《Make no Daydreamer》 s 1+2+3 – Another World Reincarnation and The Strongest Mother. This chapter was written by some other translator.(Tsaltranslation) No not chapter but 2 parts which didnt even complete 50 % of Chapter 1+2+3. So, i am posting the two parts right now and am not editing or changing anything in it and the rest will be posted ASAP. At most it will be next tuesday. In Japanese the chapters are (without spaces between paragraphs) 24 pages. SO after TLing it in English it will definitely be more than 30 or 40 pages or maybe more (with spaces between paragraphs.) Thus, please wait guys, this WNs Chapters are really long. After this chapter im cancelling my tuesday policy, BUT I am not dropping this WN.[ET: Come one. Ill take you head on.!] Chapters 1+2+3 C Another World Reincarnation and The Strongest Mother. (Author note: These are suitable parts that will be replaced in the summary when its rewritten as a book) This might be a bit sudden, but do you know about [reincarnation]? Its a popular genre, it can be said to be a constant seller. A staple of fiction on the net. I was a normal Japanese person, but after I died for some reason I... was reborn into this abnormal world, I got to redo the contents of my life from the age of one. For the new me, this was what I experienced. In this reincarnation I was brought up in a common family and with much difficulty I passed the entrance examination for college, this time I consider my life happy. I didnt possess the qualities in that staple of reincarnation, a hero. I was happily awaiting my future prospects as a university student when the new semester started in spring. ... trajectory, I was hit by a crashing airplane that fell like an air like an arrow. and then I died.[tl note. mofo died by literally being hit by a plane crash, and that was his second life... gangsta] Bodies and debris scattered, the events transpire around me in slow motion as my vision fades, what I regret is the black history of a pubescent boy on the PC at home... I wish I had deleted it, my social standing will fall posthumously, life was short but I finished it.... .... these are my so-called memories of my past life. [TL: Japan please learn to clear your browser history or at least use incognito mode... you creepy fucks.] Next thing I know, it had already happened..... [reincarnation] That was the reason I became like this... an 18-year-old high school student, now in the body of a baby. My body doesnt do what I want it to, and I dont know where I am eitherCjust in case I look around to my surroundings. The house has a European style located on a beautiful mountain. Its a 3 story western style house. It has the feel of a place Dracula would live. It has an almost grandiose feel .... This was my home in this life. I live here with 2 people, my foster parents. [TL: after 3 days of exhausting labor she managed to give birth to this prick who calls his biological parents foster parents... cold. ] After being reborn I live like this for a long time and have never been outside our home. This is because we live in a remote location making it difficult. We have a small garden around our home and around it there is a forest. By the way the reason these are my foster parents.... because I dont think they are not my parent. When I met my current parents they didnt seem to be my parents, I dont understand why,...Well it feels like the people raising me are definitely not my real parents. Why is that? can someone explain it.... Minato? Is the food ready Ah, yes mother its ready now! My mother inquires from under the balcony. She has long blond hair that goes to her back, its naturally really pretty, she definitely doesnt need to use conditioner. She has fair skin. Her body is firm and was well-kept, She is just too perfect. Her breasts were of a size you would have to call big.... I, um, think it may be a health fixation for a boy. She also had a beautiful face still full of youth. With slightly green eyes and thin eyebrows. .... her ears were long and pointed. They resemble the ears of an [elf], but she isnt an elf. Her name was Lilian Kyadoriyu[tl if someone can come up with a better name from what I came up with please let me know ?ɥ`] She is a member of a demonic race, a Succubus. My name is Minato Kyadoriyu S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. For reasons I dont understand my name from my previous life has been incorporated carefully into my new name. My hair and eye color are both black and my ears arent particularly pointy. I feel like my appearance is that of an ordinary human. Maybe this it the reason why I feel we arent truly parent and child, even though this is purely my opinion as I havent heard otherwise. Even baring such thoughts I have no Idea how long Ive been here, since I have no memories of my birth or anything following it for some time. Although from a considerably early time.....due to my memories of a previous life my ego managed to establish itself at probably half a year, I was born and discarded at a considerably early age, this is probably what moved my mother to take me in. If thats what happened, this would definitely be what my mother would do. By the way, when I was taken care of as an infant..... I got to experience intolerable shame play quite a bit....[tl: awe yeah.... um, i-i-i I mean ewwwww!*cough cough* nothing to see here move along.] Especially mothers milk, or diaper change....Im sorry, please forgive me, my mind is braking. After I reincarnated with so much effort... I want to commit suicide hurriedly. How much vanity can an infants consciousness actually have? Even though I cant control it, when mothers milk is offered I automatically drink. I cant control my body functions so when I have a movement Im changed... Im powerless to resist it. In truth my shame is fading. Besides, my mother is an ultra high-class beauty. I mean for this woman to feed me, who is not her husband or son, her mothers milk. I spent several years in this shameful existence. Time flies quickly. In 4 years I am now 9 years old. naturally as this is a Alternate dimension I am living in an environment that is very different from what I was used to in Modern Japan. As for the level of technology, its slightly old-fashioned similar, it gives off an atmosphere similar to what it probably was like in Europe during the middle ages. Furthermore this world is akin to a so-called World of Sword and Magic. When you ask how I can say this for sure its because mother uses magic often.... when traveling away from home. Demons can be seen swaggering about. The monsters are like you would see in anime or in fantasy games. Could the Abnormal World I was growing up in have the same feeling as Modern Japan?Naturally if you asked me Id say it couldnt. What has been going on since I turned 5, you ask? Under the guidance of mother, I have been in training. In this world training has a very simple meaning. Its training to fight. Since demons/ Monsters exist in this world Strength is Important. After I discussed it with mother, training was commenced. Of course at first I was bewildered, I could not seem to get an understanding of it and felt amazed by many things. Because it is forbidden by mother,I havent been able to go outside our home, so I havent seen it directly...though I often see it when I look out the window. Wolves large enough to swallow a child whole without chewing, bears the size of large trucks, and varieties of demons that are clearly dangerous. I am too weak to oppose the demons I can see wandering about outside. If I were to do so I would be KOd just by stepping outside the house. In that regard, if that is the reason, I thought it is completely justified that some training is necessary. Without it I will never be able to go outside. That is why I decided to ask mother selfishly for training. So I received training from mother. Although its strange I set my goal for training to surpass mother. When I say that. In comparison to the monsters in the forest Mother is incomparable, she is super strong. During my previous life, because I was absorbed with anime and games , this world of Sword and magic suited my tastes greatly. Instead of using demonstrations, I was instructed to find monsters in the forest and defeat them. Along the way at the age of five I came to understand why the monsters avoided the house it had a feeling like Ah, so thats why. (TL:lacking in any shock) Its probably that mother is the apex predator of the forests ecosystem. Or should I say, with her strength they behave more like pets. They offer a comfort between my studies there are various kinds of cats and birdsCIve become quite attached. Was I reincarnated into a good body, with each day I could see my skills improving while I followed my mothers teachings. Within 1 year it became noticeable, but... I dont seem to have the disposition to be a wizard. Unlike with martial arts and weapons no matter how hard I trained there were no results. After a year of training my mother became worried and decided to look into it. It seems I lack some of the qualities necessary to become a wizard. For some reason I am unable to use magic of any kind. For example the rudimentary elemental magic Ignition, when cast by mother it is like a huge flamethrower, when I use it produces a flame similar to what a lighter makes, I am able to only make such small flames. In my mothers examination I have both the necessary capacity for sorcery and the sufficient magical power and thus perhaps it has something to do with my body. When it comes to mastering the magic outside my body I lack control...the defect seems to come from the fact that I lack the inductive capability. If I were to compare ignition magic, to produce a large flame a large amount of power is needed. I have the required amount but for some reason the amount I can emit is insufficient and I am incapable of controlling it after I do emit it. To better explain it imagine a water tank. A large amount of water is able to be collected there. I am able to control the release of the water, but the exit amount is like a faucet or a hose. So what would happen? Even though I am able to empty the tanks contents, I can only do so at a fixed rate restricted by the outlet, naturally that is not a lot because the outlet is like a domestic faucet. That is what my power is like. Since mother is a Succubus and Im a human its really not a problem, its just the way I was born. When I was told this by my mother, I was crestfallen. No, I went through such a difficult process of reincarnation, I should be able to use magic too! At least thats what I always saw in online fiction. I am defective, my hopes were crushed, can anyone understand? However, my mother shows no signs of being troubled. Dont be ashamed! She told me as smiled and formulated my personal training menu. This blew away my troubling thoughts. When I received her feelings I felt released. Moreover recently when I train against the demons in the woods, I feel like they have become easier and I have been able to get better results. So I decided to believe mother and continued to train hard from now on. By the way because of magic, people like mother are able to live a fairly easy life. Cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes magic helps with all of them. However mother also makes sure that I learn all the chores of day-to-day living. Look how Mother is doing it, Minato how about you give it a try. She politely guides me and because of this, no matter what she wants to teach me. Im able to steadily learn it. I enjoy this ordinary life while learning from mother. To my mother who teaches me so much about how to live as an adult, my gratitude would never be enough. When discussing my education it includes the three rs as well, but in this as I still remember my past life as a post college exam high school graduate, they are no problem. When it comes to language although I speak Japanese I have no problem with communication and although the characters are different I easily learn them. This is because I have been around them since I was an infant and have a wonderful teacher so I was able to learn them easily as I grew up. As for mathematics as I have graduated from high school and that level of math seems to far exceed this worlds standard, I have no difficulty there either. Because of these things my days were always full... Theres only one thing, I still feel anxious about. A problem I can not ask about... Chapter 1+2+3 Part 3 I Finally understood why many people didnt TL it or cant TL it, thats because its an nfsw work which shouldnt be seen by parents or siblings. And I will be doing these chapters in parts as they will be released faster.... I will probably release a new part too by today.... probably....And please do tell me my problems in sentences as this WN is TLed by me without any editor. and do support me for TLing such a great WN that wakes up boner-kun Maken No Daydreamer Chapter 1+2+3 Part 3 Yeah the problem is that I cant be Independent. No, its more like mom doesnt let me become independent. Fu~?. A bath is great after working a lot,right? Kamito. U, Un...... Yeah, just along with these situations too. Eating food together Bathing together Sleeping in bed together[ET: Can I kill him.] No matter how much I claim I can do it alone. My mom just doesnt give up on these three points. She is a good mother who is sometimes strict and sometimes kind, but in these situations she cant seem to let go of me and pampers me. Well, Im grateful for her feelings but......my body has already entered pubescent stage and its kind of difficult to bath or go to bed with my mother. Eating meal together is perfectly fine, but the remaining two are...... Naturally, when we talk about baths, I along with mom enter stark naked......furthermore, were family members so mom doesnt even try to hide her front using a towel, and asks to wash each others back. Well after the bath is somehow over, during sleeping time mom forcefully sticks to me and to top it off, her sleeping dress is a really transparent negligee. Just saying Good Night she tightly hugs me and I end up as a body pillow for her. [TN: Can i really kill this bastard.] Whats wrong with my moms idea of cultivating a childs aesthetic sensibility? I have requested to her to enter bath alone and to make the bedrooms separate but she always shoots down the idea with Dont want to otherwise You cant furthermore, if I try to do so secretly she somehow senses it and stops me. Its not like Im not happy with it. As a child, Im happy for her motherly love. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But look, when will the the unbalanced desire and the unreliable self-restraint break, when i think about it its scary. Even as a joke, if I am her son. I have persuaded myself saying This is my mother, This is my mother, This is my mother, but it seems like recently there have been cracks popping in my protective wall. It really doesnt feel right...... Well I can feel that Im being loved and I dont feel anything bad in there. But that is only for my mom loving me as her SON. I today too believed in my Iron heart and fought against temptation. But, So that I can maintain our mom and son relationship, My fight against temptation......suddenly headed towards its end. In a way its the worst, but in a way its the best. How did it come to this.........? Although I was careful, to not betray my mother and as a proper son......[ET: Dont tell me....NG] That was, the relationship i built through hard work......right now is ruined. On the bed are, a pair of man and woman. The shoulders are upon each anothers shoulder and straddling. The breath is heavy. Obviously it can be seen they are aroused. Well, its not strange for a man and woman with good relationship to go to a certain extent. And we are in the relationship of mom and son [ET: Nooo! I dont wanna TL it anymore just want to read it....] Were not even blood related, oi, thats not the problem here, I dont want to betray moms expectations. That mother who raised me by giving a lot of motherly love. ......Despite that, Looks like the barrier at last burst and overflowing The actions changed to Forcibly Pushing Down action and looks like the lust has bared its fangs...... ............Mothers lust that is???????. hey what the hell!? Its alright, Minato, its not at all......scary, right? (slurp) No, its too damn scary you know!? Ive got a lot of life experience piled up contrary to my looks, even the me who is a full fledged adult is scared by the current you! No, I never even thought about it, Ive been betrayed of my expectations. I never thought, I would be assaulted even before I attacked. Enter the Bed Get inside the blanket Being kissed a goodnight kiss (forcibly) by mother Sleep That is how, my daily going to bed process advances, but today it is. Pushed down forcibly on the bed. The pajama are ripped off. The kiss with no relation to the word goodnight is given. Im attacked. Un, Completely out. After bathing, I thought that only sleeping was left, but in front of me was my mother having a different atmosphere from usual. Something like , that......black aura sort of thing was oozing out. I kind of remember that her breathing was also rough Haa, haa. Her eyes are also still, I wonder what happened by the time I thought that, I was already pushed. Just like that, the process 2 and 3 were done, repeatedly. I cant become a husband anymore...... I want to judge what happened just now. Ahaha, Sorry Sorry, Its my first time in a while so I got a little too excited. Chapter 1+2+3 Part 4 Before Reading the chapter read this : 1. This is the Original WN that is not at all changed by the summaries and is on the website of syosetu. 2. The parts are divided per my convenience and every chapter (all chapters have 3 chapters included inside of it.) will be will be 4 to 5 parts not anymore than that. This is the second last part for the Chapter 1+2+3. Now onto the chapter and tell me my mistakes as this was written without any help from editor.( DO SUPPORT ME PLS THROUGH DONATIONS! )(those who wanna ignore it ignore those last words and those who dont then support me*evil grins*) Maken no Daydreamer Chapter 1+2+3 Part 4 Now: Morning Me : Sentimentally heartbroken. Mom: Shining body and big grin on face. In the voice of my mother having the tone of accomplishing an important task, really infuriates me, my mother has no sign of remorse at all. Not at all. I dont know whether I should say this or not, but we two are greeting the morning while being in the bed together. Its just that, the two were both in the form they were born in... or not, they both were wearing their pajamas. As a matter of fact, I dont remember wearing it. Because I lost my consciousness due to the loss of stamina, so I dont remember anything from that time. [ET: Just how ***core was it?] Seems like that after I fainted mom took me too bathroom, washed me, put pajamas on my body and then put me to sleep on bed......good job to me for not waking up. Come on, dont be in a bad mood now! ITs not like you are an virgin girl who was attacked. This is a road every person passes through once or twice, see? S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ......Well that is true just if the other party is not the mother. mostly, the example is pretty near that itself. [ET: He doesnt believe she is his real mother.] Even so, this mom of mine, while wrapping herself around me is saying Dont want to leave~?, I couldnt do anything other than sigh at such an personality. Well then, I wonder from where I should tell you? Abruptly mom speaks up, What is it all of a sudden? Nh? Ah, I was thinking it is about time I tell you the reason, why I did that to you last night and in that way. Reason, huh? Isnt it you just giving in to the carnal desires and corruption while blocking the logic and common sense, right? ......Where did you learn these words? From the books inside moms room. It a lie. I learnt them in my previous life. Well, not like I can say it out loud. Or is it that Im actually right? No I actually did think it would be like that. Looks like I have to change the way I act around her and my views towards her from now on. Was I really early to do this to 10 year old child? I thought that the children in this age range keep thinking about perverted things without a reason, So I thought I could do it in a natural way but...... As hell it would go naturally!! And my mom speaks in a little embarrassed expression. Ahaha, well the reasons given by Minato are also true but there is another reason for that act, please hear me out? It might sound like Im making excuses and...... Then in one breath. It is also something I absolutely have to tell you...... ......? Looks like it isnt just some excuse......? Im not a blood related to mother. with such a phrase moms story started. I was an abandoned child within some forest (not this forest it seems) and she took me. Well yeah, I had a hunch that we arent blood related parent and child. Even so I have no complaint, mom being how she is still raised me up with her love, it doesnt matter whether we arent related by blood. At the very least, I am really grateful that mom didnt care whether I was an abandoned child and took me in and raised me like her own son. Well, I can never forget that time at all. When I saw you in the forest abandoned I thought This will turn out a good toy for time killing. and took you in. 80% of the appreciative feeling just vanished right now. No wai!? huh, FOR REAL!? I was taken in by her with such a damned motive!? Ah dont get any misunderstandings by it? I didnt had any intention for doing something weird to you from that time, it just that I thought that by raising a child it would kill time easily. Well, that alone is enough for it to be imprudent. What the hell, I was taking in by mom with the intentions like Lets try raising him for killing time. So was I taken in by her like a stray dog taken in as a pet!? Well, the result is not so bad so I wont speak anything but. I have no complaints about the way mom has raised me no complaints at all......except for her motives. But the thing I heard right after that was a truth that is too hard to digest. Seems like, the time I was picked up, I was in a near-death condition. According to her, my life energy was almost depleted and even moms powerful healing magic was of no use. Naturally, the recovery power of infants and old aged people are really, so the effect of the recovery magic takes a lot of time compared to young people. You ask how did my mom save me? She pulled off a tremendous underhanded trick. There my mom, used some.......magic and changed me from an infant to a fetal state. The aforementioned, increase in life energy to match the body size couldnt be done, so she matched by body to that of life force. That even if its a little life energy it should be sufficient for my life. Chapter 1+2+3 Part 5 Sorry Guys this one part got a little late. Well its because I was translating KnW and KnM too. This chapter was one of those summaries chapter (the real material written with some differences in LN) for easily understanding what happens in the first part of story. From now on there will be actual chapter (without any + or ~). Rejoice and be happy, as I have got some support from some readers (*sobs* really generous people) I will post the chapters at a higher pace. But dont expect much as I also have 2 other WNs to TL. Do keep that in mind. Last thing last tell me my mistakes in TL ... this TL too is without any editor.... Looks like my ranting got a little long. Anyways, Off to the chapter...>><< Maken no Daydreamer Chapter 1+2+3 Part 5 And that me in fetal state was......know what? put me inside her belly! Inside her womb, I was just like a child being born inside of her. Inside her belly I was plenty enough recovered, erm rather, I once again grew and she waited for the time the foetus grew into an infant ......and gave birth to me naturally. In other words after I was born into this world, I was abandoned by my biological parents, and then taken in my moms belly and for one more time was given birth. In short, I have experienced the birth two times in this world. [ET: SO basically he was given birth 3 times in total.] A, Are you alright doing something like that!? That magic hundred percent stinks of forbidden arts !? There is no side effects right!? Nh? No, stinks of pfft, it actually is forbidden magic. Well if a human used it then side effects may occur but you see, I am awesome, thats why no worries at all. ......Is that so Well this mom of is a succubus after all. And for this mother of mine something like that is an easy cake. I knew from the start she was an great witch, so Im not minding her using something like that. For better or for worse, at least she doesnt lie...... And, its not like that was my first time giving birth to a child. .........Ha!? Oi wait! Thats something really new! The shocking truth part 2. what the hell, so do I have a elder brother or sister!? Hell I dont know them, I havent met them and for gods sake Ive never heard this story at all!? On my moms question huh? Did I not tell you, I nod my head with full power. According to my mom, I had plenty of elder brother and sisters, but they all left when they became independent and no one lived together. From the word plenty, I can already guess uncountable number of siblings. It isnt my imagination right? Furthermore, what the hell is her age for them all to be independent. Ah, i just remembered that succubus do have a long life. Its all the knowledge from light novels, though there might be differences but at the very least they live for 1000 years. Really what the hell is my mothers age. Further the succubus are a lewd tribe from the start, hahaha......They copulate with the opposite gender they like and even make babies. Seems like even my mother was not an exception......well its a little shock for me, but not something that is hard to digest. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Even though I know that, but...... Even so, would some someone go that far to save an abandoned child? How should I put it the cost-effectiveness is unbalanced. Though even for helping it seems like too much of a great debt to me. Even if a childs life is at line, she doesnt have an obligation to save it, right? And as if mom sensed my questions. You see at that time, I decided I would live here for a while with my spare time. Spare time? Un, Actually...... Approximately 10 years ago, my mom took up a request from the king of a certain country she was at good terms with Friggin wait!? King!? Where did king pop out from!? What does it mean by good terms with!? What the hell is the personal request from the king!? Eh, is mom really a great person!? Shut up and listen Mom persuaded me saying that if you make a fuss with only this, the story wont get anywhere. Mumu......Well, Im curious but for the time being lets hear the story. So, the request was to carry and excavate an magic item named as The Coffin of Demon Progenitor from the historical ruins inside a dungeon. From the books inside the ruins, it was found out that inside the coffin an ancient treasured something was sleeping. Naturally, the leaders of the country were delighted. That was not only because there was an ancient treasured something but also because it was something that had enormous value historically. However, there were 2 problems. One was, the coffin was protected with a very powerful barrier that would take 10 years to break, no matter what they did it never opened. And the second was, that box had a dreadful curse casted onto it to protect it from treasure thieves. Due to curse, in the surrounding area of the coffin the demons appeared and their reproductive power wasnt something to joke about. In short, just by having the coffin, the demons in its area will keep attacking furthermore in a lot of numbers due to amplified reproductive power. They gave up and tried to dispose of the coffin but it was useless due to the strong defense around the coffin, having said that, they couldnt actually throw it anywhere either. If they did that, in the area near the coffin, the demons will appear and will cause casualties in that area. They couldnt throw it even in the adjacent country as it would become an international problem. They did some negotiations behind the scenes but still couldnt get the permission to even carry it over there. The perplexed king, then chose the last resort as the last hope and relied on mom. Seems like the king is an old friend of mom and she has relied on him many times, that is why she couldnt refuse his request. She thought of secluding herself in this forest and repel the demons while trying to dispel the barrier around the coffin. In the first place this forest already had a lot of demons and there was neither any settlement near this foret. On this proposal, the king thanked her while wailing and gave her a reward as an advance payment which was rivaling to the amount of national budget. In addition, he even said, he would offer the treasured something inside of the coffin to her. However, this time the problem was on moms side. The barrier of that coffin, would still take 10 years to open even by my mother alone......besides her ability there was a reason why she couldnt live that sort of life. The race my mom is from succubus has a special characteristic that if they dont take the energy from external means through copulating with men at periodic intervals, they cannot preserve their own life. For a vampire it is like sucking blood to live. If they dont it regularly their bodies will suffer from breakdown and their lifespan will also reduce. It was the only weakness in my invincible mom. As long as this problem is not solved, she cant live inside the forest. However, there was only one exception for the succubus to live without taking any energy. That is the period of child raising. During the time of child raising all the desires of a succubus are suppressed, and in accordance to their maternal instincts they only concentrate towards raising their child. Mom asked the king for giving him an orphan or some other child, and by the time she thought it would be a good idea to raise a child while doing the job, she found me and took me in. So thats what it meant by time killing And the story goes back to the beginning. The surrogate birth episode. And thats how, mom lived in forest and was repelling the demons while raising the child me and was also fighting against the barrier. That was her daily life but, Just because I wasnt her blood related child, her suppression effect wore off before than normal and day by day her desires came back. So, her desires reached her limits and thats how the things went that way last night. And, in addition to this mom also explained about 1 more thing about my body. It was about the non human parts in the human me. When I ask mom with eyes speaking What does it mean?. She continued her explanation, According to her, even though it was for a small time, I was raised inside moms belly and got nutrition from her. From my succubus mother. After being given birth, I was raised by her mother s milk. Furthermore, till I was 2 years old due to the lack of baby food. For some reason, my body in that time was very fragile. Especially my stomach was weak, or rather delicate (?) due to it I wasnt able to eat baby food for a while. Is it the effect due to the birth? By the way, the succubus can give mothers milk even without being pregnant, its of their special traits. Looks like everything is possible in that area. Just like that, from the time I changed from foetal state to infant. Due to the nutrition I got from mom accompanied with the succubus power, my body couldnt help but change. During my growth period, thanks to the succubus power inside of my body, my body and magical power changed and mutated abruptly or so is my moms opinion. And so Mom with a face saying Though he looks like human, the insides are completely different, gently stroked my head. In her eyes, some sort of sorrow was present. ......I have given you a lot of love in my own way, I had thought of being a good mother till the end, but this is something I couldnt do anything with. Mother......? Im sorry, Minato. For my selfishness and self-satisfaction, your body, is no longer human She said it in an apologizing tone. Though she always talks frivolously, but her this line was terribly meek, something like a serious matter. Along with that it was an unneeded......apology to me. In truth, I dont give a damn about it. I was born in this world (Reincarnated just to say) and was probably abandoned, and would have died if not for mom. She even used a forbidden art just to save me and also raised me. What complaints will I have to a mother like this. Thats why, Mother...... ......What? ......Im hungry ......Fufu, its already morning after all. Well then lets eat the breakfast? ......Un! Its not like the relationship between me and mom will change after this. I am me and mom is mom. For the time being, I wake up from the bed and head over to kitchen to eat the breakfast made by mom. Just like always. Most probably this will go on like this from now on too. You got a problem? No matter what anyone says, we are parent and child. Chapter 4 – Proficiency Test Part 1 Next Part will be with the whole chapter 5 (no parts). btw really got me laughing. Further more if chapter will be in parts there will be 2 from now on. (I changed it due to free time I have got now in RL). And tell me my mistakes in English. Chapter 4 C Proficiency Test Part 1 S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I climbed to the stairs of adulthood, understood the reason for my mom living here, furthermore I found out about......the secrets of my birth. After that night, my daily life changed a lot. The Training inside of the menu made by mom was more harder to increase the succubus power and magical power, and I was told to memorize all the techniques used in practical fights. Well, I was already thought the training would be harder from before so its not a problem. It must be due to this only, that I am slowly improving my skills, some may think my words as self-praise though. Even during the sparring with demons from forest, Im undefeated from some time now. And that even applies to the multiplied monsters due to the curse of the coffin my mom is working on. Furthermore, due to the effect of curse they are strong than normal monsters. Well, I still taste dirt when fighting mom. By the way, looks like mom is still having hard time against that coffin. She said that the barrier is more complicated and will take some more years. It is not even needed to think that there are other reasons too. Due to taking care of a child me, she couldnt give more time to her work and the time has been extended from the original completion time. But, I dont have any reason to bring something in the talk which mom is not minding about, even if I apologize it will only feel awkward. So I have decided not to think about it. And then along with those changes, I was told about the special characteristics about the succubus tribe from mom. Somehow, due to me having the power of succubus, my so called magical power is in some way different to that of an human. According to my mom, it is due to me being a human and also having the body of Incubus. [ET: I will change Succubus to Incubus where he refers to himself. And it will not remain Succubus when he refers to his mom or the race/tribe in whole. BTW both words are spoken and written in same way in Japanese.] Having a great volume of magical power......is also a characteristic of succubus, And so, it is essential for me to remember the fundamental knowledge. Succubus The demon which specialises in sexual work and is usually seen in fantasy novels and manga. They have to copulate with men at periodic intervals and replenish their energy. They can not only with human but can also have child with any other race. There are only women in Succubus. Well for them to be a Tribe with lots of love it might be a characteristic that can be agreed, most probably everyone thought [What the hell?] reading the above lines. Yes, the 3rd point [There are only women in Succubus]. This is the part youre being concerned about, right? and What am I then, right? [Just think of 4th Wall breaking.] According to mom, I am probably a mutated being. [ET: Just think of X-Men. most probably Logan.] Normally, when a succubus makes a child with any race there are some rules. If the child is a boy then 100% he is from the same race as that of its father. On the contrary if its a girl, then there is 50% chance for fathers race and 50% chance of being born a succubus. Just, in my case, the birth was even out of extraordinary. I think there is no surprise if anything happened as the magic she used was also forbidden. And I mutated. I was born as a man having the power of Incubus. And the problem is, the 1st rule rather than the 3rd rule. As I told you before, those sort of acts are like that of a vampire needing blood. Refusing to that duty not only means having pain and hard time to deal with lust and desire, but also my lifespan will shrink. Is, that the same for me (male) too, I asked mom. Well, If I get told that I cant [Absorb] the energy, I will die no doubt about it. From what my mom says, there doesnt seem like a problem yet. I still dont know whether it is due to mutation or there is no need for it, due to me absorbing my own male energy that is being made inside me. After 3 years from then. This is about the morning after I became 12 years old. When I woke up, mom was not there. She was nowhere in the house, neither in bedroom, kitchen or bathroom, living room or storehouse. Nowhere! This is very rare. Unless mom has some errand to do, she wakes up along with me. After all we have made a rule that the first who wakes up first, will wake up the second. While thinking it to be suspicious, when I come to the dining room...... ......What is this? On the table, there was a mysterious letter with To Minato (<3) written on it. What is this bad feeling coming from it......or [perhaps I should say, it reeks of the smell of an idiot. I timidly (in every meaning) open the letter, and there was, To Minato By the time you read this (is it before breakfast?), I will most probably be caught and put in the carriage of some slave dealer. [ET: And here I was getting emotional before reading this line.] O.K, lets calm down and think for a moment. What the hell is this situation? In addition what the hell is this content? Just for what shitty reason is a story like this written in a letter which I have seen right after waking and before eating breakfast. Calm down me, this might be a message given to me by mom and that is hard to understand. Anyway, lets try reading it further. Ah by the way, this is not a message with deep meaning, it is exactly like I have written above, so dont try to think this has some hidden or deep meaning to it, do you get it? [ET: And here I was lmao] I seriously surveyed my surroundings. Yeah, let alone mom there aint a damn single thing around. No, it really is scary because that person may use mind-reading magic on me. Th-The continuation is more tiresome to read in parts, lets read it in one go. Well, if youre thinking what is happening. You see this is a kind of test. Rules are simple. Minato must right after reading this, make preparations, leave the house, and come to save me. If you make full use of the training knowledge and skills, something like chasing is really easy. You must use the performance you have or had before you come to save me as a reference, I was also thinking of improving your comprehensive abilities. So aim for full mastership of succubus powers. Along with that, there is 1 precaution. Of course, I got caught on purpose. I will act like a powerless and careless normal woman to get caught. As a part of test. No matter what they do I wont resist. You have to come and save me. Thats why, if you are late in saving me, I will end up in a big trouble. Specifically, (Freedom Restriction) And thats how it is so work hard. From Mom P.S. Come only after you have eaten the breakfast! Taking care of Body is Important. Chapter 4 Part 2 Maken no Daydreamer Chapter 4 Part 2 ......Un, I completely understand now. What in the friggin hell is that mother doingC? I forcefully throw the letter in the dustbin. Of course without eating breakfast,[ET: I never thought dustbin was in this house.] wore the usual training uniform swiftly, and while taking objects seeming that they will be needed, I immediately left the house. (POV changed to Lilyn) The mountain road is at a distance of 1 day from the nearest city when using a carriage. On that road, a group of illegal Slave Merchants carrying me in of their carriages, were heading towards the south. I was sitting while hanging down my head in a carriage full of many girls and women. Under the name of Disarmament, they took our every clothes except the lingerie, and are gazing at us with eyes that dont hide their lust. Aside from the kidnapped and thieves there are two people sitting in the carriage drivers seat. There are even more number of people in the other carriages. In total......over 30 people. For a slave dealing group, there are a good amount of people with them. These 30 people, are in all divided in 5 carriages, and are transporting personnel and commodities (slaves included). The carriage I am in is the carriage with the task of transporting commodities. Inside the the same carriage, there are many girls and women who are wearing old rags. Every one is with good appearance, and all will give good price if sold as slaves. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Hehehe, We have gained very unexpected harvest, Boss Youre right. Guhehe, we have gained so many girls, and beautiful girls only........ They all will sell with a good price. The vulgar voices along with vulgar laughs of vulgar thieves can be heard. Yep, Vulgar. Oh Geez......people like them never cease to exist in any era. The thieves are, moving the carriages at a constant speed and are aiming for a city, which will take another 2 days to reach. And over there, they will either sell us of as slaves or to a buyer from some brothel to gain money. Well now for this test, will Minato be in time? I did write in letter, the time limit is the sunset tomorrow. ......huh, did I write it? No, I feel like I have written it, or not......? Well its fine either way. There is no doubt that this much time limit is reasonable. He will be able to understand it. If youre wondering why the time limit is the sunset tomorrow. Minato can easily catch up to a normal carriage running at normal speed. But the more time is a bonus for him to worry about what to do if he couldnt catch up to the carriage. And one more reason. At the sunset tomorrow, this carriage will reach the nearest city. The slave dealer, will deal some slaves as a broker, or in the brothel in cities like this. Thats why it wont be good if he couldnt catch up to this caravan and save me. In the 7 years, I have driven all the practical skills into him. On the contrary he thinks about things even I cant think of, and with his creative power, he surpasses my expectations many times. He has been researching about magic and has invented some original magic too, from when he was small, and that so, from the time before i recognised him as a man. And his original magic are so complicated that even an researcher from a country will have trouble finding the magics true nature. The talent of magic and talent of researcher are inconsistent, ever evolving good talents. Really, being my son, he really is fearful. This task is in complete degree of difficulty he can easily complete. If he uses all of his technical skills to full extent, and chase after my traces. He will easily catch up to the group Im with. Well that is only the case, if he doesnt fall into panic after reading the contents of the letter and even leave the clues for tracing me. If he couldnt concentrate, I can never give him any passing marks....... However, I have written in the letter like that, so I doubt about it. I dont want to become a mother who leaves some deep scars on the heart of a child. Though the Succubus love that sort of thing, but we choose our partners and care about our child, family too. More than anything else. Well, I resorted to this method, for Minato to become serious and desperate. [ET: remember this line.] When I was thinking that, at that moment. -DoGan!! DoGann, DoGgAnnN!! Nh? Seems like outside there is some ruckus? Eh, No way , did he come already? I thought that for a second, but there is no way that is possible. There is no way he could come so fast, not so much time has passed too. For coming till here he has cross the rocky mountains where there is bad footing, and he has to take a detour towards the river to cross the bridge too (Minato cannot fly, after all.). And many other problems too. Then, the other options left are, maybe bandits? Or Goblins or Orcs who live in the mountains. And then, the man watching over me and others also seemed to know what was happening outside. Just at the moment he tried to look outside the carriage. *Snap* GuGaa ?! All of the sudden the man shouts in a thick sounds. Looks like he got hit from someone outside (Or Something), the man then does a somersault and gets inside the carriage. [ET: Why can some lousy side characters posses expensive skills like Somersault?] Well then who was the one who did this......Nh? There only seems to be presence of one person outside. And in the next moment, The owner of the presence and the punch which sent the man flying (with a somersault) enters without hiding his wild breath. ......What? ......Isnt this just too early? Just that much!? Is that the only thing you need to say to the son you made worry by leaving the house and only left behind that crap letter!? Is that the only thing you say to your son who has ran at top speed and came to save you and has completed his test!? My son who betrayed my predictions, was unbelievably worried about me and was shouting at me while dripping with sweat. Chapter 5 – Promise and Tears (1) Well there are reasons for this chapter to be in parts, I started TLing it 1 hour earlier after completing half chapter of Ore to Kanojo and its late night for me. And the secondary reason is Im a person who is distracted a lot easily so I cant concentrate for more than 3 or 4 hours on TLing. If you need faster releases you can support me and Ill tell you guys in advance if the chapter (supposed to not be in parts) will be in parts or not. Well then Have Fun! Btw do point out my mistakes. I think there will be many. Chapter 5 C Promise and Tears (1) Oh geez! This mother is just! What the hell is with Isnt it too early to her son who just ran on top speed and finally reunited with her!? Well, she might have set up this test with this much difficulty......but still! ......Anyhow, Seems like Mom was thinking, it would take more time for me to find her......rather, it was supposed to be like that. According to mom, she was to judge my data processing abilities and survival instincts in this test. By the way, I will explain the actions I took to reach here, in short. Flashback Starts! What in the friggin hell is that mother doing!!? Well, while yelling, I left the house. Naturally, I wear gauntlets and shin guard on my training clothes and took some equipments used in training and etc and then I leave the house. Sorry I rush out of the house. I dash forward through the forest, and enhance my sense of smell using magic. I use that smelling power to find mom by tracing the magical scent left behind by her. The people who are thinking You can use magic !? , wait a bit more Ill tell you a little later. [ET: This author does like the 4th wall breaking phenomenon.] While running earnestly through the forest (of course sprint power and various others are also enhanced through magic), I encountered many demons. There were monitor lizards about the same height of a child, and grizzly bears obviously more bigger and powerful than my previous world. But, there wont be an end to them if I take on every one. So i run away from them as much as possible. I earnestly keep on running while repeating side step or forward somersault evasion technique. Or rather, if I dont chase her fastly, the smell of mom will get erased by the scent of animals. Is this also included in test. Damn it. Well, me and mom are always together with each other from morning to evening, even sleeping time. So I wont ever make a mistake in knowing my moms (magical) scent but still its not good to lower down the guard. In this world some animals contain magical energy with them. Lets hurry up before their magical scent gets stronger. While thinking that I release the limiter I never release even during the training and by increasing the circulation of magical power inside by body......I accelerate. In addition to that, I use all skills I made in secret and have not even shown to mom. Thanks to them I accelerate my running speed to my body limits. Strengthening my sprint power and cardiopulmonary functions, I run through the forest in a super deluxe dash skill. [ET: Cardio ......blahblahblah......means circulation of blood in other words the circulation speed and heart beating.] And finally I exit the forest, uh-oh, the road here is a place Ive not even come along with mom during training. I carefully and vigilantly start walking forward. or so I thought for a moment, but I dont have time, lets keep solving trouble along the way using manual power. Say hello to the rampaging bull. I decide to either evade or hit and run. After reaching a place with bad footing with walls. With my all might I run along the rock wall ignoring the obstacles and bad footing on the ground surface. Before Right foot sinks in I put my left foot forward and vice-versa. Whoa awesome, I am running on the waters surface, short distance though. I can do what I put my mind to after all. Anyhow, near 3 hours passed while running. Based on experience, probably, maybe I have ran 4 or 5 times more than a marathon race. After all that, I considerably came close to the place mom is at. After crossing 1 mountain and 2 rivers, I am now facing against my 2nd mountain. While being cautious, I decelerate my speed on the mountain road. Still my speed is that of a car and then, Its there! In front of me! The carriage group having a sort of known feeling around it. How should I say it, it gives out a feeling like its full of hooligans and also seems suspicious. And yet with so many crap, it has a sturdy and good looking locks placed on it. Its appearance coincides with the description given by mom some time before about illegal slave dealers carriage. Moms scent is also coming from there. The character of people on the load-carrying carriages seems evil too. Yep, slave carriages confirmed! And, the first one to strike wins. Attack! Nh? Did you hear somethinwaa!? !? For the time being, I jump and ram attack to one person who seemed like a guard and was sitting outside the carriages. The man who got a attack on his collar bone, soared in the air and disappeared in the brushwoods alongside the road. Huuuuh, h-he isnt dead, right? And everyone becomes dumbfounded upon seeing their one comrade soaring in the sky due to a thrust by a small boy. After being in that state for a while they return back to reality. Y-You bastard, who are you!? What the hell you trying to do, just coming out of blue and ramming into us, huuh, rascal!? Like I fucking care about that! Just return my mom back already!! I just blurt out the main point rather than crap talk. This is a basic. What the hell? Haha, this rascal came here to get his mother back, hahaha Wee wee Really sentimental. Gyahahaha And, after guessing my situation from my line, the robbers laugh in creepy manner. They keep on laughing, on seeing a child, me, who did foolish and brave actions to take back my kidnapped mom. Well they are completely off the right track. My mom got herself kidnapped on her own will. Sorry, maggot, ya mom now our commodity. You see we aint returnin her back to ya.[Some new guy entered and spoke in somewhat good gangster like lines.] I dont know which one youre talking about, but all great material so we cant return it. I see. So some other girls are also captured along with mom. Well, lets save them all, its not like they have some sins that require them to be here. HeCy, this bastard is saying mother, was there any slut looking like that? Who knows, a mom with black hair and black eyes, wait, there aint any slut with age that will be his mother. Ah, Yep, mom and me dont look alike after all~. Mom has blond hair and me with black hair (exactly like the previous life) In addition, mom is a succubus, the race that lives very long. Due to that, even I dont know her real age. Her appearance is absurdly young and pretty. She looks like a person in his twenties. ......But, for the time being Leave it, all are great materials, if the buyer doesnt know she has gave birth to 1 child, theres no damn problem. Yeah, how much money will she give us? Guhehehehe Lets kidnap this rascal and sell him too. Black hair is unusual and his face is also not bad. Maybe some Madame will buy him for pleasures, dont you think? CFor the time being, there is no need to restrain myself. Yo, maggot, we wont do bad things to you, so silently come with us unGubooo!? I dont have any reason to hear any more, so I punch the guy coming close to me. *gon* Punch lands on his chin and the......... unnamed thief A faints. Well lets refrain from killing them. I still dont know if this world follows the plot line of novels in which we can kill thieves and criminals like them. And, due to my previous lifes sense of values, I dont want to willingly kill them. Lets just punch them to faint, the rest I can ask mom. While I was thinking that, the others were taken back and, Wha, You, B-Bast...... What the hell you doing Well, I doubt there is any person who wont go in rage after those sort of words. But, they were still thinking that just a small child going on rampage. Does this world with magic not have the general idea of not judge a person on appearance? Anyhow seeing 1 comrade (Ah, 2 comrades including the one from before) go down to taste dirt. Other kidnapper start releasing bloodlust and take out knifes too. Against a child they take out those, so childish. Hell with all this, Im getting hungry. Ah, I came here running without eating breakfast. And right now it is noon, no wonder Im getting hungry. Alright, lets finish this up in some minutes. Ah, the talk derailed a bit. [ET: First ever MC to talk about something else during fight. Even Hiiro can never do this.] I think before I left the talk about why I can use magic. Let me finish that right now. Just like I said before my magical power was given to me by outside and disperses soon. My talent in controlling the magic is normal, and so its not like I cant use magic at all, but it is limited. I can make a small flame light, or do anything thing that some other can do if they have magic. But powerful offensive magic used by magicians or magic suited for fights is impossible. If I forcefully try to do it, the magic may explode during concentration. Dangerous! And there mom suggested Dont release magic out and Dont let it fly far and then use magic somehow. Like storing magic in your body to enhance it and learn how to fight using martial arts. I forget about letting magic out of my body, and started training on enhancing my skin and body parts. I trained, mastered both the magic and martial arts. Well, in short hand-to-hand combat techniques included. Die!!! thi-This rascal is WAAAH!? What the hell is he, damn he is friggin strong to!? While the thieves are ranting, I more person faints from my reinforced fist. And that is how I fight using Magic to Enhance/Strengthen my body. In these several years, to cover my weakness of not being able to release magic outside, mom drilled the martial arts skills into me using the not-so kind and gentle training menus. Furthermore, the movements of legs is all self-taught, there is no fixed Pattern too, so it basically is always changing way of killing. [TN: In raws it said killing not fighting.] And above my martial arts style consists movement from many hero games and fighting games along with the martial arts shown in Hong Kong movies too. Frankly, this is a pretty decent martial art style. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Due to training them for many years, the skills are already ingrained into my body and the useless movement have also reduced. This is my PvP against someone else than mom but I have confidence I wont lose to these punks. Their attacks are slow and feeble if compared to my daily partners like mom and demons from forest. Did mom even that in consideration, and choose these particular guys to be my sacrifices. Freakin Die!! I refuse! I dodge the sword of the man coming from front by lowering my posture, and punch into his gut. I punched a lot hard, so the man flies up 10 cm in the air, while releasing all the air in his lungs the man faints and crumbles down on the spot. Immediately after, moving eyes in all directions for scanning, I do a roundhouse kick towards the back and take out one more person. The two men who thought of taking my blind spots, flew horizontally and......... disappeared in the brushwoods. Around this time only half of them are left. After all this time, the men here seemed have the bud named as Sense of Danger sprouted inside their minds. The men attacking me in rage stop and now they all surround me while waiting for me to show a gap. I see, so now that foolish have gone only the careful guys re left? Well, if you dont come Ill come from here then. I dont have any obligation to wait. Fuu Exhaling a short breath, I jump towards the closest man and thrust into him. He swings his blade in desperation. I dodge them by twisting my body, and with that momentum give a backhand chop to his neck. He staggers, and then takes my kick too and then faints. Using the fainted guy as stepping stone I jump off and fly up 3 metres high and land outside the area with the crowd of people. One rushes to me. I give a low kick to his face first and the punch with force in his solar plexus. [ET: R.I.P] One more rushes seeing the gap. I dodge it by jumping + rotating. With that momentum, I give a roundhouse kick in his medulla oblongata. 1 man aims for the time of landing and attacks with spear. I repel away his spear with the gauntlets and overenthusiastically send him flying away with a kick. And then, one more spear attacks towards me. This time I forcibly snatch it and roll down on the ground and reach the place where every person is in the range of spear. Have fun-!! GuaaaaaAAaa!! I make one full clockwise rotation at the best position available. I hit with spear to every person who were surrounding me. And for the guys who staggered, I rotate in anticlockwise direction and give them the dessert. I used the handle area to hit them due to my conscience. After confirming every person is blown, I swing the spear and make a signature pose.........umm erm just forget about that. Well, this was worthwhile for gaining hand-to-hand combat experience. After confirming that the guys who were hiding have also gone, i went inside the carriage where mom might have been hidden. There was one last person, I punch him and make him faint, And then this, ......Isnt it too early? .........So terrible, right? Chapter 5 Part 2 This Chapter was a little late due to me being really into a new WN named as (LMS) and was reading it more and less TLing so sorry for that. And do tell me my mistakes in chapter. Chapter 5 Part 2 Flashback Finished And after releasing the captured girls. We bind up the slave merchant and using the summoned familiar called out by mom, escorted him to the guards base at the nearest town. And now, Im alone with mom. Even though they are summoned familiars, but is it alright to let demons escort someone? And, it seems like there is no problem in killing off the thief company. As expected, in this world the life of a criminal is not valued at all. So, I reported how i came to rescue her (Running through the cliffs and running on waters et cetera). Now it the scoring time by the examiner, in short mom. Results are...... ......Well, now that you have come here, I have to give you passing marks. So, now you have passed and have achieved full mastership. ......On the contrary to the good words, for some reason her eyes are not laughing? Normally in these situations, one would give praises to the child who just gave results that are more than expected and splendid too, right? No, it might be boasting to say that myself. Erm, so why is she not so happy? Its not like Im not happy. As a mother, as a teacher, I am proud and delighted at your more than expected abilities. But...... ......But? Minato, from what I know, it should have been evening by the time you reach here, even if you use your abilities to full extent. In that case......you have made new magic in secret and are hiding them. right? Crap! Ah-....... So thats why you were angry. The story goes back to some years. The me having knowledge and memories from previous life, along with the creative power of a pubescent boy loving fantasy, started researching magic by myself not long after starting the training for magic. At first it didnt go well, furthermore to deal the finishing attack, came the shocking truth of me not having talent in magic. However, Somehow or other, I started researching about my original magic to heal my broken heart. After all, things like these are what I admire for some reason. Just by having the possibility of gaining my own magic or power that cant be used by others. My intellectual curiosity intensified rapidly. Mom still watched over me, though being surprised. Though I say that, in the eyes of mom I looked like a small child playing while thinking about my own magic. That is something normal in this world for childs to think about their own magic. In my previous world, all I remember children doing is, acting macho, shouting Ill become a superhero in future or Ill invent a great weapon. But, unfortunately, the me, mom was looking is not a normal child. I am the being having memories of past life, logical way of thinking and adults way of life. Naturally,mom who had no way of knowing that secret payed no heed to me researching the original magic and regarded it as childs play. ......The moms negligence and lack of awareness of my doings, once invited a disaster. While manipulating the magic inside my body, my original magic started going on rampage inside my body and exploded. That time, neither me or mom knew about what had occurred, But, seeing the blood dripping from my hand, and feeling the piercing pain that came a little late. I couldnt stand it and cried like a small child. Mom came running to me in a panic whose face had turned pale and while healing me with magic, she was desperately trying to understand about the situation. A few minutes later, Mom heard about the situations and rest of things from me after healing most of injuries. Though i say that, its just that she listened to me earnestly instead of regarding it as fabrication. Mom who heard it, didnt get angry. No, she did scold me saying you did a really dangerous deed but soon after that, Sorry she said that, and hugged me while crying. She scolded herself, saying that she never listened to me properly and so she didnt pay heed to my deeds and due to that I got hurt. And also said I wont get angry at you, after all, I never told you that it was dangerous. Its all you reap what you sow so its not moms fault. I told her that many times but she didnt agree it. Mom couldnt forgive herself. At that time, along with the sense of guilty, it might be a little bit imprudent, but I seriously thought that I have been blessed with a really good mother and got happy. S?a?ch* Th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And, Mom who now understood the research I do is not childs play but a full-fledged research made 3 promises with me. I always have to report the magic I have found during the research. I always have to experiment the magic I have though when Im with mom. And I will not use the magic mom says as rejected and will not tell it to others. About the third one, I had some doubt due mom being the only person near me, well anyways, From then, I faithfully followed the 3 promises, but recently, I forgot to report some really useful magic that got invented on whim. Its a hassle to report each and everything, now I can also differentiate between magic, so I thought it would be okay to not tell......but its over by coming here. I used some magic helping in accelerations and enhancement of physical ability......conclusion, I got here at unreasonable speed. I never thought the training course for dealing with obstacles will be used to make new magic like this, am I right, minato? She is smiling a bit, her eyes are not. I am bad at telling lies to her when she has those damn eyes. Eh...Ah, that......Sorry C*Bashi* ......Strange I wonder why the mothers spanking is so painful,heavy and sad. It was the same in my previous life too and this life too. The punches and kicks thrown at me in training are more powerful but why does this stir up my heart thousands of times more. It really is strange. I also know that you have become a good person now, so I dont have the right to do anymore or scold you and thats why Ill leave it with just this one shot, but...... One shot But still Im worried......I dont want to have the feelings from that time before...... [ET: Wth . So it means that she can also be a true mother .pfft] ...... You have grown, have got good at magic, have got strong, can use strong magic skills now, but, thats why when I think about something like before happening again, I...... ............ There are no people who dont make accidents even if they think of having one? Even if you think its fine and all, but the things that is bound to happen will happen. Thats why Minato, though my promise may be annoying and a hassle...... but please ......Sorry. This time by bowing, I with all my sincerity apologized. ......After all, I have no other choice to take......when you say something with those crying eyes and sincerity. After that, Moms face went back to normal as if her crying face was a lie and we both headed our way back to home. I passed the test. And I have got full mastership in strength and ability. And, while on our way back to home, from what I heard this test was just as I expected not for knowing my battle ability. That is something i got a hint during the fight with thieves. These are too weak for me to even spar. Perhaps, this was something like extra characters in the setting mom put in the letter for making it seem more real and for me to get into panic. Ah these were disposable extra characters by the way. Or she would have thought it would be good if I could also do some PvP training too while doing the test. Ill leave the details but if I was serious those guys would have died. Even if they are scum, I still held myself back to not kill them because they can be judged by law. Even mom easily understood that much. If one compares my daily training spar partners these guys were just too weak. Compared to them, the demons I found en route to come to save mom were a lot stronger. Mom knows about my battle prowess more than anyone else due to her always being my hand to hand spar partner. She made a situation, to evaluate whether I can attack the enemy while keeping my judgement and calm. Due to the clear time being too short, she couldnt evaluate everything and would evaluate at a later date with some other methods. I would like it to be within the bounds of common sense. And naturally, I made a promise to tell her about every skill I have. It wouldve taken a lot of time to come while running, so Mom took me in her arms and we came back flying. Flying through the skies is really great. Its depressing from the standpoint of someone with no talent. ......While flying, Mom speaks in my ears while holding me in the front, Minato, it is moms fault to have deceived you. Nh? I am really happy that you came to look after me with all your might? I am really happy for her to say that to me. At the same time, I once again made my mind to not let her become depressed ever again. Chapter 6 – Farewell and A Sudden Trip This is the last chapter of Volume 1 And guess what no parts.... Hyu Hyu and point out my mistakes and support me. Chapter 6 C Farewell and A Sudden Trip Several years later. I polished my own skills and enhanced my strength in this house. I did obtain Mastership but that is only for the skills. From moms advice, the best way to compensate for the experience would be to train and take part in actual combat. Its just that, my skills and strength got upped a lot, now the monsters from forest or surroundings are not a match, it feels unsatisfying......... No, its not good to criticise it. Its not like Ill always get a luxurious life. Well thats how it is, I got a lot stronger. The me who was a weak child with a little knowledge of martial arts, has come till here now. Its hard to imagine that it is me. And, along with the training, I started taking lessons from mom to learn about the things in this world. She said Its not like you can live here for your whole life, right?. In other words, I will have to leave.Yes From after my classes started, I started to think like......Ah, this really is another world. First of all, in this world there are a lot races besides humans, like elves and dwarves called as demi-humans. Their kinds are......lets just keep it as there are many because it will be pain in the ass to explain. Though there is no competition between races regarding social status or something between those lines, but there are differences in like and dislikes between them. The other thing is that this world doesnt has the science and technology as advanced as previous world. Well, in short this world gives out each and every feeling of a cliched fantasy another world. And, here comes the entrance of the cliched regular another world routine The adventurer guild. They are spread out throughout the world, in every country. Just like it says, it is a guild affiliated with adventurers. Its not like the government managements it is somewhere between the lines like It has scope of activity outside the national borders and It has branches and headquarters Adventurers are, well, just those like those cliched people going for adventurers in places a normal person can not wander to. And, the society or guilds of adventurers play somewhat important role. And for becoming adventurers in that society it is good to learn bit by bit. [ET: Cant understand what author is trying to say here.] Just like that, mom made me learn everything that seemed useful for the me who has a complete mastership. It was not all kind and warm but was hard and cruel, but I want to thank her for that. Due to that, I didnt drown in power and grew easily (I Think). ......I had not in the least idea that those good days will come to an end suddenly. One Morning, When I woke up, mom wasnt there. [ET: Wut!!!?? Does she like to always leave the house in morning.!!!] Did she went out in late night? or so I thought, but she didnt come back even after the morning practice ended. After that, while racking through her study room, I found a letter on the top of desk. Dont tell me? I thought that and in a panic opened the letter, but the contents were not about a new test but something else. In simple words, it was a farewell letter. You have become a lot stronger and are now a good adult. Thats why dont just wander in this house always and go out to a journey. I am also going out on a journey. ......Something like that was written. Welp, this person really does take the craziest actions till the bitter end. Seriously. To just leave out of here by leaving a letter saying going on a journey really this person...... For not pampering me she left me without any previous notice. She didnt leave me her disciple, son a place to return at all. It is cruel, but the way has somewhat parental love mixed. [ET: JUST WHERE!!!] This mother of mine, showing off some old movies masters actions. It is sad but Im deeply moved by her parental love. ............All the things above are what I couldnt do or feel. That is because the precious farewell letter was written on A4 size paper and consisted about a 100 pages. The long and really long letter. ......Mom, did you have some lingering affection left. After taking moms feelings-both physically and mentally. I was greatly perplexed and breathe a deep painful sigh. Its not like I couldve thrown the letter so I went ahead and read it. To Minato, I am writing this letter with great pain as if Im cutting my body in pieces. I am always...... Lets cut up most of crap from here after. So in the beginning it was something like this. The introduction was a full-fledged love letter. And not less than 50 pages, after that crap Oy, now comes the main part. Mom, do you have no talent in writing compositions? Well then, Minato. Moms feelings for you are not limited to just this much and are a lot more but its time to almost write the main part. Her tone change, right? Well its fine......so? You now have more than enough power to live your life as a first class adventurer. While having that much power, it is not good to be always be a shut-in. Its already time for you to know the world. So leave the house and travel around the world to know it better. In other words, This time right now, while Im reading this letter. I got the permission to roam out in the world. You had the power to live off outside in the world 1 year ago already, but it took me to prepare my heart to leave you a small 1 year. ......It was also written. No, It were your personal feelings!? You just due to your personal feelings stop your sons travel time by 1 year and kept on pampering me! Is that alright, master!? And the meaning that you prepared everything 1 year ago..does it mean that you cleared the mission of destroying the coffin too by that time, master!!? I bear with the fatigue that suddenly came knocking at me, and look over the letter once again. This one year was really long. Ill leave tomorrow, Ill leave tomorrow while thinking that I tried to leave, but Minato your angelic sleeping face always held me back. Sigh. Love letter comes back. Omitting the rest 100 pages. Ah, sorry, sorry. I got into heat. Lets get back the real talk...... Just tell me already. Welp, that is how it is, so go on a journey. That way you will get to learn a lot more things. My familiar will do the cleaning and rest so dont worry about it at all. I see. No anxiety left. Just live and travel freely. My ass. And where the hell did she get her familiar from? Think yourself about the things an adventurer needs. And about the items in house, you can take them as much as you want. Furthermore, this is a farewell gift from me. And, right after reading that, As if some sort of magic trick was placed on that word, on the desk an item like object appeared along with smoke. Was it placed that it would appear if read that word. I dont know what technique it was but yes, complete waste of advanced magic. The item was a bag seeming like a backpack model. Ah, I remember this thing. I remember correctly, inside this is an distorted space and has tremendous storage capacity. Alias Storage Backpack. Just like those cliched item boxes type. Im grateful for this. Inside it was a indigo blue colored book with words written with golden color on the cover page. Furthermore this aint some normal book. It has a strange type of magic feel to it. It might be a magic book Title is......Necromecon? Once again something great. Aint this the famous fantasy world magic book. Is this real? And, it was accompanied by a memo. This is what came out after breaking the Demon Progenitor Coffin. I read it all, so Im giving it to you. So easily!? Is this easily alright!? I thought it was a dangerous and powerful magic book but are you really going to give it to me as if giving some left-overs from dinner. And the last, It seems like an equipment set for adventuring. isnt this also all cloth. It has different feels when put on though. First the gauntlets and leg armor. They seem perfect for my fighting style. Both are jet black as if it will drown me but are shining with gloss due to reflection of light. I dont know its raw materials. I think it might be metal. Next is, training clothes sort of clothes for easier movement. The torso is sleeve less and the bottom is long pants. Both are black in color and have some lines of violet color in it. It is cool and awesome and all but it just gives more mysterious feels too. And here once again a black overcoat. On it something like ancient words is tattooed in. And the last, a black belt.........? No, its more like kimono belt? Thats right, the black belt an advanced karate student wears. And I discover a list sort of thing written in the letter. According to it, Gauntlets & Leg armor (made from Joker metal) The Darkness Cloth Clothes Overcoat of Grim Reaper Moms Handmade Black Belt I see, so gauntlets and leg armor have no name. But what the hell is Joker Metal? I aint heard about it ever? And Darkness and Grim Reaper, Clothes and overcoat, both smell of cursed names, is it alright to wear them? And your hand-made belt !? No, well, its her hand-made and she is giving it to me at this moment it wont be anything normal......probably. So then, lets look at their functions. There are a lot of quirky and suspicious equipments. But well, she prepared them for me, Ill use them. By the way, Now that I think about it, if I didnt read this crap I wouldve left the house without these equipments, right? By all means there was reason for me to read this then. If its like that keep the letter short. If it wasnt for me, one wouldve ignored it. While feeling lethargic, I once again run my eyes over the letter. I read rest of contents (80% are love letter crap) with sincerity and tried to understand the situation. Leaving the crap, there were warnings and the place I should depart to written. And it was written I would need special precautions due to my body constitution. [ET: So what? Finally Incubus work?] I reread the letter sometimes and droved the important things in my mind. And started preparing for leaving! By the time I finished......... ......It was already evening. ......I had no choice. I had to reread it to see if there was any other magic trick like before. After reading a sum total of 659 pages (Is it a Kojien!!?) I saw the letter with bitter gaze and gave up on leaving the house today. And, now that I think about it, The night without mom besides me, is fresh or rather unsatisfying...... S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. No, honestly.........It feels sad and lonely. Sigh. I cant live in this house anymore. Boring. It will feel much better than living in a house without mom. It will also act as a diversion. ......In the end, Im have mother complex. The next day. I wake up at 4 in the morning and packed all the stuff in the backpack. Alright. nothing left! It will be alright. I already checked 3 times. I stuffed all the important things in this hyperspace bag (personally named it) I wear the normal clothes along with the equipment mom left for me. There doesnt seem to be any curse put on it. Yes, Im glad its normal. And I stood in front of the magic circle inside moms studys hidden door. It gives out the feeling of stand on me and Ill throw you to other side of world Is she able to do this to? I wouldve be fine with a normal departure but in letter it was written If you want adventure styled departure with thrill then try this! If you say like that, I would obviously get my adrenaline high. Im a male after all. Its fine. It feels like a new journeys good departure. I tried to recall all the 16 years Ive lived in this house. A lot of things happened. But well, a lot will happen from now on too. After all, my world which consisted just me and mom will open up in one spurt. I dont know what sort of meetings I will have in the outside world, but that itself is included in journey. Bring it On! I tried to step on magic circle...... I looked towards moms letter once again before stepping on circle. I tied it and put it inside my bag except the love letter parts. ......Its ending part was, Minato, lets meet again somewhere, sometime later. Grow up as a good person and become reliable. I am excited from now already to meet the future you. I love you! From your pampering mom: Lilyn P.S. There might be a younger brother or sister of you made during the journey. At that time they are all yours ? Leaving the last part every other parts permeates into the heart. No matter how much I read it. And I dont think the last line is something you say to a child. CAnyhow! I now have to show mom the reliable me the next time I meet her.All Right! Then Lets go! I slapped my cheeks to fill up my determination and jumped in the center of magic circle. Immediately after, I got wrapped in a flying sort of feeling and left the house.......flying through what seemed like another dimension road. Chapter 7 – Labyrinth | Beautiful Girl | Unexpected Accident Have fun with the new chapter and tel me the mistakes I have made. Volume 2 C Glass Wearing Girl andLabyrinth of Naga Chapter 7 C Labyrinth | Beautiful Girl | Unexpected Accident What the hell is this? [ET: Says Τ٩`㣿] Yes, for some reason I said it Tohoku dialect, but I am really Minato. And its not like Im a native from north-west Japan. By the time I jumped on the magic circle in-house ...... I was completely fine. I really though I will be sent out of forest to some plains, but I was wrong. Thats because the place I see in before, looks like a damn dungeon. There is wall of stone and floor too along with torches like things on the walls. Though there are no windows present here. [ET: The mom is so great for making her son to start his journey through an adventure inside Dungeon.] For what reason did mom link the magic circle to this damn place? By the way, that magic circle can be used one-way only, so no way to return back. Its not like I want to go back so its fine with me. But I even in my wildest dreams would think of having a dungeon in front of me after flying. Anyway, it would be boring or rather damn silently boring if I dont do a thing, so I decided to look around for understanding my situation. I came here while traversing through another dimension but there is no damage or anything with the equipment. All things I have from tools to provisions are perfectly fine. The money mom left for me is also fine. Thank God. Next, shadow training. Punches, Kick, Flying Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Backhand Blow. And with vigour tried to do a 3 turn flying kick, but gave up on it as I would collide with the ceiling otherwise. So I checked my magic control. Yea, I can use magic. Magic reload to hands and legs is also faster. No abnormalities. Alright, Status Check Complete! ......So Ive now run out of all things I could do. Anyhow. Now that I think about it, it aint normal to think about what to do inside an unknown dungeon. Places like these, have some sort of purpose in them. I think its not inefficient to come here by default and think about What should I do?. In that case, there is only 1 thing I need to do now. If I want to do something else, and I want more information, and so it will be good to get out of here, right? Well then, now my next mission is to get out of this labyrinth like dungeon. But, After coming here, I met with a simple and serious problem and that stood in my way. How......will I get out of here? I dont know what place this is and what sort of dungeon this is. Before that, if this is dungeon is it filled with floors? And it doesnt has any windows, So I dont know if Im above ground or underground, and so I dont fucking know if I should go down or up. This maybe more dangerous than being send to an unknown plains. Hey mom, you there. Aint this hurdle too high for you son who was departing for a journey. Well, for the time being, lets walk. I dont know any route from the start, so there is no chance for me to get lost or so. Yea, Im serious. (POV changed to???) Yo-you deceived me deviant! Coward! What are you saying about? I am escorting a girl adventurer like you who has got no damn fighting power. This is much service is natural right? [ET: Just what you can imagine.] D-Dont joke around! I didnt had any intention like tha......No! Dont touch me! Ku, it was a failure! No matter how much fast I needed to come here, I shouldnt have taken a man like this with me! I wouldve understood it before, if I was calm. It all because of the rumours of treasure lying in this dungeon which I heard from fellow adventurers and guild. The rumour is about the treasure rooms which were hidden before the strong earthquake from some days ago broke down the walls hiding them. In reality, many have already been discovered. I had some reasons for getting money so I urgently came here prepared, before anyone other discover them. And even I felt uneasy doing so alone, so searched for a similar adventurer who seemed free, but looks like I failed in selecting the right person. Even though I didnt had time to search thoroughly, but why this guy......! He didnt show his true colours right after entering the dungeon. He cant use magic, but can fight and has repelled many demons by now. Just when thought, that this dungeons level is not so high and will work out one way or other but it came to this. After moving a little more in dungeon and just the moment we came to a place with low monsters, this guy shows his true colours. I was thinking today to go to brothel in the night , but youre a great thing I found. Leave me you Pervert! To do it here, you sane!? Its arousing those strong willed eyes and face. I wonder what face youll make a little later. I tried to push him aside, but hes a man and to top it off hes a robust well-trained adventurer. Even I am trained well, but the difference in power is obvious. In short, this man (dont fucking care about his name!) put his hands on my clothes. My clothes are made for moving easily, and due to that it has more exposure of skin than normal clothes. If one things of taking them off they can do so easily. A high-grade one will be different, but this was the best I could get based on my strength and funds. While I was looking in amazement, he tore off out garments and armour too now the only that is covering my upper body is under garments. The cold air inside the cave comes in contact with my skin directly. Without paying attention to that, the lustful eyes of the man in front of me moves towards the lower part of my body which is still covered with armour. I found out cold sweat running down my cheeks. My stiff face which was full of confidence soon distorted with fear. That is due to the smile that spread on the mans face and also due to the bad feeling. Sto-Stop it! He-Help me! Hehehe, no one is gonna save you! I was also thinking the same within my mind. This place is at the corner of the path in which even monsters rarely ever come. Theres no way a person who can save me will pass through...... ......But, at that moment Now obediently Guboahh!!! S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. -Smack !? Suddenly the man sitting on top of me flies horizontally and crashes into the wall. Its as if someone punched him flying away. Eh, What? What happened just now!? And then, From my front, came an hysteric sort of voice. Noo!? Its bad it hit someone!? ............Who is that man? (POV changed to Minato) Its bad! I made a mistake! In the beginning I was exploring the dungeon (?) by walking, but from the time I thought to try some skills, demons possessed me, ah damn it! Its a hassle to roam slowly, so I used magic to accelerate. I gained a lot of pace and searched here and there while running, but know what, its kinda fun if you do it. And this dungeon is not so complicated and is wide and spacious so it wasnt a problem to run. And then, that, Er, got elated and ran in full speed. The basics of traffic rule. Stop at the corners for a moment and after confirming theres no problem then move forward. If you dont, in distant future it might turn into something bad. Well, its already too late for that. I get even more elated and accelerate a bit more than my full speed. I sprinted at the speed of a vehicle and then when I thought ah, crap, a corners coming, need to decelerate...... But, after decelerating a bit, I tried to perform a daredevils stunt of making a sharp turn at good speed around corner and this is what happened -Smack! Ah, not so good sound Noo!? Its bad it hit someone!? And the next moment, I sent someone who was at the blind spot of the corner grandly flying away. And I have enhanced my body with magic. So I sent him flying with a not so powerful power for me but dangerously powerful power for the other party. And when I came to my senses a bit later I found that someone (It was shaved beard old man) sunk into the wall just like what Ive seen in manga only. aaa, what a great pose it is! But I cant laugh! No youre wrong! I never had the intention to kill him! Its just that while turning around the corner came a not so nice handsome old man and we clashed. Its not at all an intentional murder! And this might be a character elimination, so sorry for that. [ET: Just cant understand what it meant by last line in raws.] Calm down. Who am I even trying to explain this to. and, just when I thought that. E-Erm......Excuse me? came a voice. What the hell, there was a witness too!? I timidly turn back, and there was a single girl. Her hair is of green colour and, is almost shoulder length long. Somewhere between long than semi-long hair and short than long hair. They are tied near the ends so as to not split easily. Her face, has slightly sharp eyes, is HELLA pretty. Her face is full of vigor and whats more she is wearing glasses. She is fair-skinned and her body is slender, but her hips, breasts, and hands and legs are toned better as if she has trained her body a lot...... ......Nh? Breasts? I then noticed her crouching on the floor half-naked. The down part is not like that, but the above part is only the under garments left, that if just dislocated a bit you can see a lot of things. [ET: Shangri-La] And besides her, the clothes and armour are lying. It can be understood that she took them off just now. Now then, what sort of situation is this? Fumu...... This is a dark place...... Nice and handsome (?) middle-aged man...... Half-naked beautiful girl...... ......Kay, I got it to somewhat extent. Erm, Im sorry for intruding...... Wait there! I tried to leave from there as if I saw nothing at all, but suddenly that beautiful girl stopped me. The girl stands up from her posture and bends forward while holding the nape of her neck. Wait, what!? What the hell is she doing, when Im showing a good adults cooperation and trying to leave them alone!? I know you have a lot to say, but youre getting a wrong idea here! No, no-no no no, I didnt get anything wrong. I thought that the age difference was a lot but that is all up to the persons own preference. I have nothing to say at all? But yes, its weird to do something like that in places like this...... Thats all the thing youre getting the misunderstanding about! I was attacked! By this man! Yes Assaulted......what? Ah, so thats how it was? So they didnt have that sort of relationship, or some sort of agreement? So dont get wrong problem! I dont know who you are or where you from! But thanks to you I was saved! Thank You! I think the way youre giving me your gratitude is completely abnormal. Well, if what she is saying is truth, she might be emotionally unstable, I do a nod to her...... by holding hands in front of hips, this is a type of very intimidating thank you. To be frank I never got used to saying thank you or sorry even in the previous life. That girl looks toward the man who has sunk into the wall about 3 cm (He is twitching a bit so he is not dead!) with hateful gaze and returns her line of sight to me. So are you an adventurer? Eh? Um, that, how should I say it...... The girl looks at me with disgusted eyes. Though she has thanked me, but she is still staying on her guard. I see, this might be a good decision. She has just gone through a serious situation so its natural for her to be vigilant. But, what should explain to her? I am not an adventurer as of yet and was thinking to learn what an adventurer is, so aint got much information on them. I came here by flying with the help of a magic circle, no, well its the truth but I doubt she will believe it. Its hard to make a lie so soon, and even if I say the truth its highly likely to be regarded as a lie, no words are coming to my mind to make the girl full of vigilance (Is this girl even an adventurer?) nod. Then, she herself speaks up ......Is it something you cant say? Not something I can say, or rather, I dont have anything to say You a nomad or something? You got lost in this dungeon? ...... well its alright. The girl quickly wears the clothes and armour while talking. And then checks the position of the dagger? like think hanging on her waist. I want to know something? What are you gonna do from now on? What? Well, its getting out of here. I see, then lets go together Eh, isnt that alright? Now this is unexpected development! Maybe if I stick with this girl, Ill be able to get out of this dungeon? She still hasnt taken down her guard, but speaks in a somewhat calm tone. Well, though this is the 1st floor, but its disheartening to roam around alone. I would love to go with someone else but this pervert is out of question. Is that so? Then Great~, I didnt know which way should I go Wha!? Wai, You, didnt even check the route you came from!? She is saying as if saying unbelievable. Even if youre not an adventurer, but making a map when searching through the dungeon is the basic of basics!? If you dont do it, then you cant get out! Even if the level is low...... To hell with making a map, I just came here by warping and even before I told her this off, she entered a lecturing mode. God, This is the first time I saw someone as optimistic as you? If you didnt meet me, how would you have gone back home? If you can do it then do that to mom. No actually I will also help in it. I seriously after so many years, couldnt get what the hell is she thinking. Well anyway, I stick with her now. No, I was really sad to roam lonely. I was already thinking about living here till old age without getting out. I am lucky to stick with a person who actually knows the way out here. After completing her preparations, the girl said come on lets go and I in a panic followed her. Hey, what? You gonna leave that old man? Its alright. I dont have any obligation to save him. And his hand is standing up, so he will not die......And I dont care even if he died (deadly stare) Whoa, you say a lot Well, what was about to occur to her, then her actions are normal. Whats your name? You didnt tell me yet? Nh? Ah, Self-Intro is still not done. Due to all this rapid development I completely forgot about it. Or rather, Im already at my limit to call her this girl. My name is Minato. Minato Quadrille Hmm......Unusual name it is. Im Elk. Elk Caucus. Nice to meet you. This was the meeting between me and the bespectacled girl......Elk. Chapter 8 – Sword Fight and Distrust and Enhancement Magic I will be posting the extra Chapter by tomorrow as I didnt get much time to TL today (homework!!!! *TableFlip*). So for today read this chapter and point out my mistakes that I have made. Many are saying that you have not edited it, look here Im in the end a human and btw my English Grammar or English is not as good as my Japanese. So dont bad-mouth me by saying He cant TL properly or so... I put my heart in editing.....and it takes time......If someone wants to help they can e-mail me at : Chapter 8 C Sword Fight and Distrust and Enhancement Magic Hmm, so thats why you are at this place. Ah, well yeah Elk says You did well surviving after hearing my false story. After accompanying with her, I was able to leave the dungeon-like labyrinth (according to her, the name is Labyrinth of Naga.) And when I told her Ah I dont know any cities or places like that near here, she showed me an amazed expressions as if she had given up on me. Im really sorry for that. But, too bad, thanks to the hobbies I had in my previous life, I now like the disgusted eyes looking at me. Theyre my favorite. After watching at me with those eyes for some time, she said It really cant be helped and guided me to the nearest city. Phew, safe!. . . . Along the way I had something that I wanted to confirm so I stopped Elk who was guiding me to the city. What it is? Its the very simple thing known as : Knowing the currency values. When I was leaving the house, I stole the money (They are coins) from the vault inside moms room. In the letter too it was written You can take as much money as you want somewhere, there shouldnt be any problem. [ET: He didnt the complete letter for us...so its somewhere.] But, I still dont know its value. I had already learned the information about this world from the books inside moms study. She had accumulated those books from a lot of eras (She lives long after all) and so I couldnt get a damn clue about the currency value of the current era. Maybe here too is the difference between currency like that in japan, like the 1 Yen from pre-war times is of 1000 times more value than that of 1 Yen of the current time. ......And it is obvious that mom has lived a lot of time and mustve seen currency values changing and......no, lets not think so much about it. So, when I took out all the coins and asked Elk Will this much be alright for surviving in a city, she eyes open wide. Eh, What? What happened? What happened is my line! Why the hell are you showing a large amount of money as if natural!? And that so, in the middle of path!! Large amount? Is she talking about this bag full of silver coins? I dont the rate, but it maybe large amount, given the precious metal and a bag full of it. After hearing the explanation which was more like an investigation enquiry. It seems to be that 1 silver coin is around 10,000 Japanese Yen. What the Fuck. And 1 gold coin is of 100 silver coins and 1 silver coin is of 100 copper coins. So in short, after adding up the 10 gold coins and 100 silver coins inside my bag, its value is above 10 Million Yen!? Awesome!! This aint the sum of amount worthy of its alright or its not less!? Mom why the hell did you leave this tremendous amount of money!? This much money is not even the half of the what was in the vault. No, well, she did get her reward from the previous request. Her fortune is around that of the national budget. So this much money is of no concern at all to her. So, the amount of in this bag is only mere several hundred thousands of yen. Its like seeing many brown envelopes full of banknotes in front of you. Its natural for Elk to be startled. Yes The path starting from the dungeon has fewer people passing but its not zero. So it wont be good if others saw it. And then, And then I realize that Elk, who is I think frozen, is thinking about something. That is okay, but sorry. But if I dont move you, I wont be able to reach the city. And, looking at her closely, she looks pretty dangerous. Eh!? Ah, Wh-What Minato? Ah, Sorry, I was thinking something When I poke her shoulders, she gives an overreaction of being startled. Is her heart alright. Im sorry for that. Sorry, Sorry, City, right? Follow me And then, Elk starts walking on the path at a fast pace. ......Well, she might have her own reasons, and its rude to interfere in others problems. So I decided to follow her silently. . . . After walking for a while, she temporarily left to some place leaving me behind saying Im going to pluck some flowers. Now a little knowledge. Im going to luck some flowers is phrase primarily used by female mountaineers and which means Nature is calling for me. By the way, for men it is Im going to pluck some green peas. Awfully lame! ......It was after dozens of seconds later, that I realized the strange incident occurring. 7 people, no 8 people, eh. 1 is standing too far away. I am already surrounded by them. They had dispersed their presence and are already scattered......were they thinking of ambush from before? But, though they are careful, it doesnt appear that they have any intention to keep on hiding and wait for the right moment. They surround me and after coming a little closer to me, they show their faces. There appearance is, well in one word Bandits. They mostly look the same as the ones during the test given by mom. Their face also looks evil. So they capture the weak looking adventurers coming and going from/to the Labyrinth of Naga, eh? Well, not like I give a shit. Ah, you dont have say anything? I know what you are going to say already Hey, Lil bro, aint ya too much calm in this situation Do you know the position youre in, huuh? I do know? To some extent, though And perhaps they are gonna say any one of these: Take out your money Leave everything you have or Come with us. Even so, its more than what I expected? Yeah, surely. His appearance is good and black hair is rare......Holy God, his eyes are also black. This lad can be sold at high price. He is also equipped with good equipment. Is he from some noble family? Aw Geez, so it was the third phrase. If Elk returns at this time, she might also be targeted by them. Its good to finish the job before she comes back. The moment I thought that, I felt a prickling sensation near the nape of my neck. Immediately after, something fell near my foot, thinking what it might be, I crouch and pick it up just to find a cone shaped......dart. After realizing that I have got hit by this dart, one of the bandits approaches me nonchalantly while showing a Gehehe vulgar smile. I dont know whats the reason for that, but its convenient for me. 1 person at a time Huh? What the fuck you sayCGuBooohh!? Just as I stand up, I do a backhand chop on the person approaching me and he goes down. And there was one more person behind him. So I kicked in his stomach. He flies to the other side of the brushwood and didnt come back. Yeah, he is definitely unconscious. Seeing that, the countenance of the six bandits surrounding me changes. They are spouting some crap like, Why aint it working!? and It should paralyze him!?. Anyhow, I can understand that they are in a state of panic. Well, I know for what reason it is. *Lick* I lick the dart which was fired at me but didnt stick in my skin. Ah, as expected. The dart was covered with a lot of......paralysis poison. But, too bad. Even if this dart did stick in my skin the poison of this level wont work on me. And, one person comes near me thinking that now I have licked the poison, it should work. I punch him in the gut and he faints. By this time, finally the thieves appear to be in a state of severe panic. Its too late for them, though. Just like I said before, I will deal with you guys before Elk returns. ......But she wont feel good upon seeing corpses lying after she comes back. Lets keep them alive to run away. ......Just 5 seconds, huh It will be troublesome, but I wouldve let them go if they tried to run away. And as to not accept my grateful offer 5 bandits attack me. In the end, just like I declared, finished them all in 5 seconds. I punch the one coming at me from the front like an idiot. 1 person down. One person attacks at me from behind while swinging his sword. Before he comes near me I kick him in the crotch. 2 people down. And swing the kick towards the other person coming at me from the side. 3 people down. 1 of the last 2 people, aims at the bottom of my neck with the dart. Does he have no thinking capability. Ah, this is a good time to show off. So I catch the dart and throw it at him. It hits in the middle of his forehead. 4 people down. Really, a dart wont stick in my skin and even if it sticks a poison of this level wont work on me even if they stick it 1000 times. There is a reason for this, The story is related to the origin of my different type of body enhancement magic. I developed it during the training period with the cooperation of mom. And its cool and awesome name is Elemental Blood Mom was shocked beyond limits and screamed Just what the hell are you trying to make!! at that time. This can be can said as one of the secret magic from my collection of original magic. Normal enhancement magic are not complex as its only filling up your body parts with magic to increase physical strength or increasing reaction time. If one has talent in magic, they can use it very soon and easily. A popular type of magic. But this magic, just enhances physical strength and endurance strength. It cannot change the nature or hardness of body. In simple words, enhancement magic will reduce the damage from blunt or shock attacks but it wont protect the body at all if cut by blade or swords. Naturally, if one trains his body and magic to the utmost limit, it is possible to gain a body that can bear the damage by blade or swords, but skin is skin and it will remain soft. For the same reason, even if magic increases the physical strength, it cant repel poison or acid like things. If one tries to stop them with Enhancement Magic, they have to control the flow of magic in their body with tremendous concentration for changing the function of their body. In the history of this world. Many renowned magicians and researchers have tried to research about this magic and failed. And it is said, that the accurate control on magic is impossible by the people of this world. But I have succeeded in performing it, with the help of the knowledge of human structure from my previous life. In the first place, the reason the humans cant control the magic accurately in all the parts of body is because they dont know the structure or how human body works. Even if there are people who can enhance like Lets enhance the arm but there is no human who can enhance like Lets enhance each and every hair that is growing on my arms. But even if they dont know the structure of human body, its possible for them to control the magic flow and let it flow equally in the insides of their bodies. When we use the ......blood vessels spread throughout our body. The method I used. We humans let the nourishment flow throughout our body via blood flowing inside the vessels. Due to that, every hair and every cell is getting nourishment. So I thought Then its better to use magic like that. I mixed the magic in very small particles (called them as Demon Particles during research) inside my blood and am letting magic flow along with blood inside my body. Those Magic Particles are flowing through my entire body and are absorbed by each and every cell just like nourishment. And now all cells are filled with magic. Thanks to that, my body which has got on the level of controlling magic to the extreme, wont just end up with the increase in power. My vision, hearing and smelling and other senses that are difficult to enhance have enhanced. And body has gotten solid at cellular levels, so a normal knife cant be stabbed in me. Most of the poisons and acids also wont work on me. The me right now can drink 100 times more poison than that of a normal person and still remain fine. Furthermore, it wont even feel ticklish if I bath with sulfuric acid too. [ET: is it OP!? or Demon!?] Of course, if the poison dosage or attack power is above the level I can bear, it will hurt like hell, but the attacks and poison of these bandits, SFX: Gakin s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. What!? Wont give me a single scratch even if I catch them with my hands (of course, bare hands). M-MonsteCGubOhh!!!? Who is the monster,huh. Youre pretty rude, aint ya!? I catch the saber and push it towards the forehead of last person with force. Blood starts flowing from his forehead due to the strong blow from the back of saber. He opens and closes his mouths as if to say something and falls down. Kay, 5 seconds over. I completed it before Elk came back......at that moment, M-Minato!? Wh-What is...... Ah, welcome back Elk, you were pretty fast? Elk looks at me from the shade of a tree. Eh, um, is this...... Ah, Its fine completely fine. Ive already finished it. Well, theyre alive. I have already learned how to hold myself back. After that test, we had to go far away from home many times (Always flying in air while being held by mom.) and so I have accumulated experiences by doing bandit extermination of those areas. It was thought that maybe I dont want to kill another human because I didnt kill even one person. Well, I wont refute to that. Its all due to the idea ingrained in me from my previous life that if they are going to be judged by law then there is no reason to kill them. And it also helped me to understand how to hold myself back when fighting. Anyhow, I had already completed the fights at a level in which I can kill the opponent by that time. And during those fights to not kill other person, I also tried to properly use my enhanced body properly. I fought against those whose names are on the wanted list and are wanted alive. (The cases of wanting a person dead or alive are more though) Let it be fist or kick, its easy for me to defeat the opponent without killing them now. When I look at Elk, she is looking down of the bandits with an expression full of fear and anxiety. ......I know its a bit late, but this looks more bad than corpses lying down. In addition, her reactions are just too much, well its natural after all, the girl went through a bad experience just a while ago. And I decided to wait for Elk to calm down and restart our journey to city. . . . And just before reaching the city Volka in which Elk lives, By the way, what are you planning to do from now on. Eh, what do you mean? From what I heard before, you dont seem like an adventurer. So are you going to register at guild or search for some other job...... Whoa Guild! The Adventurers Headquarters! I was waiting for it! This is that you know? The manager of the organisation which controls adventurers and offers them quests, right!? This world is AWESOME!! Nh? So if I dont register I wont become an adventurer? Its not like that, but its convenient if you do register. It also as an identity card. and will help in getting discounts at shops. Will you register? Eh, Is that Alright! Yay! Whoa, Thank you! I have no knowledge about the geography here and neither any common sense, she did save me! Even I who is delighted like I child know that Elk sighed a lot of times today. CRight after sighing ......If its like this then it will be very efficient...... [ET: Didnt understand its meaning at all...furthermore whats the reason for this line at all.] Words like that reach my ears. ......Well, its alright for now. Chapter 9 – Adventurer Registration This is the first Chapter for Today....keep waiting some for some time for the Bonus Chapter!! And there is good person named AK who is now editing the chapters. At least someone really came forward to edit the chapters....Well then have fun with the typical Guild crap. Chapter 9 C Adventurer Registration A few minutes after I had kicked the asses of bandits, I arrived at the nearest city Volka thanks to Elk guiding me. In one sentence: It has the cliche market scene that is mostly shown in other novels and manga. There is no signs of any machinery. All the shops, stalls and buildings that give the feeling of a fantasy world are standing on either sides of the road. Yeah, wonderful feeling. While I was being deeply moved thinking This really is like a game world....... My stomach started grumbling, after all I walked quite a distance from inside the labyrinth to here and ended up eating lunch together with Elk. I am being treated by Elk as thanks for saving her. We bought kebabs that are being sold by the stalls and are walking while eating them. I arrived at the place i was being guided to. Hmm, so this is the Guild...... Thats right. Hey, dont stand there youll get in others way. Hurry up and come Ah, yeah, understood I replied to Elks words and start following behind her. Still, this is the Guild, eh...... Its huge. It surpassed my expectations Well, this is the headquarters for the guilds all over the world. In the first place, this city is larger compared to other cities, so it may be natural. In front us is the really huge 3-storey building giving the feeling of a government office. The plot area is not like that of a government office but it is on the level of a national congress building. [ET: Hey w-wtfh!!!] So this is the headquarter of the Guilds? Is this by any chance a great city? S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But I always had the image of the guild being a small building packed with people (arbitrary imagination) and so its a little unexpected for me. [Askurai: like all guild are so big ehh] Its more like a building made of wood and giving the feeling of a bar, in the centre of it is a table near which some dangerous looking people are drinking alcohol while laughing like Gahahahaha and are searching for some beauties in their surroundings. [ET: Now this is the Only MC which truly gives of the feeling he was an otaku in previous life.] ......Then wont be a bar rather than calling it a guild. And its building is really bad. Eh!? You can read my mind!? You started murmuring while thinking about it. Elk completely gives up on me while sighing. But well, I just cant change this feeling of Its normal that is coming from it. Its completely different from what I have seen in games or read in manga or LN. It seems like a real municipal office or so. [ETN: The normal he is feeling according to what he will feel normal in his own world. Its not the normal with the meaning of lame.] Ah but there are a lot raw materials of demons scattered here and there? so it gives the feeling of another world. Did someone bring it as some sort of quest? Well, theres nothing to worry about it, lets go to the counter already. And look what, an onee-san with a business smile welcomed me wearing the uniform of the receptionist that the ones in municipal offices wear. She has light brown semi-short hair and her age doesnt seem much different from that of mine or Elk. The receptionist lady bows her head. Welcome to the Adventurer Guild. On what business might you have come here today? Ah, Yes. Erm......I want to register as an adventurer. A new registration, right? Would you also want to register? No, I have already registered so only he needs to register. I am only accompanying him. Understood mam. So then, please fill out this document. While saying that she hands me a single paper, the so called document paper. Its like the registration form. Hmm, the entry content are...... Name : Minato Quadrille Age : 16 Race : Human......maybe. I want to think Im human. I fill out the form with necessary points. Ah, excuse me, I have not registered at any inn. How should fill the field of emergency contact address? In that case you can report it back at a later time when you have taken a room at the inn. We wont be able to contact you by then, so it will be better if you hurry and finish it. I see. Then this remarks is? That is filled about the techniques an individual uses......for example, using magic, using familiars et cetera. It is mandatory. Just like that, I keep on filling the blanks. Lets leave the techniques at Use Magic, Magical skills at beginner level. I do have a lot of different magical skills if you ask about them. But its a hassle to explain. HmHmm, You can use Magic? Around the level so it can create hindrances. [ET: Liking beating the opponent to pulp, right?] Elk speaks as such while seeing my entries. She is looking with a somewhat investigative stare. Well, its not much of a problem so I keep on ignoring it. Even if she looks, I havent written any personal information at all. I do have a lot of magic inside me, but the things I have and can use that are on human level are Sympathy Power and beginner ~ intermediate level magic like making a small flame for illuminating a dark space. [ET: I doubt his sympathy power is not filled of sadism or masochism or both...idk exactly.] But still, I have confidence in fighting using the Enhancement Magic. Furthermore, it is more simple than using the magic or crap like that. I keep on writing in the form like that. Just short information like , Im a beginner or excel at close-combats but in details. Why am I writing in details? According to the lady, it is needed for referencing when there are quests in which the teams or parties are needed to be formed. Ah, it like that, recruiting magicians or recruiting vanguards. I submit 2 silver coins, which seems to be the registration fee after finishing the form. The receptionist lady, looks over the form to check any places which need to be filled. It seems like I passed, and she places a seal on the form. And for some reason, she asks for 2 strands of my head hair. I pull them out and hand them over. She puts one hair along with the form in a small bag. And she places the other hair......on the top of a metal card which she took out of somewhere. [Askurai: so soul/hairbounded?] Thereupon, the hair disappears as if sucked inside the card. And then she puts the bag with my hair and registration form in a device which looks like a sort of scanner. She then slashes the card through the small gap present in its side. [ET: Just think of it like the credit card machine. Or amount register machines in department stores] By any chance, does it read the personal information? The card which was slashed shines brightly for some seconds. And she hands me the card, This is Minato-samas Guild card......it will be used as an identity card. Please confirm it. Whoa, I already got an Identity Card. Name: Minato Quadrille Age: 16 Rank: F ............Et Cetera. And seeing my eyes (that looked like a kid having his favorite toy in his hands), Elk shows an amazed expression. It cant be helped Im a male after all!! [ET: This girl gets just too much amazed. Since the last Chapter this is her 5th or 6th time getting amazed or startled.] Well then I will explain some rules of this guild. And here comes the time for Ladys tutorial. Please teach me well. . . . I got the explanation, in simple words it was something like this. Youll be getting additional services according to your status. You can accept various requests......the so called Quest with the help of Guild. It is not a problem for the Guild, if adventurers choose to complete investigation work instead of taking quests. However, if one investigates some dungeon in some savage lands, the guild offers them rewards even if it is not a quest. It is the obligation of an adventurer to show some results from investigation or complete many quests every month. If this obligation is not fulfilled, they will be disqualified as an adventurer and their adventurer status will be revoked. This part is somewhat puzzling so I will tell you about it later. And now about Rank. Literally, this Rank represents the grade of an adventurer. These Ranks are a total of 10 grades. Starting from F at the lowest it goes up by E, D, C, B, A, AA, AAA, S and SS is the top rank. This crap is pretty detailed. After completing the quests, the Guild evaluates the achievements or ability of the adventurer and then gives a rank. Sometimes quests for judging the rank of adventurers will be available. Basically even Quests are divided according to ranks. It depends on my level if I can take it or not. And lastly if by any chance one were to lose their guild card. It costs 5 silver coins for reissuing it. Really expensive!! There are other rules too, but according to the lady it will be okay to just know these main ones. I also got a booklet with all the rules. I will read it later. Well then, Minato-samas registration procedure will end with this......The contact address is blank, can I ask you to report it as soon as you find a lodging? Ah, Yes, Understood. Erm, will it be okay to just report by speaking? I thought there will be something like appendix to fill or something like that. Yes, if you explain the situation, it will be okay with any staff member......if you would like it, you can either search for me or call out for me. Saying that, the lady gives me her business card. Name is......Rin Guiche. I see. Ah, this name was on the guild card too, saying Person In Charge of Registration Procedure. So this was ladys name. If I call out her name then I will be able to complete the procedure easily. And like that, my Adventurer Registration is finished without any difficulties. Yay, Finally I am also an adventurer......while puffing my chest with pride, I bow towards Rin-san and leave the guild. Well then lets see. Right now, its afternoon...... Well, I left home, escaped from a dungeon and straight from there came to the guild (not really) and completed the registration. If you were to say its natural then yeah it is natural. Now all that I have to do is searching for a lodging? And a whole day is left, so it aint like I have to search it right now...... Other than that......I dont have any for now. I even brought my own equipment, so no need to search for any. Ack, now how will I kill time today...... For me......rather than spending time on eating while walking is a bit...... Im an adventurer right now, now I can...... Well what I want to say is simple, Hey, Minato? Nh? What, Elk? Do you have any plans fixed after this? You look pretty free to me though...... No, I dont have plans. I also have my equipment. So Im thinking about what to do. Is that so? Then...... Elk, then speaks. If its alright with you, though it might be strange......will you come together with me to any dungeon. Ah, Godsend. Plans: Confirmed. Chapter 10 – First Dungeon Part 1 This chapter is double the size of previous some chapters...and Part 2 is bigger than this...Still Have fun with this part...and a word of advice the end of this part is a cliffhanger. This Chapter is made possible in one day only thanks to Trent Stone, Lenni Olinsson and an anon. Chapter 10 C First Dungeon Part 1 After walking 30 minutes from the city, that dungeon was there. Ah, Dungeon is the area where an ordinary person wont come close to due to demons appearing and other dangers. Not necessarily, only the places like caves or towers are called as dungeons. Places like deep forests or dark swamps which are isolated and are located in danger area are denominated as Dungeons. ......Are the words Elk said. Of course, the places like ravines or grasslands are also included. But the places like that which are not like a building or cave are just called Danger Areas. It suits fairly well, the name that is. Though, the place Elk decided to go this time, in other words, the place I and Elk first met is the so called Dungeon structure-wise. Its name is Labyrinth of Naga. It seems like a pretty old dungeon. It is pretty bright thanks to the torches. I and Elk keep on walking through the corridors made of rock. Of course, it has some sort of strange intense atmosphere. After all it is a dungeon. Well, we havent met any demon till now. What sort of demons might appear? Im kinda interested. Naturally, they will be different from the ones I have always met. There wont be any strong monsters coming out. Its still 1st floor......and the dungeon itself has pretty low rank. ? Dungeon also have their own rank? ......You really dont know anything. Just where did you live and how were you raised? I was raised in a western-style house within a forest while defeating demons everyday and living with mom. ......If I say something like that, most probably an answer like What? will only come back, for now lets decieve her. Well it wasnt a good environment...... S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. From the view of a normal person with common sense it definitely is. !! I-I see......Sorry, for asking something strange...... Elk shows an expression as if saying Oh my!. Shit, she took it the wrong way? And then Elk, starts explaining to me politely It isnt that complex. You do know that monsters and races have their own rank, right? ............ ......Ill continue then. Elk this time ignored my unusual silence. Sorry, for me being unknown to things. The Guild decides upon the rank of dungeon based upon the the monsters that appear in that dungeon. The race of monsters and their rank and the resources or treasures one can get from the dungeon......as for historic ruins, the difficulty of traps is also taken into consideration. Guild does? How does it get that information? Do they dispatch some sort of research team? Yes, when new dungeons or danger areas are discovered, the guild puts out a quest for investigating them. Naturally, many voluntarily enter for gaining rewards from investigating and so the information reaches to guild. Ah, I see Surely if they pay attention to only the credibility, the investigation will end quickly. Really clever way to do work. [Cant make much meaningful sentence in English.] By the way the rank of this Labyrinth of Naga It is E Hmm......really low? Yeah. It pretty low-rank for it to be called a dungeon. From what I have heard, the Rank given to a dungeon or danger area is made after taking into consideration of the average level or rank of monsters that appear and also whether there are any traps or not. In other words, the monsters that appear in this Labyrinth of Naga are mostly near Rank E. There might be some strong monsters that that but the weaker monsters is more. Both in numbers and types of races. If you dont go deep enough you wont meet strong monsters. In the first place E and F ranked monsters are like stray monsters living in any place. But inside a labyrinth they have longer bodies and so it is difficult to run sometimes. Taking that into consideration this is E. I got it, I completely got it. So this only for beginners. Well even so, due to the fact that monsters appear here it is regarded as a danger area from the pov of an ordinary person. I have be on guard always! Ah, now that I think about it. I have one more thing Im kinda concerned about. Hey Elk, in this labyrinth......there are wall-paintings of snakes made here and there, right? I point at a wall painting of a snake......its pretty big. There is a figure of human made besides it......on comparing both, the snake is pretty big. Eh? Yeah thats right. Thats from where the name Naga came from?[ET: I did some search on Google-senseis directory. And found out Naga is another name for Snake.] This snake in the painting, does it appear in here? No, a guy like that has not been discovered as of yet. The people from the research group of guild think that this snake some sort of god which was worshipped by the people when this labyrinth was being made. Hmm, So thats what it was? The name also represents him, as if he is the boss of the main monster of this dungeon. If that snake was here, then this dungeon wouldnt be regarded as an beginners dungeon......or rather what is boss, that boss word. [ET: Since the last chapter he while thinking starts murmuring.] Ah, Yeah, just some delusional word. Elks amazed glare falls on me who just showed off the eight-grade syndrome. [ET: In Romaji it is Chuunibyou for those who dont know the word Eight-Grade Syndrome.] Oh, something came Eh? From the insides of the corridor, the breathing sounds and footsteps of something came. Elk hasnt noticed it yet, though. Something is coming here. Some seconds later, Elk also noticed the sounds and figures......from inside of the dark corridor came out some demons. You have good ears? Ah, Yeah, Thanks. What is that? Cant you see that its a goblin [ET: Here comes the poor monster who is always defeated by the MC firstly (killed not sparring partner) and that so in all the three WNs im Tling.] They have green and crumpled ugly faces. Greasy Hair. Height is......around 130 cm? They are wearing clothes made of hair and holding clubs in their hands, Just like the image of a primitive man. It doesnt have any horns. It really is the demon which the feeling It indeed is a Goblin!. The other side has also noticed us and shouts out in i dont know whether in high voice or low voice. Are they saying something like Who are those people. At the same time, Elk shuts her mouth and takes out the dagger hanging on her waist. Dont lose your guard. Though it is of low level, but there is no change in the fact that this is dangerous. Yeah, that is a given. By the way what is the rank of a goblin. Its E. A group of armed civilians can hunt them down or so it is said. But dont rely on these words. Why? Just like goblin, the demons in humanoid forms have more or less intelligence inside their brains and can be difficult to defeat based on the weapons they use. There are also those who use the weapons of dead adventurers. Ah, I see. So the degree of difficulty changes due to the weapon and experience. According to Elk, For example, the goblins armed with clubs are mostly under the rank E. They can reach up to rankD if they according to the weapons they use and other factors too. On the other hand an unarmed goblin is of rank F. They have short height and are not agile but they have absurd physical strength. Furthermore, they attack in crowds, so its natural to fight them by forming a team. Goblins upon seeing Elk taking out her dagger take their combat stances. But they only increased their shouting......Its gotten annoying. [ET: Goblins shouting more is their combat stance....I think] Theyre coming......you dont need weapons? Nh? Ah, you see I...... Suddenly 1 goblin comes running towards us and that so in a pretty gross way of running. Elk throws the dagger at once towards the goblin. It hits the shoulder of goblin beautifully. And he only cries *Gyaagyaaa*. Doesnt look like they can bear pain. Well, it did hit the shoulder. However, Elk didnt overlook the goblins wailing while stopping his advance, maybe becuase of experience. She quickly approaches the goblin while evading the club swung by goblin due to pain and irritation. And she strikes the head of goblin who is full of gaps. The goblins neck is cut, blood starts flowing and the goblin dies down on the spot. Right after Elk retreated from that place. A magnificent version of Hit and Away. When you dont have confidence to defeat a goblin, its basic to kill it slitting its throat and running away later. Just like how I did. I see......Youre pretty strong yourself. Well I did train myself for that......I can do something like this. But dont let down your guard. With this the others are angry and will come at us. Just like Elk says, the other 2 Goblins start shouting even more. They are obviously angry, Yes. And now I stand in the way of those goblins. Chapter 10 Part 2 Im sorry that this chapter was a little late and Im sorry for those(readers) who clicked the link yesterday(which I linked only for retards) and got eye pain.Have fun, I can somehow still complete MnD with all this busy RL stuff and Have fun with Chapter. The First Dungeon Part 2 Elk,can I take care of the rest 2? It will serve as a little warm up Will you be able to do it alone? ......and I am saying from before, dont you need a weapon? Yeah, its fine. I can fight like this. Saying that, I point my clenched fist towards Elk. ......What? Elk stares at me in puzzlement. Then after some seconds she understands my intention. ............Bare hand? Bare Hand wai- You serious? Its a demon, you know? Nh, its fine completely fine......It seems weak when compared to bears and crocodiles. ......What you saying? Well, just wait and see Actions are much better than words. I ignored Elk who is bewildered and is looking at me with eyes saying What the heck you saying? and face towards the goblin. The moment I face them the two goblins start running towards me. I take several steps forwards and take a combat position to not let any harm reach Elk. Well then, the warm-up starts. The moment I hear Elks gulping sound the clubs of the two goblins are swung downward aiming at my head and top of shoulder. Well, I will be fine getting hit by this level of attack, but Ive got no obligation to get hit. I grab both clubs with my hands wearing gauntlets...... SFX : Bekya!!! X2 (CRACK) ......The moment I tried to catch it, both the clubs are smashed into pieces just as they came in contact with my gauntlets. And that so quite elegantly. ......Eh? Elk who is standing behind is startled, no, even Im startled. Clubs really are soft. Well they look like normal wooden sticks, so it is natural, I guess? And my gauntlets (I think it was Joker Metal?), recommended by mom have impressive firmness and tenacity. And the Goblin-sans also seem like they are startled, sorry but Im going to attack now. I face towards the goblin on my right side and do an uppercut. Just as his body floats a little in air, I raise my left and drop a high kick on its head. *Blargh*, The goblin makes a really gross sound. I felt the sensation of bones breaking too. And so the goblin who has its bones broken flies and strikes the wall in front of me. Of course, he parted from this world before hitting the wall. The other one is looking at his broken club with a dumbfounded expression. Im sorry but...... *grab* I grab his neck and raise him up. And then, *snap*, a sound and feeling of the neck snapping reaches me. From the sensation, its not to the level of bone smashing in pieces but the spinal cord is definitely gone. Most probably he died the moment he felt the sensation of being choked. I throw his limp body and now Phew, now its over. Time required to deal with two of them: 4 seconds. When I turn back, I find Elk with her mouth opened. Was my fighting style that weird. She is holding her dagger, was she thinking of helping me when its gets bad? But she didnt had any chance to come forward. It startled me......I never thought you would actually go against a demon empty handed......youre pretty strong,eh? Nh? Is that so, Thank you. The still startled Elk said so while putting down dagger. ......Did you by any chance defeat those slave dealers empty-handed. Yea, pretty much. Ah, by the way what should we do now? Is there a need to take the raw materials? I have learned this from mom. That Tearing off any useful Raw Material of demons like horns,fangs or fur is normal for adventurers. The recovered raw materials can be sold to Guild or taken to blacksmiths to convert them into equipments or items. They have a lot of uses just like in games. And also that travelling and fighting while using them is also a great pleasure for adventurers. Well it depends on the other party. In the case of Goblins there is nothing we can tear off. Their bones are sturdier than that of humans but there are other demons with much better quality of bones. But, looks like my knowledge is not needed against Goblins. During the subjugation quests, its natural for chipping off the ears of subjugation targets but this time we entered without any such request, so its alright to not think about it. In that case, will this corpse be left as it is? is that alright............Nh? Elk Eh, what? They came again. This time......theyre big. Eh? Just like before, I noticed footsteps before Elk. This time there are......6,no, 7,eh? When I say that, Elk shows an expression of being really terribly startled. And she frowns while making a meek face. ? Is that bad? Yeah, 6 are a little too much. Those guys have small bodies and cant do many maneuvers......then the only thing we should be aware of these guys is Numbers. Its better if we run. Ooh, I see, but......(Elk) ? What?(Elk) ......It seems like theyre coming from the other side too. Eh!? The place Im standing at, I can perfectly hear the footsteps of goblins coming from both front and rear. From the front there are footsteps of 7 goblins. And from the behind are 2 goblins. The ones at back are still at a pretty far distance. Hmm, by any chance, did they gather here due to the that annoying voices from the goblins from before. F-From both sides!? I once again ignore Elk who is screaming due to this unexpected situation. So, what should I do now. This is a good opportunity to practice my situation assessment power. The ones coming from back, look like havent realized our presence yet. On the other hand, the 7 coming from before are being vigilant towards us. Maybe they have already sensed us, as I can hear their really annoying voices. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Or rather, its only a matter of time before the ones coming from back hear those shitty voices. ......And, I didnt sense it at first and still cant hear perfectly, but looks like the guests from the rear are not only goblins. But they all still far. In that case, the best-solution right now is, Alright, Ill go with this. Elk, Come here Eh? Wa-, Wha-,Eeeehhh!? I dont have much time so I postpone the explain. First, I will run towards the front with Elk in my arms. Towards the 7 Goblins who have already sensed us. It wont be good were captured between the two parties, and so its the best solution to get done with these ones before the rear ones sense us......but there are many of them. No, waitHyaaaaaa!? I put Elk down in a safe place and attack at them alone. From the way Elk fights......she can fight but it doesnt seem like shes good in melee attacks. And her fight against goblin too was a hit and away version. Then, its better I fight here, right? From the fight before, I now know it somewhat. Against them......goblins I wont have a problem. Let it be 7 of them or 70 of them. Before, I didnt destroy their bodies because I was afraid if their raw materials were needed......but now that I know that its not needed and I dont have time, Ill kill them by breaking each of their bones. Ah but I wont break their bodies. (POV changes to Elk) Above expectations. This is the impression I am getting while watching this man. From what I am seeing in front of me, it cant be explained with the help of knowledge or common sense. This man is showing very impressive movements which he didnt show before. Attacking 7 goblins is reckless unless one is going for a surprise attack or has a lot of fighting experience. Because even though they are of low-level. The numbers become an advantage for them. I or rather every beginner adventurer will choose the place with few demons and force their way through and in the end escape. And fighting demons without any weapon is in the first place really wrong. However, Minato really easily broke that Common Sense of mine. The demons naturally have sturdier bones and firm muscles. Thats why they have more stamina and defensive power. Its not easy to deal fatal wounds to demons who have sturdier bodies than that of humans with some third-rate swords or spears. Though Goblins are small in height but they too are not an exception from that common sense. One needs to aim at their vital points and put their weight to deal any damage. But he, Minato who is swinging his fists is, crushing the limbs of those goblins with sturdier bones with just a fist and that so very easily. Simply put. He is dodging and hitting them. Just that work. Minatos movements are very polished which even a noob in fighting can understand. He dodges the clubs with very little movement and drives the fist into them. And his attack is faster than Goblins attack and is lethal too. It wont be wrong to call it as a lethal counter-attack. And the situation ends up with Goblins not even getting time for reacting to those fast movements. The only attack he intentionally dodged was the first attack, he really is scary. He is killing the goblins with just one punch. It fits the words Down in a Single blow Even now, his fists wearing black gauntlets hit a goblin. Compared to just one second before, its face is obviously dented, his neck is also a little extended (The bones of face are smashed and the bones of neck are dislocated) and right now is flying horizontally. With just those simple movements, just how much power he is putting inside his fists. And immediately after, 2 goblins attack at him from behind, but as if he already knew about them, does a roundhouse kick without even looking at them. The moment the clubs are aligned side by side with both goblins heads. Minato pulverizes both the clubs and heads of the two goblins. Both of them hit at the wall of the labyrinth. Now just one more left. His movements are very enchanting. Having said that, they are accompanied with power. For example......they are just like the movements an actor demonstrates on stage when acting as a Saviour of Justice. Before I knew it, all the 7 goblins are annihilated within 10 seconds......right now the last goblin is falling down having his face crushed by to Minatos kick. And right after that, Minato picks up 2 clubs and......throws them to the place I am standing. And the clubs fly past me. Due to those actions, I immediately look back. The 2 goblins Minato sensed before......stumble down after getting hit by the clubs thrown by Minato. ......How did I neglect my rear! Pathetic! By the time I set up my dagger and was about to jump, Minato reached the place I was standing at. In the end, I and Minato took each one......one of the two had his throat cut and the other had his skull broken to pieces. 9 armed goblins and attack from both front and rear. In this situation any beginner will have no choice but to escape, but Minato who is sighing besides me overturned that situation. I-It was a little dangerous......Thank you Minato. You really saved me. Youre welcome. But its still too early to relax. Eh!? A little later, A......single demon appeared from the same direction the 2 goblins appeared from. It has eight legs and a shell covering its body. And also has strong-looking fangs which can easily tear off any animal into pieces. I did think the rustling sound was noisy so it is a spider,huh? So things like these also appear here. Minato takes his combat stance without any signs of being confused. ......Nh? Just now what did he say? I did think the rustling sound was noisy? Elk, does it come under those you can tear of the raw materials from or not? Eh? Yeah, the fangs can be taken. Not that, you could actually hear the footsteps of a Spider? Spider is about average even within the monsters of rank E, but no one can hear its footsteps. It walks so silently that even in a place where sound reverberates its footsteps cant be heard. Its pretty dangerous as it does surprise attacks. And it also has poison. Well my ears and eyes are better than most of the people. And my nose too. H-Hmm, I see...... From the way he is speaking, looks like he heard it a lot before. Now that I think about it, Minato ran towards the place with more goblins first rather than going towards the place with just 2 goblins. Its common sense to go towards the place with few demons unless one has projectiles. ......Well, it looks like it wont make much difference to this guy. Maybe he attacked the place with more goblins because he sensed the spider at that time already? From his way of talk, it looks like though he did sense it, but he couldnt understand that it is the Spider demon. So that means that he went to the place with more goblins rather than going to the place with few goblins and one unknown presence besides them. If that is the case, just how good are your ears, Minato? While I am feeling amazed. If we can get the fangs, is punching the stomach good? I dont want it to puke after getting punched...... Minato leapt towards the spider by kicking of the ground. He appeared right above the spider in one second and slapped it. The spider after getting slapped at the back, starts gushing out bodily fluids from the crevices of its shell and falls down on the spot. Looks like the impact reached till inside and destroyed its body from inside. The impact actually pierced through the shell of spider which can snap most of the weapons. I cant help but be astonished, seeing a skill like that. What if he took care of goblins in one blow because he didnt want his clothes to get dirty. Maybe he can bring out more power to even break their whole bodies into pieces. Right now, I once again realize. That I may have met with a really terrifying person......who can surpass my expectations. And I, (If he stays with me......the maybe......!) I felt a bit of hope secretly spreading inside my heart even before entering the dungeon. Huh? Just wait a bit. From what I know, Spider only appears on second floor and upwards why was it on the first floor? Did it get lost? Erm, Elk? How shall I take these fangs. Eh? Well you can use knife and like that......Ah, dont touch it with hands? It has poison on it. Ah, I see? Well, I think it will alright...... Just what will be alright!? ......Well its okay. All is well if it ends well. Chapter 11 – Raw Materials and Inn and Prospects and Secret Meeting Its already late night (Its 01:30 right now that Im posting this chapter. I started TLing at 11:00). As I said that I will get somewhat free time today for TLing the chapters, but looks like I wasnt able to as the Chapter 12 is even bigger than Chapter 10. So it will be in parts....Thats why you will have to wait some hours as I will sleep and then after waking up TL it. After all it is Sunday for me and btw most of the people who are in Europe or North & South America will get this chapter by night or evening. I guess (not much confident in time differences). Anyhow today only Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 Part 1.be happy. Chapter 11 C Raw Materials and Inn and Prospects and Secret Meeting [ET: Tense is always changing.] Some time after the attack from Goblins (from both sides). We both decided to continue investigating the Labyrinth. After that, we met various types of monsters en route. But they all were different from the ones in the forest or its surrounding areas. Just what I expect from a Dungeon. For example, Wolf. It was just like its name says. Lizard. This one is a big skink lizard. Its over-all length is about 1-2 metre. Rabbit. This one is a wild rabbit about the size of dog. By the way it is edible. For some reason, these all are demons which dont give the monster like feeling. If you ignore their largeness and body color then they can be found on earth too. Doesnt something like......erm, dragon appear here? When I asked that to Elk, I was punched and yelled at You got a death wish? Idiot No but everyone wants to see it once right? Fighting it is......you know. Anyhow, after defeating those guys, we completed the established practice of Tearing Off in this world which is the same in hunting games too. The fangs or fur for Wolf, skin for Lizard and like that the useful parts are teared off and then sold within the city. ......or so Elk was saying. And after we both grabbed some resources (I can call it that,right?), we both left the dungeon. It was already Evening outside. Well, aint that fine? After that, When I asked Elk Isnt there any good inn? she replied that the inn she is staying at is good. Her inn is the ideal inn with Safety, Cheapness and Tasty Food. And so, it ended up me heading there. I thought if it is fine to let one unknown man live in the same inn in which she is living. But then I recalled the incident of the morning. Even so, when I asked about it indirectly, It will be good until you try to do something? Fast Reply. There are also girls like this who are frank or act manly. Or else, am I being trusted? or am I being underestimated...... Rather, the talk just went too smoothly! I if object her words, wont I be thought as a man who can self-constrain himself? That......yep, it will definitely be hard to live on afterwards. No well its a complete truth that I cant sef-constrain myself, but I want to avoid letting a girl Ive just met know about that fact. And the inn has favorable terms so I really dont want her to reject me living there. And so, I accepted her and let her guide me. The inn Elk is living in is called Bermuda. ......I thought What if I went in there and cant ever come back out for a moment......anyhow, putting off the first impression I got from the name, I enter the inn thinking that it would be good if its a comfortable place. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Welcome! To Bermuda where Once you enter you cant leave out! We are welcomed by an excessively energetic girl. Her age is maybe 2 years lower than mine? She has brown pony tail hair reaching her shoulders. Her face is childish and is fair-skinned. More than anything her smile is really bright for my eyes! I ignore the welcoming lines which actually are the same as what I thought before entering. By the way, Im Tanya, the self-proclaimed poster girl of this inn! Welcome Customers? Self-proclaimed hell with it. But she really is girl full of spirit, to the extent that it will irritate most of the people. I dont hate it, though Ah, Yes Thank you. Er, is there any room vacant? I want to live here for some time. Yes, with pleasure~! Is this a bar or what. [ET: with pleasure is said mostly at bar or love hotels, thats why MC says as such.] When I glance at my side, Elk is face palming with a worn-out expression. The only flaw of this inn...... I see, so this girl is always full of spirit. From what I heard, looks like Tanya-chan who is also the daughter of the owner of this inn helps from being a poster girl to being a waitress in the dining hall. She is good-looking and has cheerful personality, so she is popular among the customers, but looks like Elk is not good with noisy places. Ah? Isnt it Elk-san. Eh, What, you brining a man here, is spring finally going to come for you? Its not that, you dont need to pry to any further. Aw, boring. I thought I will be getting the chance to choose the name of the future child. Just how many steps forward are you thinking about, idiot! Stop speaking ridiculous jokes in front the person himself! Im sorry Minato, you dont need to pay attention to this girl at all! Hmm, so he is called Minato? Is it beginning of a love story? Im telling you its fricking different! ......Minato lets change this inn, kay? I know other good inns too! Aww, dont say something so lonely, Onee-sama? Who is the Onee-sama you creep! Geez, its good that you are popular right now, but if you keep on serving them with this attitude soon enough they will disappear? It fine, Its fine. I only serve and tease Elk-san to this extent. What the !! Elk, your character is changing. Im curious that why Elk became like this, but for now lets ignore it. But well, if she is always being teased like this, its natural for her get fed up. Incidentally, which is your room, Elk? My room is in the inner part on the second floor. Is that so, I see. Then Tanya-chan if you can do it then I want my room to be...... Understood~, You want your room next to Elk-sans room,right? On the first floor. Well, I want to have the floor different at least. Its not like I would do something if it is the same floor. Tanya-chan made a face saying Tsk but she does her work honestly because she quickly brought out necessary documents. Fill the name and number of days you want to stay here. The rest we will write. A-And if possible write the type of girl you prefer here. I take back what I just said. And from what I hear, there are not many rooms vacant on the first floor......the ones that are vacant are big sized rooms and medium-sized rooms. The medium-sized rooms are about the size of a normal room in a Japanese-lodging. 50 copper coins for 1 night. The big sized rooms are almost the size of a room in a high-class hotel. 1 silver coin for 1 night. Well from the currency values I heard from Elk, I have a lot of money with me. Ill go with the medium-sized room, it isnt like I desire a high-class room. In truth they also have small rooms around the size of small rooms in a business hotel. Its price if also pretty reasonable, 30 coppers for 1 night, by the way Elk is also living in this type of room. But unfortunately, these rooms on both floors are full and only the other types of rooms are left. Cant be helped. Incidentally, there is a common bath. The people living in small rooms have to give extra fees but the people living in big-sized and medium-sized rooms dont have to. I pay the price for a medium-sized room on the first floor for 1 week. In total it is 3 silver coins and 50 copper coins. I take the key for the room and when I glance at my behind, Elk was getting red due to the jokes by Tanya-chan. It seems like she will throw her anger towards me if I say anything, so ignore for now. Elk spoke Good grief......!. Thank you for your hard work. A little later, Elk asked me to come to her room saying I have to talk about something. So, I lock the room which I just now took and head towards her room. Though I lock it, its not like there is anything valuable inside the room. Anyhow, every adventurer including me and Elk moves here and there with their personal belongings......or perhaps I should say, equipments. And those equipments mostly are of good quality. So, there are most people who dont leave their equipments in the inn and keep on wearing it to prevent theft. And above all I have gotten the Hyperspace Backpack from mom. And if I have this I dont have to worry about my living space. It has limits, but still it has the capacity as that of a large storage room. And should I say as expected? because Elk doesnt has much belonging inside her room. The only things there are things needed for daily life and things needed for adventurer work. It somehow feels just too low things......well, it cant be helped even if I think about it. Elk puts away the bag filled with the raw materials brought from the labyrinth and gives me an eye signal saying Sit. I accept her offer. I sit on a chair while Elk sits on her bed. Minato, the raw materials we brought is it alright to sell them at the guild tomorrow? Eh? Ah, Yeah it alright. Is it something you can sell just by bringing it over there? More or less. Though it takes time for investigating the origin of the raw materials, but these are of low-level so it will be over in some minutes. And, erm...... ? Erm, the distribution of profits from selling it...... Yeah, the money comes after selling the raw materials. Well it will be good with 50-50, it is the basic,right? Elk was also saying that, but right now her words seem evasive. And keeps on murmuring to herself. ......No, it will be good if I speak it out straightforwardly. ? What does that mean? Elk takes a deep breath while Im trying to find the meaning of her words and You see, Minato. I have some troubles going on and so I need money. And thats why......can you increase my share even if a little bit? Csincerely requests. Ah, I see, this really is something that is hard to say. Yeah, its fine with me. Thats right, you wont increase......EH!? i-Is that fine!? For what reason are you freaking out? I thought she will happily accept my words, but what came back was an expression full of surprise. N-No, but can you that easily...... After all, Elk has taught me many things and you see, I dont have any need for money right now. B-But is it fine? You were the one who killed most demons? That much is nothing for me. Surely, I did kill the most of the demons, but rather, I requested her to let me fight them. After all, all the monsters(The animal types were more though) we met were full of spirit and came at us in large crowds. And so, I fought against them to my hearts extent. There is no need to worry about it. Argh, it was a let down. I speak to Elk who doesnt seem like she is digesting my words at all. Elk, you can take the whole profit for yourself? No, T-That, I cant do it!? Why? You need money, right? She doesnt seem like she will tell me the reason for it, so I wont ask about it. Just like I said before, its not like I have a need of money right now, so its completely fine with me even if Elk takes all the money. To put it bluntly, I can earn that much every time. Only the prey is needed for it. You really gonna give me all that? Arent you being too nice? I dont know if Im being to nice, well, there is no reason to reject your request. Just think that Im doing it on a whim. I-I see, Thank You.........Its difficult for me to say............I already have a feeling of guilt from before (depress)...... She shows a somewhat depressed face, but a little after shows a happy expression. Taking all the money does feel awkward. Anyhow, we talked for a little while and then made our way to eat meal together. In this dining hall, only the breakfast is free. Well for the guests there are discounts. And I have a lot of money in my purse, so I ate a lot of food. When I asked that why the dinner isnt made in sets, though breakfast is. The reply that came was that adventurers in general like to eat and drink as much as they want in night and so the dinner in sets is not made. And after eating, I bid farewell to Elk and return to my room. Well anyhow my first day as an adventurer went smoothly. I lie on the bed which is the first bed I lay down on after leaving the home. Well then, For the first time I fought against demons different from the ones in the forest, honestly speaking...... No, lets leave it. Its not good to think about something that will lead to carelessness. Even Elk said that only weak demons appear in that labyrinth. There will be many chances to fight against strong monsters from now on. Though I dont know if Elk will be there with me at that time. Well I cant do anything by thinking. Lets sleep. I turn off the lights. Im one of those people who cant sleep in a complete dark room. And so, I set the candle in the candle-stand. And when I bring my palm near there. The candle catches up the fire in an instant. ......I didnt even had chance to use this today. I mutter words to myself. Today I didnt use this and only took care of demons with normal Taijutsu, but......chances will come to use this which I used always in the forest. I want to fight against those guys before my instincts become blunt. It might be imprudent, but Im itching to use my skills. I close the curtains and close my eyes. Ah, by the way, the share distribution ended up with being 8:2 of Elk and mine. It feels like not much changed. In late night, Elk left the Bermuda inn and entered the small dark alley behind the inn. In general, the so-called back alleys are dangerous places for a woman in night. The usual Elk always stays on her guard and doesnt leave the inn at night-time. But, today she went inside the back alley. And the one she is meeting is there. She entered the back alley and after turning on some corners reaches a place with some light. The men gathered there all had dangerous and grim expression. They all turn their line of sight towards Elk who just came in. But, Elk knowing that they will not attack, starts walking while pretending to be calm. One of the men from that suspicious group of men steps forwards towards Elk. You know what to you have to say, Elk? ......You guys got problem with the incident in morning? Of course. Just what were you thinking by bringing that monster......though no one is dead but everyone is injured and now cant move. I cant do anything about that. ......Even I didnt knew that he would be so strong......And furthermore, you guys were the ones who made this plan, it wouldve been fine if you used your minds? What did you say bitch...... Stop it, nothing good will happen if you argue here....... And I now understand that its not only your responsibility this time. But casualties did appear and we all are right now angry. So stop from speaking in a provocative tone. For the sake of both of us. Another man comes in and calms down the man who got worked up due to the argument. He speaks in a soothing tone. He warns everyone and all shut their mouth. When he sees that both parties have calmed down. He then faces towards Elk. So what are you going to do? I will regard this time as bad luck but what about your older problems that are yet to be solved? You gotten friendlier with that man,right? He has some good equipments, snatch a single weapon from him! Its impossible. At a glance he does seem like someone who isnt thinking about anything, but he has ridiculous physical strength. If I make a blunder while doing that, I might be killed. That is troublesome. But what are you gonna do, go for some other adventurer? ......I reject. I really dont want to involve unrelated people in this. You say that after doing it, huh, did you go blind by the money he has? I wont let you say that its wrong? ......! ......Lets say you dont do that. Then how are you going to make money? You wont make it with proper means, even you should know it, right? ......I might be able to make it from those proper means. If I can get him to fight for me...... Hmm, I see. In that case, well, good luck. Im telling you once again that I wont increase the deadline. He steps near Elk and then whispers in her ears. You know what happens......if you dont make it? Saying that the man turns back and leaves the place. The other men follow after him. There are those who are cursing Elk, some are clicking their tongues and those who dont have any intention to both are looking at her with lustful eyes, After they all disappear in the darkness after following the man at front, Elk clenches her fist very tightly that blood starts flowing from it. Chapter 12 – Abnormal Situation Part 1 It took a little time for Editing and right now that Im writing this rant section of chapter the disease called as sleep after fatigue is knocking at the door of my eyes. Be happy with this Part, I will post the Part 2 a little later (after some hours. i need to sleep, duh).....???? Anyhow, This chapter has just toooo much Anyhow, But and Then Chapter 12 C Abnormal Situation Part 1 Dawn of the next morning. I wake up at 6 oclock, all due to the habit from childhood. When I was in the western-style house, I woke up early in the morning and after doing the morning training, I had my breakfast. I can go outside the city for morning practice, but Im not confident whether I will be able to return back...... Its alright, from now on the morning practice will be when I have time. My living environment has changed, so I cant keep the daily life routine as same. I should adapt myself here. And Im going to Guild with Elk today to sell the raw materials. I will at that time leave the city and if I didnt come back, then Im sorry. But there is not much change in my free time, so I decide to do some normal warm-up. While remembering the lyrics of that song that played on the radio in the morning at 6 oclock. ......No good. I forgot it! Its natural. The last time I head it was when i was working at a part-time job in the neighbourhood association during my second year of junior high......its already 20 years. I somehow kill 1 hour and at 7 am which is also the breakfast time, I head into the dining hall and an unexpected situation was waiting for me. Eh, Elk left already? Yea, early in the morning. Ah, she said me to hand over a letter to you. When I enter the dining hall, Tanya-chan came running to me and informed about the situation. I take the letter. Er, so what is written here......what? You see, today I promised some of my adventurer friends to go to a dungeon. They came early in morning and now its too late to reject them. and as such is written in letter and after writing the letter she also said that it feels awkward to wake up the sleeping Minato-san. Yeah, I see. Thank you Tanya-chan for explaining it to me in simple language. But, now I dont even need to read the letter. Still lets read it, Looks like she had plans to go to a dungeon with those adventurer friends before noon. But one of those friends said something like I found a great information. So lets go to the dungeon right now, and in a hurry she left with them. Thats why, she wants me to do the selling of raw materials today or postpone it till tomorrow. Just how early did she wake up. And Tanya-chan too who heard that message and also took the letter. Fufufu, though I look like this, Im pretty strong in morning. And its natural to go to market for buying ingredients at 4 oclock. That is one of the secrets for the good quality of the food in this inn. I see, so for getting the fresh and good quality ingredients, she does a lot of work. She is young but she is really dependable. I though she only had the character of girl full of spirit, but now my opinion about her improved. While being impressed, I eat the breakfast compiled of Bread and Soup and Bacon and eggs. Its not much but its good. Well that aside. Minato-san? Did you have any fun last night? Wh, hey, a girl shouldnt say something like that. Tanya-chan asks such a thing with a grin on her face. No, I didnt had any fun. So this is her true character after all. Unfortunate for you, I didnt get out of room after I went in. Hmm~, People like Minato-san are rare nowadays who are serious and mostly uninterested in things. Is that so? I think its normal Its not like that. Generally the male adventurers are violent and egoistic. Sometimes, they even do sexual harassment while Im working. Well, now Im used to it. Now that I think about it, there are many people like them as adventurers even in Web Novels I have read. In fact, it might be natural for them to do what they want to in the night as they spend their whole day in dungeons fighting the demons. Though, I have doubts whether the sexual harassment is also needed. In worst cases, there are also people who say Ill pay you, give me some nighttime service. Geez, If they want to have fun with women, its good if they go to the red-light district. Ah, would Minato-san want me to give you pleasure at night? Haha, no-no, youre charming and beautiful, but that is just too much. I do uphold my morals. And her outward appearance also is a major factor. She is good-looking and is in her growth period......but spreading my son in front of a girl who looks like middle school student is a little...... Anyhow, so this place has a Red-light district here...... I did had hunch that it might be here. ......(*grin*) ............What! Um, Minato-san, have you been told that youre too easy to read. ......Well many people Ive met have told me. Including the previous life. I got scared seeing Tanya-chans face which looked like a child who just got an interesting toy. But if I pay heed to it and start explaining it, it wont be like putting oil in fire but it will be like putting gasoline in fire and so I wont pay any heed to it. Fufufu, well Minato-san is also a man? Ah, but Minato-san is sometimes too much obedient, thats why dont get involved with nasty people when you go there? recently there also rumours about kidnapping. Hmm..., Is that so? What sort of rumour is it? This is just what Ive heard? They pretend to faint in the street and act like as if the person who saved them had met them due to a coincidence. Then they lead their saviour to the trap where the other kidnappers are waiting. They then take all the valuables and in the end also sell off the person. Really Scary~ ......Hmm, now this truly is scary. I eat the breakfast while talking with her and slowly the dining hall starts to get crowded. Looks like other adventurers woke up. And then Tanya-chan returns to work. Talking time finished. Well then, shall I sell the raw materials by myself. It isnt much amount that I cant carry. However, isnt Elk trusting me just too much. I met her yesterday only. Did she never thought that I will run off with the money I will get from the selling of raw materials. ......Well not like I will do it. Well then, I will sell the raw materials after I finish eating. (POV Changes to Elk) When I woke up in the morning, all of a sudden an acquaintance adventurer came and invited me saying I found a great information. So lets go to the dungeon right now. And so, I left early in the morning without eating any breakfast. I dont know about the credibility of the information but it is about some sort of Treasure. The ones who find the treasure room and treasure first, it belongs to them. Time is essential. Its no wonder everyone is in a hurry for finding them. Even I at this moment am feeling restless. In truth, I wanted to invite Minato too after seeing his battle prowess yesterday, but it somehow felt awkward to wake him up at 5 oclock in morning. And I didnt even have a promise to go with him. I was worried whether I should go with them for searching the treasure room or go with Minato. Its uncertain whether there is a treasure room, but if the information is right, then I get a jackpot. Even if we all split it equally, I will still be able to get quite an amount of money. If I go with Minato, Ill be able to certainly get considerable amount of demons raw materials. I wont be able to gain that much amount of war spoils even if I go with other adventurers. But that profit can never catch up with the profit Ill gain if I find a treasure room. And in the end, I chose the former option. Its also because of the reason that I couldnt ask him yesterday to come with me to the labyrinth today. If I had asked him, then maybe my choice wouldve been different. Anyhow, I entrusted the letter to Tanya and decided to leave alone. She made a simple bentou and handed it to me, frankly it saved me. If she always showed the good part of her then it will save me a lot. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And right now, Im in front of the entrance to Labyrinth of Naga The people coming with me are acquaintances which I can trust. Well, they have bad behaviour, anyhow, they arent like the pervert from yesterday. Well we dont have that much good friendship, so its not like they will put their lives at risk for protecting me. By the way, my rank as an adventurer is E. Other members are also E except for one who is rank D. It depends on a persons ability, but generally Rank E means promotion from being a beginner and rank C means that, that person is a good adventurer. At the same time, it is said that rank C is the limit for a person with no talents. It isnt just based on strength as there are many strong people within the same rank so the rank promotion is based on taking the researching skills and knowledge into consideration. In truth, I have mostly the abilities and knowledge not related to fight, though I learnt it from mom. In terms of fighting Im quite low. ......Just what might be the level of fighting ability of Minato. He has just registered at Guild, so his rank is still F. From what I saw yesterday, he is quite, no, really powerful. After all, there isnt any person who will fight against demons bare-handed. Even if there are, it is limited to those races with a lot of physical power like dwarf. Thats why when yesterday he said I will fight empty-handed, I thought it was impossible......but a little later he really did defeat the demons bare-handed. Seeing that I was considerably shocked. I did think he is strong from the time he defeated the bandits, but it was outside my expectations that he is that much strong. Though Minato is not like a flowers stem but just from where that power comes from inside that slender body. While I am thinking like that, Now that I think about it, Elk youre recently desperate to raise money? The swordsman (Rank D. He is 23 years old and the oldest.) I am accompanying, asks me. ......Not really, just some circumstances. Hmm, Well, Im sorry but we cant help with you with your circumstances. I am not even expecting that you will ever help. Youre cold. Well if you want money that much, shall I help you? And so the girl who is a thief (Its not like she does stealing or so. Its just that she is skilled in exploring dungeons and search treasure) asks me. She earns money as an adventurer and as a prostitute. With just that much, she is the most rich person within our group. In reality only she is using weapons and equipments better than mine and the other three. Doing those works does give a lot of money. In truth, even I have been invited to work as a prostitute. She said she would introduce me to the brothel she is working at. Though I always reject her offer. But this time, ......I will think about it. Eh? Elk, you really? Do you have a fever? What, you surprised that I didnt reject the offer this time? When you really want to become a prostitute, do tell me? I will contribute in the sales. What, werent you going to help me? This and that are different! Just like how a man is different below from above! Other guys who heard our talk start talking. Do they want to embrace me that much? Someone as plain like me? You even accepting the offer, youre that desperate? By any chance, you got stuck in a debt cycle? Impossible, that wont happen! Its Elk after all Yeah, that cant be to her who doesnt spend even a little and always manages her budget more sincerely than other people. ......Well she must have a lot going on. A lot. Though it all might be personal. Their words. Stab my heart. Right now Im standing at the point where if I let the feelings take control over me, I would get depressed really easily. And as a result, I cant say anything to them......Even yesterday, I got involved with something that I cant tell other people. In the end, it only ended up as a plan failure......I cant believe that I even went that low just to get money. Really disgusting. A little later, after experiencing that guys innocent kindness, I now think that doing something like that wasnt needed. And I thought. That I wont do something like that ever again. Anyhow, there is no time to talk about useless things. I need to, find that treasure room or what, and along the way collect the raw materials of demons and earn a lot! ......So that I dont have to something like that ever again. Chapter 12 Part 2 Someone asked me to change the Elk to Elke. Sorry, but I wont do that as both the name have different pronunciation. Elk sounds the most near to the japanese (륯) but the Elke isnt anywhere near. and It really irritates me that the author is changing the tense just too much. Anyhow heres the first chapter for the day (night for some) and wait some minutes for the bonus chapter. Chapter 12 Part 2 (POV changes to Minato) I go to the guild and submit my guild card along with the raw materials I hunted yesterday. Such as fangs and fur of Wolf, skin of Lizard and meat of Rabbit. Seems like the materials were in a good state, so I got 2 silver coins and 40 copper coins in return. This is quite high? Well, this job is accompanied with danger and adventurer do this work on a daily basis. If I take the lodging expenses in consideration, this much is reasonable. The person at the desk was Riin-san whom I met yesterday. I was praised by her, because Im a rookie who just registered yesterday and yet I brought quite an amount of raw materials. I still told her I did all this along with Elk. I dont want to monopolize all the glory for completing this feat, in the first place. We both were supposed to come here together for selling the materials. Well then, now that my business here is done, Shall I also go to the Labyrinth after doing some shopping? Yesterday I returned to the inn pretty fast, but Ive heard that in this city there are many shops that are selling items which help with the investigation work. Ah, before that, Riin-san is it true that I can buy the map for the Labyrinth here? Elk was saying it yesterday that in the guild, the map for neighboring dungeons or danger areas are being sold. Most adventurers that are not familiar with dungeon buy the map and move according to it. I will need it for when I enter the Labyrinth and so I decided to buy it. I want to become familiar with it. Its painful that mom never told me how to read a map. After all, inside that forest, thanks to the Coffin that mom brought with her, the demons around the house were particularly strong. And so, if I ventured too far from home, I just needed to go to the place with stronger demons to find my way back home. If that didnt work, then the I followed the foods smell that while riding the winds. And somehow, in the end I was always able to return home. Yes, it can be bought? Just, it isnt sold here but the opposite reception window. Understood. Ah, do you also sell the map of city? I came here just yesterday and so Im scared that what if I get lost...... Yes we sell it too. It is updated on periodic intervals. Caution is required because there wont any information of any shop that is made or closed recently. I see, Well it will be good enough if I know the location of Bermuda on it. I went the reception window as instructed by Riin-san and bought the 2 maps. Well then, now Ill do some shopping and head towards the Labyrinth. I also need to learn, how to read a map by myself. Well for the part of going to the labyrinth, I dont think Ill get lost after all I just need to walk straight on the stone paved highway stretching from the main gate of the city. (POV changes to Elk) ......Its strange. That was my impression after roaming inside the labyrinth for 1 hour. Shit! Once again. huh! SFX: Zasshu (Slash) One comrade steps forward and slays the goblin that attacked us. While swinging the blade, he takes down 1 more goblin. The ones covering him up are me and the thief girl. We intercept the other goblins or demons......wolf etc that are attacking from rear. And supporting us is the magician friend who excels in long-distance attacks. Along with his help we finish all the demons that attack at us. ......We have repeated the same pattern for 1 hour and some minutes. Dont you think......there are more demons? You think that too? From the time we entered and till we reached here, for some reason we encountered just too many monsters. We are cautiously investigating small rooms and passages with dead ends frequently. When the investigation ends or sometimes didnt end, the demons have attacked us many times. And somehow, it seems like they are attacking us in anger and are releasing just too much bloodlust. Furthermore, they are attacking in larger numbers than usual. Its kind of ghastly? And from the time we came down to the underground floor 2 from floor 1, it seems like they have gotten even more in numbers. I have entered this dungeon a lot of times and have experienced many things, but this is a first for me too. Usually these guys have either good mood or bad mood but today they are all and only angry. ......What is it? Somehow, Im having a really bad premonition. Hey, shouldnt we go back already......? And suddenly the swordsman friend shakes off the blood sticking on the sword and speaks as if saying What the hell youre saying. Huh? We have just entered, we havent found any trace of treasure or anything yet. You got cold feet? Thats right. Doesnt this happen sometimes if youre an adventurer? You dont need to worry just because some demons are angry. No, but...... Im also curious about it. Its not on the level of a little angry but theyre considerably angry. (Elk) Whoa! even Elk you saying that. Arent you the one who needs the money the most? No, well, that is true, but...... I certainly said so, but I am feeling a really nasty chill down my spine. This type of thing is a first for me, truly. Im still a not-so-strong newbie and so I have made many plans for securing my safety. Thanks to that, I can somehow intuitively sense any danger. Dont worry about it. I have ventured here a lot more than you guys, this sort of thing happens sometimes? If you get the timing of them attacking, then there is no problem at all True. And if it gets bad then just run. This is only the second floor. No matter what appears here, we four can easily defeat them. ......Itll be good if thats the case. My bad premonitions are mostly right. This bad feeling just doesnt go off, even with you puffing your chest. ...I think itll be better if I prepare to run at anytime whenever anything bad occurs. While I was worrying about that, The footsteps of something heading towards us reach our ears from the dark area in front of us. We 4 by reflex speak Again, huh as if bored with it and set up their weapons while waiting for the something......most probably a monster to come in front of us. For some reason there are many footsteps, its still the second floor so there wont be any strong monsters here. At most there only goblins or lizards. We are 4 people and one is a magician. If we coordinate properly, we will be able to fight. ......Even so, It strange that Im feeling lonely just because that guy is not with me today. While I am thinking that, the thing that appeared in front of our eyes was...... ......Eh!? A monster we never expected to meet. It is a monkey like monster with humanoid form and has ochre colored body hair growing all over it. They have bigger bodies than that of goblin and have sharp claws and teeth. They are the...... Wha-, M-Mad Monkeys!? Just why are these guys on this floor!? *KiiKii*Their high-pitched voice resounds with ear-splitting loudness. Having our expectations overturned in a split second the party falls into panic. Thats natural. These Mad Monkeys dont appear on early floors ever. They are the monsters that appear now and then on 4th and 5th floor. Why are they on the second floor then!? And in a crowd, no less!? Their rank as per guild is D. The difficulty is worlds apart from goblins. We guys are in a party, thats why it wouldve been fine with 1 or 2 of them. But no matter how you look at it, they are coming here in a really large damned crowd! We cant win by fighting them. At this rate, we will be bitten to death. We 4 four after confirming this fact, start running at full speed. I ran and ran and after turning at some corners, I was finally able to shake off the monkeys. I got separated from others while running. Right now, I cant do anything other than believing that they are fine. But more than that...... There is a more serious problem here. Ha......Ha......Just why are these guys here......? The Mad Monkeys who should appear on the 4th floor and above are on the second floor. Its an abnormal situation. I start walking towards the exit of Labyrinth because I dont want to stay in this labyrinth for long. I remember the way back after all. ......But, in one of the corridor that I have to cross to reach the exit, those guys are camping there. And from the voices I can hear, there seem to be more of them than the crowd from before. Fortunately, I am still not found by them. And so I am hiding in the shadows and waiting for them to leave. Though, I highly doubt the possibility of that happening. Having a crowd of rank D Mad Monkeys is as same as seeing a nightmare. But, no matter what I say the situation wont overturn. I cant do anything but wait for them to go somewhere. The moment I was thinking that, The voices of Mad Monkeys changed from KiiKii to GiiGii as if threatening something. It seems like its gotten a lot annoying from before. I thought for a second that I have been discovered, but looks like its something different. The owner of the voices, monkeys, started running towards some other place while raising their voices. Looks like they have found a new prey. It seemed like they are going to kill that demon -maybe an adventurer- and were emitting bloodlust. But even if that prey is Someone rather than Something I cant do anything to help them. Fighting that many Mad Monkeys is only reckless unless one is really confident in their fighting ability. Even if I go out it wont be of any help. Its like pouring a handful of water in a large fire. I can do anything after all, Im doubtful that I will win against even one of them. The only thing I can do, is to pray that, that pitiful prey Someone or Something will be able to win or run -If possible, the prey should run away from my place- against/from them. The moment I try to bear with the regret and powerless of cant be able to do anything, while gritting my teeth. SFX: Dokan!! (Boooom!!! Bdooom!! BTooom!!) !? Suddenly one Mad Monkey came flying from the other side of the corridor. I instinctively take defensive stance, but then realize that this place is still not discovered by them. I carefully and timidly peek from the corner of the corridor to see the situation. At that time, I realized some misunderstandings along with astonishment. Misunderstanding #1: That Mad Monkey Came flying but at the same time it didnt Came flying. To be precise, it It was punched and blown till here. Misunderstanding #2: That Mad Monkey has already parted from this world, so I wont be attacked. While I realize the two things, Suddenly it becomes more noisier than before on the other side of the corridor. There is only......strange noisiness. It doesnt feel like a fight between demons. There is sound of sparks. There is sound of flame as if something is burning. And there are also sounds of something breaking and sound of wind blowing. Somehow, it feels like the voices of Mad Monkeys is changing from angry voice to scream......? Just as I thought, that what if an adventurer that uses magic is fighting the Mad Monkeys. The voices of Mad Monkeys decrease and suddenly stop. Along with the sounds of spark and wind. And immediately after, Elk, its over. So you can come out now~? C!? I heard that voice. I step forward in amazement. I see the figure of that kindhearted person......standing in that place while calmly brushing off the dust stuck on his clothes. And then, Near his feet, there are more than 20 Mad Monkeys, But they are all now dead corpses that wont release that annoying voice ever again. Seeing my astonished face with eyes open wide, Minato returns a smile with his innocent child-like looking face. (POV changes to Minato) Phew, That surprised me. I entered the Labyrinth of Naga thinking that if by chance I can meet Elk. And all of a sudden monkey-like monsters came attacking me. Furthermore, they were for some reason fighting with good coordination. It seemed like they have a lot experience in group fights. They were stronger than the goblins from yesterday, but yeah, they were great things to warm-up. Worried about Elk with these demons roaming here, I started searching for her and suddenly my nose caught a familiar smell. It was the smell of......the bacon I ate in my breakfast in the dining hall. At that moment, I remember Tanya-chan telling me that she made a bentou for Elk. And I realize that she must have made it with just some left-overs. Smell of spices was also reaching my nose. I tried to follow the smell thinking what if and Bingo! I found Elk quite fast. Ah, I also did the killing of those monkey-like demons. Are they all violent and used to fighting in groups. They came attacking me as soon as they discovered me, but I killed them all. After that, I succeed in meeting up with Elk who was hiding in the shadows of corner of the corridor. Looks like nothing happened to her Yeah, its good that she is fine. ......As for returning route, ill leave it to Elk. Tsk, I really forgot it. I bought the map, it wont be good if I dont use it....... Ah, but, this time I entered here through the entrance, so if I trace my smell....... [ET: Last time he was teleported inside and didnt know the entrance.] Anyhow, while I was thinking that, the frozen Elk thaws. She told me that these monkey-like demons are called Mad Monkeys and about their levels and parts which can be teared off. Their raw materials will sell for more than the ones from yesterday. Yes, I made profit! And along with that, I was told a worrisome thing. These Mad Monkeys are the monsters that only appear on floors below here. Its an abnormal situation that these are appearing on early floors. Hmm, so this is what it was? Is something going to occur in this Labyrinth of Naga...... s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Ah, jeez......Its my first dungeon after leaving home and Im already involved in some crap situation. Chapter 13 – Secret of Wall Paintings This chapter is finally a good chapter in other words not much of the tense crap...and this chapter is made possible thanks to the donation by On Thai Ann. He alone gave me $50....the leechers rejoice with this extra chapter. Dayyum you guys get 4 chapters in just 2 days. Holy crap! Chapter 13 C Secret of Wall Paintings Seiino!! [ET: Sorry, but there is no proper english word for this.] The fist strikes a monster while making a dull *Bakii* sound. Eventually, the monster dies with just one punch. The demon is not the monkey from before, but a wolfy-bear......how should I put it, its appearance is that of a small bear with the head of a wolf. It has red eyes and brown hair. It looks like the mane of a horse. Its not fast like those monkeys but it does has quite an amount of power. According to Elk this is called as Little Beast. ......Its really strange Elk murmurs while seeing me killing the Little Beast just now. Strange?......by any chance, this guy also doesnt appear here? Yeah. They live in deepest parts of lower floors. And they are on this first floor...... Thats right. Right after kicking the asses of those Mad Monkeys (by alone), I heard from Elk that the dungeon is going through an abnormal phenomenon. This dungeon, Labyrinth of Naga is an ancient ruin starting from ground floor to 6 floors underground. In total it is of 7 floors. And either the floor itself or somewhere inside the floor are the demons territories. And it naturally distributes weaker demons from stronger demons, which is convenient for adventurers. There is a food chain made up inside, and due to that there is rarely any change in the distribution. According to Elk, right now that Distribution is strange. For example, on the first floor and near entrance only low-levelled Goblin, Rabbit and Wolf appear which rookie adventurer can kill for training. If they are unfortunate, they will meet up with the Spider which I fought against yesterday or a Black Wolf nothing else. The more floors you descend youll meet up with more powerful demons or so is the distribution system. Like, a Scorpion about the size of a dog. or giant cockroaches called as Roach which prefer darkness and crawl super fast. or flame throwing lizards called as Red Lizard The Little Beast I just defeated is the most dangerous of them all. Normally, they only appear in the lowest floor. Many say that a rookie cant do anything in front of it. And that right now......attacked us on the first floor. This is obviously abnormal. I cant help but think that something is occurring here. Though Im curious to know the reason for this abnormal situation, but as they say its foolish to deliberately poke a sleeping snake. And so the principle that says Let the sleeping dog lie is important here! And just like Elk said, I decide to leave here as soon as possible. I tried to......but due to the demons appearing here and there we cant move as we want. Well, I can kick their asses if I was alone but right now there is Elk with me. I have to fight while protecting her. And so we are roaming here and there to find the route with monsters that are not much fast. Even so, there are still monsters like the previous one. While Im thinking that, Elk is tearing off the useful parts of the Little Beast, This guys is a rank C? I had only saw it in documents before......if guys like this are loitering here then all the rookie adventurers will be killed. Hmm, now this is an abnormal situation. C, huh. This is great. A goblin is E, the monkeys from before are D and this one even one rank above it. From what Ive heard, Elks rank is E and her friends are also E and D. Even if they all work together, it will be difficult to survive......this is something even I can understand. ......By the way, this demon...... Hey Elk, I found it strange when fighting the monkey from before too ? What happened? Most of these guys are thin? Let it be the monkeys or this bear-ish (tearing off completed) thing. Its like their bodily fluids have been sucked out. It seems like they have too less amount of meat according to their body size......yeah, as if its due to malnutrition. Elk says that she hasnt see them so she doesnt know about their physique. But if its like what Im feeling...... They lost to some other demon in a fight and came here after losing their place to live, maybe? No......that cant be. In the first place, this guy is the most strong demon in this dungeon. Others are Mad Monkeys and Statue only...... So its impossible to imagine a demon who can defeat them, present in this dungeon, eh Ah, the Statue is a demon with a body of stone statue and it moves. It mostly appears in historic ruins. Its rank is D. But, its only logical if I think about it......Nh? I just heard something...... ? What? Scream of demons? No, this is coming from before. I already had good ear and after enhancing my hearing ability along with other senses, I can hear things that Elk cant. So its only natural for Elk have a ? float above her head. The scream of demons are pretty far right now. But just for one second I did hear it...... The sound of something really big crawling. I walk while worrying about it and reach a place which is really spacious. Its area is about the gymnasium of an elementary school, no, a little small? This labyrinth is pretty big and there a lot of places which are spacious but this one just somehow seems too much spacious. And in front of us are numerous corridors. Well this is the so called corridor junction place. Pretty cliche. This place is underground so its cool and refreshing. Air is flowing here from somewhere. This is spacious so there is no locked-up feeling here. If you just be careful from demons then this place quite a pleasant place. Only youre the one who says......that its pleasant in a dungeon where demons are roaming in crowds. Oh, I see. But, this really is more pleasant that I expected. Its spacious, its not much humid so there is no need to worry about moss accumulating here and this place doesnt has any weird smell. When I once again think about, its does pique my interest. This dungeon is dark and underground then why doesnt this place has any humidity? Is there any drainage system here? I casually ask about it to Elk, Yeah, that is because the rock walls here are made of volcanic ash. Volcanic ash? Yeah. There is a volcano near this dungeon. Right now there is no danger of it erupting, but......long ago it was an active volcano. And when the volcanic ash piled up after it erupting, it was used to make rocks and it is the ingredient used in making this dungeon. Thats why the drainage is good. While hearing Elks story, I surveyed this spacious room. I see, so this all is made of volcanic ash. In my previous world, volcanic ash was white, I think, well this is another world with magic and swords. It wont help me thinking about these things. Well, now that volcano has also stopped its activities so, there is nothing to worry...... ......Just wait!? (A volcano near this place?) My mind grasped something inside the words spoken by Elk in a nonchalant manner. The things that are coming to my mind are......various sorts of information that Ive gotten a hold of, after coming here. There is a dormant volcano near here which used to erupt long ago. Recently, there have been earthquakes and a part of dungeon collapsed. The monsters who should be on lower floor are on upper floor and are thin. And......the wall painting of snake. ......Er, Elk, I need to ask about something? Eh, what is it? Do demons, hibernate? Hibernate? Well there are those who do. There are also those who hibernate for 1 whole year instead of just hibernating during the time of winter. Is something wrong with that? So then, do you think this hypothesis is true? I take a deep breath and, Long ago, and that so, really long ago, this volcano was near here right? Naturally, the climate wouldve been really hot......unlike right now. In general places like cave or underground water areas are places where sunlight doesnt reach and are a lot cooler than the places where sunlight falls on. Then this historic ruin is not an exception from that. But, if there is a volcano near, then its another talk. This place where magma falls, it wouldve been more than enough to somewhat warm up the ground of the dungeon. And if it was an active volcano then all the more. ? Well thats true. So then? After the volcano stopped erupting then the ground temperature fell down and the dungeon became cool and refreshing as it is right now. And that so, even before adventurers started entering this dungeon. Yeah, well that is true. Ive heard that guild investigated here after the active volcano became a dormant volcano. I see, then...... What if, by any chance. What if a monster hibernated due to the decline in ground temperature and......that monster woke up due to the earthquakes happening recently? ......Eh? From what Ive heard, it seems like due to the earthquakes the bedrock broke apart which was quite sturdy. And all of a sudden an undiscovered treasure room made its debut appearance. Its possible that......not only the treasure room made its debut appearance. And that monster is very ferocious and strong that it eats the monkeys and bear-ish monsters......Yeah, for example...... And then I punch the wall painting of the snake made on the wall beside me. A......snake......like this Immediately after, SFX: Zuri......ZuriZuri...... (Crawl) -!? ......I hear it! This time I clearly hear it. The sound of something approaching us at a really fast speed. ......Er, Minato? Elk asks me after hearing my reasoning and after hearing the crawling sound......while making an expression as if she understood the situation immediately, or rather her face is saying that she was made to understand the situation. Her face turns pale and her legs start quivering along with her face saying Please say that what Im thinking is wrong. Its a......joke, right? ......Why dont you ask it from the guy behind us? Immediately we turn our face back, and it is the superb timing that it made its appearance before us, while coming from the other side of darkness. The thing that appeared before us is a Snake. The same damned snake whose artistic paintings are made all over the walls of this labyrinth. Its more thick than a log and its skin is like an armor that can outshine other armors sold at shops and its length is about 15 metres......rather than calling it a snake its like a dinosaur type of big serpent. Its like that anaconda which I saw in hollywood movies in my previous life. The impact from seeing it up front is out of this worlds measuring machine. Yeah. No doubt it. This guys is the reason for all the abnormal situation. (POV changes to Elk) (What......is that......!?) I switched my eyes between the faces of Minato and that Snake repeatedly and fell down as if the power from my legs has been lost. Ah......Eh......!? My voice wont come out. I cant put any power in my legs. I absolutely cant do anything against the demon which is not a normal demon. I cant even move my own body. I cant put power in my legs, I cant stand up. I cant run. Now that Ive lost power in my legs and sat down, I can do nothing but only wait for death to come. ......The ground under my butt, is getting wet and warm. Looks like I have peed. But there is no time left for me to even feel embarrassed about it. Even after Minato sees me, I dont feel any speck of embarrassment, nothing at all. I dont care about that. I realized that I dont even have time to think carefully after my sub-consciousness speaks in my mind Youre going to die in the end. I dont have any chance of being saved in front of this demon. And even if my legs could move, this guy is so large that its obvious it will catch me easily. And I can already imagine myself becoming a prey to that guys big mouth. I am peeing and crying too. I lost all my hope while being in that miserable state. SFX: Zuri......ZuriZuri......(Crawl) Most probably, it sensed that I dont have any intention to run. The big serpent came towards me slowly without hurrying. Slowly that face, fangs, eyes and everything that will lead me to my Death is approaching towards me. SFX: Zuri......ZuriZuri......(Crawl) [ET: *snaps*nfm;lisadgtoe hdrghoisg;kohdjo;ihdt] The sound of it crawling near me reaches my ears. It is gradually becoming larger. Not just its appearance but also with the sound of it approaching me is enough to instill fear in me. I cant move, cant resist, but Im still scared, My heartbeat becomes faster and I can properly hear it, I cant stop my tears, my body is quivering, and my teeths are already chattering. I am sure that Im looking really miserable right now, but I...... I...... SFX: CHyuu (Flying sound) ......Eh? S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, I feel like my body is floating in mid-air. Immediately after, I landed near the wall on the opposite side of the snake and now the distance between us quite a lot. ......I land there while being held by Minato in his arms. A second later, I realize that I reached here while being held by Minato. Within just one second, we distanced ourselves from the snake to an unbelievable extent. After seeing Minato from up close......I understand that in contrast to me, Minato is quite calm even after seeing that scary devil demon. Minato puts me on the floor gently, Stay behind, Elk. or rather, dont move from here. Minato separates his eye from me and stands straight, and then starts walking towards the snake while scowling at it. For a second, it looked like the snake became bewildered. Its natural, after all, even the snake wouldnt have predicted it. That a human will, A person from the frail race which is small and weak than him is not having any speck of fear or shock like me and is standing in front of him brimming with the expectation to fight it. Well then......finally someone I can fight to my hearts content made its appearance......? Chapter 14 – The Real Power Chapter 14 C The Real Power Err, the current situation is, In front of my eyes is a dinosaur-like big serpent. Rather its face is totally like that of a dinosaur. It aint on a damn level of a snake. Behind me is Elk sitting down on the floor, after losing her leg strength. Looks like, she is very scared after seeing this snake. She is not only shedding tears, but also peeing that is not suitable for her age. She is sitting there so its hard to understand her expression. Anyhow, I carry her to the opposite wall and put her down. And now, I am standing in between Elk and the dinosaur-like snake to protect her. In this situation where a heroin is in a desperate situation behind me, I, am thinking about something. (......What shall I do about this atmosphere......) Awkward. Really REALLY awkward. What is awkward? Well its obvious. After seeing a girl peeing in front of your eyes, that-, err-, as an opposite gender what should I say to her...... No, well, its only natural in this situation without thinking about the age, right? I dont mind it at all though? Im not concerned about it, but right now Elks heart might be a bit complicated because she showed such a scene to a person of the opposite gender. How should I put it, just how will I close the sense of distance after this ends...... Oh, to hell with it! This is all your fault, baka-hebi! [AK: idiot-snake; cause i like the jp term more xD] No well, lets think about this after I kill this thing! Though Im postponing this matter, but its not a wrong choice because I need to get over with this damn snake! And thats how it is, Then, lets fight Maybe seeing me shaking my wrist for a little warm-up exercise, it realized that I have no intention of getting eaten silently. And the big serpent tries to intimidate me by hissing. Yeah, I can feel it. That this guy is on a different level from those monkeys and bear-like monster. And right after, CGuyAAAaaAAAA!!!(Snake) oOo!(The going-with-the-flow Minato) Kyaaaa!?(The not-going-with-the-flow Elk) It yells in a very loud voice, maybe it is echoing in the whole dungeon by now. And reflexively, I and Elk both shout as if surprised. Leaving that aside, the snakes cant roar or yell or whatever after all their vocal organs dont develop, right? Whatever. This guy is a dinosaur-like thing. While thinking as such, I move to the place where Elk wont be hurt even if it comes flying at me. And seeing me moving it starts to put power in its body. Oh, finally coming? -Immediately after, He unleashes his mouth aiming at me in a speed unthinkable due to his large body. Whoa, oops! I dodge his very fast attack with a side-step and drive a punch in the side of its face. The gauntlet clashes with the scales and makes a *gakiin* sound which is very offensive to the ears. But, this damn thing is really hard. As an experiment, I drove the punch with the power which can even smash the bones of the Little Beast from before, but just as expected this guy didnt even flinch. Immediately, he attacks at me by changing his course and is snarling at me. I somehow dodge it. However, as if it learned or has wild instincts, the serpent, wraps his body to the extreme and shoots itself towards me. Ah, not good, this will hit me. The speed might not be what I can not dodge, but still I choose to defend. Its not a bad thing to know the power of your opponent. I cross my hands in front of face and prepare to for the impact, immediately following, the log-like body hits vigorously. Dowaaa!? My body jumped and without being able to bear the impact......blows towards the back. Minato!? Whoops! Im fine. Its all right! Imposible!? I got blown......but I still reply casually while flying in the air. I twist my body in air and grab the floor firmly like a cat for slowing down. I somehow, cut off the momentum before hitting the wall. At the same time, I inspect my body for any damages from the current attack. ......*phew* No injuries. No problem in movement too. If its this level of attack, Ill be fine even after getting a direct hit. When I stand up and turn to the big serpent, it was already preparing to launch itself towards me. Its speed is a lot more than before, most probably more powerful too. Oh well, the fangs do scare me, Ill evade this time. Once again, the side-step appears. ......Ah, no, this is different? Right now I didnt mean it as a joke, it is just by reflex......Im saying the truth. Please believe me! Im not a KY to that extent(Would like belive)! Right now it was just a word magic, or not, it was just an unfortunate coincidence! [ET: Most wont understand his explaining his joke as in English it just doesnt sound like a joke!] Shit, this aint the time to think about this! Suddenly, the big serpent wraps his body to the extreme and once again aims at me and shoots itself in a ridiculously fast speed. Whoa, pretty fast. Did it get serious because it couldnt eat me......Nh? I realize one strange thing. (......What is this smell?) From inside the mouth of the snake an irritating smell of something decayed along with the putrid smell of the corpses he might have eaten reaches my nose. And a burbling sound also comes from inside the mouth. ......Something is coming. No its not body but something else. And just like I thought, the snake which looked like itll come attacking me like before decelerates and opens its mouth wide. The moment I see something of yellow-green color, I jump to the side and dodge it. And one second later, the place I was just standing at, collides with the unknown liquid spit by the snake -most probably a venom or digestive liquid of some sort-. The sturdy floor of the labyrinth starts melting while making sounds. So it is acid. It is still not able to completely melt the floor, but yeah, its pretty powerful. It will easily melt the metals. What is it going to do by dissolving me if it wants to eat me later. Well whatever, its not my job to think that. And it looks like this acid is volatile because it starts evaporating by raising a yellow-green colored smoke. Its evaporating speed is definitely faster than the evaporating speed of sterilization alcohol. In some minutes, most of the liquid of I dont know how many litres, evaporated. The moment, the smell of the evaporated liquid reaches my nose, I suddenly realize. Immediately, I take off the scarf around my neck and throw it towards Elk. Elk cover your mouth with it. Dont inhale the gas Eh? G-gas? Yeah, the gas created by the evaporation of the acid, judging by the smell, most likely, it is a type of paralyzing poison. It is pretty powerful and a normal human wont move for some minutes if inhaled. I think I remember it, because there was one guy in the forest which used the same thing. Though, its acid didnt evaporate to form gas. I see so the main reason for this acid is for the opponent to evade and let down his guard and then inhale the gas. I-I am thankful for that, but are you alright!? The meaning you said judging by the smell means you are inhaling it from before...... Yeah, its alright. A poison of this level wont work on me. Wont work......? Before our talk was over, the snake showed some movements. This time it didnt came leaping at me but is......groaning while staying in its place. But the smell of the same acid from before reached my nose. Maybe it intends to paralyse me or inflict damage with the help of acid. Well, I dont even need to see the same attack again, the moment I thought that, the same yellow-green color starts coming out of the snake along with the bloodlust which was not present just before. Its different from the one from before. I hesitated for a moment whether should I attack it or not. But, the big serpent seeing my actions as a good opportunity, opened his mouth wide. At that moment, a yellow-green colored steam spewed out from the inside the of the serpents mouth like a spay, no, like how a dragon breathes fire -not like I have seen it- and the steam covers my whole body. Minatoo!? Elk becomes depressed for various unidentified reason after seeing the guy protecting her getting engulfed inside the steam of acid and paralysing poison. Elk raises a sorrowful voice by seeing the scene. On the other hand, the snake yelled a victory roar as if he won with his deadly breath. And a bit later it peeks inside the poison mist, for seeing the pitiable prey of his dying. ......But, Sorry to say it out loud......but this wont work on me! I dont know whether my voice reached the ears of the snake. but, still Im sure that this guy in front of my eyes has bewilderment instilled inside its eyes. Monsters expressions (?) are quite easy to read. Elk also is astonished, her voice too is not coming out. Im a little happy that her face has an expression which is saying relief and not only fright. But well, its only natural to be surprised. After all, Im alive and pimpin inside a dense fog of acid and poison. While emitting an aura-like thing of bluish-white color. Maybe they will see the true form of the aura, which is a mixture of Steam and Light if they see closely. The light and steam is a defensive membrane made from magic for protecting myself from the dense fog of acid. In the first place, an acid which can just melt stone and steel cant even melt one hair on my body which is enhanced byElemental Blood and if inhaled at most it will make me cough for a bit. But the extent ofEnhancementis only till there. It cant block the stinking smell which will stick to my clothes and skin and hair. And I seriously hate the smell. Just because my nose is better than others, I always have to be careful for these things. Well then, leaving this talk aside, From what I have concluded after fighting after this snake, it looks like its power is near or close to that of those demons in the forest. Now its the time to use this without reservations. I cancel the defensive membrane and face the snake. So then, lets start the work of the day! S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Im getting serious from now on... hebi-yarou[AK:snakey-dude] I dont know if he understood my words. But he must have surely understood that Im making fun of him. And the big serpent attacks just like before by throwing its body towards me. It wont hurt me, but I aint got any obligation to get hit by him. I let the attack come near me to the extreme, then I dodge it by shifting sideways. While dodging, I fill up my fist with magic. A different magical power from before. My clenched fist releases a green light and air starts making a vortex around it. Take......this!! SFX: *Dogoo* (Boom) I punch its flank with power, different from before. The moment, my fist strikes it, it starts creating a windstorm. With that one punch, the log-like body flies many metres back. The big serpent is pushed back as it raises an irritating cry. The place my punch hit has cracks in its scales and are breaking down. Blood is also falling down from the cracks. Looks like magic power has worked. With this much power, it does take damage. For some time, it looked like the snake is looking at me blankly as if saying it didnt understand what just happened. Well, it does has a large body, so it might be the first time it has experienced the feeling of blowing by punch. ......But, Ive got no obligation to wait for him to come back to earth. I jump at it while my leg is releasing green color and my right hand is releasing red color. The moment I kick the ground, I get on the whirlwind and accelerate. I close the distance between us in some seconds. One more time!!! This time it didnt get blown, but......the place my punch hits an explosion occurs with tremendous explosive power. But, it has resistance to heat and all, so it did not do the damage that I expected. it just burned some scales of it. Damn, fire is not good! Seeing that, the snake didnt seem much astonished but had anger of getting blown before. It attacks me by leaping and wriggling its body or with his tail. Anyhow, it is rampaging in anger. It keeps attacking me fiercely like waves after waves. Its body is long and thick, and it can move fast, so it is pretty troublesome. Because it is attacking in anger, its body or tail hits the walls and floor which results in pebble or big rocks to fly at me. Argh, youre so fucking annoying!! Im avoiding all the attacks, but yeah its troublesome, so lets just stop that guy. I fill magic in my right hand, this time it emits yellow light. I slip through the attacks of snake and close my distance. And then, attack it with the heel of my palm. Then, SFX:*Bashiin* SFX:*PachiIiiIii* The insides of the cave became bright for a moment along with the stinging sound and the sound of something breaking. At the the same time, the body of the big serpent stiffens. Its body is convulsing and is stiffened as if it has been hit by lightning. ......In truth, it did take lightning, or rather electric current. Electricity is still coming out from the heel of my palm. That dinosaur-like snake got hit by my attack and the electricity. Ah, before that, I need to confirm something. Oi! Elk? Eh!? I call out to Elk who didnt get any role time for some time and is still sitting. Maybe she was dumbfounded by the attack. Her body started shivering after I call her name. Fragments didnt reach you? Are you alright? Eh? Y-yeah, Im alright......Minato, is that magic? Nh? Uh, Yeah, Ill tell you later, so no inquisition for now I will tell Elk later, but this the way I fight normally. And its name is the awesomeMagic Arts. This is one of the main fighting magic my mom taught me along withElemental Blood. I not only enhance my physical strength or my agility. I change the nature of the magic inside my body and thanks to that Im able to bring out such powerful attacks. For example in the case of punch. If I fill it up with fire magic then it will turn into a burning/exploding punch. If I fill it up with wind magic, then it will turn into a punch which can increase the power of my punch along with creating a windstorm for blowing the opponent really far. If I put wind magic in my leg, then I can accelerate with its propulsive power and can protect my body if I cover my body with water magic. And during the training with mom, I found out that I have talent in all the 8 categories of magic in this world likeFire,Water,Wind,Earth,Ice, Lightning,LightandDarkness. And just like that, I practices them to the extremes and enhanced my Taijutsu. [AK: for those who do not know Taijutsu (lt. body skill/technique) means all empty-handed combat skills; to keep it short] Till now all opponents were weak so I didnt had any need to use this and so it didnt made its debut, but this is my fighting style. While I was in the forest, I had a lot more chances to use this. By the way, I electrified my hand with theLightningmagic and attacked the body of the snake. So I attacked it with lightning and my powerful punch, which caused the snakes muscles to strain and stop its movements. Well then leaving all this talk once again aside, I need to kill it before anything unexpected happens. It is the first demon with stout body and is of different variety that Ive fought, so i got elated and played with it......but now that Im back to earth, I need to finish this. I dont want Elk to get hurt just because I am playing with it. Now that I know Elk is fine, I return my line of sight to the big serpent. When I do so, the snake is glaring at me with hostility and vigilance. It must have realised that Im different from other preys. In various meanings. But from its investigation. It looks like it didnt tell the snake to hesitate even a bit. The big serpent re-activates his attacking. It attacks like an idiot which only knows one way of attack. This time I will......not dodge. Its large mouth opened wide approaches me. I let the it come close to me and at the last moment......drive a kick in the lower part of its mouth. I attack just like before, by filling it up with magic power. The body of snake shakes like sea waves. As a result, the head of big serpent slips past me. Moreover, by getting a strong blow near its chin, its body stiffened for a bit. But then, Im not expecting it to give cerebral concussion. There is no chance it will. In that time while its stiffened, I quickly slip near its throat and lower my hips to stand firmly. [ET: Near its throat mean. Under the snakes throat.] At the same moment, my right hand near my hips starts releasing a kind yet powerful looking orange color. The magic Im using is different from the ones i used before. This time it is...... Earth. This is the most suitable magic for increasing the horsepower. [ET: Ask author why he wrote horsepower] And that magic is gradually being filled up in my right hand fist. Haaaaaaa......!! While sighing I fill up the energy. In this way, by sighing I can increase my concentration which is impossible for any idiot. And there is a need to give the techniques a name because it is also needed for the same reason I am sighing and as such I was taught by mom. Before I knew it, the gentle yet powerful orange light started glowing in my surroundings with my fist as the center. The light is gradually getting stronger. And even before the snake twists its body for attacking me, I release my strongest attack today. Megaton......Punch!!! I firm my feet and put my weight in the fist and drive it near the place where the snakes medulla oblongata might be present. At the moment of impact, a loud sound rivalling the cry of snake reaches my ear. It is as if a 10 ton truck collided it. My one attack, smashes all the scales of the snake, breaks the muscles, the inner bones are pulverized and its spinal cord is torn in pieces. I felt that, err, lively feeling through my fists. Its the feeling of the big-serpent dying. The body of the already dead snake felt the impact of the attack a second later and flies into the air. Its 20 m body heroically flies and strikes the opposite side wall of this room, making a loud noise. Its body convulses for some seconds and stops moving. In a sense fast and in a sense dramatically, the king of theLabyrinth welcomed its death. I remain on guard with my fist pushed forward. I stay vigilant whether the snake will move again or not. After I confirm the snake died, I lower my guard. FuuC......Well, something like this Yeah, It was a worthwhile battle both for experience and information. Though it might be due selfishness, but I got a good experience to keep on working as an adventurer. Thank you very much big-serpent-san for letting me get experience. Now then, all that is left is...... So Elk, shall we return? Eh? Ah, Y-yeah...... I bring Elk back to Earth who was in space just till now. Now there is no reason to remain in this dungeon anymore. Lets just take the spoils and leave here. Chapter 15 – Her Troubles Part 1 Im sorry that I didnt put on any chapters yesterday, well fatigue won over my will power and I fell asleep for a lot of time. That is that, anyhow, today I had really little time so have fun with one part... I will post the other tomorrow and now KnM will re-start. (1 Chapter per day or maybe 2). Anyhow, after this week I will have whole 1 week of holiday (will take for resting/TLing/Entertainment and Parties). SO I will be able to post more chapters of KnM and as for MnD as usual (no hope for more unless donation box is filled). Well then off to Chapter.....a really important note before reading this chapter....its complete crap...this part and whole chapter too. Chapter 15 C Her Troubles Part 1 Err......you k-killed this......? Ah Yes. It seemed like an undiscovered demon so I brought the whole corpse with me. I heard that if I submit it to the guild, I can get rewards. [ET: Minato is not in guild, just for info for those people who are thinking he is in guild.] Eh? Ah, Yes, that is true...... Im very sorry for troubling you to come here. Bringing this in the city will obviously cause a great ruckus. No, I dont mind it...... Well, you see, If youre wondering what is happening, in simple words......Riin-san, who was dispatched by Guild after getting a request and me are talking in the vicinity of the entrance toLabyrinth of Naga. Elk is also here, but she is behind me completely mute. Surrounding us are many curious onlookers shouting What is it. The Guild has declared Dont come near it and affixed a restriction line. So it is only natural that they are all facing towards us from a certain distance...... The thing we brought is......the corpse of theBig Serpentwhich was running wild just a while ago. After killing theBig Serpent(TN: ߡ) which we encountered out of pure coincidence, we both left the dungeon and thought about foolish things likeBig Serpent(TN: Daija㡻) can be called asBig Serpent(TN: Orochi) Anyhow, we both didnt wanted to remain inside anymore, so we rushed towards the city at full speed. And, its a good opportunity, so the corpse of Big Serpent also came with us. But seriously it would be shit to drag and carry a corpse of Big Serpent which is more than 20 metres long and 1 metre thick. And so we came up with a plan. Inside myBackpacka jet-black pole was stored. At a glance, it would seem like a normal pole but this is a magic item with many gimmicks inserted in it and is unbelievably strong and flexible. I got it when I completed the ridiculous test sponsored by mom. Its one of many things she gave me at that time saying it was a congratulatory gift. 1 of the gimmick is that it can extend and retract to some extent, its just like the pole of some monkey aiming for the seat of heavenly kings. [ET: The Monkey King from the Chinese Legends.] It has other gimmicks, but that is a story for another time. And so I extended the pole and wrapped the corpse of Big Serpent and then made it compact (somewhat), thats how I brought it out. Its weight is still many tonnes but for my enhanced body its is an easy task. And so we both aimed for the exit while carrying the corpse in a way that it wont get stuck in the corridors of labyrinth. As we reached the exit, the eyes of steadily populating adventurers did made me feel a bit anxious. It only natural. After all, I walked around while carrying the corpse of an not-yet-known big serpent. It will surprise anyone, its eyeballing. It didnt feel good, so I tried to ignore them to my utmost ability as if I gave up on giving an explanation. And like that we somehow left the dungeon but it was obvious from the already populated curious onlookers that if this thing got into town what it would become then. So I rushed to the nearest local police station (Dont know its official name) of the guild. If a dungeon is of low-level then places like this are near them for administrative purposes. The staff members of the local police station sprang up after seeing this on my shoulders. Well anyhow, I explained the story and requested for cart/wagon-like thing for transportation. In this way, it would cause less ruckus than seeing one person carrying this on a shoulder. Its quite common for transporting raw materials of demons using cart/wagon(s). ......Flashback ends. Back to the beginning(TN: Present). And the person who is dispatched is Riin-san who helped with the adventurer registration. Seeing her well-ordered face (with glasses) showing various expressions like surprise, is actually pretty interesting. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ......Excuse me. I got distracted, sorry. Ah, No, I dont mind...... A-Anyhow, thank you for your hard work, Minato-sama. As per requested, we will carry the corpse of this demon to guild. When Riin-san instructed saying Please take it then the fellow guild members who came with her started putting the corpse of big serpent in the cart/wagon. Well, its weight is no joke so it took them some struggle. The cart/wagon is now over-full. Around this time Elk makes a complete comeback. Until now she was freaking out and trembling but now she showed a relief expression after seeing the corpse of the big serpent being disposed of. Ah, Elk, you alright now? Y-Yeah, Im fine, probably....... Anyhow I want to sleep today as fast as possible. Well it was one troublesome day. Riin-san what shall we do after this? I want you both to return to guild and tell the story in more detail is what I would like to say, but......if youre tired then I wont force you. As one would expect, they will have to hear from us about the subjugated unknown monster, but itll fine to report to guild either tomorrow or day after tomorrow. She even said Youre pretty tired, go sleep today Well, Im not that much tired, but Elk is really giving of the feeling that she is on her limit both mentally and physically. Ah, can I ask you something? Suddenly, Elk who started returning turned around and asked Riin-san. Err......this might be a vulgar thing to ask, but will we get money for this monster? Youre right. This is an unknown monster found inLabyrinth of Nagaand is in complete form. Therefore, after the inquiry tomorrow we will investigate a bit and according to that will we give the rewards. When will be the reward paid to us? Not only raw materials and body confirmation but the information is also required......at fast it will be paid day after tomorrow or else during the next week. Is there any problem? No, not really......Thank you Elk starts walking again after answering her, ......? Just what is was it right now? Riin-san also thought something but soon returned to her work without thinking much. Well then, Ill also return back to Inn. Riin-san asked us to drop us off at inn, but I rejected. If we return back with that thing, it will cause quite a ruckus. And so Elk and I decided decided to return back home by walking on the street where monsters rarely appear. Well my work is to escort Elk who is not in her normal condition. Chapter 15 Part 2 Well you have to wait for some hours for the rest of 5 chapters, you see Im gonna TL them now and it will take at least many hours in total (7-10... I will need to take breather too after all).... *phew* just if they werent bonus chapters I wouldve had fun with anime. Maken no Daydreamer Chapter 15 Part 2 ......Um, Minato? Nh? ......You......No, nothing What happened? From before a somewhat inquisitive gaze is being sent to me from Elk. Just why might it be. No, well, its only natural in one way. I think I already know the reason. From Elk and Riin-sans expressions, its obvious that this big serpent is more powerful than the other demons in the labyrinth. Well, its natural after all this thing was preying on other demons inside. Well I did kill this thing bare-handed, so its only natural for her to stare at me like that. It will be alright for her to give me stares of fear or she should stay vigilant, after all, a weak frail child like me killed something like this. Even though she is just walking with me without asking anything -though she is staring at me-. I dont know whether she is paying attention to me or she has some other intention. Well, there is no help thinking about it, while I thought that, Elk once again opens her mouth. Minato, can I ask you something? ? What happened? Im sorry for asking at this time but......I have a request. Its about the reward which will come with the information and corpse of that big serpent......you see......? ? Yeah, it will be hassle for me so Im thinking of splitting it in equal half...... I see, equal halves............Haaaaa!? Wow, that surprised me! Elk suddenly shouts which breaks her quiet and docile atmosphere which was lingering on her till now. W-Why!? And after passing the condition of wanting to speak but cant. Y......Just what are you saying, huh!? Eh, what......the reward of that snake in equal halves!? Eh? well, we are getting it as a team...... No, even so, arent you the one who killed it 100%! What are you thinking!? Isnt this the time when you shouldve taken the whole rewards! Even I thought about it yesterday, I didnt help you in any way!? Idiot!? Are you an idiot!? Arent you an idiot!? Elk in panicking. She is bad mouthing me with all her heart in her words.[AK:or wholeheartedly] Calm down. No, well she is saying the truth, but......dont just call me idiot three times repeatedly. It would had been a different thing if I went alone inside the labyrinth, but......Elk was with me there, though she was sitting the whole time. We fought like a team (?), so we should split the reward equally. Thinking like this is instilled in my blood, because of the hunting game I used to play. Well, it is me who killed it 100%, but she wont mind taking loan from me right...... Just, even though I think like that, there is one thing Im concerned about. Err......You need money, right? Then wouldnt it this way be more convenient for you? ......!! And, For some reason, Elk starts trembling. What happened? You fine? ......Why...... ? Why are you so kind......!! Towards a girl like me who always thinks and talks about money and is greedy...... No, Im not actually kind, bluntly speaking, I hate thinking about splitting profits. Even if I get all the money, I dont have any way of spending it at all. Well, I dont know about the future, though. And, I feel hesitation for no reason while taking a large amount of money even though I know that Elk is in need for money right now. After all this she cant just be some stranger to me, so wont it be good to give the money to her, such a thought flashed through my mind. How should I say it, but the feeling, that she is desperate, is somehow being transmitted to me. And that Elk, is for some reason, trembling and feeling anxious. She doesnt has any problem with me giving her money, but it seems like it is hard to accept it. And is clenching her fist very tightly as if it is a claw of demon. ......You are Nh? Are you always like this to anyone? Indiscriminately kind......Ill say this in advance, though kind and honest people may seem nice and good but they wont live a good life because of that. In this world, only the strong people live and the honest people are fools. Those words spill out from Elks mouth as if she is squeezing out those words. And it seems like this time she spoke her true feelings......no doubt about it. Within the eyes she is looking me at, are various emotions present. Her eyes contain sadness, envy and anger. I havent seen eyes like these within my whole previous life. But the feeling that she is cornered and is helpless is also transmitted to me. I dont know the reason for her to be cornered, Im an outsider, so I wont touch that matter. Err, she said, am I like that to everyone, right? No, that cant be possible. I myself think I am pretty egoistic and a dry humoured person? I even assertively ignore problems that have no relation to me. Where is that!? Arent I that another person with no relation to you and has problems to deal with! Why are caring so much about me, when you just met me only yesterday...... Yeah, well, youre right. I would say then it must be because Elk is desperately working hard ......Desperately......? Yeah. Well, Elk, you are more or less full of vigor, youre kind, you maintain everything and one thing or another you take good care of anyone. Putting aside your true intentions, but youre earnestly to me like a friend. Though, I dont know much about the world, but people like you are rare, right? Thats why I cant leave her alone, or rather I just want to help her for some reason. Well, the factor that she is the first person I met after leaving home might also be important. ......Where is it. You really dont understand anything. Earnest and diligent, those are things completely far from me...... After all I cut off her words with my sentence, You regret on the things you have done. You regret, reflect on it, and still be diligent is something most people cant do, arent I right? The moment I said it, Elks face color starts changing. Her expression has fear, astonishment, anxiety etc mixed in. She timidly and slowly faces me, ......You already knew? ......What? Though this might be cruel, I still reply her with a question. Its easy to mention it right now. But she is right now trembling and unstable. So should I finish the matter myself, or should I leave it for the flow. Most likely, if I leave it on the flow......then she would be willing to accept whatever the outcome will be. Either she becomes a fool or gets caught by law. But, if she has that much resolve......then she should decide her life by herself, or so I think. Thats why I will leave it to her. I dont what result will it leave, but I will try to believe in her Desperation. Though its only an intuition, but I think that she is diligent and always has her heart prepared for anything. Thats why she is suffering from her crimes, her thinking and surrounding environment too. She still has conscience for suffering and resolve for not losing her way. Because I felt it, thats why Im not paying any heed to her You already knew and facing Elk feigning ignorance. If its her, then she will definitely...... ......No, lets not think about it. Even if I predict it, nothing is going to change. ......Minato Nh? ......Sorry Eventually, without talking after that short conversation, we both returned to the inn. Though I noticed a flash of light in Elks eyes, but lets once again feign ignorance. Minato-san is it true that you killed an amazing demon!!? ......You got good ears...... The moment I return to inn, the daughter of innkeeper......Tanya-chan said to me these words. Currently, I am captured by this poster girl whose eyes are sparkling. Well, its not unreasonable. If a demon like that comes out of that labyrinth, it will become rumours. And the adventurers, generally all have a loose tongue which runs anywhere. No, what I said is wrong. To restate it, I would rather say that the transmission of information is fast. Thats why even if the talk is on the level of rumour but the impact it has is big then the transmission is also really fast. Its only a matter of time that people know about us bringing corpse and about the unknown demon inLabyrinth of Naga......no, its even faster than a matter of time After all, many saw us bringing its body tied on a pole and with me shouldering it till the time guild staff came and took it back. Furthermore, its strange to say it myself, but my appearance is quite conspicuous. I had heard it from mom and felt it while walking through town too, that black-haired and black-eyed people are really rare in this world. Blonde or brown hair; People with hair color like that are more common. There are also many variants of eyes like blue, red, gray, green et cetera. And even my attire is; My clothes, equipments, scarf too all is jet-black. Ah by the way even my backpack is black. And in clothes some purple-colored lines are inserted. Though Im repeating it, but my eyes and hair are also both black. Its only natural that I will stand out. Its only natural that I will leave some sort of impression. In that case, its very VERY natural for a rumour likeA man in black killed a great demon in theLabyrinthto spread in the city people and reach Tanya-chan. Most likely, it started from those adventurer who returned to city after seeing the serpent. [ET: Men In Black anyone?][AK:yeah, we know, Smithy on the roll] Though I know that......but I never thought, it will be this fast. Its only near 2 hours since we left theLabyrinthand still the rumours have reached Tanya-chan who rarely leaves the inn. No, well it is still on the level of rumours? But from that reaction, it seems like it is the truth? Yeah, well, I even have some parts of it tucked up. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Woo~w! I had heard that Minato-san is a rookie. What if I am talking to the future hero-sama? Kyaa? This girl getting excited by herself. However, when she says as such, I can feel many eyes looking at me. From where? From all over the place. From the time I was walking through the town......till the time I entered the inn, I am feeling at least 1 or 2 people looking at me. Though from the feeling that is coming from gazes......it seems like the persons are adventurers....... Are they appraising me or what? I heard the rumour of the person being aMan in black, so not many would have thought that Onii-san is the person, but I am always seeing that appearance of Onii-san~. Your clothes, eyes, hair, backpack, everything is completely black. Haha......well it will definitely become something likeWhat if its him. I see. So the reason Tanya-chan knew its me is because of two reasons: The speed of rumours my appearance Even though, its good that we came faster than the cart/wagon carrying the Snake. So it was worth rushing our way back. If we reached here when the corpse of thatBig Serpenthad arrived, Im damn sure it wouldve been more troublesome...... And if we reached after the corpse had come here, then it wouldve been damned even more troublesome. However, even that cart/wagon will cross through the main street after some minutes. It will be good to remain silent and calm today and return to room......Even Elk is tired. ......If youre talking about tired people, (By the way, Minato-san) (What, Tanya-chan?) (What happened to Onee-sa......Elk-san? She is depressed more than she ever had been......even I cant get in the mood to tease her.) Oh, she actually can read the atmosphere. She wont call herOnee-samaright now. I thought she was an oblivious person, but looks like she can also be serious, though in the place where the person in talk cant see. (Ah, Yeah, just leave her be. She is tired for various reasons) (Well she is an adventurer, she must have a lot going on. Well, today I will act diligently. Minato-san, though she is inexperienced, please take care of Elk-san) She said something to that is completely unneeded. ......I cant do anything about her. Its her own problem. She probably joked with me for softening the atmosphere. Tanya-chan sends a worrying gaze. She is sending it towards the second floor while, she starts serving other people, and is giving me a stare filled withHostility ......Unexpectedly, the situation just leaps ignoring many steps. Chapter 16 – Determination and Ridicule and Tears Part 1 Well, I am a little more late than what I had planned, anyhow the chapters are really big the next ones...So they will be in parts...let it be bonus chapter (parts) or the daily chapters (parts) till the time I dont get chapters like Chapter 14 or like them the small chapters.. I mean Chapter 16 C Determination and Ridicule and Tears Part 1 It was 3 months ago when Elk Caucus first met them. Beginning of things was because of a weapon Elk found in a weapon shop she passed by, due to pure luck. For some reason, Elk decided to buy that weapon, but the price of the weapon which was decorated as a showcase was not something any novice adventurer get take out of their pockets. There was someone who supported Elks shoulders at the time she was in a frantic to buy the weapon. ......Thinking it now,it was completely obvious. Why didnt I think it was really unnatural, Elk though as such within the past 3 months. That man introduced himself as someone affiliated with the organization which supported novice adventurers who have promising futures. Even the shopkeeper introduced him, saying he was a man you put trust in. Furthermore, the organization in which the man was affiliated, was even a major dealer in thisVolka, this alone let Elk trust him. Elk took the mans word seriously and finally took a loan. ......The place she took the money from was the so-calledIllegal Loanand the shopkeeper who guaranteed the trust was also an accomplice of them. It was only the following week that Elk noticed the truth, when a bill of many folds more amount than the principal reached the inn. The most troublesome thing was that the contract was virtually completed without any problems. The problem was just personal problems, but no problems legally. If there was no legal problem, then army and guards like police organizations wont also move. Was there no illegal point in the contract or was there any gaps in the contract. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Elk thinking that, desperately read the contract many times -She skimmed reading the contract 1 time- to find any gaps in it regarding money problems. A month and a little had passed, Elk who was diligent and had higher learning ability too, went to a specialist who deals with such matters. But, the conclusion derived after going there wasNothing can be done.The heartless words. Different from Minatos previous life, in this world there was no interest rate set on the illegal loans and so only the rate with the mutual agreement was taken as the rate. If the signature and seal were real and legal, then there was no place to run. Elk who understood that was puzzled. From then till the present day, Elk was desperately trying to raise her money by going in dangerous areas, going in labyrinths and hunting demons. However, though she tried her best to pay the interest, but there was no signs of her debt going down. If she was unable to repay the debt, then she would either be degraded to a slave or either send to a brothel. If that happened, then after that point, there was no freedom, but hell waiting. Elk who understood that was cornered to the extreme, then some days before the men brought an offer to her. That was helping in kidnapping, just like a devils deal. The procedure was fairly simple. One just had to pretend as victim of something or lie down on the road to trick the person who seemed kindhearted and had money to get closer to it. And bring that person to the place where the kidnappers were waiting for ambush. The money gotten from the goods and belongings of the prey and after selling the prey off to slave dealers, would be split in portions and that portion, amount of money, will be deducted from her debt. No matter what, she didnt want to drop that down as a human being and rejected the offer. But, yesterday, after seeing the large amount of money on Minato, before she even knew, she wasGuidingMinato. To the place where she had been informed beforeWe will wait here today, if you feel like it then bring us the prey, for the sake of both of us Most probably, Along with dozens of silver coins and the things inside the backpack along with the equipment too will be able to complete the debt, thinking that Elks unreliable reasoning power withdrew back. She was making excuses to herself which dont even pass as an excuse like. If I dont do it, nothing will be solved. The miscalculation was that Minato was strong. So strong that he didnt care about the kidnappers surprise attack. And this time she tried to use Minatos power to raise money through legal means while being burdened with the feelings of guilt and self-hatred for doing illegal work and getting engulfed in greed. She thought of telling Minato about debt, but didnt do it. Right now she was suffering from the failure of being unable to repay the debt. The act of takingLoanhad already become a trauma for her. In the very least, she only had evasion feeling regarding it for now. The money she had wont be able to repay the debt due to its increasing interest rate, this was also one of the reasons. In reality, there were 10 gold coins in Minatos backpack which might be able to help reduce the debt but neither did Elk knew of their existence nor she would have asked even if she knew. And so, she tried the method in which she could also help. But, in this process after being in contact with Minatos child-like honesty and kindness, Elk felt her ugliness becoming distinct. Even though, she wasnt calm at that time, but it was her who agreed to the contract without reading the contract agreement conditions. It was self-destruction, nothing else. For covering it up, she involved other people, used the good intentions, trampled the trust underfoot and in the end she hated herself for again taking the money. And she hated herself even more after being saved by Minato from the big serpent inside theLabyrinth The moment, she was gazing at her ugly self in the reflection of window, a letter reached her. Chapter 16 Part 2 Im still editing the other parts (mostly the chapter are already done. So Im thinking of Posting the whole chapters).... Pls wait patiently.....Im really sorry for not giving the Chapters more early. (This sorry is to the supporters who donated to me.) *Sliding Dogeza* Chapter 16 Part 2 Hey, just what did you say? I refuse. I said that. There is no way you didnt hear it? At dusk. The time was at the borderline and it felt like after an hour or two the sun will also go down. The place was, wastelands on the outskirts of the city. Elk had by herself come to the place which was written in the letter she got before. From the many men surrounding Elk with bad countenance, one man......the man who warned her on yesterdays night spoke while furrowing his brows. You read the letter, right? I wouldnt come here if I didnt read it I see, then you also understand it, right? That you dont have any other option left. ............ The contents of the letter were something like this. It was about those members who attacked Minato yesterdays noon. Though there were no deaths, but they had to give a lot of treatment fees and suffered financial losses. Though not completely, but Elk was also responsible for that, and so she had to take the burden of some amount of that money. It was added to her debt. Now that there was no way to clear the debt using legal ways, only one method was left. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The sharp eared men, had already heard about anAdventurer in Blackkilling the big serpent and judged it was Minato. Including the fact that Minato would be rewarded enormous amount of money as reward for killing it. Then seeing the right time after he got reward, attack him and seize all the equipments and luggage everything. The plan also included to sell him as he was a rare person with black hair and black eyes. If it went easily, about 60% of her debt would be repaid. And if the prices of equipments and all were high then she would be able to repay more than that. However, Elks response was, Dont make me say it again and again. Im saying I reject that offer. ......Bitch, do you understand the meaning of your words? That man was somewhat more rational than others, but it was clear from his speech that his mood was getting foul. He scowled at Elk, in his eyes was unconcealable irritation. It was obvious that behind the words that sounded like warning had threat included. After all, if Elk was unable to repay the debt before the deadline which was approaching, she would either be sold off to slave dealers or brothel. To a woman, there was nothing else than hell after that point. Even more, the reward Minato would get would be more than the money they would get by selling off Elk. Hence, they were trying to persuade Elk by intimidating her with fear. For gaining more profits. ......Still, her reply didnt change. I know what Im saying. You will at most sell me to some slave dealer or brothel? I wont resist it after all this time. ......What did you say? Im saying, do what you want to your hearts desire. But, now this talk is over, dont even try to lay hands on that idiot......Minato She herself, didnt think that this would stop them. Just, she wanted to something good at the last moment so that she wont regret......and would be able to show her face straightly to the boy who saved her. Of course, she knew that Minato wouldnt like it and she herself didnt want to jump in hell by her own will. She just felt that if she try to live a disgraceful life, then she would stop being herself. Choosing to live a lowly disgraceful life was too heavy a choice for her after being in contact with Minatos kindness. If she tried to return, it was a dirty path. If she didnt return it would be either slave or prostitute. Either return to hell or go to hell. both sides were hell for her. In that case, while her mind was cooling down......she made decision. If Im going to hell anyway, then its more good to go to hell by my own will while carrying all the sins. There would be not even one person who would feel sorry for me. ......Youre an idiot. You going to ruin your life by rejecting the offer in front of you? Rethink about it, even by saying good things, it wont give prof...... Youre right, nobody will gain profit, but neither will anyone suffer loss. You cant complain about anything in hell, still going with your choice? Bake me, boil me, have fun. ......It is a befitting end for garbage like me. Even if you people are garbage like me, but I wont let you get any profit. Bitch...... The surrounding men scowled at Elk, who was speaking in a masochism way, with eyes filled with hatred. Right now from their standpoints it was, Elk who was rejecting their offer for some hypocrite feelings. However, in front of those stares, Elk showed a refreshed face giving off the feeling that what she had done was only natural. Most probably, even if they attacked her or tore her clothes apart and be violent she wont resist at all. But she definitely wont regret, neither make any complaints. The leader man who was speaking till before after knowing Elk had no intention of withdrawing, opened his mouth, ......I got it, Ill give you what you want you bitch. I will sell you to the place which gives more profit. I wont hear any complaints from you now. Even after hearing the words similar to death sentence, Elks expression didnt change. On the contrary, she faintly smiled. As if saying, that she was finally going to be free of guilt. It was the face of Martyr being dragged by scaffold. However, But her heroic determination was short-lived and would be trampled underfoot. We will take care of that Minato brat, after we take care of you. ......!? Elk made a surprised face after she understood the meaning of the words. In front of her, was the leader man who had the vulgarest smile of the day fixed on his face. What? Did you think he would be saved if you sacrificed yourself? You didnt say it!? He is not in any way involved in my debts! Why......Just why are you people laying your hands on him even after I say that Im going to take all responsibility...... You really are an idiot. We are only taking that brat on our own accord, it has no relation to you. We areMoneylenderandSlave dealerand those others areKidnappers. They do their work. You never know which person they will attack and when, right? On those words, the surrounding men also laughed. While making a fool of Elk who showed her useless determination and feelings. The people from which Elk took money were without a doubt, these men, who were affiliated with the famous major merchants association this city. That association itself was regarded as a good and legal one, with no relation to illegal things. ......They do deal with slaves and many other commodities, but it was in the regions of law. The the preparators, theKidnapperswere only an outlaw group. They were evil people who would get death sentence the moment they were captured. They were only related to the dark side of association, in front they both were completely unrelated. This was the wayTo make money without any problemsand therefore both parties were making use of each other nothing more.Therefore, they could attack the association anytime. It was only the truth. One cannot expect outlaws to have morals or anything like that. Realizing that, Elk clenched her fists in anger and started trembling. She was angry towards herself that she couldnt see their true intentions and her face was getting red from anger. Do yo get it now, Elk? You foolish woman, it still ends like this. Honest people are seen as fool......it wouldve been better if you choose the easier way, right? Ah, its already too late? You people......!! Ironically, the words she had said in the noon were turning in reality. While feeling that in the corner of her mind, her whole mind was already under control of fury and despair. So much fury, that she didnt realise that she was almost going to cry. Dont go ahead and try to end everything while acting cool for self-satisfaction, its creepy. Youre just a shitty woman who can live while pushing problems on the surrounding people! That black guy is also pitiable, if he hadnt met you, it wouldnt have turned into th...... Noisy! Shut up! Worst! Ill say it. We are going to capture that guy with a really good plan. After all, I have people of Rank D and C, they are completely different from people from yesterday. They are right now standing on guard, they wont let anyone esc...... At that moment, I see, so those people were D and C? No wonder, it was really easy !!? In the wastelands with bloodthirsty atmosphere, resounded a voice with no feeling of tension. Being surprised, the mens and Elks line of sight changed to the place from where the voice came. At that place, There was a silhouette in complete back with the sunset as its background It wasnt because of backlighting from sun, but in reality the silhouette had black clothes, scarf, gauntlets, shin guards and finally hair and eyes. They were looking at me from afar and it was getting irritating, so I cleaned them up? Dont be stingy and use 10 people. It wouldve been better if you used 100 people. B-bastard......! Minato......? The child-faced boy smiled sweetly with a face and voice having no tension at all. His line of sight falls on the girl surrounded by men who was about to cry......but actually didnt betray the boys faith. And There was no one who knew that the boy was getting angered behind his smile. Chapter 17 – The Martial Exhibition Meet at Dusk Part 1 This chapter(PART) was made possible thanks to the generous donations of Michael Dudenhoeffer Patrick Frake Leong Kah Leon John Tang anyhow... I will post the rest a little more later...... I need to sleep a bit after all. The rest 2 bonus chapters (1 part and 1 whole chapter) are thanks to one donater only....Pay respects to him right now as anonymous person...I will reveal the name later. btw this is even more bigger than the previous part. and do tell me my mistakes in this ones pls. Chapter 17 C The Martial Exhibition Meet at Dusk Part 1 The inn I was staying atBermudawas an inn along with an adjacent bar and dining hall made. One can at anytime eat food. If you show the key for room, then you would get discount. But, if I go at such a place in this situation -while a rumour of anAdventurer in Blackis spreading- it would definitely get troublesome. Well Im doing this work for living so I need to be ready for these things......but I wont like it to deal it with it from today only. I needed to prepare my heart, but there were also other reasons too. And so, when I thought about something to deal with it, I decided to let Tanya-chan bring some amount of food to my room. Originally, they dont do this sort of service, because of patterns like going to the rooms for delivering food and then remaining there. In my case, it was due to trust. Along with gratitude, I ordered the food while giving the tip to Tanya-chan. It was at the time I was about to......return to my room after ordering. I saw Elk leaving the inn and was looking like she had made some sort of strong determination but was also looking like she was sad. -And so, I felt a bad premonition, so I tailed Elk, along the way, I cleaned up the people who were on the lookout around the inn. In front of me was Elk with her eyes opened wide which seemed to spill tear at any time and many men who seemed ill-bred standing as if surrounding her. I was hearing and seeing the talk, though not from the start, so I more or less knew about the situation. And I was also able to guess that these guys were not so admirable to accept the sacrifice of someone and not lay hand on the other person. I knew that due to the experience of thief subjugation I practiced with mom. Even so, the reason I didnt do anything till now was to confirm Elks determination. How should I put it, while the talk was going on a feeling like ambition or something that said to not interfere was being leaked out of her. As if it was saying to not go back down no matter what anyone said. From her seriousness revealing eyes, it was clear that she wasnt speaking a single lie. The thieves after listening to her decision from the start showed their vulgar side. I couldnt bear to watch it anymore, so I trespassed in their territory. I jumped from the building, kicking the wall of building one last time I increased my distance in air. Just like I had wanted, I landed right besides Elk. ......Thank you for hard work, Elk. It was really troublesome, right? ......You...... Seeing me in front of her, Elk was surprised and for some reason, her eyes had a sign of relief hidden. Was she expectation the talk to go like this......no she wasnt. Because Elk completely lost her determination just some minutes before. Then maybe she was thinking*Sigh* This can do almost anything, ehwhile seeing me in front of her eyes. Im grateful that you can understand it. But well, her mind was still in chaos. Even before I could think about what to say to her, the leader like man whom Elk was talking to, spoke. Hey, you actually did come here. Really......I was thinking of snatching everything from you along with the rewards from the snake. The man said as such in a not amusing tone. I dont know his name. Its you right, who beat all the kidnappers yesterday after being deceived by Elk and......the adventurer in black who killed a snake-like amazing monster today? Thanks to you we suffered great losses, what are you gonna do about it? Elk with a start trembled maybe because of feelings of guilt and uneasiness after she heard the wordsAfter being deceived by Elk. Anyhow, I patted her shoulder and calmed her down saying that I didnt mind it. Well, I didnt like someone saying shit to me, so I replied back. Thank you for telling me what you know. I dont even want to sympathy you or guess your true intentions, just shut your shitty mouth and get out of here you lower-than-sewer-rat scumbags. As if as expected, the moment I said it, irritation and bloodlust swelled up within my surroundings. It wont overpower me but still it leaves the unpleasant feeling. The face of Leader hadnt changed much, but a vein propped on his forehead. Hmph, if she is a hypocritical idiot, then you too are an idiot to follow her. Cant you see the situation you in? The ugly faces that I dont want to see are lined up. Is this for making me nauseated? ......It wasnt good for you to say that......Oi, come out you people! Here it comes, the clich historical drama villain lines sayingCome out Come out! From inside the shadows came out several number of people. Just how were these many hiding? One-two-three...... 40 people in total, huh? Well, I already knew about them. Elks face turned pale because she didnt knew about it, due to the man speaking at first as if looking down saying Serves you right I decided to calm down Elk later. I know you are more powerful than normal people, so I have already made preparations. ......In truth, I was going to attack you after you had taken the reward. Wow, youre unexpectedly prepared? They are all prepared from before. I had them come here because there was a possibility that, that bitch would betray. It she did such a thing, then the business is doomed, you know. I see, so he had already anticipated Elk betraying and bringing me here to beat them all. So it looks like he has a brain. Dont even think about foolish things like resisting? People here are not all of them but still there are people of Rank C and D. If you try to resist then it wont just end up with small injuries. Geez, you have gathered quite a lot in just 1 day. We have theMalras Associationbehind us, its a easy job to gather outlaws. From what I have heard, it seems like you won luckily against thatSnake, so you cant win against these many numbers. ......I dont know what that Mal something is, but looks like these guys got some really different information from somewhere. I understood it from the phrase he said. Looks like the rumour is about me defeating the snake using the walls and ceiling and floor of the labyrinth which had gotten soft due to earthquakes. I have a delicate and frail looking body(am told by everyone), just from where did that complementary rumours start from? Well, its convenient for me, saves me the trouble. Apart from that, on the face of man was a really creepy and evil smile affixed as if believing he would win with the numbers. ......*Sigh*, just why are all villains like these. I dont want to hear his voice and dont want to see his face too anymore. At that instant, I sensed the magical power rising from 7 oclock behind me -It is the sign of magic starting to activate- and threw Elk away from myself. The moment, the bewildered Elk landed on her back, SFX: Booom, The sound of explosion resounded. A fireball came flying at me from somewhere and hit me. Minato!? ......!? Oi, who was it, who fired something like that all of a sudden! Isnt a little fine. I just gave my thanks for beating my friends yesterday? Dimwit! I told you we will sell him too! He has a good face too, if he got a burn or something, then the price will fall down, bastard! Ah, Dont worry about. It wont work on me !!? Everyone present at that place froze after they heard the voice which came from the fire. Immediately following, A fire erupts from my body which was more powerful than the power of the fireball magic. I show myself with no injuries at all to everyone. ......If they told me that my appearance itself was abnormal, I cant actually refute to it. I didnt knew what sort of magic was the currentFire BallTemporaryfor, but it didnt vanish even after exploding. So I just used my fire magic to vanish it. Just like how I did at the time with big serpent from water and light. This time I used the fire magic and covered my body to cancel to the fire surrounding my body. As expected, many thieves stepped back upon seeing my unhurt body, but Elk who had already seen my outrageousness in the labyrinth wasnt that much surprised. ......*Sigh* It was foolish of me to even worry about you...... ......on the contrary she was amazed? No, she was looking at me as if it was natural? Why? I didnt thought much about it at that time. Aside from that, I finally understand now. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The leader only seems rational here. Other will most probably try to capture us as soon as we try to do something. They really are irritated a lot. They were irritated due to Elks attitude from before and my words also added oil to the fire. But well, if they are agitated, it makes the work more easier for me. Elk come on Eh? Ah, Y,Yeah...... I held out my hand to the fallen Elk. After helping her stand up, I poured magic in my hand without leaving her hand. While the time Elk was having a?floating above her head, Elk, I want you to do something, or rather, I want you to pay attention to something, can you understand? ? Err, its about you, so......maybe running from here? Wrong. I cant think of Elk escaping successfully from these many people. ......You say it quite bluntly. Well, youre right. Then, maybe, you want me to hide somewhere that I dont be a hindrance? So that I dont become a hostage Close enough but wrong. Even if you try to hide, with this many people some will definitely follow you. Then, what should I do...... Immediately after that, The magic power poured in my hand was transmitted to Elk, her body was soon clad in phosphorescence like a firefly. At the same time, Elks eyes widened with surprise, most probably because she must have felt her body weight getting really low. In truth, she not only became light but also had her offensive power and defensive power increased. After all, I used my hand as an intermediary to transmitElemental Bloodin her body. ThisOther Person Enhancementdoesnt actually administer magic in the blood vessels, but just works like a normal enhancement magic to increase physical strength. But, it was more powerful than any normal enhancement magic. This much should be enough. Its disadvantage was that the other person must always be in contact with me or in 10 seconds the effects will be cancelled, but I was going to fight while protecting her so it wouldnt pose a problem. I increased her physical abilities so she could match my speed only. ......You want me to fight together? No, it will be good enough if you just be by my side and keep on getting protected. It will be easier for me to fight then. Ah, Hmm. So this is for that? It saves me the trouble if you can understand it quickly. Well, it would be good enough if she can match my pace. Elk, do you know how to dance? I dont know something elegant like that I see. I also dont know Then why did you ask it!? No, just if you knew how to dance then you would have matched my pace on your own. It was in the end a short-lived hope. ......*sigh* Dont say it like Im not good! Yes, yes. Well then, you dont seem nervous anymore. Lets start? Eh............You planned it out? Sorry, Sorry. But it did help you calm down, right? Geez......I really get tired mentally whenever Im with you Its good that you are lively right now. Here they come! And, surely the moment later, I didnt knew for what reason did one of the men attacked, but I rotated my body and kicked him far away while embracing Elk tightly. The curtains to a bloody fight opened up near the wastelands on the outskirts of city at dusk. Chapter 17 Part 2 Well, For more info of more chapters and crap....look in the status update which I will post in 15 mins. I am typing it after all right now.....I got this chapter late, due to oversleeping. This chapter seems good. Chapter 17 Part 2 From the conclusion, it would have been better to say that the fight was one-sided only. Let it be 10 or 40 of them, bluntly speaking, it didnt made much difference to me. Just the time taken to break them would increase. I even had completed the training for fighting while protecting someone when I went to subjugate thieves under the supervision of mom. The contents were simple. I had to fight against several thieves while protecting the powerless girl......acting mom. If, I had made a mistake and let an attack land on her, then she wouldve kicked and killed that thief hard. I would pass if the number of people taken down by mom were 0......I had thought of doing that, but, Somewhere along the way, it was discovered that mom was more dangerous than me and then nobody even came near us. ......Well, it happens. The reason it still ended up as 0 person getting killed by mom was because even if others attack were to hit mom it wont even itch due to her enhanced body and defence power. I tried to protect Elk using that experience, but it turned out to be more easy than what I had imagined. Well the fighting experience of the men was low, but what helped me more was that Elk kept up with my pace by herself. Whenever I gave a roundhouse and rotated my body for it, she moved to the place with no enemies. She was slipping through attacks, without losing much power and was able to keep up with me. Sometimes, she sensed the enemies approaching from my back, she would kick them, cut at them and break their bones. This might be little rude, but it did surprise me. No, well her body had been enhanced, but still it was really a surprise to see her refined movements. Her moves were sharp and refined along and it seemed like her situation assessment powers are really good. Maybe, she has a talent in this sort of fighting style......? Anyhow, she fought like that......to not narrow her aim, she jumped, rolled on ground, rotated, she showed flashy but precise movements and fought with me. Though it might be singing our own praises, but I still think that our fighting style was vivid and elegant dancing fighting style? maybe. More briefly, it was like the SFX effects going along with the moves of a Hero like character. Still with all this and my reviews on this, there were unnecessary movements compared to when normally fighting. Thanks to the low experience of the men, it helped the on-the-spot-made fighting style, anyhow, all right in the end. At that pace, the number of people around us started to go down gradually. They came at us even after seeing the scene of their other allies being mowed down, but in the end they too joined their friends group. The wastelands which was filled with the bellows of thieves with bad countenance started to quiet down. There was no longer anyone with a calm and composed posture, all of their faces turned pale seeing the scene of their friends falling down due to flashy and menacing Taijutsu...... Owaa!? Nh, looks like it is impossible to run on walls? If you know it, then dont do it! I ran on the wall of the ruined buildings for some reason that I forgot while I dodged the attacks. But, it really was too much. To cover it up, we slided with our hands joined and thanks to that we were able to fight without twisting our hands. [ET: Even I couldnt get the meaning of the sentence.] And while time I was kicking a person in front of me, one person from behind attacked me. I gave him an elbow blow and finished him with a roundhouse kick. Ah, these guys have fighting experience. No, just surrounding us from both sides. ......It seems like, strangely, my movements have gotten better......I dont know exactly why. Its my first time feeling this ? Well, I am making it possible, though No, not that. Well, my physical abilities have increased, but for some reason I can see from where the attacks are coming, more than anything......I can somehow know how you are going to move. ......Eh? Elk too? Eh? Well, its the same for me. For some time, I can somehow know how Elk is going to move even if I dont look at her. Thats why Im leaving the attack and evasion to Elk and I only follow-up when its a dangerous time. While keeping in mind that our hands remain joined. Now that I think about it, Elk......is fighting as equals to the people of same or higher rank. It seems strange somehow. And even though without seeing her, I was able to assess her movements. Just what is this situation......? Maybe, we both are compatible? We are quite a dangerous combination then......whoops! One more person went down by Elks knife while evading the persons attack. Intentionally or not, but we hadnt hit any vitals. There were no dead till now. But, in case of Elk, she was using knife, therefore there were some who were in really bad state and will die if not treated. I was also holding back, so I hadnt killed anyone, but I had been moving to protect Elk, so I had been using more power than ever I had against human beings. Most probably, there were some with major fractures......well, not like I cared. ......While I was thinking that, even before I knew it, Ah, looks like it will be over soon, what you gonna do? Err, Leader-san? All had been beaten up badly and now only the leader man was left. Quite clich. He had lost his calm and composed posture, his face had turned pale, it looked like he would fall down by himself. ......! Impossible......I had dozens of men gathered...... A clich line you said there. Err, Elk what should we do at this point? Will it be good to just take the promissory note, tear it off and throw it? Youre right, but you cant tear and throw it. It is an official document after all. Along with that truth, we just need to report to guard about their andMalras Associations relation with kidnapper, everything will be over then. ......as for testimony, I will do it. The moment Elk said so, the mans face paled further. It seemed like, the things Elk said will be dangerous for them. I was a fool to think everything will be over by my sacrifice. If were going to do something, then it should be done thoroughly. I thought it would be bad if the association had links in the dark areas......from that complexion, it seems like Im not wrong. Will it be okay with your testimony only? If it is less, then here are some lying on ground for helping. Theyre not the people who are loyal to their employer. Near our foots were, the fainted and near-dying mixed group of kidnappers and money lenders etc. Surely they seemed like fools who were hired with money. They always knew that they would get punishment sometime and so tried to take even 1 more person with them. Their employer surely wouldnt try to save them intentionally. Eh, Elk?! If you tried it then you will to be captured for same crime! If we tell anyone about you supporting the kidnappers, youll be expelled from guild and either sent to jail or sold off as a criminal slave...... Just like I wanted. I already had the determination to go for a hell tour. And, now that I can take you people too, I will happily give my testimony or anything. W,Wait! Dont be rash, lets discuss first......T,Thats right! You want this right! The man took out a single paper from his bosom. Elks eyes widened after seeing it. I tried to see what it was that caused Elk to be surprised, it was the......Promissory Note? Moreover, in the Name column wasElk Caucuswritten. Is this of Elks debt? The man took out a seal-like object from the same bag, and pressed it against the promissory note. Upon looking at it, ......What is thisInvalidthing?(Minato) ! By any chance, is this the invalid seal used at the time of cancelling a contract!?(Elk) T,Thats right! W,With this Elk, youre debt is now as if it didnt exist! Its good now, right? Please, dont make it more hard for me! Err, can someone explain? ......It can cancel a commercial contract upon the agreement of both parties, or for some major reason from one party. The invalid seal is one way of many methods to cancel a contract. It sounds like a troublesome and complicated talk, in simple words, that seal cleared Elks debts? Well, in simple words According to Elk, in the contents of contract, there was a part saying that the creditors (them) can at anytime cancel the contract without the debtors (Elk) consent. Most probably, they had made such point for some evil business, but this time they were using it to clear the debt. That seal was something that only top echelons of the association carried, and the man always has roamed here and there while carrying it. This time, the seal actually had a meaning unlike the evil-schemed sealing. In other words, though there were some impurities in the deal, but Elks debt at that moment was completely cleared. Elk confirmed it with a nod. It seemed like she had done a lot of studying for these things, therefore, it was fine to leave it to her. The man pleaded to us while groveling miserably to let him go, now that everything was fine. I sent a glance to Elk asking what to do, came back was a glance only. ......Yeah, got it. I understood her intentions with just that much. ......Dont try to come near me ever, no rather, dont even be where I would be Is that she says Eh......! Thank ya! You really saved me! We both turned back, not giving even a glance even after hearing a crying voice. Of course, we took the promissory note. If we had that, then Elk was a free woman. Even if someone said something later, she would be able to deal with it. It seemed like the forgery of both promissory note and seal was impossible. And, suddenly I felt the man standing behind us silently and sighing with relief. You kids are......just easy to fool!! Dont steal my line SFX: DDBakii GuGoo!? The man who attacked at us from behind armed with a knife......danced in air, after getting hit by my electrified roundhouse kick. And he disappeared inside the window of the ruined building, on which I tried to run some time before. Like hell......I will let him go. If I leave you, then Elk would be fine, but other people would cry in her place in future. We acted a bit and showed him that we had our guards down while I was getting prepared to strike with fists when he attacked.(It was Kick though) The probability of him fainting down was......not like I cared and not like I even looked. At the very least, I kicked him with quite a lot of power and voltage. So he wont be able to move for a long time with his broken and burned muscles. It might be his most serious injury in his entire lifetime. With this everything was over. And, What are you going to do, Elk? ......Just like I said. I will report each and every work they had done. Even if I get accused due to it. ......That will be my decision. Youre......serious about it Yeah. Sorry Minato, I got you involved in my troubles......so till the end, I was being protected by you. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Im not worrying about it at all. I myself, personally like Elk. It was quite fun to roam in the labyrinth and make fuss while rampaging inside there. It was only you who made fuss and went on a rampage! Elk said as she looked at the promissory note in her hands. Right now it was a scrap of paper with no restriction ability. But it still could be used a piece of evidence. It was a paper that would be an evidence which would condemn her to jail, but Elk still looked at it as a precious item which she got back. ......She wouldnt change her decision, no matter what I say. Its unfortunate- I was thinking of making a pair with Elk I had heard from mom. The occupation called adventurers not only fought against monsters and demons but also against fellow humans. Let it be going in Danger Area or going on a journey, an adventurer would sooner or later definitely need a friend who would accompany him/her. It was not difficult to find a person to accompany yourself with for one or two times, but it was difficult to find a person who would, to the last end, accompany you. That was true, after all it was impossible to understand someone elses mind 100%. For that reason, I seriously wanted Elk. Surely there werent many people who didnt run from their sins but bear them and lived while repenting for them. ......Stop jesting. You will sooner or later meet more better people than me. ......Its better if you dont get involved with a girl like me ever again. She revealed a transient pretty smile. Pathetic of me, I couldnt find any words to return. Well, I will be able to take many of the evil people with me in this way. But, it is regrettable that even then I wouldnt be able to deal a blow to Malras Association. What is thatMalras Association? It sounds like a big company or something of sort Yeah, you dont know about it. Its is the most influential trading association here, even within the country it is one of the leading associations. Well, I dont know if they are involved in this case or not. The only thing I can do is, try to take as more evil people with me and pray that someone like me is not born again in this city...... Ara, in that case you dont have to worry? It will be over soon enough after all.(???) !!? Suddenly a new voice resounded. Eh, What!? Instinctively, Elk and I looked the place where the voice came from. There a single girl was standing. She had cream-colored long hair which run down till her waist. Her looks are rather childish, it can be saidCuteinstead ofBeautiful. Her age was more than that of me and Elk. Somewhere around the twenties. She was wearing a spacious and wavy kimono like cloth and a sandal which closely resembled the japanese sandals. It is like the clothes of someone who half-assedly tried to make western-clothes in japanese styled clothes, somewhere along the lines. The thing which was more impactful, was......the cream-colored bouncyEars. Cat Ears? no, they seem more like......fox? When I look carefully at her, I found a fox tail growing from her waist. Beast person?? I couldnt feel any bloodlust from that gentle-faced person. I could only see her looking at us while she grinned. But......I couldnt be careless. After all, I was not able to sense her when she came near us. Even with my hearing. ......Clearly, she aint any ordinary person. Yeah, Yeah. Remain right there. You dont have to be on guard that much, Im not thinking about any dangerous thing Just why is she speaking in Kansai Dialect? What is wrong with this world? That person, ginned even while knowing we were sending eyes filled with carefulness and guard. Ah, sorry. I came out and didnt even introduce myself. Im Noel Co Malras. Im the manager of that Malras Association you guys were talking about just before. Nice to meet you? She introduced herself, as if natural. Chapter 18 – The Smiling Fox and Male Gender Part 1 Im sorry people (readers), I have somehow gotten cold and editing the chapters has gotten tough, TLing too. I might recover in 2~3 days. Till then I will halt the updates of any project. really sorry. I will still somehow give you the part 2 of this chapter. Chapter 18 C The Smiling Fox and Male Gender Part 1 At a brisk pace, The beautiful girl in Japanese-like clothes started walking without showing any sign of fear or anything in the situation, with heaps of bodies lying on ground. The girl who introduced herself as one of the representative ofMalras Association, walked towards the ruined building in which I threw the leader man, she took a peek inside from the window, and put her hand inside, Heave-ho Along with an encouraging yell, she pulled out the man with one hand, while holding him by collar as if he were a cat or some pet. The girl threw the man on the ground roughly without paying attention to us who were shocked at her unexpected physical strength, she crouched besides him and started slapping the mans face repeatedly. Hey, wake up already. If you dont wake up till I count 10, then have fun with your eternal rest. Nh, Gu......W......What......!!? O, O, Okami-san!? Okami-san, you say. This person gives of the feeling of Japan at many points. Let it be her Kansai Dialect or clothes, just what is wrong with this word, fricking made up of mixture of Japan and Europe. Incidentally, the man who had regained his consciousness started trembling from fear the moment Okami-sanentered his vision. The smile of that fox-eared okami-san was so good that a person will go head over heels for her. However, it was quite a strange picture to see the man being frightened by it, it seemed like he would die. She surely said a dangerous sentence as if normal, just now. So well then, you seem like quite beaten up, not like I care about it though. I wont let you say that you dont know the reason I am here for? Ah, no, e, err, its, its different, Okami-san! I, I didnt do this! Err, the secretary, no I mean, subordinates did it on their own accord...... Youre the secretary, Argh, I dont want to hear your excuses? I had been seeing everything from the time, that green-haired girl was speaking caustic words like wanting to be boiled or skinned. From that time!? I didnt sense her at all. I, should have even more sharpened senses than usual in my combat stance......seriously, just what is this person!? The secretary, man, twinkled his eyes while his face paled having lost all the blood, in this situation, having his misdeeds found out by thisOkami-san However, in this situation, The man who is most likely an big-shot inMalras Associationwas getting blamed by an even more big-shot, Okami-sana.k.a Noel. Does that meanMalras Associationwas not at all related in this case? Is it because some elated people rampaged, that a top-brass came out to investigate it? Right now, the man who was themain culprit, stood in between a dilemma. Geez, just from where did you get the nerve to use our associations name in this way? You dont need to come from tomorrow? And I have called the guards, so silently go with them. ......Ah, you cant even move. O, Okami-san! Please wait, its different, I didnt, please spare me......Gaa! Youre annoying. Go sleep Okami-san, hit the base of the throat of man who was wailing in an unsightly manner, with a chop and took his consciousness. Her actions were small, but it seemed like the attack had a lot of power in it. The man spat out foam from his mouth and stopped moving. The Okami-san, stood back up while sighing and faced us. Instinctively we both took combat posture but neither rebuking us nor making an unpleasant face, she just moved towards us while grinning. Well the. You are Elk Caucus right? s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Y-Yeah thats right......? I see. In that case......I need to properly apologize to you. Suddenly, she splendidly bowed her head towards Elk while bending at exact 90 degree angle. Elk-han, Im sorry that our people created problems for you. Im really sorry. I will prepare and complete the formal procedures later, but please forgive me for now with this much. Eh!? Ah, No, Err, Umm, I dont reall...... Elk started. She was surprised seeing the unexpected actions. Even I was also surprised. If someone suddenly apologizes properly, anyone would be. After all, the feelings of really asking for forgiveness was being transmitted from her bowing figure. Her attitude from before took a 180 degree turn and was now serious. Of course, there was a chance that this all was an act......it it was, then I felt that nobody in the world, could be trusted ever again. U, Umm, I dont really mind it......is something I wont say, but now that I have gotten an apology and my debt has been cleared, Its alright now. I dont think that anyone would blame Elk for replying in panic. Is that so. Then I will take up your words. Saying that, she pulled up her head up and once again faced us. Well then I have apologized you and gotten mercy, but its not good to not explain the things to you. I want to explain about why I have come here, do you have time? According to Okami-san, This was a scandal created by this man, misusing his power. He was also the secretary of the head director ofMalras Association. And he gave illegal loans at first and then to repay the loans with severe interest he asked the borrower to help in kidnapping people, to increase his own profits. The upper echelons like Okami-san, moved at once to deal with this case because they had already gotten enough evidence due to internal inspection they had done. The slave dealers and kidnappers who were related in the black market trading routes along with this man- I didnt knew his names till the end. Not like I cared- were in middle of being arrested by the guards. Meanwhile, Okami-san headed to this place because the main culprit was here, but en route, she found me heading here too. It was after I had cleaned up the people patrolling near the inn and was following Elk. And the place I was headed to was same, so she thought what if and her guess hit the mark. She watched the scene play from when Elk showed her determination to the people. After that, she remained on the sidelines. She only came out after I cut right in, fought along with Elk and annihilated everyone. She seemed to have thought of helping us if it became dangerous, but seeing us safely kicking their asses, she decided to be on the sidelines. Shes quite wicked. And so, thanks to our hard work of kicking their asses, this case has been solved without any help from the person who should have done it, Okami-san. In truth, I needed to complete many procedures regarding the debt money of Elk-han. But, thanks to this guy doing most of work, now only little tweaks are needed. Okami-san said as such while looking at the promissory note with theInvalid Stamppressed on it. In other words, the stamp had worked its wonders by cancelling the contract. Now Elk didnt even need to repay the principal amount too. Okami-san too was accepting the matter. All is well if it ends well. Incidentally, this, criminal group, would be bearing the responsibility to repay the money for the damages they have caused. But still, I need to complete the left paperworks, can you come to the association on some another day? Yeah, I will......Umm, theres one thing, I am concerned about? Elk timidly raised her head up. She opens her mouth even more timidly, as though she were afraid to hear the answer. Err......I think there are other people who had also helped the kidnappers due to being deceived......what will you do about them? I see. This matter seriously is one thing you would want to hear, but also not hear. The people who did the work, were without a doubtVictim, but they were without a doubtPerpetratortoo. They just couldnt be left, without getting punishment. Of course, Elk wouldnt had run no matter the conclusion, she had made her decision, but......it was not like she was not anxious. Okami-san looked Elk, shivering, and made an expression that said she understood her. As for that, the victims all were different, right? There were some who did it unwillingly and some did it in high spirits. Of course, the latter will be given severe punishment, but even if the former did it unwillingly, the crime is a crime, we cant just release that person. I see......understood, would it be good that I show my face at guards headquarters, instead of the association? Elks face cramped for a second, but she recovered in a bit, and declared that she would surrender at the Guards Headquarters-something like police?- instead of going to the association. She had made her decision from the start, so she was able to even speak this. But, Okami-san interrupted her, by sayingThat is right, but?in between In your case, it is a little complicated. ? Complicated? Thats right. I had heard from the guy who was managing the kidnappers after beating him up, Elk-han you have helped them only 1 time, right ? And that too ended up as failure? Because of that, there is no stolen loot which can be used as evidence, it will be difficult for making a case for prosecution. Eh? Thats why, even if you surrender, they wont hear you, they already have many cases to deal with whichhaveevidences. Well, you can give the testimony, though it will bring blame on you Okami-san stopped speaking atBut, of courseand glanced at me, If theVictimthemselves give the testimony, then it will be different? I dont know what you talking about(Minato) Looks like it?(Noel) ......You......(Elk) At that moment, a method of proving Elk to be innocent, was made. Well, even if Minato-han gave the testimony, there is no evidence to relate it to, furthermore, he even flipped tables over them at their own game. At most, you would get a lecture and have to pay a fine. Even so, if you want to give the testimony, then please come during the time of completing the paperwork. ......Will do. I want to complete all things I have to do. Yes. Fufu, youre quite a honest and serious person, you dont see them now. Youre thinking too much of me. Im just a cheapskate, who cant even do self-management. Okami-san laughed as if she was happy, while Elk was showing an expression as if she were exhausted. Within the wastelands, laugh and sigh resounded. Later on, we will be introduced to Okami-sans association, complete the paperwork and go to the guards for giving testimony. -Elk seemed like she was 100% going to say that she helped the kidnappers, but the probability of ignoring her rant is high- Anyhow, like that, we talked about what to do. She said, the faster the better it would be, so she would send a cart/wagon toBermudatomorrow. At the moment, I thought that it was getting late for dinner, and we should return, Ah, please wait, Minato-han. I also have business with you too. Eh, With me? Err, is it related to this case? No, no, its a little personal thing? Ah, but, I cant ask it here......can you tomorrow along with Elk-han? ? Well, I dont mind [ET: Minato spoke this in Kansai Dialect] Minato youre getting infected by that Oops, shes right. Strange Phenomenon. Its not like I am a person from Kansai area. Anyhow, with that our conversation with Okami-san a.k.a Noel-san met its end. Noel-san left just like the way she came, she looked towards us once again while going and grinned. Well, then lets go eat dinner. ......Even so, Who is that, Okami-san? It feels like I have seen her somewhere before too......? No, I just left the home yesterday, but still she gives of a feeling like shes not a stranger......? How should I say, it feels similar to something. I havent seen her, but it doesnt feel like I have met her for first time today......its quite strange to say it myself, but Just WHAT THE HELL IS THAT FEELING!? ......Well, whatever. Chapter 18 Part 2 This chapter(Part) is most crap and the end a cliffhanger, a good one at that, and yes Im going to change the tense from now on. Only past or only present tense will make crap out of this novel. So have fun from new tense(from next chapter or part) Chapter 18 Part 2 A few hours later, After returning to inn, I part with Elk, and return to my room. It was the time adventurers started assemble for drinking, so I quickly, returned to my room and didnt leave. If I did, it will be really troublesome. After that, I ate the brought food, and relaxed comfortably. Most probably Elk would also be feeling like so. Today many things happened. Normally, adventurers always check theirEquipmentafter returning to inn. They repair the damaged protective armaments, torn clothes, dulled weapon, and prepare for next adventure. I went in dungeon today and yesterday, furthermore I fought quite flashily today, the state of my equipments is, Clothes: Not even a speck of dust. Scarf: Same as above. Black Belt: Same as above. Gauntlets and Shin Guards: Not even a scratch. There wasnt any need for repairs. At the very least, not with fights like yesterday or today. No, I did knew it, but just like it was in letter, this is great equipment. Yeah, well, it is good for no trouble? What was this talk about, it was all about, the second half of the Japanese Dictionary like letter which I read while leaving myHome. The letter, had a little more continuation about these equipments. First, the black clothes(have 2 of them). At a glance they were normal clothes, but they were not normal clothes. This is incredibly tough. Even if it was cut by blade, thrown in fire, it wont even get a single scratch. Frankly, it was more reliable than a armor of steel. It was light too. In addition to that, it even had resistance towards magic. Due to that, even if my body was on fire from the use ofMagic Artsit wont burn, furthermore I wont need to wash them if the dirt will get burned by the flames. ......Seriously, from what is this thing made from? Next, jet-black scarf. The toughness, magic resistance, or cleaning magic was the same as clothes. In addition to that, this scarf can transform. In the first place this scarf, was anOvercoat. The one I wore at first. There was no need for it neither the weather was bad, and so, I had changed it into a stylishScarf. Furthermore, it could be transformed into mantle or picnic sheet, and many various things, or so it was written in the letter. I have yet to try it. And, the gauntlets and shin guards. They were made fromJoker Metal, not sure, but these were made from not-so-normal metal, anyhow they were strong. Tough and sturdy. And, theMagic EnduranceandMagical Conductivitywere also quite high. This wouldnt break even after taking enemies attacks, or even if my magical power were too much powerful. For usingMagic Arts, this equipment was the best. Most probably, mom didnt gave me a normal beginner adventurers equipments for this reason. A normal steel, wouldnt be able to endure the burden caused by my magical power. And at last, was the moms hand-made black belt. This was the most awesome of all. Just like clothes, it too had special ability, the awesome thing about the black belt, was, it too had Storage Abilitylike theHyperspace Backpack. Of course, it couldnt store many items like the backpack, but instead of it, it had a convenient thing that backpack lacked. I can take out and store the item just by imagining it. Thats why, I had stored Knife for tearing raw materials, pocket changes, things like that, on the time of taking them out, I only need to imagine. Ultra Convenient. And, there was 1 more awesome thing about this belt. I came store and take out things into/from it even if Im wearing the equipment. As to what it exactly is......Ah, let me demonstrate. I, after checking the gauntlets and shin guards, wore them on my leg and hands. And, imagined for it to beStoredinside the black belt. In an instant, The gauntlets and shin guards gotStoredinside......the black belt. And, once again, this time imaginedCome out In an instant, the gauntlets and shin guards come out inEquippedstate. In other words, wearing the clothes and equipments from beforeStoringwill completely remove the equipping of them after taking them out, an ultra useful tool. Depending on the use, this is a super hero belt......it tickled my child heart. Well, thats how it was, Due to the not-normal equipments, it doesnt seem like the need for maintenance will come any time soon. Because I had free time, this time , I open up 1 of the farewell gift from mom,Necromicon. In this many magical rites, knowledge related to them and many other things were written down it, an complicated magical book. Moreover, this in itself is an magic item. This book which was thought to reach many hundred pages, would make people get cold feet before reading through its thickness and complicated words. But, I dont think there would be any harm in learning the knowledge written, so I try to read little by little. I skipped over the the things I didnt understand, and only read the things I could understand. I spent some time like that, and the night came. I already got bored of Necromicon. Though I have only read 20 pages yet. That being the case, I entered the bath just a while ago. It had been divided in men and women baths, during the working hours anyone can enter. The time bar is crowded, the bath is not crowded, this information from Tanya-chan really did help me. I left the bath after relaxing for some minutes, as it was in a chartered state. No, its was not like I took the bath in hurry, I always take bath for short time. Since the previous life. ......Now then, I seriously have nothing else to do. I dont want to read Necromicon today at all, and dont even have something else to kill time. Cant be helped, I should sleep. I have felt to stay up the whole night, but in this world without electricity, I cant do anything in the night too. Yeah, I ve got nothing to do. After drying up the little wet hair with the magic ofFireandWater, I entered the bed. And, after blowing out the candle light, I finally...... ......finally...... ............finally...... ......Not good, I really cant sleep. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I opened my closed eyes. My eyelids were no in the least heavy. I didnt want to sleep. I intuitively knew it. I couldnt sleep like that. I wont be able to sleep. There was no light within the dark room with the candlelight out, the only little light is the moonlight coming in from the gaps of curtain. But, with my nocturnal animal like eyes, I can look easily with just that much. It did had the feeling ofDarkness, but walking without bumping into things and tables and all, is a piece of cake. ......but, it aint damn relevant. I know the reason I cant sleep. I know it completely. I just......dont want to accept it, I dont want to deal with it. Thats why I tried to divert my attention from it......by dinner, equipment checking, bath, Necromicon, but it was all useless. As expected, men are just like that. It would be problematic to not sleep till morning, and its not like I am not interested. ......Cant be helped then. ......Lets go toRed-light district...... Time goes back to several hours. After coming from the fighting with those people, I was captivated by thechangeof city while en route to inn with Elk. They were not in morning, but at that this time, I saw many women walking here and there with charming atmosphere and alluring perfume scent drifting from them. The women wearing those outfits felt likeOf course its that. I didnt need to ask Elk, their attire alone told me. The next moment, maybe because I had a REALLY relaxed face, Elks elbow came attacking the side of my stomach with full force as if to say Dont make a foolish face. Thanks to that, I regained my consciousness. But, even after becoming aware of it, there seemed to be my male part that couldnt be saved, even after that, the moment they entered my vision, I kept looking at them. At that time, it felt like Elk who was walking besides was getting in a bad mood. Her trademark(?), the disgusted eyes were slightly awkward at that time. No, well......It mustve been an ugly sight in her eyes for a man to chase after women ofThat sort of occupationwith eyes, even while being with a girl. Im sorry And, just a little later, I arrived at the inn, it was during the time I was returning to my room from reception. The time I reached 2nd floor, I met with the husband of innkeeper-Father of Tanya-chan-, and in truth this sort of conversation started. Hey, Minato-kun, was it? Ive heard about your great deeds No, that......Hahaha, its nothing great. Ah, it would help me if you will not spread that rumour in public Haha, that is difficult. To accompany with these kind of topics, is kind of an duty for me as an owner of bar and inn. Well, Ill try to not spread it myself. Ahh-, I see. I didnt want to become someone famous......*sigh* Its depressing Oh, youre quite a strange one. The adventurers, mostly want to become famous. Is that so? Well of course. If you become famous, you can increase trust and degree of attention from guild, quest requester and even fellow adventurers. In that case, there would more work, and even some specifically nominated requests. Many famous teams would recruit you and you would get benefits at various shops. It will also become an connection to many places, those are weapons for emergencies, right? At the time of large-scale of exploration of savage-land areas, it becomes easier to find sponsors too. Y-Youre quite informed...... Yeah, I was an adventurer myself before. But I was not cut out for it, so at the time of taking this inn from father, I completely left that job. Ah, Is that so? I didnt knew it It was around that time I met with my wife. Fufu, at that time my life was best. It felt like I was quite famous just by being an adventurer, I even went to red-light district. Hahaha............Hm? Red-light district? Hm? Yeah, its near from here, its also known as sex district. Adventurer occupation is a one in which many things pile up, for better or for worse. Male in particular. In big cities like ours where adventurers gather, there is always one or two............you interested? .................. Immediately, the owner, made a map to red-light district and handed it to be forcibly. After being forcibly given, maybe because my male gender was being sad, that I couldnt throw it. I had some stimulating memories from just before it, and it was already night, so the desires fixed their roots deep in my heart tonight. Humans are strange creatures, till the time they dont think about it nothing occurs, but once they become aware of it, it then couldnt be stopped. This kind of things has sprouted, I think......for the first time after that day mom assaulted me. Probably, after that, we both recognised ourselves as realParent & Childthough not blood-related, which controlled everything. Since then, mom entered herChild raising mode, her sexual desires towards me vanished and there wasnt a second timeof thatanymore. I still thought mom as an attracting woman, but there wasnt any time I saw her with eyes filled withThat sort of emotions. Thats why, I didnt do that deed after the night I was assaulted by mom. Though, we still had breakfast, bath, and sleep together, the physical contact was the same as before. That me, left the western-style house, found freedom-filled lifestyle, but still that sort of desire never exploded. Weapon shop, Item shop, Guild and Dungeon, with the thrill of this 120% Fantasy world, I didnt think about that kind of things till now. ......Though I did not think, Due to previous conversation and experience, that sort of sensation......the obvious sensation of an boy in puberty both in this life and previous life, was rapidly revived. My mind was filled with, on the level that I couldnt even sleep. I deeply think that there should be bounds, but when it still couldnt be helped. In that case, naturally there is a need to cancel it by doing something, Besides there are perfect places......just like the owner was saying, they really are present in big cities where adventurer gather. The pleasure giving place called as......Red-Light District...... Thats how it was, Purse, get. Or ratherStoredit into the black belt. I didnt knew the price, but with a gold coin it must work wonders. I took the map drawn by the owner of inn= Father of Tanya-chan. Due to my sense of values from previous life, it felt like I was about to do something not good, but it was only a normal thing to do in this word, I persuaded myself saying that 10~20 times. Thats right, its only a part of education of life. Its not a thing to be guilty......well I cant say it, but right now it cant be helped. All right, preparations OK And, when I opened the door for leaving the room, ......Where are you going? I met with Elk wearing a bathrobe (like pajama) and standing in front of my room. Chapter 19 – The Most Critical Point of Today This Chapter is a part, hahaha. Alright now serious talk, this chapter too is an cliffhanger, once again Hahahahahhahahaha*cough cough cough* . How do villains laugh for 2-3 minutes seriously. Well, then the chapter made possible by Brandon Pittman so have fun, with chapter and pay respects to him. Chapter 19 C The Most Critical Point of Today Recap. I tried to go to Red-light district for venting out my desire, but before going I was stopped by a wall which may explode my desires. Recap Finished. ............Elk? What? In front me is......Elk standing as if she just got out of bath. Err......What, are you doing? Nothing in particular? Just took a bath, so I thought of coming to you for playing for some time. Where are you going? Wet hair, steam rising from her body. A faint scent of soap also is drifting around her. Though she has her trademark(?) glasses......she is not in her adventurer equipments, but in a bathrobe. Moreover, the places around chest, is peeking out of from the gaps of robe. To be honest......Its poison for eyes! In the labyrinth too, she did wear clothes with exposure for agile movements......but in this situation I just cant ignore it. I was about to go explode my worldly desires, so its even more difficult to ignore. ......Its dangerous somewhat. Its sexy. ......Where are you going? To the dumbfounded me, Elk once again asks. T-Thats umm...... Calm down Me. Get the coolness back. Elk surely......probably doesnt has any ulterior motive, and its only coincidence she was standing outside my door. I dont want her to look coldly at me after knowing my purpose to go there. Hey, just a walk, you see. I thought to breathe some outside air. I see. Then I will also come. Ill change clothes so wait a bit. Eh !? Unexpectedly Freakish Answer! An unintentional frank answer that is. Wai, Just why at this timing!? W-Why you too? You just got out of bath, if you come then you might catch cold. Im not that weak. And, it feels good when night wind hits the hot body. Eh, Ah, Yeah, I kinda want walk alone, you see...... Oh, I was also thinking of walking......you will let me walk alone at night? Ku, For every remark this and that......I just cant run away from it, or rather, it feels like I am getting stuck in a very bad situation. Why? I mean, something like, I am getting cornered by her and she knows everything...... Suddenly Elk breathes a sigh and, I dont care anymore. You want to go to Red-Light District, right? GoFuu!? Wai, Why that!? No, Im definitely not confident in my acting ability, but I think I tried my best to not let her know, still she knows it!? Was I looking at Elk with sexual aroused eyes unconsciously......Not good, I now want to die in a ditch. Now will Elks special disgusted eyes come flying at me, while I was thinking that, Just before, you were hearing the place of Red-light District from Owner, right? i was standing just behind you and hear it......you didnt knew I was there? It isnt like you Eh!? Really!? No Shit, I made a big BIG MISTAKE! Did my awareness ability got dull hearing the contents of the talk....... Just how much am I weak to that stuff!? S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ......For what reason, does my my sensing ability isnt reliable at important points, let it be this time or the traffic accident in labyrinth, what the fuck is going on!? [ET: Traffic Accident = Minato running with a speed more than of car less than a bullet train and hitting the man while turning around the corner.] No, besides that, To the girl Elk, my male desires were exposed, this is an enormously embarrassing situation. I have to do something. Thinking what should I say, I try to see her in the eyes, and suddenly she pushed me back in the room and closed the door. ......Why? To the bewildered me, Elk speaks ......You dont have to go? Eh? Im saying that if you want to cuddle with a girl, then isnt one standing in front of you ............What!? Wait!? Eh!? WTF!? In this situation where I just couldnt understand a thing, this girl just said something absurd that so frankly. Moreover, even Elk, maybe because of embarrassment, has her face red. That is also cute......Shit Shit! It aint the time to think that! however in that time, Elk in a hurry grabs my hand and......wait, wait! wait a bit! There is bedroom! ......You not satisfied with me? No, not that, b-but no matter what this is just too much suddenly!? I dont see any logical connection, I dont understand why you doing this...... ......Its not that much of a difficult reason I was taken to bedroom in a hurry. However, there Elk......sits on the bed and, Within 2 previous days, I was saved many times by you Abruptly, with that line, she started her story. At first, you saved me when I was assaulted by that pervert adventurer. If you didnt, I might have been raped. No I surely would have been. Ah, that traffic accident, I see. No, that was just an coincidence, a normal reckless vehicle manslaughter...... That alone is normally a great debt. But, after that too, you saved me many times. Elk continues calmly. Even at the time we met the goblins crowd in dungeon. Its normal to run if youre a party of two, but you still saved me easily. Yeah, debut fight(mostly of narration only). Today too, at the time with Mad Monkeys, Little Beasts, that big-serpent......more than anything, the matter with those people at evening. I was saved 4 or 5 times within these 2 days by you. No well, aside from the big-scale flashy work, I just did what was needed to be done......Isnt it natural to save your partner in your team? ......On top of that, the work I did yesterday......repaying debt with evil, you even forgave me for that. And because of that, I got over various things, and moved a little forwards myself. No, I am not caring about it at all, dont bring this matter up again....... You do many good things, but I couldnt do anything. After I repaid the debt with evil, I was only getting saved by you......there is nothing more pathetic than this! She speaks out as if to rebuke herself. Though her voice is not much to call it loud. ......Thats why, I want to repay the debt even if a little. I had my life and heart saved many times, and I dont think I will be able to repay the whole debt like this, but still...... And Elk......comes up to me and leans her body......and sinks her head in my chest. In that posture......she looks up at me with upturned eyes. ......Even I know what she is going to say after this. And, I...... Thats why Minato. At least, let me...... Farewell! Yeah, Farewell............What!? ......ran. The moment, Elk got in the mood, closed her eyes, let her body to me......I ran with all my might. Why? Isnt it obvious!! Im not good with them! These sort of situations! It may only be lip-service, or one-sided convenient talk, in the first place in the present time when I am going to Red-Light District, though it may sound egoistic......I just cant deal with a situation in which a girl is giving her body to me. For example, selling oneself for saving the family, something like that. [ET: I didnt understand One damn shit what author was trying to tell here.] That isnt a exception, even if the target on theReceivingend is me, even if I am in a situation where I am about to go and play with my desires. Well, I really am happy for Elks feelings. But, for that reason, I wont accept her offer. ......If I did it, even if once we have a relationship like that......Im not confident of having conversations like we had till now. It will definitely get awkward. She is my first after leaving home, I wont do that, not a chance. Thats why! I will refuse that offer! ......this all was thought in 0.1 second. Wai......Hey!! Wait right there, you call yourself a man, huh...... Elk from behind is saying something likeGiving embarrassment to girlandability, are all purposely ignored. I leap out of bedroom, the room. To be honest, right now head is in chaos, but for the time being putting aside the matter of going to Red-Light District, I need to get out of here first. Long story short......I need to get out of her grasp first...... I-I resolved myself to invite you and you......come baaaacccckkkkk!! I run through the corridor, and am already in front the entranceway of inn. All, last spurt. And...... SFX: -DoDoDoDoDo......Batan!! [Sound of running back] ......You really came back? ......No, I cant pass through There were people. Fucking sure there were. Most probably those drunk adventures who were making noise likeGahahahahahaha And also those people, who were talking aboutAdventurer in Black. Just too many of them. Its already too late, there shouldnt be more people, or so I thought but still more than 30 were still lurking here. Moreover, that talk has already spread to the lobby near reception, i cant go in there to just pass through the entrance. Are they still talking about crap, though it has already been 1 whole day. And, I recall the words of Tanyas Papa a.k.a owner of innWe approve fooling around if there is no fight or breaking of furniture In that case, I need to remain in my room, till their high-spirits calm down? Ah, there was this idea! I can escape from window...... If you go Red-Light District, wont it still become a big thing to talk about? ......Ah Certainly. No, in this appearance, let alone Red-Light District, the moment I go to the road someone will realize me...... And, Red-Light District is generally a pleasure district, so it will have too much of lantern lights, and in that completely bright road......even in night, my eyes and hair color will be recognised. And Red-Light District, is the place where thepanderof prostitutes is done in public, without a doubt more people will bother me there. If I just stepped there, a new rumour will start spreading, about me in black attire entering there....... You are certainly popular, even with everything being just a rumour ......*sigh*...... Chapter 19 Part 2 Alright so the end is like the one a person who commented 26 minutes ago by the name of Marcillus wanted. If you want to get spoiled read the comment. Anyhow, have fun. Blah Blah Blah Chapter 19 Part 2 In the end, after knowing that going out was in the first place impossible, I returned back to my room. Even so, my thoughts wont change, I have no intention of accepting Elks offer. However Elk is also stubborn, is she going to wait for my rationality to collapse, its troubling me now that she is waiting in my room. And so, be both are simply relaxing on the sofa in room. ELk is drinking tea though. Right now, it is a deadlock situation. Elk is still dressed in her pajama from before, I am facepalming while fillingIcemagic in my hand to keep my rationality while cooling down my head physically. Yeah, it feels good. ......How about you stop doing that? Youll get frostbite? Its fine Its fine this much wont hurt. My face is also hot right now *Sigh*......Ah, Thats right, can you cool this down? Saying that she puts forwards her cup with brewed tea inside it. Ah,so you want to drink cold tea. I dont have any reason to refuse, so I took the cup with my hand filled withIcemagic and it cooled down in just 5 seconds. I can turn in into ice using the water in atmosphere, but she isnt wanting that so I hand her the cooled down tea. Still awkward. This situation. Really awkward. Situation like this-with awkward atmosphere-, I have experienced in my previous life too. Something like having troubles talking normally like I had. Like having money involved in the lending and borrowing between friends, and getting merits from that, the attitude changes. Or something like confessing the girl you like who is also your best friends, but end up with a splendid failure, and dont know how to talk to each other from now on. ......There was 1 idiot, who did that on the first day of excursion trip, and the rest all days ended up with awkward atmosphere drifting. The talk before is just like two best friends, recognise each other as other gender person, and are feeling strange kind of estrangement. This situation right now is just like that. Its even more troublesome than the time I confronted that big-serpent in day. The atmosphere is unbearably too bad. Moreover, if I somehow endured the gazes of people in the entranceway and reached Red-light District. After that, the awkward atmosphere will not subside but increase in power level. In that case, I who care about friendship more, have to patch up with her, let her understand my reasons, then go to Red-light District, and still not create the awkward situation, this is quite an ideal shape but......what the fucking impossible mission Im talking about. Just in which world, would be a girl, who would smile and send the man who rejected her to red-Light District. Now that I about it, that just cant happen. Then, Elk created a stir in this uncomfortable situation. Honestly, it was unexpected. I surely thought I would get 2 answers ......Did I look that much perverted? Not that, but it should be a normal reaction Saying that, she sighs. And takes one sip of iced tea. I mean there are more people with that kind of thinking? S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. That is also included, but in this case, if by chance, it is demanded by man, a considerable price should be there. Im repeating, but I have been saved a lot of times by you? During first meeting, cafe, during the time with goblins......Elk starts counting on her fingers. [ET: Idk where did Cafe come . Cafe say hello. Cafe: hello~, the author was retard to type me here. I never came in this story, yet] And also adds, that all were life-threatening. Fundamentally, the occupation called adventurers have work where they have to put life in danger and are serious when the talk comes to rewards and scold at uneven partition of rewards. Its natural that they expect the reward for the work they have done. But there isnt that general concept in me, so its hard to think about it too. She also said, I saved her life, forgave her for her sins, and still not demand anything, am I some sort of damn man with noble virtue. It would be better if you demanded for my body or money. Well, its not like I dont understand her point. Elk has strong feelings and other stuff, so she would have stronger sense of responsibility than other people. But, if I did it, Then though Elk would feel relief, but I would feel sense of guilty, both ways, it would end up awkward from now on. Confirmed. Its repeating but, Im not good with offers like, which involve......selling of body. Its not becoming the solution to my fundamental problem, so no matter...... Then, ......Well, if youre like that. Then its fine Eh? I want to repay the debt, but I have no intention to be pushy about it. Its trouble for you that way. However...... Elk drinks all of the tea in her cup, and briskly comes walking up to me. And, instinctively I put my guard up, but she touches my cheeks with her hand, and disappears from my vision, SFX: Chyuu [Do you need to know?] I feel somewhat soft feeling on my cheeks. ...... !? !?!?!? I-It wont hurt to thi-this much, right? Elk speaks as such while blushing and stuttering. My mind is steadily understanding what just happened. But......somewhere in my mind, it feels like it would be better if I dont understand it. To Elk it might be just some mischievous play with some compromise. No, well compared to that, doing a normal kiss is only lukewarm thing. But, however, If after that, she is blushing, its going to be get critically bad. Would it be easier to understand the variety of attack changed fromWomantoGirl, even more briefly her appearance changed fromErotictoCute. In addition Elk is, umm......I never paid much attention, but her eyes filled with her feelings, her sometimes seen disgusted eyes, her heart having clear opinions, her appearance and personality, is quite to my liking. The attack ofCuteis more nasty than herEroticattack. It feels like desire and many more things, are hitting the roots of my brain. And in addition to that, Y-You hate that thing that Im compromising and giving this much? Its not like......I wanted to do it on cheek, its due to compromise! D-Dont misunderstand me. ......Just like that, it becomes my first day seeing aTsundere, This aint compromise, but lethal final attack. Dodge impossible...... SFX: Dossa !? Eh? W-M-Minato!? Wai, What happened suddenly!? Getting a critical hit with a surprise attack while I was defenseless, having my rationality cornered, hand over the consciousness, and fall face down. I fall along with Sofa, while making a lot of noise. W-What!? Why is the person who was about to go to Red-Light District, falling down with just this much!? Youre completely right. But, if it will end with much without crossing over the line, isnt it all good....... ......I was naive to even think that. Chapter 20 – Daydreamer Well the Chapter Part is quite small, but the next part is long. This author needs to learn to put more better cliffhangers so I can cut the part at that point and give you guys good pleasure of getting heart pierced with bullets with the wordCliffhanger engraved on them. This Chapter was/is made possible through the donation of the same guy from yesterday. Brandon Pittman. Pay respects. There you go have fun. [EDIT: I always forget the excerpts] Chapter 20 Daydreamer EiOiCAhC? Either talk or eat, Minato Having being said that from mom sitting in front of my mom, I silently, tried to finish my confrontation with the large-sized BLT sandwich. ......Youre going to select the method to eat, right. As expected of my son.[ET: sarcasm from mom!] This made by who is right now sighing, is one of my favorites even after I have reincarnated. The food is the bacon from the meat of hunted demons, lettuce of more than 3 metre size, and cheese made from unknown ingredient, which mom doesnt tell me, but its tasty so I dont care.Its important to get used to it. Aside from that, on this seat of breakfast, I heard quite an interesting words from mom. ......Fu, Thanks for the food. So what was it? ItsDaydreamer. When I was adventurer before, my friends called me that as a sort of sarcasm. Yeah, thats right, thats right. Daydreamer Changing into Kanji, it would meanVisionaryorGuy who dreams, it should be. Daydream=day dream, it means dreaming in dayorfantasizing.(TN: ǥɥ`ࡻ=day dreamauthor wrote in English) In simple words, people call those people having naive thinking or unreal fantasies in their asPerson who dreams the whole day. a.k.a daydreamer, something like that. My mom was used to called that by her friends because she used to dream more, or rather, her thinking was naive or something like that. She would give charity to a complete stranger, just on a whim, or she would forgive the person who deceived her, on her mood, Against a reckless opponent, she would also fight in a reckless way, As an adventurer, no, as a person living in this world with magic and swords, her thinking is called asnaive, and someone would pull carpet from under her feet. Her this kind of thinking was more in those times. But, why is letting me know about it now. When I ask, her reply isYou also have the same aura around yourself Do you mean that i might end up as an adult with thatnaivethinking? s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. No, it feels different than that. In your case ? When I think a vague answer came back, Mom, from the other side of table bends forwards and looks into my face, my eyes. Without paying attention to me being bewildered, her gaze gets poured into me. ......Sometimes, I cant tell your mental age, exactly. Because from childhood, you were always somewhat adult-like, with strange things and your knowledge too. It cant be helped that I got startled. Well, my interior age is 18(at the time of death)+15(now). Im going to be 16 soon. I dont know if she knew it or not, but her next words, Before it felt like you, yes, you had thoughts just like a child of 13 years old, but right now, it doesnt feel like your mental age is not growing from a child. Not growing? Yeah. Your knowledge part of mental age is like that of 15 year old child, but this is different. It feels like......that though your body is growing, but the inside is not growing from the childhood of yours. ......This person is really sharp. Now that she says it, I do have a feeling that I am living my childhood and right now too with the same mind which was mine before reincarnation. As a child that was adult thinking, but after becoming adult it feels child-like. I think that some part of my body too was pulled in, so aside from my mental age of18 years, its like my mind and spirit both got rejuvenated. It feels embarrassing like that, but......am I weird? I think you are? You actually agreed it!? I cant tell her the truth, so I feel a sense of guilty, and I tried acting like an oblivious child, the reply that came back was just too hurting. Unexpected crap. No, think about it yourself. You started research of original magic at the age of 4. After that with my help, by the age of 10, you created many other absurd magic likeElemental Bloodand many others on the first try. This has already crossed prodigy and is only monster or oddball. ......She said it coooommmplleetly straightforwardly, or rather without any mercy to her own small cute child. And that son is your child, what are you as a parent feeling? Well, Its alright after all youre my child, so no problem No, even so what is it. No, Well I dont care about it that much. Its up to the person itself how he/she would grow up. The thing I have problem is with your look on world with the feeling ofDaydreamerdrifting from your mental age. Look on world? Yes. To me it feels like, you are thinking at as a child-like thing mentally...... The things she talked after that made me realize she is more sharp, and knows more about me, even more than what she previously talked Well, its all a dream ......What are saying right after waking up Upon opening my eyes, above me was the ceiling I know. But Im not familiar with it. I still remember. After getting hit by Elks strongest combo attack, my consciousness and rationality made a home-run and I fell down along with sofa. But, seeing myself on bed means Elk carried me after that. I would have been heavy for her thin arms. She even politely covered me with blanket. Was she waiting for me to wake up too? I just cant go back leaving an unconscious person alone. Ah, dont misunderstand? I was just...... Wait right there Elk. Dont say anymore or else I will once again get knocked out. What do you mean? Elk makes a face saying, What is this guy trying to say. You see, Im saying it really late, but girls with 5 elements ofDisgusted eyes,Confidence,Glasses,Blushed faceand areTsundereall are inside my strike zone. You have 3 of them. And before I was beaten the hell out by adding the last 2 too. It resulted in me fainting. No, it was my first time experiencing something like that. To be honest, I was so much surprised that my heart didnt get time to beat rapidly. All happened in one second. The moment she saidD-Dont misunderstand!, it felt like my head got hit by a mallet and my consciousness went away. I didnt experience something like this even during my training with mom. The world is really large, there are many things that I dont know yet. But, I felt like my head was once again getting hot, well leaving that aside, I speak words of gratitude to Elk. Now its finejust that. Hearing that Elk, like expected showed an expression of somewhat not agreeing, but without doing anything and saying, she this time left the room. She finally left, feeling relieved, I decided to sleep today too. It feels like whatever I do, it wont go well. Lets throw all the work for tomorrow and just calmly sleep. Chapter 20 Part 2 Im sorry 1 day later release,. I had severe headaches yesterday from all school, editing, anime, and listening to my siblings complaints about each other. I even had to stay at home today, just so I can relax and kill the fatigue. Sorry for late release. But as you know Im a sadist who loves giving Readers cliffhangers. When Will I remember I need excerpts Chapter 20 Part 2 However some minutes later, I confronted another problem. I cant sleep. There aint even a speck of sleep inside my head. I cant possibly sleep. On the contrary, it feels like the the sleep is running away because of that from before. When I close my eyes, gradually this scene flashbacks behind my eyelidsD-Dont misunderstand, and is disturbing my sleep. Fucking hell. And, I suddenly recall that I was about to go Red-Light District for healing my unsleepable mental state. Hell with healing, it has gotten even worse. I cant possibly sleep like this. But, I cant possibly do that too because of the reason before. Unless I find clothes other than this, I cant go there. It wont help lying down here, so I go out in veranda for feeling night wind for a change of mood. In this inn, themiddle-sized roomsor above, haved veranda and terrace attached. Then, I take out the chair too and sit on it while feeling the night wind. ......Looks like you cant sleep? From above me, that voice descended. Upon looking, from the window aboveIts not veranda, theWindowmeans its a room of size of a business hotel room, Elk had her face out and was looking down at me. Huh, her room was above mine? I never knew it. That Elk looks at me with disgusted eyes, maybe because my face is still somewhat red. Isnt this happening because youre trying hard to resist? You still saying that Even I am not convinced, you know. You too havent felt, like that was enough for repaying the debt, right? ......And I dont know why, you even collapsed No, Im fine with that only Rather, I want to pay back the change for that. I see And, Elk too doesnt want to do it because you want to, right? Even if she is an adventurer, she still is a girl. She wont think of giving her body voluntarily. For her, within the things she could do, that might be the best way to repay the debt. Because Im a male. Then she, ......Its not like that Eh? What does that mean, huh? I look up at those words, in Elks eyes, along with disgusted glare, a clear and distinct consciousness was lingering. To the extent that it seems like, she had no intention to sleep. ......I cant explain it clearly, though It was 2 years ago, that Elk became an adventurer. The trigger for it was, the loss of her mother who raised her through female labour. For some reason, Elk who lived with only her mother, was raised without knowing her father. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Because Elk has never met the relatives of mothers side of family too, so she became an adventurer to be self-independent, and has lived alone till now. Elks mom was an adventurer in her younger days, she grained the ABCs required by adventurers, thinking if such a day would come, she told her the required techniques, and many more things,and she also gave the equipments for it, though they are second-hand. It was also one of the reason, why she chose the route of adventurers. However as if natural, she had to suffer lot of troubles. She lived a daily life including beating the asses of demons. It had been a thorny path, not much hard to guess it. Still, Elk without forgetting her daily efforts, had reached till here. However, during the training and whatnot, it was she and her mom, after becoming independent became a solo-person, she didnt had any existence of a person she can call asFriend Its not like she was completely alone, she was able to meet new adventurers of same age while doing quests and all. Investigating together, taking up the quests, both parties mutually increased their skills while doing them. However, for a person she could trust completely in that, she wouldnt shake her head vertically. Just like I said before, the work of adventurers, is to not only fight demons, but also humans. Going out in society one needs to depend on other people for living, there are also those with bad thinkings. Just like those bastards from before. A friend you can trust in both public and private matters, is not easily found. However, to anAdventurerwho works along danger always, this thing is like fate. Its not like they can easily give their lives in hands of others without any trust. It becomes even more difficult for a beginner. Thinking about that in itself is absurd. Thinking that, Elk seemed to have persuaded herself. It would be good luck, if she were to find a person she can call friend within the next 10 or 20 years. At that time, she met me. To be honest, I thought you were a person without having any way of thinking normally, when I first met you. You clothes too are eccentric, and your insides are even more inunderstandable. Sorry for looking evil, completely black from top to bottom. Of course, soon after, I learned about your caliber, and power. Let it be demons, or thieves you easily kicked their asses, you kept on being kind to me, an ungrateful person......you created chaos in my mind. I sense, somewhat tiredness and astonishment in her tone. Sigh is also included. You showed me and made me understand it completely. That this guy is even above extraordinary. Its even useless to compare you. You dont have to speak about me as if Im some sort of monster. You are doing all the work, that one cant help but say it. Just where would be, a person who can be alive and pimping after confronting that big-serpent and fire magic? Ah, She has hit the right point. I cant refute. Just like that, even though you are completely different, even knowing that Im a criminal, you still talked to me with friendly attitude...... Hmm~, Well, it wasnt a thing that I would worry about The moment I replied unintentionally, I saw a somewhat sad expression on Elks face. What happened? ......Lets change the talk. Do I look sleepy? Nope not at all. Why you ask? I had been thinking from before. There is something in your that attitude My attitude? What the hell does that mean? You use words likeJust on whimorI just did because I wanted to, right? Even at the time you saved me, I think you used it ? Was it like that? I dont remember it that much. At first I thought it comes from because of your strength that you are able to be calm and composed, but while the time I talked with you, it felt like its something different What I couldnt understand it. You seem like you dont think at all, but easily see through the strangest points. Youre absurdly strong, but you never show it with your words or actions. And more than anything......even with that attitude of interacting with others without creating a wall, it feels like somewhere on the essential part you are too much far ............? Distance, huh......? I never thought about it like that. But, even with those factors, To me, you were the first adventurer I could easily talk to, easily befriend with, your strength and broad-mindess, was charming for me. Though it might be imprudent, but if possible I thought to become Minatos that kindPartner,the moment I thought it......I realized it. Realized? Yeah, I understood what caught me in your attitude Then, Elk changed her expression to a serious one, and looking in my eyes from above, she said. Minato, what if......you are seeing friends, enemies, each and everything with some sort of rose-colored glasses. As if......youre looking at some fantasy inside a picture book ............!! ............!! The moment I heard it, The scene I saw in my dream just before, I recalled the fact that mom also told me the same before. If feels like sometimes, that you see the research of magic, or demons, nope, this whole world as some sort of fantasy inside a picture book Haaa? I can feel it like youre looking at some story written inside some book and youre only the reader of it. And that to this world you are living in. It might be somewhat difficult question, but......havent you ever realized it? E-Even if you say it......err...... Its only natural that I unintentionally replied. because, it was the best to say it like that. Ah, that in itself is not much of a strange thing. Its something everyone thinks once in their life. I remember me thinking like that during my younger days. It will heal with time, dont worry about it. Hearing those words of mom, the word ofReality Dissociation Syndromerose up from the vocabulary from my previous life. Thinking the world one is living in as some fictitious story, and other than him/her all others are characters of story, in a sense that mistaking is a disease. But, this isnt something like peculiar disease, just like mom said, every human once or twice suffers from it. Most suffer from it, during their childhood times without being able to distinct the reality from fictional world. Naturally something virtual can never become real. Just like mom said, after living many years, the common sense will drill itself in their brains and it would heal by itself. I dont think there would a middle-school student, whose future dream is to become shapeshifting Hero. But for the current me, something likeCommon Sensedoesnt work. After all, after dying in accident, I am able to beReincarnated in another world. And that to, in the world with magic and swords, just like fantasy novel world setting. It would be impossible to not be curious about it. Particularly to me, who always read Web Novels with stories like this. [ET: Readers, its for you . Be aware of the truck driver (maye promoted to something else).] Due to that, maybe I unconsciously, saw this world with magic and swords as some game or novel from my previous life. I didnt realize it myself......but if asked, that if didnt at all, its difficult to actually nod at that time. Mom, yours was healed with time? Thats right. But in my case, it took a really long time to heal, only after I grew many years old......thanks to that, my friends attached that strange nickname to me Is it by chance? Yeah. ItsDaydreamer. Including the fact, that I used to dream a lot. I see, certainly its likeDaydreaming. So she is a daydreamer including many things like thinking the world as story. It worries me that they used this word for things not related to its meaning, but yeah, they sure are great people! ......If Im that, will it heal? Its fine, it will heal without fail! When time passes, it would have been healed before you know it. Youll find some trigger for that while living Trigger? For example? For example, the moment......you start seeing the true feelings of some other person with your eyes. The true and serious feelings or words of others towards a person, come without restraint and reason. It will come with an impact, that can easily break the shitty thin filter made from visionary delusions. There will be a day, you would meet a person like that Why cant it be mom? You are seriously facing me......arent you? Youre harsh. No, well, Im always serious you know, but because you were with me since birth that our distance has closed too much. The chances of it healing are more with someone who is nearly like a stranger to you. I see. Recalling that, I now realize, what the fuck, I too am an exclusive limited versionedDaydreamer. From yesterday till today. At times Elk saidYoure too kind!, I replied withIts just on whim. At the time she pointed out my attitude against demons, my answerI can win after all. At that time, I didnt had any genuine intention behind it, but thinking upon it once again, I can understand it from a different perspective. How scary is that. In a game, its all up to the players whim, to save whom, to move like what, to abandon whom, how to use the reward and all that crap. And this world, has the environment clearly too much near to it. Its already apparent. I do know how precious a persons life is, how valuable money, and how to reply to something with equal position. But, because all that was completed with 1 punch or 1 kick, and thisAnother Worldis different from my previous world, that I forgot about it. Maybe from somewhere in my heart, I was still looking at this world through the filter. Thats why maybe, I had been looking at the dealing of money, heaps of raw materials of demons and the debt of life asJust that much. To Elk it might have been the debt she couldnt possibly repay easily. Hearing just one word, I got in thinking, maybe Elk is watching me, and is keeping quiet. The moment my mind has been enlightened, she stares in my eyes and, Hey, Minato, I maybe dont have the right to ask this, even if I had it might be impudent to ask it, but......tell me now Elk said that, with the same serious eyes as before. Do you have a clue to what I just said? Wasnt it like, you looked at everything including me as just something. I do have a clue. I was looking at them just something found anywhere. Magic too, Demons too, City too, Dungeon too, Thieves too......probably Elk, too. ......There should be limits to being rude. They are not the characters from some game or novel after all. Well, it might be because of your strength that you can see it with that POV, and so I dont have any reason to say anything on that matter. Stop speaking like that. I didnt knew it just before, but I surely looked at all people with a rude attitude that knew no control. ......That you, showed desire like a human, just before Suddenly Elk starts blushing, seems like she recalled the talk from before-Red-Light District and so on-. Eh, What does that mean? Ah, dont say it anymore...... At that time, I found a place that I can be in inside of you. Oi, Dont ignore the cute me. Im repeating it, but......I seriously have no problem in becoming like that with you? ......For repaying the debt? Maybe not only for that. If it was just for that, I would feel the conflict inside me, but I dont have anything like that She is now sending me her gaze, with more serious glint in her eyes. Though her face is still red. But, for what reason. That blushing......it feels like it has some other meaning behind it. Thats why Minato, if you have any clue to what I said right now......clear it away, and look at me one more time. No matter......what impression of me is reflected in your eyes at that time. ............ In the words of Elk, I can feel resolution filled in them. They are leaving the sound inside my head as if being engraved on them. If I looked like a hateful criminal in your eyes, at that time I will surrender myself and repent for my sins. At that time, with your testimony, I can be easily arrested. Its alright if I still look like an existence you dont care about. Rather, it is most befitting of me......but......if at that time...... A-At that time? If you see me even a little more charming than before, then...... Elk, as though she is embarrassed turn her gaze aside, However, after re-thinking, once again looks back at me. At that time I dont want you to keep restraint. It might be good to become like that with you, no, I want to become an existence like that for you, its not related to debt or adventurer or anything like that...... One beat later, ......I have fallen for your charm and ability......as a woman If someone said this to me in Japan, it would seem like a confession for love. I am strange to even think something absurd like that. I dont know if Elk has any intention like that while saying me to look in her eyes. But, I can understand that they are her true feelings, her true intentions- And she cant bear the embarrassment, that her face is as read as apple-. Aside for the observing eye of an adventurer, even I can understand something like that......I think. And, There is no man whose heart would skip a beat having a girl say that in front of their face, probably. Not good. My face is too hot. Probably really red too. I fill my hand withIcemagic to cool my face......Hell, it doesnt work. The outer surface is getting cooled, but inside my head, is still really hot. Fuck that, every time Im thinking about it, I can feel my heart putting its legs on the gas pedal and is accelerating. I can understand with intuition. Im a goner now. Its not something like lust, but something more fundamental is getting aroused. From Elks confession right now. (temporary name) And that girl. After saying her words, is now looking at the night sky ignoring me. That girl in Pajamas, is bathing in the moonlight falling on her from the window, with her face a little red......and I am looking at her from below. HueHue, Shes so sexy. Well then, The words Elk just said are all her true feelings. Though I dont know it completely, but it had her goodwill included. And right now, The feelings to reply to her feelings inside my heart are making a whirlpool......it feels like that. Of course, I cant deny the possibility of it being simple lust. I cant, but...... ......This too is, myTrue Feelings ......Err, Elk ......What? ......Will you......stay for tonight? On my words with a face even probably more redder than hers, She stood there as if she froze. But, as if she understood the reason the second later, her expression changed to somewhat bewildered and amazed. However, retracting all those, after taking a deep breath, !? Wha......!? Know what? She ......in sleepwear jumped from the window above me. I stand up from the chair in a hurry, and catch her falling body. Hey!? What are you trying to do, huh!? If you got injured...... Its fine. I knew you would save me Elk says as such carelessly, while being in my arms-just like a princess carrying form-, but her face is even more redder than before. I think about that things I am about to do from now on. Hey, I dont have time to do that. Aside from that......werent you bad with things like this? Well, thats right. but if you say like that, I cant help but back down, something like that...... Hmm~......Well, from your face color it doesnt look like you can wait till tomorrow. ......Just whose fault is it for making my face like this Yes Yes. You dont have to worry, I will take the responsibility AH, Yeah. Take care of......not that, Err, umm, D-Dont be rough...... ......Thats a girls line, you idiot Her face is still blushing, but the smile on her face, was saying as though she would finally be able to do what she wanted. Next Morning, We in the same bed, overslept. Chapter 21 – Rain Falls Ground Hardens and Much More Chapter 21 C Rain Falls Ground Hardens and Much More ............Beast ............Sorry From Elk with disgusted eyes while wearing pajamas......those cold words. No, well......yeah, I overdid it. [ET: #@^$#^%*&^%*)^$%^$!$#&R%(&)] [AK: ok what exactly has he done??? that is somehow wondering me] Accepting Elks kindness, the result of me working too hard, the burden and fatigue was too big. She has lost her whole strength, let alone stand, she cant even move even a little. The result, she is now bedridden. She cant move at all. Well I did say to do whatever you like, but......I never thought you would do to this extent. ......Yes, Sorry Well, Its the truth that I dont have much stamina, its a little bit disappointing......I understand that much. It was me who asked for it in the first place. Yes...... ......But it would be good if you had consideration about me......how can you still be fine after this? ......Well, thats right...... As for the period of time, we started in the dead of night, and kept on it *Rub Rub* till the time it seemed like the sun is going to rise. S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. No, after all err, Elk was really good. [ET BHC&O^*T&# B^#B *WTFH%*FH*] [AK: aye that was a really sportive night] The feeling of embracing her small body was really good. In both meanings. Though its slender, but her muscles are toned, and feel good on embracing. Moreover, he innocent reaction on bed was just too great. And in addition, the two patterns of enjoying that reaction, with glasses or without glasses, oh wow......Ah, no, that is somewhat different. Anyhow, after drowning in the charm of Elk, I got in high spirits. Its result, the current situation. In truth, this much fatigue might take 3 days to recover from. I know it because I remember how much wrecked her. But, I did the after-care on that. But, the ointment from before, really worked. Most of the pain has gone Just like Elk, who is saying while touching her hips, I rubbed the ointment specially made by mom, which I stole. The ointment works wonders, unlike the things sold in market, the muscular pain and all instantly disappears, even if before noon she isnt able to return to her usual form, she would be able to move. By tomorrow, she would most probably be completely fine. By the way, there was a paper patch on the lid of the ointment phial, on that, I pray it wont be used for some particular reason by a girl. Girls are delicate, take care of them ......These grateful words were written by mom. Im sorry, I read it too late. Sigh......You seem more decent that what I had thought, arent you? I cant say anything...... Well, Its alright. But still, to worry about those things too of her own son......youre truly gifted Though Elk is praising mom, it also meansYou are receiving favors to this extent from your parents, have shame, idiot, not like I can refute. Im sorry for saying all that yesterday, but this time I agree with your mom. Im fine with it, but if you dont remember to be gentle with girls......then it would be problem for girls you do it with in future Sorry, yeah, Forgive me. But you were so cute...... F-For saying that to me......as a woman I am happy...... Thats why, I accidentaly remembered my first......with mom and got in high spirits...... ............Eh? ............Ah Huuuh, just what the fucking shit hell I just said? Its scary to recall it but, lets go back 5 seconds before. Thats why, I accidentaly remembered my first......with mom and got in high spirits...... My tongue slipppppeeeeeeddddddddd!!? I look at Elks dumbfounded appearance. However, her eyes are changing to from disgusted eyes to the eyes with cold temperature, as if sayingThis guy is......, Wha, Wait! Minato, you...... W, Wa-Wait Elk! Its different! Its a misunderstanding! No, in a way, its not......No it really is a misunderstanding! Listen! Listen to me...... No, Alright I got it! I really got it! Now that I got it, for the time being get 3 metres away from me right now She doesnt understand! She definitely didnt get it. Listen to that its an misunderstanding while its not, Hey wtf am I even speaking from before. Calm down me......no,its impossible. I knew you were not normal, but to that extent...... No it is! Misunderstanding, its different! Its completely fine! No, what is alright? It was only once! Its enough to get away from me!! SFX: *Bafuuu* A pillow came flying. Huh, did I do say something wrong? [ET: Fucking hell with DT types u4 0yw4 5uyw45u*75w47 4v^#$^#&^#E^%@$QE^&] [AK: by the way... for those who do not know DT is short for doutei which means virgin] [ET: DT is a double meaning short word. It means Doutei (virgin (exclusive for male) and donkan, the thick-headed typical MCs of yeah most of animes, LNs, and mangas)] Its the problem before it! I cant believe it too......d-dont tell me, you assaulted a mom that cant turn down her childs request? No, or rather, you forcibly hold your mom with that strong physical strength and...... Its different! I did it definitely did it, or rather, the one who was desiring, err I mean, the one who assaulted me was mom What is with that!? Just what is wrong with your family!? I cant possibly win against mom in physical strength Really what is your family!? I somehow feel like Elks fatigue is in ultra-high speed increasing. She is hearing about my little, no, completely special family, so its natural for her to act like this. Sigh. I dont care anymore. I dont care, but when will you feel better after picking my nerves. You defeat demons bare-handed, blades cant cut you, You wont burn inside fire, Acid cant melt you, you already have a lot of things...... Elk with her increased tired feeling, murmured quietly. For her, it might be be as a joke or nothing important at all, or just a monologue, but Are you really, human, huh .................. Do I look like one? Eh? Chapter 21 Part 2 Part 1 of Bonus Chapter. Donations by 2 Anons, and Patrick Frake. Chapter 21 Part 2 Succ-ubus......!? I told her. Without concealing anything, everything. No, I didnt tell her things like previous life or reincarnation, neither the unnecessary things like, the secret of my re-birth and much more. Even so, I clearly, explained that I am a man who can use Succubuss power due to suddenMutation. No, well, I seriously thought if it was good to tell her, She thought of me as just a fellow adventurer who can help her with investigating or Im just a man she spent 1 night with. Nothing else. If our relation was just like the above examples, then I probably wouldnt have told her anything. Because my birthplace and present condition is not normal, its only taking on risks by telling it to others. In my case it is. ......But, strangely, I didnt want to hide it from Elk. It might be me thinking deeply, but that night Caside from what I didC, we both communicated while revealing our true feelings. Though she invited me first, in the end it ended up as me wanting it, and she accepted my wish. Its the result of our true feelings talking together......So Im not in the wrong. To her, who even entrusted herself to me because she trusted me, I didnt want to hide it from her. No, well, it might only be self-satisfaction, but you see self-satisfaction is an important thing of life? If you areSatisfied and confident in yourself, then you will without a doubt fall and die in a ditch. And then, In future, I would also not like it to hide the truth from her, while having fun. She is quite sharp, it would eventually be exposed. That Elk, who heard the truth is right now frozen stiff from the shock of bitter truth. In other words, you areDemi-human......or are you not aHuman? No well, I can classified asHuman, yeah most probably? I can use the power of succubus due to the mutation, just that much I dont think its a talk you can finish withJust that much, is it true...... Maybe sheAcceptedthe fact, Elk nodded while sighing. To be honest, at this point, though I can expect her to keep it as a secret, but I cant expect for her to talk to me normally, she would look at me strange eyes......I thought it right now. But it was me who said it. Even so, I didnt want to hide it, so I talked about it. And, Elks reply, I dont really care about this much? Eh, Really Really This development went far above my expectations. No, no matter......how many demi-human species like Elves and Dwarves (not like I have met them yet) are, but strange oddities inside them, people like me, arent accepted so easily, I seriously thought that. Then, Its not like I dont care about it at all, but still, it wont change my evaluation of you She tells me that. Certainly, its not normal, but its nothing to be amazed of. I already know what sort of person you are. Though youre diligent you look stupid, Youre kind but still have guts of steel, Youre strong, have kind and warm heart......are rough at nights, and just have power different from normal people...... She said all in one breath. She looked into my eyes, ......You are just a rookie adventurer, I can trust and said as such. Ah, how should I say it, Yeah, Im honestly happy. Her words were mostly joke on me, but it cant be changed that Im not a pureHuman. Due to that reason, I have resolution to face some discomfort after coming out in this society(?). Mom was also worried about it. Thats why, Im happy that she can still clearly speakI can trustto me. ......Yean, truly...... ......I...... ? Im really happy, that Elk is my first friend after getting out for journey. ......!?Y-You......! can speak those embarrassing things, easily! SFX: *Bafuu!* Once again Pillow missile. Why? ......Should I also addThick-headed (TN: DT)in the evaluation of yours haaa? Nothing at all Elk having her face slightly red (it seemed like that), she once again lies down. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I dont know exactly, but if its nothing bad, no problem. Then, as though she suddenly remembered it while still having red face, No that I think about it, Minato, do you remember what you said yesterday Hm? Yesterday? By yesterday......does she mean that? I-Its late, but are you fine......wanting to be in a team with someone like me? to the shy Elk, yesterdays night, I proposed this offer to her. Well then, now for recap of Elks talk from some time before, the adventurers, not all are people that can be trusted. There are more people, who gave their selfish desires the priority, make use of others, and try to kick down other people. Furthermore, to a girl like Elk, it is a more serious problem. In that case, then either go with someone you really trust, or go in dungeon alone, but its not like everything happens so easily in life. That person who can beTrustedis not present in the first place, it is troublesome to find one too, and there are not many people who try to go in dungeons alone. For various reasons, a partner is essential for adventurers. Like needing a person who can cover a person with low fighting ability, or someone who has knowledge and skills that one doesnt......there is no end to the reasons. Furthermore, I completely know that I lack common sense. And so for filling up my bad areas, I thought to have a partner for myself. Therefore, the mission of getting a personWho can be trustedeven if it takes time, is one of the the most important ones...... Based on that, I asked Elk to make a team with me. Hearing that, Elk was perplexed as though sayingInsane?. No, leaving aside the fact that it should beSeriously?, Fighting strength, courage, agility, and assets too, no matter how you see it, are greatly inferior to mine. Frankly put, it would only be a hindrance. She said Im happy that you trust me but, will someone like you who is not in the realm of normal, be happy to form a team with some like me. Its obvious that there will troubles in future, still you want to form a team. ......I replied to those inquires in......0.5 seconds. I dont wanna if its not Elk Our last 3 days we lived together, were quite deep. Elk had her life saved by me, her problems too were cleared by me, and I being me, was absolutely devoid of any knowlegde, and got her teaching me. There was also the matter with the thieves, I cant say, that our relation was without any problems, but in the end, it ended up with a good bond forming. Only than I got to know that Elk is strict to herself, her sense of responsibility is also strong, and I am the one she trusts. Finally, last night we crossed the line. Though it had only been only 3 days since we met, but they were enough for us to understand each other. Furthermore, this is only an intuition, but I dont feel like I will meet a person who will be like Elk and trust me like her. This is fate, its not like I want to used some cliched pick-up line, but its finally an opportunity, why let it go? Thats why, I clearly said that I dont have a problem with you. Then, Elk who is still getting red, gave me the answer I had been waiting for the most. SFX: Gashiii We both exchanged handshakes, instead of many words. Err, I cant explain it properly, but......take care of me from now on, Minato Its good enough with that much. Youre welcome, Elk! And well, With all the turns and twists, on the 3rd day after leaving home. I, Minato Quadrille, made......my first partner ever. Well then, where would I go with her and what adventures are waiting for us...... Chapter 22 – The True Identity of Sly Fox Well, after coming from School I overslept and started TLing around late night. Im changing the previous Part 1 of Chapter 22 to this new one. Im posting the chapter till where I got it done and will post Part 2 in some hours. (Sigh need to stay awake in night for TLing. *depress*). This part alone is more than 4010 words. (My ranting not included) Yo. My name is Durrendal and I will be joining the Maken team as an Editor. I really like summoning/reborn in a fantasy setting LN/WNs. Th-this is my first time...so p-pl-please be gentle with me~( first time Editing, you kerplats) Durr Out! That was a self-intro by Durr, who didnt get his screentime(?) before.-ET Chapter 22 C The True Identity of Sly Fox Some days after the day of big-serpents death, We were invited to come to the building of theMalras Association. As though, she took our circumstances into consideration, Okami-san, no I mean Noel-san, prepared a carriage for us. Seeing it standing outside the inn, it seemed more flashy than anything, but all doubts about getting in, disappeared, when I found out that the carriage is fast and nobody would stop it. Inside the carriage, I had free time, so I tried to talk to Elk about something that I suddenly remembered. Now that I think about it, I forgot to ask you What? Elk, why did you have the debt for? You are economist and wont do something harsh as that, or so I heard from Tanya-chan I only asked her due to my curiousity, if she had doesnt want to say, I wont ask. Then, Elk after hesitating a bit...... ......I will tell. Its not something that needs to be kept as secret...... I have already heard, Elks mom, was an adventurer in past. Even though, she was only a normal adventurer, not like some legendary hero or something like that which only happens in Web Novels. And her mom, was the so-called single mother. Elk doesnt know why she didnt have her father. [ET: Father got his energy sucked by Minatos mom.(lol)] [AK: that is a little too sneaky, isnt it] After giving birth to Elk, her mom retired from being an adventurer and raised her by being a staff member at the guild. In the case of an somewhat famous adventurer changing jobs to Staff member of the Guild, then they can keep on getting the benefits of the Guild Card. Elks mom chose this route. Like that, the mom and daughter lived a modest yet happy life. However, some years ago, her mom left the world because of a disease. Recovering from grief, Elk was using the knowledge and skills needed for adventurers and so decided to become an adventurer herself. But, during the time she lived with her mom, there was a time when their livelihood was in danger, at that time her mom sold her favorite high-class equipment she used in her adventurer days, and somehow pulled through the dilemma. Its name isCrystal Dagger. Its an dagger, with its blade made of hard crystal. Elk, found it some days ago in the shop. Its quality had fallen quite a bit, but its price was not that high too, even though, that price was something Elk, a rookie adventurer, can never get easily. Even so, she wanted to get back the only memento of her mother, she desperately tried everything, like paying in installments or bargaining. Her desperation was quite showing, and it attracted them to her. After getting the memento of her mother she felt relief, but now she fell in a situation she would lose everything, not only the dagger. Agitated, she took a loan, without even checking the contract, and successfully fell in the trap of the shopkeeper and the moneylender. Geez, saying its for mom and what not, even mom might be laughing at that While speaking in a masochistic tone, Elk takes out something from her bag. In her hand, is the dagger which just came up in the talk before. Its haft and scabbard are of old metal, it gives out the complete feel of an old-fashioned thing. Elk, while looking at it with distant eyes filled with nostalgia, I just wanted to get this dagger which mom used back in her younger days. Its not like mom is going to come back or anything is going to change......I cant explain it clearly. Its result, this, isnt it laughable S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Hee~...... Right now, even the price upon this dagger seems suspicious to me. That shop seemed like it deals with stolen goods too. Im really an idiot Told me that in a strange way. ......Err, Can I ask you to stop for a bit? That dagger, kind of is piquing my interest. ......Hey, Elk ? What, Minato? Can you show me that? Especially the blade part ? I dont really mind......but why? Elk gives me the dagger while having a?floating above her head. After taking it, I took out the blade from scabbard. The thing that appeared, is an opaque crystal blade with little shine. Indeed, like this its not strange for it to be of low price. At the very least, on its appearance, it wont look something valuable. ......Thats why they didnt knew it. Neither the corrupt merchant, neither the shopkeeper and nor Elk. They didnt knew that its not only some normal crystal dagger. Elk, how much did you pay for it? ......I dont want to recall, but 1 gold coin. Thinking on it now, it was a rip-off I see, 1 gold coin. So it means 1 million Japanese Yen. You did some good shopping there, Elk ......Its the first time you said something sarcastic. But you dont have the right to complain No, Im not being sarcastic. Or rather, was your mom, during her adventurer days, a really famous adventurer? ? What do you mean? I see, You dont know about it. You dont know what this......crystal dagger is. But, I know. That this aint some damned normal dagger, its theMagic Itemwhich mom told me about before. Moreover......its one of the weapons that mom classified asRarely found in dungeons only. Its appearance and real matter dont match up, its a fucking great thing. The moment I thought to tell her, the carriage stopped with a shake. A second later, a voice comes from outside. Thank you for coming. Youre Minato-sama and Elk-sama, right? I have been informed by Irene-sama already, please head this way Outside the carriage, a butler-like-middle-aged-man said as such while bowing. Oh......Ill tell her later, for the time being lets get out. Sorry for the wait. Thank you for coming here today, Elk-han and Minato-han please have fun Noel-san, came into the drawing room, bows, and sits on the sofa in the position as though she is interviewing us. She is holding various documents for todays agenda in her hands, which is the reason for our visit, theProcedures. However, when I thought it will just end like this, at that exact moment, a person came inside from the door, that I was thought to be closed. He is a man who has the atmosphere different from that of an merchant, wearing some sort of uniform-like clothes. Although he is thin, but has solid body build and has a saber hanging from his waist. His grizzled hair and moustache bringing out a dandyism feeling, a perfect match. Youre Elk Caucus-dono and Minato Quadrille-dono, right. Im Lando, the secretary of the garrison headquarters in Volka. Im the Vice-Captains Assistant He too, tried to sit on the sofa like Noel-san quickly, but only after introducing himself to us. Hearing the words Garrison Headquarters -The lower branch of Army, something like Police in this world- , Elk got startled, but soon enough straighten her back and face Lando-san by herself. The scene easily tells her resolution. As though she confirmed it, Noel-san opens her mouth. Well, lets get started. Lando-han, I leave the records and documents to you. Briefly put, the reason Elk has come here today is to complete the detailed procedures so as to not have future troubles with the debt incurred due to those damned moneylenders and to tell everything she knows about the kidnappers. As for former, it looks like she learnt from her mistakes. She read the documents prepared by Noel-san from top to bottom without leaving any word. Honestly, it took a lot of time. But when we started our work after that, it got faster. Elk and Noel-san signed and stamped on many documents, and Noel-san put them in an envelope after checking them. According to Elk, from hereon there wont be any troubles related to this anymore. I see, though I didnt understand a bit, but it looks like the procedures are all complete without any problems. Next, the 2nd work, the information. Lando-san, the so-calledSecretaryhas come here to clearly record the information. He keeps on writing Elks each and every word, without any mistakes. After writing everything, he groaned for a bitErm, but it ended up with nothing, just like what happened with Noel-san a few days ago. Though they would use her testimony, but due to lack of evidence it ended up as being non-prosecuted. Its not decided right here and now, but its the most reasonable thing that might happen. Just like Noel-san said, due to their work being busy, they wont cut up personnel and time for justAttempted Crimes. The moment the conclusion was made, Lando-san left. With this, finally, this time truly, this uproar is dealt with. However, both me and Elk are waiting without going back. Its because the thing Noel-san said beforeSome Personal Business, I dont even know the contents of it. She isnt showing any hostility, so its not like there is a trap or something dangerous, but it isnt good to be not on guard. After all, the time we first met......I was in my combat stance, with even more enhanced sensing abilities than normal, but let alone her approach, I couldnt even sense her spectating us from far. Well then, now is the talk with Minato-han Sigh. What might the business be? Isnt that time our first meeting? If Im called for something else, then I cant seem to find anything. Yeah, dont worry, its nothing troublesome. Just, I have something to talk about and hand over something to you Saying that Noel-san puts her hand inside the sleeve of kimono, and moves as though she is searching something And, the thing in her hand which came out some seconds after was, Yes, take it as a sign of friendship. Take it? (......Commuter Pass Case) ......something like that I know. Its something like the commuter case container that is used in automatic turnstiles of a station, or rather it is something that really looks like it. Its painted in black and silver, though its thin and small, but it looks sturdy and profound. But, even so, I cant come up for what am I going to use it in this world with no magnetic cards or automatic turnstiles ......Hm? Card? Is it something, you put the guild card inside? Good Insight~. However, not any card can be put in it. This case itself has lot of special privileges, so you wont have to take out the card at guild every time. Privileges? Elk and mine voices resounded in harmony. At that, as though she was waiting for it a long time, Noel-san starts her explanation. Right. You get discounts at inns, weapon shops and shopping with just like the guild card, right? Showing the guild card inside this case, youll get more discounts in shops, you can get in VIP areas, and can purchase the commodities from secret lists, that are not used publicly Hm...... But of course, it only works on legal commodities, hearing all that, I feel impressed. Just by having this, I can have less burden on my wallet, and expand my shopping area. But at the same time, this is quite damned suspicious. Err, Why would you give me, someone who you just met recently, something that good? From what I have heard, it seems like a quite good, no, extremely good item In my previous world, it would be something like membership privileges only for celebrities. On the civilization levels, this extraordinary thing (It might have an unexpected twist, like it can used on some shops only), cant be easily given to just anyone. Upon looking sideways, Elk also has the same opinion. Charming, no more than that, its feels like her glare is getting sharp and the air around her getting vigilant. Lovely. The air inside the drawing room, has shifted from gaining and not gaining something to what is she planning behind it. Well, its only natural to be vigilant. In truth, this cant be bought with even 100 gold coins With that my vigilance levels are already 100 times more powerful 100 Gold Coins! Almost 100 million Yen!? Ah, No, it wont suffice with that, huh There aint no damn fucking way I get that for free. There definitely some ulterior motives. It would be strange if there are no ulterior motives. Or rather, fuck all that, In the first place, this isnt something you give to someone. But, what did I do to demand that, I, a rookie adventurer, get this superb thing? No fricking clue at all. Maybe hiring me as bodyguard......no, cant see that happen. Its only recently that i met her. Its dangerous to hire some guy with unknown birth. In that case, she wants something of my belonging? These gauntlets or shin guards? Or this scarf? Belt? The thing, which seems most likely to be her im isNecromicon,maybe? Its a magical grimoire smelling dangerous! all the time, the contents written are also quite advanced. When I think that, Noel-san suddenly laughs Kukuku for some reason. Ah, Sorry. Your face looked same as that person ? Face? Yeah, to your mothers. Her face when thinking, perfectly matches yours !? You know my mom!? That freaked me out. Totally unexpected words. She knows about my mom too. Can she be aquaintance of mom? Friend? And so, she is giving me this good item as a present, because Im her friends son. No, she might have something to do with mom. She has many awesome things after all. The money is a given, but the pet she has, and many magic items which seem like a joke and much more she has. And, the next words fired at me and Elk who too is getting nervous, are...... No, nothing like acquaintance or anything. She too, is my mom [AK: first sister found...] Earth-shattering unexpected freaking truths. What!? I shout out forgetting my position and politeness. But It cant be helped, I think. The bombshell announcement she just made, is a bomb which is not a bomb. ......calm down, Im not making any sense. Err, Just what did this person say!? Lets see......She too is my mommust mean, that she too is born from her, right? I-In other words, this Noel-san and my relation is, ...... I have made you wait a long time, once again I will do self-introduction. Im Noel Co Malras. This is my father side surname, the mother side surname would be Quadrille. Im the fourth-born daughter of Lilyn Quadrille, inevitably, Im your elder sister, my lil brother? No, Well, I did know? I did know that I have some elder brothers and sisters whose name and face I dont even know about? Even so, preparing the heart is needed before meeting them, right? However, theres no helping now, so lets sort the situation. Looks like......the fact that this person Noel Co Malras is really my moms daughter and my elder sister. No, I did not believe her at first, but she had predicted it, so she asked for a quiz with questions related to mom which only people closely related to her would know, and she answered all correctly which cleared my doubts. The thing that convinced me more was, one letter she took out. And, the golden shining wings enclosed in the letter sealed with magic beeswax. The moment I saw, it I perceived the familiar smell of magical power and the wings appearance. After taking in my hands, I was convinced. This was the wings ofStork......the bird with golden wings bought by mom as a pet. In the house of mm, there were many pets. One of them isStork. A giant golden bird of 2 metres width when wings spread out. It is near to Phoenix. He had completely golden feathers and beak, and was the head of all pets who destroyed the insides of house while using it as a pasture land. Moreover naturally, he was not only just some bird, but a great demon......The details about it and other pets, lets leave them for a later date. Anyhow......judging from the scent of magical power and its appearance, no doubt, its his. I can smell the scent of Stork and Mom both. So she enclosed this feather as a proof of evidence at required times. Incidentally, there cant be a case that she picked them up somewhere while he was flapping his wings. I dont know what the reason for this is, but unless the person himself(bird himself), Stork, takes out the wings, they would turn into beds of golden light and disappear. And, inside the letter enclosed in the envelope, This fox-eared girl here is, youre older-sister, 4th from above you. Get along with her was that written in moms handwriting. Aside from the sentence being somewhat childish, this too made me convinced. Looks like Noel-san really is my sister. And this letter was delivered by Stork some days before, mom asked her to help me, who would soon be reaching the city -while not being overprotective- in another letter, and told in that to use this letter for the proof. ......So in other words, Noel-san, no, Noel-neesan prepared this more than 100 gold coins worth of thing, for encouraging her brother. No, still I cant believe it. Even if she is a relative, I can trust without batting an eye. Youre sharp. Even I wont give something more than 100 gold coins for no reason to my own brother, it takes 1 month to be made. I didnt had any pre-made ones too. Eh? Then, this is...... 1 month ago means, me still remaining in that house. So, this is not a pass made specially for me...... Frankly put. This was ordered by that idiot who got thrown in the prison some days ago. He mustve thought of using this for shady business. Its good that he got arrested quickly. That idiot, you say......Ah, that guy who threw ELk in debt cycle. Right now, he is waiting for trial while healing his snapped muscles body, resulted by me, but it would most likely be death penalty, or so the human rumours reception antenna, Tanya-chan was saying. He was doing slave trading and illegal dealings, so its the perfect reward for him. Furthermore, the trials come faster in this world. [ET: Why isnt that possible in this world?] At the fastest, it would be 1 day later for judgement, moreover, depending on charges the privilege of appealing to higher courts can be retained. As expected of Swords & Magic Filled World. Most probably, by the start of next month, most of his subordinates wouldnt be present in this world. I indirectly drove them away, in other words killed them......this strange ethical values, have already been reformed during the time I lived with mom in Western-Style house. I have did the dealing of life against thieves as opponents, many times. Still, I most of times, hold back my power and make others faint, and let them be judged by law, maybe the traces of previous lifes ethics are still remaining. ......The talk got derailed. This pass ordered by that mom for unknown reasons reached here, the orderer, is persistent but most probably will be saying goodbye~ to this world next month. So its unnecessary,huh. Even so,due to this passs importance and rarity, it is prohibited for it to be stored in theInventory. If there is no one to buy it, then it would be disposed of. At that point, I -A relative, she could trust due to Moms certified documents- appeared, so she thought to give it to me, as a present for me becoming an adventurer. ......Though she explained it, but it still feels too simple. Umm, will it be alright? If a rookie adventurer like me get something like this Its fine, Its fine? I have gotten written proof that I canTrust youand...... Noel-san, makes a fleeting glance towards Elk, sitting besides me. It will also be as an apology towards Elk-chan, who is getting intimate with Minato-han. Just take it from a stupid Sister. But if its used for evil purposes, Im gonna take it back Sigh......Then, Ill take up that offer And well, thats how, I got a ultra-high class item of more than 100 gold coins, called asBlack Pass. Having my area of activities expanded, and getting various special privileges, my purse has gotten healthier. And......I once again gained one moreBlackthing. Is this some sort of karma or fate? She said that by putting the guild card inside the case, theOwner Authenticationwould be complete, so I did as she said. When I did, the pass twice as big as guild card, shrank in size like the vacuum futon storage pack while having the designs it became the same size as that of card. Rather than saying it looked like a card inserted in case, it became like a card decorated with seals and stickers. But, there isnt any roughness on the surface neither did it create any difference in weight. There isnt any problem in the information browsing area too. Just like Noel-san said, it can be used normally. I already get an awesome item, after becoming an adventurer just some days before, Yeah Im just a great existence. Dont worry about it much. In the first place, thisPass Case, does has trouble getting it requested, but with some money no obstacles will come. Many nobles of big persons have them made for their families with the abuse of their authorities. Eh? Is that so? Yeah. Dont be conceited, but take it without any problem. Well the things those people took was mostly silver or gold only Silver? Gold? Based on Passs design and color, the serviec you get changes. Gold is above Silver, and Platinum is above Gold like that. Just like that the expiration date too is increased. I see, easy to understand. So, this pass got an expiration date. Well there aint something like a commuter pass that works for eternity, so its only normal and appropriate. Huh? This isBlack......what would this mean? The person withBlack Passgets indefinite service. Feel free to use till the day you die. ......It would be better to not show it off, right? Well, yeah right What the freaking shit you giving me for your ex-post-facto approval. Iya~, you really saved me. I cant keep up with the safeguarding of this thing. Before it got authenticated, many people tried to buy it sayingSell it to meand some even tried to steal. Its good that you are taking it away from me Her real intentions are gushing out, should I retort here? No, well, its a fact that I would take many favors from her in future, so lets bear with it. The beautiful fox girl with cream coloured hair and fox ears -She only looks somewhat older than me, but what is her real age?- reveals a smile while her two canines peek out of her mouth. Well, its cute, lets see it. Chapter 22 Part 2 Chapter 22 Part 2 After that, I took a small explanation on how to use thePass, and then she would have to take a leave by saying that her work was calling. Even though she looks like a little girl, she is at the top of a big association, no wonder she is busy. When we were returning, Noel-san called out as though she remembered something. Ah Minato, everything today ended in a haste, but normally Im doing the work of the association perfectly, so do come when you need something? I can do anything from wholesale of medicines to the making of custom-made equipments Maybe she understood our mutual relation of siblings, she has changed calling meMinato-hantoMinatoand told me that. I see so thats how it is? Then I will take favors from you in future. After all, the association was certified by mom, and the manager is my sister(I just knew it today). I had thought of finding a new weapon shop that I become a regular at, but unexpectedly there was a godsend for me. Or rather, I have something I am thinking about right now, maybe, I need to take favors from her pretty soon. This and, this, and that too......I will come after I have them all. And And? Noel-neesan If youre going to live as an adventurer, then you will travel various places around the world. Maybe you will meet other brothers and sisters of yours at those places. At that time, rely on me without any hesitation! Though there are siblings with bad and good personalities, but in the end theyre all siblings When she said something filled with warmth, I suddenly noticed it, ......Now that I think about it, I have one thing to ask, Noel-neesan Hm? I had thinking of asking from a long time before, but......Just how many brothers and sisters do I have above me? Mom only told I had many siblings during the time at home, nothing more. I dont think its something you can forget. But what if she gave birth to many that she cant count now......Yea~h...... But, I recall Noel-neesan introducing herself as4th daughtersome minutes ago. And she just said thatMaybe you will meet other brothers and sisters of yours at those places. I can somewhat guess, that there are many brothers and sisters I have. In that case, is it something like large family of 5 men and 6 girls? Yeah, its my mom were talking about, nothings impossible. Ah, didnt mom told you? If I am not mistaken, including you, it would be err...... No, its not really bad to have a family that can make a complete baseball team......lets be prepared. She is aSuccubusafter all, so its natural for that field of work to be more, so how many brother and sisters above me do I have...... 11 man and 15 woman, in total 26 siblings. Minato, you should be the youngest I was naive. I was naive to the point, of a dinner dish made with sugar and brown sugar put in it thinking they were salt and pepper. Let alone a single soccer team, with this number there can be two teams with 2 substitutes for every player, truly unexpected....... The black colored carriage, once again travelled through the road taking Minato and Elk back to inn. Noel waved her hands humbly while seeing off the carriage. The moment carriage disappeared in the corner of road, she ran quickly back to her room. And, the moment she closed the door behind her with a slam, From her face......the smile vanished. Though it didnt change her cute facial looks. However from her face, was coming a really sharp feeling of intimidation, rather than the gentle feelings from some time before. Its not that she narrowed her eyes, neither did she frown, but the glint in her eye was enough to even make an amateur realize that shes not an ordinary person. Then, she issued an order to her secretary, who had been waiting for long. With a shortYesthe secretary responded, walked into the next room, and came back soon enough. The secretary was holding a big transparent tablet made of crystal. If Minato could see this scene, he wouldve gotten the impression of the terminal screen of an HDTV taken out. After putting the tablet on the large table in the centre of the room, Noel walks up to it, mumbles a few words, and puts aCardon it. ThisCardwas something......she retrieved before coming here. When she does, some scribbling......some sort of information appears on it as though it were an LCD. Noel kept silent seeing it, after a while, she opened her mouth little by little. ......Geez, its nothing new that mom has no integrity. But this time she has made something really great Is it about Minato-dono? Thats right. When I got the letter from mom recently......2 months ago, I couldnt think what it meant, but after seeing it with my eyes, I can now truly understand. What is that monster Remembering, the face of youngest brother she was dealing with a smile, she faintly smiles and says as such. The thing that appeared on the crystal tablet was, the simplified yet detailed observation details of Minatos internal and external magical power. The one who changed that observation into data was, the observation and receiver device placed beforehand, in the room next to this one. The thing that was needed to read the information, was theCardfrom before. TheCardmakes it possible to carry the collected information, and is used as an intermediary for reading the information through the crystal tablet. ......Furthermore, She had inserted a magic item for gaining even more detailed information, into theBlack Passshe gave to Minato before. Noel who had gained simplified information through those two steps from before and was astonished at the information shown on the tablet. She had given him thePasswith the intention ofObservation......correctionSurveillance. Naturally, this pass wasnt ordered by the fraud criminal, but Noel herself ordered it, as it was written it the letter which also had the fees for it, 300 gold. Including the line that she got the letter from Lilyn some days ago, its all a big big lie. It wasnt a normal pass......it has the device for observing the magical power, and many other devices inserted into it. There are not more than 2 of its kind in this world, a specially custom-made product. That was, thePassfrom before. The secretary who was standing besides her calls out to Noel who was looking at the information gathered through it with a serious face. How was he? How did Minato-dono seem to you Noel-sama? ......I had seen him during the fight before......he is good enough in regards to battle powers to get passing marks for that. He wouldnt lose even if the people were ten times more, it wont change anything to him. The so-called big-serpent he killed, was also most probably done in easily, completely different from the rumours. Her face changes to somewhat unpleasant expression, The evaluation for his fighting style and personality is put on hold for a while Any problems? Any, lot of problems. Ah, right now that was not a joke? I know, the problem might be? Is it the fighting skills and magic he use? May i know, what the problem might be? ......No, there isnt any problem in that place. His magic and skills are both first class products......but, before that, hisStancein itself is kinda...... Noel heaves a sigh*haa*, takes her eyes off the crystal tablet and sits on sofa besides her. There isnt any frown on her brows, but a shadow is descending/ casted on them. Simply, he has lot of self-confidence in the strength of his body. He doesnt dodge the attacks of enemies, and take them head on, he has showed thatperformancein fights. That and, he did something similar in theLabyrinthtoo I see......that is a problem. Agility and Certainty is need when fighting the demons. Sometimes, its need to be fighting with cold-heart without playing. If someone were to neglect that and take their strength for granted...... Hm? Ah, no, I didnt mean it like that Yes? To Noels intervention the secretary replied with curious look. As though saying, where did I get wrong, that. Hes not taking his strength for granted, and neither making mistakes in his judgement? Well, its not he is always on guard, he infers the magical power of opponent and magic too, then only does he do his work like this, he adapts as necessary Is that so? Or rather, if he wins in the end, there isnt anyone to complain his way of fighting. Let it be he fights while waiting, or he fights while holding back, or while looking away, or while thinking, or while talking in middle, or while muttering or even while taking others attacks......if he completes his goal in end, a complaint by an outsider would be rude If he makes a mistakes, its his own fault, Noel clearly says that. To the secretary making a face saying, Then what is the problem, Noel replies withButand continues while making her eyes narrow. ......Its no problem if he chose to fight like that. I too, dont have any reason to complain. However......the problem is that if he didnt choose it If he didnt choose it? Thats right. ......It wont be good if he becomes just like mom in her younger days, aDaydreamer. Certainly, he is an idiot guy who is always being looked after by somewhere, someone. Saying that, Noel takes the card put on the crystal tablet off, and puts it into her bosom. Soon after, the information from above the crystal tablet disappears and returns to being colorless and transparent. Noel, walks up to her desk, and puts the card inside the drawer. And recalled, the fight of Minato she was seeing yesterday while hiding in shadows. In that there were too many things that attracted her. The body which doesnt get burned even with fire, legs that can electrify, the mysterious magic to enhance someone else, etc...... However, the things that she concerned about most is, thoseEyes. Not having fun with fighting, violence. Still, not isnt being disappointed. Not having resolution, nor hesitation. His eyes are objective to a tremendous extent. As if the fight was, a scene on a theatre play or drawing made on the page. His eyes are like that of a theatre play actor, who knows he would have to fight here. Fortunately, he doesnt think he is a chosen one. But, that in turn accelerates another problem. It had close resemblance to her moms heroic saga......Daydreamer she told once, thinking that Noel frowned. (But, Minatos eyes just now were somewhat better......did he get some trigger for it? To want to face the world seriously......) Noel, who doesnt even know what happened yesterdays night, wont be able to get a clue, but soon enough she stopped thinking. The thing known asDaydreameris not a easy, and a weak thing, that she would feel relief with his eyes changed a bit only. It was precisely because her mom knew that, that she requested theSurveillanceandTeachingof her youngest brother. Different from what Minato recognises and has heard aboutDaydreamer, Noel knows theReal meaningof that word, the danger of that thing, and so she frowns. For the time being just wait-and-see. I cannot guess how he would grow from now on Understood. Then, as you wish After bowing saying that, secretary left the room. For becoming a help for its master who has taken a troublesome job once again. ......However, that secretary has not realized it. The contents Noel talked about were all truth. Its true that there is a problem with hisStance, his future might change on the way he is guided from now on. However, that is all about his way of thinking or personality, the things that occur on theInterior. Strong persisting interacting is needed, S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ......but, in that case, why is the observation ofMagical Powerneeded? ThePassshe handed, and theCardshe put in drawer, are in no way related to personality, rather they are used to measure the quantity and attribute ofMagical Power. No matter how much information she needed, this was way too out of line. The reason......Only her mom who wrote the letter, and Noel who is following her mothers orders, know about. Noel, confirmed that after seeing the information on the crystal tablet......right now, in the room she was alone and, Really, what does this mean, mom......? She heaved a sigh while remembering a certain information on the crystal tablet. Chapter 23 – Rank and Call Well, uh, you will have to wait some hours before I put up the part 2. I had this completed so I am posting it. Im right now en route to RL work, so it would take time before I post new part. Wait patiently~. Btw, its not a bonus chapter. Two more things before you start the chapter. The call in the title doesnt mean that Minato got himself a fucking Mobile Phone. It means he is called by someone. The other thing, Volka has been renamed to Volca, and some other words have been changed to. Dont worry, I would change them all in the previous chapters, in time. Chapter 23 C Rank and Call One morning. In the vacant lands outside of Volka City. Yes, Im beat Au!? Holding a dagger (for training), making sharp turns Elk jumped at me, I attacked her incoming leg......thats what I thought, but Elk skillfully dodged it. However, due to the trajectory before her jumping my elbow accidently came cutting right in, hit the solar plexus, and Elk crashed down. Thats why during the evasion of an attack any careless jumping is prohibited. Especially if the opponent is agile and has great maneuvering ability. You have start your next action the moment you land on surface. While the time youre in air, basically unless you use floating magic, you cant evade attacks That is......Keho(*cough)! I do know that, but my body moved on its own Well, theres no choice other than letting your body learn it over time. Lets be patient I see......Once again! Well, roughly its like this. This is the daily routine of us both recently. We wake up early in morning, wash our faces, get dressed, come to this vacant land, complete the warming-up exercises and then do sparring as called we called it, morning training. Even though I say that, this is training forElkonly, its somewhat inefficient for it to become my training. In the afternoon of the day I met Noel-neesan and took thePassfrom her. After returning to the inn, Elk requested me with a docile expression. I want to train. In short, she is happy that I have made a team with her, and its an honor for her that I trust her, but the current her and me are not a good match. She didnt want to remain a comrade in name only, neither did she want to only keep on relying on me. She didnt want to be a hindrance to me, while going to various danger area or while doing various other quotes, so she wanted to get strong. Well, I thought her ambition is good, and also hesitated in rejecting her feelings, so i agreed to her. Though I had rejected her before by saying I cant teach, still Im here training with her. This type of mock battle training is being done everyday. Were doing somewhat a real battle, so even if the time is less the things she could are more, including that she learns more while harvesting and exploration, and presents them all here in thisTraining. [AK: dont get the part... does it mean she knew minato dont or she knew more after training...] [ET: It means she learns in the training and she also learns it during doing quests and whatnot. She even presents the new things she learnt in the quests and whatnot section during training.] The portion she learnt there is presented here, gets improvement scores, continues training......this cycle is running. This is the way of training I did with mom. The only thing I could refer to. But of course, in my case it was a battle royal between moms sparring and demons of forest. That spar was a ultra-serious battle of about 30 min~ 1 hour long. By the way, the monsters hunted, were either served as food in that days dinner, or stored in pantry as preserved foods, otherwise they would be given as fodder to many pets mom had. In this training too, I can feel like Elk is getting stronger time to time. Although its only my feeling while fighting her. After the sparring is completed, during the time Elk is cooling down while reviewing her results, this is the time I enter my training. Though, its only weight and shadow training only. Its my daily routine since the time from western-style house. Just in case, Im doing it everyday. My physical strength is more than enough, so for it to not decline, I have devised a scheme in my training......to be honest, I cant call this training to be efficient. In truth recently Cor rather, from somewhat before I left the houseC , I dont feel pain or anything doing push-ups or sit-ups. Aside from maintaining the current condition, to get more stronger I need more harsher training, I can increase the number of times of my current training but it would increase my time, and also I have no other way too...... That, cant you do something about your habit of leaking out what you think? Hm? Suddenly a voice from behind hits me. There Elk is standing while sending her beautiful reproachful stares at me. Not good Not good, looks like I leaked out my words again. And, the clothes she is wearing is different from her usual ones, no I havent seen her wearing it at all. ......? What happened? No, its just that those clothes suit you R-Really? Well, Yeah, Thank you Right now, what Elk is wearing, or rather is equipped with is not what she usually wears, the memento of her mother + low quality ready-made clothes......but, everything she is wearing is a brand new, order-made goods. The hemp cloth with a feeling of oldness, has changed to a healthy and clean cloth. Its texture too is different. On her waist is another new robust looking leather belt. And there is also the memento of her mother, thatDagger. More than anything the main fascinating thing made with fine quality high grade substance is the armor. Though its an armor, it isnt something massive. Its a light armor. This covers the minimum important parts and helps in not restricting movement. In my previous lifes RPG, only thieves would wear armor like that. This refreshing green colored armor is, yes, something we requested Noel-nee san and ordered it at some trusted armor shop. Its made from the scales and skin of the big-serpent CIts got its official nameNaganowC and also other materials. At that time she had saidJust tell me if you need weapon, armor, custom-made article, everything is OK, so I took her offer. As expected, making custom-made armors and other things from monsters raw materials is popular among adventurers, so when we took our raw materials the shopkeeper admired the high level of the materials and full-heartedly started making it. Along with that, we ordered other things to be made too, but thats for some later date. And, Noel-nee san who acted as intermediary between the manufacturers, told us that the same type of articles in market cannot be compared to our articles. Its weight is not more than a feather, but its hardness, strength and the pure iron inserted inside it cannot be broken easily. Demon raw materials are really awesome. Incidentally, using the skin without scales, we had them to be processed into clothes like undergarments. At one glance, each and every is first-class goods that that a rookie adventurer would is not fated to get, only a veteran adventurer might be able to get them. Yeah, it does look great on her. But, the scales and skin ofNagawere both green. After the manufacturing, it became even more bright. Inevitably, Elks armor and clothes are both green. And, Elks hair and eyes too are green, so after me beingMan In Black, this time Elk is becomingWoman In Green......but like I care Well her clothes are green, her armor made from scales is dark green almost black you can say......there is not much difference in the hue, so its alright, probably. Incidentally, for them brand new equipments, the required money was given by me to her as a loan. At first I had thought of distributing the reward fromNagataking in the consideration of her financial conditions, this time it wasnt on whim, but stubbornly Elk didnt accept it. She saidYou defeated it 100% thats why its all yours. If you want to team up with me, then do that work perfectly. Well its something like her personality. Thats why, with interest rate I lend her the money......though Im praying that she forgets about it by the expiration date. After all, though its needed, but I dont want to do money lending and borrowing between friends. Its more natural to think of it as a present from a man to a woman, at least for me. Elk was against the me offering the raw materials to be made into equipments, but this time I won. I just said, If youre going to team with me, then you should have equipment that I can rest assured that you will be safe. She, who doesnt think its good to rely on me, naturally didnt made a good face at my request, but there wasnt any problem in my request. Its natural to think, that the other party who is going to be your partner should also have even if a little high survival rate. Even if its said to be overprotective. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And, when it was made, ? ......She seemed really happy. The green colored armor equipped on the arms and shoulder, and the clothes covering the body. After all, as an adventurer, she mustve have more or less admired these kind of equipments. Elk realized my eyesight looking at her with glitter in eyes, did get startled as bit, but without explaining or anything just turned around. W, Well I still think its beyond my means to normally get it......but yeah Im happy. Since the raw materials are high-class, so it would increase the survival rate Yeah Yeah, its fine if you even think that Like that for a while, while Elk was getting rid of sweat from training, she looked at her right-now-praised equipment with glittering eyes. Whatever she says, in the end she does like it. Maybe, the cooling down exercises are some sort of stretching exercise, but to me its only looks like shes making a pose. The action of the diligent and beautiful Elk in a perfect costume of both hue and design, looks like a fashion show to me. It has been 16 years and some months since I came to this world, the memories and sense of values deeply rooted into me, cannot help but look at the attire of adventurers as some sort of cosplay. Though its imprudent to say, but. Let me declare! Its a sight for sore eyes! While I was thinking this and that, before I knew it Elk stared at me with reproachful eyes. Huh, did I again leak it out from mouth? Anyone would be worried, if you make a triumphant pose with a satisfied expression while looking at someone ......Looks like I need to care of some bad habits inside me. Anyway, while coversating like that we both completed the preparation, and decided to return to City of Volca. after we had our breakfast there, for some reason, we both needed to go to adventurer guild. Chapter 24 – Meeting with Guild Master Part 1 I didnt had much time before sleeping early (due to sickness), I TLed a part, left it to AK, woke up and here we go~, you get the chapter. Im sick to the point of vomiting blood. (not really. Just wanted to say those last 2 words). RE:EDITING: The Title was Chapter 24 has been changed to Chapter 24 Part 1. For those who update reddit/aho-updates and whatnot. Please re-check it. Chapter 24- Meeting with Guild Master Part 1 Abruptly we were informed that someone had summoned us, that too, not just anyone in guild but its headGuild Master-san did. If it was someone from upper echelons in the guild, I wouldve gone back saying half-assed lines likeMy stomach hurts, but I dont want to be on the bad side of the most influential person in guild, so I responded to the summon. Riin-san couldnt leave her place as a receptionist, so we were introduced to a staff personnel, a girl, then we both were led into the inner parts of guild. Even so, why were we summoned by some as great like Guild Master? Yeah, I cant think of anything it all. For a moment, I thought that some problem occurred during the time withNaga, but the next moment, I discarded the thought. For arguments sake, this timing to summon us is just too late, the questioning is done, Nagahas been registered as a demon, even the reward has been paid. I asked Elk, but it was no good. In fact, in this situation ofBeing summoned by Guild Master, she is getting nervous stiff from before. From what I heard before, Guild Master is the most influential person in the guild, during younger days was also a great adventurer, many adventurers admire the Guild Master. Well from this story, the reaction of others is quite normal. But, you both are really cool, youre both still young, but Guild Master has still summoned you personally And, The guide girl walking in front said such out of blue. She is wearing guild uniform, has dark brown short-hair and a cute face. Her body is, places that need to be large are large and......oh, just forget it. Have you completed some amazing feats? Or else, is there some personal relationship? No, if we knew, we wouldnt have any troubles...... Its something out of blue even for us. Were bewildered right now, due to being summoned I mean really. Summoning us is fine and all, but at least tell the reason before. Heart and many things need to be prepared. Even Riin-san saidI havent been informed too. Then, I see. I was thinking that, the rumoured black adventurer would be like the hero of fairy tales, living in deep forest, growing and raising tremendous power, and then leaving the place. I was getting excited on this mysterious history What is that unnatural guess, which is completely right!? Creep!? Gross!? What was just now!? I shudder in front of this staff girl asking me while smiling. The reproachful stares of Elk from behind sayingWhat is that, didnt arouse me this time. Then this time the girl, Are you, by any chance his girlfriend? DDCrap! Made Elk flustered. She in front of the spearhead in front of her that appeared without any prior notice (well, it did notify), she stumbled, its a cute yet troublesome reaction. Wha, I, What are you saying out of blue!? I-Im just his partner! Huh, so thats what it was? I completely thought you guys would have done what needs to be done......ah, are you by any chancePartnerin that sense What!? W-What are you saying......you trying to tease!? Oh, you didnt realise it? Im sorry ............!! Ah, Elk calm down I calm down Elk who has become as red as an apple ready to be harvested. With her anger and shame, reason is about to go into oblivion. With just this much. Even so, what is wrong with this girl? Shes already passed mischief and being frank, completely rude. What are they thinking, taking people like her as guild members. Did they send this hateful staff member with some intention? I cant think any reason behind it. Anyways, I thought to stop the girl and complain her, but she stopped before. And, Go in, this is the office of Guild Mas (door opens) ter During talking, she opened the door, and suggested to enter. ......Is the education of guild staff really fine? We both were dumfounded at her attitude of entering the room of her superior without any courtesy, while leading guests. But, if it has come to this, now anything can happen. It wouldnt be good to make other party wait while the door is open, and she would be the one getting rebuked, thinking that we both enter the room. Of course, I sayExcuse mewhile entering. There is a single old person in the room. However, not just any old person. In fact, Its troubling to even call the person an old person. Around 2 metres tall, dark-skinned, muscular body. The glint coming from behind the glasses is sharp like a blade, any normal person might even faint from just a stare. His beard is cut and evened, which increases the intimidating pressure even more, no let me more frank, its looking like fiend. No, well I did think the Guild Master would be a male in prime of his life with dignified looks, ......but this is truly outside my expectations. Truly. Its almost like this person can still take young uns and still be able to live off as an adventurer. Truly, just great. He is wearing formal dress, but the black toned clothes, scatter the intimidating air of not a great person, but of someone like GodFather of Mafia. [ET: I feel embarrassed] S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ......This girl might be killed for being rude. Looking on the side, Elk is somewhat scared, somewhat dumbfounded, somewhat perplexed. Yeah, whatever her expression might be, I can easily guess whats in her heart right now. Then, the head of the room while staring at us with the eyes that would give the SFXStarea life in real world Ive been waiting, Minato-dono, Elk-dono. Im the aide of this guilds guild master, my name is Barracks. Nice to meet you correction, the aide, bend perfect 90 degrees and politely greeted us. No, you aint the Guild Master!? I completely thought you were the one with your intimidating air and whatnot, ugh, now Im feeling disappointed...... ......Its a secret, that I felt relieved somewhat. But huh? In that case, isnt the Guild Master missing? The ones in this room are me, Elk, and this newly-introduced Barracks-san. ......And also the guide girl, who just now closed the door by kicking the door. I wont retort to her delinquent behaviour now. Is the Guild Master still not here? Then, Barracks-san makes a troubled expression, No, Guild Master is already in this room...... And tells me that. Just where is that guild master? I once again survey the surroundings, but there is still only us 4 not anyone else, not even presence of anyone else. ......Before that, I apologize for associating with Guild Masters prank, even though you both were summoned Yes? Prank? What is that, what does it mean? When did we get into it? No, dont tell me the summon in itself was a joke. In fact, the Guild Master is not here...... Then, Barracks-san while sighing, ......Can you now stop your pranks, and greet the guests politely? From behind us both who have?floating above our heads, a voice came. Ahaha, Sorry Sorry. No well, its quite interesting even to spectate, so I couldnt help it. Thank you for your hard work, Barracks Along with that voice, The girl who guided us, while we were having questions about the education of guild members, took large strides and came near us. Lie that, she passed Barracks-san as though its natural, and stood in front of us. Eh, What is this, What the fuck, before we had time to think these words, the figure of girl wavered like heat haze. The next moment, theres a terrifying scene. The girl who was looking like a normal guild member, has transformed into something thats completely different from before. A navy blue, three-quarter sleeved clothes with somewhat similar to priests robe instead of dress. On top of it something like scarf like soft cloth is put on. The dark brown short hair, turned into olive brown long hair reaching her waist. The only things same from before, are the height of her and her baby face, her age too seems the same as our. In her face CNo, in her eyesC is a strange and dignified something present. Then, she faces us, and while grinning, Im sorry for teasing you both. So yeah, Im the Guild Master of this guild, Irene. Nice to meet you? Thats right, she declared boldly. Chapter 24 Part 2 Heya~, Im back! *claps to myself*. My exams are over now, my health is restored (drank potions, bitter ones), and so I will be back on posting MnD per day. Here is my rant, oh my~, its big. *RANT START* Ive re-joined my part-time job, and I also have other work (not including anime watching and all that stuff), so I will try to get some time from my schedule to give you people chapters in whole, not parts, everyday. If I cant give then, simple, I couldnt get much free time. As for the Sponsored Chapters (previously known as bonus chapters), I would change my schedule, why? Cuz, the reader gave money! He/She aint doing charity job. I too am in a quite pinch for this month (salary comes per month), so I would love if readers give money~. Sponsored Chapters may get postponed, but that is only for the time when Im posting KnM too. Oh yeah, I finally found, what other translators mean by Slave Day, basically, thats something I would also get into when there are too many donors. And with this *RANT OVER* Maken no Daydreamer Chapter 24 Part 2 Irene Gemena/Jemina She is the great adventurer, who once in past, bellowed her name through the whole continent, after retiring, she got recommended by majority of people, became the Guild Master of guild, and is right now at this place. As per rumors, her strength is still present, among the adventurers; her name is known as a Living Legend. ThatLiving Legendis right now in front of my eyes, while sitting on a sofa in really relaxing manner, and a smile is floating on her face. No matter how you look at it, she doesnt look that much older than us, but though she looks like human, she is surprisingly different; her true age is over 400 years, really scary. She has already has been doing her job asGuild Masterfor over 150 years, well, this is a true legend. People are more than meets the eye. Incidentally, the data about her which I just rambled about is what Elk told me. The expression she showed before CWhen we entered the room only to find Barracks-sanwas because she knew Guild Master is a girl. It means she was bewildered onWhy man? and not onHes got great intimidating pressure! If I only had heard this all talk, though it was from Elk, I wouldnt have believed it, but I have seen the glimpse of that power with my eyes. TheGirl in Guild Member uniformto deceive our eyes was Irene-sans illusion magic. I have learnt the basics to see through illusions, but I wasnt even able to sense anything let alone see through it. Not even a single gap, I cant help but say its a perfectly mastered technique. My instincts after seeing that, removed each and every suspicions about her personal history. More than anything, the aura she is clad in. It is only fluttering like wind, is imposing yet calm, it certainly feels like full of self-confidence. To speak in words, yeah, its like the atmosphere that shows theExpertof some sort. There is only one other person I knows of, who can be clad in this sort of aura. Most probably, nope, no doubt about it, this person is the same as mom. Well, dont be so stiff and relax. Its not like I called you here for some formal business Eh, is that so? Yeah, I just wanted to talk with the supernova-kun whose been in rumors now-a-days Ha, Haa Irene-san is like this from before. However, on the contrary to her frank behavior, I and Elk, both are feeling tension.Its strange to not talk about something after calling you her, for starters, I give my gratitude to you, regarding the case this time Case this time? Its not you dont know, right? Its about theNaga. Thanks to you both, the casualties were prevented to the people using the beginner dungeon No, well, Im grateful for your praise, but just like we reported, there was a large part of luck I had thought to faultlessly evade her questions, but Irene-sans corners of mouth curved, she broadly grinned. Then, she sips the tea from her teacup, while smiling,C You dont have to fabricate it here. All because I know, it was 100% your power that defeated it Eh!? CCounterattacks with an unexpected reply as though it is natural. Unknowingly, both me, and Elk who was quiet from before, trembled our body a little bit. The reply was just too sudden, for a second I thought it might be on her guesses, but the eyes of Irene-san didnt had anything like that. Rather than imploring gaze, it was filled with conviction. Well, it really is trouble to stand out all of a sudden. Its quite a good decision. In truth, people without discerning eyes are beautifully getting tricked by your outer appearance Err, no, that...... But, I have read your report, its quite unbelievable story? I was there at the time of inspection of snakes corpse. Those scales cant be burned by the heat of torch. The big lethal scar and other small scars are too much pinpointed for rocks in a cave-in. It was obviously damage inflicted by a blunt weapon or something corresponding to it ......She knows it. She completely knows it! From her tone of voice it doesnt seem like she intends to condemn us for that, but its easy to understand her sayingDont dodge when I know everything She aint bluffing. From her whistling yet strong voice, and her gaze which sees through everything, a rookie adventurer can never turn away. It took me too much to realize that. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Irene-san continued her words facing me, who is having trouble in replying,But well, rest assured. Though I said that, those people from Inspection group are quite busy and didnt do a close inspection. So publicly, your fabricated story is running. Eh, is that so? Phew safe. I was troubled if the top brass of guild somehow know about our fabricated report. Well, in that case, we would be summoned more officially. But, if accepting Irene-sans words, we succeeded in deceiving them. For the time being, its good to be safe. Well, it seems like we werent able to deceive her eyes though...... No, in truth, its not like that Eh? But before, you were there during inspection, you said...... Well thats how it is? But I knew from even before that. That something like that with just big body-frame wont be even worth mentioning for your powerWhat!? Do you mean by that......? Its nothing that complicated. I heard it beforehand. From her ......From her? You heard it? Your mother......Lilyn, I mean ......WTF!? Eh!? What the hell do you mean by that!? Just frigging tell me!? My personal information......oh fuck with it for now. Just tell me what she mean by that!? Irene-san, you were moms acquaintance!? No, more precisely Im not an acquaintance. After all, we were fellow adventurers who lived together during our active periods. Of course, we were in a team For real!? Fellow adventurer, in other words, her friends from her younger days means. 200 years ago. Such a big person was a friend with that The Epitome of Freedom mother. Truly, that person is not normal in many meanings. Let it be with Noel-neesan the other day, let it be this time, just how much well-know is she? One is the head of great association; one is the head of guild......people she knows are all not normal. [ET: Check yourself once, youll understand it] Then, from the current information, another unexpected reaction came flying from truly unexpected place. ......!? Wha, Please wait a moment, um, err, I-Irene-sama! Elk, who turned into a statue who can only consent to words, suddenly revived and shouted. What happened to her? Hey, put down the-samasuffix. Its something else if this was a public place, though I-Im sorry. Err......Guild Master! Um, the party you said you were in your adventurer days, I can only think of one, dont tell me...... Uh, yeah, youre not wrong. Its the one youre thinking B-But, that party is already......what does it mean that Minatos mom was one member of it, and also you met her recently......? ......? Umm, what might you two be talking about...... I still dont get the contents of the aim for this talk. Most probably its that. My nemesis, adventurers fundamental knowledge, definitely its involved in the contents of this talk. There, mom too is somehow involved. I see. Seems like Lilyn hasnt told anything about herself to you at all. In other words, Minato-kun, you dont even know aboutWasp Spiderstoo? ......Wasp Spiders? What is it, never heard of it. At this moment, a glare sayingFor realfrom Elk came flying at me. What, is it a really famous story? Like I said before, I dont have common sense. [ET: I take this sentence in all meanings.] You see,Wasp Spiderswas the name of the party I was in when I was an adventurer. Of course, Lilyn too was affiliated to them Mom was? Yeah thats right......Minato-kun, it seems like you really dont know anything, this is one good opportunity. How about hearing an old-tale? Saying that, Irene-san drinks the whole tea from cup and wets her throat. I somehow knew, the words thats going to come out of her mouth from now, will let me move closer to the mom I dont know yet. Chapter 25 – The Legend of 『Wasp Spider』 The chapter got late today, because AK didnt tell me when the edit was over. SO I waited, and waited and waited and got bored then slept. Now that Im awake, I see AK has done some edits. Yeah, still didnt inform me So, take it. Chapter 25 C The Legend of Wasp Spider Wasp Spideris the name of the legendary party that used to be active around 200 years ago, it seems. Their achievements are uncountable; they have completed quests taking highest compensation from the state guest of a country. The numbers of them would seem like a joke. For example, at that point, several hundreds of years had passed since the establishment ofAdventurer Guild, but in this world of sword and magic, there were still many places where the humans didnt go to, in other wordsUnknown Lands, there were many at that time. Reason was also simple, because there was too much danger, they didnt explore it. It wouldve been easy if the whole army of a country moved, but there was neither money nor time, nor composure to do that. TheWasp Spiderhad travelled more than half of thoseUnknown landsduring their active period. They spread (sold off) that information in all directions using guild as intermediary, with just that much they had gotten money to buy some countries for themselves. Furthermore, at some place demons appeared strangely, through their attacks the large country having one hundred million citizens, seriously fell into the state of line between life and death, even the countrys whole army wasnt able to handle the assault, it was also difficult to maintain the line of defense, at that timeWasp Spidergallantly came and pushed back the assault of demons. It happened in various places, various times, presently, in many countries, they are being treated as heroes. There are still many more deeds of them, but the information about the members ofWasp Spideris still a mystery, except for the current guild master, Irene-san. The things made public current are......as following. There were 6 members in total. Everyone was human, furthermore only girls. Each and every one of them, had battle power rivaling thousand enemies, and had a dazzling sense of justice. And currently, aside from Irene-san, all others have died. As for the legendary party, the only known information is just this much. But still it was deeply-rooted admiration, and the girls under concern had their names and achievements bellowed through the whole world. ......But, this information is all sh*t crap. That is something the sole survivor (Big fatty lie) of the party speaks. And, let me tell you before, that leaving me alone, as Im oblivious to common sense and knowledge, Elk, who was listening to the whole true story, was getting surprised each time. As for the first big lie is, in ourWasp Spiderthere wasnt even a single genuine human member. Like beast-women, vampires, everyone looked like a human but in truth they werent Irene-san, herself is one of them. She is more or less classified asHuman, but shes kind of special. In general she is called asResurrection of Ancestors, her body is that of human, but inside it the power that her ancestors used to have, in other words its something likeAtavism. In the case of Irene-san, her ancestors wereHigh Elves, the powerful tribe even among the elves, she had many other sorts of blood awakened, so though she is classified as human, she has been endowed with different magical power and long life span. Incidentally the truth of the so-calledResurrection of Ancestorsis not told the general public. Like that, Irene-san is said to be the non-human in theWasp Spiders, but the truth is completely different. Irene-san was the only person who was most near human withinWasp Spiders Next, we all were basically egoistic and self-centered people, so we didnt had even a speck of sense of justice, thats why we never moved on something like that Well, I can agree to this one. Heroic Tales are mostly made up, sense of justice in that would be more suspicious-looking. ......Or maybe, my viewpoint is crooked. But, when she told me the truth of them saving the afore-mentioned country from the invasion of demons, even I got perplexed. The truth was: They won in a lottery within that country, so if the country was to be destroyed they wont get their shares. No Well, its a persons own will to participate in wars, not like I have a say there. And now the last, this might be the biggest lie. We disbandedWasp Spiders150 years ago, but not even a single member of it has died. All are alive and pimping at that secret revelation, Elk almost fell. Right now, everyone is doing what they want and living their remaining years of life. We dont interfere with each other, so we dont even know where exactly they all are. Oh, I just said, remaining years of life, but they all wont die before 1000 years S-So thats how it was, I didnt knew about it...... Having many shocking truths fired at her, Elk looked at her limits while replacing the information inside her brain and sorting her heart. Now then, the topic changes, to what Im interested in most. So, one of them was...... Yeah, your mother, Lilyn Quadrille ofSuccubus Race. She was my comrade since before the formation of part......and also the leader ofWasp Spiders ......Holy! I did think shes not some normal person, but for her to be someone this great. Well, she didnt tell me herself, so I wont know about it. That Lilyn, 2 weeks ago came here and saidMy youngest son is going to make a debut as adventurer. Take care of him. At that time, I heard about your characteristics, so hearing about the case ofNaga, I immediately understood it was you I see. So mom did such a thing...... Yeah, she intruded at 3o clock in night while I was sleeping, said what she wanted to, subjugated the tea cakes I had prepared, and left like a storm Im really sorry The feeling of respect that came up vanished in thin air. No, what the f*ck is my mom doing. However, Irene-san doesnt look like she is worried about it, No, no, I dont mind it. On the contrary, Im relieved that she didnt change even after hundreds of years ......So she was like that since 200 years ago too. Then, as though he was waiting for the right time, Barracks-san brought tea-cakes. Oh, second cup of tea too. Well then, lets chat while eating tea-cakes. And also, tell me about her, Lilyns life style within these some years Ah, Yes, then Ill take up the offer. If its alright with you, then can you tell more about mom Yeah, dont worry. I will also tell about her embarrassing times too Irene-san cracks a smile. I got somewhat tensed up, knowing her title, but she is moms best friend (?), so its easy to talk to her. I can spend my time meaningfully, interesting. Ah, by the way, those tea-cakes, are the same as the ones Lilyn ate on that night, they also have the same quantity. Youre both parent and child, so maybe your hobbies and thoughts too are identical. You can eat it all without restrain? ......Shes somewhat troubling, though. I suddenly look towards Barracks, a stare sayingIm sorrycam flying at me. After that, the flower bloomed on the trouble stories of mom. Like mom acting like that since 200 years ago, or her moving on her whim and also moving her friends or Irene-san getting troubled by her actions or them both overdoing their evil deeds. But, when I heard that the reason for the disbanding ofWasp Spiderswas the pregnancy of mom, I seriously wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it. Well, the talk about disbanding was brought up many times before, so this acted as a trigger. From me it was, how I was raised up by her, how was mom during that time, and her messed up deeds. And, its embarrassing, but also about me going up on the stairs of adult men unexpectedly when mom attacked me when I was small. Irene-san laughed sweetly with somewhat reminiscent feeling, every time she heard my talks. As for me, I also got to know about the not-yet-known side of mom, so it was a quite worthwhile time. ......Though, the truths were more that I didnt want to hear. My sole close person, Elk, was an outsider in all those talks, but she looked happy as an adventurer who got to know about a part of the adventure records of legendary party. While I talked about, my birth and how I was raised, and the forest where I took my daily training, Irene-san laughed. Ahahahahaha, I see. Lilyn only said you were raised in aWoodlandso I couldnt make out where, but......of all places it wasWoodlands of Gradwell, eh, youre raised in one great place. [ET: I couldnt find any other name more similar than Gradwell. Btw, its one good company.] ? That place had a name? Yeah. From what I know, the only woodlands where demons you told, appear is only there. I see I see, so she raised you there She guessed the name of forest......Woodlands of Gradwelljust from the species of demons I told her, it seems. Well, mom too told me, the forest is a dangerous place, and I trained there, so this is not much surprising for me. I suddenly look besides me; Elk is, sending me a glare sayingEhas though she saw something unbelievable. Seriously stop it, its embarrassing. Guild Master? Um, thatWoodlands of Gradwellare...... Yes, what happened, Elk-kun? Err, I only read in documents, but......I remember reading, its a forest of demons located on the farthest ends of this continent, and not some place humans can live in? Yeah, thats right. After all, its considered as a forest where one if enters, cannot come out, as for its difficulty level as a dangerous area, its AA. Its a hell, with average demons there having Rank A. If carelessly approached, even a trained army would go extinct easily ......I know its late, but I got raised in one frigging great place. And, the magic circle which threw you into thatLabyrinthin an instant, isnt magic, but a magic item. During our times inWasp Spidersthere was a person who specialized in making things like that, so Lilyn may have asked her Hmm...... Like that, me and Irene-san, forgot the tension that was present at first, and ended up in deep talks. In Elks case, rather than tension, it seemed like mental fatigue is accumulating. Before I knew it, it was forenoon. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Oh, we talked too much. It would be bad if I dont return back to my work now. Barracks, preparations Understood Barracks-san left the room bowing once. Maybe for the preparations of work after this. Well then, looks like we have call it a stop now. How about eating lunch here? Ah, no, we cant receive that much favor And also, we both are having plans to accept quests today after this, so well excuse ourselves Hmm, I see. Ah, I called you guys while you were about to take quests Then it cant be helped, Irene-san looked like she agreed to it, and got up from the sofa. We two also followed her. I dont mind you coming here, if something happens. Based on my position, I cant give you two special privileges as adventurers; you two would also not want it, right? Yes. After all, Mom is mom, and I am me. I want to live like a normal adventurer, and work my way up steadily Though, youre notNormal, at all. Yeah, I know. Thats right, keep up the high-spirits. Well, the ambitions of youngsters is dazzling for us aged people...... Well, I wont give preferential treatment, but I will help you in consultation, though, so you can come at any time Yes, Thank you very much. Please take care of me from now on Elk and me, both give a bow, and left the room......or at least thats what we had thought, Ah, before that, just 3 more Yes? But, we got stopped by Irene-san. What is it? 3? Quite strange it is. First is, Minato-kun, do you have some kind of goal? Goal, is it? Thats right. As an adventurer......no as a person, you should have a somewhat clear goal; it would help you get motivated more I see, I think about that too. Whatever I do, having a clear goal will help raising the motivation. Establishing that beforehand is always good and efficient. Now that I think about it, after getting out in the outer world, I have never thought about that and only thought about being an adventurer. Yeah, it was a blind spot. But, what might be the goal as an adventurer? Now that is my main concern, Minato-kun...... Then, Irene-san puts her hand inside her robe, and maybe from the inner pocket, took out a single paper. I had thought, what if you hadnt decided on any goal. So, I think that you should go with the common goal of every male, that isTo become strong What is this then? Yeah, I have aList List? Yeah. If you get strong enough to defeat the monsters written there, then even Lilyn would accept you a genuine adult well its all on my point of view, Irene-san adds that at the end. I see, Im grateful for it. For an adventurer, there are other goals too, like exploring unknown lands, or finding legendary treasures, but in an occupation like this, the main thing needed to live on, is absolutePower. Moreover, if it is Irene-sans point of view, it must be true, in other words, motivation come out naturally. Thank you very much, saying those words I take it. Well well, so what sort of demon is written here...... (flip) ...... ............ ..................Err, just what the hell might this be. I might be showing an expression, she had already expected. And, also Elk who is looking from side. I can easily understand it, from her showing a peerlessly sweet smile. And, this wont be a prank, but what she had actually thought might be good for me. I mean the list. ......But isnt this...... Exceed Hopper Subspecies Tropical Tyrant Inferno Peacock Giga Worm Kraken Destroyer Golden Sphinx Mictlan Demon Soleil Tiger Rare Species Eight-Forked Serpent Salamander Undead Bao A Qu Finished, 12 species in total. ......This is array of demons; I neither have heard of nor seen. Even so, somehow I can feel this line-up is more dangerous thanNaga...... In two parts, words likeSubspeciesandRare Speciesis also added...... In fact, Eight-headed SerpentandKrakenare two monsters, that were f*cking famous even in my previous life......Do they exist? In this world? W-Well, its not like the strength always coincides with the feeling given by name. Its not necessary that the monster will be strong if its name sounds strong...... But, in this case, they would coincide, right....... ......Well, my goal is to get strong to fight against them, Some dayin late future. For the time being, I will just take it...... Irene-san, who has been looking at my face which is staring the list, ......Now for 2nd,......Minato-kun, is true that you never stepped out ofWoodlands? ? Yeah it is true......but why you ask? No, its something Ive been thinking for a while, I get the feeling I have met you somewhere before......Though, I dont seem to remember it ......? That...... is not possible? After all, I really never left that forest. Except for the time I handled the bandits with mom. Leaving out the bandits that I met (and half-killed), or the girls who were kidnapped, I never knew about other relatives other than mom before leaving the house, and after that, he first one was, Elk. Well, even if I glanced at them others, but still I dont have any memory of Irene-san at all. The possibility of Irene-san glancing me while passing by, is also non-existent. Irene-san hasnt left this area for some years, in the first place, mom would notice her if she did pass us by, after all they are friends for more than 200 years. And so, in the end, the mystery couldnt be solved. ......It can be misunderstanding or accidental resemblance, right? And now, the left last 1 is? ......For the last message, Lilyn left a message for you Irene-san looked like she still is having suspicions, but she has left it on hold for a while. Message? Yeah, its encouragement to you, who is going to walk on the path as an adventurer Err, it is......She gestures as though, she were trying to recall, She said......If you ever got strong like me, your mom will get pregnant with your child Excuse me Escape. While hearing the crackling laughter, I lead Elk by her hand, and leave the room in full speed. No, well it might be a joke, argh, not that CLike hell I will accept if it aint jokeC , just what is that person to leave a message like that to another person!? Even Elk heard about it!! And Irene-san! Why would you need to explain that thing in details while Elk CCA third party who only knows about moms incoherent behavior as rumorsis sitting beside me! Read the atmosphere! What are you going to do if Elk starts looking at me in some other manner! ......Its alright. Ever since I have looked at your ridiculous ways, I have stopped applying common sense on you No, can I be relaxed by that!? ......At any rate, Mom if I ever commit suicide, its all because of you. Minato and Elk left the place without looking back. While one is murmuringOh stop! with face completely red. ......maybe it should be, both. Ahahaha......Isnt he quite pure and good child? Though his personality is different......but he had similar atmosphere to that of Lilyn He couldnt hear the murmuring of only person left in room, Irene Jemina ...though he had powerful hearing ability. ......Maybe thats why; Lilyn is even using Noel-chan......and isworryingabout him Chapter 26 – First『Quest』 I completely forgot the existence of chapter and went on to keep on playing Far Cry 4. Anyways, its not like the chapter is a day late. Have Fun! PS: The chapter is boring. Chapter 26 C FirstQuest We both, after returning from the cluttered room in the interior of guild, stood in front of theBoardfrom before, for accepting aQuest. And, the quest we chose to took beforeSubjugation of stray wolveswas gone. What, so they have good turnover rate. I was aiming for it, depressing. It couldnt be helped, for searching another new quest; I once again faced towards theBoard. Then, Yo~, are you both adventurers called Minato and Elk? Yes? Abruptly, I was called out from behind. Upon turning back, there stood an unfamiliar, macho-old-man. I could understand that he too should be an adventurer for being inside guild. [ET: You sure, Minato, that aint spooderman?] Along, with the reason he called us out. Is it true? That you both......subjugated that monster calledNagafrom the labyrinth? Yeah. Well, we were helped by fortune too No, even so that is awesome. Youre too splendid, although young ......Following it, About that, how about doing work with us one time together? ......Well, as I expected. It had been a lot recently. The rumor of me and Elk (To be accurate, it was me only) bringing back the body of the newly found demon......Nagaspread out too quickly. Moreover, the guild has given it a rank A, something a novice adventurer can never fight against, even more troublesome. The party of a man in black and a woman with green hairbecame the most popular topic. Due to that, the people who want to meet us have increased. Because of all this, for some few days, we both left the inn early morning, came back late at the time when there are less people, without coming to the guild C not like we had been summoned, though C , like that our cycle was running, but still there people who would sniff us out. During eating meals in dining halls, within the inside and outside of city, and at worst people even intruded in the inn. And, the people who commanded most adventurer within them, moreover almost all of them, tried persuading us sayingWont you team up with us?orWill you enter our team?, like that. Well, wanting to court a talented person would be a normal thinking for a person in same occupation. That so even more, in an occupation like this, which has life and death on-line all relying on the ability. However, we both just recently teamed up, so we didnt have composure to think about those things, so we turned down all offers. Of course, adding various reasons. This time too, I respectfully declined. Even so many times they hanged on sayingDont be so cold~orWe dont mind even if youre rookies, but eventually we somehow made them pull back. He seemed to be like a stubborn person, who would come once again if he gets opportunity, but we got him to draw back, so its better right now. It would be troublesome if someone other came, it would be better to quickly choose the quest and leave the reception. I faced the board......and Elk was selecting some conspicuous quests while I was talking. Indeed, she knows how to deal with something. So well~...... Collection of medicinal plants Place: Plains of East Volca Reward: ......3 Silver Coins (It might change based on the quantity and quality of delivered goods) Guarding an excursion Guarding the excursion as well as ensuring safety of students Reward: ......5 Silver Coins (It might change based on danger, salary, etc) Subjugate the Kobolds Subjugate Kobold settles within the huts in the interiors of Ritorasu Mountains. Reward: ......10 Silver Coins Escort Ruin Research Expedition Team Escort the expedition team, re-investigating theLabyrinth of Naga. For Several Days Reward: ......15 Silver Coins (Risk allowance separate) The 2 above were there before too...... First of all, Im not good with kids so, 2nd one kicks the bucket. The last one is re-investigation ofLabyrinth of Naga, was this request from some archaeologist? It was my home in a sense, but this exploration might be searching if there are more hidden rooms......it might be related to me defeatingNaga. Like that, if I, the main leader of this upheaval, the so-calledAdventurer in Blackwent, obviously I would get caught into troublesome problems. So, this too rejected. So the left one is.Subjugate the Kobolds. I would just accept it as a subjugation mission; the conditions for completion too are easy to understand. I confirm from Elk by looking her, a reply sayingIsnt it fine? came back from her eyes. Alrighty, so we would take this one. Though, it would in the end, be a tiring quest for you. Kobolds are Rank E demons, after all No, no, its not like that. Based on circumstances, it will be a good experience. Probably Same for me. It will be an opportunity to examine the fruits of training I have been doing with you......Hm? But this, there isnt the required bodies written Huh? Then, I wouldnt understand how much I had to kill. It must probably mean, killing all present there......Dont they know the exact numbers? In that case, it would be troubling for the person doing the quest. Sometimes, ones like this are also present In this way, we wouldnt be able to know when our quest be completed. Wouldnt it help by asking at the reception? Well, thats true, but we should keep in mind that opponents numbers might be more than expected, right? If we went thinking it would 10 of them, then it would be troubling to encounter 50 or 100 of them......Well it might easy for you, though No, that will......surely take more time ......You wont say impossible, huh Well, yeah. I dont know what sort of demon Kobolds are; neither have I seen their appearance, so it would be better to see it. But, E means, on the same level as that of goblins inLabyrinthand below those monkeys. They wouldnt be able to give me a hard fight. 100 would be troublesome......bare-handed, that is. But, from the contents of quest, their numbers might be that much which could fit in the hut, so they may not be much. Hmm, youre both doing a quite interesting talk? Suddenly, I heard such a voice from behind. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. We both turn back, to find a man being there. He was somewhat tall, with reasonably balanced physique. Orange hair, his face was good, but his ears were pierced. He didnt have the handsome boy atmosphere. More accurately it should be......Frivolous lad? Though, his skin aint black. He too might be an adventurer, based on his attire. I havent seen you two here, you guys, newbies? You were talking something very reliable, so it piqued my interest ......Whore you? Elk said. Whoa~, her wariness was completely laid out. And, the frivolous lad, in defiance of it, continues. Ah, sorry, sorry, I should do the self-introductions. Im Zali, more or less Im an adventurer. Nice to meet ya~ The frivolous lad......correction, Zali, cracked a smile while showing his white teeth (glitter) However, Elk still remained unresponsive to that too. No, I do understand her feelings. His way of interacting was unnatural......in fact, the fact he wanted to call out to us from start, I can understand that from the start. Deducting that, he, at first glance looks like a playboy. Elk wouldnt be feeling too good being called out by such a guy. His motive, maybe the invitation......or simply flirting...... So, you guys seemed troubled while choosing the quests......Hm? Are you perhaps The moment Zali was about to say something looking at me, Oi Zali, whatcha doing? Oh, they increased. Along with the cheeky and low voice, 2 men, maybe Zalis acquaintance or something came towards us from his rear. They looked like middle-aged old mans. Dark complexion with medium build, and unshaven stern face. One side was muscular gorilla-macho-man, the other one, an obese with too much fat. These 2 approached us while we were in the middle of talk with Zali. Youre getting late, Zali......huh, so youre flirting, eh? No, no, its not like that. I just happened to hear something interesting. And, they looked quite troubles, so I called out to them Zali replied. No, we were not basically troubled by it. The contents too might be helped if we went to reception. Then, the 2 men (middle-aged) looked me and Elk in order...... I see, so thats what it was. It cant be helped then Yeah, theyre rookies after all. Well, there may be various things to be troubled with ......Obviously they have become more talkative, and this aint my imagination. They even have a strange smile on their faces. Then, the person to first open the mouth, was the obese-guy. Hey, Miss, if youre troubled, shall we help you? They try to persuade Elk alone......while grinning. ......Oi, you f*cking ignore me. As a rookie, there may be more times to be troubled without knowing what to do, right? In that case, we will teach various things to you Thats right, we will teach politely and it will be very detailed The gorilla-macho-man to adds himself, and invited her with the ulterior motives spilling out. Well, how did he get guts to frankly invite like this way......did he think it would be a success? In reality, only annoyance word was oozing out of Elks face. Naturally, Elk wont nod to their invitation. Oh, I remembered, we were also going to take a quest right now, how about, you come together with us? Thats a brilliant idea! It would be a good experience, and we would also help! Hmm? So, how about it? In the end, I refrain. I even have an acquaintance Saying that. My shoulders are touched by Elk. At that time, for the first time, the middle-aged men look at me. Oh, here comes the stare sayingWho the fuck is this guy? ......You guys really can use youre stares splendidly. He diverted his eyes from me in a second and, This guy? He doesnt seem to reliable, leave it, leave it Youll grow more if youre with veteran adventurers like us, rather than this weak guy, right? Yeah, we are all Rank D. It wont hurt to look after some rookies? ......Youre damn below me! No, well, generally, Rank D would mean, more or less anAdult. Elk had said before, the level a normal person with efforts can reach is Rank D or C, at most somewhere in the lower B. So, based on that they might be adults? ......so what? AH, by the way, how can I hide it from you, the person who gave rank B was Irene-san. Youre this much strong, and due to this others wont be able to shun you based on your ranks, she said that. So like that, Im suddenly Rank B. Due to the shamelessness of the middle-aged men, the frivolous lad had his shadow get thinner, so he finally spoke up. His mouth would remain light, I think. Hey, Gallon, Bordo, dont say like that, why dont we take him too together? AH? Whatcha sayin? Oh? Now this was unexpected. I completely thought this frivolous lad, Zeli-kun, would go with Elk-only faction......but he also invited me. No, not like Im actually happy. However, as though natural, the reaction of middle-aged men towards me was negative. Oi, Oi, stop joking. Why would we invite a bastard? Thats right. Rookie would only become burden Hey, werent you damn people speaking something like looking over rookies? Huh? Well, Well, dont be so cruel. Think normally, the more the merry, right? Furthermore, he isnt that much weak Zaril says while not getting carried by the flow. Ive got a teeny bit good impression about him now. But, Im curious about the contents. Did he hear my talk with Elk just before? I yes, then from where? Was it from100 Koboldsor somewhere aroundWoodlandset cetera? There are many adventurers who boast, so I dont think I would need to be worried about each and everyone one, there is no need to be stiff. Just, if they know about my identity from the rumor aboutAdventurer in Black, it would turn into something messy. Mainly, due to rumors. While I was thinking all that, the middle-aged men still were having a stare of Elk: Yes, Me: No, and were grumbling. But you see, looking over 2 rookie is even a little that for us, right? Thats right. And women are different, but men grow by facing the harshness of world, so aint it a parental affection that were sending him on a somewhat difficult path? ......I dont want to be near these guys. I understood Elk too was thinking the same thing from her eyes, and we both decided to leave the place with just quest document in hands. Old-men? Just f*cking leave them alone. O-Oi, Wait...... Its fine. I dont know what the quest is, but have fun with your group of three(Elk) Elk spaded away the restrain of obese-guy, and left the place. I heard various other things, but after a clicking of tongues, nothing else was heard. Either they are good at giving up, or didnt want too much trouble, they, in the end, didnt chase after us. ......Some time later, there was one who looked for more time at us than other two, it worried me a bit. Seriously, I hate those type of people....... Why are there more adventurers who see women with eyes like that It can be helped right? Well, I wont agree to it, but basically there are more ruffians in this industry. It wont be good to be worried about each and everyone Well, that is right. Then, lets take up the quest already While waving the quest document in hands, Elk and I, both moved towards the reception. Well then, lets take up our first questSubjugate the Kobolds......really fast! Chapter 27 – Kobold and Landslide and Egg Part 1 Ive chosen, GMT +9, 8:00 PM to be the time I will normally post the chapters. Its not good if I post at 4 am, 8 am or other times. Having a single time is really good. This is only for Maken no Daydreamer (Kuro no Maou, well whenever the edit gets done I will post, for instance, todays chapters edits is still not done). I didnt had much time to TL, so here you go with a part today. Chapter 27 C Kobold and Landslide and Egg Part 1 We submitted the quest document to the reception of guild......maybe because the difference in rank, Riin-san sent me stare sayingHuh? C Well I, a rank B adventurer is taking on a rank E quest, its only natural C , now an hour later. I and Elk, were ascending the mountain road ofRitorasu Mountainwhere the hut is located. The mountain side would come in sometime, so we might be near our destination. From conclusion, thisRitorasu Mountainwas more safe compared to theLabyrinth of Naga ......that might sound weird, but in this place there was not much danger from demons. The demons which appeared, were mostly the ones I had already seen inLabyrinth, furthermore, Elk herself took care of most of them. However only once, a demon appeared which I hadnt seen inLabyrinth ......it was aSlime, seeing it I got into high spirits for no damn reason. A spindle-shaped face with a smile on it......it wasnt anything like that, but its body was in liquid state centering around its core. It looked just like amoeba. Its bodily fluids was acid, but everything would be over on throwing a stone from a distance and destroying its core, I still touched it once, but the acid didnt had any effect on my skin. It didnt even feel itchy. Such being the case, without having faced any serious troubles, we were walking. Sigh. The air is so good. It wouldve been better to have brought a boxed-lunch Stop changing a quest into a picnic Elk retorted, as always, in a fed-up voice. So no good, huh. This scarf could change into picnic sheet, so I thought it was a good idea. Incidentally, for reaching the hut, we left the path, and were no walking through some woodland path, Elk, its about the time we return, do you happen to remember the way back to the path? Like the direction and all Of course, Im checking time by time, its natural that I remember it. Though there is not much danger, but the fact that here is a mountain, losing focus will lead to being lost here. ......You dont remember? I did try to, but......not after 5 minutes from entering the mountain ......Ah, I see S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Apparently, I seem to have hardcore problem of having no sense of direction. I may have not been born with it from birth. No, Im serious here. Looks like I would have to trouble Elk from now on. Well, I did remember the path to Guild andLabyrinth, but the path to sisAssociationremained to be a mystery. I made haste into coming here, because there was a possibility of getting lost......but Elk has expertise in that area, so it wouldnt be a problem. Incidentally, the path takes a little less than 5 hours on foot, and less than 2 hours on carriage, when coming from guild. Thats why normally, when going toRitorasu Mountains, in case a horse couldnt be hired, many people lodge in inns present in villages en route, or camp en route. So, the reason why, we both completed the whole distance in an hour even while having lunch en route, is very simple. I carried Elk and ran while having my leg strength enhanced by the wind magic. Also, for not letting her feel pain from the wind pressure, I once again usedOther Person Enhancementto increase her basic physical abilities. She was glued to me, so it was even more easy to activate it. Even so, she suffered from motion sickness......well, take it as a part of training. What the hell you mean by a part of training!? I was almost going to return the hot dog Well, well, we were rushing, it cant be helped, right. And, maybe in future, you, Elk, will also move by running that fast, so this is practice for it, only a practice A future like that wont come! Im a normal human! But, you too can use magic, right? No, I do can use it, but that is...... Ah, thats right. I never told it, but in truth, Elk can use somewhat magic. But, it really is somewhat, apparently. The magic cannot be learnt by training, in the first place, it cant be used at all by a person without talent. In fact, half of adventurers, are muscle-man faction, with no relation to magic. Elk had that talent, and specializes in usingWindattribute. But only when compared to other attributes. However, because of her living environment as a child, she didnt had any surplus to study under someone good in that line. Her mother too wasnt proficient in magic, aside from other techniques, she only learnt basic of basics in magic. In the end, she couldnt develop her magical talent, gave up on it, and learnt other abilities. Thanks to that, currently she rarely ever uses magic. At most, she only uses it to ventilate the room and fan herself. But, from my point of view that is really very much wasteful, I had thought ofDevelopingher that area too, so I would include somewhat magic in training. Fortunately, I had been taught aboutMagic Artsfrom mom until she drove it into my bones, on the contrary, I myself researched it later on. Along the way, I created many other new magic which I couldnt use, due to the problem of talent. (*tears*) And so, if I recall all that, I would be able to teach her about magic, and some of my self-made tricks. Naturally, they all are limited to the ones that have gotten safety authentication from mom. Thats why, I thought it would be good if she learnt Taijutsu along with Magic, if there was something suited for her, I would teach that too......that was my plan, so I decided to tell Elk about it, Even so, I dont think I would ever reach a level where I can run fast than a carriage and still be not out of breath, just like you I mean...... Is it like that? I think, if Elk trained more you can reach to this level? What is your basis for that? Intuition ......Oh great [ET: This is sarcasm] [AK: .....Oh great, boss] Elk gave up, silently. ......Had she thought, that it would only get tiring by talking anymore? But, I seriously am thinking what Im saying...... As for why? Lets leave for next time. Well like that, after walking for a while, we finally reached our destination. Walking the woodland path, when it felt like it had opened up somewhat, we came out to a place with levelled ground. There was, a simple yet big, hut. And its surrounding, demons with head of dog, walking on two legs......Kobolds were roaming in several numbers. In their hands were, club or rusted swords. For the time, we hide in the brushwood nearby to wait and observe them. I heard at the reception, the exact numbers of Kobold was yet-unknown. However Kobolds have more intelligence compared goblins or orcs, and are more coward, so they would run away if they feel danger. And so, if I brought the proof of some, after killing them, the quest would be cleared. Incidentally, the evidence which acts as a proof for the completion of subjugation quests, was the raw materials of demons. There are some demons which have their every body part filled with value, and some are with specified valued parts. What was it......for a Kobold? The wrist. For stopping fabrication, it is needed to bring many of them together ......Hand, you going to cut it off? Though, a demon, but it has a human shape, you going to take it off from it? I get somewhat reluctant......well, it cant be helped in this world or this occupation. ......From what I can see, there are 4-5......inside the hut there might be more Even so, I dont think they have enormous numbers. Is there any need to plan? If you be careful to not get surrounded, then it isnt needed. And, do remember to not hurt the hut Understood. Then, lets go! The strategy meeting (?) was over, so I took action as quick as possible. I had thought of doing surprise attacks in stealth mode, but their appearance is that of aDog ......they might find me based on scent. Though wind is blowing downward for them, so that possibility does get low, but I dont know the levels of sense of hearing and smelling of Kobold. If they found me out upon approaching, the surprise attack would end up as failure, so I chose to deal with them. Besides, for me, even from this distance, a surprise attack is possible. I have already checked the conditions of equipped gauntlets and shin guards, Elk too took out her dagger. And I pick up the small stones around my feet (needed for beating to death), (Then, we will get out on the count of three. I will take on most of them, Elk, you need to sneak attack on them. Can you do it?) After noticing Elk nod, I take the stones in my hands which were ready to throw. (Alright, lets go. O~ne......) [ET: This is mind-talking. For easier understanding, go read Prison School] DDPlurk! The sound of Kobold As head getting smashed from the stone throw by me. Lets go! Where did 2 and 3 go!? Omitted! Huuh!? It wasnt like I......got turned into a douchebag, but a single Kobold seemed to have noticed our presence and was about to scream......thats why it was omitted......I have a perfect reason, see. I will explain it later. The other Kobolds were fretting looking at the avant-garde art from of the head of the Kobold who got attacked by the stone. Grasping their unguarded moment, I jumped out of bushes and rammed into them. With the same momentum, I striked a Kobold with knee and pulverized its bones. Furthermore, using the Kobolds shoulder as springboard, I once again jump. I landed in the center of their crowd. There stood a single Kobold at the place of landing, I do a turning kick in air, and in a single attack smash its head. [ET: Turning kick is roundhouse kick when on ground] All this happened in just 5 seconds. In the blink of an eye, 3 Kobolds had been consigned to oblivion, right now, finally the other 2 Kobolds noticed my presence. But, they have gotten too late. 1 one of the other two, while swinging the club, came at me while barking *GauGau*, let me be honest, it didnt much of a threat. I evaded the club swung downward and attack its medulla oblongata with my elbow filled with my body weight. It went flying towards the brushwoods. ......Though, it was dead before landing. As for the last Kobold, the moment it tried to attack me, it had its carotid artery cut by Elk, who jumped from behind. It was the result of losing the possibility of other enemy other than me invading them. Having the blood spurt from neck, it twitched for some seconds then stopped moving. Elk, only after taking care of remains of Kobold and seeing no other enemy, relaxed herself. However, she understood there was no time for resting, she catched her breath and once again took up the stance with dagger. And one second later, As expected, the Kobolds making up for 2nd round came out of the hut. 6 in total. What, were the people outside fewer? And, seeing us in front of hut, they assessed us as enemies and ...... ......Before they attacked, one of the Kobolds, had single red flower sprouted on its head. Reason? the rock I had thrown before was lying near my foot once again, so I picked it up and recycled it and reused it. For dealing with the Kobolds remaining for round 2, Elk and I kicked the ground. Chapter 27 – Kobold and Landslide and Egg Part 2 Oh Wow~ what a cliffhanger. Yeah I love these cliffhangers~~, but only when Im translating not reading some other novel. Chapter 27 C Kobold and Landslide and Egg Part 2 In the end, killing them didnt even took a minute. As expected, or rather, though they had intelligence their attacks were all monotonous, neither they used shrewd techniques, the Kobolds were attacked quickly without getting time to retaliate, and soon enough were extinct. If we fought fair and square instead of surprise attacks, they wouldve retaliated somehow, but what we did were just tactics for winning. I didnt had any intention to say it was coward or whatnot, even I had to put my life on line while fighting. And, Elk too moved quite splendidly compared to before. It hadnt reached the level where it can be considered that she changed into a different person, but now, she could fight against several Goblins or Wolves, and finish them in around 10 minutes. In the fight before too, she took on 2 Kobolds at the same time, and safely fought them. According to her, she was very nervous. It must be, because she had been sparring with me every morning for the couple of these days before going outside the city or into theLabyrinthfor hunting. In that case, it might not be exaggerated to say she has become Rank D. The current Elk, that is. Even so, she had grown quite a lot in these couple of days. There must be a reason for this. First, Elk is in no way weak. Though she had only been taught by her mom, she has techniques and thinking capabilities on that level. Based on my opinion, at the very least in the techniques, she had already crossed the line of normal people......it must because she has some sort of talent. But, because she lacks the basics likeExperienceandPhysical strength, she couldnt make full use of her techniques. In this way, the techniques she couldnt use completely, are many and stored away. It might be because of her body constitution or hereditary genes. Furthermore Elks a girl. Not like I am discriminating, but basically girls have low stamina. It might something else if she could use body enhancement magic, but that cant be done in a day or two. Even more, Elks fighting styles are self-taught, she had never been taught by anyone. So, though she could fight, there were times she didnt use techniques, basically the fighting style was unrefined. Or maybe, she had been taught by someone but forgot most of the points she was taught. No that might be the case. Actually, during my time of training with mom, it wasnt once or twice that she pointed out my mistakes, furthermore, all those were that I couldnt find out myself. In that state, though you have knowledge but using it fully... to use the techniques thats quite ..... not possible. So I thought, if she grew physically to perform the techniques learnt from her mom, and got experience to choose the best techniques for herself, then she would definitely grow strong rapidly. TheintuitionI said before wasnt something random. And right now, I could finally see that part. Seeing that, I got it confirmed. That Elk would grow. Thats why, I would help her, if there comes a chance, then I would also tell her my personally-made magic C Including the ones I cant use C for her to get strong. How should say it, but I could understand how a coach, who trains pro athlete, feels while teaching. It sure feels damn great when something with outstanding talent in your hands, especially if the talent has peerless future. [ET: I seriously thought has this changed into Xianxia. That line, ugh] Of course, I would choose what magic to tell her. WithElemental Bloodat first, the magic which were too powerful, or shouldnt be told to others, I have no intention of telling them to her. At any rate, the first mission with Elk has been safely completed, so we cut the proof of subjugation of Kobold, in other words its wrists and put them in jute bag, during the process, I suddenly noticed that the bare stones on the other side of hut were of strange shapes. What can it be? Underneath the cliff, there were many pebbles collected......huh, was there a landslide recently? I asked Elk, Who knows......Ah, but recently there earthquakes, right? Yeah, you mean the one which triggered the waking up ofNaga? I was still at my home, so I dont know. It must be that. Or this place, was originally brittle ......In that case, isnt it dangerous to keep the hut standing here? If, at the time someone lodged in the hut, the ground crumbles, and the earth below the hut crumbles, then...... ......Indeed, you have a point there. We should tell at the reception after we return to guild Hahaha, we found out an unexpected problem here......Hm? I was looking down the cliff calmly......but, I think I saw something shine among those pebbles. The collection of evidence was over, so I gave the bag to Elk, and tried to go there only to find something white buried among the sand and pebbles. That aint a rock. What is it? I got curious, so I brushed away the surrounding sand and pebbles and take it out...... ......Egg? Thats right, it was an egg. At least the appearance was. However, it was big. It was about the size of a persons head. ......Is this really an egg? Judging from the size, if it was an egg, it must be of a demon, right? Or rather, why was this egg? buried in place like that? Thought it was buried among quite big pebbles, but let alone a crack there aint a single scratch on it. Did the demon (parent) who bore this egg, buried it there for some sort of camouflage? Otherwise, did it fall down at the time of landslide? The former aside, but it would certainly break if it was latter, right? Yeah definitely , it would. No, even the former will break it. What if this got deserted at a place like this? I got curious, and tapped it with my fist. It was pretty hard. Though that was hard, but I couldnt possibly try to see how much hard that thing was, for the time being, I would put taking out conclusion on hold. At that time, SFX:Pitter, Eh? 1 minute later, I and Elk were resting in the hut we recovered after defeating the Kobolds. The reason was simple. Outside rain was falling down as though someone toppled over a bucket. That rain which started withPitterthen went ontoPitter Patter,Piiiitttteeerrr Patttteeerrrand finally changed intoZwoooosh~~!!was enough to make us understand that we couldnt descend the mountain. [ET: Zwoooosh~~!! is like the sound that comes when standing near (below?) the waterfall] I had known that weather at mountains changes easily, but does it change this rapidly to make unexpectedly strong rain precipitate? Anyhow, right now we could only wait for rain to stop. It could be dangerous to walk the mountain road in this rain. Visibility too has gotten worse. Furthermore, the road to reach the mountain road was an woodland road, so there were chances that we could slip. And, if the place we slipped to was a cliff, the it would disastrous. This works even more for Elk. In my case I would probably get lost. Though Elk remembers the way back, but it would be bad to go in this rain, so we had decided to wait till the rain stops. However, The rain never stopped, many hours passed, it finally changed into night, We judged it would be impossible to descend today, so we decided to rest in the hut. Fortunately, this place was a lodging house before, so there were sleeping bags. Similarly, we ate jerky we prepared for emergency uses at dinner time because the preserved food for emergency which was in hut had already been eaten by those damn Kobolds. Night had always been for sleeping, But vigilance was needed in night for demons, and it would be scary if a landslide occurred. And so, we decided that one person would watch for the time other person would sleep. The first half of night Elk kept watch while I slept, the latter I kept watch while Elk slept. Then, at dawn, When the east side of sky was getting somewhat bright, We were taking breakfast of jerky and some cheese found in the hut, of course, maybe because we had been up all time that food didnt satisfy our hunger...... ......At that moment, SFX: Crack! Hm? S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The egg I brought back without thinking anything yesterday, kept in the corner of my view......made a sound like that. Chapter 28 – That Owl Likes Magical Food This chapter hadnt been edited by AK, but by me, furthermore I need to inform that I have less than 1% confidence in my own editing capabilities. So dont criticize me, yeah you can write the wrong sentences in comment section. I will fix them. This message will be shown in all chapters today. Idk why AK and SK (editor of KnM) took a holiday today. Its a conspiracy, no doubt~ Chapter 28 C That Owl Likes Magical Food ......And so, it born just some moments ago ......I thought it had gotten noisy, so this was the reason Elk says while her eyes were still half-opened. She looked sleepy. No wonder. Most probably the moment she went in deep sleep, she was woken up by the first cry of this guy. Piiiii! This baby bird had been crying happily. The egg I picked up from among the pebbles on the outside, bore this baby bird who was perched on my right shoulder and was looking here and there. It looked like an owl with black and grey feathers. However, it wasnt a normal animal, I think it must be a demon. After all it was just born but it had more than 20 cm tall body. The size seemed too much for a baby bird. Its eyes too were opened from the time he was born. It even had all the feathers grown. They were somewhat dishevelled at the time it came out of egg, but now they too are completely dry and fixed. Well, considering the size of egg this must be normal, even so...... Piiiii! Piiiiii! (flatter flatter flatter!) Holy shit it had already started flying. This bird has many things since birth. It flew freely in the hut Elk and I were staying in, upon getting tired it perched on my shoulders, then rested and it once again repeats the process. It has got quite high spirits, though it was born just now. Why is my shoulder being used to rest? every time It saw you first after hatching out from egg, so maybe it has thought of you as its parent, right? Wha, sure enough that can be possible. Certainly the birds have a habit of thinking as the first moving thing they see as their parents, or so I have heard. So that might be the reason. No, even if it was thinking of me as parent, should it use me as the resting point? Apart from that, its crying is noisy, isnt it hungry or something? try feeding it? Ah, at first I too thought that and...... The rain had stopped so I had went outside, searched in the bushes and caught small insects. During that time, this guy was crying on shoulder. The damage to my eardrums aint no joke. I have trained and enhanced my body, so my hearing ability was also better than other humans, so yeah that damn hurts like hell. And still, near the ears this guy continually kept on his Pii Pii Pii Pii Piii...... But, the insects I captured suffering all that, this guy, for some reason, didnt even look at them. I caught various like grasshoppers, earthworms, ants, caterpillars, but this guy ignored each and every of them. I thought it must be that it didnt want to eat hard things right after being born, so I gave them after crushing them but it too didnt work. ......In fact, judging from the size of its body, it wouldnt be bad because of hardness. Having said that, if this guy didnt eat anything, no wonder it would die of starvation right after being born. It would indeed make my morning bad. Just what would this guy eat? It couldnt be helped, so I opened the backpack and took out everything edible and presented it. Then the baby bird moved as though it had found something, It flew towards theCoreof Slime we picked up yesterday. Towards it which had fallen quite a distance far due to taking out everything from the backpack. Just like that, it skillfully holding the core with the claw of its legs, started eating by pecking at it with the beak. Eh, What, does it like that? Though it was inexpensive, but it can be converted into money, so Elk make a face sayingAhhh!,but well......we can just take it once again. It had been hungry as it finished one whole core in some minutes, and this time, Wai......No!? No, you cant eat that!! Elk, in hurry, gathered all the cores, so this time it looked at......once again not the food but theMagic Restoration Pillwhich we bought for emergencies. It was tablet type of medicine, it was made from medicinal plants. Downing it would recover C or rather, it would supplement C small amount of magical power. Quite an expensive item. Baby bird looked Elk with eyes full of hate because she picked it up. No, even I dont think it would be good to the medicine...... ......Wait a bit? Come to think of it, theCore of Slimeshave a small amount of magical power left in them even after the slime dies, so it had been used a lot in medicinal recipes. Thats why, defeating a slime using magic was considered ideal rather than hurting the core. In other words, this guy...... Was the same as I had thought. This guy liked to eat anything with magical power inside, or maybe, it could only those things. I dont know if this would be only for the baby period or it would continue even after growing up. Actually currently, it was eating the medicinal plants with magical power in them, which Elk collected yesterday. Once again by skillfully using its legs and biting off little by little. Elk also consented to let it eat, after all selling these medicinal plants wouldnt have given much in return. Even so, is this, a demon? Maybe it is a demon living in this area? Elk, have you never seen something like this I basically keep checking the list of demons in Ritoras Mountains, but I have neither saw or heard about a demon like this. Even more, a demon who likes magical power...... She said, that demons like that do exist, but not in this area. In fact, she didnt even know of a demon who looked like a black owl. It was an egg when we found it, so maybe it was brought here from some other region? As for that egg, I checked the wreckage of the shell, it was hard. Not only hard, it was fucking really hard. I took a relatively large piece of it, tried to break it by using putting power in my punch, but it didnt break, oh fuck it, there wasnt even a crack, almost no signs of any transformation on it. Looks like the egg wasnt buried there, but it came there along with the dirt and sand. It makes sense with this damn hardness. Even the attacks from Elks dagger gave at most only some scratches, unless I punched with quite more power it didnt break. You know this, this is more harder than steel. Just how did this guy came out of that shell. It finished eating, and had been on my shoulders for a while, but I couldnt even the ridiculous power from the claws on my shoulder. Then, leaving me the work of tidying up the hut, Elk finally came back after surveying the surroundings. Along with a troublesome report. What? Well, due to the rain yesterday, a landslide occurred. It wasnt near the hut, so we didnt had to feel any danger, but do to that the road to going back completely collapsed. Flat levelled trees, crumbling land, yeah seems pretty terrible. The scene only stretches, if we tried to pass by there the land collapse at any time, so we couldnt use that place to go back. Thats why, we now had to find a new way back. According to Elk, there were 3 roads to go to the bottom of mountain. One of them was the ones which got into party with landslide. One of the rest 2, goes in between the woods, it has quite a lot of slopes, moreover the ground was muddy, so equally dangerous. I would be fine, but the same couldnt be said for Elk. It wouldnt be good if she tripped, and neither can I carry her on my back on a slope. The last one was quite a roundabout route, but it was slightly-sloping, but there wasnt any terrain related dangers, neither can one trip even with the muddy ground. However in that case, we would be out of Ritoras Mountains en route. And we would have cross another place to come back. And name too......Crimson Forest The leaves of the trees, all year have the red color like that of autumn leaves, so it got its name. That place has more higher level and frequency of demon appearances compared to Ritoras Mountains, so that place was dangerous area in that sort of meaning. Even so, the danger levels were the same as that ofLabyrinth of Nagaunless we tread in too deep, furthermore Elk and I have already to completed the exploration ofLabyrinthto the lowest floor. And so, we choose the route via Crimson Forest, with safe terrain, not so safe demons for adding up the experience. ......Furthermore, the owl came with us as though it was natural, it perched on my shoulder and sometimes flew here and there. In reality, the Crimson Forest had more demons, and also felt like a place with more danger than there. In Ritoras Mountain, 2 or 3 demons would come out within an hour or so, but here even at most within 10 minutes numerous demons appear. And, though they didnt had much difference. the demons that came out had more high levels compared to the guys in the mountain. Of course, it wasnt even enough fo us to break a sweat. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. There was red leaves that felt like a bright autumn, it somewhat felt good seeing it. So it remains the whole year like this. Meanwhile, in that calming place there was a single demon who assaulted. It was the red-colored lizardRed Lizard. It was slightly bigger than aLizard, it had grown larger with the help of magical power inside its body, and can throw fire from the mouth. I who was calming absentmindedly, reflexively dodged that guy who came from the shade of trees and tried to swing the heel for counter attacking. But my aim wasnt that good, so I smashed its tail. At that moment, maybe it knew it cant win against me, so it literally cut the tail and ran off. The scales of red lizard can be used as materials in producing ornaments, so it was little disappointing. I need to be on guard. Elk too warned me. As for the left behind tail was also quite big considering the size of red lizard. It was about the size of a root vegetable. And, naturally there was magical power left in the tail, so...... How is it? Good? PiiIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIII! Just like before, I presented it to this guy. This time it was little big so I cut it in proper sizes with the help of knife. No, it wouldnt be good to go back with only a tail. So yeah, to not feel embarrassment and for this guy to fill its stomach. The baby bird, as expected skillfully......(omitted). It was little but it seemed to use the legs, claws and beak a little more skillfully than before. This guy surely grows fast. And surprisingly, it even ate the whole tail which should of the same volume as it. Just where the hell did it enter into!? Demons are strange......there are still quite a lot of thing I dont know of, yet. Now that I think about it, Ive been calling it, it, this guy, baby bird, but......yeah that sure can be tiring. Furthermore, dont you feel sorry for it that it doesnt even have a name even after being born. Im calling it baby bird, in human language it might be something likeBratorLil Lad. And so, I have given it a nameAlva For a test I tried to call it, it seemed happy, after play-biting my ears it flew overhead and did a revolution. Yeah Yeah, its good that you like it. In fact, though this came late, but this guy is really cute. I suddenly realized that the sound of wings flapping stopped. Just like in my previous world, the owls dont make sounds while flying, and can catch their prey while flying in the darkness, just like assassin. So it reached that level in only a hour and some minutes from birth. Youre good to go, Alva. ......Sigh, you completely look like you want to keep it. Well, the moment you gave food to it, you got recognized as the parent...... Elk sighed on my curiousity and whim. Im really sorry. Chapter 29 – Encounter with Guards I forgot to upload it, sorry, and this new gdrive has got many bugs, my editor edited the chapter but it didnt update itself and he had to redo it. Even when I use it sometimes, it crashes all of a sudden. Chapter 29 C Encounter with Guards Danger area of rank DCrimson Forest. The demons which appeared were not much different from the ones inside the labyrinth. In fact, their levels were low but they come out in large numbers, so it was annoying. Well, it wasnt like they always attacked even if we happened to come across them, ignoring the small demons generally more would immediately leave to some place. Even then numbers aint low, we werent killing every one of them, but mostly we kill one of them and let others run in fright. Most run with just that. Frankly, fighting each and every one of them would be troublesome. Once again, the numbers aint low. And......there are many demons in this forest which I hesitate to kill. Rabbit with hornsHorn Rabbitor squirrel about the size of a puppyTrifartel ......there are many demons who are cute. They would be on the level one would keep on staring them if they were to be sold in a pet shop. If you want to laugh then laugh. Even though Im like this, I love cute, since the previous life. Plush toys too. However, a part of the demons were exceptions. Im hunting them proactively. Like the demons whose raw materials can be sold for high prices, or those who can used as a meat and were needed. In my case, my policy was to tear the needed parts of demons, those which can be eaten would be used as food. As an example,Ignite Boaris a pig-like carnivorous brutal demon. Its meat could be considered as a high-grade item, so good to eat, good for sale, that sort of monster it was. There were also like a large sized chickenBig Cookand a completely bear like demon, and the name tooBear. ......That goes for the demons on raw materials basis, as for those with expensive fur likeTrifartel, it was being hunted by Elk proactively, so I cant get used to them dying. Well I have my backpack, so after hunting the demons we put the materials into it, I dont think we would have a problem in walking due to excess of raw materials. But I still have to take care to not take too much. I have no intention to greedily take raw materials in large quantity, and I more enough dont want it to become a racket if I brought raw materials in large quantities to the Guild. Even if IStoreit as food, the time couldnt be stopped, by time its condition would only worsen. And, I also hunted demons with magical power. They would become the food of Alva. Just like theRed Lizardfrom before, we met with aMagic Bunnyonly once but it was really impressive (it was realllyyy cute). Its appearance wasnt much different from that of a rabbit, but making small sounds......it fired of a fireball like magic, at that time I was really surprised. I got surprised, striked the fireball with backhand blow, in between that time Elk killed it by throwing the knife. He had a scent of more dense magic compared to other demons, but for it to suddenly use magic. ......How enviable. Later, Elk told me it was a rankDdemon, and it could defeatBear, something much times bigger that it itself. Hearing that, I was even more surprised. As for thatMagic Bunny, it had more magical power, so as expected it became the food for Alva. Up until now, we met only one of them. Alva ate it the moment I presented it. If it wants to it eats. The appetite couldnt be considered as something for someone as small as this. TheMagic BunnyI just now talked about was eaten completely except the bones. It was 2 times larger than normal rabbits, and obviously lot more bigger than Alva itself......was it digesting using magic? Then, after digestion and absorption was over, it flew to quite a distance and did it that work......after that it came back to my shoulder. Yeah, this guy has got good brain. Its good that I dont have to deal with aftermath. It relaxed after eating, right now, it was sleeping on my shoulder. Was eating and sleeping the same in infants of both animals and demons? Incidentally, This thing had been on my mind for a while, The demons of this forest, maybe my imagination, but most are agitated......? Perhaps, again something else came out? What do you mean by something? Well something likeNaga, after all all the demons are agitated and too much worked up as if wanting to secure food, maybe a strong demon came out that can destroy the balance of ecosystem Something like, an ancient sleeping demon woke up due to landslide. Give me a little break......I dont want to meet something like that every time Maybe it had turned into a trauma, Elk started. Cold sweat sprouts. No, well, I didnt feel that they were starving or thin, so I dont think there would be something like that...... However in that case, I have no idea what it might be...... I tried to ask Elk before, she said normally, even if the danger level rank was D, there hasnt been a time this many demons would come across by. Though the demons were in lot of numbers, theres those who are coward, and careful, so upon sensing humans they would themselves disperse. And, there were majority of them who would attack on their own, now thats suspicious. If it was like in theLabyrinthlike food shortage I could understand the reason, but I couldnt feel anything like that, so it had been in my mind even more deeply. In other words, for some reason, they had been agitated and turned brutal, so theyre right now in high state? Mating season......it doesnt seem like that. According to Elk, it doesnt occur this season. Dont tell me, the demons of forest have made a united front and were going to attack the human habitations......no no no, though they are demons most of them are wild animals. They wouldnt be hostile to humans only. They arent some army of some demon king. But in that case, it becomes more complicated to understand...... While thinking that we briskly walked. In an irregular place like this, Elk could still calculate and find the way back using map and sun, shes really excellent...... DD!! DD!! ............Hm? I think I heard something just now......? At that moment, Not only me, but sleeping Alva too got startled and woke up, then raised its head up. We both looked around here and there......in the end we stopped while looking at the same direction. Oh, Alva you too noticed it? SFX: *Piiiii!* ? What happened, you guys? Elk walked some steps, noticed something and turned back......the next moment, SFX: *Hyuuuu!* *Pashiii!!* (*whistle* *strike*) Something C an arrow C so an arrow, came flying at me crossing through the trees, so I tried to catch it with my hand. Not like it would hit something or someone even if it kept flying in that trajectory. As though the momentum if came flying can be understood, the arrow hit my arm making a *Piiin* sound and wavered, seeing that Elk started then a second later she understood the whole situation. Then, in a fluster, I looked towards the place arrow came flying in from, there was no one. Minato, is there something!? ......Well, if you ask there is something then yes there is, but...... Most probably, Elk thought it was an attack from some demon with intelligence and can use weapons like Kobold from yesterday or Goblins fromLabyrinth. She took out the dagger and took a fighting stance. But that might be wrong. From what she had heard. I tell herIts finewhile holding her back with my hand. Probably, we werent getting aimed at. ......? What do you mean? Ah well, it was quite far......so Elk cant hear it. In this forest, there were cries of demons here and there, so it had been noisy. As for what my ear heard were......battle sounds. The sound of something getting cut by a sword. The sound of something attacking a metallic armor or something. The sound of air cutting mostly because arrows are flying. And......the sound of demons crying and humans voices. But, the voices of humans wasnt something like scream. It was more like, angry voice? commanding voice? At any rate, it wasnt a voice that seemed to be afraid from demons...... In that case this arrow was a stray arrow. Now this is really dangerous. In other words, someone is getting attacked by demons? Its not one-sided, looks like theyre putting up a fight? I cant hear screams. And its not necessary that there are only 1 or 2 people From what I heard, approximately, 10 are present. I couldnt deduce exactly the numbers because there was a quite a distance between us. So, is it an adventurer party? Or is it a trader group with escorts? Who know. What will you do? Wanna see? ......Not really, I have no interest in getting involved with other peoples problems...... *glance* She sees the map in her hand, From here it is quite far. Helping them is something else, but lets go and see whats happening Understood We change the route, not like we couldnt take a detour but it would be troublesome to walk more. And, seems like they were having hard time, so it would good to not take a detour so I could save them when needed. The stray arrows could again come flying, so for precautions, I walked in front while Elk behind me. Sure enough, 2 or 3 came, so I broke them or catched and kept on our progress. The arrows I catched were stored in the backpack because it seemed to be too wasteful to throw them. Then, after passing through the trees, we finally reached the mountain road where the sounds were coming fr......Whoops! (Pashi), once again it came flying. Then, what I saw on the other side after catching it was...... ......!? Reinforcement......no, humans, eh? A woman holding a bow while looking at us with a surprised expression. And in her surroundings, Just like I heard, there were 10 and some more people. Everyone had weapons in hand and were fighting the demons attacking them from inside the forest. There were some carriages too, they were fighting while covering them, it doesnt seem like a trader group to me. Why? Because the attire of all them was same. And it wasnt only normally matching. It looked like a military or naval uniform. They are wearing an armor, all have the same design. Including the woman too. They seem more like Knights compared to adventurers? Then, after a second, the startled woman, quickly, ......Oi, the young man over there! Eh, Yes!? Youre an adventurer, right? There is danger here, quickly......! The woman stopped talking, took her stance with bow and nocked the arrow. Then, aiming at our side......Wha, Wait!? I took defensive posture for an instant, but the arrow didnt reach us, but went by our side and pierced the temple ofWolfhiding in the shade of tree behind us. Whoa, awesome. Shes fast to take stance and shoot. That bow and arrow using woman, takes a breath then once again looks at us, Im sorry for scaring you. Young man and oh, there is one more. Im sorry to ask it immediately, but are you adventurer or something? Eh? Ah, Yes, well we are I see. Sorry for the rude behaviour, but just as you see en route we......! While saying that she once again takes down another demon with her certain archery. If you havent lost the way, then I will recommend to get out from here quickly. The situation is quite dire. If you remain here it would dangerous for you too Err, what about you all? Just as you see. Im sorry, but we cant protect *you both in this situation [ET: She says Kikou (F), this is used by MALES to refer to equal or inferior (in age) males] No, I dont think I understood anything at all by looking. Then, before she spoke her words, Her companion fighting at a separate place shouted in panic. Captain! There are reinforcements near 10 oclock! Wolf and......Bear and Red Lizard too! Ku, again! The smell of blood is stimulating them and luring them, eh......Its inevitable, everyone......!? Oi moron, behind you! The woman shouted, the man who just now called herCaptain, had a wolf coming at him from behind. But, before thatmoronman noticed it, ......the arrow I threw struck the eye of wolf. The one I catched some moments ago. Yeah, even now I can not leave someone who is about to get hurt. No matter what. The wolf stopped there, but it started rampaging there, so there couldve been casualties for the Knights (?), so I stepped the ground to reach there and kicked it. The kick sent it flying to the opposite side of bushes, no, grove of trees. The bow and arrow using woman and others saw everything that happened in that second in mute amazement. Err......was meddlesome for you? ......No, you helped us, thank you The bow and arrow using woman gave the words of gratitude after being the first one to understand the situation. And young man, though I said to run, but can you try to meddle some more? You have some ability, frankly, we dont have much composure right now Eh, yes, if thats the case. Elk, you fine with it? Yeah, Im fine. Its not like I didnt predict this. Finish it quickly, okay? Understood maam. Ah, thats right, Alva it will be dangerous so be with Elk Piiiiii! I confirmed that Alva landed on the shoulder of Elk. That Elk was in an non-aggressive defense stance with her back facing a carriage. Yeah, in the current situation that might be the correct choice. I strike the gauntlets of both hands and faced thereinforcementsthe knights (temporary) were saying before. Whoa, sure enough, they are quite a lot. ......Well, it would be a good warm-up. So now that Im participating in battle here, I would have to perceive this group as my comrades, right. I dont like my comrades being hurt, so to finish the warm-up, I kicked the ground. After some ten-odd minutes, We succeeded in somehow repelling that crowd of demons. While letting the knights protecting, the carriage was moving away from that place. We were able to get them away by the plan of me and other knights including the bow and arrow using woman to kill the monsters chasing us. It wasnt exactly repelling, right? We too ran away. And, right now we both were sitting while facing the bow and arrow using woman inside a carriage of the group. Well then......first let me thank you. We were saved after all Ah, no, we were just passing by, you dont have to worry about it Though Im grateful that you say that, but thanks to you the casualties to my squad was less, so I cant accept your words. Right now, I can only bow down my head She bows her head, seems like, she was the captain of this group. The way she was letting out that air, and bowing her head in a place like this, I had a good first impression of her. And, here finally I could see her clearly. She has somewhat short light blue hair, and an easy-to-move blue colored navy uniform. Maybe she had matched the armor with her clothes and it too was of blue-violet color, it was a light armor just like Elks one. The design was more for not interfering with agility and not more for defense I havent introduced myself yet. Im Suura Cowen. Im the platoon leader of the city guard force stationed near here. They are my subordinates City guard force......ah, the police-like thing that came in the case with Elk. For shortGuards. Though they are counted as a part of countrys army, but they are more like police boxes responsible for problems happening near the citizens living place. To put it simply, the difference is like that of police and army? Well in emergencies they too fight along with army, so they were considered as a full-fledged army link. And, this Suura-san seems to be thePlatoon leaderin the base near here. She lead a troop for a mission, then the situation changed into what it was before and seemed to have a close fight. And, we by coincidence were passing by. It wouldve been dangerous at that rate. Though we wouldnt had lost, but not everyone would have been fine. You really saved us Ah, no, its fine as long as everyone is fine I reply with a nod seeing Suura-san bowing her head again, at the same time, I finish our self-introduction. ......Now, lets change the topic, you both are adventurers, right, what was the reason you came in this forest? Ah, no its not like we had some reason to come in this forest...... I told her, us coming from Ritoras Mountain, and were taking a detour route to return back to city. All in a summary. Then, Suura-san slightly furrowed her brows. Its unfortunate but you wont be able to reach your destination on this carriage. We are heading deep into forest after all Eh, is that true? Yeah, strictly speaking......We have go deep inside the forestor else we wont reach our destination I dont get it clearly, but it seems like that. Muu......I was thinking that they would let us get out of forest in the carriage for helping them, but not everything in life goes easily well. But in that case, we should now leave them. We were only outsiders, and will only be hindrance to Suura-san in her mission. I tell Suura-san that we would leaving here. I see, understood. I still want to thank you, but Im in midst of work, so you know. Its painful but I have nothing to give to you two Ah, please dont. Ill just take the grateful feelings I see. Then......before that Then Suura-san opened a map in front of us as though she remembered something. What is it, while thinking that we both look, Suura-san then points at a point with her fair clean finger. ......Elk, I leave it up to you. Are you both going via this route to outside? Yes, is there a problem? Yeah. In truth......because of the heavy rain yesterday, the whole terrain around this area has crumbled. Due to that, this south road is mostly blocked ......geh, for true? The area Suura-san pointed with her finger also covered the route Elk had said to walk on. ......We couldnt get through there. For the same reason we took a detour from Ritoras Mountain. Suura-san, left the base early morning, couldnt use that route, so took a really roundabout route and had then reached here. We were told about the route, but yeah, it surely has quite a large distance to cover. And we were able to know the reason behind the agitation of demons of forest, it was because of landslide. Though it was only in an area, but the landslide changed the terrain of that place, so the demon ruling that territory was agitated. It lost the territory in a single night, so due to that the demons moved for recovering it, but didnt stop and started to expand their territory, therefore the southern side of forest was in a rebellion state for now. It couldnt complain the natural phenomenon, so it came to this point. In that case, for some time, this forest would be really troublesome. Normally too the numbers and types of demons here were more, and in this state it would be more bad. Including the fact I would have to take a detour, it would turn into a difficult road back to city. What will you do, Elk What you mean what to do, this is the only way back, so we have to go on this route Sure enough...... ......By the way, I have single suggestion Suura-san opened her mouth with a difficult to speak expression. What happened? Can you both accompany us, only if you feel like it? ? What do you mean by that? Just like I said before. We are currently headed deep in the forest for our mission, so its quite uneasy because the demons would also be stronger. That is little miserable, you might have guessed it from the battle before Ah, I see Furthermore in thisCrimson Forestthe outer areas have low ranked demons but after entering a little inside their ranks jump the gun and rapidly increase. The current us......well, we wont be annihilated but we surely wouldnt be able to come back without anyone getting hurt I had heard that the people affiliated to Royal Armys lowest strata have been employed asGuards...... Yeah. Thats why the lack of strength is also one of the reason There, Suura-san spoke. Though they were low leveled demons likeWolfandRed Lizard, but I was beatin the crap out of them barehandedly and Elk too fought against them with movements not at all inferior to Knights. So she wants to hire us as adventurers to aid the squad temporarily. Of course, I would reward you later. Though it wont be as far as giving all, but I do plan to give you the reward from my private funds too Wouldnt it be better to go back temporarily and replenish the war potential? Elk spoke up. Completely right. Doing that would be more good than hiring adventurers like us who have unknown origins. And didnt they used too many arrows in the previous battle? they should replenish it too. ......Indeed, normally I wouldve done that. But we dont have timewise composure to do that What do you mean? The mission this time is to rescue. We cant take more time Ah, so thats how it was. From what I heard, yesterday, a caravan of traders was deployed fromVolcapiled with some important commodity, but they didnt reach the neighbouring city they were to reach in night. From investigating, it was guessed that they took the path viaCrimson Forestas a shortcut route, but en route the heavy rain came and they were stranded here. They would be on the woodland path, and would be found out without taking time, or so was their speculation, but due to the change in terrain because of landslide and the agitated state of demons had changed it. Because of the situation within forest they wanted to replenish the consumable goods like like arrow and all, but they couldnt possibly make the target for protection wait for long in the forest. Moreover in doing that they would have to take that roundabout route. If they went back, then coming back today would be impossible. Based on time, the survival rate of traders would be grim. And so, she asked us to help her, after all we came like a godsend to them. And its not like I dont know you. ? Due to my position, I have a good eye to discern people, just like from the skill you showed in the previous battle and especially, ......Minato, right, you even stopped my arrow from point-blank range, didnt you? Regarding that Suura-san apologized. Well indeed, normal people wouldnt be able to catch an arrow. So she also evaluated that point too. And you dont even demand money for helping and just tried to get away from here, thats an unselfish personality. Having seen that much, I know that I can somewhat trust you S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Suura-san said that along with a gentle smile. So what will you do? I will say again, that I will pay the reward completely. Its including my subordinates with promising future. Although its miserable as a soldier, but stomach cant become spine. ......cant you please accompany us? Suura-san asked with gentle yet serious eyes. ......Ah, what should I do...... Im happy that she praised me. But in that case it would be...... It didnt look like she was lying, so Suura-san would clearly pay the reward. For the amount of trouble it would bring us also. Even so, we would have to bear the responsibility of going in the dangerousforestwithout any preparations. And, the tactics based on pros and cons based on the area were something Im not good at or rather...... ......Elk, all up to you How long would be the time period for this job? It will be like......searching for traders group, then escort them to the city, so at fast it would be over by tomorrow. At most it would be 5 days. Of course, that would be the timit limit for exploration ......Minato, you can make ice and all? ? Well, its not like I cant do it, why? More precisely, I dont make it with magic immediately, but useMagic Artsto freeze the moisture in atmosphere to make ice. But, what happened suddenly? I mean the wrists of Kobolds for subjugation proofs, we cant let it rot away, right? Upon freezing, it should be able to keep the shape for some days ? You were in the middle of quest? Yeah. We have to present the proofs of subjugation within one week Saying that, ELk showed the wrists of Kobold to Suura-san. I see. In that case, we have preservatives within our equipments, you can use it. If its a simple thing then it would be able to preserve for 2 weeks Really? You have got a quite convenient thing there? Yeah. Due to my work, I have to bring back the wrists of robbers too. Regardless of missions, upon expeditions I bring it for preserving some things Unexpectedly, we were told her work quite vividly. Well, like that the wrists would be preserved. The time limit for request reachedAt most 5 days, so it might be safe at borderline. In the worst case, after days, the exploration gets cancelled, we both withdraw, and I run with Elk on back in hyper speed. How about we act as mediators for the time limit of quest. Of course, for the time you would be here, we will prepare the food. But, upon increase in numbers we would have some local procurement, please acknowledge it...... And for other facilities? The sleeping place, huh. Either inside the carriage, or we have 2 tents prepared, you can choose any one Contents of work? Are we needed to only aid during the time of battle? Basically yes. If I ask to be more greedy, I would like you to help in exploration, and setting up the camping grounds......Ah of course, I would increase the reward taking that in consideration I see. ......I need a rough sketch about the amount of money given as reward, can I ask it? Youre right......for the time being, how about 50 silver coins? T-That much!? In Japanese yen it would be......500K yen!? Really!? I would get that much for just escorting for 4 or 5 days. ......Isnt this quite lavish? It isnt. The place we are going is the deepest part ofCrimson Forestwhere the danger level are lot more. According to situation, I would increase the reward Hearing that, Elk thought for a while...... ......Understood. Minato, you fine with it? You accepting it? Yeah. Looking at other conditions, this is cost-effective. And thinking about future, this would have help us get experience for quests like this Well yeah. With this work we should be able to get a lot of experience for escorting quest. Adding that, we would get extraordinary reward, so it would be good to accept it. After that I left the negotiations to Elk, completed the detailed facts, and officially accepted the quest by Suura-san. It was a normal quest, but before I knew it, it had upgraded......well just think of it as life experience. Chapter 30 – Girls’ Talk on the Riverside This chapter is sponsored by Kelly Hughes and anon (for next 3 chapters).I sincerely thank you for supporting me!! I will post the chapters ASAP Im sorry for late chapter, I TLed it really slowly because I was dealing with my, no every students nemesis, that is homework!!!!. That nasty thing was not in my life for a few days and I forgot that life can be severe. Dayyum, I will upload the rest of sponsored chapters after defeating my nemesis. Chapter 30 C Girls Talk on the Riverside Few hours after going with Suura-san and the guards, We were able to find theTrader Group, our goal, quite quickly. Well, just like Suura-san thought, they were on the woodland path, moreover, I too was using my enhanced hearing ability to search. Then, after searching for an hour, I heard some sounds seeming like a quarrel, we went there and bingo, we found them. Incidentally, the traders we secured were together with adventurers they had hired in Volca as escorts, and those adventurers are...... Well, it is a coincidence. For being able to meet you two again after tomorrow and in this place ......err, Zari-san, right? Well, youre right in a sense Dont addsan, just call me Zari without any honorifics. Its not like we dont know each other, right? No, I seriously think if that conversation which didnt even last more than some minutes is enough to put me in theAcquaintancecategory. Yeah. TheEscortswere Zari and other two delinquent adventurer who made a fuss near theBoardin the guild yesterday. Just when I thought I have secured the Trader Group, something strange came as free product......that really surprised me, seriously. Among them, this flashy guy, Zari came in the same as our carriage saying the more the merrier. As for the remaining two......the obese guy and gorilla-macho-man who were aiming for Elk yesterday. Like I said, this is da necessary expenses, right? So dont be stingy about it, mister richy trader If we dont use our power, we wont be able to protect ya treasure, right? Stop fucking around! Where do you see escorts who lays hand on the commodities they are required to protect!! Good grief, theyre still at it. Apparently, the two were hired as escorts, but their behaviour was exactly like delinquents. From what I heard, before we rescued them, these two laid hands on the commodity the trader was carrying......no, arent I repeating what they just said. Aww, at that rate we would be getting complained upon reaching the city. We dont even have accomplished the request, now we would have to give penalty, fine Didnt you had wrong people to work with? Ahaha, youre strict~...... Hearing the prickly lines of Elk, the flashy man laughs it off without paying attention to it. Apparently they really met some days earlier and tried to take up on a request together. Though it might be wrong to say it......but this guy got the losing lottery ticket. However, upon talking like this, the air around this Zari, surely is frivolous......but not irritating unlike those two. At the very least, he isnt someone one would want to avoid based on his appearance. I dont feel indecent stares toward Elk or Suura-san, but neither does he keep much distance between them and him. As if he noticed, he suddenly looked towards me, Ah, thats right. Hey, boyfriend-kun And said something like that to me. At that time, hearingBoyfriend, Elk turned red in an instant, but because it was really cute, so I didnt retort. I forgot to ask yesterday, but......youre that, right? The adventurer in black, the one who defeatedNaga AH......you can tell? Really? Well yeah, thats your appearance after all. When I first saw you, I thought you were a crow ......Dont you have good examples other than that. But well how to put it, he is unexpectedly fun guy to talk with, so along with Zari and other three adventurers too, our travel went comparatively happily. Leaving the moving to coachman and horse, we just relaxed and talked. Only sometimes did demons attack, it was alright to just handle them suitably. Perhaps due to more people, the demons who attacked became low. Then that time continued for some while, now it was time for sun to set down. Normally thinking it was dangerous to move forward in night, so we decided to put up a camp near this area, and we all begin preparing the camping ground. The night of that day, we had a barbeque party with the dry preserved foods brought by the Knights and the edible animals (demons too) we hunted for procuring more food. Due to the situation, they had only brought simple plain foods, so when I brought two bears, everyone got delighted. I was holding one in each hand, so I thought they would be taken aback, but on the contrary I was praised and even got my back struck violently. It sure is great, the people who are straightforward and dont make fuss about everything. Though, it is indeed stifling. At that time, I encountered some slimes and red lizards, so I hunted them down and gave them to Alva. That night, I woke up, moreover wide-awake and couldnt go back to sleep. I couldnt sleep at all, so I thought to wash my face for relaxing, and I headed to the river we found in the vicinity. I speak with the guards on duty for night and left the camping grounds. The night watch is being done by Knights in shifts. At first I suggested that I should too go night watch, but Suura-san said me to rest in night, I had helped her fight and also brought wonderful food. She kindly told me and I accepted her words. To cover up for it, I would work hard in morning. After reaching the river, I washed my face by splashing the water which felt cold because there was no sunlight unlike daytime. And it feels really good on this body which hasnt gone in bath for last two days. ......But, now I feel that Im more awake than before for no reason at all. In my case, after washing my face like this, I would be able to sleep after a while even if Im not feeling sleepy right now. Looking at the position of the moon and all, I finally realised it was going to be dawn pretty soon. At this rate, it would be good to be awake. And I dont feel any lack of sleep. Its like this, should I also catch some ingredients to add in the breakfast. It was some minutes later, Elk arrived. I wascatchingbig fishes, because I had many small ones, at that time, I heard footsteps of someone approaching from behind the brushwoods. I turn back and Elk came out of there holding a large towel. ......Breakfast? Yeah. Meat will be too much heavy in the morning, and I also ate that yesterday, so I thought fish would be good. Well it is only secondary job after washing my face I get it, but......you catch fish in quite an interesting way Interesting, is it? Surely. From what I know, the only ones who catch fish that way are you and bears Ah, well, I also think that this way does seem like the way bears hunt salmon in Hokkaido, by slapping the swimming fish and throwing it to the riverside. But, I hate luring them with fishing pole. Because I hate waiting and being patient. This way is more quick and reliable. And, for not letting the fishes get injured, Im scooping them out gently, so their condition too is good. And how are you able to stand on water? Magic? S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. No, this is that......surface tension, never heard of it? Like gerridae [ET: Gerridae is the family of insects like water striders or pond skaters. Basically, they have the power to play freely on water without any magic, chakra, or ninja water slippers] [AK: is only me or ... reminds me of Naruto] [ET: Even I wonder why I used that shit here and why Minato used something similar] The technique to activate surface tension on the bottom of feet by using water magic. This too was developed during training. Right now I can walk on the water surface and stand just like gerridae C Mom told me they exist in this world too -, and like that I can play on water. Upon running fast the magical power on the bottom on feet would scatter, but at that time I can just run at full speed, so problem. When I told her, a sigh came back. Sorry for being a freak. By the way, why are you here? I am......for bathing. I hadnt entered bath for past two days Saying that while hesitating, she started to undress, without even paying attention to the fact that I am in front of her. Ah, then I should go to other side Its fine. Im not concerned on letting my body being seen by you after all this time......we are doing even bigger things than this after all Ah, well, shes right. Since that night, I became more close with Elk, and not only stayed with her in day but also night. Several days later, It started when Elk said for us to be in the same room, as it would save money and we have entered a deep relationship too. Surely she wasnt wrong. Elk came to my room many times for sorting the raw materials I hunted, or for discussing the plans for next day, sometimes, she came but didnt go back too. The bed of the room too is pretty big for two people......like that, it went tothat sort of thingtoo. So it became to the talk of us living in same room, when we told Tanya-chan, I was made fun of with a face as though she were having fun, moreover a room with double bed was also prepared. No, well......shes doing her work fine, so no problem. Anyhow, everything went that way, and our distance also closed up quite a bit, more precisely, at least to the level we wont feel embarrassed on having our naked body seen by each other. Thats why, seeing Elk undressing in front of me......though not completely, but yeah, Im not startled as much I used to before. The places I havent seen on Elks body, are now non-existent. The same goes for Elk. She doesnt feel embarrassed upon having me seeing her, her recently it has gotten to pointYou can stay here and keep guarding, just like she said before. Im happy and unsatisfied as a man, but I can feel trust in those words, so Im happy. While I was thinking all that stuff, Elk has already finished undressing and started to wipe her body with a small wet towel. The scene of Elk washing her body under the moonlight is truly fascinating, to the extent that I have already started to staring at her without blinking. I watched her too much, so she askedWant to enter in water together?, but that I refused. Though it is a fascinating invitation......but there is high possibility that I will feel remorseful later. The mental strength of boy in puberty is not strong. And it will be even weak during camping. I even got askedYou dont want to wipe off you sweat, but in that area, I have a trick though it wont make you feel refreshed. What is it? It is really simple, but dangerous. It is ignite my own body with fire, then become a fire ghost doll......and just like that burn and exhaust all the dirt and sweat. If in fire for 1 minute, all the dirt and old cuticles too fall down. And my clothes and equipments cant be burned with flames, so laundry also is done together. The only fault is, I cant do that while indoors. Hearing that Elk, shows a fed up, amazed and perplexed expression......and just after, while showing an expression as she remembered something, Hey, Minato? What? If I asked then would to teach me those......the convenient magics? Well, its only after I become more good at magic by practising...... She asked me that while hesitating a bit. Seeing me use various types of insane but interesting original magic C I am using various others during exploration and training C , Elk too mustve thought to use some of them. Hearing that, I didnt get very flustered. Frankly, I had known she was going to ask me that at some point. From what I conclude, the answer is half Yes, and half No. Elk is my partner whom I can trust in both public and private matters, so If can help her grow, then Ive got no hesitation at all. The convenience magics I am using right now, I would tell her while being happy. Of course, just like Elk said, only after her magic has started to take form. Due to her having the talent which I dont, she might be able to use them more greatly than me, so Im looking forward to that. But this only the Yes part. The No part is different. Among the magics I have, there are those who have been referred asTaboo,Not for teaching peopleorDont use it, which let alone teaching, even I cannot use. There are also types which are completely banned and some are allowed with conditions attached, there are many reasons, for example the 18th oneElemental Bloodwould be dangerous largely if it is leaked to outside carelessly, so I have no intention of teaching it to any person, no matter who it is. So, for them, though it is unfortunate, but I cant teach it to Elk either. Of course, if Elk, after completing her training reached that realm, then at that time, if I was able to trust her completely then......yeah I dont know what I would do. But when I told her that, Elk didnt show an expression of sadness, but revealed a smile filled with fighting spirit. She might have gotten in high spirits thinking that she too would be able to use these interesting magic, aside forbidden ones. Well, its good to be motivated, so no problem there. Even Im excited to see her use magic like me. Some minutes later, The time when Elk almost washed her body, and I too collected too many fishes, ......Hm? I sensed several presences in surrounding, immediately after, a black shadow appeared above me. But, due to sound of wings flapping C which mostly didnt make sounds C I noticed it, and not got scared when it perched on my shoulders. Alva, you are awake too? ......Oh, right youre a nocturnal animal Well, I dont know if it is friend of owls or not. It has grown a lot from morning, it looks more like owl and falcon mixed in one......what the hell Im thinking about right now. The problem is the other presences......two, moreover both are coming from downwind. one of them has really weak presence. As if a professional spy......to the extent I can somehow sense it due to my enhanced hearing ability and smelling sense. But, the other one, the one without any intention to hide, appears from behind the brushwoods the moment later......ah, what. Oh, so there were previous guests. Minato-dono and Elk-dono It was Suura-san letting her blue hair flutter in morning breeze, it seemed a lot refreshing. She isnt wearing armor, but sure is carrying her favorite set of bow and arrow. In her other hand is a simple yet soft to touch, somewhat big towel. Looking at her hand luggage, it seems like she too came for same work Elk did. And Suura-san perceived it. She realizes that Elk just now finished the work she herself was going to start. And looking at the situation more clearly, I too am at that place. Fumu......just like I expected, you both are not simply adventurer partners, but have more intimate relationship. It doesnt seem like you both did that here Well right Hahaha......I somehow beared it I see. Fufu, thats sincere of you though being young I see, Suura-san says that and puts her hand on clothes to undress. Ah, wait, this is going to be that, right. E-Elk, well then, Im going back before Oh, Minato-dono, are you going back? I dont mind if you stand there, though Then, Suura-san said that in manner I dont know if I should categorize it into serious or joke. Huh, is Suura-san, more of frank type of person......liking these sort of jokes? Well, she is living in an army of men, so maybe she isnt feeling anything upon being seen by others......so I cant possibly sayI will take that offer, so lets get our ass out of here. I will keep guarding from somewhere far, and Suura-san can use bow and magic so problem in safety department. Thats why, The place, Alva is pointing and trying to get my attention towards by poking my head......the place with the other persons presence, I decide to go there. Then, have fun Saying just that, I kicked the ground. Ah, I forgot bringing scarf and fishes. I will come back later~ Immediately after Minato disappeared on the other side of brushwoods. She......Suura, who came to bath just like Elk, undressed and entered the water holding towel in one hand. Elk is currently naked, but because other person is also female, there isnt any need to put her guard up. ......And Suura has already seen her naked with Minato, so she isnt all that embarrassed at this point. Before they knew, with natural flow, it started from normal chatting and turned into girls talk. Like troubles in the places full of men, or about having troublesome partner and subordinates......and some more idle complaints got mixed into the talk. From that conversation, the two understood more and more about each other. To Elk, Suura is a sincere, calm and composed, strict at times needed, and is frank person who is easy to talk with. It seemed like Elk finally understood the reason, the subordinates accompanying them would yearn for Suura and trust her. On the other hand, Suura too found Elk to be a stern and strong woman but kind at some points. And also realized that she couldnt be honest to herself when given kindness by others and in turn gets angry. Also the fact that, that young man might like her this part too. Though they didnt found the deepest parts of each others heart, but the talk went on causally. However, Minato-dono hasnt returned yet. Before, it seemed like he found some presence and went to confirm it......Elk-dono did you sense something? Nope? But he has really good hearing ability, and judging from his expression before it didnt seem like he made an excuse to run Elk guessed it because she knows about Minatos super five senses. But what might it be? If it isnt demon, the thinking normally......it might be someone aiming to peep at our bodies...... Like those two delinquents? Elk recalled the face of two ill-bred adventurers she met in front of board in guild and rescued yesterday, and she knit her eyebrows. Yesterdays night, in a drunken frenzy they called out to Elk, Suura and other females in guard troop. Naturally, everybody ignored them. On the other hand, the frivolous Zari, didnt show any signs of that and was doing manly talk with Minato. Just, like Elk and Suura are doing their girls talk. Well that is probable, but sometimes, during expeditions the males from squad......to peek on me and other females when changing the clothes Eh!? What, is that alright with you!? Well, Im not alright with it, but men are like that, so I have no intention of scolding them. They too must have the resolution to accept severe punishments upon being found out That......can be interpreted as that there are times they peek without getting found out? Youre right. But that also means they have good spying abilities, right? At that time, well......I let them see me naked as reward for them training Elk was surprised on Suuras word filled with all her heart. Does living in a society of men like army increases the resistance like this? That is in truth not wrong, most of the females in army or guard squads, dont mind on being seen naked and can easily do indecent talks too. Suura too couldnt get out from that resistance. Becoming aware of it, Elks eyes looks over Suuras body. Though in the dim place, the body of Suura seemed fascinating to Elk too, though being the same female. Her breasts were large, and waist slim. An ideal figure for a woman. She thought it wasnt strange that all men wanted to see it, even if they had to peep. But if thatsomeone/somethingis really present, then I can only compliment this level of skill, I didnt sense it at all. I dont think it is them two, thought I would be happy if theyre my subordinates...... No, Im not happy about that Around the time, the two women were having that conversation, Minato, who went to confirm thatsomeone/something, stood on the top of tree......and surveyed the surroundings with a serious looking expression. Because thatsomeone/somethingwas not the one Suura thought. The person hiding was really skillfully erasing his presence. Even after concentrating through eyes, he didnt find any shadow. It was a perfect hiding skill which cant be caught unless someone has the ability to smell magical power scent like Minato. To thatsomeone/somethingwhich even has vague scent, Minato started talking alone. ......Well, I dont feel any hostility, and I have no intention to pick your faults, so Im returning for today, you too go back He turned back on the branch of tree. It seemed like he would go immediately, but You mustve had some goal, but I dont feel good on having my partners body being peeped at. So, if you do something like this, or even more...... One beat later, ......I will use my hand, and then dont ask for forgiveness He said that and jumped below. Some seconds later, From a tree far from there, a single man appeared. Smiling in a light smile not different from the daytime, ......Not only my presence he even noticed my position......even though I had confidence in my skills of playing hide-n-seek. Just who is he, really While having his orange hair shine with the light of moon who is soon about to disappear, he spoke in voice with no tension. So, he is one of those sleeping dogs who shouldnt be disturbed......Ive gotten used to dangers already, but its foolish to disturb a sleeping dog, so I will draw back for now. Though he is interesting......but seems like they have no relation That man......Zari says that and without breaking that smile till the end left the place obediently. Chapter 31 – 『Blood Maple』 This chapter was sponsored by anon! The other chapter is in queue of me fixing the sentences. Damn, the couple of hours got larger with the edits and proof reading. But, this chapter has better English than yesterday, so have fun~ and fuck, it is big. Furthermore, let me get your hype up, Minato going to fight some really great thing in some chapters! Chapter 31 C Blood Maple After Elk and Suura-san finished bathing, we had the same preserved food and the bears from yesterdays night and departed. Today too in the carriage of the Trader Group were the traders and those two delinquents. As for Elk, Zari and myself, we were riding in one of the carriages of the guards. The reason Zari got on with us was, according to him, he wouldnt be able to relax if those two were near him and they would also quarrel. It was approved because he he hadnt shown any bad attitude like those two. On the other hand, when they yesterday joined with this squad, they started to flirt with Elk, Suura-san and other girls (though were ignored), and because of that they werent approved of getting on the carriages of the guards. Incidentally, Im still somewhat anxious about Zari......but he hadnt shown any hostility or malice yet, so Im just watching him carefully. If he remained just like that, then he would just be a frivolous lad, who was sociable and easy to talk with. While having those concerns in my mind, the group of carriages of the traders and the guards were moving through theCrimson Forest. Well, because of a landslide the monsters were in a frenzy, so we had encounter with demons, but that was within (our) expectations. I would punch them and drive them away, or sometimes kill them to get the materials, well like that we were moving forward. Along the way, It was around noon when everyone was having lunch in their respective carriages, while the carriage was running. As for the menu, it was the same as in the morning. I was spending that time within the carriage while I was having fun chatting with Elk, Suura-san and Zari too. Especially, Zari would start up new topics, so I wasnt getting bored......and Im grateful for that. When the chatting took a rest, Zari murmured absentmindedly while looking outside the window. Were moving......really smoothly, more than what I had expected Smooth? We have had encounter with many demons before, you call that smoothly moving? Isnt this smooth? If you think of the fact that this group of carriages full-packed with food is moving in the forest where only agitated demons are roaming Zari replied. The commodities of the trader group, emergency food of the knights, and the food we have gotten from the local procurement this morning, in short, within this group of carriages there was too much food. For demons it would be like a buffet that was moving in the forest. ......I didnt want to think this, but for demons, humans like us would also be food. It would be natural for us to be targeted. And, this forest had many demons from the start. Just what were those traders thinking, using this forest as a shortcut. Why did nobody opposed it? I asked Zari, he told me that at first he did oppose it, but the other escorts surrendered to the dazzling persuasion of the increased reward, so it was decided by majority vote. My condolences. And considering that fact, the pace we were getting attacked was very low according to Zari. At this pace, wouldnt we get out of forest by today, platoon captain-san? Sure enough. If nothing goes wrong, then by the twilight we will be out. But getting to the city will be difficult. We would reach by tomorrow morning City, do you mean Volca? Upon asking, Suura-san nodded. Huh? But werent the traders aiming to go to the neighbouring town -It was called Listal or something C , would it be good to return back? From what I heard, when they were in the forest, they were attacked many time by demons and lost a little of their luggage, so wouldnt it be better to replenish the goods? Not only luggage but also escorts. At first, the escorts were 5 including us Did they got caught in the attack? Yeah, the two left. But not to the underworld, they escaped during fight. From what I think that others demons might have attacked them. Or maybe, they got out of the forest somehow Oh my goodness...... From what I heard after that, apparently Zari fought there for completing the request, but the other two, simply couldnt run because they didnt get an opportunity for that. Like that, when it became a helpless situation, they abandoned some quantity of food from the commodities, and survived the fight, soon after they were found out by us. The trader group is in a bad condition even now. I mean in the sense they had to cut off commodities and escorts. In that case, returning to city for replenishing commodities and hiring new escorts would be natural......no, it would be inevitable. When I thought that, right there Suura-san cut in, No, only we will be returning to city. The people from trader group......, apparently would return to their normal route after getting out of the forest and aim for Listal What!? And due to the unexpected words, I, Elk as well as Zari leaked out a strange sound from our mouth. Eh, what does that mean? Do those people from the trader group plan to go towards Listal without replenishing the goods and fill the empty spots the guards had left? Yeah. To tell you the truth, the leader of that group told us this. That theEscorts are fine till the time we get out of forest, after that we would head towards Listal by ourselves ...... Are they sane? Even if strong demons dont appear on the direct route, but are they seriously willing to go without even refilling commodities and even escorts I too havent been told anything about that, though being one of thoseescorts No matter how you see it, arent they too much impatient? Worrying about that, I too suggested them to once again complete the preparations, but they have to deliver some important luggage as fast as possible, so they didnt hear me ......? What might it be? They didnt had any raw stuff with them. If they did want to deliver it, then it would only if they were able to be alive. I also suggested to take some of our men as escorts, but they refused. SayingWe cannot endure for making guards, who are responsible for controlling public order to do something like this ......something like that ......Eeeehh~......? Doesnt that sound too much suspicious? No matter how one thinks, it would be better to let some guards escort them but still they refuse the offer with that forced out unnatural reason and also try to go by themselves. I could only hear those lines saying that either the cargo or the receiver of cargo is something not good. I wasnt the only one who thought that. Elk and Zari too made a bitter face on those sentences. Zari......looked like he really hadnt been told. Naturally, Suura-san also thought that, so she tried to enquire more, but they didnt talk anything else and the case got closed. By the way, Zari-dono What, captain-san? Its about this trader group. I have only been told about that it is some sort of important cargo, but......would you, Zari-dono, happen to know what those people are carrying? She asked them this too, but they didnt reply. No, they did reply but it was, daily necessities or everything is harmless and inoffensive, they didnt speak anything about that important thing, so sure was suspicious. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. They are also unwilling for the guards to enter the luggage carriage. Its unfortunate, but even I dont know about the things captain-san is wanting to know. I did get on the luggage carriage but mostly it is all food ......Mostlywould mean, that there are luggage that arent food, right? Yeah. There are some firmly packed boxes Boxes? Yes, boxes. I dont know whats inside of them neither did they tell me. It is tied up by a rope and fixed inside the carriage, in place of cushioning substance it is placed in jute bags, and even a smell prevention cloth has been put over it......so I think it must be something really valuable? ? Smell prevention cloth? You dont know? Its a cloth that completely cuts off the scent of the thing it is wrapped against inside out. Like food with bad smell or materials from demons......and some also use it to carry corpses of people Hmm, something that great existed here? New thing to me. Hearing that, the crease on the temple of Suura-san grew more. Did she found something useful in the talk? Smell prevention cloth? Just what are they carrying...... It would only mean it is something that shouldnt be revealed and can be identified with smell, right? Didnt you made a mistake in choosing the quest? Zari scratched his hand while muttering some words. Dont tell me, they are really carrying corpses, right? I do think so. Every box was about the size of a head of human, no somewhat more smaller In that case, unless they are carrying the corpse in pieces, then it is impossible to carry them. In that case, it might be possible too. But I also didnt think that it was the case. As for why...... I think it is something that has a sweet smell Sweet smell? The three ask me all at once. While making a face saying they didnt understand what I meant. Minato, what do you mean......by any chance, can you smell the thing on the other side of smell prevention cloth? Eh? Ah, Yeah, a little bit In the morning, before departing, when I passed by their luggage carriage......there was a sweet smell. Only a little smell was there to the extent that someone other than me wouldnt have noticed it. But because the smell was so faint that it was on my mind. Only my nose, which had been trained & enhanced, could smell it faintly. The origin of smell was without a doubt inside carriage, but it felt like the scent came from somewhere far. I see, because of that smell prevention cloth, the smell was faint. ......You had good ears, but your nose is the same, eh. Just how much Well if I feel like it, then I can smell and differentiate to the extent dogs can do...... Like finding the people I know by following their trail of scent. In truth, during the time of that shittytest, I did something similar. ......Thank you for giving an answer that surpasses my heightened expectations Oh, finally, Elks reproachful stare had come out. Thank you for the meal Youre not even a beast person, but you can do that? Really~, the world is a big place~ Zari laughed dryly. It seemed like accepting reality was difficult for him. ......In fact, he was still half-convinced. ......Sweet smell, something needed to be hidden andCrimson Forest......in that case dont tell me...... After some time passed, Suura-san came back to earth, she reacted to the phrasesweet smellwhich I said. She once again asked meIs that true?, and after I nodded, she once again started to think. Does she has some idea? At that time, SFX: GASHAAaaaNNNn!! (*breaking*) !? From the carriage running in front, that sound, And the sounds of some middle-aged man scream resounded. By the time I realized the person screaming was the leader of thetrader group, one of the knights came to Suura-san and rapidly spoke the situation. Seemed like the two delinquents did something again. They drank in the day, got drunk, and fell right into the luggages because of unsteady legs. And in that moment something broke......seeing that the leader shouted, this much did the knight guy talked. Did they break some high class wine, the moment I thought that, ......Ah, sweet smell Thesweet smellwe were talking about right now came drifting from the front. Just, this time it was different from the morning, it was strong enough that normal people too can smell it. Did those two......fell and broke theluggagewe were just talking? At that moment, The three people in the carriage too smelled the scent, and the moment later, Suura-san gasped and her face color changed. Before I could even think what happened, Suura-san jumped out of the carriage really fast. And ran towards the front, or maybe to the place where that smell was coming from. We three also had curiosity, so we chased after her. When we reach the place, Suura-san was shivering her body while looking inside the carriage. Really what happened? I looked in the same carriage from Suura-sans right side, There was a scene I somewhat couldnt understand. The leader of trader group was making a face as though world has come to an end and was sitting like his hips lost the power, One of the two delinquents C the obese one C was standing with wine bottle in one hand while making an unpleasant face. He seemed he sobered up. Suura-san looked all that with cold eyes, And inside the carriage, the thick liquid, which was also the origin of smell, was spread here and there along with the jar fragments. It was pretty dark, so I couldnt make out what it was exactly, but it was something of bright red color. Jam? From what I saw, I could understand that delinquent A got drunk, started playing like fool, tripped and broke the something. Zari looked from beside me, ......Oh this is just too bad......aint thisBlood Maple? Said that while stuttering. Elk came by my side and seeing the scene her face became ghastly pale and her eyes opened wide in shock. Eh, What, what does this mean!? Explain, I need an explanation. Please! Blood Maple It was the refined sap from the trunk of some sort of tree, in other words it was a type of maple syrup. This rich and elegant substance was easy to make but also has depth to it. The person who ate it would get addicted to its sweetness, it could even make nobles with refined palate moan, it was an ingredient that dangerous. It was a high-class item, common people wont be able to take it, it was traded only at considerably high prices. In addition, the place with trees having that sap grow in thisCrimson Forest, and because their numbers are less, so it was more pricey. They dry up upon taking excessively, so it was always regulated. But this honey like thing ingredient also required precautions. Like Alcohol, it also had the effects of arousing mind and raising dependency, so taking too much at once wouldnt be good for body. With only that it wouldve been cute, but thisBlood Maplehad a horrible nature thatIf it wasnt manufactured correctly, it would lure in the demons present in surroundings. Because of that nature this honey like thing had been known as something needs to be treated carefully and during transportation it also need more vigilance. So for harvesting|manufacturing|transporting and selling, all these needed permission. Therefore, it almost never made appearance in market. A part of high class restaurants and nobles had monopolized only a little amount of it as a luxury item. But there existed the trade behind the scenes for these things. to the extent that it was only natural. TheBlood Maplesinking the floor of the carriage in front me was also one of those items. It was the illegalBlood Maplewhich was harvested and processed illegally, also was being transported in secret to selling Hence, the subordinates of Suura-san were restraining them, the people from trader group. I see, the mysteries have been solved. The reason they wanted to part with Suura-sans group was because they were afraid that if this thing got discovered. That cloth......smell prevention clothwas used so that no one discovers it by smell. And so that it wouldnt lure in more demons. As for the reason they were in a hurry was because they had some dangerous people as client in the black market. So, as expected they didnt want to delay the day of trade. Who knows what they might do, right? One of the concern of those all, right now had become reality. According to Suura-san, Zari and other two would be taken in for questioning, but the traders would be taken in the prison, no-questions-asked. Well, it only meant the item was that much great and dangerous thing. It was due to various coincidences, but like this the smuggling ofBlood Maplewas stopped. And, by questioning these traders, they would be able to find some information on people in black market. Well it was due to unexpected good luck, but Hooray Hooray and everyone went back happily after...... ......Unfortunately, it wouldnt go that way. Well then, let us take a look at the situation once again. Blood Maplehad been scattered in the carriage. It was thick to the extent it could have been mistaken as honey......and in proportion, its scent too was strong. That scent, urges the instincts, arouses......and lures in demons. Just what might happen if this maple thing had been scattered in the carriage, which was present inCrimson Forest, where demons were many from the start, and were also agitated due to a landslide, furthermore our route had been stopped by that landslide...... Umm, Suura-san? ......Im sorry, but Minato-dono, Elk-dono, because of these idiots the situation is going to change a lot. I want your both help as escorts ......Well we dont have other choices to make After confirming our consent, Suura-san went out the carriage, Then said straightforwardly with all her power. Everyone, take emergency battle position! Change of plans, from now onwards we are needed to protect this carriage and leave this place as fast as possible!! If you dont fight with dying will......then dont think of living!! On the other side of Suura-sans command, my enhanced ears, ......catched the sounds of severals tens and hundreds of demons coming here. I could hear their footsteps, flapping of wings and breathing sounds. It seemed like, this whole would be turning into a battlefield. [ET: Wow, I was just playing battlefield 4!!] Chapter 32 – Forest Mayhem Part 1 I just came back from work, so sorry that I have been getting later past some days. Today I didnt had enough time to TL after returning from school, so I was only able to TL a single part. I will complete the other part in some hours, and if my editor will be available to edit, then I will post it soon. I will make my next month a holiday month, not really, its just me taking a vacation from RL stuff and Im willing to give more time to TLs then. So, like that I will be able to make up for the late releases I have been doing due to RL. I would love if more people supported MnD (you see the donation button above donation box) not sponsored, because that way I will be able to be out of slave days which I have to deal with in RL too. Chapter 32 C Forest Mayhem Part 1 Starting with the breaking of the jar containing theBlood Maple, the situation changed suddenly. It was a dangerous honey which ceaselessly lures in, each and every type of demon. It wasnt even needed to predict, what would happen if one jar containing this highly concentrated honey broke into pieces. Currently we were running at full speed to get out the forest as soon as possible. Leaving from that placewould be a half-assed useless idea, according to Suura-san. As for the reason, it was scent ofBlood Maple. The scent of this honey was so strong, that even if it was put in jar or pot, the scent would leak out of it, that so really easily. According to Suura-san, normally they would have left the honey, as it would act as a diversion and our safety would increase, but this time these are all smuggling products, so they are needed to be taken back as evidence. Therefore, the ones that werent broken have been packed into carriages of the guards. The carriage in which the whole honey has been spilled, had strong scent ingrained into it, so let alone the forest, it would be dangerous everywhere, and so we left that carriage behind. The final blow was that everyone present at that scene had somewhat scent of it stuck to their bodies. The so-calledlingering scent. That alone was enough to lure in monsters. And so currently, we were attempting to run at full speed C at the maximum speed that the carriage could bear/cope with C while intercepting the demons which were attracted by the scent. The members of squad led by Suura-san too were fighting all-together. Surrounding the carriage, and with magicians on top of carriage, they were defending it from the demons and were helping the advance of the carriage. Of course, Elk, Zari, those two delinquents and I, too, were in the frontlines. If we didnt then the corpses would only increase, so there was no other choice. Incidentally, my existence was something like that of an striker, I just needed to eliminate the demons interfering. It wasnt like I couldnt launch long distance attacks, but this way was more of my speciality. I left the long distance attacks to guards and Suura, and Zari who could use magic, Hwochaaaa!! While raising a shout resembling to characters in old kung fu movies, I shot out a roundhouse kick towards the front. With that one attack, I attacked three...four demons who were about to attack the carriage. With that momentum, I swung my kick towards the rear and got rid of every moving obstacle in my kicks range. Ah Minato-kun! I will do some cleaning over there, step aside a little bit! The moment my feet landed on ground, Zari said that to me from the roof of carriage. I glanced from the edge of my eyes, I could see an orange magical power coiling around his hand. I was in a quite bad place to avoid it with a side step, so I fixed my centre of gravity and step away from there while doing continuous backflips. Thank you......Sandstorm! In the next instant, including the place I was standing before and the front of Zari, got covered with a sandstorm like magic. He sweeped out the small demons like insects and all, because it was difficult to go in close-combats with them due to their small size. The demons with big bodies were the only ones left. I was dealing with them by directly assaulting them. Suura-san too was dealing with them with her bow and arrow and powerful magic. The demons who would slip through our line of defense, were left to people riding in carriage or people fighting near the carriages. which was the position Elk was given. Incidentally, Alva was in carriage because the situation was dangerous. I told it with a great deal of efforts, and now it was obediently waiting for us. It really is smart. Even so, the demons were too much...... The numbers couldnt be compared to before the time themaplewas spilled in that carriage. In 5-10 mins new flock of demons would come, so we had been fighting all time. There were no casualties so far, but there had been injured people. All of them were guards. We had been fighting in rotations, but the fatigue was piling up. At this rate, it wouldnt be good. I was having lot of stamina and magical power left, but this situation wasnt something, I alone would be able to deal with. The thing called as defensive battle had always been a bother. Furthermore, I was fighting bare-handedly, so compared to Zari who could use magic, the number of demons I could deal at once were lot less. Well for covering it, I was dealing with the big and troublesome opponents. From that reason, if from here, the numbers of demons didnt go down then the situation would only get worse without getting chance to improve. So, the plan to leave the forest as fast as possible could be considered as the ideal one here. Suura-san, Zari, Elk, can you three hold on? Dont you need some rest? Im fine. Fortunately, I have more magical power compared to normal people. Though, only half of the arrows are left......well, we will have to do something, right Im also fine. Its true that I have gotten somewhat tired, but this isnt the situation to complain for that much of tiredness Keeping it aside, are you alright? You have been fighting since the beginning without taking any rest Elk said. Well, I still had stamina and even my magical power quantity was more, so no problem. Well, I had still some stamina left, as for my magical power there is a lot left. And, me getting out right now for rest would......only be bad. That was because, the situation currently was only made by me fighting without any rest. Suura-san too knew about it, though faintly. She said she was fine. but the guards......especially, the ones who were fighting by swinging swords and spears were showing the signs of fatigue reaching its limit. They all needed immediate rest. Thinking about the fact, that the fatigue would only increase, so I would not leave from here. Suura-san sent a gaze sayingPleasewith an apologetic expression as though she understood the reason I wasnt taking rest. I dont mind that in particular, but, the people taking rest in carriage are in more trouble right now, right? The squad was divided in various teams, while one team was taking rest and getting healed by people who can use healing magic, all other teams would be fighting outside, and this was rotated after a fixed time. However, even with that they wouldnt be able to recover completely and not be able to able to fight for a long time. In fact, currently too, the fatigue hadnt been cleared out completely. At this rate, the next might be fine but the rotation after that might give us some casualties or severely injured people. In that case, the fighting spirit and morale would decrease and it would turn into a disaster. More than anything, the fighting potential which had already decreased would decrease even more. That would be complete shit. ......Only if it came to that. Umm, Suura-san What happened? Err, for some time starting from now, I will take take charge of vanguards in the front half, so let them all rest in that time from now on ,I will take charge if the vanguards in the front half, so let them all rest for some time. Wha......Whaatt!? Just what in the hell are you saying!? A second later, not only Suura-san but Elk and Zari, too, were sending a gaze right at my face that meantWhat the hell are you saying!?. Ah, Im sorry, but I can only take front half and that is also my limit, so I will leave the demons coming from behind to someone else. And, for the small demons, I leave to you No, will you......really be fine!? I have seen your strength from before, but taking them all alone will be...... Yes, I will be fine. Just...... Just? ......Fighting bare-handedly was getting tough, so I will be changing my fighting style More precisely, I take out a pole from thestorage beltby wishingcome out. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Do you remember? This was the one I used to coilNagawhen taking it out. The black pole which could expand and retract at will. [AK: always reminds me of Ry Jng Bng... for those who do not know what it is, it is the name of the staff of Sn Wkng] [ET: For those people who are much knowledgeable about it. What AK said is commonly known as Monkey King and its (dont know if it really was male though it is called as King) staff is an expandable one. Quite convenient when putting clothes] At that point, new flock of demons came, so I moved some more metres forward the guards fighting in the front. Then, the point when demons reached to the head of pole, I mowed them down while making a line. [ET: The raw have one character (һ), that can be said as line so there you go] Using that momentum, I raised the pole from down to above diagonally. In those two rounds, one-third of big demons were taken care of. Then, I step back, 2 steps, and, DDExpanddddd!! The pole expanded several metres, as though it were agreeing to my will. I used the centrifugal force and while making a semicircle in front with the pole, I blew away the demons. Then, after killing the left one, two demons with my kicks, I faced Suura-san. ......Well something like this I-I see...... Try not to overdo it Suura got convinced with my current actions, and leaving some guards outside the carriage, she let all others rest in the respective carriages. ......I will be accepting your offer for now, but tell me the moment it gets tough for you. Most likely, Minato-dono is the strongest person here. If you get injured, that will be more troublesome Roger. Then, I will leave the dealing of small ones to you. Zari you too Yes go it~. Ah, Elk-chan you should rest now. And wake those two who are sleeping soundly in the carriage, it is time for your rotation Zari said. Elk was killing the bird demon which came flying when she heard Zaris words. Her movements seemed light, but her shoulders we moving because of breathing, and she was sweating a lot. Yeah, understood. I have gotten tired......and resting will really help Hm, Good work Elk......dont move! Immediately after, A bird demon assaulted Elk when she was about to go inside the carriage. Immediately, I took out a different weapon in my free hand......and threw it towards that demon. It flew cutting through the air and struck the glabella of bird demon. It was killed and fell down. Elk was showing an expression of relief and fear just when the danger coming at her was killed. The demon fell near the carriage, Elk took out the thing I threw while still having that expression and then threw the corpse towards the brushwoods on the side of road. Seeing that shining thing in Elks hand, Zari and Knights send a gaze towards it as though they had seen something strange. Are they not in this world,shurikenI mean. It was something like throwing knife, but because its surface was like a blade, it could be considered dangerous. Elk was familiar with it because she had been training with me, but when she first saw it, she too was scared. Incidentally, this thing was made from the same material as Elks armor, which was supported by Noel-neesan. It was a throwing item, so including the fact it had a peculiar shape too, it costs quite a bit. Who cares about that, it is cool and easy to use too. Elk, you alright? Yeah, you saved me. Thank you I see. Ah, but take this, for just in case. Here catch I stopped Elk before she entered the carriage, and threw the vials of medicine by taking them out of backpack. It was the so-calledPotion. It was a drinking medicine which reduces the fatigue and recovers the magical power. Elk told me to buy them because theyre useful......but it didnt had any chance of coming out, so it was one of the items who wouldve passed their expiration date. Use that. It will help you recovering faster, right? Really? What about you? I am fine, and I probably wont need it I see......thanks. Dont overdo it Confirming Elk getting inside the carriage, I, once again faced the flock of demons. Well~ then, I said something like that in such a grandiose manner, so now, I have to work hard at any cost. I once again took stance with pole in my right hand, adjusted its length and kicked off the ground. Chapter 32 – Forest Mayhem Part 2 Im sorry for not posting it up yesterday. I had my night duty at work (along with my workmates), so I left the edits to AK and went to work. Then came back home toady morning, opened up coke, then what? just laid down on bed and slept. So right now Im awake and will start TLing the other chapters (oh already started), and dayyum Chapter 33 has more than 6000 words, ugh!! Chapter 32 C Forest Mayhem Part 2 Several minutes later. Suura-san how much more will it take? Ive been fighting, so Ive got no idea of distance...... Positionally we would be able to leave from this forest in a hour! Everyone, give it your all! OooooHH! The order of Suura-san was the answer to my question and the knights replied in high spirits. After some time, I took on more demons, which helped most of the knights to recover and we were somehow able to maintain the frontlines. Yea, it was worth the hard work. And, Elk too returned to the frontlines some minutes ago. Even so, you used a weapon Eh? Elk was fighting the flying demons and almost dead demons while standing on top of carriage when she said those words to me. She seemed to have a lot composure due to the daily training Though......I had composure to look towards her when answering, but still I talked by just speaking. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I did know about thatshuriken, but......your stick techniques too are good Ah, that you mean. Well, I had briefly been taught by mom about how to use various weapons during training I learnt not only stick techniques, but also sword, spear, whip and even tonfa. Naturally, I had practised them all in fights when I was in the woodlands. Then why? Why dont you fight using weapons though youre strong when using them? Huh? Did I not tell you? Like I said, its the first time I see you using weapon. Is there some reason behind it? Ah, Yea. Well, there is Well, I had dealt with one more flock of demons right now......so, I decided to tell her as it would help me take a breather. The reason I fought empty-handed were divided in two. I was more specialized in fighting empty-handed, and my power too comes out. My magic close combat fighting style was to fill up magical power in my body and hit. Really Simple. If it wasnt this simple then I wouldnt had been able to do it. See, like I have said many times. Magic that would requiere me to control magical power outside my body would be catastrophic for me. So inevitably, I use magical power inside my body and it will even increase my attack power. If I used weapons, it would increase my range but the power would be lower compared to hitting directly with punch. [ET: Yay~ Saitama comes here] Unlike the close combat in which I used my power, in fights with weapon the flow of battle would be influenced upon the strength and other things of the weapon. So I always used fists when fighting. It would be somewhat better if the weapon had a mechanism for pouring magical power into it, but still fighting with fists would still be stronger. In addition, controlling the power...... to put it simply, It is difficult to hold back when using weapons. Empty-handedly I would be able to control the power, but when using weapons, it would sometimes increase too much and sometimes it would decrease even more. Taking all that into consideration, using bare-hands, which I could control freely, was the better choice. As for the other reason. It was to feel the sensation of hitting something with my body, fists, skin. The sensation of demons body being dented, muscles tearing, bones smashing......and the feeling of demons life vanishing, those were the things that I wanted to feel. Let me tell you beforehand that I have no interest in killing demons or anything indiscriminately. On the contrary, without a reason I have never thought of killing. But, in this world that was impossible. The fights with demons were the sort of thing where words either you die or I die worked. That was something mom ingrained into my bones during training. I had mind of an adult (different frommental age), so I was aware of that. [AK: Yeah here comes the law of the jungle] And if necessary, I even would have to fight against humans. In the fights of kill or be killed, where my life would be at stake. [ET: The words for either you die or I die and this are both different. Thats why I have not written them the same, though they mean the same] So I have beared it in my mind so as tonot forgetthat. I never forgotten the sensation of stealing the life of a single demon each time I attack with my fists. Every time I punch, kick, the sensation that comes from my fists and legs told me to not forget this feeling. Otherwise, I would lose every feeling related to fights except ignorance. I didnt want to become the guy who saw the demons as existences who would just give XP and materials, as though it were a video-game. Well, in the end it turns out to be self-satisfaction only. ......Isnt it childish? Isnt it fine? After all, youre still a child. ......But Elk took a deep breath, I think its splendid. That thinking too and executing your thoughts too. Though, its my personal opinion ......Thanks She praised me and heard my story. Thanks to that, I felt like I had gotten a little bit, only a little bit stronger. I too am the calculating type of person. Suddenly I faced back towards the carriage and various sorts of stares from Suura-san, Zari and knights came to me. There were stares filled with admiration, some were with respect, some which I didnt understand, and last were the stares saying they had seen something strange. ......Among all these, there were also lukewarm stares looking at me and Elk mutually. I take back my words back from before. I shouldve chosen place and time before talking. Okay, now renewing the feelings, and lets get ready for the next attack of demons......Hm? Ah, hey, Alva! Dont come out, its dangerous! I saw Alva perching on the canopy of carriage......I didnt knew it came out. I told it to stay within the carriage obediently. Did it got hungry? Now that I think about it, ever since giving it food during noon, I had been neglecting it. It sure had lot of appetite even while being a newborn. Alva was staring at the knights who were standing in the rear of carriage while attacking demons with magic. It was staring intently. Intently. Ah, Alva? umm...... Thats bad Alva. They are not your food, okay? You cant eat them Piiiiii? Hungry, eh? Okay fine. I will catch something later for you to eat, so wait for the time being Piiiiii...... Hearing our conversation, the magician knights were slightly startled. Ah It would be fine. I will tell it thoroughly that eating humans is wrong, even if they can use magic. After some time of lecturing, Alva seemed to have understood my words. Well then, now I have to take down some red lizards and magic bunnies......Oh? Then, lets finish the scary talk here. A new group seems to make an appearance So you knew it was a scary talk......Hey, what is that!? Elk looked towards the way which I was looking at, and raised her voice startled. Continuing onwards, Suura-san and Zari too opened their eyes wide. In front stood the insect type demons, having its body covered by a dark brown (almost black) shell. Its appearance was like a mixture of praying mantis, tiger beetle and G life-form which usually could be found in kitchens. In simple words, it looked truly fiendish with its size that was about two to three metres long. There were 4 in total. They were intimidating while raising their forefoot. ......Devil Roach, now something bad came out! Is its nameDevil Roach? Yeah. Its the race that can be considered as the strongest in thisCrimson Forest. Normally, they wouldnt come out in shallow areas of forest like here, but...... This too might be the effect of the landslide. This is really the worst scenario Zari added in help there. From what I heard, they are rank C demons. So the same rank as strongest demons of Naga, thelittle beasts. And there were 5 of them......as you can see. Furthermore, it had the nameroach, meant it was classified as bug. Though, Suura-san took a great shock but she didnt show any hesitation in taking actions. She raised her voice so that it could even be heard by knights sleeping within the carriages. Everyone listen! Even the ones who are sleeping! From now (Snap!!) we will leave the minimum members here and rest all will (Snap!!) will go out and start (Snaaapp!!) the subjugation of devil roa-(Breeeeaaaakkk!!!!)-ch......or so I had thought, but there is no need for that, thats why keep on resting What happened? I took care of all 4 while Suura-san was giving out her speech. No, well, I couldnt let knights fight against something dangerous. They all were politely intimidating that it seemed like I would be able to take care of them quickly. With one-hit-one-kill, I mowed them all them. After throwing the corpses of cockroach monster x4 so that it wouldnt become hindrance for carriages, I suddenly looked behind only to find Suura san doing a facepalm and others looking in mute amazement. Oi, everyone dont daze out and fight? Do you want to die? No, well......you were this sort of guy after all Eh, Elk you too? I thought you will understand me About what? Your monstrous conditions? So meanie. ......Well, I have no complaints because there was no injuries. Thank you Minato-dono Minato-kun we can really rely on you, seriously~ Suura-san with a stiff smile and Zari along with his dry laughter said those words. Hmph, you can keep on that. Im a monster for you all. [ET: Minato says in a tone as though saying like you all will understand my feelings. Well something like that] But these guys were living in this forest too. Nostalgic, huh. ? Were they living in thosewoodlandstoo? Yes. But they were the bottom in the food chain They lived in caves, and only had large numbers. Well, I had seen them getting eaten by other strong demons as food. ......Bottom......the strongest rank c monsters ofCrimson Forestare......at bottom...... Setting aside Elk who was making a distant look, Umm, Suura-san, can you take back the order from before? hm? What do you mean? No, I meant that take out everyone and tell them to keep their guard up. Because, It is soon going to turn into a situation where that will be needed. ? What do you mean? The devil roaches all have been eliminated......do you mean reinforcements!? Yes, and that too......seems freakishly more dangerous compared to big c**kroaches ......I have been hearing it from before. The sound of super-extra-large wings fluttering and it was giving me dangerous feeling. The volume had already increased to the level that even Suura-san and others could hear. it was getting louder and louder. No doubt about it, it was the sound of an insects wings. And, on the faces of everyone near the carriage impatience and confusion appeared......the next second, Along with the sound of over-sized wingsBuuuuuuunnnn!!, a green colored shadow landed in front us. Chapter 33 – Exceed Hopper This chapter is sponsored by anon. Now just 1 more left. Is this novel a LN or WN, sometimes I surely think those words. Argh!!!!!! And Im sorry, but there are many comments in between the sentences. From next time I will keep them all in the end. EDIT : (Sorry, I forgot to add the excerpts before.) Chapter 33 C Exceed Hopper ......Grasshopper? Grasshopper it is Yeah sure is No doubt it is a grasshopper Appearing in front us, stopping the path of carriage was a......grasshopper. Its appearance was fiendish, and its overall length was about 3 m. Its shell was more tough looking than the armor of Nagas scales. Face was, definitely not of the grasshoppers I had seen, so it was a demon. I could see fangs inside the mouth. It even had horns in place of antennas. Legs x6 too had evenly separated fingers. This was......not an insect anymore. There was no other component on which I could identify it, so for now I would call it grasshopper, and the only thing I know right now was that, this was completely showing its hostility towards us. It must be natural after all, it was lured in by the scent ofmapleand also was hungry. Well, I know one more thing, that this guy was a lot more dangerous than thedevil roachfrom before. Elk, do you know it? No, Ive never seen it. In the first place, a big grasshopper type of monster shouldnt be present in this forest......grasshopper, grasshopper...... ......There is a high chance that this is aExceed Hopper Suura-san answered by cutting in our conversation. Exceed Hopper? ......Why does it feel like Ive heard it somewhere recently...... Yeah, its rank is B. Certainly it doesnt live in this forest, but its a demon which inhibits in the different danger area lying in the opposite direction from the city The moment she heard that explanation, Elk widened her eyes in shock, It couldnt be helped. It already had fiendish appearance, and its rank too was above the previous group. How many people might be there who could fight a guy like this? From what I heard, the subordinates of Suura-san were inexperienced, though being regular soldiers. It we were to give them ranks like adventurers it would be at most E or D. Not much different from Elk. Though those two delinquents were rank D, even if both of them teamed up together, it would be impossible to stand against a rank B. The left ones were, Suura-san, Zari and me. Frankly I would somehow take care of myself. But, I have not idea about both of their strengths...... Well seeing their fights from before, I could understand that they were experienced. Bow and arrow, and magic attacks of Suura-san and attacks by Zari had stability. In addition......I found one big problem. This was not noticed by others yet...... By the way, are there points I need to keep in mind? Like, its weak points or will other of them will come if I defeat it No, other than its strength, theres nothing else. Surely it has somewhat intelligence and it might concentrate attacks on the person with most strength, but thats something every demon does I see......too bad ? What do you mean......? Before Suura-san finished saying, I had already kicked off the ground and flew towardsExceed Hopper, it too had jumped at us around the same time as me. I use the pole as shield to stop its assault while trying not to get hurt by the sharp pointed horns. Surprisingly, the shock was so strong that it sent me two or three metres back, but I somehow held out. ......Thank god, its name wasnt just for fun. Then, it bite the pole that was being pressed against its face with its fiendish jaws. The pole wasnt something soft that it would be broken by just this much, then in the next moment, I felt the sensation of being pulled strongly and suddenly my body floated. Hearing the damn noise of wings, I understood that it flew while holding pole in its mouth. So did it want to have an aerial battle or want to kill me by dropping...... I didnt know what it wanted to do, but I had no intention of going along with it. Furthermore, Elks voice which I could hear from below seemed so have a trace of worry. I dont want to get a girl worry about me, lets finish this fast. While having the pole in its mouth, I turned my body before its very own eyes in some sort of rhythmic gymnastic form and rolled over to its back side. Then, I left the pole for a moment, joined my hands together C of course, I didnt forget to enhance the power and fill in magical power C then dropped it like a hammer. DDUrrraa!! Along with the dull sounds, due to my attack near its medulla oblongata (does an insect even have one?), the giant body started to fall down. Apparently, the brain of insects had always been small, so I wasnt expecting some concussion, simply the damage seemed to be great. The flapping of wings became unreliable and it crashed into ground. And, it would be unbearable to fly again, so I deal with it quickly. Around the neck part of this grasshopper which was trying to stand up...... Guillotine Leg!! I swung my heel clad in wind magic. The axe kick which was launched with sharpness of a windblade, though didnt made the sound of wind cutting something, but it surely did drop the head. ......Fuu Really, this technique hasnt been my favorite. This techniques was grotesque and lots of blood also comes out. But, insects all had strong vitality, so defeating without killing would be really hard. I didnt want a situation in which others got hurt because I went easy on it and left it alive. Well, I could make it immovable by tearing off the wings and legs, in that case, either it would starve to death or be eaten by other demons. It would be better to finish it off an instant rather than inflicting pain......oh, this too could be called as self-satisfaction. Even after cutting the neck, the body of insect convulsed and wriggled, so I threw it towards the grove of trees. Like this it wont be a hindrance for carriage. I prayed in my heart, for a happy next life of the demon who became my victim, then refreshed my feelings, and faced back. This is something......for me who would do this from now on too. Fuu, while taking a breath, I took the pole from grasshoppers body, then storedit back into the waist belt, while I was doing that, ......After coming this far, Ive nothing left to say. You actually insta-killed that exceed hopper, eh Suura-san said those words along with a tired smile that seemed like she had given up upon understanding all the fears and surprise she felt in this short amount of time. Zari, Elk and others too were having same expressions. Elk was a little better because she knew about my strength. From what I heard, your rank is B, right......? Yeah, thats right. In that case, should I show the guild card? No, its fine. Either way, I wouldnt be able to understand many things Saying that, Suura-san took her stance, and turned back for taking on the demons, ......and soon enough, she realized almost all demons were missing. She showed a surprised expression for a second, then as if finally passed through her, she breathed and let power out of her shoulders......hey, dont do that, the fight is still not over. Its only starting now. Hey, Suura-san and others who let their guards down, dont do that. The fight is still not over ? Not over, well right we have to deal with other attacks until we leave this forest Elk said. I have no time to put on airs, so let me speak it loud and clear. TheExceed HopperI defeated just now......was probably only a scout member. There is a wholecrowdof them in the vicinity Huh!? Oh, they harmonized. Elk & others, good job. Though Suura-san didnt let out a voice she was also surprised. ......What did you base it on? Just how did you predict it? Rather than predicting it, I have been hearing them since a while. The sound of their wings With my thoses words, the whole party went into silence. Then, the sounds of leaves of trees fluttering and cries of demons on the other side of trees too was mixed in...... ......And I heard it. The sound of wings which could be heard without any enhanced hearing ability, No doubt, the sounds were of the same thing from before. However, from all directions. They had surrounded us. ......How many are there? Maybe eight or nine. There is only one exceptionally big wing sound mixed in Exceptionally big......? Is there some other demons with them? Dunno......seeing with eyes is the fastest way to confirm things Immediately after, Green colored demons came flying from inside the grove of trees as though they were getting impatient and saw that the current time as a good opportunity to strike. In an instant, a large group started flying, seeming like forest had started to fly. The 8Exceed Hoppers ......started revolving above our heads like vultures aiming for their prey. The sound of 8 wings vibrating the space......encouraged the sense of urgency. If an insect-hater saw this, that person would surely go down Even if they arent they would go down, in despair and fear that is Wisdom words from Suura-san. In fact, I was able to read the strange expressions, filled with fear, shock, despair on everyones face......while they were looking at the scene unfold. Among the knights, there were people who dropped their weapons in despair, some were having their bodies tremble and the armor was making clattering sounds. 8 in total. Frankly, this is a desperate situation No shit......captain-san, can you solo it? ......It would work in one-on-one fights. How about you, Zari-dono? I too......am something similar. If I overdo it then around 2 Oh, that is reliable Eh? wtf!? Zari, you were really that much strong? Now that I think about it, I never asked about his rank......it might be around B or A, right? Well then, as for other 6......some people can make up teams, then defend and stall them......but that wont work in this situation As expected. The men and women of the knight squad, both have lost their fighting spirits. Yeah, but we cant call that weak or miserable. That reaction is the normal one It sure is, right. And in that case......how about it Minato-kun who just insta-killed one? Can you handle the other five somehow? ......It would be more easier if all came at me at once Will you fine then? Zari was surprised because he was expecting an answerIt will be impossible!. No well, didnt I ask before to Suura-san thatwill other of them will come if I defeat it, right? At that time, I already knew the existence of their group......so I thought it would be less troublesome if they all came at me at once. No, it wasnt like I would fight them easily? Even I would have trouble fighting eight or nine of flying demons. But in situations like these, it was more difficult to fight while protecting the comrades. Furthermore this time, not only enemy numbers are big, but so are the comrades. To add in more, almost all have lost fighting spirit, and wouldnt be able to run easily or even defend. If the morale was high, then having more numbers would be good, but the moment it turns like this, they only turn into burden. Well, in this case, they cant be blamed. Suura-san would take one, Zari would on one or maybe two, and others me......it would be difficult to fight while protecting everyone. At times like this it sure could be painful that I couldnt use magic. At most I could take on two or three at once, in that time if other grasshoppers attacked others, then I wouldnt be able to save them. So, protecting everyone till the end was even more difficult. Against these many, protecting Elk alone was my limit. ......And, one more thing had been on my mind from before...... Suura-san, its about that one, the first from other side......doesnt it look somewhat different? In front of the place my finger pointed......there was one individual completely different from all otherExceed Hoppers. Its shell was very dark green compared to others, the body too was big. It even had thorn growing on its legs, which made it look more fiendish......and maybe it might be imagination, but there seemed to many fangs inside its mouth. Ah, Ive heard about it Zari said. Among the Exceed Hoppers, rarely, somesubspeciesare born and have dark green body color. They not only have powerful physical ability compared to normal species, but also has magical power ......Its rank is? If I remember correctly, it is A ......Didnt want to hear that ......Exceed Hopper, furthermoresubspecies, this was certainly...... Ah, thats right, I thought I had heard this name somewhere. This was from thatList. ThatBecome an Adult! Subjugation Target Demon Listwhich I got from Irene-san the other day. It was written in there, no wonder it was strong. So it was the sound source for that more loud sound of wings. Anyhow, I couldnt help but say that the current situation was really bad. There were 8 exceed hoppers in air. Rank B. Furthermore, one of them was ansubspeciesof rank A. On the other hand, everyone had lost their fighting spirit. And from the fact there was no reaction from those inside the carriage would also mean the same thing. The only ones who could fight were Suura-san, Zari and me. Just us three. Elk had some past experience during Naga, so she was better than others, she was also standing on her feet......but her fighting strength was not much. Defeating them all while protecting everyone could only be considered as herculean task. Running away was even more impossible. In that case...... Suura-san, Zari, Elk, I will say this only once, so please listen carefully Calming my heart to the extent I could, I called out to everyone. I would talk to Suura-san too, so I spoke in formal tone. ? What happened, Minato-dono? Did you come up with some strategy? ......Minato? No, not a strategy, but...... At that moment, D-Dont fuck wit me! With this......With this, I will die!! I dont fucking care about it! I-Im running away from here! O-Oi wait! Let me come too...... When I thought I heard those voices......the two delinquents tried to run from one carriage on the other side in a state of confusion after being cornered by a single exceed hopper. No, they had already started to run. But, Oi wait! If you become separated from here after going out right now, it will only...... Before Suura-san finished speaking, As expected, one of the grasshopper came flying down with its mouth wide open for eating the two prey who got separated from our group. Suura-san took her stance and released the arrow in a second, her expression said words wont help but hands will, but because she released the arrow in a second, she wasnt able to clad it in magic, so it struck the hard shell and fell down. Exceed hopper opened its mouth for biting of the heads of two without caring about what happened right now......and the next instant, ......It cant be helped anymore, eh SFX: *Dogoo* Along with a dull sound, on its flank something collided......it couldnt bear the shock, and went flying away, and soon crashed down. !? Suura-san and others looked while being surprised at what just happened. Something fell from the stomach of grasshopper who wasnt able to move as it wanted while its body twitched. The thing fell on the ground with a thud. It was a black......iron ball. It was the iron ball I threw just now, its size was two times bigger than clenched fists and had a same colored iron chain attached to it. One end of the chain attached was being gripped by my hand. This chain-attached-iron ball too was an item I got from before leaving the home......and was stored in the belt since beforehand. In this situation it couldnt be helped, and I had to resort to using this. ......This really is dangerous. And......that too which I will use from now. Suura-san, please give out orders Orders? Suura-san seemed like she hasnt caught up with the situation. Her voice had somewhat bewilderment. But, ignoring it, I simply tell her what to do. Im gonna go rampart from now. If, at that time others are near me it would only act as hindrance, so let them take shelter near the carriage or inside them. Even so it might be dangerous, so everyone should lay down. I will try to not get carriage and everyone involved ......? What are you trying to do? I will omit the explanation. You two over there...... Before finishing saying, I moved my hand which wasnt holding the chain towards the iron ball lying on ground. When I did, the iron ball hovered in air and returned to me. I catched it, after holding the side with iron ball attached, I had lot of chain space, so I threw the other side, it collected the two delinquents lying on ground like a lasso, then I suddenly pulled them back. Just like that, I threw them inside the carriage. I looked back, to see everyone moving their almost-not-responding-legs and gathering near the carriage, after Suura-san gave the orders without understanding the situation herself. Alrighty, now I could move more easily. Now, the next. Eh everyone. This situation is like this, so I have no time to explain, but pinch your noses I said just that. As expected, everyone looked like they didnt understand anything. Among them, Suura-san and Zari and half of them did as ordered while showing bewilderment. Elk too did it while knowing what I was going to do, she knew it because of everyday training. It was good that I showed her this before. The other half people still havent pinched their noses, but I couldnt wait anymore, DDHere I go!! And the moment later, the magic I invoked......invades that place. DDD!!? That something which scattered with me as the centre, jolted the brains of everyone present there. That something, which was similar tointimidationused by masters who train in martial arts or something else, spread in the whole surroundings and the atmosphere changed rapidly. The knights were now not moving even a bit which they could before. Among them, there were people who fainted, maybe mental fatigue too kicked in. As for those who didnt pinch their noses......they all fainted. Suura-san and Sari were standing somehow bearing the unrest. Elk was also in a similar position, but because she knew what would happen, so she looked somewhat better. And, the grasshoppers in the surroundings, though didnt retreat or faint......but they did increase awareness concentrated to me. The me, who was the centre of their attention......was clad in a mist of black and violet, the color of something like darkness. [ET: Go and see the picture of MnD on project page. That thing on his hand is the one he is using currently] It was the attribute which was my speciality, thedarknessmagical power. S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The power didnt grew likeearth, and speed to lost towind. The destructive power or additional effects likefireandlightning, werent present within darkness. However, it was too powerful to regard it as jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. It was endowing me with an all-rounder magical power. This power could increase, physical strength, agility, reaction speed, defense power etc all at once. I hadnt used in a while, but this was my original-by-nature power. As for why I hadnt used it till now, the reasons were three. First. I didnt had any need to use it. I had been able to get through with just pure magical power filling without any changing in attributes. Second. It was a really rare power. Compared to other six attributes, the people having talent to usedarknessandlightwere extremely rare. Statistically, there were chances of a person having them in the ratio of one person among several hundreds. So, if others knew I could use something rare, others would pay attention to me, and some noisy people would come to me. Third. I didnt use it becausedarknesswas different fromlightand was an evil power used by devil within the country and other places. So, it was detested. It seemed like something scary and troublesome like religion would target me. [ET: Demons (ħ) devil (ħ), I dont know if it was the typo by author, though this guy does have many in all chapters] [AK: could you give me the line, I dont think it is a typo, I would like to check if my idea is correct, because if i remember correctly you can use both but the implication is somewhat a little different ] [ET: Till now the author never used devil but demon, and they both are different things. Devils are evil spirits or some more bigger entity while demons are evil fodders (mutated animals)] I had been told about the second and the third by mom before......she told me not to use them, and even without using them I was able to get by, so I hadnt used it till now. But, right now, the opponents were strong, numbers big, so just in case I used it. Though I used this magical power......it had no relation with thatintimidationjust now. More precisely, wasnt intimidation something like colliding spiritual power and was only used by masters? And, in fact, I couldnt do it. Never knew the way to do it, after all. No, I did try to do it during my training with mom, but unfortunately, maybe because of my youthness and inexperience, I wasnt able to do it. So, I made this magic as its alternative method. And the name wasMagic Pheromone Pheromone......the secretion substance released by living things, for several hundreds of things like, warning, courting, commanding, tranquility etc, acts upon the parts of brain directly to give out some effects. Tampering those parts with magical pheromones to give out even more effects on my own will, thats what this magic was about. A typical example of that would be theintimidationI just used. This technique releases magic from my body of one sort of pheromones such aswarning pheromone, so by increasing the effect on parts of brain, for intimidating and scaring opponent, this magic could give out the effect same asintimidatingsomeone. It was an colorless, tasteless and odorless magic, so it couldnt be sensed by anyone neither can be defended. It affects the instincts directly, so if something went wrong, it would give out something more powerful than a normal intimidation. But, it had a fault, because of that I hadnt used it even once. This magic, upon being released from my body couldnt be called back, and could tamper with demons and people present in the area indiscriminately. Adjusting too was almost impossible. In addition, though it had magic blended it was a chemical substance, the scattering point......in other words, the person near my body would have a more stronger effect while the person far would have less. So, if something went wrong, the comrades near me would be strongly affected by it and turn incompetent. Just like the knights who fainted. And, it didnt reach completely to the enemy far away...... But in this situation, the knights would only be burden if they moved while they wouldnt be of any help currently. So for stopping it I used this. Incidentally, pheromone could be sensed by nose, so I had them pinch their noses......so how was it? It might have been better than not pinching the nose, right? ......Well, whatever. Well, now, the grasshoppers had stopped their movements due to bewilderment. I held the iron ball in my hand with tight grip strength for throwing it towards the grasshopper who was the most far away. First one to attack wins!Linear Cannon!! [AK: I would almost say leave it at romaji same as above] [ET: So you say I leave it as Rinia Cyanon (˥Υ)?] Immediately after, The iron ball which was in my hand went flying with unbelievable momentum and speed towards the grasshopper which was hovering in air and was far away. Then, the chain was tensed due to the attack, I swiftly pulled it back......and swung it horizontally. DDDOrrrrrrrrraaaaahhhhhhhhh!!! Originally, iron balls with chain were to used by using centrifugal force to attack, but sorry for being rude to that theory and using brute force. In accordance to my pulling horizontally, the chain and iron ball drew a horizontal track in air, and mowed down all the grasshoppers in that track. In doing so......the trees present in the attack too were mowed down quite cruelly. Im sorry. As soon as the front half calmed down in a semicircular shape, I jumped right above. If I swung again, there was chance that it would engulf Suura-san and others near the carriage, so I changed the trajectory. So, after jumping to height on which they wouldnt become obstacles, I swung with all my strength. DDOne more coming!! Without changing the momentum, I revolved once then once again. While shifting the trajectory slightly, not changing the speed and momentum during swinging, the iron ball rampaged freely. With a total of three rotations, it hits six out of eight grasshoppers, including the subspecies and they all crashed down. I couldnt get them all, but this would be fine. Aiming at one of the left two, I revolved once again and threw the iron ball along with chain towards it, just like in hammer-throw. The grasshopper which was feeling relaxed for being away from the attacks before suddenly got a hit right in the face. Just like that, the iron ball sank into it making a big hole, and the grasshopper died. At that moment, the other one jumped at me with happiness because I had thrown my weapon. ......But, its awareness was really immature. I towards that grasshopper......more precisely, I moved my one hand towards the grasshopper which died right now, with this last guy in between us both, and in the next instant, While making a dull sound, the iron ball which was inside the corpse of grasshopper came flying in and hit the rear flank of this last grasshopper diagonally. Just like that, the iron ball came flying to me along with the grasshopper. It was attracted to me due to themagnetic forcewhich I made by usingearthandlightning. It was one of the techniques I developed during the training with mom, It could only attract or repel, but I increase the speed in a straight line just like how I did before, in short it could turn into a Coilgun. [ET: Coilguns are distinct from railguns, as the direction of acceleration in a railgun is at right angles to the central axis of the current loop formed by the conducting rails. In addition, railguns usually require the use of sliding contacts to pass a large current through the projectile or sabot but coilguns do not necessarily require sliding contacts. By the way, using coilguns is really good, you guys should also make it at home (oh a video how it works). Oh, be sure not to use on humans, the speed is still around that of a revolver (somewhat old one), ofc you can increase the speed. Furthermore, it is legal unless and until you dont do shit around with humans and animals] Well however, that wasnt anironball, but a magic item I got from mom, it was made from a special magical metal. That iron ball left the body of grasshopper, eventually only the iron ball came flying back to me. The place which seemed to be the place iron ball struck it was cruelly smashed in and it wasnt able to fly properly. However, it wouldnt be able to live easily if I left it. So, I would finish it. I swung the iron ball by pulling the chain part, and with that momentum strike it from top. That iron ball used centrifugal force, and struck the grasshopper then both went flying down on the ground. An about 10 metres wide, big crater was formed. The ground of the surroundings did shake as though there was an earthquake, but fortunately, the carriages were not toppled over neither broken. With this the last two done in. With the three rotations I did before, 3 were dead, but somehow other 3 were alive. Subspeciestoo was among those three. Then suddenly, from the edge of my vision, a blue arrow came flying and struck one of the living grasshoppers. It struck precisely in the gap of shell, the throat. I looked the direction arrow came flying in, and as expected, Suura-san stood there. She was standing while holding her favorite bow, and was paying attention towards the grasshopper she just shot the arrow towards. Immediately, she puts her hand on the bowstring though she didnt had any arrow. Then, an arrow of the same color as the magical power in her hand was made nocked on the bowstring, then released just like a normal arrow. It struck in the same way as before, and killed the living grasshopper this time. Fuu......was that unnecessary for you? No, it was splendid. But still, an arrow of magic......you could even do that Though it has power , but it has heavy magic consumption as you can see. It is not thing that can be used always Minato-kun, you can use various sorts of weapon, right Said Zari from the side. He hadnt attacked yet, but because he was in fighting stance, it seemed like he too was prepared for fight. The two face the other grasshopper which was about to recover from damage. We will take care of that one somehow. So Minato-kun......can you please on that boss? Saying that, Zari glanced that boss. The exceed hopper (subspecies) which was in more good form even after getting hit by the iron ball. It must have some intelligence, thats why it hadnt come at us even after recovering and was waiting and observing us. And the even more bizarre thing was, the cloud of sand rising with a vortex of wind, which wasnt present before. There were no after-effects from the battle before too, then that is...... Minato, isnt that......windmagic? Oh, Elk-dono you have magic perception talent? Rare, isnt it? Knowing the existence of magic is different, but people who can even sense the attribute of magic are really rare......well, that one magic is more obvious, so it can be seen just by looking Huh? Is that true? I didnt knew. Elk and I were able to discern the attribute of magic normally, so I never thought much about it. We both easily noticed when the demon opponent used magic. Maybe, Elk has really great talent in magic realm? Well, the thing that grasshopper was clad in was without a doubtwindmagic. Just like Zari said, that thing was obvious even by looking, now that I think about it, there was low resistance compared to other grasshoppers when I used iron ball. Seeing the wind swirling around it......makes me thing it might be some sort of wind barrier, or maybe not? Lets check it. Again collect the iron ball with magnetic force, and threw it towards the subspecies usingLinear Cannon Then, from the moment I moved my hand which was holding iron ball, the wind around subspecies became violent and assaulted the flying iron ball. Result? Though it wasnt completely blocked, but it was repelled after striking the shell with a thud. This time it didnt even take a damage. It really is wind barrier magic Sure enough......argh, so envious. I threw with lot of power......it sure has high defensive power It was indeed fast, and that iron ball too seems heavy. How heavy is that? Around 150 kg Eh, that much!? But only has the size of a fist!? Yeah. That much. Though, that iron ball had a terrible nature which completely disregards laws of physics, that wasweight increase upon pouring magic. Normally its weight was 5 kg without any magic inside it, but at most it could increase to one ton. Current weight of that iron ball was more than 150 kg. That was the reason I was able to make the grasshoppers crash even though they had hard shell and were 3 m long. Incidentally, the defensive power to block that attack completely......subspecies, along with magic, you rock. It might be different, if I put in more magic and attack on its vitals or when it might be flying. But that would be too much of a hassle, and I could sense that the fight on Suura-san and Zaris side was about to end, Bring it on! One-on-one, no tricks allowed! Istorethe chain-attached-ironball in the belt, and after slightly long time I clenched my fists. At that moment, SFX: *KisHHAaaaaAAAaaaAA!!* The subspecies raised a cry that didnt seem of an insect, and came flying at me after kicking the ground. It might have seen this as a good opportunity, now that weapon was out of my hands. It wasnt so fast that I couldnt dodge it, but I just had no reason to dodge. I would make the other side move aside......with brute force. Dont you damn......come here! I punched it from side like a hook while it was approaching me with the momentum and intimidation of a missile. [ET: wrestling lariat, but in this case from the side] The hook which completely grabbed the face of subspecies, was thrown to the left side of road while making side rotations. Tohugh cracks appeared in the shell......but the subspecies reformed its posture within air and upon landing glared at me. At that moment, the whirlpool of wind got stronger, and due to the cloud of dust near its feet my vision worsened. But, it didnt seemed like it aimed for a smokescreen effect from that. It was makingKissshaaaAAAAaaaalike crying sounds and footsteps too were noisy. ......However, The wind that rose up did work that made want to wish that it was just a smokescreen. The wind swirling around, condensed in front of grasshopper......and the next instant, That compressed air made a bursting sound then scattered, and then came at while cutting and gouging out the ground DDue to cloud of dust, I was able to see its trajectoryD. There were sharp scars as though the ground was cut by blade. Dont tell its wind blades!? Is that some sort of wind attack magic!? Though it wont hurt me even if I get hit by that, but for just in case I evaded with a side-step......then a more surprising attack came. One of the thorns growing on the front legs (the two foremost legs)......came at me like tentacles. That too, not something like sea anemone which would be drawn of package of R-18 games......but it was something like that of a centipede along with an additional solidshell, frankly put, I didnt knew if it was right to even call it as tentacles. It seemed like hard, sharp and jagged. It was something like tail of lizard and snake and looked fiendish and strong, but I surprisingly I couldnt sense any killing power in it. I fall back but the tentacles followed, so in turn I diagonally jumped forward and before the tentacles turned around to follow me, I leapt back. A second later, though I evaded the tentacles, but the place which got attacked D the place I jumped away fromD had the all the trees smashed. Oh that was quite a brutal attack......iron might not be useful against it. I see......it sure had power, so thats why Irene-san had put its name onList. Simple horsepower aside, wind magic and tentacles......and mobility by flying in sky, taking all that into consideration told me that its comprehensive offensive ability was higher than that ofNaga. There was no confirmation that what I just saw were all of its attacks......it would be dangerous if the fight was prolonged and I let my guard down. Then this time, it unfolded the wings, and flapped them......then the air converged and it came towards like a cannonball of air. I read the trajectory thanks to the cloud of dust, but......it was faster than the wind blades and I got hit by it. Its power was not inferior to the charge ofNaga......but!! S.I.M.P.E.I.S......Beeeeessssstttttttt!!! [AK:?????? dont get that] [ET: It says simple is best] I daringly to compete in a power competition! I put magical power in my legs to stand firmly and bear the attack for not getting blown away by the shock. I cut through it, or rather pushed it away and start a frontal charge......the moment most of the air was gone, I kicked the ground with full force. The tentacles came this time but I used them against itself! I catched them which were trying to tear in two pieces from middle and pull them. The tentacles was considerably powerful, so when I pulled, the main body too came flying in. The surprised (it looked like) subspecies somehow stood back, but our distance was now half than that of before, furthermore its stance was broken. Lucky chance. In no time, I approached it, and this time I used my hand like a sword to strike in the gap of shell present near its throat. My hand sword pierced till my wrist and half elbow was inside it. Like that I put power in my whole body, especially in shoulders and hands, and stand up while raising the skewered subspecies. And, with that big body above me...... Fire up!!!! Something inside of meeeee!!! I concentrate the fire attribute magic in my hand stuck inside it......and burn the body of enemy from inside. ThoughExceed Hopper subspecieshas a hard shell, but if the soft meat parts, the insides of its body were burnt it couldnt stand a chance. Maybe its body was burnt from inside, black smoke started to come out of the mouth and other body parts. It struggled by moving its six legs. From the gaps of shell, sometimes fire too seeped out. However, that was for only some seconds. Along with agony death cries, it convulsed and stopped moving. I got the feeling of the meat inside its body gotten soft and crispy too, just like yakiniku......quite difficult to explain that strange feeling. After waiting for it to die, I roughly swung my left arm and threw that well-roasted corpse. It landed in the middle of road while making a dent. ......I shouldnt have thrown it in the middle. It would only be a hindrance. Thinking that, I raised it once again to throw......but then I realized. ......It had magical power. Furthermore, though it was too big, but was abug, so it would be good, right? Alrighty, though it was demon it too havelife. I have to use it effectively. I looked towards the carriage, confirmed others had completed their work, Alva thanks for the wait, here is you meal! Then called my new comrade for having this little, no very much wonderful lunch. Chapter 34 – Magic and Poison and Memory 1st release of the day. Thank you for the wait, here comes lots of chapters. Chapter 34 C Magic and Poison and Memory I as prepared for this, but......looks like its going to turn troublesome again Isnt it fine, not like there is some disadvantage. Well, being the center of attraction is indeed not a comfortable feeling Here is city of Volca. We returned to the inn at full speed, asked Tanya-chan to refuse every sorts of interviews and every other thing, and were stuffed in the room. After that we retreated into our room. ......I dont want to go out for a while. We had to report about the quest within the time limit......that is by day after tomorrow, so we would have to go to the Guild for giving the wrists of Kobold as proof. But well, waiting a little bit more for the situation to calm down would be better than going to guild which is currently in great turbulence. At least it would be good if I can think like that. Currently, the Guild was bustling with activity, so it was doubtful if they would even pay our quest any attention. So like that we returned to our rooms in inn, and were in the middle of relaxing ourselves from fatigue caused by fighting for many hours. After going through the fierce battle, we returned to the city of Volca and were engulfed in a great uproar, to the extent that the uproar caused during theNaga-case seemed as a joke. Well, thinking the things that happened during the time of our return, it was natural. And, we also brought the corpses of theexceed hopperwhich had a good condition by tying them up in the carriages. Seeing that, the city-people were noisily talking while standing on the edge of street. During that time, the center of defense, me (dressed in black), was riding the leading carriage, so I was seen by other adventurers who crossed by us. That reason, and the fact Elk said she was really tired, were the reasons we returned to city, dashed to inn and secluded ourselves in the rooms. As the platoon leader, Suura-san, was dealing with the after effects related to this case and was reporting about it. Its not like we had heard about that, but she said it would become like this. The smuggling ofblood maplewas discovered, furthermore, there was great possibility that due to the landslide this time, the ecosystem of theCrimson Forestmight have changed. So it is needed to report back to the Guild and the Army about this information/intell, after that there is also the need to investigate and explore about this. , therefor is also a need for (recon)/(investigation and exploration) the area. [AKs alternative version] Management sure is very tiring. Those two delinquents, after returning to city, stuffed themselves in their rooms, it seems. Though they were injured but not to the extent of a grave injury. Rather than physical injury, the problem might be a mental shock. For Suura-san and other knights from the guard troop, it is like a good thing, that haughtiness is shivering in the rooms. It is understandable, after all they are rank D and were cornered by the crowd of rank B or rank A. After calming down, at a later date, they will carry out the hearing along with us. Furthermore, I heard this accidently from the subordinate members, that Suura-san asked the person in charge to delay it for a later date because she was caring about our circumstances. And the last, Zari. Different from those two, though he had signs of physical fatigue, but he had mental shock or fatigue. After hearing that we would be taken later for hearing, he left in a nonchalant way. Though based on the result that they were saved, the subordinates of Suura-san too had mental damage inflicted on them. And, due to the fact he had covert ability which couldnt be sensed by Suura-san and the fact he said that he could fight 2 exceed hoppers, makes me feel like he really isnt some normal person. Though I didnt confirm his face, but from the smell, I can affirm that it was Zari hiding there, on that morning...... He didnt seemed to have intentions to peek or be violent so I left him, but thinking more, this in itself is more mysterious. Just why was he sneakily roaming around? It bothered me, but there was no answer coming out, so I decided to forget for the time being. So, currently, Elk and I were resting in the room of inn. I am giving the food to Alva, while sitting on the bed with theNecromiconin my one hand. [AK: reminds me of the Necronomicon or is it the same book ] [ET: What is Necronomicon?] I am reading it, while making sure, that the grilled meat of theexceed hopper subspecieswhich Alva was eating while perching on my shoulder, doesnt fall on the book page. Alva was eating the meat of the dark green grasshopper with an happy expression. Moreover, he was liking the rare-grilled parts more than the not-grilled ones. Just like a gourmet. It makes an unsatisfying expression while eating raw parts. So, when it urged for seconds, I grilled it with fire magic and gave the meat. ......I just gave a part, though...... Then, Elk, who was maintaining the weapons while sitting near the table in the center of the room...... Hey, it has gotten dark, isnt the light too less for reading a book? ? Is that so? I have no problem though Currently you dont have, but if you keep on reading books with less light your eyesight will get worse Well, certainly, it had become hard to read, but that is only for normal people. Furthermore, currently Elk was repairing the weapons......more precisely, she was in process of sharpening the aforementioneddagger. Since it was an blade, so caution is needed, in that case, good light source for looking at it would also be needed. It would be bad if her hand slipped and she got hurt. Incidentally, the whetstone used to sharpening thatdaggerto is a special one, but we got it somehow after consulting Noel-neesan. It was quite pricy, but not something we couldnt afford. So, ever since then, on every opportunity she found, Elk started to sharpen herdagger, maybe because of sharpening effects, the original lustre of crystal blade was returning bit by bit. I dont want that hard-working Elk to get hurt, so I took out the candle (a box with a dozen of them) I had bought before. Then, I placed them in the candlestand used for holding candles. This is a candle made from magic forilluminationpurposes, so it was brighter than normal candles. But, it had a brightness like that of a naked light bulb, so I used three of them. Then, the moment I was about to light up the candles, Alva, who was perched on my shoulder, flapped its wing and started to fly. Like that it neared the candlestand, and hovered in air without making flapping sounds. Elk and I were watching it thinking what it is going to do, then it moved the front of claws near the part used for lightening up the candle. There, I finally understood what Alva was going to do......the next moment, SFX: Poof A miniscule amount of flame came out from the front of claws, and light up the candle. Whoa, this is great, so you really can use it now, youre really great~, Alva ...... ......!? !!? I looked at Elk only to find her completely stiff while making an expression as if she saw something really impossible with the dagger in her hands. Oi, its dangerous to blank out with a blade in hand, dont you know? ......Ah, I see. I never told Elk about Alva. Apparently, Alva somehow learned the way to use fire magic by seeing me make fire with magic. For me, I just fill fire magic in my hands and make it damn hot, so I can fire up anything with just nearing my hand to the object, But before was with a snap. In that way, I could fill magic in my finger, then with a finger snap, make sparks of high temperature to ignite the candles or bonfires. Its easy to imagine and looks cool, so based on my mood, I could alternate between the two choices. And, I could maintain the heat in my fingers for a long time. The grilled meat which I gave to Alva before was grilled in this way. Seeing that cycle, apparently, Alva learned it on its own. Though there was no finger-snaps, but it released somewhat powerful flames, currently, it was even able to grill the somewhat heated meat given by me. At first, it failed in controlling the spark power, so the meat was charred. ......Even though I explained, but for some reason Elk didnt agree to it. ......No, that just cannot happen. Normally, it just is impossible Even if you say that......well, doesnt it mean that Alva has really good brain, right? It looks like it can understand our words That is the strangest thing....... The demons with that much intelligence only appear after crossing a certain high-leveled line......in the first place, learning magic, though easy one, by just watching, that feat is even impossible for humans. Even more, not even two complete days have passed since its birth, right? ......Well, yeah, shes right. If magic could be copied by just watching a few times then......people aiming to be apprentice of renowned mages would be extinct...... It hasnt been much time since Alva was born......it hatched out from egg in front of my eyes. Thinking carefully, why can it understand everything in a conversation and our words, though it shouldnt have had connections with language? Isnt it like asking a japanese who doesnt know other languages, to listen to a professional russian talk and reply in perfect russian, right? And, I dont even know what sort of demon Alva is.......Suura-san too, Zari too, didnt seem like they about it. It also had the unique nature of liking magical substances. Looks like I would have to look into it. Hmm......just what are you PiiiiiiIIIiiiIIiiII? I tilted my head. Alva too tilted its head by imitating (?) me. ......Its more and more owl-like. ......You guys are quite intimate Thanks for that. PiiIIIIiiIII! I thought about this randomly Why are you even thinking, I would not ask it. I thought it during the training, that you can use various things, right? Darkness magic aside, like pheromone......even demons get pale due to that, right? No, you dont have to say that much......it has different varieties and different activation sequences Eh? Really? Arent you making it with magic? Well right...... Strictly speaking, it is about the process at start......something like atrigger. Now that I think, I never talked about it. I too am, more or less, related tosuccubus race. Within their inherent ability, something called ascharmexists. The nature succubus have wasenergy intake. This power assisted for that nature. It was the power to seduce a man for doing as they want......a power like hypnotism. However, this power was not completely dependent on magic. My power is a power closely related to the thesex pheromonesthat a living being emits......for seducing the other gender person. MyMagic Pheromoneare not pure genuinePheromone(do they even exist in humans), but it is with similar power made from from usingCharm, it is something like quasi-ish magic. Being a part succubus, I toohavethe power. Though, I cannot use it so easily at all times. After all this and that, it is still a power requiringMagic Control. But because it was a power that would make me regret not using, I did something and manythings with the secretion substance, by usingElemental Bloodat full power, and in the end I became able to use it too. But, in reality, it isntPheromone, but aPheromone-ish Magiclike power. At firstMagic Pheromone Charmwas created, then I got the hang of it, createdIntimidationWarningGatherProvocationet cetera, and practiced them. As for the test subject, I used the bandits which I captured during the bandit extermination when I went with mom. I had even finished the fine adjustments at that time, so it was completed with a high level of perfection. When I told Elk about it, she admired me, and as though she remembered something, So you can actually create substance like that inside the body? Though it comes with magic added Yeah. My body enhancement magic, I cannot tell in details, but it directly affects the vitals and other stuff, so fine control like that is possible for me In that case......can you make poison inside the body? Poison? Said that. Hearing Elks, casual questions incited by curiosity......triggered something inside my mind. Elks question wasIf you can make god knows what substances called pheromones, then you can make easy thing like poison too, right?. We could use it against demons as insecticides or rodenticides. No, the question in itself had no problems or strange things. Certainly, I......If I use the body function control ofElemental Blood, then I can make toxic substance using the matter inside my body......perhaps, maybe. My body, with magic particles existing in the cellular levels, could control the functions of body to the level that other people can never reach. The toxic substances present in the body, which are constantly removed, if collected together and used in an attack...... And, I could also add much more stuff to improve it. If I use the waste materials properly, I could produce sulfur easily......supplementing it with magic would make it more reliable. But, All that is fine......still, something is getting triggered in my head. ......Poison......eh? ? So is it impossible? No, its not its impossible......but...... But? That idea......Ive got a feeling that I too have thought about it before......? What is it, this seems like a dejavu. Creating poison from matter inside the body, this idea, seems like I have thought about it before. I, by nature, am a person who tries to experiment whatever I think is interesting or is interesting for other people. Poison hand or poison mist, fights like these which include poison seem just too much interesting, and it can be put to use with utmost results. This truly enters the category ofInteresting. In fact, this is something I wouldve thought about......so why, in all 10 years of training, had I never thought about this? No, in the first place, did I really......Not think about this? In real, I couldve haveThoughtabout it, but have forgot about that time? I dont know exactly, but that sort of feelings, keeps on rolling in my head after hearingpoisonfrom Elk. Just why is it so......? Just what the heck is this gloomy feeling? I dont think I justforgotit nice and easy......? Hey, Minato what happened? Why are you staring blankly......if you cannot do it then its alright, I just wanted to hear due to curiosity Eh? Ah, no, its not like that......sorry, I was thinking something. Hmm, I see As for poison......I will try to research on it. I think it would become a magic for various practical uses I see. But dont try the impossible. If you yourself could not control it, it would be a disaster. It would become a problem, right? Youre right. Getting seriously ill by my own poison is something I cannot laugh at easily That and......I too would be troubled Ah well, if her comrade became a poison-man, who spreads the poison using poison attacks, it would be troublesome. Lets do the research discreetly. When I thought that, Elk mutteredNo, that is sure but also......, blushed......and looked at me with her fascinating reproachful gaze. ......After all isnt it like that......like even if you remain fine but your body spreads poison to anyone it touches then...... And, for some reason she stood up while blushing, crossed the room, sat and bed......and tapped the newly spread bedsheet. Look, that......wouldnt it be troublesome? For you and me too. Mainly......in night, here Ah, err, umm...... Indeed......if it came to that, then well......it would be trouble and inconvenience would occur when communicating, no, it would become impossible. I too would be pained both on the desire aspect and mental aspect......hm? Would Elk be pained? No, idiot, dont misunderstand! I mean......if you became too much worked up then it would be leave me a bad conscience, I really didnt mean it that indecent way......it was only as a comrade, you see!? ......Huh, this is gonna be bad, right? S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This story progress......reminded me about the day ofNaga. At that time too, Elk blushed, got irritated and following it...... I......It isnt like I got worried for your health, neither did I worry that our distance would increase, I seriously didnt think (collapse) about......why did you fall down before I finished speaking!? I-It came after 2 long weeks......the sure-kill attack combo (unknowingly) of Elk......! E-Elk......try learning...... No, why dont you try to become used to this!? We both, on top of bed......have did many indecent things......so why are you falling down with this...... Surely, you are right. However, maybe my brain has been made this way for a girl to my liking that this attack on brain, even with our distance closed within the two weeks, didnt made much difference from that time. Maybe I could never get used to this thing. This has more stronger effect than the attack of big-serpent, or wind magic of a giant grasshopper, or even the poison of bandits. Seriously. If these tsundere phrases had an offensive ability, I would be have been killed five or six times. Im happy, It makes my heart go harsh, It is cute......with those words my mind filled, but it looks like I wouldnt be fainting this time...... ......! Geez......this why this great idiot makes me worried about him......ah, no, it was lie! Complete lie! I wasnt really worried ab......Huh!? ......Spurt(TN: *nose blood spurt*, not your normal nosebleed) Ah, I see, so Im going down this time too. While looking at Elk with aOh no!written on her easy to read face, and Alva, on the opposite side, with eyes sayingWhat the hell is wrong with this couple(?), I wasnt able to hold my consciousness. Looks like this became a pattern. Is the resistance to night work different from......resistance toMoeandType ......? I dont feel like I could get used to this. Chapter 35 – The name is『Nevalides』 2nd Release of the day. This chapter hadnt been edited by AK. So, umm, please dont criticize my English. If just this novel was as easy as Kuro no Maou, urgh. EDIT: This chapter is sponsored by anon. It is its last chapter which had not been released for so many days (*sob*). Here you Go~ Chapter 35 C The name isNevalides I, in the end, came here? Wow!! x2 ......Explanation about what just occurred is something like this. The day after we returned from theCrimson Forest, After eating the breakfast, *knock-knock*, my door was knocked. What is it, thinking that, Elk opened the door...... ......There stood, Irene-san, with a face full of smiles. Explanation over. A sudden visit by Guild Master. As for the reason, why she came to the inn for a single adventurer was, Yeah, in truth, I got a really tasty snack yesterday, so I will share it with you [ET: So first......his mom now this......this one is even more screwed up] ......Youre a guild master, right? With this timing, I had thought that some big problem came up or she was going to inquire us, but......my predictions were kicked right out of the bucket. I asked if it was fine to not report about this matter to her, the guild master, Report? I dont need. Isa-chan has told me the outline, and in truth I dont even need to hear it, but still get what might have happened. It was thisMinato-kun, getting attacked by demons, went on a rampage, right ? Irene-san said that. She just covered the main point in less than damn 30 words. ......Not like shes wrong. Well, I dont know who thatIsa-chanmight be, but let it like that, just why the hell have you come here nonchalantly for playing? If a guildmaster, even as a joke, came to an inn for a single adventurer......wouldnt that make a pain-in-the-ass trouble later? Its fine, Its fine. I came here while using the magic for recognition obstruction, so one would realise its me. I have left the work to Barracks, so Im fine even by ditching the job, at least till the end of morning Another problem is sprouting. Well, if Irene-san is saying that, I couldnt help but agree to her. Even if I say anymore, it wont make much of difference. And, thank you for the hard work, assistant Barracks-san. When she finished speaking, she took out a snack seeming like castella from the different pocket of same pouch. The size of pouch, and the snack is obviously different......maybe it too is an storage-type magic item, just like my backpack. After that, while eating that castella-like snack, she heard the story about the current case with an happy expression. Irene-san said before thatreportwasnt needed, but the talk for chatting was something else, so she lend an ear for killing the time. While telling her, during the parts that werent in report or the parts she was personally interested in, she tried to delve deeper in secret. Like, when the landslide occurred while we were in the small hut (at this point we hadnt met Suura-san and others), or like when I used darkness magic, or even when I used my original magicMagic Pheromone. As for the thing about the hut, I didnt think there was a need to report, so it was fine. I explained it to Irene-san briefly, then she grinned with satisfaction. So that is the case. So you had been fighting with dog, rabbit, lizard, cockroach and even grasshopper Originally it was only supposed to end with dog. But our bad luck Dont say it like that. Only because you guys took a detour, Suura-chan and others were saved Well, that certainly is right, but. When I think about getting in that situation without Elk or me......I felt slight cold. I, of course, Elk too, displayed lot of efforts in repelling the demons attacking the carriages. At least, more than those delinquent pair. Those two lacked in basics. So they got injured a lot, and were taken to curing team very quickly. In that aspect Elk, using basic hit-and-run tactics, fought against demons, her evasion was good from before, but recently, by training with me, those movements have got slightly polished. So in terms of overall work, she falls behind me, Zari and Suura-san, but still she showed lot of efforts in defending. Thinking that, it felt like it was for the good. As a hindsight-based opinion, it was good that Suura-san and others didnt die. But......you too were lucky, Minato-kun Eh? Irene said that thing suddenly. Luck? Without knowing what she meant, I stared blankly. In the talk right now, was there any part showing that I got lucky? When I asked, Minato-kun, do you remember about theList, I gave you before? ? Hmm, that goal list which I dont want to remember? Yes. Wasnt it inside there? The subspecies ofExceed Hopper Ah, yeah, certainly it was there. I think it was the topmost in the subjugation goal list. But, what about it? I forgot to tell you, but the demons in that list, become stronger as you go down, so the first demon you met in was the weakest, thats why you were lucky ......Oh, so that is the case I cant say anything to Elk with an expression sayingFor real!?. It was the weakest, eh. In the list? Well I did thought it was too weak for being the level of monster which would make me recognised by mom. And, though it doesnt happen here but......in far countryside, a rare group of around 100 subspecies appears after many years. Sometimes, a request for punitive force reinforcements are made in guild, so how about going there at that time? ......Well, after Elk becomes more stronger than right now I just cant, hell no!! A shout filled with grief and despair. Im joking, joking. I too wont go to a place like that on my own will and its not like we would find a group like that wherever we go......lets stop talking or I get a small feeling it would turn into a bad flag. Well around here, a group that big isnt present, so I can be somewhat relieved. And, according to Irene-san, the quest for investigation ofCrimson Foresthas been put out by Guild, and many adventurers with information gathering as objective, have went inside the forest. Naturally, they had written a warning sayingIt more dangerous than ever before, but almost none of the adventurers dropped out because of it. Lets just pray for their well being. In this way, we might be called by the guards side for inquiry, but the Guild, wouldnt delve in deeper about this case. They have decided to close up this case asAn unexpected accident. Now resolved. Though, the rumours aboutadventurer in blackis spreading, so Minato-kun, be ready for some hard life Ah, I see now...... ......The case hasnt been resolved for me. Well, when we returned to city in carriage, I was in the front carriage, though as escort, so it was only natural to stand out. And, with this case, your rank will have to be raised up again, so, for updation of your guild card, do come to Guild, okay? Yes...... Well, I had thought it would be like that for levels, but......ah, so depressing. I recalled about the situation during the case withNaga. Onlookers filled with curiosity, check by fellow adventurers, invitation to other adventurer parties......just because rumours were spread, I had to face all these things before. Moreover, this is the second round. I do have my criminal record (?) of before, after this one too, I can already feel it being a pain-in-the-ass situation. I heaved a sigh while thinking that, Elk looked at my attitude with a fed-up expression, suddenly, as if she remembered something Irene-san started speaking. By the way Minato-kun, I was bothered about this from before? Come again? It came out in the story before, but, its the first time you are keeping a pet, right? Ah, yes. Ive made it wait in the other room for now Yeah, it was about Alva. Look right now, a guest is here, snacks......edible stuff is also here, so I gave Alva its food (grasshopper meat) to make him stay obediently in the other room. In the talk before, I sure did talk about Alva. I think it is a demon, but because I didnt knew its species, I introduced him as a blackish owl-like bird. Then, Irene-san said she wanted to see it, so I called Alva from the other room. I just called out its name, it came flying and perched on my shoulder. Really intelligent. Then, Irene-san, bend forward, looked at Alva, then for an instant, though it might be my imagination, Irene-san showed a serious expression completely different from her normal nonchalant expression. ......What happened? You said it ate things with magical power willingly, so I did thought about it, but...... Err......Irene-san? Minato-kun, this bird......ah, Alva-kun I mean. Do you know what sort of demon Alva-kun is? ? Nope not at all. Elk too said that she didnt knew it I sent a fleeting glance to Elk and affirmation came back. Seeing us, Irene-san saidAs expected. Does Irene-san know what sort of race Alva is from? No, she would naturally know. After all, her career is different from ours, shes the great legendary-class adventurer. It isnt strange that she would know about a demon with just a glance. It is a good chance, how about I ask what race is it from and how to raise it? When I was thinking ridiculous stuff like this, Irene-san made an expression as if she found it REALLY interesting. Eh, What? ......In truth, the main reason I came here was because in the report of Isa-chan there was something about an blackish owl loving to eat food with magical power Hwat? And I come here to see this......no, things like this can occur ......Umm......? Hm? Ah, sorry sorry, I was just startled. I had never thought Minato-kun you would keep a guy this tremendous, though by coincidence, as your pet Eh, what do you mean by that? What is with that suggestive sentence which seriously is ticking me off. What? Is my Alva that bad? To the extent that even Irene-san saidtremendousabout it? I looked to my side, and Elk too, while looking at Alva, was spilling out somewhat sweat. ......What to do, I wanted to ask about it, but now I have gotten scared to even hear. No no, wait wait. Jumping to conclusions is not good. Calm down. It can betremendousbased on normal public opinion, maybe. The demon I fought this timeExceed Hoppertoo is said to betremendousbased on normal public evaluation......it would be good to that extent, right? ......no, surely there is no doubt it is just too much strange. Elks reproachful gaze has been coming to me C no, how the hell am I wrong this time? C and other things too, so I want to first calm down......while thinking that, I waited for an answer from Irene-san, holding my breath. In the end, this Alva, perched on my shoulder, scratching its feather with beak, is what kind of demon and of what level...... Please, be be upright with explanation...... Yes, well then, its a good chance so I shall enlighten you. That Alva-kun, in truth is...... -In truth is? ............ ............ .................. .................. .................. .................. Youre hesitating way too fucking long! That just fucking too long of an hesitation! Youre definitely having fun, right!? Like that, keeping us in suspense for about more than 20 seconds......Irene-san finally opened her mouth. Race nameNevalides. RankUnmeasurable. It is that one hell of a monster demon. Though its only a baby bird right now. Written ashumansand dreams is a word pronounced as......fragile. (TN: This is a pun. Okay, so pun intended) Nevalides Habitat: Unknown. Detailed Ecology: Unknown. Rank: Unmeasurable. It is a Devil bird, said to come from the pits of hell, while covered in feather of black and grey. Its appearance is of a slightly bigger black owl an adult bird is, around the size of a medium~large sized bird of prey. Its appearance is not much of a thing, but its true state is a lot of thing, as it contains dreadful combat ability, it is a legendary-class demon. It doesnt has much physical strength (according to normal demon evaluation basis), but inside its body is enormous amount of magical power, and it could use a great variety of magic easily with more power. That power could turn a really big forest into scorched earth, and a single bird could subjugate a whole group of more than thousand demons easily. It has abnormally high intelligence and could understand human language. Furthermore, it could learn a simple magic just by seeing it sometimes, for an easy magic seeing it once is enough, it could even learn the magic just by hearing about it, all in all, it has too much intelligence that it far surpasses human being in imitation aspects. Due to the high magical power by birth, it loves to eat the meat of demons with magic. Especially, during the time as baby bird, the foundations to growth of magical power aspects are made. Thanks to that, it requires fine quality of food with lots of magical power inserted, in short, it has empty stomach most of times. Its growth is too fast, after hours from birth it can fly, after one day it can fly without making any sound. By two or three days, it could already use normal magic of fire and other attributes, though being in growth stage. ......All this was the grateful explanation by Irene-san about the identity of Alva. Though, this race was said to be extinct about a thousand years ago......but for it to still live in this era, is truly shocking even for me Hearing more, apparently, Irene-san too had only read about it in documents during her times as adventurer, so seeing it in real is a first for her too. In that document a picture similar to its sketch was drawn, so she understood by looking. Why a demon like this, a monster demon which could laugh and kill all those grasshopper group easily, was present in that Ritoras Mountains. Maybe, the egg transformed in a fossil, and remained in a dormant state? Dormant state? Yes. Sometimes there are demons like those present. They go in a dormant state with various methods, upon the loss of food, deterioration in habitat, and after entering dormant state......they sleep for many years, tens of years, hundreds of years......at most thousands of years So Alva......Nevalides are like that too Yes. That egg, came out of the place of a landslide, right? Maybe the dormant egg stated working once again with the landslide as trigger, and just before hatching, you guys passed by and picked it up. During dormant state, there are demons, who have strong shells or egg shells So a thing like that exists...... The thing called demons, are so profound. A demon like that exists, its egg rested at that place, and I picked it up......too absurd of a coincidence. Then, Elk who had been hearing till now, But, why was a legendary-class monster present at a place like that? Ritoras Mountains is said to be a mountain for beginners, the levels of demons appearing there is low......naturally, the magical power quantity they have is also low...... Said all that. Well she is right. If it is that great demon, then the parent bird would try to feed it the fine quality meat of demon with high magical power quantity...... Yeah, I also think that is strange, but there are certain reason I can think of? Like for making the baby bird independent as soon as possible and let it start hunting on its own I see. Indeed that place is good for even the beginner human adventurers, so for a demon like this, it would become a good training place. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. If it becomes insufficient, then it has to become self-independent, go to some other place, and search for a better food...... Either that or, before that place became for low rank demons, it lived there, and in that era high ranked demons might have lived there. Like, perfect for their training So Alvas egg was given birth around that time? Possibility about that sure exists. But in that case, it would be long before, this country was even made......around many thousands of years before So there is a possibility it slept for all that time. There were other possibilities, but without any proof for the correct one, this talk ended with this. Then, Irene-san asked me that if I would keep it even after knowing......all that stuff. Well, a normal person, would lose all the intention to keep a pet which is said to be tremendous. Based on danger aspects. In that case, either selling or presenting it in Guild are two choices. According to Irene-san, rare demons like those are bought with high price as a research material. But I have no intention to do that. After all, I had decided to keep it, with having considered the possibility that it might be a demon. I promised to look after it, took it along with me, and even fed it. And to throw it away or sell it to Guild, well two words: Fuck it! No well, other people might blame me for acting that way with a dangerous demon, but I just dont give a shit about it. I have all the more intention to look after it till the very end. And from what I have heard, the time it would grow up and not need me to look after too is coming near soon. Hearing that, Elk sighed and Irene-san smiled in a strange way. Apparently, she had guessed my answer, so she didnt say anything else, though being on the guild side, and easily accepted my answer. Maybe it was because she is broad-minded or due to her personality of being wild and nonchalant. Elk, didnt oppose it, though its not like she isnt feeling uneasiness. It has high intelligence, can understand human language, so it wont become much of a danger if I kept telling it. However, she also said to properly discipline it. After saying that, the work of Irene-san was finished. She suddenly stood up and started to leave. And she wouldnt need us to send her off......just as I thought that, Ah, and Minato-kun Yes? I dont anybody does it, but you dont need to be afraid just because your pet is outside the norm, if you raise it while giving lots of love, then it might stick with you only Doesnt that implicitly meanBe careful there are those who dont stick? Its fine. I know one of my friends who has a demon, around the same danger levels as this guy, as her pet (smirk) ......Umm, please dont tell me that person...... For this person to say words like this, at this timing, in this mood only means...... yeah, your mom Yeah, damn it. really!? Didnt she had? A bird with golden feathers, around this big Saying that, Irene-san stretched her hands in left and right side. ......A bird which reaches 2 m upon opening wings......Stork, eh? On moms orders, it radiated flames from the wings, released beams from its mouth. When I was weak, and went in forest, in substitute for mom, it escorted me, against demons I couldnt fight against, it kicked their asses. I had thought it wasnt any normal demon, but...... It is called asPhoenix, and is a sacred bird, completely opposite ofNevalides. Its name was......I think it was Stork, maybe? In the traditional folklores of some places, Phoenix are called asgod of lightand Nevalides asevil god of darkness, certainly they fit the phrase light and shadow. Of course rank is unmeasurable. On theory is, that upon dying it could revive from even the smallest fire, it is a type of immortal bird. This information is the same as ofImmortal birdthePhoenixin my previous worlds fantasy genre stuff. (TN: Immortal bird means phoenix, but the reason I didnt write it was because Phoenix has many ways of being written in Japanese and they all different meanings, which english words cannot teach) Irene-san, after saying information that only increased my mental fatigue, left with a satisfied expression. Still what sort of karma is this. Mom and stork, a demon same as that would come to me, almost like the same side of the coin idiom...... Well, I did felt dreadful coincidences, but its all good. Alva is Alva. For the time being, I thought to be a good friend to this lovely guy facing its round and cute eyes towards me. Chapter 36 – A moment at the Tavern Chapter 36 C A moment at the Tavern On the night of the day when a typhoon name Irene-san came. We were, neither in room nor in the dining hall of inn, rather we had come to a big restaurant on the main street. This restaurant......or rather, it is a shop more like a tavern. It was at a nearby place, only some minutes walk from inn. Upon entering the tavern, for a moment, the stares of people gathered at me. Half of those gazes returned to eating their food and friendly chat as if nothing happened, on the other hand, the rest seemed like they recognised me asperson from rumors. Some indirectly, while some directly, sent their stares at me. Well, my clothes are black as usual, so this is only obvious. My clothes do stood out, so I thought of buy new clothes, but my hair and eyes, both are black. So if I am going to be found out either way, there was no need to change the clothes. Thats why, I had thought some would come talking to me the moment I entered the tavern, but though I felt the stares, nobody came upfront. Is there some unspoken rule of not getting involved too much, or, is there some dangerous rumor about me flowing...... We walked somewhat further and found the person we was looking for. What, I thought that I would be able to see different clothes here. Are those your casual clothes too? Ah, yes. It is one good set of clothes after all Its not the same for me, but there is no reason to change deliberately, right? Youre the same too Pu, certainly The moment we met the person who invited us, Suura-san, we started that conversation. We sat on the chairs which Suura-san had secured. Incidentally, today Alva is staying at home. Because, this place is a restaurant. Then, while chatting I held the menu in hands, and ran my eyes over it. What to ta~ke? Eh, are you thinking that why I came out of my room when I didnt want it become an uproar? That is true, but......Irene-san said these words to us. It seems like you are trying to be holed up in your room till the time uproar passes by, but I think it has already gotten too late, how about giving up? I was told that flat out, clearly, and so deeply, that I wanted to cry. However, thinking upon it, it really was a just reasoning. In the first place, adventurers occupation is where equation ofStrong = Capable = Famousworks in the truest sense. It is pretty obvious. If one is strong and superior, then others can leave being escorts or investigator to them with a peace of mind. The sense of security during putting up quests is different from this. And, more often people are wanting to hear the information about people like them, except the one part of people, others proactively help in information sharing, with gossips and whatnot. Becoming superior among adventurers means, one would get more trust from Guild and the client, many convenient things would increase, at the same time, the fame would also increase proportionally, and the persons name would be spread far. Therefore upon becoming famous, one would obviously gather peoples gaze, and various sorts of rumors would be made up, furthermore other adventurers would send invitations too. So to say, this is like the rite of passage an adventurer passes through while becoming famous. Anyone famous, more or less, is experienced. And since being anadventurer, other adventurers would have to approve of it to some extent. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Thinking like that, although it might be awkward, but the strange ones would be us, avoiding all the uproar. No well, I vaguely knew about it, but in my case, it felt like the way of thinking from the previous life was pulling the strings...... . Originally I, in both previous life and right now too, didnt want to create uproars centred around me. If I had tread on the steps one by one, slowly becoming famous then it might have been different, but here I have subjugated a rank A monster and gained war results unworthy of an rookie. Just like I had said before many times, the disadvantages of becoming famous in one shot are more than advantages, so I cannot deny becoming cautious and coward. But, from now on, that too wont work. For better or worse, I would have to experience the feeling of becomingfamous. Irene-san told me all this, with just one sentence. Well, like that, I stopped secluding in the room, and unleashed myself in the night market......this way of speaking seems quite strange, I think. Then, at the right time Suura-san invited us for eating, so we informed Tanya-chan that we would be eating outside, and like that we had come to this public tavern. The reason Suura-san invited us was for thanking us. This store has, quality OK, quantity OK, price OK......all in all, it is an great store with 3 best things. It neither has some strange high-class feel to it, and seats are plenty. And because the turnover rate is also good, that they dont make customers wait for much time. It is a great store for adventurers. It seems. And, because of that, lots of sorts of costumes come here, from gentleman-type to violent-type, but because of an unspoken agreement, they all are treated equally. Well, normal picking up on women do happen here (vice-versa too), but that is within tolerable limits as it just a part of meeting with someone. In fact, it might be because of this rule, that though they realized me (adventurer in black) and sent stares, but no one has come up. I need to really thank Suura-san for introducing such a great store to me. Though I had come here with determination, but if other adventurers had come up to me, then it would have become problematic for me. And personally it is great that food comes fast. Since the previous life, I had hated waiting at restaurants like this, so I always prefer the 3 points I stated earlier. But still, they are too fast. Almost as fast as a person in Gyudon-shop. There are various lato barely fine cuisines, are they using magic? For making these. ......Its not completely impossible. Though they wouldnt have made the cuisine itself with magic, but they might have magic to cook the food fast, its just that I had not yet seen it. While eating, we had a harmless and inoffensive talk with Suura-san. Like we had relied on each other during time of fight inside the forest, or if our lives were going well. I should obviously, Suura-san asked me curiously about my strength thatWhere did you train?, but telling her the truth, like about my mom would be a pain-in-the-ass, and there is no guarantee that she would believe it. So I made do with telling that I grew in an hostile environment. Though Suura-san wasnt convinced completely with it, but she didnt persistently asked about it. Still......being watched time-by-time is not a good feeling It is only natural that it would become like this every time your name spreads. Though Im not an adventurer, but I too have experienced it. You have to get used to it said Suura-san. She was pretty strong in fights before, so maybe the army to has the same system as for adventurers. Not that, but being glanced at this many times, kind of kills my appetite Dont lie idiot. You say that with a straight face while ordering seconds of that big meat set. Elk retorted with reproachful gaze. Yeah, well I am currently holding the menu again for re-order the roast-beef-like cuisine because it was just too tasty. But you see, the impression for taste compensates for the declining appetite and is balancing it......I wont say this because it seems like she would retort again. Well dont say like that. Though that line had some points to point out, but if he likes it then its all fine. Eat without caring for cost No, like I said before, we can split the cost...... Then I also said before that it wont help me thanking you. What, though I look like this, I had lots of surplus in my purse because of my post. And, looking a boy eating lots of food, feels good While inclining a very-powerful alcohol mug on her shoulder, Suura-san said as such along with a smile. She also gave me alcohol to drink, but, in truth, I dont like drinking. Its not like I cannot drink it, but I dont even think it is tasty. The more alcoholic it becomes the more I hate it. The feeling of the throat becoming hot after drinking......the drinkers ay it is good, but I just cannot bear it. Thats why, things like whiskey have already gone fromnot goodtohatelevels. In addition, I dont like bitter taste and carbonated drinks too, so beer too is no-go for me. So, I would rather like juice of the same flavor as cocktail. Definitely. The thing Im drinking right now is also oolong tea......-like tea. I forgot the name already. Incidentally my sense of taste is the same from my previous life, at first I had thought what if I can now drink alcohol, but I was wrong. I was made to drink it by mom, and from that I found out about it. Eh? My age at death in previous world? I was an high-schooler? No well, that......arent there relatives that get in high spirits upon getting drunk? To the extent of recommending a minor to drink. Due to that, on the spur of moment......yeah, Im regretting it. Well anyway. People like this are not rare in this world, but among the army and adventurers they sure are, even Suura-san said she saw it after a while. Well, there might be people who might drink it forcibly for matching up their friends. But, I know from my previous worlds knowledge thatdrinking oneself dead drunkis getting neartrue death, so I think to refrain from drinking at all. With this and that, I called the waitress, and ordered some more cuisines. Once again with terrifying speed, stir-fried meat vegetables, potage soup, minced cutlet and risotto was brought. Their names are different, but they seem all too similar to the things in my memories. Well, I did say to order without restraint, but......can you eat it all? Ah, no problem. Though looking like this, Im quite a glutton. Well, I dont have this much appetite always, but because it is tasty......that perhaps my stomach got elated Saying that, I stuff my mouth with risotto and minced cutlets. Yeah, freaking tasty. Even so, you do eat a lot at the time of eating. Do you have any preferences? Except alcohol I can eat and drink anything. Well I like meat more than fish I see, you sure are admirable. You even know courtesy, not many younguns have that recently Is, that so? I think Im being pretty normal. Well there are more strong-willed violent bunch of people, so people with my attitude might be rare among the adventurers and army affiliated people. Lets go with this thinking. And you have lots of experience in military arts at that age. In near future, the surroundings will sure have a great uproar, dont you think so? Hahaha, well were adventurers after all. Just like Suura-san said before, looks like I will have to get used to it Hm? Yeah, that is true...... Then, Suura-san raised the corners of mouth. Well, you have good manners, are strong, and are honest. Simply put an excellent man. And an excellent man will either be admired by other men or become their enemy because for women......youre a suitable prey She grinned. ......Come again? Err, that means? Ah, well maybe things like that exist? Strong adventurers areattackedfor that reason, it happens a lot. There are many sorts out there......try not to get involved with them Ahaha......well, yes, thank you for the warning I had been told many times about this topic......by mom. Among adventurers ruffian-like lively people are not only men. Women too are the same. There are elegant, nice and tidy women and also wild lively women too. Among people like them, they tempt the man they like and goes onto work like that. There basis forpreydiffer for every person, but according to Suura-san and Mom too, the more excellent the man the better chances of becoming a prey to them. In other words, I need to be careful because Im too strong compared to normal standards. For people who even attack people of Rank D and C, I sure will look like a great prey, after all Im young and very strong. I see. During the time with mom, I had though this talk asrubbishdue tonot having any girlfriend for my whole lifein my previous life, but...... After getting out like this, I have seen the people, though they are of different kinds, and am getting used to this reality. Its strange. Any normal man would be ecstatic, but......no, I too am happy upon getting loved by women, but changing the perspectives lets me recognize it as a starting point of a pain-in-the-ass development. Seriously, let it be men or women, I still dont want to get in anymore troubles. Like Seriously. *sigh* ......well, I have recently left the countryside, or rather my home, so I dont have many people with that sort of relationship, or rather I dont have much girl acquaintances near me This is the truth. I have recently left the western-style house called my home, and the woodlands called countryside, so I dont have much acquaintances. So my acquaintances in this world, except Mom and Noel-neesan because they are blood-related relatives, would be Elk who is my partner both in public and private, And Riin-san, who for some reason, always is the receptionist when I go to Guild and the last one would be the guild master and moms old friend, Irene-san. And, ah also Zari who fought with us in that forest. As for those two delinquents, I dont think of them as my acquaintances. Other than all them would be, Tanaya-chan from inn, or Suura-san. Huh, unexpectedly the sex ratio is 1: 5...... Well, as the overall numbers they are not much, but the girls are more...... Maybe she too reached the same conclusion, Elk sent a scornful gaze to me. No. This is different, this was not based on my act, but my introvert nature did some plusses and minuses and it became like this, I seriously had no ill inte...... Seeing my reaction, Suura-san broadly grinned......tch, for some reason that smile is getting on my nerves...... Well, I dont know the circumstances, but in near future it will get rowdy. The person in question seems all-too-optimistic so......try to keep the reins in control ......Why are you saying that to me?(Elk) Who knows. But, I dont think that you should think about it as others problem, but rather pay more attention, it would help ......Thanks for the warning Suura-sans smile and Elks reproachful gaze intersected. Moreover, it had become a dangerous atmosphere, why? In between all that, the waitress suddenly came, and put a expensive-looking alcohol to me. ? Err, this......? I hadnt ordered it, I tried to say that but, ......Sorry, Suura-san, Elk, Im going out for a while I said that, and drinked the alcohol in one gulp. ......It is still strange tasting. ? What happened? Toilet? In that case, there is one on the other side Yeah, I will be back While informing the two, I stood from the seat......pretended to go towards toilet, and head towards someplace completely different. With a coaster in hand which was put along with alcohol before. It had words writtenI am waiting on the balcony seat of the second floor. Ah, coaster, is the cloth or paper that is spread on the table before putting a cup on it. It is used for not leaving stains on table. On it, the person who sent this to me, had written this message with an oil-based ink. Then, after reaching the balcony seat where the person it waiting, Huh, you seriously came here? I thought you would become vigilant, but this is somewhat unexpected Well......if it was someone I dont know then I wouldnt have come, Zari And the person waiting there was Zari. Though his attire are different, but due to his distinctive hairstyle and the fact he fought with us, though only once, I remember him clearly. At the time I looked the balcony seats from quite some distance, because my eyes were better than normal, I was able to see him too at that time. There, after knowing Zari sent the message I came here. Or who in their right minds accept such a suspicious summon. Zari signaled with his hands to sit. I will hear his request or not, but because Im making those two wait, so lets reject the offer. Ah, I see. Indeed, making a lady wait is ill-mannered. Sorry sorry You got that right. So, I dont want to waste time, why did you call me here? Okay, then without beating the bush. It is just normal salutations, because in future we might rely on each other Do you mean being as friends because we are fellow adventurers? That is half. The other half is......because I have heard something from a person What is that suggestive attitude?Who the hell is thatperson? Well, thoughtthat personis normally free and uncontrollable, but because of the social position, they cannot possibly meet an adventurer frequently, and at times of passing messages to/fromthat person, there is a need for a trustable person. There, I am introduced as person who will accompany you in public and private matters and will be the indirect line connecting you andthat person. Still, forthat personto be so courteous to you makes we wonder about your history, just who the hell are you? ......He just declared it all of a sudden, but it means something like this, eh? Thatthat personintroduced Zari to me. As a messenger for themselves, and for me an advisor. Of course, our relationship is only normal fellow adventurers. I see, courteous to me......oh fuck it, who on earth isthat person? Then, Zari guessed I wanted to know the person, and without making any voice moved his mouth...... I R E N E ......Ah,that person, eh. Im also an adventurer specializing in that aspect. It might sound conceited, but Im quite excellent in this work. And my face is well-known at many levels That aspect? You can call it Information investigation specialist. its not frank like a spy, but......we people not only investigate and explore danger areas but also get any information client needs and take rewards upon offering the information. It is also OK for interpersonal information, of course, we protect the secret of client?(TN: That infor investigation specialist in short is an high-class information broker) ......Something like detective? Fighting scenes, to some extent, are OK. Without any request, for gaining rewards, we sometimes roam here and there independently Hearing more, he was independently snooping around those traders who were smugglingBlood Maple because there was suspicious air around their shops too. But because the security was tight C that wrap ofmaple, if it was opened even once others would have known it -, so he wasnt able to confirm the contents inside. The numbers too were always checked, so even after confirming that it was something bad, he wasnt able to take it out. I see. If it was like he tolerated even after knowing, I wouldve gotten angry, but in this case, it cant be helped. So, Zari is superior among those type of adventurers. To the extent that one of the big shots of Guild gave him a work. Ire......that personknow his name, so he must quite famous. So it was because of this high abilities that he was able to......peek Suura-san and Elk taking bath that day. I can agree to it then. ......Of course it wasnt to peek Elk or Suura-san but for confirming I and them were not related to that smuggling case. So if there is any message from that personor if you have any message forthat person, I would pass it. Of course, you can personally request something from me too. Though it would be need suitable reward, and I will be able to help you ......About that Hm? Well, youre personal history is all fine, but......Its hard to trust thatthat personsaid to watch over me, its just too crazy Ah, well, youre right......then, look at this Then Zari......opened up his bag and took out something. And, presented it to me. This...... To me......it looks like normal feathers of bird.That personwas saying you will believe me if I show you this. If you like, you can confirm it when you meet that person...... ......Ah, Yeah. Got it, I will believe you Oh, really? Well, if youre going to believe then there is no problem. Anyway, nice to meet you, Minato Quadrille-kun Right. Same here Zari......err...... Im Zari Torantor. I dont remember telling my full name to you, so no problem Saying that, we shaked hands. I also returned the feathers. Well, I dont know if his character is made from being in a dangerous faction or because of something else......well I will know in future. If that Irene-san sent him, so though being peculiar, he can be trusted. The proof for that was, these, goldenfeathers of bird. They are the feathers ofStork, I saw them at the time I met Noel-neesan. There is no difference, neither in appearance or scent. But because there was no letter then it must be because Irene-san wanted me to trust him. It wont be strange for that person to get feathers from mom. Then, I can trust him for the time being. Like that, I tried to return back down to the two ladies who were waiting for me, but Zari called out to me as if he suddenly remembered something. Ah, thats right Minato-kun, as the sign of our friendship let me present you an information Information? Yeah. Do you know aboutother name? ......other name? That, alias type of thing which is added in front of name? In a sense it is cool, but in another sense it is like incarnation of a person suffering from 8th grader syndrome......so thought cool it is bad. I do want it, but yeah its better to give up. Famous adventurers have that. There are also cases people introduce themselves using the other name and surrounding people start making rumors. Similarly, Zari hassandstormas his other name, though not many people know about it. ......In other words, he might be called asZari of the Sandstorm? Yeah, in the fight before he did use sand magic, so his other name is fitting him but......no comment. And, know what, Suura-san too has a other name. Her name isFrost Archer Princess. It came because she could use bow and arrow, and ice magic skillfully. Well, I do think it is cool......but I still dont want it. If I was called asMinato of the , then I would want to dig a hole and bury myself in it. When I think about this, It is still not well known, but......it is spreading gradually, so it would be good to tell you about it. Even you would want to know, right? Yourother name ............#$f? Chapter 37 – Melancholy of『Black Lion』 Did you wait? Actually, I, unknowingly slept while writing my novel, due to which I woke up just 2 hours ago. And after doing some tweaks with the TL, Im posting the chapter here. After this, I need to go with my sister for shopping. So dont believe KnM Chapter anytime soon. Chapter 37 C Melancholy ofBlack Lion Today too, wind-cutting sounds reverberate in the vacant land. It was sparring with Elk, which had already become a daily routine. Even the recently increased onlookers dont know about this place, so practicing here is just alright!. Its that usual sight, but there are some things different from before. First, there is a spectator. Well, the spectator is only Alva. At the time I am about to leave the house (sometimes even before), it keeps on staring at me intensely. As if sayingTake me too! Well, I can leave it at inn, but there is no harm even if it comes here so I take it out here. ......Recently, another reason has been added. And recently, in non-combat times it rests on my shoulder or sometimes on top of my head. At the time of training and battle, it rests on some appropriate tree in the vicinity. And the other thing that changed is, Elk. Recently, though gradually, she has gotten able to move more better compared to before. A week before, her battle posture was full of holes, but now, though it cant be said perfect by any standards, it sure has improved. Her way of taking balance and movements of legs have improved, her style of hit-and-run has gotten to the point of being conducted with just a single step. The careless jump I pointed out the other day is also almost gone. Her powerless attacks by just swinging the dagger have gotten better, she is now able to give out an attack with enough back power to follow-up. The dagger coming at my throat while making an beautiful arc was considerably different from before in speed, sharpness and even power. As a bonus, her means of attack is not only dagger, she even uses elbow or knees at the right time, increasing her attack frequency, coincidentally the gaps in her form vanished. I just explained it quite simply, but this is, in truth, quite a great thing. After all it was only three weeks before, when we both started this training. Showing this much progress in such less time isnt something a normal person can do? In the first place training like this show results little by little that the person themself dont become aware of it. Marathon and Boxing, from Earth can be considered great examples. Running for months, years, and then finally the time is reduced by several seconds only, Or Punching the punching bag tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of times and then finally the power of fist is slightly increased. Like that, the things that take lots of time to complete, Elk did it in just three weeks with visible results already. Though she has her technical foundations built hard, but still this is impossible without a great talent potential. NO MATTER HOW YOU THINK IT. If the current Elk fought against a crowd of goblin alone, she would be able to insta-kill five or six goblins without even getting scratched. Side-by-side she is even training about magic -Though Im able to do much help here-, going at this rate she is sure to grow even more than I had thought. With a little more training, she might even fight against Little Beasts. The studying of thatDaggeris also finished and its gaining it original shine little by little, depending on the power of magic, she might be fight even more powerful demons. But, still theres a long way to go CWha!? I dodged the dagger attacking towards my throat, and hold her arm. Using that momentum, I used the one-armed shoulder throw, and threw Elk. Most probably, Elk fell on the ground without understanding what actually happened. Though, the place I chose to throw her was soft with somewhat grasses growing on, it shouldnt be painful as it looks. Though, she is choking on the leakage of somewhat air which was present in her lungs. In terms of sharpness, the attack was fine, but the more larger you swing, the larger the gap is, we have to do something about it. In that case, the scariest would be the counter defense just like what I did You mean making a countermeasure for it? For instance? In my case, when I have to counter attack upon getting my fist blocked would be, rotating while dodging and using that momentum to dash out a roundhouse kick, moving inwards and then doing a tackle. Setting the kick aside......Im powerless, so tackles is impossible. So this is the new assignment. Yep, analyze and cognize it yourself and its all good. I lend my hand to the exhausted-looking Elk for standing up. She somewhat breathed heavily, but Elk finally stood on her own two feet. In comparison with that, I am well, still with lots of composure. Even my breath isnt disordered. Fuu......you seen too full of composure. Even the time in forest, or when we were fighting continuously, you were always calm. Just how much stamina you have got? Dunno? Now that you say it, in the past some years, other than when training with mom, I have never exhausted my stamina Ah, I see...... The training with mom was......Yeah, just completely......Yep. The situation where moms attack with power more than a bazooka, either fist, kick, with super fast speed coming at me from any direction was just too much. These two situations just cant be compared. Even more, not only close combat, she would even use magic, and attack from genuinely every direction with no dead angle to be found, unless and until I sharpened all my senses to their extent and used full speed along with power, I wouldve died easily. With that much, my stamina and endurance would barely last 30 minutes or so. Incidentally, during training, mom got too high because of happiness at my growth that she raised the level of her magic and the result......a scorched of 1 km of diameter, where no vegetation would ever grow, was created. At that time, well I almost fucking died. Thinking about that, everything else just seems like eating a cake. A full marathon can only be considered as a jogging to me, even a triathlon might be a good exercise. ......I thought about it after saying, but arent I myself quite a monster? While Im thinking that, Elk said words filled with sarcasm. Truly impressive, right......The greatBlack Lion Elk smirked. ......Just stop with that...... I become dejected. Black Lion TheSecond Nameof mine, which I was told by Zari the other day. The originators were, unexpectedly, the subordinates of Suura-san who just happened to be in the carriage on that day. According to what I hear, thatRecruit-oriented Groupwas, well full of new recruits, and are great people who are considered as promising by the surroundings. Moreover with this matter, where no matter what, not even one person may come back alive, they all made it back alive, this made them centre of topic. Inevitably, it also reached to myAdventurer in Blackstuff. Then they even added something totally pain in the ass thing likeIf he wasnt there, we wouldve been exterminated. At that time, some person unintentionally said my second name, and with that as the trigger, the nameBlack Lioncame into existence. ......Currently, the name is being rapidly spread out. It says, That adventurer, without using magic, just uses his fist and legs to beat various kinds of demons to pulp. It says, He runs through the battlefield like a gale of wind, mows down every enemy, and even saved his comrades from crisis. That bravery is exactly like a fierce lion......! ......Rumours like that too, are all what I heard from Zari. Just Fing Shut UP!! Dont add that name which seems like Chuunibyou at its peak! Please I beg you! Or rather, though I rarely use magic, but didnt I damn use weapons! Ah, well, I think it doesnt matter, but STILL! And there more stuff to come, Like, because he can defeat demons empty-handedDeadly Body Like, because I use gauntlets, rod, iron ball, and all have black luster so Im also calledKurogane And because I wear black clothes all over and because I burnt the last grasshopper with just bare hands, Im also calledChar-griller Starting from Chunibyou it goes away from it, and whats more, Ive got lots of other second names for myself. I just damn HATE IT!! Or rather, the lastChar-griller, it sounds less of second name and more of insult to me. While enduring the embarrassment which came by remembering it, I increased the speed for close combat with the person who made me this embarrassed, Elk. And Elk was just having her hands full with evasion while shoutingSorry! Really sorry!, suddenly my ears catch the sound of something nearing us from the brushwood on the other side of vacant land, I even heard the breathing of that animal. I looked over there only to find, two stray wolves who-god-knows-when entered here and were heading towards us, while drooling, revealing their hunger. However, their prey wasnt me or Elk, rather......a simple-looking bird sitting at a place slightly away from us, it was Alva. As for that Alva, its sitting on the mountain of scraps rather than some tree, while watching the wolves. Surely he noticed them, but he doesnt move. There is still 20 meters between them, not a distance one could just cross in a single jump. Even so, seeing the prey Alva not showing any signs of running, they thought he couldnt move due to fear and so increased their speed. Alva, as usual, didnt move, not even a bit, just like sculpture. And just like that, the moment them Wolves entered the jumping range area, SFX: HhYyUuBbOo! The fired offCfireball magic hit one of the wolf......and blasted away the whole skull of the wolf starting from the upper jaw to the crown of head. The lower jaw which lost its support and joints just kept on hanging languidly like a splatter. The comrade, who was by its side, had its over-all length shrank in a second, it got scared, and the other wolf stiffened and stopped moving. Immediately after, Alva, still as usual, soared the sky without making flapping sounds, and this time fired ice pillars counting more than the numbers of fingers on both hands. The other one, though didnt get by all ice pillars, but some of them hit it, and this guy dead too. Both were magic, Ive got no recollection of teaching, yet I have seen them being used somewhere. Both of us saw Alva with half interest and half astonishment. It is a scene which I had seen quite a lot recently. Frankly speaking, during our fight inCrimson Forest, Alva had been watching the whole fight from inside the carriage, saw the various sorts of magic used by Suura-san and others, and learned them on its own. Seriously~ though I heard from Irene-san, turns out this guy is seriously out of the norm......! Alva learns magic just by watching it, and based on circumstances he reproduces them to such an extent which could put the original version to shame. Along with that, recently, I have been feeding it fine quality food with the meat fromSubspeciesas centre Cseems like the more it eats the more powerful it becomes- and its magical power and normal power too are raised. The magic which he fires now are completely better than me, or rather, near completely than the magic shot out by a common knight. The variation also increased, at some point which I, as usual, didnt know about. Variations like theFireballjust now, or the ice magic, whose name I dont know, and also the sand magic Zari used, along with the lightning magic which someone used at some point. Moreover, currently it can also use the wind bullet or wind blade magic which theSubspeciesused. ......Even so, isnt this guy just a week old, right? S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seeing my own pet doing things I cannot do with just wild instinct made me feel jealous, but its from that sort of race and I didnt have talent in this area from before, like that I got over my jealousy in just ten seconds. In that way, I have two rookies (?) with promising future as my disciples. In the sparring with Elk from now on, I am thinking of making more of a real combat bit by bit. Coincidentally going on further with the magic training too. At this rate, in near future, she would show results which would not only surprise herself but even me. No, the parts she already knows, from now on, may get an accelerated growth. By the time her movements become more refined, and she becomes more adept at handling magic......or maybe near perfect, then maybe I can teach some of my original magic to her. As for Alva, I just need good food to feed him......the rest of improvement; cant he do it on its own? The only thing I can do for it are, to take it out for stroll in different places and showing it different types of magic. Either way, I cannot teach it the magic which could be fired, in the first place me teaching Alva that would be like lecturing Buddha about enlightenment. Alva will learn on its own just by watching. I heard this from Irene-san too that, in high ranking races like Alvas Nevalides, ones who inherit some amount of intellect and knowledge from the parents are common. Alva is an exception even among them, thats why it has got good brains. It knows the way to use magic from the start, and even knows that food with magical power stuffed inside is needed for growth. Alva already knew the way to fly in sky, and how to fly without making sound, moreover it mastered it after just a little bit of training. And more than anything, whilst being just a week old, he already understood us humans language, due to which he would listen to order and do it perfectly. This is somewhat ominous, but still I cant wait to see its growth too. Based on circumstances, it might fill up my weakness, the use of magic. Well, I did thought that he is not just any soothing pet. At any rate, let it be Elk or Alva, the fact Im raising such great talented people (talented bird) is more than enough to make me happy. I now understand why cultivation games of this theme were fad for some time. Well Alva is also improving little-by-little, shant we too continue? ......Indeed 20 minutes later, After finishing the first phase of the sparring, which had been growing longer per time, both of us were taking a rest after dealing with the sweat. Alva was perching on my shoulder, as if it had been waiting for this. Oh this cute little bastard. Currently, eating, the mood is of picnic. We thought that we should eat outside too once in a while, so the packed lunch we brought, meat ofSubspecieswas being ate by him, Just, this meat ofSubspecies......well, the stock might be running low. Even the appetite of the growing Alva is a great deal, but though I dry the food, it still gets spoiled easily, depending on the parts, there were also those which couldnt be eaten due to their state. Thats why, at this pace it would last till three or four days. Elk, according to Suura-san......Exceed Hoppers should be present on the other side of Ritoras Mountain, right? Yep. After that I tried searching more info about it and found that they live in a place calledGreen Canyon, a ravine present on the other side of mountain......eh, dont tell me you want to go there? ......Alvas food is about to finish, so I was thinking of taking a jogging around there, and just by chance hunting new food ......Thats impossible for you. Keeping your strength aside, with your poor sense of direction, even having a map with you......, you would surely be lost in the Ritoras Mountain before you even reach the place ......Cant you accompany me? Sorry, thats just too much. That place is a leading danger area around this city; even the demons appearing there are high-ranked......I just cant get close to there. Even with you, its going to be dangerous I see...... Well, cant be helped. As for me, I think demons of that rank wouldnt be much of trouble, but let alone returning back, me reaching there also seems an impossible wish. Of course, if Elk accompanied me, I will protect her with full power, but going through a danger area with that high of danger level is going to be hard, physically and mentally too. She hates it, so I cant forcibly ask her to accompany me to such an Danger Area. Sigh, what shall I do? No well......in theforestthere are demons with magical power, like Red Lizard or Magic Bunny CIt would still require Elk to guide me- , but it possible I want to feed Alva good stuff. So a good news for the current Minato-kun? Waaah!? And, due to the sudden voice of Zari, who appeared from behind by vanishing his presence, Elk jumped up. I, of course, knew about it, but still ignored, including the words he just said. Alva also seemed to know about it, so reaction by it too. Wait? This guy got a wide network of information, right? In that case, maybe he can tell me other demons with good amount of magical energy stuffed in them, just like thatSubspecies. So, attacking while the iron is hot, I asked Zari, and as he was eavesdropping from before, he knew about my situation. Didnt I just say, A GOOD NEWS. In truth, currently on the summit of Ritoras Mountain, some migratory birds calledCanfolushave come, oh and they have magical energy Eh!? For Real!? For real. Them rank are D. Well the amount of magical energy would lose to thatSubspecies, but I have heard that the purity of magical energy is almost the same. Shouldnt you try at least once on them Whoah, this is damn great news! Even their levels, and the habitat, yeah, its completely reasonable and convenient. In the Ritoras Mountains, where demons are of low ranks, a group of Rank D demons came out, means the guild might have already warned to newbie to not go near the summit, however, to me and Alva that is a good news. Taking a glance at Elk, she showed eyes as if wanting to sayCant be helpedand nodded. Alva, the next food candidate is a bird, are you fine with cannibalism? CPiiiiiiii! (Agreed) Alrighty! Now that its decided, we need to hunt before they are hunted! Hit while the iron is hot!!! Alrighty! Then Zari, thanks for the info there! Im in a hurry, will give you the gratitude later No problemo, before you go there is still one more message for you. The glassed receptionist told you to come for the update of card as your assessment is already done Yeah, Roger Then, I will go there after hunting thatCanfolusor whatever demon. Then, lets go now, Elk, Alva Yes yes......please go slow, or I might throw up CPiiiiiIiIIIIi! I will take care of it! ......By the way, After hunting the Canfolus, which just happened to be many, so thinking about future I hunted around ten of then (will smoke em all), then returned to the guild. Should I say expected, inside the guild, our guild card was updated under the stares of others. With great frequency, I had defeated many demons, so compared to when Nagawas defeated, myassessmenttook more time, and after some minutes, the result was engraved on our guild card. Minato Quadrille Rank: A Elk Caucus Rank: D ......Great, now I dont have to worry about it. Chapter 38 – The Season When It Blooms Part 1 Well, had to buy some groceries. Damn these expensive stuffs are killing my wallet. Anyhow, I will release the part 2 in some time. NOTE: It will be considered as Monday stuff, and for tomorrow, there will Chapter 39. Yay~ Made this in time: 11:52 PM. Oh I completely forgot about this: This chapter was sponsored by Michael Mccrea, and other people who gave donations in November. Sorry, but my gmail settings delete anything older than 3 months. Oh by the way, its already 1st March now for me. I am waiting for 1st April now. Heuheuheu.!!! Chapter 38 C The Season When It Blooms Part 1 The place wasLabyrinth of Naga, a dungeon which to me, based on the level, isnt much of importance......in the lowest floor. In front of our eyes was, the strongest demon in this labyrinth is not forNaga, theLittle Beastwho was panting and drooling. They werent thin and frail like that time, but in their original form with lots of flesh. They are not that much big, but are great (?) demons bringing out the appearance of a C rank demon. The one confronting that demon......was not me. The one standing in front of Little Beast is......Elk with dagger in hand, and lowering her posture while preparing to lash out. As for nervousness, yes she is nervous after all, judging from the way she looks like. Well not anything unnatural. Its the first time for her to fight against a demon this strong without me. No matter if Elk has gotten stronger a lot with the training and stuff, but still, nervous things make one nervous, no change in there. After all, just a little while ago, it was an enemy she would run away if ever come across it......without any guarantee of running away unscathed. Whilst I was thinking that, Little Beast moved first. It rushed in with a speed not-so-good for a newbie, as expected of the strongest demon in the labyrinth. That rush which can insta-kill a normal person, or if truly lucky would get almost all ribs broken, wasnt something the Elk from a month ago would be able to dodge. Elk evaded that with a rather quick and sharp step. And while passing the demon, her nakedDaggerflashed. It was none other than the memento of her mother......which had gotten past the polishing work after I got a special whetstone from sister, and now its blade is showing the original shine of a crystal. The next moment, the knife blade started shining in green, because of the green......wind magical power Elk was clad in was pouring out into the dagger. Due to that, the air resistance became null, and that attack which had its sharpness increased a notch, ran along the nape of Little Beasts neck. Moreover it wasnt something hit blindly with luck, but it was shot out after seeing through the movement of prey, aiming at vital and thinking of perfect angle. A perfect attack, seeming ready to stop at any point, if a counter-attack came. Elks blade passed through while making a sharp *Slash* sound. And the next moment, quite a lot of fresh blood spewed out from that wound, maybe because her attacked cut the artery. A critical hit. However not relaxing herself there, she quickly jumped back. Safely, with lot of composure, she didnt let her posture break. Next moment, the place Elk had been before was mowed down by the strong arms of Little Beast. It was most probably a hit in the dark after succumbing to the anger by being cut. After that it was staggering by being caught up in the momentum of its own attack. Even an attack like that, if Elk too it head-on, the possibility of it not being justhurtful, but rather serious was great. This time she dealt with it using serenity. Good Job. However, even so lowering the guard is never a good thing. Though the Little Beast had its carotid artery cut, but its still alive. It will probably rampage for some more minutes. She will have to get over every attack it makes until the time it had bled enough to be in critical state. This particular thing is the difference between her and my, literallyOne-hit Killfists. In fact, it lunged out with a rush even wilder than before, again aiming for Elks life. She evaded those two or three rushes splendidly, whilst not breaking her breathing order and keeping her guard up. Furthermore, she took out several throwing knives from the belt on her waist. And after another rush, she looked here and turned around violently, conveniently the Little Beast stopped at that place to scare her, and the throwing knives pierced into it. The knives flew in a straight line aiming at the fingertip of feet and hit them. Even the spectator, me was about to goWhoa!. Well then were in for some trivia. Most of the living beings use the fingers in thefront of feetto stand up, and a lots and lots of nerves are concentrated there. They are helpful when using the back of foot to kick the ground. That part is oversensitive to pain, for instance doesnt it hurt like hell when the pinky finger of the leg hits the corner of dresser? Using that point, Elk hit the fingertip of the hind legs. The Little Beast felt intense pain and was unable to stand up firmly. Inevitably, the rush from after that became obvious, and with Elks current agility she could dodge them with lot of composure. Fast-forward for several minutes. Though it fought hard to kill Elk till the very end, but after reaching the limit of blood leakage, the Little Beast......fell on the ground with a *bam* And stopped moving forever after. Still not approaching it with lower guard, Elk confirmed its death and then only did she heave a sigh while relaxing her body. ......Yep, great. Elk finally completed herSolo subjugation of Little Beastquest. At that point, both me and Alva, who were watching from a distance, met up with her. Noticing our presence Elk faced her vision her, whist on her shoulder, Alva, already familiar with Elk, was play-biting her ear as if to sayGood work. This time was Elk testing out her abilities. Basically we do not interfere in these battles, neither give out suggestions. Of course, the current one was because I had confidence that she would take on a Little Beast herself, if it had gotten out of control, then I wouldve intervened and saved her. Those worry ended up for naught, as you can see Elk won easily. A complete victory for Elk. How you feeling? ......Frankly, it seems unreal Even now, while taking deep breath sucking in the cold air into her lungs, she was showing an awkward smile. Looks like she was having a hard time to believe the truth. Dont tell me, I, actually killed a Little Beast by myself alone......something I aimed for as an adventurer...... Youve worked hard for that, Elk. Everyday No, but still, I never thought that I would reach till here in this short time...... Certainly......its only 2 months ago when I first met her....... 2 months since thatNagas case and 1 month since thatSubspecies case. I started the training with Elk after killing ofNaga, so the training time would be......less than 2 months, eh. The Elk at that time barely won against even a single Goblin or Wolf, now defeated a Little Beast this brilliantly.......No matter if she knew the basic knowledge from before, growing at this pace is quite splendid and she even became stronger. Well, there are still lots of parts where she got her ass saved by guard protectors and weapons......but still she subjugated aLittle Beastone her own. Though not to the extent of what my mom assigned to me, this must be the result of somewhat hard training menu which I gave to her. And, we went out for adventures every day, and fought against numerous demons in the wild while accumulating experience, this fact was also big in the battle just now. Practice (TN: g=Jissen) and Combat (TN:g=Jissen here too) are the greatest training after all. [TL: What a shitty pun is it] And, with this and that, currently the maintenance of theDagger, whose explanation Ive yet to give, was over, moreover Elk has started to learn on how to handle her weapon more skillfully. Apparently, Elks mother herself didnt knew the identity of this dagger. Its true identity is, an extremely rare magic item excavated from ancient ruins, only if it appears, which in itself is too rare. Particularly theWindmagic Elk uses has the effect of enhancing the speed of attack and its sharpness, an ideal magic for her, who aims at the vitals. Maybe the love for the memento of her mother too was helping, now that she is getting more skilled gradually. This is the truth; she even has luck and talent. Im quite eager to see her future. Well then, lets call it day now, and take this Little Beast back to the guild. Its just a single so I can shoulder it and take it back. Its fur too is good. Most probably, this would end up being ingredients for her assessment, and Elks rank would increase. Even more, if I report that I didnt help at all. Upon exiting the labyrinth, the time was already near evening, the time sure runs fast. For the time being, for converting thisLittle Beast, which is hanging on my shoulder within a jute bag, into money, we both walk along the path at a fast pace. The jute bag is quite big, so it makes me stand out, but now I dont even care. After all, my face has become so widespread recently that I now dont even want to care, as there is no meaning in that. Im the mysterious adventurer who came from Rank F to Rank A in less than a month. Adventurer in Black, now evenBlack Lion. Well as expected, I was called out more times compared to the time withNaga......but as it was my second time experiencing this, I was quite familiar with that stuff already, and it didnt concern me as much. Parrying it efficiently, I am maintaining my adventurer life, I think. While thinking that stuff, I walk the main street of the city, and tasty scent came drifting around from shops on either side, and tickle my nose. At the same time, my body, which had done some good exercise in the labyrinth, started giving an honest reaction to my appetite. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Its about time I give a reward to my hard working body by buying stuff and eating it immediately, but I dont have enough time right now...... Why is it so? Its about time the adventurers out to venture labyrinths and danger areas start returning. In that case, the stares pointed at me, and invitations I would have to reject would increase by 1.5%. Truly, utterly, pain-in-the-ass. It cant be helped, lets walk and eat after finishing the work in Guild, while I try to shake off the tasty scents from my nose, I, abruptly, notice something. Along with the tasty scent of kebabs and other grilled stuffs, there is another smell...... ......This is......a flower? I look around the surroundings, and see......several shops here and there selling flowers. Though I say that, these all are not florist, most of them are used as medicinal plants, or as foodstuff......the genuinefloristare rather rare here. Even so, compared to yesterday......today the market is full with flowers. What is happening? Ah......that. Its already that season Season? After arriving at guild, while we wait for the assessment for giving theLittle Beast, I ask Elk about the scene I noticed before, and that was answer. There is a place called asFlower Valley, it takes about 3 days via carriage to reach. Do you know about there? I shake my head. Elk makes anas expectedtype of expression and continued her explanation. Seems like thatFlower Valleywas literally, a place with lots of flowers and is also a producing area where various things related toFlowersare produced. There, since long ago people have made a small community and have been living there, they all make their living by selling the various special products found in the valley to Traders who come for buying things. Live flowers for vase, flowers for luxury grocery items or even dry flowers for admiration purposes, along with flowers that work as medicinal plants; and various other things could be taken from there. In theSpecial productseven thatBlood Mapleis present. However this one is a genuine legal product, with license. ThatFlower Valley, all year long, has some sort of flower blossoming there, let it be winter or any other season, and the current season is the time when stock replenishing fromFlower Valleyis at its peak. I see, so thats why there were so many flowers. Doesnt it get troublesome for people suffering from hay fever? Not like I know if it exists in this world. Hearing more, the shops selling a thing called asFlower Dishmade by using lots of those special products also appear in markets during this time. Just like a limited-time offer. Though there is still time before evening meal, but frankly, this talk aroused my interest greatly. While Im making Elk feel astonished by my easy-to-read expression and my already-revealed appetite, the assessment was over and we were called from the counter, so we headed towards the place Riin-san was present at. Taking the Guild Card and the reward......there was a change in Elks card; the displayed rank had changed fromDtoC. Apparently, the achievements she had accumulated till now, along with this Little Beast ending up as the last move, her rank increased. But, there was no unnatural feeling. For Elk who is now able to solo kill a Little Beast, this evaluation can be said quite valid. Of course, though her foundation had been good from before, but increasing from RankEtoCin just a little over 2 months is an unprecedented thing, even Riin-san praising her, and Elk was surprised over herself. But, todays surprise didnt end with just that, we were told a concerning talk by Riin-san. A request by name? Yes. A request addressed to Minato-sama. It is fine to take it along with Elk-sama Saying that, Riin-san presented forward the single page of request in her hands, I take it over and survey it. I read the stuff written on the paper, which was clearly bigger than the ones affixed onBoard, and surely the written stuff was about a quest designated to the request adventurer, me. Minato Quadrille. I had heard that upon getting famous, stuff like this also increases, but its the first time Im experiencing this. Just who is the client?, thinking that I left the request details for later and look at the name of client......HUH!? Therefore, its fine today or even tomorrow, so the client wants to meet you and explain the details. Ah, of course, its not mandatory to accept it, so you can decline the request......what would you do? Hmm Chapter 38 – The Season When It Blooms Part 2 Well, well, well, the secret just keeps on piling up. Oh, I would like to ask someone to make Epubs and PDFs for the past 2 volumes of MnD. They are just 2 volumes, so please! Its not much work. Chapter 38 C The Season When It Blooms Part 2 And some minutes later, we both visited the origin of thatClient. Glad you came here. Minato, even Elk-chan To the origin of my sister, who was shaking her cream-colored fox ears up and down happily. No, still for the client to be Noel-nee-san Ah, Elk-chan raised up to Rank C, right? Congratulations. I will prepare a celebration this time Just how fast are your ears. This just happened some minutes before Fufu, never underestimate the Traders intelligence network Holy Frigging Scary! From the time after the case aboutNagaended, we had been accompanying nee-san and receiving favors, its already been 2 months since then. In this time I have come to understand just what type of person my sister is. Shes a really good person, but also, though not to the point of black bellied, but she is really strict, she does things mercilessly, her mercantile mind-set keeps on appearing and disappearing in her smile. In conversations she would use sharp painful words, or sometimes glare with her severely sharp eyes. Maybe she might even be trying to find information even in this casual talk, or trying to start at psychological warfare, well now-a-days I think this stuff quite always. Maybe because she has that sort of mind-set that she is able to reign over a big trade company. Well, setting that aside, today we both are here to hear about the request by the client, my sister, so while telling our intentions we sit on the sofa. At that time, I had a hunch that nee-sans eyes squinted......maybe my imagination? The request of nee-san was, in simple words, the escort of a Trader Group. I had heard from Elk just before, in this season, there are a lot of Traders who replenish their stock from the commodities inFlower Valley, and then sell those here. The types are various, like for admiration purposes or for flower arrangements, flowers for medicine or for eating, dry flowers and saplings of flowers and even seeds. Furthermore, using the nectar of flowers or the materials used in food or doses, various types of processed goods like sweets and perfumes are made......In short, in this season just too damn hell of things can be bought. As expected the Traders get proactive in replenishing the stock with stuff which is popular and has direct relation with making profits, at the same time the Guild is flooded with escort requests. Well no wonder. That so-calledFlower Valleyis a region which is across several danger areas, if route taken from thisVolkaCity. If they go to restock by themselves, then they would certainly need escorts with good ability, or else the journey wont be safe. Hence restocking personally is impossible for people barely scraping by peddling. The people who can do it are Traders or Brokers. People other than that would restock their stocks by buying the stuff restocked by big companies, via their broker upon giving them commission while the stuff has already turned expensive, and so including the maintenance cost, the stuff becomes ridiculously pricey, therefore not many people do this. SistersMalras Associationis the personally restocking side. And for that, as expected, they recruit escorts, in that regards I was hired by her this time. Of course there are other than us who are recruited, but she wanted to recruit me too after all she knows my ability and my temper. Minato is A, and Elk-chan has raised her Rank to C, I can trust you both enough. Reward is 1 Gold coin, the reward can be increased based on conditions. Time limit is making a round trip between the valley and city, and also staying in the valley, so it would be a little bit over 2 weeks. So, how is it? Not bad, right? I see, youre quite generous. What about the meals en route? Will give it. Well if you find that not sufficient, then just hunt some animal nearby and make a food of it Approximately a half-moon time. Isnt this too long? It between the medium-term and long-term. Its neither short nor too long Like that, Elk checks the minute details of request details. Noel-nee-san kept on answering Elks question rush without showing even a bit of disagreeable expression, meanwhile Elk kept on asking questions without any reserve, through-and-through. Maybe sister is already used to being probe for the true intentions during business negotiations. Elk being Elk, was closely investigating with her cautious attitude, after all she has had hard time because of a contract. If it was me, I wouldve just glanced over it and accepted it. Its great to have such a friend. In the path we would pass by en route, there is a danger area with danger rank D, right? Its the route we use every year, so I can surely say that place is the one which would take the longest time but balance with safety would be good. The demons which appear wouldnt be that strong Hmm......In that case...... Like that, while staring-out the request document, Elk entered into a lengthy consideration. She compared the Risks and Returns, and finally after one again investigating the request details, the answer was...... Few minutes later, In the room, from where Minato and Elk had already left, Noel was still sitting in the sofa. There, a female with brown hair appeared from a door, different from the one Minato and Elk left from. Noel just moved her glance to her, that girl traverse across the room, came beside the sofa Noel was sitting on, and sat on the back side of the sofa. Its good that they took the request, right, Noel-chan All thanks to you, Irene-san Noel gave a nonchalant reply, but Irene didnt seem to be concerned with that. Like that, she came forward and sat on the sofa on which Minato sat before, so as to sit in front of Noel. Sorry, I had you called here, but made you wait Oh no, its not bothering me. But, you sure are in your own troubles. To be monitoring your own brother, even if it is the order from Lilyn ......For that, though I am quite reluctant, but I dont care about it. Personally too I think he would become quite a troublesome guy if left alone ? Really? To Irenes unexpected question, Noel continued after standing up from the sofa. How does he, our youngest brother, look to you Irene-han? To her question with a strange mysterious expression, Irene replied without any trouble. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I think he is quite a good guy, hes got ability, is kind and also frank. Its really rare in this age. Though I think his mind is somewhat childish Just that much? Yeah, just that much. Other than the fighting strength to insta-kill A Rank demons, and magical energy of superdreadnought level, along with several original magic and out-of-norm equipments, oh and also having a legendary magical bird as pet, hes just a normal young boy. Is this answer fine? Irene spit it out in just one breath. Normal people, upon hearing this, would either get surprised and open their eyes from surprise or hold their heads with a sense of giving up, however Noels expression was none of the two. As if not satisfied with the current answer, she furrowed her brows. Maybe that reaction was quite different and unexpected, signs of bewilderment appear on Irenes face. So, as expected......even someone like Irene-han cant notice it ......What do you mean by that? ......There is something I want to show you, please come here Saying that, Noel opened thesecret doorof the Sofa on which Irene was sitting, and retrieved aCardfrom it, then opened the door to her office. Irene too sensed a different atmosphere and disappeared into the room after Noel. Chapter 39 – Redhead Dark Elf Part 1 Chapter 39 C Redhead Dark Elf Part 1 A day after we accepted the request of Noel-nee-san. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I, after quite a long time, was moving alone, without Elk accompanying me. Thats because of things under the pretext of Isnt it fine to at least rest for 1 day, so no going to danger areas or dungeons for today; hence she is secluded in her room and is resting. Elk must be tired after solo defeating a Little Beast yesterday. Though it looked like she defeated it easily CIn fact, it was easy- but she might have mental fatigue piled up, or so I think. However in the morning, I remembered that today was the scheduled date for the arrival of shuriken and other stuff which I ordered at sisters place. Its not like that today is the arrival date, so its needed to go there for getting my stuff, but I can get rid of this habit from my previous world, there unless I went to take the stuff I mail-ordered, I would never be able to settle down. However, a man should never go back on his words. So, I let Elk rest, and decided to go alone. At that time, there was my shortcoming ofPoor sense of Directionkicking in, so Elk even askedShould I go with you, but I refused. Malras Association is a place I have gone to many times, though with Elk. I aint some damn kindergartener, I wont get lost after all this time. Though I have poor sense of direction, but its on the level that Im fine with a familiar road, this I confirmed recently. However to a place Ive never been to, I would be not fine even if given a map. Like that, without losing my way, and without the situation turning like sorry I got lost, I was able to reach sisters association and take my stuff. However, I was not able to sense troubles other than getting lost. ......Hm? On the way back to inn, It was at the time I was thinking that recently not many people have been troubling me, like just after the case withExceed Subspecies, at that I was called by many people and had to deal with them. The moment I got out on the main street, my nose caught a scent different from usual. Smell of an animal. Although I say that, its not a rare thing for this sort of scent to be in the city. The domestic animals is a given, even the materials of demons give that smell, sometimes the domestic animals themselves are demons. There are also cases about demons being raised and reared for their meat or for dairy farms. However a case with screams of lots of people, accompanied with the stomping sounds of hoof, is something that is not present in my all-too-well memory. And, right now I just saw a cloud of dust in the front, along with crowds of people seeming like onlookers. A moment later, they all made great haste and ran towards the sides of main road, then did I see the origin of all this noise. There was a quite big ox-shaped demon. It looked completely agitated; it was running wildly across the main street, making the people looking from sidelines feel fear. Ah, indeed, that is scary. Judging from the collar on its neck, and the chain which extends from there and has the end torn would only mean......It ran away from an animal farm and is on rampage. Moreover, I do think Elk said this before......isnt that an E Rank demon called asOx? Its movements are not slow but are simple, if one fights it in spacious open plains, which happens to be its habitat, while taking advantages of gaps while fighting, even a novice adventurer would win without much injuries, but looks like its not going to be like that in this road filled with people. Moreover, the ox is in a panic and is running here and there in zigzag manner; it aint something you damned people need to watch with thrill. Who knows when someone is going to be run over by it. At that time, again for some reason it changed it direction towards an old man and old woman, who couldnt move due to shock, Yikes, its a direct hit course. They wouldnt live much long even if save them (Sorry to be rude), but because I was a grandparent-loving child in previous world, so I want people like them to live as their whole span of life. At that moment, In this world without any Buddhism......a single girl stood before the ox and the old couple, while muttering something as if singing in chorus, for praying. Her movements seemed very natural, so I didnt feel much uncomfortable. But thinking very well, Hey hey aint that girl too in damn fucking danger, by the time I reached this thought, I noticed the sword hanging on her waist. Maybe she is an adventurer or something......the second I thought that, DD!! For a second, I didnt understand what exactly happened, but immediately after realized the identity of this mysterious feeling which came crashing into me almost too abruptly. It was bloodlust. To the strong bloodlust emitted from that girl......something cold runs along my spine and my body stiffened. And maybe the rampaging ox also sensed that, before hitting the girl, it suddenly changed it direction. Whoa, great. Now that old couple and the girl too are safe. The ox didnt even scratch the skin of that girl, and changed its trajectory to here......here? Holy shit, this aint good! This time, with the force from before, the rampaging ox came towards me. I cant possibly evade it, behind me, there are children and other old people, and it might not be a great thing to let it keep on rampaging. ! Ah crap! Hey you over there its dangerous...... Now only did the miss who made the ox change its way with bloodlust, realized that though the old couple was safe but the direction it was now going into was not safe, so she called out to me like that, but I purposely ignore her and lower my waist. Immediately after the miss showed an expression of bafflement, Hakkeyoi!![1] I thuddingly strike the ox coming at me like a sumo wrestler, for now hurting its horns, then firmly grabbed it and stopped its rush. Because the force it rushed at me was quite strong, I was pushed back two or three meters, but somehow stopped at that point. Then, it would be troublesome to let it run somewhere else now, so I grabbed the chain extending from the collar around the neck of ox. Alrighty, everythings fine now. Then, after some seconds, WOW, shouts of joy rose from the surroundings. Along with voice between the lines ofHoly freak!Way to go BruhEh, is that Black Lion?. Fuck, in the end I stood out. And they might completely know that ImBlack Lionfrom this sort of attire of mine......aw nooo shiiit, recently finally people coming to me were getting less. The rescue currently is, this agitated ox by my side, so the curious onlookers arent coming close to me. They can only mumble from a far at most......as for my mood, that mumbling alone is enough to destroy it. Just when I thought that......a single brave person came near me without being afraid. Woot quite brave, hey dont you come here; these two types of feelings were within my heart when I look at the person coming to me......isnt this the miss from before. Hmm......quite unlike your appearance youre strong, to be able to stop its rush with just pure strength Saying that the miss came near me without having any signs of fear of ox, seeing the courageous miss once again, I noticed her characteristic appearance. Having red hair reaching her waist, and dark brown skin. Her figure was quite glamorous and charming as a woman......maybe she equals to mom. Covering her body was a red dress, somewhere between a qipao and one-piece dress. The exposure parts were quite more. A leather belt fastened at the waist. And there, as before, a single sword was present. The golden ornaments are good, and it looks wonderful. Well I wont know if its a practical sword unless I see the blade. And the last characteristic thing would be......her ears, which are long and pointed, like the so-calledElf ears. And the miss with great appearance which anyone would sayCuteorBeautiful, was appraising me while smiling. Let it be sword, this type of stare, and even the bloodlust from before......is she also an adventurer? Hmm......though you look so weak. Is it the so-called dont judge a person by their looks? Are you also an adventurer? Ah, Yes, more or less As expected. Oh the surrounding seems to be in uproar......are you famous? I just came to this city, so dont know much about others Ah, I see. Then this miss might not know the nameBlack Liontoo. Well, Ive struck it with luck. As well as, maybe because Ive been refusing to meet everyone except Elk and Tanya-chan. Chapter 39 – Redhead Dark Elf Part 2 Wow~, I completed this chapter in just 1 hour and 45 minutes. Im nearing my previous speed little by little. And now, off to reading Heavy Object. Oh damn, need to TL new chapter of KnM too in some time. EDIT: THIS Chapter is the edited version by : Ty Hutto. Thank you mate. Chapter 39 C Redhead Dark Elf Part 2 A person seeming like the owner of ox, the Trader, came running, saying stuff likeIm sorry for the carelessness beforeandThank you very much for stopping it, so I handed over the ox to him. The Trader was bending his waist at a perfect 90 degree angle, but miss stare is strict. Maybe she remembered about the old couple from before was about to die, so while listening his apology closely, she complained back at him sternly. Well whatever she said was correct, and we should respect the elders, thats why I let her speak her mind. She let off the Trader after nagging at him for some time, which made me feel that he became smaller with each word, then the miss said some words to the old couple and returned back to me. ......Seeing her like this makes me feel that the intimidating air from before seems like a lie. Her friendly attitude to me and that old couple makes the sword hanging from her waist seem like it was an accessory. This miss who might already have realized I was watching her, hesitating and thinking for a bit, said. Hey, do you have some time right now? I think it was some sort of fate that we met here......I want to say my gratitude and an apology, can you accompany for a meal? She invited me while winking. Eh, what, is she a Playgirl......as if, its still daytime. Were both adventurers, so maybe this sort of conversation might take place while greeting someone. Or rather, what is this thing about gratitude and an apology? See, before when I intimidated thatOx it went in your direction, right? And behind you were children and other unrelated people, and you stopped it without harming it. So I wish to apologize and give my gratitude. Is it fine with you? Apparently it just happened to be noon so she wanted to invite me to a meal. But......Ive already promised to Elk, who is waiting at the inn, that I would be back by noon, along with something to eat. Of course Elk knew about my poor sense of direction, so she warned meIf you dont return by 1o clock, then I will eat in the bar adjacent to innright to my face. Oh damn geez, so she understood me perfectly. Now that she said that, I would feel bad if she really ate at the bar, thats why Im reluctant this miss invited me......but I hesitate. Seeing that, the miss saysThen at least let me treat you to something from the stalls looks like I will have to compromise. Well if it was like that, I chose my favorite skewer kebab stall. It was the shop where I ate for the first time when I came to this city, now Im already a frequent customer there. Just because Elk wasnt besides me as ussual, I was teased by the owner sayingWhat? are you two-timing? -though I denied it with haste, and he laughed saying it was just a joke- anyhow, I ordered 2 skewers per usual for myself. Then the miss ordered, double of what I ordered i.e., 4 skewers for her own, this somewhat shocked me. Is she a glutton? And, when we were given the grilled kebabs, Here you go Minato! And also......err...... Im Sherry. Ah, sorry, I havent introduced myself till now, right? Im Sherry, Sherry Saxon. Nice to meet you Ah, Yes, nice to meet you. Im Minato Quadrille After finishing the slightly-belated self-introductions, we took our skewered kebabs and left the shop. Sherry-san and I headed the same way, so we walked together for a while. Huh! You are also an A Rank? You look younger than me! Yeah, well my luck is really good Dont be modest. Let it be your superhuman strength from before, from that slender body......hmm, you truly are strong? S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In that moment, the eyes of Sherry-san were inspecting me from head to toe it seemed, her eyes glittering like that of a carnivorous animal aiming at its prey......was it my imagination? Now that I say that......looking at you closely, your body is not thin, but your muscles are toned and compact, right. Isnt it like you dont have any useless fat at all? Sherry-san said that while patting my shoulders or touching it, in a mutter which made me wonder if she is talking to me or herself. At first, surely I was startled, but what she said seemed to hit the mark, so my admiration for her observations ability was increased. Having this much power without having a burly arm is really rare......your muscles and joints also seem flexible. Maybe it is because of your physical constitution? You seem like a warrior type, but your movements seemed more like a martial artist......is it self-taught? You can see through that much, just after observing and touching me a few times? Well yeah. My family was quite strict, or rather really a great at nagging. They made me learn martial arts, so albeit reluctantly, I was forced to learn it I hated that, so left the home, like that, Sherry-san just told me about her quite good origins that easily. However, still it is great. Well I dont know much about body constitution, but shes right about my arms not getting burly no matter how much I train, or that I have no abs, and my martial arts are self-taught, well they are the blend of SFX : Game : Hong Kong Movies in the ratio of 4:3:3. Sherry-san said that once one learns a particular martial arts, then all of their movements show some signs of that art, which isnt present in mine. Well, I made this with half-heartedness 120%. Now that she says that, seeing Sherry-san standing pin-straight, seems elegant and maybe is the tell-tale signs (?) of uderstanding martial arts. No, this is absolutely my imagination, its not like I can understand it this easily. And, as to why Sherry-san knows that Im an A Ranker, its because we both showed our Guild Cards to each other before. She showed me first sayingHere you go, so I thought it would be rude if I didnt show her mine. I decided to go with the flow, since it wasnt something I needed to hide, and if she asked somewhere else, she would eventually learn about me being the Black Lion, so it was fine. And, at that time, I found out from seeing her Guild Card that Sherry-san was also an A ranker just like me. That truly surprised me. That bloodlust from before, and this posture which reeks of elegance and has no gaps, makes me convinced. However, her innocent and friendly smile, and her attitude seeming like that of a relative cousin, doesnt make it feel like its difficult to approach her. Arent people like that defined asBig shots, eh. However, that......stare of a starving carnivorous animal is something Ive got completely no clue about, and its not like I can just fucking ask her. Well, its fine. Its not like she is planning something bad. But, Im somewhat happy. Since I came here, I havent met that many A rankers. The people I used to hang out with when I was B ranker or C, somehow feel estranged, and those irritating types who approach me, begging me to join their groups have increased Ah, I know. They capture you the moment you enter the Guild, or even stalk you to the inn...... Right? Though Im not some spectacle, still they keep on coming, seriously irritating. I became an adventurer because I liked the freedom......but it finally became too much, and I changed my base location Ah, so thats why you came to this city Yeah. There, Dark Elves were rare, so people easily spotted me, calling out to me aiming for my body or my abilities. In fact, there were friends who left me because of that. Ah, geez, I finally am at ease after coming to this city Sherry-san said such with a sigh, but without any dark feelings, truly a great conversation skill. So, Sherry-san was a Dark Elf? Her ears were long, so I truly thought that she was a tanned Elf......so there is race like that too. Then Sherry-san suddenly came near me, Just like I said before, it might be some sort of fate that we met, so if its fine, how about taking a quest together? Our Ranks are also the same, and since coming to this city I dont have a friend who could go with me on an A Rank quest. So, how about it? Ah, Im happy for this......but Im already paired up with Elk...... I have been doing quests with her up till now, and its been going great. Never have I thought about her as a burden, so Ive got no intention to change this style this late. In the first place, Im still a novice as an adventurer, so I need to build up my foundations; thats why recently, I am going to C Rank or D Rank danger areas or dungeons, otherwise taking quests similar to that. And as for results, Elk is also raising her Rank, so I think it will remain this way for a while; I have even discussed this with Elk. When I told her, she made a disappointed face,Well things like that also occurand came to a clear decision. I dont know if that is her true intentions or an act to not make me feel guilty, but Ive got nothing to reference it to, If there is another chance, I will invite you at that time too, so be ready for it And as she says that, the topic is closed. In fact, I dont find Sherry-san to be someone who I hate, and think we would be good together, and also would like to take on quests together with her. If there is a chance and she invites me again, I would proactively think about it at that time. However, I just cant find a compromising point right now, and there is also the mission by Noel-nee-san which I have to go on the day after tomorrow, hence I will be gone for a while. When I told her, she gave me an unexpected reaction. Apparently Sherry-san also has taken a request of a long-term period. She was planning to take me with her had I agreed. Well conversely, isnt this great? Although it is not an A Rank quest, it wouldve been good chance for sightseeing and allow the friendship to deepened, but......I am truly unfortunate Hmm, so there was a quest like that? Offered by the Guild of this city? I never noticed that quest...... Well, its a quest which increased in demand recently for more adventurers. Even more suitale for a newbie. Many call it, what was it......a limited-time offer quest? Well something like that A Limited-time offer quest? Yeah. Its the escort quest to......Flower Valley ......Eh? Incidentally, when I returned after buying side dished as I had promised in morning, Elks face grimaced seconds after I entered the room......even before I got any chance to tell her about what happened today. She frowned hard, and walked briskly towards me......and for some reason she started sniffing my body. Eh, what the hell!? ......Minato, where did you go? Eh, where......I just went to my sisters association for taking my stuff Just there? ......Somehow you smell strange...... EH !? Holy moly, are you frigging serious!? I showed an obvious discomposure, but calming myself I tried to confirm my body odor. Of course without moving my head......but with just enhancing olfactory sense. But......strange, I dont smell weird anywhere? Let alone perfume, I dont even have any body odor, even with this enhanced olfactory sense. Or rather Sherry-san didnt wear any perfume, neither did she come really close to me so that her scent would stick to me. Yet...... ......You still smell weird. Its really indistinct......a scent with a presence that is gentle yet sharp. What is this!? No, what the hell are you saying? Different sorts of expressions that Ive never heard before keep on coming out, its almost strange like trying to speak to a wine sommelier...... While Im thinking that, Elk grabbed my shoulders with power that Ive never felt before and she pulls me towards herself. Tell me the truth Minato. Where did you go? Did you only go to the association? Did you go somewhere before or after? N-No, of course nowhere else, what you are thinking right now...... Where did you go? Dont tell me, you wanted to let me rest today while you go to red-light district and make do with some prostitute? N-No I didnt do anything like that! Then what is this scent......in fact, can this be called as scent? Anyway what is this!? Just what happened since you left here till now!? Err......I myself want to know about it, but I didnt do anything that would make me guilty......well, if you ask me what happened when I left, I cannot say nothing happened...... THEN. FUCKING. SPILL. IT ......Yes While being scared of Elk who was oozing with wrath, I persuaded myself saying there was nothing lewd, right, and told her about everything that happened today without concealing anything. As a result, though the misunderstanding was corrected......but for some reason Elks mood was really bad for some time. ...... I wonder why? Chapter 40 – 『Lion』and『Tiger』 Chapter 40 C LionandTiger On the appointed day sisters request started and everyone had participated. I and Elk reached the place we had learnt of beforehand from sister about 10 minutes earlier than meeting time. Though in previous world as Japanese, its standard for fast mobilization, or rather something like a belief. However there were other adventurers already, and apparently we both were the last ones. So there are lots of damn diligent people. The Trader Group is of a large-scale, so the numbers of escorts for it are suitably present, there are about 20 people. Moreover, the equipments and weapons are also varied. Various sorts of adventurers have gathered here, from ones using dagger to longsword......there are also people with bow and whip. Looking at them, there are many variations, and I can see interaction with them in various sorts of situations. Though I dont know if gathering this sort of group was pure coincidence or intentional. And among them......there were 2 people I knew. Huh? Aint this Minato-kun and Elk-chan. What, you two also took this quest? One was......Zari wearing light armor and short sword as equipments, and seemed to have noticed us just now. After all his orange hair is somehow or other too impressive, so I immediately recognized it. So he also took on this request, what a coincidence. He looks flashy and frivolous as always, but what might he be thinking in his mind, this secret intelligence adventurer. And the other one......seemed to have noticed us faster than Zari and came walking near me walking briskly, which I noticed from the peripheral vision. ......Should I say as expected, or what. Howdy, we meet againBlack Lion-kun? There stood, Sherry-san, the dark elf in same attire as the other day, while showing a cheerful and friendly smile. Truly a coincidence, she......Sherry-san also had taken the quest forMalras Associations Trader Group Escort, and will head towards theFlower Valleyalong with us for a whole 2 weeks. Ah, even Zari. Indeed......it is limited-time offer request and can help change the mood for taking mental breaks. Shortly after the meeting time, we exchanged some words of greeting with the person in charge of this times Trader Group, after that boarded the carriage for escorts use and departed from the city. The Trader Group this time moved forward in a single line, among that, at fixed distances the carriages for boarding escorts were dotted in. In those the hired adventurers like us were boarded. Its for promptly dealing with whatever attacks them at any time from any direction. And while the groups were being decided on, it was decided that coordination would be great if acquaintance and familiar people are near, so I, Elk, Zari and Sherry-san boarded the same carriage. That Sherry-san, just like what I had thought of her the other day, seemed to not create walls in when talking to anyone, Cnot like she is defenceless though- Im a given, she even talked informally to Elk and Zari. At this rate, both of them would soon become friendly, especially Zari who strong point is having wide relationship connects due to his occupation (?). But Elk......she did talk normally though, for some reason she seemed to be wary of Sherry-san and would sometimes send a not-so-good glare to her. Just why? Anyhow, it didnt turn into a dangerous gloomy atmosphere, after doing the self-introductions, while talking for killing time; we left the driving to coachman and were enjoying the journey of carriage. While chatting, various things about Sherry-san was confirmed. Sherry-sans age was, indeed above me......she was 20 years old, like a college student. She had been working as adventurer since she was 17 and reached A Rank in 3 years. Considering the normal standards this can already be said to be quite fast success pace, especially when she became B ranker in just a year and little, there was uproar in the base point city she was present in at that time. Well B Rank itself is a rank that requires great talent, so it could only be regarded as natural. And I dont even have to say, that one year after that, in other words previous year, she reached A Rank and again there was uproar......this time she got fed-up dealing with the lingering effects of uproar, so she came to City of Volka. I know, I know it full well......that damn feeling of irritation when the people just wander here and there around you. After all I also reach A Rank just after 3 months since the debut. Moreover, the city Sherry-san had chosen as her base point before was quite small compared to Volka, so the appearance of an adventurer with this much talent was a really great news and relative importance weight was also great. If it was Volka she would have been recognized as great again, but it wouldnt have become that great of an uproar. And conversely, if I had made my debut in that city and became A ranker within 2 months......holy shit, I dont wanna think about it. And another thing was that I surprised to know that Sherry-san too had aSecond Namejust like me or Zari. Though I say that, apparently she herself didnt know......rather this name came into light after this man, Zari, displayed his information broking prowess and told us about it. That is......Red Tiger. She also had various other names just like me, but among them this one was particularly famous, apparently. It aint something thisBlack Lionshould say, but well this too is one damn funny Chunny name. Well the naming sense is pretty logical if you think about it. Sherry-sans hair and clothes both are red. Even the light armor she is wearing is red......or rather crimson. But......Ive got no idea why she gotTigerand from where. ......But recently, let it be Elk (green) or Suura-san (blue), Ive been meeting people who seem to have a sense of unity with their hair color and equipments, is it a coincidence? Well, leaving that aside, Sherry-san seemed happy upon knowing our names of lion and tiger, though different, were quite similar. But to actually reach A Rank in just 2 months......I did know you werent some ordinary person, but to have a career history this great Huh? Did I not tell you, Sherry-san that day? I heard it, but just you rank, not about your feat of reaching there in just 2 months. Just how did you make your way up? Well in Minato-kuns case......he was already strong before registering and was blessed with chances to appeal about it frankly. I also dont know the details, though Zari said in a humorous manner. This bastard just because its someone else problem...... Its not like I fucking wanted to fight an ancient big serpent or a crowd of giant grasshoppers. And when Zari saidI also dont know -like my training period, or the place- an inquisitive stare came flying at me, but I just ignored it like totally. I got no intention of telling this guy. Then, Zari moved his stare to Sherry-san maybe because he sensed my actions. But even you, Sherry-san wouldnt be lacking in heroic sagas, right? Is that true? I have heard the latest one was the A Rank demon which appeared abruptly near the city and you killed it alone, right. If I remember correctly......it wasHellhound, right? Ah, that, well its true......but it was just a normal dog gone big It is anything great, Sherry-san said, but looking at her Elk was seemingly fed-up while staring in mute amazement. Even Zari seemed similar, though he was laughing. From what I heard from Elk, thatHellhound, theNormal dog gone bigaccording to Sherry-san is a black haired-fox demon with total length crossing 3 meters, and runs around quite nimbly as if its large body is a lie. ......If I remember correctly they were also in theWoodlands of Gradwell. A giant wolf which could eat a child as whole in just one bite, so, it had that sort of name. I see, if those actually appear near human habitat, it would be troublesome. After all being a A Rank monster, albeit the individual differences, a single one of them has fighting strength to mow down a squad of a regular army (or so Elk was saying), well there strength is somewhere near that was something I understood from the experience during the training period. Most probably, if four or five of them gather up, then a small village or city would be exterminated in the blink of an eye. Thereupon, Elk who had been hearing till now, sighed with a sense of tiredness. ......Well as for me, being in this carriage is more than enough safe, so Im grateful for that...... Looking at us with a gold combo of reproachful gaze and sanpaku eyes, she muttered words with sarcasm. 1 B ranker and 2 A rankers......most probably it is more reliable than being escorted by the guards Hearing that, the guy showing his embarrassment sayingNo~, Zari is a B ranker, and if I had to say it is a near A rank sort of B, or so I heard just before. No wonder when inCrimson Foresthe said he was able to take on two of the exceed hopper......he can even use magic, truly he is strong. Then, as if he suddenly remembered, Zari, Well though the Trader Group ofMalrashires good quality escorts every year, but this year they are quite extravagant. As for safety, without any sarcasm, is surely more than enough Is that true? Yeah. Before getting on the carriage I surveyed the people, there were some famous ones, and the total average rank of escort in all can be said to B near C rather than A Is that with us included? Yeah, we three are without a doubt the Top 3. If taking us out......the average rank would get low by 1 Isnt that just boasting about yourselves. ......well its not something an ordinary person like me should say Elk is seemingly self-destructive from before. On her head, Alva is tapping his feet as if sayingCheer up!. Uh-huh, thank you~, Alva is so kind~......but you would also leave me behind and become strong all of a sudden...... However in the end Elk still remains depressed. Shes sure a busy girl. ......At that moment, SFX: BIBIBIBIbibibibiBIBIBIBI! !? Suddenly an noisy sound resounded in the carriage......no, crying voice. Criminal: Alva. ......What was that just now? Alva seemed to have find something. What happened Alva? Alva, who had been on Elks head till now, perched on my extended hand......and like that face another way makingPiiIIIiiii!sound, I see so that side. ......or rather, what was that crying voice from before......? Ah, sorry. I was free recently so tried to teach it It seems to be able to learn simple sounds immediately just like parrot, though, as one would expect it cant speak. Dont go teaching weird stuff to him...... Having a noisy voice coming from above her like an alarm clock, Elks mood had worsened. Recently Alva grew up a lot, but living together for past one month Ive come to understand many things. Maybe because its an animal, its got one tremendous crisis management ability. It can sense demons coming immediately from a range where even I cannot sense them at all, even if vision is blocked in a forest, or sniffing scent is difficult to high speed winds. A little after being born......right, around the time inCrimson Forestthe ability it showed a part of has now turned into a sensor for searching enemies within a large area. It even disregards obstacles like walls and others......maybe he can use this sort of magic because of inherent comprehension. ......And the result before was me teaching itWarning sound of an alarm clockas a bad joke to kill time. Well, I will apologize Elk later, for the time being I got out of the carriage, and looked in the direction was pointing towards...... ......Though it cant be seen with eyes, but there is ansmell. Its the smell of blood and iron rust. And then smell of sweat and body odor of people. This isnt a demon. This is most probably...... Elk, looks like it is bandits? Bandits? Immediately after......I felt the air inside the carriage become tensed. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Minato, how many are there? They are still far, so I dont know exactly......but there seem many of them. They are stationed upwind, their ambush is all revealed from the smell of blood, so they dont seem to have good intentions ......Upfront is, a hilly area with long grass growing. That terrain is ideal for surprise attacks, so they might be thinking of attacking us there Zari said. I see. But, its nothing to be scared of if we know about that from earlier. If we know they are hiding then we can create countermeasures for it Youre right......I will tell the people in other carriages just in case Saying that Elk came down from the carriage, and ran off to inform other people. The members left......promptly armed their equipments and prepared for counter attack. While preparing, I decided the plans easily. The vanguards are me and Sherry-san. The work is simple, take on other people and just beat the hell out of them. I will leave the ones who get past us to the escorts near the carriages like Zari, Elk and others. I know Zari is quite strong since the fight against thoseExceed Hoppers, and the current Elk can safely parry against stuff like bandits. ......Her growth speed is really too good compared to me. Ah, speaking of growth, there is also Alva. It being itself, is showing tremendous growths, I dont need to worry about it too. ......Its truly amazing. And, though I know her, Sherry-sans rank, but her ability is still of unknown variable...... Shes waiting quietly for the fight with her hand on the hilt of her sword while her shined with ferocity. ......Or maybe its my imagination. And, we approach the problematic hilly area, and the grass in surroundings grow taller. ......I see, just as Zari said, theyre hiding in the grasses. If I was just looking here normally, indeed, I wouldnt have noticed them in these overgrown grasses which have enough density to completely hide a persons figure. Of course I can clearly see them with my eyes, and even before that I can sense their exact locations due to scent. From the time point we noticed this, their surprise attack would no more have any surprise element in it. Elk, Zari and Sheery-san have got their weapons in hand and are in battle posture already. Not knowing any of that stuff, the bandits might be underestimating us. Its a work of a totally dumb fool idiot to wait till being attacked......so we decided to attack preemptively. Like that, Alva PiiiIIiiiiIII! Burn em down! Stop it! ......Sorry. Its all grass as far as eyes can see, so it would be scary if fire spread too much, hence I stopped. Maybe it also understood the roar of Elk, Alva flew from my shoulder and donned a pale blue magical energy around its body. Ice magical energy it is. Then, various clumps of ice about the size of a clenched fist are created......and a second later all are shot towards the grasses at super high speed. Moda Fucka!? Shit it hurts!? Wtf!? Ice!? Apparently all the ice bullets hit the target. Great. The bandits hiding in the grasses, most probably all, showed themselves after suffering pain from being hit by a lump of ice. And not letting this gap theyre showing upon getting hurt let away, everyone moved on. As if to say offense is the best defense, all the adventurers and guards move in before letting bandits gather themselves up. I also dont think that is wrong, rather I even wanted to cut right through the vanguard and kick all their asses of......the moment I tried to do, From the peripheral vision of mine, who was running in front......something red went past by at the speed of an arrow. Oh? The moment I thought that, 2 bandits who gathered themselves up were immediately cut down by a brandishing sword. Most probably, because it was too fast, they didnt even know what occurred. And there, Sherry-san who just now shook her sword......and didnt get even a single drop of blood on her Cher clothes are red so its hard to tell- stood. But, with her stance, she didnt wait any longer and moved more steps forward to assault the other bandits who are shaken seeing their two comrades go down instantly. The bandit in front of her tried to take up the weapon in panic......but he had his head and torso already separated, torso cut up diagonally with his stomach torn into pieces, he met his end without even having to react much. It all happened in just some seconds. In just that much of time, Sherry-san killed lots of bandits......and this time she took stance right in her place, making bandits shake in fear. ......A part of allies are also getting scared though. Then that Sherry-san, ......Oh, you dont wanna come? Then......wait for me Though for a moment, I surely saw it, her shining her eyes......while smiling. And the next moment, she kicked the ground with force, and started killing all the bandits overawed by her intimidation, with just a single-strike single-kill. And looking at her figure Cof course while fighting myself-, that feeling I somehow knew from when inside the carriage, I finally understood that reason why she was smiling and her eyes shining. I have seen those eyes many times. In older day, when I was taken by mom for bandit subjugation, Ive met other bandits with similar eyes. They are dangerous, self-centered, sometimes really arrogant, and manly......however personally the people with those type of damn eyes are the people I fucking hate with PASSION! The light I saw in those eyes......was currently shining in Sherry-sans eyes. Maybe this was reason, often I felt concerned by her stare whenever she saw me, since I first met her...... I see, Sherry-san is...... (Battle maniac, eh......?) Battle Maniac. People who find pleasure in fighting, are truly elated when fight with blades against blades with their lives on line, common people call this commendable hobby as that. An quasi-synonym would be Battle Junkie. Normal people would frown hard upon knowing the appearance of enemies, but these people would grab their weapon and go ahead to fight with a smile or while laughing, they think battle as the best sports game out there. Among them, there are 2 types of Battle Maniacs like one, those who love fighting itself and the other who love to kill the person they fight with. They are distinguished as those who find bliss when fighting or who find bliss upon cornering the opponent and then sensing the feel of killing the opponent...... Looks like Sherry-san is the former. Whenever a bandit happens to stop her sword swing even if by coincidence, her corner of mouth curl up. Oh of course, within 0.5 seconds just after that the opponent would have been cut down. Her severity is something that I can even nod reading her second name asRed Tiger. I now understand why and where she got thatTigerfrom. From the place she jumped in from, the bandits are all getting killed. While watching her from my peripheral vision, I take care of bandits coming in my way Cthere are many who are deliberately coming to me avoiding Sherry-san- with my fist or by my elbow. There count is neither too less nor too much, but because they are quite separated here and there, so it would be better and fast to put them down with my fists. While doing that, from Sherry-sans side, I felt stare not that of bandits......but intentionally ignored it and worked in putting down the bandits while trying my utmost to not look in her direction. No, look, at that rate it doesnt seem like Sherry-san needs some worry from me, right? (sweat) However there are also some bandits who try to take a detour and attack the carriages, slipping through the hands of me and Sherry-san and other vanguard adventurers. Those people, inevitably encounter with other escort adventurers and guards from Malras......but because the bandits have lost most of moral, and the people Malras chose had been of good quality, that they are able to completely block them as if not noticing them coming. Especially, the ones going near the carriage Elk and Zari are stationed at are more pitiable, they both fast, so without getting even a scratch they are insta-killing them bandits. And more than anything......it is a good practice for Alva who is also stationed in the same place. Not only fireball or wind blade, but red, blue, yellow, green etc, other magic are also being fired, which happened to be in different colors. Looks just fantastically beautiful. Of course there is no moderation, so many bandits die like a splatter, which is more worse than dying at the hands of Sherry-san. The fireballs blast off the aimed place, wind blades cut the human in various horizontal slices...... Its already an impregnable fort. No it can fly so it will be more like locomotive fort or a fighter aircraft. In this one month, it has fought various monsters, and wouldve also looked various sorts of magic, and in that process learned them also......by just looking. ......Damn Im jealous, fucking shit! While I fight with those feelings filled in my fists Cventing out my anger, fucking bring it on!!!!- within some minutes the several tens of bandits were all taken down. Chapter 41 – Thirst of Tiger This chapter is sponsored by: Brandon Erwin. Will post the edited version as soon as my editor completes it. Dayyum editing and proofreading will do no good to my schedule. EDIT: THIS CHAPTER IS NOW THE EDITED VERSION. Chapter 41 C Thirst of Tiger We repelled all bandits who attacked us, several hours later. The day was getting dark, so the Trader Group stopped moving, and set up tents in the wide-open plains. Naturally, there was no need to keep the carriages in line at this time, so even taking the point of view of the escorts, they tried to settle as many people as possible in a single place. The tents were put up surrounding those carriages. It was decided that the people would take turns for the night-watch, and pass the whole night like that. Its not like everyone has the night-watch duty for every night, but rather the rotation was set to be once every three days, so it can be said the people have quite a lot of time to spare. Incidentally, we didnt have the duty of tonights night-watch, so we slept without problems today. And if a great danger came near us and if we didnt wake up, it would be damned hell, because Alva would wake everyone up by itself. After all his crisis management ability works all time irrelevant of being awake or sleeping. Or rather, recently it has been following the early to bed and early to rise routine. Let it be in an inn or anywhere else, by the time Elk and I sleep it is always sleeping from before, and it would always be awake when we wake from our sleeps. By the way, when me and Elkdo that sort of thingit just......disappears completely somewhere, so I got no idea about that time. It can be said, it is a good bird which can read the mood. However just how long does it sleep every day? Or does it sleep at all? Tomorrow its my turn for sleepless vigil, so I will try to check that up at that time......as long as I dont forget about it. That day, from around after putting up the tents, the people who tagged along with Trader Group started making the dinner, but I had heard that they would cook for you if you brought the ingredients. And so, just like that time inCrimson Forest, I would gather the ingredients via local procurement, or so had I thought but there were no demons suitable for that, so it went as a failure today. I thought of paying attention to that in morning, and even go for a lookout in the surroundings. Its only natural to eat until the stomachs full after working hard. I took my portion of this meal made in haste Cit was a soup of vegetables, jerky and bread- and talked with my friends like Elk, Zari and Sherry-san while eating. The feeling was like of an excursion or school trip, but well isnt it fine to just steel myself at the important points, so I relaxed and enjoyed sitting together. After some while, some adventurer opened up a bottle of alcohol, with that as beginning other people are threw their reserved attitudes down the drain and became less formal. Among them there were some who got drunk and tried woo female adventurers and women traders from the Trader Group, they even came to Elk and Sherry-san, but all of their ships sank. Elk and Sherry-san had been near me since start......or rather they were sitting on my both sides, so every time they brushed aside others, their glare of jealousy would only concentrate on me. Then they offered us alcohol as service to make us drunk and do whatever they wanted, however after some minutes, they hoped to get a service of just running away from us. But, it is only natural that nothing goes greatly in this world. It would be rude for refusing them, so partook their offer and chug the alcohol down as if no tomorrow, and Elk and Zari drank moderately, so they didnt faint from drunkenness...... I am quite strong against alcohol, but the alcohol, the people who wanted to drag the drunken-me away from two beautie, brought, was completely chugged down by me. I think this is already the fourth bottle that I have opened......neither do I get drunk nor feel unpleasant, but the taste of this is truly bad so I want to stop it already. And the left Sherry-san, apparently also was strong against liquor, moreover she loved it unlike me. And so, shes is drinking all the liquor handed to her in high spirits and her mood seems to get better, more or less she seems drunk but its not like her judgment power has gone. She has precisely slapped down the hands trying to touch her. In the end, after a hour and half since the start, the small party on the first day came to an end, and the painful work of those bastards ended up in vain. THE END. Next morning, I woke up early because I wasnt used to this sort of environment. I was inside the tent supplied by the Trader Group. I get out of this highly-efficient-comfortable-for-sleeping sort of sleeping bag, which I purchased from sister and look around the surroundings, there was still Elk sleeping besides, so I get out of sleeping bag quietly as I could. On the other side was a perch which can be made compact upon dissembling, on which Alva was sitting on. As usual, it was awake. While thanking Alva for understanding my intentions and keeping quiet, I got out of the tent to wash my face, as there was not much I could while remaining in the tent. It has gotten somewhat bright now, judging from time it would be somewhere around 4 oclock. Just in case I nod as morning greeting to people sitting besides the bonfire for doing sleepless vigil work. I hold my hands out, making a diamond shape with my thumb and index finger of both hands, towards the top of tub borrowed from Trader Group. Then I used all the moisture present in the air to make water, and accumulated enough quantity to wash my face. The moisture sucked in from the top of diamond shape agglomerate inside it and is shot as liquid water from the below of diamond shape. While I am washing my face from that water......the clothed entrance of the tent in front of me opens and a Sherry-san who seems to have just woken up comes out. Ah, did I wake her? Good morning, did I wake you up? Its fine, I wake up around this always. You too are quite early in mornings Well my parent instilled early to sleep early to rise routine into me Though she has just woken up yet she, who came out with her sword hanging from her waist, stretched her body and combed her hair with hands, and pretty much arranged her appearance. But, apparently Sherry-san went in the sleeping bag without changing her clothes yesterday, after getting drunk, and so her clothes are wrinkled at several places. Though, she seems not at all concerned by that. Well, the clothes of adventurers are made by taking in heed that they might not be washed for many days, there are clothes which are hard to get dirty and clothes in which the wrinkles get cured quickly. ......Its good and all being sturdy clothes, but with a cloth having this much exposure and moreover for females, just what does she do about the armor......I thought. Then, after completing the calisthenics (?) Sherry-san, as if remembered suddenly, came to my side and hit my shoulder saying Hey hey. What? Judging from the fight I saw yesterday, your, Minato-kuns martial arts is self-learned, right? Ah, so you truly can understand that after just looking at it Well yeah. Its not like that I was made to learn martial arts since I was five just a joke Sherr-san said while grinning. Truly she hit the right parts. Within just 1 fight of yesterday Cshe watched me sometimes while in between her severe fights- she understood that my close combat techniques are self-learned, are an imitation made by referencing someone elses movement and the movement which became the origin of it arent suited for battles. Shes truly sharp. Though the close combat techniques are what I learnt from mom, but I was basically more of a self-training person, so other than being taught about the fundamental bodybuilding and efficient movements, I learnt all by myself. The teaching materials too, other than the movements taught by mom, are all referenced on the transforming heroes who appeared on the telly, well their movement are completely different from real martial arts. After that in my own way, I chipped off the useless movements, joined them all and trained, then use my tempered bodys basic spec for removing the gaps in them and thats how I use it in real battles. If others found out that I became strong with this, well, frankly said half-hearted process, then people who love the true martial arts would truly yell at meYou tryin to underestimate martial arts!, but its all good if I am able to fight like this in battles, and like that I am persuading myself. Well no wonder martial arts which treasure kata would be strong, but this is the result of me pursuing the martial art which seemed to be perfectly in coordination with me both physically and mentally. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. I think its better to think more at the time some problem occurs in way. Like that, my pet theory became the topic of talk, we both talked, both had gaps in our movements, and talking about our training periods we both had fun, however I......didnt realize Sherry-sans eyes shining with a dangerous light. Before I knew it her eyes were already shiningor ratherblazingso intently that some sound effects would eventually occur......and she was already too close to me now compared to the place she was sitting before. ......Shit, did I stimulate her that much, by the time I thought that it was already too late. Hey, Minato-kun? ......Yes, what happened? Sherry-sans face was blushing red, and was revealing a smile that somewhat seemed bewitching. Why are turning your face away......well its fine. Hey, I got a small proposal, you are free right now, right? Saying that, as if not having any intention of letting me go; she grabbed my arm with both her hands. Just like a girl walking around the city holding her boyfriends arm. At that moment, two soft things touched my arm and deformed. Hey, dont you think its good to move the body before eating breakfast? The food would seem tastier and your body would move more flexibly, so it is good for the escort work after we depart from here Err, umm, yeah......if we do some intense exercise then it would give the negative effects, right? Its morning, and we have just woke up If it were normal people. People with bodies at our level wouldnt feel anything like that, right? I dont have any problem with it, and Minato-kuns body is already a tempered one So please? Sherry-san even winked, her actions eloquently saidYou know what I mean to say, right?. No, I know, yes is truly because I know that Im having this problem of doing exercise...... Well its natural that you are perplexed on being suddenly asked this......but its quite common in this industry. I think it would be good if you experience it right here and now, its for you future......please? Saying that her both hands left my arm, Cthough the two soft things are still touching it- , and she stroked my cheeks. This invitation by this bewitching Sherry-san is something that 9 out of 10 people would truly nod yes though while hesitating. As to why I am nodding yes to this sort of attack is because...... That is because the other hand of Sherry-san is trying to reach out to the sword hanging from her waist......as if wanting to sayI want to take it out!. ......I had forgotten due to the sleepy head of mine and the fresh feeling of morning. That......this person happens to be a Battle Maniac. That is to say, the next words coming out of her mouth would be...... Hey? How about before the breakfast......we spar for a bit? *Klang* By the time the sword made a sword of coming out of sheath, finally the sun came out. Chapter 41 – Thirst of Tiger Part 2 Unedited for now, btw the previous is now edited. Same as before this chapters this part is sponsored by: Brandon Erwin. EDIT: This is now the edited chapter Chapter 41 C Thirst of Tiger Part 2 Frankly speaking, its not like I hate her invitation, but I only have a bad premonition and so I hesitate. Im doing it every day with Elk, so its not like I hate sparring. In fact, that near-true-battle sparring can be said as a part of training. Even when I was with mom in that western house, the sparring near the end was really deadly, And Sherry-san is anAranker, the only person, among all people present here, with the same rank as me. She is the only person with ability near mine ever since Ive left the house, the other people, let it be adventurers or guards were all at most B. The only person going above that would be Irene-san, but......in that persons case, shes just too above me to be compared, that sort of feeling I sense from her. I dont want to say something wrong about Elk, who is always sparring with me, but this is a great chance to gain experience. Even so the only reason I hesitate from taking her invitation is none other than her being aBattle Maniac. The people loving fighting are, well, types of people who love it more than the other people, aside from that reason, they, not necessarily have much difference with other peoplein the middleof fights. But, the problem comes in later...... It might be an image I made on my own after watching too much fantasy stuff in the previous world, but these sort of people, after the fight ends, keep on demanding the same thing over and over again. If its once per day, it wont get past the limits of training, but they want it several times per day just to kill time...... Moreover shes a person I will be together with for 2 weeks, so if she actually challenged me to a spar many times then...... Though I cant say that for sure, after all I dont know how much of aBattle Maniacshe is. And this is just my intuition but maybe she also is thinking that same as me Cthat it would be a great experience because our ranks are same-. But well, I concentrate all too much just because Sherry-san might be faking with that thinking, and its also true that this will be good experience for both of us. After getting out of the house, the fights where I had some resistance would beNagaandExceed Hopper, in that case sparring against an A ranker does seem fascinating. Moreover, because the opponent is a human, I think I can learn something, surely. I also feel it would be good if I just refuse her invitations if she kept on challenging me in future to an irritating extent. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. While calculating the pros and cons, I think about what to do, well, it will surely turn into a good experience, with that pretext I let out my decision. ......Then a simple and light spar At this moment, Sherry-sans eyes held a light that......would even scare a carnivore with the prey in front its eyes. Yikes, did I just make a damn mistake in choosing options? Not long after morning sun rose up in sky, though its still dark and visibility is also not good, in that sort of situation, We came to an open place somewhat away from the place members from the Trader Group and escorts are sleeping, and here the already regretting me and heavily motivated Sherry-san started our mock battle. In the surrounding, standing somewhat far to not get dragged into the battle, some adventurers who rose early Cof course there is no one who is on sleepless vigil duty- are observing our fight for some reason. They are all who somehow sniffed something is happening when I was preparing the metal fake swords for mock battle. There are also people who came here to just kill time because they woke up too early, and also who came to appraise us both. They have even started betting on who is going to win......this is just a mock battle for training and not a battle for deciding who wins and who loses. Well, its not hindering us so I left them alone doing their antics. It was just right good for them to be here, so I asked one of those onlookers to give out the signal for the start of battle. Speaking of conclusions, Sherry-san was truly severe through-and-through. As soon as the signal for start of battle was given, she rushed forward at me with the speed of an arrow, and without any hesitation, pushed her sword forward aiming at my heart. At that time, though I knew it was a metal fake sword, I got scared. No, seriously, her high spirits is just too unnatural. Of course my body is strong enough that if I put power in my pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles nothing would pass into my body, let it be fake sword or a real sword, but still there is a thing called instinct, yeah that is what let me become scared. As for Sherry-san, I sensed that from the first strike. And that turned into conviction within the n-th minutes long fight. At the first attack she might have assumed I would evade, so she started a rapid counter attack by swinging the sword. After that was a true rush of raging billows. From above, below, right, left, she just kept on rapidly attacking without letting me catch my breath. And each and every of those attacks used not only the arm but also the trunk of body and the movement of lower half of body, they were sword attacks holding enough power and speed, moreover there were no useless movement and the gaps too were none. If I evade she would promptly connect it to a different attack and pursue me, if I took the blow head-on she would let the sword flow in way to not kill the momentum and again pursues. Looking from the sidelines, it would either look like a wild fighting or bewitching sword dance, but in truth they are attacks with tremendous precision and level of completion, and that stuff just keep on coming at me at a great speed and high pace. So this is a true powerful person who had completed thebasics, eh. I was impressed even during the fight. Due to that, for around 10 seconds, I only evaded or blocked but didnt attack. Maybe because of that, Sherry-sans eyes seemed to be filled with displeasure. I thought that it would be rude if I didnt take this mock battle seriously, so I clenched my fists, seeing that she showed a smile sayingYes thats the way!. ......Its not like I didnt predict it, but still Ive got no damn idea how to react to her actions. As expected of an A ranker, she was truly strong. Her ability was the best by far against all demons and others whom Ive fought after leaving the house. It was a fight against an opponent with high and fast thinking, the thing which didnt exist against a fight with demons. Moreover the feeling is different from moms, hence there is a lot I can learn from this. I also got somewhat happy, though I didnt useMagic Arts, but by the end of fight I too was fighting without any restraint. Of course I didnt use my whole arm strength, but still it had quite a lot of speed and power. It was to the extent that I realized Sherry-sans face becoming too happy, and I was likeShit, I did it. However, if I returned back to the previous power Sherry-sans mood would become bad, so I continued on like this, after all it was still a good battle. As a result, most probably the limit came. Sherry-san used the sword to ward off my fist but the sword was not able to bear the power of it and broke into pieces, hence this mock battle came to an end. While watching the onlookers doing the settlement of betting, we both got rid of sweat and were cooling down. Maybe because she was able to fight against me and got resistance than what she had expected, Sherry-san showed a truly satisfied smile. ......When I thought that, her mood changed and she showed a disappointed face as if pondering over something. As expected, a normal fake sword is truly bad. It broke with just this little sparring......I wanted to fight for a little bit longer She said. No, you still aint fucking satisfied, eh! In fact, we fought for enough time. When we started the fight it was still dark, but now the surroundings are becoming brighter, 30 minutes have easily passed. And, though its a normal cheap sword but it is made from pure and true iron, if that broke after 30 minutes means we fought that harshly, yet you are not satisfied? Sherry-san, while remembering the fight from before, showed an expression of ecstasy and faced me......I only feel a bad premonition. Hey, how about one more time just now? Rejected Eh, why!? Do you want to fight after the breakfast? No, not that. Didnt we fight because it would be a good experience, the fight even longed for 30 minutes, isnt that enough? Sherry-san thinks of fighting as the best sports out there, but the reason I fought was truly because of gaining experience and not for a sports like battle. And that is something I told her various times before agreeing to the mock battle. But, as expected, after savoring the taste once, she has completely locked on me as the target. ......Well, its not like I didnt expect this, so now is the time for refusing her every time until she gives up. And also, you dont have the spare metal fake sword right? Even I dont have it, so we dont have any means of continuing Its this chance, how about with this. This is more sturdy than those metal swords and wont break in between the fights too Its too dangerous! The sword and your thoughts, both! This damn dark brown beauty just said those words with a fucking serious face, No well, I have a body which can block a iron sword even if Im not serious, but there is obligation for me to go out of my way to accompany her. Or rather the sword Sherry-san always keeps CThe one always hanging from her waist, we werent going to use it, so left in Alvas care- is not iron, right? If that is true, then it is more fing dangerous. This body of mine......aint something that will never be cut at all. Even more if someone with her strength attacks at me, it gets more dangerous. Sherry-san keeps on persuading me sayingWerent we holding back beforeandI will just use the back of sword, however soon she realizes she is not at all persuading me. Just for information, her sword is a double-edged sword, so the back of sword does not exist. Seeing that she still is not stopping, but even using seductive techniques to persuade me, I ignored and started to leave her......and finally she grabbed my arm and started to swing on it sayingNO! NO!, holy shit are you a child now! If you want to fight that much, then just exterminate the demons that come attacking while we are on the move Those small fries cannot satisfy me. This area is said to be more dangerous than the surroundings of Volka, but the demons are of at most E or D Rank Then try to hold back your urges Having the best meal in front of me, I possibly cannot bear to wait Who the fuck is the meal here! Dont go fucking eating it!! And...... And? ......You werent serious before, right? ............ ......Well I wont refuse that, but arent you the same? She didnt use the magic, which she said she could use and it seemed like she was hiding various trump cards too......though its all my intuition. The moment I pointed that out......Sherry-sans hand went out for the sword on her waist just for a second. Is her seriousness something related to that not-normal sword? In that case she will not be able to show it out at all. Thats why! Dont you think its a waste to not fight against an opponent who is just suitable for you? we might get more serious than before Nope, not at all. Well, it was worthwhile as a training stuff, but that is already over So you actually cast me aside after using all of me......Sniffle, cold person...... I knew that it would come to this......for both of us...... But, arent there things once cant back off on! If youre truly a human with warm-blood flowing inside then you should know, just what sort of feeling I have......I, seriously...... I had nothing with you since the start......right? Well then Im outta here ......I will never give up on you......never......! Dont do your 2 people comedy act and come fast here you two idiots. Its time for breakfast Ah, its Elk. Chapter 42 – City of Flowers and Mysterious Voice Part 1 I had lot of stuff going on...sorry just too personal that I cant tell. This chapter is sponsored by: Anon and Brandon Erwin. The last of their money was added into this one. Anyhow with this I finished my sponsored chapter que and will post or actually try to post 2 guaranteed chapters tomorrow. One for tomorrow and for the Tuesday. Chapter 42 C City of Flowers and Mysterious Voice Part 1 On the fifth day since our departure, we reached our destination......a settlement made in theFlower Valley, the cityMineta.k.aCity of Flowers. I just said that easily, but the past 5 days had been hell for me. We were attacked by demons and bandits, like on the first day, various times, and I was challenged by Sherry-san for too many times. This girl withTime killing = Battlesort of thinking, ever since the morning of second day, kept on challenging other adventurers and the bodyguards hired by Trader Group. In that time, she also challenged me, but I refused all of it. Some of the people challenged said OK to her request wanting to touch her by feigning an accident, but those people, never were able to hold more than some seconds since the signal and all went KO. There were also people who took the sparring as serious matter, but sadly, it turned all the same. After all, this person doesnt seem to have restraint on her. Maybe because of sparring that one time with me, she would go with against everyone in same high-spirits......in the end some people appeared who have got a trauma. Even so Sherry-san loitered here and there challenging others for killing time, eventually the already injured adventurers came to me sayingPlease just spar with her, and I wasnt able to refuse them down. Just because I was the only person who can hold his own against that person, and our ranks are also the same. Truly give me a break. Finally, the people from the Trader Group also came asking me to spar with her because her actions seemed to be related to the internal conflicts within the caravan. It couldnt be helped anymore, so I let her agree with once per day rule. So now I have judge her sword attacks seeming like raging blows, while she enjoyed herself. In doing so, eventually or rather inevitably, the time I spent with her grew more......and she was now more frank than the time I saw her for the first time. Well her looks are that of a beauty, the parts I talk with her are normal and theyre normally remind of sister......but for some reason, always at those time Elks mood seemed to worsen and she seemed completely unsociable, Even I ask her what happened, onlyNothing at allcomes back as a reply. Moreover the reproachful gaze that would come flying at me, felt like they had some serious emotion inside them, unlike before, and it somewhat had a sense of urgency. Then the most mysterious one is that after glaring at me her gaze surely, every time goes onto Sherry-san standing beside me, and a little later Sherry-san complacently smiles for some damn reason while alternating her gaze between me and Elk. They both seemed serious, but didnt tell me anything COne because of bad mood, and the other because of turning away her head with an amusing expression- so the truth is basically still a mystery while we reach our destination. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. CityMinetupon looking is truly a quiet and tranquil place, if one had to say this place is moreVillagerather than aCity, well I shouldnt brood over small details. And upon entering the village......an friendly looking old man, who is apparently the city head personally came to give his greetings, looks like this Trader Group are quite the big shots here. Like that, he said basic greeting like Welcome, Best Regards for this year too, and after the inspection of our luggage, the whole Trader Group parked in a place prepared from before. There, we adventurer escorts temporarily broke up. There are even vigilante corps in the city, and we have cleared the dangerous journey too, hence for 4 weeks, until we start going back to Volka, we are free to move however we want. Then the city head even said basic greetings to us adventurers. You are all adventurer escorts, right, welcome. As you can see this place is dull compared to Volka, but we have first-rate flower dishes and processed goods. Though it might be for a small time, but have fun inMinet He bowed courteously. We all heard the place of inn Cwhich is also given by the Association- , we broke up at that place, and everyone went to tread through the city. As for Zari, it goes without saying, he went ahead toExplorethe city. Sherry-san......as usual asked me if I wanted to go to theSports Fieldlocated in the center of city, but as I already know what she is asking for so I refused her, hearing that she replied that she would go around the city for sightseeing. Along with If you change your mind, dont hesitate to tell me. Majority of the adventurers too roamed around the city for sightseeing. The minority were those who returned to inn for resting. And as for me and Elk...... A Lily Sandwich, Violet Sandwich, Dandelion Burger, Flower Chicken Meat......and also this Sasanqua Tea with ice...... Hey wait, can you eat all this? While I order a lot of food that even caused the miss of the street stall to draw back, Elk retorted to me. No, well Im ordering it only because I can eat it. Its also lunch time......and Im hungry. Adding up to that is the aroma of tasty foods drifting all over the place. Me and Elk, ......as soon as the order for dissolution was given, assaulted to the stalls which were mostly sellingFlower Dish. Well, after we saw the products, it were truly flower dishes, or rather, their appearances were......something that would make one feel someone is playing a prank on them. A hotdog with a Lily-like flower inserted along with sausage. A sandwich with violet-like flower inserted between. A hamburger holding dandelion-like flower in between, etc. Among all this, the Sasanqua Tea is......a normal tea in tea cup with a whole flower poking out of it. Although it is simple but is also impactful. All of these normal foods have various flowers inserted, and people are normally eating these foods seeming like a prank. Despite all that, it is normally tasty. Alva also seems uninterested. Maybe because it doesnt has any magical energy. The dishes were done in some time and brought to us. Elk too her dish in her hand by wrapping a paper around it, but in my case the quantity of food can be just too much. So I took all my food on a paper plate of diameter 30cm, and left the stall. The miss from the shop was seeing at me with complicated eyes while I was leaving from that place. Its fine, dont worry I will eat all of it. And I carried out my words. I started throwing all the food in my mouth and filling my stomach. The bread and meat both were good, maybe they used something for adding taste......And, the flower which was in them, had the juiciness of a vegetable and sweetness of a fruit, that seriously freaked me out. Is this true!? So this is a flower dish. As expected......no more than what I had expected, moreover it is tasty. The dishes above the plate just keep on disappearing very fast, along with the tea. Around the time Elk finished her food, I was about to finish my own. Youre fast when eating, as usual...... Hahaha, Its always been like this. Leaving that aside, is there some place to dump the garbage? I want to dump this paper plate as it will be a hindrance when I buy again You still want to eat!? Of course. My eat-and-walk trip has only just started. And, I like this tastiness more than I had expected. Its my precious stay here, then I want to eat all the Flower Dishes......no, in this occasion I want to dominate all the stalls in this city. Geez......youre like a gourmand. Youre too much honest to your appetite, but keep in moderation, okay? Apparently the food in inn is alsoFlower Dishes, dont blame later if you cant eat because of your stomach is already full Hahaha, its fine. This much will get digested pretty soon In fact, myElemental Bloodcan even enhance the internal functions of body. Hence, it even enhances my digestive system from the stomach to the intestines, like that the digestion and absorption is completed within some minutes. Its convenient when in a hurry. And in addition, the efficiency of absorption of nutriments is also an improved version if compared to normal ones. `I see............Hm? At that time, Elk abruptly stopped......and surveyed the surroundings. What happened, I asked but she didnt reply and kept on looking around restlessly. Those movements got me curious, so I also stopped and started looking around restlessly. But, I dont see any unusual thing at all. ......Minato, did you hear that? ? That, like what? A high-pitched voice......like that of a child, something like that...... ......A childs voice? No, well there are many children in this city, so of course I can hear them from here and there......with my enhanced hearing ability. But there is nothing unusual or anything...... No, it wasnt a normal voice, but it was very clear, and resounded too......its was a very strange voice. Moreover it seemed like a crying voice......Minato, didnt you hear it? ......? Nope not at all...... Or rather what do you even mean by clear and resounding? I look at Alva on my shoulder and it cocks its head in puzzlement as is sayingDont know. Apparently Alva also didnt hear it. Isnt it......your imagination? No, I dont think it might be like that......Ah, hey, I heard it again! Eh!? Right now!? Immediately I strain my ears......and enhance myhearing abilityjust in case, and tried to search through the surroundings. I strain my ears to see if I can hear the voice Elk is telling about. The useless noise are really too much, so its a trouble to find the target, but because Ive gotten somewhat used to this thing, so I persevere and still continue. ......Or so I had thought...... See! Right now too......I can heard words likeits not good like thisandwhy, I can hear them. Hey, Minato, Alva too ............ Ehhhhhhhh......? No, well, umm......We both dont hear a thing. Seeing my somewhat unpleasant face Elk guessed that much, and appealed sayingI can truly hear thatwhile showing a bewildered expression. No seriously, its me who is bewildered...... Frankly, I dont think it can happen that we both dont hear a thing while Elk can hear it. From what I know, Elk hasnt done any training in that area, so her hearing ability should be the same as a normal adventurer. Even in her training with me, I dont train her in that stuff. On contrast with her, my hearing ability, without any more enhancement, is already several times better than a normal human being. Alva is also the same. Its common knowledge that Alvas demon sensor is several times superior than humans. In addition, from the experience till now, in many cases......his danger sensing ability can even surpass mine. And those us, this time I even enhanced my hearing ability yet wasnt able to hear the voice......while Elk could? ......Are you sure it aint your imagination? Wh-What!? You doubting me......Ah, I cant hear it anymore...... ............ PiiiiIIIiiiiIII? This wasnt my imagination!? I seriously was able to hear it just before!! Why can I hear it anymore!? No, its me who damn seriously want to hear it. After that Elk still persisted, so I tried to search for the owner of the voice, but......its not a problem of difficulty when searching for something one has no recognition of. When I asked ElkWheredid you hear it from, she only replied that she doesnt know. In the end, the identity of that mysteriousvoicestill didnt get clarified, and like that the day turned into night. Chapter 42 – City of Flowers and Mysterious Voice Part 2 Will start making pages for this from next chapter! Now a warning: MnDs chapter will be slower than KnM, because they take time to TL, not only because of more word count, but also because of that shitty writing style (okay not always), and also typos (this is always!). THIS IS NOT AN EDITED CHAPTER! WILL GET THEM EDITED FROM NEXT CHAPTER! Chapter 42 C City of Flowers and Mysterious Voice Part 2 Night. The inn prepared by the Association wasnt a high-class one, but still it was quite a comfortable place. It was wide and good place for relaxing. Above all, the Flower Dish given in the inn, were all tasty. So we satiated ourselves by eating it, along with the stuff we had ate while walking. Incidentally, we werent able to eat together with Zari and Sherry-san. Did they eat outside? Like that after having fun once, the adventurers got into the mood ofLets have another partyand left the inn, this time Elk and I didnt go with them and returned to our room. Even so how could you eat that much stuff when you were eating just before entering the inn? This is just too much even with stomach enhancement While relaxing in the room, Elk came asking that thing to me. I have already told to Elk that if I wanted then I could digest no matter how much I eat in an instant Calthough I havent told her about the details ofElemental Blood. But apparently it seems like she is quite bothered by it, hence the great reproachful gaze. Well it cant be helped after all I alone ordered food that a big group would order for their parties. Even so it was truly tasty. That Flower Dishes of unknown taste. It could be classified as something like salad, but that taste of a main-dish just entranced me. Elk ignored my talk sayingHmmmmmand currently......she was readingNecronomiconI lent her, for killing time. I also read it for killing time, recently Ive come to know that this book also have quite simple or basic stuff too Calthough there are too many pages, so I dont always remember what page has what content written-, and so currently Elk who is also training in magic has also been reading it. As a result, coupled with the amount of experience till now, recently Elk has been showing quite striking growth in the Magic Branch. Using the magical energy efficiently, she used the wind magical energy that she excels at, and enhanced the sharpness of dagger and also her agile movements. Furthermore she is slowly reaching the point of using wind blades rather than throwing knives for long-distance attacks. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This growth pace is quite a thing. At this pace......the day I entrust her with some out of my numerous powerful Original Magic, is most probably, not that far in future. Of course, though I say entrust her with them, I will surely choose the type I want to......Ive got no intention of teaching her magic likeElemental Bloodor others. Setting aside the trust and so forth things......its just because they are dangerous. After all they are, for a certain reason, troublesome and also have high degree of difficulty. Even the person who created them, me, had been training with that since when I was five, and started getting it into shape only after reaching ten years old. After that increasing the time for practice, it still took me over ten years to reach the point I am at right now. Mom also showed interest in that, and started training along the way, but......because the magic theory and concept were completely different, even that mom of mine had a hard time. And mom and me used to do severe training from the start, so it was quite a high-pace training too......even so it took10 years. Well of course I also researched the magic and improved many of them, so it took time. Now that I have completed the theories completely and are all in my brain......it might be possible to teach it to others in short time. ......Even so, taking all that in consideration, the current Elk is just doesnt have sufficient ability. Therefore I am perfectly fine to teach her immediately if based on trust......however, it will be just bad for her to learn that unless her control on magical energy increases. Hearing all that......Elk sighed heavily. Well I did knew it......that good things dont show themselves easily to you. If I could use them, then maybe I couldve known the source of thatvoice...... Aaah, I see. That strangevoiceshe heard (apparently) in daytime. Elk is still saying that it couldnt be anything like illusion. Her physical condition is not bad enough, neither she lacked sleep enough to actually hear auditory hallucination. ......Except the days when even I have lack of sleep together with her. She said that it didnt had any sort of unclear feeling to it. That the feelings in voice were clearly transmitted. It was so clear that......it seemed like sometimes talking directly in her head. ......No, wait a minute. Hearing directly in headdoesnt that make it more of a illusion......no, no, no wait a minute. (Dont tell me that directly hearing in the head means......?) I suddenly remembered that phrase, took theNercronomiconfrom Elk, and started flipping the pages hurriedly. Err, if Im right, I read something like that yesterday......Found it! Isnt it this?Telepathy Telepathy? On the page opened was......the thing that was famous even in my previous world, however not as magic but as psychic ability, the so-calledTelepathy. Literally, this is a way to talk with a person far from you without using voice, but thoughts as intermediary. Although it needs talent for using but it is quite popular magic out there. Among the magicians present in the military, there are many of them who have learned this for communication purposes. Reading the theory behind it......it is quite obvious I cant use it. Damn it. Setting my rant aside, this magic is exactly likevoice reaching directly in the head.....and also the source of voice cant be found out, hence it matches Elks testimony. But, in that case why did thatTelepathyreached Elk? Or rather from whom? In this city, Elks acquaintances are only me and Zari. In fact, she doesnt have any acquaintance who can use such a technique. In that case what is the meaning of Elk, who is not even that persons friend, getting that persons telepathic message, when I think that, the answer would be...... ......That theTelepathymessage was sent in confusion and indiscriminately......is it a rescue signal? ......If Im right, you heard things likenot like thisand so on, right? Yeah thats right......you want to go? Just in case No, I still doubt it, but for the time being we both completed the preparations and left the inn. Theres no way it would be like that, thinking stuff like that we both come to the place where Elk heard thatvoicein the daytime. Just, although we came here, we dont have clue, as of yet, of from where did thatTelepathymessage reached Elk...... In the daytime too we werent able to discover the source......at that time, As if it waited for this chance, the message came. It came! Eh, What? Voice, the voice! I can hear it! Err......Is it, elp.....probably it meanshelpI think! You serious! Just how good this timing can be! And that contents of message, truly seem like rescue signal...... However both me and Alva still cant hear it, even now. ......Just why? If it is a rescue signal, then it would be heard by everyone in a fixed range for increasing the chances of rescue, isnt that natural? Then why just Elk? In fact from the appearance of the personhearingthat, Elk......it can be guessed that the owner ofvoiceis at it wits end Cof course it might just Elk exaggerating- but it cant be helped if I cant hear it. If it is like this then it would end up the same way as in daytime. As long it isTelepathyit is sure to be magic......in that case I just need to trace the origin of magical energy, however, regretfully I cant use that sort of convenient magic. Thereupon, Elk abruptly, Plaza! Eh? Shouted. What happened? Behind the big tree in the plaza located on the outskirts of the city! It was in broken pieces, but probably it said this. Mianto, lets go! Ah, I see. So she heard about the place withTelepathy, right. Now this is great. Why was she not able to hear this much in morning? Anyhow......we now know the place. As usual, I entrust Elk to guide me while holding a map in her hands. Like that we rushed up to thePlaza on the outskirts of city Along the way, again thatvoicestopped......the person might be nearing the physical limit, so we hurried up. However after reaching till here, it was the work of mine and Alvas ears. Before even reaching the plaza......I heard painful groaning voice likeUgh......with my enhanced ears. Aiming for the source of that voice we rushed across the plaza. There a big treed was indeed growing...... And behind it...... ((......Child?)) A girl of about elementary school with bright green hair......was crouching. Chapter 43 – Dryad and Alraune Chapter 43 C Dryad and Alraune We both found out the owner of theTelepathymessage that reached Elks ears. Apparently that couldnt move due to injury, and after getting her strength exhausted, she fainted. The injury itself wasnt something of a big deal, but staying in such a place in the cold night, furthermore in such light dressing, she surely could catch a cold. Why was this child able to useTelepathymagic, why did it only reach to Elk......well they were questions I wanted to ask, but for the time being I set them aside, and treated her. She had scratches here and there and her ankle seems to be slightly sprained, but there is nothing of a big deal. For the time being, I did the first-aid with the ointment and bandage that I took out from my bag, and covered her with my overcoat, for countering the cold. Nevertheless, this child...... What is it, Im feeling something out of place for some time now......? Well theres nothing shady about her in particular, but this, how to say, thisdifferentfeeling......? While I was thinking all that, there was a sign of movement under the overcoat. Looking below, her closed eyes......opened slowly. Looks like her consciousness returned. ......Onii-chan, Onee-chan......who are you......? Errr, just #1 and #2 passing by......supposedly Too sloppy...... She didnt seem to be completely awake, or rather it feels like she is still in half-asleep state, but suddenly, she looked over her body and seems to have noticed the difference from before. She noticed......the injuries on her skin had been covered by a bandage, smeared with ointment. Looking closely, her clothing, which seemed like summer clothes with lots of exposure, looked to be made out of plants or whatnot. It wasnt like her clothes were made by attaching leaves together, but it seemed like the material to make them was that. It doesnt look like the clothes are dyed, and even the texture was near to that of plants. ......This, Onii-chan and Onee-chan did this? Looking at the bandage covering her arms and legs, the girls consciousness seemed to have been gradually awakening, while she spoke bit by bit. Ah, Yeah, thats right......does it hurt? No, Im fine. Thank you She said while touching the from above the bandages, probably to confirm the feeling. This is great. Her injuries were really nothing of a great deal. It even looks like she could move and talk normally...... Then, in front of me and Elk making relieved expression, the green girl seemed surprised and looked up to us. ......Are Onii-chan and Onee-chan, human? Eh? Hm? What is with this question? We both didnt understand the aim of the question, while we both werent able to reply...... ......Are you two, also going to kidnap us? ......Hah? We both were getting more and more troubled in giving out the answer and right reaction to her abrupt words......and the next moment, Flower Fog!! !? *Psssh* Suddenly, a yellow fog rose up from all over the place and enshrouded all the places as far as eye can see. Eh, what the hell is this!? What, suddenly this fog......even that voice seeming like a skill name......does this mean it is some sort of magic!? A sneak attack!? It was avoiceand not crying voice, that means it might be a human or a demi-human (TL: Ajin!)......then is it the bandits!? No, wait a sec, this, doesnt seem like fog? cough, cough cough......Wh, What is this......smoke? flour? I cant see anything...... I cant see perfectly, but I could hear the choking sound of Elk from the other side of this smoke. Is she alright? But this certainly doesnt seem like smoke, but rather flour. What is this thing? This scent, its not wheat flour......it smells of flower......no, is this pollen!? Hurry! Get Lila immediately! B-But we overdid in spreading the pollen! I cant see anything...... Shut up and get to it! If you dont, Lila will be abducted! I could hear those voices from the other side, and could also hear some footsteps coming near. I dont know what it is, but I do know that I cant just stand here dazedly. This fog......I mean pollen is their smokescreen and they seem to be trying to do something under this cover. Moreover, both I and Alva didnt notice them until they neared us C at least until they entered the magic range. I dont know who they are. But with this pollen mist, my vision is blocked, breathing is difficult and there are limits to grasp the location of opponent with just hearing under this bad situation. In that case......alright. Breathing orderly I clad my right foot in Wind Magical Energy. I raised the magical energy to a moderate level and around the time the magical energy literally started to turn into wind, I vigorously jumped straight above. Like that, a horizontal revolution with force. A roundhouse kick in mid-air. Haaaah!! *swish*!! Kyaaaaaaaa!? Along with the kick, a windstorm with me as the centre generated. I blow away the pollen enshrouding the area and clear the vision. After I did that, I could see Elk, the green girl from before and also......three other girls of same appearance. I can see them clearly now that the fog is cleared. And Alva, apparently, flew to high-altitude and evaded the pollen. It is fine......its good but, that definitely cheating. Two of girls had same hair, same clothes, the face......though is strangely different, but still too much similar. And the last girl......had clothes, hair and other things, just too different. She looked older than the green girls, including the one we found. If the green girls are around 10 years old, then this red haired girl is around 15 years old. The hair is, how to say......bright and glossy red, even the clothes are of the same colour. The materials seem same for all them, but her clothes design is somewhat different, and it seems more exquisite? Moreover she is wearing a hair ornament that looks like Japanese morning glory, and a hibiscus. They have scent, so they are real flowers and not artificial ones. The green-haired girls looked like they were about to blow their fuse while not knowing what happened......compared to them this girl seemed much more calm and was surveying the surroundings to understand the situation. When I landed, although she didnt know what happened, but she seemed to have perceived that I did something. And now she was glaring at me. In that case......the pollen from before was this girl, or these childrens work. But, why were we suddenly attacked? I havent done anything, but they are presently continuously releasing the killing intent. Then the next moment, she looked at Elk......who was holding the green haired girl while coughing. She immediately bit her lower lip. Aaah......hey look lets...... You!!Torrent Cold!! ......talk it out first, shall we...... While I was saying, she seemed to have used some sort of magic. From her hand, some sort of green-coloured wind came at us. ......But I dont feel any threat mixed in that......? For the time being, I stood in front of Elk and that girl to protect them, and took on the wind. The moment it hit my body, it just felt like having a chill for a second, but......nothing else happened. Huh, its over? Seeing that, the redhead girls expression changed to that of terror. No way......why is not working!? Despair clung onto her face. Huh, the wind just now, was it truly an attack Considering it as an attack, there was neither any shockwave nor a Wind Blade...... Then the redhead girls face grimaced with vexation. ......You kidnapper, let Lila go! Hah? Wth she just said? ......kidnapper? With this, the two green girls also returned to their senses, and, T-Thats right, return her! Why are you doing this!? Lila-chan is hating it......huh, is not hating it? ......??? What is this shit? How to say it, it feels like there is a terrible misunderstanding between us......dont tell me...... At that time, Kyaaaaaaaaa!! !!? Two shrill screams resounded from deep in the forest. What is it this time? ......!? Dont tell me, there too! What to do...... Hearing that voice, the two greenheads clearly panicked, even the redhead seemed fretful while sweat appeared on her forehead. At that time, the greenhead in Elks arm, with an taken aback expression, spoke to us. In a rapid-speed completely different from before......and in a tone that easily told that she was in hurry and desperate. Please, save them! You two are not bad people, right? Right now some bad people have come in the forest......and everyone is in danger! ............ Well, as usual I still dont understand a shit...... However theres no doubt that this is a situation where I should move immediately. And, after coming to look at the origin of voice...... Noo! Leave me! Why are you doing this!? Why, well thats......you know, right? Yeah, you fetch a high price? Yeah, now I see. This is truly great. I understand the situation now. ......This scene looks like I have seem somewhere......not that, I seem to remember seeing people with this bad atmosphere before too. Yes, if Im not wrong, it was around the time of that outrageous test. In other words these guys are...... ......Well, leaving that aside for now, Kachaawww! *stab* x2 My eyesC!!!?!! The two bad people trying to abduct the two little girls in front of them, suddenly got attacked by the hand scissors I fired with all my might. The two people, having their vision stolen, writhed their body as if to say, it hurts like hell. ......I know its already too late now that Ive moved, but these people are truly gross and a nuisance. During that time, I pulled over the dazedly looking two little girls and showed them the way to Elk and other girls from before, standing just behind me. Then, having similar green-haired girls and the redhead in front of them......they made a surprised, and relaxed expression and ran up to them. They ran in oh so full speed and jumped in the chest of redhead girl. The redhead said relieving words likeIts fine now, and the two started crying *waah-waah* while hugging her. The similar greenheads encircled them. Apparently they have still not noticed about a girl among them called as Elk, with her hair as green, her clothes (armor) also as green......and everything else different from other girls. Well leaving it as like that, I should finish the work of this place. Looking at them, the kidnappers (probably) finally recovered. Albeit their eyes are red. You damn fuck......what is your problem!? Why butting in our work!? Thats my line. Geez, the air is good, Flower Dishes are good, the city is good......yet you both are trying to mess with everything starting up a shitty work Get lost you damn snotty brat! Dont fucking stand in our way!! Saying that, they took out the sabre hanging on their waist. Oh damn, this pattern again. Why are the bad people arrogant and so bitchy no matter where. Truly inartistic. The two came at me brandishing the sabre while shouting...... I could feel the gazes of surprise and concern from behind. Among there......Elks gaze wasnt present. ......I send a fleeting glance behind, and saw that Elk was also staring me along with girls, however......the contents of her gaze were truly different. Finish it off quickly Yeah, she is saying she is worrying. Of course it means she trust me......oh what is this loneliness. ......For the time being, lets hear her request. Orrrraaa! Die Minato: NO I WONT! Gobbaaaaa Gugaa!? Its useless to waste time on them......so I got done with them in the same way as I had with those goblins in the labyrinth quite some time ago. The way in which I break the weapon and the bones of opponents neck with just one kick. Of course, it not good to kick someone to death in front of children, so while breaking the sabre, I retained my power to the level of just giving a cerebral concussion. Even so I had used enough power to break the weapons swung at me in full strength, hence the two hoodlums went flying. ......Well they arent dead......I think. I ignored the hoodlums that are now several metres away, and looked over at the girls who seemed to have finished their passionate reunion......at that time only the redhead, the girl who seemed senior among them all, noticed my gaze...... ......And shyly nodded. After all that, The redhead understood that they had misunderstood everything, and sayingIm very much sorry!, she started explaining the circumstances. The two from before were truly kidnappers, and including them, they all were nearly abducted, but somehow they escaped. However, during the way they all got scattered, and the one I and Elk saved was one of them. However, they were attacked and the girl had injuries, so they jumped to wrong conclusions and grouped us as the comrades of those kidnappers. ......And, They also told that were all......not humans. Dryad......? s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yes......might you have not heard about it? I have heard about them. If Im not wrong, they are roughly classified as demons......ah, sorry, dont take any offence. You are all......uhh......those Plant Spirits that live in forests, right? Yes, that is correct, we are all living deep in the forest in our community...... Apparently these girls areDryad an existence that is like personified plant but are not humans. Their bodies and magical energy both are made from plants. Hearing that, I realized. That out of place feeling when I met the first girl. How I had that feeling, that was because of body odour......their bodily scent. The body odour of these girls is obviously different from that of humans. Normally, humans body odour is made with sweat and sebum as the main materials, but these girls didnt had those smell on their body. On the contrary, the scent coming out of their bodies is of like new leaves growing thickly in the summer time......the scent of like fresh water, limpid water. These are extremely forcefully coming out of their bodies. No matter how you think about it, it was the scent of plants and not animals. I was covered by plants in surroundings, so I wasnt able to correctly discern it. No well, judging from the scent, at once might make me seem like a pervert, but Im not one, this is just from the effect of my enhanced nose. For instance......the difference is like the scent of boys in the male changing room after P.E, and the scent of spring flowers in a botanical garden. ......Isnt the difference too big? No, based on bodily feel it is the truth...... E-Err......can I continue? Ah, Yeah, Sorry sorry, continue. Err...... Ah, Im Neil The redhead, Neil-chan, again bowed. Incidentally, this Neil-chan, is not aDryad, apparently. No, its not like she is human......but she is a different kind of spirit. Chapter 43 – Dryad and Alraune Part 2 Chapter 43 C Dryad and Alraune Part 2 Alraune. A race which was one rank above the Dryads. They have powerful magical energy compared to Dryads, and also can borrow the power from plants of forests and use variegated magic. They have high intellect, and are considered to be elder-sister figure of the Dryads. And, that Neil-chan continued...... These girls, theDryadandAlraune, are races living in this forest since old days. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Dryads are born from the magical energy residing in plants, and the only 3 Alraune in this forest, guide and coach those Dryads. Like that they had been cohabitating. The people ofFlower Valleydo know this......but they dont come in their forest unless for picking up some herb found only here. Like medicinal herb. TheseDryadandAlrauneare believed to be guardian deity of this forest, hence they never do lumbering work in these girls forest. Neither do they invade here. And, if they entered the forest, then even if they met these girls by pure coincidence, they would not harm them. ......There are also people who would take the posture of praying and leave offering for them. Well, we live by just eating water and fruits......so the times they leave offerings like meat or fish, it causes us troubles...... Ah, is that so? These girls were living quietly like that, but today, around afternoon......they spotted shady men in the forest. They were different from the people of city that come for picking up herbs......they were several men wearing dangerous equipments. Neil-chan and others spotted them. Then, some of them, noticed the girls, and attacked them. ......And, we reach the story before. Two of them were the guys I got done with before, and were now tied up a strong-looking ivy made by Neil=chans mangic. At the time we finish hearing the situation from Neil-chan, the girl being patted on head by her, Lily-cha, Recently, there has only been strange things happening in this forest...... ? Strange things? Said in a sad voice. Strange things......only been? What does it mean? Hearing further, it turns out that Neil-chan and other Dryads......have felt that recently, the state of forest is different from usual. The appearance of kidnappers, is a given, luckily no one has been abducted yet. Demons that never came out in this forest, started appearing, The corpses of demons killed mercilessly by someone were discovered, And the guaranteedbiggestunusual event, according to Lila-chan is...... Couple of days ago. There was a big lizard Lizard? Yeah. A lizard walking on two legs. Its tail was long, and it also had very sharp fangs and claws. I was frozen in place and even though I would be eaten......but it kept on walking without doing anything I also saw that! Im sure the corpses of demons is its work! Scary~! ......Or so it is. I, although......havent seen it yet...... ......Hm...... A lizard walking on two legs, I see......is it, after all, a demon? I asked Elk for any clues......but to no avail. The demons appearing here are plant-type, animal-type and insect-type, so she had no idea about this one. Well, in the animal-type demons there sure is lizard-type demon......likeLizard, but it walks on four legs......Ah, but, There wereLizardmanthat came out during the escort of Trader Group. They walked on two legs and fought with swords in hands. Just like a lizard-version of goblin. ......But they dont appear here......even the Dryads said it didnt had any equipment or sword......so it must different demon. Then what is it......I was again perplexed...... ......At that time, SFX: *sniff* ............!!? My nose......sniffed out a particularscentcoming from deep in the forest. Immediately after......inside my mind, the memory regarding the source of scent flashbacked......and suddenly cold sweat poured out of my whole body. My body......stiffened in a second. I got goosebumps. I didnt care about, Elk and Neil-chan, who got startled after noticing my expression......and immediately stood up. M-Minato? Wai......Wh-what happened!? Elk and others too, just become a stone, and dont dare to move. Dont move away from me Eh? Get to it! I dont have time to explain! I give out orders in clear, yet not loud voice. Although Elk seemed to know nothing, but......looks like she understood the dire situation, and albeit being perplexed abided by my orders. ......Great. And I stood in front of the girls, facing the way scent was coming from. Judging from the scent......it seems pretty far. The wind was flowing in our direction that I was able to grasp the scent, truly luckily. Probably, the other has not noticed us......I think. The scent of demon was different than most of species......If I had not known about it before, then even with my enhanced olfaction, I wont be able to scent out it. At most......I can understand, if its on the level of horse or dog. ......But, I knowthat guysscent. I cant forget it, even if I want to. ......And while thinking that......I remember the talk Lila-chan was doing before, about thatLizard walking on two legs I see......even that guy walked on two legs, had long tail, sharp fangs and claws......and was a lizard. ......In that case, the unidentified demon appearing in this forest is......Hey hey, dont tell me......! I drew the worst case scenario in my mind......and kept on protecting the girls without exterminating the nervousness. ......Some minutes later. The source of scent......as expected didnt notice us. It slowly walked away......to a distance that I couldnt smell the scent anymore. Confirming that, and after some more minutes of vigilance......I let out the power. I signed Elk with hand, sayingIts fine now......and got rid of vigilance. At that moment......because the mental fatigue was occupying more space in my mind, I felt tired. It is fine......that we werent discovered...... But......the scent from before, is without a doubtthat guy...... Dont tell me, it was in this forest......? In that case...... H-Hey Minato Hm......What? I looked at her and saw her looking at me with concerned eyes, well its normal. ......Well I should tell......to her. The moment I tried to explain to her, who seemed to want to knowabout it, Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! ......I heard several hoarse screams from......the direction of city. What is it this time!? Chapter 44 – Turbulent Indications Chapter 44 C Turbulent Indications That night was truly turbulent. After all, we saved the injuredDryadgirl, had a misunderstanding with her companions and had to deal with them, after that stopped an abduction attempt, And immediately later, I senseda certain smellI had sniffed before along with severe killing intent......but in several seconds it was over, And immediately after, this time, the city was being noisy with screams and angry bellows. And, after we reached there thinking what happened......only to find a scene of carnage unfolded there, although it was mostly over. The origin place of screams & angry bellows was the plaza near the front entrance of the city. There were corpses of quite a number of demons. It was the corpses of demon crowd that, probably, came to attack the city, however were annihilated by the guards or a passing by adventurer. And in the centre was, Huh, you people came late. I have already finished work here Sherry-san who just cut down the last demon Ca lizard-like gorilla, with scales closely packed on its whole down- with a single sword stroke. After that, we heard from Sherry-san, about what exactly happened there. Apparently the raid was truly abrupt. All of a sudden, war roars of demons was heard from the direction of forest, and couple of minutes later, the demons now lying on the ground as corpses raided in, apparently. They raided with an intense force, coming from the deep forest. The demons seemed to be in excited state, and maybe came here after rioting in forest, because the time fight started, many of them already had their fangs dyed scarlet. There was a fear of the guards who went out to patrol became their food, however after confirming it was found out that there were no victims, hence a piece of relief. The blood sticking on the fangs was believed to be the blood of other demons. Like that, although there were various points that were bothering, but it was more urgent to intercept the raid, hence the guards, and adventurers and bodyguards in the near area, grouped together and put up a fight. Among those members, was Sherry-san, an A-ranker with abilities that surely stand out, moreover she attacks the strong opponents proactively, hence including that fact; the incident was finished without much damage. That was what happened before I reached here. Although there were injured people but all had minor injuries. Those people were currently being treated in the hospital of city, which had opened in the closed hours all due to their virtuous minds. I see, then it was all fine......apparently, it didnt end with just that. Well, if a report saying, demons raided late at night, came in......anyone would get anxious......more than that, the reason for this abrupt attack was not known. If going by the talk of town head, whom we met during day, then this had never happened before. The demons living in the forest nearby, basically never tried to leave their territories in the forest, and even without attacking the city there was abundant food in the forest, and so never get troubled with that too. Hence the situation of the city being assaulted itself had never happened in past several decades. And even problematic was the power and type of demons that attacked. More than half of the demons, who attacked, werent from the nearby forest......but were the demons that lived in North from here, a Danger Area with higher difficulty level. These types of demons werent found in this area. That area was the place thoseExceed Hopperslived, theGreen Canyon......after all demons from there moved south, coming till here, and raided in excited state, this caused most of the people feel anxious. This had never happened till now, right? Yeah, this is the first. Well, its not like there arent demons around this area, but......they are at the level of, at mostWolfor other demons like that. The fence covering the city has a smell, made from flowers, that does not let low-class demons come near, so they dont become a threat to us The town head said as such in the plaza that was no guaranteed to be safe. Heh......so this city even had something like that, as expected. However......Wing Boa,Lizard KongandRhinosaurus......these demons surely never appear in this area. Just why...... Ah, now that you say it, there sure were demons like, a snake with wings, a gorilla with scales all over its body, and a rhinoceros-ish. All were now dead, though. And from behind Elk told me that they were all equivalent to C Rank. A level that only skilled adventurers could deal against, that sure could be said as difficult. Even so both Elk and I seem to get involved into troubles like these every time. The demons that should be present appear in the place that they shouldnt...... Just in case I asked the town head if there was some dangerous demon nearby? But he had no clue about it. I also asked Sherry-san, but as she wasnt even a local person, so of course she wouldnt know anything about it. Hmm well, there were some who resisted a bit......but you see, recently Ive been training with Minato-kun, so that level doesnt satisfy me anymore, you see, right? ......I dont care and know whatever you are talking about Our talk ended like that. Moreover later she even askedHow about right now? . Geez, hey you seriously need to read the atmosphere. While I rejected her with a sighno way, Elk, standing behind me, poked my shoulder repeatedly. For not interrupting the town head who was planning countermeasures and making deductions about this incident with some influential people of the city, I lowered my voice and, S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. (What, Elk?) (Minato, this incident bothers me, but......lets get out of the village later. A telepathic message came from Neil-chan. She wanted to say something to you) (I see......got it. Then later lets give some suitable reason and get out) After that, town head stopped the argument because he mightve judged no answer would come out, and enhanced the defence as a just in case countermeasure, and with that we adventurers broke up with them. Incidentally, At that time, Sherry-san askedWhere are you going? and seemed to come along with us, but, I refused sayingI dont want others to come along with me......while holding Elks hand tightly (it wont be a joke if I got lost in this darkness with my bad sense of direction). Ah, I see~. Sorry, but yeah I would become the third wheel in that, well have your fun time? Sherry-san ran away saying that to me with a lukewarm stare, later, the red-faced Elk punched me in the gut with her whole might sayingYou idiot!!......if there was a person who understood the reason for these two acting like this, please tell me! And like that...... While getting blows for some unknown reason, I somehow warded off Sherry-san, we both reached the meeting place (that Elk decided using Telepathy), and after coming here...... Hey, Minato-kun, Elk-chan, Pardon me for intruding here first U-Um......this person is......? ......Why is this guy here? The orange haired-manZari, was standing near Neil-chan with vigilance. No well, I have a Magic Item that can wiretap Telepathic communication to a level. I used before and heard Elk-chan and thatAlraunemiss talking. Sorry for hearing selfishly and even coming here He thought that we would be more vigilant if he reached later, and so he went on ahead to here, the place Neil-chan and Elk decided. ......what the fuck does his sorry mean, this bastard. But, I did think that this had common sense, and Neil-chan wasnt someone who would do anything bad. He surely would have enough natural virtue that Irene-san would believe him for being the bridge between us. For the time being, I said that I wont tell him anything about Neil-chan, and as for the crime of wiretapping the telepathic talk, I dropped my knuckles on the crown of his head without saying anything else. I hit him quite a power so he did faint down, and without waiting for his recovery, we continued our talk with Neil-chan. The kidnappers, who came to abduct the girls, were already gone from the forest, apparently. At least for now, they were gone. However, the number of people Neil-chan and others spotted werent just one or two people, so they cant let down their guard, as of yet. Regarding the demons of north that abruptly raided the city; apparently, they didnt go to forest so all the Dryads were safe. Good, great. And, regarding the presence I sensed before, I had no more info that the current one. Among the Dryads there were some people who had seen thatgreen-coloured big lizard, however Neil-chan hadnt seen it. ......What do you mean that there were humans who tried to abduct those Dryad girls? Around the time our talk finished, Zari finally recovered and said that first. His face had a strange expression, for some reason. Indeed. Just in case, we had tied up two of them......probably they might be Slave Dealers or Kidnappers. I dont want to think much about this though...... Well certainly......although these girls are small, but they look good...... Hearing that, Neil-chan understood the meaning, and her body trembled terribly. A beat later, ......No, that is not possible, I think......? Zari gave an unexpected answer. ? What did he mean by that? Were those people, not Slave Dealers? I had heard that among Slave Dealers there were some who would make anything their commodity as long it had a human shape; let it be demi-human, fairy or even a demon. That was the reason I thought they would be the same. Zari said. Ah, I see, so you both dont know about it, right. In short sprite-species likeDryadandAlraune, at least most of them, arent able to live in the place outside they were born from Eh, is that so? That is so. If I remember correctly then, for the Dryad and Alraune the atmosphere of forest and water are important......if they went far away from this forest, this valley, for a long time, then probably...... ......That is right. We will die Neil-chan said. Is that so? For example if they were abducted and taken away, to a place far from this forest, the life force of Dryad and Alraune would rapidly decline and in some days they would die. That was also the reason they didnt wanted to be abducted, or so she said. Conversely, if they were in the forest, they would be able to take the blessing of life force and magical energy, and would have an increase in covert ability for not being found out by the peoples. According to her, the forest helped in deleting the presence. That as the reason, the sprite-species likeDryadthat die in some days after getting away from their birthplace, were useless existences to the Slave Dealers or kidnappers. After all, by the time they reached the city for selling them, they would either be dead or on their last breaths. It wasnt like Zari was knowledgeable about sprites; he got hold of this sort of information from his work as information broker, that he possessed them as common sense. I see now. Then why were they trying to capture Neil-chan and others? Who knows......well if screw up those two we captured, wont they spill out the truth? Err, thinking the same, I, after you both went back, tried to question those two, but...... Holy moly! Alraune-chan, you do torture with that cute face? Arent you quite extreme? T-That is wrong!! I didnt do anything like that! I just prepared some flowers that have a scent that if sniffed would make a person talkative and honest ......That is already quite like that The Neil-chan being teased by Zari had apparently used a natural truth drug. Did this forest have a flower like that? This could be little scary. Although I think it wouldnt work on me. However, the result wasnt favourable. Those two, apparently were just some rogues hired, and moved because of money. The identity or the goal of their employer wasnt told to them, supposedly. In the end, the truth about Dryad Abduction Attempt still remained a mystery. ......Strange things sure are continuously going on...... For the time being, even if we talked more, there wouldnt have been any new information, so we returned to the city. Before going back, we thought of giving the two we tied up to the guard of city, and came to the place the two were tied up...... ......But the scenery had completely changed. From what it looked it, it could be easily understood that these two, after returning to sanity from the use of truth drug, cu the ivy using a small knife they hid in the wristband area of their wrists, and planned to run away. And apparently, Those two had been killed by someone that came here right after they cut the ivy. They mightve fought, or so it seems like form the weapons they had in their hands (Where the hell were they hiding them). However, from their body state......which was torn from limb to limb, and were now not in human shape, but rather a lump of neat, along with traces of cut section which told that these two died without resisting much. Just from looking, it was obvious that the problem was of their ability difference. After all, although they have died in such a terrible way, but there was no trace of a fight occurring here. It hadnt changed much from the time I beat these two down. In other words, without getting chance to fight, they were killed instantly, it meant that. Elk, took a shock from this terrible scene that would be too shocking for children, and was currently patting the head of Neil-chan, who was hiding behind her back while trembling terribly. The difference from before would be, their blood had already made a puddle here......and some footprints that I dont remember, were here. The footprints came out of the forest, and again returned back. For the time being, I planned to not chase after it. Fighting in dark forest, this is just reckless, nothing else. As for the two corpses......it wouldve been fine even if we let it remain like that as other demons would come and eat them up, however because other Dryads would get a shock looking at it, so I buried them. Like that, after finishing the work here, we broke up with Neil-chan along the way and after reaching the city; an unexpected person was waiting for us in front of inn. It was the person we broke up and let away before, Sherry-san. Apparently she had been waiting for us. After running away, she returned to the inn, however didnt find us, so she waited for our return. When she thought we returned, but Zari was with us, that she was shocked[1]. Immediately after, Elk (with a red face) ran up to her and whispered something in her ear -No, this wasnt that............Ah, is it like that?-, although I didnt knew the reason for both of their reaction, neither did I knew about the contents she whispered. After that, Sherry-san told us something that attracted our interest. That there was a person she wanted us to meet. Because, in fact, Sherry-san also felt strange about tonights raid, and so she had been inquiring the villagers here and there. And among them, there was a person who gave out information that caught our eye, although we didnt knew if that information had anything to do with the current incident. While walking towards the place that person was, But why wanting us to meet that person? Hmm, I think it is better to hear the story directly from the intelligence source......to be honest, it was quite a long and complex talk, so I think I would fail to mention many parts No, I dont mean it like that......what I mean is, why do you want us to hear that talk? Yea, so you meant that? Well, isnt it the more people the better? Its not like I dont know you, I can trust you more or less, and also...... Also? ......You mightve also noticed it right? In that plaza before...... ......Ah, that. I see, so Sherry-san also noticed that......and called out to me, who mightve also noticed it (although I dont know how she made that judgment). And also, the demons in that place.......*Mumble mumble* ......Eh, is that true? Yeah......oh, we reached. This is the place Stopping in her tracks the place Sherry-san pointed to was a big house that felt old and was on a street smaller than the main street. Sherry-san entered while telling in advanceExcuse us for intruding~. The person who came out on the entrance to greet us was a hunchbacked old woman. Im not that tall myself, but the old woman in front of me made me think that even with her back straight she would only reach my chest area. Her hair blond-ish white, her skin was darkish. When we entered the house, she greeted us amiably, and even did the self-introductions. According to that self-intro, apparently, she was aDwarf, a race of demi-human with longer lifespan than humans, and was 114 this year, so to speak was something like the Elder of thisFlower City. Seeing her smile and speak in a soft and amiable toneWelcome, I, instinctively, remembered the old woman, in my previous world. She lived in the neighbourhood and used to give me lots of snacks. I was a grandmas child after all. Things like this, after all, make me calm. After that, it could be said rare in this world, we were taken to a tatami room, where one would sit on the floor (although the floor wasnt exactly tatami), and she gave out zabuton[2] and tea. Yes, now I just feel at ease, for no reason. Then granny, can you tell them also the story from earlier? Yes, its fine. Should I start anew? I was concerned about Elks scornful stare, but for the time being, I tried listening to the story Sherry-san wanted us to hear. And like that old woman started her story. The story by the old woman, who knew about the past ofFlower CityandFlower Valley. Time goes back to approx 90 years ago. TheFlower Cityof that time was located more in the northward. That place was near the place from where the demons that raided tonight came from, theGreen Canyon. Of course it wasnt calledFlower Cityat that time. Because, around the time people lived there, they werent making a living viaFlower Industry, but the people of that time lived asHunting Tribe. They hunted demons, and lived on the demons meat and edible wild plants collected from the forest. At the same time, they would burn a part of forest, change it into cultivation ground and grow crops. I think it was something similar to theSwidden Agriculturethat was present in my previous world. And the people of that city, isolated any connections with the outside world, and were living as an isolated tribe, in the severe north, for not getting in contact with other cities or countries. However at that time, people started appearing who proposed to migrate to south for a more affluent and safe livelihood. The city of that time was divided into two parts, theMigration Faction, and those who held pride in living as a hunting tribe, theReside Faction. The both opposed each other, and the dispute never ended. Sometimes big fights took place, in which various people were injured. And on a certain autumn day, finally that day came. Each faction came to conclusion that their way of living and way of thinking were incompatible, and before the winter of that year, theMigration Factionseparated ways fromReside Faction, and migrated from their birthplace, the north, to the south. To the place the current flower cityMinetwas located. The people ofMigration Faction, including the old woman, were able to live a really safe life that couldnt be compared to before. In that time, they got on good terms with theDryadof the forest. An unspoken agreement was made that in turn for getting blessing from the girls and the forest they live; the humans would not use their forest for Swidden agriculture. And, because there was a trade route present connecting other countries and cities. Like that they again started interacting with the outside that they had isolated in the past and at the same time they started making special products offlowersunder the name of profit. After that, they tried to tell the people left behind inNorthabout the affluent lives they lived, and hence tried to negotiate with them, however the people ofReside Factionwere too obstinate that they didnt even lend them ear. They continued that for several years, but finally theMigration Factionalso gave up, and cut off any contacts with them. Because there were neither any special product in the north nor was there any advantage in doing trade in that area. ......90 from then, we reach to the current point. I see, so this city had a background like that. Sherry-san had asked herIs there someone who resents this village? before hearing the story. As for why she asked her that......or rather, had been asking every person of the city, That was because at the time of raid......before I reached the plaza. The fighting Sherry-san had seen several suspicious peoples shadow in the forest. The shadows seemed to mix with the darkness, and disappeared deep in the forest. The Dark Elves could see well in the dark, so although she couldnt see their faces, but she could see the peoples figure clearly. Hmm, is that so? And their physique was a large build. That meant those people werent......DryadorAlraune. What, that forest even has an Alraune? Indeed. But, in that case who might those people be. If thinking on the story we just heard then......the people ofReside Factionfrom 90 years ago, at this late came to south? Well that is true if we assume that the assault by those demons was unnatural. But then, why attack this city? It had been 90 years since the both factions had different opinions, right? It shouldnt be that they come this late to pick up a quarrel for venting out their anger, right...... We are living hard life in the north, but you people!Do you mean something like that? Yikes, they sure tiny calibre......or rather we dont even know if the people of north are even alive now, right Then, maybe they want to chase out the people living in this city and take possession ofFlower Valleyby themselves? Wait everyone just wait. Why is the talk continuing with the assumption ofNorthalways participating? Like that the outlook on the incident would only become narrow Thanks to Zari voicing it out, we three finallyAhnoticed his point. Well he sure was......correct. This was also only one of the possibilities without any evidence. Well, from Sherry-san opinion just now, there sure were chances that the assault was intentional......so I will place this opinion in a corner of my mind. But, in that case there would one more problem. But look, if this was someones intentional work......then those people wouldve used some way to control the demons and made them attack the city, right? Is there any method for that, information broker? Call me by my name......well, its not like there arent, out there, there are people who do that work In this world the ways tocontrol demonswas largely separated into 3. 1st was to just tame them just like wild animals. It was to make the demons recognize you as themasterby using any method, let it be using whip, prey or drugs. 2nd was, anAbilitylike that. That was something unique and was only usable by people withtalentspecializing in this field of work. For example the some werecats would be able to affix an emotional bond with some cat-type demons with high intelligence, and based on circumstances, they could enslave it, apparently. Among them there were also people who were born with thistalent. Details omitted. And the third method was to useSummoned BeastorFamiliars. This was even rarer, and was only known by magic-users who had a definite talent in this field of work. They would make their individual original magic and/or improve the magic formula to completely enslave the demons. ......Mom used to do this, if I remember correctly. When I tried to learn more details, she cut me off drastically with (Due to talent problems), It is impossible for Minato. Argh, now that I think about it, it wouldve been better to have learnt about it even if it was impossible for me. I didnt know what method those people used, but because 2nd and 3rd methods were very rare......then were they using 1st method? If theNorthwas the perpetrator, for arguments sake, then those people were originallyHunter Tribe......so it wouldnt be difficult for them to tame demons. But wouldnt those have a collar or something around their necks......I had checked that mountain of corpses but I hadnt found out any demon who wore something like that. Of course, there was also the possibility that they took it off for not leaving evidence. And it might be late, but does this incident have any relation with the Abduction Attempt on Dryads? They both were strange things and happened at the same time, so I thought they might have some connection. Anyhow, I didnt have enough information to make out a judgment...... (For the time being Minato, I dont know if this thing has any connection, but we cant leave Neil-chan and others, right?) (Thats true. Well if it got dangerous I would ask you to give out a telepathic message, and I head to save them) (So nothing else......got it, I will tell her) Elk, who had already mastered theTelepathywith the help of Dryad girls in just this short time, sent a telepathic message. Damn it, Im so envious. You damn fucking talent. And the person, who mightve wiretapped the talkCwith the help of a magic item, or rather why is still ON-, looked at me saying with his eyesI will help if you need it. ......Well thank you. Then the old woman, looking at our looks, seemed to have guessed something, but without pressing questions......she just heaved a sigh. Looks like some bad thing is occurring to the forest, its so sad......after all its a forest that gives us the blessing....... I pray that there are no people inNorthwho would do such a thing......if by any chance...... One beat later, If by chance......they enrage the God of Forest, then it wont be good...... God of Forest? Granny does this forest has that? Sherry-san got curious about the old womans words and returned a question. Its a legend......from the time, when we were still living inNorth....... If people cross the line and do bad things to the forest, then they would be judged by the anger of God of Forest...... ......If such a guarding deity was present then it would be good, and would also punish the evildoers Hey, you orange boy, dont put it out in words. The wrath of God of Forest is truly terrifying......in the legend it is said that several hundred years before, a village forgot its gratitude for forest and did bad things, in the end the village got eradicated and only an empty lot was let......It was also said to be the only village that was left to be destroyed in the end among the various villages in theNorthof that time...... Eh, did that thing really happen? Or rather, that is already not a guardian deity but a destruction deity, right......? ......What is there something scary too? Even if a God wasnt there......I dont think it would be true, but if a demon seeming like an angry destruction god was sleeping in this forest and it was the one who environmentally damaged the forest......? Oh geez, I came to this valley as an escort, but again I could feel that something troublesome was starting to occur...... ......Although I would endure that trouble to some extent And I pray, justthat guywould become......an imagination or just a by-passer and not get involved with me...... [1] Poor Elk and Sherry. [2] A cushion giving to when sitting or kneeling on the floor. For more info, Google it, or use your anime memories. Chapter 45 ~ 47 – Red tiger and『north』and the worst demon Chapter 45~47 C Red tiger andnorthand the worst demon This place was......a hilly area somewhat far from theFlower City. In the cave, that was set up as the entrance in the shade of a rock. It was dark and air was also bad, however based on appearance alone it wasnt easy to discover it......and this was a cave with likeable environment tothemfrom Hunting Tribe. There ten-odd men were sitting encircling a dim bonfire and were talking in that place where it was difficult to see after some metres. What about those two idiots? Did they die after all? Who knows. But they havent returned. It is better to think it like that Tch, this why hired hoodlums are shit......wouldnt it have been better if we ourselves went? Dont say it like that, they were quite familiar with the work of kidnapping, it was a great harvest the we got out the wiles from them......as for the rest, its better to do it by ourselves Yeah, for hunters like us everything is easy as long as we know the know-how. WeNorthare......different fromSouthwhich lives a comfortable and relaxed life They were talking while satisfying their hunger by eating jerky. It was just like Minato and others had guessed......they were the current generation of people from Hunting Tribe, who parted ways withMigration Factionin the generation of their grandfathers or great-grandfathers. They were employers of the two hoodlums Minato beat, but were killed cruelly by some unknown assailant......these people were who learned the wiles of kidnapping from the two people. Their goal was the abduction of Dryads. However, they neither were thinking of selling them, nor making them into their playthings. The source of everything was......the current condition ofNorth. They had been living a stoic lifestyle, like hunting and swidden agriculture (it had different names though), since a long time before, and they were living in that difficult environment while being blessed with prey. With that much, the people had been living vigorously and resolutely. However, the answer Mother Nature gave out to them, who had lived a stoic lifestyle for several hundred of years, was something terrific. The agriculture by burning the land would uselessly diminish the forest and destroy the environment, unless appropriate rotation means werent taken, this was something Minato, having previous worlds memories, knew about. Finally the limit came for the land because they had no such knowledge. The forest kept on disappearing, land kept on becoming infertile and demons kept on leaving. All things were serious matters for the hunting tribe people because it was related to their livelihood......and the negative effect of destruction of nature that had been going on for a long time span finally occurred and broke their livelihood foundation. Even among that the most severed was the annihilation of forest which blessed them with fruits, mushrooms, and meat of prey etc. That had been rapidly increasing in the past ten-odd years. And recently they finally understood that the reason it was happening wasnt just because of their burning forests. The rapid speed was because of the other reason. It was......the existence ofDryad. Although being demons, they were a spirit race, and were called as the incarnation and guardian deity of forest. They were an existence born from the plants and magical energy of forest, but they werent an existence that were just born from forest and protected it. Dryad and Alraune with power of sprites had the ability to purify the magical energy in the atmosphere of forest to benefit the forest. That ability worked even without their awareness, with them being there it would automatically function. In simple words, the forest Dryads were born had clear and affluent nature and environment. ......and with the Dryad being there it would become more clean and affluent. In the forest that once spread all the way to theGreen Canyonhad Dryads living in it, but because they werent as much in numbers as in South, that the habitants didnt knew about them. However there......the humans living in the northern grounds kept on burning down their forest, and the Dryads ofNorthunderstood that this place was now gone. In the past few decades they all moved toSouth, where there were friendlier humans and affluent environment. Because it was the same as aforest, and naturally the southern side was affluent that they were able to migrate without any problems of dying from the lack of life force. On the other hand, in the northern forest, the birth of Dryad itself stopped. And finally: ten-odd years ago. Not even a single Dryad was present in the northern forest. No new ones were even born. With that as the turning point, the forest rapidly started decaying......nowadays the numbers of prey was only walking on the way of decline. The wild animal species demons were only increasing that couldnt be eaten even if boiled or grilled. The people ofReside Factionrealized that face, but it was already too late! It was obvious that the damage dealt had reached a point of no return, and the forest would completely die if they kept on living the same way. However, even for living after leaving this place was a thorny path for them, because compared to theSouththey had cut off any contact with outside. Thinking that, a group of people from the nearly dead North colluded and commenced the solution strategy. That was the abduction of Dryad living in the South. They were trying toregenerate the forestwith the power of Dryad they kidnapped from South and thrown in the northern forest. They were trying to revert it into a forest that would give them blessings like before. It was a plan relying on the legend that seemed like a fairy-tale, but concerning the results this method was correct. And they had no other means, so they desperately cling on the straw of hope, and commenced the plan. It was having a humans figure? It should be a demon, no problem, hehe, right? Yeah, just the living place will change to a little north side. We will accomplish this However, there is a problem. I dont know if it has anything to do with the disappearance of the two hoodlums, but......there is an A-ranker adventurer inSouthas a hired escort. And there is a high possibility of that guy being in contact with the Dryads of South Is that true? Yeah, I have conjectured his information before, but......the possibility is really high. In the bad case, he had sniffed out about us and would hinder in the abduction of Dryads Is that authentic? Isnt that information from that bastard of South? Dont worry, he isnt a guy who doesnt know his situation......and theres no profit for him to lie currently But well, that is a problem in itself......it is a A-Rank Adventurer, a true monster Dont worry about that......I have thought out a plan for that A man among the men said that. Hearing those words, everyones stares gathered upon him. Mwhahaha, An eye for an eye and......An A-ranker for an A-ranker! Few Days from the day of assault. These couple of days went by peacefully without any incident occurring. The negotiations of traders from sis place had been advancing favourably. Let it be kidnapping, let it be assault by demons, with all these dangerous estimations flying about, I thought that something dangerous would surely happened, but nothing happened. We didnt let down our guard......but because we didnt know against what to be vigilant for that we were just having a contact with Neil-chan at periodic intervals while using Elk as intermediary. Elk had now truly completely mastered theTelepathy, and could, at will, send transmissions and receive them. Zari being Zari, continued on his work as an information broker, and apparently was worrying about if there were any strange people. Basically he was a person who put the saying a wise man keeps away from danger into actual practice, but even that him wasnt as cruel to keep quiet and see little girls being abducted. Also, Sherry-san also thought that this situation was strange and......was on her guard, more or less, but just that much. It seemed like she would be first one to move out if something happened. Well it was only natural, neither us nor her are police. Incidentally, we havent told Sherry-san about.......either Dryad girls or the kidnappers. No, it wasnt like I doubted her, but I didnt trust her enough to speak about everything completely. In the exchange of information, the discreet caution was needed. Conversely, she also wouldnt have trusted us completely as comrades. I decided this dealing method along with Elk. Incidentally if that Zari hadnt wiretapped, or noticed about the existence of Neil-chan and other Dryads (Neil-chan was an Alraune though), then this wouldve been a secret from him too. ......Ah also, later on, we had a strange story by the Eldest old woman. TheTelepathyused by Dryad and Alraune was a magic from a different system than the telepathy used by common people, apparently. Hence the talk between two Dryads couldnt be heard by normal people. The people who could talk with spirit species, even among the demi-humans, were like Elf, or other species that had power near to that of spirits. As exceptions were, the extremely rare, humans with talent to catch and contact via that telepathy......so by chance Elk had a talent like that? Zari had a Magic Item, but Elk didnt have any item like that to use......I cant think but feel that it was because of her inherent talent...... Like that, while maintaining the minimum wariness, and with the clever way of enjoying the city we patrolled here and there, like that, we headed to the last day of our stay in this valley. According to the information from traders, in a couple of days, Trader Groups from other Trading Associations of other cities and villages would arrive here. And, we, having come here first, would be able to return first and deliver the fresh flowers. This only meant the difference in the tact of information gather ability and gathering the escorts. Even for the flowers that come out in market duringseason, had dispersion during the time of harvest, so the moment sis got the information of well-sellingflowersbeing harvested, she made a Trader Group and sent us out; like that we outwitted the others. While being impressed by the information gathering ability of sis association, it felt like this quest would end without any problems other than our over-anxiety...... ......There was also a time I thought that. Its the demoooooooons!, the demons are comiiiiiinnnnnggg!!!! Minato!! A transmission came from Neil-chan, its those kidnappers from before!! Yeah, I had a bad feeling, but if possible, it shouldve been just one thing out of these two!! Today I truly thought that, what if these two incidents were related. For the time being, I couldnt leave the situation as it was......so I sent Elk to Dryads, and I went to take on the demons. Although, after quickly getting rid of demons, I intend to quickly meet up with Elk and others. I sent Alva with Elk. It, recently, had been able to put up a barrier, so it could fight on both sides of offence and defence. On my side were demons of level C and B, if I didnt give a damn about the eyes of people then I couldve insta-killed them all. Well If Alva were with me then it wouldve been easier with its extra-long distance attacks. Hence, thinking about the safety of Elk and the Dryads, I let it go with her. But in truth, even the current Elk would be fine against bandits as opponents, I think. Well, the point of worry......was that Alva made a mistake and it led to deforestation, just that much. While thinking that, I reached the entrance of village......and sure enough the demons from before were attacking, like wolf, ox, winged-snake, scaled-gorilla, and various others. The majority were E or F Ranked small fries, but among them there were some D and C Ranked demons here and there. If I let others handle it, it would be difficult. Hence, it would idiotic to take my time, and after politely shaking off other adventurers and escorts, I got done with strong looking demons within 30 seconds using everything at my disposal, punches, kicks, stick and iron ball. H-hey brat! Dont be reckless to take on that many demons alone! Thats right, dont put on airs! Were both adventurers, its better to fight by cooperat (*crack crack boom*)......Ah......um...... After finishing, I felt other people looking at me as if, I were some adult who rammed in a teenager fighting completion and won decisively and was happy too. Just why look at me like that? ......Well whatever. After going out a little bit seriously I finished half of the demons and said to others in a roundabout way: I finished about half of them, so leaving the rest to you? It seemed like I was saying a fair reasoning, but it was just me pushing the other work to them, but to make up for that I was boosting up the pride of other adventurers and bodyguards, yeah, something like that...... It wasnt funny for the seniors that a child like me defeated so many while they didnt a thing, so after my proposal they all pleasantly agreed to it and started killing the remnants of demons. The rest were mostly F and E......as for the some D and C ones left would be done in by that guy (Zari), without any causalities, right?. I was thinking that......but I didnt notice a certain thing. The person, who was killing in front of everyone in the raid some days before, wasnt present right now. And that person appeared when......I almost entered the forest, where Elk and others might be fighting. Hey, young man......how about playing with me? Not in her usual battle dress......but while wearing steel armour covering her upper body, she took out the sword hanging on her waist, just by looking it could be understand that she was in her full armed state. And like that......Sherry-san stood in front of me, who was trying to enter the forest. That day, The plan ofNorthwas put in practice. If they let go today, then from tomorrow and after that, new Trader Groups Cthe people who got information later and would simultaneously enter the Flower City for restocking-, would come, along with strong adventurers. If they were sensed by anyone of those adventurers and were hindered in their plans, then they would be in more disadvantages. If Compared to now. Hence, their decision was that it was current time best for putting their plan in practice. And to them......other than meddling adventurers, one more obstacle existed. Those were the demons living in the forest. They were in a coexisting relationship with the Dryad......no, the forest itself, and hence wouldnt attack the Dryads. Moreover there even some among them who would attack those that tried to harm the Dryads. Even without doing that, the people fromNorth, were an existence that would normally get attacked by demons. And it wasnt just danger, but it would be problem if other Dryads heard their fighting sounds and escaped. There the method they chose was......using a drug made from a certain flower found in northern forest, and temporarily making the demons submissive. In that time they would abduct the Dryads and finish everything before the adventurers in the city knew about it. However, there was a side effect in thatdrug. It was a type of incense type odourless colourless drug used by burning. In turn for calming down the demons temporarily......it would later make then in an extremely agitated state, so they start indiscriminately killing everything in the surroundings. The assault of the other day and this time was......because they werent able to finish the abduction in fixed amount of time that the demons got back their brutal nature in a boosted state. The blood on the fangs of demons the other day was not of city guards......but it was of people fromNorth, who thought the drug was working perfectly and let down their guard. And this time, using this method they incorrigibly started their work of kidnapping the Dryads......and for not having meddling adventurers affecting their tactics, they led the demons to the city and let those adventurer take their time in defending. ......And there was one more problem. They had also put their plan in practice to hinder theA-rankerwho wouldnt be stopped with just demons. ......They took on the method to make twoA-rankersfight each others, and not hinder their work. The result their plan brought was told by the current scene. ......Im the, mastermind? Thats right. I have heard from the town head? That night......when demons attacked the first time, you were meeting with some men in the darkness, right? They were the perpetrator who instigated demons to attack the city......and you are their co-operator, or so the town head is doubting No, even if you say something crazy to me all of a sudden......I dont have a memory like that at all Minato was trying to enter the forest. However, he was put in the testimony of falsehood and doubt, and Sherry, standing in front of him, wouldnt allow that. She seemed to not show any considerable reaction to the words of Minato. Isnt it some misjudgement by the town head? I was truly......no, well I surely didnt participate in defending the city, but I indeed have not met with suspicious men like that Hmm~...... Then......for a short amount of time, Sherry shut her mouth up. Her facial expression and complexion didnt change a bit. She was just staring at Minato. As though......she were waiting to see his reactions for seeing through Minatos lie. Minato also, in this situation without a reply coming back for several seconds, squint his eyes. .......And, There were some people in the forest......watching them in a way to be discovered by any of the two. It went without saying that those were the people fromNorth. ......Hey, how is it, is it going well? Yeah, from the looks of it......it is going fine for now. The woman seems to completely doubt the guy......it doesnt feel like it will end so easily I see, then fine. ......Looks like the town head ofSouthdid his work properly While talking like that, the several men fromNorthkept on watching a pair of black and red, boy and girl standing in front of each other. Even so, that woman......sure has a sexy body, right Youre right......there is not even a single one like that in our village. Even I can now understand the reason for starting the work of kidnapping Hey, stop thinking anymore. A-rankers are called monsters. Even if we assaulted her, it would end up us being killed I know. Isnt that the reason we are making two A-rankers fight each other? While they were chatting......the all noticed the change in the atmosphere between the two people standing. ......Is it my imagination? What is? After ten-odd seconds of silence, both of them opened their mouths. Sherry-san......you dont seem to stop me because you suspect me and have a chivalrous spirit......it seems like you found stopping me as an excuse to fight against me and seem quite happy about it ......*chuckle*, youre sharp In an instant, The Sherry-san that seemed like a normal girl before......now seemed to have a brutal colour on her, maybe because she was emitting her belligerent presence without any stopping, and in her eyes was a fiendish light. On the contrary the brow of Minato was slightly raised up. It isnt like......youre not suspicious, right? In that case I willstop youbefore you go inside the forest and call other demons......it is completely normal thing to do as an adventurer for controlling the causalities, theres nothing strange in that ......Like I said, I dont know anything You want me to believe it? Just impossible, theres no proof or anything At a glance, it looked like they were having a question and answer debate......but the atmosphere around them wasnt something that would be flowing during achat. After all, no matter how one looked at it......Sherry seemed to have beenenduringtill now. If you dont want to fight, then its simple. Just go back and participate in the defensive battle. I will also go there. If you dont have a reason for not doing it......our fight is inevitable ......That is unreasonable. I have some work to do in this forest, though I cant explain in details Its so sad that you wouldnt say a thing. Do you not trust me enough to tell me about the problems......or do you have some shady business to do in here......well, whatever. The negotiations......have failed Then, *Swish* Sherry took stance with the swordin her handand an obvious fighting spirit......as though she had been waiting to say those words since the start. If you tru~ly want to go in the forest......I will only have to hinder you, right? Just as an adventurer, my decision isnt wrong...... ......Its fine now? I dont care anymore, even if you speak out your mind Oh, I see, then, accepting your offer One beat later, Im happy......to finally fight with you in a serious battle, youre the strongest among the ones I have met till now......!! In truth, I dont care even a bit whether you are a friend or foe......well then......shant we fight with all our strength, for not having any regrets later! Minato heaved a sigh seeing Sherry speak out hermindwithout any hesitation. And on his face, an displeased, irritated expression appeared. ......This is why I hate......battle maniacs......! He said as though to spit it out. He let out his unpleasant feelings and glared at Sherry, if people who knew him saw this scene, they surely would be surprised. And, he guessed that saying anymore wouldnt help a bit that......Minato took his stance, putting his two fists in front of his chest......and kept on glaring at Sherry. Then, Hehe, this......was unexpected, looks like we get a free side show, right? Yeah......it isnt seen easily, the battle to death of two monsters! While taking on the stares of people fromNorth, who were given the job of observers......the two A-rankers kicked off the ground at the same time and with a *claannnnggg* ear-splitting metallic sound, they clashed. At that time, In the depths of forest......there was someone that tried to move as if it was provoked by the noisy sounds coming from here and there in the forest. The sounds of fighting, bellows of warriors resounded inside and outside of the forest. The smell of blood came while riding on the winds. As thought it were woken up by those, it secretly raised up its green-coloured big lizard-like body. And......maybe because it just woke up, or it was like that from before......that it started moving in a slow manner, towards the direction he could find prey for satisfying his hunger. Without anyone knowing, the woken up monster, didnt take much time before......reaching the battlefield filled with the ulterior motives of adventurers and demons, NorthandSouth. You, bitch......dont interfere! Unrelated people should just back off! I will do it, do you slut! Shut up, you scum assholes!! *creak creak boom!* Aaaaahh!? Holding the dagger in one hand, and using the recently improved Taijutsu along with Body Enhancing Magic, she had just recently started to dabble into......Elk was protecting the Dryads while beating the hunters ofNorth. Especially, she kicked couple of times more to the three men who said quite displeasing lines to her, at least to a woman it wouldnt be good lines......like that she made then faint. Moreover, (......Their movements are slow......) While protecting the Dryads and taking on several people head on, she still had the composure to judge her abilities. To this feeling that the three-months-before her wouldnt have even thought about, she felt the fresh novel feeling. Compared to Minato she had always been sparring against......their movements were slow, had too many gaps and had too many useless movements. Reading the trajectory of their attacks, and predicting their next attacks were both easy. ......There was even time when she had enough composure to think that she hadnt thought about the next attack following next attack. While fighting, she remembered Minato always speaking thatThe current Elk has the ability of a C-Ranker precisely. Elk had always thought it was just him flattering her, but......she was shocked at her power to overpower these men, who werehunters. However, her shock didnt remain for long and she didnt show any gaps, while two people from theNorthwere watching Elk as though they were seeing an annoying serpent and scorpion. (......Minato and others (?) are also fighting right now......I will make it do somehow solely here!) You damn slut......why are you hindering us! Thats right! Outsiders just fuck off! Why are you protecting them from before! They are demons, dont ya know!? Yo don have any obligation to protect it! Even if you ask, why...... At the moment......Elks expression became strange because the words she was about to say were completely overlapping words that Minato would say. However in the end, ......Well, I got friendly with them, didnt want to let them alone......just a whim, yeah whim She said those words that Minato, once said to her. ......!? Dont fuck around! Our future livelihood is at stake! Hearing Elks words one of the man lost his cool and spit out their goal of regenerating thenorthernforest. That, dont hinder because we got an important reason for that. However naturally the Dryads behind Elk CAlraune wasnt here, she was leading other Dryads for evacuation- raised their objections, as though saying, dont kid around. Dont go kidding around! We dont want go to a place like that! Its you misters in wrong for burning the forest! Thats right, thats right! Huuh!? you shitty likes of demons shut up forever! The hunter shouted with nerves appearing on his face, that was scary. That impact wasnt something normal......the Dryads faltered screamingHiii!. Tch, it wont end like this......Hey, you go call for backup! Yeah, got it. Damn it, just you wait green bitch! Just as my friends gather here, you will be...... ......Did you just call me by a weird name...... She couldnt deny it......and an example of aBlack Manflashbacked in her mind, and Elks warped strangely. The moment......she tried to sink the man, who had an angry face, while intercepting his attack. W-What is......Gyaaaaaaaaa!? !? Abruptly the scream of the man, who just went to call for backup, resounded. At the same time *swish* a sound of......something sharp cutting something, an ominous sound......reached the ears of everyone present at that place. (......What? Demon......?) Right after Elk thought that, The brushwood behind the last man present there shook, and from there thatsomethingappeared. The man turned behind, shoutedW-what the fuck you are!, got scared and tried to cut at it with the sword in his hand...... The moment he raised his sword, an attack from thesomethingcame and the man was split in two half, up and down. ......Kah......Ah? He wasnt even able to raise death agony......everything happened so fast that it seemed like he didnt even realize that he was dead. The Dryads unexpectedly......were made to watch that scene, and started trembling violently. As for Elk, (......2 legs, big......lizard......!?) She at once spread out her hands to protect the Dryads behind her, and didnt point her dagger towards the......demon (probably). However she wasnt able to do anything else. The creature in front of her......had little differences from the traits she and Minato had heard from a group of Dryads......even so her eyes were nailed on the something strange creature. Her eyes went on the fangs that had killed the hunter in a single attack. Seeing those her body stopped moving from fear. Like that the glaring competition between Elk protecting the Dryads, and thatsomethingcontinued for a total of......some seconds. Like that thesomethingsuddenly turned to a different direction, as though it lost interest in Elk......and like that it went away, without turning back. It didnt even take couple of seconds before it went away from her eyesight. ......I, was, saved......? It was even couple of seconds later that Elk......squeezed out those words from her throat while losing all her power. At the same time, In the battlefield here......a scene on a level incomparable to that of war front with demons and hunters fighting was unfolded, while the hunters ofNorthwere watching that from the other side of the bushes covering the area. Haaaaaaaahhhhh!! Along with a war cry, Sherry charged at the speed of an arrow, and swung downward her sword from above her head. Minato warded off it with his gauntlets, and tending to counter it let out a left straight punch. Sherry twisted her body at once, but the attack grazed by the tip of her shoulder, and the armour she was wearing made a not-good dull sound. She perceived that the hit-part had been indented. She shouldve evaded the attack with her rotating, but this power. If she had took it head, god knows what wouldve happened, even spectators could easily understand that. However, Sherry wasnt scared in the least......rather she go more happy and swung her sideways. Moreover that sword......at one moment it seemed to be clad in red magical energy, the next moment it was clad in flames burning crazily. That sort of sword attack was deployed along with severe heat. Minato was surely shocked at that fact, but with light and nimble movements he jumped back and evaded the attack, however he took the stance with his fists to restrain pursuing after the attack. Sherry who was trying to step forward for another sword attack couldnt find any gaps in Minato, and so stopped in her tracks. However, the rumblingly burning flames were still coiling around the sword, and her face still had a ferocious smile on her face. ......You sure are having a great sword. Its my first time seeing something like that Isnt this great? It my family heirloom since long past. It is said that this was created by the fangs of a demon my ancestor defeated, I think it wasSoleil Tiger. This is a demonic sword that could be clad in flames with a high temperature that it could easily cut down iron ......I know its late, but just why did you proposed to have a mock battle with that sword Minato gave a fed-up expression upon remembering Sherry, some days ago, demanding a mock battle with the real sword because of a boring reason likemetal fake sword breaks easily. However, there was timid expression on Sherry. But you see, even I am shocked. Ive never seen an protector that wouldnt deform or even have a scratch after taking this sword head on. What are those gauntlets and shin-guards made out of? It is called asJoker Metal......well, even I dont know the details. No matter how much I overuse it, it wouldnt have any problems, so it helps a lot Heh, I see. *chuckle* looks like the fight will get more and more enjoyable......right! Immediately after, Sherry kicked the ground while flaring up the flames even more. The minute she rushed in the range sphere, the fierce fire blade rushed at him from down, above, right, right and every other place. It was a rapid attack that couldnt even be seen by a common person, who would probably burned to crisp just being near the attack. If the opponent were hunters fromNorththey wouldve been, in one second, torn from limb to limb while being grilled too. However Minato, either evaded them all or took it on with his gauntlets and shin-guards. That heat was something one would find difficulty breathing in but it didnt seem the same for him, there was not even a speck of anguish on his face. He was handling the rapid attacks with an expressionless yet bored face. That appearance of his, made the hunters shudder in fear. H-Hey what the hell is this fight...... Arent they truly fucking monsters......if we take on even one, its normal we would die...... So this is......A Rank...... Hey hey hey hey hey! What happened Black Lion? If you just defend and evade, you wont be able to win against me!? ......Hah Why are you sighing? So rude, right in the middle of fight! I love strong people, but those who wont concentrate in the fights are ones I hate! If youre a man dont disappoint a girl, right? Concentrate! More! To get a good fight......!? Sherry said. Right after evading a large swing attack, Minatos fist cut through air......and attacked Sherrys stomach from the middle-lower position. The perfectness of timing was also a main factor in that perfect punch that any ordinary person wouldnt even see......but Sherry reacted at the last moment, and forced herself to change the posture, then jumped back. But, as expected she was too late in evading. Minatos black fist, as if getting sucked in, attacked the stomach......part of the armour covering it...... Along with a *Dong* tremendous sound, it was deformed as if it were a clump of clay. This was an profound armour that could even stop an attack from a steel sword and arrow completely. Maybe it passed through the armour and reached her stomach, that Sherry......and others opened their eyes wide, just to that power behind the fists. Sherry landed and fell on her knees while coughing violently. Kah, ha......! Th-This was......above my expectations....... As expected of Black Lion...... This scene looked like that just a single attack had changed the situation. Although she didnt vomit blood, but the surroundings understood that she took no small degree of damage. Geez, I knew you have a crazy power, but for it to be to this extent....... From the impact I understand that it would end for me if I took even one head-on......*sigh*, it made learn a lot ......That was great. Then, let me tell you one more thing In the eyes of Minato saying those words casually was theboredexpression. With that expression and attitude it was obvious that he wasnt enjoying the current situation, unlike Sherry. You see Im still a child, and I have my extreme preferences of other people......and among them, there some people whom I hate a lot, truly hate them Heh, I see......are they Battle Maniacs? No......they are peoplewho love to force sense of values on others S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Minato said......and collided his two fists together, making a *cling* sound resound, and looked at Sherry with eyes that seemed even more colder. I dont give a shit no matter how others perceive things, or have sense of values and doctrines, unless it cause me harm. But I hate people who keep on pushing that to others without minding any trouble caused to the surroundings. Right after addingLike Battle Maniacs, Minato kicked the ground and attacked. To that force, Sherry blanked out for a second. He aimed at the left shoulder of her armour and punched it. It was later by the time she even tried to evade, the part that took the impact was crushed into pieces and blew away. However the attack didnt with just that, the rush seeming similar to Sherrys attack from before attacked her. It was faster than the attack before, along with flexible attacks also assaulting. She had the choice of evading or handling it well with just sword, however she couldnt do any in time, like that every time the fist was fired the armour would break, indent, and the parts would be blown away. She blocked some of the attacks with the sword......but the sword was perfectly fine without even a single nick on the blade. There wasnt any composure left in Sherrys expression, but......even so, from the smile on her face, it could surmised that she was enjoying this situation also. Rather, seeing the offense side of Minato, who had been on the defensive fight since before, her battle maniac blood was stimulated and she even seemed to be happy and elated. The figure of Sherry, who saw the momentous gap during the rush and escaped, now completely different from some seconds before. The armour that seemed to scream Im expensive stuff turned into a tragic stuff, there was not many places that seemed fine. Some places had even burst open. Her appearance while breathing heavily was already filled with scars all over her body......in the first place, the difference between the ability between the two was made obvious in the exchange of offense and defence just now. However from her appearance of taking stance with the sword, the intention of continuing the fight, no, enjoying the fight was easily transmitted to the surroundings. Good, you are indeed good......! Among the people Ive met, you are without a doubt the strongest! To the point I cant see my winning! This is......this is the fight I had always been wanting to do......! ......It isnt just your armour that is worn out, right? The damage mustve passed to the inside too......if you continue then you will surely die Hahahahah! What are you saying? A fight this enjoyable......I cant possibly stop it in between, right? Let me ask you, if there was the best dish in front of you, the naked body of a non-resistant girl, would you be able to hold back? As a man ......I do agree that is quite a fascinating opportunity, but because we could endure our desires that reason has its meaning, right. First of all, although I look like this, Im devoted to just a single girl all the way Oh is that so? Then as a man......you need to learn being more greedy! This fight had reached a point where it wouldnt stop until one died. The fight between Ecstatic Sword and Displeased Fist, currently again were going to clash against each other......at that time. ......Hm? You who areCGuhahah!? !? The hunters of theNorthwere observing......err, sightseeing the fight between the two while surrounding them. One of them jumped out of the bushes. No, he was kicked out was a certain person. And, due to the abrupt incident the hunters were shocked, and while their stares concentrated, the certain person was...... Good enough now, both of you Stop! Mission completed, Rescued safely. Now stop with you acting already Zari Tranter said, while his orange hair fluttered, just before Minato and Sherry collided. Then the next moment, Youre too late Zari! I was already feeling chilly sometimes! Couldnt you have been any faster!? Eeh, is it done already? Tch, I wanted to fight a bit more See! Because she is like this that it was quite difficult for me! ......!? The hunters were magnificently confused seeing Minato and Sherry talking in a friendly manner, while the dangerous atmosphere from before went away as if it were a lie. Well, in short, it was all an act. From the time Sherry-san appeared, and from the time that long silence appeared......it was completely acting start at that point. For the purpose of rescuing thehostage......during the time we deceived those hunters. In the first place, the biggest out of place feeling was Sherry-san being heavily armed. Her fighting style was to evade the attacks with her nimble movements and fight. Her normal equipment was also a light armour for not interfering with her movements. It was obvious from her fighting style after the couple of days of working as escorts. It was quite plainly obvious that she wouldnt be able to fight properly while wearing that heavy-looking armour, that armour was even suiting her in the first place......at first even I had thoughEh, costume?. When I was thinking that, in my head, came thetelepathictransmission from Elk and Sherry-san......and then I learned about the information of behind the scenes. The reason it came to light was because, the town head truly said to Sherry-san thatMinato-dono seems suspicious. At that time Sherry-san suspected thetown head. That was because he had said something crazy......and also because of an unusual line he said onthat night. On the night of the demon raid some days ago, The town head, during the conversation......saidJust whowhen there was no possibilities of the raid being an unnatural one, at that time. As if he knew that some human was the reason being the assault. However, there was also a possibility of it just being a figure of speech, therefore, although I also noticed it......but didnt pursue it any further. Sherry-san told me that night, that there was another unusual place in town heads words. That night, the town head said something like this. However......Wing Boa,Lizard KongandRhinosaurus......these demons surely never appear in this area. Just who...... The town head only reached the place after the corpses of every demons were tidied up. Even so, he knew the demons that attacked, even their species, along with the fact that they all came from theNorthern Part, it was all as though he knew about it from before. After all he shouldnt have seen the corpses, after we people tidied it up. The destination the corpses were tidied up was in the completely different direction from town heads place of work. Moreover it was dark in the night. So there was no possibility of seeing that by coincidence en route. When Sherry-san asked about it in nonchalant manner, the town head stammered a bit and told that it was his subordinated, who came report about the raid of demons told him about their species. Well certainly, that was also plausible. But, it was still strange. Rather, with his that statement the fishiness only increased. After all, among the species of the demon the town head was speaking in a calm manner, the one calledWing Boa......wasnt existing among the horde of demons that raided the city that night. I asked about it to Sherry-san. The snake with feathers and wings was from a species called asFeather Snake......their behaviour was like that of migratory birds, and were a type of demons which wouldnt live in a fixed area. Moreover maybe because of their high wariness, the route they crossed was different every year, it was even said that the route they used once would not be used for another couple of decades. Hence, it was an extremely rare demon that most of adventurers had not seen. Although theWing Boaliving inNorthdidnt appear in this area, their appearance was quite known via various books and documents. It was a snake with a part of its body in the shape of wings-spread out. However contrary to its name, the wings were there just for threatening and they werent able to truly fly. As an image it would be great to think of it as a King Cobra from my previous world, with its base of throat spread out in the shape of wings. For arguments sake, lets say the subordinate didnt know the name ofFeather Snake, but he couldnt have mistaken it asWing Boa, now could he? Although they both were snake-type demons, but they werent so similar to be mistaken for each other. In short, the information about the species of demons didnt reach to the town head via his subordinate. Nevertheless, the town head told the species of most, if not all, of the demons that raided......and even concluded that they all lived inmore norththan here. Why was he able to think up to there. If thinking by combing the figure of speech from before, it was easy to think that he something from before. He knew that if there was an attacksomeone, thenwhatwould raid in, at least roughly he knew about that. The suspicions were weak, but they were all without doubt certain doubts. Sherry-sans doubts only increased because of the addedsecret information, and was secretly asking the people in city all over the place, at that time, she head a certain truth. The daughter of town head went to rest couple of days after getting infected by an endemic disease. And from the day of going to rest, she never appeared in front of people. After asking the person said to be her attending doctor, it came to light that it was all a lie......and Sherry-san was now even more convinced that, Yeah, she is kidnapped. The daughter of town head was taken toNorthas an hostage, and was being forced to cooperate in the work these people were trying to do. As a part of that, some false information reached Sherry-sans ears, trying to instigate enmity between us two, at that time, Sherry-san completely noticed. Sherry-san took everything into heed, told Zari about the information just some time before......and after a conversation likeFrankly it is too bad a talk, but cant anything be doneOK! I will look into it, the next time I saw her was standing in front of me. At that time, Sherry-san, being a dark Elf, usedTelepathyand proposed this offer to me. Or rather both me and Sherry-san already knew that there people hiding in the surroundings, watching us. They were failures as covert observers. Learn something from Zari. It might seem like self-boast, but although normal adventurers wouldnt be able to find them......but to use both, it didnt seem like they were hiding. Like that I agreed to Sherry-sans offer, left the protection of Dryads to Elk and Zari, along with searching for the hostage, like that I started battle with Sherry-san. To buy time. Incidentally, the armour of Sherry-san, was apropto increase the impact of battle......and not let them find out that this was an act. I could pulverize steel with my bare hands. Like that, it was an act......with schemes interweaved. Thats right it was just an act......it was supposed to be. Somewhere along the way, thats right, from that point. From the time Sherry-san clad her sword in flames......I thoughtHuh?...... Her eyes, were serious at that time. And started the fierce attack that would kill anyone, if it werent me. In fact, looks like this battle maniac girl acted while enduring a lot. Good, you are indeed good......! Among the people Ive met, you are without a doubt the strongest! To the point I cant see my winning! This is......this is the fight I had always been wanting to do......! ......It isnt just your armour that is worn out, right? The damage mustve passed to the inside too......if you continue then you will surely die Hahahahah! What are you saying? A fight this enjoyable......I cant possibly stop it in between, right? Let me ask you, if there was the best dish in front of you, the naked body of a non-resistant girl, would you be able to hold back? As a man ......I do agree that is quite a fascinating opportunity, but because we could endure our desires that reason has its meaning, right. First of all, although I look like this, Im devoted to just a single girl all the way Oh is that so? Then as a man......you need to learn being more greedy! We were having a crazy conversation in high spirits (of course I just broke the armour and dealt no damage to her), but in truth, Wait Sherry-san!? Dan-oi, thats dangerous! Ow, hot!? No, this is an act, this is an act, right!? It seems to become more serious......hey your eye are serious!? Eh, what? Well whatever, Minato-kun, if you dont want to be injured concentrate on the battle No, calm down you battle maniac! Hasnt this surpassed the level of acting! It burns, you know!? If it wasnt, it wouldnt just end with injury!? Isnt it fine that you are unhurt! This much serious......no I mean bloodcurdling feeling will make it enjoyable......no I mean, realistic, right? Wtf you say!? Hey you, you just saidseriousandenjoyableright, right!? Or rather, youre killing intent is out, sword speed is already too serious, and it is hot even without burning ......Only we both knew about theTelepathictransmission going behind the scenes. And as if trying to support it, Sherry-sans eyes were still sparking. 1. I learnt a good and important thing today. Never to fight with this person, even in an act. W-Well ignoring that. The fact Zari had already come here means the hostage are...... Yeah, its all fine, now. I rescued the daughter of town head, and delivered her to him just before. Thats why, stop the act, OK? Great, good job Zari. Well its like Sherry-san It was fine if you have come a little la...... Yes useless talk also STOP! We need to get the sightseeing fees from the audience in the surroundings, right? Forcibly cutting the conversation, I glare at bushes, behind which they were hiding. Geez, these bastards were talking as they wanted, like monsters, best shows and whatnot. It would help me cool down, lets start another riot! It was over in several minutes. All that was left was the heaps of corpses lying around. There were some who came at me desperately, while some ran away. The ones that came at me showed strong killing intent, so I didnt hold back. We needed a person for testimony, so I quickly brought down some people that seemed to be leading figures. They were still alive, more or less......but because there was no rope for tying them up, I dislocated their both hands and legs, and bone fracture and *mumble mumble*. The reason I did itquicklywas because if I left it Sherry-san, they would, without any doubt, die in a second. Sherry-san normally has leniency against people who come at her with killing intent. She kills them in a single stroke, as if to say an eye for an eye. Because, I knew about that from the bandit subjugation we did while coming here. But I, particularly, dont have thought to say anything about that. If other side came to kill one, they should be prepared to be killed. Cruel or going too far, were words that nobody had the right to say, and no one had the reason to tell. If one were to be aimed, then it didnt matter if there was any danger or not based on their abilities, but it was up to the person to do whatever they wanted. Even I try my upmost to not kill, but if needed I would also kill. But if one asked what time it wasneeded, then sorry but I dont think I could give out an immediate answer. Of course, it wouldnt be enough an excuse that they werent bandits but hunters, I also wouldnt give a shit if they told me they had families in their hometown. I didnt think that as pitiful. So I wouldnt hesitate. But just because it wouldve been problematic if people who would give out testimony, died, so I was in a hurry. Moreover the people who ran away, Zari took care of them. I dont think they were able to run away, but dont the exact details of what happened to them. And incidentally, after threatening a bit we squeezed information out of them, and apparently the daughter of town head was truly taken as hostage. To support in keeping adventurers at a distance for not hindering in their abduction plan. At the time threatening, maybe because of terror one spoke out desperatelyWe can even raise demons, its fine for us to attack you peace idiot peoples village! They lined up demons for threatening including the one demon, that is politely known inSouthas......Wing Boa. And the demons on that nights attack were ones who got agitated because of a side effect of some sedative. The town head mustve truly thought that for threatening the people ofNorthwould send some of their own demons. The coincidences overlapped. ......Well then, Now that everything to was over, I ignored the frustrated gazes at me, and dragged them to their companions inside the forest, and arrest all of them, then finish them off. After that, the left demons were also killed, like this case closed...... Gaaaaoooooooooo!!! ......!? ......Or so I truly wanted...... Apparently, it had turned into a situation that wouldnt end like this easily. I heard something. From the area where adventurers were fighting against the monsters, an unpleasant growl came. It just felt like......one scene of carnage stopped, but now another truly terrifying stuff was waiting for us......!! The guards of village came at the best time, we handed over the several people ofNorthfor the purpose of testimonies, and both Sherry-san and I dashed in the direction of that growl. During that time, What what!? Minato-kun youre so fast! Hmm, Elk-chan is always going here and there with such a comfortable transport vehicle!? Nooo, so envious! No, the person herself feels bad, even nauseated. Or rather, if you keep on talking, you will bite your tongue, okay? I said. For reducing the time taken, I castedAnother Person Enhancementon Sherry-san and, just as I had done with Elk, gave her a piggyback ride, then dashed with a speed more than a car, but, Err......the two big parts, that were even bigger than Elks, unintentionally hit my back......and from the feeling it could understood that they were deforming a lot. Currently I thought rationally that it would be have been easier to carry her in my arms. Well, we would reach the destination in less than several minutes, so persevere it endure it. Moreover......it was truth that this situation wasnt something I could be so relaxed. And, When I reached the place, where adventurers and bodyguards were dealing with demons who had become ferocious due to the side effect of the drug used by people fromNorth, There was big panic there that made me think that the people werent veteran warriors. There was a......big, green-coloured, lizard-likesomething. Walking heavily on its two legs, it was moving down everyone in its direction of travel and pushed them into their mouths. Its height was more than 10 metres high, and it looked like a lizard, thatsomething. Seeing the scene of grasses being mashed under its legs meant that it probably came out from the forest. Something amazing came out, right......what is that? Lizard? Or a dragon? No, that is probably......a plant Certainly, the scene of that big lizard walked on two legs, dragging a tail (seeming) along with it......made it look like a theropod dinosaur or maybe a monster from a monster film. But looking carefully......although it was hard to see clearly from this far distance, aside from its appearance it was completely aplant. Its hands and legs were clad in roots of trees. The tails was also the similar. Its mouth (at least it looks like that) also had pointy roots inside in place of fangs. Are they not for biting off, but chewing and absorbing the nutrition? Or rather it seemed like it could absorb from places other than mouth also. And the green-colour covering its body wasnt scales but leaves. They were closely packed seeming like an armour, giving out a profound pressure. The leaves armour seemed more tough and thick than normal armours. ......No, in fact I couldnt deny that possibility. However its movements werent as dull as they looked like......the power hidden its every single attack wasnt something sweet thing likeIts fine if it doesnt hit me. And its, in the end, aplant......is it truly that? The destruction god that Elder women told us the other day, that guardian deity of the forest? Was it woken up by the barbaric acts of North? But well it was useless to think about things I can get any certain authenticity for, so I decided not to think. Incidentally, among the people trying to run to escape were people with different clothing than the people of village. Are they spies ofNorth? Maybe they were attacked that among them were some injured people too......I felt that it wasnt the time to worry about them, so I left them on their own. It was for making them pay for their mistakes. Then, in the side of eyesight appeared Elk, Neil-chan, Zari and Alva, perching on Elks shoulder. They probably just came out of the forest. Then noticing me and Sherry-san they ran up to us. After confirming the safety of both sides, we all let out a sigh of relief. Minato, you done? Yeah, its good that you are fine. Well, I didnt worry about the current Elk, though Haha, youre trusted a lot, Elk-chan. Well then, thank you for providing information Sherry-san, thanks to that I was also able to resolve all the problems Youre welcome, information broker. And......that girl is, the Dryad? No, redhead means, is it Alraune? Y-yes! E-err......are you a Dark Elf? Nice to meet you. But well this atmosphere doesnt seem good to be doing self-introductions, lets talk with each other later Saying that, the conversation closed, and everyone again looked at the plant monster rampaging among the demon horde. It was surely scary, but they couldnt let it get near the city that the adventurers were using magic and arrows for long-distance attacks. But......the effect wasnt favourable. Numerous arrows and fire magic that worked the best against plants were fired at it, but those scale-like leaves didnt even had a scratch. The leaves were truly tough. In contrast it made me worry that it would be angry and the attacks only stimulated it. Currently it was rampaging greatly and eating food. Zari said while seeing that scene. I see. That is theGreen Lizard. Well it certainly is aLizard......well it certainly is great enough that even Minato-kun was vigilant against it Eh, what, did you two know about it? No, Ive only heard about it. Only Minato-kun has seen it in truth. Minato-kun was vigilant against it sayingThat is dangerous, in truth I doubted if there was such a thing......but now seeing it myself I can agree to it. Isnt that right, Minato-kun? ......Nope, its different I said. Zari gave a blank expression to the unexpected answer from me. Including Sherry-san and Neil-chan. But......unfortunately, that is the truth. TheGreen LizardI was talking about......wasnt this one in front of me. Eh? It wasnt that monster? The one Minato-kun was being vigilant of Yeah. It was different. Certainly this one too looks like abig green lizardand gives out a dangerous feeling......but it is not the one I was talking about. The two hoodlums that died in the forest. Had a shape......as though they were sliced from limb from limb in a second by a sharp blade or claws with same sharpness. This plant monster sure had overwhelming and fierce offensive ability......but I couldnt see any sharp parts like that. I would learn if that big body moved in the forest, first of all, moreover after it moved, it would only leave mess in its wake. Certainly there were traces of rioting currently......but if that moved, it would even mow down the trees from root and branches and all. Unless it had an ability to change its size and shape to be able to move from the narrow places. Neil-chan and Zari who had seen the scene, except Sherry-san, made an expression say I see. For inadvertently sharp Zari to not notice it would be unnatural. To begin with, if the Dryads witnessed thatlizard, it would mean that it had been in this forest for quite some time. In that case, no matter what, even the city people would notice it. Even the forest would be messed up. I realized that other than those three, Elk didnt reply saying anEh?. Well she had seen that scene, so it must be natural to feel anxiety, but......what happened? How to say it, her body seemed to have stiffened and her expression was also stiff...... But it wasnt like she was scared of the monster in front of her......but it was like she remembered something even more dangerous. Then, Minato, was the guy you were talking about......abig green lizard? ? Thats right, why? Is its body as big as a human with large build, has long hands, a tail seeming like whip, has a scary face and has its body closely packed with scales? ............!? Elk, dont tell me......you saw it!? In the forest!? ......Yeah. While I was fighting with those fromNorth, it just barged in. Like that it massacred the hunters......after I wasnt able to move from fear, it seemed to have lost its interest in me and left ......You serious? Serious ......Now that is quite...... I was careless. I shouldnt have Elk go by herself in the forest when that things was in the forest......although Alva was with her, but that guys danger level wasnt anything normal. Shit, I hate myself for not thinking it out thoroughly......! But, although I dont know the reason, but it seemed to have let her go......based on results, it was good. While apologizing Elk for that point, I kept on thinking how to get through this situation when that thing was near us, we couldnt let down our guar............ ............ Hey, Minato-kun? That......the monster you regard as dangerous is different from this one, right? Then does that mean, it has come near the forest? ......How to say it, near, err...... I beat later. ......It just seemed to reached there, just now !? I said while pointing my finger in a direction......opposite from the plant monster. That direction seemed normal without anything, and the other three looked over there....... When I thought that from the other side of the grove of trees came out the sounds of someone stepping on branches...... It suddenly came out while splitting through the bushes. Its body was covered with scales that seemed even more profound than armours. Its body build was near to that of humans figure. However its body was bent in a forward-bent posture, it hands were quite long. They were divided in five fingers, just like humans, and in front of it were long sharp claws. The tail of about 2 metre looked like a strong whip, and its end was pointed while being covered by even more hard and strong scales, making it a pointed spear. That fiendish face was, seemed more like a dinosaur than lizard......and a snake-like tongue peeked out of it. On its forehead, a gold, no an amber coloured horn was sprouted out. Looking closely, the claws were of the same colour. That human dinosaur was bigger than an adult with large build......and the intimidating air emitted from it wasnt a joke. That appearance was......certainly ofthat demonwhose name I didnt know, but surely was vigilant from. However there was just one thing different from the one in my memories. (Its scales are......black?) The one I saw once a time ago had, green-coloured scales. No doubt about that. And the horn and claws were, red like blood. But the scales of this one before me......were black, albeit with some indigo blue added, while its horn and claws were amber-coloured. ......Well it didnt change the fact it was a dangerous shit. ......Minato, is that one? Yeah, it is theLizardI was talking about Hmm, so that is the demon Minato-kun was saying......so is it strong after all? Well it sure is strong. After all...... ......A little self-boasting here. ......It was the only demon I wasnt able to win against while in my training period within those Woodlands. It was probably 4 years before from now. The me of that time was already at the level to take on the strongest in woodland, a giant snake, no a group of it and still deal with them. One day, as usual, I went in the forest to train and capture the food for evening meal, when......I metit. It was a demon I had never seen, a dinosaur human......no, if I had to say it was more of a human dinosaur. That guy was fighting the demons of woodlands by itself. It was torment, tearing, beating down the demons, which looked like a bear with a horn, completely one-sidedly. At that time it noticed me, and without any warning and hesitation, it attacked me. I accepted the challenge immediately......but the moment I confronted it, I understood. That this guy was the real shit. And that intuition that couldnt be called as a guess was proven as truth in a couple of seconds later. That demon, which I had never seen or met, had a fighting strength that made the demons of Woodland seem like babies. Its speed, power, technique......everything was terrifying, I had confronted it with my full power and full guard, but I still remember that I wasnt able to do anything in front of it. The numerous attacks that were sent out by that body with honed muscles, all had speed and power off the charts. Even with my enhanced eyesight, I wasnt able to see the trajectory of its attacks. Its defensive power was also high, even after I was punching and kicking with all my power, it didnt falter a bit and sent out counterattacks. I was slapped by its arms and tail, scratched by its claws......it was truly terrible. Fortunately, my defensive power was also high since that time, so there was no bone fracture, even my body wasnt torn from limb to limb, even so the injuries that were all severe had spread all over my body, I wasnt in a state that could be fine. I will die like this, having that hunch, I dashed away in full speed. En route an idea came to me and I crossed over my favourite hunting grounds, where the giant snakes territory was present. Like that, I made the lizard attack the sakes that were trying to annihilate the intruders. As expected, the snakes were one-sidedly killed easily when confronted with that fighting strength. In that time, I gained distance and hid myself, and succeeded in escaping. After that, I asked mom while she was treating me, according to her......surprisingly, even she hadnt seen a demon like that in the woodland, and neither she had any idea of that demons identity. In short it was an wandering demon without any particular territory, and it accidentally came to the Woodlands, and by chance met me and attacked me, or so was moms opinion. After that, for a few days, mom was worried about me and kept my training with just a sparring match with her, she even took time off to search around the forest. As expected I didnt leave the house in that time, and there was surely one or two of moms pet guarding the house. Especially Stork. In the end, after that incident......I never met with that human dinosaur, who species even mom didnt know about, and so we called itUnknown. Like that I never met it again. ......Until today. The moment it came out of the forest, Everyones gazes were nailed on that Unknown......because of its excess sense of presence. There were even those who stopped in their tracks. If more than half of the demons werent attacking that plant monster, currently one or two of the people would have surely died. Of course even we werent able to avert our eyes from that dark big lizard, walking over with firm steps. I understood that Zari had an expression of shock and bewilderment, Sherry-san had shock and arousal, as for Elk and Neil-chan it was only terror. ......Err......what is that? Who knows? I dont know its name or any other information. But it is strong......to a freakish extent It is obvious after seeing it, this much is......obvious While others were speaking those words to confirm its existence, Some demons came out of the forest, noticed the unknown, and head towards it. Maybe they thought it was more easier to attack than the plant monster, or maybe they didnt give a damn about it in their agitated state. Like that, several wolf-type demon and two of the scaled gorilla attacked it. If I remember correctly it was calledLizard Kong, probably. And the next instant, Its tail moved at speed unperceivable by the eyes and mowed down the wolves attacking at it. As a result, The wolves, were blown away and crashed into ground and trees......well that didnt happen. In turn, the front half of their body that was attacked by the tail flew off in pieces, and those demons that had now turned into lumps of blood and meat, and fragments of bones, were scattered on the ground with a *pitter-patter* sound. The wolves were exterminated in an instant, and the back half of their body jumped a little bit forward while abiding with the law of inertia......and with just that much, they dropped on the ground, and never moved again. And, one of the Gorilla that didnt even falter with the current scene, raised its fist one beat later, to hit the Unknown...... The next instant, with the claws that swung with a speed unperceivable by eyes, lopped off the raised hand of Gorilla. In the next instant, another flash of Unknowns other hand hit the head of Gorilla. Maybe it was because of being chopped by 5 claws, or maybe the arm strength was just too much, that the Gorilla now didnt had any upper body. As for the other Gorilla, it had its heart pierced the moment the first Gorilla head his head gone off. It all happened in less than 3 seconds. The demons died without even knowing how they died. Seeing the one-sided violence and killing......the people there, including us, werent able to let out even a single voice. Lizard Kongwas a C Ranked demon. Its scales had toughness like that of steel. It was a demon that could be defeated by an skilled adventurer that had completed hell training. And the Unknown that defeated it with an attack that couldnt be seen by eyes now became a target of wariness on the same level, or maybe a higher level than the plant monster. The Unknown removed the blood on its claws and tail in a flash, and abruptly glared at us. However, it didnt show any signs of coming at us. We, including the adventurers and bodyguard group, took on that stare without speaking any word or anything. However, they were silent......because they were scared. They were at a loss for words. However, thinking about the situation that would happen the moment they return to their senses was obvious...... W-WaaaaaaaaaaahHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ......It would become like this. Panicked State. Well it could be called whatever. Either run away from fear......or desperately try to kill before being killed and attack the demon. They only had the two options. Several chose the latter and came attacking at the Unknown with weapons in their hands. The Unknown watching it, squint its eyes as if sayingnew preys, and poured the power in its tail that had just before turned those wolves into mincemeat......at that instant, In the whole battlefield, theMagic Pheromone IntimidationI used before inCrimson Forestwas released in full throttle power. DD!!? ......Oops, excuse me Because of the abrupt shock, the panicked adventurers, Elk and others and even the rampaging demons from before, even that Unknown stopped their movements for a moment. And the Unknown......that was about to intercept the adventurers avert its eyes, and slowly looked at the origin of thatsomethingsimilar to intimidating air, in short, me! That eyesight, made me remember of that time several years ago, it still had the usual severe intimidation in them. Its body colour was different, so it wasnt the same individual from that time......but how to say, it still made me feel nostalgic. However this nostalgic feeling of having cold sweat perspiring out of me and having my breathing disordered, wasnt something I felt good and or any shit about. In the eyesight of the Unknown making groaning voice from deep in its throat, made me think it was trying to grasp me, as if observing me, and it made me even think it had an will inside of it, how strange. It was like being askedAre you the opponent?. ......Alright, come at me you bastard, just bring it on! Elk, Zari and Neil-chan ...... I will take on that lizard by myself. So I plead to take care of that plant monster there with the help of Sherry-san and others. Elk and Zari need to provide cover and help in rescuing the injured people ......No problem, but are you fine? Can you win? Well, I surely cant lose here. I have only enjoyed 16 years of my life till now Now this is unusually the meek Minato-kun, or what......how to say, isnt this way of speaking by keeping his confidence in moderation, an impossible thing for Minato-kun? It wont become into something like, these were our last words, right? Dont say any jinks. ......Even I know that this guy is the real deal Hey Minato-kun, then what would you do if I said to fight that lizard? ......You wanna die? ......Im just joking, yeah just joking......Although Im interested, but taking that as my opponent, I cant even imagine having a decent fight against that, with my current level. Hey, I leave it up to you this time Thank you for understanding The talk ended with, to each their own way......and after leaving the other works to others, I neared the Unknown in way to not agitate it any further and also to emphasize on the fact that it would be fighting me. While walking, I indeed felt......something like intelligence in that eyes of that Unknown. At the same time I remembered the talk Elk said before. Although they met with Unknown, it only killed the hunters fromNorth, and left Elk and others on their own. Even its attitude of not attacking even when it had so many preys in front of its eyes......does this guy only fight against those who attack it? In that case, we would not be harmed if we ignored it......but confirming this idea was dangerous. There was also the possibility that it putpriorityon the person attacking it. When I was walking near it thinking that, GaaaaaaaoOOOOOOOO!! The moment I heard a growl from my side, the plant monsters was coming near me, after having dealt with the demons attacking it. As if to say The next prey, it extended the roots from its root-made hands, and attempted to capture me and the Unknown for eating us. However, frankly speaking it was a hindrance, so the moment I thought to pulverize it by kicking, An intense magical energy swelled up from behind me, and suddenly, an arrow clad in burning flames hit those tentacle-like roots. Like that it burned them......no, it blasted all of the roots approaching, into small pieces. Shocked, I turned back and saw Sherry-san holding an bow, and in a posture of just after firing an arrow. She was still on her guard, but where did she had that bow, or maybe she borrowed it from an adventurer near her. Eh, Sherry-san could even use bow and arrow? Or rather it was an arrow made from magical energy, right? Well there are reasons for it. I will tell later. We will make do some way here......so I leave that way to you Saying that, magical energy knead in Sherry-sans hand......and in a second, an arrow made out of magical energy was gripped. It was the same magical energy arrow like Suura-san used. Although this wasnt ice, but fire. Sherry-san was strong in close combat too, with this it would be fine. But for just in case, Alva! Go back up Sherry-san and others. Like seriously! PIIIIiiiIIIII!! Alva raised a sound as if agreeing and flew up above. Alright, everything fine now. Alva was still a child (just one month old), but still strong, it could even use barrier-type magic, so it would be a help over there. ......Well then, pulling myself together...... Well then......I made you wait. I dont know how to call you......but let me finish this fight as soon as it started, now shouldnt I? While I was talking with others, I had a part of awareness on it too......but unexpectedly it waited for me. And right now made a growling sound from its throat as if saying, finally eh? My guess about it attacking people that attack it might be true, but what could this be called, this guy has some parts that made me feel that it had reasoning power and intelligence.......what a strange demon it is. Well but, The thing that would start now was a dangerous battle that didnt had any shit related to that......so there was no need to think about it. My first formidable enemy ever since leaving the house. This time......if I let down my guard, I will die. Bracing my spirit, I resolved to go all out. Chapter 48 ~ 50 – Unknown and the Trump Card of Darkness Chapter 48 ~ 50 C Unknown and the Trump Card of Darkness Part 1 Raiding abruptly appeared, to what Minato called asPlant Monster. Its name wasTropical Tyrant, its strength was of AA Rank, the people who knew that it was the outstanding plant-type demon were not present in the current place. That demon, after eating all the demons that had lost sanity due to drug, tried to attack the adventurers who were at the war frontlines. It was inevitable, but against an opponent with true strength of AA Rank......Adventurers of D and C Rank were nothing more than garbage. The people fighting were, including the covering work were......just Sherry and Zari. Sherry was attacking by shooting arrows of fire, and while not letting the root and ivy come near, she would search for opportunities, and slash at its body with a fire-clad sword. The attacks let out by the large body each had widely strong attack range, but for her it wasnt something she couldnt evade. However, for defeating, for piercing through that large body, neither the weapons, arrows and nor the firepower of fire were enough. Hence, an impression of offensive and defensive was made, for stopping its advance. And behind her was Zari, who was supporting her with his Sand Magic, and Elk, who was helping in the evacuation of injured people. And also the support by some adventurers who were still fine enough to fight. And even more, ......! It came from right, huh......birdie, please do! Receiving such a voice, Alva, who had been firing off appropriate magic attacks while flying in sky, flew off in the direction Sherry gave the command for. And before its eyes, light of red magical energy started converging......and the next moment, it was fired off as a strong destructive beam that had enough power to easily crumble a stone precipice. It flew to roots coming from the right, that Sherry saw, and hitting directly it exploded, scattered, got grilled and become powerless. ......Seriously, that birdie is truly awesome. Is it because it is the pet of Minato-kun? Half is because of that. But the other half is because, Minato had taught it his own original magic sometimes just for fun. That beam is one of those seriously strong original magic In the break times of morning practices, Elk had seen Minato teaching Alva magic that he had thought in past but wasnt able to use them. Alva could understand the human speech, so it amused itself by copying the magic it watched. Alva gained mastery in all of them, as a result, his battle strength increased drastically. Before anyone knew it, there was the birth of a Demon Bird which could various magic no one had seen ever before. That magical energy convergence bombardment was also one of them. It was Minatos original magic that created a destructive light beam with explosive power just by converging the magical energy particles, and the interaction or whatever between them created it like that. Its offensive power, in this place, came second to Sherry-sans arrows. Making those as weapons, while maintaining the distance fromTropical Tyrant, Alva was fighting at the battlefront. Then, maybe it got bored by the storm of attacks coming from all the direction Calthough it wasnt known if plants had that sort of emotions- this time, numerous roots and ivy, a number which couldnt be extended with just finger, sprout out from the whole body of Tropical Tyrant and attacked. Seeing this, even the face of Sherry and others stiffened. However, they couldnt retreat......and neither did they think about that. Including the backup unit, they tried to use all the firepower at disposal and intercept that attack......at that moment, Alva came, flying to Sherrys side, and again in front of its eyes the red magical energy started converging, hence the charging of energy started. ......6 at the same time. ......!? Even Elk had never seen that, unexpected scene, seeing that Sherry and others bodies stiffened. The next moment, converged light changed into 6 destructive beams, and with power not any less than before, all were fired off......It blasted away most of the roots and ivy that were coming at them. Sherry and others returned to themselves from the explosion sounds and shock waves. They intercepted the rest of the roots and ivy that got past the explosion, and cut down each and every of it. At the time they finished, Sherry, who still was shocked, asked out. H-hey what!? Elk-chan!? That birdie could even do that much!? 6 at the same time......Ive never heard anything like that!? I also didnt know! It only shot out one at a time......I never knew that it could be this amazing if it went serious......I knew it was a demon with high magical energy, but this is just...... Is that so? No, but that is......Hm?6? At that moment, Sherry was hooked up in the6numbers of attack that Alva just fired off. Thinking for a bit, she rose up her head seeming to got an idea, Hey, Elk-chan......is that birdie,Nevalides? ! You know about it? Are you serious!? S-So t-thats how it was......he surely has got something tremendous as his pet...... Sherry was surprised, having her guess hit the right mark, and sent a fleeting glance at Alva flying right beside her. Well, in my home place, there are various legends there. Among that it comes out......the Nevalides I mean, apparently they have 6 brains Come again!? Dont cow have 4 stomachs, and bugs havecompound eyes, right? Its something like that. It is said that there are 6 brains of Nevalides, with each single brain having high intelligence matching to that of humans. And they are able to use them properly. While one brain is awake, the other brains sleep in a rotation, hence they need no sleep. And if using each of them when using magic, they are able to let out magic with power far surpassing normal power. Its natural, after all the concentration and thinking circuits just got six-fold ......Now I dont even know how to be shocked For the time being, Elk and others understood the reason why he was able to shoot 6 destructive beams without any decrease in the power. Along with the fact that there 6 brains rotating at full speed inside that birds head. However not thinking any deeper, they just considered Alva as a reliable ally, and again faced the enemy. Then, abruptly, ......If I had to say reliable, the owner of this birdie is also the same Yeah......thats indeed, correct Dont talk currently. Concentrate, come on concentrate Sherry and Zari were scolded with words as if being slapped. However, even Elk, who scolded them, had looked along with others in the oblique direction, however......in the next second their eyes returned back to the front. The fight occurring there was reflected in all their eyes, for just a second. The fight against Tropical Tyrant, an AA Rank demon, was indeed tough, even though they had powerhouses like Sherry and Zari, along with Alva, whose race was outside the norm. If this were a normal situation, they seriously needed the power of Alvas owner, who just happened to be the strongest powerhouse present here. However, no one said that, without speaking out any complaints, they all were fighting by themselves. Of course that was because......they knew that he was also fighting with another enemy, a lizard, which obviously seemed like an extraordinarily strong opponent. And also because, only he was the one who could take on that as an opponent. Currently, just for one second, it was reflected in their eyes...... Haaaaaaaaaaaah-!!! Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!! They attacks were exchanged at a speed that couldnt be discerned by eyes, it was a fight on level that only Sherry could know what was happening there. The people concerned, no one interfered. They couldnt. Because they knew that they couldnt do a thing, and there was meaning in speaking anything. Gyooooooo With a speed that a normal person wouldnt even be able to notice let alone react to it, a hand with 5 sharp claws reached out towards my head as if wanting to break it. I, who was already showing my seriousness with the magical energy ofdarkness, dodged that attack as if something jumped in my chest. Before the other attack came, I strike its stomach with my tightly-clenched and magical-energy-loaded fist. However the feeling that was transmitted from the fist that hit it was, as though I had punched some humongous iceberg. The solidness surpassed my expectations. The scales were also tough, and the flesh behind it was also quite solid. ......It completely made me remember about 4 years ago. And, barely an instant, it showed a strange wavering which made me doubt if it faltered or not, and the Unknown let out its next attack soon after. The attack of the other arm flew at a frightening speed. I closed up enough therefore, I judged it would be difficult to dodge, and guard myself with my arm......the next instant, a attack with power far surpassing the power ofNagas rush impacted on my arm. I purposely didnt stand firm. I let the power fly away like that and reorganized my stance. My arm became a little bit numb......but no problem. I can move it. There in no time, Unknown let out another attack with its claws, but I forcibly warded it off by punching from the side. And then, with my other arm......this time, (If stomach is not good then attack the......face!!) Taking a solid stance, I punched the face of Unknown with all my might. This time it apparently worked, it bent backward greatly, and Unknowns body stiffened. Without a moments delay I tried to send out another attack, at that moment, in the peripheral vision of my eye something blackish was reflected, at the same time, sound of cutting the air rang out......and I at once averted my upper body. The next moment, no nearly the same time, the whip-like tail buzzed and grazed my cheek. *pssh*, my cheek was cut, and blew flowed from the single line. ......It has been a while, since I have shed out blood from an attack by a demon and not mom. It might be the first after usingElemental Blood. While thinking something like that, I performed back somersault, flew backwards, and made some distance between us. Dear me, there was not even a cerebral concussion after hitting it with my whole power, huh. The teeth didnt break and the scales also werent smashed. The facial shape was also the same as before. Its bones were also fine, I bet it. But I seemed to cut a little bit within its mouth, more or less, it even spit out a little red blood mixed saliva......just that much. Im losing confidence here. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And, this strong blow exchange......didnt even take two seconds, just how fast was this battle going at? This fight was a fight that exploited the concentration power and nerve-transmission to their extreme limits. I thoroughly thought. That thisUnknownin front of me was different from all the demons I had fought till now. Compared to that time 4 years ago, I had surely become strong. However, even so, I couldnt see bottom of this guy. But well, it wasnt an opponent could be complaining about. I can only defeat it as soon as possible, using all of my 16 years. I concluded that unwillingness was banned, and before the other attack came at me, I rotated thedarknessmagical energy in my whole body in a large quantity, that even naked eyes could see black colour seeping out from my body, and charge it. This was my limit quantity, so that I dont stop moving after charging too much. Seeing my appearance, the Unknowns eyes showed wariness. However, its fighting spirit didnt seem to have weakened. Well, I didnt expect that from before, though. And immediately, the Unknown rushed at me as if sayingJust great! . Without having chance to feel the vigour and pressure, it covered up the 10 metres distance I had opened up in just an instant, and again its strong arm swung. Its claws neared me from the side, as if to gouge out my face......Or so I thought, but (......!? Feint!?) Right before I tried to guard against it, the arm suddenly stopped, changed its trajectory, and was pushed out as an overarm stroke seeming just like a spear. Its aim was......my throat. Oooooh!? The overarm stroke neared me with the force of piercing and opening a hole Cit also seemed possible to happen if I took it head on-, but I knock it down by punching down from above with my knuckles, and before another attack came, I let out a kick and seized its stomach. With the full charge ofdarknessmagical energy, my physical abilities were enhanced even more than before. My horizontal kick that attacked it in under that condition, bend the body of Unknown in the shape of symbol<. I tried to beat it down before a counterattack came, but again in my peripheral vision, the black tail buzzed. However without evading this time, I caught it and gripped it hard. Heave......Hooooooooo!! Like that, I swung it with the trick of giant swing, and letting on the centrifugal force, I fling it away, towards the forest. Without entering the bushes, Unknown hit a thick three and fell down. And because I had fling it with my whole power that the tree that was hit made an enormousdoooomsound and was smashed. The tree had a trunk of 1 metre thickness. It broke, and pinned the Unknown below. ......But, Unknown normally stood up. It normally brushed off the tree. Well, indeed it wasnt unhurt this time. If someone saw this scene, it would appear like I am on the offensive. It was like that, though......in truth, my mind was flustered a tad bit that I didnt had enough leeway to speak words like that. After all, there had been no demon till now, which used clever things like feints. Moreover, that precision in it wasnt something just on the level of skilful. It had quite the speed, even though the movements were completely different, it nimbly changed the trajectory without any feeling of forcibly changing it. I doubt there would be many humans who could do that. I again felt, that fighting strength and everything else out of norm. Its movements were more accurate than a machine, and smoother than a human. It even had the high physical strength and stamina like a demon. Moreover, judging by the fact it even had a idea to use something lithe like feints, it was apparent that it also had high intelligence. Adding everything, it could only become something that I could yell this at: Holy ShiT!!! Normally, demons lack at least one of those parts, henceforth they were an existence that humans could fight against......but for a demon having all of this, could now only be called as living calamity. Im moved to tears. I again felt that I would die if I let down my guard......and now I attack. I took on a stance that could intercept any attack, let it be arms or tail, like that I kicked off the ground and approached it, there the Unknown waiting for me, for some reason, opened its mouth wide. Why? Subsequently, *hsssss*......the sound of inhaling greatly rang out. Dont tell me it could fire out fire or something? or venom just likeNaga? Or, does this guy also has the magical energy and would fire magical bullets? The next moment, iiiiIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Wtf......!? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!? Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!? The thing that came at me wasnt magic or flame, but......an outrageous loud voice. No, not just loud voice, but it was ridiculously high voice. Like ultrasound, or something like high frequency. More directly than blow attacks, that mystical sound wave invaded from my ears......with a *whonk* it jolted my head, and an outrageous attack hit me that almost stopped my thoughts. Moreover, I could also hear......the voice of Elk and others fighting the Plant Monster in a far place. Just how far this attack reached!? Due to this attack from an completely unexpected angle, I had my stance broken......without a moments delay, the Unknown again took an strange posture. It was extremely forward bent posture, just like the crouching start of track and field athletes. And the next moment, I kicked the ground with enough force to gouge it out......and rushed at me without hesitation. I abruptly crossed my arms in front of my face to guard, but I wasnt able to stand firmly. The next moment, due to the tremendously powerful ramming attack......I was sent flying away at a speed that I could feel the wall of air crashing at my back. Some blinks later, something crashed my back. Apparently something collided with me. From the feeling......it appeared to be a tree? Wha......Eh!? M-Minato!? T-That surprised me......Minato-kun, are you fine!? Subsequently I heard the gentle voices of girls which were 1 million times much kind to ears compared to that ultrasound. No, that was fine, but why could I hear the voices of Elk and Sherry, moreover it seemed like they were really close to me. Then, the seeming tree, at least based on the sensation it gave, seemed to move as if squirming...... Wai, Minato its dangerous...... Gaaaaaaaaa!! Whoa!? So it truly was a tree, but of Plant Monster, eh!? I performed a forward somersault to evade the arm of roots falling at me, as I did, the place I was at before......the ground of the place I crashed into after being blown away, now had several roots piercing. Of all things, I collided with this, huh! I believe they were fighting at a far place. In other words, it turns out that I was blown away with a force that I could easily cross over an enormously wide plaza. Just what is that power, it far surpassed that of truck and dump trucks. Thats right! Unknown! I turned around, and the Unknown was just jumping while in full speed, while aiming at me. It rose up its hand and swung down its claws. I tried to stop it but at that moment, the tail moved, and I noticed that. In other words, its main attack was that......another feint, huh! I dodged horizontally while not being assaulted by it, and this time, know what, the tail violently jolted, used the recoil and changed its whole bodys course, again coming at me. wtfh, aint that tail too much convenient!? However, in that case it wouldnt be able to use the tail this time, and I took the stance for taking on the attack with my gauntlets. The claws attacked that, and the moment I thought an impact would come......the Unknown, Didnt attack me with the claws, but......damn, it clenched its hand into a fist. !? To my surprise, the claws, for not becoming a hindrance, were stuffed in the spaces between fingers......it had become something like a thorny knuckle duster. Like that, a fist that looked fiendish attacked me. Taking the attack that was heavier than claw attacks, the arm guarding me was flicked off......the next moment, the Unknown stepped in again and its tail was swung. The moment I thought to guard against it with my other hand, again the tail changed its direction strangely with force, and this time its leg............leg!? Eh, kick!? Moreover that way of kicking by using the other leg as axis, and kicking horizontally while using centrifugal force was, dont tell me...... (Dont tell me, its my kick......!?) The kick captured my stomach horizontally, and this time it was my body that turned into the symbol of<. Ah, Aargh......! Immediately after, before I was able to catch my breath, again that fist approached me. Seeing closely, it was difficult to tell due to difference in the length of our arms, but this way of punching also seemed similar to mine......? While enduring the pain from the creaking abdominal muscles, I took on the stance to guard with my left hand. No, even if I cant guard against it, it would be good to just ward it off......when I thought that, just before the punch hit my hand, its hand opened up, and the claws attacked me. Then, *stab* That huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttttttsssssssssssssss!? Like that, the grabbed arm......was bitten by those sharp fangs. (TLN: yeah fangs and not claws.) It cleverly aimed for the area between upper arm and elbow......the area without the gauntlet protection. My skin and muscles werent even pierced by swords or scratched by axes, but currently they were bitten, by sharp and solid fangs, along with the help of masseter muscle power of the jaw. At the same time, an unusual pain attacked me. It was completely surpassing the level when I was bitten by the stray dog in my previous world, this pain wasnt a laughing matter, but for some reason I seem to have experienced it...... Ah, thats right, it was the pain I felt in my last moment of my previous life. In the aeroplane accident, the fragments stabbed my body here and there, it was the same that time. How nostalgic. But as natural, Im not at all happy about that, damn fuck it. The fangs of Unknown kept on digging deeper as if wanting to bite everything off, and make me a one-armed person. I even heard the scream of Elk from far away. Argh, geez, dont create situation that would make a girl worried, you damned reptile!! DONT. UNDERESTIMATE. MEEEEEEEEEE!!! It was impossible to tear off with my power, or rather, I judged that as dangerous......and so I converged magical energy in the area Unknown was biting into......and changed it into the magical energy oflightningandfire. I launched it with my full power, and the electrical discharge of the highest voltage started. At the same time, my arm started giving out ultra-heat that Unknown couldnt keep on biting me anymore. From my wound, no from my whole arm the fire and lightning seeped out. With the lightning attack and flame attack, the Unknown immediately released my arm having been hit by an unexpected attack......in that chance, Its just the repayment, you damn big lizard!! I charged my right fist withwindmagical energy to the limit, and along with a windstorm I sent if flying away. Including the repayment from before, I sent it towards the roots of Plant Monster. And, because this place was still within the attack range of Plant Monster, that I took back steps and while reaching a safe place, I......convergedlightmagical energy in my paining left arm. Pushing aside the black colour of Darkness, the white coloured magical energy now covered my wound. Minato!? Wha......are you fine!? Do you still have your arm!? Im fine......and yeah, its still connected, the bones are also fine While I was speaking, the cells were revitalized with magical energy and magic particles in my blood vessels, like that the restoration proceeded. Gradually the haemostasis also proceeded, and the flowing blood stopped. There wasnt enough time to close up the wound itself......but good, the blood had more or less stopped. The pain also had decreased a bit. Around that time, the Unknown, who had been fighting with the roots, finally cut down all the roots and vines with its claws and tails and leaped out. As expected, with its tough scales and muscles, there wasnt even a scratch on it even with the root punches. But, apparently the damage from my punch still remained, so I heaved a breath of relief. If it had healed completely in such less time, I wouldve been in a bad situation. But the situation didnt change for better. If talking about injury, then obviously I had a serious injury. After all, my left arm had been injured to a level that I cant disregard it. Moreover the other side, little by little......has been imitating my combat abilities, and the variation of attacks has been just increasing. Its stamina was also of unknown numbers, so protracted war would be dangerous......looks like I wouldve have to finish this in a short time. ......Ive got no choice. Lets use my trump card. Only 3 people and 1 bird sensed that the atmosphere changed. The people on the battlefield, Elk and Sherry, along with Neil-chan, who had been standing in a far place to not get engulfed in the fight, these three noticed it, and also Alva, theNevalides. The atmosphere drifting around Minato changed, err, the magical energy drifting around him changed......and those 3 people and 1 bird, sensed it with their sensitivity. Before they were able to guess about its true identity, the next moment, He crossed the arms in front of his face in the shape of characterX, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind......then large amount ofdarknessmagical energy emitted from his body, so much that it already far surpassed anyones imagination. And that didnt disperse in the atmosphere......but it started coiling around the body and was converging. Its appearance was just like, a tornado or typhoon of violet colour. With Minato as the centre, that dense translucent Darkness Energy was coiling strongly while creating a whirlpool. The darkness then, just like cotton candy coiling around splittable chopsticks, started twining around Minatos body and wrapped it......it appeared to be like that. At the same time, the translucent Darkness magical energy, became more dense, and it became so dark that other side couldnt be seen, hence covering the body of Minato. His figure became an silhouette, and soon enough that also couldnt be seen......like that step by step. Due to the excessive magical energy quantity, the surroundings also suffered from the waves of that enormous energy......the adventurers who were the mages that could sense magic felt as if literally being hit by a storm. Even the Unknown showed wariness to the current bizarre situation and didnt come any closer. ......And after some seconds passed that seemed like several hours had passed, Dark Joker......Install......!! Along with that voice, The tornado of darkness burst and scattered while raising a loud explosion noise......from inside that, Minato appeared in an appearance where he had already got out of the stance where he crossed his arms inXalphabet. ......However, On this head were two, curved horns, which seemed like the shape of goats horns. On his waist was a, long and thin, but with pointed front, an ominous tail that seemed like that of a cat or panther. And from his back appeared wings like that of a bat. All the parts were of the purplish dark colour, the same colour as that ofDarkness magical energy that he was covered moments ago...... Eh......Who!? Or rather......what!? ......It was natural for Elk to mutter that, after all Minato stood there in a form completely different from before. PART 2 If Minato saw his current appearance he would surely say something likeIt seems like superhero transformation scene, no more like the after transformations that come after main transformation Or rather, this ability was made with that imagination in the first place. Of course, it was another thing whether or not hisAfter Transformationappearance looked like a hero or not? Minato appeared from the tornado of Darkness, just like how butterfly emerged from the pupa, with horns on head, tail on hips, and wings growing from the back. Seeing closely, the parts were created withDarknessmagical energy and had no true substance, but along with those and his original all black clothes, he gave out an impression of evilness. It was natural. The horns, wings and tails, all were the appearance of an abstract devil. Moreover, the shape of each part was ominous. The horns growing from above the both ears, were curved just like the horns of goats. The tail also was long and thin just like that of panther or some other animal, the tip was also pointed. The wings growing from the scapula area of the back, seemed like torn bats wings, just like the ones that a devil would have. And even now......the tremendously dense magical energy had been drifting around while making the air flicker in the area. In all different meanings, he was emitting intimidating pressure that was at another level from before. Then, he spread his wings of magical energy and fluttered Cbut because they were made of magical energy, so even by fluttering no wind was made-, in that time Minato looked over Elk and others who were shocked, and again returned his vision on the Unknown. As if answering Minatos gaze, the Unknown brandished its claws, and flew by kicking the ground with so much power to easily gouge out and scatter the ground. Minato evaded that attack, and his darkness loaded fist buzzed. The wings on the back flashed for a second, and the instant it was thought that the magical energy rose up, he punched a counter attack right in the face of Unknown, *boom* Along with that voice, The Unknown, taking the attack, flew while cutting across the plaza for several tens, several hundreds of metres......like that, it went flying to a place inside the forest. Sending the opponent to the horizon with just punching, that was something only possible in Manga. But Minato did that with just one fist attack. While everyone else was dumbfounded seeing that, ......Oh shit, I sent him too far Minato said that in a mutter. Elk, I will going for a bit Eh? Ah, no, but, that......Yeah, be careful Un-uh While informing Elk, who was still confused, he kicked the ground, ran with a speed that even left arrows behind......like that he went inside the forest, for chasing after the Unknown he had just punched. Dark Joker The magic I was using right now was to equip magical tail, wings and horns, or rathergrowthem from inside me......and just as the name said, it was my trump card. Named: By Me. Reason: On whim. At the same time......it was a forbidden technique as specified by mom and she had forcibly scolded me tonot use it. Simply put, it was the final form of when I load theDarknessmagical energy within my body, by passing the limits, to drastically increase all of my abilities. And at the same time, it was possible to control internal works of my body at will. Body Enhancement was a given, but other thing were also possible, like secretion of endorphin, enhancement of nerve transmission, speeding up the coagulation of blood to close up the wounds, and it was also possible to cut off the sense of pain. Of course, I had numbed the sense of pain in the left arm Cso that my movements dont become dull because of the damage taken from the biting before- and am maintaining that. In addition, the additional parts I had made with magical energy, were the super powerful support equipments. The horns didnt have a true body so they couldnt pierce (they are in that shape in the first place), but they work as a type of antenna, and are able to extremely precisely yet quickly, perceive the magical energy in the surroundings and the movement of opponent, hence I could respond to them. The tail was the balancer for controlling the mighty magical energy coiling around me. Although it also cant physically grab the opponent because it didnt have a true body, but it been an important part. And the wings werent for flying. I cant fly as ever. These wings were the so-called, external equip-type Magic Gear. Every time I let out punch or other such blow attacks, it amplifies the power to extraordinary levels, moreover with low recoil. Offensive power, defensive power, reaction speed, magic control......all these things were enhanced at once, this was, genuinely, my strongest form. However in this form, there was a fault. For tampering with my magical energy substantially, more than what it seemed like, to the level of it going close to neurons......the backlash was quiiiiiite great. Omitting the details. That was why mom told stopped me from using this recklessly. Thats why I wanted to return back as soon as possible, but......it had been a long while since I used this, I forgot about moderation, and blew it away too much. My olfaction also got enhanced, so I wont lose sight of him, but just how long is it going to fly......ah found it. I discovered the Unknown resolutely running in the direction of plaza Cin short, the direction I came from-, maybe it came running for counterattacking? Im admiring him as an enemy; after all it didnt run away even after being knocked off flying for an unreasonable distance. Or rather, I was plainly surprised that it survived, and had enough strength to run. I had thought it would be natural for it to die. After all I punched quite seriously. However, as expected, he wasnt unhurt after taking that punch. Its face was indented, scales were smashed and some fangs were broken. And, We both were running at a speed surpassing arrow, so......inevitably, we clashed the next moment. I dodged the overarm stroke of claws, and intercepted with a lariat then......again the Unknown went flying away. Moreover, as if it told the power and force behind my attack, it flew......horizontally. But, because we were inside the forest that the momentum was killed after hitting the trees and it didnt fly like before. Therefore, I could easily chase after it with a dash. Seeing it breaking the trees while flying was quite painful to see at, but I had already corrected my thatna?vepersonality so I had no intention of going easy on it just because it seemed pitiful. The Unknown decelerated to the extent of not breaking the trees, it again hit another tree and stopped......at that moment, I kicked it with my next attack and again let it fly again, while breaking the trees. The Unknown kept of flying, and got more and more away from plaza. I, chasing behind it, also got more and more away from plaza. En route I met various demons, but seeing a unknown demon knocked flying and a human chasing after it (no, the current me would......seem more like a demon), they all ran away. Then, after the grove of trees suddenly ended and the Unknown I kicked away......was caved in a considerably big rock cliff. However this guy is truly energetic. Seeing me out of the shrubs, it forcefully got out of the rock cliff and came attacking at me. I dont know if its the stubbornness or it is just idiot. However, I was completely different from before, the same trick cant working this time. It hit me with tail while making me go for a front somersault......just when I thought that, it turned that tail was feint, and Unknown dished out an overarm stroke with the claws of its left hand aiming at my heart. But, thanks to the horn antenna my perceiving ability has been increased to its utmost limits, making that feint nothing much of a thing......and I beat down it with a hook attack from diagonally above. The moment of attack my wings flickered, and the fist with doubled power, didnt only changed the trajectory of Unknowns attack, but it also smash the claws of its left arm while making a blunt sound. Without making any time, I punched in an upper arm right in the jaw of Unknown. Most of the fangs broke apart, and as the fist was let out from below to up in a diagonal that the Unknown flew back and caved in the rock cliff. No, it pierced through it. At this time, I would seriously like to say the match was already decided. However, I leave it here and it came after me later, it wont be a joke, and so I will deal the finishing blow to it. I lowered my hips and took the stance......the body slanting forward and the right leg in front. There......I concentrate the enormous black energy there, the biggest amount I could. It was just like a black hole coiling around my right leg, that whirlpool of black magical energy was......being formed there with a power that can faint anyone with just the pressure it was emitting. This amount of magical energy would go awry in normal circumstances, but the tail of magical energy acts as a balancer and is controlling it, albeit barely. And, the moment enough magical energy filled up......I jumped. Darkness......Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiickkkkkkk!!! The kick with magical energy surpassing my limits and with an enhanced power due to wings of magical energy hit right into the Unknown caved inside the rock cliff, at that moment, The condensed magical energy was liberalized, and a great explosion rang out as though some missile hit the target and exploded. Although the flames that rose up were......of black and purple colour, as they were made from darkness magical energy. And, The 100 m big rock cliff wasnt able to bear the explosion and broke apart......while its rock lumps were falling in the big valley right behind it. Oh, shit! Was there anything like that here? The same happened with Unknown, who took on my kick, sent a sensation of bones and internal organs being smashed, and it let out unbelievable quantity of blood......eventually it died. I saw Unknown falling along with the debris and disappearing below those rock lumps......after it was completely hidden I let out a long breath. No seriously, it was a dangerous opponent. Moreover from the feeling, this one seemed much more powerful than the one from 4 years ago...... The body colour was also different, maybe it individual difference, or maybe not? Well, at any rate, its good now that the fights ended. I cant say safely, I even took on a big injury and even used the forbidden technique. And, I imagined the magical energy armour covering my body to disappear, and remove theDark Joker...... GaaaAAAAAAaaaaAAAAAAhhhhhhh!! ......But before that, I need to complete one more job. Around the time Unknown was knocked flying it broke various trees along the way, I took that as the mark of path I came to, and following that route I ran in the opposite direction I came from. PART 3 Returning to the plaza, the number of adventurers constructing the lines of defense......were less than before. And the hands (roots) of the Plant Monster branched up in 3 on each others, 6 in total looking like an Asura. So not being able to as it wanted due to resistance, it finally snapped and forced an all-out attack. Damn thats a dangerous guardian deity, hey...... I cross the plaza and go near the line of defence, and make an emergency stop for not clashing with their defensive line. Many of Adventurers were startled upon seeing me come with wings, tails and horns attached, but one second later they understood that its me, and some even patted down their chests. Im sorry for startling you all. Ah, Minato, welcome back......are you fine? Im fine. So whats the situation? How many casualties? Around half have retired. But no one has died. There probably also are no people who are fatally wounded Isnt this already good enough when our opponent is that thing that is insane in anger, right? Anyhow, I would like to finish this before any more people are injured......but the opponent is just too big...... Seriously, just having a big body is already a threat Elk said and Sherry-san continued. Right now she didnt had the bow, but sword in hand. Again clad in those big flames. Seeing closely, I can see various burn and cut marks on the body of Plant Monster......and many stubs were cut down near its feet (roots). But, even so the current Sherry-san doesnt have enough firepower......and hasnt defeated it. Moreover, the areas burned and cut were already being regenerated with new roots...... No matter how much I cut it, burn it, it always regenerates......and yet just being grass the fire never spreads out, really its making me cry. I need to train more Sometimes with the help of Alvas support Sherry was able to burn down its head, but it again heals itself......how will that thing die? No matter where it is cut, it always regenerates ......Well, duh. Fundamentally, its a plant ? What do you mean? That thing is a plant in theshapeof a lizard. That head also is not a head in truth, but just roots. It just chews and sucks in the nutrient from those fangs sort of things......thats why there is no meaning in cutting down thatheadof its. It is not much different than cutting down the branches Is the explanation for it. From what I can see its weak point must be......attached to the ground, maybe legs? No, it can move the legs quite freely after all......! Elk, has that thing attacked with the tail? Tail? No, I kind of dont remember...... Now that you say, it sure doesnt have......all attacks are from the roots extending from the hands Sherry-san said. I see. In that case......lets check it out. Commanding Elk and others and with hand, I kicked the ground and neared the roots of Plant Monster. Before it reacted and attacked me, I jumped......and kicked all over its body consecutively with dropkicks. The trunk of trees, roots, ivy all popped off......if it were an animal with flesh then it couldnt be able to move at all with these levels of injuries. However one second later, the injuries started healing up. Seeing that......I confirmed my guess. ......So thats it ? What is it? Look, the injuries heal faster the more near they are to the feet I understood with this. That its weak point was the tail. If its a plant, then it must be supported by placing roots deep in the ground, and would suck nutrients from there......such a normal mechanism should be there. Even insectivorous plants dont just live on the nutrients from the insects they ate, but they also suck nutrients from the roots fixed in the soil. Thats why this guy might also......or so I had thought. It is fixing that tail like part in the ground (and also has mobility if it is moving slowly), and is sucking the nutrients from that area. And naturally, the injuries are healed up with that place as the centre. I understood that clearly watching it heal the injuries. In other words, if it has the roots fine it can regenerate no matter how many times, so first I need to crush that and then defeat it. Now that I know what to do, its easy! Again, I neared it while evading the tentacles extending from its hands, and kicked with all my strength to its side. Without breaking apart, its body turned in the shape of character<, and this time I kicked repeatedly on its head, making it fall down horizontally. And in the time it was falling down, I grabbed the tail of Plant Monster, and put whole power in the arms and legs......and then pulled it out of the ground. You know, just how children pluck out potatoes from the ground during kindergarten excursions. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! *Bikibiki, Buchibuchi* the tail starts being pulled out from the ground, and the whole body buried underground finally appears. The thing I pulled out in good condition was quite long. Around 5 metres. And the thickness is also quite something. It is branched in many small, but most are of around 1 metres diameter, and they are wriggling even more than the ones extended by the hands, just seeing that is gross. Now that Ive done that, Nice Minato-kun, leave that to me! Sherry-san came flying at me with the flaming sword above her head, so I just held up the tail so that it becomes to cut and then......the flaming sword was swung down at it, and it was cut apart under a single strike. The tail was removed from thebody. The howl of thebodythat has lost its most important thing reverberated, but now that also seems like a bluff. (TN: Just think if that tail was the monsters D. pfft, that mustve hurt) I threw the cut off root on the ground, and it immediately started to go underground. Huh? Dont tell me that it can still suck on nutrients and later thebodymight be regenerated. In that case, Alva!! Burn em all!! PiiiiIiIIIIIiiiiiiiiIIII!! This time Elks rebuke also didnt come, and Alva fired 6 destructive beams (6 at the same time!? How!?) and they burned the root that couldnt even raise the voice of death agony. Good, now no worries of regeneration there. The thing left now is......truly that thing rampaging now that it has become aduckweed. Maybe now that it lost the root that it lost its balance because there are no signs of it standing perfectly. And neither is it extending tentacles......so even the attacking areas have gone limp. However, there is a thing calledcutting and planting, so there is a possibility that this will start growing roots by itself. Yeah better finish it off. ......Now that I have the opportunity, how about trying that. I said Sherry-san and Elk to move away, and Alrighty......Alva! Formation F!! PIIIiiiiiiIIIIIiii!! While seeing Elk heaving a sight with......face and Sherry-san showing a?face, I took a step back to increase the distance between me and the Plant Monster. And, this time I dashed out at full speed and jumped......in the posture for dropkick. My right leg extending out in the mid-air was clad in incandescent flames thanks to the magical energy ofFire. Then from behind Alva blew large amounts ofFiremagical energy that seemed like a red hot aura, at me. And as though it was getting sucked, it started concentrating on my right leg that was already clad inFiremagical energy. The burning flames doubled the force and temperature of it just for a second. GOoooooooo!! Albatross Fire Kiiiiiiiiiick!! The dropkick landed on the target without any decrease in momentum, Along with the explosion the hell fire spread out, a fire pillar was created......and it covered the body of Plant Monster in a second and burned it to cinders. It was as though napalm landed. This is theCombination Techniquethat used direct attack and is something I thought on whim, and had time to secretly train it. Good that it went fine. The power was also more than my expectations. The base is akick, so the range is not that big, but......even though it carbonized everything within several metres of radius and burned it to nothing. ......Great, there is no sign of it regenerating from the burned areas. With this, its the end, the genuine end. Finally. ......Err, is it over now? Yeah, the end While replying to Elk, this time I truly did remove theDark Joker. The horn, tail and wings made ofdarknessvanished, even the black aura covering my body disappeared, and I returned to my original state. Seriously, what a long 1 day it was...... After defeating the human dinosaur and Plant Monster, The demons were annihilated, even the people fromnorthwere gone-some to jail others to afterlife- and with this and that this riot finally genuinely ended. Fast horse were sent from the city, and the report might have reached the guards post near here, so in couple of days they were arrested by the guards. And, the adventurers who fought hard against the demons, immediately went to the clinic of the city for treatments, even me included. At that time, they gave preferential treatment to the four of us who fought at the front lines, but Elk and Zari were mostly there for support, and so they werent that much hurt, so hospitalization for them. Sherry-san was fighting with the Plant Monster, so although she wasnt greatly hurt but small injuries are all over her body. Like scratches and bruises, so shes hospitalized. And, guess what, I was the one who was severely wounded among the four of us. Starting from the left arm that was bitten, my whole body was filled with bruises and deep cuts. And as the backlash ofDark Jokermy who body is under myalgia. The adventurers who were fighting near me at that time had seen me get hit and bit by the seriously dangerous demon, Unknown, and they had given that testimony to the doctor, so he ignored my opinion, categorized me asseverely woundedand stuffed me in a hospital room, but I think I should rest in this given opportunity. Chapter 51-53 Chapter 51-53 Chapter 51-53 First things first, hello . You can call me Hikari . I decided to give TLing Maken a shot, seeing that its been dead for years and its really a shame . As such, I decided to continue from where the last translator left it off years ago (as well as where the manga currently is) . Im aware that their website has been nuked, but a little google search can still dig up those chapters for anyone wanting to start from scratch . That said, Im still testing the waters with it, so I may or may not continue . At the very least, I plan to finish this batch of 3 gigantic chapters (like really, a whooping 40k characters in total) in parts . Its a relatively shorter part this time (as it was more of a self-motivator), but I think I will divide this in 4-5 parts in total . Anyway, what to expect from my translations of this or any other novel I may pick up: 1 . Im neither a native English speaker and nor do I have an editor, so there can and will be some awkward parts, typos and such . If you feel like pointing them out, however, I will be more than happy to fix . 2 . My Japanese itself is decent (N2-1-ish), so I can somewhat guarantee the accuracy . 3 . As it is a hassle to dig up the old terms, I will be mostly following the Manga terms . And in places, I will use my own versions . 4 . I dont have a set release rate so expect random updates, at least for a good while . With that said, hope you enjoy the TL~ Chapter 51-53: As the Disturbance Comes to an End, the Big Sister Makes Her Move This might sound strange, but at that time, I could instantly tell that I was seeing a Dream . There was a dark forest, one so dense that almost no sunlight could reach within... and it was filled with plants that were clearly not of earthly origins . I remembered what these were, hence why I could tell . That this forest was the same Sea of Trees where I was born and raised . And that the scenery before my eyes was probably... a dream . After all, I shouldve left that place behind quite long ago . But now it suddenly appeared before me, so it couldnt have been anything but a dream . Also, there was yet another sight before me, one that felt exceedingly out of place . Seeing this was what made me think this cant be real and decisively judge it as a dream . ...Still, even if this is a dream, there was surely a better choice than this... There stood two people, the two I knew very well . One of them was... me . My past self, to be specific... from, I believe, around 1-2 years ago . And the other was perhaps you could call it fitting for this time axis and place my mother . Naturally, Im referring to the one after my reincarnation . But her being with me itself was nothing out of the ordinary, considering she was my mother and all . All the more so if it was a dream . ...If you were to ask what looked wrong in it... it would be the fact the two of us were covered in blood and full of wounds, with our breaths out of order . Seeing it from the side made it look as if... that was the result of a bloody deathmatch between me and my mother... ...Im not sure whether or not I wanted to see it to the end . You wake up and thats the first thing you say? And as such, just as I woke up from my bad or should I say ambiguous dream, Elk was fast to greet me with that retort . By the way, if you are wondering why Elk was next to me when I woke up, I wish to use my right to remain silent . We have a guest? Thats right . It is a woman... and they claim to be your acquaintance, Minato-sama . As I started the morning in a bad mood and was on my way to downstairs with Elk and Alba to grab some food, the innkeeper stopped me with those words . According to him, our guest seemed to be a girl... but who could it be? If I were to speak of my female acquaintances, there was Sherry-san who also stayed in this inn... but I dont think there was anyone else whom I could really call an acquaintance, was there...? Just as I was wondering that, Elk warned me to be careful; she said there were some women who approached guys with false accusations like, we deepened our bonds when you were drunk and such . Ouch, so there are such nasty girls, huh... as expected of another world . Quite a lawless place this is . I kept that possibility in my mind and headed towards the lobby where that woman waited, all while shaking my head in annoyance . The one waiting for me there was...hmm? It was someone I felt like I knew, but at the same time, didnt; I couldnt quite put my finger on either . If I had to be frank, she was quite a looker, no questions asked . She had a cute face, with traces of immaturity still present, and a shoulder-length green hair, albeit a lighter shade compared to Elk . She wore a refined green dress, with a leaf brooch on her chest and a leaf ornament of the same design on her hair . Her seemingly embarrassed or perhaps perplexed face, coupled with her bashful conduct was quite cute, to be fair . Enough for Elk to glare at me with somewhat murderous eyes from the side . S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Err, in any case... Uh, hey~ ...do we know each other? Im sorry, but Im having a hard time recalling your face... Eh, a-ah... I see, so you dont know... When I asked that, she appeared to be shocked for an instant, and then muttered those words as if she had given up on something . Was that part of the act too? Is this heading towards the route Elk mentioned? Before either of us could open their mouth, Elk stepped in front of me with a stern expression and asked her . Or rather, pressed for an answer . Can you skip your needless preface and start with introducing yourself? Who are you supposed to be? Whats your relationship with Minato? If this is some weird scheme of yours...Im not gonna forgive you, you hear me? I-Im not planning anything! Im just, um... ah! Thats it! if I do this... She was bombarded by Elk and started to panic, but then she hit upon some idea and closed her eyes... the next moment, D-Do you understand it with this, Minato-san, Elk-san? !!? ...What the? Is this... telepathy? And moreover, this magic power belongs to... a Dryad!? Ah, wait, that was kinda misleading . Only Elk can perceive Dryad-chans telepathy; a matter of talent, I suppose . And Zally, too, since he possesses the interception item . The only Telepathy I can receive is from Neil, the Alraune . And only when shes really close at that . But thats apparently because Alraune, who are higher species of Dryads, have powerful telepathy by default, so it can somehow do its job even if one doesnt have a talent for it . In fact, whenever the Dryads contacted us during this incident, it was usually either Elk or me too if I was close who received Neil-chans tele-... wait, hold on a minute . Since I can hear this telepathy, does it mean that the girl before my eyes is actually... No, but that cant be... I mean, yesterday she was definitely... However, as if she had read what I was thinking, she took a deep breath... looked directly at still-bewildered Elk and me, and intentionally using telepathy declared to us . You may not believe me... but its really me, Neil! The Neil-chan of the Alraune inside my memories was a girl who looked like a middle school freshman with red hair and clothes, as well as a red flower ornament on her hair . However, the current Neil-chan before my eyes had... a pale green hair and a matching green dress . Her hair ornament looked like a leaf, and she now had a brooch too . Even her height was closer to a high schooler now . She had changed way too much overnight, or rather, I couldnt even believe she was the same Neil-chan, however... she knew about us, about things we talked in her presence, about things only she shouldve known, as well as what I requested and did with her last night . Ah, Ill say this in advance, but I havent requested anything I should feel guilty about . Really, I didnt . Though Ill omit the details . In any case, it turned out that this beauty was the real Neil-chan . It seems that even she was surprised after finding herself looking like that when she woke up . What the heck? While she was racking her brain on how to handle the situation, the Dryad-chans also woke up... however, their surprise apparently lasted for only a moment and they quickly accepted her with Its Neil-oneechan! Thats quite amazing . But she still felt anxious about it, so she decided to meet with me and Elk, the two humans she could trust, and ask us if we knew the reason behind her drastic change . When I asked her how she found out that we were staying in this inn, it turned out that she identified our location by sensing our magical powers, much like a radar . Apparently, even this ability was something she could suddenly use since this morning . Again, what the heck? Thus, after she explained all that to us in a desperate manner, she asked whether we knew anything about it... but unfortunately, I had no idea . Neither what her change (at this point, its better to call it a transformation) was, nor why it happened . However, Elk had a hunch on what her sudden change itself could be, setting aside the cause behind it . According to her, some Spirit and Undead type monsters could, in extremely rare cases, Evolve into a higher species by fulfilling certain requirements . It was much like how Dryads became Alraune . And Neil-chan was an Alraune . Since it was a Spiritual race, then perhaps by some kind of factor she was made to Evolve and become an even higher species of Alraune? Elk built up such a hypothesis . But still, I know Im repeating it again, but I didnt know the reason behind it . Even Elk had nothing to offer regarding that... or to be more specific, the whole mechanism behind that Evolution was still not fully solved . Me and Neil-chan were in the middle of listening to Elks little lecture...but suddenly, one man slammed the door open and barged inside . Minato-san!? Is Minato-san here!? As we checked who it was, it turned out to be someone clad in the vigilante corps clothes, and thus one of them, most likely . He probably made a full dash towards this place as he seemed to be out of breath . However, his expression told us that he had no time to worry about it . Whats going on? What could he need from me? Just as he saw me (+ Elk, Alba and Neil-chan) in the lobby, he rushed towards us while out of breath . Minato-san, Im so glad you are here... Please come with me, I beg you! If possible... please bring that owl and miss Sherry with you, too! H-Hey, wait... first, calm down . What happened? And why Sherry-san too? And why did he address her with a miss? Well, it doesnt matter . Ill explain later, please hurry! There is a monster... an unbelievable monstrosity is heading toward us from the eastern skies! !? Just as we were shocked by his words, Alba sitting on my shoulder turned around with great vigour, as if something had entered his wild sensor . That added to our concerns and we hurriedly left the inn . I didnt even need to head towards the watchtower to see that monstrosity the vigilante corps witnessed... it was already close enough to see with the naked eye . What was flying straight towards this village from the east at ultra-high speed was... A Dragon? It was the very monster that was popular in RPGs and such, with the very same appearance . It was clad in jet black scales and had bat-like wings, as well as horns on its head; thats all I could tell from this distance... but I could already feel the unbelievable pressure coming from it . People who saw it were already starting to panic a little . Sherry-san and Zally, who overheard the noise also came downstairs and were shocked to see it in the distance . H-Hey, isnt that a...!? ...Come on, this isnt funny anymore... . Is this town cursed or something? Unbelievable monsters are appearing one after another... So, Minato-kun, I feel bad for relying on you on this, but think you can do something about that? ...Well, I have never met one of those, so Im afraid not... Judging by the distance and how big it currently appeared...it should be quite big in size . If this town was attacked by something like that, there wouldnt be anything left from it; one didnt need to be a genius to realise that fact . Actually, assuming we do put up a defensive line and fight it, wed have to do all we can to keep it from entering, but I think that would be quite impossible... or rather, can we even fight against it? No matter how you look at it, it seems like its on a level where even Naga would be a joke to it . If that happens, Im not so sure whether me or Sherry-san can fight it... and if we consider the safety of the townsfolk, a complete evacuation seems to be the only way... no, Im not sure if we can even do that... Just as the grim mood started to spread among us... Aah, quiet down, people of Minette . Calm down . Its okay, this guy wont attack your town, so relax . You are wasting your strength, so settle down and stop running . !? Without a warning, that telepathy or more like a loud voice from speakers when making a wide-area business broadcast reached everyone . It felt like it was forcefully crammed into our heads . In a moment, every person who was on the verge of panicking was startled and stopped in their tracks . Even their voices died down and the place was wrapped in silence . Their fear and bewilderment didnt go away at all, but the current indiscriminate telepathy knocked all of it down . More than the loudness, it was that overbearing voice that left no room for argument that achieved that . Everyone froze up, being even more bewildered than before . I was also included among them . No really, what was that just now!? Did that dragon actually speak!? You mean to tell me thats a thing!? ...Wait, besides that, I think Ive heard that voice before... Before I could find an answer to any of my numerous questions, I heard the sound of something falling . And the next moment, a single human came swooping down from the sky before our eyes... right in the middle of the road . !!? Whew, I arrived... Sorry about that, everyone . It seems I scared you there . That person neatly landed on the ground with those casual words unsuitable to the current situation, and faced towards us... And then, we finally confirmed who that person was... and became surprised all the more . After all... Irene...san...!? Hey, Minato-kun, you seem quite lively there . Thankfully, it seems that your injury has healed too . A living legend had suddenly made her appearance . After several dozen seconds that dragon made its descent . We then heard from Irene-san that the black dragon was actually... her mount . That fellow was called Delta and according to her, it was an S Rank monster, Dark Dragon... She told us to be at ease as she had it properly tamed, so it wouldnt suddenly attack people . It was currently lying down where it landed and was resting its wings . And as for its master, Irene, she hurriedly asked the town mayor to lend her a room in the assembly hall... and then brought me, Elk, Sherry-san, Zally, as well as the Alraune Neil-chan as she too was the involved party to that place . Of course, Alba too . The only thing she told us was, Ive got a little something to ask, so come . Presently, the five of us and one bird were sitting on the sofa across Irene-san inside that room . And she had yet to tell us why she called us here . Moreover, there was also one more person sitting next to her... a man I have never seen before . He had a black hair quite unusual for this world that just barely reached down to his chin . He was a typical handsome boy with good features and a pair of glasses . His height was quite something, too . Perhaps around 170 cm . He wore what looked like a simple, long robe... but it also looked like something a magician or someone like that would wear . He was currently eyeballing Irene-san while sighing from time to time . Good grief... you suddenly appeared without an appointment and told me to accompany you... That laid back nature of yours never changes, Irene-dono . Sorry, sorry, Will-kun . Its just that I heard you were finally done with the research youve been devoting yourself to and was having a day off, so I thought it might be fine . I was in a hurry, you know . I wish you would understand that taking a day off usually means one wishes to rest and get rid of the fatigue... Oh well, not that I mind, really . I heard there was a fascinating sample here, and besides... he clapped his hands and continued, I heard I would be meeting my newest brother, so I was looking forward to it a bit . And that was when I finally realised that I was having a yet another chance meeting with one of my still-unknown siblings, and without any warning at that . I take it you are Minato-kun? Nice to meet you . I am William Kitz . the tenth man of Kadrille family . It might be strange to say this while doing a little chat... but I am your brother . I work as a biologist in the royal capital . Please call me Will, everyone calls me that . Lets get along . Ah, yes, umm... thank you for the polite introduction . Perhaps he felt my gaze on him or heard my sighs, the glasses-wearing man before me extended his hand for a handshake towards me, so likewise, I also responded in kind . It seems that this new biologist brother of mine, William, was suddenly visited by Irene-san and was asked to accompany her, and was brought here all the way from that royal capital by riding that dragon . ...Uh, Irene-san? I feel like the abruptness and nonsensicality behind your actions is on the same level as my mother . I do feel bad about that . But as I already said, I was really in a hurry this time . The horse carrying the report from this town reached me at dawn today, and there were some points that caught my eye in it . So after I finished reading it, I jumped on Delta and made a dash . ...In other words, after you read the letter in Volka at dawn, you flew to that Royal Capital, and then took Will-niisan and came to this Flower Valley? She departed at dawn... but its still just forenoon now . A one-way trip to here from Volka took us a few days by carriage... and you are telling me that she covered that distance in just a few hours, and even dropped in the Royal Capital on the way? Theres something wrong with that speed . Thats just how in a hurry I was . So yeah, let me get down to business at once... Minato-kun, Elk-chan, Zally-kun, and also... Sherry-san and Neil-chan, I believe . Please tell me about the monsters you fought during this incident, and make it as detailed as possible . As she requested, we talked with her about the current incident in great detail . How the North came here aiming to kidnap the Dryads and Alraune, abducted the village elders daughter to threaten him, and tried to have me and Sherry-san take each other out, but their plan ended in failure . How the drug that was used during that time was the reason behind monsters turning brutish and attacking the town . How a plant monster it was called Tropical Tyrant according to Irene-san appeared from the forest during that time and how we fought it . As well as... how we encountered an unknown, black dinosaur-man monster and how I fought it one on one . And how I pushed myself a little and used my Trump Card, but still landed a decisive blow to it . While I was at it, I also told her that I once encountered a similar monster in the Sea of Trees, albeit with different body colour . Will-niisan asked us to show him the materials we collected on this occasion, so I asked Zally and we took out the potatoes the Tropical Tyrant left behind, as well as the scales, claws and fangs of the Unknown . Will-niisan took a little glance at the potatoes and quickly returned them back to us, however, he took his time with inspecting the small quantity of the Unknowns materials, even going so far as to take them in hand and inspect them with a magnifying glass . At times, he fluently noted things down on the paper he used as a note while carefully observing, or more accurately, Appraising it . Irene-san observed him from the side with a smiling yet serious face . Seeing that I finally realised it . That the reason these two suddenly appeared here was that Unknown . After taking a good 10 minutes to appraise its claws, fangs and scales, Will-niisan leaked a sigh and put those materials down . Seeing that, Irene-san enquired about the results . Will-niisan looked at the paper (roughly A4 size) where he noted down things and said . I believe there is no mistake . I examined the structure, the magical reaction and the such, and roughly speaking, there is a match . However, there are various minute differences aside from the colour, like density and magical conductivity, so its most probably... A subspecies, yes? Yes, I think it is safe to say that . ...? Irene-san and Will-niisan exchanged those words in a mysterious manner . And after thinking for a while, she looked straight at me and said . Minato-kun, would it be possible to leave all these materials in my care? Of course, for suitable compensation . Aah, so it came to that after all, huh? She had her usual smile on her face, however, her eyes were dead serious... They gave off a kind of oppressive feeling, seeming to swallow you up . The atmosphere she gave off felt as if or perhaps it really was like that she was simply confirming it while assuming that I would give my consent... as if she was pressuring me towards that option . Regardless of whether she was aiming to do that, or it was simply the end result, to think she could do all that with just a stare... This person is really unbelievable . But well, since she was being so serious about it, there was probably appropriate circumstances behind it... and I wasnt really reluctant to consent to it either . Though it was Zally that gathered them all . But his eyes conveyed to me that he was leaving the decision to me . He probably had a big interest in them as an informant, however, he didnt want them to the point that he would reject a direct request from the Guild Master . In that case, there is no problem . However... Well, I dont mind if thats what you want... but and this isnt really something Im asking in exchange can I ask something? What is it? Well, I think I already have an idea . Well, given where this conversation was going, of course she would . Just what kind of monster is that lizard? Not a single person knew about it, and just about everything was different with it... Is it a rare monster, after all? I asked around about it after everything was over, but no one had a clue . Be it the well-informed Elk, or the informant Zally, or Sherry-san with her peculiar knowledge as a Dark Elf, or Neil-chan who was familiar with the surrounding ecology as an Alraune(I suppose she is no longer one, but still), or anyone from the town or North . Not to mention that unbelievable strength that I had experienced four years prior, too . Whether it be its offence, defence, endurance or even agility... there was no monster that could compare to either of them from the ones I have met so far (excluding moms pets) . I dont like to boast about myself, but whenever I seriously struck it, it responded with a strike of its own; it was smart enough to imitate the skills of humans... I cant even remember how many times I was surprised in that short battle . Based on its low familiarity, it shouldnt be something that you meet so often... but its still weighing on my mind . If possible, Id like to know more about it . As she listened to me, Irene-san pondered a bit and opened her mouth with well, I suppose its fine . Let me say this first, but even I dont know much about that monster, okay? Its a monster whose sightings have barely gone up ever since its existence was acknowledged by the Guild a few decades ago . With those words as a preface, Irene-san started the talk . The name of that monster is... Diabolos . It is a monster that belongs to the strongest class among the nine monster group classifications... to the Dragonkind class just like Delta . Character Introduction Character Introduction MINATO KADRILLE Protagonist. 16 years old. Adventurer. After his death, he reincarnated into another world with his memories intact. He has black hair, eyes, and his clothes, weapons and even his bag are all pure black. His nickname is Black Lion. He has a child-like face and slender body build, perhaps a characteristic trait. He is a little below 170 cm in height. Presumed to be AAA Rank. During his infancy, Lilyn had found him somewhere and raised him like her own son. In doing so, a number of reasons caused him to mutate, and he gained the power of an Incubus while still staying human. He has a gentle and farsighted personalityor so it appears, however, in truth, he is quite childish, for better or worse. He is full of curiosity and creativity. He dislikes religious fanatics and muscle-brains that try to force their values on others. His battle style is mostly self-taught hand-to-hand combat in an SFX:Games:HK Movies = 4:3:3 ratio. ELK KIRKES The first heroine. 16 years old. Human. Adventurer. Glasses Girl. Minatos first comrade. Has green hair and eyes, and while slender she is quite fit. She is a little below 160 cm in height. She is strong-willed, but deep down she is a kind girl with a firm character. She has tsundere tendencies. Her ex-adventurer mother trained her, so her skills and knowledge are first class. C Rank. Minato trusts her, and besides her guardian-cum-straight man job, they are in an intimate relationship (According to Minato, she is right in his strike zone for having traits like Scornful Look, Glasses, Confident, Blushing Habit and Tsundere). She uses a dagger as her weapon, and mainly fights using the hit and run tactics with projectiles and magic. Lately, aside from growing stronger and stronger, her somewhat unidentified talent of Telepathy has also started to bloom. ALBA Minatos pet companion. He looks like a black owl and usually sits on either Minatos or Elks shoulders. He is quite wise and easy to deal with. Loves food that contains magic power. In reality, he is a Demon Bird of immeasurable Rank called Nevalides, and on top of having unbelievable capabilities in the field of magic, Minato keeps teaching him his original magic, so he is turning into something unbelievable at an even faster rate than his owner. During the Flower Valley incident, he was already displaying a beyond-the-norm battle power, acting like a bomber bird. Incidentally, his name comes from the English word Albatross, and Minato named him because it had a nice ring to it. ZALLY TRANTOR 22 years old. Human. Adventurer-cum-Informant. He is a young man with orange hair and ear piercings as his traits. He is a little over 170 cm in height. He appears to be quite a frivolous lad. His personality is on the casual side, however, he always looks at everything with a calm mind, so his powers of observation are high. He is also quite skilled at being an informant and is among the people Minato trusts to a degree. His weapons of choice are daggers and short swords, and he excels in fighting that makes use of mobility. He can also use magic. He is a B Rank a bit short of A. SHERRY SAXON The second heroine (maybe). 20 years old. Nega Elf (Higher species of Dark Elves). Adventurer. She has a long, red hair and dark skin, and a glamorous, well-developed body. She is a bit above 170 cm in height. She is quite wild and hearty in nature. She is a muscle-brain that loves fighting, but she knows enough to keep it in moderation. She is a warrior type that excels in sword fights, but she is an all-rounder who can also use bows and fire magic depending on the circumstances. She is an A Rank a bit short of AA. She seems to be quite fond of Minato both as an Adventurer and as a man. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. SUULA COWEN 26 years old. Human. She is a soldier stationed at the base centred in Volka, and a platoon commander in charge of a unit. Her rank was the first lieutenant, but afterwards, she got promoted to a captain and her position also changed into company commander. She has light blue hair and well-featured body. She is about 170 cm in height. It is quite hard to tell with her military uniform and armour, but when she gets undressed, she has all the right curves. She has a calm and composed personality, but instead of being stubborn, she has quite a unique and friendly nature and tends to go along with jokes. She mainly uses a bow and water magic. Her unit commanding skills are also high, making her both strong and intelligent. LYNN GEISHA The receptionist of the Adventurers Guild She is an intellectual woman with olive-brown hair and glasses. She has a calm personality. After registering Minato as an Adventurer, they somehow formed a bond. TANYA BERTH She is the customer attractor girl in the Bermuda inn where Minato and the others are staying. A young girl with a brown ponytail. She is a little over 150 cm in height. She is a high spirited girl to an annoying degree, but that apparently makes her even popular. Lately, after Elks relationship with Minato reached that stage, Elk has been the target of her teasings. NOEL CO MALRUS Age unknown (Over 100 years old). Fox Beastmen. Merchant and ex-adventurer. Head of the great Malrus Association and Minatos older sister (4th). Speaking in Kansai dialect and fox ears and tail are her characteristics, and she has a calm and gentle nature, however, she can be quite sly in reality. Her mother requested her to monitor and instruct Minato. She is a former S Ranked Adventurer, and in her active days, she was apparently called the Great Heavenly Flame WILLIAM KITZ Human. Handsome. Glasses boy. Over 170 cm in height. Minatos older brother. He is calm, cool and collected, but that does not make him difficult to approach. He somewhat has a soft spot for his younger brother. He is a biologist living in the royal capital and also researching the Diabolos. IRENE JEMINA Age unknown (Over 400 years old). Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild. She refers to herself with the Boku pronoun. She has a long, olive-brown hair, and a child-like face just like Minato. She is a human by race, however, she is known to be an Atavism of the High Elves and possesses longevity and vast magical power. She has a bright personality, and doesnt build walls between her and others, however, on the other side of the coin, are hidden the sly and cunning parts of her She is a former member of the legendary and the strongest party in history, Wasp Spider, and supposedly possesses a dreadful amount of power, but the details are unknown. She keeps an S ranked monster, Dark Dragon as her pet. LILYN KADRILLE The strongest. Over 200 years old. Succubus. Former adventurer. Minatos mother. Current location unknown. She has golden hair and a glamorous body, with beautiful features that would make 1000 out of 1000 people to turn their heads. She is a mother of the 26 children of the Kadrille family, and the one who picked up and raised Minato in a certain forest. She was the leader of the legendary party, Wasp Spider, and also deemed as the worlds strongest Adventurer. Her overwhelming power that befits her legends is still in good condition and her fighting power is strong enough to treat Minato like a kid in battle. Moreover, she keeps many pets starting from the immeasurable Ranked Phoenix, Stoke. Incidentally, her reason for retirement was pregnancy. Chapter 54-56 - Encounter with ‘Blue Justice’ Chapter 54-56 - Encounter with Blue Justice Its almost been a month since the flower town incident. Since then, mine and Elks lifestyles underwent some major changes. Sherry-san has joined in on our morning training, and the special text called Grimoire, simply reading of which could make you learn Magic (depending on your affinity, of course), has appeared inside Necronomicon, and by reading that Albas Magic repertoire increased in one go yet again, and by applying the Gravity Magic he learned from there on me, he also helped me with my training. And as we spent such days, we finally reached today - the day before the Joint Training. So then, what brings you to the market this early in the morning? Is there something you want to buy? Im going to buy the things I will be bringing to the joint training, naturally. ? Didnt the Guild say that they would provide everything needed so there was no need to bring anything yourself? No need to, yes, but you can. Preparing things in advance can come in handy later on. Are you talking about things like snacks and medicine? Is that really allowed? I wonder if theres any rule that disallows bringing things? For example, something like a field trip or club activities, where they confiscate things you arbitrarily decide to bring. Rather, it seems well be staying there for several days, so its more like a training camp. There is no such rule. After all, this is a training to measure and improve your comprehensiveness as an Adventurer. And preparing in advance also adds to your ability. As such, they wouldnt really say anything regardless of what, how and how many you bring. Moreover it is quite possible to get pillaged during the training. Pillage are they even letting the participants scramble for them!? Elk was startled to hear that. However, Sherry-san behind her was quite amused. Oh just why are these two so contrastive with their reactions No, well, I think its quite clear which of the two was being weird here. It happens sometimes It does? Well, depending on the instructor in charge ah, naturally, they are an Adventurer from the Guild but sometimes, they impersonate the robbers and steal other peoples items during sleep. They return it later, of course, and if you catch them in the act and defend yourself, thats also fine. Sounds quite disturbing This training camp has quite a demonic instructors, huh Were it the present-day Japan, it wouldnt end on simply getting sued for it. But well, there is no use thinking about all that, so lets just focus on the preparations. According to Zally, while it varies every year its still quite severe, so I should ignore that this is a training camp and prepare equipment and items so I could deal with everything they throw at me. Food, water, lighting fuel, my shuriken, etc I was in the middle of buying all the necessities. I was currently at a bar, Sherry-sans favourite store. As I was rolling my eyes out at how she was trying to buy alcohol from barrels, I suddenly heard what seems to be yells of dispute from across the street. Taking a look, there was even a crowd forming there. Did a fight break out, I wonder? Sherry-san seemed to be taking her time probing alcohol in barrels one by one, so me, Elk, Zally, and Alba headed there to take a look. There from the gaps of the crowd, was a scene, one you could tell was bad at a glance, spread out or rather, unfolding right now. To sum it up in a few words, there was a crouching, shabbily-dressed child, and a well-dressed adult who was continuing to kick him. Moreover, the adult was throwing lowly and vulgar swears at him. However, that in return made me understand the whole picture. It appeared that this kid, who was grinding his teeth and bearing the kicking he was getting, was an orphan from Volkas slums (This town actually had one?). I asked Elk, and she told me that she knew about its existence itself. It was a district where the poor who couldnt even eat their daily fill gathered, and it was quite isolated from the main streets. I see, that explains why I didnt know. There seemed to be many among them who worked as day labourers, and sometimes even turn into crimes. It had a bad public order and was overall a lawless area. And, even if the people from there came to the main street, people would only turn a cold shoulder to them, so they mostly stayed inside there. And its not exactly because of that, but if people got lost and headed into the slums, they would rob them and do all kinds of things. However, it seems that this kid who was being kicked now tried to steal something from the neatly-dressed man but failed. And that man turned out to be a merchant, and what the kid tried to steal was one of his goods. And then, after getting kicked many times, the kids tightly grasped hand loosened and a little gem of some sorts tumbled down from there. The merchant didnt waste time and quickly rushed towards it and took it back. Then he leaked a relieved sigh. I see, so that was the stolen goods. Meanwhile, the crouching kid was neglected completely. However, not a single person around tried to help him. This was not anything strange. In this morally hazardous world, few would save such children even if they witnessed this scene. That said, its not like people were generally cold and cruel at hearts but in this world and industry, getting your just deserts was a thoroughly rooted value. Its not that the onlookers did not pity the child, but what they truly thought deep down was, that kid tried to steal, so he is kinda getting what he deserved. And it ended there. While they did not approve of the violence, what the kid did was a big crime too. If the adult was kicking the kid for selfish and unreasonable reasons, the outcome might have been different however, sad it may be, cases like today were quite a common sight. And in these cases, the merchant is mostly in the right. Thats why, if someone got unnecessarily involved, they might invite trouble to themselves. They rarely lead to death, so based on this worlds senses of values, people would either leave it alone, or (if they did meddle) at most, call the guard over and let them mediate. Nee-san also said that to me before. Thus, after throwing a few more jeers, the merchant with his goods in hand left the placetried to, it wouldve been good if he did, but the crouching kid suddenly grasped the edge of his foot. Does he really want that red gem(?) so badly? He isnt giving up even after all he was put through. The merchant seemed to have gotten annoyed by his behaviour, and he once again cursed him and kicked him with the leg he was holding on to. Uh oh, no mercy towards a kid Even so, the kid did not let go. Okay, what is really going on here? Hes really going to die at this rate the moment I thought that Hold it! What the hell are you doing! Along with the shout, a single young man rushed towards them from the crowd of onlookers. !? Everyone around seemed to have been taken aback from that. The person that pushed his way through the opposite crown from us, was a man of around my age, looking be somewhere between a boy and a young man. If I had to say, his face looked somewhat childish (though not as much as mine) and a bit oval. He belonged to the category that people would call handsome. He had blue hair, around shoulder-length, and had all but part of his bangs tied behind his head. His clothes and armour were coloured in blue and white, and he had a single sword hanging on his waist. Putting it in a good way, you could say he looked elegant in them, but saying it in a bad way, he looked too pretty. Also, even his mantle was in the same colours. And that young manhe looked older than me, so lets call him that for nowrushed towards the little boy in question, lifted him up and called out to him in worry. The boy reacted to him a little, meaning that he was somewhat safe as he still clung to his consciousness. That made the young mans expression to momentarily loosen in relief, but the following moment, he directed a sharp glare towards the merchant responsible for the boys current state. What the hell are you doing!? Beating up such a small, nonresistant kid arent you ashamed of it as an adult!? WhWho the fuck are you!? Why did you stick your nose here this has nothing to do with you! Even if it doesnt, I cant just pretend I didnt see it! Dont you pity this child! You catch sight of these kinds of people, nowadays. These rare, sincere individuals who rush for the rescue Elk muttered next to me. Ah, so it really is rare, huh? The praiseworthy yet too eccentric, meddlesome nature of that young man. The ethically exemplary, commendable people who willingly stick their noses in troublestepping forward to save a boy, not minding that everyone around chose to ignore it. Yeah, he could put up a decent fight against you. Huh, you mean Im the same? Is that how you see me, Elk? Try to remember what you did 2 months ago. Though your way of thinking itself is praiseworthy enough. Hey, thats harsh! While we were chatting, the two continued to argue in the middle of the street. The merchant seemed to be in the middle of explaining the situation to the blue-haired young man protecting the kid about how that kid was a criminal who stole his goods. That brat tried to steal my merchandise! I have every right to give a thief like him a good beating! I I understand that what he did was not commendable. But even so, that doesnt justify you beating him to this point! This is a little kid we are talking about here, you know!? Thats because he ignored what I said! Damn dirty brat was trying to steal MY merchandise He should just stay in the slums and keep begging for money or whatever! Hah, looks like both your actions and words are just as dirty. I couldnt have said it better! What are you saying to a child! ((They grew in number!?)) Mine and Elks thoughts overlappedI think. From the crown where the blue-haired man came from another two people appeared. One of them was a man with an almost back, blue ruffled haired and a sharp look in his eyes. He was one head taller than me and carried a long sword on his back, which means he was a warrior. Another one was a woman with shoulder-length hair and masculine features. She was about the same height as me and seemed to be a strong-willed girl. She had a wand in her hand. I suppose she was a magician? The two who seemed to be the blue-haired youths friends got involved in the quarrel. And their long quarrel continued on. They threw phrases like He is just a child, But he stole from me, Even, so you are an adult and so on, without an end. Sherry-san (who seemed to have bought the alcohol) and Zally overheard them and joined our group. While we were explaining the situation to them, there was a change in the quarrel of those four. Or to be more concrete it was the thief kid, who was crouching in pain next to them, who acted. He rushed towards the merchant who took back his merchandisethe red gem thing that Im still not sure what it isand, perhaps you could only call this a willpower, tried to steal from him again. He leapt towards his hand that was grasping the gem. The place was momentarily filled with surprise, but the next moment the merchants face was once again dyed with anger. As he naturally swung his foot, the kid ended up easily kicked flying and by some chance, that ended up being towards me. And, by another chance, he plunged straight through the stall next to me. Ugh, this could be bad. And unluckily for him that stall ended up being one that sold ironware. Among which were a bunch of sharp and dangerous goods like scissors and drills. With the crash all of them scattered around and rained down upon the kid, some of them even reaching us. The blue-haired youth stared in shock but the next moment, after a slight delay in judgement, suddenly opened his hands wide and rushed towards us. Waitdoesnt this look just like that scene? The one where people push the kid out of the way and get trucked in their place? The so-called self-sacrifice. He is clearly rushing towards here to push someone away actually, could it be that he plans to save us too? Or better put, isnt he trying to fling us away? Well, we are all in a danger zone, so I understand why he would make that judgement. But, theres really no need to do that, really and all this would serve is him needlessly getting injured You are in dangeeeeer!! No, you are the one in danger. Hop!! The youth makes a jump to save me and the kid who are in the danger zone. Slam!! He falls down beautifully after failing to budge me from the place. Shupapapapa!! I catch every edged tool in midair. Ooooohhh!! Clap clap clap The surrounding crowd applauded me with a voice mixed with surprise and admiration. Thank you, thank you. After my thousand-armed Kannon catch that somehow settled down the atmosphere of the place, understanding that nothing was to be gained by causing any more ruckus, the old merchant took back his merchandise and the situation settled down. The thief kid fainted as he crashed through the shelves and remained that way to the very end. Well, everything got settled with the merchant, so no problems with that. Moreover, the ones who negotiated with the merchant were the blue-haired youth and the other two. Moreover, they were the ones who willingly offered it. Good grief just how good-natured were they or should I just say a job well done? Rather, the ashen-haired girl and the guy with ruffled hair standing behind him were directing overbearing gazes at them. And quite blatantly too. In the end, it felt more like the merchant accepted it because he found the whole situation bothersome, rather than actually forgiving the kid. During that processI got to hear theirthe meddlesome trios names. The blue-haired youth was Lute. The girl was Annie and the black-haired guy was Gid. By the way, Lute was now pressing on the bump he got when he rammed at me to throw me aside but failed miserably. I mean, that was given, right? The fact that I didnt budge when he charged at me was the same as him willingly plunging at a pillar or something. And head-first at that. It seems that the girl, Annie, couldnt stomach that fact and glared at me, implying, It was my fault for not letting myself be swept aside that he got injured. No, well, I feel bad about that but even so, that hostility she directed at me was something else. It seems she was really pissed about his injury. Indeed. Well, Im with you with being displeased about that man but it is also a fact that he saved Lute. So dont be so noisy now. But Gid!!! The third guy, black-haired Gidah, so he doesnt like me either, huh. Can I ask you something? Your name wasMinato, right? Hmm? Lute suddenly addressed me. This is the first time we meet but he addressed me quite casually (not to mention, I dont remember ever giving him my name oh, right, he probably heard when Elk called me) but I dont really mind that. Those types of people exist everywhere. Anyway, that Lute seemed like he was having difficulty speaking his mind, but at the same time, he thought he had to say it so with a difficult expression, he finally opened his mouth. After seeing how you handled that earlier, and by how sturdy you turned out to be after I crashed at you, I was thinking Minato, you are actually crazy strong, right? Huh, whats with that random question. Whats his aim? Oh well, its not something to boast about but well, Im in this business so I do have some confidence in my ability. I thought so And, what about it? Hearing my answer, Lute paused for a second and then continued. Please tell me. Why didnt you try to save that child? Come again? Uhh, by that child he should mean that kid the merchant was beating, right? Thats right. Given your strength, you couldve easily saved him, right? And possibly more skillfully and faster than someone like me. So, why didnt you do it then? while asking me that, his eyes appeared to be full of sincerity. Rather, they were a bit too sincere. He asked me while directing that gaze at me. Uhhh, lets see to put it bluntly because it seemed like it would invite trouble, I guess? As I replied with that, Lute was taken aback, as if he tasted a shock, and Annie behind him, too, gave me a scorning glare for some reason as if saying just like I thought. Then, after he recovered from his shock, Lute replied in a sullen mood. Why didnt you save him!? Even though you have enough power to do so why!? Huh, h-hey, what got to you all of a sudden!? What do you mean what got to me! A child was being bullied before your eyes, and you had enough power to save him, so why didnt you do anything! Thats not right, is it!? He suddenly drew his face, or rather his entire body closer to me and declared that in a loud voice, his eyes full of righteous indignation? or something like that. Coupled with a strong will. He then continued his speech. It seemed he was of the opinion that the thief kid was certainly to blame. He even tried to (attempt to) steal the look one again after Lute intervened, after all. But even so, he believed that it was not right for an adult to beat an immature kid with a weak body like that, and if he wanted to condemn the kid for stealing, he couldve gone differently about it. He could understand the man getting forceful when it came to capturing him, but he shouldve started to persuade the kid instead of starting to beat him so violently without warning. I see, it mostly makes sense. There were parts in his speech that you couldnt help but call naive, but it was also true that, given how weak the kid looked, he could easily get seriously injured if an adult beat him. And so, why did he direct those objections not at the merchant in question, but at me? Ah, no, he was doing exactly that just a while ago. And quite properly, too. So when I asked him, the one who answered wasnt Lute who was making me more and more impressed with his awful honesty and fervent speech but instead Annie, who had taken a very overbearing attitude behind him. Huh!? Do I have to spell out something so obvious! If there is a child bullied before your eyes, you have to save him! Rather, why didnt you people do anything!? As she suddenly barked at me with those words, I couldnt help but feel overpowered. She was just as unpredictable as Lute The bullies are bad, but the ones who overlook their actions are just as bad, havent you heard of that!? Seeing a suffering child and not doing anything to help goes against common sense! Ah, I see. Well, I get where you are coming from, but You said it. Im not sure what all these people were thinking when they didnt even lift a finger when they saw it. Even Gid, who stood imposingly next to her joined in. Huh, what is this now? I feel like this has escalated in a weird direction. It appears thatthese three couldnt stomach the fact that I didnt do anything even though I saw a child being bullied before my eyes. Annie and Gid were especially hostile about it. I mean, its not like I was enjoying what I saw, and I did consider doing something, you know? Its not like I didnt care at all about it. Moreover, even if the outcome was too extreme, the blame lay in the kid, so I hesitated to get rolled up in something so troublesome. So yeah, when I was thinking whether I should call the guards and let them handle it, those three appeared. I certainly didnt approve of him continuing to beat up the kid like that But it seemed that my answer still didnt sit well with the three (especially the two in the back) and they preached me about how vicious of an act it was to overlook unreasonable violence happening before my eyes. I fear that they are even ignoring the lost and troubled expression thats slowly appearing on my face. As expected, all that jeering and one-sided moral lectures seemed to have finally gotten our smooth talker, Elk, pissed off and she stepped forward. But wouldnt it be a disaster if that got us involved in trouble too? Even if we assume what you say is reasonable, if you think about it that way, dont you think it needs a more discreet approach? She was the most short-tempered one out of us all, so I guess its no wonder she got triggered after seeing their jeers turning into moral lectures. Annie was the one to respond. She snorted and replied to Elk. What was that? So we should just keep ourselves safe? Even if you see innocent children being abused before you, everythings good as long as you dont get hurt, is that what you are saying? You are the worst. I didnt go that far, did I? I just said that telling us to assertively intervene while knowing it would invite trouble is kinda unreasonable. Just what is unreasonable, huh? How can you say that after that stunt he displayed? Besides, isnt it a common knowledge that doing the right thing comes with some headwind? Lute always says that. But he still saves the weak regardless. Thats right. It would be one thing if you couldnt do that because you lacked power, but you have that power but arent doing a thing you are nothing but cowards. Learn from Lutes example. Not even once has he fled from it. With Gid included, they praised Lutes actions and at the same time blames us. When it came to the person in question, he had a somewhat complex expression on his face, but he was still looking directly at me without averting his eyes as if saying he didnt feel embarrassed about a thing. Hes quite upstanding. Thats right. The likes of you will never even reach his feet. Arent you envious? Not really. We have our own morals we follow. I dont plan to deny your leaders morals, but we have no plan to change ours either. KhYou still dont get it after all weve said!? How long do you plan to keep turning your backs on the people in need of help with that egoistic way of thinking!? That doesnt mean we can act like philanthropists with every trouble we stumble on our way, right? Let me ask one thing. Can you persuade someone else to adapt your senses of values and do voluntary service, clearly knowing that they would be at a disadvantage? Isnt that given!? Its only natural for people to offer each other a helping hand. Rather than such weird modesty, you should be courageous and ask the person next to you to do the same. If you properly explain what is truly important, a lot more people can be saved thats why we dont hesitate to do that. That so. Then, what if those people didnt want to get involved in it, and moreover, they had some property they wished to use for something else, but getting involved in that important voluntary service you speak of would mean damaging that something, hence making it clear to you that they wontwould you still try it? How many times are you going to make me say it!? Of course we would persuade them! Be it your time or money, if you dont use them for proper goals that would just make you harm your dignity. Why cant you understand that theres nothing more important than being a philanthropist and helping others? Annie was making a fervent speech as if it was only natural to help those in need even if it meant you suffering from it. It seems that she didnt even intend to lend her ear to what Elk was saying. Imagine there is a person in need before you, and you have enough power to save that someone, be it physical or monetary. Then it is quite natural to help them, isnt it? Even if I end up losing something, that would mean the other person would be saved. Thinking normally, thats something a proper and ethical person should do! And again. Seeing how Elk leaked a sigh, Annie started grinning, thinking that she won the argument. But Elks sigh did not come from the frustration of losing an argument, but from being exasperated and giving up on explaining to her, but Annie did not even consider any of that. Even after that, they stuck with their morals and senses, and kept nagging on how we were wrong and how we should have followed their example of a proper human being. But neither me nor Elk were nodding our heads in agreement, and we continued quarrelling on and on until Zally finally judged that this was going nowhere and found a middle ground and broke us up for the day. A few minutes later, Zally told us just what kind of people those three were. And generously enough, he did it for free. Blue Justice? Whats up with that name? It sounds like they tried to come up with something cool but failed miserably. Yeah, well, I think thats because of their naming sense but well, thats the name of the party those three belong to or better put, the party those three made. I just remembered about them. So they really were a team, huh?said Sherry-san as if expecting it. Me and Elk were more or less on the same page too. Guessing from what happened, Lute must be the leader. How should I put it those two looked like Lute was their cornerstone. Moving on, According to Zally they were starting to become famous in more than one way. After he summed up his impressions, he pulled out a notebook from his pocket and started reading it out loud. Not sure where he obtained it from, but it was the information about those three. Anyway, I think you already guessed it, but their leader is Lute Fangoal-kun, a B rank. And the two from before were his party members. The C rank Annie Levias-chan and the B rank Gid Tajack-kun. As a team of three, they are known to be quite strong, but But? Well, I think I know what. As you saw earlier, all three of them, centred around Lute, have an excessive sense of justice. It would be one thing if they were simply helping the weak, but they even pick fights with various people in various places all the time, so they are infamous for that. Fights huh Yeah, they seemed like they would pick a fight with anyone and everyone. Just recently, when a merchant group approached some poor village, they suggested whether they could share some emergency food and materials with the village. Another time, they saw a slave trader oh, and I mean a legal one, okay? And so, they flared up at him to release the slaves because they pitied them. So in the business circle, they are known as the moral justice warriors and are partly blacklisted. Nee-san, does hearing their name ring any bells? I think it does! Among the business partners of Malrus Association, the slave traders were also present but it could be that Malrus itself was told something. Basically, those three were pressing their ideology of If you have money, then use some for those without to people around them. Hearing it makes you think like they are just good-natured people, but after experiencing it myself, I can understand how troublesome and pain in the ass they can be. Thats why I cant really laugh about it. Certainly, if you thought about it from the perspectives of the merchants with varying senses of values and profit motives those three with their volunteering = moral way of life way of thinking couldnt be any more annoying. The merchants that were in for the profit and those three who put saving others above all were even more incompatible than water and oil. The troublesome part though, was that neither side could be blamed It was natural for a merchant to pursue profit, so you cant complain about it. After all, they worked hard to earn that profit. Moreover, Lutes partys actionsthough their attitudes were a problemwere, too, helping the misfortunate people, so there were many they actually saved. Howeverthe problem was that they advocated that what they were doing was natural and anything but that was wrong, pressing it to others and even asking them to suffer losses for other people. Volunteering is nice and all, but there is a limit to everything and if they continued what they do while ignoring that fact, then their actions would one day come back to bite them in the ass and it would be the end of them. At any rate it would be better if we dont get involved with them any further. For both of our sakes. And finally, the day of the Joint Training has come. When our partythe usual four people + one bird, arrived at the location designated by the Guild, there were already dozens of Adventurers there. Among them, there were both tough and weak-looking ones. Even their weapons were varied - swords, staffs, even axes and spears. People of all ages were jumbled together (though the younger ones were more in number), Adventurers of around F, E and D ranks wishing to reach new heights. It seems like there were a few C ranks mixed in but there didnt seem to be any A or B ones. And that was expected This Joint Training was simply meant to be for beginners, so E, F and D if you pushed it, was the appropriate range. Frankly speaking, there was nothing A or B ranks could learn here. And because of that even in the physical power measurement test that was on the beginning training programme, our results were nonsensical, to say the least. To put it bluntly, it was at the level where people would think we were here to make fun of them. Strength, Stamina, Agility, Magic Power - in all of those, our results were far from average. Even in the combat training the next day, the four of us were clearly above everyone else. At most, they were at a level that they could barely match Elk in close combat. Honestly, I wondered whether the training camp would end without us learning a thing that is, up until the final day. The third day of the training. I marked this day as the final day, but thats not really the case. To explain what I mean This day was certainly the last if we talk in terms of complete training, but there was also special training regimen beyond this that the formed groups could receive as part of a larger training compilation. Depending on the situation, two or three groups tended to form. By the way, if you wanted to make a group, you could do so by choosing your own members, or leave that part to the management. And so, each of those groups were supervised by one or two active Adventurers, and beyond normal assessment, they even provided advice depending on the situation. In that state, they had to complete a guild-chosen request and they would be finished. The said request was either a simple subjugation request that could be completed in a day or even something like an escort mission that could span for a few. The guild chose it based on the problem the group was facing. If it was a team that was facing a problem in battle coordination, it would be a subjugation request that demanded cooperation. And if the problem was more in the investigation department, theyd get something like the exploration of ruins and information gathering It was something like that. And now, the four of us were waiting for the inspector whod be joining us for the final days programme. After hearing how it worked from Zally, I went ahead and put together our team so it wouldnt fall apart. However, while we were waiting like this I guess its pretty late, but theres something that bothered me. Why are we made to wait in a place like this? No Idea? I said it earlier, but (a few days starting from) today, the mop-up exams or tests, based on the quests that the guild chose, were under the management of the Adventurer who acted as the inspector. However, most of the adventurers were waiting for their inspectors near their respective lodging houses but that wasnt the same for us. We were now in a place a little separated from the place we stayed at. From the impression I got, it looked more like a ruin, a little unsuitable for a place of appointment. It was the sort of place which could easily be associated to a lair of bandits who couldnt enter the urban areas. It was not as worn out as that place where I fought with Elks corrupted moneylenders, and if you could endure living in them, some buildings looked usable. And we were now gathered in an open spaceperhaps what used to be a plaza when it was still an urban areain such a place. This place was quite vast. Though it was stone-paved, it was around the same size as a sports field At any rate, it was a place where you could notice anyone approaching. Could there be some kind of meaning in all this? The fact that we were told to gather here. I dont know but I dont think theyd have called us here if there wasnt. Going by how it usually happens to us there might be some kind of event that makes the best use of this place. Zally smiled wryly, having a bad premonition. Ah, right wasnt this training a lawless area which, depending on the instructor, could have such crazy training programmes as if they were normal? Thinking about it that way, the current silence is instead making me uneasy. Could it be that some hired thugs are suddenly going to attack us from the shadows? Or are they planning to set monsters at us Why do you look so happy while imagining such dangerous things? I wasnt sure how to feel about Sherry-san and Elks conversation, but there didnt seem to be any indication to any of that. There was no particular smell of beasts, either. In the first place, this open place seems quite unsuitable for surprise tactics that employed monsters and thugs Just as I was thinking that Yeah, yeah, theres nothing of the sort, dont worry. Relax, you all. A voice that lacked all kinds of tension came from behind us. !!? Just as we turned around, sensing a giant presence from behind was Ms.legend who tended to appear all the time without anyone expecting her. She tended to erase her presence and sneak inside rooms, riding dragons and swooping down on the Flower Valley The whimsical Guildmaster, Irene-san had appeared before us once again, without any warning. No, wait, why!? Why is she here!? What is she planning!? Ah! Irene-san!? Why are you? Oh my, while it was unexpected, isnt that response a bit too cold? Can you not look at me like Im some kind of a monster? Oh come on, you are concerned about that now wait, thats not the point here. Why are you here? answered Zally. Yeah, that. We cant not mind it. Its not like this is the first time she has appeared out of nowhere. Rather than that, the question here is why she is here. The identification of Albas species, or the investigation of the battle with the Diabolos Whenever she acted and came in touch with us, there were always reasons for her actions. Thinking about it that way means that today, she also came here because its related to our training, I guess? Eh? Could it be that you are our inspector, Guildmaster? Hehe, sorry but thats not it. Oh, its not? Even I thought that was the case for a second. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But well, thinking rationally about it, theres no way the chief executive of the Guild would come all the way here just because there were two A rankers here. Oh, really? Aww, too bad. And here I got excited thinking I would be able to train with a legend. Oh come on, you just wanted to fight. I dont deny that but Elk-chan, havent you been a bit harsh towards me lately? Did I do something? pouted Sherry-san, but before Elk could answer her, Irene-san interjected. The inspector came with me though And shes the same as me in terms of being an OG of the Adventurers Guild instead of being an active adventurer. Huh? The inspector came with her? And an OG or, Old Girl. Meaning, its a retired adventurer, right? And a woman. I came here today as something like an escort of her. I might just stay and watch, throwing in some jokes and jeers here and there but she is basically the one who I entrusted with your guidance. With those words, she pointed behind her. As we followed her finger Huh? Standing there was someone we never expected. (Noelnee-san?) Faced with our dumbfounded and Irene-sans amused expressions, my sister, with just her tone staying the same as always, declared towards extremely matter-of-factly. Great Heavenly Flame. That was the nickname of a certain outstanding adventurer who was famous around a hundred years ago. With the combination of her brilliant sword, so fast that eyes couldnt follow, and her scorching flames, so hot they reduced everything to ashes, she managed to slay a dragon by herself. She had reached S rank in the blink of an eye, and in the end, she was even famed as the continents strongest swordsman. Her power that only a few active Adventurers of that time could match, drew in invitations from many countries and large organizations, however, it is said that she refused them all and continued enjoying her freedom as an Adventurer. Afterwards, the rumours gradually vanished and she left the stage without anyone knowing when she retired or whether she was even alive. Although people did wonder about that for some time, Adventurer was an occupation where more and more promising newbies tended to show up and the generation switched fast, so before long, Great Heavenly Flame disappeared from peoples memories and unnoticed, she was reduced to false rumours such as retired in reluctance or died during a quest. That was the testimony from Irene-san, who knew the truth behind it. And as we faced against that Great Heavenly Flame, aka, Noel-neesan we were made to realize just how extraordinarily strong she was. After suddenly appearing, she asked for a sham battle as a tryout but she didnt even use weapons and obtained flawless victory against the trio of Elk, Sherry-san and Zally. Furthermore, in a one-on-one battle after that, she showed me the power that she polished for over a hundred years. Our battle itself resulted in a draw, but she didnt seem to be serious at all, and she was just using the fake sword for sham battles. And during that fight, it seems that she put together the assignments and training plans for us inside her head. And then, as our inspector, she commenced our final day of training without delay.