¡¯d been having.

    With the expressions they had, I¡¯d hesitate on waking them if they were resting on a bed, but they¡¯d go to sleep forever if I didn¡¯t get them out of that ice.

    I shattered their ice prison with one swing of Evil Eater Ex like how I¡¯d done mine.

    The reason this ice broke so easily was because this was ice made of magic. In other words, my ravenous sword was draining the mana out in addition to the powerful impact it produced.

    This whole cave was the Lust Rose¡¯s den, or maybe its ¡®stomach¡¯ would be a better analogy. In any case, its influence was spread throughout the whole ce.

    Once its prey was blissfully dreaming, the Lust Rose would use this ice magic to preserve them in its dwelling and slowly feed on their life force until nothing remained. In the end, we would¡¯ve be skeletons in ice, with all our weapons and equipment still in ce.

    But this sort of enchanting death had been epted by all its previous victims.

    Which reminded me about something Jimmy-san mentioned. How the Cleric who¡¯d once defeated a Lust Rose had said on his deathbed, that he only wished he could¡¯ve been killed by the Lust Rose along with his party members.

    ¡°Makes a lot of sense now that I¡¯ve experienced that world myself...¡±

    The Lust Rose¡¯s dream, its ability to create an ideal butplete world was none other than the magic of Telepathy.

    The vine circuit only had the effect of inducing sleep. Once an adventurer was asleep and defenseless, the Lust Rose would hack into their brain using it¡¯s powerful Telepathy and nt its illusory world.

    The first thing it would do was filter through the person¡¯s memories and goals. What they liked, what they hated, moments they enjoyed, moments they were hurt, their traumas, their desires¨D¨D everything.

    Once it knew all of a person¡¯s memories, the monster would create their most ideal world in the most realistic way possible.

    Having things be too convenient wouldn¡¯t be favorable after all. Its victims could wake up if they felt something was off. Hypnosis was a delicate process like that.

    To achieve this bnce, the Lust Rose was very patient, it sifted through the mind, and had the intelligence to determine what was viable to show in that blissful dream.

    And then, when the oblivious victim started wishing for their happiness to continue forever, that would be the moment they¡¯d bepletely trapped.

    In my case, that moment would¡¯ve been the night when Shirasaki-san was going to stay over at my ce, and we would, uh... engage in certain activities. Maybe I would¡¯ve been too far gone after that happened, even if Hitsugi and Evil Eater came to the rescue.

    I was deeply ashamed. That was, after all, something born due to me being a stupid virgin. I should¡¯ve realized it was a dream the moment she confessed to me. I mean seriously, it¡¯s so dumb it hurts!

    ¡°Wait, they¡¯re still, okay... right?¡±

    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried. I¡¯d caught them as they were falling after I broke their ice cage, but they were still asleep, they still had that same peaceful expression. They might even have trouble distinguishing dream from reality once they wake up... No, there¡¯s no point in worrying about that.

    Right now I needed to focus on killing the Lust Rose, first and foremost.

    ¡°Your telepathy won¡¯t work on me any¨D¨D more!¡±

    With it¡¯s jagged maw closed, Evil Eater EX was evenrger than it was pre-evolution. I struck the cave walls with this now greatsword sized weapon.

    I hit a part of the wall that was curved, but where I aimed didn¡¯t matter in this case, so long as I struck the ¡®inner¡¯ side. What I mean is, this whole portion of the cave connected back to itself in a circle.

    And the Lust Rose sat in an enclosed space at the center.

    ¡°There we go.¡±

    Both inner and outer sides of this circr tunnel might look solid, but this wasn¡¯t quite the case. The cave was originally arge circr area which had beenter made into the tunnel by the Lust Rose to hide itself. This inner side was in fact not hard to break into.

    Hypnosis, dream weaving, telepathy, and even wall manufacture. This was quite the versatile monster we were dealing with. It deserved its 5th tier rank.

    The inner wall quickly fell apart. And inside, I could see only darkness, even with my eyes now adjusted to the dark. The Lust Rose shouldn¡¯t require light to do its thing so obviously, it¡¯d have no problem nesting in the pitch dark.

    ¡°It had its hypnosis, but I broke through that. And now, I even have its location. It¡¯spletely cornered...¡±

    The reason why I suddenly knew so much about this monster was because just like it did to me, I also happened to scour through its mind.

    When Hitsugi and Evil Eater were ravaging my ideal dreamscape, the Lust Rose tried to maintain control by pulling out all the stops. It decided to telepathically hack my mind much more forcefully.

    Shirasaki-san was suddenly disying superhuman feats of strength and technique. And that¡¯s when I realized that¨D¨D yes, I knew them, these were abilities I¡¯d seen demonstrated by the strongest individual I knew of.

    Sariel, the 7th Apostle.

    The fight between Hitsugi and that fake Shirasaki-san reflected the fight I once had with the Apostle herself on top of the walls surrounding the Daidalos capital.

    She¡¯d used her spear to repel my Sword Artsing from the top, front and sides, she¡¯d countered my close range pile bunker by reversing its flow, she¡¯d even parried my surprise attack with the Basilisk bone. The series of events were almost identical to the one in the dream.

    It had really peeked deep into my memories... and for that reason, I was able to peek back.

    Telepathy was also like Hypnosis in that it was very delicate, easily brushed off with the help of some outside help. I¡¯d forgotten that fact since Lily made it look so overpowered, when in reality, using such mental techniques carries a good deal of risk.

    The worst of which was the existence of a Backdoor.

    It was a phenomenon where the assailee could in turn read through the memories and emotions of their mind delving assant.

    If the assailee could also use Telepathy, it was entirely possible to construct a Backdoor on their own. And even if they didn¡¯t if the assant got confused enough via some sort of jamming, they would lose part of their control, and their own information would start leaking out.

    In addition, if this was a particrly powerful Telepathy and you sessfully scattered their control, it was even possible that the caster would start receiving information from all the minds in the surrounding area. This overflow of information into the caster had the risk of causing amnesia or even split personalities.

    Incidentally, the one who taught me all this wasn¡¯t Lily, but Nell, back when she was giving me private lessons. Surprising how small things like that became useful in the long run. And Nell, she¡¯s been saving me in lots of ways now that I thought I about it. I¡¯ll be sure to get her more of that pudding she liked.

    But I digress. So the way I was able to read the Lust Rose¡¯s thoughts was with the Backdoor method.

    The Lust Rose might¡¯ve had incredibly strong telepathic prowess, but Evil Eater could just eat it. Which it did.

    Hitsugi hadn¡¯t chosen toe with Evil Eater on a whim. She did it knowing that without Evil Eater draining the mana that made up that world of dreams, it couldn¡¯t be broken. Any of my other weapons would have inflicted pain only, not dispel the hypnosis.

    When I remembered who I was again, I had Evil Eater devour anything and everything, which was exactly when the Backdoor opened.

    The Lust Rose was born with its absurdly strong Hypnosis and Telepathy, which it had used all this time without a single failure. So once I¡¯d broken it for the first time, it had no idea how to react. Itcked the knowledge and experience to deal with this scenario.

    For 30 years the monster had fed on its victims, always using the same, tried, true and tested method. Once I started receiving these memories, I started to know how the Lust Rose thought, what made it tick.

    And then, until the time I was finally awoken by the sharp pain in my shoulder, I received the torrent of information that was the Lust Rose. I was confident that right now, I was more knowledgeable about this creature than anyone else.

    I knew all of it, I knew fully how blissful it¡¯d be to simply give in, simply stay in that dream. And while understanding everything, my resolve to defeat the Lust Rose didn¡¯t waver in the slightest.

    Maybe I¡¯ll say the same words of regret as that Cleric when I die, that it would¡¯ve been better if I¡¯d been killed by that Lust Rose. Maybe the next time I meet Sariel and end up dying, yeah, I could see myself doing that.

    ¡°Still... I want power.¡±

    And you¡¯ll be the one giving it to me, Lust Rose.

    The power to defeat Apostles, the 4th divine protection.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393: The 4th Divine Protection

    We¡¯d usually leave the job of lighting up dark locations to Fiona since she was our fire specialist. But it wasn¡¯t like I was incapable of using simple magic like Torch on my own. I just had to use the pseudo fire magic granted by the 1st Divine Protection.

    ¡° Torch¨D¨D and, huh. Not as effective as I¡¯d hoped.¡±

    A balloon sized ball of ck fire popped into existence on top of my palm. It was swaying slightly but stayed afloat.

    It¡¯s color waspletely ck but strangely, though faint, it was able to illuminate the inner sanctum I¡¯d broken into without issue.

    I cast a total of five of these torch balloons and issued them all over the room. Now that I could see inside, I shouldered Evil Eater EX and stepped inside.

    Now on the other side of the wall I just destroyed, I scanned the area where the Lust Rose nested. It had an area as wide as the arena in Spada¡¯s Grand Colosseum.

    But the ceiling was still low like in the circr cave outside of here, so there wasn¡¯t the same sense of massiveness as that boisterous arena.

    It actually wasn¡¯t like the arena at all, but a lot more like¨D¨D like you see in those Sci-fi movies, the motherputer, the core room, riddled with circuitry and wires.

    ¡°It¡¯s true to its namesake at least... ¡±

    At the center stood a giant flower, a rose. It looked fragile, ephemeral with it¡¯s almost transparent blue petals. Like a delicately crafted ice sculpture the blue rose gave the impression that a miracle just might happen. But this flower was abnormallyrge, standing at 3 meters, it¡¯s size only reinforced the idea that it was a powerful monster.

    And since it was flower based, the Lust Rose could be the nt variant of a Subus, the Alraune, a monster with the upper body of a woman that popped out of a flowery base body. This rank 3 monster was listed in the Guild¡¯s almanacs, though, I haven¡¯t had the chance to fight a real one.

    An interesting point of note would be that although they always disyed a woman¡¯s body, those women weren¡¯t necessarily all beautiful.

    The oversized rose I was looking at didn¡¯t seem to have such a feature. Though, since it primarily used all manner of mental afflictions on its victims, I suppose it didn¡¯t need one.

    The particrity of this flower monster was the plethora of thorny vines that extended out of its base.

    Its stalk was thick and short, the flower itself appeared as if it was blooming straight out of the floor, and all around it, from all 360 degrees of it, vines surged out like waves.

    That¡¯s what made my head think of a high-tech supeputer.

    It wasn¡¯t moving these vines despite me approaching closer with each step which assured me that it wasn¡¯t like a Morjura which could manipte its tentacles at will.

    I crushed the vines underfoot at I closed my distance to the Lust Rose, but it showed no sign of doing anything.

    Did it really not have anything else to resist with?

    No, I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down. The Backdoor gave me more than enough information on its staple ensnaring techniques but it didn¡¯t give me everything.

    There was still the chance that a woman could suddenly leap out from within those petals and attack me. There was the precedent of the Sloth Gill doing that from the Greed Goar¡¯s lopped off head.

    But I now had countermeasures for that. With the 3rd Protection, Over el, I¡¯d be able to deal with surprise events like that.

    So, as I still kept my guard up, I¡¯d arrived at a distance where I could strike it down with Evil Eater EX¨D¨D And that¡¯s when it moved.

    The frozen rose petals began to soundlessly unfurl.

    An attack... no, not quite. What appeared from within the flower was, as I¡¯d spected, the special trait of an Alraune, a female body.

    ¡°... Kurono-kun.¡±

    She called to me. In the same sweet, lovely voice it used in that dream, it called to me.

    ¡°Shit... really getting on my nerves now...¡±

    It was Shirasaki-san. Not in a dream, but in reality, right in front of me, there stood the figure of the same Shirasaki Yuriko as in my memories.

    She was naked, which could be because the Lust Rose couldn¡¯t recreate the uniform I always saw her in or because it deemed that her bare figure would be more potent in seducing me.

    Her clear, white skin, long, ck, glossy hair, moderately full breasts and a slim waist. Everything below was hidden behind blue rose petals.

    To me her body looked, less bewitching and more like a work of art. It was simply and only, beautiful.

    Her clear ck eyes looked straight at me as she continued speaking,

    ¡°Please Kurono-kun... don¡¯t do this.¡±

    She was begging to be spared.

    Useless, how stupid, I didn¡¯t have to listen to this, I clearly knew this was a monster¨D¨D but the fact that I had yet to cut her down showed that her words carried effect.

    I really was hesitating.

    ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you... I just want to live here quietly, in peace.¡±

    Which was a good point. The Lust Rose, unlike the Wrath Pun or Greed Goar, wasn¡¯t going out of its way to cause havoc. All the adventurers who died in this cave came knowing the risk, while monsters such as Punpuns also died inside due to the naturalw of survival of the fittest.

    What right did we have to kill a wild monster that only wanted to live, peacefully secluded in its cave?

    ¡°Please Kurono-kun... spare me.¡±

    Begged Shirasaki-san, her voice pleading me to show sympathy.

    No this thing wasn¡¯t Shirasaki-san. Actually, I couldn¡¯t even be sure if the Lust Rose was as sentient as the people of this world. It might only be using whatever it deemed capable of getting it out of this situation alive.

    For instance, since it knew my memories, it could create a person, create words that would prove effective in swaying me. It was doing the same thing as the dream but now in reality.

    Which I understood all too well, but faced with such a perfect image and voice of someone dear, I hesitated. I just wasn¡¯t able to think I could kill her even if I knew she wasn¡¯t the real one.

    It was like being told to step on a photo of a family member or a lover. Would it be that easy to mercilessly stomp on the caricature of someone so dear? I couldn¡¯t do it. I¡¯d resist even if I was lightly threatened. I¡¯d refuse even if they said I¡¯d get 10,000 yen if I did.

    If something that took on her figure so perfectly pleaded with me to spare her, I just couldn¡¯t¨D¨D

    ¡°Listen, Shirasaki-san¡±

    I spoke to the something that I knew wasn¡¯t her.

    ¡°What is it, Kurono-kun?¡±

    The slight tilt of her head as she replied was also impably simr. Just how adept atmunication was this thing?

    Actually, it didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t need to know.

    ¡°Do you know how many people I¡¯ve killed since I came here?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    If I met the real Shirasaki-san, if I said that same line to her, would she also react like this fake?

    ¡°I killed those white masked bastards, I killed tons of Crusader soldiers. And, I didn¡¯t bear any grudge towards them, but I killed my fair share of bandits too.¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply. She was only listening, no, maybe it just didn¡¯t know a reply for that.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, but I also killed them, other experimentees simr to me. I¡¯ve killed other Japanese people¨D¨D¡±

    At this point, I was just talking as a way to harden my resolve. I might as well be talking to myself.

    So I didn¡¯t need her to reply. I didn¡¯t require her input, since it didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°¨D¨D I¡¯ve chosen my path.¡±

    That¡¯s right, my goals were not so frivolous that I¡¯d get stuck here.

    ¡°This is my path. I need power. And I will take it. The power to kill Apostles.¡±

    I readied my sword.

    When I raised the Evil Eater EX held in my right hand overhead, the ravenous sword began grinding its teeth in anticipation of the meal it would soon receive.

    ¡°Sorry Shirasaki-san¨D¨D¡±

    That was when she finally understood what I¡¯d been getting at. Opening her eyes wide, Shirasaki-san¨D¨D no, the Lust Rose screamed.

    ¡°No! Kurono-kun¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°¨D¨D Eat up, Evil Eater EX!¡±

    Suddenly, my eyes opened to show¨D¨D a ck throne.

    I wasn¡¯t even sleeping this time, I just blinked and I was here. Well, anything¡¯s possible I guess.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll finally have to deal with that... no, first, congrattions onpleting the 4th Trial, Kurono Mao.¡±

    Mia Elrod, the Demon King of old gave me words of congrattions with an unusually serious expression.

    He was currently dressed in a military uniform that looked a lot like a gakuran and had on a majestic cloak. He was sitting on the grand throne which looked surprisingly fitting as he was currently dressed like a king.

    ¡°I am honored by your praise, your Majesty.¡±

    Half going with the flow, and the other half in jest, I put my right fist on my left breast, the Spada salute, and then bowed on one knee, facing the Legendary Demon King I was in the presence of. I¡¯d done this very recently when I received that decoration.

    ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s somewhat embarrassing if you do it so straightforwardly.¡±

    And I¡¯m d you liked it. Mia-chan¡¯s gentle smile was a healing smile.

    ¡°But you were very close to defeat this time around.¡±

    Mia said as he stood from his throne and walked over, his cloak flowing as he did. To this I replied, smiling wryly,

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t exactly a normal battle.¡±

    All mybat ability feltpletely useless in terms of oveing this one. Heck, I literally didn¡¯t use any of Over Drive, Over Gear or Over el.

    ¡°Just goes to show, you can¡¯t fight every enemy with muscle.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was a learning experience.¡±

    ¡°And what about that dream? Enjoyed it?¡±

    He said something outrageous in an easy smile. A violent jolt went up my spine.

    ¡°W-wait... you mean, you saw that too?¡±

    Holy crapper, that¡¯d be... no, but... oh no oh no... shiiiit, I can¡¯t, I just can¡¯t man...

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that insensitive.¡±

    ¡°Y-you swear you didn¡¯t watch?¡±

    I¡¯m dead mentally if he were to kindly say he didn¡¯t mind me having those super embarrassing fantasies. I¡¯d been assuming that Mia was a guy, and if he was, that¡¯d be fine to a certain degree, a very tiny degree. But then, if it turns out that he was actually a she...

    ¡°Yes, I swear, alright!¡±

    What¡¯s with you, he pouted cutely. Mia-chan denied it clearly so, alright, I¡¯ll believe those words, Demon King.

    ¡°Right, enough about that. Hurry up and present the proof.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, do it. You have it, right?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be some sort of ceremony or putting on airs that was supposed to happen at this point? Maybe the rules got changed since I wasn¡¯t sleeping?

    ¡°Uh... we¡¯ll I do, but still...¡±

    But still, what exactly?

    Actually, what was up with Mia-chan today anyway? First, he was all serious faced, and now everything he said was all rigid. Like, what¡¯s this Demon King ying at being all hard-to-get like that? I mean it¡¯s cute but still.

    ¡°So do it then, present the proof now.¡±

    Practically forced to get on with it, I reached into my Shadow Gate which I could apparently use even in a God¡¯s realm, and retrieved the piece that would serve as proof for the Lust Rose¡¯s subjugation.

    ¡°This should be what you need.¡±

    The object in my hand was something that resembled something of a seed and also an egg. A very mysterious ellipsoidal item. It was only 10 or so centimeters big, and almost fully white in color, with a teensy tint of blue.

    ¡°Indeed, this Womb of Lust should serve my need for a proof.¡±

    Womb. Huh. Well, I mean this thing dide out from the imitation Shirasaki-san¡¯s lower abdomen when I cut it down with Evil Eater EX.

    I¡¯d imagined that the Lust Rose could even replicate a girl¡¯s soft skin, but when I struck it, the body shattered as easy as ss. The imitation was only ice magic on the inside.

    That¡¯s when I saw that this icy Shirasaki-san was actually connected to the Lust Rose proper from the hips down, and I could see, only in my left eye, a red indicator on that round object.

    I then stabbed the Lust Rose¡¯s flower straight down the middle with Evil Eater EX, letting it suck out every ounce of the rank 5 monster¡¯s mana.

    The Lust Rose withered very easily. It¡¯s translucent blue rose petals were no more, and the green vines extending from it, now having lost their source of life, turned a stark white. The hypnotic patterned vines all started withering in a chain reaction and crumbled away into dust. No longer would they entice the unsuspecting adventurer into and of dreams.

    ¡°¨D¨D Good, and so I¡¯ve received it. And with that, my 4th Protection is yours.¡±

    As how it always went, the Womb of Lust started vanishing into light particles from my hand.

    The 4th huh. I now had more than half of the trials done... it¡¯s sort of moving.

    ¡°Thanks. So anyway, what exactly does this one do¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°AHH, AHHH!?¡±

    Right when I was asking what powers I¡¯d received, Mia-chan started yelling. Very, very deliberately.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why the sudden yelling?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, lemme think... Ah, that¡¯s right! So recently, I went and had sushi after a long while! Last time was 2000 years ago!¡±

    That¡¯s quite the generous long while he¡¯s got. Everything said and done, he was still a God I guess.

    ¡°Ah, sushi. That reminds me, I¡¯ve been hearing about a new sushi ce that opened up in Spada.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one, yes!¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, you also participated in the grand opening eating contest?¡±

    ¡°Sure did! I was real close to winning too.¡±

    From that expression, it looked like he didn¡¯t mind losing. I guess it was the fun experience that really mattered. He got to enjoy exorbitant helpings of sushi after 2000 years without it and got off without the normally inevitable stomach ache that proceeded.

    ¡°Sounds like a great ce, I¡¯ll make sure to go there once I get back to Spada. So anyway, back to the 4th Protection¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°AHHH!?¡±

    Once again he¡¯d barred me from speaking.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°Uh, ummm... yes, I know! So it¡¯s about that sushi ce again, can you believe this, they don¡¯t have pudding!¡±

    Was that really necessary to talk about right now?

    No, he was still of the Gods so his words might just hold some deeper meaning. Who knows, this could even be a clue to my next Trial, right?

    ¡°When I ordered it, they said they didn¡¯t serve pudding and I... I was so sad.¡±

    The hell man, he was just talking about him being stupid. Like getting your picture taken doing a double peace sign with a weird face.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be so depressed about it. Let me tell you about this store called Sweet Smile. It¡¯s in Spada¡¯s upper stratum and it¡¯s not cheap. Just one costs 1,500 ns, but I guarantee they¡¯re worth the price.¡±

    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t know about that! Thanks, I¡¯ll go there as soon as I can!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a popr store, so good luck getting one before they run out.¡±

    Actually, what¡¯s a God doing fussing over pudding anyway. Grow up.

    ¡°Alright, enough about pudding, I just want to talk about the Protec¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°LALALA!¡±

    And a third time. He was being so obviously deliberate, it wasn¡¯t funny anymore. If he was going to be this way, I might as well push.

    ¡°Look, can you just tell my why you¡¯ve been avoiding the topic like this?¡±

    ¡°... W-who¡¯s avoiding what?¡±

    Now, say that again, but looking at me this time.

    It appears that the Legendary Demon King wasn¡¯t exactly a master at deception. A bead of nervous sweat flowed down his cheek while hisrge, red eyes swam around, avoiding my direction.

    ¡°Give it to me straight, is the 4th Divine Protection a really weird power?¡±

    I was half suspecting it to be, honestly. With the way this 4th monster was, using stealthy mind maniption and even begging to be spared in the end, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be getting another straightforward power-up.

    ¡°I mean, I guess you could call it weird...¡±

    Even now that we¡¯re finally on topic, Mia-chan was being difficult like this. This power must have some bad downsides, looking at his face.

    ¡°I mean, since Over Gear is about physical defense, I was hoping the 4th one provided mental defenses, like against Telepathy and other mind control. Is that wrong?¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re right, it does include that sort of power.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s not the main ability.¡±

    Correct, he said, looking a bit apologetic. But Mia-chan stopped talking about it there, without going into further details.

    Seriously, what¡¯s he hiding from me...

    ¡°So is it like, I¡¯ll be able to use this power to hypnotize and control other people as I will?¡±

    If so, I could think of more than a few criminal applications for a power like that. Even I would hesitate in using it like that, since if I did, I might just go down a very wrong path.

    If I had that kind of power in my hands, I could get the real Shirasaki-san to talk to me like she did in the dream. No no, I wouldn¡¯t dare attempt to recreate that dream scenario in real life, even if I had the means to. That was out of the question. I was only fantasizing a little, believe me!

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not that convenient.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡±

    No, it¡¯s better this way. Controlling people was the exact opposite to my principles. After all, I¡¯d experienced first hand the horror of those damn Angel Rings.

    ¡°Then what is it, just tell me already.¡±

    ¡°Ugh... it¡¯s, well it¡¯s...¡±

    ¡°I mean, you even told me the names right away when I got Gear and el, and it¡¯d be better if I could at least get some hands-on practice¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°P-p-practice!? No no no, you can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m serious here, just for this one, you can¡¯t practice it here!!¡±

    His face went beet red as he firmly refused my right to practice. Holy shit, just how bad is this power? How bad does it have to be that I can¡¯t even practice... I mean, shouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous to only use it in battle?

    Actually, if even Mia-chan¡¯s this nervous about me using it, I¡¯m sure Lily and Fiona would get a shocker too. I just remembered how epic of a fail I had after I suddenly pulled out the sma ster.

    ¡°Alright fine. You don¡¯t have to help me practice, but at least tell me its name and what it does.¡±

    ¡°Urk... can it just be the name?¡±

    ¡°No, I really need that second one too.¡±

    Because of course I did. It was obvious that this power wasn¡¯t a simple power-up, and I seriously didn¡¯t want to have to try a million different things to discover its effects.

    ¡°O-okay, I get it. I¡¯ll tell you the gist of the 4th power, in and simple.¡±

    ¡°Yup, thanks.¡±

    Then, after a long 10 seconds of silence, Mia-chan quietly spoke,

    ¡°Okay, so... my 4th Divine Protection. Its power is...¡±

    ¡°Yes, go on?¡±

    ¡°S... se... ¡±

    ¡°Se?¡±

    ¡°S-sex! It makes you great at sex!!¡±

    ¡°... eh?¡±

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394: Snowy Mountain Introspection

    The moment I killed the Lust Rose, the whole cave starteding down¨D¨D well no, that didn¡¯t happen, but anyway, I hoisted the still sleeping Lily and Fiona on my back and started heading on my way out.

    This cave would no longer be a Rank 5 danger zone that left no survivors. The patterned vines had all dried up, so their hypnotic effect was gone. As for the pink smog that made it easy for the monster to use its Illusion magic, that should also disperse soon enough.

    Practically nothing was left of the now withered Lust Rose. I¡¯d already handed over its Womb of Lust as proof for the Trial. That had been its center, much like a Slime¡¯s core, so the other parts of its body were now drained of all their mana and didn¡¯t look at all useful as crafting materials.

    In a way, it died cleanly, without any of the usual gore involved. I couldn¡¯t help but think that it should rest in peace.

    By the time I exited the cave, it was well past afternoon, and after walking for a while longer, the sun was beginning to sink behind the pristine Asbel peaks.

    I decided to set up camp at the base of arge coniferous tree, the type you¡¯d see in front of the train stations during Christmas in Japan. I prepared the tent andid Lily and Fiona inside as they were still fast asleep.

    The fight with the Lust Rose almostpletelycked any physical effort, so I wasn¡¯t tired at all. The only real injury I received was from Evil Eater, and some mana was used up because... wait, that was Evil Eater too!

    Fine, we can call it even since it did most of the work this time around.

    My shoulder wound was sealed in Flesh Compensation gel, and was recovering surprisingly fast. At this rate, it should be fully healed by tomorrow morning.

    It¡¯s at times like these that I really get to grasp just how superhuman I¡¯ve be.

    With such thoughts, I silently continued the night watch. There are some really annoying Punpuns around these parts, and if you¡¯re too careless, they can easily sneak close and steal your stuff.

    Of course, staying up wasn¡¯t going to be an issue for me. It wasn¡¯t like I had to defeat hundreds of monsters like in the battle for Iskia and my body wasn¡¯t one to let me down.

    So there¡¯d be no bad luck event where I identally fell asleep¨D¨D although I still went on a trip to Mia-chan¡¯s Avalon pce when I blinked. But the real shocking thing was what I learned... no, let¡¯s concern myself with more important things. Namely, Lily and Fiona.

    A few hours after I began my watch, it was in the dead of the night when both of them awoke.

    I could sense them waking up inside the tent. Well, that and I could also hear them rustling out of their bedrolls.

    ¡°Hey there, you two had a good sleep?¡±

    I knew that they were fine of course, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry, and so peeked inside the tent just to make sure.

    ¡°Ah... Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Kurono, -san...¡±

    The moment they saw me, they were all smiles¨D¨D which onlysted an instant. Both of them changed to sad but also apologetic expressions, Lily diverting her gaze while Fiona looking down.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you still feel tired?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, fine.¡±

    Lily answered slowly, still in her lovely, white Pun-robe outfit. Her mind seemed to have switched to adult Lily as her tone of speech became mature in contrast to her appearance.

    ¡°I as well, nothing to worry about.¡±

    Fiona indicated that she was alright too. I¡¯d taken off her trademark three-cornered hat since she was sleeping, so I could clearly see her face. Her expression wasn¡¯t exactly happy but her face didn¡¯t look pale or anything that could indicate status ailments.

    Still, the fact was that they were both physically fine but still depressed, an the reason for that could only be¨D¨D

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t any use at all this time.¡±

    Both girls apologized.

    Oh, of course. No wonder they were so down. That being the reason actually relieved me a little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re a party right? Sometimes you save me, and sometimes I save you.¡±

    ¡°No, this time, it¡¯s because I was to careless.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also must¡¯ve thought we could handle any monster now that we all had our own Divine Protections.¡±

    I¡¯d gotten 2 of those at once in the battle for Iskia, while the two of them had also trained very hard (I¡¯m assuming) to receive their own Protections.

    And when webined our powers, it became something truly tremendous. We saw just how powerful it was when we easily crushed a Rank 5 Lich in one of our quests. Our Divine Protectionsbined, we had created formation Anticross, a state in which we could even beat Apostles.

    But maybe I was the one who¡¯d let it get to my head the most. I didn¡¯t say it, and didn¡¯t even outwardly think it, but in the back of my head, I must¡¯ve built up an idea that we could easily beat something on the level of mere Trial monsters if we were so strong already.

    And this was the result of my conceit. I had to be saved by Hitsugi and Evil Eater¨D¨D my only job this time around was lightly swinging my sword to finish off the weak real body of the Lust Rose.

    I wasn¡¯t going to proudly im that I beat the Lust Rose on my own, because I clearly hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°Actually, I would¡¯ve turned out the same. You could say I only won by luck.¡±

    And so, I told them how I escaped the dream and finished the battle.

    ¡°¨D¨D But I still say that you saved us.¡±

    ¡°And you even carried us this far, I¡¯m so happ¨D¨D No, embarrassed that I had you do that, Kurono-san.¡±

    The reason Fiona almost slipped the word ¡®happy¡¯ in there must¡¯ve been because she wanted to express her gratitude to me as a party member. I¡¯d be happy too if one of them saved me, so the word really resonated in me. I felt that our bonds ofpanionship had be very strong.

    ¡°I agree that we need to reflect on it, but not right now. I got my Trial done and got that new Protection too, which is what we came here for. Let¡¯s be happy about that first.¡±

    I said, trying to convince them but I knew that emotions couldn¡¯t be changed on a whim like that. Still, Lily and Fiona smiled as if to say they¡¯d try.

    They thanked me and I was relieved hearing it. It just hurt me to see them looking so sad so I was d¨D¨D

    ¡°So, Kurono, this will be you¡¯re, 1, 2... 4th Divine Protection, right? What sort of power is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very interested in that too. Who knows, we might even be able to strengthen our Anticross formation with it.¡±

    ¡°N-No no no we can¡¯t!¡±

    I yelled. I really didn¡¯t mean to yell but I yelled.

    Lily and Fiona first looked wide-eyed, but quickly changed to expressions of suspicion at my clearly strange reaction.

    ¡°... We can¡¯t what exactly?¡± Lily questioned.

    ¡°Yes, please exin.¡± And Fiona concurred.

    I couldn¡¯t force my way out of this one. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t keep secrets, especially from these two... no, but, that didn¡¯t mean I could just speak to them frankly about this kind of power... uh, that¡¯s right, while they were my trustedpanions sure, that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d have to tell them anything and everything. Even Lily and Fiona hadn¡¯t told me what kind of training they did in Avalon.

    So I had to talk my way out of this, or die trying!

    ¡°Right, okay... so it¡¯s like, you know how the Lust Rose had Illusion based powers? This Protection is like that.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean, something like showing nightmares to the target?¡±

    ¡°Or is it something like my Telepathy, can you do that now too?¡±

    ¡°Thing is, I don¡¯t really get it myself.¡±

    I half expected them to bite back at me for making such a bad lie and tell me to make a better one, but what I said was, in fact, the truth.

    ¡°Look, I can now do pseudo-ice magic, that¡¯s something, right?¡±

    I imed as I began releasing cold air from a palm. I wasn¡¯t making ice, but just gathering low temperature ck magic on my palm so that the surrounding air would get chilled.

    ¡°Hmm, yes, it certainly feels cold. Interesting.¡±

    Fiona said as she tightly held my hand in both of hers. I knew it wasn¡¯t too shy, but this should be enough to prove to them that I could now use the ice element.

    ¡°Hey! How long are you nning on holding his hand, he¡¯s not done exining.¡±

    Fiona hadn¡¯t released her hold on my hand, and we¡¯d somehow gone with the mood and ended up staring into each other¡¯s eyes while holding hands. Lily¡¯s quick and precise quip of course broke us out of that stupor as we let each other go.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    Fiona let out a small, sort of longing voice, as our hands parted.

    Maybe the temperature inside the tent was too warm and she felt the coldness of my handforting? When Iid them to sleep inside the tent, I¡¯d used a heater-like magic item so they wouldn¡¯t freeze. One of these cost 10,000 ns so they were rtively expensive items. They were also consumables.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track. So I now have Drive, Gear and el. All three of those use their respective elements to boost my physical fighting ability, and are pretty easy to use now that I got a hang of them. And since I¡¯ve also been learning Model magic, I¡¯ve been able to further strengthen them to a degree.¡±

    All this they already knew. Both Lily and Fiona only nodded silently.

    ¡°But with this one, I¡¯ll have to figure out how I¡¯m supposed to use ice to cause Illusion magic, and I have no idea how to even get started on that.¡±

    Illusion spells were already called a special type of magic. In terms of Model magic, Illusion had spells such as Panikos, Charm and Berserk.

    But in practical terms, most Illusion magic that pulled their weight in battle were various forms of Extra or very powerful Original magics, so most people just couldn¡¯t use this sub-division of the arcane. In addition, it was very difficult to teach Illusion magic, and in many cases, the student couldn¡¯t even use it.

    ¡°And apparently, because I have no talent for Illusion, the Demon King straight up told me that I can¡¯t do any of the things that the Lust Rose was doing, no joke.¡±

    Mia-chan also told me that he couldn¡¯t do those things either, so this power most likely didn¡¯t include those abilities in the first ce. I wasn¡¯t very disappointed hearing this as I honestly thought that I was expecting too much from it.

    ¡°What, so,¡± Lily said doubtfully, ¡°does that mean the Protection is useless?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still mainly supposed to improve my mental defenses. If I use it, I should be safe from all kinds of Illusion or the sort... in theory.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t lying about that either. The 4th Protection isn¡¯t so convenient that it would passively shield me from any mental attack, but during the time I have it activated, it should give me strong mental barriers against Illusion spells, simr to the spell, Protect.

    Mental defense being a main ability of the 4th protection was also not a lie. Mia-chan told me this himself.

    ¡°In other words, you¡¯re saying it will be useless unless the opponent actually uses that sort of magic.¡± Fionained.

    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, yeah.¡±

    Frankly, it¡¯d be useless against Sariel, since she¡¯s the type thates in close and personal with her spear. She¡¯s more akin to a Knight ss than Mage. All the stories that Fiona heard of Sariel back when she was in the Sinir Republic revolved around the 7th Apostle always diving head first into the enemy ranks and taking the heads of their generals.

    But the 4th Protection should be very useful against that Madonna Charm, the Bad Status that was afflicted on Vulcan before he was killed. I¡¯d seen it as part of Vulcan¡¯s nightmare when I ckened the Evil Eater after it had turned into a cursed weapon.

    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s not bad that you have a solid defense. We did all fall for the Lust Rose¡¯s mental trickery, so it should serve well against simr enemies.¡± Lily concluded.

    She was right, it did in fact cover a hole in our defenses so we could consider it more of a merit.

    Fiona¡¯s eyes were still telling me that it was not that big of a leap in strength but I ignored her for now.

    Right now, you could say I was lying, so I couldn¡¯t afford to make any actions that made me look suspicious.

    ¡°And like I said already, I have practically no talent in it, so using it might lead to disastrous results. This means I can¡¯t practice it safely on other people either. You guys should know about the dangers of triggering an Overflow, and with how powerful Protections are, it might even affect nearby allies.¡±

    ¡°I think I should be able to defend myself even if that happens...¡± Lily contemted, ¡°but if you insist, I won¡¯t press the issue.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    And it looks like I seeded in convincing them.

    I was beyond relieved. The true power of the 4th Protection was something that I, under no circumstances, could have them find out¨D¨D

    ¡°That reminds me, Fiona, I need to talk to you about something. Alone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very convenient, I was thinking the same, Lily-san.¡±

    With that mountain of trouble now behind us, Lily suddenly proposed to have a private chat with Fiona and Fiona even agreed.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡±

    ¡°We need to reflect on what happened today. We realize that we were very useless this time, so can we please do it alone?¡±

    Lily said in an especially somber expression. Her figure still being that of a little girl with even her Punpun ears drooping down in sorrow, just looking at her started making me sad too.

    But I could see where she wasing from. They surely needed some closure in terms of their performance this time around.

    ¡°Alright, guess I¡¯ll step out then.¡±

    ¡°No, we will have our discussion outside and we can continue the night watch in your ce. So please rest here inside the tent, Kurono-san.¡±

    ¡°No really, I¡¯m fine going outside. You two need more rest than¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Kurono-san, please, if you treat us too kindly, we... well, you just shouldn¡¯t. That goes for both me and Lily-san.¡±

    Fiona said, showing just how strong her heart was. It only proved that she¡¯d firmly resolved to be better.

    ¡°Got it, you two have a good chat then. We¡¯ll leave at sunrise.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Lily, in her white Pun-robe, and Fiona, still without her hat, exited the tent.

    I wasn¡¯t so crass as to eavesdrop on their private conversation, so I shut out the faint voices from outside andid down.

    I felt toozy to take out my own bedroll from inside my Shadow Gate so I just wrapped myself around the nket that Lily and Fiona were using.

    With my body as it was, I didn¡¯t feel particrly cold, but the warmth and texture of a nket was perfect for rxing on the way to a good sleep.

    Which was when the scent of the two girls, who were under this piece of cloth until only recently, tingled my nose, and I felt strangely captivated by it.

    ¡°Shit... this is all because of that new Protection...¡±

    Mia-chan had gonepletely red in the face when he dered that the true power of this Protection was, and I quote, ¡®It makes you great at sex!!¡¯

    I was so shocked that I just stayed silent for a solid 30 seconds before thinking that no, this was my power, and I had to make him exin it no matter what.

    So I turned my heart to stone. I grabbed Mia-chan by the cloak as he tried to hide behind his big throne out of embarrassment, and demanded that he exined further. Thinking back, the scene must¡¯ve looked as if I was hungrily assaulting a delicate girl, but no one was there to witness, so surely it doesn¡¯t count.

    Anyway, so this is how it went:

    ¡°Y-you misunderstand!¡±

    ¡°Really, that¡¯s your excuse, for giving me the power to ¡®have great sex¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Uh, I mean, it does do that... but it¡¯s not like I came up with it because I¡¯m a pervert, because I¡¯m not!¡±

    ¡°Why in the world, then, would youe up with this, huh!?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well, it was when...¡±

    ¡°When what?¡±

    ¡°It was when I got tossed into a Subus nest, alright!? I had to fight off the Queen... and her 1000 daughter Subi.¡±

    I felt my tensionpletely drop as he gave me the insane reason involved, diverting his gaze from me with an indescribably awkward expression.

    ¡°Holy crap, so that story was true...¡±

    Once upon a time, Demon King Mia Elrod fell into one of his enemies cowardly traps, this one involving him being thrown into a sanctum of Subipletely in the nude. The myriad of Subi, creatures that lived by feasting on male essence, including their Queen, who was fascinated by the androgynous figure of the Demon King, all assaulted him simultaneously.

    But Mia Elrod prevailed, vanquishing the devourers of men at their own game with his peerless stamina and technique fit to be called Demon King ss. He took on the challenge head on and came out victorious¨D¨D it was one of the more 18+ of the Demon Lord¡¯s adventures that were obviously not taught to young children.

    This tale of this unimaginably lewd scenario that evoked the desires of men had been passed down throughout the ages in all of Pandora, and many (male oriented) works of fiction have been since published based on the contents of the legend. Will was the one who told me about this tale with an incredibly dirty grin on his face. It was in one of our bro to bro moments where he promised to one day show me his proud collection.

    All that said and done, this story was still way too fantastical for even me to believe, and most other people also took it as fiction. Well, now I knew different...

    ¡°Ugh... So it¡¯s still being circted, after all these years...¡±

    And the fact it was true was only bolstered by that aghast expression I could see on his Royal Demonic Highness¡¯ face.

    The first thought that popped into my head was that I absolutely must have Mia-chan tell me just in what way he went around vanquishing so many of the lewd enchantresses, but I suppressed that welling desire. I had a feeling that our rtionship would never be the same again if he actually told me.

    As an aside, this event might seem to finally reveal Mia-chan¡¯s actual sex, but that was not the case.

    Subi could absorb the essence from both males and females if they so desired it. So in reality, whether the victim is a man or women or anywhere in between, they could still technically be a victim of a Subus.

    ¡°What am I gonna do with this anyway...¡±

    And so I squeezed all the details about my new Divine Protection out of Mia-chan. It had turned into something simr to sexual harassment in the middle but I was able learn that it held simr effects to Protect so, that being the only decent one out of the new abilities, I at least had something to tell Lily and Fiona.

    And the part I absolutely can¡¯t tell them about is the one where it makes me ¡®great at sex¡¯ as Mia-chan described it.

    The most formal way I could even begin to exin it is by saying it¡¯s a type of Love Craft.

    Love Crafts are a genre of magic that worked via sexual intercourse. The techniques used by Subi where they absorb mana from a man or how they entice the man into sharing their mana all on their own fall into this category.

    Inducing the Charm effect by drowning them in pleasures of the flesh was also a good example.

    But all these Love Crafts essentially involve sex in one way or another and it waspletely not OK to discuss them in public. Frankly speaking, it¡¯s even considered an illegal form of magic, sometimes even called forbidden arts and are often ouwed. Any mage worth their salt would never try learning them anyway, and the only people who do would be Shamans or Pagan Priests. Really, everything about it is either fishy, or in dangerous.

    And that was what I got as a Divine Protection.

    My patron Demon King said that with this power, I should be able to hold a cold and reasoning countenance even when sted by a Subus¡¯ enchanting prowess, in turn allowing me to turn the tables on it, and show by force of flesh just what is that hell known as irresistible pleasure¨D¨D like, seriously, give me a break with the erotism already...

    Anyway, I can only hope that I won¡¯t need to practically use this Protection, ever, if possible. When I do have that sort of rtionship with a girl, I¡¯d very much like it to be normal.

    ¡°You know... I really hate you sometimes, Mia-chan...¡±

    I knew that he didn¡¯t mean anything bad by giving me this power, but my feelings on the whole matter were still conflicted. Various thoughts circting in my head, I drifted into sleep with the warm nket enveloping me.

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395: Snowy Mountain Girl Talk

    In the dead of the snowy night, Lily and Fiona sat down in front of the crackling campfire, having left Kurono to sleep back inside the tent.

    A nearby uprooted tree made for a perfect seat where Fiona elegantly rested herurels and Lily bounced in to sit next to her.

    ¡°So, how was it?¡±

    They looked like a pair of affectionate sisters as they sat leaning shoulder to shoulder, but the words Lily used to break the ice contained trace amounts of venom. She wasn¡¯t directing hostility at the witch, but rather a strong frustration at herself to have failed so badly.

    ¡°It was good. So good in fact that I ended up sleeping in.¡±

    Fiona said in her usual monotone, which seemed to also carry a tinge of self-resentment.

    ¡°Right, that thing showed us a dream so perfect that we didn¡¯t even want to resist.¡±

    Lily sighed, exhaling a small puff of white breath. Fiona kept silent.

    A moment of further silence passed. Lily once again muttered,

    ¡°... Care to tell me about it?¡±

    ¡°... I will say this first: I am very sorry.¡±

    Fiona said as if she¡¯dmitted a crime. She subconsciously reached up to her hat, wanting to hide her face¨D¨D only to find that the three-cornered head attire was missing.

    ¡°Wait, why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°Lily-san, you died in my dream.¡±

    ¡°HUH!?¡±

    Lily briskly stood up, utterly shocked at having learned of her unfortunate state within Fiona¡¯s scenario.

    ¡°This is why I apologized first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here! What¡¯s with that, why am I dead!? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d be so heartless!¡±

    ¡°Then what about you, Lily-san, how did I turn out in your dream?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well...¡±

    Lily was visibly stuck on words. But she soon mustered up enough courage to speak honestly as well.

    ¡°In mine, Kurono and I got married, and you were there congratting us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you kill me off than have me say that.¡±

    Fiona stated crossly.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than being dead. You were even a rank 5 Adventurer, you know? While Kurono and I were still at rank 2.¡±

    ¡°Wait just a moment, are you implying that I was still solo adventuring?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be?¡±

    Lily was full of energy again, giving Fiona a big helping of her cutesy fairy smile.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve made Element Masters with me, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Eh~, no way, if I did that, I couldn¡¯t spend my forever and ever after living happily married with Kurono in our nice little house in the Fairy Garden.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s this about marriage? Lily-san, weren¡¯t you getting ahead of yourself? I myself had only started as lovers, a much more modest approach in my opinion.¡±

    The witch proimed, proudly puffing out her chest, to which the fairy retorted valiantly.

    ¡°Modest? I can¡¯t believe you Fiona. There¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t spend all day with Kurono, holding hands, kissing, having lots of¨D¨D¡±

    Lily, who at first had an admonishing face, had suddenly gotten her cheeks dyed a burning pink.

    On the other hand, Fiona¡¯s own face had also blushed red all over. She tried to hide it by facing away but it was inly obvious.

    ¡°¨D¨DK-kyaah!! H-how could you do such dirty things with Kurono!¡±

    Lily, with her telepathic abilities, had caught a glimpse.

    A glimpse into exactly how Fiona and Kurono had spent their lives together as lovers. That very moment, the scenes that rose up inside Fiona¡¯s mind were those of her hot and passionate days as she and her boyfriend lived under the same roof.

    It is important to note that Fiona, as she was a genuine maiden witch with no previous experience with men, didn¡¯t quite have the appropriate know-how to correctly imagine such actions. But the Lust Rose had the ability to take her vague mental picture and turn it into a satisfactory dream. The rank 5 monster could provide full guidance to anydy or gentleman with their virginity still intact.

    As proof, even the blurred image that Fiona saw during her liaison with Kurono happened to be too overpowering for the still innocent and pure of heart (32 year old) Fairy Lily.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe this! Kurono a-and, yo-you¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°K-keep your voice down, Lily-san. He might hear you if you¡¯re too loud.¡±

    Some more brouhahater, the two of them finally settled down.

    They went and checked inside the tent and found Kurono asleep. They concluded that he must not have heard themotion or its contents.

    ¡°Haah... haah... Fine, let¡¯s just forget about the dreams.¡±

    ¡°I wholeheartedly agree.¡±

    The two girls calmed their breathing and sat back down on the uprooted tree. Once the spat was over, they only felt empty.

    After all, it was all just dreams, fantasies, figments of their imagination. All of it were only illusions that had no influence on reality.

    Most importantly, both of them didn¡¯t actually want a Kurono that was made to be convenient to their desires. They couldn¡¯t pass away their time wading in their fantasies when the real Kurono was waiting to be conquered in reality.

    ¡°Lily-san, by the way, um...¡±

    ¡°W-what. You¡¯re still nning on asking more awkward questions?¡±

    Lily didn¡¯t want any more embarrassment, and showed Fiona the wry version of her fairy smile.

    ¡°I wanted to know what kind of dream Kurono-san saw.¡±

    Fiona was implicitly asking whether Lily had read into his mind when they were talking just now.

    Lily stared at her seriously for a moment, but afterwards, she gave an answer.

    ¡°Ah that, I saw only a glimpse of it, but I have a general idea.¡±

    ¡°And? What was it like?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, Kurono and I were living together happily married. That kind of nice dream.¡±

    ¡°Yes that¡¯s funny, but please tell me the truth now.¡±

    Lily pouted at how Fiona just wrote it off like that but¨D¨D she then sighed in resignation and told her the truth.

    ¡°He dreamed of his home.¡±

    Fiona might¡¯ve been expecting that, as she showed no surprise and simply answered, ¡°I see.¡±

    But from how she sighed deeply right afterwards, it could be assumed that she was more conflicted than she let on.

    ¡°Did Kurono-san, perhaps have¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Fiona¡¯s words were cut off by Lily¡¯s sharp, but with an almost desperate sounding, outcry.

    ¡°Stop, please just, don¡¯t... say that.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. I misspoke.¡±

    Lily held her head, her expression distraught to the point of tears welling up. Fiona was close to crying herself, despiteing out with the idea.

    Did Kurono-san perhaps have a desire to return home¨D¨D no, that wasn¡¯t it. What Fiona had attempted to say had much worse implications.

    Did Kurono-san perhaps have... the continuation would¡¯ve gone as follows:

    ¡°¨D¨D a girl he loved, back home?¡±

    They¡¯d already learned from Kurono himself that he had not been married. But on the matter of lovers, a girl that he may have loved, they hadn¡¯t asked him.

    Out of simple fear, both Lily and Fiona, just couldn¡¯t dare to ask him.

    ¡°... It¡¯s alright. Kurono-san said that he won¡¯t return home.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that he¡¯d never leave us and go away.¡±

    ¡°Yes... you¡¯re, right...¡±

    Thank you, said Lily in a tiny voice, but her sentiment had reached Fiona.

    Leaning shoulder to shoulder, the two girls spent the rest of the night in mutual silence. A silence that they used to strengthen their hearts, embolden their resolve.

    They didn¡¯t want to go against Kurono¡¯s desires, so they wouldn¡¯t stop him if he wanted to return home. But what they could do was make him feel as if he¡¯d never need to.

    They would absolutely make him look their way¨D¨D no, that wasn¡¯t enough. They could do better.

    Because Lily, and because Fiona, was right there, with him, for him. Because you (Kurono) cannot choose anyone but me (Lily/Fiona).

    But on the way to that, first they had to¨D¨D

    ¡°Hokay, let¡¯s have another good day, for Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for Kurono-san.¡±

    The sun began rising up in the horizon.

    And within the day, the Element Masters had descended the Asbel Mountain Range of snow, ice and illusion.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396: Meanwhile...

    It was the 25th of Frozen Soil. By noon we had fully descended the mountain and arrived back at Asbel Vige where the people seemed to be worked up about something.

    It wasn¡¯t the strenuous dread that came with the announcement of an Emergency Quest but more, yes, more like a festival. Everyone had expressions of joy.

    ¡°Did news of us beating the Lust Rose reach here already... yeah not likely.¡±

    We hadn¡¯t even reported it to the adventurer¡¯s guild yet, so there was really no way for the vigers to know.

    Plus, the Lust Rose may have been a powerful rank 5 monster, but it didn¡¯t move from its cave, so the vige had practically no reason to fear it. Whether they left it alone or had it subjugated, it made no difference in their lives.

    ¡°Though it does feel that they are celebrating arge monster subjugation.¡±

    Fiona said as we walked along the vige¡¯s main street lined with wooden houses and storefronts with roofsyered thick in snow. I agreed, it did have that sort of atmosphere.

    As we passed by I heard some vigers wearing thick fur coats talking about how relieved they were or how quickly they¡¯d done it and other such topics all with satisfied smiles on their faces. Children ran along ying subjugation quest with some being monsters and some being adventurers.

    ¡°Must be Wing Road.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, they¡¯d also taken a quest hadn¡¯t they... I don¡¯t seem to recall what though.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t actually remember either, but it became sort of obvious soon enough.

    We had arrived at the guild that stood right along central za of the vige.

    And at the center of that za thereid the corpse of a huge monster, proving to the vigers that it had been subjugated without a doubt.

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s one big wolf...¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± yelled Lily, ¡°that¡¯s a Fenrir~!¡±

    That¡¯s when I remember that they said they were doing the ¡®Fenrir Subjugation.¡¯

    Lily was pointing at the monster, the giant wolf with silver fur that had been tied with thick ropes to a wooden framework that made its body sy out on the ground.

    From head to tailbone, it appeared to be around 5 meters long. Its tail was fluffy like that of a fox and fell out of the framework due to its length.

    And although it had been disyed there to prove that it was dead, its fur still kept a beautiful gloss, like a pristine field of snow that reflected back the sunlight.

    ¡°Fenrirs were quite famous in Sinir as well,¡± Fiona imed, ¡°From the size of that one, I believe it may still be growing, but it should already be strong enough to be ssified as a rank 5.¡±

    ¡°You sure seem to know a lot. Have you fought one before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve only had the chance to watch, once, as a child. I remember being in a warm hut eating oranges while my Sensei fought a fully grown one in solobat.¡±

    She said it like she waszing around with a few mandarins while watching a variety show on New Years. But her being so casual about it meant that this Sensei must¡¯ve been so strong that it was fine to let a child watch while they handled it.

    ¡°Anyway, looks like they did it pretty cleanly.¡±

    I could barely find any blood on the giant corpse. There were only 2 wounds I could see distinctly.

    The first of which was a deep stab wound at the center of its forehead. From the size of the hole I could assume that Nero was responsible. It was a clean, pinpoint attack that fit his image.

    The second wound was a long gash across the beast¡¯s abdomen. This one was obviously Kai¡¯s handiwork as it looked to have been done in one fell stroke using his incredible strength. His style contrasted that of Nero but his strength was close if not on par with the Avalonian prince.

    ¡°Kurono-san, if it were you, wouldn¡¯t you have decapitated it?¡±

    Wait, just what kind of monster do you think I... I wanted to retort to her, but realized that it wasn¡¯t that bad a prediction.

    Since a Fenrir is supposed to be very agile, I¡¯d first go for its legs. Then to finish it off, I¡¯d lop off its head.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯d even go as far as to crush it after lopping it off, just to make sure.¡±

    Too many times have I had an enemy attack me even after they got decapitated. Whether it was Saeed or the Greed Goar, they didn¡¯t want to end the fight after the point where it would otherwise end. Crazy stuff.

    ¡°Interesting, so it seems you¡¯ve finally awakened to your calling as a Berserker, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold up, my ss is still¨D¨D¡±

    I had wanted to correct her, saying that I was still technically a ck Mage, but then,

    ¡°Ah! Kurono-kun~!¡±

    I heard a familiar, sweet, songbird of a voice calling out to me.

    I turned towards the voice, expecting to see loose, white robes, a pair of white wings, the one and only, the Healing Princess¨D¨D

    ¡°Mumuu!!¡±

    ¡°Kyan!?¡±

    ¨D¨D Flinching back from Lily¡¯s expected sh attack.

    ¡°A-are you alright, Nell?¡±

    ¡°... Yes, I¡¯m fine, Kurono-kun.¡±

    Nell was still staggering as she made a smile with some difficulty while I grabbed on to the mischievous Lily who kept going Grrr at the princess.

    ¡°Kurono-san, I believe it¡¯s time we go report to the guild.¡±

    Fiona was now tugging at my sleeve, strongly demanding that we go to the guild. She was acting as if Nell wasn¡¯t even there.

    ¡°Uh, hey, we¡¯re not in that much of a hur¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Well then, your Highness, goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Oh the guild. Then I shall go with you. I too had an appointment there, so let us head there together.¡±

    Replied Nell with a radiant smile, to which Fiona stopped walking and also stopped tugging on my sleeve.

    ¡°... Kurono-san, we can go to the guildter. How about we have lunch?¡±

    Fiona suddenly changed her mind without showing the slightest change of expression.

    But I noticed. It was quick but I noticed the ever so slight twitch of her brow.

    Oh no. That was a sure sign that she was angry.

    ¡°Lunch, is it? I actually happen to know a very good restaurant that should suit your needs, I shall guide you.¡±

    Nell¡¯s angelic smile seemed to convey that she¡¯d be more than happy to treat us too what with all the reward money they had received for the Fenrir quest.

    The intensity of that smile utterly prevented me from voicing the obvious doubt as to whether it was okay to miss her guild appointment.

    ¡°Ah, of, course, you do...¡±

    And then, the moment I turned my gaze back to Fiona, my spine froze over. Her eyes held a dangerous golden glint.

    I recalled the image of a girl endlessly bashing her staff into a long deceased catkin.

    ¡°Take a¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Fiona!¡±

    I shut her mouth. Pretty much forcefully, I used my hand to cover Fiona¡¯s mouth. I had to prevent her from going any further, or else.

    The sudden infringement left her so bewildered that her golden eyes were blinking repeatedly as she let out moaning sounds from behind my hand.

    She should¡¯ve gotten back to her senses now, or rather, had those senses diverted.

    ¡°Sorry, but I need you to calm down and listen.¡±

    I said in a quiet voice, fully turning my back to Nell as if to tell her to please hold on a moment as we sort things out.

    Blocking Fiona¡¯s mouth obviously meant that I¡¯d have to let go of the previously rampaging Lily, but for the moment, it seemed that Lily read the mood and wasn¡¯t going to cause trouble. Even her little girl self understood that Fiona needed some handling right now.

    ¡°Kurono-san, I¡¯d like to remind you not to act so overfamiliar with her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know you two told me not to do that, but I think it¡¯s better not to be rude, especially here.¡±

    I had no doubt in my mind that Fiona was about to say something along the lines of, ¡®Go take a hike already, you insufferable bitch.¡¯

    I admit that I waste to notice until a sort of boiling point was almost reached during that back and forth, but as the party¡¯s leader, I had to at least make sure the members are under control.

    Most importantly because the reason this was happening in the first ce was due to Nell¡¯s social standing.

    ¡°Look, we¡¯re not in Spada now, this is Avalon territory. Even if careless remarks can be waved off at the Academy, they might not be so lenient in their home turf.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... no, you¡¯re right...¡±

    I personally wanted to be friendly with Nell and speak casually with her, but I knew that it wouldn¡¯t be right to get so close to royalty. Fiona tried to prevent that and so ended up getting heated up.

    But behaving rudely to her wasn¡¯t the right way to do it. In fact, it would get us the opposite result since my avoiding Nell was done for the sake of our positions, not because I actually wanted to avoid her.

    Which was why I¡¯d gotten them to ept her as my tutor for Model magic. Learning to use my Divine Protections was more important than wading through politics.

    ¡°I can deal with this. You two please go to the guild ahead of me. I¡¯ll have a short chat with her, say bye, and go to you right away, how¡¯s that sound?¡±

    The contents of my words sounded like I was almost betraying the friendship Nell and I had.

    I felt really bad, guilty even, now that I hade out and said it... But that was just what it meant to have friendship across social barriers.

    Fiona, who couldn¡¯t know my suffering as I tried to bnce my modern Japanese values with the realities of this world, groaned as she considered my words. Of course, she¡¯d reach the same conclusion too, and she knew that. This was the optimal and most peaceful way to resolve the conflict.

    ¡°You have 10 minutes, Kurono. No more.¡±

    While the witch still deliberated, the small fairy with an adult¡¯s mind answered in her stead. Lily had switched her conscience.

    ¡°10 minutes... can¡¯t I have a little more time?¡±

    I mean, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to just talk to her for a while, would it?

    ¡°10 minutes is all the time we can keep the other Wing Road members away.¡±

    ¡°OK, got it. I¡¯ll make sure to finish up in 10 minutes.¡±

    Oh crap, I¡¯dpletely forgotten about the others, especially that overprotective brother of hers.

    If he were to see me and Nell alone together again, well, I didn¡¯t want to deal with that mess.

    Which was why Lily had proposed that the two of them would watch out for any of theming this way and try to somehow distract them.

    Adult Lily was as impressive as ever.

    ¡°Alright, see you soon¨D¨D Kurono~! We¡¯ll be at the guild!¡±

    Chirped Lily as she perfectly switched back to her innocent little girl mind. She pulled Fiona along to go do their part of the deal.

    Seeing it again, I¡¯m amazed as always at how instant that switching is... Makes me question if the real Lily is only acting the little girl every time. She wasn¡¯t right?

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t pull, Lily-san...¡±

    Fiona didn¡¯t look as keen on the n but she was nevertheless pulled away by the brightly smiling Lily who had a firm grip on the witch¡¯s robe.

    She looked back at me 3 times before both of them finally entered the snow-covered adventurer¡¯s guild on Asbel Vige.

    Geez you guys, I¡¯m just talking with her, you make it way too big a deal.

    ¡°Sorry about that Nell, Fiona¡¯s still, how should I say this... cautious, around you.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t mind that, I don¡¯t mind at all, so you don¡¯t need to apologize for anything.¡±

    She replied, smiling elegantly as expected. She really was an angel.

    I did try to whisper while I had that party meeting just now, but her smile was so radiant that I could believe that she wouldn¡¯t mind even if she had heard everything we had said.

    ¡°I understand that some adventurers are not exactly fond of royalty or nobles in general. It¡¯s a verymon urrence.¡±

    That kind of attitude being mon¡¯ to her basically implied that she had gotten used to it. Being a princess must be tough...

    ¡°But enough about that. It has been a while since we¡¯ve been together, just the two of us. I¡¯m... um, it makes me a little... happy.¡±

    Nell voiced as she drew in bashfully, bing red at her pale cheeks.

    Thepletely tant girl-in-love behaviour caught me off guard for an instant¨D¨D No, I can handle this, I won¡¯t misunderstand anything. I know that Nell doesn¡¯t feel that way so I¡¯ll be a gentleman about it.

    ¡°These days, Lily¡¯s been practically stuck to me, so I guess it got a bit awkward.¡±

    It was a scenario where you¡¯re with one of your good friends and another friend who doesn¡¯t really get along with the first friendes in and the whole experience is not a pleasant one. In short, a friend¡¯s friend is not necessarily your friend.

    I¡¯ve had an intimate rtionship with that scenario back in high school.

    My pal Saika, unlike me, was actually a very sociable guy, and at times when I talked to him outside ss, other people he knew would inevitably join in. There were also times where I¡¯d be talking so someone in the literature club, and they suddenly directed the topic to Shirasaki-san. And Shirasaki-san being Shirasaki-san, she¡¯d engage in our conversation even if she might be scared of me... I always felt really guilty when that happened.

    I realized that I was suddenly reminiscing again. Maybe it was due to the Lust Rose¡¯s dream, who knows.

    Anyway, I¡¯m saying I understand what Nell felt in between friends like that. I knew all too well that it wasn¡¯t afortable feeling. So of course, she¡¯d be happy but also embarrassed at having to talk like this.

    ¡°No really, I¡¯m...¡±

    Nell started fidgeting even more bashfully, seeming to understand that I understood. I strongly felt the importance of mutual understanding among friends.

    Alright, no need to dwell on this understanding of awkwardness any more than necessary. I needed to change the topic already, as a friend.

    ¡°So, Wing Road got the Fenrir, how did it go?¡±

    Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I talked about quests with a fellow adventurer and friend. Simon was the researcher type, while Will was a prince. Both of them technically had experience doing quests, but they couldn¡¯t exactly be called adventurers.

    In all of Spada, I had not one adventurer acquaintance I could banter with. Wait... oh no. I wasn¡¯t justcking friends, Icked even acquaintances.

    ¡°It went very well actually. Of course, it was a powerful monster, but we had nned and prepared for it perfectly. You could say it was a rather easy quest.¡±

    Oh yeah, we did that too. We prepared for a lot of possibilities, but still got almost done in. I didn¡¯t tell her that though. Mostly out of embarrassment.

    Nell wasn¡¯t bragging or anything, but simply talking about it like it was another day on the job, while I was doing my very best to maintain a poker face and answering her with some short and appropriate replies.

    ¡°But for a quest, it¡¯s sort of surprising how lively the whole vige is.¡±

    ¡°That is because this Fenrir Subjugation quest would¡¯ve be an Emergency Quest in a few more days.¡±

    The mention of Emergency Quest instantly put my senses on alert.

    But I quickly calmed myself once Nell exined the details. This Emergency Quest would apparently not have been as urgent as Iskia¡¯s rescue quest or Alzas¡¯ defence quest. Those in and of themselves were very much exceptions among Emergency Quests.

    Nell told me about how the Fenrir, whose habitat should have been deeper in the Asbel Mountains, had descended closer to the vige and had been sporadically attacking for a while.

    Including this vige itself, the Fenrir had been spotted various times on both the south highway towards Avalon¡¯s capital city and the north highway to Windham, one of Avalon¡¯s neighbouring nations. It had attacked travellers and merchant caravans alike, the normal fair in terms of casualties when this kind of thing happens.

    This sort of thing happened a lot in this world, but it was certainly noughing matter for the victims and their families. If it¡¯d been a pack of Slimes or Goblins, they could¡¯ve put up a request for the local adventurers to handle. But the issue wasn¡¯t mobs but a Fenrir, the 2nd most powerful of the monsters in the Asbel Mountains, and ranked 5 at that. The average adventurer wouldn¡¯t risk it.

    That was where Wing Road came in. They had heard the rumors and hade to take on the quest, and the vigers were of course overjoyed. Come to the present, and Wing Road didn¡¯t disappoint.

    ¡°You guys really did a great job, I mean it.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, we were just lucky this time.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t just being humble, but the circumstances this time were very much in their favor.

    If they had wanted to challenge a Fenrir in its own grounds, they¡¯d have to go into the very depths of the Asbel Mountains. The Lust Rose had made its residence in a rtively shallow regionpared to these ferocious silver wolves. Fenrirs made their natural habitat 3 to 4 mountains further from the Lust Rose¡¯s cave, an area that truly was of a rank 5 danger rating.

    Even disregarding the various monsters that lived there, that central part of the Asbel Mountains was so perilous by its very nature, that it was practically impregnable.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have taken this quest at all if it hadn¡¯te that close to the vige. Even we can¡¯t fight that deep in the mountains.¡±

    Despite her full trust in her strong older brother and dependable party members, Nell firmly believed that they shouldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t go that deep. This was not only due to the harsh climate and distance from civilization, but because of a more fundamental reason.

    ¡°You mean the Ice Zero Field? So even Wing Road can¡¯t handle it there huh.¡±

    There existed an area in the Asbel Mountains that nullified the power of Divine Protections: The Ice Zero Field, a zone that effectively froze an adventurer¡¯s most powerful abilities.

    Almost any rank 5 adventurer possessed some manner of Divine Protection, and that ultimate power of theirs would bepletely useless. The stronger that Protection made them, the weaker they would get without it.

    ¡°Yes, no one in our party has a strong ice element Divine Protection after all.¡±

    The only exception to this rule was if one had a Divine Protection that leaned heavily on the Ice element. That particr sort of Protection would, in contrast, get powered up when used in that zone.

    This phenomenon has been interpreted such that the Ice Zero Field is an area so dense in ice elemental mana that Protections derived from other elements simply can¡¯t ovee it and manifest.

    In my time adventuring, I¡¯ve also been to areas and regions that favored some attributes of magic over others, and even non-adventurers, if they had any aptitude for magic, they would easily be able to sense the difference.

    A sea favored water, a volcano liked fire and frigid mountains put priority on ice mana. As an example from my own experience, in our quest to the Revival Catbs, darkness magic reigned.

    ces like that affected the way spells manifested their effects and sometimes even affected the health of an elemental caster. Divine Protections were not an exception either, as they had a tendency to work (or not) in strange ways when they were out of their element. This concept was alreadymon knowledge to anyone living in the continent of Pandora, adventurer or otherwise.

    And since knowledge of what mana resided in and what was hindered in what dungeon was so important, the information was readily avable to peruse at the local guilds.

    This sort of mystic natural phenomena were part ofws that governed this world and extreme regions that greatly affected even Divine Protections were given special names; the Ice Zero Field is but one such example.

    This was especially true for any areas that had been discovered to outright nullify one¡¯s Protection since they were all deemed rank 5 zones without exception.

    And with those areas usually tilting the bnce drastically towards one element, the monsters that could be encountered there all possessed abnormally strong abilities pertaining to said element. This further contributed to the heightened danger level and there were even theories that the monsters themselves possessed some sort of Divine Protections popped up in magic focused schrly circles.

    Further theories also postte that the reason other attributes are unusable is because the part of the pantheon that governed thosends themselves refused to allow any Divine Protection in which they had no involvement.

    In more concrete terms, if thisnd happens to be a sacred homnd or a site that boasts some legend, it can also grant leverage to specific Protections. The one I was most familiar with was the Fairy Garden¡¯s Spring of Light, Lily¡¯s home, and the ce where she could naturally return to her true form.

    Basically, the many theories made sense with how this world worked... and whether it was natural phenomena or Gods¡¯ will that denied certain Divine Protections, the fact of the matter was, that such ces existed and had to be handled with caution.

    I didn¡¯t care why this sort of phenomena existed, but I was d it did. While it meant that my own Divine Protections could be hindered, it might also mean that certain ces exist that weaken the White God¡¯s powerful Protection.

    ¡°Even if we¡¯re strong, we also have to pick and choose the quests that fit our level. Rank 5 parties do practically the same things as any other party after all, just on a higher scale.¡±

    Nell said, her expression the very picture of diligence. I couldn¡¯t find even a hint of egotism or conceit in her words, which made me suddenly think that she must¡¯ve had a very good upbringing. Avalon grew its princesses into fine and respectabledies.

    ¡°But still, the fact that you can be smart about it and choose appropriate quests is a skill too. If it was us, we couldn¡¯t have done it this cleanly.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, ... well actually, if you were to take this quest in particr, I think you might¡¯ve done it better than we did.¡±

    No, I really wouldn¡¯t. My hypothetical n had been already decided: chop off the head and then crush it into paste. In other words, I couldn¡¯t have had it disyed so cleanly in the central za like Wing Road had done.

    I didn¡¯t say that though, and only replied that she was elevating me too much. It¡¯d be great if she took that as me humbling myself.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, try to guess why this Fenrir went berserk.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Was it a... parasite?¡±

    That was the first thing I thought of. Well, it was the only thing I thought of.

    My experience with that was just that impactful. Though now the Sloth was another weapon in my arsenal and a good one at that. It wasn¡¯t It¡¯s game over once you have you work, but It¡¯s game over so I¡¯ll make you work.

    ¡°Ufufu, it¡¯s not that, but you were close.¡±

    And here I thought that she wasughing at me because I had itpletely wrong.

    Since she said I was close, it might mean that the Fenrir was also being controlled. So maybe there was an evil mage out there mind controlling the monster¨D¨D uh, no. Not likely. If that were the case, they¡¯d have a more serious problem on their hands.

    ¡°What was it then?¡±

    ¡°A cursed weapon.¡±

    She described how, when they found the Fenrir in question, it¡¯s fur wasn¡¯t the glistening silver it was famous for, butpletely ck. Not only that, the rank 5 monsters even had a ck aura exuding from its body giving off an even darker impression.

    You didn¡¯t need to be a Priest like Nell to figure out that the monster had been already tainted by evil.

    ¡°After we defeated it, we found a sword lodged inside its stomach. It was a beautifully ornamented rapier, and it held a powerful curse inside.¡±

    I wagered a guess that this cursed rapier had been wielded by a cursed weapon user like myself. But unfortunately for them, the Fenrir was too strong, and they became its meal.

    But then, the Fenrir itself lost to the curse that was now inside its stomach.

    ¡°I see, that must¡¯ve been a pain to deal with...¡±

    It is generally ill-advised to get near any weapons deemed as cursed. For me, they might be tools that I greatly rely on, but this sort of story reminded me that what I so readily used on a daily basis can actually be very dangerous.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said you might¡¯ve done better, since you¡¯re so good at controlling cursed weapons.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, I can control, but I can¡¯t exactly dispel them.¡±

    Honestly, if it were me, I might¡¯ve had a tough fight anyway. Of course, we wouldn¡¯t lose. With Lily and Fiona backing me up, Element Masters will never lose in a head on battle!

    ¡°Ah, I have an idea, Kurono-kun. How about you take that rapier?¡±

    ¡°Eh, can I?¡±

    No, of course I can¡¯t.

    Cursed weapons were generally sold for high prices, no actually, they¡¯d definitely make a small fortune if they sold it to the Mordred Firm. I bet that they¡¯d even showcase it in the next Cursed Carnival, grandly proiming how it ousted even a Fenrir and spread fear and turmoil all around the Asbel region and what not.

    ¡°But of course. We don¡¯t have anyone who can use it anyway.¡±

    Who knows, that girl Safiel might just be able to. Not her Servants, but on her own.

    That aside, as an adventurer, I felt like I couldn¡¯t take such a valuable item they¡¯d fought and earned.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t take it after all. Actually, I¡¯ve been receiving so much from you, I really feel like I need to give something back.¡±

    I declined her offer and in addition implied that we were also getting a big payout for our Lust Rose quest.

    Plus, there was all the gear from the Lust Rose¡¯s previous victims, which were now ours. It¡¯d take somewhat of a big fee to get the guild to carry it all back, but it should still earn us a bonus.

    My wallet was fat enough that I would dly gift her a present or two.

    ¡°Eh! K-Kurono-kun, you¡¯re giving me a present... I, I...¡±

    She might¡¯ve said ¡®I don¡¯t need it you loser,¡¯ but I didn¡¯t think that was the case. Looking at her blushing face and both hands holding her cheeks going ¡®Kyah!¡¯ I think it¡¯s safe to say that she didn¡¯t dislike the prospect.

    Plus, her trademark wings were also pping in ce like crazy which made me imagine that she might fly off like that.

    Being a princess and all, Nell must¡¯ve received presents all her life, but perhaps a situation like this, where I, a private friend of hers, would give her a gift was one she hadn¡¯t experienced before.

    It¡¯s sort of a cliche that a princess aspired towardsmonce things... but here it was, a real princess doing just that.

    ¡°Sure, once we get back to Spada, I¡¯ll be sure to pick out something¨D¨D¡±

    Maybe it was too soon to be that friendly with Nell, because,

    ¡°¨D¨DKurono!!¡±

    ¡°Wh!? Lily!?¡±

    Suddenly, Lily had called my name from behind, her tone sharp. I turned around slowly, fearing how badly I was going to get scolded for my overfamiliar treatment of the princess¨D¨D

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    She was in her original form.

    She had grown taller while wearing the same white punrobe and I could see her sexy, supple legs bared all the way to her upper thighs, but more importantly, her face.

    Her expression was extremely serious. In this world, Lily was the person I had known the longest, and I could instantly tell that something had happened.

    I changed gears to match her expression, and without bothering to think if it was rude to Nell, I focusedpletely on Lily¡¯s next words.

    ¡°The guild had a letter addressed to you. The sender is King Leonhard.¡±

    Lily handed over the letter in question, which was red wax sealed with Spada¡¯s national emblem, the crown and crossing swords.

    I had seen the same emblem, but in stamp version, when I received the Emergency Quest from Will in the Grand Colosseum¡¯s infirmary.

    The seal hadn¡¯t been broken, meaning Lily hadn¡¯t checked the contents inside, but had still realized that this was a letter of grave importance.

    That went the same for me, and my hands even slightly trembled as they were about to unseal the wax.

    Inside, there was a single letter, and as my eyes went over each line of it, the cold sweat gathering in my face clearly told that our urgency was justified.

    ¡°... And, what does it say?¡±

    Asked Lily, her tone calm.

    My heart was pounding, but I had to bepletely direct about this. Calming myself, I replied,

    ¡°¨D¨D The Crusaders areing.¡±

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397: The Man called Gregorius ( 1 )

    At present, the entirety of the Crusader Army that hadnded on Pandora were divided into 3 parts.

    The First Battalion: led by the Crusaders¡¯ Commander in Chief, Sariel, the 7th Apostle, this army was the first to be deployed to Pandora, and boasted 15,000 men. The soldiers that had been lost at the Battle of Goldran Hill had been since replenished by the reserve troops provided by Cardinal Ars.

    The Second Battalion: Deployed under the pretext of reinforcements, thisrge army hadnded on Pandora soon after Sariel and her First Battalion. The majority of troops within this Second Battalion belonged to Cardinal Mercedes who was well known to be in a power struggle against Cardinal Ars.

    The Second Battalion had been left in charge of upying all the territory on Daidalos aside from its capital since that big achievement had clearly gone to the First Battalion and its Commander in Chief. They had achieved this duty quite smoothly, other than their slight hup at one Alzas, a backwater vige in the west corner.

    And finally, the Third Battalion: this army consisted of thebined troops of many of Sinir¡¯s nobility who werete to deploy, having let Cardinal Mercedes take a step ahead.

    So to make things fair this time, the Second Battalion had to let the Third handle the invasion of Daidalos¡¯ neighbor: Spada.

    Though their ns had been thus bted due to having to deal with the many isted incidents caused by Daidalos¡¯ rebel forces.

    But the other day, reports had been circted that thanks to the First Battalion¡¯s Special Forces counter attacking the rebels who had raided Research Institute 4 inside the Medea Ruins, the rebels had suffered a devastating blow and the continuous skirmishes against them had been purged.

    ordingly, the Third Battalion had finally found the time to begin their expedition into Spada. However, winter was soon approaching and many doubted whether it was wise to deploy such arge army during this time.

    Many baseless and unfounded rumors circted in the Daidalos capital, such as, perhaps this was a ploy by the church where they could conveniently diminish the Third Battalion¡¯s forces that wereprised of men provided by the nobility, or perhaps it was that the Earls who led this army were so enchanted by Sariel¡¯s beauty and so wanted to make an impression on the Apostle.

    ¡°Idiots... idiots the lot of them...¡±

    Tiredly exhaled a man, a lone, middle aged man.

    Daidalos. Inside a newly built Cross Church, made for the benefit of immigrants arriving from Sinir. However, it was built hurriedly and at a deste location at the corner of the city, a far cry from therge, robust church erected at the Capital¡¯s center, it was a small and shabby house of worship. This chapel was so poorly made that the early winter winds had already cooled the air inside to a fair degree.

    And it was that very same church that this miserable, middle aged man¨D¨D one Head Priest Norz, had been left to maintain.

    ¡°Argh, Fuck!! If I hadn¡¯t met that Devil in Alzas, I¨D¨D¡±

    He roared, knowing there to be nobody else present in the small building with him. He kicked one of the wide benches where the pious sat during worship. In spite of the symbol for their White God, the Cross, disyed openly on the altar, this Head Priest couldn¡¯t give a damn about angering God whilst acting on his frustrations.

    For a few moments the sound of the bench having been knocked over echoed dryly inside the room. Then came more silence, more miserable silence.

    ¡°... Dammit.¡±

    Head Priest Norz was a man who, only 6 months ago, had led an upation regiment of the Second Battalion. Norz¡¯s regiment had boasted men in the thousands. Themand to such arge part of the army had been granted to him due to his many past aplishments and experience in the field of battle, in other words, his merit.

    His upation of the Daidalos territory had been progressing as smoothly as any other of the deployed regiments. His adjutant, the woman named Sylvia, had a quick tongue and had further hid the incredible fact that she was the 8th Apostle sent to oversee him, but she hadn¡¯t interfered with any of his work. She was very useful in fact.

    Everything had been going so well for him. Until that devil appeared, that ck-haired devil.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t deserve this...¡±

    He had failed. Badly. He had allowed countless numbers of his men die to a mere 100 adventurers, and it was only after receiving aid from the 8th Apostle, Ai, and the 11th Apostle, Misa, that they were able to finally, finally... conquer that small, insignificant vige.

    He couldn¡¯t avoid having to take responsibility as themander, and he couldn¡¯t avoid the inevitable demotion.

    But it could be said that Norz was a lucky man. The Crusaders had had it easy in their whole invasion but if they hadn¡¯t, he was likely to have been not only removed from his position, but executed as well.

    He had gotten off with a mere demotion. Not only that, he still maintained his title as Head Priest and even had a church to run. It was almost as if he had been spared from bearing the sin of losing thousands of his subordinates.

    That being said, he couldn¡¯t simply sit idly knowing that he had been shown mercy. No, Norz had a dream. Or rather, he had desire. A desire for a sessful career, a desire for fame and fortune. Even though he wasn¡¯t born in nobility, with enough sess as a clergyman, he could mete all his desires.

    It may sound unseeming for a man of the cloth to hold such strong desire, but many men who were called Priest had simr inner thoughts. In that meaning, Norz was an ordinary man.

    And ordinary men didn¡¯t get second chances. Ordinary men had no means to overturn a failure so devastating.

    Norz strangely knew. He knew that he¡¯d have to spend the remaining years of his life in that small church far from his homnd. The Crusader Army may in time conquer the whole of Pandora, but his name would be forever removed from those who led to the achievement. He wouldn¡¯t be allowed to be known.

    The empty building seemed to represent a prison where he could only rot away.

    But that day, someone had opened the door to his deste cell.

    ¡°Helloow there, it¡¯s been too long, Head Priest Norz! How haave you been?¡±

    The shoddy door creaked loudly as a single man entered the dim chapel.

    ¡°G-Gregorius-sama!?¡±

    The man had a particrly suspicious tone of speaking as he looked at Norz with sly, narrow eyes like that of a fox. His mannerisms might¡¯ve given the impression that he was an oily swindler but his vestments clearly pointed out his rank as a Bishop of the Cross.

    He was unmistakably the man who served asmanding officer of the Second Battalion. Gregorius, the Oracle.

    ¡°Myy apologies for visiting ouut of the blue like this, but I figured you muust be bored since practically noo onees here, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It is as you say... and what might you need of me today, lord Bishop?¡±

    His head still low, Norz thought to himself, surely this man hadn¡¯te to punish him now, it was much toote for that. He was able to remain calm.

    He then gained hope. Even if on a whim, this man had the power to free him from his life of idly rotting away. Which also meant that one word from him and he could be at an even worse position. If he didn¡¯t y his cards right here, he might as well be sent to some remote vige and be made to y vige priest for the new immigrants.

    Expectation and dread swirled about in his chest in equal amount. A chest that had gotten thinner along with the rest of his body, likely due to hisck of training in recent months.

    ¡°Yees, there¡¯ve been rumors that the Third Battalion will sooon begin their trek to Spada, suurely you know of it?¡±

    ¡°Such rumors have also reached my ears, but are they not simply rumors...?¡±

    In his current station, he had very few means to gather adequate information. With neither aides nor underlings, Norz had fallen beyond low from his once position asmander of thousands of men.

    ¡°I seee, it¡¯s goood that you know. To be frank, I¡¯ll be joining the expedition you seee, and I was hoping you¡¯d jooin me¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°You would have me!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear your willingness, Head Priest.¡±

    A vile grin creeped up along Gregorius¡¯ cheeks. But to Norz, even that seemed to be the holy smile of a Saint.

    I am, and have always been a self made man. And given the opportunity to stand in the battlefield, that is when I can truly¨D¨D His hope and ambition skyrocketed.

    Which was precisely the reaction the sly Bishop was hoping for.

    This was a dubious man. He himself paraded his title of ¡®Oracle¡¯, and his appearance in itself was questionable at best. He was a man who didn¡¯t hide his suspicious nature, but unted it. He was the man called Gregorius.

    ¡°I implore you, Lord Bishop, unworthy as I may be, please allow I, Norz, to serve under you!¡±

    ¡°I shall adly. It¡¯s been somewhat hard recruiting personnel you seee, what with the rigor demanded for the mission this time.¡±

    Norz hadn¡¯t been chosen because of merit, but because others had refused to take the job.

    But as far as Norz was concerned, it was thest chance he¡¯d get to realize his ambitions. A chance he had even dismissed as nonexistent.

    ¡°Well then, Head Priest Norz, I pray I can count on you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my Lord Bishop! I hereby swear under God that I will bring you the results you desire!¡±

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398: The Man Called Gregorius ( 2 )

    Pegasus Knights. Airborne maidens who yed the crucial role of a vignt aerialbat force within the Second Battalion.

    Head Priest Norz had oncemanded one unit of the Pegasus Knight Corps in his mission to upy western Daidalos.

    Each member of this female exclusive corps were high level knights trained in both the martial and magical arts. They had been widely recognized as a force that distinguished themselves in any battlefield¨D¨D that is, before their encounter with the Devil of Alzas. Passing rumors of that battle dared to imply that the pegasus knights were not as infallible as they¡¯re made out to be.

    Theirmander, Norz, had been severely demoted for his failure on that asion, but the still able bodied pegasus knights hadn¡¯t beenid off like their superior, they were much too valuable not to use.

    These maidens had since been assigned under anothermander, and were continuing to contribute to the upation effort.

    As ofte, their duties consisted of suppressing the various rebel movements sprouting up all over Daidalos. These rebels were small in number but their guerri attacks were sudden and sporadic, making them a pain to deal with for the various upying forces deployed all over the country.

    And the pegasus knights, with their superior speed granted by air travel, had been perfect for the task. Day and night, they zoomed across the skies, monitoring the various viges and towns and subjugating poorly armed rebels as they found them. On paper, they had been keeping the peace, but those elite knights, trained for epic battle, felt that their current duties were but menial chores.

    They could see no clear goal nor progress, they piled on more fatigue every day that this went on. Fatigue and frustration.

    Even Estelle, still active as their official captain, needed an outlet.

    ¡°... Haah.¡± Estelle sighed a truly heavy sigh.

    Shebed back her long, currently disheveled, hair inside her tent that was in the middle of slowly cooling from the steamy heat that had been generated by its upants.

    To the side of her, on top of thin bed sheets,y a slender and small boy, sleeping soundly. The boy was naked, like the day he was born. His skin, which Estelle noted was more supple than her own, shone with beads of sweat all over, and his fluffy chestnut hair looked markedly ruffledpared to his usual grooming.

    The delicate figureying with his back exposed gave the striking image of a pagan maiden who had been vited by a foot soldier.

    ¡°... Not again.¡± Estelle dismayed.

    This questionable scene had been created by none other than Estelle herself. Though the roles may have been reversed, the fact remained that she had assailed one of the opposite sex.

    Her tone indicated that she was in deep regret. Her mind had cleared now that she had expelled all her pent up desire, and she sounded like a girl who promised to maintain her diet t right after having a three course meal.

    ¡°This is bad... I can¡¯t keep doing this...¡±

    Estelle hadmitted the first of such offenses on the night of the 2nd of First Fire, that is, at a time when the battle in Alzas was yet ongoing.

    She had had her eyes on this boy for a long time, from her knights academy days in fact, and on that night, she had worked up the courage to invite him to her tent. Then she worked up her courage to take him then and there.

    That being said, he had technically consented.

    The first day on that grueling battle at Alzas had generated many losses on the Crusader¡¯s front. They had ended up retreating under the fierce resistance put up by the demons, Estelle¡¯s pegasus knight unit having also suffered harsh losses. Unbelievably, a single, monstrous fairy had eliminated their captain, vice captain, and many good women of the force.

    Making use of their dismal situation, Estelle had straightforwardly invited him, ¡®Let me get it over with before I die,¡¯ and immediately pushed him down. She had wanted to do better, she really did. But once she had resolved herself to do it, those were the sort of words she said.

    She had learned that she wasn¡¯t one to properly convey a confession of love when under stress.

    And the situation looking as dire as it was, he had consented even if confused. Really, he did. She remembered him doing so. She had clearly seen him nodding which meant that he consented. Meaning that what she did was certainly not rape, but love making.

    All said and done, that was the night Estelle changed her ss from maiden to woman.

    It was all because of that god forsaken fairy that Estelle had dared to do what she had done. The glowing demon¡¯s powerful telepathy had seeded those ideas into her mind. On the other hand, one could also say that it was thanks to that fairy that she was able to fulfill her love.

    But now she had a new problem. In the end, she hadn¡¯t been able to properly convey her feelings and every time she asked, demanded really, he would make a troubled face and oblige her. She knew she was taking advantage of him, using him.

    After that one time, she had taken every opportunity... to mete that desire. With their tiresome, seemingly endless missions as ofte, they¡¯d been doing the deed almost each night. Actually, today, she had even dragged him into one of the empty vige houses in broad daylight. She had to end it mid way though, as she heard her vice captain, n, calling after her and she couldn¡¯t really neglect her duty.

    She had yet to confess her feelings, and thus couldn¡¯t know how her partner felt. It was like she only desired his body, day in and day out. They were neither lovers, nor friends. Was he not unlike a ve then? She even pondered if maybe hiring a prostitute would be better than the mess of a rtionship she was in, at least then the man would get paid his due.

    She had realized that this sort of rtionship wouldn¡¯tst long. But despite that, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop. Perhaps someday, he¡¯d simply run away from her.

    Estelle was scared. She was scared of losing the happiness, the pleasure of having obtained the person she held dear. She was less scared of dying on the field than losing him. She was even less scared of facing that wretched fairy than the prospect of not having him anymore.

    And yet, she could only think of forcefully detaining him if he were to try getting away. Really, at this point, how was she going to confess anyway? It was all toote to have the rtionship she truly desired.

    ¡°Fuck... what was I supposed to do...¡± she muttered.

    Having cooled off, Estellenguidly raised her body.

    ¡°Helloow there, paaardon my intrusion, Miss Captain Estelle.¡± said a nasal, clearly male voice; the man himself entering her tent while speaking.

    ¡°What! Bastard, you have some nerve¨D¨D¡±

    Estelle promptly covered her exposed upper body with a nket, and took up her rapier that had been resting at her pillow side. In one swift motion, the tip of the de had been brandished towards the sudden invader of her private tent.

    If this man had been one of the foot soldiers who¡¯d gotten drunk and had foolishly attempted to bed a pegasus knight, he would¡¯ve had her mythril de deep inside his heart right now.

    However, Estelle¡¯s de didn¡¯t move an inch towards her target.

    ¡°You¡¯re¨D¨D Bishop Gregorius, my lord...¡±

    ¡°Oh my, did you know of me? Or was it these robes that tipped you off? Matters not, I guess. Captain Estelle, I realize it¡¯s quitete, but I had an offer you might be¨D¨D¡±

    The man who had turned up all of a sudden and had started speaking to her simrly out of the blue was unmistakably Bishop Gregorius, her superior andmander of the army she and her girls had been currently stationed to.

    She had seen him on multiple asions and, though she wasn¡¯t exactly a model student, she was still an academy graduate knight, meaning that she wouldn¡¯t mistake a bishop¡¯s vestment.

    ¡°Oho, would the boy sleeping over there happen to be Rudel-kun? Goodness, that sure saves me the trouble of calling him over.¡±

    It was a small tent after all. One could easily make out the presence of the additional person sleeping inside, no matter how small he was.

    Crap, this can¡¯t be, before Estelle¡¯s mind was able to process what was happening, Gregorius was already nudging Rudel on the shoulder to wake him. Rudel being the nude boy sleeping beside her, the boy she loved oh so dearly.

    ¡°Nh, uh... Estelle -san?¡± Rudel mumbled half asleep.

    ¡°Oh, apologies Rudel-kun.¡± the bishop said, ¡°I am unfortunately not the woman who bedded you. But I¡¯d like you to please wake up, I have something very important I¡¯d like you to hear.¡±

    Estelle was sweating bullets as she waited for Rudel to flutter open hisrge, sleepy eyes. He was so cute¨D¨D Not, the time. Things were getting out of hand.

    ¡°Hwa... uh, huh? Eh?¡±

    Rudel blinked several times as he got a good look at the fox-faced man in front of him.

    ¡°And goood morning to you, Rudel-kun¡± Gregorius greeted, pulling on his words.

    ¡°Haa¡± Rudel yawned, ¡°Good morn¨D¨D!?¡±

    Which is when he finally realized just who he¡¯d been talking to. Rudel yelped like a little girl while simultaneously prostrating himself before his superior right then and there. Naked and sweaty.

    ¡°G-Gregorius-sama... w-what, do you need of me...¡± Rudel stammered fearfully.

    Estelle couldn¡¯t see his face as he was currently performing a stiff, naked dogeza on top of the bed sheets, but she could imagine it was much paler than her own.

    Estelle was a knight but Rudel was a man of the cloth. He was currently serving the army as a Priest, in other words, a healer, but his original job was that of a priest who served the church. While Estelle was more on the military side of things, for Rudel the bishop was his superior in both jobs, which put him in a precarious position to say the least.

    ¡°Riight, this is a bit important, so I just had to tell you right away. I do apologize for intruding on your fun, but I¡¯ll try not take up too much of your time. Please feel free to continue where you left off once I¡¯m done, or rest up for tomorrow, whatever you want.¡±

    The rather inappropriate joke on the bishop¡¯s part had served to inform the couple that he was well aware of what had recently urred inside the tent. Rather, they¡¯d think him bizarre if he hadn¡¯te to that conclusion upon seeing a naked man and woman in bed together.

    In other words, they could make no excuse.

    Had this Gregoriuse here to deal punishment to the pegasus knight and priest engaging in illicit acts? Everyone knew the church didn¡¯t allow for carnal rtionships out of marriage, and same-sex rtionships were banned outright. Basically, obscenities were judged very harshly, and any perpetrators were sure to receive due punishment.

    But that¡¯s no business of a bishop. This sleazebag just wanted to get some kicks from this I¡¯ll bet, Estelle cursed the man in her heart but kept herments to herself.

    She had meant to exercise caution when engaging in their nightly liaisons but now that it was so easily discovered, she supposed it¡¯d spell the end of that. She¡¯d ept whatever punishment came her way, but she had to at least try and lessen the punishment for her beloved Rudel, even if a little.

    Rudel, in spite of his young age, had risen from deacon to priest. Estelle wasn¡¯t very savvy on how promotions worked on the church¡¯s side, but she at least knew that they didn¡¯t make just anyone a priest, especially someone still in their teens. She wondered if Rudel had the potential to be even more elite than herself, one of the respected pegasus knights.

    But that didn¡¯t matter right now. She had to do everything in her power to not ruin Rudel¡¯s clean record. She suspected that he hated her already, and she didn¡¯t want that to escte. If that kind boy rejected her outright after this, she couldn¡¯t go on.

    ¡°W-wait...¡± She ventured.

    But s, Estelle wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed and that facet had be her worst enemy at this moment. She could think up nothing, nothing at all to his defense.

    Thus, while she had managed to stammer out a word, no others followed, and she went silent.

    But, there has to be something, something¨D¨D as she kept drawing nks, someone else took the initiative.

    ¡°M-my utmost apologies, lord bishop... I am to me, for all of this.¡±

    ¡°Rudel!? What¨D¨D¡±

    Young Rudel¡¯s bold confession caused Estelle to cry out shocked. The bishop, raising one hand, put on a lecherous grin as he tried to calm the two.

    ¡°Oho, so Rudel-kun, you say you¡¯re to me?¡± Gregorius questioned.

    ¡°Yes, I am the one who assaulted Captain Estelle.¡± Rudel imed, his voice shaking as if he¡¯d started crying already.

    ¡°So you say that you, a frail healer, managed to have your way with a pegasus knight, an elite warrior, and with their captain no less?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Care to tell me how?¡±

    ¡°Well, I... uhm, I was... very forceful...¡±

    If that were true, Rudel would have had no ce being a Priest. If he truly had the muscle and mettle to take on Estelle, a knight adept in the usage of Force Boost and a number of other self-strengthening martial skills, he would¡¯ve been designated a post among the Armored Knight Corps already.

    But it didn¡¯t matter howpletely tant a lie he had made up just now. The fact stood that he had lied of his own will. In other words, he had tried to defend Estelle¡¯s honor.

    ¡°Right, of course you did¡± Gregorius said, nonplussed.

    ¡°Yes I have. So I beseech you, lord bishop, captain Estelle has done nothing wro¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Alright, sure, sure.¡± Gregorius quickly waved off, ¡°Now, onto the main topic. I actually came here to prospect a new mission for the two of you¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± shot both Estelle and Rudel at the abrupt change in topic.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you not understand something?¡±

    ¡°No, not that...¡± Estelle began, ¡°Was that really all you had to say seeing us like this?¡±

    Rudel looked rmingly depressed as his courageous plea in favor of Estelle had been so swiftly ignored, so the pegasus knight queried the bishop as to his intentions.

    ¡°Hahaa,¡±ughed said bishop, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the sort happening countless times in our army! Oh, and of course, I can swear to God to keep this matter a secret, please be at ease.¡±

    ¡°What in the world...¡± Estelle was frankly bewildered at the easygoing answer.

    Gregorius put on a smile as if to say that hepletely understood and sympathized with their happenstances, and although she still saw him as suspicious, she nheless understood that he was seriously saying he¡¯d overlook the matter.

    ¡°U-uhm, lord bishop...¡± Rudel ventured timidly, ¡°would you do that...?¡±

    Gregorius put on his clergyman smile and ced a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder as he still sat there prostrated.

    ¡°Of course I will, Rudel-kun,¡± said the bishop, ¡°After all, it is the duty of priests of the Cross to tend to the fatigued knights after their day¡¯s battles.¡±

    Faith may be different depending on the individual, but all present here were adherents of the Cross faith. So the bishop acted to appease the worrying priest that yes, ording to their Lord, it was well within their duties to ease the hearts of tired soldiers.

    ¡°Depending on the circumstances, one may also need to use their body to perform this duty.¡± Gregorius sermoned, ¡°Well, not many would go that far... but if you¡¯ve done it with love, I¡¯m certain the Lord will give you His blessing.¡±

    ¡°Lord Bishop...¡± Rudel was stunned, ¡°Thank you, lord bishop!¡±

    ¡°Rudel-kun, you are truly blessed,¡± Gregorius continued, ¡°Be sure to thank the Lord for the bond you¡¯re able to share with such a beautifuldy. Why back in my day, I had to spend the nights apanying the armored knights you know? They were not gentle let me tell you.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, too much information...¡± Estelle cringed at having been revealed to the bishop¡¯s somewhat sodomistic past.

    She had no interest to learn of such things and sincerely wished that it remained a private affair.

    ¡°Now then, I believe that should soothe your worries. Can I get to what I came here for then?¡±

    Estelle wanted to get dressed first, but she abstained from needlessly prodding the situation even more. She didn¡¯t want to dig up a settled matter.

    It might¡¯ve been rude to face a bishop with nothing but a nket covering her privates, but since he didn¡¯t look bothered by it, she decided to do the same.

    ¡°Yes sir, lord bishop¡± Estelle said in a serious tone, formally addressing the highest rank officer in all the upation forces deployed over Daidalos.

    ¡°At ease, soldier.¡± Gregorius said carefreely, ¡°This is a strictly voluntary mission I should add. If possible I¡¯d like you to rmend yourself for the post.¡±

    Estelle guessed that it must be an especially challenging mission if people hadn¡¯t gathered to a bishop¡¯s call to arms. Why else would he havee here to this remote region she¡¯d been deployed to?

    ¡°So you say I have the right to refuse?¡± Estelle asked.

    ¡°Indeed you do,¡± Gregorius confirmed, ¡°you may refuse if you wish.¡±

    That made it simple. Her answer was of course: No. Her current happiness may be a fleeting, temporary thing, but she wanted remain bedding Rudel for as long as she possibly could.

    ¡°However, Captain Estelle,¡± Gregorius appealed, ¡°I believe that epting this mission will be of great merit to yourself.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡± Estelle said, not sure where this was going, ¡°I suppose that means a bonus in my sry?¡±

    ¡°I will approve your engagement to Rudel-kun.¡± the sly bishop began ¡°And once this mission is over, I¡¯ll make it so that you two can return to Sinir to have a grand ceremony. I¡¯ll be sure to oversee your vows myself, of course. What do you think? Having your marriage done under a bishop is an experience usually only nobles can afford, no? I¡¯m sure you find the prospect too appealing to resist.¡±

    Estelle was perplexed. She couldn¡¯t understand what this man was saying.

    ncing beside her, Rudel had a simr confusion to his face. She inferred that the bishop hadn¡¯t said anything to him either.

    ¡°W-wait... what are you talking about?¡± Estelle quickly asked for rification, confused yes, but also expectant.

    ¡°Rudel-kun here is an orphan you see. He¡¯s grown up in the church all his life, in other words, I have the final say over who he¡¯d to be engaged to.¡± Gregorius exined, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as strict as with nobility and their arranged marriages, but he does have the position of priest now, so if I order it, he won¡¯t be able to refuse that partner, whomever it may be¨D¨D oops, let me correct myself. The partner that I, a bishop, chooses for him will surely be the one he¡¯s fated to be bonded to, is the fact of the matter.¡±

    The Cross faith didn¡¯t require celibacy for its nuns and clergymen. Though it was limited to monogamy, their Lord would surely give His blessings to two who are truly in love. God wanted his men of the cloth to live modest and frugal lives, but He had no issue with them making offspring.

    ¡®Be fruitful and multiply,¡¯ God has said. It was a well known line for churchgoers. Incidentally, this line continues, ¡®and fill the earth and subdue it and vanquish any and all evil.¡¯

    This sort of line of scripture had had many interpretations from ancient times to present day, but for Estelle, right now, it meant that she had a chance to be bonded in holy matrimony with her beloved Rudel. It meant that even a despicable woman like her had a chance.

    And the bishop before her had the power to enact it. And it was this control that gave her a guarantee that his promise was indeed a possibility.

    ¡°... Surely you jest, sir.¡± but Estelle couldn¡¯t say Yes just yet. She had just barely held back the utterance.

    Rudel had tried to defend her. Perhaps, perhaps he also held an affection for her as she did for him. She wanted to believe that, desperately.

    If she so easily epted this offer, she risked betraying that bond. That was something she had to avoid.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Gregorius sighed, ¡°and here I thought it was a good proposal. Looks like I was wrong. My sincerest apologies you two... anyway, since you don¡¯t seem to be as close as I imagine, I suppose I¡¯ll have to move along to the subject of reassignments.¡±

    ¡°W-wait,¡± Estelle stammered, ¡°please wait, sir. By reassignment, you don¡¯t mean¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard.¡± Gregorius detailed, ¡°The Third Battalion will soon begin their advance towards Spada, and I was thinking I wanted to extend a friendly gesture to Count Belgrunt by sending in some reinforcements.¡±

    Including Estelle and her unit of pegasus knights, Rudel and the other Priests in the recovery corps, and arge number of foot soldiers would be redeployed. However, while Estelle and her girls would surely be fighting at the front lines, to capture Ghad Fortress, Rudel would be stationed far back in the real along with the other healers.

    This meant that, until they captured the fortress, she¡¯d be separated from him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I take to assigning my human resources very diligently.¡± Gregorius stated, ¡°I put people who get along together, and separate them if they¡¯re the opposite. One must have synergy to work in an army after all.¡±

    Estelle couldn¡¯t give a damn about this bishop¡¯s personal philosophy.

    She had just learned that she might have to say farewell to Rudel as early as tomorrow. That, she couldn¡¯t allow.

    ¡°But there¡¯s a limit to what I can do for people not under my ownmand you see,¡± Gregorius said, apologetically, ¡°so unfortunately, you two will be required to go to separate posts¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Please wait, sir,¡± Estelle cut him off, ¡°if I were to ept your mission, I request Rudel be made my exclusive aide.¡±

    ¡°Done.¡± the bishop easily assented, ¡°I trust that you two lovebirds will work much better if you¡¯re together. I¡¯m expecting good things, Captain.¡±

    ¡°... Fine, I ept.¡± Estelle said, and then corrected herself, ¡°No, let me volunteer myself.¡±

    This was the only path left to her. Gregorius held the leash to the man she so desperately wanted. But that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. If she performed well, things would go smoothly in the direction she desired. This prospect was better than any mary reward. One couldn¡¯t buy love after all.

    ¡°Oh! Excellent reply, Captain Estelle! I¡¯m d to have you.¡± Gregorius eximed needlessly, to which Estelle followed up with a ¡°It¡¯s my honor as a knight,¡± ying along for her part.

    ¡°Good on you, Rudel-kun,¡± Gregorius now addressed Rudel, ¡°From here on, be sure to support your lovely Captain both in public and private matters.¡±

    ¡°Uh... um....¡± Rudel deliberated.

    ¡°You¡¯re her fiance now, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, lord bishop...¡±

    He looked troubled with the sudden turn of events, but even with his delicate brows turned up, he consented to his superior. This clearly demonstrated the bishop¡¯s influence over the boy, proving how he had the power to decide whom the young priest could love.

    ¡°As for you, Captain,¡± Gregorius returned to Estelle, ¡°I need you to pick out 4 to 5 of your unit who will be apanying us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°You are to head to Fort Alzas and await further orders from there.¡±

    Bishop Gregorius gave her a few more misceneous directives, and after he was done, Estelle finally asked the most important question,

    ¡°Sir, if I may ask, what exactly is our objective for this mission?¡±

    ¡°Oops, dear me.¡± Gregorius cried, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot, pardon me will you?¡±

    Did he really forget? Estelle couldn¡¯t tell since his fox-like face always seemed to be scheming something or other. But the bishop apparently had no reason to conceal the matter and he told her easily:

    ¡°While the Third Battalion is keeping Ghad upied, we will be ndestinely invading the heart of Pandora: the city-state of Avalon¨D¨D¡±

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399: diator

    I returned to Spada at the turn of the new year, that is, right around when the date became the 1st of Gloom, this world¡¯s equivalent of January.

    Merry, being the Nightmare she was, needed neither rest nor sleep, and I had ridden her all the way back without a single pause. I had traveled straight from Asbel, across the border and entered into Spada proper in 6 and a half days, just over half the 12 days it had taken us to get there.

    In the time we were out subjugating the Lust Rose, winter had settled into the city. It had been around 3 weeks since I wasst here and there was already a thinyer of snow covering the streets and roads. It was snowing tonight.

    I would¡¯ve arrived a day, or at least half a day faster if the highways hadn¡¯t been so buried in snow... but let¡¯s not dwell on the past.

    That aside, the only reason I was able to shorten the time this much was because it was only me and Merry who had made the journey, that is to say, I¡¯d left Lily and Fiona behind... actually, they had noticed my sense of urgency and even encouraged me to go ahead. I was extremely grateful to have such understanding party members.

    Now then, since the enemy had finally made their move, let¡¯s get down to business.

    ¡°I read the letter.¡± I said, ¡°But I had to hear the details ASAP... tell me, how close are they?¡±

    ¡°Now now, do calm yourself, Kurono, my bosom friend.¡± Will returned, his words as exaggerated as ever, but with a sober expression and serious tone.

    Him and I were currently seated at the lounge of my dormhouse.

    ¡°You best have a cup of tea before we begin,¡± Will advised, ¡°You¡¯ve traveled night and day to arrive, do have some and warm yourself.¡±

    Seria, Will¡¯s guard maid was apanying him of course. The steaming tea she had brewed sat on the table between us, letting off a rxing fragrance.

    Maybe it was because of that that I was calm and didn¡¯tsh out yelling that this was no time for tea.

    Right, first, I had to clear my head. Will was a friend who believed in me, and so he understood more that anyone in Spada, the menace that were the Crusaders.

    ¡°.... Thanks, Will.¡± I said after a sip of the tea.

    It really did calm the searing agitation in my heart, even if slightly.

    ¡°I mind not. Your ability to appease yourself like this only proves your strength of heart.¡±

    ¡°Huh... and uh, sorry for calling you here sote at night.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha. Once again, I mind not!¡±

    It was all thanks to Wills preparation and foresight that I was able to meet with him to discuss details as soon as I arrived.

    When I burst through Spada¡¯s main gates, just as rashly as I had once done bursting out of those gates to head to Alzas, Seria had been already ready and waiting.

    It was impossible for me to know how she knew I wasing or how long she had been waiting there, but thanks to that, in no time, Will was able to know that I had arrived. Will was, as always, staying in the elite boys¡¯ dormitories, and it was only a 5 minute walk away to our dorm.

    That being said, it was only because Will was so efficient in what he did that he was able to prepare anything and everything in under an hour after I stepped through the gates.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Will started, ¡°firstes the topic of their numbers, I suppose.¡±

    I nodded, prompting him to continue.

    ¡°At the current stage, it appears that their main forces have not left Fort Alzas yet.¡±

    But seeing how I received that personal letter, I couldn¡¯t imagine Spada jumping to any false conclusions. But if the Crusaders weren¡¯t using their main army, how were they able to determine that the enemy were advancing?

    ¡°They¡¯ve begun thawing the snow. By that I mean, the transnational highway through the Ghad Mountains, the only route that connects our country to Daidalos.¡±

    The cage of winter had deterred road travel in Spada and Daidalos alike.

    But geographically, it was likely that winter had hit Daidalos even harder than here. It was like the difference in snowfall between Japan¡¯s west, and pacific sides. The tall mountainous region of Ghad mostly blocked the wind and snowclouds.

    ¡°Despite now being a time when the snow would easily render the route impassable, the Crusaders have beenboriously opening up that highway for some time now.¡± Will exined.

    Sounded like a long process.

    Will further exined that they were using a variant species of dortus, those mammoth-like monsters, which had ice attribute extra magic, and worked them as snowplows. They also employed a number of cryomancers who could do the same and pyromancers who could use heat to melt the snow and ice. Even the Crusaders couldn¡¯t afford to let their soldiers freeze by trudging through the deep snow.

    One of Spada¡¯s top ss Summoners stationed in Ghad Fortress had been using a bird familiar, ¡®servants¡¯ as they¡¯re called, to perform recon and surveince over enemy activities. Will told me that the summoner had directly seen them removing the snow so there was no risk of false reports.

    ¡°So can¡¯t we go and crush their snow removers now?¡± I suggested.

    ¡°No,¡± Will denied, ¡°quite unfortunate, but we cannot. For two simple reasons.¡±

    The first was definitely because we would have to deal with the snow on the Spada side too.

    Even the Crusaders with their huge armies couldn¡¯t march their armies through snow that thick, so obviously Spada would have to do the same from the other end to march theirs. Thinking on it, it was simply bad strategy.

    ¡°The second of which has to do with foreign rtions.¡± Will said. ¡°Avalon and the other territories would not stand idly if Spada were to proactively invade Daidalosnd.¡±

    I knew that Spada was only one of the powerful city-states that ruled Pandora from back when I was a novice adventurer in Irz. And these different nations had maintained peace thus far only because they had tied alliances to one another.

    As it was well known that thete Dragon King Garvinal enterprised to conquer the whole of the continent, the city-states had had a naturalmon enemy to join arms against. In a state of intermittent war, it was easier to maintain peace.

    But Garnival had fallen, and this unknown enemy by the name of Crusaders now ruled over Daidalos. This had caused lots of headache among the allied city-states¡¯ leadership on how exactly they were to deal with their new foe to the west.

    ¡°In my opinion, they¡¯re only wasting time doing all these meetings when they should be dealing with the threat immediately.¡± I spoke frankly.

    ¡°But s,¡± Will dismayed, ¡°They feel not the looming danger as we do, and likely won¡¯t until arrows are fired.¡±

    Will went as far as to say that Avalon was too used to peacetime which was the main reason for the dyed response... anyway, there was no use ming the alliance at this point.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we just wait?¡± I questioned. ¡°Do nothing as they get closer every day?¡±

    ¡°Oh? But it might not be as bad as you think,¡± Will imed, ¡°They are, after all, heading straight towards our impregnable Ghad Fortress, where we will be ready and waiting.¡±

    In other words, the enemy would need to face Spada from behind their greatest line of defense. There was no reason not to make use of a fortress that would give Spada their biggest advantage.

    Meaning that protecting Ghad would be the best course of action Spada could take. The Crusader¡¯s couldn¡¯t reach the capital without first oveing the fortress boasted at impregnable. Well, they could, but that would involve taking a much longer route around the mountains, or sending in air units.

    ¡°That¡¯s, a good point...¡± I muttered, more convincing myself that I didn¡¯t need to rush, than agreeing with Will¡¯s point.

    This was, after all, not Alzas.

    ¡°So how long are they estimating the Crusaders will take getting there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Indeed, at this pace,¡± Will thought, ¡°it would surely take a month¡¯s time. They may hasten the process, but it¡¯d be impossible to reach Ghad in fewer than 2 weeks.¡±

    The Crusaders would beunching an invasion into a whole nation, so the forces they¡¯d deploy should be several timesrger than what they had sent to Alzas.

    This may be obvious to hear, but the more soldiers there are, the more time it takes to disce them. Moving armies numbering in the tens or hundred thousands would require immense time and resources. Even in our effort to evacuate the vigers from Alzas, we had to keep the Crusader¡¯s at bay for a whole week at the very least. And that was only around 10,000 soldiers, while the main armies would number much higher.

    In addition, the highway was frigid and piled in snow. The armies wouldn¡¯t have sick, elderly or children to take care of, but everything considered, there really was no way for them to make it there any earlier than 2 weeks.

    I could only pray there to be an avnche that killed them all... No, too much optimism is dangerous. I might as well expect the worst, for example, a new Apostle appears and happens to have the unworldly power to transport their whole army to the base of Ghad Fortress as quick as tomorrow.

    Uh, no, please tell me there isn¡¯t an Apostle like that, there isn¡¯t right...?

    ¡°I wanted to ask,¡± I said, ¡°once we gather our main forces over at the fortress, who¡¯s going to protect this ce (Spada)?¡±

    The Apostle might not be able to bring an entire army, but there was a big chance that they could teleport themselves, or even a small, elite group and invade the city itself.

    I based this assumption on the fact that we had had a simr experience before when the 11th Apostle, Misa, had somehow passed our defensive line and massacred the vigers. Now that I think about it, we still had no idea how she did that. There¡¯s always the chance that she used a teleportation skill.

    ¡°But of course we have minimal defenses set up for the city itself...¡± Will exined, ¡°In wartime, there are asions where the enemy sneaks into towns in few numbers. We have countermeasures set up to deal with a certain degree of such rabble, so you need not worry.¡±

    Oh, of course they¡¯d have measures in ce. Otherwise they¡¯d be helpless against information leaking via foreign spies or terrorist activities.

    I mean, it was a functioning country after all. They had to have put proper thought and measures for stuff like that.

    ¡°Again, you, Kurono, have no need to worry about matters concerning our foreign affairs. You need simply to focus your attention on the encroaching enemy.¡±

    Somehow, it felt like we¡¯de full circle, back to whether Spada could beat the Crusaders.

    No, even if our army was weaker, we had to win. What reason did I obtain all my strength, my divine protections, for if not to win?

    ¡°Got it, Will. So where do I fight?¡±

    ¡°You make haste, Kurono.¡± Will remonstrated me, but his lips had crept into a fearless grin.

    ¡°It is not yet time to set out for Ghad.¡± He continued, ¡°I need not tell you that you need to first make preparations, do I?¡±

    Right, of course. Not only did I need to prepare, but Lily and Fiona weren¡¯t back either. The three of us made Element Masters, and if I was alone, I¡¯d barely make a third of outbined potential.

    ¡°Very soon, Spada will switch over to war footing, and the adventurer¡¯s guild will be putting up an emergency quest to aid the war.¡± Will said, informing me of the country¡¯s ns.

    Which reminds me, all this time, there had been no public announcement about the fall of Daidalos and about its new Crusader rule.

    The main reason for this being the existence of the Crusaders themselves, a never before seen force that showed no sign of replying to their attempts at making contact. Basically, even if they tried to inform the public, there wasn¡¯t much to say.

    But now that an army was headed our way, the country had no choice but to consider them an enemy. Maybe, in the background, Spada had tried their best to maintain peace with them, but the other side had nowpelled us to fight.

    ¡°Emergency quest? Do you mean they¡¯ll force all the adventurers in Spada to join the war?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly, when emergency quests involve national war, forced participation is more lenient.¡±

    Basically, an adventurer could refuse if they paid the cancel fee, which is lowered in this case.

    An emergency quest is ordinarily not something one can refuse so easily. It¡¯s seen as something like a duty that every adventurer must perform, and so the cancetion fee is usually pretty steep.

    But then, wouldn¡¯t a national emergency like war cause the cancel fee to hit the roof? Not quite, as it turns out.

    ¡°Many adventurers hail from othernds after all.¡± Will exined ¡°And since they cannot be considered as belonging to our nation, we cannot exactly enforce conscripting them.¡±

    The country isn¡¯t so much concerned with the freedom of adventurers as the bacsh they¡¯d likely receive from their allied countries, so it¡¯d be a quest they wouldn¡¯t force too much. And the guild couldn¡¯t force adventurers toply from their end either.

    Though, there¡¯s still the possibility of them getting conscripted anyway if they¡¯re Spada born.

    ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t nning to refuse in the first ce.¡±

    It was actually a relief to hear that we could participate in the war just by taking on a quest. It¡¯d be like just another monster hunting quest, except this time, we¡¯ll be crushing the slimy devils that only looked human from the outside.

    ¡°Indeed. And to incorporate those adventures that do join the effort, our army will form a new regiment to amodate. It will be the 4th Spadan Regiment, diator.¡±

    Apparently, it¡¯s named diator as an homage to the fierce warriors who had fought in the founding of Spada.

    And as a cultural heritage, even today there exist professional diators who are technically adventurers, but work as a mercenary corps that help defend the nation much like knights.

    ¡°Kurono, you will also be a member of diator, on paper that is.¡±

    ¡°... what do you mean ¡®on paper¡¯?¡±

    ¡°In practical terms, you Element Masters will have freedom to move as you wish in the battlefield, something like a small raid force. I shall request my father Leonhart for this, nay, I promise to you that I will convince him!¡± Will proimed, tightly gripping his fist.

    This sort of stuff... yeah, it¡¯s a little too awkward to honestly appreciate.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, receiving special treatment like that...¡± I said doubtfully, ¡°is that really alright from the army¡¯s standpoint?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry? It isn¡¯t as if we¡¯re giving you the authority of a knight. It simply means that you can wreak as much havoc as you desire without having to fall in line.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. It¡¯d be annoying if we were to fall under some hard headed boss who made us go along with his orders.

    But then again, going too independent might bring danger to the army as a whole. I mean, Will even has personal experience on that.

    ¡°That being said, most of diator will be split into small raid squads regardless.¡± Will said. ¡°They are adventurers, so it¡¯s foolish to expect the discipline of knights.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re defending the fortress, right? We can¡¯t just open the gates and rush out, can we?¡±

    ¡°That no, but there is no rule against going after the enemies that climb up our walls.¡±

    Okay, you can stop looking at me all starry eyed as if to say I¡¯ll definitely run off like that. I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m the type that focuses on defense more than offense. It¡¯s what I did back in Alzas, ckened the guild house and mostly stayed put inside.

    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s certainly not just you. Other rank 5 parties would also receive this privilege.¡±

    Probably because you tend to get some crazy strong folks among rank 5 adventurers. It¡¯s not a good idea to expect those types to fall in line, but rather, leave them to do their own thing and they¡¯d kill lots of enemies all the same.

    ¡°Hold on. You do realize that I¡¯m not so insane as to ignore our side of the army when we¡¯re fighting a war together, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not? And here I believed you were a berserker.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely sane, alright!? Also, please get it in your head already, I¡¯m a ck mage!¡±

    ¡°Eh? You are? Did you not dere yourself the Nightmare Berserker, the mad ravager of darkness?¡±

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t! You did, Will! You¡¯re the one who keeps calling me that!!¡±

    Oho, really now~? Will went, looking honestly confused. I¡¯d like to give him a good smack on the face.

    Although, I¡¯ve heard that back in Iskia, Nell of all people had pped him so hard that his monocle cracked and flew off, so in light of that harsh misfortune, I forgave him this time.

    ¡°To repeat my point, you need not show any reserve. All of Spada knows just how strong you Element Masters are and so ept this as a right you rank 5 adventurers have earned.¡±

    If Will says so then I didn¡¯t need to worry about it. In that case it isn¡¯t awkward anymore but simply something to appreciate.

    ¡°In other words, we need to get our things in order and make preparations until they call us to enter the regiment.¡±

    Ah, it¡¯s great that we¡¯re actually getting time to get ready this time around.

    In all honesty, I wish I had enough time to finish receiving the rest of my divine protections, but the Crusaders weren¡¯t going to make it that convenient. That, I¡¯ve known for a long time.

    I now had 4 out of the 7, more than half. Here¡¯s to hoping it¡¯s enough.

    ¡°Aside from that, Kurono, I happen to hear on the grape vine that you¡¯ve prepared something truly outrageous in anticipation for this war¨D¨D¡±

    Neither Lily nor Fiona were the type to leak information of our secret weapon, formation Anticross. Which left... Simon, I guess.

    Oh well, there¡¯s no harm letting Will know too. In fact, I should take this opportunity to properly exin it to him.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± I said. ¡°This is something we developed to beat the Apostles, no, to beat a certain 7th Apostle, Sariel.¡±

    This is something we came up with close to 2 months ago.

    We had returned from Iskia, received the royal decoration and attained rank 5 status. Soon after, Fiona picked out a lich subjugation quest to use for practicing our divine protections, and the day after, on the 10th of Blue Moon¨D¨D

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400: Anti-Sariel Battle n

    On the night of the 10th of Blue Moon, when we, Element Masters, had finally hammered out the details of Formation Anticross.

    ¡°Hey Kurono,¡± Lily began. It was right after dinner and the three of us were rxing at the lounge. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to run by you.¡±

    She was currently in our academy uniform, with an appearance no different from a cute 1st grader, but her mind had switched to adult mode, and her expression made it clear that she was about to discuss something very serious.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah, hold on please¨D¨D nom nom,¡± Fiona, who had been endlessly emptying tes of dessert, hurriedly finished up thest of her apple pie. Even she wasn¡¯t so easygoing as to continue munching away during this sort of important discussion. ¡°... Ng, all done, go ahead.¡±

    The action itself may sound considerate, but with her cheeks stuffed like a fluffy hamster¡¯s, it really looked like she was fooling around.

    Oh well, with Fiona now ready to listen, (Simon was on a quest with Sofi, the mysterious female adventurer) the small dorm house consisted of only party members and we could thus discuss our matters without reserve.

    So without further ado, Lily dropped it on us¨D¨D ¡°I¡¯ve figured out how we can beat Sariel.¡±

    ¡°You whaaaat!?¡± I yelled. Talk about overreaction. Was that really necessary?

    ¡°This is still only insurance in the case that Anticross fails to kill her. Think of it as our n B.¡± Lily continued, quickly bringing my tension down. It¡¯d be a lie to say I wasn¡¯t expecting something huge. Still, it was better to have a n B than not.

    ¡°If you¡¯re saying we need one to kill that monster,¡± I said, referring to the white apostle, ¡°I¡¯m down for any number of ns.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, thanks Kurono,¡± Lily smiled with a faint satisfaction, ¡°I really appreciate that part about you.¡±

    She returned to the exnation, ¡°First off, I should mention that this n will only work on Sariel. In other words, it does not apply to any of the other apostles.¡±

    By which, was she saying she found a weakness exclusive to Sariel?

    I¡¯d faced her twice so far, and I hadn¡¯t seen anything even resembling a weakness. Honestly, it even felt like we¡¯d have an easier time beating Ai, the 8th apostle, or Misa, the 12th.

    Those two, now that I think back on it, seemed unusually casual. They had given off neither the rigidness of knights nor the battle hardiness of warriors.

    Yet, they were powerful all the same. Ai¡¯s mystery Lux Sagitta, enchanted with Ai-ther (whatever that is) had easily defeated both me and Lily, and Misa had single handedly murdered close to 10,000 vigers who were guarded by Vulcan and many strong adventurers.

    But that only meant that faced with an enemy of equal power, they wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain their nonchnt cool. Meaning, they could be psychologically cornered.

    Sariel on the other hand, stayedpletely emotionless, giving her the advantage of utilizing 100% of her battle potential no matter how strong the enemy.

    So what could this exclusive weakness even be? Rather than asking that, I simply listened to Lily continue. She¡¯d get to it eventually.

    ¡°Now, the basic premise of this n is simple¨D¨D¡± Lily paused.

    I gulped audibly due to the tense atmosphere. Fiona though, she looked sleepy like always. As if this particr reveal had been spoiled to her already...

    ¡°¨D¨D We need to break Sariel¡¯s Mind Protect.¡±

    In other words, what...? I was sort of confused, but then I remembered something, ¡°... Which reminds me, Lily, didn¡¯t you say you tried to attack with your Telepathy when the two of us fought her?¡±

    It was when I had the misfortune of having to meet Sariel for a 2nd time, resulting in the battle on top of Daidalos¡¯ city walls.

    I had recklessly attempted to beat her using the Basilisk¡¯s Needlebone that I had hidden away, but she was quickly able to ovee even that. I can still vividly remember that fight.

    Then, after she knocked me unconscious, Lily had to use her trump card, Life Drain, to transform into her true form only to carry me and escape.

    ¡°I did. Back then, I thought that her mind was only protected by a simple barrier spell.¡±

    Or right, when I heard that Lily had even attempted hacking into that emotionless apostle, I distinctly remember not feeling creeped out in the least. In fact, I only thought that Lily was even more amazing to pull off a Telepathy attack in the middle of all that chaos.

    And now, Lily was saying that she had uncovered the mystery behind that powerful Mind Protect.

    ¡°That there wasn¡¯t your ordinary countermeasure against mind reading magic like Telepathy, or anything else in the Illusion school. It was definitely a seal put on her memories.¡±

    Stuff like sealed memories might sound like something out of a chuunibyou¡¯s notebook¨D¨D and I¡¯d be thinking that too, ordinarily. But, subconsciously, instinctively, just hearing about it gave me intense shivers along with hair-raising goosebumps. My whole body reacted with an absolute aversion to the very concept.

    ¡°A memory, seal... no...¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know it¡¯s a sensitive subject for you, Kurono.¡± Lily revealed. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t mention it... until now that is. But there¡¯s no choice anymore, it won¡¯t be long until the Crusaders attack.¡±

    She made the right choice telling me. I knew that.

    But yet, there was still this violent turbulence in the depth of my heart, and I waspletely powerless to stop it.

    ¡°By memory seal, I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s the same thing that you were made to go through by the White Sacrament.¡±

    Memories of my family, dumb conversations with friends, awkward, self-conscious moments alone with that girl I liked. My days of peace were slowly, surely, being sent to a ce where I could never reach them. I could still vaguely remember myself going down that path.

    And if back then, by some coincidence, ident, or whatever, if I hadn¡¯t woken up from it, what would I¨D¨D

    ¡°Kurono, everything alright?¡± Lily asked, concerned.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry... I¡¯m fine.¡±

    It was a painful, traumatic experience, but I wasn¡¯t about to give in to that now.

    If gouging into my trauma is the only way to beat that apostle, then bring it on, I can take it in full stride.

    ¡°Right, makes sense...¡± I said again after a moment, ¡°so her memories weren¡¯t erased, but only sealed.¡±

    ¡°White Sacrament, in other words, the people who experimented on you have one goal.¡± Lily continued. ¡°That is, to make a fully autonomous doll. And one step in making such a puppet that intelligently moved to their will was to seal away the parts they didn¡¯t need. Their memories.¡±

    The evil bastards were treating memories like a removable piece.

    ¡°Then again, it¡¯s thanks to that very fact that our Kurono-san still maintains his memories today.¡± Fionamented.

    ¡°That¡¯d be the silver lining...¡± I began, and then realized, ¡°wait, Fiona, you knew?¡±

    Fiona¡¯s mouth pped open and closed without words and I could almost hear her going ah, crap.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not ming you. In fact, I should thank you for being considerate for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no... it was nothing, really...¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being nervous or shy, but it was cute.

    ¡°That, aside.¡± Lily, rather forcefully, brought us back on topic. She looked positively miffed; wonder why? ¡°The fact of the matter is that Sariel¡¯s memories are still sealed somewhere in that head of hers!¡±

    ¡°Huh, doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s like me, summoned from another world?¡±

    That¡¯d be one hell of a shocking revtion. But the idea was immediately, and unanimously denied by every member of the council making the decisions in my head.

    I know for a fact that no Japanese girl looks like her. Sariel had the features of a French bisque doll, the difference is literally ringpared to Shirasaki-san, the ideal (and my ideal) Japanese beauty.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say if she hasn¡¯t undergone simr experiments, but she isn¡¯t from a foreign world.¡± Right, of course she isn¡¯t, and Lily denied it instantly too. Still, she¡¯s went through the same experiments as me...

    ¡°Back in the Republic,¡± Fiona added, ¡°there¡¯d been rumors how the 7th Apostle is an artificial Apostle created by a top-secret organization within the church.¡±

    ¡°Now that... I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I thought of it as mere rumor too, of course. After all, gossip and hearsay concerning Apostles rivaled the number of stars in the sky.¡±

    And under the premise of Lily¡¯s conclusions, one could say that that particr rumor had some inkling of truth to it.

    ¡°And the rumors about her didn¡¯t end there.¡± Fiona recounted stories from her homnd. ¡°Some said she was a being from a foreign realm like yourself. While others argued she could be a ve, or even a pagan devout captured from one of the colonies. The most likely case was that she was one of Sinir¡¯s many orphans, without home or family, but it seems that too isn¡¯t quite correct.¡±

    Then what? Just what could Sariel possibly be? The question was on my tongue as Lily put forth the answer: ¡°She¡¯s a homunculus.¡±

    ¡°You mean, like the ones found in ancient ruins...?¡±

    Artificial lifeforms, imitation humans manufactured through the use of ancient over-technology.

    Then again, this world had beastkin and vampires, and even talking goblins and golems. At this point, even if I don¡¯t see it, I can ept most things simply being a thing here just by thinking that¡¯s how it is.

    ¡°No wait, Lily, weren¡¯t those Servants of yours also homunculi?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are indeed¨D¨D¡± Lily¡¯s small hand made a quick circle in the air, and instantly, a brilliant magic circle appeared inside the lounge, ¡°Come out, Eins, Zwei.¡±

    Lily¡¯s so-called Servants, the ones that carried in therge bed some days ago, came out of the gleaming doorway. The tall, wide-shouldered figures had the same appearance I remembered, ck overcoat and iron masks with smiley faces drawn on.

    ¡°Reveal your faces to your Lord.¡± receiving their master¡¯s order which they took as absolute and without question, the two servants each immediately raised a ck, leather gloved hand and proceeded to take off their iron masks.

    And under there, the sight that awaited me was¨D¨D

    ¡°Huh? They¡¯re exactly the same.¡±

    They had chiseled, male faces of the Western variety. But however realistic they looked, they gave me the same impression as dressed up mannequins inside clothing stores.

    Their white faces and red eyes,pletely devoid of emotion, reminded me only of Sariel. Due to their coats, whose hoods they wore low over their eyes, I couldn¡¯t see the top of their heads, but from the few strands of hair I could glimpse at peeking from the front of their ears, I could ascertain that that too was the same white as the 7th Apostle¡¯s.

    Two of these faces stood before us like twins, no, they could very well be mass produced.

    ¡°Apparently, most homunculi that are dug up from ruins tend to share these albino features, bleached skin and hair, and red eyes.¡± Lily exined. I seemed to remember hearing something simr at the academy too. ¡°I believe Fiona told you about them before. I have nine of these Living Dead under my control. All of them share the same form, that is to say, they¡¯re all homunculi.¡±

    Makes sense. I could sense life force from these Servants not only because they were homunculi, but also because they¡¯d been processed through Lily¡¯s Original brand of necromancy.

    Theory aside, actually looking at twoplete simr and equally emotionless faces lined up like this... yeah, it gave me the creeps.

    ¡°I¡¯m honestly still surprised you managed to get your hands on these things.¡±

    ¡°Same here, I could only say I was lucky.¡± Like, suuuper lucky, Lily¡¯s smile seemed to imply.

    Who knows, maybe she dove into an ancient ruins dungeon during her training trip in Avalon. She was still keeping it a secret though, so I decided not to pry; not that she¡¯d tell me anything.

    ¡°Oh, I get it now. With your own homunculi to research on, you were able to figure out what Sariel must be.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    To put it all together, White Sacrament had used a girl homunculus as a base to raise it into their 7th Apostle. Having seeded in that, they made Sariel, her memories sealed away, act as a proxy for their God.

    ¡°Kurono-san, do you pity Sariel?¡± Fiona asked sheepishly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone through simr stuff after all, can¡¯t say I don¡¯t¨D¨D¡±

    If everything we said here turns out to be true, then Sariel is just another victim, made to be strung along by those viins. I couldn¡¯t say if she was exactly like me, did a homunculus have family, friends? Did she have a life before it all? I didn¡¯t know. But I did know that the trials and experiments she must¡¯ve went through were cruel and merciless.

    I had managed to escape, but Sariel had been made toplete those mad experiments to the very end. She¡¯d likely gone through experiments so vicious, I couldn¡¯t begin to imagine.

    ¡°¨D¨D Still, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I recalled what I did. Of course, I¡¯d never forgotten, but had subconsciously kept those thoughts away, closed my eyes from them. ¡°I¡¯ve killed others like me before. I was made to in the experiments. Even when thepleted ones, the Hundred Numbers, appeared on the road to Ghad, I never once hesitated.¡±

    Lily said, ¡°You had no choice, Kurono. Killing them was the right thing to do.¡± to which Fiona followed, ¡°She¡¯s right. They were all beyond saving.¡±

    They weren¡¯t just saying it to be nice, they were trying to convince me that it was the truth.

    And why wouldn¡¯t it be? They were in fact beyond saving. I had to kill them, or they¡¯d kill me. What reason did I have to regret it? ¨D¨D I had to keep thinking like that, or else, I might as well break down.

    ¡°I killed them. I didn¡¯t want to, but I did. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can carry that weight, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll swear to save them next time. If ites to it...¡± I firmed my resolve ¡°I¡¯ll kill as many as it takes.¡±

    Hope and ideals don¡¯t save anyone.

    Everything has an order of priority, even lives. I had to drive it into my head that to save the ones I truly care about, I might just need to sacrifice everything else.

    ¡°Sariel is the Commander-in-Chief of the Crusader army. Without her dead, the battle can¡¯t end. So I won¡¯t show mercy, no matter how much she¡¯s suffered. I¡¯ll kill her, by any means, by my own hands.¡±

    ¡°And to do that,¡± Lily stared to me gravely, ¡°are you really willing to do anything, no matter how cowardly?¡±

    ¡°I am. Lily, I think I understand what your n is now.¡±

    Break the seal on Sariel¡¯s memories.

    Reawaken the days filled with nothing but pain and cruelty, gouge into the trauma that is the White Sacrament¡¯s many trials that led to her creation. It was a merciless n, inhumane I could say.

    ¡°It¡¯s unknown what sort of memories she has in there, but I¡¯m sure that if we can break a lock that tight, she¡¯s bound to lose her sanity right there, if only for a moment.¡± Lily surmised.

    ¡°And that moment, will be our chance to finish her.¡± Fiona followed in closing.

    It wasn¡¯t aplicated n, despite everything.

    But we of all people were painfully aware how difficult it was to find that one moment of weakness for an Apostle. This was doubly so for someone as mechanically calm and collected as Sariel.

    Which brings us to the all-important question: ¡°So, how exactly are we going to break that Mind Protect anyway?¡±

    ¡°That,¡± Lily eximed, ¡°that was the hardest thing to figure out. I¡¯ve told you how my Telepathy isn¡¯t strong enough, right? That means we need another way.¡±

    ¡°Another way...¡± I thought on that. Ultimately, nothing came up, ¡°any ideas on that?¡±

    ¡°We use a magic item,¡± of course, Fiona said as if it was obvious, and to pass along the conversation, she chided, ¡°And I¡¯m sure our intelligent Lily-san knows exactly the thing we need?¡±

    ¡°What we need, is a magic item that can affect the mind, a very powerful one. Now, one can¡¯t find something so convenient just lying around...¡± Lily gave me a knowing look, ¡°but what if we had just the right material to make one?¡±

    A material that tampers with the mind. It could even be some part of a monster specialized in parasitising¨D¨D

    ¡°Sloth Gill!¡± I shouted in realization, earning a cute fairy smile and apuse from Lily.

    ¡°You should know very well how tenacious that parasite was.¡± Lily grinned. ¡°We make an item using it¡¯s body as material, and I have no doubt it will destroy the calm right out of Sariel.¡±

    For an instant, the thought struck me that maybe Mia-chan set the Sloth Gill as my third Trial for this very reason.

    Was he really pulling the strings, or was it just a coincidence? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°That, just might work.¡± I said, almost excitedly.

    ¡°Sure, but it won¡¯t be easy,¡± Fiona brought me back to reality, ¡°It¡¯ll work, but only if we can make use of it.¡±

    If the critical magic item gets destroyed in battle, or if Sariel simply dodges it, we¡¯d get nowhere fast.

    ¡°In other words, we need to make sure it hits.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and we¡¯ll have to count on formation Anticross to make that possible.¡±

    Still, having that extra trump card can make all the difference. Without it, we¡¯d have to rely on only Anticross to finish her off. Anticrosspletely depended on thebined use of our divine protections, and there¡¯s no telling how long that canst in the middle of battle.

    But with this n, we¡¯ll have the goal of weakening her until we can hit her with a super effective magic item.

    We would soon be taking on a Lich quest to field test formation Anticross. After that, we¡¯ll know exactly how powerful it is, and we¡¯ll also get an idea as to how long we can continuously use it.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Lily took over, ¡°I thought hard about what shape this mind breaking magic item needs to be, and the best one I can think of is, well, a bullet.¡±

    Telepathy, she exined, is a magic that operates on invisible waves of mana. These waves got weaker with distance and could also be shielded from with different means.

    This implies that the magic will have the greatest effect if the caster can touch the target directly.

    ¡°We don¡¯t necessarily need it to pierce her body, a simple touch will be more than enough.¡±

    So rather than make it inconspicuous like a needle, we can use make it a bullet and use the speed granted via my Bullet Arts.

    Genius, she was absolutely right.

    ¡°Although, I have some doubts whether you¡¯ll have enough stamina to make the shot right after Anticross ends, so...¡± said Lily, in her bountiful wisdom, ¡°I¡¯d like to have some insurance.¡±

    Perplexed, I repeated the word, ¡°... Insurance?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in other words¨D¨D we can rely on a specialist, someone who can make sure a bullet finds its mark. Any ideas?¡±

    And so, the n was set. Our anti-Sariel battle n.

    It required a number of things: all divine protections granted to Element Masters, a magic item in the shape of a bullet, and a master sniper to make it all work.

    As for the person himself... well, I¡¯ll just have to beg him with all my might until he epts.

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401: An Invitation for a Date

    The 5th of Gloom. It was the day that Spada announced to its people that their neighbor, Daidalos, have been conquered by those known as the Crusaders, that these new enemies have begun advancing towards Spada, and that the country is to promptly ready itself for theing war.

    Of course the public was confused. Who are these Crusaders? What happened to Dragon King Garvinal? Such questions were on everyone¡¯s minds. But that didn¡¯t dy their preparations. Spada, the long standing shield of the city-states of Pandora, was all but used to war by now.

    Be it Daidalos or this new army of Crusaders, Spada as a whole rallied itself on the sole intent of giving no leeway to any invading army. No enemy shall step one foot on Spada soil.

    This fiery rapture was reflected perfectly within the guild building located inside the noble echelon of the Capital.

    For it was on this day that an emergency quest had been issued.

    ? Emergency Quest ?

    Join diator in the War for Spada

    ??? Reward: Temporary wages of a Knight. Bonuses granted, based on exploits.

    ??? Duration: Unfixed

    ??? Client: 52nd Ruler of Spada. King Leonhart Tristan Spada

    ? Details: Gather, adventurers, brave and mighty. For glory, for victory, for Spada!

    The contents were the same as with the regr wars with Daidalos.

    The details were left sparse, but any adventurer knew the gravity of a quest offered by a king.

    In other words, once they agree to join and are made members of the diator regiment, only then will they receive the full details. Adventurers knew that this was the norm for emergency quests petitioned by the state, and so didn¡¯t question it.

    But the rush was indeed real.

    ¡°Yes! Next please!¡± Cried Erina, having finally been transferred to the main guild branch and cementing her position as a true elite receptionist, the elven woman was busy frantically processing her own endless line of adventure-seeking clients.

    But even this storm-like influx of work could be called meager. After all, she need only deal with adventurers of rank 4 and above. She imagined that at her previous post, at the academy branch, it must be total chaos.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for the emer¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be taking the emergency quest, yes!¡± She easily cut off the man, with her usual business smile, and unusually fast pace of work. ¡°I¡¯ll need your guild card, please!¡±

    What did it matter that the man before her had his face hidden behind an iron mask and looked unquestionably dubious with his all ck garb? She didn¡¯t have time for that, she had work to do. Normally, she¡¯d at least do a once or twice over on such a suspicious individual, but now she only cared if the card he gave her was forged or not. No? Then on to the next one.

    While fiddling with the specialized card reading ball, she confirmed the man¡¯s basic info. Rank 4, ss is Samurai, Name, Rud¨D¨D the rest she didn¡¯t care to put into memory.

    ¡°¨D¨D Alright, there you have it. For further details, please head to the meeting room on the 2nd floor. They¡¯re holding sessions every hour, please do attend. And that¡¯s it. Good luck, and fight the good fight!¡±

    Yes, next please¨D¨D she¡¯d settled into a flow. Bidding sayonara to the masked samurai, Erina was determined to blitz through all her clients.

    But the adventurer that stepped forth next all but derailed that perfect pace of hers.

    ¡°Hey there, Erina. I¡¯m back from Asbel.¡± Large, broad, and wearing the devil¡¯s ck coat. A face that could send chills all over Spada. But on the inside, he was a simple, kind young man. A man that Erina recognized. A man she always waited for. A man she was awfully fond of.

    ¡°Kurono-kun!!?¡± But how¨D¨D she quickly swallowed back the question that held not one ounce of importance. Kurono was a rank 5 adventurer, he had taken on the quest to subjugate the Lust Rose, and having aplished that, he had returned to the guild, that being the apt thing to do. Actually, with the new emergency quest out, any and every adventurer was bound to turn up, so he would too, obviously.

    ¡°We Element Masters will take the emergency quest.¡± Her ck-garbed beloved said rather coldly, with a tone sharper than his usual. He presented three guild cards, one for each member in his party.

    With his too serious demeanor, Erina could onlyply. She speedilypleted her task as a receptionist without any mistake. Processing took no time at all.

    ¡°There, all done, you have the quest.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Erina couldn¡¯t help but have her eyes be stolen by his dark smile. He, Kurono, seemed dashing as ever in her eyes.

    Captivated, she felt her heart, deep within her rather ample (for an elf) chest, beat more aggressively.

    ¡°Er, Erina, I know you¡¯re busy, but would you be willing to...¡±

    Wait, eh, is what I think is happening, really happening right now¨D¨D Erina had already began panicking to no end. His serious stare, his red and ck dichromatic eyes held her in ce. She could only stare back and nothing else.

    Was it finally her time? Her hopes were rising boundlessly.

    A brief silence. Kurono, for the smallest of moments, shut his eyes in consideration before reopening them to continue his words: ¡°... go on a date, with me.¡±

    ¡°Happy to oblige!¡± She saw the chance and jumped for it. Instantly leaving her seat, Erina grasped Kurono¡¯s hand with both of hers.

    And seeing him dumbfounded just as instantly, her mood sank in regret. She¡¯d messed up, she was so happy, she¡¯d messed up big time.

    ¡°Uh great, thanks.¡±

    Joy, utter bliss. The soft, warm smile on Kurono¡¯s chiseled visage made her rejoice in victory inside her heart. Glory to the ck Gods! Yes! Yes! Yesss!! She appeared an elf, but her heart was as excitable as a beastkin in breeding season.

    ¡°C-can we go, now?¡± In her bottomless tion, Elite Receptionist Erina had splendidly stuttered her words. And that would be the height of embarrassment for one such as her, if not for the fact that her fervor didn¡¯t even allow the courtesy.

    ¡°Yeah, I was thinking the sooner the better, but can you really go right now?¡±

    ¡°Sure I can! No problem here, I¡¯m all set!¡± She was out of control. Was she really any different from the many charmed male students who came to her to quests and always left beet red?

    ¡°G-got it... then I¡¯ll be right outside.¡±

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be right there, Kurono-kun! You have to wait, okay, Kurono-kun!¡±

    And now her manner of speaking had be childlike. But that didn¡¯t stop Erina from finishing her work with the force of a gale.

    The moment Kurono left her counter, Erina pinned up a sign that read : This counter is closed for the day, leaving the pitiful fellow next in line going ¡®Oh man, and just when it was finally my turn!¡¯ She dashed for the back room, heading directly for her boss.

    She barged into the guildmaster¡¯s office as if to almost break down the door and she proimed: ¡°Sir, I shall now head off to capture (rope in) the infamous Nightmare Berserker!¡±

    The aged guildmaster, for his part, answered the rude and excitable young receptionist, rather jovially: ¡°Splendid, fight the good fight now, Erina-kun!¡±

    The agreeable old man readily signed off on Erina¡¯s request for early leave, and as a bonus, he even handed her a dubious vial containing a potion of morjura extract.

    Lily and Fiona had reached Spada 3 days after Kurono¡¯s expedited arrival, that is to say, on the 4th of Gloom.

    They¡¯d been worried about Kurono, worried if he¡¯d do something reckless. But upon their return, they¡¯d found him steadily making preparations for the war; he weed them calmly. They figured that Prince Wilhart yed arge role in convincing him to not act rashly.

    And after Kurono finished rying the news, they too were convinced that the situation wasn¡¯t as dire as Crusader troops marching into Spada immediately or having done so already.

    Both girls felt relief at the fact that it wasn¡¯t like Alzas at least. They still had time.

    While the Crusaders kept busy thawing their path of approach, they would have time to sharpen their weapons, replenish their potions, they would have that time to do what needed to be done.

    Which was why Kurono was able to remain calm. It was also why Lily made a peculiar suggestion: ¡°¨D¨D Hey Kurono, this might be a good time to go greet your friends, we could be gone for a while.¡±

    Lily wasn¡¯t being snide, not in the least. Kurono didn¡¯t have many friends. For that matter, he also had very few acquaintances. But he did have some.

    He had in fact spent more than three months attending the Royal Academy. He was acquainted with his teachers and even a few people he got to know at the cafeteria and canteen. There were also those like Eddie and Sienna, a pair of trainee knights he¡¯d met while taking care of bandits.

    ¡°... I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Kurono made a vague, gloomy expression as he agreed.

    Both Alzas and Iskia had happened so suddenly, he never got to consider the little things. He had been ready to fight to the end in either case, and he was ready this time too.

    But this difference in the level of urgency, in knowing that it was, not immediately, but in a near future, that he¡¯d have to brave his deathly battles, even Kurono felt a bit sentimental. And Lily understood that. Looking at him, for once, not impatient, but in a mncholic calm, even without her telepathy, Lily could recognize how Kurono felt.

    Thus, she proposed that he go make the rounds to his friends andpanions, give his thanks and goodbyes before their departure, bring closure to the low rumbling emotions.

    Fiona, who begrudgingly kept quiet as Kurono talked to the elf receptionist, also understood that he needed this closure¨D¨D

    ¡°Er, Erina, I know you¡¯re busy, but would you be willing to... go on a date, with me.¡±

    Right up until he voiced those words.

    ¡°??? ? ?? ?? ?? ? ???? ? ????? ???? ????? ? ?? ?? ?? (Rise O Hammer of Scorch, char, rend, obliterate my foe) ¨D¨DIgnis Brea¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Stooop, right there, Fiona.¡± Lily barely managed to stop the enraged witch as she had abruptly began reciting a dangerous aria while simultaneously withdrawing Spitfire from her sub-space handbag with the skill of a veteran samurai.

    It helped that Fiona, who looked like a lovely youngss in her white, ultra-high ss one-piece dress (a gift from Kurono), and Lily, who also looked like a lovely little girl hugging saidss from the side, didn¡¯t at all seem like the type of people who had almost reduced a beautiful guild receptionist to ashes.

    ¡°Lily-san,¡± Fiona intoned dangerously, ¡°did you not hear what Kurono-san said just now?¡±

    Her hand still inside her sub-dimensional handbag, Fiona looked down at Lily with zed, golden eyes. It was the same face she disyed to a certain foolish brat in an Avalon city alleyway as she beat his face in with her staff.

    ¡°I did. What of it?¡± Lily replied simply.

    ¡°It means we must¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Fiona,¡± Lily, who was physically being looked down on, looked back at the witch mockingly, as if the woman had lost her marbles, ¡°How about you trust our Kurono a little bit more?¡±

    ¡°What... what, are you saying...¡±

    ¡°Fufu, forgive me.¡± Lily giggled, deciding that she had no more cause to hold Fiona back, she retreated a step back. ¡°I suppose that was a bit mean of me, with how I can use telepathy and all.¡±

    Gracefullynding a few small steps away, Lily¡¯s own one-piece dress, this one of ancient velvet, was set aflutter.

    ¡°Trust in him, Fiona.¡± Lily spoke with such a bold confidence that Fiona, who in contrast had blown her fuse, couldn¡¯t help but blink confoundedly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to fear about anything happening.¡±

    ¡°But, but he... Kurono-san, with another girl, he...¡± asked her on a date, Fiona refused to let those ursed words out of her lips.

    The small fairy regarded the panicking witch with eyes that belied kindness, perhaps even a hint of affection. Lily spoke the revtion Fiona very much needed: ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, you only need to secretly follow them.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I will do that.¡± Fiona epted the fairy¡¯s guidance that deemed stalking a couple on their date as the ideal course of action. She could keep an eye on them, and forcefully put an end to things if the situation was to turn sour. The meager but very real sense of control gave her peace of mind. This really was the ideal n, she thought.

    ¡°Just, don¡¯t do anything rash? I don¡¯t think that girl will try anything funny, and we¡¯ll only have more problems if you intervene for no good reason.¡± Lily gave her ast stern warning, before returning to her usual cheer, ¡°anyway, just trust him, alright? Stay quiet and let them do their thing. You do that, and I assure you, it¡¯ll be for the best.¡±

    A smile so sweet and lovely, anyone would be charmed at first sight. And yet, looking back at that same smile, Fiona felt a faint chill on her back as she thought: Yep, that¡¯s Lily-san for you. She¡¯s one hell of a woman to reckon with.

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402: Their First Date

    ¡°L-Lily-san, you better be sure about this...¡± I muttered to myself. It has been 30 minutes since Kurono-san started his date with the receptionist, and my heart was already tearing at the seams.

    ¡°Look at this one, Kurono-kun, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Mm, I think it¡¯s¨D¨D¡±

    Too close, you¡¯re face is too close, wench! Kurono-kun¡¯s eyesight is beyond perfect so he can see you just fine from where you¡¯re standing¨D¨D wai-, hey, stop right there, you sly receptionist! Do not press up against him as if you¡¯re not aware. I will end you. I have a wide range of spells that can, and will end you!

    ¡°Is it really? Is this really necessary...¡± I writhed, but with astounding mental fortitude, I managed to withhold from using Spitfire to blow everything to smithereens. Instead of brandishing the high capacity wand, I ate more desserts. I would sate my appetite to appease this angst.

    The Anpan I am having is a positively scrumptious roll cake with a creamy ck filling from the country of Rune. Enjoying this foreign delicacy with a ss of fresh milk is, it¡¯s s-so delicious... The distinctive sweetness of the anpan goes perfectly with the richness of the milk, like a perfectly flowing set ofbo attacks. Even my veteran rank 5 taste buds cheered in glee at having the chance to sample such a heavenly fusion of vor. Mouth watering.

    Having calmed my fury with food, I return to observing my targets.

    Those targets, Kurono-san and the receptionist, were currently shopping. A tasteless, gaudy essory store, a ce that only the most trite and superficial women would want to visit¨D¨D was next to the aged, ssy stationary and office supplies shop they were currently inside.

    As for myself, I was sitting at a sweets stall conveniently located on the other side street, where I followed their movements while enjoying anpans and other Runish desserts. A perfect position for a stakeoutplete with a steady supply of rations, if I do say so myself.

    ¡°2 more anpans, here.¡± I ordered from the old man running the stall.

    ¡°You can sure eat,ssy! That¡¯ll be 420 n. And here¡¯s another ss of milk, on the house!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I thank the Spadaman boldly running his stall even amidst the snowy mid-winter. Upon receiving my resupply of provisions, I again return my attention to the surveince mission.

    It may seem like I would be found out as I was not in the shadows but sitting in in sight, but rest assured, as my disguise is perfect. I am using the same items as I¡¯d done in Avalon when I went around collecting sacrif¨D¨D I mean, when I was doing my special training. In other words, I was using the spectacles and katyusha band to disguise the color of my eyes and hair respectively. I had even changed into my academy uniform, as you wouldmonly find students roaming around this area.

    Not only that, I even changed how I usually wore the uniform. My skirt, for example, was longer. I would usually decrease its length slightly by folding it at the waist to do a bit of sexy legs appeal towards Kurono-san. That being said, it¡¯s not like I saw much result from this piece of advice from thedy at the uniform exclusive tailor shop.

    Suffice it to say that as I appear now, an average Jane student behind thick, ck rimmed sses, and a conservative skirt, Kurono-san is very unlikely to recognize me. The tall, brown cape I have on to protect from the cold was also purchased at a random store along the way, making my appearance one that Kurono-san would have zero recollection of. Like I said, a perfect disguise.

    ¡°¨D¨D How about this one then? I think it¡¯s better.¡± Kurono-san suggested.

    ¡°Ugh, well, yes, it is better, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite within my price range...¡± Wryly smiled the receptionist.

    They were looking at fountain pens. Perhaps it¡¯s inefficient to be still using a quill at the main guild branch. A fountain pen, an item with which it¡¯s said that you canplete a thousand pages with a single ink cartridge, is certainly not something anymoner can afford. Not that mostmonfolk would need such a dedicated writing implement in the first ce.

    While fountain pens were not such luxury items that one needed to have them order made (they were readily avable at the shop), a novice receptionist, one who has only been on the job a couple of years, would definitely find her purse crying at the pricetag. The item that Kurono-san had just now rmended was a sleek ck pen with golden rimming made in an orthodox design. Its price: 80,000 n.

    My own pen, by the way, has a value of 530,000 n. I use it for my witchly needs such as drawing magic circles or writing up scrolls, so my pen needs to be a quality item that features several enchantments that aid in magic, and is therefore sold at a price fit for a first rate weapon. Though the only time I had a use for it recently was when I drew the circle on the Church of White Light walls so I could invoke a wide area inferno and offer the building in its entirety as sacrifice.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m buying it for you.¡± Kurono-san reassured her. ¡°Think of it as a present.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really!? You will!?¡± Eximed the receptionist. She then instantly regretted the distasteful disy of greed, following up with a, ¡°no, I can¡¯t possibly...¡± and other such excuses. How unsightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s an awful look on your face,ssy. What, you didn¡¯t like the taste?¡± inquired the worried dessert maker.

    ¡°... No, it¡¯s very good.¡± It appears that my darker emotions had surfaced on my face. But that is certainly not because I am jealous of another girl receiving a present from Kurono-san.

    I had even warned him about this on our first Element Masters Emergency Meeting. I had said that a girl might take advantage of his kindness, and that very thing was happening right before my eyes. This frustrated me to no end, that that animal (woman) was taking advantage of my Kurono-san like that.

    ¡°¨D¨D Thank you so much, Kurono-kun! I¡¯ll treasure it forever!¡± The receptionist shrieked.

    ¡°Maybe you can write with it too?¡± Kurono-san joked.

    ¡°Of course, that too!¡±

    Her words make me sick to my stomach. Thanks so much? You¡¯ll treasure it forever? Only the most base of wenches speak in such frivolous lines, and it looks like this receptionist is an example. Women like that take the tributes (presents) offered by men, and throw them in with the garbage once it has carried out its use..

    Surely this present from Kurono-san would also suffer a simr fate. And if that is so, I would rather it be destroyed now. Perhaps even tomorrow morning, when she uses it to sign the first form of the day, it will break¨D¨D but even I don¡¯t know a curse that can affect a fountain pen so precisely. So I can only pray, I pray to you my patron Goddess, the Dark Witch, Lady Endymion. I pray that her pen may break.

    ¡°¨D¨D Alright, how about we grab some lunch?¡±

    Oh? It appears that Kurono-san has already finished settling the bill and are now leaving the shop. I wouldn¡¯t want him to somehow recognize me even under my many disguises, so I quickly moved to a spot which would be a blind spot as they exit. I may not be able to see Kurono-san now, but I can still hear Kurono-san¡¯s charming voice and the receptionist¡¯s irritating squeals. The ability to draw in sounds using wind, otherwise known as interception magic, is a popr addition to the skillset of a solo adventurer even if they aren¡¯t a thief ss. One can never be too careful when going into a dungeon alone.

    ¡°There¡¯s actually a ce I¡¯ve been wanting to go for some time, can we go there?¡± The receptionist timidly asked Kurono-san.

    ¡°Sure, anywhere you like.¡±

    I mean, I also have a lot of restaurants I want to go to, so he¡¯ll go with me too right? Anywhere? Will he go with me to all the ces?

    ¡°Thank you. See, that ce is quite famous in Spada, but it¡¯s very awkward to go without a date.¡±

    ¡°Oh... I uh, guess Spada has ces like that too.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the receptionist mused, ¡°so you have cafes in your home country too, Kurono-kun? Wait, I thought you¡¯re from Daedalus?¡±

    ¡°Er, um, yeah...¡± Kurono-san deflected awkwardly.

    I wish this wench wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions. There¡¯s a limit to how inconsiderate you could be. But I somehow felt to superior to her while harboring scorn.

    The fact that Kurono-san lied, albeit awkwardly, about his origins means that he sees no reason to tell her.

    You don¡¯t know. Yet I do. Kurono-san told me. Kurono-san trusts me. Kurono-san sees me as apanion. Not you. Me.

    ¡°I¡¯m better than you.¡± Now this is a satisfying dark emotion.

    My eyes felt hot as I followed Kurono-san¡¯s back while mixing in with the crowd, not getting too close or too far. I need to calm down. If I stare too earnestly, he might notice, what with his extremely sharp instincts.

    Even if he¡¯s dense to my looks filled with love, he can easily tell if someone looks at him with malice or hate. It¡¯s only a guess, but he may be able to sense scious gazes as well.

    Ahh, I¡¯m so sorry, Kurono-san. I still can¡¯t forget my experiences in the Lust Rose¡¯s dream. Every time I see you, I feel...

    ¡°Woah. it¡¯s only couples here.¡± Kurono-san said with a hint of shock.

    ¡°I know right? You don¡¯t want toe here with just the girls either.¡±

    It appears that they¡¯ve arrived at the cafe the receptionist was begging to go to. At a nce it looked like any of the other posh eateries in the upper sector, but the specialty of this cafe lies in the unspoken rule that only people who¡¯ve entered rtionships can enter. Even while it¡¯s a snowy winter outside, inside this cafe, the customers were all in the middle of spring. The sweet, rose-colored air of blooming love drifted inside this space.

    The reason behind such a particr kind of poprityy with jynx that said that if lovers have their lunch at this cafe, then their love will be true and evesting. At least, that¡¯s what the people outside the ce have been whispering about.

    So miss receptionist is going for a fait apli, I see.

    And to be so shrewd as toe to a ce this obvious. She was clearly wearing her heart on her sleeve. Surely Kurono-san would be appalled by such indecency¨D¨D

    ¡°Uhm,¡± the receptionist hesitated, ¡°do you perhaps, not like ces like this?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, really. I said I¡¯d go anywhere with you, after all.¡±

    Lily-san, is he testing me? Is Kurono-san testing my love, my resolve?

    Is he telling me to watch him do this with her, and not rightfullysh out? ¨D¨D fine, I ept the challenge. I will emerge better, stronger than ever before.

    I have to think like that or I¡¯m liable to burn down anything and everything.

    Please let me not have to end this horrid date with Ainzbloom or Spitfire...

    It was already dusk.

    It¡¯s winter so daylight hours were shorter than usual, but even if that¡¯s the case, I felt like time was flying by. Basically, I want to say that my date with Erina was just that fun.

    ¡°And then, Dad goes like, ¡°If any of you want to court my daughter, you have to beat me in a duel first,¡± can you believe it! All the boys in my ss were so terrified¨D¨D¡± She¡¯s been telling me all sorts of stories today. The one right now is from when she was 15 years old, at the academy¡¯s graduation party.

    ¡°And I only heard this from a friendter on. Apparently, there were a lot of boys who wanted to confess to me that day, but every single one of them gave up on it.¡±

    Well, I can imagine the feeling. Erina¡¯s dad, an elite knight of Spada¡¯s first and strongest regiment, Braveheart, was telling fresh faced 15 year old boys to win a duel against him.

    ¡°That, uh,¡± I struggled to answer, ¡°sounds unfortunate?¡±

    ¡°No no, I didn¡¯t mind it actually. I mean, my dad is pretty strong, and he can get scary when he¡¯s angry, but if they were scared from just that, I wouldn¡¯t be interested in dating them anyway.¡±

    Erina¡¯s preferences in men seems to be greatly influenced by her father.

    Basically, I¡¯ve heard so much about her today that I¡¯vee to understand things like this. Erina was such a good talker that I ended up training my skill in listening quite a lot. I felt sort of guilty for not wanting to return the favor and tell her about myself too. Erina doesn¡¯t know where I¡¯m really from, about Japan.

    ¡°... Harsh.¡±

    ¡°Us Spadan girls have high standards.¡± She said with a hint of pride.

    That¡¯s Spada for you. Strength is everything. And Erina, who recognizes my strength, treats me well because of it.

    ... No. I shouldn¡¯t kid myself. Even I can notice these things once in a while¨D¨D

    ¡°Kurono-kun,¡± she spoke slowly, ¡°do you, remember this ce?¡±

    It was an avenue lined with not verdant trees but leafless branches that were piled up in snow. This somewhat lonely walkway had not a soul except for the two of us. I could make out one or two people in the distance, but nothing more.

    ¡°Yeah. I remember.¡±

    The ce looks nothing like how I remember it. That day, at the height of summer, in the month called Prominence, this avenue had vivid blue cherry blossom like flowers in full bloom on all its trees.

    But it was not the scenic beauty that I recall when Ie here, no, this is the ce where I reunited with a friend who had degenerated due to a curse. This is the ce where I witnessed a certain witch lose it for the first time since I¡¯d met her.

    This is the ce where Fiona and I fought and killed the serial killer who had be mad by the Evil Eater¡¯s curse.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d we could rescue you back there.¡±

    It was mere coincidence that the killer was looming this particr street when Erina just happened to be passing by. It was also mere coincidence that Fiona and I ended up being here at the same time.

    But what matters is that I was able to save her life. I could only give my thanks to the God watching over me, to have granted me that coincidence. Even if Mia-chan tells me he can¡¯t control fate, I¡¯d give my thanks regardless.

    ¡°Yeah. You know, Kurono-kun, even now I...¡± She paused for a breath and also stopped her legs. I also stopped and stood alongside her. ¡°I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m scared of this ce. I¡¯m scared whether something might leap out from the shadows and attack me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¨D¨D ¡± force yourself, I tried to say.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine now. I¡¯m not scared anymore. Because you¡¯re here with me.¡± Erina turned to me and smiled. Her smile was so dazzling, so beautiful, it made me appreciate the fact that Erina was an elf, a race well known for their beauty.

    Her sky blue eyes stared into my own, as if to say that her trust in me was absolute. I couldn¡¯t possibly be imagining it.

    ¡°... Oh.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She said.

    Silence followed.

    The sun was almost gone, and the sky had turned a vibrant red. I stood there, gazing at my white breath.

    I won¡¯t rush this. I will wait, wait for Erina to be ready to continue.

    ¡°... You know, it was the first time I felt like that, I felt it from the heart. I thought that, he was the one, that he would always protect me.¡±

    ¡°I... just did what I could.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t trying to be a hero. If I¡¯d been the me from Japan, before all this, I couldn¡¯t have saved her. I could only do it because I¡¯d be strong.

    ¡°It might not be anything big for you, but for me, that was...¡± Erina slightly averted her gaze, perhaps feeling embarrassed, ¡°truly the first time, that my heart beat so fast.¡±

    Not even a secondter, her eyes were back on me.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cliche, right? Having someone rescue you in the nick of time like that. But you know, every little girl sort of has that little hope...¡± Her smile turned into one of awkwardness, ¡°I guess I¡¯m no exception.¡±

    Maybe she thought I¡¯d think of her as childish for having a dream like that. Well I don¡¯t. I actually think that¡¯s very cute of her.

    ¡°I¡¯d dismissed it as impossible, fairytale events like that never happen in reality. But it did, right in front of my eyes... my own knight in shining armor had finally appeared.¡±

    I kind of wanted to ask how she could possibly see that from me who uses cursed weapons and is always covered in blood and gore, but I refrained from ruining the mood. Her eyes were too serious for me to be messing around.

    I had decided to listen to her without making any excuses. And once I did, I would reply honestly to her words, to her feelings.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, I¨D¨D¡±

 Chapter 403: First Confession

    Chapter 403: First Confession

    ¡°Kurono-kun, I love you. I adore you from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    A confession of love. This time, it¡¯s no dream or illusion. It¡¯s the reality happening here and now. It¡¯s the earnest feelings of one person toward another.

    ¡°Please be with me, and let me be with you.¡±

    The way her sparkling, sky blue eyes looked at me was indescribably beautiful. Her chestnut hair tied up in a chignon, her snow white skin, her tapered elven ears, everything about her felt breathtaking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want us to be adventurer and receptionist any longer. I want more, I want more of you, Kurono-kun! So please, go out with¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I was too weak to hear her out until the end.

    This is the first time I¡¯ve received such direct words of love from a girl. I¡¯m extremely happy, because why wouldn¡¯t I be?

    I wanted to say yes right now. I wanted to love this beautiful girl who had such deep feelings toward me, me of all people. I wanted to be with her forever. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to say all the above, but,

    ¡°I can¡¯t respond to your feelings... Erina.¡± I said firmly.

    ¡°... Eh? N-no... w-why?¡± It was incredibly difficult to look at Erina like this, with her eyes wide like it¡¯s the end of the world. But I can¡¯t back down from this now. I can¡¯t run away.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make you happy. And I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll make you sad.¡±

    ¡°No... you don¡¯t mean that! You can make me happy, I know you can!¡±

    Once I went and said it, it sounded an awful lot like an excuse. But I guess that¡¯s to be expected. I never told her anything about me, after all. I can¡¯t expect her to understand when she doesn¡¯t even know.

    ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll be gone to fight the war against the Crusaders.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people are! The knights, mercenaries, adventurers, so many people are going. I know you¡¯lle back, I¡¯ll wait for you!¡±

    ¡°Even if I...¡± I took a breath. ¡°Even if we win this war, my fight won¡¯t be over.¡±

    Lots of people are leaving their lovers to go fight in the war. And that¡¯s fine. They can fight with their all, and if theye back alive, they can settle down and make a family with their significant other.

    But, I can¡¯t do that.

    ¡°What, are you saying?¡± Erina hesitantly asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that, I have a personal grudge against them.¡±

    Spada is going to war because the other side are nning to invade. Once they finish this defensive war and drive off the enemy, what reason do they have to continue on to invading Daedalus? ording to Will, that course of action would actually be detrimental to Spada as it might incite the neighboring city-states to take action against them. Therefore, it¡¯s in Spada¡¯s best interest to avoid invading that country that¡¯s now under Cross rule.

    ¡°My fight won¡¯t end even if we win the war. Next, I will fight to free Daedalus.¡±

    I may be a powerful rank 5 adventurer, but I am still just one person. Even if I swear to free Daedalus some day, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much influence over the matter.

    Still, I have to continue fighting. I have to eliminate the Crusader scourge from Pandora. Otherwise, we can never achieve true peace.

    No, inside, in my heart of hearts, I even think that we need to venture into the Arc continent and destroy the Sinir Republic once and for all. Eliminate the corruption at the root, in other words.

    But I realize that that¡¯s too much. It¡¯s far detached from reality and stepping into delusion territory. I don¡¯t even have a n or anything, just an idea.

    And even barring that, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself here. We don¡¯t know what the oue of this war will be. I might die on the battlefield long before Sariel even appears.

    ¡°Why... am I, not good enough?¡± Erina said, angrily this time. ¡°You¡¯d choose to keep fighting forever over living happily in Spada, here with me!?¡±

    It sounded like she was using me of being a madman, a berserker.

    I n to keep fighting the Crusaders no matter what. The enemy is sorge that it can conquer nations and continents. I have no reason to believe I can definitely beat them, nor do I have any guarantee ofing out of it alive. They seem toe everywhere I go. Theypel me to fight so that I can protect the things I hold dear.

    I¡¯ve been doing everything I can to stand up against the warmongering crusaders. All my efforts until now have been to reach the strength of the Apostles who serve their despicable White God, the strongest of the Gods.

    I¡¯ve always thought that this is what I have to do. Fight, gain strength, or else, I can¡¯t protect everyone.

    But, yeah, I can kind of see it... this is clearly not the way of a mage like how I always im to be. This is the path of a warrior who can¡¯t stop fighting, this is the fate of a berserker.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will choose the path to keep fighting.¡± I unwaveringly epted Erina¡¯s usation. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always thought that whole Nightmare Berserker thing was dumb and didn¡¯t suit me. But here I am now.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re definitely not some battle maniac, Kurono-kun! Why do you keep saying that!?¡± Erina yelled. She¡¯s telling me that she knows that I¡¯m still an ordinary guy on the inside. She has a keen eye for judging the nature of others. It¡¯s why she¡¯s such an amazing receptionist.

    I don¡¯t feel uneasy about that, that she can see through me. On the contrary, I¡¯m d that she can understand me so well.

    And it¡¯s because she can, that¨D¨D

    ¡°I can¡¯t involve you in my battle, Erina.¡±

    She¡¯s still an ordinary civilian. But if I wanted it, she might be one no more. She might get swept up in the endless swamp of blood and bones that I wade through to reach my goals. I don¡¯t want that.

    Lily and Fiona, they¡¯re not her. But if I¡¯m being honest, I don¡¯t want them to... well, nevertheless, I can¡¯t help but rely on them.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll defend Spada. So you and everyone else can live in peace. I can only hope you find happiness in that peace, Erina.¡± With a strong man who will stay by your side, I left unsaid.

    ¡°H-how can I... I can¡¯t be happy... with anyone, other than you...¡± Erina finally broke down into tears. Yet, as if to show that she won¡¯t ept my rejection, she came to my chest and embraced me.

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry, Erina.¡± Apologizing is the only thing I¡¯m good for now. I had nothing to say that could console her, nothing to make her not cry.

    Yet, I didn¡¯t push her away either. She was hugging me and I let it happen... I am painfully aware how bad that makes me.

    I know what to do, so I should just do it. I can¡¯t keep being with her, like this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this.¡±

    ¡°N-no! No!¡± I moved away from her even as she begged with a trembling voice. Her face was smeared in tears but still looked beautiful. Like it was tempting me to embrace her right here and now.

    ¡°Please, Kurono-kun! Just, just for now, please make me your¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t make me... regret this, any more than I do.¡±

    Erina is, a friend. A receptionist from the adventurer¡¯s guild who I get along with.

    Please Erina, you don¡¯t have to make this anything more than that. If you make me have even more regrets than I already do, if any more guilt piles up, I... I might get scared of dying.

    ¡°Goodbye, Erina.¡± I left the crying girl. Knowing that it might be ourst, I bid her farewell. Not once stopping or turning back. Because if I did, I¡¯d surely go back to her¨D¨D

    ¡°This is fine... this is, for the best.¡± As I muttered that to myself, I finally realized that I also had a tear streaking down my cheek.

    ¡°¨D¨D Ahh, so this is what you meant... didn¡¯t you, Lily-san?¡± The corners of my lips had risen into a grin before I realized. I¡¯m sure that the only expression on my face at this moment, is an ugly, warped smile.

    ¡°Fufu, fufufu...¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I, of course, never doubted Kurono-san, nope, not even once.¡±

    Kurono-san had, after all, rejected the receptionist¨D¨D he had rejected Erina.

    She¡¯d spent all day with him, epting his gifts,ughing with him, seducing him, but then, just like that, everything was gone. She was rejected by Kurono-san.

    She wasn¡¯t chosen. She was refused.

    ¡°I¡¯dmit suicide if that was me.¡± my voice sounded so cold it surprised me.

    I felt a scornful, ck and ugly emotion boiling up inside me. I know, I know it¡¯s not right to be so viinous¨D¨D but I can¡¯t stop, it won¡¯t stop. This deep, deep, cathartic sense of delight.

    ¡°After all, the one who deserves Kurono-san more than anyone else is¨D¨D¡±

    Erina likely still doesn¡¯t understand why Kurono-san rejected her. But I don¡¯t me her for that. She can¡¯t help it. She¡¯s a girl who¡¯s lived all her life in peaceful Spada. She doesn¡¯t know Kurono-san¡¯s hardships. She couldn¡¯t even imagine the sheer pain he¡¯s undergone. Even adventurer¡¯s who¡¯ve only fought weak monsters wouldn¡¯t understand.

    Only those who have experienced his hardships alongside him can truly understand his pain.

    ¡°¨D¨D Me, of course. I will be the one he chooses. I will be the one he loves.¡±

    Ahh, I was being such an idiot today. How could I honestly believe that a mere receptionist could rival my love?

    After all, I know who it is I must defeat to truly im him as my own... no, let¡¯s leave that aside for now.

    Right now, I should bask in the tremendous joy of being in a position where Kurono-san can choose me. I should inebriate myself in that dark bliss.

    ¡°I suppose I should be returning now... fufu, maybe I can find Kurono-san and walk home with him~¡± Was I perhaps already drunk off the emotion?

    I came out of my hiding spot behind one of the trees and began walking toward the avenue where Erina stood crying. I wasing from behind her and close enough to see that her shoulders were trembling in anguish. I could also make out Kurono-san in the distance, no bigger than a speck.

    I was being enticed to catch up to him like a moth to a me. My head felt fluffy, and my feet felt light as air on the snow covered stone path.

    Which reminds me, I¡¯m still in disguise. If I call out to him like this, he might not realize it¡¯s me. I took off my sses and headband, and stored them inside my subspace purse. The false coloring of my eyes and hair gone, I was just about to pass by thementing loser of love when,

    ¡°¨D¨D Wh-!? Wait, you there!¡± She called in a piercing, provocative shriek. ¡°I said, wait! You¡¯re Fiona, right? Fiona the Witch!¡±

    ¡°... Yes,¡± I stopped and turned around, ¡°yes I am. Do you need something?¡±

    Her sky blue eyes were clouded in rage. So she knows my face and name. She is our usual receptionist after all. In other words, she knows that I¡¯m a part of Element Masters.

    ¡°Why... are you here...¡± She said, initially confused, but then came to a realization, ¡°you, heard everything...¡±

    Is this woman daft? What does it matter that I happen to be here or happen to have heard them or not. Her earlier failure waspletely independent of me.

    After all, I trusted that Kurono-san would make the right choice, and with the tolerance of the Cross Bible¡¯s Virgin Aria herself, I watched on without interfering in the slightest. She can neither thank me not me me, for I was not involved.

    ¡°Answer me... you, you deceived me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Deceived you? How so?¡±

    ¡°You knew how I felt! And you watched on as I was rejected, and you¡¯re here tough at me, aren¡¯t you!? You and Kurono-kun both!¡±

    I instantly pulled out Spitfire¨D¨D or at least nned to, but I thought better of it. Her words just now were clearly meant to rattle me, but if I think about why she¡¯s saying such things, I don¡¯t feel so angry.

    ¡°So you¡¯re implying that Kurono-san, knowing how you felt, strung you along anyway before crushing your heart? And you¡¯re also thinking that I was a part of his n, and have beenughing at your utter foolishness all along?¡±

    Do you think this is some teenage romance at your academy?

    ¡°I-isn¡¯t that exactly what happened... why else would you be here. This can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. Today, for the entire day, I¡¯ve been following your little date with Kurono-san. It¡¯s no coincidence that I¡¯m here right now.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! You, you two trampled on my feelings... my earnest, heartfelt... he was supposed to be the one...¡± Erina, the ugly thing, ground her teeth in frustration as she wept. If only her admirers, the students and adventurers who still sought her favor, could see her right now. Could they still love her after seeing this?

    And I bet she doesn¡¯t even realize that it¡¯s not just her face that¡¯s so ugly right now, it¡¯s her heart.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Kurono-kun did that?¡±

    This wench had just said ¡±You and Kurono-kun both,¡± implying that she actually thought Kurono-san was the type of person who¡¯d do something so base.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s... that supposed to mean. Of course he did!¡±

    ¡°I see. Some love you have. You make me sick.¡± I spat.

    Erina had the gall to doubt Kurono-san. She doesn¡¯t trust him. She doesn¡¯t believe in him.

    ¡°Just admit it, you don¡¯t actually love Kurono-san, you just wanted to be loved.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! What do you know about my feelings!?¡±

    ¡°You want Kurono-san to protect you, to be with you, to give you all of his love. But what about you? What can you give him?¡±

    ¡°I-isn¡¯t that... obvious? I¡¯d do the same for him, I¡¯d give him all my love, my everything!¡±

    Your everything, eh? Did this fool honestly believe that merely offering her everything would earn her the right to be loved by Kurono-san?

    ¡°You know what, how about I tell how exactly why Kurono-kun rejected you?¡±

    ¡°What, are you going to say it¡¯s because I¡¯m not charming enough? Don¡¯t mock me! I know fully well¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re useless.¡± I cut off her hysterics.

    ¡°... Use, less... what are you...?¡±

    ¡°Do you not remember what Kurono-san said?¡± I challenged, ¡°He said, he¡¯s going to keep fighting the Crusaders¨D¨D¡±

    The reason why Kurono-san indulged her today is clearly because, whilst knowing her feelings, Kurono-san wanted to let her down gently, and out of good faith. He could¡¯ve forgone the date and made up any number of excuses. For example, he could say he was already in a rtionship with me, or that we¡¯re already married or... so many excuses, really. Kurono-san please.

    Anyway, in the end, Kurono-san told her his motives. That he aims to beat the Crusaders, defeat the Apostles who boast nigh infinite power from their White God. And for that, he needs power.

    What he obviously doesn¡¯t need is a woman¡¯s passion. It¡¯s no use to him where he¡¯s going.

    ¡°Will you be any use to him in his battles? Will he be able to kill more of his enemies with your help? Can you even so much as offer Kurono-san your mana, the power, he needs to stand up again?¡±

    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s...¡± she hesitated to answer, ¡°of course I can¡¯t... I¡¯m a...¡±

    Just a receptionist? Yes, I know.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be enough even if you were an adventurer. Your ordinary adventurer isn¡¯t nearly strong enough to fight beside Kurono-san.¡±

    You¡¯d have to be at least on the level of us Element Masters to earn a spot in our party. You of all people should know how dangerous it is to be in a party above your rank.

    ¡°And if you can¡¯t aid him with your strength, do you have any other merit that might ease his burden?¡±

    Gold being the best example. If she was of high nobility or a prominent merchant, she could have aided in Kurono-san¡¯s efforts by providing war funds.

    The next best thing would be technique and/or technology. Simon-san, for example, has the brains to develop new and powerful weapons for him, while Regin-san is a cksmith that can work with cursed weapons.

    Erina, the receptionist, can do exactly none of those.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean by useless. You¡¯re useless. You can only wait and pray that Kurono-sanes back alive. You¡¯re powerless, a civilian. He doesn¡¯t need someone like use, since you¡¯d only be a burden to him.¡±

    He would fight in harsh, life or death battles, only to barely return alive to a wife who was frustrated that he¡¯d been gone so long. Is there no end to this woman¡¯s entitlement?

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s... not, I have...¡±

    It appears that now, after having me carefully exin everything to her, Erina has finallye to understand. Her previous anger gone, the only emotions that showed on her face were dumbfoundment and uncertainty.

    ¡°And you even had the audacity to try and convince him to stop fighting. Settle down and make a family with you? Don¡¯t make meugh. Do you have any idea why Kurono-san feels the way he does? Why he¡¯s be unable to stop fighting?¡± I felt like I was getting too agitated. ¡°... It¡¯s insulting that you think you can change his way so easily.¡±

    Anyone who gets in Kurono-san¡¯s way deserves the worst kind of death. I will not hesitate to perform the deed myself no matter if it¡¯s a receptionist of the guild or some uppity princess.

    ¡°Kurono-san has no need for an ordinary woman like you. Someone who can support him fully in battle, someone he can rely on, someone he can bare his heart to, only that someone has the right to stand beside Kurono-san.¡± You are clearly not that someone, but I am. That part is understood. I can see in her eyes that she fully andpletely understands my point. Those pathetic, sky blue eyes of a sore loser. And as such, I will tell it like it is,

    ¡°And I fill that role for him just fine, so please be at ease and find a man more suited to you. If you want to help him, then stay out of his way and don¡¯t cause him to needlessly worry.¡±

    Now that that¡¯s done, I believe I need to catch up to a certain someone. I¡¯ve spent so much time talking that I couldn¡¯t see Kurono-san anywhere anymore. I should quickly find him so we can walk home together.

    ¡°No, but... but I... love him... I love, Kurono, -kun...¡±

    I ignored the woman who¡¯d gone back to crying again. I no longer feel threatened by this selfish woman who only wanted to be loved.

    She¡¯s pretty, I admit, and herrge chest (for an elf) attracts hordes of men I bet. She should just settle for one of those. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a bad thing. Simply that certain forms of love require intense, almost superhuman levels of resolve and dedication. Something that no ordinary person can match. And she¡¯s an ordinary woman.

    ¡°Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I must go. I sincerely hope that you don¡¯t let this one rejection bother you, and that you find new happiness.¡± I said as a courtesy, giving her onest look of disgust beforepletely forgetting about her to chase after Kurono-san.

    I know. I can mention how cold it is today, and get him to hold my hand too... ufufu.

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404: Majority Rule

    Wing Road returned to Spada, the city scape now dyed white in winter snow, in the evening of the 6th of Gloom. They had made haste when going to Asbel vige due to the urgency of their quest, but their journey back was one made in leisure.

    The fenrir they¡¯d fought had been under the influence of a powerful curse but was certainly a strong foe. Though it may seem that they had, thanks to their individual effort and diligent preparation, defeated it easily, it was still an opponent to which they would have faced annihtion if they¡¯d made even a single misstep. Every member of Wing Road understood that, if they¡¯d fought that same fenrir but released from the curse that caused it to go berserk and limited its true intelligence, the degree of danger would skyrocket instantly.

    Which is why all of them felt that they deserved a leisurely trip back. Well, all except Nell, who¡¯d much rather they not waste so much time.

    (Crusaders... I remember Kurono-kun mentioning that.)

    Nell recalled what had happened in the middle of her post-quest conversation with Kurono. It¡¯d been such a long time since she had a chance to talk alone with her dear Kurono¨D¨D but she just had to interfere once again. That evil fairy.

    Nell had been instantly furious at Lily, a result of the fairy¡¯s many transgressions thus far, but managed to quickly notice the Spadan royal crest sealing the envelope handed over to Kurono. She had, of course, not peeked at its contents, and nor did she ask about them, but it was obvious from how Kurono hadpletely stiffened upon reading it that contained in that letter was a matter of utmost urgency.

    ¡°Sorry Nell, I need to go. See you.¡± He had said simply before running off as if his life depended on it. Nell had neither the chance to ask just what had happened, nor had she gotten the opportunity to bid him farewell.

    Such an abrupt parting. There existed no fool so crass as to dismiss the princess of Avalon with such little ceremony. And the first one who did just happened to be the man said princess desired so strongly. Nell would cry herself to sleep for at least 3 following nights from shock and heartbreak¨D¨D that is, if she was still the same fragile girl she¡¯d been after the battle of Iskia.

    (Kurono-kun didn¡¯t dismiss me like that because he doesn¡¯t like me. Something very serious must have happened to make him behave like that... right?)

    The present Nell had the strength of mind to not misinterpret Kurono¡¯s actions. And on that basis, she had surmised that Kurono would need her, surely.

    (I can only teach him model magic, for now... but I will help more, I swear to help Kurono-kun in every way I can!)

    With that determination, Nell had been, for the past month, participating in one rank 5 quest after another, fiercely and relentlessly challenging herself to new heights, all in order to receive a divine protection of her own.

    She was not the same, weak Nell that she¡¯d been. She would not fall bedridden from one malicious look from Lily. She was stronger, much stronger.

    (Because I know that Kurono-kun likes me too.)

    On that stormy night, Kurono had resorted to sneaking into the girls¡¯ dormitories just to see her. He had thanked her for healing him after the Cursed Carnival and for all her help at Iskia. He had requested that she teach him magic. Nell was the only one he could depend on¨D¨D he had said very clearly.

    (Kurono-kun wants me. There¡¯s no better motivation to improve myself than that.)

    She epted the fact that she¡¯d beenzy. She¡¯d let herself drown in the utter bliss of being with Kurono, just the two of them. She¡¯d been far too naive thinking that she could stay in paradise forever. Which is exactly why she¡¯d met such a tragic aftermath when the fairy hade, from a blind spot really, and delivered such a devastating blow to her psyche.

    But she was able to stand on her two feet once again, all thanks to Kurono. She didn¡¯t have time to waste despairing. Kurono needed her, and she would give her utmost to respond to his earnest desire for help. She would put in the effort. She would be strong.

    (And then, surely, I will be Kurono-kun¡¯s... one and only.)

    Nell was finally at the starting line in the race toward Kurono¡¯s heart. No longer would she one-sidedly desire his love without giving anything in return. No longer would she be a baby bird crying for its parent to bring it food.

    No, she would be the hunter who catches her own prey. Like a fierce eagle, she would surely, definitely, capture Kurono¡¯s affections. She swore it on the white wings on her back, on the bloodline inherited from the supreme rulers of the sky¨D¨D

    ¡° ¨D¨D This emergency quest, what do you guys want to do?¡± Nero said, unperturbed as¨D¨D No, his tone seemed a bit more serious than usual, which woke Nell out of her reverie involving birds of prey.

    It was currently the next day after their return to Spada, the 7th of Gloom. The members of Wing Road were currently gathered where they usually gathered, the academy¡¯s main mess hall. The four of them, as Charl wasn¡¯t present, were sitting at a table and enjoying the that special taste of cafeteria food they hadn¡¯t had during their multi week trip.

    ¡°We take it, that¡¯s what!¡± Kai howled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the Dragon King or whoever these Crusaders are, they¡¯re bringing the fight to Spada, and I say we give it to them good!!¡±

    It was noon. The hordes of starving students had filled up the mess hall and had been scarfing down on their food. No one seemed to mind Kai¡¯s boisterous deration which surely travelled to every corner of therge, crowded hall. Or at least, no Spadan couldin.

    On every table there was a flier detailing King Leonhart¡¯s personal call-at-arms to the adventurers of Spada. In other words, it was the emergency quest form to join the 4th regiment, diator. Everyone knew what that meant for their nation.

    But then again, knowing what it meant, and actually participating were different matters entirely.

    ¡°Could you not be stupid for once? Think about our position before you start yelling for war.¡± Safiel¡¯s cold voice swiftly shot down Kai¡¯s valiant roar. Wait, did Safiel ever speak warmly towards Kai, or anyone else for that matter? The others pondered.

    ¡°It might be a legitimate quest and all, but it¡¯s still war we¡¯re talking about.¡± Nero said.

    An ordinary adventurer would be free to take part and serve as a soldier on the warfront. But did simr logic apply to adventurers who were of high noble birth? What concern would this war be for foreign royalty who just happen to be adventuring?

    ¡°They mostly leave us alone,¡± Nero said with a sigh, ¡°but there¡¯s a good chance me and Nell will be called back to Avalon...¡±

    Nero and Nell were both rank 5 adventurers deserving of that title. Their various exploits together with their trustedpanions had them recognized as powerful individuals. They were not specially treated just because they belonged to Avalon royalty.

    As the first prince and first princess of a nation, Nero and Nell had an obligation to return to their capital post haste once war, any war, broke out.

    And yet, understanding that fact better than anyone, Nell dared to deny it with crisp words.

    ¡°No, onii-sama, I¡¯m afraid I cannot do that.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Nell, what¡¯s the big idea¨D¨D¡±

    I¡¯d be an idiot if I let go of this chance. She¡¯d add if she didn¡¯t forget her princessly manners.

    Spada going to war, the mysterious enemy known as the Crusaders, an enemy towards whom Kurono held a deep seeded hatred. Nell had connected all the dots the moment she saw the quest form.

    (These Crusaders are Kurono-kun¡¯s enemies.)

    Kurono had mentioned them indirectly. That he had enemies he had to kill no matter what. And now that enemy was made clear to her.

    There was also the glimpses of memory she¡¯d seen inside him. The utter tragedy, the vige on fire, the charred, crucified, ughtered remains of friends¨D¨D Nell understood exactly how Kurono felt. The emotions he felt in those scenes, and the emotions still within him.

    He had suffered through deep, hopeless, unbearable sadness. And from that injustice, anger, a dark grudge was borne. He never showed it in his daily life, but the vengeful desire inside him hadn¡¯t disappeared, not in the least. It had only been festering, incubating deep inside his soul, waiting ever so patiently for release.

    She would aid him in fulfilling his revenge. She would be the one, the only one, right by his side. That was something she swore in the bed together with him in the Grand Colosseum infirmary.

    (This will serve as my chance toe out on top. I¡¯ll make him mine no matter what it takes.)

    She mentally licked her lips at the thought, while presenting her pure and innocent princess face at the table as she cut off Nero to say,

    ¡°I want to fight too. I want to protect Spada.¡± Which was no lie, per se. Kurono wanted to protect Spada and so would she. And after their valiant efforts on the field of battle, this time, she would be the one riding behind him on his Nightmare as they rode the victory parade. She needed a ce to celebrate after all.

    ¡°Haah...¡± Nero sighed with a face that suggested that he had his little sister all figured out after all, ¡°guess I should¡¯ve expected something like thating from you...¡±

    He would¡¯ve been correct in his assumptions too, if it¡¯d only been three months prior, before Nell met Kurono, at a time when she loved and respected her brother with all her heart.

    ¡°Please, onii-sama. Even you can¡¯t stand the prospect of running away, can you?¡± This time, it was the sister¡¯s turn to disy her grasp over her brother¡¯s personality.

    Nero might not have had much attachment to his position as royalty, but his personal sense of pride was high. It wasn¡¯t a pride born of fame and fortune, but one that valued freedom over all else. It was one of the virtues that made Nero who he was.

    And Nell respected that about him, she really did. So she was d to use that knowledge to coax him with words best suited to sway him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯m not scared of some Crusaders or what they call themselves¨D¨D but I¡¯ll have to say no this time.¡± Nero denied clearly, which Nell took calmly, as she knew that her brother wouldn¡¯t be convinced that easily. Which could only mean that Nero had prioritized something above that stubborn pride of his. And Nell was well aware what that something was.

    ¡°Can you still not trust in my strength at all?¡± She pleaded.

    ¡°Listen Nell, even if you were stronger than me, I¡¯d make the same choice. As your brother.¡± Nero revealed his motives inly. At times like these, her brother never beat around the bush or tried to deflect the topic.

    This facet of his personality where he was always direct and to the point in important moments was certainly admirable she had to admit. But for her current goal, it was starting to be a pain.

    (Perhaps I should just set out on my own...)

    No, not yet, I shouldn¡¯t jump to quick conclusions, Nell deliberated. She calmed her irritation before a scowl could appear on her face. Thinking clearly, she understood that it was better to make use of Wing Road¡¯s full potential if she was seriously doing this.

    Nell wanted to help Kurono, help him kill his enemies. But more than that, she wanted to protect him and guarantee that he survives the war. What help would she be if he died? That was putting the cart over the horse, and knowing how Kurono fought, she imagined that the risks were especially high for him. She expressed her resolve:

    ¡°Onii-sama, I realize that you care about me, but my opinion on the matter remains.¡±

    ¡°This is getting nowhere.¡± Safiel spoke to cut off Nero who was about to once again try convincing his sister. ¡°Wing Road settles quest rted arguments with a majority vote. We have all agreed on this, correct?¡±

    It was something they¡¯d decided on when they first formed their party. No one needed a reminder. Even Kai understood the most basic rule of their team. Safiel had asked the question merely out of courtesy.

    ¡°We have one of three choices: for, against, and abstain.¡±

    They might choose to debate their point or present better arguments, but in the end, the choices remained 3. Once again, Safiel only confirmed this out of courtesy.

    ¡°Please wait, Safi-san! I can¡¯t¨D¨D¡±

    ¡°No, Nell.¡± Nero said. ¡°That¡¯s our rule. Don¡¯tin about something you agreed to.¡±

    Wing Road was established on the basis of freedom. All members agreed that they didn¡¯t want any restrictive rules or reason to be formal with each other. They only had 2 very basic rules: divide the rewards equally, and settle disagreements via majority vote.

    Each member had one vote, so everyone had equal weight in making the decision. The system was the simplest, yet most parties never utilized it.

    Nero had always faithfully abided by this rule, as he not only believed in freedom, but also equality. Which is why, whether it was the intellectually challenged Kai or the sly genius Safiel, both of them received one vote. It wasn¡¯t as if their party was devoid of dispute, just that they¡¯d not yet disbanded no matter what resulted in the vote.

    This is because each of the 5 member of Wing Road deferred to their rule on equality just as adamantly as Nero. Thus, no one would agree to an exception.

    ¡°Go on, Safi.¡± Nero urged, and the amethyst necromancer pushed up her evileye sealing spectacles in a show of acknowledgement.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a 2-2 split with one person abstaining,¡± Safiel continued, ¡°priority goes to¨D¨D ¡±

    ¡°¨D¨D Count me in! Wing Road will protect the peace of Spada!¡± yelled a voice, this one much louder than Kai¡¯s. So loud in fact, that one might imagine the whole building heard it.

    Every student and faculty was well familiar with this particr voice that rang in your ears. The other 4 members of Wing Road especially. They wouldn¡¯t mistake that annoying soprano for anyone else. That was just impossible.

    All of them turned to the noise, and as expected, that small girl with red twintails and a proudly fluttering cape, their friend, stood there like a champion. And standing there, she made her opinion known:

    ¡°Ahhh hah hah haa!! Spada¡¯s Crimson Lightning, Charlotte Tristan Spada, is back!!¡±

 Chapter 405: The State of Affairs within the Spada Family

    Chapter 405: The State of Affairs within the Spada Family

    ¡°Good to have you back, Charl.¡± Nell weed back Spada¡¯s 3rd princess after she¡¯d spent a month under house arrest by the king himself.

    ¡°Nell!! I missed you sooo much!!¡± Charlotte jumped into Nells voluminous chest with the force of a lonely dog that hasn¡¯t seen its master in a long time finally getting to reunite. Unto those bountiful twin hills that the smaller friendcked did she leap.

    ¡°Hey, I just realized, but you look like you¡¯re better now, Nell! Wait, not just that, you¡¯ve grown, haven¡¯t you?¡± And to confirm their growth, Charlotte felt that those titties deserved a good fondling. Andrge they were. Charlotte¡¯s small hands couldn¡¯t possibly cup them in their entirety. So they¡¯ve grown even more have they? So jealous... Charlotte groaned internally, but in the first ce, Charlotte said that her friend had grown with the double meaning that she now gave off a more mature air than when shest saw her.

    Before her breakdown that is. Nell had seemed to have fallen into a deep depression before Charlotte got grounded, but the girl in front of her looked to be at peak health.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all fine now, as you can see.¡± Nell told her with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I caused you to worry, Charl.¡±

    ¡°Hey, It¡¯s all good as long as you¡¯re better!¡± Charlotte reassured her. Then with a knowing smile, ¡°I know. Iskia must¡¯ve been a big hurdle for you. But you came out of it a better person, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know exactly what exactly caused this change in her winged friend, but she wouldn¡¯t pry. She also wouldn¡¯t pry as to what bra size the well endowed princess currently wore even though she could clearly feel that they¡¯d gottenrger.

    ¡°Wee back, Charl. You yourself look about the same as ever.¡± Safiel said as she naturally went behind Charlotte to cop a feel of her ass. A friendly act of female skinship, if you will. ¡°But it seems these buns have grown a little.¡±

    ¡°Hey, watch it!!¡± Charlotte yelped as she leapt into the air like a frightened cat. Safiel¡¯s bespectacled Amethyst Gaze eyes let off a sparkle at her friends over the top reaction which she dearly missed this past month.

    ¡°The king must¡¯ve put you through the ringer.¡± Safielmented in an amused tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me! I thought I was gonna die, so many times!¡± Mentally as well as physically, Charlotte meant.

    Each spank by the man dubbed strongest of Spada, the one known famously as the Sword King, hurt like a bitch. They hurt a lot. Charlotte could barely maintain her sanity during the ordeal. The punishment-cum-torture demonstrated that the king still maintained pin-point uracy in his technique so as he didn¡¯t let his daughter fall unconscious while maximizing the pain.

    ¡°Ugh. It was so awful...¡± Charlotte recalled, ¡°I thought I¡¯d rather die so many times... it stung everytime, and it was so embarrassing... at some point he got into a rhythm too, just so messed up...¡±

    Charlotte¡¯s punishment, days upon days of agonizing spanking that umted into a staggering 7,010 total spanks, had left a deep trauma on her. She trembled with tears gathering in her eyes at the mere thought.

    Safiel¡¯s eyes widened listening to that. She badly wanted to see it.

    ¡°You look fine to me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not fine at all, idiot!!¡±

    Kai hade along andpletely dismissed Charlotte¡¯s pain and endurance which greatly pissed her off. Kai often got railed at by his own parents, so he figured that she should just walk off the minor punishment. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to deal with this idiocy.

    Though that wasn¡¯t the end of her frustrations.

    ¡°Nero, what gives!¡± She yelled, ¡°I¡¯m finally back after so long, the least you could do is put on a smile! Howe you look angry at me!!¡±

    ¡°You damn well know why. It¡¯s because of you that we have to take the emergency quest now.¡± What a pain in the ass, Nero¡¯s face seemed to say.

    Charlotte was used to getting attitude from the foreign prince, but this time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel irked. Why can¡¯t you think about my feelings for once! She wanted toin, but swallowed it back down before it left the tip of her tongue.

    ¡°Oh shut it.¡± Charlotte said with a sigh. ¡°You wanted to take it too.¡±

    ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t.¡± Nero said firmly. ¡°But the vote¡¯s done, so¨D¨D¡±

    Charlotte, thest remaining member of Wing Road, had cast her vote in favor of epting the emergency quest. Nero and Safiel had voted against, and Nell, Kai and now Charlotte were all for. Meaning that Wing Road would be taking on the quest titled Join diator in the War for Spada. This turned the tide opposite to Nero¡¯s intentions but,

    ¡°¨D¨D Let¡¯s find out how tough this war is.¡±

    ¡°All right! I¡¯m rarin¡¯ to go!!¡± Cheered Kai, and while watching his simple minded friend to the side, Nero addressed the pressing issue,

    ¡°So how¡¯s this going to work?¡± He asked Charlotte. ¡°Are they even going to allow you to do this?¡±

    Charlotte was a princess first, adventurer second. And simr to the Elrod brother and sister, she too was likely to be disallowed from participating in any war.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the red haired girl said aloofly, ¡°Father did it too back in his day.¡±

    Once upon a time, when Leonhart was still 2nd prince of Spada, he had dived into the battlefield without his own father, the King¡¯s, permission. He had done this not once, but twice. Two charges, no regrets.

    The first was when Dragon King Garvinal marched his army into Spadannd in what would beter known as The Second Invasion of Ghad. Leonhart, 13 years old at the time, had skipped his entrance ceremony at the Spada Royal Academy and ran all the way to the mountain fortress of Ghad to join the fight.

    The second time was when many of the beastkin ns of southern Pandora formed an alliance and attacked Fahren, a neighbouring state. This was not even a war for Spada, yet the young prince had used his status as an adventurer to take part anyway. He was 18 years old by then, and had this time skipped his academy graduation ceremony to join the warfront.

    But even that unruly prince was now a well-respected king of Spada. Many say that he¡¯d mellowed out with age.

    ¡°You know, I thought about it a lot.¡± Charlotte said solemnly. ¡°Father¡¯s punishment was harsh, but it really pped reality in my face.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean, on your bum?¡±

    ¡°You shut up, Safi!¡±

    That aside, Charlotte really did think about it in her own way, and though she felt a bit embarrassed, she decided to open herself to her friends.

    ¡°I think that Father is testing me.¡±

    And no, she didn¡¯t mean that in the sense that he wanted her to reflect on her failure at Iskia.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t go now, if I stay put like I¡¯m supposed to... there won¡¯t be a second chance.¡±

    Which wasn¡¯t a bad thing, at least for the country, as being gentle and meek can be said to be the desired attributes for a princess.

    ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t want to be, it¡¯s a weak little princess who sits protected in the castle. I won¡¯t let myself be a tool for some political marriage!¡±

    Charlotte, as has been mentioned, was the third princess of Spada. Which implied that she had two older sisters.

    But neither of them were at Spada anymore. Her eldest sister was in Fahren, and the middle sister in Rune.

    Among the nobility, the person Charlotte respected most after her father, was her eldest sister. She was her hero.

    The first princess was strong. Charlotte believed that her eldest sister was much stronger than herself, even back when she was the same age as her. She was a wall of a role model, swinging bulky greatswords in one hand like it was nothing, the spitting image of their father in his youth.

    Although, she did have a bit of a hotblooded streak; her sword would move first and foremost. Yet she was filled to the brim with integrity and empathy for the people. She was worldly and broad minded, a traitcking in many young nobledies, and she was loved for it.

    Young Charlotte had always looked up to this strong elder sister who forged her own path in life. One could say her current personality was directly influenced by this. She of course, couldn¡¯tpare to the first princess in terms of forcefully having her own way.

    In spite of all that, her sister, with her indomitable spirit and will, had been reigned in by marriage. Her partner was to be the prince of Fahren. A dark elf, naturally.

    The first princess had no propensity for discriminating on race. She merely could not ept that she was to be used as a political tool to bolster the unity between nations. She had not had a lover at the time, but she hated the premise that she would not be allowed to choose her partner in marriage, what would be perhaps the greatest event of her life.

    Enraged by the fact that she¡¯d been engaged to a man she hadn¡¯t even met, the first princess had taken up her sword to challenge her father, king Leonhart, on one peaceful day when the king was supposedly performing his daily duties.

    However, as it turned out, Leonhart had been calmly awaiting his daughter to take action, in his own hand, the legendary sword allowed only to a true king of Spada.

    This duel within the throne room between father and daughter would be forever carved down inside the tomes of Spadan history.

    As for the result, it need not be said, as the events that followed were such that the first princess did in fact marry the Fahren prince. She had lost the duel and had thus bent to the will of the victor. She was a Spadan in heart and soul, and so offered noint to settling matters in such a fashion.

    Charlotte still felt heartache over the grief and regret her sister must¡¯ve felt as she had surely swallowed down her pride. She couldn¡¯t bare to look at her sister¡¯s eyes on the marriage ceremony where she had surely forced herself to smile.

    Her husband to be was nowhere near the sort of strong man her sister would approve of. He was small, and had a delicate, feminine figure. And her sister, who was his wife to be... had smiled,ughed, put on the act that it really was the happiest day of her life. At least, that¡¯s what young Charlotte believed. And this hurt her to no end.

    This act continued even now, surely to maintain friendly rtions between Spada and Fahren. Once a year, the eldest princess would visit home, and with a bottle of fine Spadan wine in hand, she would tell everyone of her fulfilling married life. She would grab her younger brothers, first prince Eisenhart and second prince Wilhart, by the scruff of their necks, and spend the night away bragging.

    Charlotte was saddened that her sister had remained the same, a woman who did her best to not make her family worry for her. Would she also be that way one day? No, she refused to have such an end!

    Or at least, her middle sister, the second princess did.

    The second princess, inplete contrast to the first, was a quiet child. Simr to Wilhart, the middle sister had no talent for the martial or magical arts. She was a studious, refined, and well mannered youngdy, all the ideal traits of a princess.

    Charlotte wasn¡¯t very close to this cid natured sister of hers. They had such contrasting personalities that Charlotte had been troubled as to how she would start a conversation. And as such, they never talked much. Young Charlotte would see her from time to time, quietly reading a book inside the castle archives.

    She had thought that this sister, being the well mannered princess she was, wouldn¡¯t fight her own eventual betrothal to some foreign noble¨D¨D but reality was quite different.

    The Second Princess of Spada has Eloped with a Lower Noble of Rune!? was the rough front page headline of all the news papers on that day. And this title was no lie.

    It was in light of this incident that Charlotte, for the first time, felt like she understood her second eldest sister. She understood all too well, as she also had a person set in her heart. And she respected her for it, for the willingness to go to any means for the sake of love.

    Fortunately, Leonhart showed tolerance for his second daughter¡¯s brazenness and tacitly epted the arrangement. The middle princess also visited home from time to time, and also spoke about her happy life.

    Charlotte, the third princess, had witnessed the divergent lives of her older sisters, and had built herself in their image. She would be strong like her eldest sister and she would also have true love like her middle sister. As such, she would surely attain the greatest happiness.

    ¡°Which is why I need to get even stronger!¡± Charlotte proimed. ¡°I¡¯ll carve my own legend in this war and make Father recognize my strength!¡±

    Both Nero and Nell knew of the state of affairs surrounding Charlotte¡¯s elder sisters, and understood the amount of resolve their friend had to have mustered to make this promation. In fact, as her childhood friends, the Elrod siblings also had fond memories of those sisters, and so believed that Charlotte, who greatly admired both, had picked her words neither in the spur of the moment, nor in childish rebelion.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting too excited, Charl.¡± Nero said with a slightly exasperated tone. ¡°We¡¯re still a party, remember? Let¡¯s just do what we always do, and it¡¯ll work out. Don¡¯t go and push yourself.¡±

    ¡°Mm...¡± Charlotte nodded meekly. She faintly blushed as she felt Nero¡¯s genuine care despite hiszy words. ¡°Thanks, Nero.¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Safiel coughed, ¡°now that that¡¯s decided, I suggest we go get started.¡±

    Safiel was a necromancer, a specialized ss that requires much more preparation than most. Hence her call to hurry things up. While a warrior or swordsman may need to sharpen their weapons, she would need to perform meticulous and time consuming maintenance for her undead servants, tens if not hundreds of them.

    ¡°Heheh,¡±ughed Kai, ¡°you¡¯re damn right about that.... I know, I¡¯ll go find Kurono and have a match!¡±

    ¡°Be sure to avoid getting knocked out from a single gut punch now.¡± Safiel teased.

    ¡°You bet I won¡¯t! I¡¯ll take it standing this time!¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re going on the premise that he¡¯s punching you again?¡± This is too idiotic, even for me, Safiel sighed, and the pair left the mess hall.

    ¡°Right,¡± Nero said as he saw them off, ¡°so I guess I¡¯ll head to the guild to formally ept the quest.¡±

    ¡°Fufun~¡± Charlotte hummed, ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Nero said, not because he didn¡¯t want to but he saw no reason in it. Charlotte however, felt disheartened by the cold rejection, and her expression changed to a clear frown that was just at the right angle that Nero wouldn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Onii-sama,¡± said Nell out of consideration, ¡°please do go with Charl this time. She hasn¡¯t seen you in a whole month, so I¡¯m sure she has a lot to talk about.¡±

    ¡°N-Nell!?¡± Charlotte flustered.

    ¡°Haah,¡± Nero sighed, ¡°alright I¡¯ll bite.¡±

    ¡°W-w-wait, don¡¯t get the wrong idea alright!?¡± Charlotte yelled desperately. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lonely or anything, so don¡¯t go and misunderstand!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, well, we did go on a lot of quests without her. I¡¯ll just tell her about those.¡±

    ¡°T-th-th-that¡¯s it! I want to hear about the quests! Just that!¡±

    Charlotte who kept making frantic excuses to whom only she knew, and Nero who wasn¡¯t really bothered by his childhood friend¡¯s entricities at this point, seemed to be getting along just as usual, as they left their seats and headed outside together.

    ¡°My brother can be so dense sometimes.¡± Nell said to herself with a sigh. She was the only one remaining and also stood up to leave. ¡°Well, good luck, Charl.¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t need to return the 4 people¡¯s worth of tableware that had been left there, as waiters were tasked with that job. So, without anything else to do there, Nell was about to leave when,

    ¡°Good afternoon, Princess.¡± Someone, a somewhat familiar voice called out to her from behind. She felt like she should recognize who that was, but she just couldn¡¯t ce it.

    This strange disconnect was due to the fact that, in her memories, this voice held a much more childlike tone of speech.

    ¡°... Lily, -san?¡± She turned around to find the fairy she had a deep history with. The devilish woman who had haunted her nightmares for who knew how long.

    ¡°May I have a bit of your time? I have a little something to discuss.¡± Said the fairy who, on the outside, looked no different from the adorable little girl who¡¯d be a famous sight at the academy.

    But her current demeanor showed none of that purity and innocence. Seeing this, Nell concluded that it was all an act, that this, right in front of her, was her true, devious nature.

    ¡°Of course. Please go ahead.¡± Nell spoke normally, with her dignity as a princess, but she could feel that her expression had turned ice cold.

    This was certainly not due to fear. For she was not weak anymore. No, this was Nell facing her own worst enemy, facing it with the trained vignce of a seasoned adventurer.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Two gazes shed quietly. The suspicious fairy¡¯s emerald green, and the unwavering princess¡¯ ice blue.

    ¡°But not here.¡± said Lily. ¡°Let¡¯s speak in a ce where we can be alone, yes?¡±

    ¡°Sure, if you have anywhere in particr, please lead the way.¡±

    To onlookers, the princess of Avalon and the cheerful little fairy had happily left the academy¡¯s mess hall together.

    But as far as Nell was concerned, her enemy, Lily, who had finally shown her true colors, had brought on an implicit duel. And she had dauntlessly epted it.

 Chapter 406: Lily VS Nell

    Chapter 406: Lily VS Nell

    Lily and Nell, fairy and angel, relocated to a corner of the park situated north of the academy, but still within its bounds.

    It had once been a scenic garden in the era of the previous headmaster who had ordered the construction as a pet project, but at present, it is a ce rarely maintained and full of lifeless trees and overgrown shrubbery. The current headmistress, Sofia Sirius Parsifal, had dered the location a ¡°sad waste of money,¡± and thus had limited its maintenance to the barest minimum, only so that it doesn¡¯t naturally transform into a dungeon. Keeping the beauty of this vast park had previously cost the academy a fortune of n each year, which the excuse of student life enrichment could hardly sustain.

    This practically abandoned ce that is still within academy premises made for an excellent location to speak without the risk of stray ears. The two girls who had gone there now stood in front of a fountain that had been once surrounded by gorgeous beds of roses.

    They sensed no other presences and the only sound they heard was the soft trickling of the fountain.

    ¡°So what did you want to speak about, Lily-san?¡± After a brief period of silence, Nell decided to open the conversation. She hadn¡¯t gotten impatient, but spoke first as a show of determination, a will to face anything that maye her way.

    ¡°First of all, let me express my gratitude: Thank you.¡± Said young and adorable Lily without a hint of malice in her warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you that Kurono is able to use model magic now. You¡¯ve done a great service to us, and for that, you have my utmost gratitude.¡±

    Nell didn¡¯t need to be told this, for she already knew. She had herself taught Kurono the Force Boost spell which had proved essential in defeating the Greed Goar. Nell had seen the epic feat performed with her own two eyes.

    Granted, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to witness them in action, she had also taught him Protect Boost and Conscience Boost, both of which she was sure he had made good use of. He had told her how both his battles with the Lich and the Lust Rose were quite difficult, so he had to have used those new spells at some point.

    ¡°I did what, I did solely for Kurono-kun.¡± Nell said confidently. ¡°It isn¡¯t anything I require thanks for.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and also thank you for the excellent tea and pastries you always brought along.¡±

    ¡°It was only polite.¡±

    Nell returned Lily¡¯s warm smile with one of her own, a royal smile fit for a princess. She, of course, knew that neither her¡¯s nor the fairy¡¯s were genuine; merely masks.

    She knew better than to believe that this evil fairy would call her out here simply to ry thanks.

    ¡°Now then¨D¨D fufu,¡± giggled Lily, ¡°I suppose you won¡¯t being anymore.¡±

    And there it is, Nell thought, this is where it really starts. She noticed that Lily¡¯s smile now held a tiny droplet of poison.

    ¡°... Pardon me?¡± As if she would falter so easily. She had long known that Lily would eventually make an attempt to get rid of her.

    ¡°Kurono no longer requires your tutge.¡± Said her enemy. ¡°So, please refrain froming to our dormhouse.¡±

    ¡°I see. I suppose I should be asking why. Please, do tell.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s problematic.¡±

    And at that point, both of their faces no longer contained smiles. Nell looked at small Lily who looked back at her with doll-like, seemingly lifeless eyes. She imagined that she too must be wearing the same sort of cold expression on her own face.

    Eyes, green and blue, shed. Around them blew winds like winter on the Asbel mountains, but between only them flew scorching sparks that gave not a damn about the season.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡± responded Nell. ¡°Kurono-kun needs me, and so I shall be there for him.¡±

    ¡°I said, it¡¯s problematic.¡±

    ¡°For you perhaps, Lily-san.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be getting the message.¡±

    Finally, Lily broke away from their staring contest. The childlike fairy let out a sigh that didn¡¯t at all seem childlike, and turned her back to Nell. Lily¡¯s ck one-piece dress pped in the winter wind as the rainbow wings growing on her back were exposed to Nell¡¯s eyes, making Lily¡¯s expression unknown.

    ¡°You, are royalty,¡± said Lily with her back turned, ¡°while Kurono is an adventurer. You need to carefully consider who you associate with in deference to your status.¡±

    ¡°While we¡¯re in the academy (here), social status does not pose issue.¡±

    After all, Kurono and Spada¡¯s second prince, Wilhart, were well known to be good friends, and no one batted an eye to that.

    Although there is a point to be made concerning the fact that prince Wilhart isn¡¯t exactly a popr figure, but if social status really is that restrictive, then neither he nor anyone should be made an exception. Like it had been in Avalon, long ago.

    ¡°And if there are still any issues, I will personally take care of them.¡± Nell promised.

    ¡°Did you know that those hoodlums who call themselves your Elite Guard have unfairly challenged Kurono and tried to lynch him with numbers?¡±

    ¡°I will never allow them tomit any such acts again. And if Kurono-kun desires it, I¡¯m even willing to order the execution of their ringleader.¡±

    Nell had only strongly reprimanded Helen after she had found out about this incident from Kurono himself. The only reason that female Elite Guard captain was still alive was because Kurono had requested Nell not to do anything as severe as execution. That being said, Kurono had taken Nells words of ¡±apology with her head¡± entirely as a crude joke from his friend.

    ¡°I highly doubt it. So make things easy for all of us, and just stay away.¡±

    ¡°Kurono-kun will believe in me. So, I need not stay away for something so minor.¡±

    ¡°Kurono is too kind for his own good, so we both know he will. Those ¡°Elite Guard¡± are also not the problem. No, the problem is your dear big brother and the members of Wing Road. They aren¡¯t exactly easy to deal with and you should know.¡±

    Plus, Element Masters and Wing Road are rivaling rank 5 parties, in case you¡¯ve forgotten, Lily added, if only to further imply that they shouldn¡¯t have to get along.

    ¡°Whatever the case, I am still Kurono-kun¡¯s friend. And so long as he calls me his friend, I will be with him as such. Not as a princess of Avalon, not as a member of Wing Road, but as his friend.¡± Nell said, more or less avoiding the argument, but what she said wasn¡¯t untrue. She knows enough about Kurono to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would never deny being her friend.

    ¡°I see, friend.¡± She heard Lily mutter in a tone of annoyance. It might¡¯ve been the small fairy just talking to herself, but if only due to the fact that the tiny voice reached her ears, Nell could only hear it as derision.

    He and Nell were just friends, while Lily, his trusted partner. That fundamental difference between them had once broken her out of sheer self-pity.

    (For now, yes, only friends. But very soon, I will take your position and truly be Kurono-kun¡¯s¨D¨D )

    Her thoughts were simr to that of a rebel bent on usurping the throne. And in fact, it could be said that her determination was in no way weaker than the ming ambition of an usurper.

    (Kurono-kun, I¡¯ll surely prove myself!)

    Which is when Lily turned back around, leading her to once again look into those eyes, which instantly raised a chill up her back.

    ¡°I see, that really is unfortunate...¡± Lily spoke, her smile absolutely sinister. ¡°If only you¡¯d epted my polite offer, and quietly walked away with only my thanks.¡±

    Those emerald green irises shone with a dark, sadistic malice that could drop you into a never-ending abyss, while those lips curled up into a crescent.

    Nell was no stranger to evil. As a member of royalty, and additionally as a rank 5 adventurer, Nell had seen it all, be it the shady gangs operating in slum zones, the cunning swindlers of the market, the two-faced retainers who would doublecross their master, and even crazed serial killers inflicted by curse.

    Rage, hostility, deceit and scorn¨D¨D she¡¯d seen all kinds of faces. But this, the smile of this childlike fairy, was in another magnitude entirely.

    ¡°N-no matter what you say,¡± Nell said in a fluster, ¡°Kurono-kun and I will remain as friends¨D¨D Kyaa!¡± An explosion of light made her yelp. It was a sh. Lily would always use this technique on her, every single time¨D¨D no, this clearly wasn¡¯t such a harmless lightshow. This mana, this ring white light, this was no sh at all.

    Had the fairy finally resorted to force?

    Nell reacted quickly. She used dimension magic to open a storage from which she would bring out her Scale of White Wings, but then she noticed:

    Where¡¯s the attack? Which is when the glimmering light also ebbed away.

    ¡°...!?¡± Nell gasped as soon as she opened her eyes, for the one in front of her was no more the familiar small existence.

    And for the first time, sheid eyes on a young woman who could only be described as a peerless beauty.

    ¡°I believe this is the first time you¡¯ve seen my true form. Please don¡¯t be too surprised. This is, after all, who I really am.¡±

    Unlike the child she had been so used to seeing in the academy uniform, the one-piece dress of ancient velvet suited this girl, her true form, and evolved her charm to an unfathomable degree. Nell had no doubt that she was looking at Lily, her sworn rival and worst enemy, but she, even she couldn¡¯t help but be fascinated by that immeasurable beauty.

    ¡°... Is that so. And, what were you trying to achieve by showing me this?¡±

    Nell quickly got her head into gear, putting on the mindset that she was facing a high rank monster as she faced the true Lily. Her caution could perhaps be called warranted too as, at the moment, the the presence of mana around Lily had multiplied many foldpared to when she was in her child form. Nell concluded that, if they were to duel right now, she, a Priest, had no chance.

    But she still had the option to block and retreat, even against someone of Lily¡¯s level of power. She wouldn¡¯t be a rank 5 adventurer if she couldn¡¯t do that, even if she were a Priest.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so rmed.¡± Said the powerful fairy. ¡°I invited you here so that we could speak, have a dialogue. I wouldn¡¯t dare go back on my work and harm you.¡±

    With the elegance on a first-rate dancer, Lily took a step closer to Nell.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m afraid I must warn you. What I¡¯m about to say, might sting.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯ll never...¡± Nell, despite being clearly overwhelmed by Lily¡¯s practically divine smile, red back. But even that action made her feel as if the fairy was internally mocking her for trying to act tough even though it was futile.

    ¡°Stay away from Kurono. Don¡¯t you daree close to him. You¡¯re¨D¨D ¡±

    Nell gulped.

    She wouldn¡¯t sway no matter what. For she had nothing to feel sorry about. She would help him, and be desired by him in turn. No matter what, she would never let go of Kurono¨D¨D

    ¡°¨D¨D Sickening. You¡¯re a disgusting girl who ecstatically ran her tongue all over the spoon that Kurono used.¡±

    ¡°... Eh?¡±

    And then, a crack, a fissure formed in the earth under her, and into the dark did she fall, into the abyss where all truth isid bare¨D¨D Nell saw a vision of exactly that happening to her.

    Instantly, all the blood drained from her face, her whole body perhaps. As if the red life inside her had been sucked dry. She was cold, very cold. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs and thought they would give away, but her knees only shook violently. Her whole body trembled.

    ¡°Tell me, did Kurono¡¯s spoon taste that good to you?¡±

    Those jade eyes that held utter and absolute, soul-piercing disgust, were being directed straight at her.

    ¡°Did his spoon... feel that good?¡±

    And then Nell remembered, vividly, a certain night.

 Chapter 407 The moment when the wings broke

    The month of Blue Moon, day 8. A night of downpour and reverberating roars of lightning. Right after Kurono left through the window just like he entered for the secret meeting.

    On top of the table, there was a white spoon. The spoon Kurono had used. Kurono had used her personal spoon.

    It¡¯s not like she wanted for that to happen. It¡¯s just that there were no other spoons which he could use. She can¡¯t let him use Charlotte¡¯s personal red lightning relief spoon. She also can¡¯t have him using Safiel¡¯s personal cranium relief spoon. She doesn¡¯t want Kurono to use them.

    While repeating to herself that Kurono using her spoon was not her choice, she picked up the spoon.

    I need to clean it, I need to clean it, I need to properly clean it¨Cshe told herself. Even though that is clearly what her mind is telling her, her body wouldn¡¯t listen. Her hands moved, naturally¨Cand the spoon, now being gripped with both her hands, was slowly but surely, being carried into her mouth.

    ¡°Nn, ah......¡±

    Sweet. Sweet, really sweet. Too sweet. Sweeter than pudding. So sweet that she felt like her brain would melt.

    And each time her wriggly tongue licked the smooth surface of the spoon, it got hotter. Her heart, body, grew hotter.

    Despite her heart pounding like crazy, weirdly enough, her stomach¨Cthe ends of her stomach, was burning the hottest.

    She couldn¡¯t keep standing. She felt as if scorching heat like magma boiled up from the bottom of her stomach. Her legs gave out.

    Still having the spoon in her mouth, she turned around to look at the disarranged bed. The bed where Kurono was. She felt it with her instincts that Kurono¡¯s scent and warmth was still remaining on the bed. And before she realized, she was on top of it.

    ¡°Haa...... haa...... I am sorry... Kurono...... I am sorry...¡±

    And then, for the first time in her life, Nell masturbated.

    It¡¯s something that she can never tell anyone, it¡¯s something that she must keep as a secret, it¡¯s too embarrassing but¨Cwhy does Lili¨C

    ¡°¨CDid you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? How you are always making Kurono use your spoon?¡±

    From the sweet climax of memories of that night, her consciousness returned to the cold and bitter reality in front of her.

    ¡°Ah, umm... I was...... that¡¯s... not it......¡±

    She barely managed to wring out the words of negation from her dried-up mouth. But she couldn¡¯t give excuses. Even saying that was like a miracle considering how nk her mind had be.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it? What¡¯s not it?¡±

    As if her words were saying¨C¡¯you lie even in this situation? What a pity¡¯. Lily just red at her in contempt.

    Nell immediately averted her gaze. She wanted to run. She wanted to run from here right away.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it...... it¡¯s not... I haven¡¯t done... anything......¡±

    While staring at her feet, she just kept on blurting out words of denial. She couldn¡¯t say anything more than that, she couldn¡¯t think of anything other than that.

    Even still, she can¡¯t admit it. If she were to admit to it here¨C

    ¡°Hmm, I see, then say it while holding Kurono¡¯s hand. Say that ¡®I wash the spoon Kurono uses immediately after he leaves¡¯.¡±

    What meaning did that have? It didn¡¯t have any meaning. That act wouldn¡¯t be proof of anything either. But that¡¯s for the majority of the people.

    However, for someone with the telepathy ability, that would be the ultimate proof.

    ¡°You can do it, can¡¯t you? Showing your memory to Kurono? So, prove it. Show Kurono what you do after you return to your room¨C¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡±

    With piercing scream, she drowned Lily¡¯s words. However, such a thing is nothing but stopgap measure. After just a moment, Lily¡¯s, the demon¡¯s child¡¯s mouth, opened again. The demon¡¯s words which pushed her down to the ends of despair, yet again.

    ¡°¡®Stop¡¯? Stop what, exactly? If you don¡¯t have anything to hide like you say, surely you can do it.¡±

    ¡°Stop it...¡±

    ¡°If, if you can prove that there is indeed nothing, I will apologize, with all sincerity, and say that I had a very indecent and deplorable misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Stop it...... stop it, please......¡±

    ¡°Come on, answer properly. Will you prove it, or will you not? What did you do or what did you not do?¡±

    ¡°No...... stop it... please, stop it already......¡±

    ¡°Answer me.¡±

    ¡°No...... no......¡±

    ¡°Answer.¡±

    ¡°No......¡±

    Still facing down, her vision, now blurred with flowing tears, could see Lily¡¯s white hand. Her icy fingertips slightly, kindly, touched Nell¡¯s cheeks.

    And at that moment, her face was forcibly raised. Her face, now forced to look forward, was face to face with Lily, whose peerless beautiful face was now distorted with anger.

    ¡°Answer me! Nell Julius Elrod!!¡±

    ¡°He, ah...... aaa......... uwaaaaaaa!¡±

    And finally, Nell gave in, in front of the words and the gaze of the kingfish who digged away at her heart. Her tears came gushing out and she crumbled to her knees.

    She was hiding her face with both her hands¨Ceither to stop her tears or maybe to hide her miserable face. She herself didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Ah, disgusting, disgusting. To think such a filthy woman was following Kurono about.¡±

    ¡°Aah?!¡±

    With anger, she pushed Nell by her shoulders. Being crushed emotionally, she had no strength nor will to resist and her body just copsed.

    A sharp impact went through her back and wings. It didn¡¯t hurt that much but her appearance, while groveling in the ground, was miserable. Just like a bird whose wings were broken.

    ¡°You, pervert! Pervert! Perverted princess with sexual obsession!!¡±

    Nell couldn¡¯t say anything in return to those words of abuse. She didn¡¯t even have the will to do so.

    ¡°What magic lessons, huh? What important friend...... Your ulterior motive is obvious, just like a bird in mating season! Go and give birth to an unfertilized egg at Avalon royal pce or whatever!¡±

    No, no. That¡¯s not it¨CEven the voice which denied it all in her heart started to vanish in face of those dark words filled with hatred.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at Kurono, don¡¯t talk to him, don¡¯t touch him, don¡¯t you dare, contaminate my Kurono!!¡±

    ¡°¡ªAaah! It hurts!!¡±

    Her hands which were hiding her face were ripped off. She was kicked. Lily¡¯s dancer like flexible legs kicked her away without mercy, as if kicking an insect.

    However, rather than the pain running through her hands, it was the luminance in her vision that took away her eyes.

    The sky she looked upto was clear blue. But it felt like it was raining heavily. Even though her sight was blurry, for some reason, she could see Lily¡¯s face filled with scorn, looking down on her, clearly.

    ¡°Starting now, don¡¯t ever get close to Kurono¨COr so I would like to say but, I will allow you to meet him just one more time.¡±

    ¡°.....eh?¡±

    Even though her face had gotten pale with despair, hearing that one line¨Cmeet Kurono¨CNell reacted. Of course, she would soon realize that that is nothing close to hope, but rather a demon¡¯s words which would make despair even more.

    ¡°After all, you need to say your goodbye, right?¡±

    If she disappears suddenly, Kurono will definitely be worried. He wouldn¡¯t abandon her, his friend.

    However, what if she says goodbye herself?

    ¡°Ah...... n-no...... no......¡±

    ¡°I think you already know but a war will break out in Spada. And so, you should return to Avalon.¡±

    Nell Julius Elrod, the first princess of Avalon. With her safety in mind, she will escape to her mothend. Kurono will surely not be able to ask her to stay when presented with that logic. Rather, he would be d to send her.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t, want that!!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I will just have to tell Kurono everything.¡±

    Fortunately, Kurono hasn¡¯t realized anything yet. He believes that she is pure from the bottom of her heart.

    Nell felt that trust every time they held hands when teaching magic. And that made her heart and chest burn up. So much that she had been having difficulty stopping her feelings from reaching Kurono through the back door when teaching magic.

    ¡°Th-that... that is...... please... anything but that......¡±

    Ah, how terrifying it is. His kind smile turning into an expression of contempt. Or would he re up in rage? Or would he just leave with a sad expression?

    She didn¡¯t know, she had no way of knowing. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if Kurono came to know her secret. However, she did understand that it would lead to destroying the trust and the friendship they had built up till now.

    It¡¯s different from that time after Iskia war. Kurono thought about her, needed her, wished for her. There was no need for her to be depressed.

    However, what if she was really rejected by kurono? What if she were to be rejected by Kurono himself, face to face, without any mercy orpassion¨Cthat terrified her so much that it freezed her soul and thoughts. She couldn¡¯t think of anything anymore.

    ¡°But, if you do it now, you can part with Kurono cleanly. Kurono, being kind as he is, will probably remember you as a kind friend for the rest of his life.¡±

    She could make it so that their rtionship be preserved beautifully in their memories. Kurono would still believe her to be a sweet princess.

    ¡°I, too, don¡¯t want Kurono to be hurt. I don¡¯t want him to know that his friend, whom he trusted so much, only looked at him with indecent eyes. I don¡¯t want him to know such a terrible truth, I want his memories to be left clean.¡±

    No, no, there¡¯s no way I only saw Kurono with indecent eyes¨Cthought Nell. Her feelings towards were more pure, deep, and heavy¡ªbut even if she were to say those things out loud, would it have any persuasion power to it?

    After all, it is true that Nell had been masturbating with Kurono¡¯s spoon. And in reality, it wasn¡¯t even just his spoon¨Chis fork, his cup¨Canything he had touched with his mouth was fine with her.

    And especially recently, she could feel that she can¡¯t help herself anymore.

    I want it, I want it, I want it so bad, I want Kurono¡ªher lust just swelled up, without stopping.

    And when she coincidentally spotted Kurono¡¯s underwear at the back of the dorm, left to dry, she couldn¡¯t keep her hands to herself.

    She herself understood. She knew that Lily wasn¡¯t falsely using her, she knew that Lily¡¯s words were precisely based on the truth about her indecent greed.

    ¡°And so, properly say your farewell to Kurono and let him rx.¡±

    Before she realized, Lily was crouching down and looking into her face. Her expression looked like she had been worried about Kurono from the bottom of her heart¨Ca gentle smile.

    ¡°B-but...... I, promised... Kurono that I will...... teach magic......¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is fine.¡±

    With a big smile, Lily slightly opened her mouth.

    ¡¸???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????¡¹

    Even Nell, who was a rank 5 priest, couldn¡¯t say that that wasn¡¯t a perfect chant. Without hesitation, Lily just fluently sang.

    ¡°¡ª-¡¯Forced Boost¡¯¡±

    In Nell¡¯s limbs, which had lost all energy, power came gushing in along with heat. Lily¡¯s enforcement magic, ¡®Forced Boost¡¯, had disyed wonderful result.

    ¡°I told you at first, didn¡¯t I? That your teaching really helped. Thanks to that, even I was able to memorize the ¡®model¡¯.¡±

    Havinge this far, Nell finally understood Lily¡¯s true intention.

    The reason Lily had sticked to the lessons every time was not because she was caution of Nell. Her real objective was to learn ¡®model¡¯ herself and steal Nell¡¯s job as the teacher itself.

    The reason why Nell could be Kurono¡¯s exclusive teacher was highly because of that telepathy ability. There aren¡¯t many people who can fill in that role¡ªHowever, Lily, being a fairy, possesses a far more superior telepathy ability than her.

    If she properly learns the ¡®model¡¯, she should have no difficulty in teaching Kurono.

    Lily didn¡¯t just make threat because of Nell¡¯s vulgar actions. After acquiring everything which Nell provides to Kurono as a merit, Lily decided to cut her off.

    (I... I can¡¯t win...... I can¡¯t possibly, match this person......)

    Nell could only tremble with fear in front of Lily¡¯s thoroughly prepared n. Even though ¡®Forced Boost¡¯ was in full effect, she still wasn¡¯t able to stand up.

    Lily. Rather than the devil¡¯s child, she is the devil herself.

    ¡°And so, you can rest easy and part with Kurono, alright?¡±

    In front of that beautiful fairy face, Nell had no choice but to yield.

    ¡°.....Yes, I will... part with Kurono.........¡±

 Chapter 408 The Morning of Departure

    On the 4th day of the month of Gloom, at evening, when he was reading the Spada newspaper and rxing on the dormitory¡¯s lounge,

    ¡°Brother! I can¡¯t deal with this person anymore!!¡±

    Simon, who hade back from Latifundia forest came clinging in tears.

    ¡°O-oi, Simon, what happened?¡±

    Simon shouted with rage and teary eyes, without even letting him say ¡®wee back¡¯.

    ¡°What happened?! Look at this!!¡±

    Simon turned over his beloved dimension poach and a long lump of scrap iron came falling out. And it had the shape of 6 long tubes bundled up¨C

    ¡°Wait, this is the Gatling gun, isn¡¯t it?! Why is it snapped in half?!¡±

    ¡°And this isn¡¯t even all!¡±

    He shook his poach once again. And again, a junk of steel came out falling on the floor. It looked like a rifle at first nce. However, that long barrel¡¯s tip was burst out like a trumpet.

    ¡°Even the prototype rifle... Oi, Simon, exactly what did you do to break it like this?¡±

    ¡°Just listen! That person is really bad! Ahh, so frustrating!!¡±

    And just when he was about to start exining how her beloved weapons died a horrible death in the battlefield,

    ¡°Wait a bit, this is really just some unfortunate events piling up on one another¡ªreally just a very unfortunate incident and nothing else....¡±

    A sorrow filled voice was heard and along with it, Simon¡¯s partner, the mysterious strong female adventurer Sofie, came in quietly.

    ¡°Uwah, here shees!¡±

    As if he had just seen a monster, Simon quickly hid behind me. his reaction was cute enough to make me wonder if he had regressed into an infant but it seems like he is being quite serious here.

    ¡°Ce on, you don¡¯t need to hide...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! My guns will break again!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t break them, I¡¯m telling you,e on.¡±

    ¡°I will never forgive you if you even break Yatagarasu!¡±

    Simon roared like a mad dog. Although from his appearance, he only looked like a Pomeranian, it seems to have dealt some psychological damage to Sofie.

    I could tell her beautiful face was painted with sadness behind that magic veil.

    ¡°Listen to me, I never meant to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yea, yea, just leave it at that now.¡±

    Lily made a gant entrance, waving her small hands. It¡¯s really like her to save me from these scenes of carnage and chaos all the time.

    ¡°Sofie, retreat for now.¡±

    br>¡°Kuhh, but, however....¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know of the details but, to make Simon this angry, you are quite something, you know?¡±

    ¡°T-that is... an unfortunate crossing of paths...¡±

    ¡°I will listen to your excuses all you wantter. We will have a reflection meeting now, alright?¡±

    ¡°Gnnn....¡±

    And like that, Lily pulled on Sofie¡¯s robe¡¯s sleeves and took her away.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡ªby going through a rough situation, I was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Geez, it¡¯s cause you get greedy like that¡ª¡±

    My sharp ears heard something along those lines from the hallway but it seems like it would be best not to listen in. I don¡¯t know where that is heading but it looks like that reflection meeting will go on for a while.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what happened but it must have been tough, huh..?¡±

    ¡°Yea, really, it was so tough....¡±

    And that¡¯s how I had to listen to Simon¡¯s story filled with arge amount ofints.

    He actually headed towards the dungeon to test the Gatling gun in action and his prototype rifle¡¯s battle endurance and what not but it seems they only encountered consecutivepletely unexpected troubles.

    Like Sofie bringing a huge horde of goblins, or Sofie breaking the super tough alloy made Gatling gun with her superior ice magic, or Sofie going to sleep beside him when it¡¯s her turn to lookout at night which ultimately led to them being surrounded by a huge army of slime. But that didn¡¯t even matter as Sofie just annihted the whole army of slime with one shot of her original ice magic and the after-math of it broke his prototype rifle. There¡¯s more¡ªSofie did this, Sofie did that¡ªWell, in short, it¡¯s all Sofie¡¯s fault.

    ¡°¨CAnd like that, we were finally able to return today.¡±

    ¡°.....You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    As he finished telling his story, Simon sunk into the chair,pletely exhausted. So I tried brewing tea like Nell and handed it over to him. For now, have some tea and calm down.

    ¡°Even still, isn¡¯t it great that the Gatling gun did good?¡±

    If his crank type Gatling gun which can fire up to 200 rounds a minute operated properly, it means that Simon¡¯s equipment have reached that level of America¡¯s weapon during the civil war time period.

    All the infantry would be blown to bits with just one round of this.

    ¡°Well, yes. I am d I made it in time.¡±

    He held the cup of tea and tried to take a but then realized it was too hot for him and decided to put it down for a while. I gave out a sigh.

    ¡°....It seems like you already know.¡±

    ¡°It would be impossible to not notice. It¡¯s my 2nd time feeling the tensed environment of war.¡±

    Being a pure Spada, Simon had experienced the previous war¡ªThe 4th Ghad war. It was exactly 10 years ago. Simon had just turned 7 then. But even his young mind could feel the tension.

    At that time, Emelia had also just turned 18 years old so after graduating from theological school, she was rounded up as a knight. However, thanks to the war, she took the first step towards bing a young general.

    ¡°Are you not, scared?¡±

    ¡°No, I think I am fine now.¡±

    ¡®But I don¡¯t about when I actually go into the battlefield and am about to die¡¯¨CSimon said, half joking, half serious.

    However, I clearly remember Simon revealing that he was afraid of wars when I visited him after he started theological school.

    And so, I told him that it¡¯s fine if he didn¡¯t fight, it¡¯s fine if he just made weapons. And he actually did end up making weapons. But even still, he ns on going to the battlefield with those weapons. Because I asked him so.

    ¡°Sorry, Simon. You can still¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Simon said softly with a smile, to not make me worry. His emerald eyes looked into mine.

    ¡°I will fight too. Even like this, I am still a man of Spada. Besides¡ª¡±

    Even while carrying sorrow and grief, his eyes shone with determination.

    ¡°I will take revenge for Sousse.¡±

    ¡°.....I see.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I have no reason to stop him anymore.

    I don¡¯t know if the 11th apostle will appear in this war but even still, it¡¯s enough reason to fight against the crusaders.

    ¡°I understand. Then let¡¯s beat the apostles together.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, I am good at shooting.¡±

    Far from the front line where we will be fighting, Simon¡¯s job is to shoot just once. That¡¯s if Sariel really stands out.

    Of course, even if the apostles don¡¯t appear, fighting therge crusader army head to head is risky. There¡¯s no absolute safety in the battlefield.

    ¡°But, even though Iined that much, there¡¯s no mistaking that Sofi is a really strong ice mage so I think I will be fine. I am worried about you, brother, since you will be at the front line.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I am not scared, alright?¡±

    Now that I am rank 5 adventurer, my strength is guaranteed. However, there¡¯s no guarantee that I will not die just because I am strong. Rather, I will have to take risks befitting of that strength. And fighting the apostles would be the riskiest of it all.

    And so, I too am scared of dying.

    ¡°But, I can¡¯t not fight either.¡±

    There¡¯s something I am even more scared of than dying. Something that I do not want to lose even if I die.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too reckless, alright?¡±

    Having such carefree conversation with Simon like that, I spent thest peaceful night in Spada.

    The preparations for the war areplete. I had also said my farewells to the people of Spada.

    Finally, tomorrow, I¡ªno, we, the Element Masters, will be heading out for Ghad fort.

    br>

    Month of Gloom, day 9. As if to bless us on our journey, the morning was splendidly sunny.

    Under the clear blue sky, we, the Element Masters, quietly left the dorm and headed for the main gate of the royal Spada theological school to get the horses.

    Lily and I got on Merry. And thanks to Merry¡¯s younger sister, Mary, didn¡¯t show any sign of shock or fear seeing herpletely changed sister, Fiona was able to ride her and silently follow us.

    Riding on the horse was gentle. Because just beside us, Simon also tagged along to see us off from the main gate.

    ¡°Sorry, I am the only one departingte.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You have no choice until your necessary equipment are done.¡±

    Because Sofie¡¯s right handpletely destroyed the Gatling gun¡ªthat wasn¡¯t all there was to it. No matter how much of a virtuoso Reghin is, there¡¯s a limit.

    As ¡®The Grid¡¯ prioritized on finishing our weapon first, Simon¡¯s one ended up gettingte.

    More so because the anti-Sariel sniper had to be specially made from scratch.

    ¡°I will probably make it in time for the 2nd battle.¡±

    We will be heading towards Ghad fort as the fourth squad, ¡®diators¡¯.

    As soon as the information of the crusaders advancing was received, the first once to move was king Leonhart with the first squad, ¡®Brave Heart¡¯ and then Spada¡¯s standing army, second squad ¡®Tempest¡¯, lead by Simon¡¯s elder sister Emelia.

    The king and the elder sister¡¯s army had already reached Ghad fort and was eagerly waiting for the crusaders¡¯ arrival. As they met up with the third squad ¡®Rampage¡¯ which was on stand by there, the whole army of Spada had gathered in one fort.

    Among all that, since the ¡®diators¡¯ were formed after the war with the crusaders was confirmed, it is only natural for us to bete in departingpared to the standing army. And even though there are some adventurers of Spada who want to participate in the war, there are also a lot of them still in dungeons for quests and haven¡¯t received the information.

    As the news of Spada going into war had spread to the neighboring cities and states, they would know if they just get to a city. Even today, there were many adventurers seen hurrying back to the city to take part in the war.

    Either way, because of these reasons, ¡®diators¡¯ was broken into several portions and were to be sent to Ghad fort in order. As we are the 4th squad officially, we were a part of the army and so were moving in formation. Although it would be a vition of order if someone were to rush ahead, it seems most of it is tolerated.

    As the adventurers¡ªor the diator members now gathered, we departed for the fort and were also defending the war provisions heading there. The enemy isn¡¯t just the crusaders. Even though we weren¡¯t crossing any dungeons, when you are apart from the city, there will be wild monsters so the provisions need to be guarded.

    ¡°Even when we reach, the crusaders¡¯ attack probably won¡¯t start. So you won¡¯t be departingte or an¡ªhmm, looks like something is going at the main gate.¡±

    We had reached the main gate while I was talking with Simon but a crowd of people seems to have gathered in front of it.

    ¡°Did they all gather to see you off?¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Are we perhaps really popr¡ª¡±

    ¡°A lot of the adventurers from the adventurer course will be participating as well after all.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that is true...¡±

    Destroying my expectations right after raising it, my ss heart got slightly hurt. There are a lotta adventurers except us who are heading for the Ghad fort. Just as Fiona had said, quite a few people from our adventurer course will be participating. After all, the school was filled with topics like ¡®who will go and who will not¡¯ these days.

    Although it is a very prestigious act to go and fight for one¡¯s country, there¡¯s no one who can really be happy from the bottom of their heart sending people to war. Everyone would leave their precious people and head for the battlefield. There¡¯s no one not prepared for a final farewell.

    As we got even closer to the main gate, I could spot many people seeing others off with teary eyes.

    Everyone from the adventurer course are not necessarily young boys or girls but generally, there are more young people. Although you could understand both parties¡¯ standing from their appearance, the atmosphere there felt like that of a graduation ceremony.

    Looking at a magician girl gather up in a circle together with her female friends and crying or looking at arge man in full armor silently shake one of the male students hand, my tear nds were stimted.

    It was when we were just about to cross the main gate of the school,

    ¡°Fuuhahahaha! The time for war hase! The curtains rise on the 5th fateful war in Ghad and it is finally time for the Nightmare Berserker to go up to the stage called the battlefield! Tonight, the legendary 2nd page will be drawn, only second to that of Iskia¡ª¡±

    Spada¡¯s second prince had appeared, shouting out lengthy substance less phrases.

    With a perfectly arranged hairstyle and a newly bought monocle shining in the sun. He was wearing a ck zer and had a red cloak fluttering behind. He was grandly standing in front of the main gate.

    Ah, he waspletely waiting for this, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Haa.... that¡¯s a lotta things you messed up, Will...¡±

    It¡¯s not like he can¡¯t read the atmosphere. No, it might be precisely because he read the atmosphere.

    ¡°Hm, Kurono. Spada¡¯s royalty never shows tears to the knights heading for the battlefield.¡±

    That¡¯s right, my friend¡ªno, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call him my best friend at this point, Will. I have to say farewell to him as well today.

    ¡°But, thanks foring to see me off.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you are going into war to protect this Spada. I can¡¯t call myself your sworn friend if I didn¡¯t see you off here, could I? No, it¡¯s probably not enough to just see you off, since I can¡¯t stand next to you in war because I am royalty....¡±

    Will was in charge of quietly staying in Spada, without going to war. Although there are plenty reason for him to not go to war¡ªlike him beingpletely unreliable in battle or because of him still being a student, the number one reason was to preserve the royal blood.

    As the king and the first prince is taking part in this war, it is only appropriate to prepare for an unexpected situation. It¡¯s only natural for them to decide to put the 2nd prince in a safe ce.

    Even if Will were to try and sneak out of the castle with a rifle to go to war, he would be restrained and taken back. By Celia, the guard maid, who was quietly standing behind.

    Of course, as Will is smart, he knows his position and his skills and that¡¯s why he came to see us off.

    ¡°As such, I have gathered all the people who are also praying for your triumphal return! Now, everyone, it is time for legendary departure of the Element Master lead by Nightmare Berserker Kurno! We will see them off with a grand apuse!¡±

    The moment he spread out his arms, looking up at the sky like in a drama¡ªa thunderous apuse could be heard.

    All the students surrounding us pped and cheered for us.

    Telling us to ¡®protect Spada¡¯.

    br>¡°Will, the people gathered here, are they perhaps...¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they are the students you saved in Iskia.¡±

    When I looked around closely, I could spot some familiar faces.

    I didn¡¯t speak with them in Iskia castle or in the celebration party so I thought they might be avoiding me but it seems that isn¡¯t the case. It was probably just hard to approach me.

    The ones I have talked to here are probably only Eddie and Shenna, who were standing in front. They somehow end up facing unfortunate situations but I want this childhood couple to be happy.

    Ah, now that I look closely, I could even see my number one fan, to whom I gifted my sign. She had a small figure and was being crushed by the crowd but still looked up at me with shining eyes. I should work hard enough to not be hated by my fan.

    Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even know her name. Ipletely forgot to ask her. No, not just hers, I could have asked the names of everyone gathered here.

    I could have be a friend from a saver if I walked up to them and talked. To think I would realize this after all of them gathered up and cheered for us. I somewhat feel pathetic.

    ¡°Thank you, nothing could make me happier than this. I will definitely protect Spada.¡±

    Although I have slight regrets remaining, in my heart, I could feel courage seething out. They are the people I protected for the first time. I will protect them again, for the 2nd time, for the 3rd time, no matter how many times it takes.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s very much like you. Those are strong, reassuring words. With that, we can stay back here with a piece of mind as well.¡±

    As Will was nodding, Simon went behind him and pulled on his cloak.

    ¡°Now, now, Will. You shouldn¡¯t keep them here long. They need to make it in time for assembly.¡±

    ¡°Hm, right, sorry. Although I am reluctant, you should go now, Kurono.¡±

    If I stay here any longer, it will be harder to leave. I, too, feel reluctant but I must move forward.

    ¡°Yeah. See ya, Will, Simon.¡±

    And just when I was about to move ahead again,

    ¡°Wait! Kurono!¡±

    A female student jumped right in the middle of the front gate. An angel like figure, with wings spreading from behind her. There¡¯s no way I could mistake her or her voice.

    ¡°Nell...¡±

    Avalon¡¯s first princess and one of the few friends I made in Spada. Nell Julius Elrod. She also came out here to bid me farewell.

 Chapter 409 The time for the two to go separate ways

    ¡°U-umm¡­ Kurono-kun¡­ I¡­¡±

    Nell came jumping in front of me. I haven¡¯t seen her since Asbell vige.

    However, now she felt more like the time when I visited her at night during that thunder storm rather than that time after the Fenril subjugation. No, maybe even worse than that.

    The corners of her eyes were dark. Even her blue eyes looking straight at me seemed like they lost their radiance.

    ¡°¡­..Nell, I am happy, we got to meet before parting.¡±

    That clears my regret. While feeling relieved, I got off Merry once again.

    And when I actually stood in front of her, she looked even more depressed. As if she might break with just a touch.

    ¡°I heard from Lily. You¡¯re returning to Avalon, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¨C?!¡±

    It is true that it didn¡¯t turn into a rumor inside the school yet but one can easily understand the reasons behind it with a little thinking. No, maybe no one even bothered making it the topic since it was too obvious.

    No matter if they are the Wing Lord, Nell and Nero are the royalty of another country. There¡¯s no way they would have the leeway to participate in Spada¡¯s wars.

    ¡°It will be lonely without you but I am d. You will surely be safe if you go to Avalon.¡±

    She will certainly be safe there. However, I don¡¯t know how we would meet again. If she returns to Avalon, chances are high that she will just remain there.

    It is difficult to say that Spada¡¯s situation is stable now that a war is breaking out. Daidaros was also an opposing country but it has already been 10 years since thest war with them.

    Spada is literally the front line in the war between the city-state alliance at the center of the Pandora continent and the invading army. It¡¯s hard to think that she will be allowed to study in a country like this again.

    Moreover, since she won¡¯t be another student of the academy, there would be no chances for us to meet since I am just an adventurer.

    Even before Lily told mest night, I saw iting.

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I-I, no matter how dangerous the situation, I wanted to be with you, Kurono-kun!¡±

    We might not be able to meet ever again. It seems I didn¡¯t even need to confirm that. She must have been holding it back. The tears came flowing down her cheeks.

    This is my 3rd time seeing her tears. How many times do I have to make her cry?

    ¡°Thank you. You saying that is enough for me.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry¡­ I, can¡¯t do anything¡­¡±

    Nell even came with us to Iskia to protect her allies. Even when she knew the risk, she didn¡¯t hesitate.

    ¡°¡­..Kurono-kun.. at the very least¡­ could you, at least, ept this¡­?¡±

    Her tears showed no signs of stopping as she held out her trembling hand, on which lied one white feather. It was a beautiful white feather, giving out a dim and faint light. But I had seen it before.

    ¡°This is¡­ Area Guard Feather?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ The one I gave you before was made from my inexperienced divine protection but this is aplete artifact, made by the head shrine maiden of Avalon.¡±

    Now that she mentions it, it does give off a stronger magic presence than the previous one. But the size and appearance is simr and Nell¡¯s one was also quite good.

    ¡°But, is that okay? Isn¡¯t this something you should be keeping¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am, fine. I want you to have it, Kurono-kun¡­ This will surely protect you again..¡±

    I nearly escaped death before because of the charm Nell gave before. This is possibly the best blessing.

    ¡°Thank you, Nell.¡±

    If Ie back alive, I will go return this. Although I don¡¯t know if I can give it to her personally once she goes goes back to the princess status. Even so, it will work as hope to definitely make it back alive.

    And so, I obediently took the true Area Guard Feather from Nell and put it in the chest pocket like before.

    ¡°Ah, right, in return¡­ well, I don¡¯t think I will ever be able repay you for all the things you did for me but, I would like you to ept something as well.¡±

    I held out my arm and used Shadow Gate to bring out Nell¡¯s present from my cuffs.

    Normally, Hitsugi would lead the deposits and withdrawals by dimension but for some reason she didn¡¯t react this time. She might reading the atmosphere. It has been a while since I selected something of my own will.

    And then, from the shadows, a pinball sized gem came rolling onto my hand. At first nce, its radiance looks simr to ck Opal. Inside the shining sphere, one could see jet ck and crimson color flickering like a me. But it was cold to the touch.

    The red light which kept flickering without maintaining a form looked like it was made from magic.

    ¡°Eh, no way¡­ this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an artifact or not, though.¡±

    I said with a bitter smile.

    This is a gem I bought while preparing for the war alone before Lily and Fiona returned.

    Although I returned from Asbell vige desperately, after learning the details from Will, I got more than enough time and room to calm down. And that¡¯s when I bought it as a present for Nell but who would have thought it would be as a parting gift?

    Ever since Lily told me Nell would be returning to her country, I wanted to give this to her by all means and fortunately am blessed with a chance like this.

    ¡°You see, it seems they couldn¡¯t understand its name nor effect even after an appraisal. But, since it¡¯s a treasure excavated from an ancient ruin in Avalon, there¡¯s no mistake that it¡¯s a gem and has value.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I am being stingy about buying a normal gem. Since it¡¯s glowing and has magic inside, there¡¯s no mistaking that it has value as a gem and a magic stone.

    But still, since the details are unclear, it isn¡¯t evenparable to the artifact gem Lily has.

    There are several patterns when the effect can¡¯t be understood even after an appraisal. The mostmon one is that there¡¯s no effect. The next mostmon one is that the effect is so low that magic can¡¯t detect it. Andstly, the effect is so enormously big that appraisal magic can¡¯t measure it.

    Such arge effect is called an ancient since it deviates from the model system and it only manifests in ces with extremely strong monsters. As such, there¡¯s a very low chance of something like that going around the market¡ªa chance even lower than winning a lottery.

    And if I were to add, I bought this from Mordred weapons¡¯ shop and not a gem/magic stone shop so that tells me that the chances are high that it¡¯s not that valuable. But it was on the excavated product corner and Mordred president also rmended it so the chances are not zero either.

    ¡°But if you have it with you, Nell, I feel like it might show some amazing effect. And so it might have a value high enough to even surprise the Avalon¡¯s royalty¡ªthat¡¯s what I am hoping.¡±

    I worried over this a lot¨Cwhether to give this to her as a present.

    After all, she is a princess. Even things I think of as ¡®uwah?! so expensive?!¡¯ is probably like ¡®ara, is it that cheap? ufufu¡¯ to Nell.

    And I don¡¯t even know the brands or what kind of designs she likes. Besides that, stuff whiche in handy for an adventurer also doesn¡¯t feel right to give as a present.

    And so, I decided to have luck decide the value of the present for me. Although now that I am actually giving it to her, I feel my judgement has been bad.

    The reason behind thinking that is, Nell just kept listening to my present exnation and didn¡¯t say anything. Tears still didn¡¯t stop flowing from her eyes.

    ¡°¡­.Sorry, I should have gotten something a bit more appropriate. Just a gem like this is a bit¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±

    Just when I was about to withdraw my hands, Nell stopped me with both her hands. Her soft, white hands covered my wrist gently. And she also gripped really hard, as if to never let go.

    ¡°I¡­ I am very happy¡­ If it¡¯s a present from Kurono-kun, anything is fine¡­¡±

    The feelings are what matters when giving a present. Even such lip service sounded true whening from a beautiful angelic girl while she holds your hand.

    No, at the very least, Nell would have been happy no matter what I gave her. Even a cheap gem or a potion.

    And so, hearing her say that made me feel that she understood how I felt.

    ¡°I am really grateful to you, Nell. Thank you for everything¡ª¡±

    I wish I could have expressed it with better words but at this point, such simple words were the only thing which came to mind. If I start revealing any more of my feelings, ¡®reluctant to part¡¯ would be the least of my worries. And I might not even be able to stop crying if I start once.

    And so, I expressed my gratitude and had her ept my present. That¡¯s good enough for a farewell with a friend.

    ¡°¡­..No.¡±

    However, Nell kept holding my hand and didn¡¯t let go. She should know that I am trying to leave.

    ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t¡­ say that¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Nell. I will be leaving now.¡±

    I gently softened Nell¡¯s grip with my free left hand.

    Nell just gazed at me doing it and didn¡¯t resist. Just that the tears flowing from her eyes just kept increasing.

    Just when I finished undoing her grip, she broke out in even more tears and didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°¡ªno! I don¡¯t want to part! I don¡¯t want to part with Kurono-kun!¡±

    However, once I let go of her hands, she came at me with her whole body.

    Although I was surprised, I just quietly let her hug me. I can¡¯t possibly push her aside now that she has bepletely like a sobbing child.

    ¡°Nell¡­.¡±

    Having said that, I also don¡¯t have the determination to hug her back.

    It¡¯s not like I feel resistance hugging a princess in front of everyone. It¡¯s just that¡­ I am scared I will not be able to let her go if I hug her once. Even though I was able to undo her tight grip, I am not so sure about her passionate hug. I don¡¯t know.. I don¡¯t have the confidence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ Please, please¡­ don¡¯t go anywhere¡­¡±

    Nell herself probably knows she is asking for the impossible. But even then, she probably can¡¯t help saying it. Her losing control so much is also proof to how much she cares about me.

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to be apart. I wanted to talk more. I also wanted you to teach me magic till the end. Now that I think about it, I have only been on the receiving end of favors.. and we didn¡¯t even go have fun¡­ I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s fine with me.. If I can just stay beside you, Kurono-kun¡­¡±

    She raised her face which was buried in my chest and smiled.

    On the other hand, I am not sure if friendship is the only thing I have for her. No, I am undoubtedly feeling attracted to Nell. There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t be feeling it.

    ¡°I am sorry, Nell¡ª¡±

    And so, I finally hugged her back. I firmly embraced her weak body as she kept crying.

    ¡®Ah¡¯¨CNell let out a small voice in surprise. I wonder what kind of a face she is making right now. I am curious but I can¡¯t see.

    Avoiding her big wings, I had my left hand go around her waist and my right gently on her head. She also can¡¯t see my face but she probably can hear my loud heart.

    Reluctance to part, love and a bit of lust made me hug her back. It seems my rationale or self-control isn¡¯t that good.

    But this is the end so it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°¨CThank you. Goodbye.¡±

    Cutting apart all lingering affection with those words, I let Nell go. I half forced her away by pushing her shoulders.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ahhh¡­. wait, Kurono-kun¡­.¡±

    To escape Nell¡¯s hands which extended for the third time, I nimbly got on Merry. Without looking at her, I just looked straight at the road I must cross.

    Even then, her despair filled expression was burnt into my brain like a curse and attacked me incessantly.

    ¡°¡­.Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say it specifically to anyone. I just let myself hear it and ordered my horse to move forward.

    With a loud neigh, Merry took a strong first step forward filled with dark red auro.

    ¡°¨CGo! Go ande back, Kurono! I shall pray for your continued luck in battles, Element Master!!¡±

    Will finally raised his voice, erasing Nell¡¯s crying voice. He probably did it on purpose. He probably knew how hard it would be for me to listen to her cry.

    As gratitude to his consideration and with my feelings of ¡®leave Spada to me¡¯, I thrust my right hand in the air. I didn¡¯t look back. I only need to proceed forward.

    As if to signal that, once again, apuds and cheers broke out from the people around us. With raging waves of cheers pushing our back, we crossed the front gate.

    I couldn¡¯t hear Nell¡¯s voice anymore.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono.¡±

    Lily called out, looking at me with beady eyes. She was in front of me, using my belly as the back of chair.

    ¡°It was good that you got to have a proper farewell with Nell, huh?¡±

    She said with an affectionate smile.

    Ah, am I being consoled now? ¨C I thought, as a drop of water fell on Nell¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Her small hands wiped my tears. I felt a bit ticklish as her soft fingers followed the tear on my face.

    ¡°Thanks, Lily. I am fine¡­¡±

    Yeah, I am fine. With this, I am done with all the farewells. All the sad and painful farewells are done.

    All that¡¯s left is to fight¨C

 Chapter 410 Gladiator

    Chapter 410

    ¡°No, I think I am fine now . ¡±

    ¡®But I don¡¯t about when I actually go into the battlefield and am about to die¡¯¨CSimon said, half joking, half serious .

    However, I clearly remember Simon revealing that he was afraid of wars when I visited him after he started theological school .

    And so, I told him that it¡¯s fine if he didn¡¯t fight, it¡¯s fine if he just made weapons . And he actually did end up making weapons . But even still, he ns on going to the battlefield with those weapons . Because I asked him so .

    ¡°Sorry, Simon . You can still¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Simon said softly with a smile, to not make me worry . His emerald eyes looked into mine .

    ¡°I will fight too . Even like this, I am still a man of Spada . Besides¡ª¡±

    Even while carrying sorrow and grief, his eyes shone with determination .

    ¡°I will take revenge for Sousse . ¡±

    ¡°¡­ . . I see . ¡±

    ¡°Yes . ¡±

    I have no reason to stop him anymore .

    I don¡¯t know if the 11th apostle will appear in this war but even still, it¡¯s enough reason to fight against the crusaders .

    ¡°I understand . Then let¡¯s beat the apostles together . ¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, I am good at shooting . ¡±

    Far from the front line where we will be fighting, Simon¡¯s job is to shoot just once . That¡¯s if Sariel really stands out .

    Of course, even if the apostles don¡¯t appear, fighting therge crusader army head to head is risky . There¡¯s no absolute safety in the battlefield .

    ¡°But, even though Iined that much, there¡¯s no mistaking that Sofi is a really strong ice mage so I think I will be fine . I am worried about you, brother, since you will be at the front line . ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I am not scared, alright?¡±

    Now that I am rank 5 adventurer, my strength is guaranteed . However, there¡¯s no guarantee that I will not die just because I am strong . Rather, I will have to take risks befitting of that strength . And fighting the apostles would be the riskiest of it all .

    And so, I too am scared of dying .

    ¡°But, I can¡¯t not fight either . ¡±

    There¡¯s something I am even more scared of than dying . Something that I do not want to lose even if I die .

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too reckless, alright?¡±

    Having such carefree conversation with Simon like that, I spent thest peaceful night in Spada .

    The preparations for the war areplete . I had also said my farewells to the people of Spada .

    Finally, tomorrow, I¡ªno, we, the Element Masters, will be heading out for Ghad fort .

    Month of Gloom, day 9 . As if to bless us on our journey, the morning was splendidly sunny .

    Under the clear blue sky, we, the Element Masters, quietly left the dorm and headed for the main gate of the royal Spada theological school to get the horses .

    Lily and I got on Merry . And thanks to Merry¡¯s younger sister, Mary, didn¡¯t show any sign of shock or fear seeing herpletely changed sister, Fiona was able to ride her and silently follow us .

    Riding on the horse was gentle . Because just beside us, Simon also tagged along to see us off from the main gate .

    ¡°Sorry, I am the only one departingte . ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it . You have no choice until your necessary equipment are done . ¡±

    Because Sofie¡¯s right handpletely destroyed the Gatling gun¡ªthat wasn¡¯t all there was to it . No matter how much of a virtuoso Reghin is, there¡¯s a limit .

    As ¡®The Grid¡¯ prioritized on finishing our weapon first, Simon¡¯s one ended up gettingte .

    More so because the anti-Sariel sniper had to be specially made from scratch .

    ¡°I will probably make it in time for the 2nd battle . ¡±

    We will be heading towards Ghad fort as the fourth squad, ¡®diators¡¯ .

    As soon as the information of the crusaders advancing was received, the first once to move was king Leonhart with the first squad, ¡®Brave Heart¡¯ and then Spada¡¯s standing army, second squad ¡®Tempest¡¯, lead by Simon¡¯s elder sister Emelia .

    The king and the elder sister¡¯s army had already reached Ghad fort and was eagerly waiting for the crusaders¡¯ arrival . As they met up with the third squad ¡®Rampage¡¯ which was on stand by there, the whole army of Spada had gathered in one fort .

    Among all that, since the ¡®diators¡¯ were formed after the war with the crusaders was confirmed, it is only natural for us to bete in departingpared to the standing army . And even though there are some adventurers of Spada who want to participate in the war, there are also a lot of them still in dungeons for quests and haven¡¯t received the information .

    As the news of Spada going into war had spread to the neighboring cities and states, they would know if they just get to a city . Even today, there were many adventurers seen hurrying back to the city to take part in the war .

    Either way, because of these reasons, ¡®diators¡¯ was broken into several portions and were to be sent to Ghad fort in order . As we are the 4th squad officially, we were a part of the army and so were moving in formation . Although it would be a vition of order if someone were to rush ahead, it seems most of it is tolerated .

    As the adventurers¡ªor the diator members now gathered, we departed for the fort and were also defending the war provisions heading there . The enemy isn¡¯t just the crusaders . Even though we weren¡¯t crossing any dungeons, when you are apart from the city, there will be wild monsters so the provisions need to be guarded .

    ¡°Even when we reach, the crusaders¡¯ attack probably won¡¯t start . So you won¡¯t be departingte or an¡ªhmm, looks like something is going at the main gate . ¡±

    We had reached the main gate while I was talking with Simon but a crowd of people seems to have gathered in front of it .

    ¡°Did they all gather to see you off?¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Are we perhaps really popr¡ª¡±

    ¡°A lot of the adventurers from the adventurer course will be participating as well after all . ¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess that is true¡­¡±

    Destroying my expectations right after raising it, my ss heart got slightly hurt . There are a lotta adventurers except us who are heading for the Ghad fort . Just as Fiona had said, quite a few people from our adventurer course will be participating . After all, the school was filled with topics like ¡®who will go and who will not¡¯ these days .

 Chapter 411 Divine Protection Contract Theory

    Chapter 411

    Although it is a very prestigious act to go and fight for one¡¯s country, there¡¯s no one who can really be happy from the bottom of their heart sending people to war . Everyone would leave their precious people and head for the battlefield . There¡¯s no one not prepared for a final farewell .

    As we got even closer to the main gate, I could spot many people seeing others off with teary eyes .

    Everyone from the adventurer course are not necessarily young boys or girls but generally, there are more young people . Although you could understand both parties¡¯ standing from their appearance, the atmosphere there felt like that of a graduation ceremony .

    Looking at a magician girl gather up in a circle together with her female friends and crying or looking at arge man in full armor silently shake one of the male students hand, my tear nds were stimted .

    It was when we were just about to cross the main gate of the school,

    ¡°Fuuhahahaha! The time for war hase! The curtains rise on the 5th fateful war in Ghad and it is finally time for the Nightmare Berserker to go up to the stage called the battlefield! Tonight, the legendary 2nd page will be drawn, only second to that of Iskia¡ª¡±

    Spada¡¯s second prince had appeared, shouting out lengthy substance less phrases .

    With a perfectly arranged hairstyle and a newly bought monocle shining in the sun . He was wearing a ck zer and had a red cloak fluttering behind . He was grandly standing in front of the main gate .

    Ah, he waspletely waiting for this, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Haa¡­ . that¡¯s a lotta things you messed up, Will¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not like he can¡¯t read the atmosphere . No, it might be precisely because he read the atmosphere .

    ¡°Hm, Kurono . Spada¡¯s royalty never shows tears to the knights heading for the battlefield . ¡±

    That¡¯s right, my friend¡ªno, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call him my best friend at this point, Will . I have to say farewell to him as well today .

    ¡°But, thanks foring to see me off . ¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you are going into war to protect this Spada . I can¡¯t call myself your sworn friend if I didn¡¯t see you off here, could I? No, it¡¯s probably not enough to just see you off, since I can¡¯t stand next to you in war because I am royalty¡­ . ¡±

    Will was in charge of quietly staying in Spada, without going to war . Although there are plenty reason for him to not go to war¡ªlike him beingpletely unreliable in battle or because of him still being a student, the number one reason was to preserve the royal blood .

    As the king and the first prince is taking part in this war, it is only appropriate to prepare for an unexpected situation . It¡¯s only natural for them to decide to put the 2nd prince in a safe ce .

    Even if Will were to try and sneak out of the castle with a rifle to go to war, he would be restrained and taken back . By Celia, the guard maid, who was quietly standing behind .

    Of course, as Will is smart, he knows his position and his skills and that¡¯s why he came to see us off .

    ¡°As such, I have gathered all the people who are also praying for your triumphal return! Now, everyone, it is time for legendary departure of the Element Master lead by Nightmare Berserker Kurno! We will see them off with a grand apuse!¡±

    The moment he spread out his arms, looking up at the sky like in a drama¡ªa thunderous apuse could be heard .

    All the students surrounding us pped and cheered for us .

    Telling us to ¡®protect Spada¡¯ .

    ¡°Will, the people gathered here, are they perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they are the students you saved in Iskia . ¡±

    When I looked around closely, I could spot some familiar faces .

    I didn¡¯t speak with them in Iskia castle or in the celebration party so I thought they might be avoiding me but it seems that isn¡¯t the case . It was probably just hard to approach me .

    The ones I have talked to here are probably only Eddie and Shenna, who were standing in front . They somehow end up facing unfortunate situations but I want this childhood couple to be happy .

    Ah, now that I look closely, I could even see my number one fan, to whom I gifted my sign . She had a small figure and was being crushed by the crowd but still looked up at me with shining eyes . I should work hard enough to not be hated by my fan .

    Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even know her name . Ipletely forgot to ask her . No, not just hers, I could have asked the names of everyone gathered here .

    I could have be a friend from a saver if I walked up to them and talked . To think I would realize this after all of them gathered up and cheered for us . I somewhat feel pathetic .

    ¡°Thank you, nothing could make me happier than this . I will definitely protect Spada . ¡±

    Although I have slight regrets remaining, in my heart, I could feel courage seething out . They are the people I protected for the first time . I will protect them again, for the 2nd time, for the 3rd time, no matter how many times it takes .

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s very much like you . Those are strong, reassuring words . With that, we can stay back here with a piece of mind as well . ¡±

    As Will was nodding, Simon went behind him and pulled on his cloak .

    ¡°Now, now, Will . You shouldn¡¯t keep them here long . They need to make it in time for assembly . ¡±

    ¡°Hm, right, sorry . Although I am reluctant, you should go now, Kurono . ¡±

    If I stay here any longer, it will be harder to leave . I, too, feel reluctant but I must move forward .

    ¡°Yeah . See ya, Will, Simon . ¡±

    And just when I was about to move ahead again,

    ¡°Wait! Kurono!¡±

    A female student jumped right in the middle of the front gate . An angel like figure, with wings spreading from behind her . There¡¯s no way I could mistake her or her voice .

    ¡°Nell¡­¡±

    Avalon¡¯s first princess and one of the few friends I made in Spada . Nell Julius Elrod . She also came out here to bid me farewell .

 Chapter 412 Galahad For

    Chapter 412

    ¡°U-umm¡­ Kurono-kun¡­ I¡­¡±

    Nell came jumping in front of me . I haven¡¯t seen her since Asbell vige .

    However, now she felt more like the time when I visited her at night during that thunder storm rather than that time after the Fenril subjugation . No, maybe even worse than that .

    The corners of her eyes were dark . Even her blue eyes looking straight at me seemed like they lost their radiance .

    ¡°¡­ . . Nell, I am happy, we got to meet before parting . ¡±

    That clears my regret . While feeling relieved, I got off Merry once again .

    And when I actually stood in front of her, she looked even more depressed . As if she might break with just a touch .

    ¡°I heard from Lily . You¡¯re returning to Avalon, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¨C?!¡±

    It is true that it didn¡¯t turn into a rumor inside the school yet but one can easily understand the reasons behind it with a little thinking . No, maybe no one even bothered making it the topic since it was too obvious .

    No matter if they are the Wing Lord, Nell and Nero are the royalty of another country . There¡¯s no way they would have the leeway to participate in Spada¡¯s wars .

    ¡°It will be lonely without you but I am d . You will surely be safe if you go to Avalon . ¡±

    She will certainly be safe there . However, I don¡¯t know how we would meet again . If she returns to Avalon, chances are high that she will just remain there .

    It is difficult to say that Spada¡¯s situation is stable now that a war is breaking out . Daidaros was also an opposing country but it has already been 10 years since thest war with them .

    Spada is literally the front line in the war between the city-state alliance at the center of the Pandora continent and the invading army . It¡¯s hard to think that she will be allowed to study in a country like this again .

    Moreover, since she won¡¯t be another student of the academy, there would be no chances for us to meet since I am just an adventurer .

    Even before Lily told mest night, I saw iting .

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I-I, no matter how dangerous the situation, I wanted to be with you, Kurono-kun!¡±

    We might not be able to meet ever again . It seems I didn¡¯t even need to confirm that . She must have been holding it back . The tears came flowing down her cheeks .

    This is my 3rd time seeing her tears . How many times do I have to make her cry?

    ¡°Thank you . You saying that is enough for me . ¡±

    ¡°I am sorry¡­ I, can¡¯t do anything¡­¡±

    Nell even came with us to Iskia to protect her allies . Even when she knew the risk, she didn¡¯t hesitate .

    ¡°¡­ . . Kurono-kun . . at the very least¡­ could you, at least, ept this¡­?¡±

    Her tears showed no signs of stopping as she held out her trembling hand, on which lied one white feather . It was a beautiful white feather, giving out a dim and faint light . But I had seen it before .

    ¡°This is¡­ Area Guard Feather?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ The one I gave you before was made from my inexperienced divine protection but this is aplete artifact, made by the head shrine maiden of Avalon . ¡±

    Now that she mentions it, it does give off a stronger magic presence than the previous one . But the size and appearance is simr and Nell¡¯s one was also quite good .

    ¡°But, is that okay? Isn¡¯t this something you should be keeping¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am, fine . I want you to have it, Kurono-kun¡­ This will surely protect you again . . ¡±

    I nearly escaped death before because of the charm Nell gave before . This is possibly the best blessing .

    ¡°Thank you, Nell . ¡±

    If Ie back alive, I will go return this . Although I don¡¯t know if I can give it to her personally once she goes goes back to the princess status . Even so, it will work as hope to definitely make it back alive .

    And so, I obediently took the true Area Guard Feather from Nell and put it in the chest pocket like before .

    ¡°Ah, right, in return¡­ well, I don¡¯t think I will ever be able repay you for all the things you did for me but, I would like you to ept something as well . ¡±

    I held out my arm and used Shadow Gate to bring out Nell¡¯s present from my cuffs .

    Normally, Hitsugi would lead the deposits and withdrawals by dimension but for some reason she didn¡¯t react this time . She might reading the atmosphere . It has been a while since I selected something of my own will .

    And then, from the shadows, a pinball sized gem came rolling onto my hand . At first nce, its radiance looks simr to ck Opal . Inside the shining sphere, one could see jet ck and crimson color flickering like a me . But it was cold to the touch .

    The red light which kept flickering without maintaining a form looked like it was made from magic .

    ¡°Eh, no way¡­ this is¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an artifact or not, though . ¡±

    I said with a bitter smile .

    This is a gem I bought while preparing for the war alone before Lily and Fiona returned .

    Although I returned from Asbell vige desperately, after learning the details from Will, I got more than enough time and room to calm down . And that¡¯s when I bought it as a present for Nell but who would have thought it would be as a parting gift?

    Ever since Lily told me Nell would be returning to her country, I wanted to give this to her by all means and fortunately am blessed with a chance like this .

    ¡°You see, it seems they couldn¡¯t understand its name nor effect even after an appraisal . But, since it¡¯s a treasure excavated from an ancient ruin in Avalon, there¡¯s no mistake that it¡¯s a gem and has value . ¡±

    It¡¯s not like I am being stingy about buying a normal gem . Since it¡¯s glowing and has magic inside, there¡¯s no mistaking that it has value as a gem and a magic stone .

    But still, since the details are unclear, it isn¡¯t evenparable to the artifact gem Lily has .

    There are several patterns when the effect can¡¯t be understood even after an appraisal . The mostmon one is that there¡¯s no effect . The next mostmon one is that the effect is so low that magic can¡¯t detect it . Andstly, the effect is so enormously big that appraisal magic can¡¯t measure it .

    Such arge effect is called an ancient since it deviates from the model system and it only manifests in ces with extremely strong monsters . As such, there¡¯s a very low chance of something like that going around the market¡ªa chance even lower than winning a lottery .

    And if I were to add, I bought this from Mordred weapons¡¯ shop and not a gem/magic stone shop so that tells me that the chances are high that it¡¯s not that valuable . But it was on the excavated product corner and Mordred president also rmended it so the chances are not zero either .

    ¡°But if you have it with you, Nell, I feel like it might show some amazing effect . And so it might have a value high enough to even surprise the Avalon¡¯s royalty¡ªthat¡¯s what I am hoping . ¡±

 CHAPTER 413

    I worried over this a lot¨Cwhether to give this to her as a present.

    After all, she is a princess. Even things I think of as ¡®uwah?! so expensive?!¡¯ is probably like ¡®ara, is it that cheap? ufufu¡¯ to Nell.

    And I don¡¯t even know the brands or what kind of designs she likes. Besides that, stuff whiche in handy for an adventurer also doesn¡¯t feel right to give as a present.

    And so, I decided to have luck decide the value of the present for me. Although now that I am actually giving it to her, I feel my judgement has been bad.

    The reason behind thinking that is, Nell just kept listening to my present exnation and didn¡¯t say anything. Tears still didn¡¯t stop flowing from her eyes.

    ¡°....Sorry, I should have gotten something a bit more appropriate. Just a gem like this is a bit¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±

    Just when I was about to withdraw my hands, Nell stopped me with both her hands. Her soft, white hands covered my wrist gently. And she also gripped really hard, as if to never let go.

    ¡°I... I am very happy... If it¡¯s a present from Kurono-kun, anything is fine...¡±

    The feelings are what matters when giving a present. Even such lip service sounded true whening from a beautiful angelic girl while she holds your hand.

    No, at the very least, Nell would have been happy no matter what I gave her. Even a cheap gem or a potion.

    And so, hearing her say that made me feel that she understood how I felt.

    ¡°I am really grateful to you, Nell. Thank you for everything¡ª¡±

    I wish I could have expressed it with better words but at this point, such simple words were the only thing which came to mind. If I start revealing any more of my feelings, ¡®reluctant to part¡¯ would be the least of my worries. And I might not even be able to stop crying if I start once.

    And so, I expressed my gratitude and had her ept my present. That¡¯s good enough for a farewell with a friend.

    ¡°.....No.¡±

    However, Nell kept holding my hand and didn¡¯t let go. She should know that I am trying to leave.

    ¡°No... don¡¯t... say that...¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Nell. I will be leaving now.¡±

    I gently softened Nell¡¯s grip with my free left hand.

    Nell just gazed at me doing it and didn¡¯t resist. Just that the tears flowing from her eyes just kept increasing.

    Just when I finished undoing her grip, she broke out in even more tears and didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°¡ªno! I don¡¯t want to part! I don¡¯t want to part with Kurono-kun!¡±

    However, once I let go of her hands, she came at me with her whole body.

    Although I was surprised, I just quietly let her hug me. I can¡¯t possibly push her aside now that she has bepletely like a sobbing child.

    ¡°Nell....¡±

    Having said that, I also don¡¯t have the determination to hug her back.

    It¡¯s not like I feel resistance hugging a princess in front of everyone. It¡¯s just that... I am scared I will not be able to let her go if I hug her once. Even though I was able to undo her tight grip, I am not so sure about her passionate hug. I don¡¯t know.. I don¡¯t have the confidence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go... Please, please... don¡¯t go anywhere...¡±

    Nell herself probably knows she is asking for the impossible. But even then, she probably can¡¯t help saying it. Her losing control so much is also proof to how much she cares about me.

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to be apart. I wanted to talk more. I also wanted you to teach me magic till the end. Now that I think about it, I have only been on the receiving end of favors.. and we didn¡¯t even go have fun... I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine... It¡¯s fine with me.. If I can just stay beside you, Kurono-kun...¡±

    She raised her face which was buried in my chest and smiled.

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    Nell¡¯s friendship is real. It¡¯s exactly because she is so kind that she can be this pure without having love-rted thoughts.

    On the other hand, I am not sure if friendship is the only thing I have for her. No, I am undoubtedly feeling attracted to Nell. There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t be feeling it.

    ¡°I am sorry, Nell¡ª¡±

    And so, I finally hugged her back. I firmly embraced her weak body as she kept crying.

    ¡®Ah¡¯¨CNell let out a small voice in surprise. I wonder what kind of a face she is making right now. I am curious but I can¡¯t see.

    Avoiding her big wings, I had my left hand go around her waist and my right gently on her head. She also can¡¯t see my face but she probably can hear my loud heart.

    Reluctance to part, love and a bit of lust made me hug her back. It seems my rationale or self-control isn¡¯t that good.

    But this is the end so it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°¨CThank you. Goodbye.¡±

    Cutting apart all lingering affection with those words, I let Nell go. I half forced her away by pushing her shoulders.

    ¡°Ah... ahhh.... wait, Kurono-kun....¡±

    To escape Nell¡¯s hands which extended for the third time, I nimbly got on Merry. Without looking at her, I just looked straight at the road I must cross.

    Even then, her despair filled expression was burnt into my brain like a curse and attacked me incessantly.

    ¡°....Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say it specifically to anyone. I just let myself hear it and ordered my horse to move forward.

    With a loud neigh, Merry took a strong first step forward filled with dark red auro.

    ¡°¨CGo! Go ande back, Kurono! I shall pray for your continued luck in battles, Element Master!!¡±

    Will finally raised his voice, erasing Nell¡¯s crying voice. He probably did it on purpose. He probably knew how hard it would be for me to listen to her cry.

    As gratitude to his consideration and with my feelings of ¡®leave Spada to me¡¯, I thrust my right hand in the air. I didn¡¯t look back. I only need to proceed forward.

    As if to signal that, once again, apuds and cheers broke out from the people around us. With raging waves of cheers pushing our back, we crossed the front gate.

    I couldn¡¯t hear Nell¡¯s voice anymore.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono.¡±

    Lily called out, looking at me with beady eyes. She was in front of me, using my belly as the back of chair.

    ¡°It was good that you got to have a proper farewell with Nell, huh?¡±

    She said with an affectionate smile.

    Ah, am I being consoled now? ¨C I thought, as a drop of water fell on Nell¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Her small hands wiped my tears. I felt a bit ticklish as her soft fingers followed the tear on my face.

    ¡°Thanks, Lily. I am fine...¡±

    Yeah, I am fine. With this, I am done with all the farewells. All the sad and painful farewells are done.

    All that¡¯s left is to fight¨C

 CHAPTER 414

    diator

    There was a notice at the guild that we would be assembling before Spada¡¯s big main gate. The ones who had epted the emergency quest and are publicly in Spada¡¯s 4th military squad, ¡®diators¡¯, are required to meet up here and head for Ghad fort after receiving a simple exnation.

    Spada¡¯s big main gate is also its entrance and one can reach there if they were to just follow main highway straight. It¡¯s a path that even Nell can¡¯t mistake.

    However, the traffic this morning was quite congested. ¡®The Spada main highway¡¯s one path leads to a dead end¡¯¨Csuch a car navigation voice reverberated in my head.

    Either way, this congestion was due to all the adventurers currently in Spada all gathering up to aim for the main gate. Since getting on the road, the adventurers started advancing with horses as well as by foot. Among them, there were alsorger carriages which carried an entire party of adventurers and cargo carriages carrying supplies. On top of that, Spada civilians have also gathered on both sides of the road to see off the adventurers. Although not as big as a triumph parade, the scale of it was simr to that.

    And so, we also quickly entered a group of adventurers forming a line. As I thought, Merry¡¯s big body and aura stood out, attracting attention from here and there and also sparking secret talk. They seem interested but it looks like they know that there¡¯s no point in chasing the topic further.

    ¡°Ohh, there¡¯s a lot assembling, huh.¡±

    The area in front of the main gate is so huge that an entire arena could be built there. But now, that ce was also filled and jammed with people. And on top of that, the adventurers advancing now are also arriving there so the density of people at that spot just keeps on increasing. Although it is winter now and even snow is piling up, themotion there felt like the Koshien Baseball Stadium in the middle of summer.

    ¡°This is the first time I have seen this many adventurers gather up at one ce.¡±

    Fiona said beside me. In contrast to her words, she looked quite uninterested as she looked at the open space. As we were on the horses, our line of sight was higher and so we could see much better.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably just how much danger they are feeling from this battle.¡±

    ¡°No, they probably just want to be a part of a winning battle.¡±

    I feel like Fiona has been crushing my expectations all the time recently... is it just my imagination?

    However, now that she mentions it, I do agree.

    ¡°I had heard that even adventurers from other countries came in to join so that¡¯s what it was about...¡±

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    If they had the beliefs of a patriot, they would have been promoted to the chivalric order long ago. Adventurers only act when there¡¯s a reward. There¡¯s not much difference between an adventurer and a mercenary. Or rather, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that there¡¯s no difference at all.

    The ones called mercenary are just called that because they belong to a mercenary organization.

    ¡°After all, this would make it the 4th time Spada has stopped Daidaros¡¯ invasion so everyone probably thinks that they will win this time as well.¡±

    The war between Spada and Daidaros¡ªin other words, the war of Ghad, began with Leonhart¡¯s grandfather. From the time of the 50th Spada king.

    It is said that the first battle took ce just before the senile 50th king passed his throne to his son. Although they did seed in stopping the invasion, the 50th had died due to a wound given to him by Garvinal.

    And in the 51th time, the 3rd and 4th Ghad battles took ce. I also got to know about this just recently but the previous king was said to be a typical tyrant. It seems our school also went through some rough times. However, fending off Daidaros¡¯ invasion two times in his period is nothing short of a great feat and the people also praise him for that.

    Although it seems like the current king, Leonhart, had the most achievements when he participated in the 3rd war as a 13 year old prince..

    And the 4th war took ce about 10 years ago. It is said that the king Leonhart had a one-on-one fight with the ck dragon Garvinal and drove him back¡ªa legendary fight. On top of the diligent efforts to bring back the country on a proper road from the predecessor¡¯s misgovernment, he also has many achievements in these defensive battles. With these two pirs to support him, the current king Leonhart is ardently loved by his citizens.

    ¡°Whether the enemy is Daidaros or the Crusaders, it doesn¡¯t change the Spada army¡¯s strength. Of course they would end up expecting a lot.¡±

    On top of all these, they say that one of the incentive for participating in this battle is that their soldiers¡¯ achievements will also be upheld.

    In return for fending off Daidaros¡¯ invasion as the shield for the allied city-states, Spada receives a great amount of aid from the other city-states. Even if Spada were to generously reward the adventurers, it won¡¯t hurt Spada¡¯s pocket.

    Although they can¡¯t directly ask for military power from other countries. At most, a squad of knights cane over from the neighboring countries, Faren and Avalon.

    Well, there would be a lot of confusion withmand and cooperation if too many people were to assemble from different countries. Most importantly, they have been able to pull this off well till now with this structure and so they can also react to the emergency this time promptly as well. I had from Will that quite a lot of money and goods areing to Spada as it is.

    ¡°Hey~ Kurono~, there¡¯s a very glittery one over there, look.¡±

 CHAPTER 415

    I was interrupted by Lily¡¯s innocent voice while I was thinking of the war situation seriously.

    In the direction her small index finger pointed, there was a gaudy group standing out noticeably more. They were wearing a te armor like in ancient Rome and it was radiant with all the gold ornaments. However, even at this distance, I understood that that was actually quite practical and had quite a high magic effect hidden inside. Although weak, my 6th sense is sense various different magic from it.

    Naturally, the ones who normally wear such equipment are very muscr men. No, it is actually kinda obvious for adventurers who wear those to be muscr but this group looked considerably stronger. As there were portions in the armor revealing their bodies, their muscles were visible.

    ¡°I see, so they are the pro diators.¡±

    It is my first time seeing one but there¡¯s probably no mistaking that they are diators. Their splendor equipment was befitting of their reputation and the way they walked majestically gave off no weak spots, showing how they were experts in battles. Above all, even the adventurers moved to give way to them, parting the crowd of people to create a line. I experienced this when I was in the victory celebration.

    ¡°It feels like one of them is kindaing our way, doesn¡¯t it...?¡±

    Just as Fiona said, someone wasing straight towards us after separating with the diators. Even before I could think why or who is that, the crowd split, creating a line towards us.

    ¡°Yo, good morning. You guys are the Element Masters, right?¡±

    He stated imposingly with a refreshing smile.

    ¡°...Yes, why do you ask?¡±

    He had an incredibly beautiful face.

    He had wavy blonde hair reaching his shoulders and mild blue eyes with a striking mole under the eye. Even though he is a guy, his tinum blonde hair looked as charming as Lily¡¯s and his sapphire eyes were as radiant as Nell¡¯s.

    I could dere that he had this charm. Even I was captivated for a moment there.

    On top of that beautiful face, he also had a trained body with armor on. He didn¡¯t have a single mark on his white skin, let alone any scars. It was clean to the point that it was creepy¡ªas if he was a moving sculpture. With that gold te mail and crimson mantle, he looked like a work of art.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, I am Farkius. I am the principal of the diators squad ¡®Starlight Spada¡¯ but¡ªjudging from your expressions, it seems like you guys never heard of me, huh?¡±

    Even his awkward ¡®ahaha¡¯ugh looked like a picture. He even had a tenor voice. If he were to ask someone out with that face and voice, any Spada woman will surely fall in love.

    ¡°No, I have heard the name. But if I am not wrong, you¡¯re supposed to be the most popr diator in Spada, right?¡±

    If one lives in Spada, they will naturally hear topics about sword fights. Sword battles in Spada is like a fusion of idols, ser and baseball in Japan.

    And so naturally, even I heard the name of the person who reigns over the sword fighting world. Of course, I didn¡¯t know how he looked but I can guess he is the one now that he is in front of me.

    Either way, I don¡¯t feel any hostility from this Farkius dude. I guess I will get off the horse and greet him for now.

    ¡°I am the Element Master Kurono. Well, what would a star athlete like you have to do with us?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I would like it if you didn¡¯t get so stiff. Aren¡¯t you more famous now, Iskia¡¯s hero-san?¡±

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    Farkius-san put his hand on my shoulder and said with a refreshing smile which could even stop a sobbing child from crying.

    His touch was so gentle that one would doubt that his wrists really handle swords.

    ¡°Rank 5 adventurer and the principal, there¡¯s no need to put one on top of another. There¡¯s no need for formalnguage either, please refer to freely as Far.¡±

    No, that¡¯s a bit... I guess I willpromise a little here.

    ¡°Thank you, Farkius.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I guess that¡¯s fine for now. Well then, I will be calling you as Kurono-kun.¡±

    Farkius looked straight into my eyes wearing a smile without any worries. I could rx knowing that I was straight as I didn¡¯t get startled by him.

    ¡°Ah, well, the reason I came by like this today was really just to greet you. As a diator who will be fighting alongside you.¡±

    I see, I guess he doesn¡¯t have anything up his sleeve.

    And just when I was convinced of that, he slid his hand from my shoulder to my other shoulder and joined shoulders naturally. This guy is smooth.

    ¡°But, you see, you have such a terrifying 2nd name¡ª¡¯Nightmare Berserker¡¯, so I was curious before. I had heard in rumors that you were a demon-like man but¡ª¡±

    Our bodies were basically glued to each other. And since he was only a few centimeters shorter than me, our faces were close too. On top of that, he gave off this flowery scent too. The scent of a high-ss perfume.

    ¡°I was surprised, seeing you¡¯re such a beautiful person. Especially this ck hair. It¡¯s even darker and more ck than the Avalon royalty¡¯s and it¡¯s very charming as well, to the point that it makes me kinda jealous.¡±

    Farkius¡¯ other hand gently stroked my hair ends.

    I jumped back in reflex.

    ¡°Could you, move away a bit?¡±

    ¡°Innocent too, huh? That¡¯s cute too.¡±

    I felt a chill down my spine. Quite seriously too.

    And what passed my mind was the scene of my elder sister being hit on by a shy guy in the city. My sister¡¯s expression left an impression on me as she gave a scornful look towards the gaudy guy who frivolously said some flowery words.

    Well, we were able to get through that situation without any problems as the guy made a run for it after giving his wallet and saying ¡®please, this is all I have now, please let me¡¯ when I talked to him.

    To think me, the guy who made the yboy run away, would be hit upon... Was this world such a scary ce?

 CHAPTER 416

    ¡°Hahaha, I am just kidding. But, I was acting a bit too familiar, sorry about that.¡±

    He took a step back and apologized with a rxed expression. But is it just me or do those blue eyes look quite serious? I would like to believe otherwise.

    ¡°By the way, why is the adorable fairy miss over there glowing while ring at me?¡±

    When I looked back, I found Lily taking an intimidating stance on Merry, ring down at Farkius.

    ¡°Kurono, this person is also dangerous! Don¡¯t get close!¡±

    Ipletely agree.

    However, he¡¯s a big name so I can¡¯t really look at him with a bad light either. I want to more or less act friendly with him. Of course, after keeping an appropriate distance between us. I am scared of going too close.

    ¡°Sorry, I am just a bit cautious.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I am the one at fault here, after all.¡±

    As always, wearing his refreshing smile, Farkius walked up to Merry and extended his hand over to Lily, who was ring at him.

    ¡°Sorry about that, cute fairy-san. I am Farkius, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I am Lily. No touching Kurono, you got it?!¡±

    While giving a warning, Lily shook his hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing as scary as a female fairy after all, I hear you loud and clear.¡±

    After somehow having a proper introduction with Lily, his gaze shifted to Fiona.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    Fiona said, indicating a ¡®no¡¯ with her hand. Even with such a handsome man in front of her, she shows not a fragment of interest.

    ¡°The witch miss is cool, huh?¡±

    Or rather, she¡¯s just a natural airhead.

    ¡°Even still, what interesting members for a party. I am pure diator but I do interact with adventurers quite a bit. Thisbination is a first for me.¡±

    After all, we are abination of a cursed weapon ck magic user, a fairy and a witch. Even I didn¡¯t see a party of thisbination before. Well, there are only a few people who use cursed weapons and anyone can look the part of a witch. However, you can¡¯t really find a fairy like Lily.

    ¡°It would be interesting to fight with you guys but I won¡¯t force you to the stage.¡±

    It seems he isn¡¯t a battle maniac like a certain blonde swordsman. That¡¯s a relief.

    ¡°Ah, but that reminds me, you went up there once, didn¡¯t you, Kurono-kun? The Grand Colosseum, that is.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°I heard it was an amazing fight. Thanks to you, my fan base has decreased a bit.¡±

    He said with a smile which gave off no hint of ill will. He probably isn¡¯t bothered.

    ¡°I know, I will invite you as an athlete next time. You went up there once so surely you must feel¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I will have to decline.¡±

    I just wanted a cursed weapon. And to be honest, it¡¯s not like I want to fight with someone strong or gain fame. It would be too dangerous to go up to that stage.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, I really wanted to par with you. I am sure it would have been a good fight.¡±

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    And before I realized, Farkius¡¯ was standing closer than before. Eeii, don¡¯t look at me with those beautiful eyes.

    ¡°I am sorry but I absolutely don¡¯t have any intention of doing that.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I am aware. But at the very least, I would like it if you came to see my stage once. I will invite you once this war is over.¡±

    ¡°I would dly ept that.¡±

    I took a step back casually and regained my personal space offort. I would feel bad for Farkius if he¡¯s just trying to be friendly but I can¡¯t let my guard down yet.

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s more important to think of this battle now than of whates after it. Aik should begin the briefing soon.¡±

    Ohh, atst. When I nced around a bit, I spotted red armored Spada knights assembling in front of the main gate.

    ¡°Is this Aik person the leader of the diators?¡±

    ¡°My bad, Aik is just a nickname. His real name is Aizenhart, Spada¡¯s first prince.¡±

    First Prince Aizenhart¡ªI just know of his name. I did see his portrait during the awarding ceremony for what it matters.

    It looked as if his majesty Leonhart was young again¡ªjust what you would call a junior. He is a burly strong young man, so much that it makes me doubt if Will and him are actually rted by blood.

    ¡°Since you call him by a nickname, you guys are close?¡±

    ¡°I guess you could say our rtionship is like yours and Willhart prince.¡±

    Your sworn friend, eh? I understand. They look about the same age from their appearance so the chances of them being in the same grade when in theological school is quite high. One can be friends with royalty there so it isn¡¯t weird.

    ¡°Well then, I will be taking my leave with this. I have others I want to meet as well, you see.¡±

    ¡°I see, then I will see youter. I wish you good luck in the war.¡±

    ¡°Same to you. I will be disying the real strength of the diators in battle so as to not humiliate the diators.¡±

    And then, the crowd split again and Farkius left gantly. Seeing his back, with his red mantle flying in the wind, was kind of reassuring.

    He seemed very friendly upfront but I am also kinda worried that he is that.

    ¡°Haa, I just experienced a bad feeling of tension...¡±

    ¡°He called you pretty. Are you not happy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s scary when a guy says that. I wouldn¡¯t like that even as a joke.¡±

    Or rather, don¡¯t remind me of it, Fiona.

    Well, it isn¡¯t like I will be forming a party with Farkius so I guess it¡¯s fine. ¡®Pretty¡¯ and ¡®invitations¡¯ and what not¡ªthat¡¯s probably just his way of being polite.

    ¡°More importantly, it seems like the briefing will begin soon. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you get off the horse?¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Ye-s.¡±

    And like that, we stood by in the crowd for a while. Of course, no one else came talking to us after Farkius.

    That was kinda lonely in itself, though.

 CHAPTER 417

    Divine Protection Contract Theory

    Once the simple exnation from the Spada army¡¯s fourth squad, diator¡¯s leader, first prince Aizenhalt, was over, we slowly departed Spada in a crowd.

    ording to the exnation we received, we just need to solely defend the area indicated¡ªin other words, we only need the strength to defeat the enemy in front of us. It is a simple but perilous mission. Truly like an adventurer.

    The on-sitemand will be taken by the squad leaders. It seems it has been more or less decided how the squads will be formed and who will lead them.

    The Spada army chainmand is like this, starting from the bottom¡ªleader of a 10 men squad, leader of a 100 men squad, leader of a 1000 men squad, corpsmander who leads a 10,000 men squad and finally the general who leads the entire army. And the one who holds power over 3 units and the provisional 4th squad is the king himself.

    Although rare, it seems that there are a few asions when the king himself directly gives themand to the army. But then again, it¡¯s only to order a full-on assault or retreat.

    Moving on, the situation differs a bit in the diators, where we belong to.

    Although it is literally a ten men squad lead by a squad leader, it¡¯s a squad which has been formed by transposing adventurers. In other words, the squad leader would be in a position to directly lead those 10 men. Well, although in most cases, these parties are then split into 2 or 3 groups.

    And with dozen of these parties, a battery is formed with 100 men, and a batterymander is appointed. Speaking of 100 men, that¡¯s about the same number of people we fought within Alsace. It can be said I was a batterymander at the time.

    Next up, 10 of these batteries are joined to form a battalion, and a battalionmander leads it. By the way, the reason why thesemanders are not just called by the number of people they lead is to distinguish between them and the Spada regr army¡¯s knights. It¡¯s the knights¡¯ meagre pride, so to say.

    Either way, the batterymander and battalionmander will be selected from the gathered adventurers. Adventurers have a 5 rank system, and the guild has data on their personality or battle type in detail. They have chosen a batterymander and battalionmander based on that beforehand.

    Thesemanders are announced before departing, and they start leading the army beginning from the road to Ghad fort. Since rumours were going around the adventurers about who will be selected as themander, there wasn¡¯t much chaos. ¡®Ah, as I thought¡¯ ¡®Ah, it will be fine if it¡¯s that person¡¯ ¡ª when you observe such reactions from the surrounding, you can guess that the selected person is capable.

    Red Ogre Gustav, leader of the Iron Ogre squad, who protected the Iskia vige, was selected as the battalionmander considering his trust and achievements.

    No one from our rank 5 and awarded Element Masters was selected as amander. It¡¯s not like we refused. Such a proposal didn¡¯te in the first ce.

    ¡°To think we would actually be permitted to do as we please, huh?¡±

    Will did say that ¡®I will advise my father to let you guys act freely so leave it to me!¡¯ but to think it would actuallye true.

    We have been given such independent raiding rights. Directly from first prince Aizenhalt in front of everyone. It was like a small medal receiving ceremony.

    Although there were two other parties and a few individuals who received this other than us, so I wasn¡¯t the least nervous at the time. Or rather, that aforementioned no. 1 swordsman of Spada, Farkius, also received it and so it was kind of like he was the main character. As expected of a real star, his poprity is entirely different from someone like me, who is just rising up.

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    Even still, receiving this right seems to be more honourable for an adventurer than being selected as the battalionmander. It just goes to show that our strength to act separately was acknowledged. I certainly don¡¯t feel bad when I think of it like that.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? We don¡¯t have to deal with troublesome stuff. After all, a superior officer is just noisy and won¡¯t be of any use in battle.¡±

    Fiona, who was sick of the Crusaders¡¯ mercenary activity and left, said heartily.

    ¡°So, you weren¡¯t blessed with a good leader?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to be ordered around by someone who drops dead after just being covered in mes.¡±

    No, anyone would just die from that, usually. A good leader would also die from mes.

    ¡°Although they are going to tolerate it a bit, be careful of friendly fire.¡±

    ¡°I believe in you, Kurono-san.¡±

    Can you not look at me purely like that there? Before believing in my stamina and agility, I would like it if you made some efforts to not swallow up allies in your ability.

    ¡°Fiona, your firepower right now is no joke...¡±

    ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t say the name of the divine protection out loud please, it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    Fiona gestured ¡®shhh¡¯ with her finger without showing any expression¡ªthat¡¯s her being entirely serious, no joke.

    ck Witch Endymion. I still clearly remember doubting my ears when I first heard the name of Fiona¡¯s divine protection. If possible, I want to think that I heard wrong even now.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake that it¡¯s strong but... Well, you can¡¯t really do anything about something you¡¯ve already epted.¡±

    ording to Nell, that divine protection of a demon is supposed to be acquired by the viin of the century, but it seems like Fiona is still sane. Today, yesterday and even the day before that, she only thought about food with a vague expression¡ªjust like the usual Fiona. It definitely doesn¡¯t seem like she would do something inhumane like sacrificing a child with fire.

    For now, as long as there¡¯s nothing strange about Fiona, I will not limit her usage. I will use everything I can, even if it¡¯s a bit dangerous.

 CHAPTER 418

    ¡°That reminds me, I hadn¡¯t really thought about it at all before but do the people who don¡¯t be apostles in the republic not receive the divine protection of the White God?¡±

    ¡°...You mean, although not as strong as apostles, do they receive somewhat strong protection?¡±

    Yes. Exactly.

    Because there are many ck Gods, their protection¡¯s abilities include a lot of different areas. Starting from real fighting skills to a clergy¡¯s healing skills, a cksmith¡¯s finesse¡ªthere¡¯s even one that specializes in farming, making crop harvests more abundant.

    Although the strength and weakness differ, there¡¯s quite a lot of people in Pandora continent with divine protection. There¡¯s at least one in a farming vige, and every one of Spada¡¯s knight probably has it.

    But, what about the White God and their monotheism? Do the 12 apostles only receive powerful protection? At the very least, I haven¡¯t seen anyone use power like the White God¡¯s protection apart from the apostles.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not exactly divine protection, but there are many who receive a special ability or talent from the White God.¡±

    ¡°....As I thought.¡±

    Otherwise, the Crusaders would evidently be at a disadvantage in terms of protection. There¡¯s no way the Crusaders expanded their territory to half of Arch continent with just the strength of the apostles.

    I had guessed before that they have people like us who have received a unique ability other than the apostles, but it has now been proved.

    ¡°In other words, a blessing from the heavens. They receive blessings from heaven mostly right from the moment they are born, but there are also priests and knights who go through intense training to receive the power.¡±

    ¡°I see, so the White God alone is more or less covering everyone¡¯s protection?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And the special abilities they receive from the White God are called this¡ªProvidence, or¡ª¡±

    White magic.

    Fiona said.

    ¡°White magic, eh... that¡¯s the exact opposite of my ck magic.¡±

    And they probably do haveplete opposite properties as well. I use ck mana. In contrast, the apostles use white mana. That¡¯s what surges out from them when they get serious.

    ¡°Did you see any white magic user other than the apostles, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just one. I have seen them use it several times, and I have also been on the receiving end of it.¡±

    ¡°Oi, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I am fine, it was a ssmate after all.¡±

    I don¡¯t really understand her ¡®it is okay if I receive it from a ssmate¡¯ logic but, well, since she can nonchntly say that with a sleepy face, I guess it was no biggie.

    ¡°What kind of magic was it?¡±

    ¡°It is called Sanctuary¡ªdefensive magic. It broke after receiving one of the attacks.¡±

    I see I guess it won¡¯t be much of a problem even if she gets hit by defensive magic. I went ahead and imagined Lily¡¯s beam-like attack.

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    Or rather, this person¡ªor ssmate, probably of Elishion magic academy, are they alright?

    ¡°However, by the time they graduated, they had more mana than me, so I am not sure how they would be now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot. A prodigy, no, maybe this is within the blessings of their God as well.¡±

    To be honest, it would be hard to distinguish between whether that¡¯s that person¡¯s own talent or the blessing of God.

    In the first ce, people of the Sinire republic think that they are made by the God, so their talent or abilities are of God himself, so they probably don¡¯t even think of it as receiving or not receiving the blessing. It¡¯s all the God¡¯s meritorious deed.

    ¡°Then, do they also be unable to use that white magic? Just like our protection disappears.¡±

    This might be a bitte, but now that we all have divine protection, I tried researching up on it a bit. It was during the time we were preparing for Lich subjugation.

    The Spada adventurer guild went close to the Pandora shrine for the first time. Well, all we did was get close and didn¡¯t really do anything else.

    The divine protection verification ceremony costs 150,000 ns. The certificate after the service costs another 20,000. Caution¡ªthere are times when the divine protection isn¡¯t identified even after the ceremony. In these cases, please understand beforehand that there will be no repayment¨C

    After looking at the charges, I immediately left the shrine cursing them in my heart, those cheapskates.

    As expected, it seems like religion and money have an inseparable bond.

    Either way, leaving the useless Pandora shrine aside, there are two things I was able to find out about the divine protection.

    First, divine protections do disappear. Second, religious protections can change.

    ¡°There are stories of people who have be unable to use it, so it¡¯s probably the same.¡±

    A ssic example of the disappearance of divine protection can be seen in people who obtain divine protections by leading abstemious lives. In short, the conditions needed to receive divine protection are incredibly high. Starting from fundamental things such as not missing any prayers to the God one believes in, there are also strictmandments that ascetic monks follow like ¡®do not drink alcohol¡¯, ¡®do not eat meat¡¯ or ¡®give up women¡¯.

    The priests of the Pandora shrine receive divine protections such as ¡®Houten Priest Amadeus¡¯, ¡®Shoutenjou ris¡¯ or ¡®Pure Priest Ishran¡¯ by following such strict restrictions.

    Well, I just heard these famous Gods¡¯ names and memorized them¡ªI don¡¯t know any of their grateful teachings or virtuous legends.

    Anyway, most of the disappearances are rted to divine protections like those.

    ¡°Those parts aren¡¯t very different from the Crusaders, huh?¡±

    ¡°As I thought, is it also strict for priests or sisters?¡±

    ¡°There was this priest who said that themandments exist for the feeling of guilt you get after breaking one.¡±

    It seems rotten clergymen exist in pretty much all the worlds, huh?

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the outrageous fellow, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard that he went around eating the cute children of the church as well.¡±

 CHAPTER 419

    ¡°What an outrageous lolicon bastard...¡±

    ¡°No, they were all boys.¡±

    What a monster. I can¡¯t help but pray from my heart so that he fells to the depths of hell.

    ¡°There were also sisters who said chastity is only there to be broken and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t wanna listen anymore. I don¡¯t want to listen to it in detail.¡±

    You will regret it if youe to know of it carelessly¡ªan unspoken truth of history.

    When I looked ahead with a distant look to escape reality, I could see the vast Ghad mountain¡¯s shadow in the distance. We only departed from Spada a while ago, so it is only apparent.

    We are supposed to arrive at our destination, Ghad fort, the day after tomorrow. And since we have to reach there with all the adventurers gathered here, we can¡¯t go ahead alone either.

    And so we should just advance slowly here to not be fatigued.

    For now, I just settled down by patting Lily, who was sleeping peacefully on my knees.

    ¡°However, if the apostles start doing stuff like that, other believers would be pretty angry, huh?¡±

    The apostles are like an extension of the clergyman, and I already know that they don¡¯t live ording to their religion¡¯s teaching. That apostle called Ai was also fooling around by imitating an adventurer. I also heard from Fiona that there were other apostles as well who were living as they please.

    It¡¯s still okay if they do as they please, but if they perform any treacherous deeds, a tragedy like in Alsace might ur in Sinir republic.

    ¡°Yes, there are several infamous apostles who have done inhumane acts. However, the 2nd apostle Abel has been regting it aptly, and so there have been next to no problems from the apostles.¡±

    What an unnecessary skill. If they had just kept on having internal trouble because of the apostles, they wouldn¡¯t have time for the Pandora invasion.

    Even still, if the apostles can keep their divine protection even when they perform evil deeds, that might be proof that they are not bound by the religion¡¯smandments. After all, if that were the Pandora shrine priests¡¯ divine protection, it would have disappeared at once.

    ¡°Do the divine protection of the apostles not disappear no matter what they do?¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened even once in history but¡ª¡±

    Fiona continued, with a severe expression.

    ¡°It is possible, I think.¡±

    ¡°Well, the apostles are like the symbols of their religion so they can¡¯t really say that ¡®ah we have lost our divine protection¡¯.¡±

    I also heard from Fiona that the apostles can¡¯t give their divine protection to others unless they die.

    The fact that their divine protection doesn¡¯t disappear until they die might not be aplete lie¡ªjust that it¡¯s fundamentally like that. Even if that weren¡¯t the case, apostle members changing every now and then wouldn¡¯t be so well epted. In the worst case scenario, the believers might start fighting among each other for the apostle¡¯s sat.

    At the very least, for their religion¡¯s image and system, they must conceal such a fact which can shake the whole foundation of the apostles.

    ¡°That might be true but... since I received divine protection myself, I can¡¯t help but feel that way.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, the witch¡¯s perception?¡±

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    ¡°Half of it, yes. However, the other halfes from a deduction I came to upon my understanding of the divine protection.¡±

    Hmm, it has been close to half a year since I received my first divine protection from Mia-chan, but I haven¡¯t really thought about it at all. I was too desperate about learning how to use it and so didn¡¯t know about its system itself.

    In that sense, Fiona has... befitting of her title, she thought about it intellectually.

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    ¡°I feel like the divine protection is like a thread of contract connecting the people to the Gods.¡±

    Contract, eh? I can somewhat understand it but...

    ¡°¨CIn this world, the existence of Gods is nothing but a system which bestows strength upon the people, we just receive the power befitting of ourselves.¡±

    Suddenly, a scene yed out in my head¡ªthat time when I encountered demon lord Mia in a back alley of the slum city.

    That was the answer to my quibbles towards the God who didn¡¯t extend a saving hand.

    System. That¡¯s what Mia had said.

    ¡°You mean it¡¯s not something you can automatically get if youplete the test?¡±

    ¡°I think that even if one has the qualifications to receive divine protection, it might be turned down depending on that person¡¯s will.¡±

    That is true. In my case, I feel like I wouldn¡¯t have received the divine protection if I rejected the evidence in my dream. I think there was a choice.

    Then if it¡¯s not a like a game where you can get the skills if you just level up¨C

    ¡°I see, it might be a contract based on both party¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°And only the God and that person know the details of that contract.¡±

    At the very least, Fiona¡¯s words made sense with the connection between Mia-chan and me. In the first ce, the conditions to receive divine protection from a demon lord hasn¡¯t even been made clear in all of Pandora¡¯s history, so it¡¯s most definitely a secret between my God at this point and me.

    Although, Mia-chan has only told me of one condition.

    ¡°However, there are probably a lot of people who have the same divine protection.¡±

    Currently, no one I know has the same divine protection, but it¡¯s a well-known fact.

    I also heard that 5 people in Avalon also have Nell¡¯s super rare ¡®Tenyu Imperial Princess Aria¡¯.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s because a lot of the conditions to receive the divine protection have been made clear or their situations are simr.¡±

    ¡°It might seem the same at first nce, but maybe there are small differences in the contract itself?¡±

    ¡°There are probablypletely same people as well. No, most of them are probably simr, but the ones who can use that divine protection at a high level probably have a deep connection with the contract.¡±

 CHAPTER 420

    If I were to use that Pandora priest¡¯s example, one would need to follow more strictmandments to receive reliable divine protection. For example, double the time of prayer or do the difficult things you haven¡¯t done before.

    All those seem to be to get in favour of God but¨C

    ¡°No, it¡¯s probably the opposite.¡±

    ¡°Opposite? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The first time I met the demon lord, this was the exnation I received about divine protections¡ª¡±

    ¡°As you already know, to receive divine protection, it¡¯s necessary to devote faith to the God¡ªhowever, when I say devote loyalty, I don¡¯t mean just tter or butter up to the God.

    If I were to put it into words, it would be something that makes it possible for God to intervene with the world. No matter how much God likes that person, they can¡¯t bestow the power unless they can speak.

    The opposite is also exact¡ªas long as they can intervene, they must bestow the power. As long as someone clears those conditions, regardless of whether God likes them or not, they will receive the power and that power can¡¯t be taken away from them.¡±

    That¡¯s right, at that time, Mia-chan inly said that.

    ¡°If this is the truth, the contract isn¡¯t made with both party¡¯s agreement¡ªisn¡¯t it made only with the person¡¯s will?¡±

    God can make the conditions for the power, but as long as they are cleared, it is up to the person whether he will receive it or not.

    No matter how much they hate the person, as long as they clear the conditions as saying ¡®I want the divine protection¡¯, they will get it. Inversely, no matter how right the person is, if they don¡¯t clear the conditions, they won¡¯t get the protection no matter how much they pray.

    ¡°....I see, there are inconsistencies. If so, then divine protections disappear because the situation changes and the conditions are not met anymore, rather than whether God is displeased or not.¡±

    Even themandments are nothing but rules then¡ªas long as you follow them devotedly, no matter how much you hate God bestowing the divine protection, you will receive the protection. Even if you were to do something terrible or misuse a loophole of the system, as long as you don¡¯t break the rules, you would be fine.

    Although, in terms of protection¡¯s will or loyalty¨Csuch ambiguous things where you can¡¯t really draw a line, the Gods¡¯ interpretation of the contract¡¯s breach might be broad.

    ¡°Maybe the White God can only give divine protection to whomever they please.¡±

    ¡°No conditions to receive the protection and regardless of the person¡¯s will. Maybe the reason they bestow protection to only 12 people is that there is a restriction would vite that system.¡±

    If they really want to do as they please¡ªor, to be more specific, if they really want to rule the Pandora continent, they could just bring up all the believers as apostles. That way, they can easily conquer Pandora continent. However, in reality, only those 12 apostles have that transcendental divine protection. It is only natural to assume that that is because there is a restriction or limitation at y here.

    ¡°If only 12 apostles are chosen by the White God¡¯s will and their protection isn¡¯t taken away no matter what they do, their protection probably won¡¯t ever disappear.¡±

    ¡°Then you mean if their protection is based on conditions like us, then there¡¯s a possibility that it will disappear if they oppose the contract.¡±

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    Whether the apostles¡¯ protection disappear or not¡ªthe conclusion to it is finally out after going through many detours.

    ¡°However, as long as we don¡¯t know what kind of contract the apostles and their God have, we can¡¯t use it against them.¡±

    Ultimately, that can be said about all the divine protection holders. Well, I didn¡¯t really expect anything, to begin with.

    ¡°But, if there aremandments in their religion like in the Pandora shrine, won¡¯t the apostles¡¯ protection disappear with just one opposition to themandment?¡±

    ¡°There are quite a few apostles in history who can be said to be the ideal apostle but... The 7th apostle, Sariel, is quite a pious sister, so maybe make her drink alcohol as a test?¡±

    ¡®But something other than wine¡¯¨CFiona said. I wonder if wine is permitted because it¡¯s the Gods¡¯ blood. I don¡¯t feel like finding out if the Cross religion is ripping off Christianity that much.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t think jokes or surprise attacks will work on her.¡±

    ¡°However, you could take her purity away too with force. After all, it seems purity is the most important condition for a sister.¡±

    Fiona said like it¡¯s none of her business.

    I can somewhat guess that. It¡¯s that isn¡¯t it? Because it¡¯s forbidden, you feel more inclined towards it.

    ¡°Either way, even if there¡¯s a chance to do that, we must deal the final blow. I¡¯m not so reckless to try it out.¡±

    It is true that Sariel¡¯s face is unbelievably pretty, but I don¡¯t feel like doing it. Her malice is growing too strong. And at the same time, the fear of absolute difference in strength as well.

    To me, Sariel is like the real demon rather than a woman. No, maybe God of death is a better title for her since there¡¯s a fear of my life being taken away in the next moment.

    ¡°That was a joke. After all, I believe in you, Kurono-san.¡±

    That¡¯s the 2nd time today. And Fiona¡¯s eyes tell me she¡¯s serious. Was it really a joke or was I being tested?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the previous offence which was caught in Lastrose¡¯s dream. But¡ª¡±

    Even if Sariel has a hidden move like Misa¡¯s ¡®Madonna Charm¡¯, it won¡¯t work on me.

    ¡°No matter what Sariel says, I will definitely not be deceived. That¡¯s what my 4th divine protection is for, after all.¡±

 CHAPTER 421

    11th day of the month of Gloom. 1st corps of the Spada army¡¯s fourth squad ¡®diator¡¯ safely reached the Ghad fort.

    The mountain road was put in order before but there was no trouble or dropouts even considering the piled up snow and the intense slope. We were able to reach ording to the schedule without any idents.

    I have passed this road once before but was shocked seeing how I couldn¡¯t recognize it at all. Of course, that¡¯s not only the road between Ghad and Spada, but also this overwhelmingly big fort¡¯s majestic appearance.

    ¡°Was Ghad fort this huge before...¡±

    What stood in front of me was a gigantic wall. Ghad¡¯s huge castle walls made its beholders think that nobody has ever been able cross these walls, regardless of whether they knew the history of it or not.

    Although, to people who actually know the history, it is even more surprising.

    It seems this huge castle wall has been constructed on top of an ancient ruins. It is said that at first, it was just a giant steel gate and a few dozen meters of crumbling walls around it. However, even though these were at a bad condition, they were built with ancient technology and were still very solid. Which is why long ago, the first generation Spada king decided to use this location and build upon it.

    And like that, in the span of many years and months, slowly but steadily, a lot of expanding and strengthening was done before this enormous castle wall was done.

    The location of this historical fort was miraculously just in the gap between the mountains. Just that one point has a lower height from the sea level and on both sides, two rocky mountains stood out. It gives an impression of a huge valley rather than being between mountains.

    It might be that this miraculous terrain was also formed during the ancient times.

    And the huge Ghad castle walls were 1 kilometer long in width, going from one end of the valley to the other end,pletely blocking it off from the outside.

    Its height is about 15 meters tall. This precisely constructed vertical wall would probably look like a huge dam from the attacking Daidaros¡¯ side.

    On the other hand, from the Spada side where I am standing, you can also see the fort befitting of the huge walls. It has the shape of a rectangr box with defense towers on all four corners, simr to Iskia¡¯s old fortress. However, it¡¯s size is on a different level. Seems at least twice as big.

    And that¡¯s not the only thing that¡¯s different. On top of the deep armoring on the wall, the entire structure was also equipped with a wide area magical defense barrier.

    Not only does the fort in itself exhibit high defense, these four sky-scraping defense towers further amplify that.

    At the top of these towers are Spada¡¯s imperial magiciansunching maximum firepower magic from cannons. And on the root of these towers, deep underground, lies the devices activating the barrier around all of Ghad fort except the walls. It¡¯s an important point of defense.

    What¡¯s even more surprising is that apart from the huge fort itself, there¡¯s also structures such as barracks, warehouses, and stables to keep horses. It¡¯s like a small city at this point.

    ¡°It was just after the Alsace fight that time so it¡¯s not really odd for you to not remember.¡±

    I was the only one surprised by the scale of the fort. Fiona was still pretty much expressionless. Or rather, it seems the fort is none of her concern.

    ¡°I troubled you a lot that time...¡±

    After grouping with the relief Spada army, all my mental strain had been lifted so I was kind of in a trance state. And before I realized, I was sleeping at the Cat¡¯s Tail restaurant.

    I had thought I was being normal in front of Lily and Fiona to not make them worry but... now that I think about it again, I don¡¯t really have any memories of that time.

    I had been relying on the two all the time until I met Mia so I am eternally grateful and also sorry to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lily, I won¡¯t lose anymore!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. We have gotten stronger. Even if the apostlese, we will definitely win this time.

    With strong fighting will and an oath of certain victory, I held Lily and got off Merry. From here on, I will just head towards the designated stable with the horse.

    Fiona also got off Marie and started walking with the reins in her hand. Towards a building with a signboard in which ¡°Ghad Restaurant¡± was written broadly.

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    ¡°Oi, Fiona, that¡¯s the restaurant.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in with the horse.¡±

    ¡°.....I know.¡±

    No, you definitely didn¡¯t know, did you? What¡¯s with that sulking face?

    When the establishment is thatplete, I guess you would be tempted. After all, everyone¡¯s more or less hungry at the battlefield.

    But, what¡¯s with being hungry immediately as we arrive?

    ¡°We will go have something to eat after leaving these guys to the stable, alright?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The Spada regr soldiers get supplied to them but we do not. We need to take care of our won expense. And that¡¯s why such a normal restaurant is also built here. Well, there are also canteen merchants who do business with military too so this kind of shops aren¡¯t non-existent.

    Especially here in Ghad fort, they can boldly open up shop right next to the wall as there¡¯s hardly any worries of it ever being prated. And that very brothel like 3-storied building seems old as well. Or rather, is it really okay for it to be so close, a ce like that? Makes me worry in a different sense.

    ¡°Even still, these people are amazing... Lily, don¡¯t get lost.¡±

    ¡°Ye~s.¡± Lily replied energetically while moving wave of people with light footsteps. Well, she¡¯s basically floating, rather than her footsteps being light. As I thought, those ¡®Fairy Dance Shoes¡¯ look fun.

    Here, the new adventurers as well as Spada¡¯s main force is gathered. The poption density is quite high.

    Most of the Spada knights have already went towards the fort but as the 2nd squad ¡®Tempest¡¯ has a lot of horse riders, they made tents and stationed outside. It seems they will be taking care of their horse themselves. I guess if you aren¡¯t willing to do that much, you can¡¯t really be partners who entrust their life to each other in the battlefield.

    Anyway, with the whole army¡¯s soldiers and the adventurers, the fort and its surroundings were filled with people. Of course, I had thought we would also be camping outside but surprisingly enough, we were able to find lodgings. Rather than being lucky, it feels more like a side benefit of being rank 5. Although it is just a guestroom for the countryside guild members.

    And like that, while we were doing our best to somehow get through the crowd, a huge shadow fell on us.

    ¡°Ooh, so that¡¯s a dragoon, eh?¡±

    When I looked up, I saw green-scaled wyvernsnding on a helipad-like thing one after another. It seems to be an exclusive spot for the dragoons to station.

    Although they are about half the size of smanders, the wyverns were also part of the dragon lineage and that can be understood from its strong and heavy pping wings.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a white one among them.¡±

    ¡°Right, is that the leader?¡±

    The white dragon with its pure white scales were dazzling and it looked beautiful as itndedst. The surge from its wing ps almost reached here as we felt a gentle breeze pass by.

    ¡°White flying dragons are quite rare. You can¡¯t really ride those unless you¡¯re very strong or you¡¯re very rich.¡±

    Fiona said, sounding apathetic.

    ¡°That t, it¡¯s the Avalon national g. If so, then it¡¯s probably the 1st dragoon squad ¡®Dragon Heart¡¯.¡±

 CHAPTER 422

    When I followed Fiona¡¯s gaze, I could spot a blue and white colored g fluttering on top of the cliff. The motif drawn there had a sword, a shield, and a dragon. I am not really used to it but I do know that that was Avalon¡¯s national g.

    However, I don¡¯t know what squad they were.

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable about this, huh, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°I just heard it at a lecture.¡±

    Now that she mentions it, I do feel like I heard something simr at a lecture. After all, I feel like I have heard the 1st dragoon squad ¡°Dragon Heart¡± somewhere.

    It seems Fiona is much more capable when ites to academic performance. My results weren¡¯t bad in high school but I wasn¡¯t the first at anything either. As I thought, Fiona is a genius, eh?

    ¡°I had heard that we will receive some reinforcements from Avalon but... hmm, I see, it certainly is better to send the elite dragoon squad rather than a lot of soldiers.¡±

    With the Pegasus Knights being the first sight of flying knights for me, they certainly are very strong and rare. Sure, Avalon didn¡¯t send arge army but judging from the fact that they sent their treasure, it does seem like they do have the intention of supporting Spada.

    ¡°The Crusaders will probably also implement quite a lot of flying military this time. So it is certainly reliable having a soldier to go against that, even if it¡¯s a few.¡±

    ¡°Lily is also here!¡±

    ¡°No, it will be fine if we just leave it to Spada and Avalon¡¯s military. We, the Element Masters, will be able to fight together this time.¡±

    Although it is still just scheduled to be that way. I pray that an emergency situation like that time when Lily had to fight a flying horse knight doesn¡¯t happen again.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t been of any use during the Last Rose subjugation so I will definitely do a lot this time.¡±

    ¡°Lily will do her best so you can praise Lily a lot, Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your reassuring words. I will also do my utter best¡ª¡±

    I will show the Crusaders hell.

    Now then, the preparations to meet the enemy has been fulfilled. All we need to do now is wait for the enemy toe.

    ¡°¨CAh, it¡¯s already getting dark..¡±

    Before we realized, the sky had already started getting red. Soon, this Ghad fort will also get dark.

    I wonder how many days it will be from now till the fort is dyed red with fresh blood.

    Till the timees, I just have to quietly wait here.

    16th day of the month of Gloom. Early morning.

    With the rising sun as its background, one Pegasus was flying with an air ofposure.

    Beneath it lied a snowscape. Even the verdant grass-covered ins were now under a thickyer of snow and the deep green forest had also lost its color.

    The flying Pegasus¡¯ hair was also not any less whiter than the snowyndscape. No matter who looks at it, they will surely agree that it¡¯s beautiful.

    However, the one mounted on its back was even whiter. Her long silver hair glistened like silk threads and her holy priest robes fluttered in the wind.

    Her skin was so white as if it wouldn¡¯t allow any kind of impurity.

    ¡°....We¡¯re here.¡±

    Her mutter mixed with a sigh disappeared into the air leaving behind only a white breath.

    The girl slightly pulled on the reins tomand her horse to stop. Correctly understanding his master¡¯smand, the horse pped its beautiful yet strong winds and descended from a high altitude at once.

    And its destination was a huge deep ck boorish looking structure.

    The structure, which had been built not to defend, but to attack, looked way more colder than the snow.

    And then, the girl got off the pegasus.

    ¡°¨C7th Apostle Sariel, wee to Alsace fort!¡±

    The ones greeting her were the entire army of the fort, lined up systematically in front of the main gate. They were wearing white equipment to blend in with the snow but a group of 5000 men did stand out.

    Still, Sariel¡¯s small body shone even among that group of 5000.

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    The act of the 7th apostle Sariel, suprememander of the Crusaders, descending from the heavens was nothing short of sublime. In front of her beautiful young girl like appearance, all the soldiers prostrated and caught their breath. The young men soldiers¡¯ eyes glittered as they saw her. The young woman soldiers forgot all about jealousy as they admired her beautiful face. And the veteran officers just let out a breath of admiration.

    ¡°....Raise your heads. Report the situation.¡±

    Sariel had gotten off of the pegasus like an angel¡¯s feathered rose slowly touching the ground. The soldiers then remembered their duty.

    A young man wearing gaudy silver armor came hurriedly running along. He was the Count Belgunt and was the general in charge of Alsace fort.

    ¡°Pardon me, your Excellency, Sariel! I lead the 8th squad of Belgunt allied forces¡ª¡±

    While the name did stay in Sariel¡¯s mind, she probably wouldn¡¯t ever call it.

    The reason why she came to this ce despite it being midwinter was only to watch over the battle with the enforced Ghad fort. She doesn¡¯t n to interfere needlessly by brandishing her authority as the suprememander.

    ¡°It seems the main army has already departed.¡±

    ¡°Yes! The main army has departed from Alsace fort on the 24th of the month of Frozen Soil. As you can see, because of the steep roads and the blizzard, it taking them some time to proceed while securing the road.¡±

    Even though she hadn¡¯t asked that much, the nephew general went ahead and gave a careful exnation on how they were maintaining the snow-covered roads while advancing.

    It would be a serious matter if an apostle were to find fault in them. He is also probably desperate to earn their approval and make them understand.

    Although, no matter how sloppy or careless the n is, Sariel probably won¡¯t interfere either way. With no way of knowing the silent apostle¡¯s true intentions, the general kept earnestly piling up useless exnations one after the other.

    ¡°¨CAs such, we predict that uncle¡ªexcuse me, his Excellency Belgunt general, will begin attacking Ghad fort today or tomorrow.¡±

    As the long exnation finally came to an end with a conclusion, Sariel suddenly stopped her feet. As it was so sudden, the young man took a step back and stumbled.

    His foolish appearance wasn¡¯t reflected in Sariel¡¯s crimson eyes. Her gaze was fixated on the calm towering Ghad fort way far away in the distance, underneath the cloudless blue sky.

    ¡°....It has begun.¡±

    Nobody could ask ¡®what?¡¯. However, hearing her mutter, everyone of them could guess more or less.

    Sariel didn¡¯t speak any further. She had no obligation to exin. It is enough as long as she understands.

    She had just sensed that the fight between the Crusaders and the Spada army had just begun using her super senses which apostles have.

    ¡°I will go, make preparations.¡±

    ¡°Preparations....?¡±

    He asked this time. Because this time, her words seemed to be directed to him.

    ¡°Preparations.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes... We are already prepared to wee you and if you are tired, there¡¯s also a room ready for you to rest...¡±

    Not knowing what her ¡®preparations¡¯ mean, he just had a perplexed expression as he tried to get to the truth. Being stared at by those crimson eyes, the young man started to sweat.

    ¡°Later is fine.¡±

    The silent girl decided to abandon any further exnations without hesitation and went into action.

    She past through the Alsace fort front gate once again and went outside. In front of her was the 5000 Crusader soldiers in a standing formation. She took quiet steps and started walking by the castle walls.

    Just when everyone was wondering exactly where she was headed, Sariel stopped once again.

    ¡°U-umm, is something... there?¡±

    He finally asked after leaving ample in between. Sariel slowly turned around, still having that doll-like expression and clearly said,

    ¡°I will, draw a magic circle, here.¡±

    What magic and for what purpose? Only Sariel knows that. And she probably won¡¯t exin either.

    And so, to them, it was literally ¡®Heaven knows¡¯.

    However, if it¡¯s something an apostle does, there¡¯s no mistake in it. It is most definitely an action parallel with the divine will.

    If so, then what Sariel is doing now will surely bring victory to us Crusaders¡ªthat¡¯s how everyone interpreted the situation.

    However, the person himself didn¡¯t want to use it if possible, in contrast to what they were thinking.

    The magic circle she will draw now. If the timees when she has to use that magic, then most probably¨C

 CHAPTER 423

    It¡¯s not like we are being particr about this ce but I have decided that we would stay here for now. I thought we might get in the way of the perfectly ordered ¡®Brave Heart¡¯ if we were to go all out in the middle from the start. Of course, I do n on going there if it looks rough but if it looks fine, I intend on leaving it to them. I don¡¯t think that I have to protect everything.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I wonder if I should stay here too.¡±

    ¡°...Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re kind, huh?¡±

    No, not really. Nell¡¯s behavior is what you would call real kindness.

    Even such a cliche line sounds cool when he says it with that fresh smile. I feel kinda annoyed.

    ¡°But do keep some distance when we¡¯re fighting.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to protect your back. Can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Sorry but that¡¯s already reserved.¡±

    I grabbed Lily and held her up like a kitten to block off Farkius¡¯ alluring gaze. Lily was in intimidation mode and the effect was outstanding.

    ¡°Mm, you can go fight over there.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, I guess this is my loss, little fairy.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Since the day I¡¯vee to Pandora, it has been Lily¡¯s role to protect my back. I feel nostalgic when I think back on those times when we subjugated cave goblins.

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s dangerous for you to stay near me.¡±

    ¡°I can fight even beside a mad warrior with a cursed weapon so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with friendly fire?¡±

    We n on fighting with the most fundamental formation of the Element Master. Lily and I will be the vanguard while Fiona is the rear guard.

    Although the strength of her me magic is excellent, it also has a surprisingly high chance of misfires so it¡¯s like a double-edged sword. Lily and I will be fine but I am not sure about anyone else.

    ¡°You will be caught up by mes from behind.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will be caught up.¡±

    Fiona said with a straight face, as if she had no intention of being careful.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous so please stay away.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see, I will be careful.¡±

    Even Farkius couldn¡¯t deny this. Well, at least with this, he won¡¯t be carelesslying close.

    ¡°Ah, right, Fiona, don¡¯t go breaking the wall, alright?¡±

    ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    ¡°Also pay attention to your allies¡¯ movements.¡±

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    ¡°I will take that into consideration.¡±

    Yep, I will just assume it will be fine.

    ¡°However, is it really okay for Farkius to be here? I can¡¯t see the other soldiers.¡±

    By the other soldiers, she means the other soldiers who have the authority to act independently.

    At the right side, there were soldiers from the Rampage squad. And on the left, none of the people who were given the authority could be spotted.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem in terms of the allotment of strength. On the right side, there¡¯s Aiku and I have also left my squad members there as well. And on this side, I am here.¡±

    I felt like he was indicating that he himself is as strong as his whole squad. Farkius was very casual in his behavior but it looks like he has absolute confidence in his ability.

    ¡°And I have also heard the ¡®Yomi¡¯ and ¡®de Ranger¡¯ went to the middle at the start too. And I don¡¯t really know about the people who went solo myself.¡±

    I guess he wouldn¡¯t be aware of the movements of all the people who received the authority. Although one would stand out if they move in a party, they wouldn¡¯t if they act alone.

    By the way, ¡®Yomi¡¯ and ¡®de Ranger¡¯ are two adventurer parties who received the authority together with us. Both are rank 5. In terms of adventurer history, they are decades older than us, making them our senpais.

    Yomi is a 4-man party consisting only swordswomen and they have received their name directly from one of the ck Gods, ¡°Master swordsman Yomi¡±. They are a group of capable swordswoman who are not really showy in appearance.

    The leader was an old woman with a long sword. The other 3 had full head helmets on. The only one I can definitely say is beautiful was the one wearing the Lamia helmet. She had dark brown skin and reddish brown scales which looked quite different from Aten. I felt that there can be many differences even in the same race all over again.

    And the other party, the ¡®de Rangers¡¯, was consisted of rangers, just as their name indicated. Yep, a squadron with 5 members of 5 different colors.

    The leader, Red Sword, was a young man with red hair and a red muffler on. I am sure he¡¯s a passionate young man with a strong sense of justice.

    The sub-leader, Blue spear, was a young elf with blue hair and a blue muffler on. There¡¯s no mistaking that he probably has a cool personality and is in-charge of holding down the passionate red.

    Although he didn¡¯t have yellow hair, the 3rd member was a cyclops giant with a yellow muffler on and was called the Yellow Axe. I am not sure if he likes curry or not. I haven¡¯t seen curry in this world to begin with. I am secretly wishing Red Wing can develop it.

    Instead of green hair, the 4th member was a goblin with green body and was called the Green Knife. Of course, he also had a green muffler on. Although you can¡¯t really tell a goblin¡¯s age from their face, he¡¯s probably the youngest. Thinking in terms of the setting.

    And the lone woman in the group, Pink Arrow¡¯s race is unknown. One can tell she¡¯s a woman from her assassin/bandit like full-body suit. However, because of her full-face helmet, her face couldn¡¯t be seen. And of course, both the suit and the helmet were dazzlingly shocking pink.

    When they are all lined up, the pink one looks most like a hero. From Red to Green, they had different equipment on like adventurers and only had the same type of muffler.

    The Red feels like another foreigner like me but... while I am curious, I decided to look up on that after the war. After this war, I will be investigating on the de Rangers¡¯ secrets.

    ¡°Although, we don¡¯t really know if the enemy willst by the time our turnes up.¡±

    ¡°Farkius, don¡¯t underestimate the Crusaders.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you seem to be quite cautious. I am well aware of Spada army¡¯s strength and most importantly, I believe in my strength. Especially now, when I have someone I love, I don¡¯t feel like I will lose.¡±

    Rather than self-conciet, I felt Farkius¡¯ eyes had this color which reflected his belligerent attitude¡ªhis desire to release all his overflowing strength from the bottom of his soul.

    But still, this guy has a lover? That is a relief. What a relief. His partner is probably some extraordinary beauty but even still, I can bless them from the bottom of my heart without any jealousy. Be happy forever.

 Chapter 424

    ¡°Is that so? Then I wonder if I should stay here too.¡±

    ¡°...Do as you please.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re kind, huh?¡±

    No, not really. Nell¡¯s behavior is what you would call real kindness.

    Even such a cliche line sounds cool when he says it with that fresh smile. I feel kinda annoyed.

    ¡°But do keep some distance when we¡¯re fighting.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to protect your back. Can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Sorry but that¡¯s already reserved.¡±

    I grabbed Lily and held her up like a kitten to block off Farkius¡¯ alluring gaze. Lily was in intimidation mode and the effect was outstanding.

    ¡°Mm, you can go fight over there.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, I guess this is my loss, little fairy.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Since the day I¡¯vee to Pandora, it has been Lily¡¯s role to protect my back. I feel nostalgic when I think back on those times when we subjugated cave goblins.

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s dangerous for you to stay near me.¡±

    ¡°I can fight even beside a mad warrior with a cursed weapon so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with friendly fire?¡±

    We n on fighting with the most fundamental formation of the Element Master. Lily and I will be the vanguard while Fiona is the rear guard.

    Although the strength of her me magic is excellent, it also has a surprisingly high chance of misfires so it¡¯s like a double-edged sword. Lily and I will be fine but I am not sure about anyone else.

    ¡°You will be caught up by mes from behind.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will be caught up.¡±

    Fiona said with a straight face, as if she had no intention of being careful.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous so please stay away.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see, I will be careful.¡±

    Even Farkius couldn¡¯t deny this. Well, at least with this, he won¡¯t be carelesslying close.

    ¡°Ah, right, Fiona, don¡¯t go breaking the wall, alright?¡±

    ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    ¡°Also pay attention to your allies¡¯ movements.¡±

    ¡°I will take that into consideration.¡±

    Yep, I will just assume it will be fine.

    ¡°However, is it really okay for Farkius to be here? I can¡¯t see the other soldiers.¡±

    By the other soldiers, she means the other soldiers who have the authority to act independently.

    At the right side, there were soldiers from the Rampage squad. And on the left, none of the people who were given the authority could be spotted.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem in terms of the allotment of strength. On the right side, there¡¯s Aiku and I have also left my squad members there as well. And on this side, I am here.¡±

    I felt like he was indicating that he himself is as strong as his whole squad. Farkius was very casual in his behavior but it looks like he has absolute confidence in his ability.

    ¡°And I have also heard the ¡®Yomi¡¯ and ¡®de Ranger¡¯ went to the middle at the start too. And I don¡¯t really know about the people who went solo myself.¡±

    I guess he wouldn¡¯t be aware of the movements of all the people who received the authority. Although one would stand out if they move in a party, they wouldn¡¯t if they act alone.

    By the way, ¡®Yomi¡¯ and ¡®de Ranger¡¯ are two adventurer parties who received the authority together with us. Both are rank 5. In terms of adventurer history, they are decades older than us, making them our senpais.

    Yomi is a 4-man party consisting only swordswomen and they have received their name directly from one of the ck Gods, ¡°Master swordsman Yomi¡±. They are a group of capable swordswoman who are not really showy in appearance.

    The leader was an old woman with a long sword. The other 3 had full head helmets on. The only one I can definitely say is beautiful was the one wearing the Lamia helmet. She had dark brown skin and reddish brown scales which looked quite different from Aten. I felt that there can be many differences even in the same race all over again.

    And the other party, the ¡®de Rangers¡¯, was consisted of rangers, just as their name indicated. Yep, a squadron with 5 members of 5 different colors.

    The leader, Red Sword, was a young man with red hair and a red muffler on. I am sure he¡¯s a passionate young man with a strong sense of justice.

    The sub-leader, Blue spear, was a young elf with blue hair and a blue muffler on. There¡¯s no mistaking that he probably has a cool personality and is in-charge of holding down the passionate red.

    Although he didn¡¯t have yellow hair, the 3rd member was a cyclops giant with a yellow muffler on and was called the Yellow Axe. I am not sure if he likes curry or not. I haven¡¯t seen curry in this world to begin with. I am secretly wishing Red Wing can develop it.

    Instead of green hair, the 4th member was a goblin with green body and was called the Green Knife. Of course, he also had a green muffler on. Although you can¡¯t really tell a goblin¡¯s age from their face, he¡¯s probably the youngest. Thinking in terms of the setting.

    And the lone woman in the group, Pink Arrow¡¯s race is unknown. One can tell she¡¯s a woman from her assassin/bandit like full-body suit. However, because of her full-face helmet, her face couldn¡¯t be seen. And of course, both the suit and the helmet were dazzlingly shocking pink.

    When they are all lined up, the pink one looks most like a hero. From Red to Green, they had different equipment on like adventurers and only had the same type of muffler.

    The Red feels like another foreigner like me but... while I am curious, I decided to look up on that after the war. After this war, I will be investigating on the de Rangers¡¯ secrets.

    ¡°Although, we don¡¯t really know if the enemy willst by the time our turnes up.¡±

    ¡°Farkius, don¡¯t underestimate the Crusaders.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you seem to be quite cautious. I am well aware of Spada army¡¯s strength and most importantly, I believe in my strength. Especially now, when I have someone I love, I don¡¯t feel like I will lose.¡±

    Rather than self-conciet, I felt Farkius¡¯ eyes had this color which reflected his belligerent attitude¡ªhis desire to release all his overflowing strength from the bottom of his soul.

    But still, this guy has a lover? That is a relief. What a relief. His partner is probably some extraordinary beauty but even still, I can bless them from the bottom of my heart without any jealousy. Be happy forever.

 Chapter 425

    ¡°Then you should work even harder to protect that person, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I will definitely protect them.¡±

    I could finally think of Farkius¡¯ smile as beautiful as he answered reassuringly. Fighting for love¡ªthat¡¯s quite a cool motive.

    ¡°Kurono, the Crusaders¡¯ army has be visible.¡±

    As I quietly turned to face towards the direction Fiona had pointed, I could definitely spot therge white army closing in.

    Thinking that it¡¯s finally time, I let Lily down and stood facing the enemy as they marched with momentum. And the Spada army lined up here was also making a smallmotion seeing the enemy right in front.

    ¡°...They really are removing the snow with Doltos.¡±

    After they came this close, finally the rumored Doltos could be seen.

    The Doltos looked like a white bulldozer. They were easily pushing aside the piled up snow on the mountain road and were slowly making their way here.

    With the help of modding, I could see their soldiers on top of mammoths even without a strengthening magic on my eyes.

    Their white robes with hoods on looked somewhat different from the Crusader soldiers I remember. They are probably the monster-users of the Crusader army. I guess calling them ¡®tamer¡¯ would be more appropriate, seeing how they are handling the monster as is without summoning.

    Behind the forceful Doltos squad was the fire magician squad, wearing red robes. Although they weren¡¯t using powerful me magic from their staff, they were probably using heat magic to melt the snow.

    Strangely enough, the snow pushed aside by the Doltos was not piling up. By melting the snow which was pushed aside, they were getting rid of the obstacle.

    And behind them were the unpleasant white troops which we faced half a year ago on Alsace¡¯s river beach.

    Even today, they had numerous gs with the cross, fluttering in the strong wind. Underneath those gs were the troops wearing white surcoats, equipped with long spears. They looked like white ants from here, making me want to instantly crush them.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s weird. This is different from what I heard.¡±

    While I red at them with bloodlust, Farkius said in a somewhat stale voice.

    When I looked at him with a side nce, his beautiful face had a wry expression on, looking like he as if he was drafting up a n or something. It doesn¡¯t seem like he was overwhelmed by the Crusaders¡¯ numbers.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I had heard that the Crusaders¡¯ was formed with only humans but¡ª¡±

    The source of that info is me. To be more precise, the Element Masters and Shimon¡ªthe survivors of Daidaros.

    Well, the Spada army has also researched on the Crusaders as they built a nest in Daidaros. And of course, naturally, all the Spada soldiers including the adventurers were told that the Crusaders consisted only of humans.

    ¡°The ones lined up there aren¡¯t human, no matter how I look at it.¡±

    Farkius was pointing at ¡®them¡¯.

    A squad line, simr to the familiar Crusader squad.

    They were wearing simr robes as the Tamers and when looked closely, their sizes differed from the human soldiers who were beside them.

    Especially the cyclops, golems, minotaurs¡¯ big bodies stood out. If one pays attention, they can notice the goblins¡¯ small bodies mixed with them as well.

    ¡°....What, are they...¡±

    Even I, who had fought with the Crusaders before, could not understand right away.

    This is weird. To them, who believe in the Cross, think that any race other than human is demonic. There¡¯s no way they can be joining the fight as fellow Crusaders. In the first ce, there shouldn¡¯t be any other races in Sinir republic.

    However, it was Farkius himself who easily gave an answer to this rising doubt.

    ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s no doubt about it. They are people from Daidaros.¡±

    Before I could ask ¡®what do you mean?¡¯, Fiona answered this time.

    ¡°Kurono-san, they are probably war ves.¡±

    War ves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, they are enlisting the people of Daidaros and are going to use them as meat shields?!¡±

    ¡°If it was a priest, they would never walk alongside demons but... if they are lead by Sinir¡¯s nobles, then it is possible.¡±

    It is said the war ve system was frequently seen in use by the Sinir republic when they were subjugating the west half of Ark continent.

    In short, it¡¯s a system where they make the believers of a different religion into war ves and use them as disposable force.

    Their logic is that they are doing what must be done to bring the heretics to the right religion.

    A shitty logic.

    And because of that, the heretics were called ¡®second ss citizens¡¯ and were clearly treated as lower beings.

    ¡°Even though they are demons, they can be understood. And so, they are probably using them in the same way as they used the heretics.¡±

    In other words, they are using the demons¡¯ families or something as hostage to make them participate in the war. Although words have no meaning towards a wild monster, they do work against demons who understand humannguage. And so they can be threatened simrly as well.

    Fiona continued, saying that if it¡¯s the Sinir nobles who have fought against the heretics, they are probably well aware of that method.

    ¡°Wait, then, we are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will probably have to fight against the sacrificial war ves¡ªthe Daidaros people who have be ves.¡±

    A particrly strong wind blew across the valley. And with that sudden gust, the white robes of the war ves were taken off.

    And what lied there was a strong-faced orc and a lizardman. And as I thought, the small shadows belonged to the goblins.

    Elf or dwarf¡ªbeing which are more simr to humans couldn¡¯t be seen. I can¡¯t help but think that the races which are further away from humans were intentionally picked.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t joke around with me... I.. I havee this far, to kill the Crusaders...¡±

    Why do I have to fight against the people of Daidaros who have done nothing wrong? For what purpose am I dying my hand with blood then?

    ¡°No, Kurono. They are also ¡®Crusaders¡¯.¡±

    Fiona dered, looking into my face. There was no hesitation in her golden eyes.

    ¡°....Kurono, here theye.¡±

    Lily said with an expressionless face, again standing on the castle wall edge. Sound of trumpets came along a gust of wind from underneath. In front of me, the Crusaders slowly marched forward, making high-pitched noises with their trumpets.

    Although it is quite a spectacle¡ªseeing countless people wriggling just below, I felt a chill run down my spine as the war ves were pushed forward.

    Their white robes looked like prison uniform. They are ves, criminals who might rebel. And as such, they were probably not given any weapon. They didn¡¯t have any sword or spear with them¡ªnot even a small knife.

    Instead, what they were given was argedder to climb the 15 meter castle wall. The reason why they were also carrying fat pirs andrge boulders was probably to use them as a base for thedder.

    The defenseless war ves were put up against the impregnable Ghad fort.

    And then, suddenly, the trumpet was blown, indicating the signal to ¡®charge¡¯.

    ¡°Damn it....¡±

    And like this, the fight had started.

    Month of Gloom, day 16. Early morning. 5th Ghad war¡ªbegins.

 Chapter 426

    The Crusaders stopped advancing about 1 kilometer away from the Ghad fort and started executing their battle formation. Although the area was close to Daidaros, which has steep mountain roads, the area they were currently at was near the Ghad fort and had a width about 1 kilometer so they could easily deploy arge squad there.

    And the formation theypleted was one which forced the white robe ves to be on the front line. No, they aren¡¯t really trained soldiers so they were just pushed forward, that¡¯s all.

    Unlike the perfectly coordinated Spada army¡¯s alignment, the ves were all disoriented and looked mostly like a crowd of people. And in reality, they will beying down their lives like it is worth nothing.

    The death march will begin¡ªI can¡¯t stop it even if I want to.

    Along with the annoyingly loud trumpet noise, the war ves advanced through the snow. And in the frontline, there were also a Doltos mixed with them and they were the ones mainly creating the path to the castle walls. There was no fierce roar or war cries¡ªit was a creepily quiet charge.

    However, the silence didn¡¯tst long either.

    They will soon be greeted with waves of arrows since they will be entering the Spada army¡¯s attack range.

    ¡°¨CAttack-!¡±

    As if a lion roared, King Leonhart¡¯s issued hismand and the Spada army started its attack. In response to the defenseless charge of the people of Daidaros, the Spada army started attacking without mercy.

    The Spada army¡¯s strong and powerful soldiers tightly drew their bows to the limit and released all at once. And the blue skies of Ghad turned into an unparalleled volley of steel rain.

    And after a short pause, the arrowheads reached their targets¡ªcountless preys squirming on top of the snow. It felt as if a red flower had just suddenly bloomed in the middle of a pure whitend. The flower of fresh blood was in full bloom.

    ¡°.....Damn it.¡±

    Although close to a thousand enemy soldiers¡¯ lives were being taken in that moment, what left my mouth was a heavy sigh.

    The war ves were wearing white robes. They were just wearing light shirts and pants underneath. They didn¡¯t even have any heavy outfit on to keep out the cold, let alone have any chain mail on.

    Are you saying they climbed that snowy mountain in the middle of winter just toy down their lives for no reason?

    Am I feeling sentimental watching the defenseless war ves fall down one after another in face of the rain of arrows because my resolution isn¡¯t strong enough? Or is this hesitation the proof of being sane as a person?

    ¡°I have no other choice... the fight.. has already begun...¡±

    Even then, at the moment, I don¡¯t need sanity or morals or ethics. The only thing I need is strength.

    Just as Shirazaki¡¯s illusion brought forth by Lust Rose had narrated, I have killed many people up to this point. I don¡¯t have the right to be worrying about that at this point.

    ¡°.....Lily, Fiona, let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Even without me saying it out loud, they should have started attacking the moment Spada army started attacking. I should have also started using Bullet Arts long ago.

    But, the two of them silently waited for me. Without attacking, without criticizing¡ªthey just waited for me to start moving by my own. I feel they might have even retreated with me withoutining if I said I wouldn¡¯t fight here.

    ¡°Yep, then let¡¯s go!¡±

    Lily said with a smile, giving a ¡®banzai¡¯ pose. And in both of her raised palms, two dazzling light spheres starting forming.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    As Fiona held her crimson wand ¡®Spit Fire¡¯ and swung it once, numerous fiery spheres were produced in the air. Apparently Fiona can do dexterous stuff like this as the mana control is done by the wand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Hitsugi ¡®The Grid¡¯ mode, Gatling gun.¡±

    I received the jet ck artillery from the ck-haired maid from the shadow and aimed it towards the white army on the other side of the wall.

    If this lot of them crowd around like this, it will probably hit no matter how I aim. The more I shoot, the more the enemy will die. I don¡¯t have any grudge towards the people of Daidaros but they will have to die.

    ¡°I am sorry but¡ªI havee here to war! Burst!¡±

    Although I was trapped by the gloomy sentiments, the trigger was surprisingly light.

    ¡°Ahh, ah. I made it here, I have finally made it this far...¡±

    A single goblin walked on top of the ice with heavy steps.

    He was wearing a thin white robe made with cheap fabrics. And on top of that, his clothes underneath were also thin. It was weird even to him¡ªhow he hadn¡¯t yet died of the cold.

    ¡°Wooh, it¡¯s huge, huh? So that¡¯s Ghad castle¡¯s wall, eh? It¡¯s even bigger than the one in Daidaros, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The fateful wall¡ªwhich the Dragon King Garvinal couldn¡¯t cross even after trying 4 times. The prideful Daidaros knights might re at it with resent but for a poor farmer like him, it was spectacle.

    Ahh, really, how good it would have been if this was a field trip. And now, from that wall which has the ultimate defense, countless arrows were raining down along with cataclysmic fire and lightning magic.

    When he looked right, he spotted a male war cat lying on top of the snow with an arrowing out of his chest. It probably hit his lung and not his heart, unluckily. He was coughing up blood as he violently kept coughing in pain.

    He won¡¯t survive. And even if there was, who would extend their hand to him¡ªother than the God of death?

 Chapter 427

    When he looked left, he spotted an old orc being roasted alive by a super fast fire sphere. That was the orc who had been grumbling about the cold all this time. Although it probably wasn¡¯t his wish to wee death by fire.

    ¡°Haa... well, looks like I will probably be the next in line...¡±

    That¡¯s right, this is a battlefield. This ce, where they were brought forcefully as war ves, was literally an execution ground.

    Daidaros was subjugated by those white clothed people calling themselves the Crusaders. Their assets were taken, their houses burned. They performed such inhumane acts as if it didn¡¯t even affect them. As if they had experience doing it quite a few times before.

    And then, the young goblin who was trembling in the cold and in fear of death, was here before he realized.

    He couldn¡¯t quite understand properly¡ªno, before he could even know what was happening, he was being called by ¡¯No. 1733¡¯ and not his name. After seeing the number sewed on to his shirt and robe, he had finally realized that he had be a ve.

    The Daidaros vige was peaceful. The Dragon King would cause wars every now and then but he didn¡¯t really forcibly collect tax. In the first ce, the Daidaros district was rich in harvest and had rarely experienced starvation. Even the goblin, who was now an adult, experienced it about once when he was a child.

    Such peaceful and tranquil farming life feels so distant now.

    Now, he was surrounded by the scent of blood and steel and fire¡ªin a battlefield of snow and ice. And the fact that he was in the middle of this upheaval didn¡¯t sunk in yet.

    ¡°¡ªEh, waah?! Close¨C! That¡¯s too close! That was too dangerous!¡±

    An arrow had just grazed the top of his head. Judging from the fact that it was rotating at a high speed, it probably got repelled of off something.

    And even a ricochet like that would be fatal if hit. Goblins¡¯ skin is just a bit tougher than humans. Arrows or des would pierce through them easily.

    Even then, he could tell that if that arrow hadn¡¯t snapped like it did, it would have gone straight through his forehead.

    ¡°Whew¡ªI am saved! Thanks, lizard guy!¡±

    Arge lizard man advanced forward before him with strong steps. That arrow just before had been flicked off its path by his right hand. The goblin expressed his gratitude by patting the green scales on his legs.

    The hooded dragon-like head nced towards the goblin. But then, as if he didn¡¯t see anything, he turned forward again.

    ¡°Hmm, mister, are you perhaps a Daidaros knight?¡±

    The giant lizardman was still silent.

    However, when the goblin peeked into the hood and saw his side profile, he did remember it.

    ¡°Ah, as I thought, there¡¯s no doubt about it. I have seen your face before, mister.¡±

    It was when he had went to the capital city of Daidaros for the first time. It was the Daidaros knight who politely showed him the way without expressing any disgust towards him, as he was a bumpkin.

    Majority of the people would say that you can¡¯t really tell apart lizardmen by their face. But for this goblin, it was unnatural to not be able to tell apart. To him, it was weird how people can¡¯t tell them apart even when their faces are so different.

    And especially, there¡¯s no way he would forget the face of the person who helped him. He didn¡¯t have much confidence in his memorizing ability but he could say that he can remember people¡¯s faces well.

    ¡°Thank you very much for that time! Although, I am sure you don¡¯t remember me.¡±

    The lizardman turned back once again as the goblin finished saying with augh. The lizardman¡¯s sharp fanged mouth opened and seemed like he was about to say something but then¡ªit closed tightly and he turned to face forward again. He didn¡¯t react at all after that.

    Farmer or knight, both are the same war ves now. Even then, the knight probably had some etiquette or creed he followed in the battlefield. For example, ¡®do not speak of unnecessary stuff¡¯.

    The goblin made sense of the knight¡¯s silence like that.

    ¡°Even still, to think I would meet a real knight at a ce like this. My luck hasn¡¯tpletely abandoned me yet, huh?¡±

    The goblin hid behind the lizardman¡¯s back and kept walking forward, being protected by that robust body.

    Whether the knight had noticed that or not, he just silently kept moving forward. Withoutining or showing the slightest gesture of finding it irritating.

    ¡°Hyeeeh! Ah, hot¨C!¡±

    Him screaming was proof of him living.

    While his brethren kept falling down one after another, the young goblin was still surviving. All thanks to the lizardman knight.

    The intermittent rain of arrows kept snapping as they hit the dragon-like hard scales and none reached the goblin.

    Even after being struck by lightning which was mixed in the rain of arrows, the lizardman quivered a bit and then immediately started walking again.

    And now he¡¯s crossing scorching hot fire balls and shock waves head on.

    As expected, the heat reached the goblin behind and was burning his sleeves. He hurriedly jumped into the snow to extinguish it and then ran back behind the knight.

    And like this, the lizardman knight and the farmer goblin kept going forward together.

    And from time to time, balls of fire looking like starse falling from the 4 pirs on top of the wall. Boulders came falling as if the mountain range was crumbling. Magics beyond imagination came flying with enormous destructive power and urately eradicated a befitting amount of people with it.

    Even the knight wouldn¡¯t be able to go unscathed if he got caught up in one of those but¡ªas if the Dark Gods heard the goblin¡¯s prayers, none of those fatal attacks hit them.

    ¡°Ooohh, we are here... finally, we have made it this far...¡±

    The attacks in the snow which felt like they wouldst forever wasing to an end. They had finally reached the Ghad castle walls.

 Chapter 428

    While also being deeply moved, he looked around the surrounding and understood that they were on the edge.

    Although the Doltos were going straight at first, their path deviated along the way.

    Either way, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they were definitely moving forward. In the first ce, there¡¯s no way they can get lost in this one way road. They could spot few others who had made it to the wall like them.

    And when they turned back, despite the number of people killed, even more were being pushed forward as if to overrule it.

    After a while, even more war ves are probably going to make it this far. And more of them will lose their lives, either on their way here, or after.

    The castle siege n begins now.

    ¡°But even still, what do we even do about this huge wall?¡±

    The only tool given to them was adder. A long 15 meter talldder to conquer the walls.

    However, they had dropped that long ago. The war ves who had been carrying thedder were all pierced by arrows and were burnt to crisp.

    They didn¡¯t know where the otherdders were at that moment. At the very least, they couldn¡¯t spot any in the surrounding and there were nodders put up against the wall.

    Although, even the goblin had adder, he wouldn¡¯t want to climb a 15 meter tall wall. The proud Daidaros knight would probably climb it. And that¡¯s probably why he made it this far silently.

    ¡°Hey, hey, mister, what will you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    The goblin heard his voice for the first time here. However, that voice was different from the time when he showed him the way in Daidaros¡¯ capital.

    Is he speaking with an ent? Did his throat get scraped? A low voice?

    All of which are correct but none are the core problem.

    ¡°Here... wall... climb...¡±

    This isn¡¯t the voice of someone sane.

    While saying that, the lizardman looked up towards the top of the wall.

    ¡°M-mister...?¡±

    ¡°Ku-cli... enemy.. demon... kill...¡±

    And at that moment, a scream reverberated. The goblin held down his sharp ears and let out a shriek. But his voice died out in front of the lizardman¡¯s roar¡ªno, the thing in front of him... it was ¡°something else¡±.

    ¡°Wh-what is... this...¡±

    The white robe covering the lizardman¡¯s body flew off.

    And underneath wasn¡¯t green scales¡ªit was two audacious arms covered with reddish-brown fur. It wasn¡¯t the arm of a lizardman. In the first ce, his arm was still there.

    Those two beast-like arms grew from his shoulders. In other words, he now had four arms.

    However, it didn¡¯t stop there. His massive chest muscles divided and a head came out¡ªsomeone else¡¯s head.

    That head looked that of an orc¡¯s. A dark skinned orc. And his face looked atrocious. And because of that, the white ring inserted on top was standing out.

    The eyes opened up and got a hold of its body in a moment. Its hectic eyes didn¡¯t stabilize, as if it was searching for something important.

    ¡°O, ooo.... Guuoooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    After letting out a scream, the former lizardman clung onto the wall with momentum.

    And when he looked closely, he noticed that the creature had long bent ws which were sharp like knives.

    And it wasn¡¯t just its hands. The same thing happened with its legs. No, even the strong burly lizardman tail had a wing out of the tip.

    It precisely pierced into the wall¡¯s unevenness with its ws.

    ¡°Gaaa!!¡±

    And with a sharp voice, the strange-looking knight started climbing the wall. He climbed the vertical wall at an unthinkable speed considering its size. Nimble like a monkey¡ªno, this movement is closer to that of a spider.

    Without being constrained by gravity, it kept climbing up as if that wasnd. At that speed, it probably won¡¯t even take 10 seconds to climb only 15 meters.

    ¡°Uu, aah... how could this... m-mister has... turned into a monster...¡±

    Why did that strong and burly Daidaros knight turn into something that terrifying? A mere farmer like him couldn¡¯t even imagine.

    It was like a nightmare. But, considering how this ce is already hell, that monster might just be fitting of it.

    Monster. That¡¯s right¡ªa sh of light passed through his mind.

    Even though he couldn¡¯t be confident in his memory, he recalled reading it in a picture book in the vige chief¡¯s house when he was a kid. He couldn¡¯t remember the difficult exnations. He didn¡¯t even read it, to begin with. But in that page, beside the exnation, was a big illustration.

    A lion¡¯s head, a goat¡¯s torso and a serpent¡¯s tail. In that picture book, there were also illustrations of two-headed eagles with bat-like wings.

    Monsters with different body parts from different animals.

    Those looked exactly like the one he just saw. As if those parts were forcibly put together on top of one another.

    Now that he had remembered it once, he was sure that the thing he saw was something out of that book. And that grotesque monster¡¯s name is¨C

    ¡°¡ªUgguh?!

    When he had remembered up to that point, he was thrown away by something and fell on the snow, facing up.

    And when he came to his senses, it wasn¡¯t the Ghad castle walls in front of him, it was the perfectly clear blue skies.

    After blinking a few times, he understood that he had fallen down.

    ¡°Uwah, what was that suddenly... it surprised me..¡±¨Che was just about to say, but then, ¡°¨Cgabuhh! Guu, gaaha....¡±, not a single word came out.

    When he opened his mouth, bright red blood came flowing out with intense coughs.

    He couldn¡¯t breathe. He felt like that time he had nearly drown in the river when he was young. But now, he was drowning in a sea of blood. That was how he felt.

    ¡°Kaa.... ha.....¡±

    And then, without even realizing that his throat had been pierced by an arrow, his short life had abruptlye to an end. Death by a stray arrow, which is verymon in the battlefield.

 Chapter 429

    ¡®It¡¯ appeared all too sudden.

    ¡°Uwa, what¡¯s this¡ªgaah!¡±

    The archer tried to pull his bow, aiming towards the approaching enemy. He was a member of the ¡®diators¡¯ and had typical archer equipment with his quiver on one side of his chest armor. But the next moment, he was fluttering in the air, spilling fresh blood all around from his chest.

    And what¡¯s worse is that his body was thrown outside the wall, leaving him falling 15 meters before hitting the ground.

    Seeing him disappear into the distance, the one who did that to him descended on to the passage. A sharp, heavynding noise resounded throughout the hard stone paving.

    A huge green lizardman¡ªthat was the first impression it gave off.

    However, one would immediately notice¡ªthat this thing isn¡¯t just your average lizardman.

    ¡°Oi, that guy... has a lotta arms, rather, there¡¯s even an orc faceing out from its chest.¡±

    There was a hairy strong arming out of its shoulders and an aggressive orc¡¯s face from its chest. Even for a monster, it looked horrible.

    Seeing that repulsive creature, I instinctively stopped the shooting with The Grid and shifted my attention to the monster which made its way to the passage.

    I don¡¯t know what that thing actually is but I can tell that it will be a difficult opponent.

    Well, I guess anyone would with a single nce. The adventurers near him were already equipped with their close-quarterbat swords and were about to charge at him from all four directions.

    ¡°Be careful. This thing climbed up the wall at an unbelievable speed.¡±

    ¡°I have never seen anything like it. What kind of a monster is this?¡±

    ¡°Oho? If we get rid of this guy, we will be getting more reward then!¡±

    Even with such a disgusting opponent in front of them, the adventurers showed no signs of flinching. I have nothing but respect for that courage and nerve but¨C

    ¡°Ssshhh¡ª¡±

    And once again, blood spilled out.

    The group of 3 swordsmen had some coordination between them but with just a turn of the lizard monster with its ws out from its 4 arms, they were easily blown away.

    One of them couldn¡¯t even let out a death scream as his head was only attached to his body by a singleyer of skin. The other guy got blown away outside of the wall as well and had a sure death in his fate due free falling 15 meters.

    ¡°Uhh, guuhh.....¡±

    The remaining guy was the only one who was able to hold on to his life with a deep scar on his chest, going through his leather armor. His blood wouldn¡¯t stop overflowing and that¡¯s a wound which even a dozen potions can¡¯t heal.

    Although, he was killed before anyone could even do that.

    The monster calmly started slowly taking steps on the passage. First step, second step¡ªand in front of the third step was the wounded adventurer¡¯s head. And with a sharp crackling sound, his head was smashed.

    ¡°Normal adventurers are no match for it, huh...¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Kurono! That thing has gone berserk with ¡®angel ring¡¯!¡±

    Lily shouted right behind me. I needed a moment to understand what she meant.

    ¡°Darnit, that¡¯s the ¡®angel ring¡¯, eh?!¡±

    Althoughte, I realized what it was. No, maybe I didn¡¯t want to realize what it was.

    On the orc¡¯s head which came out of the lizardman, I could certainly spot a familiar white ring attached.

    In other words, that monster is the new experiment of the ¡®White Sacrament¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a chimera!¡±

    ¡°Chimera, eh... Darn it all, they sure go around making some really twisted shit.¡±

    From the looks of it, the ring isn¡¯t only doing the brainwash, it¡¯s also responsible for the orc being the base for the lizardman and the numerous other body parts on him. Whether they did it with magic or just by surgery, I don¡¯t know¡ªI don¡¯t even want to know.

    For now, I guess I will call this thing a lizard-chimera.

    ¡°I will take care of that thing. Lily, support me. Fiona, keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°My help isn¡¯t needed for something like that, right? Understood.¡±

    No matter how big it is, this is still the passage. If Fiona were to provide cover fire at a ce like this, the defense line will crumble. In other words, you should not shoot. Don¡¯t make me say it out loud.

    Although, even if it¡¯s not Fiona, one can¡¯t really use long-distance attacks or area attacks here. I should refrain from using The Grid since it will spread a lot of bullets.

    I threw it aside and brought out my number one partner, Zetsuonnata ¡®Kubitachi¡¯ instead.

    ¡°Master, Nata-senpai, good luck!¡±

    Along with the cheer from Hitsugi in my head, I saw the Gatling gun being taken into the Shadow Gate again with Bind Art¡¯s chains with a side nce.

    A smooth weapon change. I feel like Hitsugi¡¯s taking in and out skill has improved quite a bit from the past battle experiences.

    And so, with the cursed hatchet in my hand, I charged straight towards the lizard-chimera. At this point, I hadn¡¯t just gotten used to ¡®Kubitachi¡¯, it had be a part of my body. It kept letting out an ominous red and ck aura, as if to urge me to quickly cut with it.

    The distance between us was about 10 meters. But the problem wasn¡¯t the distance, it was the crowd of adventurers in between.

    ¡°Fall back!¡±

    ¡°Uwoh!? It¡¯s Nightmare Berserker!¡±

    ¡°Oohh, take care of that thing, Berserker!¡±

    All the adventurers present there seemed to have realized the threat posed by the lizard-chimera as they all willingly let me cross. Thank you but at least call me by my name.

    Without colliding against anyone, I reached the lizard-chimera in a blink.

 Chapter 430

    Even at this moment, it was curving up adventurers with its ws and crushing their faces with its monster hands.

    Doing whatever it pleases. It will be dangerous if I don¡¯t get rid of it quick.

    Just when I had closed the distance to a single step, a clumsy adventurer came forward, blocking the path but¡ªwell, I can easily jump over a single person.

    ¡°¡¯Kuro nagi¡¯ (ck lull)!¡±

    And with that momentum, I swung down on the lizard-chimera¡¯s head.

    Its cold lizard eyes and bloodshot orc eyes both looked at me simultaneously.

    ¡°Kyueehh!¡±

    While letting out a weird shriek, it jumped backwards with an absurd speed unfitting of its appearance but still, the jet ck sh cleanly cut off both of its left hands. Even its tough lizard skinned hand and its gori like huge furry hand were both cut off without any difficulty by this hatchet.

    Even while a pool of red-ck blood was pouring out of the cut portion, the lizard-chimera showed no signs of flinching and just confirmed me as its next target.

    However, the moment you decided to stay here was the moment that decided your fate.

    ¡°Eiii!¡±

    Such a cute voice could be heard from further back. By that time, Lily¡¯s sphere of light, ¡®Ruks Sagita¡¯ to be more urate, was closing in on the lizard-chimera.

    A total of 6 arrows of light with transcendental maneuverability and tracking weaved its way through the lined up adventurers. It crossed me in a blink of an eye andnded directly on to the crazy chimera.

    ¡°Ooooouu! Gaaahhh!!¡±

    Even in its berserk state, it seems it felt the pain from the high temperature light or just got really mad as it let out a high pitched scream from its lizard head. At the same time, its orc face also distorted and let out a scream.

    That opportunity is more than enough for me tond the final blow.

    ¡°Niren Kuro Nagi (Double ck lull)¡±

    With the first de, the lizardman¡¯s head dropped.

    And without a moments dy, the second de dropped the orc¡¯s head.

    Just as I was done performing my technique, I was just in front of the chimera. And then, I took a step back to go to my previous location.

    ¡°Take care of it, Hitsugi.¡±

    ¡°Yees, master! Poipooii!¡±

    As if preparations were already done, ¡®Anchor Hand¡¯ went flying from the shadow underneath my feet. The chains are not even needed.

    After all, I just need to throw these 3 pieces of corpse outside the wall.

    However, in the next moment, something giving out killing intent appeared behind me once again.

    It was as if the chimera I killed just now became an undead right there with hatred and resurrected.

    Of course, it is impossible to turn into an undead in an instant like that. After all, one can¡¯t immediately resurrect a dead body unless they are a trained necromancer.

    ¡°Haa... as I thought, it isn¡¯t one body, huh?¡±

    Before I could even turn around, another monster with four arms appeared.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a wolf-chimera with werewolf as base this time, eh?¡±

    The first image thates to mind when I think of werewolves is the image of Vulcan but this one gives off a more thin and sharp impression. Its body hair was also dark brown so it¡¯s hard to say that they look simr.

    The two hands which grew from its shoulders were green and looked glossy like metal. They were the hands of a praying mantis.

    Although I haven¡¯t seen one yet, I have heard that there are races which look simr to insects. These hands might have just been taken from a mantis monster.

    Either way, this wolf-chimera is a strong enemy who has the power of two des even while being bare-handed.

    ¡°I leave it to you, Lily!¡±

    ¡°Okayy!¡±

    The wolf-chimera came charging at me. I dodged it with a step back and threw him towards Lily as a whole.

    Of course, not because I am scared. I could easily cut it in half with Nata-senpai. Ah, this ain¡¯t good, Hitsugi¡¯s weird naming is catching onto me...

    Either way, what¡¯s important is that there are two chimeras on the wall at this moment. That¡¯s right, I first sensed a presence behind me. Something different from the wolf-chimera. I need to get rid of that one as soon as possible as well.

    I will have Lily take care of the wolf-chimera while I take care of this one.

    This way, we can get rid of these two together.

    As expected of Lily, I didn¡¯t have to exin anything. She precisely understood what I meant.

    ¡°I am your opponent, pig.¡±

    What stood in front of me after I turned back was a chimera with pig as the base. There were 4 other hands attached to its pink fat body, making it a total of 6 hands.

    From its sides, two blue scaled hands grew which are probably a lizardman¡¯s hands. And its fingertips were also w-like.

    And from its shoulders grew harpy¡¯s wings which were fused with hands. Its white feathers reminded me of Nell but its color and texture were no where near Nell¡¯s.

    Even still, did this guy really climb the wall with that body? I have my doubts.

    ¡°Buuuoooooo!!¡±

    The pig¡¯s breathing was wild as it looked at me with its bloodshot eyes.

    After giving out a tear-ripping scream, the chimera charged at me like a wild boar. The adventurers in between us were overwhelmed by that momentum and jumped back. The adventurers who failed to dodge it were flicked off by the chimera¡¯s huge body and let out a groan like a crushed frog as they groveled on the stone paving.

    Well, still, it¡¯s not a fatal wound so I guess they are fine.

    ¡°¨CDestroy!!¡±

    I watched as it tried to throw a straight punch using two of its right hands.

    It isn¡¯t something too difficult. Although he does have power, the charge up for the attack is huge and due to the chimera being in berserk mode, they don¡¯t even have the wisdom to use feints. I just need to see and dodge.

    I leaned sideways to dodge its thunderous punch and shed with my de as we passed each other.

 CHAPTER 431

    The pig¡¯s body just had light fur and didn¡¯t have any special defense like the lizardman. And since my de can even cut through lizardman¡¯s scales without any trouble, I don¡¯t even need to use any technique here. Almost leaving it to strength, I kept cutting him up with the cursed de.

    ¡°¨CToo shallow, eh?¡±

    Right after cutting through the abdomen, I immediately turned around for additional attack.

    If it was a normal human, that sh just now would have definitely split their torso and trunk but it seems it was a bit too shallow for a pig¡¯s abdomen.

    Polluted ck blood and gleaming fat and entrails were spilling from the wound. However, there¡¯s no way the berserk state would be stopped with just that and since it¡¯s that organization¡¯s experiment, it probably has the toughness to keep attacking still.

    And in reality, the pig-chimera just oinked a war-cry and made a sudden break to its rush and turned to face towards me again.

    And because of this intense movement, its abdomen wound opened wide and what is thought to be its intestines came slithering out.

    ¡°Fly!¡±

    The pig¡¯s reaction shows its will but its too slow. In a world of fights which are decided in milliseconds, that slowness is fatal. One cannd most attacks that way.

    And the attack I chose wasn¡¯t a sh from the hatchet but rather a kick.

    If I were to seriously kick it in strengthened state, a giant like this would also fly like a ser ball¡ªwell, at least it would be blown to the sky.

    My clean kick blew its body to the other side of the wall. A final attack which I thought would be much better since it would throw the chimera out of the wall quicker.

    ¡°Grenade burst.¡±

    Being constrained by gravity, the chimera went into free fall with its head first. But just to make sure, I also hit it with my ck magic of fire.

    If I just throw it outside the wall, the st and the heat won¡¯t affect my allies. They might feel a bit hot but that¡¯s about it.

    The highly-explosive ck projectile I created with my bare hands flew at a high speed as usual and made its way from me to the chimera just before it hit the ground.

    Impact. Explosion. The red and ck sinister explosion created fireworks as it burnt the pig¡¯s body to a crisp.

    The so-so splendid harpy wings just fell without ever being able to spread. Seems like it was a pig which couldn¡¯t fly even with wings.

    ¡°Uwwohh! Darn, these guys are strong!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good, don¡¯t let them up to the passage!¡±

    ¡°Drop ¡®em while they are climbing!¡±

    While I was dealing with the pig, it seems chimera soldiers were climbing from various parts of the wall.

    As expected, the Spada army also didn¡¯t get done in lopsidedly and swung their swords and spears, stopping the chimera soldiers while also making sacrifices.

    Although we were overwhelmingly high in numbers on top of the wall, if the chimeras kept sporadically rampaging like this, the actual war ves army will cause more disorder. And in fact, on the south left-wing, twodders were already on the wall.

    ¡°This is bad, we can¡¯t be pushed like this.¡±

    The Crusaders are still scouting us while they let go of the sacrificial pawns. If the Spada army falters even a little here, their spirits will rise and they wille charging with momentum.

    ¡°Lily, Fiona, let¡¯s prioritize on the chimeras and take them down!¡±

    I rushed back to where Fiona was, where she was still shooting fire magic faithfully like I instructed her at first.

    And on the way, I grouped up with Lily, who was waiting without breaking a sweat. Of course, the wolf-chimera was nowhere to be seen. Its burnt ck dead body is probably lying somewhere at the bottom of the wall.

    ¡°Yep, got it!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    An energetic reply from Lily and a somewhat motivated reply from Fiona. Even for me, killing those pitiful monsters is better than turning the war ves into minced meat.

    ¡°They have high mobility. I would like to smack them as much as possible before they reach the top of the wall.¡±

    Just as the Spada soldiers were shouting out. If these guys came charging in with numbers, the battlefront will really crumble. From the looks of it, not even 10 of these came up till now but who knows how many wille.

    Who knows how many of these war ves are chimeras.

    I can¡¯t guess but I will have to kill as they send.

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s time for that formation, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would have to use it so soon, though...¡±

    We, the Element Masters, don¡¯t only have the ¡®anti-cross¡¯ formation for Sariel. We properly have a few formations thought up with this Ghad fort as the base.

    We just thought about most of these and haven¡¯t put it into practice. Our excuse is that we didn¡¯t get the time nor the ce nor the opportunity to practice.

    Either way, I was now about to go ahead with a formation without any practice. Although I do feel anxious, I will just have to resolve myself and do it.

    ¡°Listen well now, Fiona, you are to provide back up there. There¡¯s only Lily and I so feel free to let it all out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I shall go all out.¡±

    To be honest, I would like her to hold back a little but I need to say that here even if it¡¯s a lie.

    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re with me on the front. No transformation... can you do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lily will protect Kurono!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I leave my back to you.¡±

    That ends the review. Now all we have to do is boldly jump down from the wall.

    ¡°....Bind Arts.¡±

    While standing on top of the wall next to Lily, I brought out the jet ck chain and ¡®Anchor Hand¡¯ real form from my left sleeve and attached the hook to the stone wall.

    ¡°I will leave the control to you, Hitsugi.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please leave it to me, master!¡±

    I will be counting on you, Hitsugi. From my heart. After all, you will literally be my lifeline now.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go¡ªformation ¡®Vertical Limit¡¯!¡±

 CHAPTER 432

    Vertical Limit (1)

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do this¨CFormation ¨C ¡®Vertical Limit¡¯!¡±

    I kicked the ground and jumped off from the wall, 15 meters above the ground. From the sides, it will surely look like I am leaping to my death but I wasn¡¯t heading to my death, instead, I was going to kill.

    In that fleeting moment of suspension, I checked all the chimera soldiers sticking to the wall. One would need to really peek into the wall surface from the top of the wall to see them but when you¡¯re in the air like this, it¡¯s pretty apparent.

    From my current position, the vertical wall looked like a simple t stone paving. Now with no obstruction to vision, I could spot many chimera soldiers crawling about on the huge 15m*1000m rectangle wall. Although I say they are crawling, they were going at about the same speed as a sprinting human.

    And even though they had the ws to climb the wall easily, their extraordinary physical abilities is what allowed them to do it really fast.

    And while I was thinking about that, my body was caught by the constraints of gravity and had started free falling. If I were to let myself be like this, I would crash into the snow in about 3 seconds but¨Cmy body immediately stopped.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with you¨CFall!¡±

    A chimera was just right under me, climbing up. From what I saw, it appeared to be an orc chimera but I caved in my shoe sole to its face and kicked it down before checking what kind of a chimera it actually was.

    The chimera¡¯s huge body fell with double the momentum it used to climb and left a trail of blood on the wall surface as it chafed on it before finally crashing into the ground with a big red ssh. A big ssh,bining the other few war ves underneath it. I killed half of the momentum I was falling with by kicking the chimera and the other half by the bind arts I was holding on left hand.

    I had stopped splendidly and was now standing upright on the vertical wall surface.

    ¡°Alright... it seems more stable than I expected so this might work.¡±

    Bind arts wasn¡¯t just connected to my left hand at this point. It had also promptly connected to my back and waist and had stopped my body from falling. I looked simr to that time when I was climbing the Daidaros castle wall with Lily with the ¡®anchor hand¡¯ but the only difference this time was that I left all the control to Hitsugi.

    However, with the help of bind arts and Hitsugi, I have more freedom nowpared to before. And that is exactly why I hade up with this idea of fighting on a vertical wall in this unstable state.

    Even when I let go of the chain, I can properly stand on the surface. Yosh, I can fight with both of my hands now.

    ¡°Besides, I can use this without holding back here¨C¡¯The Gatling¡¯ ¨C Gatling Burst!¡±

    I summoned the jet ck heavy artillery once again from the shadow lurking above the wall. This time, I can go all-out without having pity for the enemy or worrying about misfires.

    A fire was lit in the ck muzzle as the six barrels rotated at high speed. With a firing rate of 2000 bullets per minute, the muzzle started shooting ck magic ck magic bullets.

    ¡°Guuuuaaaahhhh!¡±

    The storm of magic bullets assaulted the group of demonic chimera soldiers as they tried climbing the wall.

    In the front, there was a harpy, a warcat and a goblin chimera whom I didn¡¯t notice for a second there since it wasn¡¯t as big.

    All three of them quickly sensed the danger and took evasive actions. Even while climbing the wall, the warcat and goblin splendidly dodged them with repetitive horizontal leaps.

    The warcat¡¯s flexible muscles throbbed and it tried to grip the wall again with its newly grown ck furry hand¨Cbut right before it could do that, it was caught up in the flood of bullets and got ripped to shreds.

    Even before the warcat¡¯s body fell on the snow, I quickly turned the gun barrel to aim at the goblin chimera. Rather than aim at it, I mostly mowed it down.

    No matter how fast you can leap around, it¡¯s useless when faced against this firing speed.

    Like the day I first Lily, when I exterminated the goblins living in the cave, this one too fell all too quickly after getting hit by the bullets.

    The high caliber psuedo full metal jacket bullets blew off its arms and legs with just a graze. Although lesser amounts of bullets hit the goblin chimera than the warcat, it was ripped to the point one couldn¡¯t tell what it actually was.

    And like that, I was able to get rid of 2 of the chimera soldiers within 3 seconds using The Grid but I couldn¡¯t take down the harpy.

    On top of the yellow-green wings like a parakeet, it also had newly grown in brown wings, making it a total of 4 wings. That made its flying speed 2 times faster as well, allowing it to dodge my vertical bullet barrage.

    Because I prioritized getting the goblin first, the harpy was able to grow ws from its legs and had now reached right in front of me. Even if I aimed the barrels at it now, it will be very close.

    However, what I did instead was looking for my next prey without paying any attention to the harpy.

    ¡°Yo!¡±

    Lily leaped forward, using my shoulders as a step. The harpy¡¯s opponent will be my reliable partner.

    With dazzling lighting out from the oracle field, Lily elerated downwards and looked like a cannonball of light.

    However, the manner of death the harpy hading wasn¡¯t a death by explosion.

    Lily and harpy chimera, both with four wings, headed towards each other but right before they were about to collide, there was a gleam of light.

    ¡°Star Sword!¡±

    That is a magic sword called the ¡®Force Edge¡¯. As it doesn¡¯t have a physical de attached, its sharpness and length can all change depending on the user¡¯s technique and will.

    The de of white light Lily just swung was longer than my Cursed Grudge Hatchet HaraRetsu and was gorgeous enough to not shame the name of ¡®Star Sword¡¯. And of course, the might of its incandescence is also worthy of the name.

    The vertical swing cut off the harpy in half. The sparkling light looked like the Milky Way but only brought a merciless death upon the opponent.

    Since the heat of the sword was so extreme, not even a single drop of liquid came out from the cut portions. As if she had nned it, the two halves of the harpy went passed Lily without colliding with her.

 CHAPTER 433

    ¡°Lily can use the artifacts without transforming, you know?¡±

    Lily turned around and said with a proud expression. It wasn¡¯t the fairy queen¡¯s treasure ¡®Queen Beryl¡¯ she was carrying, it was the ¡®Diamond Heaven¡¯, giving off a divine light.

    This artifact, which Lily got when she was training, has the effect of strengthening light attributes.

    Attribute strengthening is an extremely fundamental effect which a magic jewel can demonstrate even in an unprocessed state. As such, since the artifact was in the jewel state, it can be said that it is only natural for it to provide strengthening effect in response to that color and light.

    And the Diamond Heaven has a vast amount of magic power hidden in it, as one would expect from an artifact.

    And if Lily, who specializes in the light attribute, uses it, she can bring about an incredible amount of power.

    Thanks to that, Lily can swing the enormous Star Sword without difficulty and can also levitate in the air like this.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re strong even if you don¡¯t transform, after all.¡±

    Even when she¡¯s small, she is extremely reliable. And when equipped with an artifact, she is even more reliable. Even at the frontline of such a war, I can entrust my back to her without a worry.

    ¡°¨CEven still, I feel like the number of chimera soldiers are just increasing.¡±

    Lily and I took out 3 of them in moments with our coordination but even in that short while, even more of those chimera soldiers had started climbing the wall. Three of them to my right and four of them to my left. I could spot their grotesque figures squirming up the wall. Rather than increase, aren¡¯t they doubling in number?

    To make matters worse, the war ves were also fighting hard to ce thedders on the wall. Even though they are being forced into this, now that their lives are on the line, they couldn¡¯t help but put their all into it.

    Even these monster-like chimera soldiers probably look like their only hope in this battlefield. They kept on trying to put thedders on the wall as the chimeras tried climbing up.

    Although the war ves are unarmed and defenseless, if the burly speciese in groups, the line of defence can get easily disordered. The thing I am most worried about currently is that the Crusaders army will take that chance to attack all at once.

    Either way, I just have to keep taking out the enemy¡¯s vanguard, these chimera soldiers. No matter how many of youe out, I will smack you down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Lily, match up with me!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    With The Grid ready, I turned towards my left. 4 of them were climbing¨Cno, they had already locked their aim on me. I aimed towards the hideous chimera soldiers crawling on the wall.

    As soon as I put my finger on the trigger, I sensed Lily quickly get around to my back. I would take care of the left while Lily takes the right. Simultaneous attack with our backs to each other.

    ¡°Eat this!¡±

    ¡°Eeeeii!¡±

    ck steel¡¯s Bullet Arts and white splendor¡¯s Lux Sagita attack. The countless bullets scattered all around, destroying the chimeras and ripping the enemy to shreds.

    An overwhelming firepower which doesn¡¯t even allow the opponent toe close. No matter how burly and strong these chimera soldiers are, they are no match in front of the one-sided barrage of light and dark bullets.

    As a bonus, the magic bullets also pulverized thedders along with the chimeras.

    Like sinners suspended into hell with a spider¡¯s string, the pitiful war ves let out a shrieks as they fell to their death. If possible, I hope their destination isn¡¯t hell.

    Although there was a thought somewhere in my heart, trying to make me hesitate when killing the war ves, I didn¡¯t miss any shots intentionally. Even though the chimeras are top priority, there¡¯s no loss in decreasing the amount of war ves pushing in with their sheer amount.

    It was at the moment when Lily and I was about to shift to our next target after getting rid of those 7 chimeras.

    ¡°Ah, look out!¡±

    Lily pointed at the sky. On the tip of her fingers, light magic started to condense.

    And her fingers were pointed at an enormous, zing hot fireball,ing towards us, leaving trails of smoke behind it.

    ¡°Catapult, eh?!¡±

    That¡¯s not your average fire magic. It¡¯s a boulder dded in me, giving it destructive physical power on top of scorching firepower.

    At Alsace, few magiciansmenced a union andunched a long range fireball.

    However, the army this time wasn¡¯t one made to rule a countryside vige. It was arge army to capture an impregnable fortress. In other words, they have brought castle sieging weapons such as a catapult.

    And I guess they have finally finished setting it up. Right now, at this moment, the bombardment has already started.

    Right before Lily could shoot her light arrow towards the zing mass of rock, it was smashed to smithereens.

    Not because it hit the wall. While it was still mid-air, it got blown to pieces by an Ignis Sagita.

    ¡°Fiona, eh? As expected of her.¡±

    Perfect support. As I thought, leaving her on top of the wall was correct.

    If she wanted, Fiona could alsoe and participate in the vertical fights but there¡¯s no need for that. Before we decided on this formation, the Vertical Limit, Fiona grumbled, saying ¡°Aren¡¯t I a bit too far? Or rather, isn¡¯t Ms. Lily a bit too close?¡± but I suppose this was the best way to go about it.

    While thinking back on that, I saw the zing boulder¡¯s pieces rain down. Although it could be fatal if these heated up fragments were to hit someone, it isn¡¯t much of a problem for me and Lily.

    Diablo¡¯s Embrace can easily defend something like this and I don¡¯t even need to get started on Lily¡¯s Oracle Field.

    But it is still a terrifying hail of bullets for the war ves who were only wearing white robes.

    ¡°Fiona will do something about the bombardment so let¡¯s continue with our fight.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    Hearing Lily¡¯s cheerful reply, I started heading towards the middle of the castle wall.

    Maybe because we kept killing off the chimera soldiers in session one after another, both the chimeras and the war ves were avoiding this area. Although I can understand the war ves taking that course of action, it is kind of weird to see the chimeras do that since they are in berserk mode.

    I can only assume that they were ordered to ¡®climb the wall¡¯ and had their aggression and belligerence increased rather than having them fall into pure berserk mode.

    They can probably control that much by using that Angel Ring. Like a robot abiding by its program.

    Either way, Lily and I were forced to move. We can go to the enemy ourselves thanks to the title of Order Raid and we won¡¯t be med by our allies. I will be making full use of this authority.

 CHAPTER 434

    Vertical Limit (2)

    The binds arts w Iunched diagonally upwards kept sprinting through the wall surface, making a metallic noise. And then, just at the location Hitsugi determined, the w broke in and fixated.

    ¡°Here~!¡±

    She also shouted it inside my brain as the ws clung on to the wall, which I tested by pulling to confirm the rigidity. Alright, this should do fine.

    Now that I¡¯ve tried doing it, it didn¡¯t even take a second¨Cfrom shooting to fixating. If used continuously, I could go about this wall like Tarzan would go through a dense forest.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Yeaa!¡±

    Along with Lily¡¯s energetic yell, I kicked the wall and leaped hard. I ran through the vertical wall as if I were running on a horizontal surface.

    As the chains were locked in diagonally overhead, I moved like a pendulum. At the same time, the ws and the chains themselves were also rotated by Hitsugi to give me even more momentum. I had left all of its control to Hitsugi altogether so depending on her consideration, I might be thrown off the wall surface into the midst of the enemy on the ground.

    I am counting on you, Hitsugi.

    ¡°Leave it all to Hitsugi~! Aaand, there you go!¡±

    The chains I had gripped in my left hand kept elerating forward.

    I had put away the first bind arts which I used to suspend myself from the top long ago so the only thing holding me up and this 100kg Gatling is this one bind art. Although it isn¡¯t some chain which would break from a mere 200 kgs, I am feeling a bit uneasy hearing all the creaking noise it is making.

    I decided on trying my best to ignore it and focus on running and shooting the enemy.

    ¡°Fall!¡±

    The only things I focused on while running horizontally were the chimera soldiers aiming for the wall at full speed and the desperate war ves who were trying to get adder on to the wall to climb.

    The number of weirdly shaped chimera soldiers with 4 or 6 hands and war ves going for the wall just kept increasing.

    ¡°Uwo, that ck one came up!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, is this it?!¡±

    Although I can¡¯t really differentiate between lizardmen or therianthrope¡¯s expressions, even I could tell that their faces were dyed in despair.

    Even though we¡¯re part of the defending party, only Lily and I were the ones reckless enough toe rampaging here on the wall surface. I¡¯m sure the enemy doesn¡¯t really like being targeted by such crazy people.

    And in reality, I was actually shooting down many chimeras when I wasn¡¯t even aiming. Many of the stray bullets also hit the war ves and killed them.

    If I were to go down all the way to the bottom of thedder like this and shoot in a line, these war ves would have no other choice but to drop deap. Even if theye and are able to ce thedders, they can¡¯t even climb a few meters before dropping out.

    ¡°Noooo!! I don¡¯t want to die like this!!¡±

    ¡°Damn it all! Oi, you monsters, just do something already!¡±

    I am not sure if they responded to the desperate cries of the war ves but¨Ca few of the chimeras who were getting close changed their target to me.

    Comparatively, it seems there are more lizardman and orc chimeras.

    The lizard chimeras had harpys¡¯ wings and snakes¡¯ tails¨Ca very chimera-like appearance.

    The other type, orc chimeras, had gnarly joints an exoskeleton of four legs which gave off a deep green brilliance. As they came running towards the wall almost entirely on their belly, theypletely resembled spiders. Having a demonic orc face along with a spider body sure is creepy.

    Although it inclines me to prioritize them first considering the psychological unpleasantness¨C

    ¡°From the top as well?!¡±

    Amongst all the jumbled up bloodlust, I realized that some were alsoing from atop.

    When I suddenly looked up, I saw a grey golem, blending in with the wall.

    Its red one eye gave off a sh like an rmmp as it red at me.

    Even the golem had four hands but all four of them had the same color. It might be done on purpose. If so, then it might not be a golem chimera but... well, I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter now.

    Its big boulder sized body tumbled and came rolling down straight at me.

    I should prioritize on this guy first.

    My shoe sole made scraping noises as I slid on the wall surface, finally stopping after 2 meters. As it came targeting me with will, I will properly knock it down without overdoing it.

    ¡°Crumble!¡±

    I raised the long barrel of the Gatling gun over my head and targeted him. I went all-out, spraying 2000 bullets per minute.

    The steel bullets destroyed even boulders. Instead of spraying out blood, it gave off fireworks spectacrly and the golem chimera¡¯s body got countless cracks all over it.

    One more push.

    ¡°Grenade burst!¡±

    As my hands were upied, I quickly made an explosive round on my feet. Then I bent backwards, quickly adjusting my body to look upwards and waited for the perfect moment to kick in the ck sphere.

    Like an ace striker, I shot the explosive sphere and it flew right into the cracked boulder body.

    Just in front of me, a burst of red and ck mes bloomed and the intense hot wind swayed my ck hair and robe.

    The golem¡¯s body got blown up like fireworks. And again, burning pebbles came raining down but I couldn¡¯t be taking it slow and easy this time.

    Because there¡¯s already two unbelievably fast creepy chimeras closing in on me.

    In this distance and timing, it would probably be faster to draw Kubitachi rather than rotating the stupidly big Gatling gun, huh? Although the long barrel makes it easier to shoot, it instantly bes a bother in close rangebat.

    The moment I decided on that and was about to let go of my grip, a bright white light twinkled beside me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, leave it to Lily!¡±

    She elegantly passed by me, dancing and sliding on the wall surface with the ¡®Fairy Dance Shoes¡¯ as if it was an ice arena.

    The rainbow trajectory of the seven colored wings collided with the revolting spider type orc.

 CHAPTER 435

    ¡°KyyyoooowwaaaaAA!!¡±

    I had heard that orcs generally have a very deep voice but it cried out in a high pitch and then fixed its aim towards Lily as she conspicuously stood out with all the light surrounding her.

    A sharp axe-like w came attacking her. If itnds, it would probably go through her oracle field and reach her soft skin.

    However, instead, and this is the obvious oue, but the attack had notnded. The w shed through her glowing afterimage.

    ¡°Eii!¡±

    Lily extended her arms like she would be giving a hug and flew straight towards the orc chimera. But what awaited the chimera wasn¡¯t a loving fairy¡¯s embrace, it was a dazzling sh of light.

    The Star Sword pierced into the unpleasant chimera¡¯s face and its divine white light went through the chimera¡¯s whole body as if it was purifying it right there and then.

    She had stabbed the chimera but as a result, the chimera was cut in exactly two half. It got cut off so cleanly that it made me think how symmetrical its body was. The same end as the harpy chimera from a while ago.

    And as if to give no heed or interest to the enemy she had just cut, Lily perfectlypleted a triple axel there and turned around.

    She then extended her right arm like my bullet arts. And the gun she made with her hand aimed at the lizardman who had just gotten in range to cut me.

    And then, along with a cute wing, Lily shot.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    About 50 centimeters in front of me, apletely white pir of light rushed through. That feeling you get when a train passes by a station.

    And weirdly enough, none of the heat reached my face. I wonder if it¡¯s because all the attack power is densely packed inside that torrent of light.

    And after it just passed by, it left nothing behind its path. As if the chimeras in front of me were just a hallucination.

    ¡°Ha, haha...... it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°......We are all, done for.¡±

    After sweeping away the chimera soldiers, I began running on the wall surface yet again but the despair and resignation of the war ves made my feet feel a bit heavier.

    After taking a mere 5 more steps, I will reach theirdder and will shred them with bullets. I wonder how many of them will be pierced by the bullets if I were to shoot from right above them... Or maybe before that can happen, the woodendder would break, throwing them off to the empty sky.

    Either way, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they will have to get exterminated¨C

    ¡°Uwaah, Wait, oi! Damn it, it¡¯s not my fault! I beg you, save meee!!¡±

    With a single leap, I reached above thedder. As I stood above thedder like that, it looked as if the war ves were at my feet, begging for mercy.

    Of course, no matter how much they cry for mercy, I would just point my gun towards them¡ªyes, just aim it at them.

    ¡°Damn it!!¡±

    As if to run away, I jumped back from thedder and left that ce behind me. I headed towards the center of the wall, not where I previously was. The battleground where the chimera soldiers were rushing in, which was my first objective.

    ¡°I do not... have the time to be caring about small fries!¡±

    That was the best excuse I coulde up with.

    ¡°¡ªYes, that¡¯s exactly right, Kurono.¡±

    That moment, I felt like... I heard Fiona¡¯s voice.

    As I look back, I saw thedder the pitiful ves were clinging on to get swallowed up by a whirlpool of me.

    The rumbling tornado of me just burnt, not allowing anyone or anything to exist inside it. It burnt all of it to the ground. Even the crude white robe, the hard scales and the soft fur, the flesh and the bones¨Cit burnt it all, even the soul.

    ¡°As such, I have taken care of them. Now, please, go ahead.¡±

    As I looked up, I spotted an elegant witch atop the wall, swinging her wand. She had already finished casting her spell. Small crimson fiery particles only scattered afterwards. She wasposed enough to even give me a wave as she noticed I looked towards her.

    The mid-level magic Fiona used, ¡®Ignis Kris Sagita¡¯, had a magnificent firepower to it as always and exterminated the ¡®small fries¡¯ all too soon.

    The skeletons in underground tombs or these war ves¨Cit isn¡¯t much of a difference to her probably. Both her enemies she needs to put down.

    ¡°Ha... hahaha...¡±

    What am I doing, exactly? What have Ie here to do?

    ¡°......Sorry, Fiona.¡±

    Being a hypocrite at this point, am I? Am I an idiot or what? I am an idiot beyond help.

    ¡°Sorry to make you work more.¡±

    What a sorry state I am in.

    Because the war ves just looked too pitiful and miserable¨CI ended up running away and making my ally dirty her hands with it.

    Seriously, the thought itself is making me sick. Oi, Kurono, Kurono Maou, did you form this party to do that? To just kill the people you want to and leave the others to your allies?

    Don¡¯t jest. What are you, behaving like a naive child?

    ¡°I will do that, from here on out. I will kill them.¡±

    At this point, even worrying is a sin. Look closely¨Cthe only ones here are reliable allies and detestable enemies. A simple extreme logic.

    Fight the enemy. Kill the enemy. If you can¡¯t do that, you do not deserve to be standing here.

    Finally, after so long, I was resolute.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I¡¯m up against... I will kill them all...¡±

    I let go of the chains from my left hand and drew Kubitachi.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lily!¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    And then, I took a step forward. And that one step was surprisingly light.

 Chapter 436

    Alter Face

    Due to the appearance of chimera-soldiers who are able to easily climb the wall, hand-to-handbat could be seen all over the top of the wall. Blood and des flying here and there ¡ª a scene befitting of a war.

    On top of that, there were meteorite-like huge boulders flying this way from catapults lined up a kilometer away.

    The castle wall on which the Spada soldiers stood strong without having a single crack even after being directly hit by those boulders ¡ª befitting of its name, Ghad castle, and its defensive prowess. On top of that, these boulders were also being fended off by thetest barrier devices and the Spada royal magicians who were using all their mana to deploy a wide area barrier of light.

    The zing boulders were getting smashed to pieces the moment they collided against an invisible dome-like barrier 200 meters away from the fort. The scorching mes scattered and the hot raging winds were cut off, leaving small stone pieces falling off.

    ¡°Oi, Nero! Let¡¯s get there quick!¡±

    As the thunderous roars of the destruction of those boulders reverberated above head, one young man shouted out in a loud voice.

    The blond young man stood on the edge and had a dragon mask on.

    ¡°You idiot, don¡¯t call me by my real name.¡±

    The young man called Nero retorted. He was also wearing a mask.

    But his one wasn¡¯t that of a dragon, it was a much more simple one ¡ª a white mask covering only top portion of his face. The sharp outline from his nose to his chin gave off a sense of beauty.

    However, fortunately, the fighting adventurers surrounding them didn¡¯t pay any heed to them.

    ¡°Did you already forget why we dressed up like this?¡±

    Nero said with an exasperated expression ¡ª of course, he is the first prince of Avalon, Nero Julius Elrod.

    ¡°I know, I know! And, umm, what was it, again? Your name?¡±

    ¡°.....X.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, right, that. Of course I remember!¡±

    Seeing his buddy shout that out proudly, Nero gave out a long sigh.

    ¡°Really, don¡¯t mess this up, alright? We have alreadye this far. Listen closely, I am X, Char is S, Safi is D and you¡¯re... do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Ummm...... Kai?¡±

    ¡°K.¡±

    He came up with the name so that even an idiot would remember but at this rate, it holds no meaning. For now, he had no choice but to pray that his friend remembers it now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go shouting the party name now, alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I got this!¡±

    Kai ¡ª or rather, K, said proudly, striking his chest, to which his friend could feel nothing other than anxiety. But this too, was usual for them.

    ¡°Haa... as I thought, maybe it would have been better if we didn¡¯te... to this bothersome ce...¡±

    The rank 5 adventurer party ¡®Wing Lord¡¯ had now made their way to the very middle of the 5th Ghad war. However, they were participating without revealing their identity.

    At present, Nero was calling himself ¡®X¡¯, a neer adventurer who has travelled all the way from Avalon to ept the emergency quest. And he had coincidentally encountered 3 new adventurers in Spada and formed a party called ¡®diator¡¯ to stand in the battlefield.

    That was the setting for the rank 1 adventurer party ¡®Alter Face¡¯.

    Stupid and worthless lies and acting ¡ª through and through. While he himself also thinks that, he hase to the conclusion that sometimes things like this must also be done in the adventurer world.

    It is only because adventurers aren¡¯t really pried into generally that he can self-proim to be someone else and not be inquired for it. None of the Wing Lord, or rather, Alter Face members think that they can truly hide their identity by wearing these masks. No, maybe Kai really thinks ¡°Nobody will know with this!¡± from his heart.

    Either way, even if someone realizes who they actually are, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. At the very least, if it¡¯s the adventurers.

    There will be no problem at all if they aren¡¯t spotted by the Spada soldiers. Especially the third princess Charlotte.

    Of course, if she just stays mixed among this ¡®diator¡¯ party and doesn¡¯t fight in a conspicuous way, it will be fine.

    ¡°Hey, hey, X-san, we should go and do that too!¡±

    Kai, who had revised the name for what it matters, tried appealing his battle urge to Nero by pulling on his disguise ¡°apprentice magician robe¡±. He was a bit ¡ª rather, quite a bit annoyed.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t have to do anything. Spada¡¯s defense isn¡¯t so brittle as to sway with this level.¡±

    In his field of view, he could see 6-limbed werewolves climbing the wall only to be repeatedly stabbed by resolute Spada soldiers.

    Although these chimeras were absurdly strong with their distorted bodies, the Spada infantry were still able to defeat them. If they poke with their spears from four directions continuously in this narrow space, the chimera soldier won¡¯t have any other choice but to ripped to shreds by receiving the spearhead head-on.

    If they were your ordinary soldiers with low morale, they would tremble in fear seeing the chimera soldiers strength and would have scattered easily. However, each and every soldier here are dauntless and resolute patriotic Spada citizens.

    Even against these raging chimeras, they fight with courage, willpower and spirit and bring home victory with numbers.

    ¡°Besides, killing those creepy chimera soldiers won¡¯t earn us much credit anyway.¡±

    ¡°I, too, don¡¯t want any weakling material. Or rather, I don¡¯t really want to use anything where human hands have reached.¡±

    Muttered ¡®D¡¯ ¡ª Safil Maaya Hydra, who was wearing a sinister looking skull mask and was standing behind Nero.

    Wearing simr apprentice magician robe. Nero¡¯s one was ck but Safil¡¯s one was dark purple. On top of that, because of the long hoodiebined with the skull mask, Safil looked like the Shinigami. If the voice which came from the other side of the mask weren¡¯t as beautiful and pleasant as it was, one would never think that they were a girl because of the gloomy and dark atmosphere.

 CHAPTER 437

    ¡°Or rather, Safi ¡ª I mean, D, are they necromancers¡¯ ves?¡±

    The red-haired girl who was standing next to Nero wearing a deformed cat mask asked the Shinigami Safi casually.

    And naturally, the identity of this cat-mask girl is ¡ª the third princess of Spada, Charlotte Tristan Spada.

    Instead of the usual red mantle she waved fabulously, she was wearing a deep red cape. Although she was also wearing a hoodie like Safil, it was decorated with cat ears.

    Covering the upper half of her body was a pure white blouse made with mythril fibre and she was wearing a red-ck checkered miniskirt. The swaying cat tail could be seen at the edge of the skirt. Of course, it isn¡¯t real but it was very well done.

    By the way, the only people who know the secret behind the tail¡¯s movement are the manufacturers, Mordred weapons firm.

    ¡°No, those aren¡¯t dead bodies. They are alive, without a doubt.¡±

    Deep inside the eye socket of the skull mask, a purple light shed. And in front of that gaze was a skewered chimera soldier¡¯s dead body which was being thrown off the wall.

    ¡°That means, they went and remodelled Daidaros¡¯ ves while they were still alive... that¡¯s a terrible technology.¡±

    ¡°Eh, they aren¡¯t a new type of monster?!¡± ¡ª only Kai was surprised as he had such a stupid assumption. Even if you¡¯re not that smart, if you were to see the different characteristics of different races together like that, you would normally think that they have been changed forcibly.

    ¡°However, Spada doesn¡¯t have such high end technology. At first nce, it just looks like they had limbs forcibly attached but these limbs are also moving properly. On top of that, they are on a bit of a berserk mode and have themand to go kill ¡®enemies¡¯ after climbing the wall.¡±

    And that is certainly true ¡ª even though it feels as if the chimera soldiers have lost their reasoning power, they can¡¯t be seen attacking their allies, the war ves. Safil went as far as to say that they are probably given the order to kill after climbing the wall but it wouldn¡¯t be weird if they are able to differentiate between enemy and ally.

    ¡°And judging from the fact that they were able to prepare so many of these soldiers, either the Crusaders have a prodigious magician or¨C¡±

    Safil usually never harbours interest towards others but as rare as it is, Safil was impressed.

    ¡°¨Cthey have a crazy organization who would do something like this out of pleasure.¡±

    In other words, even the prodigious necromancer of the proud Hydra family had to admit that there was something about those chimera soldiers.

    ¡°Fufu, well aren¡¯t they interesting? These Crusaders ¡ª I am a bit curious.¡±

    ¡°Oohh! Safi is showing eagerness! Now that¡¯s rare! Then, let¡¯s go together to beat thos¡ªbugehh!¡±

    The staff with the crystal skull head was driven into his dragon mask.

    Of course, it was Safil. Mercy or tolerance ¡ª that attack had none.

    ¡°This and that are different. I do not want to fight ¡®that¡¯. Also, call me D, you idiot.¡±

    ¡°Uggugu...... you... my mask could have been broken, you know?! This is quite brittle, unlike me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about?¡±

    Seeing them act as usual even in the battlefield, Nero let out a second sigh.

    ¡°Oi, one went that way! It¡¯sing from underneath, be careful!¡±

    Such a warning came from an adventurer.

    ¡°Uwoh, are you serious?!¡±

    ¡°This is bad, it¡¯sing this way!¡±

    ¡°That movement is so creepy!¡±

    In front of the Alter Face, there was a group of 3 unreliable adventurers ¡ª or rather, they wereplete newbies.

    They were at the frontline defending the exterior of the castle walls. Nero and the others were a line behind them. They couldn¡¯t actually see the enemy approaching but they could easily imagine that multi-limbed multi-headed chimera soldier ferociously climbing the wall towards them.

    Considering their position, the front line adventurers will be encountering it first. However, they will probably be done in by the chimera soldier with a single attack. If that happens, then Nero¡¯s group would be their next opponent.

    Nero silently put his hand on his beloved de ¡°Reitou ¡®Shiroou Sakura¡¯¡±, which was sheathed and was hanging by his waist.

    The other members also made preparations ¡ª even without their leader, Nero¡¯s order.

    Even if they didn¡¯t have any intention of fighting against it, they had no choice if the enemy targeted them. Even Safil and Nero can¡¯tin in this situation.

    ¡°Alright, now! Get i¡ªGeehhaaa!¡±

    The adventurers wanted to attack right at the moment the chimera soldier finished climbing.

    However, their sword and axe and spear were deflected easily by the chimera soldier¡¯s big frame as it came leaping up like a dolphin.

    As Nero had expected, the three were cut at once by the chimera¡¯s ws. They fell down on the floor, spilling fresh blood all over the ce.

    Two of them died instantly. The other was on the verge of death. He was astonished, looking at his hand all wet from the blood endlessly flowing from his chest.

    ¡°E...h? ...... This... can¡¯t be...... I......¡±

    Did they not even consider the possibility of their death even at a warfield? They just ended up kicking the bucket just like that, with an expression which screamed disbelief.

    If they used a high potion right now, they might just be able to save him from dying but ¡ª now, at this moment, with the enemy right in front of them, Nero had no intention of doing that.

    That wasn¡¯t him being coldhearted or cruel. Even other adventurers or knights would do the same. It was the obvious order of precedence.

    The only ones who would prioritize saving lives in a battlefield like this would be a virtuous priest or my sister Nell.

    And at this moment, she isn¡¯t here. She has probably left Spada territory by now.

    ¡°Shhhhhaaaaaa!¡±

    A chimera with lizardman as base went up and stood on the castle walls. He had blue scales and two insect-like limbsing out from the shoulders. It had knife-like sharp lizard ws and sharp poking out insect ws. If a normal human took a hit from this head on, they would have probably dropped dead like the adventurers just now.

    However, rank 5 adventurers wouldn¡¯t even be hesitant against such an opponent.

    ¡°Alright! I got this!¡±

    Kai drew his long sword from his back and charged happily towards the lizard chimera.

 CHAPTER 438

    The chimera also prepared its fangs to intercept Kai head on¨Cor at least, it had started preparing but stopped right that moment.

    ¡°Giieehh!¡±

    The lizard chimera gave off such a weird cry as it was restrained.

    It was a ck chain. It came crawling up towards its prey quickly like a snake and jumped on the chimera.

    The lizard chimera, which was entangled from top to bottom, was taken off the wall as if the dead were dragging it down to hell.

    ¡°¡ª-Akanagi.¡±

    And the next moment, a crimson red track could be seen from the other side of the wall. Simultaneously, a loud death agony reverberated and exceptionally dark red blood sprayed upwards.

    After all this, all that was left behind was the corpses of the 3 newbie adventurers and Kai fixed in his ce with his sword drawn.

    ¡°D-darn it!! My prey has been taken!!¡±

    Seeing this man shout out his regrets all too honestly like this, Nero let out his third sigh. However, that was not after seeing Kai¡¯s state, rather, it was due to the ck chains just now which stole away their prey like a vulture.

    ¡°Haa...... Kurono, that bastard... getting all hyped up against small fries, what an embarrassing fellow.¡±

    It isn¡¯t like Nero has a fixation on the beauty of battle. But he sure does have a clear distinction between them. In other words, he doesn¡¯t have a coarse habit like being happy after defeating an enemy who is far weaker than him.

    ¡°Eehh, by Kurono you mean, that pervert tentacle man, right?! I can¡¯t believe this! He even uses those tentacles in battle! Or rather, it became like a chain and got strengthened too......¡±

    Charlotte had goosebumps. It seems she is still dragging out that one incident at the dining hall.

    ¡°To hang from the wall and fight using the tentacles instead of using ¡®Air Walker¡¯... when ites to this point, it¡¯s actually amazing in a sense. I am amazed by his stupidity.¡±

    When mastered, the fundamental movement technique ¡®Air Walker¡¯ doesn¡¯t just increase running speed.

    One of its advantages is acquiring the grip strength to not fall over even in ces with bad footing, like a swamp or a rocky area. If this is trained even further, one can also run up a precipitous cliff. When mastered the highest level of it ¨C ¡®Sonic Walker¡¯, one can even kick empty space and run through air.

    In other words, if one is fighting in a vertical field like this, they would normally use Air Walker. Of course, only a very skilled swordsman or warrior would be able to properly fight at such a situation.

    ¡°But still, that Kurono, he¡¯s moving quite a lot on the wall. I see, so humans can also fight while hanging like this.¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t go trying to imitate it.¡±

    Seeing Kai looking like he would go jumping off the wall even now, Nero became a little flustered on the inside. Even though he knows that this idiot wouldn¡¯t go that far, he can¡¯t get rid of the anxiety.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any problem. Go jump. There, use that ripped robe.¡±

    ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t go that far! Or rather, are you telling me to go die?!¡±

    ¡°I am always telling you to do that, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Ignoring Safil and Kai¡¯s usual exchange, Nero peeked into the castle wall.

    And there was one mad warrior there, ughtering herds of enemy soldiers gleefully.

    ¡°Kurono, you bastard...¡±

    It¡¯s not like Nero doesn¡¯t acknowledge that man¡¯s strength. He is by no means weak. No, he is undoubtedly strong. Kurono surely possess enough skill to be called a rank 5 adventurer. After all, one can¡¯t defeat that Greed Gore by coincidence or luck.

    And because Nero understands that, he actually can¡¯t furtherprehend the man called Kurono.

    If he has that much strength, why would he butt in here?

    Themselves included, all the rank 5 adventurers left and right and the Order Raid people weren¡¯t making their move. They all understand. That it isn¡¯t their turn to go out yet.

    Even without someone telling you that, you would be able to guess it but... the moment the enemy reached the wall, Kurono jumped out. As if the whole of Crusaders was his prey.

    He kept killing off the mad rampaging chimera soldiers and also crushed the Daidaros war ves without mercy.

    Nero couldn¡¯tprehend. What kind of a sense do you have to have to go ughter general defenseless people.

    It would be a risk if the one killing was a normal infantry but that¡¯s not the case for a rank 5 adventurer. They should hold back, they should show mercy. In the first ce, they shouldn¡¯t be going against those people.

    If they were to involve themselves in such acts, it would no longer be a fight. It would just be an atrocious killing.

    ¡°Nightmare Berserker. Hmph. His name fits him perfectly.¡±

    Coming to that conclusion, Nero looked down on Kurono as he fought on the wall.

    ¡°Fiona would surely have a hard time as well.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit pity towards her as she has to apany a guy who is more of a battle freak than Kai.

    Fiona, that expressionless girl who always looks a bit sleepy ¡ª Nero doesn¡¯t understand what she thought when she decided to follow Kurono and join his Element Masters. Even in the worst case scenario considering that Fiona is cooperating with Kurono for some absurdly high ambition, she would surely have a hard time going along with that man.

    Although, that very expressionless Fiona who was covering the fairy Lily and Kurono¡¯sbo from above the wall, didn¡¯t look the slightest troubled. A normal person would just think that she was properly doing her job as the rear guard.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t concern me now.¡±

    Either way, he didn¡¯t have any n to intervene in Kurono¡¯s actions at present. That man¡¯s objective is probably to achieve more than what he did in the Iskia battle.

    No matter what kind of ambition he is hiding, as long as he¡¯s fighting as their ally, they couldn¡¯t intrude. If they were to do something, it would be after making sure that Kurono has a n to overturn the kingdom or something.

    For now, it is best to see where things go. And even in this battlefield, it wasn¡¯t time for them, the Wing Lords, to go out in battle.

    ¡°I guess we will have to wait for our turn more¨C¡±

    Just when he had thought that. Nero¡¯s sixth sense strongly warned him of an iing danger.

    ¡°.....What¡¯s this?¡±

    Nero suddenly looked up and observed his surroundings as if his face was flicked. However, there was no change as of now.

    At present, although there are chimera soldiers on the wall, they were not even close to conquering the wall. Even the war ves¡¯dders were easily repelled and destroyed. The Spada army was strongly defending against the invasion.

    There was no anomaly¡ªno. The anomaly¨Cwill being now.

    ¡°Wh-what... is that?¡±

    At that moment, Nero spotted something huge appeared on top of the Crusaders¡¯ army, which was a kilometer away.

    Author note: by the way, if Nell had joined Alter Face, her fake name would have been L. ¡®I am L¡¯.

 CHAPTER 439

    Sortie! Ancient Golem

    It appeared with thunderous roars and dreadful earth tremors.

    At first, I thought the tremors caused an avnche and so I quickly shifted my gaze towards the Crusaders ¡ª and instantly found the source.

    ¡°Wh-what in the world is that...... a giant robot?¡±

    On the other side of the flocking war ves, in front of the lined up catapults in the enemy front line, giant humanoid figures came rising up one after another.

    Their dark grey iron bodies shone underneath the bright sunlight. Behind their full-head covering round helmets, a deep crimson eye could be seen.

    Their cylindrical body looks exactly like a golem but... Even though there are quite a few big golems, I have never heard of one this big.

    It¡¯s easily about 20 meters. The catapults behind it look awfully small in size, making one feel like there¡¯s something wrong with their scaling perception.

    And there were a whole 10 of those absurdly huge golems.

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me...¡±

    I unconsciously said that out loud in response to the immense pressure. However, this isn¡¯t the dream world Last Rose created ¡ª it is the cruel reality, unfortunately.

    10 of these huge golems certainly exist.

    ¡°Kurono! Those ¡ª they are probably the ancient golems!¡±

    Lily came flying to me as I was still fighting against the chimera soldiers, still in my previous state.

    I have heard the name and of its existence during ss in school.

    There are countless magic items in the ancient ruins which can¡¯t be produced at present and the over-sized golems are one of those. Golems made long, long ago ¡ª and as such, they are categorized as ancient.

    Majority of them are damaged, only leaving the huge bodies behind. However, there are cases of seeding in reactivating them. Although there aren¡¯t any in Spada, there¡¯s a country which is using them as a weapon to siege a castle.

    We were taught that they were strong and valuable weapons of the past but I never thought I would be seeing them like this. That too, 10 of them.

    ¡°Darn it, those Crusaders ¡ª they pulled such a big one out of the ancient relics?¡±

    ¡°Lily has heard about it before ¡ª bringing out the ancient golems from Media ruins.¡±

    That probably happened before she met me.

    I do remember hearing about Media ruins. After epting a quest to survey a newly found area in that ruins, I left the Izul vige and headed for the capital Daidaros. Now that I look back on it, choosing that quest was probably the turning point of my fate.

    Even still, to think it would go around and I woulde face to face with the ancient golems discovered in those ruins like this ¡ª I really don¡¯t understand how this fate thing works.

    ¡°It¡¯s still kinda unbelievable but since it has appeared, I assume they n on using it to conquer the castle walls.¡±

    I can clearly spot the sparkling light on the snow. The ancient golems were probably summoned by a magic circle. They wouldn¡¯t be able to carry such a huge lump of metal all the way up the mountain if not like that.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono, what do we do?¡±

    Although Lily came entangling her arms around my neck from the back, the contents of her question was heavy and urged a decision.

    No, the answer is obvious from the start. We are here with the resolve to kill the apostles. We can¡¯t afford to be afraid of a dozen humongous golems.

    ¡°Change priority to the ancient golems. For now, we will head back to the top of the wall and prepare for the interception.¡±

    ¡°And the chimeras?¡±

    ¡°Leave them to the others. Doing something about those is much more important now.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I got it, Kurono!¡±

    As I heard her energetic reply, I ordered Hitsugi to pull me up.

    ¡°Goiiingg up~!¡±

    She, too, gave an energetic reply inside my head and pulled me up with momentum using the bind arts.

    Although both my hands were full with the cursed hatchet and the Gatling gun, the chains from my waist and shoulders helped my stand upright even in a vertical ne. With Lily still clinging on to my neck, I rose up right above the castle wall.

    ¡°Get outta my way!¡±

    I kicked off a chimera soldier which suddenly came blocking my way and safely returned to the top. It took about 5 seconds.

    ¡°Wee back, Kurono-san, Lily-san.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re back~¡±

    Fiona came weing us back once wended on the castle wall. I am sure she also had it rough going left and right along with us but she properly kept providing support. As expected from Fiona.

    ¡°Fiona, we¡¯ll get those huge golems next.¡±

    ¡°1 vs 1... no, ganging up one together would have a higher chance of sess.¡±

    Even though we would be going against those stupidlyrge lumps of steel, Fiona instantly started suggesting ns to intercept without showing any signs of hesitation. Her face had no enthusiasm either ¡ª she spoke as if we were just going to hunt a flock of weak monsters efficiently.

    ¡°Is that really as tough as it looks?¡±

    ¡°More than that, actually. After all, ancient golems which are used to siege castles are even rare in the Sinire republic. Judging from the looks, they seem to be the mass production model but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that they will be extremely strong as castle sieging weapons. At the very least, a single individual can¡¯t do anything about them.¡±

    But that was with a proviso ¡ª that that¡¯s the case if it¡¯s a normal soldier.

    We are rank 5 adventurers and have even received special privileges such as the Order Raid. We must at least work the same as 100 people or I would feel sorry for the Spada army.

    ¡°I would like to get 1 down by ourselves... no, make that 2.¡±

    ¡°Going for the impossible is forbidden, Kurono-san. If we were to run out of mana here, the Element Masters would have to make a quick exit.¡±

    That would be troubling. I am not participating in this war with some flimsy determination like running full speed at the start of a marathon to be in the first ce for 10 seconds.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right. We need to trust on the Spada army here.¡±

    For now, we should focus on getting one down. There¡¯s no meaning if we make a half-hearted attack just for it to get blocked.

    ¡°Once the enemyes into range, we will shower it with maximum firepower. Lily will be using the Meteor Strike and Fiona, the Golden Sun¨C¡±

    Giving out those instructions, I started preparing for my attack as well.

 CHAPTER 440

    Now that I think about it, Lily¡¯s attack can beunched with just a small chant and Fiona¡¯s one has a slightly longer chant but my one takes the most time. Well, either way, those sluggish looking golems would surely take some time to enter within our effective range ¡ª which is a 100 meters so I have ample time to prepare.

    Fortunately, the golems aren¡¯t carrying huge cannons so there¡¯s no need to worry about long ranged attacks from them. These ancient golems weren¡¯t even equipping their weapons, let alone start walking our way.

    They seem to have summoned it properly so it probably takes some time before moving. Well, I am notining ¡ª after all, I can ¡°charge¡± fully during that time.

    ¡°¡ªI will be going with the sma Breath. Let¡¯s go, Hitsugi, barrel change! Mode: ster!¡±

    I returned the hatchet to the shadows and gripped the foregrip of The Gatling with my idle hand and took the two-handed stance.

    Maybe because Hitsugi has experience this once before during the Asbell mountain range, she was somewhat better at it now. There was no hesitation in those tentacles while disassembling and reassembling the parts.

    ¡°Hmmm, ummm...... ah! Ah...... eh?¡±

    It seems that was just my imagination, judging from the maid¡¯s voice I just heard.

    ¡°Alright! I did it, Master!¡±

    ¡°Oi, did you get slower?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, Master...... I will make it up to you with my body!¡±

    You¡¯re always providing service with your body (tentacles), aren¡¯t you? Seriously, what is she talking about?

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s properly done then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Uwaah! Thank you for your mercy! I love my kind master~!¡±

    I think that¡¯s more ¡®lenient¡¯ than being ¡®kind¡¯, though...... Well, I guess it¡¯s fine. After all, I was able to safely shift the Gatling ster mode, which gives off a purple glow from its gun barrel.

    Seeing the tentacles return back to the shadow after finishing their work, I started charging up the pseudo-lightning attribute from the grip. In contrast to proper magicians long chantings, I just inly insert my mana over time.

    The chimera soldiers were still rampaging in the surrounding above the wall and the war ves were determined in their advance to the castle walls. Even though the tumult of war was still breaking out, I had no choice but to patiently wait in silence. Even if I happen to spot an adventurer or a Spada soldier get ripped to shreds. I can¡¯t move until I fire this round.

    ¡°.....Hey, this seems very unlikely but, do you think they won¡¯t move like this?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just a papier mache then that would be quite a foolish tactic.¡±

    Surely even the Crusaders won¡¯t think that we will run away by just that. But I can¡¯t help but wonder that seeing that the golems haven¡¯t moved an inch since they were summoned. I mean, it¡¯s extremely convenient for us that way.

    ¡°Ah, they are moving, Kurono!¡±

    As I expected, my wishful thinking was abruptly negated. Lily, who had been closely observing the lined up giant golems, announced that they have started making their move.

    A subterranean rumbling resounded throughout the battlefield, even more than the bellows and shrieks and screams.

    All 10 of those golems had taken a step forward simultaneously.

    ¡°Uwooh, they really are moving......¡±

    As a Japanese and as a man, seeing a humongous robot actually move makes me really impressed.

    All ten of those golems were sluggish just like they appeared but their bipedal movement was extremely smooth. I can¡¯t even imagine how many tonnes their gross weight would equal to but every time they took a step forward, the snow sshed around the surrounding apanied with a thunderous sound. Even though thisnd is t, it was as if their steps were causing avnches, creating surges of white waves.

    I can tell that these perfectly coordinated golems wouldn¡¯t allow a single obstacle in their path with their intense pressure. It¡¯s as if their huge steel bodies were saying ¡°no matter if it is a wall twice our size or robust Spada soldiers defending it, our progression can not be stopped¡±.

    However, althoughte, I have nowe to realize that that progression not only included its enemies, but also its allies.

    ¡°O-oi! The war ves¨C¡±

    They crushed them. As if stepping on an ant which is crossing the road ¡ª they didn¡¯t even notice the war ves¡¯ existence, let alone hesitate. At the very least, they most certainly trampled all over the war ves¡¯ lives, as small as they might be.

    The army of war ves were spread out in this one kilometer field as they charged to the wall. And from behind them, without showing any manner of avoiding them, the giant ancient golems started their grand advance. All ten of them, lined up.

    And their twenty legs in total were just like moving stone pirs. Due to the snow sprays caused by their extremely heavy steps, one couldn¡¯t even see how many war ves they crushed with each step. However, I could see many war ves getting caught up in the wave-like avnche of snow caused by those steps. Not only me, every Spada soldiers on this wall could see. Even if they didn¡¯t want to, they would spot it.

    ¡°After all, the war ves are just sacrificial stones for power scouting. They probably don¡¯t care a bit crushing them like that.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how the Crusaders go about doing things, eh? Messing around through and through.¡±

    Because of the anger which came boiling up from within, my hands which were gripping the Gatling started shaking.

    Did the suprememander of this huge army order this with a straight face? The Sinir citizens, the Crusaders¡¯ soldiers ¡ª are they feeling confident in their victory upon seeing this?

    I feel like unleashing the Gatling at maximum output on the bastards who are spectating all this from behind but ¡ª I can¡¯t, not yet ¡ª I can¡¯t pull the trigger.

    ¡°You low-lifes... I will crush you all......¡±

    Just by spitting that out, I felt like I was being taken control of by the curse ¡ª by intense hatred, which I had to suppress. Unbearable anger, uncontroble murderous impulse. But even then ¡ª I can persevere.

    The golems which advanced by trampling all over the war ves were already within 500 meters of the wall. Maybe because the engine powering that huge iron body has heated up or maybe I am just imagining things, it seems their walking speed has also increased a bit.

    Just a little more. A little more and I can ¡ª it seems I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that.

    ¡°?????? ????? ????????? ????? ??? (Create by burning me)

    Such a witch¡¯s singing magic melody reached my ears.

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441

    Taurus

    ¡°Uwaa, that¡¯s a relief... it properly moved... I am d......¡±

    The ancient golem corps ¡ª an army corps made out of enormous ancient weapons which even makes the seasoned Crusader soldier taken aback .

    However, the one controlling them was just a single woman .

    A woman who would never be praised as a war Goddess of ancient times, a woman who is not only mediocre in appearance, but also has no more mana than your average person . She had unkempt hair and a pale face with freckles and was wearing an expression of relief ¡ª feeling of relief that she was able toplete her job . An expression far from what a soldier looking to conquer a huge castle would wear .

    And in fact, she wasn¡¯t a soldier . She was neither a hired adventurer or a mercenary .

    Her name was Dorothy . She was the ancient weapon research division head of the White Sacrament¡¯s fourth researchb . In other words, she was just a normal researcher .

    ¡°Oi, you, why are you only moving 10 of them? I am sure I ordered to unleash all of them . ¡±

    Her moment of relief was short-lived . A sharp rebuking statement came flying towards her from behind soon enough .

    ¡°I-I am terribly sorry, Count Bergunt......¡±

    As she timidly turned around, she was faced with the exemrymissioned officer of the Sinir army, the Count himself, equipped with pompous full armor . Although his high-strung slender face was not actually filled with anger, he was giving her a sharp gaze with his deep-green eyes which closely resembles the wind attribute¡¯s mana .

    Commanding the Crusaders third army was the Count Vient Dominic Helvetia Bergunt . Although his name was quite lengthy, Dorothy, who had graduated from the Elishion magic academy, remembered the meaning it held, while it may be a bit vaguely .

    The Sinir Republic¡¯s nobles¡¯ names are structured like: First name ¨C holy name ¨C territory name ¨C family name . If we were to decipher the Count¡¯s name, it would be that he¡¯s Mr . Vient from the Bergunt family who are governing the Helvetiand and have the holy name Dominic as Christians .

    However, that is about all she knows ¡ª only the fundamental knowledge about them . She neither knows the speech she should be using with the nobles nor the troublesome manners and etiquettes . She hadn¡¯t learnt those at school and even if she did, she doesn¡¯t remember any .

    Even so, since she was spoken to, she had no choice but to answer ¡ª the tough said of working .

    ¡°Th-this is... you see, umm, uhh, because I reformed the craft hangar to the mobile type, the Magius drive¡¯s conductivity just isn¡¯t reaching high enough to clear the start line so¨C¡±

    ¡°Eeeii, I don¡¯t need disorderly iprehensible excuses . Can you deploy them, can you not, or are you being hesitant ¡ª which is it?¡±

    Such a reaction, even though she perfectly summed up the current situation . Humans are always like this . Blind to their own shorings and yet criticizing others¡¯ way of talking .

    However, Dorothy wasn¡¯t fed up or sad . She has alreadye to the conclusion that other people are just like that . Rather, this Count is gentleman-like and better than most as he¡¯s just a bit irritated and is not yelling or hitting her .

    ¡°Umm, that is...... the main frame and the pilot¡¯s adaptation is¨C¡±

    ¡°... . You... restrain yourself . ¡±

    And now, veins were appearing on his forehead .

    ¡°Even though you have been appointed as themander of the golem corps by bishop Judas, you¡¯re now under my army¡¯smand . It will be troubling if you were to do as you please . ¡±

    Even though she was the one who was actually troubled at this moment .

    On top of listening to the almighty nobles, Dorothy had to keep controlling the advancing ancient golems which she had activated .

    The golems had started walking along the snow field but if Dorothy stopped executing the walking code, they would copse on the ground immediately .

    And of course, this procedure wasn¡¯t something simple one can do in their spare time like signing documents . It needs utmost attention as the data changes every moment and she needs to keep adjusting it or start from the top .

    She really didn¡¯t have the leeway to be dealing with an ignorant amateur¡¯s ims .

    ¡°Listen closely now, you have the duty of giving me appropriate reports and exnations as I am the suprememand¨C¡±

    ¡°In short, she is telling you that she can¡¯t move them ¡®cause we don¡¯t have enough mana! Now, get a move on, old man! You¡¯re being a hindrance to Dorothy-chan . ¡±

    A girl came cutting into the conversation and drove away the Count as if she was shoo-ing away a dog .

    She had a cute face with big round eyes and blonde twintails . However, the clothes she was wearing on her small slender body was a thick cheap coat . It had fluffy red-brownish fur and a big hoodie, around which there was pure white fur . It all looked quite warm . However, when you look at her as a whole, it oddly looks worn out . ¡®Secondhand goods¡¯ is the first word thates to mind .

    That was the only heavy outfit she was wearing to fend off the cold . She had a mini-skirt on with ck leggings . Even in this cold winter, she looked like a courageous stylish high-school girl .

    That said, judging from the worn-out bow she wore on her back and the hand-made looking quiver behind her waist, it felt like she was not in fact a student of Elishion, rather an adventurer . Naturally, from her appearance which depicted that it has not been long since she has be an adult and from her low-grade equipment, she gave off no veteran feel whatsoever .

    Such an all-around novice-looking girl had just been terribly rude to the suprememander of this huge army .

    ¡°Kuhh, you......¡±

    However, Count Bergunt was only making a sour face as if he had just bitten on a bitter bug, let alone shout out on her disrespect .

    ¡°Amateurs should just stay quiet without meddling . It would be your fault if the golems were to copse from this, you know, old man!¡±

    The adventurer girl said out tly with a pointing pose . In response to that, the Count was just mortified and replied with in a gloomy voice .

    ¡°... . Alright, I will leave all the golem controlling to you . However, I have an agreement with bishop Judas that you will have to move ording to my strategy . Don¡¯t forget that . Also, I am not an old man . Call me suprememander . ¡±

    ¡°Yea, yea, I get it so just go already . See ya, bye-bye, don¡¯te again, old man . ¡±

    After giving onest annoyed re with his green eyes, General Bergunt returned, taking back his subordinates who were watching over the situation, breaking cold sweat .

    ¡°U-umm, Ai-san... I am sorry...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good! My quest is to be your escort, after all!¡±

    In response to Dorothy¡¯s gratitude, the adventurer named Ai replied with a refreshing smile .

    ¡°More importantly, shouldn¡¯t you be focusing on the control? That¡¯s quite tough, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes...... well...¡±

    Although her reply was vague, she was happy for the offer . She couldn¡¯t help but hate herself a bit for not being able to say ¡®thank you¡¯ without hesitation in these situations .

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442

    For Dorothy, who is aware of her extreme introverted personality, people like Ai are hard to deal with as they are like a painting of cheerful-ness itself . Although, it is because Ai didn¡¯t pay any heed to her thoughts and was unmindful in being familiar with her that Dorothy is able to have propermunication with her .

    Maybe Judas bishop selected Ai for her escort because of that reason, despite Ai being a new adventurer .

    ¡°Fuwaah ¡ª even still, it¡¯s mundane being in the headquarters even when you havee to war . Right, Tsukimi-chan?¡±

    Dorothy could see with a side nce that Ai was amusing herself by having a one-sided conversation with a Gryphon who appears to be her pet . Maybe it was just Dorothy¡¯s imagination, but she felt like the Gryphon named Tsukimi looked awfully bothered by that .

    Dorothy thought ¡ª that as she expected, this is worrying in terms of strength . She couldn¡¯t help but feel even more anxious by further thinking that maybe Judas bishop was telling her to go and die in the battlefield by doing this .

    Be that as it may, if Judas bishop was telling her to die, and that she isn¡¯t necessary anymore, Dorothy was consent with that as well . After all, if she was abandoned by him ¡ª that great man, then she has no meaning to continue living .

    As such, she devotedly performed the mission given to her now . And again, Dorothy concentrated on using the lithograph on her hand ¡ª the ¡®Device¡¯ .

    ¡°¨CAlright, that should make No . 3 stable...... No . 7 is... doing good...... uwah, No . 5¡¯s left leg¡¯s actuator is already worn out......¡±

    Breaking cold sweats but still utterly serious and desperate, her expression looked like that of a lunatic¡¯s from the side . However, the operation Dorothy was handling requires more technique and knowledge than anyone present there except her ¡ª it was the brain work only a genius can pull off .

    This battlefield in which Dorothy was currently at was exactly what Ai had justined to Tsukimi about ¡ª the headquarters, encampment in front of the Ghad fortress .

    As it was outdoors, there was nothing that fancy here other than the tents or the huge cargo the imperial carriage carried . However, under this blue sky which God has blessed upon them for this holy battle, one could only feel heroism and might from the countless white Crusaders¡¯ soldiers lined up on the pure-white snow field with their golden Crusaders¡¯ g . It was a sight befitting of the Crusaders who were blessed with the White God¡¯s power .

    Especially surrounding headquarters, there were heavy cavalry dded with dazzling mithril armor and the Ekesmages wearing pure white robes made from mithril fibre . On top of that, there was a battalion of magicians gathered there who were intentionally highlighting that glistening dignity .

    And inside that headquarters which was being protected by such an elite squad of the reliable Crusaders army, there was a ce specially set up for Dorothy for her to operate the ancient golems . Right beside the suprememander of the 3rd army, Count Bergunt, sits . It is because she can control and has authority over these 24 huge secret weapons that she gets such super special treatment . Although that is also why the Count himselfes to scold and what not .

    The reason why the Crusaders soldiers do not look down upon such a sullen under-average looking girl is because the device she uses to control the ancient golems is just too special .

    To describe it in a word, Altar would fit it best .

    There were four 3 meter tall pure-white pirs in four corners and a blue-white magic formation was formed on top of the ice . That formation wasn¡¯t the fundamental circle which is usually the case, it was a geometrical pattern and was formed with ancient letters which have still not been deciphered for the most part . On top of that, the magic formation formed within those 4 round pirs did not maintain a form for more than a second ¡ª it kept on changing hecticly . Just like a river with lit up letters flowing in it .

    Even the top ss magicians couldn¡¯t decipher what was written on the ancient magic formation . And on top of that formation was something that any Sinir citizens, no, any Christian would know . No matter how deste and worn out a church is, it would definitely have one of these ¡ª an altar . On an oblong table designed after a dining table, Dorothy was standing straight as if she was a bishop teaching the believers .

    However, she didn¡¯t have a thick holy book on her hand, rather she had one sheet of jet-ck lithograph . There weren¡¯t any crosses or ornaments there . Instead, on the surface of the altar, blue-white light was running through just like on magic formation .

    ¡°No way, No . 2¡¯s ¡®Versel¡¯ (pseudo nerve circuit) is burnt out?! Bypass it with 121 and 309... please, just hold up a bit longer!¡±

    All ten of the ancient golems were advancing with perfect coordination . That¡¯s probably what the Crusaders and the Spada army sees .

    Who would imagine that such precise machine-like movement was barely held together and maintained by a single girl? Not even Count Bergunt or a Crusadersmissioned officer canprehend her state .

    On Dorothy¡¯s eyes, the operation information of the golems, which could drop out of action even now, was reflected . Anyone else wouldn¡¯t understand that ¡ª not only because they wouldn¡¯t be able toprehend it at all, but also because they can not see the screen itself .

    This ck lithograph called ¡®Device¡¯, which is about the same size of a Bible, is famous in the Sinir republic for disyingposition written with ancient letters .

    ording to rumors, even in Spada, the kingdom which they were attacking right now, there¡¯s a lithograph disyed in the middle of the city which has the Wicked Demon Lord¡¯s legends written on it . Even though there¡¯s God¡¯s holy marvel written on Sinir¡¯s one, it seems Pandora¡¯s ancient lithograph too has demonic content .

    However, there¡¯s only a few who know that the writing disyed on the ¡®Device¡¯ isn¡¯t all there is to it .

    In Dorothy¡¯s field of vision, all ten golems¡¯ bodies were disyed like a blueprint with densely packed ancient writing just beside it and on top of that, there were hecticly changing graphs . All of these reflections were not on the Device¡¯s screen, they were floating in the air . It¡¯s the same as the light magic which makes pictures or videos viewable in the empty air but these information rted to the golems couldn¡¯t be seen by anyone else .

    And this wasn¡¯t because it was an illusion or anything, this was only being disyed to her . To be precise, the Device was directly beaming it to her retina with special light type magic, making these different writing, graphics and videos visible to only her .

    Although, even if this screen was visible to everyone else, no one could actually precisely decipher and use it other than her and Judas bishop .

    It was all Dorothy credit that she was able to do it . On the Device, only the operation rted info were disyed and since that itself wasn¡¯t enough, such a 2nd sub console projection was needed . Were there people in ancient times who could control 3 such screens with such precision at the same time?

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443

    ¡°Ehh, now there¡¯s a red alert for the pilot on No . 1?! Operating Angel Link¡¯s sub connector... ah, as I thought, 374 was no good...... or rather, the other ones also look kinda bad... why are they all so fragile... Even though 49 wouldn¡¯t have crashed no matter the absurdmand...¡±

    Normally, one would have been easily able to control the golem as a pilot . However, to be able to move an ancient weapon which has just been excavated and to find a pilot for it when there¡¯s no detailed manual for it .

    Anyone who is a bit knowledgeable about the ancient relics would say the same thing ¡ª that it is impossible . It would take their all to just activate it . And to throw it into battle on top of that ispletely impossible unless God himself works his miracle powers .

    However, the one who turned impossible into possible without any miracles was Judas bishop . A prodigious researcher who has seeded in creating artificial apostles .

    However, even though he is called a prodigy, it seems there was a limit .

    It is certainly true that the ancient golems were now advancing towards the Ghad castle to destroy it . However, this would have been impossible without Dorothy . It would have been even more unstable than a marite .

    There would be no end to the unstable factors if one were to start stating them . The interior engine systems aren¡¯tpletely repaired, resulting in several uncertain ck boxes, not knowing on what principle it moves . If these parts were to have a malfunction now, even Dorothy would be out of options .

    However, even with all these uncertainties, the most unstable factor is the pilot .

    Dorothy ¡ª no, Judas bishop doesn¡¯t call the pilots boarding the golems as pilots . At least for this ancient weapon, pilot is the one with the brain .

    It is assumed that originally these golems had a much simpler piloting system with the controller and console .

    Of course, the ancient people had much more advanced magic than current times but it can¡¯t be that the people themselves had a more ¡®advanced¡¯ brain . Humans were and are still the same . They were perfect from the moment God made them so there¡¯s no need for any kind of change .

    Either way, as long as humans piloted it, it should have been simple enough for a normal person to understand . And to pilot this huge machine-like doll, there has to be an engine which automatically assists in controlling it .

    However, the ancient golem excavated from the Media ruins had this controlling ¡®brain¡¯ portion of itpletely destroyed .

    As so, Judas bishop prepared it . Both the golem pilots and the movement assisting operating system .

    Using the Holy Soldiers as human brains . Using the Angel Link as a ryer to connect the Holy Soldiers¡¯ brain and nerve to the golem¡¯s central control system, he has created an operation method which is literally making these two one in body and soul . And so, that¡¯s no longer a pilot ¡ª it¡¯s an unremovable part .

    And this is also another extremely unstable factor to it . Normally, because humans are not how they are supposed to be, no matter how much one tries to seal away the memories and emotions, there will definitely be some kind of ¡®distortion¡¯ . Human hearts are that fragile and delicate .

    ¡°It¡¯s ok... it¡¯s ok... It will somehow hold until the wall... Ah, but I need to adjust it a bit before deploying them next time... What will I do if they tell me to deploy them immediately...¡±

    Even with the rushed pilot system, Dorothy was somehow managing to keep the golems moving .

    To obey the words ¡°You make them move¡± told to her by Judas bishop . To live up to his expectations . And more than anything else, to not be discarded .

    ¡°Alright, just a bit more... a bit more . . ¡±

    Dorothy had finally reached close to the Ghad castle with her perfect control, not showing any sign of shaking .

    Although the soldiers were shooting magic and arrows from atop the walls, they were in vain in front of the hardened steel body of the golems . It left a little stain and nothing else . Even if the armor gets broken a little, if the legs and the pilot¡¯s connection with Dorothy is fine, the golems will keep moving ahead .

    It was then, when she was convinced of being done with her mission ¡ª

    ¡°?!¡±

    One straight long line of light gushed out .

    It was such an intense radiance that even Dorothy, who had been glued to the retina disy all this time, instinctively looked up towards the battlefield .

    ¡°Ah... No . 8, no action...¡±

    Even if the Device didn¡¯t let her know, she could understand as much by looking at the sight in front of her .

    The ancient golem¡¯s upper body hadpletely vanished who knows getting hit by what attack .

    The tower like steel body symbolizing absolute defense waspletely destroyed, liquifying the trunk as well .

    Seeing the huge ancient weapon being thoroughly crushed, a bigmotion stirred up in the Crusader army .

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s going on?! The ancient golem has been destroyed!¡±

    Although Count Bergunt came rushing in, Dorothy had no room to be answering his questions .

    ¡°Haa, thanks to one being destroyed, it is a bit easier on me now... At the very least, if two of them remain, we can destroy Ghad fort... right, Judas-sama?¡±

    Dorothy had a twisted smile on her face which was pale due to fatigue .

    She just found the Sinir¡¯s nobles and the soldiers¡¯ unsightly panic to beical .

    She also couldn¡¯t help but find the Spada army¡¯s excitement from destroying oneughable .

    Nobody understands . She couldn¡¯t help butugh seeing how foolishly everyone calls these huge weapons or ancient golems .

    ¡°Ahaha... these are just working machines... of course they would break when fought with them...¡±

    Judas bishop had told her the night before she departed for the army .

    On top of his bed, which she had requested to be on .

    ¡°That¡¯s no weapon . ¡±

    He had started talking about it on a whim suddenly .

    Although that¡¯s no considerate pillow talk, to a girl who only has numerical forms and magic theories in her head, there was nothing more wonderful than unknown knowledge .

    ¡°They aren¡¯t golems ¡ª their name is Power Loader, a simple work machine . ¡±

    At the time, Dorothy was at her limit physically so she wasn¡¯t able to properly reply and was just listening to his words, embracing the pleasant feeling of exhaustion .

    ¡°What do you think the ancient people built with these power loaders?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t heard the answer yet .

    She ns on asking him after returning alive from this battle .

    Exactly what the ancient people used these humongous power loaders, which are deemed as a weapon in current times, for ¡ª to build what kind of a weapon?

    ¡°Ha, ahaha... it¡¯s ok, it will be fine if I just do as Judas-sama says... everything will go as nned...¡±

    The strategy was also about to enter its final scene . Dorothymanded the remaining nine machines feeling kinda uplifted .

    ¡°Power loader ¡®Taurus¡¯, right arm ¨C ¡®Drill Gauntlet¡¯ . Operation ¡®Pile Bunker¡¯, start . ¡±

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444

    ?????? ????? ??? (Burn me, and create it . )¡±

    The first attack was made by Fiona . The elegant incantation sounded almost like a song .

    As usual, thisnguage is from apletely different world, but I¡¯ve been taught its meaning before . So I was only able to understand what she said .

    I got ready for the final st as I saw the golden fireballs form in Fiona¡¯s favorite staff, ¡®Ainz Bloom¡¯ .

    ¡°If she¡¯s going to use that huge thing, it¡¯s not too bad for us to use one shot!¡±

    ¡°Yes, now¡¯s the time to use it, Master! Please, go ahead!¡±

    Almost as if she were handling a delicate piece of ss, the talkative maid used her tentacles to hand me a single bullet . The rough and bony bullet made from Sloth-Gil¡¯s fingers should have enough destructive power to be referred to as nothing but a real breath . Yes, just as powerful as Greed-Gore¡¯s breath, which had been let loose from Iskia Fortress .

    That¡¯s why this attack is not called ¡®sma ster¡¯, but ¡®sma Breath¡¯ .

    If I use one bullet here, I¡¯ll have five more left . But even if I used all off them, I wouldn¡¯t be able topletely destroy all of the golems . Also, there will be a cooldown after each shot, so I can¡¯t shoot them all in rapid session .

    For now, I¡¯ll focus on this shot without thinking much about what happens next .

    Slowly and steadily, I load the single bullet I have in my hand into The Greed . As I calm down, I also remember Regin¡¯s words of advice .

    With a nky mechanical sound, the lightning bullet is swallowed into The Greed¡¯s barrel . Reloadingplete .

    ¡°Gil Bullet locked and loaded! Energy will be fully charged in 24 seconds!¡±

    As I hear Hitsugi¡¯s announcement, I can hear The Greed starting to make roaring sounds . A purple line running through the barrel begins to flicker furiously .

    It¡¯s almost as if the noiseing out of Sloth-Gil¡¯s skull, which is encased inside an engine-like hard case, was a voice showing resentment because this was the limit of its magical power . But if that grudge were real, I would abuse it even further . I¡¯d even say to it ¡°Get to work!¡± .

    ¡°???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? (Here, I create the sun that holds my name . )¡±

    The timing is perfect . Fiona¡¯s spell will be ready as my preparations to fire approach their final stage .

    Fiona is holding her staff high, and at its tip, a shining golden fireball of roughly 5 meters of diameter burns wildly . It contains an enormous amount ofpressed heat . Its overwhelming presence and vivid flickering make it look no different than the actual Sun .

    You can feel the nearby adventurers and Spada soldiers instinctively gather around in awe of such disy . But as for Fiona, she doesn¡¯t stop to look at their nce . No, she doesn¡¯t even notice them .

    ¡°Okay, Kurono, Lily, fire . ¡±

    Almost as if nothing could ever get her worked up about anything, Fiona asks for a final confirmation with her usual vacant expression .

    Where to aim and when to shoot are left entirely up to Fiona¡¯s judgment, who is in charge of the first strike . Lily and I only need to follow up on her attack . So if she thinks this is the right time, then that¡¯s enough for me .

    Both Lily and I nod silently at her .

    ¡°Golden Sun!¡±

    ¡°???? ???? ???? ????¡±

    Lily starts her incantation at the same time as Fiona throws her burning sun forward .

    Everyone here, me included, is looking at Fiona¡¯s spell go . But Lily knows she has to keep her cool, and her attention is fully dedicated to matching the timing correctly .

    Lily puts her hands together in prayer for ¡®Queen Beryl¡¯ . Her almost transparent blond hair and her dark-night-colored dress flutter in the fiercely hot wind .

    At that moment, Fiona¡¯s fully powered ¡®Golden Sun¡¯ collides with its target .

    Among the 10 golems that were lined up, the target was the one that was standing closer to the left-wing on the north side from our original position . That¡¯s about 300 meters away from here .

    The huge golden fireball made a wide arc as it travelled through the sky and plunged straight on the golem, whose dull movements were limited to one step at a time . It looked as if the golem had been swallowed uppletely by the fireball .

    The gigantic ancient golem hadn¡¯t stopped moving, and had shown no signs of it trying to avoid the iing attack until the veryst moment, but then it was toote . The sun hade crashing down on it .

    A thunderous sound echoed through the Ghad mountains, almost as if a huge avnche had just happened . And at the same time, a hot storm-like wind raged through the field .

    In addition to a thick ck smoke, pure white steam began to rise as theyer of snow under their feet began to evaporate instantly . The golems disappeared from the sight of their allies, covered in a thickyer of smoke and steam .

    However, Lily seemed to be firmly locked onto her target .

    ¡°Meteor Strike!¡±

    At the other side of the screen of smoke and steam, there was an intense flickering of the seven colors of the rainbow, and at the same time, another thunderous sound echoed across the mountains .

    Both the explosion and its subsequent heat were the same as Fiona¡¯s attack . But this sweltering heat wasn¡¯t from condensation, but from a huge meteorite-like mass . Like a gigantic bomb of pure light .

    As lumps of metal collided with each other, making high-pitched crashing sounds, the explosion colored in the seven colors of the rainbowpletely dissipated the screen smoke and steam .

    ¡°Ooh... look at that, it¡¯s beautifully half-broken . ¡±

    After the explosion from the ¡®Meteor Strike¡¯ and our field of vision cleared up, we could see the ancient golem . It had lost both of its arms and its head, and it had been reduced to something simr to a charred scrap .

    I thought that perhaps I wouldn¡¯t even have to shoot at all, but amidst the smoldering ck smoke I could see something taking a single step forward . So after all, I would be able to deliver the finishing blow .

    ¡°Kurono, there¡¯s definitely a pilot riding it inside the golem¡¯s chest area . ¡±

    I can only see the remains of a golem that look like the ruins of an old tower that were hit by a huge fire, but it seems that Lily can tell otherwise .

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s not a magical being nor an automatic weapon... it really is a giant robot, huh...?¡±

    In that case, if I aim for its chest, I should be able to finish it off with one shot .

    Though it¡¯s a weak spot that is easy to see, what Lily was showing me was a heavily armored chestpiece . Either way, I have to be able to deal enough damage to wreck itpletely .

    Anyhow, if we¡¯re able to take it down with this and count it as a fallen enemy ¡ª no, a fallen robot, it¡¯ll be a crushing victory .

    ¡°¨C3... 2... 1! Full charge! Fire!¡±

    ¡°¡®sma Breath¡¯! Fire!¡±

    The moment I pulled the trigger, I definitely say the same rushing stream of purple lightning that I saw at Iskia Fortress .

    With a nk, The ¡®Mode ster¡¯ barrel opened up even wider than Greed-Gore¡¯s huge mouth .

    In a very futuristic-looking way, two clear rail-like lines split from the single purple line that ran through the middle of the barrel . But this is by no means a faithful reproduction of a railgun . A charged-particle gun and an electromaic gun are two different things, to begin with .

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445

    Still, the barrel split opened into the shape of a railgun due to the sudden burst of purple lightning, and released its thunder magic as it returned to normal, like the sort of powerful beams that can be seen in sci-fi movies .

    The dazzling shot of light makes my field of vision disappear . But I keep my aim firm and straight, shooting the light of destruction at the cockpit that Lily has pointed me to .

    Until the very moment the tip of the lightning that burst through the sky in a straight line pierced through the golem¡¯srge build, I could see what was happening . The sh of light that resulted after that turned everything to white .

    ¡°...Ugh!¡±

    The recoil is worse than what I had anticipated . My arms, no, my entire body seems to be shaking . And my feet feel like they¡¯re floating, almost as if I had been blown away .

    Now I understand why the Greed-Gore had used iron sand to anchor its feet to the ground . This feeling of being blown away by recoil... Regretting my own thoughtlessness, I somehow recovered my strength and managed to press on .

    The firing itself took about a few seconds, but it felt much longer to me . By the end of it, I had lost control of it, and the burst of lightning strayed off into the sky . But I was certain that it had been enough to finish off the half-functional golem .

    ¡°Hah... How did it go...?¡±

    The sh had only blinded me for a short moment after I finished shooting . After I recovered my vision, I could see the wreckage that had be of the ancient golem, whose upper body was now gone . Making a shrill sound, the remains of the golem plunged on the snow .

    With a thunderous tremor, the steel giant had copsed to the ground . One down .

    ¡°So it took three attacks to defeat it, huh?¡±

    ¡°There was no other way, after all, it wasn¡¯t made out of mere steel . ¡±

    On top of being armored with ancient metals that cannot be refined in this day and age, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if it had been reinforced with a spell such as ¡®Harden¡¯ . That single golem was probably sturdier than a small fortress . A single person should not be able to take one of these down on their own .

    Even if they didn¡¯t know about that, Lily and Fiona weren¡¯t talking like they had just brought down a gigantic ancient walking weapon . How should I put it? They seemed almost unimpressed . Me? I was secretly thinking to myself, ¡°Hey, we really did it! Awesome!¡± . It was a bit embarrassing .

    ¡°... Well, what do we do next?¡±

    Creating an unthinkable atmosphere, I coolly asked that question to the two of them . By the way, I didn¡¯t have a n . The only thing I coulde up with as a next step was a basic idea of getting inside one of those golems, which cannot even be considered a proper strategy .

    ¡°Kurono, I have a great n . ¡±

    The expressionless Fiona raised her small hand and said that,pletely brimming with confidence .

    ¡°If things go on like this, the remaining golems are going to reach the walls . ¡±

    All we had aplished so far was destroying a single golem . Before the threat of these golems, the castle walls had already withstood their fair share of attacks... but naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the golems¡¯ marching .

    The golems mercilessly continue their heavy march . It would have been better if their huge bodies had been burned or cracked to some extent .

    Even though we may not speak as full of confidence as Fiona, everyone here can guess that the ancient golems will arrive at their destination .

    ¡°That¡¯s right . They don¡¯t have any weapons there . At this rate, these golems are going to tear the walls apart . ¡±

    It¡¯s an easy and straightforward offensive, but with their size, a simple punch can wreck entire buildings . We should see them as tools with enough destructive power to tear down the castle walls .

    ¡°We¡¯ll have our chance as soon as the golems reach the walls . ¡±

    ¡°I see, we stop them at the walls at thest minute, right? And then?¡±

    ¡°Then, we jump on the golems . ¡±

    ¡°... And then?¡±

    ¡°And then with a ¡®bang!¡¯, the golems go ¡®boom!¡¯¡±

    There you go, a perfect strategy . Fiona¡¯s seems to hear her own voiceing out of her heart as she puffs up her chest in self-confidence .

    How should I put it...? I can¡¯t help but feel Fiona is sometimes more muscle than brain . In fact, I wonder if she¡¯s even more of a crazy warrior than I am .

    ¡°... Listen, Fiona... that¡¯s hardly a ¡®great n¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s pure genius, right?¡±

    ¡°Umm... not like that . It¡¯s actually the other way around . ¡±

    Why did she think I wasplimenting her? Nevermind, now there¡¯s no time to tell Fiona that we¡¯re not understanding each other .

    ¡°Hey, Lily, what do we do? The golems will reach the castle walls any minute now!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s all right . I¡¯ve juste up with a great n myself . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down, Lily...!¡±

    As I was starting to give my words of praise, a voice urged me to wait . Needless to say, it was the Great Magic Teacher¡¯s voice .

    ¡°Umm, Kurono? What about my n?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiona, but we¡¯ll have to leave it as ourst resort . ¡±

    ¡°After trying what?¡±

    ¡°Anything at all . ¡±

    ¡°I see . Well, if you put it that way, I guess it can¡¯t be helped . ¡±

    The misguided Fiona, who had actually thought that she was onto something with that ¡®n¡¯ of hers, looked at me expectantly as she dropped the topic .

    Oddly enough, the conversation continues rather smoothly . I still fail to understand Fiona¡¯s n .

    ¡°So, Lily, what¡¯s your n?¡±

    Responding to my enthusiasm, Lily gives me a cute smile, trademark of a beautiful girl from another world . Then replies,

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m nning to jump on the golems too . ¡±

    ¡°What? Not you too, Lily!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry, Kurono . I haven¡¯t finished . ¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not nning to give it a good ¡®bang!¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right . My n is a little more concrete than that . Unlike you, Fiona, I won¡¯t betray Kurono¡¯s expectations . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? When exactly did I betray Kurono¡¯s expectations, Lily?¡±

    The nonchnt Lily continued talking to the now clearly dissatisfied and offended Fiona .

    ¡°First of all, wouldn¡¯t it be better to close your eyes and ears before I exin?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see...¡±

    Lily suddenly started suggesting things as if shooting shing and acoustic bullets from her mouth at the same time, but both Fiona and I nodded to show that we could understand her without asking for too much of an exnation .

    ¡°Ah, that awesome thing will be released soon . ¡±

    As a matter of fact, some strong magical power has been making me feeling goosebumps on my back for a while now .

    Looking behind, I can see the giant castle tower of Ghad Fortress and its four defensive towers, so tall that they seem to pierce the heavens . A tremendous flow of magical power is concentrated to the top of the towers, whirling intensely like a tornado .

    In short, the Spada Royal Pce¡¯s sorcerer seems to be trying to deliver a single blow with all of his might . This is definitely the Spada Army¡¯s ultimate attack .

    ¡°No wonder, the real fortress is on a whole different level...¡±

    If only Alsace Vige was equipped with one tenth of that defensive power... I slowly closed my eyes while thinking such useless thoughts, feeling an immense amount of magical power instantly exploding in the sky .

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446

    <strong><strong>Battle Tower Pharos (Part 1)</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    Both his red hair and mantle flutter intensely on the devastating hot winds, but his muscr body doesn¡¯t show the slightest sign of trembling . Standing above the castle walls with such presence is the 52nd King of Spada, Leonhart Tristan Spada...

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I see Pharos firing off something like that, but... this is ridiculous!¡±

    ... And his son, Crown Prince Eisenhart .

    What they see is a dense ck smoke that spouts into the air, revealing a red hot cross-section and the steel giants crumbling down . The same terrible gigantic ancient weapons that had terrorized the Spada soldiers hade crashing down to the snowy ground .

    Briskly using his hand tob back that red hair he had inherited from his father, Eisenhart turned around and saw that, in contrast with those golems, a pure white smoke wasing out of the four towers .

    A little while ago, a scorching magical attack was fired from those towers, which had seriously damaged the golems .

    The four towers that are located in the castle tower section of Ghad Fortress are formally known as ¡°Battle Tower Pharos¡± .

    The square castle tower section and its four smaller towers make a single building, all made in Spada-styled architecture . That kind of architecture doesn¡¯t have any particr name, but it is still something special, as it has only been used when Ghad Fortress and the Spada Royal Castle were built . Just as the Crusaders brought their weapons known as ancient golems with them, Spada has their own ancient weapon .

    And that weapon is Battle Tower Pharos . To put it simply, it¡¯s a device that shoots a superheated beam from high up in the sky .

    Though Model Magic alone cannot even analyze the ancient relic used in this fortress, anyone can understand just how much destructive power it has just by looking at the scene in front of their eyes . It has already been fifty years since Battle Tower Pharos was installed into the Ghad Fortress, but even now it still proudly serves as its most secret and powerful weapon .

    Even now, this tremendous heat beam that has been brought back from ancient times seems to have reduced the signs of Spada¡¯s giant enemies to ashes .

    ¡°Still, after one shot... half of them still remains...¡±

    Breaking through the huge curtain of ck smoke that cloaks the battlefield, an ancient golem still advances towards them, echoing with high pitched nks and making gloomy machinery noises .

    The Battle Tower Pharos has one shot per actual tower, for a total of four shots . However, there are some restrictions that make up for its sheer power . It cannot fire in rapid session, and what¡¯s more, replenishing the amount of magic needed to perform the next shot now would take an entire day .

    King Leonhart had made the quick decision to use all of his beloved Pharos¡¯ power against the looming golem army .

    Nobody can tell whether that decision was based on judgment or overly hasty, but the shot was still fired . All that¡¯s left to do is find a way to defend against the five remaining golems¡¯ threat .

    ¡°Man, I don¡¯t want to have to jump on it and attack it head-on . ¡±

    Eisenhart¡¯s ears are filled with the solemn echo of the drums, which can be heard even over the loud sound of golems¡¯ footsteps . The unit ¡®Braveheart¡¯ led by King Leonhart marches on to battle, disying a fearsome strength .

    ¡°Please wait, Your Highness! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going too!¡±

    A stern-faced middle-aged man with a prominent beard calls out to Eisenhart from the sides . Though he addresses him respectfully, he looks more like a belligerent warrior than a polite knight .

    Indeed, his firm and manly build is covered with the red heavy equipment of the infantry, so he¡¯s definitely a Spada soldier . Moreover, his armor and helmet is adorned with scarlet almandine ga, which is only seen on the armor of the top of the elite of the ¡®Braveheart¡¯ unit, and the characteristic crest on his helmet is an authentic, genuine article .

    As an added bonus, his right arm ispletely covered in a shining golden gauntlet, which is proof that this man is one of the strongest of the glorious heavy infantry .

    Nevertheless, how many people actually knows that such a helmet is hiding his long and narrow ears? Yes, this man is not a human, but an elf .

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to go, but I kind of have to, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°In that case, please take your humble servant Elwood as yourpanion . ¡±

    ¡°No, you have to stay . You are the Vice-Commander, after all . ¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you themander appointed by His Majesty to lead the fourth unit, ¡®diator¡¯?¡±

    Originally, Prince Eisenhart belonged to the first unit, ¡®Braveheart¡¯ . Soon after, he served the military as Vice-Commander after his father Leonhart .

    However, when the Fifth War of Ghad stated, Leonhart appointed him to the fourth unit, ¡®diator¡¯ . His reason for doing this was that he thought that his son would get experience better that way . Eisenhart didn¡¯t consent to that, but one cannot simply dispute a king¡¯s decision .

    Then again, even if he were to disappear, Sir Galbraith ¡ª the previous Vice-Commander¨C would be reinstated, so the unit¡¯smand would not be in disarray . So that kind of reassignment wasn¡¯t that unreasonable . Certainly, leading the fourth unit, which would be a group of mercenaries, would be quite the experience . It was a bit of a sudden decision, but definitely not an unreasonable one .

    That is how Prince Eisenhart became Commander of the fourth unit . In order to assist him, the Spada Knight Elwood, who had long served the military as themander of a thousand men in the first unit, was appointed as Vice-Commander of the fourth unit as well .

    ¡°Well, well, isn¡¯t that beautiful daughter of yours, who works at the guild¡¯s headquarters¡¯ front desk, waiting for you back in Spada? Don¡¯t be doing anything reckless now!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? How do you know my daughter so well? Could it be that Your Highness is interested in her as well...?¡±

    A thin line of sweat appeared on the half-hurried and half-shocked Eisenhart¡¯s forehead as he answered the rebellious Elwood¡¯s risky remark .

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve told you already . It¡¯s just something I heard before . You¡¯ve asked me three times already, and you had been drinking every time!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry! It seems I do nothing but boast about my daughter whenever I drink!¡±

    That is something that all members of ¡®Braveheart¡¯ know too well, to the point of being almost unpleasant .

    Thinking ¡°You¡¯re the only person in Spada who can make King Leonhart hear the constant boasting about your daughter¡±, Prince Eisenhart stares scornfully at Elwood, who brashly answers with a hearty ¡°Wahahah!¡±

    ¡°But seriously, I¡¯ll be okay going on my own . After all, Father rushed on by himself, so it is my duty to back him up . ¡±

    It can be clearly seen that former Vice-Commander Sir Galbraith will be appointed to the heavy infantry unit, ¡®Braveheart¡¯ . At the Fourth War of Ghad, during the battle between King Leonhart and King Garvinal, the one leading the troops was none other than him . Just as one would expect from one of the Four Great Noble Houses of Spada . His fine job was worthy of his title .

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447

    <strong><strong>Battle Tower Pharos (Part 2)</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    ¡°So, speak of the devil... What is it, Father?¡±

    Though Eisenhart spoke as if talking to himself, he could certainly hear his father¡¯s voice .

    Two small, sparkly blue earrings adorn Eisenhart¡¯s ears . Made with Telepathium crystal of the highest purity, they are a magic item that enables the wearer tomunicate through high-quality telepathy .

    ¡°... Eis, you deal with those golems . ¡±

    ¡°All by myself?¡±

    ¡°You can take along whoever you like . But you have to fight too, no matter what . ¡±

    ¡°This means I¡¯ll get the chance to do something heroic, huh? How considerate of you, Father . ¡±

    ¡°I have a bad feeling about those golems . Come take a look . ¡±

    Eisenhart lets out a sigh so heavy that it seems as if it was on purpose .

    But that sighing is not simply out of childish defiance or cynicism, but out of the pressure he feels due to the heavy responsibility imposed on him .

    ¡°If you¡¯re so concerned about it, Father... then it really must be looking bad...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you . ¡±

    Saying nothing more than that, King Leonhart cuts themunication off .

    Eisenhart takes another deep breath and slowly turns towards Vice-Commander Elwood .

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is . ¡±

    ¡°Yeah... There¡¯s no way around it . ¡±

    Seems that not even Elwood can help but follow His Majesty the King¡¯s orders .

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry . I¡¯m sure I can somehow manage to deal with five of them . Besides, there are people other than Father who can deal with those huge things . ¡±

    Before Battle Tower Pharos¡¯ attack, Eisenhart has seen a certain party of adventurers destroy one of the ancient golems on their own . Well, more than just seeing them, he couldn¡¯t help but notice them .

    That trio of adventurers who call themselves ¡°Element Masters¡± has more to do with his brother Wilhart, who has always had a keen interest in them . Eisenhart had thought to see these friends of my brother¡¯s whenever he had the free time to do so, but it was totally unexpected that they were to turn up at the throne room .

    Wil¡¯s not only smart, but he also has an eye for people .

    When selecting Prince Wilhard¡¯s guard maid at the time of his entering the Royal Spada Academy, it was none other than him who chose Celia, a former assassin from the intelligence department . Though she does have a good presence, there were many other maid candidates whose looks were way more charming and sexy . Some of them may have even approached him behind the scenes . Wilhart had no expectations for the near future, but if spoiled, he was still the second prince . Back in those days, the nickname ¡°delusional prince¡± was not so well known, and he seemed to be normal . At least, toplete strangers .

    However, the then-thirteen-years-old Wilhart chose Celia over the other more good-looking maids . At that time, his elder brother bluntly asked him whether he liked women or not to inquire about the reason behind his choice, to which Wilhart replied:

    ¡°I merely chose the best among them . There is no other reason . ¡±

    To this day, he still cannot forget his younger brother¡¯s expression, who seemed to be genuinely wondering why was he being asked such an obvious question .

    ¡°If only Wilhart had the same power as me...¡± ¡ª Though meaningless, that idea often flutters about in Eisenhart¡¯s head .

    Anyway, those adventurers found by his younger brother have shown to be able to destroy an ancient golem . He can no longer doubt Wilhart¡¯s judgment .

    ¡°You¡¯ve made some great friends, Wil... but you¡¯re not the only one who has friends capable of bringing down a golem!¡±

    Eisenhart took a quick look around him, but his golden eyes could not find the beautiful diator of Spada .

    ¡°Come on, Fark, where are you? Selfish as ever...¡±

    Despite carrying himself with the elegance and looks of a nobleman¡¯s son, Farkius is a hopelessly selfish and moody person . However, very few people actually know that due to his unwavering smile and gentle demeanor .

    He can be very enthusiastic about his interests and about things he wants to do, but he can also very eager to avoid doing things he either doesn¡¯t like, has no interest in, or he¡¯s tired of doing . Though he is a very skilled man, his true personality may closer to King Leonhart¡¯s than what he lets others see .

    In Eisenhart¡¯s opinion, Farkius handles things in a surprisingly diligent way . Compared to both his father and elder sister, who do nothing but fight as much as they please like some sort of battle maniacs, he is far more interested in bragging about his own academic feats . At the same time, that makes him seem rather mediocre .

    ¡°Oh well, I guess he¡¯ll be willing to join me as soon as I¡¯m right in front of those huge things . ¡±

    Eisenhart began to focus on his battle, leaving his fickle friend¡¯s absence behind .

    Turning his deep crimson cloak aside, he unleashed his zing red greatsword started walking towards the walled corridor .

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go...¡±

    And so, Eisenhart stepped forward into the empty sky from fifty meters above the ground without hesitation .

    ********

    ¡°Th-that was close... I thought¡¯ I¡¯d die...¡±

    After falling and rolling over the hard metal floor, he clumsily stands up .

    ¡°Hitsugi, your calctions were messed up . ¡±

    ¡°Aah, I¡¯m so sorry, Master!¡±

    Oh well . I can hardly say I got there in one piece, but at least I did get there .

    ¡°Well, it is lower than the castle walls, but still quite tall after all . ¡±

    I¡¯m standing at a ce that is twenty meters above the ground . Instead of the steady ground over which the castle walls were built, the steel underfoot is swaying around like a small boat caught in a raging storm .

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m standing on the shoulder of one of the ancient golems, who continue their march towards the castle walls .

    Looking to the right, I can see the snowyndscape of the Ghad mountain range, and looking to the right, all I see is a gigantic full-helmet-like head and its single red eye .

    I wonder if the pilot sees a magnified version of me on their screen?

    ¡°... Bullet Arts . ¡±

    I try shooting at it, but of course, it won¡¯t break so easily . It seems to be some sort of ss lens, but my attack didn¡¯t leave a single crack on it . It seems that a giant¡¯s weak spot is not necessarily always going to be its single eye .

    ¡°Are you okay, Kurono? You dropped there almost like a meteor...¡±

    The beautiful girl who came flying down from the sky so gently that you can almost hear the soft ¡°fwoosh¡± was none other than Lily . That beautiful face that often seems cute and lovely now seemed serious and rather worried, so I decided to toughen it up .

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine! This was part of our calctions!¡±

    Did the way I came swooping down here look so dangerously fast from her point of view?

    The way I got on top of the golem¡¯s shoulder was the same way we struggled up to the top of the castle walls ¡ª using Hitsugi¡¯s Bind Arts . Like some sort of hookshot, I coiled a long chain around me . Then it was a matter of just diving down .

    However, since I had never jumped down such a distance before, I asked Hitsugi to calcte the eleration . If the chain were to roll out too slowly, I¡¯d onlye crashing down . It¡¯s not like bungee jumping using a long rope .

    But still, I¡¯m d it worked well in the end .

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448

    <strong></strong>

    <strong><strong>Battle Tower Pharos (Part 3)</strong></strong>

    ¡°I wish you really were okay, though...¡±

    Lily¡¯s eyes were so full of pity for me that it hurt . It¡¯s even harder to hear her reply, which sounds as if she understood that I was being stubborn .

    So it really is impossible to lie to Lily, huh?

    ¡°Never mind me, just hurry down here . ¡±

    So I decided to change the topic, though my embarrassment was only half the reason . Our first priority was to do something about the golem, which kept on marching ominously towards the castle walls .

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t stay here for too long . ¡±

    Agreeing with what I said, Fiona¡¯s ck clothes flutter about as she gently descends upon the golem¡¯s shoulder .

    She had been carried like a princess all the way down here by Lily . As opposed to my ¡°flight¡±, Fiona¡¯s experience seems to have been far more enjoyable . Thank you very much for flying with Fairy Airlines today! Though Lily doesn¡¯t seem to be very amused to have been used as an airne .

    ¡°All right, Lily, it¡¯s your turn!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me, Kurono . I¡¯ll pry that cockpit open in a second . ¡±

    Lily¡¯s answeres with a charming smile . Her n to deal with the Golems was to open their cockpits and kill their pilots directly . Since these Ancient Golems are basically moving fortresses with incredible defensive power, it makes sense to exploit that kind of weak spot .

    We wouldn¡¯t be able to do this if these golems had the mobility of those Super Robots you can see in anime, but thankfully, these guys are slow . That¡¯s why it was possible to jump on them in the first ce .

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see... how about there?¡±

    Lily jumps down from the golem¡¯s trembling shoulder . Rather than heading to its front, she flies towards its back and stops in mid-air at the section where its shoulder de would be if it were a human .

    As if clinging tightly to the golem¡¯s back, Lily reaches out to its rugged steel armor with her white hands . There doesn¡¯t seem to be any switches or levers to open a hatch or anything like that, so how would Lily make her way into the cockpit?

    I was getting curious, but it didn¡¯t seem like we would have time to rx while she was doing all the work .

    ¡°I knew it, there are guards . ¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been followed, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    A group of harpy-like chimera soldiers appeared in the air, letting out loud ear-splitting shrieks . The way they fly around the gigantic humanoid golem makes them look like feathered mosquitoes inparison .

    Though they were swarming, they didn¡¯t seem to have any military formation in mind, so they simply began swooping down one by one on Lily¡¯s exposed back .

    ¡°Gatling-Gore Mode . ¡±

    I summoned ¡®The Greed¡¯ from the shadows, already transformed into a six-barrel gatling gun . The barrel used to fire that incredibly powerful ¡®sma Breath¡¯ is now cooling down inside the Shadow Gate .

    ¡°Too hot! It¡¯s way too hot, Master!¡± was Hitsuji¡¯sint as she was cooling down the barrel using pseudo-ice, which is the fourth Divine Protection I reluctantly obtained the other day .

    She had coiled a countless number of thin tentacles around the barrel, releasing cold air from them . This had to be done slowly and carefully, or the barrel might break like Simon¡¯s gatling gun .

    It might even be cool enough by now, but I believe that machine guns will be more useful here . The barrels start to spin around and making mechanical sounds as I point them at the harpy-chimeras .

    ¡°Burst . ¡±

    Even if they are hard to aim at, they won¡¯t be able to avoid a barrage of bullets . Their once colorful feathers sway down from the sky, stained by their fresh dark blood . The harpy-chimera vanguard was quickly shot down, leaving behind only the echo of their repulsive screeches still ringing in our ears .

    ¡°Come to think of it, this is the first time I have been at the vanguard together with Kurono . ¡±

    Leaving my thorough counter-attackpletely unnoticed, Fiona calls out to me as if changing the topic of conversation . Even standing over the shoulder of an ancient golem, Fiona always does things at her own pace .

    ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, you¡¯re right!¡±

    I gave Fiona a half-hearted reply while getting ready to get down from the golem¡¯s back ¨Cwho is still standing as upright as the castle walls¨C in order to protect Lily . But she¡¯s probably right, this must be the first time us two ever fought at the vanguard together .

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking sometimes that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to fight at the front lines together with you, Kurono . ¡±

    ¡°What made you change your mind?¡±

    Up until now, I¡¯ve never heard Fiona say anything like ¡°The rear guard is the best . I¡¯m the happiest when providing covering fire from behind¡± to express herself about the appeal of her usual battle position . Still, she doesn¡¯t seem to be unhappy about it .

    ¡°It was a bit fun to fight side by side with Lily before . ¡±

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wasn¡¯t goofing around . More than that, I was having a pretty hard conflict in my heart .

    But yeah, Lily is surprisingly easy to work with, so fighting side by side with her makes me feel like we have the teamwork of a well-coordinated sports team .

    That may have seemed appealing to Fiona .

    ¡°Well then, shall we try something to see whether it really is fun or not?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go, shall we? ... Formation: ¡®Vertical Limit¡¯ . ¡±

    After that, Fiona and I follow Lily and make our way down the golem . Of course, I¡¯m using Bind Arts as a lifeline .

    As for Fiona, she breaks into a run, and dashes down the golem¡¯s surface .

    She¡¯s definitely not simply falling down to her death . Just like when running over the ground, she¡¯s running down a ny-degree wall using a steady posture and speed .

    ¡°I hope Fiona would teach me her ¡®Air Walker¡¯ next time...¡±

    Fiona¡¯s martial art technique was so wless that I was murmuring such a thing before I knew it . She was like a witch .

    It¡¯s like the phrase ¡°If you can¡¯t do this much, then you can¡¯t go solo . ¡± It¡¯s a popr phrase, but now that I think about it, except for magic control, Fiona is surprisingly skilled .

    Me? I just set up a rifle and pulled the trigger while feeling the weight of my ownck of experience .

    I have absolute trust in Lily, and I¡¯m relieved that she has my back on the battlefield, but Fiona is equally trustworthy .

    That¡¯s why now I have no worries about being at the front lines with Fiona . Let¡¯s continue to protect Lily with my fierce shots and her me storms .

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449

    <strong><strong>Mind Controlling Devices: Angel Ring VS Fairy Ring (Part 1)</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    ¡°Hmm, just as I thought, this must be the door . ¡±

    Protected by her twopanions, Lily seems far from being in a hurry and instead moves elegantly as she searches for the cockpit¡¯s hatch .

    The ancient golem stands tall in front of us, towering over the surroundings like a wall . All we see is a sheet of unpolished armored steel ting spreading over its surface with no signs of any kind of joints . There also doesn¡¯t seem to be any sort of doorknob around .

    However, Lily is certain that this being the right spot .

    There are three reasons for this . The first one is that her intuition tells her so . The second one is that there are some a few signs of magical power leaking out, though they are so faint that you might doubt whether you actually felt them or if they were just your imagination .

    But the third and most conclusive reason for believing that the door is there is the artifact Lily is holding in her hand .

    ¡°¡®Diamond Heaven¡¯ is reacting... now we can get in easily . ¡±

    The huge spherical diamond that Lily is holding in her right hand is shing intermittently as if calling out to her . I don¡¯t think that there is a reaction more obvious than that one .

    Back when she got this artifact on that dirty orphanage, it was thought that it could be used to interfere with a homunculus¡¯ mind . While it¡¯s possible that it has such properties, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the only thing it can be used for .

    Since ¡®Diamond Heaven¡¯ seems to have many more uses, Lily had thought it might be possible to use it as some sort of key .

    ¡°Do my bidding, ¡®Diamond Heaven¡¯!¡±

    A little bit of magical power flows into the jewel in Lily¡¯s hand . It briefly shines with a white radiance, and reacting to it ¡ª no, more like answering to it, the wall begins to change before our very eyes .

    With a faint nk, part of a metal sheet slides open . Rather than an actual door, it looks more like a panel about 30 centimeters both wide and long . It is white, and it seems to be made from something resembling mithril silver, although somewhat different . I can¡¯t feel mithril silver¡¯s usual magical power and beauty from this .

    Lily shades her eyes with her empty left hand as she sees some bluish pale letters appearing on the surface . Of course, those are ancient characters . However, since all of these characters are written horizontally instead of forming a circle, they don¡¯t seem to be any sort of magic curse .

    It¡¯s impossible topletely decipher these ancient characters, even for Lily . She innately knows how to read some of them, but not even her lessons at the academy had prepared her to read the more advanced ones written here .

    However, she was somehow able to understand what was written on that panel .

    ¡°¡®ess granted¡¯, huh?¡±

    Lily touches the faintly radiant panel with the palms of her hands as gently as falling autumn leaves .

    Having done that, the heavily armored panel in front of us opens neatly like a set of sliding doors . The way it slides open seems way too smooth for an ancient relic .

    The area that opens is a rectangle of about two and a half meters tall by one meter wide . It definitely seems built to let the average human through . The small and delicate Lily walks through the door with little difficulty .

    Instead of proper lighting, the corridor behind has shining panels embedded at equal intervals on its walls and ceiling . Though it feels rather gloomy in here, we can see another door at the other end of the corridor, a mere three meters away .

    The cockpit must definitely be on the other side of that door .

    And Lily doesn¡¯t waste time to confirm that this second door opens by simply touching it .

    The first thing that we see inside is the same bluish pale light as we had seen on that authentication panel earlier . Both walls are covered in pipes and tubes as if countless snakes were crawling on them, but looking at the front, we can see a jet ck wall with several ancient characters messily written on them, just like that monument on the za of Spada, ¡®Zero Chronicle¡¯ .

    On the ceiling, which is as high up as the corridor, there¡¯s only one luminescent panel, and there are no other sources of light . Not even from windows .

    In other words, there¡¯s no way to see what¡¯s happening outside from here . There isn¡¯t even any image anywhere that would show that we are in front of the great castle walls of Ghad Fortress .

    And still, this ce is definitely the cockpit we¡¯ve been looking for...

    ¡°... Well, hello there!¡±

    ... Because there¡¯s a pilot here . This small room is so narrow and cluttered that it feels like you can¡¯t even breathe in here, but a quick nce reveals that there¡¯s a person sitting in the center .

    Rather than replying to Lily¡¯s friendly greeting, that person just remains sitting motionlessly .

    Wait, is that even a proper chair? It¡¯s covered in leather, so it can¡¯t be very ufortable, but it¡¯s also equipped with countless white belts across its entire build . Of course, all of these belts are being currently used to bind the pilot to the chair, making its upant look more like a death row inmate about to be executed on an electric chair than a pilot .

    ¡°I see, more than operating this golem, they¡¯re being directly connected to them . ¡±

    The unconcerned Lily isn¡¯t surprised by the pilot¡¯s strange circumstances, and simply gathers information from everything she can see, analyzes it, and makes her guesses in order to derive the ancient golem¡¯s secrets .

    Lily not only has a truly sharp mind for both humans and magicians alike, but she also understands the study of the ¡®White Sacrament¡¯ more than anyone in all of the Pandora continent, making it easy for her to understand how this thing works .

    To be more specific, she clearly recognizes those white belts that are wrapped around the pilot ¡ª those are powerful magic items which have been thoroughly analyzed, studied, and taken to the point of being put to practical use .

    ¡°A variant of the Angel Ring... so it¡¯s like an improved version of it?¡±

    That¡¯s the most powerful restraint that binds the pilot to the chair .

    Formerly bound to Kurono¡¯s mind and body, and now Lily¡¯s toy, the ¡®Angel Ring¡¯ looks like a simple white ring . Though the pilot¡¯s face is covered with a white mask, judging from his familiar ck hair and the ck plug-suit that denotes his slender body, it can be determined that more than a simple foreigner, this is a youngster that has been summoned from a different world called ¡®Japan¡¯ to run experiments on his body .

    ¡°Hmm, just as I thought, it looks like we can¡¯t take these off him . ¡±

    Lily has no interest in taking a severed head with her, so creating dimensional spaces is out of the question .

    ¡°But I have to make sure of what this thing is...¡±

    Murmuring those words, Lily draws a simple magic circle of light in mid-air using her fingertips . When she holds her hand over the magic circle, an itemes rolling down .

    That¡¯s a white ring that resembles the ¡®Angel Ring¡¯ quite well . The only difference in its design is that a string of magical characters is carved on its surface as if streaming around it . And in fact, not only do they look simr, but they seem to have simr functions .

    Yes, this is the same thing that Lily had conducted her research on, Simon had developed, and Regin had forged: A prototype of a ¡®Fairy Ring¡¯ .

    ¡°Now, tell me your secrets...¡±

    And so, Lily softlyys the ¡®Fairy Ring¡¯ on top of the ¡®Angel Ring¡¯ that shines on the boy¡¯s head .

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450

    <strong><strong>Mind Controlling Devices: Angel Ring VS Fairy Ring (Part 2)</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    ¡°... What!? No . 7 has been hacked!?¡±

    That¡¯s the voice of apletely shocked person rather than a lonely one .

    Just when they were about to reach the castle walls of Ghad Fortress, Dorothy¡¯s attention is turned to a data screen turning red, showing a ¡®Red Alert¡¯ message .

    Among all of the error levels there are, the ¡®Red Alert¡¯ indicates the highest level of danger .

    By ¡®hacked¡¯, she means that someone has essed the inner engine of the ancient golems without the proper authorization .

    ¡°It¡¯s not a standalone, but it can only be essed from there... Ah, no, I see! They¡¯re attacking the pilot directly!¡±

    This ¡°hacker¡± jumped into the ancient golem ¨Cformally named ¡®Taurus¡¯¨C while it was in motion, opened the almost unlocked hatch, reached the seat test subject 672¡¯s was united to and got to the telepathic magic item attached to his head .

    Given this sudden and unforeseen change of events caused by this ¡®hacker¡¯, there¡¯s only one practical way to proceed .

    Dorothy waspletely confident that the ¡®White Sacrament¡¯ led by Judas is the most advanced research on ancient relics there is, and the ¡®magical chip¡¯ is part of it . At least, she hasn¡¯t heard any news regarding any improvement in the rification of advanced ancient magic in the Pandora continent .

    If asked to speak frankly, she¡¯d say that she despises these meddlers as if they were demons .

    However, her confidence in her absolute advantage crumbles down in an instant .

    ¡°I... impossible... b-but... you...!¡±

    Her analysis of the hacking advances at an incredibly high speed . The evil hand of telepathy bridges between the fundamental operation of the ¡®power loader¡¯ installed onto the pilot¡¯s brain and the Taurus¡¯ operating system it is connected to .

    She doesn¡¯t know how this hacker was able to detect that, but the ¡®magical chip¡¯ can tell her exactly what the intruder is doing . Though it cannot do much more than just reporting, as the golem doesn¡¯t have any kind of automatic defense software installed .

    With the Pandora continent¡¯s current magical technology, no one was even supposed to be able to ess ancient relics such as the ¡®magical chip¡¯ or the Taurus to begin with . There was no need to implement an internal defensive system, nor there was any time to do so .

    In short, this means that this hacker can freely tamper with the pilot¡¯s brain and the golems cockpit, and no one can prevent them from doing so .

    ¡°...I¡¯ll regain control of the Taurus!¡±

    The only way she can stop them is by taking the matter into her own hands .

    In this battleground against the demons, she had never imagined that she would be facing them in an information war as well . Not even demons should be able to interfere with a brain dominated by the ¡®Angel Ring¡¯, which was created by the White Sacrament . That¡¯s how precise andplex of a ck box the human mind really is .

    However, she has to recognize that this enemy is equal to them .

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right... I may be just a in-looking woman who has no magical power of her own, but I can¡¯t afford to lose!¡±

    She doesn¡¯t look as if she was getting worked up . She¡¯s always calm and collected, and yet negative and even mean to herself, whenever she whispers to herself .

    Dorothy has almost no fighting spirit or sense ofpetition... or, more specifically, she almost never gets angry . That¡¯s because she tends to give everything up from the very beginning .

    She¡¯s always been like that, be it for having a feminine charm or any magical talent at all . And her frail body certainly has no aptitude for martial arts .

    Her single and unmistakable talent is her own professional studies of ancient magic . But it¡¯s a good thing since that means that there¡¯s no one who canpete with her in that field .

    Even the skilled and high-regarded professors at the Elysion Magic Academy would steal her theories . Dorothy was the one to build the central engine of the magic battleship ¡®Gargantua¡¯, which was used as the first step of the invasion of Pandora . She was seventeen at the time .

    She doesn¡¯t get angry even if the fruits of her research are stolen . All she feels is despair and emptiness . To her understanding, that¡¯s just the way the world works, and people are just things that are tricked and deceived .

    However, she is now able to live an above-average, happy, and fulfilling life after being found by Bishop Judas . Only he appreciates her talent and makes her feel valid . More than that, he makes her feel necessary .

    She cannot see Bishop Judas as a rival . Even a genius like Dorothy can see an overwhelming difference between the two like she has never seen before . She would not be a match for him even if it took her a lifetime . To her, Bishop Judas is an absolute being, a great leader worthy of respect, worship, and from whom she should continue to learn .

    But now, she faces a different opponent, a hacker that has invaded golem No . 7, ¡®Taurus¡¯ .

    That person has enough talent to stand above the countless ipetents who do not understand the theory behind ancient magic . Though above overwhelming, they¡¯re not absolute . They¡¯re on par with her . A rival worthy enough has appeared .

    That¡¯s why she cannot get all fired up . For the first time in her life, she began to feel a fighting spirit well up deep inside her chest,pletely devoted to counter the intruder¡¯s attack .

    ¡°Console change to hexagon type! Show me Model No . 7¡¯s condition on the main monitor! Administer ¡®Sheer Heart¡¯ and ¡®Blood Plus¡¯ on subject No . 672! We¡¯re going to hit the gas ¡ª but don¡¯t die on me yet, 672! Not until I have logged this hacker out!¡±

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451

    <strong><strong>Formation: Dragon Killer</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    A five-colored light shines over Ghad¡¯s great castle walls and before the gigantic ancient weapons that are making their way there .

    ¡°Bursting red mes! Fervent sh! ¡®Red Sword¡¯!¡±

    The young man with red hair and a red scarf lets out a battle cry as he prepares his deep crimson longsword .

    ¡°Freezing blue ice, chilling and serene... ¡®Blue Spear¡¯ . ¡±

    The young elf with rebellious long blue hair and scarf wields a semi-transparent, light-blue ¡®Charge Spear¡¯, and a tower shield that looks like a snowke both in color and shape .

    ¡°Abundant yellow earth... Raging, crushing billows, ¡®Yellow Axe¡¯!¡±

    The giant cyclops turns over his yellow scarf, resting his golden great axe over his shoulder .

    ¡°Raging green winds! Gale, storm, ¡®Green Knife¡¯!¡±

    The green goblin with a green scarf spins his dual knives, which shine with a light emerald glow .

    ¡°Always piercing your heart! Throbbing with pink love! Intense heartbeats! ¡®Pink Arrow¡¯!¡±

    The woman wearing a shocking pink helmet, full suit, and scarf pulls the string of her heart-shaped bow . Her arrows are also pink, with their sharp tips also looking like hearts .

    ¡°We¡¯re the de of justice that will cut through tomorrow with courage and hope! Super de Squadron: ¡®de Rangers¡¯!¡±

    As the five finish introducing themselves with a pose, an explosion urs behind them, and smoke of their five colors ¨Cred, blue, yellow, green, and pink¨C bursts behind them

    ¡°...Those guys never change, do they?¡±

    Nero grumbled with a sigh as he looked at them with a cold sidelong nce from afar .

    The Rank-5 group of adventurers ¡®de Rangers¡¯ are famous for always performing their characteristic introduction before any battle . Whenever their opponents can listen to them, like when facing a band of thieves, their cool disy fills every onlooker with courage and hope . But when the opponent is some sort of monster that cannot hear them, they still perform it while brutally assailing their opponents with breath and rush attacks .

    Still, their self-introducing and posing, and their ability to create those multicolored explosions with their own magic, indicate that they are worthy of their Rank 5 .

    But Nero cannot help but express his honest opinion about them . They look so silly to him that they almost make Kai look like an intellectual .

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go, guys! It¡¯s time for our deadly ¡®Five de Shot¡¯!¡±

    The other members cheerfully replied ¡°Ok!¡±, dropped their poses ¡ª where they were holding their weapons upwards ¡ª and started chanting in unison as if they were part of a chorus .

    ¡°Hey, hey! Do you n to use that special attack just like that?¡±

    As each of them started to shine with their corresponding color, a strong magical power surges within them . Even people with no ability to feel elemental powers would feel goosebumps in anticipation of the destructive force that it¡¯s about to be released by the five¡¯sbined spell .

    Nero¡¯s face changes a bit from its stunned expression into surprise as he begins to guess just how powerful that will be ¨CWait...

    ¡°If you use that, won¡¯t you all be out of magical power? What in the world are you thinking?¡±

    They¡¯re probably not thinking at all . That was what surprised Nero the most .

    However, despite Nero¡¯s opinion, the de Rangers¡¯ special move was alreadypleted .

    The magical power that the five had gathered turns into a ball of light of about 50 centimeters in diameter and slowly aligns itself with Red Sword, who is standing in the middle . Fire, water, earth, wind, and an unknown pink-colored element mix together in perfect harmony as the shining ball of multicolored light waits to be shot .

    ¡°The five lights which shine upon Spada! Take this! Deadly attack! ¡®Five de Shot¡¯!

    Then, with a spirited battle cry, Red Sword finally shoots the shining ball formed by theirbined magical power .

    Leaving behind traces of light in five colors, their special attack flies in a straight line, hitting an ancient golem that was a mere 300 meters away from reaching the castle walls .

    The moment that ball of light struck the golem¡¯s steel body, it exploded into a dazzling gleam of colors as if it were a rainbow . The resulting thunderous roar and raging heatwave indicate its fierce explosive power .

    And then, after the great explosion of light was over, all that remained was an ancient golem with a seriously wrecked torso . A huge hole is now where its abdomen used to be, and the steel ting on its chest has been destroyed, or rather, molten away .

    The terrible scars of destruction make the golem look like a crumbling tower . Nevertheless, it continues to slowly march onwards . It¡¯s now 200 meters away from the castle walls .

    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t enough after all...¡±

    The golem, who even with a half-broken body still wasn¡¯t knocked down, continues walking with little to no issues . On the other hand, the de Rangers, who had used up their well-reserved trump card, were lying on the floor like starfishes drying under the sun . They had exhausted everyst bit of their magical power, just like Nero had seen on a previous quest . Apparently, the problem with the amount of magical power their ¡®Five de Shot¡¯ consumes has yet to be resolved .

    Heaving an even deeper sigh, Nero decided not to care about them anymore as he sees them being carried away by some Spada knights .

    Though their attack wasn¡¯t enough to destroy the golem, but it did deal a tremendous amount of damage, so perhaps another attack would be able to finish it off . And it would be great if he could leave that to the Spada knights or some other adventurers .

    ¡°Well then, we should be able to take care of at least one of them . ¡±

    That¡¯s right . ¡®Wing Road¡¯, or rather, ¡®Alter Face¡¯, is too influential to let itself target a weakened enemy, and should instead focus on unharmed golems .

    ¡°All right! It¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    Kai seems to be very excited about it . It might even be worth his while to defeat such a gigantic opponent .

    ¡°Okay, so how shall we go about it?¡±

    The girl with the cat mask, Charlotte, asks that question to Nero while twitching her cat ears and tail .

    If it weren¡¯t for that mask, you could probably see her looking at him with those puppy-eyes of hers, but Nero doesn¡¯t really miss them . He had stared at his childhood friend¡¯s face long enough .

    ¡°We¡¯ll be using our formation: ¡®Dragon Killer¡¯, but with a slight change . ¡±

    ¡°The experience from that quest we did the other day, ¡®Runaway Ancient Golem¡¯ is going toe in handy today, huh?¡±

    Nero nods at Safi¡¯sment .

    That Rank 5 quest, ¡®Runaway Ancient Golem¡¯ was one they received shortly after the Battle of Iskia .

    In a vast underground cave inside the Rank 4 dungeon, ¡®Petra Underground Lake¡¯, which is not too far away from Spada, an ancient golem suddenly began running amok shortly after being excavated from the ruins .

    The golem from that time was too small to even try topare with the ones drawing near the castle walls today, but even then it was a little over 5 meters tall . It was like some sort of small giant . It had a bulky steel armor and a tremendous power, far surpassing that of its kind . It wasn¡¯t exactly fast, as one would expect, and it could not use magical skills . But it was still a very strong and resilient foe, worthy of rank 5 .

    Of course, ¡®Wing Road¡¯ was able to put an end to its rampage, but it wasn¡¯t easy to face such a terrible foe then . At the very least, Nero and Kai weren¡¯t able to simply slice it in half with their swords .

    ¡°Hey! I wasn¡¯t there when you did that quest...¡±

    Charlotte puffs her cheeks simply because she doesn¡¯t like seeing Nero and Safi talking to each other eye to eye . It¡¯s not very difficult for Nero to guess just what kind of face is she doing under that cat mask .

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not going to be that hard . ¡®S¡¯ will take care of the finishing blow . Just leave it to her . ¡±

    ¡°...¡¯S¡¯? Who is S?

    ¡°Hey...¡±

    ¡°A...Ah! Yes, yes! Leave it to S!¡±

    The words ¡°Charlotte, have you forgotten your codename already?¡± had reached his throat, but he did not dare to say them .

    It¡¯s a fact that among all of the team members, Kai is the number one idiot, but Charlotte is a hard contender for the position . Nero has always thought she was a little slow, but now he¡¯s genuinely concerned about her childhood friend¡¯s future . Who was going to take care of this tomboyish nobleman¡¯s daughter? Him? Just thinking about it makes Nero feel anxious .

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452

    <strong><strong>Formation: Dragon Killer</strong></strong>

    ¡°All right! I¡¯ll go take care of that giant thing now . No half-hearted attacks, I¡¯ll go full power! Formation: ¡¯Dragon Killer¡¯!¡±

    Nero draws his sword at the same time Kai readies his ¡®Buster Sword¡¯ .

    Then, Safi is the one to make the first move .

    ¡°Our target is... Let¡¯s see... I suppose the closest one of them . ¡±

    Her muttered words aren¡¯t directed at the other team members . Instead, they are orders for her servants .

    With a wave of her Crystal Skull Staff, Safi creates two purple magic circles in mid-air . One of them is about one meter wide, while the other is about half its size .

    Before long, somethinges flying out from the smaller magic circle, leaving behind a trail of purple toxic fumes . That¡¯s not a dark-attribute magic attack, but one of her servants, a dark-colored bird that lets out an ear-shattering cry as it emerges .

    The bird looks very simr to a crow, but its body is asrge as a falcon¡¯s, and its beak and ws look exceptionally sharp, making it look more like some sort of ckbird monster variant . Those monsters, much like crows, seem to be found almost everywhere, but they¡¯re still regarded as a rare kind ofrge bird monsters . They are particrly famous for their feathers, which are a high-grade material for making magical robes .

    That ckbird soars through the sky over Ghad, serving under Safi¡¯smand .

    ¡°Caw-Caw is already here,e out now, Paw-Paw!¡±

    She issues hermands using those ridiculous nicknames, but Safi¡¯s face is as calm and beautiful as ever, even under that ominous Skull Mask . She¡¯s doing nothing more than diligently using her servant .

    Asmanded by her Mistress, the skeleton warrior Paw-Paw emerges from therger magic circle . His role is that of a pawn, hence the name ¡°Paw-Paw¡± .

    The infantry skeleton, whose eyes shine with a bewitching light that hints a false life force granted by dark magical powers, silently jumps off the castle walls . Consistent with its bony appearance, it doesn¡¯t have the ability to fly .

    However, the infantry skeleton does fly through the air, its body d in purple light . That¡¯s because it had used its bony hand to grab one of the ckbird¡¯s ¨CCaw-Caw¡¯s¨C legs . Though it has been named ¡°Caw-Caw¡± simply because it looks like a crow, this ckbird¡¯s wings are too strong to bepared with those of other average-sized birds, allowing it to carry the skeleton soldier with ease .

    Thankfully, there were no Crusader spellcasters or archers on the field, so Caw-Caw and Paw-Paw reached their destination ¨Cthe golem¨C without fear of getting shot down .

    Caw-Caw returned to Safi right after dropping Paw-Paw on the ancient golem¡¯s shoulder . The skeleton soldier stands up, opens its bony jaw ¨Cwhich is full of eyes¨C, and fluently speaks up .

    ¡¸??? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??????¡¹

    No, that¡¯s not the skeleton¡¯s own voice, but Safi¡¯s natural voice .

    There is always some sort of rtionship between servants used by summoners and necromancers and the masters who use them, such as providing magical power and shared perception . Depending on the servant¡¯s role and the master¡¯s own ability, the kind of rtionship they have may greatly vary .

    Having a monster servant listen tomands regardless of distance is an ability generally known by most veterans, but the ability to speak through a servant is something much more difficult to master .

    What¡¯s more, Safi is not just trying to make its servant speak . She¡¯s trying to cast a spell through it .

    If you¡¯re not the same ss as Safi, you probably wouldn¡¯t understand just how skilled she is . Among her teammates, the only one who could probably understand her greatness is Nell, who has diligently studied magic that does not belong to her ss .

    ¡°¡®Pawn toon¡¯!¡±

    To no one¡¯s surprise, Safi¡¯s spell activates through the skeleton soldier .

    Just as Paw-Paw unsheathes its sword, a magic circle simr to the one used to summon it spreads out under its feet . The next moment, several spear-wielding skeleton soldierse forth, as if emerging from the depths of a swamp .

    It¡¯s a unit of sixteen skeleton soldiers . The role assigned to them by Safi is ¡®Harbinger¡¯ .

    They are faced by chimera-like soldiers with many arms, many heads, and possibly even wings . Several of these grotesque soldiers climb up the ancient golem as if it were a cliff in order to repel the intruders .

    ¡°I knew there were going to be guards . ¡±

    Defending a siege weapon until it reaches its destination is a natural course of action . No matter how powerful an ancient golem can be, you can bet that there will be guards ready to defend it in the event of it being attacked .

    ¡°There¡¯s still quite a few of them . ¡±

    Just by looking roughly at their numbers, they probably match the skeletons¡¯ sixteen, or maybe even outnumber them by a small margin .

    ¡°Thirty more seconds should be enough . ¡±

    Safi speaks with her usualposed tone of voice while watching the skeleton soldiers silently intercepting the oing swarm of roaring chimeras .

    Is that because she has absolute confidence in her ability to conjure good servants?

    ¡°Nah, at this range, ten seconds will do . ¡±

    No, it is because she trusts herpanions .

    This is particrly true just by looking at Nero, who¡¯s getting all worked up . His eyes are covered by a mask, but even it cannot hide the glint on those red pupils of his .

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kai . ¡±

    ¡°All right! You¡¯re going down!¡±

    Nero, cold and sharp like an icy sword, and Kai, heated up as if burst into mes, both jump off the castle walls .

    Kai is one step ahead, but not because he¡¯s being hot-headed . This is the right formation .

    Using the passive skill ¡®Air Walker¡¯, both of them are able to demonstrate jumping abilities far exceeding human limits .

    However, their jumping distance is approximately twenty meters . The golems are still advancing, and are about a hundred meters away from the castle walls, so they won¡¯t make it in a single leap .

    That¡¯s right, they¡¯re not jumping only once .

    Just after they begin being pulled down by gravity¡¯s yoke, a ck shadow appears under their feet . Commanded by Safi, the ckbird serves as a scaffolding which the two can use to bounce into their next leap .

    Nero and Kaind on the ckbird¡¯s back and, like a stone skipping over ake¡¯s surface, leap back into the sky .

    Charged with the power of martial arts, the stepping on its back would suppose a great shock to the ckbird, but the servant conjured by the genius necromancer does not even flinch . In fact, it even seems as if the two were able to jump even higher than before .

    The distance of their second jump is about thirty meters . Fifty more to reach the golem... no, since it has still been marching forward, it should be forty more meters to go .

    But there will be no ckbird scaffoldings for the next jump .

    But having gotten that far is more than enough for them . Even if there¡¯s nothing to use as a scaffolding, they¡¯ll be okay . This is thest step .

    ¡°¡®Sonic Walker¡¯!¡±

    The two of them use a master-level mobility martial art . To say that they are running through the air is not a figure of speech, they are really doing it .

    Nero and Kai step on the nothingness of the sky and make their third leap .

    With the boost to their jumping ability granted by ¡®Air Walker¡¯bined with ¡®Sonic Walker¡¯, they are able to jump twice as farther than their first jump . That is just the forty meters that they need .

    The two of them finally reach the ancient golem .

    ¡°...Whoa! We barely made it!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s think about thatter . ¡±

    It looked as if they had gracefullynded on the golem¡¯s shoulder, but Kai¡¯s confession goes to show that wasn¡¯t the case . Still, that¡¯s just how ¡®Wing Road¡¯ is, always reaching its target at thest second .

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453

    <strong><strong>Formation: Dragon Killer</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    ¡°So, what are we aiming for here?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? We¡¯re getting this golem¡¯s humongous eye!¡±

    It was probably a cheap move, but Nero had no intention to go against it . It didn¡¯t seem to be its weak spot though, but it was still better than trying to punch through the metallic armor whichpletely covers the golem, making it like an iron castle .

    Right at that moment, the golem¡¯s head was facing them, possibly to see their newly arrived intruders . The crimson light shining through the lens was inorganic and mechanical . However, they could not help but feel the power hidden in it .

    Without hesitation, Kai dashed away from the golem¡¯s shoulder at full speed, still under the effects of his martial arts, aiming for the golem¡¯s single eye . Nero followed him one step behind him ¨Cno, it would be more precise to say he was half a step away from Kai .

    Even for an ancient golem of this size, the eye was only a mere ten meters away from the shoulder . There was no doubt that the two of them could make that distance in an instant as if carried by the wind . Even without the aid from the harbinger skeletons, the chimera army wouldn¡¯t have been able to block their path at all .

    ¡°Take this! ¡®Ultima sh¡¯!¡±

    Kai¡¯s ¡®Buster Sword¡¯ shone brightly with an aura that looked as if it was wrapped in blue mes as he raised it over his head . Kai¡¯s martial skill was quite straightforward, but still quite dreadfully fast and strong . Swords are ideal for using martial skills .

    The de, which fell upon its target like a blue meteor, struck right in the middle of the golem¡¯s shining red eye .

    ¡°...Whoa! It¡¯s hard!¡±

    Kai¡¯s yelling came right after its attack .

    In his head, Nero wouldn¡¯t even have gotten the chance to do anything, because his own attack would have split the golem¡¯s head in half . But what happened instead was that the attack didn¡¯t even cut through the eye¡¯s lens .

    The lens over the golem¡¯s single eye seems to have been made of brittle ss at first nce, but it actually was a refined ancient material . In other words, it could not be reproduced in modern times, and yet it boasted great performance, being a light, hard, and beautiful material .

    Perhaps the lens had been refined to that degree in order to protect the eyeball, which must have been more fragile than the golem¡¯s body . It was by no means your average weak spot .

    ¡°That should be enough for me to break through it, Kai . ¡±

    Therefore, Nero had noints about Kai¡¯s attack .

    A vertical scar-like line was left on the lens on the spot where Kai had hit it with his sword . That¡¯s where Nero pointed his Spirit Sword ¡®White King Cherry Blossom¡¯ which he held in his right hand .

    Normally, that sword would shine in silver light, but at that moment it was wrapped in a dazzling white light due to the martial skill imbued in it .

    ¡°¡®Beheading Gleam¡¯ . ¡±

    Nero¡¯s two most used martial skills are ¡®sh¡¯ and ¡®Instant sh¡¯ . The former was best suited for short-range attacks, while thetter was used when he needed to attack from a longer range . Particrly, Nero¡¯s opponents would usually meet their ends the moment he used ¡®Instant sh¡¯ to cut them down from afar with the unmatched uracy and tremendous force of light .

    Nero himself considered his ¡®Instant sh¡¯ to be the best way for him to deal with small fry, which is why that martial skill is his forte .

    However, the two martial skills that Nero had thoroughly trained in Avalon day and night since childhood were ¡®Lone sh¡¯ and ¡®Beheading Gleam¡¯ . To be more precise, those two techniques weren¡¯t taught by any swordmaster, but instead were based on iplete techniques taught by a shrine maiden that had been working at the Temple of Pandora ¡®The Society of Fire¡¯ in Avalon Royal Castle for 300 years . The martial skills, which he then named ¡®Lone sh¡¯ and ¡®Beheading Gleam¡¯, were arguably superior to his ¡®sh¡¯ and ¡®Instant sh¡¯ .

    The ¡®Lone sh¡¯ used to slice off Greed-Gore¡¯s shell was superior to his ¡®Instant sh¡¯, so the ¡®Beheading Gleam¡¯ he was using against the golem was definitely a superior sword martial skill than his ¡®sh¡¯ .

    Nero realized that he had yet to master that skill since it still takes him some time to use it . However, once he finished, he created a tremendously powerful sword of light .

    The pure white shine of his sword gleamed, carving through the golem¡¯s lens . His horizontal strike oveps with the vertical scar Kai had left on it before, making a cross pattern on the lens .

    The lens, which was much thicker than it seemed to be, shattered into pieces the moment the cross was cut .

    Then, as its remains came crumbling down, Nero drove his sword into the eye .

    ¡°¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ . ¡±

    That was one of Nero¡¯s de Skills, the Force Edge ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ . As its name suggests, his de casts a bright red light, much like Kai¡¯s ¡®Buster Sword¡¯ .

    This de Skill is not used for slicing or chopping down an enemy . Instead, it specializes inplete destruction by overheating its target until it bursts into me .

    Using the momentum of his ¡®Beheading Gleam¡¯, Nero took his sword in his left hand and used his ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ to attack the unprotected eye .

    The burning de sank deep into the shining red eye . Its red light started flickering, indicating that at that moment it had ceased functioning as a camera .

    ¡°¡®Riot of a Hundred mes¡¯ . ¡±

    Nero¡¯sst attack was an exclusive de Skill . His de itself turns into a massive explosion of fire, befitting his ss name, ¡®Lord Knight¡¯ .

    The golem¡¯s single eye slowly began to lose its color, and the deep crimson radiance of ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ started to emanate from it, almost as if it had absorbed all of the eye¡¯s red light .

    By the time the red light had started turning to white, both Nero and Kai left the golem¡¯s head .

    Still under the effects of ¡®Sonic Walker¡¯, both of them use their superhuman jumping ability to leap back to the castle walls by stepping on the nothingness of mid-air once again .

    The golem had been advancing while being under attack, so there was no need for using the ckbird as a scaffolding since the golem was closer to the castle walls .

    However, even with those incredible abilities, they weren¡¯t able to get back to the corridor on top of the wall and insteadnded on the vertical side of the wall itself .

    Not surprisingly, the Rank 5 Lord Knights stand on the side of the Ghad castle walls as naturally as ever . For those capable of using such dashing martial skills, there was little difference in effort between walking on the academy¡¯s corridors and walking vertically on the castle walls .

    After making sure he had sessfullynded on the side of the wall, and that Kai didn¡¯t mess up and fall and was, in fact, standing right next to him, Nero looked up and saw the golem¡¯s face bursting into mes .

    ¡®Riot of a Hundred mes¡¯, which is derived from ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯, is the simple effect of causing an explosion, which is not different from a regr Fire Magic attack . However, even though there¡¯s a magic skill that produces the same effect, its execution, casting, and activation are different .

    Nero was looking for an instantaneous explosion, so he came up with a way to amplify that effect by chaining a hundred ignitions together within his ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ .

    The hundred detonations were triggered as soon as he was done activating his skill . A hundred lights could be seen lighting up on the golem¡¯s face just before the wave of explosions began .

    Naturally, it was not safe to trigger such powerful explosions right after stabbing the target with ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ . The time before the chain of explosions start can be controlled by changing the skill¡¯s execution speed . One could say this effect is like a ¡®Magic Fuse¡¯ used to control the time before the hundred explosions are triggered .

    That way, the de stuck in the golem¡¯s eye by the effect of ¡®Crimson Lotus¡¯ changed into a series of explosions at the exact time set by Nero, destroying the eye in the process . No, rather than just the eye, it¡¯s probably safe to assume that the explosions disabled other functions of the golem¡¯s head .

    They couldn¡¯t see anything past the ck smoke that resulted from the explosions, so they can¡¯t tell just how much damage was done to the head . But at least they can see that it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the ancient golem . The golem¡¯s legs, big as two ancient trees, were still carrying it forward .

    ¡°Finish it off, Charlotte . ¡±

    Nero was just talking to himself, but her childhood friend had reacted as if she had heard him . At that very moment, there was a sh of red lightning on Ghad Fortress .

    ¡°¡®Lightning Spada¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454

    <strong><strong>Excavator</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    ¡°Those Rank 5 adventurers are finally starting to get serious, huh?¡±

    ¡°Looks like it . ¡±

    The two have a cheerful chat while showering the chimera soldiers with bullets and fireballs .

    The attacks from Spada began to intensify right after Lily and the others had sessfully infiltrated the golem by opening the hatch on its back .

    To be honest, I was quite interested in seeing what this gigantic robot-like ancient golem¡¯s cockpit looked like, but I couldn¡¯t help but leave my post and going by Lily¡¯s side . Instead of focusing on our backs, I was naturally on the lookout for iing surrounding attacks .

    The sorcerers at the top of the castle walls started firing their shy skills, such as Fortis Sagita and other Original Magic .

    Above all of them, one energy ball that shone in five colors was considerably powerful . Though it was sadly not enough to bring down a golem on its own . Well, it did take all of three of us shooting to finally bring down a single golem after all . Even the most powerful sorcerers might find themselves exhausted by the sheer toughness of these ancient golems .

    ¡°¡®Lightning Spada¡¯!¡±

    Feeling a considerably strong magical power, I reflexively looked at the top of the castle walls while thinking that I knew that voice from somewhere . I couldn¡¯t see the caster from where I was standing, but I could witness the moment the sword-shaped red lightning magic was released .

    It seemed to be a Force Edge that looked like the dius traditionally used by Spada soldiers, but it was undoubtedly made of pure offensive magic .

    Leaving a trail of red lightning, the shining de darted towards the single eye of a partially destroyed golem . Given the speed at which the attack was moving and the golem¡¯s sluggishness, there was certainly no way it could be avoided .

    The gigantic lightning bolt pierced through the ancient golem¡¯s face without fail, resulting in a sh of red light and an ear-shattering thunder .

    Soon after the sh of red light had faded away, we could see that the steel giant had slowly started falling to the ground, with countless sparks and ck smoke bursting out of the golem¡¯s whole body .

    The ancient golem¡¯s head waspletely gone, making it look like a headless corpse . It finally fell forward on the snow just in front of the castle walls .

    The Spada troops that witnessed everything from the castle walls get into amotion due to the tremor caused by the massive steel giant¡¯s fall .

    ¡°Did it short circuit or something?¡±

    If they could be brought down just by destroying their heads, Fiona¡¯s earlier ¡®Golden Sun¡¯ would have been enough . These ancient golems are durable enough that they can continue to march forward even after destroying their heads and even half of their torso . This one couldn¡¯t just be defective, could it?

    Still, that red thunderbolt magic, ¡¯Lightning Spada¡¯, was a lightning-based magical attack that fried the electrical circuits that controlled the golem¡¯s ability to move . I didn¡¯t know if these golems had the same structure as the electrical appliances found on Earth or if they are a result of apletely different magical technology, but judging by how that golem fell on the ground with sparks flying and smokeing out of its whole body, there¡¯s no doubt that the red lightning ran through it from head to toes .

    From an adventurer¡¯s perspective, one could say that golems are weak to Thunder-type attacks . But of course, half-hearted electrical attacks won¡¯t do .

    I wanted to try my ¡®sma Breath¡¯ one more time, but sadly it didn¡¯t look like I would get the chance .

    ¡°Okay! We¡¯re almost done with these golems!¡±

    One by one, the ancient golems sank into the whitened ground due to the Spada army¡¯s energetic counter-attack .

    First, we destroyed one of those golems . Then the tower behind us shot an incredibly powerful beam of light and took four of them down . At that point, half of them were already down .

    Then, the energy ball of five colors partially destroyed one, and the ¡®Lightning Spada¡¯ took another one down . And what¡¯s more, I could see that two more golems had copsed at the south walls .

    Apparently, thosest two were not defeated by magic, but by destroying their legs with martial skills . Their legs could no longer walk, but since their cockpits and engines were still unscathed, they were still operational . They were still using their massive arms to crawl towards the walls .

    We could see quite a lot of adventurers gathering around the crawling golems, probably thinking it would be a good opportunity to finish them off . But even though they were crippled, they could still be quite dangerous due to their massive size .

    ¡°Some of these guys can¡¯t fly... don¡¯t do anything reckless!¡±

    They couldn¡¯t be that stupid to recklessly throw themselves down from the castle walls to jump right in front of the steel giant in order to be the first ones to get there, right?

    ¡°These golems are just hard and massive, that¡¯s all . They¡¯re slow and they can¡¯t counterattack, so they¡¯re not much of a threat if they can¡¯t move . ¡±

    There was a reasoning behind Fiona¡¯s words .

    That one-eyed giant did notice us when we got on its shoulder, but even though we were like insects to it, it didn¡¯t try to shake us off from its body . At most, its only defense was those chimera soldiers . It¡¯s almost as if it had no will to counterattack . More than that, it may even not be cannot perform that kind of maneuvers .

    In this situation, while it is true that they would struggle a lot to destroy the golem, their lives were not in danger .

    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re not as threatening as we had thought them to be?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how siege weapons are . ¡±

    There¡¯s a difference in functionality depending on whether they are specialized in killing people, or in destroying buildings such as castles, walls, and gates . Either way, leaving those crippled golems be could potentially put the castle walls at risk, so there was no choice but attacking them with all their might .

    And thus it became apparent that we had finally seeded in holding those golems back .

    ¡°Oh, looks like Lily did it . ¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    The golem we had gotten into before had stopped movingpletely .

    Almost as if it had ran out of battery, its march started to slow down until it finally stopped with a ng before it had walked three steps . Thankfully it hadn¡¯te to a full stop . It stopped so quietly that one would hardly notice it had stopped at all .

    Lily, who was still inside the golem¡¯s cockpit, must have been able to deal with its pilot .

    And that¡¯s how we, the ¡®Elemental Masters¡¯ managed to find a smart way to stop an ancient golem without damaging it . Ny percent of the credit goes to Lily, though .

    Still, we were able to stop two of those golems, so a that moment I thought that maybe we could expect to be rewarded handsomely for our feats, or maybe we could be offered to have the same reputation Rank 5 adventurers have, or something like that .

    ¡°Kurono! Fiona! I¡¯ll be leaving the golem now!¡±

    We could see no joy about having stopped a golem on Lily¡¯s face as it emerged from the hatch saying that . Her face instead showed a stern look that indicated that there was no time to spare .

    I decided that I¡¯d ask her what happenedter . For an adventurer, a second of hesitation could mean certain death . There is no time to ask questions now .

    ¡°Got it, let¡¯s get back to the wall!¡±

    As I answered, I ran some ¡®Bind Arts¡¯ along the golem¡¯s back . Fiona ran next to me without saying a word .

    Fortunately, they seem to have stopped defending the golem as soon as it stopped since we could not see any of those chimera soldiersing after us . We were able to run up its back in a straight line without having to worry about our surroundings .

    Then, as soon as I reached its shoulder, I jumped with all my strength towards the wall . The distance between the golem and the castle walls was much shorter at the moment, but still not enough to make it in a single jump . So I asked Hitsugi for help .

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455

    <strong><strong>Excavator</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    In the middle of my 20-meter high jump, I stretched out ck chain tentacles straight towards the castle walls so I could pull myself back to them . In my head, Hitsugi was enthusiastically yelling ¡°Eii!¡± as she started to pull her tentacles . At the same time, Lily was carrying Fiona, who had thrown herself out of the golem, back to the castle walls .

    By the time I got back on top of the walls, Lily had already dropped Fiona on the corridor . I could move really fast through mid-air using Bind Arts, but even they are no match for actual flying .

    For the time being, we had safely returned to the castle walls . So I could finally take it easy and ask Lily about what happened .

    ¡°Hey, Lily... Why did we have to leave the golem we defeated so soon?¡±

    Looking behind us, we could see the golem we had gotten into fall forward to the ground . Since it was so huge and heavy, the sound and vibration it caused just by falling sounded very much like an explosion . Lily¡¯s reply had to wait until the roaring sound caused by the tremor that caused the snow around it spray upwards like smoke was over .

    ¡°I used telepathy to collect as much information I could about these ancient golems from its pilot . ¡±

    Back then, I had thought that she was taking quite some time dealing with the pilot after having opened the hatch . So that¡¯s what happened . Perhaps I was half-expecting her to be doing that, but she really did it ¨Cthat¡¯s our Lily! You clever girl .

    ¡°I came to understand quite a few things, and I have bad news...¡±

    At that moment, we heard shrill that made our ears buzz . It started out quietly, but it gradually became more of a screech until it started to be unbearable .

    When asking Lily, she too thought she had heard that somewhere else before .

    It was a mechanical sound, the sound of a machine being operated . It¡¯s definitely not a sound naturally produced by any living being . That structured sound reminds me of one thing .

    It sounded simr to an airne . That¡¯s the sound you can hear at an airport, the sound of a jet engine rotating those gigantic turbines .

    ¡°...Those ten golems were just throwaways . ¡±

    The eerie, thunderous roar of jet engines echoed on the other side of the thin curtain of falling snow .

    There were three of them .

    Of course, they were 30 meters tall, making them as big as those ancient golems we defeated earlier .

    ¡°Those ancient golems... no, those arepletely restored ancient ¡®Power Loaders¡¯: ¡®Fulltune Taurus¡¯ . ¡±

    At first nce, we could see that they were a bit different from the other golems . First of all, their armor had several openings throughout their entire bodies, which vigorously let loose particles of pale blue light . We could see Those particles of light were bright enough to be seen from where we were standing .

    However, the part of their bodies that shone the brightest was their backs . The bluish-white light that came out from there was pouring down like a waterfall, making me think for a moment that they were floating in mid-air .

    They certainly weren¡¯t flying through the air, but those steel giants were definitely not touching the ground . There was light emanating from under their feet as they were hovering a few meters above the snow .

    Perhaps the one on their backs is their main booster, and the ones on their waists, legs and soles are auxiliary sub-thrusters .

    I couldn¡¯t tell exactly how much speed those lights¡¯ propulsion would bring about, but the magical sensation on my skin made me sure that they had about the same horsepower as a rocket engine from Earth . No, they might have been even beyond the science of the Earth, since they are able to make those huge bodies hover in mid-air .

    ¡°Oh, no way...!¡±

    There was no time to be dumbfounded . There was also no time toe up with any countermeasures to those three new giants, which seemed to be in a totally different league than the golems from before .

    The three ¡®Fulltune Taurus¡¯, as Lily had said these golems were named, started moving before we had time to think about anything .

    With a sudden burst from the boosters on their backs and a thunderous roar that shook the air, the three Taurus began to rush towards us in a straight line .

    Though it would have been more urate to say that they were almost flying . They were gliding over the snow as if they were hovercrafts .

    ¡°Damn, they are fast!¡±

    The amount of snow they had kicked up with their dash made it look as if an avnche was heading our way at full speed .

    The two on each side took the lead, while the Taurus in the middle did not move . Given our current position, the one we can intercept is the oneing at us from the right .

    However, there was no time for me to charge up my ¡®sma Breath¡¯, since they were dashing through the snow so quickly that it made it look like they had been pretending to be slow all this time . Lily and Fiona also have no time to cast their spells .

    ¡°This is the only thing I can use ¨C¡¯Grenade Burst¡¯!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time ¡ª ?????? ????? ????? ????? ¡®Ignis Kris Sagitta¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°???? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ¡®Lux Force st¡¯ . ¡±

    There was nothing left to do but try to meet the Taurus with all the firepower we could muster in the few seconds we had before they got to the walls .

    Adventurers were all over the ce, already desperately trying to intercept these apparently more formidable new enemies .

    Both martial-skill-powered arrows and advanced magic attacks rained down vigorously on the Taurus . However, the attacks did not even manage to scratch their polished steel armor .

    Perhaps they were anticipating our attacks, but there was nothing else we could do at the moment .

    The attack I used was a ¡®Grenade Burst¡¯ from each of the six barrels of my gun simultaneously . If they were to hit, their destructive power would be enough to st even a rampaging Doltos into pieces .

    Fiona used the Short Spell ¡®Ignis Kris Sagitta¡¯, while Lily went with her rarely used, high-level Light Magic spell, ¡®Lux Force st¡¯ . It goes without saying that they are both very powerful .

    My six grenades flew towards them, leaving behind a trail of ck smoke . Then a tornado of fire and a burst stream of light soon followed . All of our attacks exploded on the Taurus, which continued to dash towards us without even trying to dodge them .

    ¡°Damn! It didn¡¯t even flinch!¡±

    The Taurus emerges unscathed from the smoke caused by our attacks¡¯ explosions .

    At that moment, it was already 200 meters away from the castle walls .

    A chill ran down my spine after seeing that giant robot draw nearer to the walls . It was useless . We could no longer stop it .

    ¡°Kurono! Look out!¡±

    I ducked just as I was told, taking Fiona down with me by the shoulder . Clearly, no one would anticipate that it would be hitting the wall not even ten secondster .

    However, it had not just collided with the wall .

    I had just noticed . Unlike the other golems, the Taurus¡¯ right arm is definitely equipped with a weapon .

    The other noticeable alteration these guys havepared to the other golems aside from their jet thrusters were those right arms of theirs . To put it simply, they had drills instead of right hands . There was no other way to describe them .

    Those drills they have reminded me of my own ¡®Pile Bunker¡¯ . That¡¯s the first impression they gave me .

    Those huge drills, fitting the Taurus¡¯ enormous build, were spinning at full speed without a care in the world .

    The Taurus held up the spiral of destruction that was its right hand with all of its might . That was thest thing I saw before I threw myself to the floor .

    The next thing I heard was the sound of the giant pile bunker bursting into the great Ghad castle walls .

    ¡°¡ªGwoohhh!?¡±

    Then, as I covered myself on the floor on top of the castle walls, I felt as if an earthquake had hit us . I felt the tremor and heard the sound the proud walls that defended Spada made as they started to copse .

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456

    <strong><strong>King¡¯s sh</strong></strong>

    ¡°...What happened?¡±

    After the loud shattering sound and the tremor that shook the castle walls had both subsided, I clumsily managed to get back on my feet . Lily was on my left, and Fiona on my right, both on all fours trying to get up as well . They didn¡¯t seem to be hurt somehow .

    However, some of the other adventurers weren¡¯t as quick to react, as it seems that some of them had lost their footing due to the impact and fell down . You could hear their groaning all over the ce .

    But more importantly, what happened to the castle walls?

    ¡°Wow, looks like it pierced right into the wall, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    The Taurus under our very eyes seems to have punched through the wall . Its drill arm was plunged deep up to the elbow into the wall . Considering the length of its arm and the thickness of the wall, it seemed that it would be able to pierce through the wallpletely with one more punch .

    Its drill seemed to have stopped spinning, and it looked as if the Taurus itself hade to the conclusion that it cannot push it any further as it was not making any movement to do so .

    However, the chances of the walls beingpletely pulverized if they were to receive another blow like that were too high . We could definitely not allow it to punch the wall a second time .

    ¡°Lily, Fiona, if we jump onto it now, we should be able to destroy it before it can attack again . ¡±

    ¡°Wait, Kurono! Those guys haven¡¯t finished their attack yet . ¡±

    Lily quickly grabbed my right arm so as to stop me from firing the ¡®Bind Arts¡¯ I was preparing to use to climb back onto the golem .

    Before I was able to ask her what she meant by that, the Taurus moved again .

    Instead of holding that drill arm high up again, this time it came right off . With a loud mechanical noise, the drill arm neatly disconnected itself from the golem at the elbow . The drill itself was still plunged deep into the wall .

    ¡°What? Is it broken?¡±

    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s armed now . ¡±

    Having aplished its duties after leaving its own drill arm stuck at the wall, the Taurus turned on its shining white boosters and quickly began its retreat . The snow whirled up by the Taurus reached as high as the top of the castle walls .

    ¡°Damn, we can¡¯t go after it... it¡¯s too fast!¡±

    The Taurus, who boasted tremendous mobility thanks to those boosters, got far away from the castle walls in no time . If I had jumped onto it in time, I would have been taken all the way back to the Crusader¡¯s Headquarters in a snap .

    Then, the Taurus went back using the same path it took to reach the walls in the first ce, leaving us without any chance for a counterattack . The Taurus on the left that had approached from the south also started to retreat in the same way . There seemed to be more vigorous adventurers over there, and many tried to climb on the retreating golems, but were sadly shaken off .

    No matter how much snow has fallen onto the ground, no one cane out unharmed after falling from a height of over 20 meters .

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be trying to chase them . The walls have already been breached . ¡±

    Then it happened, as soon as Lily had finished talking .

    The roaring sound of an explosion . At the same time, a tremor shakes through the castle walls . The walls themselves are no stranger to explosion sounds and being shaken due to the several wars they had stood against, but this time it was on a whole different level . It was louder and it felt closer than ever . That¡¯s because this time, the explosion must have happened right next to the wall¨C no, it was from inside the wall .

    ¡°Ack! No way! The drill exploded!¡±

    We could know the moment it exploded without even directly looking at it .

    Lily had said, ¡°It¡¯s armed now¡± . In other words, the Taurus¡¯ giant drill wasn¡¯t just a regr excavator, but a bomb that would explode after piercing into its target . An armor-piercing projectile, so to speak . It wasn¡¯t a pile driver, it was a grenade burst... damn it!

    The wall was shaking and making ominous thunderous sounds, and I could not walk over it without stumbling several times .

    However, since Lily was still holding my right arm, and Fiona grabbed my left arm without me noticing, we were somehow able to keep our bnce and, through great effort, to stand as firm as possible . We might have been able to prevent each other from falling, but perhaps... no, without a doubt, these castle walls were no longer safe .

    I looked into the wall where a cloud of thick ck smoke was fiercely rising up .

    ¡°This... this is bad...¡±

    There was a huge hole in the wall .

    I couldn¡¯t make sure if the hole went all the way through the other side of the wall from where I was standing . Though I couldn¡¯t see it, given the amount of ck smokeing out of the wall behind my back, the situation was very clear .

    I couldn¡¯t know the actual size of the hole for sure, but given the size of the drill and the magnitude of the explosion, I couldn¡¯t be mistaken by calling it a ¡°huge hole¡± . Fortunately ¨Cor perhaps, they were aiming for that¨C the hole was made around 10 meters above the ground, approximately in the middle of the wall . At least the soldiers on the ground would not be able to swarm us by using the hole . But an invasion of their chimera soldiers, who can freely roam vertically around walls, would be inevitable .

    At that very moment, we understood that the impregnable defense that this Ghad Fortress was so proud of had been destroyed .

    The wall was barely able to withstand the drill attack but was no match for the subsequent internal explosion . The Great Walls of Ghad, made from this ancient relic, had been attacked by a force that simply exceeded its defensive capabilities . A simple but inexorable example of absolute power .

    ¡°There¡¯s still one of them over there . ¡±

    Lily pointed at one of the Fulltune Taurus that, far from making a move since their appearance, was standing quite imposingly on the spot . It was facing the wall, but neither on its left or its right side . It was right in the middle of it .

    Then it suddenly dashed forward to m into the middle section of the wall, which up until that point had stood unscathed . There was a front gate there, with thinner armor than the actual walls .

    ¡°This... this is bad! If they break through the main gates...¡±

    The castle¡¯s weak point that even a fighting amateur would have thought about striking first . If they were to be breached, Ghad would be done for .

    That Taurus was aiming for that huge steel main gate, which matches the great walls that barely covers the heavens . No one could have failed to notice it was making a beeline for it .

    ¡°Hey, hey! That¡¯s a little too dangerous, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°A little? Don¡¯t be an idiot!¡±

    ¡°At this rate, it¡¯s going to break through in a single m!¡±

    The voices were making no effort to hide their impatience . The Spada soldiers here and there were getting just a little noisy, but the less disciplined adventurers were just shouting out at their own discretion . Themanding officers were getting worried about deserters among their ranks .

    However, though there were many adventurers fleeing the castle, I had no intention to take a single step back .

    ¡°Now we¡¯ll get them for sure¨C Hitsugi, ¡®Barrel Change¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Eeehhhh!? If you use ¡®sma Breath¡¯ now, you¡¯re going to break the gun!¡±

    ¡°It will be far worse if they breach through the gates! Do it!¡±

    I held out ¡®The Greed¡¯ a second time as Hitsugi yelled ¡°Okaaaay, I¡¯ll do it!¡± and started to move her tentacles about, beginning the ¡®Energy Charge¡¯ .

    Before grasping the gun¡¯s foregrip with my left hand, I quickly reload it with one of the remaining five ¡®Gil Bullets¡¯ .

    ¡°¡®Gil Bullet¡¯ reloadplete! Umm... about fifty seconds until energy is fully charged!¡±

    In this situation, it wouldn¡¯t matter if I waited until it was fully charged or not . If I were to shoot at thest possible moment, I would still get a considerable amount of power out of the gun .

    ¡°Lily, Fiona, I¡¯ll aim for its eye . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll break its lens . ¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll use ¡®Line Kris Sagitta¡¯ . ¡±

    Both replied instantly . Lily was holding her ¡®Diamond Heaven¡¯, which was shining in white light, while Fiona wielded her ¡®Ainz Bloom¡¯ with both hands . Everything was prepared as if both of them knew what I was nning to do before I even said a single word .

    That red lightning attack that had felled the Taurus in a single strike . An attack aimed at weak points based on the assumption that if a strong enough electric shock could be sent inside the fusge, the golem¡¯s entire body would be short-circuited due to its structure .

    Earlier, I wasn¡¯t able toy a single scratch on the rushing Fulltune Taurus, but I was sure Lily could manage to destroy the lens that covered its eye . Above all, Lily¡¯s light bullets have impressive self-guidance properties . Even if the Taurus tried to dodge Lily¡¯s attack at that speed, she would still be able to hit it easily .

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457

    <strong><strong>King¡¯s sh</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    The rest would be decided by Fiona and I . Hitting the target seemed difficult enough, and I actually wanted to wait until the gun was fully charged, so I figured I¡¯d wait until thest moment . Not until the Taurus¡¯ drill arm was roaring, and was about to reach the wall .

    Ten more seconds until that happened . My charge and Fiona¡¯s spell needed to hit it at thest possible moment .

    The Taurus had already raised its drill arm . It was just about to hit the castle walls with it . The adventurers¡¯ loud screams of despair could be heard everywhere¨C At this very moment, that was the time where I had to shoot .

    I was about to shout out ¡°Fire!¡±, but then...

    A bright red light ran through .

    ¡°¨CWhat!?¡±

    It was a deep crimson, almost poisonous light, but it was vividly bright . A ¡®sh¡¯, a gigantic, long straight line that could have very well split even the 50-meters tall castle walls in half .

    It wasn¡¯t the Taurus who had released such a bright light . On the contrary, it was its target . The deep crimson light had been fired from the castle walls¨C no, to be more precise, it had been fired by a person .

    Before I could even think about who it was, I was about to see the huge red ¡®sh¡¯ splitting the Fulltune Taurus in half .

    First, the refreshing sound of a clean-cut echoed through the air . It was certainly the sound of the bright red light slicing through the Taurus¡¯ thick armor ting .

    Before I realized, the red line was shining vertically from the top of the Taurus¡¯ head all the way down to the bottom of one of its feet, and at the very next moment, the Taurus¡¯ gigantic body was torn in two, with its booster still bursting vigorously . The huge, red-hot cross-section was exposed during the moment when the two halves of the debris plunged into the snow .

    As both halves of its body sank onto the ground, they stirred up a great amount of snow and were enveloped in a deep-red fiery explosion . Above all else, such a disy of red and white colors that rose up was telling the Spada army that the Taurus had beenpletely destroyed .

    Having seen that much really took me aback, and I found myself turning to the castle walls, looking for the source of that bright red light .

    It had been a wonderful attack of incredible power, enough to cut a Taurus in two in a single strike . The identity of the one responsible for that attack was obvious . There was no need for spection .

    ¡°That has to be him, Spada¡¯s strongest man...¡±

    Before my eyes was a red kingly figure that emanated both an imposing sense of majesty and incredible magical power, shaking his deep crimson greatsword as if they were swiping the blood of its victim off the de .

    ¡°... I had no choice . ¡±

    The one to quietly mutter those words as they extended their right arm was none other than Leonhart Tristan Spada, 52nd King of Spada .

    He was standing imposingly right in the middle of the fortified walls of Ghad Fortress . His full te armor was golden with a base of deep crimson, and instead of a helmet, he was wearing a magical artifact that looked like a crown, which seemed fit for a king . His cloak, colored the same tone of red as his armor was swaying on the snowy wind like the mane of a wild lion .

    The gold glint in his eyes shot through the steel giants that dared attack his castle .

    ¡°Begone . ¡±

    The golden bracelet on the gauntlet covering the king¡¯s extended right hand was activated, looking as if it had broken itself, and at that moment, a spiral of red magic circles expanded from it .

    That magical red light had the single secret effect of ¡®Storage¡¯ . And the spiral of red magic circles that emanated from the broken magic item that was that golden bracelet was nothing more than Dimension Magic .

    However, this is not just the average magic item that any adventurer may randomly have in their inventory, but a speciallymissioned item that was requested to serve as a safe to store the king¡¯s treasures . The treasure vault of a king that does not allow for any interference or intrusion .

    The doors to that vault have been now opened by that bracelet, which only answers to the king and no one else .

    ¡°¨C ¡®King¡¯s de: Crimson Spada¡¯!¡±

    A great sword appeared in a single swipe . Far from being heavily decorated as it would be expected of a king¡¯s sword, it was fairly rustic in design . It looked like the traditional double-edged dius used by Spada soldiers, onlyrger .

    Its deep crimson de is quite broad, and it looks as if it could cut down even a dragon . And at the same time, the glittering de gave off the feeling of being unusually sharp . It had the robustness of a great sword, and at the same time, the sharpness of a short sword, and that was enough to consider it a famous sword, a weapon worthy of having a name of its own .

    But it wasn¡¯t just a sword . The magical power inside the huge red sword was so tremendous that it would trump most regr wands . The sword would look as if its burning magical power gushed out of its scabbard ¡®Dimension¡¯ whenever it was unsheathed, almost making it look as if the de itself was on fire .

    In other words, the king¡¯s greatsword should be referred to as an ¡®artifact¡¯ .

    A legendary sword that had been inherited from the First King of Spada, each sessive king would train using it with the purpose of making it even stronger, always being ¡®Spada¡¯s strongest sword¡¯ across every generation .

    That is the ¡®King¡¯s de: Crimson Spada¡¯ that Leonhart was holding in his right hand .

    ¡°Gwooooohh...¡±

    Leonhart held the incredibly heavy greatsword straight in front of him without letting its tip shake even a little . The only thing that moved in his rock-solid stance was his mouth as he breathed .

    That breathing was not just your average ¡®breathe in, breathe out¡¯, no, there was a peculiar sound to it . It was a basic breathing technique learned by anyone who studies martial arts called ¡®Neriki¡¯ . Through the action of breathing, the body shapes its inner magical power . In other words, it was a stance to prepare the activation of a martial arts skill .

    Just as magic is cast through spells, incantations and magic circles, martial arts also use magic as their energy source to activate their effects . Of course, just as with low-level spells and short spells, there are techniques in martial arts more advanced than Neriki . An experienced martial artist would eventually incorporate Neriki as their default way of breathing without even realizing it .

    However, Leonhart was consciously breathing using Neriki, in a calm and clear fashion, as if he was a teacher showing the technique to new martial arts students .

    A top-ss swordsman only needs to take a single breath to gather enough magic for a single advanced skill . And still, if Leonhart, who is definitely one of the most powerful swordsmen in Spada and in this Pandora continent, were to take a single breath... just how much magical power that would he be able to muster?

    It would be enough to create the illusion of being engulfed in mes, just his artifact ¡®King¡¯s de: Crimson Spada¡¯ . Naturally, even those soldiers that after a long military service had volunteered to be behind their king could not hide their cold sweats after such imposing unusual signs .

    Before his eyes, an ancient golem was roughly a hundred meters away from the castle walls . Its boosters, which had the power to make such a steel giant fly at high speeds, was making a tremendous noise, even more so than the noise made by an ordinary golem when it walks .

    However, when King Leonhart slowly raised his de, there was nothing but silence, almost as it time itself had stopped . It was the calm before the storm, in less than three seconds .

    The king¡¯s umted power was about to be released .

    ¡°Steel giant, receive one of my sword¡¯s many mysteries... ¡®Dragonscale Rending Crimson¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°Ah... I don¡¯t think we can take much more of this...¡±

    Dorothy muttered such words with a tired voice after seeing the Fulltune Taurus being sliced in half by a red sh of light .

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they were able to destroy that ancient golem in one shot... but they surely can¡¯t use such an attack over and over again . Dorothy, continue our attack! We still have some golems left!¡±

    Both Count Bergunt and the General had seen the Fulltune Taurus¡¯ performance and had seen them opening therge hole in the castle walls, and were as excited as young boys watching a game on TV .

    ¡°Excuse me, Ai, but please go ahead . ¡±

    ¡°Coming right up!¡±

    Dorothy had quickly picked up the fact that the adventurer girl Ai was very good at conveying their situation to the generals in an easy-to-understand manner and therefore worked wonders as a person of contact . Rather than exining the situation logically and with the correct terminology, fools can only be convinced with rough, crude exnations, and Ai excelled at that .

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458

    <strong><strong>King¡¯s sh</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    Ai slowly approached Bergunt while carrying a baby Griffon in her arms .

    ¡°We¡¯re running out of magical power, so we can¡¯t keep pressing forward¨C¡±

    ¡°Whaaat!? I¡¯ve already heard this excuse before! Aren¡¯t three of our ancient golems still able to move?¡±

    ¡°We only had just enough magical power to make the ten Samples at the beginning and those three Fulltunes . So far we¡¯ve been charging them up to full with magical power, so if we wanted to make them move like that again, it would take until... um... the day after tomorrow, maybe? Before they¡¯re ready . ¡±

    With her blond ponytails and her colorful getup, Ai gives off the appearance of being a bit of an idiot, but still seemed to have a surprisingly good grasp of her own research . Of course, she didn¡¯t have the level of expertise a researcher from ¡®White Sacrament¡¯ would normally have, but still had a rough idea of how the ancient golems are used and how they operate . Because of this, she was able to give Bergunt an exnation that had just about the necessary information, and nothing that she had to him could be considered to be mistaken .

    The first ten golems they had sent out, which Ai had called ¡®Samples¡¯, were simple experimental models whose purpose was only intelligence gathering .

    The power loaders they had excavated, AKA ¡®Taurus¡¯ were different than them in their preservation state . Those with good frames can be repaired smoothly, but the Samples were much more difficult to bring back to full operational capacity . And when there were no ancient parts avable to rece a given damaged part, there was simply nothing we could do about it . The best that could be done in those cases was trying to make do with a substitute .

    To make matters worse, there had been many problems with delivery times before the attack on Spada, so most of the repairs could not bepleted .

    In the end, the ten golems that were left in an iplete state would be used as samples . Also, there was insufficient data regarding their movement capabilities, so the idea was to finish analyzing them with any data they could collect during their actual use .

    During trials, when Dorothy was trying out one of the golems herself, a fellow researcher from ¡®White Sacrament¡¯ who was fully dedicated to her work immediately fed the data she had back to the Fulltune Taurus, which made it possible to make finer adjustments to them .

    Through their great effort, the Taurus were not only able to move but to fly as well . The research had wonderfully borne fruit, and it was a tremendous sess for the project .

    For some reason, Ai had somehow been able to understand the gist of this without having it exined by anyone, and just by randomly overhearing a conversation from Dorothy .

    Dorothy, who doesn¡¯t really have an eye for people, couldn¡¯t figure out whether this young adventurer had a knack for stuff rted to ancient technology or not .

    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to make a hole in their walls! We cannot let this chance to attack pass!¡±

    ¡°Even if you say that, those things are not going to move¨C¡±

    ¡°Y... You... This... This is a chance that happens once in a lifetime¨C¡±

    While the two of them angrily leer at each other, Dorothy steadily begins her preparations for their retreat . No matter anyone says, they were sessfully able to tear a hole in one of Ghad Fortress¡¯ walls, so the expected results from her research had beenpletely achieved .

    Dorothy had no interest in cooperating with the Crusaders, as she was no believer in any holy war that needed to be had in God¡¯s name . Whether the Third Crusade wins or loses has nothing to do with her .

    What mattered to her was being able to conduct her research on the Taurus based on actual battles, asmanded by Bishop Judas .

    ¡°Phew... I¡¯m so tired... I wanna go analyze this data soon...¡±

    Dorothy muttered those words as she typed the word ¡®Pile Bunker¡¯ and seeing the other two Taurus returning safely . Two gigantic magic circles appeared under each Taurus¡¯ feet, and seeing the golems sink back into them as if submerging into a deepke after such a difficult battle made Dorothy feel as proud as a mother who realizes just how much her own children had grown .

    She had lost all of the ten Samples and one of the Taurus, but to Dorothy, it had been worth it . She had gathered a great deal of data, after all .

    The Taurus had given it their all during the battle, and the limits of their endurance had be clear . Also, she had gained valuable experience during the ¡®Telepathic Hacking¡¯ of one of the golems .

    She still doesn¡¯t know what actually happened in that battle . No matter if its a man or a machine, nothing beats the experience that can be obtained by actually being on the battlefield .

    Being so immersed in that thought, the only thing that was able to bring Dorothy back to reality was the white stuff that had fallen on the tip of her nose .

    ¡°Ah... snow . ¡±

    There was no clear blue sky when she looked up . Before she had realized, hazy clouds had covered the sky, and powder snow danced fleetingly in midair .

    ¡°Ah¨C It¡¯s a snowstorm, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As Ai said that while looking a little bored, the count shouted out something like ¡®Hey, we¡¯re not done talking yet¡¯ .

    ¡°...Do you think so?¡±

    Dorothy had reflexively asked that question . To her, it looked as if the snowfall could be over soon .

    ¡°I do! I may look like this, but I grew up in the mountains, so I kind of know somehow . I happened to see a white dragon at a nce on the other side, which means that we¡¯ll be hit by a severe snowstorm for three days and three nights from today!¡±

    While Ai certainly doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s grown up in the city, she seemed somehow full of confidence about her mountain-weather-forecast abilities .

    ¡°Did you really see all that?¡±

    ¡°I saw it and I could feel it!¡±

    Such a daunting and sensory reason was far from something the stubborn brain of a natural-born researcher such as Dorothy could give believe . However, even she can understand that there is a certain rationality to the human ¡®rule of experience¡¯ . It was possible that there was some credit in Ai¡¯s words .

    ¡°Because of this, it would be better if we stopped our attack on the castle for today, old man . ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ten years too young to try and tell me what to do, girl! And I¡¯m not an old man!¡±

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s ask the Stargazerter, shall we? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to say as much . ¡±

    Unexpectedly, Ai¡¯s honest retort seemed to have touched a nerve . Count Bergunt¡¯s head looked as if it had gotten so hot that one could boil water for a tea over it for a moment, but soon appeared to have gotten down to room temperature .

    While he does give off an image of shouting out absurd orders, he¡¯s not just someone who dresses up like a general . He¡¯s a nobleman who is also a veteran in the art of war, who has defended ¨Cand even managed to expand¨C his territory against both monsters and pagans countless times .

    Worst case scenario, what would happen if a snowstorm does indeed hit them during the siege? The danger involved does not need to be pointed out by anyone .

    After a heavy groan, Count Bergunt finally recovered hisposure .

    ¡°...So no matter what we do, we won¡¯t be able to send our golems out again, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right . ¡±

    Dorothy didn¡¯t go as far as mentioning that the golems had already been put away back into the ¡®Craft Hangar¡¯ and that taking them back out now would take way too much time .

    The ¡®Craft Hangar¡¯, which was used to put the Taurus away when not in use, was not a simple space created with Dimension Magic . The Taurus had been originally excavated from Media Ruins, where they had been enshrined in a space created with ancient magic . For this reason, no giant humanoids have been discovered up until then .

    They would have never been found by searching for hidden doors and corridors . The way to a space sealed by ancient magic cannot be opened without advanced magical exploration technology or an insanely huge amount of good luck .

    In short, the ¡®Craft Hangar¡¯ is the very interdimensional space the Taurus had been enshrined away since ancient times . Normally, no one should be able to relocate that space outside of the Media Ruins, but somehow Judas had managed to do just that . Not even Dorothy knows how he was able to do that .

    ¡°How long until we can use our golems again?¡±

    ¡°Umm, the Leyline reaction in these Ghad Mountains is far greater than expected, which has increased the rate of magical regeneration by 21 . 7%, so...¡±

    ¡°If they are able to recover after some time, would we be able to use them?¡±

    ¡°Ah... umm...¡±

    ¡°Good . That will do for now . I¡¯ll ask for further details through this impudent adventurer girlter . ¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯ll be all right . ¡±

    ¡°Heeeyyy! I¡¯m not just someone you can randomly ask about reports, you know!?¡±

    Soon after thinking about her answer, Dorothy noticed that the fluttering specks of snow that danced in midair were getting bigger .

    It would seem that Ai¡¯s weather forecast was correct after all .

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459

    <strong><strong>White Dragon¡¯s Nest</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    It soon turned into a blizzard . Nothing but white as far as the eye could see . It was a furious snowstorm .

    It seems that blizzards in Pandora are called ¡®White Dragon¡¯s Nests¡¯ . Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that all winter storms are due to swarms of Rank 5 White Dragons flying around in the sky . The vast majority of them are due to natural causes, though some snowstorms actually can ur when White Dragons fly in swarms .

    In any case, the saying ¡®shifting like the weather in the mountains¡¯ has never been more appropriate . The bright blue sky from earlier in the morning felt as if they had been an illusion all along . Was the weather just casually clear that time we climbed the Asbel Mountains?

    Just like that, Ghad Fortress was trapped within a barrier of wind and snow... No, it would be better to say that it was being protected by it . This sudden blizzard had forced the Crusaders to stop their assaultpletely .

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping for quite a while . ¡±

    Two hours had already passed since the forced ceasefire . I was still stationed in the castle walls . Of course, I was not in the winding passage leading outside, but inside the walls themselves .

    These gigantic walls have two sets of stairs that are used to reach the top, one being outside and the other one leading inside the fortress . When seen from outside, the walls look t like a dam, but looking from the inside, arge cylindrical tower can be seen, which extends itself all the way to the top as if it were a supporting pir .

    This tower¡¯s inside is nothing but a spiral staircase, leading all the way up to the outer passage . Its gloomy stone walls make it look a bit like the ¡®Revival Catbs¡¯ .

    In short, I was sitting on that spiral staircase¡¯s steps, taking a long break . Our camp was located close to the summit so that we could reach the walls easily from there . I could not see anyone else around . That wasn¡¯t because other adventurers weren¡¯t willing to be there or anything, but probably because our camp was rather iplete .

    In fact, the top of the stairs is packed with steadfast Spada soldiers, who remain vignt even under the furious blizzard . It¡¯s possible that there were some other people stationed in other ces as well . Everyone was working very hard even under such cold weather .

    However, I wouldn¡¯t exactly say that it was warm and cozy in the tower¡¯s spiral staircase . It was very likely that there was no such thing as internal heating, so the temperature there wasn¡¯t very different from outside . Staying in this tower would be impossible without some sort of cold resistance . Thankfully, ¡®Diabolos Embrace¡¯ does provide enough cold resistance so that sitting on those steps wasn¡¯t so painful .

    ¡°It¡¯s better that I rested for a while after all . ¡±

    Both my white breath and my voice came out feebly as I spoke .

    I was sitting on those stairs by myself . Lily and Fiona were resting elsewhere . Even though those two still had some energy left to spare, they don¡¯t have a monstrous amount of stamina as I do . They were better off taking this opportunity to recover . By that time, they could even be enjoying somete lunch at Ghad Restaurant .

    I felt as if I had been fighting for a long time, but when it was all over I realized it just took all morning . If not for that sudden blizzard, we would still be fighting those chimera soldiers to prevent them from entering through the hole made by the Taurus . Even worse, the entire Crusader Army could have been swarming us by then .

    They hadn¡¯t lost a single Crusader soldier . They might have been merely treading water by using those chimera soldiers . The only true victories we have obtained in this battle so far were that slow Taurus and the Fulltune that King Leonhart managed to cut in half .

    In any case, there wouldn¡¯t be any convenient Crusader casualties by exposure to the blizzard, so there¡¯s no doubt that the battle will simply be postponed . This was far from over .

    ¡°...Who¡¯s there?¡±

    My voice echoed over the spiral staircase with such intense sharpness that it surprised even myself .

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so alert . ¡±

    After a brief moment of silence, I received a reply from a voice that carried no malice within .

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit rude to be staring over there without saying anything, Farkius . ¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, sorry, sorry, my bad . ¡±

    Spada¡¯s number 1 diator was standing on the spiral staircase, carrying the kind of elegant smile most maidens can only dream of . Both his tinum blond hair and his white cloak sway with every steady and loud step he takes .

    Simply because this guy was standing here quickly made the gloomy staircase look more brilliant, almost with a stunning effect . Not that I cared much for that, really . The only thing floating in my mind was the ¡°What do you mean, my bad?¡± that I wanted to reply to hisment .

    ¡°Please say something like any normal person would next time around . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m happy that you want to meet with me again on another asion . ¡±

    What kind of answer was that? If you were to say that same thing to ady, wouldn¡¯t it be somewhat off-putting? Though when you¡¯re someone as handsome as Farkius, some women would actually allow for that kind of talk and even be pleased by it . Me? I probably wouldn¡¯t even get a reply .

    ¡°So, can I help you with anything? I don¡¯t suppose you came here just for a friendly chat . ¡±

    ¡°I wish that was the case . If not for the fact that His Majesty has spoken, I would have done just that . ¡±

    ¡°What did you say? Does King Leonhart need me?¡±

    ¡°But I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt if we chatted for a while, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I was very concerned about the King summoning me . Farkius, who didn¡¯t seem to be as interested in that as I was, quickly sat beside me as if we were going to have a friendly conversation . Too close, as always . Why did he need to sit so close that our shoulders touched each other? I need my personal space .

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been looking for you all over the ce . ¡±

    Farkius waved his blond hair away in such a way that it reminded me of a certainmercial for women¡¯s shampoo . The sweet, faint fragrance of flowers that drifted about tickled my nose . It wasn¡¯t the smell of a man, or rather, it wasn¡¯t the smell a man naturally emits .

    ¡°And I¡¯ve finally found you . ¡±

    I would have preferred for him to stop looking at me with such a persistent nce as if we were destined to meet . And to back away a little!

    I had already managed to put myself about two clenched fists put together away from this guy . But I wondered if I could get even farther away .

    ¡°Well, Ghad Fortress is pretty huge . If you had found either Lily or Fiona and asked them, they would have told you where I was . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I did find those two . They were having lunch at Ghad Restaurant . ¡±

    ¡°Then you could have asked them instead of looking for me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°That witch¡¯s daughter was eating a huge stack of Fortress Special with such a straight face! It didn¡¯t seem appropriate to interrupt her . ¡±

    How considerate! Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped . It really is best to leave Fiona alone at times like those .

    ¡°But more importantly, I watched your great performance out there earlier . ¡±

    ¡°Come on . I didn¡¯t do that much . ¡±

    I would have turned my eyes away from him even if he wasn¡¯t staring that much .

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know you weren¡¯t going all the way back then, but still . ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that... It¡¯s just that no matter how serious I could have been out there, I still would not be able to stop that Fulltune Taurus¡¯ charge . ¡±

    I knew it, my power was still not that great . I was well aware of my limitations .

    ¡°But His Majesty really is something else . I¡¯m no match for him one-to-one . I¡¯m sure he would be able to easily two, no, even three of me at the same time . ¡±

    King Leonhart must really be something special for someone as self-confident in his own strength as Farkius to say something like that . Perhaps that red sh from earlier is but one of his many techniques .

    ¡°He is really strong . He took one of those Ancient Golems all by himself . By the way, those things are called ¡®Taurus¡¯? You seem to be well informed . ¡±

    Speaking of which, are we still the only ones to know that name?

    ¡°That¡¯s because Lily was able to get a lot of intel from one of them using her Telepathy when we got into its cockpit . ¡±

    ¡°I see, so those things were manned . I¡¯ve heard that there are some ancient relics that are magical items for telepathic control, but... I see now, by taking down its pilot, you can defeat those Taurus without actually having to damage them . ¡±

    ¡°Lily also said that next time they would strengthen their defenses so that is no longer possible . ¡±

    ¡°Strengthen their defenses?¡±

    ¡°A countermeasure for further telepathic hacking or something like that . I don¡¯t know the details . ¡±

    It¡¯s well outside my area of expertise, after all . But I figured it would be something like aputer¡¯s security . It¡¯s almost like those brilliant hackers who crack their way into highly ssified state information in those Hollywood movies . The little girl Lily would make a posed look and say ¡®Checkmate!¡¯ as she hits the Enter key! I could almost see it .

    ¡°Since there¡¯s so little we know about ancient weapons, to be able to obtain some intel from one of them is a big sess in itself . It¡¯s quite different from me, who could only manage to defeat one of them . ¡±

    ¡°Did you defeat one too, Farkius?¡±

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460

    <strong><strong>White Dragon¡¯s Nest</strong></strong>

    ¡°Ah, just as I thought, you did not see my performance, huh?¡±

    Don¡¯t look at me with that painfully bitter smile . You won¡¯t get any sympathy from me .

    ¡°...Could it be that one whose legs were cut off to make it fall?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s the one!¡±

    Farkius¡¯ smile bloomed like a flower in spring . I could almost see the roses bloom and glitter in behind him .

    ¡°I got its right leg, then Eis got its left leg . But ¡®Yomi¡¯ beat us to the finishing blow . ¡±

    It seems there was quite a fiercepetition between the adventurers in the southern-left area, which was opposite from where we were fighting . And this Eis he mentioned was none other than Prince Eisenhart, who is themanding officer of the ¡®diators¡¯ . Why were those two fighting side by side at the front lines? Is that how the Spada Royal Family raise their children?

    ¡°Those legs are considerably huge . Being able to slice them in two is quite a feat in itself . ¡±

    ¡°I thought so too, but after seeing His Majesty¡¯s secret technique, I¡¯m not so proud of that anymore . ¡±

    I believe it¡¯s best if neither of us tries topare to the king .

    ¡°Leaving that aside... haven¡¯t we been summoned by the King? Shouldn¡¯t we get going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep talking with you for a little longer... but if you¡¯re in such a hurry, I guess it can¡¯t be helped . ¡±

    Farkius stands up with ease, and I soon follow suit . I was still feeling a bit stiff since I had been sitting in that cold ce for so long .

    ¡°So what¡¯s this important matter that requires our presence before the King?¡±

    ¡°I have been ordered by King Leonhart to call both the battalion of ¡®diator¡¯ and all members from ¡®Order Raid¡¯ to convene in themand room . ¡±

    Was it really necessary for Farkius to try and imitate a messenger? Before this Spada knight came to deliver this message, he had been talking to me in such a carefree manner...

    Well, I guess I should better think that he came here looking for something instead of thinking he was just being friendly . Either way, I¡¯ve got nothing to hide .

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details yet, but I guess you can imagine what it¡¯s going to be about . ¡±

    ¡°A countermeasure against the Taurus, huh?¡±

    ording to Lily, the next time that the Fulltune Taurus make their appearance, there will be no less than ten of them, so they will definitelye back to attack us . And they won¡¯t need more than one of those to finish breaking through the castle walls .

    They had already made two holes on these walls .

    ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡±

    ¡°...What¡¯s that hand for?¡±

    Did I look like some sort of damsel in distress to you? With a tender smile, Farkius extended his right hand, which was covered in a white glove .

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need me to escort you?¡±

    ¡°I need directions, not your hand . ¡±

    My eyes might not be as pretty as those he is surely used to look at, but still I gave him a somewhat scornful nce . Though it might go unnoticed to the average person, it seems that Farkius didn¡¯t fail to notice it .

    ¡°Hmm, I know, I know . I was joking . I¡¯ll show you the way . Let¡¯s go, then . ¡±

    Thinking it was a bit suspicious of him, I had no choice but to rely on this handsome diator¡¯s guidance .

    *************

    ¡°Whoa, things seem to have gotten quite rough . ¡±

    That was the first thing Simon muttered as soon as he entered Ghad Fortress . Adventurers here and there were talking about something with the Spada soldiers, who wereing and going as busy as bees . Against the background of a towering fortified wall and a fortress that is twice asrge as the old Iskia Castle, the za lined with shops, stables and tents was noisier than the blizzard .

    ¡°Hmm, it seems they were somehow able to break some holes in the castle walls . Did King Leonhart underestimate our enemies, or were the Crusaders stronger than we had anticipated?¡±

    A voice as sharp and cold as a snowstorm came from behind Simon¡¯s back . It was the mysterious adventurer Sophie, who covered her face with a magic veil .

    Her cold blue eyes had caught a glimpse of the tworge holes in the castle walls, even with that blizzard which would greatly obstruct anyone¡¯s vision . At the same time, one could guess that the Spada soldiers would be rushing to work on the wall¡¯s repairs . Anyone who had actually paid attention would have noticed that stones were being carried towards the holes one after the other .

    Those stones were sorge that it would take a carriage pulled by two, no, even four horses to move them . It wasn¡¯t just about their size, since they weren¡¯t just regr stones . They were building stones with a level of hardness fitting the Ghad castle walls . They had been stockpiled just in case repairs were ever necessary, though nobody could have ever thought that the time for using them would actuallye .

    ¡°The walls have been breached... what in the world did that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you no matter what . ¡±

    Two brown arms embrace Simon¡¯s slender body from behind . At the same time, his body unintentionally went stiff as he felt two big, no, huge soft things pressing against his back .

    Simon was wearing a thick fur coat, worthy of the challenge of climbing the Ghad Mountains with it, but he still was able to feel them .

    Sophie¡¯s body, which was d in her usual exotic dancer¡¯s clothes, lied unexpectedly behind a thin robe . Simon had reacted like any man would have, even though he did not want to .

    ¡°Ah, um... please let go of the reins . ¡±

    That¡¯s the only thing he managed to say .

    Simon and Sophie were on horseback . It wasn¡¯t the average horse which two people can just ride and get along, but a beautiful pure-white unicorn .

    However, it was hard to believe that Sophie¡¯s beloved steed, which was twice as big as a regr horse and with as brawny as a bull, was really a unicorn . The characteristic horn of a unicorn, which many consider to be a work of art, sparkles with a faintly blue light like a crystal, but it¡¯s so big, thick, and it¡¯s so fiercely twisted that it looks rather ominous .

    ¡°Hoho, he¡¯ll be alright . He¡¯s such a good boy after all . ¡±

    Though it looked more like a monster than like a unicorn, it was a good steed that was able to understand its master¡¯s intentions . Its pace was surprisingly quiet, and didn¡¯t rock as much when walking, despite Simon thinking that ¡®letting go of its reins would be dangerous¡¯ .

    For starters, it was clear how well it had been trained, just due to the fact that it had allowed a man to get on its back . Or perhaps it¡¯s just that it doesn¡¯t even recognize Simon as a man?

    ¡°Stop it or I¡¯ll get off the horse!¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait¨C¡±

    Simon escaped from Sophie¡¯s hug and rolled his way off the unicorn¡¯s back, almost as if running away . It seemed to be higher off the ground that he had expected, and before he realized, he was letting off a shriek as hended on the snow that had been piling up due to the blizzard .

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so impatient . The Ghad Mountains are right in the middle of a ¡®White Dragon¡¯s Nest¡¯, so neither us nor the enemy can make a move for at least three days . ¡±

    After saying those swift words, Sophie tapped on her steed¡¯s belly with her feet . The unicorn immediately lowered its head and extended its snout to Simon, who had beenpletely submerged into the snow .

    ¡°Which means that for the next three days, we get to get a nice, long rest at an inn . ¡±

    It was faster for the unicorn to pull Simon out of the snow using its teeth than for Simon himself to get himself out of it . Another tiny shriek escaped from Simon¡¯s mouth as the unicorn pulled him up .

    ¡°In this state of confusion, there might not be too many avable rooms . Maybe we¡¯ll have to share a tiny room with a single, cramped bed . It might be a little tight, but I guess we¡¯ll have to endure it . ¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to rx! I have to meet with my brother! Actually, only I need to keep going from this point onwards, so please drop me here, thank you very much for bringing me this far!¡±

    ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be so shy! We¡¯re already a party, right? Come on, let¡¯s spend the night together under a single roof and get to know each other better as fellow party members . ¡±

    Sophieughs mischievously under her veil . It was almost as if the brown beast had found the white rabbit¡¯s nest .

    ¡°¨CI¡¯m sorry, Sophie, but I¡¯ll be borrowing Simon for a while . ¡±

    A small feathered figure appeared from behind the snowstorm, enveloped in a faint green light .

    ¡°Lily?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived earlier than expected . Wee to Ghad Fortress . ¡±

    Lily puts on her cheery smile, worthy of a girl as beautiful as her .

    Simon¡¯s eyes welled up into tears, probably because he was either deeply moved by the fact that he was being rescued, or because he had been nominated by a scary fairy .

    ¡°It would take more than this snowstorm to prevent us from going any further . But more importantly, what do you want with my Simon?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying about me, Sophie? Please stop, it¡¯s making me ufortable . ¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to intrude or anything, but the situation isn¡¯t so good at the moment . But I need Simon toe with me for now, if that¡¯s okay with you . ¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Lily! Why are you treating me like a bargaining chip here?¡±

    ¡°... The situation at Ghad Fortress has gotten worse than ever with those holes on its walls . We have no choice but toe up with a n within the next three days . ¡±

    ¡°Thanks for letting us know . I¡¯ll be making reservations for the night in a nice inn then . ¡±

    ¡°Help me, brother! Lily is trying to sell me!¡±

    ¡°Kurono won¡¯t being here for a while, since he¡¯s in the middle of an important strategy meeting . But we are here and we need to start our preparations too . ¡±

    Leaving Simon¡¯s free will aside, the conversation was rather short .

    ¡°Wait a minute, Lily... I can¡¯t process all of this at all...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not nning to do anything risky . I just need to get out of the walls for a while . ¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh?¡±

    Lily¡¯s words sounded so contradictory that Simon could not help but utter that question, as if expecting her to repeat herself .

    However, all Simon could do after that was to answer Lily¡¯s request with a ¡®Yes¡¯ .

    Then, full of confidence and with her usual smile that shows that she¡¯s plotting something evil, Lily said:

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry . I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love that huge toy . ¡±

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461

    Wee, adventurers . Sit down, please . ¡±

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    Though those were words of wee, no one could help but feel some sort of pressure since they wereing out of King Leonhart¡¯s mouth . Was that the majesty of a King?

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty . ¡±

    Farkius was the first one to walk to his chair . Without getting intimidated in the king¡¯s presence, he gracefully sat on a rustic chair .

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    Then all other adventurers who had gathered in this ce begin to sit down after him . Of course, I am one of them .

    ¡°You can really feel the pressure here...¡±

    The mood was so tense that you could hear people unintentionally saying things like that .

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    The ce where we were gathered was Ghad Fortress¡¯ military control room, which is where Farkius had been ordered to bring¨C or rather, lead me to . I never saw myself being in this kind of room, together with royalty, generals of the nobility, and adventurers who were former academy students . The closest I had ever been to this was when visiting the old Iskia Castle after defeating Greed-Gore, and even then I was only sightseeing .

    That ce was like a cold basement made with hard stone, and it looked rather unimpressive . The same could be said for this room .

    In contrast with the huge Ghad Fortress, there was no useless decoration in this room, as it has been thoroughly designed with the functionality of base defense in mind . This room too had been made with thick stones, steel, and defensive magic so that it stays strong against any kind of attack . Only the deep crimson national g of Spada and a map of Ghad Mountains hang from the windowless walls .

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    However, there was a sense of tension in this rugged room that wasparable to actually being on the battlefield . This tension was due to the fact that everyone here was putting their lives on the line .

    I regretfully thought to myself that I should have brought Lily with me .

    ¡°The situation has unexpectedly turned into a ceasefire due to the White Dragon¡¯s Nest... but let me tell you that you have done a good job so far . ¡±

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    We, the adventurers who had been summoned to this room, quietly listened to King Leonhart¡¯s in and diplomatic introduction .

    Just as Farkius said, the only ones here were the leaders of the ¡®diator¡¯ battalion and us, the ¡®Order Raid¡¯ . Only us party leaders were called, not because the other members weren¡¯t allowed but due to space limitations, and for this reason, Lily and Fiona weren¡¯t here with me . Which reminds me of what those two told me earlier . Lily sent me off with a ¡®Good luck¡¯, but I wasn¡¯t sure why I would need luck in this meeting .

    Looking to my right, the one sitting closest to me was the handsome Farkius, then an old woman who was as thin as a dead tree, and a woman wearing a pink full helmet . That olddy was definitely the leader of ¡®Yomi¡¯, but I wondered why the Pink one from the de Rangers was here at all .

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    After Miss Pink Arrow, several brawny men who looked like really strong adventurers were sitting in a line, and finally, and closest to King Leonhart, was the leader of ¡®diator¡¯, Prince Eisenhart himself . Looking at them sitting right next to each other made me realize how much they resemble each other .

    Looking to my left, several battalion members who I had never seen before were sitting next to me . We from the ¡®Order Raid¡¯ didn¡¯t know the names of the adventurers appointed to the front lines by the battalion .

    The only one I was able to recognize was the one sitting next to the king at the opposite side of Eisenhart: the leader of the ¡®Iron Demon Corps¡¯ the red orc Gustav . He is Rank 5 and has recently been awarded a medal for protecting the Iskia Vige, making him one of the most prominent members of the battalion .

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    ¡°Though it might be a little rushed, let¡¯s get to the main point at once . Eis, I leave the exnation to you . ¡±

    ¡°Yes . ¡±

    Prince Eisenhart got up from his chair looking a bit tired as a knight handed him something like a conductor¡¯s baton¨C no, that was a genuine Magic Baton .

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    ¡°By now I doubt anyone in this room doesn¡¯t know about this, but there are two huge holes in our walls . ¡±

    The prince swung his baton once as he spoke with a light but strong tone of voice .

    At that moment, a three-dimensional image rose from therge round table we were sitting at . Ghad¡¯s great castle walls,posed of white light wireframes, appeared in front of us .

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    I wondered if that was some kind of light magic... but it looked more like special effects from a movie than actual magic . I wanted one of those for my room .

    ¡°Their exact locations are here... and here . As you can see, it¡¯s as if the wall enclosing the fortress had been split into two sections, one to the north-right side, and the other to the south-left . ¡±

    Each of the damaged locations were indicated with a spot of red light . The size of the red spots seemed proportional to their actual holes¡¯ size . The diagram was really easy to understand .

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    ¡°We¡¯re currently working on the repairs as soon as possible, but this blizzard has made it really difficult to make any progress in that regard . Work under these conditions is so dangerous, that in a worst-case scenario, we may lose some workers to the storm . ¡±

    But that¡¯s the duty of the engineers . Be it during public service or out there on the battlefield, working under difficult situations is part of the job .

    Still, being hit by a blizzard is far better than being exposed to a Crusader onught . At least those Crusaders haven¡¯t started hurling fireballs at us for now .

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    ¡°So, the ancient weapon used to make these holes, the ancient golem... ah, umm... ording to reports, we have established that its name is ¡®Taurus¡¯ . The problem lies in the fact that there are more of them . Not only those two that escaped, we know that they have at least a dozen more, ready to attack . ¡±

    ¡°A dozen, huh? That¡¯s going to be hard to beat . ¡±

    Gustav spoke with his usual weird ent . The other adventurers too reacted with the same level of surprise when learning how many of those golems were still around .

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    If I hadn¡¯t heard that intel from Lily earlier, I would have been as shocked as everyone else in the room . Luckily, Prince Eisenhart¡¯s exnation was roughly the same as what Lily had found, so I was able to keep a cool face .

    Still, could it be that Lily had passed on the information she had gathered to the Spada Army without my knowledge? Or was there a brilliant intelligence agent that had been able to gather as much intel as her on the battlefield? Oh well, either was fine by me .

    ¡°Regr attacks won¡¯t work on those guys . Their thick ting can repel even our ballistas . You need something like the firepower of the Pharos Gun or your ¡®special attacks¡¯, as we have already seen . ¡±

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    So far we have been confirming facts . After this, we would be talking about what to do about those powerful Taurus, and how would we be protecting Ghad Fortress . Developing a concrete n for those two issues was essential .

    ¡°Because of this, we will be changing the stationing of our ¡®diator¡¯ corps a little as a countermeasure to the Taurus . ¡±

    They would be focusing on the ces where the holes had been opened . However, since we had already been divided into the north-right and the south-left, our positions wouldn¡¯t be changing that much .

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    What was relevant was the actual people who were going to be restationed .

    ¡°I will be personally leading the left-wing . The battalion will be Gustav, Lorentz, and Arrietty . The ¡®Order Raid¡¯ is ¡®Yomi¡¯ and the ¡®de Rangers¡¯ . That being said, I¡¯m sorry, but I will be putting the ¡®de Rangers¡¯ on hold for now from the ¡®Order Raid¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, what do you mean by that?¡±

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    With a loud bang on the table, Pink Arrow raised her objection .

    ¡°Please calm down . This doesn¡¯t mean that the ¡®de Rangers¡¯ are no longer of use anymore . ¡±

    ¡°But...!¡±

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    ¡°Your ¡®Five de Shot¡¯ is one of the few attacks that can damage a Taurus . With a single one of those shots, you can change the state of the battlefield . In short, we need you to be able to hit a Taurus with your next shot . It¡¯s because of the time that it will take you to prepare your next shot that I¡¯d like you to follow thismand . ¡±

    ording to what I¡¯ve heard, the special attack of the ¡®de Rangers¡¯, the ¡®Five de Shot¡¯ is a single powerful attack thatpletely drains their magic . It¡¯s just like Fiona¡¯s ¡®Golden Sun¡¯ .

    So, do all special techniques in this worldpletely drain their user of their magic? Or was it just a style thing?

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    ¡°... All right . Still, on one condition . ¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something we can amodate, then please say it . ¡±

    ¡°Prince Eisenhart, please be the new Red Sword for the ¡®de Rangers¡¯ . ¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do that . But I can double your payment . ¡±

    ¡°Just this once at least! Please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t do that . ¡±

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    ¡°Red has always thought that you would be an appropriate recement for him!¡±

    ¡°How about I triple your payment and we leave it at that?¡±

    ¡°...I guess it can¡¯t be helped . But I won¡¯t give up . ¡±

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    After their negotiations had concluded, Pink Arrow finally calmed down and returned to her seat .

    But how should I put it? She had quite the nerve, asking the prince of her own country to join their party at a moment like that . Well, that exined why Pink Arrow was here as leader of the de Rangers instead of Red Sword .

    But I¡¯ll say, I have to agree that Prince Eisenhart would make for an appropriate Red Sword .

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462

    <strong><strong>Full Order</strong></strong>

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    ¡°I¡¯m sure this has been made clear from our earlier conversation, but all parties who have a technique that is effective against the Taurus should follow themands of the Spada Army . This means that they will not be allowed to engage in battle until the enemy deploys the Taurus . ¡±

    Certainly, anyone can understand what a waste of magic would be to use a one-shot special technique on a group of random soldiers . I don¡¯t think that any of these experienced adventurers would make such a mistake, but still, it might be better to leave that to the Spada Army¡¯s judgment .

    ¡°The same goes for the Pharos Gun . We have no choice but to rely on it to defeat the Taurus as well . If it doesn¡¯te out, please assume that the situation is severe enough that our secret weapon had to be sealed away . ¡±

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    I already knew that the Battle Tower Pharos, which had fired a terrific beam, was the pride and joy of Ghad Fortress, but after watching it do a tremendous job destroying four Sample Taurus, I could realize its true power .

    Since the Fulltune Taurus are the enemy¡¯s definite weapon that can destroy our walls, we need to preserve the few powerful attacks we have that can destroy them, like the Pharos Gun and the ¡®Five de Shot¡¯ . We can¡¯t be using attacks like those haphazardly against Crusader soldiers, no matter how many of theme swarming through our walls .

    The Crusaders are also probably expecting this, too . It¡¯s possible that they¡¯re nning on just attacking the castle relentlessly without sending out the Taurus, just so we don¡¯t use our most powerful attacks .

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    Perhaps they also used their first assault with the Sample Taurus to gather intel on what kind of counter-attacks we had prepared as well .

    ¡°Well then, returning to our main topic... The right side will be under the vicemander¡¯s orders . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Vice Commander Elwood . I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, fellow adventurers . ¡±

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    The one who had just introduced himself was a Spada Knight in a full set of red armor sitting next to Prince Eisenhart . A rugged middle-aged looking man whose face reminded me of the typical Hollywood macho .

    But if I¡¯m not mistaken, that man¡¯s long and pointy ears meant that he was actually an elf . So those rugged features could also be found even among elves . It seems I had learned another bit ofmon knowledge of this strange world .

    ¡°There won¡¯t be as many people assigned to this side, but that will be covered by General Gessenbull from the Third Company, ¡®Rampage¡¯ . No, let me rephrase that . ¡®Rampage¡¯ will be in charge of defending the hole on the right side, with support from ¡®diator¡¯ . ¡±

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    So as far as deployment was concerned, General Gessenbull will be at the hole in the right, while the left side will be handled by Prince Eisenhart, so defending the holes will be the generals¡¯ duty .

    ¡°Themanders will be Tania and Bran . Their Order Raid will be ¡®Element Masters¡¯ and Farkius . ¡±

    ¡°All right, Kurono! We¡¯ll be fighting side by side!¡±

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    Farkius¡¯ outrageous and simple-minded remark echoed throughout the cold Control Room .

    ¡°...Looks like it . ¡±

    That was all the strength I could pour into my reply .

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    Oblivious to such aplex state of mind, the simple-minded Farkius patted me on the shoulder with a big smile on his face . I wished he stopped that act . He looked like a young schoolboy swooping down on a girl he likes by changing seats in a ssroom .

    ¡°I will be giving both Kurono from ¡®Element Masters¡¯ and Farkius the new ¡®Full Order¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite the drastic move, Eis . ¡±

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    Just as if the childish behavior he had been treating me with thus far had been a lie all along, Farkius quickly said that with a mysterious tone of voice .

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my call, it was my father¡¯s¨C err, the King¡¯s . ¡±

    ¡°Hoho, I see! I then humbly ept your appointment, Your Majesty . ¡±

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    After standing up and bowing to his king, Farkius returned to his seat . On the other hand, King Leonhart nodded solemnly and replied with a calm ¡®Hmm¡¯ .

    This is bad, I had been distracted by the conversation .

    ¡°Umm, what is this ¡®Full Order¡¯?¡±

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    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Kurono . You haven¡¯t been here on Spada for long, so it¡¯s not unusual that you don¡¯t know about it . ¡±

    I had tried to secretly ask Farkius about it, but Prince Eisenhart heard me anyway, so he replied instead .

    ¡°Come on, Eis... Kurono asked me, didn¡¯t he?¡±

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    ¡°To put it simply, ¡®Full Order¡¯ is when an Order Raid is given the power to act at the same level as amander . It means that you get the same level of authority as them and are able to exercise the right tomand as well . Isn¡¯t that great?¡±

    ¡°Aw,e on... He asked me, I tell you!¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I expect you tomand like a professional knight, so please take it easy for now . ¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s not all there is to it, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    What¡¯s with this chaotic situation? All I did was ask a simple question . Was my own ignorance such a bad thing?

    Wait a second, let¡¯s not get carried away by the mood . The first thing I had to do was to stop Farkuis, who was ring up at the poor Prince Eisenhart, whose patience seemed to be at its limit .

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    ¡°Hey Farkius, calm down a bit . I¡¯ll ask you for a more detailed exnationter . Come on, we could go eat something at Ghad Restaurant . It¡¯ll be my treat . ¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re taking me out for dinner!¡±

    I didn¡¯t believe that would be so effective . He seemed so happy about being treated to a meal... I didn¡¯t expect him to be the gobbler type, just like Fiona .

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    Oh well, at least we were finally able to return to talking about more serious matters .

    ¡°But is it really all right to give me that kind of authority?¡±

    Being amander meant that I would be in charge of at least a thousand adventurers .

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    The only time I had the experience of being in charge of others was during the battle to defend Alzas Vige . And even then, it was as part of an alliance of a hundred adventurers where everyone supported one another .

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ll be issuing a broad operation order to you . All you need to do is pass it down to your subordinates . ¡®diator¡¯ has always been a medley of adventurers from its roots, so I won¡¯t be issuing anyplex orders or anything like that . ¡±

    No matter how experienced any Rank 5 adventurer is, it might still be impossible to lead over a thousand adventurers perfectly as amander . If I were able to do that, there would be no point in having experiencedmanders after all .

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    ¡°To begin with, the main duties of any ¡®diator¡¯mander is to fight in a shy way and raise their troop¡¯s morale . They are expected to be running wild at the front lines, that¡¯s all there is to it . ¡±

    At the very least, it¡¯s good that I would get to assemble the adventurers as a group . Since the adventurers from Spada seem to value and respect strength above all else, they should be able to follow a Rank 5 adventurer who is strong enough .

    That¡¯s the same as how it was back in Daedalus . Does it mean that those who want themander position have to duel for it? It was all about a brilliant victory back there .

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    ¡°Farkius will be in charge of the main diator corps . I think it will be better if you choose your corps yourself rather than having me designating them for you . ¡±

    ¡°Really? That would work for me as well, but I¡¯ll do as you say . ¡±

    How experienced do you need to be to be able to choose the members of an army of adventurers? No, this was probably just because it was Farkius . The title of ¡°Spada¡¯s No . 1 diator¡± cannot be just for show .

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    ¡°As for Kurono, well, I¡¯ll be assigning your team for you, but if there¡¯s anyone in particr you want, please let me know . ¡±

    All I could manage to do to answer Prince Eisenhart¡¯s question was to remain silent .

    You see, I hadn¡¯t exactly agreed to y the part of amander . Long story short, I wasn¡¯t that confident I was up to par .

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    Why should I be? After all,st time, when I had a hundred other adventurers under my leadership, we were massacred .

    ¡°Kurono . ¡±

    As I was hesitating, the silence was shattered by the voice calling my name . King Leonhart was looking straight at me with those golden eyes of his .

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    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have managed to stall arge Crusader military force at the rural area of Alzas Vige . I don¡¯t know for a fact if this is true or not, but I have chosen to believe it is . ¡±

    It looked like he already thinks highly of me, or rather, us ¡®Element Masters¡¯ . However, I couldn¡¯t be pleased with this . I simply couldn¡¯t . After all, we did lose that battle

    ¡°Certainly, you have battled the Crusader army at Alzas with all of your might . Still, despite your valiant efforts, you and your allies fell to their assault . It has be clear to me just how much of a grudge you hold against the Crusaders just by looking at you fight today . ¡±

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    ¡°...Thank you, Your Majesty . ¡±

    No wonder he¡¯s the king of this country . We¡¯ve only had a bit of a conversation at a victory celebration party reunion, and he had been able to see through me with such ease .

    ¡°Your strength and determination are remarkable . I am sure that this time you will be able to lead your allies to victory . ¡±

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    He had high hopes from me . When a king speaks to a man like that, there is no way the man will not feel encouraged .

    ¡°What say you, adventurer Kurono? Will you ept the Full Order, and lead your adventurers as amander?¡±

    I had enough time to consider it ande to my decision .

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    My mind was set .

    I looked straight at King Leonhart through his powerful stare and gave him my answer .

    ¡°I am sorry, but I must decline your offer . ¡±

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463

    <strong><strong>Provisions</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    After that, I returned to the spiral staircase in the castle walls . The ce was still cold, gloomy, and there was nothing interesting about it . What would have changed in the almost one hour I had been in that military strategy meeting?

    Once again, I sit alone on those cold stairs .

    It would be definitely better to rest at a quiet inn rather than sitting in this ce . Even with this sturdy body, I could understand the importance of rest, but still, it would be better to just sit and calm down here .

    At least for tonight, I wanted to spend the night like this so I would be ready for a surprise attack from the Crusaders . I was almost certain that there was no chance they wouldunch an attack under this weather, so it would be a lonely night with no otherpany than the endless echoing sound of the blizzard¨C or so I had thought, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t going to be like that .

    ¡°...It¡¯s rather noisy . ¡±

    I could hear the rustling voicesing from above . The Spada Knights guarding the castle walls were making a racket .

    ¡°It certainly doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re under enemy attack, huh?¡±

    Judging from their cheering tone of voice, I could quickly sense that they weren¡¯t talking about anything that needed me to be alert . But still, I was worried . So I concentrated on listening .

    ¡°Hey, look at that, provisions!¡±

    ¡°No way, but we¡¯re still on guard duty . ¡±

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s fine, let¡¯s get some!¡±

    ¡°Heydy, give me some of that!¡±

    ¡°Woah, me too!¡±

    So it seemed that there were distributing food and drinks among the Spada Knights who were on guard duty during the blizzard . That was quite understanding of His Majesty King Leonhart .

    ¡°Hey, wait! I can¡¯t take this any longer! I¡¯m going to die if this keeps up!¡±

    ¡°Hey you, dying girl! You better hurry, it¡¯s firste, first served!¡±

    ¡°Hand it over! Give me that sandwich!¡±

    ¡°No way! It¡¯s mine!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot, so I¡¯ll have these steamed buns!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡±

    It appears there was some sort of uglypetition between the hungry soldiers . A waitress let out a cute shriek as if she had been standing in front of a pack of hungry wolves, but I was in no position to help her .

    Or rather, I was already toote . It seemed that she was already out of bread . Even if I wasn¡¯t there to see the scene, the uproar was loud enough to imagine that was the case .

    ¡°Uhh... These Spada soldiers are as rude as ever...¡±

    Before long, I could hear herining about something, and her footsteps seemed to indicate that she wasing down these stairs I was sitting on .

    Her voice sounded so tired that it almost made me want to encourage her, but then I thought that I should refrain from doing so . After all, all I would probably end up aplishing would be making her cry . The best I could do was stay here in silence and let her pass, so I wearily stood up and waited for the waitress to walk past me .

    Just as I leaned against the tower¡¯s wall, a small girl appeared, wearing a long blue skirt and with something like a cooler-box hanging to her side¨C

    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you Mia!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Kurono Mao . ¡±

    She had ck hair, red eyes, and a face full of fatigue and sweat . She was wearing the standard guild¡¯s waitress clothing¨C a fluffy winter coat with a white hood¨C but she was without a shade of a doubt the ancient demon, Mia Ellrod herself .

    Speaking of which, thest time I¡¯ve seen Mia wearing a skirt was when I first met her in the slums . And yeah, this waitress getup strangely suited her fine as well . After having drifted along the sea of Spada soldiers, she was giving off this air of a ¡®tired, unhappy beautiful girl¡¯ .

    ¡°What... what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Well, you see, I prepared a lot of provisions to bring to the soldiers here...¡±

    ¡°And now they have all been taken, right?¡±

    Mia had made a mistake when choosing her route . Had she quietly gone up from the lower levels, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten tangled up with those hungry soldiers .

    ¡°Somehow it seems that I¡¯ve got one left . ¡±

    Two secondster, Mia ced her cooler-box on the floor and started looking for something while muttering that, thinking that she wouldn¡¯t have anything left inside if she hadn¡¯t slipped past the rest of the Spada army .

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry . One is enough for me . Thanks . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry all I have is this grilled fish bread . ¡±

    Grilled fish bread... I never thought I would see something like this in this world . Had it also been made by Count Redwing? Or did she use her godly powers of transcendence to cross over time and space in order to go to Japan and buy it there? The fact that such a thing was actually possible scared me .

    ¡°Ah, thanks . ¡±

    My head was still full of questions, but I ended up epting the grilled fish bread she had offered me .

    I mean, who cares? I was feeling rather thankful since these provisions were filled with a nostalgic taste .

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if I do . ¡±

    ¡°Enjoy!¡±

    I started eating the piece of bread while those big red eyes stared at me¨C

    ¡°Here . ¡±

    Her crimson pupils were fixed on me .

    ¡°...Want half of it?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Are you sure? Thanks!¡±

    So we ended up enjoying a good time together sharing the grilled fish bread . The plump bread was filled with grilled fish and seasoned with tuna mayo . It was a really nostalgic taste .

    ¡°So, what happened this time? Did you just decide to take on that form?¡±

    ¡°Well, my usual uniform would make me look suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have dressed up as some sort of apprentice magician or something like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that next time . ¡±

    After letting out augh, she once again stared at me with those red eyes of hers . Only this time around she seemed a bit more serious .

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why have you chosen to refuse their offer . ¡±

    ¡°So you have been listening, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well, I am a goddess after all . ¡±

    I wondered if she has been watching over everything I have been saying and doing . It seems I can¡¯t be embarrassing myself...

    ¡°I realized I would be fighting today . I¡¯m still fighting my own battles with all my might . ¡±

    ¡°I was a bit worried . ¡±

    Such insight! I was no match for a goddess .

    ¡°I was confident that I wouldn¡¯t sway... but I guess that¡¯s how it is . ¡±

    After all, I had once left the bandits of Daedalus atrge . And then they were burned to a crisp by Fiona .

    ¡°Showingpassion for the enemy is suicide . One must not lose oneself on the battlefield¨C that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been taught from the beginning . ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about basic preparedness, huh? I¡¯m no good at that . ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it . You¡¯ll regain your footing soon enough, and then I¡¯ll be able to give you a good passing score . It¡¯s usually a matter of either staying your hand or just to stop thinking . ¡±

    Mia was saying that losing one¡¯s emotions and feeling paralyzed are simply natural reactions people have in order to retain their sanity . I couldn¡¯t help but think that she had been watching people like that during her life as a ¡®demon king¡¯ to excess .

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464

    <strong><strong>Provisions</strong></strong>

    ¡°But, Kurono Mao, you can kill people while staying true to yourself, without running away, or forgetting about stuff, or going mad . You may suffer from worry, but those hands can kill both enemies and innocent people alike . ¡±

    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know whether that¡¯s a good thing or not . ¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re doing the right thing . But that¡¯s not it¨C¡±

    The white breathing out of her mouth was proof of just how cold this ce was . But at that moment, the ancient demon Mia¡¯s face seemed colder than that .

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill the apostle . ¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask what she was talking about . Or should I say that I couldn¡¯t?

    I couldn¡¯t do anything aside from quietly reflect upon her words .

    ¡°Hmm, I think you did the right thing refusing their offer . After all, you should focus on killing that apostle . ¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know when he will appear next, or if he will at all . Wait, could it be that you know, Mia?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t . The apostle¡¯s movements are impossible for me to predict, even with the ck Gods¡¯ blessing of prediction and foresight . ¡±

    Were the White Gods intentionally hiding the apostle¡¯s movements? Either way, there¡¯s no point thinking about it since it then would be a conflict between gods, and would have nothing to do with us humans .

    The bottom line is that the obvious consequence is that there is no convenient way to predict his movements .

    ¡°Well, even if the apostle does not make a move now, it still looks dangerous . ¡±

    ¡°But I was surprised to see that that Power Loader . I had thought it would still be a long time into the future before I saw such a thing on this earth...¡±

    ¡°Is it beyond the current magical technology?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of how it operates . But to be able to restore those ¡°Fulltune¡± to full functionality... if magic continues to develop at this rate... it would take 30 more years to do something like that . ¡±

    So those high-speed boosters are technology from thirty years into the future . That means that some kind of magical breakthrough must have happened two or three times in order to obtain such technology so soon . They must certainly have such superior abilities .

    ¡°Can I ask you about the Taurus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to talk about them, but I¡¯ll still tell you a bit . I don¡¯t know the details of how exactly they were able to restore the Fulltunes, but can still give you a general idea . ¡±

    It seems that the gods¡¯ rules regarding information sharing have be lenient . Could it be some sort of system where the information on the real world was revealed ording to our discoveries and inventions? It may be just a hypothesis, but I can help but think that I¡¯m not too far off .

    ¡°Does it have any weak points?¡±

    ¡°The Taurus weren¡¯t meant to be used forbat, but they have been built to be sturdy enough to be used in harsh environments . It hasn¡¯t been so poorly designed to have its weak points so easily noticeable on the surface . ¡±

    Well, it made sense . Realistically speaking, I wouldn¡¯t go and build a digger or a dump truck with parts as thin as paper on purpose . The only convenient weak point we could aim for was to defeat some sort of predefined ¡®Game Boss¡¯ .

    ¡°They really keep on moving even if you handle them poorly . They¡¯re famous for being hard to break, too . ¡±

    ¡°Have you been in one of those before?¡±

    ¡°Oh, many times! I have an Omega Rank Power Loader driver¡¯s licence!¡±

    I... didn¡¯t know what was so amazing about that, even after seeing her puff up that tiny chest of hers . Sorry, Mia . Was it like having something like a freight¡¯s license or a bus driver¡¯s license?

    ¡°Ah... I see, that¡¯s great . ¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I can turn that Ghad Fortress into rubble in five minutes if you let me ride one of those Taurus!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t . ¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s really cool . It¡¯s pretty rare to see someone who can control both a Power Loader and a Night Frame . ¡±

    ¡°Night Frame? What is that?¡±

    ¡°...Ah!?¡±

    Mia¡¯s face had ¡°Whoops¡± written all over it . Perhaps she had said something that was against the gods¡¯ rules .

    ¡°I heard from Lily that, as the name implies, the ¡®Power Loaders¡¯ were built for working . So I guessed that there would be others that had been built for battle . ¡±

    That wasn¡¯t my question . That made me even more intrigued about them .

    ¡°But what are those Night Frames you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°P¨Cplease pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything! Please!¡±

    Her lowered face and teary eyes suggested that she¡¯d do anything to keep my silence, and for a moment I felt the impulse of pulling a prank on her because of it¨C but no . If I did, it would be something irreversible against both gods¡¯ and earthlyws alike .

    ¡°Got it . I just hope there are nobat robots about to enter the stage for now . ¡±

    ¡°At the very least, there are no historical records of one of those having been excavated . Only random parts at most . ¡±

    ¡°So there are none of those left?¡±

    ¡°I think there are lots of them, only they¡¯re still buried under ruins everywhere . It¡¯s just that no one has been able to find the special ess to their craft hangars¨C no, I can¡¯t talk about that!¡±

    I wanted to say something, but couldn¡¯te up with anything . I could only stand with a bitterugh as Mia frantically said something like ¡°Yes, let¡¯s stop talking about this¡± .

    ¡°But yeah, there must be lots of undiscovered ruins all over the ce . Maybe you know whether or not there are some ruins like that in this Ghad Fortress, I mean, what this ce originally was in the past?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know, but... that¡¯s a secret . ¡±

    So that means that there wasn¡¯t anything like a mountain vige or a checking station here .

    I had heard that the gates on the castle walls were part of some historic ruins . There was no other building, only a huge door and some walls remaining . Such a strange structure had been built in this remote ce .

    Though I secretly felt that this had once been a prominent fortress that blocked ess to the Ghad Mountains at the time .

    Something like that experimental facility that remodeled my body .

    It¡¯s not like I saw some rtion between here and that ce, it was just a strange feeling . The huge gates and walls were not to prevent enemies from entering, but rather for keeping them locked inside . That thought suddenly passed through my mind .

    Well, whatever this ce used to be in the past, it doesn¡¯t matter now .

    ¡°Everything¡¯s secret with you, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry . ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it . So, how much can you tell me about the Taurus?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see, first of all¨C¡±

    And so, I was given lessons on how to pilot a Taurus from the Omega-Rank License-holding Mia .

    ¡°¨CThen, at that moment, you can swiftly pull that, and you¡¯ll go ¡®vrooom!¡¯, so you¡¯ll be just fine!¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, but I could not understand a single word you were saying .

    Please, dear goddess, give me some information that is actually useful...

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465

    <strong><strong>A heartbreaking homing</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    In a corner of Ghad Fortress, there was a boy looking at the blizzard through a small window at the back of a dim corridor surrounded by hardened stone .

    ¡°So, Nell... you should be back in Avalon by now, right?¡±

    Underneath the white mask that covered his mncholic eyes was Wingroad¡¯s Nero, or rather, Alter Face¡¯s ¡®X¡¯ . He was wearing a simple ck robe used normally by apprentice sorcerers, but the way he was standing next to the window made him look somewhat dignified .

    asionally, Spada soldiers and other adventurers who would pass through that corridor would be intrigued by his appearance, but due to his aloof mood, no one was curious or whimsy enough to actually approach him .

    However, that silence would soon be broken .

    ¡°Ahh! I¡¯ve finally found you! You should decide on a proper meeting ce next time!¡±

    Nero frowned a bit at the high-pitched voice of the voice who had just spoken so loudly behind him . However, his eyebrows were covered by his mask, so nobody noticed his reaction .

    Still, nothing could hide the hint of discontent in his tone of voice .

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud, your voice echoes through this entire corridor . ¡±

    ¡°I wish you would think about how long I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡±

    It was his childhood friend who he had been so used to seeing, with her red coat and pigtails swinging as she openly expressed her anger . Even behind her mask -which looked like a deformed cat- there was no mistaking her .

    ¡°Anyway, how was the meeting?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t say much . They did call those Ancient Golems ¡®Taurus¡¯, though... And they talked about protecting the holes they made and other obvious stuff like that . ¡±

    Nero spoke as if he had actually been in that meeting, but that meeting was no ce for him since he was under the guise of a new Rank-1 adventurer . The only ones who had been summoned to that meeting were Rank-5 adventurers who had been entrusted asmanding officers and those who were part of the ¡®Order Raid¡¯ .

    ¡°As usual, you¡¯re good at eavesdropping . ¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m some kind of rascal . I merely happened to overhear a few things . ¡±

    That tactics meeting didn¡¯t seem to be such a secret, after all . They did hold it in an enclosed room surrounded by thick walls, but there hadn¡¯t been any soundproofing or any magic to prevent eavesdropping in ce . That level of security is easy to trespass for any Rank-4 thief or assassin .

    ¡°No one could have imagined that they would manage to open a hole in the walls on the very first day the war started . King Leonhart sounded pretty serious¡±

    ¡°Well, if those big boys doe back, I¡¯ll blow them away with my thunder, so we¡¯ll be okay!¡±

    ¡°Hoho! You¡¯ve be quite reliable, Charlotte!¡±

    The one to make fun of Charlotte, who surely had a confident expression behind her cat mask, had not been Nero .

    ¡°Wait, or was it the Rank-1 adventurer ¡®S¡¯ now?¡±

    A big hand fell on the back of Charlotte¡¯s head and roughly began to stroke her red hair .

    The guy had rudely shown up behind her back all of a sudden, but she didn¡¯t counter his intrusion with her thunder .

    ¡°Huh!? No way... Big brother Eis?¡±

    ¡°Yo, rascals!¡±

    The young man with arge build and the same red eyes and golden eyes as Charlotte was grinning with a beastly smile . He was themanding officer in charge of the fourth unit ¡®diator¡¯, and Charlotte¡¯s genuine older brother: Eisenhart Tristan Spada .

    ¡°Haa... so you knew, big brother...¡±

    ¡°How could I not notice after seeing you take down that Golem in such a shy way?¡±

    Eisenhart said that while smiling nastily at Nero, who sighed as if saying ¡®Gimme a break¡¯ .

    ¡°Please, big brother! Don¡¯t tell Father¨C¡±

    ¡°I think Father also noticed... but I don¡¯t want to bring unnecessary trouble to him so I¡¯ll keep quiet about it for now . Besides, I¡¯m all the way here anyway, so there¡¯s not much I can do about it . ¡±

    He pats Charlotte¡¯s head, saying ¡®What else could I have expected from my little sister?¡¯, in such a way that would turn a mischievous cat into an adorable one .

    ¡°I really don¡¯t care why you¡¯ve bothered yourselves intoing into this crappy battlefield . I won¡¯t ask you . You must have your own reasons . ¡±

    Nero raised his eyebrows, seemingly feeling a bit sorry at his somewhat unintelligible words .

    Eisenhart always had a soft spot for the two of them . That¡¯s why even Nero wanted to call him ¡®big brother¡¯ . He had recognized his greatness over the years to such extent .

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, big brother . ¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s okay . Instead of punishing you, I¡¯ll just work your asses off, so you better get ready . ¡±

    ¡°Ah, thanks, big brother Eis...¡±

    Charlotte thanks her brother with a meek attitude she would definitely never show to Wilhart, even though he¡¯s her brother as well .

    ¡°By the way, I couldn¡¯t see Lady Nell anywhere... Did she return to Avalon already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah . We came here after seeing Nell off . She was definitely heading towards Avalon . ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overprotective as always, aren¡¯t you Nero?¡±

    ¡°Stop it . Nell was supposed toe here with us this time . ¡±

    Eisenhart¡¯s golden eyes looked at him, half surprised and half doubtful . Nero¡¯s red eyes averted his gaze to the side .

    ¡°But I guess that¡¯s just how the current situation is . ¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Nell¡¯s health seems to have gotten worse ever since she came back from Iskia . ¡±

    Eisenhart remembered hearing something about Nell¡¯s poor physical condition and her having to stay in her room for a while . It seems that the news of Avalon¡¯s princess¡¯ health had naturally reached the ears of the prince of the whole country .

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t bedridden or anything... but she was in no condition to fight . ¡±

    ¡°Was it that bad? I can¡¯t really imagine Nell being in such a state . I mean, do you know why she was feeling so down?¡±

    Nero frowned even harder behind his mask and replied to Eisenhart, whose face hinted that he had thought that Nell¡¯s sickness had been due to unknown reasons .

    ¡°It seems something happened with Kurono again . ¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®again¡¯? Did the same thing happen back in Iskia?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t exactly know the details . ¡±

    Nero sounded utterly displeased as he muttered that . He seemed very pissed off .

    Although it doesn¡¯t take Eisenhart long ¨Cto say the least of anyone spending 5 minutes with this cool Avalon prince¨C to understand that he deeply cares about his cute younger sister .

    ¡°Eh, so it¡¯s about Kurono, huh? He does look like someone who would make a girl cry...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not as cool as he looks, his face is just scary . ¡±

    The big brother confidently replied to his younger sister¡¯s sharp remark .

    ¡°No, there are many women who would be attracted by that kind of dangerous-looking guy . He has this courage and style that makes him unwavering even before our father... Besides, his strength as a Rank-5 adventurer is the real deal . I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single woman in Spada who¡¯s not interested in him . ¡±

    ¡°But he pulls out tentacles and stuff!¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, he must have made quite a lot of women cry already . Though I don¡¯t know anything about any tentacles . ¡±

    ¡°Eww! I knew it, that tentacle guy is the worst!¡±

    ¡°I prefer to see him as a hero, though . He¡¯s good, I even think he even was the best fighter out there today . It¡¯s no wonder Nell would fall head over heels over someone like him¨C¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡±

    It had been an expression of denial so sharp and cold that you could feel its hatred . No one other than Nero could have said it .

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since Nell isn¡¯t going to see that guy anyway . ¡±

    ¡°...Ah, right, her time studying abroad here in Spada is over, right?¡±

    After muttering ¡®Well, that¡¯s sad¡¯, Eisenhart turned over his red cloak and started to leave .

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going now . I¡¯m amanding officer after all, so I¡¯m obviously busy!¡±

    ¡°Take care, big brother!¡±

    Eisenhart turned his head one more time after his cute younger sister¡¯s words of encouragement, and said onest thing before leaving:

    ¡°You¡¯ll be stationed on the southern left side . Be sure to tell that to that idiot Galbraith and that witch Hydra, will you? I¡¯m expecting a lot from you, ¡®Alter Face¡¯ . ¡±

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466

    <strong><strong>A heartbreaking homing</strong></strong>

    ¡°We¡¯ve already left Dakia Vige . We should be arriving in Avalon tomorrow, princess . ¡±

    With a tone of voice much more tender than usual, Helen, the daughter of the noble Azrael family of Avalon, and head of Princess Nell¡¯s bodyguards, gently speaks to her beloved princess .

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, Avalon¡¯s first princess, Nell Julius Elrod just nkly stared off into space and didn¡¯t reply with even a single stare .

    The royal carriage they were in was surprisingly stable, or rather, it didn¡¯t feel like it was shaking at all . The outside view from its small window was a white mountain range which was most likely the snow-covered Ghad Mountains .

    Nell was on her way back home to Avalon after leaving Spada .

    Her Royal Guard, d in silver armor, was escorting her, surrounding the carriage . It had been one week since they had arrived in Spada with the king¡¯s orders to escort the older brother and younger sister back to Avalon .

    However, only Nell is going back to Avalon . Nero quickly disappeared after pledging to bring her sister, who had be considerably debilitated, back to the knights .

    It is a well-known fact in Avalon that the First Prince Nero usually wanders off to y wherever he feels like, even to some absurd ces . And once he does leave, no one will ever catch the slightest glimpse of him until he is satisfied . Both his own royal guard and his father no longer reprimand him for his hopeless behavior .

    After receiving a letter from Nero exining the current circumstances, the royal guards resigned themselves to protect the prince¡¯s identity, and dedicated their efforts only to Princess Nell¡¯s convoy .

    The lifeless Nell didn¡¯t say a single word to them due to her strange condition, but fortunately, still obediently followed their instructions .

    Neither the maids who apanied the knights, nor Helen, who volunteered as Nell¡¯s personal escort, nor the royal guard were privy about the princess¡¯s situation, and were merely trying to fulfill their duties to the best of their ability .

    In other words, the only one who could actually reach out to Nell was none other than Helen, who had been her friend ever since being an overseas student in the same school as her .

    ¡°It¡¯ll be just one more day . ¡±

    And so, Helen¡¯s heart smashes in front of Nell, who showed absolutely no reaction at all . Only her earnest love and loyalty could be what allowed her to continue talking to a person who was more like a doll who never replied for an entire week .

    Or perhaps it was because she thought that the worst was yet toe .

    The Nightmare Berserker Kurono was a sworn enemy who was the cause of Nell¡¯s situation, being someone who tried to get himself into the hands of a demon for his own lowly desires . That man had taken on an urgent quest to defend Ghad Fortress and had ever since parted ways with Nell . For Helen, nothing had ever given her more peace of mind .

    It seemed that Nell was terribly sad because of his parting since he had posed himself as a friend to her, but Helen believed that now that they were apart it was just a matter of time to mend her broken heart . After returning to Avalon, Nell should be able to get better and return to her former cheerful self .

    ¡°...Ah . ¡±

    Suddenly, Nell opened her mouth . It had been brief and rather air-cutting, but a voice definitely came out of it .

    Helen was just about to call out to her, happy to have finally heard a human reaction out of her after such a long time, Nell leaned a bit forward and looked out through the carriage¡¯s window .

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, princess?¡±

    ¡°Here... is where I first met Kurono...¡±

    Nell smiled . It was a ghostly smile that would send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine .

    ¡°Ah, is t-that so?¡±

    Helen managed to muster up a reply in front of her princess¡¯s weird countenance .

    ¡°Yes, my horse wouldn¡¯t move... hehe... I was in deep trouble... hehe... it was lovely . ¡±

    A weirdughter escaped through her lips . They were inside a luxurious royal carriage, but at the time Helen felt the tension of having been thrown into a dungeon in an underground burial mound, where theughters of the dead echoed .

    Nell wasn¡¯t having a conversation . It was a monologue . She was speaking to herself while looking out through the window without noticing that Helen was in front of her .

    ¡°I want to ride that horse, that ¡®Marie¡¯, Kurono...¡±

    Helen suddenly realized she was speaking about the time when Kurono had kidnapped her, or rather, apanied her to leave Spada, back when the monster army had besieged the Academy students in the Iskia Fortress . At least Nell could be sure that she was riding Kurono¡¯s beloved horse at that time .

    The idea of someone who looked like an adventurer and the princess riding together on the same horse disgusted Helen . She had no choice but to hope that such an event had happened only once . Did something like this happen twice, three times perhaps? She definitely did not want to know .

    ¡°How will we be able to ride? When will you take me for a ride again?¡±

    Nell kept on murmuring as if she were talking with Kurono, who was still miles away inside Ghad Fortress . She was grabbing the both sides of the window with her hands, as if she were about to jump out of the carriage at any minute .

    Of course, the carriage¡¯s window wasn¡¯t big enough for a person to go through, and opening the door while the carriage was moving was unthinkable . Helen was sitting by the door¡¯s lock, and in front of Nell . Even if Nell were to try to open the door, Helen would block her way with her body .

    Helen couldn¡¯t do anything but staring at Nell with a cold sweat running through her face as she went on with her entricities .

    ¡°How, when... I... Ah . ¡±

    Then there was silence . Nell suddenly stopped talking to herself, and stopped moving altogether as if she had be frozen solid .

    Before Helen was able to ask her if something was wrong, Nell looked at her . The way she had turned her face toward her reminded her of a mechanical golem . But her muddy eyes looked like those of an undead monster .

    ¡°Ah, um... is something the matter... princess?¡±

    ¡°Helen . ¡±

    She had said her name . Atst, after such a long time, Nell had finally looked at Helen and called her name . She had said her name with a smile, a different smile from her previous ones . It had been a smile that looked like sunshine .

    ¡°Y-yes! What can I do for you, princess?¡±

    The tense Helen leaned forward as she replied, eager to fulfill any wish her princess would have .

    ¡°You are my friend, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She hesitated for a moment before her initial impulse to reply at once . However, after considering it for a moment she realized that there was no better choice but to reassure her .

    ¡°Yes,I have been awestruck by you as we attended school together in Spada, and we became friends . ¡±

    ¡°I see . I see you as a close friend too . You have been an important ssmate to me as well . ¡±

    Helen was ovee with emotion . The tender words of the princess who she had seen even in dreams had made her so happy that tears started pouring from her eyes . Nell¡¯s eyes, however, were still muddy and devoid of light .

    ¡°I have a request to make of you . ¡±

    ¡°Yes, princess! You can ask me anything!¡±

    Those weren¡¯t the words of a retainer, but the words of a friend . No one would have been able to say the contrary even if anyone else had been there .

    ¡°Is that so? Well, in that case...¡±

    Then Nell dered her unreasonable request .

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Ghad Fortress and fight . ¡±

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467

    A heartbreaking homing

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t immediately understand her request .

    Then, a secondter, she was finally able to understand what she said . However, she was still unable to read Nell¡¯s intentions .

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Please, let¡¯s go back at once . ¡±

    Only when Nell got up and seized Helen¡¯s shoulder as if she were in a hurry she was finally able to feel something was wrong, and called out to her .

    ¡°W-wait just a moment, princess!¡±

    ¡°All you need to do is go, there¡¯s no need to get any equipment or anything like that . Just go like that, please, hurry . Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Please, princess, stop! You¡¯re not making any sense!¡±

    Against Helen¡¯s clear words of refusal, Nell raised her eyebrows as she expressed her displeasure with her face, and finally got back to her seat .

    ¡°...Why won¡¯t you heed my request?¡±

    She looked like a spoiled child, but her eyes were now muddy out of hatred .

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just that what you ask of me is simply impossible... and what¡¯s more, I don¡¯t really understand why you ask that of all things...¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand why?¡±

    She sounded like an arrogant teacher scolding a poor student . Even though everything seemed utterly unreasonable, Helen had no choice but to bow down and apologize .

    ¡°I don¡¯t... I¡¯m truly sorry...¡±

    Nell sighed in such an exaggerated way that it was simr to how Nero had done earlier when he found out about Kai¡¯s folly .

    ¡°If you go to Ghad Fortress, I can help you fight, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my friend, so I¡¯ll go to Ghad Fortress to help you . And if I do, I can see Kurono again, right?¡±

    That kind of logic wouldn¡¯t be normally understood by ordinary people .

    ¡°That... that won¡¯t do, princess! It¡¯s not that¨C¡±

    ¡°I want to see Kurono . I want to see him now . I don¡¯t care what happens, I want to see him, talk to him, and hold him tight . ¡±

    So go to Ghad Fortress and be my excuse for me to see him .

    That¡¯s what Nell was saying .

    ¡°You¡¯re my friend, right? So please do me this favor!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say these unreasonable things! I understand your heart is upset right now, but please, try to calm down!¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll make it an order, okay? An order from the First Princess of Avalon to you, Helen . Go to Ghad Fortress at once . ¡±

    ¡°Wh... Wh-what sh...¡±

    ¡°Ah, I know! Please fight bravely and die . If you do, I¡¯ll be so sad about my dear friend¡¯s death that Kurono will have toe tofort me . ¡±

    ¡°But princess, that... that¡¯s too¨C¡±

    ¡°Hehe, ehehe, I can¡¯t wait... Yeah, let¡¯s do that . Come on, Helen, hurry up and die . ¡±

    Nell¡¯s lightless blue eyes looked at Helen with expectation . She wished it from the bottom of her heart, so it couldn¡¯t be helped . Helen¡¯s eyes started to well up in tears as she lowered her head and asked for her forgiveness .

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, princess... I intend to carry out His Majesty¡¯s... King Miriald¡¯smand . He has entrusted me with taking Her Highness back to Avalon safely... I cannot obey yourmand, princess . ¡±

    Helen wept as she resorted to the most appropriate exnation she could think of .

    ¡°...Is that so...¡±

    Nell¡¯s face once again went back from looking in good spirits to an expressionless, sick looking mask as she spat out her next words .

    ¡°Useless woman . ¡±

    With another unnatural, forced sigh, Nell threw herself on the soft and tender seat that would support many a royal body on such long journeys . There was no one in that carriage who would reprimand her for such improper posture .

    ¡°Tell me, Helen, which knighthood was it that you wanted to enroll in after graduating? You know, for someone as useless as you, I can tell Father to appoint you as a warehouse keeper . ¡±

    Sprawled back on her seat like a discarded doll, Nell speaks rashly about snatching away Helen¡¯s brilliant future from her, muttering as if she was half-asleep .

    ¡°There¡¯s this old gramps named Thomas who¡¯s in charge of the castle¡¯s 13th warehouse, but he¡¯s been on that post by himself all this time, even before I was born... He¡¯s been doing that for so long, it would be nice if someone else were to take over his post so he can finally rest those old bones, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Protecting the castle¡¯s treasury was one of the duties of the elite knights, but Helen quickly understood that this ¡®13th warehouse¡¯ was obviously a much less important ce which was clearly much less used, let alone talked about .

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯ll be a perfect job for someone as ipetent as you . ¡±

    Helen could do nothing but endure, biting her lip as she continued to shed tears .

    Crying her heart out, Helen¡¯s heart was being painted with dark emotions rather than filled with sorrow .

    The princess had changed . No, rather, she had been changed . Changed by that devilish man .

    The kind and tender Nell would never abuse or ridicule anyone like that . She was pure and kind-hearted . She was an example, no, an ideal, of what a princess should be . That¡¯s why it made no sense that she would be so cruel to Helen that it would test her loyalty like that .

    Helen couldn¡¯t feel anything but hatred for the one responsible for driving her beautiful, pure princess this mad .

    ¡°¨COh well, how am I going to see Kurono, then?¡±

    Who was she asking that question to? At least Helen had no interest in answering it . She already thinks highly enough of her princess, but her heart wasn¡¯t so numb that she would take further abuse from her .

    ¡°I want to see you, and yet, I... I... I¡¯m no good, am I...?

    She buried her face in the seat¡¯s cushions as she mumbled iprehensibly, answering her own questions . It was almost as if she didn¡¯t want to hear her own answers .

    ¡°Why, why am I not the one at your side, why is that... that... ah...¡±

    Her words were suddenly cut off . Helen noticed . Nell¡¯s body trembled as she moaned, unable to say another word .

    ¡°Princess!? Stop! Stop the car now!¡±

    Helen raised her face, which still had traces of dry tears, as she yelled hermand as loud as she could, and the carriage¡¯s driver reacted instantly . The carriage stopped without making any sound nor shaking even once . Needless to say, the knights who were around the carriage also stopped, forming lines next to it .

    ¡°Ah, uh, uuhh...¡±

    ¡°Princess, let¡¯s go outside . ¡±

    Helen quickly unlocked the door and opened it, then carried Nell¡¯s tender body outside . The princess¡¯s face was pale, and her eyes were nk and devoid of light .

    The two tumbled out of the carriage and onto the snowy ground, almost falling .

    Paying no mind to the silver knight who hurriedly got down from his horse to tend to her princess, Nell faced the white ground and¨C

    ¡°Uh, kuh... bleeaaaaargggghhhh... . ¡±

    Started to throw up .

    Despite not having had anything to eat or drink during their journey home, dirty vomit was being expelled from Nell¡¯s pretty mouth .

    Seeing that unsightly and miserable disy, Helen started to cry a third time .

    ¡°Oh, poor, poor princess...¡±

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468

    <strong><strong>The Count¡¯s Daughter</strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    <strong></strong>

    It was still the night of the 16th of Dark Moon .

    Though the blizzard still raged on outside, it was as warm as a mansion with a lit firece inside the huge tent the Crusader¡¯s Third Corps were using as their field headquarters .

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this blizzard! If it weren¡¯t for this annoying weather, that castle would be nothing but rubble by now!¡±

    That heroic voice belonged to Baron Hermann, one of themanding officers of the Third Corps . He was d in the same silver full te mail that the knights of the Sinir Republic wear .

    He had a strong, bulky physique, but his armor was strangely a good fit on this middle-agedmander . Could it be this was due to the efforts of the cksmith who had made it especially for him?

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not be impatient . This snowstorm could very well be the will of the gods . ¡±

    The one to answer with a somewhatposed elegance was the general of the Third Corps, Count Bergunt .

    Though he was rather slim, he was also well toned . He certainly looked like a count, with his long legs crossed as he sat on his armchair . He was truly the living image of an aristocrat amongst the townspeople, gently shaking a ss of mulled wine with his right hand .

    ¡°Their walls have already been breached . We still have about ten more Ancient Golems we can use . Our biggest obstacle, the castle walls, is gone . It¡¯s just a matter of time . ¡±

    The noblemanders joined together in a grin filled with the conviction of certain victory .

    ¡°Your Excellence, I propose weunch a surprise attack tonight . What do you say about sending our finest assassins to bring a little chaos to those fiends?¡±

    Bergunt quickly replies to one of his officer¡¯s suggestions .

    ¡°There¡¯s no need . We don¡¯t have to press any further, considering how the situation is at the moment . ¡±

    ¡°Then, how about preventing them from repairing their walls? Perhaps we could send some chimera soldiers to that effect . ¡±

    Another officer shared his ideas .

    Bergunt took a sip of his wine, and answered .

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t do that . The chimera soldiers are still somewhat concerned about their restraints . And we did lose more than half of them during today¡¯s battle . Rather than using them sporadically now, I think it would be much better to send them all to the front on our next attack . ¡±

    ¡°As you say, Your Excellence . Your far sight and deep designs are truly something amazing!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, your idea wasn¡¯t bad at all, either . Have confidence in yourself . ¡±

    Whileplimenting the young officers who would lead in the next generations toe, Bergunt savored both the taste of his wine and their current unexpected superiority in battle .

    ¡°Once this blizzard is over, the main force of our army will finallyunch a full frontal assault . Gentlemen, please have a look here . These are the three ces we should aim at...¡±

    Bergunt pointed at a rough map thaty across the table . It was a magnification of Ghad Fortress¡¯ surroundings, which had be a battlefield .

    There were white chess-like pieces standing on top of the map, representing their own army . Infantry, cavalry, sorcerers, knights, valkyrie knights ¨Cthey were divided roughly into those categories .

    Opposite to those, there were also ck pieces which represented the demon army . The great walls of Ghad, the terrain within them, and theyout of the buildings, were all disyed on the map to the best of their knowledge . The intel they had on the interior of Ghad Fortress was abination of what they had learned during today¡¯s battle, and what the Daedalus Army already knew . However, that intel is nothing more than something that could be easily obtained by looking at the fortress from above . The interior of the fortress itself was still a mystery to them .

    Nevertheless, the amount of intel they had was good enough for them to n an offensive .

    Bergunt pointed at three specific points in the map marked with a red X: the first two were each of the two holes in the great walls made by their Ancient Golems, and the third one was the fortress¡¯ front gates .

    ¡°Considering our numbers, we can attack all these three points at once . Now, let us discuss to our heart¡¯s content regarding who is going to be in charge of what . Haha... this is going to be a long night . ¡±

    After that, some of the officers, hungry for recognition, begin to talk one after the other .

    The Third Corps is an army of aristocrats . More than the knights, their merits during war were more directly rted to their profits than anything else . The First and Second Corps, which consisted of private armies organized by the church, were more likely topete amongst themselves .

    ¡°...Hmm, it¡¯s hard to decide . ¡±

    After about an hour of listening to the officers¡¯ heated arguments, they had still not reached a conclusion .

    ¡°Gentlemen, I understand your enthusiasm . But the truth is, I already had something in mind . ¡±

    Though he was a bit intoxicated by his wine, Bergunt cheerfully decided to go with his own n .

    In short, he had already decided everything from the beginning .

    ¡°To wait until this time to say that he already had a n... Ho ho... that¡¯s so evil of you, Your Excellency . ¡±

    Instead of being offended by Hermann¡¯s joking, Bergunt answered him with a cheerful smile .

    Their territories were adjacent to one another, so they¡¯ve had a long official and personal rtionship . These kinds of interactions were regr between them, and thanks to this, their conversation went on smoothly .

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that . I¡¯m sure most of you want to have an opportunity to shine at least once in this battle... However, I believe you¡¯ll agree with my idea . ¡±

    The Count¡¯s confident words made the officers feel both anticipation and uneasiness .

    ¡°Ho ho... it wouldn¡¯t be that Helvetia saintess I¡¯ve heard so much about¨C¡±

    Before Hermann could finish speaking about what he had suddenly remembered, Bergunt held his hand up as if to interrupt him, and asked that person to enter the room .

    ¡°Come in, Linfelt . ¡±

    ¡°... Excuse me . ¡±

    A clear reply echoed through the entire room .

    The moment she appeared, everyone¡¯s breath was taken away . She had a beautiful and lovely figure wrapped in a white priestess¡¯ robe .

    ¡°Good evening, dear Crusader officers . Nice to meet you all . My name is Linfelt Aria Helvetia Bergunt¨C¡±

    The ck-haired girl bowed respectfully .

    ck hair was rather rare in the republic, though it is seen amongst some of the townspeople .

    However, the reason why her appearance seemed extremely rare was that the pupils in her big, round eyes werepletely pitch-ck .

    She was a ck-haired girl with eyes as ck as the night .

    ¡°Some of you may already know her, but allow me to introduce her to you . This is my daughter . ¡±

    He sounded confident when he dered that, but his hair was dark green with dashes of the magical color of the wind, and his eyes were like pale emeralds . They didn¡¯t look like father and daughter at all .

    However, since the count himself had introduced her as his daughter, no one said anything about it .

    ¡°My daughter Linfelt will handle the hole in the left side, where those Alsacian demons still remain . ¡±

    ******************

    ¡°Waah, it¡¯s so cold! We shouldn¡¯t havee here, Tsumiki!¡±

    She said such things while feeling the intense snowstorm, though herpanion didn¡¯t say anything at all in response .

    The actions of the Eight Apostle, Ai, are always random . The only reason why they were loitering out there that night while freezing themselves in that blizzard was nothing more than her not being able to sleep .

    ¡°Haah¨C we should go back, there¡¯s even brothels back there¨C¡±

    She certainly looked like a girl, but the words that came through her mouth were akin to a male Crusader soldier with an excess of libido .

    ¡°We should have brought Silvia along, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Even though she had asked a question while thinking about that red-haired, big-breasted beautiful woman, there was no response from the griffon baby she was holding in her arms . Though he was still an infant, the only thing that was reflected on those cold, bird-of-prey-like eyes in his hawk-like face was nothing that the face of his mistress .

    ¡°Aah¨C it¡¯s cold! Warm me up! I¡¯ll rub you against me, kiss you all over, and hold you tight!¡±

    As she yelled those impure things, she shoved the griffon baby¡¯s lion-like torso onto her face, seeking warmth . Sadly enough, those big breasts she dreamed about weren¡¯t there .

    Seemingly annoyed, Tsumiki noisily wiggled his limbs in a fleeting disy of resistance .

    ¡°¨CHeeey, over there! Is there anyone there?¡±

    At that time, she heard a warning call from somewhere .

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469

    <strong><strong>The Count¡¯s Daughter</strong></strong>

    Of course, that warning call hadn¡¯te from a Spada soldier, but from a fellow Crusader .

    ¡°Waah, no way! I¡¯ve arrived at the noblemen¡¯s camp without even noticing!¡±

    In that military encampment, there were tents for both rank and file soldiers as well as for the generals, but the difference between the two was well established .

    Particrly, in order to not fall victims to surprise attacks, the tents are arranged in a concentric pattern, with Count Bergunt¡¯s tent in the middle of the camp . Then, the tents of knights and soldiers are arranged around it, so as to protect from assaults from any direction . Of course, they would be on the lookout not only for enemy soldiers, but for any allies who were acting weird as well .

    ¡°I was a bit shocked at first, but it seems that it was nothing but a drunk fool . ¡±

    ¡°But there was some sort of strange figure there...¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s natural for monsters to move here and there, even under this blizzard . Under these conditions, it would be better to save our strength . ¡±

    While listening to the unwilling guards¡¯ exchange, Aipletely erased her presence like she would when hunting monsters in the hills and fields, and began to hurry onwards . Even without the power of an apostle, this kind of covert action was her specialty .

    ¡°Hmm, but should we try to get in? Tsumiki, I need you to keep quiet . ¡±

    Tsumiki replied with a cute little caw from his yellow beak, as if saying ¡°you should worry about talking too much yourself!¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this!¡±

    Ai then got on all fours like some wild animal, and proceeded onward over the snowy field . She made no sound and left no prints as she advanced through the fresh snow . Like a cockroach dashing through a kitchen .

    No one notices her as she continues on her path . There were many blindspots where one could hide from the guards on patrol at that time of the night and under such weather .

    As Ai began to restlessly look around the area, she noticed that there were tents everywhere with their lights still on . The regr soldiers had gone to sleep some time ago, but the great noblemen lords seemed to really like to stay upte in the battlefield .

    That was certainly some good social standing they had . It must be fun to take up beautiful female knights as your personal guards .

    ¡°I want to fire an Aether arrow...¡±

    There was no answer to thement that came out of her bored face .

    ¡°At any rate, they¡¯re still merrymaking at that war council of theirs, even thiste at night . That old man is quite energetic, huh?¡±

    A notoriously bigger tent than all others had caught Ai¡¯s attention . Everything around it seemed to be in a state of high alert, with two ¨Cthree at some points¨Cyers of guards on duty . Even Ai would have a hard time sneaking in without alerting such elite knights and their sharp senses .

    As good as it would feel to be able to sneak past such defenses unnoticed, Ai wasn¡¯t that interested in getting some useless piece of information from that military meeting . If anything, it would be safe to assume that the only conclusion they could havee up with was tounch a full frontal assault as soon as the storm cleared .

    ¡°Nah, there¡¯s not much we can get here . We should head back now¨C¡±

    She started to turn around while still creeping in all fours . Then...

    ¡°¨CWell, I¡¯ll be heading out now, Father . ¡±

    A girl hade out of that big tent .

    ¡°Huh? That girl...¡±

    She was wearing a Crusader¡¯s pure white priestess¡¯ robe, but she wasn¡¯t a nun . It didn¡¯t look like a cassock, but more like something that was custom-made so that she could use Light Magic during battle .

    There was nothing wrong with seeing a priestess wearing such equipment in the battlefield .

    But her appearance had caught Ai¡¯s attention .

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s that Helvetia saintess I¡¯ve heard about... She has a cute face, but her breasts aren¡¯t all that big . ¡±

    Ai revealed her honest impressions while impolitely staring at the priestess¡¯ chest . If they were as big as the Third Apostle¡¯s pair, she would not hesitate to ask her to let her rub them, despite being an Apostle, but this poor girl didn¡¯t have enough bust for that .

    ¡°Anyway, that ck hair and those ck eyes of hers...¡±

    At longst, Ai took her eyes away from her chest and looked at her most characteristic features . She was reminded of one particr person after seeing the girl¡¯s jet-ck hair .

    ¡°Well, I guess it would be worth it to try to spy on her a little bit . ¡±

    And so, Ai continued to crawl like some kind of cockroach spy as she tailed Linfelt, the beautiful ck-haired priestess who looked dignified with every step she took .

    ¡°...Oops!¡±

    Along the way, Ai stopped suddenly and plunged herself into the snow below her .

    She then held her ears out, trying to listen to a conversation between Linfelt and her appointed knight . Rather than using Wind Magic to pick up on sounds, her technique was closer to a martial arts skill used to clearly distinguish certain sounds amongst the noise . This as well was not part of her powers as an Apostle, but something she learned to do by herself .

    ¡°What is it, Sebastian?¡±

    ¡°I felt as if someone was watching us... But it¡¯s probably just my imagination . ¡±

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470

    ¡°I¡¯d expect us to attract a bit of attention, though . You don¡¯t need to be so alert . ¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just the force of habit . ¡±

    Then, they continued to walk under the blizzard, perhaps heading for their tent . Indeed, as Linfelt herself said, she did attract quite the attention from the surrounding guards on duty .

    ¡°Ooh, that handsome Sebastian fellow is quite sharp, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to be just a regr personal guard for Bergunt¡¯s elegant daughter . More than a simple guard, he looked more like some kind of ¡°guard butler¡± .

    The young guard butler didn¡¯t look like a bad match for the lovely count¡¯s daughter, with his fair blond hair and bright blue eyes . However, Ai wasn¡¯t too interested in him . Even less since he was a man .

    Before long, they had reached their tent .

    It seemed a bit too tiny for the count¡¯s daughter to use . But perhaps that¡¯s what one could expect to be their tent out in the battlefield in a faraway strangend .

    However, it looked a bit out of ce that there didn¡¯t seem to be a single guard around it .

    Thinking it was rather weird that both Linfield and Sebastian had entered the tent alone, Ai slowly approached it in order to explore its interior, and then...

    ¡°Huh!? What¡¯s this...? An invisible wall? Some kind of barrier?¡±

    She repeatedly blinked her blue eyes in surprise before the transparent wall that had suddenly appeared in front of Ai . Or perhaps it had been there all along?

    More transparent than ss, the barrier felt very rigid when touched with one¡¯s fingertips, and didn¡¯t seem to be either hot or cold to the touch .

    Ai quickly guessed that the invisible wall covered a perimeter of 10 ¨Cno, 30, square meters around Linfelt¡¯s tent . The raging blizzard should not be able to get inside that perimeter, it seemed to be warm inside without the need of a lit firece, and it would appear to block off sound from going in or out .

    ¡°Ah, I see, this is a ¡®Sanctuary¡¯... Right, so she can use World Dimension Magic... So she might be on par with an Apostle¡¯s power . Look at that old man, bringing someone like this all the way here . ¡±

    Ai gently brushed the invisible wall¡¯s surface, seemingly impressed .

    ¡°Well, she would still be no match for a true Apostle, huh!¡±

    At that moment, while Ai was still touching it with her fingertips, a portion of the transparent barrier disappeared without making a single sound . It was a hole big enough for Ai to cross over .

    ¡°Hehe, with a barrier like this, you¡¯d need virtually no defense at all . But perhaps you¡¯re being too alert, princess . ¡±

    With a bold smile on her face, Ai rapidly got closer to the tent . There were only two people in the back . There she inquisitively got her ears ready, eager to hear some juicy story, some scandal regarding this youngdy, this so-called ¡®Helvetia saintess¡¯ .

    ¡°Ah, this is the worst... Hey, Sebas, do I really have to fight?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Lin, you¡¯ve already been bickering about it ever since we left the mansion . Don¡¯t give me that again . ¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re alwaysining! Ah, this is pointless, totally pointless!¡±

    ¡°What an unsightly rattle, and thiste at night! You¡¯re worse than thieves and monsters, and yet you can use something like ¡®Sanctuary¡¯!¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s an act of God! I¡¯m being dragged into this fight! Who even likes to be in a war? And being involved with those super dangerous Alsacian demons!? Shit, that damned geezer thinks he can do whatever he likes! I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯m really going to die this time, I tell you!¡±

    The voice she heard from inside the tent was definitely not lovely at all . It was an unbearable outcry ofints and negative emotions .

    ¡°Wow... to think she was this kind of girl...¡±

    Even though she couldn¡¯t see her, Ai could almost picture the ck-haired girl rolling on the floor and holding her head, throwing a tantrum . Or perhaps she was actually doing that, because she could hear her hitting the floor .

    ¡°We¡¯ve alreadye all the way here, so give it up already!¡±

    ¡°No wayyyy, let¡¯s go back, let¡¯s goooo-¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just go back to the mansion, can we?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that ce... Even returning to that orphanage in the slums would be good enough for me now . ¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s nonsense . There¡¯s nothing there for you to go back to anymore . ¡±

    ¡°Sebas... Oh, forget it . Give me my cigarettes . ¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, you slum-raised woman! ... You can have no more than three for now . It takes time to get rid of the smell, you know?¡±

    It was good that there was no one else around . There was nothing delicate or gracious about this shameless saintess . To Ai, she seemed more like a spoiled child than a priestess .

    ¡°Sebas, bring me something to drink! Not wine, I want a beer!¡±

    ¡°Only one ss!¡±

    ¡°Ehh!? You cheapskate!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Do you want me to take care of you when you¡¯re so drunk you¡¯re no longer able to stand still as well?¡±

    ¡°But I want to drink until I drop dead! I just have to!¡±

    Then, after hearing the priestess gulp down a jug of beer, Ai quietly left that ce .

    ¡°And there are many people in this world who live happily without knowing about stuff like this, Tsumiki . ¡±

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471

    The territory of Helvetia, which was governed by Earl Vient Dominique Helvetia Bergunt, was a rtively richnd located in the western part of Sinir Republic . Despite its distance from the Holy City of Elysion, the climate was mild, and thend was fertile . In addition to the lush countryside, it faced the ocean, which held the key to trading, allowing the remarkable development of the territory . The young incumbent Earl was still in his 40s with exceptional skills in domestic affairs .

    His appointment to be the Supreme Commander of the Third Crusade Army in the Pandora Expedition was enough to describe the power of the Earl and his territory .

    Earl Bergunt was about to aplish rapid progress in the development of Helvetia . Unfortunately, the territory was suffering from many misfortunes just before the announcement of his participation in the expedition .

    There was an outbreak of monsters, invading bandits from the neighboring territory that was falling into ruins, as well as the uprising of the heathens that had been hiding in ambush for a long time . With these three dangerous forces that appeared almost in unison in the territory, Earl Bergunt¡¯s well-being was also threatened .

    Bandits would often ambush the soldiers who were sent to save viges from invading monsters . With all their resources thoroughly robbed, the soldiers managed to rebuild their position and resumed the march, only to be attacked by the heathens . The urrences of situations like these weremon .

    The Helvetian Knights, who had been training consistently for a long time, had not been defeated . But their strength had been sharply sheared and steadily exhausted . Above all, the loss of his only son in the battle with the heathens, who had been raised to be his sessor, made the Earl suffer .

    Even after the death of his important heir, the intermittent raids still yet to subside in various ces . The once peaceful and lush territory had abruptly be rough . Anxiety among the people became more intense each day . And with no prospective solution visible, distrust in the lord of the territory had increased as well ¡ª

    Meanwhile, a girl suddenly appeared .

    A beautiful maiden with ck hair and ck eyes . A Sister dressed in pure white priestess¡¯ robe .

    Her name was Linfelt .

    She was grandly announced to be Earl Bergunt¡¯s daughter . However, if it were only the discovery of his illegitimate child, it would not be a significant topic .

    Linfelt¡¯s name was very well-known in the territory, even in the distant Holy City of Elysion . It was not because of her beauty that she was well-known, but because of her unparalleled ability .

    Sanctuary . The so-called Original was under the divine protection of the White Gods and was so powerful that it could not be awakened by merely the apostles .

    With that power, she exterminated monsters, annihted the bandits, and the abominable army of heathens . Within a year of Linfelt¡¯s appearance, Helvetia had regained peace .

    Due to the great aplishment of such a miracle and her beautiful holy figure, Linfelt was naturally known as the Holy Maiden of Helvetia .

    The name was Rin . I was one of the ordinary apprentice Sistersmonly seen everywhere in Sinir . Moreover, I wasn¡¯t serving in a church like the white, glistening cathedral in Elysion, but I served in a somewhat dirty and shabby little church in the slums, where only orphans and beggars came for shelter and food . I was just a pseudo-Sister who had not been baptized .

    I thought this social status of mine was shady, but for an orphan like me whose parents were unknown, it was only appropriate . For as long as I could remember, I was abandoned and raised in this church . Or rather, I was scrambling for the ck bread on the table against the other orphans who were being taken care of by the church as well .

    When fellow orphans reached the age of 15, they either left this ce immediately and never returned or died before bing an adult . If orphans remained here after turning 15, they would be subjected to pseudo-Sister apprenticeship and had to take care of the new generation of orphans like what I was doing .

    It wasn¡¯t because I wanted to be an apprentice . Somehow, I was going with the flow and did it . The person who was managing the church up until now, in other words, the Sister, who raised me in ce of my parents was too old that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she ascended to heaven any day now, had be senile, and I couldn¡¯t leave her alone .

    I felt like there was no other choice but to continue her work . I persisted to try my best in taking care of those brats until they were healthy enough . I had a hunch that I would continue this service forever, eventually grow old just like Sister, and would still be here .

    One day, my noisy but calm everyday life suddenly came to an end .

    ¡°¡ª Nice to meet you . I¡¯m Sebastian who serves Earl Bergunt¡¯s family . Under the orders of the Earl, I havee for you . ¡±

    A ridiculously beautiful knight with blond hair and blue eyes appeared . Under the orders of the Earl, he took me away immediately, even before I knew what was going on .

    ¡°Oh, you must be Rin, Linfelt! Such beautiful ck hair and ck eyes . You truly are a copy of her ... . There¡¯s no mistaking it . You¡¯re my daughter!¡±

    ¡°... What?¡±

    When I realized, I was already in Earl Bergunt¡¯s mansion . The lord of this territory, the Earl himself, was hugging a girl from the shadiest region of the slums, in an asion that appeared to be an emotional reunion . No, rather, I couldn¡¯t keep up with the conversation at all ... .

    ¡°Well, in short, you¡¯re the Earl¡¯s illegitimate child . ¡±

    And that night, when Sebastian exined from the beginning in my bedroom, my thoughts finally caught up with reality, and I had a better understanding of the situation .

    So it was the so-called secret birth . My pitiful self was suddenly a daughter of an Earl! A princess?! Such a story was amon development in nonsensical entertainment books circting widely even in the slums that girls tend to long for and dream about it .

    However, after living a hardcore orphan life for fifteen years, my calloused heart understood that those dreams were merely a ridiculous attempt to escape reality . I was a realist that considered bread for tomorrow to be more important than dreaming .

    For a realist like me, it waspletely unexpected to turn into an Earl¡¯s daughter overnight ... .

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really the truth or not . ¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That Earl looked very deeply moved . ¡±

    ¡°As a noble, at least you should try to be like one, even if it¡¯s just an act . You seem to be earnest, but ... either way, as long as the Earl wants to you as his daughter, you already are Earl Bergunt¡¯s daughter, Linfelt . ¡±

    ¡°... What¡¯s with that Lin-whatever? My name is Rin . ¡±

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472

    It seems to be the name the Earl was nning to give to his newly born daughter . Isn¡¯t it good, the name is simr to yours?¡±

    ¡°No way, such a grandiose name ... . By the way, since when did you use such familiar expressions with me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been put in an awkward position to be your exclusive escort and butler . I need to teach you manners so you don¡¯t get carried away since you were a slum orphan who became an Earl¡¯s daughter . ¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Teach me manners?!¡±

    ¡°Now you are an ignorant and uneducated slum brat . Starting tomorrow, I will drill the appropriate etiquette befitting of an Earl¡¯s daughter . ¡±

    ¡°... What? Etiquette? Manners?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just manners, but also learning how to dance, how to brew tea, and much more . ¡±

    Dance was like what people do during the Harvest Festival, right? They gathered around the bonfire and went round and round in circles sloppily . Wouldn¡¯t it be better to learn how to make money calctions so that we would not be tricked by petty merchants? There was no need for worry . I was the best haggler in the slums . Also, you could make tea just by pouring hot water onto the leaves . Piece of cake, it would be a piece of cake . Ahahaha ¡ª

    ¡°Huh... wait, are you for real? What¡¯s with that anyway? I¡¯m not even a noble¡¯s daughter . ¡±

    ¡°Like I said, you are . ¡±

    I could onlyugh superficially . The environment surrounding me changedpletely within a day . Give me a break . Let me go back to that noisy but peaceful life .

    ¡°But think of this as a bonus . Perhaps the Earl is interested in that Original ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Huh, w-what are you saying? I can¡¯t even use magic ... . ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb . I¡¯ve done my research . You can use Sanctuary, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Haha ... well, I got found out ... . ¡±

    My secret was Sanctuary, the only special ability that was truly unique .

    Although, one might say it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal . It was just an ability to voluntarily deploy transparent defense magic with no attack power . It was a self-defense magic perfect for a young maiden like me when walking alone at the back alley of the slums .

    The only person who knew the truth about this magic was my substitute parent, Sister . To begin with, she told me about the exaggerated name of this ability, that it wasn¡¯t something I should show people, and that I shouldn¡¯tpletely rely on that power . She only told me about that kind of mental preparedness .

    If I were a hot-blooded boy, I could have dreamt to be a knight or a sorcerer with this ability . But I was just a normal girl who wanted neither pain nor fear . Even without Sister¡¯s warning, I would only use it for emergencies .

    But it was no longer a secret .

    ¡°You will grow this special magic from now on . Mastering it is your most important job . ¡±

    ¡°Even if you say that, what am I supposed to do? I have never practiced magic . I don¡¯t even know how to do it . ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, you¡¯ll do it from now on . Listen, you will be enrolled in Elysion Magic Academy in three months . ¡±

    ¡°... What? What is that, backdoor entry to a school?¡±

    ¡°You have a background in magic, and you are an honest person . Don¡¯t worry . ¡±

    Can I really do it?

    Even I have heard the name of Elysion Magic Academy . It was the ce where the smartest people with the greatest magic in the Republic gathered . Notorious grand nobles, legendary knights, and even clergies were born from this school . It was well-known throughout the Republic .

    ¡°Haha ... that¡¯s impossible ... . ¡±

    My destiny was already set in stone even if I said that . From that day, my days of hardship in which impossibleness and unreasonableness piled up had started .

    First of all, the minimum education as a noble¡¯s daughter was drilled into me for three months, so that my shady past would not leak out while attending the academy . His cool face was the only highlight of this brute escort butler . What a waste of handsomeness .

    The first thing I learned was neither good table manners nor magnificent dance . Sebastian was an outrageously wicked bastard; his physical appearance was the only good thing about him . The Earl was certainly a gentle-mannered and handsome knight who would give a refreshing smile to everyone . But he turned out to be a terrible guy who would use unreserved speech and abusivenguage towards me .

    But I could be myself in front of this guy, so I was annoyed by the fact that I could not hate him from the bottom of my heart . I only appreciated the provisions of cigarettes and alcohol .

    Three monthster, I finally managed to evolve into a youngdy, and really entered Elysion Magic Academy . It was not a coincidence that Sebastian enrolled with me as well, as anticipated . It was only then I understood what he meant by being my exclusive escort and butler . I was slow to notice that .

    Anyway,bining my relentless efforts and Sebastian¡¯s, ... . Ah, I would call him by his nickname from now on . Thanks to Sebas¡¯ support, I could walk a tightrope during my academy life filled with high society and elite students .

    I still did not know whether or not it was exactly what the Earl had in mind, but as a result, my Sanctuary had grown . Well, that was an amazing momentum .

    When I realized, my magical power had be the greatest among the students in the academy of my generation, and I was proud of it . During the time of admission, it was rumored that the counter of the magic measuring device was destroyed with the very small amount of magical power I possessed . My power was even morepared to the absent-minded, blue-haired, golden-eyed sorceress .

    But I was not happy to be the best at this . The reason being, that absent-minded sorceress had rendered me broken-hearted with my first love . Unlike Sebastian, my silver-haired magic teacher, who looked great and intelligent with sses, was very kind and straightforward . This 27-year-old bachelor made my heart flutter . Well, I guess that was the so-called adult¡¯s charm . Because of him, I was able to do my best and determined to master Sanctuary .

    But when I confessed on graduation day ¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Linfelt ... I already have someone I love . ¡±

    ¡°Eh?! No way . Who in the world is it, teacher?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s ... . ¡±

    ¡°Please tell me . If it¡¯s not a convenient lie to reject my confession ... I won¡¯t be convinced unless I hear the name of that person!¡±

    ¡°Fiona Soleil . I¡¯m going to meet her and confess to her . ¡±

    While crying my eyes out, I left the academy and went back to Helvetia .

 Chapter 473

    Chapter 473

    By the way, I did not know what happened to my teacher and that absent-minded sorceress . I did not want to know . He was such a cool and kind person with strong magic, not to mention his aplishment as a professor at the academy at such a young age, as well as his high social status and high annual ie . No woman would reject a proposal from such a superior being . Damn, whenever I imagined how they would be lovey-dovey with each other, I felt like crying my heart out due to frustration and jealousy . Even so, this was my way of showing how earnest I was about my feelings .

    Anyway, right when I returned with a broken heart, it was finally time for the official announced throughout Helvetia that I was the real daughter of Earl Bergunt . I had already been using Bergunt family name since I was in the academy, but never explicitly stated that I was the Earl¡¯s daughter . It was convenient as long as I maintained a stance of moderate connection with the rtives .

    With this, I would not be able to turn back or withdraw from my aristocratic debut and pretended that none of this ever happened .

    Since the announcement was sudden, it was a bit of a mess and seemed to have caused some repercussions ... . But for Helvetia, it was not the time to worry about this issue .

    The three rampaging forces of monsters, bandits, and heathens around the territory made it seemed as if the White Gods would want to wash everything away with a terrible flood .

    The only thing that could restore order was neither the miracle of gods nor the great efforts of the brave knights ¡ª yes, it was me, who had mastered Sanctuary .

    However, the Earl did not seem to have an intention to suddenly sending me to the front line . In fact, I spent a quiet month in the mansion upon my return from the academy . I was baptized at the beautiful church of Helvetia . It was at this time that I was given the holy name Aria . Named after the holy mother Aria, this name was the most popr female holy name . It was neither good nor bad, and yet possessed an ancient and honorable origin, a perfect holy name for me who did not want to stand out . The name could be considered neutral .

    After fully enjoying my peaceful moment, ¡ª that incident happened .

    Amidst conflicts with the heathens who were lying in ambush in the slums, the church where I grew up was burnt down . The orphans were burned to death by the crimson hellfire . Sister, who raised me in ce of my parents, also had a taste of purgatory and traveled to the afterlife . She died before I could show her how praiseworthy I had be; became the daughter of an Earl, graduated from Elysion Magic Academy somehow, and became a real Sister with the holy name of Aria .

    That was the first time I killed a person . Utilizing Sanctuary, I killed as many heathens as I could see .

    My Sanctuary has the range of effect and strength that I wanted . As long as they were within my sight, I could block the opponents¡¯ escape route by using the barrier to corner and crush them . It would be like trapping them in a closed room with no exits and making the ceiling fall from above to crush them . They had nowhere to escape .

    After thoughtlessly yed a very active role in subduing the heathens, for no apparent reason, I found myself running around throughout Helvetia with the knights .

    We crushed the monsters to the west and the bandits to the east .

    Defeating monsters was rtively easy since they would run away once they were defeated . Due to the bad harvest in the neighboring territory, many citizens turned into bandits and started to rob for survival . However, thanks to the countermeasure taken by the generous Earl, who weed all citizens of the neighboring territory with open arms and happiness, we were able to solve the bandit problem without further casualties .

    Only the heathens were hopeless . So I annihted them thoroughly .

    I had brought peace to the territory without knowing it, and the Holy Maiden of Helvetia was born .

    ¡°... Don¡¯t joke around!¡±

    Then I became one of the pages in that new legend and was to serve in the Crusade Army on the Pandora Expedition .

    ¡°Say what you like, but it¡¯s going to be really dangerous this time . ¡±

    ¡°Hey, how long are you going to keep whining? The enemy is already right in front of us . ¡±

    That day was the 20th day of Gloom . The huge blizzard known as the White Dragon Nest in this region had finally passed . Once again the cloudless blue sky pierced through our field of vision .

    If I were in the academy, the time would be exactly when the first bell of the day rang . While shivering in the cold morning air, I straddled through the snowfield on my favorite horse, Unicorn .

    Next to me was Sebastian wearing a silver armor like a prince . Right behind us were the idiots we met on the battlefield that had been following us ever since . Though they were idiots, they werepanions that could be relied upon .

    Behind them were countless soldiers of the Crusade Army wearing matching white surcoats .

    ¡°Hah ... . ¡±

    I let out a heavy sigh as I saw the enormous castle wall in front of me as if it was protected by a ss of vicious demons .

    No matter how many holes we made, was it really possible to break through a wall that high? The Earl, the church, as well as the gods who gave us the revtion to fight, must all be crazy to have us invade such a ce .

    That thought crossed my mind, but since we had alreadye so far, there was nothing else we could do .

    Prepare yourself, Rin!

    ¡°¡ª O, brave Crusaders! This marks the opening of the curtain of the True Holy War . We are standing up to our Lord¡¯s sworn enemy, the heathens who worshipped the evil demon ss ck Gods . Today, right here, right now, in the name of the White Gods, we will pass a holy judgment to the army of evil men . We will destroy them!¡±

    Last night, while rubbing my sleepy eyes, I was desperately trying to memorize this inspirational pre-battle speech so I could deliver it without making any mistakes .

    Thanks to my hard work, the Crusaders in the back got all excited . Among the boisterous war cries, holy prayers and cries like ¡°Kill the demons!¡± and ¡°Protect the Gods!¡± could be heard .

    To be honest, I did not understand what kind of authority I possessed to lead this army, but I yed my part since I was told to do it .

    If I won this war, I might acquire my own territory . I would not need a huge territory, only big enough to build a house, a moderate field, and some sheds for livestock . That would be good enough for me . Then this time for real, I would live a secluded, quiet, and peaceful life in my territory, detached from battles and aristocrats¡¯ expectations .

    That was my hope and dream .

    So please, demon Spada . Please lose this battle obediently .

    With that kind of selfish prayer in my heart, I raised my favorite Staff and screamed at the top of my lungs .

    ¡°¡ª All hands, charge!¡±

 Chapter 474

    Chapter 474

    On the morning of the 20th day of Gloom . After the snowstorm passed the night before, the Crusaders began to move again .

    ¡°The main corps has finally arrived . ¡±

    Just like the first day of battle on the 16th day, I sat on top of the north wing castle wall on the right side . To be more precise, I was sitting on top of the wall where Taurus punched out a hole .

    I was admiring the view from atop this 50-meter-high castle wall . A nket of freshly piled up snow due to the blizzard was covering the battlefield as if trying to hide the aftermath of the previous battle . The enemies trudging through the brand-new snowfield was distinctly visible . The white equipment of the Crusade Army assimted with the ground, creating a wavy snowfield .

    However, even the umted snow could not cover therge wreckage ¡ª the wreckage of Sample Taurus that had been decorated with small heaps of snow . Whether the wreckage was meant to be recovered, or it was impossible to be recovered, remained a mystery since the Crusaders were bypassing it as if it was a mere obstacle lying on the battleground .

    Almost directly below me was the crime scene where Lily killed the pilot, rendering the massive Taurus incapacitated . It had since beenying face down, slowly transforming into a mountain of snow . However, this mountain of snow would not help us in deterring enemy invasion .

    If they intended to siege the castle, then they would easily advance over this pile .

    ¡°Wow, there are so many of them!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see the ve soldiers anymore . Did they run out of them?¡±

    Standing to my right, Lily was sizing up the advancing enemy corps . The number of enemies seemed to fill a width of one kilometer on the snowfield .

    The line of battle formed by the ve soldiers was systematically trained, and their march was overflowing with the strong volition of invasion .

    The march was bristling with cross gs and long spears arranged closely together . The advancing countless soldiers¡¯ footsteps resonated through the snowfield and echoed all the way up here .

    The infantry of white surcoats familiarly resembled the Armor Knights that fought fiercely together with the white-robed sorcerers unit at the dry riverbed of Alsace .

    They had not appeared yet, but perhaps this time, the Pegasus Knights wouldunch an airstrike . Indeed, it would be an all-out war .

    ¡°Oh, I see they have brought their weapon for castle siege as well . It seems like they are attempting a frontal attack . ¡±

    The infantry units were marching ahead on the thickyer of snow . Trailing behind them was arge weapon with wheels moving sluggishly .

    It was a rectangr six-wheeler about the size of a truck with a sharp log covered with metal peeking from the tip, also known as a battering ram . The strong ancient gate would not break from one or two strikes, but what would be of it when being stricken continuously?

    Additionally, there were ballistae mobilized by wagons, distinguishable from the worn-outdders the ve soldiers carried . Huge siegedders* were visible as well . The siegedders resembled dozen-meter high square towers .

    The soldiers would most likely climb up from the back of the contraption, and then operate thedder attached at the very top of it . Thedder would be unfolded and leaned against the castle wall, acting as a bridge for them to trickle in and siege the castle that way .

    However, the wall of Ghad castle stood a majestic height of 50 meters . It was not a trivial height that could be reached with ease ... but they certainly would be able to reach the breaches in the wall beneath .

    ¡°They have small golems with them as well . ¡±

    ¡°Golems that size are usable for civil engineering work as well . Because of their slow movements, I bet they are utilizing them for the siege battle where the opponents would be stationary . ¡±

    Well, they were indeed stronger and more powerful than people . Their sluggishness could easily bepensated, and they would be useful in certain scenarios . They did not seem to move at high speed like Fulltune Taurus with a booster . We would not stand a chance if such high-performance guys were mass-produced .

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that alone can break the wall itself . ¡±

    ¡°They could mobilize the sorcerers to give them a boost . The use of Magic Items for destructive sts is possible as well . So don¡¯t let your guard down!¡±

    ¡°I see, so staying close to the wall would be dangerous, too . ¡±

    We were outnumbered, and it would be almost impossible to hold our defense if they attack all at once . It would be wise to assume those chimera soldiers that climbed the wall so effortlessly were still around .

    ¡°¡ª Look! The humans seem to finally start moving, so we should deploy Daidalos people earlier . Listen well, everyone! We shall never allow those who do foul y to step on the soil of Spada!¡±

    Such a lively voice was heard from a distance away .

    The owner of the voice was General Gesenburg who led the third corps of ¡°Rampage¡± of the Spada Army . He was also in charge of the right side of the northern wing castle defense .

    He had a mountain goat head with two majestic horns, a long white beard like a dwarf, and his whole body was covered with snow-white fur .

    His race was not a goat Beastfolk ¨C he was a demon . He was none other than the higher ss demon Baphomet .

    Whenever I looked at General Gesenburg, I could see nothing but raw materials for robes . I missed the deceased ¡°Baphomet Embrace¡± . I ended up wondering if I were to use that white Baphomet fur, would it give me some strengthening effects .

    Putting my imagination aside, the demon general was to defend the breaches in the castle wall .

    Somehow or other, the two holes in the castle wall had been repaired within the past three days . However, the quick fix was imperfect . The repaired parts were much more fragile than the rest of the wall .

    For this reason, it was necessary to reinforce the low defense by applying strengthening magic as needed . Just as expected of a high-ss demon, General Gesenburg seemed to be skillful in Darkness and Earth elements . I was not able to confirm which element hebined with the defense magic, but the moment he utilized it, the breach began to fill . There were other sorcerers of ¡°Rampage¡± that supported in the reinforcement of the repaired breach as well . At least with this, even if the battle were to continue for a whole day, the magic should be able to provide continuous protection .

    The left side of the opposite wall was also reinforced in a simr way . With the reinforced parts, the intended function of the castle wall could somehow be maintained .

    ¡°But if Tauruses again, it¡¯s going to end up being destroyed again . ¡±

    ¡°Oh ... there seem to be a few dozens of them left . ¡±

    On the other side at the Crusade Army¡¯s encampment, the magic catapults used on the first day of the attack were lined up in session, impatiently waiting for the time to attack . Directly behind the crane-shaped catapults, an ancient golem stood even in a more impressive height, the Power Loader ¡°Taurus¡±, as if providing a size reference for everyone to understand how huge the catapults were .

    There were exactly twelve of them . No matter how many times I witnessed it, I could never get used to the overwhelming majestic appearance of the first giant that stood side by side in a row .

    ¡°Maybe they won¡¯t move right away . ¡±

 Chapter 475

    Chapter 475

    I¡¯m afraid intimidation is their main purpose . ¡±

    As I predicted, the moment Taurus came into our line of sight, its fate would be sealed if the secret weapon of Ghad stronghold, the beam cannon of the Battle Tower Pharos, was utilized . Perhaps they could only deploy four shots per day .

    Besides the Pharos Cannon, rank five adventurers could unleash one-shot only killer technique that could potentially seal Taurus . However, we had to attack with maximum firepower and use our trump card right off the bat, because we would not be able to defend against Fulltune Taurus¡¯ assaults .

    If they did not use Taurus, we had a few killer techniques up our sleeves . It was quite obvious that our side would suffer more from this battle . My spection was that Taurus had run out of magical power to be utilized in this battle . In other words, there was a high probability that it had be the perfect papier mach¨¦ tiger ¡ª but just in case, we must deploy our killer technique as a precaution .

    ¡°Well, if we cannd one shot, it would be enough . ¡±

    ¡°Is it about time to get started?¡±

    Fiona yawned . Even though herx demeanor was questionable, it did not make me anxious or distrust her . Fiona would be reliable in due time, even if she looked dubious .

    ¡°That¡¯s right . ording to our earlier briefing, Fiona will take the right and Lily the left . Our target is the siege weapon or the group of Armor Knights . ¡±

    ¡°Kurono, if you utilize ¡®Meteor Strike¡¯ as a signal, we wille back here at once!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I will continue to provide support from above like that . ¡±

    Arrangement confirmation, OK .

    The n of attack this time was the same as the one on thest day of the Alsace battle: a huge single blow at the beginning . I arranged the two of them to shoot from a distance . I willunch Gil Bulletless ¡°sma ster¡± from here .

    This way, the three of us would not redundantly ovep our range of attacks, and we could bring down more enemies .

    Most importantly, after finish attacking, we would assume formation ¡°Vertical Limit¡±, just like on the first day of the previous battle . I would focus on continuing to hit the enemies by the wall, nothing too grand of a n . As long as our physical power, energy, and magical power still avable, we would persist on fighting through that way .

    ¡°Well then, see you, Kurono!¡±

    ¡°See you . ¡±

    Lily walked away cheerfully as though she was going shopping while waving her small hand at me . Fiona headed for her position while pushing her way through the stampede so dexterously .

    The Crusaders were wriggling below, making their way across the snowfield that spread between on their encampment and the castle . They were almost halfway through .

    ¡°Okay, Hitsugi, we should start preparing, too ¡ª ¡®The Greed¡¯, Mode ster Gil . ¡±

    ¡°Roger that, Master! Starting energy charge!¡±

    The heavy cannon was quietly revealed and set at the ready . I let the magic power and fighting spirit overflow while ring at the approaching Crusaders .

    ¡®Twas the day that we definitely would go on a rampage to our hearts¡¯ content . The real Crusade Army that came from far across the ocean from Sinir Republic was my true opponent .

    Oh, I could finally ughter you all . How much I had been waiting for this moment ¡ª

    ¡°I shall show you the power of the Nightmare Berserker . Bring it on ¡ª . ¡±

    ¡°... They¡¯re noting . ¡±

    Overwhelmed by impatience and irritation, I muttered in annoyance .

    The energy of ¡°The Greed¡± was already at full charge . With one pull of the trigger, a torrent of purple lightning would be grandly released . However, the said enemies did not appear .

    ¡°Master, is it time yet?¡±

    Hitsugi had already finished the countdown and was idling .

    The Crusaders suddenly stopped at the edge of our st range .

    All of us were holding our breaths waiting for them to attack . Lily, Fiona, the adventurers with their staffs, and the Spada Knights with their bows were assuming their attack positions .

    ¡°Hey! Why, why are the enemies on this side not moving?!¡±

    General Gesenburg barked in anger .

    To describe the current situation more urately, the attack from the Crusaders had already begun . The white army shot an avnche and pushed forward, catapults fired zing rock cannonballs in unison, while the siege weapons were rattling and inching toward the castle walls .

    In a blink of an eye, the bodies of the perished Crusade Army piled up near the wall due to the surging waves of our counter-attacks . The discord echos of their screams, bellows, and shrieks were reverberating across the battlefield . Meteor-like zing rocks scattered like flowers as they were blocked by walls and barriers in midair . At an even higher altitude, the Pegasus Knights that finally started attacking rigorously were greeted by the Spada Dragoons . A fierce dogfight hadmenced .

    Unlike the ve soldiers, the well-armed Crusaders were also making an onught; undauntedly and fiercely firing a storm of arrows and assault magic upon us . Some death casualties were starting to ur on the defending Spada Army side as well .

    Just like that, the intense battle to the death took ce at the Great Wall of Ghad .

    We would protect the right side of this Northern wing .

    ¡°Damn! What in the world is happening ...?!¡±

    The enemy attacks at the main gate and the left side of the Southern wing were concentrated toward the breach . There should be no significant difference in the sizes and the repair condition between the breach here and on the other side . But for some reason, the enemies were ignoring this side .

    Hold on . I thought the Armor Knights were equipped with imprable shields and armors since they were standing still unscathed, to form a line of battle . It was as if they were excluded from being attacked . However, that was not the case at all .

    In that case, they were waiting for the right timing to attack us .

    What the hell were they waiting for?

    If they possessed a definitive means to destroy this wall, it would not make sense to start attacking elsewhere . I started to wonder if there was something pertinent at that one point where they were standing .

    ¡°What are they scheming? ¨C Lily, Fiona, any thoughts on this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kurono . Lily doesn¡¯t know . ¡±**

    ¡°Same here . I can¡¯t think of anything in particr off the top of my head . I don¡¯t sense anything abnormal either . ¡±

    Through telepathy, I tried gathering information from two people who were positioned very far apart from each other . However, the results were inconclusive .

    I was being vignt that perhaps Magic Items, such as bombs, were installed in the wall during the snowstorm, but I could not feel any sign of magical power at the moment .

    While I was scanning the wall for anomalies, I heard General Gesenburg gave out orders to check the wall as well . The Spada Army also seemed to be specting the current bizarre situation .

 Chapter 476

    Chapter 476

    ¡°¡ª Pardon me, your Excellency . The enemy¡¯s offensive at the front gate is fierce . Shall we send a part of our squad for reinforcement?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty hasn¡¯t given the order yet ... but the extent of this situation is within our discretion . ¡±

    I could hear such a conversation upon listening carefully .

    The one who proposed sending reinforcement was Mr . Eliwood, a strong elf, the vice-captain who was in charge ofmanding ¡°diator¡± on our side .

    ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary to keep the third squad in close contact with the enemies . ¡±

    ¡°Hmm, indeed ... understood, let¡¯s mobilize some infantrymen for central support . I¡¯ll take directmand . May I leave this position in your hands, Lord Eliwood?¡±

    ¡°Please, leave this to me, General . ¡±

    ¡°If the enemy moves, I¡¯ll return immediately . Also, if there is something wrong with the wall, I¡¯ll deal with it promptly ¡ª . ¡±

    General Gesenburg went to reinforce the main gate .

    For a brief moment, I was considering leaving my post, since it was only a few hundred meters ahead . Even if the Crusaders started to move, the General would have made it back here before they could approach the wall . That being the case, I decided to check enemy movements as well as their destination to confirm it with my own eyes .

    As Mr . Eliwood said, it would be better to not fuss over my post rather than letting the soldiers run amok . Both the center and the left side of the southern wing were undergoing fierce battles that could use some reinforcements .

    ¡°Oh, Kurono, Grandpa Goat ising here ¡ª . ¡±

    Soon after, I received a telepathicmunication from Lily . She reported the movement of General Baphomet that she witnessed .

    ¡°General Gesenburg is temporarily reinforcing the central . ¡±

    ¡°Should Lily go too?¡±

    ¡°No, stand by right where you are . Let¡¯s focus on our defense here . ¡±

    ¡°Yeah, understood ¡ª . ¡±

    Suddenly, Lily¡¯s voice was cut off .

    ¡°Huh, Lily? What happened?¡±

    I called out to her aloud, but the usual childish and cute reply never came .

    ¡°Hey, Lily? Can you hear me? The telepathy is broken off . ¡±

    My many attempts to call out to her ended up in vain monologue .

    Weird . An obvious anomaly was happening ¨C though my intuition strongly suggested that, there were no observable changes in particr . The enemy must have attacked Lily¡¯s post, but I could not see any skirmish going on . Lily was unharmed, and still maintaining her position .

    Whether I looked to the right or the left, the appearance of Spada soldiers and adventurers waiting in vain for the Crusaders on top of the walls, remained unchanged .

    Huh, could a magic that interfered with Telepathy have been utilized ...?

    ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s the meaning of this?! Themunication device isn¡¯t getting through! Hey, give me the spare ¡ª . ¡±

    It was vice-captain Eliwoodining about the telepathy that failed to work .

    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t because Lily¡¯s condition had worsened, but the Telepathy itself did not seem to work .

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s jammed ... no, wait . ¡±

    Right then, I finally noticed the true identity of the anomaly .

    ¡°... It¡¯s awfully quiet . ¡±

    Mr . Eliwood started yelling about something to his subordinates . I could still hear the chatters and buzzes around me of the adventurers and Spada soldiers .

    But it was not as loud as a battlefield should be .

    I could not hear anything except for the noises from my immediate surroundings .

    Until just before, I could still hear the noises of the battle that started in the far center and left side of the southern wing . But right now, I just realized that I could not hear anything at all .

    Telepathy was not the only thing being blocked . Sound ¡ª .

    ¡°¡ª Hey! What is this?! I can¡¯t get through!!¡±

    At that time, someone yelled .

    ¡°Woah, for real! What is this ...?¡±

    ¡°Damn! Who cast a defense spell in such a ce?!¡±

    ¡°Crap, this is solid!¡±

    Just like that, the adventurers began to cause a ruckus .

    Apparently, transparent defense magic had been activated to block the passage .

    ¡°D-don¡¯t tell me ¡ª . ¡±

    I looked carefully at my left and right again .

    The roaring adventurers were banging and kicking the invisible wall . Being absolutely transparent, I thought it seemed like a Light element defense magic but ... different . Perhaps that was some other kind of magic .

    ¡°Vice-captain! This is terrible . The passage on this side is blocked by a mysterious barrier!¡±

    In the opposite direction from the adventurers, the passage on that side leading to the center was also blocked by a transparent wall that suddenly appeared, one Spada Knight reported .

    The left and right of the passage had been blocked .

    No, it was not just the passage .

    It was subtly visible if I tried to sense it . The existence of a ss-like transparent wall that shone faintly could be detected . In front of me, on my sides, all around me .

    ¡°¡ª Are we trapped?¡±

    The transparent barrier seemed to form a giant rectangle .

    It covered this 50-meter castle wall on all sides, including the passages we stood on, and covered all four sides .

    Since when? Without any one of us realizing, this transparent and invisible cage had been created .

    ¡°W-what is this?! What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    Vice-captain Eliwood eximed with a raised voice in astonishment . He seemed to notice the same thing I did and perfectly understood the predicament this fort Ghad had been put in .

    Clearly, this phenomenon was not a barrier utilized to defend the castle wall .

    If this was not a move from our side, then the Crusaders must be the one responsible for this .

    As if emphasizing their point, the Crusaders began to mobilize .

    ¡°Hey, this can¡¯t be ... . ¡±

    Though I had no clue what kind of magic they utilized, I found out what the Crusaders¡¯ target was .

    This transparent wall extended up like a staircase from the ground where the snow had fallen and piled up . It was a big staircase .

    The transparent barrier started about 10 meters to my left and right . In other words, it was about 20 meters wide across, with a vertical length that covered the castle wall from the ground up, which was about 50 meters .

    The stairs spanned the entire width of 20 meters .

    And the final destination of the stairs was the repaired breach in the wall, between the ground where we were standing and the passageway on top of the 50 meters majestic wall .

    ¡°Are they nning to climb on this and siege the castle directly like that?!¡±

    Doubting my sight, I kept rechecking my surroundings again and again . To my right, Fiona was clinging to the other side of the wall . Her expression was unusually impatient .

    To my left, I could see Lily in a simr state . She was sticking to the wall that blocked the passage and seemed to be shouting something while on the verge of tears .

    And when I looked ahead ¡ª .

    ¡°¡ª All army, advance! Attack!!¡±

    ¡°Kill the demons!¡±

    ¡°Destroy the demons!¡±

    ¡°Sacrifice Pandora to the gods!¡±

    ¡°May Gods be with us!!¡±

    The Armor Knights pushed forward . Therge Crusade Army began advancing violently as well . Their only opponents were us, standing on this 20-meter wide walkway . Our total number was roughly 100 or so .

    A medium-size squadron . In a nutshell, it was about as many as the Adventurer Alliance who fought together in Alsace .

    Indeed, while we were among the tens of thousands of allies in this battlefield, but currently isted without ess to reinforcements .

 Chapter 477

    Chapter 477

    ¡°¡ª Fiona! What is this barrier!?¡±

    With her small appearance, Lily squealed in an unusually upset voice while dashed all the way to where Fiona was . Though the passage was blocked, apparently the upper limit of the barrier was a little over 5 meters . Lily ran through the merging transparent top that that looked almost like a roof .

    ¡°This is probably ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ . ¡±

    Fiona answered without even giving Lily a nce .

    Lily did not ask her to exin what that was right away .

    It was not because Lily was familiar with it . Simply because Fiona¡¯s expression was unusually stern as she started at the approaching Crusaders from the other side of the wall .

    Fiona was scanning for something: the caster of this godforsaken barrier that had separated Kurono from herself .

    She was utilizing the magic of vision enhancement ¡°Hawkeye¡± that allowed her gleaming golden eyes to clearly identify the faces of each soldier even from this distance . Knowing that, Lily waited quietly .

    ¡°Just as I thought . It¡¯s Linfelt ... . ¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My ssmate . She¡¯s right there ¡ª the girl in a white robe with ck hair and ck eyes that sticks out like a sore thumb . ¡±

    From inside the barrier, I looked at the direction where Fiona was pointing . I could see Lily as well .

    Fiona was pointing at a girl dressed in a pure white robe, reminiscent of Sariel . Her face could be clearly seen because she was straddling a unicorn, making it easy to single her out among the crowd of humans .

    Indeed, her ck hair and eyes conspicuously stood out among the sordid all-male Crusader Army . She had a cute face but was not overflowing with charm .

    However, her features were slightly different from the finely chiseled characteristics of a pure Sinir . She appeared to be from a different race . Then I immediately realized .

    ¡°Could she be a foreigner?¡±

    Her features were simr to the girls of Hundred Numbers that I had the liberty to meet up close when I retrieved the ¡°Angel Ring¡± .

    ¡°I wonder . There are rumors about her going around, but no one knows the truth . ¡±

    Being Fiona¡¯s ssmate and a student of Elysion Magic Academy, it seemed unlikely that she was one of the experiments of ¡°White Sacrament¡± like Kurono . If she was an experiment and able to self-sustain independent actions that made her possible to live as a student without any problems, it would only mean that the Church¡¯s n to raise an army of homunculi was a sess .

    Of course, that did not exclude the possibility of her being identally be summoned into this world like Earl Redwing .

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter at this point . Do you have any ideas on how to break ¡®Sanctuary¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It can be broken with force, but ... from what I know, even if those trapped insidebined all their powers, this barrier would still be too strong for them to destroy . We¡¯re talking about dismantling a structure at thisrge, after all . It¡¯s unknown whether bombarding it with ¡®Al Soleil¡¯ could crack the barrier or not . ¡±

    Lily was aware of the fact that the barrier was tremendously strong, without having it spelled out to her .

    If it were something that could be broken easily, utilizing Al Soleil would have been overkill .

    The Crusaders, no, that girl named Linfelt must have a great confidence that her ¡°Sanctuary¡± would not be broken . Otherwise, she would not utilize it this way . Her method of trapping outdoor enemies like that using the barrier was unprecedented .

    ¡°Is that barrier capable of attacking?¡±

    ¡°She can drop the top and crush everyone . But that would mean inserting an extra procedure which increases the load on the barrier, making it more fragile . While it certainly can crush the human body, it can¡¯t smash the rocks . Perhaps it¡¯s possible to destroy it using an intermediate level magic . ¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know the current state of the barrier, do we?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant . What makes ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ special is the barrier itself . When tampered with human hands, its divinity is lost . ¡±

    Of the different magics that were given as blessings, there were often types that could not be manipted into other forms . Their activations would give certain fixed effects . God¡¯s magic could only be utilized as intended by god .

    Apparently, ¡°Sanctuary¡± worked that way . The only changes it could do were the area and number, but it would maintain its solid property .

    Perhaps the White God gave Linfelt more blessings . But then if that were the case, either Kurono with all those trapped inside would have been crushed already, or the castle walls would have been pulverized already . The limits of her ability had been proven the instant this situation was created: they were simply being trapped, not annihted .

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that Linfelt understands the weakness of the crushing maneuver . To push the barrier to its limit, we have no choice but to let the enemy soldiers rush in just as is already progressing . ¡±

    Since the barrier was transparent, it was unclear whether the front of it was already open from the very beginning, or we would be creating another opening . But there was no point in specting about it since both were simrly probable and could have been executed with ease .

    Like so, they were sessful in letting in their allies in the barrier for assaulting those of us that were trapped . The rest of their allies advanced toward the castle wall and inside, through the skilfully created staircase that acted as a scaffold for them . While Linfelt was letting enough soldiers to charge inside the barrier, we could easily make a safe breakthrough for us as well .

    However, the walls for Ghad fortress might be destroyed .

    ¡°We must take action before that happens . ¡±

    The worst-case scenario would be for Ghad fortress to crumble . But this did not matter to Lily . Nothing else mattered as long as she could run away with Kurono again .

    Unfortunately, Kurono was splendidly trapped inside ¡°Sanctuary¡± . When she managed to break the barrier, all the Spada soldiers in it would have been killed already .

    Being trapped in a space with no escape against so many enemies, even with Kurono¡¯s power, it would be no surprise if he could not aplish anything .

    ¡°Would it solve our problem if the caster were to be killed?¡±

    In general, the basic of magic was that once activated, the effect remained as long as the power trapped continued to flow . However, some of the special ones, such as Original, had a direct link between the user¡¯s will and the magic effect .

 Chapter 478

    Chapter 478

    In particr, this kind of magic in which a barrier-type object was utilized over such a wide area; it would immediately disappear without the caster¡¯s continuous consciousness .

    ¡°The barrier will be released if she fainted, but her death will have the same effect as well . ¡±

    Lily¡¯s telepathy could read the image in Fiona¡¯s mind at that moment .

    It was right in the middle of the wide schoolyard . In a uniform covered in soot, Linfelt had lost consciousness . Fiona was watching from above .

    It seemed that they had fought each other in a mock battle or something . Perhaps she could actually break the ceiling of the barrier this time .

    ¡°In that case ¡ª . ¡±

    ¡°Please wait . No matter how you look at it, killing Linfelt who¡¯s being protected by that many knights is not an easy feat . ¡±

    Fiona grabbed Lily¡¯s little arm to stop her, as she was about to dash off the castle wall .

    ¡°... Well then, there¡¯s no choice but to somehow make a disruption and make a hole big enough for Kurono to escape . ¡±

    ¡°Lily, even with your strength, maybe one hit is your limit, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me! A small hole is good enough, so I can use Telepathy to inform Kurono about ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ . ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right . Judging from the enemy formation, it seems that only Kurono who is at the front line that is likely to reach Linfelt . ¡±

    From the wall below, the Crusade Army was seen to approach step by step steadily . At the front row were the Armor Knights with strengthen shields . As long-range attack support to the infantry, some sorcerers and healer priests were sandwiched among them . Then immediately behind them were the archers .

    Linfelt was behind those archers and protected by a new unfamiliar Armor Knight and men who looked distinctly different from the other soldiers .

    Putting the noble¡¯s daughter on the battlefield was a very weak defense battle formation, but it might be necessary to be in this proximity to effectively utilize ¡°Sanctuary¡± .

    But only the front had a weak defense, and if we were to attack from Lily and Fiona¡¯s positions, tens of thousands of soldiers would interfere with this attack from the side .

    Moreover, there was also a small toon of Pegasus Knights that hover at a low altitude, perhaps to protect Linfelt from midair . With this formation, Lily¡¯s aerial attack would not be effective .

    ¡°I know already! Then let¡¯s quickly make a hole in the barrier ¡ª . ¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that . ¡±

    Fiona stopped Lily again, who was already putting her hands on the transparent wall ready to cast her magical power in an attempt to disrupt the barrier . Fiona gave Lily a pitiful look .

    ¡°Lily, you should calm down a little . ¡±

    While saying so, from her Dimension triangle hat, Fiona took out a nk scroll and a fountain pen for drawing magic circles which was worth 530,000 ns .

    ¡°This barrier is an Original called ¡®Sanctuary¡¯; a type of World Dimension, a very strong magic . It is impossible to break by force . If the caster is killed, the barrier will immediately be released . The caster is a ck-haired, ck-eyed girl . With white robe . Riding a unicorn . Her name is Linfelt .

    I will also support from here as long as I could . Godspeed, Kurono . ¡±

    Fiona wrote down the text, and then held it above her head with both her hands . At the same time, she waved the scroll with her entire body in hopes of catching Kurono¡¯s attention .

    The barrier walls were transparent, if the message was written down, it would be seen clearly from inside . It was quite obvious .

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry . I was stupid ... . ¡±

    Even though Lily knew she could not be heard, she muttered anyway, while facing Kurono, who already came closer from the inside of the barrier .

    ¡°¡ª!¡±

    Standing on the other side of the barrier wall, Kurono vigorously nodded and returned to his allies, who were standing courageously in front of the approaching enemy .

    ¡°Let¡¯s believe in Kurono and his power . If it doesn¡¯t work, then there¡¯s no helping it . Let¡¯s use my blessing ¡ª . ¡±

    ¡°... I see . So that girl is the caster, eh?¡±

    It was Vice-captain Eliwood who spoke as if he was impressed .

    I immediately ryed Fiona¡¯s message to the vice-captain, who was themander of this toon .

    Fortunately, the Armor Knights on the front row were trudging slowly dragging their heavy equipment . That gave us some time to prepare . It provided just enough time for me to exin the situation .

    ¡°The only way to break free from this situation is to prepare ourselves and attack . ¡±

    ¡°... All right . Let¡¯s get rid of that female caster by putting our lives on the line . ¡±

    In just one beat, vice-captain Eliwood undertook the deadly assault operation .

    Even though I was the one suggesting it, should he have made a decision so readily? ¡ª I did not express my thoughts, because I did not have any better ideas at that moment . I knew this barrier could not be broken by force, since I witnessed his earlier attempt .

    The transparent wall felt as hard as ss when touched . And the formidable hardness would not budge even when hit with moderate power . But above all, the reason for giving up the attack on the barrier was due to the ripple effect that could crumble the castle wall when power was inflicted on the barrier wall .

    When I attempted to cut it with the martial art ¡°Darkness Calm¡±, the cutting edge disappeared the moment it touched the barrier . The de did not disappear . To be precise, it was like when harvesting in Dimension¡¯s Shadow Gate ¡ª the attack seemed to be swallowed into another dimension .

    ording to Fiona¡¯s message, ¡°Sanctuary¡± was a World Dimension type magic .

    World Dimension was a type of magic more advanced than Dimension . Dimension was a space created by one¡¯s magical power . On the other hand, World Dimension was apletely otherworld space which effects were manifested into this world .

    If we were currently being trapped inside this ¡°Sanctuary¡±, the girl caster did not build these barrier walls using defense magic, but rather she was borrowing a part of the White God¡¯s world and letting it appear here .

    In other words, this transparent wall was not just some material that physically manifested, but the inside and the outside of the barrier were separated by a space that was part of the White God¡¯s world .

 Chapter 479

    Chapter 479

    The ck Demon King

    Chapter 23: Holy Maiden of Helvetia

    Episode 435: Heavy Infantry vs . Armor Knights (Part 1)

    ¡± ¡ª ¡®sma ster¡¯,unch!¡±

    A raging torrent of purple lightning swooped down on the imminent Crusaders .

    Firing the ¡°sma ster¡± that stood with a colossal height of 50 meters above ground was like an incessant downpour of lightning from the heavens . To be more precise, the lightning strikes were obliterating the Armor Knights who were defending themselves with Tower Shields .

    At the moment of impact, those who were swallowed up by the torrent of lightning would have to activate some sort of defensive martial arts to protect themselves . Unfortunately, no matter how heavily guarded the Armor Knights were, or how bombastically they imed their defenses to be, they could not withstand the shing and piercing of the sweltering heat and the torpedo attacks of the lightning strikes .

    The lightning of destruction halted for a split second when striking the steel shields of the knights . However, the purple lightning bolts regained their momentum, devouring and annihting the screaming lives without a trace .

    The insidious yet scintiting purple lightning pierced through thend covered in thick snow with its tremendoustent heat . The vastnd that was once covered with white had be singed by the formidable sma ster .

    White steam was billowing from the surface of the vastnd . The attack not only vaporized the snow, but also the wriggling white knights entirely . Even the Armor Knights, who had the greatest defensive power, could only withstand a split second under the attack . Mere infantrymen would be vaporized in nanoseconds by the furious lightning .

    With the overwhelming destructive power, Kurono¡¯s ¡°sma ster¡± smoldered a deep hole in the Crusaders¡¯ battlefield, just as it was intended .

    ¡°What a destructive power ... . ¡±

    Witnessing the destructive power of the sma ster, Eliwood unintentionally muttered, just in time his own destructive spell mmed into the Tri-shield deployed by the enemy¡¯s sorcerers unit, and the ovepping magic spells were eventually canceling each other out with a gigantic explosion .

    Eliwood, the vice-captain of ¡°diator¡±, the 4th unit, was originally a veteran of the elite 1st Spada Army unit, the ¡°Braveheart¡±, who reported directly to the King . Anyone from Spada would be able to guess his military history .

    His power was truly formidable . It would not be an exaggeration at all that his power wasparable to at least level 5 of the adventurer¡¯s rank . Moreover, it would be a nightmare to be his enemy .

    I was d we were on the same side . It was fortunate that he was trapped inside this barrier . Otherwise, there would be no telling the casualty he would bring to the battlefield . Feeling grateful for the fate bestowed upon him by the ck Gods, Eliwood finally took a step toward a journey of death as his sacrifice .

    ¡°¡ª Attaaaaack!!¡±

    Roaring a fearless war cry, the Spada heavy infantry lined up in the front row followed by the adventurers behind them .

    Their starting point was not the passageway on the castle wall, but in front of the hole that had already been repaired . Of course, it should have been an unreachable ce with no scaffolding . However, it was made essible by the gigantic stairs the enemy deployed using Sanctuary to go over the wall .

    The hole in the wall was about 15 meters above ground . If an adult ran, that distance could be covered in a blink of an eye .

    There were less than 100 assault units in total, and because of this small number, they were able to quickly jump into the hole Kurono made . Fortunately, the snow along the trajectory of the ¡°sma ster¡± had evaporated and exposed the soil beneath, which was easier to trek through . The giant Taurus that had been slumbering like a mound of snow became half exposed . It indicated the attack sent through a shockwave of intensely hot air .

    However, what spoke louder than words regarding the destructive power of the weapon, was the track on the ground where the beam hit directly . It turned molten red like magma that swallowed every existence in its path .

    The body armors of those that managed to escape a direct hit barely preserved their shape . However, they were smoldered and charred . They had be lifeless symbolism of the horror that had befallen that space .

    The Crusaders were terrorized by that picture of hell created in a blink of an eye . However, in front of the Spada Army that roared their fierce war cry and raised their swords to attack, the Crusaders quickly snapped back to their senses . They could not afford to be stunned forever .

    The wave of people in white started to move again . Though overwhelmingly small in number, they swallowed the enemy soldiers with their dauntless courage .

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    With the spear in his right hand, Eliwood lunged at the Crusader soldiers that were gantly trying to block his path . He pierced through two soldiers in one swift motion .

    The scarlet spear ¡°Vermilion Pilum¡± was exclusively created for the members of ¡°Braveheart¡± . Simr to the helmet armor we were wearing, the spear was made from aposite alloy of almadite ore and Mythril . It could pierce through the body that was only protected by the thin chain mail like a piece of paper .

    It did not have an additional ability to deploy magic attacks, but the purely spear-like swing made it the most reliable weapon in the fierce battlefield . The tip maintained its sharpness no matter how many enemies it pierced through . The handle was sturdy enough to withstand shes and blows from enemy attacks .

    At the same time as the bloody tip was pulled out of the soldier¡¯s chest, a golden round shield, the ¡°Golden Torus¡±, was thrust out with a swift motion . Along with a powerful step, the shield bashed at the corpses of the soldiers who had be mere obstacles .

    However, Eliwood didn¡¯t swing the shield just to get rid of the corpses that were in the way . He was deflecting the fireball attacks from the enemy sorcerers¡¯ unit that swooped down like an eagle attacking its prey .

    ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s warm!!¡±

    Unscathed heavy infantry were pushing through the sts and fumes .

    Eliwood wasn¡¯t the only one to handle the influx of the fire magic attacks . The heavy infantry pulled out their shields in unison as the Ignis Sagita were being fired at them all at once, and sessfully guarded themselves without breaking their formation . They managed to push through the enemy¡¯s heavy fire .

    Cooperation and each individual ability were crucial for the survival of this heavy infantry . They held a spear in one hand and a shield in the other to attack the enemy and protect themselves at the same time .

    The heavy infantry was equipped with round shields from the founding nation of Spada . The style of holding a spear in the right hand and a shield in the left hand was typical .

    Thoughrge, if the shield was held in one hand, they could not protect the right half of their bodies with just the spear in the right hand . To protect this opening, each of them held the shield a little bit to the left . That way, it helped protect the right side of theirrades on their left . However, the soldier standing at the rightmost end of the line did not have any protection on his right . Therefore, someone with the most ability was assigned at that position . Moreover, to strengthen the defense of the right side of the body to some extent, the person in charge of the rightmost position was equipped with a special gauntlet, the ¡°Right Hand Glory¡±, and arge shoulder te on the right . And hence, the gauntlet symbolized how powerful the wearer was . As the name suggested, he held glory in his right hand .

    That lustrous golden honor was on Eliwood¡¯s right arm .

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about small fry, proceed!¡±

    To stop the sessive enemy attacks, the scarlet heavy infantry cut their way through the enemy soldiers and literally opened a bloody path .

    The red spears crushed the white line of spears held at the ready when they shed with each other . The spears of the two armies collided with each other in a fierce spear match . However, it was obvious that the Spada army was as good as being dered the winner due to the inherent high quality of their equipment .

    Although they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, their abilities and fighting spirits of the knights of Spada pushed away the enemy and advanced fiercely .

    ¡°Move aside, petty soldiers! Let us the ¡°4th Unit of the Helvetian Armor Knights¡± stop them!¡±

    Even amid a maelstrom of bellows and screams, they still came forward .

    The infantrymen scattered hurriedly and could not maintain their spearhead formation . Then a new army with silvery-white full te armor emerged .

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s the general¡¯s escort! If we can go past him, taking her head is within our grasps!¡±

    The Armor Knights that were deployed around Linfelt to guard her came forward to prevent the assault . In fact, it was safer and more secure for us to fight those knights farther away, rather than right in front of the escort .

    With such arge number of people, even if they moved further away, countless infantry and sorcerers unit could still cover the defense . There was not much of an inconvenience, even though we were moving . Our opponent might think their defense was enough ¡ª . However, our side was prepared to go on a suicide mission to ughter our target at all cost . Their defensive formation appeared to have a lot of weak points where we could break through with just one blow . That one blow should be enough to take care of that weak maiden .

    For us to reach that point, we absolutely had to break through the ¡°4th Unit of the Helvetian Armor Knights¡± in front of us . The assault operation was about to face the greatest obstacle .

    ¡°Don¡¯t falter! Keep pushing forward! Ignis Charge!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t yield, force the enemy back! Ice Break!¡±

    Both sides were armed with shields and long-handled spears . The red heavy infantry and the white Armor Knights shed with each other and attacked with their refined martial arts .

    The red spears were zing with mes . The white Halberds were frozen with frosts . Violent shock waves resulted from the shing between contradictory energies of fire and ice .

    ¡°¡ª Ugh! What an absurd power! These stupid barbarians!¡±

    A man who appeared to be the leader of the Armor Knights shouted provokingly .

    The zing blow delivered by the Spada disrupted the organized Armor Knights . Some soldiers were faltering with severe burn marks on their magnificent silvery-white full te armors, while dodging the firey attacks . Some less fortunate soldiers who could not dodge had ck holes through their chests .

    Spada¡¯s most elite heavy infantry had proven that their abilities surpassed those of the Crusader¡¯s Armor Knights .

    ¡°Defend the line! Go over the corpses and push forward!¡±

    However, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered .

    The number of enemies defeated with a single ze was not small . Even so, some of our soldiers had fallen victim to the des of frozen air . Due to the small number, one dead soldier caused a fatal impact on the whole army .

    Originally, the reserve heavy infantry at the back of the line would push forward to fill the gap and maintain formation . Unfortunately, only adventurers desperate to protect themselves were left to fall in . Protecting their backs was already more than they could handle .

    Ideally, there should have been support attacks from the rearguard around this moment ... . However, neither arrows nor fireballs attacks were nowhere in sight . Even Kurono could not have been able to provide the perfect support for himself . Rather, he might have been obliterating the sorcerers since none were attacking at this point .

    He had done good enough work . The rearguard team left near the wall would have to do their best to protect themselves .

    Eliwood came to a clear decision not to use abusivenguage to boost his troops¡¯ morale . The only thing that illuminated his heart within those steel-like muscles was the fighting spirit .

    ¡°There are only a small number of enemies . Don¡¯t let anyone pass! Crush them all!!¡±

 Chapter 480

    <h4>Chapter 480</h4>

    ¡°W-Well, first, please ept a small token of our gratitude... Please, please, ept it...¡±

    A thin and small old man approached me, and began to bow repeatedly at me. I was a head taller than him, so I had a clear view of his extremely deste bald head.

    In addition to the frightened state of this man, who seemed to be about to start crying and begging for life at any moment, his old-man appearance and his conspicuous ck-rimmed sses made me think that he looked like some kind of dull office worker who was about to be suddenlyid off.

    This person called himself Randolph and offered to talk to me as a representative of the vige. He was wondering what I was going to do now that I hadpletely annihted the Crusader soldiers that were ravaging this vige.

    Rather than being courageous, it seemed that the reason why he had been the one to stand before me was that he had no other choice. The gazes of several vigers were piercing deeply into the back of his head.

    For the time being, I couldn¡¯t do anything but ept his offer.

    I knew I could escape as soon as I wanted to. Because of that, I thought I¡¯d get as much information here as I could while I was here. Sariel had only roughly exined the situation in and around the colonies, and that was all I knew. A glimpse was better than a thousand words.

    With an overwhelming tone, I said ¡°Okay¡± and followed him to a room where we sat at a table in order to discuss things.

    Its white-painted walls still felt new, but this room, which already had hints of daily life, was part of the church. I never thought I¡¯d ever set foot into a church of the Cross Church... But it was probably thergest building in the vige, so it also served as a meeting ce. I didn¡¯t think of it as anything else at this point.

    ¡°Umm, well, first of all, I¡¯d like to thank you for helping this vige.¡±

    For the time being, I returned a single nod to his words of gratitude, which seemed to be more like him desperately choosing words so as to not incur my wrath rather than honest gratitude.

    There was no need for me to say anything like ¡°Your wee¡± or ¡°I wasn¡¯t particrly trying to help your vige¡±. This old man was probing me, trying to see what my true intentions were, so I wasn¡¯t going to give him a chance to throw a barrage of questions at me.

    So I would be the one doing the questions first.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know why they hade to attack their vige, and under what circumstances.¡±

    Randolph looked a little annoyed at my question, as if I had responded to his words with a jab to the chin, but he then took a handkerchief out of his fur waist pocket, wiped the sweat on his forehead, and answered my question.

    ¡°Oh, ah, umm... Yeah, they suddenly showed up and said they were in a hurry to return to Sinir, so they ordered us to provide them with the supplies they needed for their trip...¡±

    Randolph stuttered a lot as he tried to answer, but still managed to urately exin what had happened.

    Just before I had started watching the vige, they appeared without warning and started asking for supplies. However, the Crusaders have alreadymandeered supplies from this vige as on their way towards Ghad, and so the food stockpiles of the vige were already quite low. The moment the vige mayor begged them to not take what little food they had, he was beheaded on the spot. Then, they started to take everything they wanted, and the priest of this church also lost his head among the chaos. After that, well, I arrived, and killed them all.

    ¡°Do you know which unit was the one behind this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that these were the troops led by Lord Mashram.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t know about him...? I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s the nephew of Count Bergunt, who now leads the entire Crusades attacking the neighboring country.¡±

    So it was that guy with a head that looked like a 1UP mushroom. Certainly, his shy armor looked like that of an aristocratic boy.

    ¡°So, the Count¡¯s nephew, huh?¡±

    The name ¡°Count Bergunt¡± was something I was familiar with. Fiona said he might be the suprememander of the Crusades, but this confirmed it. He was the only one who could have been behind Linfelt¡¯s castle siege.

    ¡°Lord Mashram must have been entrusted with the supply base in the 203rd that¡¯s close to this vige, but we have no idea why he had to return home in such a hurry.¡±

    ¡°He was escaping.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°He was running away. The Crusaders were defeated.¡±

    That¡¯s the only thing I could think of. Arge part of their soldiers must have managed to escape because they were located far behind the front line when their defeat was clear.

    It was a tant abandonment of his post, but I had heard Count Bergunt had been shot down. I didn¡¯t know if it was because Mashram was aiming to be the next head of the Bergunt family, or just because he was afraid that the Spada army would chase after him all the way here, but either way, from his point of view, there were many reasons to escape.

    ¡°I-Is that so...? Are you telling the truth?¡±

    As opposed to my assertive expression, Randolph had a confused look on his face, almost as if he was saying ¡°don¡¯t go saying such serious things all of a sudden like that¡±. Had the Crusaders already publicized their victory as something certain to their people?

    ¡°The official news of the Crusaders¡¯ defeat will soon reach this vige.¡±

    I had no other choice but to be the bearer of such news. At the very least, it was true that the news of the defeat reached Mashram¡¯s sources, who were stationed at the 203rd colony, once known as Qual Vige.

    I didn¡¯t know the details of the Crusaders¡¯ rout situation because I was not at the scene, but I was certain that if, on top of the scene of their entire armies withdrawing before their victory or defeat had been established, the 7th Apostle Sariel ¨Cwho was to be their savior¨C disappeared from the battlefield, the Crusaders would turn tail and flee miserably.

    ¡°A-Ah, I... I see...¡±

    Randolph was muttering to himself with his face down, but he immediately regained hisposure and raised his face.

    ¡°Um, by the way... What happened to Lord Mashram?¡±

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    There was no point in me hiding it. After all, they¡¯d soon find a headless corpse in silver-white armor and Mashram¡¯s head, with a solidified agonizing and crying expression, lying beside the shed.

    ¡°A-Ah, I... I see...¡±

    With a forced, bitterugh, Randolph¡¯s face gradually became more and more pale.

    It looked like me killing that aristocratic boy was a bit of an inconvenience.

    ¡°Will the vige pursue the case of Mashram¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know... Normally, the one responsible for it would be severely pursued, or at worst, the entire vige could be burned down as a penalty... But in the current situation, if it is true that the Crusaders have been defeated, then even such an investigation could be vague...¡±

    They didn¡¯t seem to know how to deal with these situations.

    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±

    ¡°W-Well, I don¡¯t think we have much choice but to keep our mouths shut.¡±

    His reply was immediate.

    However, it wasn¡¯t like he could have said something like ¡°I¡¯ll hand you over to the Crusaders!¡± or anything like that.

    ¡°U-Umm, this is an entirely different topic, but... Ah... Umm... What... What do you n to do now?

    And I couldn¡¯t be too upfront about what my intentions were either.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to harm this vige, but if you really appreciate my help in dealing with that unit, I¡¯ll take a reward.¡±

    ¡°Eeek! H-How... How much do you want? L-Like I said earlier, this vige doesn¡¯t have much food or money to spare... I-I¡¯m not sure I can offer anything that would satisfy you...¡±

    ¡°If you can arrange the necessary preparations so that two people can travel, that¡¯s good enough for me. Rest assured.¡±

    Even now, Randolph was so terribly desperate that he was hanging his head in front of me, and I hadn¡¯t chosen the best words to say what I wanted. I should have anticipated this and chosen my words more carefully.

    At any rate, if I could get myself back to Spada, then great.

    ¡°Oh, I see, sure, sure, thank you very much!¡±

    I could only manage to say ¡°sure¡± as Randolph had started to bow repeatedly in gratitude as if he was rubbing his forehead against the table.

    ¡°B-By the way... Can I ask you something?¡±

    Our conversation seemed to have reached a halt. I supposed he was entitled to at least ask me a question. Besides, I could always choose not to answer it.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve gone through some sort of ordeal... Are you perhaps some kind of knight that has managed to escape from the battlefield?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t just say ¡°no, I¡¯m just a wandering traveller who happened to be passing by¡±. He had already witnessed me cut down one Crusader soldier after another as if I was mowing down tall grass.

    But I didn¡¯t nod right away. Instead, I remained silent, and red at Randolph.

    ¡°Eeek! I-I¡¯m sorry! I wasn¡¯t trying to snoop on your circumstances... I-I was just thinking, if you maybe didn¡¯t want to be found by the Crusades, then... maybe... there was something we could probably cooperate with you... depending on what you wanted to do... ¡°

    If he believed I was some kind of deserter, of course he would think I didn¡¯t want to be found by the Crusaders. But what did he mean by ¡°cooperating¡± with me?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°W-Well, if that¡¯s okay with you... You could hide here in our vige.¡±

    To hide in the vige, huh?

    I hadn¡¯t thought of that. I had simply nned to steal from this vige and then disappear with the wind.

    To be honest, there was no reason for me to stay in such a ce forever. Rather, since it was in the middle of enemy territory, it was best for us to return to Spada as soon as possible.

    But the question was, could we actually depart for Spada under our current circumstances?

    ¡°If the Crusaders were defeated, many of their defeated soldiers would flow this way from the Alsace Fortress. And the road from here to Virginia, where the harbor is located, will be full of Crusader eyes for some time. So if you don¡¯t make haste... Then it would be definitely easier for you to hide here and keep a low profile until this chaos subsides...¡±

    Like Sariel said, soldiers would soon be flowing back from Alsace. They might not let go of that frontline base entirely, and they might be more vignt in case of a counterattack from Spada... but it was true that there would be fewer troops there than they were now.

    It seemed that I would have no better choice than to simplyy low and wait for the right time.

    ¡°Besides, we¡¯re in the middle of winter. No matter where you go, the road ahead will be rough. Going off road and into the snowy forests and mountains to go undetected would be nothing short of suicide.¡±

    I knew that it would be very possible for Sariel and I to travel even through snowy mountains, but it would still be quite dangerous. Was there really any benefit to rushing home and exposing ourselves to the danger of traversing the Ghad Mountains in the middle of winter?

    I had to think hard about that.

    ¡°So you offer me shelter in your vige. What¡¯s in it for you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think this man was offering me to stay here without getting something in return.

    He was, after all, offering shelter to a very dangerous man who was capable of killing dozens in a matter of seconds. He was either trying to get something out of this, or trying to set me up.

    He turned away from my ring gaze, but after a couple of sighs, Randolph opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

    ¡°With your help, our vige should be okay, even if more of the defeated soldierse here to attack us.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯d be employing me as some kind of bouncer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    It was a quite drastic proposition. I was a bit taken aback, to be honest.

    ¡°In fact, even without the Crusaders, the surroundings of this vige are still infested with dangerous monsters. Even now, most of the vige¡¯s vignte corps members are in the woods, driving giant armored bears out of the vige¡¯s borders...¡±

    Mashram and his party had appeared at the worst time for the vige.

    However, even if all the vige vigntes had been around, those five heavy knights and that Wind Mage would have destroyed them anyway.

    ¡°Those things have already killed and eaten three of our vigers, and are now persistently prowling around the vige, probably because they crave the taste of human flesh...¡±

    The first victim had been a lumberjack. He had been attacked and eaten alive by the first armored bear as soon as he set foot into the forest.

    The sudden appearance of such a fearsome monster prompted two of the Crusader soldiers stationed in the vige to hunt for it, which they seeded at, but were soon killed by another one of them.

    And at this moment, it seemed that every viger in what would be their own self-defense forces was out there, ready to die as they challenged those monstrosities.

    Even so, I had never heard of a monster called ¡°armored bear¡±. Perhaps, as the name suggests, they would look like regr bears but wearing armor, that is, being covered in some kind of hard shell... But at any rate, they wouldn¡¯t be like anything I¡¯d ever seen before.

    ¡°There is no guarantee that a new monster will not appear after these armored bears are dealt with. This vige might be a dangerous ce that could be crushed by monsters at any time... Still, to us pioneers who have been abandoned by our home country, we don¡¯t have any other ce we can call home.¡±

    Then, the tearful Randolph once again lowered his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll scrape up a reward for you somehow, so please... Please, stay in this vige and protect it, at least until the Crusaders¡¯ movements here have subsided!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know whether I could trust him or not. I couldn¡¯t give him an immediate answer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±

    That was the best answer I could give him at the time.

    ¡°Ah, please wait! Would you tell me your name, if that¡¯s okay with you?¡±

    Which reminded me, I had forgotten to tell him my name. Or rather, I knew that it would be quite risky to tell them my true name, so I had purposefully avoided doing that.

    However, having reached this point, it would be better for me to give them a name.

    ¡°My name is... Kuroe.¡±

    Of course, it was a fake name.

    Sariel was going through a period of terribly vague memories.

    ¡°Haah... Haah... One... One more day...?¡±

    The brain of a homunculus is excellent. And Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s memory was also outstanding. At the very least, Sariel kept remembering her experiences and memories almost as vividly as if they had happened quite recently.

    Therefore, now Sariel, whose memory shackles had beenpletely destroyed through Kurono¡¯s efforts, now had her own memories as well as Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s and the memories of Yuriko Shirasaki.

    ¡°Haah... Phew... I... I found it...¡±

    That¡¯s why there should never be a moment for her where her memories felt hazy or vague. If anything, it would be something like Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s early childhood... Actually, there could be only one other period of terrible instability in Sariel¡¯s body that would make it impossible to remember it clearly.

    ¡°I found it... A way to leave my mind behind, even if I were to disappear...¡±

    It was the time when Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s personality and the personality that would eventually be Sariel existed at the same time.

    At that time, the ¡°Angel Ring¡± was causing Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s essence to walk the path of gradual destruction while at the same time gradually generating the new personality as Sariel.

    During her early days of existence as Sariel, the aspects of her new personality awakened only for a short time at any given day. However, its growth elerated within just a few days.

    Before long, her new personality was able to awaken only whenever her former personality was asleep. As her new personality continued to grow, it gradually began to take over the old one as the times where each personality was awake got reversed.

    From the former¡¯s personality¡¯s point of view, it would soon find itself falling into the illusion that she was spending most of the day sleeping.

    This gradual personality reversal phenomenon may have been experienced by Kurono himself as well.

    However, Kurono had managed to remain as Kurono Mao since he seeded in escaping the grasp of the ¡°Angel Ring¡± at thest moment, right before his personality disappeared.

    It had been a miracle that could only happen to one in several hundreds ¨Cno, as far as Sariel knew, it could only happen to one in several thousands of experimental bodies.

    However, as Shirasaki Yuriko was no exception, she could not escape the fate of her personality disappearing.

    ¡°Haha, if there is ¡®magic¡¯... then there are also ¡®curses¡¯...¡±

    Her will had beenpletely wiped out.

    So this was just a memory. It was nothing but a vague memory mixed with noise because two personalities existed in one body at the same time back then.

    ¡°There was a certain ¡®curse¡¯... Without a doubt, that was a ¡®curse¡¯...¡±

    With great difficulty, the memory she recalled had been revived.

    Maneuvering experiments. Repeated over and over for God knows how long.

    A single human standing as her opponent. He was armed with nothing but a simple steel longsword,pletely ordinary ¨Cuntil a faint, red-ck, eerie aura emerged from its de.

    In other words, a cursed weapon.

    ¡°Then, even I...¡±

    She didn¡¯t have too much of a hard time.

    Back then, the one in charge of her body was still her former personality, that is, Shirasaki Yuriko.

    Compared to the newborn Sariel ... No, even now, Sariel still thought like this. Even now that she had umted battle experience as the Seventh Apostle, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fight as well as Shirasaki Yuriko ever did.

    ¡°Even I...¡±

    However, this is probably thest maneuvering experiment that Shirasaki Yuriko ever fought in. No matter how many times Sariel rummaged through her memories, she couldn¡¯t find any battle records of her ever since.

    Then, Sariel urately remembered the next maneuvering experiment. Her opponent was a golem. It wasn¡¯t a Light Golem, but a wild golem that was made up of rocks and was over 3 meters tall.

    The scene of her spear piercing through the core located in the golem¡¯s chest was immediately revived in her brain.

    In other words, Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s personality disappearedpletely at some point between the battle with the cursed swordsman and the battle with the golem. Every single memory after that point waspletely clear.

    ¡°...Hey, you, other me...¡±

    That¡¯s why Sariel wasn¡¯t confident about her memories around this time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hold any grudges against you...¡±

    This feeling felt like a dream.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this feeling to disappear.¡±

    Shirasaki Yuriko was speaking to Sariel.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll engrave this into my heart... this ¡®curse¡¯ called ¡®love¡¯.¡±

    She was speaking herst words.

    ¡°Kurono-kun, I love you¨C¡±

    With a click, Sariel opened her red eyes wide.

    Her situation hadn¡¯t changed. She wasying on the bed inside that small cabin. The sunny winter sunshine was shining through the windows, brightly illuminating the room.

    She had slept lightly. And she had dreamed. The contents of that dream were unclear... but Sariel decided that it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to worry about.

    Her precise internal clock told her that the time was just around noon.

    ¡°...¡±

    Sariel closed her eyes again and continued toy in bed.

    The fact that she had carelessly fallen asleep twice by now could have been proof that her physical strength hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Yesterday, she had been in a literal fight to the death using her power as an Apostle, and then, after the battle, she had spent the night with Kurono... At any rate, she felt that she must be still in a state of fatigue.

    However, sleeping alone was too dangerous. Sariel wasn¡¯t nning to fall asleep a third time. Even so, her having no choice but to remain in bed made her feel like she was nothing but a doll that had been left unfinished and abandoned.

    She didn¡¯t want to fall asleep, but she needed to be physically rested so that she didn¡¯t use up extra physical strength. And at the same time, her awakened consciousness was sharply alerted to the outside of the cabin.

    The inside of the cabin was surrounded by silence.

    All she could hear was the smooth humming of the stream just behind the hut and the asional beautiful birdsongs from the forest.

    There was an atmosphere of a scenic spot full of abundant nature that people living in the city could only long for... but this was still a dungeon.

    At that moment, Sariel heard the sound of twigs being stepped on in the distance.

    ¡°...Distance is 300.¡±

    She had determined that the noise hade from 300 meters away from her current position.

    It was right then that Sariel realized that her abilities had fallen to less than one-third of her usual strength.

    Had she been focusing on finding an enemy, she would have been able to hear every noise within a 1km radius. And that distance was now only 300 meters. And it had also been so because the sound itself had been quite distinct.

    But Sariel simply epted that fact. She could no longer remember the feeling of attachment to power that her former Apostle self was so proud of.

    Without a single emotion in her heart, Sariel continued to pay attention to the existence of ¡°someone¡± using her enhanced senses..

    ¡°Distance is 100.¡±

    This ¡°someone¡± seemed to be heading straight towards this cabin. She heard the sound of this person stepping over branches and twigs a second time, then a third time, but once he was within 100 meters, she could feel ¡°his¡± presence clearly.

    And she was convinced that the person approaching the cabin was not Kurono.

    A rough nasal breathing. The sound of footsteps moving through the thick snow. All these sounds had already reached Sariel¡¯s ears clearly.

    The thing outside the cabin was a monster.

    ¡°Distance is 10.¡±

    The monster stopped right outside the cabin.

    It was only one monster. There were no signs of others like it around. It was probably a species that hunted alone.

    It was at least much bigger than the average human. By summing up the auditory information collected up to this point, Sariel could infer that it was about the size of an elephant when walking on four legs. It was a medium-sized monster, but its ferocious presence indicated a certain level of danger.

    Such a dreadful creature was lurking right outside the cabin.

    However, Sariel didn¡¯t move. And even if she had wanted to move, she couldn¡¯t.

    She could feel the monster circling around the cabin as if trying to look inside. It was already aware that there was prey inside, and it had learned that from a distance of at least 300 meters.

    ¡°...¡±

    Sariel waited patiently. Her eyes were still closed, and she remained motionless as if sleeping. She would remain like this until the monster dared step into the cabin.

    She had told Kurono that the cabin was surrounded by a barrier that warded off monsters, but that exnation hadn¡¯t been urate. Though there was indeed a barrier, it only worked against weak monsters.

    The weak wavelength of magical power emitted around the cabin was only able to ward off goblins and slimes at best. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to be effective at keeping this hungry medium-sized monster away.

    Until this day, monsters and animals had not been able to enter the cabin while it was empty thanks to the barrier that was still effective even if its master was gone. But now that someone was inside,rger monsters would be lured to the cabin as they searched for prey.

    ¡°...Here ites.¡±

    After circling the cabin several times, the monster stood directly in front of the door and then took a step forward.

    Sariel didn¡¯t even need her superhuman hearing to detect the sound of the monster¡¯s steps on the snow as it approached the cabin¡¯s door.

    Then, it stood right in front of the door as if it was about to ring the bell¨C And the next moment, one of the cabin¡¯s walls was gone.

    The deafening roar of a ferocious beast echoed along with the thunderous sound of doors and wooden walls being smashed.

    ¡°Armored bear.¡±

    Sariel knew the name of the monster that had just appeared before her.

    It was a monstermonly known in the Republic of Sinir as the ¡°armored bear¡±. It was one of the most famous monsters that inhabited the entire Ark continent. As its name implies, it looked like a big bear wearing something simr to steel armor tes.

    The true identity of its armor was a metallic shell. It had an aggressive design with thorns, like a crab¡¯s carapace, and a dull gray shine. Its thickness and hardness wereparable to the real full te mail worn by Armor Knights. In fact, looking at both of raw defensive capabilities without taking magical effects into ount, the armored bear had the better gear.

    The armored bear that had appeared was about 5 meters tall. It wasrger than the average. If it were to stand up straight, it would break through the cabin¡¯s ceiling. It had broken into the cabin while walking on all fours, as if it was forcingly bending its body to do so.

    It then roared sharply, perhaps out of an urge to intimidate its prey, or even out of joy of itself actually finding it.

    Sariel opened her eyes, directing her sharp red gaze towards the intruder.

    The armored bear and Sariel stared at each other for a while. The one who was going to eat and the one who was going to be eaten. Their rtionship was clear.

    A small human girl lying unprotected facing a giant armored bear full of wild, raw power. And the girl had no legs to escape and only one left arm to swing a weapon with.

    However, there was no weapon powerful enough to prate the armored bear¡¯s irond defense in this cabin. Kurono had taken with him the only knife there had been.

    Since she was unable to move, Sariel was as good as dead meat from the armored bear¡¯s perspective. She was nothing but a delicious morsel that was unable to run away or resist.

    Therefore, the monster had no need for hesitation or vignce. Its thick, yetrge, knife-like ws rudely approached Sariel¡¯s white body.

    The armored bear threw itself violently at Sariel. From its point of view, it was just a casual action used to suppress its prey. But the swing of its irond arms was powerful enough to smash the bed on which Sariely in half.

    nkets and sheets were torn apart by the armored bear¡¯s vicious ws, flying in the air as if dancing to the roaring sound of the wooden bed being smashed. But there was no Sariel to be found under the armored bear¡¯s ws, and no delicate white body had been crushed by them.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    A short breathing sound. When the armored bear perceived it with its highly sensitive hearing, he was finally able to find Sariel.

    Sariel¡¯s body was floating in the air. It had bounced on the spot.

    The moment the armored bear brought its arms down, she used her torso like a spring, propelling herself up into the air without the need for arms or legs to support her motion.

    Sariel, who didn¡¯t have the ability to fly like a fairy, should have fallen into the wreckage of the crushed bed soon afterwards, but before that could happen, she moved her remaining left hand.

    Her white fingertips gently touched the protruding armored bear¡¯s arm. They were shaped as if a small thorn had been appended to their ends.

    Using them as a grapple, Sariel pulled her own body towards the armored bear.

    The monster opened itsrge mouth to chomp down on Sariel¡¯s small body, her white hand was already in front of it. A small hand that resembled a knife.

    ¡°Stinger¡±

    A single ray of light pierced the armored bear¡¯s head.

    Since she no longer had any white magical power, Sariel couldn¡¯t use magic. However, the magical power in her body was not zero. She still had ess to the magical power of life needed for homunculus to exist.

    Basically, magic uses primary color magical power. Which attributes reside in the body, or whether one¡¯s own vital force could be converted into primary color magical power, depended on the talent and constitution of each individual.

    And without any white magical power, it was also impossible for Sariel to generate the pseudo-primary color magical power required to activate magic.

    However, martial arts that tap into one¡¯s vital force to be activated were no problem for her.

    Thus Sariel was able to unleash her ¡°Stinger¡±, which had the power of martial arts in addition to her superhuman strength, which was hard to believe from her slender and frail-looking left arm.

    Its piercing force, which boasted the power as a chargence, was aimed at the eyes of the armored bear. Its head was covered with a shell like a helmet, and its forehead was thickly covered. However, its eyes werepletely unprotected.

    Sariel thrust his fingertips into the only weak point exposed in the armored bear¡¯s face.

    Her middle finger poked into an eyeball. From there, the piercing mercilessly pushed forward as if digging into its eye socket. While breaking the shell around his eyes, Sariel¡¯s handpletely prated into the head of the armored bear.

    Her fingertips smashed through the hard skull effortlessly, finally reaching the fragile brain protected within it.

    It¡¯s much smaller than a person¡¯s. Even Sariel¡¯s small palm could hold it.

    Then she squeezed the armored bear¡¯s brain. It felt like crushing a ripe tomato.

    The armored bear stopped moving and copsed on the spot, making a short but painful cry as Sariel pulled her hand out of its eye.

    Her broken body was strong enough to hit it with her martial art, but the action of pulling her hand out in an instant was impossible without the help of her right arm or both legs.

    Sariel managed to pull her left arm out of the armored bear¡¯s head by shaking her body after falling on the wreckage of the destroyed bed.

    ck blood painted the lower side of her arm all the way to the elbow, and small brain pieces were clinging to her muddy fingertips.

    Sariel gazed at her dirty left arm with her bright red eyes. Then she looked left and right.

    ¡°...What should I do?¡±

    Sariel closed her eyes as if she was going back to sleep, either to think what she could say to apologize to Kurono for this mess, or to escape this reality for a while.

 Chapter 481

    <h4>Chapter 481</h4>

    In the slums of the Republic of Sinir, there was a pair of young siblings, a brother and her younger sister, who had lost their parents. Without any other rtives to take care of them, they, like many other orphans, were taken under the wing of the Cross Church.

    However, the ce where they were greeted was not a regr orphanage for living a simplemunal life.

    It was a mysterious facility with a series of pure white walls without a single stain. The secret organization of the church called ¡°White Sacrament¡± was an insane proving site for conducting horrific experiments on humans.

    Since the brother and his younger sister were loyal soldiers who serve the White God, they would spend days of harsh training, killing others like them and undergoing inhuman remodeling surgeries.

    By the time the two became adults, they were elite soldiers who had mastered both martial arts and magic.

    However, the battlefield where the two were sent to fight their first campaign, that is, the Crusaders¡¯ battle for the Ghad Fortress had been a hell beyond imagination.

    A huge wall stood before them, and the strong Spada Army that protected it. And above all, the heroes who had an amazing fighting ability, enough topete with the Apostles on equal terms.

    The Sword King Leonhart, who had cut down their secret weapon, the Taurus. The Devil of Alsace, who humiliated the Holy Girl of Helvetia in the middle of the battlefield... And not only them. There were many other powerful people fighting for Spada.

    Then, the Crusaders finally found themselves cornered. The brother and her younger sister, despite having been trained as elite soldiers, would also suffer a terrible defeat.

    As the Crusaders were instructed to withdraw, and in the turmoil of being chased by the Spada Army, the two siblings seized their chance to run for their lives.

    No matter how strong they had be, they couldn¡¯t defeat Spada or their demons. Though they had escaped with their lives, their everyday life full of continuous inhuman remodeling and hellish training was the only thing waiting for them back ¡°home¡±.

    Because of that, they decided to run away from it all.

    The older brother carried his injured sister on his back and escaped from the battlefield in Ghad. He turned his back on the God he was supposed to devote himself to, and began their escape into treason, for which the church would have no forgiveness.

    Would there really be a way out for these two siblings...?

    ¡°¨CLet¡¯s go with this story.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Back in the cabin, which had lost its entire front wall and was nowpletely exposed to the winding from outside, I told Sariel a story that was half truth and half lies.

    I had sat down by the crackling firece while holding Sariel¡¯s broken body on myp and covering it with a nket. I could tolerate the cold, but I wanted to feel the warmth of a firece just like anyone else.

    Incidentally, I was merely holding Sariel like that because there was no other ce in this broken cabin for Sariel to lie down or sit down. I simply had no other choice. I would never forgive her, and I would never fall for her.

    I was sure that the slight feeling of embarrassment I had by feeling Sariel¡¯s warm body close to mine was nothing but my body ying tricks on me.

    ¡°I have already told them that my name was Kuroe. As for you, hmm...¡±

    If possible, a false name thates naturally to the mind would be best. If we were to spend too long reacting to each other¡¯s names, people would start getting suspicious. We had to make sure our masquerade remained unbroken for as long as possible.

    After several seconds of internal deliberation, a single name was unanimously agreed upon.

    ¡°Call yourself Yuuri.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t call me by name.¡±

    ¡°...Big bro?¡±

    ¡°Just ¡®brother¡¯ is fine.¡±

    ¡°Understood, brother.¡±

    Perhaps this was Sariel¡¯s idea of a joke? I didn¡¯t understand why she first thought it appropriate to call me by name, only to then go full ¡®little sister¡¯ and call me ¡®big bro¡¯.

    Her poker face made her look even more elusive than Fiona. Though I can¡¯t say I could get along so easily with someone who had been my nemesis until yesterday.

    Even if there was a speck of Shirasaki-san¡¯s personality left in her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say the two of us would get along.

    ¡°But I wonder if this will be enough...¡±

    ¡°The vigers will most probably think it too dangerous to be snooping in our business. Giving the impression that we¡¯re hiding something that is too hard to talk about should be enough.¡±

    ¡°And it won¡¯t matter as long as we can protect them, too.¡±

    After leaving the vige, I came back straight to the cabin.

    And then I found it in this state.

    The cabin¡¯s front had been cruelly torn apart, a ridiculous bear-like monster was lying dead inside, and Sariel was sleeping in a broken bed as if nothing had happened... Then I was somehow able to grasp the situation.

    This monster must have been one of the armored bears who killed and ate three people from that vige. It was a huge, scary man-eating bear, and yet the thing that terrified me the most was Sariel¡¯s ability to kill it with her broken body. Even now that her blessing was gone, she was still more of a monster than that bear.

    At any rate, another thing that got me thinking was that there had never been such monsters around here back when I was living here.

    Perhaps because of the disappearance of Lily and the other fairies, this forest was now infested with monsters that have never lived here before. And now that I was thinking about it, this Fairy Garden had been kept safe as a level 1 dungeon because I had been timely eliminating dangerous monsters, just like Lily had been dealing with those goblins.

    However, as soon as the cute guardian deity of the forest disappeared, various monsters flowed in from other areas and started to live in this forest. In the near future, this dungeon¡¯s risk level could rise to as high as 3.

    Those were the things I could infer after the sun was about to set, and the initial shock of finding the cabin in this state had subsided.

    I couldn¡¯t go back to the vige. I had no choice but to camp in the cabin for the night.

    ¡°But still... Are we really sure this will be okay?¡±

    After discussing it with Sariel, we decided that we¡¯d ept Randolph¡¯s offer to let us stay in their vige in exchange for me to act as their defender.

    Of course, we had our anxieties about it.

    However, considering our current situation once again, we realized that it was actually safer and more reliable to hide in the vige and gather as much information while getting to return to Spada. Considering the danger of traversing snowy mountains, we would have to stay until early spring, when the snow melts.

    ¡°If we are found by the Crusaders, all we have to do is escape on the spot. With those legs of yours, once you get into this forest, you¡¯ll be able to lose any chasers easily.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that happens, I¡¯ll have to be ready to force my way through.¡±

    Even if they decide to cross Ghad in their current state, they would most likely be found by the Crusader soldiers based in Alsace who were positioned as border guards. In preparation for Spada¡¯s counterattack, they would be building a surveincework with their Pegasus Knights to ensure that not a single fly crossed over the mountains and forests, as well as the roads.

    Even if they could escape into the forest, their best choice was to wait patiently.

    ¡°Well, the vigers have already seen my true face, so if the Crusaders start cing wanted signs in the vige, it¡¯ll be all over, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start hiding our faces tomorrow.¡±

    Sariel said that while looking up at my face as I continued to hold her in my arms. She didn¡¯t seem to me me for doing something as stupid as showing my true face to the vigers, but she naturally felt it had been a shame. After all, I should have worn a mask thatpletely covered my face and not only a simple hood, just in case.

    ¡°...Isn¡¯t it toote for me already?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s pray they haven¡¯t noticed yet.¡±

    ¡°Who are you going to pray to?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t Japanese people pray even if they don¡¯t believe in God?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Before I realized it, I wasughing.

    Truly, us Japanese do say things like ¡°Help me, God!¡± only when it¡¯s convenient to us. And the next day, we¡¯d turn away from God and quickly pray to a different, unknown god, which I found to be absurd.

    ¡°W-What is it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I noticed that Sariel was staring at me. She told me that it was nothing, but she seemed to be staring at me too intently for it to be nothing.

    It felt really ufortable. Was it some kind of new mental attack?

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day for today.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stand being silently stared at anymore. Besides, it was gettingte already. It was a good time to sleep. Though I would stay up keeping watch.

    ¡°...Is it really okay?¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°To... Not do it today?¡±

    I didn¡¯t even feel like asking ¡°do what?¡±.

    I stared into her lifeless eyes and dered:

    ¡°Never again.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t do that anymore. Even I had some pride left after all that had happened between us.

    ¡°Alright? Now sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay... Good night.¡±

    Then, we spent that night like that, with me hugging her motionless body as if I had flicked her switch off.

    ¡°Ah, thank you very much!¡±

    After a slightly awkwardugh, Randolph expressed his gratitude.

    I had reluctantly left the broken cabin behind, with only Sariel and the luggage I could carry on my back and dragging the corpse of the armored bear over the snowy road thanks to the Bind Arts¡¯ ck chains, and headed once again for the 202nd colony once again.

    The vigers didn¡¯t cheer at the sight of the corpse of the man-eating armored bear that had plunged the vige into the depths of horror, but instead were left speechless as they stared at me with eyes full of terror. Randolph was once again forced to stand as an acting leader for the vige, which had the same atmosphere as when I made a triumphant return to Spada from the old castle of Iskia.

    After that, he called me into the same room we had met the day before to have another talk.

    ¡°I¡¯m really d you¡¯re back... With someone as strong as you in our vige, our people can safely work outside again.¡±

    After a brief greeting, I went straight to the point and told him that I would ept his request to defend the vige in exchange for letting us stay for a while. I couldn¡¯t afford getting involved in small talk, as Randolph could start getting anxious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡±

    ¡°Once again, thank you very much. We¡¯re counting on you.¡±

    After a firm handshake, our deal was sealed. However, there were still some details left to discuss.

    ¡°...By the way, Sir Kuroe, who is she?¡±

    This is the first question that Randolph asked me as we sat face to face by the table, just like yesterday. I wondered if he wasn¡¯t forcing himself to ask that, though.

    ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±

    ¡°My name is Yuuri. Thanks for taking care of my brother and I.¡±

    Sariel introduced herself without hesitation and exactly how we had rehearsed it.

    The only thing her actcked for it to perfect was a cute smile, but asking this lifeless doll to do that without looking fake would have been a bit of a stretch.

    ¡°Ah, how do you do? My name is Randolph and I¡¯m the new head of this vige. If there¡¯s anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡±

    I had so casually learned from this greeting that Randolph had officially be the new vige¡¯s mayor. It looked like there was no one better qualified for the job than him.

    ¡°I was told that I had to prepare a trip for two people, so I had thought you had another member of your squadron with you... I see, so you¡¯re brother and sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Yuuri and I are Crusader soldiers who went to fight in the battle at Ghad Fortress. As you can probably imagine, we¡¯re deserters¨C¡±

    And so I set the foundation to gradually begin telling the story I had created.

    The two of us joined the special forces after a hellish training. And once we took part in the war, we were faced with a disaster far worse than any training we¡¯d ever had, and ultimately escaped. We had no way to return to our original unit, and had no intention to do so.

    When reciting this story, I tried to speak as if I was trying to conceal my sadness. I wasn¡¯t sure I did a good job, though. Back in high school, I hadn¡¯t been part of the drama club, but the literary club. And incidentally, Sariel too.

    ¡°I somehow managed to escape safely, but as you can see, my sister... A terrifyingly strong Spada knight cut off both of her legs and right arm.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh dear... It seems that the battle at Ghad Fortress was even fiercer than it was rumored...¡±

    Aside from my acting ability, Sariel¡¯s mutted body was probably the most convincing factor in my story.

    I could see Randolph¡¯s teardrops shining as they overflowed on the edges of his ck-rimmed sses against his wishes.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re d the battle is over.¡±

    I hid my true intentions with a coating so feeble it coulde off at any moment, implying I would be grateful if we didn¡¯t talk about such sad things any further and continued with our story.

    ¡°Ah, yes, right, umm... About your faces...?¡±

    ¡°The masks were a bad idea after all, huh?¡±

    So far, I had talked with Randolph with my facepletely revealed, but today, Sariel and I were covering our faces with makeshift masks.

    My white winter robe had a hood, so I managed to hide my face by simply wearing it and wrapping a towel around my mouth. It would have looked a bit better if it had been a muffler instead of a towel, but I couldn¡¯t really ask for much luxury at the moment.

    But Sariel¡¯s mask looked even worse than mine. She had covered her entire face with a bandage, giving the impression that she had sustained major burns. And of course, her trademark silver hair was also rolled in arge bun and coveredpletely with a towel, which made it look like she was wearing some kind of turban.

    ¡°Well, if you cover your faces like that, the vigers are going to be... scared of you. Besides, if you¡¯re constantly wearing a mask, people are going to start growing suspicious of you both.¡±

    He had a point. But at the moment, we had no other way to hide our faces.

    I should have bought that cursed stone mask at the tool shop when I was living in Ils Vige, even if it was fake. Wait, no, that mask would have made me look even more suspicious.

    ¡°Do you know any better way?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, I do... Actually, I have prepared it right here...¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe this guy! I was surprised to see that he had considered we might want to hide our faces and actually prepared something in advance to help us with that. Perhaps this trait of his was one of the things that had allowed him to be the new head of this vige.

    ¡°Please, feel free to use these Magic Items to disguise yourselves.¡±

    He quickly ced two items on the table. A pair of ck-rimmed sses simr to those worn by Randolph himself, and a pair of small, unadorned hairpins that would be easily lost if dropped on the floor.

    ¡°¡®Coloring Eyes¡¯ and ¡®Prismatic Hairpins.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you know about these.¡±

    Sariel casually called those items by their names. I supposed I could infer what their effects would be based on their names.

    ¡°Thank you very much. We¡¯ll use these.¡±

    I quickly took the sses for myself while giving the hairpins to Sariel.

    ¡°...So, how do I look?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve changed alright. Are you okay with having blue eyes?¡±

    So these sses had made my eyes look blue.

    Considering that having blue eyes was amon trait of the people of the Republic of Sinir, this color would make me blend in much better. So I nodded.

    Then I turned to Sariel, thinking that I should have actually helped her put on the hairpins instead of just giving them to her. But then...

    The turban and bandages had all been undone as if some unseen force had pushed them out of her head. But more importantly, I was captivated by her long, fluttering hair.

    It too had changed into a shiny beige color.

    ¡°How does this look, brother?¡±

    I was too close to unconsciously say ¡°Hey, Sariel!¡± and destroy the story we had rehearsed on in a single stroke.

    I had to calm down. Any color would do. Even the shiny beige color that reminded me so much of Shirasaki Yuriko.

    ¡°Yeah, it looks good.¡±

    At any rate, thispleted our disguise.

    ¡°Uh, next, I¡¯d like to talk about remuneration¨C¡±

    Randolph cut to the most important matter for the vige, but my attention was suddenly shifted to the outside, that is, to the room right next to the one we were in.

    ¡°...What¡¯s with all that rattle?¡±

    I heard the voice of a man screaming so clearly that I didn¡¯t have to try too hard to hear it. And Randolph heard it as well.

    It sounded like some kind of dispute. My curiosity almost got the best of me , and I was about to get off my chair and see what was going on, but...

    ¡°Hey! You, you¡¯re that suspicious bastard who¡¯s trying to get into our vige!!¡±

    The door was kicked open with such a force that the hinges came off, causing the door to make an even louder noise as it mmed itself onto the floor.

    Behind such a violent disy, I gazed upon a man that exuded an aura of abundant hostility.

    He was quite big, maybe more than me. I could see that he was very brawny, despite his thick fur coat. At first nce, he looked like a hunter, but judging from therge battle ax he was carrying, he was equipped for fighting monsters.

    He looked like a rugged amateur, which by now seemed to be amon trait among the people of this world. He reminded me of the typical jock in superhero movies that would bully the protagonist before they be the hero. He also didn¡¯t seem to be much older or younger than me.

    He was blond and had blue eyes, just like any other person from the Republic of Sinir. However, what stood out the most was his hairstyle, which was basically a swept back hair with long bangs that looked as if they had been hardened with wax. His hair made me wonder if there really were enough wax and hair styling products to sustain such a hairstyle in a rural vige such as this one.

    ¡°Yeah, you seem to be the one everyone¡¯s talking about... Hey, don¡¯t you dare look at me like that, you bastard!¡±

    I was sure I was looking at him like my eyes were two sharp daggers, but no one had ever called me out on that so bluntly.

    ¡°W-Wait, Ryan, stop! This is our benefactor¨C¡±

    ¡°Benefactor? Come on, uncle, are you really sure about this?¡±

    The young man called Ryan seemed to be Randolph¡¯s nephew. And he also seemed to distrust me with a passion.

    ¡°Come on, uncle! Look at this guy! He¡¯s as wicked as one can get! Even the boss of the gang that rules over the slums of Elysion doesn¡¯t look as bad as this guy!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say for sure that I¡¯ve never had a worse first meeting than this one.

    But thinking about it, I was just a stranger that Randolph wanted to bring into the vige as a defender. Even if Ryan knew the advantages of it, looking at how I had ughtered those knights and a glimpse at my face was certainly enough to feel a strong aversion towards me.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to have to leave now. The vige has agreed that we¡¯d be weing them here. It¡¯s decided.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to this! I can¡¯t ept this suspicious guy here! Who knows what his true intention is... Look! He¡¯s even brought a dead armored bear with him! He¡¯s stealing our game from us! Even worse, he¡¯s probably the one behind the bears¡¯ attacks! His timing is too convenient!¡±

    It seemed that the corpse of the armored bear that I brought as a gift actually backfired and made me seem suspicious. I could understand why Ryan would think that the timing of my arrival was a little too convenient.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for any further than this, Ryan, not even from you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, uncle, but I¡¯m against allowing them into our vige. This guy, and this girl...¨C!?¡±

    Then, when Ryan turned his attention to Sariel sitting next to me for the first time, their eyes met. Maybe...

    ¡°...¡±

    Although she now had beige hair, her eyes ¨Cwhich were still brighter than rubies¨C- were directed straight toward Ryan. She said nothing.

    And Ryan didn¡¯t say a word either. He didn¡¯tin about the way she was looking at him. A mysterious silence engulfed the entire room.

    This went on for several seconds, until Sariel finally turned away from his gaze, as if she hadpletely lost interest.

    ¡°...How pretty.¡±

    Then Ryan finally broke the silence.

    ¡°So pretty... You¡¯re an angel, you have to be...¡±

    It was love at first sight.

    Well, Sariel¡¯s face was as cute as Lily¡¯s when she¡¯s in her little girl form. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to think that there was some kind of charm to it, and even if there wasn¡¯t, she was still an extremely beautiful girl.

    ¡°...Sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave.¡±

    As the visibly annoyed Randolph said that, two young men appeared and grabbed the befuddled Ryan from each side. They had the same fur-coated hunter look as Ryan.

    ¡°Come on, bro! Let me go!¡±

    ¡°Stop getting on Randolph¡¯s nerves already!¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Hey, you bastards! Let me go!¡±

    The two young men then dragged the savage Ryan out of the room while desperately trying to calm him with words.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done talking yet!¡±

    The moment the two young men managed to drag Ryan out of the room, four more people appeared, and lifted Ryan¡¯s big body over their shoulders. I then witnessed in shock how they all took him out of the church as he kicked and grunted.

    At any rate, the invader had been dealt with, and peace returned to our room.

    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for his rudeness...¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I understand that some people are going to oppose this.¡±

    Randolph bowed apologetically before the two of us, to which I replied that he shouldn¡¯t worry about it.

    ¡°Ryan is my nephew... As you can see, he¡¯s a troublemaker who happens to be much stronger than most people.¡±

    ¡°I guess that I can¡¯t help the fact that some people aren¡¯t going to trust me. But more importantly, I don¡¯t remember seeing him or any of his friends in the vige yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, they work as our vignte corps, if you will. They spent the entire day yesterday in the woods hunting down those armored bears.¡±

    Incidentally, during my visit yesterday, I heard that most of these ¡®vignte corps¡¯ were in the woods when the Crusaders attacked. They were absolutely absorbed in their task of hunting the armored bears that had been terrorizing the vigers.

    ¡°They must feel it was too bad that they weren¡¯t here yesterday.¡±

    ¡°No, it was actually a good thing... There are many impulsive folks in the vignte corps, and had they been here, they would have fought recklessly, and we could be herementing a lot of losses today.¡±

    I could easily picture that by looking at Ryan¡¯s threatening attitude. Even I, who wouldn¡¯t normally get so carried away, was so enraged by the Crusaders¡¯ acts of violence towards this vige that I couldn¡¯t help myself. I had to jump in and do something about it. And I was sure Ryan was the same.

    ¡°Please be assured that I¡¯ll speak with the vignte corps again and ensure we all agree to you staying here.¡±

    I had no choice but to leave that task to Mayor Randolph here.

    I also figured it would be possible to use Sariel¡¯s beauty to persuade Ryan into understanding our situation and sympathize with us, but expecting Sariel to pull off that kind of performance would probably be too much of a long shot.

    ¡°We¡¯d also like to avoid as much friction with the other vigers as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course. I¡¯ll do my best to ensure you feel at home here.¡±

    However, I was sure that if I were to ask him if he had any concrete idea about how to do that, he¡¯d tell me that he didn¡¯t have one yet.

    Let alone Ryan and the other vigntes, it was hard to say that the other vigers would bepletely in favor of us living here. In fact, given the horrifying look they all gave us when we got back today, I¡¯d say it would be impossible for them to ept us.

    And by the way, the idea of being this vige¡¯s defender sounded good on paper, but when there were no emergencies, I would be nothing more than a freeloader. And I was technically going to be paid for it as well. So I had to make sure I got myself busy around here, otherwise I would just be giving the vigers even more reasons to despise me.

    Hiding in this vige could end up being much harder than I had originally anticipated...

    ¡°Brother.¡±

    At that time, Sariel ¨Cwho hadpletely turned into a figurine by now¨C called out to me. My first thought was ¡°Who are you calling brother?¡±, before remembering it had been none other than me who created her younger sister persona.

    Trying to see her as anyone but her actual self was very difficult for me indeed.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    After a brief silence, I finally replied.

    ¡°I have a suggestion.¡±

    My surprise about hearing Sariel ¨Cwho would normally never talk unless addressed to¨C say something like that was not little.

    I had no intention to shut her up. Sariel was no fool, and if she had something to suggest, she must have definitely given it a lot of thought.

    So I urged her to talk. Randolph seemed to be a little curious about it as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s about bing this vige¡¯s new priest.¡±

    I had to swallow the words that were about toe out of my mind. Reacting too much to this would have been no good at all.

    ¡°Ah, well, that...¡±

    Though I had chosen to remain silent, Randolph couldn¡¯t avoid expressing his confusion.

    ¡°The chances of finding an immediate sessor to the deceased priest are zero as a result of this 202nd colony¡¯s size, location and importance. I believe that the position of priest would not be upied for at least another year.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, certainly, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have a new priesting to this vige anytime soon, so I¡¯m really grateful that you¡¯d be willing to upy such a position, but...¡±

    ¡°We have the education required to serve as this vige¡¯s priest.¡±

    Well, more than a priest, she used to be an Apostle. I¡¯d say she¡¯s actually overqualified.

    ¡°I-I see... But, still... Umm... Are you really sure about this?¡±

    With visible concern in his eyes, Randolph turned to me instead of looking at Sariel despite the idea havinge out of her mouth. And in reality, I was as confused as him, but I couldn¡¯t afford to make feebleints about this.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for the vige to have a new priest?¡±

    ¡°W-Well, I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be a single viger who wouldn¡¯t rejoice at the arrival of a new priest...¡±

    Of course, the White God had immense authority in the territories under the Cross Church¡¯s jurisdiction. Even the shadiest character would be taken in with open arms if they introduce themselves as a priest.

    And as Sariel said, there would be nothing wrong about her taking up the job. In fact, it was well within her area of expertise.

    Besides, it would be more natural for her to serve as a priest than to sit around doing nothing as a defender of this vige. Especially if it could help her get the viger¡¯s approval.

    Above all, since the idea hade from Sariel herself, she seemed to be ready to act once again as a servant of God.

    In that case, go ahead, Sariel! Do your best at ying the part of the fake priest!

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Thank you very much! Then we¡¯ll be in your capable hands, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me I was going to be the one bing the priest instead of Sariel...

 Chapter 482

    <h4>Chapter 482</h4>

    False Priest

    ¡°Please allow me to introduce myself once again, my name is Kuroe. On this asion, I¡¯m filling the role of the Priest of the 202nd colony. I¡¯m officially a temporary sessor of Priest Nicy, I pledge to do my best at executing the Holy duties?. Thank you all.¡±

    Our introduction began in a big way, in front of the great number of people who had gathered at the church.

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m actually hiding at this vige as a priest when in reality I killed a lot of the Crusaders¡¯ soldiers, had sex with the Seventh¡¯ Apostle Sariel, and I even have the Demon¡¯s King protection.

    However, I can¡¯t help but do this. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t think of any better idea.

    I¡¯m now pretending I¡¯m a priest dressed in a pure white priest¡¯s robe. It seems that the priest Niky who died during the raid was a person of advanced age andrge build, and fortunately, he wore a size that fits me perfectly.

    I¡¯m wearing those ¡®Coloring eyes¡¯ that change my eye color and make me look more intellectual, I hope they do. Please don¡¯t call me an intellectual gangster.

    Besides, I can¡¯t calm down. I can rx my body more than when I¡¯m using my cursed equipment, but I must get used to the Cross Church that symbolizes this white robe.

    While hiding that bad feeling I had, I managed to finish without hesitation the greeting I had nned frically. Even I noticed that I was nervous as I expressed myself. It¡¯d be hard to show a calm smile on my face, itsplexion makes it physically impossible.

    And now, the vigers¡¯ reaction...

    ¡°Oh, that person was the Priest...¡±

    ¡°Then, have you passed God¡¯s judgment on those violent Crusaders?¡±

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, thank you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    They tried to sully God¡¯s name. It appears that my ughtering of those Crusader Soldiers delivered benefits, as the vigers seem to be relieved and satisfied.

    Moreover, I¡¯m pretty sure Randolph has alreadyid the groundwork in advance.

    ¡°This ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Yuuri. I devote myself as a nun along with my brother.¡±

    ¡°As you can see, Yuuri has lost her limbs and is disabled, but she has never lost faith in God. She¡¯ll definitely carry out her duties as a nun sister.¡±

    She¡¯ll appeal to the hearts of those who don¡¯t have faith in God. With Sariel¡¯s beautiful face and her pitiful condition, it turned into a moving atmosphere, very easily.

    ¡°Getting to the point, I think we should hold a ceremony for the victims of this raid. Randolph, do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the arrangements for the cremations have already started.¡±

    This had already been decided since the start.

    In order to further introduce myself as a priest and increase my persuasiveness, I¡¯ll start with my first task as soon as possible.

    But that¡¯s not only for that reason, it¡¯s necessary to hold funerals for the vigers that were killed and to bury the Crusader soldiers. It¡¯s better to dispose of the bodies quickly, as it may be a cause for monsters, undead, or gues.

    And so, we hurried the preparations on the outskirts of the vige and carried everything to the graveyard.

    Even though it¡¯s a graveyard, what I see in front of me is the Fairy Garden, nothing but a snowy field. And in the middle, there were lined up arge number of remains covered with cloth, along with the firewood for the cremation in their surroundings and the wooden crosses instead of gravestones for their graves.

    In this soon new graveyard where many sad vigers gather, starts my first task as Priest Kuroe.

    ¡°Oh, our Father in heaven...¡±

    God has never received a more heartfelt prayer in history.

    That thing almost all those hateful Crusaders said, a prayer to God. They shouted that just before killing me previously, as they asked for salvation.

    I was now speaking those lines that were the most foreign to me.

    ¡°May God give you his Blessing!¡±

    However, there wasn¡¯t any lightning falling on top of my head or wrathing from the White God from this cleared up winter sky,

    Nothing is going to happen, after all, this is all about words.

    ¡°Aha... God¡¯s Blessing...¡±

    ¡°May God bless us!!¡±

    However, at least for the Sinirs, these words do have a magical effect that may cause miracles, so I can see its purpose. You say those words and there¡¯s a real meaning to it.

    That¡¯s right, back when their family and close ones died, their lover, their friends, their acquaintances, and neighbors, no one said any of these lines when they had to part ways forever.

    They are crying as they pray these words to their God.

    ¡°...¡±

    I managed to somehow swallow a sight that was about to slip out.

    I must calm down and remain silent, this is just my work, I must concentrate on my acting.

    The actual preparations were already managed all by Mayor Randolph himself, I just have to pretend to pray and read the Bible in my hands as it is, a very simple job.

    ¡°Gospel of Levier, Chapter 5, verse four. Page 1 until the 12th line.¡±

    ¡°We are all sad. However, God¡¯s love will surelyfort us...¡±

    Besides, Sariel will only listen to me and point me to what I have to read. She¡¯s a perfect support.

    Even though the meaning of everything written there is pure gibberish, I¡¯ll solemnly read aloud this other world¡¯s alphabet¡¯s citation with all I¡¯ve got.

    I have a family sobbing in front of me, and the others were all wearing grief expressions. I can¡¯t even tell if they heard that I¡¯m going to read aloud the Bible, but even so, Sariel stated that I must think of it as BGM required for the Cross Church funerals, so I started reading.

    Despite all that, the funeral went on smoothly.

    ¡°This pure soul will certainly be led to the paradise of Eden in heaven, may you reach our God...¡±

    I spoke those lines and the great number of vigers piled up, and the remains of the 27-man Crusader Army I killed myself were being carried into the fire.

    It seems that for the Cross Church, burial is ideal, but if the church doesn¡¯t take responsibility for the aftercare, the risk of them bing undead tags along. Therefore, cremation is chosen in those situations. It¡¯s not as if cremation was prohibited in the Cross Church doctrine, so as long as the funeral is held, there¡¯s no problem at all.

    ¡°Sacred song, chant in unison.¡±

    It seems there¡¯s a custom of singing aloud along with the roaring mes. As you would expect, there¡¯s no way I can improvise a song, so this is where I¡¯ll leave it to Sariel.

    I carried Sariel like a ventriloquist¡¯s dummy and shifted my posture as the acape song began.

    From Sariel¡¯s mouth came out an elegant singing voice. It is a chant in unison, but no one is noticing I¡¯m not even singing. The vigers reunited here only stared at Sariel as she sang alone, wearing an expression as if they were seeing a real miracle, and held their hands in prayer.

    I wonder what they are thinking about when hearing this sacred song sang so beautifully. Perhaps its feelings help them clear up their minds, or do they feel as if they were being saved by it?

    And then, I wonder what Sariel feels when she sings this praising song for God, the same God that left her alone and she has already abandoned.

    I¡¯m no telepath, so I couldn¡¯t know about anyone¡¯s feelings.

    Even more so, the only feelings I can understand are mine.

    Just like them, I had once stood in this very ce, grieving over the burning bodies of Nyareko, Nino, and the others, and those of the vigers of Ils, swearing revenge against the Cross Church for what they had done.

    And now I¡¯m here dressed as a Priest of the Cross Church, mourning along with the Sinir people, merely for form¡¯s sake, but what the heck went wrong in this world for this to happen like this?

    In my surroundings, there¡¯s not a single trace of truth, as if I were in a world where everything is coated with lies, where every corner is filled with emptiness.

    Ahh, damn it. I wonder what I¡¯m actually doing... I kept listening to Sariel¡¯s sacred song while suppressing those self-deprecating feelings at the bottom of my heart.

    After the funeral ended without incident, we gathered again in the church for another fake sermon, another passage of the Bible I have to read out loud, that kind of ceremony. Atst, a greeting from Mayor Randolph. And this day of work is finally over.

    How should I put it? It was a very tiring day. It¡¯d be even easier to fight against Crusaders all day than doing this. Pretending to be a priest gives me a lot of mental fatigue.

    Anyway, with this, I was released from the pressure of the first day. I went to the chapel of the church and took a breath,pletely relieved that it went smoothly. Huh.

    Sariel and I are Priest and Nun, so of course, this church is our residence now. There¡¯s no reason for traveling one hour to repair Lily¡¯s hut.

    If we are the only ones here, the church would be apletely private and perfect residence and that would help us rx... but to be honest, there¡¯s another person living with us.

    ¡°Hey, Kuroe, it¡¯s me, Reki! I¡¯m counting on you!¡±

    One of them is a girl that speaks like a foreigner for some reason.

    Her kinky, short, blond hair resembling dog ears bounced left and right with energy, she talked as she wore a bright expression on her face, she gives me an impression of being extremely lively.

    A ring girl with red hair that resembles an elf, that¡¯s Reki.

    ¡°...I¡¯m Urs, nice to meet you.¡±

    The other one is a girl that acts more grown-up.

    A gentle light fills her blue eyes, although she¡¯s a kid, she wears a mysterious expression. She has an exotic dark indigo skin tone which enhances her mysteriousness even more.

    Urs is a silver-haired dark elf with two ponytails.

    ¡°Kuroe, thanks for helping me yesterday!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Yes, those are the girls I helped at the beginning.

    They¡¯re wearing the same deep blue habits I saw them in yesterday. In other words, I hear from Randolph that in this church reside the sisters, those that are apprentices.

    Priest Niky made them both move to Pandora. It seems until the end there wasn¡¯t any caretaker so they had to bring someone for the orphanage out of necessity. Poor kids, I wonder if thinking like that is disrespectful, in this situation. Anyhow, there¡¯s no doubt that they had to go through hard times.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I did what had to be done.¡±

    Speaking of which, I hadn¡¯t seen Urs back in that storage shed, but perhaps Reki was hiding her. I can only remember that, back when Reki was running away, I remember there she was there too, making for a memorable ck-and-white pair.

    Even though they had to go through all these things, they express their gratitude in this way, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re good girls.

    I reflexively matched their line of sight while bending my knees, and stroked their heads.

    ¡°Huh-huh-huh, Kuroe, you don¡¯t have to act in front of Reki!¡±

    ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll protect the vige, if you talk to me in that way it¡¯s okay! You don¡¯t need to hold back, no more!¡±

    Reki¡¯s voice sounded embarrassed but, still, her thoughtfulness reached me.

    ¡°Kuroe¡¯s true form, Reki and I know it already... That¡¯s why, now that we¡¯re going to live together, you don¡¯t need to act in front of us.¡±

    Ohh, they sure are good children. I¡¯ve been struggling to put on an act as a priest, I must look like an idiot.

    ¡°... I see, thank you Reki and Urs. I¡¯m counting on you from now on.¡±

    And this is how our residence at the church with our lovely roommates started.

    ¡°Well, after all, we have to sleep together...¡±

    The bedroom is the same as the one that Priest Niky used to use. The size is about four and a half tatami mats, there is a bed and a closet, and then a small desk with a chair, it truly feels like a bedroom that was only used for the purpose of sleeping.

    During the apprenticeship of Reki and Urs, they use the same room. It¡¯s a small one like this one and the bed already upies most of the space of the room.

    Every room is small, as this is a small church in the remote countryside, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    In other words, we can¡¯t have separate rooms with Sariel. Moreover, if you line up two beds in a room, there wouldn¡¯t be any space left.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay even on the floor.¡±

    ¡°So you would have the little sister on the floor while I take the bed all for myself? What a devilish big brother.¡±

    If by some chance someone sees that scene, I wouldn¡¯t have any excuses. At the best of times, it¡¯d look like thin-ice trust, that¡¯d certainly crack and copse.

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t really care that much about it.¡±

    I showed courage by saying that, to be honest, I have rational reluctance to sleep together with Sariel. Of course, I can say for fact that I wouldn¡¯t get carried away with lust for Sariel ever again, but... I can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t feel anything at all.

    If we huddle together in bed, and I end up getting get sexually aroused even a little bit, I¡¯d feel that horrible disgust again.

    However, avoiding Sariel more than necessary would be unmanly. It¡¯s a single room, and there¡¯s only one bed. So, I¡¯ll just go along with that. As long as I can resist my natural urges, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.

    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s sleep.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Sariel, dressed in a simple white robey, down with a flop on the bed, I joined too and covered myself with a nket. When I turned off the lights, the room becamepletely dark.

    It¡¯s a quiet night, I can¡¯t see or hear anything. That¡¯s why I can feel even more the warmth that Sariel¡¯s body transmits.

    ¡°Hey, Sariel.¡±

    I said so while staring at the ceiling in the middle of the darkness.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Starting tomorrow, teach me more about the Cross Church. At least as much as you can without getting us exposed.¡±

    ¡°... Yes.¡±

    The only thing that came back as a response was that single cold word. She can¡¯t say no.

    I hate the Cross Church, but I don¡¯t pretend to keep away from it for that reason. I should learn more about my enemy, otherwise, I¡¯d be acting like a fool.

    I¡¯m Sariel¡¯s ally... although I¡¯m still unsure, we are together and above that, I probably need to learn more about the Cross Church by now.

    I have heard that United States studied about Japan during the Pacific War. In short, study your enemies and learn more about yourself, that kind of cycle.

    However, it¡¯d be good to leave it there for today. It¡¯s not thatte at night yet, but I¡¯d rather sleep early today. I¡¯m gonna do my best tomorrow.

    And I closed my eyes with those half-hearted feelings.

    ¡°There¡¯s also something that I¡¯d like to learn from you too.¡±

    It was unexpected from Sariel.

    ¡°What would be that?¡±

    ¡°About you.¡±

    Why would she ask? Such a stupid question. That¡¯s something she doesn¡¯t even need to know. Especially For her, who let me live and I didn¡¯t let die.

    ¡°Where should I start...¡±

    ¡°From when you first came to this world. Anything about you when you lived in Japan, I still can see in Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s memories.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t recall talking to Shirasaki-san.¡±

    ¡°The Kurono from high school, Shirasaki Yuriko already knows Kurono Mao really well.¡±

    ¡°... She really is honorable.¡±

    It seems that Shirasaki really liked me back then. She might have heard about me in the literary club. Maybe she asked that Saika guy about me... No, he wasn¡¯t the type who could keep a secret.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to know about the you of this world.¡±

    Except for the final battle in Ghad, I¡¯ve only met Sariel twice. That time when I escaped from theboratory and when I climbed Daedalus¡¯ wall. And I didn¡¯t have any spare time to talk a single thing about me in either of them.

    Sariel doesn¡¯t know a single thing about me.

    ¡°There¡¯s one condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Tell me about you.¡±

    I don¡¯t know about Sariel either. I had a glimpse of her memories because of the Back Door, but I could only see fragments. I don¡¯t know any details.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Sariel didn¡¯t have any objections. As for me, I can¡¯t say there isn¡¯t any reluctance.

    Still, if I¡¯m going to be with Sariel this much, I¡¯d better get to know her better. And I should tell her more about myself.

    If we do that, will we understand each other better?

    Would I be able to forgive Sariel? And would she forgive me?

    I don¡¯t know, but that¡¯s something I must do.

    ¡°But I¡¯m going to sleep today. I¡¯m tired of everything.¡±

    I said so one-sidedly and finally closed my eyes. The sleepiness immediately began taking my consciousness to another world.

    ¡°Alright, good night.¡±

    Sariel¡¯s calm voice echoedfortably.

 Chapter 483

    <h4>Chapter 483</h4>

    Gloom Moon Day 27th. Today, my life as a priest begins.

    After waking up, both Sariel and I began taking care of our appearances and the first task of the day was about to start.

    ¡°Errmm, should I make it ring three times?¡±

    That¡¯s a bell you ring to indicate the time. At the Theological School in Spada, there was something very simr, this kind of system is used to know the time in this wide world everywhere.

    That would be the role of the church in Sinir. The cross symbol on the spire on the top is also for this purpose.

    While looking up at the big bell that was about the size of three floors, I hung up a rope and pulled it in the morning to let know the time to the 202nd colony. It is currently 6 am.

    ¡°Good morning!¡±

    ¡°Kuroe, good morning.¡±

    .

    I could ring the bell without incident, we had breakfast in the dining room, but it was more like a living room. And when we headed there, Reki and Urs gave me cheerful morning greetings.

    Seeing that they were already wearing their habit, they didn¡¯t seem to have woken up when the bell rang. Both of them seem to get up earlier than that.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    I was already carrying Sariel on my back. If I don¡¯t carry her, she can¡¯t move a single step out of bed as she doesn¡¯t have her legs.

    She may be bedridden due to her body¡¯s circumstances but I¡¯m not going to leave her sleeping all day.

    The main reason is Sariel¡¯s follow-up is indispensable for acting as a priest, of course, but I also need to keep my eyes on her. Even if it¡¯s a little hard, I¡¯ll carry Sariel with me.

    ¡°The food will be ready soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Thank you, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Cooking is the work of Reki and her friends! Kuroe is happy to be able to eat Reki¡¯s meals every day!¡±

    It seems she¡¯s good at cooking. Reki ran back to the kitchen bouncing her dog-ear-resembling hair.

    Sariel and I can¡¯t do much for the time being, and we can¡¯t do much to help Roku. We¡¯re going to rx and rely on their skills for now.

    There is something I have to ask before that. Urs, who was following Reki, started walking slowly and calling her.

    ¡°Are you doing your morning worships?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Urs nodded with a vague face. That kid¡¯s appearance reminds me of Fiona. Their expressionlessness is very simr but I hope their eating habits are different.

    ¡°After you¡¯ve finished eating your breakfast, gather all the people here.¡±

    ¡°All the vigers?¡±

    ¡°Umm, only young people with energy, around thirty years old.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll get ready for that.¡±

    After seeing off Urs nodding, I muttered with sweat on my cheek.

    ¡°... I¡¯m d I asked her first.¡±

    The reason I think that is, I heard from Sariel that there¡¯s a ritual in the Cross Church where you confirm if they¡¯re doing their worships in the morning.

    The reason I asked her about her morning worships is that Sariel advised me to do so when I woke up.

    If Sariel wasn¡¯t paying attention, I¡¯d have eaten breakfast while asking myself what is a priest supposed to do normally. Gathering lot of people around 30 years old surely is great haste. I¡¯d

    like to avoid not knowing how to mask my character as much as possible.

    I carried Sariel to the table and decided to discuss our n beforehand.

    ¡°Hey! Breakfast is ready!¡±

    Soon after, Reki appeared lightly carrying a huge pot and put it on top of the dining table, and dense white steam rose to stimte our appetite.

    This is the main dish, and there are a lot of solid ck breads as the staple food. Urs quickly prepared the bread and the tableware on the table for us. It¡¯s a very simple breakfast but, I¡¯m not bourgeois enough toin.

    I still think how grateful I¡¯m to be able to eat anything else other than Gero¡¯s experimental soup.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s delicious¡±

    ¡°Hmm, today¡¯s soup has gorgeous meat in it!¡±

    ¡°Armored bear is delicious¡±

    Ah, is it the meat of that human-eating armored bear that Sariel killed?

    Normally, the monster would be sold to the adventurer¡¯s guild and that would be it. But in the current vige in development, there is no guild or purchaser to begin with, that¡¯s why it¡¯s used for consumption. That¡¯s why the bear was quickly dismantled by the vigers as soon as I brought it in, and it was made into meat, fur, and shell.

    Well, the fur and shells may be transported and sold somewhere if there is an opportunity, or they may be bought by a merchant. Either way, there is no other way but to eat the meat part.

    Actually, yesterday¡¯s dinner was also prepared with this armored bear meat.

    ¡°Kuroe caught it for us? Thank you!¡±

    ¡°After all he¡¯s our savior¡±

    The two were overjoyed because they were still poor in the development town, and they could eat meat in the middle of winter. Seeing their smiles, Sariel may also feel praised for doing a good job.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s eat it before it gets cold.¡±

    At the moment I said that Reki and Urs stared at me with open-mouthed faces.

    ¡°... The prayer before meals¡±

    The moment Sariel muttered next to me, I realized.

    Ah, that¡¯s right, there were words of prayer before meals in the Cross Church.

    Come to think of it, I remember that there was such a thing in Christianity. Thank you for your grace. It¡¯s probably something simr to that.

    Damn it, I failed at such a trivial thing. You, White God, set up a cunning trap for me...

    ¡°Prayer before meals is not something I do at home.¡±

    ¡°Ehh, is that right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not bound by customs, because keeping shape isn¡¯t the essence of faith.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying, but for the time being, that¡¯d be Priest Kuroe¡¯s policy.

    ¡°Done, I hate it because it¡¯s a little long.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important to eat the food quickly before it gets cold. That¡¯s also a courtesy to the people who cooked it. Thank you, Reki and Urs. I¡¯ll eat with deep gratitude. ¡±

    ¡°Yess! Well then, it¡¯s time to dig in!¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±

    It seems they are convinced, for the time being, they said so with a slightly different intonation.

    Apparently, I seeded in pushing through my iprehensible theory... If they weren¡¯t children, it might have been useless.

    ¡°.. .I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize¡±

    Sariel apologized to me without them noticing, and I let it pass as I extended my hand to grab some food.

    The cheap ck bread is hard and dry, I haven¡¯t eaten it in a long time, thest time was when I lived in Ils vige, and honestly, it¡¯s not delicious at all. However, the hot armor bear soup tasted like pork soup and was quite delicious. If I find it one of those in the forest, I¡¯ll try to hunt it too.

    ¡°Our God in Heaven¡±

    The morning worship advanced without a hitch.

    In the Cross Church, rituals are like a daily routine, so the content is not that difficult and it doesn¡¯t take long to bepleted.

    Its pattern is very simr to yesterday¡¯s funeral ceremony, starting with the usual prayer and reading a passage of the Bible in front of the crowd.

    The passages of the Bible you have to read are already stated and it¡¯s natural for the official priest to read it aloud. However, it seems the act of reading the Bible itself has some kind of meaning, so as long as I confidently turn over the pages and read it aloud, no one would look at me with suspicion.

    Thanks to the rehearsal we did in advance, I knew the ce where I was expected to read thoroughly. Then I had to greet the vigers, and it was over. I was able to finish the worship without any problems thanks to Sariel¡¯s support.

    ¡°Well, then we have the ss...¡±

    The priest¡¯s work is to be present at important ceremonies and such asions. Of course, those priests are indeed important for the Cross Church ceremonies, but in this vige, the poption is around 100, and events such as weddings and funerals are not held every day.

    The funeral was just held yesterday. Incidentally, the only people that came to work on the remation of thisnd are in good condition, so there are just a few old people in this vige. Today I heard that Mayor Randolph is the third elderly person from the top.

    In other words, no one is going toplete their natural life for a while. The only fatalities are idents such as being attacked by monsters.

    By the way, there have been no ns for a wedding ceremony for a while. Most of the young men and women in this vige are already married, and there is no marriage until their children grow up. Of course, at that time, I¡¯m going to be already out of this vige.

    And, of course, the only event that will be held this year has already been decided. By the way, as a celebration of the Cross Religion, the closest thing that is going to be celebrated from now on is the ceremony called ¡°New Year¡¯s Worship¡± on New Year¡¯s Day, that is, on the 1st of the month at the dawn. Today is the 27th, so it will be held only 5 days from now.

    Personally, I only have the impression that another year is over. If you ask Sariel about ¡°New Year¡¯s Worship¡± and prepare for it, you should be able to clear it without any problems.

    As for me, the only thing that happens is another year will be over. If I ask Sariel about ¡°New Year¡¯s Worship¡± and prepare for it, I should get it done without any problems.

    Now then, about today¡¯s work, the ss I have to do.

    As you can get from the word ¡°seminary¡±, religious facilities have yed a role as an educational institution that teaches academics since ancient times.

    However even in Spada in modern times, the seminaries are just a remnant on the name of the school, and even in Sinir, and the Elysion Magic Academy Fiona attended, it is no longer a time when the churches are responsible for all the education.

    However, that story is only limited to urban areas with arge poption and development, and it seems that the church is the only school here in the countryside. Therefore, it is a typical job for a priest dispatched to a rural area to teach basic things such as math, reading and writing.

    However, ording to Sariel, even in Sinir, the literacy rate is not high in rural areas, so it seems that this basic education system of the church is not really that useful.

    A person who wants to study hard will just leave the vige in the first ce, and if they keep spending their time as a farmer, they don¡¯t need to study at all. Farmers are farmers, and there is always plenty of work to do.

    Aside from those general educational circumstances, it seems that in the case of this vige, the sses will be stricter. Randolph told me that priest Niky used to be enthusiastic about education, and he was trying to educate the sisters Reki and Urs and also the children of the vige, or even adults if they wanted to learn.

    In that case, I have to do the same thing too. At least, it would enhance my reception here if I do so.

    ¡°... Honestly, this is the thing that makes me most nervous.¡±

    ¡°If you have knowledge up to the second year of high school, you woulnd¡¯t have any problem teaching.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know basic math, reading and writing, but teaching it to others would be another matter.¡±

    Moreover, I¡¯m going to be teaching kids. Even if I don¡¯t do anything, they¡¯re probably going to start crying just by looking at me.

    ¡°Well, would you rather not do it?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so let me take care of history and deciphering the Bible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    Then, I prepared the ckboard in the chapel and I felt an air of tension as though I was preparing for a challenge like a trial of monsters as I waited for the invasion of children students.

    ¡°Wow, are you going to give the lessons after all?¡±

    ¡°Study is important. Do your best to avoid falling asleep today, Reki.¡±

    Despite my preparedness for this decisive battle, the only students who appeared were Reki and Urs.

    Well, of course, their parents wouldn¡¯t want their children to take sses and be alone with a suspicious priest who appeared out of nowhere with a devil face.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start the ss.¡±

    With a little low tension, I was a teacher for the first time in my life.

    By the way, Reki fell asleep when we started studying double digits. Let¡¯s do our best.

    After ringing the bell to announce it was noon, I had lunch, and in the afternoon I decided to leave the church and go out.

    As for the priest job, Niky seems to have already done the same thing, the study of the Bible, Light Magic, the training of Healing Magic are the obvious choices. But for me, I don¡¯t have any idea about any of those. If I had at least a very basic level of Healing Magic I¡¯d fill the role of a doctor, but I can¡¯t even heal myself without Physical Compensation.

    There is no other choice but to leave all the treatment of the sick and injured to the doctor of the vige. By the way, the doctor is the second oldest woman in the vige. I just keep praying that we don¡¯t have to hold her funeral while I¡¯m still here.

    The ss was already done by the morning, and I didn¡¯t have any priest work left to do for the afternoon, so I¡¯d go outside and get to know the vige. In short, I¡¯ll exchange greetings.

    After seeing their faces over and over, I¡¯ll naturally get acquainted with them, and by idle talking, you can gather some information from it. If you get along well with them, they may tell you something from their side.

    Besides, if they have any problems or requests, I can do that too. That¡¯d be trying to do the same things I used to do as an adventurer back in Ils vige. I repaired fences, carried heavy luggage and did a lot of different chores at that time.

    I think that by repeating that kind of thing over and over, I was epted as a member of Ils vige.

    However, this time I don¡¯t really need to gain their trust, I just have to make sure the Crusaders never find out about all this, as I don¡¯t have any good intentions.

    ¡°I had high expectations,, but after all this harvest was not that good.¡±

    Well, I went around the small vige for about an hour actively calling out to the vigers, and then sat Sariel next to me, I was tired looking at the temporary graveyard on the outskirts of the vige, and I muttered.

    ¡°No matter how you think about it, we managed to avoid it.¡±

    The conversation didn¡¯t proceed much. It wasn¡¯t because Ickedmunication skills but I didn¡¯t feel like talking much about it.

    ¡°We had a proper reaction at that time.¡±

    Sariel agreed.

    I also thought that a conversation where you just ask questions persistently all of a sudden was not a good idea, so I just asked a few things that weren¡¯t annoying. For example, what kind of crops they grew in the vige, how often merchants came, what kind of work they usually do during the winter, and so on.

    By the way, the answers we received are as follows.

    Their crop is mainly wheat, which is the staple food and is also used as tax payment, and the others are the same that were grown in Ils vige. The soybean-like beans that were in the armor bear soup this morning are one of them.

    My scorched earth operation was iplete and burned only one conspicuous building, so the field could be used as it was. Given the difficulty of reiming thosends, I couldn¡¯t use them.

    The merchantes once a month. However, they said that if the Daedalus colony develops, they shoulde more often.

    Forestry was the main work in winter. Because there is a vast fairy forest garden with big and splendid trees nearby. As you can see, snow piles up in Daedalus like in Hokkaido, so you need to have a horse sled. The men in the vige entered the forest early in the morning and are working on logging.

    After that, it is the same as in every rural area, weaving is the main job of women. If you ask in more detail, it seems that people choose something that sells.

    Also, livestock is bred all year round.

    In the Pandora continent, Norfolk farming and efficient farmingparable to crop rotation have been established, and breeding livestock just for the winter is something they stopped doing hundreds of years ago. That is why the Ils vige was blessed with food despite the fact that it was in the countryside.

    It seems the reason why this is advanced agricultural method could be established is the same as in Sinir. The fact that there is Crusader poption with great forces secures the food supply.

    However, in this magical world, the existence of crops that grow inrge quantities in a surprisingly short period of time is one of the major reasons why it is so easy to obtain food. Even if it looks exactly the same, the yield is very different from that on the earth.

    nts also boast magical fertility so that no matter how much an adventurer hunts a monster, it cannot be extinct.

    Even in such small viges in development, if you survive the first year when you just settled and there is no harvest, you can deal with it. I experienced spring and summer in the Ils vige, and I know the climate of the Daedalus territory is good enough to be cultivated without problems, so I can¡¯t say those spections are out of reach.

    Anyway, what I learned from these greetings was that it was clear that this vige in development was just an ordinary rural vige.

    However, that wouldn¡¯t change much. It would be useful for the repatriation of Spada right now, as there isn¡¯t any important news from the Crusaders.

    ¡°Did you notice anything?¡±

    ¡°More than half of the vigers were second-ss gods¡¯ vigers, which is not unusual for a colonial vige in development.¡±

    ¡°Second-ss gods¡¯ vigers?¡±

    ¡°The people of the countries conquered by the Republic of Sinir are ssified like that.¡±

    I heard from Fiona before that the Republic of Sinir is a huge religious nation that controls the western part of the Ark continent.

    But, of course, you can¡¯t have such a huge territory right from the beginning. The origin of Sinir is Elysion, its capital, and its sanctuary. From there, it took a thousand and several hundred years to expand the territory and hence, the sphere of influence of the Cross Church, and that still continues to this day.

    How many countries were swallowed in the process?

    ¡°The areas conquered more than a hundred years ago have been purified and indoctrinated and are no different from normal republican territories. Currently, 80% of the second-ss gods¡¯ vigers poption are made up of former citizens of three countries, Barbados, Evram, and Dragunov.¡±

    All of those are country names I¡¯m not familiar with. I don¡¯t have any idea.

    ¡°The Barbados have golden hair and red eyes. The Evram people have silver hair, blue eyes and brown skin. Those are their characteristic features.¡±

    I didn¡¯t see any Dragunovs in this vige or in the Daedalus in the middle of the east along the coastline when we were doing arrangements, I remember seeing some around the materials in the military headquarters. Sariel exined those things to me before but I couldn¡¯t listen to theplete story.

    ¡°Hey, then Reki and Urs are...¡±

    ¡°Barbados and Evrams.¡±

    ¡°... Is that the reason why they couldn¡¯t find a caretaker?¡±

    ¡°That may be it. Many Cross orphanages refuse to ept second-ss gods¡¯ vigers.¡±

    It was such a depressing story that I regret I had to listen to it.

    ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t cause a rebellion.¡±

    ¡°The republic¡¯s assimtion policy has been sophisticated and is has a very strong and long history, but it cannot prevent the rebellionpletely.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, that was your job.¡±

    And with that, the conversation was over. It¡¯s no longer an atmosphere where we can talk with each other and get along well. We don¡¯t have that kind of rtionship to begin with.

    I recalled that Sariel was an apostle. It has been only three days, but I may have been forgetting those things as she stayed by my side.

    However, I hate this situation where we cannot keep our distance. The question of what I should do begins to circte in my brain again.

    I spent some time rxing as I vaguely gazed at the scenery where the cross grave markers were standing in the middle of the pure white snowfield. It feels like the sounds of life in the vige echo from a very distant ce.

    As expected, I feel empty. After all, the world is filled with lies that feel like that.

    ¡°Would you like to go back to church?¡±

    I asked so and carried Sariel¡¯s body without waiting for her to reply.

    I was already familiar with carrying this girl on my back. Sariel is like a rucksack for me now that I have this kind of useful backpack.

    Then I started walking, and just at that time...

    ¡°Hey, Priest, so you were here?¡±

    A man appeared standing with his arms crossed.

    He had a big battle ax carried on his back and a beast hunter¡¯s coat, as well as a perfectly fixed all-back blonde.

    ¡°Hello Ryan. Do you need anything from me?¡±

    I faced this threatening man with a huge smile on his face and sses I just met yesterday.

    I wonder if he¡¯s returning from his logging work. Behind him were lined up a group of vigntes I saw yesterday and some other men I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Oh, just a little, could you lend me a hand?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have a very good premonition with this Yankee-like dialogue.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    However, I can¡¯t refuse.

    No matter how you think about it, I could feel the same atmosphere as when he was involved with Nell¡¯s guards at the seminary.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯d be quick and it helps me a lot. Follow me.¡±

    I decided to obediently follow Ryan who had a ferocious smile on his face.

 Chapter 484

    <h4>Chapter 484</h4>

    The ck Demon King 484

    Fist Fighting Duel

    The fairlyrge two-story building next to the church is a tavern and it is the only entertainment facility in the 202nd colony. It was from here that the soldiers who attacked the vige carried out a barrel of wine.

    The interior was simr to the first floor of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Ils Vige. There were only a few round tables lined up in a simple wooden hall. And regarding its decorations, there were only wild items such as monster horns and fur hung on the wall. It is not a luxurious ce but it is more than enough to have a drink and have a good time.

    It was midwinter but I could feel the heat of the crowded customers.

    Well, I am now standing naked in the middle of that tavern. It is not part of a punishment game or a strip show.

    ¡°Hugh, his muscles look like steel!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s not a priest.¡±

    ¡°Amazing body, I may like it!¡±

    The men who were already under the effects of alcohol received quite goodments from the waiters at the tavern, but it was definitely not a strip show.

    ¡°You seem prepared, priest, are you confident in your skills?¡±

    Ryan was standing in front of me, he was also shirtless and showing off his stunning muscles.

    Confronting a man just with one¡¯s body without a weapon is nothing else than a duel. Of course, as expected from Ryan, the errand he needed my help with was this one-on-one duel.

    However, it is just a duel just to test our ability.

    ¡°Yes, so those Crusader soldiers can be punished for what they did.¡±

    ¡°Heh-heh, you¡¯re good. Hey, prepare some gloves.¡±

    A man who was standing nearby reacted to Ryan¡¯s quick call.

    I remained silent and pushed my hands forward, and with a strangely experienced hand, the man quickly put onrge gloves wrapped in a worn-out piece of cloth. The opponent, Ryan, also wore gloves wrapped in a tattered piece of cloth, and hispanions as well.

    It is like boxing.

    ¡°It is Elysion¡¯s style. Do you need to hear the rules?¡±

    ¡°I can imagine some things, but please do.¡±

    After wearing the gloves, Ryan took a step to leave his fellow mate behind and approached me directly.

    Only the upper part that was drawn out and the back of my hand were covered with the gloves, and he tapped my chest with a gentle knock.

    ¡°The only weapon that can be used is a fist. Kicking, throwing, and magic enhanced by God¡¯s miracles are prohibited.¡±

    ¡°I was relieved to hear those easy rules¡±

    ¡°Oh, even if I hit you on your face, it¡¯d just break your nose and front teeth, so keep calm and take that hit.¡±

    It is wonderful. It is a duel where you don¡¯t take lives.

    I wonder if Ryan will take it with normality as long as he doesn¡¯t have to take it seriously.

    ¡°But you should take off your sses.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    When Ryan heard my answer, he approached me erasing his confident smile.

    ¡°What kind of eyes are you hiding, dude? I know, those are the old man¡¯s colored sses.¡±

    It seems that he knows about ¡°Coloring Eyes¡±. By the way, Ryan hit me right after I got this from Randolph.

    In these circumstances, it¡¯d be good if he doesn¡¯t see the color, even if my origin is known, assuming Randolph hasn¡¯t spoken up.

    ¡°Hey, well, do your best to keep hiding it. Anyway, it¡¯ll be blown away soon after this.¡±

    With that said, Ryan went back to his original position again.

    If he punches my face, the sses will just break without blowing away. If the lens breaks, the effect would be lost, so it¡¯d be the same thing, right?

    Anyway, I have no intention of being punched or losing.

    Even if I easily lost on purpose against Ryan here, I¡¯d be disregarded as a guard. He didn¡¯t introduce himself to the vigers, but Randolph informs the main members of the vige. Without him doing so, no matter how much I called myself a priest, there would be no room for a dangerous person like me here.

    However, if I used a pile bunker right at the start it¡¯d turn into a one-sided game, I¡¯d stun Ryan in a single shot. If I do so, there is a chance he will hold a grudge against me. Hmm, I wonder what would be the best way to win this duel?

    ¡°...¡±

    I looked back and Sariel was sitting in a chair, holding the robe I took off. She stared at me as if she wanted to give me some kind of advice.

    ¡°... Do your best, brother.¡±

    She waspletely in spectator mode. Jeez, she isn¡¯t thinking about this situation.

    And then, without thinking about any particr ground-breaking idea, the fight, the duel itself started.

    ¡°Well, then, today¡¯s main event will start!¡±

    A fellow man who wore the same gloves as Ryan¡¯s was the moderator and referee, and his loud voice echoed throughout the bar in high tension.

    That reminds me, I feel like this guy was one of the two who dragged Ryan out of the room yesterday. A slightly long thin-faced young man, with blond hair and red eyes, now I can notice he is a Barbados, the same as Reki.

    The other one had dark skin, so he must be an Evram. The one that gave me the gloves.

    If I take a look around the tavern again, I can see other people with the same characteristics. Once you learn that, it¡¯s pretty obvious.

    ¡°East Corner! The strongest fist who defeated the Elysion¡¯s heinous gangsters, and the chief of our vigncemittee, Ryaaaan!!¡±

    Wow! Ryan¡¯s poprity in the vige can be seen by the big uproar. But the thing that caught my attention the most was the fact that he was the vignt chief.

    ¡°And in the west corner, facing the champion! He punished the unscrupulous bastards who attacked the vige and killed an armored bear, mysterious sses, priest Kuroe!¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, it was my sister who killed the armored bear.

    It couldn¡¯t be corrected by now, and they wouldn¡¯t believe me so I decided to take the credit for it. Also, don¡¯t call me sses.

    ¡°Ah, do your best, priest...¡±

    ¡°Show us the skills you used to crush the Crusaders!¡±

    ¡°Introduce me to Yuri!!¡±

    For the time being, I was relieved that they weren¡¯t screaming ¡°boo¡± at me. I¡¯m not as angry as when that time with the guard. The only one who is clearly hostile here is Ryan, and the others just seem to enjoy it as spectators of an extraordinary event.

    As expected, I can¡¯t just have a bad duel here, it wouldn¡¯t be good to let the spectators down.

    Also, if what he wants is Sariel, then he should just attack me with whatever he likes. If your heart is that broken by her unresponsiveness, then I canfort him as a priest.

    ¡°Time is unlimited! Win or lose fairly, fainting or surrendering. Then, ready, go!¡±

    The signal in ce of the usual gong echoed high.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    As the one who makes the first move wins, Ryan rushed toward me with enthusiasm.

    He has a body frame normal for a heavy knight but, he¡¯s light and quick. You can see he is considerably powerful from the straight punch he delivered from his thick arm.

    However, that is normal for a human.

    ¡°... Tsch!¡±

    Does he think I¡¯ll avoid it at thest minute? I just leaned back and evaded his first punch.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    That right straight was a big miss, without even backing down, he tried to hit again with his already extended arm with a backhand chop.

    If I stepped down just a step and slightly turned my upper body, I could see Ryan¡¯s roaring fists passing by.

    ¡°Huh! Come on,e on!!¡±

    After that, along with a cry in a fighting spirit came Ryan¡¯s fierce rush.

    I still have no idea how I should defeat him, so I will keep evading his hits to earn time for the time being. One step to the right, another one to the left and sway back. This tavern¡¯s ring is not that big, so you can¡¯t really move too far away from the spectators. With this narrow margin I have just no other way but to guard it and avoid it.

    ¡°Ryan attacks, attacks! With raging attacks! Pries Kuroe avoids Ryan¡¯s Super Rush with skillful foot moves, but he can¡¯t fight back!¡±

    So that is what it looks like from the spectator¡¯s perspective?

    In that case, even if I turn thimgs around here with a one-shot KO, it would look like it was a lucky shot.

    If possible, I would like to avoid all the possibilities of the vigers noticing that priest Kuroe has the skill to defeat Ryan and abilities even their vignt chief doesn¡¯t have. It is a good idea to pretend to fight from here... No, if there is a difference in ability so big that I can still read all Ryan¡¯s movements then I will just keep evading him for as long as I can. How should I win? I finally came up with a n.

    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s wrong, priest? If you just keep jumping and running like a rabbit I can¡¯t defeat you!!¡±

    Ryan took some distance with a step back and adjusted his breathing. He shouted that and then came back to try to fiercely hit again, but he stopped.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    His left hist which looked more like a cannon hit my right fist. To be more precise I didn¡¯t guess it, I just did it at the same time, Quietly, calmly, and slowly.

    ¡°Huh, shit?!¡±

    Ryan got out of his shooting position, but there was something that didn¡¯t let him cut through. He withdrew his righthand swinging up and ended up in an unnatural posture.

    ¡°What...?!¡±

    With a twisting posture, I prepared my right hand and tried to gouge his left fist.

    This didn¡¯t require any speed in my movements. If I can understand the opponent¡¯s movement this far, it is not hard to anticipate his and interfere with my attacks.

    ¡°W-what?! What the hell is going on! All Ryan¡¯s punches are blocked before they hit?!¡±

    Thank you very much for your enthusiasticmentary.

    If I keep controlling Ryan¡¯s attack several times, even inexperienced people will notice that it¡¯s not luck but skill.

    ¡°Huh, huh! Damn it!¡±

    No matter how many punches he tried to hit, I easily kept up with it, stopping all the soft gloves punches.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Is this a God¡¯s miracle, right?! No, this is definitely not any magic that would vite the rules. It is purely priest Kuroe¡¯s power!¡±

    Oh, the audience roaring¡¯s reaction feels a littlefortable. If we had this duel on the scale of the Spada¡¯s Grand Coliseum, it would be amazing.

    At the time of the Curse Sword Fighting Tournament Carnival, I was desperate to win, but I couldn¡¯t do it.

    It should be enough already for now. Let¡¯s settle this duel here.

    ¡°Is it okay for me to attack?¡±

    ¡°W-what...¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just beat your opponent just by running away or protecting from his hits.¡±

    While saying that, I slowly raised my right fist. A posture that shoots a straight punch and would be easy for anyone to see.

    Of course, I don¡¯t have magical power charged. If I use a pile bunker, the human Ryan will die no matter what, although Vulcan didn¡¯t die.

    ¡°Guard, please. You might die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around...¡±

    Ryan was sweltering and his body was covered in sweat due to the first half of the rush and his containment on the second half of it. The sweat drained like a waterfall as he took a rough breath, and I could considerably feel in his re the fact that he was facing me with great intensity.

    However, there is an enormous difference in ability between ordinary humans and cyborgs. And I wonder if he is seeing somehow how big of a difference there is between us. Ryan reflexively raised his arm to protect himself.

    And so the spectators standing behind him also started protecting themselves from left and right, as if Ryan¡¯s body would be blown away at any time.

    All of them made good guessings and they were safe.

    Now I can finally attack.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m going.¡±

    Dan, Do, Van! The three sounds echoed at the same time consecutively.

    Dan is the sound of my step, the moment I stepped on the new wooden floor.

    The next dull sound was my right fist hitting Ryan directly. I didn¡¯t aim at his face or belly but his chest. After noticing the point where it would be the hardest to defend with his both arms, I punched there.

    And finally, the bang sound that rang loudly! Of course, that roaring sound was the result of Ryan losing his momentum and being blown away, and crashing into the wall on his back.

    If we consider his back and muscle mass, Ryan is a heavyweight who weighs about 100 kilograms. But for me, who can kick off the pig Buma Chimera who weighs over 200 kilograms, it isn¡¯t too much. It didn¡¯t matter at all.

    Then, when his sturdy body received my punch, he was blown off as if he was being run over by a truck. If there was no wall there, I don¡¯t know how far he would have been blown away.

    Ryan seems to havepletely lost his consciousness after the super-heavy punching force he received on his front and the impact he received on his back immediately afterward. His body mming against the wall immediately took off his leg strength and he came out of his posture, suddenly copsing as he was.

    It is very unlikely that he will get up within the 10-second countdown.

    With this, the cheers to celebrate my victory, no, my splendid victory didn¡¯t echo at all.

    ¡°...¡±

    Only silence. When I nced at the left and right, their faces... the faces of the vigers were uniformly dumbfounded, how should I say it? It seemed as if I had failed, it was cringy.

    D-damn it, in this situation, it would be okay even if I looked as weak, it would have been better to have more of an ordinary fight where we exchanged normal hits. But even if I regret it now, it¡¯s toote.

    The only thing that moved in this frozen atmosphere was one of the young waitresses who approached to take care of the fallen Ryan. Of course, just a young girl wouldn¡¯t be enough to get up and carry Ryan from the floor.

    Hmmm, this is where I should ask ¡°May I help you?¡±. However, I feel like saying ¡°Please, help me¡± instead.

    ¡°Somebody, carry Ryan...¡±

    As she said that, the tavern door was kicked down with a loud noise.

    ¡°Oh! What?!¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it Mr. Randolph?!¡±

    The men spoke in an astonished voice as if somebody¡¯s ass was kicked. Just as they say, it was mayor Randolph who came in.

    I wonder if he came here in such a hurry. He sweats from his forehead and is breathing heavily. And his thin hair was also fluttering as if it was about to jump on and off his head.

    ¡°Hey, what does this mean...¡±

    Randolph looked around with bloodshot eyes. His appearance resembled a dissatisfied office worker about to reach his retirement but wasid off just before he did. It gave me a strange feeling.

    And so, as soon as Randolph came in, he rushed out to my front as he pushed the spectators lined up aside.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m very sorry, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    With the energy as if it were the Japanese High School Baseball Championship¡¯s head-sliding, he prostrated in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry for the inconvenience!¡±

    ¡°... Please calm down a little, Mr. Randolph¡±

    I am proud of myself for being able to speak as an honorific priest and keep the acting. For a second I thought my true nature was about to slip out.

    ¡°No, it is not something that should be forgiven. I didn¡¯t think Ryan would be so stupid to pick up a fight with a priest... It was my bad that I didn¡¯t prevent this.¡±

    I see, that was the reason why Randolph was prostrating himself in apologyies.

    I am pretty sure he may have heard something about Ryan suspecting of my priest¡¯s acting. If you go all out in a tavern, there is no way they wouldn¡¯t notice.

    And there is no way Randolph ignores such a thing. He is the one who understands my danger better than anyone else.

    On the other hand, Ryan was not that afraid. He hadn¡¯t seen how I killed the Crusader soldiers directly. It may be natural that he doesn¡¯t feel the danger in me as Randolph perceives it.

    That¡¯s why Ryan was able to calmly approach me and invite me to a duel, and Randolph was afraid of my anger.

    ¡°Please raise your head¡±

    ¡°... I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m going to have a talk with Ryan now.¡±

    Randolph got up quickly and approached the fallen down Ryan with a slightly fluttering gait. Meanwhile, I snatched a cup of beer a customer had.

    ¡°Get up, Ryan.¡±

    I turned the mug upside down and threw the drink on top of Ryan¡¯s head.

    ¡°Uh, uh...¡±

    Ryan regained his consciousness and showed a vague face, he screamed heavily as if he noticed it.

    ¡°Oh, what... Uncle?!¡±

    ¡°Are you awake? Ryan, How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°... It¡¯s not bad.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you have anything left to say?¡±

    Suddenly, at the moment I thought a disturbing line popped out. Randolph pulled out a knife from his pocket.

    ¡°Well, uncle?! That guy...¡±

    ¡°Ryan, you chose the wrong opponent for this fight. I can¡¯t help you, it¡¯s going to be lethal.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I ...¡±

    ¡°This is the only way to settle this matter. Do you get it?¡±

    ¡°Uncle... I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    Then, Ryan closed his eyes with a face that seemed to ept everything, and Randolph swung his knife up with a flowing natural movement.

    Eh? It must be a lie, no way...

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    It was at thest moment.

    Randolph was already swinging his knife down and Ryan didn¡¯t resist despite the de approaching his neck.

    That¡¯s why I stopped. Only I could have done it.

    ¡°Priest?! Why did you stop it?!¡±

    ¡°No matter what, that is just too much.¡±

    With the gloved hand still on, I managed to somehow grab Randolph¡¯s wrist. If I had taken just an extra second, the sharp tip would have split Ryan¡¯s neck.

    ¡°However...¡±

    ¡°Calm down. This is... Yes, this is what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°......What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Ryan was the one who asked me toe to this tavern. I thought it¡¯d help me be familiar with this vige as soon as possible. And then, the vigor of the alcohol and the atmosphere turned things into this... and the same thing happened to Ryan, as he¡¯s a man who trusts his physical strength. We had a very worthwhile and fun duel. I¡¯m grateful to him and have no reason to resent him at all.¡±

    I managed to line up to 800 lies so far. If you asked the vigers here I¡¯d probably be discovered in the blink of an eye. But despite that, I¡¯m not even angry, so I¡¯d like to let Randolph know that I have no intention to harm the vige in any way at all, that¡¯d probably be the best idea.

    ¡°Yes, is that alright? ... If that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like that, so don¡¯t worry about this.¡±

    For the time being, it seems better for me to leave immediately before the lies are immediately revealed here.

    ¡°Sorry, it seems that the fun ce has turned a little pale. I¡¯m leaving. Reki and Urs are also waiting for me.¡±

    While saying something appropriate, I received the robe from Sariel, covered itpletely from my head, and quickly changed my clothes. No matter what, if I go out with my shirtless, I¡¯m impatient.

    I said something appropriate and received my robe from Sariel and I proceeded to cover myself entirely from the top of my head.

    The highest priority is to get out of this ce calmly andfortably.

    ¡°Everyone, please enjoy yourselves after this.¡±

    Holding Sariel under my arm, I started walking toward the exit.

    Along the way, Ryan stood up quietly, staring at me with a stern look, but he didn¡¯t say a word.

    ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡±

    Then, I left the tavern.

    ¡°... I didn¡¯t think it would be such a fuss. They were all Sinirs, right?¡±

    What caught my attention the most was, of course, Randolph¡¯s attempt to kill Ryan without hesitation. If you were killing people like that, they would be extinct in no time.

    ¡°Randolph¡¯s actions are certainly different from the general reaction you¡¯d expect. He seems to be closest to gang behaviour and principles.¡±

    It seems that he has a pretty dangerous past. I should change my perspective of him.

    ¡°For the time being, it seems better to act with more caution.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    While deeply reflecting on it, I went back to the church next to the tavern.

 Chapter 485

    <h4>Chapter 485</h4>

    The ck Demon King 485

    Swordsmanship Training?

    ¡°Hey! Heey! Heey!!¡±

    ¡°Wow, huh?¡±

    I returned to the church from the tavern in about 30 seconds and at that moment I heard a strange shout from behind.

    It was easy to notice these were Reki and Urs¡¯s voices. Are they still ying outside? It¡¯s alreadyte and pitch ck.

    Reki and Urs went out to help the vigers with their work in the afternoon after their morning sses were over. Unlike in the city, the children in rural areas are good at manualbor. Even the apprentice Sister won¡¯t just stay in the church all the time.

    That¡¯s why they can only y at this hour, now that they finished helping and returned, but I should return to the church already.

    Therefore, I appeared from their backs and spoke out.

    ¡°Hey, Reki, Urs... what are you doing?¡±

    I was asking a different question from the one I had nned to ask.

    Oh, Kuroe, wee back! Can¡¯t you tell by looking?

    Reki was holding a branch in her hand that couldn¡¯t even be called a stick from a tree near them. Urs was holding another even smaller branch with his hand as if it was a wand.

    ¡°Are you doing pretend y?¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    That¡¯s right, she meant.

    Reiki swung the branch with a smiling face and said ¡°Hey!¡±. So it was a baseball practice and not swordsmanship training?

    ¡°Perhaps, do you mean you also want to stop us from training with our swords?¡±

    I wonder if I looked at them with fishy eyes, Reki looked at me with dubious eyes.

    ¡°I can stop.¡±

    ¡°No! You must protect yourself! Self-defense!¡±

    It seems Reki wants to practice swordsmanship seriously. Urs doesn¡¯t seem to feel like it at all, as she had already thrown the branch from her hand.

    ¡°Do you want to be stronger, Reki?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want to be stronger and certainly protect Ursu next time!¡±

    She already looked strong enough as she said that with her red eyes shining.

    Even though they were attacked just two days ago, she is trying to ovee it instead of leaving it as a terrifying memory, she looks powerful and refreshing.

    ¡°Is it a bad idea? Niki was angry because training with swords is not something that Sisters do!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I am doing it.¡±

    ¡°This time, I will train seriously and power up! Please, Kuroe, don¡¯t stop Reki¡¯s training! Non-stop!!¡±

    I see, Reki has had this aspiration to be stronger since a long time ago. And the day before yesterday, it grew even stronger.

    It¡¯s no wonder Niki, being a legitimate priest, stopped such a little girl from trying to be a swordfighter. He probably wanted them to be good Sisters.

    However, being a berserker as my main job, I don¡¯t see why I would stop them from wielding a sword and wanting to be stronger. No, I would actually suggest they do so.

    ¡°Reki, if you want to be strong, you should do it. You can devote yourself to your training as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Really?! Is that true? C-can I do it?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good idea. Why don¡¯t we give it a try now?

    Reki couldn¡¯t help but jump from excitement and said ¡°Please, I¡¯m counting on you!¡± and bowed her head. I¡¯d say she¡¯s honest and cute, but she looks rather dazzling.

    ¡°Urs, well, if you don¡¯t want to do this, you can juste and watch us.¡±

    In contrast to the enthusiastic Reki, Urs nodded with a delicate expression and moved next to the wall.

    ¡°Then, wield it.¡±

    On the opposite side of this, there is a fairly empty space, with only a house built a dozen of meters from here. Perhaps if there weren¡¯t this much snow, it could be the church¡¯s backyard or a vegetable garden, but now it¡¯s just a vacant lot. We can practice with swords as much as we want here.

    Reki started swinging triumphantly with branches in both hands.

    ¡°Hey-y!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    I took a nce at her first swing and stopped her.

    I see, now I get it. The first strange voice I heard was her swinging shout.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that shout a little weird?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm... Then, what should I say?¡±

    And I had a hard time answering.

    By the way, what did I use to say when I swung my sword?

    No, the problem is that I haven¡¯t studied swordsmanship at all, to begin with. There seems to be some kind of logic for the voice you use when you practice it, but I don¡¯t have such a thing.

    I can¡¯t teach that to others. At this point, the fatal ws in having learned by myself are bing apparent.

    ¡°Eh! Or, hey!¡± Is normal, but ... it¡¯s a good idea to think carefully about what kind of voice you can easily make and use. ¡±

    ¡° ¡±Eh!¡± or ¡°Hey!¡± are the mostmon ones, but it¡¯s a good idea to think carefully about what kind of voice you can usefortably.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, okay!¡±

    Reki said, and I think it¡¯s a fairly appropriate answer. I feel like I¡¯m just telling liestely.

    ¡°Eh, eh! Hey!¡±

    For the time being, Reki is using ¡°Hey!¡± and her shout improved. She started swinging again.

    After seeing it several times, I noticed something.

    That it was a terrible practice.

    ¡°Reki, have you ever been trained in swordsmanship before?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way that could have happened!¡±

    ¡°The only children who can be trained with swords are aristocrats or at knights¡¯ houses.¡±

    I see, it makes sense. Swordsmanship is less useful in everyday life than literacy or math. It seems logical that there is no ce to practice it.

    Then it¡¯s only natural that Reki who hasn¡¯t received any kind of instruction is just swinging the sword like any other child.

    However, once again my style of swordsmanship doesn¡¯t let me give urate advice. I think I¡¯ve been wielding my weapon just by maneuver experimenting. I¡¯ve experimented with light golems and other humanoid monsters, with weapons such as knives, swords, spears, axes, and hammers I stole from them.

    I have never known the correct way to swing a sword. And that doesn¡¯t change even after having escaped bing free.

    Perhaps my sword skills were naturally refined by the will of the curse as I kept using the Cursed Broadsword Tsugijiri. If you pay attention, you can use almost any weapon in its own way.

    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t teach her the proper way to use a weapon.

    ¡°... Correct your posture and don¡¯t open your armpits too much. Look straight so that your body doesn¡¯t shake... After that, don¡¯t swing vaguely, first think about how you are going to do it and then swing quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    I am disappointed this is the only proper advice I can give. I was never conscious of what I just said.

    In the end, Reki¡¯s skills did not improve much.

    Well, swordsmanship isn¡¯t that easy that it can be improved just immediately after hearing one piece of advice.

    Or if Reki has a natural talent, it¡¯s okay to keep swinging and master ¡°sh¡±. I heard at the seminary that there are rare geniuses who can learn martial arts just by looking at them once.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Oh, hey¡±

    Reki, who had finished swinging about 100 times, had a fresh face with no sweat.

    ¡°Kuroe, what¡¯s wrong?!¡±

    Great, you have talent! I honestly said so to Reki, who looked up at me as if she was expecting me to say something like that. I noticed certain difort while looking at her swinging.

    ¡°Reki, isn¡¯t that branch light?¡±

    ¡°... Huh? The branch is light?¡±

    I borrowed the branch Reki was holding to see it myself.

    When I was about to swing it, I realized I was still carrying Sariel.

    ¡°Yuri, I¡¯m going to leave you here a little.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The ground is bad because of the snow, but I got Sariel off my back. I couldn¡¯t just throw her down, so I sat her down next to Urs who was observing the flowers on the wall.

    Well, this branch is the problem.

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    One light swing.

    You can see that its weight and flexibility are not unusual for a branch of a tree.

    Conversely, it is not particrly lightweight. I¡¯ve used several wooden swords at seminaries, and it seems that it¡¯s about the same weight inparison. In other words, it can be said that it is a reasonable weight for a stick to practice with.

    And its weight shouldn¡¯t be something that just a very little girl can easily swing.

    ¡°Can you swing it even if it¡¯s heavier?¡±

    ¡°Yess! Because Reki is powerful, I can even hold bigger water buckets than Uru does!¡±

    Apparently, she is the strongest among girls of the same age.

    Even so, I felt that the lightness she showed was more than just powerful for a child.

    I¡¯d like her to try swinging it with a real longsword, but suddenly I feel that seriousness was dangerous... Oh, well, an ax or a pickaxe would be good.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Immediately after entering from the back door of the church, there is a warehouse. Of course, it is also a small ce, but there are scoops and other things all around the ce. Most of the farmers¡¯ essentials are also avable here.

    I immediately found the tool I was looking for. I picked up an ax and returned quickly

    ¡°Try swinging this one.¡±

    ¡°Huh, can I?¡±

    Her reaction is probably because Niky said it was dangerous for children and asked her to never touch these tools. It is a correct judgment for a guardian. I can see that the previous priest was a person of character.

    ¡°Handle it with care, If it¡¯s too heavy, don¡¯t try to force it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I¡¯m good with this much, right?¡±

    She easily carried the ax on her shoulder to show me that she was not just pretending to be strong.

    ¡°Okay, then try to swing it. Avoid cutting your legs out of momentum, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    And so, Reki swang up the ax.

    Yeah, now at this point I see that she does it in the same way. After all, that branch was too light for Reki.

    ¡°Hey!!¡±

    That swing was quite powerful.

    Without being swayed by the weight of the ax, Reki stopped the de just before reaching the ground.

    ¡°Great power, Reki¡±

    As expected, I can only think that it exceeds the strength of a child.

    ¡°Well, is that so? Ehehe.¡±

    Reki is a little embarrassed and looks so cute, but I was just wondering how strong she was.

    As expected, she doesn¡¯t have the superpower of Erio but she¡¯s been blessed with physical strength to be proud of. If that¡¯s the case, then Reki has the talent to be stronger as a swordfighter or warrior.

    ¡°This requires a physical endurance test before swinging.¡±

    When the sun went down and the vige was surrounded by the dark night, Reki¡¯s physical endurance test was over.

    I tested her running power, jumping power, throwing power, muscle endurance and everything I could here.

    First of all, I measured her running power by making her run 50 meters on the main street, which passes in front of the church and is the easiest to run in this vige. Of course, there is no stopwatch, so I measured the time with my body clock. But there is not much measurement error.

    The next one was her jumping power. This one consisted of long jumps and vertical jumps.

    Her throwing power could be measured by excavating one of the rocks around this area from under the snow.

    A minor problem was the pull-ups to measure muscle endurance. There isn¡¯t a conventional horizontal bar. I had no choice but to ask Reki to hang inside the church, at a beam that was just right to grab.

    Yet, as a result of her hard work, Reki demonstrated her terrifying ability with her pull-ups.

    ¡°Reki seems to be very powerful after all.¡±

    The number of repetitions Reki could do was unmeasurable. I stopped counting on the way. I did so because I realized I could just keep counting forever.

    It may be because she is lightweight but this is ridiculous. Incidentally, I can keep doing pull-ups endlessly until I get tired of it. If you measure my resistance with the number of times, you would need a unit of weight in the hundred of kilograms.

    Leaving aside my specs, I noticed again that Reki has high physical endurance overall. When she runs, she is fast, if she jumps, she has good jumping power. The more she throws a stone, the farther it will fly. It is amazing for a child, but she is still in the human category.

    Still, Reki¡¯s stamina found when she did the pull-ups is amazing. Because she can keep swinging the ax at the same power and speed all the time, which means she can withstand long battles.

    Regarding this, not even the adults out there would win.

    ¡°Uh, but I¡¯m a little tired.¡±

    Rekiy down on the snowy field despite the cold, and she exhaled a cute white breath. We were behind the church again.

    ¡°I¡¯m d, Reki. If you have this much power, you¡¯re definitely going to be stronger.¡±

    ¡°Really, is that true? You don¡¯t need to tter me!¡±

    ¡°If you have any doubts, trypeting with other kids with what you just did. Reki will certainly win.¡±

    On the contrary, if children with such abilities had been all over the ce, Spada would have lost already.

    While I was immersed in my slightly cold thoughts, Reki was ckening with a joyful face. How should I put it? She is pure, like a Lily.

    ¡°Well, then teach me martial arts, Kuroe!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I¡¯m having trouble answering her questions again, my self-taught Chrono. Crap, I don¡¯t have anything that I can teach properly. I am very proud of mybat abilities, but as a master, I am totally ipetent.

    Teaching martial arts is impossible no matter how much I might try.

    Oh, damn it. If this is the case, just because I used ¡°Kuronagi¡±, I could have taken Mr. Oak¡¯s martial art sses until the end, even if I regret it, it¡¯s toote now.

    Either way, I have to tell Reki that there¡¯s little I can teach her, anyway, that woulde out soon.

    If I¡¯m going to tell her, then now it¡¯s my best chance.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Reki, actually I...I learned it by myself so I don¡¯t have any skill I can teach to others.¡±

    ¡°Huh, huh?! Even when you¡¯re so strong, Kuroe? You defeated that bad soldier by yourself!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But the techniques I use are a bit special, and I have no idea what another person other than me should do to use it.¡±

    ¡°Oh... I see...¡±

    Her expression changedpletely, and she seemed as if she was about to cry, I almost cried too.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet your expectations. The only thing I can do is a simted battle.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to have a simted battle with me?!¡±

    ¡°Well, you can do as much as you want as if you were fighting a real one. Of course, you can even go easy on me too.¡±

    ¡°I want to try it! Reki wants to give it a try! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    She really got into it. Perhaps Reki ispletely bored of this practice where she just swings. Well, it¡¯s not fun, it¡¯s such a repetitive practice. Even more so, it¡¯s hard to convince yourself that it¡¯s helping in some way.

    In that respect, a simted battle where you can actually face the opponent would be more interesting, because there are movements and changes.

    ¡°It¡¯s already dark today, so what about tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Just a little! Dinner is not ready yet so it¡¯s alright!¡±

    Urs and Sariel went back to the church first because I was interested in testing Reki¡¯s abilities. I felt sorry for Urs, but she had supper prepared by herself.

    ¡°It¡¯s so dark, will you be able to see anything?¡±

    ¡°Reki, can you see even when it¡¯s dark?¡±

    It¡¯s amazing how good she is even at night. Reki has excellent specs. I think she¡¯s actually a werewolf, that¡¯s what I think when I see her dog-eared hairstyle.

    ¡°Okay, then just a little.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Reki and I faced each other in a corner where a smallmp dimly illuminated the back corner.

    The first branch I could get was the one that Reki used before. Its length was a little shorter than a normal longsword. Good enough to use for this practice.

    On the opposite side, Reki has an ax that I got out of the warehouse. As it¡¯s not me who is wielding that dangerous weapon, I wrapped a cloth around the de considering a minimum of safety for the time being, as there is nothing else we can use.

    ¡°Bring it on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going! Fire!!¡±

    It was a fake battle that started like that. But of course, Reki is powerful but doesn¡¯t use any technique. It feels like I¡¯m ying a sword fight with my own kid and so I¡¯m treating it with moderation.

    I evaded the swing of the ax, which would hurt if it hit, and asionally parried her fiercely swung attacks with my branch, and when I saw a particrly weak point exposed, I gently hit Reki¡¯s body with the branch.

    ¡°Dinner is ready.¡±

    Shortly after, Urs came to call us.

    ¡°Just a little more! A little more!!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it here for today. We can try it again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, well I guess we can do it next time!¡±

    Reki seems to bepletely absorbed in this simtedbat, and she seems to have had a lot of fun.

    Well, it¡¯s good that kids move and y with all their might. I¡¯m not sure if this really is effective as practice, but... if she¡¯s so happy, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea.

    For the time being, let¡¯s find out if there is a wooden sword tomorrow.

 Chapter 486

    <strong><strong>Chapter 486 Letter</strong></strong>

    Gloom Moon Day 28th. Right after the morning prayer.

    ¡°...So, they finally came, huh?¡±

    The crusaders came to the 202nd colony yet again.

    Three cavalries had appeared. Judging from their lightweight armor, they¡¯re probably here as messengers.

    ¡°Good morning, knights. What business might you have here, so early in the morning?¡±

    It was of course the vige chief Randolph who immediately attended to them as soon as they came.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to inquire about the vige a bit, could you lead us to the chief?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the chief, Randolph.¡±

    ¡°What? The vige chief here is supposed to be¨C¡±

    ¡°Due to some circumstances... I¡¯ll fill you in on the details, please follow me.¡±

    The captain, a bearded middle-aged man thought to be the oldest of the three, got off his horse and followed Randolph to the church. The ce they were guided to was the same room I used at the time of negotiation as well.

    Only Randolph and the captain entered the room, leaving the other two cavalry to guard outside. Before getting into the talk, he instructed to steer off the people from the area, making the vigers get back to their usual work.

    However, that won¡¯t work for me. I decided to concentrate on gathering information, which is my original objective, rather than doing the morning sses in the chapel. In other words, I lurked outside the room to listen in on their conversation.

    ¡°Hmm, first of all, let me ask you about the circumstances which led to the change of chief.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the former mayor, he... very unfortunately, was attacked by a monster and has passed away.¡±

    Loud and clear. The conversation inside the room did not escape my ears. Incidentally, I also got Sariel with me and considering her physical specs, she should be able to hear the conversation as well.

    ¡°That armored bear was extremely big and it just went on a frenzy. There had already been several casualties. Among them was also Niki priest and two knights who were stationed there.¡±

    ¡°What, the damage was that big?!¡±

    ¡°The knights had immediately rushed to the scene on notice and spectacrly seeded in fending it off as well but... they were both hurt badly and...¡±

    I felt relieved seeing Randolph¡¯s acting as he started tearing up.

    If he had leaked my identity here and asked the knight for help, I would have had to leave the vige. Worst case scenario, I¡¯d have had to kill the knights and Randolph.

    Even I would prefer to avoid killing off people I havee to know, as much as I can afford to.

    ¡°Hmm, if it is such a dangerous monster, our army should send a subjugation party as well...¡±

    ¡°No, that would not be necessary. They had wounded the bear deeply so even our men will be able to do something about it. You need not be bothered by it.¡±

    ¡°I see, that would be helpful for us as well.¡±

    ¡°I see. Is the war, perhaps, not progressing too smoothly?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you any details as that is confidential info but I¡¯ll just say that we can¡¯t afford to let our guards down at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I went too far, pardon me.¡±

    It would appear the Crusaders do not intend to publicly announce their defeat yet. It will still be a little further ahead for the remnants of the defeated army toe back.

    ¡°But in that case, will it take some time to send more knights and priests to this vige?¡±

    ¡°I will report the damage dealt by the armored bear but... sorry, it would be best to not expect much.¡±

    ¡°No, it is wartime after all, we can¡¯t help it.¡±

    Good, if no priests or knights will be dispatched for this vige for a while, then my position here is safe for now. I did seed in infiltrating this far, it would all go to waste. I do want to buy some time, at least until the snow starts melting.

    ¡°¨CBy the way, did Sir Mashrame to this vige the other day?¡±

    I see, so that¡¯s the main topic.

    The young noble has gone missing so of course there will be search parties.

    ¡°Uh, Sir Mashram? No, I¡¯ve not seen him since being appointed to the 203rd colony.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm... you do know hiding any info won¡¯t do any good for the vige, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, of course! There is no reason for us to hide such a matter.¡±

    Sorry, chief, I did not mean to threaten you. It¡¯s just that, I can¡¯t tell you the details, but we had inadequacy in our messenger, and Sir Mashram has left the base.¡±

    ¡°I-I see, I understand...¡±

    ¡°Inform us immediately if you are to see him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Whether Randolph¡¯s once-in-a-lifetime performance was sessful, or whether the captain did not expect eye-witnesses at all to begin with, he let go of the topic quite easily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden visit. We shall take our leave with this.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, please, take some rest before leaving¨C¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a mission, you see. We need to rush to the next vige as well.¡±

    And like that, the three knights left the vige as quick as they had arrived. It is impossible to decipher whether he was actually searching for Mashram or whether he just did it merely for formality.

    Either way, Randolph managed to get through without causing any extra suspicion from the Crusaders to the vige.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Randolph.¡±

    I spoke to him outside the church as the knights left.

    ¡°No, it is us who are saved.¡±

    Is he saying that ¡¯cause the knights did not inquire further? Or is it ¡¯cause he seeded in dealing with it without making me angry?

    ¡°Please rest assured, Mr. Kuroe. This vige already shares the same fate as you.¡±

    After all, even If the vigers are innocent, it is undeniable that Mashram and his party have been annihted due to this vige. He has to keep it hidden, no matter what.

    For the time being, it seems he was able to skillfully hide it.. but let¡¯s stay on alert.

    And just after lunch, an unexpected second group of visitors had appeared.

    ¡°The peddler is here!¡±

    ¡°Oho? That was faster than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I thought it would take till the new year, but it seems we¡¯re in luck!¡±

    The second group of visitors to the vige was a group of more than a dozen people, apanied by threerge wagons. Their main products were food and daily necessities. The vigers gathered around and began evaluating the goods.

    I did not find anything too rare there, considering I dide from arge city like Spada. However, I carried Sariel as usual and jumped into the New Year bargain sale crowd.

    ¡°Well, nothing too valuable here.¡±

    ¡°Brother, it seems they are dealing with weapons and such in thest carriage.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Looks like the first carriage is loaded with groceries and the second one in the middle is loaded with misceneous goods. The vigers, mainly women who take care of the kitchen of the house, are gathered here inrge numbers. As Sariel showed, the third carriage at the end seems to be loaded with battle-rted equipment. As this is not directly connected to daily life, the crowd here was rtively lowpared to the previous two wagons.

    ¡°Hey, priest. Are you shopping as well? Please,e have a look.¡±

    A small, fat merchant started talking to me. I can tell he¡¯s still young judging from his facial features. His age might be close to mine.

    ¡°Well, we probably don¡¯t have anything useful for a priest, but please take a look.¡±

    What stood out in the products that were lined up was weapons such as swords and spears, armor such as helmets and gloves, and the majority of the rest were lower ss potions.

    True, they don¡¯t seem to have anything a priest would want.

    That said, I¡¯m not looking for a new Bible or a new rosary, so it¡¯s not a big deal.

    ¡°Do you have any scrolls?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have many different kinds, but we do have some ....Let¡¯s see, I wonder where it was ......¡±

    The merchant went fishing for scrolls at the back of the wagon for a few minutes. He came back holding a wooden box with both hands.¡±

    ¡°This is all we got.¡±

    I thanked the merchant and began evaluating the product immediately. While I do say that, the one actually evaluating was Sariel. I¡¯m not too familiar with magic items yet.

    I took the variousrge and small colorful scrolls out of the box in order and showed it to Sariel who was on my back.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°There it is. The one with the bird¡¯s crest.¡±

    Bingo. We¡¯re lucky to get something good from such a small collection. Rather, it is a universal product that is distributed everywhere.

    ¡°Messenger and Summon, eh? I see. Are you looking to send a letter back home or something?¡±

    That¡¯s right, this is a scroll to use the savant bird who carries letters.

    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but this is of a lower grade, so even if you do use it to send letters, you won¡¯t reach Sinir. From here, hmm, let¡¯s see, it¡¯ll probably barely get to the port of Virginia.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    No need to cross the ocean. What I want it to fly to is the Ghad mountains on the other side. It¡¯s fine if it just reaches the fortress along that way.

    ¡°How much will it be?¡±

    ¡°Even though it is a lower grade, it is still a scroll, so it is somewhat valuable. Let¡¯s see, this will be¨C¡±

    I bought it at the merchant¡¯s asking price.

    Thanks to the peddlersing in early, the preparations for the return to Spada properly began.

    First of all, the equipment that I was in possession of at the time I was teleported are ¡°Nanast Amulet¡± and ¡°Aria Guard Feather¡±.

    After returning to Lily¡¯s cabin, I got the white robe for winter. Well, there is no need to stick to this equipment, but at the same time, there is no need to go out of my way to prepare more either. This should be enough to cross the mountains once the snow melts.

    As for the weapons, I could upgrade at once after annihting that squad from the Crusader army.

    Four armored knights¡¯ halberd and more than twenty long swords which are standard equipment for the infantry. Mashram¡¯s favorite mythril rapier is particrly excellent. It is light as a feather and has outstanding sharpness. Additionally, it also has arge emerald decoration, and so is a great product to use as well as to sell.

    In addition, I also got full te armor and chain mail.

    They also had two types of bows and bow guns for long distances battles, but I wouldn¡¯t need them since I got Bullet Arts. The green wand that the vicemander-like wind sorcerer had was also of high quality but I can¡¯t use that either.

    I thought of selling off the unnecessary items to the peddlers for some money but I can¡¯t afford to do that since that might raise suspicion. I guess I have no choice but to leave it to the vignte corps to use ordingly such that it does alert the Crusaders.

    That said, I don¡¯t really need to worry much about money. This is also one of the benefits from annihting that squad including Mashram¨CI could take away all the money they had on them. As expected from a young noble, he was carrying quite a lot with him for travel expenses.

    I could live here easily for about 3 years with this money and won¡¯t becking money to buy any necessary goods. Of course I can buy scrolls at their given price without a second thought.

    For what it matters, I did make a contract with Randolph to receive renumeration for being the priest and bodyguard of the vige but that was just as a formality and I don¡¯t really expect much from there anyway. In addition, he also transferred all the property priest Nicy had as a reward, which was quite insignificant... But well, what more can you expect from a priest whoes all the way to a countryside vige like this one.

    What¡¯s more useful in his property is the house of the church and the daily necessities there rather than the money.

    Unfortunately, the peddlers did not have any kind of bags with dimension cast on them so when returning, I n to use the sturdy looking bag and rucksack priest Nicy probably used when traveling all the way here.

    With all that out of the way, the very crucial date and time of return is yet to be decided.

    ¡°......Hmm, I wonder if it¡¯s okay like this.¡±

    For the time being, I started writing a letter the day I secured the messenger savant. I wanted to finish writing during daytime but it would be troublesome if I were to be seen by chance.

    The letter would of course be sent to Lily and Fiona of the Ghad Fortress.

    [This is adventurer ¡°Element Master¡± of the Spada Army 4th Squad ¡°diator¡±. If you have picked up this letter, please send it to the Spada Army or to the aforementioned party.

    Lily, Fiona, I¡¯m sorry to have worried you. I¡¯m safe. At the moment, I¡¯m being sheltered at Daedalus¡¯ old friend¡¯s ce, so don¡¯t worry about me.

    Due to the difficulty of crossing the Ghad Mountains in winter, I n to wait until spring when the snow melts to return. I will keep lying low and return to the Spada army as soon as I can.

    I want you to wait in Spada instead of acting rashly. I canpletely hide myself as I have ¡®Original¡¯ so I definitely won¡¯t blunder and be caught by the Crusaders. You don¡¯t have to meet me at Ghad.

    I¡¯m really sorry for troubling you. I want you to inform Simon and Will that I¡¯m alright as well. Ò»ÈÕ¤Ç¤âÔç¤¤¡¢ÔÙ»á¤òîŠ¤Ã¤Æ¤¤¤ë¡»

    That¡¯s all for the contents of the letter. There are a lot of things I want to write and tell Lily and Fiona, but this is about all the letter can fit.

    For now, I kept my name and location hidden and tried to inform them of the situation as much as I could. In the unlikely event that this letter passes into the hands of the Crusaders, they shouldn¡¯t be able to retrieve much info from it.

    Lily and Fiona would know that the whole ¡®hiding-myself-ability¡¯ thing is a lie. I¡¯m sure the two of them will read into the situation and understand that I want them to wait at the Ghad Fortress to prepare and cover for me.

    And finally, I wrote down the address for the letter to reach in case it didn¡¯t reach them but reached Spada. The dormitory of leader cadets of the Royal Spada Theological School. To the second prince Wilhardt¡¯s room. In the case that it reaches there, Will or Celia will pass it to them.

    ¡°I think that will do.¡±

    Sariel, who was looking at my ugly handwriting from the side, gave her approval, albeit sounding a bit doubtful as to whether this properly exins the situation or not.

    ¡°I have not written anything about you but...¡±

    I can¡¯t really say something ironic like it would be more favorable for Sariel this way. After all, it would be most favorable for me to just not write anything about that at all.

    With what face am I supposed to tell Lily and Fiona that I couldn¡¯t kill Sariel? And how I extinguished Sariel¡¯s protection on top of that.

    Even those two gentle souls might be in contempt and abandon me this time.

    It¡¯s gloomy but still ......it¡¯s something I chose myself. It is certainly painful, but I do not regret it.

    ¡°Well then, send it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I will entrust the usage of this messenger savant to Sariel altogether. And that is ¡¯cause I have no idea how to use it.

    I can go up to summoning it. However, from there, I don¡¯t know how to set the destination.

    Of course, the birds summoned here do not have a nest in the Ghad Fortress. Since it does not use something like the homing instinct of a carrier pigeon, it doesn¡¯t need a nest and it¡¯s convenient for both the receiver and sender.

    Basically, it is a mechanism that realizes reliable two-waymunication by installing a magic circle at the sending and receiving point.

    That said, it is still possible to send the bird to a location where there isn¡¯t a magic circle and with no guidance like in our situation.

    To go into details, it is done by directly carving the telepathic technique into the summoned magic circle to imprint the image of the destination in the bird¨Cvery impossible for me to do currently. I got no choice but to rely on Sariel, who has experience on this matter.

    I could only sit on the bed and silently stare at Sariel as she quietly wrote the dedicated magic circle on the paper with her non-dominant left arm.

    ¡°Hopefully it reaches...¡±

    Within that night, I released a white bird that resembled the pigeon with my letter tied to its feet.

    All we have to do now is pray that it will be delivered safely.

 Chapter 487

    Chapter 487 Secret Talk

    Gloom Moon Day 29th, the dawn after sending the letter.

    Without any sudden visitors like yesterday, the day had gone by free of incidents. That said, I¡¯m still clumsy at being a priest without Sariel¡¯s help.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Fire!¡±

    Thest job of the day was to have a mock battle with Reki.

    Reki sure is full of energy today as well, shouting every time she goes for an attack.

    She was equipped with a wooden sword and not an ax.

    Her one was a size bigger than normal, shaped like an eku.

    One of the peddlers yesterday had it lined up with other goods so I thought ¡°why not?¡± and ended up purchasing it. Unlike normal wooden swords, this one is made to practice using greatswords.

    It also ultimately became a present for Reki, although I had not nned for it. Gifting a wooden sword to a girlcks any sort of mor but I didn¡¯t really think that far ahead so... but that¡¯s just an excuse, huh?

    Since I didn¡¯t think about presents until that moment, I decided to buy something for Urs as well, to be impartial. And so I halfway panicked to buy a book for Urs and two hairbrushes for her and Reki. The vigers ended up witnessing such a miserable shopping scene but since the two of them were delighted with their presents, it¡¯s not a problem at all.

    Urs was immersed in the book today as well¨Cit seems to be a fiction story about the love between an angel-like princess and a revenge-crazed soldier. Reki was happily swinging the wooden sword at me too.

    Her swings had quite the intensity, making thunderous noises as it cut through the air but still not enough. One can easily tell where she¡¯s aiming.

    ¡°Eii! Yah!¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do, you are leaving open way too many weak spots while attacking.¡±

    At the church¡¯s backyard, while evading Reki¡¯s attacks on top of the hardened snow, I pointed out her ws one after another.

    I lightly jabbed her wide-open nks with the normal wooden sword I bought for myself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to blindly keep attacking. If it ends up leaving you open for attacks, do not hesitate to fall back.¡±

    ¡°Fu¨C!¡±

    Along with a quick exhale, Reki took a big dash backwards as I instructed and created distance between us. Her movement is as light as a feather, hard to believe that she¡¯s still just a child.

    ¡°Uggh, I can¡¯t make a hit at all.¡±

    ¡°Your movement is getting better. You just need to get used to swinging a sword now.¡±

    And that¡¯s not just me ttering her. Although not much, Reki¡¯s attack patterns were definitely getting better. On the first day, she fought like a kid ying sword-fight but during yesterday¡¯s mock battle, I felt her movement was very clean for a moment.

    And today, that movement became much more noticeable, showing its true form with the brand new wooden sword.

    ¡°But but, Reki thinks she needs an ultimate move right about now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be blindsided by just martial arts.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I can always defeat enemies with my ¡®ck Calm¡¯ either. In fact, I feel like it has been evaded or blocked more.

    ¡°For now, just keep swinging that sword as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Just when Reki was about tounch another attack with her energetic shouts¨C

    ¡°You guys seem to be having quite a lot of fun, huh?¡±

    ¡°Aah! Ryan, what are you here for?!¡±

    Ryan from the vignte group had appeared from the shadows; I haven¡¯t seen him since that boxing fight. Reki addressed him quite upfront there but it seems like he didn¡¯t pay any heed.

    ¡°I could hear your voices from the front, you see. Your noisy dog-like voice, Reki.¡±

    ¡°Reki isn¡¯t that loud!¡±

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s that? I can¡¯t hear what you¡¯re saying from all the loudness~¡±

    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±

    Now, now, calm down. I intervened and stopped Reki as she changed her target to Ryan.

    ¡°Did you need anything, Ryan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, before that, could you step away a bit, Reki?¡±

    ¡°Eeehh¡±

    ¡°Sorry, could you listen to him this once?¡±

    Even Reki could read the atmosphere as Ryan asked politely.

    ¡°I guess I could since you¡¯re asking that much, I¡¯ll go take a break.¡±

    Appealing that she still had plenty of strength in her by swinging the wooden sword, Reki entered the church through the backdoor.

    And with that, Ryan turned to face me again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really need anything but... I thought I had to thank you once.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, you went to the trouble of lying to cover me from uncle.¡±

    I did expect it but it does seem to be about the day before yesterday¡¯s bar incident.

    ¡°A person was trying to die so it¡¯s only natural for me to try and stop them.¡±

    ¡°Ho? A very priest-like thing to say. Is this what they call a benevolent soul?¡±

    Anyone would try and barge in there even without such grandiose spirituality. More so when it¡¯s the person concerned.

    ¡°Either way, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I was saved, thank you. Thanks to you, I¡¯ll be living a bit longer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Although it did not really feel like an expression of gratitude from heart, Ryan extended his hands to shake mine.

    Just as I shook his hand firmly, his expression became grim.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the grim face?¡±

    ¡°Still not as grim as you.¡±

    ¡°I am quite sensitive about it, you know.¡±

    Ryanughed. I mean, I wasn¡¯t joking, though.

    ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t bring myself to trust you.¡±

    That¡¯s a given. Just ¡®cause I ended up saving his life doesn¡¯t get rid of the fact that I am still suspicious and could be dangerous.

    ¡°If pushes to shove, I¡¯ll stop you, even if I die. So, please don¡¯t make any blunders now.¡±

    It was more of a wish than a warning. Ryan probably understands the absolute difference in strength between us by now. He won¡¯t be able to make a dent even if he came at me with resolve to die.

    And so, he probably has no choice but to wish.

    ¡°Please, rest assured. I¡¯ve just been employed for a short period of time. I¡¯ll be leaving the vige very soon.¡±

    ¡°....Uncle did tell me about it, for what it matters. I¡¯m still part of the vignte group, after all.¡±

    ¡°You picked a fight quite easily despite that.¡±

    ¡°Idiot, of course a test of strengthes first! If you were weak, I¡¯d have driven you outta here already.¡±

    I ended up riding the wave there but it seems Ryan had his own line of thought. No matter how he was persuaded, he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he confirms my strength by himself.

    It was rash and dangerous either way.

    ¡°Well, do you acknowledge my strength now?¡±

    ¡°Tch, that certainly was enough strength to ughter dozens of soldiers. Priest, I haven¡¯t seen someone as dangerous as ya even in Elysion... really, what in the world are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard from Mr. Randolph, I¡¯m a deserter. I ran away from the battlefield because I was scared¨Cjust a coward, you see.¡±

    ¡°That was the right decision. Thanks to that, Yuri is alive, right?¡±

    Goddamn it, that¡¯s the only part you¡¯re right about.

    ¡°Will that be all? It would appear Reki is getting restless to restart her mock battle.¡±

    I could see Reki peek at us with half her head showing from the backdoor.

    Before I realized, the sun had gone halfway down the Ghad mountains so there¡¯s only a bit more time left for mock battles.

    ¡°Ah, right, could I join in as well?¡±

    Just when I thought he would finally leave, Ryan smiled and came up with an unexpected suggestion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind but why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the vignte group captain, ya know? I train everyday. Sparring with someone as strong as you would be the best training ever. Heheh, do you know how much it cost to have a mock battle with an expert at the knights¡¯ academy?¡±

    I see, so he has a desire to improve. Although it does feel like he also thinks it would be a loss to not fight.

    ¡°Noo! You should just leave, Ryan! Kuroe will be looking after me!¡±

    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s too much of a luxury for a brat like you to get man-to-man training from an expert like him, ya¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Go home!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, damn brat!¡±

    Putting me aside, it seemed like the two of them were about to start a real battle instead of a mock one, to which I put the brakes on.

    Without making them wait for their turn, I suggested a perfect solution which would make both of them satisfied.

    ¡°Well then, would you both like to fight me at once?¡±

    After a good workout, I had some good food. And by crawling into a warm bed, I could put the lid on a very fine day¨Chowever, Reki has yet to float away to the dream world.

    ¡°Hey, Uru.¡±

    ¡°....What?¡±

    It would appear her best friend sleeping right next to her has yet to fall asleep too.

    Although the bed was thin with just a nket, it wasn¡¯t as cold when both of them slept together.

    ¡°What do you think of Kuroe?¡±

    Urs went and faced Reki close up, enough to feel her breath.

    ¡°Messiah.¡±

    ¡°Answer seriously!¡±

    Reki said, pulling Urs¡¯s cheeks. Urs absentmindedly blinked a few times.

    ¡°Well, then what do you think of him?¡±

    ¡°An amazing person!¡±

    ¡°....What¡¯s amazing about him?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see so you don¡¯t know! No matter what I do, I can¡¯t hit him¨Cit¡¯s like magic.¡±

    It was only the third day since they started having these mock battles. However, Reki has yet tond a single hit on Kuroe. The best she went was to have him fend off her attacks with his sword.

    Although Reki had absolutely zero knowledge about sword skills, she knew for sure that his movements were beyond the normal human¡¯s territory.

    ¡°Besides, he is a nice person.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Reki?¡±

    ¡°Ou, that¡¯s a bit of a sad thing to say. You don¡¯t know Kuroe is sensitive about his scary face?¡±

    She had actually heard Kuroe and Ryan¡¯s conversation today. Unrted to her ears looking like that of a dog¡¯s, they were actually good at listening.

    ¡°Not that. All the vigers are still scared of Kuroe. ¡®Cause he killed a lot.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, but... Kuroe was seriously angry at that time.¡±

    It is ¡®cause she understood that she was able to thank him properly when he saved her. He is a person who is able to get angry due to the right reasons.

    ¡°Uru, you understand too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    There probably isn¡¯t a single soul who was present there that couldn¡¯t feel his anger. The intensity was enough to even make a monster who doesn¡¯t understand humannguage to turn tail and run, let alone a human.

    ¡°There is no one who would get seriously angry on our behalf. And so, I am not scared of Kuroe.¡±

    Her honest words properly portrayed how things were in the country called Sinir.

    Nobody there would be honestly angry on behalf of second ss people¨Cpeople of a different race, or try to help them. It was just simple discrimination.

    That said, maybe because there are many of the same race here, they had good mutual rtions and weren¡¯t cruel to each other. Having been under Nicy priest¡¯s protection, these two were certainly on the happier side. However, if you were to ask if he was able to properly be a foster parent then the answer would be no.

    He was a man of character, however, he was also a pious believer of Christianity. Whether it¡¯s Reki or Urs, priest Nicy¡¯s ultimate objective was the indoctrination of children, even during his time in Sinir where he had taken in orphans of other races as well.

    Even if it¡¯s a child from a different race, they will be saved if they convert. The Lord wants the faith of more people¨Cof all the people on Earth. He was a man of such principles and ideology.

    There was no reason nor logic for these children to understand his beliefs born from his zealous piety but even still, Reki, Urs, and the other kids, they had somewhat perceived it. The sharp child senses had perceived that priest Nicy did not even view them as different individuals¨Che only saw them as children of other races, or rather, unbelievers.

    ¡°Kuroe... is lying.¡±

    As such, Kuroe is not normal. As a Sinirian, and most importantly, as a Christian.

    ¡°Is it because he is not a real priest?¡±

    Reki had put her good ears to use to listen in on Kuroe and Randolph¡¯s conversation.

    She hadn¡¯t heard the discussion of the day he saved the vige as she was hiding in the storage shed as ordered. However, the following day, Reki overheard their conversation about Kuroe being the bodyguard and priest of the vige when he came back with his sister and the armored bear.

    ¡°Deserter of the crusaders, his sister Yuri¨Call lies.¡±

    And the one who had asked her to eavesdrop on them was none other than Urs.

    ¡°Is Kuroe a demon?¡±

    ¡°¨C?!¡±

    Maybe ¡®cause Urs had predicted such a reaction, she was able to stop Reki from shouting by holding her mouth with her hand quickly.

    ¡°W-w-what does, that mean?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the awareness to discriminate ¡®cause he is not a Sinirian.¡±

    A simple conclusion. The difference between priest Nicy and Kuroe is exactly what Reki herself had just said. He is someone who could honestly get angry on their behalf, on behalf of these kids of other races.

    ¡°Kuroe knew that the Crusaders had lost. There¡¯s no mistake that he was on the battlefield.¡±

    The defeat had yet to be publicly announced. However, such is the probable case¨Ceven Randolph thought that when the search party came for Mashram.

    After all, Kuroe wasn¡¯t the only one eavesdropping there. As usual, Urs had requested Reki to listen in on the chief¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know with what means he made it this far, but he can¡¯t be a spy. If he were, he would infiltrate in a much more inconspicuous way and wouldn¡¯t have stayed in a vige like this.¡±

    Therefore, Kuroe either coincidentally or had no other choice but toe this far into the enemy territory.

    ¡°Oh, as always, Uru is so smart! Then, about Sister Yuri not being his little sister¨C¡±

    Maybe ¡®cause the sweet talk made her feel better, Urs continued with a slight smile.

    ¡°Sister Yuri is undoubtedly a real Sister. She is too well-informed about Christianity.¡±

    While Reki had been doing mock battles with Kuroe, Urs was alone with Sister Yuri in the church. They had plenty of opportunities to have a good talk.

    ¡°Then, Kuroe is of a demon race, and Sister Yuri is a Sister... eehhh!¡±

    With a wider smile this time, Urs dered with confidence,

    ¡°Forbidden love... the two of them are eloping.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Reki eximed, blushing. It seems Urs was blushing a bit as well. It was embarrassing¨Cor rather, a bit stimting for them.

    ¡°Kuroe is gantly taking care of Sister Yuri. That is most definitely the work of love.¡±

    For example, during meal times. Kuroe doesn¡¯t care if his soup gets cold¨Che always makes sure Yuri eats first. Although unustomed and clumsy, Urs could not help but feel ¡°love¡± from his act of eagerly feeding Yuri first. It was something more than just the sense of obligation or kindness.

    It wouldn¡¯t be weird if he were to delegate this matter to Reki or Urs but he only does so when he has no choice but to act alone. He takes on all kinds of duties of taking care of her. As if taking care of her was his and only his duty.

    It goes without saying that that applies to not only washing her body and going to the toilet with her several times a day.

    A normal woman would feel reluctant to have her own husband do these tasks for her. However, Yuri does not show any sign of displeasure and epts it with an indifferent expression. And that is truly proof that she also dearly loves Kuroe.

    ¡°Oohh, yes...¡±

    Although it had only been a few days, upon Urs mentioning the acts out loud, Reki recalled such instances throughout the day for the past few days and increasingly turned red, turning and twisting inside her nket.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have realized either if I hadn¡¯t read that book.¡±

    Urs¡¯s vision went towards the book with a flower bookmark, put beside her pillow. The very book Kuroe gifted her¨Ca love story.

    She had already finished reading it once the day he gifted it to her. The bookmark in it now was for her second time reading it.

    ¡°I learnt what exactly is love from this. Love is, something really wonderful.¡±

    You won¡¯t reallye by such entertainment material often in the orphanage. Not only did they practice simplicity and frugality as the principle for their lifestyle there, the pious priest Nicy would never allow something like this¨Can amusing entertainment novel about love between man and woman.

    For the girls who are immensely curious about matters rting to love, this prohibition is something that would stress them out.

    ¡°Reki wants to read it too but she can¡¯t read something with that many letters.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll read it together then, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    That is, after she was done with her second time reading it. It didn¡¯t seem like she would dictate to her right that evening.

    ¡°Uuu, now I can¡¯t sleep ¡®cause I¡¯m getting restless.¡±

    While they were still apprentices, Sisters¡¯ mornings were early. Staying upte at night was prohibited.

    However, once you listen to a stimting story like that, it would be somewhat difficult to fall asleep afterwards.

    ¡°....Then, do you want to hold my hand?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Reki happily held Urs¡¯s hand, which was slightly colder than hers, under the nket.

    And for a while, the two of them had closed their eyes, shut their mouth and stayed still. But Urs ended up muttering something out of nowhere.

    ¡°Hey, Reki... do you think, even if Kuroe gets to know about my ¡®curse¡¯, he will be kind... to me?¡±

    There was no reply from her friend. What could be heard was only the sound of peaceful slow breathing.

    ¡°Good night, Reki.¡±

    Urs gently let go of Reki¡¯s hand and finally drifted to sleep herself.

    ¡°¡ª¨CAnd around that time, summer was just starting. Ah, right, they don¡¯t have ice cream or shaved ice here so I had to make ice pops myself.¡±

    ¡°The ingredients are fruits and sugar. If you can use low ss ice magic, it will be possible to make some right here. Would be very appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Right? It turned out pretty well considering we didn¡¯t n it..¡±

    ¡°Compared to cities, the cirction of luxury grocery items in a farm vige is extremely low. Something like ice pops will be very much weed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone liked it.¡±

    On the bed, on the same pillow, Sariel and I talked about the past. While it was only the second day of reminiscent talk with Sariel, we had progressed all the way to Irz vige where life had finally started to settle down.

    At night, I receive a personal lesson of the Bible from Sariel-sensei, then we both talk about our past and slowly drift off to sleep.

    The things I learnt during these two days worth of lessons was that the Bible is aption book of the events that took ce during the age of the Gods and the ancient time.

    That said, since it felt like they overly praised their God and appealed that for the most part, I am not really sure how much of it is actually the truth. Although the Crusaders think the whole thing is true.

    Putting that aside, the structure of the Old Testament and the New Testament is very simr. Of course, the same author didn¡¯t write both the books. It¡¯s also simr in the way that it¡¯s aption of all the writings of great famous clergymen of that age. I guess it may be obvious for it to be like that since it¡¯s aption of old writings.

    I also had her prioritize teaching me the frequent passages that are needed for a priest. Learning about Christianity¡¯s history from the ground up will start from the next lesson.

    ¡°And so, because of making the ice pop, Fiona¨Cyou know what, let¡¯s leave this one for tomorrow.¡±

    After all, meeting with the witch Fiona was quite impactful. I feel like it would take quite a while to finish if I start now.

    ¡°My turn.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we were at the final maneuver experiment, right?¡±

    Sariel¡¯s story was still in the human experiment period. I ran away in the middle of it but since Sariel carried through till the end, our experiment durations are miles apart.

    However, from what I¡¯ve heard from her till now, it isn¡¯t that different from the experiments they did on me. It just gives me the impression that they did actualbat training to pile up experience for the most part.

    If I had to say what¡¯s different then it would probably be that she also had ¡®Model¡¯ and Martial Arts skill training. But those are also experiments that I would have gone through as well if I stayed. At the very least, the ¡®Hundred Numbers¡¯ have surely gone through the training course.

    The secret about how Sariel was made to be an apostle isn¡¯t getting any clearer. It seems Sariel herself doesn¡¯t understand what was key in her awakening as an apostle.

    As I expected, only bishop Judas, the ringleader, would know the secret behind that.

    ¡°The final experiment was on me, no. 6 and no. 24.¡±

    ¡°I know, I saw during that time.¡±

    Sariel¡¯s number was 13. And mine was 49. It¡¯s ironic how two of the most unlucky numbers ended up surviving.

    ¡°I assume that the two were experimented on in a different section. That was the first time I met them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like the final match of a tournament, huh?¡±

    Considering how the highest number in the Homunculus Sariels Series is 30, there were at least 30 of them there. I spotted no. 1 during the early days of the experiment so it isn¡¯t like some of the first numbers were missing either.

    However, it seems all 30 of them never assembled somewhere at once. From Sariel¡¯s assumption, they were probably divided into 3 groups of 10 and managed differently.

    Thetter half of the experiment included actual battle training in a real dungeon. Just like in an adventurer party, the experiment subjects would form a group and conquer the dungeon.

    It seems such a party y continued for a bit during that time. Despite having the same face, body and having taken the same training, the Sariels had different personalities. However, during thete stages of the experiment, even these previous personalities would start to fade away just like Shirasaki¡¯s personality did and they would all be a group of expressionless, emotionless dolls.

    Even then, there were a few differences. Subjects who showed interest in small animal-like monsters, subjects who let others doplicated dungeon traps and subjects who ate a lot during meals¨Cthe differences became clear.

    Even with the same appearance, when these differences became clear with a nce, the dungeon conquer training wasplete.

    I heard yesterday that the next training was a battle royale between the subjects.

    ¡°No. 6 was excellent in close quartersbat. She was more skilled than me at the time. However, she was unfit for scuffles so I took advantage of no. 24¡¯s attacks and seeded in killing her.¡±

    I had seen the moment where Sariel¡¯s sharp hand sh cut off no. 6¡¯s head.

    ¡°No. 24 was excellent in offensive magic. She was more skilled than me as well. However, once the distance is closed, putting her down is not a difficult task either. It appeared as if she was trained as a magician, to annihte enemies one-sidedly from afar.¡±

    I had also seen Sariel¡¯s ¡®Stinger¡¯ explode on the opponent¡¯s vital organ after she broke through the burst of mes.

    ¡°In the end, you were the strongest since you had a good bnce between martial arts and magic, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even if the experiment was repeated under the same conditions, the probability of me winning would have still been higher.¡±

    The Sariel Series was probably divided in 3 groups to raise them with different courses. Specialized in martial arts, specialized in magic and all-purpose.

    ¡°I awakened as an apostle about a week after that final experiment. During that time, I wasn¡¯t really given any medication or been operated on; there were no experiments, just the basic vital checks. Other than that, I had passed my days sleeping during that time so I don¡¯t remember if anything happened during that time.¡±

    ¡°Speaking from the divine protection¡¯s logic, you probably had fulfilled all the conditions to receive it by then.¡±

    I can¡¯t tell for certain if thatst experiment was the key to clear an absolute condition or if the conditions were cleared during the total 3 years she had undergone training.

    ¡°How did you know you had awakened?¡±

    ¡°I heard God¡¯s voice.¡±

    It seems to be the same as the ck Gods.

    ¡°What did they say?¡±

    ¡°Just one sentence¨Cyou will be given the seat of the 7th apostle. I have not heard God¡¯s voice ever since.¡±

    Vastly different from my case as I had a long conversation with Mia in the back alley. That kid suddenly appears for no reason and gives me fish paste cake.

    Besides, even Lily and Fiona said that they were invited to the Gods¡¯ world in their dreams and had conversations with the Fairy Queen Iris and ck Witch Endimion.

    That said, it is rare to have enough contact to properly have a conversation with a God. In most cases, they are told about the divine protection one-sidedly or in dragon or monsters¡¯ cases, they just see them for a moment and that¡¯s all.

    With that in mind, Sariel¡¯s divine protection conferment was nothing out of ordinary.

    ¡°Did you sense something clearly different after receiving the divine protection?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The white mana flowing through my body had greatly increased. The percentage increases even further if I switch to battle mode.¡±

    Battle mode is the mode where she gives off that silver aura. Considering how us three could fight her head-on that time with her sealed state, one can¡¯t probably determine the increase in strength just by seeing.

    ¡°The greatest strength of an apostle is theck of mana shortage as we¡¯re supplied with unlimited white mana.¡±

    ¡°But a human body can¡¯t really withstand unlimited mana.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why I lost to you.¡±

    ¡°Lost to us.¡±

    To be honest, Sariel was very exhausted the moment I hit her with Supernova so it would have been enough to just push with the Spada army¡¯s numbers to defeat them.

    Although that¡¯s why the ¡°Heaven¡¯s gate¡± exists. ording to Judas, Sariel is a foolhardy warrior who doesn¡¯t know when to back off.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. More importantly, don¡¯t apostles have some other special ability other than getting unlimited mana?¡±

    For example, a magic like Misa¡¯s ¡°Madonna Charm¡± which has effects crossing the boundaries of normal magic. Rather than thinking of those as one¡¯s original magic, it is more likely that their God bestowed it upon them.

    ¡°Yes, all 12 apostles have their own characteristic magic. However, an artificial apostle such as myself did not have any.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why Judas said you were the weakest?¡±

    In other words, Sariel was only given the mutual basic abilities as all apostles. Now that I think about it, Sariel has the fightstyle of a quick magic swordswoman, using ¡®Grand Cross¡¯ at the core and magic like Sagita and Kris Sagita.

    She can¡¯t use special magic like Misa¡¯s ¡°Charm¡±, Ai¡¯s ¡°Aital¡±, or Reinfeldt¡¯s ¡°Sanctuary¡±. Although ¡°rux Aegis¡± did seem like a special magic, its effect is actually quite simple being just a stronger version of a high ss defensive light magic. One can probably reproduce something like that if they have enough mana and magic knowledge even if they don¡¯t have divine protection.

    ¡°....Exactly what kind of abilities do the other apostles have?¡±

    ¡°I do not know the details either. The abilities of 1st to 5th apostles is especially unknown. However, there¡¯s no doubt that they are a league above other disciples.¡±

    Uwah, I don¡¯t wanna hear that. Please, let those strong dudes stay where they are.

    ¡°If I recall right, all the apostles can¡¯t join in on battle as they have to defend the country as well, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the truth. The Sinir Republic is currently at war with multiple countries and countless resistances. Only the Pandora expedition is actually moving but it won¡¯t be weird if a full blown war breaks out in the borders.¡±

    It¡¯s a poor n in itself to take on multiple countries at once... however, when you take the scale of the Crusaders army in ount, I guess their national strength isn¡¯t that weak that it would affect them too much.

    In fact, they might be able to get away with just one apostle at a border site rather than a whole squad of soldiers. The apostles being the country¡¯s defense does make sense when you think of it like that.

    ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility someone among the 6th, 9th or 10th apostle will be dispatched in my stead.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone who wille to take revenge for you?¡±

    ¡°.....I do not know.¡±

    ¡°It seemed like you got along well with Ai, Misa or that good-looking blonde guy.¡±

    They seemed to be quite friendly with Sariel in her memories. Although Sariel¡¯s response was the same as usual.

    At the very least, it didn¡¯t seem like they hated her.

    ¡°I do not understand human feelings. I have never thought about how other people thought of me.¡±

    ¡°Do give it a thought from hereon. You have roommates like Reki and Urs too, now.¡±

    ¡°From Shirasaki Yuriko¡¯s memories, I now understand the importance of cooperativeness to live in a human society.¡±

    A Japanese like Shirasaki would have definitely had the sense of reading the atmosphere as it¡¯s very important. In fact, she¡¯s like an angel, even had feelings for someone like me. There¡¯s no doubt that she was much more open-minded than other girls and had a very kind personality.

    Could it be that she felt pity towards me since everyone was afraid of me because of my face...? I¡¯d like to think not. I believe in you, Shirasaki.

    ¡°Ah, more importantly, let¡¯s get back to the topic at hand. I want to know about the abilities of the apostle who mighte as your substitute.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know about those three¡¯s abilities well myself. I only have some knowledge about the 11th apostle Misa and the 12th apostle Mariabelle.¡±

    Oh, what? She knows about that woman¨CMisa¡¯s abilities?

    She¡¯s number one among apostles I wanna kill as revenge but putting that aside, considering she actually appeared in the Pandora continent before, the chances of hering again is not low. She¡¯s next to Ai in terms of utmost caution needed as they appear in unexpected ces at unexpected moments.

    ¡°What are her abilities?¡±

    ¡°She is¨C¡±

    Right that moment, a dull sound could be heard. ¡°Knock, knock¡± could be heard from the church¡¯s front door.

    ¡°Oiii, oiii! Priest! Kuroe!!¡±

    With the now intense knocking, a man¡¯s shouting voice mixed in.

    ¡°W-what is it now...¡±

    It seems like they¡¯re calling for me but during such ate hour¨Cah, I guess it¡¯s just 9 or 10 PM but even still, that¡¯s a bit toote to resolve yourself to confess for your crimes.

    No, it¡¯s the opposite. If it¡¯s an emergency situation where I need to be called sote in the night then I need to think about it.

    Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the Crusaders... No, there¡¯s no reason tounch a night attack on a vige on your own territory. If so, is it a monster attack?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    Let¡¯s hurry for now.

    Leaving Sariel on the bed, I just wore my spectacles and headed for the front door while still being in pajamas. I realized after getting out of the room that I didn¡¯t bring any source of light but I guess it won¡¯t be a problem passing through the chapel to the front door without it. The moon light is enough for my eyes.

    ¡°Priest! Please, wake up!!¡±

    Once I had made it to the chapel, the voice got much louder and I could feel the hurry in the man¡¯s voice. It felt like he was in such a hurry that he would break the door toe in any moment now.

    I can¡¯t have the door destroyed so I hurriedly opened it.

    ¡°Good evening, what is it sote in the night?¡±

    I spoke to the man as calmly as possible.

    ¡°Aah, priest, thank God! P-pleasee right away!¡±

    I do remember seeing this long thin faced man before. If I am not wrong, he¡¯s part of Ryan¡¯s vignte group. It¡¯s the referee-cum-announcer from the boxing match. His characteristic red eyes were shaking with agitation.

    ¡°Um, you¡¯re¨C¡±

    ¡°Ted! I am Ted!¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Ted, why are you in such a hurry? Has there been a monster attack?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, no, monsters have note but...¡±

    Ted answered as if he wasn¡¯t expecting that question at all. It looks like the vige is not in danger.

    ¡°Then, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s¨Cit¡¯ll be born!¡±

    ¡°....Yes?¡±

    ¡°My child will be born! Soon, very soon, my boy, no¨Cmaybe girl¨Ce-either way, my child will be born very soon! So pleasee quick!¡±

    Ted grabbed a hold of my arm and started pulling so I hurriedly stopped him first.

    ¡°P-please wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°I-if you don¡¯t hurry, m-my kid will be born without us there!¡±

    No, please, really, just wait for a moment. I¡¯m no obstetrician-gynecologist or something. I see no need for me to be present during a birth.

    And of course, I do not have any experience in helping during a birth either. There¡¯s no way I do.

    Ah, no, wait. What if the priest has a crucial role to y during birth in Sinir? I can¡¯t put it past them.

    And I, for one, have no idea regarding that. I have not heard anything about it either.

    ¡°Please hurry, priest¨C!¡±

    ¡°I-I understand... I¡¯ll prepare right away, please wait a moment.¡±

    And so I rushed back to the room.

    ¡°Save me, Sariel-sensei¨C!!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488 Daily Life at the Pioneers¡¯ Vige (1)

    The new year was here before I realized.

    With the Ghad war and the confrontation with Sariel, the turbulent Gloom Moon month hade to an end and the month of Dawn began¨Cor so I thought deeply but that month of Dawn was close to ending as well.

    Although it was just a month, my time here was quite busy. The first on that list would be that time I was called out on Gloom Moon 29th because a child was being born.

    Without knowing anything about the whole thing, I witnessed a birth and even performed baptism on the child¨Ca Christian ritual. It wasn¡¯t anything too hard, I read a verse from the Bible, sshed a few drops of holy water on the child and devoted a small prayer.

    Fortunately, a priest¡¯s job during birth ends there and is not involved in any of the actual birth work. With the only doctor grandma as the lead, the vige¡¯s women skillfully pulled it off. After all, by the time I had taken the lecture after excusing myself to get ready and went to Ted¡¯s house, a healthy baby¡¯s cry could be heard.

    I sighed a breath of relief after sessfully clearing the birth event but there was no way I would¡¯ve known at that point that I would be called out at night for the same thing again on New Year¡¯s Eve. Is this vige going through an unprecedented baby boom?

    Putting aside such spontaneous events, the New Year¡¯s worship went perfectly well as it was nned from before and I had studied and prepared for it as well. Other priests would be giving more preaches during these events but I just performed the necessary rituals properly and saw myself out after greeting everyone. Well, despite it being the New Year¡¯s day, the vigers weren¡¯t as idle toze around all day. They couldn¡¯t afford to spend the first three days of the New Year under a kotatsu with oranges.

    However, it was exactly after three days that the vige got somewhat noisy.

    That day, another messenger hade like before and officially announced that the Crusaders will temporarily stop trying to capture the Ghad fort, which is basically dering that they lost.

    Afterwards, you could see wounded soldiers being carried from the Alsace fort almost everyday. Through the main street of the vige, which was right in front of the church, which is exactly where I live.

    The reason why there was still no problem was because this 202nd Pioneer vige was just a site for them to pass through. They would start moving from the Kual vige and stop at 203rd Pioneer vige for a night to replenish their supplies and cross this vige by noon the next day.

    As it was just a passing point, there was almost no contact with the Crusaders army. They got all the supplies they needed from thest vige so they didn¡¯te demanding for anything either.

    The only thing I was worried about was my own emotional state. I thought I would be filled with the urge to st them with Grenade Burst but surprisingly enough, I felt no such drive as I saw the gloomy line of soldiers pass by in front of me.

    It¡¯s not like I forgave them or much less sympathized with them. It¡¯s just that the sense of relief from seeding in making the Crusaders retreat slowly filled my heart and that was enough to make me feel satisfied.

    After all, this scene we won through victory is no doubt a precious one¨Cthe result of continuous bloody battles and struggles.

    As a result, I was able to pass my days without any problems till now. Although there were a few small incidents between the soldiers and the vigers, it didn¡¯t really spread as the chief Randolph and the squad leader intervened quickly enough.

    Additionally, nobody really thought much of me not showing myself, despite being the priest of the vige. I guess to them, it doesn¡¯t really matter if there¡¯s a priest or not as long as the vige deals with anyone who dies along the way. I did perform several rituals for burial in the cemetery, for what it matters. The vigers and I just indifferently dealt with these corpses without feeling any sort of emotion.

    If there¡¯s anything else that interests me, it would be info regarding the Crusaders.

    ¡°Well, how was it?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t get any new info.¡±

    Talking to Randolph in this one room in the church¨Chow many times does this make? The reason why I was speaking so casually was because there was no need to act with honorifics with Randolph.

    Randolph was a gangster before so I can¡¯t have him underestimating me and I also don¡¯t want him being too friendly either.

    Honestly, I want to talk to one of the soldiers and ask them stuff directly but the risk of doing that is too high even with a priest disguise. Which left me depending on the chief to have some idle talk with the soldiers or the squad captains as they pass by here.

    And it¡¯s not like Randolph became my underling or anything, he just simply wants to know more about the Crusaders as they would y a big role in the vige¡¯s future. That¡¯s true for all the viges here.

    ¡°It seems even the Crusaders army is a bit disordered due to the unexpected defeat. It seems all they talk about is rumors or spection.¡±

    More specifically, their n regarding the army reorganization, the border defense system and the re-attack on Ghad fort.

    ¡°I did get to know that there¡¯s no doubt that baron Helman was left in charge of the border defense as he was standing by at the Alsace fort.¡±

    ¡°If I am not wrong, baron Helman has quite a strong connection with earl Bergunt. I guess the responsibility of defeat was pushed onto him.¡±

    I act like I know it all but all this info about the Crusaders executives is from Sariel.

    The Crusaders aren¡¯t all united like a monolith, they arergely divided into three parts. The first army¨Cthe one that achieved victory in the Goldran and in direct control ofmander-in-chief Sariel. Next is the second army which is upying Daidaros¨Cthe one we fought against during the Alsace battle. And thest is the third army, the nobles¡¯ alliance, which came attacking Spada.

    Sariel knows the most about her first army but doesn¡¯t know much about the second and third, or rather she wasn¡¯t told much about them. As expected, Sariel doesn¡¯t have themanding ability to take control of a huge army like this, she¡¯s just a war machine. Rather than her actualmanding ability, she was at the top because of her being a symbol as one of the apostles. In other words, a puppet.

    Even still, she at least knew of the names and faces of the key people in the Crusaders army. It would be troubling otherwise.

    ¡°The news that earl Bergunt died in battle has spread quite a bit too. After all, even vigers like us got to know about it.¡±

    ¡°He died right in the center of the battlefield, after all. You can¡¯t really stop people from talking.¡±

    I didn¡¯t see him getting taken down but I can tell from the situation on the battlefield right before Sariel came and intervened.

    However, what¡¯s more important to me is the apostle and not the fact that themander of the third army is dead.

    ¡°Did you hear anything new about the 7th apostle Sariel?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing other than the official announcement.¡±

    Although everyone knows about earl Bergunt¡¯s death by now, it has not been officially made public. However, the Crusaders are grandly announcing about what happened to Sariel.

    And that is¨Cshe sacrificed herself to seal a terrifying, enormous demon.

    I see, that is true, Sariel might have looked like that when she used Heaven¡¯s Gate and took me in. Most importantly, it wouldn¡¯t look good if the symbol and the greatest strength of the Crusaders army just fought and lost.

    That said, it¡¯s even worse making it a secret. The well-being of God¡¯s apostle is more important for morale than the noble suprememander for the Crusaders. Although Sariel has not actually died, she did go missing so it would look better to announce that she sacrificed herself.

    ¡°......I see.¡±

    This interpretation of sealing a demon is convenient for me, though. That is ¡®cause if the demon is sealed then the demon doesn¡¯t exist anymore¨Cin other words, there¡¯s no need to search for me.

    Although, my ck hair and ck-red odd-eyes with my terrifying appearance do stand out a lot. If found out, I¡¯ll probably be put on a wanted list as the sworn enemy who killed off an apostle. I need to be cautious and stay concealed going forward too.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry but I have an appointment after this... is this fine for today?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, me too, it¡¯s almost time for training.¡±

    With little to no result from the information exchange, Randolph and I left the room.

    It¡¯s about 3 in the afternoon now. The men of the vige should be returning from lumbering right about now.

    Reki¡¯s training usually begante towards the evening but... after Ryan joined in, Ted and a few others from the vignte group also joined and now it¡¯s sort of arge training program with almost all the vignte members.

    Well, this allows me to at least work a decent amount and I also would like to avoid getting my body dull by not exercising enough.

    Now then, let¡¯s do our best today as well.

    The men¡¯s energetic yelling reverberated in the center za of the vige.

    ¡°Seeii!¡±

    What yed out before me was these men trying to hit me with their wooden spear, the tip of which was wrapped with a cloth, made specifically for mock battles. Although it wouldn¡¯t be fatal if it hit, it would still hurt. I dodged these with ease and mowed down the vignte¡¯s torso, which was covered with leather armor.

    ¡°Your pursuits are slow. Now is your chance, when the enemy is attacking others.¡±

    There were two more vigntes behind me equipped with the same gear. However, they were slow in hitting my defenseless back with the spear.

    I safely dodged the two¡¯s attacks and changed course. Now turning right towards them, I closed in on the spear handle, already in range of my sword.

    Although I didn¡¯t use any martial arts, I quickly dished out two shes with the wooden sword and made them unable to continue. For what it matters, the rule for this is that you¡¯re dead if you¡¯re hit even once. There¡¯s no need to go beat someone up.

    ¡°Guhhaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Uuooo, ou-ou-ouchh!!¡±

    Well, it will hurt a bit if it hits, of course.

    Even still, seeing the two somersaulting on top of the snow in pain, I reflected on my actions, thinking that I might¡¯ve messed up the power control a bit.

    ¡°Listen close now, as I¡¯ve said many times before, teamwork is essential for infantry. Don¡¯t try to make it into a 1-on-1 fight. Surround one enemy with 3 people and definitely beat them.¡±

    I said it sounded all important and what not but of course I don¡¯t know the proper fundamentals of military training. I have no idea how they train soldiers in the Crusaders army or the Spada army, all I know is how the adventurers¡¯ parties fight. And so, even if you don¡¯t like it, I have to base my teachings off of that.

    What I am teaching them is how to do chain attacks in a 3 man cell with your main equipment being the spear and an off hand sword. A strategy where you surround the enemy in the middle of a triangle then two of your allies distract them while yound the final blow¨Ca simple but strong strategy.

    It wouldn¡¯t help in a melee fight but what I am assuming the enemy to be is rank 1 monsters attacking the vige as the possibility of that is the highest. They should be able to annihte a leadless group of goblins if they use this formation.

    Now, if you were to ask me if my teaching is right or not, I couldn¡¯t give you an answer honestly. But considering how these vignte guys have no experience of being an adventurer, having fighting experience like this will notpletely go to waste.

    ¡°You say that but Kuroe, you dodge even if we attack you all at once.¡±

    ¡°But of course. One would naturally try to dodge if they¡¯re being attacked.¡±

    ¡°Kuroe¡¯s speed is not normal.¡±

    ¡°If you cannd a hit on me, you can more or lessnd a hit on anyone. Do your best.¡±

    I answered back bluntly to the vigntes who were sulking on the snow. Before I realized, I started talking casually with the vignte group during the training.

    ¡°On top of that, your power is off the charts too, Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t stronger than a constructed golem?¡±

    ¡°I did KO Ryan with a single punch.¡±

    But thanks to that, I feel like I can talk to the vignte group more freely now. Since most of them are young and close to my age, it¡¯s probably easier to feel like friends.

    ¡°Come on now, stand up already. I¡¯ve gone to the trouble of conducting this training by putting aside my job after all.¡±

    The vigntes stood up with a weak response, ¡®Ye~s¡¯.

    And that¡¯s not just the three I knocked down just now, it¡¯s also the dozens I knocked down before as well.

    ¡°Now then,e at me all at once again.¡±

    I can¡¯t be bothered to instruct them one by one. And so, these mock battles are with a certain number of people or all of them at once. Me versus the twenty vigntes. There are 45 vigntes in this vige but we can¡¯t have all of them participate all the time. So there¡¯s a rotation in ce.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitelynd a hit this time!¡±

    ¡°You can count on me, I¡¯ll block Kuroe¡¯s hits with dying resolve.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you my skills with the spear!¡±

    ¡°Ohh, the girls are watching, after all!¡±

    As the site for the training was the center za, it had turned into somewhat of a spectacle as well. I could see a few girls here and there watching, as well as a gallery of people around the ce. Among them, Sariel and Urs were also watching from the church window.

    Maybe ¡®cause of this they really get pumped up when doing mock battles with me.

    It¡¯s good to be vigorous but I need to deal with you seriously even though this is practice. I have no reason to get hit on purpose and more importantly, it does act as practice for me as well, to fight against a group of people.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s goo!!¡±

    With each of their spears in hand, the vigntes charged at me with quite the force. At first, they just charged at me and ended up getting crowded by themselves but now they are aware of their roles and are cleanly surrounding me from all four directions.

    Their charging pace matched up as well and they didn¡¯t end up mistakenly hitting each other like before. They were definitely learning the fundamentals of working together.

    All attacks converged on a single point¨Cme. Being honestly happy with their progress, I decided to jump up in the air to dodge the attacks first.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I ended up muttering that out as the moment I jumped up, higher than a person¡¯s height, a few wooden swords came flying at me as if they aimed for it¨Cno, they definitely aimed for it.

    I did dodge their attacks by jumping before as well after all. They probably started making counter strats. Throwing your sub weapon towards the enemy, a simple yet effective strategy.

    However, as an anti-air attack, it¡¯s still not enough. I could easily sweep them off the air with a sh of my own wooden sword.

    ¡°Tch, he deflected them!¡±

    ¡°Prepare your spears, he¡¯sing down.¡±

    Their reaction was pretty quick. They quickly determined mynding spot and took formation there to pierce me as I tried tond.

    I would have normallynded right there and turned it into a melee fight but let¡¯s go with a different n this time.

    I fended off one of the spears with my wooden sword and took a step on his shoulders.

    Immediately upon making contact, I took another leap. I broke away from the 20 men formation at once with a leap. It¡¯s that overhead dash I performed that one time to break through the heavy knight.

    ¡°Oi, oi, are you for real?!¡±

    Now that I hadnded on the other side at once, I started a reverse sweep and cleared through the formation.

    They still had a circr formation going on so I went around the outer circumference and sliced past them. My movements were such that they don¡¯t surround me again but since we¡¯re talking about over a dozen people here, they could very well disperse once and surround me again¨Cbut then again, it would be harsh of me to expect that level of proficiency from them.

    ¡°D-damn it¨C!!¡±

    And like this, the vignte group tragically got destroyed. There wasn¡¯t anyone who could face me head on yet. Once the formation was broken, there wasn¡¯t anyone who woulde with a counterattack properly¨Cor so I thought.

    ¡°Orraaa, the fight isn¡¯t over yet, priest!!¡±

    The one who appeared before me with a war cry was an armored knight wearing silver full te armor. The vignte leader Ryan.

    He shouted with strength as he swung down the extra thick wooden spear from above.

    ¡°Break!¡±

    He isn¡¯t the leader just for show. Ryan was the only one in the vige who had learnt martial arts.

    However, normal martial arts isn¡¯t even enough to stop me. I have taken on countless ¡®Breaks¡¯ from hard-trained heavy knights. I think I can even deal with three of theseing at me at once too.

    I side-stepped his full-body weight martial arts swing and swung my wooden sword sideways to his nk.

    It would¡¯ve ended here normally but it seems Ryan had predicted there would be a counter attack and so he blocked my attack with a tower shield that he had on his left hand.

    That said, it does feel like Ryan is oddly ustomed to using a long weapon with a big shield at the same time. Unlike just a sword or spear, properly using such abination is hard.

    In the first ce, the reason why he¡¯s using these heavy knight equipment is ¡®cause I simply didn¡¯t need them. As I couldn¡¯t sell off these Crusaders equipment and felt like it¡¯d be a waste to let them rot deep in the storage, I let Ryan take them as it felt like he could maybe make use of them.

    It should be his first time using such high quality heavy knight equipment but judging from how well he¡¯s doing, he might just have some experience of it.

    While having such doubts in my head, I tackled right into therge shield and sent Ryan flying.

    ¡°Ooohhh?!¡±

    Even covered with full armor, Ryan¡¯s weight wouldn¡¯t cross 200 kilos. Considering my strength, it¡¯s still pretty light and easy to send flying.

    Although he floated in the air for a bit there, he quickly braced fornding and stood back up, which I do think is impressive. However, it ended up breaking his stance.

    If I were to attack his open torso in a sh right now, he surely wouldn¡¯t be able to defend.

    ¡°Fire!!¡±

    But at that moment, someone else barged in, not letting me go for the final blow.

    It was just behind me. She came cutting through the air on top of my head with intense force.

    ¡°Quite the timing, Reki.¡±

    I turned around and did a quick sh. In front of me, Reki¡¯srge-sized sword and my wooden sword crossed in the air.

    A very familiar creaking noise came from the sh. But soon after, another familiar, but unpleasant squeak was heard. It seems my wooden sword has gone past its limit.

    Scattering chips of wood all around, my wooden sword broke in two. With my weapon destroyed and a strong swinging from atop, I barely dodged in time. It was pretty close. If it were a martials arts attack from an expert that drove me to this situation, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge without using Over-el.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Rekinded on the ground sounding disappointed as her full powered attack had failed. Although smacking the sword into the ground in disappointment would leave a lot of openings, she was surprisingly fast in flipping up her sword. As it wasn¡¯t a martial arts move, her being able to flip back up so quickly also goes to show how fast she is.

    While slightly dodging the sword as it went by my nose, I kicked her torso right when she finished standing up.

    Although it¡¯s not legal or humane to kick an elementary school girl¡¯s stomach like this, Reki had already grown up to be someone who doesn¡¯t need that sort of consideration.

    The tip of my feet, which should¡¯ve made an impact on her stomach by now, was barely blocked by her hands which came in with terrific speed. She had immediately let go of her sword and shifted to defense.

    Being able to react this well already proves that she surpassed countless swordsmen. However, it¡¯s not enough as a block.

    I went through with my kick and easily sent her light body flying.

    She flew quite a bit but was able to fix her stance right as shended. That movement resembled that of the war-cat Nino when he made that beautifulnding.

    To be able to move your body like a war-cat while being a human just shows how impressive her physical ability is.

    Reki, who had properlynded with both feet on the ground, quickly grabbed her sword and took a stance tounch another attack¨Cbut that¡¯s too slow.

    By then, the broken sword that I threw had already reached her.

    ¡°Gyaahh?!¡±

    Letting out a cute dog-like shriek, Reki copsed on the ground.

    ¡°D-damn it... it hurts......¡±

    Muttered Ryan, who was on the opposite side.

    Ryan is still not ¡®dead¡¯ as he had just gotten tackled by me. And so, I also threw the other half of the de towards him.

    Maybe he was trying to act cool or maybe it was just blocking his vision but Ryan had taken off the helmet. And on his forehead, which was clearly visible as his hair was swept back, were red marks.

    Headshot. He would have instantly died if it was an actual battle.

    ¡°Damn it, I thought we were doing pretty good too...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, you were right in teaming up with Reki.¡±

    As can be seen from this mock battle, the two strongest among these guys are Ryan and Reki. Compared to the other vigntes, these guys were a head above¨Cno, maybe even more. And this was clearly visible to even the vigers who were watching on.

    ¡°Mmmu! Next! Let¡¯s go next, Kuroe! Come on!!¡±

    Before I realized, Reki had already gotten up and was taking big strides towards me with visible anger.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to rest a bit?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯ve just finished warming up!¡±

    Her crimson eyes dazzled like that of a wild animal¡¯s as she threw away the apprentice sister¡¯s garments on the ground.

    Underneath, she was wearing a half-pant and a light shirt. Although she looked like an elementary kid doing gymnastics ss in school grounds... Since she was going through a growth burst, she had quite the volume on her chest.

    First of all, she definitely needs a bra with that size. And secondly, with that light of a shirt and the sweats sinking into it turned it slightly see-through, making it obvious that she wasn¡¯t wearing one.

    Even though she is still a kid, it would be bad for public morals, especially among all these vignte men, to go around in that appearance. After all, her chest had grown to a size that couldn¡¯t be ignored by men anymore.

    It is about time I prepared some training clothes for her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Fire!!¡±

    Thinking that, I entertained Reki as she came swinging at me, without the slightest bit of shame.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t expecting her to improve at this rate. Even with her superior physical abilities in consideration, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it abnormal.

    It¡¯s as if the way of battle had been etched into her instincts.

    Even still, it¡¯s a good thing to just purely want to be stronger. It was none other than myself who said that it¡¯s best to get as strong as you can.

    That said, there¡¯s one thing I still feel uneasy about. Reki... you sure you aren¡¯t getting too obsessed with fighting recently?

 Chapter 489

    Chapter 489 Daily Life at the Pioneers¡¯ Vige (2)

    ________________

    The month of Dawn passed by before I realized and it was now the month of Crystal. With a cold name like ¡®Crystal¡¯, this month also reflected that with its weather being the coldest in the whole year. Despite this having next to no effect in the southern part of the Pandora continent where it¡¯s pretty much always summer, I remember hearing from Nyareko that this was the case in Daidaros.

    This pub seat I¡¯m sitting on right now could very well be the Guild¡¯s pub seat where I used to be seated when talking to Nyareko pretty much everyday.

    ¡°Oi, oi, what¡¯re you making that grim face for, priest?¡±

    Ryan came asking me with a beer mug filled to the brim with ale, in a somewhat fluffy voice.

    With all things said and done, this guy had somehow be a fairly easy going friend by now. As one would expect, having a fist fight is the best way to deepen the bonds between men. Humans and werewolves, they aren¡¯t that different.

    ¡°I was thinking how the snow would melt soon.¡±

    ¡°Mm, is that so~? How far ahead are you talking about~? It¡¯s still so damn cold, man.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t even been a whole year since Ryan and the other pioneers had started living here. And as such, they probably are not fully aware of the changing seasons here.

    But I, for one, know about it. I know that despite this month being the coldest, it gets drastically hot during the end of it, melting off all the snow. Well, this too was second-hand knowledge from Nyareko.

    ¡°Hey, Kuroe. About you leaving the vige once the snow melts... is that, true?¡±

    Reki asked from the next seat, with a voice sounding more depressed than mine.

    I am not really pleased about bringing her, a child, here to the pub but today is the day before the Sabbath, one of the seven days, determined in Christianity. Going through a rigorous training session till sunset, the vignte group who had been beaten to a pulp by me, had alle together to the pub for a drink. To strengthen bonds among us and what not, I joined in as well.

    And as such, being one of the most hard working among the ones taking the training, leaving just Reki behind would be a bit sad so we brought her along as well. Of course, she won¡¯t be drinking any alcohol, we¡¯d just be treating her to food.

    This is unrted to the topic at hand but sinceing to this vige and learning the lifestyle of the Christians, I learnt the idea of ¡®Sunday¡¯ all over again. During the experiment days, as well as the days in Irz vige and Spada, I didn¡¯t have any holidays in between and neither did such a culture exist there.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true.¡±

    There was no reason for me to lie about it. While there certainly was no reason for me to lie, seeing Reki so down about it made me feel sorry as well.

    ¡°Uuu, Reki... is yet to evennd a hit on you, Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°Reki, you¡¯re improving at a very high rate. If you keep it up, you might just be able to hit me once before I leave.¡±

    ¡°Non! If Kuroe were to leave, Reki can¡¯t get any stronger!¡±

    Reki said like a bark, raising her shoulders. She might be more tense about it than I thought.

    The obsession to keep getting stronger. And she also seems to be idolizing me a bit. She is still a child. Farewells would obviously be tough.

    No, no matter how old you get, no matter how many times you experience it, farewells are always painful... I know that all too well.

    ¡°Reki still has so many things that she... wants Kuroe to teach her... Reki wants to train.. more and more, till one day when she can beat Kuroe... until then, Reki wants to stay together...¡±

    ¡°Heheh, if you¡¯re so sad to part ways, then why don¡¯t you just stick with him, huh?¡±

    ¡°Ryaaan!!¡±

    ¡°Rawr¡±¡ªReki growled as her dog-ear-like hair stood up, to which Ryan just smiled like a bully.

    ¡°I mean, it isn¡¯t really a problem, now is it, priest? Taking care of a kid or two~¡±

    ¡°Oi, that would be a bit...¡±

    ¡°Seriously, though... you realize yourself, don¡¯t you? The fact that these other men can¡¯t really keep up with Reki already. And with just a bit of actual battle experience, she can be a mercenary or adventurer or whatever. Well, she¡¯s a sorry sight as a sister, though, that¡¯s for sure~!¡±

    ¡°Gahahah¡±¡ªRyanughed like it was none of his problem and gulped down the ale appetizingly. How many mugs does that one make, really? Don¡¯te to when you fall t on the ground, I don¡¯t know any healing magic.

    That said, the things Ryan said are certainly true. Reki had certainly acquired enough strength and skill to beat down any of the vignte members except Ryan. Despite the fact that I haven¡¯t taught her any of the fundamentals to swordsmanship, she was improving at an exceedingly high pace.

    The way how she bes sharper and smoother with the sword and the impacts from her attack with each passing day is truly astounding. I honestly think she will be able tond a hit on me before I depart.

    ¡°Even then, that¡¯s not the probl¡ª¡±

    ¡°Reki can¡¯t go with Kuroe. Reki wants to go but... Reki has Uru.¡±

    Her best friend and she sort of thinks of Urs as her younger sister as Urs was a year younger. The sole purpose of Reki getting stronger was to protect her.

    Having above averagebat skills and stamina, she could easily go out on a trip or attempt dungeon captures if she so tried. However, Urs is a normal kid.

    At this point, if we¡¯re speaking strictly in terms of if it is possible or not, I¡¯d say it¡¯s very much possible for Reki to survive the trip back to Spada. On the other hand, I don¡¯t even need to think to say that it will be impossible for Urs.

    And, Reki being separated from Urs is also impossible. Now that I think about it, they might¡¯ve note to this vige solely because they are of a different race. Is it not because priest Nicy thought he shouldn¡¯t let go of these two that he went through all the trouble of bringing these two here to the Pandora continent?

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re going to protect Urs, Reki. Continue your training, even when I¡¯m gone. You understand what you need to do to get stronger now, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    It¡¯s very admirable of you to hold your tears and not be selfish even though you really feel like it, Reki. Really, what a good kid.

    I couldn¡¯t help but gently stroke her frizzy dog-ear-like hair.

    ¡°Heh, you made her cry now, priest.¡±

    And that¡¯s where I decided I¡¯d pull a strong one on Ryan during tomorrow¡¯s training.

    A month had quickly passed since it had be a custom for Kurono and Reki to have dinner at the pub on the day before Sabbath. The church¡¯s stay-at-home party had also gotten used to having dinner at home quietly.

    Sariel, who was already a girl of little words, with Urs, who had a docile and quiet personality. One would think that this oddly quiet atmosphere would be extremely awkward but in reality, such was not the case here.

    ¡°Hero Abell¡¯s adventures, chapter 12 ¡®A Fated Encounter¡¯.¡±

    Sariel said that as Urs returned to her seat after getting done with dinner and tidying up.

    ¡°Do you remember the story up tillst time?¡±

    ¡°Abell, who had been turned into a ve due tomitting a sin of covering for a heretic teacher, had made his escape from a ve trader on the path. While he had massacred the ve merchant and all the escorts, he was also in a dire situation himself.¡±

    Urs dictated the details urately with ease. Sariel was well aware of her intelligence¡ªbeing able to perfectly understand and recall a story just by hearing or reading it once. As such, her question towards Urs was nothing but a gesture to get things rolling.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s continue.¡±

    What could have possibly been the cue for Sariel to start telling Abell¡¯s story?

    To begin with, the first time the two had talked to each other was the day Kurono and Reki first had a mock battle. Perhaps she had too much free time on her hands, or perhaps she was just purely interested in Sariel, she spoke up to her.

    The content of it was exemry considering it was from an apprentice sister to an actual sister.

    ¡°What we learnt today in ss, about the saint Renault, why was he emunicated despite being such an amazing person? The book only says it¡¯s because he went against themandment but does not go into details.¡±

    Sariel immediately answered her question.

    ¡°He had realized that he was homosexual.¡±

    ¡°How did they find out?¡±

    ¡°It wasmon knowledge. However, as he raped a young deacon boy who was serving the cardinal, it had be an issue. As the young boy was in a lovers¡¯ rtionship with the cardinal, it ended up making him furious and he immediately emunicated Renault and deported him.¡±

    In response to the embarrassing history of Christianity that Sariel spoke without feeling an ounce of embarrassment, Urs said,

    ¡°Thank you very much for telling me the truth. Sister Yuri, I¡¯vee to like you.¡±

    It was the first time Sariel saw the usually expressionless Urs give a slight smile.

    And as such, Sariel, who had now been liked by Urs, continued answering any and every question she had. The contents of these answers ranged from beingplicated depictions that children would find difficult toprehend to the harshness of reality that a proper adult would try to evade answering.

    However, Sariel¡¯s truthful answers no matter the question gained Urs¡¯s favor, respect, and a sense of trust. Just how Kurono was admired by Reki as he epted her for who she was, Sariel, too, was admired by Urs.

    And thus, this Urs came up with such a question one day,

    ¡°Is the legend of the White Hero Abell, true?¡±

    As always, Sariel answered immediately.

    ¡°While there is a little distortion in the legend, all of 2nd apostle Abell¡¯s achievements are the truth.¡±

    Sister Yuri, who doesn¡¯t lie, had dered. That was the moment that this grand legend had turned true in Urs¡¯s heart, which had quite the doubt regarding it.

    ¡°I want to learn more about Abell.¡±

    ¡°Then, I shall tell you more about him based on the story that I know.¡±

    ¡°Story?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s called¡ª¡¯The Hero Abell¡¯s Legends¡¯.¡±

    The title of which was the same as when Kurono was Kurono Maou. However, the contents of it are not your usual fantasy action which is filled with dreams, courage and hope¡ªone that rewards the good and punishes the evil.

    About how the man called Abell came to be known as the White Hero. An ount of a real story which is filled with blood, malice and despair.

    ¡°¡ªAbell wandered about for three days and three nights without any destination in the snow forest.¡±

    The hero¡¯s tale that she was telling Urs had entered the hero¡¯s juvenile age after his childhood.

    The story starts off with the now 14 year old Abell ughtering the ve merchant and the escorts with his barehand and then escaping with their equipment and money.

    Abell, who was not only a ve but had also taken on the sin of killing his master now, had no choice but to wander deep into the forest in an attempt to escape the knights and the military police. That was the northernmost part of Sinir republic then. And for development which is shut off half the year due to the snow. And on top of that, it was winter then.

    He was fated to die there outside¡ªa desperate situation with no escape.

    ¡°And there, Abell meets a girl.¡±

    ¡°A girl with clear tinum hair and bright lustrous colored eyes simr to that of a kingfisher¡¯s feathers. A girl wearing a red hood.¡±

    ¡°....I know. Even Reki knows that girl.¡±

    In other words, a big name that even orphans with no education know of. There was no one in Sinir republic who did not know of it.

    ¡°Yes, the girl¡¯s name was Alice. Real name¡ªAlice In Gond Sinir. The person who would be the queen of the 99th Sinir republic.¡±

    And also the person who would be Abell¡¯s wife. Truly, a fated encounter¡ª

    ¡°Is it really, really true?¡±

    ¡°It is the truth.¡±

    Urs, who had a realistic outlook towards this scene as it just seemed too convenient, had received an instant answer from Sariel yet again. However, even Sariel couldn¡¯t say that she had heard that story from the actual person themself. She couldn¡¯t lie but she could definitely hide things.

    ¡°But, if it¡¯s true... then it would resemble Kuroe a bit...¡±

    ¡°The part that they both escaped death and took shelter in a pioneers¡¯ vige does match.¡±

    Alice at the time was of course not wandering about in the snow forest alone. Abell had very coincidentallye upon a great pioneers¡¯ vige in the midst of the forest.

    ¡°I was at my limits¡ªall I could say when I saw Alice was ¡®help me¡¯. I copsed right there and when I woke up, I was on a bed.¡±

    Sariel recalled that the 2nd apostle had exposed that to Misa and Mariabelle when talking of events that took ce 100 years ago. He did so with a ss of wine in one hand, making an expression an old man would make, while he looked like a young muscr man.

    ¡°In thest book I read about it, it said that the vige was soon destroyed as Barbados came invading. However, Abell must have surely spent some time in the vige to capture Alice¡¯s heart¡ªsuch an important episode was hidden. That is what I want to know more about.¡±

    Urs¡¯s blue eyes were glittering, or rather, zing with curiosity. Sariel couldn¡¯t decipher whether it was just her maiden¡¯s heart that wanted to know more about it or if it was the lust of wanting to dig up a legendary heroes naked love story.

    ¡°I am not sure if it will meet your expectations but I do know of a few stories of his lifestyle at the vige. The first one is¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re back~¡±

    The two¡¯s voices along with the sound of the chapel¡¯s door opening had announced an interruption to their story telling session.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it here for today.¡±

    ¡°It was just getting good.¡±

    Urs made a pout, feeling a little discontent at them foring so early today but then stood up to go and wee them.

    ¡°Uuu, I¡¯m so tired today, I¡¯m gonna go straight to bed, goodnight~¡±

    Unlike her usual self, Rekicked energy and went straight to her room.

    The sun had already set so it wouldn¡¯t be weird for them to sleep anytime now but usually they go to sleep about an hourter from now. It wasn¡¯t like they were the only ones staying upte at night.

    One would usemps ornterns as light if they don¡¯t know magic and since oil, which is the fuel for it, is cheap, most households spent some time staying up at night. Oil was mass produced both in Sinir and Spada.

    ¡°Sorry for making you guys watch the ce at night. Here, this is today¡¯s souvenir.¡±

    It had somewhat be a habit of mine to bring some side dishes from the pub.

    I put the moderately sweet baked cookies and the working ss grape wine bottle on top of the table.

    ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s just been baked.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, brother.¡±

    I sometimes drink wine with Sariel. There isn¡¯t really a reason behind it but if I were to give it one, it would be making a performance in front of Reki and Urs so that they don¡¯t doubt our rtionship.

    There¡¯s a possibility they might catch up on us if I were to act distant with Sariel. Considering how Reki is unusually sharp and Urs is quite clever.

    Well, it could also be that they already know of my lie by now...

    ¡°Ah, speaking of which, you guys are getting quite well now, huh?¡±

    I said, seeing that the unusual 3 had sat down on the table as Reki already went to bed.

    ¡°Sister Yuri teaches me everything.¡±

    ¡°Oho? What does she teach you?¡±

    ¡°About the Bible, the history, the details not listed in the books.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the studious student, Urs.¡±

    Ipletely assumed it would be something more worldly-minded. No, now that I think about it, Sariel wouldn¡¯t know stuff that would be well-received by kids.

    I felt like Urs grew an interest for love affairs as she really got into the love story novel I gave her... but to think her interests still fall in line with Christianity, she might just have a talent for being a sister after all.

    ¡°Urs is a very smart kid. She remembers everything I teach her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so too. After all, she has gotten all the way to fractions and arithmetic operations while Reki is stuck with addition and subtraction.¡±

    Although it¡¯s a bit sad that we got only two students in our morning sses, it also means we can give them one-to-one guidance. We started off with the same base for both of them but with just three days in, the difference in their schrly ability was clear and I decided it would be more efficient to teach them separately.

    Even Sariel could teach without a leg or arm. Although she only hasbat skills as an apostle, she should have the same if not more knowledge from high school 2nd year than me from Shirasaki¡¯s memories.

    With that said, Urs¡¯s schstic performance skyrocketed with these one-on-one lessons, which is such a privilege in this world that only children from noble families get it.

    ¡°Mufufu, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing if you praise me that much.¡±

    I could see Urs¡¯s usually stiff expression loosen a bit as she grinned a bit with her fists on her cheeks.

    Although this kid is mostly expressionless like Fiona, it is still clear that she is filled with emotions like any other human being. Considering how she can understand adult¡¯s talks and is intellectually curious, it¡¯s no wonder she can get along well with the doll-like Sariel.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t really get the opportunity to talk to Urs much since I was dealing with Reki. Sorry if it looked like I was being partial to her.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m also happy to see Reki have fun. After all, only Kuroe can take on Reki at her fullest.¡±

    It should be the adults¡¯ job to take on the kids¡¯ fullest. However, it isn¡¯t my ce to say that here and I shouldn¡¯t make these kids worry about that.

    ¡°I also have fun sparring with her. She¡¯s a prodigy. She develops every day¡ªno, every fight, even. You can see her movements change to adapt with each fight.¡±

    There isn¡¯t any mentor who wouldn¡¯t be happy to see such growth. It¡¯s more Reki¡¯s talent than my teaching that¡¯s doing the work, though.

    ¡°Kuroe is very merciless these days. I saw you send Reki flying with a hard kick the other day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how much she has grown, after all, I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be unusual if she came with a harsh counter if I took her on half-heartedly. Reki can¡¯t be stopped without a certain amount of damage or impact.

    ¡°Does it perhaps look like I¡¯m bullying her?¡±

    Such a question crossed my mind suddenly. From my perspective, I¡¯m always seriously giving my all to train her but from the ones watching, like the vigers¡¯ perspective, does it look like I am giving extreme grueling training to an innocent helpless girl?

    After all, I was treated as an atrocious savage from both allies and enemies when I took Reinfeldt as a hostage.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡±

    ¡°I see, thank God.¡±

    As expected of Urs, her understanding really helps.

    ¡°After all, I¡¯ve also seen Reki get up very happily after being kicked by you. Reki likes getting kicked so you can kick her even more.¡±

    Wait a minute, is that understanding really correct?

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she was happy to be kicked, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡±

    It¡¯s the very same line from before but for some reason it feelspletely different. Seeing Urs brimming with confidence, I am reminded of the uneasy feeling of seeing Fiona with her satisfied look.

    I guess that¡¯s fine, it would be bringing unnecessarily trouble upon myself if I keep egging this on. And so I changed the topic.

    ¡°Ah, right, that reminds me, are you bad at exercise, Urs?¡±

    ¡°.....I do not like getting kicked.¡±

    I won¡¯t kick you. Do I look like a crackhead who would send kids flying with a kick? I would like to hope not.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not asking you to join the training. Everyone has their strong and weak points.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m bad at strenuous physical activities.¡±

    ¡°Then what about magic? I feel like you might have an aptitude for it, since you¡¯re smart.¡±

    It was something I just blurted out without giving it a second thought.

    However, the change in Urs¡¯s behavior was obvious.

    ¡°....Magic, is... impossible.¡±

    She looked taken aback at first but then faced down with a grim face before murmuring that.

    Hmm? Did I just step on andmine?

    ¡°It seems Urs doesn¡¯t have an aptitude for magic.¡±

    It was Sariel who intervened, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

    ¡°Is that.. so?¡±

    ¡°I heard from her that she is disappointed by it as well.¡±

    I see, so Sariel has already known about it.

    To think she would get so depressed, she might have looked up to magic quite a bit.

    In this world where magic had spread all around the world and got popr, there were many ways to check if someone had an aptitude for magic or not.

    I have seen a very magician-like crystal for it in the theological school myself and they also do an aptitude check with divine protection in the Pandora shrine as well.

    Although, you don¡¯t really need to check it in the first ce, you¡¯d just somehow know yourself. Even a Japanese like myself who thought of magic as nothing but fantasy could feel mana once I was restructured. I was even able to use ¡®Pile Bunker¡¯ during the maneuver experiments.

    I do not know what kind of aptitude test she took in the past but if she got the result that she doesn¡¯t have any aptitude for it even after getting the test, then that means she has absolutely zero talent or grounding for it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made you remember some unpleasant things.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Even if it was just acting strong, being able to say that in itself shows how strong of a kid Urs is.

    That said, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her that she could just find a different path, like Simon said. It would be appropriate to change the topic here.

    ¡°Ah right, it seems the peddlers will being again next week. Urs deserves another present since she¡¯s been working hard at her studies. Is there anything you want? Shall I get you another novel?¡±

    ¡°Really?! Um, Kuroe, I¡ª¡±

    Although it does feel a bit bad drawing her in with things but seeing her clear blue eyes light up with happiness like that, I don¡¯t mind it at all.

    And like that, we had continued fun idle talk a bitter than usual that day. It¡¯s fine, right? Tomorrow¡¯s an off day, after all.

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490 ¨C Goblin Army Attacks

    ¡°It¡¯s the goblins! They¡¯vee attacking the vige!!¡±

    It was on the third day of Crystal, the day after Sabbath.

    The man of who discovered the threat was a hunter who entered the forest early in the morning. He had headed out, aiming for prey like hares, deer, or boars but had encountered a group of goblins inside the forest instead.

    A group of 5 goblins. These rural goblins¡¯ standard equipment was a rusty sword or stick and they wore a dirty pelt or old rag. However, what¡¯s worthy of noting is that these goblins had the two-headed wolf monster, Windle with them.

    It could be that a more higher ss of goblins among the ones Lily and I annihted that time went west and built a settlement near a cave.

    I do not know the details yet but as soon as the notice came in, all the higher members of the vige gathered for an emergency meeting. The location for the said meeting was of course my home now, the church. As there were quite a number of people there, we had the meeting in the chapel. Of course, Sariel and I were called to the meeting as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility they¡¯ve made a nest nearby, a big one at that, too.¡±

    Chief Randolph stated his assumption. The gathered members couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous hearing how confident Randolph sounded.

    ¡°Toad only spotted 5 goblins. They were just the scouts. A normal nest would send out 2 or 3 scouts at best but they sent quite the number this time.¡±

    Ryan began exining in Randolph¡¯s stead. He was also called to the meeting as he was the leader of the vignte group.

    Toad is the name of the hunter who saw the goblins, by the way. He is an Evramian and could be seen with Ryan and Ted a lot.

    ¡°To top it off, what makes it worse is that they got wolves with them. That¡¯s proof that there are tamers or magicians among the group.¡±

    The group¡¯s threat level increases drastically if there are goblins who can perform magic or martial arts. Your usual goblin group would juste charging with their numbers and jump into my bullet arts but if they¡¯re even a bit smart, they would try to deal with it first.

    In the worst cases, they¡¯d have an intelligent lead and woulde attacking with tactics such as using diversions or surprise attacks, baits or hostages as well.

    ¡°They¡¯ll probablye attacking in great numbers.¡±

    A few raised their voices denying Ryan, saying that that is still not confirmed.

    ¡°Toad found them soon after entering the vige. That means that they¡¯ve been loitering around very close to the vige. They already know there¡¯s a human vige here. They wouldn¡¯te this close if they were a small group.¡±

    Even goblins with low-intelligence don¡¯t attack humans the moment they see them like in games. If they¡¯re low in numbers, they move very cautiously.

    On the other hand, if they are high in numbers, they would start actively attacking their surrounding habitats and even try to expand their nest.

    Such knowledge about goblins wasmon in the Pandora continent and I also heard from Sariel that it was the same in Sinir.

    ¡°The fact that they came this close to the vige means that they¡¯re already nning an attack. We can¡¯t be acting leisurely here, debating if they¡¯lle or not. We should strengthen our defenses as soon as possible, old man!¡±

    Randolph calming pacified Ryan, who had a halberd on one hand ready to go out there right away.

    ¡°Now, now. Calm down, Ryan. I do not think anyone here objects to strengthening our defenses.¡±

    And of course, there weren¡¯t any objections. Randolph steadily progressed the discussion, confirming things one after another.

    ¡°When pushes to shove, we¡¯ll ring the chime and have everyone evacuate to the center. The men will prioritize defending the vige with the vignte group. Let¡¯s go over our equipment and positions.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to strengthen our fences as well? Maybe even have more watchtowers as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go ahead and strengthen our defense facilities as well, as much as the time and materials allow us.¡±

    And so, when the talk about strategy came to an end, Randolph brought up my name, as if he had just remembered.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, Priest Kuroe, what will you do?¡±

    ¡°I will also fight, of course.¡±

    After all, that is what I¡¯ve been hired for in the first ce. No, even without any remunerations, I am still willing to fight.

    At first, I did have a bit of hatred towards this ce as it was built on top of Irz vige... but now, I do feel towards it. I also feel like I¡¯m a part of the vige now. I do think I¡¯m being na?ve but still.

    After all, I want to protect Reki and Urs; and starting with Randolph and Ryan, I also know the faces and names of everyone in the vige by now. I can¡¯t be cold-hearted enough to just sit and watch as dangeres upon them.

    However, there was one thing I was curious about.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you ask the Crusaders for help?¡±

    ¡°They probably won¡¯t mobilize for something like a goblin nest. It¡¯s standard to deal with low ss monsters just by the vignte group.¡±

    I was relieved to hear that.

    I could fight without holding back if the Crusaders won¡¯te. This vige has the same fate as me as they killed Mashram and sheltered me. There isn¡¯t anyone here who would go informing the Crusaders of me as it would also be risky for the vige.

    After all, the people who have been sent to this vige have nowhere else to go.

    With that conviction, I dered my participation to the vigers without hesitation.

    ¡°Everyone, please rest assured. I¡¯ll be sure to protect this vige¡ªI swear on my Lord.¡±

    Well, that Lord isn¡¯t your White One, though, it¡¯s the cute lil¡¯ demon lord.

    The church¡¯s bell rang louder than ever the next day, 4th of Crystal, upon spotting the goblins. Within just a day¡ªor rather, they must havepleted their preparations for the attack way before.

    Early morning, just when the men of the vige were about to go lumbering, they spotted a whole group of goblins flooding out of the forest and taking formation in front of the vige¡¯s front gate.

    Fortunately, as they wererge in numbers, it took them a while to prepare for attack. We had the leeway of having the kids and women evacuate to the center and move to the defense lines.

    ¡°....There¡¯s a lot more of them than I thought.¡±

    I gazed at the goblin group in front of the gate upon meeting up with the vignte group who had finished preparing their weapons.

    ¡°Yeah, this might get a bit rough.¡±

    Ryan said, standing next to me. He was already equipped with the full armored heavy knight equipment, excluding the helmet. I wonder if he has some fixation about that part.

    And just as Ryan had just said, they opponent might be more dangerous than what we had assumed. I had never seen such arge goblin squad even with my limited adventurer experience.

    Although they were equipped with trash equipment that a regr army would just dispose of, their numbers were overwhelming. Even with just a nce, I could tell that there were about a few hundred of them. It won¡¯t reach a thousand but it would easily be about ten times our numbers. They were already acting like an army with several dark bloody gs fluttering above them.

    While goblins are weaker than humans, being smaller in size and having the advantage of defending, their numbers gave them too much of an advantage.

    That said, their strength did not end with their numbers.

    Judging from how the scouts had windles with them, it was certain they had some sort of method to make monsters obey them.

    I could tell that they had a decent amount of windles with them, even from this far. Especially the big ones that had goblins straddling on them with better quality spears¡ªthey were acting like cavalry.

    Other than that, they also had low level monsters like slime, frogs and lizards, which I hadn¡¯t seen outside of the fairy forest ¡®Fairy Garden¡¯.

    But what¡¯s surprising was not these small fry monster groups.

    ¡°To think they even have doltos¡¯ obeying them.¡±

    Their huge hill-like bodies stood out in the group of small goblins. The doltos, which looked like gray mammoths, were berserk with their eyes giving off a red glow.

    About ten or more goblins were on top of those doltos¡¯. One could tell that they hadpletely tamed it judging from the leading goblin holding ivy-like reins to it. They probably n on using that to charge into the vige at once. And these rank 3 monsters, doltos¡¯, which are also known as berserk monsters, can easily break the weak fences at once.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way the goblins tamed such a huge monster like that.¡±

    ¡°That said, we need to do something about it now that they¡¯ve appeared with them.¡±

    ¡°You say that but a rural vignte group can¡¯t take that on... people will die.¡±

    Even Ryan, who¡¯s usually full of vigor, couldn¡¯t help but mutter that out loud seeing such a great force before them.

    Even I am reminded of the old Iskia fortress battle from the second trial by these mixed forces of monsters. Although,pared to that army, this one is still very small... but big enough to sink a vige like this.

    But that is if I was absent.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let anyone die. Open the gate.¡±

    ¡°Ha? What are you talking about? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to go alon¡ª¡±

    I just nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as reckless as you think. I can use magic so I want to aim for the moment they surge in. If it turns into a melee, I¡¯ll just slice through and group up with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Eh, priest, you can use magic?! For real?!¡±

    Oh, right, I didn¡¯t tell them.

    There isn¡¯t much of an opportunity to use ¡®em during the training and besides, it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t show ck magic as a priest as much as possible.

    However, I can¡¯t say that in such a situation. I can¡¯t afford to hold back against this big group of monsters.

    ¡°Ahh, a¡¯ight, I get it. Go ahead and st ¡®em off with some shy magic, priest.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    It¡¯s alright, it¡¯ll probably look shy enough with how I am now. I mean, something like Grenade ster does explode and everything.

    However, if I had ¡®The Grid¡¯ here, I could use ¡®sma ster¡¯ and annihte them all at once... curse you, Sariel, but I¡¯ll leave that forter.

    I should be able to intercept a group of this size even bare-armed.

    ¡°.....Now then,e on.¡±

    I went out the gate alone and confronted the enemy army head-on.

    Right that moment, it seems their preparations were also done as the sound of a war drum could be heard. The drums were made with wood and covered with leather from animals and they had crafted small bones into appropriate sticks. This sound acted as a signal and increased their fighting spirit.

    With that, the goblins started making a ruckus at once and began splitting to the sides, opening up the middle. What could be taken as the leader appeared from within.

    4 clearly well built goblins were holding up a pnquin with the leader on it, lying with its legs stretched out.

    It looked thin like an old man but was wearing decently clean white fur with clothing with different primal colors on its shoulders, resembling the fashion sense of a barbarian. He was wearing the ws of what looked to be a duggerupter as a ne and had a helmet on with colorful feather decorations.

    It had a staff longer than himself on his hand and while it was just made of wood, it had a goat-like skull decorated on the tip and was giving off a dark green glow from within.

    It looked like the magician and chief of this group, no matter how you look at it. It was probably the one who tamed the monsters like doltos as well.

    ¡°Gob! Guara, geaa¡ª!¡±

    The chief came in front of the army and started giving some sort of a speech but since it¡¯s not humannguage, I had no idea what it was saying. But I could somewhat tell that it was saying things like their victory was confirmed seeing our numbers and equipment.

    Judging from its performance, one could tell that it was a head above in terms of intelligence than the rest of the rural goblins. I see, I can see how they formed such a big group with this leader.

    This tribe chief looked the most dangerous among them.

    ¡°Bullet Arts.¡±

    And so, I decided on taking it down first.

    The fact that their suprememander boldly came in front of the enemy like this and was on top of a pnquin with no cover¡ªwith such conditions matched perfectly, there is no reason to not shoot.

    I raised my left hand and prepared a magic bullet without showing any preparatory actions and took my shot towards it with no hesitation.

    The chief looked immersed in its performance and didn¡¯t even pay any heed to me. It had its guardpletely down, assuming that we couldn¡¯t attack from such a distance. And in fact, it couldn¡¯t react at all.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªGiii?!¡±

    However, the bullet did not hit.

    Not because I missed¡ªit was repelled.

    ¡°Defensive wind magic, eh... So it seems they did take some precautions.¡±

    Being hit by a thinyer of green mist right before hitting the target, my bullet¡¯s trajectory had slightly bended. The bullet, which was supposed to go through the middle of its eyebrows, went up and blew away its feather decorated helmet.

    ¡°Gii, geraaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Burning with anger, the chief let off a high-pitched screech like a monkey and then got off the pnquin before disappearing into the group of soldiers.

    It¡¯s quick on its feet¡ªmixing in with its soldiers to avoid the second bullet.

    It seems it also gave themand to charge the entire army.

    The goblins let out a roar and started rushing towards us.

    ¡°Oi, priest, that¡¯s dangerous! Come back already!¡±

    Ryan called out to me, sounding a bit panicked seeing the horde of monsters flooding in.

    ¡°¡ª¡¯Gatling Burst¡¯.¡±

    I rained down ck bullets on the fools who came into my kill zone.

    As I didn¡¯t have [ck Ballista Replica] nor [The Grid], I have ustomed myself to Bullet Arts thoroughly. To the point I was almost always shooting these left and right during the Ghad war.

    And now that I think about it, this convenient long-ranged ck magic has gotten more natural for me to use over time. The feeling of activating the magic was as natural as breathing for me at this point.

    And as such, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task to pulverize such a charge with a barrage of bullets. Compared to the time I exterminated the goblins half a year back, my mana efficiency to construct the bullets, bullet speed, rapid-fire speed¡ªall of them increased drastically.

    ¡°O, oi, oi... w-what in the world is this...¡±

    The melody of destruction I created drained out Ryan and the other vignte¡¯s voices. Along with the constant howl of the machine gun, the bullets shot from it kept piercing the enemies, making a mountain of corpses in front of me.

    The fragile goblins¡¯ bodies scattered and burst upon making contact with the bullets. As these were big high caliber rifle bullets, the goblins¡¯ bodies were just exploding rather than being filled with holes. Their heads, limbs and internal organs spread about in the while snowy highroad and literally turned it into a blood path.

    And of course, the same fate was upon the other monsters in the army as well. Windles, who are much swifter than goblins, had no means to escape from the barrage or get close to me. With their characteristic green fur being dyed red with blood, they also sunk into the bloody path one after another.

    The slimes, therge frogs, the lizards¡ªnone of these monsters had any means to escape or break through this storm of bullets.

    ¡°But as I thought, doltos won¡¯t be stopped from unarmed magic bullets.¡±

    The doltos kept advancing forward like tanks amidst it¡¯s ughtered brethren who had now been turned into a piece of meat.

    These monsters were a sizerger than the elephants one would see at a zoo and even against a target this big, the bullets couldn¡¯t halt their movement.

    Not only do they have extremely tough fur covering their whole body, they also have a defensive ¡®extra¡¯ which lets them control the wind. The two fangs of the doltos resembled that of a mammoth but was t in shape like the ones elks have and these were the organs responsible for manipting the wind.

    As such, even if one were to rain arrows upon them, the air turbulence covering their huge body would deflect it all. And my bullets were no exception to that as well. Although they failed topletely deflect the bullets, it seems it has more than enough defensive ability to avoid critical points.

    Even with blood oozing out of their heads and front legs, the doltos didn¡¯t stop their charge.

    I could have easily pierced through them if I shot with [The Grid] but no pointining about things I don¡¯t have.

    ¡°Sword Arts¡ªst de.¡±

    While continuing to shoot with my left hand, I thrusted the halberd on my right hand on to the ground for the time being. And then, I drew one out of the two long swords I had equipped on my waist and threw it towards the doltos who was now within 10 meters of me.

    ¡°st.¡±

    A burst of red and ck mes blew away the doltos¡¯ huge body.

    The doltos felt sideways as if it had hit a truck going full speed on the oppositene. The ten or so goblins riding on its back also got thrown off with a speed enough to break a strong windshield of a car.

    Both the car-doltos and its passenger goblins were caught in the ck mes and burnt to a crisp on top of the snow.

    ¡°Oo, ohh...¡±

    ¡°Wooah!!¡±

    Just as I had dealt the final blow to one of the big ones, voices of joy burst within the vignte group suddenly.

    And with that, the tables have turned. That is, if they were to keep up with their frontal charge like this, I would be able to exterminate them all myself but¡ª

    ¡°Gob, guraa! Giiigaaa!!¡±

    That chief wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to do that. Just as a voice resembling his could be heard, the goblins¡¯ charge stopped abruptly and they hurriedly went back to the starting point. Although, most of them couldn¡¯t reach that line as I wouldn¡¯t let their defenseless backs go.

    ¡°Ah-they retreated.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    Their chief is smart. However, if he were to retreat after being destroyed one-sidedly like this, it would affect his reputation. Besides, he still has plenty of soldiers.

    ¡°As I thought, they are spreading out¡ª¡ªEveryone, take a stance! They¡¯re gonna attack from all four sides!!¡±

    With numbers still greatly higher than ours, the goblins now chose to have close-quarter fights in the wide field. The army that had huddled together in the highway was now spreading left and right into the forest so as to surround the vige.

    Their n to charge head-on through the front game was already in ruins thanks to me. If so, they just have to attack from a range where my attacks won¡¯t reach.

    While it¡¯s a pretty simple strategy, it is still an effective one against a small force like ours.

    ¡°Oi, put your backs into it! It¡¯s our turn now!!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to us, boss!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll show you the fruits of getting beaten by the priest everyday!!¡±

    Come on now, at least say the priest¡¯s training there. Anyway, it seems like their morale was at least high.

    Considering they dispersed to all sides, their files of troops also thinned out. Against this amount, even the vignte group should be enough.

    I can only pray such that no one dies¡ª

    ¡°W-we got a problem! Goblins appeared in the opposite gate as well! There¡¯s a big one too!!¡±

    ¡°Wh-what?!¡±

    Although we had assumed as much, that falls into the worst case scenario.

    I ended up shouting out loud inside my head like Ryan too.

    Considering the number of troops they have here, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if they had more.

    Most of the vignte group was gathered here since the enemy chief appeared. We have only deployed the minimum amount of troops on our nks to be cautious of surprise attacks. It sure won¡¯t hold if theye attacking with more troops. Even more so if they have more doltos¡¯.

    If they get into the vige, only the small garrison left in the middle for protection would be left. Although the garrison sounds pretty strong, most of them are kids and women¡ªnormal civilians.

    They could deal with one or two goblins but any more than that would be difficult.

    It would be checkmate if they pass through the opposite gate.

    ¡°Ryan, I¡¯ll head over there. Can I leave this to you?¡±

    ¡°We have no choice if they also have big¡¯uns there, I¡¯ll leave that to you, priest!¡±

    And so, I hurried to the other side to support.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Rather than the vige being in danger, I was more worried about Reki being in the small number of troops there...

 Chapter 491

    Chapter 491 ¨C Elephant Cavalry

    ¡°Reki, you fight too. Right now, we need as many people who can fight as possible¡­ you can do it, right?¡±

    Kuroe asked Reki as the vigers gradually gathered in the church for evacuation. And of course, her answer was obvious.

    ¡°Will do it! Reki can do it!¡±

    She was overjoyed about being relied upon. Her only insecurity was if they asked her to stay in the church with the other kids. In other words, that would be denying her short yet intense training and all the hard work she put in. It would be the same as saying that¡¯s the same as child¡¯s y.

    And as such, she was happy being told by Kuroe to ¡®fight¡¯ without even asking. She felt like she could start shouting out loud from all the happiness.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good kid. However, don¡¯t be reckless.¡±

    She felt even happier as he stroked her hair after saying that. Reki being Urs¡¯s elder sister, did not like being treated like a child, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t really mind if it was Kuroe.

    Despite being overflowed with emotions in her heart, she properly heard the instructions and smoothly prepared her equipment.

    Reki¡¯s position was on the other side of where the goblins were gathering. While she was still a kid, she still understood that that was Kuroe¡¯s way of being considerate, not putting her on the very front lines right away. She was happy just by being put in the battlefield and besides, there were a few vignte members there as well. They couldn¡¯t afford to ck off either. There was a good possibility of a fight breaking out.

    Reki had taken her position after being seen off by the expressionless Sister Yuri and worried Urs. She couldn¡¯t calm down and kept restlessly looking around the surroundings and changed her spear hold over and over again.

    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely be fine since Kuroe is with us!¡±

    That said, Reki, despite being the youngest there, was the bravest.

    She had taken a daunting pose with the heavy knights¡¯ halberd and had a longsword along with a knife equipped on her belt. Reki¡¯s equipment was better than the other vigntes but knowing her skills, nobodyined a bit. Although, since there was no armor for children, she was still wearing the garment worn by sisters.

    Her absolute belief in Kuroe¡¯s strength was none other than because she had experienced it herself.

    She could feel herself getting stronger day by day too. She could dere with confidence that she was stronger now than yesterday. Herplete world view has changedpared to the time before she took the training.

    And yet, she couldn¡¯t even hold a candle to Kuroe. It was like taking a small tiny step towards the peak of a towering great mountain which crossed over the clouds. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how long it would take till she reaches his real strength, till she closes that gap.

    ¡°Well, Kuroe is absurdly strong, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s stupidly strong so I guess we¡¯ll be fine, huh?¡±

    Although not as much as Reki, these guys have also experienced Kuroe¡¯s superhuman abilities first-hand. There was no doubt that the vigntes of this vige relied much more on Kuroe than some knight. At the very least, they didn¡¯t know of anyone who could easily fend off over 30 people at once.

    It was a while after they had regained theirposure, after the tumult of the fight from the other side could be heard.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª?!¡±

    Reki was the first to sense its presence. However, before she could even say anything, the enemy had appeared.

    ¡°Uwoh, they really came!¡±

    ¡°Oi, oi, oi, give me a break! There¡¯s quite a few of them!¡±

    Goblins came rushing out from the forest beside the highway. 10, 20, 30¡ªmost probably a group of close to 50.

    ¡°A-arrows! Oi, quick, shoot the arrows!¡±

    Fortunately, this squad wasn¡¯t equipped with long-distance weapons. The most they could do was throw stones.

    ¡°Shave off their numbers as much as you can before they get close!¡±

    ¡°Pull properly before shooting! It won¡¯t really go too far considering our strength anyway!¡±

    Maybe because of the daily training, they were able to quickly draw their bows and arrows without hesitation and also give out advice to their fellow vigntes. Kuroe had also given them training with the vige¡¯s defense in mind.

    Although using long ranged weapons like bows and arrows to cut down enemy numbers before they get close is a very simple war tactic, there¡¯s a world of difference in practicing it and doing it in a real situation.

    All the vigntes were desperate to protect their vige as well. Remembering their short training experience with their slow brains, they took their stance.

    It would have been very possible for these vigntes to intercept this group of 50 as they did not get disordered because of the enemy¡¯s sudden attack. However, as if tough at their faces, the enemy¡¯s decisive forces would make their entry here.

    ¡°Wh-what¡ªwhat¡¯s that huge thing¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t hear anything about an elephant monster!¡±

    Everyone there despaired seeing the enormous gray bodies mowing down trees as they appeared. Huge elephant monsters that they never saw in Sinir. And judging from the goblins riding it, they did not just happen to appear here coincidentally, they¡¯re tamed by the enemy.

    It closely resembled the elephant cavalry from the great empire of the east.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stop that with our numbers! Oi, you, go call for reinforcements!!¡±

    Just as one of them had made a run towards the front gate to call for backup, the elephant cavalry took stance to charge towards the gate just as everyone had imagined.

    ¡°I-it¡¯sing!!¡±

    And within a moment, the gate was destroyed.

    With unbelievable speed considering its size, the elephant cavalry came charging in like a boulder falling down a slope. Some sporadic arrow shooting would not stop that momentum.

    Without being able to properly intercept the attack, all the vigntes could do was spread about the gate to avoid getting crushed.

    ¡°¡­Shit.¡±

    Reki red at the elephant cavalry, barely dodging a fragment of the gate flying towards her.

    The Barbadosian¡¯s red eyes were burning with radiance as she forgot the weight of the steel halberd she gripped on her hand.

    The situation was desperate enough for even a child to understand¡ªbut for some reason, she didn¡¯t feel fear.

    Feeling her heart throbbing, she took a step forward.

    ¡°Gyuueeeee!!¡±

    With a rasping high-pitched screech, goblins came flooding in through the broken gate.

    Like the elephant cavalry of the east empire, it seemed like controlling these monsters were also difficult as the goblin riding it was having trouble calming it down after breaking the gate. There was a small leeway before it began charging towards the center.

    That said, the goblins rushing in behind it would fill that gap.

    Fortunately, it appeared that they were not led properly. They did not start attacking the vigntes with all their troops. Some went to pige a nearby house, some threw burning torches to destroy structures and some just ran straight for the center.

    Even then, a decent number did engage in battle with the vigntes and one of them was confronting Reki.

    Seeing that she was a child, they gathered around her thinking that she would be an easy opponent. ¡°My allies have their hands full with their opponents so I can¡¯t expect any help¡±¡ªsuch a thought didn¡¯t even cross Reki¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Dieee!!¡±

    Reki swung her halberd with all her might towards the enemy in front of her.

    She pictured the mock battles with Kuroe at the back of her head. Reki herself understood that the attack she justunched right now is anything but good. She ended up swinging her weapon, entrusting everything to strength.

    Kuroe would easily dodge such a sloppy attack. He would probably dodge it even without looking. She couldn¡¯t imagine it hitting even if it were a surprise attack.

    However, what was in front of her wasn¡¯t the strong, kind, cool superhuman-like priest, it was just a wild goblin.

    At the point Kuroe would have already moved away, the goblin just stood there without moving an inch. As if it was natural, the normal thing to do, the goblin took the hit right on its head.

    The halberd crushed through the head into the inseam with force. Although she had just cut through a tough skull and numerous bones, Reki only felt a soft, light sensation on her hands. No, to be precise, she felt that exactly because she was Reki.

    ¡°Woah.¡±

    With intent to kill burning in her heart and weapon in her hand, she had just taken her first enemy¡¯s life.

    Reki had been taught several times about how heavy killing off a life was, both in the ethical and spiritual sense. Even though she had listened to those lessons by priest Nicy while half-asleep, she remembered those wonderful Christianity¡¯s teachings.

    However, Reki had just understood that it was all just fabrication.

    The weight of ¡°killing¡± was as light as a joke.

    It didn¡¯t matter at all to her. Chopping a fish on a board and slicing through a goblin with a halberd¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much of a difference between the two. Kill¡ªsuch a simple act.

    And when she had realized that fact, her halberd felt even lighter than ever.

    ¡°Hey, hey, you lil¡¯ shits, I¡¯ll kill you all!!¡±

    The swing of her halberd blew away the goblins almost too easily. Even with sluggish movement and a stance full of openings. Not much different than cutting off a scarecrow just to test a de¡¯s sharpness.

    No, the goblins were much easier to kill as they were short. Kuroe, who she usually fought against, was more than two heads taller and the same goes for the other adult vigntes.

    The small goblins were about as tall as her. It was her first time dealing with such easy opponents who were so easily cut.

    Dodging all the des swung at her from all directions, Reki kept killing off the goblins one after another. The halberd was truly like a storm of des as she swung it around her with all her strength.

    Her swings were so strong that they couldn¡¯t even defend against it with their swords. It broke through their guards and cut through them.

    Reki¡¯s one-sided massacre had ended within a minute. Before she realized, she was surrounded by dismembered bodies of goblins and she was the only one left standing.

    At the edge of her vision, she spotted 3 vigntes fighting off a goblin just like in training. She wondered if she should go in and assist them but immediately discarded the thought. That¡¯s ¡®cause right in front of her, the rampaging elephant cavalry was about to charge again.

    If that thing was to start running again, it would easily get to the center of the vige. And if, by chance, it were to hit the church with that momentum¡ª

    ¡°Will do it, Kuroe¡­ Reki will protect Uru, and will protect everyone!!¡±

    Reki chose to confront the elephant cavalry by herself.

    She swung her bloodstained halberd and made a break for the elephant monster. Reki could easily catch up to it before it starts charging. On the other hand, if it starts running once, she won¡¯t be able to keep up.

    ¡°Yaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Reki made a full swing with her halberd, leaping towards the elephant monster. The resistance she felt wasn¡¯t evenparable to the goblins. The intensity of the impact and the thickness of the monster almost made her let go of the halberd handle.

    But even then, she gritted her teeth and swung her halberd through.

    Fresh blood sprayed everywhere. It was a critical hit¡ªhowever, the monster¡¯s body heel over.

    As halberds have both the de of an axe and the length of a spear, one is able to thrust and sh with it. It allows one to take fights from a distance depending on the situation but they shouldn¡¯t forget that it¡¯s made with fighting other humans in mind.

    It would easily be able to deal a critical blow to a human or human-sized enemy but when ites to medium and above-sized monsters, it¡¯s a whole different story. To them, who are greatlyrger than humans, a sh from this de is like a poke from a needle.

    As such, inrge monster subjugations, great swords are usually taken and even then, the usual tactic is to exhaust the monster by cutting it off slowly.

    While this elephant monster falls in the medium-sized category, it seems Reki¡¯s halberd sh fell short of being able to cut off the leg. Shended a deep blow to one of its back legs but that alone wouldn¡¯t be able to do enough damage to stop it.

    ¡°Then, once more¡ª¡±

    But the enemy wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to allow further attacks.

    It seems Reki¡¯s attack was enough to anger the monster as it turned around with intense momentum.

    In response to the approaching fangs along with a heavy cry from the elephant monster, Reki swiftly took a backstep to avoid it. The distance she moved back was certainly out of its fangs¡¯ range.

    However, Reki didn¡¯t realize the fact that that alone was not enough, since she still did not have experience nor enough training.

    ¡°Wah, ooouhh?!¡±

    Reki felt a floating sensation as her small body was easily sent flying the very next moment. Her body, which was blown away like a pebble, took the trajectory of a parab and fortunatelynded on a thick pile of snow on the second floor of a building.

    ¡°Gyau!¡±

    Reki, who fell and rolled through the roof, almost fell off due to the momentum as she barely killed off the eleration.

    Reki quickly stood up and looked around, confirming that she hadn¡¯t taken much damage and realizing she let go of her halberd identally.

    However, that was not the issue to her.

    ¡°Uuu, is that perhaps what they call an ¡®extra¡¯¡ªcharacteristic magic?¡±

    Reki had undoubtedly dodged the fangs. And in fact, she did not have a single wound on her body. Despite that, she was blown away.

    She realized the fact that that was due to the effect of magic and not just physical strength. And from the sensation of it, she understood that the elephant monster was using wind magic. She had enough experience to decipher that the monster had used strong wind around its fangs to send her flying.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get close like this.¡±

    She had confidence that she could deal with attacks she could see. However, when ites to wind magic, she can¡¯t see it and therefore can¡¯t defend against it.

    Of course, she wasn¡¯t taught any methods to deal with magic and couldn¡¯t think of any at the moment.

    Reki couldn¡¯t help but make a troubled face as she couldn¡¯t picture her winning against this tough huge monster who uses wind magic¡ªaplete change from when she was killing off goblins left and right. On the other hand, the enemy did note connecting consecutive attacks.

    Maybe because it was satisfied by sting off Reki or it just simply lost sight of her, the elephant monster excitedly stomped in ce, letting out a low roar. The goblins on top of it tried to calm it down once again to charge towards the center.

    She could very well run away if she wanted now.

    She was no match for that elephant cavalry no matter how you look at it. She should be praised just fornding that one hit¡ªand the kind Kuroe would probably praise her for it as well.

    ¡°Non! Reki will, do it, by herself!¡±

    Even then, it was too early for her to give up. Reki wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself if she ran away here. That¡¯s right, her pride wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    She had enough fighting spirit. She still couldn¡¯t think of any strategy but she would still challenge it. She could just stand back up if she were to be blown away like that again. With such guts and determination, Reki started running.

    However, it¡¯s idealistic to assume you¡¯d be able to attack without being affected by the wind magic. A formless magic like wind magic is perfect to guard one¡¯s blind spots. One could easily imagine the monster deploying wind magic all over its body to guard against attacks.

    Even then, if one were to aim somewhere, it would be better to aim for the back. If one were to be hit by its huge, thick nose, it would hurt more than getting pummeled by a big strong man and you don¡¯t even need to imagine how dangerous its fangs can be. Even though it¡¯s not as sharp as a de, it could easily rip apart a human¡¯s body. Not to mention Reki wasn¡¯t even wearing proper armor.

    Just when Reki thought it¡¯d be safest to go for its backside, near it¡¯s ass, and was about to jump off the roof¡ª

    ¡°¡­Uuoouu!¡±

    A genius n crossed her mind.

    And once she had thought of it, she had no choice but to immediately execute it. Reki stepped back onto the roof and started running towards another roof.

    Reki swiftly ran across the piled snow on the roofs and lined up with the elephant monster while running. Fortunately, the buildings were lined up towards the center in such a way that she had enough room to chase it.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Waiting for the perfect opportunity, Reki dived off the roof, aiming for the elephant¡¯s back.

    Reki realized that the elephant¡¯s back, where the goblins were, was the safest ce.

    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±

    Rekinded right where she aimed to as she jumped off with a shout. She spectacrly got onto the back of the monster by kicking off one of the goblins.

    ¡°Gyuge, geaaa?!¡±

    The goblins on the back panicked seeing the sudden intruder. They shrieked with their mouths wide open like frogs as they saw the girl with their muddy eyes.

    In contrast to the disordered goblins, Reki had jumped onto the monster¡¯s back with killing intent so she swiftly drew the knife on her belt and stabbed one of the goblins nearby.

    While the elephant monster¡¯s back was certainly big, there wouldn¡¯t be much space to move around in if it was filled with goblins. Without being able to properly counter her in that short space, they had no other choice but to either fall down by themselves or be stabbed by Reki.

    After getting rid of all the goblins other than the ones holding the reins, she went and took care of thatst one as well. The goblin did have quite the guts, not letting go of the reins even with Rekiing towards it with a bloodstained knife but however, in doing so, he ended up sumbing to it with next to no resistance.

    ¡°Damn you! You destroyed the vige¡¯s gates!¡±

    The rein holder got stabbed right in the face and was kicked off the back by Reki.

    ¡°Yes, as expected, the wind magic doesn¡¯t reach here.¡±

    With a smile full of confidence on her bloodstained face, Reki brandished her sword to now finally deal with the actual target.

    Her knife was headed straight towards the elephant¡¯s crown of head. Of course, a blow from a poor knife wouldn¡¯t be fatal.

    After all, even after the long gray fur and its thick skin and meat, there was the solid skull which was protecting its delicate brain.

    ¡°Ei! Ei, ei, eii!!¡±

    Reki got high and kept thrusting her knife on to the elephant¡¯s head while shouting, which was called out by Kuroe as ¡®weird¡¯ on the first day of training. A concentrated attack on one spot. The wound spread wider and deeper. She kept burrowing through till the huge body dropped dead.

    ¡°Oou, noo?!¡±

    But of course, the elephant wouldn¡¯t just take this silently. It made the air turbulent from its t fangs and shook its head left and right to shake off the enemy on top. Due to the elephant stomping around, the goblins at its feet were crushed about, turning the white snow all red.

    It was clear that Reki would meet the same fate if she were to be shaken off.

    As if on top of a rampaging horse, Reki desperately kept thrusting the knife with her right hand as she held on to the reins with left hand, all the while being hit with intensely strong wind.

    ¡°Aaauuhh!¡±

    The elephant¡¯s huge body tackled into a 2-story tall building, making Reki¡¯s small body fly up and overturn while she still kept hold of the reins.

    However, it was Reki¡¯s victory as she didn¡¯t let go even at the end.

    Maybe due to the impact from tackling the house, the elephant¡¯s movements became dull for a moment. Reki fixed her stance quickly during that short period and moved tond the final blow on to the open wound.

    However, she had let go of her knife from the impact just now. The only weapon she was left with was the longsword, which was a bit too long to brandish on top of this elephant¡¯s head. However, it was also the best tond the final blow.

    ¡°Go! Fireeeeeeeee!!¡±

    She gripped the sword with a backhand grip and thrusted it into the elephant¡¯s wound with all her might.

    She could feel the resistance. The de had already pierced the elephant¡¯s skin to shreds and the knife¡¯s attacks also made cracks on its skull. And finally, the long sword broke through the thick skull¡¯s protection and pierced through its weak point.

    ¡°Oouu, wooaahhhh¡ª!?¡±

    The elephant bent and fell on its head with a deep groan that resounded throughout the depths of its stomach. And with that momentum, Reki was finally thrown off its head as well.

    She fell hard on the snowy ground along with the thunderous noise of the elephant¡¯s enormous body falling down.

    ¡°O-ow¡­¡±

    Rubbing her small behind, Reki unsteadily stood up. Her head felt a bit shaky but it was no problem. It looked like she didn¡¯t take a bad fall.

    In front of her, the fruit of her battle, the elephant¡¯s lifeless body was lying down with darkish blood oozing out of its brain.

    ¡°I-I did it¡­ I did it! Congrattions, me!!¡±

    ¡°Reki! Reki¡ª!¡±

    She was cheering and celebrating for herself alone but heard an unexpected voice. She could tell who it was even without looking that way. The voice she was most used to listening to in this world.

    ¡°Uru?! Why did you leave the church?!¡±

    And as expected, she found Urs running close to her while being out of breath.

    ¡°I heard, that goblins, also appeared at the back. And, heard a loud noise¡­ so I was worried.¡±

    Urs is smart and knows full well that it is extremely dangerous. The fact that she still came out because she was worried about her best friend made Reki extremely happy. At the very least, she thought that it wasn¡¯t her ce to say stuff like ¡°that¡¯s dangerous!¡± and whatnot. And so she decided to just be happy with her.

    ¡°Fufu, Reki is fine! Look, Reki even defeated such a big monster by herself!!¡±

    Reki said, puffing her chest proudly.

    However, her best friend, who was supposed to be sharing this happiness with her, froze in ce.

    ¡°¡­.Uru? What happened?¡±

    At first, she thought Urs was taken aback from the gruesome corpse of the monster but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Looking very far ahead, Urs shakingly pointed towards it.

    ¡°Jesus?!¡±

    There was another elephant cavalry towards the pointed location.

    There were two of them from the start. It appeared after the gate was destroyed and finally invaded the vige. That¡¯s how simple it was.

    However, such was the despairing reality.

    The elephant cavalry¡¯s eyes glowed red and it¡¯s breath was rough. Like a crazed wolf, it began charging in.

    The rider goblin held the reins with all its strength as the elephant monster ran through the main road. Reki and Urs were standing in the middle of its path.

    However, with Reki¡¯s physical abilities, she could easily dodge an attack from that distance at that speed.

    ¡°Reki¡­¡±

    Dodging it was out of the question. Urs was here as well¡ªshe hade out to the battlefield out of worry.

    Even considering the fact that Reki has more strength than even adults, it would be difficult for her topletely jump away while carrying Urs. Judging from the range of the attack, she would probably not make it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Urs realized her mistake. And so she apologized¡ªand so her voice sounded like it was crying.

    ¡°Uru¡ª!!¡±

    Reki decided to make a run for it while carrying Urs. Even though she knew all too well it was impossible, even though it was evident¡ªshe couldn¡¯t stay still. After all, she had the guts to fight until the very end.

    She extended her hand towards Urs while screaming her name out loud.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªPlease, get rid of that.¡±

    A wind blew.

    No, that was more like a pure white mist. It surged out from Urs¡¯s body.

    It spread in the blink of an eye like a smokescreen but covered its target like a tornado. The white misty tornado wrapped up the elephant cavalry in front of it.

    And within an instant, the elephant monster, as well as the goblins on top of it¡ªdisappeared.

    Would it be appropriate to say that they had evaporated? Along with a sound which sounded like something burning away, the bodies disappeared.

    However, it was not like nothing remained. There, as if to prove that there was a huge elephant monster¡¯s body there, pure white bones remained.

    Reki could see the white bones in the shape of the elephant before it crumbled down on the ground the very next moment.

    The big white bones belonged to the elephant. And among those, there were a few goblin skulls as well.

    ¡°U-uru¡­ that, just now¡­ Gghh?!¡±

    The white mist which devoured the elephant cavalry had already vanished. However, the same white mist was slowly but gradually leaking from Urs¡¯s body.

    And Reki, who was standing right beside her, was caught in that mist. The mist wasn¡¯t just enshrouding around her.

    It looked as if the mist was aiming for Reki as it covered her whole body.

    However, Reki had lost theposure to realize that change due to the sudden exhaustion and the stimting pain on her skin. That feeling resembled that of drowning in a river.

    ¡°Reki, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll move away right now!¡±

    Probably because the cause was evident that the coping method was simple as well.

    Urs started running, with an expression of grief and tears at the edge of her eyes, to get away from Reki.

    And there, she realized.

    ¡°Urs, what¡­ was that, just now?¡±

    Priest Kuroe was there. He had seen it. Everything. He had seen everything.

    The ¡°Cursed Power¡± that Urs wanted to hide¡ªKuroe, the person she wanted to hide it the most from, had seen it.

 Chapter 492

    Chapter 492 ¨C The Curse of the White Mist

    On a hot, scorching summer day. At the stuffy church¡¯s dining room, when all the other orphans had finished their lunch despite sweating due to the heat and humidity, one Evramian little girl¡ªUrs, was still slowly having her meal.

    Lukewarm soup in a crude, darkened thin wooden bowl. Her spoon sluggishly scooped up the beans soaked with the soup and carried it over to her mouth.

    Distasteful. Just as usual. As such, Urs being thest to finish was also nothing out of the ordinary.

    And like that, the girl was finishing up her meal, taking up almost all her lunch time, when suddenly she was interrupted.

    ¡°Hey, Urs, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask~.¡±

    A girl came and spoke to her.

    She was a bit older than Urs, maybe over 10 years old. She looked up at her slowly with her blue eyes and was expecting to see the somewhat popr cute girl, but for some reason, her face was covered in white mist so she couldn¡¯t understand what kind of an expression the girl was making.

    ¡°Did you see my ring?¡±

    She slowly shook her head. She hadn¡¯t seen it¡ªshe had no idea the girl wore a ring to begin with.

    ¡°Ehh, but that¡¯s troubling~ that was a precious ring I got from my mother~¡±

    The kids were allowed to keep their parents¡¯ memento. However, these essories are sometimes precious metals and as such are strictly maintained and kept in custody by the church¡¯s priest generally.

    As such, this girl could not have lost her ring.

    ¡°Do you really not know~? Could it perhaps be in your pocket~?¡±

    There was no way for it to be there¡ªhowever, without even thinking such an obvious thought, Urs willingly listened to the girl and started searching the pockets of her cheap short pants.

    She could feel something firm at the tip of her fingers inside her pocket, which should have nothing in them. She brought it out to see that it was a silver ring that she had no recollection of.

    ¡°Aahh~!? That is my ring~!!¡±

    The girl¡¯s shout reverberated throughout the dining. With that, all the kids¡¯ vision went towards Urs at once.

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible! That¡¯s so awful of you, Urs, to steal my ring!!¡±

    She tried to deny it.

    ¡°You¡¯re the worst!¡±

    However, she couldn¡¯t say it out loud. The girl pped her hard on the cheek.

    As if to drown out the echo of the noise from the p, the girl started sobbing out loud. Not Urs, who had been pped, but the other girl, for some reason.

    ¡°Oi, what happened?!¡±

    ¡°What, what? Why¡¯re you crying?!¡±

    And before she realized, the kids in the surrounding area started gathering around. While still on her seat, gripping her spoon, Urs had been surrounded by over ten boys and girls.

    ¡°Listen to this, Urs did this¡ª¡±

    There was no space for her to interrupt. Even if it wasn¡¯t Urs, who hadn¡¯t spoken to any of the other orphans till now, they couldn¡¯t possibly interrupt the crying girl who was using her of stealing.

    ¡°Ehhh, is that true?! So awful!¡±

    ¡°Oi, apologize, you thief!¡±

    The children¡¯s opinion unanimously turned to the girl¡¯s support and Urs¡¯s denunciation.

    And it was just natural for it to be so. There were their own rules as they lived together as orphans under these special circumstances.

    For example, tattling on someone. No matter how small the act is, the kids would never forgive anyone tattling on others to the priest or the sisters.

    And stealing someone¡¯s personal belongings was even bigger of a sin.

    As they were orphans, they did not have much personal belongings. Most of their things were shared between the kids. While that was only the natural decision to not cause discrimination between the kids, that only raises the value of their personal belongings even more.

    ¡°Apologize!¡±

    ¡°Thief! Apologize already!!¡±

    At this point, it didn¡¯t matter if the crying girl and the others were in on this together. After all, the kids had already acquired a justified reason to get angry.

    They won¡¯t forgive stealing. They won¡¯t forgive betrayals. As such, ming Urs was the only justifiable thing to do.

    ¡°Uu¡­ ah¡­.¡±

    Not only was Urs unable to plead her innocence in response to the angered kids and their jeers, she couldn¡¯t even apologize and do as they say. Her mouth just moved slightly like a goldfish and no words came out.

    It got harder for her to breathe.

    ¡°This thieving brat¡ª!¡±

    As if her silence went and poured oil into the fire, one of the hot-blooded boys went and grabbed her wavy silver hair and pulled her to the ground.

    ¡°Aa¡ª¡±

    Her small groan upon crashing to the floor was drowned out in an instant amongst the heating up angry voices.

    She felt a sharp pain on her forehead as itnded on the floor with all the dust and leftover food. She felt her head all the way to the nape of her neck get wet. Taking the chance, the boy had spilled the soup from the bowl on her head.

    Despite the food being spoiled, Urs just gripped the spoon tightly in her hand.

    ¡°Ah¡­.aa¡­¡±

    She saw everyone ring at her with hatred as she looked up. Countless bad words resounded in her ears.

    Being surrounded and blocked off¡ªshe had no way to run.

    Fear¡ªit was the moment she had regained that emotion.

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Although she couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of those words, it strongly reverberated throughout the dining hall. Words¡ªor rather, it was more like a roar from a monster.

    Due to the intensity of the voice, the kids couldn¡¯t help but look towards it. The same goes for Urs, who was on the floor.

    She spotted the owner of the voice through the many legs covering her vision.

    ¡°Wh-what is it, Reki?!¡±

    ¡°You got anything to say, huh?!¡±

    This Reki kid¡­ she didn¡¯t know if the kid was a boy or a girl. However, Urs thought she was like a starving wolf.

    Her characteristic trait was her sharp blonde hair, resembling a dog¡¯s ear. Her red eyes were ring with bloodthirst and her strong nce gave it anotheryer of intensity.

    ¡°Listen to this, Reki, she¡¯s so terrible!¡±

    The self-proimed victim among the kids took a step forward. Maybe because she was confident of getting Reki¡¯s sympathy, her expression didn¡¯t even look that grim.

    ¡°Urs, she went and stole my precious ring¡ª¡±

    ¡°You bitch!¡±

    Her loud voice shook everyone to their bones. It was so loud that it resounded in all their ears.

    Reki threw her right fist straight at the girl¡¯s face and sent her body flying through the air. The blood from the girl¡¯s now broken nose cleanly spiraled through the air.

    Fortunately, the tables in the dining room were cleared of all tableware. The girlnded on the t table and kept rolling from the momentum and finally fell off before stopping.

    ¡°Kyaah!¡±

    ¡°Wh-wh-what are you doing?!¡±

    The ce got noisy due to Reki¡¯s sudden violence. The girls began crying as if it was the end of the world and the boys had a fire lit up their fighting spirits.

    ¡°Come on, baby!¡±

    And as such, a big brawl shaking the whole church had started.

    Reki, a girl, versus about 10 boys. The difference in power was evident. However, for some reason, the fight dragged out.

    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±

    As Reki¡¯s fistnded on the kids¡¯ face, it broke their noses, their teeth and brought about unlikely damage to such a children¡¯s fight.

    He bit on to the boys who came to grapple her and dragged them about by their hair before sending them flying by a kick to their groins. She leaped, punched, kicked, tossed¡ªReki yed out a terrifying fight scene.

    The boys¡¯ numbers were decreasing and just when there were about half of them left,

    ¡°What is happening here?! What is all this ruckus?!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, Reki!? You again!!¡±

    The priest and the sister of the church came into the dining room. Of course they would notice from this much noise.

    ¡°Stop it! Hey, Reki, just, stop¡ªow?!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how terrible¡­ Ah, God¡­¡±

    Reki continued her rampage, the boys she beat lied on the floor like corpses and the other girls shrieked like no tomorrow¡ªjust then, among all that chaos, Urs, who was still groveling on the floor, awakened.

    An extreme culmination of anxiety, fear and chaos awakened the ¡°curse¡± in her.

    ¡°¡­.Disappear.¡±

    It was as if a blizzard from a snowy mountain in midwinter had suddenly manifested. The raging white mist cut off everyone¡¯s vision at once.

    Just as Urs had wished, the white ¡°darkness¡± erased everything¡ª

    ¡°¡­.Hey.¡±

    Hearing Reki¡¯s frail voice, Urs regained herself.

    And before she realized, the mist had disappeared. And like the calm after a storm, everything became awfully quiet.

    Urs, now with her vision back, saw everyone except Reki on the ground. The kids, the priest and the sister¡ªeveryone except Reki, were lying on the floor as if they died.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The terrifying scene took her breath away. And more than anything, it terrified her that this was all caused by her.

    Urs had already caught on. The fact that she was the one who brought about that mist. And now, her body felt unusually light and good as if she was filled with a sense of liberation.

    ¡°Oh, my, God¡­¡±

    However, the most mysterious thing there was how Reki gave a very satisfied smile and then copsed.

    ________________

    ¡ªThey had seeded in repelling the goblin squad.

    There were a total of 4 doltos¡¯, two at the front and two at the back, and now with them¡ªthe biggest threat¡ªout of the picture, all they had to do was get rid of the other enemies in order.

    Although the back gate was broken, with the doltos gone, there were less than 50 goblins left. I shaved off their numbers with my grenades and left the rest to the vignte squad there before returning back to the front gate immediately.

    While I was away, everyone did a great job at holding the frontlines with Ryan at the core¡ªmowing down enemies head on with his silver knight armor on. And with me back on the frontline, the enemies were annihted within 5 minutes as I added my gunfire into the mix.

    Realizing that they couldn¡¯t keep up, the goblin chief quickly gathered its forces and retreated back into the forest. However, the threat to the vige is not gone as the chief is still alive. Although there is a chance they won¡¯t target this vige anymore after experiencing such a defeat, there¡¯s also the possibility of theming back for revenge with an even greater force.

    It is risky to chase down the goblins who retreated to the forest. Considering that chief¡¯s intellect, it may have fixed traps or ambush troops in ce. If we were to get caught off guard in the forest where vision isn¡¯t good, there will be casualties for sure this time.

    And as such, I chased them down alone.

    Without the vignte squad apanying me, I could run at full speed and didn¡¯t have to worry about protecting anyone either. Quite the easy situation, really. My opponents were a dozen goblins, a few rank 1 monsters and a single magician.

    When I had caught up to them, the chief was only able tounch an ¡°El Sagita¡± towards me. I didn¡¯t allow a second attack as I blew it away along with its defensive magic with my Grenade Burst.

    The rest was just a normal survivor hunt. Hunting down fleeing goblins¡ªa very simple task. And like that, I had seeded in annihting every single one of them.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back, priest. That was fast.¡±

    It seems they were also done clearing out the goblins left behind by the chief it ran. Ryan called out to me as I came out of the forest.

    ¡°Were they able to run away?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I cleared all of them.¡±

    ¡°Oof, as expected. Turning you into an enemy¡ªthose goblins sure were stupid even among monsters.¡±

    Ryanughed out loud as he smacked my shoulder. ¡°But you were the one who snapped at me first, weren¡¯t you?¡±¡ªI restrained myself from letting out such a retort.

    ¡°More importantly, do we have any casualties?¡±

    ¡°None whatsoever. God¡¯s miracle, I suppose.¡±

    I felt relieved hearing that. The back gate was broken and I left a decent amount here when I went to chase the chief too. It wouldn¡¯t have been unusual for there to be casualties in such a situation.

    They really are lucky. I still have no intention of thanking the White God, though.

    ¡°But we do have many wounded. The old woman is very busy with them.¡±

    ¡°She is the only doctor in the vige, after all. Do look after her and make sure she doesn¡¯t fall ill as well.¡±

    ¡°Heheh, right, the only magic the priest can¡¯t pull off is the holy healing magic, huh?¡±

    Ryan and the other vigntes were well aware of the fact that I couldn¡¯t use healing magic. I did beat them up during training but didn¡¯t heal any of their wounds from those training sessions. When I boldly dered that I couldn¡¯t use healing magic, I got booed a lot.

    ¡°People have their strong and weak points, alright?¡±

    ¡°Being strong at killing, where does that put you as a clergyman?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, God will be very happy with the enemies gone.¡±

    And with such sarcasm, I decided to leave that scene behind.

    Once the fight is over, a priest adept at killing like myself has no role to y. As there are no deceased, I don¡¯t have to do funeral service either.

    Well, I probably have to help fix the gate and fencester on, though¡­

    ¡°Well then, I leave the rest to you, Ryan. I have something to talk about with Reki and Urs.¡±

    ¡°That Reki, I heard she killed one of those big¡¯uns all by herself. That¡¯s a big achievement, do make sure to praise her, she¡¯ll be very pleased.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    ¡°Go, Urs and Yuri are probably worried as well.¡±

    Thanking Ryan as he left me with genuine words of concern, I hastily made my way to the church.

    Now then, I think I¡¯d have to deal with a new problem just when we seeded in properly intercepting the goblin army.

    After all, I now know of the monstrous strength she is hiding.

    ________________

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A heavy silence filled the church¡¯s narrow bedroom.

    At the moment, Sariel, Reki, the core problem at hand¡ªUrs, and I were gathered here. I sat on a small chair with a desk and faced the three sisters who were sitting on the bed.

    Urs, who was in the middle, was right in front of me, looking towards the floor with a very grim expression as she avoided making eye contact with me.

    Now, all four of us knew the situation for which we gathered here. Sariel hadn¡¯t seen the scene itself but I briefly exined it to her beforehand. I did ask her to follow up with me appropriately but you can¡¯t really expect much from this robot-like personality who can¡¯t understand the subtleties of the human heart.

    Either way, since I gathered them all here, I should break the ice. To be honest, I don¡¯t know where this will lead to but¡­ ah, whatever happens, happens.

    ¡°I swear to God that the discussion we will have here will be a secret between us. Urs, can you talk to us about the power you¡¯re hiding? No matter how terrifying that may be, I promise to not hurt you.¡±

    While I did get the ball rolling, there was still pin-drop-silence in the room. There¡¯s no way they didn¡¯t hear me but being unable to bear the deafening silence, just when I was about to repeat myself, a response came back.

    ¡°Ah, um, priest Kuroe, Uru is¡­ a bit¡­ uhh¡­ umm¡­¡±

    Clearing trying to cover for Urs, Reki tried giving off an excuse but couldn¡¯t even quibble.

    However, maybe she saw Reki trying her hardest, Urs hardened her resolve and raised her head.

    ¡°¡­.It¡¯s okay, Reki. I thought a day like this woulde, sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°But, Uru!¡±

    Urs stopped Reki by shaking her head sideways.

    And she started speaking with a very low, trembling voice .

    ¡°Kuroe, my body¡­ is cursed.¡±

    I reflexively nced at my own hands and saw my gray gloves.

    To me, the word ¡°curse¡± is more of a reliable partner than something detestable, as it bes the source of my strength.

    However, the curse Urs speaks of is probably not like that.

    ¡°Is that white mist the curse?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Does that appear out of nowhere? Regardless of your will?¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯te out normally. I can decide on whether to use it or not but¡­ it alsoes out by itself during dangerous moments¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, you used it out of your own will this time, to protect Reki.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Yes.¡±

    I honestly praised her for it and stroked her head. It makes sense now.

    The reason why Urs went outside the shelter, risking her safety. There¡¯s no doubt Urs is well aware of how risky and pointless going outside out of worry would be as she didn¡¯t havebat abilities.

    She went to Reki despite that because she had the ¡°curse¡¯s power¡± for emergencies.

    It¡¯s also possible that Urs didn¡¯t need my saving the day we met¡ªshe probably would¡¯ve turned Mashram into a corpse of bleached bones in another 10 seconds or so.

    ¡°But you can¡¯tpletely control that power, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I almost ended up killing Reki there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true! Reki ispletely alright so Uru did nothing wrong!¡±

    That said, it¡¯s still true that Reki might¡¯ve ended up dead if it went wrong.

    The moment I spotted them, Reki was surrounded by the white mist. Urs tried to stop it by distancing herself from Reki and that was the right decision there.

    However, although the result would¡¯ve probably been the same, the process was different as I was present there. First, I picked up Reki and threw her into the church. Then, I took Urs and isted her in a nearby house.

    As Urs also knew that was the best course of action, we were able to move quickly and I could join the frontlines soon after.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Reki is fine, as she says. I¡¯ll let this pass because of that.¡±

    What¡¯s important is not to exin to Urs how dangerous her power can be. What I need first is more info.

    ¡°Urs, can you tell me everything you know about that power of yours?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Y-yes.¡±

    Although she agreed, her expression looked very bitter. A clearly gloomy expression which you wouldn¡¯t expect from her, considering her usual expressions.

    ¡°You probably faced many hardships because of the curse. And so, if there¡¯s anything you really don¡¯t want to talk about, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ If it¡¯s Kuroe and Sister Yuri¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it really okay?¡±

    ¡°The people who see my curse either get scared or try to kill me. Kuroe didn¡¯t try to kill me so that in itself is worth trusting.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything back seeing Urs state that indifferently.

    To her, I am someone who can kill her anytime. And here I thought I got quite close to her. I thought they admired me, even if it¡¯s just a bit.

    How foolish I was. I am probably a subject of terror to Urs just by having superhuman abilities. No matter how close we get on the outside, the stress she feels just by imagining what would happen if I got to know about her curse¡­ it¡¯s probably unimaginable.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s true that I trust Kuroe and Sister Yuri.¡±

    I probably had a grim enough expression that she had to follow up like that. I just can¡¯t help but feel pathetic towards myself.

    Urs didn¡¯t pay any heed to that and got into the main topic, which is knowing more details about the curse.

    ¡°My curse has been with me from birth..¡±

    It seems she wasn¡¯t cursed by someone or was possessed by an evil being. She knew about her curse ever since she could remember.

    ¡°However, my parents didn¡¯t call this power a curse, they said it was a very wonderful thing.¡±

    Perhaps it was taken as a divine protection of some sort by the Evramians.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details of it. I only remember my parents really being affectionate towards me as I had this power. I don¡¯t remember their faces or how I came to part with them.¡±

    It looks like she was taken in by the church one day. She got to know that she was taken in as an orphan a whole year after the church took her.

    Urs¡¯s memory being vague is not something that unnatural. If a kid ends up losing their parents in an unfortunate ident and was taken in by the orphanage, they might not grasp the whole situation immediately.

    If one day, a child¡¯s whole lifestyle changes and they be unable to meet their parents, that would be a big stress for their mind and would leave a deep mark in their memories. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if it became a trauma.

    However, from what I am hearing, Urs doesn¡¯t seem to have that. Before she realized, she was in the church and was leading a natural joint lifestyle with the other orphans.

    ¡°Reki was in that church as well¡­ it seems.¡±

    ¡°Reki remembers a bit about the time Uru arrived.¡±

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s where you two met, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t talk to Reki at all at first.¡±

    ¡°Uru didn¡¯t talk to anyone and was always alone.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you two be friends?¡±

    ¡°My curse caused an incident.¡±

    Urs was all alone at the time as she couldn¡¯t mix in with the other orphans. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a child or not, if you¡¯re all alone in a cohabitation like that, you¡¯d end up drawing attention. And it seems Urs wasn¡¯t any exception either.

    Bullying.

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t that bad for me. The monitoring there was quite strict so they couldn¡¯t do much.¡±

    Even then, bullying is still bullying. Being talked behind her back and ignored was probably only normal to her. It seems she also experienced her stuff getting stolen a few times.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t really remember what they did to me back then. I didn¡¯t care much either¡­ However, I clearly remember the incident.¡±

    One day, a more extreme teasing had taken ce.

    ¡°I was falsely used with stealing a ring¡ª¡±

    And so I heard everything about the incident.

    ¡°Sorry, give me a moment¡­¡±

    I felt like crying. Or rather, I might¡¯ve spilled a tear or two already. My eyes felt hot.

    Urs and Reki looked at me with warm nces.

    ¡°Ah, sorry¡­ You might not want any sympathy from me¡­ It seems I¡¯m a bit weak towards that kind of story that I thought.¡±

    A girl getting bullied in an orphanage¡ªthere are plenty of stories like that. I feel like I saw a drama like that and such a situation might be happening in Japan right now too.

    But getting to know that a kind girl I know went through that experience¡­ Maybe I truly felt how tragic of a past the orphans are burdened with.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s in the past now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very strong to be able to say that, Urs.¡±

    Having faced tough experiences myself, I know how hard it is to get over them. After all, I seriously considered running away with Lily and Fiona, abandoning the fight with the Crusaders.

    ¡°That said, Reki was quite the mischievous brat, huh?¡±

    ¡°Nooo! That¡¯s all in the past!!¡±

    Like a university student reminded of their embarrassing middle school game character names, Reki felt embarrassed as she covered her face with her hands and rolled around on the bed.

    It isn¡¯t that embarrassing of a story, though, I think.

    ¡°Punching the bully all of a sudden, that¡¯s pretty cool in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Please, stop¡ª!!¡±

    It seems she doesn¡¯t like talking about those times, huh? I am very curious as to how such a reckless girl turned into such a bright and energetic one but I¡¯ll put that aside for now.

    ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s get back to topic. Well, what happened after that? More importantly, was everyone alive?¡±

    ¡°No one died. I would¡¯ve probably been executed if anyone died.¡±

    That¡¯s no exaggeration either.

    ording to Urs, after that incident, the priest called her ¡°the cursed child who¡¯s possessed by a demon¡± and appealed to the Church to immediately execute her.

    Making dozens of children and the clergyman faint, Urs was immediately taken by the Inquisition.

    I am not quite sure what the Inquisition are but from what I¡¯ve heard from Fiona, they¡¯re like witch hunters or the sort. In other words, the moment they are put on to trial, they are guilty as charged. They¡¯ll be convicted in the name of God.

    ¡°But priest Nicy saved me.¡±

    And there¡¯s where my predecessor and the official priest of this vige, Mr. Nicy,es in.

    He pleaded for the dismissal of the action as Urs was still just a child. It wouldn¡¯t have been epted under normal circumstances but it seems Nicy was quite well-known in the Church and so his request was heard.

    However, it wasn¡¯t an acquittal. The conditions for letting her go was that Nicy would take her in and religiously convert her as well as perform exorcism on the demon possessing her. That was the official stance of him taking in Urs.

    Either way, that was how Urs was safely sent under priest Nicy.

    ¡°Then did you part ways with Reki there?¡±

    ¡°No, Reki came along with me.¡±

    ¡°I was worried about Uru!¡±

    ¡°They were just getting rid of another nuisance.¡±

    ¡°Uru!!¡±

    Reki being Reki, was also pushed onto priest Nicy as she was a problem child.

    However, what¡¯s great about priest Nicy is that he happily took Reki in, thinking that she would make a great friend for Urs after hearing the gist of the incident. And the fact that he was right is proven right in front me as the two were messing about with each other.

    ¡°I see, and that¡¯s how we get here.¡±

    ¡°My curse¡¯s power came out a few times after that as well but¡­ Nothing as big as that incident happened so it didn¡¯t be much of a problem. However, priest Nicy was very cautious of me.¡±

    ¡°Did priest Nicy say anything about your power?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing in particr. Just that the curse will probably be lifted if I live a proper life as a Sister.¡±

    Although solving the problem at its core would be impossible, considering Urs can use the power at her will, she won¡¯t need it as long as she leads a peaceful life.

    ¡°Then, as expected, you know next to nothing about your power?¡±

    ¡°The curse moves as I want it to but¡­ the power is too strong and I can¡¯t suppress it properly.¡±

    That¡¯s probably why the mist was starting to cover Reki after getting rid of the doltos. It was clear that she couldn¡¯t control the power.

    ¡°Is there anything more to the mist other than turning the power of reducing the doltos to its bones?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s all the same. If I make it strong, it turns them into bones¡­ and if I make it weak, it just makes them faint, I think.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s basically the same power.¡±

    ¡°Also, I can hide myself if I so wanted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ pretty impressive. The mist may be of the light attribute and might be able to reflect¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it well. But thanks to this, I was able to hide from that man in the storage shed.¡±

    I see, now that I think about it, I could only spot Reki there at that time. So she had hidden herself in the corner of the storage room.

    ¡°Do you have any other powers?¡±

    ¡°No. I can only use this.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for telling me.¡±

    I patted her head again but this time around she looked much happier than before. She probably feels much more at ease now that she talked all she wanted to about the curse.

    And¡­ is it just me or is Reki kinda pouting at me?

    ¡°Urs, can I ask you just one question?¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡±

    Now that¡¯s a good expression. She looked bold as if she had nothing to hide anymore.

    ¡°Have you ever heard the curse¡¯s voice?¡±

    ¡°Voice? I didn¡¯t hear anything like that.¡±

    ¡°I see, I get it now¡ª¡±

    While being relieved hearing that, I also resolved myself.

    ¡°¡ªUrs, would you like to be able to control your curse¡¯s power?¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I.. really do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°If you have the determination, you¡¯ll definitely be able to.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ it¡¯s dangerous. Just by touching that mist¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. I will be fine.¡±

    As for the reason behind it¡ª

    ¡°I have faith in being able to control curses, after all,¡± I said, brimming with confidence.

 Chapter 493

    Chapter 493 ¨C Cursed Original Magic

    ¡°Urs, your magic isn¡¯t a curse. It¡¯s most likely an original magic which has a strong drain effect.¡±

    I came to that conclusion after hearing her story.

    Sure, it would seem like a curse as it can put dozens of people intoatose state or even reduce a monster like doltos to its bones but¡­ If it were such a strong curse, it would definitely have an immense grudge with it.

    I am painfully aware that the true nature of the curse, the core of it¡ª¡±grudge¡±, is ridiculously self-assertive, thanks to all the cursed weapons I¡¯ve dealt with so far. That¡¯s right, curses are originally the power of a wish, intense enough to easily turn the possessor insane.

    However, Urs did not hear the curse¡¯s voice or touch its wish¡ªin other words, this proves that her power isn¡¯t from a grudge from someone, it¡¯s her own.

    That said, one can¡¯t alwayspletely master a power just because they¡¯re born with it. To put it simply, simr to Fiona, Urs also can¡¯t properly control her magic.

    ¡°And so, to get ustomed to your power, it¡¯s best to actually use it. Now then, Urs, unleash your power at its max potential.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Eh.¡±

    Urs looked dumbfounded with no sign of eagerness¡ªor rather, it seemed like she didn¡¯t even follow along. Hmm, I guess no matter how smart she may be, something like magic theory can still be hard.

    ¡°That will, probably¡­ be very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯vee all the way here, where there¡¯s no one around.¡±

    We hade hundreds of meters away from the vige to a vast snow field with only the highway close by. Even if someone were to pass by the highway, we would notice it right away and if monsterse out from the surrounding trees, we have enough space here to do something about it.

    For what it matters, I did talk to Randolph about it. Besides, the vige is busy dealing with the aftermath of the war with the goblins so there¡¯s no chance they woulde all the way here.

    After our talk at the church, I decided to bring Urs here as I thought it¡¯d be best to strike while the iron is hot.

    ¡°But, Kuroe will¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m strong against curses, you see.¡±

    ¡°But you said it isn¡¯t a curse.¡±

    ¡°Well, whether it¡¯s a curse or an original magic, I would have to forcibly hold it down so it isn¡¯t really much of a difference.¡±

    That is because I am relying on ¡°ckening¡±.

    One can strengthen materials or control curses by enchanting ck magic. I also trained my favorite horse Merry in the same way

    She has be an undead nightmare now but even when she was alive (?), I was able to get in sync with her by pouring mana. So much so that I was able to break through the monster encirclement with Nell and reach the Iskia fortress despite being a horse-riding novice.

    ¡°Urs, I will help you hold the power down. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I gently put my hands on her delicate shoulders. Standing in front of her like this makes me realize anew that she still is just a little girl.

    It doesn¡¯t feel like she is hiding such immense magical power within her.

    ¡°Is it your first time using the power at its max?¡±

    ¡°¡­.Yes. Even I, don¡¯t know, what will happen¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯ll definitely go well. Can you trust me?¡±

    To Urs, my words might seempletely baseless and in fact, I, myself, am not sure if it¡¯ll really work well.

    Even then, I strongly believe that it wouldn¡¯t be wise to have Urs stay like this. From the Crusaders¡¯ point of view, her power would truly look like a ¡°curse¡±.

    However, that doesn¡¯t make it alright to execute her in the name of exorcism and she shouldn¡¯t have to live in fear of a power she doesn¡¯t understand herself¡ªsuch a fate is just too cruel.

    In short, it¡¯ll all work out if she is able to control her powers.

    At the very least, if she is able to control it, she can perfectly keep it hidden. She won¡¯t have to be anxious about identally revealing it one day and can live peacefully without worries.

    She could even pursue the path of an adventurer with this power. In this world, having strength is weed by all means. Even for pure self-defense, such a power has immeasurable value.

    Like so, there are many merits for her but at the end of the day, I just want to help get rid of her worries and that¡¯s the biggest reason behind doing this.

    ¡°Yes, I will trust Kuroe¡ª¡±

    It looks like she finally resolved herself. The change soon arrived as she closed herrge blue eyes.

    The white mist slowly gushed forth as steam, making her silver twin tails waver in the air. The pure white steam slowly got denser by the passing moment.

    Urs was wearing her usual nun trainee garments. The mist just endlessly overflowed from the hem of her long sleeve.

    And before I realized, my vision waspletely blurred by the mist to the extent that I could only barely see Urs¡¯s face despite being at arm¡¯s length.

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    And then I felt it, with my whole body. Yeah, there¡¯s no doubt¡ªthis is a drain magic which forcibly sucks out your mana.

    Long ago, while fighting a guy called Kipros from White Mask, I was hit with an intense drain from his servant snake. This feels exactly the same as back then.

    If I recall correctly, it was called ¡°Crime Eater¡± and was developed specifically to safely restrain the human subjects which could control the ck mana. And as one would expect from an exclusive servant, its drain was overwhelmingly stronger than this. It drained at a rate which would suck my mana dry within minutes¡ªand in fact, my mana did hit rock bottom then.

    While beingpletely covered by the mist as Reki had been at that time, I still didn¡¯t feel like the drain was at a dangerous level. It could very well be that my mana increased from back then and that¡¯s why I have such a leeway too.

    If that¡¯s the case, then considering how Reki was the only one standing when Urs used this at the orphanage and she wasn¡¯t weakened from it today as well, it implies that Reki also has high mana¡ªor rather, she has higher vitality than your average person.

    ¡°¡­.ckening.¡±

    Sensing the drain slowly increase in power, I activated my ck magic.

    I¡¯m using it a bit differently than normal this time around.

    While pouring mana to Urs through my hand on her shoulder, I also defended myself from the drain and released the mana from my body. From a distance, it would look like a dark aura is emitting from my body.

    Although I am still exhausting my mana as a result, it still makes a great difference in the amount of consumption. It was like offsetting the drain by hitting it with a certain amount of mana.

    However, this is only possible as the amount of mana I am releasing and the drain power is not much different. I can¡¯t expect much from this defense when her drain strength increases from hereon. And there¡¯s no doubt that this won¡¯t hold up against the drain strength which reduced the doltos to its bones.

    Well, I am pouring mana to Urs herself so that she can control it and it doesn¡¯t get to that point, of course.

    ¡°Ah¡­.K-Kuroe¡­.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Urs? Does it hurt?¡±

    With her eyes still firmly shut, Urs muttered as a cold sweat flowed down her forehead.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­ hold it back¡­ anymore¡­.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to forcibly hold it back. Let it out as much as you can.¡±

    I could feel my ck mana slowly cover Urs¡¯s body.

    Mana isn¡¯t something you can just easily give to someone. As such, I can¡¯t just have Urs suck in the ck mana I am pouring in her as is.

    It was more like covering her body¡¯s surface with the ckening. This is based on the theory that by covering her body with my ck mana, I can help control and adjust her powers.

    That said, this is only possible when I overwhelmingly overss the other party in terms of mana, just like how I control the cursed weapons.

    I chose this method because I had confidence in being able to suppress it with my vast mana amount but¡ª

    ¡°I am sorry, Kuroe¡­ I-I¡­. I want it.¡±

    And just then, Urs opened her eyes wide. I felt a chill run down my spine the moment our eyes met.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª?!¡±

    In ce of her round blue eyes were bloodshot white eyes giving off a venomous purple glow like that of a hydra.

    The glint in her eye somewhat resembled Fiona¡¯s demonized form. These aren¡¯t the eyes of a normal human being. I may have awakened something way more sinister than I thought.

    ¡°Uuoohhh?!¡±

    The white mist suddenly erupted with the momentum of a tornado and took my body off the ground. The misting out from the hem of her sleeve entangled my feet and a strong updraft of the mist blew the very next moment.

    I cut off the ckening immediately and let go of her shoulders and chose to be blown away by the mist. That is because my instinct strongly told me that it would be safer to assume some distance for the time being.

    After being blown up 5 meters into the sky, I started falling from the sky due to gravity. As the mist didn¡¯te with a follow up attack, I was able to safelynd.

    When I looked back towards Urs again, her ¡°curse¡± had taken its true form.

    ¡°Wh-what is that¡­?¡±

    A white human figure floated above Urs like a ghost.

    It was quite big as well. As Urs wasn¡¯t even 150cms tall yet and it was about twice her size, it was probably almost 3 meters tall. This white human figure is undoubtedly made by the mist thickening to form the shape.

    The silhouette looked to be wearing a pure white robe. The reason why I can say that it¡¯s a human figure is because the shoulder lines and the head portion was clearly visible.

    It had the face of a woman. And while one could tell that it was a beautiful face from the facial structure, it looked more like a ster figure than an actual living woman. It wouldn¡¯t feel off even if it was ced in an art gallery.

    However, it was clear from the two hornsing out of its head that this thing wasn¡¯t modeled from a human woman. It looked exactly like a Noh mask with horns.

    ¡°Urs! Are you alright?! Get a hold of yourself!¡±

    Urs reacted to my voice and looked towards me with bloodshot eyes which were giving off a purple glow.

    ¡°Fu, fu¡­ fufu, ufufufu¡­.¡±

    Sheughed as her eyes turned more demonic.

    Ah, this looks extremely bad. It seems she has lost her senses.

    ¡°Urs, get a hold of yourself. Do you recognize me?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Kuroe¡­ I do¡­ Ufufu, Kuroe, tasty¡­¡±

    She licked her lips bewitchingly, unbefitting of such a little girl.

    And before I realized, the mist had flowed all the way to my feet and was slowly but surely sucking away my ck mana.

    ¡°Kuroe, let me have you.¡±

    The mist started gaining momentum again, giving off a sharp windy sound along with the girl¡¯s high pitched voice.

    As Urs extended her hand towards me, the ghost behind her also mimicked her behavior.

    The ghost¡¯s pure white hand underneath the robe came rushing in with intense speed. It wasn¡¯t like the hand stretched out like rubber¡ªrather the middle portion thinned out like lingering white mist. Sort of like a rocket punch.

    The hand magnified and spread out to grasp me. Taking this head on would be dangerous, no matter how I look at it. I can tell just from my instincts that this hand¡¯s draining strength wouldn¡¯t be any inferior to that time when she drained the doltos.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªOoohh!¡±

    I thought I had dodged it with ease but despite that, I felt arge portion of my mana get sucked out immediately. And in fact, I could even see my mana pouring out towards the hand clearly so there¡¯s no mistaking it.

    This is a bit¡ªno, very problematic. This drain has reached the ¡°Crime Eater¡± level already.

    ¡°Fufu, kufufu¡­ Kuroe, Kuroee¡ª¡±

    Urs extended her other hand too this time.

    And now, two big misty hands were drawing in on me.

    ¡°Ghh, Grenade Burst¡ª!¡±

    I was forced to resort to attacking it as the hands drew ever closer with immense draining power. I can¡¯t hope to endure this situation by dodging alone.

    Of course, I am only aiming for the mist¡¯s hands. There¡¯s no way I would hit Urs herself. No matter how dangerous it may get, I can¡¯t let her get a single scratch from this.

    That¡¯s the least I can do as an adult. Well, I am still only 17 years old, though.

    ¡°As I thought, it only works as a stopgap measure, huh?¡±

    The Grenade Burst Iunched hit the fists urately and the burst of ck and red mes dispersed the misty hands which only looked pretty on the outside.

    That said, there was no sign of damage dealt nor did it feel like the ghost used any mana. The dispersed hands soon weaved back to its original state in no time.

    It just reformed like that¡ªin fact, its form in itself probably doesn¡¯t hold much value. Urs¡¯s power is all of the enveloping mist in the area. This ghost just looks like a woman merely as an illusion and the extent of her drain power is the aggregate amount of the mist she can produce.

    ¡°I-I want it, I want it more¡­ Hey, Kuroe¡­¡±

    She looked happier than ever¡ªor rather, she looked more like she was in a trance as she extended her hand even further demanding for my mana.

    ¡°Alright, very well then, Urs.¡±

    The easiest way to get over this predicament would be to kill Urs. But of course, such an action would very well be like putting the cart before the horse and I¡¯m not going to do it.

    Then, the next option would be to knock her out. It may hurt a bit but the damage to her body would be minimal. However, I am not going to do this either.

    To begin with, I was the one who told her to unleash her full potential.

    And while her power was more than I expected, this situation is simr to the one I wanted to bring forth. I took this drastic measure with her going berserk in consideration.

    ¡°I will give it you, until you¡¯re satisfied¡ª¡±

    Now then, with my resolve firm, I shall apany Urs till my mana runs dry.

    ¡°W-We¡¯re back¡­.¡±

    The sun had already set by the time we returned to the church. I entered, gasping for breath, barely returning alive with my dear life.

    ¡°Heyy, wee bac¡ªUwahh, Kuroe, you look pale?!¡±

    Reki being surprised was also only normal. I was extremely low on mana as Urs almost drained it all.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡ªI¡¯ll be fine after a good night¡¯s rest. If possible, I would like to have dinner right away.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Food¡¯s already ready!¡±

    To be honest, I felt like going straight to bed but if I don¡¯t have a good meal, I won¡¯t be recovering well. And so I did my best to eat properly. Besides, Reki went to the trouble to prepare dinner. I¡¯d surely be punished by the heavens if I were to let it go to waste.

    ¡°Uru, are you doing good?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­ I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    Urs replied in a not-so-fine manner and hid behind me like a shy kid.

    I am well aware that her hidden face was dyed red by now.

    ¡°Uru? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, really¡­¡±

    ¡°Kuroe, what happened to Uru? She looks veery suspicious!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s ¡®cause she drained quite a lot of mana for the first time so she is feeling¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not well?!¡±

    ¡°No, she is too well, in fact. It¡¯s like she has overflowing mana in her¡ªshe¡¯ll also be fine after a good rest.¡±

    That¡¯s the only reason I can think of for now. Back when I asked Fiona about what would happen if someone were to drink a mana potion when they already have plenty of mana, she said it would make them feel hot inside and they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay still¡ªjust like how Urs is right now. She also rmended not to consume any mana potions before battle as it may lead to a decrease in concentration. And in fact, I also haven¡¯t seen any of the adventurers do so either.

    Although I gave her such an appropriate answer, Reki seemed sort of discontent as she just said ¡°Mmm¡± and left for the kitchen with a doubtful expression.

    Maybe Reki can¡¯t rte as she isn¡¯t a magician type.

    ¡°Urs, what will you do for dinner?¡±

    ¡°¡­.I¡¯ll just sleep, for today.¡±

    She has a stomach full of ck mana so it probably won¡¯t be a problem if she skipped a meal.

    ¡°I see, good night.¡±

    ¡°G-good night¡­.¡±

    Urs looked awfully fidgety as she went for her room.

    Of course, her eyes had returned to their original blue color long ago. It had returned the moment her original magic was undone. As I thought, it is rted to her power.

    Parting with Urs, I headed towards the dining hall from where the usual bean soup¡¯s scent was drifting.

    ¡°Wee back, brother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back, Yuri.¡±

    I found Sariel waiting at the table in the dining hall and so we exchanged greetings with our usual barefaced acting. Before I realized, I had gotten used to being called brother by her.

    ¡°Were you waiting for us to return?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    While asking that, I took my usual seat beside Sariel. Dinner was yet to be presented on the table.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve eaten before us, you know.¡±

    Although, I didn¡¯t think it would take this long either. I should tell them to have dinner if we¡¯rete from tomorrow.

    ¡°You have used up quite a lot of mana. It can be assumed that Urs¡¯s original was stronger than expected.¡±

    ¡°Do I look that bad?¡±

    ¡°In terms of outward appearance, you look pale. However, my 6th sense is urately perceiving a decrease in mana.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you.¡±

    Seems like her sharp 6th sense is doing well. She could easily take hold of this weakness, how terrifying.

    ¡°As you said, Urs¡¯s strength was more than I expected. To think it was that high¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you regret it?¡±

    ¡°No way. I am d I could know of it while I am here.¡±

    A normal magician wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop Urs at all. I can easily tell that the situation would have escted to the point she would be brought to execution grounds.

    ¡°Urs¡¯s ability is ¡®drain¡¯, as I had guessed. However, it is strong enough to give off a woman¡¯s illusion with the mist. On top of that, Urs loses her senses if she unleashes all of her power.¡±

    ¡°Amon phenomenon when using a strong original magic. It can be analyzed that the one using it would feel a sense of omnipotence and extreme excitement in such a state.¡±

    And so it¡¯s only natural that such a power can turn a doltos to ash within moments.

    My current strength is something I basically acquired from the hellish human experiments. Maybe because I have endured unbearable pain that I can withstand being possessed by the overwhelming strength.

    I would have probably let it go to my head if I acquired such superhuman powers right after arriving in this world, thinking that I have been chosen or something.

    ¡°It felt like Urs wanted to have more of my mana. She said it was tasty.¡±

    ¡°One of the reasons why drain magic is forbidden in Sinir is that while using it, the user may feel intense pleasure.¡±

    ¡°O-oi, wait a minute, I haven¡¯t heard anything about that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    As always, being honest to a fault, Sariel apologized right away. Now that I think about it, I took Urs there right away after the discussion and didn¡¯t ask for Sariel¡¯s opinion even though she was there too.

    It waspletely my mistake.

    ¡°Then, what does this mean? Does the drain ability have some sort of a drug-like side effect?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have heard that the ones who acquired drain magic couldn¡¯t help but try and drain all the mana around them.¡±

    ¡°If so, then Urs is¡ª!¡±

    ¡°She is equipped with resistance. If she didn¡¯t have resistance to it, she would have gone berserk after the first incident and repeated the same crime.¡±

    ¡°S-so you¡¯re saying some are immune to it?¡±

    ¡°The ones who are more likely to get addicted to it are those who do not have the drain ability originally. As an original magic, that control is built into their instincts. They won¡¯t feel excess pleasure.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ you didn¡¯t stop me ¡®cause you knew that, huh?¡±

    ¡°I also agree that being able to control the power would help Urs.¡±

    Sariel was probably thinking best of Urs as well as she got close to her recently. I don¡¯t want to think it¡¯s all just a surface level acting on her part.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll still ask Urs about it tomorrow, for what it matters. From what it looked like, she just couldn¡¯t rest easy with all that mana but there¡¯s still a chance for the unlikely to happen.¡±

    After all, in the end, I am just an amateur.

    ¡°Well, do you have any idea about her abilities then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, drain ability which forms an illusion¡ªthat¡¯s one of the divine protections given by the Gods of Evram.¡±

    I have no idea about the history between Sinir and Evram. However, I assumed an apostle such as Sariel would have some knowledge about it and so I asked and it seems like I was right.

    ¡°Is it well-known?¡±

    ¡°It is well-known in Sinir as one of the strongest ¡®curse¡¯ possessed by the cursed king of Evram, Evraham.¡±

    Long story short, it seems this Evraham dude used this immensely strong drain ability to nullify and drain all kinds of magic and used it as his own power. As he just kept taking the opponent¡¯s mana, he wouldn¡¯t run out of mana himself until his opponent does. Isn¡¯t that sort of unrivaled?

    ¡°How did you defeat him?¡±

    ¡°It is said that the 2nd apostle Abel took him down alone, using only his sword techniques.¡±

    I guess he does deserve the title of the hero, huh? Not only did he not have magic, his opponent, Evraham could use any kind of magic limitlessly too.

    ¡°Anyway, more importantly, do you know anything about how to control or train it?¡±

    ¡°While the ability itself is quite well-known, only a select few starting with Evraham could use it. It is treated as the innermost secret amongst magic between the Evramians and as such, the details are unknown.¡±

    I guessed as much. Either way, guess I¡¯ll have to look for a way as we progress.

    ¡°By the way, did the Barbaric King of Barbados also have such a special ability?¡±

    ¡°The Barbaric King Beowulf was immortal.¡±

    ¡°How did you guys defeat him?¡±

    ¡°The 2nd apostle fought him alone for 7 days and 7 nights straight as he kept resurrecting until he turned to bones atst.¡±

    You again, Abel?

    That said, he defeated cheat-like ability holders such as the drain ability user Evraham and the immortal Beowulf. On top of that, he also defeated the Dragon Emperor Dragonov so no wonder he¡¯s a legendary hero engraved into history.

    Now if only he lived in the legends, it would¡¯ve been the best but¡­ this guy is still active as the 2nd apostle. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t even be able topare to him right now.

    Just when I felt like I shouldn¡¯t have asked, Sariel suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°¡­Do you think, Urs will be able to control her original magic?¡±

    Is this her way of changing the topic? No, she probably is concerned about Urs herself, given their rtionship.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. That isn¡¯t something which can be controlled by just teaching her a little about magic.¡±

    ¡°The fact that she lost her senses is proof that she was engulfed by her own power. The risk of it affecting her personality is not zero.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ I know, right¡­?¡±

    Does this mean I was naive in thinking I could do something about it?

    No, despite that, I was able to see for myself that she possesses such strength. If Urs wanted to do so, she could very well kill off every single person in this vige in one night.

    That drain ability is terrifyingly strong as an offensive magic.

    If the output is decreased, it can easily drain away the vitality from people without even making them feel any pain. In other words, she could easily put one to eternal sleep while they¡¯re asleep by just enveloping them with the mist.

    And in actual battles, she can turnrge-scale monsters to ash in an instant¡ªand so she can probably turn a horde of goblins into ash easily as well. And given its characteristics, it¡¯s extremely effective in cutting through defensive magic as well.

    Ah, that reminds me, she also said that she could conceal herself in the mist¡­ therefore, she could easily beat her enemy while not showing herself at all.

    The more I think about it, the more terrifying this ability sounds.

    However, that is exactly why.

    ¡°Hey, Yuri, do you think Urs can lead a peaceful life?¡±

    ¡°There is a possibility.¡±

    ¡°There is a possibility that doesn¡¯te true as well, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Putting away her original drain magic and considering her personality, appearance and current circumstances, there¡¯s a very high possibility that she will be exposed to danger in the future.¡±

    It¡¯s alright for now. No matter how strong a ruffianes attacking, I can drive them away. Even if the Crusaderse attacking in full force, I can at least escape with her.

    However, in less than a month, I will be leaving this vige.

    If Urs were to live in this vige forever, the dangers that await her are monster raids like the one today. There¡¯s no doubt she can mix in well with the vigers already.

    That said, I can¡¯t forget the fact that after I am gone, the church won¡¯t be left to the apprentice sisters like Reki and Urs.

    ¡°So there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re moved to a different ce depending on the next priest, eh¡­?¡±

    It¡¯s thanks to priest Nicy that Reki and Urs are together.

    However, I can¡¯t expect the next priest to have a simr outlook on the matter. In fact, the chances of that not happening are higher. After all, it would be someone crossing over the seas toe over here in the Pandora continent. There¡¯s plenty of chance that they¡¯ll be very pious and fundamentalistic.

    Who knows how many priests there are in Sinir who would be kind to Barbadosians and Evramians who follow second-ss Gods.

    ¡°After all, the Sinir Republic isn¡¯t a good ce for them to live in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, and that¡¯s exactly why I want Urs to be able to properly control her powers. So that when pushes to shove, she can at least run away like I did¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kuroe, food¡¯s ready~¡±

    ¡°Uwohh?!¡±

    I almost toppled over my chair as Reki suddenly appeared before me, looking at me with reproachful eyes.

    ¡°How long are you going to talk? Reki¡¯s soup will go cold.¡±

    Before I realized, the food was alreadyid out. The usual bean soup and brown bread and an extra item¡ªpotatoes and saut¨¦ of salted meat.

    ¡°A-ahh, sorry, Reki. Let¡¯s dig in.¡±

    I apologized to her and suddenly realized¡ªthat Reki¡¯s posture just now is quite dangerous.

    She hade crawling up from underneath the table on top of me. She was basically glued on top of me as I was taken aback.

    She was wearing a sulken expression and ced her chin on my chest and while doing so, her surprisinglyrge breast for her age softlynded on my stomach as well. Even through the thick fabric, I could feel her warmth.

    ¡°Come on now, get back to your seat.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you could feed Reki too once in a while. Aaahh.¡±

    Goddammit, she¡¯s teasing me because I am always feeding Sariel.

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense and go-back-to-your-seat-already.¡±

    Reki¡¯s face was close enough such that our faces would touch if I lowered mine just a bit. I pinched her both cheeks as I said that. They were soft and reminded me of Lily.

    ¡°Kuroe, you cheapskate.¡±

    After fooling around a bit, Reki returned to her seat reluctantly. As one would expect, she did so exactly how she came, from under the table. Stop it with the bad manners now.

    ¡°But really, I am sorry for making it sote. Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Anyhow, like this, I fought with the goblins in the morning and dealt with Urs in the evening¡ªwhat an end to such an unexpectedly exhausting day.

    May tomorrow be a bit more peaceful. I was tired to the point I prayed like this¡­

 Chapter 494

    # Chapter 494 ¨C The worries of the little heart (1)

    ¡°¡ªck calm!¡±

    I split the nearing mist hand in two with my martial arts. The magic hand, which had enough absorbing power to even evaporate my body, got dissected vertically and passed by me in vain.

    As it had been cut with considerable force, the hand couldn¡¯t retain its form and control and ended up turning into a gentle breeze before it disappeared.

    However, unlike humans who have only two hands, this terrifying mist doesn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°2, 3¡­ 4, eh? That¡¯s one more than yesterday!¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, I am giving it my all to catch Kuroe.¡±

    As herplexion grew white and her eyes shone purple, Urs swirled up the mist together to make it dense and manifested three hands with her mist. On top of that, she had also just finished restoring the other hand I had just cut off.

    In terms of appearance, considering how the girl of the illusion has horns and floats behind her, it sort of resembles my sword arts. That said, most would turn out this way once they¡¯re able to freely control it.

    ¡°Now, give me your all, Kuroe!¡±

    This time, it came rushing at me like a real rocket punch, with misting out of the back of the wrist¡ªall four of the mist hands.

    Two from the front and one on each side, as if to surround me.

    I am already aware of the fact that these hands aren¡¯t just some projectiles she released¡ªin fact, they behave like her own hands. As such, rather than trying to dodge all four of them, it would be much more reliable to cut down at least one. Despite the fact that it would reform almost immediately.

    ¡°Grenade burst.¡±

    I am not sure if I should be surprised that I still couldn¡¯t acquire a magic wand which can handle ck magic or if I should expect it ¡®cause it¡¯s only natural for it to be that way. While using ck magic barehanded against Urs¡¯s fully unleashed original magic does make me a bit anxious, I have no other choice.

    Even then, ¡®Grenade Burst¡¯ still has enough power to blow off these hands¡ªor at least, it should have.

    ¡°Too lenient.¡±

    I shot a grenade burst at both the handsing from the sides and it should¡¯ve exploded upon making contact with the drain magic but for some reason, it misfired.

    Such misfire is not possible in the case of my ck magic since I control them directly until they explode.

    Considering the fact that they still didn¡¯t explode, they must¡¯ve been erased. To express the phenomenon visually, it was as if the hand crushed the ¡®grenade burst¡¯ along with the explosion.

    The grenades went straight at the middle of the flying fists and just as it was about to unleash its explosive power, it disappeared as the fist clenched. Did it erase the grenade before it could explode or did it drain it along with the explosion? I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°I guess this won¡¯t work anymore, huh?¡±

    Either way, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the effective ¡®grenade burst¡¯ has now been nullified by Urs. It was the moment I saw her actual growth in progress.

    ¡°Bipartite ck Calm.¡±

    Being left with no other choice, I tore all the nearing fists up with Bipartite ck Calm.

    The sword I drew was the same old one I used to ughter the Crusaders. Although it¡¯s mass produced, the quality isn¡¯t bad. This one probably is better than most.

    The sword was ckened from the tip to the handle. However, while it was only for a moment, the sword¡¯s enchantment came undone and exposed the original steel underneath upon making contact with the draining hands.

    That said, the enchantment is also simr to Urs¡¯s mist hands¡ªit¡¯ll reform with just a little mana.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could use martial arts in session.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how much I¡¯m being cornered here.¡±

    ¡°And despite that, you seem quite rxed.¡±

    Urs said with an uninterested expression, as if none of this was appealing to her. This expression has quite the intensity when she does it with those demon eyes.

    But I¡¯ve gotten used to it to the point I can also think of that as cute these days.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also gotten a bit used to your powers, you see.¡±

    Used to this draining power.

    No matter how terrifying an ability may be, if you deal with it for long enough, you naturallye up with methods to counter it. After all, if this was the maneuver experiment, I¡¯d have had to beat it upon first sight. And here I just have to stave it off so of course I would be rxed.

    ¡°I want, Kuroe, now.¡±

    ¡°If you want it,e get it. With all your strength.¡±

    While it may have made my heart skip a beat if an older woman said that to me, since I know Urs gets high when using her original magic, I was able to reply calmly.

    I can¡¯t afford to show any weakness. It won¡¯t be any practice if Urs doesn¡¯t believe that she can¡¯t beat me no matter how hard she tries. After all, these abilities are something you first start getting a hang of once you unleash it all.

    ¡°¡­..Then, I shall, give it my all.¡±

    The atmosphere around Urs rapidly changed.

    The fact that it wasn¡¯t just my imagination was proved as her mana¡ªor rather, the white girl¡¯s mana rose suddenly.

    As Urs spread her hands in front of her and pushed them out, the white girl behind her did the same. Unlike the previous attack, this one felt like it was directly connected to her body and was aimed directly at me. Urs and the girl behind her did look alike since she was wearing the trainee outfit and the white mist girl was wearing a white robe.

    And before long, her rising mana had changed enough to make it visible. The white mist gathered towards the wrist of the white ster-like figure and whirled in one spot. It made thunderous rumbling and felt like she was creating a typhoon on the palm of her hands as the mist vigorously concentrated on one spot.

    Ah, this one feels a bit dangerous. I might have to use Overgear depending on how this goes.

    And it happened just when I had resolved myself to go that far.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just have lunch.¡±

    The overwhelmingly concentrated whirling mist with potentially deadly draining power just vanished into thin air all of a sudden.

    Urs returned to her usual blue eyes and back to her absentminded carefree expression like Fiona and quickly walked towards me.

    ¡°It¡¯s already thatte, huh? Now that you mention it, I feel kinda hungry too.¡±

    The church¡¯s midday bell reached my ears.

    While it wasn¡¯t clearly audible, one could still hear the church¡¯s bell from this highway where I brought Urs to train on the day the goblins attacked.

    Before I had realized, one week had passed since then.

    ¡°I have never seen Kuroe like that before.¡±

    My grumble was sharp enough to even surprise myself.

    I am currently watching over Uru and Kuroe¡¯s sham battle which is taking ce some distance away from the vige. I sneaked all the way here so that the two didn¡¯t realize.

    I¡¯m doing this quietly purely because of curiosity. I mean, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be interested, after all.

    I, for one, know how much Uru has worried about her ¡°curse¡± till now and I understand how this is a very serious matter. It¡¯s very different from some stupid brat¡¯s secret of who likes who or anything like that.

    At the moment, Kuroe is trying to solve this worry of hers. Now, I can¡¯t imagine at all how one could do that. I mean, how would you go about suppressing such an unknown, terrifyingly strong curse?

    At the very least, the all-important trash of the church couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Ah, just thinking about it makes my blood boil. Those bunch of fools¡­ wanting to kill Uru saying she¡¯s a demon and she¡¯s cursed and whatnot. I will shove those splendid-looking rosary they wear up their ass and then surely they¡¯ll meet their oh-so-great God. I could probably do as much as I am now.

    More importantly, the problem at hand is if Uru¡¯s curse is actually something that can be dealt with.

    I would have dered it impossible just some time back. That isn¡¯t something some stupid adult should poke around with out of curiousity. Someone like that would and should just get eaten by the curse.

    And so priest Nicy chose the wise option of not doing anything about it. There¡¯s no doubt that that was the best choice for both me and Uru.

    But, Kuroe¡­ if it¡¯s him, then he could actually do something about Uru¡¯s curse. I believe that, strangely enough.

    That is probably ¡®cause I know how strong Kuroe can be. Having exchanged blows with him every day, even while I¡¯m growing at a very rapid rate, I can tell that I can¡¯t possibly catch up to him. That overwhelming strength just gives me this unbelievable sense of security.

    And so I am not worried. The reason why I am peeking on them like this today is also just ¡®cause I was curious about what they were doing.

    I came out today¡ªa week after the training had begun ¡®cause I couldn¡¯t suppress this curious heart any longer and decided to watch.

    The first thing I did was ask Sister Yuri for her cooperation as she¡¯s staying back at the church. To be honest, I thought this would be the biggest obstacle but¡­

    ¡°I understand. Go and watch them, then.¡±

    She gave her approval almost immediately. Why was I even worried anyway?

    Not only that, she also told me to watch all I want as she would handle ringing the bell as well. That¡¯s more than satisfactory.

    If I am being honest, I can¡¯t really deal with her properly. She wears this iprehensible expressionless face and has the perfect looks of an angel as described in the Bible and is so hard to approach.

    Kuroe acts cool but his emotions are easy to read so he¡¯s very easy to talk to. Besides, he treats us earnestly even though we are kids and makes considerations for us and doesn¡¯t keep lecturing us like those stupid self-important Crusaders¡­ Anyway, he¡¯s a nice person.

    And since Sister Yuri is Kuroe¡¯s secret lover and Urs trusts her quite a lot as well, she surely can¡¯t be a bad person. I probably just made my own assumptions about her and she isn¡¯t as cold as she looks.

    She likely inferred my feelings and that¡¯s why she is cooperating with me this much.

    In any case, that is how I had made it this far.

    Uru and Kuroe have been going out for this training every morning. Since they also have their lunch there, I had been appointed to pack their lunch boxes¡ªwhich is not much, really¡ªjust bread, cheese and side dishes from the previous night¡¯s dinner.

    And they always return in the evening. He spends all day training Uru and doesn¡¯t do any of his priest work but it seems he has already talked about that with the chief. That old man Randolph doesn¡¯t really know much about Uru¡¯s curse but he was informed about her to some extent by priest Nicy. That¡¯s probably why he epted without much trouble¡ªor so said Uru. I don¡¯t really get adult-talk much but as long as he doesn¡¯te interfering, it¡¯s all good with me.

    And so about the training itself¡ªI was very worried about Kuroe as hisplexion looked really bad on the first and second day but he returned to his normal selfter on so I had nothing to worry about either. I understood that he was dealing with it properly, as expected.

    About what they were actually doing¡ªthat is what I saw today, with my own eyes.

    ¡°To think Kuroe would be fighting seriously like that¡­.¡±

    It was clearly a battle. While I don¡¯t understand the first thing about magic or curses, what befolded before me was a pure sh of powers¡ªthat much I understood immediately.

    The severity of their battle makes the vignte group and my training look like child¡¯s y. Even the battle against the goblin horde couldn¡¯tpare to this. Even without any instruction or exnation, their battle taught me a lot.

    First of all, about how strong Uru¡¯s ¡°curse¡± can be. This is the first time I¡¯m seeing the white horned girl behind her.

    If that thing appeared when she first released her powers at the orphanage, there¡¯s no doubt that everyone there, including myself, would have died.

    I am getting goosebumps even though I am watching from such a distance. I only realized that my body and mind had been preparing for battle, some time into observing them.

    That said, the most surprising fact about this was how Kuroe was taking on Uru¡¯s curse head on.

    Even Kuroe wouldn¡¯t be left without a fatal injury if he got caught by her attacks. I can tell that her strength is on par or even more than what she used against the doltos to reduce it to its bones.

    Kuroe was dodging, cutting and sometimes deflecting these attacks as if he was looking into the future.

    I have never seen him having to dodge so sharply before. That ck and crimson sh¡ªis that martial arts? It¡¯s my first time seeing that as well.

    And numerous other ck magic Kuroe used afterwards. The aura he¡¯s emitting from his body, the snake-like tentacles fending off the mist¡¯s hands, the exploding arrows¡ªhe had never used any of these in our mock battles. No, I wasn¡¯t able to make him use it.

    During those mock battles, which had bemonce just untilst week, Kuroe had only ever used his sword. He didn¡¯t use any martial arts or magic. And he wasn¡¯t trying to hide his powers or anything. It¡¯s just that we weren¡¯t good enough to bring that out of him.

    And so, it¡¯s definitely not like Kuroe is at fault. In fact, I should be thankful and admire his exquisite adjustment in strength to match our mock battles.

    That said, my weakness isn¡¯t to be med either. It¡¯s only natural for me to be weak. I¡¯m still a kid¡ªand for what it matters, a girl too, at that. I¡¯m sure people would say that I did very well for myself, considering how even adult vigntes couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    ¡°Kuroe¡­ is Reki, not enough¡­.?

    But then¡ªwhy is it that my heart aches so much that I feel like I¡¯m on the verge of crying?

    I am well aware that there¡¯s nothing to be done about this situation. I¡¯m just a kid who got good at handling a sword. And Uru¡¯s a special kid with immense hidden strength which Kuroe has to deal with with his full power.

    What can I evenin about here? What am I dissatisfied with?

    ¡°Why¡­ Reki fought with Kuroe first too¡­¡±

    Ah, I see¡ªI feel jealous.

    It was fun getting stronger every day. I was happy knowing that I could get stronger. I hadn¡¯t felt this happiness ever before.

    My goal was Kuroe. It¡¯s an overwhelmingly high and far off goal but it made me engrossed enough to not think about anything else.

    I wanted to reach him as soon as possible. I wanted him to use more of his strength, even if only a little.

    I was overjoyed whenever he used a new move against me. The feeling of achievement I felt when he first started to counterattack against me.

    I was swinging from joy to sorrow with Kuroe¡¯s each move. Which attack surprised him? Which one did he predict? During battle, I always observed him in detail. I would get engrossed to the point I felt like we were the only ones in this world. Looking at him single-mindedly, I was able to get stronger.

    I don¡¯t feel like I would lose, no matter how many goblins came at me. Even against a doltos, I feel like I will do better next time. The feeling of actual progress made me so happy. Just being acknowledged, head-patted and being told I did a good job¡ªthese things made me so happy that I felt like I would melt with happiness.

    ¡°This just¡­ makes me look like a fool¡­¡±

    Uru and Kuroe¡¯s battle turned all my hard work and joy upside down.

    It takes Uru¡¯s all to just pull up a bucket of water. And so, it was my job to beat up any brat who tried to bully her. She hadn¡¯t gone into a fight once and neither had she even hit anyone.

    That¡¯s ¡®cause I had been protecting her.

    And this girl, who was supposedly protected by me, took one leap and crossed me¡ªshe reached the one ce I forever wished I could reach¡ªbringing out Kuroe¡¯s real strength.

    I can¡¯t ept my own weakness? That¡¯s not it.

    I can¡¯t ept how strong Uru is? That¡¯s also not it.

    ¡°Kghh¡­. uu¡­..¡±

    And somehow, right then, the sight of Uru sitting on top of Kuroe¡¯s knees and having the pan I prepared came into my vision¡ªmy vision which was starting to get wet.

    I wonder what they¡¯re talking about¡­ I can¡¯t possibly hear from this far.

    But Uru looked happy from any angle, and Kuroe had a very gentle expression as well.

    I couldn¡¯t make myself watch any longer. I couldn¡¯t bear the sight of them having so much fun.

    ¡°Uu, uuuuu!¡±

    These flowing tears¡ªthey¡¯re the proof of defeat.

    It just feels so unbelievably frustrating and painful. And I can¡¯t even me it on anyone.

    It took my all just to keep myself silent as I left the area without them noticing.

 Chapter 495

    <h4>Chapter 495</h4>

    The ck Demon King 495

    Chapter 25: Days of Lies

    What¡¯s Inside That Tiny Chest (2)

    ¡°Reki¡¯s been acting weirdtely.¡±

    I asked Sariel, who was in bed, if she had any idea.

    ¡°Weird?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like she¡¯s avoiding me for some reason¡­ And she seems to be in low spirits as well.¡±

    Reki was usually full of energy, but had recently gone strangely quiet and even somewhat distant. Though I didn¡¯t want to think that way, the most logical exnation I could find was that I had probably done something to make her dislike me.

    ¡°When did this start?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yesterday? No, the day before yesterday.¡±

    The day before yesterday was the 11th of the Ice Crystal Month. I remember this well because it was the day I noticed Urs¡¯s training with Original Magic had been really paying off. It was on that day that I could see how well she was able to control it after a single week.

    And when we happily returned after our training session, Reki came out to greet us with a rather sad expression on her face.

    I had almost asked her what was going on, but then I figured it could be one of those days, and she could have been having a hard time due to that, so I didn¡¯t. But she was still like that even today, so I had started to be actually worried.

    ¡°I honestly have no idea what¡¯s gotten into her. I don¡¯t remember having done anything to cause Reki to hate me¡­ Actually, I have been spending time with Urs only, so I couldn¡¯t even do anything to her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe the cause for her sadness is precisely that you haven¡¯t done anything with her?¡±

    It might have been rude of me, but I didn¡¯t expect much of Sariel¡¯s answer, considering she¡¯s basically a robot. But she still answered immediately.

    ¡°You think she¡¯s in a bad mood because I haven¡¯t set aside some time for hertely?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    No way¡­? I mean, I¡¯m not her big brother, nor her father. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard for her to deal with me not being around for a while, right?

    ¡°Reki seems to be very much looking forward to a mock battle with you. If that doesn¡¯t happen eventually, she¡¯d logically be overwhelmed by stress by that expectation.¡±

    ¡°Ah, y-yeah¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡±

    Well, that makes a lot of sense. I know better than anyone just how much Reki is crazy about fighting.

    So, no matter how much Reki understands the importance of controlling Urs¡¯s curse, having something she has been eagerly waiting for dyed for too long would eventually get her frustrated.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll make sure to spend some quality time with her tomorrow. After all, it¡¯s a holiday, and Urs is going to take a day off.¡±

    Tomorrow is the 14th of the Ice Crystal Month. Compared to Earth¡¯s sr calendar, it would correspond to February 14, that is, Valentine¡¯s Day. Though it wasn¡¯t a day that actually meant too much for me back when I was just a regr high school student.

    If I hadn¡¯t been summoned to this alternate world, I might have even been given chocte from Shirasaki-san¡­ No, it¡¯s no use to think about that now.

    However, it would be unavoidable to be reminded about Valentine¡¯s Day. Because in this alternate world, the 14th of the Ice Crystal Month had been designated by the Cross Church as a holiday after the legend of a saint.

    And the name of that saint is Valentinus.

    ¡°It sounds like a total rip-off, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°The Valentine¡¯s Day of the Earth and the Valentinus Festival of the Cross Church arepletely unrted.¡±

    Once again, I found myself asking Sariel a question. Then I brought it up a second time.

    ¡°But even then, did this Valentinus guy really have to die on a day that is the same as Earth¡¯s February 14th? It has to be some kind of joke.¡±

    Legend has it that Saint Valentinus was a great man who risked his own life to drive demons back and to restore the Cross Church under the right faith after it had been on the verge of sumbing to internal strife thanks to a ruse orchestrated by said demons. Of course, the holy scriptures also describe his many feats in all sorts of ventures, so I have a good idea of his story. Though that was mostly thanks to Sariel¡¯s lectures.

    Lectures I had to take, since I had work as a priest tomorrow talking about Saint Valentinus¡¯ legend, reading excerpts from the holy scriptures aloud and exining them. There were quite a bit of Cross Church believers in this vige, so I had to know my stuff in order to sound believable enough. Otherwise, they¡¯d soon realize that I¡¯m not a real priest.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care about the Cross Church¡¯s legends, but if there¡¯s going to be a festival afterwards, that¡¯s fine by me.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought like that, but many vigers, and even the majority of the people of the Republic of Sinir. The holiday¡¯s origin was rtively irrelevant, and what the people wanted the most was the festival itself, as an excuse to drink, eat, and dance to their hearts¡¯ content.

    ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been involved in the Valentinus Festival twice in the past. I¡¯ve only been invited to attend ceremonies as a member of the church. There was nothing more to it than my job as an Apostle.¡±

    ¡°And what about now? Calling you two friends would be a bit of a stretch, but I can at least see that Urs and you have been getting along well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I understand the theory that makes the festival fun.¡±

    Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any fun in understanding the theory behind it.

    But was there really any other way for her? Although Sariel has regained all of Shirasaki-san¡¯s memories, her personality is still like that of a robot. In fact, it would be quite scary if she started to behave like Shirasaki-san all of a sudden.

    ¡°Well, we should try to enjoy it a bit. After all, it¡¯s the first andst time we¡¯ll be able to attend this festival here.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯ll be leaving on the 20th of Ice Crystal Month?¡±

    Like Sariel said, I had finally set a date to leave this 202nd colony.

    It would seem that the snow would start to melt at the usual time of the year. In the past week I¡¯ve been training Urs, I¡¯d started to notice that the temperature has begun to rise sharply throughout the day.

    At this rate, we should be able to see the surface of the muddy dirt roading out of the vige after the 20th.

    The n was to leave this 202nd colony on the 20th. It would take us a few days to reach the vige just ahead of the Alsace Fortress, and we¡¯ll survey the situation there for a while. Then, the snow would have almostpletely melted by the time we started climbing the Ghad Mountains.

    The withdrawal of the Crusader troops from the Alsace Fortress has already settled down quite a bit as well. There would be a few asional messengers on contact duty, or the rare small unit that had gotten the short end of the stick and ended up being sent to defend Alsace Fortress.

    Then, as we move, we would buy equipment from merchants to make us look like adventurers or mercenaries so we don¡¯t look suspicious, as well as supplies needed for our ascent across the Ghad Mountains.

    Unfortunately, I do not have ess yet to my Dimension Magic, so I would be carrying a lot of luggage on my back. But it¡¯s not umon for travelers and adventurers of this world to move around with a lot of gear on them, so it won¡¯t make us stand out that much.

    We¡¯re ready. And the time hase.

    All we have to mentally prepare ourselves and take the first steps.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­ But we¡¯ll be leaving this vige as nned.¡±

    ¡°Reki, I have something important to talk to you about.¡±

    Right after we went to bed, Ur called me with a serious look on her face.

    ¡°W-What is it¡­?¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s noticed that I¡¯ve been acting weird these past few days¡­

    That day, I started crying as I headed back from looking at Ur and Priest Kuroe¡¯s training¡­ I was feelingpletely ufortable. I couldn¡¯t calm down at all.

    Then Sister Yuuri saw me crying as I walked into the church, but she didn¡¯t ask me anything about it, nor did she say a single word to anyone. So I might just be able to avoid drawing their attention for a while longer.

    Though I know I can¡¯t hide my emotions very well, so they¡¯ll soon notice something¡¯s bothering me.

    I know Ur will eventually find someone to settle in with. But it can¡¯t be Priest Kuroe¡­ I can¡¯t even look him straight in the eye anymore¡­ I don¡¯t really understand why I feel so embarrassed.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Priest Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°Huh!?¡±

    I messed up and raised my voice. Ur¡¯s suspecting eyes hurt to watch.

    ¡°Did anything happen between you and Priest Kuroe?¡±

    ¡°N-Nothing happened! After all, hasn¡¯t Priest Kuroe been spending all day with you these days?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡±

    That seemed to have been enough for her, since she didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further.

    Wait, does it mean that what Ur wanted to talk to me about wasn¡¯t really about me?

    ¡°You know that Priest Kuroe will leave the vige in the near future, right?¡±

    I learned that the very day Priest Kuroe first arrived here. He wasn¡¯t going to stay here to rece the previous priest for too long.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe is nning to leaveter this month.¡±

    ¡°What? So soon!?¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down, Reki.¡±

    Ur asked me to watch my voice, but I couldn¡¯t help it. He¡¯s leaving so soon¡­

    ¡°I-Is this true? Really?¡±

    ¡°Priest Kuroe has already got everything ready for his departure. Once the snow begins to melt, he will have no reason to stay in this vige anymore.¡±

    I know that the only reason he was staying during the winter was because it¡¯s hard to travel on snowy roads. And I¡¯ve also heard that this area begins to thaw during the Ice Crystal Month.

    ¡°Thinking that Priest Kuroe won¡¯t be around makes you feel sad, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°O¡­ Of course¡­¡±

    Oh no¡­ I¡¯m already in tears.

    I should¡¯ve known from the beginning that there woulde a time that I¡¯d have to say goodbye to him. I should¡¯ve made up my mind that there was nothing I could do to stop that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sad as well. I¡¯d like for him to stay with us for a long time.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ impossible¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not impossible. I¡¯vee up with an idea, Reki.¡±

    Despite how dark it was in here, it felt like Ur¡¯s blue eyes were full of light.

    ¡°Eeeh? What is it? Tell me!¡±

    I was getting excited. If there was the slightest possibility to convince him to stay with us, no matter how ridiculous it was, I would like to put all my money on the table. I suppose I was grasping at straws at this point.

    ¡°Can you help me with it?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Reki will do whatever she can!¡±

    After I spilled out my innermost feelings so frankly, I could see Ur¡¯s smile¨C or was it a grin?- very clearly, even through the surrounding darkness.

    Ur is much smarter than me, so her n will definitely seed, whatever it is. She had outsmarted thete Priest Niki several times in the past.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to ¡®rope him in¡¯ so to speak.¡±

    ¡°Rope him in¡­? We¡¯re gonna tie him up?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t have really meant that, could she? Ur likes to say things in fancy ways, so I usually have a hard time getting what she means.

    ¡°No, I mean, to seduce him. To do naughty things.¡±

    ¡°S-Seduce him? N-N¨CN-Naughty thiiiiiiiiings!?¡±

    ¡°Shh, keep your voice down!¡±

    Ur asked me to keep quiet once again, but how else did she expect me to react to that?

    After all, doing naughty things means to kiss, and¡­ to undress¡­ and in front of Priest Kuroe¡­

    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±

    When the image came to my mind, my heart started to race.

    I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight without holding Ur¡¯s hand. I can¡¯t be holding hands with her all the time, since I¡¯m weaker than her, and the power of her curse would get me a little exhausted as well. But when I get this excited, my eyes would be very big and I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep, so when this happens, I hold Ur¡¯s hand to try to calm down and help me sleep.

    But now, I have to calm down without Ur¡¯s help. I had to calm down and talk about these naughty things. Keep calm¡­

    ¡°B-But¡­ Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve read all about it in a book.¡±

    Oh yeah, the romance novel that Priest Kuroe bought for me! Wow, Ur, you¡¯re so smart!

    ¡°This book has detailed instructions on what to do and how to do it. There¡¯s no way it could go wrong if we follow these to a T.¡±

    ¡°S-S-So¡­ W-W-What d-d-do we have to do!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy. ording to the book, the woman goes to bed together with the man at night.¡±

    ¡°Eh? T-That¡¯s it?¡±

    Isn¡¯t that the same as we are now?

    ¡°But we go straight to sleep. Once in bed, the woman should hug him.¡±

    ¡°Hug him? L-L-Like, r-real close?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Oh no, I can feel my cheeks getting hotter.

    ¡°Then she should kiss him.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! A k-k-k-kiss!?¡±

    This is definitely naughty.

    ¡°Yes, kiss him many times.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    Me? Doing those adult things? With Priest Kuroe? My head¡¯s about to burst¡­

    ¡°Then, after that, the woman and the man will feel really good and then they¡¯ll fall asleep peacefully in each other¡¯s arms. Then, before they realize it, it¡¯ll be already morning.¡±

    ¡°S-So t-that¡­ That¡¯s how you actually do naughty things!¡±

    ¡°But the most important thing starts after that. After doing naughty things with a man, the man is expected to take responsibility and¡­ marry the woman.

    ¡°M-M-Marry!?¡±

    Even Ur had a hard time finishing that sentence. She too must have been thrilled by the thought.

    ¡°If we do that¡­ Priest Kuroe would have to stay here forever¡­ With us. He¡¯ll never leave¡­¡±

    Well, with Priest Kuroe married, things would certainly be like Ur says. He would give up on his idea of leaving, and will have to stay in this vige and live with us.

    Instead of having him for just a moment, he would stay here for the rest of his life. It¡¯s hard to believe, but it¡¯s like a dream¡­ a story that I really want to believe.

    ¡°B-But¡­ After all, it is impossible¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because Priest Kuroe already has Sister Yuuri.¡±

    It was none other than Ur who told me that Sister Yuuri and Priest Kuroe are not really rted, despite the fact that they pretend to be siblings. And her love for him is so clear, so transparent, I can¡¯t believe Ur would forget about that tiny little detail¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s when youe in, Reki.¡±

    ¡°Can Reki do something about that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to get Sister Yuuri away from Priest Kuroe at night¡­¡±

    ording to Ur, tomorrow is the Valentinus Festival. A festival where it¡¯s not weird for unusual things to happen. And that¡¯s why tomorrow will be our one and only shot at ¡°roping Priest Kuroe in¡±.

    ¡°When the sun starts to go down, I need you to start drinking, Reki.¡±

    There¡¯s going to be a lot of wine and ale at the festival, so everyone is going to drink a lot more than usual. Everywhere you look, there will be people drinking to their hearts¡¯ content.

    Therefore, it won¡¯t be unusual for a child like me, who shouldn¡¯t be drinking alcohol, to be drinking with everyone else in the spirit of the festival.

    Then I¡¯d have to drink enough to get drunk. Awfully drunk. And even if I don¡¯t get drunk, I would pretend to be very drunk. I¡¯ll most likely drink only a little bit, so chances are I¡¯m probably going to have to pretend.

    The idea is to be so ¡°drunk¡± that I¡¯d ask Sister Yuuri to help me get back to the church. ording to Ur, Priest Kuroe has an image to keep, so it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll offer to take a conspicuously drunk child like me back to the church.

    And even if Priest Kuroe ends up bringing my drunk self and Sister Yuuri back to my room, the n is to have Sister Yuuri stay with me. And then Priest Kuroe would leave, because he¡¯d know how embarrassing it would be for me to have him look at me sleeping in that condition. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so embarrassing about that, but Ur says so, so I¡¯ll believe her.

    Then, at the right time, while Iy alone with Sister Yuuri, I¡¯d ask her to stay and sleep with me.

    By keeping Sister Yuuri in the same bed as me until morning, Priest Kuroe would have to sleep by himself.

    It was only after I finished hearing Ur¡¯s n that I realized.

    ¡°T-Then, what are you going to do, Ur¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the one doing naughty things with Priest Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±

    After I blurted that out, I immediately regretted it.

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­¡±

    I can¡¯t answer. I can¡¯t think of a proper answer as to why she can¡¯t do that. I had to convince her somehow¡­

    ¡°I-If you do that, then Ur and Priest Kuroe will have to m-marry! You¡¯ll have no other choice! You should get married to someone you like!¡±

    ¡°But I like Priest Kuroe.¡±

    She said that so nonchntly that I couldn¡¯t find the words to say anything back at her.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe is very strong, cool and kind. What¡¯s so wrong about me falling for someone like him?¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­ But¡­¡±

    But love¡­ shouldn¡¯t be for such mundane reasons.

    ¡°And only Priest Kuroe epts all of me for who I am.¡±

    I had to push the words of denial that rapidly climbed up my throat all the way back to the depths of my lungs.

    Yeah, that¡¯s right, Ur. That¡¯s certainly more than enough reason to love someone, to love them enough to want to marry them.

    ¡°Ur, are you¡­ Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious. I¡¯ll definitely get Priest Kuroe to marry me. So, Reki, please¡­ Help me.¡±

    At that time, all I could do was nod in agreement.

    Oh, but why¡­ Why does my chest hurt so much¡­?

 Chapter 496

    <h4>Chapter 496</h4>

    Chapter 25: Days of Lies

    Passionate Night at the Valentinus Festival (1-1)

    Then came the morning of the 14th of Ice Crystal Month.

    ¡°I was thinking about taking a little break from Urs¡¯s training today, and having a mock battle with Reki. What do you girls think?¡±

    While we were all having breakfast, I brought up the n I had settled on for today, and the girls¡¯ reaction was a little unexpected.

    ¡°Eeeh!?¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    Reki seemed surprised, while Urs had a disappointed look on her face. Maybe I was a bit too reckless...?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be just a quick session. We¡¯re still going to the festival just like we nned.¡±

    After hearing that, both of them sighed in relief. They¡¯re still children after all. They¡¯re looking forward to today¡¯s festival.

    That¡¯s why, as nned, Reki and I would have a short mock battle in the morning after breakfast.

    None of the members of the vignte groups are here today, so Reki and I would have our one-on-one in the ce behind the church, just like before.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since thest time I¡¯ve sparred with someone like this.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay!¡±

    I was already familiar with seeing Reki holding that wooden sword I gave her, but she still seemed somewhat distant, as if she had be aware of something all of a sudden.

    ¡°Even though I haven¡¯t been around much, you haven¡¯t missed a single day of practice, right? I bet you¡¯re thrilled to see what you can do.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s not it...¡±

    Sariel, who had been in charge of looking after the church in my absence, told me that Reki hadn¡¯t cked off a single day.

    But not only that, she had also been sparring with the vigntes, who had resumed their daily training after the recent goblin attacks.

    In fact, Reki looks more like an aplished vignte trainee than an apprentice nun to me. Judging by the fact that she was able to defeat Dortos all by herself, she would be able to be a rank 3 adventurer from the get-go. The time when she merely used to carry and hold stuff for the vigntes who attempted to subjugate Dortos seems like it¡¯s been so long ago...

    In any case, now¡¯s not the time to be going down memoryne. Reki has already proven to be quite strong. I can¡¯t be too lenient during our fight, or I could find myself being knocked to the ground.

    We were going to fight with all our strength while banning the use of all magic, martial arts, and blessings.

    ¡°Show me the results of your training, Reki.¡±

    Reki must have felt my fighting spirit as I took up my own wooden sword, as the indecision she emanated up until now took aplete turn. Her facial expression tightened, and her movements began to flow naturally as she readied herself.

    Her reaction alone told me that her intuition was very sharp. Reki¡¯s talent as a fighter was the real deal.

    ¡°Come at me.¡±

    ¡°...Here I go.¡±

    ¡°...Look at you, all cheered up now.¡±

    ¡°I-I am not!¡±

    As soon as I returned from my mock battle with Priest Kuroe, I saw Urs waiting for me, and she seemed fed up about something.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten about our n, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t!¡±

    I actually hadpletely forgotten about it while I was fighting. Because whenever I spar with Priest Kuroe, I have to bepletely focused on the fight in order to keep up with him.

    Still, I can¡¯t draw more power from Priest Kuroe like Ur can. I can¡¯t use magic or martial arts. How much more training should I do before I¡¯m strong enough to be able to use those...? I had a desperate desire to catch up with them, but... more than anything, I just enjoyed sparring with Priest Kuroe.

    Sure enough, after fighting with all my might for the first time in a week, you bet I was feeling better.

    ¡°Just after noon, Priest Kuroe will be at church for the opening ceremony of the Valentinus Festival. It will be over in about an hour, and after that, he¡¯ll be free.¡±

    After pulling herself together, Ur repeats today¡¯s n.

    By staying in our room, Priest Kuroe wouldn¡¯t hear us even if I were to raise my voice. Priest Niki wouldn¡¯t hesitate to walk into our room whenever he needed something from us, but Priest Kuroe always knocks and waits till we say it¡¯s okay toe in.

    ¡°We still have some time until the evening.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re free to do whatever we want until then, but it would be best to be away from Priest Kuroe in order to avoid being too suspicious.¡±

    ¡°But then, there¡¯s a chance we won¡¯t find Priest Kuroe when the timees, right?¡±

    ¡°Right, then... We¡¯ll have to watch him closely without him noticing us.¡±

    ¡°Priest Kuroe is very sensitive. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be easily deceived.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Priest Kuroe only cares about being spied on by people with hostile intent.¡±

    Ur said that as if it weremon knowledge, but I still didn¡¯t know that much about Priest Kuroe.

    Despite it being a trivial detail, it still reminded me how much they had gotten to know each other during their entire week of trainingpared to our mock battle.

    I resisted the urge to cry, and kept talking as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯d better keep a close watch on him.¡±

    ¡°Ah, maybe Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuuri are nning to finally do some naughty things tonight, so we gotta be careful not to let them go to some dark, empty ce all by themselves.¡±

    ¡°W-What makes you think that!?¡±

    ¡°Priest Kuroe hasn¡¯t done naughty things for at least two months.¡±

    ¡°H-How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°I heard him say so through the door.¡±

    Why was she so obsessed with his... activities?

    But what has aroused Ur¡¯s interest in romance was none other than that romantic novel Priest Kuroe gave me, after all. Naturally, after reading it, she became more wary of Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuuri¡¯s daily behavior, which led her to eavesdrop on them from the door of their bedroom at night.

    Well, when I think about it that way, it kinda makes me curious about it too...

    ¡°Well, if that happens, Reki and Ur will do whatever is in their power to stop them!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll pretend we came across them by chance and just stick around.¡±

    Ur then let a wicked ¡°Uhuhu~¡±ugh as a devilish expression appeared on her face.

    ¡°But all this kind of makes me feel a bit about Sister Yuuri...¡±

    ¡°Listen, Reki. Love is war. When ites to war and love, we Ibrahimians do whatever it takes.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I also like and respect Sister Yuuri very much. So I¡¯ll admit her as a second wife.¡±

    ¡°But a man can only have one wife!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a rule of the Cross Church. In Ibrahim, you can marry as many people as you want. It¡¯s a wonderful system that shows true tolerance when ites to love.¡±

    Ur, you should probably not be saying that while wearing a Cross Church nun¡¯s garments, you know?

    Still, those beliefs are the reason why Ur isn¡¯t so reluctant to ¡°steal¡± Priest Kuroe from Sister Yuuri.

    ¡°But I never thought that Ur was so concerned about the Ibrahim way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not particrly concerned with it, but Priest Kuroe hansn¡¯t said anything like ¡®I¡¯ll be a Sinirian¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯ll be an exclusive follower of the Cross Church¡¯. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll ept me despite me being an Ibrahimian and being subject to a terrible curse, which is why...¡±

    Then, with a mysterious smile on her face, Ur dered something that caught mepletely by surprise.

    ¡°...I love him.¡±

    ¡°...And from the letter Saint Valentinus sent to the priest, who was one of his disciples, we can see his strong determination.¡±

    And with that, I sessfully managed to survive the opening ceremony, which had me telling the legend to a bunch of people with nonchnt looks on their faces.

    My preparations had been perfect. I had already read the parts of the Holy Scriptures I had to read aloud in advance, and Sariel had helped me with the reciting and lecturing. Thankfully, this vige¡¯s believers just listened quietly to my sermon and didn¡¯t ask any strange questions.

    ¡°Well then, I don¡¯t have to do anything else from now on, so maybe I¡¯ll head to the festival now.¡±

    It¡¯s probably around 3:00 PM right now. I can already hear the noisy voices of the vigersing from the central square. Many of them had already started drinking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind staying here and looking after the church.¡±

    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not the attitude of someone who¡¯s going to go have fun.¡±

    I tied my expressionless (fake) younger sister ¨Cwho doesn¡¯t seem to be too excited about the festival¨C to my back. I was already a natural at it, too. I started noticing that as my hand reached for the handle of the church¡¯s front door as I carried her limbless body on my back.

    ¡°By the way, where are Reki and Urs?¡±

    ¡°It seems that they have already gone to the festival.¡±

    Gone so early? But I guess it¡¯s okay for kids to be this excited about the festival. I gave them some pocket money in advance as well.

    Thinking about it, they¡¯re normally here all day doing their jobs as apprentice nuns, plus housework, with the asional mock battle for Reki and Urs¡¯s training giving them an even tighter schedule than before, so I should just let them have as much fun as they like.

    And with that thought in mind, I headed to the festival without worrying where they were.

    The moment I took a step outside, I could see the hustle and bustle happening in the central square. Almost all the vigers are meeting here today, so when I looked in that direction, it seemed to be considerably full of people.

    Due to the nature of this colony, its vigers were rtively young. Probably because of that, it seemed to be more lively than usual for the actual number of people present.

    They hadn¡¯t lit a huge campfire in the middle of the square yet, but several people had brought their own instruments and were ying cheerful tunes of their own ord. One was ying something that looked like a transverse flute, another one was ying something simr to a guitar, while others simply held a bottle of liquor in one hand, men and women alike embracing each other in cheerful song.

    To resent people who enjoy this kind of social activities would have been a mistake. After all, I felt a slight regret to realize that, under other circumstances, I would¡¯ve actually wanted to enjoy a festival like this together with Lily and Fiona.

    ¡°Oh, but if it isn¡¯t Priest Kuroe! Good day!¡±

    As I basked in my subtle feelings, a young Barbadian with blond hair and red eyes called out to me.

    ¡°Hello, Ted. Oh, who do we have here...?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s cute, isn¡¯t she? My daughter is probably the cutest one in the whole vige! Hey Eva, this is Priest Kuroe...¡±

    With a slightly unpleasant grin, Ted showed me that he was holding a baby, warmly wrapped in a white cloth.

    This baby, named Eva, was the one that was born after Ted hade bashing on the church¡¯s front door in the middle of the night and yelling ¡°Our baby is born!¡±.

    This was about two months ago. Eva had red eyes just like her father, but her brown hair seemed to have been inherited from her mother, a slender brown-haired woman who was standing right next to Ted.

    ¡°She seems to be in good health.¡±

    I had been asked to be present at the moment of birth, or should I say, right after Eva was born, so that I could perform the Cross Church¡¯s birth ritual.

    It¡¯s a simple ritual that consists of a priest pouring a few drops of hot water ¨Cwhich I can only assume it¡¯s regarded as holy water¨C as they read a few passages from the Holy Scriptures and say a few congrattory words. This ritual, however, was also seen as a serious rite of passage in the Cross Church.

    I think that more than Ted, who had converted from his Barbadian roots, it was his wife who took this initiative, considering she was a Sinirian from the beginning.

    Of course, these kinds of things arepletely unknown to a newborn baby.

    Eva was more interested in Sariel¡¯s hair, which had been turned to a x color thanks to the Magic Items Randolph had given to us.

    Meanwhile, Sariel was also poking on Eva¡¯s stretched out round hand with the fingertips of her remaining left hand, probably because she too had been present in her birth ritual.

    ¡°...So, how was it?¡±

    After Eva suddenly started crying ¨Cperhaps she needed to have her diapers changed¨C, the couple parted ways with us, so I asked Sariel that question.

    ¡°How was what?¡±

    ¡°Though it was just a formal ritual, you were still involved in her birth. Didn¡¯t you feel anything at that time?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t emotionally understand the feelings of a newborn baby or the joy of a couple with a child.¡±

    It may not be possible for this girl, who was created merely as a ughter machine, to properly grasp the phenomenon of birth ¨Cwhich is the opposite of that¨C like a human would.

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t feel bad.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Recently, I¡¯ve been having this thought... That if Sariel were to live as a normal girl in the future, she may be able to understand her own feelings a little... But maybe that thought is too naive of me.

    Did I start wishing for Sariel to be happy? Have I really fallen so low?

    The disgust I feel at the bottom of my heart for being struck by these emotions never stops. So even now, my rtionship with Sariel remains ambiguous.

 Chapter 497

    <h4>Chapter 497</h4>

    The ck Demon King 497

    Chapter 25: Days of Lies

    Passionate Night at the Valentinus Festival (2-1)

    Though I can¡¯t speak, I can¡¯t help but get the urge to cry ¡°H-H-How did this happen?¡±.

    There are two reasons for that.

    ¡°Looks like Urs is okay. But she also seems to be in a deep sleep, so let¡¯s let her sleep until the morning.¡±

    No way! Ur, who was supposed to y the leading part in tonight¡¯s n, had a single sip of alcohol and fell asleep...

    The reason why Ur drank alcohol in the first ce, she said, was to ¡°fire herself up¡±, and that ¡°It¡¯s a festival after all¡±.

    At any rate, with that as an excuse, Urs had a ss of wine with me, who was originally supposed to just pretend to be drunk.

    And there was no one stopping us from doing anything like that, despite so many people being around. But they were acting irresponsibly, yelling things like ¡°chug, chug!¡± and ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s a festival after all!¡±.

    Before I realized, we were surrounded by drunkards.

    Still, I figured a single ss wouldn¡¯t hurt... Until the moment Urs brought the ss to her mouth.

    ¡°Phew, hah... waah...¡±

    After some gibberish escaped her mouth, Ur set off for thend of dreams.

    Then I hurried to get Priest Kuroe, and Ur was quickly taken to the church so she could rest. In other words, the n had failed. It was a huge blunder.

    What should I do nooow!? Tell me, Ur!!

    As those words welled up inside my chest, unable to decide what to do next, Priest Kuroe suddenly started saying something.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left Yuuri in Urs¡¯s care, so if anything happens, she¡¯ll let me know right away. So you can go have fun at the festival without having to worry about her. But... With Urs sleeping, are you going by yourself? Want to go with me?¡±

    Wait, does that mean... He¡¯s asking me out!?

    I lost my partner Urs thanks to that disastrous ident, and Priest Kuroe¡¯s partner, Sister Yuuri, was also left behind. So we were a man and a woman both left without a partner to go enjoy the festival with.

    There¡¯s no need to guess... He¡¯s actually asking me out.

    ¡°E-Ehh, Eeeehh...¡±

    It was too sudden, too unexpected, and nothing but ¡°eeeeh¡± coulde out of my mouth for a while. I could see a devilish smile on Priest Kuroe¡¯s face as he kept speaking.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for this festival, after all. Come on, it¡¯ll be my treat. You can eat as much as you want. Let¡¯s keep it a secret from Urs.¡±

    This is the second reason why I¡¯m wondering how things turned out this way. The situation is the exact opposite of Urs¡¯s n. Our roles had reversed.

    So I should turn his invitation down. Even after havinge so far. Because I can¡¯t do something like that to Ur¨C

    ¡°YES!¡±

    But in reality, I couldn¡¯t refuse Priest Kuroe¡¯s invitation.

    If you ask me why, I wouldn¡¯t know how to answer.

    I even feel a bit guilty, as if I¡¯ve somehow betrayed Ur.

    Even so, I didn¡¯t understand why the idea of enjoying the festival with Priest Kuroe made me feel like we were going to have so much fun, nor why it made me so happy.

    We ended up having arge whole-roasted boar as our main dish, dancing around the bonfire, and even drinking a little bit of alcohol with him... But what I enjoyed the most was having the chance to talk with Priest Kuroe for the first time in a while, and seeing his face as heughed made me so happy I felt like I was out of this world.

    ¡°¨CWhat¡¯s the matter, Reki? You seem to be in a daze, are you getting sleepy?¡±

    ¡°N-No! Reki isn¡¯t sleepy at all!¡±

    I had been carelessly watching Priest Kuroe¡¯s face with fascination, and his voice snapped me back to reality.

    Though I¡¯m quite used to seeing his rugged expression, tonight I find myself unable to take my eyes off him.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±

    The blue eyes behind the thin lenses of his sses had narrowed. Though others may see this expression on his face and think they¡¯re being red at, I already know this is actually one of his ¡°smiling¡± faces.

    Back when we all started living together, I quickly noticed just how many facial expressions Priest Kuroe has.

    Can Sister Yuuri, who seems to have no semnce of human emotions, really understand the facial expressions of Priest Kuroe, who¡¯s supposed to be her lover? What about Ur, who had so boldly stated that he ¡°likes¡± Priest Kuroe?

    Maybe only I¡¯m aware of it. Maybe only I can see his smile for what it is.

    And, for some reason, that thought makes a thrilling sensation spring up from the depths of my chest. It¡¯s like when I¡¯m too hyped about something at night and can¡¯t get myself to sleep... No, it¡¯s even worse than that.

    ¡°But we¡¯ll have to go to bed soon, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Eeeeh!? But Reki wants to keep having a good time with Priest Kuroe!!¡±

    I want to be with Priest Kuroe a bit longer.

    ¡°We can¡¯t take another day off tomorrow. Though... Hmm... Well, let¡¯s go somewhere a bit quieter than out here so we can take a short break. If we stay in this noisy ce for much longer, we won¡¯t be able to get any sleepter.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, well, that¡¯ll have to do, huh?¡±

    As I said that, I realized I was casually holding Priest Kuroe¡¯s hand while walking out of the central square ¨Cwhich was still filled with songs, music, and the wildugher of the drunkards¨C and toward the outskirts of the vige.

    Wait, are we going to be like, really, really alone there?

    As the noisy voices became more and more distant, we gradually entered a world where it¡¯s just Priest Kuroe and me. Though the fact that we were close enough to reach out and touch each other hadn¡¯t changed, the atmosphere itself still changed drastically simply because there were no other people around.

    ¡°Just like I thought, this ce is pretty quiet.¡±

    As we reached the fence that surrounds the entire vige, the noise of the central square sounded as if it was really far away. Both Priest Kuroe and I have good ears, so we could still hear it if we focused, but it was otherwise pretty easy to ignore it.

    The only light we havees from amp Priest Kuroe borrowed from one of the tables in the square. Outside of the light it cast around us, there¡¯s nothing but the unending darkness of the night.

    Rather than it being just the two of us out here, it feels as if we were the only two people left in this world.

    As I became conscious of that fact, my heart suddenly started beating faster. I feel so restless that I can¡¯t keep myself still. And I just know my face is giving me away, and the thought of Priest Kuroe finding out about my feelings for him makes me wanna crawl into a hole and hide... My heart is about to explode and my head is all over the ce!

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Reki? You look a bit shaky. Are you okay?¡±

    But even so, now, right now, might be my best chance to say this.

    I have to make the best of this momentum, of these emotions swirling inside me and the unreasonable selfishness inside my chest, to say the things I would otherwise never dare say.

    ¡°P-Priest Kuroe... R-Reki has a favor to ask...¡±

    As we left the central square and approached the fence at the vige¡¯s edge, everything wentpletely quiet. It was as if all the passionate tter of the festival had been a lie all along.

    Leaning our backs against the fence and looking up at the sky, we can see a perfect starry sky. The night sky filled with starlight ¨Cwhich you can¡¯t see in the streets of modern Japan¨C looks so beautiful tonight, even though I should already be used to it by now.

    We were under a magnificent and fantastic starry sky in a different world, and yet Reki seemed to be very restless for some reason.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Reki? You look a bit shaky. Are you okay?¡±

    Did I overdo it? Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have let her drink alcohol... Reki didn¡¯t copse like Urs, and though it seems alcohol didn¡¯t affect her as much at first, maybe it¡¯s starting to get to her now.

    ¡°P-Priest Kuroe... R-Reki has a favor to ask...¡±

    Reki suddenly said that and her white cheeks turned as red as tomatoes. The contrast was so intense that I could clearly tell them apart from the white of her eyes also turning slightly reddish as tears began to form there. Yeah, she must bepletely drunk.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Reki would like it if Priest Kuroe could take her with him when he leaves.¡±

    At first, I didn¡¯t reply. It doesn¡¯t matter if the wordsing out of her mouth were a joke fired up by alcohol, or a selfish child¡¯s plea, either way I didn¡¯t want to cut her off right away.

    After all, parting ways is painful. For her, and for me as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reki. I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why!? Ur is much stronger now! Neither of us is going to be a nuisance to you!

    Before, at the bar, Ryan said ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with him?¡± And at that time, Reki refused, saying that she couldn¡¯t. Because of Urs.

    Now, Urs has be quite a powerful sorceress. As she¡¯s gradually mastering Origin Magic, I became aware of the possibility of her wanting toe with us on our dangerous journey.

    But the journey ahead being dangerous isn¡¯t the reason why I can¡¯t take them with me.

    ¡°Please¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been lying to you all.¡±

    Reki must have realized that she was being a bit absurd. But even then, hearing me say that threw her offpletely, as if she had been suspicious of me all along and my words finally convinced her.

    That¡¯s why I have to throw all my lies away and tell her the whole truth.

    ¡°Reki knows! Priest Kuroe isn¡¯t really a priest... He is a demon, right?¡±

    I thought she would¡¯ve already realized that I wasn¡¯t a real priest, but to be honest, I wasn¡¯t expecting her to have figured that much out.

    ¡°Would you still want to be around me if I actually turned out to be a demon?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Priest Kuroe is still going to be Priest Kuroe, no matter what he is!¡±

    No matter what he is... Her words made me happy, but at the same time, they made my chest hurt.

    ¡°Reki, do you remember the first time we met?¡±

    I deliberately take off my ¡°Coloring Eyes¡±, and my eyes go back to their original ck and red color.

    Reki stared into my eyes, and replied with decisiveness.

    ¡°Reki remembers! Reki will never forget how Priest Kuroe saved Reki on that day!¡±

    ¡°No, I killed those men because I wanted to kill them. I was driven by rage... That day, when I saw you and Urs being chased by them, I thought I¡¯d help you... But in the end, helping you came in second.¡±

    Back then, seeing those Crusaders raiding the ce that had once been Ils Vige once again made me so angry I nearly lost myself there. Had this been a different ce, I probably would¡¯ve abandoned it to its fate, since I really didn¡¯t want to risk being found out by the Crusaders. I remember thinking that if it had been just the Sinirians having some sort of inner riot, they were better off killing each other.

    So even though I saw Reki and Urs being attacked, there had been a high chance that I would¡¯ve done nothing to help them in the first ce.

    I would be a hypocrite if I were to say that I had saved their lives. Their lives were certainly saved, but it had been nothing but a mere consequence of me wanting to kill their pursuers.

 Chapter 498

    <h4>Chapter 498</h4>

    The ck Demon King 497

    Chapter 25: Days of Lies

    Passionate Night at the Valentinus Festival (2-2)

    ¡°You see, Reki, that¡¯s the real me. A priest is supposed to help and guide people, but I¡¯m theplete opposite of that. I¡¯m a berserker who kills his enemies without hesitation. The moment I step out of this vige, I¡¯ll go back to fighting.¡±

    ¡°Then Reki will fight too! She¡¯ll fight together with Priest Kuroe! Please, Priest Kuroe, Reki will be stronger...!!¡±

    ¡°Children don¡¯t belong in the battlefield.¡±

    I can¡¯t get them involved in my fight. That¡¯s probably a better way to put it. It¡¯s the same as when I turned away Erina¡¯s confession.

    Just like when those goblins attacked, both Reki and Urs need to be able to fight to protect themselves. There¡¯s nothing wrong in bing strong for that purpose.

    But I¡¯m sure my next battle will be just around the corner the moment I leave this vige. The eagerness of going off to battle to destroy an enemy is something I definitely do not want these girls to pick up from me. I can¡¯t let Reki follow a path that can get her killed, like that young boy, Elio.

    ¡°This is a nice vige, Reki. It¡¯s a good ce for you and your sister to live in.¡±

    If things were different and this vige were under attack, I would have taken them with me out to battle out of irresponsible sympathy without really thinking about it too much, but that¡¯s not the situation we¡¯re in.

    They could live as nuns in this 202nd colony, and even if the next local priest ends up sending them away somewhere else, they¡¯ll have the strength to fend for themselves virtually anywhere. As long as they don¡¯t get involved in the war, I believe they should be okay.

    ¡°So please, Reki. Forget about me and try to enjoy a peaceful life here.¡±

    Then it dawned on me.

    Their peace could end up being destroyed by none other than me.

    The Crusaders lost the Ghad War. If Spada moves to release Daedalus as their next move, I will definitely participate in that battle. In other words, I could end up attacking this very colony in the future.

    So I wasn¡¯t just being irresponsible. I felt ridiculously hypocritical for the words that wereing out of my mouth.

    And yet, just as I pray for these girls to live in peace, my hatred for the Crusaders is nowhere remotely near disappearing. Even after living in a vige of Sinirians for some time, I knew that the ckened emotions that swirled deep inside my heart hadn¡¯t diminished in the slightest.

    I can¡¯t stop fighting. Not yet.

    ¡°U-Uhhh... b-but... but... Reki is...¡±

    Reki¡¯s reddened eyes finally give up, and big tears appear out of them. Just as her glowing droplets of sorrow were about to fall upon her cheeks, I heard a sound.

    It was the rattling sound of bushes being shaken.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    No words were returned. As a matter of fact, I couldn¡¯t feel any presence around us..

    My eyes darted to the source of the noise, the garden inside a private property. The rattling hade from a hedge of nts that remains lush with green leaves even in the cold winter.

    The rattling goes on. It wasn¡¯t just my imagination, then.

    Rather than someone, could it be more precise to say that there¡¯s something there¡¯

    Just a few days ago, we were attacked by goblins, and before that there were man-eating Armored Bears rampaging right outside of this vige. All sorts of new monsters have been recently attacking this area.

    And what kind of monster will appear in the forest where the environment has changedpletely now that both Lily and the Fountain of Light have disappeared from it? I had no way to know.

    For all I know, a monster that specializes in hiding its presence could be lurking around us, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce...

    ¡°Reki, stick close to me.¡±

    I forcibly embraced the teary-eyed Reki, who was already sitting right next to me.

    ¡°Waaaaaaahhhhh! P-Priest Kuronooooo!?¡±

    Reki doesn¡¯t have any weapons on her. I can¡¯t let her fight barehanded.

    For the time being, I should be able to deal with most monsters with ck Magic alone, and even if our stalker ended up being a Rank 4 monster, I should be able to hold him off long enough until we can get our hands on some weapons.

    So I held her body tightly close to me with my left arm so that I could run while carrying her at a moment¡¯s notice, while raising my right hand in preparation for a Full Burst.

    One after another, ck bullets begin to form around my arm as if they were boiling up, and a sharp warhead is aimed at the source of the sound, which is still going on.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, a moment of silence. A sharp sense of tension surrounds us like a thick mist, instantly dispelling the sadness that had been making way into our peaceful moment.

    Then the silence was broken.

    As if it had finally made up its mind, the mysterious being hidden in the bush makes a loud noise as ites out of the bush.

    ¡°Bullet Arts ¨C Full Bu...¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    The mysterious being finally came out, letting out a sullen cry. It was a cat. A run-of-the-mill,pletely normal cat.

    And not just any cat. I¡¯ve seen this little guy before.

    ¡°Huh? You... Are you...? No way...¡±

    This cat is really plump. It¡¯s too round for a stray cat, and had a brazen attitude, as if he wasn¡¯t ashamed in the slightest for being like that.

    He was without a doubt the chubby cat that once lived in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, back when this ce was still Ils Vige. I clearly remember seeing Lily running to y and talk with him.

    I see... so this little guy is still alive!.

    ¡°P-Pffff, kuh... hahahahahaha!¡±

    I can¡¯t stopughing. Why did I let myself be so tense? After all, I didn¡¯t feel any presence, so whatever was in that bush had no hostility towards me, or at least not hostile enough for me to notice it in the first ce.

    And I thought this chubby cat was some powerful monster that specialized in hiding its presence. I almost shot him, too..

    ¡°Buh, ahahahaha! What an ugly cat!¡±

    Reki points at the cat and begins tough as well. It was a hearty burst ofughter; after all, it all had felt like someedy sketch. We were getting ourselves ready to fight, and suddenly our enemy turned out to be nothing but a peaceful chubby cat.

    Then, Reki and Iughed like idiots. The chubby cat looked at us with his deeply condescending eyes, and then walked away into the darkness the moment it lost interest in us. Despite its plump physique, he walked away gracefully.

    ¡°...Hey, Priest Kuroe. Let¡¯s go back home.¡±

    My left arm is no longer wrapped around her body, but Reki¡¯s still clinging tightly to my chest, and her words had a strange hint of satisfaction.

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    Thank you, chubby cat. I feel I¡¯ll be able to sleep quite pleasantly tonight thanks to you.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe... Reki has another favor...¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together!¡±

    The tremendous cuteness of her request caused my mouth to break into a smile without asking my brain for permission first.

    At any rate, even if she hadn¡¯t asked me that question, the bed that Reki always uses was already full since Urs was sharing it with Sariel tonight, so Reki and I would¡¯ve ended up using my bed either way.

    Still, it seems that I won¡¯t have to worry about having to sleep on the floor tonight, since Reki herself asked me to sleep with her. I¡¯m truly thankful for that.

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    As I said that, I stroked Reki¡¯s hair as if she were a cute puppy, and a dazzling smile appeared on her face.

    It looks like I may even have a nice dream tonight and all.

    ¡°W-Whoa... Ah... Now what...?¡±

    The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes in the morning was Priest Kuroe¡¯s sleeping face right in front of my own.

    I¡¯m in my nightclothes, Priest Kuroe is in his nightclothes too, and we had slept in the same bed. Judging from our posture from what little the nkets showed, I¡¯d fallen asleep while in close contact with his body, as if I had been hugging him all the time. And it also seems I¡¯ve been using his strong arm as a pillow.

    ¡°P-Priest Kuroe and I... did n-naughty things...¡±

    I¡¯ve gone and did something unthinkable. Too unthinkable for me to able to even properly recognize the implications and consequences of what I¡¯ve done.

    A sudden urge to jump out of this bed and run around screaming rises to my head, but my heart wants me to stay in this fascinatingly warm space, and I find myself unable to say no to that. My body doesn¡¯t even twitch in the slightest. I don¡¯t want to get out of this bed. I just want to stay here, hugging Priest Kuroe for a little while longer.

    ¡°Mmm... Uh...¡±

    My focus shifts to Priest Kuroe¡¯s face. It¡¯s my first time seeing such a peaceful expression on his sleeping face. There¡¯s a defenseless cuteness to his breathing, but at the same time, he feels like a dragon sleeping in the depths of his cave as it protects its treasure. In fact, I¡¯m sure that if a goblin were to attack the vige at this very moment, Priest Kuroe would spring to his feet and immediately run to fight it off.

    But there are no ¡°ifs¡± here. Though there are no monsters attacking right now, we¡¯re still in an emergency.

    For some reason, Ur¡¯s plot to ¡°tie Priest Kuroe up¡± ended up being carried out, but with our roles reversed.

    I rememberst night very well. Though I did drink some alcohol, my memories are perfectly intact. So I certainly remember that I went to bed with Priest Kuroe of my own ord.

    From the moment Priest Kuroe agreed to my invitation to sleep together, my chest was pounding noisily, and my head was sent floating lightly over the clouds.

    The moment we got in bed, I couldn¡¯t control myself any longer and hugged Priest Kuroe tightly. And he kindly hugged me back.

    I had never felt this happy before, and in the dreamy state of my mind I could almost swear I told him ¡°Kiss me¡±.

    Butst night, the dream was real. Priest Kuroe really did kiss me. He gently ced his lips on my right cheek.

    ¡°Aaaahhh...¡±

    What is this? What is this feeling of embarrassment that makes me want to hide my head behind my arms now that morning hase?

    But no matter how worried I am, there¡¯s no going back from what I¡¯ve done!

    Because what we didst night was exactly like the ¡°naughty things¡± that Ur described.

    We went to bed together, we hugged, and then he kissed me. And before I realized, it¡¯s morning already. Everything had been exactly as Ur said.

    ¡°Now Priest Kuroe has to marry Reki, doesn¡¯t he...¡±

    That¡¯s right... Now that we¡¯ve done naughty things, Priest Kuroe is supposed to take responsibility and marry me.

    Sister Yuuri and I will be married to Priest Kuroe, leaving Ur behind.

    ¡°Ha, ahaha... hah... hah...¡±

    That¡¯ll do, too. After we¡¯re married, no matter what happens next, everything will be alright.

    As if a fire ignited in the depths of my fire, it started beating faster all over again, and I start to move. I squirm around and slip out of Priest Kuroe¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe...¡±

    He hasn¡¯t awoken yet. I slowly approach his soundly asleep face. Real close.

    My shivering lips approached his own, which were pursed gantly. They¡¯re so close I can almost feel them with my own... and then...

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Reki?¡±

    The door had been thrown open. And I heard a voice.

    Someone had appeared, and I didn¡¯t need to wonder who it was.

    ¡°Mmm¨C U-Ur!?¡±

    My face was raised as if it had been pped from below, and my eyes met the familiar figure of my sister standing by the room¡¯s entrance. But her face was something I had never seen before. It was twisted with hatred and ready to put a deadly curse on someone. And then she said:

    ¡°...Traitor.¡±

 Chapter 499

    <h4>Chapter 499</h4>

    The ck Demon King 499

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    The Man-Eating Mountain ¨C Part 1

    ¡°Huh? Really, Nino? You didn¡¯t know about the legend of the Man-Eating Mountain!?¡±

    The expression on themia girl¡¯s irritated face was a perfect mixture of surprise and mockery, as if she was thinking ¡°Wow, this kitty cat sure is a slow one¡±.

    Her loosely wavy lc hair, and her snake-like eyes ¨Cwhich shone with the light of an unyielding spirit¨C were no different from that of the many girls like her that could be found in the viges of Daedalus, where many different races coexisted. However, a bronze-shining te was hanging from her slender neck, showing her identity as her adventurer.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t. Is that legend really that well-known?¡±

    The young cat-man called Nino replied with an unpleasant look on his face. A bronze te shines on his chest as well, just like themia girl.

    They were members of the rank 2 Adventurer Party ¡°Ils ders¡± based in the neighboring Ils Vige.

    The young cat-man swordfigther Nino was the leader, and themia ice mage Aten was the sole woman of this party. Though they were not present at the moment, the party had two other members ¨Cthe lizardman warrior Craydle and the harpy archer Harry.

    Adventurer parties that were based in their home vige would normally not only operate just there, but also in some of the nearby viges. If a group of goblins is found near a neighboring vige, they would provide support in hunting them down, and if an outbreak of medicinal herbs is found, they would help collect them as well.

    As usual, the request they had received this time was to join a neighboring vige¡¯s vignte team to form a response group to the recent sightings of a considerable number of wolf-shaped monsters named ¡°Windles¡± in the vicinity. Although it is a rtively serious matter for the vige ¨Csince there was a concern that their livestock could be in danger¨C, it could be said that it was a rtively recurrent event,monly happening several times a year.

    Those weren¡¯t the kind of quests an adventurer¡¯s party that has just be Rank 2 should worry too much about. They already were strong enough to simply take the time to enjoy a cup of tea and a friendly chat between members in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.

    ¡°Everyone in this vige knows about it! Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll have to tell you. I heard this from a friend of a friend of mine.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, it already sounds pretty unreliable.¡±

    Aten began to narrate the rumor while ring at Nino, who was pouring in a moderate amount of tea in his cup.

    ¡°If you get out of the east gate here, you¡¯ll see a small round mountain, right?¡±

    ¡°The one on the other side of Ghad?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s it! That¡¯s the rumored Man-Eating Mountain.¡±

    Both Nino and Aten were thinking of exactly the same mountainndscape.

    Its size made it more appropriate to call it a hill, and the reason it stands out is because it¡¯s quite isted in the ins, but it has no other characteristics aside from that. So naturally there should be nothing wrong with it, like the myriad other mountains out there...

    ¡°Did you know that a lot of vigers went missing on that mountain?¡±

    ¡°Huh? So they must have been attacked by some kind of monster, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, but dat¡¯s where yer wrong!

    ¡°What¡¯s with that ent?¡±

    ¡°That mountain has fewer monsters than the others. It¡¯s even safer than entering the Fairy Garden, so even average vigers usually go there to pick edible wild nts and mushrooms.¡±

    ¡°...Hmm¡±

    Nino¡¯s reply was cut short there, but he still kept thinking about it.

    He remembered one of his friends in this vige once shared a good amount of mushrooms from a request while boasting about having found a secret gathering spot.

    This friend was neither an adventurer nor a strong vignte, much less a hunter with a lot of knowledge about mountain wildlife. He was just a boy, but his mushrooms proved that he had still obtained that much harvest outside the vige.

    ¡°Well, that mountain certainly isn¡¯t steep enough for a lot of idents to happen there.¡±

    It was at most 100 meters tall, with a rtively gentle slope, and it didn¡¯t have steep cliffs or anything dangerous like that. More than climbing it, one would hike their way to the top of this quiet mountain.

    ¡°And yet, there¡¯s an amazing missing people rate of 5 per year!

    ¡°That¡¯s not a very average number, is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a little strange because for 5 people to go missing in that poor excuse for a mountain per year. No one has even found their corpses yet, and that¡¯s pretty strange, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Well, though there may be only a few, there has to be some monsters up there. All it takes is a few Dagger Raptors to leave no trace of any missing person behind.¡±

    Besides, if everyone realized how much of an unusual situation that was as Aten described it, that mountain would have been already made off-limits, or an investigation quest would have been issued in the Headquarters of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild back in the capital of Daedalus.

    The fact that it was all hearsay and no one had done anything about it yet was good reason to think that the mountain in question was actually safe and the missing people were victims of bad luck.

    ¡°But there¡¯s that too!¡±

    ¡°That?¡±

    ¡°The old legend passed down in this vige!¡±

    ¡°Oh boy, this just gets harder and harder to believe...¡±

    Nino¡¯s cat ears flopped down to evidence that he had no intention to hear any more of this, but Aten went on regardless.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that when that mountain disappears with the fog, you have to run away, for everything will be eaten!¡±

    ¡°What...? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s gonna be something like a massive swarm of locustsing down from that mountain...¡±

    ¡°Whoa, c¡¯mon, Nino! Did you fall on your head or something? I¡¯m a bit too surprised to see that you can jump to that conclusion with a straight face. Though I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too impressed...¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid or something!?¡±

    Nino¡¯s protest came along with a threatening hiss, a soundmonly made by cats and cat-people when angered. However, Aten was already quite used to such a reaction ¨Crather, she was actually expecting it¨C and simplyughed mischievously.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a swordsman. Swordsmen don¡¯t tend to have much to worry about, am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°I do have a few things to worry about... Well, right now, I actually have a single huge worry...¡±

    ¡°You mean that Kurono guy who has recently showed up in our vige, right? Nyareko seems to be very interested in him.¡±

    ¡°W-What did you say just meow!?¡±

    Did any member of the party not know this already? Aten had said that just to tease Nino.

    ¡°Well, certainly our beloved Nyareko seems to have fallen head over heels for that man, but it was my first time actually seeing her so absorbed.¡±

    Nyareko was a cat-girl about the same age as Nino, and he came to develop Nino had secretly fallen for Nyareko, a cat-girl about the same age as him whom he had grown up with in Ils Vige. In such a small vige, everyone of the same age knows each other and are friends with one another. Therefore, everyone knew about Nyareko¡¯s love interest.

    At least, as far as Aten could see, Nyareko seemed to like this Kurono guy a lot. She knew her tastes, and being a woman like he as well, she felt her intuition to be 100% on the right track.

    ¡°D-Damn it... that guy... I can¡¯t stand this anymore!¡±

    Burning with jealousy, Nino mmed his padded fist against the table as his words fiercely came out of his mouth.

    ¡°Once this quest is over, I¡¯m gonna give that Kurono guy a piece of my mind!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m kinda interested in that guy as well, I was thinking of asking him to carry my luggage when I see him...¡±

    On that day, at that time, they forgot about the legend of the Man-Eating Mountain like that.

    Would they really remember this legend if they were to visit the vige now, one yearter, on the 20th of the Ice Crystal Month?

    For on that day, just as the legend says, the so-called Man-Eating Mountain had suddenly disappeared along with a white fog.

 Chapter 500.1

    <h4>Chapter 500.1</h4>

    The ck Demon King 500

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Kuroe, the ck Knight

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been putting on armor much until now, but now that I¡¯m wearing this, I find that I can move rather well with it.¡±

    As we headed for the 203rd Colony, I found myself telling this to Sariel, who I was carrying on my back as usual, without actually knowing why.

    ¡°This is the regr piece of equipment for Armor Knights, so I believe its durability, maneuverability, wearability, and magical enchantment effects have been designed to exceed certain levels.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s Elite-level equipment after all, huh?¡±

    The armor I was wearing was aplete set of the standard Armor Knights¡¯ full te armor, which was probably quite expensive. I was walking down the road where the snow has begun to melt in some ces.

    We had already walked more than halfway there, and in fact, we would be arriving at our destination shortly. The full te armor didn¡¯t feel as clunky as I had expected it to be, sure enough, it didn¡¯t feel as light as wearing just clothes, but it was lighter than its rugged appearance made it look like.

    With my strength, it really didn¡¯t matter if the armor¡¯s weight actually matched that of the steel it was made of, but still it felt hard to believe it was so easy to move about and breathe with this thing on.

    It allowed for smooth movement of my limbs, and the steel covering my toes felt like a perfect fit even after walking for a while. Moreover, despite wearing a helmet thatpletely covers my head, it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s suffocating me at all. It does restrict my field of vision a bit, but it¡¯s still not that bad. Well, it was made forbat after all, so it was designed to ensure as much visibility as possible.

    In addition to the long halberd on my right hand and a heavy tower shield on my left hand, which were the standard issue for Armor Knights, I had a longsword on each side of my waist, and two more crossed behind my back for a total of four, and a spare halberd was also resting upright on my back, as if one could raise a g on it.

    However, the most distinctive feature of my gear was not the fact that I seemed to be overloaded with numerous weapons, but that my entire gear, weapons and all, werepletely dyed in ck.

    Of course, this is the result of my ckening. For the Crusaders, the divine silver metallic look was probably the best, but now it¡¯s more about performance than looks.

    I had a rosary hanging from my neck as well, but since it had also been dyed ck, it now looked like a poor excuse of a crucifix, hardly befitting a believer of the Cross Church.

    At any rate, the reason for me to be wearing such heavy equipment was to hide my face, rather than defending my body. Of course, I thought it to be a pretty unreasonable way to hide it, but there was really no other way to cover my face, so it would have to do.

    If I were to be asked to show my face, all I had to do was to open the helmet¡¯s face guard, revealing nothing but my face and my eyes ¨Cwhose real color was already concealed by the Coloring Eyes I was wearing. The idea was to avoid revealing my ck hair as much as possible.

    In addition, Sariel was also covering her face.

    Originally, religious habits used to have these white veil-like hoods called ¡°wimples¡±, which would cover a nun¡¯s hair and neck. Having Sariel wear one that was slightlyrger than her size would make it cover most of her face.

    Incidentally, this time I had given Sariel a weapon, just for caution¡¯s sake.

    She now had a rapier hanging from the right side of her waist. It was an elegant-looking weapon, made with pure Mithril silver and adorned with arge emerald. It wasn¡¯t visible now that it was resting in its scabbard, but the de had been enchanted with Wind magic, making it a first-ss weapon in appearance and performance alike.

    This rapier was actually the one Mashram was using when he attacked Reki. It was definitely the best loot I got from that battle. However, a rapier is not a verypatible weapon for me, since I¡¯m more used to dealing with swords that can deal massive amounts of damage, and not so much with finesse-oriented weapons. Besides it would be a bit conspicuous for someone who looked like a mere Crusader soldier to be wielding such a refined weapon.

    For that reason, I had it stashed in the church all this time, but it was finally time to make that rapier useful by giving it to Sariel so that she could have at least the bare minimum equipment.

    Even after having lost most of her limbs, Sariel still retained most of her tremendous fighting ability, as evidenced by the fact that she killed a huge armored bear with nothing but her unarmed single hand. Since she had lost both of her legs, she couldn¡¯t move freely, but if the Gluttony Octos were toe at her, the rapier alone would allow her to be thest bastion to protect the vigers if things were to go south.

    However, if ites to a point where we are swarmed by the enemy and Sariel were to be the only one remaining to defend the vigers, then our defeat would be almost certain, so it made no sense to rely on it from the beginning.

    ¡°Oh, there it is.¡±

    After passing through a corner, a gray stone wall appeared in my line of sight.

    It may have been a supply base now, but it was no different from the Qual Vige I remembered. The Crusaders must have invested most of their resources in the construction of the Alsace Fortress and did not put much effort into the defense in this ce. Well, it was just a ce that was on the way to Alsace Fortress, after all.

    The vigers who were walking at the front were relieved to have finally reached our destination.

    Randolph, the head vige head, was in charge of exining the circumstances to the Crusaders. I was at the end of our caravan, like some kind of rear guard. For the time being, it was up to Randolph¡¯s bargaining and acting skills to decide whether or not we would be granted refuge there, so all I had to do was to get ready for the enemy¡¯s invasion.

    Looking back, all I could see was the quiet scenery of the road stretching under the blue sky. There was no white fog, and no disturbing shadows lurking around. And my left eye wasn¡¯t giving off any reaction yet.

    ¡°I wish this was all we had to do to avoid this crisis...¡±

    Shortly thereafter, and thanks to Randolph¡¯s ability to negotiate, all of the vigers ¨Ceven me, despite my suspicious-looking ck set of armor¨C were allowed to stay in the 203rd colony.

    Although it was supposed to be a supply base, the truth was that it was still a vige with arge warehouse on one of its corners. In the first ce, the only thing that would ever attack this ce would be wild monsters. The Spada army had no way to bypass the Alsace Fortress in order tounch an attack here, and the most worrisome remnants of the Daedalus army were said to have been nearlypletely wiped out before the Ghad war.

    Though it was publicly regarded as one of Sariel¡¯s achievements, the former Seventh Apostle told me that all she did was to annihte any rebels that would sporadically get in their way, and that she wasn¡¯t trying to engage her enemy¡¯s main unit or anything of the sort.

    Apparently, the true goal of the rebels was to rescue the royal family who had been held prisoners in the White Sacrament¡¯s 4th Research Institute, built at the ruins of Media, but unfortunately, it seemed that their n hadn¡¯t gone so well. Though the ce wasn¡¯t particrly well guarded, the fact that the Eighth Apostle Ai was among the adventurers hired for the location¡¯s defense proved to be the rebel¡¯s downfall, despite their attack having been on the scale of a thousand men strong.

    Even a couple thousand rebels wouldn¡¯t have been much of a problem for someone like her. Not only was she outrageously good, but she was an Apostle to boot.

    Anyway, since this supply base had no fear of anyone trying to attack it, its only means of defense were the same old stone walls it had back when it used to be Qual Vige, and it was said to have been enough for this ce to remain safe to this day.

    This ce also doubled as a colony, taking advantage of its fertile soil to produce food.

    It seemed that half of the people that had left their homnd of Sinir were now upying colonies, much like Randolph and the others, while the other half ¨Cmost of them family members of the Crusader soldiers¨C was working at Crusader supply bases just like this one, as well as Alsace Fortress..

    Due to the fact that it had a stone wall to defend itself, as well as the secondary role of a supply base, it seemed to be much more important than the 202nd colony I¡¯ve been living in thus far. Taking a good look at its buildings, I noticed some of them near its central square were 4 stories high. There also were some decent-looking inns that had nothing to envy the Adventurers Guild, and a good number of shops on its main street.

    I had visited the ce once known as Qual Vige only a handful of times, but it now seemed more developed than the vige I remembered. The Crusaders¡¯ ability to rebuild this ce even after most of its buildings had been reduced to ashes in that scorched earth operation was astonishing.

    Its church was much bigger than the one we had in the 202nd Colony, about twice asrge. Had we had a church this big back there, Reki and Urs could¡¯ve each had a room of their own instead of having to share the same room, and Sariel and I wouldn¡¯t have had to sleep together all this time. It almost made me want toin to the Crusaders General Commander to have him improve the conditions for the ce we had called home these past few months.

    As I had those trivially envious thoughts, I realized that I had bepletely used to living in the church.

    At any rate, the colony¡¯s buildings themselves weren¡¯t the things I had to concern myself about at the time.

    ¡°How many soldiers are here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s apany of about 100 regr soldiers. Then a toon of about a dozen Armor Knights. A handful of Pegasus Knights for emergencies. They¡¯re all supposed to be rear units so none of them could be considered elite. We have just the minimum defense here.¡±

    When I quietly asked someone that, I got a very detailed reply.

    If they were my opponents, I believed I was strong enough to win a battle against them all by myself. Since some of them could potentially escape, it would still be very unlikely that I would be able to bring them all to the ground, though.

    But it wasn¡¯t a big force.

    At first, I thought I would be able to find some relief in the fact that there would be forces here I could rely on in case of an emergency, but now I was just disappointed that these would be the allies I¡¯ll get when the time to meet the approaching Gluttony Octos finally came.

    I had never imagined that I would find myself fighting alongside the Crusaders, but there was no other way. I had to use whatever resources I had at my disposal, and they had a military obligation to protect their own people. I could only hope that their best efforts would be good enough.

    At the very least, I hoped that they would be able to protect our vigers, as we were part of this 203rd Colony for the time being.

    The evacuation itself had been very taxing for all the vigers, especially the small children. Their legs would go on for only so long, and trying to overdo it could have jeopardized our evacuation.

    Considering how far we¡¯ve walked, we should reach the next vige on our path in a single day. By simple calction, it would take us a total of four days to reach the Alsace Fortress.

    After being upied by the Crusaders, each of these viges had been turned into colonies and assigned a number. Here in Daedalus, the former viges of Ills, Qual, Hezit, Watt, and Alsace, were lined up along the same road in that order towards the east. We have spent the whole day traveling between Ills and Qual, so we would be arriving in Alsace on the night of the 23rd of Ice Crystal Month.

    The reason why I could think about such things even though I had basically entered a Crusader¡¯s supply base ¨Cwhich was the same as having infiltrated an enemy base¨C, no one really paid much attention to me.

    For the time being, they were content with believing that I was a priest who also acted as a knight to help evacuate the vigers on behalf of the deceased former priest.

    Though right after entering the base, I could feel the eyes staring at me, probably because I was wandering amidst the local vigers, trying to position myself so that I wouldn¡¯te into contact with the Crusade soldiers on guard duty. But even then, no one said anything like ¡°Hey, you, the suspicious ck knight there, stop for a moment¡±. Perhaps Randolph was able to provide a good exnation. Either that, or perhaps the Crusaders had no time to spare interrogating a slightly conspicuous ck knight,

    After all, they had beenpletely defeated by the Spada Army, and now they were up against arge army of monsters. I guess the Crusaders would feel like this would be like adding insult to injury. And even though I wanted to find pleasure in the Crusaders¡¯ misfortune, I couldn¡¯t. We were all stuck together in the uing battle.

 Chapter 500.2

    <h4>Chapter 500.2</h4>

    The ck Demon King 500

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Kuroe, the ck Knight ¨C Part 2

    ¡°...Hey, Priest, you up already?...Wait, have you stayed up all night?¡±

    Before I realized, it was already dawn. The deep darkness of the night had already began to fade and brighten, and we would soon be able to greet the refreshing sunrise.

    ¡°Good morning, Ryan. I did take a nap.¡±

    People in thesends would normally get up very early in the morning, but Ryan was even earlier than usual. He was already d in a standard set of heavy armor and seemed ready for battle.

    ¡°Oops, Yuuri is still sleeping, isn¡¯t she¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already awake. Good morning.¡±

    It might have looked like I have flumped into a bench in the middle of the square to nap while still wearing my ck armor, but Sariel was still clinging to my back as usual.

    She was a remodeled, enhanced being just like me, so even though she had lost her powers as an Apostle, she still possessed a great deal of physical strength and stamina. We had enough power in my body to run non-stop all the way to Alsace without needing to sleep on the way, so even if all we did was take a short nap, neither of us would be tired.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s still a long way to go. Are you sure you shouldn¡¯t be having a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±

    However, Ryan, who wasn¡¯t aware of Sariel¡¯s superhuman capabilities, had an understandable concern. As they say, ignorance is bliss.

    ¡°So what are you doing with all those weapons on you, Priest? Are you going to open a weapons store for soldiers?¡±

    I had arge number of weapons spread out in front of me. They were separate from the ones I would be using, and included a sword, a spear, and a bunch of arrows. Now that Ryan mentioned it, it did look like I was setting up a shop.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little experiment.¡±

    ¡°Experiment?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was wondering if I could enchant these weapons with the Fire attribute.¡±

    We already knew that the Gluttony Octos were vulnerable to fire. So trying to add Fire properties to our weapons was only natural.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you able to make swords explode, Priest?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinking about making something you guys could use insted.¡±

    As Ryan said, I could give a red hot ckening to my original de, turning it into essentially as good as a powerful rocketuncher. And even without it, I could always use my Grenade Burst, and in the worst case scenario, I could always rely on unleashing ck mes of the pseudo-Fire attribute.

    But Ryan and the other vigntes still needed to have a means to wield fire. Unfortunately, there were no sorcerers among the 202nd Colony¡¯s vigntes. Those with knowledge of magic would be given a warm wee, and we would attempt to recruit them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just finished these prototypes. Please give them a tryter.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, thanks! So, how do I make this ck sword burst into mes?¡±

    With a big smile, he was already picking up the prototype sword in front of me and swinging it lightly. It looked just like any other sword I had ckened in the past, but I had been doing a bit of fiddling with its internal structure.

    ¡°The de will ignite after receiving a certain amount of impact. But don¡¯t do it yet.¡±

    ¡°Whoops, sorry.¡±

    Ryan, who was already just about to hit the cobblestone floor with the sword, sessfully managed to bring himself to a full stop right before the de made contact.

    ¡°Once it catches fire, it¡¯ll stay lit until it burns out.¡±

    I had applied the same red hot ckening as with the usual ¡°st de¡±. However, I had made adjustments in both its maximum power and the amount of said power that was to be unleashed at a time.

    The standard enchantment used for a ¡°st de¡± creates a very powerful ck me that is contained within the de, which is to be unleashed all at once, causing an explosion which allows for the enchantment¡¯s maximum destructive power. Of course, this also causes the de itself to shatter into pieces at the same time.

    But these weapons I just enchanted would continuously and steadily emit the ck mes instead of letting them all out at once by reducing the output ofbustion. Once the de was ignited, it would continue to burn until its fuel, that is, the pseudo-Fire attribute that I had applied to the de, waspletely consumed.

    A real magic sword would probably be able to make fire just by swinging it, or could even be activated simply by its wielder¡¯s will, but I didn¡¯t know how such swords worked, and even if I could, I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to give them such level of control. My magical ability wasn¡¯t enough to make them like that. The best I could do was to make these weapons catch fire when they detected an impact on the de.

    To put it simply, this sword was basically a match. That¡¯s how simple its structure was.

    But it was way too cool to be just called a ¡°Match Sword¡± so I thought of a better name for it.

    ¡°I call it the ¡®Ignited Sword¡¯.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s basically a single-use weapon, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this was the best I could do with the little time we had. Besides, I have zero skills as a cksmith.¡±

    If I could easily forge magical swords that could unleash mes, I would have established the ¡°Kurono Magic Weapons Company¡± a long time ago.

    ¡°Though I have studied the ¡®Eternity¡¯ spell. I even managed to use it once.¡±

    This was back when I was trying to enhance my ckening ability in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Alsace Vige. Back then, I didn¡¯t fully master ¡°Eternity¡±, so I had Mo write it down for me.

    And now, I had the knowledge to be able to use ¡°Eternity¡± thanks to Nell¡¯s magic lessons. For both that and the ¡°Force Boost¡±, I really don¡¯t know how I could ever thank Nell.

    ¡°Really? I see. Ah, now that you mention it, I have this friend... He¡¯s a dropout from the Magic Academy, but I remembered that he used to be into some shady business using that ¡®Eternity¡¯ spell, which was about the only thing he could do.¡±

    It seemed that he would use that spell to make a living for himself.

    However, not everyone is a first-ss magic user, or perhaps should I say that there¡¯s only a handful of them in the entire world. But those who can only master one or two spells, regardless of how weak they are, will find it useful in both their daily lives and work. And since there were so many of these kinds of magic users, magic is pervading in this world even at the level of daily routines.

    ¡°Well then, thanks for this sword. I¡¯ll put it to good use.¡±

    ¡°If something goes wrong, tell me immediately. I¡¯ll try to adjust it, but if it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just throw them all away.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. Besides, it¡¯s much cooler than fighting with a torch in one hand.¡±

    Then, the sudden rattling noise of armored infantry running interrupted our conversation.

    It was a metallic sound that repeated itself over and over again. This meant that the heavy knights had started marching in groups.

    ¡°Good morning, people of the 202nd Colony.¡±

    A group of heavy knights crossed the central square and walked straight to us. Seeing that there were about ten of them, this seemed to be the toon for base defense that Sariel was talking about earlier.

    The knight at the very lead of the group greeted us. I wondered if he was the captain of this toon.

    However, rather than looking like that of a rugged gori, his face was rather fair, and he had the looks of an aristocratic young man. He wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet yet, so I could clearly see his face, which was adorned by a beautifully arranged side-parted golden hair, and a pair of ssed that gave him an intellectual look.

    He somehow reminded me of Will.

    ¡°Sorry for the sudden request, but... you over there, could I take a look at your face?¡±

    My heart started racing all of a sudden. It seemed that the cat was out of the bag already.

    Well, after all, they were going to get suspicious of me sooner orter.

    The knight captain with the side-parted golden hair and smart sses had already seen my true identity! Or at least that¡¯s what I gathered by his confident looks and fearless smile.

    Well, there was nothing I could do about it at this point. I reached for my face guard, but before I had actually opened it...

    ¡°Y-You... You¡¯re Cliff!¡±

    ¡°I knew it, it¡¯s really you, Ryan!¡±

    Ryan had turned around to meet this aristocratic knight with a rather unpleasant expression on his face, which soon turned into an ironic smile after having recognized him.

    So he wasn¡¯t trying to take a look at my face after all.

    ¡°Whoa, it¡¯s been quite a long time, hasn¡¯t it, Ryan? I never thought I would meet you again in a ce like this.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, what are you doing in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m officially a knight. So it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d take part in this expedition, this holy war all over Pandora.¡±

    More than a Crusader fanatic, he sounded like he was bragging about his own aplishments. While the average Crusader would believe that the invasion of Pandora was a holy duty they had to fulfill for their God, many like Cliff here would see it as an opportunity to attain glory and profit.

    ¡°What about you, Ryan? You came from the 202nd Colony, right? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve be a simple farmer! Because that¡¯d mean you¡¯ve really fallen from grace.¡±

    ¡°Shaddup, stop bbering about things you know nothing about.¡±

    ¡°No way, for real? Haha, that¡¯s a shame, a real shame. I pity you from the bottom of my heart ¡ªAre you wearing that armor to reminisce on the good old days? Hahahah!¡±

    Cliff pointed at the Crusaders¡¯ heavy knight armor that Ryan was wearing while forcing augh.

    ¡°Oh yeah? What about you, then? You probably bought that armor dirt cheap from some cowardly deserter. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the only way you could have turned into a knight. Looks like the Crusaders will take any armored fool to fill their ranks.¡±

    ¡°Y-You, how dare you insult an honorable knight!¡±

    ¡°Haha, but your very existence is an insult to honorable knights.¡±

    I have never seen a scene that called for the expression ¡°like cats and dogs¡± more urately than this one. The air between them had be extremely tense.

    ¡°Pull out your sword! I challenge you to a duel!!¡±

    ¡°You fool, you know that using our weapons for private stuff is off limits.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you do feel intimidated when you have to face a real knight in battle, huh?¡±

    ¡°Come on, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m being considerate here? I¡¯m just trying to help an old friend like you to save some face. Besides, I¡¯d feel awfully bad if I ended up beating you with a single strike... again.¡±

    ¡°T-That was ages ago! Y-You keep running your mouth as usual, I see...! I can¡¯t take this anymore, I¡¯ll punish you for your impudence right here and right now!¡±

    I thought about asking Ryan to consider not taunting him any further, as Cliff was already so heated up that he looked like he was about to pop, but I changed my mind.

    ¡°Stop it, Ryan.¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on, Priest, this is between this poor fool and me¨C¡±

    The sentiment of wanting him to stop hadn¡¯t changed. But the words I used were different. Rather than asking him to stop, it came out more like a warning of sorts.

    After all, we had no time for silly disputes.

    ¡°Look over there. The fog ising out.¡±

    A thin, white mist started to drift in, as if crawling on the ground.

    It was so thin, so close to the ground, that no one would have taken notice of it. But this was probably just a portent of what was toe. This now insidious fog would surely gain momentum and grow big enough to swallow all of this 203rd Colony under our very noses.

    It seemed that those things were already reaching out towards this ce.

    ¡°Hurry up, the enemy ising.¡±

 Chapter 501

    <h4>Chapter 501</h4>

    The ck Demon King 501 Part 1

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Battle at the Supply Base

    ¡°¨CHurry! The fog is getting thicker every passing second!¡±

    ¡°Okay, everyone ready! The first unit is setting off!¡±

    This was a busy morning in the 203rd Colony, with people going back and forth. The entire vige was covered by a faint white fog.

    The church bell, which marked the beginning of the day, had not yet rang. Still, the vigers had gotten up very early, and only the children should still be in thend of dreams.

    However, in the face of the fog that signals the invasion of a terrifying monster army, all of the vigers¡¯ drowsiness hadpletely vanished, and everyone was on the move as quickly as they could. Even if it was simply to run away and live another day.

    ¡°Listen, we have a duty to protect this stinking base! Those things will start appearing in this vige any time now, so don¡¯t dilly-dally ande with us quickly!¡±

    With a loud voice, Ryan started talking to the fully armed members of the vignte corps that were standing before him.

    Whether the enemy attacking the vige was human or monster, it was up to its knights to protect the vige from harm. And almost automatically, the Crusaders stationed at the supply base would act as rear guard to help stop the iing enemy.

    However, it wasn¡¯t clear if the inhabitants of this 203rd Colony were nning to evacuate to the Alsace Fortress with us. We had yet to determine if the magnitude of the enemy¡¯s invasion would really warrant evacuating such arge number of people.

    At first nce, since we had a good number of soldiers on our side, we seemed to be more inclined to believe that we could actually stand our ground and repel the enemy.

    At any rate, we should be fine as long as we don¡¯t get in the way of anyone¡¯s ns to run away. If they wanted to run, they coulde with us, and if they wanted to stay, they could suit themselves all the same. I didn¡¯t feel so close to the Sinirians to personally urge them all to escape this ce.

    ¡°Yuuri, if the timees, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, brother.¡±

    I told that to Sariel as I sat her on the tray of the carriage that would be departingst, making sure that she still had the wind rapier I gave her.

    The tray was loaded with the very little luggage the vigers from the 202nd Colony had brought along, and the remaining space was left for the mothers with small children and babies. Ted¡¯s beloved daughter Eva ¨Cfor whom Sariel and I had performed the birth ceremony¨C was among them.

    I had originally nned to be carrying Sariel on my back as usual, but the situation this time around was very different.

    ¡°Reki, you go with the vigntes. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    ¡°¡±Huuuh!? If Priest Kuroe is staying, Reki wants to stay as well!¡±

    ¡°I want to make sure what we¡¯re dealing with here. Getting ourselves surrounded is a possibility, so I need you and the vigntes to not be around me.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s too dangerous, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to check the situation for a bit. I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll retreat immediately and join you guys. And even if I end up being surrounded, I¡¯m sure I can break through them by myself.¡±

    Though I had already gotten some info from ourst encounter with that single Gluttony Octo, it would be best to stay and fight them for a bit. There was a chance we could discover another weakness aside from fire, which could lead to finding more effective ways to deal with them.

    We could also learn something new about our enemy¡¯s abilities.

    We would be making our real stand against the Gluttony Octos once we arrived at Alsace Fortress. In the meantime, I wanted to collect as much information as possible.

    I no longer have Sue here with me, so I had to do the intel gathering myself. Besides, there was probably no one who could do it safely by themselves other than me.

    ¡°And... Sorry, Urs, but could you stay with me?¡±

    ¡°No way! Why can Urs stay and I can¡¯t!?¡±

    I felt bad asking this of Urs, but Reki quickly jumped in, seeming terribly dissatisfied with my request.

    ¡°Stay quiet, Reki. Priest Kuroe chose me.¡±

    ¡°Why!? Why won¡¯t Priest Kuroe choose Reki!?¡±

    Urs had a triumphant smile on her face for some reason, while Reki was clinging to my leg, seemingly about to cry. But this wasn¡¯t a matter of personal preference... I would have to exin myself.

    ¡°Calm down, everyone. And Urs, there¡¯s no need for you to fan the mes. Listen, she¡¯s the only one who can provide magical support. I want to try and see if the Origin Magic spell ¡®Drain¡¯ works on them. Besides, Urs has no priorbat experience. Though she¡¯d be put in a very dangerous situation here, she could use the experience.¡±

    Weighing the risks, I had decided that it would still be better for her to fight the enemy here first instead of straight up throwing her into the big battle that we would have at the Alsace Fortress with no battle experience.

    I wished they didn¡¯t have to fight in the first ce. But the enemy was a horde of Rank 5 monsters. This was going to be a full-blown war. Though they weren¡¯t adults yet, I still had no choice but to consider them part of our forces.

    ¡°You¡¯re already experienced on the battlefield, Reki. I saw how well you managed yourself when you fought those goblins. So I know I can rest assured, leaving the defense to you.¡±

    ¡°A-Ah, i-is that so? Ehehe...¡±

    I almost unconsciously started to stroke Reki¡¯s head, with her having be as cheerful as a puppy that hade asking to be petted, but I stayed my hand. Neither of us would feelfortable with that, considering that I was wearing a clunky metallic gauntlet.

    ¡°Of course, even if you run away, the enemy may catch up to you. So stay on your toes at all times.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Leave it to Reki!¡±

    For the time being, I made sure to give Reki one of the prototype Ignited weapons I had made.

    Reki¡¯s main weapon was a heavy knight¡¯s halberd. Since it was a single-use weapon, I also gave her an extra longsword and some daggers.

    ¡°As soon as you find yourself needing to draw this weapon, be sure to be on the lookout for recements shortly after having started using it. The fire these weapons create should give you enough time as it will keep the enemy away. Also, when you use those daggers, they¡¯re going to get really hot very quickly, since their des are short. So you should use them as throwing knives instead.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Reki received the weapons with a smile. Though she wasn¡¯t very good at studying, I was well aware of her proficiency inbat. I was sure she¡¯d put these weapons to good use.

    ¡°What about you, Urs? Are you okay? There¡¯s no need for you to force yourself to stay here if you¡¯re scared. I understand.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll definitely live up to your expectations, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    Urs finished her enthusiastic response with a ¡°Hmph!¡±

    I figured she was entitled to be scared, after all, she was still a kid, so I wouldn¡¯t force her to stay here and fight if she wasn¡¯t really up for it... But I was also d to hear she was staying after all. I knew first-hand how amazingly strong her magic was.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about making me feel proud, Urs. If things go south, I¡¯ll carry you out of here if I need to, so all you need to do is stay calm and use your magic. Staying focused is important when fighting with magic.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Urs was smart. Our usual conversations during training breaks made it abundantly clear that she remembered every word I would say during any training session ¨Call of my instructions and warnings, and even the trivial stuff. I was sure that thisst bit of advice I just gave her was already embedded into her brain.

    So I had nothing more to say.

    Finally, I handed a single Ignited Dagger to Urs as a charm. Magic users didn¡¯t need to have a weapon on them, but holding this knife could help her tighten her focus.

    ¡°OK then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Thus I parted ways with Sariel and Reki, and headed for the stone wall joined only by Urs.

    ¡°Whoa... It¡¯s getting harder and harder to see anything here.¡±

    Our field of view waspletely white. The fog was getting considerably thick at this point.

    Urs and I, along with the Crusader archers and sorcerers, were waiting for the enemy to arrive at the stone wall.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how many of us knew that the enemy was an army of green octopi, or that they were weak to fire. But for the time being, I saw torches shining brightly all over the ce, and the archers were getting ming arrows ready, so we seemed to be properly prepared to meet the enemy.

    The walls here were almost 5 meters tall, which made for a reasonable defense for a vige like this, but was tremendously poorpared to the fortress. Moreover, having recently defended the great walls of the Ghad Fortress, which boasted a height of 50 meters, made me feel like these walls were a joke inparison.

    I was also worried about me fighting in disguise among Crusader lines, but the soldiers¡¯ curiosity didn¡¯t seem to go very much over the asional glimpse directed my way, and none of them said anything to me in particr.

    Cliff, the captain of the heavy knight squad ¨Cwho had been quarreling with Ryan a few moments ago¨C was currently positioned right below us, guarding the vige¡¯s main gate. He had said to me ¡°I heard you¡¯re an adventurer hired by the vige. Well, feel free to do as you please as long as you don¡¯t get in our way¡±. So I figured that he didn¡¯t feel particrly inclined to pay too much attention to me at all.

    And he would probably raise as much as an eyebrow regarding Urs¡¯s curse, that is, her use of Origin Magic, during this battle. No one wouldin about the nature of their magical support when their own lives are at stake.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, are they reallying here?¡±

    Urs revealed her doubts as she stood beside me.

    Some time had passed since we arrived here. And yet, the surroundings were extremely quiet, and I didn¡¯t feel like arge army of monsters was approaching.

    At the very least, when Greed Gore¡¯s monster army began to move in the Ischia Hills, they had a very strong presence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. The enemy will definitelye here.¡±

    My left eye¡¯s reaction was proof that a Trial was drawing near. It had been a long while since thest time it shone like this, but its reactions were never mistaken. That¡¯s why I was absolutely sure that the Rank 5 Gluttony Octos wereing here.

    But then, a thought crossed my mind.

    What if the Gluttony Octos ignored this vige and targeted the vigers that had evacuated a few moments ago?

    The usual behavior of a man-eating monster made it hard to think that they would skip past this vige, since viges like this tend to have lots of humans and other things they could consume. To them, this vige was like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

    However, what if the boss of these Gluttony Octos was smarter ¨Cor had more insight¨C than the rest of them, like Sloth Gil was...? Then it could consider going for the vigers that were evacuating, which were easier targets, and leave this vige, which was protected by a wall, forter.

    ¡°N-No, no way¨C¡±

    Then, as the dreadful image of the Eleventh Apostle¡¯s cruel smile appeared in my mind, a terrible roar shook the vige.

    Kyoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

 Chapter 501.1

    <h4>Chapter 501.1</h4>

    The ck Demon King 501 Part 1

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Battle at the Supply Base

    ¡°¨CHurry! The fog is getting thicker every passing second!¡±

    ¡°Okay, everyone ready! The first unit is setting off!¡±

    This was a busy morning in the 203rd Colony, with people going back and forth. The entire vige was covered by a faint white fog.

    The church bell, which marked the beginning of the day, had not yet rang. Still, the vigers had gotten up very early, and only the children should still be in thend of dreams.

    However, in the face of the fog that signals the invasion of a terrifying monster army, all of the vigers¡¯ drowsiness hadpletely vanished, and everyone was on the move as quickly as they could. Even if it was simply to run away and live another day.

    ¡°Listen, we have a duty to protect this stinking base! Those things will start appearing in this vige any time now, so don¡¯t dilly-dally ande with us quickly!¡±

    With a loud voice, Ryan started talking to the fully armed members of the vignte corps that were standing before him.

    Whether the enemy attacking the vige was human or monster, it was up to its knights to protect the vige from harm. And almost automatically, the Crusaders stationed at the supply base would act as rear guard to help stop the iing enemy.

    However, it wasn¡¯t clear if the inhabitants of this 203rd Colony were nning to evacuate to the Alsace Fortress with us. We had yet to determine if the magnitude of the enemy¡¯s invasion would really warrant evacuating such arge number of people.

    At first nce, since we had a good number of soldiers on our side, we seemed to be more inclined to believe that we could actually stand our ground and repel the enemy.

    At any rate, we should be fine as long as we don¡¯t get in the way of anyone¡¯s ns to run away. If they wanted to run, they coulde with us, and if they wanted to stay, they could suit themselves all the same. I didn¡¯t feel so close to the Sinirians to personally urge them all to escape this ce.

    ¡°Yuuri, if the timees, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, brother.¡±

    I told that to Sariel as I sat her on the tray of the carriage that would be departingst, making sure that she still had the wind rapier I gave her.

    The tray was loaded with the very little luggage the vigers from the 202nd Colony had brought along, and the remaining space was left for the mothers with small children and babies. Ted¡¯s beloved daughter Eva ¨Cfor whom Sariel and I had performed the birth ceremony¨C was among them.

    I had originally nned to be carrying Sariel on my back as usual, but the situation this time around was very different.

    ¡°Reki, you go with the vigntes. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    ¡°¡±Huuuh!? If Priest Kuroe is staying, Reki wants to stay as well!¡±

    ¡°I want to make sure what we¡¯re dealing with here. Getting ourselves surrounded is a possibility, so I need you and the vigntes to not be around me.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s too dangerous, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to check the situation for a bit. I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll retreat immediately and join you guys. And even if I end up being surrounded, I¡¯m sure I can break through them by myself.¡±

    Though I had already gotten some info from ourst encounter with that single Gluttony Octo, it would be best to stay and fight them for a bit. There was a chance we could discover another weakness aside from fire, which could lead to finding more effective ways to deal with them.

    We could also learn something new about our enemy¡¯s abilities.

    We would be making our real stand against the Gluttony Octos once we arrived at Alsace Fortress. In the meantime, I wanted to collect as much information as possible.

    I no longer have Sue here with me, so I had to do the intel gathering myself. Besides, there was probably no one who could do it safely by themselves other than me.

    ¡°And... Sorry, Urs, but could you stay with me?¡±

    ¡°No way! Why can Urs stay and I can¡¯t!?¡±

    I felt bad asking this of Urs, but Reki quickly jumped in, seeming terribly dissatisfied with my request.

    ¡°Stay quiet, Reki. Priest Kuroe chose me.¡±

    ¡°Why!? Why won¡¯t Priest Kuroe choose Reki!?¡±

    Urs had a triumphant smile on her face for some reason, while Reki was clinging to my leg, seemingly about to cry. But this wasn¡¯t a matter of personal preference... I would have to exin myself.

    ¡°Calm down, everyone. And Urs, there¡¯s no need for you to fan the mes. Listen, she¡¯s the only one who can provide magical support. I want to try and see if the Origin Magic spell ¡®Drain¡¯ works on them. Besides, Urs has no priorbat experience. Though she¡¯d be put in a very dangerous situation here, she could use the experience.¡±

    Weighing the risks, I had decided that it would still be better for her to fight the enemy here first instead of straight up throwing her into the big battle that we would have at the Alsace Fortress with no battle experience.

    I wished they didn¡¯t have to fight in the first ce. But the enemy was a horde of Rank 5 monsters. This was going to be a full-blown war. Though they weren¡¯t adults yet, I still had no choice but to consider them part of our forces.

    ¡°You¡¯re already experienced on the battlefield, Reki. I saw how well you managed yourself when you fought those goblins. So I know I can rest assured, leaving the defense to you.¡±

    ¡°A-Ah, i-is that so? Ehehe...¡±

    I almost unconsciously started to stroke Reki¡¯s head, with her having be as cheerful as a puppy that hade asking to be petted, but I stayed my hand. Neither of us would feelfortable with that, considering that I was wearing a clunky metallic gauntlet.

    ¡°Of course, even if you run away, the enemy may catch up to you. So stay on your toes at all times.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Leave it to Reki!¡±

    For the time being, I made sure to give Reki one of the prototype Ignited weapons I had made.

    Reki¡¯s main weapon was a heavy knight¡¯s halberd. Since it was a single-use weapon, I also gave her an extra longsword and some daggers.

    ¡°As soon as you find yourself needing to draw this weapon, be sure to be on the lookout for recements shortly after having started using it. The fire these weapons create should give you enough time as it will keep the enemy away. Also, when you use those daggers, they¡¯re going to get really hot very quickly, since their des are short. So you should use them as throwing knives instead.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Reki received the weapons with a smile. Though she wasn¡¯t very good at studying, I was well aware of her proficiency inbat. I was sure she¡¯d put these weapons to good use.

    ¡°What about you, Urs? Are you okay? There¡¯s no need for you to force yourself to stay here if you¡¯re scared. I understand.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll definitely live up to your expectations, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    Urs finished her enthusiastic response with a ¡°Hmph!¡±

    I figured she was entitled to be scared, after all, she was still a kid, so I wouldn¡¯t force her to stay here and fight if she wasn¡¯t really up for it... But I was also d to hear she was staying after all. I knew first-hand how amazingly strong her magic was.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about making me feel proud, Urs. If things go south, I¡¯ll carry you out of here if I need to, so all you need to do is stay calm and use your magic. Staying focused is important when fighting with magic.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Urs was smart. Our usual conversations during training breaks made it abundantly clear that she remembered every word I would say during any training session ¨Call of my instructions and warnings, and even the trivial stuff. I was sure that thisst bit of advice I just gave her was already embedded into her brain.

    So I had nothing more to say.

    Finally, I handed a single Ignited Dagger to Urs as a charm. Magic users didn¡¯t need to have a weapon on them, but holding this knife could help her tighten her focus.

    ¡°OK then, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Thus I parted ways with Sariel and Reki, and headed for the stone wall joined only by Urs.

    ¡°Whoa... It¡¯s getting harder and harder to see anything here.¡±

    Our field of view waspletely white. The fog was getting considerably thick at this point.

    Urs and I, along with the Crusader archers and sorcerers, were waiting for the enemy to arrive at the stone wall.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how many of us knew that the enemy was an army of green octopi, or that they were weak to fire. But for the time being, I saw torches shining brightly all over the ce, and the archers were getting ming arrows ready, so we seemed to be properly prepared to meet the enemy.

    The walls here were almost 5 meters tall, which made for a reasonable defense for a vige like this, but was tremendously poorpared to the fortress. Moreover, having recently defended the great walls of the Ghad Fortress, which boasted a height of 50 meters, made me feel like these walls were a joke inparison.

    I was also worried about me fighting in disguise among Crusader lines, but the soldiers¡¯ curiosity didn¡¯t seem to go very much over the asional glimpse directed my way, and none of them said anything to me in particr.

    Cliff, the captain of the heavy knight squad ¨Cwho had been quarreling with Ryan a few moments ago¨C was currently positioned right below us, guarding the vige¡¯s main gate. He had said to me ¡°I heard you¡¯re an adventurer hired by the vige. Well, feel free to do as you please as long as you don¡¯t get in our way¡±. So I figured that he didn¡¯t feel particrly inclined to pay too much attention to me at all.

    And he would probably raise as much as an eyebrow regarding Urs¡¯s curse, that is, her use of Origin Magic, during this battle. No one wouldin about the nature of their magical support when their own lives are at stake.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, are they reallying here?¡±

    Urs revealed her doubts as she stood beside me.

    Some time had passed since we arrived here. And yet, the surroundings were extremely quiet, and I didn¡¯t feel like arge army of monsters was approaching.

    At the very least, when Greed Gore¡¯s monster army began to move in the Ischia Hills, they had a very strong presence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. The enemy will definitelye here.¡±

    My left eye¡¯s reaction was proof that a Trial was drawing near. It had been a long while since thest time it shone like this, but its reactions were never mistaken. That¡¯s why I was absolutely sure that the Rank 5 Gluttony Octos wereing here.

    But then, a thought crossed my mind.

    What if the Gluttony Octos ignored this vige and targeted the vigers that had evacuated a few moments ago?

    The usual behavior of a man-eating monster made it hard to think that they would skip past this vige, since viges like this tend to have lots of humans and other things they could consume. To them, this vige was like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

    However, what if the boss of these Gluttony Octos was smarter ¨Cor had more insight¨C than the rest of them, like Sloth Gil was...? Then it could consider going for the vigers that were evacuating, which were easier targets, and leave this vige, which was protected by a wall, forter.

    ¡°N-No, no way¨C¡±

    Then, as the dreadful image of the Eleventh Apostle¡¯s cruel smile appeared in my mind, a terrible roar shook the vige.

    Kyoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

 Chapter 501.2

    <h4>Chapter 501.2</h4>

    The ck Demon King 501 ¨C Part 2

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Battle at the Supply Base

    It was a strangely high-pitched, metallic, eerie roar, which waspletely different from that of beasts or dragons. It was more like a collective roar from hundreds, or thousands, of the same monsters, and the dissonance they created was deafening.

    Unintentionally, Urs closed her eyes and covered her ears. And that wasn¡¯t just her reacting like a normal child would, because looking around me I noticed that many of the Crusader soldiers were having simr reactions.

    Such arge chorus of unpleasant roars, which made goosebumps run all over my body, finally announced the arrival of the Gluttony Octos. But where were they?

    After focusing all of my senses to explore the area beyond the veil of white fog, the answer came in an instant.

    ¡°¨CThey¡¯re above us!?¡±

    Shadows were wriggling at the other side of the fog. The next moment, they starteding down like rain. A rain of monsters came down from the sky andnded in the vige.

    And they were falling onto the top of the stone wall where I was standing as well.

    Naturally, since they came from the sky, a stone wall wouldn¡¯t have been of much help.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    A nearly-3-meter-long green octopus wasing down on me with its huge mouth open, so I had to prioritize dodging over dealing a preemptive strike.

    I immediately held Urs close to me and tried to jump backwards ¨Cbut the narrow top of the stone wall wouldn¡¯t let me. Since there wasn¡¯t much space to dash around, the only thing I could do to try to get out of harm¡¯s way was jumping off the wall.

    ¡°Grenade Burst!¡±

    After throwing myself from the top of the stone wall towards the vige side, I unleashed an attack on the octopus that had tried to eat me as soon as I began to fall.

    This octopus looked exactly like the youngling I had seen the day before, as it had four tentacles. But this one seemed to be about three meters long.

    Also, to note another difference, its tentacles seemed to be covered by a thin membrane that fluttered like a frill.

    Then, despite the octopus havinge really close with a remarkable aerial descent, it failed to properly react to my Grenade Burst unleashed at point-nk range, which resulted in a direct hit. Just before I touched the ground, the octopus¡¯ creepy and slippery emerald green body waspletely engulfed in red and ck mes.

    ¡°¨CUrs, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯m fine...¡±

    Not only had she been taken by surprise by me grabbing hold of her, but she also experienced a free fall of 5 meters. Urs seemed to be a bit dizzy, but fortunately she hadn¡¯t been injured. Though it had been a bit of a close call.

    ¡°Dammit, I wasn¡¯t expecting them to be able to fly.¡±

    Perhaps more than flying, the membranes between their tentacles allowed them to glide by taking in the wind, like a ship¡¯s sail. Even so, it was hard to believe to see these octopuses as creatures that could soar the skies. If anything, those membranes should only help them swim faster.

    However, a quick look at our surroundings right afternding revealed that those octopuses werending one after another. Our field of view was still greatly obstructed by that white fog, but I could still feel the countless signs of monsters and their ferocious killing intent.

    The swarm of Gluttony Octos didn¡¯t even bother trying to hide their presence as they descended upon us. The wet and heavy mming sound that echoed all over the ce had to be the sound they made as theynded.

    ¡°Uwaaaaaahh!¡±

    ¡°Damn, they¡¯reing from above¡ª Gwaaaah!¡±

    The soldiers¡¯ screams could be heard from the top of the stone wall.

    We had assumed that they woulde swarming bynd, so theying from above instead had taken uspletely by surprise. Those who were our first line of defense were already in a panic since the enemy hadpletely bypassed the stone wall the moment they showed up.

    ¡°Urs, stay close to me ¨Cck Calm!¡±

    With the speed and flexibility of a whip, a tentacle came rushing towards me from the other side of the fog. The tip of its tentacle was actually covered with a sharp, iron-like shell, and its vicious shape made me think that it could easily skewer a human body.

    More than a tentacle, it looked like some weird spear. But it was more troublesome than a regr spear, since the octopus could swing it around more freely thanks to the tentacle¡¯s motion.

    By the time I had finished making these observations, my own halberd had torn through its approaching spear-tentacle and beyond, even slicing the octopus¡¯ head in half.

    Fortunately, the rest of these guys¡¯ bodies were rather soft. The only part of their bodies covered by a shell was the tip of their tentacles. After spitting the octopus¡¯ head in half, it couldn¡¯t do much more than wriggle about in panic until it stopped movingpletely.

    ¡°¡ªUgh, we¡¯re already surrounded! Quickly, form a circle! And what are the sorcerers doing!? Quickly, do something to clear this fog, we can¡¯t see a damned thing here!!¡±

    Was that voice echoing all around us that of Cliff, the captain of the heavy knight infantry? Though he sounded a bit impatient, he also seemed to be better than expected at giving precise instructions for the situation at hand.

    ¡°Ooh, the fog has cleared up a bit.¡±

    In what seemed to be the prized sorcerer unit having finally begun to show their prowess in ordance with Cliff¡¯s instructions, a swirling surge of wind magic blew some of the fog away. It was impossible for them to dispel all of the fog covering the entire vige, but they were powerful enough to clear away the fog surrounding the soldiers¡¯ immediate vicinity.

    I wondered if it was some kind of wind barrier that generates an airflow in all directions. But regardless of how it worked, it was the best support we had at the moment.

    And at the same time, the desperate truth about our current battle situation became clear as we managed to secure some visibility.

    As if the silence just before had been nothing but a lie, our once white field of view was now filled with unpleasant green octopuses.

    The stone walls and buildings were being swarmed by juvenile octopuses ¨Cthe 50 centimeter variant that could enter an adult human¡¯s body. They were sticking to these structures as if the houses and walls had always been filled with green spots.

    Apart from those, the ones we see the most of were the medium sized octopuses, measuring anywhere between 1 and 3 meters. A quick nce revealed that they were much superior in number to the smaller ones.

    They were crawling on the vige roads, heading for the soldiers that had been deployed on ground level like any octopus would normally walk on the seabed.

    Looking up, I could see a lot of spear-tentacles flying across the stone wall, indicating that a fierce battle had begun at its top. There were some screams, some blood sshing from above, and some soldiers falling headfirst from a distance of 5 meters into the ground below.

    Since the soldiers deployed at the top of the walls were mainly shooters, if an enemy wielding four spear-like tentacles were to suddenly appear in front of them, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to do much to defend themselves.

    Fortunately, however, the octopuses didn¡¯t seem to be very well-coordinated. Their attack on the soldiers was scattered all over, and they would merely get anyone standing in their way so they could try to invade homes and warehouses in search of food, ignoring some of the soldiers in the process.

    Apparently, their huge numbers were all they had, and their cooperation as a group was ratherckluster.

    ¡°W-Whoa... P-Priest Kuroe, there are so many of them...¡±

    However, it seemed that Urs was still frightened to see that her surroundings were overflowing with monsters, not only left and right but above her as well. Though it was understandable for her to be scared, since this was her first real battle ever.

    As she desperately clung to my leg, I instinctively covered her head with the Tower Shield I had in my left hand.

    ¡°Urs, believe in your power. Don¡¯t worry, you can definitely defeat them with your power.¡±

    These octopuses didn¡¯t seem to have any special ability or property that wouldpletely nullify the effects of the Drain spell. If Urs could manage to use that spell like she had normally had during our training sessions, these guys should not be a match for her.

    ¡°Keep calm and start aiming for them starting from the closest one and keep going from there. I won¡¯t let any of them get close to you, so you can simply focus on your attacks without having to worry about your defense.¡±

    ¡°...Okay.¡±

    The air around Urs started to feel a bit different, perhaps because she was finally ready. After having been by her side for about an entire week training with her, this feeling was already familiar to me. It was the slight spine chill that I would feel right before Urs unleashed her Origin Magic.¡±

    ¡°Here I go, Priest Kuroe... ¡¯White Yaksha Princess ¨C Anastasia¡¯!¡±

    Then, the shape of arge woman appears instantly and without making a single sound.

    Her body was white and her long hair seemed to fade into the mist that filled the area. Although she looked like an immacte white statue beautiful enough to be disyed in a museum or a royal pce, the two horns that sprouted from her head gave her a terrifiying look.

    That¡¯s why I named her ¡°White Yaksha Princess¡±. The name ¡°Anastasia¡± was something that came to mind the moment I saw her for the first time as well, and Urs seemed to like it.

    In fact, this had been the first time that I had actually seen the entire body of ¡°White Yaksha Princess ¨C Anastasia¡± up close like this. The only training I did with her was to practice defending against those dreadful Drain attacks she would unleash, so I never had a chance to fight her in close quarters.

    Now that I could see her up close like this, it made me feel anxious, as I unconsciously feared that I would be deprived of my magical power just by standing near her... But, as expected, Urs had reached a level of control so high that Anastasia wouldn¡¯t affect her allies. So I wouldn¡¯t have any problem fighting by her side.

    ¡°Yah...¡±

    Hiding in the shadow of my Tower Shield, Urs made her first blow with a less enthusiastic shout.

    There was no special power or skill. She simplymanded Anastasia¡¯s right arm to move, not to punch or hit the octopus in front of her in any way, but simply touching it gently instead.

    And by that gentle touch, the octopus vanished in an instant. Havinge into contact with Anastasia¡¯s white fingers, its head started to make a boiling noise before melting awaypletely. Then, after its head was gone, its four disconnected tentacles fell limp onto the ground.

 Chapter 501.3

    <h4>Chapter 501.3</h4>

    The ck Demon King 501 ¨C Part 3

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Battle at the Supply Base

    Even for an insta-kill, the octopus¡¯ end felt a bit too abrupt.

    ¡°Hmm... This doesn¡¯t look as bad as I thought.¡±

    It seemed that our little princes was satisfied with the feeling of having defeated that Gluttony Octo..

    ¡°Good job, now keep it up.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, leave it to me.¡±

    Urs was finally starting to give her usual feeling of grandeur, probably due to her single-handed victory boosting her confidence.

    ¡°White Yaksha Princess ¨C Anastasia¡± had four arms capable of unleashing Urs¡¯s dreadful ¡°Drain¡± spell at the same time. Such power was enough topletely neutralize my ¡°Grenade Burst¡±.

    She had no other special ability, but even so, not even the medium sized octopuses were a match for her.

    As if making fun of these gluttonous monsters, the White Yaksha Princess was throwing her arms at every octopus that came near her, disintegrating them one after another as if she was consuming them.

    The Gluttony Octos didn¡¯t have hard scales nor high mobility. Anastasia, on the other hand, could swing her arms with such speed that not even I would be able to dodge them without putting all of my strength into it.

    A light tap was all she needed to make an octopus¡¯ head to vanish, and her pping motions brushed any tentacles away with ease. Her overwhelming offensive power was capable of making an enemy disappear with a mere touch, so I didn¡¯t even have to take care of Urs¡¯s defense. The octopuses around us were falling like flies at a tremendous speed.

    However, their numbers seemed to be much higher than our annihtion power.

    The number of octopuses crawling down the street wasn¡¯t decreasing, and the walls and roofs of buildings were still being swarmed by them. And even more octopuses were stilling down from the sky.

    ¡°¨CAgh, stay strong! Push them back!¡±

    Cliff¡¯s orders echoed in the turmoil of the battlefield.

    Back when the Gluttony Octos began their attack, the battlefield was instantly thrown into a state of chaos, as we were shocked to see that the stone wall that was supposed to be the vige¡¯s first line of defense had beenpletely bypassed by the enemy.

    So far, the only ones who have been able to defeat the octopuses ratherfortably were Urs and I, and the rest of the soldiers here were struggling against tough soft monsters that swords and spears do not work well.

    The infantry were being tragically skewered by the octopuses¡¯ spear-like tentacles before beingpletely gobbled up by their horrifying maws, which were covered by sharp, round fangs.

    The heavy knight unit led by Cliff, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t be defeated that easily thanks to their superior defensive power, but they were still struggling to defeat them with raw physical power. Unfortunately, they seemed unlikely to have the might needed to break through the octopuses¡¯ sheer numbers.

    ¡°Urs, don¡¯t go too far ahead.¡±

    ¡°I think I can kill a few more.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, we should hold our position for now.¡±

    As it turned out, fighting with Magic like this had left Urs with a bit of extra time on her hands, so she was starting to get bored about not fighting at a faster pace. Though her bloodlust wasn¡¯t that strong yet, she was still able to follow my instructions obediently.

    She kept swinging with Anastasia¡¯s four arms with the same freedom and flexibility the octopuses¡¯ tentacles had without moving from her position nor recklessly throwing herself at the enemy.

    ¡°This is bad, the wind barrier is starting toe apart.¡±

    It appeared that not only the infantry but the sorcerers were being gradually taken down as well. The frog was slowly but steadily closing in on us once more, and at this rate, we would soon be engulfed in that white darkness again.

    At first, we had secured visibility in an area of about 50 square meters around the main gate thanks to the sorcerers¡¯ wind barrier, but now the area had decreased to about half. Perhaps several of our Wind Mages had already been killed, or had been driven to the point where they had to break off their focus on the barrier in order to defend themselves.

    If we were to lose our field of vision at this point, the soldiers here would bepletely annihted by the enemy.

    To be honest, Crusader soldiers dying wasn¡¯t something I would be particrly concerned with, but at this moment, I wanted to have as many allies as possible. So I would help them stay alive as much as I could.

    Urs kept on making short work of the octopuses around us, and since I didn¡¯t have to worry about her defense, that gave me the chance to focus on providing cover fire for our allies. The area outside of Anastasia¡¯s range was well within reach for me thanks to my ck magic.

    I didn¡¯t even have to worry about wielding a weapon, so I could devote myselfpletely to using my ¡°Grenade Burst¡± over and over again, like a fixed grenadeunching turret. My grenades incinerated any octopuses that found themselves within their detonation radius. The fact that any houses caught in the st would burn and copse too was, well, slightly entertaining, to be honest.

    ¡°Waaaaaaaaaah! This isn¡¯t going anywhere!!¡±

    ¡°This is useless! Run away! Run awaaaaay!!¡±

    However, the support provided by Urs and I proved to be in vain, since the Crusader soldiers saw any opening generated by it as a chance to turn tail and flee.

    Throwing their weapons, the infantry that was still on the stone wall rushed down to ground level and began to run away at full speed.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing, deserting under enemy attack! You¡¯re Crusader soldiers! Get back to your posts and protect this base!!¡±

    If such a poor speech could have made them return to their posts, the soldiers wouldn¡¯t have fled in the first ce. Even if they had somehow managed to muster their courage, it was clear as day that the top of the stone wall was alreadypletely upied by the swarm of octopuses, and that there was no realistic way to recapture it.

    Due to the infantry having escaped without permission, Cliff¡¯s heavy knight unit ¨Cwhich was still fighting hard¨C had no choice but to fall back to the rear. Though Cliff may have wanted to execute them for abandoning their posts in order to make an example out of them, there was no way he could spare any effort towards that. Even the heavy knights themselves were about to bepletely overwhelmed by the swarm of octopus.

    ¡°Looks like this is as far as we¡¯ll go.¡±

    No matter how hard I and Urs fought, the two of us alone wouldn¡¯t be able to change the course of this battle. For the time being, since we still had the ability to stay rtively safe in our positions, we could afford to provide cover fire to allow for as many of our allies to fall back. Then we would be able to turn our offensive on any octopus that tried to chase over them. That was the n, but then...

    As I thought about that, a light-purple wind, which looked like a poison cloud, blew in from the sky, forming ribbons that circled in the air. I suppose I could describe it as a weak tornado.

    The purple airflow hit a group of soldiers that was running towards us and swallowed them all.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hot, gwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!¡±

    The field was suddenly filled with painful screams. But the true tragedy was being perceived by my eyes: It was the sight of humans being melted alive.

    The purple wind was actually a powerful acid. So it was like an acid breath.

    First, the white surcoats the Crusader infantry wore over their armor burned away and crumbled instantly, then their iron helmets and chainmail melted away as if they had been thrown into a st furnace.

    At the same time as that happened, their limbs turned into a reddish-ck goo and began to drip down like an egg yolk. The soldiers¡¯ agonizing expressions weren¡¯t visible for long ¨Cthe moment the purple acid gas came in contact with them, it was as if someone had sshed water over a watercolor portrait.

    Being strong enough to melt iron in a matter of seconds, the acid breath hit their flesh directly, and since they had no magical defense, the infantry copsed on the spot. They barely retained any semnce of having once been living human beings, and the ground beneath them wasn¡¯t covered in a pond of blood, but instead a gruesome pile of melted human flesh.

    I found myself turning away from that horrible sight. Though I had seen many men being cut down and burned to ashes, this was the first time I saw someone being melted away.

    But I had to see it. It was a horrifying way to die, but I had to find the source of this deadly acid breath more than anything.

    ¡°I see, that has to be one of the 10-meter variants.¡±

    I ended up not having to resort to looking around me or sensing its presence. The shadow of a giant octopus was starting to be clear beyond the white fog.

    It was only natural to see such a big octopus right away. After all, it was standing upright, so it towered well over the vige¡¯s stone wall.

    Well, it was still an octopus, so I wasn¡¯t sure if ¡°standing¡± was the word, but it seemed to be fairly perpendicr to the ground.

    Its tentacles were as thick as those trees that not even a grown human would be able topletely wrap their arms around, no matter how much they tried to stretch out. The tentacles were arranged in a way that made the giant octopus look like a quadrupedal beast, but since they were devoid of joints, the octopus walkedpletely different from a beast. They wriggled about as the octopus advanced, though its head wouldn¡¯t sway.

    I kind of wanted to think about the mysterious ecology behind these octopuses, and to try to figure out why they walked like that, but I had no time for that.

    I could only afford to think that it walked in an absurd manner as it easily crossed over the 5-meter tall stone wall as if it was nothing but a low fence.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s two... three... four? Dammit, this is hopeless.¡±

    To make things worse, it wasn¡¯t only one. As they approached, I could see four of those giant octopuses looming toward us with an overwhelming presence.

    I saw the first two of them by simply looking straight ahead. Then, I noticed the third one by looking slightly away to the left. And the worst of them all was the fourth one, which was already behind me, right in the middle of the vige. The fact that they had already invaded the vige itself was proof that these giant octopuses could fly just like their smaller counterparts.

    ¡°Those are going to be a lot harder to deal with, even for Anastasia.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°What should we do, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°Well, we have no other choice, do we...?¡±

    I let out a sigh, and aftering to terms with my mind, I finished my sentence.

    ¡°...We¡¯re running away.¡±

    I carried Urs in my arms and started to run away with all my strength.

 Chapter 502

    <h4>Chapter 502</h4>

    The ck Demon King 502

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    Like a Gale

    ¡°No! Don¡¯te near me! You¡¯re disgusting!!¡±

    While screaming, I cut off the tentacles approaching me with the halberd, and a second series of thrusts made mincemeat of the octopus¡¯ head.

    Though it was softer than a goblin¡¯s ¨Cprobably because it had no bones¨C, it still seemed to have some power left even though I had no trouble tearing through its flesh. The green mucus that came out of it only made it look even more disgusting.

    ¡°These guys are bad news... They just keeping.¡±

    Standing right next to me was Ryan, the leader of the vignte team, who was also wielding a halberd just like me.

    The vigers of the 203rd supply base colony had been quick to escape, but the moment this fog that covered everything up to our knees came out, these octopus monsters called ¡°Gluttony Octos¡± suddenly appeared and began to chase.

    Only the vignte team, who was focused at the rear, was currently engaged in battle, so the monster¡¯s tentacles had yet to reach the vigers at the front lines. We knew we could hold them off for the time being, but even though I wasn¡¯t very smart, I could tell that the situation would only get worse with each passing second.

    ¡°Hey, Ryan! What do we do? At this rate, we¡¯ll bepletely surrounded!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I already know that! Keep up the pace! We¡¯ll hold them off one way or another. That¡¯s the only thing you should worry about right now!¡±

    We continued to fight to the death before the swarm of octopuses that came rushing in, filling the road with their huge numbers. Despite their horrifying tentacles, none of us tried to escape.

    There was no other way. All of the families we had to protect were literally behind our backs. Right behind us was a carriage with children younger than me, and Sister Yuuri was there with them as well.

    Priest Kuroe had given Sister Yuuri a very expensive-looking sword for self-defense, but I doubted she could use it properly with just her left hand. Even if she had all of her limbs, It was hard to picture an ephemeral little girl like Sister Yuuri, who I as a woman wanted to protect with my life, being proficient with sword techniques.

    We are the only ones who can protect them. With that in mind, all of us wielded a sword, a spear, and a lit torch against the constantly increasing number of octopuses. At first, they only seemed to being at us from the road, but then I noticed that tentacles were starting to creep up on us from the forest on both sides of the road.

    I remember hearing the saying that ¡°war was in the numbers¡± in ss some time ago. I now understood what this meant.

    ¡°Oh, the fog...¡±

    And the fog, which had only reached up to our knees so far, was now rising all the way up to waist-level.

    When I left the vige, I noticed that this fog came in from the ground, rising as if it were water from an overflowed river. At first it barely reached our ankles, but when the vigers started leaving through the gate, it was up to our shoulders. And now, we could say with confidence that the 203rd supply base colony, which should have been perfectly visible from our position, was surrounded by a huge mass of fog, as if a gigantic cloud had fallen from the sky on top of it.

    I was sure that even now, more of these horrifying monsters were still squirming around within the walls of the enshrouded vige.

    In other words, this fog was the Gluttony Octos¡¯ habitat. Since the fog was still rtively low and close to the ground, we could attack them without much trouble, but the moment everything were to be covered in fog, the only way we could survive would be to shake the fog off and run for our lives.

    ¡°Hey, hurry up! Get the hell out of here, quickly!¡±

    Following Ryan¡¯s barking, I noticed the caravan started to go faster, albeit slightly. However, I still didn¡¯t think we would be outpacing this fog anytime soon.

    So even now, we had no choice but to smash the enemy in front of us!

    ¡°Yaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!¡±

    One of the octopuses crawling on the ground jumped up as dove down towards me like a cannonball. It had its tentacles projected forward, and its tips were sharp like spears that looked incredibly sharp.

    However, my halberd had a longer reach.

    I shed horizontally with it as if to flick the octopus away. The halberd¡¯s ax de easily removed one of its tentacles, and it went on cutting through its warped head, splitting it in half.

    As a result, the dying octopus fell behind and was swallowed by the iing fog. It didn¡¯t seem like it would being back anymore.

    ¡°¨C!?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that I was caught off guard. But repositioning my heavy halberd into a ready position was taking a lot of effort out of me.

    And yet, two new octopuses were nowing at me with their spear-like tentacles, looking to take advantage of my slight opening.

    (I won¡¯t be ready to counter this!)

    ¡°Wooooaaaahhh! Reki, are you okay!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so reckless!¡±

    What suddenly appeared in front of me from the side was a spear with red and ck mesing out of its tip.

    Having been pierced by the mes that burned more vigorously than that of a torch, the two octopuses let out a high-pitched scream.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    While thanking Ted and Ryan¡¯s younger brother Todd for their support at the best possible time, I struck a blow to the octopuses, which were already in pain due to being on fire.

    ¡°Phew, I sure am d Priest Kuroe gave me this spear.¡±

    Ted might have sounded a bit silly saying that as he wielded a spear on fire, but I still couldn¡¯t agree more with him.

    These octopuses wouldn¡¯t be stopped even if pierced by ordinary spears. However, if the spear is on fire, they would slow down a lot. They would wriggle and m their tentacles on the ground as if they didn¡¯t have the power to fight back.

    Priest Kuroe was truly a great person who could do anything, even create magical weapons. Even though he was not by my side, I still felt like he was protecting me... Which made my chest feel incredibly warm.

    ¡°Dammit! I missed!!¡±

    My emotional moment was cut short by a sudden turn of events.

    More than Ryan¡¯s blunder, it seemed that the enemy¡¯s numbers had finally be greater than what we could handle. One of the octopuses had slipped through the vigntes¡¯ defenses and approached the carriage at the end of the line.

    It was about 2 meters tall. However, it was unexpectedly quick as it crawled on the ground as if it was swimming. All I managed to see was a faint silhouette dashing through the fog.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    I reached for the Ignited Dagger hanging from my waist, and was about to pull it out ¨Cbut then I changed my mind. The octopus was already right behind the carriage. Setting it on fire would probably cause it to thrash about, and that could end up making the carriage itself catch fire

    However, I wasn¡¯t feeling shy about hitting it with an ordinary weapon. At this point, there was no safe nor reliable way to deal with that octopus except by attacking it directly with my halberd.

    ¡°Reki¡¯s on it!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    I turned around and sped up. I was indeed closing the gap between myself and the carriage, but... I felt like I wouldn¡¯t make it in time.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!¡±

    Along with the panicking screaming of a woman, the carriage itself started to sway around so much that it almost got toppled over. The octopus had stabbed the horse pulling the carriage with its sharp tentacles, causing a ssh of red to spurt out violently from the other side of carriage, and the entire vehicle was thrown out of control.

    ¡°¨CAh!?¡±

    Due to the violent shaking, the carriage finally fell to its side on the ground, and the children on board were thrown out of it. Among them were Sister Yuuri and Ted¡¯s wife, who had recently had a baby.

    Fortunately, the speed of the carriage hadn¡¯t been that high, and the height of the tform where they were all sitting was low above the ground, so the fall itself wouldn¡¯t have caused anyone any serious injuries.

    However, falling to the ground in this situation, when they had a man-eating monster heading straight towards them, was far too dangerous. After bringing the carriage to a stop, the octopus glided away from it and quickly threw its tentacles towards its prey.

    It would still take me a few seconds to drive my halberd into its brain.

    It was a brief moment. But it would be enough for that octopus to throw a small child into its maw.

    ¡°Nooooo!! Evaaaa! Let go of my Evaaaaaa!¡±

    The prey chosen by the octopus was the smallest one it could find.

    Perhaps the fall had caused the little girl to be thrown off from her mother¡¯s embrace. The newly born Eva,Ted¡¯s daughter, who had been wrapped in a warm nket after Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuury performed a birth ritual for her in the middle of the night, had left her mother¡¯s arms andy unprotected on the ground.

    The voice of Eva crying reached my ears. I wondered for a moment if the octopus could hear it in the same way I did? Either way, it stretched its tentacles straight to Eva and caught her without difficulty.

    Perhaps by chance, the tentacle¡¯s spear-like tip was caught in the nket, so Eva wasn¡¯t stabbed.

    But the next moment, she would be thrown into a hideous cave-like round maw.

    (No! Even if I run with all my strength, I won¡¯t make it in time! It will swallow her whole before I can get any closer!)

    ¡°¨CPhew.¡±

    At that time, I felt that a white wind had blown through.

    As I felt the soft breeze stroking my cheeks, I saw her. I saw Sister Yuuri pulling out her sword.

    After being thrown to the ground, she couldn¡¯t get back up since she had no legs. But instead, she had managed to sit up straight in a very imposing manner.

    Then, with her left hand, she pulled out the beautiful rapier adorned with a dazzling emerald from the right side of her waist. It was a simple motion, but it had been so beautifully executed that it made me shiver.

    Was she familiar with using a sword? Was she good? I couldn¡¯t put my impressions into words. The way she had moved the sword itself was much more sophisticated that anything I or the vigntes had ever been able to produce.

    It had looked like a slow movement, but in reality, it was more like a sh. An ultra-fast sword movement that was done in less time than I took a step.

    Then, as the splendid silver de ¨Cwhich was just as magnificent as its shy decoration¨C was revealed, Sister Yuuri jumped.

    It was impossible. Even though it had happened right before my eyes, I could not believe it. How was a human with no legs able to jump?

    ¡°...The wind.¡±

    Unusually for me, I immediately came up with an answer. If you don¡¯t have feet to propel you from the ground, you can use magical power instead.

    And the idea of Wind Magic could havee to my mind immediately because I experienced it first-hand when I fought against Dortos.

    A faint green breeze was blowing from the rapier in Sister Yuuri¡¯s hand. The emerald green airflow generated by it carried her otherwise immobile body and gave it the freedom it otherwisecked.

    As a result, Sister Yuuri flew forward about three meters.

    I could see it happen and acknowledge it to be real. But it still felt like a dream. Due to herck of lings, Sister Yuuri¡¯s habit was too loose, and now her wimple wasrge enough to hide her face. I wondered if the violently fluttering white and navy blue fabrics wouldn¡¯t get entangled with each other.

    Then, she flew forward with the power of the wind towards the octopus that was on the verge of throwing Eva into its gaping maw.

    A sh of silver was drawn in the void. The way she had pulled the sword had been magnificent, and the motion of her wielding the de had been very beautiful as well. In spite of myself, I found myselfpletely enthralled by it.

    Then a sh, which I hadn¡¯t noticed until I saw the tentacles that had captured little Eva all cut off, and the octopus screaming in pain while sttering green blood from its wounds.

    As I turned my gaze a little to the side, I saw Sister Yuuri making a splendidnding. She was holding her rapier by the de using her tiny mouth, as her left hand was busy holding Eva.

    She had freed her only hand right after cutting the octopus¡¯ tentacles so that she could catch Eva before she could fall to the ground.

    New novels chapters are published ?n !

    That series of actions had beenpletely invisible. The only way to understand what had happened was to see its results and then guess the rest. It was as if I had witnessed the miracle of God happening right before my very eyes.

    But I knew that God had had no hand in this oue. This had been possible purely thanks to Sister Yuuri¡¯s own superhuman prowess.

    ¡°...Air sh.¡±

    After softly putting Eva down onto the ground, Sister Yuuri took her rapier in hand again and unleashed her martial arts to deliver the final blow to the octopus.

    For some reason, the octopus¡¯s body was split into four pieces, despite the fact that the de itself hadn¡¯t actually reached it.

    Then I realized. That was the famous ¡°de of wind¡±. Priest Kuroe once told me of the lower-level spell ¡°Air Sagitta¡±, which could create this de of wind to tear through foes with. He also told me that reproducing simr effects with weapons would make it a martial art rather than a magic spell.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know she could do... something like that...¡±

    I was at a loss for words. I was just standing therepletely dumbfounded, as if there were no enemies left to defeat, looking like a total idiot.

    ¡°Eva! You¡¯re safe... Ah... Thank you so much, Sister Yuuri!¡±

    The first person to rush to Sister Yuuri was Eva¡¯s mom. Shey softly on her ground, holding her daughter tightly in her chest, never letting go, and tears ran down her cheeks as she thanked her savior over and over again.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Let¡¯s make haste.¡±

    Sister Yuuri looked as cool as always as she gave her reply. She always had this expressionless look on her face, as if nothing ever impressed her.

    Even though we were under attack by a swarm of monsters, her face was mostly unchanged. ...It was as if she had no human emotions. And the series of movements she had just performed weren¡¯t something the average Sister could do. I wondered if she was actually some sort of first ss swordfighter. Even though she had lost both of her legs and her dominant arm, she had managed to cut the monster down while keeping a cool face about it, and to rescue the baby without causing her so much as a scratch.

    I suddenly failed to understand her any more. Who the hell was this person?

    ¡°...Ah.¡±

    However, the answer came in like a sh.

    (That¡¯s right. Of course she¡¯s going to be incredibly strong. After all, she¡¯s Priest Kuroe¡¯spanion.)

    I didn¡¯t have any actual proof of this, but I was convinced by this answer either way.

    ¡°A-Ah... So after all... Reki won¡¯t do, right?¡±

    (What am I even doing?¡±)

    Even this fight suddenly felt like it was for nothing.

    ¡°Reki.¡±

    I was in such a daze that it wasn¡¯t after a few eyeblinks that I realized that Sister Yuuri was calling my name.

    Her red eyes, which looked like those of Barbadian ascent but felt terribly different, were pointed straight at me. My ¡°Yes?¡± came out low in spirits, and I involuntarily turned my eyes away from her gaze.

    ¡°I will help you as well.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes... Thank you...¡±

    My feelings of gloom were nowhere near to stopping. There was no reason for it to stop.

    Sister Yuuri, who had no legs and no dominant hand, was arguably the strongest among all of the people here.

    It made my existence feel worthless.

    ¡°¨CAir Overst¡±

    Another swing of her sword, and a strong green de of wind blew through the road.

    As I turned around, I saw a number of octopuses that were approaching the vignte forces being torned apart, their blood sshing everywhere. The de of wind, which had shone in a pale emerald, was sharper than an iron sword, we could all easily see how easily it tore through their bodies, as if a block of butter had been sliced by a hot knife.

    ¡°Oh, the fog...¡±

    Of course, we could all see it very clearly because the fog that filled the road was gone as well.

    The fog had been cleared away by the magical wind unleashed by Sister Yuuri¡¯s de.

    But it wasn¡¯tpletely gone. Sister Yuuri¡¯s ¡°Air Overst¡± had brushed away arge portion of the fog, but everywhere past a few dozens of meters away, which had been outside its area of effect, was still covered in that swirling white fog.

    Still, our visibility had improved considerably.

    ¡°Whoa! What the... You¡¯re amazing! Way to go, Yuuri!¡±

    Ryan, who was honest to a fault, seemed to be a little envious rather than simply surprised.

    ¡°A sorcerer hase to help us?¡±

    ¡°We can beat them now!¡±

    Not only Ryan, but other vignte members were on the same page...

    But in reality, I must have been the only one having mixed feelings about Sister Yuuri¡¯s prowess. I was ashamed to admit that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel honestly happy that she had jumped in to help us.

    ¡°Air Overst.¡±

    Without responding to the vigntes¡¯ joyful voice, Sister Yuuri just continued swinging her sword.

    With a single swing, the fog in front of her was cleared and dozens of octopuses were cut down. The number of enemies that managed to sneak through her de of wind to reach us was less than half of what it was before. The vignte members split into groups of three to safely take down the remaining enemies.

    One would stab an enemy with their Ignited Lance while another member would use a long-edged weapon such as a sword or an ax to cut deeply into its head. Their solidly coordinated work was the result of training with Priest Kuroe, and Chloe, and thanks to that, the octopuses were killed one after another smoothly.

    Thus we continued to advance rapidly while dyeing the road with the octopuses¡¯ fresh green blood. Miraculously, without any casualties on our side.

    ¡°Oh, the fog is receding!¡±

    Soon, the fog would clear up. To our right was a quiet snowy forest, and to our left we could see arge mountain range ¨Cwhich seemed to be Ghad¨C in the distance.

    But as we looked behind ourselves, the white fog continued to drift as if a cluster of clouds had fallen from the sky.

    ¡°Looks like they won¡¯te after us if there is no fog around.¡±

    I looked around the surroundings carefully, but I couldn¡¯t see any octopuses anymore. However, I had no doubt that they were still lurking in that fog behind us.

    For now, we would be safe as long as that fog wouldn¡¯te this way.

    ¡°Phew, we managed to escape thanks to you, Yuuri.¡±

    With a refreshing look as if he had just finished a job, Ryan shared his joy about everyone being safe with the other vigntes.

    We still had a long way to go to Alsace Fortress, but we had managed to survive those relentless octopuses¡¯ pursuit. We were entitled to some honest joy at this point.

    ¡°Hey, Reki, you worked really hard too! I¡¯ll tell the priest that you did a great job! Haha!¡±

    Worked hard? A great job?

    (Who, me? Can I really throw out my chest and ept Priest Kuroe¡¯spliments for what I¡¯ve aplished here?)

    ¡°...No.¡±

    No. Absolutely no.

    I haven¡¯t aplished anything.

    ¡°Hey, Reki, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with the grim face? Did you get hurt somewhere?¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t suffered any injuries.

    What an easy battle it was! Even a sparring session with Priest Kuroe would¡¯ve made me break more of a sweat than this.

    I didn¡¯t even fight. All I did was keep myself alive.

    All while Sister Yuuri saved us all.

    Priest Kuroe¡¯s special someone. And, without a shadow of a doubt, someone strong enough that he¡¯d choose her as the one to remain by his side.

    ¡°I have no way to catch up at all at this rate.¡±

    That day, when I betrayed Ur, my own sister...

    I had made up my mind.

    I would chase after Priest Kuroe. I would follow him to the ends of this world if I had to.

    ¡°Children can¡¯t be taken to the battlefield.¡±

    I would follow him precisely because he said that. I would make sure I¡¯d catch up to him and show him.

    I would show him that I wasn¡¯t a child, and that I¡¯m much stronger than ever. Strong enough to be by his side.

    I wanted to be strong. I had to be strong enough to be able to fight alongside him instead of just being a burden.

    I couldn¡¯t let myself be saved by Sister Yuuri like that.

    But far from having be stronger, I was inferior to Ur.

    Beyond that fog, at the 203rd Supply Base Colony, she was still fighting side by side with Priest Kuroe. And I couldn¡¯t help but wish we¡¯d switch ces.

    I felt so worthless I couldn¡¯t stand myself anymore.

    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±

    So I jumped out.

    I turned around and started rushing back to the vige along the path we had conquered so far.

    ¡°H-Hey, Reki! What are you doing!? Come back!¡±

    I could hear Ryan¡¯s screams calling me from behind. Perhaps he was not only trying to stop me, and was actually chasing me..

    Naturally, I stopped. I was well aware of how stupid this was.

    But still, I couldn¡¯t stop these feelings of helplesness anymore.

    ¡°Reki will do it, Reki will do it for sure! Reki will definitely... definitely follow Priest Kuroe!!¡±

    I took up my halberd and jumped back into the monster-infested fog.

 Chapter 503

    <h4>Chapter 503</h4>

    The ck Demon King 503

    Chapter 26: Storm of Gluttony

    The Wrong Time to Withdraw (1)

    The Crusaders¡¯ defense finally copsed in front of the swarming horde of Gluttony Octos. The 203rd Supply Base Colony had now turned into a pandemonium.

    ¡°Waaaaahhhhh! H-Heeeeelp!!¡±

    As I ran along with the fleeing soldiers, I heard someone calling for help nearby.

    When I turned towards its source, I found a fallen soldier who had been caught by a crawling octopus. His standard iron helmet, which was decorated with a cross, made a rattling sound as it rolled on the ground, as if it hade off when the soldier copsed. His exposed face revealed that he was still very young.

    He looked like he was about 15 years old, and though that would make him a grown-up in this world, his face still had the innocence of a child and was full of fear.

    ¡°Bullet Arts.¡±

    He was definitely younger than me, at least. And I saw that I had a chance to shoot. So I took it in order to help him.

    I fired two rounds. The first one severed the tentacles that weretching onto the young soldier¡¯s legs, and the other one pierced the octopus¡¯ head.

    Released from his terrifying restraints, the young soldier looked like he didn¡¯t know what had just happened, but he knew enough to realize that he had regained his freedom. Feeling relieved that he had narrowly escaped death, he quickly got back up on his feet. His fear had turned into tears, and his joy was made visible in his smile.

    ¡°¨CG-Gaahhh!¡±

    But the next moment, a spear-headed tentacle pierced through his back,ing out from the middle of his chest. Using the barbed tip of its tentacle ¨Cwhich looked more like a harpoon¨C, its owner sluggishly dragged its freshly caught prey, then quickly flung it towards the fog.

    ¡°...Shit.¡±

    I muttered this hoping that my full-face helmet¡¯s thickness was enough so that Urs, who I was carrying under my arm, wouldn¡¯t hear it.

    He had been a soldier of the Crusader Army, my sworn enemies. I had no idea how many of these guys had perished in our many battles against one another, nor how many of them I myself had killed with my own hands.

    And yet, seeing this one-sided ughter in front of my eyes like this sent a shiver down my spine. He was still a human being, after all. I couldn¡¯t help but wish I could¡¯ve done more to help him.

    However, as if to ridicule my little good intentions, these octopuses showed me even more hell.

    ¡°Dammit¨C¡±

    Before I knew it, we had reached the central square of the vige. It was bigger than the one in our vige, and was surrounded byrge buildings. And it was currently overflowing with vigers fleeing from the sudden invasion of monsters.

    And the octopuses, who can drop down anywhere in the vige from the sky, had also gathered at this ce. In other words, this square had turned into their feeding grounds.

    ¡°Kyaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    I was hit by the deafening, heartbreaking screams of a woman. Looking around, I found what seemed to be a young mother and her baby being attacked.

    She was heading for a church, which looked more magnificent than the one we had in our vige.

    Due to its sturdy build and itsrge chapel, the church seemed to be acting as a evacuation site for the fleeing vigers.

    Its main gate was still open, and several Crusader infantry and others who seemed to be part of this vige¡¯s vignte forces had gathered together to block the invasion of monsters while taking in refugees into the church.

    The young mother was only ten meters away from running into the safety of the church, but at that moment, her ankles were entwined with green tentacles.

    ¡°Bullet Arts¨C¡±

    Thinking it wasn¡¯t toote yet, I reflexively set my aim. But right after that, arge shadownded in front of my eyes. It was, of course, a green octopus.

    It was one of the medium ones, towering over about 3 meters above the ground, but this one was particrly plump. Its head was greatly bloated, and its four tentacles were thicker than the others of its kind.

    It bore its fangs from its round maw, letting out a menacing roar, and swinging its spear-headed tentacles in such a violent way that it reminded me of a kind of alien I had seen on a TV show back in my home world.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel terribly threatened by this guy, but it had still taken me by surprise.

    Still, I brought down the halberd in my right hand into its humongous head before its tentacles could reach me. With that single blow, the octopus was split in two and slumped onto the cobbled ground.

    However, what I wanted to do was not to cut this guy down, but to save the mother and child who were about to be attacked a little farther ahead.

    I would ready my aim to fire my magic bullets once again, but it remained a thought. I didn¡¯t even get to move my arm.

    ¡°Ah¨C¡±

    Urs, who was still being carried under my left arm, let out a cute but horrified quiet scream of surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look, Urs.¡±

    I turned around in order to block her view.

    What I saw beyond the bloodied remains of the bloated octopus was a desperate predation scene.

    The mother was already in the middle of being swallowed into the octopus¡¯ maw from her head down. Whether she was still alive or dead, I couldn¡¯t tell just by looking at her white legs bouncing limply as the monster continued to gobble her down.

    Right next to that scene, I saw several small octopuses of the 50-centimeter-long kind flocking to the mother¡¯s baby whoy on the ground. I felt it was better for Urs¡¯s mental health that she didn¡¯t see the baby¡¯s soft body being torn to shreds by the swarm of hungry small octopuses.

    ¡°Shit... Dammit...!¡±

    I had been repeating those words for some time.

    It was toote to help anyone. Even if I could help them, it would be all for nothing. Even now, I couldn¡¯t make it in time to save that mother and her baby because my line of fire was blocked for an instant.

    It was inevitable, after all.

    Everywhere I looked, there were simply too many enemies. All I heard was the loud chorus of screams echoing from the surroundings. And there had been way too many victims.

    I had to make a decision. I had to stop being disturbed by trifles. In a situation like this, I just had to focus on running away and abandon everything and everyone else. I should have done that from the beginning.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, please put me down.¡±

    Urs suddenly said such a thing while tapping on my waistte. So I did as she said.

    ¡°Can you run by yourself?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to fight.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for that. If we just keep running ahead, we might¨C¡±

    ¡°I want to help them. Let¡¯s do what we can to help the people of this vige, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    Her blue eyes , which looked straight up at me, were clear and beautiful enough to draw you in. However, her most beautiful trait was probably her heart, which was eager to help those in need.

    I found myself unconsciously looking away from the purity of her soul, which had been projected by her blue eyes.

    ¡°Standing our ground and fighting them off is going to get pretty dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Uhuhu, I knew it, Priest Kuroe. You want to help them as well. Don¡¯t deny it.¡±

    Urs had a childishly triumphant smile on her face, as if she had pulled a prank on me and I had fallen for it. As if she could see through everything, including every silly conflict inside my mind.

    After all, I was the one being childish, wasn¡¯t I?

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. Are you really sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. After all, we¡¯re both here.¡±

    My own power, as well as Urs¡¯s... If we tried our hardest, both of us should at the very least be able to help all of the vigers that had barricaded themselves inside the church escape to safety.

    On the other hand, Urs and I would be putting our lives on the line.

    Had I been a proper adult, I would probably have had to scold Urs for thinking about putting herself in danger like that, and prioritize our own escape. It would have been my duty as her guardian.

    But instead, I easily agreed with her, probably because I was still a kid myself. After all, wasn¡¯t I a 17-year-old, second-year senior high school student?

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, the warehouse on the west side is a single white stone building. That¡¯s this base¡¯s armory.¡±

    As expected of Urs and her clear mind. Now I knew exactly what I needed.

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°I overheard a conversation about it between two soldiers yesterday. It also seems to store many supplies that would be sent to the Alsace Fortress, so you should be able to find some weapons there.¡±

    I was grateful for the information, but there was one problem.

    ¡°That means you¡¯ll be on your own for a while.¡±

    Looking at our situation, it was clear that we didn¡¯t have time to go looking for weapons while taking Urs with me. We needed to start rescuing people as soon as possible, otherwise it would be toote when we returned.

    If we wanted to save the vigers, we would have no choice but to have me go get the weapons by myself while Urs started fighting as soon as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold on one way or another. Believe in me, no, in the power of me and Anastasia.¡±

    There was no time for me to worry about anything else anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡±

    With that, I left Urs and ran towards the warehouse where the Crusaders¡¯ supplies were stored.

    Urs, who was now alone in the middle of the square -which had turned into a hellish version of itself where countless tentacles capture, pierce through, and eat people alive¨C quietly unleashed her power.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll deal with every single one of you, for Priest Kuroe¡¯s sake ¨C¡¯White Yaksha Princess ¨C Anastasia¡¯.¡±

    No one would have expected to see a white demonic princess appear silently, flickering in like a haze. In this extreme situation, not only the vigers, but even the armed soldiers were running around with their vision heavily impaired by the fog.

    Therefore, Urs wielded her power freely, without fear of being judged by others for it.

    ¡°Yah!¡±

    She started with the closest enemies she could find.

    Strangely enough, Anastasia¡¯s four arms matched the Gluttony Octos¡¯ four tentacles. However, her movement was different from the undting motion of the tentacles, and they managed to grab hold of the octopuses with the speed and uracy of a swallow swooping down on its prey.

    An octopus that was stretching out its tentacles towards its own prey, the one who had already skewered someone¡¯s back, the one who had just bitten into someone¡¯s head... all of them were wiped away by the touch of Anastasia¡¯s white hand.

    Was it because these monsters were boneless? But even if they had had bones in their bodies, they would have still been turned into a pile of ash before Anastasia¡¯s power.

    ¡°There are too many of them after all.¡±

    The disgusted Urs muttered that as Anastasia continued to swing her arms around in all directions,pletely decimating any enemies within five meters of herself, including those that still continued descending from the sky right above her head.

    There had been neither fear nor anxiety in that expression, only a feeling of being purely annoyed. It was like a civilian facing a pile of troublesome documents.

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry if this hits any of you.¡±

    This was nothing but a sarcastic apology. Urs kept using her power without restraint even more, as if he had made up her mind about it..

    Anastasia looked like she was wearing a pure white robe, but its hem was like a translucent veil thatpletely wrapped around Urs. It was a thin section that looked like it could be easily blown away by the wind, but it had already be clear from training with Kuroe that this was effectively like a barrier that blocked attacks from the outside.

    Even if Kuroe¡¯s explosive magic were to detonate right next to her, she would be able to get through itpletely unfazed, since the veil could absorb and nullify the heat and shockwave of an explosion. However, it had its limits, so it was like other defensive magic that would not be able topletely block an attack that went over that limit in power or number of hits. Even so, it was still a very reliable defensive ability that protected her from all directions.

    From under this thin silk barrier, a mist suddenly began to appear, just like the first time she used this ability.

    Though this mist looked simr to the fog that was covering the vige, its essence waspletely different. Because it was a maninfestation of Anastasia¡¯s draining ability.

    ¡°Disappear ¨CFull Burst¡±

    In an instant, the mist exploded into a white st that ran through the surroundings. There had been no heat nor shockwave. Only a strong gust of wind that was unleashed in an instant.

    The st that was unleashed with Urs at its center stole the magical power and vitality from friends and foes alike within a radius of 20 meters.

    It seemed that the st¡¯s draining ability was much lower than Anastasia¡¯s hands, as the octopuses fell limp on the ground and twitched their bodies and tentacles, but none of them died. However, thanks to that weakness, the fleeing vigers had only been slightly weakened by it.

    For the time being, Urs had seeded in neutralizing the monsters.

    ¡°Ah, the fog is gone... Hmm, so it was caused by their magic after all.¡±

    Both the monsters she had to defeat and the vigers she had to savey all together in the ground in what seemed to be heaps of corpses all around, but Urs didn¡¯t pay any attention to them. Instead, she had let her vision wander into the beautifully clear sky..

    She would normally disy such a rather cold-hearted attitude, but in this case it was reasonable to take a moment to grasp the situation on the battlefield.

    Thanks to Kuroe¡¯s guidance, Urs now had a better understanding of the nature of her Draining ability. It didn¡¯t weaken those affected like a poisonous gas, but rather, it merely robbed those in range of their magical power.

    The fact that the vigers had lost consciousness here, as well as Dortos turning into bones, was nothing more than the result of all of them having lost the magical power within their bodies.

    If only a small amount was absorbed, those affected would simply feel fatigued, while arge amount of magical power being absorbed would usually result in loss of consciousness. And if they were deprived of their life force, which was the amount of magical power necessary to sustain life as a living creature, they would die. Furthermore, if the absorption of that life force were to be strong enough to take it away in an instant, it would cause a sudden change in which the body instantly copsed leaving only the bones behind. An even stronger absorption would probably leave nothing but a pile of ashes behind.

    With creatures whose physical body and magical power were closely rted, Urs¡¯s draining ability was a powerful and dangerous force that could dramatically affect them in an instant.

    Conversely, that also meant that it waspletely useless against inorganic substances such as stone and iron, which had almost no magical power. For example, the stone wall that surrounded this vige. No matter how much Anastasia would touch it with her hands, her ability alone wouldn¡¯t help her break through it at all.

    And it was the same with this fog. If this dreadful white fog that surrounded them had originated from purely natural causes, Urs¡¯s draining ability would have done nothing to it.

    However, the fact that it disappeared was proof that this fog was magical in nature.

    There was a magic spell that could deprive an enemy of sight simply by clouding the surroundings with fog. Urs had learned from Kuroe that this was a type of support spell that assassins would normally learn.

    If so, this fog would be the same as that. A magic spell used by the Gluttony Octos themselves.

    Although it was already very easy to guess that this unnatural fog had been caused by these octopus monsters from the beginning.

    ¡°Maybe if I do it like a Wind Barrier...¡±

    If this fog was just a mass of magic power, it would be easy for Urs to get rid of it with her own magic.

    It would be Urs¡¯s first time directing her draining ability towards something intangible like this fog, but since she had already managed to fully control Anastasia, it was nothing that a simple matter of application. As she witnessed a Wind Mage blowing some of the fog away, she realized she could use them as a reference example.

    Therefore, all she had to do was to put it into practice.

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see... How about this?¡±

    She made a mental image of the mist of her draining ability covering the area like a film spreading all around her.

    The wind barrier repelled the iing fog blowing it away, but Urs¡¯s draining aura was able to absorb it automatically simply by existing. Urs figured that rather than just letting this aura run freely, it would be safer to make it like a dome that could cover her from every direction.

    Though it was just an idea, Anastasia, being a loyal servant who followed her mistress¡¯ will without hesitation, produced the exact same effect Urs had envisioned.

    She released a thin mist in every direction with her in the center just like the st wave that had incapacitated viger and octopus alike. Then, she limited its expansion to a spherical radius of about fifty meters, holding it firmly so that there were no openings.

    Anastasia¡¯s drain ability is proportional to herposition density. Her humanoid form had the highest density, while a mere haze had the lowest density.

    However, even her lowest density would have enough draining power to keep the fog generated by the Gluttony Octos at bay. The fog within the range of her draining ability had beenpletely cleared, just like how that Wind Mage used a barrier to achieve a simr effect.

    ¡°Hmm, it looks like this¡¯ll do.¡±

    It seemed that using this draining barrier constantly was easy enough for her. Urs had been worried that she could have had to spend too much concentration to keep it active, but it appeared that there was no need for her to worry about that.

    If they could secure their visibility, it would make fighting this battle easier for both herself and her allies.

    Urs didn¡¯t think that she would be able to protect all of the vigers all by herself. Though the Crusaders had been quick to flee, she knew that this evacuation wouldn¡¯t seed without their help.

    ¡°Now I should provide some support for our allies.¡±

    Far from getting confused or impatient, now that she boasted both an impregnable defense in the form of her draining barrier that could repel the fog as well as the ability to drain the octopus of their energy with a single hit, Urs carried out what should be done calmly and in an orderly manner.

    Now that she had secured her own safety, her next step was to assist the Crusader soldiers and rebuild the line of defense.

    ¡°Uooooooohhhhh! I will hold this line, no matter what!!¡±

    The heavy knight captain Cliff was shouting so loudly that his voice echoed throughout the square. He must have been fighting bravely in front of the stone wall, but with his subordinates fleeing one after another, even the toughest of the heavy knights would have ended up being forced to retreat here.

    Urs¡¯s honest impression was that he was lucky to have survived this much. He seemed to have escaped for dear life until he finally arrived at the square¡¯s entrance. The number of soldiers had greatly decreased since the beginning of this battle.

    However, it was fortunate that there were still allies who still maintained their will to fight against these desperate odds, especially when it was a group of powerful heavy knights. On top of that, the captain of the heavy knights would probably have a fairly high rank among the Crusaders, so his position could prove very useful when attempting to regroup:

    Urs then set out to assist the weakened heavy knight unit, and started walking lightly through the square, almost as if taking a leisurely stroll.

    The octopuses she eliminated along the way would be reced by new ones, but Urs still quickly brushed them off with Anastasia¡¯s draining hands and arrived at the heavy knights¡¯ position, where they were making theirst stand.

    ¡°Excuse meee!¡±

    ¡°Gah, they¡¯re rushing in all at once! Everyone, shields up¨C¡±

    Naturally, these knights ¨Cwho not only were wearing thick helmets but were alsopletely focused in their fierce battle¨C would have a hard time hearing Urs¡¯s quiet voice. And even if they had managed to hear it, they probably wouldn¡¯t have time to pay attention to anything a child would have to say to them.

    They were fully dedicated to intercepting the rushing horde of octopuses that approached them with the force of an avnche. Since the fog had been cleared out here, they could easily see the enemy, which only made them pay even more attention to them.

    Being focused on the battlefield was one thing. Butpletely ignoring her like this was an entirely different matter.

    ¡°Hmph! Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m trying to talk to you? You... You tunnel-visioned amateurs!¡±

    With that mild curse directed at the heavy knights that dared to ignore her, Urs decided to quickly clear up the enemies in front of them in order to draw their attention to herself.

    She unleashed her four draining arms towards the octopuses with a force fueled by her dissatisfaction. If the octopuses were to disappear abruptly, it would cause quite an impression on the heavy knights.

    And ¡°abruptly¡± almost wasn¡¯t enough of a word to describe how the octopuses were literally snuffed out like a weak candle fire. It had been an overkill, like crushing an ant with a warhammer.

    ¡°W-What!? What happened¨C¡±

    ¡°I did this.¡±

    When the confused Cliff turned around, Urs was standing there with her chest puffed out.

    ¡°Nonsense, where the hell is the mage that did this!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I did this.¡±

    Urs had Anastasia lean forward and stare at the extremely rude amateur knight that had dared to ignore her.

    ¡°Uwaah!? W-What is this!?¡±

    ¡°This is my Origin Magic. I¡¯ve been using it since the beginning of the battle at the gate. You didn¡¯t see it?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no... I did see a white gust of wind that wiped out some of those devilfish monsters, but... I never thought that a young girl like you would be the one who had cast such a spell.¡±

    ¡°Are you blind?¡±

    Urs sneered at Cliff¡¯sck of situational awareness, but he actually had a point. It was basically impossible to picture a 15-year-old girl standing side by side with Crusader soldiers, who were renowned as being a powerful military force.

    However, there are exceptions to everything. A general could give special permission to talented children to join their ranks, and there were some special units formed exclusively by children.

    ¡°You must be one of the people who evacuated from the neighboring vige.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Urs, an apprentice sister from the 202nd Colony. This is my spell, ¡®White Yaksha Princess ¨C Anastasia¡¯.¡±¡¯

    Though Cliff wondered why there were children fighting in this battle, that question didn¡¯t daree out of his mouth while he stood before Urs, who was apanied by Anastasia and the extraordinary magical power that emanated from her. He quickly realized that this was a child with special powers that can fight hordes of monsters all by herself.

    ¡°I want to help evacuate the vigers. I will provide as much support as I can, so let¡¯s work together.¡±

    ¡°Kuh, as a knight, even if you have a lot of power, I can¡¯t let a little girl like you fight, but... It¡¯s not like I have much of a choice. I appreciate your assistance, Miss Urs.¡±

    ¡°Okay, that settles it.¡±

    Though Urs nodded in a very arrogant manner, Cliff started to move with little regard for her attitude.

    ¡°Reorganize the formation around the church. Recall the soldiers and rebuild our defensive line. As soon as we¡¯ve all gathered, we¡¯ll secure an escape route. We¡¯ll then withdraw to Alsace Fortress while making sure every viger escapes safely!¡±

    Cliff issued his instructions rapidly, one after the other. First, his subordinates, the heavy knights, began to move, raising their voices to recall the soldiers that had escaped. At the same time, they urged any panicking vigers they found on their way to retreat to the church.

    ¡°Hey! If you don¡¯t want to die, you better take up your spear! If you keep running away from this fight, we won¡¯t hesitate to stab you in the back!¡±

    ¡°Hurry! Get in the church, you¡¯ll be safe there!¡±

    The za had turned into a crucible of chaos, but since arge portion of that thick fog had been cleared out and the strong heavy knights were somehow managing to hold the terrifying monsters back, soldiers and vigers had started to gather once again into a semnce of order.

    Even the cowards that did nothing but run away to protect themselves forgetting about their pride as a knight and their duty as a soldier knew that this was the safest ce in the vige at the moment. It was a matter of human psychology to feel a sense of security in gathering in this ce rather than trying to get as far from the fog as possible.

    Before long, dozens of soldiers had gathered in front of the church, lined up shoulder to shoulder with the heavy knights and set up a desperate line of spears to wait for the enemy.

    However,pared to the battle in front of the main gate earlier, the number of enemies attacking them was much smaller. It was all because of Urs¡¯s support.

    ¡°Hey, any word from headquarters!?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve already been annihted! The deputy basemander, the officers, they¡¯re all in those octopuses¡¯ bellies. Captain Cliff, you¡¯re the highest-ranked officer right now.¡±

    That was the answer he got after asking one of the soldiers who seemed to be running away from the headquarters.

    ¡°Gah, then there¡¯s no other choice, I¡¯ll take over themand!¡±

    Cliff¡¯s words alone might have sounded as if he was frustrated by the idea, but his tone of voice evoked a hint of joy.

    Urs understood that feeling. She remembered that the highest-ranked official here used to be that stupid mushroom-headed Mashram, and that his deputy after his disappearance was just as unwilling and ipetent as he was to run the circus.

    However, it would normally be hard for anyone to show even a shred of enthusiasm after being charged with the management of such a half-baked base of operations that wasn¡¯t important enough to allow for them to show their feats on the battlefield. It would be quite rare to find someone who would be actually happy to be in charge of such a ce like Cliff was showing to be.

    But now Urs guessed that the reason why Cliff was so joyful about it was that despite its disadvantage, he was still at the top of the hierarchy here in both name and essence.

    ¡°Men really are stupid.¡±

    While muttering what sounded like a line taken from a second-rate romance novel, she continued to wield Anastasia¡¯s skills in order to safely gather as many soldiers as possible.

    ¡°Amazing, she¡¯spletely blocking them.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let your guard down, we all have to make it out of here!¡±

    ¡°Fire! Light the fire! They are weak against fire!¡±

    ¡°Those without weapons should carry torches! Don¡¯t let them get closer!¡±

    The Crusaders were rebuilding their lines at an rmingly quick pace.

    Thanks to Urs¡¯s support, the octopuses¡¯ advance had been put to a halt, and hope was rekindled inside the soldiers¡¯ hearts.

    There were now about 50 soldiers gathered here. Furthermore, the men amongst the vigers who had taken refuge in the church, as well as courageous women and boys who were barely reaching adulthood, began to support them with weapons and torches.

    Everyone else seemed to have been safely evacuated, so their total numbers were now around the same military strength of 100 soldiers. These were thest remaining forces still within the walls of the 203rd Colony. No more people were rushing into the square and the only things still moving around through the fog were those octopuses.

    ¡°Miss Urs, we can¡¯t hope to save anyone else! We have to start retreating!¡±

    Having been calmly observing the surroundings during the fight, Urs actually agreed with Cliff¡¯s opinion. But she could not give an immediate answer.

    Priest Kuroe hadn¡¯t returned yet.

    ¡°...Priest Kuroe is very strong, he should be fine.¡±

    After thinking about it for a while, she came to that conclusion. Even though he didn¡¯t have the help of Anastasia¡¯s tremendous power, there was no need to worry about him. He was strong enough to hold his own, and once he retreated he would be able to find her and rejoin with her.

    Urs nodded to herself, and was about to give Cliff her okay, but at that moment...

    ¡°Woaaahh!? T-That one is huge!!¡±

    A giant tentacle tip stabbed into the stone pavement of the za as if to drown out the soldiers¡¯ cries.

    The tentacles themselves, which stretched out from beyond the fog, were as long and thick as the trunk of arge tree. Their harpooned ws at the tip seemed to be asrge and sharp as a dragon¡¯s w rather than a spear.

    And at the end of those enormous tentacles, there was a huge head that towered high into the sky. Its dark, wide-open round maw at its bottom turned towards the soldiers as if it was about to suck them all in.

    ¡°Oh no, that doesn¡¯t look good at all!¡±

    Urs and Kuroe had seen one another 10-meter octopus just like that spewing out a powerful acid breath from its maw.

    Since they had all crowded together in order to brace themselves for the rushing smaller octopuses, a single acid breath attack would be enough to turn them all into mushy octopus food. Looking at the purple drool dripping from the maw of the giant octopus caused a chill to run down Urs¡¯s spine.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about that big one¨C¡±

    ¡°Step back, I¡¯ll take care if it.¡±

    Urs took a step forward, stopping Cliff who was about to jump out at any moment.

    No matter how well trained those heavy knights were, the giant octopus would be able to release his acid breath before they could even jump at it. Its circr maw had made a roaring intake sound, as if it was already halfway ready to fire.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you... what Anastasia and I can do!¡±

 Chapter 504

    <h4>Chapter 504</h4>

    504 Bad Time to Leave (2)

    ¡°Be it my resolve or Anastasia¡¯s¡ªI¡¯ll show it to you!¡±

    The moment Urs raised her hands, Anastasia¡¯s four hands followed in unison. Then, the white mist that embodied the Drain skill began to converge, as if being sucked in.

    She tried to use the same technique on Kuroe before, but it was interrupted by the noon bell. Since then, she never got the chance to use it. In other words, that was the first time for her to unleash it. Despite being a sudden production, Urs was unfazed.

    The principle of the technique itself was simple. Amass as much power as you could, before unleashing it.

    As she drew over the edge, Urs¡¯s eye changed. She was about to unleash the power drain. Thanks to being quite ustomed to the use of magic, her eyes didn¡¯t change that often. But usually, when you consume a lot of power, your eyes would change into demon-like, congested pupils, coupled with eerie purple eyes.

    Whether or not the giant octopus had noticed that Urs¡¯s eyes were changing color, its head started wiggling¡ªit was about to spit out a potent acid once again.

    However, Urs was faster.

    ¡°¡ªPurge everything, White Breath!¡±

    Akin to petals, Anastasia¡¯s four palms gathered. At the center point, a pure white tornado was unleashed. ¡®White Breath¡¯ was its name. At the same time, it was also Urs¡¯s greatest technique, specializing in annihtion and destruction. By striking a single point with its intense swirling and drain ability, the magic skill focused on obliterating everything.

    As a matter of course, the tornado had more absorption power than Anastasia¡¯s four arms bundled together. It hit the giant octopus, who was on the verge of firing Acid Breath, with supernal momentum. The white torrent streamed into its mouth, opening a hole in its huge head.

    ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡±

    Having drained herself of power, Urs was on the verge of copsing. At the same time, the White Breath, which had been diverted from its line of fire, popped out to further scrape the head of the giant octopus from the inside.

    The giant octopus, whose half of its head was sliced vertically, shook its four tentacles, before slowly tumbling into the ground as if sinking beneath the water.

    ¡°Ha... haa, haa... I-I¡¯m beat¡ª...¡±

    At the same time as the giant octopus sank into the earth, the white stream cannon that pierced the void also dispersed. The sweat on her forehead, along with herborious breathing, told just how exhausted Urs was.

    ¡°Hey, Urs, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, but right now... I can¡¯t afford to cast anything other than barriers...¡±

    ¡°That was some fantastic magic! You can leave everything to us! For now, just rest!¡±

    Somewhere in the distance, Urs concentrated on maintaining the barrier to provide us vision. Having defeated the main target, a roar of cheers erupted in the distance. Despite still retaining her form, Anastasia began to flicker, before vanishing quietly like steam. As it was, it¡¯d be impossible for her to attack with her arm.

    Urs¡¯s support and offense would have to be temporarily suspended. However, the crusader army would likely continue to fight bravely, since their morale was boosted.

    ¡°The enemy has ceased its offense¡ª! This is our opportunity¡ª! Commence with the retreat¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Retreat¡ª! Retreat¡ª! Hurry, get out of the church¡ª!¡±

    Along with Cliff¡¯s deration, the escape from the vige was finally carried. More than 100 vigers began to form a line outside the church, while the soldiers secured the surrounding area. Many of them were equipped with torches that were stockpiled in the church. The me shone brilliantly, as if to illuminate the pale darkness that blocked their way.

    ¡°Lady Urs, let us take the lead. We¡¯ll secure the path ahead.¡±

    ¡°Understood...¡±

    Although Urs was a little dizzy from fatigue, it didn¡¯t affect her judgment. Besides, she could still afford to move. Cliff had divided the army into two units, the front and the rear. The front unit would focus on securing a retreat route, while thetter would serve as a guard. Considering that time was of an essence, Cliff probably considered concentrating his forces in the front. However, as a knight, he had the obligation to protect the people. As such, he refrained from forming a formation that may lead to sacrifice.

    After contemting that, Urs joined the front along with Cliff, who made a loud ttering sound as he ran.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯re enemies from both directions...¡±

    Just a few dozen meters past the za, wriggling green masses could be seen hampering the road.

    Recognizing us as prey, one after another, they sprang out¡ªbe it from the back alleys, along the roofs of the houses, and even out of the windows. Apparently, they wouldn¡¯t let us escape that easily. The flock of octopuses, which was revolting to look at, was visible thanks to the barrier that Urs maintained. Albeit fortunate to not be ambushed from beyond the dense fog, the situation was far from good.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have no choice but to break through¡ª! Everyone, after me¡ª!¡±

    Cliff raised his halberd, which was covered with green blood, and boldlyunched an onught. Thinking that she had to support them, Urs tried tomand Anastasia, to no avail.

    ¡°We¡¯re so close...¡±

    If Urs were to remove the barrier, she should be able to at least move one of Anastasia¡¯s arms. However, it¡¯d be dangerous to advance without any vision. Albeit the road leading to the gate was wide, without vision, they¡¯d be slowed down.

    Urs was fully aware that she had to maintain the status quo. Thus, she could only begrudgingly watch as the heavy-armored knights fought fiercely against the octopus.

    After some time, she should¡¯ve replenished enough magic to switch to the offense. However, during that short period of time, one by one, her allies began to copse. Impatience swelled in Urs¡¯s delicate chest.

    ¡°¡ªNot good! Stay back!¡±

    At the same time as Cliff shouted, the sound of a copsing building suddenly resounded. Debris rained down, both vigers and soldiers screamed. They were just one step away from being thrown into chaos.

    ¡°J, just now, what did...?¡±

    When Urs, who was lying down, looked up in fear, she saw long tentacles wriggling in the sky. It looked simr to the tail of a dragon. She immediately guessed that the giant ws at the tip had desecrated the roofs and the walls of the houses¡ª

    ¡ªIt looked exactly like the huge tentacle of the giant octopus she had defeated earlier.

    It was the second 10-meter octopus.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    Looming over a certain two-story store, a huge head could be seen. The giant octopus spread its four limbs and stood as if to straddle the highway. Its moss-covered, boulder-like, head leaned towards the vigers. Immediately, screams and prayers to God, mixed in with the feeling of trepidation due to fear of being crushed.

    The giant octopus¡¯ terrifying mouth opened right above them, like the entrance to the abyss. Then, the sound of intake that she heard just a moment ago resounded. The giant octopus was ready to fire its breath.

    In the strong updraft that seemed to suck her entire body, Urs¡¯s silver hair, along with her monk attire, fluttered violently.

    ¡ªWe won¡¯t make it.

    That was all she could think about.

    Reflexively, Urs extended her hand, but only Anastasia¡¯s right arm moved. Instead of grabbing the enemy, it merely reached towards the sky in vain.

    Suddenly, her vision was dyed in ominous colors of ck and red. It was so bright, she had to close her eyes. At the same time, she also covered her ears.

    As if heaven and earth had been turned upside down, there was a roaring sound. A hot wind that scorched her skin blew through.

    She didn¡¯t know what happened. But as soon as she opened her eyes, she understood.

    ¡°¡ªKuroe!¡±

    On the other side of the giant octopus that slowly crashed to the ground while being engulfed in ck mes, right on top of the three-story roof, stood a majestic ck knight.

    ¡°...Somehow, I managed to do it.¡±

    Involuntarily, I muttered to myself beneath my helm.

    That gigantic octopus was about to unleash a breath attack. Had there been a dy, Urs and the others would¡¯ve been annihted.

    Breathing in relief, I jumped down from the ledge to the street. With a thud, I felt a sinking impact as Inded. However, my sturdy body didn¡¯t even falter.

    ¡°You did your best, Urs. You held them off so that the vigers could withdraw.¡±

    To be honest, I thought that they¡¯d be incapacitated in the za. As such, I found the fact that they regained theirposure to retreat in an orderly manner unexpected. Although they could be considered as lucky, there was no doubt that Urs yed a major role.

    I stared at Urs. She seemed slightly exhausted. She must had drawn out a lot of Anastasia¡¯s power. While the Drain ability could certainly steal the opponent¡¯s magical power, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that it¡¯d also absorb their magical power. Instead, merely using the ability required a lot of concentration and mental prowess. As such, the more you fight, the more fatigue you¡¯d umte.

    As a reward, I¡¯d like to pat her head, but since both of her hands were upied with a halberd and a tower shield, I had no choice but to table that.

    ¡°T, that¡¯s right, Priest Kuroe, I did my best...¡±

    Urs, who was a little bashful, seemed adorable. However, it wasn¡¯t a situation in which I could just express my adoration towards her.

    ¡°Then, let us depart from the vige at once. Just a little bit more, do your best.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Now, then. Let¡¯s leave the logistical support to Urs. I¡¯ll join the front line and secure a path.¡±

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you the ck Knight who was with Ryan!?¡±

    The one who called out to me as I approached was Cliff, the captain of the heavy-armored knight. Apparently, thanks to him, the remaining crusader army was united, despite the barely standing chain ofmand.

    Cliff, with his seven-triple sses, looked more like a nervous bureaucrat than a knight. But I wondered if he was quite capable despite his appearance.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, the name¡¯s Kuroe.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t suave enough to behave politely on the battlefield. He might think of me as rude, but whatever.

    Inherently, they were all crusaders. As such, I had no obligation to show them courtesy.

    ¡°The explosion just now... it¡¯s your doing, isn¡¯t it? I could see it in the battle in front of the barrier.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This will help us with the breakthrough. Let¡¯s quickly escape from this vige.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, you¡¯re a formidable ally. Be it you and Lady Urs¡ªthe 202nd Colony sure has a lot of great talents. After we¡¯ve wrapped this up, would you join the crusade?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I despise gods¡ªSword Arts¡ªst de¡ª!¡±

    Kicking aside Cliff¡¯s outrageous invitation, I summoned a single sword. It wasn¡¯t the one I attached to my waist, much less the one I grasped with the tentacles.

    I had invoked my own shadow. Yes, it was the spatial dimension magic¡ª ¡®Shadow Gate¡¯¡ªwhich had returned after a long absence.

    To disperse the horde of Gluttony Octo, arge number of swords were needed. For me, who didn¡¯t possess Dual Eagle or The Greed, the most reliable long-range attack would be the st de. For the time being, everything was fine. As long as I had a weapon, I should be able to unleash a powerful attack to an extent.

    Thus, Urs informed me of the existence of the armory.

    At first, I¡¯d like to take as many weapons as I could with my tentacles, just like when I annihted the crusaders that attacked the cultivation vige. But when I tried it, it was to no avail. I couldn¡¯t get enough weapons to conjure the Shadow Gate.

    Sariel said that it¡¯d take about three months for natural recovery. Certainly, three months had passed by now.

    However, it seemed that it¡¯d take a long time before the gate could expand to its original size. But even if it wasn¡¯t the same size as it was in the early days, its ability to store swords should suffice. At the very least, I¡¯d have enough ammunition to ensure our escape.

    ¡°¡ªst.¡±

    Then, we blew away the octopuses that gushed out endlessly in the street, before advancing.

    The octopuses rushed in from all directions, but since the visibility was clear, I could shoot them with ease. I also didn¡¯t have to worry too much about the remaining bullets. It was certainly easier than when I was fighting on the stone wall.

    I knew that the only reason why there was no fog was thanks to Urs¡¯s ability. When I returned, I confirmed that the faint mist of the drain had spread out like a dome.

    I was sure that Urs saw the wind barrier and imitated it. At the same time, Urs had mastered the power of the White Yaksha Princess, evidenced by how she could reproduce the barrier just by envisioning it. I¡¯d have to praise herter.

    With that in mind, I crushed the octopus that leaped from the right, blew up the octopus that creeped up from the left, before crushing the swarm that tried to jump from the roof. On top of that, Urs seemed to have recovered a bit and began to fight off the wriggling octopuses with her drain arm.

    There was no enemy who could escape both the barrage of explosive attacks that were unleashed one after another from the shadow, and Anastasia¡¯s one-shot deadly arm. Most of the octopuses hindering the highway were beaten by just the two of them. Slowly but surely, the evacuation progressed.

    ¡°You truly are the owners of endless bravery...¡±

    Cliff, who almost lost his role, said something. However, I mustn¡¯t let my guard down. We could handle any number of small or medium octopuses just fine, but if more of those huge octopuses appeared again, the situation could be reversed at once.

    For the first time, I saw severalrge creatures prowling in the vige. They might had descended from ces I couldn¡¯t see.

    As I learned from going to the armory, most of these octopuses seemed to be gathering in the food store. ording to the document, Gluttony Octo was the ultimate omnivore that ate everything. However, in terms of taste, it had to be a legitimate food. I witnessed some of them clinging tightly to a warehouse full of wheat.

    Their priority was easily-digested food, followed by mammals such as humans and livestock. Well, it should be obvious that the amount of food in the vige was limited. As such, the readily-avable prey would be the humans. As such, the threat level was that of ordinary monster¡ªhowever...

    ¡°...There it is, the gate¡ª!¡±

    Fortunately, we arrived at the gate without any casualties.

    At the gate was the figure of the previous guest. Not the church, but the vigers who ran straight here to get out of the vige, along with the crusaders who were quick to escape. As of the present, nothing was left of them besides their remains, about to be octopus¡¯ food.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take care of them, Urs.¡±

    ¡°Right away, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    Urs and I, who were ahead of the others, quickly took care of the small fry. They seemed to be preupied with corpse-scavenging. Therefore, our ambush was a sess.

    I blew some of them away, while the rest was wiped out by Urs. Meanwhile, Cliff and the others took care of the fleeing monsters. Thus, the gate was secured.

    ¡°...Why is the gate closed?¡±

    Right after seeing Sariel and Reki off, the gate was closed. Against the flying Gluttony Octo, therge gate, made of wood and iron, was rendered useless. The fact that it was tightly locked was as if to prevent the vigers themselves from escaping.

    In fact, if they had escaped after the octopuses had run amok in the vige, they wouldn¡¯t be able to open the huge gate. As evidenced by how those who escaped earlier met their demise there, at the hands of the octopuses.

    Of course, we had no intention of suffering the same fate.

    Let¡¯s just open it and make our exit¡ª

    ¡°¡ªPriest Kuroe, a huge one is approaching!¡±

    ¡°Two, no, there are three of them...!¡±

    When I turned around, a shadow like arge tree slowly encroached from beyond the hazy fog, following the path we came from. One was walking straight along the road, while the other two were approaching over the roofs of houses lined up from left to right.

    Even I would have a hard time to defeat all three of those giants at the same time.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, let me do it.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you about to run out of magic?¡±

    ¡°Most likely, after unleashing one of my skills, I won¡¯t be able to maintain Anastasia.¡±

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°But if we get hit with their breath, we¡¯ll be annihted.¡±

    Indeed. The most troublesome thing about the giant octopus was its acidic breath. No matter how I looked at it, it¡¯d be impossible for me to defend these many people with my defensive magic, [Shield Diaz]. By the time the giant octopus released its breath, we¡¯d be lucky if half of us survived.

    Hence why, it¡¯d be best to defeat them before they could perform the breath attack. In order to do so, there was no choice but to defeat them with haste.

    However, we couldn¡¯t afford to lose Urs¡¯s barrier. Even if we managed to leave the gate, we¡¯d be stuck in their domain. I doubted we¡¯d be able to escape sessfully with zero visibility.

    ¡°Alright, I shall leave one of them to you. I¡¯ll take care of the other two myself. Cliff, hurry up and open the gate!¡±

    Despite knowing the risks, I chose to defeat all three at once. Or rather, in front of the approaching giant octopus, we had no choice but to defeat them.

    ¡°It looks like only the two of you are able to defeat them. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡±

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, I shall aim for the octopus on the right.¡±

    With the consent of the two, I immediately began to act. The huge octopuses approached from all directions and had already stepped into the barrier.

    ¡°¡ªBinding Arts!¡±

    Urs would be in charge of the one on the right, while I dealt with the one on the left and on the back on the road. I shot at the left octopus first.

    The ck chain tentacle extended straight up the two-story roof, and after I hooked it on the edge, it carried my body upwards at once. I arrived at the top of the triangr roof without any problems. Despite this, I had to dedicate a certain amount of concentration to the binding art. Apparently, it was difficult for me to do the Vertical Limit by myself.

    However, as of the present, there was no need to fight on a vertical wall. As long as I could aim at the head of the giant octopus, it was fine.

    ¡°¡ªSword Arts, de Storm!¡±

    Taking a position on the top of the red brick triangr roof, I summoned red-hot ck swords one after another from the Shadow Gate. If it was a joint-attack with Lily, I¡¯d be able to operate more than 100 at the same time. But as it was, I¡¯d only be able to do 30.

    ...Hitsugi and Lily, huh.

    I felt sorry for my battle style, which was dependent on others.

    Well, let¡¯s put that aside for now.

    ¡°¡ªFull st!¡±

    Thirty st des rushed towards the giant octopus¡¯ head, leaving trails of jet-ck auras. With my urate aim, not a single de missed. Immediately after that, there was a huge explosion. Like a burning airship, the giant octopus fell silent as it was engulfed in a smoldering ck me.

    Without paying too much attention to it, I moved on to the next target.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a breath attack, after all!¡±

    A gust of wind swirled from its round mouth.

    While I was able to defeat one of them, the giant octopus walking along the path was closing in on me. In two or three more steps, the giant octopus would reach the end of the evacuation line. If the breath were to be fired at such a short distance, everyone would be nothing more than mincemeat.

    Less than 10 seconds left before the giant octopus would unleash its attack. I could see a poisonous purple mist trickling out from its mouth.

    ¡°Uooooogh¡ª!! Please make it in time¡ª!!¡±

    Despite the ttering of my heavy armor, I ran out to the roof. Luckily, due to my weight, the bricks only broke a little, instead ofing off.

    I went straight ahead, breaking bricks with each step. Towards the three-story roof that stood in front of me, I jumped over the towering wall with a double jump. With that, I was able toe out just above the head of the huge octopus.

    Below, I could see an eerie green head that wobbled unsteadily. In front of the gigantic monster that was dawning upon them, the vigers shrieked one after another.

    But it¡¯s okay¡ª

    ¡ªI made it in time.

    ¡°¡ªKuranagi.¡±

    While jumping off the roof of the 3rd floor, I swung my halberd high and struck the giant octopus down with a single blow. With the help of the gravity, I could easily slice through the not-so-hard emerald green body surface, causing green bodily fluid to spray like a waterfall.

    I shed his head vertically over two meters. But that alone wasn¡¯t enough to defeat him.

    Then, I forcefully plunged the halberd into it. After falling for another meter, apanied with the sound of tearing flesh, we somehow came to a stop.

    Right now, I was clinging on the halberd that was stuck in its head. It was a good stance to deliver the finishing blow.

    ¡°Uuuooooooohhh¡ª!!!¡±

    I single handedly lifted my body, before jumping up.

    Aiming at the deep gash where fresh green blood gushed out endlessly, I threw therge tower shield on my left hand into it.

    Instead of a de, it was a rectangr iron te shield that didn¡¯t have any sharp edge. Nevertheless, I used my strength to push it into the open wound.

    After more than half of the shield was buried in its body, I let go and started free falling. Upon retrieving my halberd, Inded on the ground in less than a second.

    ¡°st.¡±

    Therefore, I blew up the tower shield that had undergone red heat ckening.

    Naturally, the shield wasrger than the sword, since it was a piece of armor made up ofrge amount of steel. Simply, the greater the amount of material, the greater the amount of magical power that could be enchanted with ckening. In other words, the explosive power hidden in it also increased in the same way as the amount of gunpowder was increased.

    The shield, which caused arge explosion equal to dozens of st des, would¡¯ve been the final blow to the giant octopus.

    As its huge head slowly copsed into a giant fireball, I returned to the front of the gate.

    ¡°¡ªUrs!?¡±

    Ahead of my line of sight was Urs, who stood in a daze. Meanwhile, Anastasia was nowhere in sight. Urs seemed just as helpless as she looked.

    In front of Urs, was the giant octopus.

    It stood over the building facing the highway. The top of its head had been slightly scraped off, while its movement was slow to the point that it was staggering. Despite seemingly about to fall at any moment, the monster wasn¡¯t dead yet.

    Is it a miscalction?

    Apparently, Urs didn¡¯t manage to one shot the enemy.

    ¡°Sword Arts!¡±

    Even without sharp ws, the tentacles that were swung down could easily crush Urs with just their weight.

    Urs, who had reached the limit of her strength, could only react by taking a step back with a pale face. There was no way she could block the attack from the giant octopus.

    In order to somehow diver the trajectory, I threw the ckened sword at thest minute. Even with just one, if it hits, it¡¯d explode. Besides, I was sure that it wouldn¡¯t damage Urs in the process.

    ¡°Huh¡ª!?¡±

    However, the blow was blocked by an octopus that leaped out from the back alley. With the impact of the hit, the octopus exploded and died instantly. As a result of its sacrifice, the giant octopus was otherwise unharmed.

    Thus, my n was thwarted. Neither I nor anyone else could help Urs.

    I could attempt another sword art, but I wouldn¡¯t make it in time¡ª

    ¡°¡ªHeeey!¡±

    At that time, along with a high-spirited shout, there was a sh of silver.

    With a single blow, the massive tentacle that was about to crush Urs was cut in half and veered off course. With a thud, the bloody tentacle split the stone pavement of the highway.

    Like a deeply-wounded snake, it writhed around. But in the next moment, the tentacles werepletely sliced by a swift follow-up attack.

    ¡°¡ªst de!¡±

    Without missing a chance to deliver the finishing blow to the giant octopus, he crushed its head. The giant octopus, who was already on the verge of death, had his head scorched by the explosions caused by several st des.

    This time, it waspletely dead.

    ¡°Urs, are you okay!?¡±

    After the third giant octopus had been taken care of, I ran straight towards Urs, embracing her and confirming her safety.

    ¡°Ah, Priest Kuroe... I¡¯m truly sorry, for not being able to defeat it...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. More importantly, are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°N, no, I¡¯m alright...¡±

    Albeit seemingly truly exhausted, she was fine physically.

    Before anything else, I have to confirm that she¡¯s truly safe.

    The next thing I should be concerned about was the person who saved Urs at thest minute.

    ¡°Why are you here¡ªno, I should¡¯ve thanked you.¡±

    When I turned around, there was a blonde, red-eyed girl bravely carrying a halberd.

    ¡°Thank you, Reki. Urs is saved because of you.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe, thank you so much desu, Kuroe-sama! Apparently, Reki did the right thing, desu!¡±

    More importantly, Reki should¡¯ve already made her escape. However, the girl who stood in front of me was neither a dream nor an illusion. Certainly, the one who answered with a bright smile was the same, old, Reki.

    ¡°Then, why did youe back? Did the escape fail?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡ª! Everyone in the vige should¡¯ve managed to escape properly, desu¡ª! Well, maybe¡ª!¡±

    ...ording to my poor English skill, ¡°maybe¡± seems to mean ¡°probably.¡±

    Albeit feeling a vague sense of unease in Reki¡¯s reply, I didn¡¯t have time to ask for the details.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk about the reckless returnter. For now, let¡¯s focus on escaping.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go¡ª!¡±

    With an endlessly satisfied smile, Reki poised her halberd.

    She must have truly returned on a whim... Her monastic clothes were in tatters, while her petite body was grazed with severalcerations seemingly caused by an octopus spearman.

    However, just like when she helped Urs earlier, it seemed that she still had enough power to fight.

    There¡¯s a white steam rising from her body, though? As if responding to her determination...

    ...Am I seeing things?

    ¡°Alright, the gate is open! Everyone, hurry and escape!¡±

    Cliff had seeded in opening the gate. The huge gate opened with a groaning sound.

    ...But the path leading from there was blocked by a pure white mist. Moreover, it was about to converge with a new wave of fog.

    Yes, now that Urs had released Anastasia, the barrier that dispelled the fog also vanished.

    ¡°Cliff¡ª! Escort Urs and go ahead¡ª! She¡¯s already at her limit¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Leave her to me¡ª! Kuroe, what are you going to do¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal. Also, there are more of them.¡±

    Along with the fog, a swarm of octopuses appeared from across the road, back alleys, and houses. They were trying to prevent us from escaping their feeding ground.

    I thought that I had yed most of them. However, it was as if they were endless.

    How disgusting.

    ¡°Hurry up and go¡ª!¡±

    As the vigers started to move through the gate, the octopuses rushed towards me.

    ¡°Hey, Priest Kuroe, what are you waiting for?¡±

    Standing right beside me, Reki red at me with red, ring, upturned eyes that burned with indomitable spirit.

    ¡°...That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, Reki, but please lend me your strength.¡±

    I knew how dangerous it was, but given the current situation, I had no choice but to ask.

    ¡°Yes! Alright!¡±

    Looking away from Reki¡¯s dazzling smile, I nced at the approaching army of octopuses.

    ¡°¡ªSword Arts: de Storm!¡±

    ¡°¡ªFire!¡±

    Explosive ck and red mes desecrated the entire frontline. In front of the raging st storm, the enemy¡¯s midline could only helplessly watch as theirrades got burned to death. Unfortunately, that was the end of the convenient skill. With the currently limited capacity of the Shadow Gate, I had reached the limit that was 100.

    After that, with the weapon in hand, we had no choice but to fire Grenade Burst.

    ¡°Reki, don¡¯t overexert yourself. We¡¯ll fight while nning our escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it before, so rx, desu¡ª!¡±

    While screaming confidently, Reki powerfully shed off the three octopuses on the other side of the explosion.

    As if she had already gotten used to the opponents, she effortlessly cut, pierced, and blew the octopus one after another to keep them at bay.

    Despite currently experiencing ongoing battle against them, she was growing at an elerated pace.

    As I thought, what a genius she was.

    ¡°They¡¯reing from the gate, after me¡ªGrenade Burst!¡±

    ¡°Roger¡ª!¡±

    Rolling with the st behind him, Reki went through the gate and onto the street.

    As the lords, we¡¯d be thest to leave the vige for the sake of fending off the enemy. I wanted to look to my right and left again to see if anyone had failed to escape, but the fog blocked my view.

    Upon making up my mind, I kicked the gate with all my might to close it.

    Gon¡ª!

    With a loud sound, the door mmed shut, shaking the stone walls. Right before the door had sealed shut, some tentacles slipped by. As a result, they got severed and were blown away, jumping around my feet like a freshly caught fish.

    Yeah, disgusting...

    ¡°Phew, it seems that we manage to buy them some time.¡± Said Reki while shrewdlytching a bolt on the gate

    ¡°They can fly. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll figure it out soon.¡±

    Despite saying that, I could barely feel any presence around me. In fact, not a single octopus leaped out of the fog. Silence descended on the area.

    Is it because their intelligence is so low that they can¡¯t immediately think of how to cross the wall?

    Or, is it because there¡¯s almost no one outside the vige?

    ¡°Let¡¯s escape now.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Priest Kuroe! That, uhm, desu...¡±

    I was about to turn on my heels when Reki¡¯s anxious voice stopped me. However, there was no enemy in sight.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Reki?¡±

    ¡°Uh, uhm... Are you angry? That Reki came?¡±

    Reki asked in shame. Apparently, she was aware that she had done a lot of unreasonable things.

    Even so, the reason why she bothered toe all the way there... She was probably concerned about Urs.

    And here I was, feeling sure that they¡¯re on bad terms.

    As the realization dawned upon me, my recent anxiety vanished without a sight. I felt rather relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry, just worried. You did a good job of helping Urs. Still, it¡¯s too reckless to just return like that.¡±

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry... B, but did Reki, manage to be of help to you, Priest Kuroe?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Together, we just eliminated the octopuses, didn¡¯t we? You¡¯re a much more reliablepanion than the crusaders, Reki.¡±

    ¡°Eh, ehehe, that¡¯s a relief, desu! Because Reki¡ª¡±

    ¡ªMost probably, Reki was on the verge of smiling.

    However, her dazzling, sun-like, smile didn¡¯t appear. Instead, her crimson eyes fluttered in shock.

    A dull sound of tearing flesh. A flower of fresh blood which blossomed in the void.

    ¡°Ah, Priest Kuroe...¡ª¡±

    Reki was stabbed.

    The sharp spear of the Gluttony Octo could be seen piercing through her chest. At a nce, I could tell that she had been stabbed from behind.

    The enemies were invisible. From the other side of the pure white fog, only one, slender, tentacle could be seen extending towards Reki. Quiet enough so as to not be noticed, yet faster than a flying arrow. The attack was akin to that of a first-ss assassin.

    Reki extended her hand towards me, asking for help.

    I reflexively reached out towards her, but it was futile¡ª

    ¡°¡ªReki.¡±

    My outstretched hand grasped the air in vain.

    Reki¡¯s body was instantly dragged by the tentacles, disappearing beyond the white darkness.

 Chapter 505

    <h4>Chapter 505</h4>

    505 The Floating, Man-Eating Mountain

    ¡°¡­Reki¡ª!!!¡±

    Amidst the fog, I chased while shouting her name.

    However, after a few steps, I came across a solid gate that stood in my way. Of course, not too long ago, I had closed it myself.

    ¡°Dammit, where¡ª!? Where are you¡ª!? Reki¡ª!!¡±

    I looked around, yet there was nothing but white fog. By the way, my sharp sixth sense didn¡¯t react, either.

    I couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    The enemy was no longer nearby.

    ¡­They escaped.

    Not only did they capture Reki, they also got away.

    ¡°¡­Dammit.¡±

    Where would Reki¡¯s abductor disappear? Did they escape through the wall into the vige, or did they fly through the sky?

    Either way, I needed to help her, fast.

    It shouldn¡¯t be toote.

    Despite this, I couldn¡¯t sense anything. In the first ce, I had no lead. Even though I still had the strength to fight¡ªeven though I was able to move, I couldn¡¯t.

    I couldn¡¯t at all.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Yet, time was slipping away.

    A quiet, white, darkness.

    Muddled by anger and impatience, I was confused beyond control.

    ¡°Reki, it¡¯s a lie, right¡­? No, I can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡ªI mustn¡¯t give up.

    I can¡¯t give up.

    If there was no enemy within sight, then look for them. Thus, I opened the gate and went back inside the vige. Perhaps, Reki was somewhere safe¡­

    The image of the octopuses rushing to their fallen prey shed across my mind. They didn¡¯t wait long. They¡¯d start gnawing on their prey right away¡ªfrom anywhere they could reach.

    Not only that, Reki was stabbed. Even if she managed to escape, it was unlikely for her to be able to stand her ground against the swarming octopuses¡ª

    ¡ªQuit it.

    I had to do something.

    Just like that, I spared no time to remove the bolt on the gate, before raising my fist to blow it off with Wrath Impact. Although I was a bit unstable, something urred, which made me halt¡ª

    ¡°¡ªWhat? The fog¡­ is disappearing.¡±

    A strong wind blew. In the next moment, the white fog enveloping the surroundings flowed upwards all at once. It was as if the smoke was sucked in by a powerful venttion fan on the ceiling. The flow was clearly visible.

    Without even giving me a chance toprehend anything, the fog quickly dispersed. Atst, the visibility was clear.

    In front of me was the gate and the stone wall of a closed pioneer vige. To the left and right, were fields that looked like mottled soil due to melting snow. There wasn¡¯t a single, creepy, green octopus to be seen.

    Of course, there was no Reki, either.

    It was as if she had disappeared with the fog, giving me the illusion of a temporary nightmare.

    However, as if to deny my impression, a sh of red¡ªyes, the light which indicated the monster of the ordeal blinked in my left eye. Its dazzling brilliance wasn¡¯t something that I had ever witnessed before.

    It was as if the entire sky had been dyed red like purgatory.

    Seeing such a massive anomaly, I immediately turned my gaze upwards.

    ¡°What, ah, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    At first, I thought it was a humongous cloud.

    It was only natural, since it floated amidst the sunny, blue sky.

    However, the cloud, which was arge mass akin to a thunderhead, was unnatural. At a nce, nothing seemed amiss. However, if you gazed upon it long enough, it was impossible to miss.

    After all, the cloud was too low.

    I estimated it to be about 100 meters low in the sky from the church steeple. It was as if it was covering the vige¡ªno, as if it was falling towards the vige.

    As I looked up at the sky in a daze, I immediately realized that it wasn¡¯t just a mere metaphor, but a fact.

    The cloud was ¡°moving¡± of its own ord.

    ¡°It¡¯s massive¡­ no, too massive¡­¡±

    The size made the word ¡®massive¡¯ lose its meaning for a moment.

    The next moment, the whole cloud swayed unnaturally. Then, it appeared.

    A tentacle.

    A huge tentacle.

    Its green color was exactly the same as the octopus I fought recently. But the scale was another story. I¡¯d rather think that I was seeing things.

    However, if I wasn¡¯t, the octopus legs seemed to be far over 100 meters. Its size, thickness, and length were iparable¡ªeven to those 10-meter-ss tentacles.

    Before I knew it, a shadow was cast upon my face.

    A total of eight octopus legs stretched out from the mass of pure white clouds covering the sky. Instead of an actual cloud, the mountain-like giant had blocked the sun from rising in the sky.

    Oh, I see. That was the monster of the ordeal that must truly be defeated.

    This is the Gluttony Octo.

    ¡°¡­Not good.¡±

    Rather than calling it an octopus monster that boasted a huge body exceeding that of 1 kilometer, it¡¯d be more conceivable to just say that it was a floating ind.

    I couldn¡¯t stop the chills running down my spine. At the premonition of an uncontroble crisis approaching, my heartbeat throbbed.

    I naturally took a step forward to escape¡ªbut I couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°¡­Reki.¡±

    Should I run?

    I couldn¡¯t figure out how else I was supposed to rescue her.

    ¡°¡­Shit, I¡¯m sorry, Reki¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stay there. In this situation, regardless of how hard I tried, I wouldn¡¯t be able to save her.

    If I were to force myself to continue with the search, that¡¯d be my final resting ce.

    Life was precious.

    Above all, there were still many I had to protect. My friends, whom I must meet again, were waiting.

    Therefore, I had no choice but to give up.

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    A strange roar, resembling that of a wind instrument with a deep bass, resounded. The volume was so loud that I reflexively covered my ears, forgetting the existence of my helmet.

    This is seriously bad.

    With determination and a sense of crisis, I ran as fast as I could along the highway to get as far away from the vige as possible.

    The sound emitted from the sky, as if crushing the earth, was probably the cry of the Gluttony Octo. Without looking back, I kept running as the eerily unanimous bass resounded.

    However, during the mere few seconds of running through the 100 meters, my body suddenly felt heavy.

    ¡°Kuh, headwind¡ªno, am I being pulled in!?¡±

    As if trying to block my escape, a strong wind blew from the direction I was heading. I immediately figured out that it was no ident, but the work of the big guy overhead.

    When I involuntarily nced back, there was already a huge tornado.

    As if aiming at the center of the vige, Gluttony Octo floated. The tornado swirled from the center of its body, which had a super-massive mouth that could swallow an entire building.

    He¡¯s sucking it in.

    The clouds around Gluttony Octo began to swirl and roar.

    From the fact that the swirling speed was increasing rapidly, it was apparent that it wasn¡¯t just a wind or an optical illusion¡ª

    ¡ªa typhoon was about to form.

    Ten seconds, twenty seconds¡ªprobably in less than a minute, it merged with the tornado near its mouth and turned into a huge storm that covered the entire vige.

    ¡°Shit, Bind Arts¡ª!¡±

    Even my body, which was several hundred meters away from the gate, was being blown by a strong gust. The wind was so strong, I couldn¡¯t run anymore. To prevent myself from being blown away, the only resistance I could put up was the Bind Arts.

    ck chains coiled around my limbs and torso in double and tripleyers. The tips, which were in the shape of sharp ws¡ªno, thick anchors, mmed into the ground. Using Through Ground made it easier to release the anchors to a considerable depth.

    Even so, my chained body squealed due to wind pressure. I felt as if I was grasped by a gigantic hand.

    ¡°Guh, uuuoooorgh¡­¡±

    The slender trees growing in the surroundings snapped, before being sucked into Gluttony Octo¡¯s tornado. I wondered how fast the wind was blowing around me.

    It¡¯s just a little further away. I should stay right where I am.

    The vige was engulfed by a huge tornado that should be called a natural disaster. Numerous houses copsed. A half-red triangr roof, a horse-drawn cart, some uprooted trees¡­ I could see various things flying around in a dizzying manner.

    The cross of God attached to the spire of the church was also caught in the fleeting updraft of the tornado, as if to show that the Pandora continent was powerless at the hands of demons and monsters¡ª

    ¡°Is this what it means to destroy a vige?¡±

    For the people to be attacked. For the property, the livestock, and the crops to be piged. Whether the perpetrator was human or monster, the damage would roughly be like that.

    Regardless of how bad the situation was, people, houses, and fields would be burned to the ground. To say that there was nothing left behind was just an expression that there was nothing of value. After all, no matter how it was burned, ashes and wreckage would always remain.

    However, just now, I witnessed the unprecedented damage that left absolutely nothing.

    Houses and trees were uprooted. Most likely, some vigers were included among them¡ªand all of them were sucked into a gigantic mouth like endless hell, literally being devoured to nothingness.

    Such was the overwhelming, ultimate, gluttony¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Before I knew it, the raging wind had subsided, leaving a deserted field.

    It was difficult to believe that until recently, a vige existed there. Rather than saying that there was no trace, it¡¯d be more appropriate to say that there was nothing from the beginning.

    Only rough ground spread out in vain.

    However, the unnatural clumps of clouds still floating in the sky proved that I was never dreaming. After the absorption¡ªor should I say, predation of the vige, the air around me had stabilized.

    The octopus¡¯ legs, which were as huge as the castle walls, were once again hidden beneath the thickyers of clouds. Now that I already knew its true identity, never again would I mistake it as cloud.

    But that didn¡¯t matter. Whether it was a genuine cloud or a monster, all I could do was helplessly look up in amazement. As if it had reverted into a normal cloud, it began to rise as it was. Until it quietly left behind a cloudy sky, I stood there, petrified.

    Thus, the 203rd Colony supply base was obliterated, and¡­ Reki died.

    Refugees from both the 202nd Colony and 203rd Colony arrived safely at the 204th Colony before sunset.

    After Gluttony Octo disappeared beyond the clouds, both the fog and the swarms of octopuses vanished. The road was pristine. However, people¡¯s faces were painted with helpless anxiety and despair.

    I was sure that I had the sameplexion as them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Urs¡­ I couldn¡¯t save Reki.¡±

    I was only able to admit to that after we arrived at the 204th Colony and finished preparing to camp overnight. Should I say that I was finally in a situation where I could calm down and talk?

    Emotionally, I¡¯d like to move on without rest. Nevertheless, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to do so. Not to mention, women and children were among those who had evacuated, instead of elite knights. As such, proper rest was essential.

    In the tent that was set up like that, I had Urs sat in front of me and Sariel next to me. Then, I delivered such a desperate report.

    Now that I was out of sight, I had removed my armor. As for Urs and Sariel, they had changed from their monk uniforms into their pajamas.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what happened¡­¡±

    Urs¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much. She didn¡¯t cry, nor curse at me.

    She must have an inkling. After all, when we met up on the road, Reki was nowhere to be seen. I hated thinking about it, yet couldn¡¯t help but do so.

    Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean she was fine.

    Despite her usual aloof expression, Urs¡¯s blue eyes wavered in turmoil. Perhaps, she was still in denial. After all, Reki¡¯s body was never found.

    Actually, even I couldn¡¯t ept that Reki met her demise in such an abrupt way. At any moment, I felt like she¡¯d leap in front of the tent while saying, ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°¡­How did it happen?¡±

    ¡°It was a surprise attack. By the time I noticed it, she was already lost in the fog.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t lie, nor make any excuses. Urs was myrade, so she had the right to know the truth. Although she was still a child, she wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to be deceived by a convenient lie.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s my fault. Upon leaving the vige, I let my guard down. I thought everything was going to be smooth sailing from there. As a result, I failed to intercept the surprise attack.¡±

    Looking back, only regret came to mind.

    ¡°I hadpletely relied on Reki¡¯s strength¡­ In truth, I should¡¯ve protected her¡­¡±

    That was my biggest blunder.

    Honestly, when Reki first came to my aid, I initially thought, ¡°I¡¯m saved.¡± Instead of seeing her as someone to protect, I fully depended on her strength.

    Although I did ask why she came back, I had no intention of getting so angry. In fact, Urs was saved at thest minute due to Reki¡¯s unreasonableness.

    Under that circumstance, the death of either Reki or Urs was probably the inevitable turning point of fate.

    Aah, once again, I¡¯d bementing my own powerlessness.

    Damn it.

    Even though I should¡¯ve defeated the apostles, was I still so weak that I couldn¡¯t protect one girl?

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Urs, why would you apologize?¡±

    ¡°Reki returned because of me.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who hoped that she¡¯lle to your aid.¡±

    ¡°No! No, that isn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Urs¡¯s eyes swirled with anxiety. A change dawned on herplexion, like a crack in her expressionless mask.

    ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ it¡¯s my fault, the one who made Reki behave so recklessly¡­ was me¡­¡±

    For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand what Urs was talking about. But soon, I recalled it. The two¡¯s rtionship.

    No, that¡¯s not true.

    Without even giving me time to deny it, big, droplets of tears fell from Urs¡¯s blue eyes.

    ¡°I, I was arguing with Reki¡­¡±

    ¡°Urs, it¡¯s alright now. You don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ Please, Priest Kuroe, I want you to hear my confession¡ª¡±

 Chapter 506

    <h4>Chapter 506</h4>

    506 The Bnce Between Love and Friendship

    That morning, I saw it.

    ¡°Ha, Ahaha¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Priest Kuroe¡­¡±

    A small figure wriggled on the bed.

    The figure proceeded to lean over a certain sleeping figure, and like a beast scavenging for carrion, it drew its mouth close.

    I couldn¡¯t prevent it from happening.

    Thus, their lips ovepped.

    What in the¡­

    I was so baffled, I forgot to breathe. My chest stung. Disgusting. Shock and nausea made my mind nk.

    ¡°Reki, w, what have you done?¡±

    I wondered how long it took me to say those words. At the very least, long enough for me to understand the situation correctly.

    Reki and Priest Kuroe slept in the same bed. Then, they kissed.

    Ever since I began reading romance novels, I had always envisioned such a romantic scene many times. In order to turn it into reality, I took the plunge and took action¡ª

    ¡ªbut why?

    Why isn¡¯t it me who¡¯s there?

    Why is it you who¡¯s kissing him?

    ¡°¡­Traitor.¡±

    My head, which had been pure white from shock, tinged with mes of hatred.

    Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable. Such betrayal¡­

    Aah, I hate her.

    I hate the woman who stole my beloved.

    ¡°Ah, U-Ur¡ª!? No, you¡¯re misunderstanding¡ª¡±

    I honestly contemted killing her right there and then. Certainly, I had almost summoned the White Yaksha Princess: Anastasia.

    However, looking at Priest Kuroe, who was sound asleep, I regained a bit of self-control.

    Before I knew it, I had left the room and returned to mine. Outside the door, Reki, who was chasing me, said something. As if I could bear to listen to her exnation¡­

    ¡°¡­Good morning, Urs.¡±

    Immediately, Sister Yuri woke up.

    Why is she in my bed?

    Such was my thought this morning. However, I soon understood that it was the result of my own blunderst night.

    ¡°Good morning, Sister Yuri.¡±

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I suppressed the mes of anger and hatred that seemed about to overflow from my body at any moment. Somehow, I managed to maintain a calm appearance. As I desperately tried to keep myposure, I moved to spend the morning as usual after the holidays were over.

    Naturally, I¡¯d soon meet with Reki. But I just couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. I didn¡¯t remember what kind of breakfast I made this morning, or how I ate.

    The only saving grace was that Priest Kuroe acted like usual. If things went ording to the romance novel I read and he¡¯d proceed to marry Reki, I didn¡¯t know what would happen. Maybe, there was nothing between them. However, Reki was kissing him on her own initiative¡ªthat fact remained the same.

    After Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuri left together, I spoke to Reki. Surely, she said that she¡¯d clean up after the festival. In any case, it was convenient to talk now that both of them had left.

    Because from now on, I¡¯d be showering my best friend with terrible and ugly words that I had never used since I was born.

    ¡°¡ªWhat was that, Reki?¡±

    After seeing that Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuri had left, I cut to the chase.

    We were at the chapel. I confronted Reki before the altar where the cross of God was raised. Neither lies nor deception would be tolerated. Not by God, but by me.

    ¡°Ah, that was¡­ yes, a coincidence! A coincidence! Priest Kuroe and Reki just happen to sleep together!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡±

    With an expression that looked as if she was about to cry at any moment, Reki desperately lined up someme excuses, and I couldn¡¯t help but get angry.

    ¡°I, it¡¯s because if Ur drinks alcohol, she¡¯ll copse. Since Sister Yuri will be apanying you, so Priest Kuroe and I¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªSo you slept with him?¡±

    ¡°No! Reki didn¡¯t intend to do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Despite knowing my feelings, you slept with Priest Kuroe! What is wrong with you!? You traitor¡ª!¡±

    Indeed.

    Reki knew how I felt.

    Because she was my best friend. Since it was Reki, I told her¡ª

    ¡ªthat I loved Priest Kuroe.

    That I never wanted to leave him.

    That I wanted to spend more time with him, forever.

    That I¡¯d like to marry him someday.

    It might sound forceful or reckless, but I could no longer contain this feeling.

    I thought Reki would help me. I thought she¡¯d understand. As long as it was Reki, and not anyone else, she¡¯d surely bless me¡ª

    ¡°Betrayer, traitor, traitor¡­ Unforgivable, I¡¯ll never forgive you¡ª!¡±

    I was betrayed. I truly thought so.

    Why, why would she betray me?

    Anything else was fine. If it was something else instead of this, I could¡¯veughed and forgiven anything. Even if she got hurt due to being reckless, or if she identally broke my precious item¡­ I¡¯d forgive her. Because it was Reki. If she got in any danger, I¡¯d rescue her and even risk my own life in the process.

    ¡°Even though you know how much I love Priest Kuroe¡­ I truly, truly, love him¡­¡±

    I was about to burst into tears. Yet, there wasn¡¯t a single drop¡ªfor anger outweighed my sadness.

    ¡°You¡¯re the worst! Vile traitor, don¡¯t take Priest Kuroe away from me!¡±

    By the time I realized it, my hand had flown.

    ¡ªBashin!

    The crisp sound of a p echoed through the chapel.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    When Reki was hit on the cheek, she didn¡¯t cry or apologize, but said so in a somewhat cold voice.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°The truth is, Reki is the one who fell in love with Priest Kuroe first!¡±

    Before I could evenprehend the meaning of those words, a strong shock hit my body. My back had crashed into something. A hard, cold stone wall.

    Did Reki just push me?

    ¡°W, what are you talking about¡­?¡±

    Fortunately, the pain wasn¡¯t that bad. I got on my butt and immediately stood up, before staring back at Reki.

    Reki? Reki fell for him first?

    ¡­Don¡¯t mess around!

    After all, there¡¯s no way¡ª

    ¡°¡ªReki loves Priest Kuroe! More than Ur! Way more than Ur!¡±

    ¡°Lie, you¡¯re lying¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie¡ª! Reki fell for Priest Kuroe first¡ª! Ur is the one who took him away from me¡ª!¡±

    She had no intention of apologizing. Neither did she have any intention of letting him go. She didn¡¯t have to say anything else.

    I already understood everything.

    Oh, I see.

    Just like me, Reki had chosen love over friendship.

    ¡°W-well, isn¡¯t that just to be expected? Reki is just a deadweight.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more suitable for Priest Kuroe. The current me is stronger than you.¡±

    I already had the power to serve him. In fact, I had enough power to keep up with him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection anymore.¡±

    ¡°Uruuu¡ª!!¡±

    Reki probably understood the difference, as well. But that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d just ept it.

    Thus, she raised her fist towards me¡ªjust like the time when she was about to beat those ugly and dirty orphans who were bullying me.

    ¡°Stop it, Reki. You can¡¯tpete against me¡ªthe White Yaksha Princess: Anastasia!¡±

    If I call¡ªno, if I wished for it, my cursed power would manifest instantly.

    Soundlessly, a pure white mist engulfed me, as if a dense fog had risen from nowhere.

    As if to protect me from the approaching fists, the white, beautiful, and ruthless demon princess appeared.

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    As it was, Reki¡¯s life force would be taken away instantly, resulting in her fainting on the spot. Such was the trait of Anastasia¡¯s body.

    With her beast-like intuition, Reki must have sensed the danger. Like a cat, Reki turned around and took some distance.

    ¡°What do you think? This is my true power¡ªthe White Yaksha Princess: Anastasia. Priest Kuroe named said power. It¡¯s the power of love that I use to serve him.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­ Even though it¡¯s the filthy curse of Ibraham¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s more elegant than the barbaric Barbados violence¡ª!¡±

    Reki and I red at each other. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if we start attempting to kill each other at any moment. In reality, both Reki and I had the power to kill each other.

    But no matter how much I despised her, I wouldn¡¯t kill her. After all, there was no point. If anything, that¡¯d only kill my chance to be with Priest Kuroe in the future.

    But if that was what Reki wanted, I¡¯d at least cause her to lose consciousness. I¡¯d drain her life force to the point that she was so weak, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of bed for a week.

    ¡°Give up, Reki. Priest Kuroe is mine.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, I won¡¯t give Priest Kuroe to Ur!¡±

    Thus, we ended our friendship.

    ***

    ¡°But, but I never intended for her to die! I, I never even think about it, I¡¯m so sorry, Reki, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    I had no choice but to listen to Urs¡¯s tearful confession.

    A love triangle between ordinary girls. They thought of each other as rivals. From an adult¡¯s point of view, it¡¯d be a trivial quarrel.

    However, if it ended like that, it¡¯d be an irreconcble tragedy. It had proven to be a burden that was too heavy and too deep for Urs, who was only 12-years-old, to the point that it carved a scar on her heart.

    ¡°I understand, Urs. It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright, so¡­¡±

    For only being able to hug a little girl and give her convenient words offort, I was ashamed of myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve noticed sooner.¡±

    ¡°None of this is your fault, Priest Kuroe. We were the one who fought¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it is. Even after I¡¯ve discovered your feelings, I couldn¡¯t do anything¡ªeven today.¡±

    In the end, I also dismissed it as a quarrel.

    As for when I slept with Reki, I merely slept with her. There was no sexual meaning to it. At the very least, that was what I intended. To put it simply, it was the same feeling as sleeping with Lily every day until now.

    That was right. To me, Reki and Urs belonged to the same category as that little girl, Lily. I never saw them as romantic interests. Hence, I didn¡¯t think much of their feelings.

    However, that was selfish of me. In reality, their feelings were so much more than that.

    In the first ce, considering their age and circumstances, it shouldn¡¯t be that strange. Until now, to protect herself from discrimination and prejudice, Urs quietly lived as a crusade¡¯s sister.

    Then, an older man who could be relied on appeared. Not only did he respect them despite being second-ss gods, he was also kind enough to treat them normally. That was probably enough for them to be attracted to him. Rather, the person himself didn¡¯t have to be me. Had it been a gentle and refreshingly handsome guy, their love would¡¯ve been burning even more.

    However, such an assumption no longer made sense.

    Because of their feelings, the two had a fight. As a result, Reki died.

    ¡°Urs, it isn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Reki¡¯s fault, either! Because I¡¯ve grown stronger, Reki was in a hurry to prove herself to you, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    Apparently, that was the real reason why Reki returned to the vige.

    Not to help her rival, Urs, but just to show her good side to her crush. Although childish, it was a natural behavior for someone who had fallen in love.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s no one¡¯s fault.¡±

    Reki didn¡¯t die due to someone¡¯s malice, but because misfortune had piled up.

    However, since I let Reki die in front of me, I felt the most responsible.

    Regardless, even if I regretted it, it was already toote.

    I had lost count as to how many times I had felt such a helpless regret.

    ¡°But I¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Urs. You should rest for today. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll leave before dawn. If you don¡¯t go to bed early and recover both your physical strength and magic, you won¡¯tst long.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t mourn the death all the time.

    Gluttony Octo disappeared beyond the clouds, but it¡¯d probably descend again in search of food. In the worst case, it might attack this ce in the middle of the night.

    Until recently, a vige would be invaded at least once. The viges between Ils and Alsace were almost evenly spaced. Hence, they should attack the 204th Colony early in the morning, just like today.

    Since we nned to evacuate from the beginning, it¡¯d be best to depart earlier. That way, the monster wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with us. Even if there was a follow-up attack, there shouldn¡¯t be that many.

    Nevertheless, the enemy was creeping right up behind us. We had no time to spare. Despite being crushed by deep sorrow, we weren¡¯t allowed time to stand still.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s not think about it and get some rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    Urs nodded obediently. However, she was still clinging to me. I couldn¡¯t see her leaving at all.

    ¡°Uhm, Priest Kuroe¡­¡±

    ¡°Shall we sleep together today?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Are you sure!?¡±

    She looked happy, yet guilty. Her tearful expression was so pitiful, I couldn¡¯t directly stare at her.

    ¡°At times like this, it¡¯s better to be spoiled by someone.¡±

    But do I have the right tofort her?

    The one who let Reki die¡ªit was none other than me.

    ¡°Thank you, Priest Kuroe¡­¡±

    The faint affection and trust Urs gave me was the most painful thing for me now.

    The 22nd of the Ice Crystal month. As nned, I left the vige before dawn.

    With the disappearance of three colonies, the vigers of the 204th Colony immediately decided to evacuate. Thus, the number of people suddenly increased.

    ¡°Allow me to be your leader.¡±

    While looking at the vigers hurriedly leaving the gate in tow, I was fully armed with the same ck, heavy, knight armor as yesterday. I was also equipped with a ckened sword that had been replenished in the modest size of the Shadow Gate.

    Then, Ryan spoke up.

    ¡°Hey, hey, couldn¡¯t we just leave the rest to the knights and vigntes here? We already had enough trouble yesterday.¡±

    The order of the evacuation line was the vigers of our 202nd Colony, followed by the survivors of the 203rd supply bases, and atst¡ªthe people of this vige. Well, since they were still preparing to escape, their departure would be slightly dyed.

    ¡°Ryan and the others may proceed. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯ll stay behind, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±

    I knew what Ryan was implying.

    ¡°Either way, if they catch up with us, we¡¯ll have no choice but to fight. I want to be at the scene before it bes irreversible. If it isn¡¯t a big number, Grenade Burst should be enough to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°However, most of the sorcerers were killed¡­ If Priest Kuroe were to support us, we¡¯d be saved.¡±

    The wizard unit stationed at the 203rd Colony supply base was almost wiped out. Only several fire and wind mages, along with some healers remained. Therefore, we couldn¡¯t expect a very organized support. Of course, even the 204th Colony corps, which was simr in scale to ours, shouldn¡¯t have many wizards.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the rear guard this time.¡±

    ¡°Well, that should be alright, but what about Urs?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the real issue.¡± Said Ryan. At the end of his line of sight, Urs was reflected. She was clinging to my waist.

    Since I woke up this morning, she had been like that.

    She wouldn¡¯t leave my side no matter what, even when I got changed.

    However, it couldn¡¯t be helped that such a change would ur. On top of feeling guilty over the loss of her best friend, she found herself in a potentially deadly situation. She had to be scared.

    ¡°Urs, go with everyone else¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I want to stay with Priest Kuroe.¡±

    From Urs¡¯s words, stubborn, yet unyielding resolve could be heard.

    It wasn¡¯t just a mere child¡¯s selfishness.

    Surely, both I and Ryan, who knew of her loss, were aware of that.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±

    The reason why Ryan didn¡¯t force Urs was because he understood her strength. As for me, I personally experienced how useful Urs¡¯s Anastasia was in yesterday¡¯s battle.

    I could just let her not participate to prevent her from suffering the same fate as Reki. However, if the line was destroyed due to herck of support, everyone would eventually die. Although of course, her support didn¡¯t necessarily guarantee total safety.

    ¡°Urs, can you fight?¡±

    ¡°¡­As long as I¡¯m with Priest Kuroe.¡±

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t change her mind.

    Then, leave everything to me.

    I¡¯ll protect them all.

    As much as I¡¯d like to say that, I wasn¡¯t strong enough.

    ¡°Ryan, if things get dangerous, escort Urs and return to the frontline. In the worst-case scenario, we¡¯re going to escape on our own¡ªeven if it means sacrificing the refugees from the other viges. Prepare yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±

    I whispered to Ryan so that no one else could hear us.

    As of the present, all I could do was to resolve myself.

    I concluded that both Reki and Urs had a chance at safety if they weren¡¯t so eager to help others yesterday.

    Between hundreds of strangers and a girl I was close with¡ªwhen I weighed them, I chose her without hesitation.

    After all, if I didn¡¯t throw away my sense of justice, I¡¯d lose what I truly want to protect.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in ming yourself all the time, Priest.¡±

    After giving me a pat on the shoulder, Ryan left those words and went back to his unit.

    ¡°¡­I wish I could me someone.¡±

    For example, I could just get mad at Sariel for not stopping Reki.

    However, I couldn¡¯t do that to her. As a man, I had at least a small amount of pride.

    I¡¯d reflect on my sins on my own.

    ¡°We still have time before we depart. You can sleep a little longer, Urs.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    I sat down in front of the gate, while Urs leaned against me to rest.

    My armor must be hard, but as soon as Urs closed her eyes, she began to sleep peacefully.

    ¡°¡­I hope no one dies today.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if my prayer reached the heavens, but I never saw that hideous white fog that day.

    Then, we arrived at the 205th Colony without incident. The crusaders, who finally sensed that something was amiss, were waiting for the escort and transport unit dispatched from Alsace Fortress.

    To be honest, hundreds of soldiers would be useless against the huge, flying mountain that was the Gluttony Octo. Even so, the sight of themforted the frightened viges. Above all, thanks to the transport unit consisting ofrge carriages and dragons, we were able to evacuate more quickly and efficiently.

    And so, on the 24th of the Ice Crystal Month, we finally arrived at the Alsace Fortress.

 Chapter 507

    <h4>Chapter 507</h4>

    507 Ghad¡¯s Nightmare

    Although it paled inparison to Fort Ghad, as a castle, Alsace Fortress was quiterge. In the Ghad War, the army easily reached 100, 000 count¡ªincluding Daedalus¡¯ ves.

    Since it¡¯s a ce where everyone would gather, maybe the size is to be expected?

    From a distance, I could already tell that the main enclosure was at least twice asrge as the ancient castle of Ischia.

    Both the castle and the tower were quite different from the rugged Spada style, which pursued simplicity and robustness. The quadrangr, pyramid-shaped, roof on the high defensive tower was distinctive¡ªsomewhat simr to a church steeple. I had to wonder if it was a traditional Sinir architectural style.

    However, even if there was some degree of design, the fact that it was made of solid stone as a whole remained the same. The vigers might get the impression that the enormous, gray building was inorganic and cold in normal times, but now it had the look of reliability that guaranteed safety.

    Even I expected for such a giant fortress to hold out against the Gluttony Octo.

    Nevertheless, to return to such a ce¡ªfull of memories¡ªpart of me was in a dilemma.

    ¡°It might be impossible to destroy this bridge with a single water magic.¡±

    While crossing the bridge to enter the fortress, I muttered to myself inside the helm. Even Urs, who was walking beside me, couldn¡¯t hear it.

    Alsace Vige was akin to a sandbank-like terrain sandwiched between rivers on the East and West sides. Hence why, I chose that ce to stand our grounds against the crusaders. Besides, regardless of the fact that a fortress had been built in ce of the previous vige, the topography itself wouldn¡¯t change.

    ording to what I had heard, the only route to enter the fortress was the same East-West bridge as in Alsace Vige. One would enter from the Daedalus side, before exiting from the Sparda¡¯s side.

    Even though the ce where the bridge expanded was the same, there was a huge difference in size and construction. The shabby, wooden bridge that once killed off the foolish, heavy-armored, knights had now been transformed into a solid stone structure. Even if a line of heavy dragon carriages were to pass by, I doubted that the bridge would even flinch.

    After crossing such a huge bridge, I was greeted by a tall, thick, gate and ramparts that seemed sturdy enough to fend off absolutely anything.

    Aah¡­

    I couldn¡¯t help but think if there was a wall that was cemented with stone and iron like that, the defense of Alsace would¡¯ve been an easy victory. Towards those days, in which we had to desperately protect ourselves with hastily constructed wooden fences and barbed wire, I felt terribly nostalgic.

    ¡°Now, none of that remains¡­¡±

    Once I entered the castle through the open gate along with the vigers, there was nothing but a rugged fortress square as far as the eye could see. None of it matched the scenery of the vige in my memory. I found it difficult to believe that this ce was Alsace.

    Judging from the location of the river and the bridge, the ruins of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild of the Alsace Vige, which was our fort¡­ should be around there.

    As of the present, a thick and enormous defensive tower stood in its ce near the castle wall.

    I have to stop.

    After all, to keep looking for the remnants of the Alsace Vige was in bad taste.

    Instead of suppressing the sentimental feelings that welled up, I decided to calmly analyze the construction of the fortress.

    Although the Alsace Fortress wasrge in scale, it only consisted of the main enclosure. There was only an inner castle and a castle wall built along the river. The castle wall itself enclosed almost all the ruins of the Alsace Vige, while the rivers on both sides were used as natural water moats.

    Even so, to build a fortress of that size in just two or three months after the fall of Alsace was no mean feat. Even though magic was used in the construction of the castle, what an astonishing speed. Sinir¡¯s ability to build bases may have reached a considerable level after years of wars and aggression.

    Considering that enemy nations were visiting, theck of the second and third enclosures made it a somewhat unsettling fortress. However, the invasion from the Sparda side was out of the question in the first ce. As such, the fortress could be said to be both effective and sufficient.

    If Sparda were to decide tounch a battle to liberate Daedalus in an attempt to win the Ghad War, it¡¯d be best to aim while the defenses were not yet fully solidified.

    ¡­Come to think of it, I had never experienced a siege battle where the enemy castle was attacked after it had fortified its defense. Well, I¡¯d probably experience it someday. At the same time, I¡¯d like to avoid the situation where I¡¯d have to face an impregnable fortress head-on as much as possible.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Kuroe!¡±

    As I stared nkly at my surroundings like a tourist, someone called me.

    When I turned around, Cliff and a few of his men could be seen approaching.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cliff?¡±

    ¡°Kuroe, you¡¯ve decided to visit us!¡±

    After the escape from the supply base, I felt that the man had be quite amicable.

    From Cliff¡¯s standpoint, both me and Urs could be considered his benefactors. Judging from the military strength of the 203rd Colony, it¡¯d have been impossible for them to escape without the two of us.

    Even so, considering that as a knight, Cliff cared about someone like me, who concealed his face and looked like a dubious adventurer, I thought that he was quite dignified¡ªor rather, a man of kindness. Even more so considering that he was more than amoner but less than an aristocrat. But of course, that¡¯d change once he learned of my true identity.

    ¡°I¡¯d like tomend you for arriving so early, but would you join the military council?¡±

    ¡°Huh, you¡¯d like me to join?¡±

    ¡°More than anyone else, you¡¯ve ughtered those wretched devilfish monsters. Rather, wouldn¡¯t it be strange to not hear from you.¡±

    In other words, I was asked to report about the monster, along with my actual battle experience.

    At the 203rd Colony, not many had fought the octopuses. Amongst them, Urs and I were the only two who had defeated the 10m ss ones.

    ¡­But, to tell Urs to speak in front of a high-ranking crusader, wouldn¡¯t that be cruel? Although, if she was smart, then she might be able to organize the information more urately than I could and deliver a wonderful presentation on measures against Gluttony Octo.

    ¡°Also, there won¡¯t be any drawbacks. If you directly spoke to them about how active you were, you¡¯ll surely be rewarded. Of course, I¡¯ll also back it up.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t interested in the reward, but since I was pretending to be an adventurer, it¡¯d be expected for me to ept Cliff¡¯s offer.

    Is it what they call epting good intentions?

    However, I had to absolutely conceal my identity. Should I properly turn down the offer?

    Besides, it should be possible to prepare for the battle against the Gluttony Octo even without my report. Even Cliff was already aware that they were susceptible to fire. I had also exined about Gluttony Octo, one of the Trial monsters.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to refuse. I¡¯d like to refrain from standing out too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve already spoken to them. Therefore, even if you have your helmet on, no one¡¯ll question you.¡±

    Hahaha¡­

    Towards Cliff, who showed such a refreshing smile, I felt resentful.

    Dammit, this guy¡¯s doing something unnecessary¡­

    Or rather, how did he get the crusaders to agree to something like that? Why would they invite a ck knight of dubious nature to their council of war? What if it was their enemy?

    ¡°Also, from the state of the previous battle, it seems that themander of the base, His Excellency Baron Herman, is interested in you.¡±

    Seriously?

    I already knew from Sariel that Baron Herman was a noble who had a close rtionship with the general, Count Bergund, and was one of the executives who led the Third Army. In other words, that baron was in the Ghad War.

    I¡¯d like to think that my true identity hadn¡¯t been revealed yet¡­

    Kuh¡­

    Now that things have be like this, it¡¯d be better to meet and talk to him directly. Perhaps, even if I decline here, the next invitation woulde. The other party might even approach me himself.

    First and foremost, I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this fortress until Gluttony Octo had been defeated.

    To put it simply, there was no escape.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the war council. But before that, give me a minute. I¡¯d like to entrust Urs to someone.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Then, we¡¯ll start the preparation. Pleasee to themand room in an hour.¡±

    Now then, let¡¯s assume the worst and go.

    ***

    It¡¯s a nightmare.

    The epitome of nightmare stood before him, donning a ck armor.

    Despite that, the man reminded himself that he was on a mission to prepare for the invasion of the Spada Knights at the Alsace Fortress. Thus, while suppressing his anxiety and fear, he continued to wear a frowning mask to desperately maintain his dignity as a noble.

    As I thought, this man is¡­. There¡¯s no doubt about it.

    From the moment the man entered, he knew it at first nce.

    Unbeknownst to others, his broad body, which had grown plump with age, trembled.

    About an hour ago, a man appeared in themand room. His name was none other than Kuroe. Although he wore the full set of knight armor adopted by the crusaders, it was obvious that he was no knight.

    ¡ªck.

    Indeed, it was ck.

    A heavy knight¡¯s full-body armor, polished to a white silver to symbolize the majesty of a white god, was painted in pitch ck like the darkness of the night.

    ¡­What a crude taste, such an improbably coloring.

    It wouldn¡¯t be strange for the man to be chided for being disrespectful.

    However, whether it was white, ck, or rainbow¡ªit was definitely heavy knight armor. An impregnable defense that fully covered the entire body. An alloy of silver, steel, and mithril that left no room for the enemy to take advantage of, covered him from tip to toe.

    Therefore, the man¡¯s face was entirely hidden beneath the thick helm, disallowing anyone to see.

    However, Herman knew who that man was.

    He could also vividly picture the real face of the terrifying devil that was on the other side of the helm.

    ¡°¡ªI see, I understand. You¡¯ve gathered so much information against an unknown monster. You¡¯ve worked hard, Cliff.¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you very much, Your Excellency Baron Herman!¡±

    The battle report on the monster ¡°Gluttony Octo¡± by both the ck Knight Kuroe and the toon leader of the heavy knight unit, Cliff, was alreadying to an end.

    Such an unbelievable report it was.

    Apparently, there was an enormous group of monsters flying across the sky under the cover of white fog. The number itself reached that of 10.000. Not only that, there were several gigantic individuals over 10 meters inside. In particr, the mountain-like existence at the end of the report sounded like a joke¡ªa hallucination due to fear.

    However, the fact that the vige West of the 201st Colony was entirely wiped out attested to its existence.

    Some of the officers gathered there may be skeptical, but Herman decided to believe the report for the time being. Taking into consideration the monster¡¯s vulnerability to fire and the effectiveness of wind barrier to dispel the fog, Herman decided toe up with some countermeasures.

    Nevertheless, the current Alsace Fortress, which was in charge of the Third Army, had limitedbat power. As such, they couldn¡¯t exactly be optimistic about interception.

    However, Herman now faced a more pressing danger.

    A ck nightmare that was far more frightening than a mysterious octopus monster was right before him.

    ¡°Then, you may return.¡±

    After dismissing them from the room, Cliff bowed without hesitation. Kuroe, who stood beside him, bowed and followed after him.

    Herman made up his mind.

    It was as big a decision as when he had a duel with his brother over his wife more than 30 years ago.

    ¡°¡ªWait, I¡¯d like for Kuroe to remain for a bit.¡±

    As the ck knight halted, so was Herman¡¯s heart.

    Any moment now, a jet-ck de would rupture his chest. Then, the de would explode without any traces.

    ¡°I, it¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯d like to personally express my gratitude to Kuroe, who saved many people and my soldiers from the predicament¡ª¡±

    ¡ªHe was so nervous that he couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.

    Even so, as an aristocrat, Herman delivered the line he had prepared in advance without flinching. Furthermore, he had alreadyid the groundwork for the officers and escorts soldiers that were present. He was prepared.

    Just go with the flow.

    ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s basically it, but ah, let¡¯s have the others leave their seats. Forgive me, but could everyone leave?¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The officers who were attending the military council quickly left the room as if they were following orders.

    Due to the iprehensible dismissal, Cliff¡¯s expression was split between suspicion and confusion. He was right in sensing that something was amiss. Even so, as a knight, he had to keep his mouth shut.

    Just like that, only two people were left in themand room. Herman, who sat dignifiedly on the top seat, and Kuroe, who stood like an immovable, ancient statue before the door.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kuroe didn¡¯t say anything.

    Despite this, it was as if Herman was crushed by the silent pressure.

    Neither on the battlefield nor at Sinir¡¯s court, where he had been invited only twice, had he ever felt so unnerved.

    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    After all, Herman was presently standing before a naked, hungry dragon.

    Depending on the dragon¡¯s mood, his life could easily be forfeit.

    Under normal circumstances, it¡¯d be impossible for him to be in such a situation.

    Nevertheless, he believed that by risking his life, it¡¯d be in the best interests of not only himself, but his soldiers.

    ¡°To avoid any misunderstanding, let me say this first. We¡¯ll not harm you. We¡¯ll never be hostile to you. Also, no matter where you disappear, we won¡¯t look for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    When he wasn¡¯t greeted with a ck me sword, Herman stroked his chest in relief.

    ¡°I know of your true identity. Hence, I said those.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Kuroe¡¯s reply was cold and blunt¡ªyet suffice. He showed that he¡¯d listen for the time being.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want my soldiers to die, either. You probably don¡¯t want to die, either. No, you probably won¡¯t die. Even so, I want to avoid as many troubles as I can.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t want to have an unnecessary fight in a situation where a horde of monsters is approaching?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quick to understand.¡±

    He was grateful.

    To be honest, Herman didn¡¯t know what kind of race the demons¡ªor even the Spadas, were. However, without a rough understanding of the culture and values, it¡¯d be difficult for people to negotiate.

    Fortunately, just from Kuroe¡¯s short answer, Herman could infer that he was a reasonable person.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to cooperate with you to handle this matter. Officially, I¡¯ll treat you as an adventurer. I don¡¯t know your true identity. Even if someone in the army were to discover your true identity, I¡¯ll put them under gag order.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you going to betray the crusaders?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re defeated¡ª! Isn¡¯t it God who betrayed us¡ª!?¡±

    Even though they went out of their way to invade Pandora after giving oracles twice, the result was like this. As such, it was only natural for him to slight God. Much less if it was a noble like him, who prioritized the profit of the territory rather than the faith.

    ¡°If you were to wage a war as you pleased, it¡¯s on you if you lose.¡±

    He soon realized that he had made a mistake.

    No, even if he didn¡¯t, there wasn¡¯t anyone senseless enough as to not sense the sign of anger which emanated from the man, which had reached the realm of murderous intent.

    ¡°Wait, wait! I have no intention of fighting Sparda anymore! My only wish is to safely return to my territory with the soldiers I led!¡±

    It¡¯d be meaningless to discuss the pros and cons of war against people from enemy countries, especially in a situation where one¡¯s life was in the hands of an opponent. Appealing for the legitimacy of a fight was equivalent to suicide.

    ¡°The Baron Herman family will withdraw from the Pandora expedition. I no longer have any obligation to serve the crusaders. After the death of Count Bergund, I¡¯ve been forced to take responsibility for this defeat.¡±

    Considering his position, there was no limit to the amount of resentment he could receive. He truly felt like he had been pulled out of the bad lottery.

    If only Count Bergund hasn¡¯t gone berserk¡ª

    ¡ªbut¡­ wasn¡¯t Kuroe the root cause? Had he not killed Count Bergund¡¯s beloved daughter¡ª

    ¡ªAlthough, even if he did say that, Kuroe would reply with an extremely fair counterargument, saying. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for starting the war.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to die in a ce like this. We don¡¯t want to be killed by monsters, or by you. That¡¯s why, let¡¯s cooperate. Because neither the obligation to the crusaders nor the belief in God can be exchanged for life.¡±

    He was being mostly sincere.

    As a noble, it¡¯d be a bad idea to offer a sincere opinion during negotiations, but the other party was a demonic man who had doubted him. In these cases, the best thing to do was to appeal honestly as a human being.

    ¡°Please, won¡¯t you lend us your strength!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    No wonder.

    From his point of view, they were hateful invaders.

    Even if he was attacked by a monster and pleaded for his help, it¡¯d be strange for him to listen.

    Not to mention, it was unclear why he helped the vigers evacuate in the first ce.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me. You may kill me whenever you feel like it, but keep in mind that you won¡¯t be able to escape in peace after ughtering this fort.¡±

    The power dynamic between them was clear.

    Therefore, there was no need for him to doubt.

    If he didn¡¯t like it, he could kill Herman. The man before him was capable of carrying out purely violent intentions that were otherwise banned from humans.

    ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯d also like to avoid unnecessary conflicts.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±

    Thus, Kuroe made his deration of cooperation. Herman felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. With that, he wouldn¡¯t be killed suddenly.

    ¡°¡ªHowever, there are some conditions.¡±

    ¡°Just say it. I¡¯ll try my utmost toply with your wishes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way.¡±

    He was worried that Kuroe would demand him to hand over themand of the entire army. However, he was little taken aback at what couldn¡¯t even be called a condition.

    ¡°Of course, if necessary, I¡¯ll even help you.¡±

    ¡°Next, I¡¯d like to participate in the military council. After all, if we don¡¯te up with a suitable strategy, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have your seat ready.¡±

    At present, Kuroe was the one with the most knowledge pertaining to the Gluttony Octo. Not only that, he had a lot ofbat experience. Surely, his opinion would prove to be of value.

    ¡°Once this battle is over, let us go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Whether you go back to Spada or infiltrate Daedalus, we won¡¯t interfere.¡±

    For Kuroe to wish to disappear on his own ord¡ªit was akin to a blessing.

    Although, Herman never intended to betray him, so there was no need for that.

    Even if they were to sessfully defeat the Gluttony Octo, it wouldn¡¯t be without suffering a certain amount of damage. If they were to attempt to pursue Kuroe in such a state, they¡¯d be annihted. Not only that, he might return to take revenge.

    By letting Kuroe escape, no matter how much damage the crusaders may suffer in the future, it was no longer his concern. Besides, if that was what Kuroe wanted, then he may continue to wage war upon this continent as he saw fit.

    ¡°Wait, did you say ¡®us¡¯¡­?¡±

    ¡°I have apanion.¡±

    ¡°No way, is thatpanion¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªDo not pry.¡±

    ¡°O, of course! Sorry!¡±

    Herman had an inkling as to whom thatpanion was. But apparently, it was a sensitive subject. For Herman, who had been bitten by a venomous snake after poking a bush when he was a child, avoiding that kind of crisis was top priority¡ª

    ¡ªeven if Kuroe¡¯spanion was a saint who symbolized the crusaders¡­ Yes, even if she was an apostle, it had nothing to do with Herman. Although, what a true saint she was¡ªto give herself to the devil for greater good¡­

    ¡°A, anyway, I¡¯ll put a gag order regarding yourpanion, as well.¡±

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll conceal her face as much as possible.¡±

    I don¡¯t know anything.

    In the final battle of Ghad, the 7th Apostle¡ªSariel, who had descended, went missing after a duel with a certain demon. Ever since then, despite having many eye witnesses, the rumors were decided to be a made-up story with no roots or leaves.

    ¡°Is there anything else? If you wish, I¡¯ll prepare a hefty reward for you, and if it¡¯s a weapon or equipment that you desire, you¡¯re free to make use of whatever we have here. I¡¯m grateful for your cooperation.¡±

    At the very least, it could be said that there was no one stronger than Kuroe in the Alsace fortress. Although his knights were by no means weak soldiers, none of them had outstanding strength or special abilities.

    Herman used to dream of having a knight with superman strength. Ironically, Kruoe was close to that ideal. An existence that could be a trump card even in a pinch.

    Therefore, it was only natural to give him generous support in terms of equipment. It wasn¡¯t just to curry favor with him.

    ¡°I see, then that¡¯s enough¡ªand onest thing¡­¡±

    Please don¡¯t be unreasonable.

    Herman waited for Kuroe¡¯s words while praying to God.

    ¡°The mountain-size Gluttony Octo¡ªI¡¯ll kill it myself.¡±

    In this way, the cooperation with Kuroe was sessfully established with mutual consent.

    After the peculiar-looking ck knight left, Herman let out a deep sigh. He felt like he had narrowly escaped death.

    ¡°As expected, what a ridiculous berserker¡­¡±

    That was right.

    Amidst an isted battlefield, a lone man made his way into the enemy camp and captured Reinfeldt, the daughter of Count Bergund.

    Furthermore, after the death of the count, the 7th Apostle, Sariel, descended to help the crusaders amidst their retreat. Facing against the strongest man of the crusaders, that man wasn¡¯t the slightest bit afraid.

    Since he was withdrawing, Herman couldn¡¯t witness the battle¡¯s conclusion. But when the man himself appeared before him like that, he inadvertently understood¡ª

    ¡ªthat man defeated the apostle.

    ¡°Ah¡­ how did things be like this¡­ I want to go home, I want to go home quickly¡­¡±

    Not only that, Kuroe especially dered that the gigantic boss monster was his prey. He was nothing but a battle-crazed maniac who was hungry for battle.

    Herman, who had taken in such a terrifying man under his wings, could onlyment his unfortunate circumstances.

    A true nightmare.

    After the recent battle, the crusaders gave the man a nickname¡ª

    ¡ªGhad¡¯s Nightmare.

 Chapter 508

    <h4>Chapter 508</h4>

    ck Demon King

    Preparing for the Storm

    Fortunately, on the next day¡ªthe 2th of the Ice Crystal Month¡ªthe Gluttony Octo didn¡¯t attack.

    Is it taking a break after devouring five viges?

    Either way, I took the opportunity to prepare myself for the iing Fifth Trial.

    ¡°As I thought, a sword will do the job.¡±

    After being guided to the armory of the fortress, I procured two greatswords.

    The first one was a sturdy, long, two-handed sword called a Zweihander. While it didn¡¯t have any magical property, the sturdy, double-edged sword could cut through dozens of enemies. Given the size of the Gluttony Octo swarm, it was almost certain that I¡¯d be involved in endless closebat. For that, I needed a durable weapon.

    The other was a sword called mberge, which was characterized by its wavy de. The unique wave-like de could carve flesh and inflict unsustainable injury. The vague red gleam of the de showed that magic dwelled within it.

    As could be seen from the red de, it was imbued with fire attributes. It was said that once wielded, the de could spew fire, setting the enemy aze. However, it couldn¡¯t shoot fireballs. Most likely, the fire attribute was merely an additional enchantment.

    Nevertheless, it¡¯d prove to be effective against the Gluttony Octo, whose weakness was fire. Besides, I could shoot ¡®Grenade Burst¡¯ on my own.

    I¡¯d wield Zweihander on my right hand, and the mberge on my left. They¡¯d be my main weapons.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll be taking some other swords as well.¡±

    With the basemander, Baron Herman, as my backing, I dug through the armory without hesitation. I could feel the dubious gaze of the escort knight on my back. Inwardly, he was probably asking, ¡®What the hell¡¯s with this guy¡­¡¯ But I didn¡¯t care. After all, they were crusader weapons. I¡¯d make the most of this opportunity.

    ¡°Of course, all the other swords would be for the ¡®Sword Arts.¡¯¡±

    The ckened swords would be used to cover my back. Then, as an emergency recement, I took about ten Zweihanders.

    Then, I started looking for an ordinary longsword as the ammunition for ¡®st de¡¯. For now, let¡¯s get around 200 of them, since they were single use.

    By the way, before arriving here, I had already resupplied my Shadow Gate. As for where to store the additional 200, I¡¯d use another dimension magic.

    In other words, I had gotten my hands on the long-awaited spatial dimension magic bags.

    I had worn a waist bag and hung some pouches around my hips. All three had been enchanted with storage magic. Therefore, the three bags probably cost more than the borrowed sword. While they didn¡¯t look like anything out of the ordinary, they boasted a decent amount of storage. Even with 200 swords scattered about, there was still some space left. After I had filled the remaining space with various potions, the general preparations for the battle would bepleted.

    And so, after carefully picking weapons, items, and preparing the equipment, I returned to the room that¡¯d been especially prepared for me. At the same time, the bell rung, signaling that it was noon.

    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, Yuri, Urs.¡±

    ¡°Wee back.¡±

    Both of them greeted me in unison.

    The room, which was reserved for the officers, wasn¡¯t spacious enough to be considered as luxurious. Nevertheless, a single room was already a special treatment.

    Originally, I was supposed to sleep in arge room on the first floor, or in the basement along with the vigers. However, Baron Herman took care of it and prepared this room for me. While I felt slightly guilty, I didn¡¯t n on staying too long, anyway. Moreover, I was grateful for the privacy, since I had to talk with Sariel.

    As it faced the inside of the fortress, the room had no windows. It felt a little like a cramped basement. At the same time, it wasn¡¯t very dim, as it was lit by a rather expensivemp that could magically adjust the light intensity.

    In the bright room, Sariel and Urs were sitting on the bed, seemingly rxing together.

    Seeing no point in hiding my face any longer, I took off my helmet.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, let me help.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Urs leaped down from the bed to receive the heavy helmet.

    As a matter of course, armor couldn¡¯t be easily taken off like clothes. It wasn¡¯t umon for heavy, full-body, armor like this to take a lot of time and effort to remove, akin to a dress worn by a princess.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got the equipment. I have enough for two, so check it out.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Brother.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    After swiftly removing my clothes, I sat down on a wooden chair with a simple desk simr to the one in the church and faced the two of them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start with Yuri.¡±

    I took one of the magic dimension pouches. There were various potions and other basic adventurer kit inside. Of course, those weren¡¯t enough.

    ¡°Some spare swords and Ignited Daggers are packed inside. Although, since you have a wind rapier, it may be useless. Still, use them when the need arises.¡±

    I had already heard about Sariel¡¯s fighting style from Ryan.

    The emerald-crusted, holy silver, mithril rapier that I obtained from the mushroom-headed Mashram had better performance than expected. Because even Sariel, whose magic was depleted, could use offensive magic in rapid session. Apparently, it was because the sword incorporated a form that allowed her to cast wind magic. Previously, I thought that it was only about weight reduction.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you need, let me know. Right now, we still have time to look for it.¡±

    ¡°No, this will suffice.¡±

    Sariel answered expressionlessly as usual.

    Is she truly satisfied, or inwardly, did she think that, ¡®Wow, brother, this lineup sucks¡¯?

    As I thought, I couldn¡¯t discern her expression, so I decided to take her words literally.

    ¡°Then, this is for Urs.¡±

    I handed her the other enchanted pouch. At first nce, it looked like an ordinary pouch made ofmon leather, but even Urs knew that it was an expensive magic item.

    Perhaps because of that, she carefully received it with both hands, as if being handed a diploma.

    ¡°Since Urs doesn¡¯t need a weapon, I stashed a lot of magic recovery potions in it. You should drink it before you feel exhausted.¡±

    Urs gulped, before nodding with a serious expression.

    After all, back when she fought at the 203rd Colony, she was in a pinch because she had no way of restoring her magic. When it came to the small fry, Anastasia¡¯s magic didn¡¯t require as much magic, even more so whenbined with ¡®Drain.¡¯ Nevertheless, when fighting against a 10-meter ss monster, a tremendous amount of magic was required. Even if she could use ¡®Drain¡¯, no magical power was infinite.

    Therefore, I thought about it the other way around. As long as Urs had enough power, she could maintain Anastasia as long as possible. If she stuck to the rear guard, she should be fine.

    ¡°There¡¯s also gold in the pouch.¡±

    ¡°¡­Money? But why?¡±

    ¡°After this battle is over, it¡¯s the only thing I can leave for you.¡±

    All the bounty money I received from Baron Herma was inside Urs¡¯s pouch.

    Judging from the threat level of the monsters we faced this time, even the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would reward us generously. If she were to lead an ordinary life, it probably wouldn¡¯tst for her entire life, but half.

    ¡°In truth, I wanted you to live peacefully with Reki in that vige. But now that it hase to this, I don¡¯t know what will happen to you.¡±

    If the subjugation of the Gluttony Octo was sessful, the crusaders would rebuild the vige. Since Alsace and Spada would be bordering countries, human settlements would need to be established before we could move on.

    However, when it came to starting from zero, I wondered if Urs¡ªa helpless child with no rtives, could live peacefully. I myself doubt that I could afford to take care of her anymore. Moreover, if things went wrong, the vigers of the 202nd Colony would probably be scattered to other ces.

    Thus, the vige that was supposed to be Urs¡¯s hometown may truly vanish.

    ¡°Which is why¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Urs shoved the pouch to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this.¡±

    Her little hands trembled as they held the pouch.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any money! As long as I¡¯m with Priest Kuroe, I don¡¯t need anything else!¡±

    With thin streams of tears flowing down her blue eyes, Urs spoke.

    ¡°¡­No, Urs, you can¡¯t do that.¡±

    I¡¯ll hold your hand and stay with you forever.

    ¡ªI¡¯ll protect you.

    I really wanted to say that.

    But it was impossible.

    ¡°But why? If it¡¯s for Priest Kuroe, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t Urs, you mustn¡¯t say that.¡±

    The reason why my voice rose in anger was because I was terribly afraid of losing someone.

    Considering that when the battle was over, neither Sariel nor I would be around, I understood why Urs was desperate. Therefore, it may be unavoidable for her to say, ¡®I don¡¯t care if I die.¡¯ Or something along those lines.

    ¡­However, it was only temporary.

    ¡°I want Urs to live a peaceful life, free from war, for the remainder of her life. I sincerely hope so.¡±

    I said the same thing to Reki on the night of the Valentinus Festival.

    As if I could get her best friend involved in my battle.

    After losing Reki, the thought had only gotten stronger.

    ¡°If you¡¯re with me, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get caught up in a tough battle just like now. No, we¡¯re definitely going toe across a much stronger enemy than even Gluttony Octo.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you going to wage a war with the crusaders again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    Urs already knew that I was a demon that was hostile to the crusaders. As such, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to imagine that war would break out again.

    ¡°I can fight, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ughter a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°For Priest Kuroe¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll kill as many Sinir as I can.¡±

    It was the truth.

    As it was, Urs was already as powerful as a high-ranking wizard, and could easily wipe out an infantry. While she was still inferior to Lily and Fiona, that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t formidable on her own.

    If she kept fighting, she¡¯d probably be able to match their abilities in the not-too-distant future. She might even be one of my trustedpanions.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of battle. I¡¯m not afraid of killing. I¡¯m willing to risk my life, kill someone, and keep engaging in battle. If what it takes to stay by Priest Kuroe¡¯s side is to fight, then I¡¯m willing to do it.¡±

    Despite brimming with tears, there was an unprecedented brilliance in Urs¡¯s eyes. Even as a child, her determination was obvious.

    I understood that it¡¯d be impossible to persuade her otherwise.

    In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t like people¡¯s feelings could be changed through simple words. Even if the other party understood my reasoning, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily make them ept it.

    I didn¡¯t want Urs to die.

    I wanted her to live a peaceful life.

    But if she didn¡¯t want that, then that ¡®wish¡¯ would be a mere selfishness and one-sided preposition on my part.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but even so, I can¡¯t take you with me. This is the only time where you¡¯ll be fighting for your life.¡±

    ¡°But I¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Urs. I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve just focused on the battle at hand, but I ended up talking too much. After the battle is over, let¡¯s talk once more. We need to focus on surviving before pondering about the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    I felt bad for deceiving her.

    However, I was afraid that if I were to incite Urs any further, she might end up doing something unreasonable like Reki.

    Although people¡¯s feelings were important, their lives were even more so.

    Gluttony Octo wasn¡¯t a weak enemy that I could defeat with ease.

    ¡°It should be time for lunch. Shall we head for the cafeteria?¡±

    Even though it was painful, I forcibly shifted the topic.

    The menu was a little more luxurious than usual.

    However, I couldn¡¯t taste much of my meal, which I ate in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

    ***

    ¡°¡ªGo ahead, Kuroe, please take a seat over there.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    After finishing the awkward lunch with Urs, Cliff summoned me to themand room.

    The purpose, of course, was to participate in the military council. True to his promise, Baron Herman had prepared a seat and even waited for my arrival. Despite the fact that I was wearing a helmet, no one raised aint. Had the baron done his groundwork.

    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s here. Now, let¡¯s start the war council. First, let¡¯s hear the report from the reconnaissance unit¡ª¡±

    Baron Herman only spared me a nce before proceeding with the meeting as the chairman, seemingly unfazed by it all.

    ¡°¡ªThe white fog is currently covering the 205th Colony. It¡¯s unlikely that the fog will be lifted any time soon. We¡¯ve confirmed the signs of countless monsters inside the fog, and have since decided that it¡¯s dangerous to provoke them. As such, we continue to keep an eye on them for monitoring purposes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d suffice. Good job.¡±

    Gluttony Octo seemed to be steadily closing in. Considering that it had reached a vige one block away, no doubt that they¡¯d arrive tomorrow. In the worst-case scenario, they might even attack us in the middle of the night.

    However, it seemed that he understood that even if I didn¡¯t say anything. Without further ado, the proposal to tighten nighttime security was immediately put forward and adopted.

    I decided to stay awake tonight.

    ¡°Then, about the defense n¡ª¡±

    ¡ªWhile the discussion was lively, there was no major divisions of opinion, so it ensued peacefully. The content of the talk was just for confirmation, and all the officers had already settled on the same opinion.

    After all, everyone gathered there was under Baron Herman, and was eager to return to history, preventing any needless disputes to take ce.

    ¡ªTo safely put an end to the fight and return alive.

    Ipletely agreed with them on that one.

    ¡°First, dispatch the Wind Mages to deploy a wind barrier that envelops the entire Alsace Fortress.¡±

    The one who spoke without any hesitation was a man in a green uniform. Most likely, he was the leader of the magician corps. He was around the same age as Herman, but skinny.

    The wind barrier was of the utmost priority if we wanted to stay safe.

    When it came to defending against them, it was important to intercept their flight abilities. Without that, the incident at 203rd Colony, in which theynded the first attack and caused a confusion, would surely repeat again. Not only did the fog decrease the visibility, the enemy descended one by one from above. As such, the situation got out of hand.

    The fog didn¡¯t only obstruct our vision, but also supported the Gluttony Octo¡¯s flight, since they could only do so in the fog.

    Since the fog could easily be extinguished by Urs¡¯s Drain, it was safe to assume that the fog was magical in nature, and was generated by Gluttony Octo¡¯s excess magic. Had it been a natural fog, it wouldn¡¯t be affected by her Drain ability.

    The magical fog probably boosted buoyancy with its wind attribute. Because of that, the octopuses thatcked the shape to fly could soar into the sky.

    I also didn¡¯t fail to notice that while they glided smoothly amidst the fog, they always crawled along the ground where there was no fog. The one that suddenly fell in front of me had no choice but to fly up to the misty sky and then free fall from the fogless part.

    ¡°Can we do that?¡±

    ¡°Currently, we¡¯re proceeding with the engraving of magic circles in various parts of the fortress. Once this ispleted, the barrier that covers the whole fortress can be activated with just our own personnel.¡±

    That¡¯s great.

    If they had told me that it was impossible, I¡¯d have no choice but to rely on Urs despite knowing the danger.

    ¡°However, once the barrier is activated, all the Wind Mages would have to concentrate on channeling their magic, rendering them useless in battle.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it. The Wind Mages will try to maintain the barrier, and leave the offenses to other units. Not only that, we¡¯ll also need some form of defense for the casters¡­ Then, let¡¯s assign a toon of knights to each.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The barrier was the cornerstone of defense. Therefore, if the mages were in danger, the troops would defend them to death. I also had to keep their cement in mind.

    ¡°The key to the offense is the Fire Mages. Whether to let other mages attack or assign them to defense will be decided after the actual battle.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Then, Kuroe, since you¡¯re experienced inbat, may I ask for your opinion?¡±

    Eeh, you¡¯re going to put me on spot here?

    Cliff was next to me the entire time, but he wasn¡¯t asked.

    By the way, Cliff was highly praised for his performance during the previous battle, and was promoted to the rank of captain of the heavy knight unit. He had just barely joined the ranks of the officers who were eligible to participate in the war council.

    ¡°Among the enemies, there¡¯s a huge one with a length of about 10 meters. The acid breath it spews out is extremely powerful. I want the magician unit to intercept the breath attack. The magicians who have no means to prevent it¡¯ll focus on the offense.¡±

    ¡°I see, then the gigantic ones should be defeated first.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be a cannon ballista on the ramparts. Let¡¯s use it to take down the huge enemy.¡±

    After all, it¡¯d be useless to use the cannon ballista that firedrge arrows at the small fry. It¡¯d be great if we could defeat the giant octopuses and lessen the burden on the magicians with that.

    ¡°¡­Also, the small ones will swarm the castle walls, trying to scale it. Therefore, I want the Fire Mages to keep them at bay with ¡®Ignis st¡¯.¡±

    The Fire Mages would be a crucial part in eliminating a swarm of octopuses.

    It wouldn¡¯t do for them to cast fireballs sporadically. Instead, they should sustain the attack and shower as much enemy as they could with fire.

    Then, it¡¯d be best to line up the units on top of the castle walls, and make them use ¡®Ignis st¡¯ on roughly equal intervals.

    In short, I¡¯d like them to prevent the small ones from approaching with a crossfire of me.

    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll use it as a reference.¡±

    In response to my opinion, the leader of the magician unit said so without changing his expression. Well, I couldn¡¯t read his mind, but if he saw the horde with his own eyes, he¡¯d surelye to a simr conclusion to mine.

    ¡°Then, the next is the operation of the infantry units¡ª¡±

    There was a limit to what soldiers who were incapable of magic could do.

    To either shoot an arrow or swing a spear. Additionally, they could also hold long-handled torches as an additional form of support.

    The infantry would be thest to stop the octopus from entering the ramparts. After all, offensive spells couldn¡¯t be fired at close range.

    ¡°We¡¯ve switched the arrows to burning arrows as much as we can, and prepared the torches. Not only that, we also n to collect mmable things. That way, we can drop them from the castle wall as a means of attack.¡±

    Perhaps thinking that they were going to return to their territory anyway, they were going all-out. Well, as long as they were determined to give their all in this battle, I had noints.

    ¡°¡ªWell, that¡¯s the gist of it, but does anyone else have an opinion?¡±

    Has it been two hours since the war council has started?

    The report and the stratagem were almostplete.

    A moment of silence.

    No one raised their hand.

    However, the war council wouldn¡¯t conclude with just that.

    ¡°Then, we shall move on to thest question. Is there any countermeasure against the gigantic, mountain-like Gluttony Octo that Kuroe saw?¡±

    Indeed.

    All we had been discussing so far was how to intercept the hordes of enemies that were surging in.

    The true Gluttony Octo. The monster of trials. The one that I couldn¡¯t think of a single way on how to defeat.

    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, Your Excellency.¡±

    The one who raised his hand was the leader of green-robed magicians.

    ¡°As long as those giant monsters are flying in the sky, the infantry will be powerless. No matter how many fire arrows they shoot, it¡¯ll be to no avail. In the worst case, the enemy may be at such a high altitude that even arrows can¡¯t reach them.¡±

    ¡°I see, then our only solution is to rely on magic.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. However, with our magical units, we can only do so much against such a gigantic enemy, especially since we got our hands full with the hordes of enemies.¡±

    It went without saying that the magicians were much fewer in number than infantry. Depending on the army, the ratio would vary slightly, but most of them were less than half of the infantry, about 30%.

    Most of the army units stationed in the Alsace Fortress had already been withdrawn, so there weren¡¯t many left. Moreover, the strength of Baron Herman¡¯s forces also needed to be considered.

    It was difficult to say that the magician unit was well-equipped.

    ¡°Also, even if our units were to use all of their strength, I doubt that we can muster enough magic to bring down an enemy that¡¯s as huge as a mountain. It¡¯s a whole different story if the enemy is only huge. All I can say is that we can¡¯t expect an easy victory.¡±

    I was keenly aware of the obviousck of firepower.

    If either Lily or Fiona was present, there¡¯d be many tactics that could be used. Unfortunately, no such magicians existed under Baron Herman¡¯smand.

    Or rather, if he had that much personal strength, he wouldn¡¯t be asking me for help. In addition to the size of his troop, if there was even one person who was as powerful as Lily or Fiona, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to defeat me.

    ¡°Then, what are we supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°Judging from the current strength, we have no other choice but to hold our ground.¡±

    Gluttony Octo could generate a powerful wind vortex akin to a typhoon, swallowing all the houses in the vige.

    But as long as we could withstand the tremendous vortex, we should be fine¡­

    ¡°Will this fort hold up?¡±

    ¡°While it¡¯s indeed hastily built, the construction itself is solid, since it¡¯s an Alsace fortress. I think it has a good chance of withstanding the attack.¡±

    ¡°But if the gigantic monster were to descend down, what¡¯d happen? Even if a mountaines down, will this fortress be able to withstand it without copsing?¡±

    Both the unit leader and the other officers went silent.

    Limited force.

    No matter how much I worried and contemted it, there was no way I coulde up with a way to defeat such an insurmountable enemy.

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll defeat it.¡±

    Amidst the silence, my voice echoed loudly.

    A smallmotion arose, but no one dared to raise a question to my face. After a brief pause, Baron Herman, the chairman, asked in an inquiring manner.

    ¡°Kuroe, is there a way to defeat it?¡±

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t confident.

    However, I knew that we wouldn¡¯t survive unless we defeated it. After all, not limited to just besieging the fortress, it¡¯d surely devour it as whole.

    ¡°I can, but I¡¯ll need your cooperation for it.¡±

    ¡°Since we have no other n, we¡¯re willing to cooperate with anything.¡±

    Anything, they said.

    Then, I had no reason to refuse.

    ¡°The Pegasus that the Seventh Apostle¡ªSariel, rode is still in this fortress. I want you to lend me this.¡±

 Chapter 509

    <h4>Chapter 509</h4>

    Into the Raging Storm

    The next morning, 26th of the Ice Crystal Month, when my stomach had calmed down after lunch¡­

    ¡­A white fog was encroaching towards the Alsace Fortress.

    ¡°Everyone, prepare to intercept! Hurry, the swarm of octopuses will soon arrive!¡±

    ¡°Hey, fire! Light the fire!¡±

    Suddenly, there was an uproar in the castle. Angry roars bellowed from here and there, and the soldiers rushed down the aisle.

    A simrmotion ensued before the Ghad Warmenced.

    Although, the atmosphere of the battlefield must be the same everywhere.

    ¡°Get ready, Yuri, Urs.¡±

    ¡°Yes, brother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    As if yesterdays¡¯ goodbye never took ce, Urs seemed unfazed. This time, she¡¯d focus on the rear guard, which was fortified by the fortress defense. Therefore, she should be able to fight more safely than during the withdrawal battle.

    On the other hand, I didn¡¯t get a chance to look at Sariel¡¯s expression, but she was probably expressionless as usual.

    Currently, the fully-armed Sariel stood behind me, the wind rapier and the pouch I gave her yesterday attached to her waist.

    That was right.

    This time, I¡¯d have Sariel protect my back.

    Disregarding myplicated feelings about her, she was the most dependable ally I could ever have. After all, she was a former apostle. Even without her limbs, she was monstrous enough to y a huge armored bear.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    I had already donned my jet-ck armor. Wielding the Zweihander and the mberge, I left the room.

    First, I head to the hall on the first floor. Since I had a rough grasp of the fortress¡¯ structure, it was unlikely for me to get lost.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Priest.¡±

    The vigntes from each vige, including Ryan, had already gathered in therge hall before the castle¡¯s main gate.

    Considering the size of the Gluttony Octo, it¡¯d definitely be an all-out battle that¡¯d exhaust all the manpower. Basically, Baron Herman¡¯s Alsace Fortress garrison would bear the brunt, while the vigntes were treated as reservists. Unfortunately, the battle wasn¡¯t so easy that the reservists wouldn¡¯t participate at all.

    ¡°Ryan, how¡¯s the preparation?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, this is the vanguard base of the crusaders, so the weapons are the best of the best.¡±

    Due to the modest number of soldiers, many weapons were left in the Alsace fortress. A single defeat at Ghad War didn¡¯t mean that the crusaders withdrew. Whether it was to anticipate the second invasion or as a means of defense, the fortress needed to be resupplied.

    Previously, I¡¯d much prefer for them to be destroyed. As of the present, it was only thanks to the excess of supplies that I could fight without worry.

    ¡°Until a sortie request is issued, defend the castle. Don¡¯t stray away or try to join the frontline.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do a good job at protecting this ce, I wouldn¡¯t have been knighted. Leave it to me.¡±

    For the time being, it should be fine to leave the vignte group to Ryan.

    By the way, there was one more thing I¡¯d like to entrust to him.

    I looked up at Ryan and whispered inside my helmet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Urs to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if I¡¯ll have to use force, I¡¯ll definitely keep her safe.¡±

    Ryan also regretted Reki¡¯s death, and didn¡¯t want a repeat of that.

    ¡°Listen, Urs. Like I said yesterday, stay with the vigntes. If a sortie request were to be issued, support everyone from inside the castle. Never try to leave.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood, Priest Kuroe.¡±

    With a slightly dazed look, Urs nodded.

    As I thought, there was a dissatisfaction in her heart.

    ¡°You may find yourself in a situation where the enemy has invaded the castle. Even if you¡¯re protected by the vanguard, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡±

    I was worried, but all I could do was to emphasize the simple warning.

    At this point in time, we had no other choice but to fight and win.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, please be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Sister Yuri, please stay safe.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The parting words were short.

    Sariel, Urs, and I didn¡¯t need to say anything else.

    However, when I felt a strong tug on my back, I reluctantly turned around and asked Urs, who seemed lonely.

    ¡°Hey, Urs, if we manage to win this battle, let¡¯s return to the vige together.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ can we do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll make a grave for Reki and mourn for her. After that, we shall think about the future.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Priest Kuroe!¡±

    When Urs finally smiled, I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.

    After all, I was merely postponing our goodbye¡ªpostponing the main issue.

    Regardless, even though it didn¡¯t solve anything, she seemed pleased.

    ¡°Please open the gate.¡±

    Feeling a sense of remorse and guilt towards myself, I went through the open gate by myself¡ªno, the two were right behind me.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s head out, Sariel.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Thus, together with Sariel, I¡¯d partake in the second defense of Alsace.

    ¡°¡ªEl Lampardfan!¡±

    The white fog approaching the Alsace Fortress was blown away by the high-level defensive wind magic that was activated simultaneously from all sides, ¡®El Lampardfan¡¯, which was also known as the ¡®Great Wind Castle.¡¯

    Along with the roaring sound of the wind, a wall of wind blocked the impending fog. The barrier extended to the opposite bank of the river, which flowed beyond the castle walls. The wind barrier appeared in a gigantic cylindrical form thatpletely surrounded the Alsace Fortress.

    As expected, with enough personnel, the area of effect was devastating.

    With Sariel behind me, I stood tall on the wall directly above the main gate, watching the activation of arge-scale barrier that was akin to a small typhoon.

    The preparation of that barrier, which was a countermeasure against the Gluttony Octo¡¯s fog, waspleted yesterday. It seemed to be working well, which was a relief. Normally, there¡¯d be no point in deploying such a barrier. After all, the breeze wasn¡¯t strong enough to deflect arrows. However, it was more than enough to blow away the drifting fog.

    As of the present, the barrier that was painstakingly created by the crusader magespletely covered the clear blue sky. As a result, I didn¡¯t have to worry about being overtaken by their descent operation.

    ¡°Wind Mage Unit, give your all to maintain the barrier! If this barrier disappears, we¡¯ll be prey to the flying octopuses!¡±

    ¡°Archers, prepare to fire! They should being out soon!¡±

    The crusader infantrymen had already been deployed on top of the castle walls. If everyone readied their fire arrows, the light of the me would provide illumination to an extent.

    The soldiers were lined up not only in front of me, but also on all four sides, not leaving any gaps. If the horde of enemies consisted of humans, they surely wouldn¡¯t have made it pass this point. In fact, at my time, I only encountered some minor irregrities. Besides the Cyprus experimental unit and Mass, I never found myself surrounded by the enemy.

    However, for those who flew in the sky, the shape of the terrain would be of no use. Fog had already spread everywhere, leaving only the area that was protected by the wind barrier.

    All that was left was for them to rush in from any direction towards the center where we were barricading ourselves.

    It¡¯d be difficult to not be able to concentrate our forces in one direction, but I couldn¡¯te up with any other means due to the limited formation.

    Therefore, we¡¯d have no choice but to deploy guards on the surrounding castle wall to the North, South, East, and West while knowing that our defenses would be somewhat weak.

    The walls of the Alsace Fortress were about ten meters high. Although it paled inparison to the Great Wall of Ghad, it was a decent fortress. Not only that, it was tall enough to minimize the octopuses¡¯ flight ability to an extent.

    ¡°¡­They¡¯reing.¡±

    A number of round silhouettes emerged on the opposite shore, where the mist was faint. With their creepy, undting tentacles, they crept silently out of the white darkness as if crawling.

    As if to oppose the infantrymen on the castle walls, they spread along the river bank. From a distance, they seemed like wriggling green moss.

    ¡°Hey, are you serious¡­?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them.¡±

    The fortress garrison, who beheld the demon fish for the first time, let out such remarks.

    Turning a deaf ear on their pleas, the repulsive monsters floated on the river and began to swim swiftly. As expected of an octopus, it was a good swimmer. No matter how deep a river or a moat was, it couldn¡¯t stop them.

    One after another, countless numbers of octopuses emerged from the fog. Then, they fearlessly crossed the river in a straight line. Perhaps, they were making it obvious to us that we were the prey.

    The octopuses were increasing at an rming rate. When half of the river was filled with their green heads, the crusaders finally ran out of patience.

    ¡°Charge¡ª!!¡±

    Overwhelmed by the green terror, the crusaders opened the war.

    Countless ming arrows were released, leaving scarlet tails behind, before cascading down the defenseless octopuses¡¯ heads.

    Immediately after that, a high-pitched, dissonant chorus of ¡°Gyiieee¡ª!!¡± Resounded all at once from the body of water. Weak to fire, the octopuses cried out in pain. A few soldiers seemed to be relieved that it was effective. The eerie cries that sent shivers down my spine actually fueled their fear and loathing towards the creatures.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get close to you! There¡¯re plenty of arrows! Keep shooting!¡±

    ¡°me Mage Unit, draw them closer before shooting! Our magic power isn¡¯t infinite, so avoid wasting shots as much as possible!¡±

    However, the octopuses weren¡¯t so weak that they¡¯d die with just one shot of a ming arrow. If they weren¡¯t shot multiple times, the fire wasn¡¯t likely to engulf them, and if the arrow missed, it¡¯d just be extinguished in the river.

    While shrieking in agony and writhing around, the octopuses quicklynded on our shore and crawled towards the ramparts.

    When they began attempting to scale the wall with their tentacles, it was time to fire.

    ¡°Ignis st¡ª!¡±

    The mes, fired all at once, licked the wall and ruthlessly sent the clinging octopuses to purgatory.

    After the tongue of fire dissipated, the octopuses were transformed into fire balls as they fell down, sweeping away the enemies within range.

    Alright, it seemed that we¡¯d be able to hold our ground against them. Afterward, it¡¯d depend on how much magical power the magician unit had.

    ¡°Hey, look! The big one¡¯s here!¡±

    A sharp-eyed archer quickly spotted its existence beyond the fog.

    This early?

    I clicked my tongue.

    Amidst the cry of the crusaders, 10-meter ss giant octopuses resembling huge trees with long tentacles, showed up one after another from the opposite bank, walking like aliens.

    One, two, three¡­

    A total of eightrge octopuses advanced as if to show off their enormous size. Presumably, a simr number appeared from the other tree directions.

    After all, when the 203rd Colony was invaded, the enemy also deployed an absurd number of troops.

    ¡°The big ones are dangerous! We have to get rid of them quickly!¡±

    At the military council yesterday, we had already established the fact that the 10m-ss ones would release a powerful Acid Breath. Naturally, the magician unit had been prepared to intercept that as well.

    In addition, the ballista mounted on the castle wall was also ready to be fired. Therefore, the magician unit, which was the cornerstone of the attack, wouldn¡¯t be focusing solely on defense. With a metallic sound, the ballista rotated, locking on arge octopus that was leisurely crossing the river. A thick, long arrows that looked like logs were loaded into it.

    However, it¡¯d be difficult to take them down with only the ballista. Or rather, it¡¯d be impossible.

    Such, the role of taking on the giant octopuses fell on me. I didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of ammo today. I¡¯d riddle them full of holes.

    ¡°¡ªSword Arts, de Storm!¡±

    ¡°¡ªThe octopuses are withdrawing.¡±

    While the back-and-forth offense and defense wouldst, the enemy¡¯s onught ceased. Like zombies, they keep rushing into the firing range. As a result, many of them perished, while the reset fled so fast, they could be seen on the opposite bank.

    ¡°Look! They¡¯re fleeing!¡±

    ¡°We did it! The victory is ours!¡±

    The crusaders were thrilled by the apparent withdrawal.

    Up to that point, the castle walls had somehow managed to prevent the invasion, but the war situation was unpredictable. I expected for the battle tost about two hours.

    Although there were few casualties yet, the soldiers and magicians were visibly fatigued after relentlessly maintaining the attack.

    The remaining octopuses, which clung to the castle wall, were knocked down with spears andrge torches.

    I should say that they did well in the face of seemingly infinite numbers of enemies.

    However, it was too early to be relieved.

    We hadn¡¯t won yet.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯sing.¡±

    When I fought at the 203rd Colony, the enemy also disappeared suddenly. Then, right after that, Reki got stabbed.

    Then, when I tried to get into the vige in search of the kidnapped Reki, that appeared.

    ¡°W, what the hell is that!?¡±

    ¡°This is a lie¡­ It¡¯s like a flying mountain¡­¡±

    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

    It¡¯d once again pull back all of its minions, before showing its gigantic body.

    A dark shadow floated amidst the fog. Like a looming dark cloud, it spread quickly, before revealing its enormous mountain-like body.

    Atst, it became clear to everyone that the gigantic Gluttony Octo beyond the thin mist rivaled the castle of the Alsace Fortress.

    ¡°Like I said, the size of this monster is abnormal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a monster that huge before.¡±

    Understandable, considering that unlike in the demon realm, such gigantic monsters didn¡¯t usually appear in Sinir.

    It¡¯d be the first time for Sariel and I to fight them.

    By the way, I was standing slightly sideways so that I could catch a glimpse of Sariel, who stood behind me. The reason wasn¡¯t because I was worried about her, but because I had to keep an eye on my enemy.

    ¡°Here ites.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Preventing the small octopuses from climbing the castle walls was nothing more than a preliminary skirmish. From the beginning, my goal was to defeat that trial monster.

    Of course, clearing the trials wasn¡¯t my number one priority. If I could somehow retreat, then that was good. But it wasn¡¯t like that monster would simply leave its prey and retreat.

    In other words, we couldn¡¯t survive unless we defeated it.

    ¡°Then, shall we begin?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The strategy to defeat Gluttony Octo¡ª

    ¡ªWell, it actually isn¡¯t a strategy¡­

    But I¡¯d already exined the gist of it to Sariel.

    ¡°We have to study its behavior¡ªwha!?¡±

    In an instant, a tremendous gust of wind swept through, and I instinctively braced myself.

    The wind pressure was so great that it seemed as if the helmet, armor, and belt of Sariel would be blown off at any moment.

    ¡°¡­Hm.¡±

    When I took a quick nce at the situation, I saw that Sariel was holding the deep hood that was hiding her face. Well, even if she managed to keep her hood, she seemed about to take off herself.

    After forcibly pushing the sword into the Shadow Gate, which was already full in capacity, I held on to Sariel so that she didn¡¯t fly away.

    ¡°Damn, and this is just his breath¡­¡±

    The cause of the gust of wind was, of course, the floating Gluttony Octo. At the bottom of its gigantic body, a huge mouth akin to the entrance of hell opened, and wind flowed into it.

    It was actually just a breath attack.

    I didn¡¯t notice it right away because the scale of the phenomenon was too wide. Who would¡¯ve thought that a single breath attack could create such a gust of wind? Even when a dragon fired its breath, the wind wasn¡¯t as strong as this.

    The fact that the Gluttony Octo was taking in a massive amount of air was apparent from the movement of the fog that filled the surroundings.

    Can it afford to fly without the buoyancy of the magical fog?

    Paying no heed to the rapidly dissipating fog, the gigantic monster raised a roar and began inhaling everything into its mouth.

    ¡°Uaaaaah¡ª! Take cover¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Get down! You¡¯ll be blown away!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let go of my hand! Don¡¯t let go, never let go¡ª!¡±

    A terrifyingly long breath. The stormy wind threw the soldiers along the wall into chaos. There was only so much I could do to prevent everyone from being blown away. Not only that, I couldn¡¯t evenunch an attack against the Gluttony Octo.

    In this situation, I doubted that I¡¯d be able to save even myself.

    ¡°¡ªIt stopped.¡±

    Suddenly, the wind ceased, and we were released from the wind pressure.

    Looking up again, I could see the figure of the Gluttony Octo soaring in the blue sky after sucking all the fog that had wrapped around itself like thin silk. Before, it looked like a floating cloud, but without the mist, a sense of incongruity pervaded me. After all, what seemed to be green mountains were flying in the sky.

    However, the one who floated in front of the Alsace Enemy was certainly an enemy.

    An enemy that was about to unleash yet another breath attack.

    Once again, the entrance to Hell would open.

    ¡°This is bad¡ªShield Diaz!¡±

    ¡°El Shield!¡±

    Sariel and I put up defensive magic in unison.

    Along with the majestic jet-ck construct that rose above the castle walls, I could feel a surge of gentle breeze enveloping my entire body¡ª

    ¡ªImmediately after, a nket of white blocked my vision.

    ¡°Kuh, this is¡­ fog¡ª!?¡±

    When I thought that the gigantic octopus was about to spew acid breath, no poisonous purple mist engulfed the surroundings.

    The white fog itself was harmless. From what I had seen and felt, it wasn¡¯t anything special.

    Then, after I was relieved that it wasn¡¯t poisonous, I soon realized¡ª

    ¡°¡ªThe fog won¡¯t clear up¡­ What happened to the barrier!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not broken, but the force of the breath has pushed the fog in, it looks like.¡±

    Such a remarkably calmment from Sariel.

    Don¡¯t say it like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem¡­

    ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve been had! With one breath, the situation ispletely reversed!¡±

    The wind barrier only repelled the fog that drifted in from the outside, and was unable to discharge the one that had umted inside. Once the fog had entered, there was no way to deal with it unless we made changes to the spell and shifted the air current itself.

    In order topletely drain the enormous amount of fog that had covered the entire Alsace Fortress, it¡¯d be necessary to prepare arge-scale operation to create yet another magic circle. In other words, it was impossible to clear the fog right now.

    Just as I was thinking, I took out my sword once again.

    A sound like a rag being mmed against the ground resounded at my feet.

    ¡°Kii¡ª!¡±

    A green octopus was wriggling on the castle wall, letting out such a cry.

    ¡°Hurry up, Sariel. This ce won¡¯tst long.¡±

    Burning off the octopus with the mberge on my left hand, I rushed towards the stable.

    We suddenly found ourselves at a disadvantage.

    Now that the fog had made it possible to invade the fortress in a single leap, the ce would shift to hellish closebat just like in 203rd Colony.

    However, with the appearance of the boss itself, the Gluttony Octo, we were able to make a move that¡¯d decide the match.

    My strategy for subjugating the Gluttony Octo was actually quite simple.

    I¡¯d get on the guy¡¯s back and begin an onught.

    To do so, I¡¯d mount Sariel¡¯s Pegasus, before free falling on the way back. I had equipped myself with the Overgear, allowing me to reduce the impact of falling to zero.

    An impable and perfect strategy. The problem was that every step of the way was quite challenging. However, there was no other way to do it. Besides, I had made a show of bravado in front of Baron Herman.

    Thus, it was time to make up my mind and head for an air trip with Sariel.

 Chapter 510

    <h4>Chapter 510</h4>

    The Pegasus Two-Riders

    ¡°Evacuate¡ª! Evacuate¡ª! Hurry back to the castle¡ª!!¡±

    After suffering the impact of Gluttony Octo¡¯s breath, the Alsace Fortress became noisy.

    There was an order of evacuation to the castle. An angry roar to confront the encroaching monsters, and a lot of screaming.

    It was as if I had returned to the 203rd Colony.

    Due to the fog, the octopuses who could fully demonstrate their flight ability descended upon us, ruthlessly attacking thousands of soldiers. In such a quagmire of turmoil, there was no way humans could stand up against monsters.

    Fortunately, arge castle stood by, literally serving as thest refuge.

    ¡°The evacuation went smoother than I thought.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared ourselves in advance.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready to retreat?¡±

    Of course, we¡¯d already prepared for when the wind barrier was broken, causing the fog to enter. In case of that, we¡¯d abandon our post and retreat to the castle. Afterwards, we¡¯d close the door tightly, shutting ourselves in the castle.

    We had no other choice, considering the situation we were in.

    ¡°The fact that we¡¯ve been exterminating the swarm of octopuses until now means that the Gluttony Octo still hasn¡¯t made its move.¡±

    After all, when the Gluttony Octo was about to swallow everything, the whole flock would withdraw. Otherwise, they¡¯d be sucked in along with everything else. It was only a natural response on their part.

    Therefore, it¡¯d be safe to assume that as long as they were still swarming the castle, we were safe. Even if the castle gate was breached, we could still fight them inside. Not like the gate would be easily destroyed, though.

    ¡°We have plenty of time to take him down.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°However, it¡¯s another story if the Pegasus is eaten. Let¡¯s head straight for the stable.¡±

    Away from the stream of soldiers who were withdrawing to the river, I started running with Sariel on my back.

    Although my surroundings were enveloped in fog, I had memorized the general structure of the fortress yesterday. To begin with, it wasn¡¯tplicated, making it unlikely for me to get lost along the way.

    ¡°¡ªAir sh!¡±

    Suddenly, I felt the presence of an enemy behind me. However, I didn¡¯t have time to look at the approaching octopus, for Sariel had unleashed a martial art skill. Only the sound of flesh tearing due to the des of wind reached my ears.

    She acted ridiculously fast from discovery to interception, probably even more so than my Sword Arts.

    ¡°Air Overst!¡±

    This time, the enemy seemed to have been mowed down with a ranged attack.

    This way, I could truly concentrate on what was in front of me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but see Sariel as an automatic interception system, one that was superbly convenient¡­

    While feeling a sense of trust in Sariel, I rushed through the fog while tearing apart the hindering octopuses. I could feel them wriggling all over the ces, while the same couldn¡¯t be said about the soldiers. Therefore, the evacuation must¡¯ve beenpleted.

    Then, instead of a human, the high-pitched squeal of a horse could be heard.

    ¡°Tch, they¡¯re already attacking the stables.¡±

    ¡°I can still sense Pegasus¡ªshe¡¯s still alive.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because she¡¯s special.¡±

    Since it was the apostle¡¯s favorite horse, it was definitely a high-quality one.

    How much will it cost if I sell it? It¡¯s probably more expensive than my Nightmare Mary¡­

    While thinking about such silly things, I snuck as close as I could get to the wooden stables, before firing dozens of Bullet Arts at the octopuses who flocked to devour fresh horse meat.

    As I lessened their number appropriately, I stepped into the corner where the stables were lined up.

    As the fortress was inherently built to house an army of 10.000, the stables naturally had the size that matched it.

    However, it¡¯d be impossible to fit all the horses of the crusaders in one stable. Before attacking Ghad, they extended their positions outside the fort and kept their horses tethered. Basically, it was a small ranch.

    ¡°Grenade Burst!¡±

    ¡°Air sh!¡±

    After eliminating the octopuses that lurked in front of the wooden front door, I leaped at the intended stable¡ªthe building no. 1.

    Originally, the soldiers in charge were supposed to lead Sariel¡¯s Pegasus here. But under the current circumstances, they were either already evacuated or eaten. Thus, we tried to get it ourselves.

    ¡°Do you know where she is?¡±

    ¡°At the end of the other side.¡±

    I obediently followed Sariel¡¯s instructions. Despite being one building, the ce was huge. Nevertheless, we didn¡¯t have the luxury of peering into each fence to find Pegasus.

    ¡°Hey, is it this one?¡±

    After running through the aisle amidst the gazes of dozens of horses, I spotted a Pegasus with a beautiful, shining white coat.

    Even I, who was an amateur, could tell at a nce that it was a fine horse. It possessed a beautiful yet taut body. Even if it was pushed into such a stable, its pure, unblemished wings made it stand out from the others. Upon looking at its toned white body, I could vividly imagine how it¡¯d soar towards the sky while pping its wings.

    Since the octopuses hadn¡¯t yet invaded that area, the Pegasus stood calmly.

    ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±

    Even though it was supposed to be a reunion with her beloved horse, Sariel coldly and expressionlessly reaffirmed.

    ¡°It has already been equipped with the reins and a saddle, so let¡¯s ride right away¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAs I approached the horse, the Pegasus¡¯ blue eyes fiercely red at me.

    ¡°Buhihin¡ª!¡±

    With a snort, the horse lifted its upper body, extending its front legs as if trying to maim me down. Its stiff hooves hit the fence, letting out a terrific bang.

    ¡°Did this guy just try to kick me?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s reacting to your ck magic.¡±

    ¡°Does it hate me?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡±

    Wow, is that so?

    Or rather, in the first ce, it was said that only women could ride Pegasus. However, not only was I a man, we also weren¡¯tpatible in terms of magic.

    ¡°Will this be alright?¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll simply force it to obey.¡±

    ¡­Sariel seemed to not possess the slightest mercy for that horse.

    While I wished that she could treat her beloved horse with more care, I couldn¡¯t do anything without the help of this Pegasus.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Then, I put Sariel down. Because she had no legs, it seemed as if she was sitting directly on the floor.

    I had intended to put her on the saddle, but since I couldn¡¯t get close to the raging Pegasus, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Please open the fence.¡±

    Believing her, I opened the fence as I was told. If the Pegasus were to dash forward, Sariel would get run over¡ª

    ¡ªbut I soon realized that it was a baseless worry.

    Slowly taking a step forward, the horse lowered its neck to bring its face closer to Sariel.

    Oh, does it truly know who its master is?

    Sariel caressed the approaching face of the Pegasus with one hand.

    ¡°¡­Ride.¡±

    As soon as Sariel put her hand around the base of its ear, the Pegasus raised its head vigorously, causing her to be blown away. But in the next moment, Sariel spun splendidly andnded precisely on the saddle.

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    While grasping the reins with her left hand, Sariel decided to perform acrobatic horseback riding, before nonchntly calling me.

    ¡°Is this really okay?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    But the Pegasus¡¯ eyes clearly stated otherwise?

    The glint in its eyes wasn¡¯t that of a herbivore, but a carnivore¡­

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°G-got it.¡±

    After Sariel had emphasized it to me, I approached the Pegasus. When I reached out to touch its back, it trembled without any resistance.

    Apparently, it¡¯d be fine.

    Thus, I straddled the horse¡¯s back and held Sariel in front of me. The horseback riding was concluded safely. Not only that, the saddle was veryfortable. Despite being a simple white saddle, it was probably made with the highest quality material suitable for an apostle.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this thing out.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Even without Sariel¡¯s whip, the Pegasus began to run vigorously, as if it could do telepathy.

    Along with the light sound of its hooves hitting the ground, I could feel that the horse was elerating rapidly.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s an octopus, intercept¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut through.¡±

    The Pegasus dashed out without hesitation, paying no heed to the octopus that crawled through the open door.

    It happened in an instant.

    Undaunted by the outstretched tentacles, the Pegasus stomped the octopus¡¯ head, before charging down the aisle.

    ¡°Fly.¡±

    Having gained enough eleration from just the passageway of the stables, the Pegasus flew into the sky as soon as it passed through the door.

    ¡°¡ªWhoa!¡±

    I involuntarily let out a scream.

    Thanks to Lily, I had experienced how it felt to fly, but I had never flown on a Pegasus. To fly on my own and to fly on something were two different things.

    I felt a strange floating sensation.

    Instead of merely sitting on a flying horse, I had a sense of bnce as if I was moving in an enclosed space.

    If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, there was a theory that said the Pegasus applied its flying magic to its riders. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t just any kind of magic, but one that stemmed from the Pegasus¡¯ will. Hence why, a Pegasus Knight was able to cast flight magic on himself as a basic requirement.

    I see, in this case, it¡¯ll be fine to just hold onto a single rein.

    This way, I¡¯d be able to swing a spear in mid-air, or cast offensive spells without having to worry about the reins.

    On the other hand, if it was someone that the Pegasus disliked, wouldn¡¯t he just fell off?

    Then, I was entirely at Pegasus¡¯ mercy. Depending on its mood, I might find myself falling headlong towards the ground¡­

    ¡­Once that happens, I¡¯d probably just hang on to one of the tentacles.

    ¡°The fog sure is thick. Do you know the direction?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that huge, you can¡¯t lose sight of it.¡±

    ¡°I see, then go straight ahead. Leave the other guys to me¡ªSword Arts!¡±

    I had no time to be amazed with my first experience of flying with a Pegasus.

    Ten red-hot, ckened swords emerged from the Shadow Gate. Even if I were to spread them out, they wouldn¡¯t be left behind. I should be able to fire them without any problem.

    From the white, smoky surroundings, I could no longer just feel the presence of the enemies, but also see their silhouettes. They were swimming amidst the air while raising high-pitched shriek akin to that of insects.

    While the Pegasus had higher agility, there were more of them. Akin to floating mines, they were strewn along our path.

    It was up to me to eliminate obstacles.

    On top of that Pegasus were two fighters¡ªSariel was the pilot, while I was the gunner.

    ¡°¡ªst!¡±

    After locking on to enemies that were straight in front of us, I fired off.

    Soon, a de with a trailing ck aura lunged towards a floating octopus that gently swayed its tentacles as if walking on the ocean floor.

    In the next moment, the de crashed miserably onto it, turning the octopus into a red and ck burning daruma.

    It felt like a shooting game in which the yer shot down UFOs with fighter nes. Although, the Sword Arts, which could be moved at will, was far more useful than the half-guided missiles that weremon in games.

    Since I didn¡¯t have to worry about the ammunition, I could shoot down as many octopuses as I liked.

    The Pegasus rushed through the gaps in space filled with mes and ck smoke without fearing the sound of a grand explosion.

    Speaking of taking a group of monsters with only two of us, it reminded me of the rescue battle at the old castle of Ischia. While I¡¯d never dreamed of riding with an authentic princess, personally speaking, riding with Sariel was even more unlikely.

    ¡°Tch, so even the big one flies¡­¡±

    Before I could feel nostalgic, I saw a huge silhouette beyond the hazy fog, wriggling and looking as big as a whale. In terms of shape, it resembled a giant squid.

    ¡°If several huge octopuses were to target me at once, I won¡¯t be able to deal with it.¡±

    As soon as six tentacles slithered out, I knew that the deadly poison wasing. In response, I fired all ten bullets to its round mouth before it could leak any purple smoke.

    From what I could see, there were huge octopuses above, below, and beside us, as if it was their final line of defense.

    There were four¡ªno, five in total.

    The Pegasus had enough intelligence to match my timing. It was a simple, yet absolutely reliable cooperation.

    Due to not having to worry about deflecting the line of fire, I should be able to handle up to two octopuses at the same time. In other words, I¡¯d be able to take down the remaining three before they could attempt another breath attack.

    ¡°Understood, moving on to evasive action¡ªSonic Walker!¡±

    At that moment, the Pegasus elerated to the point that the scenery blurred.

    However, thanks to Sariel¡¯s warning, my magic sword was able to hit the target. Acid breath, mixed with ck smoke, was grandly scattered on the horizon.

    The three other octopuses who weren¡¯t chosen by me roared out a tornado of poisonous purple smoke that polluted the blue sky.

    However, the acid breath only managed to reach the Pegasus¡¯ afterimage. The strong acidity, which could melt steel instantly, was meaningless if it didn¡¯t hit.

    The Pegasus moved straight ahead at a tremendous speed.

    How many kilometers have it passed?

    ¡°¡ª!? We get through the fog¡ª!!¡±

    After leaving the huge octopuses behind andpletely escaping from their breath, my vision suddenly opened.

    Directly above me was a lush sky ceiling, surrounded by a huge circr wall of clouds. As if the previous surrounding fog was a lie, the sky was very clear.

    ¡ªand, sitting on the gigantic cavity was the Gluttony Octo, the leader of the group and the fifth trial

    Looking at it up close again, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at its enormity.

    The Pegasus arrived just above the floating Gluttony Octo¡¯s head. The scenery from there gave the illusion of flying low above the mountains.

    I didn¡¯t fail to notice that unlike the others, the Gluttony Octo¡¯s head was t with several small swells. If it had beenying on the ground, it¡¯d probably be mistaken as a mountain or a hill.

    The misty hill where the Sparda army once drove the Gluttony Octo¡¯s swarms into the end must¡¯ve been above its head. I didn¡¯t know why it didn¡¯t wake up at the time. However, if it had been confused as a in mountain with trees, then there had to be a considerable amount of earth and sand on it.

    However, now that it¡¯d awakened, it no longer needed such camouge. As such, his eerie, glossy, dark green body was exposed. Furthermore, the long, pulsing, and swaying silhouettes of the eight tentacles could be seen¡ªindicating that this gigantic object was undoubtedly a single monster.

    In such a clear vision, I could see countless octopuses of various sizes floating above my head.

    ¡°Shit¡ª! We¡¯re already being targeted¡ª!¡±

    As therge octopuses uniformly spewed deadly poisonous breath, they resembled that of flowers. Nevertheless, the sight of giant emerald flowers blooming on the dark ground was hardly beautiful. In fact, it was eerie enough to make one wonder what kind of demonic flower garden it was.

    As they wriggled while skillfully adjusting the angle of fire with their tentacles, I could see a gigantic octopus amongst them. It easily exceeded 10 meters in size.

    It¡¯s 20, 30¡­ no, the guy in the middle seems to be about 50 meters.

    I didn¡¯t know they had one this big amongst them.

    At that moment, I knew that bringing down this gluttonous sky fortress was going to be pretty tough.

    For the time being, we must focus on how tond safely. If we get touched by the acid breath even a little, we were done for.

    ¡°Approach.¡±

    As the poisonous anti-aircraft fire erupted all at once, the Pegasus started dashing.

    We rushed into the crossfire of purple venom with a sudden drop as if we were falling headlong.

    A torrent of poisonous purple smoke approached, covering my field of vision. As a matter of course, there wasn¡¯t only one. Hundreds of dozens of poisonous breaths were spewed out at the same time, forming a thick belt that filled the path of the Pegasus.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    However, it didn¡¯t hit.

    The Pegasus kicked into the sky, before thinly avoiding it. Then, it leaped forcefully, pushing forward in a zigzag trajectory. Such an aerial mobility couldn¡¯t be realized by Pegasus¡¯ flight capability alone¡ª

    ¡ªIs the acrobatic-like aerial maneuvers thanks to the Sonic Walker?

    Normally, one or two steps should be the limit, but I knew that Sariel¡¯s Sonic Walker had transcendental performance that could run hundreds of meters vertically in the sky.

    From the perspective of Sariel, who had ¡°be one¡± with her horse, this much was probably nothing to her.

    Both my martial arts and horsemanship were still far behind Sariel¡¯s. Even without her divine power, she was a monster.

    ¡°Attack.¡±

    ¡°st de!¡±

    Despite the dizzying descent, it wasn¡¯t enough to make me lose consciousness. We¡¯d already determined the distance between us, and in order to secure anding point, we fired all bullets in a full st.

    I kicked the Pegasus¡¯ back and jumped into the midst of the flood of red-hot ckened swords that burst out a sinister pir of explosive me.

    I felt the heavy wind pressure hitting my entire body for only a moment. d in heavy armor, my body, which was akin to a lump of steel, was pervaded with a terrifying shock¡ª

    ¡°Hey, did you manage to get off¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Foreseeing that it¡¯d take magic to shoot down the Gluttony Octo, I decided not to use the Overgear to kill the impact of thending. While I knew that I¡¯d be fine, it was still tough to roll down from a horse of such tremendous speed.

    A normal human would¡¯ve burst like a pomegranate just from the impact of the fall. Moreover, if they were to roll down with such a momentum, they¡¯d probably be unrecognizable afterwards.

    Contrary to the expectation, I couldn¡¯t descend in a cool manner. Instead, I found myself rolling around for dozens of meters. It was an extremely clumsy torsonding, which ended up with meying on my back.

    Looking up, the sky was refreshingly clear, while Sariel¡¯s pure white beauty was right in the center of my vision.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    It¡¯s strange.

    Sariel¡¯s role was supposed to end after she had carried me here with Pegasus. Afterwards, she was supposed to return to the base as soon as possible.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sariel merely blinked her red eyes as a response to my question.

    ¡­Hmm, it¡¯s probably because of myck ofmunication.

    I probably didn¡¯t tell her that she could just go home after dropping me off.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, it can¡¯t be helped that you ended up following after me.¡±

    In the meantime, the Pegasus had risen into the sky once again. Not only did it rise to a considerable altitude, it had also safely escaped the range of the acid breath.

    The Pegasus was probably told to wait until the battle was over while doing whatever a Pegasus would like to do.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s go. At this rate, we¡¯ll just be surrounded.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t just let Sariel be on top of my chest and stare at each other forever. Both situationally and emotionally, it¡¯d be awful.

    I quickly stood up and carried the limbless Sariel on my back in no time.

    Alright, we¡¯re all set.

    ¡°I hope we¡¯ll manage to find a weak point¡ª¡±

    Thanks to the fact that I scattered st de around here earlier, there were no signs of enemies. However, beyond the faintly rising ck smoke, countless octopuses¡¯ corpses were wriggling.

    Do we really have enough time to find any weak points?

    I was worried, but I couldn¡¯t just back down aftering that far.

    Together with Sariel, I intended to ovee the fifth trial.

 Chapter 511

    <h4>Chapter 511</h4>

    Looking for a Breakthrough

    When I stepped on the Gluttony Octo¡¯s head, I could feel the firmness and resilience of a thick rubber tire. Luckily, I ran at full speed on the surface of the flesh, which was surprisingly easy to tread on.

    ¡°Damn¡ª! This is really tough¡ªst!¡±

    As if jumping on rope, I evaded the gigantic tentacle that flew by, before exploding my st de on the octopus¡¯ head.

    ¡°Air sh!¡±

    At the same time, Sariel unleashed wind martial arts. When I turned around to check, I saw a huge octopus with sharp tentacles resembling spears. Immediately, it rained down attacks on me. The onught was impossible for me to avoid with a single leap¡ª

    ¡ªis this what it means when it¡¯s raining spears?

    ¡°Watch out¡ª!¡±

    The only reason why I managed to avoid it was because Sariel had shed off one of its tentacles. Thanks to that, I escaped with my life.

    ¡­Even so, the way that huge octopus perfectly aimed its tentacles was as if it could predict my next movement.

    Considering that it had already happened thrice, it was no coincidence.

    That was right.

    After wended on Gluttony Octo¡¯s head, an army of octopuses swarmed us, leading to a short battle.

    ¡°They¡¯re 13 meters ahead. I¡¯ll subdue the big one on my left.¡± Said Sariel.

    ¡­Which one are you talking about?

    In the next moment, a small explosion, followed by a reddish-ck sh burst in rapid session about 10 meters away.

    Did she throw several of the Ignited Daggers I gave her?

    Judging from Sariel¡¯s position, she must¡¯ve thrown it without looking, and precisely, at that. Not even the word ¡®dexterity¡¯ could describe her skill at this point.

    Amidst my admiration, I confronted the group of tentacles that approached me head-on.

    ¡°Uoooorgh!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell how many were there by just looking.

    In the next moment, theposite tentacles were entwined together, surrounding me from the front, behind, left, and right just like a woven rope.

    ¡ªOr rather, it had turned into a ball to confine me.

    Just before the cage of tentacles was shutpletely, I swung the Zweihander on my right hand, before scorching it with the mberge on my left to make my escape.

    As a matter of course, it was impossible to deal with the barrage of tentacles with just two consecutive hits.

    But not to worry, because Sariel had drawn her rapier, and performed Sword Arts as a means of close-range defense. Looking at how she could sever a tentacle with just a wind de, while I struggled to cut even one despite holding two swords, she had clearly surpassed my dual-wielding style.

    Once again, I found myself in a near-death situation, one that I couldn¡¯t survive without Sariel¡¯s help.

    ¡­No, seriously, I wonder if this guy can see the future.

    Despite having demonstrated boundless reliability, Sariel was still unable to be a decisive blow that¡¯d deliver us from the overwhelming scenario.

    ¡°Am I na?ve to think that¡­? Besides, this isn¡¯t the time to be looking for a weak point.¡±

    There were simply too many enemies.

    Both my left and my right were full of slimy, lustrous, green enemies. They looked more like a forest of animated, man-eating nts than a swarm of octopuses.

    Rather than searching for weaknesses, I should focus on running away. At first, I nned to go to the center of the Gluttony Octo¡¯s head, but instead of getting closer to it, I was pushed further away.

    ¡­At this rate, I was likely to end up skydiving from the Gluttony Octo¡¯s head in the near future.

    ¡°I¡¯m having trouble finding parts that seem to be weak points as well¡ª¡±

    Amidst my run, I saw that the top of the Gluttony Octo¡¯s head was covered in a terrifyingly thickyer of meat, making it difficult to find any weak spots. Not only that, theyer of meat also exined why the giant octopus¡¯ underlings could ruthlessly stab their tentacles everywhere. After all, even if they were to stab two or three meters deep, the main body wouldn¡¯t be damaged whatsoever.

    ¡­I doubted the magic and weapons we had on hand would be able to prate such thickness.

    Not only that, considering how huge it was, everywhere would have the sameyer of thickness.

    ¡°¡ªNo, I found it.¡±

    ¡°For real!?¡±

    Rather than being happy about Sariel¡¯s most recent discovery, I was utterly shocked.

    ¡°I could faintly hear an intake sound from behind. It¡¯s probably a respiratory organ like gills.¡±

    Gills were organs that took in oxygen from the water. It was a standard equipment that all sea creatures had.

    However, Gluttony Octo¡ªwho had be both an aerial and and creature, shouldn¡¯t have one.

    If such was the case, was it a unique respiratory organ developed from E, or just a remnant? Either way, if that was the case, there¡¯d be another hole that led to its body apart from its mouth.

    ¡­I see, that can certainly be considered a weak spot.

    If I could get past the meat wall, which boasted a thicknessparable to the Great Wall of Ghad, and hit it directly, things should work out somehow.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s put it to good use!¡±

    I had to make an immediate decision.

    Regardless of what awaited me, it was no use sitting to sit around here.

    To escape from there, I ran towards the outer part. However, due to the overflowing octopuses blocking my vision, I almost lost my sense of direction several times. Nevertheless, thanks to Sariel¡¯s exquisite support, I could somehow run straight through it.

    ¡°I can see the edges, is it okay to just jump?¡±

    ¡°I can feel the air flow. Without a doubt, there exists a cavity right below here.¡±

    Since I didn¡¯t have her perception skill, the ground just looked like a cliff.

    The blue sky expanded in front of me, apanied by a wall of white clouds.

    As I dashed towards the void, did I look like someone who was eager to meet his demise?

    Although, considering the fact that I carried Sariel on my back, I was a crazy suicidal.

    Even so, I had no hesitation. While I didn¡¯t trust Sariel, I believed in her abilities.

    ¡°Uuuuoooorgggggh! Bind Arts!¡±

    While dealing with the tentacles chasing after me from behind with the help of Sariel and Sword Arts, I jumped down with all my might, extending ck chain from both arms as a lifeline.

    The tips of the Bind Arts that I created were shaped like sharp ws with barbed edges. As in, the way Hitsugi always would. I grabbed it and positioned it in a way so that it¡¯d pierce the meaty ground. After that, while stretching the jingling chain, I let myself free fall as it was.

    Now, if nothing happened, we¡¯d just be dangling in the air for no reason, but¡ª

    ¡°¡ªOoh! There it is!¡±

    After going down the cliff, which was roughly 20 meters tall, I saw a gill-like part that opened on the back side. However, the size was that of a cave. Approximately, it was 10 meters wide and about 3 meters high.

    ¡°Okay, it looks like we¡¯ll be able to break through¡ªlet¡¯s go!¡±

    I conjured more Bind Arts and aimed them at the entrance of the E. As long as I concentrated, I could safely hang in the air without Hitsugi¡¯s support.

    Looking at the white ground far below my feet, I moved forward by swinging the chain like a trapeze and sessfully rolled into E.

    ¡°¡­No one is pursuing us.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that they were unable to follow us?¡±

    Standing at the entrance to E, where a lukewarm wind was blowing, I looked behind me. Not a single green tentacle could be seen. Even though there were so many of them, why didn¡¯t any of them try to chase us?

    ¡°Anyway, now that they¡¯re out of our way, this is our chance. Let¡¯s head inside quickly¡ªLight Torch.¡±

    In order to illuminate the pitch-ck path, I created a fireball that resembled a light torch with a pseudo-me attribute, before throwing it inside. Ever since I boarded Last Rose¡¯s main body, it had been a while since I yed such a role. After all, Lily and Fiona were usually there for me.

    Even though I rarely used it, the ck me sufficed as a source of lighting inside the E. Then, a sharp gleam shed across my vision.

    Soundlessly, it flew towards the gap in my armor, aiming for my throat. Despite the unparalleled uracy, I managed to sh it away with my Zweihander.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who stabbed Reki.¡±

    In the space illuminated by the ck me, a single, thin tentacle was outstretched, sshed with bright blue blood. The owner of the rope-like, extended tentacles could be seen wriggling on the ground, making an unpleasant, high-pitched, squeak just within the range of the illumination.

    Rather than an octopus, its triangr head reminded me of a squid. Not only that, it also had six tentacles in total. I also noticed that two of its tentacles were three times longer than the rest, and that the color of its body was bright cyan. With the absence of fog, I doubted I¡¯d miss it even if it were to blend in with a flock of octopuses.

    Could it be, it was a different species than the Gluttony Octo? After all, considering how huge the host body was, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for other monsters to inhabit it like a symbiotic rtionship.

    The length of the squid¡¯s tentacle alone was about ten meters. With such a long range, if someone was targeted in a thick fog, it¡¯d be hard to avoid. At that time, even if we ran straight ahead, Reki¡¯s demise would still be inevitable. If not for the face-to-face conversation we had, I wouldn¡¯t even notice that she was missing, or the culprit, for that matter.

    However, if I was aware from the get-go, I could still be vignt and try to intercept it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think the same trick will work twice, you damn squid.¡±

    My anger welled up.

    Before the assassin squid could attempt another surprise attack, I threw a grenade to finish it off.

    ¡­This guy probably isn¡¯t the one who stabbed Reki, it¡¯s just the same species.

    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t contain my anger and spat curses.

    ¡°Some of them are still prowling around here. Be careful of surprise attacks.¡±

    ¡°I know¡ªor rather, it already begins.¡±

    From the other side of the darkness, two squids ferociously appeared. They probably thought that it was useless to hide any longer.

    One crawled on the ceiling, while the other on the ground. While the one on the ground was more than twice as big, the number and shape of the tentacles were the same as the previous.

    Then, is it just an individual difference?

    Albeit of the same species, the two squids were different in size. However, both used their two, long, tentacles to attack, while the remaining four short tentacles were used to glide. The two long tentacles would then leap towards the prey, akin to that of a snake.

    Unlike the octopuses, they were quite nimble.

    ¡­Is this a swift type?

    Regardless, if it was just this, I could still keep up with them.

    First, I calmly killed the first one with a splitting st de. Then, I aimed at the one on the ceiling, before unleashing my st de. In the next moment, the squid was sewn to the wall, before being enveloped in red and ck explosion. As it let out its death howl, the squid became another fireball that lit up the cave.

    The other, huge, one crawling on the ground could easily be cut down with a sword.

    But then, it tried to overtake me with its long reach, but it didn¡¯t matter because I already anticipated it.

    Just like before, I shed at the spear-tipped tentacles with my Zweihander. Even if there were two of them, thanks to the length of my de, I dealt with it just fine.

    Afterpletely neutralizing the opponent¡¯s attack, I used my second sword to intercept the squid that was charging towards me¡ª

    ¡°¡ªHold on.¡±

    I heard Sariel¡¯s voice. No, before that, I had canceled my interception.

    Due to the sudden cancetion of the attack and the need to avoid the attack, I rolled sideways.

    While the action itself was a tad unreasonable, I did manage to escape peril. At that moment, as I rolled to my side while being coated in mucus, I saw a glimpse of navy-blue fabric at the edge of my vision.

    ¡°Hey, Sariel, no way¡­¡±

    Despite losing two of its tentacles, the squid still turned around vigorously, and without crying in agony. The way it never lost its fighting spirit was the same as the other octopuses, who didn¡¯t know fear¡ª

    ¡ªBut something was amiss.

    I didn¡¯t notice it at first.

    Or rather, I couldn¡¯t because it was hidden. If I had paid any attention to it, I could¡¯ve easily checked it.

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. This is the one that caught Reki.¡±

    Under the squid¡¯srge body, the limbs of a person in a dark blue monk¡¯s robe peeped slightly.

    Her slender, white fingertips were motionless.

    Even if her face was still obscured by the squid¡¯s body and wriggling tentacles, I knew it was her.

    ¡°Damn you¡ª¡±

    I reflexively tried to obliterate it, but when I extended my hand, no explosion urred.

    ¡°¡­Hey, there¡¯s no way Reki¡¯s still alive, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Despite knowing how useless it was, I still asked Sariel.

    I certainly saw it¡ª

    ¡ªthe moment Reki¡¯s chest was pierced by the tentacle, I already knew it was fatal.

    Besides, even if she was captured alive, it¡¯d been nearly a week since then. At a nce, her body still looked intact. But no matter how I looked at her, I didn¡¯t think she was alive. Moreover, it was also possible that the other half of her body¡ªwhich I couldn¡¯t see, had already gone.

    In other words, it was just a corpse.

    ¡­And yet, I was unable to attack that very corpse.

    I could¡¯ve easily blown the guy into splinters using either my grenade or the st de. Alternatively, I could also use my Zweihander to chop its head in half.

    If I just wanted to defeat it, there were a number of ways. However, if I added the condition of not damaging Reki¡¯s remains, the hurdle was high.

    Damn¡­ even though she¡¯s already dead, why did it be such a hostage situation?

    ¡°Do you hesitate to defeat that thing?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want Sariel to think that I was a softie.

    I didn¡¯t want her to know¡ªeven though I knew it was useless.

    I wanted to believe that it was only natural that I¡¯d like to retrieve her body. However, under the current circumstance, I could also see why it wasn¡¯t a priority.

    I stood here shouldering thousands of lives.

    Therefore, the body of a single dead human shouldn¡¯t be in the equation.

    Therefore, I shouldn¡¯t be wasting my time in a dilemma.

    Give it up.

    Admit it¡ª

    ¡ªReki is already dead.

    You let her die.

    ¡°Sword Arts, Crack st¡ª¡±

    ¡°Gieeeeeeeeeee!!¡±

    As I summoned a sword from the shadows, the squid roared. Was it trying to intimidate me? As the squid raised its head and spread its tentacles, I could see it¡ª

    ¡ªAh, as expected, there¡¯s no doubt about it.

    ¡­I could see Reki¡¯s pale face.

    Her eyes were closed, as if she was asleep.

    As if time had stopped, I froze with my sword in my hand.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything¡ª

    ¡°¡ªLet me do it.¡±

    Then, Sariel appeared in front of me.

    Before I knew it, my back became lighter. Somehow, she managed to remove her straps without falling.

    Sariel assumed a sitting position.

    On her left hand, a de made of holy silver mithril could be seen¡ª

    ¡°¡ªSariel, hold on!¡±

    In vain, I reached out to her.

    The moment Sariel lightly swung her rapier, her entire body leaped like a shot arrow. She was flying in the sky¡ªno, it must¡¯ve been because of the wind emanating from the rapier.

    Transforming into a white whirlwind, Sariel pointed the sharp point of her rapier straight ahead, before leaping towards the squid with Reki¡¯s remains.

    ¡°¡ªLet me take care of Reki¡¯s body. Air Overst¡ª!¡±

    The mid-range offensive spell, Air Overst, was activated as she plunged her de into the squid, conjuring a storm. In the narrow, cave-like space, the tremendous gust of the wind struck me with the impact as if I was being blown away.

    I could endure it by standing still, but Sariel, who was at the epicenter of the storm, was thrown off by the wind pressure surging out of the pierced squid.

    Ah¡ª

    ¡ªBy the time I realized it, Sariel, Reki, and the squid were blown out of E¡¯s cave.

    ¡­To self-destruct using her own technique.

    No, Sariel deliberately did it.

    She forcibly eliminated my weakness¡ªwhich was Reki, from before me.

    ¡°You idiot¡­¡±

    ¡­The reason why my fist trembled, was it because of anger?

    Anger towards Sariel for doing something so selfish.

    Anger towards the squid for holding Reki¡¯s corpse hostage.

    ¡­The reason was neither.

    I was just angry because I let Sariel do something foolish.

    Even though Sariel had lost her emotions, limbs, and protection, she still took care of me.

    She pitied me.

    My pride as a man¡ªwas there even a shred of it left?

    ¡°Damn, dammit¡ª! Just you wait, I¡¯m going to bring down this huge enemy right away!¡±

 Chapter 512

    <h4>Chapter 512</h4>

    Anti-Viscera

    ¡°Uuuuoooooooorh¡ª!¡±

    Like a destroyer, I went rampage and took down the squids that stood in my way with my two swords. As if they understood my purpose, squids of the same type emerged as I rushed into the gill. However, they weren¡¯t a big obstacle.

    My goal was the innermost part of that gill.

    After all, I didn¡¯t have enough firepower. Unless I attacked its weakest point, I doubted that I¡¯d be able to bring it down.

    Now, just how deep does it go?

    When I thought about that, my vision suddenly expanded.

    ¡°¡­Is this the finish line?¡±

    Arge, dome-shaped, open space.

    In order to improve my vision, I immediately scattered ck me torches. The fireballs, which slowly descended from midair and burned like re shot, illuminated every corner of the dome.

    ¡°Huh!? It¡¯s not E, it¡¯s a spawning ground¡­¡±

    Stuck to the ground and walls, were white grain lined up in a tight row. The shape was long, akin to a jelly bean, and had a fluffy texture, along with a cloudy color¡­

    ¡­About the size of a rugby ball?

    Upon closer inspection at the one near my feet, I saw a juvenile silhouette beneath the white film, with a round head and four legs¡ª

    ¡ªAll of these were definitely eggs.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a lot of them. No, since it¡¯s an octopus, it¡¯s only to be expected.¡±

    This number of eggs was one of the Gluttony Octo army¡¯s strengths. Essentially, organismsid arge number of eggs because the majority of their spawns were eaten by predators.

    However, the Gluttony Octo broke the rule of the food chains. As if the fact that they possessed a huge number wasn¡¯t enough, they also preyed on others. Unless the humans were to dispatch an army to wipe them out, or they themselves came face-to-face with some really powerful monsters, they¡¯d continue to multiply endlessly, devouring all of thend.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to wipe you out, but I have no choice but to put that on hold.¡±

    If I didn¡¯t y the big boss¡ªthe Gluttony Octo, I wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything. Although, it¡¯d be a different story if the eggs were to hatch all at once and attack me.

    Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t think that would happen anytime soon.

    I spotted several of the squids at the corners of the dome. They didn¡¯t seem to notice me. Moreover, they were busy feeding their spawns with either human remains or animal carcasses, pierced with two long tentacles.

    ¡­Apparently, they also took care of the newborns.

    The reason why Reki¡¯s corpse was left intact was probably because so that it could serve as food.

    Should I consider it fortunate that she wasn¡¯t killed by the octopuses? After all, when it came to those octopuses, they¡¯d devour their prey as it was¡ª

    ¡ªNo, no, focus¡­

    Instead of focusing on something unnecessary, I should concentrate on my objective.

    As I regained myposure, a red light shed across my field of vision.

    ¡°¡­Is Mia telling me to hurry up?¡±

    Although it was a momentary radiance, it was undoubtedly a light that showed the ordeal. A wall of flesh rose directly in front of me. On the other side of it, light shone as if there was an offering.

    At that moment, I had also decided on my target.

    After that, I went on the offense¡ª

    ¡°¡ªSword Arts! de Storm!¡±

    As I treaded on the spawning ground, I summoned one sword after another from the Shadow Gate.

    While I couldn¡¯t control 100 swords at the same time, I could do it effortlessly if I fired them in rapid session.

    I shall unleash all the remaining ckened swords¡ª

    ¡°¡ªFull st!¡±

    A storm of des erupted¡ª

    ¡ªthen, a raging red and ck me.

    The eggs that covered the wall were blown away, along with chunks of green meat. The wall itself looked like it had been gouged out¡ª

    ¡ªbut it¡¯s not enough.

    Without hesitation, I fired one st de after another. Focusing on one point, I tried to prate the wall as deeply as possible without wasting bullets, and rigged them to explode in unison.

    Thus, explosive sounds resounded endlessly in the flesh-walled dome. After using up all the remaining ammunitions and emptying the contents of the space magic dimension pouch, my terrorism ceased temporarily¡ª

    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­ how is it¡­¡±

    ck smoke was billowing in, and the mmable egg and meat walls were starting to catch fire due to the aftermath of the sessive explosions.

    What spread out before my eyes was a hellish spectacle of zing ck mes engulfing both walls and various spawns¡ª

    ¡ªbut that was it.

    I couldn¡¯t see any other change to the appearance of the Gluttony Octo itself.

    I advanced further and approached the ce where the ck mes were spreading. On the other side of the ever-expanding explosion of smoke was a white wall clinging to green flesh.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Is it a bone? Even though it¡¯s an octopus?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if it was actually a bone or just tough flesh, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the type that would break even if I hit it with a Grenade Burst.

    ¡°In that case¡ªdouble Kuronagi!!¡±

    A two consecutive hits martial arts attack using the steel Zweihander and the ming mberge. I felt like I was cutting on something thick. Nevertheless, the des still passed through.

    Even though the cross-shaped shes were etched into the wall of bones, I couldn¡¯t take it down. I wondered if the thickness exceeded the length of the des. If I couldn¡¯t somehow get rid of it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to move forward.

    Perhaps, I had to blow it off all at once, like removing a copsed bedrock.

    In that case, I had to rely on my trump card¡ª

    ¡°¡ªOverdrive.¡±

    I activated my first divine protection.

    Smoldering, crimson magic circted throughout my body, and I began to radiate a red aura.

    After stabbing my two swords into the ground, I raised my fist as if I were drawing a bow¡ª

    ¡°¡ªWrath Impact.¡±

    Concentrating on a single point, I hit the wall with all my might, using my greatest attack power.

    It was effective.

    The Wrath Impact easily smashed through the hard, sturdy wall of bone, prying open the path to the offering.

    ¡°Fuu, haa¡­ one moreyer, I guess.¡±

    A circr cavity that looked like it had been blown away by a gigantic cannonball, along with a wall of bone with cracks spreading out in a radial pattern could be seen on the other side of the wall of flesh, thumping and pulsing.

    This is probably thest one.

    Rather than a muscr armor that encased its huge body, it was probably an internal organ.

    Even so, due to the gigantic body, the organs themselves probably had a thick structure.

    First, I used Grenade Burst to weaken it to an extent, then hit it again using Wrath Impact topletely pulverize them.

    Alright, this will do.

    ¡­Just one more blow.

    ¡°¡ªGrenade Burst: Full Burst!¡±

    After throwing as many highly explosive shells as possible, I fired a salvo. Although the firepower was less than de Storm, it was enough to scrape through the wall of flesh.

    Thanks to the Nana st Amulet that canceled the close-range explosion, I raised my fist again without suffering from the heat.

    ¡°¡ªThis is the end of the fifth trial! Wrath¡ª¡±

    Almost immediately, a solid ck colored magic began to smolder. However, as if eroding the ck me, there was a tinge of bright purple¡ª

    ¡°¡ªOvergear!¡±

    As chills ran down my spine, a sense of danger red in my mind, and I switched to the divine protection¡ª

    ¡ªthe crimson aura of the one-hit kill that resided in my right fist subsided, while my entire body was enveloped in a steel aura that blocked all attacks¡ª

    ¡ªin the next moment, venomous purple gas filled my vision.

    ¡°¡ªGoooOOOoooo¡­¡±

    Acid breath.

    I had been sprayed by therge octopuses countless times, and I was able to ovee them just fine. But now, my entire body was being pervaded by a strong acid breath.

    Damn it¡ª!

    I didn¡¯t expect that it could shout poisonous gas from the inside¡­

    ¡­Or maybe, I hit the poison sac.

    Either way, it wasn¡¯t unbearable.

    ¡°No, this is bad, at this rate¡­¡±

    The second divine protection effectively negated the acid dissolution. Well, the fact that I could still think clearly proved that I hadn¡¯t melted into mush yet.

    However, I could only endure it because I had activated Overgear. If I were to suddenly ran out of mana and the skill was canceled¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be recognizable afterwards.

    The sudden burst of poisonous gas covered the spawning ground in an instant, while the purple haze blocked my vision so much that I couldn¡¯t even see an inch further.

    It was probably safe to assume that the entire space¡ªincluding the passageway, was already filled with poisonous gas. From the outside, it must¡¯ve seemed as if purple smoke had spewed out from the gill-like part.

    If I were to escape now, I¡¯d still make it.

    However, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the Gluttony Octo.

    To team-up with Sariel, ride Pegasus, slip through the anti-aircraft fire of Acid Breath, and attempt to reach this ce all over again¡ª

    ¡ªYeah, that¡¯s not possible.

    In that case, I had no choice but to press on.

    I still had the magical power to continue activating Overgear. Since air purification wasn¡¯t included in the effect, it was impossible to breathe in the air. However, due to my constitution, I could fight while holding my breath for a while.

    With the remaining magic power and oxygen, I should be able tost for another five minutes.

    I couldn¡¯t use Wrath Impact, so I had no choice but to push through with Grenade Burst.

    With my field of vision blocked by purple, I extended my arms straight in front of me, and concentrated on conjuring a cannonball made of ck magic power.

    While activating Overgear, it¡¯d be quite difficult for me to use ck magic separately. The fact that the fairy fusion¡ªExcelion Mode¡ªcould be performed with ease was thanks to Lily¡¯s genius form calction.

    Gritting my teeth at my own powerlessness, I managed to create a high-explosive projectile that could be used for a full burst¡ª

    ¡°¡ªNow, can you stand this!?¡±

    Just before theunch, the ground rumbled as if giving thest resistance.

    ¡°OooOOo¡ª!¡±

    The tremor was slightly different from an earthquake.

    Rather than swaying, it was as if the ground itself was rippling.

    Because the ground that I should be standing on had moved, I couldn¡¯t help but roll over the undting ground.

    Despite its gigantic body, I wondered if the Gluttony Octo could detect my location. Amidst thinking how I should proceed when facing against such resistance, I realized a mistake¡ª

    ¡ªthe tremor wasn¡¯t a counterattack against me, but the signs that the Gluttony Octo had begun to move.

    At that moment, I heard¡ªor was struck by a heavy roaring sound.

    Once I heard it, I could never forget it¡ªthat ominous, deep, bass¡­

    It was a signal for the Gluttony Octo to start absorbing everything.

    There was no time to spare.

    If I didn¡¯tunch the cannon as soon as possible and finish it off¡ª

    ¡°Gaa, aaa, aaAAAaa¡­¡±

    However, the terrifying deep bass that reverberated in the space inside its body transformed into a real impact that struck my body. Along with the ear splitting sound was a soundwave that couldn¡¯t be avoided. Even now, the ground continued to shake violently.

    Although the damage was canceled by the Overgear, it was impossible for me to stand still.

    It was as if I was standing on top of a shaking palm.

    I couldn¡¯t aim properly.

    At that point, I had even lost the target I should aim for, as the visibility was zero due to the poison gas.

    Moreover, it was also impossible to trace by hand.

    Due to the rapid consumption of magical power and the activation of divine protection, the limit of oxygen was gradually approaching¡­

    All those situations put pressure on me.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    While crouching awkwardly like a frog, all I could do was extend out my arm, filled with ck magic, beyond the poisonous fog.

    It was too risky to take a gamble.

    I didn¡¯t even want to think about the probability of hitting the hole I pried earlier.

    However, if I didn¡¯t shoot, I had no other way of surviving.

    Dammit.

    At thest minute, I found myself relying on God¡ª

    ¡°¡ªU, uoooorgh¡ª! Please hit¡ª! Full burst¡ª!¡±

 Chapter 513

    <h4>Chapter 513</h4>

    Reunion with my Best Friend

    ¡°Do your best to hold your ground! If we let them pass, it¡¯ll be the end of us!¡±

    Like the epitome of a heavy-armored knight, Ryan powerfully swung his halberd and took down the swarm of octopuses.

    Beyond the main gate of the Alsatian Fortress castle, inside the vast entrance hall, a fierce closebat battle between humans and octopuses unfolded.

    Only about fifteen minutes ago, the sturdy steel castle gate was melted by Acid Breath, and not long after, small and medium-sized octopuses began to flood the castle.

    In that short amount of time, a force consisting of both crusaders and vigntes solidified their defense line, resulting in a mountain of green corpses. At the moment, three breakthroughs had been reported. As a result, the vigntes¡ªthe supposed reservist¡ªhad to be sent to the front line.

    The vigntes, burning with a sense of mission to reim their vige, had much higher morale than the unskilled infantry, and put up a braver fight than expected.

    Ryan, the vignte leader of the 202nd Colony, became the leader.

    ¡°Hey, you there¡ª! The support has weakened¡ª! What are you doing¡ª!? Fire¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ryan, I¡¯m themander, so stop skipping orders as you please¡ªsh!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, four-eyed bean sprouts. Because you and your subordinates are pathetic, we have to take charge¡ªBreak!¡±

    The powerful martial arts of the two heavy-armored knights obliterated the approaching mass of octopuses.

    Ryan¡ªthe vigntemander¡ªwielded a halberd, while Cliff, themander of the squadron, wielded a Zweihander.

    The front-line defense was led by the two, who had oil and water rtionships.

    The octopuses, who crawled along the wall and to the ceiling, were fought by the two. Due to their fearless disy of might, they were able to put up a decent fight despite their not so perfect formation.

    ¡ªAnd a strong vanguard that fend off the enemy received better support from the safe rearguard.

    In fact, the octopuses that rushed after the two were immediately met by a salvo of Ignis Sagitta from the mage unit behind them.

    Despite the fact that many of the octopuses were reduced to ashes by the rain of fire, the mage unit wasn¡¯t the deadliest one there.

    ¡°Disperse¡ªFull Burst!¡±

    The small murmur reached even Ryan and Cliff, who were in the front line.

    Yes, it originated from where the octopuses had invaded, looking for a ce to go.

    Amidst the horde of monsters, stood a single white figure.

    From the soft contour alone, it could be seen that it was a woman. Her long, wavy, ck hair swayed in the breeze. However, despite her beautiful back, everyone was aware that she was anything but a human.

    ¡ªFor it was none other than a translucent, humanoid-shaped entity purely made by fog.

    With a height that far exceeded two meters, the group of octopuses crawling on the floor made her look even taller.

    Urs, the spellcaster, named that entity the White Yaksha Princess Anastasia.

    After throwing herself into the whirlpool of enemies, she continued to y countless monsters.

    ¡°The herd has thinned out! The injured should retreat now!¡±

    Every time Urs unleashed a mighty blow, arge number of octopuses would disappear in an instant. The tremendous, yet instantaneous firepower created a temporary gap in the seemingly endless wave of enemies.

    Urs¡¯s lone struggle was the biggest reason why they were able to hold out in the face of the rampage.

    As soon as the signal of battle arrived, Urs rushed in on her own. Of course, Ryan tried to stop her. However, Urs was fast. After slipping past Ryan, she separated herself from the vanguard.

    Once she was in the middle of the crowd of enemies, it was physically impossible to retrieve her. As a result, Ryan was forced to let Urs behave as she pleased. Despite her unreasonableness, she still provided an excellent line of defenses. However, that was extremely painful for both Ryan and Cliff to admit, because they were supposed to be the adults in charge.

    ¡°¡ªThe enemy has weakened! Raise your spirit! Knock them all the way out to the outside of the castle!¡±

    As soon as he saw the opportunity, Ryan signaled everyone to charge.

    ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t give orders without permission!¡±

    With Ryan and Cliff at the forefront, the mixed forces switched to counterattack.

    In order to support those who boldly charged forward, the rearguard also rained down ming arrows at precise timing. The moment a crimson shower shed at the entrance, Ryan and the others quickly rushed to the position where Urs fought by her lonesome.

    ¡°Hey, Urs! This foolish girl! Doing whatever she pleases!¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Finally arriving beside Urs, Ryan could only show a bitter expression when he heard her apologize. Had it been one of his subordinates, he¡¯d punch them on spot. However, because he was aware of how she felt, he couldn¡¯t outright get angry at her.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, give me a break. If something happens to you, the priest will surely kill me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Urs apologized once again¡ª

    ¡ªthis time, it felt more sincere.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight in the front anymore. But please lend us your support.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Then, the battle resumed once more.

    However, thanks to the support of both the mages and Urs, it didn¡¯t take long to overturn the situation. Even more so when not a single reinforcement came from the enemy. As such, it didn¡¯t take long to destroy the invading octopuses.

    ¡°Is that¡­ all of them? Are they seriously gone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it appears to be so.¡±

    Ryan and Cliff stepped over the mass of green flesh that spread all over the floor and looked at the other side of the main gate. More than half of the gate itself had melted down and transformed into a mere hole.

    Urs seemed to be concerned about the sudden shift in the situation, and secretly stood right behind them, quietly staring at what was beyond the white fog.

    ¡°Did we win?¡±

    ¡°No, ording to what the priest told us, if the enemy suddenly pulls back¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAt that time, the silence ceased.

    ¡ªDooon!

    Ryan¡¯s words were interrupted by a loud thump.

    At the same time, a gust of wind blew through with a tremendous force.

    ¡°What!? What is it all of the sudden!?¡±

    Half-surprised and half-cursing, Ryan reflexively lowered his tower shield and looked ahead.

    Due to the powerful wind, some of the fog in the surrounding area had been dispersed, expanding the field of vision by several dozen meters.

    Having said that, all they could see was a part of the za where the inorganic stone pavement went on to the inside of the fortress, while the enemy was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Wha¡ªhey, what¡¯s that!?¡±

    While there were no enemies, they spotted the figure of an ally.

    Until just before the gust of wind, the area was empty.

    Everyone could see a small figure lying limply in front of the main gate.

    ¡°S-Sister Yuri!?¡±

    Urs eximed at the fallen figure.

    It was none other than Sister Yuri in her familiar monk attire.

    Sheid motionless on the stone pavement.

    Herrge, wimple hood had been blown away, revealing her long, xen hair.

    In her hand, only a silver and emerald rapier that was broken in two could be seen.

    Her appearance gave the impression of a courageous yet noble nun who¡ªthough fragile, fought bravely against the enemy of God until the very end. Just by looking at the copsed figure of Sister Yuri gave a tragic and moving impression. However, Urs was purely concerned about her safety.

    Urs dug into the magical pouch Kuroe had bestowed upon her, looking for potions. But when Urs approached Sister Yuri¡ª

    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯te any closer, Urs.¡±

    Contrary to her quiet voice, Sariel¡¯s limbless body jumped on the spot as if a switch had been flipped.

    With the impact of hernding, she discarded her broken sword andnded with only a left arm. As if trying to crush her, a squid with its tentacles spreadnded at the spot where she once was.

    Since Kuroe had cut off two of its tentacles, there were only four left. While the remaining tentacles were only around two meters long, they were tough and sharp.

    Along with the gurgling sound of water, the sharp-tipped tentacles pierced the stone pavement. Sparks flew, along with a high-pitched sound.

    Sariel, who had evaded by rolling on the ground, quietly pulled out her rapier and waited.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sariel shifted her gaze to the side, and confirmed that Urs hadn¡¯t rushed out.

    However, from the look on her face, it was apparent that she had seen what was contained within the squid¡ª

    ¡ªReki¡¯s corpse.

    Urs¡¯s blue eyes went wide as her small mouth pped¡ªprobably calling her best friend¡¯s name¡ª

    ¡ªor was it a word of escape that denied reality?

    Either way, even Sariel¡ªwho didn¡¯t care about human emotions, could see that the apprentice sister, who was still young in both body and mind, couldn¡¯t be allowed to deal with that enemy.

    Above all, she had already told Kuroe¡ª

    ¡ªShe had told Kuroe to leave Reki¡¯s body to her.

    Sariel couldn¡¯t lie.

    Therefore, she always did as she said.

    She had to somehow defeat the opponent without causing any bodily harm to Reki. Considering that both her limbs and magic rapier were missing, that¡¯d be too severe a restriction¡ªeven for Sariel.

    However, it wasn¡¯t impossible.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll retrieve Reki¡¯s body.¡±

    After leaving those words to Urs, Sarielpletely focused on the battle.

    ¡°¡ªFuh.¡±

    After a gasp, Sariel moved. Despite having no legs and no support from wind magic, her movement as she closed the gap was that of a first-ss swordsman.

    The propulsion source was¡ªas expected, her left arm¡ªthe only part she had left.

    While holding her sword in her mouth, she fell on her front as if crawling on her stomach. Then, she extended her unupied hand, letting her fingers rest on the slight unevenness of the stone pavement.

    After that, she pushed her arm with all her might and flew.

    Although the principle itself seemed simple, what made it possible was Sariel¡¯s superhuman strength and sense of bnce.

    Transforming into a white cannonball, Sariel charged towards the squid.

    Meanwhile, the squid was still wriggling, as if to determine which one was the enemy.

    The distance, which was more than 10 meters, became zero in less than a second.

    In the meantime, the once bitten sword had moved to her hand.

    A sh of white passed over the squid¡¯s triangr head.

    Losing another of its remaining tentacles, the squid writhed and shrieked. It tried to chase after its attacker, but Sariel had already moved away¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, her onught had only begun.

    ¡°¡­st.¡±

    The small murmur was drowned out by the sound of an explosion.

    The squid, who couldn¡¯t feel pain, didn¡¯t care if a short-ded dagger had pierced one of its thick tentacles. However, when the dagger went ame, the squid began to feel a sense of crisis.

    After all, it was vulnerable to fire.

    However, even if the opponent wasn¡¯t the squid, it wasn¡¯t unconceivable that it wouldn¡¯t notice Sariel¡¯s pursuit.

    The follow-up throw of Ignited Dagger was simply too quick.

    Immediately after receiving a sh, Sariel threw down her sword and thrusted her hand into her pouch, taking out the exploding knives. Then, she tucked the des between her fingers, three in all.

    After that, she performed a flip. When she was on the verge ofnding on the ground, Sariel gave up even preparing a stance, and threw the Ignited Dagger.

    Only Sariel, who hadplete mastery over her own body, could throw a knife with precision control.

    As for the result, the squid¡¯s remaining three tentacles exploded.

    At the moment Sariel decided tond her torso, she casually activated Guard to brace for the impact. After rolling vigorously for several meters, she finally lifted her head and caught the wriggling figure of the enemy within her sight.

    In an instant, the squid lost all of its limbs, causing it to roar more and more in anguish.

    However, with all of its tentacles cut off, there was only so much it could do.

    As for Sariel, all that was left was to carefully dislodge the main body that was clinging to Reki¡¯s back. If she threw daggers and scorched the main body little by little, she should be able topletely separate the two.

    But when Sariel was about to throw the daggers, the enemy¡¯s appearance changed.

    The squid stood up.

    To say that it was an act of utter desperation would be unwise, for the squid stood up not using its own ¡°legs¡±, but the legs of a human being¡ª

    ¡ªIn other words, ¡°Reki¡± was standing up.

    ¡°¡ªReki!¡±

    Urs involuntarily raised her voice.

    Nevertheless, her words didn¡¯t reach her best friend, for her soul had long departed for the underworld. In this world, there was no longer any way to reach her.

    Reki stood up with a giant squid on her back.

    After losing all its tentacles, its length was greatly reduced, but the tip of its long, triangr head almost touched the ground.

    The small, yellow, eyes of the squid that clung to Reki¡¯s head caught Sariel, who was lying on the ground. In ordance with that, Reki¡¯s neck moved along with her red, hollow, eyes.

    The squid was aiming for its attacker.

    Despite having understood that, Sariel could only intercept the barrage of attacks.

    After all, ¡°Reki¡± had charged towards her with the same agility she had back when she was still alive.

    As such, if she were to throw the dagger as it was, Reki would be hit. While she could aim at the big head that could be seen over her small back, and shoot it through the armpit or between her legs, but that was only if the target didn¡¯t move. Judging from the squid¡¯s quick reaction, it might use Reki¡¯s body as a shield.

    As Sariel pondered her next move, Reki took a step forward towards her.

    ¡°¡­How fast¡ª¡±

    ¡ªSariel said that because it was such an unexpected maneuver.

    Yes, Reki, who started running, carried a huge load on her back, yet approached with a tremendous speed. In the blink of an eye, she ran through a distance of more than 10 meters. Finally, with a strong step that cracked the stone pavement, she spun towards Sariel.

    ¡°st.¡±

    A series of small explosions erupted from the squid thattched on Reki¡¯s back.

    With one arm, Sariel jumped over Reki and threw a dagger at her back.

    Afternding on her belly, Sariel saw that Reki had leaped out from the billowing ck smoke, about to attack her.

    After being hit by the Ignited Dagger, the main body should¡¯ve taken some damage. However, Reki¡¯s movement didn¡¯t slow down at all.

    It was a very troublesome situation.

    For some reason, moving through Reki¡¯s body resulted in a much more powerful and speedy movement. As far as Sariel was concerned, Gluttony Octo didn¡¯t possess any parasitic ability. Therefore, for it to be able to move so nimbly, she had to acknowledge it¡ªor something like that.

    However, even if that squid had a parasitic ability, even if it somehow could perform necromancy, the fact remained that Sariel now had to deal with the undead Reki.

    Therefore, she had no choice but to concentrate.

    Reki rushed forward just like before, but her running speed had increased even further¡ª

    ¡°¡ª!¡±

    Simrly, Sariel, who had no other way to move, escaped by jumping with her left arm, but the moment she flew into the air, she was overtaken.

    Thest step that Reki took led to even more rapid eleration, and she finally managed to catch up to the fleeing Sariel.

    Reki extended her hand and tightly grasped the hem of her long monastic robe.

    However, when she was about to m Sariel to the ground with all her might, along with a terrific wind noise, she ended up only swinging her arm in vain.

    Reki¡¯s hollow red eyes moved, and the image of Sariel with a sword in her hand was reflected. The moment she was grabbed, she drew a spare rapier from her pocket and tore her hem to escape.

    Severing arge chunk of her hem revealed her amputated legs. Her missing limbs were tightly bandaged, while the glistening white skin of her upper thigh seemed both painful and strangely captivating.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She was being driven into a corner.

    Despite this, Sariel wasn¡¯t in a panic.

    She simply understood her own disadvantage.

    Earlier, she managed to escape, but she doubted there¡¯d be a next time.

    Just like when she defeated the Armored Bear, she should be able to cut the enemy in half by countering it. However, Reki¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be unscathed. Instead, she¡¯d turn into an unrecognizable lump of flesh.

    On the other hand, it was no longer possible to dodge Reki¡¯s dash, which grew faster with each step. Not only that, the mobility she could obtain with only her left arm was limited.

    If she were to be careful, it might be possible to incapacitate Reki without hurting her. She could sever the squid from Reki by plunging the de directly into her back. If she could do that, then Reki¡¯s body would definitely be released.

    However, in exchange for that, she wondered how much damage she¡¯d suffer during that instance. Even if it was only for a moment, the fact remained that she¡¯d be in close contact with the enemy. As it was, Reki could definitely finish her, who had lost her divine protection.

    Sariel was troubled.

    Should I give up on Reki¡¯s body?

    Back when she was still an apostle, she could easily sacrifice others to aplish her mission. She would neither hesitate nor regret it. Due to that, she managed to defeat the Demon King Garvinal.

    But Sariel had understood¡ª

    ¡ªshe no longer had any duties to perform, or any god to serve.

    ¡°Listen, from now on, your life is yours alone. There¡¯s no reason for you to obey anyone else¡ª¡±

    ¡­That was right.

    She still had something to do.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Reki.¡±

    The girl before her eyes had already turned into a monster. With bloodshot eyes, she iled her arms and pounced like a wild beast.

    Sariel didn¡¯t move from where she was, and only lifted her sword quietly.

    Then, she imbued said de with a one-hit kill martial arts.

    ¡°¡ªWhite Breath.¡±

    In an instant, Sariel¡¯s vision was dyed white. The whiteness spread, swallowing even Reki.

    A white tornado that surged like a raging wave.

    Sariel already knew that it was a powerful life-absorbing drain.

    ¡°¡­Why did you shoot her, Urs?¡±

    Before asking that, Sariel lowered the sword she never managed to swing. She asked Urs why she¡¯d unleash her strongest technique¡ªWhite Breath¡ªon her own best friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sister Yuri. I believe that this is my obligation.¡±

    Sariel couldn¡¯t quite understand what Urs meant.

    Why should Urs take the me?

    Instead, shouldn¡¯t she be wishing that she could push all those things on Sariel, who was neither a puppet of God or a human?

    ¡°I, I¡¯ll¡­ Reki¡­¡±

    ¡­If it was so excruciating to the point that she¡¯d be brimming with tears, why didn¡¯t she entrust it to Sariel?

    ¡°Urs, you are¡ª¡±

    Sariel didn¡¯t know what to say to Urs.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the reason why she didn¡¯t manage to finish her sentence¡ª

    ¡ªBooooOOooo

    A gigantic heavy bass resounded with a volume that shook the ground.

    At that time, Sariel, Urs, and everyone gathered in the Alsatian Fortress looked up at the sky.

    At that moment, they saw it¡ª

    ¡ªright above the fortress, the gargantuan Gluttony Octo was floating with its mouth open, as if introducing the abyss.

 Chapter 514

    <h4>Chapter 514</h4>

    What I Can Do

    Although Reki was already dead, seeing Urs shoot her own friend aroused indescribable,plex, emotions in Sariel¡¯s heart.

    However, before she could logicallyprehend and register them to be a mixture of both sadness and regret, the situation took a drastic turn.

    ¡°Hurry and run to the depth of the castle! Something bad is going to happen!¡±

    As soon as the Gluttony Octo¡¯s roar echoed through the fortress, they began to retreat. Everyone already knew what it meant.

    After attacking the vige, the Gluttony Octo proceeded to inhale everything, leaving only barrennd¡ª

    ¡ªthe same was about to take ce in the Alsace Fortress.

    A turbulent wind gushed through the open main gate, apanied by a bellowing roar. The reverberating sound of the wind, along with the faint wind pressure which shook the castle indicated that a huge storm was brewing outside. The force of wind was likely to increase, until it could lift the entire stone fortress into the air.

    There was never a doubt as to whether or not the Gluttony Octo would be able to swallow the fortress. Even more so after she had boarded its colossal body. The swirling presence of tremendous magical power within convinced Sariel of its absolute predation.

    In other words, even if they were to escape to the innermost part of the castle¡ªor even underground¡ªthey had no chance of surviving. The Gluttony Octo would consume the Alsace Fortress along with all the men here.

    ¡­Kurono, who stayed within the enemy¡¯s body, was the sole remaining hope.

    ¡°Sister Yuri, uhm, Priest Kuroe¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still inside the Gluttony Octo. I¡¯ve returned to the ground in order to eliminate Reki from my brother¡¯s sight.¡±

    Sariel answered Urs¡¯s question while speeding through the passages of the castle¡ªof course, not by her own. She was currently being held under Ryan¡¯s right arm. Upon hearing the Gluttony Octo¡¯s roar, he immediately discarded his weapon and picked up Sariel. All in all, it was an urate judgment of the situation.

    And then, as if by chance, Reki¡¯s body was in his left arm.

    Urs¡¯s White Breath was supposed to obliterate the hostile Reki.

    However, in the end, the powerful drain only erased the monstrous squid that had been controlling her. Even though she should¡¯ve been reduced into a skeleton and rags, her body somehow remained intact.

    However, there was neither pulse nor breath, and the fact that she died stayed the same. Akin to a blessing in disguise, Ryan started to evacuate to the castle with Reki¡¯s body.

    ¡°If Priest Kuroe is here, he¡¯ll surely be able to do something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I sure hope that he¡¯d defeat that giant thing quickly and finish it¡­ Otherwise, I don¡¯t know how long the castle will stand.¡±

    The exchange between Urs and Ryan bore no hint of despair.

    Even Sariel could guess that the two still believed in his victory.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At the same time, Sariel knew¡ªKurono was no apostle. As such, he wasn¡¯t an ultimate being with inexhaustible magic. Despite being remodeled by the White Sacrament, and a superhuman who received the protection of the ck gods, his power was still within the realm of humans.

    ¡­Indeed, in that world, he was a human just like any other.

    Sariel, who fought with all her might as the Seventh Apostle, knew the limits of Kurono¡¯s power.

    Kurono might not be able to defeat Gluttony Octo.

    However, that was a mere guess. The path to subjugating the Gluttony Octo wasn¡¯t an easy one, but rather one filled with many drawbacks.

    Inadequate strength; poor preparation¡ªthe strategy itself was one of reckless assault that relied on the power of a single person.

    Sariel, whose role was to fight against God¡¯s enemies, wasn¡¯t very bright when it came to leading soldiers and devising strategies. However, as a decorativemander, even she could understand that Kurono¡¯s strategy wasn¡¯t only full of holes, but also had a low chance of sess. If anything, it¡¯d be more appropriate to call it a ¡®gamble.¡¯

    In the meantime, the Gluttony Octo had begun its final stage of predation.

    ¡°¡ªWhoa!? Hey, they¡¯re already dead!¡±

    The castle suddenly shook violently, as if it had been hit by an earthquake. Ryan stumbled, but held on to the two bodies. However, about half of the soldiers gathered there had fell.

    ¡°¡­Urs.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m okay¡­¡±

    Urs was also one of those who fell. Despite her exceptional magic, she was still a child, and had dull motor nerves. As a result, she toppled into the stone walkway, falling spectacrly and hitting her forehead in the process.

    Still, suppressing her tears, she vehemently stood up.

    Briefly, Sariel¡¯s thin eyebrows witched. Perhaps, because she was physically unable to help the fallen child.

    ¡°Damn, will we be able to reach the basement!?¡±

    Ryan cursed, visibly impatient. The solid, stone, passage once extended in a precise straight line. But as of the present, it had be askew. The wall could copse at any time.

    ¡°There¡¯s a chapel over there! Since it¡¯s located at the center of the castle, it should be safer than here!¡±

    Themander of the crusaders, Cliff, shouted that.

    At the sight of the dpidated passage, no one objected to the suggestion.

    ¡°Follow me! The tremor is terrible, be careful not to fall!¡±

    As tremors struck intermittently, everyone proceeded through the dusty corridor with their hands pressed to the walls.

    Is it because fear overwhelms all emotions?

    Nevertheless, the line of crusaders advancing quietly in a solemn manner was reminiscent of the Saint¡¯s March depicted in the bible, and felt somewhat sacred to Sariel.

    ¡­Did God bless them? But considering that God had turned His back on them, it had to be pure luck. In the end, they safely arrived at the chapel, where the white double doors awaited.

    ¡°Alright, the octopuses won¡¯t get inside, so let¡¯s get in!¡±

    With Ryan and Cliff as the leads, the evacuation to the chapel soon reached itspletion. A heavy knight who boasted of his strength went to bar the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat better than the aisle.¡±

    Being in thepletely shut chapel certainly made it feel as if the sound of the wind had receded. The tremors had subsided, and closing one¡¯s eyes gave the illusion of it being another stormy night.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pray to God that we¡¯ll ovee this storm.¡±

    Involuntarily, the crusaders had gathered at the House of God. How much faith do they have, when half of them were vige vigntes? It went without a question that they weren¡¯t faithful enough to the point that they¡¯d wholeheartedly carry out martyrdom.

    Even so, at this very moment, they recalled the teachings of the cross that were akin tomon sense in the country¡ªno, in the world, since the age of gods.

    ¡°¡­Our Father, who art in heaven.¡±

    A person muttered to no one in particr.

    ¡°¡­Forgive us our trespasses¡ª¡±

    The men began to let go of their weapons, and joined their hands in prayer.

    ¡°Deliver us from evil.¡±

    Before long, everyone who¡¯d gathered in the chapel chanted the sacred prayer¡ªexcept for a single infidel, who didn¡¯t pray.

    ¡°God, bless¡ªmuu!¡±

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the infidel even interfered with a devout believer who prayed beside her.

    Urs¡¯s petite mouth was oveid with a force akin to pping a mosquito.

    ¡°Hm¡ª!? What are you doing, Sister Yuri!?¡±

    Due to the unexpected action from the even more unexpected person, Urs¡¯s eyes went wide.

    The one who hadn¡¯t offered a prayer, and even disturbed a believer¡ªthe aforementioned infidel, was none other than Sariel.

    As surprised as Urs was towards the p, she was aware of how emotionless Sister Yuri was after living for three months with her.

    As such, it¡¯d be impossible for someone who had never uttered a single joke to prank her.

    Like a hissing cat, Urs glowered at Sariel. However, Sariel was as expressionless as ever.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s useless to pray.¡±

    After staring at each other for 30 seconds, Sariel remarked.

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Even if you pray, God won¡¯t lend you His strength.¡±

    She was given power she never asked for, only to lose it in times of need. She couldn¡¯t think of it as anything but being toyed with.

    Unreasonable¡ªyes, everything was absurd.

    For that Yuriko Shirasaki to be reincarnated, and began fulfilling her mission as an apostle. For her to be an existence that worried and tormented Kurono. For those who treated her like a friend despite not knowing her circumstances to be on the verge of a merciless death¡­

    However, Sariel couldn¡¯t ovee any of that.

    In short, she was helpless.

    Her heart stirred in agitation.

    I can¡¯t do anything on my own.

    ¡­This situation is beyond me.

    Back when she was still an apostle, she¡¯d analyze ande to terms with the difference in ability, and wouldn¡¯t think about it any further.

    But what is this urge swirling in the depths of my chest¡­?

    She couldn¡¯tprehend people¡¯s emotions, so she didn¡¯t know. However, if this feeling was the very essence of human emotion¡ªI see¡­ Even if slightly, she felt like she could understand why Kurono was always risking his life in battle.

    ¡°God never helps people.¡±

    ¡°That, that kind of thing, I already know¡­ But in this situation, we can do nothing but pray.¡±

    Urs¡ªwho once was despised for being a ¡®filthy¡¯ Ibrahim second-ss god, understood that Sariel was outright denying the teachings of the cross. At the same time, she knew of her own limitations.

    Even with Anastasia¡¯s power, it¡¯d be impossible to offset the storm of the Gluttony Octo.

    ¡°Until now, I¡¯ve lived in ordance with God¡¯s will. If I were to brush death in battle due to myck of strength, I¡¯d never hesitate to pray.¡±

    The notion itself was probably not limited to Sariel, but also to most crusaders. It was only natural for humans to pray to God when faced with fear and despair beyond theirprehension¡ªeven more so for the Sinirs.

    ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t Sister Yuri pray?¡±

    ¡°Because I remember.¡±

    However, Yuriko Shirasaki was different.

    Despite her vanishing self, she never gave up. While she understood that it¡¯d be impossible for her to maintain her ego, she nevertheless did something¡­

    Thus, Yuriko Shirasaki¡¯s ego and her newly-born self co-existed in one body. Although Sariel¡¯s memory of that time was unclear, she could feel Yuriko¡¯s strong determination. The girl didn¡¯t sit idly and wait for death to arrive, but instead fought until the very end.

    It was unknown what went through her mind, or what she attempted to do during her final moments, since none of them existed in Sariel¡¯s memory.

    However, what mattered to Sariel now was the final appearance of Yuriko Shirasaki, who seemed to shine brighter than any saint in the Bible.

    ¡°Even when deathes, people can keep fighting until the bitter end. That¡¯s what I wish to do.¡±

    ¡­Why am I so obsessed with Yuriko Shirasaki¡¯s thoughts?

    Sariel still couldn¡¯t figure out why.

    Perhaps, even that feeling in itself was an imitation.

    Nevertheless, at that moment, she certainly wished that.

    ¡°I want to help everyone. I want to make his wishe true. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to give up until the end,¡±

    ¡°¡ªIs that so? As for the answer¡ªwell, I guess it¡¯s fine. You passed.¡±

    But instead of Urs¡¯s voice, the voice of a total stranger reached her.

    With her sense of hearing, Sariel could urately distinguish between human voices. The concept of mishearing didn¡¯t exist in her book, and that applied to all the men here¡ªboth crusaders and vigntes alike.

    Therefore, the voice definitely belonged to someone else entirely¡ª

    ¡ªa third party that couldn¡¯t exist in that chapel at that very moment.

    ¡°¡­Who, are you?¡±

    In an instant, Sariel drew a spare rapier from her pouch¡ªbut the moment she took it out, the situation¡ªno, the world itself had transformed.

    The once white chapel turned into ck.

    The width and the height didn¡¯t change. The pews were still lined on the left and the right, asntern lights illuminated the room. However, the light emitted by the red me was gray for some reason, as if the entire world had be monochrome.

    In such a colorless space, Urs¡ªwith whom she¡¯d been speaking until then, was nowhere to be seen. The same went for the soldiers.

    She was left alone.

    No, as an apostle, Sariel¡ªwho knew a part of expert magic, could immediately conclude that she was in an isted space.

    To put it simply, it was dimension magic. Instead of hiding her appearance, the perpetrator stood majestically in front of Sariel.

    ¡°I¡¯m Freesia Baldiel, themander of the Imperial Guard of the glorious Elrod Imperial Army,monly referred to as the Dark Knight Freesia.¡±

    Her outfit certainly lived up to that title.

    The ck, full-te armor that she wore contrasted that of the crusaders, sharp and thorny in a way that could be said to be demonic. Above all, the crimson, glowing lines of light that ran along the edge of her armor flickered¡ªakin to a pulsating blood that coursed through the body of ck steel.

    Sariel¡¯s keen sixth sense perceived an equivalent of magical density as to when a st de exploded¡ªif not more. One that¡¯d erupt at a touch, with an explosion that¡¯d turn a thousand miles into scorched earth.

    However, the person donning the jet-ck armor¡ªwhich exuded an overwhelming presence, was neither a burly man nor a horned devil.

    Instead, she was a woman with a dignified and beautiful voice.

    Due to the ck helmet that covered her eyes, her face was hard to discern. But the contours that were exposed from below her eyes were sharp. Her high nose and red lips were a testament to her beauty.

    Even though she was a female, her height almost matched Kurono. Furthermore, she also wore heavy armor. Perhaps from being polished, the lustrous ck iron and the crimson streaks gave off a brilliance as good as new. Somehow, she could infer that the woman had been fighting in that armor for an impossibly long time.

    No¡ªas a matter of fact, Sariel had already guessed that the Dark Knight Freesia had a long history of battle¡ªone that surpassed the allocated time for humans.

    ¡°¡­A ck god.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m one of the goddesses who¡¯s given the honor of serving the great emperor Elrod.¡±

    Kurono had only given Sariel a rough idea of the ¡°ck gods¡± of the Pandora continent.

    Unlike the monotheistic crusaders, it was a polytheistic continent with many gods. As such, it was possible to receive different divine protection from each god. While her understanding was general at best, it was enough for her to determine the identity of the jet-ck female knight who suddenly appeared.

    ¡°¡­Why did you decide to appear in front of me?¡±

    ¡°I intend to bestow my divine protection upon you.¡±

    Impossible.

    Instinctively, she thought so.

    Logically, she could only think so.

    ¡°While you¡¯re a loathsome messenger of the White God who persisted in this world, you¡¯ve since betrayed God. Therefore, I deem you to be appropriate to receive my divine protection. Obey, and I shall bestow you with power.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m unqualified to receive yet another blessing. Dark Knight Freesia, I¡¯ve never offered a single prayer to you, nor attempted your trial.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t remember, ask that girl once again. You should know it in your heart¡ª¡±

    ¡ªIn an instant, Freesia¡¯s right arm moved.

    In her hand, was a three-pronged spear trident. The ck trident, consisting ofrge des, couldn¡¯t possibly escape her sight¡ª

    ¡ªBut Sariel couldn¡¯t see it at all.

    Before she knew it, the jet-ck tip was pointed at her chest.

    ¡°¡ªThe love carved into it makes you qualified to gain my power.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t mine.¡±

    If there was even a trace of love or any other emotions in this body, it must¡¯ve belonged to Yuriko Shirasaki.

    ¡°But you¡¯re in pain whenever you recall that night.¡±

    The 24th of the Dark Moon. The holy night of destiny.

    The expression of Kurono on that day, during that time, as he suppressed all his suffering and sorrow¡ªSariel certainly remembered it. Three monthster, the memory was still vivid and hadn¡¯t yet faded.

    Yes, Sariel remembered.

    She always remembered the night sheid with Kurono, and the moment when their lips ovepped¡ª

    ¡ªand every time she thought about it, her chest ached. As if bound by an invisible chain, an indescribable pang constricted her chest¡ªher heart.

    ¡°¡­It is but a sense of guilt. I merely understood it as an act of redemption. Therefore, I have no love, and if there is, it is but a remnant of Yuriko Shirasaki¡¯s ego.¡±

    ¡°While it may be so, what has summoned me was definitely love¡ªtake it. You desire power, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°If¡­ that can help me save them¡­¡±

    ¡­I want power.

    If it could help her attain such an unexpected wish, then she had no reason to hesitate. Regardless of how wicked it may be, Sariel had no reason to doubt herself anymore.

    ¡°Then, conquer it. You¡¯ve already found a master to whom you could devote this spear.¡±

    At that moment, a faint smile appeared on Freesia¡¯s lips, and the ck tip of her spear pierced Sariel¡¯s thin chest.

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    She spewed the fresh blood that rose to the back of her throat.

    She was ustomed to pain. Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t mean she was immune to it. The impact that hit her on the chest was real¡ªand from the feel of it, her heart had been crushed in one hit.

    ¡°Listen, love is devotion. In other words, loyalty, in itself, is love. Do your best to not forget that¡ª¡±

    ¡ªSariel, who suffered instant death-level damage, lost consciousness without the chance to think of anything else.

 Chapter 515

    <h4>Chapter 515</h4>

    The Dark Knight Sariel

    ¡°¡ªSister Yuri!?¡±

    I awoke to Urs¡¯s call.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You suddenly held your chest and fell¡­ Are you hurting somewhere?¡±

    Within her blue eyes, which bore into me, was the vivid hue of anxiety directed towards me.

    In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have paid it any heed. But in the past three months, I¡¯d been able to slightly discern people¡¯s emotions.

    Therefore, I needed to find the correct words to alleviate her concerns and urately exin the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received divine protection.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Although I felt that she was seeking further exnation, not even I knew the details. As such, I couldn¡¯t provide more information.

    ¡°I intend to use my newfound power to save everyone.¡±

    Besides, I had no time to spare.

    Through my sixth sense, I could sense the storm that was conjured by the Gluttony Octo. The storm, which was an advanced form of wind magic, continued to grow in strength. Soon, this chapel would also copse.

    While I didn¡¯t know the extent of Dark Knight Freesia¡¯s power, I had to use it if I wanted to survive.

    ¡°I shall help you¡­ But what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°First, I¡¯ll need some armor. Urs, can you fetch me a gauntlet for my right arm, along with a pair of leg protectors?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but¡­¡±

    Urs¡¯s bewildered expression didn¡¯te off as a surprise. After all, Sariel physicallycked the means to wear those armor.

    ¡°Hurry up. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°O, okay, I understand!¡±

    Despite her confusion, Urs still gave her a firm answer¡ª

    ¡ªIs this what they call trust?

    If so, she had no idea why Urs trusted her so much. Still, since Urs went to that extent, Sariel had no choice but to answer in kind.

    ¡°Hey, hey, what are you going to use these odd parts for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m going to lend it to Sister Yuri!¡±

    Immediately, Urs returned with a confused-looking Ryan.

    ¡°Okay, whatever¡­ Here, is this alright?¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    With the sound of nking metal, Ryan quickly removed his heavy armor.

    The silver gauntlet and armor, engraved with the scars of battle from that day, wereid in front of her.

    First, she took the right gauntlet. It was sorge; it¡¯d have slipped off her slender arm if she had worn it as it was.

    ¡°Seriously, what are you doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, I¡¯m sure Sister Yuri is nning something.¡±

    As they whispered to each other, I could feel them watching my every move with great interest. Looking around, the surrounding soldiers also picked up on it, and began to focus on me.

    However, other people¡¯s gazes weren¡¯t enough to hinder my concentration. Furthermore, I had neither the information nor the time to exin everything to them, who still had doubts.

    I don¡¯t know if I can do it.

    ¡­Would the divine protection of the Dark Knight Freesia grant me my desired power?

    Now was the time to make sure.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In the silent chapel, I slowly brought the gauntlet to my right arm. My right arm was missing from the elbow down. Even though Icked the necessary part, I still inserted my elbow into the gauntlet.

    I already knew how to proceed from there¡ª

    ¡ªAfter all, I had seen it many times before.

    ¡°¡ªckening!¡±

    A wave of ck magic surged in my body.

    After receiving the blessing of Dark Knight Freesia, I presumed that my soul would be able to obtain ck magic from her, who was one of the ck gods. Moreover, the mechanism of the mana supply was the same as to when I was still an apostle.

    The method to control and unleash the ck magic I¡¯d received¡­ was the same as white magic. Rather than simply being familiar with it, the experience was engraved in both my mind and body. Said experience¡ªwhich I could never forget¡ªallowed me tomand the ck magic at will.

    The effect was visible almost immediately.

    ¡°A, are you serious!?¡±

    ¡°I, it¡¯s the same as Priest Kuroe¡­!¡±

    The silvery white gauntlet was instantly painted ck.

    ckening¡ªwas the term that Kurono would use. A simple, ck magic, enchantment. Nevertheless, if I were to incorporate thought maniption and pseudo-attributes into the reinforcements of the substance, it¡¯d yield the corresponding effect. In a way, it was a versatile and practical ck magic.

    If I could use ck magic, it¡¯d only make sense for me to be able to do the same.

    As long as I prayed, it¡¯d yield the desired effect¡ªjust like Sword Arts. With a twitch, the fingertips of the supposedly hollow gauntlet began to move, before clenching into a fist.

    ¡°Considering that there¡¯s a 0.3 seconds dy in response, it seems that I need some practice.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, Sister Yuri! You¡¯re able to use the same magic as Priest Kuroe!¡±

    ¡°I acquired the ability only recently.¡±

    From the moment ck magic resided in my body, I was able to imitate his ck magic. Since I¡¯d witnessed Bullet Arts, Sword Arts, and Bind Arts, I had a vague understanding of their effects and form.

    Above all, thanks to Yuriko Shirasaki¡¯s memory, which bore her knowledge from Japan, I could grasp his references for magic. In addition to existing modern weapons; such as guns and missiles¡ªI also had a knowledge of a wide variety of entertainment works such as novels, manga, anime, and games. Apparently, he¡¯d fuse both knowledge and fiction.

    While Yuriko herself didn¡¯t seem to have a penchant for them, in order to get to know him, she had read most of the works that the high school student Kurono Maou liked. That way, she wouldn¡¯t run out of topics when talking with him.

    ¡­Although, as far as I could remember, it seemed that there was never an instance where the results of that intel were put to good use.

    Leaving aside the so-called bittersweet memories of youth, I had to regain my legs.

    ¡°ckening.¡±

    The way it worked was the same as my right arm. After putting the armor on my knees, I poured ck magic into them. Without dy, the silver armor was dyed ck.

    ¡°Wow, you can stand!¡±

    Ryan franklymented on what he had witnessed. ¡­Was the sight of me standing up so out of this world that he had to point out such an obvious thing?

    Even though they were mere substitutes, as long as I had legs, of course I could stand up on my own. For the first time in three months, I could feel the sensation of stepping on the floor despite my missing feet.

    ¡°A-amazing, Sister Yuri¡­ Could it be, you can now walk?¡±

    ¡°It is possible, along with running and jumping¡­ However, as I thought, the reaction is slow. As such, there¡¯s a high risk of being fatally impeded in battle.¡±

    On a daily basis, this level of mobility wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance, but the same couldn¡¯t be said aboutbat. As I thought, it¡¯d be impossible to move them like actual limbs without proper training and mastery of thought maniption.

    ¡­However, in the current situation, practicing was out of the question. In other words, I had to acquire the level of mobility necessary to perform satisfactorily inbat as soon as possible.

    ¡°Urs, keep your distance, lest you get electrocuted.¡±

    ¡°Electrocuted?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, since my divine protection is essentially lightning.¡±

    The ck magic that made up for my missing limbs were but basic skills. When they faced each other, the adventurers in the Ghad War experienced an increase in magical power post-divine power. It was probably a basic effectmon to all of the blessings of the ck gods.

    I, myself, had already confirmed that there was a varying degree of differences, and if the power was heightened, it¡¯d take the form of an aura bursting forth from the body¡ªjust like that of an apostle.

    ¡°Uwah!?¡±

    ¡ªSizzle.

    When a spark flew in front of her, Urs leaped back with a yelp. With cold sweats, Ryan and everyone in my surroundings also retreated in unison.

    Now, it should be clear to everyone that I¡¯d attained the power of lightning.

    Judging from her name and appearance, Dark Knight Freesia seemed to be a knight who mainly dealt with spears. As such, the effect of her blessing shouldn¡¯t be limited to the lightning attribute.

    However, for the time being, it appeared that my power only went to that extent. All I could feel was the ck magic, along with the ck lighting it generated. As for what kind of magic and martial arts I could perform with my magic and the attribute¡ªthey solely depended on my ability.

    While I hadn¡¯t casted lightning-attribute magic that often, I didn¡¯tck the experience. Since the method was basically the same, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    Besides, the diverse images of modern Japan that Yuriko Shirasaki had shown me inspired me to use various methods. Who knows, I might end up with the same result as him.

    Perhaps, that was why I named my newly-acquired spell ck the kind of name he¡¯d give.

    ¡°Violet sh ckening!¡±

    A dry explosion echoed in the chapel, and at the same time¡ªa violet spark coursed through the dark armor, reminiscent of lightning shing across the night sky.

    The effect was necessary to directly manipte my iron prosthetic arm/ leg withoutgging. Since thought maniption through ckening alone wasn¡¯t enough, Ipensated it with the lightning magic, which directly transmitted electrical signals through the nerves.

    By imbuing the pseudo-me attribute, Kurono developed a red-hot ckening with scorching explosive power.

    In the same way, by imbuing the lightning attribute, I created the ¡®Violet sh ckening¡¯, which imparted all characteristics of electricity to the additional enchantment.

    While it looked like it could work, would it perform the way I wanted? At the very least, a minimum operation check was necessary.

    Thus, I picked up the rapier that I¡¯d discarded upon the appearance of Dark Knight Freesia using my iron-d right hand, which glowed purple.

    Rather than just swinging a sword, it¡¯d be necessary to test the movement of the entire body, including both of my legs. As such, I decided that it¡¯d be best to carry out one of the forms of the Sinir swordsmanship.

    ¡°Fuu¡ª¡­¡±

    I did a set of swings.

    Thanks to the abundance of ck magic power coursing in my body, the difference in energy produced by unleashing a swing was many times greater. Disregarding the power consumption, I should be able to deliver the same performance as I did during my time as an apostle, even if momentarily.

    Without letting myself be swayed by the revived sense of power, I finished the basic sword form I learned a long time ago in about 3 seconds.

    ¡°¡ªGood sensitivity. The dy in reaction is now less than 0.1 second. I should be able to perform inbat.¡±

    ¡°Just now, that¡¯s the basic form of the Southern Cross style, isn¡¯t it? As expected, Sister Yuri, you were a knight!¡±

    Sinir had several schools of swordsmanship, with Southern Cross being the famous one. Half of those who imed to be the knights in the crusader were disciples of said school. As such, Ryan, who originally served as a knight in Elysion, should be able to tell at a nce.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a nun.¡±

    With the exception of being an apostle in the past, my status as a nun remained the same.

    ¡°¡­A person who could impably carry out the full form in just three seconds should be around the level of Pdin of the Temple Knights¡­ No, forget it, I won¡¯t ask too much.¡±

    I¡¯d appreciate that as well.

    ¡°From here onward, I intend to aid my brother in subjugating the Gluttony Octo. Could you open the door?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. I entrust it to you.¡±

    Ryan hesitated, albeit briefly. Then, he hastily opened the gate to the battlefield. With a tter, I left the chapel, apanied by the nking of my armor.

    ¡°Sister Yuri! Please be safe!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Urs. I¡¯ll definitelye back.¡±

    And then, I went outside on my own¡ªto where the great storm was brewing.

    The passage we had just walked across had begun to copse, with the once solid stone pirs scattered about and soaring into the air. Instead of the inside of the castle, I was now outside.

    From the surrounding scenery, it was as if I was leaping into the eye of a huge tornado. Not just limited to dpidated debris, the remains of corpses and monsters scattered about were also flying. The horses left tethered to the stables weren¡¯t exceptions.

    For a moment, I met the gaze of a horse who was squealing as it flew right in front of me.

    Despite being in the wind that could easily sweep away even tons of weight, I was able to keep my feet hooked on the ground due to the Violet sh ckening.

    Transforming my entire armor into an electroma, I clung to the thick steel frame of the castle that was exposed when the stone wall copsed. As such, I was standing on a vertical pir, and not exactly on the ground.

    In Sinir, no one had ever attempted such a thing with lightning attributes before. However, with the mind of Yuriko Shirasaki, who had almost perfected her knowledge of both psychics and science in high school, I immediately came up with the electroma idea. With my ability to manipte magical power, it was easy to reproduce the same state as when an electric current flowed through a coil.

    Although I was no longer at risk of being sucked into the gaping mouth floating amidst the sky, I still didn¡¯t have the means to take down the Gluttony Octo.

    I had two spare rapiers and thirty Ignited Daggers at hand. Even if I couldnd a hit on the Gluttony Octo, theck of firepower was obvious.

    At the moment, I seemed to be able to use an advanced lightning spell, Force st. However, even if I were to fire a dozen of it, I¡¯d only be able to char him.

    I needed a more decisive power.

    Regardless, to achieve that, I¡¯d have to reach the level of an apostle. After experiencing what it was like to have a finite mana supply, I realized how extraordinary it was to have unlimited mana.

    Therefore, my yearning was for naught. Everything I had as the Seventh Apostle had now been lost¡ª

    ¡ªno, there had to be something left.

    ¡°¡­Return: Call.¡±

    A summoning technique that was exclusive to a single weapon. Thus, all I needed to do was mutter a single chant and pour a sliver of magic. There should be no reason for it to fail. However, due to the flow of ck magic, akin to a muddy stream, in the white technique circuit, there was a different reaction than usual.

    Instead of a dazzling brilliance, an ominous ck and red spark shed before me.

    ¡°Armed Scripture¡ªGrand Cross.¡±

    It was none other than the Seventh Apostle¡¯s signature weapon, which remained submerged in the Fountain of Light upon the activation of the Heaven¡¯s Gate.

    A design that mimicked the sacred cross, which was the symbol of God. As a matter of course, it came with a dazzling white de and hilt.

    ¡­Nevertheless, the spear of God in my grip didn¡¯t have the familiar white glow. Instead, it was pure ck, as if it had been undergoing ckening.

    ¡°¡­Or should I say, Rebellion Cross.¡±

    The jet-ck spear sparking with red thunder that I¡ªthe betrayer of God¡ªwielded in my hand deserved such a name.

    Despite the changed appearance and name, the feeling was the same. Transmitted to my palm, was the tremendous amount of magical power hidden in the spear. The numerous techniques also remained unchanged. The spear itself could withstood the battle of the apostles. No matter how powerful the martial arts or magic were, it wouldn¡¯t break.

    ¡ªsuch was the weapon that was forged using the best of Sinir¡¯s magic and cksmithing technique.

    With this, even Gluttony Octo¡¯s gigantic body wouldn¡¯t be a problem. At the very least, it should be easier than piercing the heart of the ck dragon.

    Now, I had everything I needed. Limbs that could move freely, abundance of magical power, andstly, weapons.

    All that was left was to beat the enemy.

    In order to absorb the fortress, the Gluttony Octo had a low altitude. I determined the distance to be around 100 meters.

    Then, if it was only that high, I wouldn¡¯t need Pegasus. I should be able to run to it just fine.

    ¡°¡ªSonic Walker.¡±

    I started dashing through the piercing steel frame.

    One step, two steps¡­ Since the maic force could be adjusted at will, it didn¡¯t hinder my movement in the slightest.

    Then, on the third step, I put my foot on the tip of the pir¡ªand reversed the maic force. With such a strong repulsive force, I leaped straight up.

    The destination was the mouth of the Gluttony Octo, which could be seen directly overhead. In that bright red mouth, which shone eerily, all things inorganic and organic would suffer the same fate, and that was to be swallowed.

    With its circr body and eight jutting legs, it glided, as if to cover the entire Alsace Fortress.

    ¡­The sight itself reminded me of a giant UFO that I once saw in a Hollywood movie, which was about to unleash aser beam to ransack earth¡ª

    ¡ªNaturally, that kind of impression came to mind, probably because I had regained her memory.

    If I mention this to him, would he agree?

    My mind went astray for some reason. But I soon refocused it, and the fourth step I took led me straight into the raging air currents.

    In front of such an enormous storm, I should be nothing more than a leaf blowing in the wind. However, with the use of Sonic Walker, I was stable, as if I was walking on the ground.

    Now that I could use my supply of ck magic, I didn¡¯t need to worry about the risk of Martial Arts consuming an excessive amount of vitality. While maintaining high output, I ran straight towards the stormy sky.

    But as if to obstruct my path, a chunk of block that looked like a fragment of the castle wall flew from my side.

    ¡°Nh¡ª¡±

    Kicking the void, I made a sudden turn. Although the block grazed my feet, I managed to avoid a direct blow.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it.

    As if to block my way, obstacles soon appeared one after another. From my front, back, left, and right, and even from below. Projectiles made of stone, wood, or iron flew at me at the speed of a cannonball.

    The reason was simple¡ªit was because I was approaching its mouth, which was the absorption source.

    Despite the fact that I was openly approaching him without hiding a shred of my magic, the Gluttony Octo didn¡¯t even notice me. From the perspective of such a colossal monster, the human-sized me was probably nothing more than barely distinguishable trash.

    Therefore, it probably wasn¡¯t propelling those objects to particrly hinder me.

    In that case, there was nothing to fear.

    Without any malicious intent, it was simply a natural phenomenon. The projectiles of rubbles that were sucked towards the mouth were simply following the wind flow.

    Without the need to worry about feints, sneak attacks, and the likes, my instinct was enough to avoid them.

    Using the power of Sonic Dash, which I had practiced for its convenience, I jumped over the storm of rubbles, slipped past it, and finally approached the mouth.

    From a distance, the Gluttony Octo¡¯s glowing red crevice was worthy of being called the Hell¡¯s entrance¡ªakin to what Kurono said. But upon a closer inspection, I could also see the ¡°rawness¡± of it, and felt that it truly belonged to a living creature.

    Although not visible from below, from the slightly recessed part of its circr mouth, I could confirm that countless fangs grew like thorns on the densely-packed meat walls.

    The sucked object would then meet the wall of spikes, before being pulverized as if it had been thrown into a mixer.

    Undoubtedly, if I leaped in as it was, I¡¯d instantly be mincemeat.

    To break through, I need a massive amount of power. Even Kurono, a powerful ck magician, never considered jumping into that mouth. Withckluster firepower, I doubted it¡¯d work in the first ce.

    As such, there was only one thing I could do¡ª

    ¡ªand that was to unleash the strongest Martial Arts I possessed, to the best of my capability.

    ¡°Pierce through¡ª¡±

    The White God no longer bestowed light upon my spear tip.

    Instead, there was a dazzling sh of ck and red lightning. Utterly devoid of any sacredness, it burst violently, as if impatient to rupture its prey.

    Still, the devastating power toy the enemy to waste was concentrated into a single point.

    Both effects were deadly¡ªhowever, since the state of being had changed, I should rightfully rename the skill.

    ¡°¡ªDemonic Spear: Brionac.¡±

    Apanied by a thunderous roar, I stepped into the Gateway of Hell.

 Chapter 516

    <h4>Chapter 516</h4>

    516 Crash

    Before my very eyes, thunder raged, as if the Lightning God himself had descended.

    ¡°¡ªUuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?¡±

    I had no idea what just happened.

    Until a second ago, I should¡¯ve been in a desperate situation. My surroundings were full of poisonous gas. If I had dispelled Overgear for just a moment, I¡¯d surely die. My vision waspletely blocked by the purple gas, and just as I intended to hit its weak spot, I lost sight of my target.

    In the end, I took a leap of faith and unleashed Grenade Burst.

    Then, as I wondered if I had hit the target¡ª

    ¡ªDOOON!

    When the Gluttony Octo let out a roar, I had to get down, but even then, I could still hear the noise.

    Before I knew it, the roar that rocked my entire body hadpletely subsided. I probably hadn¡¯t lost my hearing, yet. After all, the rumbling of the earth, along with the ring gust of wind that resembled a beast¡¯s roar were transmitted into my ears.

    ¡°Kuh, ¡­argh, shit, what the heck was that¡ª¡­¡±

    Starting from my hearing, my five senses soon returned.

    I didn¡¯t feel anything unusual from my body. Despite being brighter than a sh grenade, the lightning sh didn¡¯t damage my eyes, nor electrocute me.

    My eyes, which had been reflexively shut, gradually fluttered open. Around the same time as I regained my vision, I smelled something¡ª

    ¡ªSomething¡¯s burning.

    It smells like burnt meat¡ªno, that¡¯s probably what it is¡­

    The thick mist of purple poison that filled the entirety of my vision had been eliminated. As if to rece it, the flesh dome inside the Gluttony Octo¡¯s body was torn and charred, smoke billowed from it.

    ¡­Well, if lightning of such a degree were to pierce through its body, no wonder it¡¯s suffer that kind of damage.

    For the time being, I quickly dispelled the strenuous second divine protection, and resumed my breathing. Even if I could hold my breath longer than ordinary humans, it wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant.

    I exhaled once or thrice¡­ After calming down, I began to look at my surroundings.

    Looking around, most of the eggs in that ce had been reduced to charcoal.

    However, the wall of flesh that I intended to shoot with Grenade Burst suffered the most damage.

    Just how hot was it¡­?

    Through the gaps of the smoke pirs, I could see the charred flesh. It was bursting in a bizarre manner, akin to sizzling blood. Apparently, the lightning had passed through the other side of that very wall.

    Then, did that mean that the colossal lightning strike reached even the Gluttony Octo¡¯s midsection?

    That¡¯s unbelievably powerful¡­

    ¡­But I didn¡¯t recall having anyone in my side who could unleash such a transcendental offensive spell. Although, Baron Herman could simply be hiding the genius magician¡­ Either way, the fact remained that one single shot had turned the tables.

    Just when I was wondering if I could take a breather, I sensed a presence from behind the billowing ck smoke. But instead of trying to conceal their existence, the owner made a lot of noise by forcing themselves through the crumbling wall of flesh, as if to assert their existence.

    ¡°N-no way, maybe, it¡¯s the true final boss¡­?¡±

    In most stereotypes, a true, human-sized, boss would usually appear right after the gigantic boss had been yed as a final form¡ª

    ¡ªThus, I conjured the rest of my magic tounch another Grenade Burst.

    No sooner than the ck cannonballs had manifested around me, someone appeared through the ck smoke. As expected, it was the mastermind behind the Gluttony Octo¡ª

    ¡ªor not.

    ¡°¡ªSariel!?¡±

    I didn¡¯t recognize her because we had lived together for three months, but because of her hair color. Although the period itself sounded long, it was actually short. When she emerged, her hair was no longer xen like that of Shirasaki, but reverted to silver. For me, who had strongly linked that color to Sariel herself, recognizing her was child¡¯s y.

    However, her change wasn¡¯t limited to her hair color. Or rather, if it was only limited to her hair color, I¡¯d simply think that her ¡®Prismatic Hairband¡¯ was broken, but¡­

    ¡­I doubted my eyes.

    After all, Sariel was standing and walking on her own feet¡­

    While supporting herself with her spear, she approached me.

    ¡­Wait.

    Upon closer inspection, I recognized the spear in her hand as the Grand Cross, only that it was ck¡­

    While I didn¡¯t know what had befallen Sariel, one thing was certain. The lightning sh that pierced through the Gluttony Octo was her doing.

    ¡°Oi, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve run out of magic.¡±

    After saying something serious with her usual t expression, Sariel copsed.

    ¡ªBachiri!

    Reddish-ck sparks, akin to my pseudo-thunder attribute, flew off Sariel¡¯s right hand and legs. On her missing limbs were simr, ckened, heavy armor like the ones I was donning.

    Then, with a subtle spark, the ckened armor fell off. They were empty.

    Are they some kind of prosthetics?

    In any case, Sariel¡ªwho had just lost both her legs once again¡ªtumbled down.

    But before her battered, charred, body could reach the ground, I rushed to catch her.

    ¡°What is this¡­? I can sense ck magic from you¡­¡±

    As I held the lightweight Sariel within my arms, I was greeted with a familiar sensation. Since I was a ck magic user, there was no way I could mistake it as something else.

    True to her words, she had been depleted of magic. Regardless, from the traces of magic, I could confirm that it was definitely ck magic.

    ¡°Divine Protection.¡±

    ¡°A divine protection!? From who!?¡±

    ¡°She called herself the Dark Knight, Freesia.¡±

    ¡°A-are you being serious¡­?¡±

    ¡°She was undeniably a real god.¡±

    The Dark Knight Freesia. She was renowned as the first and not to mention, the strongest knight of the legendary Demon King, Mia Elrod. Many people hailed her as one of the most popr goddesses of the Pandora Continent. Of course, her history was also taught in sses. As such, most people definitely had heard her name.

    ¡°¡­For you to receive Divine Protection at thest minute. Well, thanks to you, I¡¯m saved.¡±

    ¡°Because the Gluttony Octo has entered the absorption phase, the fortress was at risk of being swallowed whole. I was also saved from such a dangerous situation.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s because I failed to hit it.¡±

    ¡°From the beginning, the strategy is already unreasonable, but¡ª¡±

    Sariel had a thinyer of soot on her white cheeks. However, her crimson eyes¡ªwhich peered straight into my eyes, strangely seemed more humane¡­

    ¡°¡ªI also wish to save everyone. Even if it was impossible, it was worth the gamble.¡±

    ¡°I see, if that¡¯s what you thought, no wonder you received a Divine Protection.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Because I received Divine Protection in the same way.¡±

    For whatever reason, I felt genuinely happy that this fe finally had a desire of her own.

    Surely, she was no longer a god¡¯s doll. Gradually, she was regaining her sensibility as a normal human being who cared about the people she encountered.

    Hence why, when Sariel asked for the power to save everyone, a god granted her wish.

    Thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t that far-fetched. After all, there existed gods in this different world,monly referred to as the ck gods. However, they¡¯d only aid you slightly, and you had to take care of the rest on your own.

    For the time being, escaping from the Gluttony Octo should be our main priority.

    ¡°Hey, Sariel, isn¡¯t this guy falling down?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I can sense that we¡¯re gradually losing altitude.¡±

    Well, it was to be expected, since Gluttony Octo suffered a blow from Sariel¡¯s Divine Protection, and took so much damage that it crashed. Other than that, we probably wouldn¡¯t be safe if we stayed here.

    ¡°We need to hurry and escape. Hold on tight.¡±

    Like always, I carried Sariel on my back and started running at full speed.

    As I ran through the gills while being apanied by the ttering of my armor, I suddenly felt a huge tremor. I stumbled and fell, but managed to brace myself up.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s dangerous¡­ The buoyancy is rapidly declining.¡±

    ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll be free falling.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay! We¡¯ll escape before that!¡±

    I could see the exit.

    Even without the ck me torch, I could see the radiant lighting in at the end of the gentle curve.

    A st of air flowed from the exit, blowing as fiercely as a headwind as if to block our escape. Perhaps, the Gluttony Octo had begun to breathe through its giant gills.

    Nevertheless, the wind wasn¡¯t strong enough to hamper me.

    ¡°Bind Arts¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAs I leaned towards the raging headwind, a ck chain extended from my right hand. After hooking the tip to the entrance, I grabbed the chain and swung it with all my might.

    Amidst the wind pressure that was about to throw us back, I forcibly took a step towards the escape¡ª

    ¡°¡ªHey, Sariel, are you still alive?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Sariel, who was on top of my chest, responded with her red eyes wide open.

    One way or another, we managed tond safely.

    After vigorously leaping from the gills, I let ourselves free fall, before activating Overgear just before wended¡ªor at least that was how it was supposed to be. However, I began to doubt whether or not Sariel would be safe. As such, the original n turned into ast resort.

    In all actuality, I hooked the Bind Arts to the entrance of the E and used it as a lifeline.

    Surprisingly, it went well, and the chain stretched until it reached the ground. But there was another problem¡ªit was difficult to adjust the force fornding. While I managed to protect Sariel, Inded hard on my back.

    ¡­Next time, let¡¯s prepare a smarter means of escape.

    For now, I should prioritize the current situation, rather than the future.

    ¡°¡­Did we manage to defeat the Gluttony Octo?¡±

    ¡°No, it looks like it¡¯s still alive.¡±

    When I stood up, I was greeted by a slightly heavy sensation.

    Then, when I was about to look ahead¡ªdammit. My vision was blocked by my ruined helmet. Since it was no longer of any use, I yanked the helmet that had be an annoying junk from my head and discarded it.

    In the next moment, what was reflected in my expanding field of view was a green tower rising towards the sky.

    Apparently, it was one of the tremendous eight legs that the Gluttony Octo was so proud of.

    ¡°Oi, isn¡¯t this dangerous¡ª!?¡±

    I hurriedly tucked Sariel under my arm and ran with all my might

    After crashing, the Gluttony Octo became a literal mountain on the ground, exuding an overwhelming presence. Whether it was aware of us or not, one of its long tentacles was about to pummel the ground.

    As a matter of course, if we got hit by it, we¡¯d be as dead as a frog that got run over by a car.

    Immediately after, an earth-shaking noise resounded.

    Upon turning around, I saw a volcanic plume of snow and sand rising profusely, proving the might of the giant tentacle¡¯s strike.

    ¡°If the castle got hit by it, it¡¯d copse.¡±

    ¡°As it is, the castle is already half-destroyed. If it suffered a direct blow, it¡¯d be obliterated.¡±

    Fortunately, Gluttony Octo¡¯snding point was slightly away from the Alsace Fortress.

    That being said, I currently stood at the bridge leading to the fortress, and the tip of the swung tentacle almost reached the river that served as a moat.

    In terms of distance, we almost got done in. If the Gluttony Octo were to stagger even a little, the tentacle would hit the castle.

    ¡°But still, this guy should be reaching its limit. Looks like we¡¯ll have no choice but to end it once and for all.¡±

    We might¡¯ve shared the sentiment.

    Before I could put Sariel on my back and charge at the giant mountain, the Gluttony Octo moved.

    With a roar, its two tentacles swelled as they traced the ground, raising snow smoke.

    ¡ªNo way.

    When I thought that we¡¯d be mowed by the tentacles, the tip of the tentacles began to prate the ground as if digging.

    Like the previous enemy, the tip of the tentacle was covered with a sharp spell, resembling a spear tip. Surely, the castle wall would crumble if probed by such a tentacle. However, the tentacles buried themselves deeply underground, as if firmly etching themselves¡ª

    ¡ªAh, yes, they¡¯re etching themselves.

    Greed Gore¡¯s action of forming iron sand stakes on both legs to fix his posture when firing sma Breath came to mind.

    Although their appearances differed greatly, for some reason, I saw the Earth Dragon of Greed in my current enemy.

    ¡°N-no way¡­! It¡¯s going to shoot Acid Breath!?¡±

    The earth rumbled as the Gluttony Octo rose.

    To be more precise, it had lifted its body upside down using the two tentacles. At the bottom of the main body, the mouth that should be perched on the ground became a deadly poisonous muzzle that was trained at the Alsace Fortress.

    While each tentacle was thicker than even a watchtower, I could hardly believe that two were enough to lift and support the main body. After all, the body itself was about the size of a mountain. However, when it actually stood up in front of me, making me witness that Hell¡¯s Entrance all over again, along with the drifting purple smoke, I became rmed.

    After receiving a powerful blow from Sariel, the Gluttony Octo¡¯s huge mouth was in tatters. Both the exterior and the interior were charred as the aftermath of the fierce lightning strike. Every time it breathed, I could see green blood spurting like fountains from the scorched and torn body surface.

    ¡ªPerhaps, it can only fire onest shot.

    But a shot was a shot nheless¡ª

    ¡ªand it was more than enough to wipe out me, Sariel, and the half-torn Alsace Fortress behind us.

    When Greed gore aimed his breath attack at the ancient castle of Ischia, I forcefully diverted the line of fire by wrapping Bind Arts around my neck. But this time, I knew the same trick wouldn¡¯t work.

    It¡¯s¡­ impossible to avoid.

    However, if we ran away, the fortress behind us would be wiped out. Even if I had lost Reki, there were still many people over there whom I¡¯d like to protect.

    Therefore, I had no choice but to defeat it.

    ¡°¡ªShield Diaz.¡±

    Mustering thest of my mana, I concentrated on casting defense magic on a scale that I had never attempted before.

    If I were to employ a giant shield in front of the Gluttony Octo, it should be able to block the breath attack. Of course, whether or not it¡¯d withstand the deadly, poisonous turbulence that hit as fast and as powerful as a tornado was another story.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible to defend. In the first ce, even if we¡¯re in perfect condition, the breath output of Gluttony Octo is simply¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªShut up! You¡¯re disturbing my concentration!¡±

    Sariel probably had a point¡ªeven I couldn¡¯t hope for sess.

    It¡¯d be impossible to block itpletely. At most, I could only reduce its power to a level that the walls of the castle could withstand. Anyway, I deployed the thickest, widest, and tallest Shield Diaz I could manage, and held my ground by casting Overgear while protecting Sariel.

    Still, with my meager magical power, and above all¡ªthe deadly presence of the Gluttony Octo, who was roaring in front of me, made me doubt if I¡¯d seed.

    No, no, calm down¡ª

    ¡ªIf this is all I can do right now, I have no choice but to do my best.

    I ced both hands on the muddy ground caked with mud and snow, and unleashed magic from there. The pseudo-earth-attribute ck magic gushing out from my palms seeped into the ground like water, expanding the area under my behest.

    Shield Diaz itself was a defensive spell that conjured a ck earth wall on the ground based on the size of the area I had under mymand¡ª

    ¡ªBut the current area was barely enough.

    Ipressed the area that continued to expand. Increasing the density¡ªboth magically and physically, was the simple yet absolute way to increase strength.

    Of course, if Ipressed it, the volume would also decrease. Therefore, to prepare a giant shield that could endure Gluttony Octo¡¯s breath¡­ Just how much would it take?

    I must be faltering because I realized that I was about to reach my limit.

    I didn¡¯t have enough time, magic, or anything¡­

    Any moment now, a vortex of deadly poison could engulf us.

    Is this enough? Can I truly prevent the breath attack with something like this?

    ¡°Dammit, even so¡­ I have no choice but to do it¡­ I can¡¯t just die aftering this far¡ª¡±

    ¡ªnow!

    From below the ground, I pushed up the wall ofpressed ck soil. Only when I was about to make it soar towards the sky did I notice it¡ª

    ¡ªthe other side had taken the initiative.

    ¡°A giant octopus!?¡±

    From the sky, arge octopus was gliding at the speed of a parachute, with its six tentacles fully spread. It wasn¡¯t even a 10m ss, but a 50m one that I saw near the summit of Gluttony Octo. A giant amongst giants.

    The mouth, from which Acid Breath woulde raining down, was right above us.

    Upon closer inspection, the wind-attributed fog emitted by the Gluttony Octo was fleeting, but the octopus could still drift.

    I thought that during the fall, the octopuses above its head woulde crashing down as well, along with the dispersal of the cloud-like fog.

    Is it a coincidence, or did it n such an attack from the beginning?

    An attack, from the strongest minion, at thest minute¡ª¡­

    Oh, no.

    If therge octopus where to shoot us from above, it¡¯d be the end. There was no way I could prevent that as well¡ª

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    At that moment, there was a flicker.

    A ray of light pierced therge octopus, which was about to fire a poisonous current. The sheer white brilliance was mixed with a faint emerald green hue. Despite the tremendous fire power, it still looked like a gentle light that somehow gave me a sense of relief.

    ¡­It was probably because the faint green light was familiar to me.

    And I certainly remembered¡ªthe light that always shone to protect me.

    ¡°¡­Lily.¡±

    As if to drown her name, a loud explosion reverberated.

    Struck by the strongest light, half of therge octopus¡¯ body exploded, while the rest scattered and fell. Despite the 50m height, it waspletely shot down by a series of light that was fired in rapid session.

    This brilliance¡ªthis power¡ªit was definitely Lily¡¯s beam¡ªand a lethal one, at that.

    Amidst the sky swarmed byrge octopuses, I looked for my dear fairy, longing to meet her¡ª

    ¡ªBut before I could see her, I noticed something else.

    In the sky, there were two shining suns¡ª

    ¡°¡ªGet down, Sariel!¡±

    Right after that, Shield Diaz shattered.

    It was a scorching golden storm. With a ridiculous heat and impact, it rampaged through the surrounding area.

    Upon activation, the Shield Diaz took the appearance of a huge, square, wall around 10 m in length and width. However, the moment it came into contact with the raging heat wave, the jet-ck wall was molten instantly.

    The angr square went round, but soon couldn¡¯t stand its own weight and crumbled like melted ice cream.

    ¡°Ugh, ah¡­¡±

    The scorching wave that melted all my defensive spells finally struck my body. Normally, despite my remodeled body, I¡¯d be burned, and not even my bones would remain. However, the reason I was still alive was because I had somehow managed to activate Overgear.

    But it wasn¡¯t only that.

    The fleeting aura that rose so weakly, it could fly away at the gust of a wind, could withstand the scorching storm due to the existence of a magic item that could greatly reduce fire damage¡ªNana st Amulet.

    The amulet that I held dearly protected me at thest minute.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be grateful to the one who gave me the amulet¡ª

    ¡ªbut considering that she was the one who hit me with such a fierce friendly fire¡­

    ¡°¡­Alright, it seems that you survived, Sariel.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was going to die.¡±

    ¡°What, in my party, it¡¯s amon urrence.¡±

    Isn¡¯t that right, Fiona?

    This brilliance¡ªthis firepower¡ªit couldn¡¯t be anything else but Al Soleil. Not only that, the ultimate fire magic. In other words, it couldn¡¯t be anyone but her.

    The devastating heat wave passed in an instance. As if to cool the abnormal¡ªif not in impossible heat¡ªI could feel the early spring breeze blowing in. I stood up while holding Sariel, whom I shielded under my belly.

    Then, the sight of a burning mountain greeted me. With its eight tentacles sprawled on the ground, the Gluttony Octo burned, as if wrapped in hellfire.

    Such was the moment when the demon of gluttony¡ªthe Fifth Trial¡ªwas defeated.

    ¡°¡­That attack just now¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s mypanion. Apparently, she came to pick me up.¡±

    Looking towards the sky once again, I finally saw her.

    With the contrasting blue sky in the background, a lone girl swooped down with a dazzling green glow. The way her pair of glittering, transparent wings pped made me feel divine.

    If Urs and the others witnessed that one particr scene, they might be convinced that an angel had descended, instead of a fairy.

    ¡°Lily.¡±

    ¡°Kurono¡ª¡±

    Aah, we finally met.

    Is this what they call a touching reunion?

    Actually, considering that she had aided me during my worst moment, I couldn¡¯t be more touched.

    However, I couldn¡¯t form a smile, and the same went for Lily.

    ¡°¡ªWhat¡¯s that woman, Sariel, doing here?¡±

    The moment I heard the cold, expressionless voice devoid of all emotions, a premonition went through my mind¡ª

    ¡ªthe Fifth Trial was over.

    ¡­But for me, the real trial, the real battle, was only about to begin¡ª

 Chapter 517

    <h4>Chapter 517</h4>

    517 Towards Freedom

    From the window of the half-destroyed castle, Urs stared nkly at the aftermath of the battle under her feet.

    The corpses of allies and foes that were scattered around the fortress had mostly been cleared up. However, beyond the partially copsing wall, there stood Gluttony Octo¡¯s colossal body. Utterly burnt, its remains turned into a small ck mountain, merging with the terrain.

    The remains of the monster which had devoured an entire fortress needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. However, everyone¡¯s hands were full. If anything, nothing could be done about it unless the crusader dispatched some reinforcements.

    Regardless, Urs wasn¡¯t preupied with the post-war process.

    ¡°Priest Kuroe, Sister Yuri¡­¡±

    After the Gluttony Octo had perished in the golden mes, the remaining swarm of octopuses scattered away. Atst, the crusaders had won¡ª

    ¡ªBut the two still didn¡¯t return.

    ¡­In truth, Urs already knew why.

    Instead of remaining in a ce where they had to lead a fake life, the two had returned to where they belonged.

    ¡°¡­Have you arrived at Sparda yet?¡±

    That day was also the first day of the Pristine Water Month, when the moon changed from ice crystal. Since the battle against Gluttony Octo, three days had passed.

    It was enough time for Urs¡ªwho was smarter than children of her age¡ªto ept the reality;

    The reality that the two would nevere back.

    Furthermore, she had even witnessed their departure to Sparda from afar.

    When the Gluttony Octo crashed, Urs rushed outside.

    To get a clearer view, she ran atop the castle walls, and witnessed a fireball¡ªzing like the sun¡ªwiping down the gigantic creature in a single blow. It took her some time to register that the devastating power was actually a fire spell.

    Looking at the zing mountain of fire, just as the victory began to dawn on her, she saw a glowing figure on the road leading to the distant Ghad Mountains.

    A petite figure with divine aura, almost seeming like an angel. Next to the winged girl, she immediately saw a man who could only be Kuroe. After all, there was no other man like him, who donned heavy armor while holding a limbless girl.

    She was d that Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuri were safe¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, that joy was short-lived.

    Only once did he seem to look back at her. The castle was far away from there. As such, he shouldn¡¯t be able to see her, much else return her gaze.

    Whether it was a mere coincidence or a figment of her imagination, that was thest time Urs felt his presence.

    As if guided by the shining girl, Kuroe made his way down the path while holding Sister Yuri. Then, instead of the Alsace Fortress, he went to the towering Ghad Mountains.

    Afterwards, they suddenly disappeared. Briefly, the space around them distorted, as if it had been twisted.

    Right away, she knew it was a magic to conceal their presences, since she could also do the same. As such, she also knew the impossibility of finding those who hadpletely erased their existences.

    Thus, Urs was left alone.

    He¡¯d definitelye back¡ª

    ¡ªSuch was the promise between the two, which vanished like a lie.

    ¡°I have to return as well.¡±

    Strangely, Urs didn¡¯t bear any resentment towards them, while she did have regrets.

    She was sad enough to cry, and lonely enough to shiver¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, she was fully aware of the inevitable future.

    For the time being, as a survivor, she should rightfully return to the 202nd Colony, and built Reki¡¯s tomb.

    As for the future¡­ she didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    Thinking about the devastating future had proven to be too lonely for Urs, who was only 12-years-old.

    ¡°Goodbye, Priest Kuroe¡­¡±

    With a truly nk expression on her face, Urs left, a sense of loss engulfing her hollowed heart.

    Even three days after the battle had ended, the Alsace Fortress was still bustling.

    Many soldiers were injured, while the dpidated castle had to be extensively repaired. In addition to the original garrison, all the vigers from the 202nd Colony to the West had also gathered. As such, it was only natural that the ce would be lively.

    Now that the crisis had been averted, everyone had a beaming smile on their faces, and the children were innocently running around outside. Urs was supposed to be one of those children. However, after experiencing a harsh battle that not just any adventurers could survive, Urs could no longer join them.

    ¡°Lady Urs, so you¡¯re in a ce like this.¡±

    As she wandered aimlessly, Urs was approached by Cliff¡ªamander in heavy armor. Cliff and Ryan were like a dog and a monkey, and for some reason was referred to as bean sprout. But after surviving such a fierce battle together, Urs acknowledged him as arade-in-arms.

    Urs basically looked down on men other than Kuroe.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Cliff?¡±

    ¡°The reinforcements from the crusader side have just arrived. As such, we may be able to depart for the vige today, at the earliest.¡±

    Although by reinforcements, it meant that more soldiers would being, what mattered to the vigers was the supplies they brought.

    At the very least, the crusaders weren¡¯t so callous as to cut off all the settlers. After being defeated by Spada, the Third Army¡ªa coalition of nobles¡ªsuffered the most. Nevertheless, the church¡¯s first and second armies¡ªthe core of the force¡ªwere both alive and well, and didn¡¯t outright forsake their fellow crusaders.

    While rebuilding the vige itself was difficult, it¡¯d never have been possible without the backing of the crusaders.

    ¡°I see¡­ We can finally go home.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to return to the vige?¡±

    There¡¯s nowhere else to go.

    ¡°With your magical prowess, I think you can be the ace of the Crusader¡¯s magician unit? Are you willing to volunteer?¡±

    If Kuroe was there, he¡¯d probably get mad at him for making a child fight.

    However, Cliff didn¡¯t mean anything bad. He simply appreciated Anastasia¡¯s power for what it was, so Urs wasn¡¯t particrly offended. If anything, she felt happy that her ability was recognized.

    ¡°I have no reason to fight anymore.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Certainly, from now on, you should focus on leading a peaceful life at the church, right?¡±

    Urs, who had be alone, couldn¡¯t honestly think that she¡¯d be happy, but she was still grateful for Cliff¡¯s thoughtfulness.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go back to everyone.¡±

    ¡°I see, goodbye. God bless you.¡±

    Leaving Cliff, who sent her off with an elegant knight¡¯s bow, Urs went to the vigers of 202nd Colony, who had begun preparing for their departure.

    Since she didn¡¯t feel like ying with other children, she should help them out.

    To begin with, she didn¡¯t have that many belongings, and thanks to the dimension pouch she got from Kuroe, packing was easy.

    Therefore, what Urs should think about was the method of transportation for Reki¡¯s remains.

    Even without Cliff¡¯s favoritism, it was clear that Urs made a huge contribution in that battle. In her consideration, Reki¡¯s remains wouldn¡¯t be cremated alongside the fallen soldiers, but instead stored in a coffin to be buried in 202nd Colony.

    In a simple, white, coffiny the body of Reki, who seemed as if asleep, looking as beautiful as the time when the squid was separated from her body. Just before the coffin lid was closed, Urs still believed that she¡¯d open her eyes and said, ¡°Hey!¡±

    As the person who was left behind, her emotions were difficult to describe, but objectively speaking¡ªthe coffin was huge. It wasn¡¯t a size that could be carried by a person.

    In order to transport it, a wagon would be necessary. Therefore, it¡¯d be difficult if she didn¡¯t secure the space in advance. However, since there was Randolph, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Nevertheless, Urs went to the entrance of the castle, where the adults would¡¯ve gathered.

    It¡¯s necessary to confirm.

    The front door had been blown off along with the walls. As such, it could no longer be called an entrance, since it was already outdoors. Nevertheless, there was no other suitable ce where a lot of people could gather while hunkering down a bunch of massive luggage, so it was used as it was.

    From the destroyed entrance,rge wagons and dragon carriages with crossed gs could be seen lining up inside the fortress, exactly as Cliff said.

    If the vigers were swarming the long-awaited relief supplies like a bunch of zombies, Urs could understand the noise¡­ But the atmosphere was unsetting. Not only that, it was strangely noisy.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Amidst her suspicion, Urs¡¯s curiosity prevailed, and she decided to join the group of onlookers without giving it as much as a thought.

    Making her way through the crowds of soldiers and vigers alike, she eventually reached the scene ofmotion.

    She could hear some people arguing. However, it¡¯d be difficult to grasp the situation without going to the front row. Bing somewhat stubborn, Urs pushed through, and finally reached it.

    ¡°¡ªLike I said, I don¡¯t know anything!¡±

    Ryan was at the center of themotion.

    Considering how short-tempered Ryan was, it wasn¡¯t surprising for him to yell. But after the time they had spent together, she could guess from his expression that he was really angry.

    ¡®What, so it¡¯s just a quarrel. As expected of Ryan¡­¡¯

    The reason why Urs didn¡¯t think that was because she knew the person who stood in front of him.

    ¡°T, that¡¯s¡­ the Inquisition¡­¡±

    A group of people stood there, d in white, representing the Crusaders.

    Meanwhile, the one who argued with Ryan was a girl in pure white, monastic attire with some embellishment.

    Is ¡®girl¡¯ a correct term?

    While the girl may be past the age of adulthood, she appeared to be less than twenty of age.

    Her chestnut hair, peeking out from her white hood, was lustrous. However, her beautiful face was marred with her sadistic sneer.

    Probably, the aforementioned hood and cloak were the reason why Ryan didn¡¯t straight up pummel the woman¡¯s face. In addition to that, men were lined up behind said woman in an orderly manner.

    If it was only their attire, then there was nothing to be afraid of. However, strapped to each of their backs was a huge, cross-shaped, ymore that emitted a ferocious killing intent. It probably wouldn¡¯t be too farfetched to think that you¡¯d be cut in half if you did as much as look at them the wrong way

    In fact, if they considered you an enemy, they¡¯d probably attack you ruthlessly. The most feared fanatic in Sinir, whose cruelty and ruthlessness were a testament to their boundless faith, was the Inquisition. Such was the name of an organization who was supposed to execute Urs because her Drain ability went out of control.

    Why are they in such a ce?

    Without a second thought, Urs tried to leave, as a sense of emergency pervaded her entire body.

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it looks like you decided toe out on your own, the filthy, cursed, child of Ibrahim.¡±

    The female inquisitor, sporting a poisonous smile, spotted Urs.

    From her way of speaking, Urs knew that the woman was looking for her.

    She froze, as if being spotted by a basilisk. Then, Urs tried to slip past the crowd, but it was toote.

    ¡°Aah¡ª!¡±

    Since when¡­?

    At the edge of her vision, she saw a hooded, sturdy man¡ªand in the next second, shock ran through her abdomen.

    She wriggled on the hard, stone floor. She didn¡¯t even know whether she was punched, or kicked. In her dimming consciousness, Urs realized that she had been thrown in front of the female inquisitor.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay!? Dammit, you should be ashamed of yourself for beating a brat¡ª!¡±

    ¡°I should say the same. As a believer, aren¡¯t you ashamed of protecting such an ursed child?¡±

    Be it Ryan¡¯s angry voice, or the female inquisitor¡¯s voice¡ªthey were getting more and more distant¡­ Her consciousness felt hazy, as if she was dreaming.

    Back when she was still a child, she experienced the same feeling. However, she couldn¡¯t put a name to it. It was suffocating, as if she was underwater¡ªgloomy¡­ Yes, it was a simr feeling to when she was still living in the orphanage.

    ¡°You¡¯re too full of yourself! Just what did she do!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve looked into it. Her ability to drain the white mist¡­ I seem to recall the abominable, cursed king having the same ability.¡±

    No, it isn¡¯t a curse¡ª

    ¡ªAfter all, Priest Kuroe taught me that this magic existed for the sake of protecting myself, and above all, those who I cared about¡­

    ¡­Although she wanted to express her feelings, Urs could only wheeze.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t be silly! While we were frantically fighting the octopuses, you wasted your time doing such pointless research!? And now, you have the gall to show up and say whatever you like!¡±

    But when Ryan was about to grab the female inquisitor by her cor, two hooded men stood in front of him. The men rested their hands on their ymores, implying if Ryan were to take another step, he¡¯d be cut down.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you stop making a fuss? I¡¯m saying this for the sake of you all. After all, you should be aware of the duties and the authority of the Inquisition, yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you threatening us?¡±

    Cold sweat trickled from Ryan¡¯s forehead.

    For those who grew up in the countryside of Sinir, the Inquisition was almost like a fairy tale. However, Ryan¡ªwho lived in the Holy City of Elision, was aware of them. Executions of heretics were a daily urrence, and beheading people were akin to signing documents to them.

    However, it wasn¡¯t only limited to the heretics.

    The same fate would befall those who attempted to shield the heretics.

    While it in itself was a rare urrence, there existed a thing called The Purge, where an entire vige would be burned down. In case of urgency, the Church would openly authorize the Inquisition to do so.

    In other words, if things went awry, all the people gathered here could be executed.

    ¡°Pfft, please don¡¯t misunderstand me? We¡¯re no barbarians. We do not enjoy tainting our hands with blood¡ªeven more so with those that are shed by ourpatriots.¡±

    Gracefully, the female inquisitor gently shook her hand, and the pair of hooded men withdrew from Ryan¡¯s presence.

    ¡°We¡¯re here as part of maintaining the public order. Until recently, Pandora is an evilnd overrun by demons. Until today, we still don¡¯t know what kind of evils lurk in the background.¡±

    ¡°I heard that the remnants of Daedalus were wiped out by the Apostles.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, exactly! It¡¯s a masterpiece that should serve as a model for us all. Even though we aren¡¯t as excellent as the Holy Apostles chosen by God, we shall do our best, as well! That¡¯s right, and this ursed child is the prime example of the heretics who¡¯re cunningly disguising themselves¡­¡±

    The female inquisitor couldn¡¯t exactly be said to be pretentious, since finding and getting rid of heretics was one of the Inquisition¡¯s main duties.

    Moreover, Ryan had heard rumors that the capital of Daedalus was still looking for the remnants of the dead.

    ¡°But still, why is it at a time like this¡­?¡±

    It was difficult to understand why the Inquisition would appear at such a remote location, especially after the vige had finally ovee the danger of being eradicated.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be obvious? I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the 202nd Colony for a long time. That shouldn¡¯te off as a surprise to you, yes?¡±

    In response to that, Ryan bitterly averted his gaze, eliciting a smile of satisfaction from the female inquisitor.

    ¡°Haha, please be rest assured. We don¡¯t have any intention of punishing all the vigers. After all, the Devil always misled innocent people with sweet words, and would deceive devout believers¡­ Hence, it¡¯s our duty to awaken your eyes to faith.¡±

    Slowly but surely, she began to understand where they wereing from.

    To put it simply, if Urs¡ªthe target of the Inquisition¡ªwere to be handed over, the safety of the vigers would be guaranteed. However, if they tried to object, there was no saying what¡¯d happen.

    It was truly a simple request that even Ryan could easily fathom.

    ¡°You understand what I¡¯m saying, right? Then, arrest her.¡±

    The female inquisitor extended her white arm towards Urs, whoy at her feet.

    Urs, powerless as she was, couldn¡¯t show any sign of resistance, and was forced to stand up by the hand that yanked her shiny, silver twintail.

    ¡°¡ªUgh!¡±

    Urs yelped in pain, and was about to raise her hand in reflex, only to be restrained by a hooded man. In the next moment, there was a dull, metallic tter, which she recognized as the sound of handcuffs. Just like that, her wrists were bound in silver handcuffs.

    The surface of the handcuffs was inscribed with ancient letters that glowed blue. Only Ryan, a knight, and Urs¡ªwho had experienced the effect, knew it for what it was¡ªa sealing magic.

    ¡°Ugh, aah¡­¡±

    Urs groaned.

    It was unknown whether the shock came from having her magic sealed, or because she was handcuffed.

    It was difficult to believe that she was the same magician who yed a horde of monsters. As of the presence, she looked nothing more than a powerless, helpless child.

    Urs¡¯s arms were restrained by anky hooded man, and she began to be taken away¡ª

    ¡ªAtst, Ryan raised his voice.

    ¡°W-wait¡­¡±

    Despite having done that, from his sweaty face, it was apparent that he couldn¡¯t think of a word to stop them.

    ¡°E-evidence, is there any¡­?¡±

    ¡°If we start to investigate from now on, I¡¯m sure a lot will resurface.¡±

    ¡°She yed a huge role in the previous battle, if you just take her away like that¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s alright, His Excellency Baron Herman will receive an official notice from the churchter.¡±

    ¡°T-this child, she¡¯s the same as you lot, no? Even if she¡¯s still an apprentice, she¡¯s also a sister¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually quitemon for the Devil to put on the skin of a priest to trick people.¡±

    Any counter arguments he could think of were simply brushed off. In the first ce, someone who acted based on pure conviction couldn¡¯t be stopped by logic.

    ¡°W-what will happen to Urs?¡±

    ¡°Since there¡¯s a suspicion that she¡¯s the descendant of Abraham¡ªthe Cursed King of Ibrahim, she¡¯d be taken to the Great Church of Daedalus, where she¡¯d undergo a rigorous interrogation, before being put on trial.¡±

    It was a very well-known fact that not a single person had ever been acquitted by the Inquisition.

    From the moment the white handcuffstched on her hands, Urs¡¯s fate was sealed.

    ¡°Well, even without investigation, I already know this tainted child inherited the blood of the Cursed King¡ªaah¡­ even remembering it makes me shudder¡ª¡±

    ¡­It was as if she had known Urs¡¯s magic for a long time.

    However, Ryan couldn¡¯t afford to ask such a question, while the shaken Urs couldn¡¯t recall whether or not she had encountered the Inquisition in the past.

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s no more questions, I believe? Pardon me for the intrusion. We appreciate your cooperation in arresting the heretic. From the bottom of my heart, I pray for your speedy recovery.¡±

    After giving an elegant bow, the inquisitors turned on their heels.

    No one dared to raise their voice, let alone try to stop them.

    Ryan could only stare at Urs¡¯s tiny back as she was dragged away. He clenched his teeth so hard; it¡¯d crumble. Nevertheless, if he made a careless move, he¡¯d be done for, since it¡¯d be considered treason.

    No, perhaps, the Inquisition wouldn¡¯t even have to lift a finger, since the vigers and the soldiers here would rush to dispose of him first. Knowing what kind of repercussions awaited them, they wouldn¡¯t dare to take a risk.

    They probably didn¡¯t like the idea of sacrificing a girl. However, her life and death weren¡¯t theirs to decide, but the Inquisition¡¯s. Thus, they had no choice but to oblige.

    Ryan shared the sentiment. Regardless of how frustrated he was, he still had his family, friends, and future to salvage.

    If he could somehow save her by fighting bravely and die, then sure. But it was a different story if he were to die in vain.

    ¡°Dammit¡­ Anyone, is there anyone who can help¡ª¡±

    ¡ªBut of course, there was none.

    Priest Kuroe had already left.

    In this world, not many people were willing to risk their lives to face the unreasonable and had the power to ovee it.

    The Hero, who could save everything, was no longer there.

    ¡°Anyone¡ª¡­¡±

    Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but wish for salvation.

    Even though he knew that God wouldn¡¯t lend a helping hand¡ª

    ¡°¡ªFuuuckiiin¡¯ bitch!!¡±

    In the next moment, there was an iprehensible scream, and Ryan almost couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.

    After all, a figure suddenly leaped out, and sucker punched the female inquisitor¡¯s face.

    He didn¡¯t know when or where that person came from.

    The female inquisitor¡¯s entourage didn¡¯t even have time to stop her because it happened so fast.

    As such, the moment she sensed that someone was approaching, she immediately received a blow to the face.

    ¡°Uorgh¡ª¡±

    While letting out such a groan, the body of the female inquisitor spun in the air. The spin was apanied by the twirling of blood which spurted from her broken nose. The artistic fall was fleeting, meeting a tragic end at the hands of gravity.

    After mming into the hard stone, her body tumbled for several meters before finallying to a halt.

    ¡°T, this is a lie¡­¡±

    However, what was unbelievable wasn¡¯t the powerful blow, or the fact that someone was foolish enough to punch an inquisitor.

    The most incredible and surprising thing was the identity of the culprit¡ª

    ¡ªA fluttering, navy blue, monastic uniform. Glossy, blonde, curly short hair reminiscent of dog ears bouncing left and right. Her eyes, wide open, glowed red like burning mes.

    ¡°¡­Reki?¡±

    As if dreaming, Urs asked the girl who stood in front of her. The girl who she was the closest with in the world.

    ¡°Yes¡ª! Alright¡ª! Ur, you¡¯re okay now.¡±

    That face.

    That voice.

    That gesture¡ª

    ¡ªThey all definitely belonged to Reki.

    In front of her best friend¡¯s sparkling smile, Urs thought to herself¡ª

    ¡ªIf this is a dream, please don¡¯t wake me up.

    However, the presence of the two hooded men restraining her arm proved that the girl in front of her wasn¡¯t a figment of a sweet delusion.

    The two men were already on the move to tarnish the touching reunion¡ªwhich was akin to a miracle¡ªwith blood.

    ¡°You heathen¡­¡±

    ¡°Time to die.¡±

    Their response was fairly quick. Since the female inquisitor had been blown away, it was understandable that they¡¯d attack withoutmand.

    Without underestimating Reki, who seemed like a child, the hooded men braced themselves, and reached for their ymores.

    ¡°How slow, I might fall asleep. If it¡¯s Priest Kuroe, you¡¯d all be wiped out by now.¡±

    Reki took the initiative.

    Just before the men could grasp their des, Reki had already performed a kick. The kick itself wasn¡¯t eloquent or anything¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, the moment the modest yet powerful kick connected to them, the hooded man flew backwards.

    ¡°Guh!?¡±

    Along with the dull sound of fractured bones, the hooded man let out a low groan.

    From the outsider¡¯s perspective, the girl just casually kicked them. However, the destructiveness brought about by the kick was impressively illustrated through the sight of the hooded man¡¯s broken leg, which had twisted backward.

    Without even being able to reach for his weapon, the hooded man had copsed on the spot.

    Reki didn¡¯t just sit back and watch the situation.

    Instead, Reki took his ymore, gripping it with her small hands¡ª

    ¡°¡ªDie! You child of Barbados!¡±

    The other triangr-hooded man tried to swing hisrge sword at Reki¡¯s head. A blow with that power and sharpness could easily cut a child in half¡ªhowever, it only cut into the stone floor in vain.

    Despite having poured all his strength into that blow, he missed said Barbados child.

    Did the man understand that it wasn¡¯t a mere illusion, but simply Reki moving out of the way?

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to die, fuckin Sinir!!¡±

    With the force of a sea dragon emerging from the water, Reki swung the ymore that was muchrger than her body¡ª

    ¡ªThe tip of the white de flew straight towards the hooded man¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Diiie¡ª!!¡±

    As she screamed in her mother tongue, she swung the ymore with all her might, and the man¡¯s head fell as easily as a stalk of fruit.

    Basking in the shower of blood, Reki muttered with a slightly refreshed expression.

    ¡°Too easy¡ª! As I thought, even if the enemy¡¯s human, killing them doesn¡¯t mean a thing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Reki, how?¡±

    Urs didn¡¯t even understand her own question, but Reki still answered.

    ¡°Of course Reki wille to your rescue, Ur, because I¡¯m the older sister!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only a year older than me¡­¡±

    Naturally, she answered that.

    ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still your older sister!¡±

    It was a reenactment of a conversation they once had, and the two couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.

    ¡°¡­Reki, thank you, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright¡­¡±

    Then, the two embraced each other, with tears welling in their eyes.

    Urs could clearly feel her warmth¡ªit proved that Reki was neither an illusion, or an undead.

    In the truest sense of the word, Reki had been resurrected.

    ¡°But how¡­ aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead?¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Reki¡¯s dead?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    Apparently, the miracle of the resurrection was unbeknownst to the person herself. Reki¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°No way! Reki isn¡¯t dead! She¡¯s just asleep, like Sleeping Beauty!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yep! After all, I can hear the voices of Priest Kuroe and you!¡±

    The testimony reminded Urs of the uninteresting log documentary she had once read in Priest Niki¡¯s library before she arrived to the Pandora Continent.

    In it, a man who had been poisoned and fell into aa for three days and nights reported having heard the conversations of his family, friends, doctors, and the priests around him. The entry itself was written after the man had regained consciousness. Therefore, it should be possible for someone who was seemingly in aa to retain consciousness.

    But rather thana, Reki wasn¡¯t even breathing or had any pulse at the time. There was a big difference betweena and death¡ªnevertheless, from Reki¡¯s words, Urs was convinced that she was in a simr state with the poisoned man.

    ¡°Hence why, I already know that Priest Kuroe went away. Not only that, Ur seemed all alone¡­ As I thought, Reki has to be with Ur!¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m a failure¡­ I can¡¯t do anything by myself¡­¡±

    After all, Priest Kuroe and Sister Yuri were the ones who put an end to the Gluttony Octo. As for her, far from being able to stop them from leaving, she was caught by the Inquisition and almost got executed.

    It made her aware that despite her magical power, she was still powerless in the end.

    ¡°From now on, Reki will always be with Ur no matter what, so everything¡¯ll be alright!¡±

    Despite being covered in blood, Reki said so with a smile.

    ¡°But¡­ What do we do from here?¡±

    ¡°You should think about it from now on, Ur!¡±

    Dozens of hooded people with ymores had already surrounded them by that point. Amongst them, there was also a magician wielding a white, long cane. The force was too much to be fended off by two children.

    Since one of theirpanions had been killed, it was only natural. The reason why they didn¡¯t utter their resentment and instead resorted to the offense must¡¯ve been because they were wary of Reki¡¯s power. Especially after that vivid disy of beheading.

    Reki poised her sword to protect Urs, while the hooded figures encircled them.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ W-what have you done¡­?¡±

    The trashed female inquisitor broke the tense silence. Like a zombie, she stood up in aghast, hiding her broken nose and crumbling front teeth with the hem of her robe.

    ¡°Hurry, hurry up and kill those heathens!¡±

    The hooded figures silently carried out the order of the furious female inquisitor. At the tip of the raised staff, a blinding light began to spread. At the same time, the vanguards marched forward.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have no choice but to break through and escape.¡±

    ¡°Reki thinks the same, too! Now, Ur, let me help you!¡±

    As soon as Urs held out her bound wrists, Reki¡¯s ymore shed. In no time at all, Reki had freed her best friends from her shackles.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eliminate the fanatics¡ªWhite Yaksha Princess: Anastasia!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ªGo, Fire¡ª!¡±

    It was supposed to be the beginning of an impressive brawl where swordsmanship and magic shed against each other¡ª

    ¡°¡ªFire!¡±

    But suddenly, there was a scream.

    And that scream was enough to stir the crowd, who had no choice but to remain as silent spectators.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fire! Fire! Everyone, run!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way! After all, we¡¯re in an open voice!¡±

    Such a suspicious voice flew, only to be met with an explosion.

    The white carriage that was parked behind the furious inquisitors suddenly exploded, and everyone saw it went up in mes.

    As if hit by a high-level fire spell, the white carriage, emzoned with the church¡¯s cross, was engulfed in mes. Due to the scorching heat and the booming noise, the four horses tethered to the carriage instantly fell into a state of panic.

    Then, the horses began to go berserk. That was right, they ran wild despite the fact that the burned carriage was still attached to them. In front of the main gate overflowing with people.

    ¡°Uwaaaaah¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hey, quick, run! Enter the castle right away!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing!? Move! This way!¡±

    As if they hadpletely forgotten of the Inquisition, people began to move in unison to avoid the zing crisis. The destination was the castle¡¯s main gate. Waves of people, as instinctive as the horses, surged into the invible pandemonium¡ªwhere the Inquisition was about to execute Reki and Urs in the name of God.

    With the force of an avnche, it indiscriminately swallowed everyone.

    ¡°Y-you idiot! Move out of the way! We¡¯re about to kill the heathens¡ª¡±

    The voice of the female inquisitor, who was madly shouting something, was drowned up by the crowds of people who ran away in fear. The same went for the hooded figures, because countless people suddenly barged into the battlefield, they could no longer attack.

    ¡°Reki, now!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The crowd of people was to their advantage. Reki and Urs ran hand-in-hand. Amidst the chaos, not even the inquisition could pursue them.

    The two children somehow managed to reach the castle despite the overpacked crowd.

    After passing through the entrance and entering a suitable passageway, they temporarily stopped.

    ¡°Reki, Urs.¡±

    But when the two were about to exhale in relief, a voice suddenly called out to them.

    ¡°M-Mayor Randolph¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Vige Chief, it¡¯s been a while!¡±

    Randolph appeared and greeted the two with a friendly smile.

    ¡°For the time being, I¡¯m d that the two of you are safe. However, the uproar will soon subside, and the Inquisition will be on the lookout. Now¡¯s the time to escape.¡±

    Of course, they had intended to do so from the beginning. However, they didn¡¯t quite expect such words from Mayor Randolph, of all people.

    ¡°There¡¯re horses in the back. If I recall correctly, you¡¯re able to ride a horse, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you go that far for us?¡±

    In contrast to Reki, who was truly d, Urs stared distrustfully at the smiling Randolph.

    ¡°Because of my loyalty and conscience. After all, the two of you have risked your lives to fight for the vige. It¡¯s only natural for me to repay that debt.¡±

    ¡°But if it¡¯s only for that, one wouldn¡¯t usually go to such lengths¡­¡±

    ¡°Did Urs see it? As expected, you¡¯re truly sharp.¡±

    The moment Randolph showed up, she became convinced¡ª

    ¡ªthe carriage didn¡¯t identally burst out in mes.

    Instead, it was an arson.

    ¡°I heard that Mayor Randolph used to be a gang leader and was a master of arson.¡±

    ¡°How embarrassing. It¡¯s an ancient tale. Also, because it¡¯s been so long, I made a mistake. I didn¡¯t expect the fire to be that big¡­¡±

    Randolph, with a trouble, yet kind smirk, looked the same like always. Appearance-wise, he seemed like an ordinary, middle-aged man with a somewhat undependable atmosphere.

    From eavesdropping on a conversation between Priest Niki and the former vige chief regarding Randolph¡¯s past, but until that point, she found it difficult to believe.

    ¡°Well, like I said, it¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯ve since washed my hands off it. Even so, I¡¯m still the same silly gangster¡ªwho risks his life for his silly pride. For someone like me, I think your hard work is a debt worth paying, even if it means risking my life¡­ Since I made a bunch of children fight, this is nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ by taking our sides, will the vigers be safe?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, my skill hasn¡¯t dulled that much? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be found out. The truth is, it¡¯d be best if we can shelter you like we did with Priest Kuroe, but now that the vige has perished, it¡¯s very much not possible¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it seems that you two have no choice but to run away.¡±

    The best possible solution for the vige would be to hand them over to the Inquisition.

    After all, being used of letting a heretic escape wouldn¡¯t bode well for the vige.

    But apparently, despite the huge gamble he had taken, Randolph had no intention of resenting them.

    ¡°I was going to chase after Priest Kuroe from the beginning, anyway! So, there¡¯s no problem!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that the thought never urred to her, but the way Reki stated it as if it was the most natural thing in the world threw Urs off the loop.

    Painfully aware of her own powerlessness, Urs tried to not even imagine that possibility.

    If she met Kuroe once again, would he wee her with a smile? She was unsure. At the same time, the notion of being rejected by him was more frightening than anything else.

    ¡°Reki isn¡¯t going to give up on Priest Kuroe! Now that he has escaped, I¡¯ll chase after him, even if it means going to Mars!¡±

    ¡°¡­B-but.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Priest Kuroe could only have gone to the demon country.¡±

    They were currently in the territory of the Sinir Republic¡ªin other words, thend of Alsace, at the very edge of the Inquisition¡¯s reach. From here, they only needed to cross the mountain toplete their escape.

    It was definitely a simple yet effective method, just like how some cunning thieves would camp near the border.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go to the East!¡±

    ¡°But Sparda is on the West side? Ah, yes, Reki, let me tell you something¡ªabout the reason why you got revived.¡± (Randolph)

    Urs was probably more intrigued about the reason than even Reki. After all, Reki didn¡¯t seem to realize that she had been dead.

    ¡°I had a long-standing rtionship with Priest Niki, and when I took you in, he told me a story. You may be of royal descent from Barbados.¡± (Randolph)

    ¡°Royalty?¡±

    Reki didn¡¯t seem to grasp the meaning at all. Regardless, Randolph went on.

    ¡°Both Priest Niki and I thought that it was just a possibility¡ªheck, a baseless rumor, even. But¡­ with your resurrection, I¡¯ve be convinced. Beowulf¡ªthe savage king of Barbados, once got defeated by the White Hero, Abel. However, there existed a famous legend about how he¡¯d onlye back to life and continue to fight. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s said that an immortal beast in the form of a wolf resides in his body. Therefore, I¡¯m sure that Reki possesses the same power.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t understand at all.¡±

    While Reki stayed befuddled, Urs was convinced of it.

    ¡°Even if she were to lose her life, Reki had the ability to revive herself. Of course, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be able to revive herself next time, so do be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t be careless anymore! Well, maybe!¡±

    ¡°You should depart. If you turn right at the end of this passage, you can immediately get out from the back.¡±

    As she listened, Urs pictured the internal structure of the castle she had be ustomed to in the past few days. As Randolph said, there was a door to the back if they were to turn right. Since the post-processing of the war was still going on, the Western Gate should be left open.

    Therefore, once they locate the horse, they should be able to leave right away, without anything to stop them.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Vige Chief Randolph!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t thank me. May God watch over the two of you¡ªalthough that¡¯s no longer necessary. As it is, you should be able to attain your wishes with your own strength.¡±

    Then, as they held hands, Reki and Urs took a step forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Reki, to Priest Kuroe.¡±

    ¡°Yes! No matter where he goes, we shall pursue him!¡±

    The two girls¡ªwho were once referred to as Barbados, Ibrahim, heathens, second-ss divines¡ªembarked on a journey towards the wide, wide world with no strings attached.

 Chapter 518

    <h4>Chapter 518</h4>

    518 The Dawn Moon of the Avalon

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m already in the South 3rd Avenue, and now I have to exit to Blossom Street¡­¡±

    In the wintry scenery, where the white townscape became even more so due to the falling snow, I wandered around the demon town with a map in hand.

    Well, sorry for not having a good sense of direction. Not only that, I didn¡¯t trust my ability to read a map. I could only wander without getting lost in a dingy slum near the orphanage where I grew up.

    Even in the castle town of Helvetia, where I¡¯d remained for several years, I still hadn¡¯t fully memorized the ce. It was hopeless for me. Frankly speaking, it¡¯d be a miracle if I manage to reach South 3rd Avenue before sunset.

    At this point, someone had to pay me for my hard work.

    Nevertheless, my destination was still some distance away.

    I had to reach my destination without letting my guard down.

    After all, I had escaped from prison.

    For I was Linfelt Aria Helvetia Bergunt¡ªalso known as the ¡°Holy Maiden of Helvetia.¡±

    During the fifth Ghad War, I was taken prisoner by the enemy.

    However, a mysterious masked man appeared, and ordered me to go into hiding. I, Lin, dutifully adhered, and headed for the ¡°Saint Julia Monastery¡± he¡¯d mentioned earlier.

    At first, I had wanted to regroup with the Crusaders, but how was I supposed to leave the Ghad Fortress? Even if I managed to, it wasn¡¯t as if I could conceal myself and traverse through the snowy mountains in the middle of winter. As such, there was no way for me to reach the main camp.

    After I had escaped, I snuck into a dragon carriage full of injured soldiers, and was sent straight to Sparda. I couldn¡¯t even afford to return to Ghad Fortress¡­

    For the time being, I tried to hide in Spada¡ªthe capital of the enemy country, to prepare and gather intel. However, at the dawn of the fateful Holy Night, news of the glorious victory of Spada, along with the defeat of the Crusaders resounded in the city.

    ¡­As a result, my prospect for returning to the Crusader became all the more hopeless.

    On top of that, the general¡ªCount Bergunt, was also killed. Even if I returned, peace wasn¡¯t an option.

    Then why should I return¡­?

    Thus, I decided to abandon my pointlessly long aristocratic name, and returned to just being ¡°Lin.¡±

    Now that I had nowhere to go, I had no choice but to try and head straight for Avalon. Since I had nowhere else to go, I decided to give that monastery a go. I knew it was suspicious, but¡­

    ¡­After living in Spada for a few days, I realized that even though they were demons, they were living a healthy and civilized life simr to us humans. When the preparations were done, I boarded a dragon carriage bound for Avalon.

    For a few days, the trip was uneventful, while the snowy path expanded endlessly.

    ¡ªAtst, I arrived at the magnificent city of Avalon, encased by great white walls¡ª

    ¡°¡ªUgh! That¡¯s it!¡±

    ¡­And magnificently got lost.

    I¡¯m so stupid¡­

    However, even if I were to scream in despair, no one woulde for me. After all, my life until that point had been a series of unfortunate events, as if God had a personal grudge on me. Well, there was also the fact that I was donning a covert robe that hid my shabby appearance, so even if I cried, no one would notice.

    ¡­As I thought, I could only rely on myself.

    I decided to calm down and reconsider my n.

    Ever since I first arrived in Avalon, about two or three hours had passed. By the way, I also had a slightly expensive lunch. Perhaps, it was about time to give up the search for the day, and look for an inn.

    Fortunately, on the street I was on, I could see various signs that indicated the inns. Since it was the main street, it was crowded. Staying at the nearby inn probably wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. Although, it probably wouldn¡¯t be high-end. Moreover, if I had stayed overnight, they probably would take it kindly if I were to ask for directions afterwards¡­

    Alright, it wasn¡¯t like I was in a rush. Let¡¯s take a good night¡¯s rest and refresh my body and mind before I resume the search! Tomorrow, I¡¯ll do my best!

    Upon deciding that, I decided to go to a suitable inn. Of course, one that was also pristine-looking so that I could rest. Thus, I started walking amidst the crowd¡ª

    ¡°¡ªUwaah!¡±

    ¡°Kyaa¡ª! Hey, it hurts!?¡±

    I stumbled upon someone, and toppled over. Soon, Inded on the snowy cobbled ground.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry, Miss¡­ Are you alright?¡±

    An innocent voice came from above.

    I instantly looked up¡ª

    What¡¯s this bastard¡¯s prob¡ª

    ¡ªHey, it¡¯s a handsome guy!

    His long, silver hair was reminiscent of a pure white snowfield. But contrasting to his hair, was his brown skin. As for his eyes, they were sky-blue. Upon looking at his smile, I had a change of heart.

    ¡°Can you stand? You don¡¯t seem to be hurt.¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Don¡¯t you dare touch me, you Ibrahim!¡±

    While his handsomeness bedazzled me, I also didn¡¯t fail to realize that those were the traits of the Ibrahim people. I¡¯d seen quite a few of them amongst the heretics I¡¯d defeated.

    As if I¡¯d let such a guy pull my hand, hold my waist, and help me stand.

    ¡°Haha, that doesn¡¯t seem good. Well, sorry for worrying about you. Also, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t have the slightest idea.¡±

    ¡­I was annoyed by the cool smile of the Ibrahim man, which reminded me of a certain countryman from somewhere. But like he said, there was no way an Ibrahim man could be found in such a ce.

    Whether it was Spada or Avalon, there were humans with different hair colors, eye colors, and skin tones. To begin with, there were many races other than humans.

    It was an unimaginableposition of poption for Sinir, but after a few days, I got used to it.

    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t strange that there were races that had the exact same characteristics as the Ibrahim.

    ¡°N, never mind, then!¡±

    Uh-oh. If I blurted something outrageous, then he might suspect me. I hadn¡¯t heard any information about the knights looking for me, or that I had a bounty on my head. Nevertheless, they might be looking for me. I need to be careful not to arouse suspicion.

    ¡°Is that so? Then, don¡¯t walk aimlessly in such a crowd. Next time, getting hurt might be the least of your worries?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I don¡¯t need your help.¡±

    ¡°Haha, okay then. See you, Miss. There¡¯re a lot of bad guys in Avalon, so be careful!¡±

    Leaving such selfish words, the fake Ibrahim man disappeared into the crowd, rocking his pure white robe.

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know anymore¡­¡±

    This time, I merely had the misfortune of bumping into a handsome man. If I had been in a back alley, or in the slums, would I be molested by some pervert? Or be pickpocketed?

    ¡ªWait.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s gone.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I searched the pocket of my robe again.

    I couldn¡¯t find it¡ªI couldn¡¯t find my purse.

    ¡°No, wait, just wait, no¡­ please no, dear God¡ª¡±

    No matter how many times I checked, it was gone. The purse, full of gold coins I received from the masked man, was gone.

    Ah, what a blunder, even though I was raised in the slums.

    Since I¡¯d been experiencing thevish life of a youngdy with a butler, I utterly disregarded it. I neglected even the basic things that even rural tourists who came to Elysion knew. I shouldn¡¯t have kept money in my pocket, and instead scattered it throughout my body!

    Due to my current lifestyle, I only had to remain vignt on the battlefield. After all, I¡¯d be served by Sebas and other servants on a daily basis.

    How regrettable!

    ¡°W-w-what should I do!?¡±

    I could no longer find that fake Ibrahim, whose crime was so great, not even the me of Hell could purify him. At least, not in this kind of crowd. Even if I had noticed, the moment the purse fell into his grasp, he¡¯d probably deceive me and escape.

    Ugh, damn!

    Apparently, from the moment he touched me, it was already my loss.

    There was nothing I could do about it now. Now that I had run out of money, I had to think about my next course of action.

    ¡°Say goodbye to the inn, I guess¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t even have a single copper coin to spare. As such, it was unlikely for me to use even the dingiest room, let alone a neat inn. For someone who had neither money nor rtives to spend the night in the city¡­

    Yeah, impossible¡ªabsolutely impossible.

    Even during my time in the orphanage, I was granted a bed. I had never spent the night outside, much else in the middle of winter.

    Sure, ¡°Sanctuary¡± shielded its wearer from the cold, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about freezing to death. But what of the fluffiness of the bed? What¡¯d remain of my dignity and pride if I were to be forced to spend the night on a roadside!? Even if I was no longer a count¡¯s daughter, I couldn¡¯t simply handle such an environment!?

    Wait, it¡¯d be another hour or two before the sun went down.

    Until then, I had to secure a bed and a roof¡ªat any cost!

    ¡°¡ªI have to go to the monastery.¡±

    Thus, I resumed my search for a monastery with all my life.

    After that, I wondered how long I roamed around the unfamiliar city of Avalon. Starting with the main street, I passed through the dirty back alley that was familiar to me, and even stepped into an abnormally secluded corner. Honestly, I was expecting an undead to jump out at me.

    When the sun finally set, and I was bleakly wandering around like a ghost, relying on the light of themp¡ª

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s there, the St. Julia Monastery!¡±

    Atst, I found it.

    I didn¡¯t know where or how I got there, but in front of me, was the somewhat nostalgic, crucifix church-style building with a huge signboard that read, ¡°St. Julia¡¯s Monastery.¡±

    Well, I sure hope that wasn¡¯t just an illusion that I saw before my death. With that in mind, I banged on the door of the chapel-like building and shouted.

    ¡°Excuse me! Bestow some mercy upon this lostmb!¡±

    Did God perhaps extend a helping hand?

    ¡°To who am I speaking?¡±

    The second handsome man of the day emerged from behind the door. He was a priest with a solemn atmosphere.

    Neatly trimmed, bright brown hair. For some reason, his eyes were closed, so I didn¡¯t know his eye color. Despite that, hiseliness was obvious.

    ¡°Well, well, you seem to be very exhausted, both physically and mentally. Let¡¯s not waste our time talking. Come in, Miss.¡±

    Hey, hey, even in Elysion, there was no such divine-like priest. While thanking the priest of Avalon, who seemed to be full ofpassion, I stepped inside the house of God.

    Just like the outside, I could tell that the inside was simr to the church of the Crusader. Even if I was like this, I still had the qualifications to be a regr sister.

    Then, I was led through what seemed to be a lounge. I saw long tables and chairs where children could eat side by side there.

    ¡­Yeah, this atmosphere reminds me of the orphanage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some tea, so please wait here for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Ah, alright, thank you very much.¡±

    On the table where I was sitting, the priest ced amp. Empty-handed, he casually strode down the pitch-ck corridor.

    ¡°¡­Could it be, he¡¯s blind?¡±

    After all, his eyes were shut the whole time. Not only that, he also didn¡¯t seem to require light. That was enough evidence to suggest his blindness, but how could he move so freely without a cane?

    Well, right now, I can¡¯t afford to worry about others. Perhaps, the Knights of the Avalon had been notified by now.

    However, even if the gant knights were to storm this ce, I wouldn¡¯t have the energy to resist. I was so tired, and also penniless, so I didn¡¯t care anymore.

    ¡°I apologize for making you wait.¡±

    True to his words, the priest brewed some tea and returned.

    After wandering through the freezing winter city, the warmness of the tea permeated my body. The taste was so-so, so it was edible, I guess¡­

    My tongue, which had been pampered by the life of ady, only had harsh evaluations. Nevertheless, thanks to the much-needed break, my tattered heart was eased.

    ¡°First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Emile, and I¡¯m a humble priest of the St. Julia Monastery.¡±

    He introduced himself.

    Thus, I introduced myself in return.

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m¡­ Lin, erm¡­¡±

    As the spearhead of the Crusaders, I came to invade the Pandora continent¡ª

    ¡ªyeah, there was no way I could reveal that.

    ¡°Pfft, is something ailing you? Rest assured, for anyone who knocks on the gate of this monastery will be epted. It seems that despite your age, you¡¯re still a child at heart. It¡¯s part of my duty as a priest to lend a helping hand to someone like you.¡±

    ¡°Eh, uhm, is it okay? I mean, don¡¯t you want to know more¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to tell me anything.¡±

    Wow, what a wonderful being he is¡­

    ¡­He was so priestly. Wait, he was a priest, though. I wished that the Sinir priests had acted a bit like this man¡­

    For the time being, I¡¯d like him to shelter me. However, since I didn¡¯t have money, I¡¯d have to plead earnestly. If that didn¡¯t work, I¡¯d make my debut as a street urchin at the age of 17.

    ¡ªAs if I¡¯ll let that happen!

    ¡°Actually, I have a bit of¡ªor, rather, a lot of circumstances¡­ Uhm, I have neither rtives nor a ce to go¡­ Even the modest amount of money I had was stolen by a wicked Ibra¡ªI was pickpocketed, basically.¡±

    The priest nodded at my tearful yet vague exnation.

    ¡°A certain individual told me of this monastery. He said that I¡¯d be safe here, as such, I have no choice but to believe his words¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I see. It seems that you¡¯ve gone through a lot. Even so, I¡¯m grateful to God that you were able to safely reach this ce, and that we¡¯re able to meet.¡±

    Perhaps because he was the priest of the Crusader, he made the sign of the cross with fluid motion.

    The sign of the cross itself was the famous yet basic prayer gesture known to any rural believer in the Crusader. It¡¯d be coupled with a word of prayer, ¡°May you reach Heaven.¡±

    Also, there were many subtle variations. I heard that an archpriest could purify the undead with just that gesture. Of course, there was no way I¡ªa sister, could do that.

    ¡°St. Julia Monastery wees you, Ms. Lin. While we may be of humble origin, I can at least provide food, clothing, and shelter. I hope that you can spend your time here in peace.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Is that really alright!? Thank you!¡±

    That¡¯s basically a promise.

    Even if he were to change his mindter, I wouldn¡¯t budge. I¡¯d stay, even if it meant using Sanctuary!

    ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you¡ª!¡±

    I firmly shook hands with the priest, akin to a merchant who¡¯d just signed a huge contract.

    Yay, now my future is bright~

    ¡°Oh, and if you don¡¯t mind, I want to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you know the name of the benefactor who saved you?¡±

    ¡°His name was Ex. I only know that he¡¯s a young man, though. Even the name seems to be a pseudonym, while the man himself concealed his face with a mask. As such, I didn¡¯t even know what kind of person he was. Uhm, are you acquainted with him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s an old acquaintance of mine.¡±

    Just as the priest started gushing about the mysterious masked man¡ª

    ¡°¡ªHey, we¡¯re back, Father!¡±

    A cheerful voice echoed from the entrance to the lounge.

    ¡°Pardon me, it seems that one of the residents here has returned.¡±

    I could already hear the sound of footsteps approaching the end of the corridor.

    ¡°Listen, Father. Today, on the street, I saw a woman who looks exactly like Lin¡ª¡±

    ¡ªThen, a handsome man barged into the lounge. I recalled seeing him from somewhere¡­

    A fine-looking man with silver hair, blue eyes, and brown skin. The perfect example of an Ibrahim¡ª

    ¡ªyeah, it¡¯s THAT guy.

    ¡°What are you doing here!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line!¡±

    ¡­No, I didn¡¯t care what he was doing here, for I had a more pressing issue.

    ¡°Give me back my money, you Ibrahim bastard!¡±

    ¡°Uwoooh! Wait, seriously¡ª¡±

    Don¡¯t think you can escape from this raging Helvetian Holy Maiden, you pickpocketing bastard¡ª!

    ¡°As if I¡¯ll let you¡ªSanctuary!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this!? Uwaaaah¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s happening here? Have you met with each other? Surely, this is preordained by God¡­¡±

    Anyway, even in St. Julia, I wasn¡¯t spared from troubles. The gentle and kind priest, Emile; the Ibrahim pickpocket, and other strange individuals were gathered at the God¡¯s house amidst thend of the demons.

    ¡­Aah, may God bless me from now on.

    At the time when the dawn moon was about to end, a small party was held in the capital of Avalon.

    Gathered there were several nobles who didn¡¯t hail from Avalon. Only a single butler and the bare minimum of escorts could be seen. The location itself was at a small mansion at the outskirts of the aristocratic district.

    In the quiet party, as if they¡¯d forgotten their mor as aristocrats, on the balcony overlooking the deste garden, a man and a woman were enjoying the night breeze.

    ¡°I, is that true, Lord Wissendorf¡ª!?¡±

    A baby-faced woman eximed. She wore a striking red dress, reminiscent of bright red roses. Nevertheless, the elegance of the girl named Christina didn¡¯t pale inparison. Mainly because of her huge blonde ringlet.

    Her full name was Christina Damp Spiralhorn. She was the daughter of Baron Christophe, who reigned over the territory with thergest mithril mine in Avalon. However, since Christina had be a full-fledged knight, she no longer required her father¡¯s escorts. Thanks to her parents¡¯ patronage, she safely graduated from the Imperial Academy.

    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s true. It¡¯s already been decided, Christina.¡±

    The other party was a skinny man donning a ck coat. From his pointed ears, one could infer that he was an elf.

    His long, wavy, ck hair had vigorous luster; yet his slender face had subtle wrinkles to it. Usually, the man¡¯s golden eyes would gleam as he exuded an overwhelming majestic air. As of the present, he seemed to be weathered down from age.

    He was Margrave Wissendorf. The Wissendorf territory, which was located at the Northern end of the Avalon, had inherited the rank of margrave ever since he managed to defend the borders from the vicious harpies that nested in the Asbel Mountains.

    Of course, from now on, there wouldn¡¯t be any such fierce battles. Ever since a modern nation¡ª¡°Windom¡±¡ªwas established, based on the barbaric Harpy tribes, they¡¯d made peace with Avalon, and were now on friendly terms with the townspeople.

    Although the Wissendorf family lived in peace for a long time, they were still well-known throughout the Avalon as a family with a strong military background, suitable for defending the borders.

    However, the current margrave was famous for a different reason.

    ¡°But why, why¡­ Don¡¯t you like cursed armor!?¡±

    Yes, he was quite famous as a cursed armor collector.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve grown tired of them. As I get older, far from getting tired of them, I feel like I¡¯ve be more and more attached towards the alluring darkness¡­¡±

    The two had the same hobbies. They¡¯d speak about the charm of cursed armor, brag about each other¡¯s collections, and sometimes became rivalspeting at auctions.

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you sell all of your collections!?¡±

    ¡°At first, I had no intention of doing so, since I¡¯ve wagered my life for them. However, if they be too infamous, I have no choice.¡±

    ¡°N-no way¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, for the next auction, I¡¯ll put up the ¡®Tyrant¡¯s Armor: Maximillian¡¯ for sale.¡±

    Precisely because they shared the same values, Christina was shocked from the bottom of her heart. Her eyes went wide open, while her mouth stayed agape. However, her idiotic visage was half-concealed by the fan she draped over her face.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ The ultimate cursed armor¡­¡±

    It was the margrave¡¯s most prized possession.

    Once upon a time, before the founding of Avalon, the armor was worn by a king who ruled thatnd in the dark ages. Due to having such a history, it was an authentic first-ss antique. More importantly, it was a cursed armor with a tremendous grudge. Even the Temple of Pandora gave up, since modern magic technology did nothing to lift the curse.

    ¡°Most likely, that greedy skeleton will win the bid. He¡¯s been obsessively aiming for my beloved Maximillian for a long time.¡±

    ¡°You and Lord Mordred of Sparda never change. Do you really intend to yield the armor to such a person?¡±

    ¡°While that skeleton is indeed an unprincipled fellow who collects all sorts of cursed items, he has tenacity and wealth¡ªand above all, a discerning eye.¡±

    The chairman¡ªMordred of Sparda¡ªwas one of the famous collectors, just like Margrave Wissendorf of Avalon. Perhaps because he came from an undead race called a lich, he had a keener eye than Wissendorf, an elf. Furthermore, due to his affinity with the darkness, he could even wield the cursed equipment himself.

    For Wissendorf, who was bewitched by the allure of cursed armor, Mordred¡¯s abilities were enviable.

    ¡°I¡¯m reluctant to admit this, but if it¡¯s him, I believe my cursed armor will be in good hands.¡±

    The muttering of the margrave vanished into the winter air, apanied by a hollowness that was akin to a deration of defeat.

    ¡°But still, I don¡¯t understand. What could¡¯ve possibly made you decide to part with the Tyrant¡¯s Armor?¡±

    Indeed.

    She had yet heard of the reason why the margrave had decided to be rid of his most valuable treasure. Unless that was made clear, there was no way for her to be convinced.

    ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s been some suspicious activities in Avalontely?¡±

    The margrave scanned his surroundings before continuing.

    ¡°Suspicious activities¡­? I don¡¯t have the slightest clue¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmph, just like your father, you seem to be ignorant of court affairs.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a knight. Besides, when ites to my family, we¡¯d just be satisfied if we had a mine and a workshop just like any typical dwarf.¡±

    ¡°While I think it¡¯s a virtue to not be overly ambitious, it¡¯s better to devote a little attention to what¡¯s brewing in the Avalon.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you implying?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t share the details, yet. However, there appears to be a conspiracy amongst the Twelve Nobles.¡±

    In most countries, there were influential nobles other than the royal family, such as the four great nobles of Sparda. Since the founding of Avalon, the twelve ancient ns had been widely known as the Twelve Nobles.

    While it applied to any country, powerful nobles treated each other like rivals rather thanrades. Even in the past history¡ªonly half a thousand years ago, there were countless examples of quarrels between nobles developing into war.

    Furthermore, the Twelve Aristocrats of Avalon alsopeted with each other for territories, interest, and government.

    ¡°The ringleader seems to be Sir Arkwright. I don¡¯t know what kind of secret deal had transpired, but Sir Azrael and Sir Dcroix seemed to have expressed their support.¡±

    ¡°What, those three families¡­? Somehow, it¡¯s difficult to believe¡­¡±

    Among the Twelve Nobles, Duke Arkwright, Duke Azrael, and Duke Dcroix were known as the Three Families because even now, they were deeply involved in Avalon¡¯s national affairs. The only reason why margrave was treated differently was because he had the highest rank. Not to mention, he had blood ties with the Avalon royal family.

    ¡°Although the three were mocked, if they do unite in an attempt to achieve something¡­¡±

    ¡°Even His Majesty the King may not be able to stop it.¡±

    With a somber expression, the margrave nodded. From the atmosphere, it was apparent that he wasn¡¯t simply gossiping.

    ¡°Anymore than this is just my personal spection, so let¡¯s not talk about it. But do remember, the sense of crisis that I felt was enough to drive me to part with Maximillian. Christina, I think of you as a good friend and a rarepanion. Even if you¡¯re selfish, I always think of you as cute.¡±

    ¡°Ohohoho, that¡¯s discourteous to me.¡±

    ¡°No, you have a unique sense and talent, to the extent that you can wield cursed equipment. If I was 70 years younger, I¡¯d have recruited you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a pity I, myself, haven¡¯t met a gentleman as wonderful as Sir Wissendorf yet.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve be a smooth talker. Unlike when we first met, you¡¯ve grown into a fine woman. For that reason, I¡¯d like to give you some advice¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m unworthy of your consideration.¡±

    He never outright implied it, but she had an inkling as to what kind of ¡°crisis¡± the margrave was referring to.

    Apparently, the three families were conspiring against those who possessed cursed armor.

    ¡°¡­Certainly, while we can¡¯t exactly share our hobbies openly, it shouldn¡¯t be a punishable crime.¡±

    ¡°Then, l guess someone who¡¯d like to prohibit it has appeared. Lastly, let me warn you¡ª¡±

    The margrave turned on his heels, and faced the venue, dazzled with warm light.

    ¡°¡ªBeware of the St. Julia Monastery.¡±

    Hisst line lingered in Christina¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 519

    <h4>Chapter 519</h4>

    519 Imperial Academy

    ¡°Fumu, I think it¡¯s about time.¡±

    On the 31st, when the Dawn Moon would end. At the royal castle of Avalon¡ªa shrine maiden in charge of the ¡°Fire Shrine¡±, Bellusen remarked while slipping inside the kotatsu.

    ¡°Huh, what are you talking about?¡±

    Despite being in the kotatsu room, a blissful rxing ce, the princess donning a priestess outfit¡ªNell Julius Elrod, maintained a dignified appearance. Her hair, tied in a sacred ponytail, seemed more majestic than usual. However, when she tilted her head and asked, she had the loveliness of a maiden. Moreover, her cheeks were both pale and voluptuous.

    After a moderate exercise, Nell felt somewhat refreshed.

    Day by day, the training of the two became harsher. But it seemed that Bellusen¡ªher master, was exhausted. At a nce, it could be seen that the two had just finished working out. Nell stood in a rxed manner, while Bellusen huddled like a cat under the kotatsu.

    ¡°Go back to school, Nell. You can¡¯t just stay cooped up here and practice all the time.¡±

    At first, Nell had no clue what she was referring to. However, she soon recalled that she hadn¡¯t yet graduated.

    She reminisced to her days in Spada.

    ¡°¡­B-but, I can no longer return to the seminary.¡±

    In the first ce, she returned to her hometown of Avalon due to her father¡¯s directmand. Due to the outbreak of the Fifth Ghad War, she had to postpone her study at the Royal Spada Academy. Even though the war concluded with Spada¡¯s victory, the situation remained unpredictable.

    ¡°To begin with, you¡¯re a student of the imperial academy. You need to go back to school.¡±

    Every day, it did ur to Nell to return to Spada. To be honest, she¡¯d almost forgotten the fact that she used to attend the prestigious Avalon Imperial Academy¡ªa ce worthy of royalty. However, when it was pointed out to her, she couldn¡¯t help but agree.

    ¡°Despite so, I still have more training to do.¡±

    ¡°As I said before, I can only teach you the basics of ancient jujutsu. Now that you¡¯ve mastered the three rituals, I have nothing else to teach you. All that¡¯s left is for you to test your mettle in an actual battlefield and hone your skill.¡±

    Unexpectedly, as Bellusen reached for the small orange atop the kotatsu, she also handed Nell a license. Quite frankly, Nell couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªbut Bellusen didn¡¯t seem to be joking, either. After living together for the past month, she could gather at least that much.

    ¡°Avalon has many dungeons suitable for training. Also, while you¡¯re at it, why don¡¯t you delve a little deeper and get some present for your crush?¡±

    ¡°I see! You have a point! I¡¯m going back to school!¡±

    Like a horse with carrot dangling in front of her, Nell was full of enthusiasm. At that moment, Bellusen showed her an unnerving smile.

    ¡°Uhm, Nell? I¡¯m sending you back to school not jus t for training. Besides strength, are you aware of what you¡¯recking right now?¡±

    ¡°U, uh¡­ Cooking skill, or something?¡±

    Even after a month of training, her cooking skills showed no sign of improvement.

    However, that didn¡¯t seem to be what Bellusen was implying.

    ¡°You¡¯re a maiden in love. But at the same time, you¡¯re also a princess of a country. Since ancient times, there¡¯re those who insisted on equality, nevertheless, there are things that you can¡¯t change no matter what. Such as race, gender, talent, and status.¡±

    Nell wasn¡¯t so dense that she couldn¡¯t understand the implications.

    Now that she¡¯d recovered mentally through her training with Bellusen, she could ept thoe words. Or perhaps, that was the true purpose all along.

    ¡°Haha¡­ So, by returning to the academy, you¡¯re telling me to go back to the society as whole.¡±

    To Nell, who smiled self-deprecatingly, Bellusen smiled in satisfaction, like a teacher witnessing her student figuring the perfect answer all by herself.

    ¡°Correct. Well, as long as you¡¯re aware of that, it should be enough.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Her master hadn¡¯t only mended her heart, but also strengthened her physique in more ways that none. Somewhat bashfully, Nell thanked Bellusen.

    ¡°But keep in mind that this is also necessary for a sessful romantic rtionship. People tend to think that love is a matter between two people, but if you don¡¯t pay attention to yourself, the other person, and those around you, your love will be hindered in unexpected ces.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, as in, a love rival, or something¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also the biggest hurdle, but because you¡¯re chasing after the same thing, the solution is simple. You should be careful of rtives and friends who don¡¯t support your love. Or perhaps, the difference in status itself.¡±

    After all, in the way of love, she wouldn¡¯t just be dealing with love rivals.

    For example, let¡¯s say there was Friend A who was very close to Heroine N. N fell in love with a man named K who went to the same school, but K was a notorious delinquent. A, who¡¯d been entangled with K in the past, naturally couldn¡¯t bless N¡¯s love¡ª

    ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Even if you aren¡¯t in a romantic rtionship, there are plenty of issues. A minor issue might cost you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡±

    Knowing that Bellusen only had good intentions, Nell couldn¡¯t be annoyed with her. She felt bad for burdening her. Even so, since Bellcausen did it for her, it was difficult to reject her.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re unfamiliar with this topic, you should be able to think of one or two examples about romance involving status gap.¡±

    In the world with a wide range of social statuses; from royalty to ves, there were as many stories of love or tragic love that transcended the difference in status as there were stars. In fact, there were many famous works that depicted status gap, including that of children fairy tales.

    ¡°Go back to school and learn how to fight. If you somehow get more airheaded than this, it¡¯d be a shame. Hahaha¡­¡±

    In response to Bellusen¡¯s carefreeugh, Nell bowed deeply and thanked her again.

    Thus, for the first time in several years, Nell put on the venerable sailor uniform of the Avalon Imperial Academy that¡¯d been around since ancient times.

    ***

    Avalon Imperial Academy.

    Its origins dated back to ancient times. The legendary Demon King¡ªMia Elrod, also attended that school. As such, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to consider it as the most famous and legendary school on the Pandora continent.

    However, the academy itself was discontinued once during the dark ages. But, at the same time as the founding of Avalon, the name of the imperial academy was engraved in history. Not only was it closely tied to the history of Avalon, it¡¯d also produced many great men; such as a generation of kings, heroes who saved the country, innovative politicians. Even now, it maintained a respectable position as the legendary school where the Demon King attended.

    At the same time, there existed special rules in Avalon Imperial Academy that otherwise didn¡¯t exist in other schools.

    It was the student autonomy.

    Under normal circumstances, it¡¯d be impossible for a student to be entrusted with discretion in every aspect of school life, as they had to be instructed by a teacher. If all the students were free to do as they please, could the ce even be called a school? But in this academy, the students were deeply involved in the school management.

    With the school student council as the head of the organization, the students were responsible for everything. Be it billing and distribution of annual budgets, various events such as school festivals, outdoor exercises, field trips, along with ss assignments and crackdowns on school morals.

    After all, it was a school attended by the royals and aristocrats of Avalon. The only exception was that the students couldn¡¯t interfere with ss content or the personal affairs of teachers. Nevertheless, it still didn¡¯t erase the possibility of students using their vast connections to twist even the teacher¡¯s authority.

    At the imperial academy, such abnormal student supremacy prevailed simply because of tradition. Many books told them that the school which Mia Elrod attended at the time had such a system. Since the imperial academy was established with the aim of bing an educational institution that produced the demon king who once ruled all of Pandora, it was only natural to adopt that famous system.

    Despite being a unique system, it¡¯d persevered for a long time, and even underwent various tweaks. In the first ce, as long as the tradition was respected, once the rules were set, all that was left to do was to abide quietly. What was now required of the top student council members wasn¡¯t innovation like Mia Elrod, but the ability to memorize vast number of traditional rules.

    Nevertheless, the student council still boasted tremendous power within the academy¡ª

    ¡ªand, as for the current student council president who stood on top of the current Avalon Imperial Academy¡­

    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±

    A sorrowful sighed leaked from her cherry-colored lips.

    Lustrous silvery white bangs flowed on top of her cool, emerald, shining eyes.

    Casually brushing her bangs aside, the girl felt that her hair had grown longer. If other students were present, they¡¯d surely be enamored by her morous gesture. The absolute beauty of the student council president was simply too much to look at.

    It¡¯s dusk¡­.

    She had justpleted her paperwork. But just as she was about to leave her seat and return to the dormitory, a modest knock resounded in the quiet student council room.

    ¡°It¡¯s open, you maye in.¡±

    As if prompted by that beautiful voice, the door opened.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Celes.¡±

    What appeared was a girl whose prettiness kicked up dust on other girls who wanted to be the school¡¯s top beauty. Furthermore, her rank was much higher as well.

    However, from the simple yet sophisticated sailor uniform unique to the imperial academy, bearing a distinctive,rge cor and bright red scarf with ck ents, it could be inferred that she was also a student. She was beautiful, so much that no student wouldn¡¯t turn around, even more when she sported such a huge ponytail.

    ¡°W-wait, no way, are you Her Highness Nell!?¡±

    The pair of white wings that grew from her back revealed her identity, but the president still couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Seemingly genuinely surprised, the student council president¡ªCeles, stood up from her seat, and ran towards the beautiful schoolgirl¡ªNell Julius Elrod, the first princess of Avalon.

    ¡°Could it be, you don¡¯t recognize me due to my new hairstyle?¡±

    Nell, with her long ck hair that almost extended to her waist, coupled with her pose of holding her waist while grinning, certainly looked a lot different than thest time Celes saw her.

    ¡­It couldn¡¯t just be because she had changed her hairstyle.

    The princess, who used to embody the ideal princess; a dignified, beautiful, and pure woman, now had a maidenly charm to her. Perhaps, it was because she hade to know a man.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be so beautiful; I almost can¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Ahaha, thank you.¡±

    ¡­How many men could resist falling in love with such Nell, who smiled with a hint of bashfulness?

    At the same time, Celis didn¡¯t harbor any malice towards her. She merely felt as if she was seeing a dazzling thing. It must¡¯ve been because they were childhood friends.

    The polite Nell only ever addressed a small number of people by name. Even the circle of her childhood friends was small, with the third princess of Spada¡ªCharlotte Tristan Spada¡ªbeing the third person. As such, the closeness between Celes and Nell was apparent.

    Her full name was Celes Ann Arkwright. Celes, the first child of a great ducal family¡ªthe top among the Twelve Nobles of Avalon¡ªwas well-bnced with Nell, a member of the royal family.

    ¡°Still, Celes, you haven¡¯t changed much. No, you¡¯re still the same.¡±

    With her blue eyes, Nell studied Celes from top to bottom. If she¡¯d been an average male student, she¡¯d be writhing in embarrassment, but Celes stayed firm.

    Her limbs were slender, while she herself was half a head taller than Nell, making her of the same height as her brother, Nero. She was d in a male uniform, which was known as gakuran since the ancient times, with round gold buttons shining on jet-ck backdrop. The design itself was simple, yet sophisticated, making it an all-rounder. Above all, the gakuran was worn by the Demon King, Mia Elrod. In fact, the military uniform of the Elrod Empire at the time was based on that very gakuran, making it more than just an attire.

    Celes, who was d in such a traditional yet high-ss gakuran, was worthy of the title nobleman of Avalon. In fact, when Celes and Nero walked side by side in the hallway, the female students would swoon to the point of fainting.

    ¡°Wait, did you grow taller?¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s been a year, maybe.¡±

    Upon returning from Spada, Nell fell ill and was forced to recuperate in the royal castle for a while. Despite unable to reach her directly, be it nobles, knights, merchants, and even merchants flooded her with various sympathy gifts and letters, praying for her safety.

    That alone showed how popr Nell was as a princess of Avalon.

    Of course, the most important thing for Celes was her health. After all, Nell was the princess she served, and also her childhood friend. As such, she was terribly saddened by the news.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright now. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t the case at all. From the bottom of my heart, I¡¯m d that the princess has recovered.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, it was because my heart was fragile.¡±

    Nell¡¯s sorrowful expression alone revealed a sliver of the truth concerning her illness.

    As a princess, Nell had taken care of her health since she was young. As such, she seldom had any medical condition that prevented her from seeing anyone. Speaking of danger, she only ever got harmed while working as an adventurer.

    In other words, if the illness wasn¡¯t rted to her physique, it must be because of mental reasons.

    ¡°There¡¯re things that can¡¯t be resolved immediately. I was able to realize the obvious fact that it¡¯s important for me to do what I can do to the best of my ability. So, be rest assured.¡±

    Celes could conclude that it was the war of Spada that afflicted the merciful and kind heart of Nell. Thankfully, Nell did return. Rumor has it that her older brother, the first prince, Nero Julius Elrod, ignored the king¡¯s order and remained in the battlefield.

    Therefore, Nell must¡¯ve experienced a great shock upon realizing that only she returned. Not only that, the thought that her dear brother was in danger must¡¯ve ripped her heart.

    However, Celes didn¡¯t pursue the matter. By seeing the vigor in Nell¡¯s smile, it was clear that she had gotten back on her feet. As her best friend, knowing that was enough.

    ¡°Apparently, you¡¯ve grown stronger.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m much stronger than I was before.¡±

    Nell¡¯s strangely impable posture suggested that those words weren¡¯t just a bravado. If, at this moment, Celes was to sh at her with the saber strapped to her waist, Nell would probably parry it with ease. No, Celes¡¯ sharp intuition told her that she¡¯d be met with a savage counter.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re dependable. By any chance, Princess Nell, do you n to participate in this year¡¯s knight selection?¡±

    ¡°Knight selection¡­? It¡¯s that time already¡­? By now, shouldn¡¯t they have selected all the contestants¡­?¡±

    Official name: Avalon Imperial Knight Selection Tournament. This tournament¡ªcalled Knight Selection for short, boasted thergest scale among Avalon¡¯s school events. It was a tournament-stylepetition between the imperial academy and the knight schools in each of the North, South, East, and West of Avalon. Currently, participating schools were invited from nearby city-states, and the scale of the tournament had grown considerably.

    Each school would select 12 representative yers, form a team of 5 from among them, and took turns with the other school in a one-on-one mock battle that was as close to a real battle format as possible. Needless to say, as per the title knight suggested, thebat skill would be tested.

    However, one wouldn¡¯t be nominated as the knight simply because of the results of the tournament. Nevertheless, for those who aspired to be a knight, it was a great opportunity to prove their might. Even if they didn¡¯t end up winning, just being selected as a representative of the 12 people would give him the edge.

    In the final match, the king himself would be present. Therefore, it could be considered a lofty match, one that¡¯d be held in front of the imperial court. Above all, Mia Elrod was famous to have caught the attention of the Emperor of Elrod at the time, and became the foundation as to how she became the spotlight in the war that¡¯d urter.

    Combined with such a legend, the Knight Selection was a grand stage that every student longed to participate in.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve been worried about that. This year, there are only talented people that are difficult to beat¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha, what a tough situation.¡±

    Even so, Celes wasn¡¯tcent enough to let her guard down. In order to select members, it was necessary to collect data from mock battles between student several times. As was the case every year, she had to be careful in terms of selecting members to participate in such a prestigiouspetition.

    ¡°However, I have no intention of participating. I¡¯ve studied in Spada for a long time. Even if I¡¯ve returned, I don¡¯t have the right to bear the name of the imperial academy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I was only able to be the student council president due to the absence of Nero and the princess¡­¡±

    However, considering Nero¡¯s personality, even if he was still in school, he¡¯d definitely dismiss the student council election, saying it was too much of a hassle.

    Celes won the position with andslide victory over her opponents during the election, but if Nell had participated, she¡¯d have been at a disadvantage.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re exaggerating. Celes, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ve led the academy as the student council president until today. Have confidence in your experience and achievements.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    In response to Celes, who deeply bowed, Nell turned away from her affectionate gaze. With a smile like that of a child who hade up with a prank, she began.

    ¡°By the way, Celes, I have a favor to ask you¡­ Won¡¯t you listen to me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Princess. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you go with me to the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d like to recruit me as a party member, it¡¯d be a great honor.¡±

    In Spada, Nell was well-known for forming an adventurer party called ¡°Winglord.¡± Her ability to rise to rank 5 in a record time was widely talked about in Avalon.

    However, there wasn¡¯t a single member of said Winglord in the academy, including her older brother¡ªNero. As such, it became self-exnatory that if she wanted to form a party, she¡¯d have to gather members from scratch.

    It went without saying if Nell were to announce, ¡°I¡¯m looking for party members!¡± The students would gather in the blink of an eye. Considering the rate of recruitment, it was an honor for Celes to be recruited personally.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m d!¡±

    As she smiled, Nell looked so dazzling. With that smile, there was no way Celes could go against her wish.

    ¡°By the way, which dungeon would it be?¡±

    Celes casually asked, but soon regretted it.

    Nell replied with her usual elegant smile.

    ¡°Rank 5th Dungeon ¡®Divine Realm Avalon.¡¯¡±

 Chapter 520

    <h4>Chapter 520</h4>

    520 Silent Victory

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Kurono Maou. Congrattions, you¡¯vepleted the Fifth Trial.¡±

    The ancient Demon King who sat on the jet-ck throne smiled.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have something I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±

    Actually, there were many things I wished to ask, but most importantly¡ª

    ¡°¡ªIs everything a set up?¡±

    ¡ªThat Sariel wasn¡¯t killed.

    ¡ªThe appearance of Gluttony Octo.

    Alternatively, I could also include Sariel¡¯s awakening at thest minute.

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t you already know the answer?¡±

    I did. I just wanted to direct the suspicion that it was all a set up to someone. By this time, I had understood the true nature behind the future that I chose and won.

    ¡°If, by any chance, I did arrange it, would you hate me? Or would you appreciate me?¡±

    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t that bad, so I won¡¯t hate you.¡±

    I was able to safely reunite with Lily and the others. I had also defeated the Gluttony Octo, restoring the peace to the vige¡ªat least for the time being.

    I couldn¡¯t me anyone else for Reki¡¯s death. It was a sin that I¡¯d carry for the rest of my life.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Is it really alright? The fact remains that Sariel was an apostle. Now that she has received divine protection, can you simply ignore that?¡±

    ¡°Whether to forgive or not, it isn¡¯t for me to decide. At the end of the day, only people judge other people.¡±

    ¡­Hearing that answer made me somewhat relieved. I wondered if it was because I wanted to forgive Sariel.

    Do I want to?

    At this point, I should probably admit it. I, towards Sariel¡ª

    ¡°¡ªBut, as an elder, I¡¯d like to emphasize that you should worry about yourself rather than anyone else. It isn¡¯t the kind of situation where you can simply rejoice with your friends, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve prepared myself.¡±

    I¡¯d tell Lily and Fiona everything¡ªwhat I¡¯d been up to since we parted at Ghad Fortress that day.

    ¡°From the moment you depended on that girl, you already know this day woulde.¡±

    ¡°You sound experienced.¡±

    ¡°Well, a lot happened in the past. But if your bond is real, you¡¯ll surely be able to understand and forgive each other in the end.¡±

    It¡¯d be nice if that was true¡­

    ¡°By the way, I have one more¡ªno, make it two, questions.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    It was pathetic, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much in this trial, so can you really consider that I did aplish it?¡±

    I didn¡¯t finish off the Gluttony Octo, nor did I do much damage to him. Moreover, just like with Laspen, I didn¡¯t seed in carving out part of the Trial.

    In the previous battle, all I did was cut off a swarm of octopuses and wreaked havoc in the Gluttony Octo¡¯s belly. In the end, I didn¡¯t get the proof of the Trial. The fact that I was still alive, the fact that everyone was safe, or even the fact that Ipleted the Trial¡ªI owed them all to Sariel, Lily, and Fiona.

    ¡­Is this really alright?

    As such, I became skeptical.

    ¡°Ahaha, isn¡¯t it already a norm for you to be saved by someone?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    That statement applied to every trial I¡¯d undergone.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about. If anything, you should be proud. Rather than relying on your own strength, it¡¯s much more important to have someone to rely on¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ªwell, I think you¡¯re right, but isn¡¯t the Trial part of my mission? Then¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to say it now, but as long as you get the proof of your trials, anything¡¯s fine. You can have someone else fetch it for you, or even buy it with money.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Hey, wait a second¡­ Isn¡¯t that just cheating?

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. Be it violence, power, wealth¡ªthey¡¯re all necessary for a king. As such, I¡¯ll have to consider that as well.¡±

    Since Mia wasn¡¯t a warrior goddess, did that mean she won¡¯t decide solely based on strength alone? As expected, that alone failed to convince me¡­

    ¡°¡­I understand, from now on, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±

    Anyway, I wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish all the past trials without relying on others or money. From now on, I doubted I¡¯d be able toplete it easily. Probably, next time too, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the Trial without at least vomiting blood.

    ¡°Then, what is the other question?¡±

    Oh, right.

    Although, there was no way I could forget it.

    After all, it was my main concern.

    ¡°Oh, uhm¡­ Who is that?¡±

    Since it was my fifth time to receive divine protection, I had be familiar with the ck throne and its owner. However, this time around, there was a stranger in that room.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    A female knight stood beside Mia, poised with a ck trident.

    She wore a jet-ck armor, while her winged helmet was reminiscent of a Valkyrie. However, her dignified presence outshone her armor. She felt like a full-fledged battle maiden.

    ¡°Oh, right¡­ I¡¯ve been wondering, too. What are you doing here, Shia?¡±

    ¡°How could there not be a single guard stationed in the throne room? What of the prestige of our empire? Therefore, it is up to me as the Commander of the Imperial Army to protect Her Majesty¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªEh, how unnecessary, just go home.¡±

    ¡°No way! Your Majesty, that¡¯s a terrible thing to say!¡±

    ¡°Uwah!?¡±

    Suddenly, as if waging a rebellion, the ck female knight leaped towards Mia. But in the next moment, thenky, heavy-armored woman proceeded to squeeze the Demon King¡¯s petite body. From here, I could barely see the tips of her limbs as she writhed in pain.

    ¡°Then, it can¡¯t be helped. Stay still in the corner.¡±

    ¡°T-thank you!¡±

    After giving a sweet reply that made me doubt her gant presence, the female knight returned to her original position. She somewhat resembled Hitsugi.

    However, once the female knight assumed her original position, her trident standing upright, she began to exude a solemn atmosphere.

    How odd¡­

    ¡°Hence I said you don¡¯t need to mind about Shia.¡±

    Mia spoke as if nothing had happened. Even though by that point, her cloak had fell off, her hair was disheveled¡ªshe looked like a ruffled kitten.

    How can I not worry? The Demon King sure is unreasonable¡­

    ¡°¡­Shia, as in, Freesia?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then, is she the Dark Knight Freesia?¡±

    Should I thank her for bestowing divine protection upon Sariel? Or should I worry about the nature of said blessing?

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s grant the fifth protection. This area is a bit unstable, if we don¡¯t finish it quickly, you¡¯ll wake up from your dreams.¡±

    Whether or not she was aware of my slight hesitation, Mia quickly cut to the case.

    By the way, it was unstable because I was still on the border between Daedalus and Spada. However, since Daedalus was upied by the Crusaders, it was beyond the jurisdiction of the ck gods.

    In spite of that, I was arguing with Freesia.

    ¡°The Gluttony¡¯s Stomach should be fine, right?¡±

    I held out a beautiful jade sphere that seemed to have been polished. The sphere, which emitted a faint green glow, was coincidentally found by Fiona amongst the charred remains of the Gluttony Octo. Perhaps, she picked it up thinking that it could serve as the proof of the Trial. How considerate of her.

    ¡°Yes, it will. Actually, rather than a stomach, it¡¯s a gastrolith. By using this, Gluttony Octo canpress substances in its stomach. It¡¯s kind of simr to dimension magic.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why even if it swallows the whole vige, its stomach won¡¯t swell.¡±

    ¡°Even if it swallows a city, there won¡¯t be a problem. In fact, during my time, it was able to destroy about five cities, haha.¡±

    ¡­Is that supposed to be funny?

    But if so, then the damage this time around was miraculously light? Although, from the perspective of the vigers, it was still unbearable.

    ¡°¡ªWith this, only two more trials remain.¡±

    As usual, in a fluid manner, the Gluttony¡¯s Stomach dispersed into particles of light.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be tougher than ever, but you can make it.¡±

    As she offered her testimony of the Trial, Mia¡¯s voice and appearance faded¡­

    ¡­Am I waking up?

    ¡°When you ovee all the trials, at that time, you will¡ª¡±

    Enshrouded in bottomless darkness, my consciousness returned to the real world.

    ***

    ¡°¡ªHmm.¡±

    As if a switch had been flipped, my eyes fluttered open.

    A mountain forest nketed in thin snow jumped into my view, along with a witch in ck and her silvery hair.

    ¡°Did you sleep well, Kurono?¡±

    Fiona, the witch in front of me, asked.

    ¡°I was receiving a divine protection, so it didn¡¯t feel like falling asleep.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you sleep a bit longer?¡±

    ¡°No, I have enough stamina to cross the mountain, so it¡¯s alright.¡±

    Are we in the middle of the Ghad Mountains?

    After departing from Alsace Fortress, we continued to move for a whole day in order to return quickly. While Sariel and I had no problem moving without rest, it¡¯d be better if Lily and Fiona could rest like everyone else. As of the present, we hid in the forest to catch a short break.

    With this, we were a bit closer to the Ghad Fortress. Once we left this ce, we¡¯d be able to push forward without rest. I¡¯d only rest after arriving at the fortress.

    ¡°What about Lily?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still asleep.¡±

    Right next to me, stood a tent with different design than the one we¡¯d been using until now. After the dimension magic was destroyed by Sariel, the new adventurer kit tent that I¡¯d been using since my time in Irz Vige vanished, so she must¡¯ve made a new one.

    In her new tent, Lily¡ªin her child form, slept peacefully.

    Let¡¯s leave her for another hour or so.

    ¡°By receiving blessing, do you mean that you came into contact with the ck gods?¡±

    In my arms, Sariel squirmed slightly and asked me. Since she was motionless, I thought she was asleep, but was she awake? Did being held against my heavy knight armor robbed her of her sleep?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I always receive my blessing through a dream.¡±

    ¡°Then, that child must be the ancient Demon King, Mia¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWon¡¯t you shut up?¡±

    Suddenly, a sharp voice flew in, and the whole ce became silent.

    The owner of said cold voice was none other than Fiona. She was in a foul mood¡ªno, it was far worse than that. Exuding murderous intent, Fiona conjured her long staff¡ªAinz Bloom¡ªthe same cane that reduced the Gluttony Octo to ashes.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Fiona.¡±

    ¡°Kurono, you don¡¯t need to apologize. As for you, next time you speak as you please, I¡¯ll crush your throat.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a joke or a threat¡ªFiona was serious. Her golden eyes, reflecting endless cruelty, shone mysteriously.

    I couldn¡¯t reprimand Fiona¡¯s attitude as cruel or harsh, as she had valid concerns.

    ¡°Being able to speak also means being able to chant freely. Don¡¯t forget the danger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being careless.¡±

    Yes, to Fiona, Sariel was an enemy that we should be wary of the most. If anything, it was me who was too careless.

    Even if Sariel was no longer an apostle, and had received the divine protection of Dark Knight Freesia, that didn¡¯t mean her innocence had been proven. The world wasn¡¯t that sweet. While Fiona¡¯s attitude was natural, it was still sweet of her to respect my intentions to such an extent.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silence ensued.

    The surroundings were really quiet. To conceal our whereabouts, not a single bonfire was lit. Even though spring had arrived, the mountain animals hadn¡¯t yet awakened from their hibernation, so not a single cry could be heard.

    The sky was covered with thick clouds, as if yesterday¡¯s fine weather was a lie. Snow was about to start, and it felt as if I had returned to the cold winter.

    Both the weather and the atmosphere weren¡¯t clear.

    Well, no wonder. I hadn¡¯t had the conversation with either Fiona or Lily.

    At that time, I even began to doubt if Lily came to aid me.

    ¡°¡ªKurono, what is Sariel doing here?¡±

    I thought I¡¯d be killed. If I hadn¡¯t stopped Lily, she¡¯d probably go in for the kill.

    Therefore, I had no choice but to lie.

    ¡°Wait, Lily, she¡¯s¡­ a prisoner of war.¡±

    Perhaps, Lily knew I was lying. No, since it was Lily, that much should be obvious. There was no way she couldn¡¯t see through my pathetic lie.

    Even so, Lily didn¡¯t attack Sariel. For now, anyway. I was sure she¡¯d forcibly rein her unimaginable rage.

    ¡°Sariel isn¡¯t an apostle anymore, so I want to take her to Spada, is that okay¡­?¡±

    I considered it a miracle that the two relented.

    ¡°Our top priority right now is to return to Ghad Fortress. I¡¯ll definitely exin the detailster. So for now, please don¡¯t ask me anything.¡±

    There was no way they¡¯d be convinced with that. Still, they both agreed. We¡¯d be bringing Sariel to Spada together.

    Although Sariel¡¯s physical strength remained, she had depleted her magic during the battle against Gluttony Octo. As such, she couldn¡¯t walk independently using ckening. In the end, I had to carry her on my back just like before.

    Then, when I was resting, I¡¯d hold her in my arms. I couldn¡¯t possibly let her go.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust the two, but in the unlikely event that they killed Sariel under the notion that she was acting suspiciously¡­ That could absolutely happen.

    Well, the two had the right to do so. Even if they did, I wouldn¡¯t me them. After all, I didn¡¯t want Sariel to die due to my personal feelings.

    ¡°Fiona, I¡¯m truly sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°This is unforgivable, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be¡ªat least to me.

    After all, Sariel was once our sworn enemy. To defeat her, we had to put our lives on the line. Now, I was pleading for her life like this¡­

    ¡­If I was in Fiona¡¯s position, I¡¯d probably unsheathe my sword and called me a traitor.

    ¡°Whether to forgive her or not, it¡¯s not up for me to decide.¡±

    I had definitely heard something simr.

    However, unlike before, the reply was extremely ruthless, without the slightest hint ofpassion.

    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s right.¡±

    By apologizing, I¡¯d only be making an excuse.

    I thought I was prepared. But suddenly, I found my heart breaking.

 Chapter 521

    <h4>Chapter 521</h4>

    521 Confession of Guilt

    Apparently, Baron Herman kept his promise. Enroute to the Ghad Fortress, no pursuers could be seen, let alone servants.

    Although, it was also possible that the pursuers simply missed us¡­

    When we were about to approach the enemy fortress, Lily and Fiona prepared as ordingly. For example, there was a magic item called the Predator Coat, which couldpletely conceal one¡¯s appearance.

    The principle was to distort visible light with light magic, making the wearer transparent. However, if we were frolicking too much, the distortion of light would be disrupted. As such, it¡¯d seem as if there was a movement or even a blur in the surrounding scenery. Suffice to say, the item didn¡¯t provide absolute concealment.

    Nevertheless, as long as we remained calm, we could enjoy the effect to the fullest. If we were careful, I doubted we¡¯d be discovered by either the guards or the servants.

    By the way, even though it was called a coat, it was actually a fairlyrge piece of cloth. Not only that, the Predator Coat could only be used by those with aptitude for light magic. Thus, Lily ended up wearing it with Fiona in tow, making it seem like a two-person shirt.

    As for why there were various items for concealment, it was because Lily and Fiona were lucky enough to receive my letter during their stay in the Ghad Fortress. Upon sensing the situation, Lily rushed to Spada to prepare the necessary equipment and supplies to aid my return.

    All the necessary preparation wereplete. Although there were some twists and turns, I somehow managed to regroup with the two at the Alsace Fortress.

    Once we reach Ghad Fortress, all we had to do was to take safe domestic roads without worrying about enemy attacks. As there shouldn¡¯t be any obstacles to hinder our path, the journey should progress smoothly.

    Thus, for the first time in months, I returned to Spada.

    ¡°¡­Aah, finally, we¡¯ve returned.¡±

    As I swayed on the back of Mary¡ªthe immortal horse, Nightmare¡ªwith whom I was reunited for the first time, I murmured poignantly as I gazed at the Great Wall of the Capital City of Spada in the distance.

    As the month changed to the 2nd of the Pristine Water, March, I decided to return to Spada.

    Once we¡¯d safely escaped from Daedalus, there was no longer any reason to stay in Ghad Fortress, since the war was over.

    Mary had to live in the Ghad stables for a while, but Fiona and Lily seemed to take good care of her. So, even after a long absence, the horse was still in pristine condition.

    ¡­I felt truly ashamed for endlessly burdening the two.

    As I rode Mary and marched forward, Sariel sat behind me.

    I hadn¡¯t reported to the Spada Army that I¡¯d captured Sariel.

    It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to hide her or anything. Even though I was supposed to turn in the enemy general¡­ As I thought, it¡¯d be better to stop now. Actually, it was none other than Lily and Fiona who stopped me.

    In short, they wanted to hear my exnation about Sariel first. After all, if I were to sent Sariel over to Spada Army, they¡¯d certainly take her into custody.

    ording to what I heard, the 8th Apostle¡ªAi, was captured during the Ghad War, and was incarcerated in a special underground prison at the Royal Castle of Sparda. Sariel, who¡¯d lost her power as an apostle, shouldn¡¯t need a grand prison. Even if so, it was possible that she¡¯d be locked up in the same ce and never saw the light of the day again.

    Since we didn¡¯t know how the Spada Army would treat Sariel, the two wanted to learn everything they could.

    Only then would they decide what to do with Sariel¡ªor, to be precise, how to send her to the Spada Army. By knowing the details, we could set the conditions. In the worst-case scenario, there was also an option of continuing to shelter her.

    Perhaps, if I had disclosed the situation right away, we wouldn¡¯t have to smuggle her. Upon my arriving at the Ghad Fortress, I¡¯d already informed the Spada Army of my return. As soon as I reached Spada, I was required to report through the adventurer¡¯s guild HQ, before receiving a summoning order from the royal castle.

    In any case, I was a heroic figure who¡¯d vanquished a powerful enemy, and it seemed that King Leonhard had his eyes on me.

    Anyway, I was obligated to report my movements. However, when we actually arrived at the fortress, I hid Sariel. I used the magic item that Lily and Fiona had to disguise her as another person. Luckily, I was able to get out without being asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    We left the Ghad Fortress in a bit of a hurry, partly because we were afraid they¡¯d find out. In the end, we opted to return to Spada¡¯s dormitory in order to have a talk.

    By then, it had been a few days since I was reunited with both Lily and Fiona. I was going through a harsh situation in which I couldn¡¯t confide to anyone. Day by day, the gazes of the two became more severe as they watched Sariel and I. In the end, we reached the dormitory without being able to have a decent conversation.

    The stress was about to rupture my stomach. To be honest, I¡¯d like to return to the cultivation vige and led the carefree life of a fake priest once again.

    Still,pared to me, the two probably had it worse.

    Thus, I made up my mind. I had no regrets. This was the result of my choice. No matter how painful or sad the oue might be, I¡¯d ept it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The sky I looked up at was still blue.

    We should be able to return to the dormitory before dusk.

    So, it¡¯s tonight.

    It was time for me to tell them everything.

    Be it the reason why I kept Sariel away, snatched her divine protection¡ªeverything.

    The sun had already set, and the lounge of the dpidated dormitory was dimly illuminated.

    It was a tranquil night, one where I couldn¡¯t even hear a single insect. In the night sky, only thin stripes of clouds were adrift, while the waning moon shone vaguely.

    Simon wasn¡¯t in the dormitory. I was told that he was off to some quest. I also didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d return.

    As of the present, Lily and Fiona gathered around the table, sitting across from me and Sariel. Without anyone interfering, the four of us could finally talk.

    ¡­I¡¯m ready.

    I couldn¡¯t back down anymore. I couldn¡¯t possibly drag this any longer

    Now, let¡¯s start talking.

    ¡°¡­First of all, let¡¯s talk about what happened after I got caught in the teleportation magic.¡±

    Lily and Fiona nodded in silence.

    ¡°It seemed to be called ¡®Heaven¡¯s Gate.¡¯ An emergency spell to aid an apostle in escaping, made by Bishop Judas, the man who experimented on me.¡±

    ¡°Then, you arrived at the ¡®Fountain of Light¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s right, did I tell you that¡­?¡±

    For a moment, Lily¡¯s question caught me off guard. Also, no, I definitely hadn¡¯t told her that I was sent at the Fountain of Light.

    ¡°Apparently, the teleportation magic utilizes the veins of the earth. Due to that, one can¡¯t freely set the destination. Since the caster has a light attribute, the destination should be where the veins of light emerge on the earth¡¯s surface¡ªin other words, the dragon holes. While the original destination should¡¯ve been the cathedral of Daedalus, but before that, there was a powerful dragon hole of light¡­ That is, the Fountain of Light.¡±

    I was half-dumbfounded as I listened to Lily¡¯s crisp exnation. No way, I didn¡¯t know that the mysterious teleportation magic could be exined?

    Lily, who looked much younger than even Reki or Urs, didn¡¯t fail to surprise me with her knowledge of magic.

    ¡°It seems that the hole still possesses some magic. If it were left for another year¡ªno, for six months, then Kurono¡¯d be teleported right in the middle of the enemy as nned. I must thank Her Majesty the Queen for protection.¡± Lily smiled softly.

    She seemed to genuinely thank the Fairy Goddess¡ªthat, or she was d that I was safe.

    However, the sight of her childish smile, which should¡¯ve offered utmostfort, chills ran down my spine.

    While Lily hadn¡¯t transformed, she hadpletely regained consciousness. Lies and deceits wouldn¡¯t work on her. On the contrary, she might discover my deepest secret¡ªone that not even I was aware of.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough about the teleportation magic. Hey, Kurono, exactly what did you see at the Fountain of Light?¡±

    Enduring the reflexive desire to run away, I stared straight into Lily¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I saw Sariel¡¯s memory.¡±

    I told her the whole truth.

    ¡°Sariel, who was hit with Memory Burst, strongly counter-interfered me, who was nearby, causing Backdoor. From then on, I was treated to her memories.¡±

    First, the memory of that day¡¯s battle. I saw myself transforming into a woman as I merged with Lily from Sariel¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°So, our strategy as a sess.¡±

    ¡°It was. At that time, Sariel almost lost consciousness and was in no condition to retaliate.¡±

    Unable to distinguish between the past and reality, Sariel ate my Wrath Impact.

    ¡°Then, all of her sealed memories were released.¡±

    I saw Sariel fought as an apostle. I saw hermuning with some of her apostolicpanions¡ª

    ¡ªand before she woke up as an apostle.

    ¡°¡ªAs expected, just like Kurono, she was also an experimental subject.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re correct, Lily.¡±

    A pitiful victim of the White Sacrament led by Judas.

    ¡°Did you end up sympathizing with her because of that?¡±

    ¡°Not really, Fiona. If that¡¯s all, I could still kill Sariel.¡±

    I was definitely wavering. Nevertheless, at the bank of the spring, I still wrung her scrawny neck. despite knowing that she was the same as me; a victim of a hellish human experimentation, I was able to show no mercy.

    ¡°¡ªBut then, just before I broke her neck, I discovered that she was an acquaintance from my hometown.¡±

    ¡°¡­Another transmigrator, huh?¡±

    I was summoned, while Sariel was reincarnated. While our situations were subtly different, we both came from another world.

    ¡°Even if I was once a Japanese, I could still kill a total stranger. But, if it¡¯s someone I recognized, someone I had spoken with, even if just a little¡­ It¡¯s just impossible for me¡­¡±

    I¡¯m sorry¡­

    I could only apologize for my weakness.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t simply forgive me. Lily and Fiona remained silent.

    After ten or twenty seconds of silence, Lily was the first to speak.

    ¡°Say your name, Sariel. Who were you?¡±

    Her jade gaze pierced Sariel with the sharpness of a de. Still, Sariel¡ªas emotionless as a puppet, answered promptly without any hesitation.

    ¡°My name is Yuriko Shiraasaki. Like Kurono Mao, I was a second-year student at Sakuragi Highschool. I was also a member of the literature club. Back in Japan, I was an ordinary student with neither special abilities nor status.¡±

    ¡°¡­About Kurono, were you really just an acquaintance?¡±

    ¡°Yuriko Shirasaki had a one-sided love towards Kurono Mao. In fact, on the day of the summons, she was about to confess to him, but it so happened that¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªEnough.¡±

    Upon hearing Lily¡¯s words, Sariel abruptly stopped speaking. It was as if someone had pressed the Stop button on a DVD yer.

    Silence ensued. Dark, oppressive, silence like the bottom of the sea.

    ¡°Long story short, you failed tond the decisive blow, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not ming you. You must¡¯ve had it rough. It¡¯s not an easy decision to make.¡±

    Those words were supposed to beforting¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, the fact that Fiona was unperturbed terrified me the most.

    A sleepy, absent-minded, nk expression. Her face, which was supposed to be familiar to me, seemed like an apathetic goddess who didn¡¯t care about people¡¯s suffering.

    I couldn¡¯t grasp her mind at all.

    Contrary to her words, was she angry? Or was she genuinely fed up, to the point she didn¡¯t care? It felt as if she was about to disappear, never to be seen again. But then again, that wouldn¡¯t be strange.

    ¡°¡­Despite that, you seemed to lead a peaceful life.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sariel is no longer hostile. In fact, she has lost all her power and protection as an apostle.¡±

    ¡°After the battle, the two of you hid in Irz Vige. The entire time, she didn¡¯t betray or snitch on you, so it¡¯s probably the truth.¡±

    Even though that should be the most suspicious part, Fiona acted nonchnt about it. Certainly, if Sariel had other agenda, she probably wouldn¡¯t spare me. My safe return to Spada was solid evidence¡­ But that didn¡¯t make epting it any easier.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask this just in case, what did you think of your action back then?¡±

    Fiona¡¯s golden gaze pierced Sariel. Despite that, Sariel didn¡¯t waver, and answered calmly.

    ¡°Freed from God¡¯s will, I followed Yuriko Shirasaki¡¯s conviction. I¡¯d like to fulfill her desire.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it myself. Regardless, I still wish to fulfill her desire.¡±

    ¡°Are you in love with Kurono?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, Yuriko Shirasaki was the one who did. While I understand the concept of love, I can¡¯t feel it. Due tocking human emotions, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of loving someone.¡±

    ¡°I see. Well, even without love, two people could still have sex.¡±

    Fiona already saw iting. Her words were very telling.

    ¡­Is that how it is?

    In the first ce, I came up with that method because of Fiona¡¯s remarks. Since it was her words, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t notice it.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lily? Since a while ago, I¡¯m the only one asking questions.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    An unexpected turn.

    Fiona shifted her gaze to Lily, who remained silent. Certainly, ever since then, Lily hadn¡¯t uttered a single word, and Fiona was in charge of the conversation.

    ¡°Actually, isn¡¯t there a question you¡¯re dying to ask?¡±

    ¡°I already know the general circumstances¡­ What Kurono thinks of Sariel, and what he wants to do.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯ll be the one to ask that question.¡±

    Her golden eyes reflected me. As if disallowing anyone to speak anything other than the truth, they bore a mysterious glow.

    ¡°How did Kurono get rid of Sariel¡¯s protection?¡±

    I see, I get it, Fiona.

    I wouldn¡¯t lie, or try to run away.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªEnough.¡±

    Lily stopped me.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t say anything anymore¡­¡±

    With her head lowered, Lily whispered. I couldn¡¯t make out her expression.

    ¡°Lily¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Kurono, anything but that¡­¡±

    ¡°Lily, are you afraid?¡± Fiona¡¯s somewhat frigid voice echoed out loud.

    ¡°¡ªSo am I, but it¡¯s necessary for us to know. Not from anyone else, but from Kurono himself¡ª¡±

    Fiona¡¯s pure white hands reached out to Lily. Gently, affectionately, she embraced Lily, who looked like a sswork that was about to break.

    As she hugged Lily, who trembled with sadness, Fiona seemed like an older sister. I wondered why, but Fiona¡¯s hands, as she entwined the shaking Lily, seemed like a poisonous white snake.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let me hear it. Kurono¡ªall of your sins.¡±

    ¡°¡ªMmph!¡±

    Fiona covered Lily¡¯s mouth with her hand.

    Now, no one could stop my confession.

    ¡°By losing her chastity, Sariel¡¯d be unqualified to be an apostle, so I¡ªI vited her.¡±

 Chapter 522

    <h4>Chapter 522</h4>

    522 Love Confession (1)

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying.¡±

    Freeing herself from Fiona¡¯s embrace, Lily spoke as she nted herself over the table.

    ¡°Chrono, tell me you¡¯re lying¡­¡±

    Her gaze fluttered wide, while her round, jade eyes swayed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    I¡¯ve betrayed her.

    When I saw her desperate, yet shocked expression, such was my thought.

    Am I being conceited?

    After all, my confession of sin proved that I¡¯d done more than just sparing my enemy. It was betrayal in the truest of sense.

    Even so, I¡¯d been trying to look good in front of Lily. At the beginning, I merely didn¡¯t want to burden her. But soon, the thought of disappointing her began to feel unbearable.

    It was to be expected, for Lily was the first friend I¡¯d ever made in this world. When I fell into the woods, she came to my aid. Afterwards, we didn¡¯t only live together, but she also took care of me. Later, we becamerades in arms. Without Lily, God knows what¡¯d happen to me.

    Hence why, I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her¡ªI want to look cool in front of her.

    By that, I meant usingmon sense, being sensible, staying calm, and avoiding making mistakes in judgment. I thought I was good enough. At the very least, Lily should¡¯ve believed in me¡ªin my justice. After all, wasn¡¯t that why she decided to stick with me?

    ¡­But as of the present, I had no ¡®justice¡¯ to speak of.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask for forgiveness. Curse me all you want. I¡¯m aware of what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying, no way¡­¡±

    I was speechless.

    Lily gaped, letting out such meaningless mutterings. No words could describe how excruciating that sight was.

    It¡¯s okay, Lily. You don¡¯t have to believe in me anymore. Condemn me. Say that everything¡¯s my fault. Insult me. Say that I¡¯m the worst.

    ¡­Please, Lily.

    Please, as long as you don¡¯t suffer like that.

    ¡°Aah, why, why¡­ why are you still alive¡ª!?¡±

    At that moment, there was a flickering light¡ª

    ¡ªa flickering, red light.

    ¡°¡ªStar Sword: Antares!¡±

    When my vision returned, Lily was already in front of me.

    The young girl was d in the brilliance of the Oracle Field. In her right hand, was the deadly photon sword that was Force Edge, which could easily cut through the strongest steel.

    In an instant, she¡¯d transformed into her true form. The Star Sword, ¡°Antares¡±, in her right hand told of her killing intent.

    As she shone above the table, she swung her crimson light de¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, it wasn¡¯t directed at me, but Sariel.

    ¡°¡­Stop it, Lily.¡±

    I stopped the crimson de at thest minute. Using my bare hands, I managed to halt the sword¡¯s descent to Sariel¡¯s head. At that point, the two were only separated by a distance of several dozen centimeters.

    With ¡°Over-el¡±, the surprise attack of tremendous speed didn¡¯t go unnoticed by me. With ¡°Overgear¡±, I was able to stop the scorching de despite being unarmed. It was a powerful technique that made use of two blessings in session.

    Even so, it was a close call. If I was even a fraction of a second toote, Sariel would be split in half.

    In spite of that, the target of the attack¡ªSariel¡ªsat unflinchingly. It was as if she knew I was going to protect her.

    ¡°Why did you stop me, Chrono!?¡±

    ¡°Please, pull back your sword, Lily!¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t kill Chrono, I¡¯ll just kill this woman instead! If left alive, she¡¯ll only make you suffer, Chrono!¡±

    ¡°No¡ª!¡±

    I wanted to keep Sariel alive¡ªsuch was my intention. In that hut, I didn¡¯t know how many times I denied her pleas to die.

    ¡­Lily, you¡¯re mistaken.

    The reason I was unable to end Sariel wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want to dirty my hands.

    Even if such was the case, as if I¡¯d let Lily take over the dirty role! I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself!

    ¡­Is it because I reflexively thought that?

    Through telepathy, Lily might¡¯ve understood my feelings to some extent. Hence, she drew her sword.

    ¡°But¡­ so why? Chrono, this is¡­¡±

    As she stood still on the table, the crimson de dissipated.

    Has her murderous intent dissipated?

    For the time being, none of that could be felt, but there was no guarantee it wouldn¡¯t happen again.

    Even if I didn¡¯t have telepathy, it was apparent from her expression that Lily was distraught. I had never seen her like that before¡ªLily¡¯s expression wavered with tremendous anxiety.

    ¡°There was no other way. At that time, Sariel was on the verge of death, but with the power of the apostles, she¡¯d recover overnight. Upon regaining Shirasaki¡¯s memory, I could no longer detect any hostility from Sariel. However, if she¡¯s still under themand of the White God, there¡¯s no saying she wouldn¡¯t attempt to kill me again¡ªeven if it¡¯s against her will.¡±

    I could¡¯ve just glossed over it. How easy would that be? I felt like if it was the current Lily, even if it was a tant lie, she¡¯d still believe me.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware that I should¡¯ve killed her. After all, the 7th Apostle, Sariel, was an enemy to us all. I knew that, but I still wanted her to live¡­ I desperately thought so¡­¡±

    The reason why I was so honest¡­ Was it to make everything easier? Maybe, I just wanted to apologize.

    Surely, the guilt of lying, concealing the crime, and deceiving Lily from now on would prove to be unbearable for me.

    ¡°But this woman is no longer the Shirasaki Yuriko that Chrono knew! Her current personality is the result of ¡®Angel Ring¡¯! She¡¯s a different person entirely! Despite being a human, she can¡¯t rte to the feelings of others! She¡¯s just a puppet, and yet¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know that much¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ªThen why!? Why are the memories you have with this now-puppet more important than myself!?¡±

    Oh, I see.

    Is that so?

    Despite being aware that Shirasaki lost her ego a long time ago, I still helped Sariel. Was it to simply cling to the memories of the past?

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Lily¡­ Apparently, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to discard all of my past¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, you aren¡¯t in the wrong, Chrono, you aren¡¯t¡ª¡­¡±

    Lily was downcast. At the corners of her eyes,rge droplet of tears trickled.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lily. I¡¯m to me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, it isn¡¯t Chrono¡¯s fault¡­¡±

    Lily took a step forward on the table.

    ¡°Like I said, it was all a lie, right?¡±

    Two steps, three steps¡ªit wasn¡¯t a very wide table. Then, her path ended.

    Even so, Lily still took the fourth step without any hesitation, and naturally fell towards me. It was as if she fully believed that I¡ªwho was in front of her¡ªwould catch her.

    ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t.¡±

    In fact, when Lily leaped into my chest, I held her in my arms. As usual, her angelic body felt peculiar in a sense that the weight didn¡¯t match its appearance.

    ¡­Petite, delicate, and soft.

    At the same time, I felt a certain presence in my arms.

    ¡°It was¡ª! It was all a lie¡ª! For Chrono is kind¡­ You¡¯re just trying to shoulder the me for Sariel!¡±

    Lily looked up at me with tearful eyes. The girl who flinched in my chest desperately reached for me.

    Her warm, bloodied, yet pure white palm wrapped around my cheek.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m not lying. Everything¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to lie to me. After all, I¡¯m a fairy, so I know the truth, I can simply gaze into your heart¡ª¡±

    ¡ªLily¡¯s face was approaching as if we were about to kiss.

    But our lips never collided.

    Instead, she pressed her forehead against mine. The distance made it easier to do telepathy.

    At such a close proximity, it¡¯d be easy for someone with telepathic ability like Lily to read mind. Hidden in my heart¡ªthe most recent memory information.

    Therefore, even if I tried to conceal it, I couldn¡¯t.

    The 24th of the Dark Moon, the Holy Night. Inside Lily¡¯s hut, driven by insanity and pleasure, I embraced the bloody Sariel.

    No¡ª

    ¡ªThat¡¯s the only thing you shouldn¡¯t¡­

    ¡­You shouldn¡¯t see it.

    Even if I was able to confess my sins, to let her watch as it unfolded¡­

    At this moment, my heart was filled with an overwhelming sense of reluctance.

    Of course, because that night, I¡¯d activated the Fourth Blessing¡ªOver-ecstasy, and ravaged the limbless Sariel akin to an enraged beast. For Lily to witness it, it¡¯d be akin to standing there as it progressed¡ªthat was what it meant to be able to read my memory¡ª

    ¡°¡ªStop it!!¡±

    Even if it was for a fleeting moment, she¡¯d definitely seen it.

    As if I had gone crazy, I screamed at the top of my lungs, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    I heard Lily¡¯s somewhat forlorn and hollow voice.

    ¡­That was when I realized it¡ªI had pushed Lily away.

    Even if I regretted it, the die had been cast. As if she¡¯d forgotten how to fly, she fell on her back. A dull sound resounded.

    ¡°Li-Lily¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t even try to cancel her fall. Instead, she fell t on her back, hitting her head hard. She didn¡¯t budge¡ªas if she¡¯d passed out.

    What have I done?

    I extended my hand towards Lily.

    Certainly, she was protected by the Oracle Field, making her impervious to physical shocks such as falling, but that didn¡¯t make the problem disappear. The act of pushing Lily away in and on itself was a sin.

    Like ink dissolving into water, a sense of guilt engulfed my heart. Without even thinking, I blurted an apology.

    However, my mouth wouldn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I¡¯m sorry, forgive me¡ª¡­

    I should extend a sincere apology. Furthermore, I should also ask, ¡°Are you alright? Are you okay?¡± I should take care of her fallen body and help her stand. But when I tried to reach for her, to lift her up¡ªI found myself unable to do that.

    I couldn¡¯t touch Lily.

    I had to keep her away.

    Thus, I realized it¡ªI was pushing her away. I couldn¡¯t help but do so, since she could read my mind.

    I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her seeing the memories of that time.

    At the very least, Lily alone mustn¡¯t see it¡­

    ¡°¡­Chrono.¡±

    Lily uttered my name.

    I wondered what she¡¯d think of me, who heartlessly shoved her away. Not only that, I didn¡¯t even try to help her up, opting to just stand there in silence.

    Her long, disheveled tinum hair scattered beautifully and tragically across the floor. With her eyes wide open, her jade eyes wavered as she showed a stunned expression. Even though her Chrono usually wouldn¡¯t do such a terrible thing¡­

    What would she think of me?

    When she fell, even though she was physically unharmed, what of her heart¡­? What of her sanity¡­?

    She caught a glimpse of the memories from that night, and was pushed away. The [Chrono] she believed in had pushed her away¡ª

    ¡°¡ªChrono, it hurts, a-aah¡­¡±

    Undoubtedly, Lily had arrived at the truth. I wasn¡¯t a noble character that fairies would like. Even among the lustful humans, I was by far the most wretched.

    ¡°¡ªAah, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah¡ª!!¡±

    Lily cried.

    It was the second time I¡¯ve made her cry. She cried so sharply, to the point she couldn¡¯t even form any words.

    ¡°L-Lily!?¡±

    Softly, as if she¡¯d suddenly regained her ability to fly, Lily floated up. Before I couldprehend what was happening, Lily bolted out of the room. She covered her face as she cried.

    She no longer ran towards me. Instead, she went in the opposite direction. Lily had chosen to escape from this ce on her own.

    Before I could say anything to stop her, Lily fled the scene. Looking at her momentum, she might¡¯ve already jumped out of the front door and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

    I had to look for her.

    But when I thought so¡ª

    ¡°¡ªPlease wait, Chrono.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, Fiona! Lily is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªOnce you managed to catch up to her, what then?¡±

    Her ruthless, heartless words didn¡¯t leave any room for objection.

    If I managed to catch up with Lily, what then? What¡¯d I say to her?

    There was nothing I could say to her.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Fiona quietly stood up from her seat and proceeded to approach the listless me.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Despite her appearance, Lily is capable enough to fend for herself.¡±

    ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s not the problem! We can¡¯t possibly leave her like this!?¡±

    ¡°Neither Chrono nor I¡ªnor anyone else¡ªhave the correct thing to say to Lily right now. Whether or not to forgive you¡­ It¡¯s something that she has to decide for herself.¡±

    Fiona certainly had a point.

    However, when I saw Lily acting like that, how could I possibly leave her be? Despite the feeling of rejection, I was still genuinely worried towards her.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m sorry to say this. Chrono, you don¡¯t have the right to console Lily.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I know that everything¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    What, is there more?

    Before I knew it, Fiona had arrived in front of me. At the sight of her, my breath was caught at my throat.

    ¡°It¡¯s because Chrono doesn¡¯t understand Lily¡¯s feelings at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­What, are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Did you not realize it? Apparently, Lily is good at concealing her feelings. Even so, that¡¯s dense of you, Chrono.¡±

    What on earth is she on about?

    Even if I was like this, I still cared about Lily. After all, she was the partner I¡¯ve known the longest in this world. We even did a fusion, where our minds and bodies became one.

    Therefore, what could I possibly not understand about her?

    ¡°¡ªLily loves Chrono.¡±

    ¡­I wasn¡¯t so dense as to not understand her words. Still, both my understanding and focus failed me at that moment.

    ¡°What, did you say¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course, she loves you as a member of the opposite sex. It¡¯s neither affection nor friendship, but a romantic feeling, absolutely.¡±

    Does Lily love me?

    I thought she cherished me, and I never doubted for even a moment that I reciprocated it.

    ¡°Hence why I said you¡¯re so dense, Chrono.¡±

    Fiona spoke as if she¡¯d seen through my heart.

    ¡°If you think about it, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult? Think of what happens when men and women are in the same party.¡±

    An adventurer party consisting of men and women. More often than not, it¡¯d lead to a romantic rtionship. Because of that, the risk of falling out was extremely high, so the guild didn¡¯t rmend it.

    I¡¯d never applied suchmon sense to myself.

    Why?

    Lily and I¡­

    ¡­I was confident that such a thing wouldn¡¯t happen. No, I didn¡¯t see myself as some sort of a saint. Instead, I must¡¯ve ced a blind faith in Lily.

    Only now did I realize how irresponsible that was.

    ¡°Is that how she saw me all this time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Probably from the time before you even met me.¡±

    Why, how¡­?

    Was I dense for failing toprehend that? ¡­And here I thought Sariel was the one who couldn¡¯t understand people¡¯s feelings.

    Lily and I had been together ever since we came across each other in Fairy Garden. Our days in the Irz Vige were both peaceful and uneventful. Lily was inherently strong, and despite her childish appearance, she was independent.

    As a result, she ended up taking care of me. As for me, I hadn¡¯t been able to show my cool side to her.

    A life of a rank 1 adventurer that was both peaceful and carefree¡­

    I wonder if that¡¯s the reason?

    Could people fall in love just by being together without doing anything special?

    ¡°While Chrono seems to think that he¡¯s betrayed her trust as apanion, but you¡¯repletely mistaken. What you¡¯ve betrayed is Lily¡¯s love.¡±

 Chapter 523

    <h4>Chapter 523</h4>

    523 Love Confession (2)

    ¡°¡­Fiona, did you know all this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I noticed from the time I joined the party.¡±

    Apparently, she knew from the beginning.

    Oh, lord¡­

    Fiona knew of Lily¡¯s feelings from the moment they met¡­ At that time, I¡¯d been living with Lily for three months. The word ¡®dense¡¯ couldn¡¯t even describe me by this point¡­

    ¡°Dammit, why am I¡­ Lily¡ª¡­¡±

    I was truly at a loss. What should I say to apologize? No, more importantly, it wasme that I needed someone else to spell it out for me.

    It¡¯d have been meaningless if I hadn¡¯t realized it myself.

    No, even if so, I doubted I¡¯d actually realize it. After all, even with Reki and Urs¡¯s kindness, it wasn¡¯t until leaving the vige that I realized it.

    ¡°Chrono, do you want to go after Lily?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think I had the right to do so.

    Still¡­

    ¡°Yes. Now that I¡¯ve found out, I can¡¯t just let it be.¡±

    Do I love Lily?

    I didn¡¯t think that I saw her as a member of the opposite sex¡­

    ¡­Still, without realizing it, I¡¯d be too attached to her.

    However, that didn¡¯t erase all of my doubts. I felt like I cherished her like a sister¡­ At the very least, I couldn¡¯t bear the sight of her crying?

    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Lily.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡±

    When I turned to leave, there was a light impact on my back. Judging from the sensation, I could feel that Fiona was embracing me from behind. Her white arms encircled my belly.

    ¡°Why did you stop me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Chrono¡­ If I was the one who left tearfully, would youe after me?¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of her question.

    ¡°What are you talking about? I have to hurry and find Lily¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWhat do you think? Between me and Lily, who¡¯d you choose?¡±

    Fiona had been calmly listening until now. In the first ce, from the moment we were reunited, she probably had a rough understanding about Sariel and I.

    Therefore, it was difficult to imagine Fiona crying in shock.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Fiona? Now isn¡¯t the time¡­¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t answer, well, that¡¯s fine, too. Anyhow, is it really wise to be in such a hurry? Lily needs some alone time. Surely, Chrono will understand?¡±

    When she put it like that, I couldn¡¯t help but nod.

    After the battle to defend Alsace, life in Spada began to take a plunge into the depths of despair. It was only in the beginning that I was able to muster a bravado. Said petty sense of justice was reduced into nothing when I saw the surviving refugees.

    At that time, thanks to Mia¡¯s immediate appearance, I was able to sort out my thoughts. Above all, I managed to find hope. But without that, it¡¯d take a long time before I could fully recover.

    Or maybe¡­ I truly had changed. A ruthless, selfish, and above all, cowardly man who cut down all but his preciouspanions without ever looking back.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll leave Lily alone for tonight.¡±

    As soon as I nodded, Fiona released her grasp on me. But then, she approached me from the front. We weren¡¯t exactly hugging, but close enough. On my chest, was the enigmatically beautiful Fiona.

    ¡°Chrono, in truth, even I¡¯m shocked by this¡ªto the same extent as Lily, even. It¡¯s just that I have more rationality than her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right¡­¡±

    Although, it was one thing to understand, but whether or not she could forgive me was another matter. As for Fiona, I thought she followed me this far precisely because she trusted me¡­

    My actions were unforgivable¡ªboth as apanion and a man.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Chrono, you¡¯re the worst.¡±

    For the first time, her curse words pierced my heart.

    Even if I was aware of it¡ªeven if I admitted to it, to hear that from her was still shocking.

    ¡°To help our enemy, the apostle, out of selfish personal feelings¡­ Even if you were to say that Sariel seduced you with her good looks and shackled you, there¡¯s no excuse.¡±

    Certainly, if my deeds were known, the general consensus was as such. After all, even though Sariel and I hailed from the same town, we were only acquaintances. We weren¡¯t friends, much else a couple.

    ¡­No, even if Shirasaki and I were married for a long time, I had no way of proving that.

    After all, it was Sariel¡ªthe apostle¡ªwhom I chose to spare. That fact alone made me a sitting duck to all kinds of nders.

    ¡°If Chrono had realized Lily¡¯s feelings sooner, then you might be able to proceed with killing Sariel.¡±

    While it was nothing more than a theory, I thought that it was possible.

    If I had noticed her feelings sooner, what¡¯d I do? But thinking about it was useless, since I couldn¡¯t respond to said feelings.

    ¡ªThen, if I had a lover by the name of Lily, would I be able to kill Sariel that day? Even if I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t find an answer. Even so, there was no doubt that I¡¯d be more inclined to end her.

    ¡°Sariel should¡¯ve been killed. Chrono, who failed to do so, is to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know, I¡¯m selfish¡­¡±

    By keeping Sariel alive, I had overlooked the risks that came with it. Fortunately, coincidences ovepped, and Sariel wasn¡¯t only able to be rid of her divine protection, but also received the divine protection of the Dark Knight Freesia, eliminating the possibility of her ever being revived as an apostle ever again.

    Still, the act itself could be considered a rebellion that¡¯d put Sparda itself in jeopardy. That was what it meant to save an apostle. The level of danger waspletely different than merely allowing Linfelt to escape.

    ¡°Nevertheless, Chrono still proceeded with the selfish acts, and even betrayed Lily¡¯s feelings in the process.¡±

    She was right.

    Even now, I had no intention of ying Sariel. As much as I was reluctant to admit it, my heart had epted Sariel¡¯s existence in the momentary peace I spent at the cultivation vige.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Even at such a time, I nced at Sariel, who remained expressionless. Despite my showdown with Fiona, she just sat there and listened¡­

    In such a chaotic situation, I wondered what went through Sariel¡¯s head¡­

    ¡°Please look this way, Chrono.¡±

    Fiona¡¯s white hand reached for my cheek, forcing me to look forward. Her golden eyes were right in front of me, drawing me in.

    ¡°Uh¡ªrry¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this woman that important to you?¡±

    It was as if I was being tested. While her half-eyed gaze was asidback as ever, I felt that way.

    ¡°¡­Yes, just as Lily said, I chose memories. Even though not even a single trace of Shirasaki remains in Sariel, and that she¡¯s nothing more than an empty husk¡­ But even so, I don¡¯t want Sariel to die. I¡¯ve decided to protect her.¡±

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s the worst answer. After all, you¡¯re the worst.¡±

    Seeing Fiona exhale, I realized.

    Would it be the end of my alliance with the Element Master?

    Fiona didn¡¯t forgive me. In the first ce, what I hadmitted was unforgivable. I was aware of that, too. I should¡¯ve seen iting.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Fiona. If this is the end¡ª¡±

    ¡ªSuddenly, Fiona¡¯s face approached. Before I knew it, no distance remained.

    Soft.

    Our lips ovepped.

    ¡°What, are you¡­?¡±

    Fiona pulled back as if nothing had happened. Only then did I realize that I¡¯ve been kissed.

    ¡°Chrono, you¡¯re the worst, but I forgive you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    I made a stupid noise. It didn¡¯t make any sense. In the first ce, I was still wrapping my head around the fact that Fiona had just kissed me¡­

    Boom¡ª!

    My heart was pounding.

    ¡°I forgive you¡ªdo you know why?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be obvious? Because I love you.¡±

    What kind of expression was I making?

    ¡°The truth is, you already know, don¡¯t you?¡±

    After all, Fiona had kissed me. That alone proved that she wasn¡¯t simply ying around.

    ¡°Chrono, I love you.¡±

    A heartfelt confession.

    Just as Elina told me before she departed for the Ghad War, Fiona¡¯s words were so straightforward and crisp that I couldn¡¯t mishear it¡­

    ¡°Fiona, I¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t give an immediate answer. I knew that I was beingme¡ªeven so, it was impossible for me!

    In Elina¡¯s case, I turned her down right away. Since I was concerned about myself and the future, it wasn¡¯t difficult.

    But what about now?

    Fiona apanied me in the decisive battle with Sariel. Without her, we¡¯d have lost the Ghad War. I¡¯d be helpless against the apostle.

    In the first ce, her strength was necessary for me in future battles. After all, Fiona was a rarepanion who could go with the crusaders on the bloody battlefield of Hell.

    For such a person to love me¡­ Moreover, she was also ridiculously beautiful. I¡¯d lost count as to how many times I¡¯d been struck by her beauty. If I wasn¡¯t this pathetic, I¡¯d make a move on her.

    In short, a girl named Fiona was a very rare existence who¡¯d love a brute like me¡­ Originally, I should be the one to bow and confess to her.

    So why wasn¡¯t I tempted to do so until now? Because Lily was there.

    Now that Fiona had confessed to me, why did my worry and distress outweigh the happiness? Because Lily was there.

    Despite knowing that Lily loved me, Fiona still confessed to me¡­

    ¡°Is that what you mean by ¡®choose¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A cruel affirmation, where neither lies nor deceit could be found.

    ¡°Please choose me.¡±

    Was it a wish, or an order? Once again, Fiona¡¯s face approached mine.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    I managed to prevent the second kiss.

    I didn¡¯t shove her, and instead pushed her shoulders back.

    ¡°Am I not good enough?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. Still, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be right to let her kiss me¡­

    ¡°Lily won¡¯t forgive you, Chrono. To be more precise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive Sariel¡¯s existence. Once she returns, she¡¯s more likely to point her de at her again.¡±

    But that was only a spection¡­

    Surely, if Lily cooled her head, she¡¯de to an understanding¡ª

    ¡ªwas a very wishful and convenient thought from me.

    ¡°But if it¡¯s me, I will. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to kill Sariel, I can overlook that. Of course, it¡¯ll take some time before I can forgive you. Even so, I can handle it¡ªas long as you be my lover.¡±

    ¡­To forgive the unforgivable, is that the power of love?

    Fiona¡¯s words were filled with love. Was that her honest feelings? Was that truly what she thought?

    ¡°If I don¡¯t choose Fiona, what¡¯ll happen?¡±

    ¡°Do you have the confidence to turn me and Lily into enemies for the sake of Sariel?¡±

    Chill went down my spine.

    It was a familiar feeling to me, who¡¯d fought countless life-threatening battles. However, it was the first time for me to feel that even though I wasn¡¯t in danger.

    Fiona was serious.

    ¡°Please choose me, Chrono. That way, I can grant your wishes.¡±

    Apparently, a threat can sound so sweet, too¡­

    ¡ªMy instinct told me to not give in.

    To not give up.

    There must be other, better alternatives.

    My rationality cried.

    ¡°Because I love you dearly, I can forgive me for anything, anytime.¡±

    Fiona reached for my face again. I couldn¡¯t stop her. My arms, still holding onto her shoulders, didn¡¯t move in the slightest, as if I¡¯d been petrified by her demonic gaze.

    ¡°Now, answer me, Chrono.¡±

    Fiona closed in for the third time akin to a beast that relentlessly pursued her prey.

    However, no matter how many times I beheld the face of this girl, who threatened me amidst her love confession, she was still beautiful.

    Somehow, I just couldn¡¯t believe it. Did I truly fight alongside such a beautiful girl until now?

    One early summer day, when I first met her, sheid defenselessly on the side of the highway in the middle of evening; the memories of surviving Alsace; living in Spada; and facing the decisive battle of Ghad¡ªthose memories shed across my mind.

    Always, no matter what, she¡¯d be sure to look at me with that sleepy, expressionless face.

    I¡ª

    ¡°¡ªAlright, Fiona. Let¡¯s get closer. No, if you¡¯re alright with me, why don¡¯t we go out? From now on, as a lover, and not a friend.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Chrono.¡±

    Thus, I epted the second kiss.

    As we locked lips together in a trance, tears overflowed from her face.

 Chapter 524

    <h4>Chapter 524</h4>

    524 The Answer

    The talk was over.

    Afterwards, we had dinner and went to sleep.

    Sheer exhaustion pervaded me¡ªit was as if I¡¯d survived a long, arduous battle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    Fiona was her usual old self. Usual attitude, usual words, usual mood¡­

    Just because she had be my lover, it¡¯d be troublesome if she suddenly acted like a spoiled cat. Right now, it was safe to say that I didn¡¯t have the confidence to deal with such a thing.

    Hence why, I was d Fiona behaved like usual.

    ¡­Although, she cried just now.

    ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare dinner.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. What about Sariel?¡±

    ¡°She was asleep. She can just shower tomorrow.¡±

    As a side note, Sariel went to sleep in an extra room in the dormitory. Since spare sheets and nkets were always avable, she was free to use another bed.

    ¡°Back in the vige, did Kurono help Sariel take a bath?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Despite being the one asking, Fiona was unenthusiastic.

    ¡­Did it bother her?

    The man she loved saw the naked body of another woman every day.

    If I was in her shoes, it¡¯d be impossible for me to not care. Also, her curt reply was kind of scary.

    ¡°Then, what about her diet?¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s still awake, I¡¯ll feed her.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t just propose for all of us to eat together. On the surface, Fiona might agree, but there was no way she¡¯d take kindly to it.

    ¡°About Sariel¡¯s missing limbs¡­ Did you give her any potions?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t give her anything because I can¡¯t find anything useful.¡±

    ¡°I have a fairly potent healing potion. If you give it to her, while it won¡¯t regenerate her missing limbs, I think that it¡¯ll help her better in the long run.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it really alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, with the only downside being that it tastes so gross, you¡¯re better off dead than drinking it.¡±

    ¡°T-then, let¡¯s not¡­¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Even if slowly, Sariel¡¯s wounds should be healing. For the time being, I had managed to convince others to let her stay.

    Well, the rest was up to the Sparda army, but let¡¯s not think about that today.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After asking all those questions, Fiona rushed to the shower.

    Since the shower had been left vacant for a while, it must¡¯ve been filthy¡­ Still, Fiona should be able to do something about it with water magic.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Left alone, I sighed deeply.

    Howme.

    Is this really alright?

    Despite my dilemma, it wasn¡¯t like there was anything I could do.

    ¡°Then, how about some soup?¡±

    I decided to stop fussing about it and focus on cooking. Perhaps, as an escapism.

    While we didn¡¯t have any food left, we still had the supplies that Lily and the others prepared for our return to Spada.

    Let¡¯s make it simple and just use that for today.

    For the first time in a while, I stood in the kitchen of the dormitory. nkly, I started a fire in the hearth.

    Thus, I cooked in autopilot mode, forgetting the passage of time.

    I added the finely-diced ingredients into the pot, before grilling the thickly-sliced bacon. Even though they were leftover ingredients, they were much better than the ones I had in the cultivation vige.

    Surely, Reki and Urs would rejoice at the sight of the bacon and white bread alone. When I remembered the smiles of the two of them¡ªwhich remained in my heart¡ªI felt a bit warmer.

    ¡°¡ªBack.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just in time.¡±

    Nice timing, Fiona had just finished showering. Instead of her usual witchy garb, she¡¯d changed into casual loungewear. Seeing that familiar, light blue cape on her reminded me of my daily life in Spada.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. I¡¯ll be sure to clean the rest and bring some to Sariel. After this, please have some rest.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±

    Our casual exchange made the past happenings difficult to believe. Seeing how nonchnt Fiona was, I began to feel self-conscious.

    ¡­Am I the only one overthinking?

    ¡ªAlso, did Fiona really be my girlfriend?

    I honestly didn¡¯t feel like such was the case.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kurono? Are you dozing off?¡±

    ¡°No, never mind¡­¡±

    I prevented myself from overthinking once again and sat down at the table.

    ¡­Yeah, for now let¡¯s just finish eating and head to bed.

    I¡¯ll just leave future nning and all the specifics that came with it to my tomorrow self.

    ***

    (Fiona¡¯s POV)

    I knocked on the old wooden door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    After hearing the soft, faint reply, I opened the door.

    Thus, I saw a room with the sameyout and size as my own. However, since it¡¯d seldom been used, it only consisted of a desk, a chair, a closet, and a bed.

    The new owner of the previously vacant room was the 7th Apostle¡ªSariel¡ªwho was currently lying on the bed.

    ¡°I brought you food.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    A mechanical response came from the nk-faced owner.

    I didn¡¯t know what went through her mind.

    ¡­No, is she even thinking at all?

    ¡°Kurono made this soup. Please eat it while it¡¯s still warm.¡±

    Then, I ced the bowl filled with piping hot soup on the floor, right in the middle of the room. It was almost as if I was feeding a dog.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sariel stared alternately between the soup and me. She didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hurry up and eat.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you hate me?¡±

    ¡°Who cares, I¡¯m telling you to hurry up and eat.¡±

    I casually tugged her long, lustrous silver hair and dragged her out of the bed.

    Whether it was because she was limbless, or because she was petite and slender, I was able to drag her to the floor.

    With a thud, Sariel fell t on the floor, but she didn¡¯t make a single noise.

    Well, considering that she¡¯d undergone the same remodeling surgery as Kurono, a fall of that height wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, it isn¡¯t like you need a spoon.¡±

    ¡ªActually, I didn¡¯t bring it from the beginning.

    I only brought her soup¡ªand one extra thing.

    ¡°This is a healing potion. Do savor it.¡±

    I knew that Kurono was reluctant about letting Sariel drink it. But since we both wanted the best for her, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Above all, this woman was undeserving of the soup he made.

    I popped the potion vial open, before letting the deep blue, slimy liquid dribble into her soup.

    ¡°¡­Nn.¡±

    With her remaining left arm, Sariel crawled clumsily on the floor. After dragging herself for a few meters, she finally reached the te of soup containing the disgusting potion.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±

    After muttering in a ridiculously polite manner, Sariel lightly brought her face towards the soup and startedpping it like a dog.

    ¡­For the strongest warrior of the Sinir Republic to be reduced into this state.

    Is this the end of the one of the twelve holy humans closest to God¡ªthe 7th Apostle, Sariel?

    ¡°You look so pathetic, Sariel.¡±

    As she leaned against the soup te, I stepped on her head. I mercilessly pressed the sole of my favorite boots¡ªdirty after traversing the Ghad Mountains¡ªagainst her shining silver hair.

    Someone of her capability should be able to easily evade and counter it, yet Sariel endured the humiliating gesture without any resistance.

    Her beautiful, pure white face sank into the nasty, gooey blue liquid that was a mixture of soup and potion.

    ¡°I won¡¯t show you any mercy, for I detest you.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the type to mince my words. I just said whatever that went through my mind.

    Therefore, I¡¯d just be honest with her. Besides, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to hide it.

    ¡°I want to kill you right now.¡±

    ¡ªYet I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t kill her.

    After all, that was the absolute prerequisite that I had to stomach in order to win Kurono.

    ¡ªYes, Lily can¡¯t stand it, but I can.

    ¡­Because I¡¯d been preparing myself for it for a long time.

    It wasn¡¯t until after the Last Rose Subjugation in the Asbel Mountains that I became convinced of our differences. I asked her about the dream Kurono had.

    Her answer was, ¡°He dreamed of his hometown.¡±

    I asked her to borate. Apparently, Kurono might have a lover in his hometown.

    However, Lily abruptly ended the conversation in the middle. She wouldn¡¯t listen¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t even entertain the possibility of Kurono loving someone else. Or, to put it simply, that he might not be a virgin.

    Such was Lily¡¯s biggest fear¡ªthat Kurono had bedded another woman.

    Is it because she¡¯s a fairy?

    Akin to the ideals of the Crusaders, Lily¡¯s strict when it came to chastity. Perhaps, ¡°virtuous¡± was the correct term.

    A respected concept of chastity that women of the world should embrace.

    ¡­Nevertheless, Lily, it¡¯s a bit cruel to impose that ideal on a man?

    I¡¯d decided to only give my virginity to the one I love. However, I couldn¡¯t possibly ask the same of Kurono? After all, he¡¯d spend 17 long years in a peaceful, different world called Japan that we didn¡¯t have a clue about. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he had past flings. Besides, he was already at the age where he could get married and have children.

    ¡ªI still didn¡¯t know.

    I still didn¡¯t know if Kurono truly had a lover back in his hometown. If not, would that make Sariel his first?

    I¡¯d be lying if I said it didn¡¯t bother me. But I no longer cared. I¡¯d resolved myself to move past that.

    From the beginning, I¡¯d given up on being Kurono¡¯s ¡°first.¡± Lily, on the other hand, was vying for it. Such was the difference between the two of us.

    Therefore, from the moment I saw Kurono holding Sariel in Alsace Fortress, I was convinced that I had won.

    I had something to confess¡ª

    ¡ªThe realization struck me in an instant.

    Kurono couldn¡¯t kill Sariel.

    Thus, I decided to take advantage of it. The rtionship between him and Sariel¡ªor to be precise, with that girl from his hometown. Shirasaki Yuriko. When I heard about their rtionship, I soon understood that the rtionship between the two wasplicated.

    ¡­However, it wasn¡¯t like he wholeheartedly loved her, either. Kurono didn¡¯t seem to be interested in marrying Sariel, but that alone was enough.

    By holding Sariel hostage, Kurono couldn¡¯t turn down my confession. At the same time, she also inadvertently became my weapon to eliminate Lily¡ªmy strongest love rival.

    Due to her integrity, Lily would never forgive Sariel for making love with Kurono.

    She was so disappointed, so much that she conceded easily. Akin to a fragile maiden, she destely cried and ran away.

    Thankfully, yes, thankfully, he didn¡¯t refuse¡­

    Kurono, you¡¯re way too serious.

    Under normal circumstances, any man would reject a woman who approached him so unscrupulously. Heck, I wouldn¡¯t even me them for resorting to violence.

    Yet, Kurono didn¡¯t. No matter how inconvenient it was, he listened to my every word.

    How he must suffer¡ª!

    I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer, Kurono¡­

    However, foolish joy outweighed my remorse.

    ¡°¡ªAlright, Fiona. Let¡¯s get closer. No, if you¡¯re alright with me, why don¡¯t we go out? From now on, as a lover, and not a friend.¡±

    The moment I heard those words, I became the happiest girl in the world.

    My wish hade true.

    I couldn¡¯t wish for anything more.

    Hence why, I could endure it, I was even willing to permit Sariel¡¯s existence.

    ¡°¡ªHey, it¡¯s spilling. Please drink it properly.¡±

    When I suddenly came to, Sariel¡¯s face was still immersed in the soup. The discolored soup had been soiled by the white vixen and the dusty floor.

    ¡°Phew¡­ Haa¡­¡±

    Sariel¡¯s breath was slightly hurried.

    Geez, it¡¯s just a te of soup.

    It wasn¡¯t like she was drowning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    I was different from the lowly female students at the magic academy who¡ªdespite being of noble birth¡ªwere ugly, vulgar, insidious, and were prone to bullying.

    Right now, I was just losing my cool for a bit.

    ¡­Although, even if I had prepared myself, when Crono did confess to it¡ª

    ¡ªSuffice to say, if Lily wasn¡¯t there, I¡¯d probably resorted to killing.

    That was how shocked and disturbed I was.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t betray Kurono, I¡¯ll guarantee your safety.¡±

    But of course, I¡¯d also wee it if she secretly colluded with the Crusaders, because I¡¯d then have an excuse to get rid of her.

    At the same time, it¡¯d be risky for me to do something so unnecessary here. If, by any chance, Kurono found out that I tried to set Sariel up, this rtionship will end.

    It¡¯d be equally as risky to continue with this kind of bullying. No matter how soft he was, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d tolerate such a rotten woman.

    My job here was done. If the need arises, I¡¯d take care of Sariel. No, I¡¯d take the initiative. As if I¡¯d let Kurono bathe Sariel¡­

    ¡°Please refrain from causing me any problem. Above all, it¡¯d be helpful if you could hurry up and finish that nd soup, since I¡¯m in charge of cleaning.¡±

    Thus, I silently waited as the 7th Apostle ufortablypped the soup like a dog.

    Afterwards, I cleaned the soup stain from the floor, put away the te, wiped Sariel¡¯s face, ced her on the bed¡­ and then;

    ¡ªIt¡¯s time for the finishing touches.

    ¡°Aah, how nervous I am, since it¡¯s my first night¡ª¡±

    ***

    (Kurono¡¯s POV)

    For now, let¡¯s head to bed.

    But when I finally went to bed, a sudden realization hit me.

    I know it.

    The source of my fatigue was all mental. Physically, I wasn¡¯t exhausted in the least.

    Certainly, we were in a bit of a rush when we crossed the Ghad Mountains and returned from the fortress to Spada. It was a moderately steep, yet reasonable long distance. Still, since I started the trip prepared with enough equipment, my body wasn¡¯t overburdened.

    Now that I thought about it, the only joyous reunion I had so far was with my horse¡ªNightmare. The moment it saw me, it began to neigh and licked my face all over. It was totally different from Sariel¡¯s Pegasus.

    Speaking of which, had Sariel fallen asleep yet?

    Come to think of it, she was present when Fiona confessed to me. I wondered what she¡¯d think of the bloody mess. Will she, who had Shirasaki¡¯s memory, think of me as an indecisive, useless, guy?

    After living in the cultivation vige, she had regained a semnce of her humanity. Well, I¡¯d like to believe that was the case. Perhaps, that was why I started regarding her as a regr person. Even though it shouldn¡¯t have mattered what Sariel thought of me¡­

    Yeah, that¡¯s a bad idea.

    ¡°Kurono, are you still awake?¡±

    At Fiona¡¯s voice, apanied by the knocking of the door, my heart thumped.

    ¡°Yes, I am. What¡¯s the matter, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°May Ie in?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I had no reason to refuse.

    Maybe, she failed to get Sariel to eat the soup.

    If such was the case, I¡¯d do it in her stead.

    The priest, Kuroe¡ªwho¡¯d been caring for Sariel for three months¡ªshall teach her how to politely and generously¡ª

    ¡ªthe foolish thought was swept away in an instant.

    ¡°Oh, hey¡­ Fiona, that outfit is¡­¡±

    The image of her opening the door with an interiormp in hand loomed vaguely in the darkness.

    Still, I could tell right away that she was wearing a scant, one-piece negligee. Considering I¡¯d seen her in pajamas quite a few times, it shouldn¡¯te off as a surprise¡ª

    ¡ªbut this was just different.

    I had never seen her in such an outfit before. It was apparent at a nce that the fabric was thin¡ªno, it¡¯s actually transparent¡­

    In fact, the same could be said about her outfit as a whole. It was see-through to the point that I wondered if there was even a meaning to wearing it in the first ce.

    At the same time, I could vividly make out her contour, and even her bare skin. I could also see her navel, and underneath it, was ck¡­ Due to my good night vision, I didn¡¯t fail to catch her rather risqu¨¦, bikini-type, ck pants.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    Why did she say it as if it was something she usually wears?

    ¡­It¡¯s too stimting for a virgin!

    Although, I was no longer a virgin. Even so, as a man who was unused to women, I tried my best to avert my gaze from her enticing appearance.

    ¡°N-no, not at all, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Does it not suit me after all?¡±

    ¡°I, I think, it looks good on you, yeah¡­¡±

    On top of stuttering, I wondered how credible my answer was when I directed it to a wall.

    Still, I was being honest when I said that it suited her.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought I¡¯d talk with Kurono for a bit more.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then, I also have something I¡¯d like to ask you¡ªhuh!?¡±

    Just when I thought Fiona was approaching the bed, she didn¡¯t stop. She drew closer.

    For a moment, my nket was removed, and chilly air rushed in. But the next moment, I felt the warmth and softness of human skin. Apparently, Fiona was hugging me from behind. The sensation of her hands crawling from my back akin to snakes made me shudder.

    ¡°Hey, Fiona, wait a minute, this is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªIsn¡¯t it alright? We¡¯re lovers.¡±

    Is this some kind of sneak attack?

    No, wait a minute. Certainly, she¡¯d confessed, but that was just a moment ago. Besides, I didn¡¯t have the mental preparation to¡ª

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Kurono.¡±

    Her somewhat dejected apology stopped my train of thoughts.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°My confession was terrible, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡ªIf you want her to stay alive, go out with me.

    Such was the gist of Fiona¡¯s confession. As for whether or not it was terrible, of course it was. In fact, rather than a confession, it could even be considered as a threat¡ªa criminal act.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I¡¯m sure Fiona has suffered all this time. Therefore, you must¡¯ve been desperate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was really terrified of being rejected by Kurono¡­¡±

    The fact that she even said such an outrageous thing proved that her feelings weren¡¯t half-hearted, regardless of how dense I was.

    ¡°¡ªHence why I wanted you to ept me, even if it was a lie.¡±

    ¡°¡ªIt wasn¡¯t a lie. If I truly didn¡¯t like it, I would¡¯ve rejected you, even if it means using force.¡±

    Back when the confession took ce, we were at the dormitory¡¯s lounge, and in a close proximity. If a battle had ensued¡ªI, a berserker, would¡¯ve had a better chance at victory than Fiona, a magician. In fact, I could even forcibly subdue her using brute force.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s, but, I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°When I had to choose, I had to admit that I was troubled. But to be able to choose between Lily and Fiona in itself was probably the most luxurious choice in the world. And I ended up choosing the best woman.¡±

    Fiona¡¯s arms tightened around my body.

    How¡¯d she receive my words?

    She might be surprised, or in decided that it was a lie¡ªno, she might not even care.

    Being honest about what I felt was honestly scary, but I couldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°What I did with Sariel was unforgivable. Not even Lily was willing to forgive me. But Fiona, you¡ªand only you said that you¡¯d forgive me.¡±

    ¡­Even though I knew it was just a white lie.

    ¡°Thank you for forgiving me.¡±

    Surely, that was all that I wanted.

    The fake days I spent with Sariel, whom I couldn¡¯t kill. In the end, I couldn¡¯t find the answer myself.

    How should I treat Sariel? What is it that I want to do?

    ¡­Above all, how should I redeem myself after failing to kill Sariel?

    The answer was infinitely simple¡ª

    ¡ªI just wanted someone to forgive me.

    ¡°I love you, Fiona.¡±

    Suddenly, she released me.

    But soon, she returned. Now, she was hugging me from the front.

    Fiona came over me while I was lying on my back. Half of my nket had fallen off the bed. It felt somewhat chilly.

    ¡°Hmm¡ª¡±

    ¡ªA third kiss. No, I didn¡¯t know how many times it had been. Fiona rained kisses on me, over and over again.

    My heart raced as her indescribably soft lips pressed fiercely against mine. But rather than feeling as if my consciousness was swept away, I felt overtaken by my instincts.

    ¡ªAnd I knew that sensation all too well.

    I see¡­

    When I gave up on everything and kissed Sariel on my own volition, it was also like this.

    As if unsatisfied with those mere sensations alone, my lips began to part at a certain slimy and small foreign thing.

    Then, Fiona¡¯s tongue slid between my parted lips. In the small crevice that was my mouth, our tongues began to ovep with each other.

    ¡°¡ªNn, ugh, wait, Fiona!¡±

    Only by pushing her shoulders did I manage to stop her advance.

    ¡°W-why¡­¡±

    Fiona¡¯s face was dyed in a faint vermillion color as if she was feverish. Even without her saying a word, her excitement was conveyed loud and clear.

    ¡°No more¡­ That¡¯s enough for tonight. Please stop¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Do you find me unattractive?¡±

    ¡°Until I speak to Lily, I can¡¯t hold you.¡±

    What significance would talking to Lily have? At the very least, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to exin in my own words why it¡¯d be important.

    Nevertheless, I had a conviction¡ªa conviction that I couldn¡¯t afford to be swept away by this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiona. I¡¯m just being selfish¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Fiona affirmed after a while.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t wait for too long.¡±

    ¡°Yes, next time, I¡¯ll be the one to invite you.¡±

    Seeing Fiona in such a lewd state, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have it in me to refuse. Somehow, despite the fact that such an attractive girl wanted me, I was able to stop the act¡­ I felt proud of my rationality.

    ¡°Hoo¡­ Is that so? If such is the case, then I might be able to wait for a little bit longer.¡±

    Fiona let out a luscious sigh before drawing away from me¡ªat the loss of herforting weight, I felt somewhat regretful¡­

    Fiona slipped out of the bed and took themp that was by my bedside. Apparently, she was going back to her own room.

    ¡°Uhm, Kurono.¡±

    But she couldn¡¯t leave¡ª

    ¡ªI had caught her wrist, holding her back.

    ¡°¡­Sorry, but can you spend the night with me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible, Kurono. You might as well kill me.¡±

    As she spoke, she seemed terribly embarrassed.

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you, let me care for you.¡±

    ¡ªThis much should be fine.

    ¡°Fine, then. After all¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAfter all, she¡¯s my lover.

 Chapter 525

    <h4>Chapter 525</h4>

    525 Consultation

    When I woke up the next morning, Fiona was already gone. However, my face felt a bit sticky¡ªshe must¡¯ve yed a prank on me after she got up.

    Even so, I felt somewhat refreshed after a night¡¯s sleep. While my concerns and problems hadn¡¯t been resolved, I felt rejuvenated. Perhaps, having Fiona sleep beside me was more rxing than I expected. Apparently, taking the plunge was worth the effort.

    ¡­Still, in the end, Lily didn¡¯te back¡ªeven in the morning. It¡¯d be safe to assume that she wouldn¡¯t be returning for a while.

    I felt truly depressed, but a new day had begun.

    ¡°Take care, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I should be back by evening.¡±

    Breakfast passed without a hitch¡­ Actually, when I was about to feed Sariel, Fiona intervened with Ainz Bloom. Other than that, I made all the necessary preparations and left the dormitory.

    By the way, for the first time in my life, I experienced the so-called ¡°Deep Kiss.¡±

    As I waited until the bubbly sensation subsided, I went straight for my destination. Even so, it was a distance of only 5-minute walk. Located on the seminary grounds, it was a dormitory exclusive for cadets.

    ¡°¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never been here before.¡±

    I came to visit my best friend, Will. He was none other than the second prince of Spada¡ªWilhardt Tristan Spada.

    ¡°¡ªAbove all, I¡¯m d that you¡¯ve returned safely.¡±

    For the first time in a long while, I was reunited with Wilhardt. Partly because I visited before the start of the ss, I didn¡¯t miss him or get stuck in a queue.

    Wilhardt¡ªwho cried tears of joy at our reunion¡ªregained hisposure as we went up to his room. There, his maid¡ªCelia¡ªserved us tea. He was as emotional as ever, and I was relieved at that.

    Even more so when my rtionship with the Element Master had undergone such a drastic change.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask this just in case, but you aren¡¯t in the middle of a ss, right?¡±

    ¡°¡ªPfft, since ancient times, it¡¯s been said that, ¡®Once a friend returns from the battlefield, they¡¯re no longer fun!¡¯ As if I¡¯ll let something as trivial as a ss hinder our reunion!¡±

    Looking at how Will¡ªan exemry high school student¡ªproudly dered that he was skipping ss, I was a bit worried¡­ Still, I was grateful towards him.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a relief. Let me warn you, it¡¯s going to be a long story?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, go ahead. I also have a lot of questions.¡±

    Thus, Will and I settled down and started talking.

    As a matter of course, our run-down dormitory couldn¡¯t bepared to the one that was dedicated for executives. Due to the well-built construction, I didn¡¯t have to worry about being eavesdropped.

    Celia¡ªthe escort maid¡ªwas present alongside him. She¡¯d inadvertently hear our conversation, but it didn¡¯t matter. After all, it wasn¡¯t something that should be kept secret for a long time.

    After making that decision, I filled him in on what happened at the end of the Ghad War and the teleportation magic. Afterwards, about how I hid in a cultivation vige until the snow melted, before returning to Spada. I briefly summarized the outline.

    ¡°Hmm, generally speaking, it went as I expected. Besides, Lily had also informed me about a letter from Kurono that confirmed his safety.¡±

    Surely, Lily informed him while returning to Sparda to prepare equipment such as the ¡®Predator Coat.¡¯

    ¡°Still, what worries me the most is the fate of the 7th Apostle, Sariel, our greatest enemy. Did you kill her? Or did you spare her?¡±

    ¡°¡­About that, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss. Or rather, that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here today.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I captured Sariel alive. She¡¯s in my dormitory right now.¡±

    ¡°W-w-w-w-what!?¡±

    However, when Wilhardt was about to scream, both me and Celia rushed to block his mouth.

    ¡°Forgive me, Lord Will. We can¡¯t possibly let such a story leak to the outside.¡±

    ¡°Mm, nn¡­¡±

    Will made a slightly painful ¡°okay¡± gesture. For the time being, Celia and I let go of him since he¡¯d calmed down.

    ¡°Before anything else, let me affirm this¡ªI have no ill will towards Sariel, as she no longer retains her power as an apostle. Moreover, she¡¯d awakened to the divine protection of Dark Knight Freesia.¡±

    ¡°¡­We also don¡¯t have to worry about her escaping?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If she¡¯s going to escape, she¡¯d have done so since long ago. No, she might even be able to finish me off while I was asleep.¡±

    ¡°No way, you cohabitated with the enemy general for three months¡­¡±

    Well, that¡¯s one way to put it.

    I nodded deeply.

    ¡°Hm, even if such is the case, I don¡¯t really understand. Kurono, why would you let your nemesis¡ªthe apostle, live?¡±

    Of course, he¡¯d be skeptical.

    To be honest, the series of events that led me to sparing Sariel wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant memory that I¡¯d like to recount over and over again. After all, Lily had traumatized me by running away in tears. Despite so, I still have to exin the circumstances.

    For the time being, it was easier to talk to Will, who was on the same wavelength as me. Above all, he knew that I was summoned from another world, making everything simple.

    ¡°Actually, Sariel¡¯s true identity is¡ª¡±

    ¡ªThus, I revealed all the circumstances.

    ¡°¡ªUgh, guh¡­ I see, so that¡¯s how it is, how¡ªhow painful it must be!¡±

    As a result, Will burst into tears and expressed great sympathy for my situation.

    I was d that he understood me as a friend¡ªbut on the other hand, I felt bad for making him sad.

    ¡°It was rough, yes. I was really worried. Even now, there are still some loose ends. Nevertheless, Sariel is an apostle, and the formermander of the Crusaders. I can¡¯t keep it hidden forever. First, I¡¯d like to know what options I have in that regard.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see¡­ I understand what you¡¯re getting at! Well, thank you for relying on me! Leave everything to me! This prodigal Wilhardt Tristan Spada shall guide you to your desired answer!¡±

    I received a very reliable reply. For some reason, Will even stood up and spoke confidently. His cape fluttered, while his monocle shone¡ªhe looked like an intelligent and keen character.

    ¡°Then, what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Well, simple, we just have to make sure that the prisoner of war¡ªformer Crusader Sariel¡ªstay by your side.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be best¡­ But isn¡¯t it quite difficult? I heard that the 8th Apostle, Ai, was sealed in the royal castle.¡±

    Will provided a detailed supplementary exnation of the circumstances leading up to Ai¡¯s incarceration.

    After her capture in Ghad, due to her special status as an ¡°Apostle¡±, hostage negotiations and subsequent treatment within the country were supposed to be decided by a military trial. However, King Leonhart¡ªwho was aware of the danger of her power¡ªimmediately sealed her in the royal castle. Apparently, he even issued a royal decree.

    Therefore, would it really be okay to bring Sariel to the royal castle in the middle of Spada? Not to mention, it was said that the lowest level of the dungeon there was the imprable. After all, the structure was fundamentally different from ordinary prisons, which were simply carved with steel and sealing magic.

    The ¡°prison¡±¡ªwhich used a part of the ancient ruins, seemed to even freeze time. However, the mechanism behind it was left vague because modern magic technology couldn¡¯t urately study its principles and effects. While the details were unknown, those who were put in said prison would be frozen in time. They¡¯d fall into a state where they couldn¡¯t even think, let alone move.

    Since the prison itself seemed like a huge block of ice, it was called the ¡°Gap of Cocytus¡±, probably after the frozen Hell of ancient mythology.

    Ai, who was sealed in such a majestic prison, would be thawed from time to time. However, it was limited to her head. They did it to interrogate her about the crusaders and the apostles. It was expected that it¡¯d take some time to sessfully extract information from her.

    ¡°Even though Sariel lost her divine protection, she was still an apostle. As such, I¡¯m worried that she¡¯d be thrown into the ¡®Gap of Cocytus¡¯ like Ai.¡±

    ¡°But as of the present, hasn¡¯t Sariel been reduced into a state where only her left arm remains? Since our army also wants information about the enemy, if possible, we¡¯d like to keep her in a state where she¡¯d still be able to answer questions.¡±

    If Will knew that she could use both ckening and thunder element to make up for her missing limbs, would his response change? ¡­Well, it wasn¡¯t like she could just regenerate her missing limbs. Besides, there were many ways to deal with her.

    ¡°At least, her current divine protection will be examined by the Pandora Temple. If we can prove that she indeed has the divine protection of Dark Knight Freesia, we might be able to lower our level of vignce even further.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that just a difference between going into Cocytus or going into a regr prison?¡±

    ¡°This is where it gets important¡ªwe won¡¯t just be sitting idly. Kurono, you have to appeal to my father¡ªKing Leonhart.¡±

    ¡­Appeal directly to the king? Don¡¯t make me nervous.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You¡¯re the diator of the Fourth Squad. Celia, fetch me something from the third row from the top of the bookshelf; the fourth and the seventh from the right; and the third from the bottom left.¡±

    Will gave instructions without even ncing at therge bookshelf that upied a considerable amount of space in the room.

    Does that mean he remembers the position of all the books? Is it thanks to his memorizing skill, or he¡¯s just proficient at storing them? Either way, that¡¯s so cool!

    ¡°I believe these are the books you¡¯re asking for? ¡®96¡¯s Spada Laws¡¯, ¡®Interpretation of Ancient Law II Vol. 1¡¯, and ¡®Doki! Dungeon Capture Full of Busty Elves ¨C Mansion of Subus¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Y-you idiot! Don¡¯t include something from the hidden row! It¡¯s the third from the bottom row to the left!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, then is it, ¡®Adventurer¡¯s Rights Protection Vol. 3¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Thank you for your assistance. First of all, ording to this Spardaw¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªHey, Will? Just now, I heard a strange title.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what are you talking about? The maid just made a trivial mistake, don¡¯t be so nitpicky.¡±

    ¡°I-I see¡­ Well, if you don¡¯t mind, may I borrow it next time?¡±

    ¡°Of course, my collection is the best. You may borrow whatever you want.¡±

    After deepening our bond as a man, Will returned to the main topic.

    ¡°If an officially recruited adventurer¡ªin other words, a ¡®diator¡¯, was recognized for his merits on the battlefield, they¡¯ll have the right to negotiate their merits.¡±

    However, the request of the diator usually went through the officer from Sparda Knight¡ªor at the most, the general who led the corps. In this case, it¡¯d be the first prince¡ªEisenhardt, who held the highest rank as a negotiating partner. After all, if everything was left to the king, there was no end to it.

    ¡°However, since the oue of the battle depended on you, your achievements could be considered to be immense. It can be said that they are almost on par to my father¡¯s sess in toppling the Dragon King Garvinal in a singlebat.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so? It wasn¡¯t that great¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t say that. The most important thing in negotiation for military achievements is how you exaggerate your own achievements. While humility may be a virtue, it won¡¯t serve you any good in this one.¡±

    Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t good at that sort of thing, and Will saw through me.

    ¡°Regardless, your military exploits remain an object of admiration. Even if you were to remain silent, I¡¯m sure my father will even bestow a title upon you.¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of bing a noble, but¡­ But if it¡¯s as you said, I wonder if my selfish request would be granted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your odds of winning are decent.¡±

    With a firm nod, Will opened the erotic book Celia had brought¡ªnot, but a Spada¡¯s thickw book, before continuing.

    ¡°Fortunately, your side hasn¡¯t been bestowed with any rewards, yet. It seems that both Lily and Fiona dedicated themselves to your rescue are also not rewarded as of yet.¡±

    Even if they confirmed my safety through the letter, they were inadvertently worried. Especially because there was no follow-up from me. After all, sending a secondter would prove to be too risky for me, since I might be rooted out by the Crusaders.

    Apparently, Lily promptly returned to Ghad Fortress after making preparations for her rescue in Sparda, where she and Fiona spent three months together until the snow melted. Suffice to say, they went through a lot.

    Since I enjoyed a slow life in the cultivation vige, I couldn¡¯t help but be assailed by tremendous guilt.

    ¡°There are several types of rewards for adventurers. While most of them are basically paid in money, there are also objects; such as expensive armaments, magic instruments, magical artifacts, or evennd and business rights. Also, as I mentioned earlier, there have been several precedents in history for a status¡ªsuch as a peerage¡ª constituting as a reward.¡±

    The fact that there was a simr case in the past would make it easier for me to proceed with the request. That way, I could ask for the same.

    ¡°But¡­ Neither money, physical goods, or status are rted to Sariel¡¯s freedom.¡±

    ¡°Bwahaha! Don¡¯t be so hasty to decide, Kurono! I¡¯ve already found a surefire way for this negotiation!¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    Amazing, as expected of Will!

    If all goes well, the current issue may as well be half-solved.

    It may sound pathetic, but I wasn¡¯t good at dealing with stress. If possible, I wanted to get rid of the burden as soon as possible.

    ¡°Hey, the answer is actually real simple¡ª¡±

    ¡®Fufu¡¯, Will showed a perfect smile¡ª

    ¡°¡ªYou should appeal to have Sariel as your ve.¡±

 Chapter 526

    <h4>Chapter 526</h4>

    526 Not even Death can Cure Stupidity

    ¡°¡­ve, huh.¡±

    I had a lot to prepare for!

    Thus, I parted from Will and left the dormitory. When I looked up towards the blue skies, which reflected the exact opposite color of my bleak heart, I earnestly murmured.

    Certainly, Will¡¯s n to enve Sariel would serve as a perfect solution.

    ¡°¡­As a human, I can¡¯t condone it at all.¡±

    That¡¯s rich,ing from me¡­

    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but say it.

    In this other world, very still existed. Since it was the lowest ranking ss in society, it wasmonce. At the same time, in modern society on Earth, there were probably more than a few people who were treated like ves, even if they weren¡¯t one.

    However, to someone who came from modern Japan like me, very was a thing of the past¡ªa thing that one could onlye across in fiction. As such, there was no way I could ¡°realistically¡± imagine someone who¡¯d been stripped of all human rights¡ªlet alone put myself in their shoes. Even now, at the mention of ¡°ves¡±, all I could picture was the image of people plowing the wastnds in ragged clothes; digging mines with bare hands; or spinning that giant mill-thing¡­

    Although, one would argue that as a subject to human experimentation, I was the closest being to a ve.

    Nevertheless¡­ for the time being, I had no intention of tormenting Sariel.

    ¡°¡­Still, is that the only way?¡±

    Even if I was presently in another world, I had never dealt with any ves before. The closest thing I had to one was during a bandit subjugation in Fahrenheit. At that time, I helped a girl who was about to be sold into very.

    Even then, she wasn¡¯t being whipped or being subjected to manualbor and the likes.

    Moreover, in Spada, there was aw that forbade excessive abuse of ves. As such, the ves weren¡¯t treated like insects. Despite being called ves, each of them had different specialties. Regardless, even the cheapest of ves was worth 100,000 ns, making them luxury goods. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be umon for the price of a top-tier ve to reach billions. Since they were as pricey as a sports car, perhaps it was understandable that they¡¯d be treated well.

    ¡­In the end, it came down to whether or not I could stomach it.

    Sariel would be a ve in name only, while her quality of life would be up to me¡ªher master. As the sole owner, no one else had the right to interfere.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what else I¡¯m supposed to do¡­¡±

    No matter how much I pondered about it, the answer still escaped me. How should I treat Sariel? Even if Fiona forgave me, I was aware that being too lenient with Sariel wouldn¡¯t help.

    ¡°¡­But well, maybe this is okay? For now, I should focus on carrying out Will¡¯s n, and think about the restter.¡±

    Unable to reach a decision, I decided to postpone the issue once again. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    ¡°¡ªY-you, are you Kurono?¡±

    At that moment, a voice came from behind. It was a familiar-sounding, masculine voice.

    Despite having been exclusively referred to as ¡®Kuroe¡¯ or ¡®Priest¡¯ until a while ago, I was able to respond immediately when I was called by the correct name.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡­ Aren¡¯t you Kai?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    Without a doubt, the man who sported a bright smile was Kai Est Galbraith¡ªthe swordsman of Winglord.

    ¡®Why are you here?¡¯

    Was what I was about to ask until I saw his uniform. As a student, it was only natural for him to be on campus.

    However, there was a more pressing concern.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get stabbed by Sariel?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, what a miserable sight it was! But hey, you aren¡¯t wrong. I got pierced right in the middle of my chest!¡±

    ¡­I felt somewhat¡ªno, quite concerned when Kai began to strike his chest. After all, the cheerful man had suffered a fatal wound there¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, did you be Saphir¡¯s manservant?¡±

    ¡°¡ªThen my death would be in vain.¡±

    Apparently, he hadn¡¯t be an undead. I¡¯d heard that a necromancer¡ªor to be precise, master necromancer¡ªcould create an undead that was a human look-alike.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, then. I¡¯m d you survived.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I indeed sustained a lethal injury.¡±

    ¡ªThen, did he get revived?

    ¡°My divine protection is [Immortal Champion: Svaldias]. Apparently, I¡¯ve mastered it to the level that I could survive a fatal blow once.¡±

    ¡°¡­Haha, now that¡¯s the kind of ability that you can¡¯t just test out willy-nilly.¡±

    ¡­After all, I¡¯d have to get killed first¡ªand it had to be an instant death.

    ¡°Yeah, it was my first time. The power of God sure is amazing.¡±

    I¡¯d learned a bit about the [Immortal Champion: Svaldias] in ss before. ording to the legend, Svaldias himself was the strongest diator with an immortal body. In Spada, where swordsmanship was more popr than in other countries, he was a well-known figure.

    But of course, receiving Svaldias¡¯ divine protection didn¡¯t automatically turn him invincible. If anything, Kai probably acquired that ability due to the extensive training he¡¯d received.

    ¡°You¡¯re awesome, too. Didn¡¯t you defeat Sariel?¡±

    ¡­What kind of face will he make if he knows that she¡¯s currently in my dorm?

    Of course, I had no intention of telling him.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s only possible with the help of my friends. When I confronted her alone, I waspletely helpless.¡±

    ¡°Well, we also confronted her together, and got trashed. Because of that, I¡¯vee to realize that the [Element Master] is stronger than [Winglord]¡±

    No trace of resentment or jealousy could be seen in Kai¡¯s expression. He genuinely acknowledged our strength, which was quite refreshing.

    ¡°¡ªHence why, spar with me!¡±

    ¡°No, wait, what?¡±

    I frowned at the sudden invitation, but it honestly wasn¡¯t a bad idea.

    Now that I think about it, I¡¯d been arguing with the members of [Winglord]¡ªwith the exception of Nell¡ªbut I felt no sense of animosity towards Kai. Of course, I was particrly annoyed about Saphir, who attacked me with pure malice, but I didn¡¯t particrly dislike Kai. After all, Kai was like my role model forbat enthusiasts. When I met him at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Asbel Vige, he offered to be my opponent.

    While I had ns for today, I wasn¡¯t in a rush.

    ¡°Well, okay, let¡¯s spar, Kai. I was in the mood for exercise, too.¡±

    ¡°Hooray! Let¡¯s hurry to the arena!¡±

    When I saw Kai¡¯s childish joy, he somewhat reminded me of Reki.

    ***

    ¡°¡ªWow, it¡¯s already noon? ¡®Can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s stop here.¡±

    After vigorously swinging my wooden great sword, I broke my stance. Kai carried his on his shoulder with his back facing me. Even in the midst of the fierce battle, the toll of the bell¡ªannouncing noon¡ªdidn¡¯t go unnoticed by me.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    I exhaled and rxed my body. At that moment,yer of sweat, along with thefortable fatigue swept over me. During the fight, I was too preupied to notice them.

    When I had a spar with Kai before, it was swiftly concluded. But this time, I didn¡¯t care about winning or losing. Hence why we fought each other with wooden swords endlessly. Before I knew it, two to three hours had passed.

    ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t with just a sword.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be overwhelmed if you used magic.¡±

    The mock battle was so fruitful that we praised each other for the good fight.

    In line with Kai¡¯s style, I decided to fight without using a single spell. Since it was a rare opportunity to fight one-on-one with a Rank 5 adventurer swordsman, it¡¯d be best to use the same weapon to make the most of it.

    ¡ªand since my first fight with Kai, I instantly knew I made the right choice.

    His physical prowess was on par with me; a remodeled, enhanced, being. With his superhuman power and speed, it was difficult to believe that he was only human. However, what was most terrifying was his sword technique¡ªwhich he¡¯d honed after having full grasp of his own strength.

    At first nce, it seemed to be a ruthless fighting style that relied on his superior strength, but when we crossed des, I could feel that there was a certain technique there. He wasn¡¯t just assailing his opponent with raw strength simply because it was the most rational thing to do.

    Instead, Kai gracefully intercepted, deflected, and parried my blow. While my dual-wielding technique; [Cursed Hatchet] and [Gluttony Fang Sword: Evil Eater] hit him like a storm, I never managed to score any clean hits.

    During the mock battle, Kai broke his wooden sword once and reced it, while I ruined about five. With that alone, the difference in swordsmanship between me and Kai became obvious.

    I realized that I still had room to grow. I had a long way to go, and was happy about it.

    ¡°Thank you, Kai. It was good practice.¡±

    By the way, the exercise also made me feel somewhat rejuvenated. Despite my mental preparations, Lily and Fiona seemed to have caused me more stress than expected. Even if it was just for a moment, the spar allowed me to take my eyes off the problems.

    The mock battle had proven to be quite useful, and I¡¯d like to thank him from the bottom of my heart.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re the first person who¡¯d ever thanked me.¡±

    Kai replied with a pleasant smile. Well, even in Spada, I doubt there¡¯d be that many people who could be honest with him. After all, Kai also had monstrous stamina. If I were to go along with his stamina, I would¡¯ve copsed from the sheer exhaustion ¡­And I doubted that I could thank him in that state.

    ¡°Let¡¯s spar again next time.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll always be ready!¡±

    While wiping his wet hair with a towel provided by the arena, Kai responded in a refreshing manner. At a nce, he seemed like a jock¡ªno, the ace of the ser or the basketball club¡­

    To have such a cheerful man as a friend and a party member¡­ I felt somewhat envious of Nero. Back then, I believed that in terms of trust, my party wouldn¡¯t lose to them¡ªbut I was sorely mistaken.

    ¡°For some reason, I felt like thanking you, too. When I got back from Ghad, I was so bored.¡±

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you ept some advanced-level quests? If it¡¯s your party, you should be able to do it just fine.¡±

    ¡°The [Winglord] is currently disbanded. Nero has returned to Avalon to meet Nell, and it doesn¡¯t seem like Char will be returning from the royal castle. Saphir and I are the only ones who¡¯re free¡­ But I¡¯m not stupid enough to form a duo with him.¡±

    ¡­I see, Nero has returned to Avalon?

    Well, I guess it was only natural, since the war had ended. In fact, more than three months had passed since then.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to team up with someone I can¡¯t trust. While I can go solo, I¡¯m kind of stuck right now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to participate in the [Knight Selection] of Avalon.¡±

    ¡°¡­ [Knight Selection]?¡±

    ¡°W-wait, you didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Thus, Kai told me about the Knight Selection Tournament of the Kingdom of Avalon.

    In short, it was like a koshien, only with knights instead of baseball yers¡­

    ¡°Every year, Spada and other countries are invited to participate. Therefore, making it a huge tournament that the City-State Alliance is paying attention to.¡±

    ¡°Wow, sounds like quite a challenge.¡±

    ¡°Not really. Since the contestants are only students, so there¡¯s an age limit. Unless they¡¯re a prodigy, it wouldn¡¯t take much to defeat them.¡±

    ¡­Did you forget that you¡¯re a student yourself?

    Despite that, as a swordsman, Kai had experienced real battlefields. He¡¯d have nothing to gain bypeting with sheltered and well-raised aristocratic children¡­

    ¡°But there must be at least someone who cares¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, Celes from the Imperial Academy is a magic swordsman on par with Nero. I don¡¯t know if I can win against her. As for whether or not I¡¯ll do well during the match, I can only pray.¡±

    The match format was simr to a kendo team match between the spearhead, second spearhead, midfielder, vice-captain, and captain.

    Certainly, there was a probability of being up against your intended opponent¡­

    ¡°I kind of admire that kind of thing¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it, Kurono? Would you like to participate?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have that much free time¡­ I had to prepare and train for the next battle with the crusaders. But before that, there was a more pressing concern that needed to be sorted out. I couldn¡¯t afford to be preupied with anything else.

    ¡°Either way, since you¡¯re from the adventurer chart, you can¡¯t participate.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    After all, if it¡¯s allowed, then everyone would be hiring some skilled adventurers to help them during the tournament regardless of the age limit.

    If I rejoined the knight chart here, I may be able topete despite the age limit. Nevertheless, only those who were properly enrolled could represent the academy. Even if I had what it took, I probably wouldn¡¯t be chosen.

    ¡°How didst year¡¯s tournament go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I went on a questst year.¡±

    Hence why none of the members of [Winglord] participated. Kai, Saphir, and Charlotte were out. Of course, international students such as Nell and Nero were out of the question.

    ¡°As a result, the Royal Spada Seminary had toe back after losing in the first round. This year, that better not happen again.¡±

    Kaiined as if he didn¡¯t really care about the seminary face.

    ¡°Hey, Kurono, I¡¯m sure that you¡ªwho fought against Sariel¡ªunderstood. In this world, there¡¯re still many who¡¯re stronger than me. If you want to surpass them, there¡¯s no time to waste.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, why do you want to be strong?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a man, then it¡¯s only natural to want that!¡±

    I see, he isn¡¯t wrong.

    When I saw his straightforward gaze, I couldn¡¯t help but squint.

    ¡°Well, because of that, I got a bit twisted. Still, I¡¯m d I met you.¡±

    ¡­Well, since it was still Kai we were talking about, I was sure that he was just trying to relieve his boredom.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at school until the tournament, so if you¡¯re free, let¡¯s fight again. Until then, bye.¡±

    ¡ªAnd so, Kai dashed away.

    ¡°¡­If Will¡¯s strategy goes well, I¡¯ll bring Sariel, too.¡±

 Chapter 527

    <h4>Chapter 527</h4>

    527 The Cursed Greeting

    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Kurono! I¡¯m d you¡¯ve returned safely!¡±

    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet a beardless dwarf who¡¯d smile as he said that anywhere else¡­

    He was none other than the owner of my favorite cksmith workshop¡ªRegin Stratos.

    After finishing the mock battle with Kai, I went back to the dormitory and had lunch. Then, I visited the Stratos cksmith as originally nned. After being reunited with Regin and his wife for the first time in a while, I immediately got to the main topic.

    ¡°¡ªAll of Kurono¡¯s cursed weapons have been recovered.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much. You¡¯re a great help.¡±

    I was overwhelmed with gratitude¡ªso much that I was about to burst into tears. Aside from myrades, my biggest concerns were the weapons I inadvertently left behind during the fight against Sariel. Above all, [Cursed Hatchet] and [Evil Eater] were something that I could never let go of.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m merely safekeeping it. Lily was the one who retrieved them amidst the chaotic battlefield.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Lily must¡¯ve been exhausted to the point where she could pass out at any moment. And yet, she still did her best for me. As for me, I was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, and couldn¡¯t even thank her properly.

    ¡°On a side note, we also made some weapons, [The Greed] and [Dual Eagle] ¡­¡±

    ¡°I-is that true!?¡±

    I thought that Sariel¡¯s ¡°Breakthrough¡± had blown my Shadow Gate and its content to smithereens. While cursed weapons were generally tough enough to withstand arge explosion, I had given up on guns¡ªwhich were just normal weapons.

    ¡°As you may expect, they were badly damaged, so much that they needed a full makeover. Please take a look, they¡¯re right here.¡±

    After saying that, he withdrew into the back of the store, and returned while pushing a familiar-looking trolley.

    On top of said trolley, I saw a familiar canon with jet-ck luster.

    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s [The Greed] ¡­It looks almost new!¡±

    ¡°The most important part¡ªthe skull of Sloth Gil¡ªwas undamaged, so I could easily reassemble it. Since Greed Metal is just a fragment, all I need is to melt and mold it. In fact, I still have a little left¡­¡±

    Even so, rebuilding from scratch must¡¯ve required a tremendous amount of work.

    ¡°I think I can make another one as a bonus.¡±

    ¡°But another one would be¡­ Well, I¡¯d like a different gun.¡±

    ¡°Since Simon has entrusted us with some blueprints, let¡¯s hear your requestster.¡±

    ¡­As expected of Simon. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s already working on it.

    My guns were a gatling gun and a sawed-off shotgun, which was a rather biased choice. At this rate, I thought it¡¯d be better to create a special equipment with a slightly narrower purpose.

    Fortunately, I had money now. I should be able to prepare a sufficient reward tomission Regin.

    ¡°Now, let me give you the Cursed Weapon. To be frank, I¡¯m not confident I can keep it any longer. I¡¯m honestly d you came.¡±

    ¡°Eh, why, what happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°See it for yourself, and you¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Despite the pleasant smile on his face, Regin said something concerning.

    I was guided to the back of the store. The entire walk there, I felt like a parent whose child had misbehaved.

    At the back of the shabby workshop, there was a descending staircase. Apparently, he used the basement to store the cursed weapons. While the door was of normal size, it was made of steel. After inserting the key into the aged steel door¡ªreddish with rust¡ªRegin opened it with a thud.

    ¡ªIn the next moment, I felt a terrifying magical power.

    ¡°Uh, this is¡ª¡­¡±

    Suddenly, all the hair on my body stood. The sensation was akin to when I held the Cursed Hatchet for the first time and heard the voice of resentment. Before I knew it, my entire body was emitting a ck aura, simr to when I tried to counter Urs¡¯s drain ability.

    ¡­To react defensively almost reflexively¡ªthe grudge was just something else entirely.

    ¡°Perhaps, its magical power stagnates because it was stowed in one ce. If it¡¯s an ordinary person, they¡¯ve long gone mad.¡±

    That horrifying aura was enough to tell me that the situation was no joke. When Regin flicked the light on, the area¡ªwhich should¡¯ve been empty¡ªlooked distorted. Due to the effects of grudges, the flow of magic in that room was abysmal.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, this is also part of my job.¡±

    ¡ªThus, I was reunited with my precious cursed weapons after a long time.

    ¡°This is the [Haunted Spear]. Amongst the other weapons, this requires the most minimum of sealing.¡±

    Akin to a spear that was disyed in a weapon shop, it hung sideways. Nevertheless, the ck naginata wasn¡¯t only wrapped in a swarm of ck chains, which were fastened to the four corners of the wall, forming arge cross. The chains, which bore the normal sheen of a metal, grew cker the closer it got to the ive.

    ¡­Wow, there¡¯s no doubt about it. The chains are being eroded by the ckening¡­

    ¡°Please take it.¡±

    The eerie creaking noise made even me¡ªthe owner¡ªunintentionally hesitate. When I was using it, I didn¡¯t mind it all that much. But when I looked at it like this, it certainly looked scary.

    ¡°¡­Will I be fine if I were to touch it.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Kurono, I¡¯m sure you will be fine.¡±

    Making up my mind, I grabbed the handle of the chained Haunted Grave.

    In an instant, the dozenyers of chains unraveled on their own. By the time the jingling and nking of metal had subsided, the naginata was snugly in my hand, free from all themandments.

    ¡°Good boy¡ªShadow Gate.¡±

    Rather anti-climatically, the [Haunted Grave] was immediately stowed in my Shadow Gate, which capacity still paled inparison to its former days.

    ¡°As expected of Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I moved on to the next cursed weapon. In the first ce, the basement wasn¡¯t veryrge. When I turned around, I could already locate it.

    ¡°Next is the tightly sealed [Vicious Eater]¡ªit requires a fairly strict storage method that could damage a normal weapon. I hope you¡¯ll understand.¡±

    I had no objections. After all, even from appearance alone, the [Vicious Eater] already seemed dangerous.

    ¡ª[Vicious Eater], which hung in midair with its de pointing downward, was even more tightly secured than [Haunted Grave]. The de was spread out like a pair of scissors, and each of the two-pronged des were bound with multiple chains. It looked like a jaw that was pried open.

    The chain around the hilt was fastened to the ceiling, while the chains from the parted des were fastened to the floor, forming an inverted Y-shapedmandment. Somehow, I felt like if I unlinked the chain, it¡¯d pounce me like a dire wolf.

    ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, really.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I did it because I want to.¡±

    It was my second apology. Even if I were to be offered a million ns, I would refuse to keep such a dangerous thing in my house.

    ¡°¡­Haa, alright, c¡¯mere.¡±

    After sighing deeply, I grabbed the hilt of my sword. Then, as if [Vicious Eater] had regained its fervor, it roared loudly¡ªand in the next moment¡­

    ¡­With a high-pitched metallic sound, it broke through the chain ofmandment.

    [Vicious Eater], which sped its fang de, calmed down as if its rage had been quelled. The way it rampaged, before getting tired and going to sleep reminded me of a selfish dog.

    ¡ªThus, the retrieval of the second weapon waspleted.

    ¡°Lastly, it¡¯s the [Cursed Hatchet], but this one¡¯s beyond my control. The power of the curse has clearly increasedpared to when it was kept in maintenance before.¡±

    Perhaps because I didn¡¯t kill the apostle, Sariel, and drained her blood before. As material for power-ups, an apostle would be the best.

    ¡°Therefore, I¡¯d like to apologize. I had to forcibly seal this one. If it¡¯d been a normal weapon, it would¡¯ve been destroyed long ago.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ Okay, where is it?¡±

    ¡­After all, I couldn¡¯t find anything in the basement. There were norge shelves, and it was basically empty.

    ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯ve probably noticed it already.¡±

    Since I¡¯d retrieved two of my weapons, what remained in that room was thisrge, ck, rectangr piece of metal enshrined in the deepest part of the room.

    While the rectangr-shaped block, which reminded me of a building material, certainly appeared quite nice, I didn¡¯t see anything that resembled a sword.

    ¡°¡­No way, is this¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I just immersed it in molten lead.¡±

    Seriously?

    Well, if it were a normal weapon, it¡¯d have long gone¡­

    ¡°Is the [Cursed Hatchet] alright?¡±

    ¡°While I could feel a terrible sign of grudge, the weapon itself waspletely unharmed.¡±

    Well, certainly¡­

    From the jet-ck mass of metal that resembled the Zero Chronicle, I could feel magical power that was both repulsive and nostalgic.

    ¡°By the way, how do I take this out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as durable as it look, so if you struck it¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAs if interrupting the exnation, a heavy thud echoed in the small room.

    ¡°It moves¡­¡±

    Therge lump of metal, which was as tall as me, swayed¡ª

    ¡ªit was as if there was someone inside.

    ¡°¡ªThis is bad! Kurono, step aside!¡±

    As soon as Regin shouted, a crack ran through the jet-ck surface. While letting out a high-pitched metallic scream, ominous red light leaked out from the depths of the countless cracks.

    Contrary to his warning, I took a step forward as if I¡¯d been charmed by the curse.

    Then, when it was already within reach¡ª

    ¡°¡ªKurono¡­¡±

    As if to drown the voice of caution, a loud shattering sound boomed. At the same time, a bright red sh filled my vision, akin to a glow that symbolized the existence of a trial.

    Thus, the [Cursed Hatchet] broke through the lead and lunged at me with the same momentum as when I threw it with all my might towards the fleeing Sariel.

    The direction: my face.

    If I stood still, my head would be cut as it was. The cursed weapon was about to im the life of its own master¡ª

    ¡ªNevertheless, I was unafraid.

    After all, I understood.

    The entire time, it had been waiting for my return.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait¡­ I¡¯m home.¡±

    Thus, the [Cursed Hatchet] returned to my grasp.

    When I held it, it felt as if my hand had be one with it, and a loud chorus of resentment mored in my brain.

    However, I certainly heard its voice¡ª

    ¡°¡ªNever, let me go¡­¡±

 Chapter 528

    <h4>Chapter 528</h4>

    528 Battle Merits Negotiations

    On the 6th of Pristine Water Month.

    Four days had passed since I returned to Spada¡ªin other words, four days had passed since I parted with Lily.

    Lily hadn¡¯t returned as of yet.

    After waiting for a day and seeing no signs of her return, Fiona agreed that we should at least investigate her whereabouts. For the time being, Imissioned the Adventurer Guild¡¯s to search and provide sighting information. But so far, it was to no avail.

    That night Lily went out, it was as if she had vanished without a trace.

    Of course, since it was Lily we were talking about, I didn¡¯t need to worry about her safety. However, at the notion that I might never be able to see her again, anxiety swirled in my heart. Despite being reassured by Fiona that she¡¯d return soon, I still felt uneasy.

    At the same time, I also had other concerns. It was something more pressing and urgent¡ª

    ¡ªyes, it was none other than the negotiation about the treatment of Sariel.

    I donned my formal seminary attire and went to the Royal Castle of Spada with Sariel in my arms.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t Sariel capable of walking on her own?¡±

    ¡°If we made a disy of how she¡¯s limbless, the other side will be less cautious.¡±

    Fiona walked beside me. She was also d in her school uniform.

    I had various concerns regarding Sariel, as well. But for the time being, she wore a spare ascetic robe that I had in the dimension pouch. Moreover, she also wore a dimple hood¡ªone with a proper size that wouldn¡¯t conceal her face. Looking at the familiar sight, I was worried I might identally refer to her as ¡®Yuri.¡¯

    ¡ªThus, I rode on the back of my beloved horse, Mary, alongside Sister Yuri¡ªahem, Sariel¡ªas we trudged on the main street of Spada.

    Not only did Will prepare the stage for negotiations, he also said that he¡¯d be present. Normally, the negotiations would only be attended by those who were involved. Nevertheless, since I was an uneducated adventurer, I¡¯d require a spokesperson¡ªkind of like awyer¡ªto guide me through the Sparda¡¯sws and negotiations to not get scammed. Besides, it wasmon to hire a specialist and have him attend. In that regard, Will was definitely trustworthy.

    I could see Will triumphantly holding a sign that said ¡°Win thewsuit¡± in front of the gate.

    ¡°This is the second time I¡¯vee to the royal castle.¡±

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±

    ¡°This time, I won¡¯t just be receiving some medals¡­¡±

    When the majestic Royal Castle of Spada appeared in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but whine.

    ¡°If the negotiations failed¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI know, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to leave Sariel to the authorities.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, we don¡¯t want to make an enemy out of the Sparda country.¡±

    Even in the worst-case scenario, as long as she could avoid execution, then everything would be fine. As long as she was still alive, there was a chance that she¡¯d be able to see the light of day.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Thus, we stepped into the Royal Castle of Spada.

    At this point, besides asking for Will¡¯s help, the application for the battle merit negotiation had been formally processed through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. After showing the documents and guild card to the guard at the main gate, I was allowed to enter the castle without a hitch.

    However, as expected, the knights in crimson armor, along with magicians in crimson robes appeared in front of us. They assembled a formation in order to surround us.

    ¡­Well, I¡¯d heard in advance that it¡¯d be that kind of ¡°wee¡±, so I wasn¡¯t that worried.

    I¡¯d already reported what happened after I teleported with Sariel. Frankly, I expected the knights to storm into our dormitory as soon as the name ¡°Sariel¡± escaped my mouth. However, the Sparda¡¯s side had tacitly allowed me to shelter her until today.

    Could it be that the other side was cautious enough to avoid any coercive methods?

    Regardless, it seemed that quite a number of knights were quietly dispatched around the seminary to guard and monitor.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Kurono, I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±

    After I passed through the hall covered with a bright red carpet, I saw Will crossing his arms in the waiting area. Considering that it was his family¡¯s royal castle, the sight of him felt somewhat unnerving¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care for today, Will.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me! I¡¯ve attained the form to victory!¡±

    Will, who confidently said so with his red cape cluttering, was acting like his usual self.

    As he sat down on the sofa in the guest room, Will asked us to take a seat. At the same time, Celia¡ªwho was quietly waiting like a shadow¡ªprepared aromatic red tea and some deserts.

    ¡°First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Wilhardt¡ªWilhardt Tristan Spada.¡±

    Naturally, Will¡¯s golden eyes were trained at Sariel, who sat on myp. We¡¯d been discussing her for a long time, but it was the first time for him to meet her in person.

    ¡°¡­You may speak.¡±

    After putting down the empty cake te, Fiona said.

    Even now, she hadn¡¯t lowered her guard against Sariel and basically prohibited her from speaking. Even more so considering that we were currently in a royal castle. If she were to utter even a single verse of a chant, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if she were decimated on the spot.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Sariel.¡±

    It was a rather curt greeting to the prince of a country, but of course Will didn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°I see, you¡¯re as beautiful as the rumor. Certainly, it¡¯d be unavoidable for bad rumors to spread.¡±

    ¡°Hey, spare me with that.¡± I red at Will, who made an attempt at flirting.

    ¡°Hahahaha¡ª!¡± In response, he onlyughed. ¡°I¡¯ll inquire once more¡ªbut do you understand the purpose of today¡¯s negotiations?¡±

    Fiona and I nodded in return.

    ¡°The first goal is to have Ms. Sariel bing Kurono¡¯s ve be recognized as a fair reward.¡±

    Inwardly, I still resisted the notion, but I had no hesitation in doing so.

    ¡°The second goal is to prevent the bounty from being reduced as much as possible¡­ In other words, this is where my negotiating skillse to y.¡±

    ¡°No, the prize money isn¡¯t all that important¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s not true! At first nce, the ve reward may appear like an alternative to the original bounty, but we mustn¡¯t forget the fact that Kurono fought by himself! As such, he should be rewarded separately! Kurono, I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯re awarded with both Sariel and the bounty!¡±

    ¡­Why is he so passionate about this?

    To be honest, as long as I got Sariel, I didn¡¯t really care about losing the bounty.

    ¡°Then, let me confirm one more thing¡­ Fiona, do you have any objection regarding this arrangement?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I made a promise with Kurono. Besides, I¡¯m not really concerned about it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I shall hold on to those words.¡±

    ¡­It¡¯d be a problem if Fiona intervened at a crucial time. By asking that, Will had proven that he was proficient atying the groundworks.

    After that, we confirmed a few more things.

    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness Wilhardt, Kurono, the preparations areplete.¡±

    Soon after, one of the knights summoned us.

    The time hade.

    I was too nervous to touch either my tea or cake. But when I nced at the table, both of them were gone.

    ¡­Since when? How strange.

    ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for judgment!¡±

    With Will leading triumphantly, we went to the throne room where King Leonhardt was waiting.

    ***

    The throne room, which I hadn¡¯t visited since the awarding of the medal, was as solemn and tense as ever. Despite being asrge as a gymnasium, the splendid structure¡ªwhich was thoroughly decorated¡ªsymbolized the glory of the Spada country.

    The tall crystal statues that rose to the ceiling were also impressive.

    ¡­Come to think of it, the statues of a male swordsman and a female knight disyed at the school gate of the seminary might be based on the image of [Immortal Champion: Svaldias] and the [Dark Knight: Freesia]. While the two were active in entirely different eras, but from the perspective of the people of Sparda, they were both equally revered gods.

    As for me, I wasn¡¯t intimidated by the ancient god statue, but by the king who governed this country. I¡¯d only ever caught a glimpse of him from a distance on the battlefield. When I saw him sitting on the throne right in front of me, I was struck by his lofty presence.

    First and foremost, I delivered the formal greetings without any hitch, before cutting straight to the case.

    ¡°¡ªEven so, Will. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d go out of your way to negotiate for military merit.¡±

    Of course, the one who spoke in a lighthearted manner that didn¡¯t at all befit the throne room wasn¡¯t King Leonhardt, but the first prince¡ªAizenhardt Tristan Spada. As the general who led the 4th Squadron of the Spada Army¡ªto which we belonged¡ª¡°diator¡±, it may be natural.

    ¡°I was made aware of my powerlessness in the most recent battle. To my friend, Kurono¡ªthe hero who contributed immensely to Sparda¡¯s victory, if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, then I¡¯ll be more than happy to oblige, Brother.¡±

    ¡°Hm, look at your enthusiasm. I can¡¯t take you lightly. After all, Will, you have discerning eyes. If it¡¯s the friend you¡¯ve chosen, even my father wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. After all, he¡¯s a true hero who¡¯ve yed monsters.¡±

    With a dauntless smile, Aizenhardt looked at me, and then Sariel, who sat beside me.

    As if being considerate to Sariel¡¯s disability, a chair had been prepared in advance for her. While the chair itself looked gorgeous with gold and silver work, it probably had some sort of binding effect built into it.

    After all, she was once a monstrous apostle with the strength to turn the tide of battle on her own. Since she¡¯d be in the presence of the king, their vignce was understandable.

    ¡°¡ªRegardless, is this lovely maiden dressed in miserly outfit truly the 7th Apostle, Sariel? At that time, I had my hands full with Ai, so I couldn¡¯t see your battle very well.¡±

    Despite how trivial it sounded, he got me there.

    ¡­Speaking of which, how was I supposed to prove that?

    ¡°This girl is, without a doubt, an apostle.¡±

    Unexpectedly, help arrived.

    ¡°Hm, well, if my father says that, then it must be so.¡±

    King Leonhardt¡ªwho¡¯d been silent until now¡ªconcluded that. Surely, when it came to that man, he could easily discern that.

    ¡°If she¡¯s indeed an apostle, then we have to make a swift decision! We mustn¡¯t waste our time idling, Your Highness!¡±

    Following that, someone eximed.

    He was none other than the white Baphomet old man I saw at Ghad Fortress. If I recall correctly, then he should be General Gesenburg, who led the 3rd Army, ¡°Rampage.¡±

    While most of Sparda¡¯s generals were present, Simon¡¯s sister¡ªGeneral Emelia¡ªwas nowhere to be seen. Maybe, there wasn¡¯t enough time to gather all the generals?

    In spite of that, the throne room was still filled with people, although they mostly didn¡¯t say anything. In the upper echelons of the Sparda army, there were many civilians and bossy old men who seemed to be ministers. To be fair, the fact that an apostle had been captured must¡¯ve garnered a lot of attention.

    ¡°Well, well, don¡¯t be so hasty, Uncle. Such degree of cautiousness, over a girl with missing limbs? Above all, she¡¯d lost the divine protection of the [White God]. Therefore, I doubt she¡¯d be able to bring forth such an abominable power again?¡±

    ¡°Still, don¡¯t let your guard down. Even if she is without divine protection and is missing her limbs, there¡¯s no guarantee that she won¡¯t pounce on me and rip my throat.¡±

    ¡­That¡¯s awfully urate, General.

    Even the day after she lost her limbs and was in tatters, she¡¯d kill a huge armored bear unarmed.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re exaggerating. So, Will, what are you trying to do by gathering these people? What are you trying to ask for? Don¡¯t tell me you only came here for the bounty?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re correct, Brother. However, I¡¯m just someone in charge of the defense. First of all, as ording to the rules, we should let the person himself express his or her wishes.¡±

    ¡°I see, I was slightly off-mark. Alright then, Adventurer Kurono, you may state your desire.¡±

    It¡¯s finally my turn.

    I took a deep breath.

    If I wasn¡¯t careful, the moment I said this, a spear may fly at me. In the event of an emergency, I¡¯d escape with Sariel in my arms.

    Alright, I was mentally prepared.

    I don¡¯t care what follows, the future will take care of itself.

    ¡°¡ªAs a reward for defeating the 7th Apostle, Sariel, I¡¯d like her to be my ve.¡±

    I said it without stuttering; briefly and concisely.

    However, the throne room was stiffling, as if everyone was still waiting for me to say something.

    That¡¯s strange¡­

    Did they not hear me the first time?

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t whispering, either.

    ¡°What¡ª!? That¡¯s just preposterous¡ª!!¡±

    As if to blow away my concerns, General Gesenburg screamed. As his shout resounded through the wide throne, my surroundings began to mor.

    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to repeat said preposterous line.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Uncle, calm down¡­ Your blood pressure is going to spike. Even so, what a shocking request.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re saying, Adventurer Kurono? Even if you have achieved great feats in this battle, what you¡¯ve just proposed is utterly horrendous!¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡ª!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right¡ª!¡¯

    Thus, voices of objections resounded. For a moment, it was as if I was a star of a Diet Broadcast in the middle of a heckling session. I had seen thising.

    ¡­How are you going to turn this around, Will?

    ¡°¡­Silence.¡±

    Amidst themotion, the voice of the ruler echoed. Then, as if being sshed with water, silence returned to the throne room.

    ¡°Adventurer Kurono, I¡¯ve heard your wish. Now, what do you think, Aik?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I deem it unreasonable to enve such a woman.¡±

    ¡°¡ªGesenburg.¡±

    ¡°Second, that. Keeping in mind the danger of the apostles, it¡¯s highly uneptable. Above all, there¡¯s no precedent for wanting to enve the enemy general.¡±

    The two were absolutely right. In fact, I agreed with them.

    ¡°¡ªPfft¡­ Hahahahaha¡ª!¡±

    However, a certain someone directly objected to such an obvious truism.

    ¡°There¡¯s no precedent¡ª!? I honestly didn¡¯t expect that from the wise General Gesenburg¡ª! Apparently, none of my siblings whom have gathered here noticed¡ª!¡±

    With his glorious red cloak fluttering, Will spread his arms and eximed as if he was having a soliloquy.

    ¡°Very well, Will. Say what you have to say.¡±

    ¡°Well, then. If I may¡ª¡± After gracefully bowing to his father, Will spoke in a clear voice.

    ¡°¡ªWhat a tragedy! With so many people in one ce, how can not a single soul remember the founding myth of our almighty Sparda¡ª!

    Everyone¡¯s gazes pierced him all at once. ¡®What is this guy talking about?¡¯ Such was what their gazes implied. His older brother, Aizenhardt, also had a hint of confusion on his face.

    ¡°Sieghardt¡ªthe [Sword King] who built Sparda on thisnd¡ªand his first queen, Eleanora; I believe no one in this ce knows how their rtionship began?¡±

    ¡°¡­Kurono, do you have any clues?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Fiona whispered in my ear, and I felt somewhat relieved. Neither of us knew the founding myth of Sparda, either. Was it okay to pursue this topic nheless?

    ¡°Hey, Will, no way, you¡ª¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes way, Brother! The Sword King, Sieghardt, defeated the princess of the small country that ruled thisnd at the time¡ªPrincess Eleanora; also known as the Crimson Princess¡ªin a one-on-one duel. By enving her, heid the foundation for building Sparda here!¡±

    ¡ªIn other words, he took the princess as his own and just took over her kingdom?

    That¡¯s one hell of a story, dude.

    ¡°Your Highness Wilhardt, as the prince of Sparda, that kind of statement is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWhat? There¡¯s no need to mince words by this point, General Gesenburg. Regardless of what may happen afterwards, the fact remains that a man named Sieghardt enved the girl named Eleanora in the aftermath of the duel. Even the history books attested to that. Above all, my father¡ªHis Majesty the King, Leonhardt¡ªhas confirmed it.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, the king¡¯s divine protection is [Sieghardt].¡±

    ¡°I see, is that so?¡±

    While having a secret conversation with Fiona, I managed to keep up with the story.

    King Leonhardt probably exchanged words with the deified Sieghardt, just like I did with Mia.

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s still within a realm of senses for someone who single-handedly defeated an enemy general to recruit her as a ve!¡±

    Will said with a boastful expression as if he¡¯d won. However, it seemed that the upper echelons of Sparda weren¡¯t so weak-willed as to be caught up in the moment.

    ¡°¡­But isn¡¯t that just an embellished story?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere in Sparda¡¯sw is there a written and guaranteed right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Again, isn¡¯t it just farfetched?¡±

    A rtively sensible counterargument flew from the outfield.

    ¡°Your Highness Wilhardt, I think everyone has a point.¡±

    ¡°The point is that my im has no legal basis, is it?¡±

    As a representative, General Gesenburg rified, but Will remainedposed as if he¡¯d seen iting.

    ¡°Then, on the contrary, is there aw that prohibits the very of the enemy general in the modernw? How about the ancientw? Can those of you who¡¯re familiar with the subject offer some insights?¡±

    ¡°¡­Just because it isn¡¯t prohibited byw, it¡¯s allowed. Aren¡¯t you just grasping, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Pfft, that won¡¯t do, General Gesenburg. Why are you treating me like a child? I don¡¯t need to be lectured about morality. Certainly, I¡¯m still a student¡ªbut, ¡®If there¡¯s now against it, you shall go unpunished.¡¯ Is the first thing I learned as a freshman as per the excellent teaching of the seminary faculty.¡±

    What often was said as circumventing thew was actually a gray area where it was unclear whether or not one would be subject to punishment. Even if someone objected to said act, that was just them being biased, and it was unlikely for a punishment to be carried directly simply because of their words.

    After all,w was everything that was written there, andmon senses or something like that had no role in it.

    ¡°I see that you did your homework, Will.¡±

    ¡°Well, as much as my status as a student allows, anyway. Nevertheless, I¡¯m confident, Brother. There¡¯s no legal basis to ban Kurono¡¯s request.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, then, what of recent precedents?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually the most widely-known punishment to force criminals to be ves of the state and engage in forcedbor. Of course, in this case, there¡¯s no distinction between men and women.¡±

    ¡­I see, there¡¯s a forcedbor sentence.

    I wondered if they¡¯d be forced to work in a mithril mine or something.

    ¡°Also, there are some precedents were nobles and knights, as revenge, sell off their enemies after stripping them of all human rights. That¡¯s my best proof that a defeated enemy can be turned into a ve.¡±

    ¡°I see, well, I¡¯ve heard stories like that¡­ What do we do, General Gesenburg? It¡¯s not looking so good for us.¡±

    ¡°Please wait, we can easily refute that with¡ª¡±

    ¡ªWill, who was fully armed with theory, against the unyielding general. Just when I thought that it¡¯d be a protracted discussion, the end came swiftly and abruptly.

    ¡°Alright, I shall grant Adventurer Kurono¡¯s wish.¡±

    King Leonhardt suddenly dered that.

    Of course, Prince Aizenhardt and General Gesenburg were awestruck. Before they could say anything, the king silenced them with his gaze.

    ¡°Still, there are conditions.¡±

    I can see why.

    Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be something outrageous.

    While desperately feigning my calm, I met the sharp gaze of the king.

    ¡°Prove that Sariel has received the protection of [Dark Knight Freesia] at Pandora Temple. Afterwards, form a master-ve contract with an appropriate ceremony.¡±

    That¡¯s quite sensible.

    I had no reason to object since it was my n from the beginning.

    ¡°I won¡¯t subject you under harsh interrogation, but I¡¯d like you to testify what you know about the crusaders.¡±

    I had seen thating, as well. Sariel no longer had anything to hide about the crusaders.

    ¡°Lastly, let her participate in the next war against the Crusaders as my soldiers.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­ But is that really alright?¡± I instinctively asked.

    If there was an internal conflict, how much damage would Sariel suffer?

    ¡°I saw that she has great power. She¡¯ll surely be a great boon for our army.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking¡­¡±

    ¡°Since you requested to enve her, you must¡¯ve been confident in your ability to control Sariel¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡­I see, if he puts it that way, I have no choice but to agree.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely take care of Sariel and fulfill your expectations.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Then, with this, the battle merits negotiations with Adventurer Kurono will be concluded.¡±

    While Prince Aizenhardt and General Gesenburg seemed like they still had something to say, they conceded by saying, ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡­Anyway, I was truly d that the conversation ended in the best possible way. For the time being, I was relieved.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Father. Even though it was supposed to be my spotlight, for it to conclude in such an amicable manner¡­¡±

    ¡­Will was the only one whoined.

 Chapter 529

    <h4>Chapter 529</h4>

    529 The Temple of Pandora

    Immediately after the sessful negotiation for the envement of Sariel, the three of us went to the Pandora Temple together.

    By the way, Will and I separated at the royal castle. Surely, they¡¯d like to have a family talk without any interruptions.

    The Pandora Temple itself wasn¡¯t that far away from the royal castle. We passed the first defensive wall that protected the castle and headed for the upper section. After making our way through the main street, the temple was within sight.

    The fact that it was set up on a prime location and faced the main street suggested that it was an important facility along with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.

    By the way, every time we went to the guild, we¡¯d sneak a nce at the magnificent temple, but today we¡¯d be visiting it for the first time.

    ¡°It looks amazing.¡±

    I felt like I¡¯d be ustomed to the streets of Sparda, but when I saw the temple where the miracles and mysteries of God were still being performed, I felt like a Japanese tourist once again.

    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild HQ¡ªto which I¡¯d been indebted to since I reached Rank 5¡ªwas also designed like a temple.

    However, this one was an actual temple. Even the details of its construction and designs werepletely exceptional. Looking at the architecture, I wouldn¡¯t doubt it one could switch their upations here¡ªor in use it as a resurrection point.

    ¡­But of course, the Pandora Temple had no such game-like functions.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite huge for a temple, but I¡¯m not really an expert at architecture, so I really can¡¯t say much.¡±

    ¡°But Fiona seems to recognize it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s structurally different, but there are many more great temples and cathedrals in Sinir than you can find.¡±

    After having a nd conversation with Fiona, we confidently boarded to the entrance of Pandora Temple.

    As a side note, several knights were escorting us. After all, the ceremony itself was a direct order from the king. Therefore, they had to rify Sariel¡¯s protection. Hence why exining the situation and applying for the ceremony were all the knights¡¯ duties, while we were just guests who followed the instructions.

    Even though it worshiped the ck gods, the color of the temple was based on white instead of ck. Overall, it felt like a Greek temple, and despite my Japanese origin, I could sense the divine atmosphere.

    For that reason, when I started walking in the dungeon-like temple, I was driven by the desire to explore here and there.

    ¡ªBut for now, I¡¯d have to bear it.

    After all, I could visit that ce anytime.

    With that in mind, we proceeded through the white corridor of the temple without wasting our time looking around, before stopping in front of some huge double doors.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Kurono. From now on, only the parties involved in the master-ve contract may proceed. The archpriest is already waiting inside.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Since I already had Sariel in my arms, all I had to do now was to open the door and enter.

    ¡°Good luck, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Leaving Fiona, who kindly sent me off, I walked past the double doors that were opened by the knight.

    Despite what the double doors suggested, the room wasn¡¯t all that spacious. At most, it was the size of a ssroom. I used a ssroom as aparison because the room also consisted of a teacher¡¯s desk and a ckboard.

    On the wall behind the doors, jet-ck lithographs were embedded akin to a ckboard. Judging from its color and luster, the material resembled that of the Obelisk standing in the za. It seemed to contain the Zero Chronicle.

    Then, on a simple altar that resembled a teacher¡¯s desk, stood a rotund man who seemed to be the archpriest.

    A white vestment simr to the healer robe that Nell once wore, paired with a conspicuous golden ne bearing some kind of crest. Other than that, he wore no extravagant essories. Compared to the Crusader priests, his appearance could be said to be simple.

    However, his stern, middle-aged face, along with a ck stream of tattoos drawn on his skinhead that resembled a magic circle, I didn¡¯t know what to say other than that he seemed menacing.

    ¡°Wee to the Pandora Temple, Adventurer Kurono. I¡¯ve already heard the story. Let¡¯s cut to the case and begin the ritual.¡±

    The archpriest had this no-nonsense atmosphere to him. Well, not like I wanted to engage in idle chatter with him.

    ¡°First of all, we shall confirm the existence of divine protection. Subject, you may stand in the center of the room¡ªpardon me, I¡¯ll prepare a pedestal.¡±

    After turning a sharp nce at Sariel, who was in my arms, the archpriest recited in a small voice. I only realized he was chanting after seeing a white, square-shaped, bed-like pedestal protruding from the floor with a gurgling noise as if two stones were grinding against each other.

    ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t this look simr¡­?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, it is. The bed in the experimental facility is very simr in shape and material.¡±

    My fellowb rat agreed.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want her to lie down on this white pedestal because it was triggering. But refusing wouldn¡¯t lead to anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sariel. Please bear with it.¡±

    ¡°Bear with what?¡±

    ¡­Am I the only one who¡¯s concerned?

    Amidst my confusion, I found myself apologizing as I ced Sariel on the white pedestal that I loathed to see.

    Either way, it seemed that the preparation wasplete. As instructed, I moved to the corner of the room so as to not get in the way.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s begin the ceremony. I, the archpriest¡ªOliver Herodotus¡ªswears to the Lawful Goddess, Amadeus¡ª¡±

    ¡ªIf I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the Lawful Goddess, Amadeus, was involved in all kinds of trials. With her divine protection, there should be an absolute guarantee that there were no falsehoods.

    I had no doubt that Sariel received Freesia¡¯s divine protection, even more so after she used magic simr to the pseudo-thunder attribute.

    Considering Sariel¡¯s background as an apostle, if there was even a single ck god who was biased against the white gods and ndered her, she¡¯d be sent to the Gap of Cocytus to join Ai without further questions.

    ¡°It should be okay, right¡­?¡±

    Despite the smoke of anxiety in my chest, I had no choice but to silently watch the progression.

    Even though it was a rite that borrowed the power of a god, it wasn¡¯t all that shy. On the ¡°ckboard¡± behind the priest, several faint inscriptions shed, while the altar glowed dimly. There was no epiphany from God; nor did Sariel¡¯s body fly or shine.

    ¡ªJust like that, before I could start praying to my own goddess, Mia, the ceremony was over.

    ¡°¡ªAs requested, I¡¯ve confirmed the existence of the divine protection of [Dark Knight Freesia]. This is the certificate.¡±

    Ignoring my anxiety, the archpriest announced the result in a business tone.

    The certificate itself was an ordinary piece of parchment, but it had a winged helmet, a trident, and a crest with a thunder motif seared onto it. Looking at the faint smoke, it felt like it¡¯d been branded just now.

    This is probably what was shining on the altar.

    ¡°Have you confirmed it? I¡¯ll submit this certificate to the Sparda Army right away. As for Kurono, he¡¯ll receive a certificate of protection from the temple at ater date.¡±

    Usually, one would receive a certificate with the god¡¯s crest engraved on it, but this time it was an exception since he had to report it to Sparda.

    Well, not like I wanted it or anything, and it¡¯s already enough if I can prove it to them.

    ¡°Then, we shall proceed to the Master-ve Contract ceremony based on the protection of [Dark Knight Freesia], is that alright?¡±

    As long as the person herself was there, no special preparations were necessary, so I readily obliged.

    ¡°Then, Kurono, please go to the center of the room and stand right next to the pedestal.¡±

    I did as I was told and approached Sariel on the pedestal. Sariel was as silent and expressionless as ever. But when I got close, her red eyes shifted towards me.

    ¡°Hey, while it may be toote for this, are you alright with this¡­?¡±

    I¡¯d never asked her that question. I¡¯d intended to, but when I saw Fiona standing next to her, I just couldn¡¯t.

    I knew it was a foolish question. Even if she expressed her discontentment, it wouldn¡¯t change anything.

    No, more than that, I just wanted to assuage my own guilt. Since I¡¯d finally asked that question, it meant that my mental fortitude only amounted to that extent.

    No matter how much I wanted to save her, to let her be a ve? Moreover, Shirasaki was also Japanese. I couldn¡¯t imagine how much she¡¯d hate it to be a ve.

    ¡°How do you feel about this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry, this is what I want.¡±

    What would ask her to do?

    To Sariel, her own feelings were probably the hardest thing to understand.

    ¡°Excuse me, please start the ritual.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s important to confirm the person¡¯ feelings. Otherwise, [Dark Knight Freesia] is unlikely to let you sign the contract.¡±

    If so, the ritual would end in failure. Well, considering that I had fought and defeated her, it may be considered a sess either way.

    After all, despite being a contact, the magnitude wouldn¡¯tpare to that of receiving divine protection. If anything, it only served as God¡¯s approval. In the worst-case scenario, where the ritual failed, I only needed Sparda¡¯s acknowledgement to enve her.

    Since it was a magical world where ves existed, I expected there to be a spell that subject the ves to absolute obedience, but in reality, there wasn¡¯t. The master couldn¡¯t electrocute the ve, or put her under a mental constraint just by thinking about it.

    Nevertheless, there were abominable magic items that could produce simr effects. ¡­At the very least, in Sparda, something like ¡®Angel Ring¡¯ wasn¡¯t popr.

    ves were merely treated like ves, and weren¡¯t restrained by advanced magic that stripped them of free will.

    ¡­Or rather, if there was, it¡¯d cost far more than just buying a ve.

    For that reason, even if the contract ritual was concluded, Sariel wouldn¡¯t be put under any kind of restrictions. Hence why, in the worst-case scenario, I¡¯d be required to have the ability to suppress Sariel in the case of a rebellion. It was my responsibility as her master. Of course, I was also fully aware of the fact that Sariel had no intention of rebelling.

    ¡°We shall proceed with the ceremony. I, the archpriest by the name of Oliver Herodotus, swears to the [Lawful Goddess Amadeus] under the name of [Dark Knight Freesia] to witness the rite of covenant where Knight Sariel swears her fealty to her lord¡ª¡±

    ¡ªAfter giving a slightly different introduction than before, the archpriest chanted once again. Since the chant itself was done in thenguage native to this world, I couldn¡¯tprehend it. Or rather, the chant of the ritual, which was much longer than a normal spell, had an unique intonation akin to that of a sutra. Therefore, it sounded unfamiliar.

    I understood the chant as something simr to the fire spell that often flew at me, or the earth spell that often shielded me¡­ But well, that was the extent of it. As expected, thenguage of another world was still beyond me.

    ¡°¡ªKnight Sariel, do you pledge eternal loyalty to your lord, Kurono?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I swear.¡±

    At first, it sounded like a wedding vow to me, but that changed when I heard Sariel¡¯s mechanical response.

    Since the contract itself was part of a necessary measure, it shouldn¡¯t have any special meanings. After this, I¡¯d probably be asked if I ept Sariel as my knight, and I¡¯d just answer ¡°yes¡± for business purpose¡ª

    ¡°¡ªKurono, you may ept Knight Sariel¡¯s loyalty with a kiss of oath.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°A kiss of oath.¡±

    ¡­Looking at the archpriest¡¯s stern expression, he didn¡¯t seem to be joking.

    Hold on a minute.

    Isn¡¯t that just strange¡ª!?

    It¡¯s a master-ve contract, so why the need to kiss¡ª!?

    What if it¡¯s two men!?

    ¡­Wait, maybe, just maybe¡ª

    ¡°¡ªCan I use the back of my hand?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Of course it¡¯s on the lips.¡±

    ¡­He stared at me as if I was the one whockedmon sense.

    ¡­Am I?

    ¡°Please do it right away. If we wait too long, it¡¯d be considered a refusal.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    That¡¯d be a problem.

    I know, I know, a kiss, right? I¡¯ll do it as much as you want¡ªthis bastard¡ª

    ¡ªAt the same time, I felt so pathetic for being relieved at the notion that Fiona wasn¡¯t there.

    I made up my mind and approached Sariel, who stared at me as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Both of us were silent.

    ¡­After all, I couldn¡¯t help but recall the deplorable memory of that night.

    Briefly, it felt as if I was about to bestow a kiss upon the slumbering Snow White, but when I was only an inch away, I halted.

    ¡ªa tremendous sense of reluctance.

    ¡®Is this really okay?¡¯

    Such a meaningless thought swirled.

    ¡ªAah, dammit. What is wrong with me? I need to do it. There¡¯s nothing else to it!

    Alright, time to prepare myself¡ª

    ¡°¡­Mmn¡ª¡±

    ¡ªSariel moved first. Without a doubt, our lips brushed against each other.

    For the first time in three months, we¡¯d kissed.

    ¡°Congrattions, the contract is nowplete. From now on, Knight Sariel will devote her life to serving her lord, Kurono.¡±

    By the time the archpriest¡¯s words reached my ears, she¡¯d already withdrew.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Although my heart was still in a mess, I managed to conceal it and muster some words of gratitude.

    ¡ªAnyway, I was d that everything went off without a hitch.

    Yes, let¡¯s leave it at that.

    ***

    (The archpriest¡¯s POV)

    Afterwards, despite their terrifying appearances, the adventurer, Kurono, departed with his newly-appointed knight, Sariel.

    Thus, the archpriest¡ªOliver¡ªwho was in charge of the Pandora Temple in Sparda, exhaled deeply.

    ¡°¡­What in the name of?¡±

    On top of the altar that could be found anywhere in the temple, within his hands, was a piece of parchment. It was none other than the certificate with the crest of [Dark Knight Freesia].

    If it was only that one, then there was nothing to be surprised about. There were many people in Sparda who received the protection of the same goddess. Thinking about it, when he performed his first ceremony as a priest, the name Freesia also appeared.

    Indeed, the problem wasn¡¯t the first sheet that showed Sariel¡¯s divine protection, but the second sheet underneath.

    As a loyal follower of the [Lawful Goddess Amadeus], Oliver was against cheating or deceiving his surroundings. Nevertheless, he was also aware that the world wasn¡¯t so sweet for that kind of ideal.

    In order to carry out that ceremony, Oliver had also undertaken a request to secretly investigate the divine protection of the adventurer, Kurono. Upon seeing the wax seal bearing the Sparda¡¯s g on the letter, signifying the king¡¯s decree, he couldn¡¯t possibly object.

    The leader of the Rank 5 adventurer party, [Element Master], Kurono. Surely, everyone in Sparda recognized that name. In the battle against the monster army in Ischia half a year ago, he rescued the trapped students of the seminary and received an award. Just three months ago, the Fifth Ghad War broke out. There, Kurono achieved such remarkable sess that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to be hailed as a hero.

    However, the source of his power was unknown.

    He didn¡¯t belong to any school of swordsmanship, nor did he was enlisted in the Mage Society.

    Above all, no one could put a name to his divine protection.

    Despite his tremendous power, it was only natural for the country to be wary of someone of unknown origins.

    Thus, it fell on Oliver¡¯sp to shed light to Kurono¡¯s identity once and for all.

    It was deemed as necessary¡ªnot for himself, but for Sparda.

    In the end, despite his reluctance, Oliver demonstrated his ability as an archpriest. Along with assessing Sariel¡¯s divine protection, he secretly appraised Kurono during the ritual.

    ¡ªSuch was the result¡­

    ¡°¡­No way, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡±

    The parchment that appraised Kurono was ckened and scorched on one side, as if it had just survived a fire.

    In this ritual, the crests that represented each god¡ªthe so-called ¡°stigmata¡±¡ªwere engraved into the parchment. It was the simplest but surest way to prove it. Nevertheless, if the bearer was inexperienced, the stigmata would be faint, if not segmented¡ªmaking it difficult to distinguish.

    As a matter of course, if someone who hadn¡¯t received any protections were subjected to the ritual, the parchment would be left nk.

    ¡­Hence why, it was inconceivable that one side of the parchment would bepletely charred like that.

    ¡°Regardless, does this prove that you indeed have divine protection¡­?¡±

    After all, as long as there was a change in the parchment, it also meant that the stigmata was engraved on it. However, even Oliver¡ªwho¡¯d perfectly memorized all the existing stigmata¡ªcouldn¡¯te up with anything.

    In other words, that pitch-ck parchment¡ªwhich seemed to be engraved with darkness¡ªrepresented an unidentified blessing that had never been recorded in history.

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ªWon¡¯t you shut up already, Archpriest of Sparda?¡±

    Suddenly, a voice reached his ears. A voice of a small child¡ªyet one that filled him with a sense of intimidation nheless.

    In fact, even the battle-hardened Oliver, who¡¯d banished countless undead back to Hell, couldn¡¯t even afford to shout, ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t even move¡ªit was as if he was frozen solid.

    Behind him, there was a tremendous presence that he had never encountered in his long life.

    There was no mistaking it¡ªsomeone was behind him, and they were neither humans nor monsters, but something even more horrifying.

    ¡°I¡¯m still on time, right? I¡¯ll have a talk with Ama. As for you, ¡®I don¡¯t understand¡¯ shall be your report to them.¡±

    Who are you? What are you talking about?

    Even if he tried to express it in words, only painful sighs leaked out of his mouth. It was as if he¡¯d forgotten how to breathe. ¡­No, it was as if the veryws of the world prevented him from conversing with that inhumane being.

    ¡°When the timees, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to figure it out. Whose blessing did that Adventurer, Kurono, receive.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡ªuoooooooorgh¡ª!!¡±

    Unity of mind¡ªfocus.

    Unleashing his solid mental fortitude, honed through rigorous training and intensebat training, Oliver freed himself of the paralysis, and turned around.

    ¡°Well then, may Sparda be protected by the ck gods.¡±

    All Oliver saw was an ancient magic lithographmonly known as the ¡°ckboard¡±, on which a magic circle drawn with crimson lines and consisting of small characters floated faintly.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t recognize it, since he¡¯d never seen it before.

    It was as if the mysterious child that once stood behind him had returned to another world from that very ckboard¡ª

    ¡ªStill, to think that it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°I, just now¡­¡±

    It felt as if he was daydreaming. Nevertheless, merely remembering that overwhelming presence and pressure sent shivers down his spine.

    With the abnormality gone for the time being, he took one or two deep breaths to calm himself. Before he knew it, his face was covered in cold sweat, as if he¡¯d just purified a powerful undead.

    From his pocket, he fished out a nice, floral handkerchief that didn¡¯t at all befit his appearance, and wiped his face. Only then did he regain his sense of safety.

    After taking thest, deep breath, Oliver lowered his head reverently towards the ckboard and said¡ª

    ¡°¡ªYour wish is mymand, Your Majesty the Emperor, Mia Elrod.¡±

 Chapter 530

    <h4>Chapter 530</h4>

    530 In Search of New Armor

    ¡°¡­Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing. The ceremony ended without a hitch.¡±

    While subtly averting my gaze, I told Fiona that it ended safely. Afterwards, the Sparda Knights who apanied us to Pandora Temple went back to the castle to give their report, and we had nothing else to do.

    In other words, we¡¯d part way here.

    However, since we¡¯de all the way to the Pandora Temple, I decided to try and see what I can do for Sariel. After all, she required regenerative treatment for missing limbs. In addition to being in charge of divine protection, Pandora Temple also served as a medical institution. Their building wasn¡¯t huge for no reason. By the way, there were several wards in the lower section of Sparda, along with an istion ward some distance away from the outer wall.

    For that reason, I tried to find out how long would Sariel treatment take, and how much it¡¯d cost.

    ¡°Kurono, what is your n?¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯d obtained the bounty for the Ghad War, it¡¯d be better to start the treatment right away.¡±

    Thus, we discovered that her treatment would take roughly three months, and that it¡¯d cost 50 million Cran. While the three months recovery sounded nice, the cost was wild. Hearing it made me want to start a donation campaign where I¡¯d stand in front of the station, begging for everyone to pity our poor Sariel, who was suffering from a chronic illness.

    Although, considering that the treatment would result in full recovery of all her missing limbs, the cost was understandable. In fact, it was extraordinarily cheap. I heard that for an ordinary person, they¡¯d have to fork up 50 million for a single limb. Furthermore, the treatment period would require more than a year.

    Why was Sariel¡¯s treatment ¡°cheap¡± and took less time? It was due to none other than her superhuman remodeled body.

    Despite unable to regenerate her missing limbs, her healing rate was iparable to that of an ordinary person. Meanwhile, her inherent resilience surpassed that of wild monsters. As such, she could easily receive physically demanding treatments. Hence why they could perform regenerative treatment at a tremendous speed¡ªsomething that was otherwise impossible for ordinary people.

    Therefore, because it¡¯d consume less time, the treatment cost was significantly cheaper. Besides, the treatment itself wouldn¡¯t require that much effort due to her strong body and resilience.

    Upon hearing that, I wasn¡¯t that surprised, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the priest who examined her. Understandable, it wasn¡¯t that often you got to meet a remodeled homunculus from the ¡°White Sacrament.¡±

    Anyway, I thought it¡¯d be better to start treatment as soon as possible because of the low cost and the short period of hospital visits. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like we couldn¡¯t pay.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to nurse her forever. If she doesn¡¯t start working as a ve soon, it¡¯d be problematic.¡±

    Quite a natural statement from Fiona, but maybe I felt stung because I had be fond of Sariel.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t need nursing. Until I recover, I can use prosthetic arms and legs instead.¡±

    Sariel could use a ck magic called [Violet sh ckening]. By the way, I hadn¡¯t looked into said magic yet. With that power, she could freely manipte gauntlets and armor as if they were her own limbs¡ªeven ill-fitting ones. As such, there was no hindrance to daily life.

    Certainly, when we fought Gluttony Octo, immediately after awakening to her divine protection, her special martial arts, [Demonic Spear Brionac], was forcibly cancelled after her magic hit rock bottom. Nevertheless, we were no longer in battle, so there was no need to worry.

    As expected, her current power couldn¡¯t bepared to an apostle, but it was still amazing.

    Most likely, Sariel¡¯s mana pool hadn¡¯t changed from before she received divine protection.

    ¡°If you have something suitable that¡¯d fit me, it¡¯d suffice.¡±

    ¡°Then, shall we go shopping while you¡¯re receiving treatment?¡±

    ¡°Incidentally, I also have to look for new armor.¡±

    After all, [Diabolos Embrace] waspletely destroyed in the battle against Sariel, that Lily gave up on retrieving it. Or them, because it¡¯d been torn to pieces. Even if she managed to collect all of them, I didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to salvage it. In the end, I had no choice but to give up.

    It was somewhat sad to think that the second generation only amounted to this, but in the fiercest battle, it had protected me until the end. Just like the first generation, let¡¯s praise it for its splendid defense.

    ¡°Then, shall we go to Mordred Weapons Firm? It shouldn¡¯t be that far from here.¡±

    Come to think of it¡­ It was the first time I¡¯d ever been to the main store in the upper section. Usually, if my cured weapon needed fixing, I¡¯d just go to the Stratos cksmith, and if I wanted to buy a long sword for [Sword Arts], the branch near the seminary would suffice.

    In such an asion, it might be a good idea to look for a new cursed weapon.

    ¡°Sure, we can do that.¡±

    ¡°Finally, after a long time, we get to go on a date.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    I only got the hint after Fiona spelled it out for me.

    ¡­Am I that dense?

    ¡°Thest time we did it was after we got back from fighting Laspen.¡±

    Although, I didn¡¯t consider that one a date, but¡­ Fiona might¡¯ve fallen in love with me since then. But in the battle against Laspen, didn¡¯t she be a sacrifice for evolving the [Cursed Hatchet]? I even shed her back¡­ Why¡¯d she fall in love with a man who caused her so much pain?

    ¡°I also wear the ring.¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve seen you wearing it before.¡±

    ¡°I usually remove it when I go on quests. After all, it¡¯d be troublesome if it breaks again.¡±

    Is she anxious?

    The first one I gave as a present had a warding effect. I never thought that it¡¯d be activated and destroyed on the same day.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re taking care of it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a gift from Kurono.¡±

    ¡­When she said that with a straight expression, it was difficult to tell whether she was serious or just joking. But since it was Fiona, I was sure she was being sincere. Thinking about it made me somewhat embarrassed.

    Now that we are going out, I should be more thoughtful about my next gift choice.

    ¡°Uhm, well then, uh¡­ let¡¯s go.¡±

    I hesitated when I thought of holding her hands. What should I say to her? Or should I just do it? It was our first date as lovers. As a man, I should initiate it.

    In my defense, I also wished to hold her hand and take her on a date. Thus, I removed the gray sheep glove from my left hand and offered it to Fiona.

    ¡°C-can we¡­?¡±

    Why would I ask that?

    Fiona awkwardly averted her gaze and didn¡¯t immediately take my hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No, if anything, please.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then¡ª¡±

    ¡ªHer cheeks were flushed. I could tell that Fiona was embarrassed. Maybe, I had a simr expression.

    Ah, damn¡­

    Just the other day, I slept with Fiona, who wore a transparent negligee. Why would I be embarrassed when we were only holding hands?

    Gently, Fiona¡¯s shivering white hand ovepped with my left hand. It felt as if I was handling an expensive and delicate object.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    Even though I suddenly felt awkward, I still took her hand and strolled around the city of Sparda.

    After I felt ustomed to holding hands, we arrived at Mordred Weapon Firm¡¯s main store. As expected, it was much more splendidpared to the branch. Instead of a temple-like structure like the guild, the huge, solid stone architecture made it seem like a concrete building.

    However, on the front door and in the corners of thepartments, there was a signboard with a skull symbol that said ¡®Deka Deka¡¯ and ¡®Mordred Weapons Firm.¡¯ Anyone could tell at a nce that it was a weapon shop.

    ¡°It¡¯s bustling with crowds¡­ Well, somewhat.¡±

    ¡°There are more people than usual¡­ Rather, it feels like everyone¡¯s gathering in front of the store¡­¡±

    Just as Fiona said, the front of the Mordred Weapons Firm main store was full of people. It was as if a world-famous superstar was about to exit the store.

    ¡°Is there some kind of event being held?¡±

    I was kind of interested. Well, I guess it didn¡¯t really matter. I had some unfinished business, so I¡¯d have to enter the store. There was no reason to hesitate.

    Thus, I took Fiona¡¯s hand and approached the store.

    ¡°Excuse me, are you in the middle of an event?¡±

    Coincidentally, we spotted an employee wearing a skull-shaped apron, and called out to him.

    ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t Sir Kurono, the hero of the Ghad War?¡±

    Instead of the young male employee, someone behind him answered my question. He quietly emerged from therge, ck shadow.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Chairman Mordred himself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since west met, Kurono. It¡¯s an honor that you still remember my face.¡±

    All skeletons are skulls, so there¡¯s no telling them apart¡­

    That said, I certainly recognized the lich-like, nouveau riche skeleton who was ostentatiously followed by his employees in front of me.

    I¡¯d never forget how, when I first visited Sparda¡¯s weapon shop, I was almost forced to grab a Mithril Sword, or the random intrusion event that was staged during the [Cursed Carnival].

    ¡°What¡¯s with the change in attitude?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural. Now you¡¯re a famous figure in Sparda¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªNo, please don¡¯t mention it. Besides, it feels disturbing when you humble yourself like that¡­¡±

    It was an outrageous way to deal with the representative of thergest arms dealer in Sparda, but I didn¡¯t remember ever opening up to him. Moreover, there was no real damage so far so that was good.

    ¡°Hahaha, then let me take your word for it. For some reason, I¡¯ve always been clumsy with the use of honorifics. Furthermore, I¡¯m an advocate of friendly customer service.¡±

    ¡°Friendly? More like shady.¡±

    After all, he always seemed about to reap my soul. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like I couldment on his face¡­

    ¡°Well, well, no need to be so wary. Since you¡¯re a collector of cursed weapons, I can already guess why you¡¯re here. Hahaha, recently, a first-ss gem has been added to my collection. Take a closer look!¡±

    Mordred, who was in a ridiculously good mood,ughed almost exactly like Will. I¡¯d like to apologize, though. Being utterly honest, I had no idea what he was talking about.

    ¡°No, today, I just came to check the store¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Did you chance upon a powerful cursed weapon?¡±

    ¡°Hm, despite being unfamiliar with it, your guess is almost correct. There¡¯s indeed something new. However, it isn¡¯t a cursed weapon.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s armor.¡±

    A-a cursed armor¡­!

    I see, that kind of thing exists¡­

    Although, it might be unsurprising? After all, both armor and other equipment could also be cursed. Rather, because armor was often worn forbat, it¡¯d easily be possessed by a curse, just like a weapon.

    ¡°But it isn¡¯t just your ordinary armor. The construction and the lore of the armor are all first-ss. If not for the fact that it¡¯s cursed, it¡¯d have be a national treasure.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s amazing¡­¡±

    Mordred¡¯s passionate exnation piqued my interest.

    ¡°It¡¯s the [Tyrant¡¯s Armor: Maximillian]. In the ancient times, the armor was donned by a tyrant who massacred many people¡ªranging from the enemy soldiers to his own people, and single-handedly built a mountain of corpses. In the end, he led his own country to ruin. As such, the curse is by no means weak.¡±

    ¡°S-seriously¡­?¡±

    ¡°Since it isn¡¯t just a simple antique, it can¡¯t be appraised using conventional methods. Therefore, it was unclear whether the legend is true or not. But once you feel the terrible curse it emits, I¡¯m sure you will understand.¡±

    Of course, of course¡­

    Oh no, I¡¯m getting too excited¡­

    ¡°¡ªWhat¡¯s more, the armor has fallen into my hands! I spent about 300 million Cran at the auction! But it doesn¡¯t matter! If anything, the fact that it was put up for sale is a miracle in and on itself! No matter what you do, I won¡¯t let go of it! Hence why, you¡¯re only allowed to take a look!¡±

    ¡­I didn¡¯t like his attitude at all. Still, it wasn¡¯t like I had any intention of stealing it from its rightful owner. For the time being, let¡¯s just admire the infamous tyrant¡¯s armor¡­

    ¡°When will that armor arrive?¡±

    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s almost time to arrive, but¡ª¡±

    Mordred fished out his golden pocket watch, and in the next moment¡ª

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    A chill ran down my spine. Reflexively¡ªor rather, I was made to look in the direction where I felt the presence. It truly felt as if an invisible force had grabbed my head.

    ¡°¡­Kurono, this is just¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªYeah, this guy¡¯s bad news.¡±

    Fiona and I stared at each other. However, there was nothing beyond our field of vision except for the bustling everyday scenery of the main street of Sparda.

    In a split second, it was as if the space had distorted¡ªno, it was just an optical illusion. Nevertheless, it was caused by an abominably dense curse.

    ¡°Ah, aah, finally, it¡¯s here!¡±

    From the corner of the main street, a cargo emerged. It was pulled by two herbivorous yet enormous dragons that couldn¡¯t bepared to ordinarynd dragons. With a loud creak, the two dragons pulled a wagon containing a huge steel box.

    The size was around 3 cubic meters. The color was a disturbing mix of familiar jet-ck, metallic luster with a dim, whitish glow.

    ¡°ckening¡­ It¡¯s been eroded by the curse. But isn¡¯t that box originally made of holy silver mithril?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. If it¡¯s an ordinary cursed item, it¡¯d have long been purified. But as you can see, it can barely contain [Maximillian]. In fact, I had to switch the container three times on the way.¡±

    How ridiculous.

    While the [Cursed Hatchet] was submerged in lead, it at least waited for me to return.

    ¡°Are those around it priests? They have to go out of their way to put up barriers around the thing¡­¡±

    As the cargo slowly advanced, horse-riding priests in white vestments were circling it. Each of them was raising a simple wooden wand that emitted a faint white glow, forming a shining film which epassed the container.

    A light-element barrier conjured by four people, coupled with a mithril container¡­ And yet, despite that, they still couldn¡¯t suppress the curse¡­

    ¡°How much did the transport cost?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing more than a smallbor fee.¡±

    ¡­When it came to their hobbies, some people suddenly lost their self-control. Well, since Mordred was the so-called filthy rich, I guess it didn¡¯t matter¡­

    While pondering about such things, I looked at the approaching container. The sense of resentment was growing. I didn¡¯t know what kind of rumors the employees of the weapon firm spread, but the spectators buzzed as the curse made itself known.

    However, even if they stayed around this part, I doubted they¡¯d get the chance to witness the thing. Surely, it¡¯d be delivered to the storage. It¡¯d be beyond stupid to just reveal the extremely cursed armor to the masses, unless a fairly formidable seal had been ced beforehand.

    If, by some ident, [Maximillian] were to be released¡­

    Was it my fault for imagining such a disturbing situation?

    ¡°Uwaaaah¡ª!!¡±

    Someone¡¯s furious scream echoed through the sunny main street. No way, did the faint presence of the curse drive him insane? But it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case¡­

    ¡°N-no! Someone, stop that imbecile! How dare hey his finger on my armor!¡±

    Mordred swiftly issued some instructions.

    Ahead of his gaze was a cargo that¡¯d already advanced to the store, and a white-robed figure who ran towards it.

    To suppress the curse, four priests were hired to guard the cargo. However, since they had to maintain the barrier, they couldn¡¯t move. Therefore, instead of the priests, the adventurers who were stationed around the cargo were the ones who intercepted.

    One of the hired adventurers unsheathed his weapon while calling out to that figure. The tension rose. The once cursed atmosphere was filled with hostility emitted by the surrounding people.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m telling you to stop! If you get any closer, I¡¯ll cut you down!¡±

    ¡°Wicked existence, disappear from this world!¡±

    The adventurer clicked his tongue, before ruthlessly cutting down the man in white. The man, who didn¡¯t show the slightest resistance, suffered a deep cut from his shoulder.

    With spattering of blood, the man¡¯s corpse tumbled across the street. At the same time, the bottle that he was holding fell and shattered on the ground with a bang.

    What is that? Water?

    ¡°Hmph, how foolish. As if you can purify [Maximillian] with holy water.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    Amidst the presence of curse drifting around, I sensed some hostility. Since it wasn¡¯t directed at me, it was difficult to notice.

    By the time I found out who it was, all the people who were hiding emerged all at once.

    ¡°Destroy the wicked existence!¡±

    ¡°Return the light to the world!¡±

    ¡°May the untarnished brilliance guide us!¡±

    While shouting such iprehensible lines, from the shadow of the building, across the street, and even amidst the crowd, several people rushed towards the cargo.

    ¡°W-who are these people!?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of fanatics! They¡¯re going to kill us all!¡±

    The hired adventurers readied their weapons to intercept the assants, who were dressed like ordinary citizens.

    The sudden turn of events caused an uproar as the crowd began to scamper away. Despite themotion, I didn¡¯t feel like I was in any real danger, so I didn¡¯t escape.

    The raiders seemed to be amateurs with nobat experience. They were defeated by the hired adventurers one after another. In the first ce, they were unarmed, and all they had was holy water for purification. At this rate, we should be able to quell down the suicide attack without any trouble.

    ¡°¡­Kurono, up there.¡±

    Fiona suddenly tugged at my sleeve to get my attention. When I turned upwards, I saw a silhouette of a man on the roof of a four-story building next to the Mordred Weapon Firm. As if he was about to end himself, he put his roof on the edge of the roof.

    ¡°Did he really jump down!?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for gravity to im him, and the man fell towards the cobblestone road a few dozen meters far below¡ª

    ¡ªI was mistaken.

    Instead, the man fell on the cargo which had just stopped due to the sh against the raiders.

    The man was aiming for the cargo from the beginning. Why did he choose such a reckless method that may result in his demise? Why did he make such a decision in the first ce? I didn¡¯t know¡ªI didn¡¯t want to know.

    However, by taking advantage of the fight that broke out, he managed to reach the mithril container.

    His body fell with a thud. At the same time, the sound of ss shattering could be heard. Unlike the others, the fallen man equipped himself with a lot of holy water.

    ¡°N-no! With such arge amount of holy water, the container will¡ª¡±

    In the next moment, I heard a sound of melting metal, which sounded eerily simr to Gluttony Octo¡¯s acid breath.

    Then, a loud, shrill scream echoed.

    ¡ªCrack!

    Arge crack could be seen on the top of the mithril container, which should¡¯ve been durable.

    The copious amount of holy water must¡¯ve caused a sudden reaction on the part that was corroded by the curse. It was almost akin to sshing liquid nitrogen onto a steel te that¡¯d been heated to the melting point.

    ¡°The container isn¡¯t going tost!¡±

    ¡°Evacuate! We have to evacuate!¡±

    The screams came from the priests who¡¯d rise a barrier to contain the curse.

    ¡­Why are they afraid of a mere piece of equipment?

    I naively thought so for a moment.

    Certainly, the curse was enough to drive people insane, but if the priests continued to maintain the barrier, nothing should¡¯ve happened.

    However, the priests and the escorting adventurers frantically left the truck along with the panicked crowd. They even abandoned the captured raiders.

    They acted as if the cursed armor went on a rampage.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    Briefly, I could glimpse a ck something from the crack in the container. Ordinary people might gloss over it, thinking it was just their imagination¡ªbut I definitely saw it.

    It was a chain¡ªa ck one. A chain woven with ck magic that looked almost simr as my [Bind Arts].

    As I arrived to that conclusion, the ck chains gushed out of the crack. The chain, which was two times thicker than my [Bind Arts], wriggled like a bloodthirsty hydra.

    Yes, the chain definitely has a target.

    It ran through the air, before wrapping itself around one of the captured assants.

    ¡°U-uooorgh! Divine protection of the untarnished light, protect me!¡±

    ¡­Just in case, are you asking for help?

    From that man, a scream that resembled the chant of a crusader was emitted.

    ¡°L-light, lend me¡ª¡±

    With that as his final words, the man was dragged into the container by the chain.

    I didn¡¯t even have to think about what happened to him.

    ¡°T-the [Tyrant¡¯s Armor: Maximillian] has obtained a wearer¡­¡±

    The crack that ran through the ceiling of the container suddenly expanded. In the blink of an eye, it ran through the wall as if torn apart by force from the inside. The entrance to the container, which should¡¯ve been sealed shut, was opened with a harsh, high-pitched metallic sound.

    Once again, the ancient tyrant stepped his foot on this world.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Slowly, just like the steps of a king, he calmly stepped out of the container. Even under the clear blue sky, the ce where he stood was colored in darkness¡ªgiving me the illusion of the night sky where the new moon shone. Overwhelmingly dense dark magic pooled there.

    However, I could see it clearly¡ªthe shape of the armor.

    To put it simply, it was a jet-ck full-te mail. However, it wasn¡¯t anything like the ckened heavy mail I donned during my battle against the Gluttony Octo. At the very least, the basic idea of the design was different from the heavy knight¡¯s, which was made with the servant of the White God in mind.

    However, it was neither luxurious, dignified, nor befitting for a king. Rather than awe, it incited pure terror. The jet-ck armor boasted a terrifying shape that could be called the armor of the Demon King rather than that of a mere king.

    Tworge horns¡ªakin to the demon Baphomet¡¯s¡ªgrew from the helmet. Instead of a goat, the face guard was shaped like a skull, whose face was distorted into a wrathful look.

    The chest, which boasted the most defense, had a shape reminiscent of ribs. Even when viewed as a whole, the motif of a human skeleton could be seen everywhere. However, the tips of the gauntlets and the feet were akin to the w of a dragon. All five fingertips were adorned with sharp ws, but they were neither too long nor too big to hinder the use of the weapon. At the same time, it was probably sharp enough to puncture the human body with a mere punch.

    The more I paid attention to details, the more I could read the hidden aggressiveness and ferocity.

    Instead of admiring it with a watchful gaze like a critic, I was overwhelmed with emotions.

    Yes, from the moment I saw that armor¡ª

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s so cool! I want it!¡±

 Chapter 531

    <h4>Chapter 531</h4>

    531 Kurono VS Maximilian

    ¡°¡­Kurono, by any chance, are you going up against that?¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, it¡¯s¡ª¡­ How do I say this, I mean, it¡¯s not like we can just leave it alone?¡±

    When Fiona¡¯s cold stare pierced me, I rushed to exin myself. I wasn¡¯t lying though, well, not entirely.

    ¡°¡­We have absolutely nothing to do with the rampaging armor, though? But if that¡¯s what Kurono wants, then it¡¯s fine with me.¡±

    ¡°M-my bad, thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°As a girlfriend, it¡¯s only natural for me to do my best for my boyfriend.¡±

    I was honestly amazed at Fiona, who could say that with a straight face.

    As we blushed and shared such a corny exchange, the crowd had vanished. Everyone scattered like ants.

    ¡­The people of Spada sure are fleet-footed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiona. If possible, please refrain from destroying the armor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Cause¡¯ it¡¯s really cool?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that¡­ But if we didn¡¯t retrieve it safely, it¡¯s unlikely for Mordred to reimburse us for our trouble.¡±

    I had no intention of doing free work for such a dangerous fe. A job of this extent wasn¡¯t worth it without equalpensation.

    ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t think I can help much. Do you have any n?¡±

    ¡°For the time being, I¡¯ll try to see if I can suppress it with ckening.¡±

    Since the n was to capture it while causing the most minimum damage, I should consider myself lucky that Fiona even agreed to lend a hand.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what we can do.¡±

    ¡°Okay. However, if I judge it to be dangerous, I¡¯ll obliterate that armor.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    I made up my mind to watch my step, before advancing towards the cursed armor. I wore the slumbering gray glove on my left hand, and summoned my reliablepanions from within the darkness.

    ¡°Feels good to be back.¡±

    The Cursed Machete adorned my right hand, while Evil Eater adorned my left¡ª

    ¡ªarmed with two cursed des, my battle preparations werepleted.

    ¡­Although, if I were to be nitpicky, I felt somewhat uneasy wearing an attire that had no defensive power. In contrast, my ¡°opponent¡± had no weapons whatsoever. It was like a battle of the fiercest spear and the mightiest shield¡­

    ¡°Hey, the cool armor over there, won¡¯t you let me wear you?¡±

    The armor¡ªMaximilian¡ªwas bathed in horrific magical powers that made my hair stand. It seemed about to pounce at any moment¡ªand yet, I still called out to it.

    Apparently, it could understand me.

    The armor slowly turned to face me and, to my surprise, replied;

    ¡°Show me¡­ your¡­ might¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s battle as usual?¡±

    ¡ªWell then, let me set it up first.

    It was my first fight ever since I¡¯d returned to Spada. In other words, it¡¯d be the first time for me to test out the fifth Divine Protection in an actual battle.

    While I¡¯d yet mastered the pseudo-wind attribute, I practiced the basics. At the very least, to the extent I could conjure wind without chanting.

    I could now conjure a small mass of wind. Imagine a turbulence swirling in a balloon. Yes, a balloon. Thus, if stimted a little, it¡¯d burst. Nevertheless, it had simple directivity.

    Then, I manifested something on the ground, right in front of my heel. I couldn¡¯t see it since it was behind me, but there was probably a thin, ck smoke-like gas swirling around.

    In short, it was akin to a cushion used for a crouching start in athletics, and it also acted as a booster that gave explosive propulsion from the first step.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ª¡±

    When I lightly pressed my soles against the ground, the ck smoke propeller exploded. Thepressed gust followed the pre-incorporated method of propulsion, and was released in front of wind pressure.

    My remodeled and enhanced leg strength was the same as before, but if I used this, I could elerate twice as fast. It was probably an eleration force that no ordinary people could perceive.

    With such speed, I ran through a short distance of about 5 meters, and by the time I arrived in front of my opponent, exactly a second had passed in the world.

    First off, I¡¯d sever the elbow joint and seal its means of attack. With my two swords, I could sh off both of its limbs at once.

    ¡°¡ªWhoa!?¡±

    However, my dual strike only pierced nothing. A moment ago, I did see a slight movement from the armor.

    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    The armor had teleported to my right. From the start, I knew it was neither teleportation magic nor an illusionary transformation.

    Then, on the surface of the jet-ck armor, crimson streaks akin to the ones on my Cursed Hatchet began to emerge. At the same time, a venomous yet vivid line of light flourished on its aura, which was akin to a bottomless abyss.

    Immediately, my focus shifted to its back. From behind him, soundlessly, bright red particles began to burst. Seeing that, I realized something.

    ¡°¡­Does it have a booster simr to Taurus?¡±

    A terrifying ancient weapon that destroyed the colossal and unparalleled wall of Ghad. Shining particles streamed from the back of the armor, just like the magic booster that powered the steel body of Taurus to fly and move at high speed in the air. It wasn¡¯t something that could be re-created using modern magic technology.

    Although, in the case of Taurus, since he used normal magic, it had a blue phosphorescence. But in this guy¡¯s case, it glowed red due to being fueled by ck magic.

    ¡°¡ªWell, it isn¡¯t just armor, but also ancient¡ªWhoa!¡±

    At that moment, the figure of the tyrannical armor, Maximilian, blurred. In the next moment, it was already in front of me.

    I narrowly dodged its sharp, piercing attack, which reminded me of Sariel¡¯s stinger.

    What a tremendous speed¡­

    Next time, I should use Over-el to make sure that I was safe. That mobility was too dangerous.

    ¡°¡ªck Calm!¡±

    To avoid the piercing tendril, I tilted my body to the side. Even in the half-copsed position, I was able to unleash my usual ck Calm. While I had no intention of destroying that armor, I still used martial arts because I believed in its defensive power.

    I hadn¡¯tnded a single blow yet, but I know. If I¡¯d wanted to split that armor in two, I¡¯d have to wait for the perfect opportunity to use ck Calm. However, if I only intended to repel it, then a normal martial art should suffice.

    However, I didn¡¯t get the heavy response I expected.

    Maximilian flew right behind, leaving only a crimson gleam of an afterimage. The tip of my Cursed Hatchet didn¡¯t even scratch the ribbed chest armor.

    ¡°So, you can also spin around.¡±

    How troublesome. It wasn¡¯t only fast when moving in a straight line, but also when flying backwards. Even though it was powered by a booster, it could fly left and right as if ignoring inertia.

    Even though the armor seemed twice as heavy as regr heavy armor, the movement was as fluid as a swordsman or an assassin.

    My initial n was to overtake him using ckening and a heavy blow, but¡­ If I didn¡¯t do something to seal its movement, I wouldn¡¯t be able to deal a critical hit.

    ¡°¡ªSword Arts: st de¡±

    While it wouldn¡¯t deal much damage, it¡¯d block some of its movement. With that in mind, I summoned the sword that¡¯d been replenished from my Shadow Gate. I didn¡¯t have time to conjure 10, so I only took out four.

    As I took out some weapon from the dimension magic, I went to its left blind spot and rushed straight in.

    ¡°¡ªst!¡±

    As the armor turned around, I mmed the explosive magic sword onto him. But suddenly, when I was about to close our distance¡ª

    ¡ªthe swords didn¡¯t explode.

    No way. Since I was directly controlling it, it was absolutely impossible for the [st de] to malfunction.

    There were mainly two causes that prevented it from exploding. One was when it was hit by a strong drain like Urs¡¯s, and the other if the link was severed.

    This time, it was probably thetter.

    In other words, Maximilian had caught the flying Sword Arts.

    On the verge of detonation, Maximilian had elerated and caught the two des that were supposed to hit him on the chest.

    Following that, two more des flew towards him from both directions. Both of his hands were full. As such, the two remaining swords were supposed to hit him¡ª

    ¡ªHowever, he unfurled his jet-ck chain. The same one that forcibly captured one of the raiders, before trapping him inside the armor.

    Did the armore with a special ejection port for the chain or something?

    The chains poured out from behind his shoulders like a snake waiting for its prey.

    The movement was as precise as the armor itself. By the time the jingling sound reached my ears, my magic swords had been caught by his chains.

    In this way, instead of sealing his movement, I¡¯d splendidly give my opponent a weapon.

    Of course, simply catching it would detonate the st des. However, since none of that happened, I could safely assume that he¡¯d overwritten my ckening with his own.

    Only after I¡¯d managed to survive the attacks of the tyrant¡¯s armor, one of which required me to use Over-el, did I finally understand¡ª

    ¡°¡ªWhat kind of power is that!?¡±

    Then, there was a blow to the left, powered by the crimson booster. While I managed to block it with my two swords, the impact was heavy¡ªso much that I staggered backwards. Only half a step, though.

    Luckily, it passed, and there was no follow up attack. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping. Instead, it stopped before reversing. It was resetting its stance.

    His ckening must¡¯ve been stronger than me. After all, the swords he stolen from me were now dyed red instead of ck. Rather than some ordinary des enhanced with additional magic, it shone like Force Edge. When he swung it, I could somehow hear the buzzing¡­

    As if by change, the two entwined chains had undergone simr changes. They encircled my swords by the hilt, and poised their crimson des towards me.

    He was about to use his chain to swing the swords.

    ¡­Are we simr?

    After all, I had oncebined Hitsugi and Evil Eater, resulting in a technique called [Fatal Fury Sprint].

    In addition to his strength and speed, Maximilian used an unconventional four-sword style, in which he¡¯d wield two swords while also attacking with his now ded chains. As an added bonus, it could also overwrite my Sword Arts.

    It¡¯s a lot tougher than expected¡­

    ¡ªBut I¡¯m not going to give up, not yet.

    It¡¯d take time and effort, but as originally nned, I¡¯d cken the opponent after depriving him of his resistance. First, I had to destroy the stolen four swords, followed by its limbs. If I could crush even one of its limbs, the oue of the battle would be decided. Besides, the swords he¡¯d stolen from me were just regr des. No matter how much he enhanced them, they¡¯d wear out soon.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll take you on.¡±

    Thus, Maximilian moved once again.

    His chains flew at me. The crimson des lunged towards me like some wired homing missiles. One rushed towards my neck, and the other towards my leg. It was trying to maim my leg. Each trajectory flew sideways.

    This is more of a chain-sickle than a missile¡­

    ¡°Double ck Calm.¡±

    To counterattack, I intercepted one of the chains with Cursed Hatchet, and the other using Evil Eater. As expected, the des weren¡¯t durable. When my cursed weapons¡ªenhanced with martial arts¡ªhit them from the front, the crimson des shattered. For a moment, it seemed like blood was sttering.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t have time to admire such a view.

    ¡°Here Ie!¡±

    Without wasting a second, I swung the Evil Eater. With the de unfolded to the brim, I thrusted it as if piercing my opponent. The wolf immediately bit the chain which held the des. I sandwiched both chains at the same time before Maximilian could retract them.

    After that, I immediately pulled the handle of Evil Eater, forcibly dragging Maximilian towards me. Not an easy opponent, he didn¡¯t even stagger.

    I intended to take advantage of the momentum to hit him with [ck Calm] using my Cursed Hatchet, and sever the two remaining swords at once.

    As long as the chains were still held by me, he wouldn¡¯t be able to evade easily using his booster¡ªor so I thought.

    ¡°¡ªDid you cut them off!?¡±

    With a high-pitched metallic sound, the chains came off his shoulders. The ck chains, which were disconnected from the main body, became a mere matter. Caught in the yoke of gravity, they copsed on the ground just like that.

    Since it no longer functioned as a kind of restraint, I hurriedly released the chain from the mouth of Evil Eater.

    I could barely execute my n. Using the brief window of time, I tried to unleash Double ck Calm on Maximilian with my swords.

    Just when my attack was about to connect, he suddenly changed course and flew sideways.

    Did he see iting?

    No, no, he wasn¡¯t trying to avoid me. From the beginning, his intention wasn¡¯t me.

    ¡ªThis is bad¡­

    I immediately noticed his intentions.

    I didn¡¯t know if he could instantly rebuild his chains, or if there were spares from the beginning. Anyway, new ck chains soon emerged from the ejection ports on both of his shoulders.

    Since I didn¡¯t fire any Sword Arts, there shouldn¡¯t be any more weapons for him to steal.

    At least not from me.

    However, there was a huge armory towering behind me.

    ¡ªYes, the Mordred Weapons Firm. Thergest armory in Sparda.

    Maximilian was smart enough to realize his need to procure weapons. At this point, he was no longer just a cursed armor, but a veteran warrior with a unique personality.

    This is bad. Seriously, this is bad.

    I couldn¡¯t possibly handle a fully-equipped Maximilian?

    But by the time I realized that, it was already toote. Considering his booster, I couldn¡¯t match his speed, either. Not even with Speed Boost.

    ¡ªThen, should I use it?

    The fifth Divine Protection I obtained after subjugating Gluttony Octo.

    ¡°¡ªIgnis Sagitta.¡±

    At that time, a bright red lotus unfurled before my field of vision. The scorching fireball left a trail of ck smoke, and it was akin to smander¡¯s breath.

    The fireball overtook the galloping, steadfast armor, and was the first to reach Mordred Weapons Firm.

    There was a loud explosion, followed by a rattling sound of a copsing building.

    ¡°Thank you, Fiona.¡±

    I nced at Fiona, who was as expressionless as always.

    Still, she, who watched from the side, must be the first to notice it. By destroying the entrance, she could prevent the armor from getting inside. Still, to destroy the sturdy front entrance with a single shot¡­ what an impressive firepower.

    Even Maximilian halted at the brutal interference. Due to that, I could catch up with him.

    ¡°This time, I won¡¯t let you go¡ª¡±

    Maximilian braced his two swords, while I shed forward with all my might. The four des intersected in an instant.

    The fragile des, wielded by the guy who couldn¡¯t swing in perfect posture, were broken in an instant by my cursed des. The shattering noises of the des were drowned by the copsing sound of the armory.

    I didn¡¯t waste my chance to perform a follow-up attack. However, Maximilian managed to evade it with its extreme reflex.

    Maximilian proceeded to hold my des using his hands.

    Usually, the swords would cut into the opponent¡¯s palms, but this time, my opponent had formidable armor. A metallic sound echoed, and sparks scattered at thest minute. We were shing against each other.

    I pushed against the reinforced full body armor, which harbored strong malice. Our power shed, but the battle ended in an instant.

    Suddenly, the back booster of Maximilian roared. From behind the armor, crimson light poured, granting him with force that no humans could withstand.

    Not letting myself be overwhelmed, I felt a floating sensation at my feet.

    ¡°¡ªOverdrive.¡±

    When it came to a test of strength, I was somewhat more confident now. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose so easily when I recalled the cute demon king¡¯s face.

    ¡°Uh, uooorgh¡­¡±

    Just to stop my des, Maximilian had tond on the ground.

    This is great.

    Thus, I began to push back against Maximilian, who had bolstered its strength using the booster.

    It was heavy¡ªbut only at first. But with every second, I was gaining momentum. No, I was getting stronger. Nothing could stop me.

    ¡°Ugh, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh¡ª!!¡±

    Then, I started dashing. I continued to push the armor¡ªwhich weighed hundreds of kilograms, or possibly, even a ton¡ªas if it was a mere scarecrow, before rushing forward at full speed.

    With that momentum, we crashed into the towering stone walls of the Mordred Weapons Firm.

    For a moment, it was as if the world had been turned upside down. What was reflected in the corner of my vision was the gray color of the copsing building and billowing dust.

    I felt a certain response. I wasn¡¯t patient enough to wait for his counterattack while muttering, ¡°I did it.¡±

    Now then, the real things began.

    ¡°¡ªStay calm and be mine¡ª[Bind Arts: ckening]¡±

    Neither I nor the armor would let go of our weapons. So, I conjured a pair of tentacles and made contact. Thus, the erosion of ckening began.

    ¡°Goh, oh¡­ oh¡­¡±

    From the depths of the skull-faced helmet, an eerie voice resounded, akin to that of a corpse groaning in agony in the depths of Hell.

    So far, so good.

    Then, I felt something strange.

    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re still resisting?¡±

    The two tentacles I made for ckening were simr to the two extra-thick tentacles I devised to suppress the Crime Eater when I fought against Cyprus as I retreated from Alsace. It was as if two new arms had sprouted from both of my shoulders, trying to strangle the neck of the armor.

    Just like Sariel from the past, I was putting pressure on the enemy both physically and magically as if trying to break its neck¡­ However, it seemed that I suffered more this time.

    ¡°This guy is a bit dangerous¡ª¡­¡±

    The ckening wasn¡¯t progressing as expected. Apparently, I couldn¡¯t overwhelm him with just my magical power. I could feel his resistance.

    Perhaps, it was even more difficult since Maximilian consisted of more materials than a mere full-body armor. Even I had to stay all night to cken an entire adventurer¡¯s guild.

    ¡°¡ªEeh!?¡±

    Just when I was prepared for more exhaustion, his counterattack began.

    As his dark eye sockets lit up with a fierce red light, I could feel that the magic flow was being reversed. It turned out that I wasn¡¯t merely imagining it, as my tentacles began to be stained red.

    This is bad, I¡¯m about to be overwhelmed¡­

    Am I not strong enough to dominate him?

    Thinking about it, I¡¯d acquired cursed weapons by relying on brute force, along with my abundance of ck magic and resistance to curses. As it was, the curse was simply more powerful than me, hence why I lost. It wasn¡¯t like I could purify the curse like some priest, either.

    ¡°¡ªGah!¡±

    His crimson erosion had already progressed to the midsections of my tentacles. From there, a myriad of blood vessel-like lines sprouted, crawling towards my flesh.

    If things went on like this, I¡¯d be taken over by the curse.

    Perhaps because of having a win streak against cursed opponents, I¡¯dpletely underestimated him. Just like with magic attributes, weaknesses andpatibility weren¡¯t absolute.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the king¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was telepathy or simply his voice. My five senses had begun to malfunction. In fact, my vision had gotten so blurry, I almost couldn¡¯t make him out. Red flickered in my vision, and I felt like I was going to lose consciousness at any moment.

    ¡°Be¡­ my servant¡­¡±

    Even though the voice was so fleeting and inaudible, it red in my head.

    ¡°Offer me your loyalty¡­ and dedication¡­¡±

    For a moment, I almost acquiesced.

    It feels simr¡­

    Ah, yes, it was akin to the time I was still wearing an Angel Ring, in which the amount of time I could maintain my consciousness gradually decreased.

    It didn¡¯t hurt. It wasn¡¯t that bad of an offer, anyway. As If I was falling into a deep slumber, I gradually stopped resisting.

    ¡°Be my¡­ knight¡­¡±

    Even so, for it to ask for my loyalty as a knight¡­ Is it an allegation against me, who¡¯d just made Sariel my ve?

    It¡¯d be ridiculous if I sumbed to the curse and died there. Was it myeuppance for enving someone?

    ¡°W-who¡­¡±

    ¡ªBut, I didn¡¯t care if God didn¡¯t forgive me. I may be lost and anxious. Still, it was the result of my choice, I had no regrets.

    Hence why, I didn¡¯t need the reassurance of being ruled by someone else right now.

    ¡°Who, are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªWho¡¯s going to obey you!?¡±

    At that time, an unexpected voice echoed.

    It was definitely not an auditory hallucination. The voice of a little girl rang in my head.

    Yes, it drowned even the cursed voice that lured me into the dark abyss.

    ¡°¡ªMy master will never bow down to anyone! He¡¯s my pride as a maid!¡±

    There was no question of who it was. I was also not surprised.

    Ah, you¡¯re finally back.

    Only a sense of relief spread warmly in my chest.

    ¡°The Cursed ck Chain [Iron Cage], Super ck-Haired Maid, Hitsugi¡ªat your service!¡±

    At that moment, the voice of the cursed tyrant could no longer be heard.

    ¡°Ah, wee back, Hitsugi, I¡¯m d you¡¯re back¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for taking so long, Master.¡±

    A rare, sharp, and serious tone.

    Did she grow up a little?

    ¡°Of course! Hitsugi didn¡¯t just roll around during her free time! Instead, I endured the unbearable pain of not being able to see my Master¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªLet¡¯s save that forter. For now, can you help me keep this guy in check?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Master! Leave it to Hitsugi!¡±

    Along with the nostalgic and reliable voice, I¡¯d regained all my five senses. My once vague consciousness was now fully awakened.

    I didn¡¯t feel like giving in anymore.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Bind Arts!¡±

    With life, ck chains sprang out of the glove, which had regained its lustrous jet-ck hue, like a wave of fury, rushing towards Maximilian, who let out an eerie roar before my eyes¡ª

 Chapter 532

    <h4>Chapter 532</h4>

    532 Heir to the Tyrant

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m Maximilian Mia Avalon, the eight king of the Kingdom of Avalon.¡±

    I was born a king.

    I inherited the same ck hair and red eyes as the legendary demon king. In fact, such colors were rarely found even in the royal family.

    ¡°¡ªThat ck ancient mail! There¡¯s no mistaking it! It¡¯s the King of Avalon!¡±

    ¡°Toe to the front line all by yourself, there¡¯s a limit to how reckless one could be! Now that the opportunity has presented itself, I¡¯ll have your head!!¡±

    Above all, I had the [power] to defeat all the foolish beings who dared to oppose the blood of the most noble Elrod.

    [Elrod Gear]¡ªa treasure passed down by the Avalon royal family for generations. Among all the kings of history. Among all the kings of history, I was the only one who could activate and master it. I was probably the only one who knew the official inscription of this armor, [RX-666], which was engraved on the back of the helmet.

    ¡°¡ªNo way!? My knights¡­ You single-handedly defeated all of them¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. You call those barbarians ¡®knights?¡¯ You should¡¯ve stayed quiet on Mt. Ghad. Serve you right for trespassing upon my sacred kingdom, you filthy stray dogs.¡±

    Once I joined the battlefield, such was the man I became. A mountain of corpses would be piled in front of me, as their rivers of blood flowed. I¡¯d unleash a merciless ughter on my enemies, earning a glorious victory for my allies.

    A hundred victories in a hundred battles, resulting in countless deaths. True to our history, our royal army was invincible¡ª

    ¡ªBut I¡¯m not proud of it.

    After all, it was to be expected. I was the Chosen One. From the moment I was born, I was destined to rule. To achieve victory was nothing but destined for me.

    ¡°Wee back, Your Majesty! I heard of your most recent victory! The way you fought was exactly the seconding of the ancient Demon King, Mia Elrod¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave me be, Minister. I want to get some rest. Keep everyone away from my chamber.¡±

    Nevertheless, even someone like me got tired. The [Elrod Gear] would consume a tremendous amount of magical power just by wearing it. If an ordinary person wore it, they¡¯d faint in less than a minute; and if they¡¯d attempted to fight with it, they¡¯d be drained of vitality, leaving only their skeletal remains¡ªas if the armor was cursed.

    Regardless, whether it was wartime or peacetime, I always donned this armor. I needed neither a crown nor a robe to symbolize my reign, but a helmet and armor that would instill fear. To exact my dominion those who were akin to sheep and wolf alike, this demon king¡¯s form was necessary.

    I couldn¡¯t show them my true appearance.

    ¡°¡­Phew.¡±

    Inside a dim bedroom with only a single litmp, I removed the full mail and breathed deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting bigger again¡­¡±

    In front of me was a huge mirror that could perfectly reflect even a two-meter-tall armored figure.

    Reflected in the clear mirror was a red-eyed girl with long ck hair and a feral cat-like look in her eyes. Given theck of exposure to sunlight, my skin was almost white. As a side note, there was nothing enticing about my undressed form, since I was wearing in underwear, akin to that of a priestess.

    Buttely, something was off with my chest. I was almost twenty, and my body was still growing¡ªas a woman.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ If I¡¯m wearing armor, no one will know.¡±

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a woman.

    I, Maximilian Mia Avalon, was undoubtedly a female. Even my real name wasn¡¯t actually Maximilian¡ªbut it didn¡¯t matter. I had discarded that name a long time ago.

    ¡°I have to go to bed¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­¡±

    Before entering the bedroom, I downed one of the magic recovery potions I received and threw the empty bottle away while crawling into bed. Normally, both the warmness and the silkiness would lull me to sleep, but on the day of battle, my body was tired, but my spirit was uplifted, so I couldn¡¯t fall asleep.

    ¡ªand then, at times like that, nothing but silly memories shed through my mind.

    ¡°Oh, Maximilian, my son¡­ I leave, Avalon to you¡­¡±

    I was only 10-years-old when I became king. The day after my official coronation ceremony, also the day of my session to the throne, my father was summoned to Heaven.

    Until the very end, he never considered me his daughter. Certainly, he wasn¡¯t all there, but having reigned for nearly a decade now, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand how he felt at the time.

    The ancient demon king, Mia Elrod, was a man. At least in this country, such was themon belief. Therefore, only men were suitable to be king. Since the founding of the country¡ªor perhaps, even before, there had been a culture of patriarchy in certain parts of the country.

    As expected, my father wanted a son. After all, if his heir wasn¡¯t born a man, then he couldn¡¯t inherit the throne. The system of the queen was absolutely inconceivable.

    However, the end of our n, which was supposed to be the direct descendant of Elrod, was even more uneptable.

    I couldn¡¯t rule as a queen¡ªyet, at the same time, I had to preserve my royal bloodline.

    As the only child, it was only natural for me to seed the throne as a man, just as my father had envisioned. I saw nothing wrong with that.

    ¡ªI¡¯m the king.

    My mismatched gender aside, I had the ability to be a great ruler who¡¯d leave his name in history. If I had been a man, I¡¯d have reunified the Pandora continent and called myself the second Demon King.

    However, considering that I was walking around while pretending to be a male, I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to bear the ambition of unifying the continent. Even if I was like this, I cherished my country. I had to protect my country, which had no legitimate sessor.

    Fulfilling the role of a king and protecting the kingdom was my duty and responsibility as a member of the royal family¡ªand also, my heartfelt desire. Hence why, every day was a constant struggle, but not a difficult one.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I need to find a suitor right away.¡±

    When I first inherited the throne, I was asked to conceive an heir for the next generation.

    If a man was born, the session issue could be resolved, and in the worst case, even if it was a woman, just like me, she could buy enough time to postpone the issue. At the very least, until I had a child of my own, I had to y the role of [King Maximilian].

    For that reason, I¡¯d been trying to find a suitor, but it was tedious.

    After all, even if he became my husband, he wouldn¡¯t exactly be credited. In other words, a stallion without any honor. In our country, almost no aristocrats were worthy of standing beside a queen, even more so one who¡¯d ept female superiority. It got to the point where we were considering summoning a worthy person from another realm through a dubious ancient ritual.

    However, the issue of session was unexpectedly resolved.

    ¡°This child is without a doubt your younger brother, Your Majesty!¡±

    I had a younger brother. Atst, my father got what he wanted.

    Not long after my father died, one of his concubines became pregnant.

    Even without me doing anything, a perfect heir was born into this world. All that was left for me was to continue filling the position of king until my brother was of age. With the biggest issue solved, I could finally enjoy my life as a king.

    Compared to my father¡¯s generation, the people¡¯s lives had clearly be more prosperous, and even though it was a period of warring states, trade was flourishing while national power was steadily increasing. Officials were severely punished for their dishonesty, given proper evaluations and promotions based on their abilities regardless of status, and handouts were given to the weak.

    Above all, I managed to ensure the safety of my country from numerous invasions. asionally, I¡¯d counterattack and expand my territory.

    ¡ªThat was how I became the mightiest king since the founding of the country.

    The future of the Kingdom of Avalon, which I led, was bright. The country wouldst for a millennium, and continue to prosper for the next hundred generations¡ª

    ¡°¡ªWhy¡­?¡±

    One morning, when I woke up, a certain crucial piece was missing from my room.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the [Elrod Gear]!?¡±

    In my bedroom, right next to my bed, the armor that I always kept near was nowhere to be seen. Ever since I assumed the throne and given the [Elrod Gear], I¡¯d never taken my eyes off it. Even during maintenance, I¡¯d be there to supervise the cksmith and court magicians. Whenever I was taking a bath, the armor also didn¡¯t leave my side.

    Therefore, there was no way it¡¯d disappear¡­

    For me to continue to be the king, [Elrod Gear] was absolutely necessary!

    ¡°Oh, hey! Sister, you¡¯re awake! Good morning!¡±

    As if to ridicule me, who was fumbling in my underwear, a terribly shrill yet childish voice suddenly echoed.

    I didn¡¯t even need to guess who it was. Only one person in this world may refer to me as such.

    ¡°I told you not to enter my room without permission! Also, I¡¯m a king before I¡¯m your sister! Refer to me properly, you idiot!¡±

    In my impatience, I yelled at my brother. He was a mediocre youth who showed no potential to be the future king.

    ¡°Oh, how scary¡­! As expected of my sister, who¡¯s feared as the [ck Armored King of Avalon]¡­ But right now, aren¡¯t you just a woman? Which part of you is supposed to be majestic?¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡­¡±

    When I turned around, there stood a ck, gigantic armored-man, instead of the usual spoiled brat with a meek smile.

    ¡°Haha, Sister, look! I can even wear the [Elrod Gear]!¡±

    ¡°How splendid, Your Majesty Maximilian! The armor suits you very well!¡±

    A man stepped out from the shadow of his armor while pping his hands.

    ¡°Minister, you¡­ What are you thinking¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one. Everyone is here.¡±

    Before I knew it, I was surrounded by many familiar faces. The ministers of each ministry that were in charge of politics, the captain of the royal guard who served the king and country, and the royal court magician who was responsible for traditional ceremonies and magic exploration.

    Certainly, ¡°everyone¡± who governed the Kingdom of Avalon was there.

    ¡°In other words, I¡¯ll be the king of Avalon from today! The name ¡®Maximilian¡¯, along with the strongest armor, [Elrod Gear], shall be mine!¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to defy me¡­!? No matter who you are, you¡¯ll be executed for treason!¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha¡ª! What are you talking about!? Despite being a lowly woman, you dare to threaten me!? Need I remind you how you deceive our people by pretending to be their king and sullying the name of the glorious Avalon!? The treasonous rebel is you!¡±

    ¡°W-what¡­!?¡±

    ¡°This is why I was against it from the beginning. Making a woman pretend to be our king¡­ Thanks to that, this woman foolishly misunderstood that she¡¯s the true king and even harbored unnecessary ambitions. Be aware of your ce!¡±

    I could see that it wasn¡¯t just the minister¡¯s personal opinion.

    ¡­Everyone looks down on me.

    In truth, nobody epts me.

    ¡ªBecause I¡¯m a woman.

    ¡­Merely because of that? Merely because of that, I failed to be a king?

    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re useless to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who¡¯ll hand over the throne to a fool like you?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha! I know you¡¯d say that! Why don¡¯t we have a duel?¡±

    Apanied by a heavy nking sound, the man in [Elrod Gear] advanced.

    ¡°In the first ce, there¡¯s no such thing as a queen from the beginning. Even so, I¡¯m grateful to you for your willingness to die for my sake in this honorable duel!¡±

    ¡ªAh, I see, so that¡¯s their aim.

    Maximilian Mia Avalon, the 8th King of the Kingdom of Avalon was supposed to be this fool.

    After all, no one in my country had seen my true appearance.

    How uneptable.

    How long had they been nning this? Could it be, from the moment I was told to seed the throne?

    Nevertheless, they must had a reason for such unreasonableness¡ª

    ¡ªStill, I, as a queen, disapproved.

    That alone was more than enough to make things happen.

    ¡°¡­Fine. If you defeat me in a duel, I¡¯ll concede the throne to you.¡±

    ¡°As expected of my brave sister! Still, when you say that while you¡¯re d in your underwear, it¡¯s not intimidating in the slightest! Although, maybe, you intend to provoke me instead¡­¡±

    He let out a vulgarughter that made me wonder if he really had royal blood in his veins, before approaching me step by step. Be it the minister or the others, no one seemed to be worried about my stupid brother, who¡¯d be the new king.

    Of course, against a vulnerable and half-naked naked girl, there was no way a person d in [Elrod Gear] would lose. No matter what kind of sword I wielded, there was no way I could stand a chance against the ck heavy armor.

    However, that was only if my opponent could actually use the [Elrod Gear].

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my foolish brother? Why aren¡¯t you moving? The duel has already started.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t even need to unsheathe my sword! I¡¯ll gouge out your heart with my own hands, Sister!¡±

    I see. You¡¯re prepared to give your all. Are you even aware that the duel has begun? If so, that¡¯s enough.

    ¡°¡ªDevour him, [Elrod Gear].¡±

    Just by muttering a single word, my¡ªyes, the armor I swore full allegiance to, [Elrod Gear], came to life.

    ¡°H-huh!? What, hey, why can¡¯t I move!?¡±

    [Elrod Gear] stopped as if it had turned into stone. Right when my brother was about to take another step forward, too. What a hrious sight it was.

    However, the real change wasn¡¯t with the armor.

    The wearer may not be able to see it, but the crimson ck magic had begun to pervade the genuine ck matter armor. The output was at its max.

    ¡°I-it hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°The [Elrod Gear] is a demon that consumes mana. Hence, if you only have an average amount of mana, you¡¯ll be eaten alive.¡±

    ¡­Although, I doubted my exnation would get through to my foolish brother, who was currently experiencing first-hand how it was like to have all your magic sapped out.

    Still, let me spell it out.

    ¡°¡ªAbove all, this armor is mine. Know what happens when someone who¡¯s unworthy wears it, my foolish brother.¡±

    ¡°Uh, urgh, uwaaaAAaaaaAAAAaaaah¡ª!!¡±

    Along with the unbing scream, [Elrod Gear] switched to Release mode. The disjointed chest te burst open, knocking out the trespassers who illegally entered my chamber.

    What was spat out in front of me wasn¡¯t my brother¡¯s mangled corpse, but the scattered wreckage of his bones. Not even a single hair or drop of blood was left on them.

    Kicking away the white skull lying at my feet, I returned to where I should be.

    ¡°No, keep that woman away from the armor¡ª¡±

    The minister screamed in terror, but it was toote.

    ¡°I told you¡ªrebels are to be executed.¡±

    Installed. Start up. Stable output. Combat Ready. [System All Green].

    Aah, how peaceful it is¡­

    I felt much more at ease inside here than in a soft bed.

    ¡°Captain of the royal guards! Captain of the royal court magicians! Hurry up, work with each other and capture that woman at all costs!!¡±

    ¡°Be prepared, rebels. In the name of Maximilian Mia Avalon, the 8th King of the Kingdom of Avalon, I condemn you to death!¡±

    That day¡¯s events made me realize just how na?ve I had been as a king.

    Indeed, the king was the one and only individual who stood at the top. A vassal was simply someone who followed him. In the first ce, I had alreadymitted a grave mistake by trying to understand them. In my defense, I still thought of myself as a provisional leader rather than a full-fledged ruler at the time.

    Be it my subjects and the people¡ªthey should just follow my orders. After all, they were nothing but a bunch of disposable pawns. Tools. Therefore, they should rightfully reflect my aspirations, and aplish everything I want and desire.

    The king didn¡¯t protect the country¡ª

    ¡ªthe country existed for a king.

    Thus, I was reborn. ¡­As a true king. Never again would something as unsightly as a rebellion happen under my watch.

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m Maximilian Mia Avalon, the 8th King of the Kingdom of Avalon. Resistance is futile. Be quiet, and kneel before me.¡±

    ¡ªHow long has it been since that day?

    Before I knew it, I was in a living hell. I hadn¡¯t even returned to the royal castle in a while.

    ¡°D-damn you, Tyrant of Avalon, Maximilian! How dare you spread aggression in my country¡­¡±

    ¡°If you pledge allegiance to me, I¡¯ll grant you a thousand years of prosperity and grace.¡±

    ¡°What prosperity and peace!? You instilled fear of violence into people! You¡¯re nothing more than a tyrant who does unnecessary aggression over and over again! Our country will never bow down to such a dastardly king!¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a foolish one? Then, perish.¡±

    I treaded upon a pile of lifeless bodies. With the backdrop of a blood-red sunset sky, what I saw was a charred cityscape. For some reason, wherever I go, the same scenery wasid out before me.

    ¡°Wee back, Your Majesty Maximilian. I¡¯ve heard that the expedition ended with an overwhelming victory for our side!¡±

    ¡°Long live His Majesty the King, Maximilian!¡±

    ¡°Long live, Avalon!¡±

    Where did the glorious streets of my mighty Avalon go? Although the streets were full of people, they were scrawny¡­

    Why do they look so afraid?

    ¡°Why does everything look so bleak?¡±

    Everything in my field of vision was dyed red like rust, and the sounds that reached my ears were always faint, like distant reverberations. It¡¯d been a long time since I lost my sense of smell and touch. Even my own voice was hoarse.

    I no longer retained my human senses.

    However, once I entered the battlefield, I could demonstrate a much sharper sense¡ªone that transcended all my five senses. I could read the enemy¡¯s movements, crush any opponent, and catch up with them no matter how fast they were. Even if a volley of arrows were to rain down on me, even if an earth-splitting magic hit me directly, my armor wouldn¡¯t suffer any dent.

    ¡ªI can¡¯t lose.

    As long as I had the [Elrod Gear]¡ªas long as I donned this armor¡ªI¡¯d continue to be the supreme king.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ I did it, finally, we captured the tyrant, Maximilian¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, the armor is still intact. If even the slightest magic were to flow in it, it¡¯ll start moving again!¡±

    ¡°Hurry and prepare for the sealing process!¡±

    One day, I lost.

    Suddenly, I was cornered by the army of the countries I had destroyed. Did the exiled countries form a coalition? What a terrifying army of ghosts¡­

    As if they were resurrected from the depths of Hell, they sprung forth endlessly. Surrounded by an overwhelming number of armies, my army was annihted in the blink of an eye, and I was depleted of magic.

    Usually, no matter how many ordinary soldiers surround me, with the power of this armor, I could easily escape. However, I couldn¡¯t because the enemy was on par with me.

    ¡°Well done, my knight, Siegfried.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s all thanks to this [Elysion Gear].¡±

    A full body armor shining in silver, made of authentic orichalcum. A divine white armor with bright blue, gleaming lines.

    Contrary to my armor, which took after the form of the God of Death, it had an elegant design akin to a divine raiment.

    ¡ªYes, I was defeated by that silver knight.

    ¡°Please stand back, I¡¯ll finish him off.¡±

    ¡°No, before that, let¡¯s take a look at Maximilian¡¯s face, which no one has ever witnessed before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit risky, but¡­ I understand. I also want to see the face of someone so powerful.¡±

    [Elysion Gear] approached me, his great sword with a shining blue de and a mirror-like shield gleaming.

    ¡°S-stop¡­¡±

    ¡ªIf my true face was exposed, I¡¯ll cease to be a king.

    Stop!

    You¡¯re the heroes who defeated me. If you still consider me a tyrant, at least let me die as your worst enemy.

    ¡ªStop it, I don¡¯t want to go back to just being a woman. No, I can¡¯t bear it.

    ¡°Your Majesty Maximilian, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll be taking off that armor!¡±

    The silver knight¡¯s greatsword shed. At the same time, I was released from the [Elrod Gear], which I hadn¡¯t taken off since that day.

    ¡°What!? This is¡­¡±

    Thest thing I saw was my reflection on the knight¡¯s glistening shield.

    The chest armor was wide open, and the inside of it was barred to everyone¡¯s eyes. There should be a naked, skinny woman inside¡ª

    ¡°¡ªThere¡¯s no one inside, it¡¯s empty¡­¡±

    Instead, there was nothing.

    ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­!¡±

    I see, is that so?

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m the 8th King of the Kingdom of Avalon, Maximilian Mia Avalon¡­¡±

    ¡ªI¡¯d already be a splendid king.

    ¡°My name is¡­¡±

    If so, let me perform myst duty¡ªmyst and most important obligation as a ruler.

    ¡°¡­Come forth, my Sessor.¡±

    I wonder how much time has passed since. I had slumbered for a long time.

    asionally, when I woke up, I felt discouraged. No sessor had emerged. A sessor to whom I was entitled¡ªa sessor worthy of the name Maximilian; a vessel befitting for a king.

    Everyone who touched this armor suffered the same fate as my foolish brother. They couldn¡¯t withstand the harsh maneuvering conditions of the strongest armor, [Elrod Gear]. When I tried to teach them, they¡¯d scream like crazy, before turning into a pile of bones.

    This is not good¡­

    Even after a thousand years, I still hadn¡¯t found any sessor.

    ¡ªHas that much time passed already?

    How long should I wait before I was released from the duties of the king¡ª

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡ªSuddenly, I heard a voice. It sounded just like usual¡ªa distant echo.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    No, I could clearly hear his voice.

    It¡¯d been a long time since I¡¯d heard someone voice this close¡­

    I rapidly regained consciousness.

    When I opened my eyes, I saw a man.

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    ¡°My name is Kurono. I¡¯ll be taking this armor.¡±

    ¡°Kurono, oh, I know you¡­ That was a splendid battle.¡±

    Is that his name? It¡¯s simple, yet feels pleasing to the ear.

    ¡°Face, let me see your face, please¡­¡±

    Apparently, I was lying on my back, with the man¡ªKurono¡ªsupporting me.

    ¡ªW, wait!? You fool! Too close! Your face is too close!

    ¡°T-that color¡­ Ah, I see¡­¡±

    A king never showed his emotions. As such, the fact that I stumbled over my words must¡¯ve been a result of my overactive imagination.

    Thanks to the fact that our faces were so close, as if we were about to kiss, I could behold him¡ª

    ¡ªhis ck hair, and his bright crimson eyes.

    ¡°Very well, I name you my sessor.¡±

    ¡ªAah, I finally found it. Now, I have no regrets.

    Then, he spoke.

    ¡°From today onwards¡ª¡±

    ¡ªJust before I gently closed my eyes, feeling like I was drawn into a peaceful slumber, Kurono reached out to me.

    W-wait, you fool! Don¡¯t touch me casually!

    ¡°¡ªYou are mine, Milia.¡±

    At that moment, for the first time in a thousand years, I heard my own heartbeat.

 Chapter 533

    <h4>Chapter 533</h4>

    533 The King¡¯s Price

    ¡°¡ªYou really saved me, Hitsugi.¡±

    ¡°Uhehe, it¡¯s nothing, Master!¡±

    Hitsugi¡¯s cheerful voice echoed in my head. By the way, my mind was no longer confused.

    ¡°If not for you, I¡¯d have been eroded.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! We almost lost you, Master! Stop being so unreasonable!¡±

    I never thought the day woulde when Hitsugi would reprimand me.

    But hey, she got a point. After all, I was the one who tried to confront ckening head-on.

    From now on, it¡¯d be better to secure at least one other emergency method that could dispel the curse.

    Even so, I still didn¡¯t get why Hitsugi¡¯s presence bolstered the erosive power of ckening. In the first ce, Hitsugi was a cursed glove, not a living person. She didn¡¯t have a soul. Her power depended on the ck magic power supplied by me. Hence why, even if she was here, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for her to enhance my power. Nevertheless, back then, it felt as if my ckening power had doubled, as if there were two people¡­

    In fact, that was the only reason why I triumphed over Maximilian, which was brimming with curse.

    Is this also the result of evolution?

    ¡­I guess it was safe to assume that she¡¯d evolved.

    ¡°By the way, Hitsugi, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°The new armor suits you very much, Master!¡±

    Even more pressing than the mysterious power of Hitsugi was the fact that I¡¯d been donning the tyrant¡¯s armor before I knew it.

    I also wore a skull helmet which concealed my face, but my field of vision was as clear as ever. Such a wide field of view should be physically impossible, so it was probably the effect of additional enchantment.

    When I lowered my gaze, I could see the ominous metallic armor enveloping my body like a towering, jet-ck castle wall. The gauntlets I wore also had renewed design.

    The full body armor seemed to be made of authentic dark matter, but strangely enough, it was lightweight¡ªas if I was wearing a robe. Despite the fact that it was evenrger than my height, it fitted snuggly. Even though I should be about 10 cm shorter, my feet were perfectly on the ground.

    It was the same sensation as when I was holding the cursed weapons. However, since it was a full body armor, thefort of wear stood out the most. If anything, it was as if I never wore it in the first ce.

    Maybe that¡¯s why I don¡¯t remember ever wearing it¡­

    It probably happened while I was in the midst of a mental battle. When I was about to sumb to Maximilian¡¯s ckening, or when Hitsugi awakened and shifted the tide. At that time, I didn¡¯t have enough time to focus on reality.

    At the same time, it wasn¡¯t just Hitsugi¡¯s sess that warranted the subjugation of Maximilian.

    I made another discovery¡ª

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought hat [Over Ecstasy] is so useful¡­¡±

    I did it on a whim. When Hitsugi awakened, I also regained a semnce of my sanity. To acquire some mental immunity, I casted [Over Ecstasy], thinking it¡¯d give me a slight advantage.

    However, the fourth divine protection turned out to be more effective than expected.

    Until now, with the exception of Hitsugi, who had a mind of her own, I never knew a curse could talk¡­

    After casting [Over Ecstasy], I wasn¡¯t only able tomunicate with the curse, but also see its appearance¡­

    In a nutshell, it was akin to appraisal magic. It was almost simr to when I was looking at Sariel¡¯s memory through a reverse interference backdoor, and I¡¯de to see how it became a curse.

    The girl who yed the role of a king was betrayed by everyone and turned into a tyrant. To be king, she resorted to any means necessary, which ultimately doomed her into bing a curse.

    Not only did she fail to realize her dream, even after her death, she didn¡¯t attain peace.

    ¡ªBut it¡¯s all over now.

    I sympathized with her, and wanted to bring an end to her agony.

    Of course, I was also aware of how many lives she¡¯d imed. From a humanitarian point of view, she was undoubtedly an unredeemable tyrant, but¡­

    ¡­As someone who wasn¡¯t from that era, I found myself wanting to forgive her.

    With that feeling, I became the source of her hope in the end.

    Knowing her history, along with her wishes, I firmly dered that I¡¯d be her sessor.

    Of course, I also had no intention of calling myself the 9th King of a country that perished long ago. In the first ce, I was just an adventurer. Still, after seeing how desperate I was, she seemed to acknowledge me as her sessor. Or maybe I was the first human she saw after a millennium, so she had to make do.

    ¡ªWell, sorry that I¡¯m not of noble birth¡­

    Either way, ckening alone wasn¡¯t enough to subdue this armor. After all, if I went as far as lifting the spell, the situation would¡¯ve been flipped instantly. However, that wasn¡¯t what happened. Instead, the armor offered me maximumfort, as if it was my long-timerade-in-arms.

    Perhaps this is what it means to truly master a curse.

    In the first ce, getting into contact with a curse was a reckless act that I wouldn¡¯t have imagined of doing. Not to mention, I could withstand it due to being enveloped in ck magic. After all, touching the curse directly would be akin to scooping deadly poison with bare hands.

    However, with [Over Ecstasy], I could touch it while retaining my sanity.

    Aah, I feel like I¡¯ve made a huge discovery with cursed weapons.

    ¡°Wow¡ª! Congrattions, Master!¡±

    ¡°Approval of the sessor, [RX-666] Kingship master key transfer. <Kurono>, registrationplete.¡±

    ¡­Wait a minute, I think I heard a different voice just now.

    ¡°Hitsugi.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mii¡¯s voice!¡±

    Why is she replying as if it¡¯s the most obvious thing ever!? Does she have more control over the armor than I do!?

    Before I knew it, a rectangr window with red streaks expanded in front of me. There was a long list of gibberish that seemed to be ancient characters disyed there. At the same time, the image quality was so crisp, it reminded me of the nostalgic LCD¡­

    ¡°Is this also the function of the armor?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, it can project various things! How curious!¡±

    It was akin to aputer screen¡ªor rather, the cockpit of a super robot that I longed for. A window had opened in my field of vision.

    I wonder if it¡¯s equipped with an advanced information system?

    Contrary to its appearance, this helmet may be a precision instrument.

    No, there¡¯s something more urgent than the unknown secret of the helmet.

    ¡°Also, who¡¯s ¡®Mii¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my nickname for Milia! Mii said that she¡¯ll do her best for her new master! ¡­Huh? Oh, she said that since she¡¯s retiring, it¡¯s only natural that she¡¯s watching over you, so don¡¯t misunderstand! You know, this is quite rude. Hitsugi will be sure to tell her offter, so please don¡¯t worry!¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary¡­ As expected, I¡¯ll ask about the detailster.¡±

    Apparently, the will of the previous owner and king, Milia¡¯s, was firmly ingrained in the armor. Because she¡¯d fused with the armor while she was still alive, she probably maintained her sentience as a kind of undead.

    The legend of a magician who transformed himself into an undead and defied Death was a famous story that was even told in the seminary ss. After all, it took an unprecedented amount of skill to be a sentient undead. At the same time, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Hence why such guys appeared sometimes.

    Regardless, it was said that after 100 years, all of them would copse and eventually be undead monsters or turn into evil spirits.

    While it was possible that the same fate might befall Milia, judging from Hitsugi¡¯s story, she seemed to be in good spirits.

    ¡ªIs Milia¡¯s soul really strong, or is this armor just that amazing?

    ¡°For the time being, please remove the mysterious exnation, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s in front of me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I removed the screen that looked like a glorified [Terms of Service], and restored my vision. I was worried if I had skipped a dangerous contract, but I couldn¡¯t read ancient inscriptions anyway, so it was just a waste of time.

    ¡­Even so, since that full-face helmet was capable of disying an ultra-high-definition disy, it seemed that the powerful armor hid various hidden secrets.

    ¡°For the time being, I look forward to working with you, Milia.¡±

    By the way, I knew it might sound unfair, but I discovered her name through peeking at her memory. ¡®Milia¡¯ was her true name, which she abandoned when she ascended the throne.

    But since she¡¯d abdicated her throne, her name should rightfully be Milia.

    ¡°Uhm, first of all, please forgive me for calling you by that name.¡±

    Along with a somewhat mechanical sound, a new screen opened in my field of vision.

    Due to the thunder and sandstorm, it was difficult to tell, but I saw a figure of a girl.

    A cute girl with ck hair and red eyes who resembled Mia. Perhaps, she was truly her direct descendant.

    ¡°Kurono, you should move forward and work your way up. Get ahead in life¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t have any desire to be a king and get ahead in life, but¡­ Well, I¡¯ll do my best not to disappoint you.¡±

    ¡°Wow, amazing! Mii, how did you do that!? Hitsugi also wants to show her true form to the Master!¡±

    The image of Milia was gently closed.

    I¡¯m sorry about my noisy maid¡­

    ¡°Kurono.¡±

    When Hitsugi began to yell selfishly again, Fiona called out to me. Thanks to ancient secret technology, I could hear clearly even through a thickly armored helmet.

    I turned around, and as expected, there stood Fiona with her cane, ¡®Ainz Bloom.¡¯

    ¡°Are you alright? Did the armor possess you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Fiona. I can control it properly, [Head Purge].¡±

    I already had the basic functions memorized. Although, I couldn¡¯t exactly describe it in words.

    With that single act, the helmet that covered my head was released with the sound of gears meshing together. As the skull faceguard slid into the inside of the helmet, thetter rested around the back of my neck.

    It was as if I was simply removing a hood, and my true face emerged.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re safe. As expected of Kurono, I didn¡¯t expect you to master such an armor.¡±

    ¡°No, if Hitsugi hadn¡¯t woken up, I would¡¯ve sumbed to it. It was close.¡±

    ¡°Hitsugi? Oh, you mean your glove. I thought it had already been purified.¡±

    No, she¡¯s alive! From the beginning, I believed that she¡¯d wake up and wait!

    Still, I get why she might think that¡­

    ¡°Fiona, thank you for your support. If it had barged into the store and stole all the weapons, the battle would¡¯ve been lost.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry that I can only do so much. I¡¯m sure Lily would¡¯ve been able to provide even better support.¡±

    Did she mention Lily out of shame?

    Somehow, I doubted that. If anything, it was as if Fiona was trying to rece Lily.

    Perhaps, we might cross path with Lily again. Although, it was probably either to make up, or to say goodbye. As such, Fiona might be assuming the worst.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d that it somehow ended without causing that much damage.¡±

    ¡°Hoho, even though the front entrance, which is the brand image of our Mordred Weapon Firm, has copsed, it¡¯s not a big deal, is it?¡±

    Eh, Mordred!? Since when¡­?

    ¡°You came back so quickly. I thought you ran far away.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d abandon the collection and run away.¡±

    Oh, right¡­

    Mordred had been eyeing [Maximilian] for a long, long time.

    ¡°Still, I owe you one, good sir. Thank you for stopping the rampage of [Maximilian] earlier. Even someone as influential as me will be in deep water if I made a ruckus in the middle of the town.¡±

    ¡ªEh, so you¡¯re just going to gloss over it after?

    But he¡¯s scary, so I¡¯ll just refrain from asking questions.

    Otherwise, I might be treated to the darkness of Sparda¡­

    ¡°Look, even I didn¡¯t do it out of good intentions. Look, I keep the armorpletely intact. There were no casualties except for those who failed to respond immediately. Now that everything¡¯s settled, I want to receive a corresponding reward.¡±

    ¡°Of course. When it went berserk, I was prepared to take the matter into my own hands, but thankfully you returned unscathed.¡±

    Hearing his tone, I somehow doubt he means it¡­

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to reward you. Say no more, I can already tell from your appearance.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quick¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you remember? When we first met, I told you that I like cursed weapons, but I like those who can use them even more. When I said that, I meant it.¡±

    ¡ªCome to think of it, he did say that¡­ And here I thought he was trying to sway me.

    If those words were serious, then I¡¯d have to reconsider Mordred a bit.

    ¡°You have donned the legendary armor, [Maximilian]. Rather, it appears that the armor himself acknowledges you as his rightful owner. If that¡¯s the case, I¡ªWein Welz Mordred¡ªshall hand it over to you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThank you, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªfor 300 million ns.¡±

    ¡°¡­100 million.¡±

    ¡°270 million.¡±

    ¡°Uh, 130 million?¡±

    ¡°Are you mad? 250 million!¡±

    ¡°Hey, that amount sounds close to my bounty! 150 million.¡±

    ¡°What do you think [Maximilian] is!? 230 million.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? You saw how great I was back there. 180 million.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, 200 million.¡±

    ¡°Ah, hey, Fiona¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThis is taking too much time, so I decided to put a swift end to it.¡±

    Fiona forcibly decided on the price and ended the negotiations between me and Mordred.

    Even though I might be able to decrease it a bit more¡­

    ¡°Alright, Kurono, shall we continue our date?¡±

    ¡°Eh.¡±

    Fiona took my hand and started walking as if nothing had happened. Without hesitation, she took my left hand, which was wrapped in a gauntlet that was part of the cursed armor.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°No, even though I¡¯d survived a life and death battle, you went on as if nothing happened¡­¡±

    It¡¯s as if she has a change of heart, or something like that¡­

    ¡°We still have time, right?¡±

    Well, she was right.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s finish shopping¡ª[Terra Shield].¡±

    With a quick swing of [Ainz Bloom], there was a loud roar, and a magical rock shield pushed away the rubbles of the dpidated entrance from below. It opened a tunnel just enough for people to pass through.

    ¡°Eh, do you want to shop here?¡±

    ¡°The inside should be fine.¡±

    ¡­I¡¯m confused, while she¡¯s confused that I¡¯m confused.

    As usual, Fiona was at her own pace.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in.¡±

    I nodded, half giving up. At the same time, I was worried about whether or not the shop would cave in on us, so I nced at Mordred.

    If Mordred himself said, ¡°We¡¯ll close the shop for today.¡± I¡¯d have an excuse to leave, but¡­

    ¡°Haha, wee.¡±

    Mordred weed us with his skull rattling around.

    What¡¯s with this development? Am I being dense again?

    ¡ªThus, I resumed my date with Fiona with mixed feelings¡­

 Chapter 534

    <h4>Chapter 534</h4>

    ck Demon King

    534 Master

    ¡°Wee back, Master, Ms. Fiona.¡±

    With [Maximilian] still fully equipped, I went on a shopping date with Fiona. Afterward, we returned to the temple to pick up Sariel, who should¡¯ve been finished with her treatment.

    In the quiet waiting room, Sariel sat on a chair all by herself. When she spotted us, she said something unexpected.

    ¡°Wait a minute. By ¡®Master¡¯, are you referring to me?¡±

    Sariel¡¯s apathetic and straightforward gaze seemed to pierce me.

    Is it just my imagination, or was there a strong determination lurking underneath? One without hesitation or regret.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to be so formal¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve received an oracle to do so.¡±

    What is this, Freesia¡¯s wisdom?

    ¡­Come to think of it, didn¡¯t she refer to Mia as ¡®Master¡¯?

    Perhaps, it was customary for the knights of the Elrod Empire.

    ¡°I seem to recall that Kurono Maou likes to be called that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    What is she talking about? Where did she obtain that kind of information? What¡¯s her basis? I¡¯m not shameless enough to be open about having that kind of preference¡­

    ¡°In the work that was published in the literary club¡¯s magazine, there¡¯s a recurring story featuring a submissive maid girl who¡¯d refer to the protagonist as ¡®Master¡¯¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªStoooooooooooop!¡±

    Maximum magic output!

    Crimson lines covered the jet-ck surface of my armor as I grabbed a hold of Sariel and peered into her face. For a moment, it was as if I was about to headbutt her.

    ¡°I¡¯m seriously begging you, please don¡¯t mention that stuff.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize it was confidential information.¡±

    ¡°Precisely. It¡¯s top priority, ssified information that you mustn¡¯t ever disclose to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    The battle was concluded. [Maximilian] reverted to standby mode. I ced Sariel on the chair. Softly, gently, as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Kurono, what was that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Something about Literature Club, and a maid who¡¯d call the protagonist ¡®Master.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s an old story.¡±

    Indeed, it happened a long time ago. Back in high school, I¡¯d mass-produce embarrassing light novels day and night. The phenomenon dated back to as far as¡­ a year ago.

    I wouldn¡¯t call it my ck history or anything. After all, I cherished all of my works, and had fun writing them. So, I had no regrets. To my past self, writing light novels was my everything.

    Regardless, it was embarrassing if I got exposed in public. Not to mention, the other party was from another world. If Fiona called my hobby strange, and said stuff like, ¡®I never would¡¯ve guessed, Kurono. Such a turn off.¡¯ I¡¯d sooner just shut myself in [Maximilian] forever.

    ¡°Is that so? Well, do you approve of the way she addressed you?¡±

    ¡°Well, if her god told her to do that, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°I see. I shall allow you to refer to Kurono as ¡®Master¡¯, Sariel.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Fiona.¡±

    Why would Fiona give her permission instead of me? Isn¡¯t it rather strange?

    ¡°Then, please call me ¡®Mistress.¡¯¡±

    Uh, could it be¡­ Well, the thought did ur, but¡­ Are we dating with the intention of getting married?

    I didn¡¯t have any particr objections to that, but¡ªuh¡­ when it was suddenly brought into my attention like this, I couldn¡¯t help but get nervous.

    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡±

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s amazing. I still want to bask in the feeling of being a lover.¡±

    Fiona entwined her arms around mine, and drew closer to me.

    Hey, be careful, Fiona. This gauntlet has thorns on it.

    ¡°Sariel, I¡¯ve bought armor for you so that you can move on your own.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±

    ¡°Use your own feet to return home. Don¡¯t make Kurono carry you ever again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡±

    The way Fiona drove the point home was strict. At the very least, she was still being courteous to a ve? I didn¡¯t know how she drew the line between whether or not to forgive Sariel. Watching the exchange between the two made me uneasy. After all, there was no guarantee that a minor issue wouldn¡¯t escte into a major argument.

    More than Sariel, Fiona¡¯s words and every move terrified me.

    Pretending to be calm and safe around her, I took out Sariel¡¯s armor from the [Shadow Gate] for the time being.

    The gauntlets and armor, which had been fitted for women, looked much slimmer than the ones worn by the heavy knight during the Gluttony Octo battle. However, since we weren¡¯t going to enter the battlefield, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. In fact, I bought a rtively cheap one, with little to praise in terms of quality.

    ¡°[Violet sh ckening]!¡±

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no issue with mobility.¡±

    To check her condition, Sariel used her steel, prosthetic leg to stand; waved his right hand, while also clenching and opening her fist. Her movements were so nimble that her limbs appeared to be her own.

    If my limbs are missing, will I be able to use [ckening] to move like her?

    To begin with, I hadn¡¯t tried to see if I could replicate the pseudo-lightning attribute. I should do my best so that Sariel wouldn¡¯t end up teaching me about ck magic¡­

    ¡°What is your n after this?¡±

    ¡°Hm, there¡¯s still a little time until sunset, but¡­¡±

    Frankly, I didn¡¯t feel like going out much today. Not only did I go to the royal caste in the morning for the tense negotiation battle, I also had to partake in a ceremony at the Pandora Temple in the afternoon. Let¡¯s not forget my confrontation with the cursed armor. Physically, I was still fine, but mentally, I was exhausted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish Sariel¡¯s adventurer registration and go home.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see, it¡¯d be a good idea for Sariel to do it as well.¡±

    King Leonhardt had personally ordered Sariel to fight in the next battle. As such, it¡¯d be better to register her as an adventurer as soon as possible.

    ¡°I never thought that you¡¯d be the fourth member of the [Element Master]¡­¡±

    When I thought about it, it was actually kind of touching.

    ¡°She¡¯ll officially be a member once her rank rises. Until then, she should work solo.¡±

    ¡°Solo? But is that okay?¡±

    The implication was much deeper than that. Even if Sariel had officially been recognized, it wouldn¡¯t be right to suddenly throw her out alone into the outside world.

    ¡°Neither Kurono nor I have enough free time to take care of her. We¡¯ll have to prepare for the next battle as well. Maybe this time, we won¡¯t be able to rely on Lily¡¯s strength anymore.¡±

    Certainly, it wasn¡¯t the time to get hyped up with [Maximilian].

    Although Sariel was the most ideal human resource in terms of fighting potential, I didn¡¯t trust her as much as Lily.

    ¡°She has to earn her own keep, without relying on others. Whether she¡¯s a ve or a knight, Kurono doesn¡¯t have any obligations to feed her.¡±

    ¡°Sure, it¡¯d be better if she could earn her own money¡­¡±

    Fiona¡¯s argument made a lot of sense. However, I felt slightly uneasy because it sounded as if we were pushing Sariel away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if we aren¡¯t watching, someone else will keep an eye on Sariel.¡±

    Sparda¡¯s assassin corps should be lurking around for a while¡­

    I didn¡¯t think it was a good thing, but since the circumstances demanded it, I had to give up on it. Besides, they were professionals. If I didn¡¯t actively search for them, I wouldn¡¯t even realize they were there.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s visit the guild, and if we obtain their permission, let¡¯s have Sariel go on a solo quest. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master. I have a general understanding of the activities of adventurers. I have no problem fulfilling my mission.¡±

    Still, in the near future, I wanted to team up with Sariel and undertake a subjugation quest that matches our level. After all, I¡¯d like to see for myself, the full extent of her ability after she became ustomed with her body, and fight side by side with her.

    Fiona probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate that, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d object. The situation wouldn¡¯t allow Sariel and I to go on a quest alone, and I didn¡¯t have the courage to do that either.

    ¡°Well then, shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Oh, speaking of which, Kurono, when we receive our bounty, there¡¯s something I want.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unusual for Fiona to want something. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I want a house.¡±

    ¡­That isn¡¯t something you can ask so casually, Fiona.

    That day, I had trouble falling asleep because I had to spend way more than I expected.

    Why?

    After returning to Sparda, I can¡¯t just rest easy¡­

    ¡ªThe next day, 7th day of the Month of Pristine Water. Lily still hadn¡¯t returned.

    However, for the time being, Sariel¡¯s identity was guaranteed by the Sparda government, and the immediate concern was resolved. When I woke up, I felt somewhat more refreshed than yesterday.

    ¡°Good morning, Master.¡±

    After I was finished with my morning preparation, I went to the lounge and was greeted by Sariel, who was dressed in monastic cloth and apron. In her hand was arge round tray, on which hot soup and toast were steaming.

    ¡°Good morning, Kurono.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Fiona, Sariel. Are you awake already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I wanted to go out.¡±

    Fiona answered while sipping tea, her appearance exuding the elegance of a nobledy. Even more amazing was Sariel, who managed to carry a copious bowl of soup and a te stacked with toasts so high, I couldn¡¯t count theyers. Even though it may seem a bit extravagant, the way it came all together was quite impressive.

    In spite of that, Fiona didn¡¯t spare her a word of thanks, and simply dismissed her. In response, Sariel bowed respectfully and withdrew to the kitchen.

    ¡­Am I the only one ufortable with this new morning routine?

    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get used to it¡­¡±

    Since Sariel was a ve, she was treated like a maid and was entrusted with all the household chores.

    For the past three months, I¡¯d been living a normal life with Sariel, so I couldn¡¯t get used to her new position. However, considering my position and situation, I thought that was for the best. For now, Sariel had daily household chores to keep her busy.

    ¡°Master, what¡¯d you like for breakfast?¡±

    ¡°The hot soup is fine.¡±

    Come to think of it, it was the first time I¡¯d eaten Sariel¡¯s cooking. I was somewhat worried about the taste, but seeing Fiona calmly eating without being particrly nitpicky, it must be delicious.

    ¡°What are your ns for today, Fiona?¡±

    ¡°There are still many things we need, so let¡¯s go shopping. Also, we have to find a good property.¡±

    Is that so? Is it safe to assume that I¡¯d also be going with her?

    ¡°I was thinking of showing up to sses, even if just for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to graduate?¡±

    It¡¯d be lonely, but there was some truth to it. I did attend decent sses, and learned the basics of modern magic and famous martial arts. Of course, those were just theoretical knowledge, and it didn¡¯t mean that I could actually put them to use.

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe that in order to prepare for the next battle, it¡¯s necessary toe up with a different action from what we have done so far. Only two divine protections remain. As such, prioritizing the search for trial monsters might be a good approach.¡±

    It might be a good idea to leave Sparda and search in other countries.

    For the time being, the crusaders were repelled, so the situation wasn¡¯t as tense as before. We no longer had to be on the lookout for their attack every day. With some leeway, more time-consuming strategies, which previously weren¡¯t feasible, could be implemented.

    ¡°Do you want a house because you want a more solid base?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems that we¡¯ll have some time. Like any other witch, I want to have my own workshop so I can take my time to research about magic.¡±

    I see, as expected of Fiona. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t just for some silly reason such as wanting a love nest for us both.

    ¡°In that case, please look forward to it. Uh, thanks, Sariel.¡±

    Sariel quietly served me the soup. It seemed like the bacon and leafy greens soup I made the day I returned to Sparda. Assuming that she used the ingredients and seasonings avable in the kitchen, it should be safe.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d it suits your taste.¡±

    Sariel gave a generic response and didn¡¯t sound particrly happy.

    As for the taste, at least it tasted better than what I made, so I was relieved that I could leave the cooking to her.

    I considered it lucky that I didn¡¯t have to teach her how to cook from scratch.

    Fiona was cold towards Sariel today as well. I earnestly hoped that in the future, she¡¯d soften up rather than me getting used to her harsh attitude.

    ¡°Starting today, I n to let Sariel wander around the town by herself.¡±

    ¡°Eh? She isn¡¯ting along with us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to exin why a maid shouldn¡¯t tag along on our date.¡±

    She seems to be in a bit of a bad mood¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. To suddenly allow her to go out¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯spleted her adventurer registration, she¡¯s free to walk around the town, and even venture to a dungeon if she wants to.¡±

    Certainly, Sariel had registered herself as an adventurer yesterday. Even if the guild made an inquiry to the Sparda army, there was no problem since she had permission. An iron guild namete could be seen on her monastic robe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 300,000 ns, so I¡¯ll have you prepare the necessary equipment. Also, before I forget, the ingredients for dinner.¡±

    As if having to prepare your own equipment wasn¡¯t difficult enough, she also had to shop for dinner at the same time. As expected, Fiona was harsh.

    ¡°¡­Well, that should be fine. I don¡¯t want to coddle Sariel, either.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rule. Well then, another cup of tea.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡±

    Despite her steel armor, Sariel returned to the kitchen without making any sound. Given that she was there during our conversation, she probably didn¡¯t have anyints. No, from Sariel¡¯s perspective, she had no say in anything.

    ¡°By the way, Kurono, I¡¯d like to do another research today.¡±

    It was unusual for Fiona to bring up the topic about research. When I asked what it was, she fished a book from her pocket.

    It waspact in size, but reasonably thick. It seemed like a small dictionary. The binding was made of standard brown leather. At a nce, nothing particrly stood out from it.

    ¡°Some kind of magic tome?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Bible.¡±

    I briefly went nk.

    However, when Fiona flipped through the book she called the Bible, I found a list of characters that I¡¯d be ustomed to seeing every day until a little while ago.

    ¡°¡¯Genesis, Chapter 1, the creation of light¡ª¡®¡±

    From there, a multitude of over the top titles lined up in the table of contents¡ªall of them were familiar to me.

    I had a simr book stowed in the [Shadow Gate], left by Priest Nichs. The Bible of the Crusaders. In the country of Sparda, there should only be one of them.

    However, Fiona held up the book that shouldn¡¯t have existed in her hand.

    ¡°This bible was in the possession of the man who attacked the armor yesterday.¡±

    Apparently, she found it when she was examining a nearby corpse. I was curious about Fiona¡¯s thief skill, and how she casually scavenged corpses, but it didn¡¯t matter right now.

    ¡°Are they crusaders¡¯ spies?¡±

    ¡°No, if they were with the Crusaders, they wouldn¡¯t have done such a meaningless and conspicuous act.¡±

    The simple act of owning a Bible should be enough proof that they belonged to the crusaders. However, if they were indeed spies, their attack would¡¯ve been for naught. From their statements during the attack, they seemed to view the existence of ¡®curse¡¯ as an evil entity that went against their doctrine. Nevertheless, it was still an extremist act of terrorism, aiming to eliminate it without any room for discussion.

    Even if the Crusaders would try to destroy or purify a cursed object in the same way, they wouldn¡¯t do so without thinking.

    ¡°Does that mean the Bible itself is circting in Sparda?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and today¡¯s research is to confirm that.¡±

    Unexpectedly, the presence of a white shadow creeping up on Sparda made me feel cold even after drinking the warm soup.

 Chapter 535

    <h4>Chapter 535</h4>

    535 The Third Emergency Quest

    The incident took ce on the night of the 7th of Pristine Water month, after we returned from a fruitless outing.

    ¡°Sariel, t-this is¡­?¡±

    A dish could be seen on top of the dining table. Freshly-cooked white rice, topped with a dark brown roux neatly sprinkled over half of it. The fragrance didn¡¯t only make my mouth water, but also filled me with nostalgia.

    ¡°It¡¯s curry.¡±

    Yes, it¡¯s definitely curry.

    ¡°What is curry? From the looks of it, I assume that the dish originated from Rune? After all, it uses rice¡­¡±

    ¡°No, curry is our hometown dish.¡±

    Curry and rice were Japanese dishes, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    While I wasn¡¯t a certain yellow, gluttonous character who was a curry aficionado, I still enjoyed it like most Japanese people. I¡¯d never seen curry in Spada before. Not to mention, even the great Earl of Redwing failed to reproduce it, so I had almost given up¡­ But who¡¯d have thought that this country had enough ingredients to make curry?

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish it quickly.¡±

    With that single line from me, Fiona seemed to have guessed my intentions. She quickly sat down without further questioning.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±

    A quiet dinner began. asionally, the sound of silverware scraping the bottom of the te would resound. Still, wordlessly, I savored my curry.

    ¡°¡­Thank you for the meal.¡±

    It¡¯s delicious. In fact, it¡¯s the perfect curry.

    Potatoes, carrots, onions, and pork. It was a standard recipe for a Japanese curry, and had no originality¡ªbut that¡¯s why it¡¯s good. Just like how I¡¯d stressed to the princess of Avalon, being faithful to the basics was important.

    The taste of my hometown, which was reproduced so avidly, was so enthralling that I was blown away the whole time.

    ¡°Thank you, Sariel. It was delicious.¡±

    ¡°As long as it suits your pte.¡±

    A simple reply, almost akin to the one I heard this morning. Even though she was as expressionless as ever, I wondered why she decided to make curry. Was it out of consideration? Or did she want to get in our good books?

    Even if she had ulterior motives, I¡¯d still cave because that was how tasty it was.

    ¡°Can you make something other than curry?¡±

    ¡°When ites to culinary expertise, Shirasaki Yuriko has a wide knowledge. As long as the ingredients are avable, reproducing the recipe shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡±

    Apparently, Shirasaki Yuriko was unrivaled when it came to cooking. I really wanted to try homemade food, but¡­ Would the food Sariel prepared taste exactly the same as Yuriko¡¯s?

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll prepare the ingredients, so I entrust the cooking to you.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Master. Thank you.¡±

    My impression of Sariel skyrocketed¡ªand I was sure that I wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°¡­A second, please.¡±

    As expected, Fiona also gave in to the perfect curry. Even if her heart refused, her body was honest.

    ***

    A week went by, and the 13th of Pristine Water month was upon us. As expected, Lily hadn¡¯t returned, and no sightings of her were ever reported. It was as if she¡¯d vanished into thin air, right after she left the lounge. However, considering that she could use [Predator Coat], her disappearance must¡¯ve been purely intentional, as in she didn¡¯t want to be found.

    In the end, all I could do was wait for her toe back.

    I spent my days rtively peacefully in Spada; helpless anxiety settling in the bottom of my heart.

    Above all, I¡¯d formally been given the bounty for the Ghad War, which was reassuring. After all, I fully thought it¡¯d be offset by Sariel¡¯s case, but to Will¡¯s delight, I received the full amount.

    Starting with the basic rewards for participating in emergency quests, defeating a bunch of soldiers, the ancient weapon Taurus, and the enemy general, Linfeld, along with the true mastermind, Sariel, with various additional and special rewards¡ªthe total was a staggering billion ns.

    Up until now, I had many opportunities to earnrge sums of money, such as prize money from the ¡°Curse Carnival¡±, the Battle of Ischia, and quest rewards for subjugating The Last Rose. However, the digits were different this time around. I received a ton of the Spardarge gold coins, which boasted the highest price.

    Unlike usual, I felt somewhat conflicted stashing them inside the [Shadow Gate], even more so after it¡¯d once been destroyed by Sariel. As expected, I couldn¡¯t trust its safety.

    Since I wasn¡¯t born yesterday, I knew the bank existed, but since all the members could use space dimension magic, the former became redundant. Besides, we didn¡¯t need a bank for the majority of our purchases and transactions, so I really had no clue. At most, I was impressed that the concept of a bank existed in this fantasy world.

    In any case, I was able to make payment for the Tyrant¡¯s Armor through the national bank without any trouble. It should be easier to purchase a house using the same means.

    Thus, the [Element Master] had practically be wealthy. Although, my life didn¡¯t change much.

    Because we were still in the process of looking for a house, we still lived in that crappy dormitory. For the time being, it worked, and I thought that it was fine to stay this way until we graduated.

    As Fiona said before, there was no real need to attend the seminary, but I still wanted to formally graduate. As a Japanese person, I was ufortable with the title of dropout.

    Since there was nothing urgent at the moment, I continued to earn the necessary credits with Fiona. For me, who longed for a date with a ssmate, my school life had be somewhat more radiant than before. Fiona, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem that thrilled.

    Come to think of it, when I met Kai at school while I was in ss, we had a mock battle. Since it wasn¡¯t a special appointment, we only did it from time to time.

    Fortunately, I hadn¡¯t met Saphir, who was still attending the seminary like Kai. The school itself was peaceful, without unnecessary dramas.

    Of course, apart from sses, my main activity at present was to devote myself to improve my proficiency in ck magic and divine protection. In order to further increase my power, I trained day in and day out.

    As of the present, I didn¡¯t think my 1st to 4th blessings had reached their maximum potential. At the same time, I¡¯d like to practice the 5th Divine Protection until I could incorporate it in actual battles before the next trial.

    Like me, Fiona seemed to be trying to master Endyminion¡¯s divine protection. Once her witch¡¯s workshop waspleted, would her research on divine protection deepened?

    On the other hand, Sariel¡¯s obligations didn¡¯t just consist of recreating Japanese cuisine.

    Just the other day, Sariel finally made her debut as an adventurer. As per Fiona¡¯s orders, she started working as a soloist in order to improve her rank.

    The day after, she advanced to rank 2.

    Sariel was careful to choose only the subjugation quests in the vicinity, before making use of her transcendent stamina as a remodeled and enhanced android homunculus to hunt monsters 24 hours a day without any rest.

    I could do the same if I wanted, but I never even considered it because it was mentally taxing. In that sense, she was truly something else for sticking through it¡­

    However, what was truly terrifying about Sariel was that as soon as she returned to the dormitory with a bronze-ted guild card showing Rank 2, she started preparing dinner with the avable ingredients.

    ¡°Hey, Sariel, you don¡¯t have to push yourself so much. You just came back from a quest, right?¡±

    ¡°Currently, I have enough stamina for an extensive battle that mayst for another three days. I have no trouble doing household chores.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that¡­¡±

    ¡°As long as I can carry out the mission, there¡¯s no reason for me to rest.¡±

    I decided to leave Sariel be. Although, I was somewhat dejected by her reply, which dismissed my concerns entirely.

    That day, she made Omurice.

    The chicken rice was enveloped in a fluffy omelet. The taste was just as I had expected. I couldn¡¯t help but shiver with excitement, just like the day when I was served curry, because the food was as delicious as the one from a Western restaurant.

    ¡°¡­Please give me a second.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Madam Fiona.¡±

    For me, the dish carried the nostalgic taste of my hometown, but for Fiona, it was an exquisite dish that she¡¯d never had before. If Sariel went on to reproduce Japanese national cuisine, Fiona¡¯s stomach and body would sumbpletely in the not-too-distant future. The entire time, she seemed so frustrated, yet she couldn¡¯t drop the spoon.

    In any case, even if the two didn¡¯t get along, it¡¯d be nice if Fiona would acknowledge Sariel as one of herpanions. Somehow, this scene was akin to a light at the end of the tunnel.

    On the other hand, this time, there was a new movement somewhere away from us.

    ***

    ¡°Hey, Fiona, isn¡¯t the town a bit noisytely?¡±

    ¡°Rather than a town, it¡¯s a seminary¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s because of the adventurers.¡±

    At lunch break after sses on the 13th, while walking around the seminary grounds full of students, I chatted with Fiona.

    ¡°How do I put this, it¡¯s simr to the atmosphere just before the Ghad War.¡±

    ¡°The adventurers whoe and go through the city of Sparda all seem to be busy and hurrying to prepare for their quests. It¡¯s as if there¡¯s a get-rich-quick quest.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps there is.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    My career as an adventurer was short, but I seemed to have had more fulfilling adventures than those around me. Fiona and I didn¡¯t say anything, and went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.

    As if to affirm our expectations, the guild HQ was swarmed by a mob of adventurers. By that point, I had already gotten ustomed to the size and bustle of the headquarters. While thinking about it, I quickly headed for the counter.

    However, just before I was about to line up in the shortest queue, I abruptly stopped. Target change. Let¡¯s just move to this line. After a bit of hesitation, I made a decision.

    ¡°Kurono.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fiona. At the very least, I want to tell her that I returned safely.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t underestimate me? I¡¯m not that petty?¡±

    ¡°Yes, right, thanks¡­¡±

    There was only a single person in Sparda who¡¯d go out of his way to say such a thing to Fiona.

    Anyway, it¡¯s about time.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Erina.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it truly has been a while¡­ Wee back, Kurono.¡±

    She responded with a meek smile.

    Come to think of it, we parted ways after she confessed, and that was about it. The event itself took ce around the beginning of the Dark Moon.

    ¡°How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much the usual. Every day, I adhered to the same routine. Kurono, on the other hand, seems to have quite a hard time. I¡¯ve heard a lot of baseless rumors, too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Well, I¡¯ll spare you from the detailed exnation because it¡¯ll ruin the mood.¡±

    ¡°If you want to tell me, I¡¯m willing to listen. But I won¡¯t force you. Just the fact that you returned safely would suffice for me.¡±

    Despite the way we parted, I was fortunate to have someone who¡¯d say that to me. As expected, after four months had passed, did Erina manage to sort her mind? Now, it was as if her confession from before was nothing but a dream.

    ¡°By the way, you didn¡¯te all the way here to see me, did you? What¡¯s your business here today?¡±

    Moreover, we were in the guild¡¯s reception, so a long chat was out of the question. I saw no reason to prolong this.

    ¡°Is there some kind of an emergency?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious from the atmosphere, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The fact that all the adventurers were rushing to prepare indicated that the job mobilized arge number of them. How could it be anything but an emergency quest?

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t heard the details yet. For the time being, it doesn¡¯t seem that the Crusaders are involved.¡±

    ¡°I see, so this emergency quest ispletely different from the Ghad War.¡±

    Besides, there have been no natural disasters such as earthquakes or major storms recently. Therefore, the opponent was probably a monster.

    ¡°What¡¯s the opponent?¡±

    ¡°Pride Gem.¡±

    No way, I was right? It was rare for me to hit the mark.

    ¡°Even if I say that, I doubt anything wille to mind. It¡¯s a rare monster, after all. I never heard about it before.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some records in the guild¡¯s reference room, it¡¯s supposed to be a strong and gigantic slime, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You seem to be quite knowledgeable. Is Kurono surprisingly a studious person? Or a monster aficionado?¡±

    ¡°I just happened to remember what I read.¡±

    ¡ªI couldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s because of the Demon King¡¯s trial.

    ¡°By the way, where did this guye from?¡±

    ¡°The location is the Great Forest of Latifundia.¡±

    No way, that¡¯s very close to Sparda! Isn¡¯t it a nearby dungeon that even rookie adventurers use?

    ¡°It¡¯s so close, yet no one noticed?¡±

    The Great Forest of Latifundia had a danger rank of 2 in the shallow part, and 4 in the deeper part. The Pride Gem a Rank 5 monster with a disaster-ss danger. If a monster that¡¯d warrant an emergency quest appeared in such a ce, themotion should¡¯ve urred a lot sooner.

    At the very least, during Greed Gore, the information that it was moving in the direction of Sparda was properly conveyed.

    ¡°Actually, the signs of its appearance have been there sincest year. It was around the time Kurono came to ept the Rank 1 subjugation quest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Was it the time when there was a horde of slimes?¡±

    Seeing Erina nodded, it finally made sense to me.

    When we first arrived in Sparda, we took on subjugation quests to increase our rank. I was in charge of goblins and punpun, while Lily was in charge of slime. At that time, Lily subjugated around 300 of them.

    The Great Forest of Latifundia,monly known as Lati Forest, was inhabited by a decent amount of slimes. Still, it was a Rank 1 monster, and the opponent was, well, Lily. Even when I saw that number, I thought it was only natural for Lily.

    ¡°Slime outbreaks aren¡¯t that umon, but it¡¯s suspicious because it¡¯s been happening intermittently sincest year.¡±

    Nevertheless, investigations were conducted several times. However, judging from the current situation, it seemed that the results of the investigation were far from ideal.

    ¡°I read that the Pride Gem was as colossal as a mountain, so how did you miss it?¡±

    ¡°The reason is because of its mimicking ability.¡±

    As in, the slime took advantage of its unique translucent body to blend in with the surroundings? Like [Predator Coat]? No, it probably didn¡¯t. Since the guy had a water attribute, he shouldn¡¯t be able to cast illusion, which was a light attribute spell.

    ¡°It disguised itself as a small, unnamed pond in the woods.¡±

    ¡°I see, you wouldn¡¯t notice that.¡±

    ¡°I heard that now that it¡¯s stopped mimicking, it¡¯s the size of ake.¡±

    After Gluttony Octo, another battle involving a gigantic monster awaited me.

    Looking back at the guild documents, the ecology of Gluttony Octo and Pride Gem had a lot inmon. First, the gigantic body, next was the tremendous number of herds.

    For the time being, all of the Gluttony Octo¡¯s swarms were its offspring, but with Pride Gem, it was slightly different considering its lifeform.

    Fortunately, unlike Gluttony Octo, Pride Gem couldn¡¯t fly. It wouldn¡¯t move from its spawn point, and would continue to expand in size ording to a concentric circle. In other words, the one that appeared in Lati Forest never moved. Instead, it continued to expand by absorbing the surrounding flora and fauna.

    ¡°Is it in the deeper part of the forest?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s in the shallow part of the forest. It¡¯s a ce where even a Rank 2 adventurer can enter.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯ll soon overflow from the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, an evacuation order has already been issued to the nearest vige, Raquel. By now the Sparda army should be preparing to enter the area andunch an attack.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the Sparda army is already moving?¡±

    Then what about us adventurers?

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s an emergency quest, there¡¯ll also be some side quests for adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Are they giving us adventurers a chance to get credit first?¡±

    ¡°Yes, until the Sparda armypletes their preparations andunches an all-out attack, the adventurers may do as they see fit.¡±

    The Pride Gem was a dangerous opponent, but the reward should be worthwhile. Besides, even if it was a Rank 3 adventurer or so, depending on their tactic, they should be able to intercept our target.

    Gluttony Octo was a harsh life-or-death battle, but this time it seemed to be a battle between rivals aiming for the same target.

    Well, it¡¯d be nice if the Pride gem was weak enough to the point we couldpete on who yed it first¡­ However, it was a monster that Mia chose for the trial. I didn¡¯t know what kind of terrifying special power it had. It¡¯d be dangerous if we focused too much on thepetition.

    ¡°Has the deadline already been decided?¡±

    ¡°Four days from now on, on the 17th, the Sparda army willunch an all-out attack early in the morning. It¡¯s three days from now.¡±

    It was quite brief, but I didn¡¯t think the Sparda army had any obligation to wait too long. They were just letting us do as we pleased until their preparations werepleted. Even if the emergency quest ended in failure, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem for the Sparda army.

    As for me, if the army could back me up, I could take on the challenge with confidence. During my time with the Gluttony Octo, if I failed to kill it, we¡¯d all be annihted. No, I should¡¯ve failed. If not for Sariel¡¯s awakening, and because Lily and Fiona rushed to my aid, I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it off.

    This time, I had to seize victory using my own power.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do, Kurono? The emergency quest [Pride Gem Subjugation] had just been officially issued.¡±

    ¡°Right now, I¡¯ll ask you toplete the registration process.¡±

    I decided to register myself with Erina, who smiled as if my request went without saying.

    ¡°Also, I want to add one more member to [Element Master].¡±

    Emergency Quest Pride Gem Subjugation

    Reward: Pride Gem body parts ?300 million ns?Other additional rewards would depend on the size of the nucleus.

    Deadline: 17th of the Pristine Water month

    Client: 52nd King of Sparda, Leonhardt Tristan Sparda

    Quest details: Quickly subjugate the Rank 5 monster [Pride Gem] that appeared in the Great Forest of Latifundia. The monster boasted a gigantic body that surpassed the average size of a slime, and could also split itself into numerous parts. In addition, there were many special slimes that were intelligent enough to understand humannguage¡­¡ª

    ¡ªThus, the Sixth Trial began.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!